Petition to Stop the Church of England Discriminating against Gay Clergy

I'm happy to announce that the petition to stop the Church of England discriminating against gay clergy with partners has now gone public. I would be most grateful if you could consider signing this if you live in the UK, thank you.

You can find the petition here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216

Many thanks

Anne Brooke

I See You by Clare Mackintosh: Gripping Crime Thriller

This novel has excellent pace and very good tension throughout. The female characters are very well rounded, and there is good development during the story. I also loved the fact that the violence was not centre-stage, but the focus was on the psychology of crime. The ending is totally fabulous and I really enjoyed THAT twist.

The only down sides to this book were the fact that the men weren't very well developed, and also the general cliche of women being victims of sexual crime - surely there are other crimes to explore! Anyway, that aside, this is a gripping read and I will be putting this author on my list.

Anne Brooke Books

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter: an average pot-boiler

Aspects of this novel which I enjoyed were: the fast pace; the strong women characters, the sections with the dead father; and the poignant ending.

Aspects I disliked were: the level of violence was ridiculously melodramatic and on occasions laughable (sorry!) - this is no Silence of the Lambs, that's for sure. The plot was highly unlikely, and also sometimes made me giggle with disbelief. The villain was very cliched and one-dimensional, and there were far too many coincidences.

On the whole then, not a great success and basically an average crime genre pot-boiler.

3 out of 5 stars.

Anne Brooke Books

Petition against Gay Clergy Discrimination: Update 1

A brief update on the petition against discriminating against gay clergy in the Church of England - enough people have now signed it so the Government are checking it before it goes public, thank you. Here is the link for further details at this stage:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/moderation-info


Many thanks indeed.

Anne Brooke

Message to the Church of England: Stop bullying gay people!

Well, I’ve finally gone and put my 'money' where my mouth is and made a petition – will you sign it?

My petition: Make it illegal for the C of E to discriminate against gay non-celibate clergy

The Anglican Church insists that gay clergy with partners live a celibate life if they wish to continue working as priests or bishops. This is an unfair burden on gay clergy as well as being discriminatory within the 21st century workplace.

Click this link to sign the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166216/sponsors/RvCTVWTcWdwh8HHdmP

I was moved to make this petition as a result of today's news that the Bishop of Grantham has said publicly that he is gay - which is great news indeed. However, in order to continue being a bishop, he has to tell the Church of England authorities that he is also celibate, even though he has been with his partner for a very long time. He may or may not be celibate, but frankly I don't care and it doesn't matter. This is grossly unfair, and nobody should be made to divulge any of their sexual practices in order to continue in their job.

After all, I don't attend a job interview and expect to be asked about my sex life. If I was, I would immediately walk out of the interview and report the company to the relevant authorities. Why should having a job in the Church of England be treated any differently? Yes, it's a vocation, but in the eyes of God, all our jobs are vocations, so we should either all be asked about our sex lives to see if we're suitable for any job, or none of us should be!

This is the 21st century, and we should protest against such arcane practices. It is not a crime, nor a sin, to be gay, in love and in a relationship. The sooner the Church of England understand this, the better.

Thank you.

Anne Brooke

The Emergency Poet: An Anti-Stress Poetry Anthology

The Blurb: 

A brilliant new anthology of poems that will help you to overcome stress, depression and other anxieties. 

Arranged by spiritual ailment, the sections include a range of verse, new and old, which may be of comfort to those in need of a pick-me-up for the soul. 

The collection has been carefully compiled by Deborah Alma, the world's first and only emergency poet, who travels to schools, libraries, festivals and other events in her 1970s' ambulance to offer consultations and prescribe poems as cures for various maladies. This collection is designed to lift your mood and offers poetic help whenever it may be required.

My review:

This is a gorgeous selection of poetry and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some poems were old friends and it was a pleasure to reacquaint myself with them; other poems were totally new and I am adding these poets to my reading list. I love the way the poems are gathered into key themes as this is very helpful if you want something for a particular crisis occasion. I thoroughly recommend this book.

Anne Brooke Books

Romantic comedy How To Marry Your Husband

Romantic comedy How To Marry Your Husband is now available as an ebook at Amazon for only £1.99!

Most romantic novels end with a kiss. This one starts with one. When Olivia asks Kieran to marry her on Leap Year Day, the answer isn't quite what she's expecting. Still, even reluctant fiancés will eventually understand what's best for them, and Olivia is plunged into a summer of scary dress shops, mad mothers and bad hair days. VERY bad hair days. 

Will Olivia be able to negotiate her way through the marriage minefield whilst keeping her sanity almost intact, and can she ever be truly prepared for the perfect day of her dreams?

It will shortly also be available as a paperback. I hope you enjoy the read!

Anne Brooke Books

Taking A Chance: Gay Comic Romance with a Twist!

Gay comic romance Taking A Chance is now published at Amazon for only 99p!


The moment model and part-time actor Benjamin spots the sexually alluring David outside his local restaurant one night, he's determined to get to know him better. Much better. So he takes a chance and pretends to be Timothy, the blind date David is waiting for. 

When David asks him about submission, safe words and spanking, Benjamin knows the sensible thing to do is to make his apologies and leave. Funny then how his body keeps telling him something different, and instead he finds himself strangely eager to know more. Will it be a date to remember, and if David discovers his deceit, could he ever be persuaded to take any kind of a chance on Benjamin? 

Reviews: 

"This is the first book I've read by Anne Brooke. It will not be the last! The author captures the essence of sensuality in so few pages. The way David dominated Benjamin with zero cruelty and played his body in ways Benjamin had never been played was just oh so sexy. I tore through this book on my lunch break. If you're looking for something quick and sexy that will leave a huge smile on your face, take a chance on this one!" (From a 4-star review at MM Good Book Reviews) 

"A good coupling with a sure, sophisticated, caring lover and passionate, willing partner. I also like that it was a forty something and a thirty something in the lead. Not that I suppose it matters, but it's just good for a change. There is a very slight twist at the end, I knew there would be, but not what I was thinking … so go, Anne Brooke. Terrific, sexy and quick reading with a couple of nice characters and a good ending." (From a 4-star review at On Top Down Under Reviews) 

"I very much enjoyed this cheeky story which managed to be blistering hot whilst retaining a lighthearted tone … this is definitely worth reading, especially if you are a fan of BDSM romance books." (From a review, graded Excellent, at Well Read Reviews)

I hope you enjoy the read!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

Mad About You by Sinead Moriarty: mishmash novel with some sparky sections

The plot involving the mad nanny really needs to be put to sleep now, on a permanent basis - it's very 1980s and very dull. And actually, I have no idea why it appears as such a main item in this book as it doesn't need it - I had the feeling that Moriarty was trying too hard to jazz the chick lit genre up a little, but adding a (boring) thriller element to it just isn't the answer.

It was also strange that all the characters are dull, flat and whine a lot up until p242 (in my paperback copy) when something exciting and funny happens, hurrah! The scene here with new friend Poppy telling the gals how honest she's been with her new man is hysterical and very satisfying indeed - why can't Poppy be the main character? That would be a wonderful read for sure!

Anyway, after the marvellous page 242, it was as if the author suddenly woke up and starting giving us a decent story - well apart from the crazed nanny thing (yawn) and our super-shallow irritating heroine. More than that, the minor characters start to feel real for the first time and I even began to fall in love with the 'in your face' sister Babs, from a position of absolutely hating her at the beginning! Now, give me a novel with Poppy and Babs in and I'm definitely buying it ...

So, something of a mishmash but with some good characters in secondary roles, once the author got round to writing them.

5 out of 10.

Anne Brooke Books

Conversations with God Book One by Neale Donald Walsch: New Age irritation

This has some interesting gems of wisdom, but on the whole it's New Age-type vagueness writ large. Sometimes it strays into dullness, and it needed a lot of editing to make it have any kind of impact for me.

Still, I'm glad the writing of it helped the author through a difficult time, but it's curiously irritating. I won't be rushing out for the sequel!

Anne Brooke Books

Gay romance Where You Hurt The Most

Gay romance Where You Hurt The Most is now available at Amazon for only 99p!

Adrian is more than happy as high-class escort for a number of regular clients. When his boss and dear friend asks him to entertain his nephew, Adrian readily agrees, but meeting Dan challenges him in ways he'd never imagined. Dan is scarred inside and out from an accident that destroyed a promising future. Despite Adrian's loveless lifestyle and Dan's withdrawal and anger, the two men forge a deep - if unnerving - connection. Soon they find themselves questioning the choices they've made and the futures they've mapped out for themselves. 

Yet even bright young men like Adrian and Dan fear the unknown and take comfort in the familiar. Neither may be strong enough to step away from the life they know and toward the one they dare not hope for. But while it's true that love can't heal all wounds, it is the surest balm for where you hurt the most. 

Reviews: 

"A story of seeing and sensing the pain and the promise that lies beneath the surface of the fragile and imperfect skin, of going beyond the physical and delving into places where the strength of the man, the truth of him, resides, until, finally, he is changed for the better. This is a short but truly gorgeous story, rich with the hope found in something new." [From a 5-star review at The Novel Approach] 

"Where You Hurt The Most demonstrates perfectly the harmony that emotional impact and intimate detail can have in well-done erotica … This is the type of writing I love, simple and sparse yet used to tenderly convey a connection of spirit that defies logic or explanation." [From a 5-cup review at A Book and a Short Latte Reviews] 

"Where You Hurt The Most is a beautifully written novelette from the first-person viewpoint of a British man who is an exclusive and highly paid escort … I am always glad to snap up the latest fiction from Anne Brooke because the writing is flawless - clean, crisp, minimalist, and elegant - and her insight into the interactions between people is profound. This story fulfills both expectations." [From a review at ARe Cafe Reviews]

I hope you enjoy the read!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton: a wasted opportunity

The story is rather too full of cliche for me - 'woman in jeopardy', and partial 'environmental thriller' were both just a little dull here. The journey across the snow was also far too long and uninteresting and I did a lot of skipping. That said, Ruby (the daughter) has a very strong voice and is by far the most interesting character in the book. I particularly liked how Ruby describes words by taste and smell. The sign language is also well used as a key part of the plot.

I also enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship and tensions, but Matt (the father) was just far too flat and really very annoying. He appears directly in the book at far too late a stage, and then launches into a huge section of 'info dumping' concerning what exactly has gone on, which is very amateur. It would have been better if Matt could have had sections earlier so we discover things in the same timeframe as he does - this would have been far more exciting.

In general, this book could easily have been cut by a third, and I suspect the film will be far better than the novel. That said, the final scenes of drama are fun (though anything would be good after that dull trawl through the snow!), and the ending surprisingly delicate.

Anne Brooke Books

Sweet Caress by William Boyd: an interesting failure

Key issues about this book:

1. The fiction in an autobiographical style was interesting, but not particularly attention-grabbing
2. No character grabbed me (apart from Amory's brother and sister, from whom I would have liked to have heard a lot more as they have more interesting lives) and they all seem distant. Amory was written in a very 'thin' manner, with no substance to her, which was disappointing.
3. Amory is defined by the men in her life and makes lots of really important decisions on a whim and for selfish reasons
4. The photographs in the novel are excruciatingly amateur and a waste of time
5. The story is packed with cliches - e.g. the lover's wife being in a wheelchair, the blackshirt riots, the war pieces, the hippy community crisis and the undeveloped incident with Marlene Dietrich
6. Boyd writes Amory's sex scenes as if she were a man, sigh ...

Not one I'd recommend.

5 out of 10 stars

Anne Brooke Books

Gay romance A Seasonal Reunion

Gay romance A Seasonal Reunion is now available at Amazon for only 99p!

Danny Brigson makes a serious mistake when he sleeps with Marty, an old boyfriend at an ill-advised reunion. He tries to cover it up, but Marty tells all, and the love of Danny's life, Jake, throws him out. 

Over the next year, Danny tries to sort his life out, determined to stop relying on drugs and drink to get him through. Can he even dare to hope that one day Jake might give him the chance to put things right? 

Reviews: 

"If you have the ability to enjoy a story where one person has done the wrong thing but sets about bettering themselves. And if you can understand why someone might just love a person enough to give them a second chance, then this is a nice Christmas short about the power of love and forgiveness." (From a review at On Top Down Under Reviews) 

"If you're looking for a quickie to tide you over during your afternoon cuppa, then you don't need to look further. As the blurb states, there is cheating involved and Danny is a bit of an ass. He makes good though and over the course of a year gets his act together. He wants his man back. That's something I can get behind." [From a 4-star review at Because Two Men Are Better Than One Reviews] 

"What can happen when one is unfaithful is succinctly explored in A Seasonal Reunion. I was along for the journey from beginning to the particularly suitable end. Put this one on your to read list soon." [From a review at The Romance Studio Reviews]

I hope you enjoy the read!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

The Beginning of Knowledge: gay BDSM romance

Gay BDSM romance The Beginning of Knowledge is now available at Amazon for only 99p!

When University administrator Alan Castleton meets temporary worker and talented pianist Luke Milton, he doesn't expect to become obsessed with the handsome young blond. But soon he is heavily involved in a passionate and angry affair, and exploring the dark shadows of his own personality in a way he's never encountered before. 

The more Alan tries to break free from his obsession, the deeper it entangles him. The dangerous split between his reason and his sexual desires threatens his peace of mind and, when the crisis point comes, he must decide once and for all the kind of life he should lead. 

Reviews: 

"I want more. The characterisations were terrific, the chemistry, for what it was, perfect, the sex was dark, nasty, erotic as sin … and I LOVED it. This is one of my favourite Anne Brooke reads. I loved the dark eroticism and the excellent development of the characters. In such a short word count I felt like I knew both men well." (From a 5 star review at On Top Down Under Reviews) 

"The writing here is superb. I felt as if I knew Alan intimately only a few pages into his first person narrative because for all that he's blind to what is going on he's starkly transparent. So I commend Anne for writing a story that is indeed knowledgeable, that is informative but at the same time seductively sexy. I think you should read this one just to see what you take from it." (From a 4 star review at The Armchair Reader) 

"A dark erotic short that isn't my usual type of read … So I started reading this with trepidation and, much to my surprise, I loved it … This is a really well written story about discovery of oneself written in a very sexy way." (From a 4 star review at World of Diversity Reviews)

I hope you enjoy the read.

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

Gay Fantasy Romance: Tuluscan Six and the Time Circle

Gay fantasy romance Tuluscan Six and the Time Circle is now available at Amazon for only 99p!

Whilst finishing up a good day’s work in the Earth Interplanetary Administration Office, Karlan Staithley is disturbed by the appearance of a strange alien called Tuluscan Six. Tuluscan tells him that in one year’s time, Earth will make contact with his people, the Lamarians, and unwittingly destroy them due to an anomaly in the planetary time lines. 

He himself has come back to warn Karlan, partly to save his people and partly as in the real time line Karlan and Tuluscan will become lovers. The two men join forces to try to save their futures, but can they in fact change time? And, if they do, how can their mutual passion ever survive? 

Reviews: 

"Tuluscan Six and the Time Circle by Anne Brooke is a short story with a light comic touch that may appeal to many readers, even those who tend to avoid science-fiction. The fast pace, comical details, and the single viewpoint from an appealing hero make for an immediately engaging reading experience." [From a review at ARe Cafe Reviews] 

“This short story is equal parts romantic comedy, with its snappy dialog, and space opera ... The fast pace, clear vivid writing, and light comic touch keep the reader engaged.” [From a 4.5 star review at Jessewave Reviews]

I hope you enjoy the read!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

A Stranger's Touch: Gay Paranormal Romance

Gay paranormal romance A Stranger's Touch is now available on Amazon for only 99p!

Male prostitute, Red, is given an assignment by his pimp and lover, Robbie, with a very unusual client. Red meets the stranger in a darkened house in London and, during their sessions, he learns more than he ever knew about lust, love and his own personal history. 

How will his curious and life-enhancing encounters with the stranger affect his relationship with Robbie and his clients, and can love ever be part of a hooker's life at all? 



Reviews: 

"A Stranger's Touch was a deeply affecting, elegantly written, ethereal wisp of a story. It haunted me." [From a 5 star review at Hearts on Fire Reviews] 

“This is most definitely a story that will leave you wondering, with a different and intriguing premise encapsulated in a short, well-written tale. After reading this, I will definitely be looking for other stories by Brooke.” [From a review on the Three Dollar Bill Reviews site]

Happy reading!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

School for Doms: gay BDSM romance

Gay BDSM romance School for Doms is now available on Amazon for only 99p!

Long-term submissive Christopher is more than happy with his rather quirky career teaching dominants how to succeed in the BDSM world. However, when he meets Joseph in one of his beginners' classes, he begins to wonder if he's taken on rather more than he can chew … 

Reviews: 

"Anne Brooke's School for Doms was one hot number. Told from the POV of a sub teaching a class for newbie doms, it focused on the more psychological and sexy elements, and promised a HFN with some staying power." [From a 4.5 star review at Jessewave Reviews] 

"One very hot bdsm story. Think screen melting hot and very sexy with a touch of serious." [From a 5-star review at Rarely Dusty Books]

Happy reading!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

Gay erotica: The Rain Maker

Gay erotic story The Rain Maker is published at Amazon for only 99p!

A man stand alone in a deserted pub courtyard. His boyfriend has left him and his relationship is truly over but, in the midst of his loneliness, a stranger arrives. A stranger who won't allow himself to be seen, but who has a deep affinity with the rain and offers irresistible comfort. Can one night of passion change everything? 

Review: 

"Interesting yet very sexy short story. Having sex in the rain out in the open where anyone can see adds to the spice of the story. Great read." [From a 4-star review at MM Good Book Reviews]

I hope you enjoy the read!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK

Gay Office Romance Who Moved My Holepunch?

Gay office romance Who Moved My Holepunch? is now available at Amazon for only 99p!

Darren Fording works as a Senior Timetabling Officer for his local college. When Max Sheldon arrives to take over as Acting Registrar, Darren finds himself consumed by lust for his new boss and making the kind of decisions he as a stuck-in-his-ways administrator has never made before. 

When Darren initiates a full-on kiss during a meeting with Max, the enthusiasm of the Registrar's response takes him by surprise. Max is reluctant to pursue a relationship with an employee, but Darren is equally determined not to take no for an answer. Can he prove his worth to the man he's beginning to love and show him he's a dab hand at educational politics as well? 

Reviews: 

"I found this book a breath of fresh air; it was funny, witty and very cute. I loved Darren; he was just perfect as the insecure (well, at the beginning) quirky administrator … His two assistants, the chatty, gossipy Miranda, and the quiet sensible Stewart were well written as well, and the aloof Max was simply adorable. … I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you want to laugh, giggle and smile as you turn every page then this book is perfect." (From a 5-star Recommended review at Mrs Condit Reads Books) 

"It was a fascinating read. I laughed. I gasped. And I felt the exquisite chemistry this author achieved between her characters. The world they were put into was not something I anticipated, but even college administrative jobs can be fascinating with a creative mind. A lovely novella not to be missed." (From a review at MM Good Book Reviews) 

"This book is fun and funny, and Darren is wonderful. Max is right, Darren isn't like everyone else. These two must survive the hot mess that is the inspection through some creative thinking. A light funny read with great characters." (From a review at Hearts On Fire Reviews)

Happy reading!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK