Bastards and Pretty Boys

by K.Z. Snow (Goodreads Author)

book data

34 ratings, 3.65 average rating, 9 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		8%
4		52%
3		32%
2		5%
1		0%

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published

2009 by Liquid Silver Press

details

ebook, 151 pages

url

http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cg...

isbn13

9781595786180

description

Charles Larkin is finally happy with his life…for the most part. He’s happy with his new summer getaway—a rustic cottage he just bought on a sma…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 72)

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Feb 23, 2010

Elisa added it

Read in February, 2010

It’s not much the story that made an interesting reading of Bastards and Pretty Boys for me, but the characters. First of all, there is a countercurrent development of them, the pretty boy is the bastard and the stronger man in the relationship, and the hunky man is the one needing protection.

Charles has just bought a cottage on the lake and he wants to spend a week alone and relaxing. I think Charles has his life a bit too full: a divorce and an ex-wife that wants still to lead h...more It’s not much the story that made an interesting reading of Bastards and Pretty Boys for me, but the characters. First of all, there is a countercurrent development of them, the pretty boy is the bastard and the stronger man in the relationship, and the hunky man is the one needing protection.

Charles has just bought a cottage on the lake and he wants to spend a week alone and relaxing. I think Charles has his life a bit too full: a divorce and an ex-wife that wants still to lead his life, even if with good intentions (it happens when your ex-wife is a cop) and a relationship that it’s not going in the direction Charles hoped. Truth be told, Charles is not exactly a perfect man who is suffering from the mistakes of other people, I didn’t always like his attitude: for example with his lover’s son, a kid who is suffering for the divorce of his parents, and also for the new relationship of his father with Charles, something he doesn’t understand since no one cared to explain the situation to him. Charles is not sympathetic, I even felt like he was annoyed.

Both Charles than Kenneth have not an easy relationship with themselves. Charles is still not at ease with being gay, and he almost resents the fact to be too pretty, like it’s a “gay” birthmark; he thinks that Carolyn, his ex-wife, even if she has accepted the reason of their divorce, still doesn’t like for him to be “too” gay, but I think he is reflecting his own perception of the situation: it’s Charles himself that doesn’t want to be labelled “gay” and for this reason he is all right with a relationship with Kenneth, since Kenneth doesn’t seem gay… Being with him, Charles can’t pretend that he is not so gay.

Same reason why he is attracted by Booker, his neighbour: Booker doesn’t seem gay, at first Charles thinks he is straight, but despite this, he is nevertheless attracted by him. When he discovers that Booker is gay, it’s even better: not only Booker doesn’t look gay, he is mainly a bottom in bed, so that Charles is even more reassured in his masculinity. Booker seems really the perfect man, and even his past experience in prison (for marijuana detention) is not something too bothering to Charles’ eyes.

Truth be told, I would have been satisfied with the story like that, the crime subplot regarding Booker and his stalker felt a bit estranged, like something the author needed to add to wrap up the story. It was not bad, even if the unexpected connection between Booker and Charles was a bit too pulled, but in the end it was not what remained of the book in my mind. Probably what was more particular, and interesting, was the atmosphere of the book, there was a stilling sensation, something I associated with the lake and the place; the setting was not an hustle and bustle holiday location, it was more like sleeper little town. Actually the whole neighbouring thing with Charles spying Booker and Booker suddenly appearing, was even a little creepy; in the end the story is more simple than what the growing expectations made you believe, but that was exactly what made the story interesting and original.

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Sep 19, 2009

Jenre rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary, m-m, romance

Read in September, 2009

This delightful novella from KZ Snow was a quick undemanding read about the end of one relationship and the beginning of something new. It focuses on first person narrator Charlie who has bought a summer getaway by a lake and is starting a two week holiday at the house. Helping him move in and clean up the place is his lover Kenneth and his ex-wife Carolyn. Charlie has reached the point in his relationship with Kenneth that he has started noticing all the things that he doesn't really like about...more This delightful novella from KZ Snow was a quick undemanding read about the end of one relationship and the beginning of something new. It focuses on first person narrator Charlie who has bought a summer getaway by a lake and is starting a two week holiday at the house. Helping him move in and clean up the place is his lover Kenneth and his ex-wife Carolyn. Charlie has reached the point in his relationship with Kenneth that he has started noticing all the things that he doesn't really like about him and forgetting the reasons which brought them together. When Kenneth tells Charlie that he's been sleeping around on him, Charlie knows that it marks the beginning of the end for them, but gives himself a week to think before he calls off the relationship. As Charlie is settling into his holiday he meets Booker who owns the house next door. They hit it off immediately but Booker's got a dodgy past and Charlie needs to get past that before he can commit himself.

There were quite a lot of things I liked about this story. Firstly was the character of Charlie. He's had a bit of a rough ride when it comes to relationships. His marriage was a sham because it took him a while to realise he was gay, then he went off the rails and slept around before settling with Kenneth who he has begun to realise is not someone he loves or wants to continue seeing. When he meets Booker, therefore, he's at the stage where he's happy with his sexuality, he's had time to 'sow his oats' and also to experience a steady relationship. Charlie's ready to give love a go and he finds it in Booker, falling quickly for him. I had a great deal of sympathy for Charlie and found his feelings for Kenneth and Booker and the way he works through those feelings to be realistically done. Also realistic was the relationship between Charlie and Carolyn. We are never told how long it is since they divorced, but it is hinted at several times that it was a dark and difficult time for both of them. It was nice to see the aftermath of that time and how both characters had moved on with their lives. Another great thing about Charlie is that he is rather a sensible person. When Booker tells him about his past he at first reacts badly. It doesn't take long for him to realise that he was a bit of an idiot and so he apologises to Booker, thus avoiding a big misunderstanding which would have ruined the tone of the book and made me lose sympathy with Charlie. Instead the two men talk about their problems and their pasts and actively seek to help each other. It was this more than anything which made Bastards and Pretty Boys a special read.

Booker is seen only from Charlie's point of view, and as Charlie falls for him pretty quickly, that view is rather idealised. Booker, it seems cannot do wrong, has a fantastic body, is great in bed, etc, etc. This meant that it was more difficult to understand Booker. Booker himself is completely perplexed at times over Charlie's sudden feelings for him, leading to some scenes which were difficult for both men. In fact most of the book, apart from the opening section with Carolyn, Kenneth and Charlie, and a short scene between Kenneth and Charlie at the end, is focused on the relationship with Charlie and Booker as they talk and interact with each other. This lent the book quite a large emotional intensity which added to its romantic feel. I liked that the general tone of the book was relaxed and focused on the romance as it made a nice change from some of the other books I've read recently. This was also reflected in the setting. Nearly all the action happens around the cottage where Charlie is spending his holiday. I found the descriptions of the cottage, the lake, the pine forest and the nature surrounding it, to be quite lovely and fit nicely into what is a quiet story of two men who fall in love. Even the tension, which is introduced later in the story, is heightened by their isolation.

I did have one slight niggle with Bastards and Pretty Boys which was that on at least three occasions various different characters spouted off their views on the Cannabis Law in the US, mostly saying how ridiculous it was. The first time it happened I thought it was a bit strange, then on subsequent occasions it jolted me out of the story and made me feel like I was being lectured to. The subject was relevant to the book but I thought it rather unsubtle to have the authors own views injected into a book in this fashion.

Overall, I really enjoyed Bastards and Pretty Boys. It was a light, romantic read containing realistic characters who are sensible enough to know that they've found someone special. I recommend this book to those who love a good, well written romance and it gets a grade of 'Very Good' from me.(less)

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Nov 26, 2009

Lily rated it:

bookshelves: 2010-books-i-ve-read-this-year, ebook, m-m

Read in January, 2010

3.5 stars
This is a really nice story of a man trying to deal as best he can with the end one relationship and the beginning of a new one. The story is told through first person POV by Charlie, who has come to spend a couple of weeks fixing up the new lakeside cabin he's bought. He's ex-wife and his boyfriend Kenneth also come down to help him get settled in but while he's happy to have her help his feelings about Kenneth, already in doubt are further complicated by a startling revelation. ...more

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Nov 26, 2009

Kassa rated it:

This particular story surprised me because it didn’t feel like the writing I was expecting. Although I haven’t read the entire backlist of Snow’s, usually her writing engages me almost immediately. I read/reviewed her Utopia X series and had a lot of problems with the plot but the writing was strong in many places and engaging enough that I finished the books each time. This time the writing felt stiff and awkward with odd word choices that didn’t fit the characters. The plot as well, a...more

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Feb 27, 2010

Erin rated it:

bookshelves: romance

Read in February, 2010

Generally, I liked this book, but I had a few niggles. 1) Charlie reads a little like a woman's idea of a man; 2) there's a plot twist in the middle that is too much of a coincidence to be believable; 3) the end doesn't resolve the external conflict in the novel, which I found frustrating, because I wanted to see the bad guy get his comeuppance.

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Dec 23, 2009

SheSwitches rated it:

Read in December, 2009

This was a quickie. I usually enjoy reading a little man-loving now and then but I could take or leave this one. The pace was nice and steady but the plot very predictable. I think the thing I'll remember most about this book is the really bad kiss in the beginning. It's been a while since I read a bad kiss description-Yuckers.

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Sep 22, 2009

FloJ rated it:

bookshelves: gay-fiction

Read in September, 2009

I enjoyed this very much. Characters with enough imperfections to love. It turned out to be a bit different from the suggestion of the title and the blurb - better imo.
I thought I was in for a clingy queeny sort of boyfriend, but no, we get a couple of crims who are routed very satisfactorily.

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