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Blueberry Pancakes
Bridget Jones Diary meets The Commitments Writing songs for a would-be pop star is painful. When young, gay songwriter Duncan falls in love, he writes a love song. When he gets dumped, he writes a break-up song. Luckily for his songwriting career, his love life is a roller-coaster.When his long-term boyfriend breaks up with him, Duncan finds solace in music. And pancakes, of course. With the help of his sassy diva singer and best friend Marlene, her ex-boyfriend guitarist, and a local music producer, they form a musical dream team to produce songs to pitch to agents, and for Marlene’s promising singing career.A new guy here, a new guy there, they are delicious distractions, but this drama fuels new and better songs. And that ex? He just won’t seem to go away. But it all pays off when they have their first number one hit with a teenybopper all-girl band.Not everything in their favorite hangout-a breakfast restaurant called Pancake Heaven-is rainbows and maple syrup. The all-girl band drops them as songwriters, and they squabble with one another over their musical future. Will they find the success they can be proud of?Blueberry Pancakes is a contemporary gay drama about falling in and out of love, the price of success, and walking through the world with confidence.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 26, 2019
11 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 16, 2019
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this book was - Aww, a sweet fun read. The story was simple, the book talked about the trials and tribulations of a gay songwriter Duncan in his dating life and his career.
An IT professional by day and a songwriter all the time, especially after a break-up, Duncan was ably supported by his best friend and lead singer Countess Marlene, Robin on guitar, and Silas with the drum beat on his computer. Together they made up - The Factory, a group of sorts, working for the passion of their music, and of course, the elusive success.
The author Anton Lee Richards has done an earnest job in endearing his characters to me. They were real, they had fun, they dated, they broke-up, they even got fired. I liked the way he had shown both the good and bad, the vagaries of life's reality.
Few things I liked was the honest portrayal of dating life with potential relationship, hook-ups, and sometimes scary abusive dates, Duncan and Marlene's friendship who were with each other through thick and thin (I wanted such a friendship too), life of a wannabe songwriter who wanted to become a success by writing his kind of songs, and...
PANCAKES - every occasion was celebrated with varieties of pancakes but the breakups only with the BLUEBERRY PANCAKES!!
Then came my niggles; certain parts were slow, dialogues could have been crisper. I wanted to be pulled in further into their lives.
Overall, for me, the last few chapters made it all worth it. I loved the emotions in the scenes, I liked knowing how their lives turned out to be. It made me go - Aww!!
An IT professional by day and a songwriter all the time, especially after a break-up, Duncan was ably supported by his best friend and lead singer Countess Marlene, Robin on guitar, and Silas with the drum beat on his computer. Together they made up - The Factory, a group of sorts, working for the passion of their music, and of course, the elusive success.
The author Anton Lee Richards has done an earnest job in endearing his characters to me. They were real, they had fun, they dated, they broke-up, they even got fired. I liked the way he had shown both the good and bad, the vagaries of life's reality.
Few things I liked was the honest portrayal of dating life with potential relationship, hook-ups, and sometimes scary abusive dates, Duncan and Marlene's friendship who were with each other through thick and thin (I wanted such a friendship too), life of a wannabe songwriter who wanted to become a success by writing his kind of songs, and...
PANCAKES - every occasion was celebrated with varieties of pancakes but the breakups only with the BLUEBERRY PANCAKES!!
Then came my niggles; certain parts were slow, dialogues could have been crisper. I wanted to be pulled in further into their lives.
Overall, for me, the last few chapters made it all worth it. I loved the emotions in the scenes, I liked knowing how their lives turned out to be. It made me go - Aww!!
April 4, 2022
I liked this book so much.
Following Duncan, a programmer by day and songwriter by night and his crazy group of friends as they explore not only love but music, friendship and so much more. Not only was this book as time so sweet that I almost felt high on sugar, it was also raw, emotional and real. As a gay guy I could relate to so much of what Duncan was going through.
The music part was especially speaking to me. As someone who just started writing music himself, well that was inspiring.
Fair warning though, this book will make you crave pancakes.
However, as much as I liked this book there was one event in this book that should've given it a trigger warning, and since it has none I'm going to put it out there.
I think it's too heavy a subject not to give that trigger warning. I for one would've liked to be prepared for that one.
Following Duncan, a programmer by day and songwriter by night and his crazy group of friends as they explore not only love but music, friendship and so much more. Not only was this book as time so sweet that I almost felt high on sugar, it was also raw, emotional and real. As a gay guy I could relate to so much of what Duncan was going through.
The music part was especially speaking to me. As someone who just started writing music himself, well that was inspiring.
Fair warning though, this book will make you crave pancakes.
However, as much as I liked this book there was one event in this book that should've given it a trigger warning, and since it has none I'm going to put it out there.
I think it's too heavy a subject not to give that trigger warning. I for one would've liked to be prepared for that one.
April 10, 2022
2.25 Stars
Definitely a minority view here for Blueberry Pancakes by Anton Lee Richards.
For me, there were two stand out attractions to the novel. Learning about the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago,
and the ability of pancakes to reflect mood.
Blueberry Pancakes is replete with typos and grammatical errors, and for the most part the individual characters are self-serving, consumed with sex, and not particularly interesting. Two scenes of perhaps understandable but unnecessary violence were more than enough to offset the story's potentially positive conclusion.
To be fair, one of life’s lessons is that it’s much easier to criticize than to create.
Understanding that, I’m pleased for the author that the vast majority of his readers have a totally different view of Blueberry Pancakes than mine. That’s a good sign for his future success, a success I wish for anyone brave enough to put pen to paper.
Definitely a minority view here for Blueberry Pancakes by Anton Lee Richards.
For me, there were two stand out attractions to the novel. Learning about the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago,
and the ability of pancakes to reflect mood. Blueberry Pancakes is replete with typos and grammatical errors, and for the most part the individual characters are self-serving, consumed with sex, and not particularly interesting. Two scenes of perhaps understandable but unnecessary violence were more than enough to offset the story's potentially positive conclusion.
To be fair, one of life’s lessons is that it’s much easier to criticize than to create.
Understanding that, I’m pleased for the author that the vast majority of his readers have a totally different view of Blueberry Pancakes than mine. That’s a good sign for his future success, a success I wish for anyone brave enough to put pen to paper.
April 15, 2019
I loved the premise of this book, and the author pulls it off beautifully. Throughout the book we follow Duncan’s journey as he struggles to find love. As a gay man in the music industry, things aren’t all blueberry pancakes, especially after his band hits their first real success.
It was very easy to connect to Duncan and his world though at times, his life was a rollercoaster ride. I love that the story doesn’t just focus on romance but also includes the importance of friendship and the drive of success. This is probably the “realist” fiction that I’ve ever picked up. Fantastic story.
It was very easy to connect to Duncan and his world though at times, his life was a rollercoaster ride. I love that the story doesn’t just focus on romance but also includes the importance of friendship and the drive of success. This is probably the “realist” fiction that I’ve ever picked up. Fantastic story.
March 15, 2019
This was not the fluffy m/m romance I was expecting from the book description. Although there were elements of that, the story certainly had its darker moments, perhaps more realistically in some ways. Essentially it is a story of the central character, Duncan, trying to find himself, aided and abetted by the other central characters whom he reacts to and with in the various scenes in his journey. He is a software engineer, but desperately wants to be a successful songwriter. His friend and flatmate, Marlene, is his muse, though she really wants to be a star, a successful singer and all she says and does revolves around that. Duncan also wants a successful relationship, but doesn't know where or how to find it and goes through some fairly abusive situations as a result. Overall, this is defintely worth a read, though some of the timelines for events around the songs being used don't seem to work as timelines seem to get truncated to make the story work. As an older reader who grew up with the music of the Beatles, Dylan and others from those days, it was depressing to see how current pop music is created, if this is a realistic picture of the process. It seems so mechanical and uninspiring. No wonder so much of what I hear sounds so samey. If course, that could be because I'm too old for it...
August 30, 2019
Blueberry Pancakes is an interesting, if sometimes emotionally frustrating, look at the journey of a songwriter trying with various degrees of success to get both his career and his love life off the ground.
No sooner, it seems, than we’ve met protagonist Duncan, he’s being dumped by “The One” (or is he?). At the same time, Duncan and his best friend and roommate Marlene are trying to launch his songwriting and her singing career. As the blurb indicates, one of these things goes a bit more smoothly than the others.
To be honest, I wrote the bulk of this review several days ago, but have been sitting on it because I couldn’t decide how many stars to give it. Let’s say 3.5 rounded up, and talk about the good first.
One of the things that the author does exceptionally well is painting memorable characters on the page. Each character has a distinct way of speaking, and things like appearance were described just enough to give me a strong mental image without being overkill. The setting, as well, is rich and vivid. I have been to Chicago all of once and can’t tell you if it’s accurate, but I believe the author is writing from personal experience, and I definitely FELT like I was there with Duncan and his friends.
The writing style is clean and unobtrusive, conveying the story without ever getting in the way of the story with overly flowery prose. I was able to slip easily into this world, and mostly enjoyed the ride I was taken on.
It is very hard to put my finger on what DIDN’T quite work for me, and I think it’s ultimately a combination of pacing, characterization, and personal preference.
One of the things this book does A LOT is tell the reader that something major has happened, after it actually happens. When someone buys or rejects one of Duncan’s songs, when one of the book’s several on-again-off-again couples breaks up or gets back together, it often happens off-page, between chapters. I definitely don’t mind authors using this technique sometimes, but in this case I wanted to BE there for more of the little triumphs and heartache, and would have liked to see more of those scenes actually unfolding. Overall, the pace just felt a little slow, and while there were some good emotionally charged scenes along the way, it felt like there were others that should have been there and weren’t.
The other major thing that frustrates me were the secondary characters. While Duncan and Marlene were definitely depicted as multifaceted people with merits and flaws, most of the other characters—especially the guys Duncan dates—were various caricatures of awful. I didn’t want him to end up with any of them, even during the phase of the relationship where DUNCAN did. Even Silas, a co-worker of Duncan’s who produces his music and I THINK is supposed to be one of our protagonists (or at least, I thought that I was supposed to sympathize with him), reads as an absolutely horrible person much of the time, and I found it very hard to read some of his scenes. (Content warning: This includes comments about his wife and baby that as a parent I found… not quite triggering for me personally, but very disturbing.)
This was a hard one to rate and review, because I both enjoyed it and didn’t enjoy it, which might have been the author’s intention, in a way. It definitely goes into some uncomfortable territory, sometimes in a way that I found thought-provoking, and other times in ways that were just offputting. I definitely don't think it should be sold as humor or satire, which is the current category it's in on Amazon. It's also definitely not a romance, but more general gay fiction.
I don’t think I’ll read this one again, but I liked the writing style and the portrayal of the main characters enough that I’d definitely read whatever the author comes up with next!
Trigger/content warnings: Attempted rape, suicide, mention of drugs, borderline abusive comments made by a parent about a child
No sooner, it seems, than we’ve met protagonist Duncan, he’s being dumped by “The One” (or is he?). At the same time, Duncan and his best friend and roommate Marlene are trying to launch his songwriting and her singing career. As the blurb indicates, one of these things goes a bit more smoothly than the others.
To be honest, I wrote the bulk of this review several days ago, but have been sitting on it because I couldn’t decide how many stars to give it. Let’s say 3.5 rounded up, and talk about the good first.
One of the things that the author does exceptionally well is painting memorable characters on the page. Each character has a distinct way of speaking, and things like appearance were described just enough to give me a strong mental image without being overkill. The setting, as well, is rich and vivid. I have been to Chicago all of once and can’t tell you if it’s accurate, but I believe the author is writing from personal experience, and I definitely FELT like I was there with Duncan and his friends.
The writing style is clean and unobtrusive, conveying the story without ever getting in the way of the story with overly flowery prose. I was able to slip easily into this world, and mostly enjoyed the ride I was taken on.
It is very hard to put my finger on what DIDN’T quite work for me, and I think it’s ultimately a combination of pacing, characterization, and personal preference.
One of the things this book does A LOT is tell the reader that something major has happened, after it actually happens. When someone buys or rejects one of Duncan’s songs, when one of the book’s several on-again-off-again couples breaks up or gets back together, it often happens off-page, between chapters. I definitely don’t mind authors using this technique sometimes, but in this case I wanted to BE there for more of the little triumphs and heartache, and would have liked to see more of those scenes actually unfolding. Overall, the pace just felt a little slow, and while there were some good emotionally charged scenes along the way, it felt like there were others that should have been there and weren’t.
The other major thing that frustrates me were the secondary characters. While Duncan and Marlene were definitely depicted as multifaceted people with merits and flaws, most of the other characters—especially the guys Duncan dates—were various caricatures of awful. I didn’t want him to end up with any of them, even during the phase of the relationship where DUNCAN did. Even Silas, a co-worker of Duncan’s who produces his music and I THINK is supposed to be one of our protagonists (or at least, I thought that I was supposed to sympathize with him), reads as an absolutely horrible person much of the time, and I found it very hard to read some of his scenes. (Content warning: This includes comments about his wife and baby that as a parent I found… not quite triggering for me personally, but very disturbing.)
This was a hard one to rate and review, because I both enjoyed it and didn’t enjoy it, which might have been the author’s intention, in a way. It definitely goes into some uncomfortable territory, sometimes in a way that I found thought-provoking, and other times in ways that were just offputting. I definitely don't think it should be sold as humor or satire, which is the current category it's in on Amazon. It's also definitely not a romance, but more general gay fiction.
I don’t think I’ll read this one again, but I liked the writing style and the portrayal of the main characters enough that I’d definitely read whatever the author comes up with next!
Trigger/content warnings: Attempted rape, suicide, mention of drugs, borderline abusive comments made by a parent about a child
February 24, 2019
Blueberry Pancakes is like All My Children on crack! Yes, please, and thank you! I am all the way here for it. Love, love, love!
Duncan, our narrator, is a songwriter who parades around during the day as an IT professional. He shares an apartment with Marlene. She’s a singer who for the most part comes off as a narcissistic diva who is only interested in Duncan writing her a hit song to drive her singing career. Marlene’s ex is Robin a wickedly talented guitar player, the relationship with these two is complicated, but not lacking in sex. Then there’s Silas, Duncan’s co-worker from his day job as an IT Programmer.
The awesome foursome makes up a group called The Factory, they’ll write, and produce songs, make demo recordings and shop them to the industry, as well as trying to launch Marlene’s career in the process. They have some successes. Ego’s get in the way and get bruised, they get dumped from implied contracts, and things fall apart.
Duncan, who is the book’s main thrust goes through an emotional rollercoaster in his personal life with his wishy-washy boyfriend Jessie, who is an unstable, unreliable, narcissist who continually breaks up with Duncan and then runs back to him. (Side note: It’s interesting to see women aren’t the only ones who go through this foolishness, good grief!) Poor Duncan also goes through a host of guys trying his best to rebound from his heartbreak and its one disaster after another. Then there is one frightening incident that shakes Duncan and the reader to the core.
Through all these ups and downs, Duncan is still trying to create music and find stability in his personal life. It’s like no matter where he goes, Jessie always pops up, like that preverbal “bad penny.” A tragedy finally disbands The Factory for good and Duncan unlock a few mysteries that have been going on throughout the narrative.
We don’t get necessarily a happy ending, but what we do get is some success and recognition for Duncan and Marlene’s musical talents. Also, FINALLY, Duncan refuses to take Jessie back for the millionth time. It feels liberating for the reader and leaves you feeling hopeful for Duncan’s future as long as Duncan can drown his sorrows at his favorite restaurant, Pancake Heaven with a perfect fluffy stack to suit the mood. He’ll come out better for the wear.
Anton Lee Richards, you did that, Sir. To quote Duncan, “Star!”
Duncan, our narrator, is a songwriter who parades around during the day as an IT professional. He shares an apartment with Marlene. She’s a singer who for the most part comes off as a narcissistic diva who is only interested in Duncan writing her a hit song to drive her singing career. Marlene’s ex is Robin a wickedly talented guitar player, the relationship with these two is complicated, but not lacking in sex. Then there’s Silas, Duncan’s co-worker from his day job as an IT Programmer.
The awesome foursome makes up a group called The Factory, they’ll write, and produce songs, make demo recordings and shop them to the industry, as well as trying to launch Marlene’s career in the process. They have some successes. Ego’s get in the way and get bruised, they get dumped from implied contracts, and things fall apart.
Duncan, who is the book’s main thrust goes through an emotional rollercoaster in his personal life with his wishy-washy boyfriend Jessie, who is an unstable, unreliable, narcissist who continually breaks up with Duncan and then runs back to him. (Side note: It’s interesting to see women aren’t the only ones who go through this foolishness, good grief!) Poor Duncan also goes through a host of guys trying his best to rebound from his heartbreak and its one disaster after another. Then there is one frightening incident that shakes Duncan and the reader to the core.
Through all these ups and downs, Duncan is still trying to create music and find stability in his personal life. It’s like no matter where he goes, Jessie always pops up, like that preverbal “bad penny.” A tragedy finally disbands The Factory for good and Duncan unlock a few mysteries that have been going on throughout the narrative.
We don’t get necessarily a happy ending, but what we do get is some success and recognition for Duncan and Marlene’s musical talents. Also, FINALLY, Duncan refuses to take Jessie back for the millionth time. It feels liberating for the reader and leaves you feeling hopeful for Duncan’s future as long as Duncan can drown his sorrows at his favorite restaurant, Pancake Heaven with a perfect fluffy stack to suit the mood. He’ll come out better for the wear.
Anton Lee Richards, you did that, Sir. To quote Duncan, “Star!”
July 31, 2019
Blueberry pancakes is the story of people dealing with real life problems like broken relationships, career and the quest to be successful. This is the first time I read gay fiction and I realised that not even men have it easy in relationships. Duncan, the Male protagonist's partner, Jesse is a pure narcissist that has been perfectly characterized. I just fell in Love with Marlene, Duncan's room mate and best friend throughout. She feels real and has been described in perfect detail right from her long leather boots to her mother of pearls hairpin. She is a darling and she's always there for Duncan. In the beginning she comes off as a self centered person which is not the right assumption.
I loved the title and the way the little group of four friends celebrate all breakups with a blueberry pancake…
It's a book that is funny at times and sad at others but it's a book that stays with you for days after you put it down. I will be looking forward to the other works by this author.
I loved the title and the way the little group of four friends celebrate all breakups with a blueberry pancake…
It's a book that is funny at times and sad at others but it's a book that stays with you for days after you put it down. I will be looking forward to the other works by this author.
dnf
March 3, 2025DNF @ 20%
The writing is just not for me. I was invested enough in the characters to give a peak to see how it all ends, but didn't want to endure something I wasn't enjoying enough to get the full story. And yes, I know it's not a romance, it's gay fiction, but I've read and enjoyed gay fiction before. And, sure, this book might have suffered because I read an really incredible book just before it, but I started another book after I decided to DNF this one, and I did not have the same feelings about the writing in that book and have not DNF'd it so far.
Also, Duncan, for me, read really young. Like, really young. And a little shallow, even though he says he is not. Add in the writing and my ambivalence, and I decided that I would end it before I got mean with hatred.
The writing is just not for me. I was invested enough in the characters to give a peak to see how it all ends, but didn't want to endure something I wasn't enjoying enough to get the full story. And yes, I know it's not a romance, it's gay fiction, but I've read and enjoyed gay fiction before. And, sure, this book might have suffered because I read an really incredible book just before it, but I started another book after I decided to DNF this one, and I did not have the same feelings about the writing in that book and have not DNF'd it so far.
Also, Duncan, for me, read really young. Like, really young. And a little shallow, even though he says he is not. Add in the writing and my ambivalence, and I decided that I would end it before I got mean with hatred.
May 22, 2019
I love the name of this book and the premise - blueberry pancakes are comfort food to me. But Anton Lee Richards' novel was anything but comforting. Its very real, very vulnerable characters, the representations of wild single and gay lifestyles, its humorous and dark moments, wise and immature revelations, and relatable truths stretched me and made me think and feel very deeply. I was uncomfortable reading its pages at times, yet so caught up with the characters' lives that I couldn't stop reading. In the end, I think the friendships, dreams and disappointments celebrated over every kind of pancake offered at Pancake Heaven will make you a fan, too.
September 19, 2019
In this delightful, lovely story, Richards takes readers to a gay songwriter’s journey of finding love and success. Duncan and his best friend and roommate Marlene are trying to launch their music career as Duncan struggles to find love after his breakup. This gay romance is light and breezy (sort of like well-written, enjoyable chic-lit) as the story moves at a swift pace with plenty of emotionally charged scenes. The plotting is tight and dialogue sharp and witty. Duncan and Marlene are adorable, and the other ancillary characters are equally likable. A breezy gay romance that will make the reader turn page fast.
April 27, 2019
This wonderful story is about a whole lot more than romance. It's a human story that touches on emotions of many levels and looks at drive as well. Duncan and Marlene, best-friends bounce off each in brilliant style and really wrapped around my heart as real people who behaved in ways that rang so true they came to life. I absolutely loved why Duncan picks blueberry as the flavor to take comfort in. It was refreshing that while this explores love, heartbreak, healing, and more love it also manages to be about life and living, work and sacrifice. A great well-rounded read.
May 26, 2019
Another pancake anyone? Yes please!
This is the first time reading Anton Lee Richards. And boy did deliver. I laughed, along the pancake journey with Duncan and the fabulous Diva Marlene. The life of one person stuck in their roller coaster world from a grey cubicle to the flashing lights and screams of the fans wanting more.
With a great storyline and characters, the deep connection I felt with this contemporary gay drama even brought a tear or two to my eyes and reaching for the tissues.
I recommend this book and the entertaining talented author.
This is the first time reading Anton Lee Richards. And boy did deliver. I laughed, along the pancake journey with Duncan and the fabulous Diva Marlene. The life of one person stuck in their roller coaster world from a grey cubicle to the flashing lights and screams of the fans wanting more.
With a great storyline and characters, the deep connection I felt with this contemporary gay drama even brought a tear or two to my eyes and reaching for the tissues.
I recommend this book and the entertaining talented author.
May 28, 2019
I was drawn to the book because of the title. I figured it had to be a delicious piece of work because of that. I rated the book primarily because of the writing. The author and many friends in the book always had something going on in their lives. Either they were the next big thing or sometimes down on their luck. Everything always led back to a good stack of pancakes. This is a different type of genre for me and sort of gave me an inside look into a different perspective. The book was well written, included drama, tragedy, and victories of many sorts.
March 5, 2019
I felt connected to the main character, feeling his story alongside him. A roller coaster ride er at times, a thrill ride, through relationships and breakups, both in friendships and love interests, As Duncan (the main character) strives to make sense of his journey, we come full circle into a bright new future for this young man, Duncan; a young man of colorful personality that keeps us rooting for him.
April 17, 2019
Edgy, earthy and entertaining. Duncan's story is stacked and packed with relationship drama, friendships and humor, plus in depth, behind the scene takes on the many tricky issues surrounding collaboration. Whipped up by someone who's been there. Love the cover design, too!
June 20, 2019
Colorful look at life outside the box. There is humor in this one and some sadness, a lot like life. Blueberry pancakes are the go to comfort food for two people trying to make it big. Creativity always seems to be accompanied by a touch of fey. There's more than a touch in here. Good tale.
March 14, 2019
Omg amazing!!
Fresh, funny, and flies by. I want more. And I'm totally girl crushing on the narrator. Laugh and cry. This is a must read. Now I need some pancakes.
Fresh, funny, and flies by. I want more. And I'm totally girl crushing on the narrator. Laugh and cry. This is a must read. Now I need some pancakes.
April 1, 2019
A fun read, easy to follow and catchy dialogue. The author has passion for his characters.
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