Try Pink & Indigo [Acts I and II]

Try Pink #1-2

by Max Ellendale

In the beginning, reclusive Jeslyn finds herself colliding with an unusual stranger on an otherwise ordinary morning. Jillian, a worldly, yet broken, creature accepts Jeslyn’s offer of assistance and, together, the two embark on a paint-spattered journey of self-exploration. Can this redheaded stranger help Jeslyn break free from the grief that has kept her hidden? Or will she crumble under the pressure of a new kind of intimacy? Two years later, Jeslyn wakes up to a simple note, and the world falls to pieces at her feet. With everything slathered in violent torrents of gray, she drifts listlessly from one empty moment to another. A dangerous encounter reintroduces red, but is her heart broken beyond recovery?

Genres: Contemporary, Lesbian

114 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2016

About the author

Max grew up just outside of New York City, spending most of her formative years outdoors creating wild ghost hunts with neighborhood kids, setting booby-traps to capture unwitting family members, and building clubhouses on top of ten-foot walls. Max wrote her first story at the age of twelve and titled it Circles of Friendship. Through the years, Max has written several short-stories and poems, all of which met the wrath of the “Not Good Enough” monster and ended in fiery demise.

Max regained her confidence when she began writing scholarly articles and research theses on her first trip through graduate school. It took several years for her to break the habit of the formal writing that marred her creativity. An additional Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing was Max’s biggest support in this. Max writes primarily sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, and Young Adult stories.

Reviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good...

This was originally two seperate stories but put together to make a longer one and I'm glad it did because it would have sucked not knowing. Act 1 is pretty lighthearted. You see Jess "rescue" Jill from whatever she needed rescuing from. They find solace and healing in each other. Act 2 takes place over 2 years later and Jill has left Jess. This act is pretty dark and touches more on abuse, rape, and little violence. I'd say wince worthy not so much cringe worthy. In the end you see healing. A good read and free with kindleUnlimited.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/30/2019)! 🎁

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 * I really enjoyed this.

In Act II there is a dark scene that didn't quite gel for me. I won't give spoilers because that is not fair. It is a dark scene, but to me, it didn't quite sit right. Because I would have to say why do that, there and then?

Still, highly recommended. With a lot of darkness. Excellent.

[Bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had previously read both “Try Pink” and “Indigo” separately a while ago and enjoyed them. But to read these two parts together as one single volume was something else all together. I absolutely LOVED Max Ellendale‘s decision to turn these two parts into a brilliant two-act structure, like a two-act play or musical, dividing the story into two distinct approaches – one, an experience of an “event,” and the other, a “goal” or “action” – in one simple, integrated model, which is, imo, a very appealing way of looking at the character’s “inner” and “outer” journey, both in the plot and theme narrative. Act I would be lighthearted and straightforward compared to Act II where the darker, more intricate and realistic part of the continuing story would make some sort of point about Act I. Plus, some time would have passed between Act I and Act II, which is common in a two-act story structure. All these were evident whilst reading Act I “Try Pink” and Act II “Indigo.”

Full Commentary Here... In Bugs' Own Words

[Dannica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good romance. The two leads had chemistry and the plot had some good twists and turns, and kept the tension up until the end. It was also pretty short.
The only two things that I didn't like about it were the number of sex scenes and the fact that Jillian was Jeslyn's model before they got together. The sex scenes weren't bad, I just tend to get kind of bored during sex scenes, especially within a short story like this. And while I like the idea of modeling in stories-I like people modeling for me, for that matter-I can't say it's a very sexy thing. I mean I'm sure I'd like to paint/draw my lover if I had one, but the actual painting part is not erotic. It's the eroticism and beauty associated with the person that would make the painting that way, if at all. I don't know. I'm just a little skeptical.
But I loved Jeslyn and Jillian taking care of each other and protecting each other, and I loved the drama throughout. So I still enjoyed it. A pretty good book.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fighting for love

This is a story about how how life may be trials and tribulations and sometimes it'll give you exactly what you need. Jilly and Jess meet at a gas station after Holly escapes some sketchy circumstances. A friendship begins that begins to morph into a romantic relationship. Both women have some emotional baggage that is hindering them from moving for and Jilly's past comes knocking on the door. Both women must fight for their future and their lives depend on it. It's a nice read.

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Try Pink & Indigo Max Ellendale
1) This author has plenty of talent and shows great promise. The characterizations were great but in service of an unexciting plot, they don’t shine as they could. Still, the writing is excellent, the characters compelling and the atmospheric moodiness and uncertainty added good tension.

[MizLiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 Fast short 2 acts that gives a full story together. Could have been a longer book but this really works.

[Rey Hawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic and beautiful

What more can I say? I wonderful story about healing and love, tangled with dark themes. So many people who experience darkness lose hope. This book gives a glimmer of hope.