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The Belladonna Arms #1
Serenading Stanley
Welcome to the Belladonna Arms, a rundown little apartment building perched atop a hill in downtown San Diego, home to the city’s lost and lovelorn. Shy archaeology student Stanley Sternbaum has just moved in and fills his time quietly observing his eccentric neighbors, avoiding his hellion mother, and trying his best to go unnoticed… which proves to be a problem when it comes to fellow tenant Roger Jane. Smitten, the hunky nurse with beautiful green eyes does everything in his power to woo Stanley, but Stanley has always lived a quiet life, too withdrawn from the world to take a chance on love. Especially with someone as beautiful as Roger Jane.
While Roger tries to batter down Stanley’s defenses, Stanley turns to his new neighbors to learn about Ramon, who’s not afraid to give his heart to the wrong man; Sylvia, the trans who just wants to be a woman, and the secret admirer who loves her just the way she is; Arthur, the aging drag queen who loves them all, expecting nothing in return—and Roger, who has been hurt once before but is still willing to risk his heart on Stanley, if Stanley will only look past his own insecurities and let him in.
While Roger tries to batter down Stanley’s defenses, Stanley turns to his new neighbors to learn about Ramon, who’s not afraid to give his heart to the wrong man; Sylvia, the trans who just wants to be a woman, and the secret admirer who loves her just the way she is; Arthur, the aging drag queen who loves them all, expecting nothing in return—and Roger, who has been hurt once before but is still willing to risk his heart on Stanley, if Stanley will only look past his own insecurities and let him in.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2013
16 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
John Inman
42 books442 followersA Lambda Literary Award finalist and the author of over forty novels, John has been writing fiction for as long as he can remember. Born on a small farm in Indiana, he now resides in San Diego, California where he spends his time gardening, pampering his pets, hiking and biking the trails and canyons of San Diego, and of course, writing. He and his partner share a passion for theater, books, film, and the continuing fight for marriage equality. If you would like to know more about John, check out his website at----
http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_I... or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.inman.79
http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_I... or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.inman.79
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
October 30, 2014
John Inman stories make me happy. They are funny and his quirky characters are just as important and dimensional as the MC’s and this one was no exception. In fact, I think the secondary characters in Serenading Stanley were some of my favorites of all time.
Serenading Stanley is the story of Stanley Sternbaum. He is a graduate student who is moving out on his own for the first time. He moves into the Belladonna Arms which seems to be a hotbed of quirk. His first encounter is with Arthur, the bear drag queen with a heart of gold who can barely make it up the stairs to show Stanley his ‘penthouse’ apartment.
Stanley is a sweet soul who sees himself as painfully ordinary and he’s terribly shy. He’s never really had a boyfriend and with his completely insane mother, he’s found it best to just try to fly under the radar. As Stanley says,
“Two weeks with Stanley’s mother could make the Valentine’s Day Massacre seem like a skeet shoot. The sinking of the Titanic a mere act of baptism for fifteen hundred people. A flesh-gobbling case of leprosy little more than a diaper rash.”
It’s no wonder Stanley needed to get away. Little did he know what he was getting himself into at the Belladonna Arms. Not only do we have Arthur, but there is also ChiChi, the nipple ringed “massage therapist” down the hall; Ramon, the freshman beauty student; Charlie, the certified kleptomaniac UPS driver; Pete, the anti-social token straight guy and my personal favorite, Sylvia, the pre-op transsexual that absolutely everyone loves. Sylvia and Stanley become fast friends and I loved reading the conversations between them.
Of course we can’t forget Roger Jane, a god among mortals in Stanley’s eyes. He is just entirely too perfect for Stanley to take seriously. There is no way Roger could be interested in plain old Stanley Sternbaum. Roger is fantasy fuel for sure and when Stanley gets to know Roger and he discovers that he is also a truly nice and caring guy who just happens to be interested in Stanley. The two of them have lots of starts and stops to their courtship and that is mostly Stanley’s doing. To be fair, Stanley has spent his entire life feeling plain and boring, larger than life Roger is just too much for him to wrap his brain around. He even asks Roger,
“But why would you be thinking about me? You’re beautiful, I’m just . . . me.”
It never feels like Stanley is fishing for compliments, he is truly stymied by Roger’s interest. Roger has been hurt in the past though and he’s not going to let Stanley get away hiding from him, Roger doesn’t play games or pull punches with how he feels. I’ve got to give Roger credit for his incredible patience. They were very honest with each other though, when Roger could pin Stanley down that is.
One of my absolute favorite things about John’s books is the boys get together well before the end and then they stay together! Sure, it’s the honeymoon period so there’s lots of hearts and flowers, but that’s refreshing.
It’s not the formula of:
Finally come together, throw in some icky angst, question and regret all misunderstandings, work it out at 98%.
This is:
Finally come together (like for reals) at 50-60%, stay together, be all kinds of sappy, and keep coming together, both literally and figuratively until the end.
I like it.
I’m not a fan of the overly sweet, although thinking about it, maybe I’m just not a fan of the overly sweet that takes itself too seriously. That’s probably why John’s books work so well for me. Just when there are declarations of all manner of fluffy love forever and always, the statement will end with,
“You’re the best thing I’ve ever known. And you fuck like a monkey.”
Now that’s my kind of sweet talk right there.
ETA - 10/29/14
I finished listening to the audiobook of this one today and it was so good. Tyler Stevens is the prefect narrator and does John Inman's words justice. Highly recommended!
Serenading Stanley is the story of Stanley Sternbaum. He is a graduate student who is moving out on his own for the first time. He moves into the Belladonna Arms which seems to be a hotbed of quirk. His first encounter is with Arthur, the bear drag queen with a heart of gold who can barely make it up the stairs to show Stanley his ‘penthouse’ apartment.
Stanley is a sweet soul who sees himself as painfully ordinary and he’s terribly shy. He’s never really had a boyfriend and with his completely insane mother, he’s found it best to just try to fly under the radar. As Stanley says,
“Two weeks with Stanley’s mother could make the Valentine’s Day Massacre seem like a skeet shoot. The sinking of the Titanic a mere act of baptism for fifteen hundred people. A flesh-gobbling case of leprosy little more than a diaper rash.”
It’s no wonder Stanley needed to get away. Little did he know what he was getting himself into at the Belladonna Arms. Not only do we have Arthur, but there is also ChiChi, the nipple ringed “massage therapist” down the hall; Ramon, the freshman beauty student; Charlie, the certified kleptomaniac UPS driver; Pete, the anti-social token straight guy and my personal favorite, Sylvia, the pre-op transsexual that absolutely everyone loves. Sylvia and Stanley become fast friends and I loved reading the conversations between them.
Of course we can’t forget Roger Jane, a god among mortals in Stanley’s eyes. He is just entirely too perfect for Stanley to take seriously. There is no way Roger could be interested in plain old Stanley Sternbaum. Roger is fantasy fuel for sure and when Stanley gets to know Roger and he discovers that he is also a truly nice and caring guy who just happens to be interested in Stanley. The two of them have lots of starts and stops to their courtship and that is mostly Stanley’s doing. To be fair, Stanley has spent his entire life feeling plain and boring, larger than life Roger is just too much for him to wrap his brain around. He even asks Roger,
“But why would you be thinking about me? You’re beautiful, I’m just . . . me.”
It never feels like Stanley is fishing for compliments, he is truly stymied by Roger’s interest. Roger has been hurt in the past though and he’s not going to let Stanley get away hiding from him, Roger doesn’t play games or pull punches with how he feels. I’ve got to give Roger credit for his incredible patience. They were very honest with each other though, when Roger could pin Stanley down that is.
One of my absolute favorite things about John’s books is the boys get together well before the end and then they stay together! Sure, it’s the honeymoon period so there’s lots of hearts and flowers, but that’s refreshing.
It’s not the formula of:
Finally come together, throw in some icky angst, question and regret all misunderstandings, work it out at 98%.
This is:
Finally come together (like for reals) at 50-60%, stay together, be all kinds of sappy, and keep coming together, both literally and figuratively until the end.
I like it.
I’m not a fan of the overly sweet, although thinking about it, maybe I’m just not a fan of the overly sweet that takes itself too seriously. That’s probably why John’s books work so well for me. Just when there are declarations of all manner of fluffy love forever and always, the statement will end with,
“You’re the best thing I’ve ever known. And you fuck like a monkey.”
Now that’s my kind of sweet talk right there.
ETA - 10/29/14
I finished listening to the audiobook of this one today and it was so good. Tyler Stevens is the prefect narrator and does John Inman's words justice. Highly recommended!
November 6, 2014
3.75 stars
That was cute. And sweet. And a bit charming.
I loved the narration style. It reminds me of C.L. Bevill's Bubba series.
Good pick, Ann!
October 22, 2013
Humor isn't always easy, but I enjoyed this authors Shy and the blurb sounded interesting so I decided to give this one a go.
I'm pretty sure you have to love Stanley's 'voice' to enjoy this story. He's the narrator ( although there are a few small parts from Roger's POV) and he really does have a self-esteem issue.
He sees Roger as a god, gorgeous, smart, kind and wonderful and he's just, well Stanley.
The people living in this apartment complex are varied and interesting, they added a lot to the story, because seriously, I loved Stanley, but his 'I'm not good enough' got old after a while, so I was glad to have a few other characters to distract me.
So, anyway, Stanley has the hots for Roger, I mean, who wouldn't, he's described as near perfect.
“Just the thought made Stanley’s dick move inside his slacks. Or maybe it was due to Roger lecturing him on Aztec sacrificial practices. That was a turn-on, too, but even Stanley had to admit it probably wouldn’t be a turn-on for anyone other than himself. And maybe some long-dead Aztec.”
Roger doesn't give up though, he wants Stanley, he sees more in him than Stanley obviously sees in himself. And I agree with Roger, listening to Stanley putting himself down did get annoying “But we’re so different,” Stanley stammered. “Our looks, our jobs. Our looks.”
“You already said that.”
Stanley groaned. “Well, it’s important.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s only important to you. I wish you could see you the way I see you, Stanley. I want you so much right now I hurt all over. It’s like I’m coming down with the flu. Even my toenails fucking ache.”
Now, once Stanley decides to go for it and let Roger in, he um..really lets Roger in. *snicker snort* It gets really sweet here, bordering on sappy.
So, yes it's a comedy and I enjoyed it, it won't be for everyone, but nothing is, and it does have these nuggets of wisdoms dispersed through out the book Didn’t matter. I already knew. Love only has to hit you in the head once. It doesn’t have to keep clubbing you until you’re unconscious.
I'm pretty sure you have to love Stanley's 'voice' to enjoy this story. He's the narrator ( although there are a few small parts from Roger's POV) and he really does have a self-esteem issue.
He sees Roger as a god, gorgeous, smart, kind and wonderful and he's just, well Stanley.
The people living in this apartment complex are varied and interesting, they added a lot to the story, because seriously, I loved Stanley, but his 'I'm not good enough' got old after a while, so I was glad to have a few other characters to distract me.
So, anyway, Stanley has the hots for Roger, I mean, who wouldn't, he's described as near perfect.
“Just the thought made Stanley’s dick move inside his slacks. Or maybe it was due to Roger lecturing him on Aztec sacrificial practices. That was a turn-on, too, but even Stanley had to admit it probably wouldn’t be a turn-on for anyone other than himself. And maybe some long-dead Aztec.”
Roger doesn't give up though, he wants Stanley, he sees more in him than Stanley obviously sees in himself. And I agree with Roger, listening to Stanley putting himself down did get annoying “But we’re so different,” Stanley stammered. “Our looks, our jobs. Our looks.”
“You already said that.”
Stanley groaned. “Well, it’s important.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s only important to you. I wish you could see you the way I see you, Stanley. I want you so much right now I hurt all over. It’s like I’m coming down with the flu. Even my toenails fucking ache.”
Now, once Stanley decides to go for it and let Roger in, he um..really lets Roger in. *snicker snort* It gets really sweet here, bordering on sappy.
So, yes it's a comedy and I enjoyed it, it won't be for everyone, but nothing is, and it does have these nuggets of wisdoms dispersed through out the book Didn’t matter. I already knew. Love only has to hit you in the head once. It doesn’t have to keep clubbing you until you’re unconscious.
October 25, 2013
I am a huge fan of John Inman. He has become one of my favourite authors and I love reading his books whether they are funny or serious. This was one of the funnier ones with a few romances thrown into the mix. I will admit, I had hopes all of the Belladonna Arms residents would find love, but most of them did, so I'm happy.
If I have to pick a favourite character, Sylvia would definitely be it. She was just perfect and I adored her. I know she wasn't an MC, but I still loved her and she had me worried about her for a while.
Stanley and Rodger were really cute and sweet together. Yeah, it took a while for Stanley to trust Rodger and to let him in, but once he finally came around, things went smoothly for them. It was nice seeing insta-love that was really believable. At least on Rodgers part it was true. Everything he did made it quite obvious he loved Stanley. Especially when he was fighting for a place in Stanley's heart and Stanley was fighting against it. Then the confession at the end left me with a huge grin on my face. The title of the book is definitely fitting.
There was a lot going on in this book. The secondary characters all helped the MC's, even Stanley's mother in her own way. I loved how they all had their own little romances in the book, even if some didn't get a HEA of their own. The book ended in the perfect place for me without being too long or too short.
Definitely one I would recommend. Funny, sweet, and has a really nice central romance.
If I have to pick a favourite character, Sylvia would definitely be it. She was just perfect and I adored her. I know she wasn't an MC, but I still loved her and she had me worried about her for a while.
Stanley and Rodger were really cute and sweet together. Yeah, it took a while for Stanley to trust Rodger and to let him in, but once he finally came around, things went smoothly for them. It was nice seeing insta-love that was really believable. At least on Rodgers part it was true. Everything he did made it quite obvious he loved Stanley. Especially when he was fighting for a place in Stanley's heart and Stanley was fighting against it. Then the confession at the end left me with a huge grin on my face. The title of the book is definitely fitting.
There was a lot going on in this book. The secondary characters all helped the MC's, even Stanley's mother in her own way. I loved how they all had their own little romances in the book, even if some didn't get a HEA of their own. The book ended in the perfect place for me without being too long or too short.
Definitely one I would recommend. Funny, sweet, and has a really nice central romance.
September 11, 2016
BR with Mishy!
Cute story, cute characters.
Cute story, cute characters.
October 28, 2013
The story and the characters didn't work for me. I got really tired of Stanley constantly putting himself down and treating Roger pretty horribly, I'm not sure why Roger stuck around for the abuse. While I'm not expecting a laugh a minute I found the story pretty dreary and I cringed whenever Stanley's mother showed up on the page. I did love Sylvia's story though and did want to see how it ended, still this one was a struggle for me to finish.
February 1, 2014
Stanley, Stanley, Stanley! How do I start to list all the reasons why I loved you so much? Well I guess one place to start is with Mr John Inman who at the moment is my go to author for not just a great laugh but also for what we all love best about our M/M romances. A satisfying, hot, sexy, emotionally driven,heartfelt love story, with loveable MC's and sometimes even more likeable supporting characters who, however much you fall for the two love interests, still end up almost stealing the show because they're larger than life and memorable because of their quirks and LOL entertainment value.
And that's exactly what Serenading Stanley is all about. A group of adorable misfits who I defy anybody not to fall head over heels for, because I lost my heart to each and everyone of them.
As soon as Stanley moved into 'The Belladonna Arms' apartment building with its pink Magic Marker ' Vacancy' sign and its Magenta Magic Marker glitter sprinkled, hand written add on saying "Please Be Cute," I was wishing I was moving in with Stanley, and then when the first person he met happened to be a hairy three-hundred-pound drag queen in a red wig and taffeta ball gown. Well that was it, I was in wacko heaven! I wanted to live there, with its motley crew that consisted of the kind ageing drag queen, the raging kleptomaniac, the cute but hopeless twink (scissor happy) trainee hairdresser, the young dippy pierced, leather wearing 'masseur'-slash-hustler, the quiet keep to himself straight guy, the beautiful but sad, sweet transgender girl and of course Roger Jane, the drop dead gorgeous male nurse with the beautiful green eyes and body to die for who knocks any one he meets and our Stanley for six, and ditto for Roger even though his 'Little Mouse' is woefully blind to the fact. Then last but not least the mother to end all mothers. OMG, that woman was as mad as a box of frogs but talk about laugh. For as much as I wanted to strangle her at times, I also wanted to get to the next scene with her in it, just to see what other shocking thing she'd do or say! There's a hairdressing scene that had me practically peeing myself, as did the chocolate brownie and watermelon interlude between Stanley and Roger. Hilarious! But underlying all the hilarity and wackiness there were some truly poignant and gentle moments that actually brought me to tears. Especially when it came to Sylvia, the trans gender girl, who melted my heart, and some of the more tender scenes between the two main guys had me as gooey as the middle of those bad boy brownies. A certain hospital moment comes to mind that had me sniffling and sighing at the same time.
" Stanley nodded. "I'll make you dinner." And Roger said the words Stanley would remember for the rest of his life. "I don't want any dinner, I only want you."
Then there's Stanley himself. Shy, self deprecating, introverted, uptight Stanley, who can't, or should I say won't, even try to see the wood for the trees. Will you want to shake him? Oh yeah, but you'll want to be hugging him tight as you do it. Poor hunky Roger Jane, our gorgeous male nurse certainly has his hands full with self doubting Stanley but he ain't giving up. In his eyes Stanley is just as beautiful as everyone thinks HE is so the sexual tension when they're together had me all of a doodah. If any one is listening up there...I want a man like that!
I really don't want to give anything else away about this sweet, funny, endearing story because there are so many delights to be found in it, and like any treasure, discovering it for yourself makes it all the more precious. Just be prepared to forgive Stanley for being such a friggin' numb-nuts at times but then again if he wasn't so obtuse, the book wouldn't work half as well as it does because Stanley is just... well....Stanley! The heart of the story, and however stubbornly set in his ways the guy is, he's still a real sweetie and personally I wouldn't want him any other way!
Truthfully. I'm envying everyone who gets to pick this up for the first time and I'm hoping they're just as enchanted as I was. I've loved all my John Inman books up to now but this one has wormed its way a touch deeper into my heart. A little gem that glittered for me just like that magenta apartment sign. Now I'm ready to venture into some of johns darker stuff because my journey with Mr Inman hasn't quite finished yet. And he says there's going to be sex... Lots of sex! Who can argue with that!
June 22, 2014
This book is so sweet and funny! I love it! I love Stanley and his shyness, I love his neighbours, and I certainly love Roger, and how much he wants and loves Stanley!!!
May 4, 2016
Stuck in the dead grass by the front steps leading up to the entrance of the apartment building was another sign. This one was handwritten on a slab of cardboard and stapled to the wooden stake pounded into the ground. The lettering on this sign was rendered in pink Magic Marker. It read "VACANCY." And under that, this time scrawled in magenta Magic Marker and sprinkled liberally with glitter, were the words "TO APPLY PLEASE BE CUTE.”
Stanley knows two things for certain: he would do almost anything to avoid moving back in with his mother, and he is abominable at interacting with anyone not long, long dead. Also, he might just be a little in love with Roger Jane. OK, that’s three things, but to be fair, he really didn’t want to be in love with Roger. Not really. Even if only the thought of those godlike lips made him tremble. And alright, he also knows that Arthur needs some serious make-up tips–and that he most definitely shouldn’t get them from Ramon. And that Sylvia is one hell of a woman–despite having more parts than she ever desired. He also knows that living on floor six of the Belladonna Oven, er, Arms, was likely kill him–or at least Arthur–eventually. So, it turns out Stanley actually knows quite a bit.
He certainly knows enough to know that Roger will never look at him twice. What with Roger being a god, in all his beautiful nursing glory, and poor ol’ Stanley entirely mortal, and entirely aware of it. Except Roger did look–a lot more than twice–and now Stanley doesn’t know what to think.
I am a big fan of John Inman, so I may’ve been counting down the days till I could get my hands on Serenading Stanley. And I may also have spent four hours curled up on my bed giggling like a stoner with a pet watermelon to play with (um…just read the book, you’ll totally understand) when I finally got it. There may also have been kissing involved (hey! I’m not that kind of girl…it was a quick, discreet peck on the screen) when Stanley manned up and got all declare-y. This may have all happened…but the brownies seemed to have clouded my memories a bit…so I’ll guess we’ll never know for sure.
What I do know is that once again Inman gave us a book chalked full with pithy humor and a whole host of characters to fall in love with. This book is no two-man show. Yes, we are given god-like Roger, who will use every tool in his arsenal to woo the recalcitrant Stanley. And poor, earthly Stanley, who’ll use every trick in his, to avoid a broken heart. But it is the cross-dressing building manager, the lovely Sylvia–who would do anything to make her body fit her soul–and even the kleptomaniac, the beautician, and the masseur, that make the story whole. Without them Stanley would never have his Roger, and without them we would never have such a fun and truly heartwarming tale of friendship, love, and beauty disasters.
If you are looking for an angst-filled book, than I’d advise you to look elsewhere. Yes, we have Stanley issues, what with the whole insecurity thing, but it is nothing to bog the story down. This is a fun, light read, that will have you awwing and giggling away long into the night. Roger’s insistence, and Stanley’s reluctance, play nicely off each other. And boy, when Roger wants to make a point, he does it beautifully–and with tongue. He will also not let his Little Mouse scurry away simply because he fears the big What If. Plus, when a man comes bearing a watermelon–and something a lot more fun–how can you turn him away? I loved these two together, and I loved watching Roger serenade his way into Stanley’s heart (in a totally non-musical way–because apparently that would be disastrous).
Between the entrancing tenants of the Belladonna Arms, and the hard-won love affair of Stanley and Roger, I was completely won over by this book. And Sylvia nearly broke my poor heart. That girl deserves everything that she got–and so much more. To be trapped inside a body that never matches you, is a terrible thing. To have yourself denied because of money, even worse. I loved that Inman was able to bring Sylvia–and all the rest of the tenants–to life is such a wonderful, and highly amusing, way. I would have liked a little more tension, near the end, but I think I’ll take the sight of Pete on his knees, any day.
Don’t know what else to say, but that I loved it and I’m glad I trusted Inman with my oh-so-fragile bookish heart. I totally and completely recommend you read this book when you’ve hit angst overload and need to remember how to smile. Or if you want to find out just how sweet a twizzler can be.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
October 23, 2013
Dying from the cuteness!! So fluffy and funny, I giggled out loud numerous times.
For the full review, please see here.
For the full review, please see here.
February 13, 2014
This was a total winner! Oh my, I simply loved Stanley! I have read only one other John Inman book and after this I will definitely be reading others. But back to Stanley….Oh Stanley…shy, adorable Stanley!
Stanley is studying to be an archeologist and decides its time to move into his how place. Stanley is an adorable character, shy, introverted, self deprecating. He is his own worst enemy at times, he cannot shake the belief that he is just not good enough or worthy enough. So when handsome nurse Roger Jane takes an immediate interest, Stanley knows it’s simply a big joke to humiliate him.
So he moves into the Belladonna Arms apartments. This is a rundown building, but the rent is the right price and it’s near the university. Now the people who already live in this building are quite interesting and odd, but all quite lovable all on their own. The 300 lb. hairy drag queen who manages the building, the kleptomaniac, the twink who is attending beauty school but honestly stinks at it, and does “massage” on the side. There is also one geeky straight man who is quiet and afraid, one transgender character who I found lovable and charming. And of course the hot sexy nurse Roger Jane! OH Roger….Swoon….Roger…sigh..
For any book with humor into to work for me it’s has to have a characters I understand, ones that touch my heart as well as my funny bone. And this book and Stanley had that combo. There was definitely humor in this story, but a loving, sweet tale as well. My heart went out to shy Stanley, and I just wanted to give him a big warm hug. And i liked that Roger wasn’t just the hot, hunky love interest, his character was sweet and loving as well. There were times Roger needed a hug as well (I volunteer for that).
Overall, this was a wonderful sweet, funny story that didn’t leave me wishing for more or wanting for something else. It made me laugh, pulled at my heart, the romance was sweet, it had chemistry and heat, and at the end I was a happy happy reader. Once again thanks to my Macky girl for another winner of a recommendation!!!
Stanley is studying to be an archeologist and decides its time to move into his how place. Stanley is an adorable character, shy, introverted, self deprecating. He is his own worst enemy at times, he cannot shake the belief that he is just not good enough or worthy enough. So when handsome nurse Roger Jane takes an immediate interest, Stanley knows it’s simply a big joke to humiliate him.
So he moves into the Belladonna Arms apartments. This is a rundown building, but the rent is the right price and it’s near the university. Now the people who already live in this building are quite interesting and odd, but all quite lovable all on their own. The 300 lb. hairy drag queen who manages the building, the kleptomaniac, the twink who is attending beauty school but honestly stinks at it, and does “massage” on the side. There is also one geeky straight man who is quiet and afraid, one transgender character who I found lovable and charming. And of course the hot sexy nurse Roger Jane! OH Roger….Swoon….Roger…sigh..
For any book with humor into to work for me it’s has to have a characters I understand, ones that touch my heart as well as my funny bone. And this book and Stanley had that combo. There was definitely humor in this story, but a loving, sweet tale as well. My heart went out to shy Stanley, and I just wanted to give him a big warm hug. And i liked that Roger wasn’t just the hot, hunky love interest, his character was sweet and loving as well. There were times Roger needed a hug as well (I volunteer for that).
Overall, this was a wonderful sweet, funny story that didn’t leave me wishing for more or wanting for something else. It made me laugh, pulled at my heart, the romance was sweet, it had chemistry and heat, and at the end I was a happy happy reader. Once again thanks to my Macky girl for another winner of a recommendation!!!
September 14, 2014
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
Stanley Sternbaum is moving away from his mother's home for the first time to pursue a master's degree at the local university. Finding Belladonna Arms is perfect as almost all residents in the building are gay. Stanley is brutally shy and (as a result of his crazy mother) full of self-doubt. When he meets Roger Jane in the building and starts getting pursued by him, he knows he's not worthy of someone as perfect as Roger. He tries to avoid him but that's difficult to do when everyone in the building is pushing Roger's perfection on him.
Serenading Stanley has the best cast of characters I've read in a John Inman book. From the overweight (and very hairy) drag queen to the kleptomaniac and Stanley's psychotic mother and several more in between, every single one of them is entertaining. Each one had me laughing out loud.
Another great book by John Inman.
This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Favorite Books of 2013 .
Stanley Sternbaum is moving away from his mother's home for the first time to pursue a master's degree at the local university. Finding Belladonna Arms is perfect as almost all residents in the building are gay. Stanley is brutally shy and (as a result of his crazy mother) full of self-doubt. When he meets Roger Jane in the building and starts getting pursued by him, he knows he's not worthy of someone as perfect as Roger. He tries to avoid him but that's difficult to do when everyone in the building is pushing Roger's perfection on him.
Serenading Stanley has the best cast of characters I've read in a John Inman book. From the overweight (and very hairy) drag queen to the kleptomaniac and Stanley's psychotic mother and several more in between, every single one of them is entertaining. Each one had me laughing out loud.
Another great book by John Inman.
This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Favorite Books of 2013 .
February 17, 2014
3.75 stars
This was a sweet, quirky and entertaining read. This was my first John Inman book and I loved the his writing style and humor and I look forward to reading more of his stories.
I loved the two MC's together and it was a nice change of pace to see the "perfect" Roger's unrelenting pursuit the "nerdy" Stanley. One thing that annoyed me in the beginning, however, was that Stanley's self-doubt and insecurity was just too much. I understand where he was coming from, but it did grate on me a bit. The secondary characters in the book were outstanding, every one of them with their own quirky story. More often than not I had a smile on face while reading.
Thanks to Macky and Gina for the recommendation!
This was a sweet, quirky and entertaining read. This was my first John Inman book and I loved the his writing style and humor and I look forward to reading more of his stories.
I loved the two MC's together and it was a nice change of pace to see the "perfect" Roger's unrelenting pursuit the "nerdy" Stanley. One thing that annoyed me in the beginning, however, was that Stanley's self-doubt and insecurity was just too much. I understand where he was coming from, but it did grate on me a bit. The secondary characters in the book were outstanding, every one of them with their own quirky story. More often than not I had a smile on face while reading.
Thanks to Macky and Gina for the recommendation!
July 7, 2015
Enjoyed this funny and equally sweet book.
The first time Stanley Sternbaum finds his way into Belladonna Arms, a rundown little apartment building in downtown San Diego, Roger Jane is lost. The hunky nurse tries everything in his power to seduce the ‘little mouse’ but Stanley, used to live a quiet life, is too withdrawn from the world to take a chance on beautiful Roger.
“You’ve been imagining how I would taste?”
Stanley could feel his heart bouncing around inside his chest like a basketball. It wasn’t a scary bounce. It was an excited bounce. And his hard-on was back. That was a little exciting too. Thank God he had the table to cover it.
“Maybe,” he said, once again poking his tongue from the corner of his mouth to test any lingering residue of Roger’s kiss. “Does that make me weird?”
“No, Stanley. It doesn’t make you weird at all. At least I hope it doesn’t. Because I’ve been imagining the same thing.”
“You mean wondering how you would taste?”
Roger laughed. “No, dipshit. Wondering how you would taste.”
Stanley’s eyes opened wide. Dilated as they were, Roger thought they looked like two eight balls. “Really?” Stanley asked. “You wondered how I would taste?”
“Really.”
“But why would you be thinking about me? You’re beautiful. I’m just… me.”
Fortunately Roger has set his mind on battering down all of Stanley’s defenses and the quirky tenants of Belladonna Arms are very creative in helping Roger to ‘serenade’ Stanley.
Loved them all: Landlord Arthur, the fat, hairy, aging drag-queen with the heart of gold, Sylvia the trans, who wants to be a woman, Ramon, the cute girly beauty student, Chichi, the leather freak who does very special massages in his apartment, shy straight Pete… Arthur calls the poor guy pervert heterosexual… and Charlie who has a bit of a problem with sticky fingers. Oh, and I don’t want to forget Stanley’s eccentric chain-smoking mom, only reading about her disgusting hobby gave me lung cancer. *coughs*
As always John’s writing is entertaining, he delivers a brilliantly written love story with a good sense of humor, two adorable heroes and a great cast of secondary characters. Loved it. Highly recommended!
April 11, 2014
A delightful and humorous story which has a gentle way of tugging both heart and emotions. I enjoyed this. It is a slow burning kind of romance in which Stanley having moved away from home into an apartment block, meets Roger who is one of the other tenants there. There is an immediate attraction there but Stanley is fearful about falling in love and doesn't think he is good enough for Roger. Roger has to do his best to woo and convince Stanley that they would be beautiful together.
Of course there is so much else going on besides, including an apartment block of colourful individuals who each desire love and sometimes find it, and Stanley's mother who is just rather weird.
All in all this is a lovely story of finding love, recognising it and then taking the risk to follow it through and begin a journey. A gentle but also very funny read.
Of course there is so much else going on besides, including an apartment block of colourful individuals who each desire love and sometimes find it, and Stanley's mother who is just rather weird.
All in all this is a lovely story of finding love, recognising it and then taking the risk to follow it through and begin a journey. A gentle but also very funny read.
November 14, 2017
Darum geht’s:
Stanley findet, es ist Zeit, endlich bei seiner dominanten Mutter auszuziehen und er hat auch schon eine neue Bleibe ausgesucht: das Hochhaus „Belladonna Arms“. Es ist zwar etwas heruntergekommen, aber die Miete ist erschwinglich und es liegt ganz in der Nähe seiner Uni. Dass er sich in einer ganz ungewöhnlichen und einzigartigen Nachbarschaft eingemietet hat, merkt er erst nach und nach. Auch wenn der Hausverwalter im Glitzerkleid und Make-up eigentlich schon ein Hinweis hätte sein müssen.
So fand ich’s:
Arthur, Hausbesitzer und übergewichtige Dragqueen, sucht sich seine Mieter nach speziellen Kriterien aus. Schwul sollen sie sein und sein Mieter ChiChi wünscht sich ausdrücklich einen süßen neuen Nachbarn. Obwohl sich Stanley nicht sicher ist, süß genug zu sein, bekommt er die Wohnung und stolpert ahnungslos in eine kontaktfreudige, bunte und sehr spezielle Nachbarschaft im Belladonna Arms.
Stanley ist ein liebenswerter junger Mann, der seine durchgeknallte Mutter mit viel Geduld erträgt, seinen Traum, ein berühmter Archäologe zu werden, zielstrebig verfolgt und auch den teilweise skurrilen, aber liebenswerten Nachbarn aufgeschlossen und vorurteilsfrei, wenn auch wegen seiner Schüchternheit etwas zurückhaltend begegnet.
Probleme hat er nur mit Roger, der in der Etage unter ihm wohnt, denn Roger ist wahnsinnig schön und außerdem noch furchtbar nett, hat eine beruhigende Ausstrahlung und immer gute Laune. Stanley befürchtet, sein Herz zu verlieren, aber keine echte Chance bei Roger zu haben. Roger sieht so toll aus, dass er jeden Menschen auf der Welt ins Bett bekommen könnte und Stanley bezeichnet sich selbst als „schüchternen, dürren Bücherwurm mit Brille und zwei Haarwirbeln“, der sicher für den überirdisch schönen Roger niemals in Frage käme. Doch Roger sieht das anders und versucht hartnäckig, Stanley näher kennenzulernen.
Roger und Stanley sind einfach zuckersüß miteinander. Beide sind offensichtlich schwer verknallt ineinander, doch wegen Stanleys Minderwertigkeitskomplexen läuft der ständig weg, was ihre Annäherung ein bisschen schwieriger macht. Aber wenn Roger „kleine Maus“ zu Stanley sagt und ihn liebevoll anlächelt, was er sehr häufig tut, schmilzt man auch als Leser gleich mit dahin.
Im Belladonna Arms wohnen einige ungewöhnliche Menschen, die manchmal ein bisschen merkwürdig, aber alle sympathisch und liebenswert sind, und die ständig – zusammen mit Stanleys Mutter – für Aufregung sorgen. Der Erzählton ist gefüllt mit frechem Humor und mit Wortwitz und man hat die ganze Zeit beim Lesen entweder ein Schmunzeln im Gesicht, wobei unter der leichten und spaßigen Oberfläche auch immer ein ernster Kern schlummert. Oder man ist gefangen von der wirklich zuckersüßen und zärtlichen Liebe zwischen Roger und Stanley.
Dieser erste Band dieser Reihe hat mich überzeugt. Wie gut, dass es im Original schon weitere Bände gibt, in denen man die bunte Nachbarschaft näher kennenlernen kann.
Stanley findet, es ist Zeit, endlich bei seiner dominanten Mutter auszuziehen und er hat auch schon eine neue Bleibe ausgesucht: das Hochhaus „Belladonna Arms“. Es ist zwar etwas heruntergekommen, aber die Miete ist erschwinglich und es liegt ganz in der Nähe seiner Uni. Dass er sich in einer ganz ungewöhnlichen und einzigartigen Nachbarschaft eingemietet hat, merkt er erst nach und nach. Auch wenn der Hausverwalter im Glitzerkleid und Make-up eigentlich schon ein Hinweis hätte sein müssen.
So fand ich’s:
Arthur, Hausbesitzer und übergewichtige Dragqueen, sucht sich seine Mieter nach speziellen Kriterien aus. Schwul sollen sie sein und sein Mieter ChiChi wünscht sich ausdrücklich einen süßen neuen Nachbarn. Obwohl sich Stanley nicht sicher ist, süß genug zu sein, bekommt er die Wohnung und stolpert ahnungslos in eine kontaktfreudige, bunte und sehr spezielle Nachbarschaft im Belladonna Arms.
Stanley ist ein liebenswerter junger Mann, der seine durchgeknallte Mutter mit viel Geduld erträgt, seinen Traum, ein berühmter Archäologe zu werden, zielstrebig verfolgt und auch den teilweise skurrilen, aber liebenswerten Nachbarn aufgeschlossen und vorurteilsfrei, wenn auch wegen seiner Schüchternheit etwas zurückhaltend begegnet.
Probleme hat er nur mit Roger, der in der Etage unter ihm wohnt, denn Roger ist wahnsinnig schön und außerdem noch furchtbar nett, hat eine beruhigende Ausstrahlung und immer gute Laune. Stanley befürchtet, sein Herz zu verlieren, aber keine echte Chance bei Roger zu haben. Roger sieht so toll aus, dass er jeden Menschen auf der Welt ins Bett bekommen könnte und Stanley bezeichnet sich selbst als „schüchternen, dürren Bücherwurm mit Brille und zwei Haarwirbeln“, der sicher für den überirdisch schönen Roger niemals in Frage käme. Doch Roger sieht das anders und versucht hartnäckig, Stanley näher kennenzulernen.
Roger und Stanley sind einfach zuckersüß miteinander. Beide sind offensichtlich schwer verknallt ineinander, doch wegen Stanleys Minderwertigkeitskomplexen läuft der ständig weg, was ihre Annäherung ein bisschen schwieriger macht. Aber wenn Roger „kleine Maus“ zu Stanley sagt und ihn liebevoll anlächelt, was er sehr häufig tut, schmilzt man auch als Leser gleich mit dahin.
Im Belladonna Arms wohnen einige ungewöhnliche Menschen, die manchmal ein bisschen merkwürdig, aber alle sympathisch und liebenswert sind, und die ständig – zusammen mit Stanleys Mutter – für Aufregung sorgen. Der Erzählton ist gefüllt mit frechem Humor und mit Wortwitz und man hat die ganze Zeit beim Lesen entweder ein Schmunzeln im Gesicht, wobei unter der leichten und spaßigen Oberfläche auch immer ein ernster Kern schlummert. Oder man ist gefangen von der wirklich zuckersüßen und zärtlichen Liebe zwischen Roger und Stanley.
Dieser erste Band dieser Reihe hat mich überzeugt. Wie gut, dass es im Original schon weitere Bände gibt, in denen man die bunte Nachbarschaft näher kennenlernen kann.
November 14, 2017
Endlich hat der Student Stanley Sternbaum die Möglichkeit seiner Mutter zu ‚entfliehen‘ und sich eine eigene Wohnung zu sein. Ein kleines Erbe macht es möglich und Stanley hat auch nur noch zwei Jahre Studium vor sich. Es findet sich auch eine passende Wohnung unweit der Universität, auch wenn der scheue Stan erstmal etwas unschlüssig ist. Das Gebäude scheint ziemlich heruntergekommen zu sein und die Mieter sind alle irgendwie merkwürdig. Vom Hausmeister Arthur, der eine verkappte Dragqueen ist, über die Transsexuelle Sylvia, hin zu Chichi aus dessen Wohnung merkwürdige Geräusche kommen. Doch das sind nur ein paar der Mieter.
Viel interessanter ist Roger Jane. Ein Adonis. Und völlig ausserhalb von Stanleys Reichweite. Also geht er dem gutaussendenden und auch noch freundlichen Roger aus dem Weg. So gut wie möglich. Doch Roger taucht immer wieder auf und alle Nachbarn wissen nur Gutes von dem Pfleger zu berichten, der immer wieder Stanleys Nähe sucht.
Ein Ständchen für Stanley ist eine unglaublich witzige und rührende Geschichte, die von dem scheuen Studenten Stan erzählt. Mit seiner dominanten Mutter kommt er so gar nicht klar und er hat ein sehr schlechtes Bild von sich selbst. Mit Komplimenten und Freundlichkeit kommt er nur schwer klar. Zudem ist er auch mißtrauisch und kann so gar nicht glauben, dass ausgerechnet Roger ehrliches Interesse an ihm haben soll. Doch Roger ist ziemlich hartnäckig und umwirbt Stanley bei jeder sich bietenden Gelegenheit.
Beide Protagonisten sind sehr liebevoll ausgearbeitet und überzeugen mit ihren kleinen Macken und Spleens. Das trifft auch auf die übrigen Bewohner der Belladonna Arms zu. Jeder von ihnen ist ein Original und all die skurrilen Begebenheiten verleihen der Geschichte eine sympathische Grundstimmung. Es gibt zwar ein wenig Drama, aber das löst jetzt keine Katastrophe aus und zieht die Geschichte auch nicht unnötig in die Länge. Es ist Stanleys Schüchternheit und Vorsicht geschuldet, dass das Paar eine Weile braucht um sich zu finden. Doch das stört bei dieser Geschichte überhaupt nicht und gegen Ende hin gibt es dann auch noch Romantik und Erotik um die Geschichte sehr schön abzurunden. Für diese Geschichte gibt es eine uneingeschränkte Leseempfehlung!
Ursprünglich wurde diese Rezension für das Original geschrieben. Doch auch die Übersetzung hat nichts von ihrem Charme verloren und die Übersetzerin hat einen wirklich guten Job gemacht. Schon auf den ersten Seiten musste ich wieder lachen und bin sofort wieder in die Welt der Belladonna Arms eingetaucht. Ein Gebäude, das wirklich unfassbar viele schräge, aber auch furchtbar liebenswerte Persönlichkeiten beherbergt.
Viel interessanter ist Roger Jane. Ein Adonis. Und völlig ausserhalb von Stanleys Reichweite. Also geht er dem gutaussendenden und auch noch freundlichen Roger aus dem Weg. So gut wie möglich. Doch Roger taucht immer wieder auf und alle Nachbarn wissen nur Gutes von dem Pfleger zu berichten, der immer wieder Stanleys Nähe sucht.
Ein Ständchen für Stanley ist eine unglaublich witzige und rührende Geschichte, die von dem scheuen Studenten Stan erzählt. Mit seiner dominanten Mutter kommt er so gar nicht klar und er hat ein sehr schlechtes Bild von sich selbst. Mit Komplimenten und Freundlichkeit kommt er nur schwer klar. Zudem ist er auch mißtrauisch und kann so gar nicht glauben, dass ausgerechnet Roger ehrliches Interesse an ihm haben soll. Doch Roger ist ziemlich hartnäckig und umwirbt Stanley bei jeder sich bietenden Gelegenheit.
Beide Protagonisten sind sehr liebevoll ausgearbeitet und überzeugen mit ihren kleinen Macken und Spleens. Das trifft auch auf die übrigen Bewohner der Belladonna Arms zu. Jeder von ihnen ist ein Original und all die skurrilen Begebenheiten verleihen der Geschichte eine sympathische Grundstimmung. Es gibt zwar ein wenig Drama, aber das löst jetzt keine Katastrophe aus und zieht die Geschichte auch nicht unnötig in die Länge. Es ist Stanleys Schüchternheit und Vorsicht geschuldet, dass das Paar eine Weile braucht um sich zu finden. Doch das stört bei dieser Geschichte überhaupt nicht und gegen Ende hin gibt es dann auch noch Romantik und Erotik um die Geschichte sehr schön abzurunden. Für diese Geschichte gibt es eine uneingeschränkte Leseempfehlung!
Ursprünglich wurde diese Rezension für das Original geschrieben. Doch auch die Übersetzung hat nichts von ihrem Charme verloren und die Übersetzerin hat einen wirklich guten Job gemacht. Schon auf den ersten Seiten musste ich wieder lachen und bin sofort wieder in die Welt der Belladonna Arms eingetaucht. Ein Gebäude, das wirklich unfassbar viele schräge, aber auch furchtbar liebenswerte Persönlichkeiten beherbergt.
March 27, 2014
Stanley Sternbaum is a true fatalist. He is the worst kind of pessimist, one who encourages others to take risks and be hopeful while he himself quietly lays down and accepts defeat, embraces it like an old lost friend. Stanley has been down on himself for so long, it never occurs to him that he is worthy of anything, certainly not love and certainly not from one of the hottest guys he has ever laid eyes on, Roger Jane. Roger's needs are simple. Save the wacky yet endearing neighbors he has at Belladonna Arms apartments from giving into their own special brand of crazy and, of course, falling in love...with Stanley. First, he must convince Stanley that he is lovable and for most of this story that idea hovers on the edge of never happening.
Once again I find myself staring at the review sheet and trying to come up with more euphemisms for the word outstanding. For you see, in my book that is what John Inman's writing is...outstanding. There were moments (oh so many) when I was left gasping for air with tears streaming down my cheeks from laughing so hard. And then with the flick of his pen, Mr. Inman had me nearly weeping over moments such as when Sylvia tries to take her own life. It was, as if, the author pulled away the fourth wall from this building and exposed all the zany, along with all the love, pain, fears and, yes, the hopes and dreams of some of the most remarkable characters ever written.
Why is this author so successful at combining humor with just a touch of angst and delivering an outstanding novel time after time? Simply put, while the characters in Serenading Stanley may see somewhat outlandish, the feelings and foibles they have are oh so real. Stanley's constant war with himself over how he perceives himself and how Roger views him is not unlike how any other person would react when confronted with a love they never in a million years thought they had a chance at finding. The idea that Stanley has so little self-esteem that he cannot visualize anyone of Roger's beauty and brains ever loving him, so he sets out to sabotage the relationship before it even exists is something that most of us have done time and again when confronted with our own inadequacies. Creeping up the stairs, hiding from Roger, refusing to even think that Roger could ever love him, this is how Stanley guards his heart from being broken. Yet time after time, Roger batters at the walls Stanley erects and we, the readers, hold our collective breath hoping against hope that Roger will succeed.
But author John Inman does not stop there. He goes one step more and creates a secondary cast of characters that are larger than life but oh so sweetly flawed. Some he uses as a means of injecting humor into what otherwise would be a fairly angsty love story. Other characters he uses to bring out the finer qualities in his leading men. For instance, the compassion he reveal in Roger when he cares for Charlie, the resident kleptomaniac, as he helps Charlie back on his meds and then gets him rehired from the job he lost due to his stealing habit. The incredibly sweet way that Roger and Stanley care for Sylvia who is transitioning from male to female and who is at the end of her rope because she does not have the money to finish her treatments was a real window into how loving and caring both Roger and Stanley are to those around them. With each new side character, the author peels away another layer and reveals something more about Roger and Stanley, their character, their heart, and what motivates them. It is so deftly accomplished and so very entertaining to read.
I have such respect for this author. He uses both humor and drama to deliver a brilliant love story that never panders but is always intelligent and just pure fun. I could use one superlative after another to express how rich and deeply satisfying this story was to me. I think, instead I shall leave it at this: Serenading Stanley by John Inman is one of my top picks for this year. I highly recommend it to you.
Once again I find myself staring at the review sheet and trying to come up with more euphemisms for the word outstanding. For you see, in my book that is what John Inman's writing is...outstanding. There were moments (oh so many) when I was left gasping for air with tears streaming down my cheeks from laughing so hard. And then with the flick of his pen, Mr. Inman had me nearly weeping over moments such as when Sylvia tries to take her own life. It was, as if, the author pulled away the fourth wall from this building and exposed all the zany, along with all the love, pain, fears and, yes, the hopes and dreams of some of the most remarkable characters ever written.
Why is this author so successful at combining humor with just a touch of angst and delivering an outstanding novel time after time? Simply put, while the characters in Serenading Stanley may see somewhat outlandish, the feelings and foibles they have are oh so real. Stanley's constant war with himself over how he perceives himself and how Roger views him is not unlike how any other person would react when confronted with a love they never in a million years thought they had a chance at finding. The idea that Stanley has so little self-esteem that he cannot visualize anyone of Roger's beauty and brains ever loving him, so he sets out to sabotage the relationship before it even exists is something that most of us have done time and again when confronted with our own inadequacies. Creeping up the stairs, hiding from Roger, refusing to even think that Roger could ever love him, this is how Stanley guards his heart from being broken. Yet time after time, Roger batters at the walls Stanley erects and we, the readers, hold our collective breath hoping against hope that Roger will succeed.
But author John Inman does not stop there. He goes one step more and creates a secondary cast of characters that are larger than life but oh so sweetly flawed. Some he uses as a means of injecting humor into what otherwise would be a fairly angsty love story. Other characters he uses to bring out the finer qualities in his leading men. For instance, the compassion he reveal in Roger when he cares for Charlie, the resident kleptomaniac, as he helps Charlie back on his meds and then gets him rehired from the job he lost due to his stealing habit. The incredibly sweet way that Roger and Stanley care for Sylvia who is transitioning from male to female and who is at the end of her rope because she does not have the money to finish her treatments was a real window into how loving and caring both Roger and Stanley are to those around them. With each new side character, the author peels away another layer and reveals something more about Roger and Stanley, their character, their heart, and what motivates them. It is so deftly accomplished and so very entertaining to read.
I have such respect for this author. He uses both humor and drama to deliver a brilliant love story that never panders but is always intelligent and just pure fun. I could use one superlative after another to express how rich and deeply satisfying this story was to me. I think, instead I shall leave it at this: Serenading Stanley by John Inman is one of my top picks for this year. I highly recommend it to you.
November 7, 2013
Alright, first things first, I’m not a YA/NA fan and this felt very NA to me so most of my inability to enjoy this further is mainly because it’s not really my cup of tea.
Serenading Stanley is centred around MCs Stanley, Roger, and the band of misfits that share their apartment block the Belladonna Arms. In simplistic terms it’s quite a lovely story about Stanley’s personal development and self acceptance. He’s the not so pretty duckling that lets life pass him by while choosing to lead a solitary life. He commits to nothing and believes he doesn’t have much to offer… Then hunky dory Roger Stanley enters the picture and everything changes. Their’s love at first sight, unabashed wooing, fantastic community spirit amongst apartment dwellers and a fair amount of hot and sweaty once the two MCs come together. Sounds grand right? Well, yes but…
The first 40 per cent cruised along smoothly with great character introductions and scene setting. Then as the MCs got together, the story started feeling painfully forced and the sweetness felt like it was laid on too thickly, almost like the author was trying really hard to sell the “feel factor” between the MCs. It was just too nice for me and it didn’t feel believable. I mean, which twenty-two and twenty-four year olds use words like “dillydally” and “good grief”? Honestly.
Also, I don’t know many people who describe assholes (and the big reveal) like this:
“… and as Roger gripped the two perfect ass cheeks and spread them gently apart to open the flower of Stanley’s beauty, he almost wept with the eroticism of the act.”.
Now, I chose to share that excerpt because that style of writing came into the book around the 60 per cent mark. If you’re happy with that form of exposition and you like overtly sweet HEAs, then you should enjoy this.
Let me reiterate, this book wasn’t badly written… it just wasn’t for me.
Serenading Stanley is centred around MCs Stanley, Roger, and the band of misfits that share their apartment block the Belladonna Arms. In simplistic terms it’s quite a lovely story about Stanley’s personal development and self acceptance. He’s the not so pretty duckling that lets life pass him by while choosing to lead a solitary life. He commits to nothing and believes he doesn’t have much to offer… Then hunky dory Roger Stanley enters the picture and everything changes. Their’s love at first sight, unabashed wooing, fantastic community spirit amongst apartment dwellers and a fair amount of hot and sweaty once the two MCs come together. Sounds grand right? Well, yes but…
The first 40 per cent cruised along smoothly with great character introductions and scene setting. Then as the MCs got together, the story started feeling painfully forced and the sweetness felt like it was laid on too thickly, almost like the author was trying really hard to sell the “feel factor” between the MCs. It was just too nice for me and it didn’t feel believable. I mean, which twenty-two and twenty-four year olds use words like “dillydally” and “good grief”? Honestly.
Also, I don’t know many people who describe assholes (and the big reveal) like this:
“… and as Roger gripped the two perfect ass cheeks and spread them gently apart to open the flower of Stanley’s beauty, he almost wept with the eroticism of the act.”.
Now, I chose to share that excerpt because that style of writing came into the book around the 60 per cent mark. If you’re happy with that form of exposition and you like overtly sweet HEAs, then you should enjoy this.
Let me reiterate, this book wasn’t badly written… it just wasn’t for me.
November 20, 2013
What really kicked this story into gear was how the tenants of Belladonna Arms helped in bringing Stanley and Roger together. Let’s just say, they knew how to put the “fun” in dysfunctional, and a few of them even stole my heart with their antics. I’m still debating whether to stick pins in my eyes whenever I conjure up an image of Arthur, and whoever left the brownies at Stanley’s front door…thank you…it sure moved things along in the romance department. Sure was cute, seeing Stanley like that.
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...
November 5, 2013
4 Stars
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review
Serenading Stanley is a light, humorous romance, filled with eccentric characters that are over the top but totally loveable.
Stanley Sternbaum is working on his Masters degree in Archeology. He has been shy and awkward in social situations his entire life. Working with dead people seemed like the perfect career choice. It turns out he actually loves it. He decides to finally make the break, escaping his domineering mother to live his life on his own terms. Well that is the idea anyway.
Stanley finds himself standing in front of the Belladonna Arms, a small apartment complex close to campus and affordable. He gets his first impression of the place when he sees the vacancy sign out front with an added glittery note on it that states “To Apply Please Be Cute”, he then hears a man singing loudly, off key from one of the open windows. After taking in the brightly colored curtains adorning every window and assessing himself to see if he fits the cuteness requirement, he decides to give the place a try.
Upon entering the building, “a swirling mass of orange taffeta came swooping into the lobby through a side door like a phoenix exploding from the wings into voluptuous flame.” This would be Arthur, drag queen, apartment owner/manager. Stanley takes an immediate liking to Arthur. As Arthur tells Stanley the apartment for rent is the “penthouse”, which is really a euphemism for a top floor, trudging up six flights of stairs, in the unbearable heat, apartment. The trip up to the apartment is hysterical and as they go, Arthur fills Stanley in on the other tenants in the building. There is Sylvia, a transsexual,
Mr. Ingersol (who pleasantly surprised me), Ramon, the fledgling hairdresser in training, and Roger Jane, the dreamy nurse everyone adores. Just as they reach his apartment door, Arthur falls into a dead faint. Terrified, Stanley looks about for help when a voice calls out and above the railing appears a head so handsome it takes his breath away. Yes, this is the handsome, god-like nurse, Roger Jane.
I loved the way the author takes the reader on this rollercoaster experience. His descriptions of the people and setting of the scenes are so vivid, it is easy to imagine all of the characters. The hodgepodge group of tenants interacts in such a manner that they come across as a family of sorts; which I suppose they are. Although Stanley is trying to become his own person, his mother just can’t let him alone. Their relationship is complicated and so typical of a micro-managing, guilt dumping parent. Her interactions with Stanley’s neighbors are indicative of her personality and poor Ramon gets the full force of her scathing comments. As Stanley asserts his new-found independence he is blind to Roger Janes interest, and when he is made aware, he is in denial and full of self doubt. He can’t believe anyone as god-like as Roger Jane would be interested in someone like him, a lowly mortal. I was a bit frustrated with Stanley after a while and wanted to thunk him as much as Roger probably did. It was a sweet courtship, and although I am not always one for love at first sight, these two managed to pull it off, even if Stanley did have a hard time allowing himself to admit those feelings.
This is mainly Stanley’s and Roger’s story but we are treated to multiple storylines developing at the same time. They all intertwine and come together in a perfect knot by the end of the book. I must say Sylvia is one of my favorite characters. She is beautiful and her story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. If you are looking for a fun story filled with eccentric, quirky characters as well as tender sweet moments, I recommend Serenading Stanley.
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review
Serenading Stanley is a light, humorous romance, filled with eccentric characters that are over the top but totally loveable.
Stanley Sternbaum is working on his Masters degree in Archeology. He has been shy and awkward in social situations his entire life. Working with dead people seemed like the perfect career choice. It turns out he actually loves it. He decides to finally make the break, escaping his domineering mother to live his life on his own terms. Well that is the idea anyway.
Stanley finds himself standing in front of the Belladonna Arms, a small apartment complex close to campus and affordable. He gets his first impression of the place when he sees the vacancy sign out front with an added glittery note on it that states “To Apply Please Be Cute”, he then hears a man singing loudly, off key from one of the open windows. After taking in the brightly colored curtains adorning every window and assessing himself to see if he fits the cuteness requirement, he decides to give the place a try.
Upon entering the building, “a swirling mass of orange taffeta came swooping into the lobby through a side door like a phoenix exploding from the wings into voluptuous flame.” This would be Arthur, drag queen, apartment owner/manager. Stanley takes an immediate liking to Arthur. As Arthur tells Stanley the apartment for rent is the “penthouse”, which is really a euphemism for a top floor, trudging up six flights of stairs, in the unbearable heat, apartment. The trip up to the apartment is hysterical and as they go, Arthur fills Stanley in on the other tenants in the building. There is Sylvia, a transsexual,
Mr. Ingersol (who pleasantly surprised me), Ramon, the fledgling hairdresser in training, and Roger Jane, the dreamy nurse everyone adores. Just as they reach his apartment door, Arthur falls into a dead faint. Terrified, Stanley looks about for help when a voice calls out and above the railing appears a head so handsome it takes his breath away. Yes, this is the handsome, god-like nurse, Roger Jane.
I loved the way the author takes the reader on this rollercoaster experience. His descriptions of the people and setting of the scenes are so vivid, it is easy to imagine all of the characters. The hodgepodge group of tenants interacts in such a manner that they come across as a family of sorts; which I suppose they are. Although Stanley is trying to become his own person, his mother just can’t let him alone. Their relationship is complicated and so typical of a micro-managing, guilt dumping parent. Her interactions with Stanley’s neighbors are indicative of her personality and poor Ramon gets the full force of her scathing comments. As Stanley asserts his new-found independence he is blind to Roger Janes interest, and when he is made aware, he is in denial and full of self doubt. He can’t believe anyone as god-like as Roger Jane would be interested in someone like him, a lowly mortal. I was a bit frustrated with Stanley after a while and wanted to thunk him as much as Roger probably did. It was a sweet courtship, and although I am not always one for love at first sight, these two managed to pull it off, even if Stanley did have a hard time allowing himself to admit those feelings.
This is mainly Stanley’s and Roger’s story but we are treated to multiple storylines developing at the same time. They all intertwine and come together in a perfect knot by the end of the book. I must say Sylvia is one of my favorite characters. She is beautiful and her story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. If you are looking for a fun story filled with eccentric, quirky characters as well as tender sweet moments, I recommend Serenading Stanley.
July 9, 2017
Stanley's mother and Stanley's angst ALMOST ruined this for me.
She was fucking insane (and not in a good way) and Stanley REALLY needed to ask her to step back.
Stanley's back-and-forth towards Roger, because of his OTHERWORLDLY beauty was -quite frankly- ridiculous! And best when you thought that Stanley had agreed to date Roger, it suddenly wasn't the case anyway... HUH????
However Inman is still Inman, and he has become a one-click-buy or pre-order or whatever, since he is FUNNY, and not a lot of authors hit that spot for me. John Inman always does, and this was no exception.
*EDIT: No part of this review was written in anger:-):-):-)
She was fucking insane (and not in a good way) and Stanley REALLY needed to ask her to step back.
Stanley's back-and-forth towards Roger, because of his OTHERWORLDLY beauty was -quite frankly- ridiculous! And best when you thought that Stanley had agreed to date Roger, it suddenly wasn't the case anyway... HUH????
However Inman is still Inman, and he has become a one-click-buy or pre-order or whatever, since he is FUNNY, and not a lot of authors hit that spot for me. John Inman always does, and this was no exception.
*EDIT: No part of this review was written in anger:-):-):-)
August 20, 2017
Stanley möchte sich vom Rockzipfel seiner Mutter lösen und zieht in einen, sagen wir mal speziellen, Wohnkomplex - ins Belladonna Arms. Er möchte nur sein Studium beenden und sozusagen unter dem Radar fliegen, was sich aber als schwierig herausstellt, da Roger, ein weiterer Bewohner des Belladonna Arms, auf ihn aufmerksam wird und Stanley besser kennenlernen will. Klingt doch nicht weiter schlimm, oder? Na ja, für den schüchternen Stanley ein doch nicht zu kleines Problem, denn Roger ist a) einfach traumhaft schön, b) ein herzensguter Kerl und c) sicherlich jemand an dem man sich die Finger verbrennt.
John Inman hat es mal wieder geschafft mich für ein Buch bzw. eine Serie begeistern zu können. Nicht nur dass Stanley und Roger einfach unwerfend sympathisch sind, auch die anderen Bewohner sind wunderbar lebhaft und zum Verlieben - angefangen bei Arthur, der Dragqueen, zu Ramos und ChiChi, bis hin zu Sylvia, meiner heimlichen Favoritin, die so herzlich ist, dass man sich wünscht man hätte sie als beste Freundin.
Es gibt kein großes Drama, aber es ist einfach wunderschön zu lesen, wie Stanley von den anderen lernt, wie wichtig Freundschaft und auch Liebe ist. Stanley und Roger sind ein schönes Paar und man versteht, warum sie sich Hals über Kopf ineinander verliebt haben. Trotzdem ist es für Stanley ein schwerer Weg, sich dies auch einzugestehen, sich seinen Ängsten zu stellen und seine Gefühle zuzulassen.
Das Belladonna Arms ist magisch ... und ich bin froh, dass ich dort zu Gast sein durfte. Trotzdem gibt es ein paar Kleinigkeiten, die mir einfach zu schnell gingen ... vor allem dem Ende hin, aber da würde ich spoilern. Trotzdem kann ich die Geschichte uneingeschränkt empfehlen und werde die Serie definitiv öfter lesen.
John Inman hat es mal wieder geschafft mich für ein Buch bzw. eine Serie begeistern zu können. Nicht nur dass Stanley und Roger einfach unwerfend sympathisch sind, auch die anderen Bewohner sind wunderbar lebhaft und zum Verlieben - angefangen bei Arthur, der Dragqueen, zu Ramos und ChiChi, bis hin zu Sylvia, meiner heimlichen Favoritin, die so herzlich ist, dass man sich wünscht man hätte sie als beste Freundin.
Es gibt kein großes Drama, aber es ist einfach wunderschön zu lesen, wie Stanley von den anderen lernt, wie wichtig Freundschaft und auch Liebe ist. Stanley und Roger sind ein schönes Paar und man versteht, warum sie sich Hals über Kopf ineinander verliebt haben. Trotzdem ist es für Stanley ein schwerer Weg, sich dies auch einzugestehen, sich seinen Ängsten zu stellen und seine Gefühle zuzulassen.
Das Belladonna Arms ist magisch ... und ich bin froh, dass ich dort zu Gast sein durfte. Trotzdem gibt es ein paar Kleinigkeiten, die mir einfach zu schnell gingen ... vor allem dem Ende hin, aber da würde ich spoilern. Trotzdem kann ich die Geschichte uneingeschränkt empfehlen und werde die Serie definitiv öfter lesen.
January 12, 2014
I didn't expect to like this book but I thought I'd give it a shot, although I'm still not sure if this author is for me. I read Hobbled and thought it was ok, but I get the feeling that this author tends towards slapstick and potty humor, neither of which I enjoy. To my surprise, I enjoyed the first three quarters. I thought Roger and Stanley were cute and charming together, and I enjoyed the quirky characters that made up their neighbors. However around 2/3 of the way through the book, everything between Roger and Stanley is all worked out, which I thought deprived the last quarter of the book of any narrative tension at all. I thought it should have ended much earlier than it did. Also the sex scenes did absolutely nothing for me and I thought they were way too long and way too detailed, to the point of being gross. At points it seemed like body parts were actually developing their own personalities. I really struggled through the last quarter because it was nothing but never-ending sex and wrapping up a few small side plots. So I mostly liked the book, but sadly my struggle to finish is probably what is going to stick in my mind.
September 22, 2022
Dear sweet Stanley...Oh boy...Stanley annoyed me at times..but in a nice way...He really didn't understand why Roger liked him.....Hot dishy Roger.....This was an amazing read....I loved all the characters...Well not so much Chi Chi but I'm sure my instincts might be right.....Sylvia is just a sweetheart and Pete...I was so glad Pete got who he wanted....I loved Arthur and his dressing up....A big guy in a dress....oh and Charlie....He really was a devil.....local thief.......this book is so funny and everyone has their part in it....Roger and Stanley together were perfect...I don't know how Stanley put up with his mother as she really got on my nerves a bit.....Looking forward to the next one x
May 24, 2016
***Audiobook*** I don't know, I feel like I should have enjoyed this more than I did. I see lots of 4-star reviews from my GR friends. It was okay, but Stanley really got on my nerves. I get that he has insecurities, but geesh he just kept going on and on about how Roger Jane (don't get me started on how he always referred to him with his first and last name) was a god and he was such loser. And once he *finally* got over that, they moved on to "I Love You" at warp speed. The narration was okay. Tyler Stevens isn't my favorite, which also may have affected my enjoyment of this book. I'm not sure if I will continue on with this series or not :‑|
April 21, 2015
I loved this romance. Gay romances have two men for female readers to fall in love with. I also want to live where Stanley lives, the Belladonna Arms. Where everyone is gay or accepting of so. Dreamy!
I love the subtle romance and wooing that Roger gave Stanley. And all of the peripheral characters made me laugh.
Solid 3.5 Stars.
I love the subtle romance and wooing that Roger gave Stanley. And all of the peripheral characters made me laugh.
Solid 3.5 Stars.
October 16, 2013
Strong and believable main characters, Stanley and Roger. A list of fun and interesting secondary characters add humour and reality. Mixed up with moments of self doubt and learning something about who you are as a person and then believing. A really enjoyable and good book by the author.
October 14, 2013
I think this is my favourite John Inman book. Loved the humour, loved the characters and I loved the story. I hope that there are going to be more stories about the residents of the Belladonna Arms
October 6, 2024
This was a very feel good and funny read. I know that I smiled quite a bit while reading. Insecurities, man, we all have a few, yeah? Very beautiful HEA all around.
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