Jae-sun Fields is bound and determined to uncover the poseur who has written Windows, a satirical take on Doorways, a novel that has been a sacred text for many young men coming out of the closet. A novel that was pivotal in helping him discover his own self-identity as a young man. He’s a tabloid reporter and he’s good at getting to the bottom of a mystery. He just knows that the author is a female and he is out for blood.

Kelly Kendall is a reclusive man who likes to keep his private life private. So much so that he hides behind multiple pseudonyms for his written work. He is a virtual shut-in due to his crippling OCD. If not for his best friend and houseboy, Will, he would never leave his house. He writes Windows after losing a bet and since he’s the author behind Doorways he has no qualms satirizing it.

After a chance meeting the two discover an attraction that they can’t deny. But will the secrets they are hiding destroy their budding relationship before it has a chance to flourish?

ePistols at Dawn shows how Z.A. Maxfield has progressed in her writing, and may even be my favorite novel by her to date. I wasn’t sure when it first started that I was going to feel that way. The beginning of the novel was a bit shaky. The giant Korean thing bothered me, as did Shannon, Jae’s erstwhile lesbian slash fag hag slash best friend. I also thought his boss was a total sleeze and that opinion didn’t change. I also chose to ignore the multiple repetitions of what Will preferred to be called. Really, once or twice was more than enough. But, when Kelly and Will get going the story gets going as well. The dialog between the two men, and the caring that these two fragile men showed each other, stole my heart. Then Jae meets Kelly and suddenly we see the caring, tender man that he can be. Shannon also changes, becoming more of a best friend and less stereotypical. The OCD angle of the story resonated with me from personal experience. I felt the irrationality of the disease and how things that were fine one moment were suddenly not fine the next. The story had me hooked from then on and I couldn’t put it down. I found myself emotionally invested in these four characters and I couldn’t help but hold my breath hoping for a happily ever after.

Reviewed by: Hayley