Tag: Treading the Boards series

He’s Behind You by Rebecca Cohen (2nd Edition)

Rebecca Cohen - He's Behind You Cover urnf7nTitle: He’s Behind You

Series: Treading the Boards 03

Author: Rebecca Cohen

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (166 pages)

Publisher: Rebecca Cohen (19th November 2019)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Blurb: ICraig Rosen thinks he’s pretty happy with his quiet geeky life working in a lab in London and playing Warhammer. But one of his colleagues has other ideas and drags Craig along to an audition at the amateur dramatic society, the Sarky Players, for their Christmas pantomime, Aladdin. Meeting Jason Carter makes Craig think that maybe he’s not as content as he thought.

Jason accepted he’s gay a little later in life than most, but now with an ex-wife and in his late thirties, he’s ready to embrace who he really is. He can’t believe his luck when he meets Craig, and the cute younger man’s patience and gentleness make him the perfect guy to help Jason navigate his new life.

While there’s no denying the attraction between them, it’s not just Jason’s insecurities that might upset their best performance. Craig is convinced that someone as confident as Jason, a corporate lawyer who looks sexy in a suit, could never settle for a man like him. Together they will need to re-write the script to give themselves the happy ending they deserve.

ISBN: B081S96R62

Product Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Rebecca Cohen’s series, Treading the Boards, is as fun as the pantomime and plays that amateur theatre group the Sarky Players thrive on so much. While these books may be read as standalones, I do like that we do get to catch up with the previous characters so it would be good to read the previous installments.

In He’s Behind You we get the story of Craig Rosen and Jason Carter. Craig is a post-doctoral research at medical research labs somewhere in London. He’s a quirky guy, who has known who he is for a long time; including the fact that he loves the role playing game, Warhammer. Jason is a corporate lawyer who got married at the age of seventeen after getting his girlfriend pregnant. Now at the ripe old age of thirty-eight he is finally divorced and has made the step to come out of the closet. One aspect of Jason that I love is that he is still great friends with his ex-wife and his two kids are fantastic. These three make really good minor characters. But I am sidetracked, after a chance meeting Jason and Craig meet while auditioning for the Sarky Players.

For me it was way too easy to relate to Craig. Partly because I know people that are similar to him in personality and this also includes me, but mostly because this portrays academia and scientific research and generally life working in a lab with great accuracy. I should know: I’ve done the whole PhD thing and work in a lab. Craig and Jason work really well together, I loved and believed their chemistry.

Summer Season by Rebecca Cohen (2nd Edition)

Rebecca Cohen - Summer Season Cover dsn6sdegTitle: Summer Season

Series: Treading the Boards 02

Author: Rebecca Cohen

Genre: Contemporary, Arts

Length: Novella (139 pages)

Publisher: Rebecca Cohen (19th November 2019)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Ryan Penniford needs a break from the daily grind of London life. A trip down to Porthcurno, Cornwall, to perform at the stunning Minack Theatre with his amateur dramatics society, the Sarky Players, is the perfect answer. Playing Puck in A Midsummer’s Night Dream will certainly lighten his spirits.

After meeting Stuart Box, a local who has returned to Cornwall after earning his PhD in London, Ryan thinks he might have finally found someone who can see behind his mask of flirty Ryan to see the real man. They quickly realise they have great off-stage chemistry, and want as many repeat performances as possible.

Pity Ryan is only visiting Cornwall for two weeks, but Stuart is keen to return to London and he may have found another incentive to get a new job, and fast. Both men want to see where this more-than-just a holiday romance might take them.

ISBN: B081RGNQ8D

Product Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is the second instalment to Rebecca Cohen’s Treading the Boards series (and I am well aware that there is at least one other series in MM called Treading the Boards). You don’t need to have read book 1 to get into this one. The couple of the previous book, Overly Dramatic, Andy and Phil, are mentioned a couple of times but nothing that requires a back story.

We are back in the world of the Sarky Players amateur theatre group and they are now on the road from London for a summer performance in Cornwall. This time round we get to meet member of the Sarky Players, Ryan as he readies himself to play the part of Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s at the local outdoor amphitheatre that he meets local guy Stuart. The road to romance is rocky for them, and probably a bit predictable, but it is entirely pleasing. However, once again I enjoyed the chemistry between the MCs and the romance was hot.

On a more personal note, I have to say that it took me a few days to realise that I did indeed enjoy this story more than I originally thought. Stuart’s story of finishing his PhD and having problems finding a post-doctoral research position just hit too close to home for me, the problem being that I am approaching the end of my PhD and finding myself in the same position (and in a similar field of biology) to Stuart. Maybe I can find my very own Ryan! 

In saying all that, people towards the end of their PhDs will find some of the descriptions so close to home that it’s almost depressing. For everyone else, rest assured this is a pretty damn realistic look at the life of research scientists.

Nevertheless, cannot wait for book 3!!! Even if that will also be alarmingly close to my own life.

Overly Dramatic by Rebecca Cohen (2nd Edition)

Rebecca Cohen - Overly Dramatic Cover 3487hTitle: Overly Dramatic

Series: Treading the Boards 01

Author: Rebecca Cohen

Genre: Contemporary, Arts

Length: Novella (144 pages)

Publisher: Rebecca Cohen (18th November 2019)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts

Blurb:Andy Marshall has moved back to London with plans for a fresh start. A little heart sore from a nasty break up, he joins a local amateur dramatics society called the Sarky Players based in Greenwich. Despite his best efforts at the audition, Andy lands a leading role in play called Whoops, Vicar, There Goes My Trousers, a ridiculous farce written by a local first-time playwright.

The play might be bad, but the Sarky Players are a friendly bunch. Andy quickly makes new friends and finds himself drawn to Phil Cormack, a local artist helping with the set and props. But despite their growing attraction, Phil’s not in the right place to date, and Andy won’t wait forever.

Life doesn’t run to a script, and if Andy and Phil want to get their happy ending, they need to move past rehearsals and put each other centre stage.

ISBN: B081QWV2F2

Product Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is a bit of a fun novella which was thoroughly enjoyable and good when you just want to read and relax. ‘

It’s a bit of a usual story – main character moves town/city to get away from a bad relationship and a fresh start. Andy has done exactly that after a long-term relationship breaks down and takes up a job in London where he works as an accountant. After talking to one of his co-workers he winds up joining a small amateur theatre group called the Sarky Players.

This is a funny story, helped particularly by the fact that Andy finds himself cast in the horrendously named Whoops, Vicar, There Goes My Trousers. It’s especially funny when Andy encounters the play right and her reaction that the play she wrote as a bet was being put on by the local am-dram company. It’s through the Sarky Players that he meets one of the props managers, Phil, and instantly there are sparks between the guys. Sometimes it felt like the romance was a bit slow in coming along but I love the chemistry between Andy and Phil, nonetheless.

I liked the very human and relatable feel of the other characters in the Sarky Players, including the woman and her husband that had introduced Andy back into the world of theatre. It’s a lot of fun and nothing to take more seriously than the words on the page.

Rite of Summer by Tess Bowery

rite-of-summerTitle: Rite of Summer
Series: Treading the Boards, #1
Author: Tess Bowery
Genre: Historical
Length: Novel (304 pages)
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (2 June 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts
Blurb: There are terrors worse than stage fright. Like falling in love.

Violinist Stephen Ashbrook is passionate about three things—his music, the excitement of life in London, and his lover, Evander Cade. It’s too bad that Evander only loves himself. A house party at their patron’s beautiful country estate seems like a chance for Stephen to remember who he is, when he’s not trying to live up to someone else’s harsh expectations.

Joshua Beaufort, a painter whose works are very much in demand among the right sort of people, has no expectations about this party at all. Until, that is, he finds out who else is on the guest list. Joshua swore off love long ago, but has been infatuated with Stephen since seeing his brilliant performance at Vauxhall. Now he has the chance to meet the object of his lust face to face—and more.

But changing an open relationship to a triad is a lot more complicated than it seems, and while Evander’s trying to climb the social ladder, Stephen’s trying to climb Joshua. When the dust settles, only two will remain standing…when they’re not flat on their backs.

Product Warnings
Contents under pressure. Contains three men, two beds, one erotic piercing, and the hottest six weeks of summer the nineteenth century has ever seen.

ISBN: 9781619227224

Product Link: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5451/rite-of-summer

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Rite of Summer is the first book in Tess Bowery’s series, Treading the Boards. As far as I can tell, not only is this the first book but the second book appears to totally unrelated to this story.

The story introduces long-term lovers, composer Evander Cade, and violinist Stephen Ashbrook. Stephen and Evander are supported by Evander’s patron, a duke, who made it clear from the start that Stephen and Evander were a package deal. That’s great for musicians in London who would otherwise be struggling.

Yet, that is not entirely true.

Stephen seems to have his own connections in London and other prospects if he weren’t exclusively only playing Evander’s music. Evander is a very controlling presence and from the start you can tell that something needs to happen between these guys because the control seems to border on abuse. While at a house party their benefactor is hosting, the couple meet Joshua Beaufort. He’s an extraordinarily talented artist and his Society benefactor is in fact a cousin.

The attraction between the men is almost instantaneous (even if some people seem a tad bit distracted at times). The best part is, I suppose, depends on how you look at it, but the blurb tell us ultimately what to expect. Only two of the men are going to remain standing, the question is which two men of the trio are going to end out together?

The plot is very simple and felt as though the characters were just let loose, letting the pieces fall where they will. Which, for the most part, is how a lot of the most enjoyable books are written or, at least, this is how it feels like they have been written. The characters are wonderfully written, though I think Evander in particular could have had more details/development.

Stephen is a great character, in many ways he is the primary of the three main characters. He goes through a bit of a roller coaster through the story and generally learns a lot of valuable lessons along the way. The same could be said for Joshua, who joins (in more ways than one) an already long-established couple. However, like Evander, there were times where he could have done with a bit more of something.

I apologise, I really can’t put my finger on what I felt was missing when it comes to these guys. But I suspect a lot of it is because a majority of the story is from Stephen’s side.

Anyone who likes a historical MM story will no doubt enjoy this, especially those of us that like the whole Georgian/Victorian eras of English history. An exact year is not specified but we are either at the start of the French Revolution, or a couple of decades later around the height of the Napoleonic Wars. I like how the author put in a bit of a dose of reality as to how homosexuality was treated at that point in history, including the laws of both England and France at the time.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *