Wow, this was such a quick, fun read. Boystown Season One reads like a soap opera, depicting a cast of young gay characters similar to those featured Wow, this was such a quick, fun read. Boystown Season One reads like a soap opera, depicting a cast of young gay characters similar to those featured in Queer as Folk. But the story is set in modern-day Chicago. Several sub plots develop and then converge, linking the central characters together. The story is written in an unusual, third-person omniscient narrative, I think in an attempt to make the plot more cinematic. So please be warned, the story does contain a lot of head hopping.
There are some plot twists that are head scratchers as well. At one critical point in the plot, one of the main characters goes missing. Everyone disperses and goes about their business, even the missing character's immediate family. Nobody cries. Nobody mourns. I just could not wrap my head around that. And then later, when the cops show up to inform the family that they've found a dead body they think is the victim, nobody reacts. At all.
Setting that aside, I really got sucked in by the plot. I got to know and fell in love with the cast, and I'll definitely be continuing with the series....more
I'm not sure how to go about reviewing this book. It started out as what appeared to be young adult or new adult coming-out love story. The main charaI'm not sure how to go about reviewing this book. It started out as what appeared to be young adult or new adult coming-out love story. The main character, a 20 year old named Todd, tells his first person narrative about meeting and falling in love with Kyle. Halfway through the story, Kyle goes missing, and the story jumps forward in time fifteen years. At this point it appears the story is a forced separation/reunion plot, but it takes another turn into the realm of science fiction. The ending (spoiler alert) is crushingly devastating, and having finished reading this afternoon, I'm still reeling.
I had some difficulty in the beginning half of the story relating to the central character. Todd's internal monologue irritated me a little, or at the very least, it disappointed me. He made statements about other characters, their appearance or overall affect, that seemed cruel and mean-spirited. At times he came across as shallow and snobbish, and I struggled to view him sympathetically.
When the tragedy occurred and Kyle went missing, my opinion of Todd grew exponentially. I started to really care about him, and I sort of liked his older, more mature self. I was positive he'd solve the mystery surrounding his boyfriend's disappearance, they'd be reunited, and I'd get my HEA.
NOT!
I'm sure I'll read more of this author's work because I think he's a great writer, but I'm not sure about this story. It left me feeling deflated, and when I read a love story, especially one I think is a young adult coming of age story, I really want that happily ever after, or at the very least a happy-for-now ending.
I don't want to trash the debut novel of an aspiring author, especially not one who is as talented as this. But I also don't want to give other readers the impression that this is a story that's gonna make them feel all warm and fuzzy. It's definitely provocative and quite disturbing. I encourage other readers to give this book a try, but just proceed with caution. Don't expect a wonderful, cheery Hollywood ending. 3.5 stars...more
Beautiful love story! A Dom-sub/Master-slave story with a bit of a twist. Gaidres, a Roman gladiator is proud and stubborn, 100% Alpha Male, and his MBeautiful love story! A Dom-sub/Master-slave story with a bit of a twist. Gaidres, a Roman gladiator is proud and stubborn, 100% Alpha Male, and his Master, Dominus Caelius, is a sub at heart. Their at-first confusing relationship blossoms (more like explodes) into an electrifying battle of wills. Gaidres ultimately must decide whether he will allow himself to succumb to his feelings or will avenge the death of his former lover by taking the life of his beloved Dominus.
This story is a remarkable combination of tenderness, passion and intense physicality. The love scenes are sensual and laced with fierce (bordering on BDSM) vigor. Highly erotic story that weaves into gentle, feel-good mushy romance. Honestly, this is my favorite type of mix.
Also, the historical research is quite impressive. ...more
I'd give this book five HUNDRED stars if I could. Heart-stopping.
This story, though set in WWII Germany in a brutal internment camp used for torture I'd give this book five HUNDRED stars if I could. Heart-stopping.
This story, though set in WWII Germany in a brutal internment camp used for torture and experimentation, is about a relationship. A Dom/sub relationship, and at first I misinterpreted it. Initially I thought of Stockholm syndrome, that the captive had fallen in love with his captor. But no. This is about identity. Ownership. Surrender. And sadism.
Wow.
The writing, eloquent and slightly irreverent, disturbed me. Too many pauses, unnecessary commas. I despised the characters, hated the MASTERS with every fiber of my being. Feared them. Loved them.
And Erich...oh my soul! Erich, so beautiful, so transparent, so pure. So sub.
This book will remain significant to me...forever. I feel changed after having read it, and isn't that what we crave in literature. Step outside your safety zone and rush out to buy this one. It might be the best story you've ever read....more
It seems every small town has its token gay couple. I've always been kind of saddened by this, because I fancy myself a small-town, country boy. Yet iIt seems every small town has its token gay couple. I've always been kind of saddened by this, because I fancy myself a small-town, country boy. Yet its difficult to imagine living like that, the focal point of small-town gossip.I felt this story very accurately depicted that phenomenon. Still, I found myself irritated by the religiosity, the narrow-mindedness, and the way in which the locals judged Wesley Ryan, one of the protagonists.
Wesley's grandparents are from the small Missouri town of El Dorado, and when they pass away, they bequeath their home to him. Having recently acquired his veterinary license, he moves into town to run the animal clinic. He drives a yellow car and dresses a little too flamboyantly for the community.
Travis Bennett is the love interest. He's bisexual, recently widowed, and raising three children. Though he's known since college he has same-sex attractions, he's suppressed his feelings and dedicated himself to his wife and children. Now that his wife, Shannon, has passed, he struggles to make sense of his feelings, and when he meets the new out-and-proud veterinarian in town, matters only become more complicated.
Really strong writing craft skills. Powerful emotion. The manner in which the author portrayed the grieving process felt spot on to me. This really was a touching story, and it brought tears to my eyes in numerous instances.
One of my pet peeves, not just with fictional stories, but with real-live gay men as well, is internal homophobia. I hated the way in which Travis bought into the small town bigotry. I cringed every time he used the words fag and faggot, and I wanted to smack him upside the head when he told Wesley he needed to try to be more masculine.
Kudos to the author for not allowing Wesley to change.Perhaps my favorite aspect of this pairing is the fact that Travis is such a butch he-man while Wesley is softer, more fem. They were a dynamic couple, and they fit together perfectly.
Gravitational Attraction, a superbly-told gay sci-fi romance, has a bit of a Star Trek feel. But the main character, Isaac, is not on a government-spoGravitational Attraction, a superbly-told gay sci-fi romance, has a bit of a Star Trek feel. But the main character, Isaac, is not on a government-sponsored star fleet ship, but rather a private owned mercenary vessel. At one time, Isaac had trained to become a pilot, and part of his preparation included undergoing brain surgery where a device was implanted that would equip him with necessary piloting skills. The operation went awry, though, and his implant malfunctioned. He took a job as a crew member of the Hermes ship and basically limped along day-to-day, in a constant state of uncertainty. Most would-be pilots who reject their implants do not have long to live, and the underlying expectation is that eventually Isaac will die as a result of his condition.
Then the ship responds to a distress beacon, and when they arrive at the disabled craft that sent out the S.O.S, the Hermes' crew is baffled to discover the endangered ship completely empty, deserted. Upon closer inspection, they find a single life form, that of an apparent prisoner who was caged deep within the ship. The ship had apparently been transporting the inmate when they were attacked by space pirates.
The prisoner in question ends up becoming Isaac's love interest. Interestingly, Turk is from a race of humanoids known for being warriors. He's big, huge, in fact, and towers head and shoulders over tiny Isaac. But the two form an instantaneous bond. Isaac learns that Turk was on his way to a space station operated by ESTO, the governing star fleet. Though Isaac is leery of an entanglement with this presumed convict, he can't help himself. And the amazing thing about their connection is that Turk seems to be able to help Isaac control the ill effects of his rogue implant.
All of this occurs within the opening pages of this awesome story. As the relationship of Issac and Turk continues to blossom, their bond deepens and Isaac discovers things about his lover that are vastly different than he initially assumed. Ultimately the two find themselves fighting side by side to save Turk's planet.
Gravitational Attraction has all the romantic elements I love in an m/m story. I particularly appreciate the obvious contrast of the two leads, Isaac being more delicate and small while his big brawny hero, Turk, serves as his protector and knight in shining armor. And I loved seeing the soft, sensitive side of Turk as well. I like big muscle guys who are teddy bears at heart.
The writing is stellar, and the world-building and word crafting first rate. I was a big fan of this author anyway, and even more so now. 5+...more
Another great romance by Dan Skinner, The Bible Boys portrays a love story in which two young men, both raised in strict, fundamentalist Christian homAnother great romance by Dan Skinner, The Bible Boys portrays a love story in which two young men, both raised in strict, fundamentalist Christian homes, find each other. Matt has been described as a pretty boy and has struggled his whole life to be accepted within his religious community. When he meets Caleb through the boys' bible study group, they develop a friendship and eventually fall in love. Ultimately they must decide whether to continue the charade and keep their love a secret or to challenge the belief system that has condemned them.
I've always enjoyed stories like this, where gay characters struggle to reconcile faith with identity. In this particular case, though, the struggle seemed to be more with the establishment. It seemed as if both the central characters had pretty much rejected the entire belief system, but being they were young, they found themselves trapped.
Although I do not doubt there have been many who were raised fundamentalist who eventually question their core beliefs, I find that often there is much more of an internal struggle. Most fundamentalist religious leaders are not evil people who are deliberately deceiving their flock, but they are 100% sincere in their beliefs. Believers do not condemn homosexuality as an abomination with deliberate malice but rather believe the way they do because they have been taught sexual orientation is a matter of morality and is a choice. As someone who came out of fundamentalism myself, I can honestly say that I never witnessed a pastor who swindled congregants of their tithes (except for maybe the TV evangelists), or who outright viewed his congregation as mindless sheeple to exploit. I think at their core, these pastors believe what they preach and most of them sincerely think they are helping people.
In reality it's not quite so black and white. I don't think evangelical Christianity is evil. I have known many devoutly religious people who are very loving and non-judgmental. My hope, after finishing the story, was that Matt and Caleb eventually realized this as well and that they were able to find the goodness within their faith.
I also think that many fans of m/m do not feel comfortable reading about religious issues. It is so much easier to just lump all the religious people together and categorize them as naive or closed-minded. Presenting believers in a sinister way is far more palatable than dealing with the real issue, which is self-esteem. When a young gay person is taught that their very identity is perverse and sinful, this in-bred self hatred is very difficult to overcome. And the saddest thing about it is that the people who are teaching them this are often the people who love them the most. Their parents and church leaders truly believe they are trying to help and possibly even to save their loved one from hell fire.
I'd like to have seen a layered portrayal of Caleb's mother. I had no doubt she loved her son, yet she believed wholeheartedly in her faith. I imagine the struggle she endured to be excruciating. I'd also have liked to see what happened after the conclusion of the story, which sort of ended abruptly.
I fully embrace the message of this story, but I caution (respectfully) that we not allow ourselves to portray religion in this sort of pantomime manner in which believers are absolutely villainous or sinister. Yes, I think they are misguided, and often they are cruel and judgmental. But most often the reality is not so strikingly black and white. There are some shades of gray.
The author truly is a gifted writer, and I absolutely loved the beautiful romance and sweet, endearing lovemaking scenes. I look forward to more from him....more
Will Freshwater's debut novel, Favorite Son, offers a sample of the exceptional word-crafting skills and lyrical prose of this burgeoning literary talWill Freshwater's debut novel, Favorite Son, offers a sample of the exceptional word-crafting skills and lyrical prose of this burgeoning literary talent. Obviously, this author strives to deliver a finished product of solid literary quality, actively engaging every verb and weaving vibrant, colorful descriptors into his prose that paint a magnificent moving picture. He skillfully sets the tone and backdrop, constantly showing the reader, pulling them into the world he's so realistically created.
I was impressed by this story. It's very literary. The author strikes me as a brilliant, highly educated person with an incredibly expansive vocabulary. It was meticulously edited. And it was truly an interesting story.
The main character, John Peter Wells, struggles with an identity crisis, and he feels as if two vastly different pieces of himself are at war with one another. The lawyer, John, works for a powerful U.S. senator as his chief of staff. John's a workaholic. He's savvy, calculating, at times ruthless. He's the ultimate over-achiever.
The other side of this character's identity, Peter, wants to be loved. He craves absolution for his sins and yearns for a simple life where he can appreciate the little things in life, the things that really matter. He likes hard physical labor. He strives to build meaningful, one-on-one relationships with "real" people he actually loves.
John/Peter flees the rat race of D.C. after a series of tragedies. His long-term relationship with his partner implodes, he's fired from his job, and his best friend commits suicide within a very short time period. He heads for Provincetown, off-season, and introduces himself as Peter to the sparse population of residents within the community. Almost every one of them, he learns, are all coping with their own grief issues.
Peter develops a close platonic relationship with one of the residents, Danny, and the two of them commit to restoring a chapel. It becomes Peter's sole focus for six months while residing in the small, resort town. A romance eventually blossoms, but just when Peter feels he's found what he's been looking for, that he's genuinely content, he gets called back to the Capital where he's offered a job he doesn't think he can refuse. At this point he must decide if he'll go on with his life as John or as Peter.
The story's nuanced, subtle messaging employed various modes of symbolism. And for a good part of the story, I wondered if perhaps the whole experience at Provincetown was simply a dream or perhaps some sort of afterlife encounter. But the story never strayed into the paranormal, and the ending, though predictable, left me very satisfied.
Favorite son is by no means an m/m romance. In fact, I was a little surprised to see it published by Dreamspinner. I read another review for this book where the reviewer praised the author for not falling victim to the trappings into which other m/m writers succumb. In my opinion, that's snobbery. The reason this book does not read like an m/m romance is simply because it's not one. This story is unequivocally a gay fiction novel, not an m/m, and there is a huge difference. M/m stories are formulaic romances.
This book is a great read for those who appreciate quality literature, who marvel in the manipulation of words, the clever turn of phrases. A creative writing expert would undoubtedly give it very high (and well-deserved) praise. But I personally think one can appreciate a work like this without disparaging an entirely different genre. This author did not "elevate" the m/m genre. He simply wrote a fantastic story in a different genre and got it published by a publisher that typically handles m/m.
I look forward to reading more of this author's work....more
Definitely not an m/m romance, this gay fiction story is a campy tale about a stereotypical gay twenty-something living in San Francisco. Loved the auDefinitely not an m/m romance, this gay fiction story is a campy tale about a stereotypical gay twenty-something living in San Francisco. Loved the author's voice and found him at times hilarious. Fell in love with the characters...well, most of them. One scene in particular moved me to tears.
I wish the story could have contained a romance and HEA, though. ...more
I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for Good Reads, not because it is perfect, but because the story is very powerful. I also am 4.5 Stars
I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for Good Reads, not because it is perfect, but because the story is very powerful. I also am thrilled that this m/m romance does not present picture-perfect, model-like characters, but characters who are real. I really appreciated that the love interest is husky, hairy, and average-looking at best. I liked that the main character was a bone-head who did not know his ass from his elbow.
Isn't that far more realistic than two guys who look like they stepped out of the pages of GQ Magazine whining about how challenging their lives are because they happen to be gay? And in most of these stories the protagonists have lots of money, don't work real jobs, and are oblivious to what real life is all about.
For these reasons, and for the sweet romance that developed gradually and beautifully, blossoming like a springtime bud into a magnificent, beautiful flower, I rated this story highly. I genuinely rooted for this couple throughout the story and was overjoyed that they overcame their challenges and found their HEA.
All of that being said, I did take issue with some editorial oversights. I thought the book desperately needed tightening. Very long, protracted conversations were repeated from one character to the next. (For example, instead of Nick simply stating that he'd had a conversation with another character, he would recount, word-for-word everything that was said even though the reader had already seen the original conversation). And the story was told in the first person narrative, which was fine, but the narrator often used impressive vocabulary that did not jive with the character who supposedly was narrating. Nick was supposed to be a really simple guy, uneducated who relied on his physical beauty, and on more than one occasion he admitted that he didn't understand words or phrases that other people said, then he'd turn around and use even bigger, more obscure words in his narration.
One thing that really surprised me was a section where Nick, out of the blue, begins conversing with a secondary character in a foreign language. Nick wasn't raised in a bilingual household and he didn't seem overly bright. Learning a second language is something that is challenging, often nearly impossible, for highly intelligent people unless they are afforded a chance to immerse themselves. Supposedly he just naturally picked it up from being around immigrants in his neighborhood. That made no sense to me.
Setting those issues aside, I loved Nick. Not at first, though. I almost abandoned the book as I discovered him to be arrogant, conceited, and extremely lazy. But over the course of the story, his character arced in a beautiful way, and much of this was due to self-discovery. When he met and began to fall in love with RC, he took a personal inventory and made the decision to change, to become a better person.
I think I've read three or four books by this author now, and this, by far, is the best. ...more
I think Sedonia Guillone is one of the most underrated m/m novelists, for I've yet to read any of her work that is not flawlessly executed. Her prose I think Sedonia Guillone is one of the most underrated m/m novelists, for I've yet to read any of her work that is not flawlessly executed. Her prose is beautiful--lyrical, poetic. Her writing craft and world building skills set her apart, and I'd love to see her work get a lot more recognition than it does.
This particular story, Immortal Vow, features two supernatural characters, an "immortal" and a vampire, who fall in love. By nature, they're an unlikely couple, but the way they meet each other makes their coupling even more improbable. Yet Jesse, the immortal, is able to use his empathic abilities to see within Christian's seemingly non-existent heart.
Together they face a common enemy, an evil vampire hellbent on Christian's destruction. Noiret, the villian, is holding Jesse's sister, Hannah, hostage, and if Jesse does not hunt down Christian and behead him, Noiret has promised to torture and execute Hannah.
Though not particularly long, the story unfolds into an exciting, sensual plot which ultimately leads to a very satisfying ending. Once more, I was not disappointed with Sedonia Guillone. Five stars....more
I really enjoyed this sweet coming out story, which I felt dealt with a reality that often is not discussed in romantic fiction. The manner and rate aI really enjoyed this sweet coming out story, which I felt dealt with a reality that often is not discussed in romantic fiction. The manner and rate at which people self-identify as gay or bisexual vary from person to person. Some of us know at a very early age. Others do not make sense of their feelings until they are teens or adults. And until they reach that point, by default they identify as straight. This is because we're raised this way, conditioned to believe that one day we will meet someone of the opposite sex, fall in love, and get married.
Most YA coming out stories depict characters who have already realized they have same-sex attractions. Their coming out is merely a matter of openly admitting this truth to those around them. In this story, though, the main character identified as heterosexual through most of the narrative. He first had to come out to himself before he was able to acknowledge his orientation to others.
In truth, the portrayal in this story is far closer to reality than most of what we read. Had someone talked to me about sexual orientation when I was sixteen, I would have insisted I was straight. Although I'd known I was attracted to boys since the onset of puberty, I did not acknowledge, even to myself, that this meant I was gay. And I know people who as adults continue to deny their identity. Often they state that they do not like "labels" or they even insist they are straight in spite of the fact that they have sex or even live with partners of the same gender.
Comments about how mean Joey was to Jimmy are extremely overblown. Yeah, he was a jerk in the beginning of the story, but by the end he'd worked through his homophobia, renounced it, and publicly stood up for his openly gay friend. Rather than presenting Joey as this larger than life hero who instantly had the courage to do the right thing, the author portrayed him like a normal teen, one who wanted to do the right thing and eventually did. It just took him a while to get to that point.
The only aspect of the story I wasn't completely pleased with was the way Jimmy repeatedly came on to Joey, openly acknowledging his attraction to him in spite of Joey's insistence he was straight. At first it seemed almost predatory, and wasn't exactly in character with who Jimmy was. He actually was shy and reserved and in all likelihood he'd have waited for Joey to make the first move. The secret crush he harbored toward Joey probably would have remained secret until Joey expressed similar feelings. Even then, I imagine Jimmy would have been cautious.
However, that being said, I do think that there are instances where a closeted guy who identifies as "straight" will openly flirt with a gay guy he finds attractive. This is what I think was being depicted here. And it was this dance that ultimately pushed Joey to a point where he had to at last be honest with himself about his identity.
Oh sweat balls! TJ Klune, I hate you. For ripping my heart from my chest and stomping on it, pulverizing it into a million pieces, reducing me to a haOh sweat balls! TJ Klune, I hate you. For ripping my heart from my chest and stomping on it, pulverizing it into a million pieces, reducing me to a hapless heap of frayed emotions, utterly spent and blubbering incoherently.
I hated this book. At first.
It was Paul, the main character. He came across so snarky, sarcastic in a mean and bitter way. In the opening pages of the first person narrative, he admits "In my head, I'm the meanest bitch who ever walked the face of the earth." I nodded, certain that I agreed with him as I teetered on the verge of marking the book DNF and moving on to something more uplifting...and nice.
And then I read a couple scenes in the story that caused me to shake my head. They seemed familiar and as I thought about them I realized I'd read (or seen) them before. One was the three-way phone conversation Paul had with his parents, and I recognized it from the play Jeffrey. It was so similar, that my face grew hot. I felt angry and embarrassed, certain it had pretty much been lifted from that phenomenal play and rewritten. And a couple other scenes reminded me of other stories, and I thought this whole thing was going to be a complete train wreck, a rip-off of other artists' creativity.
But I told myself, this author is a rock star. He has a huge following and just won a Lambda Award. And the dialogue is so damn good, and the comedy is side-splitting hysterical. So I kept reading. And I didn't see any more scenes that were uncomfortably familiar so I chalked up the similarities to either "inspirational nods" or "creative coincidences" and gave the author the benefit of the doubt.
And I'm glad I did.
Because my patience allowed me to get sucked into this un-fucking-believably amazing, funny, touching, heartfelt love story. And the build up to the one and only explicit scene in the book literally wowed me. This scene between Paul and Vince is perhaps the most beautiful piece of romantic literature I've ever read. And TJ had me laughing through my tears, like deep belly-laughing, and it pissed me off because I'd decided I didn't like this story but then I realized I loved it more than I could ever imagine.
Let me tell you why I loved it so much:
1-Tell Me It's Real is love-at-first-sight (Insta-love) done right. So many stories depicting this trope fail miserably. But the thing that worked so well here was the manner in which the main character resisted what was happening to him. He was so skeptical, in fact, that it made me root for him to be wrong.
2-There appeared to be a remarkable arc of the main character, though in reality it was probably more a peeling back of the layers of his personality. He wore his biting cynicism and negativity like a mask or shield. Love pierced through it, triumphantly, spectacularly, magnificently.
3-The secondary characters were brilliantly painted like the background details of a grand tapestry, a stunning work of art. I loved each and every one of them, some of them deliberately exaggerated yet believable for reasons I can't quite explain, but I bought them.
4-Paul (the lead) and his love interest Vince were deliciously flawed. Paul wasn't a model with abs you could bounce a quarter off of. Vince wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. They were authentic. And even Paul with his snide sarcasm felt real to me because I've seen and heard it all before. I've known people, gay men, exactly like him.
5-The pacing of this story, the flow of the narrative, carried me through. So often people characterize books as being page turners. Until you've read a narrative like this, you don't even know what that statement means. TJ Klune really puts the craft into his writing craft, and the manner in which he does it elevates the entire genre.
6-Most importantly, the story shredded my emotions. I laughed and cried at the same goddamn time. I got angry and sad and burst into fits of hysteria. And I loved every minute of it. Isn't that WHY we read? Isn't that the ultimate goal? To FEEL something.
This is a great story. And for those who complained about the main character's overuse of vagina jokes, please realize this is exactly what you'd hear if you walked into a gay bar. Gay men are generally not misogynists, but many have a strong aversion (or fascination with) girly bits. And they do joke about them in much the same way that women reference the penis.
I struggled with the narrator's snarkiness, especially in the beginning. But seriously, he was authentic. I'm telling you, Tell Me It's Real was real. It was very, very real....more
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