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Mac vs. PC
As a computer technician at the university, Anna Petrowski knows she has one thing in common with doctors and lawyers, and it’s not the salary. It’s that everyone thinks her advice comes free, even on weekends. That’s why she keeps a strict observance of her Saturday routine: a scone, a caramel mocha, and nobody bothering her. So when she meets a new campus hire at the Bean Grinder who needs computer help yet doesn’t ask for it, she’s intrigued enough to offer. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship and possibly something more. But Elizabeth Markel is a little higher up the university food chain than she’s let on, and the truth brings out buried prejudices that Anna didn’t know she had. People and computers have one thing in common: they’re both capable of self-sabotage. The difference is that computers are easier to fix.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Fletcher DeLancey
26 books316 followersFletcher DeLancey spent her early career as a science educator, which was the perfect combination of her two great loves: language and science. These days she combines them while writing science fiction.
She is an Oregon expatriate who left her beloved state when she met a Portuguese woman and had to choose between home and heart. She chose heart. Now she lives with her wife and son in the beautiful sunny Algarve, where she writes full-time, teaches Pilates, tries to learn the local birds and plants, and samples every regional Portuguese dish she can get her hands on. (There are many. It’s going to take a while.)
She is best known for her science fiction/fantasy series, Chronicles of Alsea, now comprised of four novels and a novella. Among them, the Alsea books have won an Independent Publisher's Award (2017 bronze medal), a Golden Crown Literary Society Award, a Rainbow Award, and been shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award.
Fletcher believes that women need far more representation in science fiction and fantasy, and takes great pleasure in writing complex stories with strong, believable women heading up the action. Her day is made every time another reader says, “I didn’t think I liked science fiction, but then I read yours.”
She is an Oregon expatriate who left her beloved state when she met a Portuguese woman and had to choose between home and heart. She chose heart. Now she lives with her wife and son in the beautiful sunny Algarve, where she writes full-time, teaches Pilates, tries to learn the local birds and plants, and samples every regional Portuguese dish she can get her hands on. (There are many. It’s going to take a while.)
She is best known for her science fiction/fantasy series, Chronicles of Alsea, now comprised of four novels and a novella. Among them, the Alsea books have won an Independent Publisher's Award (2017 bronze medal), a Golden Crown Literary Society Award, a Rainbow Award, and been shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award.
Fletcher believes that women need far more representation in science fiction and fantasy, and takes great pleasure in writing complex stories with strong, believable women heading up the action. Her day is made every time another reader says, “I didn’t think I liked science fiction, but then I read yours.”
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 17, 2016
A very nice story... dangerous, though — I am currently using a PC, but I am now seriously contemplating switching to a Mac. :D
January 12, 2015
Short, sweet read. Those who don't interact with computers on a daily basis probably won't fully appreciate some of the book. Having grown up a PC user in a Apple household I've heard all of the reasons in the book until my ears bleed. Some of the information is incorrect and/or outdated though. But, now I'm getting sidetracked. The interactions between the two ladies was pretty good, but something was just missing for me and couldn't get into them that much, which is why I gave it 3 stars.
May 5, 2017
I was somewhat reluctant to read this book for several reasons. The largest was the whole ‘Mac vs. PC’ thing that’s the literal title of the book. I didn’t really want to read either a debate about the two nor, if there wasn’t a debate, a book strenuously advancing the notion that Mac’s are the best etc. etc. Not so much because I have a position in the debate, but more because I, frankly, don’t care. A computer is a computer, some are better than others, some aren’t. Some are expensive paperweights. Another reason was a relatively simple acknowledgement that I’d mostly rated everything by this author relatively highly (with exceptions) and figured this one had a higher chance of having me lower my overall rating for the author (not because the story wasn’t Science Fiction, no, one of my favorite stories by the author is a non-Science Fiction short story titled ‘Learning to Ride’ found in the short story collection Spread the Love that I had rated 5.5 (actually, looking closer, that is the highest rating I’ve given to the author, a non-science fiction story at that)).
So – this relatively short story stars Anna Petrowski (the POV) and Elizabeth Markel. They meet for the first time in a coffee shop that Anna loves, both for a specific scone and for a specific type of coffee. They meet because Elizabeth had begun cursing and beating up her laptop. Anna eventually helps her – she does have knowledge of computers after all, being that she works in the I.T. department at a University (insert: Anna offered, Elizabeth neither begged nor demanded Anna’s help). While helping Anna notes the brilliance of Macs over PCs. And mentions certain things like how expensive PCs actually are to keep maintained (PCs might have an initial lower cost, but cost more over time to keep operating and free from malicious code).
Anna and Elizabeth have a great time together. Meet a few more times. During all of this Anna has no idea of Elizabeth’s job (beyond some vague ‘Forest Research’ comment made by Elizabeth), nor her last name (it has been given, briefly, but in a moment Anna wasn’t paying full attention). That matters for two reasons: Anna likes Elizabeth so much that she searches for her all over the campus, but finds it hard to do having only Elizabeth’s first name; and Anna likely would fled in horror if she had known, initially, what Elizabeth’s job title actually was (since that’s what she almost literally does when she does learn). Elizabeth, you see, is a Vice Provost – answering directly to the Provost (“the modern university provost is the university’s chief academic officer and under the president…”). In other words – way way above Anna’s pay grade. There’s more to it but let’s keep some stuff in the book, eh? Heh.
Re: Mac vs. PC.
A: um, do you know what PC means? It means ‘personal computer’. What, exactly, is a Mac if it isn’t a personal computer? This isn’t ‘Mac vs. PC’, it’s ‘Mac vs. Windows’ (or ‘Apple vs. Microsoft’). Would an IT person be more likely to use ‘pro/anti Mac vs. PC’ or a ‘pro/anti Apple/Mac vs. Microsoft/Windows’? And no, I don’t know, I’m just asking. Looking at what I see online, I see things like ‘Mac is a personal computer but not a PC’. Soooo. *shrugs*
B: I did not really get some of the anti-PC things that were mentioned. Like, specifically, a complaint was made about how hard it is to change a file name while using Windows. And . . what? Really? I’m sure the Mac method is super quick and easy, easier even than the PC’s since it is here in the book as a plus for the Mac. But . . . all you need to do is go to the document, click F2, and type whatever new name you want. And . . . done. You can make it slightly more complicated by right clicking on the file (using the mouse) and going down the pop-up menu to ‘Rename’ and then renaming but . . . it’s all in what people are used to and what they are comfortable with. I’m not arguing the pros and cons, though, I’m sure Macs are better in every way because . . . people say so. Never had a Mac myself, my first couple of computers were Apples, but Apple IIe’s and the like (pre-Macintosh in the literal sense that the first Macintosh came out in 1984, and the IIe came out in 1983, though I believe I got the IIe after 1984).
Right, so the book. Quick book. I gobbled it fast and the only reason it took me an extra day is because I watched a movie last night instead of spending the extra ten minutes to finish the book. Probably a short afternoon would get someone through the book.
The characters were alright, though I got a much larger sense of who Anna might be, and not much of a sense of Elizabeth. Taller than Anna. Higher up in the University. Hmms. Has money, I think? There were some descriptive terms used as well, but I let them slide past me. I think I got eye and hair color.
Rating: 3.88
May 5 2017
So – this relatively short story stars Anna Petrowski (the POV) and Elizabeth Markel. They meet for the first time in a coffee shop that Anna loves, both for a specific scone and for a specific type of coffee. They meet because Elizabeth had begun cursing and beating up her laptop. Anna eventually helps her – she does have knowledge of computers after all, being that she works in the I.T. department at a University (insert: Anna offered, Elizabeth neither begged nor demanded Anna’s help). While helping Anna notes the brilliance of Macs over PCs. And mentions certain things like how expensive PCs actually are to keep maintained (PCs might have an initial lower cost, but cost more over time to keep operating and free from malicious code).
Anna and Elizabeth have a great time together. Meet a few more times. During all of this Anna has no idea of Elizabeth’s job (beyond some vague ‘Forest Research’ comment made by Elizabeth), nor her last name (it has been given, briefly, but in a moment Anna wasn’t paying full attention). That matters for two reasons: Anna likes Elizabeth so much that she searches for her all over the campus, but finds it hard to do having only Elizabeth’s first name; and Anna likely would fled in horror if she had known, initially, what Elizabeth’s job title actually was (since that’s what she almost literally does when she does learn). Elizabeth, you see, is a Vice Provost – answering directly to the Provost (“the modern university provost is the university’s chief academic officer and under the president…”). In other words – way way above Anna’s pay grade. There’s more to it but let’s keep some stuff in the book, eh? Heh.
Re: Mac vs. PC.
A: um, do you know what PC means? It means ‘personal computer’. What, exactly, is a Mac if it isn’t a personal computer? This isn’t ‘Mac vs. PC’, it’s ‘Mac vs. Windows’ (or ‘Apple vs. Microsoft’). Would an IT person be more likely to use ‘pro/anti Mac vs. PC’ or a ‘pro/anti Apple/Mac vs. Microsoft/Windows’? And no, I don’t know, I’m just asking. Looking at what I see online, I see things like ‘Mac is a personal computer but not a PC’. Soooo. *shrugs*
B: I did not really get some of the anti-PC things that were mentioned. Like, specifically, a complaint was made about how hard it is to change a file name while using Windows. And . . what? Really? I’m sure the Mac method is super quick and easy, easier even than the PC’s since it is here in the book as a plus for the Mac. But . . . all you need to do is go to the document, click F2, and type whatever new name you want. And . . . done. You can make it slightly more complicated by right clicking on the file (using the mouse) and going down the pop-up menu to ‘Rename’ and then renaming but . . . it’s all in what people are used to and what they are comfortable with. I’m not arguing the pros and cons, though, I’m sure Macs are better in every way because . . . people say so. Never had a Mac myself, my first couple of computers were Apples, but Apple IIe’s and the like (pre-Macintosh in the literal sense that the first Macintosh came out in 1984, and the IIe came out in 1983, though I believe I got the IIe after 1984).
Right, so the book. Quick book. I gobbled it fast and the only reason it took me an extra day is because I watched a movie last night instead of spending the extra ten minutes to finish the book. Probably a short afternoon would get someone through the book.
The characters were alright, though I got a much larger sense of who Anna might be, and not much of a sense of Elizabeth. Taller than Anna. Higher up in the University. Hmms. Has money, I think? There were some descriptive terms used as well, but I let them slide past me. I think I got eye and hair color.
Rating: 3.88
May 5 2017
December 27, 2015
This was an entertaining read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
As a computer science student myself, I was super excited to read something with that theme — I just wish it hadn't been so damn focused on how one brand of operational system is better than the other. At multiple parts I felt like I was reading some sort of Apple advertisement. It was a lot of tech talk mixed with lesbian romance and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why all the endless gushing about Mac being superior was supposed to be relevant to the character's relationship. I went into it thinking there was going to be more of a "Mac vs. PC" debate but it was actually more like "Here, Have Some Reasons Why Mac Is Much Better". I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I just frankly couldn't care less.
Anna and Elizabeth were adorable, though. I wished we'd gotten more of them interacting, but well, there's only so much you can do in a novella without it all feeling rushed. :)
As a computer science student myself, I was super excited to read something with that theme — I just wish it hadn't been so damn focused on how one brand of operational system is better than the other. At multiple parts I felt like I was reading some sort of Apple advertisement. It was a lot of tech talk mixed with lesbian romance and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why all the endless gushing about Mac being superior was supposed to be relevant to the character's relationship. I went into it thinking there was going to be more of a "Mac vs. PC" debate but it was actually more like "Here, Have Some Reasons Why Mac Is Much Better". I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I just frankly couldn't care less.
Anna and Elizabeth were adorable, though. I wished we'd gotten more of them interacting, but well, there's only so much you can do in a novella without it all feeling rushed. :)
August 12, 2015
"Mac vs. PC" is a novella about the trails and tribulations of owning computers, with some romance thrown in there for good measure. Anna is a University IT troubleshooter (a thankless job if ever there was one) and Elizabeth is the new university staff member. When they meet at a coffee-shop they each find in the other quiet competence and an easy friendship (leavened with no small part of attraction, at least on Anna's part). Alas, however, Anna manages to screw this up royally. The trick will be if she can repair what has been broken, or if she's stuck with the situation she created.
This was a short little story, and I was sad to see it end. But then, it didn't overstay its welcome; the plot and pacing were even, and the characters were well fleshed out without being overcooked. I was impressed with this story, and will actively look for the authors' work in future. As a card-carrying computer geek though it was impossible not to cringe at the Mac-worship peppered throughout the story. (Yes, Macs get viruses. No, no they are not easier to fix. No, they do not come with software easier to troubleshoot if it goes really wrong below the GUI - the very idea is deeply WTF. Macs believe they're better than you, rather like their owners. Was the original story meant to praise Linux, and Apple sponsored a change or something?)
The other thing which made my willing suspension of disbelief waver was It's kind cute in some ways, I suppose, but the difference between
Still, loved the story. Cute and fun.
This was a short little story, and I was sad to see it end. But then, it didn't overstay its welcome; the plot and pacing were even, and the characters were well fleshed out without being overcooked. I was impressed with this story, and will actively look for the authors' work in future. As a card-carrying computer geek though it was impossible not to cringe at the Mac-worship peppered throughout the story. (Yes, Macs get viruses. No, no they are not easier to fix. No, they do not come with software easier to troubleshoot if it goes really wrong below the GUI - the very idea is deeply WTF. Macs believe they're better than you, rather like their owners. Was the original story meant to praise Linux, and Apple sponsored a change or something?)
The other thing which made my willing suspension of disbelief waver was It's kind cute in some ways, I suppose, but the difference between
Still, loved the story. Cute and fun.
September 24, 2017
A great read for an afternoon's read. In typical Fletcher DeLancey style there are terrific characters.
You will probably pick up a few computer tips whether you are a PC or Mac user, and maybe a little plant biology too.
You will probably pick up a few computer tips whether you are a PC or Mac user, and maybe a little plant biology too.
January 26, 2015
Short but sweet. Just right for lifting my spirits during the holiday afternoon lull at work.
January 4, 2016
I'd probably give this two stars except I couldn't put it down. I couldn't have cared less about the operating system talk and would have liked to see more of the romance development. So much telling, not a ton of showing. But, like I said, I couldn't put it down, so something was clearly working for me. I'll have to check out the author's sci fi stuff and see if I like that better.
May 1, 2014
I really liked this book, being a Mac user myself and a PC tech support at a University, I was smiling all the way through this book.
Great feel good read! Wonderful story of how the mind works...as well as the heart. :)
Great feel good read! Wonderful story of how the mind works...as well as the heart. :)
May 7, 2014
A 'light and fluffy' book - just what I needed. Easily read in just a few hours.
As much as this book is very pro-Mac (or rather Mac Pro - pun intended), I think I'll stick with my convoluted PC ;-)
As much as this book is very pro-Mac (or rather Mac Pro - pun intended), I think I'll stick with my convoluted PC ;-)
January 17, 2015
I read it online a couple of years ago. It has been a pleasure to reread it again, this time the published version. All I have to say is that I own a Mac.
November 16, 2019
Anna and Elizabeth are charming and easy to love. The events in this book are plausible, something I enjoy a great deal.
The story line was both entertaining and intelligent. I liked the romance part of the book. It is very unusual for a book to be so chaste these days. It did not take away from the story at all, in fact in my opinion it made the tale all the sweeter.
I really didn't expect the story to revolve so much around computers but Ms. DeLancey made it really easy to understand, not at all dull or bland. The story flowed very well and kept a nice pace. I will definitely read more of Ms. DeLancey's work.
The story line was both entertaining and intelligent. I liked the romance part of the book. It is very unusual for a book to be so chaste these days. It did not take away from the story at all, in fact in my opinion it made the tale all the sweeter.
I really didn't expect the story to revolve so much around computers but Ms. DeLancey made it really easy to understand, not at all dull or bland. The story flowed very well and kept a nice pace. I will definitely read more of Ms. DeLancey's work.
June 9, 2017
Worth every penny. I’ll probably read it again. The characters just grow on you. The third person perspective really enrich the storytelling allowing the reader to get a better “feel” of the environment. Mac Vs PC is quite short in terms of pages but more would of been useless. Fletcher wrote my favourite kind of story, the “ slice of life” type, just a snippet of Anna existence and her personal growth.
Anna life isn’t perfect, her life isn’t mess up either. She is simply like you and me. And that. That’s what I found awesome.
Want to have a good time ? Buy this book.
Anna life isn’t perfect, her life isn’t mess up either. She is simply like you and me. And that. That’s what I found awesome.
Want to have a good time ? Buy this book.
January 22, 2018
It is one of those books that are fun and quick to read. There was a lot of Apple advertisement in this book and less a debate between Mac vs PC. Most of the big problems Anna had to solve were kind of ridiculous like explaining for a whole page how the undo button works.
There was much of an interaction between the main characters and more computer talk, which took away a little bit from the story. Both main characters were likable I just wish that there would have been more interaction between them.
Andreazupanc.wordpress.com
There was much of an interaction between the main characters and more computer talk, which took away a little bit from the story. Both main characters were likable I just wish that there would have been more interaction between them.
Andreazupanc.wordpress.com
July 13, 2015
Such a nice quick read. As a fervent Apple addict I was delighted that the writer was as well :)
Cute romance, lovely characters... nothing bad to say about this! except maybe that it's a bit too short
Cute romance, lovely characters... nothing bad to say about this! except maybe that it's a bit too short
December 20, 2017
Short, sweet, funny and so so good!
Reading this book is an awesome way to spend the afternoon or evening, laughing and smiling your way thru a cute and funny romance that blooms from conversations about a certain computer system’s merits, among other things. There is some technical discussion about computers but it’s all easily understood by the layman rather than reading like a foreign language only understood by IT nerds and geeks. There is plenty of comedy including lots of on point commentary about university politics and hierarchy that had me snickering and nodding in agreement; Anna’s mother is particularly entertaining when she has scenes in the book.
There is lots of entertainment value packed into this short story and it has me interested in reading more by this author in the future. Although the ending is satisfying, I would love to see these characters in a sequel or follow up story at some point so they can entertain me further with their banter and antics.
I recommend Mac vs PC to anyone wanting to read some laughs and romance in a shorter than novel length story or to anyone who has strong feelings (positive or negative) about Macs or PC’s.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reading this book is an awesome way to spend the afternoon or evening, laughing and smiling your way thru a cute and funny romance that blooms from conversations about a certain computer system’s merits, among other things. There is some technical discussion about computers but it’s all easily understood by the layman rather than reading like a foreign language only understood by IT nerds and geeks. There is plenty of comedy including lots of on point commentary about university politics and hierarchy that had me snickering and nodding in agreement; Anna’s mother is particularly entertaining when she has scenes in the book.
There is lots of entertainment value packed into this short story and it has me interested in reading more by this author in the future. Although the ending is satisfying, I would love to see these characters in a sequel or follow up story at some point so they can entertain me further with their banter and antics.
I recommend Mac vs PC to anyone wanting to read some laughs and romance in a shorter than novel length story or to anyone who has strong feelings (positive or negative) about Macs or PC’s.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2023
✔Sapphic Book Bingo Challenge 2023 🌈✨: Unicorn board - Romance without sex scene
3 stars. This was fun and light but as much as I like computers I just wasn’t interested in all of the tech talk in this. It left me feeling a bit bored honestly. I love DeLancey’s writing style and it is a quick read. The characters of Elizabeth and Anna were both interesting and likable and their romance was cute. This was just a light and fluffy read.
3 stars. This was fun and light but as much as I like computers I just wasn’t interested in all of the tech talk in this. It left me feeling a bit bored honestly. I love DeLancey’s writing style and it is a quick read. The characters of Elizabeth and Anna were both interesting and likable and their romance was cute. This was just a light and fluffy read.
December 26, 2017
Ylva Publishing provided me with a copy for review.
Sweet story from Ms. DeLancey that fills the need for a lazy read.
Unfortunately, I'm still a PC user as I still don't get the Mac craze ;)
3.5 stars
Sweet story from Ms. DeLancey that fills the need for a lazy read.
Unfortunately, I'm still a PC user as I still don't get the Mac craze ;)
3.5 stars
August 6, 2018
Being a Mac person I thoroughly enjoyed the OS rivalry. I had a bit of a hard time with the actions of the main protagonist, her choices, but I did understand in the end. All in all, I wouldn't mind working on that campus !
May 2, 2021
Loved this book. The easy banter, the terminology made easy. Well written.
February 28, 2017
Quick, light and sweet read. Go mac! ;)
June 2, 2014
A Novella
Anna Petrowski is a computer technician at the university. Everyone seems to think her help and advice should be given freely at any time. Even on her precious downtime at weekends.
Anna has her strict Saturday routine with a visit to the Bean Grinder Coffee Bar. It’s the same every Saturday, a scone, caramel mocha and peace and quiet.
When Anna meets Elizabeth Markel in the Bean Grinder on her Saturday visit, she learns that Elizabeth is new in town and is working at the university. Although Elizabeth obviously needs help with her computer, the fact that she doesn’t ask prompts Anna to offer her assistance. So begins a tentative friendship with may be the possibility of them becoming more than friends eventually.
However, Elizabeth is in a rather high up management position at the university and when Anna finds this out, all sorts of prejudices come flying out of nowhere. Their friendship is over before it even begins.
Will Anna put aside her prejudices long enough to get to know Elizabeth outside of her job? More to the point now, will Elizabeth ever be able to forgive Anna for her bad behavior?
This is the first time I’ve read anything written by Fletcher Delancey. I have enjoyed this short novella. It is as it’s title suggests, a story about whether one should use a Mac or a PC, with a romance thrown in for good measure. I’m techie minded and I really enjoyed the story. It’s also taught me a few things about Mac’s too as I’m a PC person.
I did get the impression though that this book was a little like a sales pitch for buying a Mac. For me, the balance between the Mac vs PC and the romance was little top heavy on the Mac side. But, the romance was the usual tried and tested formula. Girl meets girl, things don’t work out and girl tries to get girl back again. So, the story worked for me.
I would like to read more from Fletcher Delancey as I enjoyed her writing style and really liked the two multidimensional main characters.
Anna Petrowski is a computer technician at the university. Everyone seems to think her help and advice should be given freely at any time. Even on her precious downtime at weekends.
Anna has her strict Saturday routine with a visit to the Bean Grinder Coffee Bar. It’s the same every Saturday, a scone, caramel mocha and peace and quiet.
When Anna meets Elizabeth Markel in the Bean Grinder on her Saturday visit, she learns that Elizabeth is new in town and is working at the university. Although Elizabeth obviously needs help with her computer, the fact that she doesn’t ask prompts Anna to offer her assistance. So begins a tentative friendship with may be the possibility of them becoming more than friends eventually.
However, Elizabeth is in a rather high up management position at the university and when Anna finds this out, all sorts of prejudices come flying out of nowhere. Their friendship is over before it even begins.
Will Anna put aside her prejudices long enough to get to know Elizabeth outside of her job? More to the point now, will Elizabeth ever be able to forgive Anna for her bad behavior?
This is the first time I’ve read anything written by Fletcher Delancey. I have enjoyed this short novella. It is as it’s title suggests, a story about whether one should use a Mac or a PC, with a romance thrown in for good measure. I’m techie minded and I really enjoyed the story. It’s also taught me a few things about Mac’s too as I’m a PC person.
I did get the impression though that this book was a little like a sales pitch for buying a Mac. For me, the balance between the Mac vs PC and the romance was little top heavy on the Mac side. But, the romance was the usual tried and tested formula. Girl meets girl, things don’t work out and girl tries to get girl back again. So, the story worked for me.
I would like to read more from Fletcher Delancey as I enjoyed her writing style and really liked the two multidimensional main characters.
December 6, 2015
What an enjoyable little read! Alright, so I could have done with a little less technobabble but hey, the title suggests that both Mac and PC are playing a significant part in the book. It wasn't too geeky for me to follow and I will readily admit that my anti-Apple-armour is showing first signs of thawing, and this story wasn't helping in keeping it up. Were it not for the ginormous Apple price tags and the fact that my PC is still relatively new... but I digress.
Yeah, so I liked the story about the codfish and the shark, about blue-collar Anna and white-collar Elizabeth who's not so very white-collar after all. It's the classic setting of "rich person meets not-so-rich person under unusual circumstances so status is unknown and they are interested but do they have a chance once the gap is revealed". I've read it countless times, usually with a man being the shark and the woman being the codfish, only once with reversed roles but never with two women involved. (Hey, I'm new to the whole f/f genre, so bear with me!) It's interesting how the dynamics are completely different with the gender-specific roleplay not in place, and yet how the problems and doubts and self-destructive thoughts are the same, both of them being women. Really makes you think about how society dictates how you're supposed to feel about yourself and the people you surround yourself with.
However, it's not an angsty or conflict-laden book. It's still a lovely and thoroughly enjoyable story with a sweet, sweet ending *sigh* Fletcher DeLancey was THE author discovery 2015 for me and she's made it on my must-watch-must-buy-list.
Four out of five stars because some of the more geeky paragraphs made my inner eye glaze over. The overall writing is flawless, though.
Yeah, so I liked the story about the codfish and the shark, about blue-collar Anna and white-collar Elizabeth who's not so very white-collar after all. It's the classic setting of "rich person meets not-so-rich person under unusual circumstances so status is unknown and they are interested but do they have a chance once the gap is revealed". I've read it countless times, usually with a man being the shark and the woman being the codfish, only once with reversed roles but never with two women involved. (Hey, I'm new to the whole f/f genre, so bear with me!) It's interesting how the dynamics are completely different with the gender-specific roleplay not in place, and yet how the problems and doubts and self-destructive thoughts are the same, both of them being women. Really makes you think about how society dictates how you're supposed to feel about yourself and the people you surround yourself with.
However, it's not an angsty or conflict-laden book. It's still a lovely and thoroughly enjoyable story with a sweet, sweet ending *sigh* Fletcher DeLancey was THE author discovery 2015 for me and she's made it on my must-watch-must-buy-list.
Four out of five stars because some of the more geeky paragraphs made my inner eye glaze over. The overall writing is flawless, though.
May 25, 2014
Anna Petrowski is senior IT Tech at Oregon State. Her favorite luxury on the weekends is a sinful caramel mocha and a chocolate cherry scone at the Bean Grinder while she dreams of faraway places. When an attractive woman who is hogging her favorite table starts swearing at her laptop Anna’s first instinct is to duck. Elizabeth Markel is clearly tempted to ask for help, but manages to restrain herself – and so begins a new friendship and attraction for both women.
But Anna is stuck on her own past, with a class prejudice she hasn’t recognized and a snobbery she isn’t aware of. When she finds out who Elizabeth really is, and how up the food chain she sits, Ann’s reaction is uncalled for and unkind. As quickly as she realizes he mistake, can she ever put it right?
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Fletcher DeLancy’s first Lesfic novella is a delightful read. Light, charming and full of humor.
Anna and Elizabeth are well drawn, multi layered and interesting women. Both are successful, competent and professional. Anna’s assumptions are understandable but based on her own insecurities rather than fact. Her self-discovery is the fuel for the plot development and is a sweet self awakening.
Well plotted and with just that little tingle of suspense we are drawn into the story of a simple attraction which goes wrong because of bad assumptions. The scenes around the Corvallis campus are simply drawn and the university and coffee shop make a pleasant setting for the tale.
An enchanting story and a lovely way to while away the hours. I look forward to more stories from this author who writes with elegance and a lightness of touch.
But Anna is stuck on her own past, with a class prejudice she hasn’t recognized and a snobbery she isn’t aware of. When she finds out who Elizabeth really is, and how up the food chain she sits, Ann’s reaction is uncalled for and unkind. As quickly as she realizes he mistake, can she ever put it right?
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Fletcher DeLancy’s first Lesfic novella is a delightful read. Light, charming and full of humor.
Anna and Elizabeth are well drawn, multi layered and interesting women. Both are successful, competent and professional. Anna’s assumptions are understandable but based on her own insecurities rather than fact. Her self-discovery is the fuel for the plot development and is a sweet self awakening.
Well plotted and with just that little tingle of suspense we are drawn into the story of a simple attraction which goes wrong because of bad assumptions. The scenes around the Corvallis campus are simply drawn and the university and coffee shop make a pleasant setting for the tale.
An enchanting story and a lovely way to while away the hours. I look forward to more stories from this author who writes with elegance and a lightness of touch.
March 7, 2015
It reads like an Apple ad and a condescending one at that. I certainly hope Fletcher was paid for her less than unbiased product placement. The romance isn't enough to overcome the blatant Windows bashing, just for the record I use both Apple and Windows products, and while I freely admit Windows can be frustrating I found myself rolling my eyes every time Anna endorsed how wonderful her Apple products were.
