Affair in Paradise by Matthew Haldeman-Time

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I have some authors in my auto-buy list, for different reasons. Matthew Haldeman-Time is on my auto-buy list since I love his young, beautiful and hot characters, their easy-to-go way of life, the joy of life they always have, their positive attitude and the inner innocence they maintain even when they are doing the most naughty things.

Matthew Haldeman-Time is one and trine: he is the amazing author of Off the Record, a lost pearl he self-published on Lulu Press and that I highly recommend; he is the fantasy author of the continuing series In This Land, a weekly appointment you can subscribe for a small monthly fee, and that now is also available in print book; and finally he is the generous author of many short stories, you can read for free on his website, or sometime you can buy from some epublishers. Affair in Paradise enters in this last category, it's a very nice short story, a new release from Matthew Haldeman-Time that I was eagerly waiting and my only regret is that it's only a short story. But even in a short story I can find the author I know, and again two characters who are innocent and naughty at the same time.

Both Adam than Brett are the odd participants to an organized tour in a tropical island. Adam joined a female friend who at the last time was dumped by the other woman who had to go with her, and Brett decided to go on the tour even after he brought up with his partner. So now Adam and Brett are both gay (I believe the only gay in the group), without partners and available for a nice affair in paradise. But there is something that didn't click right for them.

Adam is nice and forward, he teases and makes clear his interest in Brett, and Brett seems to enjoy all this. But more Adam pushes and waits for Brett's answer, and more he is frustrated since Brett welcomes the attentions but never makes the counter move. On the other side, Brett is frustrated like and maybe more than Adam: Adam teases him on every chance he has, always bringing him to the edge, but never taking the final step to finalize all the teasing. What is the final brick on the wall? what is the magic word to open the door to Brett (no pun intended). The reader is along with Adam to try to understand what he is missing, and clue after clue we arrive to the realization and to the final climax, that is even more strong due to all the teasing we endured with Adam in the days before.

It's always difficult to judge a 30 pages long story, and it's always difficult to write something without giving out the story. What I can say is that as always Matthew Haldeman-Time managed to write a really nice and enjoyable story in "only" 30 pages, a story that is complete like it is, but that I wouldn't mind to see developed in something longer if the author fancies to play again with these characters.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1873

Amazon Kindle: An Affair in Paradise

Reading List:

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

Comments

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I instead have never read his fan-fiction, and started with Off the Record, and being caught since then. If you don't want to try something that long at first, the novella with Samhain or this short story with Torquere are a good start. Elisa

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely keep that in mind, thanks! (his fanfic? was of epic proportion lol)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I know that I'm an oddity, but I have never read fan-fiction, have not eought patience to follow something week after week, I want all at once, little greedy Elisa!

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

hee! I read some, not as much as I used to, though. ;-)