There may be a pandemic going on out in the vast world as we know it, but the Review Team is working hard behind the scenes, reviewing, writing and featuring stories for us all to read! This week is a feature of Tales From the Sauna by @Thorn Wilde done up by Puppilull 

Tales From the Sauna
Thorn Wilde

Reviewer: Puppilull
Status: Complete
Word Count: 12,045

Now when many of us are feeling a bit isolated and perhaps in need of some warmth, I can recommend just the stories for you! The kind that warms your body and soul. So, without further ado, step into the sauna!

Tales From the Sauna is a three-part series of one-chapter stories taking place not so very far from my hoods (relatively speaking). In the more rural parts of Finland where all things gay is accepted but not exactly thriving, we meet Juha, who is chilling in the never-ending summer evenings of the northern hemisphere. He is (perhaps a bit too) quietly enjoying his time off for the summer, when by chance he runs into Adam. A very good-looking So-Cal boy born and bred, but with Finnish roots which he is to explore.

And boy, do they explore! The heat of the sauna cools in comparison to the heat these guys can generate. I suggest keeping something cool nearby, to drink or maybe to splash your face.

As the series continues, we get to follow the boys for summer, Christmas and then another summer (complete with a premier Pride parade) again on their journey as they try to figure out what is actually going on between them. Is it just a fling, a passing attraction? Or is it something else? How will they handle a possible long-distance relationship?

These are short chapters, perfect for a snuggled up read in the comfiest corner of the couch. Or maybe in bed…? But don’t let the sexiness of the tales fool you. These boys are hot for each other, no doubt. But they also have a connection that goes beyond mere sex. In the three chapters, Thorn Wilde manages to pack a lot of emotion as well. It’s easy to picture the small town, with a warm accepting attitude towards all people. I don’t find it too romanticized, since I feel most Swedish small towns are the same. Sure, there are the occasional idiots, but generally people live and let live. I enjoyed finding out alongside Juha and Adam just how to handle living so far apart and still not wanting to let go.

As an added bonus, you learn how to properly take a sauna. Somehow, the boys manage not to break the rules. Such admirable constraint! But it doesn’t last long outside the sauna…

Category: Fiction  Genres:  Romance  Tags:  young adult, europe, gay, love, oral, anal, vacation  Rating: Mature