The Shoemaker

by Megan Derr

Once upon a time…there was a lonely elf who lived in an old crate in a dingy alleyway. Every day he watched the shoemaker across the street, who once was so happy and vivacious, but now is heartbroken and despondent. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the elf is determined to help the forlorn shoemaker however he can, even if all he can do is stitch the shoes laid out every night in preparation for the next day's work.

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, LGBT

Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2025

About the author

Megan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.

meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, ugly cry novella

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

December 2025
Kindle edition

Too short. For a moment there I was wondering if they'd ever meet. Would be nice to see things from Brandt's side. Cute story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story is a beautiful spin on the classic "The Elves and the Shoemaker" with a broken-hearted shoemaker who was recently betrayed and abandoned by his mate and best friend. A destitute, homeless elf observes the shoemaker's depression and decline and wants to help him.

Orders for shoes to celebrate the upcoming Winter Solstice are coming in, but the shoemaker is short-handed and too sad to function well. The elf decides to sneak in after hours and complete the work despite his own suffering. This is a heart-warming story of compassion and courage - a really beautiful tale.

[LWM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, delightful,, heartwarming story.

Beautifully written, Megan Derr continues to reign as a master storyteller of both short & novel-length stories. Every story, no matter its length, is complete with exacting & vivid details, color, well developed, relatable characters, and a solid theme. I'd recommend any story or book by this author, who's an automatic one-click purchase for me. Always well deserving of multiple maximum stars!

[Lora Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shoemaker & 1 Elf

Modern day retelling. Very sweet. If you’re unfamiliar with this writer’s work, she very rarely incorporates intimacy, and when she does it’s often mostly or entirely off page. But like some of her books, this one has absolutely none, not even a kiss. Still worth the read.

[Relly]

4 Stars

And this is how you do a short story
It was entertaining and didn't try to do too much within the space it had.
Brandt was beautiful and I felt for him as he tried to just survive. Regardless how much he was struggling he still looked out for other people.

[Reis Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of warm hug I desperately needed right now.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this a wonderful story. This author is one of the only ones that can take a fairy tale and turn it into a sweet little wonderful tale. Wonderful ending. Recommend reading.

[Flick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do adore Megan’s retellings of classic fairytales so much and this was no exception! A sweet and poignant take on a classic.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, touching little tale that I read this Christmas morning while waiting for everyone else to wake up. A sweet tale of helping those in need and being kind .

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine, it's just not very interesting.

[... · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, innocent, and lovely 🥰

[Ilona Fenton · Rating 3 out of 5]

24 pages of sweet, sweet fairy tale retelling.

[Jandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shoemaker by Megan Derr is an adorable little story. Brandt is so sweet and I love how he and Alvin end up helping each other.

[Lenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cute, festive short story

[may · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I might never let you leave," Alvin said softly.
"I might never want to leave," Brandt replied, voice barely above a whisper.

oh my heart