Bill is a retired sergeant of the US Marine Corps. He has been coming to the same diner for breakfast for a long time. He always sits in the same booth, orders the same meal, and admires the backside of the same cook. If he’s lucky, said cook will stop a moment or two for a chat.

Jack is a short order cook who has been admiring Bill, who he knows as “Sarge,” for a long time. When he finds that Bill is going to spend Christmas alone, he invites the older man to spend the day with him and have a traditional meal. He’s not expecting anything to come of this, but he likes the man and would like to get to know him better.

As it turns out, the chemistry between these two men is unmistakable and will leave them with a Christmas to remember. Is this just a one-night stand, though, or could Jack and Bill have possibly found someone to spend their forever with?

Sean Michael’s Made to Order is a quick holiday visit with two men who come together for companionship and instead find passion and eventually love. This chance relationship between the men brings a little holiday magic to a nondescript café in a nameless town.

Bill and Jack are not your usual romantic heroes. Jack is staring forty in the eye, and Bill sees it in his rear view mirror, but that doesn’t keep them from pursuing a mutually pleasurable relationship. Love and sex is not reserved exclusively for the younger set, and it is refreshing to see that acknowledged in this story. Bill and Jack form a mutual admiration society, and while much of the story is taken up by their physical relationship rather than declarations of love, the emotion between them develops quite clearly.

I’ve noticed that Mr. Michael pays a lot of detail to food in many of his stories, and food most certainly plays a central role in Made to Order. Bill and Jack come together for a holiday meal, and while they get distracted (over and over again…these guys don’t seem to get tired very easily) from enjoying that meal, food is one medium by which Jack expresses his caring to Bill and how he offers comfort when Bill suffers from misfortune. It also appears to be a medium of stability for Bill, as his never-varying breakfast is part of his daily routine. As an ex-military man, Bill finds routine to be important to him, and this is illustrated in his Saturday morning visit to the diner. Since Saturday is not part of his café routine, showing up on that day is almost akin to a declaration of love.

Those who enjoy a bit of serendipity at Christmas time might enjoy Bill and Jack’s tale. These two are definitely made to order for each other.

Reviewed by: Whitney