Elyse Springer

Books: Romance | Queer

Seasons of Love: Whiteout (2017), Thaw (2017), Heat Wave, Changing Colors (2018)

Seasons of Love

Whiteout (2017)

Noah Landers wakes up with with a crushing headache and nausea, and no memory of who or where he is. The man he's with says he fell and hit his head, but that the storm means no rescue vehicles can reach them, so he's been doing his best, calling the doctor regularly.

But Noah feels that something isn't right–if only he could remember what it was.

OK. So. Here's how it went.

"This is interesting."

"Oh. I don't think I like where this is going."

"Oh. I have grave concerns." (Flips ahead) "Oh no. I don't think I can do this."

(next day)

"OK. I want to know what happens, so I'll read this at lunch."

(second lunchtime read)

(Reads during lunchtime walk because I can't stop reading.)

(Gets home. Finishes reading in one giant gulp.)

So yeah, this was good.

I can't actually tell you much about the plot, because it's all about Noah discovering who he is, and his relationship to Jason.

But what I can tell you is that there were many many things I liked about this story. Like the fact that Noah didn't just brush off his concussion, but struggled for days to deal with–while struggling to remember his life.

I also love his best friend, and how she is gives him complete support and is able to offer comfort and help without it being something strange, because they are best friends, and that's just what friends do for each other.

It's definitely a good story, and although sections of it were difficult to read (characters deal with depression and grief and the aftermath of suicide) it was still pretty amazing.

Publisher: Riptide

Rating: 8.5/10

Thaw (2017)

Dedication:

You are not broken. You are not alone. You are perfect exactly the way you are.

And you are loved.

The first thing to know about Abigail is that she loves her job as a librarian. The second is that she isn't particularly social, but agrees to be her friend Nathan's plus-one at a benefit dinner.

And there she dances with supermodel Gabrielle Levesque, also known as the Ice Queen, and wonders if perhaps romance just might be something she could have with this complex and aloof woman.

I came across this book in a list of Ace-positive stories, and decided to read Whiteout, the first book, before this one. Whiteout was one of those books that drew me in almost against my will, all but forcing me to read the story even as I was freaking out about just what the main character had done.

Like the previous book, Thaw is told entirely from Abby's point-of-view, so we see her fretting over her job, being Ace, and the hot and cold signals she's been getting from Gabriella.

"Acting is another escape for me," she said. "Being someone other than myself, being able to forget about my own life and history and take on someone else's problems and hopes and dreams for a few hours, it is like lifting a heavy weight off my chest. And yes, I can immerse myself in a new world and escape in a way that fiction does not quite allow."

More importantly, this is an Ace book and covers Ace issues. It's a part of Abby's character, but one she's not completely comfortable with, as it is so contrary society's expectations.

And there's a great scene where she's given an article on how to please your girlfriend and truly doesn't know what to do with it.

She read the entire page, first with clinical detachment and then with a strange curiosity that was equal parts Why would anyone want to do that? and How does that even work?

When she did slide her phone into her back pocket, there was a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Could she do the things on that list? Sure. Did she want to? Yeah, if it was what Gabrielle wanted.

Another plus for me is that one of the characters is Nathan from the previous book; Abby spends time with him and his best friend Sara and their support allows her to talk out her concerns and worries and issues. So we get to see that Nathan is doing well, but we also get to see him being supportive in a way that Abby and Sarah both helped him in the previous book.

The weak spot was the Gabriella's actions at the end of the book. It wasn't that I thought she wouldn't take those actions for Abby, more that the bit with Tony felt a bit off and shoe-horned into the story. It wasn't bad per se since it was something that happened in the background, but I wasn't sure I believed it.

That one thing aside, it's really lovely, and I really liked it.

Rating: 8.5/10

Changing Colors (2018)

I got 43% done and decided I just couldn't finish it.

43% and then I just read the final two chapters.

Which was just a little further than I got on the previous book in this series, Heat Wave, that I also DNFed.

Which is bizarre, since I really loved the first two books in the series, Whiteout and Thaw.

Tony appeared in most of the previous stories, and I was looking forward to his story. The problem is that I ended up being really annoyed and almost disliking Tony by the time I gave up.

He is attracted to, and then dates Gee, who refuses to behave as expected, wearing makeup and skirts, but still being masculine in other ways, and Tony can't deal with it. He (essentially) dumps Gee once, regrets it, six months later manages to get him back, and then when I tapped out, was making decisions that would mean he would hide his relationship with Gee.

Nope.