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Unconventional At Best (2013)

by Carol Lynne(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Totally Bound Publishing

series

Unconventional Anthologies

review 1: 4.5 stars overall (Each story is rated in this review.)Unconventional at Best is an anthology of works written by some of the hottest novelists on the m/m scene today. Each story revolves around some form of convention and involves everything from the paranormal to the contemporary. It is an amazing body of work and I highly recommend it to you"You and everyone else here have shown me that normal is defined by who you choose to surround yourself with, not what strangers on the street think."And so begins Charlie's new journey into a renewed relationship with his best friend, Jake. Jake, who has loved Charlie for years has stood in the shadows while Charlie was manipulated into marrying his best friend Jen. Sublimating his need for fulfilling sex and the fact that the l... moreove he had for his wife was more brotherly affection than anything else; it takes her death to make Charlie realize what he has been hiding from all along--his love for his best friend. But Charlie simply wants to be "normal" and not have to deal with the bigotry and hurt from both strangers and family. After Jen dies he realizes what is really important--and discovers that A New Normal is where love begins and doubt ends.Carol Lynne delivers the first short story in the Unconventional at Best anthology and hits a home run out of the park. Heartfelt and lovely, the story explores what it means to hide our true selves and the cost that such a decision carries. Her characters, Jake and Charlie, were simply two lovely men who found that their friendship carried with it the desire for something more. This was a love story--love lost, love regained--tender and sweet! Rating: 5 starsConvention Confusion by Amber Kell plants us square in the midst of a sci-fi convention and two friends determined to get their hands on the autograph of their favorite author Jennvian Fellows. So of course it follows that Billy Ferris allows his best friend Cathy to dress him as the female pirate made so famous by Jenn’s books. Little does Billy know that Jenn is actually an alien Prince in search of his mate. As secrets are revealed, a love develops and the only question that remains is will that be enough to guarantee these two a happy ever after.I really appreciated the fun and zany premise of this short story and I was rooting for the two boys all the way. However, this story struck a single chord and never really deviated from it. The storyline had little tension to it—even with the introduction of Cathy’s abusive boyfriend. Convention Confusion was simply a nice story but lacked the sparkle and energy I am so used to seeing from author Amber Kell. Rating: 3 starsNinja Cupcakes by T.A. Chase Ethan had a gift. He not only concocted delicious confections in his bakeshop, he crafted his creations specifically for those who needed them. Blessed with the “sight” Ethan had more than an inkling how to lend a certain spice to the lives of each of his friends and family. On top of this delightful gift was the fact that Ethan had fallen in love with an astrophysicist of all things, Callum Maclaughlin. However while Ethan was sure that Callum would be an important person in his life, he was not sure if Callum loved him in return. So when Ethan’s brother Earl asks him to cater the Sci-fi convention, Ethan knows this is his chance to find out if love is in his future. T. A. Chase offers up a magical and beautifully written love story. One that speaks to the heart and reminds us that love goes so much deeper than the surface, that it cannot be derailed by life’s circumstances and that each of us has something to offer to another person despite our flaws or handicaps. Ninja Cupcakes was, simply put, a love letter from an author to her fans. The story Ms. Chase weaves with such a delicate hand leaves you slightly teary eyed and wanting more! Rating: 5 starsOPERATION: GET SPENCER by Jambrea Jo Jones Ben likes women—loves them. Beds as many as he can every chance he can get. So what does it matter that sometimes lately, he can’t seem to get beyond a kiss. That recently he can only think of how Spencer’s lips would taste like, how Spencer’s body would feel, how Spencer would be so hot in bed…whoa. Spencer is his gay best friend…and Ben is NOT gay—no way. Unless of course you are talking about Spence and then…Jambrea Jo Jones gives us a delightful story of two best friends who’s live are turned upside down when the straight guy falls for the gay guy. Yes it is a classic “gay for you” but set-up with really likeable characters, witty yet poignant dialogue and the most fun angst I have read in a while. These two boys were just adorable and the story was written with a light hand—making it all the more believable. Rating: 5 starsFAN-TASTIC by Stephani Hecht Deke has never thought much about second chances. Being a fairly jaded actor in a highly popular TV series has left him doubting whether he will ever find a man who will see him for who he is—rather than all the fame and glamour. Then at a comic con convention he stumbles upon Blake—who has secretly been crushing on Deke since he was a high school freshman and Deke was the senior playing the role of Puck in Midsummer’s Night Dream. They click…and now all Deke has to do is convince Blake that everything the two of them have thought about second chances has been wrong—that they really can lead to happy ever after.This was just a sweet story of redemption and hope from beginning to end. Poor Blake, who had been made to feel he was the reason his parents had divorced, has secretly been longing for Deke for years and is trying to launch his own comic book series, throws in all he has for one last chance to make something of himself and hopefully land the man of his dreams. When these two meet, you can feel the attraction build and the story simply unfolds, each sweet and tender moment after another. Rating: 5 starsROUGH AWAKENING by Devon Rhodes Mario is trapped in a lover’s triangle without any of the benefits. His former partner Luke and his new boyfriend Derek are all part of an adult sports team—and tri-captains to boot. An upcoming tournament finds Mario having to bunk in with the lovebirds and he is desperate to find anyway to avoid it if at all possible. Enter Jordan—a member of an opposing team and a hottie that Mario has had his eye on before. The two hook up online and decide to room together and instant sparks fly. However, Mario, who secretly yearns to give up control, is a top in every sense of the word and so is Jordan. Now all that remains for this fledgling relationship to take wing is whether or not Mario can give over control and hold onto the man who he thinks could be the one for him.Rough Awakening was one hot ride of a story. Everything clicked in this short—from the dialogue to the sex to the constant second-guessing that was internally happening with each man. You felt as though you had a private viewing to decidedly intimate moments and encounters. I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two characters. Their hook-up and instant infatuation was totally believable and I would love to see the author take this short and evolve it into a full-length novel. Rating: 5 stars
review 2: Wow, this is a fun anthology. Several different romance types all centered around conventions. Loved it! I’ve been going back and forth about my rating, should I give 4 or 5 stars. Well, I can’t decide. One reason I loved this book is several of the stories had an epilogue. That just helps make the short story complete.‘A New Normal’ by Carol Lynne – This one is really good. This story is the ‘former lovers brought back together’ story. The MCs were lovers (I think) and best friends, but Charlie decided to forgo the difficult route of same sex relationships and married a girl he met in college. That left Jake on his own. After Charlie’s wife dies, Jake tricks him into playing music at the conference Jake organizes for authors and fans. There is anger and angst and lots of love. 5 stars‘Convention Confusion’ by Amber Kell – This is also really good. In this story, we have ‘mates/insta love’ mixed with sci-fi/fantasy. Billy is hooked on a comic book series, and its author. So, he dresses up as one of the female characters in the comic book and goes to the comic-con. Jennvian know instantly that Billy is his mate, but is slightly confused because he always thought his mate would be male. I would say this is a romantic comedy more than anything else. 4 stars‘Ninja Cupcakes’ by T.A. Chase – A sweet story. This is the ‘friends to lovers’ story with both men out of the closet. Ethan bakes special cupcakes. It’s not magic, but it is. Ethan says the ingredients are all natural, but they have an interesting effect on people. Callum is an astrophysicist who is speaking at the same sci-fi convention Ethan is providing desserts for. Callum and Ethan haven’t hooked up before due to simple logistics. They met four years before the story starts and became friends who stay in contact. This forced communication allows the men to fall in love as they get to know each other. This convention is their time. This is a sweet, romantic story about two men who are meant for each other. 3.5 stars‘Operation: Get Spencer’ by Jambrea Jo Jones – Another fun read. This one is the requisite ‘gay for you’ story. To be fair, this is a well written sweet short story, and I like gay for you if it’s believable. Spencer is out and a comic book fanatic. Ben is Spencer’s best friend. Ben decides to confess his love for Spencer while they’re at the comic-con. Probably not the best plan, but hey, it does make it funny. This is another romantic comedy. What little angst there is, is really covered in humor. 4.5 stars‘Fan-Tastic’ by Stephani Hecht – This is probably the sappiest of the stories. Okay, sappy is not a bad thing, it’s just a description. We’re at another comic convention where Blake is trying to sell his comics and maybe get to meet Deke, an actor Blake has known/wanted since high school. Well, it turns out Deke actually loves the comic Blake authors/illustrates, but Deke doesn’t believe Blake really wants him. Apparently, geeks don’t get the guy. Go figure. Blake explains they met in high school. It takes a while, but Deke (whose real name is Eric) finally remembers Blake. There is more comedy and sweetness. They fall in love (ok, there’s a little crossover with the ‘insta love’) and the sweet is enough to put on several pounds just from reading. I’m still giving this story 4 stars. I liked the sweet, even if my thighs don’t.‘Rough Awakening’ by Devon Rhodes – Of the contemporary stories, this is the most real. I absolutely loved it! Since the guys have met but never dated, I’m calling this one ‘insta love.’ Mario plays on a men’s league basketball team that has a big tournament/competition coming up. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a room, since his former boyfriend forgot to book him his own room. Mario isn’t jealous of his ex’s new relationship, but he is jealous because he’s alone. After some desperate chat room posting, Mario is contacted by Jordan. Jordan doesn’t mean to offer Mario a place to stay, but hey, why not? Mario and Jordan remember each other from a previous tournament, and strike up a more than friendly communication. Once they meet, the guys don’t go straight to the sex, which was interesting. There is some miscommunication, and a whole lot of angst on Mario’s part, definitely not a romantic comedy. Sadly, this is one of the stories without an epilogue, but that’s okay, I can give them an HEA. Can I give more than 5 stars? If so, this story gets all the stars! My favorite of the anthology. less

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