I read this book a couple of years ago, and while I haven't decided whether I'm ready to part with it yet, I figured it was time to register it anyway (especially since there don't seem to be any other copies on BC so far; I love to be first!). It's a romance novel that segues into a mystery: a San Francisco novelist, still mourning the death of his lover, is offered a friend's Tuscan villa as a getaway [we should all have such friends!]. Once there, expecting to enjoy complete solitude, he finds that his conniving friend has also offered the villa to another bereaved lover - and this young man both infuriates and excites our hero. I found their slow courtship enchanting and often funny - and, as they begin to really notice one another, there's one of the steamiest not-quite-having-sex scenes I think I've ever read... [Let's see if I can put this delicately; um... this scene made me think erotic thoughts about a portion of the anatomy that had never struck me as sexy before. Delicate enough? {grin}]

Once our odd couple gets together, the story shifts back to San Francisco, and in between the men's attempt to set up housekeeping and define their relationship they find themselves caught up in a murder mystery. I admit I found this part of the story rather less effective than the relationship, but perhaps it's because it got a bit nasty, not to mention dangerous, and that seemed out of keeping with the tone of the first part of the book. Still, it was an interesting story about characters I liked - and of course there's that scene! [Is it getting hot in here?]

I should probably note that I'd have rated the mystery a 6 and the romance a 7, but that scene got a 10, so I smushed the numbers together for the resulting 8. In case anybody was wondering.

Rumor had it that this was intended to be the first of a series, but I haven't heard of a sequel yet. I believe that the two main characters are based strongly on the author and his lover, so I hope that the lack of a sequel doesn't mean they couldn't find anything new to get up to {wry grin}...

Controlled release: I'm putting this into FLstarfish's GLBT bookbox, which will be on its way to mojosmom in Chicago tomorrow. Enjoy!

I've read another Krandall Kraus book (The President's Son) which wasn't bad, so I thought I'd try this one.

Despite the fact that Nicky Borja is impossibly rich, handsome and well connected (he's related to those Borgias, though he spells the last name differently, not to mention the Medicis), he's sweet. The development of the relationship between him and Nigel is nicely done (and, yes, I agree with Gory, hot!).

The mystery seems to be more a device to allow Nigel and Nicky to work through some of the issues that separate them, and to solidify their romance. It's not set up very well. However SPOILER ALERT!!!!, highlight if you want to know, since I usually gripe about mysteries that end with the solution being mere speculation on the part of the detective, it was very nice to see one in which the speculation had to remain such, as the proposed miscreant goes to trial and is acquitted.

I hope Kraus does write another Nigel and Nicky; I liked this one.

The subtler cover Gory mentions is at left.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed off to New Zealand, to mecka-antics. If only I could travel as widely as my books!

This book has been sitting in my bag for about a week now before I finally remembered when I was near a computer that I hadn't registered it yet (the internet isn't quite connected at my flat yet).

Thanks so much for sending me this book and I'm sure that I will enjoy it!