Storm Grant Fiction that's pretty, witty, straight and gay!
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Reviews:
By Robyn Sumire, 05/25/2008
Posted to the Torquere website: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=1266&reviews_id=342
This one is refreshing, at times even wacky. Cameron is almost a war hero and you would have thought he is 100% alpha. But he is still very much a "Mummy's boy" at heart. He develops an allergy for citrus chemicals which could make him go crazy. And one day this same allergy lands him in deep troubles. Fortunately he is rescued by Grace, his very resourceful mother. But now Cameron is very much indebted to Grace who runs a brothel. The only way to repay his debt is to work for his mother! And Grace is all for making full use of his son's skills and good looks. Strange treatment from one's mother. Not that she does not care but Grace being Grace is just practical and resourceful. And of course there is romance when one very learned, young but impoverished professor, Joshua, enters the picture. This may just be a single shot but its cast of characters is well developed. The plot is entertaining, amusing and the romance sweet. I would love to read more from this writer.
By Elisa Rolle, 05/31/2008
Posted to the Torquere website, Amazon.com, and her own website
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/308318.html?thread=873822
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B001AXAHNQ/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
A short novel, strange but interesting.
Cam is a former Marine: after a mental breakdown due to a disastrous mission, he retired from the Corps and now he lives with his mother, a drill sergent with a skirt. Grace, his mother, is a notorious Mistress, she owns a very profitable brothel in San Francisco and even if she loves her son, she does nothing for free. And so a reluctant Cam finds himself sometime bartending and sometime whoring for his mother, and even if he is gay, when he is with a customer, woman or man is the same, it's not doing for pleasure but for work.
Seeing that adding a man to her stable improves the profit, Grace asks Cam to "recruiting" other young man, and Cam meets Joshua, a young man in obvious need of a friend. But Cam has no heart to bring Joshua back to his mother, and so he lets him go, hoping for him to find a better life. But maybe living in a brothel with a loving mother, even if a business woman, is not a so bad perspective in comparison on what he could find on the streets.
The story edges on the absurd. Both Cam than Joshua pasts are so unbelievable and excessive that are almost a genial twist in the usual story. And Grace is a wonderful character, almost better than his son Cam. Tart and Soul is a light tale, it seems like some old movies setting in difficult and dangerous era, but inside the movie all goes right, and the reality never breaks the good mood of the story. Even some pretty ugly events, like Joshua's raping, remain untold and refer to in a lightly way. And the resolution to the most difficult situations is always simple and fast.
Both Cam and Joshua are lost souls in need of a safe haven that they find in the "loving" embrace of Grace (even if Grace calculates how much money she could gain having two lost souls as her employees...)
Tart and Soul is not very long, less than 70 pages, but I think it deserves more, both on the same story and also telling us something more on what happens next.
By M. Nix "Joyfully Reviewed", July 9, 2008
Posted on Amazon.com and Joyfully Reviewed:
http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/RRs/July08RR/TartAndSoul.SG.html
Cam is having a hard time adjusting to life outside of the Marines, especially in light of the embarrassing reason for his discharge - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe allergic reactions to all things citrus. Now, back in San Francisco, his PTSD has left him at the mercy of his mother--the renowned owner of the brothel Tuesday's Child. While unwillingly working for his mother "recruiting" Cam comes across Joshua, a down on his luck doctoral student, who sees right through Cam's approach and turns him down flat. However, when Cam comes across Joshua hooking several weeks later everything is different - but will Joshua give Cam a chance?
Tart and Soul is a
one of the most unlikely romances I've had the
pleasure of reading in a long time. Living in a brothel, with a
mother that doesn't respect sexual boundaries between family members and
unwillingly turning tricks for his own mother makes Cam an intriguing
character that will charm you despite the unlikely setting. Joshua is more
of a secondary character to Cam's actions but he serves to provide a
humorous foil to Cam's seriousness and to bring a little light into his
life. From start to finish Cam and Joshua will capture your attention and
then your heart as they clumsily make their way to a life together. Get
yourself Tart and Soul the next time you are in the mood for
an unusual but charming read!
Sabella, reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
By R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER),
June 22, 2008
Posted to Amazon.com.
Distinct, refreshing and
enjoyable.
This one is refreshing, at times even wacky. Cameron is almost a
war hero and you would have thought he is 100% alpha. But he is still very
much a "Mummy's boy" at heart. He develops an allergy for citrus chemicals
which could make him go crazy. And one day this same allergy lands him in
deep troubles. Fortunately he is rescued by Grace, his very resourceful
mother. But now Cameron is very much indebted to Grace who runs a brothel.
The only way to repay his debt is to work for his mother! And Grace is all
for making full use of his son's skills and good looks. Strange treatment
from one's mother. Not that she does not care but Grace being Grace is just
practical and resourceful.
And of course there is romance when one very learned,
young but impoverished professor, Joshua, enters the picture.
This may just be a single shot but its cast of characters is well developed. Cameron and Joshua are very likable characters and by the end of the story, Grace does come across a caring mum. The plot is entertaining and amusing. The romance between Cameron and Joshua is especially sweet and touching and I wish there is more on this couple.
I would love to read more from this writer.
By grrluknow, posted to Amazon.com
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=1266&reviews_id=357
Original gay romance with
a sense of humor, June 16, 2008
Fun characters and a twist on the usual m/m romance make this a short
fiction well worth the bit of pocket change it costs to make it yours.
This is not your average m/m romance by any means. We are introduced to our viewpoint character, Cameron, with a jolt (he's coping with post traumatic stress disorder), and that introduction creates immediate sympathy and interest in Cam's situation. Cam's mom, Grace, did not endear so much as impress with her confident, independent personality and her unusual point of view. She comes to Cam's rescue when he needs her, but with strings attached--the sort of strings that would horrify your average mom. Grace does grow on you by the story's end. She cares about Cam and is obviously willing to go to some length to look out for him. That makes her a good mom in this reader's eyes, despite her mercenary streak.
The character who did endear, besides Cam, is Joshua. Grace's machinations do bring Cam some direction in the midst of a rough patch in his life, and something clicks when he and Joshua meet. Their meeting is fun and the author does a nice job of giving us their backstories as the two men become acquainted. And vivid backstories they do have, these boys. :) I enjoyed the way the author kept everything moving with a fresh, funny appeal. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out, despite the story's length, and even a couple of minor characters came as vividly to life, helped by the smart details the author slips in.
My favorite part of the story was the way in which Cam and Joshua find each other again and the ensuing sweetness as they reconnect emotionally and physically. I was wishing this story had been longer, because I wanted more of their relationship.
While the occasional pun made me cringe (as puns tend to do), the author has a crisp, uncluttered writing style and a good eye for the right detail to set a scene. I could see it all quite clearly, especially the brothel. I recommend this story to readers looking for something entertainingly off-the-wall, with enough charm to thoroughly win you over, and characters that are memorable and likeable. I will be looking out for more from this author, too.
By bbmrebel, Rebel’s Ramblings, http://bbmrebel.livejournal.com/78507.html
This one started off really odd--until you realize that the guy is having flash back, a symptom of PTS and an odd allergy he came back with after his time on active duty with the Marines. For a short one, I liked this.
By Jasmina Vallombrosa
http://tcm-ca.com/reviews/2488.html
Ex-Marine Cam doesn't know what to do with himself now that he is done with his tour. Coming to stay with him mother for a bit while he figures out what to do, he begins to have his doubts. Ever since his mother became the madam of the city's leading brothel called Tuesday's Child, he has tried to find a way to pay back his debt to her. After mentioning his concerns, his mother finds the perfect solution, and that means going on the hunt for her brothel. Reluctant to do the job but instantaneously intrigued when he first meets graduate student Joshua, the sparks begin to fly between them. However, before things can continue further, outside forces such as nasty pimps, atypical allergies, and a bad decorating scheme threaten to tear them apart.
This short yet definitely sweet story was an absolute pleasure to read. Once again, I am not disappointed by author Storm Grant and her amazing storytelling talents. The plot was entertaining and full of drama. The characters were full of life and the sexual tension between Cam and Joshua were very much evident and believable. In addition, I particularly enjoyed the close relationships of Cam to his unconventional mother and father. Thank you Storm Grant for yet another incredibly enjoyable reading experience.