Transparency

By: Ethan Stone, Sara York

Narrated by: John Solo

Length: 1 hr and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Charlie is the quintessential bear. Big, muscular and hairy. But that isn't the type of men he's attracted to. He is drawn to men like Taylor - short, smooth, and sexy. Taylor is Charlie's idea of the perfect twink. But there's something about Taylor Charlie doesn't know.

Taylor is unsure about a lot of things, but when he sees Charlie, he instantly knows he wants him. The only issue standing in his way is how Taylor views his own masculinity. He's afraid that Charlie will leave once he knows the secret Taylor wants to keep hidden. Can he be transparent with Charlie and allow him to look behind the image he's so carefully constructed?

©2014 Ethan Stone and Sara York (P)2014 Troy Daulton

Good short story

This was a good short story on a subject that was new to me. I'm not familiar with the issues that face FTM men. I don't know; how realistic this story is, but it made me ask myself some questions as a gay man. If nothing else, it opened my eyes to another perspective.

Good book to get your feet wet in the Trans world

What made the experience of listening to Transparency the most enjoyable?

The story was well written. Taylor brings you into his world, and sets you at ease.
You learn a little of what the struggles may be for a transMan in the world without being too
much.

Have you listened to any of John Solo’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to this narrator before. He tried to give voices to the character and keep you interested. He has a decently soothing voice and was nice to listen too

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked that Charlie just accepted the situation at face value and felt as long as they both got what they needed, he didn't see a problem.

Any additional comments?

Wish the story had been longer. I felt these two had a lot more story to tell.

Not Long Enough

I was excited to read this short story but was disappointed. The writing wasn’t well done, although I enjoyed the plot and romance. The dialogue felt stiff and unnatural. The characters didn’t feel like real people but imitations of real people. Maybe the flatness of the characters was because it was a short story and the authors couldn’t do a lot of character development. I would love to see this story expanded into a novella or novel with better writing and more depth. As it stands right now, I’m going to give three stars for a good effort and a nice romance.

Short and Sweet

This is a wonderful short story about Taylor and Charlie. Taylor and Charlie are so sweet together. I love how Charlie sees Taylor as a whole peron and not just parts. And after all the bullying Taylor endured in front of Charlie, Charlie still defended Taylor and wanted a relationship with him. There is so much more to a person if one just takes the time to get to know someone and not worry about what's between their legs but rather what's in their heart and mind.
Narrator John Solo does an amazing job.

Sweet...

A sweet short story that put a smile on my face. Charlie and Taylor are such a sweet couple. I wish the world had more Charlie's in it. His readiness to learn, grow, develop, and experience life is an inspiration.

Awesome

Great book, kept my attention all the way to the end, amazing audio delivery, loved it. Will be reading again, every chapter was received amazingly do recommend you give it a read.

A little short

I would love to see this as a full length novel. It skirted over issues and was a little 2 dimensional because of the length.

Wow! Something new I've never read before

So, this was different! It was a subject matter I had never read before but it was a totally awesome read/listen! My only issue is that it could have been so much longer! I loved these characters!

HOT - SWEET - EROTIC - DID I MENTION HOT?

Ethan Stone and Sara York’s ‘Transparency’ is everything a gay romance novella should be.

Charlie and Taylor are brought to life through John Solo’s exceptional narration. He conveys feeling, emotion, and empathy with perfection. His narration of Charlie and Taylor’s sexual adventures is nothing short of erotic.

Ultimately Transparency is a sweet short story exploring the extreme bias trans persons continue to fight.

Really Interesting Premise, Not Great Story

Taylor meets Charlie at a glory hole and is afraid to make further contact because he’s been burned in the past by guys who can’t see past his past. Charlie is Taylor’s dream guy, big, hairy, tough… and unlikely to want someone like Taylor. Transgender.

But… Taylor doesn’t know Charlie and when Charlie convinces him to give their relationship a chance, Charlie surprises Taylor with the depth of his heart and his willingness to see past the body to the person underneath.

**
This is a short story and it maybe would have been better had it been longer. Since it moved so quickly from meet to love to forever it was a bit hard to swallow. I just didn’t fully appreciate that Charlie’s friends would vilify Charlie’s taste in men and Taylor so violently and I would think the whole transgender thing would need more discussion and would have really made for a lovely educational story about the challenges faced by such a romance.

The narrator, John Solo, did a great job and I enjoyed listening to this more than I would have reading it, I am sure.