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Maple Leaf Red: Sugaring Off
Jacques Duchamps lives and works the Canadian sugar bush where he grew up with his grandfather. It's a lonely existence, but he wouldn't give it up for the world: sugaring off is in his blood. One late fall day, he encounters a wounded wolf, who follows him home. Both Jacques and the wolf are cautious, but eventually come to trust each other.
Could the wolf be more than he appears to be? And will Jacques be able to accept the impossible and discover his soul mate?
Could the wolf be more than he appears to be? And will Jacques be able to accept the impossible and discover his soul mate?
- GenresParanormalM M RomanceGay
37 pages, ebook
First published February 28, 2012
20 people want to read
About the author
Vic Winter
77 books30 followersHeat in real life is the bane of Vic’s life, whose favorite season is winter, and Vic’s life is far more mundane than fiction. And when it comes to fiction, the hotter the better is Vic’s motto. Make it romantic, make it sexy, make it erotic, but definitely make it hot.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 5, 2012
Sugaring off is in Jacques Duchamps blood and his life in the isolated Canadian sugar bush is a lonely one. One day while out checking his maple trees, Jacques encounters a wounded wolf and over time they build a friendship based on mutual trust. Months go by in a kind of quiet companionship, but eventually Jacques realizes that his wolf friend is more than he appears to be.
Maple Leaf Red: Sugaring Off is a very short, male/male, shifter romance. In very few pages the author gives us a scenic glimpse at the Canadian landscape while weaving an interesting, entertaining tale. This is perfect for those times you want something sweet and steamy, without a lot of angst.
March 18, 2012
This is a great story for 'werewolf novices', or those of us who just want a 'nice' werewolf story; one without all the blood and gore, the horror, and any other mythical inventions humans have come up with over several millennia of storytelling. A nice werewolf seems like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? And, strictly speaking, this story is about a wolf shifter, not a werewolf who is dependent on the moon. However, the overall story of a man meeting a wolf, helping him and gaining his trust, only to find out (eventually) that the being is another man, is close enough to the werewolf / shifter mythology to count. At least, that is what I think.
Jacques is a simple man, raised by his grandfather on the family maple tree farm. He loves working the trees, but he is lonely. He is surprised when he encounters a wounded wolf, but his first thought is that of wanting to help. I loved how careful he was with the animal, how he gradually got to know him and how the trust develops between them a long time before the wolf reveals himself.
Full of wonderful detail about the nature surrounding them and with a lot of observations that are treated like clues to solving the bigger puzzle, this is truly a wonderful story. Jacques and Grey, the man, are really well-suited as partners, in and out of bed. If you are looking for a heart warming quiet story, crave a lack of angst but still want a touch of the unusual , and if a wolf shifter scares you as little as it does Jacques, you will probably like this story as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on QMO Books.
Jacques is a simple man, raised by his grandfather on the family maple tree farm. He loves working the trees, but he is lonely. He is surprised when he encounters a wounded wolf, but his first thought is that of wanting to help. I loved how careful he was with the animal, how he gradually got to know him and how the trust develops between them a long time before the wolf reveals himself.
Full of wonderful detail about the nature surrounding them and with a lot of observations that are treated like clues to solving the bigger puzzle, this is truly a wonderful story. Jacques and Grey, the man, are really well-suited as partners, in and out of bed. If you are looking for a heart warming quiet story, crave a lack of angst but still want a touch of the unusual , and if a wolf shifter scares you as little as it does Jacques, you will probably like this story as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on QMO Books.
March 16, 2012
This Review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.
3.5 stars
I am always keen to snap up Canadian setting books and I was pleased to see this one with a very distinct setting, not just a large city which is somewhat like any large city. Jacques lives a fair distance from Montreal on his Grandfather’s maple sugar farm. His grandfather died a year ago and Jacques never revealed the fact he’s gay. He likes living in the backwoods and figures he’s never going to find a guy who would want to live so far out, and makes do with hurried encounters in the city. So while he’d like to find a permanent man, he’s accepted that it likely won’t happen for him.
As he’s checking the forest after a storm, he comes across an injured wolf. He convinces the wolf to come back to his place and feeds him and even manages to help the wolf by removing a bullet from his leg. Soon the wolf has moved into the house and before long is sleeping on the bed with him. Jacques enjoys having the wolf as a pet, but just when he’s starting to think about making a trip to the city to find some human companionship, the wolf reveals himself to be more than Jacques ever imagined.
Needless to say, Jacques is freaked out and sure he’s losing his mind, but Grey soon convinces him otherwise and Jacques can’t deny his attraction to the handsome man. They spend the winter together growing closer. Up to this point I really enjoyed the story. The setting is great, giving you a bit of a taste of someone living at a subsistence level and how a sugar bush works, but the mystery surrounding who or what Grey is, left some questions I wanted answers to.
Shortly after the wolf shows up, the police come searching for a criminal who had been shot. Grey later reveals he was shot but was not the criminal and is willing to go to the police to clear it up, but he seems to have no idea about how he changes or why having grown up in an orphanage. And I kept thinking “Did you not have a home, clothes, possessions, before you got shot and took refuge with Jacques? Did you have a job? You just vanished?” None of those questions were answered. I would have loved to see Grey confront his accusers and explain his appearance at Jacques’ house.
Still, I think it was an interesting taste of French-Canadian culture and the more rural life of a Canadian it’s a fun read and I liked Jacques a lot. He accepts his lot in life and likes his life, so accepts that maybe it won’t be perfect.
3.5 stars
I am always keen to snap up Canadian setting books and I was pleased to see this one with a very distinct setting, not just a large city which is somewhat like any large city. Jacques lives a fair distance from Montreal on his Grandfather’s maple sugar farm. His grandfather died a year ago and Jacques never revealed the fact he’s gay. He likes living in the backwoods and figures he’s never going to find a guy who would want to live so far out, and makes do with hurried encounters in the city. So while he’d like to find a permanent man, he’s accepted that it likely won’t happen for him.
As he’s checking the forest after a storm, he comes across an injured wolf. He convinces the wolf to come back to his place and feeds him and even manages to help the wolf by removing a bullet from his leg. Soon the wolf has moved into the house and before long is sleeping on the bed with him. Jacques enjoys having the wolf as a pet, but just when he’s starting to think about making a trip to the city to find some human companionship, the wolf reveals himself to be more than Jacques ever imagined.
Needless to say, Jacques is freaked out and sure he’s losing his mind, but Grey soon convinces him otherwise and Jacques can’t deny his attraction to the handsome man. They spend the winter together growing closer. Up to this point I really enjoyed the story. The setting is great, giving you a bit of a taste of someone living at a subsistence level and how a sugar bush works, but the mystery surrounding who or what Grey is, left some questions I wanted answers to.
Shortly after the wolf shows up, the police come searching for a criminal who had been shot. Grey later reveals he was shot but was not the criminal and is willing to go to the police to clear it up, but he seems to have no idea about how he changes or why having grown up in an orphanage. And I kept thinking “Did you not have a home, clothes, possessions, before you got shot and took refuge with Jacques? Did you have a job? You just vanished?” None of those questions were answered. I would have loved to see Grey confront his accusers and explain his appearance at Jacques’ house.
Still, I think it was an interesting taste of French-Canadian culture and the more rural life of a Canadian it’s a fun read and I liked Jacques a lot. He accepts his lot in life and likes his life, so accepts that maybe it won’t be perfect.
March 19, 2012
Vic Winters’ French-Canadian story RED LEAF MAPLE: SUGARING OFF is as sweet as the maple syrup our hero Jacques makes from the sap he collects in the spring.
I highly recommend RED LEAF MAPLE: SUGARING OFF for anyone who wants an introduction to gay romance or paranormal romance or just a sweet love story.
Please see my complete review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.... (March 22, 2012)
I highly recommend RED LEAF MAPLE: SUGARING OFF for anyone who wants an introduction to gay romance or paranormal romance or just a sweet love story.
Please see my complete review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.... (March 22, 2012)
December 4, 2013
Totally agree with one of the reviews I read. Great introduction to the werewolf/shifter plot. No angst at all, just sweet like the maple syrup also starring in this book! :)
I also liked learning some new words I've never read before. I had to google them and that was fun. Lol, yes, geek over here! ♥
I also liked learning some new words I've never read before. I had to google them and that was fun. Lol, yes, geek over here! ♥
May 26, 2012
I've actually been to a sugar shack in Montreal and this story brought back wonderful memories. I liked Jacques and his soft heart is on display when he takes in the injured wolf that becomes Grey. Good story.
March 15, 2012
Living in a very remote area of Canada, even a stray injured wolf is a welcome companion.
But he he isn't a just a wolf...
But he he isn't a just a wolf...
March 13, 2012
Cute short paranormal m/m romance about a guy living alone on a remote Canadian sugar bush who helps an injured wolf...
March 26, 2012
I enjoyed this! Fun writing, enjoyable werewolf romance, I thought it was nice!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews