Blog Tour: This is One Moment - Mila Gray

I'm a huge fan of Mila Gray (also known as Sarah Alderson) so I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the release of her second new adult title This is One Moment. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Come Back to Me, and the sequel is just as fantastic so I'm sure you're going to love it too. I'll be posting my full review later today but in the meantime I have a fantastic extract, some teasers and a brilliant giveaway for you all!

First though lets have a look at the book:

A forbidden romance.
A wounded Marine who thinks he's beyond saving.
A girl who's determined to prove him wrong.

Didi Monroe's waited her whole life for the type of romance you see in the movies, so when Hollywood heartthrob Zac Ridgemont sweeps her off her feet, Didi believes she might finally have met the one.

While Zac's away filming for the summer, Didi begins her internship at a military hospital in California. There, she meets wounded Marine Noel Walker. Frustrated on the outside and broken on the inside, Walker's a pain-in-the-ass patient who refuses all help.

Yet Didi can't help but be drawn to him, and though he's strictly out of bounds it soon becomes impossible to ignore the sparks flying between them.

As the attraction simmers into dangerous territory, Didi finds herself falling hard for a man she knows is going to break her heart. Because Walker doesn't believe in love or happy ever afters. So what possible future can there be?

Then tragedy hits, shattering both their worlds, and Didi is forced to choose between fighting for love or merely falling for the illusion of it.

From Mila Gray, author of the bestselling romance Come Back To Me, comes a devastatingly beautiful, compelling and sexy story about the meaning of love and the heartbreak of loss.

Author Bio:

Mila Gray is the pen name for young adult author Sarah Alderson.

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and tutu-wearing daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home.

After almost a year spent wandering around India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing and trying to machete open coconuts without severing a limb. She finished her first novel Hunting Lila just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel, Losing Lila, on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali. Since then she has published a further four novels and several short stories.

The contemporary thriller The Sound, was published in the US in May 2014, while Out of Control, a thriller with a focus on human trafficking, was released in May ’14 in the UK and May ’15 in the US. Her first adult novel Come Back To Me was released in the summer 2014 by Pan Macmillan in the UK and became an instant bestseller. It will be released in the US in December 2015 by Simon & Schuster. Foreign rights have been sold to Brazil, Australia, US, Canada, Italy and Portugal.

Sarah is also a screenwriter. She adapted her first novel Hunting Lila for the screen (currently in pre-production) and is working on several other screenplays (multi-tasking is one of her favorite things).

Her first adult novel, Come Back To Me, was published in June 2014. The second, This One Moment, will be out in August 2015.

Sarah has co-written the Hunting Lila screenplay, which is currently in the early stages of production, and continues to blog about her life and travels.

Mila Gray / Sarah Alderson

Author links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilaGrayBooks?fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7910288.Mila_Gray
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MilaGrayBooks
Website: http://milagray.com/

Extract:

This is the first day of my summer internship and I’m being given a tour. The pool was the first stop, the locker room the second. I saw more in those few startled seconds than I think a tour of the entire facilities will give me - and array of limbless bodies, men missing legs and arms. But clearly not their sense of humour. My cheeks are still burning at some of the comments and suggestions made by the guys in the changing room.

“Damn it!” someone yells, making me jump.

I scan the corridor. The cursing came from the room on my right.

“Damn!”

I inch towards the door and peer around it.

There’s a guy on the bed with a bandage wrapped around his eyes. One arm is in a sling. A tray of food sits on the table in front of him and he’s struggling with one arm and no sight to open what looks like a carton of yoghurt. Frustration seems to be getting the better of him.
I take a step inside the room. He reaches for a spoon, fumbling on the tray and knocking off a dish that clatters to the ground, spraying cereal all over the floor and his sheets.

“Here-” I start to say, but he lets out a roar, stabs the spoon through the lid of the pot, next thing I know I’m splattered head to foot in a cold shower of strawberry yoghurt.

“Oh,” I say, feeling it drip from my hair onto my blouse.

“Who’s there?” he growls, raising his head.

“Um,” I say, blinking yoghurt out of my eyes.

“My name’s Didi. Didi Monroe”.

“What are you doing?” he snaps.

“Getting a yoghurt facial it would seem,” I mumble, wiping the face with the back of my arm. Great, I just blow-dried my hair. I’m going to need to go and take a shower now and find some new clothes to wear.

“Are you a nurse?” the guy asks, scowling in my direction.

I shake my head and then, realizing he can’t see me, say “no”.

“Well what are you doing in here, then?”

I blink at him in astonishment. “I heard you shouting. I came to see if I could help”.

“I don’t need your help. I don’t need any help.” He shouts. “Just get out!”

I’m speechless. Totally speechless. What an asshole. “Fine,” I stammer. “I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy your breakfast”.

I walk into the corridor, cursing under my breath, still dripping yoghurt. This day can’t get any worse. And then I look up and see a poster of a gurgling baby with the words “Laugh and the world laughs with you” written across it in comic sans.

Jose jogs back along the corridor just then and taking one look at me standing in a puddle of pink yoghurt, his eyes widen. “Oh shit”, he says, trying not to laugh and failing. “You met Grumpy, I take it”.

Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of This is One Moment, Mila Gray is giving away the following prizes:

1 prize of 1 x signed copy of This is One Moment
1 prize of 1 x signed copy of This is One Moment
1 prize of a £25 Amazon Voucher

You can enter to win using the rafflecopter form below, winners will be contacted directly by Mila Gray or her assistant so they can arrange to send out the prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Don't forget to check back later today to read my review and make sure you check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour!

Review: One Night for Love - Mary Balogh

Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, awaits his new bride at the altar - when a ragged beggar woman races down the aisle instead. The cream of the ton see him stare, shocked, then declare that this is his late wife! One night of passion is all he remembers of Lily, the woman he'd wed, loved, and lost on the battlefield in Portugal. Now he must endeavour to honour his commitment to her - regardless of the gulf that lies between them.

Lily wants only to start a new life - with a husband who truly loves her. She leaves Wyatt to learn how to meet his world on her terms and upon her return Lily soon becomes the toast of the ton, every inch a countess fit for the earl. Wyatt vows to prove to his remarkable wife that what he feels for her is more than desire, that what he wants from her is much more than simply one night for love . . .

Bedwyn Saga:
One Night for Love
A Summer to Remember
Slightly Married
Slightly Wicked
Slightly Scandalous
Slightly Tempted
Slightly Sinful
Slightly Dangerous

Visit Mary Balogh's website for more information

Review:
Neville Wyatt, future Earl of Killbourne, was going through a rebellious stage when he joined the army and went off to fight in the Napoleonic war. The last thing he expected was to fall madly in love with the daughter of a common soldier and he knows deep down that there couldn't ever be a future for them. However, when her father is shot in battle he makes a promise to the dying man to protect Lily and it gives him the perfect excuse to marry her. Unfortunately when they are ambushed the following day Neville witnesses Lily being shot and believes her dead but before he can check on her he is badly injured himself. Two years later Neville is trying to put his life back together and has agreed to marry his cousin to keep his family happy. He is standing at the alter waiting for his bride when a bedraggled Lily stumbles in and halts the wedding.

Neville couldn't be more thrilled to discover that his wife is alive but Lily has been through hell since their wedding, captured and held prisoner she suffered all kinds of degradation and is sure that Neville will reject her. Neville is horrified by what she has been through and feels that he let his wife down but nothing will ever convince him that they aren't meant to be together. Lily may love him with all her heart but she wasn't expecting the splendour of his estate and she struggles to fit in with his family and friends. Lily doesn't feel good enough for him and decides to leave him for his own good and make a fresh start for herself in London. But nothing is quite what it seems and Neville isn't going to let Lily go without a fight so he becomes determined to win her back.

One Night for Love is an incredibly sweet love story, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Lily has been through so much and it was only the thought of being reunited with Neville that kept her sane so she is heartbroken when she finds he was about to marry someone else and she has no idea how she fits into his life back in England. She feels out of place, uncomfortable and convinced that Neville would be better off without her but that doesn't stop her trying to fit in. I think what I loved most about her was her courage, she is terrified of Neville's reaction when he finds out what happened to her but she is brave enough to immediately tell him what happened, then she is brave enough to do what she thinks is best and move to London without him. The romance between her and Neville is really well developed and it was easy to see why they were so good together.

Neville was a great hero, he was honourable, protective and very loving. I loved his reaction to what had happened to Lily, he never once blamed her or made her feel less than worthy of his love and he was incredibly kind and patient with her. He wanted her to be comfortable enough to be herself and refused to let his family intimidate her or try and turn her into something she wasn't, in fact I think he loved her all the more because she was so unconventional. They just fit each other perfectly and I enjoyed seeing them spend time together.

This was my first book by Mary Balogh, in fact it was my first historical romance for a couple of years, but it definitely won't be that long before I read another. I'm excited to continue reading this series and looking forward to spending time with some of the side characters we've already been introduced to.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Wanderers - Kate Ormand

A Unique Twist on Shape-Shifters with Fast-Paced Action, Thrilling Adventure, Mystery, and a Bit of Romance

Flo lives an eccentric life—she travels with a popular circus in which the main acts star orphaned children with secret shape-shifting abilities. Once Flo turns sixteen, she must perform, but she’s not ready. While practicing jumping a flaming hurdle in a clearing beside the circus, she spots a dark figure in the trees and fears he saw her shift. The news sends the circus into a panic.

In Flo’s world, shifters are unknown to humans with the exception of a secret organization—the EOS, referred to as “hunters.” Hunters capture and kill. They send some shifters to labs for observation and testing—testing they don’t often survive—and deem others useless, a danger to society, and eliminate them. To avoid discovery, shifters travel in packs, constantly moving and keeping themselves hidden. Up until now, the circus was the perfect disguise.

Believing she has brought attention to the group, Flo feels dread and anxiety, causing her to make a mistake in front of the audience during her performance—a mistake that triggers a violent attack from the hunters.

Flo manages to flee the torched circus grounds with Jett, the bear shifter who loves her; the annoying elephant triplets; and a bratty tiger named Pru. Together they begin a new journey, alone in a world they don’t understand and don’t know how to navigate. On the run, they unravel secrets and lies that surround the circus and their lives—secrets and lies that all point to the unthinkable: Have they been betrayed by the people they trusted most?

Visit Kate Ormand's website for more information

Review:
I had such incredibly high hopes for The Wanderers, first of all I loved the idea of a circus setting and then you add in that the circus performers are all shapeshifting children who are travelling the country while trying to avoid the Hunters who want to kill them and I was sure we were going to be in for an exciting adventure! Honestly this book should have hit all the right notes for me and I was sure I was going to love it but unfortunately that really wasn't the case and I ended up feeling incredibly disappointed.

First let's start with our main character Flo, she shifts into a pony and her boyfriend is an bear, pretty cool right? Unfortunately not. I didn't immediately hate Flo but it wasn't long before her constant whining and complaining really started to get on my nerves, she just didn't stop and it got old very quickly. I actually felt sorry for her boyfriend Jett and really couldn't understand why he put up with her. Most of the other characters were cardboard cut outs and I was disappointed by the lack of characterisation, even Jett was pretty bland and he was supposed to be the love interest.

I was excited to read this book because it was set in the circus but the setting was never fully fleshed out, I should have been able to vividly picture the big top, smell the saw dust and popcorn on the air and feel like I was in a ringside seat watching the show but apart from Flo's two performances the rest of the acts just didn't seem important enough to warrant more than a passing mention. It was all about how scared Flo was about her first performance and the day to day drudgery of her life as she was forced to wash her own dishes and do chores. It didn't help that I had major questions about how the circus was supposed to work as a way of hiding in plain sight. They travel from town to town in a bunch of cars and a couple of trailers yet they're supposed to be a circus that has 3 performing elephants, tigers, lions, seals, monkeys, a pony and a bear (those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head, I'm sure there were others too). Doesn't anyone wonder how a circus with that many animals doesn't have any way of transporting them or housing them when they arrive? Don't they question why the circus needs so many tents and has so many people running around during the day when hardly any of them are actually part of the show since nobody is supposed to know they're performing as animals?

