The Novelty Maker

by Sasha L. Miller

As often as he can possibly manage, Cole slips away from the parties and teas inflicted upon him by his mother to visit Harlowe, the brilliant, mercurial novelty maker he met several months ago when commissioning a piece for his mother. Overwhelmed with work, and preferring to avoid people, Harlowe is not an easy person to know, and Cole values too much their hard-won friendship to ever risk it by telling Harlowe of his true feelings. Then Harlowe begins to receive letters from a secret admirer …

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Steampunk, Short Stories, Historical, LGBT

53 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Sasha L. Miller spends most of her time writing, reading, or playing with all things website design. She loves telling stories, especially romance, because there’s nothing better than giving people their happily ever afters. When not writing, she spends time cooking, harassing her roommates, and playing with her cats.

Reviews

[AngelFire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable little friends-to-lovers steampunk fantasy romance but it was just a bit too short for me to fully fall in love with the MCs. But it was still very sweet and well written.

I liked both Cole and Harlowe and I especially appreciated how quickly the author introduced all the important components of the story: Cole and Harlowe's friendship, them being from different social classes and basic information about the steampunk fantasy world that they were in. This was all done really well.

I also liked the added element of Harlowe having very bad facial scarring, which covers half of his face and means he's blind in one eye. He almost always wears a mask and he's very self-conscious about what other people think of his appearance and having this insecurity play an important role in his developing relationship with Cole was my favorite part of the story.

I also liked the other plotlines the author included, such as the mystery of Harlowe's secret admirer, how Cole was determined to figure out how it was - not purely due to his own jealousy but mostly because the letters made Harlowe really uncomfortable - and how the admirer's identity neatly connected with other parts of the story. Harlowe's desire to open his own novelty shop was also a great plotline, since it emphasized the class differences between him and Cole and it added some conflict in their relationship which nicely led into the beginning of their romance. It was very clear that the author worked hard to intertwine all of the various plotlines to create a cohesive, enjoyable story that flowed well from beginning to end. It was a really great example of how to tell a good story.

Like I said at the start, I liked how the author created a rich, interesting world very quickly that included a lot of interesting details and interesting characters. I would have preferred that Cole's mother not take up any narrative space since she didn't add anything to the story that Cole's brother Dwight didn't add. I would have liked to replace Cole's family drama (revolving around their mother wanting Cole and Dwight to both get engaged and married ASAP) to be replaced by more scenes that had Cole and Harlow interacting.

But overall, I enjoyed this and it was a very sweet, well written story. If it had been a little longer, it would have been perfect.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a short story, it gives you just enough time with the MCs to root for them to get together. I remembered almost nothing about it, and I thought I had the secret admirer mystery figured out at one point only to be completely wrong, lol. The miscommunication, if you even want to call it that, made sense and wasn't there for drama but to highlight the issues that have been keeping Cole and Harlowe from telling each other how they feel.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

This was a sweet read. It had aspects that I really liked, but I didn't really connect with the characters until the last 15% or so. I think if this was a longer story I would have gotten into a groove and ended up really enjoying it.

[ttg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet fantasy romance short story that has the extra bonus of being free to read online. Cole enjoys visiting Harlowe, a grouchy and reclusive novelty maker, and is very much not thinking about how much he likes spending time with him, but then Harlowe starts receiving secret love letters, to Cole’s chagrin. He takes it upon himself to solve the mystery, even though a part of him is afraid of finding the answer, and very afraid of losing Harlowe.

At over 13,000 words, it’s a pretty fast read, and is a very sweet and light romance. (No smut.) I did like that most of the story focuses on the MCs, and their interactions were always fun to read, especially as they so awkwardly danced around liking each other.

My only recommendation is for one more round of editing to help smooth things out a little more, but overall, it reads fine, and may fit well for anyone looking for a light fantasy read.

The story can be downloaded for free from Less Than Three Press.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the stories that was written for the Sandy relief auction.
Cole, a wealthy noble is crushing on Harlow, Harlow is a prickly, grumpy novelty box maker.
He wears a mask since he has scarring on his face and lost the sight in one eye, which explains his less than open and friendly demeanor with people, but that doesn't stop Cole from 'courting' him, even if they both don't really see it as that.
It's cute and sweet and I really enjoyed it!

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet (but not sugary) and heartwarming short story with a fantasy, almost steampunk, vibe. Both main characters are adorably clueless.
This story is well paced despite its length.
Recommended.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet short story about a young man who is in love with a novelty maker. Harlowe makes music boxes and other novelty-type boxes for sale at his cranky boss’s shop. He hides out in the back room and refuses to come out to the sales floor because half of his face is covered by scars. Though he wears a leather mask to cover the scars and his injured left eye, he’s just too shy and awkward to allow himself to mingle with customers.

Cole, a wealthy young man, is smitten with Harlowe and visits Harlowe in the back room of the shop a few times each week. So far, he’s eluded the shop owner and has been able to slip in without being stopped. He’s apparently one of the few people Harlowe has allowed into his life and Cole values every stolen moment. At one visit, Harlowe is upset and shows Cole a letter he’s received from a secret admirer and he accuses Cole of sending it. Shocked, Cole not only denies sending it, he offers to find out who did.

The rest of the story encompasses Cole coming to terms with his feelings for Harlowe and sharing with his family. And, there’s a surprise twist in finding out who the secret admirer is.

The author is a good storyteller and I liked the overall pace and storyline. It’s set in the past, though no year is mentioned and it was almost like reading a fairy tale. On the downside, there were some grammatical issues that pulled me out of the story. For ex, the first two sentences of the story both contained the word “bustling”, and at another point in the story in one sentence: “working on that last minute project at the last minute”.

Overall I liked it though and would I recommend it to those who want a sweet, no sex short story for a quick mood lift.

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

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little friends to lovers story. Cole, a young noble, is in love with Harlow, a novelty box maker. Harlow is scarred, he wears a mask and he isn't the most pleasant person to be around. Well, except with Cole who would be content just with seeing him every now and then until Harlow started receiving love letters from a secret admirer.

[Cole Riann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only sweet, heartwarming and cute, but well paced and not overly plotted for the small amount of space available in the short form. It's done very well without losing the charm of being an easy read.

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelty toys are all the rage for the wealthy people in the city of Cadogan. But it is not the toy box that Cole has ordered for his mother that keeps him dropping in on Harlowe, a brilliant and talented novelty maker. It is Harlowe himself. And even if Cole can not get up the courage to ask the man out, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy the friendship they have crafted for themselves. But when a mysterious man starts sending Harlowe love letters, Cole might just have to find the courage to act before he loses his chance at the mysterious novelty man behind the leather mask.

A bit of a scheduling snafu this week meant that I had to quickly find a book to review for today. Since I didn’t have a lot of time I thought I would go back thru my library and find a short story that I enjoyed in the past and give it a review. I had quite a few short stories to choose from, that I’ve read over the years, but when I cam across this one, I knew that I wanted the chance to read it again.

Like almost everything I’ve read by Sasha L. Miller, I found this book entirely charming and a wonderful read. The characters are well written, the fantasy world is interesting, and by the end I am left with a good story and a very happy sigh. This story is definitely on the sweeter side, so don’t be expecting a lot of sex, but it has a terrific romance and I really didn’t find myself missing anything.

The only issue I have at all with this book is that the formatting was a bit wonky on my kindle. The indents for the start of each new paragraph were nearly three time the depth they needed to be. Nothing was wrong with the story, but this weird formatting kinda kept throwing my out of my reading headspace.

Other than that this was very good and I totally recommend it. And, as a bonus, if you want to check this one out it is free on most (if not all–but I didn’t check all of them so don’t hold me to it) book store sites.

3.5 stars


This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Blaine]

An adorable read :)
Harlowe was just too cute... (not too in a bad way, I just kept wanting to cuddle him)
Also, Cole's friendship with Harlowe was priceless, feelings or not, he certainly knows how to treat someone! He's a keeper.

If I had one niggle, it would be that Cole mentioned duties and such, but I just never got an idea of what those would be.

Oh, snd Dwight is a sneaky but loveable brother ;)

[Adrienne -kocham czytać- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story and world, good characters. But he story just felt unfinished. If Cole's mom (and society) is so picky, how is she going to react to Harlowe's lower status and disfigurement? Where are the two going to go from the ending given their respective levels of stubbiness, society's rules, Cole's higher status, etc.? It was sweet and a nice little read, but left me wanting and with questions.

[Ayanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was adorable. I actually felt the spark between the characters, which was nice, since I usually have a problem with the relationships in Miller's books. The plot worked, too.

Most importantly, though, I felt like there was an actual relationship developing between the characters.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a strong friendship where one wants something more but is afraid to make anything of it for the loss.

Cole has fallen for the novelty maker, Harlowe, but there's no way he can tell the man. Harlowe is prickly and smart, and his looks make him shy away from people. Cole wants to talk to Harlowe about more, but when Harlowe reacts to secret admirer letter with anger Cole knows he never can. With changes coming in Harlowe's life he starts to pull away. Sometimes a meddling family can help with how they meddle, and Cole and Harlowe may still have a chance.

[Elaine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was utterly adorable.
I loved the characters, their journey, and the world-building. It was such a sweet, cute story about finding courage. I just wish it had been longer.
I desperately wanted to give it 5 stars, but there was mislabelling of a character, minor repetition, and a sudden ending that left me wanting more. I wish we'd seen Dwight get even a hint of an HEA, or just a bit of happiness, or maybe even his own story...it felt incomplete without resolving that.

Beauty-and-the-Beast-esque. Rich man/poor man. Steampunk.

[Nix Buttons · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet and short story. Easy and fast to read.

[Walkingman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ended way too short!

[光彩 · Rating 3 out of 5]

i LOVE universes such as the one in this. man there's a dearth of good m/m fantasy steampunk etc etc.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet - with like one kiss in the book.
Character has a facial disfigurement that he thinks makes him "hideous" and "unloveable" - you know the drill.

Super quick.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not fully steampunk this very short novella has that feel. The setup is the usual and predictable one about characters not revealing their feelings. I liked it alright but didn't feel any connection to the two MCs. Cole moons over Harlowe and constantly visits him but says nothing for fear of rejection. Harlowe is extremely prickly, about Cole, about his work, and about the attention to his appearance; he was a hard character to like. As a matter of fact I found Cole's brother Dwight to be a much more interesting character. There were a few jarring instances of certain words or phases being repeating over again, sometimes a page later, sometime within a single paragraph. It gave the story an unedited feeling (although the editor is credited at the front of the book). There just wasn't much substance to it and it was only a bit more than a short story. It was nice enough that I would like to try some of Miller's other works but not compelling enough for a reread.

[Shelba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but sweet.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Novelty Maker is a short story set in a steampunky world featuring Cole, a younger son in the upper class, and Harlowe, the scarred mechanical genius that fascinates Cole so.

I can't say it really rocked my world, but it's a fairly sweet and fairly well-written story. I found the plot to be a bit thin, even if I'm making allowances for the length. Surprisingly, there's no overt sex...but not only that, there's precious little romance. (To be clear, that's not a complaint. I like a slow burn, I prefer implication to demonstration, and I think stories like this are almost sweeter when they aren't packed with juicy bits. If you're looking for something that gets you hot and bothered, though, this probably isn't going to be it.)

This is one of those stories that was perfectly entertaining in the moment, but that doesn't have enough substance or complexity to stick with me. I'll happily recommend it while it remains free, however; it's a very quick read, so you really have nothing to lose.

[Julesmarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up for being free

I loved the setting of this story. Very steampunk, in the most delightful way. Harlowe's creations, as well as those of Bingley his boss, were vividly described, and very easy to picture.

Cole and Harlowe were both enjoyable characters, and it was heart-warming to get to read their story.

What I enjoyed most was the parallel between Harlowe and the Phantom of the Opera. What I really liked was that while the Phantom let his face and the reactions of others turn him into a crazy, misogynistic killer, Harlowe remained the sweetest, most humble and kind man.

I liked how hard Cole had to work to convince Harlowe he wasn't making fun of him, and really liked that he was willing to do whatever it took. They're adorable together!

[Jeanne 'Divinae' · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and Foremost, obviously it was meant for me to read this book. For the book I read before this one; it's main characters were Sasha and Miller. With that said....

I really enjoyed this book. It had the growing chemistry between Cole and Harlowe and it had the mystery of the 'secret admirer'.

Harlowe has a deformity on his face which he is very self conscious about, hiding behind a mask. Cole is a nobleman who loves Harlowe. He doesn't see him as the man with 'the face' but as the man who is a good companion, an inventor and someone he can hold intelligent conversations.

Will Cole be able to finally confess to Harlowe? Will the secret admirer be enough to give him that final push or will he just assume defeat and regret it??

You'll have to read to find out.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet little free story on Less Than Three Press. It ended nicely although it probably would have gotten a 4 star from me if it had been a little longer, although to be fair it was pretty well developed for only 35 pages. However, one thing did bother me. Even though this is steam-punk (are the rules different in that universe?) this obviously takes place in Victorian England and so I just find the easy acceptance of Cole's homosexuality unrealistic. Oh and the zipper wasn't invented until 1912 so Cole wouldn't have "zipped his lips".

[Pippii · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really sweet and easy flowing read.
Cole is a young Nobleman, being harassed by his Mother to find a wife, but Cole is secretly in love with a working man.
Harlowe is a novelty maker, making beautiful boxes, which are collectables for women.
He never shows himself to others, due to an accident that has scarred his face. But Cole worms his way into the shop and close to Harlowe, and forms a sort of friendship.
One day Harlowe starts getting love letters from a secret admirer, and they scares Harlowe and upsets Cole….if the mystery guy gets close to Harlowe what are Cole’s chances with the novelty maker?

[Laura Warby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little book. It's one of the best short stories I've read for a while.
I liked the characters, and enjoyed reading about their interaction with the people in their world, but I thought the back stories of a couple of the characters could have been better developed; for example, it's apparent that Cole is relatively well-off, but it's never made clear his job or position in society.
With a few little tweaks, this could be a five-star book.

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely short story. Cole and Harlowe were adorable together. I liked Cole's resilience in pursuing Harlowe even when he was scared of rejection and in face of Harlowe's uncooperative behavior to his efforts.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun short romance. I enjoyed the medieval-style world and the scarred (physically and emotionally) love interest. A very complex and surprising story for such a short, free book.

I will definitely check out more of Ms. Miller's work.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ended before it should-- main character still needs to get married; there should have been some conclusion to that plot line. Overall good, interesting characters.

Less Than Three Editing Errors: 1 (p30, Cole confused for Harlowe)