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Short Stories: 2007 - 2013
Eight stories of adventure and contemporary romance. Included here are “Perfect Day”, “A Limited Engagement”, “In Sunshine or In Shadow”, “The French Have a Word for It”, “In a Dark Wood”, “Until We Meet Once More”, “Heart Trouble” and “In Plain Sight”.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2015
15 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Josh Lanyon
231 books5,424 followersAuthor of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.
Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.
She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.
Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.
She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.
Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 20, 2022
uhm. well, the short stories were all super well-written and i found each one interesting and intriguing but also pretty much all of them are about cops and/or soldiers, which i don't really like reading about nn. i can't give this less than 4 stars, though, because it really was very good and i enjoyed every single story despite the subject matter.
March 10, 2016
A collection of Josh Lanyon short stories, perfect for when you're short on reading time.
April 6, 2017
An enjoyable read, that's for sure, but I can't give it more than 3 stars. Mainly because this is one my favorite authors we're talking about and the storytelling was a bit underwhelming.
January 7, 2026
GR does this collection of short stories a disservice by not showing the book's cover because it's the Most Gorgeous cover ever!
1. Perfect Day ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (This is the full review)
Nothing good can come of camping. Josh Lanyon's Law of Camping applies here.
Actually, it's a heartfelt story of love, loss, grief, and growth. Lots of emotion, but that's one of Lanyon's hallmarks. That, and great writing. She even lands the ending.
2. A Limited Engagement ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
In her preface to this story, Lanyon poses the question
In this story, the question is, who's doing the forgiving? Is it Ross who should forgive Adam for outing him? Or is it Adam, forgiving Ross for nearly choking him to death? You decide.
3. In Sunshine or in Shadow ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
Keir has unexpectedly resigned from the police and takes a solo trip to Ireland. He's trying to find a new life since he and his partner ended their affair some months earlier. It's a study in loneliness and resilience with some lovely Irish site-seeing thrown in, and quite a nice ending. Don't spoil me Josh! I know how you are with endings...
4. The French Have a Word for It ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
This short story hits all my sappy points, and I couldn't be happier. Perhaps I loved the story because it reminds me of Stranger on the Shore. The grandson and only heir to a very wealthy man, a traumatic past, and a longing for a man from his past. Then there's Jefferson Blythe, Esquire.
5. In a Dark Wood ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (Full review)
Holy creepers, Batman! What is it about Josh Lanyon and camping? Don't her protagonists know that nothing good happens on a camping trip? Well, except for some nice unconventional sex.
After a traumatic intro, this story began innocently enough. Then all the creepiness starts. And it's super creepy. It's a great story with some serious pathos to match the scares.
6. Until We Meet Once More ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
The story shifts between Sean and Vic's time at the Naval Academy, where they grew close in the time of "don't ask, don't tell," and 2016 Afghanistan. As a Navy vet, I appreciated Lanyon's research. She gets most of the military stuff right as well as the difficult Afghani terrain. It adds a realism to story that might not have been there in a different writer's hands. The story is taut and the stakes are high. Vic's fortitude and Sean's resilience make for an excellent story.
7. Heart Trouble ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (This is the full review)
What she (Josh Lanyon) said. Very short,very sweet. Struggling writer Ford (no last name) has a lot of shit he's dealing with. But it might get better real soon (thanks to a kind doctor).
8. In Plain Sight ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
Josh starts the story with one of her patented Universal Truths©: why don't we make time for a loved one when they're alive, yet we do when they've died. But, as she says, that's not what the story is about. The story is about finding love when you least expect it, and the actions that make you realize what you feel is real. And what you're willing to sacrifice for that love.
The mystery is so taut and nerve-wracking that I'm glad it wasn't a novel. My heart wouldn't have survived 100+ pages. It's reminiscent of Winter Kill. FBI Special Agent meets local law enforcement guy in the Wild Northwest.
1. Perfect Day ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (This is the full review)
Nothing good can come of camping. Josh Lanyon's Law of Camping applies here.
Actually, it's a heartfelt story of love, loss, grief, and growth. Lots of emotion, but that's one of Lanyon's hallmarks. That, and great writing. She even lands the ending.
2. A Limited Engagement ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
In her preface to this story, Lanyon poses the question
What would love really be about, if not the ability to forgive?It's a theme she also explored in The Lemon Drop Kid. Both stories have mixed reviews. Some readers believe that some wrongs are unforgivable. Personally, I agree with JL.
In this story, the question is, who's doing the forgiving? Is it Ross who should forgive Adam for outing him? Or is it Adam, forgiving Ross for nearly choking him to death? You decide.
