About “Crusty Socks” by Logan O’Connor:
Genre: Shot Story; HEA Romance; Punk; LGBTQ
A gritty, tender queer-punk romance set on the neon edge of last call.
A gay punk bouncer in his late thirties has made quiet a habit. He works the door, keeps the peace, and lets everyone believe he’s either straight or too hard to approach. Dates? Haven’t happened in a long time. Feelings? Locked down behind a brick-wall stare.
Then Dane walks in—a confident gay skinhead with a smile like trouble and a talent for seeing through armor. One look turns the rumor mill on its head and forces the bouncer to choose: keep hiding in plain sight, or step into the light where desire, vulnerability, and second chances are waiting.
Set in a beloved queer punk bar where chosen family holds the line, Crusty Socks is a story about unexpected chemistry, late-blooming courage, and the soft underbelly of hard men. There’s banter at the door, sparks on the dance floor, and a slow, aching thaw that feels like coming home.
Older queer punk romance is a genre I didn’t know existed or know that I needed. “Crusty Socks” is one installment in a series of stories related to the “Glitch City Chronicles” by Logan O’Connor. It follows the experience of a punk club’s intimidating bouncer as he catches feelings for a patron and becomes eager to shed the skin of a false reputation.
Because he’s not the mean, unapproachable guy that everyone believes him to be. He’s definitely not straight like they all think. And after Dane, confident and queer, walks in that door, somewhere deep in him he realizes it’s time to let his walls down. To come out and to finally experience love.
O’Connor’s writing stye is quick, precise, on a mission. He paints a vivid picture of the world of the punk subculture, choosing his words carefully to ensure that each one triggers the wanted image in the reader’s mind. Through such a short experience, he delivers a touching story about the lighthearted side of punk, a scene often regarded as aggressive or dangerous even though at the end of the day, punk is simply about empowerment and defying conformity.
So why has it taken the main character, an elder punk, nearly to his forties to express who he really is? Turns out, even punks can struggle with image and honesty.
I loved seeing this rough and tough bouncer slowly melt more and more over the course of his time spent with Dane and really embrace his true self. All the things he did to see Dane’s dreams realized and the raw look at just how much finding love and working such a grueling scene effects a person coming up on the start of middle age. That said, he never lost his spark of defiance which would see him protect what he cares about at all costs. Purely wholesome content.
((there are some formatting errors in the story as of the date this is posted, but the story is still perfectly readable/enjoyable))
You can find Logan O’Conner on:
Goodreads
Facebook
Facebook Group
Instagram
Art for Sale on Printify
((Review submitted to Amazon and Goodreads))
Want your book reviewed? Click here for more information.
~Sahreth ‘Baphy’ Bowden
Follow this blog through your email or WordPress account by clicking that +Follow button that pops up in the bottom right corner! You’ll receive an email every time I post a new book review, free book, giveaway, and information on my own writing.
baphy1428 