Ladymol's Review

I choose this book because of the wildly differing reviews on Amazon. There’s nothing like a hint of controversy to spice up your reading. I was either going to be reading a wonderful, spicy, funny tale of doomed love, or a crappy piece of badly written trash. I’m very happy to say that it was the first!

This really is an incredibly entertaining book, which works on many levels. It is a story of doomed romance, told in the wonderfully funny voice of Alex, an actor on a dreadful American daytime soap. At college, he met and fell in love with a fellow student, Nick. It’s one of those loves that doesn’t come along very often: all-consuming, making you act wildly out of character, forming your character. Alex tells the story in flashbacks, and he is his own harshest critic. He knows he’s acting shamelessly, but he just can’t help himself, for Nick is already “married”. He’s in a long-term relationship with Barney and not about to give this up however much Alex tries to make him. The really funny thing about this book is that it’s all first person, so we only get to see Nick and Barney through Alex’s eyes. It’s a study in narcissism, and had me laughing out loud in parts. I so identified with Alex and desperately wanted things to work out for him.

The other part of the book, which is equally funny and well written is the story of Alex’s life on the soap. Nothing in Alex’s life, however bizarre it gets at times, can compare with his deadpan asides about the plots and scripts of his show “Hearts Crossing”. Life and “art” begin to blur when Alex is accidentally “outed” kissing his boyfriend, Trevor, at the airport, (yes, he’s totally in love with Nick, but a man has needs!). The soap doesn’t fire him; it turns his character gay! So, Alex becomes the first openly gay character in daytime soap. You’d think the gay lobby would be pleased. Alex’s character, Simon, however, is the evil Simon: a devious, manipulative bad guy. They take objection to the juxtaposition of gay and bad and begin to create waves. The moral majority attack him, too, and add to this a crazed former fan and a dangerous stalker, and Alex’s life begins to resemble a soap!

The cover of this book, yet again, does it no favours. This is a very clever, very funny, utterly captivating book. Highly recommended.

Cerisaye's Review

This book is delightful.  Light and frothy, yes, but extremely well written and hugely entertaining, with characters so agreeable you want to take home to dinner.  Well, Alex Young, the 20 something narrator, I’d rather do naughty things with but given he’s definitely gay, that’s sadly out of the question; but I’ll settle for best friends, like Madonna and Rupert Everett.  He’s good company, funny and smart, devastatingly handsome, charmingly sweet, self-effacing…a bit naïve, perhaps. 

Alex lives in LA, where he appears on a trashy daytime soap.  He’s just been made a recurring character, regular, well-paid work.  Hoping for that big break that’ll lead to a career as a ‘proper’ actor.  For professional reasons Alex is in the closet.  This is the early 90s.  Long before QAF, Will & Grace, Queer Eye, etc.  Even now it’s rare for gay actors to be out, and if they are they won’t be offered leading man roles.  The moral right endlessly fights positive onscreen portrayals of gay love, achieving success through orchestrated campaigns of hate.  Fans are fickle and potentially dangerous homophobes. These issues aren’t shirked, despite the feelgood nature of the book.  So, charm with substance.

Alex’s new life appears to have everything he dreamed of.  But he can’t forget first (only) love, Nick.  Left back home in Texas as Alex follows his chosen path. Alex is a romantic.  He believes in Mr Right.  And that’s Nick, love god lawyer with movie idol looks.  Sadly, he’s firmly attached to odious Barney- misplaced obligation, fear of real emotional commitment. 

Alex tries to play the field, but his heart isn’t in it.  Sexy stud Trevor, another aspiring actor, is the closest he gets to a boyfriend, but he’s an emotionally immature pretty boy.  They meet for hot sex whenever the urge gets too much. Basically, Alex doesn’t want to cheat on Nick.  So, unless he can get him out of system, or persuade him to leave Barney he’s doomed to loveless, lonely existence.  Not that he mopes or whines, far from it. His livelihood depends on maintaining physical perfection so he can be a tad self-obsessed but in a nice way, and he definitely isn’t shallow. 

Cleverly revealed through flashback, we get the nitty gritty on Alex’ ‘adulterous’ affair with Nick, why one is in LA nursing unrequited passion and the other in Austin, stuck in a relationship long past its sell-by date.  Both of them gorgeous and adorable and just right for each other.  Before I’d read more than a page or two I was desperate for Alex to get his man.  There’s plenty of between-the-sheets activity to whet the appetite for lust, beautifully described, erotic and sensual and very hot.  McLaughlin is a class act. 

The book is very readable, well plotted so the pace never flags.  Alex’ experience of minor celebrity as a soap star causes complications that threaten to ruin his career.  The heart of the novel is a romantic tale of lost love and poignant longing.  Characters are well developed, the dialogue sparkles with wit and humour and real human feeling.  The TV land backdrop has the authenticity of real life experience.  I can’t recommend the book too highly.  If only more romance novels were this good.