Ruby Slippers

Title: Ruby Slippers
Author: Alexi Silversmith
Publisher: Torquere Books
Genre: M/M contemporary cross-dressing romance
Length: 96 pages
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

A guest review by Jenre

Summary Review
A promising start and a great story was slightly marred by an abrupt ending, in this tale of lies and cross-dressing.

***This review contains what might be considered spoilers.***

THE BLURB

Detective Mark Benemonti is still getting over his last relationship when he meets Sterling Steele – a Greek God in sweat pants – in his local park, and is instantly smitten. Mark knows that Sterling would never lie to him like his ex-boyfriend did. He’s just too sweet and innocent. Right? But while Sterling adores Mark, he’s dealing with an unhappy past of his own. He’s been hurt too many times to trust Mark straight away.

When Sterling’s secret – the fact that he works as a female impersonator at a club called Ruby Slippers – is unexpectedly and explosively revealed, Mark and Sterling’s relationship falls apart. By the time Mark realizes he’s made a mistake, Sterling isn’t in a listening mood. Mark is really going to have to go the extra mile in order to get his boyfriend back… the question is, can he handle his very own pair of Ruby Slippers

THE REVIEW

Rather strangely, the blurb of this book has told nearly the entire story, except for maybe the last twenty pages. Mark is a police officer who meets a “Greek god” in the park on the way home from his shift. The god turns out to be Sterling and after breakfast, much flirting and sex, the pair fall into a relationship where they seem perfect for each other. Mark has been hurt in the past by a lying ex, and he finds Sterling’s openness and honesty refreshing. Unfortunately for Mark, Sterling isn’t being entirely honest about himself, as he’s choosing to hide the fact that he’s a cross-dresser.

There was much to like about this book. The characters of Mark and Sterling are sympathetic and likeable. Sterling is just delightful with a irrepressible humour about him, but also a fragility which was very appealing. I understood Sterling’s reasons for hiding his cross-dressing from Mark, but did think that after a few weeks he should maybe have come clean. Mark lacks self esteem at the beginning and I enjoyed seeing that grow as his relationship with Sterling developed, even as I cringed at the knowledge that he was heading for a shock. I also understood why Mark is so mixed up and confused about his feelings once all is revealed, especially given what we find out about his ex. Those of you who hate protracted forced separation will not be disappointed in this book as the two men sort out their differences within a few pages, even if the time-line is much longer than that.

This leads me onto the part that didn’t work as well for me. I don’t think I’m being spoilerish to say that the men resolve their differences at the end, and the manner in which this happened was both amusing and satisfying. Once the men are reconciled, the story ends but I wasn’t convinced that their problems and differences had been sufficiently resolved for me to be wholly happy with their relationship. Sterling isn’t just a drag queen, he’s a cross-dresser who wears women’s clothes all the time (in fact we are told he had to buy men’s underwear and borrow men’s clothes in order to keep up his deception). Mark has lots of ‘issues’ regarding cross-dressing and to suggest that they are now all forgotten because he realises he loves Sterling seemed too convenient. In order to really believe that Mark and Sterling could have a life together, I needed to stay with them for a bit longer and see them work through some of the times where Mark is forced to face-up to Sterling’s cross-dressing – for example, out and about in the street with him in women’s clothing.

Apart from the abrupt ending, this was a really good read. The writing is just superb, especially as the focus is on the slow development of the romance and the characterisation. I loved the characters of Mark’s friends, Ethan and Jamie, and of Sterling’s friend, Bobby, who gave colour to the story, as well as being the focus of either well meaning advice or a tongue lashing. The pace of the book is gentle and the growing sense of unease about Sterling’s deception cast a shadow over the story and added interest to the plot. The heroes work well together and I was invested in them as characters and read eagerly to discover how they would react once all was revealed.

Ruby Slippers is the second Alexi Silversmith book I have read and once again she has proved that she’s a great word-smith and creator of characters. I’d recommend this book to those who are looking for a sympathetic story of a cross-dresser and a man who learns to look past the women’s clothes.