Loved this book!! Gay Appalachian life hits close to home with me, and I'm a sucker for a tale told in vignettes. I can definitely see myself coming back to this one for multiple rereads

I'm sorry it took me so long to finally read Rick R. Reed's The Q, it is absolutely lovely.

I'd heard about the way it is structured, and how masterfully Mr. Reed pulls it all together, but you really must read it to fully appreciate how beautifully written it is. The characters are thoroughly developed, and the interactions between the different groups is fascinating. Of course it's a bit of a heartwrencher, but The Q will leave you with a warm spot in your soul, I promise!

I for real LOVED this book. Although it’s really more of a novella, standing at just 194 pages. The novella revolves around a gay bar, The Q, and its patrons over a 24-hour period on a Saturday night as they deal with relationship and/or family troubles, unrequited love, romance, and secrets. The book is broken up into 4 parts and each part has short vignettes of what is going on in various different characters’ lives. Each part goes further into each of those characters lives and what is happening to them. There aren’t any cut and dry endings for any of the characters since we only see them for this one short 24-hour period of time. But I love these kinds of stories. These short peaks behind the curtains of what’s happening, just being dropped into existing lives and then just as quickly pulled out. You’re just seeing a moment in time for these people. I loved the characters and was eager to read more about each one as the different parts of the novella came up. Even after I was done with the novella, the story and its characters stayed with me and made me want to cry both happy and sad tears.

Highly recommended for lovers of character driven pieces and LGBTQ fiction.

Received via Netgalley

First of all, this is not a romance .... it's better. In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, there is a nondescript little gay bar called The Q, actually the Quench Room, but most think the Q stands for queer. It's a gathering spot for drinking, dancing, shooting the breeze, reconnecting with friends, and for some it's a lifeline. If you're from a small town (as the author is, and me as well), you've probably had a bar like this in your life.

Reed weaves a rich tapestry, sharing vignettes of lives entwined with the bar. There's the old married couple at the end of the bar, whose marriage is nothing like it appears to be, and another married couple facing a crucial crossroads. There's the man who sees his face in the mirror and wonders who he really was. "Was there any substance there? Or had he been all gloss and veneer, with nothing substantial behind the pretty?" The bartender, Mary Louise, mourns the loss of so many beautiful men in her life taken by AIDS.

I recently read an excellent article entitled "A Feeling for Fiction" by Keith Oakley on how fiction elicits such empathic responses from us. He says "A story is a partnership. The author writes it, and the reader or audience member brings it alive." Reed does this, in The Q, in the best way possible - holding up a mirror before us, allowing us to glimpse our own stories of love and loss, of hope and fear, through the lifes and loves of eight folks from the Q. 5 stars. .

So many thoughts. On the surface, this is a very good story about life in Appalachia. Life filled with gay and gay friendly towns folk. Upon reading the first couple of chapters, the book seemed to be more a collection of short stories. But then the a-ha moment that this is more like Armistead Maupin's, "Tales of the City." 28 Barbary Lane is replaced by The Q, a gay bar in rural America. Each of the characters have their own stories - major or minor. And they all seem to interweave around The Q's bartender. Unlike Reed's mysteries, this book is not too graphic, although there are definitely many tense, uncomfortable and awkward moments and reveals.

A very quick read, this book is entertaining and a good one to cozy up to. With regards to the human condition, the characters are very well developed, share their personal challenges (known or unknown) and are people you might know and empathize with. I found it humorous that one set of characters reminded me of those in the queer friendly and lovable, Golden Girls.

The Q by Rick R Reed was one of those stories I wasn’t sure I would like. I’m very familiar with this author and know that he is a master at wringing emotions from the reader.
This book did not disappoint.
I liked the fact that this story was told from different points of view and that we got glimpses into their night at the Q. I loved the spark of hope that was each was given.
Highly recommend this one!!!

Firstly, thank you to NineStar Press for providing this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book just a little more than I did. The premise is intriguing – a single night at a small town gay bar in Appalachia turns out to be life-changing for the locals. There’s a mix of emotions throughout the pages, along with a few revelations, some the characters sense are coming, others they’re completely taken aback by.

The characters are a mix of people, with various problems and personalities. They’re written well, they’re all vastly different, but unfortunately, out of all the people we’re introduced to, I only really found myself liking one or two. The others were just a bit grating, and in some cases a bit hard to root for. But overall, each character’s arc was followed through nicely, and all wrapped up quite well, leaving a satisfying feeling at the end.

The characters are realistic to a point, but the events that happen on this particular night felt a little forced, and almost too convenient. This is touched on again later, in a conversation where characters talk about “what are the chances”, which doesn’t do much to actually excuse away how much happens. Certain threads do feel like they’re picked up, forgotten, and forced back in later, with events happening around characters which they barely pay attention to.

The bar setting felt underused, and there could have been a bit more interaction from the different characters. As it was, it felt like different, separate short stories that all happened to take place at the same bar, but there could have been more connecting them, and it just felt a little off. Some of it leans a little too much towards ‘bleak’, and the framing device didn’t work all too well. However, as with all my reviews these are very subjective opinions, and I know there are readers out there who will look at my points and realise this might just be the right book for them.

The book is really well written, the emotional beats – when they come – work well, and the few characters I did connect to, I did so deeply, almost wishing I could spend more time with them than some of the others. Reed is a very talented writer, who really has a knack for tugging at a variety of emotions. The book is a little bit up and down, but I enjoyed reading it.

I loved this book. A perfect snapshot into the lives and connections of a group of people from a small town.

The Q centres around a local LGBTQA+ bar and the bars frequent visitors. It’s a story of how life can change in one night abs how the past and effect the future.

I really enjoyed nearly every character in this book. Rick R. Reed does a great job of creating a host of characters and giving each a voice and personality that is vivid on the page.

Although not the longest of books are lot of themes are discussed thought which was both heartwarming and tear educing (tigger warnings are given at the beginning of the book).

I wanted to keep reading and find more about each of these characters abs hear more about their lives. Was intrigued though out and it was very well paced for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Q was an innocuous building just outside of a small town where a mixture of people wandered in for a serving of love and compassion served by the bartender, The bar was a place where people felt comfortable to let go to drink, dance and catch up with friends new and old. We get to meet some of the patrons on one particular night and follow where their stories go. I particularly liked how Rick didn't focus on young hot things but told intimate stories about people at many different stages of their lives.

A beautifully written heart warming story that captures how important it is to live life to the full everyday and never look back. This feels especially important this year.

Each character reminded you of someone you knew and with each story left you a wanting to know what happened to them.

I feel that it was slightly repetitive in parts so couldn’t award it 5 starts.

I have not read previously read anything by Rick Reed but will be now.

This story was so vivid. I love the snap shot of this small town bar and all the people that inhabit it. Small vignettes of every bodies lives tied together. I didn’t want it to end.