Naturally, it was Tuesday. The worst things always seemed to happen on Tuesdays.
“Melancholy” and “domestic” are the first words which come to mind when describing this fic. Short and charming, this is a soft moment between John and Sherlock after an unfortunate shift at the clinic. Rather than go into detail about the patient or the situation, the fic remains fixed in Sherlock’s perspective as he attempts to process this need to comfort John. Sweet, but not out of character, their cuddle on the sofa seems to serve as a grounding confirmation for the pair that affection might be uncomfortable but it is soothing. One of the aspects I enjoyed most was their silent communication and sharing of each other’s presence.
Word Count: 1233
My Rating: B
Read it here, fic by veronamay.
Thanks to i-am-only-a-dreamer for your submission.
Review by: Becka
When John is faced with the death of his father Sherlock accompanies him to his hometown for the funeral. John is forced to come to terms with death, and feelings that he’s been fighting for far too long.
Because this fic utilizes several prominent tropes, including a drunken first kiss and being forced to share one bed, it reads as familiar and predictable. John’s strong emotional response to his father’s death is understandable, but slightly undermined in how the narrative voice frequently refers to both parents by first name. It creates a distance of sorts between John and his family. While Mrs Watson is written sweetly and quite well (I could see this version of his mother getting along with Mrs Hudson), Harry does not reach the same potential. As for John and Sherlock, there are moments of brilliance within their dialogue but these cannot be expected as the norm. To be succinct, the men are written from a safe, neutral foundation and never quite reach their own brilliance within this first-time narration.
I was initially drawn to the concept of this fic due to the slow reveal of Mr Watson’s death in the first chapter. It is clear that something is wrong, but the details are gradually provided. I looked forward to similar scenes later in the plot, but was disappointed. From a personal preference, heavy use of descriptors and descriptions is a turn off. This fic is guilty of relying on both crutches. Additionally, I noticed minor technical and content errors, which are most likely the result of this being the author’s first piece without a beta reader. With more of a subtle storyline, as the author concludes in her notes, this fic does not satisfy my wants for a fic but might please other readers!
Word Count: 23732
My Rating: C
Read it here, fic by GallantGeekery.
Thanks to indeliblychanged for your submission.
Review by: Becka
“Horrible men can watch me masturbate from across the room and suffer.”
“Can horrible men try to convince you otherwise?”
“Horrible men can try.”
Okay so I’m absolutely in love with the back-and-forth banter between John and Sherlock here. It’s so playful and amusing and really a great reminder that sex isn’t just…sexy. It can be fun and lighthearted. The entire fic kept a smile on my face, because while it’s incredibly sexy (like whoa), it still keeps up the light tone and ugh I kind of just love this fic. It’s sweet and fluffy but still hot with a hint of mischief. And you should read it. Mature readers because porn! Beautiful, fun, adorable (yes it’s adorable shhh there are tickles) sexy times.
Word Count: 3049
My Rating: A
John Watson works in a book shop, and everything is well in order and predictable until he lets Sherlock Holmes borrow a book.
This was a very cute AU! John works in a bookshop and I really can’t think of anything better than John Watson helping me find books, can you? It flows very nicely and just has a very warm and comforting tone to it. I like the interactions between Sherlock and John, how John would lend Sherlock books and just wait for his next return like an eager schoolboy. The books he recommends are maybe not the books I think would be John’s favorites, but that is my personal headcanon and I can’t blame this fic for not having my ideas. I like that Sherlock openly admits to not really being interested in the books but that he still reads them. It was adorable! I really loved the idea of Sherlock’s game but it didn’t go anywhere, I’m a little disappointed in that. It could have been a very interesting and unique study of Sherlock’s character but it fell through. I’d love to see more of that. The fic in general could use just a bit more at the end, I think the last chapter would flow better and not seem as rushed if some parts were expanded on. Overall pretty cute, and now I want to go book shopping!
Word Count: 9,724
My Rating: B+
Read it here, fic by allfinehere
On New Years Eve, Sherlock drags John out in the rain to study the fireworks.
Just a short, fluffy little mini fic to counter any angst you may have gotten from other fics. And it is fluffy. Will definitely bring a giggly smile to your face and make you hug a pillow and squeal. I’d love art for the last bit, definitely. There are mentions of this being a post-reichenbach fic, but none that should put any damper on the fluff. For being a minific, I think it’s very well written and worth praise, so read it and flail.
Words: 973
My Rating: B
Read it here, fic by Reichenfeels
Review by: Taylor
Sherlock Holmes has a routine: take the Jubilee line train from Baker Street Station to Stratford Station and head to New Scotland Yard. Day in and day out, he repeats the routine and pays little mind to the masses of stories walking by him on two legs - until he meets the soldier.
I’m going to literally die from all this amazing fluff. It’s the cutest thing I’ve read all day!! This was based on Paperman which if you haven’t seen get on that!! Seriously it’s the cutest thing in the world and this is a perfect Sherlockian companion. I love that there is very little, almost no, dialogue. The short is silent so it was a good nod to that. I love the phone trick Sherlock pulls too! It was a cute way to replace the paper airplanes and a great reference to ASiP! I just loved this, it was so cute! The writing is beautiful, it has strong imagery without feeling heavy. Despite the fluff I thought this stayed reasonably in character, it wasn’t a romantic love at first sight reason that Sherlock kept chasing John but the puzzle! The game and mystery of John Watson. Maybe it’s a bit more…committed than Sherlock would actually be but I thought it was done very well. Overall my face hurts from smiling so hard at this one, if you loved that short you’ll love this fic!
Word Count: 4987
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by barrelrider
The observations of an amnesiac murder witness force John to rethink his assumptions about Sherlock, himself, and the definition of love.
Meanwhile, a murderer is still on the loose …
I read this about a week or two ago so I probably can’t give you as detailed of a review as I usually do but here goes. I really really like this story! This one brings in an OC, a Jane Doe, and I am in love with her. She’s like an alternate version of Sherlock! They are both geniuses but she is better at manipulating people socially; She’s a bit softer around the edges than our favorite detective. One part I love love love is the fact that she took Mycroft up on his offer! I got such a giggle from that. What I loved most about this is Jane’s role in the development of a relationship between Sherlock and John and the way it slowly progresses. I like that this story was more about John finding out what he wanted in life and the friendships he makes rather than it totally being about a romantic relationship. Though I do admit that the way they admit their feelings was super cheesy and super adorable. I mean I really shouldn’t have liked that part as much as I did! So cheesy yet so wonderful! The writing and characterizations were very good and nothing stood out to me as being “bad”. Even though I can’t remember many little details this story overall did stick with me and the fact that I remember most of the story says a lot about how much I like it! It’s sort of funny to me that I’m telling you I can’t remember the details and Jane has amnesia in this haha.
Word Count: 40,758
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by VolceVoice
Fawnlock catches John dancing, John tries to get Fawnlock to dance with him, in the end Fawnlock gets what he wants.
I want to kiss this story. I really like this Fawnlock because of how animal-like he is; some of the other stories I’ve read will describe him in the forest and doing literal animal things but here it’s the subtle animal characteristics that make a difference. Like the purring, rubbing himself in John’s clothes, his collection of things, belly rubs etc. With this story I knew he was a fawn not just a fawn version of Sherlock. That’s not to say this is a completely different character than Sherlock, he does have Sherlock characteristics and personality, but they are not the same person. Which, overall, I appreciated! I loved the bit of emotion from John, to see how he’s not entirely okay with being back from the war but I would love to see more. Maybe not in this story, but I would like to know how he’s coping with civilian life and Fawnlock in his life. Despite Fawnlock being the focus of this story I don’t want to lose sight of John’s feelings and thoughts. This story is so sweet and the domesticity of it makes my heart melt. I was giggling and smiling the entire time while reading it. The entire tone just really gives you that cozy, warm, sitting by a fireplace happy feeling. This story just really really made me happy.
Word Count: 2,849
My Rating: A-
Read it here, fic by bennyslegs
No one has ever stayed with Sherlock for more than a month. At least, no human. Fortunately, John Watson isn’t about to let the little things - like biohazardous experiments and the constant threat of danger - get in the way of his friendship with a very special, very brilliant man like Sherlock Holmes.
I will be the first to admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with AUs (wing!fics in particular make me squeal in delight), so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I absolutely adored this fic. I loved how the author took the time to explain some of the mythology and back-story. So many times you get a wing!fic and the reasons behind the wings aren’t very well explained, but that is not the case here. John and Sherlock also felt surprisingly in character for who/what they are in this fic. The development between them was phenomenal, and built at just the right pace for me. The visuals in this story were fantastic as well; if I thought I could do a semi-decent job, I’d spend my next day off drawing fan-art for each and every chapter, particularly chapter five… Also, the additional pieces that turn this into a series are precious as well. Sherlock surrounded by ducklings just sounds freaking adorable. All-in-all, an enjoyable AU that I would love to read more about!
Word Count: 21,019
My Rating: A-/B+
A young John Watson mourns his father’s death, and comes across something strange in the woods behind his house.
Another Fawnlock! This one is short and sweet and I love their first meeting. This time they meet as kids and they’re both so frightened, I just wanted to scoop them up and give them kisses on the cheek. This had excellent pacing for being so short, it didn’t feel rushed or like there were any spots focused on too much. It spread out very evenly. I do wish there was more though, this has so much potential to just stop here! One thing I would like to know about this one though is how Sherlock came to learn English, it’s just something that I’m curious about, but didn’t effect my reading. Overall just really heartwarming, I love how these two found each other when they needed someone the most.
Word Count: 3,192
My Rating: A-
Read it here, fic by lockedin221b
