Fans of romance books that have a "real feel" to them will find this m/m-fueled tale an intriguing and compelling read. Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Gays of Our Lives by Kris Ripper, along with my impressions of it, then learn even more by visiting the other sites hosting this tour. In honor of this first installment in the Queers of La Vista series leave a comment below telling us what intrigues you about this book (pretty please!!!) for the chance to win a too!
Emerson Robinette only leaves his apartment to get laid and go to work. Having MS—and trying to pretend he doesn’t—makes everything more complicated, especially his fantasies of coming on strong and holding a guy down. Finding a partner who’ll explore that with him isn’t Emerson’s idea of a realistic goal.
Until a chance meeting with a hipster on a bus makes him reconsider. Obie is happy, open-hearted, and warm; what’s more, he gets his kicks being physically dominated, spanked, and teased until he’s begging. It would be perfect, except for one thing: Emerson isn’t made for happiness, and he doesn’t see how a guy like Obie would settle for a cynic like him.
But as far as Obie's concerned, the only thing keeping them apart is Emerson. Can Emerson handle a boyfriend who's more invested in his future than he is? Emerson's barely convinced he has a future. But when Obie's smiling at him, anything seems possible.
Until a chance meeting with a hipster on a bus makes him reconsider. Obie is happy, open-hearted, and warm; what’s more, he gets his kicks being physically dominated, spanked, and teased until he’s begging. It would be perfect, except for one thing: Emerson isn’t made for happiness, and he doesn’t see how a guy like Obie would settle for a cynic like him.
But as far as Obie's concerned, the only thing keeping them apart is Emerson. Can Emerson handle a boyfriend who's more invested in his future than he is? Emerson's barely convinced he has a future. But when Obie's smiling at him, anything seems possible.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
When it comes to disability being depicted in romance novels it oftentimes is used as a test to see how committed a couple is to each other or ends up being resolved due to a miracle. As a disabled person I long to see a depiction that is more realistic, with all the ups and downs of daily living on display. With this first installment in the Queers of La Vista series readers are introduced to the gruff and slightly resentful Emerson who's been diagnosed with MS and who gives insight into the disease through sarcasm, humor, and moments of bitterness. His outlook changes though the moment he meets the happy and supportive Obie who shows him that he has lots of living yet to do in a burgeoning relationship that's sweet and sexy.
Emerson's never been an upbeat person. Hiding his sexuality while growing up left him lonely and at odds with his parents. Throughout the years he's gotten used to his solitary existence, relying on random hook-ups in the back of bars. Being diagnosed with MS didn't change that, but it's definitely made him more bitter. Through a narrative of inner dialogue readers get a glimpse of the disease's affects on his body and his shame of others seeing his weakness, especially when it comes to sex and his dominant desires. It wasn't until long after he left his hometown behind that he discovered his desire to dominate through baby steps that were abruptly halted upon being diagnosed. He could no longer assimilate the dominant male with his ever-weakening body which further frustrated him and added to his self-esteem issues. Meeting Obie though has him seeing himself in a different light and with each encounter they grow closer together, experimenting in and out of the bedroom in a journey that affects Emerson on every level. Some may find Emerson abrasive but I enjoyed his snark and could easily relate to his frustrations regarding his ever-changing body. Hiding from the world has only made him more bitter and alone though which is why I was cheering Obie's arrival. Emerson opened up to him, despite his efforts not to, and it made him a happier and more fulfilled person who embraced life instead of hiding from it. His feelings for Obie snuck up on him and the realization added another layer of charm to a romance that was refreshing in its realism and swoon-worthy because of the delightful Obie.
Obie was like a breath of fresh air in Emerson's angry existance. He's a happy and supportive person to all who know him. He's a hard worker with a deep well of creativity who lives life to the fullest. When he first meets Emerson he's curious and it's that curiosity that has him coming back for more and not letting Emerson push him away out of fear. He encourages Emerson to indulge in his desires and subtly gets him to take better care of himself when it comes to his health. That love and support extends to his pregnant roommate Mildred and made for an endearing sibling-like connection that had me laughing at their playful interactions. Considering how much I adored Obie I wish we'd spent more time with him. I would've loved adding to the story's realism by getting glimpses of his inner dialogue and hear his frustrations with Emerson as all readers see is his constant forgiveness. He's a wonderful hero who brought Emerson out of his shell and his easy acceptance of Emerson's disability was something we all hope for in a partner.
This was a quick read with an entertaining narrative. Emerson was a character full of conflicting emotions and moods that varied depending on his body's constant changes. For some readers it makes for a character hard to love at times, but I could empathize with his emotional ups and downs. Obie's an uplifting character and the epitome of a romantic hero, supporting Emerson in many subtle and overt ways while introducing him to new people and new ways of living. Theirs is a romance both sweet and sexy that deals with MS and sexuality head-on in a respectful way while still managing to incorporate a bit of bdsm into their encounters. It's a colorful and vibrant world surrounding these two with larger than life secondary characters interacting with them and laying the groundwork for future installments in this series. There's also a bit of danger hinted at with the death of a drag queen that doesn't serve much purpose other than as a distraction that easily could've been omitted. On a whole though this was a delightful story that nicely blended disability and sexuality in a realistic way. Emerson and Obie were beautifully matched in a relationship full of sensual interactions, honesty, and intense emotions that fans of m/m romances will appreciate and that I definitely recommend.
Emerson's never been an upbeat person. Hiding his sexuality while growing up left him lonely and at odds with his parents. Throughout the years he's gotten used to his solitary existence, relying on random hook-ups in the back of bars. Being diagnosed with MS didn't change that, but it's definitely made him more bitter. Through a narrative of inner dialogue readers get a glimpse of the disease's affects on his body and his shame of others seeing his weakness, especially when it comes to sex and his dominant desires. It wasn't until long after he left his hometown behind that he discovered his desire to dominate through baby steps that were abruptly halted upon being diagnosed. He could no longer assimilate the dominant male with his ever-weakening body which further frustrated him and added to his self-esteem issues. Meeting Obie though has him seeing himself in a different light and with each encounter they grow closer together, experimenting in and out of the bedroom in a journey that affects Emerson on every level. Some may find Emerson abrasive but I enjoyed his snark and could easily relate to his frustrations regarding his ever-changing body. Hiding from the world has only made him more bitter and alone though which is why I was cheering Obie's arrival. Emerson opened up to him, despite his efforts not to, and it made him a happier and more fulfilled person who embraced life instead of hiding from it. His feelings for Obie snuck up on him and the realization added another layer of charm to a romance that was refreshing in its realism and swoon-worthy because of the delightful Obie.
Obie was like a breath of fresh air in Emerson's angry existance. He's a happy and supportive person to all who know him. He's a hard worker with a deep well of creativity who lives life to the fullest. When he first meets Emerson he's curious and it's that curiosity that has him coming back for more and not letting Emerson push him away out of fear. He encourages Emerson to indulge in his desires and subtly gets him to take better care of himself when it comes to his health. That love and support extends to his pregnant roommate Mildred and made for an endearing sibling-like connection that had me laughing at their playful interactions. Considering how much I adored Obie I wish we'd spent more time with him. I would've loved adding to the story's realism by getting glimpses of his inner dialogue and hear his frustrations with Emerson as all readers see is his constant forgiveness. He's a wonderful hero who brought Emerson out of his shell and his easy acceptance of Emerson's disability was something we all hope for in a partner.
This was a quick read with an entertaining narrative. Emerson was a character full of conflicting emotions and moods that varied depending on his body's constant changes. For some readers it makes for a character hard to love at times, but I could empathize with his emotional ups and downs. Obie's an uplifting character and the epitome of a romantic hero, supporting Emerson in many subtle and overt ways while introducing him to new people and new ways of living. Theirs is a romance both sweet and sexy that deals with MS and sexuality head-on in a respectful way while still managing to incorporate a bit of bdsm into their encounters. It's a colorful and vibrant world surrounding these two with larger than life secondary characters interacting with them and laying the groundwork for future installments in this series. There's also a bit of danger hinted at with the death of a drag queen that doesn't serve much purpose other than as a distraction that easily could've been omitted. On a whole though this was a delightful story that nicely blended disability and sexuality in a realistic way. Emerson and Obie were beautifully matched in a relationship full of sensual interactions, honesty, and intense emotions that fans of m/m romances will appreciate and that I definitely recommend.
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris shares a converted garage with a toddler, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Kris is genderqueer and prefers the z-based pronouns because they’re freaking sweet. Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.
WEBSITE: http://www.krisripper.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/
**********GIVEAWAY**********
PRIZE IS A BOOK FROM KRIS RIPPER'S BACKLIST (Prior to Gays of Our Lives)!
-Giveaway is OPEN TO ALL!
-To be entered, leave a comment telling us what intrigues you about this book, ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDY (NO EMAIL ADDY=NO ENTRY)!
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-GIVEAWAY ENDS AT MIDNIGHT EST ON JULY 16, 2016.
Thanks for the review!
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts =)
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Thanks for the review
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