The Bad And The Beautiful

Title: The Bad And The Beautiful
Author: Jamie Craig
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: Historical (50s-Era)
Length: Novella (38k words)
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

A Guest Review by Aunt Lynn

THE BLURB

It’s 1955, Las Vegas is swinging, and David Lonergan has the chance of a lifetime when he accompanies his cousin to be the headlining act at the Thunderbird Casino. A pianist who cut his teeth in the jazz clubs of Chicago, David is dazzled by the lights, the music, and the anything goes attitude of Las Vegas. But he’s not knocked off his feet until he meets Vincent “Shorty” Accardo.

Vincent is a full-time bodyguard and sometimes hitman for the mob-controlled casino. He doesn’t indulge his interest in men very often, but there’s something different about David from the moment they meet. He’s attracted to David’s talent, his surprising innocence, and his easy smile.

There are a million reasons to stay away from the young piano player, but Vincent can’t help himself. Even when there are lives at risk…

THE REVIEW

The Bad And The Beautiful is by the talented writing team of Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza that make up Jamie Craig, and the most recent offering in Amber Allure’s series of Blockbusters series of “Movie-Title-Inspired” books (yeah, I don’t get it either folks). I am a fan of these authors, and although this story may not be my favorite by them, I liked it quite a bit.

The story opens with pianist David arriving in Las Vegas with his singer cousin Kate, both invited to be the headliners at hotel/casino run by her mob-connected boyfriend, Jimmy. David’s been looking to get out of his hometown of Chicago and away from his parents who don’t understand his desire to play piano for a living instead of settling down with some nice girl and get a “real” job. He knows they would also never understand his reasons for not wanting to marry, so this was the perfect opportunity. When they enter the casino, there to greet them is Jimmy’s right-hand man and bodyguard, Vince (aka “Shorty”). David is instantly attracted to the quiet, hulking giant, but knows he needs to keep that desire hidden because this is 1955 and making a mistake in approaching the wrong guy could cause him bodily harm. Meanwhile, David’s innocence and talent catch Vince off-guard, causing him to develop his own attraction to the pianist. He doesn’t often indulge himself in his desires — and when he does he just takes what he wants and walks away — but he finds himself wanting to take his time and chances with David. Challenges are in store for the two, however, as rival mobsters make trouble and David’s own fears and guilt threaten possible happiness.

What worked for me:

As is common with this wonderful author duo, the book is technically well-written with good attention to detail. Little touches like mentioning Bugsy Siegel, the way the mob was looking to control Vegas, how the Moulin Rouge was the first desegregated casino all added flavor to the story.  The light versus the dark, the gritty and the flashy were well-described here.

I liked that both men are surprised by the other, that they are against stereotype and are not what they expected. The protags have a lot of chemistry and the smexxin is steamy — especially the first time they are together and even though David is uncomfortable with his first time with anal sex. Oh, and the scene at the piano was seriously smokin’.

I liked Vincent, who I felt was the more complex character of the two. His tough exterior broke enough for David to expose a gentle interior, suprisong both the reader and David. Additionally, his lack of vices was interesting in a profession and time that promoted excess.

I thought it was believable that both men felt that there was no option for relationships for them as men of their orientation, resigned to having one-night stands and chance encounters. Their cautious optimism that maybe they could have something more lent hope to the story, and the tentative HFN felt credible.

Some issues:

I was surprised at some of the conversations the two men had in public. Almost open flirtation and a scene in an alley outside the Moulin Rouge made it seem that they were courting disaster and I am not sure if that is believable based on the era. Also, did Jimmy never question why Shorty was never with a woman and why he spent much of his time with David?

Regarding David, quite a bit is made of his innocence and I had a bit of difficulty with the fact that he was more bothered by his guilt over his orientation than he was being with a man who essentially beat up and killed others for a living.

OVERALL

Although there are stories by Jamie Craig that I have liked better, I have no hesitation recommending The Bad And The Beautiful to readers who like recent-past historicals.