3. In Sunshine or in Shadow ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
Keir has unexpectedly resigned from the police and takes a solo trip to Ireland. He's trying to find a new life since he and his partner ended their affair some months earlier. It's a study in loneliness and resilience with some lovely Irish site-seeing thrown in, and quite a nice ending. Don't spoil me Josh! I know how you are with endings...
4. The French Have a Word for It ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
This short story hits all my sappy points, and I couldn't be happier. Perhaps I loved the story because it reminds me of Stranger on the Shore. The grandson and only heir to a very wealthy man, a traumatic past, and a longing for a man from his past. Then there's Jefferson Blythe, Esquire.
5. In a Dark Wood ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (Full review)
Holy creepers, Batman! What is it about Josh Lanyon and camping? Don't her protagonists know that nothing good happens on a camping trip? Well, except for some nice unconventional sex.
After a traumatic intro, this story began innocently enough. Then all the creepiness starts. And it's super creepy. It's a great story with some serious pathos to match the scares.
6. Until We Meet Once More ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
The story shifts between Sean and Vic's time at the Naval Academy, where they grew close in the time of "don't ask, don't tell," and 2016 Afghanistan. As a Navy vet, I appreciated Lanyon's research. She gets most of the military stuff right as well as the difficult Afghani terrain. It adds a realism to story that might not have been there in a different writer's hands. The story is taut and the stakes are high. Vic's fortitude and Sean's resilience make for an excellent story.
7. Heart Trouble ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (This is the full review)
What she (Josh Lanyon) said. Very short,
8. In Plain Sight ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Full review)
Josh starts the story with one of her patented Universal Truths©: why don't we make time for a loved one when they're alive, yet we do when they've died. But, as she says, that's not what the story is about. The story is about finding love when you least expect it, and the actions that make you realize what you feel is real. And what you're willing to sacrifice for that love.
The mystery is so taut and nerve-wracking that I'm glad it wasn't a novel. My heart wouldn't have survived 100+ pages. It's reminiscent of Winter Kill. FBI Special Agent meets local law enforcement guy in the Wild Northwest.
January 18, 2020
Wow!!! This is the beauty of Josh Lanyon. Each story unique yet so rich and detailed and lovely. This is a wonderful group of short stories. The more I read Josh Lanyon the more I can't get enough! Highly recommend!
January 22, 2020
Any one of these shorts is better than 80% of all other romance novels. And this is the first time I've seen JL tackle two fun tropes in particular: military romance (with major action scenes in Afghanistan), and "The Bodyguard" (older bodyguard and his former protectee)
July 21, 2017
Only recently have I begun to enjoy the short story medium. I love when you can experience quality characters and plot without the commitment of a several hundred page book.
October 8, 2020
A handful of short stories, mostly relationship snippets with a couple of mystery/suspense.
September 24, 2021
This is a really solid collection of short stories. Better than average and well worth reading.
February 24, 2022
These are really good-reads. Fast paced and sexy.
February 28, 2023
A beautiful selection of stories. I loved them.
February 9, 2017
So great! A real range of Lanyon's stories as all of these short stories are so well written and so interesting, but really range in how they work out. There are ones full of action while others are small quiet romances. It was a great read for when you just want a short story, but also an excellent primer to Josh Lanyon's style of writing.
June 17, 2015
Josh Lanyon's always been a bit hit and miss with me, and yet, his misses are still generally a cut above. I'm not a big fan of short stories but I think Lanyon excels in this format. Even my least favourite of the stories, "A Limited Engagement", was worth reading. My favourites, in descending order, "Perfect Day" made me cry (even if the ending was a bit clichéd), "Heart Trouble" was adorable, "In a Dark Wood" was intriguing, "In Plain Sight" was simply good writing and "Until We Meet Again" fulfilled my military requirements. The other two stories, "In Sunshine or In Shadow" and "The French Have a Word for It" were nice and easy reads.
Overall very recommended.
Overall very recommended.
March 22, 2015
Gems, every single one of them. Josh Lanyon is masterful with short stories. Well, with writing in general. This collection makes a perfect introduction to the author for anyone not yet familiar with his writing. I love how the author included little "behind the story" blurbs at the beginning of each tale. :-)
July 16, 2016
A really good way for someone to see what Josh Lanyon's writing is all about. I found that I had already read one of these stories ("In Plain Sight") but gladly read it again and was thrilled to realize that one ("In a Dark Wood") was the first part of a story of which the second part I just recently read, and gave 5 stars to, "The Parting Glass."
A great collection.
A great collection.
December 29, 2018
Really enjoyed the ‘bruised’ characters and their willingness to try again.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews