Blog Tour: Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias

Kim Dias is making her clubhouse debut and she's talking romance! Our most favorite topic ever!

Boy Meets Boy Guest Post—Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias

Romance may be the most maligned genre in literary circles. Of course, literary circles tend to look down on genre fiction in general, but romance in particular receives sneers, raised eyebrows, and that singular “oh” that says so much. What a waste of time, perhaps, or I thought you were a serious writer or Why?

It’s the last one I feel best equipped to answer. So many people more eloquent than me have addressed the others (I’m particularly fond of Sarah Nicolas’s “Romance Is Trashy, And Other Things You Need To Stop Saying”). But why do I write romance? Why do I write romance when the world is such a mess? Why do I write romance when scary things are happening, when politics are terrifying, when there are so many more important things going on than people falling in love?

Because if not now, then when?

When Big Awful Scary things are happening in the world, we don’t only need stories about the Big Awful Scary things. In fact, that’s when we need the stories that allow us to escape more than ever. We live in the world; we know how awful it is. What we need a reminder of is the good things. The escapes to new worlds and the fantasies and, yes, the people falling in love. Nothing else gives me peace the same way that reading a really good romance does. Nothing else makes me believe Sam Gamgee that, yes, there is still some good in the world (oh, look, something deep from a fantasy novel—who would have guessed?).

I don’t lean strongly towards happy endings. But what I love are hopeful endings. I don’t need a happily ever after. But I do need a reminder that everything won’t always be terrible. If all the stories around me were dark and hopeless, why would that motivate me to move towards something better?

Romance gives us hope. If that isn’t important enough for you, I don’t know what on earth could be.

Blurb:

Hope can be found in unexpected places.

Lonely, still struggling with his divorce, and suffering from writer’s block, successful thriller author Fred spends much more time in an all-night Denny’s than is healthy for any man. It’s the last place he thought he’d meet someone like Callum, who has literally run away from the internationally famous boy band Leos.

Despite their age difference, the two become friends, and their long nights of soul-searching might help them find the courage to face their problems: Fred’s deteriorating relationship with his daughter and Callum’s career issues. It’s easy for their lives to tangle together, and each might provide the other the means to move beyond the past—even if it’s not a journey they can take together.

Buy Link:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/breakfast-at-midnight-by-kim-dias-8935-b

Author Bio:

Kim Dias has been writing for years, but has been making up stories for what feels like forever. She writes love stories, preferably with a side of hot sex; Literary Review’s Bad Sex in Fiction Awards constantly inspire her to do better.

When not focused on her studies at the University of Victoria, Kim spends her time working on her novel, which she swears will one day be finished. She loves dogs, reading in front of fireplaces, and days spent in the sunshine. She believes whole-heartedly that stories can change the world.

You can find her online at kimdias.tumblr.com.

ICYMI: see our tag team review of it here.

Tag Team Review: Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias

Hope can be found in unexpected places.

Lonely, still struggling with his divorce, and suffering from writer’s block, successful thriller author Fred spends much more time in an all-night Denny’s than is healthy for any man. It’s the last place he thought he’d meet someone like Callum, who has literally run away from the internationally famous boy band Leos.

Despite their age difference, the two become friends, and their long nights of soul-searching might help them find the courage to face their problems: Fred’s deteriorating relationship with his daughter and Callum’s career issues. It’s easy for their lives to tangle together, and each might provide the other the means to move beyond the past—even if it’s not a journey they can take together.

Fantasy Living - 4 Hearts

Suffering from depression and insomnia, still heartbroken from his divorce, Fred spends his early morning hours at Denny’s. It's pretty mundane, and although he people watches, it's just the same regulars he always sees. Until a young man in skinny jeans and a hoodie walks in one night and captures Fred’s attention.

Callum is on a hiatus from his break out band. He wants to finally come out of the closet, but the band is up for re-contract and coming out is not on the cards. Angry about his fate he finds himself conversing with an older man in Denny's in a small town he's fled to. Avoiding his life and just taking a moment to breathe.

These two are sweet together. They both have issues, and both have secrets. Fred is avoiding any contact with his ex-husband, and this includes refusing to attend his daughter’s birthday party. This made me sad. Fred is so wrapped up in himself that he is ignoring how hurtful staying away from his daughter is to both of them.

I enjoyed the conversation’s Fred and Callum had. The easy flirting, and the newness of their relationship. Everything is intense and fast, and Callum finds himself needing to pause and evaluate what he is doing with Fred and his life.

I was invested in both characters and their journey. I really wanted them to make something strong with their relationship. Their chemistry was great, and the drama was low.

I enjoyed the way this ended, though the journey was unexpected. I thought it fit with the tone of self discovery and mending heart wounds.

Recommended for all MM romance readers.

Chelsea - 3 Hearts

After finishing this book I was pretty deflated and I kind of wanted to hate it...but I just couldn't. This book was beautifully written and I became so consumed with these characters and their story!

This was a love story but definitely had more of a healing/self discovery feel to it.

Fred is struggling after his divorce from his long-term partner and husband. He spends many nights drinking coffee at a crappy diner well into the early hours of the morning. As we get to know Fred and his story a bit better, we see he has been barely a shadow of himself for the past few years. Then Callum comes along, young, but mature and he somehow drags Fred out of the greyness and gives him a reason to better himself.

These two men are what this story is about and these two characters are what makes this story great. Their individual complications and the connection to each other felt genuine and their story progression was done very well. There is even communication!!!

I've noticed some issues have arisen about the ‘cheating’ but these two knew each other for one week! Five of these days they were apart from each other with no contact, that's two days of knowing each other! They hadn't labelled their relationship as anything in particular and the ensuing conversation between Callum and Fred was perfect!!

So why only 3 hearts? The reason this is such a low rating is the lack of ending and I feel like if any book needs a epilogue, it's this one! Things ended well but it had no real conclusion and everything was left so open-ended. After what had happened between these two I needed to see them happily together and I was left feeling very bereft at not having seen it.

I would recommend this book, it's very addictive but don't expect a lovey dovey HEA. It was happy and worked well for these characters but I definitely needed a bit more of a conclusion to their story.