Carter Stevenson is a twenty-four year old gay man living with Tourette's. Though he's gifted in music, he prefers to isolate himself and avoid the emCarter Stevenson is a twenty-four year old gay man living with Tourette's. Though he's gifted in music, he prefers to isolate himself and avoid the embarrassment that he feels about his condition. It's gotten so bad that he's decided to move to a smaller town and avoid the perma-crowd that is L.A. As luck would have it he finds himself living next door to a personable (and sexy) guy named Ethan who's struggling with a challenge of his own. Ethan suffered a traumatic brain injury some years ago and while physically an adult, Ethan can be very child-like in some respects.
This M/M romance takes us into the lives of two adorable gay men who are dealing with difficulties and it hits a few hot buttons along the way. While Ethan is very childlike in some aspects, his interest in sex is very adult and he's not got the filters that adults normally have. Naturally this raises concerns with some readers of this material and the reviews have been mixed. While the conditions of both guys are dealt with sensitively and sympathetically there are readers who find this situation disturbing, particularly when things get sexual.
Personally, I felt that the presence of Ethan's mom and dad and kid brother in the story alleviated some of those concerns for me and even added layers of complexity to the story that raised this above the common level of M/M romance. However, this is meant to be a romance and even the heavies of the piece, and there are two, are pretty non-threatening and almost too good to be believed. I didn't mind that aspect of the story much and on balance was glad that it was treated as it was. Still I was so concerned with the vulnerability of these two somewhat damaged young men early on that my first progress note about this book was a worry about the past tense nature of the title. I was dreading that there was tragedy just around the corner. (view spoiler)[And I was very happy that tale did not go there. (hide spoiler)]
I'm a sucker for stories that expand one's empathy and allow the reader to "walk a mile in the other guy's moccasins" and this story does accomplish that incredibly well. I highly recommend it.
I borrowed this book as a kindle loan and have now added it to my "must acquire" list as I'm sure I'll want to re-read it sometime in the future.
Carter Stevenson is a twenty-four year old gay man living with Tourette's. Though he's gifted in music, he prefers to isolate himself and avoid the embarrassment that he feels about his condition. It's gotten so bad that he's decided to move to a smaller town and avoid the perma-crowd that is L.A. As luck would have it he finds himself living next door to a personable (and sexy) guy named Ethan who's struggling with a challenge of his own. Ethan suffered a traumatic brain injury some years ago and while physically an adult, Ethan can be very child-like in some respects.
This M/M romance takes us into the lives of two adorable gay men who are dealing with difficulties and it hits a few hot buttons along the way. While Ethan is very childlike in some aspects, his interest in sex is very adult and he's not got the filters that adults normally have. Naturally this raises concerns with some readers of this material and the reviews have been mixed. While the conditions of both guys are dealt with sensitively and sympathetically there are readers who find this situation disturbing, particularly when things get sexual.
Personally, I felt that the presence of Ethan's mom and dad and kid brother in the story alleviated some of those concerns for me and even added layers of complexity to the story that raised this above the common level of M/M romance. However, this is meant to be a romance and even the heavies of the piece, and there are two, are pretty non-threatening and almost too good to be believed. I didn't mind that aspect of the story much and on balance was glad that it was treated as it was. Still I was so concerned with the vulnerability of these two somewhat damaged young men early on that my first progress note about this book was a worry about the past tense nature of the title. I was dreading that there was tragedy just around the corner. (view spoiler)[And I was very happy that tale did not go there. (hide spoiler)]
I'm a sucker for stories that expand one's empathy and allow the reader to "walk a mile in the other guy's moccasins" and this story does accomplish that incredibly well. I highly recommend it.
I borrowed this book as a kindle loan and have now added it to my "must acquire" list as I'm sure I'll want to re-read it sometime in the future.
Wholesomeness taken to the next level. When a sweet-natured year 11 rugby lad struggles after kissing his openly gay year 10 desk-mate the self analysWholesomeness taken to the next level. When a sweet-natured year 11 rugby lad struggles after kissing his openly gay year 10 desk-mate the self analysis is taken to the next level.
The TV adaptation of this is surprisingly spot on and yet the graphic novel has charms of its own. ...more
Saw the series and was curious about the book that started it all. "Book" may be the wrong term for this graphic novel, but it's a wonderfully sweet lSaw the series and was curious about the book that started it all. "Book" may be the wrong term for this graphic novel, but it's a wonderfully sweet look at two English school lads who fall for each other in an English school setting.
Charlie and Nick and to a large degree all of the characters are immediately accessible and the reader starts caring for these animated characters, very very quickly. The TV series fleshed out the book rather well and the first season covers more than just this one book. Strangely one of the more complex characters that's followed a lot in the series doesn't even exist in this first book while Charlie has a younger brother in the book that is insignificant in the first volume and completely disappears in the series.
Still, it's a fun read and I was FINALLY able to find an electronic copy through my local Florida Library. At least they haven't banned this one yet....more
I loved this episode on Poirot with David Suchet so I decided it was high time to finally listen to the book on which it was based.
I was initially puI loved this episode on Poirot with David Suchet so I decided it was high time to finally listen to the book on which it was based.
I was initially put off by it NOT being narrated by Hugh Fraser as so many of the Poirot tales are but there's a good reason for this that one soon discovers. The original tale was clearly crafted as a tale told by a woman narrator who was there and was involved in the events described. While the character of nurse Amy Leatheran is in the TV episode, her role was greatly reduced in order to give Hastings a place in the episode. As with the rest of the television series, this tale was lovingly adapted but with far fewer Art Deco references and the subplot about Poirot's larcenous Countess Vera Rossakoff was added.
This was the first series of Valdemar books and they were written in the late 80s. I first picked them up after reading the trilogy about Vanyel the LThis was the first series of Valdemar books and they were written in the late 80s. I first picked them up after reading the trilogy about Vanyel the Last Herald-Mage. It was fun to know the origins of some of the "ins and outs" of Valdemar whilst reading these and they certainly show an evolved Kindom, hundreds of years later than the Vanyel books. Whilst the Vanyel series will always be my favorite, these tell a great tale about Talia, a Holderkin farm girl who makes good in the "big city." Some have criticized this book for being overly violent but I felt that that was in keeping with the times portrayed.
I've re-read them a number of times and always pick up a new detail or two to appreciate which I missed on earlier reads. Listening to them this time around made some points clear that I'd tended to overlook before.
The Narrator here does an excellent job and even voices the male characters with a distinctive flair that seems to add to rather than detract from the voice acting. ...more
The Time Machine meets Eyes on the Prize? Pleasantville meets Noah’s Arc? Black to the Future?
This new novel by Jay Bell is the best kind of M/M romanThe Time Machine meets Eyes on the Prize? Pleasantville meets Noah’s Arc? Black to the Future?
This new novel by Jay Bell is the best kind of M/M romance. It’s a mixture of many topics; from the civil rights struggle to 50s culture, to women’s rights, to the gay rights movement. Plus there’s making out with granny's “bent” boyfriend. And ya gotta admit... 65 years makes for a heck of an age-gap story.
When black and openly gay 18 year old Reggie gets transported from 2021 back to 1950s Chicago, one is immediately struck by the dangers involved. After all, Chicago was the hometown of Emmett Till. Being transported into a land where bigotry was in full flower didn’t exactly work out well for him.
Seeing 21st century Reggie meet and fall for very white, very closeted, Eagle Scout Daniel Parker was sweet to see but knowing that the young man had grown up regularly promising to be “morally straight” had me seeing the potential for catastrophe.
There are several new twists in the time-travel theme that I’ve never thought of before and so many fresh perspectives came up. When Reggie’s talent as a musician comes to the fore, I fully expected to see the book take a familiar turn. When it didn’t I was happy to see that what did follow was much more interesting. As with any really good novel, the author allows the reader to stumble upon some new perspectives without beating them over the head with them. Time travel romances are bittersweet at best. This one certainly had me misting up a time or two. When the “should I stay or should I go” dilemma arises, we get to the real heart of this story.
I loved seeing Daniel’s progressive doctor/father debating Reggie about conversion therapy. Such therapy, and whether or not homosexuality is a psychological disorder would still be cutting edge in some parts of this country. Police raiding a gay dance club is something we hear about. But having the main characters that you’re emotionally invested in, in fear of that very thing, gives the reader a whole new perspective.
I love reading M/M romances and enjoy them. But I do think of them as a guilty pleasure. The truly great books are those with more nutritional value. Here, there’s plenty of food for thought… as well as some sweetness. This is perhaps the best book I’ve read in 2021.
***Note: I am voluntarily reviewing this after receiving a complimentary copy *** If you're an audiobook fan this one's available to listen to (narrated by Kevin R. Free) at https://youtu.be/PdB38RQb9KY?si=d335W...
No one does mystery like the Brits. And this is the brilliant first novel in what I hope will be a long, long series. What’s not to love? We have TrisNo one does mystery like the Brits. And this is the brilliant first novel in what I hope will be a long, long series. What’s not to love? We have Tristan, a nerdishly cute, if somewhat klutzy coroner, and Danny, a dashing DI (that’s Detective Inspector to us non-Brits) who hails from the North of England. Also there’s Dusty, a recently deceased drag queen, now ghost. (Though she prefers the term Corporeally Challenged)
Both Danny and Tristan are movie buffs, and both are kind of lonely; Tristan because the widowed father who raised him is in a home with degenerative vascular dementia, and Danny because he’s pretty much been disowned by his family after coming out back in Leeds.
Danny has a new job with Scotland Yard and is assigned to solve Dusty’s murder. Tristan gets some invaluable tips (on both the murder and on landing Danny) from Dusty. Yet, admitting to Danny that he now “sees dead people” is a little too “The Sixth Sense” for Tristan. The situations are by turn sexy, and uproariously funny. Dusty’s a bit of a blithe spirit, but stuck in one stiletto. She’s sort of gotten off on the wrong foot with this whole being dead thing. ...more
There are so many different takes on shifters these days... wolves, panthers, bunnies, even duck shifters -- but this is my first experience with DinoThere are so many different takes on shifters these days... wolves, panthers, bunnies, even duck shifters -- but this is my first experience with Dino-shifters.
And who better to pair up a dorky paleontology professor with than a smart-mouthed, devil-may-care, punk-rock paleo-shifter? A pink Mohawked, Dino-Dalton, is the perfect shake up for the stodgy, slightly older lab rat Simon. Together they're adorable and unstoppable.
These two gayboys bring a new bent to M/M shifter lore in a cross country road-trip chased gun-toting fossil smuggling bad guys along the way.
Though the action is almost non-stop, the Dino punk-rocker and the paleontologist do find time to bone. And since the paleontologist has previously identified as straight, there are plenty of firsts here. Even the trite blowjob declaration “you taste good” takes on a slightly different kinky vibe, when one's scientific side is wondering “Does he taste like chicken?” There are also some laugh out loud funny moments, such as hearing Velociraptors described as “Death peacocks.”
Of course this is an M/M romance so the boys do end up routing the baddies and getting together but this is clearly only the beginning and I can't wait to see the mayhem that ensues in book 2.
The audiobook is ably narrated by Kirt Graves and he brings a charm and a sassiness to both of the main characters. There were even a few “bleed through” moments where his performance here reminded me of moments in his narration of the Green Creek Shifter series and it sort of added to the fun.
And feel good fun is what this one is all about. By all means check this one out....more
