Misinformation

by Keelan Ellis

Ethan Daniels, host of a popular conservative cable news program, has never thought of his bisexuality as a problem, even though he has never acted on his attraction to men. Since his divorce, his desire has become more acute. When he meets Charlie Woods, his daughter’s first grade teacher, they have an instant spark, but Ethan hesitates to act. His contract is up for renewal, there are already rumors swirling about him because of a brief encounter from his past, and the last thing his employers want is for one of their stars to come out publicly.Charlie avoids romantic entanglements because he prefers living on his own terms. He keeps love and sex completely separate, never seeing anyone more than a few times. Hooking up with a closeted celebrity like Ethan seems safe from emotional involvement, even if they have to keep their fledgling relationship secret.The last thing they expect is to fall in love, but their strong mutual attraction moves them both to make changes neither of them thought they wanted or needed.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT, M M Contemporary, Fiction, Gay

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2016

About the author

Keelan Ellis is a true crime enthusiast, a political junkie, and a comedy fan. Despite a compulsion to sometimes wallow in the depths of humanity’s corruption and sadness, she considers herself a romantic at heart. The stories she really connects with are about love that’s been twisted into hatred, and she believes that with honesty and forgiveness, love can overcome. Keelan loves good bourbon and classic country music, great television and well-prepared food, especially shared with like-minded people. She’s not a fan of parties and large groups of people, but there’s nothing she loves more than a long conversation with friends. Her favorite part of the writing process is the collaborative stage, hashing out plot and characters with smart and talented friends. It’s where she truly comes to understand the people she’s writing about, and often falls in love with them. With the support and encouragement--as well as some serious editing help--Keelan has found the writing niche she’s always searched for. Sometimes she gets blocked, and when that happens, there’s only one thing she knows to do. Just like Inigo Montoya, she goes back to the beginning, writing about the characters who inspired her so much in the past.

Reviews

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Ethan Daniels makes "a lot of money doing something kind of terrible" - working for ECHO, the famously conservative news network (think Faux News). But his job allows him to live in Manhattan so he can be near his 6-yr-old daughter Fiona and ex-wife Deirdre, with whom he shares custody. Sure, ECHO "was a toxic atmosphere and dissent from the network’s positions was not tolerated for long" but Ethan could keep his own opinions to himself for an insane amount of money, and living near his child, couldn't he?

But everything changes when Ethan meets Charlie Woods, Fiona's first grade teacher. Although Ethan has never explored his bisexuality, after a drunken blow job and a second much more sober encounter, Charlie and Ethan are suddenly in insta-love. I felt it difficult to buy into their attraction because we don't know enough about each man's background and character at this point and there is too much "telling" their feelings rather than "showing."

The story line is interesting, but bogs down somewhat with Ethan continually claiming he can work at ECHO and keep his job separate from his life and his own views and opinions, but he refuses to see how this affects his relationship with Charlie as well as his friends. Or Ethan's indecisiveness about dating Charlie, OR maybe finding a girlfriend to keep ECHO management happy, OR breaking up with Charlie OR maybe coming out of the closet at some point in the future, OR maybe not. Personally, I felt this was rehashed one too many times, but I never tired of the merciless evisceration of ECHO and its toxic work culture:

[Ethan] had to get through his interview with William Browning, head of the Christian Values League and author of the book "Along Straight Paths: Raising Real Boys in a Godless World". Ethan was dreading it. The story they were doing was on the recent push by several states to outlaw so-called gay conversion camps. The network’s official position on the subject was that it was tantamount to religious discrimination, and that the government had no right to tell parents how to raise their children.

Idiots. Morons. Imbeciles. Every last one of them on Faux ..... oops ECHO.

The book ends with a hard-earned HEA, but condenses another year of Ethan and Charlie's relationship into a few pages, and again I felt it suffered from "showing" rather than "telling." Finally, I found a error in the story, where at times Ethan has been working at ECHO for either three years... or one year. Ultimately, I would recommend this book, knowing that some readers aren't going to be bothered as I was by the showing vs. telling. Your mileage may vary!

I received an ARC of this book from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review. Review also posted at GayBook Reviews. Check it out!

[Annie ~ Queer Books Unbound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for From Top to Bottom Reviews.

*A COPY OF THIS BOOK WAS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR IN RETURN OF AN HONEST REVIEW*

Would it be enough if I just told you that I loved Misinformation and that you really should read it? Like as soon as it comes out? Because I loved, absolutely loved this book and I feel like it should be enough to convince you to read it too. ;)

Misinformation is the story about Ethan. A bisexual - recently divorced - father of an adorable six-year-old who's still in the closet. And Charlie, the very not in the closet, first grade teacher of Ethan's daughter.
They first meet when Ethan brings his daughter, Fiona, to school and there's an instant attraction. But because Ethan is still in the closet, and doesn't plan to come out of it anytime soon and since he would lose his job if he did, he doesn't act and ask for Charlies number. Also he's his daughters teacher, so it wouldn't be appropriate.
But later, after Ethan had a few too many drinks because his day at work sucked, they happen meet again in a bar and after a bit of awkwardness end up at Ethan's place. The next morning Ethan wants to forget he ever slept with Charlie because he just can't be in a relationship with a guy. But of course he can't avoid Charlie forever, so it doesn't take long for them to meet again.
So despite Ethan being set on staying in the closet and not having an affair/relationship with another guy, he just can't stay away from Charlie and somehow it turns into a relationship. And these two just fit together so well. Whenever they were together you could feel the attraction and I loved how they just couldn't resist each other. Despite being afraid to be hurt Charlie just can't keep Ethan at arm's length.
And although it would cost Ethan his job if someone found out about him and Charlie he just starts to not care. He's been in the closet his whole life, and now that he's not married anymore he wants to know what it's like to be with a guy.

Oh how I loved these guys. They captured my heart and didn't let it go. I was cheering for them the whole time, hoping they'd work it out somehow.
I loved how Ethan developed throughout the story, with being in the closet at the beginning, to finally having enough of it.
One of my favourite scenes in this book was when he was just done with it. His reaction is so understandable.

Misinformation also features a great cast of side characters like Deirdre, Ethan's ex (and finally an ex-wife in a book that is not a jealous, scheming witch!) So refreshing to see a book where she's not some kind of monster! Then there's Josh whom I can't wait to read more about and of course the cute Fiona!

And finally I have to mention this gorgeous cover art! Doesn't it just look fantastic?

Misinformation is definitely one of my favourites of this year and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommended!

[Anke]

I'm not in the mood for this right now and when there was a flashback about a sex-scene - a threesome with his girlfriend of a month and another guy, I knew I didn't want to read on.

But I'll give it another try later. Perhaps.

[Penumbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book through the Don't Buy My Love program for an honest and unbiased review.

Misinformation is the story of Ethan Daniels, a well-known cable news station interviewer and Charlie Woods, Ethan’s daughter’s first grade teacher. The story is told in third person through both Ethan’s and Charlie’s povs.



First let me start with the cover. I love it! It’s simple and the choice to keep the title on the small side was a great idea. This has got to be one of my favorite covers I’ve seen this year.

Ethan Daniels is divorced from his ex-wife Deidre. He moved to New York from Philadelphia because when his wife moved, she took Fiona with her. Ethan saw no choice but to move in order to be near his daughter who he dearly loves. He took a job that he doesn’t like at a very conservative TV station. He has to compromise his beliefs when he interviews the right-wing guests and hide the fact he’s attracted to men. Ethan hasn’t dated anyone in over a year and his ex and boss are pushing him to move on. Ethan appears to be stuck in a rut, when what it is, is he’s afraid of change. Or rather, he’s slow to change. He’s very unhappy but believes his life will always be this way. Until he meets Charlie. From then on, Ethan starts to blossom. He makes mistakes and sometimes they are big ones, but he tries to fix them and no matter how painful, he keeps moving forward, just slowly.

Charlie likes teaching. He loves his single life and not forming attachments. He’s never dated anyone more than three times and likes to use dating apps for hookups. The one time in college he had a boyfriend turned out bad, so Charlie has decided to keep dates purely for sex and not get attached to anyone. It would seem that Charlie would be more open to changes, but that’s not true. I found Charlie to be self-centered whereas, until we get to know Ethan, it would seem that he was the one who didn’t form attachments. Ethan has a ‘heart’ whereas Charlie was into having a good time even when he and Ethan had been together awhile. I got the impression Charlie didn’t want to feel anything for Ethan, he was fighting his growing feelings. Another thing I noticed is Charlie was not very sympathetic towards Ethan and seemed to get offended with the things Ethan did and Ethan was the one often apologizing. For example, there’s something that happens towards the end of the book and Charlie is surprised with Ethan arriving early to meet him at his apartment. Here are the thoughts that go through Charlie’s mind:

…and he knew Ethan had one (conscience). He wouldn’t bother with so many justifications for his job if he didn’t. He’d (Charlie) actually been worried Ethan would be depressed at dinner, which would have been annoying. He’d never been to a restaurant as nice as the one they were going to, and he wanted to enjoy it.

Now here is where you all get to read my rant. I am flabbergasted the author had Charlie think that Ethan being depressed would be annoying because Charlie doesn’t want it to ruin the dinner at the nice restaurant they were going to. Can you say selfish, inconsiderate and unsympathetic? He placed entertainment over the emotional well-being of his boyfriend who was making a lot of changes in himself and in his life. Charlie should be understanding and willing to cancel dinner to help Ethan, not be annoyed. I can’t tell you how much Charlie’s attitude offended me. If it was the author’s intention to portray Charlie as a selfish jerk, then she did a good job. If that wasn’t the intention, then she might want to consider rephrasing the sentence and to not give the impression that a person who has depression is ‘annoying’ and ‘inconvenient.’ Mental illness already gets a bad rap and too many people don’t like to deal with people who are depressed. They prefer that their tidy lives aren’t disrupted, or it makes them uncomfortable and would rather pretend everyone is happy. We know that depression is serious and can sometimes lead to disastrous consequences. For Charlie to have that line of thought is disturbing, especially since he’s a teacher of first grade students where you’d think he’d have more empathy. To perpetuate the idea that depression is ‘annoying’ is very, very sad. I’m disappointed the author contributed to the idea that depression is a nuisance for people.

I enjoyed the side characters, Deidre the ex who thankfully wasn't the token monster female in the story. Ethan's daughter, Fiona didn't overwhelm the story and was an ordinary child, not a mini adult. Charlie's friends were good. I'd like to see what happens with his friend Josh and Roland the doorman, their relationship was just starting towards the end of the book.

Continuing on, the story had a great plot with good segues and each subplot fitting well into the others. There's an underlying tension throughout the story that I liked. I think it did a good job of conveying the anxiety that Ethan lived with in his life. I would say that Ethan’s character grew more than Charlie’s. I was really enjoying the book until about the last quarter. I wasn’t sure what was bothering me, but then I slowed my reading down or rather I had it slowed down by the writing. What happened was I was unable to figure out whose pov we were in. It seemed that sometimes there was head hopping and I think part of the problem was the last quarter of the story would’ve benefited from the use of more proper names. At times there was so many pronouns I wasn’t sure who the pronouns referred to. It’s almost like the last quarter of the story was written at another time. The difference wasn’t large so I don’t think most people would notice it. I think the only reason I did was because I wasn’t confused through most of the book about whose pov it was, but only in the last part of the book where I had to read slower to understand. Another thing relevant to the use of proper names was an error where Deidre was called Fiona.

Back to the plot. I did have a question about the cat, Gertie, and why was it included in the story? It didn’t serve a purpose. If it ended up living with Fiona, Ethan’s daughter, I can see it. Was it included to give a few sympathy points to Charlie for taking in the cat? It didn’t work for me because he just ended up pawning it off on someone else. The cat served no purpose to the story.

The ending was a condensed timeline comprised mostly of telling what happened between Ethan and Charlie. Time jumped in large increments and snippets of scenes told the reader what was happening. Only at the very end did the final event become detailed in order to conclude the story.

I enjoyed Misinformation. The plot and subplots were great, except for the cat subplot which didn’t have a point to it. Charlie thinking that depression was ‘annoying’ was disturbing. Ethan’s character growth was very good, but I didn’t like Charlie that much, he was self-centered. But despite the things I didn’t like, I’d recommend this book to others and give it 4 Stars.

[Aeren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Es difícil que te guste una historia cuando los personajes te parecen unos completos gilipollas, es raro que me pase con uno, pero los dos a la vez es nuevo, además de ser imbéciles, me ha dado la terrible sensación de que el autor no sabía bien que hacer con ellos o la idea de ellos, no existe una evolución y no existe nada coherente acerca de ellos. El resto de la 'historia' es una serie de sucesos colocados de forma sospechosamente acertada para dar lugar a escenas de sexo que en el mejor de los casos se puede decir que carecen de erotismo, por no decir que no vienen a cuento. O me ha pillado el día tonto o no entiendo como ésta tiene tan buenas reviews.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up.

Review coming soon to BMB!

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars – Misinformation is the first book I have read by author Keelan Ellis. I really liked the premise of the story, and while it wasn’t a bad read overall, I just didn’t connect to it as much as I hoped I would.

Ethan Daniels swallowed his pride to take the position as an anchor of a news program on an ultraconservative television news network in order to stay near his six-year old daughter, Fiona, after his ex-wife moves to New York to further her career. Being active in Fiona’s life is too important to him, so he buries his views and compartmentalizes the aspects of his life in order to maintain his sanity—it doesn’t hurt that the money is good too. He has always known he is attracted to men, but until his divorce, it was an urge he never felt the need to act upon. When he meets Fiona’s first-grade teacher, Charlie Woods, he is attracted, but with rumors circulating about his sexuality threatening the renewal of his contract at the network, he is reluctant to act. Charlie refuses to see someone more than a time or two because he doesn’t want a romantic entanglement, so Ethan’s need to stay closeted makes him a perfect candidate for Charlie to hook up with. Neither expects the spark to become anything more, but a relationship between a man whose career depends on maintaining an image suitable for an ultra-right-wing audience and his daughter’s teacher can only work if both are willing to make changes.

There is an adage—okay, a cliché really—that distinguishes the sort of writing found in things like police reports (this happened, then this happened, and finally this happened) from the highly evocative prose found in most novels: “show, don’t tell.” It’s a way to remind authors that instead of telling the reader what is happening, they should strive to make the reader feel what’s happening, to insert the reader into the story as if she were a part of it. Granted, there are situations when telling is the appropriate style for a story, and there are some authors who do it spectacularly well. Since romance novels are all about evoking strong emotional responses among the readers, large-scale telling typically doesn’t work.

Unfortunately, Misinformation is a good example of this problem. For the most part, the book contains dialogue scenes that read pretty well that are separated by these lists of things that happened between them and rather bland descriptions of the people and places surrounding the characters. As a result, I had a difficult time feeling much of anything while I was reading. I couldn’t get wrapped up in the story, no matter how much I liked the idea of what was going on. The relationship that develops between Ethan and Charlie sounded like it had intense feelings, but I sure couldn’t feel them. Because I didn’t connect to the characters, I had way too much time on my hands while reading where I could notice issues I had with the plot, the characters decisions, and the like. When my brain has time to process noticing when the author uses “reticent” incorrectly as a synonym for “reluctant” or uses “jealousy” where she meant “envy,” it doesn’t say much for my appreciation of the storytelling. Oh, and another portion of my brain had time to count how many times someone vomited in the book. Vomiting is not sexy. Ever. (No, it didn’t happen during a sexy scene. That’s not the point.)

It’s really too bad, because I liked the story she was telling. I just wasn’t interested all that much because of how she told it. Perhaps if Misinformation had been written as a play instead of a novel, it would have been much better. After all, I thought the dialogue was good, and everything between the dialogue scenes in a play is just stage direction, so it doesn’t matter if it’s just told instead of shown. And I’m quite sure if Ethan and Charlie were played by Channing Tatum and Chris Hemsworth, not only would I have felt the characters, well… you get the picture.

The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of Misinformation in exchange for this fair and honest review.

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[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ethan Daniels is a host on a conservative cable talk show. It pays well and allows him to live near his daughter and ex-wife, but it sucks a bit of his soul daily. There are expectations in his public image that he is supposed to meet. The fact that he is still single and there are rumors about his sexuality are not on the network's approved list. And his new discovery, that he is attracted to one man in particular is something that he can't let get out.

Charlie Woods is his daughter's first grade teacher. He is smart, attractive, gay, and out. The two men stumble into a physical relationship that has potential for more. But due to their circumstances, it seems impossible. Ethan is in the public eye and has a lot to lose. Charlie also has professional standards. How can something that feels so right be such a conflict of interest?

This is Ethan's journey towards figuring out what he can live with and what he really needs in his life. It is his exploration of his own needs, wants, and priorities. And for Charlie, who is a commitment phobe, this is a new experience for him to want to try at a relationship. Ethan struggles with what is fair to expect of Charlie and what being honest in public will do to his family and his job.

This is definitely a process for Ethan. He has to figure out who he really is and wants to be, deal with external stressors, his career, and possible public scrutiny. I will admit that I got frustrated with him at times. I wanted him to be more decisive and stand up for what he believed in. With some things it felt like there could have been other solutions and alternatives if he looked around more for them. Sometimes he made poor or impulsive choices and other times he seemed to be too afraid to change. Bottom line, he had to find a way to regain his self respect and also that of Charlie. And I had an issue with Charlie too that seemed like it should have been causing more worry. Charlie was skittish about relationships, but seemed to not worry enough about his own career. So some of the plot and character choices had me scratching my head a bit.

I had a hard time truly connecting with the characters at times. They were likable enough and I liked them together in theory. But I did not get feels from the story or them. It felt like I was being told what was happening without really seeing or feeling it. More like watching them from a distance rather than being right there with them. This was an issue during the course of the story, including the sex scenes.

I liked the theme of standing up for what you believe in and being who you want to be. I liked that they both had to take a chance, weigh the risks, and make compromises.

I enjoyed the side characters of Dierdre, Fiona, Josh, Janice, Roland, Girish, and Charlie's family. They added support and a sounding board when needed. I liked that Dierdre was not the typical ex- wife shrew.

This story had some unique elements with the main characters having to meet conservative expectations, scrutiny, and issues with coming out. And it also had the teacher-parent of a student trope. So there were plenty of situations to cause angst and drama. But my heart was not really feeling it with them. It was not easy for them, but in the end it was a hard fought battle to find happiness.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[OJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review of Misinformation from my M/M Romance Books Blog, OJ He Say!. Click the link below to see the whole review and more.


Misinformation at OJ He Say!

Misinformation

When Ms. Ellis offered me a copy of Misinformation in return for my honest review I was immediately taken in by the beautiful cover, and then I read the blurb and was reeled in. The topical subject of this book is fantastic for the times we live in and I was really interested in how this author would handle this particular subject. Well, let me tell you, it’s well worth your reading. I really recommend this book for a good, contemporary, enjoyable read, so enjoy!

THE CHARACTERS

Ethan Daniels:

He really was hotter in person, but a little unusual-looking for a television news guy. His eyes were slightly wide set and a very warm brown. He had a square jaw and a lean face. He was almost conventionally handsome, but there was an almost wolfish quality to his toothy smile. It was hard to tell how old he was.

Charlie Woods:

At the front of the room stood a tall, lanky, bearded man of about thirty, holding an iPad. He was dressed in slim pants, a V-neck sweater, and ankle boots Ethan could tell from halfway across the room must have cost at least a week of a teacher’s salary. Gay, Ethan thought. Also, before he could stop himself, his mind whispered, cute.

THE STORY

This is a solid, good, contemporary story, and a very enjoyable one. Ethan Daniels, who is a true bisexual, follows his ex-wife to Manhattan so he can stay involved in his daughter’s life. He’s started to notice men again after years of being faithful to his wife, but a year after their divorce, in good terms with each other, he’s needing someone in his life. Too bad he works for an extreme right wing cable network, ECHO, that is extremely homophobic just as he starts to fall for Charlie Woods. One small, little complication: Charlie is his daughter’s new school teacher.
To complicate matters even further, Ethan is in the midst of contract negotiations with the network for his renewal and there are rumors from his college days of a three way with a guy and a girl. Charlie is the surprise character here, afraid of commitment and yet so very attracted to Ethan. Charlie steals the show, in my humble opinion.

THE WRITING

The writing is solidly good with well developed, rich characters. It flows smoothly, enjoyably and the secondary characters are written just right. Charlie’s best friend, Josh, is an excellent secondary character, richly written who develops his own love interest in the story. Ethan’s wife, Deirdre, is an integral part of this story and so well done. I must say that the whole story flowed smoothly, drawing me in and keeping my interest throughout. It doesn’t hurt that the editing is also very well done. This is an excellent summer read and highly recommended.

THE DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Keelan Ellis and Dreamspninner Press with providing OJ He Say! with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Roger - president of NBR United - · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review through the DBML program at the M/M Romance group at Goodreads.

I enjoyed this OFY with political overtone book. Ethan Daniel is a Commentator on ECHO a conservative news network and Charlie Woods is a first grade teacher at a liberal private school where Ethan's daughter, Fiona, is enrolled. Ethan is a closeted bisexual divorced man who moved to New York to be near his daughter. They meet when Ethan takes his daughter in to the first day of class. Charlie is her Teacher. They both happen to go to the same Irish bar that night there is insta-lust it isn't a slow blooming of love but not quite insta-love. Ethan break up trying to the "right thing" because he can't at the time come out of the closet. It doesn't work for wither of them they are miserable and can't get it up for anyone else. They have a compromise that he will be out quietly go out and date but not announce publically he is in a relationship in a man unless directly asked. But boy when Ethan does announce it he does it big. He does it during a taping of a show about reparative camp. When the right wing mouthpiece for them start making his bald out right lies about what good they do Ethan Stops the taping them Come outs and explains his reasons. Because of the clause in his new contract he is sure he won't be renewed. True love wins out.

[Lynnette Hartwig · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters development was spot on in my opinion and the sex was just SIZZLING. This book is perceptive and I felt very accurate, this was due the author dealing with two men, one who doesn’t do relationships and the other who isn’t “out” at work and working for a very conservative news station. The author was able to make everything seem very authentic and I loved the whole story. I also loved how there was no judgment between the characters and the supportive friends and family was also spot on. The author was great at keeping everything upfront and very real.

I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book free by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ethan is divorced, bisexual and currently the anchor on right wing news program. Charlie is the school teacher of his young daughter.
After a drunken encounter the 2 decide to take it slow. Ethan is still in the closet.
However, as time goes on the 2 become closer and finally Ethan snaps at works whilst interviewing a man about gay conversion camps.

This was a quick read which I enjoyed. I love this type of story. Although identifying as bisexual, Charlie was his first real relationship with a man. It was great to see Ethan learning all about gay sex.

This is the first book by this author and certainly wont be the last.

[V.L. Locey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written and moving story filled with realism and romance.

I was immediately swept up in the story and the love affair between our leading men. The plot was unique and I found myself coming to understand why Ethan worked at ECHO even though I wasn't fond of him being there. I enjoy a read where the characters aren't always perfect people. Both of our lovers here have their flaws, but they grow and become better men because of each other. Also, huge props for not making the ex-wife a vindictive harpy! I plan to pick up more books by Ms. Ellis as soon as my poor anemic book fund gets a transfusion of funds.

[Gareth Jones-Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very good read, but i did find it a bit hard as im in the uk and left wing right wing means nothing to me but the love you feel between Ethan and Charlie is very well written and the sex is steamy as a steam bath.


a big thank you to Keelan Ellis for asking to read this book and a give it a review sorry it a short review but i dont normally review book

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know the last time I read a book summary that was so on point.

Ethan Daniels is the host of a cable news show that slants to the extreme AGAINST publically accepted concepts such as global warming, a woman's right to choose, poverty and the governments financial support of lower income families, and homosexuality (and bisexuality). Ethan is himself bisexual, but aside from a gay kiss in college, Ethan has steered clear of gay relationships. The reason for this isn't really stated, and it's not as if he has never found himself attracted to men (he totally and completely has); I don't know why he never acted upon it.

As the book summary states, since his divorce, Ethan's desire for men has "become more acute." And boy, does Ethan decide to explore his other side in a really delicious, and slightly naughty way. Charlie Woods is a first grade teacher, and shocker (LOL!) Ethan's daughter, Fiona, is in his class.

Charlie recognizes Ethan from his news show and when he and Ethan first meet at the school there are sparks. Ethan inadvertently flirts with Charlie and Charlie is charmed but confused because he's not sure if Ethan meant to flirt. It's a really cute scene.

When Ethan sees Charlie again at a bar, Ethan is pretty drunk and invites Charlie back to his place, and it's not to show him is latest news segment. Ethan performs his first BJ and Charlie is happy(duh!), with no clue as to how that night changes both their lives.

Ethan does suffer from moments of panic about what people will think if he starts to date a man. Will they think his marriage to his now ex-wife was a shame? He had loved her, and it wasn't a lie. He breaks off his budding relationship with Charlie because he's afraid to hurt his daughter if the truth comes out, he's afraid he will lose his job because of their stand against gay people, and of course he's afraid of what the public will say.

But thankfully Ethan has a no bullshit assistant who is the voice inside his head telling him he's an idiot to throw Charlie away, and an ex-wife who supports Ethan being happy, no matter who it's with. When the two men reconnect it's understood that Ethan isn't going to hide who he is. There are no plans to make a big "announcement" to the world, but they aren't going to hide away either. They live their life, go out and are seen together. They go to Charlie's families home to meet Charlie's parents and siblings. Ethan tells his daughter that he's dating a man (she takes it well, "ok," she says. She's so cute!). It's all going perfect with both men realizing they are falling in love but still too worried to admit it out loud even though they've both alluded to those feelings.

The below contains major plot spoiler so if you hate those, don't open it. I warned you!

It's been two months that they have been together and it's going wonderful - perfect! - and one day, when Ethan is taping a segment with the author of a book that promotes the benefits of those gay camps to "pray away the gay" Ethan hits his breaking point. He is in negotiations with the broadcast team to sign a 5 year contract and while Ethan is taping this segment, he suddenly realizes that he can't do what he's doing anymore. He thought he could just tell the news, keep his beliefs out of it. But he can't. He can't allow himself to be used to promote bigoted and narrow minded thinking and stops the interview and makes a personal statement (they are just recording the segment; it's not live) that he can't keep doing what he's doing.

His contract is not renewed of course and even though the actual taped segment never aired, enough people recorded it on their phone in the studio that it made its way online. Ethan's old news team that he worked with in Philadelphia contacted him and offered him a spot on their team again. Ethan's torn but he only moved to the city so he could be closer to his daughter and in light of some changes to that situation, he takes the job. But Charlie lives in the city; he teaches there. They do the long distance relationship with Ethan eventually asking Charlie to move in. Charlie says he's not ready, but he does think about it, and eventually he is ready. They move in together and they get their HEA. Yay!

The relationship between Charlie and Ethan is beautiful to see and watch grow to something loving and lasting. I was totally hooked into their relationship and wanted more. More! I was so upset when the story progressed so fast. While it's true that after 2 months of being together, it's pretty monotonous routine drivel, but hey! I wanted to read that stuff. I loved these men and wanted to read about them watching TV, cuddling on the couch, going out to dinner. All that stuff.

I don't know if that bothered other people too. It just seemed as if the timeline was sped so we could hurry to the ending. It was indeed a sweet ending. I'm never satisfied though, so it's probably just me.

I absolutely recommend this story, it's well written, the plot is great, the execution is very, very good, and the characters of nice and solid. And the ex-wife wasn't turned into a man hating bitch, which is rare in MM stories. I'm not sure why that is. For once the ex was sweet and caring and helpful.
I rate the book at least 4.3 stars

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Ethan Daniels is a divorcee with a young daughter. When his ex-wife moves cities, Ethan makes the decision to move too so he can be closer to his daughter. He becomes an anchor for ECHO, a conservative news network. He's pressured to maintain an image so as not to fuel any more rumors about his sexuality. He believes showing his attraction for men could spell disaster for himself and his loved ones so he tries to keep a low profile. Nothing goes as planned when he takes his daughter to her first day of first grade. There he meets her teacher and kind of accidentally flirts with the guy.

Charlie Woods is an elementary school teacher and teacher to Ethan's daughter. When he sees Ethan in the bar he's hopeful. He's pretty sure Ethan had been flirting with him when they first met. Also he's aware of the rumors going around about Ethan's sexuality but takes with a grain of salt. His friends even jokingly suggest he should test out if the rumors have any truth to them. In the end they all agree to leave it alone.

When Charlie leaves the bar for some fresh air and to look for a hookup on Grindr. When he strikes out on, he finds that Ethan has witnessed it while out on a smoke break. When (slightly
inebriated) Ethan invites Charlie to his place for a drink. Charlie tries to decline but in the end accepts. He has some trepidation about it and he doesn't exactly want Ethan to fuel the rumors but he also wants to hookup with Ethan. What starts as a just sex quickly becomes more as the two can't get enough of each other. But nothing is so clear cut for Ethan and if he doesn't get his head out of his @ss, he may just lose the best thing that's come into his life.

Ethan was quite the character. I wasn't sure if I wanted to wrap him up and keep him safe from all the jerks he's surrounded by or shake some sense into him. He was a good person who made some bad decisions and it was vexing when he kept going back and forth. The author really did a great job translating Ethan's emotional turmoil when it came to choosing his career, family and/or Charlie.

I really liked that Charlie was trying to be understanding. That, he, himself, wasn't perfect and had his own fears and reasons for not really wanting to get sucked into a relationship with Ethan but at the same time wanting all that.

There were quite a cast of strong and supportive female figures in this story. I really liked that Ethan had Abby and his ex-wife, Deidre. Both unafraid of speaking their mind and even nudging Ethan along on about decisions he had to make. On Charlie's side, his mother and Janet, a friend. Both of whom were ears for listening and advice. I was quite surprised by Deidre's character, from reading about Ethan's resentment and issues with her. I really thought she would be one of those evil ex-wives making life difficult for their ex. But she was none of that and she actually came off really cool. In fact, the conversation between her and Ethan when he came out was such a heartening moment that it brought tears to my eyes. That being said, not all the female characters that showed up in the book were great. Becca was a total....well you know. I didn't like her for doing what she did and just leaving a mess for Ethan.

Relationship development-wise I felt Ethan and Charlie's relationship progressed way too quickly. Their first hookup was a drunken rushed event, the second full on sober intercourse. By the third they knew they wanted it to be more than a hookup and were halfway in love with each other. There really was no grace period to get to know each other at that point. It was after this that they decided to start spending more time together (a lot of it being off page, =( ), a few dates here and there.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ~ Ethan has left his news anchor job and moved to Manhattan from Philadelphia to be near his ex-wife, Deirdre, and his first grade daughter, Fiona. To do that, he’s taken a job with ECHO news (think Fox News), and while he finds the job pretty distasteful, he can suck it up for the obscene amount of money he’s being paid. That is, until he meets Charlie Woods, his daughter’s teacher at her exclusive private school. For some reason Ethan can’t seem to forget about Charlie, and when he runs into him in a pub after a confrontation at work, he’s quite drunk and Charlie ends up walking him home. Once in his apartment, Ethan gives in to his desires and even though he’s not necessarily in his right mind, he knows he wants Charlie.

After seeing Charlie at parent night at Fiona’s school, Ethan’s kind of a jerk to Charlie, but he comes back to apologize. One thing leads to another and they end up in bed. Charlie really likes Ethan even though he knows he’s in the closet, and that his job makes it really difficult to be truthful about his sexuality. Ethan has hidden who he is for so long that he’s not sure what to do with what he feels for Charlie, but he really doesn’t want to give Charlie up—even though he realizes he’s being unfair since Charlie is not in the closet.

As they grow closer, Ethan is under more pressure at work and is up for a new five year contract. And, he’s torn because he really doesn’t want to give up Charlie. He realizes he cannot ask Charlie to live half a life and a lie and so he tries to set Charlie free. But it turns out he can’t really live with that either.

After a final confrontation at work, Ethan is determined to have the life he wants, though it might be hard to achieve. Charlie is happy that Ethan is being true to himself, even if it means there are big changes in their life and their relationship. They are both going to have to work hard and sacrifice and compromise a bit to make this relationship work.

This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I really liked it. Ethan has made a bit of a deal with the devil with his job, in the interest of being an active participant in his daughter’s life. While his divorce was the right thing to do, he and his ex-wife have made their daughter a priority. Thankfully, they both behave like adults and, in the end, support each other as a happy parent is a better parent. The author really shows Ethan’s internal conflict and his crisis of conscience.

Charlie is a very believable as a commitment phobic guy who has trouble accepting that he really deserves a happy ending. He wants to believe it, but he can’t quite picture it; it’s just out of his line of sight. He does know, however, that what he feels for Ethan is very different, and he doesn’t want to lose it. I really enjoyed the building of their relationship from the somewhat accidental one-night stand, to true partnership.

The secondary characters in this story really added to the overall flavor. Fiona and Deirdre both love Ethan and despite the breakup of their family, they still operated as a caring unit. Charlie’s friends and especially his family were a bit of comic relief. I would love to read more about Josh and Roland, or Girish and Wes.

[Barbara Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Misinformation
Author: Keelan Ellis
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Reviewer: Barb
Release Date: June 15, 2016
Genre(s): M/M Romance, Bisexual, Closet
Page Count: 200
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Review:

*****4 Out of the Bi Closet Stars*****

Ethan, a divorced father of a 6 year old daughter, has never acknowledged his bisexuality and has no plans to due to the tremendous pressure of his job as a journalist for a ultra conservative political TV station, ECHO. He has very limited sexual experience with men so when he meets his young daughter’s teacher, Charlie, and he feels an instant attraction, he is nervous of pursuing anything. Charlie, who is out and proud but tries to stay away from relationships, is very attracted to Ethan, but he refuses to be anyone’s “secret”!

As they both fight to deny their attraction and Ethan’s situation at work gets more perilous if any scandal be disclosed, the reader gets a glimpse of just how difficult it is to remain “closeted” in the public eye. I wanted to scream at Ethan’s boss for being so bigoted, pushing him to “get a girlfriend” to improve his public image. Although Charlie did not want to be Ethan’s “secret” he couldn’t deny himself the pleasure of showing Ethan how good it would be to explore his deep sexual cravings.

“Doesn’t matter how I like things to be,” Charlie said. “They are what they are. I can’t keep running away just because something makes me uncomfortable. I want to be with you, so we’ll just have to figure out how to make it happen. Right?”

The best part of the story is when Ethan has to interview the head of the Christian Values League and author of the book "Along Straight Paths: Raising Real Boys in a Godless World". The story they were doing was on the recent push by several states to outlaw so-called gay conversion camps. I will not spoil what Ethan does, but you will stand up and applaud him! How does this story end? Does Ethan and Charlie get their hard fought HEA? 1-click this romantic M/M love story by the talented Keelan Ellis!

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Barb from Alpha Book Club

[Emily Seelye · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC provided by author*

I loved this story about Ethan, a divorced father, and his daughter's first grade teacher. Ethan is bisexual, but except for one make out session while high on E back in college, he's never been with a man. So, when he meets Charlie, he doesn't plan on acting on his attraction. For one, it would it would complicate his job at an ultra conservative TV station. Also, he's afraid of people questioning his marriage.

Later that night, they end up at the same bar and Charlie ends up going home with Ethan. What was supposed to be a one night stand ends up turning into a relationship. They have a few hiccups in the early days, mainly because Ethan is worried about his job and not being enough for Charlie. After a particularly offensive interview, Ethan realizes his job isn't worth compromising who he is, or his relationship, and quits.

This then brings new complications, because he ends up moving back to Philadelphia for work. How can he find time to see both Charlie and his daughter? How will their relationship survive the distance?

There were a few times I was afraid this might turn into an angst-fest, but I'm happy that didn't happen. Ethan's ex turned out to be a better friend than spouse, and she helped him find and keep his happiness. She told Charlie not to give up on him, then when he was moving, she gave the okay for the men to be together and while their daughter was around.

This was a good story with a sweet HEA. Recommended

[Alexis Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was received free in return for an honest review via the Goodreads Don’t Buy My Love program.

4 stars

Honestly, Misinformation’s blurb didn’t jump out at me and yell at me to read it. I picked it up on a friend’s recommendation, and then I notice a few other people I knew who’d read it and liked it, and decided to give it a shot. So glad I did.

This was a interesting tale about a bisexual man who finally let himself try for what he wanted instead of living a life dictated by others. Ethan has kept himself trapped in his heterosexuality following his divorce from his wife and taking a job at an extremely right wing, conservative, TV station. He’s under pressure from work because his contract is set to expire, and a story about him being involved in a threesome (MMF) in college had been leaked. The fact that he hasn’t dated any woman isn’t helping matters.

Ethan hadn’t set out to indulge, but when he meets the gorgeous Charlie, his daughter’s teachers, he’s feeling all sorts of stuff he hadn’t thought about in quite some time. What follows is a sweet journey of introspection on both men’s parts. They have forces working for and against them, but ultimately Ethan needs to make the decision for them to be together.

There’s a few slow parts, but ultimately the story benefited from them. My favorite thing about Misinformation was actually being able to hear the ex-wife’s brogue accent come through in the writing every time she spoke. Well done.

[Calila · Rating 3 out of 5]

*A copy of this book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

I liked this book, but I could've loved it more. The MCs were decent, nothing really to dislike there. I understood Ethan's thought process, even if I thought it was a cop out, so that goes a long way. I struggled more with Charlie, which I feel like will be odd to most who read this. I think a lot of the drama was ridiculous and because Charlie jump to conclusions and over reacted A LOT. Charlie didn't want a HEA, in a relationship, so I think he was sabotaging it. But I think there was built in angst that could've been mined instead of manufactured drama. Ethan's job I thought would be a big obstacle and in the end it wasn't even really a blip. I was disappointed with the ending, it just didn't make sense to me. But I think these are all personal things, which probably won't be an issue for anyone else. It had good points. I liked Ethan's daughter, though she wasn't present much. I liked his ex-wife, which is rare in M/M books.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

-3.5stars-
A good read, quick and easy, without to much drama. Unfortunately I never fully felt the connection between the two MCs, even at the end when they get their HEA (which I wasn't to impressed with how fast forward this all happened in the last chapter, as it took away from the feelings I may have gotten from reading this in more detail rather than a quick summary). Also the sexy times were a bit stilted and weird. The ex wife and kid trope is never really a favourite, but it wasn't to bad here as it didn't take over to much of the book. The wife certainly grew on me later on me. There was a lot of potential, but it just fell short for me. Most people love it though, so give it a go.

[Harper Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy of this book by the awesome author herself. Took me entirely too long to finish this but it was a really quick read. I just got caught up with other things and didn't have time to do any reading! Misinformation is an enjoyable take on a conservative TV host finally coming to terms with who he is. Ethan's eagerness in the bedroom totally had me laughing out loud. Different from previous books I've read by Keelan but definitely an entertaining read.

[Pixie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd at 26%. Lots of telling, repetitive, & I didn't like the lack of chemistry between the two MCs. Just odd...

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked this one - 3.25*
It is a fairly gently paced story so takes a little while to get going and get into.
It is also fairly character based (not my most favourite trope) with a bit of tension surrounding Ethan’s job.
Mostly it is about Ethan and Charlie getting to know one another and making a relationship work despite the obstacles - Ethan’s job, Charlie’s job to a lesser extent, Ethan’s daughter, Ethan never having acted on his attraction to men before.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

**A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review**

Keelan Ellis has veered away from ghost stories with this city romance between Ethan, bisexual, closeted presenter for a conservative cable news programme, and Charlie, who is Ethan's daughter's first grade teacher. Ethan has been obliged to take the job at the programme so he can be near his daughter, who has been taken to New York to live by his ex-wife. Charlie is commitment-phobic and fiercely independent. Brief hook-ups with closeted celebrities suit him just fine, but neither of them expected to fall in love.

So that's the setup. Firstly, a couple of niggles, nothing to do with the writing, which is consistently great. I trust Ellis to be technically spot on and she is here as well. First niggle is with Ethan, who has left a successful job in Philly to take a position with a cable company that has totally different ideals to his own, and is regularly disparaging to the LGBT community. He is their star performer, regularly spouting things he doesn't agree with. He says he does it purely to be with his daughter, but I can't help wondering if any LGBT person would do this.

Number two is Charlie, the first grade teacher who very rapidly hooks up with Ethan, despite being the teacher in charge of Ethan's child. That's unprofessional at best, yet the school don't seem to have an issue with it when it all comes out. I'm English, so I know what would happen here. It's not an LGBT issue. It's a professional issue. Maybe in the States it's different.

Like I said, these are niggles that wouldn't go away for me, but in the end, they didn't spoil my enjoyment of this book. If, like me, you can push through them, you will be rewarded with a sexy, emotional love story, with some unpredictable twists and turns.

And this is what Ellis does best; throwing a curve ball into the mix just as you think this is going to go the way of many romances. It doesn't. Ethan does come across as a bit of an ass at times, but he's a wonderful father and his daughter is cute as a teddy bear. His ex is also a great character, flawed as well so you can see why the marriage didn't make it, but decent, and a decent ex in a romantic novel is a rare thing indeed. In a way, her main flaw is interfering with the best of reasons. She was cleverly drawn and I liked her. So often, the ex is someone to boo and hiss at, but not here. The villain of the piece is the Fox-alike cable company Ethan works for, with a boss so vile I wanted to punch him.

Charlie is also an interesting character. First school teachers, especially male ones, can be exotic creatures. No-one really knows why they choose to spend their time with loathsome oiks, when they could be doing important things like being captains of industry, or firefighters, or heart surgeons. I thought he was totally convincing, very likeable despite his phenomenal ability to make poor life choices. The chemistry between him and Ethan, from the first fumbling, drunken encounter to the realisation that they both care for each other, is genuinely touching and well-balanced.

And finally, Ellis has really upped her game in the sex scenes. The others were good. These are great, tender and hot as prime beefsteak. That's all I'm saying...

[Lena Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The lowest form of popular culture - lack of information, misinformation, disinformation, and a contempt for the truth or the reality of most people's lives - has overrun real journalism. Today, ordinary Americans are being stuffed with garbage.” ~ Carl Bernstein

When his ex-wife moves to New York City, taking their daughter with them, Ethan Daniels, of 'Misinformation' by Keelan Ellis, makes a less than desirable career choice in order to be near her. Working as host of ECHO, an ultra conservative television program, he's forced to host despicable, toxic people, who are promoting agendas that are both negative and harmful. Ethan tries hard to be neutral, but week after week of dealing with this type of agenda is wearing him down. He feels trapped, but the idea of leaving and not being near his daughter is a thought he can't entertain. Ethan knows he can't do this much longer; something has got to give.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

When Ethan becomes attracted to Charlie Woods, things get even more complicated. Although he's attracted to men, Charlie has never acted upon those desires, but there's something about Charlie that pushes all of Ethan’s buttons. Even with that, Ethan hesitates to act upon his feelings and he and Charlie have a very frustrating time of it going back and forth trying to decide whether it is a good idea or not. They also have a completely different idea of what they want in a relationship; whether it is to be casual or serious. Since Homosexuality is one of the biggest topics on Ethan's show, being in a same-sex relationship makes it even more difficult for Ethan to remain neutral in the interviews he has on his show.

Charlie is good-hearted, loves kids, and is a great school teacher. He's also stubborn and disillusioned about a relationship lasting for any length of time. When he hooks up with Ethan he never expects to fall in love with him. He thinks that Ethan's closeted status will keep him from having romantic complications, but soon has to admit he's wrong. Charlie's feelings for Ethan are too strong for it to be casual. Ethan's job is a big bone of contention between them. Ethan explains that just because he works there doesn't mean he believes what his often undesirable guests and the station management think and say. Charlie finds it hard to believe he can work there and not compromise himself. Ethan disagrees with him at first, but later has to admit that it's getting more difficult to stay silent. But Ethan's contract is coming up for renewal and he doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.

Even though there is lots of right-wing chaos swirling throughout the story, there isn't a great deal of angst. However, there is a lot of hot sex between Ethan and Charlie that is made even more special since Charlie was Ethan's first. Ethan was a fast learner and shared many passionate, sensual interludes with Charlie. They had good chemistry both in and out of bed. I appreciated how Ethan took responsibility for his mistakes and did the best he could to rectify them. I loved that he and his ex-wife, Deidra, had such a good relationship, especially when it came to Fiona, but in other ways too. There was a lot of history between them and it would have been a shame to throw it all away. Often, she may have been bossy, but gave Ethan a shoulder to cry on when he needed her.

If you like stories about listening to your conscience, doing the right thing, facing your fears, and holding on to those you love, you may enjoy this book. Thanks, Keelan, for bringing two wonderful men together.

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The full review and much more can be found at The Novel Approach

Ethan has left his news anchor job and moved to Manhattan from Philadelphia to be near his ex-wife, Deirdre, and his first grade daughter, Fiona. To do that, he’s taken a job with ECHO news (think Fox News), and while he finds the job pretty distasteful, he can suck it up for the obscene amount of money he’s being paid. That is, until he meets Charlie Woods, his daughter’s teacher at her exclusive private school. For some reason Ethan can’t seem to forget about Charlie, and when he runs into him in a pub after a confrontation at work, he’s quite drunk and Charlie ends up walking him home. Once in his apartment, Ethan gives in to his desires and even though he’s not necessarily in his right mind, he knows he wants Charlie.

After seeing Charlie at parent night at Fiona’s school, Ethan’s kind of a jerk to Charlie, but he comes back to apologize. One thing leads to another and they end up in bed. Charlie really likes Ethan even though he knows he’s in the closet, and that his job makes it really difficult to be truthful about his sexuality. Ethan has hidden who he is for so long that he’s not sure what to do with what he feels for Charlie, but he really doesn’t want to give Charlie up—even though he realizes he’s being unfair since Charlie is not in the closet.

As they grow closer, Ethan is under more pressure at work and is up for a new five year contract. And, he’s torn because he really doesn’t want to give up Charlie. He realizes he cannot ask Charlie to live half a life and a lie and so he tries to set Charlie free. But it turns out he can’t really live with that either.

After a final confrontation at work, Ethan is determined to have the life he wants, though it might be hard to achieve. Charlie is happy that Ethan is being true to himself, even if it means there are big changes in their life and their relationship. They are both going to have to work hard and sacrifice and compromise a bit to make this relationship work.

This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I really liked it. Ethan has made a bit of a deal with the devil with his job, in the interest of being an active participant in his daughter’s life. While his divorce was the right thing to do, he and his ex-wife have made their daughter a priority. Thankfully, they both behave like adults and, in the end, support each other as a happy parent is a better parent. The author really shows Ethan’s internal conflict and his crisis of conscience.

Charlie is a very believable as a commitment phobic guy who has trouble accepting that he really deserves a happy ending. He wants to believe it, but he can’t quite picture it; it’s just out of his line of sight. He does know, however, that what he feels for Ethan is very different, and he doesn’t want to lose it. I really enjoyed the building of their relationship from the somewhat accidental one-night stand, to true partnership.

The secondary characters in this story really added to the overall flavor. Fiona and Deirdre both love Ethan and despite the breakup of their family, they still operated as a caring unit. Charlie’s friends and especially his family were a bit of comic relief. I would love to read more about Josh and Roland, or Girish and Wes.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for Just Love Romance

This was my first from Ellis and I had high hopes when I saw other great reviews but I have mixed feelings about his book. Typically, I will finish even if I don’t like a story because my curiosity gets the better of me. I just have to know how it ends. That’s what puzzled me with Misinformation because I did like this book. It has several themes to set up an engaging story and yet I found myself bored with the second half. At 200 pages I should’ve been able to quickly breeze through but it ended up taking me days to finish because I just didn’t care enough to bother picking it back up.

Ethan, Charlie and the side characters are very likable which makes for a pleasant read and I was interested in learning how their lives become intertwined. I liked that Ethan both embraced and defended his bisexuality and I enjoyed being part of his journey as he discovered a side of himself that had been dormant for so many years. I also appreciated that his ex-wife isn’t played by the wicked witch and is actually a positive reinforcement in his life. This was refreshing to me since oftentimes female characters are cast as bitter and downright evil in m/m romance. Charlie recognizes that he has commitment issues but I saw it as more of a take it or leave it attitude. His go with the flow ways made it hard for me to believe that he was really falling for Ethan. Ethan is going through major life altering events and Charlie is just…there. He comes off like he’ll be okay with whatever the outcome is.

I understood Ethan’s need for his job but I couldn’t get past the fact that he was considering staying with a conservative news program when his beliefs and lifestyle were the contrary to everything the station stands for. At no point is it mentioned that he was exploring other options until he’s forced to do so. I was relieved to see that he finally wises up but at times it seems that he was more concerned about the money than how it would affect his shared custody of his daughter. If anything, this is a good example of how things tend to work themselves out in this book. I didn’t feel like I was there for the resolution, but rather, was told about it after the fact.

There are several abrupt jumps in time that I would’ve liked to have seen distinguished better but this could just be the advanced copy formatting and may possibly be corrected in the published edition. There’s a fair amount of build for enthralling conflict but most of it is glossed over. It reads like the everyday life of regular people which is okay but it wasn’t enough to keep my attention. Other than the story arc falling flat I felt the technical aspects of the writing were executed well.

In the end I thought this book was just fine. Nice, even, but I’m hoping that Ellis will give me something I can really sink my teeth into with future releases.

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Kristy Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which actually got mixed up with my Christmas reads, but that’s okay. I found it very humorous. I want so badly to give it 5 stars but I had a few issues with it that are holding me back. I adored the characters and the conflicts that they struggled with over the course of the story. Ethan is a newscaster at what essentially sounds like Fox News though he personally is not politically affiliated with the conservative policies of the company he works for, he regards it as a job that enables him to be close to his daughter whose mother moved to NYC with her after their divorce. Ethan meets his daughter’s first grade teacher, Charlie, and is attracted to him. The story follows Ethan and Charlie as they struggle with their own issues with regards to relationships and what they want from each other and with Ethan’s job.

Now to the two major problems I had with the book. 1. There were several instances when there was reference to Ethan “lying” and I was a little confused over it. For instance, Charlie sent Ethan a text that essentially said that he could have just told him instead of lying about something. They had made plans for Monday night not Friday night so I’m not sure what Charlie was talking about. Ethan never told him anything about his plans for Friday night much less lied about it? Another instance, Charlie asked Ethan’s ex-wife wasn’t she upset with Ethan for lying to her during their marriage. I’m not sure what he was talking about? What was Ethan lying about? Spoiler marked in next paragraph.

lies? the fact that he got high on E and rolled around in the grass with a man and a woman during college before he even met her? His thought that he might be interested in having sex with a man? That he might be bisexual? Do you tell your spouse your every thought? Are you supposed to tell your spouse every single person you kissed before you met? I’m not sure what he was talking about? Being bisexual doesn’t mean that you can’t be in love and faithful to one person regardless of gender. This just confused me.

2. Then there was the ending. It dragged on chronologically if not literally. Suddenly we were rushing through months and months and into the next year and things weren’t resolved so that when they finally resolved it just seemed anticlimactic and strange. I think that I would have preferred that the ending had been after they decided to try and maybe an epilogue with a jump to a year later rather than “being told” over the course of pages that time was passing and descriptions of their feelings about it, interspersed with a little conversation here and there. Of course then I probably would have complained that the ending was abrupt but maybe not.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and it will definitely make it into my favorites for this year.