Genre: Contemporary
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Ivan Reznik’s been part of the drag act at the Pink Pussycat Lounge for five years when Jaime Rivera joins the cast. They both worked as extras for a scene in an action comedy filming in Las Vegas. Between the daily tests and the thrill of making a movie, a round of hookups was inevitable. Now 2020 is almost over, and Ivan can’t help wishing his new year might include more of Jaime. But first he has to tell the truth about something big.
Jaime’s whole life changed with the lockdown. His roommate situation fell apart, his job went away, he had to move home with his parents in Phoenix, and his life of carefree casual sex seems to be over. He’s barely begun to think about what might be possible when he wakes up on Ivan’s couch to face a day full of upsetting truths.
Ivan and Jaime decide to find out if the truth opened the door for a new way to look at the future. Can that be the holiday gift they both wanted most?
The Review
The Pink Pussycat Lounge in Vegas is making a slow come back after the disastrous pandemic. The HVAC and distancing upgrades have come along nicely, and the Drag Queens are finally able to get back to performing with live audiences.
Ivan Reznak, aka Imago Postale, is one of the dancing queens at the Pink Pussycat, and has been performing at the lounge for five years. Life had taken a turn for all tyhe performers – six months of boredom lead to many hook-ups, and life had changed. Ivan has no trouble making friends and he’s very well liked in this little group, but he’s alone. Unfortunately for Imago Postale, she is not able to perform in the last show, due to a minor accident when she was doing a favor for one of the other Queens. Without regret, she enjoys watching the show from the side lines.
Jaime Rivera, aka Hymen Uranus, is new to all of it. He’s never performed in a live show like this – and one produced for TV too. He lives with his best friend and roommate Dori, who he has known for a long time, but he’s only known the other drag queens at the club for a couple months. He’s also working to get his dental hygienist license, necessary if he is going to stay in Vegas. He has a habit of drinking a lot after the shows, and has almost blacked out a couple times.
Tonight, he’s looking for Ivan especially, as he will be driving home to visit his family in Phoenix. Jaime had hooked up with Ivan but didn’t consider it significant.
Jaime asks Ivan to walk him to his car, and steals a kiss. He plans to see Ivan when he comes back for dress rehearsal before the New Year show.
Not having anywhere to go Christmas, Ivan attends to the traditional Merry Dickmas barbecue at Louis’ and Carlito’s place, a gay couple who just tied the knot. The group is very open about sharing what goes on in their personal lives, but Ivan is hiding a secret, his crush on Jaime.
Dori, Jaime’s roommate, tells Ivan that Jaime just isn’t the long-term boyfriend type. Dori and Jaime are both on their way to being forty, and set in their ways. For his part, Ivan rarely went out on hookups, and wants someone to be in a committed relationship with.
Two days after Christmas, Jaime returnes to Vegas, and doesn’t realize where he is when he wakes up. In the bathroom, he finds himself staring at the contents of the medicine cabinet and recognizes what the prescriptions are for. When reality hits him, he confronts Ivan and is very rude.
Ivan explains that he’s not the one with the problem. That’s on Jaime, with his blackout drinking and always waking up in a stranger’s bed. Ivan tells Jaime how he protected him during their hook ups.
Ivan’s friend Benny tells Ivan it’s not his fault – there’s no law that says he has to tell everyone his secret. Ivan decides that he needs to confront Jaime, but only when he’s sober. Will Ivan be able to make Jaime see that he never meant to put him in danger? Will Jaime realize he has a problem with alcohol, and just how serious it is?
Fishnets and Tinsel is an interesting, unique written story by Alexandra Caluen, filled with humor, friendships and a special connection that these amazing queens have built with one other. I loved the relationship that Caluen created between Ivan Reznak and Jaime Rivera.
The author uses the pronouns “he/him” and “she/her,” depending upon the given name/drag name they use in the conversations that take place in the book. All the drag queens are special in their own way, and they are all employed in the medical field. They share their problems and opinions about their jobs, HIV, alcoholism, and their everyday lives.
Some are also married or have partners. Besides Ivan and Jaime, the author introduces Benny, Tommy, Dori, Louis, and Trish. Their drag names are very colorful and descriptive.
I highly recommend Fishnets and Tinsel – very entertaining, in its own unique way.
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.
