Drawn

by L.J. Nightingale

306 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

L. J. Nightingale (Lydia Jane) is an author, actor, playwright, and public historian. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from SUNY New Paltz and an MA in Public History from UAlbany. She is originally from Troy, NY.

After seeing the first "Lord of the Rings" film in 2001 at age 12 and proceeding to read all the Tolkien she could find, Lydia knew she wanted to be an actor, a writer, or preferably both. Community theatre and independent film have since become integral and beloved parts of her life.

In 2011, Lydia started writing plays about the experiences of German women during and after WWII, several of which have been produced in various parts of New York State. Most recently, her play ADELE IN BERLIN was shown in the Rochester Fringe Festival in 2023. She took a break from playwriting to finish her debut novel "Drawn", and that break looks to last a while as she continues to develop her first book series.

Lydia lives in Rochester, NY with her husband Michael, his axolotl Terra, and their cat Minnie.

Reviews

[Bad Lass]

Such a heartwarming story among much tragedy. I felt so connected to Jack by the end and happy he found his place in this world.

[Mike]

Full disclosure:
The author is a friend of mine.
I purchased the book myself.
I have not received any compensation from the author or publisher for my review.

This is not the kind of book I normally read, but I like to try new things. Then I realized this IS the kind of book I do read... sort of. Is this a "gay romance"? Yes, but quite a bit more. There's action, there's sci-fi elements, there's historical fiction, and at the center of it all is a solid coming-of-age story. The main character, Jack, goes from (literally) hiding in a closet to the catalyst for the redemption of artists, lovers, and random Russian thugs.

Regardless of gender or orientation, it is easy for the reader to understand, sympathize with, and see through the eyes of Jack. He's the right kind of everyman protagonist. Supporting characters are that, supporting. They are fleshed-out, living, breathing, people with a history and wants and needs. They are real and not just hollow archetypes that add color.

For a debut novel there are elements of mature style and pacing that are not always easy to achieve. The author does a wonderful job of moving the story along with the right amount of exposition, action, and logic to make the story feel real and the world an organic lived-in space. My biggest complaint would be how the ending is structured. The story is left open-ended with some "sequel-baiting", but it seems to be done a little too quickly and without enough explanation. I would have liked to seen a bit more explanation of "The Lights"; just a bit more.

Ultimately, I really liked this book and recommend it. It was pleasant to read, the characters felt real, and it moves along at an enjoyable pace.

[Candace H-H]

I really enjoyed Jack’s story and the way he was able to discover a community of people who supported his authentic identity. I’m also a huge fan of romance with light sci-fi elements. I’d recommend you check out this book if you enjoy historical romance and LGBTQ representation!

[Sandra]

Four stars might be a smidge generous, say 3.75. ( 1 is a horrible book, 2 is a tolerably good book, 3 is a really good book, 4 is a REALLY good to almost great book and 5 stars is reserved for truly great books that I feel will stand the test of time and be studied in schools as Great Literature! I don’t give out many 5 star ratings.)

Go read the book description/blurb and come back here. I’ll wait.

Welcome back.
I had a hard time putting this book down, the story rolled along with interesting action and even more interesting characters. There are not a lot of wasted words in this book, so no daydreaming as I read it. I was really invested in the lives and the emotions of the characters, Jack especially. Which is exactly as the author intended I’m sure. Loved the time travel, SF, mystical angle. It was well done and not overdone. The portrayal of Jack as he learns that he isn’t alone is lovely. I wanted to hug him several times and tell him that he is a good boy and that he is worthy.
I did find a few things that caused a bump in the road, some of it is because I’m an engineer. Like, what size is Jack’s sketch book and what pocket is he putting it in? Getting those right is crucial. Cleverly, the author left that up to the reader, and for the most part, I could ignore it. I just left that as indeterminate. I made only 5 very minor editorial notes in this whole book, and for most books of this length, I find a dozen or more. Well done editors and author.

For the squeamish, the sex is explicit, but not offensive. Well, not to me, your mileage may vary.

But one thing really ticked me off. It is just the first book!!! OMG I gotta wait until the author writes the next book!!!! I propose we all chip in to support her so that she can write faster!!!

I can definitely recommend this book to slightly more adventurous than average readers.

[Carmen]

What a fantastic adventure with weaving of many different genres to enjoy throughout this story. I enjoyed the continuous cycle of character development throughout, I could never tell what would happen next which kept it very exciting to read. I also valued that this is a topic that does not get much representation in the media. The author does a nice job of accurately depicting what these characters must have gone through. I am looking forward to what comes next!

[Sage]

Fantastic story. Nightingale weaves longing and desperate need to belong into two stories with a fantastical twist. I couldn't put it down, highly recommended. This is Nightingale's debut and I can't wait to see where they take us in future books.

[Savannah DeVore]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Jack’s character the most. I liked how he went from an insecure shy guy to someone who became more confident in himself and his sexuality. I liked that Jack was as an artist like rhe guy from Titanic. My favorite part of the book were the unexpected plot twists like Peter being a queer man who was forced to join the mob to pay off debts and Lark being a spy from the US government.