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Transparency
Charlie is the quintessential bear. Big, muscular and hairy. But that isn’t the type of men he’s attracted to. He is drawn to men like Taylor—short, smooth, and sexy. Taylor is Charlie’s idea of the perfect twink. But there’s something about Taylor Charlie doesn’t know. Taylor is unsure about a lot of things, but when he sees Charlie, he instantly knows he wants him. The only issue standing in his way is how Taylor views his own masculinity. He’s afraid that Charlie will leave once he knows the secret Taylor wants to keep hidden. Can he be transparent with Charlie and allow him to look behind the image he's so carefully constructed?
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First published November 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 11, 2021
A nice contemporary romance short story about a man who wants to find that special someone, but fears his body will not be enough for a potential partner. Fortunately for him, he gets on the radar a sweet bear of a man who is willing to push through those fears.
Full disclosure--the authors contacted me to read a version of this short story a few weeks before they released.
I’m not normally a fan of “straight-up” contemporary romances, but this story was a bit different since the main character of Taylor is trans*, and this is the first trans* romance I’ve read. It was a good read, and I thought the authors did a really nice job of portraying Taylor. At the same time, I felt very keenly Taylor’s stresses as he worried about being rejected or found out or even beat up because others wouldn’t accept who he is.
Charlie is a very sweet character, one who is very enamored with the cute twink that he met (and was blown by) at the porn emporium. They had nice chemistry, and I appreciated that Charlie was the right amount of forward/pushy to continually show Taylor that he was interested and ready to try things.
I also appreciated that there was some dualism between what things Taylor was hiding and what things Charlie wanted to reveal about his likes/kinks.
I’m glad the authors wrote a romantic story about two people finding a partner who is attracted to them for who they really are. A quick read, but well done.
Full disclosure--the authors contacted me to read a version of this short story a few weeks before they released.
I’m not normally a fan of “straight-up” contemporary romances, but this story was a bit different since the main character of Taylor is trans*, and this is the first trans* romance I’ve read. It was a good read, and I thought the authors did a really nice job of portraying Taylor. At the same time, I felt very keenly Taylor’s stresses as he worried about being rejected or found out or even beat up because others wouldn’t accept who he is.
Charlie is a very sweet character, one who is very enamored with the cute twink that he met (and was blown by) at the porn emporium. They had nice chemistry, and I appreciated that Charlie was the right amount of forward/pushy to continually show Taylor that he was interested and ready to try things.
I also appreciated that there was some dualism between what things Taylor was hiding and what things Charlie wanted to reveal about his likes/kinks.
I’m glad the authors wrote a romantic story about two people finding a partner who is attracted to them for who they really are. A quick read, but well done.
November 4, 2013
I came over all verklempt reading this. I thought it was very emotionally involving and beautiful. Also hot :D
I would have cut the story off at 82% because I felt the ending was a bit movie-of-the-week.
Good characterizations (again, excluding the very last part) and writing that just got out of the way and let the story speak, yay.
Thanks to ttg for putting this on my radar.
I would have cut the story off at 82% because I felt the ending was a bit movie-of-the-week.
Good characterizations (again, excluding the very last part) and writing that just got out of the way and let the story speak, yay.
Thanks to ttg for putting this on my radar.
January 1, 2024
Cute short read with a transgender character.
dnf
June 12, 2019After reading the first two pages & looking at this interview, I am certain this is not for me, as a trans reader.
https://readwithpridenorthwest.org/20...
https://readwithpridenorthwest.org/20...
June 5, 2017
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
I really liked so much about this story - the MCs were great together and the scenes between them worked well. Charlie was super sweet and I just wanted to give him a huge hug for being so awesome.
(Charlie's friends were total asshats and I was so glad he stuck up for Taylor like he did!)
I wish the whole thing had been a little longer, and the insta-boyfriends thing always bugs me. Maybe a bit more background on both the MCs would have worked too...
Overall a really nice look into Taylor's character and how he was feeling and made the decisions he did.
I really liked so much about this story - the MCs were great together and the scenes between them worked well. Charlie was super sweet and I just wanted to give him a huge hug for being so awesome.
(Charlie's friends were total asshats and I was so glad he stuck up for Taylor like he did!)
I wish the whole thing had been a little longer, and the insta-boyfriends thing always bugs me. Maybe a bit more background on both the MCs would have worked too...
Overall a really nice look into Taylor's character and how he was feeling and made the decisions he did.
July 26, 2021
Transparency
By Ethan Stone
I won't give a full review about this story as it's already quite short. I don't want to give out any spoilers. It wasn’t at all what I expected. Especially the first couple chapters. I never thought they'd meet like that.
It was an okay book. I liked both Taylor and Charlie.
The book is in Taylor's POV. The angst level is medium.
By Ethan Stone
I won't give a full review about this story as it's already quite short. I don't want to give out any spoilers. It wasn’t at all what I expected. Especially the first couple chapters. I never thought they'd meet like that.
It was an okay book. I liked both Taylor and Charlie.
The book is in Taylor's POV. The angst level is medium.
November 8, 2013
The saying that "image is everything" is true for a lot of people, and it's all about being accepted by a group or being seen as "being someone". Usually, it focuses on the surface someone presents to others, but sometimes it goes deeper. Sometimes, it is about who a person really is at the core and wanting to make sure others see them as they are – despite appearances. This is a very tough situation to be in, as anyone who has ever been told they are "not enough" (for whatever reason) will know. Be it body image, mental shortcomings, or sexual orientation, all of them can stand in the way of being accepted as who you are. And in Taylor's case, in this story, it is a combination of factors that makes his hopes for ever finding love seem like a daunting, if not impossible, task.
Taylor, as is hinted in the blurb, is a gay transman. He has gone through part of the transition, and, to the casual observer, passes as the man he is deep inside. But any kind of physical intimacy is impossible unless his partner accepts that he is not fully a biological male (he lacks the "plumbing"). A previous lover has treated Taylor really badly, making his fears worse, and now he's pretty much limiting himself to brief, casual encounters that don’t force him to reveal the full extent of his "shortcomings", as he thinks about them. What better place to do this than a glory hole. It gives Taylor the anonymity he needs while letting him have at least part of what he craves: sucking a man.
The dilemma Taylor faces in this story is, to some extent, no different than a question most of us have faced at some time in our lives: how much to reveal on a first date when it's something we might not want everyone to know right away. Something we figure might be okay if the potential partner just gets to know us as a person first. In Taylor's case it is a pretty fundamental deal breaker for most partners: he is physically not completely the man he passes as in daily life. His feelings and fears are very real and well-described as he goes through an anonymous encounter through the glory hole with Charlie, a bear of a man and exactly Taylor's type. When he runs into Charlie again and it's clear the man is interested in him, "to tell the truth or not to tell the truth" becomes an excruciating dilemma for Taylor. The fear of rejection almost makes him not say anything, and yet Taylor knows he has to be honest if he ever wants more with Charlie.
This story may end well, since Charlie turns out to be very understanding, tolerant, and open to accepting Taylor as he is. It makes for a great love story, but real life is not always so "cooperative". This short book does a good job describing what it can be like for a transman who may be able to pass in daily life, but cannot have the physical intimacy he craves without fearing ridicule. If you want to understand what that can be like, I can recommend this story. It takes a pretty serious subject and translates it into a person, Taylor, and situations we can all relate to.
NOTE: This book was provided by the authors for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Taylor, as is hinted in the blurb, is a gay transman. He has gone through part of the transition, and, to the casual observer, passes as the man he is deep inside. But any kind of physical intimacy is impossible unless his partner accepts that he is not fully a biological male (he lacks the "plumbing"). A previous lover has treated Taylor really badly, making his fears worse, and now he's pretty much limiting himself to brief, casual encounters that don’t force him to reveal the full extent of his "shortcomings", as he thinks about them. What better place to do this than a glory hole. It gives Taylor the anonymity he needs while letting him have at least part of what he craves: sucking a man.
The dilemma Taylor faces in this story is, to some extent, no different than a question most of us have faced at some time in our lives: how much to reveal on a first date when it's something we might not want everyone to know right away. Something we figure might be okay if the potential partner just gets to know us as a person first. In Taylor's case it is a pretty fundamental deal breaker for most partners: he is physically not completely the man he passes as in daily life. His feelings and fears are very real and well-described as he goes through an anonymous encounter through the glory hole with Charlie, a bear of a man and exactly Taylor's type. When he runs into Charlie again and it's clear the man is interested in him, "to tell the truth or not to tell the truth" becomes an excruciating dilemma for Taylor. The fear of rejection almost makes him not say anything, and yet Taylor knows he has to be honest if he ever wants more with Charlie.
This story may end well, since Charlie turns out to be very understanding, tolerant, and open to accepting Taylor as he is. It makes for a great love story, but real life is not always so "cooperative". This short book does a good job describing what it can be like for a transman who may be able to pass in daily life, but cannot have the physical intimacy he craves without fearing ridicule. If you want to understand what that can be like, I can recommend this story. It takes a pretty serious subject and translates it into a person, Taylor, and situations we can all relate to.
NOTE: This book was provided by the authors for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 14, 2013
I wanted to like it. I really did. The plot idea, a trans man falling for a guy and having to decide if pursuing a relationship is worth the risk of rejection, is solid and I was excited to see what the authors would do with it. Unfortunately, the writing was so poor that it barely registered as a story. It was more like the description of a story, explained by someone who has only recently begun to master English and wants to use their whole vocabulary. (If that's actually the case please disregard the rest of this review.)
I wanted to feel the characters, but they were too much one dimensional stereotypes to elicit any empathy or caring. The dialog was ridiculously stilted and sort of bizarre. Not one word of it sounded real or honest. The requisite friends/enemies/trolls who hate transgender people because reasons are the worst, but every character sounds like a parody of what somebody thinks something they've never experienced might sound like.
Which is a shame, because I got the feeling from the careful, precise language of the first couple of pages that these authors probably have had a lot of experience with just exactly these things. And I very much hope that they continue to write until their real, true truth shines through in the way that it deserves to. That will very much be a book worth reading.
I wanted to feel the characters, but they were too much one dimensional stereotypes to elicit any empathy or caring. The dialog was ridiculously stilted and sort of bizarre. Not one word of it sounded real or honest. The requisite friends/enemies/trolls who hate transgender people because reasons are the worst, but every character sounds like a parody of what somebody thinks something they've never experienced might sound like.
Which is a shame, because I got the feeling from the careful, precise language of the first couple of pages that these authors probably have had a lot of experience with just exactly these things. And I very much hope that they continue to write until their real, true truth shines through in the way that it deserves to. That will very much be a book worth reading.
November 20, 2013
Read on 11-18-13
I have to say this was my first transgender short I have read. It did not disappoint, other than the fact it was too short. I would have liked to have dug a little deeper into Taylor and Charlie's life.
I will say though that Charlie has some shitty friends :( Why do people associate with people who only bring you down and make fun of you? All of them did. It hurt my heart. I wanted Charlie to lay into them, but he seemed to let it happen.
As far as Taylor, there are no words. I love him. I cried for him. Literally, had tissues in my hand and bawled. The bigotry and hatred people have for others just because they are different infuriates me. Who are they? What makes them so special? Why spew all the hate? This world is a melting pot and I only hope that in my lifetime something changes.
The ending
I didn't want this end. I want more of Taylor and Charlie!
I have to say this was my first transgender short I have read. It did not disappoint, other than the fact it was too short. I would have liked to have dug a little deeper into Taylor and Charlie's life.
I will say though that Charlie has some shitty friends :( Why do people associate with people who only bring you down and make fun of you? All of them did. It hurt my heart. I wanted Charlie to lay into them, but he seemed to let it happen.
As far as Taylor, there are no words. I love him. I cried for him. Literally, had tissues in my hand and bawled. The bigotry and hatred people have for others just because they are different infuriates me. Who are they? What makes them so special? Why spew all the hate? This world is a melting pot and I only hope that in my lifetime something changes.
The ending
I didn't want this end. I want more of Taylor and Charlie!
April 17, 2020
Ethan Stone and Sara York’s ‘Transparency’ is everything a gay romance novella should be. This audiobook version is hot, sweet, erotic, and, did I mention hot?
Charlie and Taylor are brought to life through John Solo’s exceptional narration. He conveys feeling, emotion, and empathy with perfection. His narration of Charlie and Taylor’s sexual adventures is nothing short of erotic.
Ultimately Transparency is a sweet short story exploring the extreme bias trans persons continue to fight.
Charlie and Taylor are brought to life through John Solo’s exceptional narration. He conveys feeling, emotion, and empathy with perfection. His narration of Charlie and Taylor’s sexual adventures is nothing short of erotic.
Ultimately Transparency is a sweet short story exploring the extreme bias trans persons continue to fight.
February 25, 2020
Audio review:
Story: 5
Performance: 5
A great short story and I love John Solo's performance.
I haven't read a lot of books with trans characters. Honestly, I bought this audiobook because of the price and because it was John Solo. I ended up loving it both for the story and for John's performance.
Due to the nature of short stories there's not a lot of time for character development but we got great information about Taylor and what it's like to be trans. Charlie is such a gentle and understanding character and he's totally accepting of Taylor even though he needs to asks questions to better understand Taylor's situation. I love how he defended Taylor to all of his a-hole "friends."
Story: 5
Performance: 5
A great short story and I love John Solo's performance.
I haven't read a lot of books with trans characters. Honestly, I bought this audiobook because of the price and because it was John Solo. I ended up loving it both for the story and for John's performance.
Due to the nature of short stories there's not a lot of time for character development but we got great information about Taylor and what it's like to be trans. Charlie is such a gentle and understanding character and he's totally accepting of Taylor even though he needs to asks questions to better understand Taylor's situation. I love how he defended Taylor to all of his a-hole "friends."
April 26, 2020
As a gay trans guy ( ftm) I felt really frustrated with Transparency.
Transparency had a lot of flaws in my opinion, but what drove me to write such a bad review is that I think this is an actively negative portrayal of a gay trans man. I thought that there were a few aspects of the story which are based in reality but exaggerated until the problems and community in the book have very little basis in reality. It’s true that trans people experience discrimination from friends, family, coworkers and potential lovers. It’s true that it can be hard to find a place in the gay community as a trans guy. It’s also true that the gay community can prize hyper masculine, “straight acting” men over more fem guys or twinks. Instead of addressing these issues as they actually play out this book made it seem like Charlie was a total freak for wanting to date Taylor, or like he was doing him a favor. I also felt like Charlie couldn’t reasonably have such bigoted friends without being at least insensitive. The book made Charlie seem like a hero for being attracted to Taylor, and treating him like someone he’d like to date. That isn’t weird behavior, plenty of gay men are attracted to trans guys, and trans men should expect to be treated like everyone else.
In my experience in gay spaces as a trans guy I’ve come across a lot of reactions. Guys who seemed interested have walked away because I’m trans, people have fetishized my body, guys have asked super invasive questions. Other trans guys have had it much worse than I have, but I don’t think that the problems that Taylor faced- a almost universal rejection from the gay community, as well as outright hostility from almost every other person in the book- is representative of the world we live in. Furthermore I think that this type of portrayal marginalizes trans people even more. If the stories that are told about trans people are all about how they’ve been hurt and how they don’t fit it, there is no room for readers to understand how similar we are to cisgender (non-trans) people.
Overall I felt like the story was really obviously written by people with no trans experience. I suggest people looking for a more accurate portrayal of gay trans guys look for trans authors who write romance. I can recommend Coffee Boy by Austin Chant Coffee Boy
Transparency had a lot of flaws in my opinion, but what drove me to write such a bad review is that I think this is an actively negative portrayal of a gay trans man. I thought that there were a few aspects of the story which are based in reality but exaggerated until the problems and community in the book have very little basis in reality. It’s true that trans people experience discrimination from friends, family, coworkers and potential lovers. It’s true that it can be hard to find a place in the gay community as a trans guy. It’s also true that the gay community can prize hyper masculine, “straight acting” men over more fem guys or twinks. Instead of addressing these issues as they actually play out this book made it seem like Charlie was a total freak for wanting to date Taylor, or like he was doing him a favor. I also felt like Charlie couldn’t reasonably have such bigoted friends without being at least insensitive. The book made Charlie seem like a hero for being attracted to Taylor, and treating him like someone he’d like to date. That isn’t weird behavior, plenty of gay men are attracted to trans guys, and trans men should expect to be treated like everyone else.
In my experience in gay spaces as a trans guy I’ve come across a lot of reactions. Guys who seemed interested have walked away because I’m trans, people have fetishized my body, guys have asked super invasive questions. Other trans guys have had it much worse than I have, but I don’t think that the problems that Taylor faced- a almost universal rejection from the gay community, as well as outright hostility from almost every other person in the book- is representative of the world we live in. Furthermore I think that this type of portrayal marginalizes trans people even more. If the stories that are told about trans people are all about how they’ve been hurt and how they don’t fit it, there is no room for readers to understand how similar we are to cisgender (non-trans) people.
Overall I felt like the story was really obviously written by people with no trans experience. I suggest people looking for a more accurate portrayal of gay trans guys look for trans authors who write romance. I can recommend Coffee Boy by Austin Chant Coffee Boy
December 13, 2013
Reviewed for the Blog of Sid Love
When I read the blurb of this story I was intrigued by the premise. I don’t know a lot about the transgender community but I’m always looking to learn something new.
Charlie is a sweetheart and pushed a lot of buttons for me. A big burly man who doesn’t mind admitting to his need to be dominated by someone smaller in bed? I loved it. He’s caring, understanding and opened minded, which is more than I can say for his friends. He definitely needs better friends.
Charlie is smitten by Taylor from the first moment he spots him and I love how he pursues him gently but determinedly.
Taylor is a boy with a secret that is making his life miserable. He’s accepted certain aspects of himself but the world at large isn’t as welcoming. He’s alone in his little world but dreams of a better life.
This story is sweet and well written but it’s too short. Way too short. It needed to be fleshed out a lot more and if it had been it would have been a fantastic story that would also have been a life lesson for those of us who are looking to find out more about the trans aspect of the glbtq community.
As it stands though, everything just happens far too fast and the reader just doesn’t have enough time to make a real connection with the characters. I wanted to care more about Taylor and Charlie, and I was definitely rooting for them, but the whole thing just left me wanting more…and not in the usual “I loved this story and never wanted it to end” kind of way
I’m giving it 3 stars because the writing the authors did was well done, but if they would have taken a little more time, this could have been a 5 star story.
When I read the blurb of this story I was intrigued by the premise. I don’t know a lot about the transgender community but I’m always looking to learn something new.
Charlie is a sweetheart and pushed a lot of buttons for me. A big burly man who doesn’t mind admitting to his need to be dominated by someone smaller in bed? I loved it. He’s caring, understanding and opened minded, which is more than I can say for his friends. He definitely needs better friends.
Charlie is smitten by Taylor from the first moment he spots him and I love how he pursues him gently but determinedly.
Taylor is a boy with a secret that is making his life miserable. He’s accepted certain aspects of himself but the world at large isn’t as welcoming. He’s alone in his little world but dreams of a better life.
This story is sweet and well written but it’s too short. Way too short. It needed to be fleshed out a lot more and if it had been it would have been a fantastic story that would also have been a life lesson for those of us who are looking to find out more about the trans aspect of the glbtq community.
As it stands though, everything just happens far too fast and the reader just doesn’t have enough time to make a real connection with the characters. I wanted to care more about Taylor and Charlie, and I was definitely rooting for them, but the whole thing just left me wanting more…and not in the usual “I loved this story and never wanted it to end” kind of way
I’m giving it 3 stars because the writing the authors did was well done, but if they would have taken a little more time, this could have been a 5 star story.
May 22, 2015
Taylor meets Charlie at a glory hole and is afraid to make further contact because he’s been burned in the past by guys who can’t see past his past. Charlie is Taylor’s dream guy, big, hairy, tough… and unlikely to want someone like Taylor. Transgender.
But… Taylor doesn’t know Charlie and when Charlie convinces him to give their relationship a chance, Charlie surprises Taylor with the depth of his heart and his willingness to see past the body to the person underneath.
**
This is a short story and it maybe would have been better had it been longer. Since it moved so quickly from meet to love to forever it was a bit hard to swallow. I just didn’t fully appreciate that Charlie’s friends would vilify Charlie’s taste in men and Taylor so violently and I would think the whole transgender thing would need more discussion and would have really made for a lovely educational story about the challenges faced by such a romance.
The narrator, John Solo, did a great job and I enjoyed listening to this more than I would have reading it, I am sure.
Overall 3 of 5 stars for the audiobook.
But… Taylor doesn’t know Charlie and when Charlie convinces him to give their relationship a chance, Charlie surprises Taylor with the depth of his heart and his willingness to see past the body to the person underneath.
**
This is a short story and it maybe would have been better had it been longer. Since it moved so quickly from meet to love to forever it was a bit hard to swallow. I just didn’t fully appreciate that Charlie’s friends would vilify Charlie’s taste in men and Taylor so violently and I would think the whole transgender thing would need more discussion and would have really made for a lovely educational story about the challenges faced by such a romance.
The narrator, John Solo, did a great job and I enjoyed listening to this more than I would have reading it, I am sure.
Overall 3 of 5 stars for the audiobook.
January 15, 2014
I wanted to like this book. I started out liking it too. It was fascinating to see the world through Taylor's eyes and get a glimpse into his daily struggles. I wish those had been expanded on a little bit more, but it's only 50-some pages long so I was accepting of that.
I started to have inklings that I was going to be disappointed when Charlie was playing poker with his buddies. The conversation they were having wasn't flowing well and it was obviously setting the stage for the rest of the book. I was still into it but getting worried at that point.
Then there was the big reveal. That's where it started to lose me. I was not buying Charlie's reaction. It was too quick. What completely lost me was the sex scene. I try not to let my own experiences cloud my judgement, but I couldn't help myself on this one. I've BTDT on many occasions and all I'm going to say is that I found the experience from Taylor's POV to be completely unbelievable.
I started to have inklings that I was going to be disappointed when Charlie was playing poker with his buddies. The conversation they were having wasn't flowing well and it was obviously setting the stage for the rest of the book. I was still into it but getting worried at that point.
Then there was the big reveal. That's where it started to lose me. I was not buying Charlie's reaction. It was too quick. What completely lost me was the sex scene. I try not to let my own experiences cloud my judgement, but I couldn't help myself on this one. I've BTDT on many occasions and all I'm going to say is that I found the experience from Taylor's POV to be completely unbelievable.
January 4, 2014
This was ok for me, and I liked the idea of this, but I think the overall story fell flat for me. I personally wasn't a fan of how Charlie and Taylor "meet" for the first time, and Charlie's friends were awful. I think this had potential but the shortness and writing seemed to only skim the surface instead of really showing us what could have been a great story with a transgender character.
April 16, 2020
I was excited to read this short story but was disappointed. The writing wasn’t well done, although I enjoyed the plot and romance. The dialogue felt stiff and unnatural. The characters didn’t feel like real people but imitations of real people. Maybe the flatness of the characters was because it was a short story and the authors couldn’t do a lot of character development. I would love to see this story expanded into a novella or novel with better writing and more depth. As it stands right now, I’m going to give three stars for a good effort and a nice romance.
September 17, 2020
audio review
This is a wonderful short story about Taylor and Charlie. Taylor and Charlie are so sweet together. I love how Charlie sees Taylor as a whole peron and not just parts. And after all the bullying Taylor endured in front of Charlie, Charlie still defended Taylor and wanted a relationship with him. There is so much more to a person if one just takes the time to get to know someone and not worry about what's between their legs but rather what's in their heart and mind.
Narrator John Solo does an amazing job.
This is a wonderful short story about Taylor and Charlie. Taylor and Charlie are so sweet together. I love how Charlie sees Taylor as a whole peron and not just parts. And after all the bullying Taylor endured in front of Charlie, Charlie still defended Taylor and wanted a relationship with him. There is so much more to a person if one just takes the time to get to know someone and not worry about what's between their legs but rather what's in their heart and mind.
Narrator John Solo does an amazing job.
August 23, 2020
Short, sweet and to the point....
This story tell of a Transgender who found it hard to be accepted for who he is and not how he was born. After meeting Charlie, he was able to open up and accept that not everyone is the same.
People have their own perspective of how others should live their life in accordance to how/who they were born instead of looking at themselves ...Charlie's friend is an example....
Live your life according to you not others..
This story tell of a Transgender who found it hard to be accepted for who he is and not how he was born. After meeting Charlie, he was able to open up and accept that not everyone is the same.
People have their own perspective of how others should live their life in accordance to how/who they were born instead of looking at themselves ...Charlie's friend is an example....
Live your life according to you not others..
July 15, 2020
I wanted to like this story, but unfortunately, I did not. It was badly written, with bad grammar, missing words and sentences that did not make sense. I never got to know either Taylor or Charlie, did not feel their connection, and all I felt at the end of the book, was disappointment.
March 26, 2023
A delicate subject, that interests me in reading more. To find the perfect partner is every trans dream, here Taylor does just that but it's a very very rocky road, unfortunately. A lovely but shortish read written gently for this topic.
December 4, 2025
This book really was not what I was expecting a story about a transgender female and a gay man. I am used to hearing about a female changing to a male and falling in love with another guy. I was really not expecting the happy ending and the way storyline unfolded.
January 10, 2020
It was a nice short story.
If only people were more accepting in real life, the world would be a lot better.
If only people were more accepting in real life, the world would be a lot better.
April 14, 2020
A wonderful story that doesn't make trans people a fetish and discusses the damage the idea of gold star gays has. Highly recommend.
November 21, 2020
A short love story of a gay and a transgender woman? Hehehe a bit funny.
July 27, 2025
IDK. I liked how he stood up for him against his friend and their relationship for cute.
November 18, 2013
Charlie est un ours par excellence. Grand, musclé et poilu. Mais ce n'est pas le type d'homme vers qui il est attiré. Il est attiré par les hommes comme Taylor - petit, imberbe et sexy. Taylor correspond à l'idée de Charlie du minet parfait. Mais il y a quelque chose à propos de Taylor que Charlie ne sait pas. Taylor est incertain à propos de beaucoup de choses, mais quand il voit Charlie, il sait immédiatement qu'il veut de lui. La seule question qu'il doit résoudre est de savoir comment Taylor considère sa propre masculinité. Il a peur que Charlie ne veuille le quitter une fois qu'il connaîtra le secret que Taylor veut garder caché. Peut-il être transparent avec Charlie et lui permettre de regarder derrière l'image qu'il a si soigneusement construit ?
J'avoue avoir décidé de lire ce livre uniquement parce qu'il était écrit par l'un de mes auteurs favoris. Je n'en connaissais pas l'histoire ni le sujet. Je n'avais donc aucun à priori.
La surprise cependant fut de taille et ne correspondait pas du tout à ce que j'attendais. J'ai voulu stopper ma lecture, je le reconnais. Mais je me targue d'être tolérante et de ne vouloir avoir aucune idée préconçue ni aucune forme d'intolérance, quelle qu'elle soit. J'ai donc poursuivi ma lecture.
Bien m'en a pris. Ce sujet hors du commun est traité avec douceur, bien que quelques passages m'aient fait grincer des dents. Je dois reconnaître que malgré tout je suis sceptique. Mais chacun trouve son bonheur là où il le prend et plus que tout, je ne suis pas là pour juger les gens. La preuve en est que je vais chaudement recommander ce livre à une personne de ma connaissance qui vit l'expérience de Taylor.
En conclusion, sujet déroutant, un peu hors norme, mais très bien écrit et m'a permis de réfléchir sur ma position face à cette situation.
J'avoue avoir décidé de lire ce livre uniquement parce qu'il était écrit par l'un de mes auteurs favoris. Je n'en connaissais pas l'histoire ni le sujet. Je n'avais donc aucun à priori.
La surprise cependant fut de taille et ne correspondait pas du tout à ce que j'attendais. J'ai voulu stopper ma lecture, je le reconnais. Mais je me targue d'être tolérante et de ne vouloir avoir aucune idée préconçue ni aucune forme d'intolérance, quelle qu'elle soit. J'ai donc poursuivi ma lecture.
Bien m'en a pris. Ce sujet hors du commun est traité avec douceur, bien que quelques passages m'aient fait grincer des dents. Je dois reconnaître que malgré tout je suis sceptique. Mais chacun trouve son bonheur là où il le prend et plus que tout, je ne suis pas là pour juger les gens. La preuve en est que je vais chaudement recommander ce livre à une personne de ma connaissance qui vit l'expérience de Taylor.
En conclusion, sujet déroutant, un peu hors norme, mais très bien écrit et m'a permis de réfléchir sur ma position face à cette situation.
May 8, 2015
“Transparency” is the story of an older, larger, bearish gay man, Charlie, who becomes infatuated with a younger, smaller, twinkish man, Taylor. Charlie is very upfront and knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to Taylor that he wants him. Taylor, on the other hand, is very shy and worries about how Charlie may react when he discovers the truth about Taylor.
The story is very well done and I enjoyed these two characters and their differing personalities that allowed them to come together. It also touched on the subject of transgender, something I hadn’t read before and it was something I appreciated gaining knowledge about. It provided a lot of insight and I thought it was very touching that Charlie accepts and loves Taylor no matter what.
My concern with the story was that it was far too short. Both Charlie and Taylor needed some back story, especially with Taylor going through the transition of becoming a man and being teased and bullied over it. Charlie needed more back story involving Anderson, his bigoted friend who refused to accept Charlie and Taylor’s love. I realize that we needed to be introduced to a villainous character, but I think the poker scene seemed unnecessary and it would’ve been better if we were shown Charlie and Anderson’s past relationship.
There also needed to be more of a reaction from Charlie when he finally learned the truth about Taylor. He accepted it, maybe a little too quickly. A story like this that touches on so many important issues definitely needed to be fleshed out more. It felt very rushed.
That being said, the story is very well-written and you understand the pain and fear that Taylor feels as the relationship with Charlie develops. I just wish the authors had developed this story a lot more.
The story is very well done and I enjoyed these two characters and their differing personalities that allowed them to come together. It also touched on the subject of transgender, something I hadn’t read before and it was something I appreciated gaining knowledge about. It provided a lot of insight and I thought it was very touching that Charlie accepts and loves Taylor no matter what.
My concern with the story was that it was far too short. Both Charlie and Taylor needed some back story, especially with Taylor going through the transition of becoming a man and being teased and bullied over it. Charlie needed more back story involving Anderson, his bigoted friend who refused to accept Charlie and Taylor’s love. I realize that we needed to be introduced to a villainous character, but I think the poker scene seemed unnecessary and it would’ve been better if we were shown Charlie and Anderson’s past relationship.
There also needed to be more of a reaction from Charlie when he finally learned the truth about Taylor. He accepted it, maybe a little too quickly. A story like this that touches on so many important issues definitely needed to be fleshed out more. It felt very rushed.
That being said, the story is very well-written and you understand the pain and fear that Taylor feels as the relationship with Charlie develops. I just wish the authors had developed this story a lot more.
January 8, 2014
This review was originally written for Joyfully Jay Reviews.
4.5 stars
I must admit I hesitated over the writing of this review. There were many reasons for that, but the main one was that I respect these two authors Ethan Stone and Sara York immensely and never in a million years expected their partnering to create such a lovely story. However, along that same vein I was also hopeful that the short story they put together would end a bit more strongly than it did—with as much energy and tension as the first three-fourths of the story had displayed. So before I get into that, let me unpack this delightfully sexy and compelling story, Transparency by Ethan Stone and Sara York.
Read Sammy's review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
I must admit I hesitated over the writing of this review. There were many reasons for that, but the main one was that I respect these two authors Ethan Stone and Sara York immensely and never in a million years expected their partnering to create such a lovely story. However, along that same vein I was also hopeful that the short story they put together would end a bit more strongly than it did—with as much energy and tension as the first three-fourths of the story had displayed. So before I get into that, let me unpack this delightfully sexy and compelling story, Transparency by Ethan Stone and Sara York.
Read Sammy's review in its entirety here.
December 30, 2013
This is the story of Taylor a transman. All he wants is for the world to see him how he views himself...which is male. After a couple of run ins with a bearish Charlie they arrange to go on a date.
At the end of the date of course sex comes into the equation causing Taylor a massive amount of distress.
I loved that Charlie was so calm about Taylors sexuality when he found out. It doesn't take much thought to see how wrong their relationship could go and to understand Taylors torment. We can live in hope that Charlies reaction becomes the norm in such circumstances and that the Trans community can feel more safe and secure in looking for relationships.
At the end of the date of course sex comes into the equation causing Taylor a massive amount of distress.
I loved that Charlie was so calm about Taylors sexuality when he found out. It doesn't take much thought to see how wrong their relationship could go and to understand Taylors torment. We can live in hope that Charlies reaction becomes the norm in such circumstances and that the Trans community can feel more safe and secure in looking for relationships.
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