Being the start of a new week, Monday's are also a good time to take a look at some of the different stories that can be found on Gay Authors. With so many great works, it can be easy to overlook one and Monday's provide an opportunity for us to help make one of them stand out and maybe catch your interest. Today, we're bringing you a review by Timothy M. of Percy's story "Savory, Bitter, and Sweet." Enjoy!

Reviewer: Timothy M.
Status: Complete
Word Count: 5,997

At my age I’m removed from all the teenage angst of dating, coming out, the high school and college drama – and in truth most of this is alien to me anyway as a European. But I still enjoy reading such stories, if only to shake my head in disbelief, or fondly, sadly or whatever. On the other hand, when I occasionally come across a GA story with mature adults, living realistic if somewhat boring lives with jobs, less-than-perfect relationships, and vague regrets about choices made, I sit up and take notice.

If such a story is also well written, has one or more memorable characters, lets the main guy evaluate his life and perhaps make an effort to change it, I’m hooked. One of my favorite short stories in this genre is Percy’s Savory, Bitter and Sweet. I come back to it at regular intervals, perhaps also in the vain hope the author might one day tell us what happened next. But mostly to once again savor the elegant mixture of bitter and sweet moments of attraction and relationships.

One of the most important features of the story is the attitude shift Percy forces us to takes together with Ian whose POV we follow. While we all abhor the bigotry of homophobic people, I’m sure plenty of us may have to own up to at least occasional hints of the disdain Ian displays for what he describes as ‘those fey, flamboyantly gay, almost girlish men.’ In fact, one of the pivotal sentences in the story may be ‘Ian had hated knowing that not only was he gay, he was gay for those mincing, femme males.’

The encounters Ian has with Curtis gradually make him (and us) view Curtis in a new light, and engenders respect for him due to his competence and poise. My favorite scene is probably the food flirt – which is not what you might think. I also love the descriptions of the clothes Curtis wears and his general looks, as seen through the rather disapproving eyes of Ian.

In fact my only complaint about the story is the same thing I feel about a small box of exquisite chocolate: it finished too soon and I crave more. If you do decide to read Percy’s delightful 2012-anthology piece, please add a review begging for another chapter. If enough of us ask, he may relent and tell the next part of this special story. If not, I shall have to be content with admiring this delightful short story whenever I read it, as well as Percy's other masterpieces in this genre.