Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Mixed Signals
AUTHOR: Cooper West
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 222 Pages
RE-RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2019
BLURB:
Devastatingly handsome pilot Frank Sheldon is doing his best to avoid his inheritance of money, charm, and good looks by rebuilding his life on his own terms after being discharged from the Air Force just before the repeal of DADT. When he unexpectedly meets the eccentric geek Benjamin Kaplan, sparks don’t quite fly, despite Benjamin’s obvious interest. Frank is not one to back down from a challenge, but what does any of that have to do with his sister’s campaign for governor, or the muckraking political website attacking her opponent, who just happens to be Frank’s unlamented, very closeted ex-boyfriend? It’s hard to fall in love when all you are getting is mixed signals.
REVIEW:
A chance meeting at a hairdressing salon brings Ex-Air Force Pilot, Frank Sheldon, into contact with Dr Benjamin Kaplan – a computer geek who dabbles in the stock exchange and runs a non-traceable news site. Both men are from opposite ends of the social scale. Frank from upper-class, old money. Benjamin’s wealth was emotional, not monetary.
From a privileged background, Frank avoids taking part in the daily excesses his family enjoys. But that doesn’t preclude him from helping his siblings. He is called home to lend his support to his sisters run for Governor – mainly because she wants the gay vote. Paulson Teague being the opposition is also a factor and becomes the main arc of the story. Pauli was Franks, firmly in the closet, ex. Frank feels obliged to support Nancy because as well as being his biggest pain in the ass, she is his biggest supporter – a force to be reckoned with.
Benjamin isn’t socially… trained and admits that he is a touch pudgy. He says what comes to mind, often without thinking. For Frank, this is refreshingly alluring as it is rare that he gets an honest answer out of people. Benjamin, despite his attraction to Frank, is wary of such a gorgeous man hitting on him and keeps the man at arm’s length, refusing to give into his advances. Knowing Frank’s heritage and social standing also gives Benjamin a conflict of interest. MudzNews is hated by anyone wanting power because it is rumored the (unknown) person running it couldn’t be bought. Nancy’s political campaign is a prime target, and Benjamin doesn’t want MudzNews to be accused of being biased. Add to that his attraction to Frank and Benjamin isn’t in a tenable position.
Franks family, while trying to push him into politics, end up pushing Frank towards a business venture with Benjamin.
The story is told in the traditional third-person way of letting the paragraphs speak for themselves as to whose pov is being represented. For an old bird like me, this was a breath of fresh air. However, it occasionally falls into that pit of extra detail that I guess is designed to give some depth and all-round view of the world. In my opinion, a good few of them were not necessary. I didn’t need to know if a person was thinking about changing the color of an aeroplane or what someone’s children wanted to do later in life. At these times, I’d skim read until the main arc of the story reappeared not feeling that I’d missed anything.
There was a lot of this story that I loved — the intricacies of planning publicity stunts for the political campaign. Aggressive negotiations within families as well as outside them was delicious to read. I was taken back to my love of the TV series The West Wing. Franks father, Alexander, wasn’t the traditional tyrant either which made a refreshing change. By the end of the story, he was a favorite – gotta love a poppa bear protecting his cubs.
I also liked Benjamin’s snarky banter towards and with Frank. Another highlight was that for the majority, the men are upfront about their reasons for going into business etc. One extremely clever aspect was that, at any time, the story could go in multiple dramatic directions, which made my reading experience, intense. I was always on the edge of my seat wondering, when or if the shit would hit the fan. Then, would they fall apart or join forces.
There’s love, heartache, political satire and angst, but it has an exciting aura about it. Mixed Signals wasn’t an emotional rollercoaster, but it was positively exhilarating. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
RATING: 
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