I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
Past & Presents
by
Abigail Roux
It is part of the Cut & Run, Sidewinder series and is a m/m romance in a PDF edition that was published by the author
Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Cut & Run, Sticks & Stones, Fish & Chips, Divide & Conquer, Armed & Dangerous, Stars & Stripes, Touch & Geaux, Ball & Chain, Shock & Awe, Cross & Crown, "Bait & Switch", Crash & Burn, Part & Parcel, "Brick & Mortar Books", "Dine & Dash", "High & Tight", "Shake and Bake", "Shake and Bake"
An anthology of twelve free ficlets in the Cut & Run universe revolving around Zane and Ty and Ty’s Sidewinder team, which Abigail Roux posted on her Tumblr page.
The Series
“Hot & Bothered”, “Tumble & Fall”, “Wet & Wild” (before Cut & Run, 1)
“Yours & Mine” is a year after Fish & Chips, 3
Mean & Green” is before Ball & Chain, 8
“Glitter & Shine” (Cut & Run, 8.75)
“Twist & Shout” (Cut & Run, 8.8)
Definitely after Cross & Crown, (Sidewinder, 2), “Comings & Goings” is followed by “Fourth & Long”, which I think is followed by “Catch & Release” with all of them after “High & Tight“, 7.75
The Stories
“ Glitter & Shine” finds the retired Ty wrapping Christmas gifts when Zane gets home from work. Cute with hints about their family hang-ups.
“ Comings & Goings” finds a frustrated Nick aboard the Fiddler’s Green, concerned about that gift that won’t be ready for Christmas. Not, in fact, until April! There’s some give-and-take about family, gifts, expectations…and then, what do you know, “Here Comes Santa Claus”…
“ Hot & Bothered” finds the Sidewinder team — Kelly “Doc”, Digger, Eli, Nick, Ty, and Owen — battling an unexpected fire out in the yard…that Digger…
“ Yours & Mine” finds Ty “Bulldog” in his cartoon jammies and Zane sitting in front of their Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, their first Christmas together since Fish & Chips, 3. And it’s a gift that is so very much “yours”.
“ Fourth & Long” finds Kelly and Nick “Lucky” in Kelly’s cabin in Colorado…with Nick hoping to find a Patriots game on the telly, even as Kelly does his best to distract him, lol.
“ Wet & Wild” is pre-Cut & Run with the Sidewinder team — Tyler “Six”, Eli, Digger, Owen, Kelly, and Nick — sharing a house before Christmas. It’s Kelly who’s feeling wistful about Christmas when he invades Nick’s shower to ask him his plans. And it gets steadily more crowded in that shower, as the team remains consistent in their friendships, lolololol.
“ Mean & Green” find Special Agents Zane Garrett and Ty Grady still in the FBI office where Santa is being grilled. Under the rules of a bet you will not believe. Yep. You’ll be laughing too.
Other agents in the office include Fred Perrimore and Scott Alston. Special-Agent-in-Charge Dan McCoy gets burgled.
“ Missiles & Toes” requires strenuous testing with the snow toys that Nick got for Kelly. Better get a hot cuppa something for reading this one!
“ Tumble & Fall” is, I suspect, pre-“Wet & Wild”. It’s Thanksgiving weekend and Eli Sanchez is fed up with waiting for Ty “Six” to wake up. The lightweight! Despite the warnings from Nick, Digger and Owen who are studying, and Kelly “Doc” who’s rescued two kittens, Eli heads up for that attic window to start by hanging that wreath. Ooops… Mr Franklin is one neighbor glad not to be Eli.
“ Twist & Shout” find Beaumont “Ty” and Zane at the Gradys’ place for Christmas along with Deuce, Livi, and Amelia. It’s a hoot with that combination of dragging in a wildlife-filled Christmas tree that’s too big, the baby learning new, ahem, words, and Ty’s panic. Too, too funny.
“ Catch & Release” is a thoughtful piece on Kelly’s part as he thinks back to the Christmases of his childhood and the many handmade gifts he exchanged with the “fireflies” from his past. It takes place shortly after “Comings and Goings”.
“ Past & Present” is that literally — keep an eye out for the “==”. The part before it is of a past Christmas morning with Eli, Digger, Owen, Ty, Nick, and Kelly with those two rescued cats (from “Tumble & Fall”). Two cats that put up a howl that night, the night Nick used a fruitcake to battle an intruder.
And it all leads up to the second half of the story that takes place in the present with Zane there, but not Eli. With a fun reminiscence about past Christmases.
I’m guessing the timing in this, for Roux says they had “lost Eli in the fall” and that “Zane could imagine what that first Christmas had been like”, must have been Zane referring to the Sidewinder team’s first Christmas after Eli was murdered but before Zane came into Ty’s life. With the second half of the story afterwards.
The Title
The title is a way to gather in the Past & Presents story bits.
