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Queers of La Vista #3
The Queer and the Restless
A Queers of La Vista Novel
He must overcome his fear if he's going to embrace her and her free spirit....
Ed Masiello has been on testosterone for a year, is working his dream job as a reporter, and is finally passing as a man (so long as you don’t ask his abuela). But the investigation of a murder case is starting to take over his life. Afraid he’s becoming obsessed, he goes to the local club to relax, and meets the flighty, whimsical Alisha.
Alisha is a free spirit who’s tossed aside ambition for travel and adventure. Her approach to life is a far cry from Ed’s, and while Ed has always assumed that meeting his goals would make him happy, Alisha is much more content than him — despite all the plans she can’t yet fulfill.
As their relationship heats up, so does the murder case. Alisha thinks Ed needs a break, but someone’s got to find this killer, and he wants to be there when it all goes down. Besides, taking off into the great unknown with Alisha is crazy. But opting for what’s safe is just another way of living in fear, and Ed vowed to stop living like that a long time ago.
* * * * * * *
The Queers of La Vista novels can be enjoyed as standalone stories — jump in wherever you'd like!
Word 67,300; page 260
He must overcome his fear if he's going to embrace her and her free spirit....
Ed Masiello has been on testosterone for a year, is working his dream job as a reporter, and is finally passing as a man (so long as you don’t ask his abuela). But the investigation of a murder case is starting to take over his life. Afraid he’s becoming obsessed, he goes to the local club to relax, and meets the flighty, whimsical Alisha.
Alisha is a free spirit who’s tossed aside ambition for travel and adventure. Her approach to life is a far cry from Ed’s, and while Ed has always assumed that meeting his goals would make him happy, Alisha is much more content than him — despite all the plans she can’t yet fulfill.
As their relationship heats up, so does the murder case. Alisha thinks Ed needs a break, but someone’s got to find this killer, and he wants to be there when it all goes down. Besides, taking off into the great unknown with Alisha is crazy. But opting for what’s safe is just another way of living in fear, and Ed vowed to stop living like that a long time ago.
* * * * * * *
The Queers of La Vista novels can be enjoyed as standalone stories — jump in wherever you'd like!
Word 67,300; page 260
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2016
6 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Kris Ripper
89 books400 followersKris Ripper lives in the great state of California and zir pronouns are ze/zir. Kris shares a converted garage with a kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 2, 2016
Sometimes I rate a book 3 stars because I just sort of "liked" it overall, or sometimes I rate books 3 stars because there were parts that I really liked and parts that I didn't like so much and they averaged out. The latter is the case with this story.
Kris Ripper did a lot right with this story, including writing a book with a trans male MC in a M/F relationship, which is notable because it is so rare in romance. I really like reading books that expand my horizons, and I think I learn something newish every time I step outside my box in queer romance. Not that this book reads as particularly didactic, but because it brings up issues that I hadn't realized before.
I'd say that this book is queer romance for queer readers. Not that you have to be queer to read and enjoy it (case in point, me), but because it is a book that feels like it was meant for the QUILTBAG community at large.
I'm going to start off by talking about a few things that I really liked about the book. I absolutely loved the sex scenes, and I wish there were more of them. Every time Alisha referred to Ed's dick in that husky way and brought out the dirty talk... loved it. I'd never read a book with a male trans MC who hadn't had , and I was also interested to see how that played out. It was handled well, I thought, and it felt true to life. I thought it was interesting how Ed called his because I thought that word would be... triggery, but I guess to each trans-person their own. The sex scenes were a jumble of erotic and informative, and I really enjoyed the combo.
I also found a few things so be SUPER interesting. I'd never thought about gendered-noun languages and how difficult that must be for a trans person!! It really blew me away. I mean, you aren't just mis-gendering with "her/him" but with lots of nouns/adjectives. That's just... insane.
In addition, I also found the sexuality of the MCs to be really fascinating. Alisha considered/considers herself a lesbian and hasn't ever been attracted to a guy... until Ed. Now she has to re-think her terms for herself. Is she still a lesbian if she has a boyfriend? I found it interesting how she relabeled herself just queer only attracted to queer people. Would she be attracted to only trans men or cis men too and why or why not? I wanted to ask Alisha a million questions!
Ed was interesting as well. It must be strange going from having the world view you as a lesbian to as a "straight" person. I was really intrigued by Ed's responses to all of that.
However, the book wasn't completely successful, unfortunately. As in the second Queers of La Vista book. I struggled with the romance. I didn't connect with Alisha at all, and I wish we had gotten inside her head too. She seemed too flighty, too scattered, and I couldn't pin down her personality. I mean, I was happy that she liked Ed for himself, but I feel like that was one of the few qualities that connected them.
Also, I felt like that book was much more focused on the mystery at hand than in the romance. I'm NOT a mystery-lover, and it is irritating me more and more how the mystery keeps building but never gets resolved throughout the series. I really don't like being kept in the dark, and the thought of more and more books where a killer looms and we have to guess who it is, it makes me want to quit the series. There was so much talk about who is dying and why and theories that to see the thread continue into the next book and not get a conclusion is hard for me.
I also thought that the snarky, "I'm better than you" attitude of the MCs towards Ed's housemates was a bit tiresome. Give those guys a break, Ed. They seemed pretty decent, actually. In addition, I can't ignore the fact that the pace dragged at times, and that this book took me days to finish, which is usually not a great sign for me.
I wish this book had been simply a contemporary romance with no mystery involved. I wanted to feel the build-up and sexual tension and CHEMISTRY between Ed and Alisha, which is why I read romance, after all. However, though I might quit this series at this point (especially with a menage book coming up... not my style), I will be looking for more from Kris Ripper in the future. I will also rec this book to my friends who are looking for queer literature that feels real.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Kris Ripper did a lot right with this story, including writing a book with a trans male MC in a M/F relationship, which is notable because it is so rare in romance. I really like reading books that expand my horizons, and I think I learn something newish every time I step outside my box in queer romance. Not that this book reads as particularly didactic, but because it brings up issues that I hadn't realized before.
I'd say that this book is queer romance for queer readers. Not that you have to be queer to read and enjoy it (case in point, me), but because it is a book that feels like it was meant for the QUILTBAG community at large.
I'm going to start off by talking about a few things that I really liked about the book. I absolutely loved the sex scenes, and I wish there were more of them. Every time Alisha referred to Ed's dick in that husky way and brought out the dirty talk... loved it. I'd never read a book with a male trans MC who hadn't had , and I was also interested to see how that played out. It was handled well, I thought, and it felt true to life. I thought it was interesting how Ed called his because I thought that word would be... triggery, but I guess to each trans-person their own. The sex scenes were a jumble of erotic and informative, and I really enjoyed the combo.
I also found a few things so be SUPER interesting. I'd never thought about gendered-noun languages and how difficult that must be for a trans person!! It really blew me away. I mean, you aren't just mis-gendering with "her/him" but with lots of nouns/adjectives. That's just... insane.
In addition, I also found the sexuality of the MCs to be really fascinating. Alisha considered/considers herself a lesbian and hasn't ever been attracted to a guy... until Ed. Now she has to re-think her terms for herself. Is she still a lesbian if she has a boyfriend? I found it interesting how she relabeled herself just queer only attracted to queer people. Would she be attracted to only trans men or cis men too and why or why not? I wanted to ask Alisha a million questions!
Ed was interesting as well. It must be strange going from having the world view you as a lesbian to as a "straight" person. I was really intrigued by Ed's responses to all of that.
However, the book wasn't completely successful, unfortunately. As in the second Queers of La Vista book. I struggled with the romance. I didn't connect with Alisha at all, and I wish we had gotten inside her head too. She seemed too flighty, too scattered, and I couldn't pin down her personality. I mean, I was happy that she liked Ed for himself, but I feel like that was one of the few qualities that connected them.
Also, I felt like that book was much more focused on the mystery at hand than in the romance. I'm NOT a mystery-lover, and it is irritating me more and more how the mystery keeps building but never gets resolved throughout the series. I really don't like being kept in the dark, and the thought of more and more books where a killer looms and we have to guess who it is, it makes me want to quit the series. There was so much talk about who is dying and why and theories that to see the thread continue into the next book and not get a conclusion is hard for me.
I also thought that the snarky, "I'm better than you" attitude of the MCs towards Ed's housemates was a bit tiresome. Give those guys a break, Ed. They seemed pretty decent, actually. In addition, I can't ignore the fact that the pace dragged at times, and that this book took me days to finish, which is usually not a great sign for me.
I wish this book had been simply a contemporary romance with no mystery involved. I wanted to feel the build-up and sexual tension and CHEMISTRY between Ed and Alisha, which is why I read romance, after all. However, though I might quit this series at this point (especially with a menage book coming up... not my style), I will be looking for more from Kris Ripper in the future. I will also rec this book to my friends who are looking for queer literature that feels real.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
November 11, 2016
3.5 Hearts
This is what I call an easy read-low angst, likable characters, engaging plot, relatable dialogue, fun or interesting secondary characters and not a lot of forced dramatics.
Ed is at the bottom of the food chain at the local paper, getting the grunt work of clairvoyant blind cats and mall openings when he wants to do something productive and meaningful. He keeps his nose to the grindstone even though he sort of loathes it. He's from La Vista and knows pretty much everyone, something that will likely come in handy in the future. He has a dry wit and struggles with self-consciousness and self-confidence.
Things start looking up after bumping into Alisha one night at Club Fred when a dance turns into the start of something.
Alisha is one of those magnetic people who have that joie de vivre that's so contagious that maybe you find yourself doing things that you've never intended to, but end up having a good time anyway mostly because you're with her. She's creative and a little bit of a Bohemian. She's also into Ed and rather brazen about letting him know just how much.
Their relationship has an authenticity to it. They like each other and start spending as much time together as possible. On more than one occasion I found myself giggling at their role play games. They may have too many differences, but they are definitely happy right now and hopefully their relationship will strengthen the longer they're together.
I have to say, though, that as much as I enjoyed reading about Ed and Alisha I became positively CONSUMED by the serial killer storyline. I'm so grateful that the whole story was told through Ed who seems to be just as consumed. It goes without saying that I'm locked in for the rest of the series if for no other reason than to find out the killer's identity as well as Togg. I have two working theories there but am still clueless as to the identity of the killer. I have a wild card possibility that I'm not exceedingly confident in.
Also, I should probably mention how much I appreciate gaining insight and expanding my knowledge base, so the inclusion of ordinary events that I take for granted being shown through the eyes of a trans person and how tricky they can be was edifying and eye-opening.
Recommended for fans of the series or those who like an angst free romance.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is what I call an easy read-low angst, likable characters, engaging plot, relatable dialogue, fun or interesting secondary characters and not a lot of forced dramatics.
Ed is at the bottom of the food chain at the local paper, getting the grunt work of clairvoyant blind cats and mall openings when he wants to do something productive and meaningful. He keeps his nose to the grindstone even though he sort of loathes it. He's from La Vista and knows pretty much everyone, something that will likely come in handy in the future. He has a dry wit and struggles with self-consciousness and self-confidence.
Things start looking up after bumping into Alisha one night at Club Fred when a dance turns into the start of something.
Alisha is one of those magnetic people who have that joie de vivre that's so contagious that maybe you find yourself doing things that you've never intended to, but end up having a good time anyway mostly because you're with her. She's creative and a little bit of a Bohemian. She's also into Ed and rather brazen about letting him know just how much.
Their relationship has an authenticity to it. They like each other and start spending as much time together as possible. On more than one occasion I found myself giggling at their role play games. They may have too many differences, but they are definitely happy right now and hopefully their relationship will strengthen the longer they're together.
I have to say, though, that as much as I enjoyed reading about Ed and Alisha I became positively CONSUMED by the serial killer storyline. I'm so grateful that the whole story was told through Ed who seems to be just as consumed. It goes without saying that I'm locked in for the rest of the series if for no other reason than to find out the killer's identity as well as Togg. I have two working theories there but am still clueless as to the identity of the killer. I have a wild card possibility that I'm not exceedingly confident in.
Also, I should probably mention how much I appreciate gaining insight and expanding my knowledge base, so the inclusion of ordinary events that I take for granted being shown through the eyes of a trans person and how tricky they can be was edifying and eye-opening.
Recommended for fans of the series or those who like an angst free romance.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2016
HAPPY RELEASE DAY :)
This book of the Queers of La Vista series is my favourite so far. I had such a good time reading it and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Especially when it comes to reading contemporary romance that is something I cannot say that often, so this is high praise coming from me. I really have nothing to even niggle about and so you could just go and buy the book right now ;-)
From the very first page on I loved Ed. He’s just the right amount of confident and still needing to figure things out. He’s smart and funny, neither over the top nor plain, but just the guy you’d love to have as a friend. I understood his feelings and could relate to him on a deep level.
Like Ed, I’d totally fall for quirky and adventurous Alisha. She’s sexy and impulsive and it’ll make you happy to be around her. She’s real and fun and I think I have a crush on her. I am not sure I would have gone with her on that hiking trip, though. WTF. Like. WTF. My J would never hear the end of it in this life time. But when Alisha meets Ed’s (jock type) roommates, I couldn’t stop laughing because she was just fucking perfect and hilarious. I think you should really meet her but remember, I called dibs.
Ed’s and Alisha’s relationship is beautiful in their very simplicity. That might sound weird to you but I absolutely love that they just don’t have a big fat drama or issues to work through. They reminded me of my J and myself. Of course, when you’re a new couple you need to figure things out and you have the one or other fight but it doesn’t always have to be life and love threatening. I wish their were more books with these kind of simple relationships out there.
Here’s a small passage that I found beautiful and fitting:
I realise I haven’t said anything about Ed being trans and apart from YAY absolutely great trans representation by a trans author I don’t think I want to. It’s just… Ed is trans and that’s part of him but that’s really not the focus of the book and I feel it really doesn’t have to. It’s bloody perfect.
Next to the relationship another important element of the book centres around the murders that are happening in La Vista. While it was only more or less mentioned in the fist two books, Ed as a journalist tries to help get the investigation along. I won’t get into this very much but what I find to be extraordinarily well done is how much the book here feels as a comprehensive whole and everything plays together.
We meet some of the old characters again and some new ones. We read about interesting and thoughtful conversations, and I have my first ideas who the murderer might be, which is actually quite scary:
I can’t believe we need to wait till book 5 to get to know who it really is…
The Queer and the Restless is book 3 in the series and while I think it does work as a standalone, you should definitely read the rest of the series as well. Check out our reviews of Gays of Our Lives and The Butch and the Beautiful if you haven’t already.
Don’t miss this great series and definitely do not miss this instalment. It’s fabulous.
___________________________________
Genre: contemporary romance
Tags: M/F, trans, queer, POC, Murder Investigation, LGBT Youth Center
Rating: 5 stars
Blog: Review for Just Love Romance
Disclosure: ARC for review
This book of the Queers of La Vista series is my favourite so far. I had such a good time reading it and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Especially when it comes to reading contemporary romance that is something I cannot say that often, so this is high praise coming from me. I really have nothing to even niggle about and so you could just go and buy the book right now ;-)
From the very first page on I loved Ed. He’s just the right amount of confident and still needing to figure things out. He’s smart and funny, neither over the top nor plain, but just the guy you’d love to have as a friend. I understood his feelings and could relate to him on a deep level.
Like Ed, I’d totally fall for quirky and adventurous Alisha. She’s sexy and impulsive and it’ll make you happy to be around her. She’s real and fun and I think I have a crush on her. I am not sure I would have gone with her on that hiking trip, though. WTF. Like. WTF. My J would never hear the end of it in this life time. But when Alisha meets Ed’s (jock type) roommates, I couldn’t stop laughing because she was just fucking perfect and hilarious. I think you should really meet her but remember, I called dibs.
Ed’s and Alisha’s relationship is beautiful in their very simplicity. That might sound weird to you but I absolutely love that they just don’t have a big fat drama or issues to work through. They reminded me of my J and myself. Of course, when you’re a new couple you need to figure things out and you have the one or other fight but it doesn’t always have to be life and love threatening. I wish their were more books with these kind of simple relationships out there.
Here’s a small passage that I found beautiful and fitting:
“This is why I came out here tonight,” she murmured.
“You came out here to kiss me?”
“To be kissed by you. There’s a difference.” Her hands guided me loosely until both of us were moving together. I touched her hair, her shoulders, her arms, sheathed in sheer black sleeves that were loose at her wrists. It was still fun, with a thin vein of something serious running through it. We danced, laughing at each other, kissing a little more, but never too much. Her hands on my body didn’t make me feel exposed. I may have made her feel beautiful, but she made me feel something else, something precious. Dancing with Alisha made me feel handsome, like a boy out with a beautiful girl.
I realise I haven’t said anything about Ed being trans and apart from YAY absolutely great trans representation by a trans author I don’t think I want to. It’s just… Ed is trans and that’s part of him but that’s really not the focus of the book and I feel it really doesn’t have to. It’s bloody perfect.
Next to the relationship another important element of the book centres around the murders that are happening in La Vista. While it was only more or less mentioned in the fist two books, Ed as a journalist tries to help get the investigation along. I won’t get into this very much but what I find to be extraordinarily well done is how much the book here feels as a comprehensive whole and everything plays together.
We meet some of the old characters again and some new ones. We read about interesting and thoughtful conversations, and I have my first ideas who the murderer might be, which is actually quite scary:
I wanted it to be someone nobody knew. I wanted it to be someone straight, someone who targeted the community from the outside, someone I could feel free to hate.
I can’t believe we need to wait till book 5 to get to know who it really is…
The Queer and the Restless is book 3 in the series and while I think it does work as a standalone, you should definitely read the rest of the series as well. Check out our reviews of Gays of Our Lives and The Butch and the Beautiful if you haven’t already.
Don’t miss this great series and definitely do not miss this instalment. It’s fabulous.
___________________________________
Genre: contemporary romance
Tags: M/F, trans, queer, POC, Murder Investigation, LGBT Youth Center
Rating: 5 stars
Blog: Review for Just Love Romance
Disclosure: ARC for review
Read
November 3, 2016Another cracker. The murder mystery element of the series is kicking into gear, which shifts the focus off the romance a little, but adds to the urgent need to get the next book. Really enjoyed this--Alisha's determination to enjoy herself, Ed's intensity, the extremely well drawn setting and range of familiar characters living their lives off page. I also like the way that this book and series touches on so many serious issues but doesn't offer glib solutions, or indeed any solutions except to get of our arses and be decent to one another. Sometimes that's all we can do, but we have a responsibility to do it.
Aaand now to wait for book 4 goddammit I hate series. /grumbles/
Aaand now to wait for book 4 goddammit I hate series. /grumbles/
April 25, 2017
Actual rating is 3.5
How messed up is it that this was the one book in the series that I was looking forward to reading the most...only to end the least satisfying one?
What I liked
+ Ed/Alisha (cuteness (almost) 24/7)
It was v. neat how much they "got" about each other. And, like, even during those moments in which they'd argue, they'd somehow manage to reach a workable compromise.
In some ways, being together brought out the best in each other.
Also, their dates were v. fun (not to mention the sexy times which were HOT AF!) Their relationship is the kind that's bubbly and neat to see from both afar and up close. It's v. difficult to not become charmed by them as long as they were together. #AHEM
+ Ed (the sweetest dude)
There were a LOT of things I liked about Ed: his ambition as a journalist (with many scenes that show how green he really is); his friendcrush on Cameron (I really liked their banter); his resignation at keeping his blood family at arms' length (due to their inability to accept that Ed's a dude)--oh, except for his abuela; his focus.
Ed's charm as a main character wasn't the fact that he was trans or Latinx. I lurved that he was a POC transdude. As a matter of fact, the way that Ripper approaches Ed's identity is freaking brilliant. #Andthat'sallImgonnasayaboutthat
+ QUEERS EVERYWHERE (redux)!
In addition to the couples we've seen in Books 1 and 2, we get a few new additions (such as Cameron.) This expansion of the La Vista 'verse placed the spotlight on the idea of what the queer community can be.
Like, if Book 1 was about establishing this 'verse and Book 2 had a B-plot about LGTBQ+ youth, then this one really establishes the idea of the queer community (with the club setting as a queer space.)
Even more interesting is that we also get a couple of outsiders' POVs (a couple of straight, cisgender men) about said queer space. The contrast between what a straight cisgender guy thinks of a queer club (for example) vs. what a transgender man might think is sharp in all the best ways.
What I didn't like
- Alisha (*annoyed sigh*)
As groovycakes as Alisha was whenever she hung out with Ed, by the halfway point of the story, I began to find her to be kinda annoying. A lot of my grrs are on me since her free spirited personality is the kind that would irritate the f out of me in real life/offline. In a certain way, she definitely toed the line (for me) into Manic Pixie Girl land. #YMMV
This is all resulted in a push-pull moment when I felt adrift in my attempt to understand Alisha and why she'd fall for Ed. The more I tried to like her for herself, the more frustrated I became. In the end, I chose to yield to the fact that Ed saw something in her that pinged him.
Perhaps some of my disappointment with Alisha as a character on her own was that I didn't feel like I ever got to know her. She was cute and totally up for (almost) anything. Her spontaneity brought a much-needed lightness to Ed's life. But even after I finished the book, I couldn't figure out why she'd decided to leave her identity as a lesbian (according to her, she'd only dated women until Ed) without too much fuss. Or anything about her relationship with her family, for example. I dunno, y'all. Truth is, I can only take so much flakiness before I throw my hands in the air and/or make a Muppet!face.
- Mystery interruptus (Ugh!)
This is the one book where, basically, all of the pieces about the mystery finally get put on the board. Patterns are emerging, connections are being made, etc.
HOWEVUH, I started to feel kinda anxious when I realized I was at the 91% mark and there hadn't been any significant progress on the overall serial killer arc. Given that the mystery was the other A-plot, the lack of payoff was quite aggravating.
Instead of a resolution, something happens and the book pretty much ends a chapter later. Although I understood [character's] decision about the occurrence, the soft cliffhanger annoyed me.
Like, be forewarned that, if you read this book for the mystery, you'll better not expect to get ANY closure until the next book in the series. #Sadtrombone
+/- The two plots (oil and water)
As I've just mentioned, there were NO B-plots. OTOH, we follow Ed and Alisha's rom-com story (which is v. enjoyable to read.) OTOH, there's the incredibly grim mystery and Ed's unofficial investigation.
Unfortch, the two plots never merge the way they should have. And, the one attempt to making them into one story reads v. forced.
TL;DR: An OK entry in a v. cool series. In a way, I think it works better if you try to read it as a romance instead of a mystery. It could be that my temporary letdown regarding the latter led me to give this book a lower rating.
BTW, I know this book is marketed as a standalone and I'm sure that some people will enjoy it on its own. BUT I truly feel that reading the Queers of La Vista series in sequence totes enriches each book's storyline. :)
How messed up is it that this was the one book in the series that I was looking forward to reading the most...only to end the least satisfying one?
What I liked
+ Ed/Alisha (cuteness (almost) 24/7)
It was v. neat how much they "got" about each other. And, like, even during those moments in which they'd argue, they'd somehow manage to reach a workable compromise.
In some ways, being together brought out the best in each other.
Also, their dates were v. fun (not to mention the sexy times which were HOT AF!) Their relationship is the kind that's bubbly and neat to see from both afar and up close. It's v. difficult to not become charmed by them as long as they were together. #AHEM
+ Ed (the sweetest dude)
There were a LOT of things I liked about Ed: his ambition as a journalist (with many scenes that show how green he really is); his friendcrush on Cameron (I really liked their banter); his resignation at keeping his blood family at arms' length (due to their inability to accept that Ed's a dude)--oh, except for his abuela; his focus.
Ed's charm as a main character wasn't the fact that he was trans or Latinx. I lurved that he was a POC transdude. As a matter of fact, the way that Ripper approaches Ed's identity is freaking brilliant. #Andthat'sallImgonnasayaboutthat
+ QUEERS EVERYWHERE (redux)!
In addition to the couples we've seen in Books 1 and 2, we get a few new additions (such as Cameron.) This expansion of the La Vista 'verse placed the spotlight on the idea of what the queer community can be.
Like, if Book 1 was about establishing this 'verse and Book 2 had a B-plot about LGTBQ+ youth, then this one really establishes the idea of the queer community (with the club setting as a queer space.)
Even more interesting is that we also get a couple of outsiders' POVs (a couple of straight, cisgender men) about said queer space. The contrast between what a straight cisgender guy thinks of a queer club (for example) vs. what a transgender man might think is sharp in all the best ways.
What I didn't like
- Alisha (*annoyed sigh*)
As groovycakes as Alisha was whenever she hung out with Ed, by the halfway point of the story, I began to find her to be kinda annoying. A lot of my grrs are on me since her free spirited personality is the kind that would irritate the f out of me in real life/offline. In a certain way, she definitely toed the line (for me) into Manic Pixie Girl land. #YMMV
This is all resulted in a push-pull moment when I felt adrift in my attempt to understand Alisha and why she'd fall for Ed. The more I tried to like her for herself, the more frustrated I became. In the end, I chose to yield to the fact that Ed saw something in her that pinged him.
Perhaps some of my disappointment with Alisha as a character on her own was that I didn't feel like I ever got to know her. She was cute and totally up for (almost) anything. Her spontaneity brought a much-needed lightness to Ed's life. But even after I finished the book, I couldn't figure out why she'd decided to leave her identity as a lesbian (according to her, she'd only dated women until Ed) without too much fuss. Or anything about her relationship with her family, for example. I dunno, y'all. Truth is, I can only take so much flakiness before I throw my hands in the air and/or make a Muppet!face.
- Mystery interruptus (Ugh!)
This is the one book where, basically, all of the pieces about the mystery finally get put on the board. Patterns are emerging, connections are being made, etc.
HOWEVUH, I started to feel kinda anxious when I realized I was at the 91% mark and there hadn't been any significant progress on the overall serial killer arc. Given that the mystery was the other A-plot, the lack of payoff was quite aggravating.
Instead of a resolution, something happens and the book pretty much ends a chapter later. Although I understood [character's] decision about the occurrence, the soft cliffhanger annoyed me.
Like, be forewarned that, if you read this book for the mystery, you'll better not expect to get ANY closure until the next book in the series. #Sadtrombone
+/- The two plots (oil and water)
As I've just mentioned, there were NO B-plots. OTOH, we follow Ed and Alisha's rom-com story (which is v. enjoyable to read.) OTOH, there's the incredibly grim mystery and Ed's unofficial investigation.
Unfortch, the two plots never merge the way they should have. And, the one attempt to making them into one story reads v. forced.
TL;DR: An OK entry in a v. cool series. In a way, I think it works better if you try to read it as a romance instead of a mystery. It could be that my temporary letdown regarding the latter led me to give this book a lower rating.
BTW, I know this book is marketed as a standalone and I'm sure that some people will enjoy it on its own. BUT I truly feel that reading the Queers of La Vista series in sequence totes enriches each book's storyline. :)
December 7, 2016
I enjoyed this story so much! What a great series this is turning out to be! Highly recommended!
Here is the full review posted also on Ellie Reads Fiction:
This is my favourite book in the Queers of La Vista series far. It continues the suspense/crime plot line from the previous two books, so you should definitely read them before this one. It will make your appreciation of Ed and Alisha's story even better.
I absolutely loved Ed. And I loved that his character was not only about being trans but also about being a young man in general - professional ups and downs, relationship wins and losses that have nothing to do with his gender/sexual identity.
We see his struggles with being trans too - lack of acceptance/support from his family, his fear of not always passing, of not being male enough, the doubts and insecurities of being liked/loved for who he was not and just for the sake of being an adventure or a thrilling experience to be cross off someone's bucket list.
We see him dedicated to his work, trying hard to rise and develop professionally to the extend of putting everything else in his life on hold. He became sort of obsessed with his work when it got tangled up in uncovering the murder mystery threatening his community.
Alisha was Ed's are perfect opposites in many ways. I found it a bit more difficult to relate to her even though I did like her a lot too. She was different, craving adventure and fun, seemingly flighty and irresponsible in comparison to Ed who came off as too serious, to the point of boring at times.
I loved them as a couple, though, and think they suited each other well. Still, I felt that her attraction to him was not as well explicitly shown in the text as his to her. Her motifs for liking him and wanting to be with him remained a bit unclear to me. What I really loved though was the way she treated Ed - she loved the man he was and was supporting and understanding of his fears and desires. I felt their relationship created a true sense of intimacy where one can be open about one's feelings free of judgement or ridicule.
There is an easy flow to this story, very much like in the previous two stories in the series. Once again we get the sort of effortless, easy going and simple, yet engaging and real writing of Kris Ripper. Ze manages to create a great sense of community by adding all these details about the characters in each story in the series.
I'm really excited for the next books as this is shaping to be a really unique, all-encompassing, fun and enjoyable series of diverse romance.
Here is the full review posted also on Ellie Reads Fiction:
This is my favourite book in the Queers of La Vista series far. It continues the suspense/crime plot line from the previous two books, so you should definitely read them before this one. It will make your appreciation of Ed and Alisha's story even better.
I absolutely loved Ed. And I loved that his character was not only about being trans but also about being a young man in general - professional ups and downs, relationship wins and losses that have nothing to do with his gender/sexual identity.
We see his struggles with being trans too - lack of acceptance/support from his family, his fear of not always passing, of not being male enough, the doubts and insecurities of being liked/loved for who he was not and just for the sake of being an adventure or a thrilling experience to be cross off someone's bucket list.
We see him dedicated to his work, trying hard to rise and develop professionally to the extend of putting everything else in his life on hold. He became sort of obsessed with his work when it got tangled up in uncovering the murder mystery threatening his community.
Alisha was Ed's are perfect opposites in many ways. I found it a bit more difficult to relate to her even though I did like her a lot too. She was different, craving adventure and fun, seemingly flighty and irresponsible in comparison to Ed who came off as too serious, to the point of boring at times.
I loved them as a couple, though, and think they suited each other well. Still, I felt that her attraction to him was not as well explicitly shown in the text as his to her. Her motifs for liking him and wanting to be with him remained a bit unclear to me. What I really loved though was the way she treated Ed - she loved the man he was and was supporting and understanding of his fears and desires. I felt their relationship created a true sense of intimacy where one can be open about one's feelings free of judgement or ridicule.
There is an easy flow to this story, very much like in the previous two stories in the series. Once again we get the sort of effortless, easy going and simple, yet engaging and real writing of Kris Ripper. Ze manages to create a great sense of community by adding all these details about the characters in each story in the series.
I'm really excited for the next books as this is shaping to be a really unique, all-encompassing, fun and enjoyable series of diverse romance.
August 27, 2022
So basically I wanted healthy, happy, sexy shit which is what I expect from Kris Ripper after reading the Scientific Method series like, the three times, and the Love study series which I just adore, so I forgot that this series is basically a murder mystery circling around a serial killer targeting queers. Not so happy, tbh. Still, I appreciate, as always, the diversity in this, and loved reading from Ed's perspective. And reading smut featuring trans people in a non-fetishizing way? Hell yeah! However this particular love story didn't really click for me the way Ripper's other couples/throuples etc do. Will only continue reading when I'm in a better headspace, though.
February 7, 2017
*I received this book from NetGalley and Riptide Publishing in return for a fair review.*
This is the third book in the Queers of La Vista series, which is important in several ways – somewhat minor characters (depending on the book and situation) pop up throughout the series – sometimes getting major starring roles of their own, sometimes just mentioned in passing, there’s a murder mystery that’s been running throughout the series (well, at least the first three books now), and – maybe most importantly on a personal level – I acquired access to this book a good longish while ago, but didn’t read it until now. Because I’d read and loved the second book (no not because of that), so asked for the third – then when I got it, attempted to read the first book . . . and couldn’t (mind you, I know that some people ‘still’ see that one as the ‘best’). Which blocked me.
The Queers of La Vista series is one of those oddball ones that require a certain broad reading ability. As in – the first book involves two men getting hot and heavy (so MM romance; one of whom is a rather depressing sort – and I believe he was before he acquired multiple sclerosis – which certain didn’t help his depressing personality) with a touch of BDSM tossed in (not sure how much, there were tastes of it in the 27% of the book I’ve been able to read so far (the two main characters in this book are Emerson Robinette and Obie ‘NoLastNamegiven in book synopsis’ – both get mentioned, and Obie has one or three lines of dialogue in the third book); second book involves two women (so FF romance), one kind of a poster child for Butch women (the well dressed kind), while the other is all curves and feminity (Jaq Cummings and Hannah – both show up and have significant lines in book three); book three, this book here, involves a man and a woman, so MF romance. With a twist (more detailed later). Book four involves a poly relationship involving three men (so a MMM romance – Cameron plays a biggish role in book three; and both Josh and Keith (to certain extents) play roles in prior books)). And book five involves another FF romance (and this one also being something of a twist – what with it being a ‘pretend’ dating thing, but I’m just going by the book description here; this one stars Zane Jaffe who has popped up in all of the books I’ve read as a fun loving, weird dancer, who is obsessed with putting a baby in herself (as in getting pregnant, not as in humping people to put a baby there).
Right. Those were some rather large paragraphs. But this is supposed to be about this book here, so let’s get to that, eh?
The book stars Ed Masiello, half Mexican half Italian, and Alisha, whose genetic make-up – if given – didn’t stick in my brain. Ed works as a reporter on fluff general interest stories – though he’d prefer more hard hitting work; while Alisha works in an adventure company – setting up adventures for people (like setting up hang-gliding in Hawaii for fat lazy balding accountants), but would prefer to be doing the adventures herself – though ‘going with the flow’ type of adventures, not preplanned.
Ed and Alisha have known each other for a while, before the book opening, but they’ve mostly been in adjoining circles, not talking much to each other. Until this book that is. When the two hook up. Which is where the twist comes in, you know that MF romance, but with a twist. Since Alisha is a lesbian and feels odd thinking of herself as straight (so she thinks of switching to using ‘queer’); while Ed also has some issues thinking of himself as straight – even though he has always been attracted to women. It’s the part wherein his father wants nothing to do with ‘Anna’ until she ‘starts acting normal again’ that might explain a few things (what with Ed’s birth name being Anna – Ed’s spent most of his life as a lesbian attempting to figure out how to fit his body, until he realized what exactly was going on – i.e., he is transgender (and is in the transition process)).
The murder mystery that has been bubbling along for a while now in the series plays a big role in this story – Ed is obsessed with it and works diligently to try to figure out what is going on – mostly on his own time, though. It’s an obsession that has an impact on his life (gets in trouble at work, relationship issues, etc. etc.). Quite neat how everything occurred.
Another ‘neat’ thing was the relationship involving Ed and Alisha. In some ways it felt more real than some I’ve read lately – especially their point of conflict. For both have personalities that the kind that do not exactly mesh together well. So it was neat to see that actually play out in a more realistic way than have a point of conflict that was some generic romance trope, but that actually focused on the characters that were in the story.
You know those couples you see, who have been together for 10, 20, 30 years and are ‘known’ as always fighting, always bickering, but showing occasional flashes of love? I’ve a suspicion that if Ed and Alisha actually made it that long, that they would be one of those kinds of couples. Because their personalities really are, at times, opposed.
Neat to see this story unfold and fill up the pages of the book. Both the romance and the mystery.
One last thought that I almost forgot to include – I like humorous sex scenes – there was at least one quite good humorous sex scene in this book.
Rating: 4.38
January 3 2017
This is the third book in the Queers of La Vista series, which is important in several ways – somewhat minor characters (depending on the book and situation) pop up throughout the series – sometimes getting major starring roles of their own, sometimes just mentioned in passing, there’s a murder mystery that’s been running throughout the series (well, at least the first three books now), and – maybe most importantly on a personal level – I acquired access to this book a good longish while ago, but didn’t read it until now. Because I’d read and loved the second book (no not because of that), so asked for the third – then when I got it, attempted to read the first book . . . and couldn’t (mind you, I know that some people ‘still’ see that one as the ‘best’). Which blocked me.
The Queers of La Vista series is one of those oddball ones that require a certain broad reading ability. As in – the first book involves two men getting hot and heavy (so MM romance; one of whom is a rather depressing sort – and I believe he was before he acquired multiple sclerosis – which certain didn’t help his depressing personality) with a touch of BDSM tossed in (not sure how much, there were tastes of it in the 27% of the book I’ve been able to read so far (the two main characters in this book are Emerson Robinette and Obie ‘NoLastNamegiven in book synopsis’ – both get mentioned, and Obie has one or three lines of dialogue in the third book); second book involves two women (so FF romance), one kind of a poster child for Butch women (the well dressed kind), while the other is all curves and feminity (Jaq Cummings and Hannah – both show up and have significant lines in book three); book three, this book here, involves a man and a woman, so MF romance. With a twist (more detailed later). Book four involves a poly relationship involving three men (so a MMM romance – Cameron plays a biggish role in book three; and both Josh and Keith (to certain extents) play roles in prior books)). And book five involves another FF romance (and this one also being something of a twist – what with it being a ‘pretend’ dating thing, but I’m just going by the book description here; this one stars Zane Jaffe who has popped up in all of the books I’ve read as a fun loving, weird dancer, who is obsessed with putting a baby in herself (as in getting pregnant, not as in humping people to put a baby there).
Right. Those were some rather large paragraphs. But this is supposed to be about this book here, so let’s get to that, eh?
The book stars Ed Masiello, half Mexican half Italian, and Alisha, whose genetic make-up – if given – didn’t stick in my brain. Ed works as a reporter on fluff general interest stories – though he’d prefer more hard hitting work; while Alisha works in an adventure company – setting up adventures for people (like setting up hang-gliding in Hawaii for fat lazy balding accountants), but would prefer to be doing the adventures herself – though ‘going with the flow’ type of adventures, not preplanned.
Ed and Alisha have known each other for a while, before the book opening, but they’ve mostly been in adjoining circles, not talking much to each other. Until this book that is. When the two hook up. Which is where the twist comes in, you know that MF romance, but with a twist. Since Alisha is a lesbian and feels odd thinking of herself as straight (so she thinks of switching to using ‘queer’); while Ed also has some issues thinking of himself as straight – even though he has always been attracted to women. It’s the part wherein his father wants nothing to do with ‘Anna’ until she ‘starts acting normal again’ that might explain a few things (what with Ed’s birth name being Anna – Ed’s spent most of his life as a lesbian attempting to figure out how to fit his body, until he realized what exactly was going on – i.e., he is transgender (and is in the transition process)).
The murder mystery that has been bubbling along for a while now in the series plays a big role in this story – Ed is obsessed with it and works diligently to try to figure out what is going on – mostly on his own time, though. It’s an obsession that has an impact on his life (gets in trouble at work, relationship issues, etc. etc.). Quite neat how everything occurred.
Another ‘neat’ thing was the relationship involving Ed and Alisha. In some ways it felt more real than some I’ve read lately – especially their point of conflict. For both have personalities that the kind that do not exactly mesh together well. So it was neat to see that actually play out in a more realistic way than have a point of conflict that was some generic romance trope, but that actually focused on the characters that were in the story.
You know those couples you see, who have been together for 10, 20, 30 years and are ‘known’ as always fighting, always bickering, but showing occasional flashes of love? I’ve a suspicion that if Ed and Alisha actually made it that long, that they would be one of those kinds of couples. Because their personalities really are, at times, opposed.
Neat to see this story unfold and fill up the pages of the book. Both the romance and the mystery.
One last thought that I almost forgot to include – I like humorous sex scenes – there was at least one quite good humorous sex scene in this book.
Rating: 4.38
January 3 2017
October 23, 2016
I must admit – I haven’t read many trans* books, but since I had started this series, I wanted to read this one and follow along with it all.
I will also admit, I was blown away by the story. Ripper has once again shown that their writing skills are amazing with how this story was pulled off.
I loved Ed’s character, but I think that I loved Alisha’s character even more. Her acceptance of Ed was amazing. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Ed was the man that she wanted to be with. The only problem was helping Ed realize that Alisha really loved him.
The way that Ed and Alisha were complete opposites, almost as completely opposite as 2 people could be, but they still tried to find ways to make their relationship work was amazing. They were both willing to give a little to keep the other person happy.
Overall, I was blown away by this story and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
I will also admit, I was blown away by the story. Ripper has once again shown that their writing skills are amazing with how this story was pulled off.
I loved Ed’s character, but I think that I loved Alisha’s character even more. Her acceptance of Ed was amazing. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Ed was the man that she wanted to be with. The only problem was helping Ed realize that Alisha really loved him.
The way that Ed and Alisha were complete opposites, almost as completely opposite as 2 people could be, but they still tried to find ways to make their relationship work was amazing. They were both willing to give a little to keep the other person happy.
Overall, I was blown away by this story and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*
March 9, 2018
I liked Ed's voice in this book - what I've liked most in this series so far is how strong each MC's voice is with each book and that continues - and I liked continuing to hang out with the community. But I didn't feel I ever got a good sense of who Alisha is (and the bit I did I wasn't wild about) and therefore couldn't get excited about their relationship. It also felt that the book kind of just... ended, I didn't have any sense of resolution they way I did with the others.
I have to confess, I already know what happens in the rest of the series, I took the last two books out of the library a while back and half skimmed/read them - that was what made me want to buy the books for myself and then start at the beginning. So I see this book as one that carries along the overall narrative of the series, but doesn't entirely work on its own.
I have to confess, I already know what happens in the rest of the series, I took the last two books out of the library a while back and half skimmed/read them - that was what made me want to buy the books for myself and then start at the beginning. So I see this book as one that carries along the overall narrative of the series, but doesn't entirely work on its own.
October 30, 2022
Enjoyable, just about normal people living normal lives (oh and also people getting occasionally murdered, but the focus is more on people’s reaction to news about the murderers which is… pretty normal).
I knew when I decided to read this that it was the 3rd book in a continuous-plot series (due to the murder stuff) but sometimes I kind of like reading something and having to figure out what’s going on? So that wasn’t detrimental to my experience.
I will probably continue reading books in this series, especially because having scrolled through a bunch of the reviews for the next book, where the serial killer’s identity is apparently revealed… none of the reviewers have said who it is?? What is the point of marking your review for spoilers if you do not reveal the name of the killer! I am 90% sure of who it is but I NEED that confirmation.
I knew when I decided to read this that it was the 3rd book in a continuous-plot series (due to the murder stuff) but sometimes I kind of like reading something and having to figure out what’s going on? So that wasn’t detrimental to my experience.
I will probably continue reading books in this series, especially because having scrolled through a bunch of the reviews for the next book, where the serial killer’s identity is apparently revealed… none of the reviewers have said who it is?? What is the point of marking your review for spoilers if you do not reveal the name of the killer! I am 90% sure of who it is but I NEED that confirmation.
Read
January 23, 2025This one really lost me Imao just reading every inane conversation with “girl five people have been murdered” on a loop in my head. Five people!!! We do not have TIME for subplots with your frat boy roommates that go nowhere girl, what about the killer??
March 2, 2023
This was a mixed bag. The series spanning murder mystery arc is 4 stars, the book length romantic arc was 1 star
February 1, 2017
This series takes place in the town of La Vista, where a string of murders have been occurring around the new local gay club. A harbor with a balmy climate, La Vista has liberal attitudes and a strong Latino population. I want to say it’s a fictional city, but I wasn’t paying much attention. Each book in the series tackles a different member of this LGBTQ club, so in one book you’ll have a lesbian protagonist, in another a bisexual protagonist, and so on. There are even books with BDSM and ménage à trois elements. The Queer and the Restless has a transman protagonist. I started the Queers of La Vista murder mystery series with this book, but in retrospect I wish I’d started at book one, Gays of our Lives.
The Queer and the Restless doesn’t really work as a standalone for one important reason—it’s a murder mystery, and by the end of the book the murder isn’t solved. From what I can tell, the series is set up so that in the first book the first murder occurs, and each book has more people being offed. The series is still going, which means the murder isn’t solved by the end of book three.
There is also a healthy dose of romance, but I wouldn’t label this a Romance. From scanning some of the reviews, I think my gut instinct is correct. Most of the Romance-lovers didn’t feel ‘the magic’ (that chemistry you’re supposed to feel when you read a Romance). For me the chemistry between the main characters was fine, and the character development was adequate, but I can see how they wouldn’t think the story was all hearts and squishes.
I was more interested in the mystery elements, which had a good level of suspense and detective work…but which also weren’t solved. However, while I admittedly had a WTF moment after I finished the book, I didn’t take those frustrations out on the rating. I did my own detective work and figured out what was going on with the series, because I’m that kinda guy.
I want to give thanks to Ripper for writing a full LGBTQ spectrum cast. I look forward to experiencing the rainbow by going back and reading the first two books, and then finishing the series. And if that isn’t a solid recommendation, I don’t know what is.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews
The Queer and the Restless doesn’t really work as a standalone for one important reason—it’s a murder mystery, and by the end of the book the murder isn’t solved. From what I can tell, the series is set up so that in the first book the first murder occurs, and each book has more people being offed. The series is still going, which means the murder isn’t solved by the end of book three.
There is also a healthy dose of romance, but I wouldn’t label this a Romance. From scanning some of the reviews, I think my gut instinct is correct. Most of the Romance-lovers didn’t feel ‘the magic’ (that chemistry you’re supposed to feel when you read a Romance). For me the chemistry between the main characters was fine, and the character development was adequate, but I can see how they wouldn’t think the story was all hearts and squishes.
I was more interested in the mystery elements, which had a good level of suspense and detective work…but which also weren’t solved. However, while I admittedly had a WTF moment after I finished the book, I didn’t take those frustrations out on the rating. I did my own detective work and figured out what was going on with the series, because I’m that kinda guy.
I want to give thanks to Ripper for writing a full LGBTQ spectrum cast. I look forward to experiencing the rainbow by going back and reading the first two books, and then finishing the series. And if that isn’t a solid recommendation, I don’t know what is.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews
November 2, 2016
Title: The Queer and the Restless
Author: Kris Ripper
Series: Queers of La Vista Book 3
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: October 29, 2016
Genre(s): Transgender Romance
Page Count: 228 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5stars out of 5
Blurb:
Review:
This was a pretty interesting story. I have not read any of the other books in this series. Since it says that these are standalone books, I felt at a loss with the ending. Ed is a reporter trying to make the move from writing stories about blind cats who can predict who is going to die to real investigative reporting, but when people he knows start getting murdered things get a little crazy. Ed is also transitioning to a male from a female and is also embarking on his first boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.The chemistry between Ed and Alisha is pretty heated. I really liked Alisha’s character. The pacing was good and the story kept my interest. I was however lost with the ending. The romance in the book was wonderful. Loved the love story, but this book has a serial killer on the loose. Does this story continue? If it does then it really isn’t a standalone. The character development is good. More so with Ed than Alisha. Overall I liked the book, but I feel like I do when my husband changes the channel before the end of a TV show.
SCORES on a scale of 1-5 Stars rate each of the Following 5
Categories
PLOT 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 4 Stars
PACING: 4 Stars
ENDING: 2 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4 Stars
Review Copy of The Queer and the Restless provided by the Riptide Publishing I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club
Author: Kris Ripper
Series: Queers of La Vista Book 3
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: October 29, 2016
Genre(s): Transgender Romance
Page Count: 228 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5stars out of 5
Blurb:
A Queers of La Vista Novel
He must overcome his fear if he's going to embrace her and her free spirit....
Ed Masiello has been on testosterone for a year, is working his dream job as a reporter, and is finally passing as a man (so long as you don’t ask his abuela). But the investigation of a murder case is starting to take over his life. Afraid he’s becoming obsessed, he goes to the local club to relax, and meets the flighty, whimsical Alisha.
Alisha is a free spirit who’s tossed aside ambition for travel and adventure. Her approach to life is a far cry from Ed’s, and while Ed has always assumed that meeting his goals would make him happy, Alisha is much more content than him — despite all the plans she can’t yet fulfill.
As their relationship heats up, so does the murder case. Alisha thinks Ed needs a break, but someone’s got to find this killer, and he wants to be there when it all goes down. Besides, taking off into the great unknown with Alisha is crazy. But opting for what’s safe is just another way of living in fear, and Ed vowed to stop living like that a long time ago.
* * * * * * *
The Queers of La Vista novels can be enjoyed as standalone stories — jump in wherever you'd like!
Review:
This was a pretty interesting story. I have not read any of the other books in this series. Since it says that these are standalone books, I felt at a loss with the ending. Ed is a reporter trying to make the move from writing stories about blind cats who can predict who is going to die to real investigative reporting, but when people he knows start getting murdered things get a little crazy. Ed is also transitioning to a male from a female and is also embarking on his first boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.The chemistry between Ed and Alisha is pretty heated. I really liked Alisha’s character. The pacing was good and the story kept my interest. I was however lost with the ending. The romance in the book was wonderful. Loved the love story, but this book has a serial killer on the loose. Does this story continue? If it does then it really isn’t a standalone. The character development is good. More so with Ed than Alisha. Overall I liked the book, but I feel like I do when my husband changes the channel before the end of a TV show.
SCORES on a scale of 1-5 Stars rate each of the Following 5
Categories
PLOT 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 4 Stars
PACING: 4 Stars
ENDING: 2 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4 Stars
Review Copy of The Queer and the Restless provided by the Riptide Publishing I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club
December 16, 2016
This is the third book in a series, and probably best enjoyed when read in sequence, but it's not mandatory.
Ed Masiello is a trans-man who lives in La Vista, CA, and works for the local newspaper as a low-level reporter. He really wants to write bigger pieces, but he's young and new, and he's stuck with fluff. It's super frustrating because there seems to be a killer stalking the queer community in La Vista, and Ed thinks no one's really making enough fuss. The best info is from an anonymous blogger named Togg, and that person's really making the Queers of La Vista nervous.
While out blowing off steam at Club Fred's, a known queer establishment, Ed bumps into a long-time acquaintance, Alisha. Alisha is fun and flirty and Ed doesn't know how to take it. He's always dated women, but he's been transitioning for a year now, and his parts are changing due to the hormonal supplementation. Is he a novelty to Alisha, who he knows is lesbian? Or, is Alisha attracted to Ed as a man?
Short answer: she likes Ed.
They begin dating and it's cool. Ed feels like this is great. A beautiful woman likes him, and they have satisfying sexytimes. Thing is, Alisha wants her life to be a grand adventure. Ed's afraid to request time off from his job to travel. Plus, he's getting super caught up in the investigation surrounding the La Vista killer--Ed's the one who connects a seemingly-unrelated murder to the string--and verifies that all the victims were guests at Club Fred's theme night parties. The whole queer community is in an uproar, and Ed's obsession is having a toll on his budding romance.
I really like this series. It shifts the focus to different members of the queer community that may not have lots of fictional representation. I've read a few transitioning characters before, and Ed's a good one. He's struggling for acceptance on many fronts. His family is hostile to his transition, meanwhile he's "passing" as male to people at work and his roommates--even if they pretty-much think he's gay. Which is a conundrum for Ed. I had a few chuckles with the dude-bro roomies scenes, and their "advice" about dating women. There were some interesting sexytimes and I can only trust they are rather realistic, as I've not given a lot of scrutiny to TG persons and their bodies in transition. The author identifies as a trans-man, so that's good enough cred for me.
This book brings the murder-mystery storyline of the series into the forefront. Previous to this we'd only heard of one murder, but the timeline fits as all these stories are not entirely sequential. There are many characters from the previous books brought back into the mix here, as a lot of the story occurs within Ed's social sphere. He's friendly with Jaq and Hannah from Book Two and also Dred from Book One. As killings continue, there's an arrest, but that divides people even more. The accused is a fixture, and someone seemingly trusted by all. I will say, we'll have to wait just a bit longer to find the true culprit. Good thing that Ed figures out the way to happiness is not through chasing smoke trails in the sky, but finding a partner who's there for you, and loves you not only as you are, but also as you will be.
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
Ed Masiello is a trans-man who lives in La Vista, CA, and works for the local newspaper as a low-level reporter. He really wants to write bigger pieces, but he's young and new, and he's stuck with fluff. It's super frustrating because there seems to be a killer stalking the queer community in La Vista, and Ed thinks no one's really making enough fuss. The best info is from an anonymous blogger named Togg, and that person's really making the Queers of La Vista nervous.
While out blowing off steam at Club Fred's, a known queer establishment, Ed bumps into a long-time acquaintance, Alisha. Alisha is fun and flirty and Ed doesn't know how to take it. He's always dated women, but he's been transitioning for a year now, and his parts are changing due to the hormonal supplementation. Is he a novelty to Alisha, who he knows is lesbian? Or, is Alisha attracted to Ed as a man?
Short answer: she likes Ed.
They begin dating and it's cool. Ed feels like this is great. A beautiful woman likes him, and they have satisfying sexytimes. Thing is, Alisha wants her life to be a grand adventure. Ed's afraid to request time off from his job to travel. Plus, he's getting super caught up in the investigation surrounding the La Vista killer--Ed's the one who connects a seemingly-unrelated murder to the string--and verifies that all the victims were guests at Club Fred's theme night parties. The whole queer community is in an uproar, and Ed's obsession is having a toll on his budding romance.
I really like this series. It shifts the focus to different members of the queer community that may not have lots of fictional representation. I've read a few transitioning characters before, and Ed's a good one. He's struggling for acceptance on many fronts. His family is hostile to his transition, meanwhile he's "passing" as male to people at work and his roommates--even if they pretty-much think he's gay. Which is a conundrum for Ed. I had a few chuckles with the dude-bro roomies scenes, and their "advice" about dating women. There were some interesting sexytimes and I can only trust they are rather realistic, as I've not given a lot of scrutiny to TG persons and their bodies in transition. The author identifies as a trans-man, so that's good enough cred for me.
This book brings the murder-mystery storyline of the series into the forefront. Previous to this we'd only heard of one murder, but the timeline fits as all these stories are not entirely sequential. There are many characters from the previous books brought back into the mix here, as a lot of the story occurs within Ed's social sphere. He's friendly with Jaq and Hannah from Book Two and also Dred from Book One. As killings continue, there's an arrest, but that divides people even more. The accused is a fixture, and someone seemingly trusted by all. I will say, we'll have to wait just a bit longer to find the true culprit. Good thing that Ed figures out the way to happiness is not through chasing smoke trails in the sky, but finding a partner who's there for you, and loves you not only as you are, but also as you will be.
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
January 3, 2017
This novel could almost be the first in a completely new set, from tone alone. Obviously, it is the third novel in Kris Ripper's Queers of La Vista set, but this is where we start to get onto the serial murder aspect that kinda got buried in The Butch and the Beautiful but was originally touched on in Gays of Our Lives. Props for the titles of this series, though, really.
We've got our first trans protagonist in this novel, and I liked the amount of detail that went into Ed's thoughts on whether he passed and his transition up to this point, as well as his interactions both with family members and with work in the lead up to Alisha's introduction.
This novel far better blended the love interest with the main character's life. It also helped that I quite liked both of them. The two of them seem, at the beginning at least, to be looking for similar things, and I found it interesting that Alisha originally identified as a lesbian but was happy to put that label aside and that it wasn't made a huge big fuss of overall.
As the novel went on, the two of them were also able to compromise as it became clear that their similarities were not going to completely make up for the differences between them.
I found myself surprisingly liking the grad students that Ed lived with, and of course there are cameos from Honey, Cameron and Obie who I loved in other books.
August 3, 2017
I'm really conflicted about this book. I WANTED to love it so bad because I really like Kris's style, and so far I've enjoyed the series, and it's a book about a trans* in a M/F relationship which is so rare in romance.
But...it didn't work for me. I felt like the romance wasn't really the central point, because there's not much conflict between Ed and Alisha. The central point was more Ed's investigation but even then, it didn't really work for me because we didn't get any answers. So I was reading a kind of thriller, knowing I wouldn't have the answer in this book, and the romance wasn't keeping my interest. I ended up pushing myself to finish it just so I could move on to book 4 which I'm still super excited about.
And even though I really liked Ed and I LOVED the whole LGBT theme and talks around the community...well it's not enough. I'm kind of like Alisha, always dreaming about the next trip and planning for the pleasure to plan a trip, and yet I couldn't connect with her much because she's not that intriguing. Since there's no conflict between them, it was hard to learn more about her. She felt kind of...flat for me. So in the end, I loved the side characters (like I did in the other books. The SC are really great) and I loved Ed and his roomates and Joe but the plot itself didn't work on me...
But...it didn't work for me. I felt like the romance wasn't really the central point, because there's not much conflict between Ed and Alisha. The central point was more Ed's investigation but even then, it didn't really work for me because we didn't get any answers. So I was reading a kind of thriller, knowing I wouldn't have the answer in this book, and the romance wasn't keeping my interest. I ended up pushing myself to finish it just so I could move on to book 4 which I'm still super excited about.
And even though I really liked Ed and I LOVED the whole LGBT theme and talks around the community...well it's not enough. I'm kind of like Alisha, always dreaming about the next trip and planning for the pleasure to plan a trip, and yet I couldn't connect with her much because she's not that intriguing. Since there's no conflict between them, it was hard to learn more about her. She felt kind of...flat for me. So in the end, I loved the side characters (like I did in the other books. The SC are really great) and I loved Ed and his roomates and Joe but the plot itself didn't work on me...
February 23, 2018
I liked a lot about this (one of the last books I read that had a trans character also spent so much time with one of the characters wallowing in internalized misogyny and toxic masculinity that it was just miserable.) But Alisha is kind of frustrating. It never really becomes clear to me what draws her to Ed, and the underlying discomfort of her being a lesbian attracted to a trans man (she eventually identifies herself as queer and attracted to other queer people only) does not help. It's not that I don't believe this as a character choice or a way that someone can identify; it's just a very disconcerting thing to watch from Ed's perspective, because it starts so close to that transphobic "trans men aren't actually men" place. Not having seeing him through her eyes made it a lot harder to have faith in. I did like that she was personally confident in her attraction to him and how affirming she was of Ed's gender; but it took a long time for me to feel comfortable with it when it was happening on the page. Ultimately: one night Alisha shows up, is attracted to Ed, and it's never really clear why, and she is charming but very frivolous and manic pixie and .
June 21, 2017
1.5 - 2 stars
I just didn't feel any connection between Ed or Alisha. Don't get me wrong the sex was hot, but other than that I just didn't feel like this was their story it felt more focused on the murders (and Jaq kept popping up and I really don't like her character so that was no fun for me).
Plus, the relationship felt incredibly rushed (they hooked up and then she immediately declared him her boyfriend), and I don't think that Ed was really into Alisha because of her or her personality (in fact he spent a good amount of time thinking and talking about how much of her personality he didn't like) it was more for the role of being a boyfriend and so he could have a non stressful oasis from "real life".
The more I think about it the more I feel like Alisha was just a random side character. She was only brought in a few times and we never really got to know her beyond the "ditzy free spirit", to be honest she felt very manic pixie to me. But I did love her "my body 101" talk and completely agreed!
I just didn't feel any connection between Ed or Alisha. Don't get me wrong the sex was hot, but other than that I just didn't feel like this was their story it felt more focused on the murders (and Jaq kept popping up and I really don't like her character so that was no fun for me).
Plus, the relationship felt incredibly rushed (they hooked up and then she immediately declared him her boyfriend), and I don't think that Ed was really into Alisha because of her or her personality (in fact he spent a good amount of time thinking and talking about how much of her personality he didn't like) it was more for the role of being a boyfriend and so he could have a non stressful oasis from "real life".
The more I think about it the more I feel like Alisha was just a random side character. She was only brought in a few times and we never really got to know her beyond the "ditzy free spirit", to be honest she felt very manic pixie to me. But I did love her "my body 101" talk and completely agreed!
January 24, 2019
I enjoyed this book, tho not as much as the first two in the series. I think the main reason was for a good bit of it, it didn't feel like a romance to me. More like a budding crime novel about an intrepid journalist. Which isn't bad, except then it did start feeling like a romance so it ended up not feeling a coherent to me as the others. It didn't have as solid a "vibe".
Additionally, toward the end I was worried it was going in a Abandon Dream Job/Calling Because True Love kind of way. It didn't, which I was pleased about, but I ended up sort of... bracing myself for it for the last few chapters which made it less enjoyable to me.
Still it was a good read! Compelling characters, hot sex scenes, a good bit of humor. I liked that Ed wasn't as snarky in his internal monologue as the previous two viewpoint characters have been. And as always it's lovely to see characters I know from previous books as side-characters in this one.
Additionally, toward the end I was worried it was going in a Abandon Dream Job/Calling Because True Love kind of way. It didn't, which I was pleased about, but I ended up sort of... bracing myself for it for the last few chapters which made it less enjoyable to me.
Still it was a good read! Compelling characters, hot sex scenes, a good bit of humor. I liked that Ed wasn't as snarky in his internal monologue as the previous two viewpoint characters have been. And as always it's lovely to see characters I know from previous books as side-characters in this one.
January 8, 2021
Unsurprisingly, Ripper delivers a transman POV experience with intelligence and grace. Originally published in 2016, I had hoped "The Queer and the Restless" would set off a new wave of (plotty) romance novels featuring trans and gender non-conforming characters in primary roles. There certainly are more now than there were then, but I continue to hope that this excellent example of the possibilities of such characters -- and the market for them -- signals a building library of quality fiction.
December 25, 2018
I really love this series. I just love that there's so many different personalities and we get to see the ones we've already met going about their lives either in passing or a little more in depth. It's such a nice little queer community feeling. I'm really raring to know what's going on with the murders though! The victims and their loved ones deserve answers, so I'm hoping we get them eventually. Can't wait to go read the next one!
January 12, 2019
TFW you realize you’re slowly but surely falling for an author. The only reason I haven’t bought everything by Kris Ripper already is because it’s January and I am still pretending to be sensible. Zir books and zir characters are such that I keep wondering about them when I can’t read. I’ve been completely pulled into the world of Queers of La Vista, and have zero regrets.
November 5, 2016
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
***SEMI-SPOILER WARNING: THE FINAL PARAGRAH OF THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT SOME READERS MAY CONSIDER A SPOILER.***
I’ve only read a few transgender romances, but The Queer and the Restless is the first I’ve read in which the romantic interest was a woman rather than a man, so it offered a relationship dynamic I’ve yet to encounter. And I must say that, for the most part, I enjoyed the heck out of the book. I read romances in order to be entertained, to be swept up in someone else’s life, and to take joy in their happy endings, but I also read romances to learn about other places and other people’s ways of life – don’t scoff, historical romances are why I aced the sections on English feudal systems in world history classes in high school and college. For me, The Queer and the Restless was a trip to an unchartered destination with friends I’d yet to meet and, upon reaching the end of the journey, was not only glad I took it, but really hope that the author lets me catch up with Ed and Alisha in a future installment. I suppose I should note that I haven’t read the previous books in the series and didn’t feel as though I was missing out on anything, but upon looking at the blurbs for books one and two, the main characters in both of those books did make appearances in this installment, so fans of the series will have the chance to catch up with them.
Ed is a budding young journalist who also happens to be a FtM transgender who has always been attracted to women but didn’t fully understand his sexuality until he realized that his fascination with his best friend, Cameron, wasn’t that he was attracted to Cam, but that he wanted to be Cam. On top of that, he grew up in a Mexican-Italian home and has been shunned by his Italian-American father because he could not accept that Ed could no longer live his life as a woman, which forces Ed to “sneak home” to visit his grandmother – the one family member whose unconditional love is needed, yet hurts at the same time because of her continued use of feminine nouns and adjectives when speaking to Ed in her native Spanish. Yeah, Ed’s got a lot going on that he’s dealing with and that doesn’t even take into consideration his five het male roommates who have no idea he’s transgendered or the difficulties in dating. Needless to say, with all this and a bit more buzzing around in his head, I wasn’t all that surprised when he didn’t know how to respond to Alisha’s flirting and invitation. It was actually a rather cute scene when looking at it from the outside because Alisha knows Ed is transgendered, so that awkward conversation is avoided, and she seems genuinely attracted to Ed as a person, not as an “adventure” to be taken, but Alisha is a lesbian and Ed has trouble wrapping his head around the fact that she’s interested in him. As Ed takes a chance on Alisha, he discovers a level of acceptance and happiness he was beginning to wonder if he’d ever find in a relationship. But there’s a killer on the loose in La Vista and Ed’s personal and journalistic goals come into conflict in a way he never expected and if he doesn’t figure it out soon, he may lose the girl or the job, or both.
I hope no one takes offense, but I need to say that I am beyond relieved that this book was written by an author who identifies as genderqueer because it makes me feel less ignorant to know that even members of the LGBT community get confused when it comes to transgender issues. At the same time, it makes me sad because I suspect that the author is close to someone who has experienced the same issues that Ed faced in his romantic relationships because they’re written in a way that seems extremely personal. However, Ripper uses Ed and Alisha’s relationship to not only illustrate the misunderstandings, but also to educate readers in a way that is entertaining and heartwarming – at least for me it was. Now for the semi-spoiler. The author infuses one of the few examples of realism in the book that I don’t like – the failure of the killer to be caught. I love it when books contain realistic elements, as I tend to find it easier to connect to or become invested in the characters, except when the crime is left unsolved and it’s not clear that the thread will be continued in the next installment. I don’t like unsolved mysteries in books, especially murders, because there are far too many of them in real life. Despite that minor complaint, it didn’t affect my rating because I rarely “punish” an author for tapping into one of my pet peeves, especially when it’s a minor issue in an extremely enjoyable book (and as I said before, I haven’t read the previous books, so for all I know, this is a continuing thread). The Queer and the Restless was a fascinating read that I found to be both entertaining and informative. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment because I need to see if Cameron finds his happiness.
***SEMI-SPOILER WARNING: THE FINAL PARAGRAH OF THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT SOME READERS MAY CONSIDER A SPOILER.***
I’ve only read a few transgender romances, but The Queer and the Restless is the first I’ve read in which the romantic interest was a woman rather than a man, so it offered a relationship dynamic I’ve yet to encounter. And I must say that, for the most part, I enjoyed the heck out of the book. I read romances in order to be entertained, to be swept up in someone else’s life, and to take joy in their happy endings, but I also read romances to learn about other places and other people’s ways of life – don’t scoff, historical romances are why I aced the sections on English feudal systems in world history classes in high school and college. For me, The Queer and the Restless was a trip to an unchartered destination with friends I’d yet to meet and, upon reaching the end of the journey, was not only glad I took it, but really hope that the author lets me catch up with Ed and Alisha in a future installment. I suppose I should note that I haven’t read the previous books in the series and didn’t feel as though I was missing out on anything, but upon looking at the blurbs for books one and two, the main characters in both of those books did make appearances in this installment, so fans of the series will have the chance to catch up with them.
Ed is a budding young journalist who also happens to be a FtM transgender who has always been attracted to women but didn’t fully understand his sexuality until he realized that his fascination with his best friend, Cameron, wasn’t that he was attracted to Cam, but that he wanted to be Cam. On top of that, he grew up in a Mexican-Italian home and has been shunned by his Italian-American father because he could not accept that Ed could no longer live his life as a woman, which forces Ed to “sneak home” to visit his grandmother – the one family member whose unconditional love is needed, yet hurts at the same time because of her continued use of feminine nouns and adjectives when speaking to Ed in her native Spanish. Yeah, Ed’s got a lot going on that he’s dealing with and that doesn’t even take into consideration his five het male roommates who have no idea he’s transgendered or the difficulties in dating. Needless to say, with all this and a bit more buzzing around in his head, I wasn’t all that surprised when he didn’t know how to respond to Alisha’s flirting and invitation. It was actually a rather cute scene when looking at it from the outside because Alisha knows Ed is transgendered, so that awkward conversation is avoided, and she seems genuinely attracted to Ed as a person, not as an “adventure” to be taken, but Alisha is a lesbian and Ed has trouble wrapping his head around the fact that she’s interested in him. As Ed takes a chance on Alisha, he discovers a level of acceptance and happiness he was beginning to wonder if he’d ever find in a relationship. But there’s a killer on the loose in La Vista and Ed’s personal and journalistic goals come into conflict in a way he never expected and if he doesn’t figure it out soon, he may lose the girl or the job, or both.
I hope no one takes offense, but I need to say that I am beyond relieved that this book was written by an author who identifies as genderqueer because it makes me feel less ignorant to know that even members of the LGBT community get confused when it comes to transgender issues. At the same time, it makes me sad because I suspect that the author is close to someone who has experienced the same issues that Ed faced in his romantic relationships because they’re written in a way that seems extremely personal. However, Ripper uses Ed and Alisha’s relationship to not only illustrate the misunderstandings, but also to educate readers in a way that is entertaining and heartwarming – at least for me it was. Now for the semi-spoiler. The author infuses one of the few examples of realism in the book that I don’t like – the failure of the killer to be caught. I love it when books contain realistic elements, as I tend to find it easier to connect to or become invested in the characters, except when the crime is left unsolved and it’s not clear that the thread will be continued in the next installment. I don’t like unsolved mysteries in books, especially murders, because there are far too many of them in real life. Despite that minor complaint, it didn’t affect my rating because I rarely “punish” an author for tapping into one of my pet peeves, especially when it’s a minor issue in an extremely enjoyable book (and as I said before, I haven’t read the previous books, so for all I know, this is a continuing thread). The Queer and the Restless was a fascinating read that I found to be both entertaining and informative. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment because I need to see if Cameron finds his happiness.
March 11, 2017
3.5 stars rounded up. I really enjoyed Ed. His journey is what that book was about for me. I couldnt warm up to Alesha though.
November 5, 2016
This is voluntarily and honest review of an Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
4.5 Stars
My heart is simultaneously crushed and full-to-bursting after reading The Queer and the Restless.
See, I'm not the kind of reader who often goes looking for mirror books. I tend to prefer window books that might serve to broaden my scope of the world in one way or another. That said, I delight in the window books where I catch unexpected glimpses of my reflection in the parts of all of us where the playing field is leveled out, where we're one in our humanity. Places like our similar hopes and dreams and fears and frustrations. Common places that bind us and ensure that, despite our different paths, we are not alone.
It's also okay if I don't see even a hint of my reflection. In that case, I get to consume the hopes and dreams and fears and frustrations I may have never encountered within my own scope. I get to try on some different shoes, maybe toddle inelegantly because they were never meant to fit. But at least I can appreciate how they fit someone else so much better.
This book, in this sorta silly-named series that plays on the old soap operas I’ve enjoyed for a lifetime, took a huge leap to serious from the previous two installments. It's still immensely fun. But, it's a book that's delved way more into the emotional and psychological aspects of one person's journey transitioning.
Ed was gorgeous. I loved every bit of him. And what has stuck with me the MOST is his journey. That in addition to job worries, love-life worries, balancing an active social life, and all the things we all do every day. On top of all that, he's constantly thinking and worrying about passing as male, his meds schedule and their effects, what might come next in transitioning, the feel to/need to/fear of outing himself in a myriad of settings and situations. That always, always, always those things are on his mind along with everything else. I wanted relief for him...to just *be*.
That…that, along with a lot of other similar thoughts and worries, absolutely shredded me.
Alisha is a mostly perfect love interest for Ed. She’s quirky and fun and brings tons of sunshine to Ed's world. Their courtship is a little tentative and a lot comical with Ed missing out on some of the big cues Alisha tosses his way to hint at her attraction to him. Ultimately, they are adorable with Ed trying to play it cool and Alisha not always the best at subtlety.
Though they presented as a perfect pair, I worried that their goals and outlooks on life weren't quite in alignment for an everlasting future. That maybe Alisha's wandering spirit was too strong for Ed, who seemed to feel the need to be well-grounded to a home-base. I wanted more than anything to believe that they were in it for the long haul, but I’m not certain I was totally convinced.
The story has some threads of a mystery, some heinous murders happening around La Vista targeting the queer population. Ed, while trying to further his career as a journalist, gets caught up on the fringes of the investigation. The prevailing theme, obviously, is the blossoming romance along with the community and friendships of a variety of characters from previous and future books. There’s such a sense of family, belonging, and acceptance among these folks that the tragic loss of any of them in such a heinous way presenting as a mystery sometimes felt a bit off for me. Either I wanted more of it, or could’ve done without it altogether.
Ed’s hyper-hetero, cis roommates were hilarious to see through Ed’s lens. Such jocks, such…dude-bros whose word choices and behavior sometimes made me wince. But they never came across as intentionally hurtful — just that they’d never taken the time or brain power to think beyond the cis-het-male gaze. And I LOVED how Alisha tossed them subtle, often comedic, curveballs that served to make them stop and think.
Overall, this series is fun and thus far has introduced a broad cast of characters I’d like to meet up with for a bucket of beer and hot wings. I am in love with Kris Ripper's snarky and clever writing style that puts realness right out there front and center in sometimes self-deprecating ways — that’s totally my language and makes La Vista a place I want to be.
So yeah, I loved this.
Also posted on BackPorchReader.com.
4.5 Stars
My heart is simultaneously crushed and full-to-bursting after reading The Queer and the Restless.
See, I'm not the kind of reader who often goes looking for mirror books. I tend to prefer window books that might serve to broaden my scope of the world in one way or another. That said, I delight in the window books where I catch unexpected glimpses of my reflection in the parts of all of us where the playing field is leveled out, where we're one in our humanity. Places like our similar hopes and dreams and fears and frustrations. Common places that bind us and ensure that, despite our different paths, we are not alone.
It's also okay if I don't see even a hint of my reflection. In that case, I get to consume the hopes and dreams and fears and frustrations I may have never encountered within my own scope. I get to try on some different shoes, maybe toddle inelegantly because they were never meant to fit. But at least I can appreciate how they fit someone else so much better.
This book, in this sorta silly-named series that plays on the old soap operas I’ve enjoyed for a lifetime, took a huge leap to serious from the previous two installments. It's still immensely fun. But, it's a book that's delved way more into the emotional and psychological aspects of one person's journey transitioning.
Ed was gorgeous. I loved every bit of him. And what has stuck with me the MOST is his journey. That in addition to job worries, love-life worries, balancing an active social life, and all the things we all do every day. On top of all that, he's constantly thinking and worrying about passing as male, his meds schedule and their effects, what might come next in transitioning, the feel to/need to/fear of outing himself in a myriad of settings and situations. That always, always, always those things are on his mind along with everything else. I wanted relief for him...to just *be*.
"But it doesn't mean I don't...wonder. What being cis is like. What it'd be like to just not think about it all the time."
That…that, along with a lot of other similar thoughts and worries, absolutely shredded me.
Alisha is a mostly perfect love interest for Ed. She’s quirky and fun and brings tons of sunshine to Ed's world. Their courtship is a little tentative and a lot comical with Ed missing out on some of the big cues Alisha tosses his way to hint at her attraction to him. Ultimately, they are adorable with Ed trying to play it cool and Alisha not always the best at subtlety.
Though they presented as a perfect pair, I worried that their goals and outlooks on life weren't quite in alignment for an everlasting future. That maybe Alisha's wandering spirit was too strong for Ed, who seemed to feel the need to be well-grounded to a home-base. I wanted more than anything to believe that they were in it for the long haul, but I’m not certain I was totally convinced.
The story has some threads of a mystery, some heinous murders happening around La Vista targeting the queer population. Ed, while trying to further his career as a journalist, gets caught up on the fringes of the investigation. The prevailing theme, obviously, is the blossoming romance along with the community and friendships of a variety of characters from previous and future books. There’s such a sense of family, belonging, and acceptance among these folks that the tragic loss of any of them in such a heinous way presenting as a mystery sometimes felt a bit off for me. Either I wanted more of it, or could’ve done without it altogether.
Ed’s hyper-hetero, cis roommates were hilarious to see through Ed’s lens. Such jocks, such…dude-bros whose word choices and behavior sometimes made me wince. But they never came across as intentionally hurtful — just that they’d never taken the time or brain power to think beyond the cis-het-male gaze. And I LOVED how Alisha tossed them subtle, often comedic, curveballs that served to make them stop and think.
Overall, this series is fun and thus far has introduced a broad cast of characters I’d like to meet up with for a bucket of beer and hot wings. I am in love with Kris Ripper's snarky and clever writing style that puts realness right out there front and center in sometimes self-deprecating ways — that’s totally my language and makes La Vista a place I want to be.
So yeah, I loved this.
Also posted on BackPorchReader.com.
November 3, 2016
Another delightful entry in this fantastic queer contemporary romance series!
I actually came at this entirely the wrong way, having read the next book in the series, One Life To Lose, before this one, which I thought would rather ruin the ongoing murder mystery as the Big Reveal occurs in that one. I really enjoyed having that advance knowledge however, I didn't feel disappointed at all, instead thinking 'oooh that was clever' and noticing details I'm not sure I would have remembered had I read in chronological order.
Ed and Alisha are an adorable couple, I really enjoyed their playful interaction and their intimate scenes were *explosively* hot, wow. Good job. ;-) Alisha could have been just another 'manic pixie dream girl' trope but despite her daydreaming and seeming flightiness she felt believable and very much grounded in the real world, and didn't actually want to change Ed like so many similar characters would do. I liked Ed a lot, and while I can't speak to how sensitive a portrayal of trans masculinity it is, he seemed very realistic and well done. I also found it extremely refreshing that there was no angsting from Alisha 'accepting Ed despite being trans', or her bravery or any commentary like that - they like each other, Ed is a man, they date and it's All Good. It may be wishful thinking but I sincerely hope more stories are written like this in the future!
The only complaint I could make is that it very much feels like a 'middle' book, the serial killer plotline is left hanging and you know you need to keep reading if you want to learn more - which isn't a bad thing at all, especially since OLTL is my favourite in the series so far - but I wouldn't recommend reading this as a standalone, it's definitely a part of this ongoing soap opera called Queers of La Vista that you need to tune in every week to find out what happens next. :)
I actually came at this entirely the wrong way, having read the next book in the series, One Life To Lose, before this one, which I thought would rather ruin the ongoing murder mystery as the Big Reveal occurs in that one. I really enjoyed having that advance knowledge however, I didn't feel disappointed at all, instead thinking 'oooh that was clever' and noticing details I'm not sure I would have remembered had I read in chronological order.
Ed and Alisha are an adorable couple, I really enjoyed their playful interaction and their intimate scenes were *explosively* hot, wow. Good job. ;-) Alisha could have been just another 'manic pixie dream girl' trope but despite her daydreaming and seeming flightiness she felt believable and very much grounded in the real world, and didn't actually want to change Ed like so many similar characters would do. I liked Ed a lot, and while I can't speak to how sensitive a portrayal of trans masculinity it is, he seemed very realistic and well done. I also found it extremely refreshing that there was no angsting from Alisha 'accepting Ed despite being trans', or her bravery or any commentary like that - they like each other, Ed is a man, they date and it's All Good. It may be wishful thinking but I sincerely hope more stories are written like this in the future!
The only complaint I could make is that it very much feels like a 'middle' book, the serial killer plotline is left hanging and you know you need to keep reading if you want to learn more - which isn't a bad thing at all, especially since OLTL is my favourite in the series so far - but I wouldn't recommend reading this as a standalone, it's definitely a part of this ongoing soap opera called Queers of La Vista that you need to tune in every week to find out what happens next. :)
November 2, 2016
I don't normally venture outside of the M/M Romance genre (unless I am reading YA). The only reason I started reading this series is because the first book, Gays of Our Lives, cam up in a list of monthly M/M Romance new releases (as a bonus, it had a disabled MC!).
By you know what? I am REALLY enjoying this series. The romance that is the focus of each story, while alright, isn't anything spectacular, but the overarching story and the interesting and complex characters are sell me every time.
In this book we start to see a little more of the background story, as transman Ed is a reporter, and is following the series of murders that is haunting the queer community of La Vista. I also quite like the fact that the author explored what it is like when a couple is perceived to be "straight" within the queer community, and how they can be at times (unfairly) alienated for this. It is obvious that the author, Kris Ripper is part of our community themselves, on how well they explore issues like these. Not many people outside our community even consider what these scenarios really mean, when a community that has previously sheltered you, and given you an identity, decides that they thing you no longer belong.
This series is only getting better and better. I really hope there will one day be an audiobook recording, as I think my wife would love these books and they would fast become an insta-buy for her.
By you know what? I am REALLY enjoying this series. The romance that is the focus of each story, while alright, isn't anything spectacular, but the overarching story and the interesting and complex characters are sell me every time.
In this book we start to see a little more of the background story, as transman Ed is a reporter, and is following the series of murders that is haunting the queer community of La Vista. I also quite like the fact that the author explored what it is like when a couple is perceived to be "straight" within the queer community, and how they can be at times (unfairly) alienated for this. It is obvious that the author, Kris Ripper is part of our community themselves, on how well they explore issues like these. Not many people outside our community even consider what these scenarios really mean, when a community that has previously sheltered you, and given you an identity, decides that they thing you no longer belong.
This series is only getting better and better. I really hope there will one day be an audiobook recording, as I think my wife would love these books and they would fast become an insta-buy for her.
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