Title: BEAcon of Love

Author: Jamie Sands

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 11/19/2024

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 45900

Genre: Contemporary Romance, romcom, gay, neurodiversity, comic-con setting, artists, TV stars, creatives, cosplay, costuming, online influencer, humor, friendship, game geeks, outing, coming out, introvert/extrovert, anxiety/panic attacks, autism representation, people pleasing

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Description

Cole has come to BEAcon for one reason: the contest cup. He’s spent months knitting chainmail and perfecting his poses. With cosplay rivals to out compete and the chance to attend panels for his new favorite show, Cole can’t afford any distractions—especially not falling in love.

Milo, star of the viral breakaway TV show Dusk City, would rather be staked through the heart like the vampire he portrays than crammed into a convention center with thousands of fans. Sure, success is great—but not when the future of the show and your co-workers depend on him staying in the closet. The frenzied fan reaction is nothing short of overwhelming.

When Milo’s anxiety gets to be too much, Cole doesn’t hesitate to come to the rescue of his handsome TV crush. His unorthodox solution opens the doors to an unexpected—and undeniable—connection. Between signings, meltdowns, and the swirling microcosm of the huge fan convention, can Milo and Cole ever be in the same place at the same time again?

Excerpt

BEAcon of Love

Cole

Cole Parrish could not contain his excitement.

They were checking into the hotel. After a year of preparation and multiple days stuck in the car with his best friend, the greatest fan convention of the year was happening: BEAcon.

Bryce had driven the last leg of their road trip and groaned softly as he stretched out his back. The drive to Nevada from California wasn’t super long, but they still liked to split it over a couple of days and take their time. Neither of them was fond of driving for over four hours at a time.

Cole looked around, bouncing on the balls of his feet. The people in the check-in lines were just like him. They wore superhero T-shirts, or shirts with Tolkien quotes, or even casual cosplays. Cole glanced down at his own—a Dusk City fan shirt. Dusk City was the hottest new TV show of the season. Chances were there’d be a lot of cosplayers inspired by the urban fantasy show and its handsome cast who would be appearing at the convention. Especially Caleb, the smolderingly gorgeous vampire lead character.

Cole had a large suitcase and three suit bags full of costumes carefully handcrafted over the last year. Bryce had a duffel bag with his two tried-and-true cosplays inside it. He helped lug Cole’s bags up to their room.

“I dunno why you have to be so extra every time.” Bryce rolled his eyes

“I have to be extra for the community.” Cole made his eyes wide and innocent. “I have fans, you know. And they deserve every piece of effort I put into this.”

Bryce knew he was teasing. “You have maybe ten fans. And they just follow you for the time you accidentally showed nipple in that one video.”

“How dare you?” Cole slapped at Bryce’s elbow, which wasn’t easy while holding the garment bags.

“I’m here to keep you grounded, my friend. Someone’s got to.”

“You’re not just here to keep me grounded.” Cole shifted his weight. “You’re here to stalk Zack as well.”

Bryce colored. “Zack is… I don’t know why you’d bring that up.”

“Uh, because you’ve been talking nonstop about him on the drive here, how hot he is, and how much you hope you get to see him? Even though he’s my deadly cosplay rival and not even that good-looking?”

Bryce couldn’t meet his eyes.

Cole decided to backpedal. He didn’t want to make his friend uncomfortable, so he changed the subject back to a safe topic: himself. “Well. As soon as I get a brand deal for my social media, I’ll be getting my own room. No more sharing with hobbit peasants like you any longer.”

“Honestly? I can’t wait,” Bryce deadpanned. “Want me to take some pictures of you with your nipples out? That should do it.”

Cole stifled his reaction. Snooty narcissists did not snort in public.

He said instead, “My skills at crafting a fantastic costume and my natural charm and gift of connecting to others are what draw people to me. Not that someone who turns up to every event as Bilbo Baggins since they were seventeen could ever hope to understand.”

“Bilbo’s a classic.”

“Bilbo is great, but your costume is vintage. The character is vintage. You’re only twenty-two, like me. Liven it up and stop playing a hundred-year-old character.”

“Yeah, well, my job doesn’t allow for frequent visits to the gym to get my body superhero-ready.” Bryce reached over and pinched Cole’s bicep. “So, I’m going with the hobbit.”

“We work at the same pizza place, and you barely have more hours than I do.”

“Whatever, pretty boy.” Bryce flapped a dismissive hand as the elevator reached their floor, and they piled out.

“I read another rumor for what the B-E-A stands for in BEAcon, by the way.” Cole scanned room numbers as they turned into a new corridor, searching for theirs.

“Yeah?”

“Boardgaming, Egames, and Anime convention.”

Bryce frowned. “This convention has been a thing since before egames existed.”

“Yeah, I still think it stands for Badass Elves and Aliens.”

Bryce laughed. “Broadcasted Entertainment and Assortments is the one I’m sticking to.”

“Why would they have an acronym for assortments?” Cole said as he unlocked their door.

They shuffled inside. Two twin beds, a tiny desk, and a chair filled the room, leaving only enough space for Cole to drag his suitcases in.

“I call dibs on the closet,” he said.

Bryce snorted, slinging his bag on the nearest bed. “Wardrobe’s all yours. I’m claiming the shower.”

“Good idea. I don’t mind rooming with a hobbit, but a smelly hobbit?” Cole pulled a face.

Bryce aimed a playful swat at him.

Cole ducked, immediately tripping over the bed. “Is it me, or do these rooms get smaller every year?”

“It’s you and your giant ego; it gets harder to squeeze into the room. That or inflation.” Bryce squeezed past Cole’s suitcase and into the bathroom.

“Inflation? That makes no sense.” The only reply was the sound of water hitting the shower floor. Cole looked into the wardrobe only to discover he had a major problem. The tiny closet was big enough to house three costumes. He had five.

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Ornery Owl's Review

Four out of Five Stars

When cosplayer Cole encounters popular actor Milo struggling with a panic attack, he helps Milo by loaning him his Spiderman costume so Milo can enjoy exploring BEAcon anonymously. Pushy photographer John wants to hook up with Cole and is incensed by Cole's interest in Milo. He sells a picture of Cole and Milo kissing to a tabloid site, which threatens to derail Milo's career.

This lovely m/m romance tackles essential issues, such as outing others and attempting to force a relationship where none is desired. It also discusses the fact that some people are pushed to remain in the closet even in an era when same-sex marriage is legal in many places.

The author does an excellent job of switching between Cole's and Milo's points of view. The story is well-paced, taking time to allow readers to become acquainted with the essential characters yet avoiding becoming mired in too much detail. The author also conveys the intensity of Cole and Milo's attraction to one another without being overly explicit in describing their physical interactions.

My complaint about the story is one I have with many modern gay romances. The desire to represent every identity under the rainbow seems forced. Also, although it appears to be here to stay, I don't care for the term queer, which has historically been used as an anti-homosexual slur.

Besides the two factors mentioned in the previous paragraph, I greatly enjoyed this book. I appreciated the thoughtful handling of issues such as social anxiety. Although the book discusses adult issues, it avoids explicit descriptions, making it an appropriate option and a potential conversation starter for teens and adults.

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NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

A number one bestseller on Amazon, Jamie (he/they) writes optimistic urban fantasy and romance, highlighting queer characters. They also dabble in short stories in all sorts of genres, notebook design, and tabletop roleplaying game design. Their work has been shortlisted for the Sir Julius Vogel Award. Jamie grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, and was a library devotee and constant reader of fiction from a very early age. They now live in Auckland with their wonderful spouse. Jamie has visited Japan three times and would like to move into Tokyo Disneyland. Pen names include Jaxon Knight (contemporary rom coms) and Drake LaMarque (mostly paranormal historical, high steam).