Elisa Rolle's Blog, page 130
September 25, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Stupid Love
Stupid Love by S.J. Carter
I really loved the all story, the characterization of the characters, the way the grow throughout the entire book. To be honest the first few pages did not impress me but the hope of something good convinced me to continue reading, and I did the right thing. The story is well told and captivating, it kept me glued to the book without being able to stop reading. S.J. Carter really amazed me and for sure I'll read more from this author.
https://amzn.to/3i5I1Hn
comments
I really loved the all story, the characterization of the characters, the way the grow throughout the entire book. To be honest the first few pages did not impress me but the hope of something good convinced me to continue reading, and I did the right thing. The story is well told and captivating, it kept me glued to the book without being able to stop reading. S.J. Carter really amazed me and for sure I'll read more from this author.
https://amzn.to/3i5I1Hn
comments
September 23, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Owl
Owl by M. Raiya
A gem of a story. Very original, with well-drawn characters and a well-paced plot. Highly enjoyable.
https://amzn.to/3zzvVfx
comments
A gem of a story. Very original, with well-drawn characters and a well-paced plot. Highly enjoyable.
https://amzn.to/3zzvVfx
comments
September 22, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Eligible Categories and Submissions
Submissions to the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards ended on September 20, 2021, and below are the Eligible Categories and Submissions for this year:
Asexual Fiction and Romance
Amy Aislin - Shots on Goal (Stick Side #3)
Dusk Peterson - The Awakening (Dungeon Guards #1)
Geneva Vand - Roommates and Space Trees (Iska Universe #2)
John Patrick - Franklin in Paradise
K. Evan Coles & Brigham Vaughn - Straight Up (The Speakeasy #4)
Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey - Socially Orcward (Adventures in Aguillon #3)
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - Harvest Moon (Wolf Moon Rising #2)
Bisexual Contemporary General Fiction and Mystery / Thriller
Ava Kelly - Catch a Falling Snowflake (Snow Globes)
C.M. Harris - Maiden Leap
Grace Hudson - The Booker (Haunted House Horror)
Kathleen Jowitt - The Real World
V. Clifford - At Sea (A Viv Fraser Mystery #7)
Bisexual Contemporary Romance
Adrian J. Smith - Love Burns
Alyssa Rabil - Splinters of the heart
Amy Aislin - Gingerbread Mistletoe (Lighthouse Bay #2)
Amy Aislin - Keeping Casey (Keeping Him #1)
Amy Aislin - Keeping Kellan (Keeping Him #2)
Amy Aislin - Risking the Shot (Stick Side #4)
Ava Kelly - Snowdrop in a Storm (Snow Globes #3)
E.J. Russell - The Thomas Flair (A M/M Summer Games Romance)
G.B. Lindsey - Standard Candle
J.L. Merrow - Counter Culture
JC Calciano - Revenge of the Brobot (A Steam Room Story)
K. Evan Coles - Hooked On You
K. Evan Coles - Open Hearts (Stealing Hearts #3)
Katey Hawthorne - The Rise of Virginie
L.A. Witt - Aftermath (Vino and Veritas)
L.A. Witt - I Think We Missed Our Turn
L.A. Witt - Name From a Hat Trick
Lane Hayes - Following the Rules (The Script Club #1)
Lane Hayes - Out on the Ice (Out in College #5)
Lane Hayes - Starting From Scratch
Lane Hayes - Starting From The Top
Lane Hayes - Stick to the Script (Ace's Wild Book 13)
Rebecca Raine - The Experiment
Richard Natale - Pigeon
Rob Loveless - A Family Affair
Tanya Chris - #20DaysToLA
Tara Lain - Coaching the Nerd (Nerds vs Jocks)
Tia Fielding - Bar None (Hoppy Hare #1)
Bisexual Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
Adrian J. Smith - Eira (A lesbian fairytale retelling)
Antonia Aquilante - The Envoy's Honor (Chronicles of Tournai #8)
Antonia Aquilante - The Spymaster's Secret (Chronicles of Tournai #7)
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Good as Hell
K.L. Noone - Frost & Raine
Kasia Bacon - When I First Saw Red (The Soldiers and Mercenaries)
Lexi Ander - Constant (The Valespian Pact #3)
R.A. Steffan - The Complete Dragon Mistress Collection (Eburosi Chronicles Bundles)
Bisexual Speculative Fiction
Bethany A. Perry - Give Me Grace
E.J. Russell - King’s Ex (Royal Powers II #1)
E.M. Hamill - Peacemaker
R.A. Steffan - Master of Hounds (Master of Hounds #1)
Gay Alternative Universe/Reality
E.J. Russell - Duke the Hall
E.J. Russell - Duking It Out
Kevin Klehr - Winter Masquerade
Kyell Gold - Love Match volume 3 (2013-2015)
M.D. Neu - TAD
Tinnean - More, By All Mores (Strange, Strange World #5)
Gay Contemporary General Fiction and Humor
David Jackson Ambrose - A Blind Eye
Joe Cosentino - Drama Christmas (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #11)
Joe Cosentino - Drama Faerie (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #9)
Joe Cosentino - Drama Pan (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #12)
Rick R. Reed - The Q
Vincent Traughber Meis - The Mayor of Oak Street
Gay Contemporary Romance
Alexandra Caluen - A Little Turn (Private Contracts)
Alexandra Caluen - Awake & Dreaming (The L.A. Stories)
Amy Aislin - Home for a Cowboy (Windsor, Wyoming #1)
Amy Tasukada - Finding Our Love (Aphrodite’s Castle Host Club)
Amy Tasukada - Year Three (Would it be Okay to Love You? #5)
Bryan T. Clark - Far Away
Bryan T. Clark - Gideon's Wish
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - His Fake Prison Daddy
E. Davies - Redemption (Men of Hidden Creek #6)
Eden Winters - Drifter
Emma Alcott - After the Crash (A Small Town Hearts Novel)
Emma Alcott - Bad Boy (A Masters of Romance Novel)
Fearne Hill - To Hold A Hidden Pearl (Rossingley #1)
G.B. Lindsey - Out With the Old
Hank Edwards - Snowflakes and Song Lyrics (A Williamsville Inn Story)
Johnny Townsend - Wake Up and Smell the Missionaries
K. Evan Coles - Healing Hearts (Stealing Hearts #2)
K.L. Noone - Seaworthy (Character Bleed Trilogy #1)
Ki Brightly - Bully Beatdown
Ki Brightly - Santa's Bratty Elf
Ki Brightly - Staking His Claim (City Hall Book #1)
Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory - Dirty Secret
L.A. Witt - The Road Home
L.A. Witt - The Walls Between Hearts (A Las Palmas Fencing Club Story)
Laura Lascarso - A Madness Most Discreet
Laura Lascarso - A Soft Touch
Leigh Vining - Can't Erase You
Matt Burlingame - Last Romance
Mia Kerick - Born for Leaving (New England State of Mind #1)
Mia Kerick - Hide Your Love Away (IF I FELL #1)
Mia Kerick - Whatever He Needs
Pat Henshaw - Heart of the Holidays
Pat Henshaw - Making the Holidays Happy Again
Pat Henshaw - The Thaw
Pat Henshaw - When Heart Becomes Home
Rebecca Raine - The Harder We Fall
S.J. Carter - Stupid Love
Slade James - Grumpy Bear (A Bear Camp Novel)
Susan Laine - How I Accidentally Slept With a Prince
Tara Lain - Hair Balls (Balls to the Wall)
Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry - Family Recipe
Tinnean - Always, Ben
Tinnean - The Best
Vinni George - Hold the Door (An Open Doors Novel)
Z. Allora - Not Another Boy Band
Zee Shine Storm - He Made Me Do It
Gay Erotic Romance and Erotica
Charley Descoteaux - Satin Sheets (Kink Awakenings #2)
E. Davies - Barely Regal
E. Davies - Exposed (Dom Nation #1)
Jodi Payne - Soft Limits (A Deviations Novel)
Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortuga - Breaking the Rules (The Triskelion Series #1)
L.A. Witt - Assist (Pucks & Rainbows #2)
L.A. Witt - Bryce (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #3)
L.A. Witt - Cole (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #2)
L.A. Witt - Extra Whip (Bold Brew #8)
L.A. Witt - Luca (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #1)
L.A. Witt - Marco (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #4)
L.A. Witt - Shot on Goal (Pucks & Rainbows #3)
L.A. Witt - Until the World Stops
Laura Lascarso - Master's schiavo
Morticia Knight - Born Daddy (Command & Care #2)
T.J. Blackley - The Silver Medalist
Tanya Chris - A Dirty Dozen (12 hot & heavy M/M shorts)
Z. Allora - Bent Not Broken
Z. Allora - Zombies Blow (Club Zombie Book 4)
Gay Fantasy
Ariana Nash - King of the Dark (Prince’s Assassin #1)
Ariana Nash - Primal Sin (Primal Sin #1)
Arshad Ahsanuddin - The First Age (The Secret Histories #1)
Dan Ackerman - A Lady Who Looks Good When She's Crying (Sunshine and Specter Paranormal Detective Agency #1)
Dan Ackerman - On the Rugged Hills (The Serpent's Throne #2)
Dan Ackerman - The Practical Mage's Guide to Magic and Mayhem
Eden Winters - Consorts of the Red King
Kevin Klehr - The Midnight Man
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - The King’s Dragon (Fire and Valor #1)
Gay Fantasy Romance
Aldrea Alien - To Poison a Prince (A Tale of Two Princes #2)
Aldrea Alien - To Target the Heart (A Tale of Two Princes: Hamish and Darshan #1)
Angel Martinez - Geoffrey the Very Strange
Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus - The Pet and his Duke
Dan Ackerman - Casual Magic
E.J. Russell - Best Beast (Enchanted Occasions)
E.J. Russell - Purgatory Playhouse
E.J. Russell - Witch Under Wraps (Mythmatched)
K.L. Noone - Cadence and the Pearl
Kim Fielding - Farview (Greynox to the Sea)
Kim Fielding - The Muffin Man
L.A. Witt - Ripples & Waves
Laura Weyr - The Eighth Key
Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey - Red Heir (Adventures in Aguillon #1)
Lou Sylvre & Anne Barwell - The Harp and the Sea
Meghan Maslow - Must Love Demons (Magic Emporium #6)
Shannon Blair - Dawn's Light (Duskblade #1)
Tara Lain - Better Red (Ever After, New York #1)
Gay Historical and Historical Romance
Anna Butler - The God's Eye (Lancaster's Luck #3)
E.J. Russell - Silent Sin (A 1920s Hollywood Gay Romance)
Glenn Quigley - We Cry The Sea (The Moth and Moon)
K.A. Merikan - Dig Two Graves (The Man Who Loved Cole Flores and The Man Who Hated Ned O'Leary)
L.A. Witt - The Venetian and the Rum Runner
Mel Gough - A Leap of Faith
Mel Gough - The Valet
Tanya Chris - Manners & Mannerisms
Gay Mystery / Thriller
Amy Tasukada - The Yakuza Path (Flowers of Flesh and Blood)
J.L. Merrow - Stop Cock (The Plumber's Mate Mysteries #6)
J.P. Bowie - Hold Him Close
Joe Cosentino - Drama Runway (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #10)
Joe Cosentino - The Player’s Encore (Player Piano Mysteries #2)
Kim Fielding & F.E. Feeley Jr. - Hallelujah
Marshall Thornton - Cash Out (Pinx Video Mysteries #5)
Marshall Thornton - Fade Out (Boystown #13)
Marshall Thornton - The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch (The Wyandot County Mysteries)
Marshall Thornton - Year of the Rat (Dom Reilly Mysteries #1)
Rick R. Reed - The Man from Milwaukee
Gay Paranormal Romance
Addison Albright - Weekend at Bigfoot’s
Davidson King - The Blood Boss (Black Veil Series #1)
Dez Schwartz - The Dandy Medium
E.J. Russell - Howling on Hold (Mythmatched)
Eden Winters - Never Underestimate an Omega
Edie Montreux - Medium to Well (Haunted Hollywood Ever Afters #1)
Elizabeth Noble - Scintilla (El Corazon #1)
J.P. Jackson - Summoned (Magus Malefica #1)
Joe Cosentino - The Player (Player Piano Mysteries #1)
K.A. Merikan - Feel My Pain
Kim Fielding - Conned (The Bureau #6)
Kim Fielding - The Solstice Kings
L.M. Somerton - Elemental Faith (Warlocks #3)
Laura Lascarso - Book of Orlando (Mortal and Divine #1)
M.D. Neu - The Called (The Calling #2)
Maz Maddox - Smash & Grab (RELIC #1)
Meghan Maslow - The Demon’s in the Details
Piper Scott & Virginia Kelly - Peregrine
R.A. Steffan - Forsaken Fae (The Complete Series, Books 1-3)
Rob Rosen - Sort of Dead
Rosie Jarvis - JT’s Mission (Valhalla Warriors #2)
S.E. Harmon - Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3)
Sam Burns - The Fantastic Fluke
T. Strange - Rattling Chains
Tanya Chris - Impossibly Fond
Tinnean - Rainbows in Your Eyes (Strange, Strange World #4)
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - Wildfire (Sons of Olympus #1)
Gay Romantic Comedy
Dez Schwartz - Hollywood To Horses
Geneva Vand - So We Meet-Cute Again
Geneva Vand - The Mistletoe Problem
Marshall Thornton - Fathers of the Bride
Piper Scott & Virginia Kelly - Finch (Forbidden Desires #6)
S.E. Harmon - Coddiwomple
Tara Lain - Passion of a Papillon (Fuzzy Love #1)
Gay Romantic Suspence
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Honeypot (The Phisher King #4)
Eden Winters - Benediction (Diversion #9)
Eden Winters - Decision (Diversion #8)
Fyn Alexander - Blood Money
Joe Cosentino - Found At Last (Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando)
Jules Monroe - Murder in the Big Easy (Wildeblood Coalition #1)
L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - Hitman vs Hitman
L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - Protective Behavior (Bad Behavior #5)
L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - You Had One Job
L.M. Somerton - The Gilded Mirror (Treasure Trove Antiques #2)
L.M. Somerton - The Lucky Cat (Treasure Trove Antiques #1)
Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry - A Desperate Man
Gay Sci-Fi / Futuristic
Addison Albright - When Are You?
Angel Martinez - A Fine Mess (Brimstone #7)
Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus - The PV-3 Mutagen (Virasana Empire: Dr. Laurent #1)
Christopher Michael Carter - Agent Phoenix
Dan Ackerman - Penumbra
Kale Night - A Broken Winter
Pelaam - Love Never Dies
Toshi Drake - Entity (A StarStation Novel)
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - Captured (Star Marked Warriors #1)
Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction
Caren J. Werlinger - Face the Wind (Little Sister Island Series #2)
Elke Lakey and D.J. Fronimos - Watching Cars Go By
Geonn Cannon - How to Steal a Star
Iza Moreau - London, Falling
Jen Michalski - You'll Be Fine
Lee Lynch - Accidental Desperados
Liz Faraim - Canopy (A Vivian Chastain Novel #1)
Liz Faraim - Stitches and Sepsis (A Vivian Chastain Novel #2)
Susan Stocker - Find Your Heart (Embellished Memoir)
Lesbian Contemporary Romance
A.L. Brooks - A Heart to Trust
A.L. Brooks - Dare to Love
A.M. Leibowitz - Every Time We Meet
Anna Stone - Forever Theirs (Mistress #3)
Anna Stone - Tangled Vows (Mistress #1)
Anna Stone - Ensnared Hearts (Mistress#2)
C.J. Murphy - Forever Chance (Five Points #2)
C.J. Murphy - Redemption's Road (Five Points #3)
C.J. Murphy - Sovereign Chance (Five Points #4)
Cari Hunter - Breathe
Chris Zett - Heart Failure
D.J. Fronimos and Elke Lakey - Foreign Facades
Ellen Hoil - Safe Haven
Ellen Hoil - Traumatic Love
G. Benson - The Thing About Tilly
Gail Newman - Flight to Paradise
Jae - Chemistry Lessons
Jae - The Roommate Arrangement
Jae - Wrong Number, Right Woman
Jazzy Mitchell - Undertow
Jeanette Watts - A Woman’s Persuasion
Kim Pritekel - Finding Faith: When you're lost, Wynter will find you. (Wynter Series #1)
Lynn Ames - 46
Quinn Ivins - The Love Factor
Quinn Ivins - Worthy of Love
Renee Roman - Body Language
Stephanie Shea - Chef's Kiss
Sue Graham - Playing with Fire
Lesbian Fantasy
Alli Temple - Uncharted
Catherine Lundoff - Blood Moon (A Wolves of Wolf's Point Novel)
Geonn Cannon - Trafalgar & Boone Against the Forty Elephants
Geonn Cannon - Trafalgar and Boone at Magic's End
Jordan Falconer - Prey for Us
K.L. Mitchell - The Road to Kalazad
Kellie Doherty - Curled Vines and Crimson Trades (Broken Chronicles #2)
S.L. Kassidy - Blood Rain (Warrior Class #3)
S.L. Kassidy - Taming the Wind (Warrior Class #2)
Lesbian Fantasy Romance
Angel Martinez - The Solstice Pudding (The Pudding Protocol Universe)
Barbara Ann Wright - Lady of Stone
Barbara Ann Wright - Not Your Average Love Spell
Barbara Ann Wright - The Noble and the Nightingale (The Sisters of Sarras #1)
Edale Lane - Viking Quest
Eule Grey - I, Volcano
Lesbian Historical and Historical Romance
Cara Malone - The Beginning of Everything
Caren J. Werlinger - Invisible, as Music
Edale Lane - Chaos in Milan (Night Flyer Trilogy #3)
Edale Lane - Merchants of Milan (Night Flyer Trilogy #1)
Edale Lane - Secrets of Milan (Night Flyer Trilogy #2)
Elena Graf - The Imperative of Desire (Passing Rites #1)
Lesbian Mystery / Thriller
Adrian J. Smith - Stone's Mistake (Agent Morgan Stone #1)
B.J. Phillips - Murder at Leisure Lakes
Geonn Cannon - Monarch (Claire Lance #6)
Geonn Cannon - The Fight in the Dog (Underdogs)
Geonn Cannon - The Wolf Who Cried Girl (Underdogs #10)
Jane Alden - The Crystal’s Curse
Jane Alden - The Payback Murders
Jody Klaire - Hayefield Manor
R.E. Conary - Where The Hell Is Tessa Ryker? (Rachel Cord Confidential Investigations)
Lesbian Paranormal Romance
Ann & Michele Modtland - The Life in Death
G. Benson - Dead Lez Walking
K. Aten - Embracing Forever
Karen F. Williams - Coyote Blues
Lesbian Speculative Fiction
A.L. Brooks - Never Too Late for Heroes (The Superheroines Collection)
Angel Martinez - The Anti-Quest (The Pudding Protocol Universe)
Benjamin Medrano - Chosen of Chaos (Eve of Destruction #1)
Geneva Vand - Loving Olivia
K. Aten - Children of the Stars
K. Aten - Remember Me, Synthetica
K. Aten - The Lost Temple of Psiere (Mystery of the Makers #2)
Matt Doyle - Half-Light (The Cassie Tam Files #5)
Rae D. Magdon - Lucky 8 (Lucky Breaks #2)
Rae D. Magdon & Michelle Magly - Eclipse (Dark Horizons #3)
Sandra Barret - Eye of the Damned (Terran-Novan Universe Series #3)
LGBTA Anthology / Collection
A.J. Fitzwater - The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper
Chris Zett - Glimpses
Daniel M. Jaffe - Foreign Affairs: Male Tales of Lust & Love
Jess Faraday - Shadow of Justice
R.E. Conary - Rachel Cord Confidential Investigations Boxed Set
Xequina Maria Berber - The Only Female Cross-Dresser in Memphis and Other Stories
LGBTA Biography / Memoir and Non Fiction
Johnny Townsend - Racism by Proxy
Karina Manta - On Top of Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating
Megan Casey - The Lesbian Private Eye
Mike Talplacido - Kiss My Mike
Stephanie Davies - Girls Like Me
LGBTA Young Adult
A.R. Capetta - Stranger Things: Rebel Robin
Auriane Desombre - I Think I Love You
Damian Serbu - The Bachmann Family Secret
David Levithan and Jennifer Niven - Take Me With You When You Go
Gideon Marcus - Kitra (The Kitra Saga)
Iza Moreau - Desert Girl (Elodie Fontaine Mysteries #4)
M. Raiya - Owl
Mia Kerick - Dead Sea (Mia Kerick Story Ballads #2)
Victoria Lee - A Lesson in Vengeance
Transgender Contemporary Romance
A. Zukowski - Blue Jay (London Stories #3)
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Penetration Test (The Phisher King #3)
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - The Prodigal Prince's Fake Fiancé
E. Davies - Freedom (F-Word)
G.R. Lyons - Taken by Storm (Dandies, Inc. #4)
Jane Kolven - The Queen Has a Cold
Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry - Recipe for Two
Transgender Speculative Fiction
Angel Martinez - By Imperial Decree (ESTO Universe)
Dorian Graves - Corpses and Cognac (Deadly Drinks #2)
Eddie Newton - Truth to Light
J-L Heylen - The Deception Engine - Part Three
Minerva Cerridwen - The Dragon of Ynys
Rem Wigmore - Foxhunt
Debut Novel
John Patrick - Franklin in Paradise
Alyssa Rabil - Splinters of the heart
Gideon Marcus - Kitra (The Kitra Saga)
Grace Hudson - The Booker (Haunted House Horror)
Karina Manta - On Top of Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating
Kale Night - A Broken Winter
Kevin Klehr - The Midnight Man
Laura Weyr - The Eighth Key
Mike Talplacido - Kiss My Mike
S.J. Carter - Stupid Love
Shannon Blair - Dawn's Light (Duskblade #1)
Slade James - Grumpy Bear (A Bear Camp Novel)
T.J. Blackley - The Silver Medalist
Vinni George - Hold the Door (An Open Doors Novel)
Auriane Desombre - I Think I Love You
Elke Lakey and D.J. Fronimos - Watching Cars Go By
Eule Grey - I, Volcano
Liz Faraim - Canopy (A Vivian Chastain Novel #1)
Quinn Ivins - The Love Factor
Minerva Cerridwen - The Dragon of Ynys
The 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards will be announced on December 8, 2021.
comments
Asexual Fiction and Romance
Amy Aislin - Shots on Goal (Stick Side #3)
Dusk Peterson - The Awakening (Dungeon Guards #1)
Geneva Vand - Roommates and Space Trees (Iska Universe #2)
John Patrick - Franklin in Paradise
K. Evan Coles & Brigham Vaughn - Straight Up (The Speakeasy #4)
Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey - Socially Orcward (Adventures in Aguillon #3)
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - Harvest Moon (Wolf Moon Rising #2)
Bisexual Contemporary General Fiction and Mystery / Thriller
Ava Kelly - Catch a Falling Snowflake (Snow Globes)
C.M. Harris - Maiden Leap
Grace Hudson - The Booker (Haunted House Horror)
Kathleen Jowitt - The Real World
V. Clifford - At Sea (A Viv Fraser Mystery #7)
Bisexual Contemporary Romance
Adrian J. Smith - Love Burns
Alyssa Rabil - Splinters of the heart
Amy Aislin - Gingerbread Mistletoe (Lighthouse Bay #2)
Amy Aislin - Keeping Casey (Keeping Him #1)
Amy Aislin - Keeping Kellan (Keeping Him #2)
Amy Aislin - Risking the Shot (Stick Side #4)
Ava Kelly - Snowdrop in a Storm (Snow Globes #3)
E.J. Russell - The Thomas Flair (A M/M Summer Games Romance)
G.B. Lindsey - Standard Candle
J.L. Merrow - Counter Culture
JC Calciano - Revenge of the Brobot (A Steam Room Story)
K. Evan Coles - Hooked On You
K. Evan Coles - Open Hearts (Stealing Hearts #3)
Katey Hawthorne - The Rise of Virginie
L.A. Witt - Aftermath (Vino and Veritas)
L.A. Witt - I Think We Missed Our Turn
L.A. Witt - Name From a Hat Trick
Lane Hayes - Following the Rules (The Script Club #1)
Lane Hayes - Out on the Ice (Out in College #5)
Lane Hayes - Starting From Scratch
Lane Hayes - Starting From The Top
Lane Hayes - Stick to the Script (Ace's Wild Book 13)
Rebecca Raine - The Experiment
Richard Natale - Pigeon
Rob Loveless - A Family Affair
Tanya Chris - #20DaysToLA
Tara Lain - Coaching the Nerd (Nerds vs Jocks)
Tia Fielding - Bar None (Hoppy Hare #1)
Bisexual Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
Adrian J. Smith - Eira (A lesbian fairytale retelling)
Antonia Aquilante - The Envoy's Honor (Chronicles of Tournai #8)
Antonia Aquilante - The Spymaster's Secret (Chronicles of Tournai #7)
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Good as Hell
K.L. Noone - Frost & Raine
Kasia Bacon - When I First Saw Red (The Soldiers and Mercenaries)
Lexi Ander - Constant (The Valespian Pact #3)
R.A. Steffan - The Complete Dragon Mistress Collection (Eburosi Chronicles Bundles)
Bisexual Speculative Fiction
Bethany A. Perry - Give Me Grace
E.J. Russell - King’s Ex (Royal Powers II #1)
E.M. Hamill - Peacemaker
R.A. Steffan - Master of Hounds (Master of Hounds #1)
Gay Alternative Universe/Reality
E.J. Russell - Duke the Hall
E.J. Russell - Duking It Out
Kevin Klehr - Winter Masquerade
Kyell Gold - Love Match volume 3 (2013-2015)
M.D. Neu - TAD
Tinnean - More, By All Mores (Strange, Strange World #5)
Gay Contemporary General Fiction and Humor
David Jackson Ambrose - A Blind Eye
Joe Cosentino - Drama Christmas (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #11)
Joe Cosentino - Drama Faerie (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #9)
Joe Cosentino - Drama Pan (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #12)
Rick R. Reed - The Q
Vincent Traughber Meis - The Mayor of Oak Street
Gay Contemporary Romance
Alexandra Caluen - A Little Turn (Private Contracts)
Alexandra Caluen - Awake & Dreaming (The L.A. Stories)
Amy Aislin - Home for a Cowboy (Windsor, Wyoming #1)
Amy Tasukada - Finding Our Love (Aphrodite’s Castle Host Club)
Amy Tasukada - Year Three (Would it be Okay to Love You? #5)
Bryan T. Clark - Far Away
Bryan T. Clark - Gideon's Wish
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - His Fake Prison Daddy
E. Davies - Redemption (Men of Hidden Creek #6)
Eden Winters - Drifter
Emma Alcott - After the Crash (A Small Town Hearts Novel)
Emma Alcott - Bad Boy (A Masters of Romance Novel)
Fearne Hill - To Hold A Hidden Pearl (Rossingley #1)
G.B. Lindsey - Out With the Old
Hank Edwards - Snowflakes and Song Lyrics (A Williamsville Inn Story)
Johnny Townsend - Wake Up and Smell the Missionaries
K. Evan Coles - Healing Hearts (Stealing Hearts #2)
K.L. Noone - Seaworthy (Character Bleed Trilogy #1)
Ki Brightly - Bully Beatdown
Ki Brightly - Santa's Bratty Elf
Ki Brightly - Staking His Claim (City Hall Book #1)
Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory - Dirty Secret
L.A. Witt - The Road Home
L.A. Witt - The Walls Between Hearts (A Las Palmas Fencing Club Story)
Laura Lascarso - A Madness Most Discreet
Laura Lascarso - A Soft Touch
Leigh Vining - Can't Erase You
Matt Burlingame - Last Romance
Mia Kerick - Born for Leaving (New England State of Mind #1)
Mia Kerick - Hide Your Love Away (IF I FELL #1)
Mia Kerick - Whatever He Needs
Pat Henshaw - Heart of the Holidays
Pat Henshaw - Making the Holidays Happy Again
Pat Henshaw - The Thaw
Pat Henshaw - When Heart Becomes Home
Rebecca Raine - The Harder We Fall
S.J. Carter - Stupid Love
Slade James - Grumpy Bear (A Bear Camp Novel)
Susan Laine - How I Accidentally Slept With a Prince
Tara Lain - Hair Balls (Balls to the Wall)
Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry - Family Recipe
Tinnean - Always, Ben
Tinnean - The Best
Vinni George - Hold the Door (An Open Doors Novel)
Z. Allora - Not Another Boy Band
Zee Shine Storm - He Made Me Do It
Gay Erotic Romance and Erotica
Charley Descoteaux - Satin Sheets (Kink Awakenings #2)
E. Davies - Barely Regal
E. Davies - Exposed (Dom Nation #1)
Jodi Payne - Soft Limits (A Deviations Novel)
Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortuga - Breaking the Rules (The Triskelion Series #1)
L.A. Witt - Assist (Pucks & Rainbows #2)
L.A. Witt - Bryce (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #3)
L.A. Witt - Cole (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #2)
L.A. Witt - Extra Whip (Bold Brew #8)
L.A. Witt - Luca (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #1)
L.A. Witt - Marco (Gentlemen of the Emerald City #4)
L.A. Witt - Shot on Goal (Pucks & Rainbows #3)
L.A. Witt - Until the World Stops
Laura Lascarso - Master's schiavo
Morticia Knight - Born Daddy (Command & Care #2)
T.J. Blackley - The Silver Medalist
Tanya Chris - A Dirty Dozen (12 hot & heavy M/M shorts)
Z. Allora - Bent Not Broken
Z. Allora - Zombies Blow (Club Zombie Book 4)
Gay Fantasy
Ariana Nash - King of the Dark (Prince’s Assassin #1)
Ariana Nash - Primal Sin (Primal Sin #1)
Arshad Ahsanuddin - The First Age (The Secret Histories #1)
Dan Ackerman - A Lady Who Looks Good When She's Crying (Sunshine and Specter Paranormal Detective Agency #1)
Dan Ackerman - On the Rugged Hills (The Serpent's Throne #2)
Dan Ackerman - The Practical Mage's Guide to Magic and Mayhem
Eden Winters - Consorts of the Red King
Kevin Klehr - The Midnight Man
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - The King’s Dragon (Fire and Valor #1)
Gay Fantasy Romance
Aldrea Alien - To Poison a Prince (A Tale of Two Princes #2)
Aldrea Alien - To Target the Heart (A Tale of Two Princes: Hamish and Darshan #1)
Angel Martinez - Geoffrey the Very Strange
Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus - The Pet and his Duke
Dan Ackerman - Casual Magic
E.J. Russell - Best Beast (Enchanted Occasions)
E.J. Russell - Purgatory Playhouse
E.J. Russell - Witch Under Wraps (Mythmatched)
K.L. Noone - Cadence and the Pearl
Kim Fielding - Farview (Greynox to the Sea)
Kim Fielding - The Muffin Man
L.A. Witt - Ripples & Waves
Laura Weyr - The Eighth Key
Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey - Red Heir (Adventures in Aguillon #1)
Lou Sylvre & Anne Barwell - The Harp and the Sea
Meghan Maslow - Must Love Demons (Magic Emporium #6)
Shannon Blair - Dawn's Light (Duskblade #1)
Tara Lain - Better Red (Ever After, New York #1)
Gay Historical and Historical Romance
Anna Butler - The God's Eye (Lancaster's Luck #3)
E.J. Russell - Silent Sin (A 1920s Hollywood Gay Romance)
Glenn Quigley - We Cry The Sea (The Moth and Moon)
K.A. Merikan - Dig Two Graves (The Man Who Loved Cole Flores and The Man Who Hated Ned O'Leary)
L.A. Witt - The Venetian and the Rum Runner
Mel Gough - A Leap of Faith
Mel Gough - The Valet
Tanya Chris - Manners & Mannerisms
Gay Mystery / Thriller
Amy Tasukada - The Yakuza Path (Flowers of Flesh and Blood)
J.L. Merrow - Stop Cock (The Plumber's Mate Mysteries #6)
J.P. Bowie - Hold Him Close
Joe Cosentino - Drama Runway (Nicky and Noah Mysteries #10)
Joe Cosentino - The Player’s Encore (Player Piano Mysteries #2)
Kim Fielding & F.E. Feeley Jr. - Hallelujah
Marshall Thornton - Cash Out (Pinx Video Mysteries #5)
Marshall Thornton - Fade Out (Boystown #13)
Marshall Thornton - The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch (The Wyandot County Mysteries)
Marshall Thornton - Year of the Rat (Dom Reilly Mysteries #1)
Rick R. Reed - The Man from Milwaukee
Gay Paranormal Romance
Addison Albright - Weekend at Bigfoot’s
Davidson King - The Blood Boss (Black Veil Series #1)
Dez Schwartz - The Dandy Medium
E.J. Russell - Howling on Hold (Mythmatched)
Eden Winters - Never Underestimate an Omega
Edie Montreux - Medium to Well (Haunted Hollywood Ever Afters #1)
Elizabeth Noble - Scintilla (El Corazon #1)
J.P. Jackson - Summoned (Magus Malefica #1)
Joe Cosentino - The Player (Player Piano Mysteries #1)
K.A. Merikan - Feel My Pain
Kim Fielding - Conned (The Bureau #6)
Kim Fielding - The Solstice Kings
L.M. Somerton - Elemental Faith (Warlocks #3)
Laura Lascarso - Book of Orlando (Mortal and Divine #1)
M.D. Neu - The Called (The Calling #2)
Maz Maddox - Smash & Grab (RELIC #1)
Meghan Maslow - The Demon’s in the Details
Piper Scott & Virginia Kelly - Peregrine
R.A. Steffan - Forsaken Fae (The Complete Series, Books 1-3)
Rob Rosen - Sort of Dead
Rosie Jarvis - JT’s Mission (Valhalla Warriors #2)
S.E. Harmon - Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3)
Sam Burns - The Fantastic Fluke
T. Strange - Rattling Chains
Tanya Chris - Impossibly Fond
Tinnean - Rainbows in Your Eyes (Strange, Strange World #4)
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - Wildfire (Sons of Olympus #1)
Gay Romantic Comedy
Dez Schwartz - Hollywood To Horses
Geneva Vand - So We Meet-Cute Again
Geneva Vand - The Mistletoe Problem
Marshall Thornton - Fathers of the Bride
Piper Scott & Virginia Kelly - Finch (Forbidden Desires #6)
S.E. Harmon - Coddiwomple
Tara Lain - Passion of a Papillon (Fuzzy Love #1)
Gay Romantic Suspence
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Honeypot (The Phisher King #4)
Eden Winters - Benediction (Diversion #9)
Eden Winters - Decision (Diversion #8)
Fyn Alexander - Blood Money
Joe Cosentino - Found At Last (Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando)
Jules Monroe - Murder in the Big Easy (Wildeblood Coalition #1)
L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - Hitman vs Hitman
L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - Protective Behavior (Bad Behavior #5)
L.A. Witt & Cari Z. - You Had One Job
L.M. Somerton - The Gilded Mirror (Treasure Trove Antiques #2)
L.M. Somerton - The Lucky Cat (Treasure Trove Antiques #1)
Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry - A Desperate Man
Gay Sci-Fi / Futuristic
Addison Albright - When Are You?
Angel Martinez - A Fine Mess (Brimstone #7)
Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus - The PV-3 Mutagen (Virasana Empire: Dr. Laurent #1)
Christopher Michael Carter - Agent Phoenix
Dan Ackerman - Penumbra
Kale Night - A Broken Winter
Pelaam - Love Never Dies
Toshi Drake - Entity (A StarStation Novel)
W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns - Captured (Star Marked Warriors #1)
Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction
Caren J. Werlinger - Face the Wind (Little Sister Island Series #2)
Elke Lakey and D.J. Fronimos - Watching Cars Go By
Geonn Cannon - How to Steal a Star
Iza Moreau - London, Falling
Jen Michalski - You'll Be Fine
Lee Lynch - Accidental Desperados
Liz Faraim - Canopy (A Vivian Chastain Novel #1)
Liz Faraim - Stitches and Sepsis (A Vivian Chastain Novel #2)
Susan Stocker - Find Your Heart (Embellished Memoir)
Lesbian Contemporary Romance
A.L. Brooks - A Heart to Trust
A.L. Brooks - Dare to Love
A.M. Leibowitz - Every Time We Meet
Anna Stone - Forever Theirs (Mistress #3)
Anna Stone - Tangled Vows (Mistress #1)
Anna Stone - Ensnared Hearts (Mistress#2)
C.J. Murphy - Forever Chance (Five Points #2)
C.J. Murphy - Redemption's Road (Five Points #3)
C.J. Murphy - Sovereign Chance (Five Points #4)
Cari Hunter - Breathe
Chris Zett - Heart Failure
D.J. Fronimos and Elke Lakey - Foreign Facades
Ellen Hoil - Safe Haven
Ellen Hoil - Traumatic Love
G. Benson - The Thing About Tilly
Gail Newman - Flight to Paradise
Jae - Chemistry Lessons
Jae - The Roommate Arrangement
Jae - Wrong Number, Right Woman
Jazzy Mitchell - Undertow
Jeanette Watts - A Woman’s Persuasion
Kim Pritekel - Finding Faith: When you're lost, Wynter will find you. (Wynter Series #1)
Lynn Ames - 46
Quinn Ivins - The Love Factor
Quinn Ivins - Worthy of Love
Renee Roman - Body Language
Stephanie Shea - Chef's Kiss
Sue Graham - Playing with Fire
Lesbian Fantasy
Alli Temple - Uncharted
Catherine Lundoff - Blood Moon (A Wolves of Wolf's Point Novel)
Geonn Cannon - Trafalgar & Boone Against the Forty Elephants
Geonn Cannon - Trafalgar and Boone at Magic's End
Jordan Falconer - Prey for Us
K.L. Mitchell - The Road to Kalazad
Kellie Doherty - Curled Vines and Crimson Trades (Broken Chronicles #2)
S.L. Kassidy - Blood Rain (Warrior Class #3)
S.L. Kassidy - Taming the Wind (Warrior Class #2)
Lesbian Fantasy Romance
Angel Martinez - The Solstice Pudding (The Pudding Protocol Universe)
Barbara Ann Wright - Lady of Stone
Barbara Ann Wright - Not Your Average Love Spell
Barbara Ann Wright - The Noble and the Nightingale (The Sisters of Sarras #1)
Edale Lane - Viking Quest
Eule Grey - I, Volcano
Lesbian Historical and Historical Romance
Cara Malone - The Beginning of Everything
Caren J. Werlinger - Invisible, as Music
Edale Lane - Chaos in Milan (Night Flyer Trilogy #3)
Edale Lane - Merchants of Milan (Night Flyer Trilogy #1)
Edale Lane - Secrets of Milan (Night Flyer Trilogy #2)
Elena Graf - The Imperative of Desire (Passing Rites #1)
Lesbian Mystery / Thriller
Adrian J. Smith - Stone's Mistake (Agent Morgan Stone #1)
B.J. Phillips - Murder at Leisure Lakes
Geonn Cannon - Monarch (Claire Lance #6)
Geonn Cannon - The Fight in the Dog (Underdogs)
Geonn Cannon - The Wolf Who Cried Girl (Underdogs #10)
Jane Alden - The Crystal’s Curse
Jane Alden - The Payback Murders
Jody Klaire - Hayefield Manor
R.E. Conary - Where The Hell Is Tessa Ryker? (Rachel Cord Confidential Investigations)
Lesbian Paranormal Romance
Ann & Michele Modtland - The Life in Death
G. Benson - Dead Lez Walking
K. Aten - Embracing Forever
Karen F. Williams - Coyote Blues
Lesbian Speculative Fiction
A.L. Brooks - Never Too Late for Heroes (The Superheroines Collection)
Angel Martinez - The Anti-Quest (The Pudding Protocol Universe)
Benjamin Medrano - Chosen of Chaos (Eve of Destruction #1)
Geneva Vand - Loving Olivia
K. Aten - Children of the Stars
K. Aten - Remember Me, Synthetica
K. Aten - The Lost Temple of Psiere (Mystery of the Makers #2)
Matt Doyle - Half-Light (The Cassie Tam Files #5)
Rae D. Magdon - Lucky 8 (Lucky Breaks #2)
Rae D. Magdon & Michelle Magly - Eclipse (Dark Horizons #3)
Sandra Barret - Eye of the Damned (Terran-Novan Universe Series #3)
LGBTA Anthology / Collection
A.J. Fitzwater - The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper
Chris Zett - Glimpses
Daniel M. Jaffe - Foreign Affairs: Male Tales of Lust & Love
Jess Faraday - Shadow of Justice
R.E. Conary - Rachel Cord Confidential Investigations Boxed Set
Xequina Maria Berber - The Only Female Cross-Dresser in Memphis and Other Stories
LGBTA Biography / Memoir and Non Fiction
Johnny Townsend - Racism by Proxy
Karina Manta - On Top of Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating
Megan Casey - The Lesbian Private Eye
Mike Talplacido - Kiss My Mike
Stephanie Davies - Girls Like Me
LGBTA Young Adult
A.R. Capetta - Stranger Things: Rebel Robin
Auriane Desombre - I Think I Love You
Damian Serbu - The Bachmann Family Secret
David Levithan and Jennifer Niven - Take Me With You When You Go
Gideon Marcus - Kitra (The Kitra Saga)
Iza Moreau - Desert Girl (Elodie Fontaine Mysteries #4)
M. Raiya - Owl
Mia Kerick - Dead Sea (Mia Kerick Story Ballads #2)
Victoria Lee - A Lesson in Vengeance
Transgender Contemporary Romance
A. Zukowski - Blue Jay (London Stories #3)
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Penetration Test (The Phisher King #3)
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - The Prodigal Prince's Fake Fiancé
E. Davies - Freedom (F-Word)
G.R. Lyons - Taken by Storm (Dandies, Inc. #4)
Jane Kolven - The Queen Has a Cold
Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry - Recipe for Two
Transgender Speculative Fiction
Angel Martinez - By Imperial Decree (ESTO Universe)
Dorian Graves - Corpses and Cognac (Deadly Drinks #2)
Eddie Newton - Truth to Light
J-L Heylen - The Deception Engine - Part Three
Minerva Cerridwen - The Dragon of Ynys
Rem Wigmore - Foxhunt
Debut Novel
John Patrick - Franklin in Paradise
Alyssa Rabil - Splinters of the heart
Gideon Marcus - Kitra (The Kitra Saga)
Grace Hudson - The Booker (Haunted House Horror)
Karina Manta - On Top of Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating
Kale Night - A Broken Winter
Kevin Klehr - The Midnight Man
Laura Weyr - The Eighth Key
Mike Talplacido - Kiss My Mike
S.J. Carter - Stupid Love
Shannon Blair - Dawn's Light (Duskblade #1)
Slade James - Grumpy Bear (A Bear Camp Novel)
T.J. Blackley - The Silver Medalist
Vinni George - Hold the Door (An Open Doors Novel)
Auriane Desombre - I Think I Love You
Elke Lakey and D.J. Fronimos - Watching Cars Go By
Eule Grey - I, Volcano
Liz Faraim - Canopy (A Vivian Chastain Novel #1)
Quinn Ivins - The Love Factor
Minerva Cerridwen - The Dragon of Ynys
The 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards will be announced on December 8, 2021.
comments
September 12, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Smash & Grab (RELIC #1)
Smash & Grab (RELIC #1) by Maz Maddox
Bisexual. Dino. Shifters. This book was so much fun. The characters were larger than life, and I loved their banter. It was an excellent setup and storyline, too. Highly recommended for anyone who’s up for a rollicking great buddy story between a nerdy bisexual paleontologist and an irresistibly snarky secret agent dino shifter.
https://amzn.to/3k38kPO
comments
Bisexual. Dino. Shifters. This book was so much fun. The characters were larger than life, and I loved their banter. It was an excellent setup and storyline, too. Highly recommended for anyone who’s up for a rollicking great buddy story between a nerdy bisexual paleontologist and an irresistibly snarky secret agent dino shifter.
https://amzn.to/3k38kPO
comments
September 7, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Lucky 8 (Lucky Breaks #2)
Honorable Mention to Lucky 8 (Lucky Breaks #2) by Rae D. Magdon
The author does a great job of bringing this world of cyberpunk dystopia alive, along with characters that the reader will be rooting for.
https://amzn.to/38LBsoh
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The author does a great job of bringing this world of cyberpunk dystopia alive, along with characters that the reader will be rooting for.
https://amzn.to/38LBsoh
comments
September 5, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Mayor of Oak Street
The Mayor of Oak Street by Vincent Traughber Meis
I did not read a back cover blurb before starting this book and had no idea that it would include a real-life incident I knew so much about that I should probably have recused myself. But the book was so enjoyable that I’d already decided on the score I was going to give it by about page 50. I kept reading, not allowing myself even to skim, because I didn’t want to miss a word. The book is good. The story starts off strong with the young Nate sneaking into the home of one of his paper route clients while she’s out. The writing is beautiful, the characters and situations vivid, and the story moves along at a steady, comfortable pace that keeps it from dragging, despite how much is going on inside the main character’s head. That’s harder for a writer to accomplish than it sounds. The slide into substance abuse was painful but told realistically. The author included well-chosen details throughout that made this feel like a memoir rather than a novel. I kept wondering how much of the story was true. It “felt” true. Many pages later, when I realized the main character was headed to New Orleans, I paid even more attention to the details. Were they going to sound researched or give a sense of lived experience? They were convincing. But the time period put me on edge. The early 1970s in New Orleans? I was afraid of what might be coming. And then when Nate meets up with Nick, who goes to the Metropolitan Community Church, I knew I was in for a rough ride. It’s possible than my familiarity with the Upstairs Lounge fire made me especially critical of the details in that portion of the book. A few of them were a bit off. And it was in these final thirty pages where the author includes uncharacteristically awkward dialogue. In the rest of the book, there had been an occasional clumsiness with a line like “tears streamed down my cheeks” (why do so many authors use that awful cliché?) but here at the end, there were several other poorly written lines. It’s this clumsiness at the end, at a particularly important point, that lowered the score for me with “Writing Style.” But really, the flaws here are quite minor. The tragedy of the Upstairs Lounge could never be made into a novel-length story because the whole thing was over in just a few minutes. I always knew that it would have to be part of another story unrelated to the fire. In this novel, while the disaster works well as a climax, the novel could have succeeded with a completely different climax. Nate’s story didn’t depend on the fire to work. Which is why using this as the climax did work. As someone who has carried the Upstairs inside me for decades, I’ve longed for the day when a good writer could integrate what happened into an already good story, and that’s exactly what happened here. I highly recommend this book.
https://amzn.to/3BDjC38
comments
I did not read a back cover blurb before starting this book and had no idea that it would include a real-life incident I knew so much about that I should probably have recused myself. But the book was so enjoyable that I’d already decided on the score I was going to give it by about page 50. I kept reading, not allowing myself even to skim, because I didn’t want to miss a word. The book is good. The story starts off strong with the young Nate sneaking into the home of one of his paper route clients while she’s out. The writing is beautiful, the characters and situations vivid, and the story moves along at a steady, comfortable pace that keeps it from dragging, despite how much is going on inside the main character’s head. That’s harder for a writer to accomplish than it sounds. The slide into substance abuse was painful but told realistically. The author included well-chosen details throughout that made this feel like a memoir rather than a novel. I kept wondering how much of the story was true. It “felt” true. Many pages later, when I realized the main character was headed to New Orleans, I paid even more attention to the details. Were they going to sound researched or give a sense of lived experience? They were convincing. But the time period put me on edge. The early 1970s in New Orleans? I was afraid of what might be coming. And then when Nate meets up with Nick, who goes to the Metropolitan Community Church, I knew I was in for a rough ride. It’s possible than my familiarity with the Upstairs Lounge fire made me especially critical of the details in that portion of the book. A few of them were a bit off. And it was in these final thirty pages where the author includes uncharacteristically awkward dialogue. In the rest of the book, there had been an occasional clumsiness with a line like “tears streamed down my cheeks” (why do so many authors use that awful cliché?) but here at the end, there were several other poorly written lines. It’s this clumsiness at the end, at a particularly important point, that lowered the score for me with “Writing Style.” But really, the flaws here are quite minor. The tragedy of the Upstairs Lounge could never be made into a novel-length story because the whole thing was over in just a few minutes. I always knew that it would have to be part of another story unrelated to the fire. In this novel, while the disaster works well as a climax, the novel could have succeeded with a completely different climax. Nate’s story didn’t depend on the fire to work. Which is why using this as the climax did work. As someone who has carried the Upstairs inside me for decades, I’ve longed for the day when a good writer could integrate what happened into an already good story, and that’s exactly what happened here. I highly recommend this book.
https://amzn.to/3BDjC38
comments
August 26, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Redemption's Road (Five Points #3)
Redemption's Road (Five Points #3) by C.J. Murphy
Couldn’t put this one down. Wonderful story told in the 1st person perspective. Usually not a favorite but very well written with great character depth and writing style. Makes me want to go back and read the rest of the series.
https://amzn.to/3zjk8T3
comments
Couldn’t put this one down. Wonderful story told in the 1st person perspective. Usually not a favorite but very well written with great character depth and writing style. Makes me want to go back and read the rest of the series.
https://amzn.to/3zjk8T3
comments
August 7, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: His Fake Prison Daddy
His Fake Prison Daddy by Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid
Opposites most definitely attract in this different type of love story. Elias, 18 and pretty is sharing a cell with Hughes, a hardened criminal, in for life and rumored to be a cannibal! The plot is strangely compelling, and you can't help but root for the guys to find their HEA. Recommended.
https://amzn.to/2WW2giS
comments
Opposites most definitely attract in this different type of love story. Elias, 18 and pretty is sharing a cell with Hughes, a hardened criminal, in for life and rumored to be a cannibal! The plot is strangely compelling, and you can't help but root for the guys to find their HEA. Recommended.
https://amzn.to/2WW2giS
comments
August 1, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Redemption's Road (Five Points #3)
Redemption's Road (Five Points #3) by C.J. Murphy
The writing and characterization in this one pulled me in from the first page and held my full attention until the end.
https://amzn.to/3C8PbTt
comments
The writing and characterization in this one pulled me in from the first page and held my full attention until the end.
https://amzn.to/3C8PbTt
comments
July 27, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Safe Haven
Safe Haven by Ellen Hoil
Wonderfully written story. The author’s portrayal of mental illness is spot on. The author totally gets the reader invested in the characters, both of which are complex.
https://amzn.to/3fjgmS3
comments
Wonderfully written story. The author’s portrayal of mental illness is spot on. The author totally gets the reader invested in the characters, both of which are complex.
https://amzn.to/3fjgmS3
comments
