Pop-Ups

by Clare London

Jack's stressful, high-powered life leaves no time for anything except a casual friendship-with-benefits with his neighbor Henry, a laid-back, outdoors type with excellent computer skills. It's the perfect arrangement for two men who are attracted to each other but don't have much else in common. Then a few days before Christmas, Jack's holiday plans are thwarted, leaving him home with just his volatile PC for company while Henry—his usual tech support—is on his way to a secluded Christmas hideaway. So what’s Jack to do when, to his horror, weird pop-ups start appearing?

Genres: M M Romance, Holiday, Romance, Christmas, Short Stories, Contemporary, Fiction

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.

Reviews

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 3.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 1 – (I really hate these covers)

Take one brainy nerd and mix with athletic hunk = sit back and watch the results



So I don’t care how short this was, it was adorable. I just had to laugh at Jack’s oblivious way of living, and Henry’s way of bringing him around to what he already knew they both wanted.

I think this was so sweet and I LOVED the POP-UP thing! I guess Henry knows the number cruncher better than he knows himself.

It was really short, but what the hell, it was fun.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve all had those stupid pop-up ads on the computer show up, and for Jack it’s just one more annoyance, as his family is stranded due to weather and his sister-in-law going into early labour with no way for him to get to them or vice-versa for Christmas. As he sits trying to stop the damn flurry of pop-ups he starts thinking about his friend Henry who always fixes his PC, and their friends with benefits status. He likes it, he likes Henry, he has fun with him, they sleep over, the sex is great, but he doesn’t want a relationship because love sucks and is angsty and too much work. Uh huh. Sure Jack. Finally on a whim he picks one of the pop-ups and starts clicking through it, answering a survey with the chance to win a holiday get-away and gee, they seem to know an awful lot about him for a spammer.

This was quite amusingly done as you see the funny pop-up titles we’ve all seen, either there or in our in-box, and how some of them triggered Jack to think about his relationship. My niggle was I wanted to bop him on the head a bit as he for a very smart man, he was incredibly slow, and I couldn’t believe that Henry was so patient, although that was exactly what Jack needed. I’m always amazed by these guys who are practically living with someone but still claim there is no relationship. HAHA Yeah. Sure. I have a bridge to sell you. Even with all the thinking, when he finally figured out what was up with the pop-ups, Henry still had to smack him upside the head with a clue. Boys.

This is a very cute story that gets you inside Jack’s head as he finally slows down for a minute, and that forces him to think about things, not just continuing blithely on his way oblivious to what’s really happening. It’s got a lot of the author’s trademark humour, subtle, but definitely there and I snorted a few times in amusement. A very enjoyable read.

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual story - very funny, with some nice tension and the twist at the end (even though expected by then) was brilliant. Jack is delightfully unaware of the realities of life, spending most of his time buried in work. Thank God for Henry, his neighbor, who keeps rescuing him. The ending made me smile in a mix of delight and happiness. A very nice holiday read!

[Camy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet. It was nice/okay/goodish.

A little too synthetic for me though.

[Melanie~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, this, I found out to be a sweet little slice about an oblivious man finally getting a clue. Thank goodness that Henry was so clever, sneaky, and “endlessly patient”.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the concept. When people don't see what is right in front of them sometimes you gotta get a little sneaky. I liked how at first glance Jack and Henry seemed pretty incompatible but they just worked.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good short m/m holiday romance about a workaholic who's suddenly left without anywhere to go for Christmas.

[Tailtiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5*

[Cole Riann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the cutest damn story I think I've ever read!!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the sweetest short story I have read in a long time. Jack is a pronounced workalcoholic and now is alone for the holidays as his brother and parents are stuck at his in-laws house awaiting the birth of brother's baby. On the computer, he is unable to concentrate as he keeps getting pop-ups. Those pop-ups sends him into his head and out pops Henry his neighbor as he reminiscences about the sexy and sweet things they do together. A funny, sweet, sexy, man who struggles with intimacy, Jack is a man who wouldn't recognize love if it hit him on the head...like "Pop-ups." a must read to tickle your "funny bone."

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now available in Stocking Stuffers 2.

It takes talent to write an engaging story with no interaction apart from pop ups and tons of introspection, but Clare London manages it with humour and still builds a connection between the MCs.

[Linda-Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet romantic cute short story involving a guy whose life revolves around his work and that special someone who changes all that in a very unique fun way.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun short story! Sometimes what we really need is right in front of us all along :) Wouldn't mind reading more about these guys someday. Also finding out about that baby ;)

[Amy Durreson]

A quick read, but it always puts a smile on my face.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read on 12-9-13

Sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses. Or should I say watch the snow fall? Or stop and throw snow balls? Sometimes you need to realize that work isn't everything.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a clever concept to use pop ups to get jack to where he needed to be. This was, for me, the perfect warm fuzzy short I've been wanting to read. #happy.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Christmas romance

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice Christmas story.

[Shelley Chastagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific short holiday read. I loved the twist even though it was obvious to me long before it was to Jack.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5stars