Review Tour: The Duplex (+$40 Giveaway!)

Title: The Duplex

Author: Lucky Stevens

Pages: 318

Date Published: 2020

Publisher: Waters and Baxter

Format: Kindle

Genre: LGBT Fiction

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours
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Synopsis:

THE DUPLEX is a thrilling tale, set in 1950s L.A., of four gay friends who hatch a daring scheme to live life on their own terms, during a time of systemic governmental persecution.

Los Angeles, 1956. Shangri-La. Palm trees, swimming pools, movie stars. And if you’re gay—persecution. In a society that demands conformity and lockstep conventionality, gay people find out quickly and the hard way, how difficult, dangerous and downright terrifying it is to be different.

So, when the constant fear of arrests, evictions, job loss and ridicule become too much, four gay friends and lovers pull together to hatch an ingenious scheme designed to allow them to live freely, without harassment.

But their secret plan is not without its flaws. Internal struggles and personality conflicts conspire to make their situation harder and more life-altering than any of them could have predicted, leading to valuable and universal lessons about the high cost of blending in—or not.

~My Thoughts~

Dang - what an intro! We've got assault, threats of arrest, and the meet-cute of two of our leads. The pace doesn't stop there, as the entire book was a rapid and captivating story with charming banter, and a sense of the struggle to be with the one you love despite society's disapproval. 

Cliff nearly gets nabbed by an undercover officer in a bar. He's saved by a bludgeon to the cop's head and Barbara swooping in to get him to the safety of her home. Her girlfriend Dot arrives and is a bit flummoxed by his presence but after hearing the situation, relaxes into the new friendship. In order to build a safer future for all of them, Dot and Barbara and Cliff and Jerry pair up to create the illusion of two heterosexual couples and decide to cohabitate a Duplex in order to ward off suspicion of the local authorities and assorted hangers-on. 

I really liked how I could hear each character's accent and pattern of speech based on the writing style used for them. Stevens has a great talent in differentiating each voice with each person's mannerisms and demeanor. It really helped to flesh out the characters so that they each had their own rhythm and flow. While I more closely resonated with Dot, all the characters endeared themselves to me and came across as real, functional people. I also appreciated that we got to spent a good amount of time in the heads of each character rather than viewing the story from only one viewpoint. It gave a more nuanced understanding of the underlying emotions and drives of all four. 

I enjoyed reading this little "slice of history" narrative of what the 50s might have been like for gay couples in LA. While the area was certainly more permissive than other areas of the country at the time, it was still incredibly dangerous to be gay. It certainly is a wonder how far we've come and I can appreciate how much safer my LGBT family and friends are today, yet also acknowledge that we aren't so far from that time. While cops aren't attempting to cajole hookups in bathrooms, they are policing them for perceived gender identity which is also just as dangerous as the happenings in this novel. I feel as though Duplex is a light, yet poignant story that is both enjoyable and resonant in these chaotic times.  

~Try an Excerpt!~

How big a deal was it? I’ll tell you, I came this close to praying to God. No fooling. And that’s a habit I generally avoid even on Sundays. That’s how big a deal it was. To be honest, in some ways I felt like my life was over right then and there. And I guess it’s just one of those dates that I’ll never forget, like Christmas or the 3rd of July, which I always remember since it comes right before the 4th of July. It was August 8th, 1954. And yes, yes, I know it’s only a year and a half or so ago, but I betcha I’ll still remember that date when I’m old and gray. It just hit me hard, and I knew there’d be no way I’d ever be able to set foot in that bar ever again. I’m talking about Eddie’s Place over on Fountain in L.A. The sad thing is, at that moment, it actually made me wonder if I’d ever want to go to any bar after that. I guess I kinda kept that stuff to myself, even though I think anybody’d feel the same way.

It was a Friday night, a couple hours after work. It was a little warm out but just one of those beautiful summer nights where you’re just so damn happy to live in L.A. So, I rounded Citrus intent on Eddie’s, which is also known as “The Spot.” I felt good and I really didn’t have a care in the world that night. So, I push on in and survey things real quick, but you know, relaxed. I got time. A beer sounded really good of course, but I’m not gonna lie, I was really there for action. Definitely. I fired up a Lucky, which is what I usually smoke. I’m in the advertising game and I guess I’m pretty brand loyal. Anyway, I have no problem doing the approaching. But that night, I don’t know, I just felt so good, so relaxed, I just looked straight ahead, ordered my beer. Let them come to me. And they did. And the chit-chat came easy. Two beers later, nature was calling, so I hit the head.

I entered the men’s room, making eye contact with some guy I’d never seen before who was using the urinal. He was a big guy, tall and beefy looking. He turned his head, gave me a quick smile which I returned with a nod. Blowing past him I made for the stall, shut the door out of habit and proceeded to drain.

“How’s your night going? Any action?” I heard him say.

“Ah, they don’t call this place ‘The Spot’ for nothing. The action’s always good here. But me, I make friends wherever I go. No complaints.” Sure I was bragging a little bit, but why not? A lot of guys go for the confidence. Besides, it’s all true anyway.

“Well, I’m new around here. I bet you could show me a pretty good time. What kind of stuff do you like to do?”

Well, he was pretty good looking from what I recalled from our quick nod and smile. So I told him exactly what I liked to do.

~More about Lucky Stevens!~ 

Lucky Stevens lives, works and plays in exotic North America.  He has written three novels.  He was also a finalist in a nationwide screenplay writing contest.  He was inspired to write The Duplex because he wanted to tackle a subject that grappled with universal themes in a creative and exciting way.

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 Lucky will be awarding a $40 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via a Rafflecopter giveaway