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Silver & Gold
From one-night stands to on-and-off love stories that span decades, the roads of love are diverse and have no map. One of the hardest relationships to navigate may be those with an age difference. Society isn't always sure what to make of May-December pairings, and the odds seem stacked against them. But the wisdom of age and the optimism of youth is a combination not to be underestimated...
After his brother's death, Navy SEAL Zev comes home to take care of his estate in After the Dust (Eleanor Kos), and finds ex-prostitute Julian on his brother's doorstep. In Coffee Boy (Austin Chant), new grad Kieran interns at a senatorial campaign, and has to deal with being an out trans gay man in the workplace, his overbearing supervisor Seth, and his growing, begrudging affection for Seth—not to mention Seth's crush on their straight boss.
In One Last Leap (Helena Maeve), Phillip carries the old wounds of his partner's death, and he's not sure how to deal with an attraction to the much-younger Ivan. A Corgi Named Kilowatt (C.C. Bridges) turns the teacher-student dynamic on its head when young TA Evan clashes with Marc, a dog groomer back at school at forty.
Maddie flirts with the older and mysterious Claudia at a movie, but doesn't expect to see her again—especially not at a cake-tasting session for her best friend's wedding. The Memory of You (Erica Barnes) explores not only the promise of chance encounters, but the reality of them. Runner (Sam Schooler) brings us Eden, who answers an ad for a caregiver but somehow ends up married and trapped in an isolated, dilapidated cabin with his snarly new husband, Mick.
After his brother's death, Navy SEAL Zev comes home to take care of his estate in After the Dust (Eleanor Kos), and finds ex-prostitute Julian on his brother's doorstep. In Coffee Boy (Austin Chant), new grad Kieran interns at a senatorial campaign, and has to deal with being an out trans gay man in the workplace, his overbearing supervisor Seth, and his growing, begrudging affection for Seth—not to mention Seth's crush on their straight boss.
In One Last Leap (Helena Maeve), Phillip carries the old wounds of his partner's death, and he's not sure how to deal with an attraction to the much-younger Ivan. A Corgi Named Kilowatt (C.C. Bridges) turns the teacher-student dynamic on its head when young TA Evan clashes with Marc, a dog groomer back at school at forty.
Maddie flirts with the older and mysterious Claudia at a movie, but doesn't expect to see her again—especially not at a cake-tasting session for her best friend's wedding. The Memory of You (Erica Barnes) explores not only the promise of chance encounters, but the reality of them. Runner (Sam Schooler) brings us Eden, who answers an ad for a caregiver but somehow ends up married and trapped in an isolated, dilapidated cabin with his snarly new husband, Mick.
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2015
About the author
Amanda Jean
3 books33 followersSemi-active editor, occasional author, and karaoke enthusiast, Amanda lives in Washington State.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 27, 2015
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned a cover in one of my book reviews before, but Natasha Snow’s beautiful cover for Silver and Gold is honestly the kind of thing I’d want on my wall! This is an anthology of six novellas compiled by editor Amanda Jean, focusing on same gender couples with an age difference.
This is not the kind of book where the power dynamic is exaggerated in favor of the older lover. I don’t know whether Jean selected the stories this way on purpose to avoid fetishization of the age difference or because power dynamics are already unpredictable if both lovers are the same gender, but either way it gives depth and realism to the stories and I thought it was worth mentioning. Also, some stories have sexual content and some don’t.
There’s one cis f/f story, the charming “The Memory of You”, which asks the question if chemistry is worth overcoming obstacles–real or imaginary. Other than that, the rest are m/m — some cis, some trans — and with plenty of bisexual characters.
I was impressed from the first page, where in “After the Dust”, Eleanor Kos shows me not only a bi, Jewish main character but also a scene that I took part in myself only a few months earlier in real life, as the first speaker (“Will you sit shiva for him? There are people who would sit with you.” “I don’t want to be with strangers.”) I’ve buried six family members in five years, and it’s validating to see mourning experiences so similar to my own described in fiction. Anyway, the story is about a man mourning his brother with the help of his own old military buddies and his brother’s best friend, a down-on-his-luck college student. If you’re here in Glassland for the Jewish content, this is the story you want (with a secular MC.)
In “Coffee Boy”, trans author Austin Chant has his trans MC Kieran point out how hard can be getting people to treat him like a person instead of a Very Special Episode: “Marcus thinks I’m brave for getting out of bed in the morning. He doesn’t take me seriously. He takes my problems seriously.” Kieran is volunteering for a political campaign while slowly falling for his cranky boss Seth, who in turn has a crush on Marcus, their straight supervisor. I think I might have liked this story best just because I feel like I would have gone for Seth myself, and also because I guess I’m a sucker for love starting with “this person sees me like I see myself.” (Seth is a haven of correct pronouns in an office of cis people who need constant reminding.)
What I liked about “One Last Leap” was the setting–Hastings, on the coast of England–and also the configuration of guys. The protagonist was just over fifty, which made him not only the oldest “older lover” in the book but also the only one who was old enough to feel like an “older man” to me, and the love interest was Polish and buff, which I thought was cool because I like bigger guys.
“A Corgi Named Kilowatt” had a cool setup that I’ve seen people mention on Twitter during conversations of why do we need yet another novel about a male professor falling for a younger female student — what if the student was much older than the professor? This one was thoroughly fleshed out for the short length, showing and resolving a very real potential conflict when someone at the beginning of their adult career is involved with someone with significant experience and success in theirs.
Also, when they first meet, the author gives us “Evan couldn’t help but be distracted by the good-looking stranger, with his thick, dark, wavy hair and sleepy bedroom eyes. He had stubble grazing his cheeks, the kind that begged to be stroked. To top it off, his voice was deep, like whiskey over gravel. All those features had long been part of Evan’s mental image of the perfect man.” Okay, so if you know anything about me besides “dragons! Jews! girls kissing!” you know that most of that is what I like in dudes — the facial hair, the deep voice, the age. Plus, I’ve totally experienced that moment, that “zuhhhh” when you see someone who fits all of your “things.”
I don’t care for werewolf fiction — just a personal preference — but “Runner” did have a satisfying ending and I liked the religious element author Sam Schooler created to show how werewolves interact with the moon as a female deity. This is the other trans story.
Overall, a quality book with characters I enjoyed reading about. Thank you, Less than Three Press!
This is not the kind of book where the power dynamic is exaggerated in favor of the older lover. I don’t know whether Jean selected the stories this way on purpose to avoid fetishization of the age difference or because power dynamics are already unpredictable if both lovers are the same gender, but either way it gives depth and realism to the stories and I thought it was worth mentioning. Also, some stories have sexual content and some don’t.
There’s one cis f/f story, the charming “The Memory of You”, which asks the question if chemistry is worth overcoming obstacles–real or imaginary. Other than that, the rest are m/m — some cis, some trans — and with plenty of bisexual characters.
I was impressed from the first page, where in “After the Dust”, Eleanor Kos shows me not only a bi, Jewish main character but also a scene that I took part in myself only a few months earlier in real life, as the first speaker (“Will you sit shiva for him? There are people who would sit with you.” “I don’t want to be with strangers.”) I’ve buried six family members in five years, and it’s validating to see mourning experiences so similar to my own described in fiction. Anyway, the story is about a man mourning his brother with the help of his own old military buddies and his brother’s best friend, a down-on-his-luck college student. If you’re here in Glassland for the Jewish content, this is the story you want (with a secular MC.)
In “Coffee Boy”, trans author Austin Chant has his trans MC Kieran point out how hard can be getting people to treat him like a person instead of a Very Special Episode: “Marcus thinks I’m brave for getting out of bed in the morning. He doesn’t take me seriously. He takes my problems seriously.” Kieran is volunteering for a political campaign while slowly falling for his cranky boss Seth, who in turn has a crush on Marcus, their straight supervisor. I think I might have liked this story best just because I feel like I would have gone for Seth myself, and also because I guess I’m a sucker for love starting with “this person sees me like I see myself.” (Seth is a haven of correct pronouns in an office of cis people who need constant reminding.)
What I liked about “One Last Leap” was the setting–Hastings, on the coast of England–and also the configuration of guys. The protagonist was just over fifty, which made him not only the oldest “older lover” in the book but also the only one who was old enough to feel like an “older man” to me, and the love interest was Polish and buff, which I thought was cool because I like bigger guys.
“A Corgi Named Kilowatt” had a cool setup that I’ve seen people mention on Twitter during conversations of why do we need yet another novel about a male professor falling for a younger female student — what if the student was much older than the professor? This one was thoroughly fleshed out for the short length, showing and resolving a very real potential conflict when someone at the beginning of their adult career is involved with someone with significant experience and success in theirs.
Also, when they first meet, the author gives us “Evan couldn’t help but be distracted by the good-looking stranger, with his thick, dark, wavy hair and sleepy bedroom eyes. He had stubble grazing his cheeks, the kind that begged to be stroked. To top it off, his voice was deep, like whiskey over gravel. All those features had long been part of Evan’s mental image of the perfect man.” Okay, so if you know anything about me besides “dragons! Jews! girls kissing!” you know that most of that is what I like in dudes — the facial hair, the deep voice, the age. Plus, I’ve totally experienced that moment, that “zuhhhh” when you see someone who fits all of your “things.”
I don’t care for werewolf fiction — just a personal preference — but “Runner” did have a satisfying ending and I liked the religious element author Sam Schooler created to show how werewolves interact with the moon as a female deity. This is the other trans story.
Overall, a quality book with characters I enjoyed reading about. Thank you, Less than Three Press!
October 19, 2015
After the Dust (3.5 stars) - I enjoyed this story but felt the time Zev was overseas dragged a little bit. I did enjoy watching Zev and Julian together and liked how they did immediately fall in love with each other.
Coffee Boy (5 stars) This was my favorite one out of the book. It did a good job of showing some of the issues Kieran faced as transsexual. It also did a great job of making the characters come alive. Seth mooing over Marcus and Kieran trying to get him to snap out of it was interesting to watch.
One Last Leap (3 stars) I didn't really get into this one too much. Phillip and Ivan seemed pretty distant too each other throughout the book. There was some tentative stepping around each other but I just didn't feel alot of emotions from them. I also didn't understand what was with Phillip's past and what exactly happened to him.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt (5 stars) I loved this one as well. I liked how these two actually had to deal with the most prominent problem couples with age gaps face. I could feel how much the two cared about each other but I could also see both of their frustrations.
The Memory of You(2 stars) This was my least favorite. I just never liked Claudia that much. I really didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the couple and was irritated with Claudia's reactions.
Runner (2.5 stars) I think this might have been and interesting story but not as a short story. The world building in this leaves a lot to be desired. There were too many elements that just weren't explained and it was a distraction to the relationship dynamics. I also didn't understand why the two of them "felling in love" there just wasn't a whole lot of grasp in their relationship. Lastly as the only paranormal story in this anthology it sticks out as a sore thumb and just doesn't seem to fit.
Coffee Boy (5 stars) This was my favorite one out of the book. It did a good job of showing some of the issues Kieran faced as transsexual. It also did a great job of making the characters come alive. Seth mooing over Marcus and Kieran trying to get him to snap out of it was interesting to watch.
One Last Leap (3 stars) I didn't really get into this one too much. Phillip and Ivan seemed pretty distant too each other throughout the book. There was some tentative stepping around each other but I just didn't feel alot of emotions from them. I also didn't understand what was with Phillip's past and what exactly happened to him.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt (5 stars) I loved this one as well. I liked how these two actually had to deal with the most prominent problem couples with age gaps face. I could feel how much the two cared about each other but I could also see both of their frustrations.
The Memory of You(2 stars) This was my least favorite. I just never liked Claudia that much. I really didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the couple and was irritated with Claudia's reactions.
Runner (2.5 stars) I think this might have been and interesting story but not as a short story. The world building in this leaves a lot to be desired. There were too many elements that just weren't explained and it was a distraction to the relationship dynamics. I also didn't understand why the two of them "felling in love" there just wasn't a whole lot of grasp in their relationship. Lastly as the only paranormal story in this anthology it sticks out as a sore thumb and just doesn't seem to fit.
October 6, 2015
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.
Silver & Gold is an anthology edited by Amanda Jean and is composed of six stories with May-December love stories being the common thread that ties them all together. Each story brings its own unique flavor to this collection, enabling them to stand out and yet never lose track of what the anthology is about. I was able to get through the entire thing in one sitting and enjoyed all six of the stories, though I readily admit that I do have a favorite or two in the pack. I'm giving the anthology an overall rating of 4.5 stars, rounded off to five stars.
Note: This ARC was provided by Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.
Silver & Gold is an anthology edited by Amanda Jean and is composed of six stories with May-December love stories being the common thread that ties them all together. Each story brings its own unique flavor to this collection, enabling them to stand out and yet never lose track of what the anthology is about. I was able to get through the entire thing in one sitting and enjoyed all six of the stories, though I readily admit that I do have a favorite or two in the pack. I'm giving the anthology an overall rating of 4.5 stars, rounded off to five stars.
July 24, 2017
These anthology features 6 short stories. They're all intended to be age difference romances, but I have to say, early 20's/late teens matched to mid-30's doesn't feel very "silver." (This might be because I'm officially in my 30's now, and dammit, that's not old! :D)
After the Dust - some heavy stuff here. Zev's brother has died, and Zev is left not only dealing with the loss and a raging case of PTSD, but also a street kid who's suddenly sleeping on his brother's couch. I really enjoyed it and the natural feeling progression
Coffee Boy - I've read this previously as a stand-alone, and it's great. Kieran is an unpaid intern at a political office, and Seth is his supervisor who's dealing with a massive crush on their boss. It's really fun, although deals with some tense stuff like Seth being a bit too strong on his drive to a be an ally for transguy Kieran. Just super cute and a blast to read.
One Last Leap - Definite love for this one. Philip is a retired dancer and Ivan is part of the construction team refinishing his house. Philip's carrying a wee bit of baggage thanks to an ex-lover (tw: domestic abuse) and also being just to damn old for the strapping construction worker. (I love some romance tropes more than others, and some I'm meh on, but this one manages that trope remarkably well - thankfully, considering what anthology it's a part of...) Very cute and enjoyable.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt - Ooh, okay, will admit, I didn't finish this one. I'm a vet, so if you're going to pull in something like dog training and behavior I am not going to be able to help picking it apart, so that was (obviously personal and individual) mark against it. It also felt slow and like it was going to be full of back and forth angst w/o any need for angst. As I said, romance tropes are hard for me and unless it flawlessly meets my hopes it's a quick pass for me so I moved on.
The Memory of You - I didn't finish this one either, for a very different reason. I was a bit disappointed here, because it's the only f/f romance in the collection, but I hated Claudia. It's probably because I've had those friends who have to tear everything down to prove their superiority. (And to be honest, I was that kid, and then I grew up and left high school and learned it wasn't punk rock to destroy harmless things other people like.) So the meet cute left me very annoyed and not exactly in love with one character, and based on their second meet up she wasn't going to be "gruff but secretly charming older half of couple" but rather someone I wasn't particularly interested in watching a cutesy redemption arc for. Disappointing, but your mileage may vary!
Runner - Ah, the werewolf story. We don't get much world building here which left me a bit confused. Werewolves are a known entity and there seem to be rules about traveling, pack membership, etc. but it's not fleshed out. Regardless, the author does a decent job filling Eden with a sense of urgency so that you understand what's a stake, even if you don't know why. Mick is gruff and a bit lost but comes around. Overall an enjoyable story, but as I said, some confusion. The wrap was also unnecessarily long in my POV, with no real payoff. If you're going to drag it out, the end should not be deciding to drive further into the sunset.
After the Dust - some heavy stuff here. Zev's brother has died, and Zev is left not only dealing with the loss and a raging case of PTSD, but also a street kid who's suddenly sleeping on his brother's couch. I really enjoyed it and the natural feeling progression
Coffee Boy - I've read this previously as a stand-alone, and it's great. Kieran is an unpaid intern at a political office, and Seth is his supervisor who's dealing with a massive crush on their boss. It's really fun, although deals with some tense stuff like Seth being a bit too strong on his drive to a be an ally for transguy Kieran. Just super cute and a blast to read.
One Last Leap - Definite love for this one. Philip is a retired dancer and Ivan is part of the construction team refinishing his house. Philip's carrying a wee bit of baggage thanks to an ex-lover (tw: domestic abuse) and also being just to damn old for the strapping construction worker. (I love some romance tropes more than others, and some I'm meh on, but this one manages that trope remarkably well - thankfully, considering what anthology it's a part of...) Very cute and enjoyable.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt - Ooh, okay, will admit, I didn't finish this one. I'm a vet, so if you're going to pull in something like dog training and behavior I am not going to be able to help picking it apart, so that was (obviously personal and individual) mark against it. It also felt slow and like it was going to be full of back and forth angst w/o any need for angst. As I said, romance tropes are hard for me and unless it flawlessly meets my hopes it's a quick pass for me so I moved on.
The Memory of You - I didn't finish this one either, for a very different reason. I was a bit disappointed here, because it's the only f/f romance in the collection, but I hated Claudia. It's probably because I've had those friends who have to tear everything down to prove their superiority. (And to be honest, I was that kid, and then I grew up and left high school and learned it wasn't punk rock to destroy harmless things other people like.) So the meet cute left me very annoyed and not exactly in love with one character, and based on their second meet up she wasn't going to be "gruff but secretly charming older half of couple" but rather someone I wasn't particularly interested in watching a cutesy redemption arc for. Disappointing, but your mileage may vary!
Runner - Ah, the werewolf story. We don't get much world building here which left me a bit confused. Werewolves are a known entity and there seem to be rules about traveling, pack membership, etc. but it's not fleshed out. Regardless, the author does a decent job filling Eden with a sense of urgency so that you understand what's a stake, even if you don't know why. Mick is gruff and a bit lost but comes around. Overall an enjoyable story, but as I said, some confusion. The wrap was also unnecessarily long in my POV, with no real payoff. If you're going to drag it out, the end should not be deciding to drive further into the sunset.
March 9, 2018
Well, I love May-December romances, and I wanted to have Austin Chant's "Coffee Boy" in print, so this was a no-brainer for me. There were no weak stories in the bunch, and I particularly liked the stories by Sam Schooler and Eleanor Kos (this one so much so that I bought and then devoured her "Wine & Song" quintet). I would have liked an introduction or editor's note, though.
February 23, 2018
After Dust: 4*
Coffe Boy: 3,5*
One Last Leap: 2,5*
A Corgi Named Kilowatt: 2,5*
Coffe Boy: 3,5*
One Last Leap: 2,5*
A Corgi Named Kilowatt: 2,5*
February 4, 2023
KZKS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2024
I was excited going into this anthology because I really like age differences in relationships and there's an Austin Chant story. Unfortunately, that Austin Chant story was one of his published novellas I'd already read, but oh well. My thoughts on each individual story are as follows:
After the Dust by Eleanor Kos [2/5]
I don't know if reading the Out of Uniform series has just spoiled all m/m military romance for me, but this was incredibly lackluster. I didn't care about either of the main characters, and therefore didn't care about their romance. This is about a Navy SEAL whose brother has just died and he meets a younger friend of his brother. Pining ensues. I appreciated that the protagonist was explicitly Jewish, but that was pretty much all this story had going for it. Also, and this might just be because of my skimming towards the end, but it felt like that sex scene really came out of nowhere??
Coffee Boy by Austin Chant [4/5]
I've already read and reviewed this.
One Last Leap by Helena Maeve [4/5]
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It's about Philip, the oldest in this collection at 50, who's getting his house renovated and has the hots for his Polish contractor, Ivan. This had a lot of really frustrating tension in the best way possible and the romance was super cute. Yes, it's super unrealistic that they're literally in love at the end but I don't care, it was still adorable. The setting also made it feel like a very quiet story and I'm all for characters drinking tea together.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt by C.C. Bridges [3/5]
This was started out phenomenally, with a great premise (young college TA falls in love with older student) and a cute romance, but then it felt like the author needed to stretch it out to be a full novella. The angst was super unnecessary in my opinion and didn't really make much sense, to be honest. I still really liked the romance throughout but I kept rolling my eyes anytime there would be conflict because, while realistic, it felt really contrived. Maybe part of that is the fact that the author skipped through the months of their happy relationship. Overall, it was still good, but the second half was very meh.
The Memory of You by Erica Barnes [3.5/5]
This is the only f/f story of this entire collection (a truly sad thing). This one is about Maddie, a twenty-five year old who meets Claudia at the movies. They sit together while watching a romcom where Claudia reveals herself to be a massive cynic, and they then don't see each other for months until a chance meeting brings them back together. At first I wasn't really loving this, mostly because I wasn't liking Claudia very much and thought she and Maddie had no chemistry. But as the story went on I started liking it more, and by the end scene I was melting from cuteness.
Runner by Sam Schooler [2.5/5]
I should have loved this one but I just... didn't. It's a werewolf m/m romance with a trans protagonist and an arranged marriage, all things that should work for me, but I didn't really like the writing style. The romance was really slow-burn, which was good at first but got tiresome when by the end they still weren't really together. The entire thing was just really meh for me.
So, my ratings for each individual story together came to 3.3 stars altogether, which is about right. Honestly, I would only recommend reading Coffee Boy, One Last Leap and The Memory of You.
After the Dust by Eleanor Kos [2/5]
I don't know if reading the Out of Uniform series has just spoiled all m/m military romance for me, but this was incredibly lackluster. I didn't care about either of the main characters, and therefore didn't care about their romance. This is about a Navy SEAL whose brother has just died and he meets a younger friend of his brother. Pining ensues. I appreciated that the protagonist was explicitly Jewish, but that was pretty much all this story had going for it. Also, and this might just be because of my skimming towards the end, but it felt like that sex scene really came out of nowhere??
Coffee Boy by Austin Chant [4/5]
I've already read and reviewed this.
One Last Leap by Helena Maeve [4/5]
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It's about Philip, the oldest in this collection at 50, who's getting his house renovated and has the hots for his Polish contractor, Ivan. This had a lot of really frustrating tension in the best way possible and the romance was super cute. Yes, it's super unrealistic that they're literally in love at the end but I don't care, it was still adorable. The setting also made it feel like a very quiet story and I'm all for characters drinking tea together.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt by C.C. Bridges [3/5]
This was started out phenomenally, with a great premise (young college TA falls in love with older student) and a cute romance, but then it felt like the author needed to stretch it out to be a full novella. The angst was super unnecessary in my opinion and didn't really make much sense, to be honest. I still really liked the romance throughout but I kept rolling my eyes anytime there would be conflict because, while realistic, it felt really contrived. Maybe part of that is the fact that the author skipped through the months of their happy relationship. Overall, it was still good, but the second half was very meh.
The Memory of You by Erica Barnes [3.5/5]
This is the only f/f story of this entire collection (a truly sad thing). This one is about Maddie, a twenty-five year old who meets Claudia at the movies. They sit together while watching a romcom where Claudia reveals herself to be a massive cynic, and they then don't see each other for months until a chance meeting brings them back together. At first I wasn't really loving this, mostly because I wasn't liking Claudia very much and thought she and Maddie had no chemistry. But as the story went on I started liking it more, and by the end scene I was melting from cuteness.
Runner by Sam Schooler [2.5/5]
I should have loved this one but I just... didn't. It's a werewolf m/m romance with a trans protagonist and an arranged marriage, all things that should work for me, but I didn't really like the writing style. The romance was really slow-burn, which was good at first but got tiresome when by the end they still weren't really together. The entire thing was just really meh for me.
So, my ratings for each individual story together came to 3.3 stars altogether, which is about right. Honestly, I would only recommend reading Coffee Boy, One Last Leap and The Memory of You.
September 24, 2015
I received an advance copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
This collection has a little something for everyone but the main theme of the anthology is love stories with an age difference between the main characters. The biggest thing that I enjoyed about these stories is that the younger characters weren't looking for the older character to "fix" their problems. They were all able to stand on their own feet and solve their own issues, which is not the norm that I have found in stories with May/December romances. I also liked that there wasn't any insta-love stories either. Each story had characters that slowly built their relationships up with mutual friendships instead of just jumping in.
One Last Leap-4.5 stars. This was a sweet story of a former dancer that finds himself attracted to a much younger man. Convinced that the best of his life has passed and that someone as young and beautiful as Ivan could never find himself attracted to an older man past his prime, Phillip never the less finds himself forming an unlikely friendship with Ivan that holds some surprises.
Coffee Boy-4.5 stars. I loved this story of Kieran, an intern who is struggling with being accepted as a trans gay man by his co-workers while trying to deal with having a crush on his grumpy supervisor Seth, who in turn has a crush on their straight boss. They slowly, grudgingly develop a mutual respect that turns into much more.
After the Dust-4.5 stars. Zev, a Navy SEAL, comes home to take care of his recently deceased brother's financial affairs and meets Julian, a former prostitute who is trying to make his way through college. Zev takes Julian in, hoping to help him out, and finds that Julian might just be what Zev needs to get his life back in balance.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt-4 stars. Evan is a PhD student who meets Marc when he has to unexpectedly teach a poetry class for an ailing professor. Marc, an older man who has his own dog training business, has decided to go back to school at the age of forty and is a little shocked to realize that he has a strong attraction to the much younger TA from his class. Evan has a wonderful best friend Rae, who gives Evan great advice as his relationship progresses and the dog from the title, Kilowatt, adds some great comic relief.
The Memory of You-3.5 stars. This was one of my least favorite of the collection since I never really warmed to Claudia. Maddie meets Claudia in a darkened theater and feels a connection to her that she never really felt with another woman. They meet again by chance and Maddie has to convince Claudia to give their relationship a try.
Runner-3.5 stars. Eden answered an ad for a caregiver and finds himself married to Mick instead of taking care of the older woman that he imagined. I'm not sure what to think about this entry in the anthology. There was a lot that was going on in this story-an alternate reality coupled with a supernatural aspect to the story along with the various issues that were in the main characters' back stories. I feel the short length of this entry didn't give the author time to properly explain all the things that were going on in the characters' lives and in the dystopian setting. The ending seemed a little fluid to me instead of the tidy happy-for-now or happily-ever-after that I would normally expect.
This collection has a little something for everyone but the main theme of the anthology is love stories with an age difference between the main characters. The biggest thing that I enjoyed about these stories is that the younger characters weren't looking for the older character to "fix" their problems. They were all able to stand on their own feet and solve their own issues, which is not the norm that I have found in stories with May/December romances. I also liked that there wasn't any insta-love stories either. Each story had characters that slowly built their relationships up with mutual friendships instead of just jumping in.
One Last Leap-4.5 stars. This was a sweet story of a former dancer that finds himself attracted to a much younger man. Convinced that the best of his life has passed and that someone as young and beautiful as Ivan could never find himself attracted to an older man past his prime, Phillip never the less finds himself forming an unlikely friendship with Ivan that holds some surprises.
Coffee Boy-4.5 stars. I loved this story of Kieran, an intern who is struggling with being accepted as a trans gay man by his co-workers while trying to deal with having a crush on his grumpy supervisor Seth, who in turn has a crush on their straight boss. They slowly, grudgingly develop a mutual respect that turns into much more.
After the Dust-4.5 stars. Zev, a Navy SEAL, comes home to take care of his recently deceased brother's financial affairs and meets Julian, a former prostitute who is trying to make his way through college. Zev takes Julian in, hoping to help him out, and finds that Julian might just be what Zev needs to get his life back in balance.
A Corgi Named Kilowatt-4 stars. Evan is a PhD student who meets Marc when he has to unexpectedly teach a poetry class for an ailing professor. Marc, an older man who has his own dog training business, has decided to go back to school at the age of forty and is a little shocked to realize that he has a strong attraction to the much younger TA from his class. Evan has a wonderful best friend Rae, who gives Evan great advice as his relationship progresses and the dog from the title, Kilowatt, adds some great comic relief.
The Memory of You-3.5 stars. This was one of my least favorite of the collection since I never really warmed to Claudia. Maddie meets Claudia in a darkened theater and feels a connection to her that she never really felt with another woman. They meet again by chance and Maddie has to convince Claudia to give their relationship a try.
Runner-3.5 stars. Eden answered an ad for a caregiver and finds himself married to Mick instead of taking care of the older woman that he imagined. I'm not sure what to think about this entry in the anthology. There was a lot that was going on in this story-an alternate reality coupled with a supernatural aspect to the story along with the various issues that were in the main characters' back stories. I feel the short length of this entry didn't give the author time to properly explain all the things that were going on in the characters' lives and in the dystopian setting. The ending seemed a little fluid to me instead of the tidy happy-for-now or happily-ever-after that I would normally expect.
March 10, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in return for an honest review.
This is an anthology based on stories of couples with an age difference. Most of these stories were wonderful, full of detail and rich in character. Some chose to address the delicate problems facing May-December pairings, some kind of glossed over those difficulties. All were pretty engaging with characters that were extremely likable. Two things I will point out. This is not an anthology with those nice little short stories you can settle down and read right before bed. Mainly because most of them were a bit on the longer side. I actually didn't have a problem with this, because when a story is good, I usually want more, not less. However, some people do like an anthology for that reason, and this is a heads up that you'll either stay up later than you expected, or finish your story the next night.
Also, I would have been happier if the F/F story hadn't been included. I really enjoyed it, the story was excellent for several reasons; the realistic look at what the concerns are when two people meet but are at different points in their lives, the attraction there that was strong enough to overcome both people's concerns, and the feeling of hope the reader is left with at the end of the story. But it's the only F/F story in the book, and I wanted to read the book for the F/F stories. One story did not nearly sate my appetite. No, this was a M/M anthology with a token F/F story thrown in. Again, those M/M stories were good, just not what I'd wanted. I would have rather had that F/F story somewhere else, and know that the book was M/M.
Anyway, the stories were sweet and loving, and yes, hopeful. I'm definitely glad I got to read them.
This is an anthology based on stories of couples with an age difference. Most of these stories were wonderful, full of detail and rich in character. Some chose to address the delicate problems facing May-December pairings, some kind of glossed over those difficulties. All were pretty engaging with characters that were extremely likable. Two things I will point out. This is not an anthology with those nice little short stories you can settle down and read right before bed. Mainly because most of them were a bit on the longer side. I actually didn't have a problem with this, because when a story is good, I usually want more, not less. However, some people do like an anthology for that reason, and this is a heads up that you'll either stay up later than you expected, or finish your story the next night.
Also, I would have been happier if the F/F story hadn't been included. I really enjoyed it, the story was excellent for several reasons; the realistic look at what the concerns are when two people meet but are at different points in their lives, the attraction there that was strong enough to overcome both people's concerns, and the feeling of hope the reader is left with at the end of the story. But it's the only F/F story in the book, and I wanted to read the book for the F/F stories. One story did not nearly sate my appetite. No, this was a M/M anthology with a token F/F story thrown in. Again, those M/M stories were good, just not what I'd wanted. I would have rather had that F/F story somewhere else, and know that the book was M/M.
Anyway, the stories were sweet and loving, and yes, hopeful. I'm definitely glad I got to read them.
January 2, 2017
Excellent Anthology filled with good stories. I enjoyed them all.
Read
April 17, 2017After the Dust-Eleanor Kos 5*
Coffee Boy-Austin Chant 5*
One Last Leap-Helena Maeve 3*
A Corgi Named Kilowatt-C.C. Bridges 3*
The Memory of You-Erica Barnes DNF
Runner-Sam Schooler Skimmed
Coffee Boy-Austin Chant 5*
One Last Leap-Helena Maeve 3*
A Corgi Named Kilowatt-C.C. Bridges 3*
The Memory of You-Erica Barnes DNF
Runner-Sam Schooler Skimmed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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