by
Can an angel gown for a little boy let a single dad and a drag queen stitch together a new pattern for love?
Hospice nurse Gabe Martin is bisexual but doesn’t have time for love—his main priority is raising Ian, his adopted five-year-old son. Ian loves wearing dresses at home and wants an angel gown for his kindergarten holiday pageant. When Gabe visits a sewing store to get help with Ian’s costume, he’s assisted by a bewitching employee named Loren who opens up Gabe’s focused world.
Drag queen Loren Schuster likes playing with gender norms and wearing skirts and dresses in everyday life. A bad breakup killed his interest in serious relationships, but he reconsiders that stance when gorgeous single dad Gabe walks into the shop. Loren helps young Ian see it’s okay to be himself, and together, Loren and Gabe create a new pattern for a family full of love.
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Publisher: Independently Published
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-NB, Includes NB
Heat Level: 2
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Bisexual, Genderfluid
Protagonist 1 Age: 26-35
Protagonist 2 Age: 26-35
Tropes: Adopted Child, Bad Breakup, Death of Parent, Families/Raising Kids, Meet Cute, Queer Wedding
Word Count: 17500
Setting: USA, Oregon, Portland
Languages Available: English
The guy coming in the door was seriously hot—dark and lanky with a mouth made for kissing. He was being steered along by a gal, but they were enough alike to be siblings. Loren hoped. His mouth twitched at the expression on the guy’s face and his wide eyes. Safe to assume he’d never been in a sewing shop before.
Loren stepped out from behind the counter and remembered that he was wearing one of his favorite skirts when the guy’s gaze dropped. He braced himself for some negative reaction and was floored when the guy smiled happily and nudged his companion. She brightened.
“Oh, you’re perfect,” she exclaimed.
“I am? I mean, of course I am, but why?”
“We’re looking for a way to sew an angel dress for a little boy.”
“Aww. That’s wonderful.” Loren waited for Hot Guy to say something, but his smile was more than enough. “Do you have the pattern?”
READ MORE“Oh. Yeah.” Hot Guy had a deep voice. Lovely. He got the pattern out of his bag and handed it over.
“Hmm. Yes.” Loren inspected it and nodded sagely. “This seems straightforward enough.”
“It does?” Hot Guy was even hotter with that hopeful expression.
The truth was, Loren was talking out of his ass. Mia was the expert, and this was her store. Loren enjoyed being around the fabrics and different materials, the buttons and the lace, because he loved playing dress up. But you could put what he knew about sewing into one thimble. However, Hot Guy and his girlfriend/partner/sister didn’t need to know that.
“The problem is,” the gal said, “neither of us know fuck-all about sewing. I still can’t believe Ian’s kindergarten expects the parents to sew these costumes. I mean, are we in the 1950s or what?”
“So this is for your little brother?” Loren asked.
“My son,” the guy said.
Huh. He didn’t look old enough to have a kindergarten-aged child. Bummer that Hot Guy was apparently married or whatever. But that was the story of Loren’s life.
Then the gal piped up. “Gabe adopted him last year. He’s a great kid.”
Sounded like they weren’t together if only Gabe adopted this kid. “Great. So you’re Gabe, and you’re…?”
“Nita. We’re sister and brother. Gabe’s a single dad.” Nita cut a significant glance at Gabe, who frowned back. Loren could relate. Sisters always loved to meddle in their siblings’ love lives.
COLLAPSEAmy on Amy's MM Romance Reviews wrote:"Pattern for an Angel is a sweet get together story. It features a cast of delightfully queer characters and I thought these characters were very positive representations for the community. [...] On the whole, I thought this was a sweet, lightly holiday-themed, get-together romance."
“Each character is completely loveable, and unique. They are pure delight. This is a short and super sweet story packed with a whole lot of meaning. Despite being just 67 pages, it’s full of love, support, and charm. I love this book and can’t recommend it enough.”
