Title: The Big Apple
Author: Rose DeAngelo
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 78 pages
Publisher: Roses Romance Publishing (January 9th, 2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5 Hearts
Blurb: Edwin has always assumed his whole life that he didn’t deserve true happiness. Kentucky wasn’t exactly the nicest place when it came to openly gay artists like him, but it was the only place he’d ever known. He could never move away from it. He figured he’d never be able to fulfill his dreams of going to art school and having a thrilling romance with an attractive man. But when he meets Will one day on his morning commute to work, everything changes.
Will gives him the courage to gamble on everything and give up his quaint Kentucky life for the bustling New York City. Edwin never expects to see Will again and soon after moving to New York, he forgets about the magnificent man. But when Will comes rushing back into his life, Edwin can’t believe his luck.
Is this Edwin’s chance at the magnificent romance he’d always dreamed of?
Warning: Contains sexy themes and language. Intended for mature readers!
Product Link: http://amzn.to/1QJisIM
Reviewer: Kenna
Review: Edwin is an artist living in conservative Kentucky. He wants to break free, but fear holds him back. He meets Will on the bus. They share a pleasant conversation, where Will tells Edwin he’s moving to New York City. In just that short period of time, Will manages to convince Edwin to consider art schools there. Months pass, and Edwin has followed his dream, and he’s now working in a NYC Starbucks, going to art school. He keeps thinking about Will, and he often fantasizes about seeing him again.
Fate is on his side because one evening Will actually comes into Edwin’s Starbucks. They share conversation, and Will gives him his number, and of course, Edwin promptly loses it. Again, months pass, and on Valentine’s Day, they run into each other again. This time, there’s not a chance in the world they’re going to get away from each other.
I wanted to like this book. I love the whole star-crossed lovers thing. I love when serendipity brings a couple together. I just couldn’t get into this one, though. I’m not sure if it was because it was such a short story, but I do know that I was distracted by repetitive words and some editing issues.
When the men finally do come together, it’s cute, and their sex scene was pretty hot, but I was completely turned off by a quote from Edwin at the very end. Edwin climbs out of bed when they finish, and Will asks him where he’s going. The response was, “To get rid of the sack of semen on my dick”.
Look, I read erotic romance every day, and I’ve read some very dirty things, but that one sentence turned a decent and romantic scene into something a bit on the vulgar side.
I was also disappointed that the story was over at 37%, and another story followed, rather than making “The Big Apple” longer. Some extra character development and some time for Will and Edwin to get to know each other better (and maybe even another hot sex scene or two), would have made me happy.
Since there is a second story, I’ll give you a quick rundown of it. There is a huge blizzard, cancelling all flights. The airline is offering lodging for the displaced passengers. Three men and one woman (with an EXTREMELY unhappy baby) all wind up at a bed and breakfast run by a strange couple. They all mad, and they’re taking it out on each other and the owners.
As their time there goes on, they seem to relax…even though they refuse to play the games that the B&B’s owners want to play. One of the men is a doctor, and he’s very uptight, but he begins to take pity on the baby’s suffering mother. The other two men wind up bunking together in the same room…literally bunking…as in bunk beds. As with the mommy and doctor, they begin to get along, and they eventually realize that they should be together.
I hate to say it, but I resented this story. I wanted more of the men from “The Big Apple”. I didn’t care for any of these characters. I felt that they were all self-absorbed and snarky and I got kind of a twisted thrill from their misery.
I really wish that both stories could have been…I don’t know…MORE.