Pinky Swear by Lynn Lorenz

Even if from the blurb this novella seems about two grown men who have to come to pact with their common youth, it’s really all about those two boys growing up together and gay, with only each other as referent role model.

Lane is the good boy, studious and diligent, always ready to share the little he has with his best friend Matt; Lane is not from a wealthy family, but his parents replace the lack of material things with plenty of love, and Lane knows that, despite everything in the future waiting for him, he will always have a family to come back home. Matt is not so lucky, he has only a drunken father who for sure is not willing, or able to understand Matt.

When Matt comes out to Lane when they are 15 years old, to Lane is a big surprise: he never imagined that perfect Matt, since Matt to his eyes is all he thinks to be beautiful and desirable, other than sharing a friendship with him, shared also his forbidden desires for other guys. But even if Lane has a good life and loving parents, he is irremediably shy, and he can’t see what other guys can find in him; and probably he is right, since no one has ever spent enough time near him to see the kind and wonderful soul he has. Only Matt, and Matt thinks at Lane as someone pure and untouchable, someone who will never come down enough to be at his same level.

Matt and Lane dance around each other for all their young years, to finally arrive to a night when their unrequited feelings for each other are too much and burst out in a rush. But again, they leave their bodies talk, but words are still locked inside their hearts. It will be years, and an imminent danger to push them to finally open the safes that are their heart, and obviously everything is easier in that way.

This is a very sweet, romantic, and even sexy tale. Other than the two main characters, Lane and Matt, there are other nice supporting role, like Lane’s parents and Sebastian, the 80 years old fairy godmother (and the fairy definition was never more suitable than in this case): they represent the solid basis on which both Lane and Matt are able to fond their life to become good men. An example to follow and always ready to give good advices; and at time, even the voice of your conscience to remind that you can be better than what you think.

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Lynn Lorenz

This novella is a nice romp, funny, light and sexy. Simon and Charles are two average gay men, average like their jobs and their names: Simon is an hotel manager and Charles a wine distributor; no dangerous or risky jobs for them, no chances at all. And usually they are not even daring at love, being those men that at clubs stay in the shadow, that yes, they can find company if they want, but there is no passion or love at first sight. As they don’t dare at work they don’t dare at love. But like a gay guardian angel, Francis, Simon’s boss, unwittingly gives them an help: he throws a masked ball, where people have to dress as stags or drags, and Simon is chosen to be in drags while Charles will be a stag.

Simon and Charles have never met before, but they both go to the same shop to find the perfect costume. When Charles sees Simon an idea struck him, to fulfil his childish daydream to play a naughty version of Cowboys and Indians, with Simon playing the role of the Native American Princess. Even if Charles at first plays with Simon not telling him that they will be at the same party, it’s not the “secret” the turning point of the story, and there is no complain in Simon when he finds out: both men are ready and willing to play, and the main focus of the story is to be able for them to let the children in them go out to play.

It’s not that Simon and Charles are boring or aloof, they are only not daring enough to wear out how they feel inside, and the masks will help them to do exactly that. Beneath the costumes and the make up, the real Simon and Charles are able to come out, the masquerade helps them to be plainly exposed. After this night, maybe Simon and Charles will also be able to retain a bit of that courage, and if to do that they need a little help, like eyeliner to remember the naughty Native American Princess, well it will be a small price to pay to find happiness.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602727856/?tag=elimyrevandra-20