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Lola Dances

Victor J. Banis

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What Members Thought

Aug 24, 2008 Nancy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gay, erotic-romance, shelf-inflicted, western, outlaw-reviews

Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted

Little Terry Murphy grew up poor in the rough Lower East Side of New York, and wants nothing more than to be a dancer. His small stature and effeminate appearance make him the target of bullies and the unwanted attention of a wealthy stranger who lurks outside his dressing room after practice. In the 19th century, not only was homosexuality considered immoral, it was also illegal. In order to avoid arrest, Terry and his tough, bad-tempered bro ...more

51 likes · Like · see review

Jun 30, 2009 Daisiemae rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-read-in-2009, e-book, books-to-i-will-never-part-with, male-male-romance-erotica, books-reviewed-in-2009, transgendered

When I read a book written by the iconic Victor Banis I know that I am going to go through all kinds of emotions while being engrossed in his stories. He makes me experience everything from absolute joy, to gut wrenching sadness with all of the books I have read by him. (Read This Splendid Earth written by Mr. Banis. Talk about a tear jerker, but oh soo good! Whew!) Victor is the master at pulling you into the world he creates and he doesn’t let up until the very last word.

Lola Dances is no exce When I read a book written by the iconic Victor Banis I know that I am going to go through all kinds of emotions while being engrossed in his stories. He makes me experience everything from absolute joy, to gut wrenching sadness with all of the books I have read by him. (Read This Splendid Earth written by Mr. Banis. Talk about a tear jerker, but oh soo good! Whew!) Victor is the master at pulling you into the world he creates and he doesn’t let up until the very last word.

Lola Dances is no exception. After much consideration, I have decided not to get into a description of the storyline. It has been done so well by others here on goodreads, I would just be repeating what others have said before me. But, there are a few things I would like to say about it.

First let me say that this in NOT your typical gay romance novel. It is much more than that. If you are looking for a quick, easy and fun filled read, this book is not for you. Although, Lola Dances is addictive to read from the very first word, it is not an easy read. The complexity of all of the characters written in this book, and the trials and tribulations they go through, especially our hero Terry/Lola, made me bring out the tissues on more than one occasion throughout the story.

Terry’s character goes through so much throughout this book. He does not have an easy life. He survives abuse in many forms; physical, sexual and emotional throughout this book. But, I want to stress that Terry is a survivor. He is an easy character to love. His strength to follow his dreams and better himself despite what others have done to him, makes him stronger than most heroes/characters I have read about in a long time.

Watching Terry transform himself into Lola was amazing. Lola is everything Terry is not, but yet they are one in the same. Lola is confident, Terry is not. Lola is bold and outgoing, Terry is shy and quiet. It was astounding to me that even though they were so different; I never once thought that they were not one in the same.

What I thought was brilliant about this story was Terry/Lola’s character really does evolve throughout this book. He does grow and learn, yes he makes mistakes and maybe doesn’t make all the right choices, but in the end he is able to make the right decision and follows his heart.

It’s not all about Terry/Lola not finding love. He does from someone who loves him for who he is.

I don’t want to give anything away, so that’s all I am going to say about this wonderful book. Yes, it may not be for everyone, but those who chose to read it, will be so glad you did.

5 stars
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Jul 03, 2009 Collette rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook-erotica-mm

I love it when a book takes me through the emotional spectrum and this book did it for me. It had substance to it. I really enjoyed that it was more about the horrible trials and finally the triumph that Terry experiences. The sex was not the focal point in this book although it's certainly present. ...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Augusta Li rated it it was amazing

Terry/Lola is a fascinating character that I fell in love with right away. I wanted so much for him to find some kind of happiness and the love and affection that he was so starved for. He made some very bad decisions in the beginning, and it hurt to see him fall victim to his youth and naivety. He also was strong and resilient, though, anything but the sissy other men saw when they looked at him. Terry's journey from the Bowery to the mining camps of California was full of unexpected twists. So ...more

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