novella

Three years ago Andrew Wilson and Flynn Barnett were in a relationship, until Flynn made a mistake that nearly cost Andrew his life. Andrew walked away from the FBI, his home, and his partner, and started over back in Montreal, running a restaurant.

Fast forward to the present and Andrew is knee-deep in preparations for his sister’s wedding. When an ex-colleague calls to ask for one last favor, the last person he expects to walk through his door is Flynn, in need of a place to stay. Only thing is, Andrew can’t say no.

Two weeks of wedding hijinks bring back all the old feelings that have simmered below the surface. Caught in a cycle of fighting and making up, the two men try to figure out if there’s anything they can salvage. And even if there is, Andrew can’t be sure this time will be any different.

Title: The Last Favor
Author: Meg Harding
Release Date: April 6, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 124

Thanks for having me today Two Chicks! I’m here today to introduce everyone to Andy and Flynn, the stars of The Last Favor. They’re a special little duo, and I thought it would be fun to let them interview each other for the readers. The story centers around a wedding, so we’re going to keep the questions wedding themed. So, without further ado: Flynn and Andy!

Andy: Would we have a casual wedding?

Flynn: As in no suits? God no. You are definitely wearing a suit.

Andy: *blushes* What flowers would you want to have at our wedding?

Flynn: *rolls his eyes* You’re allergic to flowers. We won’t have any.

Andy: We could have a few. As long as I’m not breathing them in for too long.

Flynn. No flowers. Why do we need flowers? Are we flower people? *waves hand* It’s my turn to ask a question. Where do you want to go on the honeymoon?

Andy: *thinking about it* I want to go to Britain.

Flynn: What? Why? I thought you’d want some cliché place, like Hawaii or Tahiti.

Andy: Because I’m such a cliché. Love you too. No, I want to go to Britain so you can see how not British you are. And how awesome Canada is in comparison.

Flynn: Canada is a frozen tundra in which you have trapped me. I was thinking we’d do our honeymoon in Thailand.

Andy: Why Thailand?

Flynn: I’ve been doing research, and I think it offers the best mix of activities that we would both find acceptable and be willing to partake in together.

Andy: That’s actually really sweet.

Flynn: *smiles widely* I’m always sweet.

Andy: *snorts*

**side note** The character interview was awesome! It really is exactly how these characters are, and their relationship

I had not read anything by Meg Harding before, so this novella was a jump in for me. However, I enjoyed the premise that these lovers who once were so passionate about each other could be torn apart by one moment, and Andy would just walk away, and that Flynn would just let him.

Flynn suddenly showing up at Andy’s parents house for a wedding, and putting himself in the position of getting hatred from all sides was a brave way to get his man back. He knew that by forcing the situation at a time when Andy really couldn’t just disappear again would allow him to work through the walls that had been built up in the three years they had been apart. Flynn just wouldn’t go away.

These men apart were strong individuals, both making choices that, in the end, may not have been correct, but they were necessary, in their eyes at the time. Together, you could see what made their relationship tick originally. Interestingly, though, it became obvious that although their relationship might have worked for them in the past, all their secrets would need to be revealed in order for them to work in the future.

The smallest things were unknown between each other. Flynn had no idea Andy could cook. How do you live with someone for that long and not know that they can cook? It was as if when they were together the first time they only wanted each other on the terms that the other person had put forth, and not the reality. Those things struck me as odd, since the men lived together for a considerable length of time, even if they were off on jobs.

The banter between them was witty and engaging, although it could easily have been expanded. I kept hoping with it being a winter wedding, and the lights and white Christmas tree that I would get some National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation from it, but alas no. 🙂 I enjoyed that they were able to connect during such a stressful time, but were able to walk away from each other knowing that they needed some time to process what they both knew was inevitable.

The epilogue left me wanting more, with more questions than I thought were answered. All in all though, I enjoyed the book a lot, it flowed well, made me laugh, and kept me turning the pages.

4 pieces of eye candy.

He isn’t expecting much when he opens the door, just a reasonably attractive man by Clint’s standards, which aren’t always credible. He hasn’t given any thought to what color hair the man would have (rich sable), or the color of his eyes (bright blue like the sun off a lake), or how tall he might be (several inches taller than Andy himself).
He hasn’t given any thought to whether he’d know the man.
He closes the door in that familiar face only moments after opening it, his stomach plummeting so far down it feels like it’s at his feet. His breathing is fast, his heart thumping away double time. He braces himself against the door, letting his head hang between his arms. There’s a good chance he’s having a panic attack. Flynn Barnett is standing on his doorstep. He tries to take a slow, long breath in.
“Seriously?” asks a deep, familiar voice in a slow drawl that’s somewhat muffled by the door. “This is a bit petty, no?”
Andy is going to kill Clint. He is going to tear him to pieces. “There’s been a misunderstanding,” he says. “I think you should ask your driver to take you to a hotel for the night.”
“My driver left.”
“Andy?” asks his mom, appearing in the hall behind him. “What’s going on? Let the poor man in.”
Andy shakes his head no. “He can’t stay.”
“You’re being ridiculous and very rude,” she says, eyeing him with concern. Her concern doesn’t stop her from gently prodding him out of the way so she can open the door. “You,” she breathes, standing frozen in the doorway, staring at their guest.
“Hello, Mrs. Wilson. Pleasure to see you again. It has been quite some time.”
She shuts the door in his face.
Andy can’t help it. He starts to laugh, and he can’t make himself stop. His mother doesn’t say one word, waiting for him to calm down on his own time. “You know he’s not going to leave if we don’t let him in,” points out Andy. “Probably climb the side of the house and come in through one of our bedroom windows.”
“I’ll go check and make sure they’re all locked.” And bless her, she starts to move like that’s exactly what she’s going to do.
“No,” says Andy, rubbing at his eyes, which are watering from his laughter. “I’m going to let him in. It was just the shock at first. That’s all. I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.” He can be a mature adult about this. Clint wouldn’t have sent Flynn to him if it weren’t important. He knew their history.
He reopens the door and stares into a face from his past. A face he’d never thought to see again. Had kissed and stroked and even at times mended. The face of a man he had loved beyond words. A man who had given him the absolute happiest and the horrifyingly worst moments of his life.
“Hello, Flynn.”

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Meg Harding is a graduate of UCF, and is completing a masters program for Publishing in the UK. For as long as she can remember, writing has always been her passion, but she had an inability to ever actually finish anything. She’s immensely happy that her inability has fled and looks forward to where her mind will take her next. She’s a sucker for happy endings, the beach, and superheroes. In her dream life she owns a wildlife conservation and is surrounded by puppies. She’s a film buff, voracious reader, and a massive geek.

Website: Megharding.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/meghardingwrites
Twitter: twitter.com/cumberstone61

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