Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: A Straight Line
AUTHORS: J.D. Wade & Chase Connor
PUBLISHER: The Lion Fish Press
LENGTH: 1733 KB
RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2020
BLURB:
Forty years ago, Harry and Vic opened the first-ever gay bar in their rural town. Facing discrimination, prejudice, and sometimes even violence, they managed to keep the bar open in the face of adversity. A Straight Line was a place where a queer person could be themselves, find community, acceptance, and frequently, the love of their life. Everyone who became a regular at A Straight Line quickly fell in love with the owners, often referring to them as “Uncle Harry” and “Uncle Vic.”
As the world changed around them and their bar, Harry and Vic saw their rural town expand, become more accepting, and eventually embrace A Straight Line as a part of the community—just as iconic as the town hall or courthouse. The two men found themselves heroes of the community, beloved and respected for helping to usher out widespread homophobia and herald a new era of acceptance in their town. If you asked any queer person in town about A Straight Line, they’d probably tell you that it saved their life.
Now, times have changed. Harry and Vic have decided it’s time to retire and to pass the bar on to new owners. But they won’t go out without one last hurrah. Invitations have been sent out to every queer person who’s alive and attended A Straight Line’s opening—and any queer person who has passed through its doors since and ended up on its mailing list. Harry and Vic are welcoming them all to their bar for one last evening of music, dancing, food, drinks, and the sharing of life-long memories.
One attendee at Uncle Harry’s and Uncle Vic’s party is their twenty-something nephew, Russ, who has recently moved in with them. He’s not sure he believes in finding true love, nor does he understand what it means to create an LGBTQ+ family. However, once the elder gays share their wisdom, and he notices a dark-haired stranger at the party, maybe Russ will change his mind?
REVIEW:
A Straight Line is not a traditional love story, but it is a story about love. It’s a celebration of love, community, acceptance, and chosen family. The book is a snapshot of one night: a grand party thrown by aging husbands, Harry and Vic, for their beloved friends and family.
Harry and Vic are retiring and selling the gay bar they have owned for forty years in their rural town of Littleburg, Iowa. To celebrate, they are throwing the party to end all parties (or at least fuel the gossip mongers) at their home and have invited dear friends and customers of the bar over the years – pretty much the entire queer community in the area. Harry and Vic are not just bar proprietors, they’re heralded as icons for providing a place for others to feel accepted.
Twenty-five year old Russ is their “chronically gloomy, socially awkward” nephew who recently moved in with them. The story is told from Russ’ perspective. As the readers, we walk beside Russ as he navigates his way through the party guests, listening to anecdotes about his uncles and their lifelong friends. We meet the core group of friends who were there when the bar first opened: the bitchy queens, their eye rolling partners, the Littleburg Lesbians, and the drag performers. One guest reveals the good deeds the uncles did for her when she was struggling. Another schools Russ (and us) on the significance of bathroom blowjobs!
“We had to be discreet. Just so we wouldn’t be jailed, beaten – hell, killed – just because our love looks different on the outside. Giving some guy a blowjob in a bar bathroom is a part of our heritage ... So, suck a dick every chance you get, Russy. A lot of queers have suffered for your right to do so.”
There’s no shortage of positive role models for Russ and Denny, the other young man at the party whom Russ “befriends”. Russ’ uncles are family men whom cherish their friendships. Among those friends is Bang Bang Baisemoi, arguably the best character in the book. Oh, how I would love to have Bang Bang in my life – wouldn’t we all? – not just because she’s a dynamo who has a positive impact on those around her, but because she’s a great friend. It feels like I’d never be lonely. Like Harry and Vic, she has provides the queer community with love and support, but also serves the community at large through her charitable endeavors. It’s Bang Bang who provides a pivotal moment for Russ when he’s feeling lost and knows only she can help him find his way.
I was pleased to see Russ angsting over things so ordinary for a man of his age: a broken heart and not knowing what to do with his life. This is a gentle book, and in this year of unprecedented stress, it’s a relief to have a young adult NOT dealing with being disowned, living on the streets, drug addiction, homophobia, etc. I love books that ratchet up the angst-meter, but I was relieved this wasn’t one of them.
Through it all, Russ comes away with a better understanding of what it means to be part of a larger queer community, and a greater respect for the elder gays, past and present, and how their actions have resulted in the level of acceptance and rights gays have now.
“Us queers. We get called names. We have our rights threatened or taken away. We get beaten. Arrested. Murdered. We get rocks and bricks, and even cinderblocks on fire, hurled at us. Our businesses are attacked. We get ignored and ridiculed when we complain. We get knocked down. But we get back up, and we keep marching. We keep going. It’s our duty as queers. We hope that we make a difference for the next generation of queers that follows.”
I happily recommend A Straight Line. It’s a highly entertaining, feel-good novel you won’t regret reading. With this book I stepped away from the usual MM romance I read and was able to gain more insight into what it means to be a gay man.
RATING: 
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