You know at 40, Grindr emails you a death certificate?
Wherein I give a shout out to a couple of my favorite authors as well as some of films and shows — all in the name of Pride
Happy Pride to all who celebrate!
There are so many fantastic stories being told with LGBT+ characters that I wanted to share a few of my favorites from film and TV. I didn't want this post to become unwieldy, so I kept it to a minimum of two titles per medium.
I've also made sure to include two fabulous authors, who have each written more than a few gay romance books that I love. If you aren't familiar with Beth Bolden and K.M. Neuhold, I encourage you to get acquainted. I admittedly haven't read everything as they each have an abundant catalog. However, I can assure you that I have yet to find a bad book between them. As you can probably tell, I'm a huge fan of both authors. Every time I open one of their books it's a delectable treat.
To get you started, allow me to suggest Bolden's Food Truck Warriors series and Neuhold's Working Out the Kinks series. I want to get started on Neuhold's Four Bears Construction series soon.
Scroll on down to meet these authors and to learn what suggestions I have for your watchlist.
Gentleman Jack
Based on the diaries of lesbian trailblazer Anne Lister, this period piece has a modern sensibility befitting someone known for breaking the mold. Created by the great Sally Wainwright, who wrote every episode, the drama shows how Anne (a dynamite Suranne Jones) refused to live life by society’s mores in 1830s Yorkshire, England, and details her relationship with Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle, wondrous). The supporting cast is superb: Gemma Whelan, Gemma Jones, Timothy West, Lydia Leonard, Joe Armstrong, and Rosie Cavaliero all add texture to Ann's world as well as to the show itself. (All episodes are available on Max.)
God's Own Country
Francis Lee’s feature directorial debut is a raw, passionate tale of two men who fall in love in the wilds of Yorkshire against the odds. Johnny Saxby (Josh O’Connor, sensational) hates himself and sees his sexuality as a burden. Working the family farm, where he lives with his demanding, ailing father and stoic grandmother, Johnny is resigned to his small life. As far as he can tell, this is all there is. Gheorghe Ionescu (a fiery, soulful Alec Secareanu), who is very comfortable in his skin and with his sexuality, has just been hired to help out as Johnny’s dad is unable to take on the everyday tasks the farm demands. What starts as a clash of personalities becomes a story of two souls intertwining. O’Connor and Secareanu’s combustible chemistry ignites the film as their characters burrow their way into each other's hearts and lives. The pair are given strong support by the imitable duo of Ian Hart and Gemma Jones as Johnny’s family.
Bonus: Lee’s sophomore effort, the sapphic romance Ammonite, is worth a look. Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan respectively play a fossil hunter and an engaged socialite, who fall for each other along a windswept coast in 1840s England. Comparisons to Céline Sciamma’s gorgeous Portrait of a Lady on Fire are inevitable, yet Lee’s film shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand.
Looking
This nuanced comedy series follows best friends Patrick (Jonathan Groff), Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez), and Dom (Murray Bartlett) as they navigate life and love in San Francisco. Writer-director Andrew Haigh serves as an executive producer throughout the show’s run and it shows — this is a perfect extension of his film work. Groff, Alvarez, and Bartlett are the souls of the series with strong support from Lauren Weedman as Dom's best friend Doris and Raúl Castillo as Patrick's love interest Richie. Relatable, warm, and funny, this is a show that doesn’t shy away from wearing its heart on its sleeve. (All episodes and the movie are available on Max.)
Bonus: Don’t worry. Haigh and company won’t leave you hanging after season two. Looking: The Movie perfectly wraps up the stories of Patrick, Augustin, and Dom. (For the record, Dom gets all the credit for my headline quote.)
Saving Face
As much a mother-daughter story as it is a romantic comedy, writer-director Alice Wu’s debut hits you in the feels while tickling your funny bone. This delightfully charming film has surgeon Wilhelmina Pang (Michelle Krusiec) juggling the awkwardness of sharing her apartment with her widowed mother (Joan Chen), who’s just arrived on her doorstep pregnant at 48, and her burgeoning relationship with dancer Vivian Shing (Lynn Chen), who also happens to be the daughter of Wil’s boss. Wu’s script is fresh and witty, and the performances by her trio of leading ladies are note perfect. This has long been a favorite of mine.
Bonus: Wu’s next film The Half of It arrived sixteen years later and it was absolutely worth the wait. A YA take on Cyrano de Bergerac, this lovely adaptation has clever outcast Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) agreeing to write love letters for jock Paul Munsey (Daniel Diemer) in order to earn some easy cash. Naturally, the gig becomes way more complicated when Ellie falls for Paul’s crush (Alexxis Lemire). Make it an Alice Wu double feature.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
Beth Bolden
If you love athletes and/or consider yourself a foodie, then do I have an author for you. Bolden has written multiple series focusing on football players (she's a huge gridiron fan) and their teams, plus series about chefs in a high-end restaurant (Kitchen Gods) and cooks on wheels (Food Truck Warriors). Got a thing for rock stars? Then get to know the guys of Star Shadow, a four book series that's also the name of their band. Each of the books in all of these series spotlight a different couple, guaranteeing your favorite pairs will get their HEA. In addition to other series, she also has standalone novels — if one-offs are more your speed. Find out more at bethbolden.com.
KM Neuhold
Kicking things up a notch, Neuhold offers a variety of series — including those featuring porn stars (Ballsy Boys and Kinky Boys, both of which she co-wrote with the amazing Nora Phoenix), tattoo artists (Heathen Ink and Inked), construction workers (Four Bears Construction), mechanics (Big Bull Mechanics), rock stars (Replay), and geniuses (Love Logic). Each series focuses on a different couple or throuple, turning up the heat in the bedroom and out of it. All of the characters are well defined so that it’s easy to adore them. Neuhold's series are sweet, sexy, kinky: Everything you want in a good romance. She also has a collection of standalones and shorts. Find out more at authorkmneuhold.com.
Got some recs of your own or just want to share your thoughts on anything you've watched/read/listened to? Drop me a line!
TTFN!
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