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Exception to the Rule #2
His Fair Lady
Related Almost Heaven
Mark Talleo is something of a dog with the ladies. Any girl, anytime, anywhere is his motto until he meets Josie Frazier. The long lean redhead not only shares his love of musical theatre, but her smoky sexy voice and infectious laugh drive Mark wild and haunt his every step. Equally fascinating is his sense that she has a secret, one he is determined to uncover on his way to becoming her leading man.
Josie does have a secret, one she guards with her whole self. Although she has always known she was female, her name used to be Joey and she's still biologically male. As much as she yearns for love and acceptance, her fear of rejection is just as strong.
Mark's need to know the truth is matched only by Josie's need to hide it. But when malicious gossip reveals her deepest secret the price of honesty may turn out to be too high to pay. But if each can accept that the woman he wants is the woman she is then at last Mark may find His Fair Lady.
Mark Talleo is something of a dog with the ladies. Any girl, anytime, anywhere is his motto until he meets Josie Frazier. The long lean redhead not only shares his love of musical theatre, but her smoky sexy voice and infectious laugh drive Mark wild and haunt his every step. Equally fascinating is his sense that she has a secret, one he is determined to uncover on his way to becoming her leading man.
Josie does have a secret, one she guards with her whole self. Although she has always known she was female, her name used to be Joey and she's still biologically male. As much as she yearns for love and acceptance, her fear of rejection is just as strong.
Mark's need to know the truth is matched only by Josie's need to hide it. But when malicious gossip reveals her deepest secret the price of honesty may turn out to be too high to pay. But if each can accept that the woman he wants is the woman she is then at last Mark may find His Fair Lady.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Gardner
31 books70 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, back before computers, before email, before the internet–Imagine that!–a book junkie was born. That was me.
Fast forward three decades to a soft spring day in 1997, and find me contentedly reading my eleventy-thousandth romance novel. Sighing, I closed the book and say, “I can do that.”
Voilà! A writer was born!
Don’t worry, I’m not going to walk you through the intervening years day by day, project by project, rejection by rejection. A journey like that would involve far more wailing and gnashing of teeth than even I, with my flare for drama, could stand.
What I will do, is tell you that over the years I have written a little of everything including: a novel-length contemporary romance, two screenplays,
dozens of flash fictions and prose poems, short stories of varying lengths, novellas and most recently gay erotic romance.
Gustave Flaubert said, “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”
And I do. I live in a three-story Victorian with my husband, three cats and a yellow lab named Oliver. Most days I write (at least a little) and read quite a lot.
As to whether my work is violently original … achieving that goal may take the rest of my regular and orderly life.
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, back before computers, before email, before the internet–Imagine that!–a book junkie was born. That was me.
Fast forward three decades to a soft spring day in 1997, and find me contentedly reading my eleventy-thousandth romance novel. Sighing, I closed the book and say, “I can do that.”
Voilà! A writer was born!
Don’t worry, I’m not going to walk you through the intervening years day by day, project by project, rejection by rejection. A journey like that would involve far more wailing and gnashing of teeth than even I, with my flare for drama, could stand.
What I will do, is tell you that over the years I have written a little of everything including: a novel-length contemporary romance, two screenplays,
dozens of flash fictions and prose poems, short stories of varying lengths, novellas and most recently gay erotic romance.
Gustave Flaubert said, “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”
And I do. I live in a three-story Victorian with my husband, three cats and a yellow lab named Oliver. Most days I write (at least a little) and read quite a lot.
As to whether my work is violently original … achieving that goal may take the rest of my regular and orderly life.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 1, 2015
Such a sweet story and I felt for Josie, to have to be in fear of discovery, loved Mark, he's the younger brother of Chris in "Almost Heaven" the first book in the series. I thought Mark and Josie were perfect for each other. Lots of things happen but yeah I'm not always the best explaining them so pick up the book and read for yourself :-)
April 23, 2014
I'll admit it, I bought this mainly on a lark--there was a 50% off sale at ARe and this looked super intriguing. I was intrigued by the idea of a trans heroine. This book ended up being an incredibly pleasant surprise: a keeper shelf read from a new-to-me author. Josie and Mark are a memorable couple and their love story is believable and touching. Mark is super sweet. Josie is realistic and nuanced and I just loved her. I want a book for Kyle, her best friend :) Loved the whole cast here. Bonus points for super hot, realistically awkward make-out scenes. So much to like here.
April 26, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Kimberly Gardner is back, ladies and gentlemen! And wow! I am a huge fan of Gardner’s writing and I have been for years. She’s been on hiatus for a while, but now she’s back and man, did she blow back into this genre with a winner. His Fair Lady is a book that reaches into the depths of what some see as taboo and brings to light a story that is beautiful and heartwarming. I adored this one from beginning to end.
Josie is the life, the heart of this story. Her being, her sexuality, her passion, and her love are the things that bring life to her story. I adore her—her strengths, her fears, her person. She’s beautiful from her introduction to the final scene. I think what I love the most is how Gardner outlined her growth from timid and a bit shy to bold and strong. She learns who she is after she meets and falls for Mark. She gains a confidence she never knew she had. She finds herself and learns to love who she is regardless of what others think. There’s such a realness to her character, one that I empathized with. As I was reading, it was as if she were a real person, one that I wanted to sit with, talk to, comfort. Josie’s story is one of inner beauty and overcoming fear. She’s kind of my hero.
Read Crissy's review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Kimberly Gardner is back, ladies and gentlemen! And wow! I am a huge fan of Gardner’s writing and I have been for years. She’s been on hiatus for a while, but now she’s back and man, did she blow back into this genre with a winner. His Fair Lady is a book that reaches into the depths of what some see as taboo and brings to light a story that is beautiful and heartwarming. I adored this one from beginning to end.
Josie is the life, the heart of this story. Her being, her sexuality, her passion, and her love are the things that bring life to her story. I adore her—her strengths, her fears, her person. She’s beautiful from her introduction to the final scene. I think what I love the most is how Gardner outlined her growth from timid and a bit shy to bold and strong. She learns who she is after she meets and falls for Mark. She gains a confidence she never knew she had. She finds herself and learns to love who she is regardless of what others think. There’s such a realness to her character, one that I empathized with. As I was reading, it was as if she were a real person, one that I wanted to sit with, talk to, comfort. Josie’s story is one of inner beauty and overcoming fear. She’s kind of my hero.
Read Crissy's review in its entirety here.
June 4, 2014
4.5 stars. I really liked it.
Why I read it: I bought this after I saw Jayne’s review on Dear Author.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m so glad I read this book. It was so good.
I’ve been meaning to diversify my reading further but so far have largely been defeated by the size of my TBR. Since I started reading m/m romance and hanging out on Twitter, I’ve become more open generally and much more socially aware. I still have a long way to go of course but I’m not as blind to things as I once was. And I’ve found that fiction is both a safe space and a great way for me to learn about people I might not get to meet in my real life white bread world.
His Fair Lady features a transgirl, Josie Frazier. When I was tweeting about how much I enjoyed the book, I wondered whether saying that Josie was trans was something which needed to be mentioned. Because on one level, it just didn’t. I liked Josie for herself and not because or in spite of her genitalia or her gender identify. On another level however, I realised that, at least in this case, it’s kind of necessary. Because the conflict of the story is all about Josie dating a guy who doesn’t know she’s trans and then him finding out.
Read the rest here: http://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2014/0...
Why I read it: I bought this after I saw Jayne’s review on Dear Author.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m so glad I read this book. It was so good.
I’ve been meaning to diversify my reading further but so far have largely been defeated by the size of my TBR. Since I started reading m/m romance and hanging out on Twitter, I’ve become more open generally and much more socially aware. I still have a long way to go of course but I’m not as blind to things as I once was. And I’ve found that fiction is both a safe space and a great way for me to learn about people I might not get to meet in my real life white bread world.
His Fair Lady features a transgirl, Josie Frazier. When I was tweeting about how much I enjoyed the book, I wondered whether saying that Josie was trans was something which needed to be mentioned. Because on one level, it just didn’t. I liked Josie for herself and not because or in spite of her genitalia or her gender identify. On another level however, I realised that, at least in this case, it’s kind of necessary. Because the conflict of the story is all about Josie dating a guy who doesn’t know she’s trans and then him finding out.
Read the rest here: http://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2014/0...
November 10, 2014
3.5 stars rounded up because all in all I love this book. Josie is a wonderful character and Mark - though he started of as a bit of a douche - wormed his way into my heart.
The missing star is because sometimes I felt as if parts of the book are missing. A new chapter starts but it didn't fit with the ending with the previous one and often I browsed back to see if my reader skipped some pages. Which it didn't, but that browsing between the pages disturbed my reading flow a little bit and that annoyed me.
Still it's a cute book and I wish there'd be more stories with transgender characters :)
The missing star is because sometimes I felt as if parts of the book are missing. A new chapter starts but it didn't fit with the ending with the previous one and often I browsed back to see if my reader skipped some pages. Which it didn't, but that browsing between the pages disturbed my reading flow a little bit and that annoyed me.
Still it's a cute book and I wish there'd be more stories with transgender characters :)
July 19, 2021
good stuff, a sweet story that takes you for a ride and ends on a good note.
February 6, 2017
As the middle story of three, this is easily read as a standalone.
First time reading the author and the story telling was good, pacy writing keeping the story moving and reader interested.
Josie is living her life fully at college, only her best friend Kyle knows that she started off as Joey. I liked the slow getting to know you between Mark and Josie, her hesitation to tell Mark too much too soon was perfectly understandable. I did find Mark's family a bit too knowing but this is probably because book 1 covered Kevin and Chris.
Kyle and Josie's mum are firmly in her corner and whilst I enjoyed the visual of Kyle as a bodyguard, he didn't do such a good job.
The denouement was as expected and Mark did step back up well. Despite some darker moments and bitchy girls it is upbeat rather than sad. Enjoyed it.
First time reading the author and the story telling was good, pacy writing keeping the story moving and reader interested.
Josie is living her life fully at college, only her best friend Kyle knows that she started off as Joey. I liked the slow getting to know you between Mark and Josie, her hesitation to tell Mark too much too soon was perfectly understandable. I did find Mark's family a bit too knowing but this is probably because book 1 covered Kevin and Chris.
Kyle and Josie's mum are firmly in her corner and whilst I enjoyed the visual of Kyle as a bodyguard, he didn't do such a good job.
The denouement was as expected and Mark did step back up well. Despite some darker moments and bitchy girls it is upbeat rather than sad. Enjoyed it.
September 26, 2014
I loved this story. This was the first book I've ever read featuring a transgender relationship, and even though I have very little to go on by any personal experience, I still came away feeling that it was very realistic. You could really sense Josie's fear and panic about being "found out" and drawing attention to herself. I suppose I was a bit frustrated that the subplot was not further explored (I do like it when villains get their comeuppance), but that's just me showing my aggressive side, lol ;)
April 12, 2016
Take a chance...
This was my first read that featured a trans character so I was a little nervous going into it. Despite a love of mm stories, I often dislike characters who enjoy cross dressing so (in my innocence on the topic) I wasn't sure if that was what I was walking in to, or not.
I'm so happy that I took the chance on this story! I really loved Josie, and never thought of her as anything but a girl. I was proud of Mark for his part in their relationship, and I hope to see more of them in the next story.
This was my first read that featured a trans character so I was a little nervous going into it. Despite a love of mm stories, I often dislike characters who enjoy cross dressing so (in my innocence on the topic) I wasn't sure if that was what I was walking in to, or not.
I'm so happy that I took the chance on this story! I really loved Josie, and never thought of her as anything but a girl. I was proud of Mark for his part in their relationship, and I hope to see more of them in the next story.
January 8, 2015
Who's that girl?
Mark was in love at first sight and pursed Jo until he won her heart. This story is great, a definite page turner and may even teach you a few things about tolerance, compassion, and honesty. Way to go Kimberly! This story should be in everyone's library that reads love stories.
Mark was in love at first sight and pursed Jo until he won her heart. This story is great, a definite page turner and may even teach you a few things about tolerance, compassion, and honesty. Way to go Kimberly! This story should be in everyone's library that reads love stories.
April 27, 2015
I really, really loved this story. Great characters, great writing, great conflict, and I just was rooting for Josie to get her HEA. I will say, I wish there had been more with the two of them in rehearsals for My Fair Lady, but overall this was a very enjoyable story with great characterization and solid writing! Highly recommended!
December 15, 2014
3.5 stars
This is good. Not quiiiite great. I enjoyed the characters and the angst and identity issues. The relationship was sweet and young. While there were some serious issues addressed here, I didn't quite feel as much as I expect to when these are the topics being addressed.
This is good. Not quiiiite great. I enjoyed the characters and the angst and identity issues. The relationship was sweet and young. While there were some serious issues addressed here, I didn't quite feel as much as I expect to when these are the topics being addressed.
April 29, 2014
What a wonderful story, I love Josie and Mark!!
June 15, 2014
I really enjoyed this book.
November 8, 2014
A lovely story, with strong characters, a believable romance, and (most importantly) a carefully handled question of gender without the usual big shock/reveal. Just an all around lovely read.
March 14, 2015
a very good read
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
October 6, 2015
Such an incredibly sweet story of acceptance and love.
January 25, 2016
3.5
I really liked this book. There is some angst, but in general it is a sweet story and IMO realistic. Rounded up because of the transgender character.
I really liked this book. There is some angst, but in general it is a sweet story and IMO realistic. Rounded up because of the transgender character.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews