Lights, Camera…action! Wait! My wig isn’t on right…
Title: Drama Queens with Love Scenes
Series: Actors and Angels 1
Author: Kevin Klehr
Publisher: NineStar Press LLC
Release Date: April 17, 2017
Heat Level: 4/5
Pairing: M/M
Length: 302 pages
Genre:
Tags: Angels, cisgender, fantasy, friends to lovers, gay, humorous, life after death, romance
Content Warnings: Death of main characters
Blurb:
Close friends Allan and Warwick are dead. They’re not crazy about the idea, so to help them deal with this dilemma are Samantha, a blond bombshell from the 1950s, and Guy, an insecure angel.
Allan also has a secret. He has a romantic crush on his friend, Warwick, but shortly after confiding in his new angel pal, his love interest falls for the cock-sure playwright, Pedro.
Not only does Allan have to win the heart of his companion, he also has to grapple with the faded memory of how he actually died.
My Review:
This tale had me reliving my high school days in the drama club.
The premise of the tale is entirely unique – and unlike anything I’ve read before, and even though the book is categorized as Paranormal Romance, I think it belongs in Magic Realism. The existence of souls, and afterlife, and angels is accepted as a part of normal life. The writing is clever, with amazing descriptions and thought provoking conversations – see? Magic Realism!
Basically, Allan and Warwick, our two main characters and soon-to-be lovers, meet an untimely demise, find themselves in the afterlife. The afterlife in Klehr’s book is certainly not what I had been expecting, as it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or read about heaven! But then, were they in heaven? Or was it purgatory – I honestly am not entirely sure.
The story is centered around Allan. Poor Allan. He comes to the realization that his best buddy of all time, Warren, should have been his lover. And if he couldn’t have him as a lover in his most recently past life, he’s determined to have him as one in the afterlife.
But as with all good paranormal romance stories, there’s obstacles and distractions that occur preventing the couple from getting together. Enter in shenanigans, complete with plots and schemes and perhaps a few love scenes!
The quick one-liners reminded me of my high school and early university days which struck a chord of nostalgia – and sent me down some rather old and forgotten memories of life backstage and those horrendously long rehearsals. There are a lot of clever little nuggets of writing in the novel where I thought “this has got to be a reference to something” and they might have been, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. But the descriptions! They are beautifully crafted!
Interestingly, and if you were to stop and think about it – Klehr’s afterlife made a lot of sense for as disjointed and weird as I sometimes found it. Folks who have passed end up in this heaven like state wearing the same clothes and speaking the same vernacular as they did at the time of their death. Characters were heavenly (an angel named Guy), from earlier time periods (Samantha from the 1950’s), from the present (Allan and Warwick), and even one character from the future.
The premise was quirky, and original.
The book itself didn’t completely resonate with me, and I couldn’t really figure out why, but in the end it didn’t really matter. It’s beautifully written with editing and grammar on-point. The characters are odd and unusual, the world building unique and through-provoking.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of the after-life, self reflection on lives lived, and romance – although it’s definitely not the typical romance format!
Watch out for those Stage Lights! And for goodness sake, costuming is everything – as is honesty in admitting your true feelings for those you love, in life, or in death.
My Rating:
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | International Buy Link
Meet the Author:
Kevin lives with his husband, Warren, in their humble apartment (affectionately named Sabrina), in Australia’s own ‘Emerald City,’ Sydney.
His tall tales explore unrequited love in the theatre district of the Afterlife, romance between a dreamer and a realist, and a dystopian city addicted to social media.
His first novel, Drama Queens with Love Scenes, spawned a secondary character named Guy. Many readers argue that Guy, the insecure gay angel, is the star of the Actors and Angels book series. His popularity surprised the author. The third in this series, Drama Queens and Devilish Schemes, scored a Rainbow Award (judged by fans of queer fiction) for Best Gay Alternative Universe/Reality novel.
So, with his fictional guardian angel guiding him, Kevin hopes to bring more whimsical tales of love, life and friendship to his readers.
J.P. Jackson 