Four tales about falling for a man in uniform.Huan is a hopeless romantic living in Seattle. Arthur's a soldier shipping out to Iraq. Something sparks when their paths cross...Being a British police officer is all Eli's ever known, then he meets Gloria Hole, a drag queen who's an expert at turning heads and causing trouble...There's not much night life in Ezra's quaint hometown, there is the prim bookstore owner Vincent, who Ezra's determined to woo with book titles...It's 1976 and Dov indulges once a year behind a gay bar across town. Then Detective Charles Blasted Coleman catches him in the act...For four men and the men in uniform with whom they fall in love, what may seem the end of everything, turns out to be only the beginning.
Two longer stories make a substantial romance sandwich for two delicious shorts. From sweet to raunchy (sometimes in the same story). Such a fun read. I especially loved the attempt to seduce a bookseller by buying suggestive titles!
It really is great to find a book with happy every afters and hopeful endings for a diverse cast of queer* characters. All four stories are lovingly told, rich in detail about the characters and their lives, and… hot. Scorching hot romance.
*No, this is not a slur. We’re here, we’re queer, etc.
I really enjoyed it. The first story was good. Thought it was a little coffee shop AUish with falling for each other that fast, but liked the way it turned out. They'll be good for each other.
The second story was the weakest link of the four. Not long enough to really flesh out the characters.
Story #3 had me laughing out loud. I absolutely adored the fact that he 'admitted' he was a sex addict (slut) living in his mom's basement and driving a Porsche. And that his mom ended up being the one to hook him up. Also the fact that his silver fox strung him along for so long. (Hey, independent bookstores have to make sales somehow!) :p
Story #4 also had me spitting out my tea laughing. (I scared the cats multiple times....) Gloria was a delight!!! Tho how Eli couldn't recognize him at the police station as Andrew blew my mind. Considering exactly how MASSIVE Gloria was made out to be.
Overall a fun, lite, enjoyable read. Romantic popcorn if you will. Going to have to find Bo's fanfic on AO3 now.
Hope this feedback is helpful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Every story in this little collection was a unique gem, setting a new tone right in the first few sentences. They ranged from charming and romantic to gritty and naughty, but each had a heart of gold wrapped in a uniform. And in several of them...the uniform came off.
My favorite was definitely the first, longer story. I could have read many more chapters of domesticity between the lovers that met by chance right before one of them got shipped out to the Middle East and wrote letters to one another for months before finally reuniting again. I shed tears, y'all!