A review by whatthefridge
Best Gay Romance 2010 by David Holly, David Puterbaugh, David M. May Sr., Simon Sheppard, David Ciminello, Rob Rosen, Michael Bracken, Jerry L. Wheeler, Natty Soltesz, L.A. Fields, Jamie Freeman, Doug Harrison, Trebor Healey, Richard Labonté, G.A. Li, Jay Mandal
3.0
Romance is the key word. Erotic or not, it's the sweetness that'll make you fall in love.
The big winners in this anthology are Natty Soltesz and J.M. Snyder. Both of these authors have a writing style that grabs you and makes you ache for more. Funny enough each of their stories has the passing theme of "I shouldn't be with this guy because he's my sister's." While Soltesz's takes on the voice of in-the-moment lust, Snyder's is the definition of kindled romance. It's exactly what you'd want to read if you picked up the book.
With that said, there is a lot of variety to choose from.
Some authors explored strange fetishes. I'd like to highlight T. Hitman here because, wow, there were things in there I usually gag at, yet the strength of the storytelling made it all tolerable, even endearing. Another highlight is Shane Allison, who, unfortunately, is the equivalent to the token black friend. It's the only romance with an explicitly non-white main character, and that's a big shame since the use of the food fetish didn't work for me.
Other authors chose to work with difficult topics: suicide attempt, rape, or fatal illness. Those were hard to get through without some tears, but I believe the authors handled it tactfully, really delving into the emotions of the aftermath without sounding preachy or fake. Props to Martin Delacroix, C.C. Williams, and Shanna Germain for taking that risk.
It's worth noting that one of the stories in this anthology contains incest. It sneaks up on you, and by the time you find out you're already invested in the characters. I think the use of incest was a poor choice by the author, and it spoiled an otherwise potent narration. How you deal with this revelation is up to you. I pretended it wasn't actually incest because, damn it, why did you have to go there?
After going through the studs and the duds, this anthology has something for everyone. Whether you're into witty banter or romantic gestures, the smooth or the awkward, the silly or the serious, you'll find at least one author you'll want to read more fiction from, and that's a real accomplishment. Enjoy!
The big winners in this anthology are Natty Soltesz and J.M. Snyder. Both of these authors have a writing style that grabs you and makes you ache for more. Funny enough each of their stories has the passing theme of "I shouldn't be with this guy because he's my sister's." While Soltesz's takes on the voice of in-the-moment lust, Snyder's is the definition of kindled romance. It's exactly what you'd want to read if you picked up the book.
With that said, there is a lot of variety to choose from.
Some authors explored strange fetishes. I'd like to highlight T. Hitman here because, wow, there were things in there I usually gag at, yet the strength of the storytelling made it all tolerable, even endearing. Another highlight is Shane Allison, who, unfortunately, is the equivalent to the token black friend. It's the only romance with an explicitly non-white main character, and that's a big shame since the use of the food fetish didn't work for me.
Other authors chose to work with difficult topics: suicide attempt, rape, or fatal illness. Those were hard to get through without some tears, but I believe the authors handled it tactfully, really delving into the emotions of the aftermath without sounding preachy or fake. Props to Martin Delacroix, C.C. Williams, and Shanna Germain for taking that risk.
It's worth noting that one of the stories in this anthology contains incest. It sneaks up on you, and by the time you find out you're already invested in the characters. I think the use of incest was a poor choice by the author, and it spoiled an otherwise potent narration. How you deal with this revelation is up to you. I pretended it wasn't actually incest because, damn it, why did you have to go there?
After going through the studs and the duds, this anthology has something for everyone. Whether you're into witty banter or romantic gestures, the smooth or the awkward, the silly or the serious, you'll find at least one author you'll want to read more fiction from, and that's a real accomplishment. Enjoy!