I'm so very excited to welcome on the blog today the writing duo of Al Steward and Claire Davis. The write queer romance (adult and YA/NA) and are the authors of Dear Mona Lisa which was one of my favourite romances I read in 2017.

Al and Claire are my guests today to celebrate the release of their latest book, Oskar Blows a Gasket. This is a YA/NA sort of coming of age m/m romance and you can learn more about the inspiration behind it in the short interview that follows. Read on to see the cover and blurb and miss the purchase links at the bottom of the post if you want to get this book. I can't recommend it enough, it's heart-breaking and funny and a wild, inspiring ride!

1. Favourite place 

Al: Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It’s an amazing place where you can see massive sculptures out in the open, along with sheep and cows. It looks like the set to a sci-fi film, yet the art also seems to belong to the trees and the fields. To me, this is creativity at its best – using the natural world around us to find inspiration, but always respecting the environment. I visit often and always go away feeling empowered and braver than when I arrived. The park appears in several of our books but what I would really love is to plonk myself there for a while and write some poetry. I always feel vulnerable there, which for me is an important requisite to writing, so maybe one day it will happen. I hope so.

2. Favourite food and drink

Claire: Any and all LOL! I’ve had an off/on relationship with food since a teen, going from one diet to another with very little dieting success. It’s true to say food has been a life theme for me one way or another and sadly it will always be tied up with negative feelings. I have hated being part of this destructive cycle but now I try to eat whatever I fancy and not worry. I like French, Spanish, Eastern European, Middle European and North African food. I haven’t travelled further afield but if I did I’d probably love that too. For drink, I’m a huge coffee fan! I spend a long time picking and choosing all the seasonal flavours but at the last minute I often have the same drink.

3. Favourite music/genre/artist/song

Al: I’m very uncool! I listen to anything, but especially classical music and also dance music. If I go somewhere with live music I will dance even if it embarrasses people. A couple of years ago I went to a Spanish club on holiday with my boyfriend. We went crazy on the dance floor but when we stopped we saw that the younger clubbers were pointing at us and laughing! Heheheheh. We danced all night and I like to think we taught the kids a thing or two.

4. Favourite movie/TV series

Al: The most recent film I watched was, God’s Own Country. OMG it was so good! I was applauding all the way through. TV series, it has to be The Walking Dead. I am pure addicted, but at the same time I don’t think I can stand another character dying and it gives me nightmares. I also loved the Game of Thrones, and I watch all the popular cop series. Strong characters are more important to me than storylines.

Claire: Comedy all the way! I watch anything funny with my son. We’ve just finished bottom and Little Britain.

5. Favourite hobby besides writing, if you consider writing a hobby

Al: Oh god, I wish I had more but there’s not much time in my life. My writing roots are writing poetry and this is where my heart will always be. I often say, I cannot write in sentences, and nobody believes me, but it’s true. I’m a poet and will always be. And cooking.

6. Favourite books 

Al: Huge fan of the sci-fi classics like H.G Wells, John Wyndam, Philip K. Dick. I’m always looking for new sci-fi like the Wool trilogy which I found by accident. I had a zombie phase but I believe I’m through. My favourite oldie author is Dickens, favorite poet is T.S. Eliot. I fall back often on the classics but probably my favourite genre is literary fiction. Many of my favourite authors are European but I also spent years reading African literature.

7. Please introduce your latest/upcoming release (what inspired you to write, what can the readers expect from it, etc.)

Al: Oskar Blows a Gasket! Weeeee! I just love the title, because it says everything you would want to know about the book, about us, and even about where we come from. It’s British, it’s unexpected, it’s powerful and it’s unique. It came from a place of wanting to explore what it’s like to come from a very different background, and how interesting that might be should a character suddenly be immersed into the world of the rich and famous.

It began with a daily word count and a wobbly idea that we wanted to write a full length novel. Many of our readers were asking for more, but for us, this was a big ask. Even now, I don’t know how we wrote that much.

The inspiration for Oskar came from us both; from our lives and childhoods, also from our day jobs. We wanted to write a book about worlds colliding, about when rich and poor meet, about people not being what they seem. It’s a book about two boys that go a long, long way, through adversity and pain. They find their ways of holding on to inspiration and in the end…. I guess we wanted to over reach, to go to places we haven’t been before. To have fun, to be bold, to experiment. The storyline will kick the ground from under your feet. Be prepared to have an experience of bodacious proportions.

I believe if you have enjoyed our other books, you will also enjoy this one. Because it’s so much longer, of course there is way more character development. The main chap—Oskar—really turns himself inside out. Something I really enjoyed was being able to explore the other characters too. I absolutely love the bus driver!

What can readers expect? A YA feel, which moves gradually into NA. There is romance with a capital R that pulses off the page, and some steam. They can expect to look into two opposite worlds, and I hope that they will also laugh. If they like the 80’s, well, they will love Oskar, because so does he. Will they feel? I think so. Will they be entertained? Yes! Will they hate the main character? Sometimes. Will they understand him? At the beginning? No. By the middle? Yes, perhaps. By the end? Yes. Yes. Yes! Readers can except to see the Davis Stewart team stretch, and stretch, and stretch. To move from the young and vulnerable to the mature and broken. To see the dreams of the young alongside the disappointments of older generations.

I guess the real question here is: do they want to get on a rollercoaster where the ride is hidden? If so, hop on board. I can’t promise you anything except to go-go-go!

Oskar Braithwaite is bold, brash and gorgeous. Just ask him.

Armed with designer backpack full of make-up and retro music galore, Oskar sets off for college. And, with attitude even spikier than his heels, nothing is going to hold him back. Except maybe one thing…his past is shouting louder than the 80s songs he adores and it won't be ignored. Behind the effervescence are secrets, lies and sadness. Try as he might, not even Oskar can hide forever, and one day it isn't only pop icon Simon Le Bon who's going to catch up.

Who is writing letters? And why is a spy secretly following?

Enter Bear, with dancing eyes and secrets of his own. Bear's kindness sparkles brighter than Lycra leggings, and everyone knows Oskar loves shiny things. Like every prophecy, their fates seem inevitably linked. As the walls of Oskar's defence crumble, Bear shows his hidden strength, but will it be enough to save them?

Find out in this far-out, zany tale of fame, first love and retro DJs.

Purchase Links: Amazon / Smashwords 

I admit I haven' read as many romances with older MCs as I would have like. In my defence there doesn't seem to be that many out there, age gap with one MC being in their 40s-50s seems to be much more common trope in romance. I recently read two stories with older MCs which I absolutely adored and this gave me the idea to compile this list. These were Olivia Dade's Cover Me and Rube Lang's The Long Run in Rogue Anthology. As usual for my What to read posts, I asked for more recs on Twitter and not surprisingly romance twitter delivered.

Romances with older MCs

Sun-Kissed (Snow Queen #2) by Laura Florand. It's part of the Amour et Chocolate series but works well on its own. it's a lovely, tender romance with MCs in their 50s. Review

The 'Burg and The Colorado Mountains series by Kristen Ashley, in fact most of her romances feature MCs in their late 30s, early 40s and older. I have love/hate relationship with KA books. They are addictive, absolutely cracktastic but also problematic on many levels. I do however appreciate her focus on older MCs, giving her men and women a chance at love/family. Review of At Peace (The 'Burg #2)

Rogue Acts, Ruby Lang's The Long Run and Olivia Dade's Cover Me, two short stories, my first by these authors but quite good, made me want to read more of their work.  

A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles. This is my favourite book by KJ Charles, together with Simon Feximal (it could also be included here, though the MCs are younger at the beginning of the book but we follow them through a couple of decades of them being together). Seditious Affair is part of the ... series and need to be read in order, BDSM romance between a seditious publisher and a man of law, frought with tension and a hard-won, at times seemingly impossible HEA. Review

Autumn by Cole McCade, mm romance, part of Crow City series but can be read as standalone. Two older MCs, one disabled who just discovers he is bi, the other - gentle, weird in love with his ex brother-in-law forever). Review

Dear Mona Lisa by Al Steward and Claire Davis- contemporary m/m, one MC has synesthesia (which the first time reading something like that for me). It's very moving and emotional, made it into my list of best reads of 2017. CW for homophobia, death of a newborn. 

Age Gap 

For Real by Alexis Hall, Rita award winning BDSM m/m romance, with young inexperienced dominant and an older, slightly jaded submissive. Review

Glitterland by Alexis Hall, older grumpy writer with bipolar disorder and depression gets together with a young "glitter pirate" model from Essex. Review

Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins, holiday m/m romance, older reclusive MC falls for a travelling fairs glass artists. very moving, very real and touching. Review

Magic Mansion by Jordan Castillo Price, contemporary romance with a touch of magic. Two magicians at a reality show, one MC is over 60, the other is around 40. Review

Pretty Face by Lucy Parker, fun romcom set at the London theatre scene, she is TV series actress know for her roles of silly bombshells, he is critically acclaimed stage director looking with scorn on TV production. They are forced to work together and to everyone's surprise, including their own, they fall hard for each other. Review

Peter Darling by Austin Chant - queer retelling of Peter Pan, m/m with a trans lead. It's beautiful, imaginative and very emotional short read! One of the best books I read in 2017. Review

Romances with Older MCs

Fast Women by Jenny Crusie, m/f romance, chicklit, divorce  female MC

Scandalous Lovers by Robin Schone, erotic m/f romance, widowed female MC

Midlife Crisis by Audra North, LAMBDA nominated m/m contemporary romance, divorced bi POC MC, 

Twice in a Lifetime by Jodie Griffin, contemporary bi f/f romance, both MCs in their 50s

Late Fall by Noelle Adams, with MCs in their 70s and an assisted living home

Title: Bad Bachelor (Bad Bachelor #1)

Author: Stephanie London

Date of publication: 6 March 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author's links: 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

Blurb

Everybody’s talking about the hot new app reviewing New York’s most eligible bachelors. But why focus on prince charming when you can read the latest dirt on the lowest-ranked “Bad Bachelors”—NYC’s most notorious bad boys.

If one more person mentions Bad Bachelors to Reed McMahon, someone’s gonna get hurt. A PR whiz, Reed is known as an ‘image fixer’ but his womanizing ways have caught up with him. What he needs is a PR miracle of his own.

When Reed strolls into Darcy Greer’s workplace offering to help save the struggling library, she isn’t buying it. The prickly Brooklynite knows Reed is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But the library does need his help. As she reluctantly works with Reed, she realizes there’s more to a man than his reputation. Maybe, just maybe, Bad Bachelor #1 is THE one for her.

This is my first book by Stephanie London and I decided to read it following a recommendation from a friend. I found the premise really interesting - how would an application for rating bachelors/single men work and affect the dating in the internet age. 

I end up enjoying this story a lot both in terms of plot and in terms of hero and heroine who I found to be interesting, complex and easy to relate to.

Darcy was a wonderful mix of a good girl with a bit of wild side - breaking the conventional with colourful tattoos and a personal style which favours comfort over fashion. At the same time she was shy, hesitant when it came to feelings and relationships, still recovering from her one and only disastrous long term relationship. 

Reed was the perfect bad bachelor on the surface - confident, successful, good at his job (image making), cold and distanced in his personal life. He guards his private life really tight but his softer side showed when he was with Darcy despite his continuous efforts to hide it. 

I loved their banter, sort of enemies-to-lovers element in their romance. Most of all I enjoyed about Darcy and Reed because they felt like real people with their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We seen them both struggling with some complicated family dynamics which were handle rather well in my opinion. There was this moment for both of them when getting to know the other person and family gave them insight into their own family issues and how to deal with them. 

As a minor quibble I'd say I wish the website thing was handled better. It was in fact a site where women rated the men they have gone out/had relations with. It was done anonymously and with the consent of the men rated which violated all ethical norms for me. I see this as dangerous approach to people as inanimate objects and also as an easy tool to smear someone's reputation. Even though it was called out and it got transformed into a kind of a dating site, I felt it was too serious an issue which needed a firmer condemnation. 

Overall, I liked the easy flow of the story and writing was engaging and fun. I'm very much looking forward the next book in the series. 

Title: Marriage of Inconvenience (Knitting in the City #7)

Author: Penny Reid

Date of publication: 6 March 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance, romcom

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3 stars

Blurb

This is the final book in the Knitting in the City series and I have been waiting for Kat and Dan's story for a few books now. There was some sadness saying goodbye to so many beloved characters but this book has the loveliest epilogue that left me teary-eyed. There are a lot of tender and touching moments in the story and Ms Reid's trademark humour which made for a nice read but it's not my favourite in the series

I was curious about Kat who turned out to be an even more interesting and unusual heroine than I expected initially. Dan, well Dan was just Dan, tough and strong and loyal and reliable, foul-mouthed but with a heart of gold. It was his supportive and caring side that I loved so much.

The marriage of convenience romance is not really a favourtie trope of mine but I think it worked OK here. There was also friends-to-lovers vibe, combined with a second chance romance. It's weird mix but it did allow for a lot of character growth and interesting interactions.

I have come to notice and have mentioned it in other reviews of Penny Reid's books that the plots of her stories are really over-the-top, often too improbable for me to fully enjoy/appreciate the romance. I love the sense of humour and weird antics of the characters but they do feel too much at times, taking away the focus of the story away from the characters. I really prefer my contemporary romances to be a bit more grounded in reality.

There isn't a single major issue I had with this book but rather an array of minor ones here and there that add up and in the end make the story just an OK read for me.

The story went in too many directions, the author tried to bring too many issues in the romance relationships and some of them felt not fully developed.

As a conclusion to the series and with an epilogue that brings together all the other couples (and their children) it is all worth reading despite not being as brilliant as some of the previous books.

My guest in today's New and Debut is Nem Rowan, author of Witcheskin, trans m/m fantasy with a bit of horror thrown in, which was just released by LT3 press. Come meet the author and learn what books he likes to read and write.

Following the disappearance of his father, Owen returns to the Welsh village where his parents grew up to live with his mother and her boyfriend. While pursuing the mystery of cattle mutilations in the area, he meets Maredudd, an old friend of his mother's, and learns something about his parents that they've never told him...

Purchase links: Publisher / Amazon

Author bio and links

Nem Rowan lives in Wales with his wife of 13 years and his two German Shepherds. He enjoys studying mythology, the occult and British folklore, and is an avid bird-watcher. He is also fascinated by psychology and the dynamics of diverse romantic relationships. Nem’s characters are facets of his own personality and he uses writing as a means of exploring his own psyche, sexuality and persona. However, he believes that a story with a sad ending isn’t worth writing!

Website/ Twitter

Practice Makes Perfect

Patrick “Patch” Donnelly has what it takes to be the best goalie in the NHL…if only he could learn to control his temper. When Coach orders him to get his head in the game with private yoga classes, Patch isn’t having it. There’s no way this tough Boston guy would be caught dead downward dog-ing his way to inner peace. But if he refuses, he risks his starting position and the dream he sacrificed everything for, including joining the priesthood.

Yoga instructor Margot Kowalski is over men. After yet another toxic relationship, she’s eager to forget love and focus on growing her business. Doing the Hellions head coach a favor by helping out a troubled player can't hurt, and it might give her career a high-profile boost. But free-spirited Margot is soon charming the pants off Patch. Literally. Her sassy combination of sweet and sexy proves irresistible to the goalie. Before Patch can give into temptation though, he’ll have to confess his biggest secret:

He’s a virgin.

But Patch is hiding more than sexual inexperience, and his dark past soon threatens to destroy his shot at true love.

Review

This was my first time reading Lia Riley and I was drawn to the premise of a virgin hockey player getting together with a more experience woman. The story had a few laughs and while I liked bits of it, in the end this turned out to be a big disappointment.

Things started promising with a funny, smart heroine being all sex positive and taking no slut shaming from anyone. The hero was also rather intriguing from the start - a troubled hockey star goalie with anger management issues, too easily resorting to physical violence when challenged. And he was a virgin with no experience of intimacy with women, not even holding hands or kissing. Early on we get the reasons for this - a difficult childhood and family issues that were still haunting him.

It was after they met that things went downhill for me. She was a yoga instructor and he was referred to her as a way to get his anger under control. He went to her home for a yoga session for the first time and boom, insta-lust. Within minutes of meeting her, he was so smitten that he was ready to get intimate with her right away, after years of avoiding any physical contact with women. I just didn't buy it. They didn't really get to know each other, there was no courtship, no dealing with his issues with intimacy and anger, just instalust.

Then as can be expected our virgin hero turned out to be a natural at sex, giving her the best orgasms of her life. He was perfect in everything and his tendency towards violence was quickly resolved with the sheer power of true love.

It was a short read, too superficial and neither the characters, nor the conflict seemed fleshed out enough. It was all cliche after cliche - her evil ex (who couldn't get over the fact he wasn't her first lover, was bad in bed, never cared about her pleasure and turned aggressive and stalkerish after their break up and to top it all off, he turned to be involved in tax fraud).

I found the suspense plot too thin and far too easily resolved in the end. I felt all the good characters were too good to be true and all the bad ones were just comically bad. The characters lacked nuance which made it all too unrealistic for me to enjoy their story. I want my contemporary romances more rooted in reality. While I don't mind the dream/fantasy type of romance hero, I can't accept when serious issues are brought up and then brushed off to a quick resolution without giving them any depth.

I ended angry and disappointed in this story because I felt it had to potential to be something good but it was hastily written, predictable, lacking any depth and nuance. The few good jokes here and there and my overall appreciation of the hero was not enough to save it.