What do you think?
Rate this book
A Still, Small Voice
After a student’s accusation of sexual assault destroyed his reputation, Noah Birchwood left the teaching career he loved. The school system that should have protected him and an ex-lover who should have known better shattered his confidence, and it took Noah six years and another university degree to finally get his life back on track.
He loves his new job as a computer programmer and keeps busy on weekends performing at a drag club with his best friend, Aiden. It’s there that he meets shy, chivalrous Oscar, the owner of the club and, just maybe, the love of Noah’s life. But everything turns upside down when a specter from his former life moves in next door. Noah will have to face his fears and discover the truth about his ordeal if he wants to move past it once and for all and face the future with Oscar at his side.
He loves his new job as a computer programmer and keeps busy on weekends performing at a drag club with his best friend, Aiden. It’s there that he meets shy, chivalrous Oscar, the owner of the club and, just maybe, the love of Noah’s life. But everything turns upside down when a specter from his former life moves in next door. Noah will have to face his fears and discover the truth about his ordeal if he wants to move past it once and for all and face the future with Oscar at his side.
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2011
5 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
About the author
D.W. Marchwell
21 books186 followersWhen D. W. Marchwell is not teaching future generations the wonders of science, he can usually be found hiking, writing, riding horses, trying new recipes, or searching for and lovingly restoring discarded antique furniture. A goofy and incurable romantic, D.W. admits that his stories are inspired by actual events and has a soft spot for those where boy not only meets boy but also turns out to be boy's soul mate. After almost fifteen years of working his way across Canada, D.W has finally found the perfect place to live at the foot of the Canadian Rockies. He still can't believe how lucky he is, and, as his grandmother taught him, counts his blessings every day.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 28, 2015
Well fiddlesticks. This was a big 'ol no go for me.
I don't think I connected with the writing, the characters, or the plot.
I was frequently clicking the dictionary button and re-reading scenes.
The setting is in Canada, so I tried to use this excuse initially, but one of my favoritest favorite authors is Canadian and I never struggle to follow her.
The guys were....nice. Except for Aiden, Noah bestie. I didn't get on with him. He was wayyy to much for me.
The basics:
Noah is a high school teacher in the closet at school. Paul, a new teacher comes to town and they have a hot fast affair. Horrid student accuses Noah of sexual assault and Paul calls the police. Noah is arrested in classroom. Noah is exonerated of all false charges, but refuses to return to a place that held no faith in him.
He continues to perform drag shows with his best friend and goes back to school. He runs into good luck and makes a bunch of money. Six years after his teaching career was destroyed his ex-lover Paul becomes a neighbor.
While convincing himself that he does not have any lingering feeling for Paul, he starts dating Oscar. Oscar is the owner of the club where he performs and was tragically widowed the year before.
Oscar is sweet. I'm talking the King of gentlemen. I love a man with manners, but they pushed the envelope.
Thank you.
No, Thank you.
You're amazing.
No, you are the amazing one.'
I like sweet. I love fluff. But this? Errr, they celebrated their one month anniversary like a couple of teenagers. Not just one present apiece, but LOTS of presents
Oh, oh, oh...and Oscar has a monster cock.
And he's ashamed of it. Yeahh, he apologies and then the focus on it was weird. Frankly, the sex was weird for me. And I can't forget the low-hanging balls.
I don't know how many times they spoke about his saggy balls.
The mystery at the end didn't even make sense.
I gave it my best shot.. sadly, we never connected.
*2 no-thank-you stars*
I don't think I connected with the writing, the characters, or the plot.
I was frequently clicking the dictionary button and re-reading scenes.
The setting is in Canada, so I tried to use this excuse initially, but one of my favoritest favorite authors is Canadian and I never struggle to follow her.
The guys were....nice. Except for Aiden, Noah bestie. I didn't get on with him. He was wayyy to much for me.
The basics:
Noah is a high school teacher in the closet at school. Paul, a new teacher comes to town and they have a hot fast affair. Horrid student accuses Noah of sexual assault and Paul calls the police. Noah is arrested in classroom. Noah is exonerated of all false charges, but refuses to return to a place that held no faith in him.
He continues to perform drag shows with his best friend and goes back to school. He runs into good luck and makes a bunch of money. Six years after his teaching career was destroyed his ex-lover Paul becomes a neighbor.
While convincing himself that he does not have any lingering feeling for Paul, he starts dating Oscar. Oscar is the owner of the club where he performs and was tragically widowed the year before.
Oscar is sweet. I'm talking the King of gentlemen. I love a man with manners, but they pushed the envelope.
Thank you.
No, Thank you.
You're amazing.
No, you are the amazing one.'
I like sweet. I love fluff. But this? Errr, they celebrated their one month anniversary like a couple of teenagers. Not just one present apiece, but LOTS of presents
Oh, oh, oh...and Oscar has a monster cock.
And he's ashamed of it. Yeahh, he apologies and then the focus on it was weird. Frankly, the sex was weird for me. And I can't forget the low-hanging balls.
I don't know how many times they spoke about his saggy balls.
The mystery at the end didn't even make sense.
I gave it my best shot.. sadly, we never connected.
*2 no-thank-you stars*
September 22, 2011
Ok m/m romance about a teacher who left his job after being falsely accused of raping a student. Now, six years later, that time comes back to haunt him. The beginning of the book was hampered by awkwardly integrated flashback infodumping, while the end suddenly tried to morph into a mystery without much success.
September 27, 2011
Sad to say that after a great start this turned into a big disappointment.
D W Marchwell has written some lovely stories that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend, but unfortunately this is not one of them.
D W Marchwell has written some lovely stories that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend, but unfortunately this is not one of them.
October 16, 2012
A Still, Small Voice is a m/m story that touches on a sensitive issue, and had the potential to be a very powerful tale about letting go, moving on, and living rather than merely existing. I was drawn in to Noah’s world as he was finally able to recount the details of the most devastating event in his life, but sadly, that’s where the potential for a poignant story ended, and this book almost landed on my ‘did not finish’ shelf. I am, however, very glad I stuck it out because in the end, it was a sweet, romantic and uplifting story.
I’ve not read anything by D.W. Marchwell before, so I had no idea what to expect. I found the writing and the storytelling to flow well, and I loved that I could feel the joy, the humor, and the awkwardness, even as an adult, that comes when getting back on the relationship horse again, especially after the betrayal of someone you thought you could trust. The romance was good, and I was definitely happy to see Noah moving on, but the ‘specter from his former life’ part of the story that also had such great potential not only fizzled, but felt unresolved.
As for our characters, I loved Noah, Oscar and even the ‘villain’ Paul, but Noah’s best friend, Aiden, drove me up a wall. I’m not into the overly flamboyant characters, be they male or female, and Aiden reminded me too much of a movie my mother watched, over and over and over, when I was a child, Auntie Mame. Sorry, Aiden, you didn’t stand a chance with me.
The bottom line – Again, this was a really sweet story that had the potential to be a fantastic one. I liked it and found it entertaining, but because I was able to so clearly see what could be, yet wasn’t, I was a bit let-down. I will, however, be looking for more by this author because as I said, I enjoyed the easy, comfortable flow of the writing and storytelling.
This ebook was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Dreamspinner Press.
September 22, 2011
3.5 stars
I was immediately drawn into the book by Noah's recounting of the humiliation and pain he suffered for being arrested and falsely accused of raping a student. His best friend Aiden was wonderfully supportive and added a lot of humor to the story. But then it felt like we spent way too long taking a trip down memory lane about Noah's relationship with his ex Paul. In fact, I had to re-read the blurb to make sure this wasn't supposed to be about Noah and Paul getting back together. It didn't help that I already disliked Paul for throwing Noah under the bus the way he did. I would rather have read more about Noah's friendship with Aiden, and especially their drag queen performances. But eventually we did get to Noah's relationship with Oscar, and it was great. Noah needed someone he could trust in and who would put Noah first. Oscar was perfect for him. He was shy, gentle and patient. He had already been in a loving long-term relationship until his husband unexpectedly passed away, so I liked how he didn't feel the need to rush their relationship (even though they were practically inseparable). They definitely had chemistry and passion (but I mean really, how many times did we need to be reminded of Oscar's big donkey dick?) The ending had everyone in a happy place, even Aiden and his new man, but I wasn't completely satisfied. The vindictive wench in me was highly disappointed at the lack of retribution against the parties who had wronged Noah in the past. He had all these plans (which were completely justified IMO) like reporting the behavior and professionalism of the police involved during his arrest, and filing charges against the student for making false allegations and a civil suit against her parents for the damages he suffered. But none of that happened. I understand he was trying to move on with his life, but instead they all got away with it. Even asshole Paul. I would have particularly enjoyed making his life a bit more miserable because he deserved it ;)
I was immediately drawn into the book by Noah's recounting of the humiliation and pain he suffered for being arrested and falsely accused of raping a student. His best friend Aiden was wonderfully supportive and added a lot of humor to the story. But then it felt like we spent way too long taking a trip down memory lane about Noah's relationship with his ex Paul. In fact, I had to re-read the blurb to make sure this wasn't supposed to be about Noah and Paul getting back together. It didn't help that I already disliked Paul for throwing Noah under the bus the way he did. I would rather have read more about Noah's friendship with Aiden, and especially their drag queen performances. But eventually we did get to Noah's relationship with Oscar, and it was great. Noah needed someone he could trust in and who would put Noah first. Oscar was perfect for him. He was shy, gentle and patient. He had already been in a loving long-term relationship until his husband unexpectedly passed away, so I liked how he didn't feel the need to rush their relationship (even though they were practically inseparable). They definitely had chemistry and passion (but I mean really, how many times did we need to be reminded of Oscar's big donkey dick?) The ending had everyone in a happy place, even Aiden and his new man, but I wasn't completely satisfied. The vindictive wench in me was highly disappointed at the lack of retribution against the parties who had wronged Noah in the past. He had all these plans (which were completely justified IMO) like reporting the behavior and professionalism of the police involved during his arrest, and filing charges against the student for making false allegations and a civil suit against her parents for the damages he suffered. But none of that happened. I understand he was trying to move on with his life, but instead they all got away with it. Even asshole Paul. I would have particularly enjoyed making his life a bit more miserable because he deserved it ;)
November 12, 2014
I think I liked the MC's, but not the best friend. No, he was an annoying ass. The big "thing" was not so big and seriously, how Noah could have let himself brush so much off at the time the charges happened is beyond me.
The parts that were okay were the sweet way Oscar was with Noah. How Noah was with Oscar. They are nice together but I think if it wasn't for Oscar, I'd have not finished the book. Really. That's it. I didn't even really like the sex. I know! ME! Me not liking the sex! What is this travesty?
I guess it was okay in that there was some nice stuff here. I just didn't get how Noah was so passive to what was happening to him in the beginning. He's a great guy, but very, I don't know, soft? Ugh. I might be to harsh. Really. Not much is working for me lately. I think this was just not for me and I guess I'm kinda bummed about that.
The parts that were okay were the sweet way Oscar was with Noah. How Noah was with Oscar. They are nice together but I think if it wasn't for Oscar, I'd have not finished the book. Really. That's it. I didn't even really like the sex. I know! ME! Me not liking the sex! What is this travesty?
I guess it was okay in that there was some nice stuff here. I just didn't get how Noah was so passive to what was happening to him in the beginning. He's a great guy, but very, I don't know, soft? Ugh. I might be to harsh. Really. Not much is working for me lately. I think this was just not for me and I guess I'm kinda bummed about that.
September 19, 2011
3 stars. Okay read, and well written, but way too much emphasis on the ex in the beginning of the book. (according to my kindle, the two main love interests didn't meet until after the 36% point) I never really connected to Noah or Oscar either.
September 19, 2011
I'm not sure what to say about this one. Let me start I guess by saying what I liked about the book. Not much I'm afraid. I didn't feel a connection between Noah and Oscar at all. It seemed to me Noah was to busy thinking about Paul, his ex. The flashbacks were horrid. They would come out of no where in the middle of the present. It was very nauseating. The constant flashbacks about Paul for 60% of the book was overkill. I actually felt bad for Oscar. I understand you have issues with your ex and losing your position has teacher and that involves Paul but jeeze 60% of the book. WTF???? To top it off, we heard about Paul constantly but didn't get to see what the outcome between Timmy, Paul and Cherie. *sigh* It would've been nice to know if Paul and Tim got what they deserved.
There was one bright spot in this whole mess. Noah's best friend Aidan, I adored. He was freaking hilarious!!! If it wasn't for him I would've given this 1 star. The 2 stars are for him alone.
Now, this will not put me off of future works by this author because I adore him. This one was just not for me.
There was one bright spot in this whole mess. Noah's best friend Aidan, I adored. He was freaking hilarious!!! If it wasn't for him I would've given this 1 star. The 2 stars are for him alone.
Now, this will not put me off of future works by this author because I adore him. This one was just not for me.
January 31, 2016
La historia está bien contada pero hay tantos chichés usados que me costó terminar de leerla. Si al menos hubiera habido humor, los chichés no me hubieran parecido mal usados. He leído otras novelas que usan muchos chlichés pero en eso estaba la gracia, en reírse de ellos. No es este el caso.
Además, este autor confunde sexo con amor. Ya había leído otros libros suyos y es lo mismo. Es como si la atracción y el buen sexo representaran indefectiblemente amor.
La novela es corta pero al menos la mitad de ella consiste en escenas de sexo, cosa que me ha parecido innecesario. Me hubiera gustado que explorara más en los sentimientos, en las acciones que llevaron a ambos personajes a enamorarse, que profundizara aún más en las diferencias de Paul y Óscar, en por qué Noa entiende que por Paul simplemente sintió atracción y no amor.
También, me hubiera gustado que la sombra de Marcus hubiera enturbiado algo la relación entre Noa y Óscar porque pinta a este tan perfecto que no me lo pude creer.
Aiden no me gustó, una "reinona" insufrible.
La historia no es mala, me gustó la trama pero no así la construcción de personajes y la cantidad de escenas sexuales que enturbiaron el desarrollo de la historia de amor demasiado.
Pero, esta es mi opinión. Sé que hay muchas personas que gustan de la excesiva escenas de sexo. Si ese es tu caso, este es tu libro.
Además, este autor confunde sexo con amor. Ya había leído otros libros suyos y es lo mismo. Es como si la atracción y el buen sexo representaran indefectiblemente amor.
La novela es corta pero al menos la mitad de ella consiste en escenas de sexo, cosa que me ha parecido innecesario. Me hubiera gustado que explorara más en los sentimientos, en las acciones que llevaron a ambos personajes a enamorarse, que profundizara aún más en las diferencias de Paul y Óscar, en por qué Noa entiende que por Paul simplemente sintió atracción y no amor.
También, me hubiera gustado que la sombra de Marcus hubiera enturbiado algo la relación entre Noa y Óscar porque pinta a este tan perfecto que no me lo pude creer.
Aiden no me gustó, una "reinona" insufrible.
La historia no es mala, me gustó la trama pero no así la construcción de personajes y la cantidad de escenas sexuales que enturbiaron el desarrollo de la historia de amor demasiado.
Pero, esta es mi opinión. Sé que hay muchas personas que gustan de la excesiva escenas de sexo. Si ese es tu caso, este es tu libro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2015
This book begin with very promising start just to end with huge disappointment.
I love the idea at the beginning, but after 50% reading, it turn to be full of sex, sex and just sex.
The story start to loose the grip and what really disappointed me is...there's no "solutions" for what happened to Noah's incidents that had ruined his teaching career years ago.
One thing I LOVE about this book is....the cover.
As coverSLut, the cover had won my heart but still can not help the rating. Sorry...
September 16, 2011
The story of this book was well developed and written. But somehow I didn't connect to neither Noah nor Oscar. The emotions around the plot were real and could feel them, but like I said, I simply didn't connect to this couple.
September 17, 2011
3.5 I enjoyed it, but awkward digressions into memory and too much focus on the ex at the beginning of the story diluted the impact of the actual romance somewhat.
Want to read
August 10, 2016Free until Noon EST 11/7/14
GO! A Still, Small Voice by DW Marchwell is FREE for one hour ONLY in today's #tweetaway! http://t.co/jhxeE3SPQB
GO! A Still, Small Voice by DW Marchwell is FREE for one hour ONLY in today's #tweetaway! http://t.co/jhxeE3SPQB
September 22, 2011
D.W. Marchwell really wasted his time with his new book. Plot of this book is idiotic. The start is good and it pulls you in. But then he starts with past/present chapters and as a reader you don't gave a shit about past mostly because Paul character get negative sound from point A.
From my point of view Marchwell also made mistake with Paol character, and then with Oscar which is not interesting in any way.
If the writer don't have anyone who could read book before released day and gave him points where he went wrong he should write me I would do it gladly.
From my point of view Marchwell also made mistake with Paol character, and then with Oscar which is not interesting in any way.
If the writer don't have anyone who could read book before released day and gave him points where he went wrong he should write me I would do it gladly.
September 24, 2011
I didn't get past the first chapter, it was far too full of exposition about past events, left me feeling like a distant observer rather than engaged in the story or characters. And Paul sounded horrible, and I really couldn't understand why Noah would want him or be willing to forgive him. I think that was actually the last straw for me, when Noah thought how he'd forgive Paul in a second if he had the chance.
May 24, 2015
★★★☆☆
Ok read. Paul was a dick who was there through the end - yuck!
Noah is the victim of someone else's plot and six years later, he's finally found his footing again and taking a chance on love with Oscar and the skunk who did him wrong moves in down the hall.
Just seemed to take a long time to get to the end.
Ok read. Paul was a dick who was there through the end - yuck!
Noah is the victim of someone else's plot and six years later, he's finally found his footing again and taking a chance on love with Oscar and the skunk who did him wrong moves in down the hall.
Just seemed to take a long time to get to the end.
November 28, 2011
This was an enjoyable read. I liked the sort of twisty past/present plot lines altho I got to the point where I was just skipping the sex scenes. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for goodreads.
October 10, 2011
First let me say D.W. Marchwell has written some great stories. This is jut not one of them.
January 2, 2016
Three stars is generous considering the first 50% of this book bored me to tears. Oscar rescued it tho, so...3 stars
January 28, 2016
Tre stelline e mezzo. Carino ma mi aspettavo forse qualcosa di più. L'inizio un po lento ma dopo si riprende bene. Un finale bello.
September 9, 2017
Noah Birchwood quit his teaching job after a female student accused him of rape and he was arrested. Even though he was exonerated after it was found that the student lied to get back at Noah because he refused to let her manipulate him into giving her better grades. Feeling betrayed by both the school system & his former lover who refused to defend him, he decided to change careers.
Six years later his former lover moved into the apartment across from his disrupting his equilibrium again. Yet as he tried to resist the urge to fall back into old habits with his former lover, Paul; his best friends called his attention to the club owner where they perform drag. Oscar was everything Paul wasn’t, including out of the closet. And Noah was incredibly attracted to Oscar and Oscar likewise.
While the majority of the story seemed like it was focused on Noah’s backstory, the romance between Noah & Oscar seemed to fly right by. I felt like the chemistry between the pair was told instead shown as they were introduced then immediately started their sexual relationship, then insta-love occurred. And Noah’s best friend Aidan who was his lifeline after his arrest become more of an afterthought once he and Oscar started dating. I also thought the reveal was rather predictable.
Six years later his former lover moved into the apartment across from his disrupting his equilibrium again. Yet as he tried to resist the urge to fall back into old habits with his former lover, Paul; his best friends called his attention to the club owner where they perform drag. Oscar was everything Paul wasn’t, including out of the closet. And Noah was incredibly attracted to Oscar and Oscar likewise.
While the majority of the story seemed like it was focused on Noah’s backstory, the romance between Noah & Oscar seemed to fly right by. I felt like the chemistry between the pair was told instead shown as they were introduced then immediately started their sexual relationship, then insta-love occurred. And Noah’s best friend Aidan who was his lifeline after his arrest become more of an afterthought once he and Oscar started dating. I also thought the reveal was rather predictable.
July 10, 2017
I seem to be on a kick of rushed relationships. Not that the pairing is bad or anything, just that they go from I don't know you and I'm not at all interested to I'm in love in 2.5 seconds. This book was just alright in my opinion. Everything sort of made sense in the end but a lot of it seemed very needless. And well there's absolutely no angst or issues between Oscar and Noah. All the issues stemmed from outside forces that were put there more to have some sort of conflict than being an actual driving force in the relationship/story.
March 3, 2017
2.5 stars
April 26, 2018
Well this was kinda surreal read. There were so many forced twists of the story I hardly found the courage to get to the end. I really really found it difficult to get until the end.
January 30, 2012
Reviewed by Stacey Jo: Noah is accused of sexually assaulting a student and hauled out of the school in handcuffs. The accusations are proven wrong, but Noah has no desire to go back to the school. His lover at the time played a role in the accusations, which makes it hard for Noah to trust anyone. Six years have passed and Noah has moved on. He's dated here and there but nothing remotely serious. He's now a successful computer programmer, writing programs for school systems. He also has a successful drag show with his best friend Aiden. Things are going great for him until he see's a guy moving in next door in his condo. When he goes to introduce himself, he's shocked to see that it's his ex-lover, Paul, the one who played a role in destroying his reputation and ending his teaching career. But Noah, being the super sweet guy that he is, welcomes him to the building despite their past. And at one point, even agrees to help Paul in his battle to get custody of his son. Meanwhile, Noah finally meets Oscar, the owner of the club he performs drag at after signing there for a while (Oscar's shy). They go out on a date, have a fabulous time, and are pretty much inseparable from then on. The sex is pretty hot too. They take their time with their relationship though. Oscar is very much a gentleman. Noah tells Oscar about his arrest and Oscar doesn't think that things add up. So Noah does some investigating. Turns out, nothing to do with Paul and Noah's arrest were what they seemed. Some successful sleuthing uncovers the truth of what happened to Noah which enables him to finally get the closure he needs to put it all behind him. He and Oscar get a very sweet happily ever after.
I really enjoyed this story. Noah was a sweetheart and Oscar was the perfect boyfriend. Paul well... he gets what he deserves in the end. This book uses flashbacks to tell how Paul and Noah first met. The flashbacks are well done. There was never any confusion with the flashing backward. I did tend to get a bit annoyed with Noah at times because he often felt guilty if he was rude to Paul (in present day). I wanted to smack him. This is someone who did some really bad stuff to him, and Noah acknowledges to himself that Paul isn't a good person, yet he feels bad for being rude to him? I kinda felt like Noah was a bit of a doormat in that regard. I did enjoy the very slight mystery subplot and was thrilled at the outcome. I love to see jerks get their comeuppance. It ended very well. Oscar had a small back story himself and it was great to see him get a happy ending too. He deserved happiness. Overall, it was a very sweet story and I really enjoyed it.
A+
http://manohmanreviews.blogspot.com/2...
I really enjoyed this story. Noah was a sweetheart and Oscar was the perfect boyfriend. Paul well... he gets what he deserves in the end. This book uses flashbacks to tell how Paul and Noah first met. The flashbacks are well done. There was never any confusion with the flashing backward. I did tend to get a bit annoyed with Noah at times because he often felt guilty if he was rude to Paul (in present day). I wanted to smack him. This is someone who did some really bad stuff to him, and Noah acknowledges to himself that Paul isn't a good person, yet he feels bad for being rude to him? I kinda felt like Noah was a bit of a doormat in that regard. I did enjoy the very slight mystery subplot and was thrilled at the outcome. I love to see jerks get their comeuppance. It ended very well. Oscar had a small back story himself and it was great to see him get a happy ending too. He deserved happiness. Overall, it was a very sweet story and I really enjoyed it.
A+
http://manohmanreviews.blogspot.com/2...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2012
Noah Birchwood has worked at the same high school for years and thought he would be there for many more. He falls in love with a new teacher, Paul but his world is shattered when he finds Paul cheating on him with a woman and he is falsely accused of molesting a female student. It is due to Paul that things are set in motion for Noah's arrest and Noah's life comes crashing down around him. He's released after there is not enough evidence but the damage has already been done. His reputation is in tatters and he leaves the professions he loves so much.
Feeling bereft and betrayed, Noah settles into his new life as a computer programmer and in the evenings as part of a drag act with his best friend, Aiden and tries to forget the past.
Trying to enjoy his new life, Noah's peace is shattered when Paul moves in next door and the past is brought to bear once more on the present and threatens Noah's burgeoning relationship with Oscar, the owner of the club Aiden and Noah work at.
The book is well-written and fast paced, but I found that having the flashbacks about Paul grating to stay the least. I didn't want to know about Paul, I wanted to know more about Noah and Oscar, not Noah's terrible ex. The characters are realistic and are not perfect, they each have flaws and sometimes I wanted to climb into the book and give Noah a good shake when he kept thinking of what had happened with Paul, when there was a wonderful guy (Oscar) standing right beside him.
Aiden is a wonderful character and he stole every scene he was in, gay, flamboyant and not ashamed of it, he was a breath of fresh air.
Noah and Oscar too are likeable and well-drawn, but I detested Paul with a passion and almost wanted to skip the scenes he was in. I felt a bit sorry for Oscar, who seemed to take a back seat to Noah's angsting over Paul sometimes. I think there could have been more dialogue rather than introspection. The prologue is basically the author condensing what happened after Noah is arrested and is telling Aiden all about it, but it is done in narrative rather than dialogue. It would have worked much better in my opinion if Noah actually talked to Aiden, rather than it being narrative.
All in all it is a very good story and I would certainly read this author again. I read it in two days, so it's certainly one you want to keep reading.
Feeling bereft and betrayed, Noah settles into his new life as a computer programmer and in the evenings as part of a drag act with his best friend, Aiden and tries to forget the past.
Trying to enjoy his new life, Noah's peace is shattered when Paul moves in next door and the past is brought to bear once more on the present and threatens Noah's burgeoning relationship with Oscar, the owner of the club Aiden and Noah work at.
The book is well-written and fast paced, but I found that having the flashbacks about Paul grating to stay the least. I didn't want to know about Paul, I wanted to know more about Noah and Oscar, not Noah's terrible ex. The characters are realistic and are not perfect, they each have flaws and sometimes I wanted to climb into the book and give Noah a good shake when he kept thinking of what had happened with Paul, when there was a wonderful guy (Oscar) standing right beside him.
Aiden is a wonderful character and he stole every scene he was in, gay, flamboyant and not ashamed of it, he was a breath of fresh air.
Noah and Oscar too are likeable and well-drawn, but I detested Paul with a passion and almost wanted to skip the scenes he was in. I felt a bit sorry for Oscar, who seemed to take a back seat to Noah's angsting over Paul sometimes. I think there could have been more dialogue rather than introspection. The prologue is basically the author condensing what happened after Noah is arrested and is telling Aiden all about it, but it is done in narrative rather than dialogue. It would have worked much better in my opinion if Noah actually talked to Aiden, rather than it being narrative.
All in all it is a very good story and I would certainly read this author again. I read it in two days, so it's certainly one you want to keep reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2016
Romance and Fantasy for Cosmopolitan Girls
Questo libro mi ha lasciata un po’ perplessa. Leggendo la trama mi aspettavo una storia molto diversa da quella che mi si è presentata davanti.
Noah è ovviamente il protagonista, voce narrante di tutte le vicende. Personaggio ben delineato, molto umano ma anche molto insicuro, soprattutto riguardo all'essere sincero sulla sua sessualità in ambito lavorativo.
Quello che si presume debba essere l’altro protagonista della storia, il timido e taciturno Oscar, compare per la prima volta dopo cinquanta pagine. Nella prima parte del racconto infatti, vediamo Noah alle prese con i ricordi dei brutti momenti che lo hanno spinto a lasciare il suo lavoro di insegnante, a causa del suo nuovo vicino di casa: Paul, l’ex che ha tradito la sua fiducia, e non solo.
I sentimenti che prova per l’ex sembrano ambivalenti, lo disprezza per ciò che gli ha fatto, ma sembra quasi essere ancora innamorato di lui. Si è quasi portati a credere che mediti addirittura di tornare con Paul. Poi, per puro caso, entra in scena Oscar et voilà, nient’altro ha più importanza per Noah. Da quel momento in poi, tutti gli altri personaggi si fanno del tutto marginali e Noah non fa che decantare la magnificenza dello splendido Oscar, non solo bello ed aitante, ma gentile e premuroso, insomma l’uomo dei sogni.
Aidan, l’amico di Noah che lo sostiene e con cui fa spettacoli da drag queen, sparisce dalla narrazione e da confidente e caro amico, passa sullo sfondo senza colpo ferire.
Dopo la lettura di altri libri dell’autore, come “In caduta libera” o la serie “Buono a sapersi”, sinceramente mi sarei aspettata qualcosa di più, anche se si tratta comunque di una lettura piacevole e scorrevole, dove il tocco di D.W. Marchwell si fa sempre sentire anche se, forse, non riesce a creare la solita magia.
Questo libro mi ha lasciata un po’ perplessa. Leggendo la trama mi aspettavo una storia molto diversa da quella che mi si è presentata davanti.
Noah è ovviamente il protagonista, voce narrante di tutte le vicende. Personaggio ben delineato, molto umano ma anche molto insicuro, soprattutto riguardo all'essere sincero sulla sua sessualità in ambito lavorativo.
Quello che si presume debba essere l’altro protagonista della storia, il timido e taciturno Oscar, compare per la prima volta dopo cinquanta pagine. Nella prima parte del racconto infatti, vediamo Noah alle prese con i ricordi dei brutti momenti che lo hanno spinto a lasciare il suo lavoro di insegnante, a causa del suo nuovo vicino di casa: Paul, l’ex che ha tradito la sua fiducia, e non solo.
I sentimenti che prova per l’ex sembrano ambivalenti, lo disprezza per ciò che gli ha fatto, ma sembra quasi essere ancora innamorato di lui. Si è quasi portati a credere che mediti addirittura di tornare con Paul. Poi, per puro caso, entra in scena Oscar et voilà, nient’altro ha più importanza per Noah. Da quel momento in poi, tutti gli altri personaggi si fanno del tutto marginali e Noah non fa che decantare la magnificenza dello splendido Oscar, non solo bello ed aitante, ma gentile e premuroso, insomma l’uomo dei sogni.
Aidan, l’amico di Noah che lo sostiene e con cui fa spettacoli da drag queen, sparisce dalla narrazione e da confidente e caro amico, passa sullo sfondo senza colpo ferire.
Dopo la lettura di altri libri dell’autore, come “In caduta libera” o la serie “Buono a sapersi”, sinceramente mi sarei aspettata qualcosa di più, anche se si tratta comunque di una lettura piacevole e scorrevole, dove il tocco di D.W. Marchwell si fa sempre sentire anche se, forse, non riesce a creare la solita magia.
October 28, 2011
This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm
The Blurb
After a student’s accusation of sexual assault destroyed his reputation, Noah Birchwood left the teaching career he loved. The school system that should have protected him and an ex-lover who should have known better shattered his confidence, and it took Noah six years and another university degree to finally get his life back on track.
He loves his new job as a computer programmer and keeps busy on weekends performing at a drag club with his best friend, Aiden. It’s there that he meets shy, chivalrous Oscar, the owner of the club and, just maybe, the love of Noah’s life. But everything turns upside down when a specter from his former life moves in next door. Noah will have to face his fears and discover the truth about his ordeal if he wants to move past it once and for all and face the future with Oscar at his side.
My Thoughts
This is a tale of learning to trust again, it is the story of a very lonely man and his journey back to a full life. The story is smart and at times sweet and funny, there is an edge of mystery there with the whole Paul thing and I like that we get to see it solved. The relationship between Oscar and Noah is interesting because we get to see both men grow and become more confident.
This was a beautifully executed story and I liked that the issues were all external to the couple and their relationship was never in doubt. It made the story one of warmth and comfort. This is a book I would happily read again and tell all my friends about too.
The Blurb
After a student’s accusation of sexual assault destroyed his reputation, Noah Birchwood left the teaching career he loved. The school system that should have protected him and an ex-lover who should have known better shattered his confidence, and it took Noah six years and another university degree to finally get his life back on track.
He loves his new job as a computer programmer and keeps busy on weekends performing at a drag club with his best friend, Aiden. It’s there that he meets shy, chivalrous Oscar, the owner of the club and, just maybe, the love of Noah’s life. But everything turns upside down when a specter from his former life moves in next door. Noah will have to face his fears and discover the truth about his ordeal if he wants to move past it once and for all and face the future with Oscar at his side.
My Thoughts
This is a tale of learning to trust again, it is the story of a very lonely man and his journey back to a full life. The story is smart and at times sweet and funny, there is an edge of mystery there with the whole Paul thing and I like that we get to see it solved. The relationship between Oscar and Noah is interesting because we get to see both men grow and become more confident.
This was a beautifully executed story and I liked that the issues were all external to the couple and their relationship was never in doubt. It made the story one of warmth and comfort. This is a book I would happily read again and tell all my friends about too.
November 11, 2011
Contemporary, Canada
Noah Lowe loved his job as a teacher until the day he was falsely accused of a sexual assault by a student. That was when he had to find another career. Now six years later he has found a career he loves more but he still needs to rebuild the confidence he lost due to the accusations. Noah is now a computer programmer during the day and a drag queen with his best friend, Aiden in the evenings he is finally finding a measure of happiness that they accusation stole from him.
Oscar Reynolds is the owner of the club that Noah and Aiden perform at. Oscar has watched Noah from afar for a while but has never gotten the courage up to ask Noah out. That all might be changing. Now as Oscar and Noah are starting to see each other and see if they might have a chance at a future together the past comes back to haunt them.
Noah’s past and a part of the past is suddenly moving in next door and he as to see if he can finally put the past behind him where it belongs. Noah also has a chance to find some answers to what happened six years ago that might give him the closure he so desperately needs so that he can build something lasting with Oscar. Noah is going to find out just how strong his and Oscar’s relationship is and if it can survive the revelations from the past.
This is an excellent book that will take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride with the characters. The story is very well written and have the reader eagerly turning the pages to find out exactly what happened to Noah in the past and what exactly the truth was. The characters are sympathetic and will get the reader emotionally involved in the story. The story plot is different and well written. This story while is very good it may not be for all readers. This is one that once the reader starts will be very glad they picked it up.
Noah Lowe loved his job as a teacher until the day he was falsely accused of a sexual assault by a student. That was when he had to find another career. Now six years later he has found a career he loves more but he still needs to rebuild the confidence he lost due to the accusations. Noah is now a computer programmer during the day and a drag queen with his best friend, Aiden in the evenings he is finally finding a measure of happiness that they accusation stole from him.
Oscar Reynolds is the owner of the club that Noah and Aiden perform at. Oscar has watched Noah from afar for a while but has never gotten the courage up to ask Noah out. That all might be changing. Now as Oscar and Noah are starting to see each other and see if they might have a chance at a future together the past comes back to haunt them.
Noah’s past and a part of the past is suddenly moving in next door and he as to see if he can finally put the past behind him where it belongs. Noah also has a chance to find some answers to what happened six years ago that might give him the closure he so desperately needs so that he can build something lasting with Oscar. Noah is going to find out just how strong his and Oscar’s relationship is and if it can survive the revelations from the past.
This is an excellent book that will take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride with the characters. The story is very well written and have the reader eagerly turning the pages to find out exactly what happened to Noah in the past and what exactly the truth was. The characters are sympathetic and will get the reader emotionally involved in the story. The story plot is different and well written. This story while is very good it may not be for all readers. This is one that once the reader starts will be very glad they picked it up.
September 18, 2011
This is the story of Noah - a teacher who is betrayed and accused of sexual assault. He leads a fairly closeted life - not wanting his sexual orientation to be an issue at the high school where he teaches. He begins an affair with a new teacher, Paul, only to discover that the man is also seeing a woman - another coworker.
After he is arrested and then exonnerated, Noah cannot go back to teaching. He ends up getting a degree in computer science and becoming a successful programmer with a completely new life. The one thing has not been able to do though is move on from his betrayal by Paul. He thinks he's still a little bit in love with Paul and he keeps beating himself up for every trusting him. Lo and behold, one day a new neighbor is moving into Noah's building and of course it's Paul! Noah refused to give him the time of day and Paul keeps trying to get Noah to forgive him.
In the meantime, Aiden, Noah's best friend and co-star of Noah's drag show, introduces him to Oscar - the owner of the club hwere Aiden and Noah perform. Noah has never paid much attention to the owners of the club but he knows that Oscar lost his husband Marcus the previous year very suddenly. Finally Noah decides to take a chance and makes a date with Oscar. As Noah gets to know Oscar, his thoughts of Paul recede until there is a dust-up between Paul and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Cherie, another coworker that Noah never got along with.
Noah and Oscar try to discover the real story with Paul and his ex-wife and new motives are reveals about why Noah was accused of assault all those years in the past.
I found the story to be well written with interesting characters and a nice ending. I will definitely be moving on to more D.W. Marchwell books.
After he is arrested and then exonnerated, Noah cannot go back to teaching. He ends up getting a degree in computer science and becoming a successful programmer with a completely new life. The one thing has not been able to do though is move on from his betrayal by Paul. He thinks he's still a little bit in love with Paul and he keeps beating himself up for every trusting him. Lo and behold, one day a new neighbor is moving into Noah's building and of course it's Paul! Noah refused to give him the time of day and Paul keeps trying to get Noah to forgive him.
In the meantime, Aiden, Noah's best friend and co-star of Noah's drag show, introduces him to Oscar - the owner of the club hwere Aiden and Noah perform. Noah has never paid much attention to the owners of the club but he knows that Oscar lost his husband Marcus the previous year very suddenly. Finally Noah decides to take a chance and makes a date with Oscar. As Noah gets to know Oscar, his thoughts of Paul recede until there is a dust-up between Paul and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Cherie, another coworker that Noah never got along with.
Noah and Oscar try to discover the real story with Paul and his ex-wife and new motives are reveals about why Noah was accused of assault all those years in the past.
I found the story to be well written with interesting characters and a nice ending. I will definitely be moving on to more D.W. Marchwell books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews