Review - The Ugly Duckling by Sean Michael

Brook agrees to a blind date that his old friend set up. His date turns out to be Ducky, one of a group of boys that bullied Brook in high school. They’ve both grown up since then. Brook is no longer the geeky kid, but a ballet dancer. Ducky is apologetic over his bad behavior and the two hit it off in a big way.

“The Ugly Duckling” is a very short romance tale about two men finding a connection. The relationship to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale is tenuous at best. Brook is definitely no duckling. He’s all grown up into a swan Ducky finds beautiful. The two are avian shifters, although that isn’t made clear until late in the story. Even then, it’s so subtle you might mistake it for hyperbole.

We don’t really get to know either of the men that well. Much is made of Brook being a ballet dancer. That seems, in part, as a way for Ducky, who knows massage, to further connect with Brook, whose feet take a beating. This is a sweet little toss-off romance that won’t leave a lasting impression.

“The Ugly Duckling” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).