When something goes horribly wrong at one of their shows and brings the Hunters to their doorstep I thought that the story would start to get interesting but instead the main characters make mistake after mistake after mistake and it's a wonder any of them survived to the end of the book. The pace goes from slow and boring to so fast you could get whiplash but in spite of that nothing really had any impact on me as a reader. There were a few twists but I'd guessed most of them long before they happened and I was feeling so ambivalent about the characters that I just didn't care how things turned out.

I don't take pleasure in writing bad reviews, it's one of the worst things about being a reviewer, but I always try to be honest about my feelings towards any of the books I read and unfortunately I think The Wanderers was one of my biggest disappointments of the year. What's worse is that it had the potential to be amazing and it ended up falling completely flat.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Review: Wilde at Heart - Tonya Burrows

He has everything under control. Except her.

Reece Wilde put everything in his life on the backburner to protect his brothers and their struggling company, Wilde Security. With a major contract on the line, Reece can't afford any mistakes...like getting caught in a red-hot, X-rated moment with wild child Shelby Bremer, who's more trouble than he can handle. Now he's being blackmailed.

Shelby's mile-long impulsive streak gets her in more trouble than she'd like to admit. Between her sister's wedding, her coffee shop set on fire, and getting down and dirty with the groom's brother, things are definitely coming off the rails. With both their careers and their safety on the line, Reece is determined to keep them both safe...even if it means a Vegas-style shotgun wedding.

But gambling on a wild card—and a wild soul—is risky...and sometimes, it can get a guy killed.

HORNET Series:
SEAL of Honor
Honor Reclaimed
Broken Honor
Code of Honor
Reckless Honor

Wilde Security Series:
Wilde Nights in Paradise
Wilde for Her
Wilde at Heart
Running Wilde
Too Wilde To Tame

HORNET: Class Alpha Series:
Fragmented Loyalty

Visit Tonya Burrows' website for more information

Review:
Reese is the most responsible of the Wilde brothers and he works all the hours possible to make sure the family is financially secure. He's a tech geek and his heart belongs with his own software company rather than the family's security firm but Wilde Security can't survive without his investment and it's causing a lack of funds within his own business. His only hope is to secure more financial backing but his rich potential investor has some very conservative ideas and Reese has to keep his nose clean until the deal is signed. The last thing he needs is to get involved with wild child Shelby. It's bad enough that she's his little brother's sister-in-law but her it's her knack for finding trouble that is likely to get him into trouble. Unfortunately, after getting caught on camera at the worst possible moment Reese is now facing a potential scandal unless he can get a blackmailer off his back.

Shelby didn't have the best childhood and she made more than a few mistakes of her own but she has tried desperately to turn her life around. She has a reputation as a trouble maker but she's actually a lot more sensible than everyone gives her credit for, she's also hard working, intelligent and determined to stand on her own two feet. She's been crushing on Reese since the moment she first saw him but she is keeping so many secrets that she knows she has no hope of holding on to a relationship with him. Shelby is stuck between a rock and a hard place, she's trying so hard to do the right thing but someone has power over her and they aren't willing to let her walk away from her old life completely.

I really enjoyed getting to know these two, they are complete opposites but in spite of all their differences they're actually pretty perfect for each other. Reese can be too buttoned down and reserved while Shelby is more outrageous and fun loving but together they are much more balanced. I have to admit there were times when I was annoyed at the way Reese tried to change Shelby but that didn't last long and once he realised how special she was I loved the way he encouraged her to be herself and showed her how important she was to him. Nobody has ever really put Shelby first and it was nice to see Reese was the one who would finally break that pattern.

Wilde at Heart was a great romance with a nice amount of mystery and suspense, there is danger at every turn as the couple are trying to unravel a blackmail plot as well as figure out who is behind a spate of arson attacks all while trying to play the part of a respectable couple to woo Reese's potential investor. It was nice to catch up with the other Wilde brothers too, we see how the previous couples are getting along and also got to know the others a little better. I have very high hopes for the rest of the series and I can't wait to see them all get their own happily ever after.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Previous Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Cover Reveal: Rock Redemption - Nalini Singh

Without a doubt Nalini Singh is one of my favourite authors, she consistently creates fantastic characters and wonderful romances and when it comes to her paranormal stories the world building is first class. I'm definitely an addict when it comes to her books and she's one of the few authors who I will drop everything to read her new releases. So I'm thrilled to share the cover for her upcoming contemporary romance release Rock Redemption. This is part of a fantastic series and I can't wait to start reading it!

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh comes the next contemporary romance in the Rock Kiss series . . .

Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness...until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he'd rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It's his saving grace, but it doesn't silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours' sleep and his bad boy reputation.

When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new "it" couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting--needing--to give Kit this, even if he can't give her everything, Noah agrees to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, too beautiful . . . and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.

Releasing: October 6th

Kit and Noah’s rock star romance is finally here in the newest addition to Nalini Singh’s Rock Kiss Series!!

Pre-order Rock Redemption Here:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1hP7G54
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1XBZsOB
Nook: http://bit.ly/1VIYkH2
iBooks: http://apple.co/1ITi0i7
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1VIYoXo

Series Reading Order:

Rock Addiction (Book One)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/WqA2rj

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1G9piir

Nook: http://bit.ly/1t5T7Zt

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1ng9zE9

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1lPqB19

Rock Courtship (bk 1.5)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/XXjjxG

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1G9pmhZ

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1lzgNIi

Nook: http://bit.ly/1COgaC6

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1pEeCy6

Rock Hard (Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BXhHWB

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1G9oslz

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1utQDee

Nook: http://bit.ly/1KEyBIx

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1APyqnU

Meet the Author:

NEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about hot and wickedly tempting rock stars - and one sinfully sexy rugby god turned brilliant CEO. If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.

Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Also, don't forget to swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page for the Rock Kiss series, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the books.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Kate Scelsa's What I Love Blog Tour to celebrate the release of Fans of the Impossible Life

To celebrate the release of her debut novel Fans of the Impossible Life I'm thrilled to welcome Kate Scelsa to the blog today to talk about one of her favourite things.

Before I hand over to Kate I want to tell you a bit more about the book though!

"May we live impossibly," Sebby said when he opened his eyes. "Against all odd. May people look at us and wonder how such jewels can sparkle in the sad desert of the world. May we live the impossible life."

Mira is trying to pretend that she's a fully functioning human - rather than a girl who can't get out of bed for days on end.

Jeremy is a painfully shy art nerd in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school.

And Sebby is the charming gay foster kid who seems to carry sunlight around with him.

For Jeremy, it's as if he has always been expecting Sebby, though they've only just met.

For Mira, she finally feels awake when she's with him.

But Sebby has his own secrets. And it's only together that the three of them can fix their broken selves - and live their impossible lives . . .

Fans of the Impossible Life is published by Macmillan on the 10th of September so you don't have much longer to wait to get your hands on a copy!

Now please give a very warm welcome to Kate who is going to talk about her love for Brideshead Revisited...

*********************

What I Love: The “Brideshead Revisited” BBC Miniseries

(and what’s wrong with the 2008 movie)
by Kate Scelsa

I was at a dinner party the other night (can’t decide if I’m delighted or horrified to start a story that way, but it is the truth) and my friend Vin started talking about the BBC miniseries of “Brideshead Revisited” because he knows how important it is to me, and a friend of a friend innocently said, “Oh, I loved that movie.”

“You loved the movie?” I asked. “You mean you loved the BBC miniseries, right?”

“No,” she said, “the movie that came out a little while ago.”

Now, what should I have done in this moment? Taken a few deep breaths, probably? Excused myself to go get some fresh air? Definitely. What did I do instead?

“THAT MOVIE IS AN ABOMINATION THE BBC MINISERIES IS THE ONLY TRUE REPRESENTATION OF BRIDESHEAD THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES,” came out of my mouth in what I will now classify as a “torrent of nerd panic.”

“Oh,” the friend’s friend said, “I thought the guy in it was cute.”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Vin anticipating the steam coming out of my ears. He had heard this all before.

See, I have been obsessed with the BBC miniseries of Brideshead since I first read Evelyn Waugh’s book and it inspired me to write my young adult novel “Fans of the Impossible Life.” My character Sebby is a tribute to his Sebastian. My artist Jeremy owes a debt to his artist Charles. My characters’ love and loss and longing would not be unfamiliar to Waugh’s world.

Anthony Andrews as Sebastian Flyte and Jeremy Irons as Charles Ryder in the miniseries

After I had read the book of Brideshead and written a couple drafts of FANS, I rented the BBC miniseries on DVD (you can find the whole thing on YouTube now.) It was perfect. It was so faithful to the book, so devoted to capturing these complex characters. I was transfixed. I watched the whole thing in two days.

It was also the Most British Thing I Had Ever Seen.

Jeremy Irons narrates the miniseries as Charles Ryder, the middle class Oxford boy who becomes infatuated with his classmate Sebastian Flyte, the son of a family that is desperately holding on to the last gasps of English nobility, represented most directly by Brideshead, the family’s sprawling estate.

Jeremy Irons’ narration sounds like Eddie Izzard’s impersonation of every British movie ever. Something like: “That was the summer… we thought would never end… Sebastian and I…”

Now the book isn’t perfect, but it’s interesting in its imperfections. There’s an unnecessarily long prologue in which Charles is a military officer in World War II. And the last third of the book is a frustrating mess where Waugh sends Sebastian, his most interesting character, away to quietly ruin his life somewhere else. But while Sebastian is around, he is one of the most amazing characters in any book ever.

Sebastian is, without question, a flamboyant gay man. He carries around a teddy bear named Aloysius and treats it like a pet. His friends are even more flamboyant than he is (a lot can be said about the role of the acceptable and non-acceptable homosexual in the book/series). His affection for Charles is obvious, sincere, and mutual. And although Charles and Sebastian don’t have a physical relationship on the page, it is made clear that their affection for each other goes beyond friendship.

After Sebastian disappears, Charles ends up pursuing Sebastian’s sister Julia, who also adored Sebastian, and the implication is that this arrangement is sort of second best for both of them. They both love Sebastian more. He is the object of adoration.

For a book published in 1945 to present a flamboyant gay man as the object of everyone’s adoration was unfathomably radical, and it really blew my mind when I read it. Although Sebastian definitely has inner demons, they are not about his gayness, or at least it’s not that simple. He is wrestling with his God, his family, his alcoholism. He is a representative of a part of British society that is dying in this moment, a son of aristocracy who sees the nonsense behind the façade of wealth too clearly for his own good. Catholicism is an important part of the Flytes’ world, and it is often the thing determining who is “good enough.” Sebastian and Julia are always failing this test.

Ok, so here is the trailer for the BBC miniseries:



(Click here to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZtPGYLEzpw)

Wonderful. Delightful. Super British.

So in 2008 there was a movie adaptation made of Brideshead. The one my friend’s friend liked. Now it wasn’t made by Americans, but let’s just pretend that it was, because Eddie Izzard’s British vs. American films bit perfectly sums up what happened here:

(warning NSFW language in this clip)



(Click here to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjC3R6jOtUo)


So with that in mind, let’s check out the trailer for the movie:



(Click here to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irwc-F08XwU)

I mean. COME. ON.

I don’t even know where to begin.

Although actually I do and it is here:

The movie of Brideshead makes a very key and very disastrous change to the book. It makes Sebastian love Charles more than Charles loves Sebastian. Here’s how: in the movie, Sebastian and Charles share a kiss, which Sebastian initiates, making it clear that Sebastian wants to have a physical relationship with Charles, and also making it clear that there is not a physical relationship happening off screen that we just don’t know about.


So – Movie Infraction #1 – THE KISS

NEVER HAPPENED

It sounds confusing, but part of the beauty of both the book and the miniseries is that you’re never exactly sure what the nature of Sebastian and Charles’ relationship is. It’s why the “sunbathing scene” is the best scene in the miniseries. It goes beyond homoerotic subtext to just “wow, this is really gay.” (Skip to 2:00 to see the miniseries’ “sunbathing scene” if those long English pauses are too much for you in this moment, again has a NSFW moment)



(Click here to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ouafJ0xLY)


Movie Infraction #2 – THE OTHER KISS

In the book and the miniseries, Sebastian takes Charles to visit Sebastian’s ostracized father who lives in Venice with his mistress, much to the distress of most of his Catholic family. Not much happens while they’re in Venice. The boys see art, go to parties, and the father’s mistress Cara cautions Charles about getting too close to Sebastian.

Charles and Sebastian ALONE in Venice in the miniseries

BUT here’s what happens in the movie: Julia shows up in Venice as well. Charles has started making eyes at Julia, and it’s not really clear if he’s actually interested in her or if he’s going through some kind of “gay panic” because Sebastian kissed him. So at a party in Venice, Charles kisses Julia, and (gasp) Sebastian sees it!!!! This is what now sets off Sebastian’s self-destructive downward spiral into self-loathing and alcoholism - being rejected sexually by his best friend.

The only problem is NONE OF THIS HAPPENED IN THE BOOK!!!!!

Cutesy nonsense between Julia and Charles in the movie

Movie Infraction #3 – IMPOSING SEXUAL ORIENTATION-BASED SELF LOATHING ONTO SEBASTIAN

What makes Sebastian such a fascinating character in the book/miniseries is that he charms everyone he meets, but that charm is hiding a kind of pain that he can never fully show to the world, and it finally destroys him. The beauty of this character is that he is not reduced to just his sexual orientation. He is not a “tragic gay.” Although Sebastian is definitely tragic, it is not his gayness that makes him tragic.

So this brings us to:

Movie Infraction #4 – BEING UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND A COMPLEX GAY CHARACTER AND TURNING HIM INTO YET ANOTHER TRAGIC GAY BECAUSE, UM, GAYNESS IS TRAGIC…. OR SOMETHING…

You see why I get so upset when someone tells me they like this movie. As far as I’m concerned it’s homophobic nonsense. As someone who is fascinated by the truth of the character of Sebastian, the ultimate insult is to take his complete and complex humanity away from him. And I find it infuriating that in a movie in 2008 we were unable to do what was done in a book in 1945 and on TV in 1981, which was to accept Sebastian as a whole and complex person.

In 2008 suddenly the only possible explanation for what happens to Sebastian is “well he got rejected because he’s gay and now he hates himself because of it.” Why? Are we that averse to complexity in our queer characters? Are we actually scared of a nuanced depiction of a queer person that doesn’t totally revolve around their queerness?

Correct

One of the reasons why Sebastian is so beautifully written is that Waugh based him on a real person that he knew, and was infatuated with himself in his own Oxford days. Sebastian is complex because Waugh knew him, and Waugh adored him in real life.

Alright, listen, now that I’ve gotten my “nerd panic” rant out, I should probably say, if you like the movie version of Brideshead, it’s fine. Really, I’m fine with it. Just know that you’re not getting Brideshead. You’re getting a weird study in where we were as a society in 2008 - a little clueless and a lot unsure about what was going to happen with all of this gay stuff.

If you want to see the real “Brideshead Revisited” and the real Sebastian and Charles, set aside eleven hours of your life and watch the BBC miniseries. It is a thing of beauty. (Except the prologue. The prologue is silly. Also the ending is a mess. But that’s all Waugh’s fault.)


Further reading:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/dec/23/families-in-literature-the-flytes-in-brideshead-revisited-by-evelyn-waugh

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/04/waugh-excerpt-201004

Author Bio:

Kate Scelsa is the author of the young adult novel “Fans of the Impossible Life,” out 9/10 from Macmillan in the UK and 9/8 from HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray in the US. Kate grew up in New Jersey, went to school at Sarah Lawrence College, and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife and two black cats. She spent much of 2002-2013 traveling the world with theater company Elevator Repair Service, performing in their trilogy of works based on great American novels, including an eight hour long show called "Gatz" that used the entire text of "The Great Gatsby." Kate is currently collaborating with her dad, the legendary free form radio DJ Vin Scelsa, on “The Kate and Vin Scelsa Podcast,” now available on iTunes and SoundCloud.

Website: www.katescelsa.com
Twitter: @katescelsa
Facebook: katescelsaauthor
Tumblr: http://katescelsa.tumblr.com
Instagram: @kate.scelsa
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC02mC6y2JmL2scYguwNqsKQ

*********************

Thanks for a fantastic guest post Kate, I actually feel kind of embarrassed to admit that I've not seen either the movie or the mini series and I haven't read the book either! I can definitely understand why you weren't happy with the movie adaptation though and I'm very curious about these characters so I'll have to check out the mini series when I have some time on my hands.

This is the first stop on Kate's UK blog tour so please make sure you check out the other blogs taking part over the next few days. You can find all the details on the banner below:

Don't forget to check out Fans of the Impossible Life when it releases on Thursday too!

Review: Firewalker - Josephine Angelini

Lily Proctor has made it back to her own universe, and it's finally time for her and Rowan to be happy and relax. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape, and they must hide her new magic for the safety of the world, but compared to fighting the monstrous Woven and leading armies in the alternate Salem, life is looking good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. Lily is the closest version of herself she's ever seen in all her worldwalking, and Lillian's running out of time. If she can't persuade Lily and Rowan to return to her world, she'll have to find a way to make them come back.

Worldwalker Trilogy:
Trial by Fire
Rowan (Novella)
Firewalker
Traitor's Pyre (2016)

Visit Josephine Angelini's website for more information

Review:
It's impossible to review Firewalker without including spoilers for previous books in the series so if you haven't read Trial by Fire yet then you need to look away now. I will say that I'm really enjoying this series though so it's definitely one I'd recommend checking out if you enjoy YA fantasy.

Trial by Fire was one of my favourite YA books last year so it's no surprise that I've been desperately waiting for the release of the sequel. I was actually so excited about Firewalker that I was kind of nervous to start reading it because I wasn't sure if it could live up to its predecessor and I have to admit that in some ways I was right - it didn't quite reach the highs of the first book but that doesn't mean it wasn't an excellent story in its own right and it still far surpasses a lot of other books out there.

The story picks up immediately from where we left off, Lily is badly burnt from the time she spent on the pyre but luckily she managed to get both herself and Rowan back to her own reality. She is relieved to have escaped from Lillian but she is now facing a whole new host of problems, not least of which is the FBI investigation into her vanishing act three months ago. It's not like she can explain where she's been all that time and she had no idea how much trouble her disappearance would have caused for the people left behind. Some have just been worried out of their minds, others have been living under suspicion of her murder but all of them have been suffering constant police surveillance and harassment. Lily didn't choose to leave and she came back as quickly as she could but she still has a lot of explaining to do. As if that wasn't bad enough she still has Lillian to deal with, she may have left Lillian's reality but Lillian isn't done with her yet and she is determined to pull her back into the war they started.

I have to admit I found the beginning of the story a little on the slow side, probably because I'm used to this series moving at such a fast pace usually. It was interesting to see Lily reconnect with her friends and family as well as trying to settle back into normal life but it wasn't as interesting as seeing her in Lillian's reality. I also had a few issues with the way Lily was keeping so many secrets from Rowan and the people who were supposed to be closest to her, I could kind of understand why she was holding back but at the same time I always think honesty is the best policy. Rowan started having real trust issues and he actually made me really mad a couple of times but I think a lot of the problems could have been avoided if Lily had been more honest with him in the first place. They were both in the wrong though and it's probably going to take a while for Rowan to work his way back into my good graces, I am still hoping he can manage it though so that's definitely something in his favour.

I actually think my favourite character in this book was Lillian, I found her fascinating in the first book but here we find out a lot more about the things she has been through and why she has made the choices she did. I'm never going to agree with some of her actions, let's face it she has done some pretty evil things, but I did find it much easier to understand how she ended up in that situation and it was interesting to see how Lily started to come to a similar conclusion. Although they are basically the same girl their life experiences have made them very different in a lot of ways but it does make you wonder if Lily wouldn't have done exactly the same things Lillian did if they had switched places at birth.

Anyway, when they returned to Lillian's reality the story really picks up the pace and I loved getting to explore more of that world. We get answers to some of the questions that we had at the end of the previous book but we also get hints that there is so much more going on than meets the eye and I'm dying to see how certain things are going to play out. Lily is in an impossible situation but she is so determined to make things right and find a different way to fix things and I have hope that she can come up with something. There are some beautiful moments in this story, shocking and heartbreaking twists, weird creatures that made me shudder in fear and brilliant friendships that made me smile. I'm definitely excited to see where Josephine Angelini takes things from here and I can't wait to continue reading the series.

Source: Received from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: