Flour, Eggs, Sugar and Magic

by Daniel de Lorne

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar collection Homemade for the Holidays.

Wannabe witch Will Brand’s attempts at making magic cookies for the kids at a local shelter go awry when his ex-boyfriend messages and turns Will’s good energy to anger. Will has no idea there’s anything wrong with the cookies until his hunky roommate, Lucas, scarfs three of them, cursing himself with bad luck, unfettered hate, and ill health. In a race against time, Will must find a way to break the spell before accidents, ex-lovers, and a sudden illness make this Christmas Lucas’s last.

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Genres: Fantasy, Holiday, Romance, M M Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Magic

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2019

About the author

Daniel de Lorne writes about men, monsters and magic.

In love with writing since he wrote a story about a talking tree at age six, his first novel, the romantic horror Beckoning Blood, was published in 2014. At the heart of every book is a romance between two men, whether they’re irresistible vampires, historical hotties, or professional paramours.

If you take your LGBT romance fiction with supernatural, urban fantasy or contemporary flavoring, Daniel de Lorne delivers.

In his other life, Daniel is a professional writer and researcher in Perth, Australia, with a love of history and nature. All of which makes for great story fodder.

And when he’s not working, he and his husband explore as much of this amazing world as they can, from the ruins of Welsh abbeys to trekking famous routes and swimming with whales.

To get to the real heart of the matter, visit danieldelorne.com.

Reviews

[Meags · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was my first Daniel de Lorne story and I kind of dug it!

Mixing the magic of Christmas with actual magic, this holiday romance is extra witchy and wonderfully weird.

In this short story we follow novice witch Will, as he scrambles to save his roommate (and potential new love) Lucas, who gets cursed after Will accidentally infuses his Christmas cookies with bad vibes brought on by thinking about his miserable ex.

This became one of those race-against-time stories, moving at a quick, smooth pace and keeping me engaged throughout.

There was a bit too much convoluted relationship drama going on here, but it was made more acceptable with the witchy explanation of bad luck/bad mood. I didn’t like the secondary characters and I clearly wasn’t meant to, but thankfully I enjoyed what little we got of Will and Lucas.

This was an easy, charming read, and I look forward to exploring Daniel de Lorne’s stories more in the future.

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s with the best of intentions that Will decides to infuse a little magic into his holiday cookie baking in Daniel de Lorne’s Flour, Eggs, Sugar, and Magic. The youth of his local LGBTQ shelter are the ideal recipients. These kids can use all the luck, love, and good health they can get. But when he’s interrupted by a text from his manipulative ex-boyfriend, Will can’t contain his emotions and his rage infuses the cookies with a whole slew of negative power!

The sight and smell of the delicious treats are too much for his roommate Lucas to resist, and when he swipes one of each flavor it’s not long before Lucas’ charmed life takes a turn for the worse.

Ditching the rest of the cookies is the easy part, it's breaking the curse that gives these guys trouble. As the men work together, they open their hearts and discover they don't need witchcraft… love is the only magic they need.

Daniel de Lorne’s captivating writing style pulled me right into this story. I chuckled over the mishaps, and smiled at the lessons Will and Lucas learn in their entertaining adventure. It's no surprise to me this talented author puts a clever spin on curses and spells, and his insightful message makes Flour, Eggs, Sugar, and Magic a unique and special story. The reminder that a little faith can make a huge difference is the perfect message for the holiday season.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flour, Eggs, Sugar, and Magic was such a fun, different holiday read. I’ve read this author’s contemporary romances, so I was especially surprised to see this side to his creativity. The story was well-paced with a good amount of character development. Though Will’s villainous ex did come across as a little over-the-top, there was a nice balance of conflict, romance, and plot in this short. I thought the story was interesting and the quiet devotion and bond Lucas had to Will was sweet. If you’re looking for something a bit different this holiday season, I’d recommend Flour, Eggs, Sugar, and Magic.

Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club

[Kim Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this author before. This is a short mm novella with main characters Will and Lucas. Set in the snowing winter time around Christmas. Will tries baking in magic to his Christmas cookies and it backfires big time, but it does bring Lucas and Will together. Reality with a touch of magic. Really enjoyable read.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was over before I could blink. Cute, but might have been even cuter if it had been a wee bit longer. Also, don't mess with magic.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. I had really enjoyed this book.

[❤Sharonica-Logic❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute holiday story was packed with magic, mayhem, and “mean cookies.”

One should never attempt to infuse luck, health, and love magic into baked goods while thinking negative thoughts about an ex. The outcome could/ can be catastrophic and end in tragedy. As magic novice, Will discovered after his roommate, Lucas, ate three of his magically mean cookies. The cookies were made for the LGBTQ+ kids shelter. Will thought if anyone deserved some extra doses of love, luck, and health it was those youth.

Lucas who always seemed to Will to be a walking lucky rabbit’s foot suddenly found himself on the opposite end of the spectrum with accidents happening one after another. Past hookups and exes coming out of the woodwork and his health declining by the second. Time is quickly running out and Will must dig deep in his heart beyond his own hurts in order to believe enough in his magic and in Lucas before Lucas is lost to the curse.

This is fast paced, with engaging characters. Perfect story for the season. I recommend for anyone who loves a good Holiday quickie!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ⛄

[Stephani Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, cute, cute! Now I want to go read more by this author.

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will’s passion for helping others this holiday season started out with good intentions. Unfortunately, an annoying ex foils Will’s cheerful plans with an ill-timed text. The end result? Will channels bad magic instead of good into his baking and doesn’t realize there’s a problems until his roommate, Lucas, eats a few with disastrous results. Lucas wasn’t just stuck with bad luck. He had really bad luck, and omg, can the day get any worse bad luck (because yes, things steadily got worse)...

This short story was a good balance of hilarious, sweet, and wth?! moments. I didn’t care for Will’s ex-boyfriend, Cal-he was a total prick, but he’s the baddie so I’m okay with that! I loved Will and Lucas. These two had hidden feelings and some sweet moments to go with the meltdown-central happenings later on. Some of the relationship drama/hiccups were slightly OTT, but I was firmly rooting for Will to see what was standing in front of him.

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of my Short Stories 366 blog.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars rounded up

I felt there was too much anger on Will's part, over his ex, Cal, and I wasn't sure if he could easily welcome Lucas' affection, no matter what the story said. However, the ending was sweet enough. Oh, and the magic part was rather light...

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a lot going on, but I was certainly entertained, which is the point, right?

[MariF · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too convoluted for me - several subplots were pulling into different directions and the final result was disjointed tale with little sense to me.

[Patdbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truely enjoyable short read with a hea.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short story. I will be checking out more of this author.

[Shelley Chastagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this holiday short story. It is full of evil Ex's, misdirected magic, and one catastrophe after another. Will's good intentions are wonderful but one mistake and poor Lucas bears the brunt of the fallout.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute novella. Loved it from beginning to end.

[Ken Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Brief short story set in Eugene at Christmas. Cookies with magic with a twist. A triad resolves with a HFN.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will decides to bake some magical cookies for the kids in the Rainbow Shelter, imbuing them with luck, love and health. As thoughts of his horrible ex-boyfriend Cal interrupt, the cookies turn out to embody the opposite. And when Will's roommate Lucas eats them, his usual good luck runs out.

Over the course of this very short piece, Will breaks it to Lucas that, yes indeed, magic does exist and they need to find the way to reverse this disasterous spell, but they also deal with a kitchen sink load of convoluted personal relationship issues on the way to a happy ending.

At heart this is a sweet holiday story with a nice second chance at love, but personally I feel the story is a bit scattered due to all the sudden subplots and too much "tell vs. show." 3 stars.

I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review at Gay Book Reviews.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first from this author and I really liked it. I just wanted a little more

[Shweta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, sweet and low angst read

The novella follows quirky Will who after being treated badly and teased for his belief in magic, is finally free of the clutches of his ex and does his best to use magic to help the kids at the shelter he volunteers at.

In a hilarious mixup of fate, his roommate, hot hunk and overall confusing crush-Lucas ends up eating the cursed cookies and the duo race to undo the curse as secrets are revealed and emotions are at an all time high.

I was hooked in right from the blurb and was able to resonate with Will's character.
Overall a cute and funny Christmas novella with an adorable romance.

[Robbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely sweet love story with plausible characters, a bit of angst, a little magic that’s not too over the top, and some funny bits. Short but entertaining

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will has a crush on his roommate Lucas. Lucas has a crush on his roommate Will. But, circumstances being circumstances, neither of them has acted on or acknowledged said crush. Will is also a very amatuer witch who tries to do a very good thing that turns out very bad.

I just loved Lucas. And also felt bad for the guy! He’s accidentally cursed by Will with his tasty baked goods and when things started going downhill, they went downhill fast. The drama was a little much for a short story, but the characters were likable enough to make up for it.

The ending was satisfying, especially considering everything Will and Lucas went through, they deserved their HEA by then!



**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my normal genre but once i started reading i couldn't put down until i finished. Great story of love and magic.

[Colin Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the third person, this story launches right in from the perspective of the central character and a mishap that shapes the tale. The reader plays catch-up gleaning details of the characters involved and their relationships. The story is an interesting mix of light festive magic and heavier more angst-driven relationship building. These do not fit comfortably together in this story and one is constantly being driven (and interrupted) by the other. Magic is used to aggravate and bring to the surface issues between the characters and, in so far as such things are cathartic, there is both resolution and misalignment.

The story mentions this as being Christmas-time, but realistically it could be at any point of the year. The setting is winter and this affects the direction of the plot, but there is nothing that is festive here. The purpose of the plot is the support of homeless teens particularly at Christmas, but they are not its focus. Similarly, cookies may be the trigger, but they are far from central.

The interactions between the characters are centred on past mistakes and a failure to take ownership and resolve situations. Magic is used as a way of making things better but ends up making things worse. This highlights the moral of the story, which is that you can’t magic away your problems. There is quite a lot of emotional tension in the story but it is never realised in anything stronger than a kiss.

As this is quite a short story, the pace is quite fast; as such, a number of the scenes would have benefitted from a little more development. Characters come and go who clearly are quite important to the backstory and this makes the story a little disjointed. Nevertheless, there is a clear direction to the story and a goal that becomes increasingly important.

Resolution and closure come with a ‘love conquers all’ broad-brush approach. This ties up loose ends and draws the story back to the initial goal of the central character.

This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews

[Lena Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will has always been fascinated with magic. His ex-boyfriend made fun of him for it; that made Will even more determined to use it. The problem is, Will doesn’t have the expertise or understanding of what is involved in the spells he creates. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Lucas has been Will’s roommate since before his boyfriend broke up with him. After Will and his ex broke up, Lucas stayed. Honestly, Will enjoys having Lucas around more than his boyfriend. Lucas is kind, considerate, and does not hesitate to help Will with chores. Will is baking Christmas cookies for the local LGBT shelter when, on a whim, he decides to “sprinkle” them with some magic spells, hoping to bring whomever eats them good fortune.

But things go horribly wrong when his ex calls in the middle of the process. This angers Will, who isn’t knowledgeable and has accidentally corrupted the spell from good intentions to bad, ruining the cookies for anyone who eats them. Unfortunately, Lucas comes in just as Will has finished baking and eats three of the cookies. The results are swift and brutal. The destructive energy accidently created by Will’s dabbling hits Lucas full-force. Lucas is paying a high price for Will’s mistake and Will feels awful about it. Worst of all, Will has no idea how to reverse the spell!

This holiday story is more than a friends-to-lovers romance. It also has a moral: don’t attempt anything without understanding what you are doing and are prepared to accept the consequences. Thanks, Daniel, for the quirky, but fun holiday tale.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but didn't love it. The story was surprisingly deep for a short, with an abusive ex and the difficulties of moving on and making a life when the life you thought you would have has been so changed by that experience. Will turns to magic after his breakup, largely due to the fact that his ex always looked down on him for believing in magic (amongst many other things) and because it is something just for him. But using magic to fix the world isn't they way to go about it and indeed, his first spell goes horribly awry and ends up instead cursing his roommate who he has a bit of a hate/love relationship with. What this curse reveals was very interesting and really did a good job of clearing away the uncertainties and the lies, but it also was a bit harsh. My biggest problem is that the things that were said didn't feel like they were just because of the curse. It really seemed like the men believed the cruel and harsh things they said, so it felt hard to come back from that on either side. Beyond that though it was an intriguing story and really tackled a difficult situation well in a short period of time.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t your regular sweet romance. I did like Will and the aspect of the magic and him trying to make the cookies for the youth shelter was cute and the Magic going wrong was interesting. The things that happened to Luca’s was interesting and twisted. I really liked the story but to me it didn’t fit the rest of the stories as being homemade since the only thing really that fit that bill was the magic cookies that were not even for Lucas. But having said that it as a really good story and one I would like to see in full length to get more detail on both of these men and how Will has magic in him.

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet short story with MCs Will, the wannabe witch, and Lucas, Will’s hunk of a roommate. For a short story, this was really well put together. While we don’t get much in the way of backstories for either MC, the focus of the story was narrow enough that it wasn’t necessary. What I really liked about the author’s portrayal of these characters is that it wasn’t your stereotypical MM over-the-top unrealistic body types who only think about sex. Will, as I imagined him, was an attractive, but average sort of guy, and Lucas, the Adonis as seen by Will, was very sweet and kind-hearted. Well done Mr. de Lorne!

[Mstay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little Christmas story in which a person not super experienced with magic makes a serious mistake that curses and almost kills his roommate. I honestly waffled a little on the number of stars. I rounded up since it felt closer to a 4 star than a 3 star. The simple main problem with this story was how much was jam packed in such a short story. This would have been so much better if the guys had atleast been friends instead of having all that unresolved mess from the ex.