Review: Un Petit Cadeau  4.5 stars
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 10, 2011
Short story: nounDefinition:  A story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.Snippet: nounDefinition: a small piece, scrap, or portion, specif. of information, of a book, etc."The French Have a Word for It" is a delightful contemporary short story by Josh Lanyon. There are five essential elements in a short story: setting, conflict, point of view, plot, character and theme. Colin Lambert (protagonist/character) is a young painter who is determined to make it on his merit rather than depending on his grandfather's wealth. While in Paris (setting), he runs into his former bodyguard Thomas Sullivan (protagonist/character) an older man he was infatuated with as a teenager (setting information dialing us into how the characters might expect to behave). The story unfolds essentially from Colin's point of view, and we begin to ask whether it a coincidence that he has run into Thomas (possible conflict)? Has he matured enough of Thomas? What does each want from the other?In less than 10,000 words, "The French Have a Word for It" gives the reader the shared history of the two characters, their POV, a romantic plot with conflict (there is no plot without conflict), and a theme regarding understanding and maturity. It is a charming morsel to enjoy while waiting for a new release or reading Josh Lanyon's back list.Mummy Dearest: The XOXO Files, Book 1,Come Unto These Yellow Sands,Adrien English Mysteries 1&2 [Adrien English Mysteries],The Hell You Say (Adrien English),Blood Heat (Dangerous Ground),Somebody Killed His Editor