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Time Waits by CB Lewis

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Blurb

Time Waits book cover image

Badly wounded and on the run from his WWII Hungarian brigade, Janos Nagy stumbles through a temporal gateway to the future. Suddenly stranded in Manchester, England, 2041, Janos wants answers about a crazy world he doesn’t recognize.

Dieter Schmidt, flamboyant historian/linguist for the Temporal Research Institution has those answers, but the TRI is a neutral entity, set up to verify historical events under a strict code of noninterference. That doesn’t stop Dieter from taking Janos under his protection. Trust doesn’t come easy to Janos, who came from a time when revealing his secrets could get him killed, but the two men slowly build a tentative friendship with a possibility for more. But Janos’s continued presence in the future and Dieter’s persistence raise questions about the limits of the noninterference policy.

Since the rules have been bent once, one agent sees no reason why he can’t push them further, and he travels back to 1914 to make a few changes of his own. Under Janos’s guidance, Dieter must leap back in time to stop the rogue agent from changing the past and risking everyone’s future—if he can survive history.

Review

I love time travel novels, and this one did not disappoint.  Time Waits was a bit unusual as it takes place in the future, 2041 to be exact, and one of our main characters is from the WWII era — a wounded, nearly dead Hungarian soldier on the run who suddenly finds himself in an unexpected time period in a confusing place surrounded by strangers.  This aspect added an especially riveting element to the story.

I enjoyed the slow-build of the romance in this story as each of our two protagonists fights his attraction for the other; Nagy because of internalized homophobia due to an especially traumatic and horrifying event in his past and out-and-proud Dieter, who fights against taking advantage of this man now trapped 100 years in the future.  It’s also worth noting that Dieter also has severe PTSD as a result of his initial encounter with Nagy.  

Both men suffer from physical wounds and deep emotional wounds, and the road to recovery isn’t easy for either of them. Thus, they have a plethora of issues they need to overcome, and I enjoyed witnessing their journey as they did so, though the book explores a few dark themes along the way. 

In this way, Time Waits ends up being quite an emotional read that takes us on a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs:  pride, anger, aggression, resentment, hope, hopelessness, kindness, cruelty, hatred, and love. The romance here is complicated as both men have traumas preventing them from opening up to the other.  And just when you think our guys have finally attained their “happily ever after,” the author throws in one final heart-wrenching curveball, which sends their futures into uncertainty.   

So even though the beginning of their relationship was more than a tad rocky side, our two protagonists do have an amazing simmering chemistry between them, and I rooted for their HEA. They’re both complex, multi-layered, and exceptionally vivid characters — so vivid, in fact, that they jumped off the page for me. There was also some phenomenal world-building here, which also helped to bring this story to life.  

The author does a brilliant job of crafting vivid, tension-filled, heartfelt scenes that flooded me with the characters’ depth, complexity, and their flawed, beautiful hearts. Besides being a compelling sci-fi adventure, Time Waits is also a heart-tugger of a story filled with life, loss, fear, survival, heartbreak, compassion, and eventually, love.   This immersive narrative swept me up from the first page to the last.  It’s about facing unimaginable heartbreak and coming out stronger on the other side, no matter how long it takes you.

This is the first book in the Time Lost series, and I’ll definitely be continuing on with the rest of them.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Nine Star Press for providing me with a review copy of this book.

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Review of Cygenic by Monique Poirer

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I love robot/cyborg stories, so I was excited to pick this one up when it came to my attention. Cygenic is a science fiction story that takes place in the future and follows a cyborg (though they’re called “Cygenics” in this story) named Dante. Cygenics are sentient machines comprised of 85% human DNA that look and feel just like humans. Though they are sentient, they are still considered by law to be machines and thus are subject to ownership by humans. People who own a Cygenic can do whatever they want with it: use it as a nanny, a caregiver, a housekeeper, or even a sex toy.

Dante is strikingly beautiful and extremely intelligent and was commissioned by a professor to help illustrate some of his educational theories. But when the professor passes, Dante is thrust into the system where he is eventually stolen and sold into the sex trade. There, his everyday existence is hell, as his only purpose is to serve the depraved and vicious sex needs of sadistic clients. There were times that the story felt so intense and anxiety-provoking, I had to stop and breathe for a minute. But then one day, Dante’s circumstances change, and his path crosses with that of a man named Nate.

Nate is a programmer who works for an organization that is dedicated to the rights of Cygenics, and much of their work involves rehabilitating down-and-out cyborgs. Nate has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and, like Dante, is hurt, angry and mistrustful of others. But when these two meet, sparks fly between them. But it’s not going to be easy going for our two protagonists, as they need to face head-on the systemic societal oppression which threatens to rip them apart.

Cygenic is a beautifully written novel that is populated with wonderfully complex and empathetic characters, displaying the perfect balance of heartbreak and hope with a tone and style that captured my heart. This is such a smart story, an eye-opening account of letting go of prejudices and of seeing beyond what we think we know.

The story juxtaposes vicious and depraved sexual cruelty with the pure poetry of a new and profound love, and rarely have I encountered a more mesmerizing, beguiling story. Though this is a hard-hitting emotional journey, the lovely ending is worth the price. The author crafts gorgeous, tension-filled scenes and dialogue that suck you in and flood you with the main characters’ depth and their beautiful hearts.

The emotional profoundness of Dante and Nate draws you deeply into their spirit, to the point that their pain is your pain and their joy is your joy. Then there are some wonderfully delicious naughty parts coupled with lovely descriptions of the glorious male physique, which I thought were exceptionally well done in this story. Once we move past some of the more horrific scenes, we’re given moments of pure erotica; heavenly, tawdry, and scintillating.

I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down – I was absolutely spellbound. It’s rich, complicated, creative, clever, as well as tragic and thought-provoking — a pretty honest and raw commentary on humanity. This is a winning love story that gives a voice to underrepresented characters, which in this case, are Cygenics.

Poirer writes with the kind of humanity that we all should embody, the kind that makes you believe that there is still an abundance of good left in the world at any given moment. This book is more about facing unimaginable heartbreak and coming out stronger on the other side, no matter how long it takes you.

I felt happy and hopeful when I finished — everything you want to feel at the end of a great story. I hope the author writes more books set in this world she’s created here as I really grew attached to Dante and Nate as the story unfolded. This utterly and original book blew my mind!

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Monique Poirer for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.

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Review of Once a Girl, Always a Boy by Jo Ivester

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I don’t read biographies all that often, but this one caught my eye, and I’m so glad that I read it. Once a Girl, Always a Boy follows Jeremy Ivester, a trans man who was born as Emily. We follow his journey as he struggles with his identity, knowing all along that something is not quite right with the way he perceives himself.

What’s compelling about this book, however, is that it’s written by his mother, and the author represents the entire family via multiple points of view. In this way, it’s not just Jeremy’s journey we’re reading about but that of his entire family. There is such a strong sense of love and family throughout the book which rendered it all the more endearing.

The story is told in short, vignettes of Jeremy’s life presented chronologically by him and his loving family. We follow along with Jeremey at each stage of his journey, and I loved being privy to his thoughts, feelings, and questions as he struggled to discover his identity and deal with the enormous repercussions of all of his decisions.

Additionally, the everyday gender issues that Jeremy had to deal with were quite eye-opening, things such as sleepovers with his friends, shopping for clothes, getting hair cuts, standing up at weddings, puberty, presenting your ID when asked, prescriptions, passports, which bathroom to use, discrimination and prejudice by others, getting a job, and hateful legislation aimed at trans people. My heart went out to Jeremy as he tried to figure out how he fits into his world, and I applaud his bravery and tenacity as he made many tough decisions, remaining true to his heart in the process.

As a reader, I loved that Jeremy and his mom shared his entire story with us, beginning from around the age of six or so through his adulthood in his 20s. I loved hearing his voice and being privy to his thoughts, feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams every step along the way. What was also interesting was his family’s own journey, as they tried to understand and support him and work through their confusion about what their son was going through.

This book is ultimately about the power of saying – and living – your truth, without fear. It’s not just a story about being trans, but it’s also about discovering one’s true self in the face of the expectations of society and family.

It’s a powerful and compelling story that needed to be told and needs to be read and talked about. This was a surprising read that took me places I very much didn’t expect. It’s the kind of book that makes us think about who we are and how we want to live our lives, and I don’t think I’ve ever read such an intimate and moving portrayal of gender issues like this before. It actually moved me to tears in several places.

Once a Girl, Always a Boy succeeds in doing what you hope every book will do – it pulls you in from the first page, holds you captive in the middle, then leave you satisfied and thoughtful — and perhaps a bit wiser — at the end.

What I especially found riveting about Jeremy’s story is how he was able to discover his true self and move to his place in his life where he was happy, all with his family’s love and support. It was evident how having a loving and supportive family like Jeremy’s made all the difference in his life, and it hurts my heart to realize that not all trans people are so fortunate.

Ultimately, I feel that Jeremy’s story should be a welcome addition to everyone’s bookshelves, regardless of whether you fall somewhere on the LGBTQIA+ Spectrum or not. This is a lovely story about a family accepting their son’s transition and illustrates perfectly how we should all be supporting our children and loved ones. At the end of the day, it’s a story of being human. It’s about unconditionally loving our kids, regardless of how challenging and painful that move toward acceptance can be.

I always find it difficult to rate biographies because, after all, what we have is a true story/snippet of someone’s life. But I don’t hesitate in the least to rate this one five solid stars out of five.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Jo Ivester for providing me with a review copy of this book. This title will be released on April 21, 2020 but you can preorder it from The Book Depository or from Amazon.

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Review of To The Boy Who Wear Pink by Revan Badingham III

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To The Boys Who Wear Pink is a character-driven slice-of-life story that examines the lives of several gay friends who have gathered together for a reunion party. As we move through the evening, we get a glimpse of not only the current evening through their eyes but, through flashbacks, we learn about their history and about what links them to each other. Through these various perspectives, it’s slowly revealed that there’s one specific tragic event that ties many of them, together and as the evening unfolds, we learn bit by bit what that event was.

First off, I loved the format of the book. I enjoyed how each chapter follows the thoughts and actions (both current and past) of each of the guys at the party. Some of these vignettes were more powerful and eye-opening than others, but each was riveting in its own right.

At first, I thought it was going to be challenging to keep track of so many characters, but surprisingly, I was easily able to figure out pretty quickly who’s who. Some of the characters I liked, some I adored, and some I didn’t particularly care for, all of which made the novel even more compelling for me. What was fun for me was turning the page to see whose story we were going to be introduced to next and how they fit in with the others.

There are so many themes in this sometimes dark story, including rape, incest, body shaming, drug and alcohol addiction, self-harm, cheating, sex workers, and transphobia. Throughout the evening, we follow the partygoers as they argue, fistfight, get drunk, take drugs, smoke weed, deal drugs, shag and for some of them, share with each other the tragedy of their past. It was interesting to note that almost everyone at the party was going through a particularly rough patch in their lives at the moment. However, I will say that some of their stories were exceptionally inspiring.

What’s fun about this book is how flawed and diverse all the characters were. Each was compelling in their own way and left me wanting to learn more about their lives. I loved the premise of the story — of how they gathered together once again for this one evening to reflect upon not only their current lives, but contemplate who they used to be and how they ended up on their current life path. To say this book is entertaining is to do it a disservice as it is not only entertaining but also intriguing and emotive on so many levels. It’s a hard-hitting story with a hopeful ending.

To The Boy Who Wore Pink was a subtle blow-me-away kind of book. It got its hooks into me so quickly, and I didn’t want to let go at the end; I’m still mulling it over many days later. This volatile and unpredictable novel wrecked me in the best and most unexpected ways. It’s a story full of melancholy and charm, and I’m so happy I picked it up.

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Silent Sin by EJ Russell

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Book Blurb:

When tailor Marvin Gottschalk abandoned New York City for the brash boomtown of silent-film-era Hollywood, he never imagined he’d end up on screen as Martin Brentwood, one of the fledgling film industry’s most popular actors. Five years later a cynical Martin despairs of finding anything genuine in a town where truth is defined by studio politics and publicity. Then he meets Robbie Goodman.

Robbie fled Idaho after a run-in with the law. A chance encounter leads him to the film studio where he lands a job as a chauffeur. But one look at Martin and he’s convinced he’s likely to run afoul of those same laws—laws that brand his desires indecent, deviant… sinful.

Martin and Robbie embark on a cautious relationship, cocooned in Hollywood’s clandestine gay fraternity, careful to hide from the studio boss, a rival actor, and reporters on the lookout for a juicy story. But when tragedy and scandal rock the town, igniting a morality-based witch hunt fueled by a remorseless press, the studio brass will sacrifice even the greatest careers to defend their endangered empire. Robbie and Martin stand no chance against the firestorm—unless they stand together.

Book Review:

I thought that this well-researched story about the silent movie era Hollywood was utterly fascinating. It’s 1921, and we’re immediately introduced to a young, naive Idaho farmboy named Robinson (AKA “Robbie”) Crusoe Goodman, who escaped to Hollywood. From what exactly he is running away is a mystery, one that is slowly revealed as the plot unfolds.

Robbie manages to land a job as a chauffeur for actor Martin Brentwood. The story then alternates between Martin’s and Robbie’s POV, and we learn that both men are extremely attracted to each other but give the era, they have to be careful to hide their feelings as it could not only ruin their careers but land them in prison.

It’s important to remember that this was a time when being gay had life-threatening consequences. It’s a time when morality-based censorship and witch hunts occupied first spots in the newspapers, morality clauses played a prominent part in Hollywood contracts, and queer people were beaten and even killed by the police. But despite the dangers, Robby and Martin embark on a cautious clandestine relationship, which becomes even more complicated when Robby is thrust into the limelight of Hollywood, and his place in the motion picture world becomes more prominent.

It’s interesting that during this time period, there still wasn’t a word for being queer, and instead, someone who had gay tendencies was referred to as “being in the life.” You still hear this term occasionally, though in recent years, it’s fallen out of favor. It reminded me of the period of my own coming-of-age during which being gay was often called “being a friend of Dorothy.”

It was so much fun going behind the scenes of the golden age of silent film and learning firsthand about the rich history of this period and the machinations of the movie industry. Though our two main characters are fictional, many of the elements, including the scandals and tragedies, are based on actual events that affected real people, all of which the author explains in the novel’s addendum. For instance, the author includes circumstances surrounding the murder of William Desmond Taylor as well as Fatty Arbuckle’s famous trials for rape and manslaughter. These tidbits added a riveting extra layer and dimension to the story, which I especially enjoyed.

In Silent Sin, we got to experience the “real” Hollywood — the Hollywood behind the flashy movie stars and all the glamor. In this way, I thought the world-building was phenomenal. It was so much fun experiencing the movie era that was still in its infancy and was just beginning to take off, still, as of yet, on unsure footing. The author really brought this story to life for me, and I continue to ruminate over it several days later.

I also thought that the author exhibits an uncanny insight into the human condition, and parts of the novel were a pretty honest and raw commentary on humanity. I was amazed at the way Russell was able to weave together historically accurate renderings of the times with a series of unlikely events and coincidences in a way that felt absolutely authentic.

Silent Sin hits at such a visceral level that it’s hard to describe with words, and parts of the book were so emotive and moving that they left me gutted. It’s a rich story that deals with very loaded issues like grief, homophobia, fear, hatred, regrets, the oftentimes difficult journey of personal growth and loss; but also with courage and the opportunity to start anew. It’s eye-opening — and heartbreaking — to witness how the systemic prejudice and homophobia our characters deal with every day has affected their lives in both small and big ways. I was also surprised by the profound impact the story had on me.

Note that though there is a romance between our two main characters, the romance takes a backseat to the historical aspect of the narrative. This is a low-heat story with all the lovemaking taking place off-screen. So if you’re looking for a steamy romance, you won’t find that there. What you will find, however, is a sweet and tender romance between two gentle and charming souls living in a time period where being their authentic selves could prove deadly.

All in all, I found Silent Sin to be an exceptionally unique, surprisingly profound, and beautifully written story that is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s a well-written and smoothly plotted novel of many layers with fully realized and endearing characters and will undoubtedly appeal to historical fiction lovers. I also felt that the ending is perfect, and there were definitely tears of happiness and a wonderful grin plastered across my face during those last final pages.

This is the second book that I’ve read and loved by this author, and I definitely plan on reading more of their books. This one is a gem!

Heat Level: 1

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Review of I Found You by Lisa Jewell

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I Found You book cover image

I Found You follows a single mother and artist named Alice living on a British seaside. One day she spots a stray man who is sitting on the beach near her house and staring at the ocean. He’d been there for hours and has no coat and no idea what is name is or why he’s there. Against her own better judgment, she invites him to stay with her until he gets his memory back and nicknames him Frank for the time being.

Meanwhile, in a London suburb, we’re introduced to Lily Monrose, a recently-married young bride who, originally from Ukraine, moved to London to marry her husband, Carl. They’d only been married for a couple of weeks when one day, he doesn’t come home from work, so Lily calls the police.

After she brings them her husband’s passport, she’s shocked to learn that the passport was purchased on the dark web, and according to police, her husband, as she’d known him, doesn’t exist.

Then the story moves twenty-three years in the past where we’re introduced to the Ross family, specifically their two teenagers, Gray and Kirsty, who are on summer vacation with their parents. They meet a young man named Mark Tate who’s in town visiting his Aunt and who develops an obsessive interest in Kirsty, which troubles Gray. And Gray isn’t surprised when things take a dark turn.

So these are the three storylines and the multiple POVs of Alice, Lily, and Gray, and we move back and forth as they become closer and closer to intertwining. I loved this method of storytelling, and I found myself immediately engrossed in each of the three plotlines as each of them slowly increased the suspense throughout the course of the novel.

It was so much fun trying to guess how these stories would eventually come together. Now I will say that this wasn’t a particularly action-based story but rather delved deeply into the development of the characters, which worked really well for me.

They were so compelling, well-fleshed out, and multi-layered that I ended up feeling as though I know them personally. They felt like ‘real’ people.

The tone of the story started out lightly, shifted to a bit darker, and then to downright ominous as we delve into some serious subject matter. I thought this story was tightly plotted with the surprises coming at just the right time.

Franks memory slowly begins to return, Lily meets people who can help solve the mystery that is her husband and the events in the past unfold, revealing their connection to the present day. I enjoyed how I was never quite sure who to trust as part of the story was like a spider web of lies, each woven tightly only to reveal yet another layer of lies underneath.

So for quite a while, we weren’t sure who to believe and who to trust, which rendered the story all the more exciting for me.

Jewell writes a wonderfully atmospheric, compulsive chiller of a thriller with overtones of horror. I found this story addictive, compulsive, dark, and sinister, and the writing is taut with a gloomy black cloud hanging over our cast of characters.

I loved the delightful, pervasive feeling of menace that lingers over the story, especially when we had no idea who was the true villain in the story. I think that one of the things that I liked most about this book is that I was never sure who I was “rooting” for at a given time.

There’s real depth to the story, which delves into themes of grief, loneliness, regret, crippling emotional suffering, double lives, and second chances. There’s even a bit of romance thrown it.

The development and progress of the plot were very curious and thrilling and felt to me like I was unearthing some long-lost treasure. I also thought that the short chapters and alternating POVs kept the story moving along at a brisk and satisfying pace.

All in all, I found this to be brilliantly devious, dark, and emotionally riveting — at times creepy and violent — but definitely propulsive, another standout gem by Lisa Jewell.

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