Sinders and Ash
(Pennymaker Tales, Book 1)
by Tara Lain
Length: October 14, 2015
Genres: Gay (M/M), Romance, Fairy Tale
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Housekeeper Mark Sintorella (Sinders) works diligently at a resort hotel while designing clothes anonymously, hoping to get into fashion school. Then his carefully planned life is upended with the arrival of Ashford Armitage, son of the fifth richest man in America—and the most beautiful guy Mark has ever seen. Ash must find a wife or he’ll lose his grandfather’s inheritance, and he settles on Bitsy Fanderel. But secretly Ash is gay, and the guy who cleans the fireplaces sets his heart ablaze.
Further stirring the pot is the little elf of a man, Carstairs Pennymaker, who has Mark wearing his own designs and masquerading as a girl to impress the fashion investors in the hotel. When the clock strikes twelve, two beautiful princesses line up for the wedding—but one isn’t a woman. Will the slipper fit? Only Mr. Pennymaker knows for sure.
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"No, sir. I have dinner for two. Do you want me to serve it now?”
“What did you bring?”
“Sole amandine, mashed potatoes, and broccoli, sir. As you requested.”
“Do you like those foods, Sinders?” He looked up, startled, maybe, at hearing his nickname. “Sorry, I know that’s not your name. What is it?”
“Uh, Mark Sintorella, sir.”
“So do you like sole and mashed potatoes and broccoli, Mark?”
“Yes, sir. The chef does an excellent job.”
“Good, then you’ll eat it with me.”
Those dark eyes seemed to consume his face. “No, sir.”
“Yes, and you’ll call me Ash while you’re doing it.”
“Sir.” He looked down and then back up at Ash. “It’s my job to serve the food, not to eat it.”
“It’s your job to make the guests happy.”
His eyes returned to his shoes. “I can’t imagine why eating with me would make you happy.”
Ash stood and crossed the room. “Sin—uh, Mark, I don’t want to play rich guest games with you. If you don’t want to have dinner with me, you certainly don’t have to.”
“Did Miss Fanderel cancel?” He still hadn’t looked up.
“No, I ordered this dinner because I wanted to see you and I wanted to eat it with you.”
That got his attention. His head snapped up and the amber-brown eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes. I thought since we have shared a, shall we say, personal moment, that we might get to know each other.” He pointed to the table. “Since you’re supposed to be serving my dinner, no one is going to break in and disturb us. We can relax and talk. That is, if you want to.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“Oh, why?”
The kid wiped the top of one shoe against his pant leg in back. “I might like it.”
“What did you bring?”
“Sole amandine, mashed potatoes, and broccoli, sir. As you requested.”
“Do you like those foods, Sinders?” He looked up, startled, maybe, at hearing his nickname. “Sorry, I know that’s not your name. What is it?”
“Uh, Mark Sintorella, sir.”
“So do you like sole and mashed potatoes and broccoli, Mark?”
“Yes, sir. The chef does an excellent job.”
“Good, then you’ll eat it with me.”
Those dark eyes seemed to consume his face. “No, sir.”
“Yes, and you’ll call me Ash while you’re doing it.”
“Sir.” He looked down and then back up at Ash. “It’s my job to serve the food, not to eat it.”
“It’s your job to make the guests happy.”
His eyes returned to his shoes. “I can’t imagine why eating with me would make you happy.”
Ash stood and crossed the room. “Sin—uh, Mark, I don’t want to play rich guest games with you. If you don’t want to have dinner with me, you certainly don’t have to.”
“Did Miss Fanderel cancel?” He still hadn’t looked up.
“No, I ordered this dinner because I wanted to see you and I wanted to eat it with you.”
That got his attention. His head snapped up and the amber-brown eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes. I thought since we have shared a, shall we say, personal moment, that we might get to know each other.” He pointed to the table. “Since you’re supposed to be serving my dinner, no one is going to break in and disturb us. We can relax and talk. That is, if you want to.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“Oh, why?”
The kid wiped the top of one shoe against his pant leg in back. “I might like it.”
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4 of 5 stars
Since I'm reviewing of the 2nd Edition of Sinders and Ash I should mention that I never read the first version so it's all bright and shiny and new to me. = )
I loooove fairy-tales and because Cinderella is one of my all-time favorites I was excited to see what Tara would do to make the story her own. I had high expectations and the fresh, charming and heartwarming story that I read was everything I hoped for.
Mark is a young man with big dreams and isn't afraid to work hard to make his dreams a reality. Ash is a child of privileged who's never had to work for anything a day in his life. When they first meet Ash sees in Mark the courageous man he dreams of being and Mark finds sees the love and acceptance he craves in Ash's arms. Their fashion forward fairy godfather gives them a nudge or ten in the right direction... now it's up to Mark and Ash to decide if they are brave enough to let go of their familiar present in order live a better future together.
Tara is a go-to author when I'm looking for a sweet story to sweep me away. Ash and Mark aren't infallible; they mess up, muddle through and are adorably befuddled when life don't seem to be going as planned. Over time they learn from their mistakes, adapt to the unexpected and, just when begin to wonder if all hope is lost, have flashes of brilliance that are the hallmark of all good fairy-tales. I adored this story, its lighthearted tone shines hope into the dark corners of life and made me want to wish upon a star.
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her bestselling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”
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Thank you sooooo much for reading Sinders and Ash!! So happy you liked it. : )
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Tara's...I've yet to read a book that she's written that I don't absolutely love.. thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSounds good - I love new takes on fairytales.
ReplyDelete