Chiaroscuro by Jenna Jones is a homoerotic contemporary romance.

Jamie doesn’t like weddings, but he brought his friend Dune as his date to liven up the evening. Jamie received the surprise of his life when he ran across a caterer, Ben Gallagher, who took his breath away- literally when he grabbed Jamie for a quick and very hot kiss. Unfortunately, that is as far as they got before he was called back to work. At the wedding, Jamie met up with Micah, a co-worker who is very young and beautiful to behold. Jamie has had a crush on him for a while, but because of Micah’s age he hasn’t let it go any further than that. On the other hand, Ben gets a surprise visit from his ex-wife, Tris. She is getting married and wants Ben to attend the service. In spite of Tris hopes, she learns that Ben has given up on love and only desires one night stands, but he regrets not learning the name of the man he kissed at the wedding. Jamie volunteers to take Micah home, and one thing leads to another much to their mutual satisfaction, except that Micah isn’t ready to tell his family about his seeing another man which leaves Jamie is the dark. When Dune and Ben are introduced at a party, they hit it off as friends, and when Dune brings Jamie to check out the bakery he works at, Jamie and Ben hit it off much to Micah’s anger. The plot thickens when Dune makes his thoughts known that actions speak louder than words and that Micah needs to get off of the fence about his feelings towards Jamie. The plot continues to twist with betrayals, life changing situations and the return of old lovers. Will Jamie and Ben find a way to work through the maze of complications that life has placed in their way or will other people prevent the realization of their budding feelings of each other?

Ms. Jones has created a story that incorporates many life issues while dealing with social problems. Micah has problems realizing his being gay and resisted telling his family. Many people have problems admitting this issue not only to themselves, but also to the ones they love. This could ultimately cause problems with Jamie who is comfortable with himself and with those around him. Ben doesn’t “do” love anymore, but he is very conflicted about his true feelings about Jamie. Jamie may appear happy-go-lucky, but underneath he has feelings of self worth that could cause him grief. All of the situations and strong characters combined to a phenomenal story about life, love, and what real people go to find their path to everlasting love.

Reviewed by: Teresa