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 charming contemporary romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues.
Two contestants on a reality dating show start falling for each other—instead of the guy they’re meant to be competing for.
Former rodeo queen Krystin spent most of her early dating years devoted to competitions, which didn’t leave much time to prioritize romance. When she realizes she’s exhausted all the options in her Montana hometown, she decides to sign up as a contestant on the reality dating show Hopelessly Devoted. While her best friend is vocally skeptical about the odds of her finding anything resembling true love, Krystin is trying to go into the experience as optimistically as possible. If only one of her fellow contestants didn’t give her more butterflies than the guy she’s meant to be winning over! Lauren knows she isn’t appearing on Hopelessly Devoted for the right reasons—she’s more interested in using the show’s visibility to grow her brand as an influencer than in finding a boyfriend. The truth is that she’s not even romantically interested in men, but somehow, she’s securing herself a spot on the show week after week—and getting ever closer to earning a proposal from Josh Rosen, the season’s Hopeless Romantic. While Krystin and Lauren aren’t really sure what they want to get out of this experience, they both know it’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore their growing feelings for each other. Paulsen and Wang have co-authored a romance that tackles the world of reality competition shows honestly without becoming too cynical about the behind-the-scenes experience. Through Krystin and Lauren’s evolving relationship, which brims over with chemistry; the two women’s individual journeys to exploring their identities; and a fearlessness in introducing morally complex characters, this debut contributes bold new aspects to the romance genre while embracing that all-important happily-ever-after.
A charming contemporary romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues.Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9781639107094
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Alcove Press
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
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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