Review of Smooth Like Latte by Rawiya

Rating: 3 stars

Brendan Walsh’s life has been devoted to pleasing his father, Alexander Walsh, head of Walsh Financial Corporation. Unlike his older brother who defied his father and left to live his life on his own terms, Brendan went to school and got his degrees with one thing in mind, working for his father and taking over the business when Alexander retired. And to achieve those goals, Brendan has also stayed in the closet, well aware of his father’s homophobia. Living the closeted life in exchange for money and success had never been a problem for Brendan until he meets Latte, a barista in the coffee shop in the lobby of their company building. One latte macchiatto later, and an attraction is formed between the two men that will change Brendan’s life forever.

Devori “Latte” Jenkins, artist and part-time barista, is in the groove at Cathy’s Coffee , making his coffee creations and talking to the customers when he sees Brendan Walsh in line waiting to place his order. Devori is gay and the man in line is not only handsome but setting off his gaydar. A quick conversation and Brendan leaves his business card with phone number along with his tip. A phone call, then a date which leads to a weekend. But when Brendan confesses to Devori that he’s hiding the fact that he is gay from his family, Devori must decide if he can accept being the secret boyfriend of a closeted gay man or will Brendan give up family and fortune for love?

Smooth LIke Latte is a short story of 99 pages and a very sweet tale at that.I could easily see Devori and Brandon as boyfriends struggling to find a way to make things work, given diverse background and disapproving families. But a sweet story is sometimes just not enough to make a really good story. To accomplish that, you must have realistic characterizations, dialog consistent with the age of the characters, and a great editor(or one you listen to). While I think the characters of Devori and Brendan are certainly more than superficial creations, their dialog and actions are those of much younger immature man. I can’t think of any one of their apparent age using the terms “wuss” or “mushy” or making a list of goals that any preteen girl would recognize 1.) I want him to be my boyfriend 2) I want us to move in together in 6 no 3 months 3) I want to marry him and have kids etc.

A lack of uniform characterization continues with Alexander Walsh. Obssessed with family name, business and a homophobe, he makes his views on gays clear to Brendan and when Brendan comes out to his father, Alexander rants about his son being a sinner, that he will burn in hell, how could he do this to him, etc. Homophobic and realistic. Yet in the epilogue Alexander is so happy that Brendan is not going to be a competitor in the business world that he reinstates Brendan’s trust fund immediately, and happily turns over a hundred million dollars with no hesitation, totally at odds with the characteristics previously introduced and used as the main reason Brendan has not come out earlier. Considering his previous stance on gays, especially gays in his family, that seems highly unlikely. Then there is the time frame. Devori and Brendan meet, have sex, declare their love, melt down and breakup and finally reconcile – all in one week’s time. Again so very Tiger Beat. Perfect for a young hormonal preteen angst yet not for those older.

The other big issue here is the odd use of some terms or in one case, a word is used in a manner that makes no sense. The sentence is :”The duplicity of submission and domination was exquisite.” I think the author meant combination as duplicity means “deceitfulness: the fact of being deceptive, dishonest, or misleading”. And there are so many more word choices that are just off or plain odd. From a “figurative 2000 weight”, a “daylong swelling”, “to culminate a bittersweet moment”, “duration of the late evening”,right up until he “held onto his back muscles” and a “downtrodden look”, which is even worse in context. And then there is the problem of a degree in publicity which we don’t have here in the US, you can get a degree in Advertising or Marketing but not publicity. The diverse writing styles of the story , which can change by the paragraph, almost seem as if it was written by more than one author, it has a “teen” sound, an odd/misuse of words that sometimes comes with poor translations,florid purple prose,combined with some passages that are very well written with none of the problems I have noted. All very odd indeed. And then to cap it all off, you have the florid terms of bodice rippers such as “lily white thighs”, “chocolate brown pools”, and “swollen vessel” and “pink jewels”. All of which are issues that a great editor and concrit partner could have taken care of and turned this sweet short story into a terrific short story. The elements are there and the author’s bio says it is the author’s first solo work. I wonder what their next story will bring. I am very curious given the rollercoaster that is Smooth Like Latte.

Cover: What a delicious cover. Cover by Shane Willis of RAD ACT Photography, great job.

Review of Concord Grape: Unexpected by TC Blue

Rating: 4.25 stars

Pauly Mitchell never thought a simple evening of bar hopping with friends would end being chased by a crazy person in a cab following him in a cab. Lucky for him, his cab driver is quick thinking as well as being very cute and the night ends with the psycho in custody, the other cab driver only slightly wounded and a safe trip home. Then he meets up again with not only his cab driver but the 911 operator who coordinated their rescue. Both men are attractive in separate ways and both attracted to him. What’s a guy with a bad romantic past to do?

Randy never thought that one wild night as a cab driver would turn his world upside down. When he runs into Pauly again after their wild ride in his cab, Randy asks him out and the date is going great. Then the two of them run into James, the 911 Operator who coordinated their rescue the other night and he joins them on the date. When Randy finds himself drawn to both men, he is confused and overwhelmed by his feelings. Never secure about his looks, why would he think either of them would like him back?

