Steal Away by Amber Green

Title: Steal Away
Author: Amber Green
Publisher: Loose Id
Buy the book: Publisher

Blurb:

Prohibition. The Charleston. Hard times. Jazz. Foreclosures. Cutting loose.

Having lost everything, Twilight Amery sets her sights on Harlem, where a girl with a voice–even a white man’s bastard from Alabama–can be somebody. Hopping a freight train, she joins up with the beautiful and bitter Mr. Stone, along with the compellingly magnetic Hector, two Harlem men trying to get home. Faced with club-wielding Pinkerton agents, an inconvenient dead body, and a shortage of money, the three work their way east and north.

Twilight and Stone forge an alliance of reliance, then trust, and then affection. Both try to deal with their feelings for one another while pursuing their individual mating dances with the man they both love. An old enemy of Stone’s finds them in an Atlanta bordello, and issues a challenge Twilight makes the mistake of accepting.

They steal away north. Unfortunately, the three of them leave a trail that someone is finding all too easy to follow.

Review:

M/M/F stories rarely catch my eye but something about this intrigued me. The prohibition era combines with an interesting love triangle and a hint of mystery to offer a delightful story with real flavor and texture. Although the mystery portion at the end is not well done and best left off, the characters carry this story with wit, charm, and a lot of sexual tension. The various relationships between the three are complex and not a conventional threesome for a variety of reasons. The descriptive quality alone stands this story above others and makes it definitely worth reading.

Twilight Amery is a young black singer from Alabama hoping to make it to New York City. She decides to hop a train and ride as a hobo, risking life and limb, to save her meager funds for New York. On the train she meets charismatic Hector and quiet Daniel as the three forge an unlikely but necessary alliance when a dead body is discovered on the train. The three work together to get enough money to make it to New York but the path is not easy. Once in New York, trouble finds the trio once more and threatens their happiness and their lives.

The plot itself is somewhat convoluted. There is the introduction of the three characters on the train and almost immediately a side plot about a dead body they fear they’ll be blamed for, which leads to problems with them getting back to New York. To get enough money they go to work for a madam in Atlanta but a man from Stone’s past appears and causes trouble, a theme later re-iterated at the very end. Part of the problem with the plot is that each of the elements introduced is interesting and complicated enough to carry the story. Instead of focusing on any one of these aspects, the narrative makes each problem that arises smaller and more easily solved while concentrating on the characters. The greater character development is not bad but the deft balance between plot and characterization is never fully achieved and leaves the plot suffering. This is especially evident at the end when the man from Stone’s past appears again – once in Atlanta and again in New York – but this time all the action happens off page and the resolution is never shown. The fact that ending resolution is never shown is problematic and leaves what is actually a good story on a bad note.

The story is told in alternating third person point of view between Twilight and Daniel Stone. This is smart since these two characters form a triangle with the charming Hector in the middle. Showing both of their viewpoints is also essential since their initial animosity is a key to the tension in the relationship but the timing is somewhat off. There are times when Daniel’s viewpoint would be better to increase the tension and convey the intensity whereas other scenes when Twilight is too distracted by small details and unimportant descriptions. There is also a lengthy middle section when the characters call each other by different names, which is confusing and difficult to follow given the sudden addition of a lot of new characters at the same time. Additionally Twilight has a habit of asking rhetorical questions in her head that are meant to convey and explain the situation to readers that didn’t pick up on the subtle emotion and body language. Initially this habit is charming and interesting but soon starts to wear and actually made me wonder if Twilight is a mute since she talks in her mind so much more than ever verbalizing.

However for this one quirk, Twilight and the two men are fascinating characters with great charm and texture. Twilight’s dream to be a singer is at times poignant and naïve. She has no knowledge of New York so couldn’t possibly understand the hardships and difficulties but her drive, strength, and determination to survive come through very well. Her attraction to Hector is sweet and only really develops over the length of the story. Initially she’s willing to travel with the men because it’s smart and they can help her. She slowly comes to understand the dynamic between the men and is careful not to interfere yet is not willing to be ignored either. Her and Daniel are not romantic or intimate but they both love Hector and that mutual love provides a basis of respect and companionship for them. Hector is perhaps the least developed as his perspective is never seen yet his dynamic and magnetic personality is clearly the focal point of the three people. His voracious sexual appetite and big heart depict a man that is too much for one person. His almost constant need for attention is wearing and also provides a strong reason for why two people would be happy to share the man they love while still experiencing bouts of jealousy. Daniel for his part is a great character and shows a prickly personality honed by a deep love for a man almost incapable of monogamy but clearly loves and adores Daniel.

One of the best aspects of the book is the descriptive quality. The writing and prose show the heat, desperation, and time period extraordinarily well. From the beginning scene of Twilight lying in a field to her mad dash onto the train, the oppressive temperatures, fear, and pain is translated with a gripping intensity. The dialogue and setting from the south to New York is done extremely well and definitely worth reading the story if for nothing else. The language choices constantly remind the reader of the time frame, inherent dangers, and the small details that are often forgotten but included here. There are perhaps a few too many details such as the scene while fixing the woman’s car – this seems out of place and unnecessary – but definitely continues to show the time and segregation. The writing simply makes the story a real treat and delight to read.

Although this is technically an m/m/f story, the sex scenes are handled well and I think would appeal to readers of the m/m genre as well. The scenes are not especially graphic but display a passion and sensuality while fading to black or using gentle euphemisms. The great characterization and authentic setting help create a story that stumbles a few times but captures the reader from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Even the subpar ending can’t fully mar this good story. If you’re looking for something unusual but absorbing, check this out.