There are spoilers here for the story itself.
There are spoilers here for the story itself.
January 10, 2020
OK. I'm a Mac fan. I can admit that. And I work in a collegiate setting, so I can relate to that. And I love women, so that too is good. This is a cute, quick read; great characters; quick plot. I liked it a lot. My only issue is that, at times it came off as an Apple products ad. Which sort of left me rolling my eyes. But the romance was nice and believable, (and I've had friends that are similar to the PC gal in this book.) I'm just more afraid that PC lovers will not see the nice romance here and feel more left out because of it. (Full disclosure: Every time I read a book that mentions a particular brand or makes clear they are using a Windows product, I feel itchy about it. I just don't think authors should stoop to one brand or another. But that's my issue.) However, as I did like the characters in this story, and appreciated the quick read, I would buy another from this author.
Three stars.
Three stars.
Read
January 13, 2016A well paced journey throughout. As usual, Fletcher weaves a compelling tale . Characters and plot are woven together to form a tapestry into which the reader is soon drawn. Back stories are skilfully dropped in and develop the characters. Mac Versus PC is sweet tale of love and the mind games we often play with ourselves as we fall in love... with all the hopes and fears that journey holds.
PS One reviewer asks about the reference to the 'Toaster'. In Lesbian terms, a toaster or a toaster oven is granted to any gay woman who recruits another into the gay life!! It is an in joke and NOT for real!! In this context Fletcher is using the toaster analogy when one Mac user 'turns' a Windows PC user to the mac side!!Mel R
PS One reviewer asks about the reference to the 'Toaster'. In Lesbian terms, a toaster or a toaster oven is granted to any gay woman who recruits another into the gay life!! It is an in joke and NOT for real!! In this context Fletcher is using the toaster analogy when one Mac user 'turns' a Windows PC user to the mac side!!Mel R
July 24, 2014
Now I have to rethink my computer choices...Grrr!
Anna and Elizabeth are charming and easy to love. The events in this book are plausible, something I enjoy a great deal.
The story line was both entertaining and intelligent. I liked the romance part of the book. It is very unusual for a book to be so chaste these days. It did not take away from the story at all, in fact in my opinion it made the tale all the sweeter.
I really didn't expect the story to revolve so much around computers but Ms. DeLancey made it really easy to understand, not at all dull or bland. The story flowed very well and kept a nice pace. I will definitely read more of Ms. DeLancey's work.
Anna and Elizabeth are charming and easy to love. The events in this book are plausible, something I enjoy a great deal.
The story line was both entertaining and intelligent. I liked the romance part of the book. It is very unusual for a book to be so chaste these days. It did not take away from the story at all, in fact in my opinion it made the tale all the sweeter.
I really didn't expect the story to revolve so much around computers but Ms. DeLancey made it really easy to understand, not at all dull or bland. The story flowed very well and kept a nice pace. I will definitely read more of Ms. DeLancey's work.
July 6, 2016
Too much 'Mac is better' crap. The title is a little off too... should just simply be 'Mac is better than PC', as PC just gets trashed, no good points for PC are pointed out, no flaws for Mac are pointed out. Lost a star for all of that since it was unavoidable to deal with. Understandable that this isn't the point of the book, but it's still there and hard to skip.
If you can manage to ignore the computer jargon that is repeatedly crammed down your throat, this book is a good read. Don't let the techie talk make you skip this. While I didn't enjoy reading all of that crap, the book itself was well written and the romance was fun, the characters interesting.
If you can manage to ignore the computer jargon that is repeatedly crammed down your throat, this book is a good read. Don't let the techie talk make you skip this. While I didn't enjoy reading all of that crap, the book itself was well written and the romance was fun, the characters interesting.
June 16, 2014
Fletcher DeLancy delivers a perfect mix of romance, charm and fun in this novella. The story, told from Anna's perspective, is an adorable meet cute, focused on, of course, the Mac vs. PC debate. Very character driven, the story follows Anna's transition from snob to lovable computer geek in what I thought to be a sweet and romantic story. I absolutely loved the ending as the whole story was tied together perfectly. For anyone looking for a traditional romance without the hot and heavy sex scenes, rather the perfect moments of love, this is the novella for you.
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