"There You Are," by CJane Elliott

Contemporary MM ROmance

0 Smooches ~ No Heat 1 Smooch ~Cozy 2 Smooches ~ Warm 3 Smooches ~ Simmering 4 Smooches ~ Red-Hot 5 Smooches ~ Scalding

	
Smooches ~ No Heat

Smooch ~ Cozy

Smooches ~ Warm

Smooches ~ Simmering

Smooches ~ Red-Hot

Smooches ~ Scalding

Book Blurb

Can a free spirited musician and a grieving widower find love while caring for a runaway teen?

Bisexual musician Cody is a free spirit, easygoing and unattached. On a cross-country trip he befriends young runaway Sandy and gets him safely to his uncle Phineas. Beautiful Phineas turns Cody’s life upside down, and Cody learns he's not as unattached as he aspires to be.

Ever since his longtime lover Allen died, Phineas has lived a circumscribed life. A former fierce drag queen now working in a bookstore, Phineas never expected his nephew to land on his doorstep, much less to find love again. Sexy and caring Cody brings him alive, but now Phineas must find the courage to let go of his grief and give love a second chance.

My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book via the author and am writing this review voluntarily. All views and opinions are my own.

I was delighted to finally find myself with a CJane Elliott book in my hands, as she’s been an author I’ve wanted to sample for quite some time now. And There You Are was probably the perfect choice to introduce me to this author and her lovely words. It’s a short, sweet, and tasty morsel that made for a marvelous afternoon read.

I fell so hard for Cody, especially when he took eighteen-year-old Sandy under his wing during their cross-country train ride. I don’t know why, but there’s just something about a person who seems one way on the outside, but they’re really softer and sweeter and more genuine than you could ever imagine once you get to know them. And that is Cody to a tee. He has tattoos, plays in a band, and has no interest in staying anywhere long enough to grow roots. But when he sees nervous Sandy about to hop a train by himself, Cody’s true nature comes out, and he takes it upon himself to see the boy safely into his uncle’s arms on the other side of the country.

To say I fell for Phineas as well would be an understatement. Especially once Phanny, Phineas’ inner drag queen diva extraordinaire, comes out to play. Phinny was such a delightful character. Well-rounded and true-to-himself. Watching him finally find the closure he’s needed so badly following the death of his life partner was bittersweet and beautiful. The grieving process was handled with care by the author, and it didn’t feel rushed or unrealistic when Phineas said his final goodbyes and found solace in the arms of Cody.

I would recommend this book to all lovers of MM romance, but especially those who seek diversity in their reads. I adore the Phineas/Phanny dynamic and how the author accomplishes a normalization that is far too infrequently seen for characters like this. Often, drag queens are side characters used to “spice” things up rather than holding the spotlight they absolutely deserve. Seeing a romance with a lead who embraces his/her inner diva with such outward exuberance was just downright glorious. More of this, please!

CJane Elliott
she/her

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, award-winning author CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane writes sexy, passionate LGBTQ romances that explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is bisexual and an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality. In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her family supports her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.