I’ll Be Your Drill, Soldier by Crystal Rose

I love romance, so, hands up, I loved this romance. Then we can start to question on how it was easy for the author to make me cry, she of course used the right buttons, but nevertheless, I did shed a tear or two.

I was a little taken aback from this note from the author right at the beginning of the novel: “This is set in a world where everyone is treated the same regardless of sexual orientation-- like it should be”; so, I thought, this is an alternative reality? I’m not reading an Army contemporary romance? I was not sure if that was a good or bad thing. But actually this is a contemporary romance, and the two men involved in the romance (plus two other friends, soldiers as well) have to face discrimination and prejudices, but what I think the author was implying is that, the obstacles are from the society of men, not the society of law. Let me explain: being gay is not a crime (as it should be…), there is no law forbidding Ryan and Phillip to be in love, there is no law forbidding them to marry if they want, or to separate them in an hospital (if not the ordinary rule that only family is allowed). But Ryan has to face discrimination, he is a preacher’s son who is disowned by his family when he comes out to them, and he has to join the Army to complete his college education. Phillip is a gay man who married right out of high school, probably since that is what was expected by him. But what makes this an “alternative reality” sort of romance is that, once they are able to overcome the emotional issues these past experiences left them, there is no other obstacle to their happiness. Unfortunately, this is an alternative reality since, until same sex marriage will not be legal for everyone in every US state, the likes of Ryan and Phillip will have plenty of outside obstacles to their happiness, especially if they are in a situation where one of them needs the other beside him.

This is an highly emotional novel, but it’s also light in some aspects. Ryan is a pushy bottom, Phillip is a bigger-than-life top (those men who embrace you with a lot more than only their body). I love the interaction between them, and Ryan’s friends, straight and gay men together, are the best family a gay boy could wish. Sure, sometime their interferences, especially the female ones, were over the top, but all in all, I enjoyed also them.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44002

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

LGBT Ebook and Print Releases November, 2012

1974 by Steven Kerry (JMS Books)
A Boy Toy for Christmas by Mark A. Roeder
A Fairy's Tale by G.O. Noce (Torquere Books)
A Game of Schemes (Volume 4) by T.C. Blue
A Long Day's Evening by Bilge Karasu, Aron Aji and Fred Stark
A Love Less Ordinary by Laura Newman
A Present for Daddy by J.M. Snyder (JMS Books)
A Shiny Tin Star by Jon Wilson (Cheyenne Publishing)
A Simple Revolution by Judy Grahn
A Slice of Love by Andrew Grey (Dreamspinner Press)
A Strange and Separate People by Jon Marans (Chelsea Station Editions)
A Tale of Two Trucks by Thea Nishimori (Dreamspinner Press)
A Time to Gain, A Time to Lose by Edward Kendrick (Silver Publishing)
A Trip to Hell Book 3: Dave (Volume 3) by Phillip Lesbirel
Adult Libations: A Winter of Scandals (Interlingue Edition) by Mark Sutherland Simpson
After Mrs Hamilton by Clare Ashton
After the First Taste of Love by Salome Wilde and Talon Rihai (Storm Moon Press)
Aftermath by Ann McMan
Against Equality: Prisons Will Not Protect You by Dean Spade (Introduction) and Ryan Conrad
'Ailani: The Last Warrior by A.J. Llewellyn (Silver Publishing)
Almost Heaven by Susan X Meagher
An Immovable Solitude by S.A. McAuley (Silver Publishing)
An Improbable Wolf by Lavinia Lewis (Total-e-Bound)
Ascendance by Lissa Kasey (Dreamspinner Press)
Attitude on Wheels, a Velvet Glove story by Sean Michael (Torquere Books)
Autumn Leaves by Barbara Winkes
( Read more... )

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For Authors: If you would like to post an excerpt, please contact me.

Tighter, tighter by Lynn Kear

This novel was at the same time complex and unexpected. I was totally prepared to read a romance between a young defense attorney, Meredith Walker, and the older rock star Kath Branch; I was expecting a mystery, but truth be told, I was pretty sure Kath Branch was not the murderer. Well, most of my assumption were wrong.

It’s complicated to explain this novel, without giving out the story; enough to say that the romance is not between Kath and Meredith (indeed there is a huge age difference between them), but nevertheless, for who is searching interesting and realistic lesbian characters, Tighter, Tigher has more than one. I really appreciated for example, Lori, Kath’s current partner, their relationship is not easy, and maybe they don’t have any chance to make it last, but nevertheless, the author didn’t write Lori as the villain; and now, I don’t think I will ruin much of the surprise, since it basically is said in the first pages, but Kath’s love interest in St. James, Illinois, is not Meredith, but her mother Ellen, the same Ellen Kath was in love as a teenager, and maybe the reason why she decides to come back almost 35 years later.

There is indeed a mystery, and many ties link Kath to Billy, the victim. But this is also a small town, and it seems that everyone knows everyone else. Billy was Bill’s father, Bill is Meredith’s husband, Meredith is Ellen’s daughter, Ellen is Kath’s lover… plus we have Molly, Kath’s friend of the time, Rhonda, Billy’s wife, and Rob, Meredith’s father. Some of them are directly connected to the victim, some were friends or customers, everyone knows something, and no one is talking, or at least no one is really telling the truth, that as much Meredith is understanding. The problem is that, more she is coming near the truth, and more she is coming close to destroy her own family.

So yes, there are two plots, one is the mystery/thriller novel, involving Meredith, her life and career, what is more important? What will she choose?, and one is the romance story, the one between Kath and Ellen in the past, and Kath and Lori in the present, again, what is more important? Who will she choose?

Amazon: Tighter, Tighter
Amazon Kindle: Tighter, Tighter
Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1468089412
ISBN-13: 978-1468089417

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle