[.ca] Best Gay Romance (ISBN 1573443034)

excellent, diverse collection:
Best Gay Romance 2008 is an excellent, diverse collection of stories edited by Richard Labonte. He explains in his introduction that the physical part of the relationship is the easy part, but the emotional part takes a little effort. And that is exactly what you get here: the part that takes a little more effort. The wooing and the seduction. The connecting and the falling in love. The romances are sometimes sweet, sometimes bittersweet and other times spicy. Whether the stories warm your heart or warm your body, they all deliver a very satisfying romantic read. Highly recommended. *** In "Henry and Jim" by J. M. Snyder, Henry and Jim are in their twilight years; they've been together for fifty years. As Henry confronts his fear of Jim's fading memory -- through Henry's memories -- we see their life together: their first meeting, their first kiss, their struggles and their love. We watch as they build a life together, as they grow old together. Beautiful and uplifting. Five Stars. As family and friends gather to grieve the death of a loved one, two men connect over a shared grief in Dale Chase's "Empire Room." It's interesting how the author intertwined the story around past memories, present circumstances and the unknown man - creating a beautiful story of loss and hope. Powerful and moving. Five Stars. In "Coming Home" by Shanna Germain, a young man returns home for the first time in four years and confronts a long-denied desire. A heart stirring story that slowly builds with a sweet and poignant tension. Evocative and sensual. Five Stars. In Kal Cobalt's "The Belt," a master disciplines his disobedient lover. Cobalt writes a beautiful story -- with a dash of humor -- of acceptance and trust, connection and love. Passionately intense. Five Stars. In "Boyfriends: Triptych" Shaun Levin gives us three mystical, magical tales of men connecting and falling in love, and the intervening fates that brought them together. Very amusing and original. Five Stars. Matthew Lowe spins a sweetly innocent, lyrical love story with "Endless against Amber," conjuring up memories of best friends, the joy of youthful adventures and the passions of young love. Mesmerizing. Five Stars. In "A Not-So-Straight Duet," Natty Soltesz contributes two different stories of young men who deviate from their preconceived ideas about themselves. In the first story, two college students partner together for a business arrangement and discover they share a common desire. In the second story, the light of the day brings an intense revelation between two young men. Five Stars. In "Falling," Simon Sheppard pens a beautifully sentimental story of an enduring love as a man reminisces by writing love letters to his long-term partner. Very original and very Simon Sheppard. Five Stars. T. Hitman's "The Bike Path" is a story of a long term couple who has learned the secrets of a successful relationship. I loved this story so very much for the simplicity of its message. Highly sensual. Five Stars. In Jameson Currier's haunting story "The Country House," two men who are struggling in their relationship receive help from two spiritual lovers. Very intriguing the way Jameson interjected the stories of the past into the present story. Imaginative and foreboding. Five Stars. In Jack Fritscher's "The Rush of Love (The Titanic 70s before the Iceberg of Irony)," a man is overwhelmed and overcome with an intense, immediate attraction to his perfect fantasy man. Vividly descriptive. Five Stars. "Kilimanjaro" by Jay Starre is about a man who is ready for an adventure of a lifetime, but struggles with the physical demands on his body, until he finds a unique motivation in the form of one athletic, lanky redhead. Serious sensory overload. Five Stars. In "Gone Fishing" by Rob Rosen a man finds himself in desperate circumstances when he impulsively decides to connect with the man of his dreams. Not what you think. Very amusing. Five Stars. "Viva Las Vegas" by Max Pierce is about a man's highly anticipated trip to Sin City with a cute friend that quickly turns disastrous, until the trip is salvaged by one sexy dreamboat. Very Romantic. Five Stars. In Jason Shults' "What the Eye Reveals" an older man obsesses about the possibilities of his past lives, while he struggles with self-doubt and bad karma. Deep and thought-provoking. Five Stars. Victor J. Banis writes a bittersweet story filled with a beautiful honesty, when a man's superficial life is exposed by a life-altering twist of fate in "The Canals of Mars." Five Stars.