James has always kept himself commitment free. Love them or more realistically have sex with them and let them go. But lately that has gotten old and something seems to be missing from his life. He has a circle of friends who are mostly paired up and he is feeling a little envious. But his job as a 911 operator leaves him little time for relationships so no one is more surprised then he is when a chance meeting between two of the men involved in one of his calls starts turning into friendship, then something more. James wants Pauly, and he wants Randy too. He thinks they might feel the same. Who is going to take the first step into making them a threesome?

This is the second book for me this week involving threesomes, not a relationship structure I normally read. Both books make it work well within the context of their stories and make it totally believable which is key to making me understand a threesome or as Pauly calls it “a triad”. Concord Grape is the sixth book in the Fruit Basket series by TC Blue. Each book is the story of a relationship between characters from a close knit group of friends. I have read three from this series and can vouch for the wonderful characterization by TC Blue in each story.

I really like Concord Grape because I think TC Blue did a great job of giving us three diverse characters and then juggling the dynamics of their needs/insecurities/damaged pasts as they struggle towards understanding that they want a relationship that extends past the normal pairing into one that stretches to include all three men. None of the men here have ever give thought to such a relationship until now which makes it easy for the reader to go along with them as they sort out their thoughts about such an unconventional partnership. As they come to accept that it is possible, so does the reader. Job well done!

Pauly is the most damaged of the three men and the first to capture your heart. It takes time to unravel his story and understand the relationship between himself and his overprotective younger brother, Brendan. As with Randy and James, each man fits into each others life like a puzzle piece finding its place and so it is for Pauly. He needs the steadiness and reliability of Randy and the blunt sexy confidence that is James for all of his emotional needs to be met. Randy is also easy to understand. He doesn’t think of himself as attractive or anything very special but in fact he is the anchor that holds the others at safe harbor. And finally there is James who appears so shallow to some of his friends that his nickname is “cheetos”, a quick snack that is never filling. Ouch. But while that hurts, James also understand where it comes from and upon meeting Pauly and Randy, James decides its time to change. TC Blue takes the time with each character and their backstories so that it becomes very apparent why the men are drawn to each other. I really enjoyed the way in which the author built the foundation for romantic love among all three protagonists.

But there are a few things to quibble about here. One is the character of Brendan, Pauly’s younger brother. I really liked that character but there were several explosive events here in which Brendan came apart emotionally that were never fully explained. One especially inferred abusive past but was then dropped and never brought up again. Brendan was seeing a psychiatrist but his background was only partially explained. More problematic was Pauly’s attitude towards the last emotional “explosion”. Instead of investigating and asking Brendan questions, Pauly lets his brother go off, and hide behind closed doors while he heads off with James and Randy. That never made much sense to me as did other things about their relationship. It remained an irritant throughout the story especially as I came to be invested in Brendan.

The other quibble is much smaller and that was the format. It starts in the present as the group of friends are at a party. Pauly tells the story of their relationship as a flashback. When the story concludes, we are back at the party as Pauly finishes his tale. I just found that a little cutsy and unnecessary as you already have a lovely story. It didn’t need that embellishment. Other than those quibbles, this is a great addition to a lovely series. You really can’t go wrong here but while they can be read as stand alone stories, it helps to read them in order to get a better idea of all the characters in the circle of friends.

Other books written by TC Blue in the Fruit Basket series include:

Lemon Yellow: Making Lemonade (Grey and Evan’s story) Book 1

Lime Green: Margarita Mondays (Jeremy and Troy) Book 2

Mandarin Orange: Sweet and Sour (Riley and Kelly) Book 3

Guava Red:Almost Paradise (Bastian and Chase) Book 4

Berry Blue: Lessons Learned (Peter Jamison and Dex’s story) Book 5

Concord Grape: Unexpected (Pauly, Randy, and James) m/m/m Book 6

Cover: I like the idea of the same type of cover for all the books, just changing out the background cover. But since the unexpected is a threesome, shouldn’t the outline of three men be a little more clear? I almost missed the third as it is hidden behind the rainbow border.

Review of The Mystery of Ruby Lode by Scotty Cade

Warnings: Rape, mention of past sexual abuse, attempted rape, child abuse

Rating: 4.75 stars

Bowen McAlister and his partner Cyrus Curran along with their friends Duff Gentry and Lockhart Dawson are headed out to Boulder, Colorado to research and explore the Ruby Lode, an abandoned gold mine for Bowen’s outdoor adventure company. But even before they take off, Duff gets a premonition that makes him uneasy. When Duff tells the others, they listen out of respect for their friend’s psychic abilities but continue on even as Duff’s fears grow.

They should have listened. Because Duff is right. Lurking deep in the mine shafts of Ruby Lode, something dark and dangerous awaits the four men, determined to protect its secrets at all costs, including death. It preys on each man’s insecurities, it visits them in their dreams turning them into nightmares. For each man to survive, they will have to look deep within themselves for the truth about each other and secrets long hidden must come to the surface if all are to remain sane and survive the mystery of Ruby Lode.

This novel was just a cornucopia of wonderful elements that it is hard to know where to begin. Usually I start with the characterizations and with the four men mentioned above Scotty Cade has done a great job of bringing together diverse personas with some truly heartbreaking backgrounds and meshing them together as a close knit group of friends the reader loves spending time with. Bowen McAlister and Cyrus Curran have been together for 10 years as the story opens and their easy dialog with each other along with other touches makes that relationship and each other very believable. Bo and Cy have the authenticity of a long term couple still very much in love. After reading the author’s bio, I could almost feel Cade bringing experiences from his own long term relationship into the portrait he paints here of Bo and Cy so grounded and real do they feel. Next to them are their two friends, Lockhart Dawson, who seems shallow and commitment phobic, and Duff, who is psychic, shy, and hiding many secrets behind his insecurities. Both men have background and secrets that will come out over the course of the story that will bring the reader much closer to Duff and Lockey. Cade’s characterizations are terrific, but the ones I truly loved are the ones that will surprise you. I won’t go into them here as I feel that is spoiler territory but let’s just say that other characters will hook you in from the beginning and, like the mournful refrain from a mountain folksong, will haunt the pages and the reader from then on. Bravos all around for the author on characterization and character development.

The characters are thrown into the middle of a heartbreaking and deeply dangerous mystery located in the depths of Ruby Lode, an abandoned gold mine. Cade skillfully builds the atmosphere in spine tingling detail, amping up the anxiety and dread for the characters we have come to love until it explodes in a gut wrenching finale. Parts of this story are not for the fainthearted so please take the warnings at the beginning to heart. At first, I was tempted to think it was emotional overload on the author’s part but as the story continued I could see that Cade had a justification for its inclusion, and it all made sense in the end. Again I am being obtuse to reduce any chance for a spoiler here.

While my expertise in gold mines is limited to Maryland’s (yes, we had a few), I can tell Cade did his research and the settings seem very authentic right down to the equipment and mine layouts. The supernatural elements explored here are accomplished with the same expertise and deft touches displayed throughout the novel. I loved how these elements were woven into the stories, starting with mere threads in the beginning, adding one here and there until Cade has fashioned a old time storytelling quilt, colorful with basic patterns turned into designs of complexity. Parts of this book will have you in tears so have the tissues handy as you will need them.

So why not five stars? It all comes down to one character who I absolutely disliked right to the end. I understood him and his actions but that never translated into anything even remotely approaching “like”, especially his actions at the end. I am sure others will not agree with me and for you this is a solid 5 stars. So 4.75 stars from me for just an outstanding read from Scotty Cade. You will love it as I am just quibbling over another well done character. Grab this one up.

Cover: Another favorite cover of the month for me. The artist is Reese Dante whose work I love and this is another example. Beautiful haunting painting of the insides of an abandoned mine. Perfection in tone and coloring. I love it.

Seizing It by Chris T. Kat

Rating: 3 stars

Kit Hall, veterinary assistant, leads a life of strict routine that his epilepsy and physician requires of him. Kit has also isolated himself by choice from others with the exception of his sister and the veterinarian he works for. A victim of domestic abuse from his ex, Kit finds himself unwilling to trust others to the extent that he has walled himself off from most personal interactions. When Kit is attacked outside his home by a crazed admirer, his sister and a good looking stranger come to his aid. The attack puts him off balance. When he learns that Alan, his friend/boss, is moving and someone else is taking over the clinic, Kit becomes even more unsettled. The next day at the clinic Kit is horrified to find out that his new boss is none other than his rescuer from the day before.

Dale Miller is on his way to his new veterinary clinic when he chances upon a young man being attacked. He intervenes, restraining the attacker until the police arrive. He is not the only one surprised when he meets the young man again at the clinic he is taking over. It turns out his assistant, Kit Hall, and the victim, are one and the same. A fact that Kit is not happy about and makes very clear to him. But he finds Kit attractive and becomes determined to be the one to make Kit lower his defenses and take one more chance at love.

Several days later and this book still has me confused about my feelings towards it. Mostly they are of the “not so good” type. Add to that column, “flashes of talent”, “great idea”,”kind of creepy” and “downright annoying”, and I think you all will begin to get my drift. The author had a great idea for a protagonist here but never brought the main character up to snuff. I was really looking forward to a thoughtful exploration of a life lived with epilepsy, the proscribed limits and how a full life could still be achieved within them. That is not what I got in any way, starting with that title. Seizing It? Really? Should I say it had me fit to be tied? *that was sarcastic, people – shakes head*

In addition to epilepsy, Chris T. Kat has burdened Kit Hall with being a victim of a shattering domestic abuse attack from his controlling and mentally ill ex, a temper that should see him in anger management classes and a family that treats him as though he is twelve (and sometimes rightfully so). I think we are supposed to find him one of those endearing prickly main characters, slight in stature, with a shock of red hair and green eyes. I generally like those characters. I didn’t like Kit Hall. Mostly I wanted to send him off to intensive therapy sessions which he clearly needed, not to be seen again. The author endowed Kit with a temper which as victimized as he is I could understand but apparently he has always had a temper that he directs at all close to him while acknowledging that he may be a brat. This got very old as it would in real life and Kit comes across as a bit of an abuser and bully himself.

Further complicating the story is the other main character, Dale Miller. He is older, finds Kit incredibly attractive, and wants to rescue Kit from himself. In one section when Kit is freaking out over Dale restraining him (???) during an argument, I started to get that squicked out feeling. I remember seeing adult handlers forcibly restraining out of control children (mentally and physically challenged) in the same manner until they calmed down. To see it used here between “potential” lovers hit quite a few wrong notes. Especially when Dale then picks up Kit and put him in his lap. Am I the only one thinking child abuser not lover here? And then Kit falls in love with him immediately in a couple of days? Never has a case of “instant love” seemed so wrong.

What I did find realistic is that Kit is ashamed he is epileptic and doesn’t tell Dale about his condition until a Grand Mal seizure forces him to. I had a childhood friend who felt the same way. He moved away in elementary school so I never knew how the adult Tim dealt with it. The author does a good job talking about stress being a trigger as well as using medication and a regulated life style to control his epilepsy. I wish she had done as well with the issue of domestic abuse which loomed as a larger subject here. Male victims of domestic abuse represent a huge sector of people who go unreported and unaccounted for. Kit’s issues that stemmed from his years of living with a domestic abuser are never really dealt with in the same manner his epilepsy is. A missed opportunity the book never recovers from in my opinion.

I won’t even get into his father issues and a family determined not to let a 28 year old grow up and make his own decisions. Let’s leave that one alone. It’s overshadowed anyway by all the problems I have already remarked on. Seizing It is the only book I have read by Chris T. Kat so I don’t know if this story is typical of her work or not. I hope not. She does have some good ideas here but in the end raises far more questions about her protagonists and their relationship then is resolved in the book.

Cover: The artist is Anne Cain who I love but where are the dogs? Another missed opportunity as one main character is a vet, and the other is his assistant with a dog who is also a main character within the story. It remains a beautiful cover of two men in a fall setting.

The Week Ahead and a Great Recipe for Stuffed Cabbage!

What an outstanding day here in Maryland! Sky is blue, air is cool and crisp, The day will be perfect for turning off the overworked air conditioners and opening the windows. Payment indeed for the 7 tornados and torrents of rain that hit us on Friday. Yes, that was 7 tornados touching down all over from Frederick, MD to Northern VA. What is going on with our weather? But today is a gift I am going to take advantage of and head outside to read and take pictures of the garden.

Let’s look at what is coming up this week. Sorry all, things came up that pushed back my next installment of VGB. It will be posted at the end of this week. Last week was a banner week with wonderful books from great authors. For those who missed it, Saturday’s substitution was Mind Magic by Poppy Dennison. New author, first book in a new series. Loved it! This week will be some new authors for me as well as a continuation of a series I just love:

Monday: Still Waters, Sanctuary #4 by RJ Scott

Tuesday: Seizing It by Chris T Kat

Wednesday: Murder at The Rocking R by Catt Ford

Thursday: Five Star Review by Lara R Brukz

Friday: One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and MJ O’Shea

Saturday: New Vocabulary Gone Bad!

Now for a great recipe that can be used as a main course or secondary dish. I just love this one. It came from Laura Calder again. Can’t go wrong with her recipes or her quirky show French Cooking At Home. Great taste and the presentation is so pretty! And it is easy to make. What’s not to like?

Stuffed Cabbage:

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
1 medium or 2 small savoy cabbages (about 1.5 pounds)
3 ounces white bread
About 1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 pound trimmed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
A few handfuls fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon quatre-epices, more to taste, recipe below
Freshly ground black pepper
About 1 pound pork sausage meat – I like to use sweet Italian

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt it generously.

Core the cabbage. Gently peel away the leaves to expose the heart (by heart, I mean the ball of more yellowish leaves at the center which are too tightly packed to bother prying apart). Cut out that core of inner-most leaves and shred to add to the stuffing. Cut the thick ribs out of the remaining leaves (they will look like you’ve stolen a sliver from a pie). Set aside.

Blanch the cabbage leaves for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, and refresh under ice-cold water. Drain and pat dry with a towel.

Break the bread into crumbs in a bowl, pour over the milk and set aside to soften. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet and gently fry the onion and shallot until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped cabbage, mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Cook another 5 minutes. Add the bread and cook until the milk has evaporated. Stir through the quatre-epices and season generously with salt and pepper. Add this mixture to the sausage meat in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork. Make a small ball and fry it in the frying pan. Taste it to check the seasonings. Adjust as needed.

Lay a tea towel on the counter with a piece of cheesecloth or muslin large enough to wrap the cabbage in. You’re going to reconstruct the cabbage, but with layers of stuffing between the leaves. So, first lay down the large outer leaves, in a circle, slightly overlapping with the prettiest side out. Spread over a layer of stuffing. Lay over another layer of leaves and repeat the action. Continue until you have run out of leaves. Pull up the edges of the cheesecloth, like a bag, and twist, as if making the head of a puppet, to shape the cabbage into a round loaf shape. Tie a string around the beard of cheesecloth where it meets the cabbage ball, to secure the package. The cabbage can be prepared to this stage in advance, refrigerated and then cooked before serving.

To cook: Steam the cabbage over water or good chicken stock (about 2 cups) for 45 minutes. The flavor from the stuffed cabbage will drip into the water or stock and give it the most amazing flavor. When the cabbage is done, boil down the cooking juices and serve a spoonful around each wedge of cabbage in a soup bowl.

Quatre Epices or Four Spices (a common French spice)

1 heaping Tbsp black peppercorns ground
2 tsp whole cloves ground up
2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger

Review of Acrobat by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Nathan Qells has a pretty great life. He loves being an English professor. He has a son who has grown into a wonderful young man. An ex-wife he adores along with her husband. He loves his condo and takes care of Michael, the young boy who lives across the hallway with his uncle, the mysterious Andreo Fiore. The only thing lacking in his life? A man to really love and have him love back. At least that’s what his ex wife tells him. She also tells him he has never truly loved another man deeply. Nate doesn’t agree with her. At least he thinks he doesn’t. Doubt starts him looking for Mr. Right which leads him into the path of a dangerous man and the mob..

Andreo Fiore started working for the mob as a way to support his nephew after his sister died. Long and unusual work hours meant that Michael would be alone in the apartment. Then Nate Qells, the neighbor across the hallway, came to their rescue and took Michael under his wing. Years later, Michael spends most of his time across the hallway and Dreo has fallen in love with Nate. Dreo sees in Nate a good, wonderful man who also happens to be very handsome. And blind in the face of Dreo’s love. Between Michael and Nate, Dreo wants to lead an honorable life, one where Michael can look up to him and Nate would be proud to be his partner. But first he has to get out of the organization and it has troubles of its own. As Dreo tries to extricate himself from the mob and make Nate realize that love is right in front of him, his criminal past makes them both a target.

As a man in his forties and nicely settled into his life, Nate Qells is a realistic representation of a man who thinks that he is happy with his status quo and stops reaching out for more. In Nate’s case, he has stopped believing in romantic love for himself and has settled just for caring. I find that totally believable. So many people dismiss the idea of love after a certain age, not just the idea but the chance of them falling into love later in life is miniscule to nonexistent. So when Nate refuses to listen to his ex wife when she tells him he has never loved, I totally get it. Nate is capable of caring for others but self satisfied enough not to extend himself further. I know him because I have met him in real life. Nate certainly has his flaws, he is impatient with others, abrupt to those professors within his department he doesn’t respect, and a little arrogant. All of which makes him very human.

Andreo Fiore is much older than his years. I had to keep reminding myself of his age. He accepted responsibility of his nephew in his early twenties, and his time as a bodyguard/muscle in the mob has aged him further. He recognizes that he could coast along the path he has made for himself (very much like Nate in this respect) or reach for what he really wants, a family with Nate and Michael. Deeply steeped in his Italian family and culture, he speaks as much Italian as English. And I loved it. Besides French, there is no more romantic language than that of Italy. Both are the languages of love and it is used very effectively here. I loved Dreo, a honorable conflicted man trying to get out of a bad situation. What a great character.

And then Mary Calmes adds in more characters to give the story substance and layers. There’s Michael, Dreo’s nephew and almost son to Nate. He’s young, cocky but still so much in need of direction and parental influence. Mel, ex wife, and Ben, her husband, both contribute additional needed perspectives on Nate and his life. Duncan, the in-the-closet ex boyfriend and Aubrey, Nate’s sarcastic grad student with just the right amount of snark. All necessary and unique.

The story itself has many wonderful moments. I especially liked the storyline with Nate and his missed dates with Sean Cooper, an attending doctor. With them, as in real life, sometimes it is all about the timing. People can seem to be right for each other, and yet the timing is off for them to be a couple. Nobody’s fault. Stuff happens. I haven’t seen this pop up in a storyline and loved it’s authentic treatment here. I don’t know enough about organized crime to comment on it here (outside of what I have seen in The Godfather movies) but the idea that you can have people at different levels of competency in mob organizations struck me as realistic too. Old fashioned businessman versus young takeover turk. Crime is still a business albeit a criminal one. Is there angst? Of course, there is. It wouldn’t be a Mary Calmes book without it. Never fear, our protagonists future is assured. I liked how all the different elements pulled together in the end to give me a very satisfying story and a new couple to love.

Cover: The cover art by Anne Cain is such a sensual piece of art that I would love to have a copy. In the introduction Mary Calmes and Anne Cain talk about the inspiration for the cover, deceased artist Steve Walker’s painting Parallel Dreams. I looked up that painting and thought it beautiful. I learned much about Steve Walker and his art which I really appreciated. But this cover stands on it own, glorious in its depiction of love between two men. It has already become a favorite of mine.

Review of Hope by William Neale

Rating 5 stars

Spencer Hawkins feels like a failure. His best friend and closeted lover has unexpectedly left him and he’s finished his degree with no job prospects, no money in the bank, and unwilling to ask his family for any support as they are stretched as thin as they come. A surprise phone call presents Spencer with the prospect of a new job and future in a new city, Cleveland, Ohio.

Hunter Harrison is struggling in the face of increasing stress and constant heartache. His partner has abandoned him and their adopted son, Ethan. Ethan has a heart defect and needs a heart transplant if he is to live. Faced with losing his son and his mounting medical bills, Hunter desperately needs the one thing missing from his life lately – hope.

Both men come together at a time in their lives when they need each other the most. Spencer needs a man he can trust with his heart, someone he can build a future with. Hunter needs someone who will love not only him but a very special boy as well. For each man, the other represents love and hope for a future together if only they will reach out for it.

Hope is the final book in the Home series by William Neale, published after his unexpected death in March. I am not sure that any review or reviewer will be able to separate the sadness felt by the passing of this wonderful author from the emotions engendered by his last work. I read in one of his interviews that William Neale said he wrote what he loved and didn’t feel that his characters were autobiographical. While I can imagine he meant that, I can also see William Neales’ generous nature and loving heart reflected back from the characters here and in previous books. If the eyes are the windows into the soul, surely one can discern the kindness and inherent goodness of the author through the characters he created and that the readers so cared so much about.

Spencer Hawkins and Hunter Harrison are just part of a family of main characters at the center of Hope. Spencer and Hunter are both men of character and proponents of old fashioned values. They value the interior life above exterior perfections and raise love and family above all other concerns. Both are beautifully written and realistically constructed characters that are easy to fall in love with. So is 11 year old Ethan living with severe aortic stenosis, a disease I was not familiar with until now. Ethan leaps into your heart with each hard won breath as you root for him to pull through. It is clear that William Neale did a great job researching this condition and the medical technology needed to deal with it. Information about the Berlin Heart and heart transplants are seamlessly threaded through the story, gently educating the reader on the difficulties children with this disorder face on a daily basis.There is also Lucas Reed and Rogan James from Home #1, a book that remained one of the author’s favorites, as well as their son Rogie, his friend Ryan, and new characters of ambivalent morality, Thom Kilbane and Ashton Hale. Thom Kilbane is a complicated man, driven by his need for success and hiding his traumatic child abuse behind a hedonistic lifestyle. Ashton Hale is an unlikable bully until his background of parental neglect and isolation is revealed. One fully fleshed out character after another comes forward in this story. This inner circle is surrounded by secondary characters just as authentic and beautifully realized as the main ones. Chief Boleyn of Winton Academy security, Coach Perleman, Winton’s football coach, and even Stephen, Lucas and Rogan’s neighbor, all add depth and dimension to a story concerned with the nature of families, personal redemption, and hope.

William Neale lived with his partner of over a decade and their dogs in Cleveland, Ohio where the Home stories are located. Cleveland is easily the 12th man (in football terminology) or main character in this story. His love for his home town flows throughout the story, whether he is talking about the lakeside effect on the snowfall or the view from the high rises along the lake front. I was laughing as Spencer, a southern transplant, tried to adjust to the cold, drive in the snow, and deal with the vagaries of snow blowers in winter. I am sure Mr. Neale was laughing as he wrote it as well. In the space of a series, Cleveland goes from cold, unknown location to a beloved destination called home. I am sure the city is missing one of its biggest champions as well.

From laughter to tears and back again, the reader remains deeply engaged in the relationships and families at the center of Hope. Once started, I couldn’t put the book down until I had finished it. Hours later I still continued to think about the author and his last story. What did I take away from Hope? What did I feel was the essence of the book? The idea that goodness and kindness of spirit will win out, that personal redemption is a road to be taken instead of unattainable goal, and that love and hope is all around us if only we can recognize it. I had come to love Spencer, Hunter, Ethan, Lucas, Rogen, and all the rest so very much that the knowledge of Hope being the last book was hard to face as is the loss of William Neale’s voice to the readers and m/m community that he cared so much about. I was often in tears as I read this book and you will be too.

Make sure you read the editor’s note from Kris Jacen and above all the message from Marty, William Neale’s partner at the beginning of the novel. Have tissues handy. You will need them. To read these letters to Mr. Neale’s fans and readers is to further understand the man behind the stories and how large the void his passing has left. The characters of Hope have so many dimensions to them, so much life in them that they will remain as unforgettable as the author behind them. William Neale will continue to live on in the books and characters he has left behind and in the memories and hearts of all who knew and loved him. That is a wonderful legacy. Mr. Neale, you are deeply missed.

Cover: Design and artwork by Winterheart Designs. A beautiful cover that does justice to the author and the story within.

Review of How We Operate by A. R. Moler

Rating: 4.5 stars

Chris Kearney is a seasoned Trauma surgeon who still mourns the loss of a young patient whose life on the streets caught up with him. He meets with the undercover officer who brought the kid in to brief him on the injuries he found on the young man’s body and notices how attractive the cop is before returning to his OR. The attraction is mutual. Det. Drew Hayden, Vice , takes notice of the tired, kind hearted surgeon who answers his questions, and calls him days later to let him know the case was closed and the murderer found. Both men are tempted to ask the other out, but their job responsibilities and limited free time make them pause. When a surprise encounter at the local grocery store brings them together again, Drew Hayden takes the initiative and asks the doctor out.

Each date leads to another as the doctor and the detective find they mesh, physically, mentally, in every way possible. But each works such long hours, and Hayden disappears for days when working undercover. Can each man find what it takes to make their relationship work even while dealing with the stress and strains of their occupations? Only time will tell.

How We Operate delivers a deft portrayal of a relationship between two men from the first stirrings of attraction, then first date to exclusivity and declarations of love. Each chapter represents a milestone in Chris and Drew’s relationship, large and small, which is a great idea I had not come across before. And each milestone shows us in detail how each man deals with the event and its impact upon their relationship. I felt as though I was almost eavesdropping on their conversations on each occasion so beautifully is this handled.

Make no mistake, A. R. Moler has done an outstanding job in giving us two real, flawed human beings in Chris Kearney and Drew Hayden so their relationship growth is not smooth or fairytale in any respect. And I loved that. The stresses and strains from their jobs flow over into their personal lives just as it does in ours so it makes it so easy for us to understand and empathize with each character as they struggle for balance between their professional and their private lives. Again just as we do. The author clearly understand the pressures most couples operate under these days and treats it with the compassion it deserves.

A. R. Moler keeps the story and characters firmly grounded in reality. It is also clear that Moler has done the necessary homework with regard to the descriptions of each man professions which are treated realistically and with respect. Not once do we drop our belief in these men because we can see them so clearly. Drew Hayden, long haired, weary from long hours undercover who needs to wash the dirt of the job off his body and out of his head. Chris Kearney, overworked, a perfectionist in the OR, far too controlled for his own good. If either man walked into a room, I would know them immediately, so vividly is each character drawn.

There are some stunning developments here which you might expect given each man’s profession, still when it occurs, the impact upon the reader is huge because you now care greatly what happens to them. Yes, some tissues will be needed. But Chris, Drew, and the reader are in capable hands here and when at last I put my Kindle down, I was happy for the couple I had gotten to know so well over the year and half of their relationship and throughly satisfied how I left them. I loved How We Operate and look forward to new stories from A. R. Moler. I know I will be in good hands.

Cover: Cover illustration by Alessia Brio. I am not sure about this cover. I kept thinking what is he doing? Given the professions of vice cop and er surgeon, I think the artist could have done a better job. It doesn’t give the reader a clear indication of the story or characters within. I did like the fonts and the color of the title, easy to read as is the name of the author.

Available from Torquere Press, Amazon, and ARe.

Review of Who We Are by TJ Klune

Rating 5 stars (and 5 more for shear awesomeness as Bear would say)

Who We Are picks up right where last pages of Bear, Otter and The Kid left us. Derrick “Bear” McKenna, Bear’s brother,Tyson aka the Kid and Bear’s boyfriend, Oliver “Otter” Thompson have overcome some but not all of the obstacles in their path to becoming a family. Bear and the Kid’s mother has vanished again as has Otter’s ex boyfriend. The three of them are moving into their new house affectionately known as The Green Monstrosity. Bear is going back to school, Otter’s at the photography shop, and the Kid is about to skip ahead a grade at school. The events of last summer still reverberate through their lives as they try and move forward. With Otter’s help, Bear is trying for custody of the Kid, the Kid has to see a therapist and things are still cool between Bear and his best friend, Creed who just happens to be Otter’s younger brother. As usual, the chaos is accompanied by the running dialog in Bear’s brain that threatens to overwhelm him in any given situation. But sometimes the best of families are formed by love and not blood. With Mrs. Paquinn, Anna and more on their side, the family comes together as they all learn that family is “defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are”.

I am always a little hesitant when picking up a sequel to a beloved novel. My mind is full of questions to go with the anticipation. Will the characters I came to love retain the same layering, the same quirkiness that captured my heart to begin with? Can the author recreate the magic the first book so beautifully delivered? Will I be happy with the new journey the author takes our heros on? And I am so happy to be able to tell you the answer to all those questions is a resounding “Hell, yes!”. With Who We Are , TJ Klune delivers a knockout punch of a novel that in many ways supersedes the one that went before. Here we still have all the elements that made Bear, Otter and The Kid so special. Bear’s jumbled inner commentary still reigns supreme, erupting in nonsensical sentences to the amusement and bemusement of all. The Kid still produces bad poetry and sage pronouncements on the evils of eating meat and the wisdom of Anderson Cooper. Otter is trying to be the strength and glue for all of them even as their emotions and new trials shake the walls they are building around them. Mrs Paquinn is still her loving eccentric self and her importance to Bear, Tyson and Otter has not diminished. Anna, Bear’s ex girlfriend along with Creed, his childhood best friend are all here. Everyone is here but supersized. It’s as though a patina of copper has been thrown over the characters who now shine more brightly, whose nuances and depth reflect out past the pages and into our hearts. For those who said “Please sir, I want some more.” Here it is. There’s more more here. More emotion, more trials, more complications, more of the realities people face when they come together as a family. And of course, much more love of every type whether it be newly discovered, hard fought, long established, brotherly, and finally fully realized romantic love. Love is here in its many permutations.

TJ Klune demonstrates with authority his gift with characterization as once more Bear, Otter, the Kid, and new characters roar to life within their story. Bear is still Bear, insecure, brave, at once burdened and lifted up by stewardship of his little brother. But now that he has accepted his sexuality and Otter’s place within his heart, the character of Bear seems to expand and strengthen. His inner dialog still runs amuck but wreaks less damage as he talks himself out of one self inflicted panic after another. Tyson is still that most amazing of kids. I have met children with the same frightening degree of intelligence so that has always rung true about his character. But TJ Klune never forgets that Tyson is also a young child with all the fragility of the young. When the emotional earthquakes happen, the impact upon the Kid shake not only his family but the reader with its tremors. Otter has never seemed more human than he does within these pages. Always the strong one, here Otter’s own insecurities and doubts come forward. He must deal with his family’s reaction to his own coming out and his brother’s lack of communication with him before his goal of a family with Bear and Tyson can become a reality. With Otter, a good character became great. Dominic is a new character that reaches out with his damaged background and dares the reader not to love him. And love him you will along with all the denizens of Seafare, past and present. The author never takes the easy out with one dimensional characters or situations. Instead we are given loving families presented with an upheaval of their status quo, and then shown how they overcome past tragedies and feelings to bring everyone back together. These people breathe air and walk with large strides across the pages of this novel with certainty and determination.

In Who We Are, TJ Klune never forgets to maintain his story’s emotional balance as comedy is interwoven with equal amounts of heartbreaking angst. I often found myself laughing and crying together with the characters, as so often both tears of pain and joy mingle as emotions collilde on the same page. The story is also solidly constructed and those annoying questions left over from BOATK are happily resolved here to my complete satisfaction. And that prologue was a thing of geeky beauty! As Bear finished with his tale and said goodbye, I was sad to get the end of Who We Are. Even with the wonderful epilogue, their voices spoke so clearly to me that I will miss them so.

You will find no quibbles here within this review. I loved this book, no ifs ands or buts.This is a book I will come back to when I feel the need to see them all again, especially the Kid and his bad poetry. Here is a sample, trust me it grows on you!

“Bacon is bad! Beef is wrong!

Mad Cow Disease stays with you for a time that’s long!”

For the rest of it, you will just have to buy the book. You will love it.

There is a wonderful short story Word of the Day, where in the Kid first meets Dominic. You can find it here at T.J. Klune’s blog A Fistful of Awesome.

Cover: The cover artist is Paul Richmond. The cover art for both books always looks as though a young adult had crafted it. It does give the books a unique look that immediately identifies them but it comes across as less than polished. Perhaps that is the intent. Hard to argue with the happy family on the front.

Available at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, and ARe.

Review of In The Name Of The Law by Sue Holston

Rating: 3.75 stars

Mitchell Dawson and Ivan Stanislav are detectives with the Baltimore Police Department where they have been partners and best friends for years. Ivan is engaged and soon to be married. And Mitchell is miserable. Mitchell fell in love with the oh so straight Ivan the moment he met him and now wonders how he will continue on watching Ivan with his wife. The night of the engagement party Ivan’s fiance’ dumps him after a argument. A night of drunken consolation leads Mitchell and Ivan to the bedroom and uninhibited sex.

Morning comes and neither man acknowledges the events of the night before. It takes Ivan being shot for Mitchell to realize that second chances don’t come around very often and its past time for him to speak up and confess his love for Ivan.

Sue Holston has crafted a very nice short story with a “gay for you” theme with In The Name Of The Law. Her character of Mitchell Dawson is beautifully realized, with more layers and depth than I would expect from a story of this length. Ivan Stanislav is a less complete character study. A Baltimore Police Detective and renown horndog he is completely heterosexual until the night his fiance (who is of course a bitch) dumps him. One drunken night of sex with his partner flips his sexuality switch over to gay, a happenstance that always causes me to shake my head. It takes a much longer story to make your case for this change in sexuality believable and 46 pages is just not long enough. With Ivan a less substantial character, Mitchell’s love and longing for him never feels completely real. It is this disconnect that lead to a lower rating for the story.

One more quibble here towards something that happened in the epilogue. Both men tell their Captain that their partnership is both domestic as well as work related and he agrees to keep their secret. Realistically that would not happen. Rules and regulations prohibit that and it is doubtful a Captain would risk his or hers retirement to keep their secret. Nor would they have wanted to put their Captain in such a bad position. It would have been far more believable if the author had them continue to work together and keep the change in relationship secret until either got promoted out of the partnership. That would have given Sue Holston’s story an additional touch of authenticity it needed.

With Baltimore as her setting, Sue Holston’s attention to detail and geographic atmosphere is terrific. Baltimore is about 30 minutes away from me and I can tell you she has done her homework with this great city. Nothing beats eating our Chesapeake Bay crabs and having a Clipper City Gold Ale from a rooftop deck overlooking the Inner Harbor. I look forward to reading more stories from this author in just such a setting.

Cover: Cover art by Posh Gosh. Very nice cover. Loved the harbor in the background.

Available from Total E Bound Press.

Chances to win this, $20 gift certificate and other books visit the following blogs for the rest of the Raise Your Glasses Tour:

Saturday, May 12th: A.J. Llewellyn hosts H.L. Holston
Sunday, May 13th: H.L. Holston hosts Scarlet Blackwell

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