Toma + Owen

A cozy, queer romance with found family and great coffee...I mean, what's not to love?

Owen = a long, lanky, SFF nerd has a car that lost a battle to another one in the midst of winter. Said car was written off and said owner landed in the hospital with a need for physio.

Enter Toma, a cubcake and physiotherapist extraordinaire. Owen is silently smitten for months, unless with his found family, where he drools as much over lemon poppyseed cake as from memories of Mr. Chest-and-Thighs.

Enter Felix, one of found family, who may have done something to Owen's phone during one drooling session, and Owen's secret messages of pining never meant to be known to Toma-the-Cubcake go directly to him.

It's super clear that this couple is meant to be and only helped along via Felix's slightly feral behavior,

Having read other Burgoine books, novellas, and short stories, his voice in this one is clear: loving, sweet, and inclusive...even if a little tough on Felix near the end.

Grab this one when you've had enough of the world and need to check-out.

Owen was in a bad accident on an icy night. This accident caused major damage to his shoulder. Owen is very attracted his physical therapist, Toma. He shares his attraction to Toma with his friends who encourage him to ask the PT out once the therapy sessions are over. Owen is hesitant to ask Toma out as Toma is such an amazing guy. On April Fools day, his friend Felix mixes up all of the contacts on Owens phone. While working out at the gym, Owen observes Toma working with another client and sends several texts to Felix describing how attracted he is to Tomas body. These texts are actually sent to Toma. Toma is flattered by the remarks and asks Owen out not knowing that he wasn’t meant to see them. This mean prank upsets the victims of the joke however, it turns out to be a good thing. This is a fun novella to read.

Heat Factor: Sweet little kisses
Character Chemistry: They actually interact very little, but the way the story is told made me really want this for them
Plot: Man has had a secret crush on his former physiotherapist since physiotherapy started, and it gets blown wide open when his friend plays an April Fool prank on him
Overall: Some people might be super stressed by this prank, but I thought this story was ADORABLE

The description of this story is pretty spot on, so I don’t feel like I need to add much to it. Owen has had a crush on his former physiotherapist since Toma was his current physiotherapist, but he’s too unsure of himself to do anything about it now that the client/provider relationship is over. Then his friend plays an April Fool’s prank on Owen so that Owen starts sending texts not to his friend, but to Toma. SO EMBARASSING!!

Toma doesn’t realize he’s been involuntarily roped into this prank, so, thanks to the texts, he finally gets up the nerve to ask Owen out for coffee...poor Toma, getting caught up in the middle of all this! But it was just the opening/push he needed to put himself out there.

The story is told in 3rd, but the POV follows Owen, with chapters hopping back and forth between the present and the past. The past moves forward month by month from the time Owen was in the car crash that led him to need physiotherapy, which gives us both insight into Owen and also fleshes out his romance with Toma, which is important because they’re on page together very little. The chapters that occur in the present focus heavily on the one day that changes Owen and Toma’s relationship from friendly acquaintances to lovers.

Some final thoughts:
1. Owen’s friend group is delightful. I love, love, loved their interactions together.
2. Toma has a beard, and he’s all adorably beary with tree trunk thighs. Owen has a goatee and dimples, and he’s a geek.
3. Toma is a bit opaque, but for the length fleshing out both Toma and Owen would have been difficult.
4. These guys are all gamers! 👏👏👏
5. Burgoine’s Village series is...not really in order. If you want to follow this group of four: this story takes place sandwiched between Handmade Holidays and Faux Ho Ho. But the others in the series aren’t just about this friend group. The Village refers to the neighborhood of the same name in Ottawa, Canada.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

This is a sweet little MM romance novella. It might be a tad sugary for some of you guys, but I enjoyed myself reading this.

Part of the Little Village series, this novella follows shy Owen. He's recovering from a car crash a few months back and has a crush on his former physiotherapist Toma. When one of his friends, Felix, does a badly thought out April fool joke of changing contact details on Owen's mobile phone, Owen spends the morning texting messages about "cubcake" Toma with his sexy thighs and chest to "Felix", not realising that he's actually texting Toma...

I do feel that it was a tad too short as we never really saw any development of feelings between Owen and Toma, and I wish we saw that. But with this being really short (72 pages, apparently), it was going to be hard.

But this was a sweet read, and I want to dip my toe back into this world and these characters.

Short and sweet is the perfect description for Village Fool.

