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The Q
Step out for a Saturday night at The Q—the small town gay bar in Appalachia where the locals congregate. Whose secret love is revealed? What long-term relationship comes to a crossroad? What revelations come to light? The DJ mixes a soundtrack to inspire dancing, drinking, singing, and falling in (or out) of love.
This pivotal Saturday night at The Q is one its regulars will never forget. Lives irrevocably change. Laugh, shed a tear, and root for folks you’ll come to love and remember long after the last page.
This pivotal Saturday night at The Q is one its regulars will never forget. Lives irrevocably change. Laugh, shed a tear, and root for folks you’ll come to love and remember long after the last page.
ebook
First published February 1, 2021
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102 people want to read
About the author
Rick R. Reed
118 books1,047 followersReal Men. True Love.
Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.
Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”
Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.
Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.
Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”
Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 2, 2021
I'm sorry it took me so long to finally read Rick R. Reed's The Q, it is absolutely lovely.
I'd heard about the way it is structured, and how masterfully Mr. Reed pulls it all together, but you really must read it to fully appreciate how beautifully written it is. The characters are thoroughly developed, and the interactions between the different groups is fascinating. Of course it's a bit of a heartwrencher, but The Q will leave you with a warm spot in your soul, I promise!
thank you to Ninestar Press through NetGalley for providing a copy of The Q, all opinions are my own
I'd heard about the way it is structured, and how masterfully Mr. Reed pulls it all together, but you really must read it to fully appreciate how beautifully written it is. The characters are thoroughly developed, and the interactions between the different groups is fascinating. Of course it's a bit of a heartwrencher, but The Q will leave you with a warm spot in your soul, I promise!
thank you to Ninestar Press through NetGalley for providing a copy of The Q, all opinions are my own
March 31, 2024
This book reminded me of the show Modern Love, where each episode was a vignette of a pivotal moment in the lives of a handful of people. The Q had a "fly on the wall" vibe to it that I really liked because who hasn't sat in a public place and wondered about the strangers sharing space with you? I remember standing outside of a convenience store while pumping gas one night, watching the people inside as they paid exorbitant prices for things like a single banana or a box of tampons and wondering what their lives were like. That's the feeling this book evoked as each character's night at The Q began and ended. The problem with a story like this is that it lacks closure, so if you prefer stories that are wrapped up with a bow, this may not be the book for you. I would have loved it if the epilogue had been a brief check in with the characters to find out what became of them after the life altering events of that one night, but I understood what the author was trying to do by making each ending ambiguous. I'd really like to know how Wally and Winslow are doing, though. I hope they're both happy and thriving.
June 26, 2021
Through about the first half of The Q, I almost felt like I was reading a Stephen King novel, one of those where he introduces you to a half-dozen characters that are going to be drawn together later in the book as weird stuff starts to happen. And I mean that in the best, most respectful of ways.
I didn't really know what was going on, but Rick Reed is such a skilled writer that I immediately cared about the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. He deftly ties all the vignettes together, even though most don't overlap much, if at all, and brings the book to a satisfying close.
Note: if you're looking for a HEA romance and will settle for nothing less, keep scrolling. There's romance here, but this is not a romance novel. There is happiness here, too, but again, this is not a traditional romance novel. It's a literary work that transported me to the Q and into the lives of the patrons. I feel richer for having taken the journey with him, and with these characters.
I didn't really know what was going on, but Rick Reed is such a skilled writer that I immediately cared about the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. He deftly ties all the vignettes together, even though most don't overlap much, if at all, and brings the book to a satisfying close.
Note: if you're looking for a HEA romance and will settle for nothing less, keep scrolling. There's romance here, but this is not a romance novel. There is happiness here, too, but again, this is not a traditional romance novel. It's a literary work that transported me to the Q and into the lives of the patrons. I feel richer for having taken the journey with him, and with these characters.
March 12, 2021
I for real LOVED this book. Although it’s really more of a novella, standing at just 194 pages. The novella revolves around a gay bar, The Q, and its patrons over a 24-hour period on a Saturday night as they deal with relationship and/or family troubles, unrequited love, romance, and secrets. The book is broken up into 4 parts and each part has short vignettes of what is going on in various different characters’ lives. Each part goes further into each of those characters lives and what is happening to them. There aren’t any cut and dry endings for any of the characters since we only see them for this one short 24-hour period of time. But I love these kinds of stories. These short peaks behind the curtains of what’s happening, just being dropped into existing lives and then just as quickly pulled out. You’re just seeing a moment in time for these people. I loved the characters and was eager to read more about each one as the different parts of the novella came up. Even after I was done with the novella, the story and its characters stayed with me and made me want to cry both happy and sad tears.
Highly recommended for lovers of character driven pieces and LGBTQ fiction.
Received via Netgalley
Highly recommended for lovers of character driven pieces and LGBTQ fiction.
Received via Netgalley
January 16, 2021
The Q by Rick R Reed is a beautifully woven tapestry of emotion. Readers are treated to the point of views of multiple characters, each offering a glimpse into the lives as they spend the night at The Q. From tragedy and danger, to miscommunications, surprises,, and big life decisions... these characters etch themselves onto your heart and make you feel them. The wonderfully written story is one that I feel will stay with me and become a frequent recommendation.
February 1, 2021
This book isn't quite what I was expecting, it is so much more - in a good way; I really enjoyed it. I found this to be a refreshing change of pace that will pack an emotion punch. There is something for everyone within the pages. This is the first book by this author I have read and it certainly won't be the last.
March 7, 2021
First of all, this is not a romance .... it's better. In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, there is a nondescript little gay bar called The Q, actually the Quench Room, but most think the Q stands for queer. It's a gathering spot for drinking, dancing, shooting the breeze, reconnecting with friends, and for some it's a lifeline. If you're from a small town (as the author is, and me as well), you've probably had a bar like this in your life.
Reed weaves a rich tapestry, sharing vignettes of lives entwined with the bar. There's the old married couple at the end of the bar, whose marriage is nothing like it appears to be, and another married couple facing a crucial crossroads. There's the man who sees his face in the mirror and wonders who he really was. "Was there any substance there? Or had he been all gloss and veneer, with nothing substantial behind the pretty?" The bartender, Mary Louise, mourns the loss of so many beautiful men in her life taken by AIDS.
I recently read an excellent article entitled "A Feeling for Fiction" by Keith Oakley on how fiction elicits such empathic responses from us. He says "A story is a partnership. The author writes it, and the reader or audience member brings it alive." Reed does this, in The Q, in the best way possible - holding up a mirror before us, allowing us to glimpse our own stories of love and loss, of hope and fear, through the lifes and loves of eight folks from the Q. 5 stars.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Reed weaves a rich tapestry, sharing vignettes of lives entwined with the bar. There's the old married couple at the end of the bar, whose marriage is nothing like it appears to be, and another married couple facing a crucial crossroads. There's the man who sees his face in the mirror and wonders who he really was. "Was there any substance there? Or had he been all gloss and veneer, with nothing substantial behind the pretty?" The bartender, Mary Louise, mourns the loss of so many beautiful men in her life taken by AIDS.
I recently read an excellent article entitled "A Feeling for Fiction" by Keith Oakley on how fiction elicits such empathic responses from us. He says "A story is a partnership. The author writes it, and the reader or audience member brings it alive." Reed does this, in The Q, in the best way possible - holding up a mirror before us, allowing us to glimpse our own stories of love and loss, of hope and fear, through the lifes and loves of eight folks from the Q. 5 stars.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
February 2, 2021
Imagine the anecdotes you could share if you were the only gay-friendly bar at the junction of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Rick R. Reed’s The Q tells its tale through its patrons’ interlocking short stories; three couples, and three sets of individuals, on one fateful Saturday evening. As the first author to earn my 5-heart review for a short with Through the Closet Door, Mr. Reed holds a special place in my heart! You betcha I was gonna imbibe this one.
Told in three parts, we first learn each pair/triad’s back story, then the current dilemma and finally, its outcome. Seems formulaic, right? Nope. Great writing and dialect entwine these sips of different lives. “Sometimes, when the drink was making her really mean, as it occasionally did, Bobbi Janine would call out some poor overweight queen as ‘ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag.’”
And through it all, The Q stands witness, a character in its own right, with the bartender, Mary Louise as its common thread. “Just before the doors opened, though, the joint looked tired and sad (as Mary Louise herself often felt)… Night pressed in on the tinted glass like a monster, hungry for admittance.” Almost every visitor is ambivalent about attending that night, to see the same old people yet again. But that’s the point, isn’t it? This loosely connected community comes out for the comfort of continuity, familiarity and support.
We meet established couples renewing their relationship, troubled couples, those who long for love and those who discard it, even parent/child issues. Each is crystal clear, though all six are squeezed into 194 pages. Here’s the description of one. And isn’t he instantly recognizable?
“When (his looks) began to fade, Nelson started to wonder who he really was. Who was the guy behind the pretty face? Was there any substance there? Or had he been all gloss and veneer, with nothing substantial behind the pretty? …Once his age was writ large across his features, he became the watcher instead of the watched.”
With simple language, everyday folks, mundane problems, Mr. Reed mixes a heady cocktail of identifiable angst, warmth, confusion and wisdom. I hungered for each person’s conclusion. They run the gamut, from romantic to distressing. But the best is left for last; don’t miss the epilogue.
Here’s how engaged I felt. I received the e-Book right after the U.S. capitol was stormed. Despite a fog of shock and confusion, I was able to read right through. For fully satisfying personalities, deeply involving plots, a community of genuinely relatable folks, with a twist of danger, a swig of humor and a dash of insight, ‘The Q' is a heady brew!”
Told in three parts, we first learn each pair/triad’s back story, then the current dilemma and finally, its outcome. Seems formulaic, right? Nope. Great writing and dialect entwine these sips of different lives. “Sometimes, when the drink was making her really mean, as it occasionally did, Bobbi Janine would call out some poor overweight queen as ‘ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag.’”
And through it all, The Q stands witness, a character in its own right, with the bartender, Mary Louise as its common thread. “Just before the doors opened, though, the joint looked tired and sad (as Mary Louise herself often felt)… Night pressed in on the tinted glass like a monster, hungry for admittance.” Almost every visitor is ambivalent about attending that night, to see the same old people yet again. But that’s the point, isn’t it? This loosely connected community comes out for the comfort of continuity, familiarity and support.
We meet established couples renewing their relationship, troubled couples, those who long for love and those who discard it, even parent/child issues. Each is crystal clear, though all six are squeezed into 194 pages. Here’s the description of one. And isn’t he instantly recognizable?
“When (his looks) began to fade, Nelson started to wonder who he really was. Who was the guy behind the pretty face? Was there any substance there? Or had he been all gloss and veneer, with nothing substantial behind the pretty? …Once his age was writ large across his features, he became the watcher instead of the watched.”
With simple language, everyday folks, mundane problems, Mr. Reed mixes a heady cocktail of identifiable angst, warmth, confusion and wisdom. I hungered for each person’s conclusion. They run the gamut, from romantic to distressing. But the best is left for last; don’t miss the epilogue.
Here’s how engaged I felt. I received the e-Book right after the U.S. capitol was stormed. Despite a fog of shock and confusion, I was able to read right through. For fully satisfying personalities, deeply involving plots, a community of genuinely relatable folks, with a twist of danger, a swig of humor and a dash of insight, ‘The Q' is a heady brew!”
January 24, 2021
This is the best book Rick has ever written!
During the first section he'll introduce you to the 'regulars' who come to the Q on a normal Friday night. The characters are so easy to relate to, to hurt for, to empathize and fall in love with.
You'll find your emotions rising and falling throughout the story, as you learn more about each of their backgrounds and as you follow them through their relationships.
Death, despair, desertion play along side romance, revelations and new beginnings.
The strength of the story lies in how you come to feel like you know each one and want to stay at the Q long after it closes for the night.
Mary Louise is one lucky lady, as are all of those she looks after, and guides.
During the first section he'll introduce you to the 'regulars' who come to the Q on a normal Friday night. The characters are so easy to relate to, to hurt for, to empathize and fall in love with.
You'll find your emotions rising and falling throughout the story, as you learn more about each of their backgrounds and as you follow them through their relationships.
Death, despair, desertion play along side romance, revelations and new beginnings.
The strength of the story lies in how you come to feel like you know each one and want to stay at the Q long after it closes for the night.
Mary Louise is one lucky lady, as are all of those she looks after, and guides.
February 12, 2021
I think I'm in love with this book, and the characters in it. You'll experience a wide range of emotions as you get wrapped up in the stories you read. When the synopsis promised characters I would never forget, I was skeptical. It's rare that a book stays with me after I read it, but I want to go back and read this again, just to spend more time with the colorful cast that live in these pages. A beautiful, emotional read that will carve out a spot for itself on your heart. Cannot recommend enough, and would give this more than five stars if I could.
January 29, 2021
I had to think about this novel for a while before I could comment on it. The first thing to know is that it isn't a romance. The second thing to know is that there are a lot of characters and, as the tale is told in a series of vignettes, you don't have much time to get attached. The book is reminiscent of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, and his Mrs. Madrigal is even name-dropped within these pages, but whereas Tales has a quirky cast of characters built around one central character (at least in the beginning), The Q doesn't have as solid a foundation.
I identified with Mary Louise, the first (and last) of the character vignettes, so I was drawn right in. I too have been the token "hag" at the bar many a time, so she spoke to me and I felt interested right away. However, the stories all remained mostly shallow and with unresolved outcomes in most cases, so I felt that interest going in and out as the story progressed through different characters.
I think there's something in this book to draw in every reader, and it did have a timeless feel to it overall. The events at The Q could have taken place in Maupin's 1970s just as easily as the stated setting of "alternate universe 2020," and that is a gift in itself. I think readers who would enjoy this book are the ones who are feeling nostalgic or sentimental for that small town feeling, the ones who are burned out on technology and the urgent feel of our fast-paced lives where we have to do it, do it now before we miss our chance!, or even the ones who are sick of all the predictable plots of the m/m books they've been reading. This book is something different from Rick Reed, but I think it's a winner and definitely a good palate cleanser from the same old, same old of genre fiction. 4.5 stars
I identified with Mary Louise, the first (and last) of the character vignettes, so I was drawn right in. I too have been the token "hag" at the bar many a time, so she spoke to me and I felt interested right away. However, the stories all remained mostly shallow and with unresolved outcomes in most cases, so I felt that interest going in and out as the story progressed through different characters.
I think there's something in this book to draw in every reader, and it did have a timeless feel to it overall. The events at The Q could have taken place in Maupin's 1970s just as easily as the stated setting of "alternate universe 2020," and that is a gift in itself. I think readers who would enjoy this book are the ones who are feeling nostalgic or sentimental for that small town feeling, the ones who are burned out on technology and the urgent feel of our fast-paced lives where we have to do it, do it now before we miss our chance!, or even the ones who are sick of all the predictable plots of the m/m books they've been reading. This book is something different from Rick Reed, but I think it's a winner and definitely a good palate cleanser from the same old, same old of genre fiction. 4.5 stars
September 21, 2021
Loved. loved, loved this book about what can happen in a small town town gay bar within 24 hours. I used to go to a bar like this in Charlotte, North Carolina during the early 90's. I miss it.
February 8, 2021
The Q is filled with lost and lonely people. Reed fills it with a rainbow of diversity and surprisingly most of them are over fifty-years-old. There are heterosexuals, homosexuals, asexuals, and jerks. I will admit to being overwhelmed with the number of characters and who everyone is in Part One. What I remember the most after reading Part One straight through is the feelings that echoed inside me.
“Would someone even look twice at him these days?” Nelson, Loc. 212
I can remember this bar in Boston that everyone seemed to go to and the first time I went there it was filled with people in their twenties. Dancing, drinking, and having a good time. Then among the crowd I spotted a woman with all white hair and showing some age. No one wanted to dance with her and I thought, “OMG how sad. Will that be me in the future?” Well meet Reed’s version in Nelson. I relate to almost everything he thought with the exception that I don’t actually believe that love is coming. You look in the mirror and think, is that really me?
Reed hits on a lot of the emotions that older people feel who aren’t partnered or are living an untruth. I was nodding my head and thinking this is just going to be a sad book...but, who owns the pickup?
I need not have worried though as Reed blends stories so that you always know who you are with and how they connect. There are sad stories, “awww I’m bummed stories”, and “woohoo” stories. Everyone doesn’t get a “happily ever after”, but that is life too. Reed keeps it real and doesn’t sugarcoat their realities. There are no easy answers and some people just end up “lucky”.
I loved all of the interconnecting stories, even the unhappy ones. I have some favorites, but that would be giving away some of the endings (laugh). I recommend stopping by The Q and meeting the “gang” and let me know who your favorites are.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
“Would someone even look twice at him these days?” Nelson, Loc. 212
I can remember this bar in Boston that everyone seemed to go to and the first time I went there it was filled with people in their twenties. Dancing, drinking, and having a good time. Then among the crowd I spotted a woman with all white hair and showing some age. No one wanted to dance with her and I thought, “OMG how sad. Will that be me in the future?” Well meet Reed’s version in Nelson. I relate to almost everything he thought with the exception that I don’t actually believe that love is coming. You look in the mirror and think, is that really me?
Reed hits on a lot of the emotions that older people feel who aren’t partnered or are living an untruth. I was nodding my head and thinking this is just going to be a sad book...but, who owns the pickup?
I need not have worried though as Reed blends stories so that you always know who you are with and how they connect. There are sad stories, “awww I’m bummed stories”, and “woohoo” stories. Everyone doesn’t get a “happily ever after”, but that is life too. Reed keeps it real and doesn’t sugarcoat their realities. There are no easy answers and some people just end up “lucky”.
I loved all of the interconnecting stories, even the unhappy ones. I have some favorites, but that would be giving away some of the endings (laugh). I recommend stopping by The Q and meeting the “gang” and let me know who your favorites are.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
January 26, 2021
In this offering from Rick R Reed we're given the opportunity to be a fly on the wall for fragments of a group of characters, some with fairly fragmented lives, as they get ready, go out and see what Saturday night at The Q holds for them.
This isn't a long book, but it does pack a punch. The characters are engaging in the whole and their motivations feel authentically 'real life'. I really like the descriptive style and the way in which the 'day/night in the life of' stories are segmented and ordered. There are some really big themes, including fidelity, (almost) missed opportunities and family (both blood and found). There perhaps also ought to be a trigger warning as one of the characters is a victim of domestic abuse.
The Q (the book, as well as the bar) isn't quite perfect. There were a couple of things that didn't quite sit right for me (in Nelson's story and another in Donna and Ralph's story - I won't give spoilers, though) which surprised me coming from this author. I am tempted to ignore them, though for the wonderful sense of nostalgia the book gave me. When we were kids in the 90s, my friends and I used to spend hours of a Saturday night out on Canal Street in Manchester making up back stories for the regulars we'd see in Manto and Paradise Factory. The Q might be small town America, but that feeling that you could be watching a random moment when someone's life changes forever is absolutely universal...such a great premise for a book. 4*
An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
This isn't a long book, but it does pack a punch. The characters are engaging in the whole and their motivations feel authentically 'real life'. I really like the descriptive style and the way in which the 'day/night in the life of' stories are segmented and ordered. There are some really big themes, including fidelity, (almost) missed opportunities and family (both blood and found). There perhaps also ought to be a trigger warning as one of the characters is a victim of domestic abuse.
The Q (the book, as well as the bar) isn't quite perfect. There were a couple of things that didn't quite sit right for me (in Nelson's story and another in Donna and Ralph's story - I won't give spoilers, though) which surprised me coming from this author. I am tempted to ignore them, though for the wonderful sense of nostalgia the book gave me. When we were kids in the 90s, my friends and I used to spend hours of a Saturday night out on Canal Street in Manchester making up back stories for the regulars we'd see in Manto and Paradise Factory. The Q might be small town America, but that feeling that you could be watching a random moment when someone's life changes forever is absolutely universal...such a great premise for a book. 4*
An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.
February 1, 2021
This was an amazing surprise, not at all what I expected. First, it wasn't a romance, while it did include stories of relationships, good, loving or abusive, that ended or were just beginning. The Q was at the center of them all, with its past and its present. But, it was mainly the tale of several people and their history, from their POVs. A history that leads to one night when all of their lives, for a reason or another, will be changed forever.
It was beautifully emotional and I loved each character to pieces. Thing is, neither had a particularly happy back story. Eventually the author gave to each of them a sparkle of hope and something to look forward in the future, which I really appreciated. All of them deserved hope and happiness. At the same time, though, I wish I was there to witness it, too.
So, I finished this book a bit torn. I was sad reading about the characters' pasts, happy about some of them and their present and then sad again for not being part of what will happen next. That been said, I wouldn't give up having known all these people and I thank the author for having written their stories.
It was beautifully emotional and I loved each character to pieces. Thing is, neither had a particularly happy back story. Eventually the author gave to each of them a sparkle of hope and something to look forward in the future, which I really appreciated. All of them deserved hope and happiness. At the same time, though, I wish I was there to witness it, too.
So, I finished this book a bit torn. I was sad reading about the characters' pasts, happy about some of them and their present and then sad again for not being part of what will happen next. That been said, I wouldn't give up having known all these people and I thank the author for having written their stories.
February 5, 2021
I've spent a full 2 days before sitting down to start writing this review. I found myself staring into space a few times after I finished this story just thinking about how realistic it was.
We all know someone who has unrequited love or is in an abusive relationship. All the stories blended effortlessly and it was a true pleasure to read this book despite all the tears I had running down my face.
I think we all need something like Q and its owner in our lives. We all need a safe place and somewhere to feel welcome and loved and this book showcased very well that if you look close enough you will find a helping hand
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
We all know someone who has unrequited love or is in an abusive relationship. All the stories blended effortlessly and it was a true pleasure to read this book despite all the tears I had running down my face.
I think we all need something like Q and its owner in our lives. We all need a safe place and somewhere to feel welcome and loved and this book showcased very well that if you look close enough you will find a helping hand
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
January 22, 2021
I have read a couple other stories by this author but this is totally different than what I read before. It centers on a club/bar The Q and some of the characters that interact/frequent there. Each character has their own life complication. Some are from years ago and some happening at the time. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight in the beginning but as the story went on, they all fit together. This story held my attention. There are a number of emotions involved in these side stories. This is not a “romance” set of stories yet they skirt on the edge of it at times. I really enjoyed all the life issues and how they were handled. I received a copy from Gay Romance Reviews and appreciate being able to get my favorite author’s books.
January 22, 2021
There is so much realism in this book. The situations that the people in here face could be anyone in your life including you. The emotions are strong and you will feel them. If you are looking for a warm fuzzy read this isn’t it. But if you want something real, a day in the lives of realistic characters, this is just what you are looking for. This is the first time I’ve read this author and it’s made me want to check out some more of his work. There might be some triggers so if you have any you might want to ask before reading.
February 6, 2021
When I first started reading I didn't think I would enjoy this book because of so many characters, but so glad I was wrong. The characters were introduced slowly and time taken to introduce them. Not only were there enough people, each chapter dealt with a couple, friends or family then backtracking to continue with the story of each in the following chapters. This allowed me to play matchmaker, therapist or onlooker.
All brought together by Mary Louise the bartender at The Q.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
All brought together by Mary Louise the bartender at The Q.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
January 15, 2021
This book was definitely not a typical “romance”. What it was, was multiple stories tied up in one whole story about different people who all hang out at the same bar on the same night. Interwoven over four different sections the stories told are yet again not very romantic but real and some painful, some sweet but mostly a dark undertone about human nature the connections we seek and struggles we face in life. It was angsty but I read it on one swoop because Mr Reed is a born story teller and he had me hooked. Do not read this if you want romance, do read this if you want real and raw and just a bit of thriller mixed in. I will be going back for more of his books.
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review *
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review *
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2021
A beautiful story of different couples as their lives intersect with The Q.
This was a sequential type of story, with a snippet of insight into each couple divided into four parts. Many of these couples have some pretty interesting insights into their lives and the world. This is a view into different relationships, at different stages and with vastly different outcomes and perspectives. I found the people fascinating and wanted to get to several better, maybe be their friend. I would definitely want to go to The Q and have a drink and hang out for a while.
This is a wonderful read and will leave you some thought provoking questions to ponder. However, this is not a romance and is not just MM. This is a story of many kinds of love and has a very low heat rating.
I was gifted this book from Gay Romance Reviews and i freely give my honest opinion and review
This was a sequential type of story, with a snippet of insight into each couple divided into four parts. Many of these couples have some pretty interesting insights into their lives and the world. This is a view into different relationships, at different stages and with vastly different outcomes and perspectives. I found the people fascinating and wanted to get to several better, maybe be their friend. I would definitely want to go to The Q and have a drink and hang out for a while.
This is a wonderful read and will leave you some thought provoking questions to ponder. However, this is not a romance and is not just MM. This is a story of many kinds of love and has a very low heat rating.
I was gifted this book from Gay Romance Reviews and i freely give my honest opinion and review
February 5, 2021
A different kind of love story—like Love Actually for queer folks
The Q is series of vignettes in three parts that follows several people and highlights all different kinds of love. It gives us beginnings and endings, life and death, love and hate. The book caught and held my interest throughout. I wanted to know what would happen to the different people who showed up at “The Q” for a night. It definitely wasn’t all about romance in the traditional sense, but it was most definitely about love. It’s worth a read. I really enjoyed it.
The Q is series of vignettes in three parts that follows several people and highlights all different kinds of love. It gives us beginnings and endings, life and death, love and hate. The book caught and held my interest throughout. I wanted to know what would happen to the different people who showed up at “The Q” for a night. It definitely wasn’t all about romance in the traditional sense, but it was most definitely about love. It’s worth a read. I really enjoyed it.
February 4, 2021
So Unexpected.
I am not sure what I was expecting when I received the ARC of this book from GRR, but wasn’t the emotion filled read that wrung me out, giving me a monster book hangover. The characters of this ensemble story are so real, their hopes, fears, heartbreak, loves and losses played out across the page.
This book has and will stay with me long after I finished reading. It is a poignant read, one I am glad I haven’t missed out on. I enjoy this author’s work usually but this is by far their best.
I am not sure what I was expecting when I received the ARC of this book from GRR, but wasn’t the emotion filled read that wrung me out, giving me a monster book hangover. The characters of this ensemble story are so real, their hopes, fears, heartbreak, loves and losses played out across the page.
This book has and will stay with me long after I finished reading. It is a poignant read, one I am glad I haven’t missed out on. I enjoy this author’s work usually but this is by far their best.
February 6, 2021
These stories are told in 3 very clever parts. We get introduced and work our way through how each couple/throuple works their ways through their lives together. This is a very clever way to tell the stories that may not have been enough on their own but together they kept my interest, I would highly recommend "The Q" “I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.”
July 31, 2021
An emotional read as RRR takes us into small town West Virginia and the lives of a number of unrelated people, all connected by the bar The Q.
We see hope, despair, love, cruelty.
We get resolution, no change, uncertainty about futures.
We get all the feels for all the people and no magic solutions which make it all the more poignant
We see hope, despair, love, cruelty.
We get resolution, no change, uncertainty about futures.
We get all the feels for all the people and no magic solutions which make it all the more poignant
February 6, 2021
Poignant and heart-felt, the latest from Rick R. Reed will give readers a wonderful case of the awwwws. The is a book to be savored, not rushed. Enjoy!
July 20, 2021
Another winner from Rick R. Reed, a storyteller who deeply cares about his characters.
May 11, 2021
Only 4 because I wanted more
This was not at all what I expected it to be and was PLEASANTLY surprised. I wish this was double the size showing how each character may have affected each others stories like a gay version of the film Traffic. But, even better, at the end it felt like a Gays Anatomy, hoping I’m in the next episode.
This was not at all what I expected it to be and was PLEASANTLY surprised. I wish this was double the size showing how each character may have affected each others stories like a gay version of the film Traffic. But, even better, at the end it felt like a Gays Anatomy, hoping I’m in the next episode.
May 29, 2021
New to me, author and narrator.
Wow, that is all I can start with. I don't read blurbs (Sorry Authors). I choose a book by the cover, the writer or a recommendation. This audio was sent to me for an honest review, and that's what you will get.
For the first chapter or two, I was confused and somewhat befuddled. There were so many characters and all with a story. But suddenly, I settled into it, and once I realised that the story was about one night, set in a unique little gay bar in a quiet location where everyone knew everyone, I started to enjoy it thoroughly.
We go through all sorts of relationships and trauma, love, laughter and tears. The stories are well thought out and heartfelt.
The narration was clear, and I listened at 1.20 speed on audible.
The Q
By: Rick R. Reed
Narrated by: Donald Davenport
Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.20 speed on Audible
Wow, that is all I can start with. I don't read blurbs (Sorry Authors). I choose a book by the cover, the writer or a recommendation. This audio was sent to me for an honest review, and that's what you will get.
For the first chapter or two, I was confused and somewhat befuddled. There were so many characters and all with a story. But suddenly, I settled into it, and once I realised that the story was about one night, set in a unique little gay bar in a quiet location where everyone knew everyone, I started to enjoy it thoroughly.
We go through all sorts of relationships and trauma, love, laughter and tears. The stories are well thought out and heartfelt.
The narration was clear, and I listened at 1.20 speed on audible.
The Q
By: Rick R. Reed
Narrated by: Donald Davenport
Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.20 speed on Audible
June 6, 2021
I enjoyed it a lot. I liked how short stories about different characters intertwined together in the Q and gave a glimpse into their lives at the most culminating moment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews