Love in Mission City: The Shorts

By: Gabbi Grey

Narrated by: Michael Dean

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Love in Mission City: The Shorts Box Set

Mission City is tucked in the charming Cedar Valley in southwestern British Columbia. If you love heartwarming, contemporary small-town gay romances, then come home to Mission City and fall in love with the men who live there. Romance blossoms in the unlikeliest places. And trouble has a way of finding them...

Page Against the Machine

Dickens has run his family bookstore for years in the quiet ambiance suitable for literary endeavors. When Spike opens a motorcycle repair shop next door, tempers flare and sparks fly. Will they be able to resolve their differences or are they just too stubborn for compromise?

The Lightkeeper’s Love Affair

Ben’s graduation celebration is disrupted by a winter storm. He and his beagle, Buddy, have the only room left in the hotel. When lightkeeper Isaac needs a bed, though, Ben’s happy to share. Platonically, of course. Except something about Isaac makes Ben want more. Not in it for the Money

August’s beloved sister has passed suddenly and the man finds himself in need of comfort. Turning to his employee feels all kinds of wrong, but Julian's arms feel too damned right to resist. Come morning, though, they have to look reality in the face. Is there a chance they find a forever love out of the tragedy?

Marcus’s Cadence

Cadence is trying to sell the home that had been his refuge during his tumultuous teen years. When his teenage crush, Marcus, shows up as a potential buyer, sparks fly. Is there just a real estate deal to be done or could his feelings be requited? (You don't want to imply sex/love is part of a deal)

Ace’s Place

After a fall from grace, Derek has moved to a small town for a fresh start. Harold, the local golden boy made good, catches Derek’s attention. But secrets and omissions cloud what could be the beginning of something special. Can they take a chance on being vulnerable enough to fall in love?

Please note—all five stories have been previously published

©2021, 2022, 2023 Gabbi Grey (P)2024 Gabbi Grey

Sweet and sexy set of short stories!

This is a collection of short stories by Gabbi Grey set in the Mission City world. I had already read 3 of them so it was fun to revisit them along with listening to the 2 stories I hadn't. These 5 stories were all narrated by Michael Dean and he did an amazing job bringing them to life.

I hate that these stories are so short. I would have loved them even more if they'd each been 3 times as long. Each story has a unique storyline but all of them have one thing in common, insta-love. It's hard not to have insta-love/lust when you only have a few dozen pages to work with.

I'm not picking a favorite since I loved them all.

What a deal

This was such a great treat. I enjoyed the stories. The author did such a great job with the stories in this set. The narrator did a fantastic job with the charters. I enjoyed there style of storytelling.

Short Stories Brought to Life!

I have a read a few of these stories, but here as a collection on audible is the best experience! Shorter stories are more challenging sometimes to really get a feel for the characters and Michael Dean narrating pulled me in. We get a mix of tropes and situations and I have to say my favorite is definitely Not in It for the Money with August and Julian as employer and employee. Julian's love for all things outdoors was wonderful. I also love Ace's Place, Derek and Harold are true opposites that cannot stop the attraction.

Stunningly good

Wow so much fun in one box set. This was sooo good, each story has a unique feel and the characters are all lovable. My favorite was Aces Place with Derek and Harold. The narrative was spot on.

Lots of sweet fun

Paige Agianst the Machine
Fitz, or more likely known as Spike, is the new motorcycle repair shop owner that sets up business right next to Dickens, the owner of the bookshop. This is a pseudo enimies to lovers, cause well.... Dickens can't stand the noise coming from the shop next door and he is going to give Spike the what for 🙃 An opposites attract, one rough biker looking guy and one nerdy bookish guy. But, these two have scorching hot chemistry and are a lot of fun. this story is well written and super fun.

The Lightkeeper's Love Affair
Isaac and Ben are stuck on an island with only one hotel room and one bed 😏 Ben also has his lovely dog with him. This is a short story with a sweet instalust/love. These two are steamy together and when the storm passes and they are able to leave the island they want to find a way to stay together.

Marcus's Cadence
Cadence is selling his childhood home and Marcus has always loved the home so he wants to buy it. When Marcus finds out the seller is someone he has had a rush on for years he sees the situation as a win win. Cadence feels he needs to sell the house but doesn't actually want to. When these two give into their attraction and find that they have a lot to look forward to in the future both Marcus and Cadence are able to get the house they want. This short story is super sweet.

Not In It For the Money
August and Julian are boss and employee. August is deeply grieving his sister's death and turns to Julian for comfort. His sister was his last reason for staying in the closet but he has always had eyes for Julian. When the opportunity presents itself August wants to pursue Julian and see not only what he has been missing out on by not living as an out gay man but what he is missing out on with the man he is in love with. Julian didn't realize Augusts feelings but he is happy to show him some hot moves 😏🤭

Ace's Place
Harold, aka Ace, owns the towns local bar. Derek is moving to the area to take a teaching position after having been fired. Derek enters the bar and hits it off with the bartender. Harold gives Derek his given name and not his nickname, which the town finds very interesting. A one night stand that turns both their world's upside down starts a relationship that lasts for all of the nights. This story is so sweet and shows you never know what you will find when you aren't really looking.

All bundled up

Considering how short a few of these are, it makes sense to finally bundle them all together for release. It’s certainly a value over the individual stories.

I greatly enjoyed the two longer stories (Page Against the Machine and Ace’s Place), but struggled a bit with the shorter ones. I can play along with insta love/lust for the most part though Marcus’s Cadence and Not in It for the Money took that to unbelievable extremes. The format made it easy to break into different sessions, though, while Michael Dean was a pleasure to listen to.

FOUR BOOK BUNDLE

PAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
I really enjoyed this addition to the Mission City series. Dickens and Spike have a rough introduction but the chemistry between them is explosive. I liked that Sunshine plays a key role in the story. My favorite thing was the way Dickens saw beyond Spike to Fritz.

THE LIGHTKEEPER'S LOVE AFFAIR
Ben and Isaac's chance meeting brings them their other half. It's fast and sweet. I liked that they didn't let uncertainty build. The meet-the-parents moment made me grin.

MARCUS'S CADENCE
When Marcus and Cadence meet again after so long it seems that neither one can hide what they feel. This is a short story but it is a terrific addition to the Mission City series.

ACE'S PLACE
I love Gabbi's characters. They always feel like people I'd like to know. It tickled me that Ace introduced himself as Harold when the only person to call him that was his mother. Derek comes across as a snob, and he is to a point, but he's also a man of honor. Seeing the stand he took against corruption took guts. It is obvious that Ace is a good guy by the admiration of those around him. I liked that even before their relationship was established Ace's friends had welcomed him in. The ending is wonderful.

Audiobook: terrific narration

Good stories

The plots were good. Some good smuttiness too. At first the narrator didn’t do it for me. Eventually, he won me over. But there were weird pauses here and there that pulled my attention away from the story.

But overall it was enjoyable and I liked it.

Uplifting

This is a compilation of five books by Gabbi Grey. Each story is unique and features couples who fall instantly in love or have had a crush on each other. The stories include:
Page Against the Machine about a book store and motorcycle repair shop.
Light Keepers love Affair about being stranded during a storm.
Marcus’s Cadence about selling a house to an acquaintance from your past.
Not In It For The Money about an employer and employee dealing with a family death and their attraction to each other.
Ace’s Place which is moving from a big city to a smaller town to start over.
Each story will warm your heart and make you believe in love’s magic powers.

Wonderful couples and use of tropes

First I have to mention all the wonderful pets bringing an added dimension of fun and love to these stories. They let us see the characters in a different light and are the perfect cherries on top. Then, we have all these wonderful couples and Gabbi Grey's skillful use of tropes in these shorter works. We have enemies to lovers, forced proximity/sharing hotel rooms, hurt/comfort and I have to especially mention the tension between a certain bookstore owner and his motorcycle shop guy. I loved every one of these stories and Michael Dean did a superb job of bringing all the characters to life and fitting the moods of each story.