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French Wine #2
Red Light
Related White Flag
Jeff is a deliberate he’s had his heart broken once, and he won’t let it happen again. Ready to rebuild his life, he goes on holiday. Alone. Until he meets Benet -- and finds that the human heart is not so easily controlled.
Unable to resist the siren call of Benet's sweet, beautiful nature, Jeff decides a fling can't hurt, but all he wants is sex and company; anything more just leads inevitably to disappointment and betrayal. But Benet slithers under his guards and breaks all Jeff’s new-set rules. Will he obey his brain and stop for the Red Light or will he give in to the heart’s impulse and run it?
Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find Male/male sexual practices.
Jeff is a deliberate he’s had his heart broken once, and he won’t let it happen again. Ready to rebuild his life, he goes on holiday. Alone. Until he meets Benet -- and finds that the human heart is not so easily controlled.
Unable to resist the siren call of Benet's sweet, beautiful nature, Jeff decides a fling can't hurt, but all he wants is sex and company; anything more just leads inevitably to disappointment and betrayal. But Benet slithers under his guards and breaks all Jeff’s new-set rules. Will he obey his brain and stop for the Red Light or will he give in to the heart’s impulse and run it?
Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find Male/male sexual practices.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2011
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92 people want to read
About the author
Thom Lane
12 books85 followersAuthor Thom Lane is an English writer who has published romances and erotica as well as fantasies and other books under other names. In his tales of Amaranth, he is combining as many of those genres as possible…
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February 15, 2011So far, Thom Lane's books come in one of two flavors. One, his 'xxx-heart' series is slavefic with heavy notes of D/s. Pure kink-candy for aficionados of the (sub)genre.
This is of his other flavor, which couldn't be more different. Pure romance, nearly to the point of sappiness, no hint of any but vanilla in bed.
I love both of them, they feed different parts of me, and this book is no exception.
I think what I like best about Lane's writing is his prose and description, I can just bathe in it, skimming along in reading him, enjoying the ride, not terribly concerned with how the story ends (because he doesn't write his romances to have you gnawing fingernails in worry for the protags) but in tasting the flavors along the way. That wonderful world-building seems to shine through in whatever he writes, and I really quite love it.
This book isn't spectacular, in the sense that it doesn't grip you and shake you with angst, action, despair or glee. But it is such a lovely read. :) In fact, I'm inclined to go back and re-enjoy his first of these now.
There was one detraction for me -- early on we learn the general plot, that Jeff, having been burned by a cheating lover a few months back, has forsworn relationships. And he keeps reminding himself of that as he begins to fall for this bright young man. I think Lane could have used a lighter touch in this -- as if he thought the reader wouldn't get the point the first ten times Jeff reminded himself of this. The repetition did pull me out of the flow a few times, but not enough to keep me from putting this one on my shelf of personal favorites with the rest of his.
This is of his other flavor, which couldn't be more different. Pure romance, nearly to the point of sappiness, no hint of any but vanilla in bed.
I love both of them, they feed different parts of me, and this book is no exception.
I think what I like best about Lane's writing is his prose and description, I can just bathe in it, skimming along in reading him, enjoying the ride, not terribly concerned with how the story ends (because he doesn't write his romances to have you gnawing fingernails in worry for the protags) but in tasting the flavors along the way. That wonderful world-building seems to shine through in whatever he writes, and I really quite love it.
This book isn't spectacular, in the sense that it doesn't grip you and shake you with angst, action, despair or glee. But it is such a lovely read. :) In fact, I'm inclined to go back and re-enjoy his first of these now.
There was one detraction for me -- early on we learn the general plot, that Jeff, having been burned by a cheating lover a few months back, has forsworn relationships. And he keeps reminding himself of that as he begins to fall for this bright young man. I think Lane could have used a lighter touch in this -- as if he thought the reader wouldn't get the point the first ten times Jeff reminded himself of this. The repetition did pull me out of the flow a few times, but not enough to keep me from putting this one on my shelf of personal favorites with the rest of his.
May 3, 2011
When I started Red Light I felt a distance between myself and 1st person narrator Jeff. He was a bit stuffy, proper and cold and I feared finishing this might turn into a chore. Fortunately, I was so very wrong!
Englishman Jeff was in a long-time (6 years, maybe?) relationship with a man who had been cheating on him for god knows how long. Jeff had no idea and was devastated and heart-broken when he discovered the truth. He blames himself because he’s a doctor, with crazy-long work shifts and neglected his relationship. He’s shut himself off emotionally because of the betrayal and has been coasting through the days. It’s been a few months and he’s now alone in France on a trip planned by the ex. While dining alone, he gives in to an impulse to invite an attractive young guy to share his lunch. Benet turns out to be a fellow Englishman working in France and is charming and chatty and livens Jeff’s day. His sexy looks and sunny personality awaken Jeff’s deadened libido and they spend a night sharing their bodies and having what Jeff insists will only be “a vacation fling”. But as the one day fling turns into two, three, four . . . well, Jeff and Benet are both finding it difficult to let go. And just as they are set to say their final goodbye’s Benet’s close-knit group of friends find ways to keep them together. It’s lovely, warm and heart-melting. I promise you.
This book is so sexy without being all up in your face and it manages to pull it off without excessive sex scenes that go on for chapters (not that those are always a bad thing!). I don’t know how the author pulled it off but he did. A look, a touch, a steamy kiss, the descriptions are so vivid and hot and sparingly written that I didn’t even balk when he more often than not bypassed the down and dirty sex.
“It was so far beyond French. This was pan-galactic kissing, alien and soul shaking.”
Jeff’s jaw was aching by the time Benet was done with him. Now that’s how sexy is done up right.
This is a short story but I never felt cheated as I do in so many of these shorter novels. The relationship grew at a believable pace and the characters, including a small handful of secondary characters were very well fleshed out and entirely likable. I grew especially fond of Juliette, Benet’s “boss”, who is bossy, bubbly, and nosy and can talk anyone into doing just anything for her. She traps Jeff in a car and he is just helpless. Their banter was fabulous.
“Benet is a boy; he knows nothing about you. Nothing that I want to know. Tell me how you met.”
“Oh, he must have told you that!”
“How you rescued him with a bowl of soup, yes. I do not care about the soup. And then you went to a hotel room, but I don’t want to know about that either.” Actually I rather thought she did, from the way her eyes were gleaming at me. I thought she wanted every little detail, but she certainly wasn’t getting them from me.
“You tell me, when you saw him, standing there arguing with the waiter—did you know absolutely then, that he was un gay like you? Or was that something you learned from each other when you talked? And how did you find out? Tell me…”
The only weirdness here was the fact that Jeff, who is only 29 or so, often behaves and thinks more like a 40 year old man. He behaves as if the age difference of only 5 years between himself and Benet is so much more. Even Benet comments here and there with odd age related comments about Jeff “looking so much younger” after playing in the pool. It made me wonder if the author changed Jeff’s age in the last draft.
There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot of plot to this story besides Jeff’s constant insistence that this fling would remain a fling. There are no crazy subplots or murderous stalker ex-boyfriends and I loved that best about this story. Its focus remains firmly on its characters who become fast friends in sweetly written, but never saccharine, descriptive prose.
“If he’d been seeing someone else, if he’d been unavailable—hell, if he’d been straight, which is always the acid test—I’d still have wanted to know him, still have valued his friendship and enjoyed his company.”
See what I mean?
Serious Jeff and cheerful Benet spend much of the book cooking breakfast, shopping, frolicking in the pool with friends and keeping their hands all over each other. They do all of the normal, getting-to-know you stuff, “finding out what kind of morning person he is, dour and silent or light and chatty, solitary or sharing, better left in peace or kept warm and close and intimate…” and both try to ignore the fact that they are completely compatible and this will all end far too soon. I worried for their hearts throughout the story and that’s the mark of a well written romance for me.
Englishman Jeff was in a long-time (6 years, maybe?) relationship with a man who had been cheating on him for god knows how long. Jeff had no idea and was devastated and heart-broken when he discovered the truth. He blames himself because he’s a doctor, with crazy-long work shifts and neglected his relationship. He’s shut himself off emotionally because of the betrayal and has been coasting through the days. It’s been a few months and he’s now alone in France on a trip planned by the ex. While dining alone, he gives in to an impulse to invite an attractive young guy to share his lunch. Benet turns out to be a fellow Englishman working in France and is charming and chatty and livens Jeff’s day. His sexy looks and sunny personality awaken Jeff’s deadened libido and they spend a night sharing their bodies and having what Jeff insists will only be “a vacation fling”. But as the one day fling turns into two, three, four . . . well, Jeff and Benet are both finding it difficult to let go. And just as they are set to say their final goodbye’s Benet’s close-knit group of friends find ways to keep them together. It’s lovely, warm and heart-melting. I promise you.
This book is so sexy without being all up in your face and it manages to pull it off without excessive sex scenes that go on for chapters (not that those are always a bad thing!). I don’t know how the author pulled it off but he did. A look, a touch, a steamy kiss, the descriptions are so vivid and hot and sparingly written that I didn’t even balk when he more often than not bypassed the down and dirty sex.
“It was so far beyond French. This was pan-galactic kissing, alien and soul shaking.”
Jeff’s jaw was aching by the time Benet was done with him. Now that’s how sexy is done up right.
This is a short story but I never felt cheated as I do in so many of these shorter novels. The relationship grew at a believable pace and the characters, including a small handful of secondary characters were very well fleshed out and entirely likable. I grew especially fond of Juliette, Benet’s “boss”, who is bossy, bubbly, and nosy and can talk anyone into doing just anything for her. She traps Jeff in a car and he is just helpless. Their banter was fabulous.
“Benet is a boy; he knows nothing about you. Nothing that I want to know. Tell me how you met.”
“Oh, he must have told you that!”
“How you rescued him with a bowl of soup, yes. I do not care about the soup. And then you went to a hotel room, but I don’t want to know about that either.” Actually I rather thought she did, from the way her eyes were gleaming at me. I thought she wanted every little detail, but she certainly wasn’t getting them from me.
“You tell me, when you saw him, standing there arguing with the waiter—did you know absolutely then, that he was un gay like you? Or was that something you learned from each other when you talked? And how did you find out? Tell me…”
The only weirdness here was the fact that Jeff, who is only 29 or so, often behaves and thinks more like a 40 year old man. He behaves as if the age difference of only 5 years between himself and Benet is so much more. Even Benet comments here and there with odd age related comments about Jeff “looking so much younger” after playing in the pool. It made me wonder if the author changed Jeff’s age in the last draft.
There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot of plot to this story besides Jeff’s constant insistence that this fling would remain a fling. There are no crazy subplots or murderous stalker ex-boyfriends and I loved that best about this story. Its focus remains firmly on its characters who become fast friends in sweetly written, but never saccharine, descriptive prose.
“If he’d been seeing someone else, if he’d been unavailable—hell, if he’d been straight, which is always the acid test—I’d still have wanted to know him, still have valued his friendship and enjoyed his company.”
See what I mean?
Serious Jeff and cheerful Benet spend much of the book cooking breakfast, shopping, frolicking in the pool with friends and keeping their hands all over each other. They do all of the normal, getting-to-know you stuff, “finding out what kind of morning person he is, dour and silent or light and chatty, solitary or sharing, better left in peace or kept warm and close and intimate…” and both try to ignore the fact that they are completely compatible and this will all end far too soon. I worried for their hearts throughout the story and that’s the mark of a well written romance for me.
February 28, 2011
Red Light is a sequel of sorts to Thom Lane’s White Flag. The characters are related in a general sense but you don’t need to read the previous book in order to appreciate this one. In fact they are so similar it’s probably best not to read them too close together. I didn’t mind the similarities since it’d been a while since I read White Flag and all the reasons I liked the previous book are here once again; the beautiful lyrical prose, the sense of ease, wonder, and vivid beauty of the setting and characters. This isn’t a heart stopping book, it’s a languid journey into love that’s satisfying for its ease and lightness than anything else.
Jeff is in his late twenties and just out of a long term relationship. He’d been with his lover since he was a student and now he’s a doctor (so I assume close to all his 20’s). However Jeff is now bitter and heart broken once he discovered his partner had been cheating on him and left him. Jeff decides to take their pre-paid vacation to France to learn about living alone and runs into the young beautiful Benet. Sparks immediately fly and the two engage in an easy vacation fling that soon becomes something more. However Jeff is determined never to get his heart broken again and refuses to believe in love, no matter what his heart tells him.
The plot is at best character driven but it really meanders along. Not much really happens as Jeff and Benet do things together, eat, talk, and have sex. The majority of this activity is told to the reader and very little is shown. Some readers may find this slow or boring, though for me the prose really captured my attention and is what held me to the story more than anything. The writing tries to capture the romance, the sensuality, and the beauty in the small moments and not necessarily the words spoken and actions taken. We never see the conversations, we’re simply told they happen. We never really see what Benet and Jeff see, we’re told they had a fun day and then onto the sex.
Part of the reason this never feels boring or frustrating is that I really enjoyed the simplicity of the writing. The imagery evoked and beauty of the settings drew me in and never let my attention wander. The first person narrator offers an intimate look at Jeff’s personality, his overwhelming fear of relationships and love, and his growing feelings for Benet. The focus is never on what they do or say but it’s on the communication between their bodies and the comfort they achieve together, the passion that never diminishes. Whether this style appeals is likely to vary from reader to reader and an example of the writing is below:
And then, okay, maybe his hand steals between your legs, maybe you reach to find his mouth with yours, maybe you have slow and easy sex in the early sun and maybe that matters as much as anything, but it isn’t crucial. Whether or not you make love, there’s still all the fun of what follows:
Arguing softly about who gets to use the bathroom first, who has to move before the other one can, who gets to lie a little longer in the soft, warm nest of the bed and watch him go, watch him come back.
The characterization of both men is decent but as with the ending, left wanting. Jeff is so desperately afraid of pain after his last break up that he acts and feels like a man much, much older than he is. Jeff is only 28 but he acts like a man well into his 40s. His thoughts and feelings are often expressed as if a generation is between he and Benet rather than a mere 5 years. This causes some disconnect and alters the chemistry between the two men. The tension in the story revolves around whether a vacation fling can turn into a real romance, if the men will let it, but this is very reminiscent to White Flag. The ending is really a non-ending with none of the very real issues worked out or resolved. There is the hope of a future though and for some readers this may be enough. Beyond the evocative writing the supporting cast of characters is simply delightful. They’re caricatures but that doesn’t diminish their enjoyment and entertainment.
For those fans that liked White Flag you’ll very likely enjoy Red Light. The story is very similar in many ways and the writing has the exact same style. I personally didn’t mind as I like the writing and prose and will happily sink into these characters whenever offered. This isn’t the quickest romance but it’s easy, lyrical, and beautiful on many levels.
Jeff is in his late twenties and just out of a long term relationship. He’d been with his lover since he was a student and now he’s a doctor (so I assume close to all his 20’s). However Jeff is now bitter and heart broken once he discovered his partner had been cheating on him and left him. Jeff decides to take their pre-paid vacation to France to learn about living alone and runs into the young beautiful Benet. Sparks immediately fly and the two engage in an easy vacation fling that soon becomes something more. However Jeff is determined never to get his heart broken again and refuses to believe in love, no matter what his heart tells him.
The plot is at best character driven but it really meanders along. Not much really happens as Jeff and Benet do things together, eat, talk, and have sex. The majority of this activity is told to the reader and very little is shown. Some readers may find this slow or boring, though for me the prose really captured my attention and is what held me to the story more than anything. The writing tries to capture the romance, the sensuality, and the beauty in the small moments and not necessarily the words spoken and actions taken. We never see the conversations, we’re simply told they happen. We never really see what Benet and Jeff see, we’re told they had a fun day and then onto the sex.
Part of the reason this never feels boring or frustrating is that I really enjoyed the simplicity of the writing. The imagery evoked and beauty of the settings drew me in and never let my attention wander. The first person narrator offers an intimate look at Jeff’s personality, his overwhelming fear of relationships and love, and his growing feelings for Benet. The focus is never on what they do or say but it’s on the communication between their bodies and the comfort they achieve together, the passion that never diminishes. Whether this style appeals is likely to vary from reader to reader and an example of the writing is below:
And then, okay, maybe his hand steals between your legs, maybe you reach to find his mouth with yours, maybe you have slow and easy sex in the early sun and maybe that matters as much as anything, but it isn’t crucial. Whether or not you make love, there’s still all the fun of what follows:
Arguing softly about who gets to use the bathroom first, who has to move before the other one can, who gets to lie a little longer in the soft, warm nest of the bed and watch him go, watch him come back.
The characterization of both men is decent but as with the ending, left wanting. Jeff is so desperately afraid of pain after his last break up that he acts and feels like a man much, much older than he is. Jeff is only 28 but he acts like a man well into his 40s. His thoughts and feelings are often expressed as if a generation is between he and Benet rather than a mere 5 years. This causes some disconnect and alters the chemistry between the two men. The tension in the story revolves around whether a vacation fling can turn into a real romance, if the men will let it, but this is very reminiscent to White Flag. The ending is really a non-ending with none of the very real issues worked out or resolved. There is the hope of a future though and for some readers this may be enough. Beyond the evocative writing the supporting cast of characters is simply delightful. They’re caricatures but that doesn’t diminish their enjoyment and entertainment.
For those fans that liked White Flag you’ll very likely enjoy Red Light. The story is very similar in many ways and the writing has the exact same style. I personally didn’t mind as I like the writing and prose and will happily sink into these characters whenever offered. This isn’t the quickest romance but it’s easy, lyrical, and beautiful on many levels.
December 21, 2019
The best laid plans… not only of mice and men, but of heartbroken men looking only for a no-strings holiday fling, often go astray. Sometimes, the more you want something to be true, the more energy you expend on telling yourself to believe something, the less willing the universe seems to be to give it to you. "Red Light" is a perfect illustration of just such a case. It is extremely well-written, almost lyrical, and while I was busy enjoying the beautiful language and the descriptions of all the fantastic food and places in the Provence, the story slowly but surely sucked me in. Suddenly, I was right in the middle of it, as involved as Jeff, and far more invested than he was in getting him a happy ending.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 19, 2011
3.5, but I'm rounding up.
This book’s predecessor holds a special place on my virtual keeper shelf, and though this displays many of the qualities I loved about that one, it doesn’t quite rate as highly.
Jeff is an English doctor on vacation in Provence. The trip was originally meant to be a vacation for him and his boyfriend, but when they broke up a few months prior to the story’s start, Jeff decided not to let the tickets go to waste. At the top of the story, he’s sitting at a restaurant, wishing the waiter wouldn’t refuse to serve him the bouillabaisse when he overhears a nearby customer trying to order the same thing. Jeff offers to share the dish with him so that they might both get what they want, and thus starts a delicate song and dance as he meets Benet, another Englishman currently working for a vineyard in an attempt to learn French methodology. Their lunch eases into the afternoon, then the evening, as their attraction grows. Jeff is all too aware this is only a vacation fling, but the more time he spends with Benet, the more he likes the young man. That inner struggle is only exacerbated when he drives Benet back to work at the vineyard, where Jeff is immediately sucked in by the family.
The true star of the first book was its delicate, sensual prose that brought to life the French setting. That voice is back in this offering, and while it served to entrance me for the first two-thirds of the story, it ultimately wasn’t enough when I started getting frustrated by the narrator. The novella is told in 1st person from Jeff’s perspective, and while he’s likeable, he is blind to his own emotions and too stubborn to consider alternatives to what he’s already decided. While I can certainly appreciate that he’s only recently broken up with the man he’s spent most of his adult life with, he seemed far too intelligent to be quite as rigid as he was. I was frankly surprised to discover he was only five years older than Benet’s twenty-four. He acts much older and treats Benet like he’s much younger. I’m sure that colored my initial perceptions of him, because I fully expected him to be more attuned than he actually was. Inevitably, I spent the last third of the story annoyed at him more than anything else, and not even the prose could overcome it.
Because of Jeff’s blindness and the POV, it’s much harder to get a real grip on Benet as a fully fleshed out character. He’s presented as the pretty but whimsical casual fling, a role he fulfills magnificently. He’s charming and funny and very much fits into the French holiday vibe the prose works so hard for. I know his job and his age, and I get a feel for some of his personal peccadilloes, but Jeff is so good at keeping him ensconced under the label of not long term, that was all it felt like I ever discovered.
Where the book excels is exactly where the first story did – the loving, sun-drenched detail of the vineyard and the slow, serene pace of French life. There’s a sweet sensuality to the way it’s portrayed, a trait that comes through in more intimate scenes as well, so enjoying the author’s voice will go far in appreciating the story for what it does. It might not be for anyone. The languid pace at which the story travels will likely be considered too slow for some, and the ending, while an HFN, was mildly unsatisfying in that it didn’t seem to actually resolve the issues that really do plague these two. Characters from the first book make a reappearance here, but that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying this as a standalone. They are merely the backdrop for Jeff, Benet, and the setting – because France is most definitely a third character in this, that much is made clear with the care given to its presentation.
This book’s predecessor holds a special place on my virtual keeper shelf, and though this displays many of the qualities I loved about that one, it doesn’t quite rate as highly.
Jeff is an English doctor on vacation in Provence. The trip was originally meant to be a vacation for him and his boyfriend, but when they broke up a few months prior to the story’s start, Jeff decided not to let the tickets go to waste. At the top of the story, he’s sitting at a restaurant, wishing the waiter wouldn’t refuse to serve him the bouillabaisse when he overhears a nearby customer trying to order the same thing. Jeff offers to share the dish with him so that they might both get what they want, and thus starts a delicate song and dance as he meets Benet, another Englishman currently working for a vineyard in an attempt to learn French methodology. Their lunch eases into the afternoon, then the evening, as their attraction grows. Jeff is all too aware this is only a vacation fling, but the more time he spends with Benet, the more he likes the young man. That inner struggle is only exacerbated when he drives Benet back to work at the vineyard, where Jeff is immediately sucked in by the family.
The true star of the first book was its delicate, sensual prose that brought to life the French setting. That voice is back in this offering, and while it served to entrance me for the first two-thirds of the story, it ultimately wasn’t enough when I started getting frustrated by the narrator. The novella is told in 1st person from Jeff’s perspective, and while he’s likeable, he is blind to his own emotions and too stubborn to consider alternatives to what he’s already decided. While I can certainly appreciate that he’s only recently broken up with the man he’s spent most of his adult life with, he seemed far too intelligent to be quite as rigid as he was. I was frankly surprised to discover he was only five years older than Benet’s twenty-four. He acts much older and treats Benet like he’s much younger. I’m sure that colored my initial perceptions of him, because I fully expected him to be more attuned than he actually was. Inevitably, I spent the last third of the story annoyed at him more than anything else, and not even the prose could overcome it.
Because of Jeff’s blindness and the POV, it’s much harder to get a real grip on Benet as a fully fleshed out character. He’s presented as the pretty but whimsical casual fling, a role he fulfills magnificently. He’s charming and funny and very much fits into the French holiday vibe the prose works so hard for. I know his job and his age, and I get a feel for some of his personal peccadilloes, but Jeff is so good at keeping him ensconced under the label of not long term, that was all it felt like I ever discovered.
Where the book excels is exactly where the first story did – the loving, sun-drenched detail of the vineyard and the slow, serene pace of French life. There’s a sweet sensuality to the way it’s portrayed, a trait that comes through in more intimate scenes as well, so enjoying the author’s voice will go far in appreciating the story for what it does. It might not be for anyone. The languid pace at which the story travels will likely be considered too slow for some, and the ending, while an HFN, was mildly unsatisfying in that it didn’t seem to actually resolve the issues that really do plague these two. Characters from the first book make a reappearance here, but that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying this as a standalone. They are merely the backdrop for Jeff, Benet, and the setting – because France is most definitely a third character in this, that much is made clear with the care given to its presentation.
March 25, 2011
A vacation fling always stays easy, or so Jeff thought. Reeling from a broken heart, Jeff decides to go on vacation alone. When a chance encounter brings the sexy Benet into Jeff’s life, the two decide to have an easy, light fling. Jeff is determined not to get his heart broken again and thinks that love is just too much hassle. No matter that his feelings for Benet seem to grow each day until the point that Jeff can either run or face his fears.
Red Light is a lovely, charming contemporary romance. The story involves some secondary characters from White Flag but there’s no need to read the previous book to understand this one. The story focuses on the opposites attract theme of two men that meet on vacation and enjoy their time together. Predictably, their feelings grow more serious and meaningful, but Jeff is terrified of being hurt again. This is the main conflict and there is a genuine question of if or how Jeff will overcome past rejection.
Jeff is a sympathetic, if slightly frustrating character. He rationalizes everything and seems determined to stick to his earlier decisions regardless of anyone or anything that happens. Benet is less well understood as the story is told from Jeff’s first person perspective and very little is offered about Benet. Their relationship mostly develops within the sex scenes, but there isn’t a clear understanding of why and how they fall in love. This is overshadowed by the totally adorable and delightful cast of secondary characters, Benet’s employers and new family. The various men and women really steal the story in vibrant and eye catching ways. If nothing else, you don’t want to miss the story for their contribution.
The writing is very ethereal and has a lovely, rambling quality. It feels almost fey and rarely makes direct statements. The prose tends to talk around the setting and characters in abstract terms, which makes for a charming read but won’t be for every reader. Those fans who liked White Flag are likely to adore this story – in fact it’s extremely similar. The story is an entertaining and easy romance, perfect for a light day.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
Red Light is a lovely, charming contemporary romance. The story involves some secondary characters from White Flag but there’s no need to read the previous book to understand this one. The story focuses on the opposites attract theme of two men that meet on vacation and enjoy their time together. Predictably, their feelings grow more serious and meaningful, but Jeff is terrified of being hurt again. This is the main conflict and there is a genuine question of if or how Jeff will overcome past rejection.
Jeff is a sympathetic, if slightly frustrating character. He rationalizes everything and seems determined to stick to his earlier decisions regardless of anyone or anything that happens. Benet is less well understood as the story is told from Jeff’s first person perspective and very little is offered about Benet. Their relationship mostly develops within the sex scenes, but there isn’t a clear understanding of why and how they fall in love. This is overshadowed by the totally adorable and delightful cast of secondary characters, Benet’s employers and new family. The various men and women really steal the story in vibrant and eye catching ways. If nothing else, you don’t want to miss the story for their contribution.
The writing is very ethereal and has a lovely, rambling quality. It feels almost fey and rarely makes direct statements. The prose tends to talk around the setting and characters in abstract terms, which makes for a charming read but won’t be for every reader. Those fans who liked White Flag are likely to adore this story – in fact it’s extremely similar. The story is an entertaining and easy romance, perfect for a light day.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
May 4, 2012
Very romantic and dreamy. *sigh* Read, if you need the feeling that there's still romance out there and that everything will be all right.
Don't read immediately after White Flag, because there are similarities in tone and structure and Red Light deserves to shine on its own.
I loved White Flag and I do love Red Light as well. The whole book feels like I will find Audrey Hepburn behind the next corner. That's a good thing, mind you! Gives it lightheartedness and a little melancholy at the same time. Only niggle: there are some lengths in the second half (feels a bit like somebody told the author "You have to put longer s*xscenes in there!").
Don't read immediately after White Flag, because there are similarities in tone and structure and Red Light deserves to shine on its own.
I loved White Flag and I do love Red Light as well. The whole book feels like I will find Audrey Hepburn behind the next corner. That's a good thing, mind you! Gives it lightheartedness and a little melancholy at the same time. Only niggle: there are some lengths in the second half (feels a bit like somebody told the author "You have to put longer s*xscenes in there!").
May 22, 2012
Main Characters:
Jeff is still recovering from his lover Tony's infidelity, coping by building a wall around his heart. A fling is fine, as long as it's understood by both parties that sex is all it is; he's not looking for romance or commitment, not when it means his heart could be broken again. The long hours he works as a hospital doctor don't help in any case. He travels to Provence as a little bit of revenge against Tony--the trip had been planned for the two of them, well before the fight that ended their relationship--but finds himself at loose ends there, at least until he meets Benet.
Jeff is a steady narrator, if a bit self-deluding, but I don't feel that I ever really got to know him very well, despite the fact that the entire story is presented from his point of view. His personality never came far enough through the prose for me. I liked him well enough, but never really connected.
Benet is another British transplant, working for a year at a vineyard in Provence to experience the French way of doing things. He's sweetly unrelenting and earnest, yet entirely wanton when the situation warrants. Much like Matthieu in White Flag, he knows what he wants and goes for it. He tends to be a bit impulsive, though my favorite instance of it is at the end:
Although we never get to experience Benet's point of view and thus he remains more of a mystery, I nevertheless think I prefer him to Jeff; he seemed more developed as a personality, rather than a reaction to an event.
Chemistry:
Despite my ambivalence toward Jeff, I really do like them as a couple. Their mutual delusion that their relationship is just a fling is charming, especially when Jeff confronts Benet on it:
It's easy to see they care for each other, even if they both deny it. The fact that they really heat the sheets doesn't hurt, either; Benet pushes Jeff's boundaries in appealing ways.
Secondary Characters:
The secondary cast of Red Light is identical to that of White Flag, comprised primarily of Matthieu's family. I particularly enjoyed seeing Charlie and Matthieu again to see how they were doing after White Flag (and couldn't help snickering over Jeff's twigging to their relationship because Charlie kept grabbing Matthieu's butt at the airport). Unfortunately, other characters didn't come through nearly as well.
Juliette in particular pushed my buttons.
In White Flag, there's a reference to Juliette as spoiled but not ruined. I think that by the time Benet and Jeff are on the scene, she's edged more toward the ruined mark. She inserts herself into everything and gets upset when things don't go precisely the way she thinks they should. She has her good moments--she takes the first steps toward including Jeff in Benet's adoptive family--but overall I found her to be appallingly domineering and generally inconsiderate of others when their desires didn't necessarily correspond with her own. As she's such a large part of the story, swathes of it were unfortunately soured for me.
Story:
The story is simple enough, following Jeff as he overcomes his broken heart to find love with Benet. Just enough happens to keep things interesting, flowing nicely from point A to point B. It never lagged for me, and the passage of time (it takes place over about two weeks) was handled well, not dragging out every little detail but also not completely disregarding that the time was filled with other things.
Writing:
I love the writing in both this book and White Flag, but taken in comparison Red Light came up a bit short for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. The writing was still plush and enjoyable, but I never really found the same spark, the passages that made me want to reread them enough to commit them to memory. This isn't to say it doesn't have its moments; this made me smile:
Overall:
Taken on its own, this book has a lot to offer: pleasant characters and a well-drawn setting, great chemistry and (mostly) likeable secondary characters. It pales a bit when held up next to its predecessor, but it's still a strong offering, an enjoyable, if brief, read. I certainly wouldn't object to more time spent in their world.
Review originally posted at The Black Dog Reads.
Jeff is still recovering from his lover Tony's infidelity, coping by building a wall around his heart. A fling is fine, as long as it's understood by both parties that sex is all it is; he's not looking for romance or commitment, not when it means his heart could be broken again. The long hours he works as a hospital doctor don't help in any case. He travels to Provence as a little bit of revenge against Tony--the trip had been planned for the two of them, well before the fight that ended their relationship--but finds himself at loose ends there, at least until he meets Benet.
Jeff is a steady narrator, if a bit self-deluding, but I don't feel that I ever really got to know him very well, despite the fact that the entire story is presented from his point of view. His personality never came far enough through the prose for me. I liked him well enough, but never really connected.
Benet is another British transplant, working for a year at a vineyard in Provence to experience the French way of doing things. He's sweetly unrelenting and earnest, yet entirely wanton when the situation warrants. Much like Matthieu in White Flag, he knows what he wants and goes for it. He tends to be a bit impulsive, though my favorite instance of it is at the end:
Although we never get to experience Benet's point of view and thus he remains more of a mystery, I nevertheless think I prefer him to Jeff; he seemed more developed as a personality, rather than a reaction to an event.
Chemistry:
Despite my ambivalence toward Jeff, I really do like them as a couple. Their mutual delusion that their relationship is just a fling is charming, especially when Jeff confronts Benet on it:
It's easy to see they care for each other, even if they both deny it. The fact that they really heat the sheets doesn't hurt, either; Benet pushes Jeff's boundaries in appealing ways.
Secondary Characters:
The secondary cast of Red Light is identical to that of White Flag, comprised primarily of Matthieu's family. I particularly enjoyed seeing Charlie and Matthieu again to see how they were doing after White Flag (and couldn't help snickering over Jeff's twigging to their relationship because Charlie kept grabbing Matthieu's butt at the airport). Unfortunately, other characters didn't come through nearly as well.
Juliette in particular pushed my buttons.
In White Flag, there's a reference to Juliette as spoiled but not ruined. I think that by the time Benet and Jeff are on the scene, she's edged more toward the ruined mark. She inserts herself into everything and gets upset when things don't go precisely the way she thinks they should. She has her good moments--she takes the first steps toward including Jeff in Benet's adoptive family--but overall I found her to be appallingly domineering and generally inconsiderate of others when their desires didn't necessarily correspond with her own. As she's such a large part of the story, swathes of it were unfortunately soured for me.
Story:
The story is simple enough, following Jeff as he overcomes his broken heart to find love with Benet. Just enough happens to keep things interesting, flowing nicely from point A to point B. It never lagged for me, and the passage of time (it takes place over about two weeks) was handled well, not dragging out every little detail but also not completely disregarding that the time was filled with other things.
Writing:
I love the writing in both this book and White Flag, but taken in comparison Red Light came up a bit short for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. The writing was still plush and enjoyable, but I never really found the same spark, the passages that made me want to reread them enough to commit them to memory. This isn't to say it doesn't have its moments; this made me smile:
I had an American boyfriend once, early on at college, who didn't like tongues at all when he kissed. Just a brush of the lips, a token of affection: California kisses, he called them. Dry and sensitive and all about the romance, really nothing to do with sex. That set my baseline for a scale, from Californian up to English kisses—as far as an uncertain teenager dares to go when he knows that tongues have something to do with the project but he really isn't sure what exactly, and he's just hoping the other guy is more experienced; there are people who spend their whole lives kissing like that, thus far and no further—and then the classic French, the full-on let's-see-if-I-can-reach-your-tonsils-this-time, which is nothing to do with romance or affection and really just all about the sex.
And here we were in France, and here was Benet trying to eat his way inside me, trying to entangle us so deeply he could turn us both inside out just with a tug on our inextricably knotted tongues. It was so far beyond French, it didn't even qualify for a country of its own; this was pan-galactic kissing, alien and soul shaking.
Overall:
Taken on its own, this book has a lot to offer: pleasant characters and a well-drawn setting, great chemistry and (mostly) likeable secondary characters. It pales a bit when held up next to its predecessor, but it's still a strong offering, an enjoyable, if brief, read. I certainly wouldn't object to more time spent in their world.
Review originally posted at The Black Dog Reads.
December 21, 2019
The best laid plans… not only of mice and men, but of heartbroken men looking only for a no-strings holiday fling, often go astray. Sometimes, the more you want something to be true, the more energy you expend on telling yourself to believe something, the less willing the universe seems to be to give it to you. "Red Light" is a perfect illustration of just such a case. It is extremely well-written, almost lyrical, and while I was busy enjoying the beautiful language and the descriptions of all the fantastic food and places in the Provence, the story slowly but surely sucked me in. Suddenly, I was right in the middle of it, as involved as Jeff, and far more invested than he was in getting him a happy ending.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
March 27, 2017
While I could use pretty whirlwind romance to describe book 1, book 2 was just insta-attraction, insta-lust, insta-sex, and insta-love. The French family became something preposterous and Juliette a totally pushy woman.
August 23, 2021
Lovely sweet story, with some wonderful French countryside.
February 28, 2013
3.5 stars. While I didn't love this one as much as White Flag, I still enjoyed it very much. Jeff is a brokenhearted English Dr. on holiday in France and a chance meeting with another young Englishman, Benet, at a cafe turns into a holiday fling. This story takes place some time after White Flag - but the entire Romaine clan is here in this story as well with Juliette once again working the boys in her path. Benet is working at the Romaine vineyard ostensibly to learn French methodology for a year before returning to England. When Benet returns from his initial time with Jeff, Juliette and the rest of the family do their best to make Jeff stay - first by collecting Matt and Charlie from the airport as they return from their latest travels - and then to make Benet happy.
Jeff is worried because he really doesn't want to get his heart broken again, so he wants to be sure that he is clear with Benet that this is only going to be a holiday fling. At this point, I was really not loving Jeff. He's fooling himself that this isn't already much more than that - which is completely evident by the time he actually leaves France a total wreck.
I really liked Tony (Jeff's ex) and Jeff's mother. They had the decency to call Jeff out on his BS and MAKE him figure it out. Luckily Benet was smarter than Jeff and figured it out first :)
Jeff is worried because he really doesn't want to get his heart broken again, so he wants to be sure that he is clear with Benet that this is only going to be a holiday fling. At this point, I was really not loving Jeff. He's fooling himself that this isn't already much more than that - which is completely evident by the time he actually leaves France a total wreck.
I really liked Tony (Jeff's ex) and Jeff's mother. They had the decency to call Jeff out on his BS and MAKE him figure it out. Luckily Benet was smarter than Jeff and figured it out first :)
April 16, 2011
Red Light was my first book by author Thom Lane and I will most certainly be looking for more. Seeing Jeff struggling to keep his relationship with Benet strictly a fling after having his heart broken was simply heartwrenching. For the rest of the review: http://www.blackravensreviews.com/?p=...
March 19, 2012
Jeff has been hurt before but even though he plans on just having a fling with Benet, he soons finds himself meeting the family and learning that there is more to Benet than a weekend thing.
Recommended.
Recommended.
August 8, 2011
This was a highly enjoyable and well-written story but unfortunately it's too similar to White Flag which I read a short while ago.
Read
April 17, 2011to-read
May 6, 2012
The writing style makes my day and contributes to the 4.5stars
May 6, 2012
Just like White Flag, this was another incredibly sweet story that just took you along for the ride. A holiday romance that blooms into something more usually manages to keep me in a happy mood.
April 13, 2013
Lovely. Simply lovely.
March 31, 2015
My memory of this one is too perfect to mess with. I will not be re-reading it for review, but I can RECOMMEND it as my 2012 M/M romance reading self.
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