Elaine White's Life in Books

Book – A Welded Wave
Author – Z.A. Tanis
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 108
Cover – Nice
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Trans


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **



Before we get started, I do feel a need to warn that this book has detailed scenes about the MC's apartment having a fire. I'm adding this, because at the time of writing, 24/6/17, this is a huge issue in UK news and it might be upsetting for anyone who had personal experience of a similar event. I wasn't personally affected, but it was difficult to read at times and very emotional.



This was a really cute contemporary romance that basically delivered what it said in the blurb. For me, there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on, but it was an overall good story.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way. There were no chapter headings, which is a pet hate of mine, especially for a book of 108 pages. There were info dumps every time we entered a new apartment/living space and at the Mayday Parade; a little too much info that wasn't really necessary and that didn't really help us orientate or feel more comfortable in the 'space' it was describing.

I would have liked to see a conclusion to the sculptor aspect, maybe with the big reveal of the finished product at the end, even if Enis didn't like it. I felt like that part of the story got pushed aside because of the romance.

I found the whole relationship and 'love' aspect a little hard to swallow, because it happened so suddenly. Now, it's not insta-love, because these guys have known each other for years, but that's part of the problem. There was no hint, until Mark brought it up at the restaurant, that either of these guys had ever thought of each other romantically or even sexually before that point. No hint, no suggestion, no harboured secret feelings that would have better explained how quickly it progressed between them. For constantly saying that they appreciated a person's mind more than their body, these two put a hell of a lot of focus on getting naked and sweaty with each other. Plus, add on that Enis had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and it just didn't feel right. Maybe if the break up had been a year or two ago and his ex was only now coming out with the accusations that hurt it, I could have believed it.

Saying that, Enis and Mark had nice chemistry and a great friendship. I believed them, as best friends. There were awkward about progressing their relationship forward, which is normal for moving a long term friendship into something more. I loved that they talked openly about their feelings, about Mark's plans for top surgery and that there was no cliché story arc of one of them having a huge secret reveal, storming off and then the other thinking it was over. They had arguments, as all couples and all friends do, but they were rational enough to talk about it and to accept that they needed space, while also feeling nervous about the outcome and if a relationship fight would ruin their entire friendship. That was the best part – they really didn't want to risk their friendship, but they were willing to put the effort in to become a couple. Which was great to see.

The trans issue was handled with respect and comfort; it's clear that the author is very happy writing about a trans male and knows all the stuff to make it both believeable and relatable, while having relevance to the story without constantly mentioning that he's trans. The subtle inclusion of the compression shirt mentions and how openly he and Enis talked about whether he'd be comfortable as a gay man moving into a relationship with a trans man was brilliant to read.

Overall, it was a super cute story and I enjoyed it.

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