Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: IN FROM THE COLD: A COURTLAND NOVELLA
SERIES: COURTLAND CHRONICLES
AUTHOR: CAT GRANT
PUBLISHER: SELF-PUB
LENGTH: 91 PAGES
BLURB:
For all the Courtland fans clamoring for the next generation… Cold and sick, Seth Thompson must fight through a snowstorm to get home. Seth’s unconventional upbringing taught him to always reach out to strangers in need, and Iranian engineering student Bilal al-Mansoori is no exception. Being trapped together leads to an unexpected mutual attraction—and a feverishly hot night under the covers. But Bilal needs more than simply a rescue from the weather—he’s trapped under lifetime of cultural pressures. His strict Muslim father and fellow Iranian students have no clue about his inner torment. His attraction to Seth isn’t a welcome discovery—instead he’s trapped between the existence he’s always known and the prospect of living and loving openly for the first time in his life. (Note: This story stands-alone—no need to have read the prior Courtland books.)
REVIEW:
How do I start? I know….I’ll start with a direct quote from Cat Grant from the author’s Afterword. “I know what you’re all thinking right now. ‘But, but…we’ve been waiting for a new Courtland story for ages, and this is it? Twenty-three thousand words? That’s all we get?’”
My reaction was a little different than her prediction. I burst out with “WHAT, that’s it!!!” and a few other non-repeatable mumbles and grumbles. The feline that lets us live with her is still giving me the stink eye for scaring her with my outburst!
Humor aside, let’s get down to the review. I very much enjoyed this story. Two university students from very different backgrounds meet at the university health center, where they both are seeking treatment for the flu.
A huge storm hits the campus and when Seth finds Bilal on his way home, far outside the area where Bilal’s dorm is, Seth takes Bilal “in from the cold” and they are thrown together in Seth’s apartment to ride out the storm and hopefully get past the worst of the flu. What follows is a story of discovery, as they both learn things about each other and about each other’s culture, background and families. One of the young men, Seth, comes from a very well to do American family, the other, Bilal, is a Muslim from Iran, a country that executes gay men. Though they are both students at Cornell, their worlds are diametrically opposed. In addition, there are severe prejudices from both cultures towards the other which are highlighted by the actions of various individuals throughout the novella.
Take this novella, as I did, as a bridge into the next generation of the family in the Courtland Chronicles. I’m expecting we will see more of Seth and Bilal soon. I’m truly hoping so, I like these characters and want to see what happens next. What happens with the big mean Aziz guy in Bilal’s dorm, what happens with Bilal’s father….I could go on and on…..I have so many questions!
I can’t honestly tell you much more without this review becoming a “CliffsNotes” version of the novella! In her Afterword, Ms. Grant goes on to say that we should calm ourselves, and that another novel is on its way in late 2014 or early 2015. I hope so! I’m rating this novella a 4.0. I like it, I would have loved it if it was about 200 pages longer! I recommend you read this novella so that you’re ready, like I will be, for the continuation.
RATING: 
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