Chase This Light

by Francis Gideon

When Jason Flores moves to the Yukon for a new job, he’s not sure what to expect. His son Micah seems enchanted by the wildlife, but his recent fear of the dark means that the eighteen-hour nights in the winter will be a difficult adjustment. When Jason takes Micah to the local museum’s interactive lecture series on the gold rush, it turns out to be one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

Pete Odjick, a tattooed First Nations and Inuit man, dresses up for the weekly lectures as Skookum Jim, one of the first prospectors to find gold. He takes an immediate interest in Micah and an even bigger interest in Jason.

As their flirtation grows into something more serious, Jason’s job at a big name oil company and Pete’s volunteer work with an environmental group become a point of contention. Can they come to an understanding and give Micah a family again? Or will the drastic differences between them tear them apart? As the winter nights grow longer, Pete and Jason worry their love won’t be enough to chase the darkness away.


World of Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Gay, Childrens

117 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2016

About the author

Francis Gideon is an editor and writer. He has appeared in Microscenes, Gay Flash Fiction, and JMS Books. He lives in Canada.

Reviews

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the Yukon, Canada, this heartwarming novella about finding a home and making a family is part of the ‘World of Love’ series that offers stories of romance that span every corner of the globe. If all of the stories are as warm and heartwarming while conveying a lot of interesting details about the territory or country they are set in as ‘Chase this Light’, this will be an enjoyable series to read. Much like the sister series ‘States of Love’ has been allowing me to tour the US virtually, this series looks as though it will give me an opportunity to visit the world – even if only virtually. I have never been to the Yukon, and I think the lack of sunlight in winter would be hard to take, but the wildlife, nature, and friendly people in this story make it sound like a worthwhile place to visit.


Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute novella. Really well written, very detailed, and super cool facts. I liked both mc's. I liked the setting as well. I did feel like Alaska was the glue that held the story together. I liked how both mc's passions and jobs ended up intertwining. I think the author did a great job with researching for each guy's cause and the historic facts that are featured in the museum. I thought the Micah was wonderful as well. He was such a sweet little boy, and he really felled hard for Pete.

Pete and Jason were great together. I think they each brought out certain needs and wants from one another. Like most books, a little bit of miscommunication causes them to suddenly split. Don't worry it wasn't petty nonsense. The split between the two definitely showed how each guy came to the realization that they needed each other more then they thought. I think Gideon was able to show how being different in causes as well as anything else in life can be a burden on a relationship. The goal is to compromise and talk things through. This is where Gideon excelled at in this story. Add on the bonus of Jason being a newly single father and moving to another country, I think he did great in choosing Pete and being able to think of Pete's feelings and causes as well.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good story. It was very good for the length that it was. I am really liking these World of Love stories. Their short and very contemporary. I recommend this book big time. I am looking forward to more from Francis Gideon.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

This was a wonderful story. Jason has uprooted his whole life to move to the Yukon when he is transferred for his job. He can only hope that this move will give his son, Micah, a chance to grow after the loss of his mother and grandmother.

Jason and Pete meet when Jason brings Micah to the museum to get out of the house after the long move. Pete and Jason both recognize the need to move slowly because of Micah and also what they are both looking for. Micah is such a sweet boy, but not unnaturally so as I see in so many stories.

We see this story from both character’s points of view. Jason has to deal with not only his own grief when he and Pete have a misunderstanding, but also Micah’s. They both are willing to make compromises to help each other so that their relationship can grow.

Cover art by Bree Archer is perfect and I wouldn’t change anything.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the World Of Love series. All of them are stand-alone. I went through and picked several I thought would be interesting because of the location. A couple because I've never been there and don't plan to go (like tree planting in Canada) but thought it sounded it really interesting and others, because I have been there or it's some place I want to go. In each book, there is a lovely romance and a chance to experience the culture in that part of the world. Very enjoyable!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story about two men who have an instant attraction and decide to see how things go even after discovering that their jobs are at cross purposes. Add an adorable boy who is afraid of the dark in the Yukon and find out if these two men can find common ground!

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly easy read with some insta-attraction between Pete and Jason, kid cuteness with Micah, a new place to read about, some light environmental issues, star gazing and indigenous history.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ~ What a cute story! Sometimes a bit of light romance is just what the doctor ordered, and that was exactly the case for me with this book. The story was very simple and straightforward, there are really no surprises here, but that was part of the joy of this quiet little read. To be honest, I was nervous when I requested this book. It was my first time reading Francis Gideon; sometimes novellas can be tricky—can the author tell enough story in those pages to make it satisfying?—and I worried it would be too schmaltzy. I’m happy to report that I needn’t have worried.

I truly enjoyed both Jason and Pete, especially Pete! Both characters were well-developed, with interesting backstories and solid, likeable personalities. Again, Pete even more so than Jason. Do I sound like I’m playing favorites? Ok, Pete was my favorite. There. I said it. Heh. Tattooed, intelligent, handsome man who loves kids? Jason would have been a fool to not be doing everything he could to snag this guy. But, in spite of their obvious attraction and desire to get to know each other, things are complicated. Jason’s job at the oil company and Pete’s activism are two things that may not be able to be reconciled, no matter how many other things they have in common.

Besides Pete, for me the star of the book was the Yukon and all of the fabulous details the author included on the environmental issues, the people and the community, and all of the wonderful Native American culture that is still so important there. I loved that Pete was Inuit and First Nations, and that he taught Jason and Micah what that meant. The environmental part of the storyline was actually quite fascinating, and Gideon did a good job of building up the conflict, and then resolving it. I will say right now, though, if I was Pete, I would have been sooo much angrier at Jason for how he acted. But, having said that, the author did recognize that the way Jason treated Pete was complete bullshit, and the smoothing over of feelings and things was done quite well.

Aside from the major parts of the storyline, there were lots of little details in the book that were so charming. One example: the rocket night light that was Jason’s, that he kept with him throughout various foster home placements and then gave to Micah so he wouldn’t be so scared of the dark. *swoon* There are others, but I don’t want to give them away…you guys should go and discover them for yourselves.

This was a lovely novella. Sweet, but not too sweet. There was some beautiful language and imagery, and a nice takeaway message. I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for something short and sweet and something a little different.

Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach Reviews

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 3.5 Stars **

[Mel Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four solid stars or this one! Chase This Light was a fairly quick read, but definitely worth checking out. One of my favorite things about this series is seeing people outside of the “traditional” city-settings that so many books take place in – and glimpse into how others live. This book is set in the Yukon – which immediately I assumed would be all about the snow and the terrible weather – but this book surprised me (pleasantly), once again. We see a love set in the Yukon, where the focus on the locale is about the positives in the area and what makes it unique – so wonderful!

From the beginning when you meet Micah, Jason’s son – it’s insta-love as a reader. He is just so darn precocious! And while he plays a big role in the story, I never felt like the romance lost steam or was interrupted. Ok, now onto the two main characters – Jason and Pete. They are both interesting for different reasons, and make a good pair together. While working through very opposite backgrounds and points of view, they encounter some turbulence, but it never felt angsty. More… pondering and realizing.

All in all, it was a good read. I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was so short – and the characters while fun, weren’t all that deep and they didn’t really deal with things in a meaningful manner. BUT, this is a great read for anyone looking for a quick love story that pulls on your heart strings, has a super cute little kid, incorporates stars and native culture, bundled without much heat/sex, then this is for you!

Review Copy of Chase this Light provided by Dreamspinner Press for an honest Review. Reviewed by Mel from Alpha Book Club

[Jules Lovestoread · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars...Really enjoyed this little feel-good story. <3

[Zane Kage · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars