Review: "Baby's on Fire" by A.F. Henley

Note: This ARC was provided by Less Than Three Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In June 1974, Gerry Faun's life is changed forever on the night he attends the concert of Maxx Starlight, aka Mark Devon, and is plucked out of the thousands in the audience to go backstage. Gerry is gay but has had no experience whatsoever with other guys and Mark is openly bisexual, which titillates his fans, with both genders hoping they'll capture the glam rock star's heart or, at the very least, spend time in his bed. Mark is as fascinated and as taken with Gerry as Gerry is with him, and one night together isn't enough.

When news of Gerry's involvement with Mark gets back to his father, Gerry is kicked out of the house and ends up joining Mark on his world tour. Their relationship becomes more serious, but Gerry grows weary of what started as a fun ride on the road and with pressure coming from Mark's manager, Gerry decides to walk away, carrying with him the hurtful words that Mark throws his way. One broken heart and twenty years later, Gerry's life changes again when Mark returns to beg for a second chance he may not receive.

Baby's on Fire is a standalone novel by one of my favorite M/M romance authors, A.F. Henley, and this certainly did not disappoint. Gerry Faun and Mark Devon's story is twofold, beginning with how they met, fell for one another, and parted ways in 1974, and how they meet again in 1994. The flashbacks provide the necessary details in order for us to understand that what happened wasn't some mere fling between a singer and his fan, and we also get an idea of what happened in the two decades between the two events.

Mark in 1974 had me thinking of David Bowie and his Ziggy Stardust persona (yes, I'm old enough to know both) and he obviously lived the life of a music star, including all the excesses you would associate with that lifestyle. Still, Gerry appeared to ground him and when it was just the two of them together, there were glimpses of the real Mark, minus all the glitter and glam. His reaction when Gerry decided to leave the tour was realistic, something I appreciated because I don't think they were prepared for more then.

Gerry in 1974 was innocent and naive, even after months of being with Mark, and I wonder if he didn't over-romanticize their relationship. After all, we all fantasize about what it would be like to be with a famous person we think is hot, but I'm sure the reality is very different. I don't doubt, though, that what they had was real and that they really were in love. But Gerry was still young and quite inexperienced, while Mark had seen and done things few others have, and I think the timing was all wrong for their love.

When Mark tries to reconcile with Gerry in 1994, it solidifies the idea that I had when they did split up twenty years' prior: that they needed the time apart to learn certain lessons and go through various phases in their lives in order to hopefully find their way to something more mature and stable. I got Gerry's adverse reaction and his refusal to even be around Mark. For many, that would be twenty years too late to ask for forgiveness and a chance. People change...but then feelings are a very different animal altogether.

I loved A.F. Henley's story of lust and love at a time when music was changing and how two seemingly different people are able to make a connection and somehow find it again, though me thinks they never really lost it in the first place. The author deserves kudos on how Gerry and Mark developed as the characters they were in 1974 to who they are in 1994. Baby's on Fire is a story of a love found, then lost, and how it's just waiting to be found again when the time is right and both people are ready. Five stars! ♥

Release Date: 06 May 2015

Date Read: 01 May 2015

Learn more about A.F. Henley here.

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