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sarahconnor89757's review
4.0
Great collection of sweet and funny stories, by far the best of the collection I've read.
whatthefridge's review
3.0
Romance is the key word. Erotic or not, it's the sweetness that'll make you fall in love.
The big winners in this anthology are Natty Soltesz and J.M. Snyder. Both of these authors have a writing style that grabs you and makes you ache for more. Funny enough each of their stories has the passing theme of "I shouldn't be with this guy because he's my sister's." While Soltesz's takes on the voice of in-the-moment lust, Snyder's is the definition of kindled romance. It's exactly what you'd want to read if you picked up the book.
With that said, there is a lot of variety to choose from.
Some authors explored strange fetishes. I'd like to highlight T. Hitman here because, wow, there were things in there I usually gag at, yet the strength of the storytelling made it all tolerable, even endearing. Another highlight is Shane Allison, who, unfortunately, is the equivalent to the token black friend. It's the only romance with an explicitly non-white main character, and that's a big shame since the use of the food fetish didn't work for me.
Other authors chose to work with difficult topics: suicide attempt, rape, or fatal illness. Those were hard to get through without some tears, but I believe the authors handled it tactfully, really delving into the emotions of the aftermath without sounding preachy or fake. Props to Martin Delacroix, C.C. Williams, and Shanna Germain for taking that risk.
It's worth noting that one of the stories in this anthology contains incest. It sneaks up on you, and by the time you find out you're already invested in the characters. I think the use of incest was a poor choice by the author, and it spoiled an otherwise potent narration. How you deal with this revelation is up to you. I pretended it wasn't actually incest because, damn it, why did you have to go there?
After going through the studs and the duds, this anthology has something for everyone. Whether you're into witty banter or romantic gestures, the smooth or the awkward, the silly or the serious, you'll find at least one author you'll want to read more fiction from, and that's a real accomplishment. Enjoy!
The big winners in this anthology are Natty Soltesz and J.M. Snyder. Both of these authors have a writing style that grabs you and makes you ache for more. Funny enough each of their stories has the passing theme of "I shouldn't be with this guy because he's my sister's." While Soltesz's takes on the voice of in-the-moment lust, Snyder's is the definition of kindled romance. It's exactly what you'd want to read if you picked up the book.
With that said, there is a lot of variety to choose from.
Some authors explored strange fetishes. I'd like to highlight T. Hitman here because, wow, there were things in there I usually gag at, yet the strength of the storytelling made it all tolerable, even endearing. Another highlight is Shane Allison, who, unfortunately, is the equivalent to the token black friend. It's the only romance with an explicitly non-white main character, and that's a big shame since the use of the food fetish didn't work for me.
Other authors chose to work with difficult topics: suicide attempt, rape, or fatal illness. Those were hard to get through without some tears, but I believe the authors handled it tactfully, really delving into the emotions of the aftermath without sounding preachy or fake. Props to Martin Delacroix, C.C. Williams, and Shanna Germain for taking that risk.
It's worth noting that one of the stories in this anthology contains incest. It sneaks up on you, and by the time you find out you're already invested in the characters. I think the use of incest was a poor choice by the author, and it spoiled an otherwise potent narration. How you deal with this revelation is up to you. I pretended it wasn't actually incest because, damn it, why did you have to go there?
After going through the studs and the duds, this anthology has something for everyone. Whether you're into witty banter or romantic gestures, the smooth or the awkward, the silly or the serious, you'll find at least one author you'll want to read more fiction from, and that's a real accomplishment. Enjoy!
apostrophen's review
3.0
I'm a lover of the short story format, and find it a wonderful way to "meet" a new author. The annual "Best Gay Romance" series that Richard Labonte edits has never failed to bring me some stories that leave me smiling, or laughing, or - sometimes - even sniffling.
This year's crop of stories is quite varied in style and tone (as always, there's a dash of the erotic in some of the tales), and I did have a few "a-ha!" moments as I read.
First, the delightful David Puterbaugh gave a marvelous tale of two gay fathers-to-be trying to decide on a name when it turns out little Julia is going to be a boy. Having read Puterbaugh's short stories before, and having had the chance to meet him in New Orleans, I knew I'd be in for some witty dialog, and he delivers. I was happy to discover him in the book, and his story is sweet, and left me with a smile.
Jerry Wheeler's story is one of the rare few stories I mentioned above that left me sniffling. His tale was absolutely moving - a story about a love lost and framed with a haunting and deliberate parallel that is the very definition of bittersweet, without falling too far and becoming maudlin.
I'm sure there's something for everyone, and the tales cover a rich diversity of characters; the old, the young; the overweight, the fit; the closeted, the out; the "typical" and the extreme; and throughout all, an ongoing dialog of love and romance in its many forms.
This year's crop of stories is quite varied in style and tone (as always, there's a dash of the erotic in some of the tales), and I did have a few "a-ha!" moments as I read.
First, the delightful David Puterbaugh gave a marvelous tale of two gay fathers-to-be trying to decide on a name when it turns out little Julia is going to be a boy. Having read Puterbaugh's short stories before, and having had the chance to meet him in New Orleans, I knew I'd be in for some witty dialog, and he delivers. I was happy to discover him in the book, and his story is sweet, and left me with a smile.
Jerry Wheeler's story is one of the rare few stories I mentioned above that left me sniffling. His tale was absolutely moving - a story about a love lost and framed with a haunting and deliberate parallel that is the very definition of bittersweet, without falling too far and becoming maudlin.
I'm sure there's something for everyone, and the tales cover a rich diversity of characters; the old, the young; the overweight, the fit; the closeted, the out; the "typical" and the extreme; and throughout all, an ongoing dialog of love and romance in its many forms.
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