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Character Bleed #1
Seaworthy
An epic motion picture! A gay Napoleonic War love story! Ballrooms and battles at sea! Romantic happy endings on the silver screen! And a film that’ll change everything for its stars ...
Jason Mirelli can’t play adrenaline-fueled action heroes forever. He’s getting older, plus the action star parts have grown a little thinner since he came out as bisexual. This role could finally let him be seen as a serious dramatic actor, and he needs it to go well -- for his career, and because he’s fallen in love with the story and the chance to tell it.
The first problem? He’ll be playing a ship’s captain ... and he hasn’t exactly mentioned his fear of water. The second problem? His co-star: award-winning, overly talkative, annoyingly adorable -- and openly gay – box office idol Colby Kent.
Colby’s always loved the novel this film’s based on, and he leapt at the chance to adapt it, now that he has the money and reputation to make it happen. But scars and secrets from his past make filming a love story difficult ... until Jason takes his hand and wakes up all his buried desires. Jason could be everything Colby’s ever wanted: generous and kind, a fantastic partner on set, not to mention those heroic muscles. But Colby just can’t take that chance ... or can he?
As their characters fall in love and fight a war, Colby and Jason find themselves falling, too ... and facing the return of their own past demons. But together they just might win ... and write their own love story.
Jason Mirelli can’t play adrenaline-fueled action heroes forever. He’s getting older, plus the action star parts have grown a little thinner since he came out as bisexual. This role could finally let him be seen as a serious dramatic actor, and he needs it to go well -- for his career, and because he’s fallen in love with the story and the chance to tell it.
The first problem? He’ll be playing a ship’s captain ... and he hasn’t exactly mentioned his fear of water. The second problem? His co-star: award-winning, overly talkative, annoyingly adorable -- and openly gay – box office idol Colby Kent.
Colby’s always loved the novel this film’s based on, and he leapt at the chance to adapt it, now that he has the money and reputation to make it happen. But scars and secrets from his past make filming a love story difficult ... until Jason takes his hand and wakes up all his buried desires. Jason could be everything Colby’s ever wanted: generous and kind, a fantastic partner on set, not to mention those heroic muscles. But Colby just can’t take that chance ... or can he?
As their characters fall in love and fight a war, Colby and Jason find themselves falling, too ... and facing the return of their own past demons. But together they just might win ... and write their own love story.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2020
22 people are currently reading
497 people want to read
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January 3, 2022Extremely slow burn romance of two actors working on a Napoleonic War gay romance film. There's a major backstory element involving domestic/ sexual abuse of one character, but the actual love story here is entirely sweet, kind and caring.
One of those books where the action mostly takes place in the MC's heads -they exchange one sentence and then think about it for two paragraphs, kind of thing. This brings across the development of character and growing tentative relationship very well, and if you want a super-leisurely wallow in two lonely people carefully learning each other, this will be perfect.
One of those books where the action mostly takes place in the MC's heads -they exchange one sentence and then think about it for two paragraphs, kind of thing. This brings across the development of character and growing tentative relationship very well, and if you want a super-leisurely wallow in two lonely people carefully learning each other, this will be perfect.
October 28, 2022
EDIT: I dropped the rating down to 4 stars because my frustration with the sequel illuminated some of the problems I had with Seaworthy, too. That being said, I still stand by what I wrote in my original review and would rec this novel if it sounds like your jam!
Look... I read a lot of romance. And most of it is very good, because I've been at this long enough to be able to sus out what actually works for me.
But Seaworthy worked for me to such an extent that I'm left kinda shook?? Like, did this author sneak into my AO3 bookmarks and reverse-engineer this novel based on all my favourite tropes and vibes? Conversely, some tropes and vibes that I can usually take-or-leave were so radiant and wonderful that I ate them up like my grandma's chicken noodle soup?!
I don't know what sorcery went into Seaworthy but I'll say that I haven't felt this personally attacked since A Seditious Affair (yes, I compared a book favourably to The Best Romance Ever. No, I didn't see this coming either.). Granted, ASA is still definitely superior, bcs KJC is a freakin internal-conflict-v.s.-external-plot-balance wizard and Silas Mason is literally the best man, plus Seaworthy has some legit pacing issues at times, but my point still stands. This book is pretty fucking amazing.
I mean the set-up alone - two actors filming a gay romance epic who fall in love along the way? It's the best sort of forced proximity, baby!! Both actors come into the shoot with different expectations and hangups, both are very professional, competent, and deeply committed to their roles. The setting is a bustling film set, full of friendly ribbing and camaraderie. The vibes are just very good! And the writing, ahh!! I haven't highlighted any quotes bcs I was too busy melting into a pile of feels, but K.L. Noone has such a beautiful writing style!
But, beneath the excellent premise and the wonderful writing, I think what does it for me is the gentleness. This book is so incredibly soft. It's the kind of story where the characters spend a lot of time thinking about each other, and subtly reading body language, and trying their best to anticipate each other's needs. And yes, as I mentioned, it does get in the way of proper pacing a bit, especially midway through the book. But I think that as a person who reads a lot of fanfic, I'm sort of primed to be into these lengthy character explorations and soft unwindings. If Seaworthy takes its sweet time getting the characters together, it's because the characters genuinely do need the time to feel their feels and freak out a bit.
Without going too much into spoilers (but providing the CW bcs folks might need it), I'll say that Colby, one of the MCs, was (prior to the beginning of the novel) in an abusive relationship, which severely impacted his level of comfort with people touching him, and has contributed to some fucked-up ideas about himself, specifically where sex is concerned. Seaworthy, to my mind, takes real care with this entire situation, and a huge part of it comes down to Jason's super gentle and considerate respect of Colby's boundaries.
Jason is just,,,so incredibly into Colby feeling happy and protected. It's this man's entire life's mission. AND YOU BELIEVE IT. Even though they met like a week ago, there are no cringey insta-love vibes. Instead, Jason is fully giving us courtly love realness. These dudes do not even TOUCH!! For what feels like a glorious ETERNITY!!! Instead, there is a scene where Jason helps a slightly drunk Colby take off his boots. He kneels and takes off Colby's boots (with permission, ofc! nobody in this book so much as farts without enthusiastic verbal consent) and the inside of his head is like, "this is the greatest moment of my life. I was able to lend some small assistence to the radiant untouchable sun that is this perfect man. If only I was allowed to spend the rest of my life gently taking of my beloved's boots."
*unhinged pterodactyl noises*
You get the sense quite early on that Jason and Colby's dynamic might have some D/s undertones (Jason loves taking care of Colby, Colby loves being told what to do), and you can't help but wonder how that will work out for them. Sure, they feel drawn to each other and seem to be very compatible, but Colby has been really hurt in the past by assholes trying to pass as doms. Can they get to a place where they have a functioning sexual relationship without Colby being triggered or withdrawing into old, people-pleasing patterns? The payoff for this emotionally complex set-up is SO tender and satisfying (😭 gentle domming, man 😭 always does me in), and the novel ends during the filming of the movie, with the shoot (and the relationship development) extending into the sequels (which I am now DYING to read!!). I can't wait to see how their relationship continues to unfold, and I fully expect to be reduced to a giant mess of emotions again.
Tldr: Seaworthy is incredibly feels-and-pterodactyl-screeching-inducing, would rec the hell out of it if it sounds like your cuppa.
P.S.: Jason's sister being a fangirl who is currently in law school and wants to specialize in copyright law... beyond iconic. K.L. Noon knows her shit (*one of us!! one of us!!*)
Look... I read a lot of romance. And most of it is very good, because I've been at this long enough to be able to sus out what actually works for me.
But Seaworthy worked for me to such an extent that I'm left kinda shook?? Like, did this author sneak into my AO3 bookmarks and reverse-engineer this novel based on all my favourite tropes and vibes? Conversely, some tropes and vibes that I can usually take-or-leave were so radiant and wonderful that I ate them up like my grandma's chicken noodle soup?!
I don't know what sorcery went into Seaworthy but I'll say that I haven't felt this personally attacked since A Seditious Affair (yes, I compared a book favourably to The Best Romance Ever. No, I didn't see this coming either.). Granted, ASA is still definitely superior, bcs KJC is a freakin internal-conflict-v.s.-external-plot-balance wizard and Silas Mason is literally the best man, plus Seaworthy has some legit pacing issues at times, but my point still stands. This book is pretty fucking amazing.
I mean the set-up alone - two actors filming a gay romance epic who fall in love along the way? It's the best sort of forced proximity, baby!! Both actors come into the shoot with different expectations and hangups, both are very professional, competent, and deeply committed to their roles. The setting is a bustling film set, full of friendly ribbing and camaraderie. The vibes are just very good! And the writing, ahh!! I haven't highlighted any quotes bcs I was too busy melting into a pile of feels, but K.L. Noone has such a beautiful writing style!
But, beneath the excellent premise and the wonderful writing, I think what does it for me is the gentleness. This book is so incredibly soft. It's the kind of story where the characters spend a lot of time thinking about each other, and subtly reading body language, and trying their best to anticipate each other's needs. And yes, as I mentioned, it does get in the way of proper pacing a bit, especially midway through the book. But I think that as a person who reads a lot of fanfic, I'm sort of primed to be into these lengthy character explorations and soft unwindings. If Seaworthy takes its sweet time getting the characters together, it's because the characters genuinely do need the time to feel their feels and freak out a bit.
Without going too much into spoilers (but providing the CW bcs folks might need it), I'll say that Colby, one of the MCs, was (prior to the beginning of the novel) in an abusive relationship, which severely impacted his level of comfort with people touching him, and has contributed to some fucked-up ideas about himself, specifically where sex is concerned. Seaworthy, to my mind, takes real care with this entire situation, and a huge part of it comes down to Jason's super gentle and considerate respect of Colby's boundaries.
Jason is just,,,so incredibly into Colby feeling happy and protected. It's this man's entire life's mission. AND YOU BELIEVE IT. Even though they met like a week ago, there are no cringey insta-love vibes. Instead, Jason is fully giving us courtly love realness. These dudes do not even TOUCH!! For what feels like a glorious ETERNITY!!! Instead, there is a scene where Jason helps a slightly drunk Colby take off his boots. He kneels and takes off Colby's boots (with permission, ofc! nobody in this book so much as farts without enthusiastic verbal consent) and the inside of his head is like, "this is the greatest moment of my life. I was able to lend some small assistence to the radiant untouchable sun that is this perfect man. If only I was allowed to spend the rest of my life gently taking of my beloved's boots."
*unhinged pterodactyl noises*
You get the sense quite early on that Jason and Colby's dynamic might have some D/s undertones (Jason loves taking care of Colby, Colby loves being told what to do), and you can't help but wonder how that will work out for them. Sure, they feel drawn to each other and seem to be very compatible, but Colby has been really hurt in the past by assholes trying to pass as doms. Can they get to a place where they have a functioning sexual relationship without Colby being triggered or withdrawing into old, people-pleasing patterns? The payoff for this emotionally complex set-up is SO tender and satisfying (😭 gentle domming, man 😭 always does me in), and the novel ends during the filming of the movie, with the shoot (and the relationship development) extending into the sequels (which I am now DYING to read!!). I can't wait to see how their relationship continues to unfold, and I fully expect to be reduced to a giant mess of emotions again.
Tldr: Seaworthy is incredibly feels-and-pterodactyl-screeching-inducing, would rec the hell out of it if it sounds like your cuppa.
P.S.: Jason's sister being a fangirl who is currently in law school and wants to specialize in copyright law... beyond iconic. K.L. Noon knows her shit (*one of us!! one of us!!*)
November 20, 2020
MEMBER OF THE PARANORMAL ROMANCE GUILD REVIEW TEAM
I’ve already pre-ordered Stalwart, the sequel to this. Partly, I did it out of frustration, since this long book did not in fact end with the completion of its story (nor, strictly, did it end on a cliffhanger). I had to find out what happens next, because the characters of Colby Kent and Jason Merillo were, for me, irresistible.
Aargh. (And that’s not pirate-speak.)
The premise of this book is adorable and laughable, rather like its central romantic hero, Colby Kent. Imagine Hollywood, through the sheer force of personality of a youngish award-nominated director and her even younger A-list celebrity best friend, green-lighting an English historical romance about the love between a Regency-era ship’s captain and a consumptive titled polymath. (I’ll pause here if you have to google any words…)
Imagine also if Georgette Heyer had written one of her famed Regency-era historical novels featuring two men as the central romantic duo. The fictional film in this book is based on a fictional novel (that’s not redundant) published in 1949—a book that was a scandal at the time. It happens to be a novel that both Colby Kent and Jason Merillo have loved since they were young.
Imagine then, if you will, that this handsome, English-born movie star—who is openly gay, and beloved by all—chooses as his co-star a big bruiser of a stunt man known best for his franchise of B-movie explosion films under the brand of John Kill.
I’m John Kill. That’s what I do.
The actual book by Ms. Noone starts with Jason Mirelli’s audition for the role of Captain Stephen Lanyon with Colby Kent playing William, Viscount Easterly. It is broad to the point of slapstick, fast-paced, sharply written, and surprisingly poignant. In a relatively short space of time, you also meet several of the key secondary characters, especially Jillian Poe, the director, who loves and protects Colby Kent. Colby Kent, for his part, seems too good to be true, which leads to all sorts of awkwardness.
But Jason sees something in Kent that convinces him that the actor is not a fake, and also that he’s profoundly damaged somehow, in a way he manages to hide from a worshipful general public. This, then, is the story of the filming of Seaworthy, and about Jason Mirelli getting to really know the nicest man in the world. As improbable as it sounds, it works—at least it worked for me.
The narrative is entirely from Jason and Colby’s points of view, with a great deal of internal dithering that brings to mind TJ Klune’s obsessive, repetitive prose style. If you can deal with it, it is a very intense, emotionally exhausting, but ultimately fulfilling kind of writing.
The context for the plot—the various locations where the film is being shot—is nicely constructed, once more in that reiterative style, like repeat camera shots, so that you begin to see the fake deck of the Stalwart, the real Georgian townhouse in London, even the hotel lounge in Los Angeles where the crew hangs out after a day’s filming. The repetitive visuals are important because they drag the reader into Colby and Jason’s minds’ eye. The series title “Character Bleed” refers to the phenomenon of an actor’s actual feelings bleeding into his performance of a role, or vice-versa. That is at the crux of Ms. Noone’s writing.
I frequently fantasize about a favorite gay romance being made into a movie, knowing that it will never happen; not in the Hollywood I know. Seaworthy is just that sort of fantasy, and I am hungry to see how it plays out.
I’ve already pre-ordered Stalwart, the sequel to this. Partly, I did it out of frustration, since this long book did not in fact end with the completion of its story (nor, strictly, did it end on a cliffhanger). I had to find out what happens next, because the characters of Colby Kent and Jason Merillo were, for me, irresistible.
Aargh. (And that’s not pirate-speak.)
The premise of this book is adorable and laughable, rather like its central romantic hero, Colby Kent. Imagine Hollywood, through the sheer force of personality of a youngish award-nominated director and her even younger A-list celebrity best friend, green-lighting an English historical romance about the love between a Regency-era ship’s captain and a consumptive titled polymath. (I’ll pause here if you have to google any words…)
Imagine also if Georgette Heyer had written one of her famed Regency-era historical novels featuring two men as the central romantic duo. The fictional film in this book is based on a fictional novel (that’s not redundant) published in 1949—a book that was a scandal at the time. It happens to be a novel that both Colby Kent and Jason Merillo have loved since they were young.
Imagine then, if you will, that this handsome, English-born movie star—who is openly gay, and beloved by all—chooses as his co-star a big bruiser of a stunt man known best for his franchise of B-movie explosion films under the brand of John Kill.
I’m John Kill. That’s what I do.
The actual book by Ms. Noone starts with Jason Mirelli’s audition for the role of Captain Stephen Lanyon with Colby Kent playing William, Viscount Easterly. It is broad to the point of slapstick, fast-paced, sharply written, and surprisingly poignant. In a relatively short space of time, you also meet several of the key secondary characters, especially Jillian Poe, the director, who loves and protects Colby Kent. Colby Kent, for his part, seems too good to be true, which leads to all sorts of awkwardness.
But Jason sees something in Kent that convinces him that the actor is not a fake, and also that he’s profoundly damaged somehow, in a way he manages to hide from a worshipful general public. This, then, is the story of the filming of Seaworthy, and about Jason Mirelli getting to really know the nicest man in the world. As improbable as it sounds, it works—at least it worked for me.
The narrative is entirely from Jason and Colby’s points of view, with a great deal of internal dithering that brings to mind TJ Klune’s obsessive, repetitive prose style. If you can deal with it, it is a very intense, emotionally exhausting, but ultimately fulfilling kind of writing.
The context for the plot—the various locations where the film is being shot—is nicely constructed, once more in that reiterative style, like repeat camera shots, so that you begin to see the fake deck of the Stalwart, the real Georgian townhouse in London, even the hotel lounge in Los Angeles where the crew hangs out after a day’s filming. The repetitive visuals are important because they drag the reader into Colby and Jason’s minds’ eye. The series title “Character Bleed” refers to the phenomenon of an actor’s actual feelings bleeding into his performance of a role, or vice-versa. That is at the crux of Ms. Noone’s writing.
I frequently fantasize about a favorite gay romance being made into a movie, knowing that it will never happen; not in the Hollywood I know. Seaworthy is just that sort of fantasy, and I am hungry to see how it plays out.
November 17, 2023
Accomplished story
of damaged actors faking
it till they make it.
of damaged actors faking
it till they make it.
September 23, 2022
It’s not just that this book is too wordy, and every minor interaction is deeply analyzed by both of the main characters until you forget what they’re even talking about, it’s also the short, choppy sentences that make individual paragraphs nearly impossible to parse, and renders dialogue into gibberish. The fact that this is a trilogy is insane to me, proper editing probably could condense all three volumes into a single, normal size book.
September 9, 2023
I enjoyed this one, though not quite as much as I was hoping. It's a veeeeeery slow burn, and it's quite an introspective novel, neither of which are issues for me, but I did find it a little overly long and drawn out. I like the characters and their connection, but Colby is really quite damaged and it was occasionally a bit exhausting to be in his head, particularly given the length and said introspection. The concept of the movie was interesting, though occasionally it did feel a little self-indulgent and fanfic-y, to the point of throwing me out of the story with the actual 'scenes' they were filming. There are also many times where the POV switches in the middle of a section without a scene break, which I really dislike--it wasn't awful, but definitely felt a bit messy.
Still, I did like the characters and concept, and I am definitely curious to read the next book in the series. This ends with a HFN, so it didn't feel unsatisfying, but it's clear their story isn't done yet.
Still, I did like the characters and concept, and I am definitely curious to read the next book in the series. This ends with a HFN, so it didn't feel unsatisfying, but it's clear their story isn't done yet.
May 14, 2022
1.5 star
Ah, well. In theory this book should have everything I like. I love Napoleonic times’ marine stories and the book is about people creating such a film, being also a gay love story. Not to mention that both main characters are full of past hurts and the whole book is a story about healing and finding comfort in each other. But. BUT. I thought I’d be unable to finish. The style was nightmarish for me, it was so wordy, so many completely unnecessary paragraphs. I mean, every piece of dialogue, every action was then described, explained and analyzed by a character’s train of thoughts in such a detail, as if the reader couldn’t put one and one together to make two. At times it was insufferable.
Also, I’m here for comfort (especially if there was hurt earlier, here all happened off page but the current state of the characters make psychological sense so okay), I find consent sexy and all that. But again, here it was taken to a level I found only annoying. The second time the characters meet they want nothing else but to comfort each other, to be good to each other, to make everything better for each other. They would die for one another, not because of love, but in order to make the other one comfortable somewhere 40% into the story. There is no tension, there is no development, because everything is there immediately. Finally, the both characters are so ideal it made me bored very quickly. I like my heroes flawed, I like them learning how to cope with their problems, changing. On the surface here the characters get better here but it wasn’t satisfactory. And I couldn’t stand how Colby acting so selfless it was making him a doormat for everyone was shown as something admirable. And honestly, what’s with one person forcing the other to eat? Is it supposed to be romantic or what? Jason is commenting on Colby’s eating habits from the very moment they met each other, when he didn’t know him and heard nothing about any eating problem of the latter.
I just didn’t feel it, really. The half of a star is because I believe the author put her heart into doing all the woke points in the book and also, yes, I felt guilty because I hated all the humour and things that were supposed to cute and I don’t know, I feel sorry I didn’t like it because this book is warm and is polite and kind, and I should appreciate but I can’t and I feel awful about it. Go figure.
Ah, well. In theory this book should have everything I like. I love Napoleonic times’ marine stories and the book is about people creating such a film, being also a gay love story. Not to mention that both main characters are full of past hurts and the whole book is a story about healing and finding comfort in each other. But. BUT. I thought I’d be unable to finish. The style was nightmarish for me, it was so wordy, so many completely unnecessary paragraphs. I mean, every piece of dialogue, every action was then described, explained and analyzed by a character’s train of thoughts in such a detail, as if the reader couldn’t put one and one together to make two. At times it was insufferable.
Also, I’m here for comfort (especially if there was hurt earlier, here all happened off page but the current state of the characters make psychological sense so okay), I find consent sexy and all that. But again, here it was taken to a level I found only annoying. The second time the characters meet they want nothing else but to comfort each other, to be good to each other, to make everything better for each other. They would die for one another, not because of love, but in order to make the other one comfortable somewhere 40% into the story. There is no tension, there is no development, because everything is there immediately. Finally, the both characters are so ideal it made me bored very quickly. I like my heroes flawed, I like them learning how to cope with their problems, changing. On the surface here the characters get better here but it wasn’t satisfactory. And I couldn’t stand how Colby acting so selfless it was making him a doormat for everyone was shown as something admirable. And honestly, what’s with one person forcing the other to eat? Is it supposed to be romantic or what? Jason is commenting on Colby’s eating habits from the very moment they met each other, when he didn’t know him and heard nothing about any eating problem of the latter.
I just didn’t feel it, really. The half of a star is because I believe the author put her heart into doing all the woke points in the book and also, yes, I felt guilty because I hated all the humour and things that were supposed to cute and I don’t know, I feel sorry I didn’t like it because this book is warm and is polite and kind, and I should appreciate but I can’t and I feel awful about it. Go figure.
September 9, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Seaworthy marks a new series by K. L. Noone and ends with a happy for now situation and the promise of more for its heroes, Jason and Colby. Having read other work by this author, I feel I can say with some decisiveness that this is the prettiest novel Noone has put out to date. The prose passages are gorgeously evocative and paint the picture of two men desperate to make sure they never push the other beyond what they can handle. It is a love story—a slow burn romance between two actors who are portraying lovers onscreen. As the film making progresses, so do the feelings between Colby and Jason. Jason initially thinks Colby is fake and, after having been overheard declaring it so, is positive the man also despises him. Colby is a very complex person, also desperate to be liked and to be helpful, to the point where he rarely acknowledges his own wants or needs. When these two finally find a way to work through all of Colby’s past pain and connect, it is a riveting and gorgeous moment that makes the latter third of this novel absolutely shine.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Seaworthy marks a new series by K. L. Noone and ends with a happy for now situation and the promise of more for its heroes, Jason and Colby. Having read other work by this author, I feel I can say with some decisiveness that this is the prettiest novel Noone has put out to date. The prose passages are gorgeously evocative and paint the picture of two men desperate to make sure they never push the other beyond what they can handle. It is a love story—a slow burn romance between two actors who are portraying lovers onscreen. As the film making progresses, so do the feelings between Colby and Jason. Jason initially thinks Colby is fake and, after having been overheard declaring it so, is positive the man also despises him. Colby is a very complex person, also desperate to be liked and to be helpful, to the point where he rarely acknowledges his own wants or needs. When these two finally find a way to work through all of Colby’s past pain and connect, it is a riveting and gorgeous moment that makes the latter third of this novel absolutely shine.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
August 16, 2023
Lovely gentle romance, lots of hurt/comfort, with massive emphasis on consent throughout. The slowest of slow burns. Love being played out in the choice of a bagel, helping the beloved take off his boots, and a million other important tiny details.
I have read a lot of K.L Noone's stories (all terrific): she has a very distinctive writing style that uses perfectly chosen flashes of colour and texture - "topaz lamplight", "diamond lightness under his feet", "his whole world bloomed into shocked ecstatic white gold". I'm a fan.
I have read a lot of K.L Noone's stories (all terrific): she has a very distinctive writing style that uses perfectly chosen flashes of colour and texture - "topaz lamplight", "diamond lightness under his feet", "his whole world bloomed into shocked ecstatic white gold". I'm a fan.
November 16, 2024
What I liked: This was a deeply romantic book between two men with different areas of trauma. I'm sensitive to angst, and I was glad the trauma didn't affect me badly. No flashbacks, just the effects left over. The relationship progressed very slowly, but I actually felt like that was appropriate. I also liked the fact that there were really 2 stories here: the historical drama that the actors were filming, and the one between the actors. I've actually read a similar romance between actors, and I liked this one much better. It felt real. While there was a bit of misunderstanding in the beginning, I liked how it was handled and I was never tempted to throw my kindle against the wall.
What I didn't like: this is also where I admit the slowly burning romance made me feel a little impatient, even if logically it was appropriate. Otherwise, not much! Noone is becoming one of my favorite romance authors.
Summary: a deeply engrossing slow burn! Not too high in angst, and I am eagerly willing to read more.
What I didn't like: this is also where I admit the slowly burning romance made me feel a little impatient, even if logically it was appropriate. Otherwise, not much! Noone is becoming one of my favorite romance authors.
Summary: a deeply engrossing slow burn! Not too high in angst, and I am eagerly willing to read more.
April 16, 2025
Two actors on set of an historical romance fall in love alongside their characters? Sign me up. This is the start of a trilogy but it really feels like it’s going to be one long book so it’s kind of hard to rate since it basically ended at kind of an odd spot but I do think I have potential to love this.
Jason is an almost-washed-up action hero and Colby is the out and proud Hollywood darling and they team up to film a groundbreaking Napoleonic War historical romance film. I love these two characters (Colby is SUCH a sweetheart) and was pleasantly surprised with a dual pov. You spend a LOT of time in the characters heads and it’s very slow paced but I think it works. You intimately get to know both the characters and the characters they’re playing in the movie as well. They both have quite a bit of baggage to sort through.
I also love the cast of side characters from the fellow costars to the director and other behind the scenes people. It does feel like a nice found family. Excited to keep going. :)
Jason is an almost-washed-up action hero and Colby is the out and proud Hollywood darling and they team up to film a groundbreaking Napoleonic War historical romance film. I love these two characters (Colby is SUCH a sweetheart) and was pleasantly surprised with a dual pov. You spend a LOT of time in the characters heads and it’s very slow paced but I think it works. You intimately get to know both the characters and the characters they’re playing in the movie as well. They both have quite a bit of baggage to sort through.
I also love the cast of side characters from the fellow costars to the director and other behind the scenes people. It does feel like a nice found family. Excited to keep going. :)
January 14, 2025
The most erotic book with the least amount of sex. This is basically two actors having one small interaction with each other, and then spending hours dissecting what was said, how it was said, what it meant. The prose is flowery in extreme but not distracting. I enjoyed this, so much. Slow-burn enjoyers will LOVE this. This was so soft.
March 24, 2021
DNF @55%.
I can’t take this writing style for another page. It’s just so cluttered: too wordy, too much in their heads. It’s all about their anxieties & insecurities repeated over and over and over.
This book is supposedly 358 pages, already on the long side. But it was taking about 6 page turns (sometimes 5) to move 1% so I think it’s actually longer than that. Pages and pages of dithering.
Look, I like emotionally wounded MCs and hurt/comfort stories, but if I had to hear Jason (and others) encouraging damaged waif Colby to eat one more time!
I checked the blurbs for books 2 & 3 when I decided to throw in the towel. They are STILL making this movie in those books! And according to some reviews, it’s apparently never made clear exactly what happened to Colby??! And the big secret he keeps from Jason & which makes Jason furious when he finds out is really dumb .
If you want an excellent book about 2 actors working together & falling in love, I suggest I Just Play One on TV by A.L. Turner.
I can’t take this writing style for another page. It’s just so cluttered: too wordy, too much in their heads. It’s all about their anxieties & insecurities repeated over and over and over.
This book is supposedly 358 pages, already on the long side. But it was taking about 6 page turns (sometimes 5) to move 1% so I think it’s actually longer than that. Pages and pages of dithering.
Look, I like emotionally wounded MCs and hurt/comfort stories, but if I had to hear Jason (and others) encouraging damaged waif Colby to eat one more time!
I checked the blurbs for books 2 & 3 when I decided to throw in the towel. They are STILL making this movie in those books! And according to some reviews, it’s apparently never made clear exactly what happened to Colby??! And the big secret he keeps from Jason & which makes Jason furious when he finds out is really dumb .
If you want an excellent book about 2 actors working together & falling in love, I suggest I Just Play One on TV by A.L. Turner.
March 10, 2025
Acting with your idol on a movie script that you adore shouldn't be stressful, but that's not the case for Jason. Jason has always had action hero roles and he's not sure he's up to a dramatic romance, particularly after his behavior just before an audition with his co-star. Colby knows that Jason is the right man to play the ship's captain in the film and that he is the type of man for him. Colby's just gotten out of a bad relationship and is reluctant to be touched, but the script has he and Jason in a love affair. A very lovely romance of care and building trust as these two characters come together on screen and off. I look forward to the next installment.
May 17, 2023
Spent 80% of the time thinking this is lovely and 20% thinking could we perhaps get just a little bit of a move on.
Like the MCs and setting enough to continue to book 2 but, unusually for me, need another book first (probably something with monsters or space pirates to clear the palate).
Like the MCs and setting enough to continue to book 2 but, unusually for me, need another book first (probably something with monsters or space pirates to clear the palate).
June 5, 2021
3.75 stars
Read
October 21, 2024Dnf - ok, if you’re 35 (which is still young for a man, even in Hollywood), and a movie star, your self esteem can’t be THAT bad, and you can’t be that cringy.
December 18, 2020
Colby ran a hand through his own hair and offered Jason an encouraging head-tip, and then did—
Something. No good word for it. Suddenly he was William Crawford, Viscount Easterly: brittle and breakable and lonely and longing, good with maps and ciphers, never having been allowed further than the family estate on his own. Even his shoulders carried that weight, thin and distressed. [loc. 189]
Jason Mirelli is an actor noted for his action-movie roles, notably the John Kill series: 'my name's John Kill. That's what I do.' He's had less work since he came out as bi, but now there's a project that's highly relevant to his interests: a movie of a 1940s novel about the homosexual relationship between a nineteenth-century naval captain and a consumptive, aristocratic cryptographer. (Why yes, the Aubrey/Maturin books are acknowledged as an influence in the Afterword.)
Unfortunately Jason's first encounter with the film's producer and star, openly-gay Colby Kent, does not go as well as might be expected. But they're both professionals, right? And that frisson between them in the audition, that was just the characters. Right?
Seaworthy is the first volume of the 'Character Bleed' series: 'character bleed' is a term used to describe the blurring of actor and character, and it is an apt description for the experiences of both Jason and Colby. Their characters are in love, and they are becoming increasingly drawn to one another. This is immensely convenient for the film, as both have complex anxieties rooted in real-life experiences: Jason is afraid of water, Colby is still recovering from an abusive relationship. As the fiction they're filming and the reality they're experiencing overlap (and perhaps converge), Jason draws strength not only from Colby but also from the fictional Captain Stephen Lanyon, and Colby is similarly buoyed by Will Crawford as well as by his co-star.
What I loved about this novel (and recognised from the author's other work) was the lyrical prose and the almost animist descriptions: Jason and Colby both think of the objects around them as having emotions, and this is not nearly as irritating or irrational as it might sound. An elevator provides 'friendly' support, a towel 'collected the sound for him'.
Seaworthy is moving, romantic and often extremely funny: it dropped a star because it felt more like the first part of a two-part novel than the first volume in a series, but I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series over the winter holiday. (Actually, I'm going to reinstate that star in honour of Colby being a fan of 'Heartbreak Beat' by the Psychedelic Furs: one among many cultural allusions that made me warm to the character!)
May 18, 2021
I stayed up late reading to the end of this book, but I'm only giving it four stars. The writing here is so odd, burdened with over-the-top metaphors, other descriptors, and sentence fragments. I know it's a chosen style, but it was hard for me to get past the floridness. Normally I wouldn't go for the D/s relationship, but here it was presented okay, so that's not really the issue. I also question the slow morphing of each main character from fairly competent to something quite a bit less than that. This book is a perfect example of where a truly dedicated line editor would have made a world of difference. If the text had been pared down by about one-sixth, away form its excessive and often repetitive metaphors, this could have been an accessible and compelling book. All that said, there can be no denying that...I stayed up late to read it! No wonder I'm confused about reading the next book.
July 4, 2022
Incredibly sweet, but never cloyingly. I highly recommend. I’ve already bought and downloaded the next one.
September 13, 2023
This story truly is very SLOW burn indeed. You really have to be in the mood for this kind of plot and potential emotional turmoil you will feel while reading. I could very much relate with Colby in this one. Not so much his preferences but his trauma response. Everyone responds differently to trauma, none two are exactly alike and I assume that also family background and social circumstances play a part in how your response manifests. Some of his reactions really hit the nerve with me and are hard to understand for people who never experienced them themselves. It might be strange to someone that you can be so blatantly blind to how people around you perceive you or that you can be ok with a situation one day and not the next. Being in Colby’s head was very emotional for me, his self-image, him putting himself down while lifting other peoples exact same experience up, his aversion to a certain kind of touch. It is hard to understand sometimes that there are different forms of touches and that especially if you are so attuned to your surroundings that you also somehow start to feel the intent behind a touch instinctively. A hug in general can be soothing and comforting, but a hug from a person you do not trust completely, from a person you fear judgement from has the exact opposite effect. It really got me and IMO portrayed this kind of emotional trauma response very well.
I loved Jason and Colby together and how they grew ever closer and more comfortable with one another. The words written make me imagine every scene so vividly I could almost taste them. Their extensive inner monologue lets you immerse yourself into their minds so deeply sometimes that you think you can actually feel what they are experiencing right at the moment. The conversations sometimes feel secondary to what is going on in the persons head, how things are interpreted. The story has a lot to give, again, if you are in the right mindset to be able to appreciate the development and storyline. Please don’t read it and leave bad reviews just because you expected a fast pace, action and lots of angst.
I loved Jason and Colby together and how they grew ever closer and more comfortable with one another. The words written make me imagine every scene so vividly I could almost taste them. Their extensive inner monologue lets you immerse yourself into their minds so deeply sometimes that you think you can actually feel what they are experiencing right at the moment. The conversations sometimes feel secondary to what is going on in the persons head, how things are interpreted. The story has a lot to give, again, if you are in the right mindset to be able to appreciate the development and storyline. Please don’t read it and leave bad reviews just because you expected a fast pace, action and lots of angst.
September 24, 2024
Okay. WOW. Easiest 5 stars I've ever given.
I was 4% of the way into this book and something happened that had me throwing my head back in emotion and tearing up. This close to sobbing👌. At 4 FUCKING PERCENT??! That's how I knew this book was going to be amazing. I was so worried it would fumble the bag but it absolutely DID NOT.
Oh my god these characters had chemistry IMMEDIATELY which is hilarious given that they met at a chemistry read for the movie. And that chemistry didn't stop. The whole book the chemistry leapt off the page and when I found out there's more to this series following these two??? Oh my god the greatest gift during a rough week.
Let me just say, that this is the kind of romance I come to books for. This book is the epitome of the female gaze and I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean, when we speak of romance that is made up of heavy lingering looks, brushes of hands, making verbal and nonverbal consent sexy, taking off shoes, the gentle touch of an ankle. The way Jason managed to almost make Colby come at the end just by brushing a single finger slowly up and down his arm???? OH. MY. GOD.
Beware the TW's as always. This book does deal with one main character suffering from the aftermath of a sexually abusive previous relationship and that informs his character and their relationship dynamic a lot.
I really loved how that was handled in this book too. I was fascinated by seeing how his childhood and adult trauma turned him into a chronic people pleaser that struggles hard to even understand what his own body wants. I'm so excited to see it continue in the next two books and the short stories.
10 out of fucking 10!!!
I was 4% of the way into this book and something happened that had me throwing my head back in emotion and tearing up. This close to sobbing👌. At 4 FUCKING PERCENT??! That's how I knew this book was going to be amazing. I was so worried it would fumble the bag but it absolutely DID NOT.
Oh my god these characters had chemistry IMMEDIATELY which is hilarious given that they met at a chemistry read for the movie. And that chemistry didn't stop. The whole book the chemistry leapt off the page and when I found out there's more to this series following these two??? Oh my god the greatest gift during a rough week.
Let me just say, that this is the kind of romance I come to books for. This book is the epitome of the female gaze and I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean, when we speak of romance that is made up of heavy lingering looks, brushes of hands, making verbal and nonverbal consent sexy, taking off shoes, the gentle touch of an ankle. The way Jason managed to almost make Colby come at the end just by brushing a single finger slowly up and down his arm???? OH. MY. GOD.
Beware the TW's as always. This book does deal with one main character suffering from the aftermath of a sexually abusive previous relationship and that informs his character and their relationship dynamic a lot.
I really loved how that was handled in this book too. I was fascinated by seeing how his childhood and adult trauma turned him into a chronic people pleaser that struggles hard to even understand what his own body wants. I'm so excited to see it continue in the next two books and the short stories.
10 out of fucking 10!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2022
I'm going to have to be honest here, reading this was a JOURNEY.
I didn't realise when I first picked this up, but I've been subscribed to the author on AO3 for literal years, but never clicked on this as it was an original work and I wasn't sure about it. Past me was an idiot.
So, a lot of this broke me into tiny pieces and some of it put me back together again. I LOVED Colby. So much of this book – the tenderness, the sex scene, the backstory – had me feeling things, and feeling them so intensely that I had to keep putting the book down.
I'm not giving this a wholehearted five stars because Jason was... a bit much, in some parts? Like the telling Colby to eat, how he always knew what he was thinking, how intense it got so quickly when they were only really working together.
Other people complained about the metaphors, which I didn't mind until the end, honestly. And if there had been a bit more drama/tension/plot I think I would have loved this even more.
Because I did love it, despite its flaws. And I've got the sequel all ready and waiting for me in paperback, although I think I need a break before I start it.
Also, a Reddit search of 'AO3 fics turned into books' did me the world of good.
I didn't realise when I first picked this up, but I've been subscribed to the author on AO3 for literal years, but never clicked on this as it was an original work and I wasn't sure about it. Past me was an idiot.
So, a lot of this broke me into tiny pieces and some of it put me back together again. I LOVED Colby. So much of this book – the tenderness, the sex scene, the backstory – had me feeling things, and feeling them so intensely that I had to keep putting the book down.
I'm not giving this a wholehearted five stars because Jason was... a bit much, in some parts? Like the telling Colby to eat, how he always knew what he was thinking, how intense it got so quickly when they were only really working together.
Other people complained about the metaphors, which I didn't mind until the end, honestly. And if there had been a bit more drama/tension/plot I think I would have loved this even more.
Because I did love it, despite its flaws. And I've got the sequel all ready and waiting for me in paperback, although I think I need a break before I start it.
Also, a Reddit search of 'AO3 fics turned into books' did me the world of good.
February 25, 2023
Oh my goodness what a gorgeous story! I’ve had this book on my kindle for ages now but just recently decided to stop rereading my comfort series and try something new. I am just so pleased I did.
Jason and Colby are such achingly beautiful characters with scars and histories and hope; I absolutely fell in love with them. I cannot say how much I, as a queer person, appreciate Colby’s determination to find a way to give Will and Stephen a happy ending. I’m over the bury the gays trope and I’ve loved reading Colby’s passion to bring the characters happiness. I can’t wait to read the next book to see how he works it out! Oh! And I forgot to mention how fucking lovely Jason was during their first sessy scene at the hotel, his compassion and understanding of Colby made me literally cry. It was a strange feeling to have tears one moment and then have to fan myself just a few pages later when things heated up! 🥵
I’m currently trying to convince myself NOT to start the next book in the trilogy at 1 o’clock in the morning 😅 Thank you thank you K.L. Noone for this near perfect novel ❤️
Jason and Colby are such achingly beautiful characters with scars and histories and hope; I absolutely fell in love with them. I cannot say how much I, as a queer person, appreciate Colby’s determination to find a way to give Will and Stephen a happy ending. I’m over the bury the gays trope and I’ve loved reading Colby’s passion to bring the characters happiness. I can’t wait to read the next book to see how he works it out! Oh! And I forgot to mention how fucking lovely Jason was during their first sessy scene at the hotel, his compassion and understanding of Colby made me literally cry. It was a strange feeling to have tears one moment and then have to fan myself just a few pages later when things heated up! 🥵
I’m currently trying to convince myself NOT to start the next book in the trilogy at 1 o’clock in the morning 😅 Thank you thank you K.L. Noone for this near perfect novel ❤️
September 5, 2020
In so glad this is out
I read this when it was a work in progress and desperately wanted it to be an ebook so I could read it over and over. The relationship between Colby and Jason is so lovely. Both characters are the epitome of Good people. They are fighting against Colby's past and there are strong hurt/comfort themes.
One of my favorite things about this story is its us of magical realism. It's more than personification. Everything around Colby and Jason has life, choice, and intent.
"He muffled his astonished laugh in the towel. The towel collected the sound for him, a friend sharing the emotion."
“Just leave it anywhere. The chair. Is fine.” The chair did not seem to mind, so that was a consensus, then." (This is not a grammatical error. Punctuation is used to denote intonation, pacing, and rhythm where needed. It adds to the story rather than detracting from it. Both Jason and Colby can be awkward with each other, hence the halting speech.)
I read this when it was a work in progress and desperately wanted it to be an ebook so I could read it over and over. The relationship between Colby and Jason is so lovely. Both characters are the epitome of Good people. They are fighting against Colby's past and there are strong hurt/comfort themes.
One of my favorite things about this story is its us of magical realism. It's more than personification. Everything around Colby and Jason has life, choice, and intent.
"He muffled his astonished laugh in the towel. The towel collected the sound for him, a friend sharing the emotion."
“Just leave it anywhere. The chair. Is fine.” The chair did not seem to mind, so that was a consensus, then." (This is not a grammatical error. Punctuation is used to denote intonation, pacing, and rhythm where needed. It adds to the story rather than detracting from it. Both Jason and Colby can be awkward with each other, hence the halting speech.)
January 3, 2025
3.5 stars
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I really liked Jason and Colby. I liked thier dynamic together as the story went on. My biggest issue was how slow the pacing was. I'm all for a slow burn, but the story went from "he's fake and I can't work with him" to immediately being curious and slightly enamored and "I must protect this man" on the first day on set together. It felt a little misplaced. The whole story also tried to be really literary and it just wasn't hitting for me. The language and metaphors and multitude of descriptive words just made me bored. I feel like I could have skipped half the paragraphs on the page and not miss any plot. The sweet moments were very sweet though and that helped make up for it. I was rooting for them at the end, I just wish everything wasn't so drawn out.
Undecided on reading the rest of the series.
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I really liked Jason and Colby. I liked thier dynamic together as the story went on. My biggest issue was how slow the pacing was. I'm all for a slow burn, but the story went from "he's fake and I can't work with him" to immediately being curious and slightly enamored and "I must protect this man" on the first day on set together. It felt a little misplaced. The whole story also tried to be really literary and it just wasn't hitting for me. The language and metaphors and multitude of descriptive words just made me bored. I feel like I could have skipped half the paragraphs on the page and not miss any plot. The sweet moments were very sweet though and that helped make up for it. I was rooting for them at the end, I just wish everything wasn't so drawn out.
Undecided on reading the rest of the series.
April 23, 2025
This one was a 5-star book for me. I couldn't love Jason and Colby more if I tried.
I loved that Jason could see how hurt and cautious Colby while he masked and hid those hurts behind trying to be everything for everyone. Even though Jason was "action hero" big, he was so gentle and aware of Colby's boundaries, working hard to never cross them, while he took care of Colby. I loved the insights Jason could glean from all of that and how Colby started to respond. Colby was also so insightful with Jason, picking up on the fear that Jason worked hard to overcome before it impacted his job.
And I loved the "story within the story" with the movie that they were filming and how those characters influenced both Jason and Colby.
I'm extremely glad there are more books in this series because I want to read more with these great characters.
I loved that Jason could see how hurt and cautious Colby while he masked and hid those hurts behind trying to be everything for everyone. Even though Jason was "action hero" big, he was so gentle and aware of Colby's boundaries, working hard to never cross them, while he took care of Colby. I loved the insights Jason could glean from all of that and how Colby started to respond. Colby was also so insightful with Jason, picking up on the fear that Jason worked hard to overcome before it impacted his job.
And I loved the "story within the story" with the movie that they were filming and how those characters influenced both Jason and Colby.
I'm extremely glad there are more books in this series because I want to read more with these great characters.
May 26, 2025
I had been recommended this series so many times, but the blurb always put me off. Any book with that many exclamation marks in the blurb can't possibly be good, right?
Wrong.
I absolutely loved this book. It's cute and sweet and stars two absolute cinnamon roll characters. Jason and Colby are so, so adorable 🥰! I love them to bits.
I read this at a time when I was not very interested in contemporary romance (I still only like very few authors in this genre) but the historical setting of the film and the writing were both good enough that I ended up devouring the book anyway.
Fair warning, though... it's very slow burn. That's the sort of thing I love (characters jumping into bed together at the start of the book doesn't do it for me except under specific circumstances) but I know not everyone enjoys that.
Wrong.
I absolutely loved this book. It's cute and sweet and stars two absolute cinnamon roll characters. Jason and Colby are so, so adorable 🥰! I love them to bits.
I read this at a time when I was not very interested in contemporary romance (I still only like very few authors in this genre) but the historical setting of the film and the writing were both good enough that I ended up devouring the book anyway.
Fair warning, though... it's very slow burn. That's the sort of thing I love (characters jumping into bed together at the start of the book doesn't do it for me except under specific circumstances) but I know not everyone enjoys that.
March 11, 2021
I'm a definite fan!
I read an earlier version of this novel that was published with the other two in this set as a single giant work.
And after I finished reading it there, I came over and bought it on Kindle so I could Bookmark and Highlight and throw Notes in it... And this is also the first work in AGES that I got inspired to fanart, and actually FINISHED and posted the fanart.
Lush language, glittering beautiful people who also are cuddly and soft and sweater wearing, networks of friends who care and look out for each other (even if some people *cough*ColbyKent*cough* are too oblivious to recognize it)
It's a very real story, and both more beautiful and more painful than real life tends to be... But it's ultimately hopeful.
And we need all the hope we can hoard.
I read an earlier version of this novel that was published with the other two in this set as a single giant work.
And after I finished reading it there, I came over and bought it on Kindle so I could Bookmark and Highlight and throw Notes in it... And this is also the first work in AGES that I got inspired to fanart, and actually FINISHED and posted the fanart.
Lush language, glittering beautiful people who also are cuddly and soft and sweater wearing, networks of friends who care and look out for each other (even if some people *cough*ColbyKent*cough* are too oblivious to recognize it)
It's a very real story, and both more beautiful and more painful than real life tends to be... But it's ultimately hopeful.
And we need all the hope we can hoard.
December 23, 2024
I might pick this one up again in the future, but for now I could not continue it. A lot of the dialogue and description (of feelings) in my opinion could have been shortened. I started getting wary when I got almost two pages of characters discussing pineapples and pizza, and then the main character could almost read Colby's emotions and vulnerabilities (a word that is constantly repeated) without any explanation and in the span of a few pages the protagonist already wanted to protect Colby.
I also had the very strong feelings this could have been a mcu fanfic - maybe not, but I am hyperaware of Steve Rogers fanfics because I used to read so much Steve/Tony in the past. Maybe it is just my feeling.
I also had the very strong feelings this could have been a mcu fanfic - maybe not, but I am hyperaware of Steve Rogers fanfics because I used to read so much Steve/Tony in the past. Maybe it is just my feeling.
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