Review: Epic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 3, 2014
Review originally written for Prism Book Alliance.AJ Rose has quickly become a favorite/must buy author for me. His Power Exchange series is an all time favorite of mine. He is an elegant and thoughtful author and a pleasure to read, even if he rips your heart to shreds, repeatedly. His characters and settings are well-rounded and real; his settings are vividly described without wasting words. Rose does not publish a book every month or even every 6 months, but, when he does, it is something special… something worth waiting for.Queers is Rose’s latest offering. Fans of his Power Exchange series will recognize some elements, the heart-breakingly beautiful prose, the hot, but necessary, love scenes, the characters you want to both coddle and strangle in equal measure. However, this is not a reboot of his popular series. Queers is a completely new story with completely new characters. It is also not a simple romance; instead, it is an ensemble fiction revolving around a group of 20/30 somethings in LA looking to make it big or at least get by.There are four main relationships intertwined throughout the story; each one bringing substance to the story as a whole. These friends and lovers could not exist without each other.  They couldn’t survive without the love of each and every character.  They couldn’t be given their own story.  By combining eloquent prose with thoroughly developed characters, you have a robust and satisfying story. There are some sensitive topics addressed, including infidelity, domestic abuse, death, fame, bullying, and the detriment of public perception.  These may be hot buttons for many readers, however, without each and every one of those themes, the story wouldn’t be the saga that it is.I spent much of the book wanting to coddle Jackson, strangle Landon, and slap Garrett up-side the head. I also spent much of the book cheering on Moonshine, Duff, and Brad. When I finished the story at 4:30 am this morning (yes, I just couldn’t put it down), I messaged the author to let him know I was done, and I summed up my opinion in one word – Epic.Note: This review is my honest opinion based on an ARC I received.