Shy, awkward Owen is the victim of an April Fool’s prank by a friend that leaves him unknowingly texting the man he’s been crushing on for months, his physiotherapist Toma, about the man he’s been crushing on for months. Those texts refer to Toma as a “cubcake” and include phrases like “the world’s best chest” and “amazing thighs.” The discovery of what he’s done leaves Owen cringing, but luckily for him, adorably awkward guys turn out to be Toma’s thing.

Owen’s angry mortification about those texts aside, it’s all just charming. That’s especially true of the end of the novella, which has the cutest closing scene imaginable.

I also loved the way the story emphasizes the importance of friendship and found family. The timeline flashes back to when Owen met his friends, and readers get to see how they adopted Owen into their circle when he was new in town. They are super supportive of Owen and just want the best for him. Pranks aside, we would all be lucky to have friends like that.

One of those friends was the subject of an earlier novella, Handmade Holidays, that I’m clearly going to have to read now. And two more of them are still single, which likely means more sweetness to come!

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Owen recently moved to Ottawa when he is injured in a car accident on the icy roads. When struggling to make his way to the local coffee shop after he is released from hospital, he meets three men who welcome him into their coffee group, and they soon become his closest friends. Meanwhile, Owen works with physiotherapist/personal trainer Toma at the local gym. Toma is gorgeous, sweet, and nice, which makes Owen think the man is out of his league. When on the morning of April 1st one of Owen’s friends changes his own contact information in Owen’s phone to Toma’s as a joke, Owen accidentally sends flirty-sounding texts to Toma during his gym session. By the time Owen notices the error, Toma has invited him for a coffee date.

This is a novella, part of the Little Village series, and as such it is very short. I would have loved for the story to have more time to develop, but as it is this was the perfect book to read on a week where everything felt difficult. This little group of friends is so warm and supportive, and Toma sounds like such a sweetheart, that it warmed my heart through and through. I only complain that it was short because I would have loved to spend more time with these characters.

I was pleasantly surprised by the setting. I caught on early that it was set in Canada because Owen’s brother brings him Tim Horton’s coffee in the hospital, but I expected Toronto rather than Ottawa. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in Ottawa before. Just for that, it was really original. Burgoine perfectly captures the winter weather and its hazards, where a walk to the local coffee shop feels like a dangerous trek which leaves you exhausted.

Overall, this was a very pleasant book, which I could easily have read in one sitting, but I dragged the pleasure over several days by reading only one or two short chapters at a time.

Village Fool is a lovely, MM novella about a shy guy and his way too sexy physiotherapist Toma.

I enjoyed this book. It starts with a prank Owen’s friend Felix play on him as he change his name with his trainer’s. Owen, who can’t really talk to Toma because he’s so shy, is sendind ”Felix” messages about Toma not realizing it’s Toma he’s actually texting.

The only thing that bothered me is that each chapter is from a different time. It’s jumping from past (4 months ago) to present and I had trouble keeping with that. The chapters are short, though, so it’s not a big deal. I also missed Toma’s POV. Referring to Toma as ”cubcake” all the time was also a little off-putting (my mind keep picturing him as a bear :’D ).

It’s a cute novella, a little mild for my taste (only kissing) but it was a good one. Just what I needed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Village Fool is an LGBTQ+ short story set around an April Fools' joke. The main protagonist, Owen, is a nice guy but struggling with his confidence (stemming from his formative years). Following a car accident, he meets a group of guys, all gaming geeks and starts physiotherapy, where he meets "cupcake" Toma.

Owen is a well-developed character. The weakest point is that we do not see the attraction between Toma and Owen grow, properly, despite flashback chapters. I would have liked to see more of their interaction. Similarly, some of the friends are just unnecessary. But I understand the constraints of the story's format.

Judged on merit, this is an excellent short read and one I am glad I read. I will certainly be checking out the author's other work. I wish to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

This novela is the first book I read by the author and it was really cute and sweet.
I really enjoyed the friendship between Owen and the rest of the Bittersweets club members.
It was great how an April's fool joke, ended in Owen flirting with his crush.
This is a great reading if you want something short and adorable.
And the cover is so beautiful!

This novella is so adorable! If you're looking for something light, fast and sweet, this one is for you! I read it in one sitting, and my only complaint is that I wish it was longer. The story includes:
- nerdy main character
- amazing friend group
- accidental text messages

We follow Owen who, thanks to his insecurities, can't gather the courage to ask his physiotherapist, Toma, out. Until, thanks to an April Fools' day prank, Owen ends up (accidentally) sending his crush some flirty texts.

I really liked the direction the story went, and even though this is a short novella, the plot was really well resolved. We also get some flashbacks from Owen's accident (that led him to physiotherapy), Toma and Owen meeting at the gym and Owen and his friendgroup connecting for the first time.

This is the first book I read by this author and I can't wait to read the other novellas from the Little Village world.

This was the perfect cute, fun little story! Owen has had a crush on his now-former physiotherapist and planned to ask Toma out but chickened out. As an April fools joke, one of his friends shuffles his contact list, so thinking he’s texting Felix about his workout and thoughts of Toma, it turns out he was telling Toma everything instead!

I enjoyed the mix of flashbacks in the story and I loved the chosen family Owen has found. Even though Felix messed up with the prank, everything turned out so sweet and worked out that Owen finally gets a date with Toma.

Overall I had a lot of fun with this short story and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series, as this is my first book by ‘Nathan Burgoine I believe (though he has been on my TBR for a while). I just couldn’t resist the premise, and this ended up being the perfect story to brighten a stressful week!

A short story of getting to know each other even if by accident. A practical joke that really works out to be fun

Village Fool is such a great lovestory following Owen and Toma. What a delightful read! It was short, but full of cute moments and a great cast of characters. I found it was a really great read.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m dying of cuteness!!!!!!
I loved every bit, and the fact that it is written in present/past makes it more interesting and enjoyable!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.

This was a cute, short read. I'd like for it to have been a little bit longer so we could see more interaction between Owen and Toma. However, I enjoyed seeing his group of friends interact, and it's always nice to have some nerd culture involved. Overall, it's a sweet and funny novella with just a bit of angst.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3885391037

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is March 16 2021.
I would like to start by saying the cover is beautiful, and I instantly fell in love with it. Seriously! And another thing: the size of the book does not defy if its good or not, because in this short story of 72 pages, I lost my heart and laugh like crazy – and that it’s one of the bigger things for me to enjoy a book; a story.
It is the first book I read of this author – but will not be the last – and I noticed that were probably other stories about his friends - I loved them all. They were caring and kind friends; silly and fun to be with. Loved how they welcomed Owen since the start and how that friendship grows to them all playing games and having fun while working and living their lives.
The prank Felix made, oh god! It was awesome and a bit of bad too – I had mixed feelings about it but more good vibes than bad – honestly.
Toma was ridiculously cute too and I liked him a lot, like Owen.
I am a bit sad that was short but at the same time I liked how it went. Sweet, real feelings and rough situations – all in!!! I laugh, smile and was happy reading it. That says enough, don’t you think?
Now…off I go to start searching the other books by this author and series (mini-series?).

If you ever wanted to read something cute, short, and funny, this is the perfect book. You can finish it in one afternoon for a quick pick me up after getting exhausted by the days you spent on zoom. Zoom tiredness is a real thing, okay?

This book was a delight. I loved the characters, even if in 74 pages (according to kindle) it's not easy to form attachment to them. I loved the concept and the execution of the story as well.

A not well thought out April's Fools prank results in our main character texting his crush instead of his friend. About said crush and his fine attributes. I mean, what's not to like about this setup?

It was cute, guys. It was cute. Exactly what I expected and wished for.

Finished it in under an hour and it's just real sweet. The intervals that occured between each chapter with Owen's first meeting with the Bittersweets gang and recovery training with Tomo as opposed to present day was a really nice touch. If anything, it helped made the interactions all the more special as you learn a new bit of info that'll come into play in present day. All in all, I had a good time.

Bold Strokes has been publishing m/m romances for a good long time now and I've been meaning to read one. I mean, I like romance and men are nice. I picked up two m/m books previously - one BSB and one non-BSB - but couldn't get into either of them. When I saw this one included nerdy gamer boys (tabletop and D&D are two of my very favorite things!!) I knew this one would be the one. And it was.

Owen is an awkward, insecure, and sweet guy who has fallen for his hunky physiotherapist. Then Bittersweets Club, April Fool's Day, and mistaken identity happens. It appears that this is part of a series but I didn't feel like I was missing out anything. The rest of the guys were there but definitely in the periphery. I really liked the novella and had a big smile on my face when I got to the last page.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for helping me to find the perfect m/m romance to start off with.