Rainbow Awards: Best Gay Contemporary Romance
And the Rainbow Award goes to:
1) Sloan Parker - More (Loose Id)
Another perfect story, although I'm not too much into permanent threesomes, this one worked for me somehow, maybe because the men were talking a lot and supporting each other. --Caroline
For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men whom he can’t get out of his head have Luke breaking them all. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries-both sexually and personally-and now he’s no longer hiding from his senator father; he’s taking him on. And he isn’t just falling for one man; he’s falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big. But Luke’s father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he’ll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew. Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his familiar way of life just when his new lovers want to bind him tighter?
2) Marie Sexton - Strawberries for Dessert (Dreamspinner Press)
This one was an amazing romance, with a lot of depth. The author put a lot of effort into building the relationship and fully developing the characters. Overall, this was an excellent romance that I highly recommend. --Jem
When Jonathan Kechter agrees to a blind date with Cole Fenton, he expects nothing more than dinner and a one-night stand... but he gets more than he bargained for in Cole. Cole is arrogant, flamboyant, and definitely not Jon’s type. Still, when Cole suggests an arrangement of getting together for casual sex whenever they're both in town, Jon readily agrees. Their arrangement may be casual, but Jonathan soon learns that when it comes to Cole Fenton, nothing is easy. Between Cole’s fear of intimacy and his wandering lifestyle, Jonathan wonders if their relationship may be doomed from the start-but the more Cole pushes him away, the more determined Jon is to make it work.
3) Eden Winters - The Wish (Torquere Books)
Main characters were well-defined --Bethann
Alex Martin is arrogant, wealthy, spoiled and loney. His never-ending stream of lovers sees only his wallet. Hiding behind a mask of aloof indifference, he really wants someone who can see past the money, someone who'll stand up to him as an equal. Down-to-earth bookstore owner Paul Sinclair insists on making his own way in life. He longs for someone who thinks, works, and doesn’t ask for hand outs: a true partner in every sense of the word. After years of avoidance they finally meet, and neither is impressed. Though worlds apart they share a common bond: their uncles, Alfred and Byron, are long-term partners. And when the uncles conspire to match-make, a little thing like Byron’s being a ghost isn’t going to stop them.
Honorable Mention:
4-tie) Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks - Shell Shocked (Pink Petal Books)
Mickie B. Ashling - Loving Edits (Dreamspinner Press)
6-tie) Eden Winters - The Angel of 13th Street (Torquere Books)
P.A. Brown - Lynx Woods (Amber Quill Press)
8) Tere Michaels - Love and Loyalty (Loose Id)
9-tie) Anne Brooke - The Hit List (Amber Quill Press)
Mickie B. Ashling - Cutting Cords (Dreamspinner Press)