Now and Forever by Addison Albright – review

Rating:  

The proceeds from this Wedding Sip will be donated to gay and lesbian legal defense funds supporting the rights of gay marriage.

My review: This is a very short and sweet story about two gay men planning their wedding, rushing to avoid what we now know happened in the vote on the Californian Proposition 8. Written before that vote, the result certainly lends a certain bitter edge to the sweetness, which is no bad thing since there’s very little dark in this. It’s basically a celebration of the right of gay people to marry, and to quarrel over wedding invitations , with a bit of inoffensive sex, and very mild angsting over menus thrown in. The two characters are pleasant, likeable chaps, one who takes an Elton John approach to parties, and the other decidedly more blokey in that he hates fuss and frippery. The story is about how they resolve their different desires on this score.

Ms Albright is a new m/m author and I feel has a long way to go in her craft and the genre, from a sturdy foundation. She writes moderately well, clearly edits herself well (and Torquere is improving, it has to be said) but she still tends to distance the characters from the action a little. She will, I feel, only improve with time.

This could be a much longer, much angstier, deeper story, and I hope she revisits the theme outside this worthy charity cause. As a statement affirming the rightness of gay people to wed, it works fine. As a sweet romantic interlude, it’s also fine. Just don’t ask it to do more than it promises, and you’ll find it quite enjoyable.