Review: The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

First published in 1974, The Front Runner raced to international acclaim - the first novel about gay love to become popular with mainstream.
In 1975, coach Harlan Brown is hiding from his past at an obscure New York college, after he was fired from Penn State University on suspicion of being gay. A tough, lonely ex-Marine of 39, Harlan has never allowed himself to love another man.

Then Billy Sive, a brilliant young runner, shows up on his doorstep. He and his two comrades, Vince Matti and Jacques LaFont, were just thrown off a major team for admitting they are gay. Harlan knows that, with proper training, Billy could go to the '76 Olympics in Montreal. He agrees to coach the three boys under strict conditions that thwart Billy's growing attraction for his mature but compelling mentor. The lean, graceful frontrunner with gold-rim glasses sees directly into Harlan's heart. Billy's gentle and open acceptance of his sexuality makes Harlan afraid to confront either the pain of his past, or the challenges which lay in wait if their intimacy is exposed.

But when Coach Brown finds himself falling in love with his most gifted athlete, he must combat his true feelings for Billy or risk the outrage of the entire sports world - and their only chance at Olympic gold.

So today I am bringing you a review of a vintage book. Written in the 1970's, I think this book should be read by everyone. This review has previously been published on Goodreads.

Warning this review contains spoilers, not of the story but of the type of ending

 I read this book on the recommendation of my brother, he says it is his favourite book and I can see why. The first thing I would say is don't read this if you want an easy read - though beautifully written, nothing about this book is easy. It is however heartbreaking.

This book reads so like an actual auto-biography, I had to check that it was indeed fiction. Written from the first person perspective of Harlan Brown, it tells us of his uneasy acknowledgement and eventual acceptance of his sexuality in the late 50's to 70's.
Brought up as a man of strict religion and 'high moral code' this ex-marine has a hard time accepting that he is gay. The one passion in his life he is able to indulge is running, it is while he coaches track at college that he meets the love of his life Billy Sive.

This story is about the fight for human rights. Simply because he is gay Billy, a supremely talented athlete, and Harlan have to fight every step of the way to be able to compete at athletic meets and eventually the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. It is also about an athlete's personal fight to be able to give the best performance they can. And lastly, but most certainly not least, it is about love and fighting your own demons.

One of the things that struck me most when I read this is how,40 YEARS after this is set, some of the same issues are still occurring. In fact with the Russian winter Olympics around the corner and the current political stand of that country maybe it is time everybody read this book. Have no lessons been learnt in 4 decades? It is easy for me, in my safe, straight, white world to sit at home and write about this. I can cry as much as I like, I'm not the one made to suf

fer by small minded ignorance.

The fight that Harlan and Billy faced was made all the more poignant and difficult because they didn't want to fight. They wanted to love and run, it really wasn't asking for the world. I don't think they really even cared what people thought of them if only they were left alone. Aren't these rights we should all be allowed, whoever we are?

This book does not have a happy ending but I am not sorry I read it. Please everyone read this book.

Review: Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino

Brad is great at meeting other people’s expectations. But his own? Not so much. Take the gay thing. Okay, so yeah. It took a morning meeting with a frat brother’s hairy, naked ass for him to admit it, but he knows the truth about himself now. Let the gay life commence.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. He hasn’t quite determined how to come out to anyone, even Sebastian, the geeky-hot TA in his history class. Sebastian is everything Brad is not. Intellectual, suave, hairy. Out. And he doesn’t seem interested in Brad, even when Brad makes a fool of himself trying to catch his notice.

Score one for foolery: Sebastian does more than notice Brad; he takes him to bed. Brad’s been with plenty of girls, but with Sebastian, the sex is something else entirely—hot, mind-blowing, affirming, and a little domineering in a way that drives him wild. But when great sex turns into something more—dare he admit the “L” word?—Brad must face the crushing realization that Sebastian doesn’t feel the same. Unless, of course, he does. After all, even grad students can be idiots about matters of the heart.

Can you believe I've never read anything from this author? Where in the hell have I been? (Smothered by my huge TBR mountain that's what!) Such a popular book this is. I can see why. I really liked it. I'd rate it 4.75 but I'm rounding up so 5 Hearts!

"Frat Boy and Toppy" - the title is not the sexiest but when you read the story to get the meaning, it's really adorable and funny. I actually laughed out loud with this story. I don't know if you know this but I love to laugh and usually I might giggle here and there. There were some scenes (especially the final frat house meeting scene) where I literally laughed so hard.

Brad is twenty-one, majoring in physical education, buff, hot, a jock, part of a popular frat on campus, a renowned ladies man and just realized he is gay. *tilts head* Actually, he's always kind of knew but he never admitted it to himself. Luckily, a certain history TA who's also top-happy by the name of Sebastian makes Brad want to see the advantages of great sex. Poor Brad was looking to all the wrong places for substitutes. *shakes head*

Two guesses on how this was used by Brad (hint: not for his hair)

Brad's not the sharpest tool in the shed and I loved him the more for it. He didn't come across as a joke. His coming out was just the tip of his gay iceberg. What's a gay jock supposed to do when he wants to catch a hunky, geeky TA who's totally out of the closet? See the picture below for a hint. A unique way to catch a guy's eye I must say. 

An original way to catch the guy you want!

The story switches POV (which I also loved) so we get into Sebastian's head as well. But I gotta admit it was more fun from Brad's POV especially the D/s tones from both main characters. Imagine your favorite drink being in a goblet. Your drink gets to be D/s - either you can immerse yourself fully...or circle the rim, maybe getting a little taste here and there. That's how the D/s was in this book - light, not too heavy circling the rim but not fully becoming a D/s book. But I see Brad's submissive tendencies and Mama likes...a LOT. Sebastian was in it for the kink and boy did they have some kinky fun. And no more hairbrushes were involved. *smirks*

This is how you know it's true love folks. Hamburger!

And before you think this story is a one trick pony with a tall musclebound meat head with a preference for bottoming (I do enjoy reading about the bigger guys bottoming) and a shorter, older authoritative figure topping, this story is much more than that. The internal angst was well played out in between the fun dialogue, great secondary characters (a "gay fag hag" - fucking loved him) and both MCs. Brad learns different aspects of himself he never got a chance to explore and Sebastian finally learns he can have more than a one night stand. It's angst-light, the boys, of course, make a mini-bungle of things with not communicating to one another properly.  But it ends with a very strong HFN/possible HEA finish. I loved the analogy to feeling like being in love is "like hamburger inside".

*holds out hand* Hello Anne Tenino, glad to finally make your acquaintance. I really like the light, sweet, funny, world you created. Takes a good hand to not turn it into sugary, flat, walking stereotype, mush.

Guess what? I'm definitely checking out more from this author!

Review: Stealing West by Jamie Craig

Leon Stroud is wanted for robbery and a murder he didn’t commit. On the run to California with his partner-in-crime, Kenneth, he spots the relentless bounty hunter, Thomas Grady, on the train. The only way to protect Kenneth is to create a distraction, and that’s what Leon does when he flees the train at the top of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He forces Thomas to chase him, but nothing can prepare him for what it means to be caught. Thomas Grady always gets his man, and Leon Stroud is no exception to that rule. But almost from the moment Thomas touches Leon, he wants the outlaw for something besides his bounty. Driven by desire he doesn’t understand, Thomas repeatedly claims Leon’s body on the long journey from Soda Springs to San Francisco—and Leon only begs for more. An even bigger threat, with a larger bounty, could be the very thing they need to drive them together...or tear them apart.

 

This is exactly how you want your old school westerns to be, just a million times better because of the absolutely off the charts heat between Leon and Thomas, the two MC’s in Stealing West. This book has it all, good guys doing bad things and bad guys doing good things, the morality line is a little more skewed by the need to survive in the old west while being on the run from the law.

This is actually a sequel to Stealing Northe, the story of Leon and his partner Kenneth and how Leon came to be on his own. Stealing West can be read as a standalone. There is enough background given, you won’t be lost for not having read the first installment of the Stealing series. Stealing West starts out with Leon, Kenneth, Kenneth’s new wife Amy and her son Woody on a train bound for Salinas. There is a bounty on Leon and Kenneth and Kenneth’s only goals are to keep Amy and Woody safe and to start on a new life living the straight and narrow. Leon and Kenneth had been partners for years, in many ways and Kenneth looked to Leon for direction and comfort throughout all their adventures. Now that Kenneth has a family of his own, Leon can’t help but feel like an outsider and it’s heartbreaking to see the brave face that Leon puts on in front of his friend.

Leon decides to go for a walk through the train to clear his head and stretch his wounded ankle when he locks eyes with Thomas Grady, a bounty hunter who always gets his man. Leon can only hope Thomas didn’t see him, but knows that is probably wishful thinking. Leon makes his way back to Kenneth to warn him, and it’s time for them to separate, hopefully not for good, but there are no guarantees and the two say goodbye. The plan is for Leon to create a diversion, drawing Thomas off the train at the next stop and off Kenneth’s trail.

Leon creates quite the distraction when the train arrives and it rivals the great escape stunts you see in the best of westerns. Thomas isn’t easy to shake though and Leon is ill prepared for the ride and the weather. He’s also still nursing a broken ankle, so the chips are stacked against him. After a few days chase through the mountains Thomas does finally catch his man and this is where the real fun begins. Leon is absolutely full of snark and I liked him a lot. Thomas is the perfect stoic straight man to Leon and their banter ratchets up the tension between them that is so fun to read. For instance when Leon says to Thomas after Thomas accuses him of being too stubborn:

“Stubborn? Me? I’m the picture of good manners. I didn’t knock your hat off your head when I shot at you now did I?”

And, of course, there is an undeniable something between them that starts to show itself when Thomas ties Leon up for the first time. The banter increases, the tension increases and damn if pants don’t come off. One thing that Leon has never admitted, not even to Kenneth, was that his preference was undoubtedly for men. Leon and Kenneth had always stuck with the “we’re doing this just to relieve some tension” dance, but the encounters always meant way more to Leon and what happens between Leon and Thomas is the ultimate release for Leon.

If you don’t think you are into reading BDSM books don’t let that keep you from reading this one. While the story does have some of the elements, it really isn't. These guys do what works for them and I like that it can't really be labeled. That seems more real to me. The relationship and balance that develops between Leon and Thomas really makes sense and is easy to understand. I think what makes it so believable is that the development is a real revelation for both of them and takes them both by surprise. Neither of them really understands what is happening between them, and it’s a completely fun and filthy journey reading about how they figure it all out. It’s the balance that they strike that is so appealing and you never mistake Leon for being a stereotypical sub. Reading from his point of view gives you the sense of power and release he feels, even when he’s on his knees.

As the two make their way to town so that Thomas can turn Leon in to the authorities and collect his bounty, both find they aren’t really ready to let go. When they reach town they hear word that there is an even bigger bounty to be had for catching Phoenix, the outlaw to end all outlaws. Add the fact that Leon has some information on Phoenix that he may be able to use as a bargaining chip to win his release, we have hope for Leon and quite possibly and even more importantly, for Leon and Thomas.

So, on to San Francisco where more western adventures are to be had by our two MC’s. I’ll leave all those adventures for you to read, because this is where these two really start to get their kink on. Give these boys a hotel room, a hot bath and a little rope and dammit if that isn’t the hottest bath scene I have ever read. The. Hottest. I. Have. Ever. Read. And I may have read it repeatedly. I may go read it again right now.

For all the wonderfully deliciously filthy bits in this book, what may end up surprising you is how incredibly romantic it can be too. How the authors managed to fit that in is really well done and is completely believable for these two characters. This story has everything in it that you don’t normally put together with true romance; BDSM (but not really), fisting, (yes, fisting – don’t be scared, it works), ridiculous amounts of rope and a distinct lack of lube, yet, with all of that said, it is one of the more truly romantic books I have read.

Fangirl Moment: Dark Space by Lisa Henry

Brady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless — the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.

This review was previously posted on Goodreads but I love this book so much I just had to share it here as well.

I am a complete and utter mess after reading this book. I don’t even think I can articulate how I feel. My thoughts and emotions are all over the place.

I’m not even sure I could tell you what this book was about. Was it GFY? Yes, but not in any way that I have ever read. It’s almost as though the feelings of being gay were forced upon Brady but then you get the feeling that they were already there, just buried so deep that Brady wasn‘t even aware of them. Maybe. Sorta. I don’t fucking know.

And that, my friends, is the gist of the whole story. It was one big confused cluster fuck. At least from Brady’s point of view. But. It. Was. Amazing!

Brady has had a hard life. A hard life. Everything he’s had and everyone he’s loved has been ripped from his grasp over and over again. Its no wonder that he can’t accept when something good comes along. He’s so depressed and despondent that he’s barely holding his head above water. He’s going through the motions of life, just biding his time in the service until he can get back home to his family. Then, in a chance occurrence he’s somehow bonded to Cameron in a way that’s so intimate, so invasive that he doesn’t know how to deal with it. He’s scared but intrigued.

And he’s confused.

He doesn’t know if the emotions flooding him are Cameron’s or his own. He has these memories and knows that they aren’t his but he can’t help the reactions he has to them. He can’t trust his own feelings because he doesn’t know if they are a biochemical reaction to the bonding or if they are his true feelings. He just. Doesn’t. Know.

Cameron’s an enigma. The only human in the known universe to have been taken by the Faceless and returned alive. And he’s broken. Or is he? Is he a survivor and a hero? Or is he a traitor to the human race? All he will say about his time in captivity is that “the Faceless are coming and they want peace”. But do they really? Again, you just don’t know.

The bond they share, though it may just be a biochemical reaction, is so deep, so totally encompassing that it is almost too much to take. And you can’t quite tell when it turns into something more. It is so in your face but at the same time subtle, if you can make sense of that. I told you, it’s confusing as hell!

And the creep factor, my God the creep factor! I will be sleeping with the lights on tonight for sure. The Faceless are so cold, so impersonal that even though their speech and touch may be gentle you can’t help but shudder and feel the hairs rise on the back of your neck. To them, we are no more than animals to be studied or, in Cameron’s case, be kept as pets. They call humans “it” as though we are nothing more than inanimate objects. It rings of sociopath behavior with a bit of mad scientist thrown in.

“I’m not the same as him!” I said again, my eyes stinging with tears, my nose dripping. 

“We’re not all the same!”

But who can tell the difference between insects, right?

This story wasn’t a roller coaster ride. It was jumping out of an airplane without a fucking parachute. Just when you come to terms with your imminent death you realize you have wings and you soar. Then you find out the wings are just your imagination and you plummet again. Right as you’re about to hit the ground you are picked up by a mighty gust of wind and brought safely to the earth to land on your knees only to notice a shadow swiftly growing larger around you and see that it is the plane you jumped from hurtling through the air, coming to crash land right on top of you. It’s that intense.

Yet throughout all this turmoil there is a feeling of hope and comfort and happiness. And love. And that’s the kicker right there. That is what made it all worth it.

This is the first solo venture of Lisa Henry’s that I have read but it will certainly not be the last! Lisa, you are awe inspiring. You have blown me away with your words. You, dear lady, can write!

Review: Turkey in the Snow by Amy Lane

Since Hank Calder’s four-year-old niece, Josie, came to live with him, his life has been plenty dramatic, thank you, and the last thing he needs is a swishy, flaming twinkie to complicate things. But when Justin, the daycare worker at his gym, offers to do something incredibly nice for Hank—and for Josie—Hank is forced to reconsider. Justin may be flamboyant in his speech and gestures, but his heart and kindness are as rock steady and dependable as anyone, even Hank, could ask for. Can Hank trust in his dramatic “turkey in the snow” to offer his heart the joy he and Josie have never known?

Ohmigah! This story was cute and ohmigah great!

*ahem*

What I mean is...I enjoyed this story! I usually shy away from Amy Lane books because I'm totally not an angst-seeker. I avoid it, to be quite frank. I've noticed, though, that I really enjoy her lighter reads, and Turkey in the Snow fits into that category.

When we first meet Hank, he's quite harried and doesn't want to bother dealing with the gym's flaming daycare worker, Justin. However, Justin's offer to do something very sweet and thoughtful soon has Hank looking at him with new eyes.

I wasn't sure if I would like Justin, honestly. He was loud and dramatic, and seeing him through Hank's eyes, Justin just wasn't someone I could see myself having the patience to deal with on an everyday basis. That said, I like how the story unfolded to show Justin's depth and Hank's ability to move past his initial prejudice. By the end, I adored Justin - ohmigah, I really did.

There's a little bit of an age gap here with Justin's just-turned-21 matched up against Hank's 26 years.  However, through actions, we see Justin's maturity and capacity for caring, especially when that caring is directed at Hank and Hank's niece, Josie. The age gap doesn't register as much of a blip other than in Hank's mind, and Justin soon dispels any doubts Hank (or the reader) might have.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this read, and it was very good for a holiday novella. The characterization was lovely and even with the small bit of angsty stuff at the end, it felt uplifting all in all. Some parts of the story were definitely glossed over, and there was a bit of a time jump that was jarring. I also would have liked a little more of seeing Hank, Justin, and Josie together after Hank and Justin become an item. However, for a holiday story that's meant to make you feel good, I thought this one did an admirable job of it. Recommended for a nice dose of holiday feelz.