Product Description

Ben Carson sure as hell didn't expect the love of his life to literally fall at his feet. But when a mysterious stranger passes out cold in front of him after a street fight, Ben knows right away that this could be something special, that this man isn't like anyone else he's ever known.

The heat between Eric Green and Ben is fierce and immediate. But it's more than a physical attraction. Ben is drawn to the sorrow and vulnerability that lie behind Eric's hot temper and suspicious nature. Generous, open, and trusting, Ben vows to help Eric put the violence and abuse of his past behind him and heal the damage it did to him.

As Ben tears down the walls Eric has built around himself and Eric learns to trust again, the powerful attraction between them grows and deepens into a love that could last a lifetime. But the past isn't always so easily pushed aside...

Publisher's Note: Forgotten Song is a homoerotic love story and as such contains subject matter that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices and violence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #331408 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 220 pages

Customer Reviews

True Love is a Struggle, 4.5 stars
Ally Blue has a gift for writing gay romances that revolve around healing. Easy, Untamed Hearts and Willow Bend all had characters going through very difficult times who are hesitant to start relationships again. But, love wins out eventually! Forgotten Song is another successful novel in this vein.

This novel has a darker undercurrent than previous works. Eric Green has had a horrible life. So horrible in fact, that if I didn't watch so many true crime shows I would've found it hard to believe that so much could happen to one person. But it can and does. His body has many visible scars, but his heart has even more. Eric survived a brutal assault and ran from his old life without even shoes on his feet. Ben first encounters Eric outside a bar his band performs at. Eric is, surprisingly, winning a fist fight against a much larger opponent. But underneath that bravado, he's panic-stricken. Ben convinces Eric to come home with him after seeing how bad off he is. There is an attraction between them, but Eric is damaged and afraid he can't give Ben what he needs - and deserves.

What made this novel really special was that the author didn't discount the horrors in Eric's life with a trite "true love conquers all at first sight". The two men struggle with Eric's demons for most of the novel. Abuse cannot be overcome simply by a loving, patient partner. Professional help and time are also necessary. Eric slowly opens up to Ben, telling him more of what has made him so skittish. There is sex in the novel, but not as much as in some of Blue's other books. But those scenes are very tender as readers finally understand how much it costs Eric to open up to another person. There is a subplot to the story about how Eric's life truly is in danger from someone (I won't spoil it here) and that provides a good counterpoint to their romance. And again, the author doesn't shy away from a dark tone. Neither man escapes the trouble unscathed, making the story seem more realistic.

Overall, this was a very good novel which balances tears with laughter as only Ally Blue can. Sacrifices are necessary for the happily ever after, and it makes their love all the more poignant. Highly recommended.

A gay Romance Novel almost ruined by brutal violence
This gay Romance Novel started out unlike many--gritty and real. It continued so until about three-quarters of the way through, when what you think was a throwaway character from earlier in the novel comes back as a serial killer. I must say right up front: There's one scene involving the serial killer torturing one of the two main characters that left me unsettled. Violence in art is fine when it's contextually relevant, like in a great gangster movie like "Goodfellas" that ultimately shows the viewer in a highly artistic and realistic manner where violence will lead the guilty. But here it is unexpected. As a result, it brought down what was until that point a really fun reading experience. Judging by her credits, author Ally Blue is apparently well versed in gay Romance Novels; however, this is the first of her works I have read. She creates great characters, writes lean and compelling stories, and works well within the genre of Romance Novels. I decided to give her another chance and just started "Easy" (I already had purchased it when I bought this book). Unfortunately, the prologue is a scene of terrible violence, a young male hustler tied up and getting savagely mistreaten. I got past it and so far "Easy" is like "Forgotten Song" in that the characters are eminently likable and the budding chemistry is compelling. But I have a hunch the prostitution element, dropped right after the prologue, is going to breed more of the extreme violence of the prologue. If Ally Blue is all about including graphic violence against extraordinarily innocent people in her work, I'm afraid "Easy" may be the last of her works I read, which would be a shame since she so clearly is a talented writer.

This novel...
Wow, I don't even know where to start. What irked me the most about this book? Probably the dialogue, which was flat and contained no voice. Or perhaps the plot which made me roll my eyes throughout the majority of the book for being so unoriginal, cliche, monotonous, and just dull over all. Ben Carson and Eric Green, the protagonists of the novel, are so unnatural that I wanted to cry. Their relationship-- from how then came together until the very end-- lacked everything. It lacked realism, it lacked sense, it lacked emotion, it lacked a true connection... and not just between Eric and Ben, but between them and the reader, as well. Ally Blue didn't allow me to view even an iota of the beauty of their relationship. I couldn't fathom, without making excuses for the characters, what drew them to each other or why they fell in love so fast and so hard. It was like the author made them fall in love and just expected the readers to go along with it. Sorry, hon, but it didn't work.

Not to mention that I believe Eric's character to be quite contradictory. For someone so absolutely guarded, and coming from such a past as his, he sure opens his heart rather quickly. Even if it wasn't intentional, Ally Blue didn't make me believe that it COULD happen. I wasn't very impressed with their relationship at all. Nor was I impressed with the plot which, despite all the twists and turns it attempted to take, remained boring and uninteresting. The worst part of the book, I think, is the end, with all that sudden drama, action, and gore. Talk about rushed, abrupt ending. No build-up at all. The exposition was interesting enough but everything after-- the rising action, the climax, etc..-- was very "five paragraph essay", if you get what I mean. It didn't flow well, and it just felt so stiff.

I wouldn't say the book is a waste of money (as they say, you learn the most from bad writing) but it certainly isn't worth its price. Maybe half. I was beyond disappointed. To me, the only thing saving the story is the whole gay-male aspect of it, which is my very favorite genre. Still, even that isn't enough to give it more than one star.

Aspiring writers: The book is great if you're looking for something to critique and mark the "bad". The novel is like a tacky, poorly written fan fiction by an angst-ridden teen. Honestly, I'm quite astonished it managed to be published. Yes, I doubt the quality THAT much.