Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
21 authors contributing 20 stories of love and commitment.

Do you support the right of any human being to marry the person they love? The right to say 'I Do' to a life of commitment and sharing with that one special person? We do.

We hope that marriage will soon be a dream that everyone can share. That's why the following authors of LGBT fiction have donated stories to this anthology, in aid of Lambda Legal Fund's fight for marriage equality:

Tracey Pennington, Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London, Storm Grant, Lisabet Sarai, Sharon Maria Bidwell, Jeanne Barrack, Marquesate, Z.A Maxfield, P.A Brown, Allison Wonderland, Erastes, Zoe Nichols and Cassidy Ryan, Emma Collingwood, Mallory Path, Jerry L. Wheeler, Moondancer Drake, Fiona Glass, Lee Rowan.

BOOK REVIEW:
The Lindorm’s Twin by Tracey Pennington
A beautiful prince was born, however he was conceived alongside a twin brother who was a snake in a human body. Treachery and evil prevailed for the snake twin, but it is the prince who regains true control of the Kingdom once and for all.

This story reads like a fairytale, it’s a story you can imagine being read as a child. Probably not the most conventional bedtime story society demands of us. But nonetheless the author wields a fascinating story with a blend of intriguing characters.

Desire and Disguise by Alex Beecroft
Robert’s marriage is falling apart, so he takes solace in the arms of another woman. However Robert soon finds out that disguises can be deceitful.

Admittedly when the story began I was left a little confused, and despite the story getting into the flow mid-way, I still was not sure what to make of it. Robert isn’t gay, he‘s married and has a son ~ and all in all there is no inclination that he‘s interested in men at all. His foray into the gay world is marginal at best. Even though I’m not sure how this story fits in an anthology like this, the author wrote two very interesting characters; and once I got over the unfamiliarity with the language and setting it was an enjoyable piece.

The Roaming Heart by Charlie Cochrane
Toby and Alasdair are movie actors, but behind closed doors they are much more than that.

This was a wonderful story, with a blend of romance and just a bit of danger. The language was probably dated back in the black and white eras; and whilst I’m not sure what year ~ the noir feeling shone through the pages. This is an author to keep an eye on in the future.

Outed by Clare London
Robert’s aunt outs him to his family, but he could care less. He’s with the man he loves and is finally happy and secure.

This was a quick story and a rather humorous one at that. Robert’s aunt outs him to his family, but the lack of care Robert shows is rather funny. However despite the comedic undertones this story holds; nothing much happened. I didn’t know who Robert’s boyfriend was ~ and in the end I felt disconnected from both characters.

Lust in Translation by Storm Grant
Tyler meets Justin, a stoned out young man, he takes him home and has his way with the gorgeous man. But when the morning rolls around, things get a whole lot messier.

‘Lust in Translation’ is the best story for the anthology thus far. What a fresh and original story. The story had great characterization, not only just filled with some steamy sex scenes ~ and overall just a great piece. This is another author to look out for.

Making Memory by Lisabet Sarai
Nicole has had a hard life, a demanding job, divorced and an ill father has left her out of sorts. So when she meets Maggie, she realizes it’s time to start living again.

This was my first foray into lesbian fiction and I have to admit, this isn’t a traditional one at that. Maggie and Nicole don’t actually identify as being gay ~ both were married and both deeply loved their husbands. But they came together because they shared the same feeling of loneliness and emptiness. It was an interesting contribution, and it was a heartfelt one at that.

Swansong by Sharon Maria Bidwell
Richard is going through a tough time with the death of his wife, he has been homebound and depressed. But his lover Neil stands by his side, waiting for him to heal and move on.

This is another story that had a married man, only to go off with another man. I found this story odd and a little disconcerting. Richard’s grief was evident in the story, but the supposed love he shared with Neil wasn’t so obvious. If anything the love he shared with his wife was more evident.

Finally Forever by Jeanne Barrack
Manny and Rafe are about to get married.

This story was odd, it was pretty much the shortest story in the book. Basically all Rafe and Manny do is talk about how they met and their upcoming marriage, and then it ends. There was no plot or characterization to speak off, however the story did tie in the theme of marriage unlike the rest of the stories so far.

Code of Honour by Marquesate
Joe enlisted himself in the French army to become something he wasn't. There he meets Sergeant Roux, who in his own way teaches him to be true to himself.

The prose was tight, the language magnificent and the characterizations fantastic. This is another new author to look out for. The author had a great blend on love and angst in this story - that made the end a very satisfying conclusion.

Tango and Temptation by Z.A. Maxfield
Gabriel meets Alexander and his fiancée Alyssa, however Alexander has no interest in Alyssa and is keener on Gabriel.

I didn’t know what to make of this story, at first I thought this was a story centered around the mid 1940’s only it wasn’t. It just seemed like Gabriel was plucked out that time era with the way he spoke. Whereas everyone around him spoke basic normal everyday English. The language jarred me a lot throughout this story. I also didn’t come to care for the characters, nor the dance aspect of the plot. "Tango and Temptation" did nothing for this reader.

The Mistake by P.A. Brown
Rusty has never tricked before, and when he meets Malone he figures why not. The money seems to be good and he’s starved for food. But when cops bust in on him handcuffed and naked, Rusty figures sometimes he should just listen to his gut.

This was a funny story, a more of a beginning than anything else. I loved how the author voiced Rusty, written in first person narrative we got into Rusty’s head a little. This story was more ‘fluff’ than anything else. But it was an enjoyable read, and I hope the author writes about Rusty and his hot cop friend Hawk again.

Holy Macaroni (and Cheese) by Allison Wonderland
A story about two little girls who grow up to love each other.

This was such an adorable story, written in first person narrative we never get to know the name of one of the girls. However this was a story about a start of a tender relationship that never changed. A lovely story that took the theme of the anthology and blended it with absolute love and tender.

The Snow Queen by Erastes
Josh has lost someone he held dear, but in his sorrow he meets Sean, a man who could potentially melt his heart.

This was a sad story, and also a happy one. The prose was tight and the angst in the story suited me. However I could not form any connection with the characters. Both Sean and Josh felt hollow to me, and I can’t put my finger on why? However the plot in itself was interesting.

Better than Beautiful by Zoe Nichols and Cassidy Ryan
Charlotte is a model whose kept her girlfriend Becca in the shadows, but things are looking up for them ~ that is until Becca reads a headline that could damage their relationship.

“Better than Beautiful” is a story about moving on and being all right with that. I think the premise the authors used demanded a larger scale to actually work on. But the characters were semi-interesting. The hiccup between the two women was more interesting to read, as opposed to the romance in the story.

Semi-detached by Emma Collingwood
Thomas loves football, gets into brawls and he isn’t gay. No he just loves James ~ and he figures that isn’t half-bad, because meeting James has been the best thing to ever happen to him.

“Semi-detached” is a wonderful story. I loved Thomas in this story; he was brash, English and just a man’s man. The characters read realistically, and their relationship was both humorous and endearing. A wonderful contribution to the anthology.

Rules of the Game by Mallory Path
Noah always tops so Charlie decides to play a game, to see if his man will keep to the rules of the game.

“Rules of the Games” is a pretty much empty-handed story. Charlie has a conversation with a friend, who states that it is weird that Noah always tops. So Charlie goes home and sets up a game. Other than that nothing else happens. There was connection with the characters nor the plot which made “Rules of the Game” an empty read.

Templeton’s in Love by Jerry. L. Wheeler
Stan left Tommy for a woman, but five years later sees them back together again. Will Stan make it work this time with Tommy?

This was such a sad story, it actually made me tear up a little. Tommy’s heartbreak is so evident in this story but so is his joy. The author developed a touching and memorable story, and did so with grace and humility. A wonderful piece.

True Love by Moondancer Drake
Shona and Kai bring home their new baby, and the prospect of finally being married.

“True Love” was a story about two women starting their family. It was a sweet story, and one that many will enjoy. However the story was a tad too cheesy for my liking; but sweet nonetheless.

Salad Days by Fiona Glass
Tim loves Jake, but sometimes he feels like he’s being measured up against Jake’s ex-boyfriend Ed. Ed, who is a brilliant screenwriter, who has movie-star looks the big house and fancy car. So what can Tim offer?

I was reading this story and I came to suddenly dislike Jake. His voice just rang a little too feminine for me, and I was feeling a tad uncomfortable ~ thinking here we go again, with the wailing boyfriend and the overindulgent other. But the end cracked me up, and I have to admit maybe the author was using the melodramatics as a false pretence to get the laughs. Even if that wasn’t the author’s prerogative ~ I’ll pretend it was anyway.

Wedding Announcement by Lee Rowan
Kevin has to make the hardest call of his life, but with his lover beside him he can do whatever it takes.

Just as I was getting into the story it ended. What I found confusing was how it ended. The characters are from the author’s novel 'Walking Wounded' (which I have read). The story literally ended with the saying: “Kevin and John’s story can be found in the novel Walking Wounded.” I didn’t understand the need to end a story like that, because it really jarred me. However despite my obvious qualms there ~ I enjoyed what was offered.

Overall the “I Do” anthology is a decent book. Most of the anthology was made up of m/m fiction with a few f/f stories thrown in. As someone who hasn’t read any f/f fiction, most of the contributions were interesting. However what I found interesting within the m/m stories offered here was how many of the new authors outshone the more ‘known’ authors in this genre. The new writers should be very proud of themselves, as their stories are the ones I enjoyed the most.

The anthology in itself doesn’t deal much with anything it actually sets out to do. In terms of the m/m fiction most of the stories were centered around English characters, and half the other stories were about married ‘straight’ men. Not that these are bad qualities, far from it actually. But there was little about proposition eight, and even less about marriage. I suppose this anthology is more about different walks of life in general, and whilst I appreciate not being preached at in this anthology, I would have liked to see more emphasis on the theme at hand. But whilst this isn’t a thrilling anthology filled with fantastic stories, you’ll enjoy reading these new authors ~ and because the money goes to a good cause, you won’t feel like you wasted your money either.

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