The Replacement Guitarist by Lori Toland
The Replacement Guitarist was a nice story, on the “cute boys” stream: if you like your men rough and ready, they are not for sure like Blaze and Jason, one pretty boy and one pretty man of this novel. I often say that this type of story is more aimed to a female target, since I think that is mainly a female characteristic to like fragile and delicate men, more blushing virgins that hot and bothered guys. But for sure is not a “stigmata” that has to mark these books only for women… it’s only an advice from my side to not tear them apart only since they don’t reflect what you are expecting from a gay novel, remember, being gay doesn’t mean that you are one way and only that way, there are different shades, like for everyone, straights, gays, bisexuals, and more.
At the beginning I didn’t frame in the right way nor Blaze or Jason; I had the feeling that both of them were more experienced and “strong”: for me Blaze was a man sure of his sexuality that was pondering Jason as a possible sexual partner, if the man was gay and willing; on the other side Jason was a big shot on the music entertainment that was not against the idea to have a no strings attached relationship with the new guy. I was wrong for both of them.
Blaze is a 100% virgin, both for males than females, but he has his fantasies, and sometime they involve men; when he meets Jason, he is like setting a firm point on his fantasies, he is for sure gay and he wants Jason. Now the problem is, first, to understand if Jason wants him back, and second overcome the “little” problem of his virginity and lack of experience. This is something for which Jason is more than willing to lend an hand: the only important lasting relationship Jason had in the past was with a man, but since it wasn’t an happily ever after, Jason is scared of real involvement, and I think that having relationship with women saves him from delusions; basically he can’t really fall in love for a woman, and so he is save with them. Jason has also some self-esteem issue, something that makes him more real, less big shot name, and more ordinary boyfriend; he is not that far from Blaze, only started earlier and with less trouble.
This is something both Blaze than Jason share: they are not gay, they are not straight, they are not even bisexual, at least if you consider bisexual being with both gender at the same time; they are basically monogamous, but they don’t consider important the gender of their partner. It’s the one they fall in love that define the relationship, if it’s a man, they are gay, if it’s a woman, they are straight. And as in any relationship, they maybe have fantasies for someone else, and so, it’s not strange that, while having a relationship with Jason, Blaze fantasizes to have sex with a beautiful woman, the important thing is that it remains a fantasy.
The Replacement Guitarist is young and fresh, I’m sure it will be a favourite among the young crowd, but even I, that has a right eye from pretty men, appreciated it.
Amazon Kindle: The Replacement Guitarist
Publisher: Lori Toland; 2 edition (August 29, 2013)
Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle