Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Short Order (Foothills Pride, #8)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Short Order

(Foothills Pride #8)

Pat Henshaw (Goodreads Author)

3.45 · Rating details · 40 ratings · 22 reviews

When recent horticulture graduate Dr. Fenton Miller arrives in Stone Acres, California, he thinks his only concern is which job offer to accept after spending the holidays working at his cousin’s plant nursery. But after he rents a room from another shorter-than-average man, sous-chef John Barton, Fen falls in lust.

While he’s attracted to Fen, John’s got bigger concerns wh ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

ebook, 89 pages

Published December 13th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Short Order, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Short Order

Lists with This Book

How to Blow It with a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

Just a Bit Shameless by Alessandra Hazard

December 2017 MM Releases

179 books — 223 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

3.45 ·

Rating details

· 40 ratings · 22 reviews

Filter

Sort order

Dec 13, 2017 Monika rated it it was ok

Shelves: g-characters-that-confused-me, g-didn-t-work-for-me, g-fast-easy-read, g-christmas-valentine-etc, g-left-me-scratching-my-head, g-short-under-100

Two words that sum up my thoughts on this short story..... disappointed and confused. Disappointed because I was hoping this one would work and it didn't and confused because it's all over the place. This story is in desperate need of some restructuring to make it more cohesive.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2017 Bárbara rated it it was ok

*ARC provided by the author*

I just wasn't a fan.

It was way too messy and, while the general idea had potential, the actual excecution was very poor.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2017 Dixiecowgirl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Fen and John are just delightful together! Fen has been searching for big, tall and handsome and almost missed his perfect man. John is not so tall, dark and not classically handsome, but he is the perfect man for Fen. i loved their differences and thought that they really balanced each other!

Fen is this neat character that has an accepting heart and lots of common sense. John has had a really abusive few years prior to his becoming a chef and he is emotionally scared. Fen and John together are ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 13, 2017 Violet Marshall rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Yes

This is the eighth book in The Foothills Pride Series. An engrossing book the writing was great. Which can be read as a standalone book, that’s how I read it. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters wonderful. The characters were developed and thought out. Dr. Fenton Miller and John Barton are the MC’s of this book. I was hesitant at first to like Ricky because I was unsure about who he really was. But he was like an excited puppy, it was ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2017 Dixiecowgirl rated it really liked it

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2018 NeRdyWYRM rated it really liked it

Shelves: bmb-reviewed, luuuurved-it, reviewed, arc, hurt-comfort, m-m, mystery-suspense, murder-mayhem, versatile, 2018-on-gr

Underdogs, Unite!

I love a good underdogs story. Love. Love. Love. And you have a lot of that here. Add in a personal growth twist and an epic romance and you have a whole lotta good feels.

I liked that the MCs were a little different. I liked that they were a little damaged, or well, at least one of them was. More so than the other. I liked the fact that John had to grow up a little and realize that there is a vast different between what you think you want and what you actually need.

Fenton's char ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 10, 2017 Christy rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, holiday, m-m, on-my-kindle, reviewed

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3 ~ The ‘Foothills Pride’ series is one I enjoy and can always easily recommend. Each of these novellas offers a little something for everyone, fun and interesting characters, storylines with a bit of angst that gets resolved realistically, and lovely happy ever afters. It’s rare an author pairs two vertically challenged characters together and for that alone I was looking forward to Fen and John. *grins*

Fen’s cousin and her wife own the local nursery and it’s a great pla 2.5 Stars rounded up to 3 ~ The ‘Foothills Pride’ series is one I enjoy and can always easily recommend. Each of these novellas offers a little something for everyone, fun and interesting characters, storylines with a bit of angst that gets resolved realistically, and lovely happy ever afters. It’s rare an author pairs two vertically challenged characters together and for that alone I was looking forward to Fen and John. *grins*

Fen’s cousin and her wife own the local nursery and it’s a great place for Fen to fill in and help out over the holiday season while he’s deliberating between his two job offers. Even better, his favorite house on Main street, an old Victorian, has a room for rent and he’s lucky enough to get it. He finds his landlord, John, pretty intriguing but the guy says about two words to him and rebuffs Fen’s offers to grab a beer after work. But one night John invited Fen out and a friendship, and possibly more, develops.

John has a couple of sleazy guys who keep coming around and John warns Fen to stay away from them although it appears Leo has his sights set on Fen. John brings David into the nursery and David asks Fen if he’d be willing to do some holiday decorating at Adam’s restaurant, Silver Star. Apparently, the celebrity chef and his boyfriend went with a contractor out of town (because David didn’t even know Stone Acres had a nursery) and they’re not particularly happy with the result. This leads to Fen grumbling to John about the celebrity people who have moved to town but don’t take advantage of getting to know their neighbors, investing in their community, or making the restaurant a place where locals feel welcome and can afford it. To be honest, the direction the author took here with really no build-up in previous installments had me a little off kilter.

In fact, I have to admit to being even more disappointed in this novella than in the previous one. Again I was faced with characters I couldn’t get a handle on, a storyline that seemed to skim the surface with random happenings not tied in together, and even worse, in my opinion, is that I felt gypped out of a real love story. It was nice to see some familiar faces but overall I was unhappy with the direction, or lack thereof, the author took. The drama with Leo was strange and never seemed to flow with the rest of the story. Anyway, these are only my opinions.

Even though I was disappointed I’m not ruling out the possibility of reading another novella in the series. I really adored the first six stories so I’m hoping a return to those charms is in store for the rest of the series.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 11, 2017 Tanja rated it liked it

2,5 to 3 stars
I was looking forward to Fenton and John’s story as I thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in the Foothill Pride series, but to be honest, I was a little disappointed with this one.
Fenton and John are both short men, but they have very different ways of dealing with it. Fenton chose to spice up his appearance by taking tattoos and dying his hair. John is just the opposite, doesn’t want to get noticed and became a grumpy, aloof man. And when you learn about his past, you understand 2,5 to 3 stars
I was looking forward to Fenton and John’s story as I thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in the Foothill Pride series, but to be honest, I was a little disappointed with this one.
Fenton and John are both short men, but they have very different ways of dealing with it. Fenton chose to spice up his appearance by taking tattoos and dying his hair. John is just the opposite, doesn’t want to get noticed and became a grumpy, aloof man. And when you learn about his past, you understand perfectly. Fenton rents an apartment in John’s house, and Fenton slowly manages to coax John out of his shell. When John’s past comes back haunting him, it is all hands on deck to keep him safe. As well as his friend Ricky, who is in danger of falling into the same hands.
I enjoyed this story, but at the same time, I found something missing. It is not the writing. That is up to par. I liked how the author gave a surprising look at how it is to be short. You wouldn’t think about it when you’re of average height. And what that could do to your self-worth and self-esteem.
The elements I have the most difficulties with are the characters, the plot and the way the story is told. When I read a story, it is all about feelings. Do I feel connected to the characters? I don’t have to like them, although that is always better. Do I feel the connection between the MC’s? Instalove or slow-burning. It doesn’t matter as long as the author makes it realistic for me.
That is what I missed a bit in this story. I was more reading than feeling the connection with Fenton and John or their connection to each other for that matter. It is not all bad because there were certainly some emotional and funny moments. However, a real love story wasn’t what it felt like.
John’s history is nothing but horrible, but I didn’t like the direction the author took unraveling his past. Incidents seem to be randomly and not tied together. It would have benefitted from fleshing out the storyline.
As I liked the previous stories, I chalk this one up to be a bit of a miss, and I am hoping the next books will give me the happy feelings back.
...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 03, 2017 Natosha Wilson rated it really liked it

Another good book in the Foothills Pride series. Pat Henshaw is truly a great author.

Fen is new to town for the most part. He has visited some but this is the first time he has been back since he graduated college and he is excited to start working. While he decides on which jobnoffer to take he will be working at he nursery with Beth.

While he is staying in town he was originally going to stay with Beth and Kate but hat changes after only one night of staying with them. He decided he really need ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 21, 2017 Lucy rated it liked it

Fen is in Stone Acres to help out his cousin while he is debating job offers. He doesn’t want to stay with said cousin, however, since “As a gay man, hearing two lesbians…made me shiver and flinch. If that weren’t enough, having to push aside drying bras in order to take a shower this morning made my hands itch.” Poor Fen. So off he goes in search of a place to stay and fate brings him to the Blue Cottage, the house he’s always loved. His landlord here is John Barton.

John and Fen are both short ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 07, 2017 Terry rated it liked it

Short Order by Pat Henshaw is a short novella about a horticulture graduate Dr. Fenton Miller who moves back to Stone Acres, California after graduation. Working in his cousin’s plant nursery, Fenton rents a room from sous-chef, John Barton and instantly falls in lust for the shorter than average man. John keeps his distance from Fen, not letting him into his past. He becomes an enigma that holds many secrets. Then again, Fen does as well. It’s not until Leo and Ricky show up that the past surfa ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 19, 2017 Megan rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, mm-bi, romantic

This story does a good job of bringing together two men who might ordinarily have nothing to do with one another but falls short with the voice of the story and the overall plot. There were some deep issues as well as disturbing things that took place and they came off as merely events in the story's overall flow rather than pivotal moments or catalysts for change. I felt disconnected from the characters and the story as if the narrator were an observer who knew Fen's mind rather than Fen himsel ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 21, 2018 Tina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-by-redz-world

Short Order is the 8th book in the Foothills Pride series by author Pat Henshaw. This series just keeps getting better and better. It does not have to be read first to understand this story. But I would just because it is that good.
Fen is a doctor of horticulture. He is going to cure the world through plants. He is easy going happy kinda guy. Nothing much phases him.
John he is brisk, all business. He is sous chef and has a room for rent.
These two seem like the most unlikely of couples. But they ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 19, 2017 Mari Cardenas ~ Bayou Book Junkie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars, ftb, series

4 Stars!

This is book 8 in the Foothills Pride series and while it can be read as a standalone, there are great books in this series, so I encourage you to check them out.

Fen was the driving force of this book. He was charming, outgoing and easy to relate to. John was more of an acquired taste. He was prickly and it took me a while to warm up to him, but they seemed to fit together well.

The book was enjoyable, the characters likable and while I wasn't completely sold on John's backstory or how it ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 14, 2017 Faye Kennedy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: less-100-pages, m-m-romance

An okay book!!?. Although I didnt feel the connection between Fen and John. The book i felt needed to be a bit longer with the beginning chapters especially John's character and his ex. Questions kept popping up as i read.
Fenton, graduate of horticulture was back in town after being away 5 years..
Finding a place was first on the list. As luck he sees a room for rent.
John worked at the Silver Star restaurant and rented out a room upstairs in his house.
Its not long before bad news lands on Jo ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 23, 2017 Valerie rated it liked it

This is another book from Pat Henshaw that I wanted to like because of the premise. The characters, John and Fen, you want to root for them but they feel one-dimensional like there's no real, deep emotional connection you feel between them as a reader. Even dealing with John's past, I wasn't invested enough in the characters to have a truly emotional reaction to him or, to be honest, with the story as a whole. And I wanted to be. I love when characters have an intense bond, but this one was lack ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 14, 2017 Terri rated it really liked it

I really liked Fen and John's unorthodox romance. They were both accustomed to being bullied - or worse, in John's case - so both had tough exteriors and trust issues. While many scenes in this book were humorous, there was definitely a good amount of angst, confusion, and even violence. There was a hurt / comfort theme running throughout, and it was sweet how well John and Fen took care of each other. I absolutely loved Fen's mom, and Ricky was adorable. Though this book is part of a series, it ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 07, 2017 Morgan Skye rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017

This fell totally flat for me. I just didn’t feel the connection between John and Fen. Though I know some of that is John’s stoicism, the lack of sex and the off hand way their connection was worked into the mystery just made it seem like the romance was more afterthought than anything else.

I appreciated the quirkiness of the characters and the personal growth of all 3 men but I didn’t think this warmed my heart in a romantic sense.

The writing was fine so I’m giving this 2.75 rounded to 3 of 5 ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 17, 2017 Esther Alayeto rated it really liked it

A great read that I really enjoyed. Fen and John are wonderful characters who are perfect together. I really liked watching their relationship develop and how understanding and caring they are with one another. Ricky is also an endearing character and a great addition to the story.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

flag Like · see review

Dec 12, 2017 tammy rufo rated it really liked it

this just proves that looks aren't important, two shorter than average men can still find love and acceptance with each other. John and Fen make a sweet couple. I would def recommend this series/author. Hope there is more to this series!

flag Like · see review

Dec 24, 2017 Lada rated it it was ok

The story was rather disjointed, and was that pimp plot necessary? Fen and John's romance was alright, though.

flag Like · see review

Dec 08, 2017 Daniel Mitton rated it really liked it

Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.

I knew when I picked up this book that I would enjoy it. After all, I really enjoy all this author’s stories. This one wasn’t an exception.

Fen Miller is in Stone Acres to work with his cousin and her girlfriend during the holiday season at their nursery. He can’t possibly live with two lesbians though because even when being quiet they make enough noise during sex to put him off. Then he finds an ad for an apartment in a beautiful old Victorian house th ...more

flag Like · see review

C Brooks rated it it was amazing
Dec 16, 2017

Paul rated it liked it
Dec 12, 2017

Marge rated it really liked it
Jan 11, 2018

Neko rated it really liked it
Dec 20, 2017

Mary Newman rated it really liked it
Dec 19, 2017

Reader rated it it was ok
Jan 29, 2018

Jan 16, 2018 Pat rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

1 like · Like

Kathleen rated it liked it
Jan 14, 2018

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Genres

Holiday

5 users

Romance > M M Romance

3 users

Romance

2 users

See top shelves…

About Pat Henshaw

Pat Henshaw

42 followers

Pat has lived on both coasts and in the middle of the United States. Pat’s been a book reviewer for too many years to count as well as an English composition instructor and theatrical costumer. Places visited include Canada, Mexico, Europe, Egypt, Nicaragua, and Thailand. Pat's found that people everywhere are remarkably similar.

See Pat Henshaw.