About the Book
Title: Rainbow Romances: charity collection National AIDS Trust
Author: Sarah Beth James, G R Lyons, Amir Lane, Melanie Quinlan, Carmilla Voiez, Mike Ferrante, Marolyn Krasner
Date: June 1, 2018
Length: 284 pages
Categories: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Romance
Synopsis
G R Lyons:
Stripped Bare: Though they both work as strippers for the gay nightclub, Matchmakers, Sev is convinced that Ty is out of his league. But that doesn’t stop him from trying to win the little guy’s heart.
Broken Defences: After his work ruined one too many relationships, Beni Thaton has given up on dating, until he meets a very determined new student who pushes all the right buttons.
Michael Ferrante:
Online Casanova: Michael didn’t believe in online dating. But after going through a few bad relationships he decided what’s the worst that can happen? People say you find the one you love when you least expect it. Well, Michael is certainly going to realise that on his journey to love.
Amir Lane:
Far Water: Avery is on her way to Ohio after finally turning 18 and leaving foster care. On the bus, she meets a girl who isn’t what she seems.
Carmilla Voiez:
Something To Hold On To: Jenny is a high-school student who’s in love with her best friend, Lucy. Unfortunately, Lucy likes boys. After numerous failed relationships, will Lucy be willing to redefine her sexuality, and think of Jenny as more than just a friend? Jenny is afraid to make her dreams come true and risk a broken heart.
Melanie Quinlan:
Bedsitter Christmas: Delivers some fluffy M/M romance, set against the harsh backdrop of bedsitter land in 1980s London.
Sarah Beth James:
Until My Dying Day: Francis struggles with moving from the reservation into a normal white city school when his mother falls ill. Dealing with bullying, death, homophobia and abuse before he meets the boy of his dreams in Xander. Who does everything he can to bring a little joy into Francis’s life. Cutting between current day, and their relationship with the past and how they got to be where they are. We follow a painful, yet fulfilling journey of how Francis’s life improved.
Marolyn Krasner:
Selia: Selia is not living her best life. She is young and full of lust for the mail clerk, but she is not doing anything about it. The seeds of her lust start sprouting, forcing Selia to take action to improve her life and seek sexual healing to eradicate the pest threatening her personal ecosystem.
Raising money for the amazing charity: National Aid’s Trust.
Purchase Link
Review
Overall, this collection is decent. It’s a quick, easy read with a variety of styles. There’s plenty of romance, but only a couple of these ended up feeling like they fit strictly within the romance genre. On my part, that’s not a complaint. I tend to like those kinds of stories. For someone looking for very clear romance, they might end up a little disappointed.
On the whole, I thought the lesbian/FF stories were superior to the gay/MM stories. It could be my own personal preference, but there are some common factors. A lot of the gay stories seemed to focus on abuse, trauma, and/or beating, which was hard for me to read. The lesbian stories, on the other hand, emphasized queer joy and awakening to self, which was a pleasure to read.
The other thing that surprised me is that this was for an AIDS charity, but there isn’t even one story that includes HIV+ characters, not even the one set in the 1980s. It seems like that’s still an off-limits subject for a romance story, sadly.
The anthology is worth picking up in order to support the charity. Different stories may appeal to different people, but we can all agree that it’s for a good cause.
Total rating: 7/10 fountain pens
Individual reviews:
Stripped Bare, G R Lyons: This was okay. Cute, fluffy, maybe a bit over the top on the hurt/comfort angle. That’s not my thing, but it is for a lot of other people. Ty read as babyish to me, and I’m not sure there was quite enough space to deal with his mental health issues in such a short span. But it was very sweet and the writing was decent. 6/10 fountain pens
Broken Defences, G R Lyons: This one, too, was a sort of hurt/comfort story. I was somewhat put off by all the posturing and the immature way they talked about sex. There was some weird stuff about gay stereotypes as well. Both this one and the previous one are set in the same world as the author’s novels, so I might be missing something from not having read them. But I suspect the author’s work just may not be for me. 4/10 fountain pens
Online Casanova, Michael Ferrante: I liked this one a lot. I don’t know if it’s actually the author’s memoir or if it’s a fictionalize account or what, but I loved the personal feel to it. It’s very relatable to anyone who has been on a search for Mx. Right. My only issue was that it needed some tighter editing to eliminate the constant run-on sentences. 8/10 fountain pens
Far Water, Amir Lane: This is a great story. It drew me right in and held me until the end. I can’t say much because I don’t want to give spoilers. Not a traditional romance but certainly captivating. 8/10 fountain pens
Something To Hold On To, Carmilla Voiez: A very sweet young adult romance with a true happily ever after. Another relatable story for anyone who has harbored a crush on a best friend. 6/10 fountain pens
Bedsitter Christmas, Melanie Quinlan: This is a cute holiday romance. I have to admit, I was a bit put off by the violence in one section of this. I had the same problem with the main character as in one of the other stories being really immature and not in an endearing way. Still, the story itself is cute and offers a hopeful ending. 6/10 fountain pens
Until My Dying Day, Sarah Beth James: This is the longest story in the anthology, which also means it’s one of the best developed. It wasn’t bad, though I’m not entirely sure the author captured the US educational system. I wasn’t clear on how the setting and characters were chosen. I can’t really speak to whether this story is good representation, as I’m not Native myself, so I can’t critique that aspect, though it did hit me a bit funny. I did like that it has a happy ending, and I think it’s good for young people to see that even after a difficult life, hope and joy are still possible. 6/10 fountain pens
Selia, Marolyn Krasner: This is easily the best story in the anthology. Not only is the writing incredible, the story’s concept is unique. It’s more literary than romance, which is fine by me. The main character’s feelings were so familiar and easy to relate to. The end made me cry, not out of sadness but out of a sense the main character had triumphed. Every woman should read this story regardless of her orientation. 10/10 fountain pens
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