July 15, 2013
Pseudointellectualism meets gay romance in Hall’s debut. Self-absorbed British writer Ash Winters is a young man struggling with bipolar disorder and the aftermath of a suicide attempt. His perceptions of himself and others evolve quickly as he develops a relationship with fashion model Darian Taylor. Under Darian’s influence, the former hermit slowly returns to a more social state. The stock romance is enlivened with the occasional bits of dark humor and beautifully risqué moments, interspersed with an overabundance of mental illness details. The juxtaposition of unlikable Ash’s literary and intellectual viewpoints with Darian’s superficial lifestyle (and painfully rendered Essex accent: “You’ll do ahwight, janarwhatamean?”) is cleverly used to spotlight the propagation of relationship stereotypes, but the unlikely and unexpectedly charming pairing of Darian and Ash, and the resultant drama of their worlds colliding, eclipses development of other characters—leaving them mere set decoration to prop up the two leads.
September 12, 2022
There is a lot to be titillated by in this delightful gay romance from Hall (Boyfriend Material), the first in his Spires Series. Ash Winters, a reasonably successful London novelist with bipolar disorder, meets Darian Taylor, a glitzy, self-tanned Essex fashion model, at a nightclub. After a few initial hiccups, these polar opposites fall into a shockingly successful relationship as Darian’s good cheer coaxes Ash into situations outside of his comfort zone. Though Hall has a sensitive hand with Ash’s mental illness throughout, the happy relationship results in an almost unbelievably huge alteration in Ash’s personality and approach to the world. Hall writes Darian’s dialogue in Essex dialect—suggesting, for example, that the inscription to Ash’s latest novel should read, “To the geeza what I slept wif and then done a runner on in the middle of the night, making ’im feel like a right slapper?” This near-caricature has a distracting effect and distances readers from the narrative, especially as none of the other characters speak with comparable dialectical mannerisms. Still, Hall’s trademark humor and heart shine through. It’s a cheery, hopeful love story proving that those with mental illness can have just as much fun—and sex—as those without. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callahan, Handspun Literary.
Starred review from June 1, 2024
An early work by Hall makes its audio debut. Ash is a posh former wunderkind whose struggles with self-harm left him hospitalized. A chance hookup at a stag party, working-class Essex boy Darian is loud, brash, and disarmingly sweet. Ash thinks it's a one-off until Darian crashes his next book signing, and Ash can't help but invite him into his life. Ash realizes that Darian is awakening feelings he thought were long dead: trust, hope, and vulnerability. But he's so used to things going wrong that love seems unattainable. Will he sabotage this relationship, or can he keep his world lit with Darian's glitter? The 2013 book by Hall contains their hallmarks, including depictions of mental illness, deepening characterization through sex scenes, and making tired tropes feel new. Some early-writer foibles are present, including flowery similes, but Nicholas Boulton's expert narration molds it into a cohesive whole. Boulton's skillfully rendered Essex accent is tailor-made for readers put off by the transliterated accent in the written work. Additional content, including an expanded conclusion, helps round out the narrative. VERDICT A perfect narrator and a deeply felt romance make this a definitive version of a Hall favorite.--Katherine Sleyko
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