Lonely Diner

Some Like It Haute Gay Romance Series, Book 3

By: Dann Hazel

Narrated by: Dann Hazel

Two gorgeous military men. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for romance. (The food is good there, too.)

One man plays it straight. Another grieves over a lost lover.

Though clearly meant for each other, Lance, an Air Force computer engineer, and Ryan, a former submariner in the Navy and now a military college professor, are conflicted gay men blinded by painful wounds of their past decisions.

A younger Ryan Ball decides he can be happy only by conforming to social expectations. So what does he do? He decides he must have a wife and kids. Though he acknowledges to himself that he can never be straight, he is convinced that, with effort and determination, he can play the necessary roles.

At thirty-one, Lance Dingle falls for his best friend and roommate, Randy, a stunt pilot who agrees to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Then, tragedy strikes. Lance finds himself alone and lonely, living with memories of Randy and an ever-expanding list of “what-might-have-beens.”

Callie Yenti, a transwoman and drag performer extraordinaire, enters the picture. She owns Lonely Diner and possesses an uncanny insight into the workings of the heart.

Even the complicated hearts of her two stubborn friends, Lance and Ryan.

An HEA gay romance.

Though part of a series, LONELY DINER may easily be listened to as a standalone.

Trigger Warning: This novel includes scenes from a sexual assault and a PTSD episode.

Tropes: Military Romance, Coming Out, Overcoming Adversity, Second Chances.

CHAPTER TITLES

Chapter One: Here, From the Beginning

Chapter Two: USAF: The Winning Option

Chapter Three: Lonely, Party of One

Chapter Four: Ryan's Long, Winding Road

Chapter Five: Sebastian the Ibis

Chapter Six: Family on Fire

Chapter Seven: Alliance for Full Acceptance

Chapter Eight: Late-to-Party Gay Man Gets Involved

Chapter Nine: The Cocktail Club

Chapter Ten: A Gentle Kind of Loving

Chapter Eleven: The Baby Will Be Loved

Chapter Twelve: More Queers than a Man Can Count

Chapter Thirteen: Drag Me to Brunch at Dudley's

Chapter Fourteen: When the Guests Are No-Shows

Chapter Fifteen: The Impossible #Me-Too Decision

Chapter Sixteen: A Gay Man in the Woods

Chapter Seventeen: A Sordid Reputation

Chapter Eighteen: Even Lonelier at Lonely Diner

Chapter Nineteen: No Erection on Site

Chapter Twenty: A Human Resources Intervention

Chapter Twenty-One: Empathy Paves the Way to Attraction

Chapter Twenty-Two: Diamond Sparkles into Town

Chapter Twenty-Three: Trash at Colonial Lake

©2023 Dann Hazel (P)2024 Dann Hazel

Great listen

I enjoyed the characters in this book. The storyline was good. I thought the narrator did a good job with the story. It helped pass the time on my train ride.

On the Fence

I kind of struggled with this one. The premise had me very interested but the story itself wasn't quite as I expected it to be when I listened to the audiobook.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

Not sure what to say

To be honest, this storyline was all over the place. It does make sense for the backstory for Ryan, at least the struggle between his inner self and his sexuality. I’m still not quite sure of the point of his history with Dennis as it doesn’t add any value to the story.
Lance’s history was very interesting, specifically his time with Randy and their inevitable demise. Though his storyline began to become repetitive, at least he was doing something purposeful with his character.
Overall, the characters were intriguing with a somewhat interesting storyline. Diamonds visit was the most excitement, which was bland at best.

The narrative was atrocious! I felt like I was listening to Ben Stein calling Bueller’s name it was so bad. I would definitely suggest hiring a narrator to spice up the story because this was a bust!

A compelling story tarnished by too much moralizing

I enjoyed the family drama and the romance between Lance and Ryan. I could have done without the injections of queer theory and food moralizing.

Great characters

If you've seen the painting "Nighthawks" of lonely people in a diner at night, you'll get the feel of this story. It's a contemporary romance, but the characters of Lance and Ryan are both hurting and trying to deal with their pasts and figure out their futures which initially look pretty bleak. Thank goodness they have Callie to step in and help them find the way. Hazel does a wonderful job of narrating this story. It's clear how personal these characters are to their author.