Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Behind the Stick
SERIES: The Speakeasy #3
AUTHOR: K. Evan Coles & Brigham Vaughn
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2019
LENGTH: 283 pages
BLURB:
Book three in the Speakeasy series
Love, served behind the stick.
Kyle McKee lives a charmed life. He co-owns Under, an uptown speakeasy, where he is chief mixologist. Friends poke fun at Kyle’s tiny one-bed apartment in Chelsea, but they’re the best support system a man could ask for. Unfortunately, Kyle’s lackluster love life has led him to take a break from dating.
Harlem resident Luka Clarke is a lieutenant with Engine 47, the Pride of Morningside, where he carries on his father’s legacy with the FDNY. Luka, who is mixed race and bisexual, has his eye on Kyle, whom he met at a local burger joint and he just needs to make time to visit Kyle’s bar.
Before work one evening, Kyle is trapped inside the luncheonette when a fire breaks out. Luka’s firehouse answers the call and he connects with Kyle again under the most unexpected of circumstances. When Kyle gratefully invites Luka and the firehouse squad to Under, the flirting between the two men leads to a date.
Kyle and Luka quickly grow close, but Luka’s mother and sister distrust Kyle for being both white and gay. Luka believes his family will come around and accept Kyle in the end, but Kyle is not optimistic and hides his disquiet as attraction blossoms into love.
Kyle and Luka’s near-idyllic bubble is shattered one evening after a hate crime leaves them scarred, inside and out. Shaken, they put on a strong front but struggle inwardly against fear and personal demons. As the emotions seething beneath the surface finally come to a head, both men must decide if they have the strength to find love enough to conquer hate.
REVIEW:
Kyle met Luka in the local burger bar. The first time, they were in line, flirting. The second time it was while Luka was saving Kyle from a fire. As a thank you to the fire service, Kyle opens his speakeasy to them for a night. Sparks fly between him and Luka. Then, for a man who’d sworn off dating, he was soon in a relationship with a guy that made him melt, in every way.
Behind The Stick is the third book in the Speakeasy series. While characters cross over from one story to the next, each can be read as a standalone. This ditty is told in the third person, simple past tense, from the viewpoints of Kyle and Luka. There are a couple of dated chapters, but to be honest, their addition to the timeline is ineffective, other than to give the reader an idea of which year everything happens.
Despite the fiery start, the story took a bit for me to get into, and I’m not sure why, because it is well written. Maybe I was waiting for a day when I could immerse myself in it – which I eventually did. After the drama of the opening scenes, the story ticks along. The chapters focus on the passion (which is hot), and the deepening feelings between the Kyle and Luka. There are issues along the way, too. Kyle is white and Luka, black. The fallout from this comes in various forms. Luka’s family, who at heart are good people, have reason to mistrust a white boy getting involved with Luka. These prejudiced scenes are tactfully written, showing there is more than one side to a story, emphasizing that a person is a sum of their genes and experiences. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kyle introduces Luka to the pleasures of a foursome with some trusted friends.
With each book, the cast becomes more extensive, which can be a little hard to follow. At times I felt as though I was reading a sexed-up version of The Walton’s, speakeasy-style with a backdrop of gay. There’s a lota lovin’, loads of foodie moments and a ton of cocktail recipes. And, of course, they all described as fabulous.
OHH, shout out here for Robbie the ferret, who, although he has a silent role, he’s a scene-stealer.
Much later in the story, when the shit inevitably hits the fan, it happens big time. It is dramatic, traumatic, and it made for superb reading. The scenes were angsty, not over or underdone, and informative.
Overall, other than the two dramatic scenes, the story is evenly paced and mainly focused, on developing a relationship within a mixed-race environment. Which although, interesting and enlightening, didn’t do much for my heart rate. There are cases of crossed wires, misinterpreted words and a bunch of friends anyone would be proud to have.
So, if you are after a sexy, feel-good story with some dramatic moments, followed by some relationship sorting, this belongs on your bookshelf.
RATING: 
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