Saturday Shorts

Better Than Money by Taylor Lochland
This story is a follow on from The Meaning of Perfection which featured in the Sindustry 2 anthology and which I enjoyed a great deal.  This time it's Jack who's our hero and first person narrator.  Jack is a hooker who up until recently when his buddy, Felix, found love, was happy with his chosen profession.  He's now starting to feel like he wishes he had someone special in his life too.  At a party run by Felix and his lover Julian, Jack meets chauffeur Charlie.  There's an attraction between them but Charlie is wary of starting a relationship with a hooker.  There was much to like with this story.  Felix has a very matter-of-fact outlook on life and his job which I found quite refreshing.  There's no angst or soul searching but rather a pragmatism in the way he goes about his job. Only ocassionally does he think about some of the more distasteful things he's had to do, showing us that it's not an easy option, even if Jack claims that it is most of the time.  Charlie, too, surprised me.  He didn't like what Jack did for a living but was happy to go slow and give himself a chance to come around to the idea.  The only real flaw in the story was that there was quite a lot of extraneous detail given and I often found myself wondering why I needed such a detailed inventory of all Jack's actions.  Quite a bit could have been cut from the story which would have made it a leaner, sharper read.  Overall though this was a satisfying story and I was glad I got to see Jack get his HEA.  Grade: Very Good.

Buy this book HERE.

The Hummingbird Summer/Sukiyaki by G.S. Wiley
These are two tiny short stories (both about 5-6,000 words) set in the 1960's released as a package at Lulu.  The first story is a sort of slice of life involving two men. Typewriter salesman Henry has been in a relationship with married lawyer Pete for some time now.  They meet regularly at Pete's house during the summer when his wife and children retire to the coast to escape the hot city weather.  It was a bittersweet tale of two men who love each other but are trapped by societies conventions and although it didn't have a HEA, there was still a sort of sad recognition on the part of Henry that being Pete's 'bit on the side' is he best he is ever going to have.  The second story, Sukiyaki, features Japanese man, John Tamaru, who is asked by another Japanese man to look into the murder of his sister.  There's not much to the mystery plot, which is only to be expected for a story of 8 pages, but the beauty of the story is in the period details, especially in the way that John and other Japanese characters have to endure suspicion and discrimination.  The fact that John is gay as well as Japanese, adds an extra dimension to his character as he muses on love and his unconventional relationship with trumpet player, Jack.  Both stories are both beautifully written and evocative of the period and I can't recommend them highly enough.  Grade: Excellent.

Buy this book HERE.

Moor Love by Carol Lynne
I've heard lots of great things about Carol Lynne's books, but up until now I haven't read anything by her. After reading this lovely novella, set in my native Yorkshire, I shall certainly be picking up more of her books. The book begins with US agriculture student Caleb arriving for a year's placement at a sheep farm on the North Yorkshire Moors. He's surprised to find that the farmer he is to work with is a very attractive man in his mid-thirties. Jon is mute and has reluctantly arranged for Caleb to come and help him on the farm after an old knee injury flairs up and he cannot manage the hilly terrain. As the two men get to know each other, a mutual attraction begins to form, but Jon is shy and unsure of how to react to Caleb's 'out and proud' sexuality. Although the story is written mostly from Caleb's point of view, this was Jon's story as he came to terms with his past and overcame his shyness to be with Caleb. Caleb has a positive, sunny outlook on life and the contrast between the two men was done well. They really did balance each other out. The parts that stood out though were in the little details, the way that the men cared for each other, did things for each other and communicated without the need for words. The fact that they worked through any problems in a sensible but caring way was also a highlight and I found myself cheering these two lovely men on all the way to their HEA. Grade: Excellent.

Buy this book HERE.