A gratifying, humble novella about the intersection of family and same-sex love.
A gay man attempts to find modern-day love—and maybe marriage—in Tullis’ fiction debut.
Luke, the bighearted protagonist of Tullis’ novella, is looking forward to spending the holidays at his parents’ house in a state six and a half hours south of the unnamed spot where he now lives. Though he’s enjoyed Thanksgiving dinners with his chosen family of single friends, he’s excited about Christmas because relatives will be on hand, including grandparents, his brother and sister, and four nieces and nephews. On the long drive home, a furtive encounter with a stranger in a rest stop men’s room reaffirms Luke’s thirst for a same-sex love connection. But he continues his trip to his parents’ house, and on Christmas, his mother tries to set him up with new neighbor Diana. Luke—who’d been married for 12 years to a woman—politely declines the offer, though he has yet to reveal his sexuality to his homophobic father, who’s said he won’t attend another wedding of his son’s. New Year’s Eve, Luke spends the big countdown with Caleb, a handsome stranger he meets in the men’s room at a gala. Love leads briskly to cohabitation and toward a lavish wedding Luke hopes to invite his parents to, only without telling them he’s marrying another man. Can he pull it off? Don’t expect drama from this sweet-natured tale, a slow burn that unfurls methodically. It has a minimalist plot, unfussy threads of narrative braided together, and lightly sketched peripheral characters—all building toward a foreshadowed and saccharine conclusion that leaves just about everyone happy—so its pleasures are quieter ones. Arkansas author Tullis particularly excels at atmospheric details, illustrated with great care, including those of Luke’s Christmas morning at home with carols, trees, presents, multicolored lights, and a dusting of snow outside. He incorporates themes of coming out, shame, unapologetic same-sex love, and self-confidence into a deceptively unadorned story that may especially appeal to younger LGBTQ+ readers seeking a short, feel-good story about unconditional love and gay pride.
A gratifying, humble novella about the intersection of family and same-sex love.Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-9979127-9-1
Page Count: 100
Publisher: Tullisian Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever, romantic, sexy love story.
The much-loved royal romance genre gets a fun and refreshing update in McQuiston’s debut.
Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the American President Ellen Claremont, knows one thing for sure: He hates Henry, the British prince to whom he is always compared. He lives for their verbal sparring matches, but when one of their fights at a royal wedding goes a bit too far, they end up falling into a wedding cake and making tabloid headlines. An international scandal could ruin Alex’s mother’s chances for re-election, so it’s time for damage control. The plan? Alex and Henry must pretend to be best friends, giving the tabloids pictures of their bromance and neutralizing the threat to Ellen's presidency. But after a few photo ops with Henry, Alex starts to realize that the passionate anger he feels toward him might be a cover for regular old passion. There are, naturally, a million roadblocks between their first kiss and their happily-ever-after—how can American political royalty and actual British royalty ever be together? How can they navigate being open about their sexualities (Alex is bisexual; Henry is gay) in their very public and very scrutinized roles? Alex and Henry must decide if they’ll risk their futures, their families, and their careers to take a chance on happiness. Although the story’s premise might be a fantasy—it takes place in a world in which a divorced-mom Texan Democrat won the 2016 election—the emotions are all real. The love affair between Alex and Henry is intense and romantic, made all the more so by the inclusion of their poetic emails that manage to be both funny and steamy. McQuiston’s strength is in dialogue; her characters speak in hilarious rapid-fire bursts with plenty of “likes,” “ums,” creative punctuation, and pop-culture references, sounding like smarter, funnier versions of real people. Although Alex and Henry’s relationship is the heart of the story, their friends and family members are all rich, well-drawn characters, and their respective worlds feel both realistic and larger-than-life.
A clever, romantic, sexy love story.Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-31677-6
Page Count: 432
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
The Hunger Games intersects with Greek lore in this male-female-male erotic romance.
Three aspirants to power in Olympus clash on a mock battlefield—and in the bedroom.
Achilles, second-in-command in Athena’s special forces, wants to become the new Ares in this third volume of Robert’s Dark Olympus series, a modern twist on the classical Greek pantheon. He’s taking Patroclus, his best friend and lover, with him into the competition for the title, but neither counted on spoiled rich girl Helen entering the fray. Helen is tired of being treated reductively by her poisonous ex, Paris, and as a pawn by her family, headed by the newly ascended Zeus. Winning the title of Ares, commander of Olympus’ army, is her path to independence. But then, surprising even her, a couple she’s competing against makes her want to trust them. Patroclus has always loved Achilles, his impulsive warrior partner, but seeing Helen stirs memories of a childhood friendship that’s turning into adult longing. Can these two wary overthinkers win their hearts’ desires while forming a throuple with the impulsive Achilles? As they all jostle to protect themselves while winning these brutal Olympics, their sexual and emotional needs could bind them into a fulfilling alliance or, if their ambitions get in the way, rip them apart. For readers who want a sexy updated mythology that’s mindful of current conversations about consensual play in a ménage à trois or those who enjoy romance novels with a Survivor motif, such as Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series, this could be just the thing. The first-person narrative revolves among the three protagonists, and the intensive navel-gazing might detract from the sex scenes (featuring both couples and threesomes) for some readers.
The Hunger Games intersects with Greek lore in this male-female-male erotic romance.Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72823-179-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
ROMANCE | FANTASY | GENERAL ROMANCE | LBGTQ
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