The Invention of Wings

Mulligan's Mill #1

by Robin Knight

♥ Small Town MM Romance
♥ Second Chance at Love
♥ Enemies-to-Lovers
♥ Found Family

MITCH

‘Wings’. That was the nickname they gave me in the lead-up to the Olympics. I was ready to take home the gold for figure skating, ready to make all my dreams come true… all but one… the dream of finding true love. That dream ended the night I lost the only man I ever wanted, betrayed by fear, by doubt, by him. It was a moment that led to my downfall on the ice rink and the ultimate humiliation. And so I did what any broken spirit would do… I fled my hometown of Mulligan’s Mill, determined never to return.

That is until I got the call from Doc Morgan, letting me know that my sister Maggie’s hoarding habit was getting out of control. Now it seems Mulligan’s Mill is calling me back… back to face the past. Is it possible for a fallen hero to find his dignity once more? Is it possible for a man to return home and not make the same mistakes twice? Is it possible to pretend the past never even existed… or was I destined to re-live it all over again?

GAGE

He was the rising star of the ice-skating rink. I was the captain of the football team with a bright future under the Friday night lights. We had everything… promise, potential, each other. Then one night I freaked out, I pushed him away, and nothing was ever the same again. In the years since Mitch had left Mulligan’s Mill, my life was turned upside-down by a family tragedy. Now, as the sole carer of my wheelchair-bound niece Ginny, I spend every waking hour working part-time jobs to keep the roof over our heads. I barely get a minute to think about my shattered dreams of becoming a football star… but I still think about him… every single day.

When I find out that Mitch is returning to Mulligan’s Mill, the news triggers a wave of excitement and regret. Was what we had real, or just a foolish young fling? Would the flame re-ignite once more if we saw each other on the street, or would he turn around and walk away like we never met? Would I finally find the courage to talk to him again, or would fear get the better of me just like it did on the night I broke both our hearts?

The Invention of Wings is the first book in a Small Town MM Romance series set in Mulligan’s Mill… a small town with big hearts!

Genres: Sports, M M Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary, LGBT, Enemies To Lovers, Romance

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 27, 2023

About the author

aka Geoffrey Knight

Robin Knight is the author of gay fiction novels, novellas and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense and gay comedies.

The heroes of Robin's books love to spend their time jumping off the page, stumbling through misadventures and falling in love.

Robin has worked in advertising, politics, journalism and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories.

Reviews

[Molly Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's start off by saying sign me up. I want to live in Mulligans Mill to meet this cast of zany loveable characters!
Now, if you're expecting your run of the mill rom com, this is not it. It's so much more. The emotions are palpable. The pain of miscommunication changed the course of these men's lives for so long it really is no surprise once their in each orbit once again, all will be changed again.
Mitch fears returning home to the pain and rejection he feels as imminent, what he doesn't realize Gage has been through so much that maybe it's time to hear him out. The snarky beautiful Ginny brings these men together once again with the dream of flying on the ice as she's seen her uncle do from the window. This girl's dream is the catalyst of bringing so many dreams to life, in this rom com of second chances and hope.

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
I really wanted to love this book since Robin Knight writes such emotional intense love stories (Under The Arabian Sky is fantastic, one of my absolute favourite ever), but sadly I didn't connect with this story.
The plot is well developed: Mitch and Gage were high school secret sweethearts, they were both in the closet because of their dreams of careers on the ice, but Mitch was ready to come out. When Gage's father finds them kissing, Gage pushes Mitch and blames him.
After spectacularly falling during an important performance, Mitch leaves town and avoids coming back for 7 years (the timeline doesn't really add up: Mitch left after his father's death, so has Gage already left for college? The seven years away start after the falling or after Mitch's father funeral?)

Both of them are devastated by their break up and by what life threw at them (parents and sibling's death, ruined careers, solitude) and when they meet again, emotions go wild.

It was all good but there were some things that left me perplexed:
- Maggie should be around 30 years old but talks and acts like a teenager and has a hoarder problem: why no one, including Mitch, suggested therapy? Did Mitch seriously think that she could be better just with a house cleaning?
- Gage was a coward: I get that he was scared when his father found out, but after all those years he was still in the closet and afraid of his reaction. And, worse, he rejected Mitch again without even think of fighting. (By the way, who was Ginny's legal caregiver? Gage's stepmother just showing up, kidnapping Ginny and no one opposing her seemed unlikely).
- the hidden letters and Gage's father confession addedd pointless sadness to the story.

There's a happy ending, but it still left me disappointed: I would have liked seeing Mitch and Gage thoroughly talk about what happened, about their families, expectations, losses, ruined careers. Instead there's just one unclear angry confrontation and then it felt like all was swept under the rug.

[Chrissi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a good example of why I sometimes approach second-chance books with skepticism. 7 years of separation, but they thought about each other every day and never got over it? A romance at 18??? Sorry, I can't take it seriously, even if it sounds very romantic. And then they see each other again, and boom - happy ending. No discussion about what happened and what has happened in the last few years. Intimacy has to be rebuilt! It all happened way too fast.

And then people were just downright malicious at times? That commentator during the Olympic Games? No professional person would say that! And random people recognizing him on the street after 7 years?! Also, who says Mitchey-Moo? That nickname already got on my nerves the second time.

[Kandice]

I tried to push through but gave up at 58%. The opening page with the commentators was super harsh and unprofessional. I struggle to believe this would have occurred at an Olympic event. The overall vibe was a bit like watching a sit-com. Conversations were odd and silly. If you're going to include a serious disease like hoarding, portray it more realistically. This one just wasn't for me.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic start to the book as Mitch fights some emotions of the memories he wants to forget after he receives a phone call.
Mitch, aka Wings was a champion figure skater who crashed at an important event of his career 7 years ago ending his dreams.
Now he's in New York catching up on news from home, yeah his sister was wreaking havoc on Mulligans Mill, enough that he needs to head home.
Gage was Mitch’s first love in the Mill in the school years as hockey captain.
A heartbreaking tale of them at 18 never seeing each other again. Now he was caring for his disabled niece
The two remeet after years and Mitch couldn't escape fast enough, ooh I love Bea she is funny. I wanted to tell Bea, Gage was a liar pants on fire. Bea is amazing in this story, she is definitely one not to get in the bad books, I loved her scenes.
The number of times I burst out laughing at Mitch’s sister singing her silly songs, but she has her story with the emotions that tugs the heart strings for readers.

The story progresses I start to figure out what the title of this book means, and it fits it perfectly for a gorgeous story. This has all the feels of a great story from sadness, laughter, dramas, love and not forgetting the sexy scenes between them.
The invention of wings is the first book for a gorgeous new series written by the author. The book ends with an HEA but not before a few bumps along the road for them. Dual POVs help to connect with both characters which I did. I’m looking forward to reading more of the series. Don't forget to grab the special story for Bea at the end, you'll love her as much as I did.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice start to a new 3 book series. Mitch returns home to help his sister. She is a hoarder and Mitch needs to help her clear the house.
Also residing in Mulligan's Mill is Mitch's old high school flame Gage, unfortunately their high school romance ended badly. Gage is now caring for his disabled niece.
Mitch and Gage meet unexpectedly in town and a slow burn romance happens which sees the 2 of them get back together in the end.
I didn't even mind the child, Ginny who wasn't too annoying.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.25 stars

This reconnection romance has a strong redemption arc for many characters. Mitch has to come to terms with his embarrassing past and his abandonment of Maggie. Gage has to reconcile with Mitch, and work on living an authentic life as an out gay man. Maggie has to come to grips with her own phobias, and how to make a life without so much emotional and actual baggage in her way.

The characters are quirky, borderline certifiable, and almost relatable. I liked both Mitch and Gage, though I still felt them to be caricatures. I wanted them to get their lives together, and find some level of happiness. That happens, but it almost felt coincidental, like it would have happened no matter their individual challenges. They didn’t really grow substantially when interacting with each other. Instead, it was like all the growth happened outside of the story.

Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.

[J.D. Lear · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Invention of Wings by Robin Knight is a sweet M/M romance between a former Olympic figure skater, Mitch, and a former ice hockey captain, Gage. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but I was disappointed by the lack of any figure skating in it. I am still on the hunt for books that heavily feature figure skating as part of the plot rather than just a backdrop or set dressing.

The book has a lot of fantastic dialogue and, as I think people are beginning to suspect, I love fantastic dialogue. I love writing and I really, really love reading it.

The opening passage really hooked me:

You know how sometimes you get a song playing on a loop in your brain, over and over again, and the only way to get rid of it is to listen to another song? Well for me, the television commentary on the day my career went to hell in a handbasket is that song. Morning and night, asleep or awake, it haunted me, even seven years after the incident… only there was no getting it out of my head.

p1

The imagery in this passage is really strong and very relatable; everyone has had that annoying song stuck in their head so, even though it’s unlikely most people would have television commentary stuck on repeat, they can still relate.

There were definitely some funny moments where I literally laughed out loud. One such example is where Gage’s friend Bea takes his phone from him and replies to Mitch’s text to try and organise a meet up.

“What did you say?” I asked urgently.

“I didn’t say anything, I just found one of your dick pics and sent that to him.”

I gasped. “You didn’t.”

“No, of course not, I’m teasing you. Wait.. you have dick pics on this phone? Show me immediately.”

p130

Another fantastic example of well written dialogue is when Gage comes out to his eleven year old niece:

“I’ll just say it. Ginny, I’m… I’m… I’m…”

“Caught in a time loop?”

“Quit joking around.”

“I’m sorry but you’re losing me fast. Just tell me what you wanna say.”

“I’m…”

“Hungry?”

“I’m…”

“Procrastinating?”

“No! Yes. Oh crap! Ginny… I’m gay.”

For a moment Ginny said nothing. Then after a silence that felt like it had dragged on for an eternity, she asked, “Is that it? Is that your big news?”

p153

This was so cute, I absolutely loved it!

This is a M/M romance and it has open door sex scenes in it so that’s definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Truth be told, it’s not really mine (more the open door part, the M/M romance I have no problem with) so I skimmed over the sex scenes to get the gist of them. From what I picked up, they seemed well written but, as I said, not my thing. But I knew that going into it, so it’s definitely not a problem.

There were a few things I wasn’t a fan of, however. One, as you probably guessed already, was the lack of figure skating content. However, having said that, it is clear that the author did at least a little homework. He knew that a triple axel involved spinning three and a half times in the air (yes, I highlight that because I have seen it in published books where they say it’s only three times). There is also a scene where Mitch goes skating on the lake and it has correct skating terminology:

I started with a series of half swizzle pumps then pirouetted into a one-foot glide. I picked up speed, skating into several forward crossovers that took me around the edge of the lake, then went into a one-foot spin.

p105

And yet, despite having done research, understood the names of various moves and how they actually looked, the key point in Mitch’s history is that he fell on a triple axel at the Olympics and that ruined his career. Even skaters who medal at the Olympics fall! I was expecting this to be explained later on in the story, maybe he fell and had a serious injury, or developed PTSD or something like that. But nothing. He fell at a big competition, at the Olympics where even the most experienced skaters can and do buckle under the pressure, and that was it.

That was probably the main thing that annoyed me especially after I got past the half way point and realised that there really was nothing m ore to the story than that.

One thing I think it does quite well is deal with mental health and hoarding. Now, I’m not an expert in this so I have no idea how accurate it actually is, but it read as fairly accurate to my untrained eye, both in how it starts, how it perpetuates, and how a person dealing with it reacts to others coming in and forcing them to throw things out.

Despite my annoyance over Mitch’s history, I still enjoyed the book enough to read all the way to the end, which I won’t do if I spend more time frustrated than enjoying it and, if you love sweet, funny M/M romances, it’s definitely worth picking up to read it.

[Roger R · Rating 5 out of 5]

How hard is it to forgive Robin Knight for ending one of my mostest favoritest book series - Fathom’s Fives??? Not very hard because he came up with a wonderful new series which I’m in love with! I’m so in love with the Mulligan’s Mill town and the characters!!! Especially the niece of one of the MCs. She’s not to be messed with and does make some scenes rather funny. Throw in Aunt Bea, a Drag Queen who owns a bar makes for an awesome story. This is a second chance love story with a wonderful and rather surprising bonus story that comes with it. The front cover is to die for! The front cover is the type of cover that will draw me to the book and read it. I look forward to the continuation of the new series! More than 5 stars reading from me.

The story focuses on Mitch who had a rather disastrous ending to his figure skating career at the Winter Olympics because he got his heart broken by Gage and he wasn’t in the right headspace. After that embarrassing fall on the ice rink in front of the world, he fled his hometown and stayed away for many years. He was lured back to Mulligan’s Mill because of his sister, Maggie’s serious hoarding problem. He did not want to come back but felt he had to come and help his sister. They were very close growing up.

Gage was a hockey player in high school and he absolutely loved Mitch but was not ready to proclaim the love for him. That night, his father caught him kissing Mitch and that was when Gage made the mistake of pushing Mitch and telling him to get out. It absolutely devastated Mitch and it was the reason he wasn’t in the right headspace at the Olympics. Gage moved away but came back with a niece who was in a wheelchair. He was slowly making a life in Mulligan’s Mill when he got the shock of his life. Mitch was back! But for how long? That’s where I’m gonna stop and have you pick up the book to read and find out. Happy reading!

[Edga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good premise, but not very well executed. The story was too heavy handed when it came to the dialogue. So much of it, page after page, with no breaks, it just served as an information overload. It came out sounding unnatural/not the way a person would carry out a conversation. Between the endless dialogue, (much of which I skimmed), the story wasn't progressing. Also, parts of the story grated on me. I had so many questions about why Mitchy -Moo (!),and Gage didn't get back together sooner. Mitch also came across as a bit on the whiney side, I just wanted him to get over himself. His sworn love, Gage, also left him a second time, without a backward glance, I wanted him to grow a pair. Also, Mitch's sister (Maggie-Pie!), suffered from severe depression and anxiety at the beginning of the story, and in a matter of a couple of weeks, she was ok, simply down to her brother coming home. Mental illness doesn't just disappear like that! I really wanted to like this, and I really did try, but not for me, unfortunately. 2.5 *s.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM Romance
Small Town
Second Chance Romance
Enemies to Lovers
Found Family

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Stars

The Invention of Wings was such a sweet, easy read! I flew through it in a few days, and I really fell in love with the characters, and I was rooting for Mitch and Gauge from the start. The tropes are some of my favourite (small town, second chance, found family etc). I felt like it was a bit cheesy at times, but then I also think that was part of its charm. Robins writing flows really well, and her dialogue is realistic (some of the one liners are amazing 😂). If you’re looking for something that is going to be a quick and heartfelt read then The Invention of Wings is the book for you! I think it would be a good read for anyone looking to get out of a reading slump. I think if I was ever stuck for something to read, I’d re-read The Invention of Wings again in a heartbeat!

[Liza Broadaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This book started out so well! I freaking loved Aunt Bea and Ginny. The humor and banter was amazing! There were so many good and funny moments I was so excited for this book!

It started to go downhill for me when the author put a grown ass man in an 11 year olds wheel chair. Nope not even a possibility. If you are going to have disability rep please do a little research!

Then the ending with the dads and everything else with the wings and design/invention just beyond overboard me. If you are ok with an over the top hallmark-y finish you may still be able to enjoy this but it was just a miss for me.

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

With The Invention of Wings, Robin Knight's new Mulligan's Mill series is off to a good start.

I enjoyed meeting and getting to know Mitch and Gage and of course Gage's niece Ginny who was quite the character and helped bring Mitch and Gage together again, though I think they'd have got their eventually even without her help as they still had so many feelings towards each other.

Mitch's sister Maggie wasn't my favourite character and I'm only guessing she has some sort of intellectual disability because that's how she came across to me. Her hoarding was out of control, I've seen this myself within my own family and Mitch did a good job of helping her clean the house out, she might need help down the track unless she continues to get a lot of support from Mitch and her friends.

I liked the way Ginny's dream to fly on the ice brought Mitch, Gage, Maggie and their friend Bud together giving them all a project to work on. I thought this project was of great benefit to Maggie as she had a real need to be needed and seen as able.

There was the bad guys, Gage's father and evil stepmother who caused some drama for them all, but good won out in the end, you can't have a romance with a sad ending.

I'm looking forward to getting to know Aunt Bea better, she seems like she will be quite the character.

I'll be looking out for more from Mulligan's Mill.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't need every queer romance to have a rich narrative that leaves you thinking, but this one was a weird no-conflict story of secret high school sweethearts practically jumping back together after some limited awkwardness with weird diversions into handling a family member with a disability and another family member with a hoarding problem.

This could have been quite thoughtful, but it fell into the trap of having characters literally claiming they could "fix" the family member with a problem, which feels highly problematic in modern terms.

And I'm kind of committed to reading the next two books in the series since I had gotten them on sale duiring various Kindle Deals of the Day blitzes.

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Gage and Mitch life has brought them back full circle to what really matters. Home and Family! Gage and Mitch have both suffered and missed out on so much time together due to an emotional misunderstanding. I adored both of these guys, but I will admit that Ginny was the star of this story for me! I looked forward to pages with her. She snarked up this second chance and really made it happen. I felt reminiscent, comfortable and happy with this bunch of friends and family. I see so much more romance ahead.

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had potential

Mitch was so, poor me for far too long.
Gage was great until the last scene with the step mother, like wtf he is an adult not 15 and its his house, that was wow.
Loved Maddie and Bud.
Good story, and had a few laughs throughout the book, but you never knew what Mitch did for a living, sometime you wondered how old they were.
The ending was a bit far fetched. My biggest thing was why didn’t Ginny go to school??????? And she spoke far to well for a 11 yr old.
Will glance at second book

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, where everything that has gone wrong in the past is fixed eventually.
The characters felt cookie cutter - Mitch seemed more nuanced in the short NYC part than he was back home.
Gage felt much more down trodden than perhaps he was?
I feel a lot more soul searching would be needed before they got back together.
Maggie - wasn’t sure if she was an adult with learning difficulties as she seemed very up and down - possibly MD? - but came across verychildlike.
Saying all that, an easy read, did what it said on the tin, in fictional small town USA

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read.

This is a new author to me but I’m so glad I found them because this book was a delight to read. Gave and Mitch went through so much and thoroughly deserved their HEA. As much as I loved those two, Ginny, Maggie and Bea were some of the best secondary characters I’ve come across in a long time and I loved their part in the story. It was sweet, funny, sometimes emotional and had heat and a little angst and I highly recommend it.

[Becky Aks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read—Knight’s delightfully quirky characters interact to provide the reader with a second chance romance that is just delightful. There’s some angst, some swoon, some chuckles, and an HEA, making it a perfect read. What happened to Mitch is heartbreaking, but the path to reconciliation with Gage moves along at a satisfying pace and introduces us to other troubled but strong characters, and a few that are not so nice (Bo!). Highly recommend.

[Dekaydreader]

Another no-go. Little too hyperbolic/overwrought on the emotions, plus, I hate a story that relates activity in a retail hardware environment where the author has no personal experience, and couldn't take the time to do an iota of research. No rating, since I went into DNF mode pretty quickly. I was still in exploratory mode, feeling a little dubious but hopeful, when I hit the scene in the hardware store. Sorry, but that broke the stalemate.

[Karen Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW this book was really good i loved it. After a terrible breakup 7 years ago Mitch returns to Mulligan Mills to help his sister de clutter her home and he hopes it is a short visit and hopefully he doesn't run into the love of his life that broke his heart Gage. Unfortunately no such luck.
I highly recommend this book and am so looking forward to the next 2 books.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story

This was a wonderful second chance story. There were so many emotions as Mitch and Gage reconnected throughout the book. There was also plenty of heat, humor, and heart. I loved all of the side characters and am looking forward to learning more about them in future books in this series.

[Aethena Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story had some entertaining moments. I have a background in mechanical engineering, so some of the moments made me cringe. Adaptive devices exist for a multitude of sports, and they are designed by professionals. A bit too much negativity in the story for me. The resolution was a bit too neat. I really liked Aunt Bea. I would enjoy a story focusing on her.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising and Entertaining

A well crafted storyline, with quite the cast of characters, everything from dour and gruff to cheeky and light, including some with really annoying personal traits! A good base for the series, and a strong lead installment. Ends on a wacky, yet wonderful, positive promise for the future.

[Bb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. Both of these guys made poor life choices and it is terrible to see where they ended up. The end seems okay but Mitch could have overcome his blunder- it happens! Gage could have gone to college and then taken care of his niece so they could have a better life. Not realistic or plasubile. Don't plan to read more.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by this author, and I’m so glad I did. Their writing was truly inspiring and served as a beautiful reminder to always follow your dreams, no matter the obstacles. I found the story uplifting and motivating, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Monica

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. The wonderful cast of main and secondary characters and the perfect pacing with seamlessly smooth plot all made for a wonderful second chance romance. Not to forget an HEA that left me smiling.
I can’t wait for more in the Mulligan’s Mill series.

[Theresa Gauley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the storyline and characters what really made me crazy was the slang usage for nicknames and certain words for objects. I hated it so much that I would skim over the words so I didn’t have to endure them. Annoying!!!

[Likes2Explore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has been on my TBR list for a while and it didn't disappoint. Such a beautiful story with a wonderful cast of characters. I am looking forward to the rest of the Mulligan's Mill series.

*hurt / comfort
*2nd Chance
*small town
*coming out
*ice skater / hockey player
*found family

[Crisana]

DNF. No connection to the story or characters.