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ePistols At Dawn
Choose your weapons.
Jae-sun Fields is pissed. Someone has taken the seminal coming-out, coming-of-age novel Doorways and satirized it. He's determined to use his Internet skills and his job as a tabloid reporter to out the author as the fraud and no-talent hack he's sure she is.
Kelly Kendall likes his anonymity and, except for his houseboy, factotum and all-around slut, Will, he craves solitude. There's also that crippling case of OCD that makes it virtually impossible for him to leave the house. He's hidden his authorship of Doorways behind layers of secrets and several years' worth of lies - until he loses a bet.
Satirizing his own work, as far as he can see, is his own damned prerogative. Except now he has an online stalker, one who always seems several steps ahead of him in their online duel for information.
A chance meeting reveals more than hidden identities - it exposes a mutual magnetic attraction that can't be denied. And pushes the stakes that much higher, into a zone that could get way too personal.
Warning: This book contains large Korean men; Will, the houseboy, factotum, and all-around slut; hot sexy manlove including oral sex, and serious ass play. (Jae's note to self: OCD + socks + mouth = BAD.)
Jae-sun Fields is pissed. Someone has taken the seminal coming-out, coming-of-age novel Doorways and satirized it. He's determined to use his Internet skills and his job as a tabloid reporter to out the author as the fraud and no-talent hack he's sure she is.
Kelly Kendall likes his anonymity and, except for his houseboy, factotum and all-around slut, Will, he craves solitude. There's also that crippling case of OCD that makes it virtually impossible for him to leave the house. He's hidden his authorship of Doorways behind layers of secrets and several years' worth of lies - until he loses a bet.
Satirizing his own work, as far as he can see, is his own damned prerogative. Except now he has an online stalker, one who always seems several steps ahead of him in their online duel for information.
A chance meeting reveals more than hidden identities - it exposes a mutual magnetic attraction that can't be denied. And pushes the stakes that much higher, into a zone that could get way too personal.
Warning: This book contains large Korean men; Will, the houseboy, factotum, and all-around slut; hot sexy manlove including oral sex, and serious ass play. (Jae's note to self: OCD + socks + mouth = BAD.)
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2009
15 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
July 10, 2014
dazed and confused.
i'm kinda baffled, here.
i don't understand how the same person can have written the kind of elegant, restrained characterization that left me cooing like a pigeon on three separate occasions and the sort of wildly OTT plotting that featured
i don't get it.
and the sex made me angry. lovely, sensual intimacy, ruined by ridiculously hypervigilant condom choreography. which required noting every time someone put one on, where it came from, and where it went afterwards—because way hot, right?
and while i assume there must be some people in this world who are AllCondomEverything, i really can't be having with enrubbered blowjobs in my lazy smutfic reading time—because it's flat-out nasty, and vanishingly rare, and kinda silly when the very next scene features delicious asslicking.
without a dental dam.
*annoyed*
so: five-star characters, one-star plot, a bizarre pun in the title, and sex that drove me mental.
and must every korean character in these things be named jae-sun?
i'm kinda baffled, here.
i don't understand how the same person can have written the kind of elegant, restrained characterization that left me cooing like a pigeon on three separate occasions and the sort of wildly OTT plotting that featured
i don't get it.
and the sex made me angry. lovely, sensual intimacy, ruined by ridiculously hypervigilant condom choreography. which required noting every time someone put one on, where it came from, and where it went afterwards—because way hot, right?
and while i assume there must be some people in this world who are AllCondomEverything, i really can't be having with enrubbered blowjobs in my lazy smutfic reading time—because it's flat-out nasty, and vanishingly rare, and kinda silly when the very next scene features delicious asslicking.
without a dental dam.
*annoyed*
so: five-star characters, one-star plot, a bizarre pun in the title, and sex that drove me mental.
and must every korean character in these things be named jae-sun?
December 9, 2011
This is the most satisfying m/m romance I've read in ages, and I only stumbled upon it because it was cheap! It was the length that made it so good. Sometimes an m/m romance is like a miniature chocolate truffle; down the hatch so quickly that it's nothing more than a delicious silken bite, and I'm left wanting another, and another. I mean, some of these titles coming out can be read in half an hour.
ePistols at dawn was a plateful of dessert that required a knife and spoon. Because of the length the plot can develop slowly, you get to know the characters, they get to know each other, plot happens, and the sex seems to fit naturally within the events of the world. It makes such a difference.
Kelly was a endearing character, however it was secondary-character Will that I really fell for. Although it seems unlikely Maxfield will revisit these characters, as it was published back in 2009, I would simply adore to read a prequel about Will's life as a $1500-a-night hustler.
Potential plot hole though:
ePistols at dawn was a plateful of dessert that required a knife and spoon. Because of the length the plot can develop slowly, you get to know the characters, they get to know each other, plot happens, and the sex seems to fit naturally within the events of the world. It makes such a difference.
Kelly was a endearing character, however it was secondary-character Will that I really fell for. Although it seems unlikely Maxfield will revisit these characters, as it was published back in 2009, I would simply adore to read a prequel about Will's life as a $1500-a-night hustler.
Potential plot hole though:
May 11, 2016
3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
ePistols at Dawn is difficult to review; I really liked some part of the book, while I felt extremely bothered by others.
What I liked:
I definitly enjoyed the plot of the book. Jea is working as a journalist and when he realizes that somebody has satirizied Doorways - a novel he feels deeply attached to due to his own coming-out in his youth. He immediately decides that he will try everyting in order to find out who the writer behind Windows really is. The story is full of secrets, misunderstandings and lies, but they didn't make me dislike the characters; it mostly made me try to understand their reactions and their behavior.
I also liked the characters in general; they felt complex and it wasn't always easy to feel connected to them. I liked that not everything about them was perfect. The story also has some interesting secondary characters, most notably Will - I would like to get his story in a full-length novel.
What I didn't like:
Some aspects of the story were extremely repetitive. This goes for small behavioral things - like Will sneaking up behing Kelly in the dark, the despriptive use of condoms in all details - but also for more important parts of the plots - the main characters keep arguing about the exact same things and the ups and downs in their relationship always seem to be the same.
All in all, ePistols at Dawn was an entertaining read and I will definitly keep reading books by Z.A. Maxfield.
ePistols at Dawn is difficult to review; I really liked some part of the book, while I felt extremely bothered by others.
What I liked:
I definitly enjoyed the plot of the book. Jea is working as a journalist and when he realizes that somebody has satirizied Doorways - a novel he feels deeply attached to due to his own coming-out in his youth. He immediately decides that he will try everyting in order to find out who the writer behind Windows really is. The story is full of secrets, misunderstandings and lies, but they didn't make me dislike the characters; it mostly made me try to understand their reactions and their behavior.
I also liked the characters in general; they felt complex and it wasn't always easy to feel connected to them. I liked that not everything about them was perfect. The story also has some interesting secondary characters, most notably Will - I would like to get his story in a full-length novel.
What I didn't like:
Some aspects of the story were extremely repetitive. This goes for small behavioral things - like Will sneaking up behing Kelly in the dark, the despriptive use of condoms in all details - but also for more important parts of the plots - the main characters keep arguing about the exact same things and the ups and downs in their relationship always seem to be the same.
All in all, ePistols at Dawn was an entertaining read and I will definitly keep reading books by Z.A. Maxfield.
There were three of us in that apartment, and we each had a doorway to go through. Doorways is, at its most basic, my attempt to force myself to decide what I wanted to be on the other side of my door before I went through it.
June 24, 2019
I'm on a mission to listen to all of J.F. Harding's narrations. That's the only reason I picked up this book. He certainly didn't disappoint. But I was also pleasantly surprised by the great story.
August 8, 2009
I was glad to see that Kelly has just as much of a hair fetish as I do! I really loved this book. It was slow to start, but it soon picked up momentum, and it became hard to walk away from!
4.5 to 5 stars
4.5 to 5 stars
November 23, 2021
Clever and witty, excellent characters, and smoking hot erotica, I enjoyed every minute of ePistols at Dawn.
Beautifully performed by J.F. Harding, his voice is always a pleasure.
Beautifully performed by J.F. Harding, his voice is always a pleasure.
November 10, 2017
3.9 Stars
Okay, so I had a pretty visceral reaction to this book; specifically: How The Adversary's editor justified outing someone...who later committed suicide. Do I think partial responsibility rests with the magazine? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. Do I understand his vehemence about making sure the public knows when their elected leaders - busy condemning & legislating the LGBTQ community (especially with "faith-based" laws) are actually snorting coke off an underage rent-boy's ass while parading around a wife and 2.5 kids & spouting off about morality? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. BUT...an actor trying to live a quiet life on the somewhat-downlow is NOT the same thing. At all. EVER. And it reminded me of why I stopped watching all magazine-based television programs, never pick up a tabloid, hate "reality" tv and refuse the "gotcha" click-bait.
(It can be argued that since such a long time had elapsed between the two events - a year? - that the outing wasn't a Causal factor in the suicide. Considering everything the guy went through afterwards trying to salvage his relationship with his parents and the impact it had on his career? Yeah, whatever.)
Thank fuck it seems like the forced outing trend seems to be on the decline! (Unless it's a bigoted 'Con and I say shout that shit from the rooftops.) On the plus side, I appreciate investigative journalism (Russia *crosses fingers*) as a field and definitely see the need for people to dig deeper about certain stories.
Other than that, this book was good. A typical emotional & angst-filled read that I've come to expect from ZAM. On the whole, I felt it too long as I think the Second Misunderstanding could have been avoided had Jae given all the details of his assignment when he confessed to Kelly about the pseudo-cyberstalking. Plus, the OCD/Anxiety issues seemed randomly tossed in there. I can see why Kelly would be that ill, would have those reactions...but it was hit-n-miss and not evenly applied to the plot. More like an illness called up for use when the pacing called for More Drama Now.
Still not sure why Kelly gave the exclusive interview to that asshole at the magazine, though...
Okay, it really sounds like I didn't like the book but I did! It's just, I think I get more upset about it when a great story also ends up with these flaws. Or something. Argh, IDK.
Mostly, I just want Will's book now. Is that a thing? If so, can someone please let me know which one it is? (This isn't marked as a series.) If it's not...WTAF? Why NOT??!!??!?! He was the most interesting character by far and surely had the best story given what we know of him!!
Okay, so I had a pretty visceral reaction to this book; specifically: How The Adversary's editor justified outing someone...who later committed suicide. Do I think partial responsibility rests with the magazine? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. Do I understand his vehemence about making sure the public knows when their elected leaders - busy condemning & legislating the LGBTQ community (especially with "faith-based" laws) are actually snorting coke off an underage rent-boy's ass while parading around a wife and 2.5 kids & spouting off about morality? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. BUT...an actor trying to live a quiet life on the somewhat-downlow is NOT the same thing. At all. EVER. And it reminded me of why I stopped watching all magazine-based television programs, never pick up a tabloid, hate "reality" tv and refuse the "gotcha" click-bait.
(It can be argued that since such a long time had elapsed between the two events - a year? - that the outing wasn't a Causal factor in the suicide. Considering everything the guy went through afterwards trying to salvage his relationship with his parents and the impact it had on his career? Yeah, whatever.)
Thank fuck it seems like the forced outing trend seems to be on the decline! (Unless it's a bigoted 'Con and I say shout that shit from the rooftops.) On the plus side, I appreciate investigative journalism (Russia *crosses fingers*) as a field and definitely see the need for people to dig deeper about certain stories.
Other than that, this book was good. A typical emotional & angst-filled read that I've come to expect from ZAM. On the whole, I felt it too long as I think the Second Misunderstanding could have been avoided had Jae given all the details of his assignment when he confessed to Kelly about the pseudo-cyberstalking. Plus, the OCD/Anxiety issues seemed randomly tossed in there. I can see why Kelly would be that ill, would have those reactions...but it was hit-n-miss and not evenly applied to the plot. More like an illness called up for use when the pacing called for More Drama Now.
Still not sure why Kelly gave the exclusive interview to that asshole at the magazine, though...
Okay, it really sounds like I didn't like the book but I did! It's just, I think I get more upset about it when a great story also ends up with these flaws. Or something. Argh, IDK.
Mostly, I just want Will's book now. Is that a thing? If so, can someone please let me know which one it is? (This isn't marked as a series.) If it's not...WTAF? Why NOT??!!??!?! He was the most interesting character by far and surely had the best story given what we know of him!!
May 15, 2011
This is a fun read with an unusual character in the person of Kelly, a romance hero who is middle-aged and hampered by OCD and phobias. Jae Fields is a reporter who tries to track down both the author of his favorite coming of age story and the woman he is convinced is guilty of satirizing it. Z.A. Maxfield gets credit for one of the best sex-gone-wrong episodes I've read, as her heroes try to get together. The presence of a supportive friend-with-benefits was also somewhat novel (as opposed to the supportive platonic friend). And Will is a great character, although the bit about how expensive he was conflicted with the in-need-of-rescue portrayal used to explain how he became Kelly's houseboy. A few things didn't seem quite probable. A female M/M-romance writer satirizing a beloved gay story might be worth Jae's personal ire and pursuit, but it doesn't seem like a story his paper would care about (although the search for the original author surely would be.) Kelly's mental health issues don't hamper him as consistently as I would have expected. They are made to be charming and only rarely inconvenient, where in fact they might be a real challenge to a relationship. And although love at first sight is a standard trope I wasn't quite convinced by how fast Kelly fell for Jae. Still, this was a worthwhile read and had the virtue of some novelty in a field where we all begin to sound a little alike.
February 28, 2018
Meh, meh, meh, meeeeehhhhhh......
For the life of me, I couldn’t connect to the MCs. They weren’t bad people, they just were. They bored me, in fact. The only entertaining character was Will, Kelly’s “Houseboy and all around slut.” I kept wishing the story was about him.
This was a slow book in first half. It picked up some In the second, but not enough to make me connect to the conflict the MCs were going through. It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t really care.
One thing I did care about was the magazine Jae worked for whose mission it was to out every celebrity possible for the good of all. That is something I do not agree with, specially when the results are as disastrous as depicted in this book.
Aside from Will, I like the interracial coupling of Jae and Kelly. That’s right, folks, not everyone is white. Go figure.
The audiobook was OK, even though I usually like this narrator.
So for me everything falls in the middle for this book with the lovely title....“Neither liked nor disliked.”
For the life of me, I couldn’t connect to the MCs. They weren’t bad people, they just were. They bored me, in fact. The only entertaining character was Will, Kelly’s “Houseboy and all around slut.” I kept wishing the story was about him.
This was a slow book in first half. It picked up some In the second, but not enough to make me connect to the conflict the MCs were going through. It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t really care.
One thing I did care about was the magazine Jae worked for whose mission it was to out every celebrity possible for the good of all. That is something I do not agree with, specially when the results are as disastrous as depicted in this book.
Aside from Will, I like the interracial coupling of Jae and Kelly. That’s right, folks, not everyone is white. Go figure.
The audiobook was OK, even though I usually like this narrator.
So for me everything falls in the middle for this book with the lovely title....“Neither liked nor disliked.”
June 4, 2018
Well this was a surprise. I finally listened to my friend Sarah who has been singing lauds for this book over the years and I must say that she was right.
I've never tried a Maxfield before. Here the story is much more than the blurb. The blurb does not show the satire, the play between characters, the gentleness she shows with them. During the 5 years I've been on GR I've seen polemics, showdowns, disappointments, great hoo ha especially with this genre. And so I smiled reading Maxfield's incorporation of this into the story, hence the satire.
I've never tried a Maxfield before. Here the story is much more than the blurb. The blurb does not show the satire, the play between characters, the gentleness she shows with them. During the 5 years I've been on GR I've seen polemics, showdowns, disappointments, great hoo ha especially with this genre. And so I smiled reading Maxfield's incorporation of this into the story, hence the satire.
Read
May 6, 2010I'm too old and it's too much time I'm around. Or maybe it's only that I read too much. Z.A. Maxfiled wrote a parody about a man who wrote a parody... I think I'm able to recognize to whom Z.A. Maxfield identifies herself in the novel, enough to say it's not the writer (too simple), and I recognized who was the writer she is paying homage to.
The story is actually a comedy of errors: Jae is a literary critic working for an LGBT Magazine, The Adversary (quite clear reference to The Advocate...); Jae is an half Caucasian half Asian man, and his full name is Jae-sun, but he goes for Jae, and this sometime leads people to think that he is a female. Often writers who are pissed off from one of his reviews accuse him to be a woman, and so to being unable to understand a real good piece of Gay Literature. You would think that Jae would be the first to defend himself claiming that he is a man, and instead he has always let it go, finding useful to have the change to play the double role, male or female when it is necessary. Like in this case: Jae is real angry since a woman, Kelly Kendall, dared to write a parody of one of Jae's favourite coming of age novel, Doorways. Doorways was like The Catcher in the Rye or some other breaking coming of age novel for Jae, and seeing a trashy novel like Windows taking and ridiculing it, it's too much. Above all since the author who did it is a woman! (payback is hard to digest…) How does she dare? She can't understand how important that book was for young Jae.
Problem is that Kelly can truly understand, since he is not a "she", he is Kelly Mackay, alias Kelly Kendall, alias Kieran Anders, the author of both Doorways than Windows. He wrote Windows to fulfil a bet with Will, his houseboy / dogs boy, a 20 years old former hustler who he welcomed in his home as secretary and buddy friend with benefits. Where Kelly was probably the angst teenager in Doorways, Will is probably the slut teenager in Windows... they are two different perspective on the same story, and Kelly is also probably overgrown on the teenager he was. At this point I also recognized another gentle homage Z.A. Maxfield probably did, to the movie Finding Forrester; not only Kelly Kendall has the same Irish/Scottish origin of the character in the movie, William Forrester, but he has also the same problem to being trapped by his first novel: people adore Doorways so much, that Kelly is scared to writing something else. To do so, he changed completely the genre and went under another pseudo. Plus Kelly suffers of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and he avoids like a plague everything that is not ordinary or stranger.
Jae is bent on "outing" Kelly Kendall as not only a woman (his publisher maintains the mystery around him) but also a plagiarist. He starts to pestering Kelly with emails from a supposedly female fan, StrawberryFields, mails to which Kelly replies with gentleness but avoiding giving details. Only that, email after email, both Jae than Kelly start to realize that they have much in common, and that they like to talk with the other online... is it possible that a so good online relationship turns in something real? Yes, it’s, since Jae is used to have things to easily, and dating Kelly it’s not easy at all. Someone could say that Kelly is a nut case, but I think that he is only a very special man, and he needs someone to take care of him. Don’t get me wrong, Kelly is not retarded or similar, he is only a man with a lot of odd customs, but it’s what makes him a special man, and he has not to change; he only has to find a man who can deal with him. And learning to deal with Kelly maybe will teach to Jae to see things less in Black and White, to see the shades, to be more flexible, and learning that, to be a better man. Not always being a crusader is a good thing, sometime crusade did a very poor job to humanity.
When I said that being a crusader is not necessarily a good thing, I’m not only referring to Jae’s fight to “out” everyone who hides his homosexuality (which negative side we read in the fate of an actor at the beginning of the book); take Kelly’s OCD… someone like Jae, so strong and used to see only the right and the wrong, probably would try to cure himself, to force nature to submit to human’s will… and doing so you would destroy the real Kelly. The real Kelly it’s not the “healthy” man, the real Kelly is the obsessed one, the troubling one, he is special since he is not normal, level him to the rest of the world, means to kill him.
I like also as the author dealt with Kelly and Will's relationship; true, they are having a sexual relationship, but not from Kelly's side or Will's one there is a real emotional commitment. Both of them know that what is between them it's not real love, problem is that Kelly doesn't know if real love exist, at least not until Jae. I like that, even if at the beginning the author let us in the more intimate details between Kelly and Will, when Jae is becoming something more than an email address for Kelly, that relationship slowly but steadily turns in a real friendship, without benefits. It's made in a way that I don't feel bad for Will, on the contrary, I believe that he needs more Kelly as a friend rather than as a lover. Not only Kelly finds his love, but it happens at the same time when Will's past is revealed (a past of child molestation), and in a strange play of destiny, it's actually a better thing for him that Kelly, who can be a fatherly figure for Will due to the age difference, becomes totally sexually detached.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605047074/?...
The story is actually a comedy of errors: Jae is a literary critic working for an LGBT Magazine, The Adversary (quite clear reference to The Advocate...); Jae is an half Caucasian half Asian man, and his full name is Jae-sun, but he goes for Jae, and this sometime leads people to think that he is a female. Often writers who are pissed off from one of his reviews accuse him to be a woman, and so to being unable to understand a real good piece of Gay Literature. You would think that Jae would be the first to defend himself claiming that he is a man, and instead he has always let it go, finding useful to have the change to play the double role, male or female when it is necessary. Like in this case: Jae is real angry since a woman, Kelly Kendall, dared to write a parody of one of Jae's favourite coming of age novel, Doorways. Doorways was like The Catcher in the Rye or some other breaking coming of age novel for Jae, and seeing a trashy novel like Windows taking and ridiculing it, it's too much. Above all since the author who did it is a woman! (payback is hard to digest…) How does she dare? She can't understand how important that book was for young Jae.
Problem is that Kelly can truly understand, since he is not a "she", he is Kelly Mackay, alias Kelly Kendall, alias Kieran Anders, the author of both Doorways than Windows. He wrote Windows to fulfil a bet with Will, his houseboy / dogs boy, a 20 years old former hustler who he welcomed in his home as secretary and buddy friend with benefits. Where Kelly was probably the angst teenager in Doorways, Will is probably the slut teenager in Windows... they are two different perspective on the same story, and Kelly is also probably overgrown on the teenager he was. At this point I also recognized another gentle homage Z.A. Maxfield probably did, to the movie Finding Forrester; not only Kelly Kendall has the same Irish/Scottish origin of the character in the movie, William Forrester, but he has also the same problem to being trapped by his first novel: people adore Doorways so much, that Kelly is scared to writing something else. To do so, he changed completely the genre and went under another pseudo. Plus Kelly suffers of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and he avoids like a plague everything that is not ordinary or stranger.
Jae is bent on "outing" Kelly Kendall as not only a woman (his publisher maintains the mystery around him) but also a plagiarist. He starts to pestering Kelly with emails from a supposedly female fan, StrawberryFields, mails to which Kelly replies with gentleness but avoiding giving details. Only that, email after email, both Jae than Kelly start to realize that they have much in common, and that they like to talk with the other online... is it possible that a so good online relationship turns in something real? Yes, it’s, since Jae is used to have things to easily, and dating Kelly it’s not easy at all. Someone could say that Kelly is a nut case, but I think that he is only a very special man, and he needs someone to take care of him. Don’t get me wrong, Kelly is not retarded or similar, he is only a man with a lot of odd customs, but it’s what makes him a special man, and he has not to change; he only has to find a man who can deal with him. And learning to deal with Kelly maybe will teach to Jae to see things less in Black and White, to see the shades, to be more flexible, and learning that, to be a better man. Not always being a crusader is a good thing, sometime crusade did a very poor job to humanity.
When I said that being a crusader is not necessarily a good thing, I’m not only referring to Jae’s fight to “out” everyone who hides his homosexuality (which negative side we read in the fate of an actor at the beginning of the book); take Kelly’s OCD… someone like Jae, so strong and used to see only the right and the wrong, probably would try to cure himself, to force nature to submit to human’s will… and doing so you would destroy the real Kelly. The real Kelly it’s not the “healthy” man, the real Kelly is the obsessed one, the troubling one, he is special since he is not normal, level him to the rest of the world, means to kill him.
I like also as the author dealt with Kelly and Will's relationship; true, they are having a sexual relationship, but not from Kelly's side or Will's one there is a real emotional commitment. Both of them know that what is between them it's not real love, problem is that Kelly doesn't know if real love exist, at least not until Jae. I like that, even if at the beginning the author let us in the more intimate details between Kelly and Will, when Jae is becoming something more than an email address for Kelly, that relationship slowly but steadily turns in a real friendship, without benefits. It's made in a way that I don't feel bad for Will, on the contrary, I believe that he needs more Kelly as a friend rather than as a lover. Not only Kelly finds his love, but it happens at the same time when Will's past is revealed (a past of child molestation), and in a strange play of destiny, it's actually a better thing for him that Kelly, who can be a fatherly figure for Will due to the age difference, becomes totally sexually detached.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605047074/?...
March 3, 2019
Wow. There's so much here -- love and loss, a former high-priced rent boy and a secretive screenwriter/former novelist, a sleezy tabloid editor and a reporter who isn't sure he's reporting the right stuff anymore. L.A., I miss you and hadn't realized how much you'd grown into my heart and mind over the past 27 years. Beautiful story, beautiful characters, beautiful and destructive industry.
July 6, 2014
I had a difficult time with this story. It just kind of moved along slowly with nothing very gripping happening. I really enjoyed Kelly in the beginning when he was by himself or with the wonderful Will. However, when he connected with Jae, his whole demeanor changed. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters.
Will was the most interesting character in this story. He was funny, sweet and sexy, with a shady back story that we only caught glimpses of.
There were a few funny lines that made me chuckle, but overall the story was a little too slow for me.
Will was the most interesting character in this story. He was funny, sweet and sexy, with a shady back story that we only caught glimpses of.
There were a few funny lines that made me chuckle, but overall the story was a little too slow for me.
March 20, 2019
4.5 stars
An unusual story about a reclusive author and a journalist who strike up an odd online friendship when the journo sets out to expose the author as a plagiarist.
I love J.F. Harding's voice, and his narration here is excellent.
An unusual story about a reclusive author and a journalist who strike up an odd online friendship when the journo sets out to expose the author as a plagiarist.
I love J.F. Harding's voice, and his narration here is excellent.
August 15, 2009
This is a decent book with a good idea that unfortunately fails to deliver that solid emotionally punch I seem to constantly be looking for from this author. Since I know ZA Maxfield is capable of stunning emotional/angst work, I’m somewhat surprised that with the wealth of possibilities and potential latent in this book, it fails to deliver on that scope. It is still a good book with two fabulous characters (not the main couple unfortunately) and shines with some wonderful scenes that highlight why this author is a great writer. Unfortunately the entire 210 page book is not filled with the same level of greatness and ends up using tired tropes and inconsistencies to get the final happy ending. By that point, I was ready to be done too. But overall, fans will likely enjoy the book even if not love it.
The premise is that an author, Kelly, satirized his own highly acclaimed work and thereby earned the ire of one devoted reader, Jae. Jae decides to expose the scathing hack but then finds himself embroiled in a personal relationship with Kelly on many levels, leading to two scenes with the big misunderstanding trope. It takes quite a bit for these men, particularly Kelly, to overcome their sense of betrayal and personal fear to attempt a relationship. The combination of their lies and prevarications create an atmosphere of distrust that dances alongside the sizzling chemistry. With the help of BFF’s and some emergency repair on the road to love, these two must discover a way to let go of the past and embrace the future.
The book revolves around the theme of doorways and truth in a variety of obvious and subtle ways. The theme of doorways stems from the obvious with the gay coming of age book that has evolved into a scared tome for many readers. Its writer must travel through numerous doorways, each time overcoming his fear, to a different change in his life. The idea that doorways are simply an avenue to change is clear but woven incredibly well throughout the story in subtle moments and with high impact. One such example is the scene of Kelly and Jae on the beach before Kelly lets them both into the apartment, knowing their connection has weight and meaning. Additionally, the concept of truth is used just as liberally if sometimes too much. This led to some inconsistencies in the characters but shows the various angles of truth and how the image of such changes with each person and their perspective. These dual elements are repeated throughout the story mostly to its benefit with only a few missteps.
Also included are numerous references and tongue in cheek comments about the publishing world and the concept of women writing gay smut. These are often humorous and meant to allow the reader to identify and laugh with the story. Some of these are overdone and too obvious, dragging the joke on well after the first well deserved laugh. Kelly and Will’s banter however, is so witty and entertaining that it almost makes up for the long running gags that are eventually dropped in favor of more emotional angst.
The character of Kelly is undeniably the most dynamic and attention catching. His various fears, paranoia, OCD behavior and reluctance to change create a complex character that hides from life yet lives what he does experience to the very fullest. He has a courage and strength that is bellied by his overwhelming fear resulting in a man with very real flaws. His compassion, kindness, and decency are sterling but that doesn’t prevent him from running and hiding either. He makes mistakes and hurts others as he struggles to accept himself, his past, and his future. The scenes involving Kelly, either with others or on his own, are the strongest of the book. These scenes have a tangible tension and electricity that is lacking in other elements. His story is the strong focal point of the book and the clear emotional connection with the reader. I wish the author had stayed true to this instead of drifting more into areas that were not as engaging.
Kelly’s relationship with Will and the character of Will are another wonderful element of the book. A young man with an abused and horrible past but retaining innocence amid capable strength have Will sure to be a reader favorite. The scenes between these two are strong, interesting, and instantly engrossing whether they are intense or humorous. The dialogue and emotional connection between the men is entertaining and witty, almost overshadowing the burgeoning relationship between Jae and Kelly. Kelly’s clear fascination and desire for Jae help clarify matters so there is no confused loyalty but the writing and story was stronger when featuring Will and Kelly than Kelly and Jae overall.
Jae is a solid character but lacked a lot of consistency. To start with he's described as a 6'5" Asian who towers over everyone, which led to repeated references to his huge height. This is distracting and unnecessary. Then as a reporter, his loose ethics are instantly questioned but he waivers between showing a strong sense of decency and a justification for harmful acts. A lot of this is the reporter mantra of “if I don’t do it, someone else will” but this is exercised even within Jae’s own personal life. When the second big misunderstanding was being set up, Jae suddenly decides he is scrupulously honest and doesn’t tolerate deceit, forgetting this exact situation already happened once. If he’d mused that he learned his lesson, that would be one thing but he doesn’t. Furthermore he seems to think nothing of keeping secrets yet constantly digs deeper to find Kelly’s. Although Jae’s emotional connection to Kelly is clear and strong, he is not a very sympathetic character. He has hints of interest with his freakishly tall stature and emo goth attire, but most of this is distracting and creates a juxtaposition between the two men when enough exist from outside sources. However, his compassion, understanding and love for Kelly are wonderful, adding to his character. The careful handling of Kelly and all his fears is slow and calculated with a maturity that goes against Jae’s mistakes.
I liked the character of Jae and the relationship between Kelly and Jae, but it sadly wasn’t the strongest aspect of the story. I wasn’t left with the satisfying and happy feeling for a great romantic couple that has weathered emotional angst and trauma. I was left wondering why they didn’t learn from their first big misunderstanding and how many more times in the future this ridiculousness would continue. But here’s to hoping it doesn’t as the core of the story is really interesting and engaging. It’s a slow starter as it takes almost 80 pages before all the various aspects are in place and the first deception of Jae and so on, but once the two meet it picks up quite a bit. I didn’t love the story but I liked it and want to see more, preferably Will’s story please!
The premise is that an author, Kelly, satirized his own highly acclaimed work and thereby earned the ire of one devoted reader, Jae. Jae decides to expose the scathing hack but then finds himself embroiled in a personal relationship with Kelly on many levels, leading to two scenes with the big misunderstanding trope. It takes quite a bit for these men, particularly Kelly, to overcome their sense of betrayal and personal fear to attempt a relationship. The combination of their lies and prevarications create an atmosphere of distrust that dances alongside the sizzling chemistry. With the help of BFF’s and some emergency repair on the road to love, these two must discover a way to let go of the past and embrace the future.
The book revolves around the theme of doorways and truth in a variety of obvious and subtle ways. The theme of doorways stems from the obvious with the gay coming of age book that has evolved into a scared tome for many readers. Its writer must travel through numerous doorways, each time overcoming his fear, to a different change in his life. The idea that doorways are simply an avenue to change is clear but woven incredibly well throughout the story in subtle moments and with high impact. One such example is the scene of Kelly and Jae on the beach before Kelly lets them both into the apartment, knowing their connection has weight and meaning. Additionally, the concept of truth is used just as liberally if sometimes too much. This led to some inconsistencies in the characters but shows the various angles of truth and how the image of such changes with each person and their perspective. These dual elements are repeated throughout the story mostly to its benefit with only a few missteps.
Also included are numerous references and tongue in cheek comments about the publishing world and the concept of women writing gay smut. These are often humorous and meant to allow the reader to identify and laugh with the story. Some of these are overdone and too obvious, dragging the joke on well after the first well deserved laugh. Kelly and Will’s banter however, is so witty and entertaining that it almost makes up for the long running gags that are eventually dropped in favor of more emotional angst.
The character of Kelly is undeniably the most dynamic and attention catching. His various fears, paranoia, OCD behavior and reluctance to change create a complex character that hides from life yet lives what he does experience to the very fullest. He has a courage and strength that is bellied by his overwhelming fear resulting in a man with very real flaws. His compassion, kindness, and decency are sterling but that doesn’t prevent him from running and hiding either. He makes mistakes and hurts others as he struggles to accept himself, his past, and his future. The scenes involving Kelly, either with others or on his own, are the strongest of the book. These scenes have a tangible tension and electricity that is lacking in other elements. His story is the strong focal point of the book and the clear emotional connection with the reader. I wish the author had stayed true to this instead of drifting more into areas that were not as engaging.
Kelly’s relationship with Will and the character of Will are another wonderful element of the book. A young man with an abused and horrible past but retaining innocence amid capable strength have Will sure to be a reader favorite. The scenes between these two are strong, interesting, and instantly engrossing whether they are intense or humorous. The dialogue and emotional connection between the men is entertaining and witty, almost overshadowing the burgeoning relationship between Jae and Kelly. Kelly’s clear fascination and desire for Jae help clarify matters so there is no confused loyalty but the writing and story was stronger when featuring Will and Kelly than Kelly and Jae overall.
Jae is a solid character but lacked a lot of consistency. To start with he's described as a 6'5" Asian who towers over everyone, which led to repeated references to his huge height. This is distracting and unnecessary. Then as a reporter, his loose ethics are instantly questioned but he waivers between showing a strong sense of decency and a justification for harmful acts. A lot of this is the reporter mantra of “if I don’t do it, someone else will” but this is exercised even within Jae’s own personal life. When the second big misunderstanding was being set up, Jae suddenly decides he is scrupulously honest and doesn’t tolerate deceit, forgetting this exact situation already happened once. If he’d mused that he learned his lesson, that would be one thing but he doesn’t. Furthermore he seems to think nothing of keeping secrets yet constantly digs deeper to find Kelly’s. Although Jae’s emotional connection to Kelly is clear and strong, he is not a very sympathetic character. He has hints of interest with his freakishly tall stature and emo goth attire, but most of this is distracting and creates a juxtaposition between the two men when enough exist from outside sources. However, his compassion, understanding and love for Kelly are wonderful, adding to his character. The careful handling of Kelly and all his fears is slow and calculated with a maturity that goes against Jae’s mistakes.
I liked the character of Jae and the relationship between Kelly and Jae, but it sadly wasn’t the strongest aspect of the story. I wasn’t left with the satisfying and happy feeling for a great romantic couple that has weathered emotional angst and trauma. I was left wondering why they didn’t learn from their first big misunderstanding and how many more times in the future this ridiculousness would continue. But here’s to hoping it doesn’t as the core of the story is really interesting and engaging. It’s a slow starter as it takes almost 80 pages before all the various aspects are in place and the first deception of Jae and so on, but once the two meet it picks up quite a bit. I didn’t love the story but I liked it and want to see more, preferably Will’s story please!
July 20, 2009
I'm not sure if I liked Jae over Yamane. Probably the latter but not for any significant reason. Just that I didn't have to go googling for a face to put to Yamane's character, being totally clueless about Korean men until I read this book.
If anything, E-Pistols made me realize there are Koreans of mixed parentage, too. I tend to think only of the Vietnam War and the kids left behind, not the Korean War (way too far up north from us). Same style and feel as the other book and it felt like I was reading the same book but with the names changed.
I admit I didn't get why Kelly was so obsessed with keeping his authorship of Doorways secret until I came to the part where I realized he had an OCD. It wasn't that obvious to me earlier...or maybe I've just been having a pretty rough time myself lately and haven't really been paying attention to the details in my books.
If anything, E-Pistols made me realize there are Koreans of mixed parentage, too. I tend to think only of the Vietnam War and the kids left behind, not the Korean War (way too far up north from us). Same style and feel as the other book and it felt like I was reading the same book but with the names changed.
I admit I didn't get why Kelly was so obsessed with keeping his authorship of Doorways secret until I came to the part where I realized he had an OCD. It wasn't that obvious to me earlier...or maybe I've just been having a pretty rough time myself lately and haven't really been paying attention to the details in my books.
January 10, 2012
Things I didn't like about this book- the title & the cover.
Seriously. That's why I didn't buy it sooner.
Kind of glad I didn't, because I really needed this kind of absorbing read right now. Great story all the way around. Characters were interesting, plot was fun, and intense. Oh- it was sexy, too.
One little niggle...was I the only one left wondering if Will had a little more to do with a certain actor's outing than he let on?
Seriously. That's why I didn't buy it sooner.
Kind of glad I didn't, because I really needed this kind of absorbing read right now. Great story all the way around. Characters were interesting, plot was fun, and intense. Oh- it was sexy, too.
One little niggle...was I the only one left wondering if Will had a little more to do with a certain actor's outing than he let on?
July 12, 2021
Not my favorite ZAM book. Too convoluted, too wordy, too angsty. But then again, ZAM is the author of one of my favorite M/M series, starting with My Cowboy Heart.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
June 7, 2018
Sweet heavens.
This was so lovely and refreshing.
I loved the story and the characters (main and supporting) so much.
Thank you Sarah for the great recommendation xox
This was so lovely and refreshing.
I loved the story and the characters (main and supporting) so much.
Thank you Sarah for the great recommendation xox
October 1, 2009
Jae-sun Fields, a reporter for a tabloid, is determined to discover who has written a book satirizing his favorite novel Doorways. He is convinced the author is a woman masquerading as a gay man and that they need to be exposed as a fraud for messing with his beloved book.
“No way a gay man is going to send up Doorways.” Jae shook his head. “It’s…like…the holy grail of coming-out novels. Catcher in the Rye for those of us not destined to be homicidal assholes.”
Going undercover as a fangirl Jae starts communicating with the author, Kelly Kendall, in hopes of finding proof of her duplicity. I really enjoyed the emails between Jae and Kelly. They served to give us a look into both characters minds and so by the time they actually meet, quite a few pages into the book, both of them had become 'real' to me.
The protagonists are different from each other yet work well together. Jae is a confident and strong man, secure in his sense of self yet still he makes mistakes in some of his choices and as is sometimes only too common, it takes making the same mistake more than once for him to learn from it. Kelly is a very private person who wrote a powerful book during a terrible time in his life and has never wanted the attention admitting to being the author of the book would bring. Kelly also suffers from both agoraphobia and OCD yet at times it seemed as if the agoraphobia came and went, it seemed almost too easy for him to be out and about, and I found that a bit distracting.
The secondary characters of Shannon, Jae's best friend and Will, Kelly's houseboy, factotum and all-around slut, (I loved that description) are good additions to the story, especially Will. In fact for most of the book I kept debating with myself whether I preferred Kelly with Jae or Will. Kelly and Will have a sweet loving and sexy relationship and at times it appears almost as if they are the couple of the story. However I did also like Jae and Kelly, they had ups and downs related both to Jae's tactics in looking for the "truth" and Kelly's own personal issues but the love between them was nicely shown and they are hot together.
Ultimately I found this to be a well written book with an interesting plot, the story flowed well and the humor ZA Maxfield added in some of the scenes was a nice touch. The characters are engaging especially Will who I'd love to see get his own story sometime. There is plenty of hot sex as well as the sweetness of friendship and new love. There are a lot of issues dealt with in this story; OCD, agoraphobia, suicide, death, deceit and also quite a few angsty moments but overall it balances out well with the relationships of the four friends and the lovers, both old and new. I know fans of ZA Maxfield will enjoy this story and recommend it also to anyone who has yet to try her books. Read it and enjoy.
“No way a gay man is going to send up Doorways.” Jae shook his head. “It’s…like…the holy grail of coming-out novels. Catcher in the Rye for those of us not destined to be homicidal assholes.”
Going undercover as a fangirl Jae starts communicating with the author, Kelly Kendall, in hopes of finding proof of her duplicity. I really enjoyed the emails between Jae and Kelly. They served to give us a look into both characters minds and so by the time they actually meet, quite a few pages into the book, both of them had become 'real' to me.
The protagonists are different from each other yet work well together. Jae is a confident and strong man, secure in his sense of self yet still he makes mistakes in some of his choices and as is sometimes only too common, it takes making the same mistake more than once for him to learn from it. Kelly is a very private person who wrote a powerful book during a terrible time in his life and has never wanted the attention admitting to being the author of the book would bring. Kelly also suffers from both agoraphobia and OCD yet at times it seemed as if the agoraphobia came and went, it seemed almost too easy for him to be out and about, and I found that a bit distracting.
The secondary characters of Shannon, Jae's best friend and Will, Kelly's houseboy, factotum and all-around slut, (I loved that description) are good additions to the story, especially Will. In fact for most of the book I kept debating with myself whether I preferred Kelly with Jae or Will. Kelly and Will have a sweet loving and sexy relationship and at times it appears almost as if they are the couple of the story. However I did also like Jae and Kelly, they had ups and downs related both to Jae's tactics in looking for the "truth" and Kelly's own personal issues but the love between them was nicely shown and they are hot together.
Ultimately I found this to be a well written book with an interesting plot, the story flowed well and the humor ZA Maxfield added in some of the scenes was a nice touch. The characters are engaging especially Will who I'd love to see get his own story sometime. There is plenty of hot sex as well as the sweetness of friendship and new love. There are a lot of issues dealt with in this story; OCD, agoraphobia, suicide, death, deceit and also quite a few angsty moments but overall it balances out well with the relationships of the four friends and the lovers, both old and new. I know fans of ZA Maxfield will enjoy this story and recommend it also to anyone who has yet to try her books. Read it and enjoy.
December 1, 2011
As you can see, the reviews are mixed. I think that's because there are some things in here that could be debated over and over and if you don't agree with ZA Maxfield then yeah you probably didn't like this book as much as you would have had her openions agreed with you.
Hey I've been on goodreads long enough to know that we are a highly openionated group and there are those that will have an epileptic fit when asked to just agree to disagree. I can just imagain that this book was infuriating for the simple fact that the readers could argue! AND I LOVED IT!!!!!!
The live in BFF/Lover was kind of freaky but I saw that big red button that the author was floating out there and was able to keep from pushing it. The fact is ZA Maxfield rarely sticks with the comfortable she isn't a black and white writer but rather immerses herself in the gray of the world and I enjoy almost all of her work because of this. It also helps that she kicks ass when it comes to visual details and character composition.
Personally I thought the book was awsome but I can see where some might not have gotten the joy out of it that I did :)
Hey I've been on goodreads long enough to know that we are a highly openionated group and there are those that will have an epileptic fit when asked to just agree to disagree. I can just imagain that this book was infuriating for the simple fact that the readers could argue! AND I LOVED IT!!!!!!
The live in BFF/Lover was kind of freaky but I saw that big red button that the author was floating out there and was able to keep from pushing it. The fact is ZA Maxfield rarely sticks with the comfortable she isn't a black and white writer but rather immerses herself in the gray of the world and I enjoy almost all of her work because of this. It also helps that she kicks ass when it comes to visual details and character composition.
Personally I thought the book was awsome but I can see where some might not have gotten the joy out of it that I did :)
March 15, 2010
I read quite a lot nice reviews of this book and it sounded like promising gay novel so I bought it. The idea about making parody of parody sounded promising and the plot like good idea. Perhaps it was but too much was too much. Why Pedobear followers must be everywhere?
Very valued author of gay novels decided to overcame his OCD and general crazy behavior and wrote parody of hyper super successful book under different pen name. Oh what the great idea which provoked certain tabloid very gay and by the way very handsome half Korean tabloid reporter, who used power of almighty internet aka fake identity and emails to provoke that "bastard", who put filth of parody on the book, which was like bible for very gay reporter.
Everybody here is gay by the way. Tabloid reporter and author finally found the way to each other hearts and author´s house boy who was victim of his pedophile stepfather and general slut was lost in the plot.
Once and enough. I battled to even finish it, but I think this book generally was not my cup of coffee.
Very valued author of gay novels decided to overcame his OCD and general crazy behavior and wrote parody of hyper super successful book under different pen name. Oh what the great idea which provoked certain tabloid very gay and by the way very handsome half Korean tabloid reporter, who used power of almighty internet aka fake identity and emails to provoke that "bastard", who put filth of parody on the book, which was like bible for very gay reporter.
Everybody here is gay by the way. Tabloid reporter and author finally found the way to each other hearts and author´s house boy who was victim of his pedophile stepfather and general slut was lost in the plot.
Once and enough. I battled to even finish it, but I think this book generally was not my cup of coffee.
July 18, 2009
This book started off really slow again (like Drawn Together) but picked up and soared once it hit its stride.
As usual with ZAM, there is a lot of humor and wit that always make me smile, grin, giggle or laught out loud. I also teared up at points.
There are some great lines in this book. I wish I had marked them so I could quote some of them.
As usual with ZAM, there is a lot of humor and wit that always make me smile, grin, giggle or laught out loud. I also teared up at points.
There are some great lines in this book. I wish I had marked them so I could quote some of them.
February 5, 2018
Five stars! I love the book and enjoyed it very much. I'm sorry it took me so long to find it but I'm glad I finally did. Yahoo that one of the protagonist was a character of color.
What struck me most about this book is, they don't write them like they used to. This was a serious long developed story, with developed characters. They just don't write full complete tales as much nowadays. Sad.
What struck me most about this book is, they don't write them like they used to. This was a serious long developed story, with developed characters. They just don't write full complete tales as much nowadays. Sad.
October 3, 2013
“He was a reporter for The Adversary. It was his job to stalk people. He was one step above paparazzi and a couple below common variety garden snake."
Jae was beyond pissed. There were few things sacred to him, and some crazy woman had just taken his holy book and created a mocking homage to it. Doorways helped turn him into the man he was. Windows was going to burn on the front page of his newspaper, The Adversary, along with the imposter who wrote it.
"Were you aware, when you got me into this mess, that Windows would be the most popular work of my entire career?"
"I'm sorry, honey." Will gazed at him with sincere sympathy. "But seriously. Have you read your other stuff?"
Kelly had a bit of a problem. OK, he had quite a few problems, what with his OCD, dislike of change, and his mother slowly, but steadily declining in health. The last thing he needed right then was to be fending off the advances of reporters--especially a tall, hot, half-Asian reporter who was coming to find he had a lot more on his mind than what Kelly could do with a pen and paper.
With secrets that bind them, stories that tie them, and a death that brings them face to face, Kelly and Jae have a hell of a way to go before they can see that what is on the other side is well worth that trip through the doorway.
The first thing that captured my attention about this book is just how much I love Will. Who's Will, you say? Wasn't this book about Jae and Kelly? Well, Will Lanier is, in the best terms possible: "houseboy, factotum [think PA] and general all-around slut." But he is so much more than that. Will is best friend, rock, and driving wind behind Kelly. He takes care of Kelly, helps hold him together, and forces him to see how much better he can be. Plus, he can give one hell of a blow-job. There are a lot of issues that Will has--what with a past of abuse victim, high-priced rent-boy, and awesome, if slutty, man--but he forces himself and Kelly to see beyond just their home and their working, if imperfect, relationship. And you'd think, what with him being live-in houseboy, that you'd want to despise him for getting in the way of Jae and Kelly's HEA, but he is at least half the reason the they end up forced back together time and again, so you can't begrudge him his home, even if he is going to have to get used to not "sleeping" in Kelly's bed any longer.
Other than Will, this book has a lot going for it. Jae is a great MC. He is not perfect--very, very far from it. But he grows in this story. He comes to see that the way he is living, in certain aspects of his life, is toxic and actually sets about changing them. Not just because they could hurt Kelly, but because they are hurting him. He is better than that, and he comes to realize it. It is a painful journey to get there but the destination is well worth the effort. Plus, his has an awesome family, that probably need a little more time to come to grips with his whole not going to marry a woman and create many, many babies, thing, but come on, how is this not hilarious:
"No you don't, Jae-sun Fields." She gripped his arm. "I'm not so old I don't know what I know. You want to stick your thing into men. I say fine. You stick. Plenty of men you stuck already. But I am old and I know. You need a wife. You need a family. You stuck enough men. Marry some women and turn her over. You won't even know."
And Kelly. Man, Kelly has issues with the whole OCD thing, but he won't let it stop him in the end. It is probably not the most extreme case of OCD I have read about (I think Disasterology 101 takes that cake) but it has put up some serious hurdles that he is going to have to overcome. Not the least of which is freaking out in the middle of a restaurant and accidentally giving the impression that he was just fellating Jae (he crawled out from under a table and bolted to the bathroom...I really can't blame them for any conclusions jumped to). And even if the OCD doesn't take the relationship down, Kelly is not all that skilled at keeping relationships from sinking under a mountain of doubts, second guesses, and suddenly revealed truths. It will be a long road before he and Jae figure out how to move with each other, and not just around each other's issues.
While I wasn't totally convinced that Jae's paper would be so obsessed with finding out the secret of the Doorways author, I could see how a newspaper built of revealing secrets of the rich and closeted could use it to their advantage. I don't agree that is a good way to live, but as a marketing tool, prying open peoples closets and secrets is a great way to make a buck. However, I am very glad that Jae made the decision he did, in the end.
I loved this book, and absolutely adored the secondary characters as much as I loved the MCs (totally wouldn't turn down a book about the awesome Will, either). The tragedies that inspired, crippled, and grew everyone made this book an enjoyable, if a tad painful, ride. Five Stars (and ten bonus points for mentioning Doctor Who). Read it when you want to laugh. Read it when you want to tear out your hair, and heart. And read it when you want to crave some Korean home-cooking*.
*Between this book, and several of Rhys Ford's novels, I have become tempted and hooked on this stuff. Is it not enough that you drain half my bank account for your books? Must you also cause me to lose the rest to take-out dinners?
May 18, 2019
2.5 stars
July 30, 2019
I just could not get into this one.
April 20, 2012
This was a strange novel. I couldn't tell whether to take it seriously and read deeper meanings into Z.A. Maxfield's themes and characterizations, or whether to simply enjoy it as an amusing but predictable time-waster. I think Maxfield was shooting for both impressions simultaneously, hence the strangeness.
The novel features a reclusive writer, Kelly, who once wrote a book that defined the experiences of a generation of gay teens. Kelly is a basket case of anxiety and OCD, so he spends almost all of his time holed up in his home with a former hustler named Will, who refers to himself as "houseboy, factotum and all-around slut." Essentially, this means Will is Kelly's butler-with-benefits. The relationship between Kelly and Will is complicated and, to be honest, a lot more interesting than the main romantic relationship in the novel. I found the dynamic between Kelly and Will a bit uncomfortable, given Will's past history as an underaged male prostitute, and the substantial age difference between them (Will is 20, Kelly is 37). But the very fact that their unusual (and arguably unhealthy) friendship made me uneasy meant that I was paying more attention to it than to Kelly's relationship with Jae.
Jae-sun Fields, a journalist for a publication called The Adversary, which specializes in outing gay celebrities and politicians, is probably the weakest character in this book. His motivations are uncomplicated, and his approach to life is straight forward. Even as he experiences a crisis of professional identity over the course of the book, the resolution of his internal conflict is too predictable because the reader already knows that Jae will always choose his relationships over his career. Personally, I would like to have seen Jae struggle a bit more on this point. Jae would be a less sympathetic character if he was more fanatical in his crusade for the truth, but he also would be more complex, more human, and much more interesting.
I can't give ePistols at Dawn a higher rating because I feel like the author passed up too many opportunities to add depth to her story and characters. Many of the issues raised in this novel should have been explored more fully, and many sources of conflict could have been added to increase the impact of the romantic story line. Still, it was an entertaining novel with some laugh-out-loud humor and a reasonably-satisfying HEA.
The novel features a reclusive writer, Kelly, who once wrote a book that defined the experiences of a generation of gay teens. Kelly is a basket case of anxiety and OCD, so he spends almost all of his time holed up in his home with a former hustler named Will, who refers to himself as "houseboy, factotum and all-around slut." Essentially, this means Will is Kelly's butler-with-benefits. The relationship between Kelly and Will is complicated and, to be honest, a lot more interesting than the main romantic relationship in the novel. I found the dynamic between Kelly and Will a bit uncomfortable, given Will's past history as an underaged male prostitute, and the substantial age difference between them (Will is 20, Kelly is 37). But the very fact that their unusual (and arguably unhealthy) friendship made me uneasy meant that I was paying more attention to it than to Kelly's relationship with Jae.
Jae-sun Fields, a journalist for a publication called The Adversary, which specializes in outing gay celebrities and politicians, is probably the weakest character in this book. His motivations are uncomplicated, and his approach to life is straight forward. Even as he experiences a crisis of professional identity over the course of the book, the resolution of his internal conflict is too predictable because the reader already knows that Jae will always choose his relationships over his career. Personally, I would like to have seen Jae struggle a bit more on this point. Jae would be a less sympathetic character if he was more fanatical in his crusade for the truth, but he also would be more complex, more human, and much more interesting.
I can't give ePistols at Dawn a higher rating because I feel like the author passed up too many opportunities to add depth to her story and characters. Many of the issues raised in this novel should have been explored more fully, and many sources of conflict could have been added to increase the impact of the romantic story line. Still, it was an entertaining novel with some laugh-out-loud humor and a reasonably-satisfying HEA.
October 16, 2012
This story was kind of all over the place for me. The basic conflict—investigative reporter versus reclusive author—was sound enough, but the execution was oddly distracted and diluted. First, the scandalous truth that Jae was determined to reveal to the world was the idea that the author of a satirical erotica piece about gay men was—gasp!—a woman. Even if this had turned out to be the case, it’s hard to imagine that even the readership of a politically inclined gay magazine would care much. If a woman had written the original serious and iconic novel, that would have been a story.
Jae finds out early on that his idea is erroneous, thus removing the original antagonism between the MCs. The conflict then becomes all about Kelly’s anxiety disorder, his mistrust of relationships, and the secrets Jae is hiding. While both characters are appealing, the progression of their relationship was not compelling reading. There was much deeper emotional resonance between Kelly and his houseboy/bedpartner Will; as other reviewers have noted, this was the more interesting couple in the book. (This is not to say that I felt Kelly and Will should have been together—as the story very aptly demonstrates, they were not in love.)
Jae’s workplace milieu of “gay scandal” reporting and politically-inspired outing of celebrities is not one that engages me, and it takes its toll on both MCs as well. The final crisis was predictable and its resolution both too drawn-out and too simple.
This one is, however, worth a read for Will alone; it also has the usual complement of ZAM’s entertaining sex scenes.
3.5 stars.
March 29, 2017
intelligent romance
Enemies to lovers...This novel was charming, full of smart characters in fairly believable situations. Jae (Korean american tabloid? journalist) and Kelly (anxious reclusive author) have some work to do...as do their BFFs ('their pit crew on the road to love'). Fun, lovable, some moments of class and some of dorky awkwardness (yay! dating)...with side snark aimed at fan girls of gay fiction (sniff. good thing I ain't one of those). The incognito emails between the two enrich the story. This is a romance story, I usually rate lower if there isn't some secondary action or mystery. But the characters' contexts are rich and delicately exposed over the course of the book. I was interested and rooting for that HEA. Smoothly and professionally written and well edited.
Things I consider in m/m fiction
Likable MCs 1-5: 4 (very sweet smart guys; the book switches from POV of Jae and Kelly smoothly)
Humor 1-5: 3. (A lot of the humor was in snarky dialogue of clever characters)
Angst 1-5: 3 (several issues touched here: anxiety, panic attacks, journalists outing people for political agendas, history of child abuse and trauma; all that said, the book rang true for me and left me optimistic, not saddened)
Smexy: 3 (a couple of detailed hot nights :) not every other page. A relatively greater portion spent on building the connection in this story)
Enemies to lovers...This novel was charming, full of smart characters in fairly believable situations. Jae (Korean american tabloid? journalist) and Kelly (anxious reclusive author) have some work to do...as do their BFFs ('their pit crew on the road to love'). Fun, lovable, some moments of class and some of dorky awkwardness (yay! dating)...with side snark aimed at fan girls of gay fiction (sniff. good thing I ain't one of those). The incognito emails between the two enrich the story. This is a romance story, I usually rate lower if there isn't some secondary action or mystery. But the characters' contexts are rich and delicately exposed over the course of the book. I was interested and rooting for that HEA. Smoothly and professionally written and well edited.
Things I consider in m/m fiction
Likable MCs 1-5: 4 (very sweet smart guys; the book switches from POV of Jae and Kelly smoothly)
Humor 1-5: 3. (A lot of the humor was in snarky dialogue of clever characters)
Angst 1-5: 3 (several issues touched here: anxiety, panic attacks, journalists outing people for political agendas, history of child abuse and trauma; all that said, the book rang true for me and left me optimistic, not saddened)
Smexy: 3 (a couple of detailed hot nights :) not every other page. A relatively greater portion spent on building the connection in this story)
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