Reviewed by Stephen K.
TITLE: First Impressions
AUTHOR: C. Koehler
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 333 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2021
BLURB:
When Henry Hughes and Cameron Jameson meet for the first time at a Coming Out Day party, it’s anything but love at first sight. In fact, it’s an unmitigated disaster, despite a scorching physical attraction.
Henry, whose social anxiety gets the better of him, humiliates Cameron, and when Cameron finds out about Henry’s past in adult films, he assumes he dodged a disease-covered bullet. Yet as Henry runs into Cameron again and again, he realizes he might have misjudged the younger man. He also realizes that Cameron won’t let go of his own initial view and thinks Henry is an unmitigated ass. First impressions are lasting impressions, and Cameron seems to misinterpret all of Henry’s words and deeds.
It’s not until Henry confronts Cameron that Cameron realizes just how wrong he’s been, but he thinks he’s lost his chance. Yet when disaster strikes Cameron and his friends, Henry rides to the rescue. Will Cameron be able to put aside his pride and shame to accept Henry’s help and his heart?
REVIEW:
First this is NOT the typical M/M romance. First Impressions was the pre-publication title of Pride & Prejudice, and this is a gay, modern-day retelling of that tale. But how does one take a novel over 200 years old, give it a gay twist, adapt it for a modern setting, and yet make it relevant AND a fun read? It’s a daunting task, but the author has done an incredible job.
Without entailment laws, Elizabeth Bennet has become Cameron Jameson. Cameron is the second son of wealthy parents who’s just squeaking by after choosing to walk away from his parents’ money and their pre-planned version of his life. Currently that means working as a retail clerk in Sacramento. He shares an apartment with two circuit gaybies affectionately called “the Blunder Twins.”
Our Darcy, Henry Hughes is a successful entrepreneur and a well hung ex-porn actor. I’m sure I’m missing a joke about our Darcy being well-endowed, but Henry is basically a self made man. Henry is in Sacramento for a time while planning for the next phase in the development of his ski-resort community.
As in the original, it’s a “hate at first sight” situation with “awkward in crowds” Harry humiliating Cameron when they first meet at a ritzy event. The wealthy Henry has an even wealthier, (and certainly crazier) “aunt/uncle” in the trollish Drag-Queen character of Benton Thorpe III (aka Lady Fallatia Manblower). Cameron’s room-mates, Thad & Van, the “blunder twins” are easily as embarrassing in public as Lydia & Kitty ever were. When the book starts, Cameron is even crushing on a fellow named Simon who’s as Wickham-esque as they come. Austen fans will also recognize the Gardiners in a pair of older married gay men who Cameron thinks of as his “Aunties.”
All of the best loved bits of P&P are either here or alluded to, the conversing while dancing scene, Cameron telling off our wealthy Darcy (Henry) only to have Henry write and explain in a letter. There’s even a scene where Cameron, after re-evaluating his earlier judgment of Harry is “caught snooping” at Henry’s beloved (and spectacular) resort. While there are no refused outright marriage proposals, there is a hot sex scene in which Cameron plays top seed.
Given the number of plot points that needed to be covered, there’s considerably less sex per page than the typical M/M romance but there is witty dialogue and a story just slightly less crazy than Auntie Mame. This will obviously not be to everyone’s taste. But if you’re an Austen fan; if you enjoy a well told comedy of manners with a multitude of over the top characters; and one that lampoons modern gay social circles, you might enjoy this more than you’d expect. I’ve read several other books that purported to be M/M retellings of this classic that haven’t remained half as faithful to the spirit of the original as this one.
As an unapologetic Austen fan, I recommend and thoroughly enjoyed this homage to a classic. I’m only surprised that the inspiration goes unmentioned in the book blurb. This book’s most avid fans may never find it.
RATING: 
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