3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good mix of stories, April 29, 2010
This review is from: Best Gay Romance 2010 (Paperback)
The Best Gay Romance series edited by Richard Labonte is an annual delight. These are a great mix of short stories filled with love, romance, and a bit of sex. The stories are varied and range from model like bodies to overweight and everything from a lifetime together to a brief encounter. There is humor, sadness, anger, deceit, triumph, happiness and above all a lot of romance. What differentiates this series from the similar Best Gay Erotica or Best Gay Sex is that the connection between the men is paramount and sex may or may not factor in. So for those gay romance fans that want a variety from candlelight to families to a remembered encountered, this series and the 2010 edition especially delivers.
The 2010 collection features fifteen stories from a wide range of authors. Some are familiar to the series such as the always delightful Rob Rosen or the quirky Jay Mandal, bittersweet writing of Simon Sheppard, the great humor of David Holly or erotica of Natty Soltesz. Others are solid introductions to evocative ideas such as the hard-hitting impact of Trevor Healey or undeniable romance of G.A. Li. The writing style varies with each other and the stories are best read here and there. Pick up the collection, read a story or two, jump around from beginning to end and in between as they all offer something different to please whatever mood and taste you're looking for.
The anthology has a good tone and progression that also makes reading this series in order and in one sitting, if you so choose, easy and fun. There are no striking discordant notes and the writing seems to flow from one story to the next well despite the obvious style changes. The quick pace and tone makes the collection a light, enjoyable breeze but not one that will necessary stand out as memorable. The collection reminds readers of favorite authors and their deft touch in the shorter format while introducing new names that are worth looking into.
In a grouping of solid stories it's hard to play favorites, especially when these will change from reader to reader. However I did particularly like David Puterbaugh's "World's Greatest Dads" about two fathers trying to come up with an alternate name when Julia becomes a boy while shopping for nursery furniture. The humor, frustration, and romance of the story are delightful and from a new to me author. Also "The Food of Love" by Jay Mandal about two men who love food and aren't perfect stereotypes. However every story in this collection could have special mention due to the fun concepts, great writing, and thoroughly entertaining narratives.
This is a great introduction to the series if romance fans haven't been aware of the collection of delightful shorts. Romance fans especially should clamor for the bite sized stories filled with great characters, interesting settings, and above all - enough romance to please every fan.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Crop of Short Fiction, February 3, 2010
This review is from: Best Gay Romance 2010 (Paperback)
I'm a lover of the short story format, and find it a wonderful way to "meet" a new author. The annual "Best Gay Romance" series that Richard Labonte edits has never failed to bring me some stories that leave me smiling, or laughing, or - sometimes - even sniffling.
This year's crop of stories is quite varied in style and tone (as always, there's a dash of the erotic in some of the tales), and I did have a few "a-ha!" moments as I read.
First, the delightful David Puterbaugh gave a marvellous tale of two gay fathers-to-be trying to decide on a name when it turns out little Julia is going to be a boy. Having read Puterbaugh's short stories before, and having had the chance to meet him in New Orleans, I knew I'd be in for some witty dialog, and he delivers. I was happy to discover him in the book, and his story is sweet, and left me with a smile.
Jerry Wheeler's story is one of the rare few stories I mentioned above that left me sniffling. His tale was absolutely moving - a story about a love lost and framed with a haunting and deliberate parallel that is the very definition of bittersweet, without falling too far and becoming maudlin.
I'm sure there's something for everyone, and the tales cover a rich diversity of characters; the old, the young; the overweight, the fit; the closeted, the out; the mainstream and the extreme; and throughout all, an ongoing dialog of love and romance in its many forms.
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