Series: The Speakeasy
Volume: 4/?Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group
Genre/s: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Gay, Ace Spectrum, GLBTQI
Length: 94 217 words
Read in: English
Review copy format: epub
Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮
For Stuart Morgan, Malcolm Elliott is a puzzle, an equation with an indefinite result. On the one hand, he seems interested in Stuart, on the other, he doesn't respond to the flirtation and courtship in an expected way. Working together on a large, very important fundraising event gives them the opportunity to get to know each other better, thanks to which Malcolm opens up to Stuart. Slowly some deeper feelings begin to flourish on the foundation of their friendship. However, both men have some secrets that cause them problems and will put their feelings to the test.
"Straight Up" is the fourth volume of "The Speakeasy" series by K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn duo. In my opinion, the previously released installments of the series are really good, but they differ quite significantly in many respects, which is the reason I like some of them more and others a little less. However, "Straight Up" is my favorite and it's definitely the best volume of the series I have read so far. This novel is simply perfect and I love everything about it. Let's start with Stuart and his story, which is really surprising, amazing, one of a kind. When Stuart tells Malcolm about himself, when he recalls his past, we gain insight into his psyche, emotions, and we see the great courage and determination he needed to get to the place where he is now. What's more, Stuart and his whole story, not just his past, but also the present we read about, emphasize the fact that people are complex creatures with many faces concealed by their appearance. To be honest, Stuart is one of the most fascinating literary characters I've ever met.
In "Straight Up" I also liked the fact that the novel raises the topic of asexuality and to some extent juxtaposes it with sexuality, which highlights some of the problems that asexual people face. In their story, K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn point out that each asexual person is different and they create a character in whom we can find a bit of everything. I like that very much. What's important, Malcolm doesn't really know his limitations yet, he doesn't know what he likes and what he doesn't like because he's mostly inexperienced and doesn't have many opportunities to experiment. At least until he meets a man who wants to get to know him, wants to understand him and is patient enough to allow such experiments and doesn't mind Malcolm's pace. This shows how important it is to choose the right partner, not sexually, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually, because thanks to the other person we can get to know ourselves. In "Straight Up" the authors really presented one of the faces of asexuality in a really great way and emphasized all the things that are most important in every relationship.
The great advantage of "Straight Up" is also the fact that it focuses on the ability to ask for help and accept help. What's important, this problem is presented with emphasis put on the human psyche and the difficulty of finding ourselves once we get lost. In this respect the authors really did a great job, because they honestly and openly showed us not only Malcolm's problems, but also the reasons behind them, his good intentions, which proved to have some deplorable effects, the actions because of which he was digging an ever deeper hole for himself, and the tremendous effort of accepting the help he really needed. Furthermore, K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn combined the problem of help with the topic of trust in a truly amazing way. The actions of the main characters are not easy to classify as good or bad. Malcolm and Stuart make choices that have consequences, just like in real everyday life, and that's what I liked so much in this novel.
It is also worth noting that in "Straight Up" the authors explored the topic of trust taking into consideration more than the problems of one of the characters, as they also show us another face of this belief. On the one hand, we see the trust as a belief that our confessions will remain a secret, on the other, there's a trust that our secret can be revealed, understood and fully accepted by the person we've chosen. As I've mentioned in the previous paragraph, the first face of trust was shown really well in the novel. And the same can be said about the second aspect of trust, as the authors made sure that this problem awakens a large dose of emotions, not only in the characters, but also in the readers. And it's even more important as in this case the problem is not only very personal, but above all intimate. What's more, while we already know Stuart is open minded and ready to accept the other person, Malcolm is in some respects an unknown. After all, he is a mystery even to himself.
To sum up, "Straight Up" is undoubtedly the best part of "The Speakeasy" series and an excellent novel in itself. The plot is very interesting, the characters are perfectly created, and their individual stories are fascinating, marvelously presented and constitute an inseparable, essential part of the characters' building. To put it simply, "Straight Up" is a perfection.
Headcanon: Whenever Stuart and Malcolm go on vacation, Stuart wants to get to know the traditional flavors of the country, city or region they're visiting.
Fanfiction idea: Stuart and Malcolm spend their holidays in Italy. Malcolm feels that coming back home he'll be much heavier than he is now, because Stuart takes him to all the best restaurants and bars in the region.
AU idea: Italy!AU, Stuart owns a small bistro. One day a homeless boy robs one of his clients. Running away, the boy bumps into Malcolm, who is in Rome on business, and who was just passing by. Stuart helps Malcolm stand up and this is how their love begins.
THE SPEAKEASY SERIES REVIEW TOUR and BOOK 4 NEW RELEASE
Here's some more about:
NEW RELEASE:
BOOK 4
Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK
BOOK 1
Book Title: With A Twist (The Speakeasy Book 1) Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group Genre/s: Contemporary, Romance, Gay Heat Level: 4 flames Length: 95 295 words/ 263 pages Release Date: September 25, 2018
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Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited
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Author Links
Here's some more about:
The Speakeasy Series
Media mogul Jesse Murtagh and bartender Kyle McKee decide to go into business together and open Under Lock & Key, a speakeasy on the upper West Side of Manhattan. The bar, with its secret passphrases and craft liquor cocktails, becomes a sanctuary for Jesse and Kyle’s circle of friends, who gather once a month to catch up with each other and share their experiences.
Under is both hang out and haven for the men who spend time within its walls and their friendships build family ties that are sometimes missing from their own lives.
Overall Heat Rating for the series: 4 flames
The stories can be read in order or as standalones.
NEW RELEASE:
BOOK 4
Book Title: Straight Up (The Speakeasy Book 4)
Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Release Date: June 9, 2020
Trope/s: Opposites Attract, Bi-Awakening, Coming Out, First Time, Found Family
Themes: Acceptance, commitment, family conflict, denial, closeted kink, taboo, experimentation/first time, sexual awakening.
This book can standalone or be read as part of the series.
Love, served straight up.
Blurb
Blurb
Malcolm Elliott has been keeping secrets. Helping his mom through a financial crisis has nearly emptied his bank account and his kitchen cupboards, despite his thriving career with Corporate Equality Campaign. Malcolm is also bothered by his inability to tell the most important people in his life that he identifies as gray ace.
Stuart Morgan has a secret of his own. Though years have passed since the tattooed chef fled the Mormon church in Utah for New York, he’s never truly come to terms with the kink that ruined that rigid but outwardly perfect life. Experience has also taught Stuart that keeping his love of lacy things under wraps is safer than telling the truth.
After Malcom’s boss, Carter, hires Stuart’s restaurant to cater a gala fundraising event, the strait-laced Malcolm is thrown together with badass biker Stuart. Despite their differences and a couple of false starts, the men discover they work well together and a friendship quickly forms.
As Malcolm’s feelings for Stuart deepen, his sexuality awakens, but he remains tight-lipped about his problems. And though Stuart grows more and more attached to Malcolm, he remains fearful of confessing his kink.
When both of their secrets are finally exposed, they find themselves at a crossroads in which they must choose between playing it safe or finally coming clean to the person they love.
Stuart Morgan has a secret of his own. Though years have passed since the tattooed chef fled the Mormon church in Utah for New York, he’s never truly come to terms with the kink that ruined that rigid but outwardly perfect life. Experience has also taught Stuart that keeping his love of lacy things under wraps is safer than telling the truth.
After Malcom’s boss, Carter, hires Stuart’s restaurant to cater a gala fundraising event, the strait-laced Malcolm is thrown together with badass biker Stuart. Despite their differences and a couple of false starts, the men discover they work well together and a friendship quickly forms.
As Malcolm’s feelings for Stuart deepen, his sexuality awakens, but he remains tight-lipped about his problems. And though Stuart grows more and more attached to Malcolm, he remains fearful of confessing his kink.
When both of their secrets are finally exposed, they find themselves at a crossroads in which they must choose between playing it safe or finally coming clean to the person they love.
Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK
BOOK 1
Book Title: With A Twist (The Speakeasy Book 1) Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group Genre/s: Contemporary, Romance, Gay Heat Level: 4 flames Length: 95 295 words/ 263 pages Release Date: September 25, 2018
Add on Goodreads
Love, served with a twist.
Blurb
Blurb
Nursing a broken heart when his ex-boyfriend, Riley, leaves him for the love of his life, Carter, Will Martin throws himself into teaching at NYU and writing. An invite from Riley to a speakeasy called Under helps Will begin to heal, and he finds himself enjoying both the drinks and the company.
Soon after, he’s shaken by news of his father’s cancer diagnosis and Will reluctantly returns to Long Island to see the man who disowned him after he was outed.
Sparks fly when Will meets his father’s mentee, Republican Senator David Mori, who is both mixed race and openly gay. Will is looking for a no-strings-attached fling and David is leery of getting involved with his mentor’s son, so they keep their affair a secret.
As his father’s health worsens, Will elects to remain in Garden City and his relationship with David grows beyond casual sex. Now, both men must decide how to bridge the divide between them.
Soon after, he’s shaken by news of his father’s cancer diagnosis and Will reluctantly returns to Long Island to see the man who disowned him after he was outed.
Sparks fly when Will meets his father’s mentee, Republican Senator David Mori, who is both mixed race and openly gay. Will is looking for a no-strings-attached fling and David is leery of getting involved with his mentor’s son, so they keep their affair a secret.
As his father’s health worsens, Will elects to remain in Garden City and his relationship with David grows beyond casual sex. Now, both men must decide how to bridge the divide between them.
Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited
BOOK 2
Book Title: Extra Dirty (The Speakeasy Book 2)
Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group
Genre/s: Contemporary, Romance, Gay, GLBTQI
Heat Level: 4 flames
Length: 88 944 words/ 345 pages
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group
Genre/s: Contemporary, Romance, Gay, GLBTQI
Heat Level: 4 flames
Length: 88 944 words/ 345 pages
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Love, served extra dirty.
Blurb
Blurb
Jesse Murtagh loves his life as a wealthy bisexual businessman dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. With a circle of friends he trusts implicitly, he enjoys a successful career in his family’s business and as co-owner of Under, an uptown speakeasy, with his friend with benefits, Kyle McKee.
Music teacher and part-time DJ Cameron Lewis lives modestly in a DUMBO loft and isn’t interested in serious relationships. However, he’s always up for some casual fun.
Doing a favor for his friend Carter Hamilton, Jesse meets Cam and is immediately charmed. When Jesse discovers Cam’s other life as a DJ, he is further intrigued. Viewing Cam as a challenge, Jesse pulls out all the stops, but his usual methods to avoid serious relationships fail. Though Cam has no intention of becoming attached, he begins to fall for Jesse, unaware that Jesse’s feelings are changing.
Afraid of heartbreak, Cam pulls away, leaving Jesse bewildered and hurt. They remain friends until a series of misunderstandings widens the rift to breaking point. When Cam steps in to help Jesse through a family crisis, they realize they care for each other more than they’ve been willing to admit. Jesse and Cam don’t want a traditional relationship, but can they build a future that makes them both happy?
Music teacher and part-time DJ Cameron Lewis lives modestly in a DUMBO loft and isn’t interested in serious relationships. However, he’s always up for some casual fun.
Doing a favor for his friend Carter Hamilton, Jesse meets Cam and is immediately charmed. When Jesse discovers Cam’s other life as a DJ, he is further intrigued. Viewing Cam as a challenge, Jesse pulls out all the stops, but his usual methods to avoid serious relationships fail. Though Cam has no intention of becoming attached, he begins to fall for Jesse, unaware that Jesse’s feelings are changing.
Afraid of heartbreak, Cam pulls away, leaving Jesse bewildered and hurt. They remain friends until a series of misunderstandings widens the rift to breaking point. When Cam steps in to help Jesse through a family crisis, they realize they care for each other more than they’ve been willing to admit. Jesse and Cam don’t want a traditional relationship, but can they build a future that makes them both happy?
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BOOK 3
Book Title: Behind the Stick (The Speakeasy Book 3)
Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group
Genre/s: Contemporary, MM, Romance, Interracial, Erotic Romance
Trope/s: Bad Breakup, Hurt/Comfort, Interracial Relationship, Sex Buddies Become Lovers, Found Family
Themes: Family, Friendship, Family Conflict, Racial Intolerance, Forgiveness
Heat Level: 4 flames
Length: 97 045 words/370 pages
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn
Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group
Genre/s: Contemporary, MM, Romance, Interracial, Erotic Romance
Trope/s: Bad Breakup, Hurt/Comfort, Interracial Relationship, Sex Buddies Become Lovers, Found Family
Themes: Family, Friendship, Family Conflict, Racial Intolerance, Forgiveness
Heat Level: 4 flames
Length: 97 045 words/370 pages
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Love, served behind the stick.
Blurb
Blurb
Kyle McKee lives a charmed life. He co-owns Under, an uptown speakeasy, where he is chief mixologist. Friends poke fun at Kyle’s tiny one-bed apartment in Chelsea, but they’re the best support system a man could ask for. Unfortunately, Kyle’s lackluster love life has led him to take a break from dating.
Harlem resident Luka Clarke is a lieutenant with Engine 47, the Pride of Morningside, where he carries on his father’s legacy with the FDNY. Luka, who is mixed race and bisexual, has his eye on Kyle, whom he met at a local burger joint and he just needs to make time to visit Kyle’s bar.
Before work one evening, Kyle is trapped inside the luncheonette when a fire breaks out. Luka’s firehouse answers the call and he connects with Kyle again under the most unexpected of circumstances. When Kyle gratefully invites Luka and the firehouse squad to Under, the flirting between the two men leads to a date.
Kyle and Luka quickly grow close, but Luka’s mother and sister distrust Kyle for being both white and gay. Luka believes his family will come around and accept Kyle in the end, but Kyle is not optimistic and hides his disquiet as attraction blossoms into love.
Kyle and Luka’s near-idyllic bubble is shattered one evening after a hate crime leaves them scarred, inside and out. Shaken, they put on a strong front but struggle inwardly against fear and personal demons. As the emotions seething beneath the surface finally come to a head, both men must decide if they have the strength to find love enough to conquer hate.
Reader advisory: This book contains references to non-nurturing parenting; homophobia; racism and racist slurs. There are references to recreational drug use. This book also contains scenes of mmmm ménage and characters caught in fire.
Harlem resident Luka Clarke is a lieutenant with Engine 47, the Pride of Morningside, where he carries on his father’s legacy with the FDNY. Luka, who is mixed race and bisexual, has his eye on Kyle, whom he met at a local burger joint and he just needs to make time to visit Kyle’s bar.
Before work one evening, Kyle is trapped inside the luncheonette when a fire breaks out. Luka’s firehouse answers the call and he connects with Kyle again under the most unexpected of circumstances. When Kyle gratefully invites Luka and the firehouse squad to Under, the flirting between the two men leads to a date.
Kyle and Luka quickly grow close, but Luka’s mother and sister distrust Kyle for being both white and gay. Luka believes his family will come around and accept Kyle in the end, but Kyle is not optimistic and hides his disquiet as attraction blossoms into love.
Kyle and Luka’s near-idyllic bubble is shattered one evening after a hate crime leaves them scarred, inside and out. Shaken, they put on a strong front but struggle inwardly against fear and personal demons. As the emotions seething beneath the surface finally come to a head, both men must decide if they have the strength to find love enough to conquer hate.
Reader advisory: This book contains references to non-nurturing parenting; homophobia; racism and racist slurs. There are references to recreational drug use. This book also contains scenes of mmmm ménage and characters caught in fire.
Excerpt from Straight Up, The Speakeasy #4
“Crap, crap crap.” Malcolm took the subway stairs two at a time, muttering under his breath.
He’d arranged the Thursday meeting with Chef Morgan at Lock & Key, expecting forty-five minutes would be plenty of time to commute up from Midtown. However, a mechanical problem had plagued his train and he’d spent the crawling ride exchanging messages with his mom, trying to get her to apply for job openings he’d found in the neighborhoods around Staten Island. Now Malcolm was nearly fifteen minutes late and almost sprinting along Broadway in his loafers and business casual duds, messenger bag bumping his hip.
Malcolm hated being late, particularly when it came to his job. He’d texted the chef with a heads-up he was running behind, but still felt wretched and unprofessional. He also knew this would make a poor impression on a man who had high expectations of the people around him. Stuart had been friendly—even charming—when he’d introduced himself to Malcolm, tattoos peeking out from beneath the chef’s white jacket. His demeanor had changed the moment the talk had turned to food, however, shifting into a thorough confidence that was reflected in the quality and plating of the food he’d put in front of Malcolm. Everything had been luscious—both esthetically and in taste—and Malcolm had known from the first bite that the chef and his staff at King’s would do impeccable work for the CEC fundraiser.
The steel in Stuart’s expression as he’d spoken about food and his work had reassured Malcolm. He understood how to interact with a man who was all business. He’d been less sure of how to handle the moments when Stuart had smiled at him, however, and the way that warmth had made his brown eyes dance. The chef’s touch had tingled against Malcolm’s skin when they’d bid each other goodbye, too and…well. Malcolm really didn’t know what to make of that.
He caught sight of a huge motorcycle parked by the curb as he neared Lock & Key and slowed to a walk. It was a beautiful machine, gleaming black and chrome in the late afternoon light, and Malcolm could imagine the kind of man who rode it, clad in a leather jacket with tattoos on full display.
I’ll bet Stuart Morgan wears a leather jacket.
Malcolm nearly tripped into Lock & Key’s door. Where the hell had that come from?
Seconds later his errant thought literally came to life and Malcolm blinked at the sight of the chef seated at Lock & Key’s bar, a tall glass of water in hand and motorcycle helmet by his elbow. Stuart wore a black leather jacket, just as Malcolm had imagined, and a scowl so mighty he looked almost like a stranger. Malcolm’s stomach flipped.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said in a rush. Moving quickly, Malcolm waved hello to the bartender, then pulled the strap of his bag over his head and stepped up beside Stuart. “I meant to be here to meet you, Chef, but the train—”
Stuart cut in, his voice gruff and grumpy as Malcolm had expected. “I get it. Public transportation sucks.”
“It’s unpredictable,” Malcolm replied. “Anyway, Under’s head bartender is waiting for us downstairs.”
“Downstairs?” Stuart waved at the room around them with one hand. “Downstairs from here?”
“Um, yeah. This is Lock & Key. Under’s located in the basement.”
“I thought you said the event would be happening on the roof?”
“It will be. Under and Lock & Key will be part of it, too though. Sort of.” Heat flashed over Malcolm’s cheeks when Stuart rolled his eyes. “Sorry, let’s …” He blew out a breath and squared his shoulders. “Let’s start again.”
Stuart’s expression softened by a degree. “Okay. I’m listening.”
About the Authors
K. Evan Coles
K. Evan Coles
K. Evan Coles is a mother and tech pirate by day and a writer by night. She is a dreamer who, with a little hard work and a lot of good coffee, coaxes words out of her head and onto paper.
K. lives in the northeast United States, where she complains bitterly about the winters, but truly loves the region and its diverse, tenacious and deceptively compassionate people. You’ll usually find K. nerding out over books, movies and television with friends and family. She’s especially proud to be raising her son as part of a new generation of unabashed geeks.
K.’s books explore LGBTQ+ romance in contemporary settings.
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Brigham Vaughn
Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.
Her books range from short stories to novellas. They explore gay, bisexual, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.
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