Guest Review: Night and Day by Rowan Speedwell

Nate Pederowski is about as far down as he can go when he’s tipped to a job as a singer in a speakeasy. Dishonorably discharged for being queer, broke and homeless during the Great Depression, Nate is embittered and lonely. The club’s handsome owner, Rick Bellevue, and his sister Corinna are wowed by Nate’s voice and offer him the job.

But the Starlight Lounge is much more than an ordinary supper club, and Rick and his sister much more than just the owners. It’s not ’til Nate gets caught up in a gangster’s plot that he discovers just what secrets they’re hiding. Nate’s life is going to change in ways he can scarcely imagine, let alone believe.

1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2010, in the Myths and Magic: Legends of Love anthology.

Guest Reviewer: Fantasy Living

This was surprising. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what I just read.

Historical fiction isn’t usually my thing. I mean I like it sometimes, but mostly I get bored of the language, and tend to distract myself with shiny things instead.

This story, even though it was short, has been absorbed into my brain. Completely. And what is most surprising is that I was completely thrown by the Second Person present tense, but it worked, and now I can’t think of reading it any other way.

This is my first Second Person fictional piece. Maybe Ever! So I’m really pleased that the story was good, ensuring my experience wasn’t traumatic.

I thought the character development was very thorough. For a short story, this was very detailed. It flowed really well, and I liked all the characters that were presented to me. I felt Nate’s emotional wounds, and they felt like mine, even though I’ve never been to war.

The plot was really interesting, and I’m not going to give one single piece away. This is something a reader should experience for the first time, without any spoilers. Okay, one spoiler, there is no on-page sex, but there is a mysticism in this story that is compelling, so it makes that okay for a smut-slut like me.

Romance - oh yes, it is romantic. And clever. Very clever. I’m disappointed it wasn’t longer.

The worldbuilding was great. The end of Prohibition is imminent, in a speakeasy club for exclusive clientele who may not be what their outer package shows, this is the warning Nate gets, but who cares because Rick! Rick is all sunshine and light, and his sister is all mysterious and vague. It’s a lovely combination, and their dynamics were very clear, even if I didn’t quite understand them. That was the fun part. The mysterious nature of the story. Very cloak and dagger, hidden in the shadows, hushed whispers, and ambiguous statements. I know I’m rambling now, but it truly was great.

The way the writer wrote Nate’s singing….. Brilliant descriptions!! I was completely drawn into that, and wished there was more. I think that was my favourite part of it all.

“The intro comes out like a Gregorian chant, mystical and religious, and when you swing into the first chorus it’s like bells chiming on Christmas. The song is smooth and rich as wine, and thick with hopeless longing.”

Some historical references that went over my head; being from a different country, and a different time, but otherwise this story was easy to follow, and had some great little twists.

Don’t be put off by the Second Person point of view. Seriously, it only took me two pages to get used to it and then I couldn’t stop reading until I finished.

The story felt much longer than the state page count, but not in a bad way. This story was rich, and full of descriptive text that carried the story, without the need for excess dialogue.

The author has definitely piqued my interest in her writing, and I’m off to check out the rest of her work.

Recommended for everyone who enjoys MM Romance.

For more information on:

Dreamspinner Press
Goodreads
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Review: Illumination by Rowan Speedwell

Adam Craig is burned out. Lead singer of the hard rock band Black Varen, he's tired of the empty life of groupies, paparazzi, and hotel rooms. Worse, a life in the closet. After the final concert of their latest tour, he flees the after-party in pursuit of memories of lost summers and carefree days, until he passes out on the patio of a shuttered lake resort.

Miles Caldwell is a brilliant artist, tied by agoraphobia and social anxiety to his family's lodge. Alone but for his parrot, he spends his days illuminating manuscripts and hiding from the complexities of life. When he discovers Adam asleep in a deck chair, he's furious but intrigued. Adam soon charms his way into Miles' bed, and they lose themselves in a summer idyll, safe from the compromises and claims of reality.

But Adam's life, with all its demands, is waiting for him. And Miles, uncertain of Adam's true feelings, is battling demons of his own. Somehow, the man who's never home and the man who never leaves it must find the strength to fight for a future together.

"'What do I want? First, I want you to take me to bed, ten maybe later a moonlight skinny-dip in the lake, then I want to sleep in your arms all night. And in the morning I want breakfast - pancakes made with questionable eggs, and weird bacon.'

Miles blinked. The knotted fists unknotted. Then he was in motion, lunging across the space that separated them, driving Adam back up against the side of the car, and kissing him the way he had yesterday, fierce and hot and throwing his whole body, his whole self into the kiss."

Oh my, what a great couple these two were. They challenged each other and comforted each other in everything.  

Adam and Miles met by chance when a drunk and stoned Adam somehow ends up on Miles’ front porch. Luckily, Miles was kind enough to let Adam stay for stale coffee, questionable eggs and weird bacon.

Adam and Miles were cute and sweet and so hot.  I loved their love and the way they completely accepted each other and their problems.  Especially Adam, he really had to put up with quite a bit from Miles, but never questioned him about it. He just went with the flow and did what he knew was good for Miles. There were some mishaps along the way but they were able to grow and change into a couple that really deserved happiness together.

Miles and Adam changed, they were able to admit and get help for their problems.  But they did it for the right reasons, for themselves. I really don’t like it when characters make changes for their love interest, instead of bettering themselves because it’s the right thing to do.  I was so pleased with the way they took these steps to better themselves before they entered coupledom.  It was perfect and believable and the way it should be.

That being said, this book felt looooooong. I don’t mind length as long as everything has a purpose and moves the plot forward. I don’t feel like every scene was necessary. It seemed like I was reading the same cute, angsty or hot scene over and over again. It started to feel repetitive and tiring by the middle. But then by 70%, holy shitballs!, everything start to pick up again.  So eventually, I did get back into the story.

I had some ups and downs with my feelings about Illumination. Ultimately, I fell in love with Adam and Miles and their love story. Which, for me, is the whole point of reading a romance novel.