Title: Water Colours
Series: A Dreaming in Color Novel
Author: Trina Lane
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (224 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 12th, 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Phil Alcorn is a vivacious artist living a lonely life. He has hundreds of acquaintances, dozens of casual lovers, but few know his real story. His best friend has found the love of his life, but that leaves Phil with a lot more time to think about the man who opened his eyes to a new and terrifying world one winter night eighteen months ago.

Will Archer has spent his life competing around the world for the US Swim Team, but his mind frequently drifts toward the hills of San Francisco, where Phil lives amidst the fog.

Sparks flare hot in the bedroom, and their friendship deepens each time the two meet. Keeping their arrangement on the down low prevents friends’ inquisitions into their relationship. Will’s heart beats for the artist whose paintings and sculptures move his soul, and Phil’s antics fill Will’s stressful life with laughter. Phil has never believed in happy ever after, but he’s drawn to Will over and over.

Despite their deepening connection, they fear that if they change the rules now, the very thing that captivates them will disappear. Can the pair create a masterpiece all their own, or will their fears drown any chance at happiness?

ISBN: 978-1-63216-397-4

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5939&cPath=54_1323

Reviewer: Prime

Review: I’m going to be honest; it took me a bit to get into the story, mostly because one of our characters is a commitment-phobe and a very unapologetic man-slut. But once I got past that fact, which really did niggle at me for a bit, I realise that this book has two of my favourite themes to be found in a contemporary MM story: sports and the arts. Because who can resist a buff athlete and a carefree artist? Not me, that’s for sure! It also helps that a lot of thought went into this and it reflected in the plot.

The plot is very basic and very subtle. Phil Alcorn is an artist and despite having some very good friends and living a bit of a carefree lifestyle (although he is very much in demand as an artist), he is afraid of falling in love. I think there’s a psychology essay into his character. It’s one of those more typical mind frames of “I got no love from my parents so I don’t want to love anyone in my life because they will leave me”.

A friend of his best friend, Gabe’s, boyfriend is Will Archer. Will like his best friend, Nick, is a professional swimmer and the two had both had competed in many international and national competitions as well as making the Olympic team.

This is an odd story, which had me torn between loving and liking it. It’s subtle because Will and Phil have this casual relationship which over the course of a couple of years steadily grows. They meet each other at the end of their college days because of Nick and Gabe, who were only a newly minted serious couple at that point in the past.

Stuff happens, life happens, but somehow these guys don’t actually completely forget about each other. However, in between all that, we do get to read about Phil having sex with at least two other men, or encountering a past one-night stand.

There is a lot of sex in this story, although I didn’t mind it and I don’t think there was too much unnecessary sex scenes. It probably helps that all the sex scenes are damn steamy and hot. I also liked the fact that we got to learn about both Will and Phil in detail – we got to see Will at some swimming competitions and Phil getting engrossed on his art.

Although some of it bugged me, because writing this actually made me think of a scene of Phil painting and forgetting about his hook-up. The swim competition scenes were enjoyable, especially where Will was talking to other swimmers and the commentary-like pace that the races were described in. I thought it helped give a real good feel for Will’s character and competitive nature, because outside of the pool he comes across more meek and mild.

I really think that there’s something in Nick and Gabe’s story. They were fun guys and although they never tried to match make their best friends they were suspicious of what was going on between Will and Phil. There was one character, Mel, who made a very brief appearance – in fact, everything about her was brief despite the fact she managed Phil’s art gallery and was his manager, so I would have liked a bit more there, but what we did get was still good, it was just quick and abrupt.

But seriously, all these little niggling issues I mention, become nothing because there is a happily ever after! This was my first Trina Lane book and I won’t object to reading more in the future.

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