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45th out of 399 books
—
859 voters
Paper Planes (Queen City #1)
by
M. Jules Aedin (Goodreads Author)
Photographer Stuart Grange was happy with his suburbanite life until his partner was killed in a plane hijacking. Now he’s suddenly the face of gay rights in America and trying to deal with his new responsibility while coping with his overwhelming grief. He’s got his hands full without the complications of a new love, but his heart’s not waiting for him to catch up.
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ebook, 184 pages
Published
May 3rd 2011
by Loose Id
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I ♥ this book!!
First off, I want to say 'Thank You' to Endless and LA for telling me to read this book. If I would have read the blurb or knew anything about it, I never would have read it because it looked like it would be so sad. So don't let the blurb turn you away from this beautiful book! After the first chapter it is not sad at all and has little-to-no angst in my opinion. Even though Stuart and Dustin have lost so much in the past, it is really about them healing and loving again.
Stuart a...more
First off, I want to say 'Thank You' to Endless and LA for telling me to read this book. If I would have read the blurb or knew anything about it, I never would have read it because it looked like it would be so sad. So don't let the blurb turn you away from this beautiful book! After the first chapter it is not sad at all and has little-to-no angst in my opinion. Even though Stuart and Dustin have lost so much in the past, it is really about them healing and loving again.
Stuart a...more
I loved everything about this book. Every. Single. Page. It was emotional, it was hopeful, it was sweet, sexy...Oh so good.
Stuart Grange is 35 years old, after loosing his partner who had died on a highjacked flight a year earlier, has been traveling the country to speak about his partner who died a hero taking down the plane, and about their lives together. On a trip to Dallas to speak at an event, he has a run in with the very attractive pilot from his flight, and for the first time since his...more
Stuart Grange is 35 years old, after loosing his partner who had died on a highjacked flight a year earlier, has been traveling the country to speak about his partner who died a hero taking down the plane, and about their lives together. On a trip to Dallas to speak at an event, he has a run in with the very attractive pilot from his flight, and for the first time since his...more
13 likes · like · see review
I have read many stories where, when a partner/love dies, the author spends time building the story around the dead person as 'bad' - they were cheating, drugs, lost all their money, etc. All this while the surviving MC still mourns the lost lover, but now has a 'free pass' to fall into new love. Most of the time this plot device is not needed and I think this is the way an author uses to ease the surviving MC into a new love, especially if it happens quickly after their partner's death. I have...more
10 likes · like · see review
i read to chapter ten about 49% of the book. first half bored me so much and was just a waste of pages I don't have any desire to see how the last half is.
I was like the first three chapters ok but after the 7 month time jump i never got back into it. Seemed like after that i was just reading the same thing over and over again in a different setting. so many scenes just the MC having the same thoughts it was wordy and boring.
Also when they finally start to reconnect after the nine or ten month...more
I was like the first three chapters ok but after the 7 month time jump i never got back into it. Seemed like after that i was just reading the same thing over and over again in a different setting. so many scenes just the MC having the same thoughts it was wordy and boring.
Also when they finally start to reconnect after the nine or ten month...more
3 likes · like · see review
M. Jules Aedin has become one of my auto-buys. Her stories fit my taste to the "T". I like how she seems to take time to build the relationship and not just jump into the lovemaking.
The charm of this story comes from the narrator (Stuart) and what may start as chance encounter between him and Dustin, picks up 7 months later, turns into a long-distance relationship, then settling down in full partnership. It moves in a nice pace, the way that relationship in real life probably is ... And while it...more
The charm of this story comes from the narrator (Stuart) and what may start as chance encounter between him and Dustin, picks up 7 months later, turns into a long-distance relationship, then settling down in full partnership. It moves in a nice pace, the way that relationship in real life probably is ... And while it...more
9 likes · like · see review
Such a sweet, simple story, and yet so much content! Two men who each have lost a lover to an untimely death in the past meet, get to know each other and finally get together. This book moves slow and calm, as does the protagonist's relationship, There isn't much action, and there isn't even much character development aside from Stuart coping and finally coming to terms with the loss of his beloved boyfriend. It fits that both heroes are older, it fits that Dustin has a disability with which he...more
This book's an absolute perfection! *happy sigh*
I loved everything about it, every little thing! :)
I'm not good with words, I just wanna say I enjoyed this immensely! The whole thing with how Stuart's been dealing with Brendan's death, his anguish and despair and how very slowly he's recovered was great! And I loved how Dustin's been mostly confident and self-assured, despite his disability, but in some moments his uncertainty piped up - made it even more poignant.
The slow bloom of their relatio...more
I loved everything about it, every little thing! :)
I'm not good with words, I just wanna say I enjoyed this immensely! The whole thing with how Stuart's been dealing with Brendan's death, his anguish and despair and how very slowly he's recovered was great! And I loved how Dustin's been mostly confident and self-assured, despite his disability, but in some moments his uncertainty piped up - made it even more poignant.
The slow bloom of their relatio...more
FURTHER EDIT, May 2012: Once I got over the fact that the book does not match the blurb, and re-read, I loved it. This is a sweet, funny, realistic, and charming book, with great characters and an awesome slow-burn love story. Definitely recommended.
Original review below:
I have to think about the rating for this one for a good long while, because this was not the story I thought I'd be getting.
The blurb says that Dustin is trying to give Stuart the time and space he needs to be ready to move o...more
5 likes · like · see review
This is a wonderful read. I smiled a lot when I read this book.
Stuart is a photographer and his partner Brendan was killed in a plane hijacking. After his death, Stuart goes around the country giving talks to LGBT chapters focusing on Brendan's heroism. While some people think this a bid for fame it's more a theraputic move on Stuart's part but he's feeling the need for it come to an end. It's during his last trip that he meets a pilot, Dustin. There's attraction on both sides, too soon for Stua...more
Stuart is a photographer and his partner Brendan was killed in a plane hijacking. After his death, Stuart goes around the country giving talks to LGBT chapters focusing on Brendan's heroism. While some people think this a bid for fame it's more a theraputic move on Stuart's part but he's feeling the need for it come to an end. It's during his last trip that he meets a pilot, Dustin. There's attraction on both sides, too soon for Stua...more
2 likes · like · see review
4.5 stars. This is a nice, slow, sweet story about Stuart, a photographer who is starting to heal after the death of his partner over a year before. Stuart hasn't thought about another man since losing Brendan until a comment and an appreciative glance from the pilot of his commercial flight suddenly make him feel that heat of interest. The pilot, Dustin, is the first guy who makes Stuart think he may be ready to try dating again.
I loved the fact that this story progressed slowly. Stuart doesn't...more
I loved the fact that this story progressed slowly. Stuart doesn't...more
2 likes · like · see review
I'm a voracious reader of M/M romance and usually find something I love about every book I read. I try to give the author the benefit of the doubt in all cases.
Paper Plans was, in short, boring. I rarely put down a book I bought, never to return. But with Paper Planes I had not choice.
When I read books, I think about them when I'm not reading them. I can't wait to get home form work, or for a rainy weekend wher I know I can spend hours and hours immersing myself in my books. Sometimes I think I...more
Paper Plans was, in short, boring. I rarely put down a book I bought, never to return. But with Paper Planes I had not choice.
When I read books, I think about them when I'm not reading them. I can't wait to get home form work, or for a rainy weekend wher I know I can spend hours and hours immersing myself in my books. Sometimes I think I...more
Photographer Stuart spends much of his time speaking at GLBT events, about his lover who died during a plane hijacking. It's been nearly a year but while landing in Dallas, the captain of the flight, flirts with him. By chance Dustin is also at the rally and offers to get him to the airport, however they get talking and he misses his flight so stays with Dustin. He's not ready for a relationship but starts thinking about Dustin more and more and finally after much mulling and talking with his th...more
4.75 stars
I was hesitant to read this book because I was sure it would be an angst fest and I had had my fill of angst recently, but M. Jules Aedin really threw me a curve. This is the third book I have reviewed by this author and I expected that a book about two damaged protagonists, one who had recently lost his partner in a hijacking and another who had suffered a double tragedy would be a real downer, but Paper Planes was surprisingly funny and upbeat and I absolutely loved it.
I thought that...more
I was hesitant to read this book because I was sure it would be an angst fest and I had had my fill of angst recently, but M. Jules Aedin really threw me a curve. This is the third book I have reviewed by this author and I expected that a book about two damaged protagonists, one who had recently lost his partner in a hijacking and another who had suffered a double tragedy would be a real downer, but Paper Planes was surprisingly funny and upbeat and I absolutely loved it.
I thought that...more
This - Book - Is - A - TREASURE!!!
The romance in this book was like smouldering embers of a fire that keeps you warm and cozy all night long in the winters, complete with it's occasional sparks of some really hot sex! :D
This was such a wonderful ride on so many levels that it went past being ridiculously good...There is tragedy but the author took such care not to overdo it with overbearing angst. Instead there was genuine emotion, genuine situations with genuine characters who have busy lives...more
The romance in this book was like smouldering embers of a fire that keeps you warm and cozy all night long in the winters, complete with it's occasional sparks of some really hot sex! :D
This was such a wonderful ride on so many levels that it went past being ridiculously good...There is tragedy but the author took such care not to overdo it with overbearing angst. Instead there was genuine emotion, genuine situations with genuine characters who have busy lives...more
7 likes · like · see review
Paper Planes by M. Jules Aedin was a tear jerker of grand proportions and I loved every sniffle and smile reading about Stuart and Dustin brought me.
Two different males, polar opposites a few chance meetings turn to what I call divine fate. Their road to finding each other wasn’t easy. Stuart wasn’t ready to let go of the past and re-enter the land of the living after losing his partner.
When he met Dustin my heart sped up and then I became engrossed in the hardships Dustin endured and continued...more
Two different males, polar opposites a few chance meetings turn to what I call divine fate. Their road to finding each other wasn’t easy. Stuart wasn’t ready to let go of the past and re-enter the land of the living after losing his partner.
When he met Dustin my heart sped up and then I became engrossed in the hardships Dustin endured and continued...more
If I had to sum this book up in one word it would be "quiet".
Reading the story of how Stuart and Dustin fall in love kind of feels like drifting down a lazy river on a hot and hazy afternoon. It's not so much about where you're going. It's about how you get to where you're going.
Stuart, the narrator, lost his partner in a plane crash and he's in that land of limbo where he's still grieving but he's also starting to move on. He meets Dustin, a pilot, and is intrigued. Stuart ends up having to sta...more
Reading the story of how Stuart and Dustin fall in love kind of feels like drifting down a lazy river on a hot and hazy afternoon. It's not so much about where you're going. It's about how you get to where you're going.
Stuart, the narrator, lost his partner in a plane crash and he's in that land of limbo where he's still grieving but he's also starting to move on. He meets Dustin, a pilot, and is intrigued. Stuart ends up having to sta...more
11 likes · like · see review
What a lovely story! Both Dustin and Stuart have suffered lost loves. While Stuart is younger than Dustin and his loss is more public and recent, Dustin also knows what it's like to lose the one you love. The story unfolds over more than a year of time from their first meeting - serendipitous that Dustin is the pilot on Stuart's flight to a speaking engagement that Dustin then attends - to the satisfying ending.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I really liked the style. Stuart...more
This is the first book I've read by this author and I really liked the style. Stuart...more
I like the way M. Jules Aedin writes. This book is not nearly as memorable as her striking linked shorts Vespers in the Snow and Walking On The Moon, but her writing is always professional, graceful, and easy to read.
This is the story of two men learning to love again after both of them have lost partners. The main MC, Stuart, is a professional photographer who has recently lost his partner in a "United Airlines Flight 93"-style plane hijacking. The second MC, Dustin, is a Korean-American commer...more
This is the story of two men learning to love again after both of them have lost partners. The main MC, Stuart, is a professional photographer who has recently lost his partner in a "United Airlines Flight 93"-style plane hijacking. The second MC, Dustin, is a Korean-American commer...more
I enjoyed reading this book!
Can't say that I was mesmerized by it but it did leave me with a happy feeling and a smile on my face. Even though halfway through the book, I figured there wasn't going to be a burst of action and adrenaline in the story, the writing sometimes suggested... and I kept expecting some sudden turn of events or something bad to happen. Luckily, this is a HEA story.
The first person POV was nicely done and I liked that the story was only from Stuart's perspective. I mean, i...more
Can't say that I was mesmerized by it but it did leave me with a happy feeling and a smile on my face. Even though halfway through the book, I figured there wasn't going to be a burst of action and adrenaline in the story, the writing sometimes suggested... and I kept expecting some sudden turn of events or something bad to happen. Luckily, this is a HEA story.
The first person POV was nicely done and I liked that the story was only from Stuart's perspective. I mean, i...more
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I love this author, she writes such emotionally captivating books. The plot might not have been angst filled but it kept me interested with it's dips into real life. Both main characters had lost partners and it went into details of the grieving and reliving process. The book realistically portrayed not necessarily older men but men in their middle age. It also didn't shy away from the sometimes not pleasant part of having a prosthetic which I personally greatly appreciated. The book had me thin...more
2 likes · like · see review
Paper Planes is a lovely romance and one I quite enjoyed for 2/3rds of the book. Once the two are together and in love the final 50 pages are slice of life details as the two figures out where they will live and the various details of their life together. It’s sweet and romantic yet I was missing that sense of purpose and need to read, which had my interest in the story petering out. If I’d ended the book once the two got together I don’t feel like I would have missed something important. At the...more
Rated 4 1/2 stars.
Dustin is half-Korean, wears a prosthetic leg, is 13 years older than Stuart, and none of that makes any difference to their relationship. That in itself is different because any or all of these situations is used as a plot-device in other books to bring conflict. Stuart lost his partner to heroic actions taken during a terrorist attack on an airplane. Dustin lost a partner to Aids. Again, these facts are just backstory to a delightful book about recovering from loss and buildi...more
Dustin is half-Korean, wears a prosthetic leg, is 13 years older than Stuart, and none of that makes any difference to their relationship. That in itself is different because any or all of these situations is used as a plot-device in other books to bring conflict. Stuart lost his partner to heroic actions taken during a terrorist attack on an airplane. Dustin lost a partner to Aids. Again, these facts are just backstory to a delightful book about recovering from loss and buildi...more
A really good voice and smooth writing - I sank straight into the story right from the start. The slightly unusual h/h pairing with disability, age, and cultural differences was handled well IMO.
The falling in love part was nicely done and I loved the humour in this book, but I think the eventual lack of conflict meant the book sort of fizzled out - once the initial issues were worked through, the main conflict was really just a lack of time to see each other.
Good read though, and I am definitel...more
The falling in love part was nicely done and I loved the humour in this book, but I think the eventual lack of conflict meant the book sort of fizzled out - once the initial issues were worked through, the main conflict was really just a lack of time to see each other.
Good read though, and I am definitel...more
A slow romance without any conflict, this book has so many positives for me and yet lacks spark. Also ignore the cover, it doesn't fit.
First of the positives:
- The characters are engaging without trying too hard, they come across as believable and adult, not to be taken for granted in the m/m genre.
- While they feel attraction it never falls to constant hard-on territory.
- Both older, mid thirties/forties the characters carry the maturity and life experience you'd expect, no silly communication...more
First of the positives:
- The characters are engaging without trying too hard, they come across as believable and adult, not to be taken for granted in the m/m genre.
- While they feel attraction it never falls to constant hard-on territory.
- Both older, mid thirties/forties the characters carry the maturity and life experience you'd expect, no silly communication...more
This review was originally published on my blog Joyfully Jay.
I picked this book up after reading a review on another blog. I wasn't familiar with the author, but the book combined two of my favorite elements: an interracial couple and a hero with a physical disability. Ethnic and physical diversity are so often lacking in romance novels that finding both at once, along with a great sounding plot, inspired me to check it out. And I am really glad that I did!
Stuart Grange lost his partner Brendan...more
I picked this book up after reading a review on another blog. I wasn't familiar with the author, but the book combined two of my favorite elements: an interracial couple and a hero with a physical disability. Ethnic and physical diversity are so often lacking in romance novels that finding both at once, along with a great sounding plot, inspired me to check it out. And I am really glad that I did!
Stuart Grange lost his partner Brendan...more
I really loved this one. The author's voice sucked me right in by page 2 and I was teary by page 3. I love it when a book does that! :D
Stuart's lover Brendan was killed in a terrorist incident and Stuart has found himself a de facto spokesperson for gay rights as a result. He's still very much dealing with the grief of losing his partner. He meets pilot, Dustin McDonough (who is of Korean extraction, which you would not expect from his name) and they commence a slow build of flirtation which ev...more
Stuart's lover Brendan was killed in a terrorist incident and Stuart has found himself a de facto spokesperson for gay rights as a result. He's still very much dealing with the grief of losing his partner. He meets pilot, Dustin McDonough (who is of Korean extraction, which you would not expect from his name) and they commence a slow build of flirtation which ev...more
This story told from the perspective of Stuart Grange who recently lost his partner in a plane hijacking, gives a fairly realistic portrait of his attempts to start a new relationship with Dustin, a man with his own past. I feel the book is well researched, especially in showing the little details about Dustin's disability, & in showing the grieving & moving on process.
On the other hand, there's not a whole lot happening in this story. We're led to believe that there might be some issue...more
On the other hand, there's not a whole lot happening in this story. We're led to believe that there might be some issue...more
Sweet romance, well written. I was afraid I would be bored because the plot is very simple, but surprisingly, it was very good. I have to admit, I like when one of the hero is not the kind of guy everyone will hit one at first sight. Here one hero is like that, and I won't say more, because the blurb is silent on that.
This story is about hope, about second chances, about second love. The end of the book is very beautiful ( something about pictures and a paper plane).
This story is about hope, about second chances, about second love. The end of the book is very beautiful ( something about pictures and a paper plane).
Sometimes you just need a book with some good emotions, cuteness, fun and hot sex. This one had all of those.
I liked the unique aspects of this book, there were some very neat little details and I laughed so many times at the little funny things scattered throughout the book.
Despite Paper Planes being a solid story, it left me wanting more. Why? Because it was so damn good and I just liked the characters a lot.
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Growing up Southern has been an interesting experience for Jules, who discovered that labels for things like gender and sexuality are, at best, approximations. When not reading or playing video games or writing (or doing all three at once!) Jules is generally trying to convincingly pretend to be a responsible adult and at least do laundry once in a while. Oh, and show up for the evil day job and f...more
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Feb 08, 2012 11:36am
Feb 08, 2012 01:25pm