Kaleidoscope

Title: Kaleidoscope

Author: A. J. Llewellyn

Publisher: Amber Allure

Publisher URL: www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure

ISBN: 978-1-61124-159-4

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx 

When he married his husband Auguste, Teddy Bardin thought all his dreams had come true. Then on a rainy Paris afternoon, his world’s turned upside down with a single phone call when he learns his husband’s been in a car accident. To make matters worse, after racing madly to the hospital, he discovers Auguste’s most severe injury is a nearly severed penis…which he’d gotten from his lover.  

Learning the truth about his unfaithful husband and their marriage is devastating, forcing Teddy to make some difficult decisions about his future. He also has to deal with his unexpected attraction to the other man…his husband’s lover, Pierre.  

Kaleidoscope is the newest release by A.J. Llewellyn and while it’s not a typical romance, he’ done a good job taking a painfully odd situation and turning it into a satisfying emotional read.  In truth, while the story is well written, has a smooth flow and good character development, it’s still rather unconventional. 

Teddy’s a lovable guy, he’s just been unobservant about the activities of his husband. Mr. Llewellyn did a nice job with Teddy’s emotional upset, his horror at learning about Auguste’s severed penis, and the pain at discovering how he got it. I also liked the speed in which he had Teddy make a decision to move on with his life instead of vacillating back and forth about what to do. He confronted his husband about his unacceptable actions, expressed his outrage and took steps that would make him happy. It was a take charge kind of action Auguste didn’t expect. I thought those scenes were nicely done. 

Paris, the city of lights, is well described, giving the reader a good feeling for its sights and smells. I loved the details of Le Hospitel-Hotel Dieu, a centuries old structure housing a hospital that also functioned as a hotel. Having never visited Paris, I never imagined such a facility existed and the idea of one residing in such an old building fascinates me. It’s an example of a small fact I appreciate being included. 

Okay, I will admit knowing Teddy developed an attraction to Pierre initially was a little difficult to deal with. It was a part of the plot I knew to expect but when it did, still caught me off guard. Yet, the way the author went about it, didn’t make it appear tawdry or totally ridiculous, since a big portion of the later part of the book took place over weeks and not days. Teddy and Pierre met in the worst way possible way but when the opportunity for love appeared they weren’t afraid to step forward and grab it. Enjoy.