An Open Window

by Rick R. Reed

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2017 Advent Calendar collection [ Stuffers|36583136].

Two men. One Christmas Eve that changes the courses of both their lives.

Henry’s homeless and only wants a warm place to sleep on the coldest night of the year. A forgotten open window in a darkened house entices Henry inside with the promise of warmth and comfort. He knows it’s bad, but he promises himself he’ll be out before the owner wakes on Christmas morning. Except he oversleeps and the homeowner, Jim, discovers a bearded stranger sawing logs under his dining room table. When the shock and the drama that ensues dies down, Henry and Jim discover that they might have found, quite unexpectedly, the Christmas miracle they’d both been longing for—love and home.

Genres: M M Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Romance, Contemporary, Short Stories, Gay

21 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2017

About the author

Real Men. True Love.

Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.

Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”

Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.

Reviews

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "An Open Window," Rick R. Reed shares a beautifully crafted little vignette of a 20-year-and-going-strong love story begun on Christmas Eve. It’s been said that many Americans are only one paycheck away from homelessness, and Henry finds himself on the streets on a cold snowy Christmas Eve, realizing that he could easily freeze to death outside. An open window in a small wood-frame bungalow beckons, and when owner Jim awakens on Christmas, he finds Henry sleeping.

I may have cried a bit at the end of this lovely little story and found it very touching. 4.5 stars.

“Open to receive the gifts life sends your way. Don’t question them and don’t think you don’t deserve them. The Good Lord wouldn’t have seen fit to give them to you if He didn’t want you to have them.”

I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really curious how the author was going to pull this one off. Reading the blurb, I didn’t think there was any way the author could pull this off in real time. There was such an extreme difference in lives to reconcile and then be able to fall in love believably to cover in a short story I was curious to see how this would play out. I should really have more faith though, as this was written by Rick R. Reed and the angle he came from to tell the story of Jim and Henry was perfect. It’s this kind of storytelling that makes all the difference between a short story that works and one that doesn’t. Henry is seriously down on his luck and a serendipitous open window leads him to Jim. Jim has had his heart broken yet again and really just wants someone to love and be loved in return. At this point in Henry’s life, he just needs to keep from freezing to death in the elements. Not a very likely meeting, but based on the beginning and ending of the tale that bookends their meeting, it worked for them and a believable HEA was had.



**copies of the DSP Advent Calendar were provided in exchange for honest reviews**

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay! Christmas time!

3 Hearts

Another very sweet story, but it was much less than I was expecting. I knew this story was short and that's fine, but I still wanted a connection between the main characters, some holiday feels and of course, romance. An Open Window had the first two easily, but not so much the third.

We hear this story from both Henry and Jim’s POV and it's the story of how they met one wintery Christmas morning. It was sweet and had a touch of the feels as we saw how scared and helpless Henry felt. The Christmas spirit was also in abundance with Jim’s generosity and thoughtfulness.

The problem was... this is the story of how they met, so there is no romance. These two form a tentative connection and maybe I can stretch that to the beginnings of a friendship, but definitely not a romance. There was a nice 'present day’ epilogue, but because I didn't see any of their romantic development it didn't really strike me with a case of the feels.

Sweet and short, but overall it missed the most important aspect to these Jizzmas stories for me, no not jizz…. although that was missing too, but romance.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet short story with a couple in love, reminiscing about how both their lives changed irrevocably one Christmas Eve twenty years ago.

This story is about the very real dangers of becoming homeless in the blink of an eye, and what that will do to a person, but also about never giving up and never losing hope. It's about trusting in the gifts you are given, and being thankful for what you received. It's about opening your heart, about compassion, and about finding love in unexpected places.

And first and foremost, it's about the wonder and joy of Christmas.


** I received a free copy of this short story from its publisher in exchange for an honest review. **

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked this, but it ends in the middle of the story! I really wanted to read more about Jim and Henry. The story started out so promising, but this was more a teaser than a story. :(

But I do love the homeless-guy-who-needs-some-warm-loving trope. And I could just see Henry and Jim being a perfect fit. Too bad we didn’t get a lot of background or a real romance. I do hope Rick R. Reed is going to write a longer story about these two in the future.

What we got was cute though, so 3.5 stars it is.

------------------------------

An ARC of An Open Window was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

An Open Window is a short read, but jammed with feels, tenderness, and the Christmas spirit. Jim generously offers Henry a lifeline, and it ends up saving both of them.

Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to imagine an author could put so much life into twenty-one pages. During the holiday season Henry and Jim meet in extremely unusual circumstances when Henry spots an open window during a snowstorm and can’t resist the opportunity to rest and warm up a bit before he’s forced to continue on. Henry is homeless due to having lost his job and then his apartment and then his car as life threw domino hurdles at him, one after the other, and he couldn’t regroup fast enough. He decides to throw caution to the wind and spend a few hours in a stranger’s house, with plans to be out before dawn.

But as luck would have it, the warmth lulls him to sleep and Jim finds him the next morning. Having recently been abandoned by his lover—to his wife and children!—Jim doesn’t immediately react the way he thought he would. Instead, he and Henry share breakfast and Jim decides to take a chance on his future. Told retrospectively twenty years after this event, it’s quite evident the men got their HEA.

I highly recommend this little holiday goodie. The only problem I have with it is that it enticed me to want more—it piqued my interest and led me to wonder what they went through to get where they are today. And that’s actually a good thing. Not many writers can say so much in so few words. I also want at least a dozen more holiday shorts from this highly talented author. By all means, don’t overlook this stocking stuffer.

**4.5 stars**

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.

[Lissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jim had high hopes of spending the holiday with his boyfriend; instead, he finds himself single on Christmas morning with a homeless man, Henry, sleeping under his table. This was a cute short story of two men meeting and, somehow, forming a relationship with one another, even though it feels more than slightly improbable. Oh well, it's the holidays; I can suspend my disbelief for a moment or two, right?

The thing that kept this at three stars for me is that it just felt too darned short. I needed more - we never really get to see how their relationship did develop. Plus I never really felt like I got to "know" Henry - Jim, I felt, was much more fleshed out than Henry, and Henry really has the more interesting backstory, at least to me. It might have worked more for me if this had been a longer story.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stupid story making me cry.

Ok, it's not really a stupid story, it's actually a very compelling and sweet story. But it still made me cry.

[Erica Chilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads

4 Stars

An Open Window is a holiday short, featuring a married couple looking back at their first meeting. The message was a good one- both characters struggling in different ways, finding what they need on Christmas morning, as if it were meant to be.

Sometimes giving something that doesn't cost you much changes the course of another's life, and in return, you also receive what you didn't realize you needed.

The intro to the story is 20 years after their initial meeting, with the bulk of the content the meeting itself. In a way, I enjoyed the fact that the message of giving/helping others in need, wasn't overshadowed by romance. In a nutshell, there is no romance.

While the message was amazing, and I may have gotten a bit teary eyed, the story itself took me only a few minutes to read. Maybe 10-15 minutes at the most.

I am a fan of the author, and enjoy how different all of his stories are, and look forward to reading more in the future.

[Serena Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

As short as it is delightful, this Christmas tale intrigued me with its premise, captured me with the emotions at play for both men separately and once they meet, and had me glued to the pages to find out how, exactly, henry and Jim were going to meet and fall in love.

Henry is pretty desperate: he has lost his job, his house, his car, and is now wandering the icy streets on Christmas Eve, looking for shelter. The usual spots are all full, and he is desperate enough to consider something he’s never thought he’d do: entering someone’s abandoned house – just for the night. After all, the window is open and he plans to be gone before anyone wakes up the next morning… no harm, no foul, right? It will be better than freezing to death in the snowstorm that show no signs of abating.

Jim has just found out the man he was hoping would be his boyfriend is married and has kids, meaning he won’t be spending Christmas with Jim. It is a real blow to Jim’s romantic hopes, which is the only explanation I have for the fact that Jim forgets to close the window he’d left open to get rid of the smells of burnt dinner. His shock, surprise, and empathy when he finds a stranger sleeping under his dining room table the next morning are very well described. I was right there with him as he considers his options – and when he ended up not calling the police (as stupid as that would be anywhere other than in a fictional situation), I was actually relieved.

If you like fairy tale like Christmas stories with miraculous endings, if you believe empathy can work wonders, and if you’re looking for a sweet, romantic holiday read that is shorter than you may like yet a real gem, then you will probably like this short story as much as I do. I think it’s simply charming!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

[namericanwordcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super short but well written and tender. Good stuff.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars- incredibly sweet holiday story

An Open Window was a sweet Christmas story about finding love unexpectedly. Told as a flashback, the story details how Henry and Jim met on Christmas Day twenty years earlier. Though their meeting was a bit different, it really captured the spirit of the holidays and made for a heartwarming read.

I’ve been meaning to try this author for a while and after seeing his writing style in An Open Window, I’ll certainly read a full length title by Mr. Reed. The writing was solid with vivid descriptions and a flowing dialogue. And I thought the characters were fairly well flushed out for a shorter story. I definitely understood them and was invested in their story. My only complaint was it ended before I really got to see Henry and Jim together. There are some nice scenes at the beginning and end which touch on the couple’s sweet love, but I was left wishing I had a bit more of those moments either in the present or when they first found love. That said, An Open Window is definitely worth the read if you’re looking for a story that will warm your soul.

Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect short full of sweet holiday fluff. Even though this book was only 21 pages, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. The HEA was already taken care of at the beginning of the book, since this is actually a flashback story of how Jim and Henry met.

Henry was homeless. The nights were cold, he was perpetually tired, and finding a warm place to sleep for the night wasn't always possible. Jim, sick of his romance failures and being alone, knew that he needed something more substantial than a one-off. Most people treat Henry like trash, but Jim just sees a really handsome man down on his luck.

This story was short and sweet. I would have liked to read more about Jim and Henry pre-flashback. Maybe a few pages of their banter or cuddling would have made the HEA stick a bit more in my mind, since the ending felt a little abrupt. Since this story was only 21 pages, I knew that it would be lacking in some aspects, but I was actually pretty impressed with Reed's ability to pack in emotion and plot in so few pages. All in all, pretty good short holiday read.

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4. 5 Stars

Christmas Eve 1997 finds Henry homeless and wandering the streets just trying to stay warm and alive, while the same night finds Jim wondering if, after his latest attempt at romance blew up in his face, he’ll ever find someone special to love that will him back.

Two men, both needing something different, but maybe what they really need is each other.

This was a sweet and emotional story. It both broke my heart and gave me hope, and while the story is short, it’s filled with warmth, tenderness and love. Well-written, very enjoyable and recommendable!

*copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about Henry and Jim, twenty years after their first met. It's a flashback, and the couple remembered how they met, that put tears in my eyes for how much acceptance between the two of them on that day. How much Jim trusted Henry that Henry won't do no harm for him. Sure Jim was reckless that day, but he had a reason that everyone will understand immediately.
Henry's like a gift from heaven he had to accept willingly ever since.
Twenty years later, they're still together and remembering the first time they met, is like their tradition.
Recommended!

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was truly a sweet and lovely story about the strangest meeting of longtime lovers. Rick has ripped my heart out in the past, so I was hoping that this wouldn't be one of those stories ;-) It wasn't. I loved it. So much said in so few pages.

[Morgan Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just a bit too maudlin for me with not enough of the happy to quite balance it out. While I really applauded the approach to looking at life through different lenses and the unique way the story was laid out, I kind of wanted to see more of the middle part that got glossed over.

It was sweet, short and sentimental.

3.5 of 5 stars

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~

I love romantic Christmas novellas, as they bring all the magic and excitement of Christmas to life with plenty of heartwarming passion.

This is a very short vignette which packs a lot of punch. It should make us all think just a little bit more carefully before we judge a person. It really effective as it manages to encompass past and present, thus giving us a fuller story, even with limited words. I guess it is true that a talented author can be as concise or verbose as they like, the story is what matters.

Very nice addition to the stocking stuffers advent calendar.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve yet to be disappointed by any Rick Reed book that I’ve read, and An Open Window was no exception. No matter that the story was only twenty pages long, this author always delivers what his blurbs promise.

I really enjoyed the way that this tale was approached. We begin with Jim and Henry snuggled up by a fire. It’s Christmas Eve and the men are celebrating the anniversary of twenty years together. The love between these two, the absolute adoration, is evident from the very first page. With so few pages, it was well done of the author to establish that right away. So instead of having the story of Henry and Jim meeting, and then skipping forward twenty years to find out – where are they now? – the beginning and end show us their well established relationship, while the middle is set in 1997, as our two lovers reminisce about the night they met.

I appreciated that the author didn’t try to squeeze in the story of Jim and Henry falling in love. What we have is the initial meeting and the end result, but Mr. Reed wrote both in such a satisfying way that I didn’t miss that middle part of their story at all. It was evident from their first meeting that Jim needed Henry just as much as Henry needed Jim, and it wasn’t difficult to believe these guys would quickly fall in love and be perfect for each other.

This is exactly the sort of feel good short story that I love to devour at this time of year.

Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/12/0...

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry has fallen so far he’s not sure if he will ever climb out of the gutter he’s landed in. Homeless, with no job, money, car, or friends to speak of, all Henry wants is a safe place to sleep for the night. It’s Christmas Eve and it’s snowing, big time, and Henry is freezing. Then, he sees it—an open window—and while he is very reluctant to add breaking and entering to the long list of woes he has endured, he has to get warm for the night. Little does Henry realize that the open window he climbs into is going to change his life forever.

I want to wrap author Rick R. Reed in the biggest hug right now. An Open Window is twenty-one pages of one of the sweetest Christmas stories I have ever read. This one is full of hope and love and all the best things that Christmas should be. Told to us by both main characters as they remember another Christmas Eve many years before, you cannot help but fall in love with these men by the end of this lovely short story, particularly Jim. There is a peaceful ambiance about this story that makes It one of those you wish someone would read aloud to you while you sip a warm drink and sit by your own fire to enjoy it. This Christmas short is just pure magic. Tender and emotional, An Open Window has earned a place at the top of my Christmas list!

Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review at :
https://optimumm.blog/2018/02/01/review-an-open-window-by-rick-r-reed/



Henry is homeless and wants a safe place for the night. When he sees a house with an open window, he decides to pass the night inside even though he knows that it’s wrong to enter into someone else house.
Jim is heartbroken after discovering that his so-called boyfriend is a straight married man with 2 kids.

It was a very short story but sweet and lovely.
When Jim found Henry under his table, his heart broke knowing that this beautiful man was so desperate to get safe that he snuck into his house. His reaction was beautiful; he offers him all the gifts he bought for his ex-boyfriend.

I was a little frustrated with not knowing how things happen between them, like the first kiss for example.
But, I had a pleasant time reading this sweet story with a beautiful happy ending.

3 OptimuMMs for them.

***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***

[Jenny Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little story about a homeless man down on his luck and a just broken up with, Jim, who’d just found out that his technically not boyfriend had a wife and kids.

When jim woke up on Christmas morning and found the homeless man sleeping under his table, he couldn’t bare to turn him away, out in the cold on Christmas. My heart broke for Henry because he seems like such a sweet guy that just ran out of luck. I couldn’t imagine what he must’ve went through; though it doesn’t really tell us anything about it, nor what happens after Jim gives him a little holiday hope.

We just know that they ended up together, but not how or any sort of idea of how it happened after one finds a homeless man under his table that he decided to help. I liked the ending though, that it was a happy one. Good for a nice short Christmas read.
4 stars from me.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry and Jim are celebrating their20th Christmas. They recollect on that meeting With Henry being homeless and finding Jim's window open that Christmas Eve.

Man oh man this story is full of feels! My heart went out to both men and I so wanted to cry at Henry's predicament and the telling of this story. It is a beautiful story of loss, love and what Christmas should really be about.

If you read one Holiday story this year I highly recommend this one and it's so short it takes less than an hour.

[Linda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant and sweet gay romance
This was a beautiful Christmas story! I loved that Reed had the characters tell their story from the comfort of their future so we know they had a happy ending as we began reading. The story will tear at your heart when you know the circumstances.
If you like warm, fuzzy Christmas stories with a wee bit of angst, you will want to read about Jim and Henry finding their best present ever.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tiny but touching piece tells a story of two people who are exactly what the other needs. I loved the touches with the gifts and Henry's tears. The story uses a flashback device that is particularly effective. This is the story of the best gifts we give to ourselves are the ones we give to others.

[J.P. Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this and then Christmas happened. Finally picked it back up! Quick read, fun and very sweet. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up.

I wonder if Mr. Reed has expanded on this story? I’d have loved to have read more.

And I might add, this paints a nice picture of what the Holiday season really should be about.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* for a lovely affirming Christmas story.
Henry and Jim remiss on how they met - Jim had had his dreams smashed and Henry was living on the streets. They had their own Christmas miracle and saved each other.
The opening did make them sound about 80 rather than 50's but I did enjoy.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short story but so flipping heartwarming and yet painful. This is true love at it's rawest, two men at their lowest point meet and begin to heal each other, such a tender, beautifully written tale this author gave us.

[Katy Beth Mckee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry and Jim's story starts in the present so know how the story will turn out in the end. But we get to hear about their special this is how we met story.