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A Welded Wave
For Mark, choosing to transition was one of the best decisions he ever made. And life has been looking up recently because he's got his MFA from the University of Minnesota and landed a huge commission to build one of his welded bike chain sculptures. He's even got Enis, the most amazing best friend anyone could ask for. The only thing he'd really like to add is a lover, but so far his romantic relationships have been nothing more than learning experiences.
Then a breakup leaves Enis available, and Mark starts to see possibilities he hadn't before—but intimacy could ruin the friendship he values more than anything, and that's assuming Enis would want him at all once the clothes come off.
Then a breakup leaves Enis available, and Mark starts to see possibilities he hadn't before—but intimacy could ruin the friendship he values more than anything, and that's assuming Enis would want him at all once the clothes come off.
- GenresRomanceFriends To Lovers
108 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2017
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 24, 2017
"fall into spring."
This is a very interesting story that I really liked. I'd have rated it higher but I had issues with some reactions. Not a lot, I just couldn't comprehend acting that way.
I admired Mark, an artist and trans man, and his friend Enis. They met and became platonic friends. Now that Enis has broken up with his boyfriend, he and Mark decide to put the physical in their friendship. THIS is where things get interesting as we read about Mark's headspace: what happens when the clothes come off? I'm still "not" down there yet, will that be a problem? (Mark calls this his Bonus Hole which has gay Enis enthralled, to say the least.) When there's a fire and he needs somewhere to sleep, he joins Enis in his apartment and again, things get interesting. I enjoyed being in their heads and learning about their reactions to circumstances. I also liked their feelings being carried by nature: spring is a time for rebirth and these two epitomized that sentiment.
In exchange for an honest review from Reading Alley.
This is a very interesting story that I really liked. I'd have rated it higher but I had issues with some reactions. Not a lot, I just couldn't comprehend acting that way.
I admired Mark, an artist and trans man, and his friend Enis. They met and became platonic friends. Now that Enis has broken up with his boyfriend, he and Mark decide to put the physical in their friendship. THIS is where things get interesting as we read about Mark's headspace: what happens when the clothes come off? I'm still "not" down there yet, will that be a problem? (Mark calls this his Bonus Hole which has gay Enis enthralled, to say the least.) When there's a fire and he needs somewhere to sleep, he joins Enis in his apartment and again, things get interesting. I enjoyed being in their heads and learning about their reactions to circumstances. I also liked their feelings being carried by nature: spring is a time for rebirth and these two epitomized that sentiment.
In exchange for an honest review from Reading Alley.
August 13, 2017
5/10 Stars
"This is a sweet, simple little get-together story between a gay guy and a trans guy. If friends to lovers is your thing, then you’ll like how that works." - Matt
"This was THE ultimate case of “It’s not you, it’s me. [...] I wanted to like it a lot. But honestly couldn’t because the writing just didn’t work for me.” - Maria
Find our full reviews on our blog here.t
"This is a sweet, simple little get-together story between a gay guy and a trans guy. If friends to lovers is your thing, then you’ll like how that works." - Matt
"This was THE ultimate case of “It’s not you, it’s me. [...] I wanted to like it a lot. But honestly couldn’t because the writing just didn’t work for me.” - Maria
Find our full reviews on our blog here.t
March 2, 2017
*2.5 stars, rounded up
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mark is a really great character and I liked reading about his sculpturing and how much he loved his art. I've never read about a character that makes sculptures before and I found it really interesting. Sadly we barely get to know anything about Enis outside of their relationship, which is weird since they are supposed to be best friends too? I just didn't really feel it. There was some familiarity between them, but it just always felt a bit off to me, because we have barely any information on Enis, so I couldn't connect to him at all.
I liked that there was no casual transphobia and I think Mark's transness was handled quite well (though I'm not an authority on this since I'm cis). I also like that there were a lot of anxieties of trans folks mentioned when it comes to more intimate parts of a relationship.
However, the book is only ~100 pages long and there were three quite explicit sex scenes in them which felt too much for me. While I understand the intent of the author it bothered me. I had a hard time caring for the characters since they felt kind of flat and I think if the book had been extended more it would have felt more realistic for me? The immediate relationship/date/sex talk just after Enis has broken up made me dislike Mark at first (also it felt really uncomfortable to me? Like he just broke up with his boyfriend and it just felt too much, too fast??) and so I took a quite long time to really warm up to him. I also felt that many things went to fast and maybe because of this their fight felt also kind of blown out of proportion to me?
I also disliked that there were barely any important side characters. There's a few that have names but only very few play any kind of role in the story? And that also only one time and then they are never heard of again. I can be a fan of romance novels, but I dislike it when neither the main character not the love interest seem to have anything to do besides their relationship and their work. So all in all, I think the story just felt too rushed and too underdeveloped for me to truly enjoy it?
However, once again, I really liked how Mark's transness was handled and that hormones and surgical operations were mentioned and that there was barely any transphobia (Mark was misgendered once over the phone) and all in all it's a nice feel-good story.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mark is a really great character and I liked reading about his sculpturing and how much he loved his art. I've never read about a character that makes sculptures before and I found it really interesting. Sadly we barely get to know anything about Enis outside of their relationship, which is weird since they are supposed to be best friends too? I just didn't really feel it. There was some familiarity between them, but it just always felt a bit off to me, because we have barely any information on Enis, so I couldn't connect to him at all.
I liked that there was no casual transphobia and I think Mark's transness was handled quite well (though I'm not an authority on this since I'm cis). I also like that there were a lot of anxieties of trans folks mentioned when it comes to more intimate parts of a relationship.
However, the book is only ~100 pages long and there were three quite explicit sex scenes in them which felt too much for me. While I understand the intent of the author it bothered me. I had a hard time caring for the characters since they felt kind of flat and I think if the book had been extended more it would have felt more realistic for me? The immediate relationship/date/sex talk just after Enis has broken up made me dislike Mark at first (also it felt really uncomfortable to me? Like he just broke up with his boyfriend and it just felt too much, too fast??) and so I took a quite long time to really warm up to him. I also felt that many things went to fast and maybe because of this their fight felt also kind of blown out of proportion to me?
I also disliked that there were barely any important side characters. There's a few that have names but only very few play any kind of role in the story? And that also only one time and then they are never heard of again. I can be a fan of romance novels, but I dislike it when neither the main character not the love interest seem to have anything to do besides their relationship and their work. So all in all, I think the story just felt too rushed and too underdeveloped for me to truly enjoy it?
However, once again, I really liked how Mark's transness was handled and that hormones and surgical operations were mentioned and that there was barely any transphobia (Mark was misgendered once over the phone) and all in all it's a nice feel-good story.
February 17, 2017
I love friends to lovers stories, and this was such a great one, all the love and adoration!
June 24, 2017
Book – A Welded Wave
Author – Z.A. Tanis
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 108
Cover – Nice
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Trans
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Before we get started, I do feel a need to warn that this book has detailed scenes about the MC's apartment having a fire. I'm adding this, because at the time of writing, 24/6/17, this is a huge issue in UK news and it might be upsetting for anyone who had personal experience of a similar event. I wasn't personally affected, but it was difficult to read at times and very emotional.
This was a really cute contemporary romance that basically delivered what it said in the blurb. For me, there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on, but it was an overall good story.
Let's get the bad stuff out of the way. There were no chapter headings, which is a pet hate of mine, especially for a book of 108 pages. There were info dumps every time we entered a new apartment/living space and at the Mayday Parade; a little too much info that wasn't really necessary and that didn't really help us orientate or feel more comfortable in the 'space' it was describing.
I would have liked to see a conclusion to the sculptor aspect, maybe with the big reveal of the finished product at the end, even if Enis didn't like it. I felt like that part of the story got pushed aside because of the romance.
I found the whole relationship and 'love' aspect a little hard to swallow, because it happened so suddenly. Now, it's not insta-love, because these guys have known each other for years, but that's part of the problem. There was no hint, until Mark brought it up at the restaurant, that either of these guys had ever thought of each other romantically or even sexually before that point. No hint, no suggestion, no harboured secret feelings that would have better explained how quickly it progressed between them. For constantly saying that they appreciated a person's mind more than their body, these two put a hell of a lot of focus on getting naked and sweaty with each other. Plus, add on that Enis had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and it just didn't feel right. Maybe if the break up had been a year or two ago and his ex was only now coming out with the accusations that hurt it, I could have believed it.
Saying that, Enis and Mark had nice chemistry and a great friendship. I believed them, as best friends. There were awkward about progressing their relationship forward, which is normal for moving a long term friendship into something more. I loved that they talked openly about their feelings, about Mark's plans for top surgery and that there was no cliché story arc of one of them having a huge secret reveal, storming off and then the other thinking it was over. They had arguments, as all couples and all friends do, but they were rational enough to talk about it and to accept that they needed space, while also feeling nervous about the outcome and if a relationship fight would ruin their entire friendship. That was the best part – they really didn't want to risk their friendship, but they were willing to put the effort in to become a couple. Which was great to see.
The trans issue was handled with respect and comfort; it's clear that the author is very happy writing about a trans male and knows all the stuff to make it both believeable and relatable, while having relevance to the story without constantly mentioning that he's trans. The subtle inclusion of the compression shirt mentions and how openly he and Enis talked about whether he'd be comfortable as a gay man moving into a relationship with a trans man was brilliant to read.
Overall, it was a super cute story and I enjoyed it.
~
Favourite Quote
“I don't know where you learned to do that, but I think you have to open up a school and start teaching other people how to do that. The world needs you.”
Author – Z.A. Tanis
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 108
Cover – Nice
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Trans
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Before we get started, I do feel a need to warn that this book has detailed scenes about the MC's apartment having a fire. I'm adding this, because at the time of writing, 24/6/17, this is a huge issue in UK news and it might be upsetting for anyone who had personal experience of a similar event. I wasn't personally affected, but it was difficult to read at times and very emotional.
This was a really cute contemporary romance that basically delivered what it said in the blurb. For me, there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on, but it was an overall good story.
Let's get the bad stuff out of the way. There were no chapter headings, which is a pet hate of mine, especially for a book of 108 pages. There were info dumps every time we entered a new apartment/living space and at the Mayday Parade; a little too much info that wasn't really necessary and that didn't really help us orientate or feel more comfortable in the 'space' it was describing.
I would have liked to see a conclusion to the sculptor aspect, maybe with the big reveal of the finished product at the end, even if Enis didn't like it. I felt like that part of the story got pushed aside because of the romance.
I found the whole relationship and 'love' aspect a little hard to swallow, because it happened so suddenly. Now, it's not insta-love, because these guys have known each other for years, but that's part of the problem. There was no hint, until Mark brought it up at the restaurant, that either of these guys had ever thought of each other romantically or even sexually before that point. No hint, no suggestion, no harboured secret feelings that would have better explained how quickly it progressed between them. For constantly saying that they appreciated a person's mind more than their body, these two put a hell of a lot of focus on getting naked and sweaty with each other. Plus, add on that Enis had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and it just didn't feel right. Maybe if the break up had been a year or two ago and his ex was only now coming out with the accusations that hurt it, I could have believed it.
Saying that, Enis and Mark had nice chemistry and a great friendship. I believed them, as best friends. There were awkward about progressing their relationship forward, which is normal for moving a long term friendship into something more. I loved that they talked openly about their feelings, about Mark's plans for top surgery and that there was no cliché story arc of one of them having a huge secret reveal, storming off and then the other thinking it was over. They had arguments, as all couples and all friends do, but they were rational enough to talk about it and to accept that they needed space, while also feeling nervous about the outcome and if a relationship fight would ruin their entire friendship. That was the best part – they really didn't want to risk their friendship, but they were willing to put the effort in to become a couple. Which was great to see.
The trans issue was handled with respect and comfort; it's clear that the author is very happy writing about a trans male and knows all the stuff to make it both believeable and relatable, while having relevance to the story without constantly mentioning that he's trans. The subtle inclusion of the compression shirt mentions and how openly he and Enis talked about whether he'd be comfortable as a gay man moving into a relationship with a trans man was brilliant to read.
Overall, it was a super cute story and I enjoyed it.
~
Favourite Quote
“I don't know where you learned to do that, but I think you have to open up a school and start teaching other people how to do that. The world needs you.”
June 4, 2019
This was a fairly light, fluffy read.
Pros: interesting main character (a welder and artist by trade), a quick and easy read with a cheerful, satisfying conclusion.
Cons: I didn't quite jive with the writing in this book. It seemed... unpolished? There were very awkward phrases and the writing was very choppy. The passion was there but the writing kept me tilting my head and feeling like I wasn't quite reading a final product.
However if you like cute stories involving trans men and artists you will probably like this book!
Pros: interesting main character (a welder and artist by trade), a quick and easy read with a cheerful, satisfying conclusion.
Cons: I didn't quite jive with the writing in this book. It seemed... unpolished? There were very awkward phrases and the writing was very choppy. The passion was there but the writing kept me tilting my head and feeling like I wasn't quite reading a final product.
However if you like cute stories involving trans men and artists you will probably like this book!
March 10, 2017
I really enjoyed this debut story from Z.A. Tanis. It was short, being a novella, but sweet. I especially liked the realistic dialogue - it reminded me of my own relationships. I don't share exactly the same neuroses as the characters here (I think one might be on the autism spectrum - at least, I interpreted it that way), but I think everyone has them to some degree. I also appreciated how nerdy the leads were. Yes, that's right, nerds can fall in love, too! It's a very slice-of-life style that I found quite refreshing. Oh yes, and the sex scenes are fairly explicit, so this might not be appropriate for delicate tastes, but it wasn't a problem for me, and again I appreciated the realism. It'd be nice if the book was a bit longer, but it still made for a satisfying read. I hope to see more from this author soon!
April 11, 2017
i nearly gave this an extra half star for the good trans representation but i just can't do it lmao forgive me
i'm afraid this novella didn't really do it for me. i thought the characters were very flat, and the conflict in the story was very, very odd - i felt like the author thought there needed to be some conflict in it (which is true) but then had no idea what to make mark and enis argue over, so they ended up arguing about salt, amongst other things. i also didn't really like the sex scenes very much, i didn't think they were all that well-written and the Cardinal Sin of writing out noises (you know, the whole "AHHH!" thing. i find that really awkward and kind of amateur-ish). the dialogue was also quite awkward and forced at times.
i always feel bad after writing one star reviews . i will say that the one good point about this novella is the trans representation, i thought it was handled really well, probably because the author isn't cis either. so that was nice.
i'm afraid this novella didn't really do it for me. i thought the characters were very flat, and the conflict in the story was very, very odd - i felt like the author thought there needed to be some conflict in it (which is true) but then had no idea what to make mark and enis argue over, so they ended up arguing about salt, amongst other things. i also didn't really like the sex scenes very much, i didn't think they were all that well-written and the Cardinal Sin of writing out noises (you know, the whole "AHHH!" thing. i find that really awkward and kind of amateur-ish). the dialogue was also quite awkward and forced at times.
i always feel bad after writing one star reviews . i will say that the one good point about this novella is the trans representation, i thought it was handled really well, probably because the author isn't cis either. so that was nice.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews