Real Talk

Dark Little Town #1

by Sam LaRose

Zoe greeted him. Although "greeted" probably isn't the correct word for it. She took a stance in the doorway of the living room, her arms crossed over her chest as she surveyed him quietly. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jeans, and stared back at her, haughty without any real threat.

"So," she broke the silence. "Your parents finally had enough and kicked you out, huh?"

"They didn't kick me out," Dylan retorted. "I'm welcome back when I'm clean."

Dylan Montgomery's parents have reached their final straw. Banishment to Tynan, NJ seems like the pits, but is just what the troubled teen needs. It's there that he meets Tyler Norse; lead singer and guitarist for Dark Little Town. As the summer begins to fade, the future looks dim on the relationship from Dylan's perspective, but as far as Tyler's concerned: it's just getting started.

The first in a series. Approx. 79,000 words.

Genres: Fiction, M M Romance, LGBT

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2020

About the author

Sam LaRose the non de plume of a nonbinary person living in rural Wisconsin. They currently work as a library director.

They live on a defunct Dairy Farm with 7 cats, a dog, and bunny,

Reviews

[Sam]

It's probably weird for an author to review their own book --so I won't go in depth, but I will be honest. Of the three books that make this original trilogy, Real Talk isn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong: writing this couple was fun and they've been living in my head since 2004.

So, why should you read it?

Mostly because all three of these books blend together. It's good to know about Tyler and Dylan's relationship to read about Heath and Jack's in Pants Optional, and then to learn about Jordan in Something More.

I love all three men of Dark Little Town. Tyler is the steady but damaged one, Heath is everything I could ever want in a partner (and more), and Jordan resonates as someone who is continually learning about themself.

While I'm not at all offended if you decide to not read the rest of the series after this one, I hope you'll reconsider. Real Talk is a first novel of a series of an author finding their footing. It was a learning experience. I hope you'll give the other books a chance, because Pants Optional introduces characters I *adore*, and Something More is possibly one of the best pieces I have written (so far).

Either way, thanks for checking out my book!

[Hollis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, and a good start to the series. A rocky relationship starts between two young men, and develops with several crash-and-burn moments. A first look at different types of relationships that exist--rocky lovescapes, intense monogamy, and honestly open. Read Pants Options and Something More for the entire gamut of loving relationships available.

Full disclosure: the author sent me an early copy. I was surprised by the content at first, but then I can be surprised by sun rising in the east. . . I think it is a nice job on an early novel.

[Rumbie]

Good

I chose to give it 4 stars because near the end , I was getting a bit pissed off. I guess it makes it a great book because of the twist but it was giving me a headache, otherwise great book. I usually don't read teen novels but this was worth the headache!

[Sharlene Hakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, amusing read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall storyline was good but Tyler’s characters seemed like it needed more development. There was some progress then it became stagnant, I felt. I hope this was an ARC because the was some incorrect words issued throughout the book. Also I think there were a couple of times when the wrong character name was used. Most noticeable was when Jack was picked up in the later part of the story and the name used was Heath’s then reverted back to Jack. Overall I liked it but needs reviewing by editors.

[Lauren Regenhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a total sucker for queer fiction, and I truly enjoyed this series opener! The main character isn't always likable, though I'm fairly certain that's intentional! He exhibits some growth throughout the novel which is demonstrated even more in the second novel. Dylan's cousins were adorable and I wish there was a bit more of them in the book. I love the portrayal of the open communication in the Real Talks, especially since we don't see that a lot with guys. Overall, I strong start to a unique series!