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British Flash: A Revealing Collection Of Short LGBT Fiction (2011)

by Josephine Myles(Favorite Author)

3.57 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Smashwords

review 1: A collection of LGBT short stories from British writers. Actually "flash" is a good term for this collection as most of the stories barely qualify as drabbles. All you really get with the majority of the writers' talents. 3.5 out of 5."The Worst Pub in London" by JL Merrow. m/m Josh was just passing time during his shift at the Forlorn Hop, a virtually deserted pub, when Devlin walked in. A great start, but way too short. Reads like a first chapter, not a complete story. 3.5 out of 5."Our Place" by Clare London. m/m Terry and Ben grew up together, best friends all through school and into college. Now Terry is wanting more. A delightful little tale of friends who become lovers. 3.5 out of 5."We'll Always Have Brighton" by Zahra Owens. m/m Two former lovers m... moreeet again. Raw, powerful, emotional. 3.5 out of 5."Commission and Omission" by Charlie Cochrane. m/m Stephen visits the place where his love lost his life. Incredibly sad. 4 out of 5."Paint" by Stevie Carroll. f/f Artist and model personal relationships are as old as time. More a PWP (plot what plot) story, no real connection with either character for me. 3 out of 5."Ben's New Colleague" by Serena yates. m/m New Horizons series. Ben Imberg was missing his boss Anton until the new replacement walked into his life. I prefer to read books and stories in order, but the first in this series had been pulled from publication. That might have lessened my connection to Ben. 3 out of 5."giving It Up" by Josephine Myles. m/m Matt's crush on Josh has him volunteering to get signatures to overturn the ban on gays giving blood. A guy like Josh would never look at someone like Matt after all. A nice juxtaposition of a sweet romance and a serious subject. 3.5 out of 5."Thoughts in Spring" by Mara Ismine. m/m It is a good thing that Ash loves Corbin so much considering the monthly antics of the rook who insists on building a nest in the bedroom. Without a doubt this is my favorite story to date I do hope Mara revisits this couple in the future. The characterization of the rook was delightful. 4.5 out of 5."Mouth Almighty" by Victoria Blisse. m/m/f Ben and Pete find more to enjoy than the taste of cheese when they meet sales clerk Sally. I've never been a fan of threesomes so this PWP story didn't appeal to me. 3 out of 5."Reunion" by Lisa Worrall. m/m No one enjoys their school reunions, but it was hell for Toby Mitchell who was openly gay. Now he is back in that hell, facing the man he had had a crush on all those years ago while also facing the idiots who bullied him. Awww moment at the end of this story. Very relatable. 3.5 out of 5."While the Boys Are Away" by Lucy Felthouse. f/f Amelia and Gemma leave their boyfriends struggling with the barbecue grill while they take a invigorating shower. I was pleased that neither woman's boyfriend is unaware of their relationship as cheating is another of my big no-nos. 3.5 out of 5."Nessie" by Caroline Stephens. m/m Marine biologist Jude Hannigan is cold and wet, waiting to either prove or disprove the existence of the Loch Ness creature. At least he has Callum to keep him warm. A decent start to what could've been an interesting story. 3.5 out of 5."Slap and Motley" by Sandra Lindsey. m/m A newly out couple receive an unusual gift, one that reveals a secret John never shared with his friend, partner and lover. Short, short, short. Yet interesting nonetheless. 3.5 out of 5. "Like a Girl" by JL Morrow. f/f Martial arts brings two women together. More like an orphan scene than a short story. 3 out of 5."Last Client" by Jay Rookwood. m/m Jonathan's last client as an escort opens his eyes to what he could have with Keith. Sad yet gives a satisfactory hint of a decent future. 3.5 out of 5."Sunshine Superman" by Elin Gregory. m/m A song on the radio throws lobesterman. Sam Yelf back to a wonderful summer of love. Memories of first loves can be heartwarming or bittersweet. Gregory definitely gives us the former in this sweet tale. 3.5 out of 5."Escape to the Country" by Stevie Woods. m/m A historical which gives us Andrew and Stephen and a trip to the country. The first real historical story in the collection if you discount memories. 3 out of 5."Prince Charming's Buttons" by Stevie Carroll. f/m/f Ash and Jen and Colin are not only actors together, but involved sexually as well. Ash's non, or perhaps multi, gender identification is something unusual in a story. 3 out of 5"Yesterday Upon the Stair" by Erastes. m/m Lovers long separated, reunited again and yet one partner isn't totally present. Wow. This is an incredibly intense story and beyond tragic for the one relating it. 4.5 out of 5."Benefits of Peace" by Alex Beecroft. m/m First year student Timothy Somper is just getting the hang of punting when his crush, another first year student named Roland Ashby crashes into him. Another historical that falls between the World Wars. The last line could imply tragedy, especially if you know the end of it as well as what happens next in history. 3.5 out of 5."They Who Come After the Stories End" by Sophia Deri-Bowen. m/m Not quite fully realized characters from a feverish dream live and love together. An interesting premise that deserves a much longer format. 3.5 out of 5.
review 2: British Flash by UK-MAT (published by JMS Books at 24,660 words) is a free download, an anthology of flash fiction written by several British authors and edited by UK-MAT, the UK-Meet Acquisitions Team, which is involved in writing and promoting GLBTQ fiction in the UK. The clever cover art is by Alex Beecroft.You might be wondering what flash fiction is. According to Wikipedia, no set word-count defines it – but it’s short. It could be 1000 words, 300 words, or even only 55 words. The average length in this collection is about 1000 words. Of these twenty-one flash fictions, seventeen are gay romance, two are lesbian romance, one is gender-fluid, and one is a ménage à trois, with a gay male couple focusing on a woman. Each story is categorized into one of three levels of sexual explicitness: Perfectly Decent, A Teasing Glimpse, and The Full Monty!Standouts include Clare London’s story “Our Place”, which shows how the right phrase can end a story on a perfect note. Josephine Myles’s story “Giving It Up” is subtle and complex, with a funny twist. “Thoughts in Spring” by Mara Ismine features some intriguingly weird interaction between bird and man that builds to a delightfully unexpected conclusion. “Like a Girl” by JL Merrow, which centers on two female karate students, features such a strong narrative voice that I can hear the British accents in my mind like a movie soundtrack. “Sunshine Superman” by Elin Gregory effortlessly covers a huge span of narrative time, and makes a powerful emotional impact. British Flash is a terrific introduction to several of the leading British authors in the GLBTQ romance field.Val for AReCafe less

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