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Wonderland #1
Wonderland
Boy Meets Boy. Boy Loses Boy.
Boy Goes to Wonderland…
After six months of hot-and-heavy dating, Alex is ready to say goodbye to the sex-drugs-and-dance-till-dawn lifestyle and settle down with the love of his life, Steven. He even bought an engagement ring. But when Steven finds an illicit party favor in Alex’s pocket, the powder hits the fan. Steven breaks it off, and Alex heads out to drown his sorrows—in Wonderland…
The hottest, hippest nightclub in town, Wonderland is where every boy’s dreams come true. Where the DJ, Hatter, spins the maddest tracks, the Caterpillar sells the trippiest drugs, and the Queen of Hearts sends every drag diva off with her head. Still, Alex can’t stop thinking about Steven—even while being seduced by a pair of twinks who are tweedlehot and tweedlehotter. Things only get weirder when Alex learns that Steven is missing—and an anonymous phone call warns him that he’ll never see Steven again…unless he eats this, drinks that, and dives deeper down the rabbit hole of decadence. This certainly isn’t just another weekend—in Wonderland…
Boy Goes to Wonderland…
After six months of hot-and-heavy dating, Alex is ready to say goodbye to the sex-drugs-and-dance-till-dawn lifestyle and settle down with the love of his life, Steven. He even bought an engagement ring. But when Steven finds an illicit party favor in Alex’s pocket, the powder hits the fan. Steven breaks it off, and Alex heads out to drown his sorrows—in Wonderland…
The hottest, hippest nightclub in town, Wonderland is where every boy’s dreams come true. Where the DJ, Hatter, spins the maddest tracks, the Caterpillar sells the trippiest drugs, and the Queen of Hearts sends every drag diva off with her head. Still, Alex can’t stop thinking about Steven—even while being seduced by a pair of twinks who are tweedlehot and tweedlehotter. Things only get weirder when Alex learns that Steven is missing—and an anonymous phone call warns him that he’ll never see Steven again…unless he eats this, drinks that, and dives deeper down the rabbit hole of decadence. This certainly isn’t just another weekend—in Wonderland…
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2015
14 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Rob Browatzke
13 books55 followersRob Browatzke has been writing for as long as he can remember, and is pretty darn excited for someone else to be reading his stuff finally! When it comes to gay bars and booze and drugs and drama, he knows what he's talking about. He came out in the mid-90s, and liquor and drama went hand in hand. He has 15+ years of experience working in gay clubs in Edmonton, Alberta, and his current Wonderlounge is every bit as amazing as Alex's Wonderland. Rob is now 3+ years clean and sober, although there's still a bit of drama once in a while, for old times' sake.
Rob loves the growing market for gay fiction and m/m romance. There are some incredible authors out there, and it's important to be able to see in print (or on the screen) stories about people just like us. Coming out, our relationships, the issues we face, we all have stories to tell. And this book is just one of the stories coming out of Wonderland.
Rob loves the growing market for gay fiction and m/m romance. There are some incredible authors out there, and it's important to be able to see in print (or on the screen) stories about people just like us. Coming out, our relationships, the issues we face, we all have stories to tell. And this book is just one of the stories coming out of Wonderland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
dnf-not-4-me
February 3, 2015The reviews killed my joy for this one. Alice in Wonderland with gay stereotypes and lots of sex, drugs and... BRUNCH?
Pass.
Pass.
February 1, 2015
3.5/5 stars...
Welcome to Wonderland, the hottest night club in town where booze, drugs, sex and sweaty, sexy men are wall to wall in abundance. Alex swore to himself and to his boyfriend Steven that he would stop indulging in all the not so hidden treasures of Wonderland. But staying on the straight and narrow isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when being bad is as simple as a trip across the dance floor, being fondled by the hip jirating twins, then winding up at Caterpillars table for a taste.
After Steven finds Alex’s stash in his pants pockets, he breaks things off. Alex retreats back to Wonderland and winds up cracked out of his mind, waking up in the twin’s bed the next morning. What’s worse is when he goes to Steven’s house to try and make things right, Steven isn’t there, he is missing. The events that take place after Alex’s night of debauchery are both mind blowing and fanatical. In a race against time to save Steven from the psycho that has kidnapped him and is playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Alex and their friends, Alex takes a mind blowing trip down the rabbit hole into the secretive depths of Wonderland.
I loved how Browatzke took the bones of the classic Wonderland story, mangling and twisting the plot into his own twisted tale of sex, drugs, mystery and intrigue. From the night club to the bathhouse and everything in between, Alex has to dig deep to decipher the clues he is given if he is going to bring Steven back home. There were a few twists and turns that left me dizzy though, and a couple times the flow from one aspect of the story to the next was jumpy or broken, which put a damper on the overall feel of the story. But the almost psychedelic feel of this book really kept me engrossed and entertained throughout.
If you, like me, are inexplicably drawn to anything and everything Alice in Wonderland-esque, then this is a must read for you. While I had a few issues with characters and plots within the story, overall I am impressed with the Authors ability to spin a tale, and intrigued with this world he has created. I cannot wait until May when the next book, Mirrorball, releases. I am certain that Alex and Steven are going to learn that happy ever after is not always what it seems. Especially in Wonderland!
* I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Welcome to Wonderland, the hottest night club in town where booze, drugs, sex and sweaty, sexy men are wall to wall in abundance. Alex swore to himself and to his boyfriend Steven that he would stop indulging in all the not so hidden treasures of Wonderland. But staying on the straight and narrow isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when being bad is as simple as a trip across the dance floor, being fondled by the hip jirating twins, then winding up at Caterpillars table for a taste.
After Steven finds Alex’s stash in his pants pockets, he breaks things off. Alex retreats back to Wonderland and winds up cracked out of his mind, waking up in the twin’s bed the next morning. What’s worse is when he goes to Steven’s house to try and make things right, Steven isn’t there, he is missing. The events that take place after Alex’s night of debauchery are both mind blowing and fanatical. In a race against time to save Steven from the psycho that has kidnapped him and is playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Alex and their friends, Alex takes a mind blowing trip down the rabbit hole into the secretive depths of Wonderland.
I loved how Browatzke took the bones of the classic Wonderland story, mangling and twisting the plot into his own twisted tale of sex, drugs, mystery and intrigue. From the night club to the bathhouse and everything in between, Alex has to dig deep to decipher the clues he is given if he is going to bring Steven back home. There were a few twists and turns that left me dizzy though, and a couple times the flow from one aspect of the story to the next was jumpy or broken, which put a damper on the overall feel of the story. But the almost psychedelic feel of this book really kept me engrossed and entertained throughout.
If you, like me, are inexplicably drawn to anything and everything Alice in Wonderland-esque, then this is a must read for you. While I had a few issues with characters and plots within the story, overall I am impressed with the Authors ability to spin a tale, and intrigued with this world he has created. I cannot wait until May when the next book, Mirrorball, releases. I am certain that Alex and Steven are going to learn that happy ever after is not always what it seems. Especially in Wonderland!
* I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
May 17, 2015
Wonderland was a really fun to read. Part mystery, part thriller, part shallow sexy adventure, and full of fun witty humor throughout. I'm really anxious to get on to the next book because just was just a so much fun. Of course if you're one who pays attention to everybody else's reviews before reading a book yeah I might turn away from this one. There were lots of reviews that were pretty harsh and people were pretty critical of the whole drugs and drinking and brunch seen, but for me that just made it to that much more fun we actually have a witty thriller mystery with club kids, what more could you ask for? Kudos to the rider on a job very well done you've definitely got me hooked and I can't wait to read more of your work!
August 5, 2015
I'm not even sure where to start with this book, it was by far one of the strangest book I've ever read. It was hard to keep up with all the characters, it was a wacky read with drugs, alcohol and sex rampant through out the book. Which normally isn't a big deal but for me there wasn't a lot of character development through the book. Alex was pretty self absorbed through the whole book which made it hard for me to really like him.
August 4, 2015
What a wild ride
Wow this is not what I was expecting. The characters felt like I've known them for years, the plot pretty wild filled with sex drugs and partying. Just when I thought I had it figured out a new twist came. Can't wait for the next book.
Wow this is not what I was expecting. The characters felt like I've known them for years, the plot pretty wild filled with sex drugs and partying. Just when I thought I had it figured out a new twist came. Can't wait for the next book.
August 22, 2015
The summary drew me in and I felt it had potential, but then it went downhill very quickly.
I've never read a story where I'm only a quarter of the way through and I want to skip to the ending because I was that bored with it. But I suffered through.
I felt as if Alex didn't have any type of growth throughout the whole book. He was known for drugs and having sex, even if he was "clean" for six months while with Steven. And look, he got to take more drugs and have more sex thanks to whoever kidnapped Steven. Did he feel guilty, sure. But no one actually forced his hand. I don't believe for a second that he would have followed through with Steven's kidnapper's demands. Or at least not in their entirety. And I believe all except one or two times, he was not forced to do drugs or have sex. At least one of the times Alex hooked up with Aaron was without the influence of drugs or alcohol. And then when he found Steven, it was all forgiven? No one is that understanding, because, as I mentioned, not all of Alex's times with the twins or Aaron were forced by Steven's kidnapper. Those that Alex was doing because Steven's life was threatened, I could almost believe Steven forgave him because he overheard what Alex was supposed to do. But everything else? No. I don't care how supposedly, deeply in love they are. It wouldn't happen.
Then trying to sound mysterious and tricky with who Steven's kidnapper was, just had this entire story going around in circles. Knowing about Nathan was really all that was necessary, but to have it in between somewhat pivotal chapters? No. Fail right there. You break up the action, with more than just one chapter even. Not to mention that it wasn't known right away that the reader was jumping back into Alex's past. Personally, I think waiting until Nathan's discovered would have been the best point in time to have the "flashback". Because by the time I "learned" Nathan was behind it, I forgot all about those few 'Alex's past' chapters. That may be a good thing for some readers, but honestly, I forgot because I was bored with the story, not because I was wrapped up in any of the drama. It was poor drama, poorly written.
One final thing I'll focus on is the characterization of the main group. It was all very cliche and stereotypical. The constant flirting, touching, dirty talk, and having sex. It was just overwhelming and/or annoying. That's not how all gay males act. And not all gay males want to have threesomes, or foursomes. The only person we know for sure who wasn't into the idea of three- or foursomes was Steven, but he was kidnapped, so any role he could have played in adding diversity to the group was missed.
I wanted to consider this a 2.5 rating and boost it up to 3 (since goodreads doesn't do halves), but then I realized I just couldn't.
I've never read a story where I'm only a quarter of the way through and I want to skip to the ending because I was that bored with it. But I suffered through.
I felt as if Alex didn't have any type of growth throughout the whole book. He was known for drugs and having sex, even if he was "clean" for six months while with Steven. And look, he got to take more drugs and have more sex thanks to whoever kidnapped Steven. Did he feel guilty, sure. But no one actually forced his hand. I don't believe for a second that he would have followed through with Steven's kidnapper's demands. Or at least not in their entirety. And I believe all except one or two times, he was not forced to do drugs or have sex. At least one of the times Alex hooked up with Aaron was without the influence of drugs or alcohol. And then when he found Steven, it was all forgiven? No one is that understanding, because, as I mentioned, not all of Alex's times with the twins or Aaron were forced by Steven's kidnapper. Those that Alex was doing because Steven's life was threatened, I could almost believe Steven forgave him because he overheard what Alex was supposed to do. But everything else? No. I don't care how supposedly, deeply in love they are. It wouldn't happen.
Then trying to sound mysterious and tricky with who Steven's kidnapper was, just had this entire story going around in circles. Knowing about Nathan was really all that was necessary, but to have it in between somewhat pivotal chapters? No. Fail right there. You break up the action, with more than just one chapter even. Not to mention that it wasn't known right away that the reader was jumping back into Alex's past. Personally, I think waiting until Nathan's discovered would have been the best point in time to have the "flashback". Because by the time I "learned" Nathan was behind it, I forgot all about those few 'Alex's past' chapters. That may be a good thing for some readers, but honestly, I forgot because I was bored with the story, not because I was wrapped up in any of the drama. It was poor drama, poorly written.
One final thing I'll focus on is the characterization of the main group. It was all very cliche and stereotypical. The constant flirting, touching, dirty talk, and having sex. It was just overwhelming and/or annoying. That's not how all gay males act. And not all gay males want to have threesomes, or foursomes. The only person we know for sure who wasn't into the idea of three- or foursomes was Steven, but he was kidnapped, so any role he could have played in adding diversity to the group was missed.
I wanted to consider this a 2.5 rating and boost it up to 3 (since goodreads doesn't do halves), but then I realized I just couldn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2015
I was excited for a mash-up read that combined Alice in Wonderland aspects with a modern-day theme. And really, some of the Alice characters do fit nicely into a ‘gay-themed’ story, coming already ingrained in our consciousness as rather flamboyant, over the top characters. Rob Browatzke has a smooth writing style, bringing descriptive elements and twisting characters in a way that works to fit a theme that is more edgy and LBGTQ.
While the first half of the book was quite unique and engaging as we get to know the characters and see their correlations to the story: Alex as Alice, Steven as the White Rabbit, Dinah the girlfriend/cat, a drug dealing caterpillar, and the Tweedles: Jesse and Colton. Set up as a promise from Alex to Steven that he will stop indulging in the various devilish delights that are to be found at the club, Wonderland, I was excited to see where the story would go. Possibilities seemed endless, even with some fairly cut and dried stereotyping of the secondary characters.
And then Steven is kidnapped and the mystery ensues. Well, that is, if Alex can ever get his head or body out of the multiple erotic and drug-induced diversions provided for his ‘healing’. Sadly Alex stopped growing, lost his tenuous connection to my empathy and my patience with yet another stereotype was exhausted. What could have been something wonderful and unique held on to only shards of brightness as the promise of the story as set up in the first half is shattered in convoluted, repetitive and often mindless acts: sexual and ‘mystery solving’. I still am uncertain as to who the killer was, and the kidnapper was just as unsettling. Early on in the story, Browatzke managed to solidly establish the sexual preferences of his characters, giving them emotional depth and showing the similarities and differences in homosexual choices to hetero readers. Then, he goes off on tangents that seem designed only to reinforce the extent to which the characters are homosexual, delving into stereotypes that felt, to me, slightly homophobic and dismissive to the community as a whole. I was disappointed and saddened: expecting more and getting less.
With a unique premise that works nicely in the first half, it felt as if the ideas had fled, and the author needed to add words to reach some unknowable goal. Missing the promise of the premise is always a disappointment to me as a reader, especially when Browatzke’s writing skills are SO apparent throughout the story. But, writing is not all that is needed for storytelling, and that is proven in this book.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
While the first half of the book was quite unique and engaging as we get to know the characters and see their correlations to the story: Alex as Alice, Steven as the White Rabbit, Dinah the girlfriend/cat, a drug dealing caterpillar, and the Tweedles: Jesse and Colton. Set up as a promise from Alex to Steven that he will stop indulging in the various devilish delights that are to be found at the club, Wonderland, I was excited to see where the story would go. Possibilities seemed endless, even with some fairly cut and dried stereotyping of the secondary characters.
And then Steven is kidnapped and the mystery ensues. Well, that is, if Alex can ever get his head or body out of the multiple erotic and drug-induced diversions provided for his ‘healing’. Sadly Alex stopped growing, lost his tenuous connection to my empathy and my patience with yet another stereotype was exhausted. What could have been something wonderful and unique held on to only shards of brightness as the promise of the story as set up in the first half is shattered in convoluted, repetitive and often mindless acts: sexual and ‘mystery solving’. I still am uncertain as to who the killer was, and the kidnapper was just as unsettling. Early on in the story, Browatzke managed to solidly establish the sexual preferences of his characters, giving them emotional depth and showing the similarities and differences in homosexual choices to hetero readers. Then, he goes off on tangents that seem designed only to reinforce the extent to which the characters are homosexual, delving into stereotypes that felt, to me, slightly homophobic and dismissive to the community as a whole. I was disappointed and saddened: expecting more and getting less.
With a unique premise that works nicely in the first half, it felt as if the ideas had fled, and the author needed to add words to reach some unknowable goal. Missing the promise of the premise is always a disappointment to me as a reader, especially when Browatzke’s writing skills are SO apparent throughout the story. But, writing is not all that is needed for storytelling, and that is proven in this book.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
February 18, 2015
This book is not really my type of book, but I thought I would give it a go. After all, I love Alice in Wonderland, and from the sound of the blurb, this author really warped it up. And he did.
In his version, Wonderland is a decadent nightclub, filled with every sort of sin you could imagine, and it makes it all okay. The problem for Alex (our protagonist, Alice) was that he was in love with Steven (‘owner of’ the white rabbit) and Steven wasn’t a fan of some of its vices. Like drugs. Since Alex bought some to help him get up the nerve to propose, he lost his boyfriend. Unfortunately, he just might lose him permanently.
I gave it four stars because the author did an incredible job of taking Alice in Wonderland and warping it wonderfully into this avant-garde world. Was it my type of book? No. Did I like the characters? I loved how the author drew them, but the characters themselves? No. In fact, at the end, I had to actually agree with one of the statements made by the bad guy. The gist of his words is ‘you can’t say you love someone and then go have sex with everything else that moves’. I’m in agreement with that. And quite honestly, Alex did not have a lot to recommend him. I won’t tell you what happened at the end of the book, but I will tell you it didn’t really happen the way I would have liked. I’m hoping- even though I have no plans to read the next book- that a certain someone wakes up and walks away. I’m just not sure Alex can be saved from the crazy lifestyle he keeps jumping into.
This is not a romance, no matter how much Alex and Steven’s relationship is brought up. It’s a wonky trip through Wonderland. Prepare for the unexpected.
Reviewed by a-nony-mouse for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
In his version, Wonderland is a decadent nightclub, filled with every sort of sin you could imagine, and it makes it all okay. The problem for Alex (our protagonist, Alice) was that he was in love with Steven (‘owner of’ the white rabbit) and Steven wasn’t a fan of some of its vices. Like drugs. Since Alex bought some to help him get up the nerve to propose, he lost his boyfriend. Unfortunately, he just might lose him permanently.
I gave it four stars because the author did an incredible job of taking Alice in Wonderland and warping it wonderfully into this avant-garde world. Was it my type of book? No. Did I like the characters? I loved how the author drew them, but the characters themselves? No. In fact, at the end, I had to actually agree with one of the statements made by the bad guy. The gist of his words is ‘you can’t say you love someone and then go have sex with everything else that moves’. I’m in agreement with that. And quite honestly, Alex did not have a lot to recommend him. I won’t tell you what happened at the end of the book, but I will tell you it didn’t really happen the way I would have liked. I’m hoping- even though I have no plans to read the next book- that a certain someone wakes up and walks away. I’m just not sure Alex can be saved from the crazy lifestyle he keeps jumping into.
This is not a romance, no matter how much Alex and Steven’s relationship is brought up. It’s a wonky trip through Wonderland. Prepare for the unexpected.
Reviewed by a-nony-mouse for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
August 11, 2015
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but as soon as I dived into Wonderland I couldn't get back through the rabbit hole until I'd finished. If it had been a paperback I would have skipped to the end more than once, but I'm glad I didn't. Essentially Wonderland is a nightclub, but oh what a club. I SO wish I could go there. The only thing better than the club are the outrageous characters that frequent it. The supertiwns, DJ The Hatter. The local drug dealer The Caterpiller. The drag queen The Queen of Hearts. Then there's the owner of Alex's building Mr Carrol and his neighbour Walrus Carpenter. All very Alice in Wonderlandish. But it's not twee or kitch. There is actually a gripping story. Alex has broken up with Steven (who has a car called a White Rabbit) and is very sorry about it.
When Steven goes missing, Alex starts having calls from a stranger who knows a heck of a lot about him, and seems to be very close. The stranger leads him on a merry dance through decadence until a final, shocking confrontation.
The book is not perfect. There are some elements of the story that don't always ring true, and I found the way Alex keeps flashing back to replay his relationship with Steven from the very start. The flashbacks pulled me out of the story and I don't think they were necessary. That's what cost the book one star. On the whole, however the book was captivating and rich, and I loved it - to the point I'm definitely going to snap up the sequel 'Through the Mirrorball'
When Steven goes missing, Alex starts having calls from a stranger who knows a heck of a lot about him, and seems to be very close. The stranger leads him on a merry dance through decadence until a final, shocking confrontation.
The book is not perfect. There are some elements of the story that don't always ring true, and I found the way Alex keeps flashing back to replay his relationship with Steven from the very start. The flashbacks pulled me out of the story and I don't think they were necessary. That's what cost the book one star. On the whole, however the book was captivating and rich, and I loved it - to the point I'm definitely going to snap up the sequel 'Through the Mirrorball'
January 29, 2015
Rob Browatzk - Wonderland
Alex.
Steven.
Modern day Alice in The Wonderland. MM romance. 200 pages. No Table of Contents. Club scene. 1st POV. Back and forth timeline.
Dear publisher, couldnt the font all much smaller? I am being sarcastic here. I dont know about the actual size of the released paperback, but even if i know, 7 paragraphs in one page is just too crowded for eyes comfort.
Awesome writing style, the emotion poured through the carefully selected word and beautiful metaphor. I actually really enjoy Wonderland. The story covers a common gay scene of brunchs, clubbing, drugging, and random hook up. Different to other MM book that usually covers a closet gay. Wonderland feels similar to Queer as Folk in term on the gay scene. But it was not a cheapie because it told in such an emotional and beautiful writing style.
ARC is kindly provided by Author/Publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you for the chance to review the book.
Alex.
Steven.
Modern day Alice in The Wonderland. MM romance. 200 pages. No Table of Contents. Club scene. 1st POV. Back and forth timeline.
Dear publisher, couldnt the font all much smaller? I am being sarcastic here. I dont know about the actual size of the released paperback, but even if i know, 7 paragraphs in one page is just too crowded for eyes comfort.
Awesome writing style, the emotion poured through the carefully selected word and beautiful metaphor. I actually really enjoy Wonderland. The story covers a common gay scene of brunchs, clubbing, drugging, and random hook up. Different to other MM book that usually covers a closet gay. Wonderland feels similar to Queer as Folk in term on the gay scene. But it was not a cheapie because it told in such an emotional and beautiful writing style.
ARC is kindly provided by Author/Publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you for the chance to review the book.
January 23, 2015
( I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in Exchange for an honest review.)
This certainly was interesting, i liked all the Alice in wonderland parallels that are in here from the Caterpillar being a drug dealer to the Hatter being a dj and the twins being cage dancers. I really enjoyed this and it had a unique plot. When the main characters (Alex) ex-boyfriend (Steven) goes missing after a fight, he starts receiving call and messages from an unknown assailant forcing him to do immoral acts in order to get him back, but all doesn't go to plan as the things he must do become more and more dangerous and deplorable, from bath houses to deranged,closeted, homophobic neighbour to his previous ex masquerading as the local drag queen the Queen of Hearts.
I recommend this to people who liked Lewis Carrols original or any type of mystery as this just had me guessing and even then my guess was wrong in the end,looking forward to the next installment in this series.
4.5 Stars
This certainly was interesting, i liked all the Alice in wonderland parallels that are in here from the Caterpillar being a drug dealer to the Hatter being a dj and the twins being cage dancers. I really enjoyed this and it had a unique plot. When the main characters (Alex) ex-boyfriend (Steven) goes missing after a fight, he starts receiving call and messages from an unknown assailant forcing him to do immoral acts in order to get him back, but all doesn't go to plan as the things he must do become more and more dangerous and deplorable, from bath houses to deranged,closeted, homophobic neighbour to his previous ex masquerading as the local drag queen the Queen of Hearts.
I recommend this to people who liked Lewis Carrols original or any type of mystery as this just had me guessing and even then my guess was wrong in the end,looking forward to the next installment in this series.
4.5 Stars
September 10, 2015
74 of 75 for 2015. To call this a Gay Romance is, perhaps, stretching things a bit. It's also a mystery as the love interest disappears early in the book and our hero's task throughout the narrative is to find what has happened to his love and rescue him. However, the book really comes across as What Not To Do When Looking for Love. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, they're all here in good measure, and the very things that led to the initial fight between lovebirds just keep popping up as if our hero cannot learn his lesson. Yes, one could say that this is the way life is for big city gay men, especially those who just can't stay away from the club which gives the book its title. Rest assured, however, in the end the book is really another gay harlequin, and despite all the challenges and bad behavior, love will win the day and the bad guy will be caught and punished.
August 5, 2015
Surprise! Surprise!
This was the most unusual gay story I've ever read, and I loved every word of it!! The character diversity was amazing. Some of their interactions were so over the top and just too funny. I learned some new words "gayborhood" and "fourgy", a new event, " Wingsanity Wednesdays at the Peppery Pig". You gotta love the learning. As an undercurrent to all the shenanigans was stalking and kidnapping. The resolution of that situation was brilliant. I was on edge all the way through. I'm no spoiler so...
This was the most unusual gay story I've ever read, and I loved every word of it!! The character diversity was amazing. Some of their interactions were so over the top and just too funny. I learned some new words "gayborhood" and "fourgy", a new event, " Wingsanity Wednesdays at the Peppery Pig". You gotta love the learning. As an undercurrent to all the shenanigans was stalking and kidnapping. The resolution of that situation was brilliant. I was on edge all the way through. I'm no spoiler so...
February 18, 2015
What do you rate a book that you can't put down but drives you crazy? If the author didn't say multiple times, I would have thought Alex was a teenager. He has to be the king of bad choices. The whole mystery was a bit convoluted but I still had a hard time putting the book down and I'm pretty sure I'll have to read the next book to find out what else could possibly happen. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.
November 5, 2015
Not excatly my cup of tea. Its about cicuit gay people acting inresponsibly.
August 5, 2017
I'm giving this book three stars simply because I couldn't stop reading it, not because I thought it was particularly good. If a book was just story, I'd probably give this one star. The story was... well, I thought it was satire at first, but then I think the book might have wanted to turn into a romance, which was weird and a shame, because I was far more into the character with his ex than with his current boyfriend.
The issue boils down to this: this book had a ton of tone problems. It was funny, then it was dark, then it was funny, but it was never intertwined enough to be a dark comedy, which was a shame. Honestly, the author shines when being vulnerable--the chapter about the slur was particularly powerful--but it feels very much like he's trying to shy away from that in this book, which is a shame because his voice is gorgeous and if the book was better balanced, and the ending wasn't so rushed, this book could be a masterpiece.
Worth the read for how good a writer the author is, but if you're a story person more than a prose person, maybe give this one a miss.
The issue boils down to this: this book had a ton of tone problems. It was funny, then it was dark, then it was funny, but it was never intertwined enough to be a dark comedy, which was a shame. Honestly, the author shines when being vulnerable--the chapter about the slur was particularly powerful--but it feels very much like he's trying to shy away from that in this book, which is a shame because his voice is gorgeous and if the book was better balanced, and the ending wasn't so rushed, this book could be a masterpiece.
Worth the read for how good a writer the author is, but if you're a story person more than a prose person, maybe give this one a miss.
April 27, 2020
Follow the White Rabbit
I opened this book thinking it was going to be one type of story, but I got something totally unexpected. If you're looking for a typical boy-meets-boy romance, this book may not be for you. Sometimes this book felt more like a love story between a man and his cocaine than any one person, which caught me off guard because it's a world I couldn't relate to. The character also made several decisions that made me emotionally and physically uncomfortable.
As they say, the only way out is through and when I did reach the books conclusion, I found that four hours had gone by and I hadn't been able to put it down! The smartly written mystery was more than enough to keep me hooked. Just like Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, Browatzke introduced me to a world I almost recognized but found both a little confusing and fascinating. It was quite the trip!
Now, I'm late for a very important date...with book 2.
I opened this book thinking it was going to be one type of story, but I got something totally unexpected. If you're looking for a typical boy-meets-boy romance, this book may not be for you. Sometimes this book felt more like a love story between a man and his cocaine than any one person, which caught me off guard because it's a world I couldn't relate to. The character also made several decisions that made me emotionally and physically uncomfortable.
As they say, the only way out is through and when I did reach the books conclusion, I found that four hours had gone by and I hadn't been able to put it down! The smartly written mystery was more than enough to keep me hooked. Just like Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, Browatzke introduced me to a world I almost recognized but found both a little confusing and fascinating. It was quite the trip!
Now, I'm late for a very important date...with book 2.
December 27, 2014
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating is more like... 2.5... maaaybe 3 stars. But probably not.
Let's just put it this way, there were some characters who made this read bearable for me, and Alex, our hero, was NOT one of them. But the twins? Even Brandon and the Caterpillar? Yeah. They were worth it. The rest was not. I don't want to say this was trash, because that would *definitely* be too harsh, but I will say... it was really REALLY all over the place, and NOT in a good "Wonderland-esque" way, either. It seemed without direction and furthermore pointless at times, dragging on and on and getting nowhere, only to suddenly throw that ranty-psychotic ending at us and expect us, the reader, to be okay with it. only to sum everything up all happy-happy for a quickly hashed together epilogue that once again seemed quite pointless and did nothing to help me like the book even an inkling more. I feel like I just wasted the last couple hours I've spent on and off reading this book.
I was SO looking forward to this one, too. Queer Alice In Wonderland!!! How could this have possibly gone so wrong???? Honestly. HOW.
I just have no words.
Actual rating is more like... 2.5... maaaybe 3 stars. But probably not.
Let's just put it this way, there were some characters who made this read bearable for me, and Alex, our hero, was NOT one of them. But the twins? Even Brandon and the Caterpillar? Yeah. They were worth it. The rest was not. I don't want to say this was trash, because that would *definitely* be too harsh, but I will say... it was really REALLY all over the place, and NOT in a good "Wonderland-esque" way, either. It seemed without direction and furthermore pointless at times, dragging on and on and getting nowhere, only to suddenly throw that ranty-psychotic ending at us and expect us, the reader, to be okay with it. only to sum everything up all happy-happy for a quickly hashed together epilogue that once again seemed quite pointless and did nothing to help me like the book even an inkling more. I feel like I just wasted the last couple hours I've spent on and off reading this book.
I was SO looking forward to this one, too. Queer Alice In Wonderland!!! How could this have possibly gone so wrong???? Honestly. HOW.
I just have no words.
June 28, 2016
A well written book sort of based on the tale of Alice. Alex's love interest Steven goes missing after they fight over Alex taking drugs. As the mystery continues to spiral, Alex buries his worries in more drugs and sex. It makes it hard for him to see what is really happening and makes him blame others. It's hard to figure out who is making calls to Alex demanding he do crazy things, and there are suspicious people everywhere. Though Alex behaves in a way that should end any relationship he had, he does not forget the man he loves, and eventually he discovers who the unstable man is who took Steven and I almost feel sorry for the abuse the man suffered that made him who he was. Interesting story but as time passed and Alex fell into bed with more people I worried that there would be no happy ending even if it was pretty sexy.
do-not-finish
August 21, 2015DNF at 29%
No disrespect to the author, but this book is clearly not for me.
I tried, I really really tried reading on even when I already frowning from the get go. While I’m usually way to stubborn to say uncle, the story just hit me wrong and left me feeling uncomfortable I decided to just drop it.
To be fair, the blurb mentioned Wonderland as the name of nightclub where the characters frequented, so I should’ve been warned and expected the drugs, booze, and sex; the whole enchilada. But the characters personalities didn’t endear any of them to me to really find out what would happen to them, I just… Sorry, I just couldn’t.
Note: ARC was kindly provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
No disrespect to the author, but this book is clearly not for me.
I tried, I really really tried reading on even when I already frowning from the get go. While I’m usually way to stubborn to say uncle, the story just hit me wrong and left me feeling uncomfortable I decided to just drop it.
To be fair, the blurb mentioned Wonderland as the name of nightclub where the characters frequented, so I should’ve been warned and expected the drugs, booze, and sex; the whole enchilada. But the characters personalities didn’t endear any of them to me to really find out what would happen to them, I just… Sorry, I just couldn’t.
Note: ARC was kindly provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2014
I hated this book. Plain and simple.
True enough, I didn't have high expectations whatsoever. If anything, I requested this so that I'd have something to read mindlessly during my exam week. It ended up being the worst book I've read recently.
The writing is so bad, I don't want to meet the person that decided to publish it with the way it is right now.
The plot is worse. I don't want to give spoilers, so I won't say anything, but half the things that happened in the book made me roll my eyes and/or say, "Seriously?" No, this is not a good thing.
Don't even get me started with the characters. They were beyond crappy. I don't know whom I hated the most, I have too many candidates to choose among.
Overall, this goes straight to my 0-out-of-5 shelf. I'm not even sorry.
True enough, I didn't have high expectations whatsoever. If anything, I requested this so that I'd have something to read mindlessly during my exam week. It ended up being the worst book I've read recently.
The writing is so bad, I don't want to meet the person that decided to publish it with the way it is right now.
The plot is worse. I don't want to give spoilers, so I won't say anything, but half the things that happened in the book made me roll my eyes and/or say, "Seriously?" No, this is not a good thing.
Don't even get me started with the characters. They were beyond crappy. I don't know whom I hated the most, I have too many candidates to choose among.
Overall, this goes straight to my 0-out-of-5 shelf. I'm not even sorry.
February 5, 2015
Clearly the reviewers of this book met the caterpillar before reading this book.
I don't understand the horrible reviews this book was amazing spin on a classic!
I never read a book in two days before but I was at it because it kept me at the end of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen! There was points where I was seriously screaming at the pages and at Alex for all the things he does.
I don't want to give away to much of the books but except sex, drugs and everything in between!
So ask yourself before you read the book, Would you do anything to get back the person you love?
Then read this book and find out Alex's adventure!
I can't wait to see what happens next!
I don't understand the horrible reviews this book was amazing spin on a classic!
I never read a book in two days before but I was at it because it kept me at the end of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen! There was points where I was seriously screaming at the pages and at Alex for all the things he does.
I don't want to give away to much of the books but except sex, drugs and everything in between!
So ask yourself before you read the book, Would you do anything to get back the person you love?
Then read this book and find out Alex's adventure!
I can't wait to see what happens next!
August 31, 2015
A Alice in Wonderland mash up sounds awesome right? Well maybe in most cases it would be. In this care I just wanted to run. I can honestly say I tried to read all of it but I just couldn't. I tried.
The storyline was less than impressive and felt literally random. Alex is just a character you want to smack around a bit. Everything seemed in slow motion. I truly don't know if the ending was great but I couldn't trudge through through.
I don't mind M/M books but if there's no storyline and the characters fall short than it's just a disappointment. In fact this was a HUGE disappointment. Would only recommend if you like random stories and dull characters.
The storyline was less than impressive and felt literally random. Alex is just a character you want to smack around a bit. Everything seemed in slow motion. I truly don't know if the ending was great but I couldn't trudge through through.
I don't mind M/M books but if there's no storyline and the characters fall short than it's just a disappointment. In fact this was a HUGE disappointment. Would only recommend if you like random stories and dull characters.
August 8, 2015
Rated 2.5
Not sure how I felt about this book. Maybe it was because it was late at night when I was reading it but it just didn't grab me and couldn't get into it. There were a lot of emotions in it and the POV was one sided and quite a bit of back and forth too and hard to keep focused with the characters and the craziness of the drugs, sex and booze. I really can't say much other than that. Maybe I'll try reading it again later on with a clearer head but I don't think it would be too soon.
Not sure how I felt about this book. Maybe it was because it was late at night when I was reading it but it just didn't grab me and couldn't get into it. There were a lot of emotions in it and the POV was one sided and quite a bit of back and forth too and hard to keep focused with the characters and the craziness of the drugs, sex and booze. I really can't say much other than that. Maybe I'll try reading it again later on with a clearer head but I don't think it would be too soon.
August 18, 2015
Strange, wacky, and full of gay stereotypes (can we please stop using "fag hag" for close women friends of gay men? Thank you). Also, I felt every other character had more dimension than the romantic interest we were supposed to care about. Lots of wishy washy introspection on the part of the main character. All glitz and no gumption. Full of really bizarre happenings and illogical plot twists.
May 14, 2016
It was really a great book. Filled with the twists and turns that made it so fun to read. Great characters and set up. I enjoyed the illusions to the Alice in Wonderland. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes m/m romance and good crime mystery novels.
October 10, 2016
This book was nothing I expected. The Wonderland references were odd. The large number of characters was too much but thankfully no side stories for them. The story was more mystery with gay characters than a sexy m-m book. The mystery was very unique with various characters coming out of the past.
August 3, 2015
I'm compelled to read more from this author, but this book was a train wreck. The writing style was fabulous, but the story line was...meh. All those words wasted...
August 25, 2015
fun sexy fantasy romp
Read
December 15, 2015This one just didn't hold my interest enough to finish it (obviously since I started in October and it's two months later!!).
Maybe someday I'll come back to it, but I doubt it.
Maybe someday I'll come back to it, but I doubt it.
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