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Dear Mona Lisa...
Tom; shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night, wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days, a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?
Getting married… It seems only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby. He relishes the demands of being a daddy. But the years tick by and times change. Long-buried secrets must come to the surface which may test even the strongest ties.
Everyone waits as Tom finds the strength to open up and set free the secrets of his heart in a celebration of family, friendship and love.
Getting married… It seems only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby. He relishes the demands of being a daddy. But the years tick by and times change. Long-buried secrets must come to the surface which may test even the strongest ties.
Everyone waits as Tom finds the strength to open up and set free the secrets of his heart in a celebration of family, friendship and love.
65 pages, ebook
First published August 12, 2017
7 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 2, 2017
Beautiful,emotional,moving,touching......
Tom has a list......
Number one on the list is to tell his grown up daughter that he's marrying Lawrence...
He's desperately trying to avoid that conversation...
This book wrecked me in the most wonderful way.It's beautiful,poetic...
I read the last two chapters through a haze of tears.I found it so emotional and moving.
-Tom likes to draw.He draws foxes and birds and Lou follows in his footsteps,
-The setting.Bradford,a Northern City in England.A place I've visited many times.I absolutely love it when a book is set somewhere I've been to.And one place in particular held such a special memory for Tom.
-The relationship between Tom and Lou was one of the most beautiful I've read between a father and a daughter.The brief glimpses into the past when she was growing up had me every time....simple things they did but written with so much feeling.
-Lawrence,so gentle,so caring,so patient and so right for Tom.
-Don't,get me started on the ending.....just perfect.
This book is a little gem which I just adored.
Highly Recommended.
I received an Arc of Dear Mona Lisa from the Authors in exchange for an honest review.
Tom has a list......
Number one on the list is to tell his grown up daughter that he's marrying Lawrence...
He's desperately trying to avoid that conversation...
This book wrecked me in the most wonderful way.It's beautiful,poetic...
I read the last two chapters through a haze of tears.I found it so emotional and moving.
-Tom likes to draw.He draws foxes and birds and Lou follows in his footsteps,
(...)And she watched me drawing,copied.That is how art saved my life and gave me the best relationship with my daughter,Lou-Lou Belle,my Mona Lisa.
And then she got into drawing weddings so we'd had Fox weddings all over the kitchen for years and years...
-The setting.Bradford,a Northern City in England.A place I've visited many times.I absolutely love it when a book is set somewhere I've been to.And one place in particular held such a special memory for Tom.
-The relationship between Tom and Lou was one of the most beautiful I've read between a father and a daughter.The brief glimpses into the past when she was growing up had me every time....simple things they did but written with so much feeling.
-Lawrence,so gentle,so caring,so patient and so right for Tom.
-Don't,get me started on the ending.....just perfect.
This book is a little gem which I just adored.
Highly Recommended.
I received an Arc of Dear Mona Lisa from the Authors in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2017
I waited too long to read this story, but today I had a moment, the right one, and spent it wrapped up in Tom fox and Loz fox, in heartbreak and cruelty, but also in beauty, friendship, and orange love.
This book is deceptively simple. Two men, a little creaky around the edges, are getting married.
As the blanks are is filled in with splashes of color seeped in hope, fear, and memories, we see so much more than what is.
We see what WAS, and, more importantly, what can be ... because there's a lot of magic in this world.
Don't waste it.
This book is deceptively simple. Two men, a little creaky around the edges, are getting married.
As the blanks are is filled in with splashes of color seeped in hope, fear, and memories, we see so much more than what is.
We see what WAS, and, more importantly, what can be ... because there's a lot of magic in this world.
Don't waste it.
February 22, 2018
Third re-read. I'm falling in love with this book more and more every time.
.........................................................
Even better the second time around.
.........................................................
Dear Mona Lisa is about coming out. I won't even pretend to know what it feels like, but I think that some people will see a little bit (or a lot) of themselves in it. Tom and Loz are getting married! But first, Tom needs to come out to his daughter, Lou.
Tom is an office clerk, but he's also an artist. He keeps drawing foxes, because one fateful night, he saw a fox running scared. Tom and his daughter communicate the way artists do; with colours. And when the colours of the dawn are right, it's time.
The story is short, but we get the full background of Tom's history. I especially loved his memories from when his daughter was growing up. And I loved Lawrence, Tom's other love. Patient and caring Lawrence, who will never let Tom fall.
There is no steam, but there are tons and TONS of emotions. Stewart and Davis kept gut punching me with emotions and making me cry in every few chapters.
There is a very strong sense of place in this story. I kept googling places and sceneries, and Bradford's landscape felt very familiar to me for some reason. But what I loved, was how each place was connected to a memory; the canal where Tom used to take his daughter as a kid, the buildings they took photos of, the scenery that was meant to be the canvas for an invitation...
I want to say so much about the ending, but I won't. It's very emotional and swoon-worthy and fulfilling, and the bringer of tears and goosebumps.
Dear Mona Lisa had everything I love about Davis and Stewart's work: the trademark humour, distinct voices, unapologetic quirkiness. And like always, it's so deliciously British.
Highly recommended!
.........................................................
Even better the second time around.
.........................................................
“Daddy? How do you know it’s time to get married?”
“Well, because you love someone very much.”
“What else?”
“You’ll see it all around, in the colours and the sounds.”
Dear Mona Lisa is about coming out. I won't even pretend to know what it feels like, but I think that some people will see a little bit (or a lot) of themselves in it. Tom and Loz are getting married! But first, Tom needs to come out to his daughter, Lou.
Tom is an office clerk, but he's also an artist. He keeps drawing foxes, because one fateful night, he saw a fox running scared. Tom and his daughter communicate the way artists do; with colours. And when the colours of the dawn are right, it's time.
"And she watched me drawing, copied. That is how art saved my life and gave me the best relationship with my daughter, Lou-Lou Belle, my Mona Lisa.
The story is short, but we get the full background of Tom's history. I especially loved his memories from when his daughter was growing up. And I loved Lawrence, Tom's other love. Patient and caring Lawrence, who will never let Tom fall.
There is no steam, but there are tons and TONS of emotions. Stewart and Davis kept gut punching me with emotions and making me cry in every few chapters.
There is a very strong sense of place in this story. I kept googling places and sceneries, and Bradford's landscape felt very familiar to me for some reason. But what I loved, was how each place was connected to a memory; the canal where Tom used to take his daughter as a kid, the buildings they took photos of, the scenery that was meant to be the canvas for an invitation...
I want to say so much about the ending, but I won't. It's very emotional and swoon-worthy and fulfilling, and the bringer of tears and goosebumps.
Dear Mona Lisa had everything I love about Davis and Stewart's work: the trademark humour, distinct voices, unapologetic quirkiness. And like always, it's so deliciously British.
Highly recommended!
August 3, 2017
Dear Mona Lisa... Was. Brilliant. In every way. It was a bit heavy, while still feeling whimsical, and I loved it. It's a story of letting go of the past so you can embrace the future. It's about coming out. It's about finally living life out loud. It's about finding home.
Tom is an artist who draws whimsical animals doing fun things. Foxes, bunnies, birds. He uses his art to communicate his deepest wishes and he brings his art to life. Tom also makes lists. And he's got one very important list to get through before his wedding day. And it should be easy. It should be. But some things take time to work up the courage to do.
And Loz is definitely the other half of Tom's heart. He's kind and patient and understanding and so so supportive of Tom's anxiety. Loz knows that Tom has to work through his fears in his own way and he was so wonderful.
Tom broke my heart with his fears and the events of his past that shaped him. And Loz was exactly who Tom needed to feel whole. Every page, every feel, every moment, my heart broke a little more, until it was finally made whole again. I'm so happy that Tom and Loz found each other.
I think that Dear Mona Lisa... is these authors finest work. I feel like I got a glimpse of their souls in these pages.
And the ending was so damn perfect I shed a couple of very happy tears.
Very much recommended.
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ARC of Dear Mona Lisa... was generously provided by the authors, in exchange for an honest review.
Tom is an artist who draws whimsical animals doing fun things. Foxes, bunnies, birds. He uses his art to communicate his deepest wishes and he brings his art to life. Tom also makes lists. And he's got one very important list to get through before his wedding day. And it should be easy. It should be. But some things take time to work up the courage to do.
And Loz is definitely the other half of Tom's heart. He's kind and patient and understanding and so so supportive of Tom's anxiety. Loz knows that Tom has to work through his fears in his own way and he was so wonderful.
Tom broke my heart with his fears and the events of his past that shaped him. And Loz was exactly who Tom needed to feel whole. Every page, every feel, every moment, my heart broke a little more, until it was finally made whole again. I'm so happy that Tom and Loz found each other.
I think that Dear Mona Lisa... is these authors finest work. I feel like I got a glimpse of their souls in these pages.
And the ending was so damn perfect I shed a couple of very happy tears.
Very much recommended.
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ARC of Dear Mona Lisa... was generously provided by the authors, in exchange for an honest review.
December 15, 2017
Unique. Special. Meaningful
You know I can get a bit cheesy when I’m touched and this little gem touched me in all the right places. It has been kind of an acupuncture story: small but pointed needles destined to create feelz.
But this healing therapy that Dear Mona Lisa is, it isn’t just a feeling’s source. It transcends the fiction department, leaving you wanting to be a better person, a better mom and to be there for those who may or may not need you.
Colorful
With references of tonalities everywhere, this book is about the different colors and shades your life can acquire depending on your experiences and the people you share them with. The special color of a dawn that can talk to you. To your heart.
This is about facing reality, about being a good parent, a friend, a lover. This is about healing or accepting some wounds will be there no matter what.
Beautiful
This is more than a love story. This is a book about an apparently ordinary man, a caring father, a hurting son, a special friend and boyfriend.
This is about finding that one person meant to be your partner and supporter and this is also about family love and the lack of it. This is about sacrifices and about those things you can do with the little you have.
This is, simply, a book you have to read.
Highly recommend!
Reviews for Book Lovers
You know I can get a bit cheesy when I’m touched and this little gem touched me in all the right places. It has been kind of an acupuncture story: small but pointed needles destined to create feelz.
But this healing therapy that Dear Mona Lisa is, it isn’t just a feeling’s source. It transcends the fiction department, leaving you wanting to be a better person, a better mom and to be there for those who may or may not need you.
Colorful
With references of tonalities everywhere, this book is about the different colors and shades your life can acquire depending on your experiences and the people you share them with. The special color of a dawn that can talk to you. To your heart.
This is about facing reality, about being a good parent, a friend, a lover. This is about healing or accepting some wounds will be there no matter what.
Beautiful
This is more than a love story. This is a book about an apparently ordinary man, a caring father, a hurting son, a special friend and boyfriend.
This is about finding that one person meant to be your partner and supporter and this is also about family love and the lack of it. This is about sacrifices and about those things you can do with the little you have.
This is, simply, a book you have to read.
Highly recommend!
Reviews for Book Lovers
August 12, 2017
Cuando terminé de leer esta novella, dos son las cosas que vinieron a mi mente. La primera, qué importante es el amor, de todas las clases, y el sentirse aceptado por los que nos rodean. La segunda, qué pena que este tipo de relato sea minoritario en un género donde cada vez es más difícil no encontrar la misma historia, los mismos recursos y en el que la osadía y la originalidad son bienes escasos.
Dear Mona Lisa es una novella básicamente sobre el amor, como lectora de romance es sobre lo que yo espero leer siempre, con lo que poco más podía pedir. Pero, no es solo sobre el amor de pareja, aunque el libro es muy romántico, también es protagonista el amor entre amigos y el amor entre padres e hijos. De la mano del amor está la búsqueda de la aceptación, de poder ser uno mismo y cómo hay que luchar contra lo que te rodea y contra tus propios miedos. No quiero desvelar mucho de la trama, aunque es sencilla, Tom se va a casar, pero antes de hacerlo debe mostrar quién es a la persona más importante para él...
El relato está bien escrito, como siempre ocurre con estos autores. El estilo es sencillo pero con toques simbólicos, y muy cuidada la forma de hacer llegar al lector distintos sentimientos. Es tremendamente emotivo, yo me he emocionado y he llorado varias veces, con unos personajes a los que es imposible no querer, pero más allá de todo esto, te hace pensar. Qué complicado es para algunas personas el poder hacer libremente algo tan básico como el querer. Menos mal que luego tenemos el contrapunto de personajes que te enseñan en qué consiste eso del amor.
Muy recomendable. Diferente.
Dear Mona Lisa es una novella básicamente sobre el amor, como lectora de romance es sobre lo que yo espero leer siempre, con lo que poco más podía pedir. Pero, no es solo sobre el amor de pareja, aunque el libro es muy romántico, también es protagonista el amor entre amigos y el amor entre padres e hijos. De la mano del amor está la búsqueda de la aceptación, de poder ser uno mismo y cómo hay que luchar contra lo que te rodea y contra tus propios miedos. No quiero desvelar mucho de la trama, aunque es sencilla, Tom se va a casar, pero antes de hacerlo debe mostrar quién es a la persona más importante para él...
El relato está bien escrito, como siempre ocurre con estos autores. El estilo es sencillo pero con toques simbólicos, y muy cuidada la forma de hacer llegar al lector distintos sentimientos. Es tremendamente emotivo, yo me he emocionado y he llorado varias veces, con unos personajes a los que es imposible no querer, pero más allá de todo esto, te hace pensar. Qué complicado es para algunas personas el poder hacer libremente algo tan básico como el querer. Menos mal que luego tenemos el contrapunto de personajes que te enseñan en qué consiste eso del amor.
Muy recomendable. Diferente.
August 21, 2017
Don’t get me wrong : this short story is full of nice feelings, I guess. I’m not using this last sentence lightly : I’ve always struggled with the writing style of these authors and I have to guess what is being suggested. Having to reread paragraphs after paragraphs to decipher what's written spoils the enjoyment for me.
I’m using the proposed rating of GR : 2 stars, meaning it’s OK for "me". There are a lot of glowing reviews out there, and even as I was struggling to make any sense of what I was reading, I couldn't help being charmed by the tenderness between Tom and Loz preparing their wedding, so don’t mind me.
I’m using the proposed rating of GR : 2 stars, meaning it’s OK for "me". There are a lot of glowing reviews out there, and even as I was struggling to make any sense of what I was reading, I couldn't help being charmed by the tenderness between Tom and Loz preparing their wedding, so don’t mind me.
August 13, 2017
Why do we cry?
We cry for so many reasons…sadness, grief, heartache, loss, pain, suffering…so many heartbreaking reasons but there are other times that we cry as well…the good times the happy times and these are the best kinds of tears.
I cried when I got married tears of absolute joy and again when my son was born. These were wonderful events in my life but I have to admit it’s not often that I can say I cried because something was so beautiful so breathtaking that the beauty of it brought me to tears…this book is one of those times for me.
I’m not going to talk about the story and what happened in it because honestly my goal here is to share with you my fellow reader how beautiful I thought this story was so that hopefully when you get done reading what I sincerely hope won’t be a pitifully inadequate review the first thing you’ll want to do is get your hands on a copy of this book so you can read it as well.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever read a story that wrapped itself around my heart so tightly in so few pages. ‘Dear Mona Lisa’ is about love. It’s about Tom’s love for Loz, for his beautiful daughter Lou and for the other wonderful and not so wonderful people in his life and it’s about their love for him. Yes, there is sadness in Tom’s life and it’s shared with us through his memories and truthfully if not for the pain and heartache how would we truly know to appreciate and treasure the good. It’s all part of life. Thankfully Tom’s heartache is in his past and while it’s shard with us it’s not the focus of this story…it’s his life in the here and now that’s important.
Have you ever felt like your life is leading up to one moment, that one pivotal event that will make everything else fall into place…this is the moment that we are being led to in Tom’s life and we view it through his eyes. Much of what happens may at times seem inconsequential but for Tom it’s not and it’s all leading him to that one moment that everything else hinges on.
I could easily go on and on about this book, I loved it that much and when it came time to do my review I was torn because I wanted to find the words all the words that said this is one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time and I know I’ll read it again…probably more than once or I could share with you the review that I told my husband I wanted to write…it went something like this���
READ THIS BOOK, IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO READ THIS F*ING BOOK. IT’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STORY I’VE READ IN I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG!!!
********************
An ARC of ‘Dear Mona Lisa’ was graciously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
We cry for so many reasons…sadness, grief, heartache, loss, pain, suffering…so many heartbreaking reasons but there are other times that we cry as well…the good times the happy times and these are the best kinds of tears.
I cried when I got married tears of absolute joy and again when my son was born. These were wonderful events in my life but I have to admit it’s not often that I can say I cried because something was so beautiful so breathtaking that the beauty of it brought me to tears…this book is one of those times for me.
I’m not going to talk about the story and what happened in it because honestly my goal here is to share with you my fellow reader how beautiful I thought this story was so that hopefully when you get done reading what I sincerely hope won’t be a pitifully inadequate review the first thing you’ll want to do is get your hands on a copy of this book so you can read it as well.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever read a story that wrapped itself around my heart so tightly in so few pages. ‘Dear Mona Lisa’ is about love. It’s about Tom’s love for Loz, for his beautiful daughter Lou and for the other wonderful and not so wonderful people in his life and it’s about their love for him. Yes, there is sadness in Tom’s life and it’s shared with us through his memories and truthfully if not for the pain and heartache how would we truly know to appreciate and treasure the good. It’s all part of life. Thankfully Tom’s heartache is in his past and while it’s shard with us it’s not the focus of this story…it’s his life in the here and now that’s important.
Have you ever felt like your life is leading up to one moment, that one pivotal event that will make everything else fall into place…this is the moment that we are being led to in Tom’s life and we view it through his eyes. Much of what happens may at times seem inconsequential but for Tom it’s not and it’s all leading him to that one moment that everything else hinges on.
I could easily go on and on about this book, I loved it that much and when it came time to do my review I was torn because I wanted to find the words all the words that said this is one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time and I know I’ll read it again…probably more than once or I could share with you the review that I told my husband I wanted to write…it went something like this���
READ THIS BOOK, IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO READ THIS F*ING BOOK. IT’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STORY I’VE READ IN I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG!!!
********************
An ARC of ‘Dear Mona Lisa’ was graciously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2017
I honestly don't know how to write a review for this book. It was beautiful and magical. It was sad and sweet. I laughed...I cried...and at times was angry. All this in a few pages.
**Some mild spoilers below so read at your own risk:
Tom is engaged. Slowly but surely, he is letting those around him, those that care about him, know his wedding is coming up. You see, Tom grew up with strict, religious parents. They tried to beat, pray and ignore the "gayness" in him. He's been damaged because of it. Forced to marry his childhood friend, they try to make a life together. What they do make, is a sweet girl who becomes Tom's world. But like all children, she grows up and doesn't need him quite as much.
And then Tom meets Loz. Slowly they get to know each other. Tom's world is full of colors and sounds and his drawings. Loz understands this...he welcomes it. Now engaged, Tom must tell his daughter, Lou that he is gay and getting married. He stresses over this...a lot. But what's awesome is that everyone around him is helping him and slowly pushing him to do it. What happens next is beautiful and sweet and amazing.
This really touched me. The love between Tom and Loz is sweet and beautiful. But the love Tom has for his daughter and her for him is phenomenal. We get glimpses of them together as she grows up. He truly is a wonderful father and helped to raise an amazing woman who sees things exactly like he does.
I would recommend this to everyone whether you read MM romance or not. There are no descriptive sex scenes as that is not what this is all about. It's really just a touching, beautiful and sweet story of a man getting to live his life and be who he is meant to be and the daughter who loves her father as he is.
**Some mild spoilers below so read at your own risk:
Tom is engaged. Slowly but surely, he is letting those around him, those that care about him, know his wedding is coming up. You see, Tom grew up with strict, religious parents. They tried to beat, pray and ignore the "gayness" in him. He's been damaged because of it. Forced to marry his childhood friend, they try to make a life together. What they do make, is a sweet girl who becomes Tom's world. But like all children, she grows up and doesn't need him quite as much.
And then Tom meets Loz. Slowly they get to know each other. Tom's world is full of colors and sounds and his drawings. Loz understands this...he welcomes it. Now engaged, Tom must tell his daughter, Lou that he is gay and getting married. He stresses over this...a lot. But what's awesome is that everyone around him is helping him and slowly pushing him to do it. What happens next is beautiful and sweet and amazing.
This really touched me. The love between Tom and Loz is sweet and beautiful. But the love Tom has for his daughter and her for him is phenomenal. We get glimpses of them together as she grows up. He truly is a wonderful father and helped to raise an amazing woman who sees things exactly like he does.
I would recommend this to everyone whether you read MM romance or not. There are no descriptive sex scenes as that is not what this is all about. It's really just a touching, beautiful and sweet story of a man getting to live his life and be who he is meant to be and the daughter who loves her father as he is.
April 8, 2019
5+++ Stars
Simply beautiful! I am in awe of this talented duo. Al Stewart and Claire Davis craft such emotionally engaging stories. This one captured my heart and left me filled with a bright splash of happy colors. I can't find the right words to describe the beauty of this story. Please read it. It is absolutely gorgeous.
Simply beautiful! I am in awe of this talented duo. Al Stewart and Claire Davis craft such emotionally engaging stories. This one captured my heart and left me filled with a bright splash of happy colors. I can't find the right words to describe the beauty of this story. Please read it. It is absolutely gorgeous.
Read
June 16, 2022A sweet, short read in which an older man with a traumatic history from his homophobic upbringing is preparing to get married in just a few days, but still struggling to come out to his adult daughter. The POV hero is synaesthetic, which gives a slightly unusual colour (see what I did there) to the narrative style, but makes sense as you read. A charming story of family reunion and finding--or realising you've found--your place.
August 27, 2017
Claire Davis and Al Stewart have done it again! I swear there isn't an author/author pair that can reduce me to a sobbing mess in just a few pages. They have a talent to make me completely invested in their characters from page one and bring out all the emotions in me. They also have the talent to flesh out characters and make them so deep and real to me with just a few words. I don't need hundreds of pages to be able to feel the story they are telling although I certainly wouldn't mind reading more of their amazing writing.
So it's really no surprise that this new novel is another favorite of mine. It was beautiful and moving and wonderful and poetic and it wrecked me in the best possible way.
This is a coming out story that will surprise you.
It's about love and sacrifices, family, shedding a mask and being true to yourself, living your life loud and proud while letting go of your painful past.
It's about being kind, understanding and supportive, about heartbreak, tenderness and fear, about love and being loved.
It's breathtaking and so very emotional.
It will rip your heart to pieces and leave you wide open and vulnerable while at the same time make you cry tears of joy and happiness.
So it's really no surprise that this new novel is another favorite of mine. It was beautiful and moving and wonderful and poetic and it wrecked me in the best possible way.
This is a coming out story that will surprise you.
It's about love and sacrifices, family, shedding a mask and being true to yourself, living your life loud and proud while letting go of your painful past.
It's about being kind, understanding and supportive, about heartbreak, tenderness and fear, about love and being loved.
It's breathtaking and so very emotional.
It will rip your heart to pieces and leave you wide open and vulnerable while at the same time make you cry tears of joy and happiness.
August 14, 2017
There's something very special about these two authors' writing. As always they delivered.
This book was:
-Beautiful
-Emotional
-Heartbreaking
-And in the end I was left me with happy tears.
Highly recommend it. 5 Stars.
Want to read
November 10, 2017Kindle freebie 11/10/17
October 25, 2017
2 stars
It seems I'm in the minority here once again. I've read SO many wonderful reviews from all of my friends and they all mentioned how poetical and emotional this story is. I won't say it isn't, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I couldn't enjoy it. I forced myself to finish it and it's such a short story (65 pages).
I was extremely disappointed that Lou already knew about her father's wedding. I expected a very emotional revelation and their most expected discussion,Tom coming out to his daughter, wasn't at all what I wanted. It just didn't touch me. Like at all. So I'm going to give it only 2 stars, because it was an OK read.
It seems I'm in the minority here once again. I've read SO many wonderful reviews from all of my friends and they all mentioned how poetical and emotional this story is. I won't say it isn't, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I couldn't enjoy it. I forced myself to finish it and it's such a short story (65 pages).
I was extremely disappointed that Lou already knew about her father's wedding. I expected a very emotional revelation and their most expected discussion,Tom coming out to his daughter, wasn't at all what I wanted. It just didn't touch me. Like at all. So I'm going to give it only 2 stars, because it was an OK read.
August 2, 2017
It made me buzz...
The build up is so refined. One moment you know nothing and then ride along with the journey...It makes you eager to know...to know it all...
Told from Tom his mind and when he thinks and speak, something is happening, a curtain is slowly pushed and something important enlightened.
There are *looking backs* of how it all happened to be just in the here and now...and Tom and Loz are facing a big change...
Tom is working hard to find his inner strength to open up and blossom.
All senses working on high speed...the smells and taste...the colors...of life...of emotion...
"His orange was the sun to my cold, lonely planet."
Like I hoped, this story goes into depth...oh boy...is there a story to tell...and of course my eyes overflow. It was so real....and raw and beautiful and hard...dear sweet generous Tom...what's not to love....and his Lou-Lou Belle...
I balked and couldn't stop...because...it touched me...right on my sensitive spot.
Everything felt honest, all the live through, real and likely.
I loved the *language* of Tom and Lou-Lou, one only they could understand.
This story so thoughtful in many many little details. I read it two times in a row and loved it even more.
Wonderful natural personalities moving around in wonderful surroundings. Personalities with recognizable qualities you will love.
A lovable story with two very kind men who both know how to enjoy the love...and....with a glorious end.
Saturday 10 June...just a few weeks ago...I wish I was there
I have read so many stories...but these authors...always blow me away.
Highly recommend
Kindle received an ARC from the author
The build up is so refined. One moment you know nothing and then ride along with the journey...It makes you eager to know...to know it all...
Told from Tom his mind and when he thinks and speak, something is happening, a curtain is slowly pushed and something important enlightened.
There are *looking backs* of how it all happened to be just in the here and now...and Tom and Loz are facing a big change...
Tom is working hard to find his inner strength to open up and blossom.
All senses working on high speed...the smells and taste...the colors...of life...of emotion...
"His orange was the sun to my cold, lonely planet."
Like I hoped, this story goes into depth...oh boy...is there a story to tell...and of course my eyes overflow. It was so real....and raw and beautiful and hard...dear sweet generous Tom...what's not to love....and his Lou-Lou Belle...
I balked and couldn't stop...because...it touched me...right on my sensitive spot.
Everything felt honest, all the live through, real and likely.
I loved the *language* of Tom and Lou-Lou, one only they could understand.
This story so thoughtful in many many little details. I read it two times in a row and loved it even more.
Wonderful natural personalities moving around in wonderful surroundings. Personalities with recognizable qualities you will love.
A lovable story with two very kind men who both know how to enjoy the love...and....with a glorious end.
Saturday 10 June...just a few weeks ago...I wish I was there
I have read so many stories...but these authors...always blow me away.
Highly recommend
Kindle received an ARC from the author
August 18, 2017
Utterly charming and whimsical. GLORIOUS!! Have a happy life Tom and Loz!!
October 21, 2017
If I could give this book more stars I would. one of my favorite reads of this year and probably all time. such a beautiful story that made me cry of happiness.
August 14, 2017
Reading Dear Mona Lisa was a bittersweet privilege for me, bitter only because I had to wait to read this one like everyone else! For the curious, the story began from a Beaten Track call for submissions for a collection of stories featuring older LGBT+ characters, but you know how it is (or maybe you don't...). Stories take on a life of their own, and forcing Tom and Loz to fit the submission criteria would have been an unmitigated act of butchery.
I have no words to describe Dear Mona Lisa, or none that are good enough. It's not a romance as such, but there are strong romantic elements. Those familiar with Claire Davis and Al Stewart's work will find the usual mix of down-to-earth Britishness - the dry humour, the wonderfully colourful supporting characters, and a deeply emotional exploration of the fight some of us have to maintain the stiff upper lip our culture is famed for. Oh, and foxes. And colour - it's absolutely bursting with colour.
Dear Mona Lisa is a work of art. It's a painting in words, and like you probably wouldn't pick out a specific detail of a portrait ('ooh, look at her left nostril, all dark and...mysterious!'), it wouldn't be especially helpful to pick out the detail here to illustrate what a masterpiece this is. That said, there is one line that knocked me sideways, possibly a spoiler, so I'm saying nowt.
Read it. You won't be disappointed.
I have no words to describe Dear Mona Lisa, or none that are good enough. It's not a romance as such, but there are strong romantic elements. Those familiar with Claire Davis and Al Stewart's work will find the usual mix of down-to-earth Britishness - the dry humour, the wonderfully colourful supporting characters, and a deeply emotional exploration of the fight some of us have to maintain the stiff upper lip our culture is famed for. Oh, and foxes. And colour - it's absolutely bursting with colour.
Dear Mona Lisa is a work of art. It's a painting in words, and like you probably wouldn't pick out a specific detail of a portrait ('ooh, look at her left nostril, all dark and...mysterious!'), it wouldn't be especially helpful to pick out the detail here to illustrate what a masterpiece this is. That said, there is one line that knocked me sideways, possibly a spoiler, so I'm saying nowt.
Read it. You won't be disappointed.
January 21, 2018
Una historia preciosa y llena de sentimientos que los autores transmiten con mucha delicadeza y de forma muy bella.
Personajes reales que despiertan las emociones del lector, a Tom se le quiere. Faltan más historias así en el género.
Personajes reales que despiertan las emociones del lector, a Tom se le quiere. Faltan más historias así en el género.
September 11, 2017
Beautiful. Deeply emotional. And so so up-lifting.
There is so much love in this book, it made my heart burst.
Tom and Loz took my breath away - the way they hold each other, support and understand each other is exactly what we all hope for. It is everything. The warmth and affection between them is palpable and the fact that this love comes later in their life made it all the sweeter, particularly after what Tom had to suffer through when he was younger.
Tom loves his daughter, but he has never told her he is gay. Or that he is getting married soon. His worries about coming out to her are deeply rooted. Because he loves her with every inch of his heart and doesn't want to lose any facets of that love.
Of course he knows his daughter is open, loving and kind, but the thought of 'ruining' her life is keeping him back again and again. And he frets, and ponders in anguish. He knows it has to happen. He wants it to happen, and this story tells us how he finds the courage to go through with it.
Tom is such a stellar guy - warm, genuine, unassuming and thoughtful, and a talented artist, just like his daughter, and I simply loved him. He deserves everything. And the ending provides just that. Sooo good!
Tears flowed, but only for the most noble of reasons: happiness and joy.
As always Claire Davis and Al Stewart know exactly how to get under my skin. I love, love the way they write and make me feel. Even in a short story like this we get first class characterisation and beautifully developed characters. And so many wonderful feels!
Fabulous!
There is so much love in this book, it made my heart burst.
Tom and Loz took my breath away - the way they hold each other, support and understand each other is exactly what we all hope for. It is everything. The warmth and affection between them is palpable and the fact that this love comes later in their life made it all the sweeter, particularly after what Tom had to suffer through when he was younger.
Tom loves his daughter, but he has never told her he is gay. Or that he is getting married soon. His worries about coming out to her are deeply rooted. Because he loves her with every inch of his heart and doesn't want to lose any facets of that love.
Of course he knows his daughter is open, loving and kind, but the thought of 'ruining' her life is keeping him back again and again. And he frets, and ponders in anguish. He knows it has to happen. He wants it to happen, and this story tells us how he finds the courage to go through with it.
Tom is such a stellar guy - warm, genuine, unassuming and thoughtful, and a talented artist, just like his daughter, and I simply loved him. He deserves everything. And the ending provides just that. Sooo good!
Tears flowed, but only for the most noble of reasons: happiness and joy.
As always Claire Davis and Al Stewart know exactly how to get under my skin. I love, love the way they write and make me feel. Even in a short story like this we get first class characterisation and beautifully developed characters. And so many wonderful feels!
Fabulous!
September 12, 2017
Simply beautiful, love in its purest colours
First, a disclaimer. I live nine miles away from the setting of this book. Friends who've reviewed it have waxed lyrical about the beauty of the setting and how it has a real sense of place.
I had to take a moment as beautiful isn't a word normally associated with this stark Northern Victorian industrial heritage town. But then, the more I read this book, the more I realised they were right.
Bradford isn't ever going to be picture postcard but there's an honesty to this city, built like Rome on a number of hills, and it's surrounded by the austere bleakness which inspired the Brontes, by the philanthropic benevolence of Sir Titus Salt, by the legacy of the mill owners in Cartwright Hall and Lister Park.
This book made me see this city again, one I've so often turned my nose up at (apart from The Alhambra which I've always loved), and see it through the eyes of a man finding the courage to reveal his deepest truth.
The colours of dawn, promises of a new day and a fresh start, run throughout this story. Warm oranges, clear blues, an occasional grey - it rains a lot "Up Norf" - passionate reds, delicate peach and deeper purples, also bring to life the animals who act as guides to Tom and Loz's journey.
I loved it and yes I know I've not really gone into the narrative of the book but that's deliberate as I do firmly believe this short story should be read blind, with no hints of what is to come.
Just be heartened that all ends as it should and Mona Lisa definitely smiled.
First, a disclaimer. I live nine miles away from the setting of this book. Friends who've reviewed it have waxed lyrical about the beauty of the setting and how it has a real sense of place.
I had to take a moment as beautiful isn't a word normally associated with this stark Northern Victorian industrial heritage town. But then, the more I read this book, the more I realised they were right.
Bradford isn't ever going to be picture postcard but there's an honesty to this city, built like Rome on a number of hills, and it's surrounded by the austere bleakness which inspired the Brontes, by the philanthropic benevolence of Sir Titus Salt, by the legacy of the mill owners in Cartwright Hall and Lister Park.
This book made me see this city again, one I've so often turned my nose up at (apart from The Alhambra which I've always loved), and see it through the eyes of a man finding the courage to reveal his deepest truth.
The colours of dawn, promises of a new day and a fresh start, run throughout this story. Warm oranges, clear blues, an occasional grey - it rains a lot "Up Norf" - passionate reds, delicate peach and deeper purples, also bring to life the animals who act as guides to Tom and Loz's journey.
I loved it and yes I know I've not really gone into the narrative of the book but that's deliberate as I do firmly believe this short story should be read blind, with no hints of what is to come.
Just be heartened that all ends as it should and Mona Lisa definitely smiled.
August 22, 2017
A short story which is so full of emotion and laughter and giddy love that you'll feel jealous of it all. I still can't stop thinking about the dancing animals on the table cloths/napkins. Beats the old purple and pink shimmery cloth.
A cute twist on coming out and by all means this may seem too hyped up (even by some characters) but coming out is always worth the hype. You never stop. The worst part is coming out again and again to those who don't agree with your 'lifestyle'. The disappointment you may expect but which still hurts at their lack of support.
Nothing much to say, just read this to revel in the power of love and support. I did. And a happy sleep I'll have tonight.
A cute twist on coming out and by all means this may seem too hyped up (even by some characters) but coming out is always worth the hype. You never stop. The worst part is coming out again and again to those who don't agree with your 'lifestyle'. The disappointment you may expect but which still hurts at their lack of support.
Nothing much to say, just read this to revel in the power of love and support. I did. And a happy sleep I'll have tonight.
November 11, 2017
5 stars
So beautiful! More stories about love like this please!!!
So beautiful! More stories about love like this please!!!
January 8, 2018
this made me cry. so sweet and full of love. I love it!
August 18, 2017
Originally reviewed at Sinfully.
The cover was the first thing to grab my eye on this story. I had to know more about the man in the fox mask. Now that I do, I have to wonder how this writing duo has escaped my TBR in the years I’ve been reading in the genre.
Tom works an average office job. He is artistic, drawing foxes and seeing the colors all around him. It took me a bit to catch on, but Tom has synesthesia. Every day he sees the colors at dawn that reveal the mood of the day to come. He sees colors around the people in his life too. As he packs up his house and makes final preparations for his wedding to Loz he makes his lists of important things that need to be done. The most important thing is the hardest, telling his beloved daughter about him and Loz. The story unfolds from here, revisiting the past and moving towards the future. I don’t want to say anything more about the story as you need to read it as it unfolds for the biggest impact.
I could call this a later in life coming out story, but there is so much more to it. There are definitely romantic aspects, Tom and Loz are days from getting married, but it’s Tom building up the courage to talk to his daughter that drives the story. His beloved fiancé Loz is an integral part of this. Loz is a perfect, caring, understanding partner to Tom. Loz knows his husband-to-be inside and out and is Tom’s strength when he needs it.
The story sneaks up on you. Each day spent with Tom reveals a little more about why this conversation is so difficult and scary. Along the way we are introduced not just to Loz, but to Tom’s friends and co-workers Jenny and Hikmat, his ex-wife Kathy, Tom’s mother, and the light of his life, his daughter Lou. All of these people have their part to play in Tom making his way to the altar.
So well written, Claire Davis and Al Stewart packed a lot into less than 100 pages. It’s full of beautiful imagery, heartbreaking stories, touching memories, humor, romance, friendship and a whole lot of love. I think most readers will be hard pressed not to both shed a tear, either happy or sad, and break out into a smile at least once at some point during this story. I’m so glad I discovered these authors and I can’t wait to work my way through the rest of their catalog.
The cover was the first thing to grab my eye on this story. I had to know more about the man in the fox mask. Now that I do, I have to wonder how this writing duo has escaped my TBR in the years I’ve been reading in the genre.
Tom works an average office job. He is artistic, drawing foxes and seeing the colors all around him. It took me a bit to catch on, but Tom has synesthesia. Every day he sees the colors at dawn that reveal the mood of the day to come. He sees colors around the people in his life too. As he packs up his house and makes final preparations for his wedding to Loz he makes his lists of important things that need to be done. The most important thing is the hardest, telling his beloved daughter about him and Loz. The story unfolds from here, revisiting the past and moving towards the future. I don’t want to say anything more about the story as you need to read it as it unfolds for the biggest impact.
I could call this a later in life coming out story, but there is so much more to it. There are definitely romantic aspects, Tom and Loz are days from getting married, but it’s Tom building up the courage to talk to his daughter that drives the story. His beloved fiancé Loz is an integral part of this. Loz is a perfect, caring, understanding partner to Tom. Loz knows his husband-to-be inside and out and is Tom’s strength when he needs it.
The story sneaks up on you. Each day spent with Tom reveals a little more about why this conversation is so difficult and scary. Along the way we are introduced not just to Loz, but to Tom’s friends and co-workers Jenny and Hikmat, his ex-wife Kathy, Tom’s mother, and the light of his life, his daughter Lou. All of these people have their part to play in Tom making his way to the altar.
So well written, Claire Davis and Al Stewart packed a lot into less than 100 pages. It’s full of beautiful imagery, heartbreaking stories, touching memories, humor, romance, friendship and a whole lot of love. I think most readers will be hard pressed not to both shed a tear, either happy or sad, and break out into a smile at least once at some point during this story. I’m so glad I discovered these authors and I can’t wait to work my way through the rest of their catalog.
August 7, 2017
Thank you to the authors for the copy of this book.
It's a kind of a funny story how I came into contact with Al Stewart, I shared an Arc which I had received via Prism for review with my fellow bloggers at Inglorious. When Al found out, rather than being pissy and broadcasting this on social media he was generous and understanding, which is something that is also reflected in his and Claire's writing.
I've read quite a few of their books, and just when you think that they're mainly YA/ NA they change to spies, and then from spies to this book which is about love on so many levels, for a man of a certain age - and about the sacrifices that people make for those they love, that don't feel to them like sacrifices.
In just over 80 pages there is so much emotion and such hopeful, positive feelings over how lives can change , I smiled all the way through, and I did also have a very happy cry as well.
There aren't enough books out there like this, and I hope that Claire and Al never change how they write.
It's a kind of a funny story how I came into contact with Al Stewart, I shared an Arc which I had received via Prism for review with my fellow bloggers at Inglorious. When Al found out, rather than being pissy and broadcasting this on social media he was generous and understanding, which is something that is also reflected in his and Claire's writing.
I've read quite a few of their books, and just when you think that they're mainly YA/ NA they change to spies, and then from spies to this book which is about love on so many levels, for a man of a certain age - and about the sacrifices that people make for those they love, that don't feel to them like sacrifices.
In just over 80 pages there is so much emotion and such hopeful, positive feelings over how lives can change , I smiled all the way through, and I did also have a very happy cry as well.
There aren't enough books out there like this, and I hope that Claire and Al never change how they write.
November 13, 2017
***3.5 Stars***
My rating for this book is purely based on my writing style tastes. This is a beautifully emotional, heartbreaking and hopeful story. The characters and story are so well developed for such a short number of pages. Marriage is a momentous occasion in anyone's life, but even more so for Tom....and the way the book unfolds, it slowly brings that to a sharper focus.
My heart broke for him and everything he's been through, but was filled with so much joy at the future that lies ahead.
Unfortunately, the writing style kept me from liking this more. It was too poetic, too prose-y for my tastes.
Like I said, it's just my reading tastes. But even with that, I would still recommend the crap out of this book.
August 11, 2017
There are many things that are great about being a writer but one of the absolute greatest is having author friends. Not only are they someone you can swap ideas with or ask for help, you also get to take part of their writing process. I was there when Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis and Al Stewart was born, I read it when it when it was a draft, and then again when it was finished, and tomorrow I'll get to see it published.
I'm almost more excited about my friends' release dates than I am about my own, perhaps because I have greater expectations on theirs.
Dear Mona Lisa... is another favourite (though I think Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! always will be number one for me) and I was snivelling every time I read it despite knowing exactly what would happen.
Tom steals my heart, as do the foxes. I love that every dawn has a colour, that Tom has shitty parents that despite being shitty are great grandparents and that his ex-wife was his best friend at six-years-old and at forty. There is no black and white - there are apricot yellows, fizzy orange, flooding pink, but also purple rage, yellow shame, sickly yellow, midnight blue, scarlet, and scattered silver. There are foxes and birds and stomach cramps. And Love. Love for a friend, for a partner, for an ex-wife, for a husband, a lost son, and a daughter.
This book shouldn't be missed!
I'm almost more excited about my friends' release dates than I am about my own, perhaps because I have greater expectations on theirs.
Dear Mona Lisa... is another favourite (though I think Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! always will be number one for me) and I was snivelling every time I read it despite knowing exactly what would happen.
Tom steals my heart, as do the foxes. I love that every dawn has a colour, that Tom has shitty parents that despite being shitty are great grandparents and that his ex-wife was his best friend at six-years-old and at forty. There is no black and white - there are apricot yellows, fizzy orange, flooding pink, but also purple rage, yellow shame, sickly yellow, midnight blue, scarlet, and scattered silver. There are foxes and birds and stomach cramps. And Love. Love for a friend, for a partner, for an ex-wife, for a husband, a lost son, and a daughter.
This book shouldn't be missed!
November 15, 2017
This is a lovely little story about a middle-aged man who has to face coming out to his grown-up daughter and telling her that he is marrying the man of his dreams at the same time. It's also a story about loving and being loved and self-doubt and crippling anxiety. I pretty much adored it, even though it's not even close to my usual fare but that's quality for you. Recommended!
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