Genre: Victorian/Edwardian-era Historical Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Non-Binary
Reviewer: Maryann
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Love is a tightrope walk ~ sometimes you can’t help but fall…
Some men are born for the stage. Some are born for nothing at all. How Izzy rose from the gutter to the heights of fame is a story he tells to few. A story as strange as any he’s staged in his four decades on London’s West End. A story of love and loss, heartache and forgiveness, of wanting what you cannot have, of daring to do the impossible.
When an idealistic young singer joins his theatre company, Izzy finds himself looking back on his earliest days, though why he dares to trust this wide-eyed dreamer with his dirty secrets is a secret all its own. A welcome, or a warning? For Izzy knows the pitfalls of a life on stage. And that getting what you want can be just what you don’t need. Yet in the telling of his tale, each man will discover the heights one can reach when lifted by true love.
A sweet and heartfelt LGBTQ+ Historical novel of love and redemption set against the backdrop of the dawn of a new century.
The Review
Years have passed since Just Love Enough, book one on the London Hustle series. Ezekiel “Izzy” Pounds is now conducting auditions in the West End’s legendary British Palmetto Theatre. He has an assistant director, T. Whitley, who collaborates with him on musical scores, and a long time stage manager named Unger.
Auditions haven’t gone well, and with it being so late, Izzy heads for home. As he walks through the park, a twenty-ish young man runs after him and apologizes for being late. He pleads for an audition.
Telford Vandurenburg really needed that auditions. He chases Izzy down, and even though the man says no, Telford begins to sing. Izzy can’t resist the wonderful tenor voice, and takes him back to the theatre to audition for Whitley also. As much as Izzy is taken with Telford, he knows how difficult it is to survive life on the stage.
Izzy questions Telford about his living situation. He also gives suggestions to to him for a stage name.
Telford tells Izzy about his performances at school and in church plays. His parents were always opened minded, and when he was ten, they attended plays with him – and one play in particular – The Alabaster Angel by Izzy himself. It was not really appropriate for such a young child, but Telford loved his theatre experiences. His parents later died in an accident that Telford survived. Catatonic, he was placed in an orphanage until his Aunt Beryl and Uncle Ned finally came and got him. He now works in his Uncle’s bakery, and his life has not been easy.
Telford gets a part in the play, but Izzy doesn’t like that he has been missing his rehearsals. He steps in and addresses the issue with Telford’s Uncle Ned. He also offers Telford a place to stay. As he and Izzy become friends, Izzy shares his life story with Telford – how he and Noel met, the rough lives they had growing up together, and what they have together now. Izzy also helps him find his freedom and realize the love he has for Cian.
The beautiful, heart-rending, interracial love story between Izzy Pound and Noel Peters features prominently here, with themes of romance, jealousy, insecurity, drama and the new life experiences that Izzy turned into art for the theatre. I loved seeing more of the outgoing Izzy and Noel, the beautiful man that wanted a home with him, and I enjoyed the historical 19th Century setting, which ranges from London to France.
A couple new characters that really shine in this addition are T. Whitley, Unger, Telford and Cian. I hope there will be more to come with these characters. There’s more too – afree download of Backstage Pass, “A London Hustle Story Collection” with four enjoyable episodes from Izzy Pound and Noel Peters’ amazing life.
I highly recommend both books – they are each captivating and entertaining in their own ways. Will Forrest is an outstanding writer with a gift for crafting amazing stories and characters.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
