8 | OutBoise Magazine | NEWS
OutBoisemag.com | Issue 16 | February 2016
Good Reads
By Desmond Slowe
Brrrr! Baby, it’s cold outside so why not stay indoors? One
of my favorite things is to curl up with a good book on bleak,
wintry days.
I pour myself a warm hot chocolate, position myself in my
wingback chair with an afghan laid across my lap. I take full
advantage of my comfy, warm surroundings. I do my best
impression of a cat with no legs.
The recent brisk weather has granted me many days to be
“snug as a bug in a rug” to read.
I looked through my bookcase and found a recent purchase:
Blue Paramour.
It is the first book in a three book series, called the Blue
Ridge Saga, written by Louise Ligon and Hunter Maine.
I love the idea of a trilogy and the idea of gay fiction entwined with romance and erotica. Think of it as the love child
of Margaret Mitchell and Sean Cody. You get all the historical
pomp and circumstance of the pre-civil war South and the
hot man action of a popular adult website.
The title is intriguing enough with the illicit word “paramour” in it. The word “blue” is not only in book one’s title
but the trilogy title. The main plantation in the book (named
Blue Ridge) grows and harvests indigo plants. Indigo plants
were used for their rich, blue dye. Prior to 1897, when synthesized indigo became available, the indigo plant was rare
and expensive. The deep blue hue was a symbol of status and
wealth with a high demand in Europe.
Blue Paramour is set in 1853 and introduces us to two
childhood friends of neighboring plantations. Brayden Steed
is the eldest male and heir to Blue Ridge. He is best friends
with the boy from the next door cotton plantation, Jackson.
They are of age and have fallen in love – with each other.
Homosexuality was taboo and could result in ruined fortunes
and death. Their love had to stay secret. To make matter
worse, Jackson is engaged; engaged to Brayden’s twin sister
and arch rival, Annabelle. To make matters even worse, the
boys are exposed and Brayden is sent north to live with an
uncle. Jackson stays due to his engagement and obligations as the heir of his own plantation. Brayden was sent to
his uncle’s mill in Boston to learn “to be a man” but finds
Vincent instead.
Vincent is a beautiful man from New York City that teaches
Brayden how to become a man, not just a boy. He is the
Christian Grey to Anastasia Steele in the sense that he is
the teacher in a whole new world – a world of love and lust.
Back at the plantation, Annabelle is making plans to ensure
Brayden never returns to her plantation all the while Jackson
is yearning and longing for his true love, Brayden. What is
Brayden to do? Will he return to his first love in a place that
is dangerous for him and his kind of love or experience life
with a new, experienced, fascinating lover?
I don’t want to spoil it for you because you will enjoy every
word of every page of this titillating novel.