Jade Falconer's Tangled Web
Winner of the Golden Rose Award for Best Erotica
On the run from vengeful moneylenders, David disguises himself as a maiden to make his escape. He doesn't expect his alter-ego, Mary, to attract the interest of a handsome wandering minstrel that comes to his aid. But the charming Alexander is the embodiment of gallantry and Mary is not immune. Nor is David.
Despite his attempts to remain aloof, David finds himself falling for Alexander. And Alexander is smitten, but with Mary. But Alexander has a secret of his own, a secret that could toll the death knell for their innocent romance. When they each learn the truth, can they overcome the daunting obstacles in their way?
Published by Phaze
Read a sample here (warning: explicit)
You can purchase it here or here.
Reviews
There are many levels of meaning in "Tangled Web." It's not just a Cinderella tale, it's also a coming out story. David is as comfortable with his identity as a gay man as he is being a cross-dresser. He's in the theater and is accustomed to fluid sexualities; and he's often called upon to play female roles. What surprises him is how much pleasure he derives from being Mary with Alexander. This is where the story really gets interesting.
Alexander has a harder time accepting himself because he has no idea he's gay, even after he discovers that Mary is really David. He's confused and angry over David's deception but he eventually comes to accept that he loves a man. When he does, and Mary becomes David once again, the "real" love story begins, and it's a joy to watch how it unfolds.
Falconer writes rapture like no other. Few authors manage to capture the utter transcendent quality of falling and being in love, but Falconer does it with more than a little skill. The scenes are so well written that you'll ache with frustration for the lovers as they seek to consummate their love. Once they do, they cannot get enough of each nor take their eyes off each other. Their passion is palpable and incredibly hot!
In my opinion, the story should have ended shortly after that, but it drags on to include several revelatory scenes with the King and Queen, and even David's cousin, whose presence both complicates and relieves Alexander's predicament. I realize that this is fantasy fiction, but Alexander's parents' reaction to his relationship with David was somewhat unrealistic. Moreover, far too many characters were acquainted with homosexuality for my tastes. Except for the King, no one disapproves of David and Alexander's relationship. Even the bad guys in search of David accept his sexuality; they're more angry over his deceit at cards than anything else. Moreover, the ending was too neatly sewn up with everyone getting what they wanted.
Overall, it was refreshing to read a love story that blurs the lines between male and female, masculinity and femininity. David is beautiful as a man and a woman and clearly revels in being both (as evidenced by the cover art). The various ways in which he finds pleasure in being what and who Alexander needs is beautiful and eye-opening. It's certainly a true measure of his love. Alexander comes to embrace the fact that he's attracted to David when he's dressed as Mary and when he's just being David. I was skeptical at the speed of his development and ease of transition, but his insistence on being acknowledged for who he is and what David means to him was admirable.
Fans of the genre might consider David to be a transsexual, but he's clearly not. He doesn't see himself as a woman trapped in a man's body. He considers himself to be a gay man who is attracted to other men, and who also happens to like dressing up as a woman to please himself and his lover.
This is a wonderful love story that, in truth, deserves 5 stars, but the constant head-hopping (or point of view changes) made for a difficult read. Every single paragraph switched points of view ~ I'm not exaggerating ~ which made me work harder to determine who was "speaking" at any given moment. This technique was distracting and took away from my total enjoyment of the story.
Despite these flaws, you'll want to read "Tangled Web" because it moves the genre in a direction that celebrates all types of sexualities, and because underneath all the other stuff, it's a deeply passionate love story told well.
