#mila mcwarren

[interludepress]

Now Available to Pre-Order! "Spring is in the Air: A RomCom Trio" Digital Collection

Unexpected. Accidental. Predestined. In this digital collection, three critically-acclaimed authors of LGBTQ+ fiction celebrate love and the art of romantic comedy.

Bundled to save on these critically-acclaimed romantic comedies!

MSRP: $8.99

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Details: This eBook package includes PDF, ePub, and Kindle (Mobi) files.

ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-951954-16-1

Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette by Killian B. Brewer

When Marcus Sumter, a short-order cook with dreams of being a chef, inherits a house in small town Marathon, Georgia, he leaves his big city life behind. Marcus intends to sell the house to finance his dreams, but a group of lovable busybodies called the Do-Nothings, a new job at the local diner, the Tammy Dinette, and a handsome mechanic named Hank cause Marcus to rethink his plans. Will he return to the life he knew or will he finally put down roots?

“… the point of the story is laughter, and Brewer shows a wicked facility with the pratfalls and plain speaking of the steel magnolias at the book’s heart.”—Publishers Weekly

Tack & Jibe by Lilah Suzanne

Willa documents a picture-perfect nautical life on Instagram, but when fans register her in a national sailing championship, she needs a crash course in sailing to protect her reputation. She gets help from champion sailor Lane Cordova, whose mastery of the sport is matched only by Willa’s ineptitude—and her growing crush on Lane isn’t helping matters. Can Willa keep her reputation afloat while taking a chance on love?

"This is a sweet story of two women learning who they are and finding love along the way. There are plenty of waves in the ocean to keep you turning pages and oodles of seaside charm. This is one of my favorites of the year so far."—The Lesbian Review

The Luckiest by Mila McWarren

When memoirist Aaron Wilkinson gathers with his high school friends to marry off two of their own, he must spend a week with Nik, the boy who broke his heart. As they settle into the Texas beach house for the nuptials, Nik is clear: he wants Aaron back. “He’s coming hard, baby,” a friend warns, setting the tone for a week of transition where Aaron and Nik must decide if they are playing for keeps.

"[STARRED REVIEW] A strong supporting cast rounds out this solid and sizzling NA romance, which resonates with the amorphous time between finishing college and venturing out into the real world and the choices we make to be with the ones we love."—Booklist

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Details: This eBook package includes PDF, ePub, and Kindle (Mobi) files.

Release Date: March 8, 2022

ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-951954-16-1

Pre-order at: IP Web Store | Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo

Add it on Goodreads.

[readrinseandrepeat]

The Luckiest by Mila McWarren, ©2015

[alysia-constantine-blog]

Review: The Luckiest by Mila McWarren

So, having left my youth far behind me, I found myself happily struck by Mila McWarren’s novel The Luckiest, which tells the story of a group of friends who gather for a wedding.  Well, not struck, so much, but it struck up in me a wave of nostalgia-for-something-that-never-happened.

The story is that of Aaron Wilkinson, who travels from New York back to his growing-up-home of Texas to help a group of friends prepare for a wedding.  Once there, he’s thrown back into the dynamic relationships from his younger days, and winds up rekindling his romance with Nik, his once-upon boyfriend and boy-who-broke-his-heart.  The lovers get the best of both worlds in this narrative: a torrid, secret reawakening of passion culminating in a clandestine hook-up, and then a public display of their relationship in front of their friends (who react with a range of joy and mistrust).

There is nostalgia here, and joy, and old pain drummed up, too.  This is one for us mature readers, because it’s not an ignorant romance: their pasts and their passions both weigh on these characters.  Old feelings--both love and hurt--come back from the dead.  Chickens come home to roost.

It’s romantic; they are dashing; one roots for these old lovers, it’s true.  But it’s touched with the bittersweet.  I like my love stories this way--love isn’t interesting if it comes too easily, and this is as much a story about healing as it is about finding love.

The characters are good to spend time with; I like these guys.  There’s a lot of vicarious happiness to enjoy.  The friendships here are important, too, and weigh almost as much as the central love relationship--that’s another, nice, mature element here.

In the background of this story lurks the unsaid: it’s only recently become an option for us gay folks to marry each other legally, and some states--like Texas--have remained hostile to the idea.  Aaron’s been living in New York, where we’ve had legalized gay marriage since before it became legal nationally; he returns to Texas, where... Jeb Bush still vomits oil and gay marriage was never made legal by the state (though it’s federally legal now, so ha ha, Texas, I guess you lost that one).  Though the novel doesn’t dip its toe into this territory, I read with an extra-hard beat to my heart, imagining this love blooming just when two friends are taking advantage of a right (and a rite) the two men can’t enjoy in the same way as their friends.

But this isn’t the novel’s interest, it’s mine.  It’s not really about being gay and in love; it’s about being in love.  No... more accurately, the novel is about reopening love and finding peace with friends; it’s about confronting your past and making it work with your present; it’s about expectations, and hope, and anticipation and relief.  

[hazelandglasz]

As I close milamcwarren‘s “The Luckiest,” I had to rush to my keyboard to share my thoughts--there is not a lot of them, because this story made me all gushy and happy, but I wanted to go as fast as possible to try and make you see how much you need that story in your life

The Luckiest is not about fighting in this life to get what you want, it’s not about pain and suffering

It’s about the little pockets of happiness that do land on our laps every now and then, whether it is to celebrate our friends’ happiness or because we get a second chance for our own

The entire book is just that: McWarren manages to paint a soft picture, a watercolor of happy moments that are put in relief with the blog(s) posts and the memories that only serve to show what was good and real and a source of joy

There were several moments where I had to stop and clutch the book to my chest like a teddy bear because it was just too much good things going at once to take in

I, like a lot of people in the fandom, knew the original material--but I discovered an entirely new story, new characters that I loved (and kind of wanted to know more about--Give me a book about Nik, please and thank you) and cared about, new personal boundaries that they cross together

The Luckiest is the perfect summer read, filled with love and laughter and happiness

The Luckiest is available on InterludePress and/or on Amazon

[chazzam]

Okay I know that you didn't write "The Luckiest" but I thought maybe you know if the author has a tumblr? I hope that isn't too weird a question.

I sure do! Mila McWarren’s tumblr is right here! :)

[interludepress]

IP to Kick Off Spring 2022 with RomCom Collection, "Spring is In the Air"

Coming March 2022: Shake Off the Winter Blues with "Spring Is in the Air," a Digital Box Set RomCom Collection

Unexpected. Accidental. Predestined. In this digital collection, three critically-acclaimed authors of LGBTQ+ fiction celebrate love and the art of romantic comedy.

Get this special collection for only $8.99—more than half off the cost of buying them separately!

Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette by Killian B. Brewer

When Marcus Sumter, a short-order cook with dreams of being a chef, inherits a house in small town Marathon, Georgia, he leaves his big city life behind. Marcus intends to sell the house to finance his dreams, but a group of lovable busybodies called the Do-Nothings, a new job at the local diner, the Tammy Dinette, and a handsome mechanic named Hank cause Marcus to rethink his plans. Will he return to the life he knew or will he finally put down roots?

"Brewer shows a wicked facility with the pratfalls and plain speaking of the steel magnolias at the book’s heart.” — Publishers Weekly

Tack & Jibe by Lilah Suzanne

Willa documents a picture-perfect nautical life on Instagram, but when fans register her in a national sailing championship, she needs a crash course in sailing to protect her reputation. She gets help from champion sailor Lane Cordova, whose mastery of the sport is matched only by Willa’s ineptitude—and her growing crush on Lane isn’t helping matters. Can Willa keep her reputation afloat while taking a chance on love?

"This light, beachy novella is a must-read for anyone who enjoys queer romance." — Publishers Weekly

The Luckiest by Mila McWarren

When memoirist Aaron Wilkinson gathers with his high school friends to marry off two of their own, he must spend a week with Nik, the boy who broke his heart. As they settle into the Texas beach house for the nuptials, Nik is clear: he wants Aaron back. “He’s coming hard, baby,” a friend warns, setting the tone for a week of transition where Aaron and Nik must decide if they are playing for keeps.

"Solid and sizzling NA romance" — Booklist (starred review)

ISBN: 978-1-951954-16-1

Price: $8.99 US

Pre-order at: IP Web Store | Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo

Add it on Goodreads.

[whenidance]

My review of ‘The Luckiest’ in Two Words

READ IT. xoxo - Lucie/whenidance/amidnightradio

ACTUAL REVIEW of ‘The Luckiest’ by Mila McWarren

This wonderful story centers around Aaron and Nik falling back in love at basically a big reunion of friends for the wedding of two of their own. They stay together in a house on the Gulf, reminiscing and preparing, and this story hits so many of my ‘side loves’ besides smoking hot romance. A sense of friendship as family. Beautiful, rich worldbuilding. Taking someplace I have never been (Texas) and actually making me want to visit there.

The funniest thing about when I chose to (re)read this story, is the timing. The 4th of July is the one holiday all of my friends celebrate together on this great lakehouse in South Carolina for a few days. It’s the holiday that has no family obligation. It allows us to be silly and drunk on July 3rd and then more responsible on July 4th when more friends show up - plus the added bonus of blowing things up! 

The other best thing about this is the downtime. There’s wifi, yes, but no cell reception. The humidity doesn’t exist and there’s usually a nice breeze. The low 80s are the highs instead of the upper 90s at home. Therefore, there was reading in public instead of just in my bedroom at night. The crew at the lake varies, but this year it was four couples, two straight/two gay, and then a handful of us singles of various orientations.

It might be because of CB’s gorgeous art, but my friends were definitely judging the book by its cover. I got many the question about what I was reading, and I was more than happy to share. So much so, that two friends read it after I did and another started it. I really should have been more specific about my copy, because corners are dogeared and there’s a drink stain of unknown origin on the pages, but no one can say the book isn’t well loved.

The first thing that everyone commented on was how well written each and every character was, no matter how big or how small, as well as the overall story. The second was how hot it was! (At no surprise to me.) Mila’s work has always been nothing but top notch in all of these regards and it gave me such pride to be able to share my love of the story with my friends (also a little bit of “I know her!! Yes, I know her!! :D”)

Mila also touches on something familiar in her writing - whether it’s a moment a character has that resonates with you, or the way the particular scenery is written, Mila has a way of making ordinary stories seem extraordinary, and there within lies her magic.

[arielphaba]

How fitting that both The Land Of Stories AND The Luckiest come out on my birthday! (:

[januarium]

My Review of The Luckiest

[doonarose]

My review of ‘The Luckiest’ by Mila McWarren

(!!!!! omg)

The Luckiest, I think, will be the book that gets me back into reading. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy a couple of weeks ago and, having loved the source material and the author for several years, I read the entire thing in two sittings over forty-eight hours: this after having not read a novel in almost a year. And now all I want to do is curl up with a million books just like it and indulge in the fantasies and the bliss and the emotion that comes from a well-told story about the complexities—and eventual triumph—of human connection.

The story follows the weeklong coming together of ex-childhood sweethearts Aaron and Nik. It is set beautifully during a Texan summer at a beautiful beach house; the celebration of two of their high school friends’ wedding the event that brings them together and forces them to confront their damage and their potential. One of the standout strengths of this story is the ensemble cast of friends—all in their twenties, all finding their place in the world—that swirl around Aaron and Nik as the tension builds. Each supporting character is compelling and different, the synchronicity and clashing of their differing motivations giving the novel a lot of its complications and a lot of its fun. Moreover the array of personalities and histories within the different subgroups of friends that Aaron and Nik have highlights wonderfully the juxtaposition of their own personalities: Aaron’s sharp, sarcastic manner, his competitiveness in life, and his borderline neurotic panning and organization compared with Nik’s more laidback approach, his calmness and instinctiveness. Not only do these differences provide the difficulties that all good love stories need, but also it allows glimpses of just how good together they once were, and how good they will be once they get going again.

A further standout is the setting. Having never been to the Texas coast, The Luckiest describes a kind of southern comfort that is new to me. Just like the romance blossoming between the leads, the setting itself is full of contrasts: between the heat and sweat of the summer, and the coolness of the water on the beach, of the breeze. Moreover, with Aaron, our narrator, travelling from New York City, there’s further difference with the stillness and the quiet of a rural Texan house, even if, in many ways, it is a homecoming for him. Simply put, someone at the Texas Tourism Office owes Mila McWarren a commission because I love the summer oasis she’s painted in this book and I plan to visit one day to see for myself the setting in which Aaron and Nik heatedly rekindled their romance.

Which brings me to the core of the story: the romance and the sex. It’s impossible to pinpoint what makes every look, every touch, every uttered confession between these two characters resonate so hard with me. But it does. The way they circle each other, then come together and then still experience so much friction, is delicious and real: there’s no simple explosive coming together, this is a slow burn, punctuated with sexual encounters that will make your toes curl. And it’s decadent and indulgent, that’s what it feels like. From the way the story meanders through the week-long wedding celebration, shifting sometimes to high school or college years, to the vivid descriptions of the wedding cake, the house they stay in, the meals they share. This book reads like a really good glass of wine tastes. Or the way the smoothest jazz sounds. Something like that.

All I know is that if this is the way McWarren plans to keep writing her romance novels, I am certainly going to keep reading and re-reading, losing myself willingly in amongst the beautiful writing and the very best love stories. I strongly suggest you do, too.

Now run, don’t walk, and get your copy because this book is even better than I thought it would be and I had high hopes! 

[blurintofocus]

Thank god for The Luckiest, it really changes up my Amazon history. 

I bought all of those very very specific niche erotica books for work, I swear.

Also could a novel about a gay rainbow biker ever really be “predictable”....?

[interludepress]

Now Available: A Trio of RomComs—SPRING IS IN THE AIR Digital Box Set

Enjoy three acclaimed romantic comedies for only $8.99 in our SPRING IS IN THE AIR digital box set!

Unexpected. Accidental. Predestined. In this digital collection, three critically-acclaimed authors of LGBTQ+ fiction celebrate love and the art of romantic comedy.

Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette by Killian B. Brewer

When Marcus Sumter, a short-order cook with dreams of being a chef, inherits a house in small town Marathon, Georgia, he leaves his big city life behind. Marcus intends to sell the house to finance his dreams, but a group of lovable busybodies called the Do-Nothings, a new job at the local diner, the Tammy Dinette, and a handsome mechanic named Hank cause Marcus to rethink his plans. Will he return to the life he knew or will he finally put down roots?

“… the point of the story is laughter, and Brewer shows a wicked facility with the pratfalls and plain speaking of the steel magnolias at the book’s heart.”—Publishers Weekly

Tack & Jibe by Lilah Suzanne

Willa documents a picture-perfect nautical life on Instagram, but when fans register her in a national sailing championship, she needs a crash course in sailing to protect her reputation. She gets help from champion sailor Lane Cordova, whose mastery of the sport is matched only by Willa’s ineptitude—and her growing crush on Lane isn’t helping matters. Can Willa keep her reputation afloat while taking a chance on love?

"This is a sweet story of two women learning who they are and finding love along the way. There are plenty of waves in the ocean to keep you turning pages and oodles of seaside charm. This is one of my favorites of the year so far."—The Lesbian Review

The Luckiest by Mila McWarren

When memoirist Aaron Wilkinson gathers with his high school friends to marry off two of their own, he must spend a week with Nik, the boy who broke his heart. As they settle into the Texas beach house for the nuptials, Nik is clear: he wants Aaron back. “He’s coming hard, baby,” a friend warns, setting the tone for a week of transition where Aaron and Nik must decide if they are playing for keeps.

"[STARRED REVIEW] A strong supporting cast rounds out this solid and sizzling NA romance, which resonates with the amorphous time between finishing college and venturing out into the real world and the choices we make to be with the ones we love."—Booklist

Details: This eBook package includes PDF, ePub, and Kindle (Mobi) files.

Purchase Links: IP Web Store | Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Add it on Goodreads

[interludepress]

Starred Review

American Library Association Booklist Reviews on “The Luckiest”

High-school friends gather at the home of one of their own for a week of wedding prep and reminiscing. For New York essayist Aaron, it means more than just helping with the dresses and the cake, it means facing his ex, Nik, who broke his heart. The two have been in and out of each other’s lives since they were scared, shy high-school boys stumbling their way around a passion they couldn’t live without. Now, as they are on the brink of adulthood, Nik is committed to winning Aaron back. Longing to let himself love Nik once more but not wanting to get hurt again, Aaron is hesitant to let Nik back into his life, but he isn’t hesitant at all about letting Nik into his bed. The scenes between Nik and Aaron as they define and redefine their relationship over the course of a week in the humid, salty Texas setting are passionate and honest. A strong supporting cast rounds out this solid and sizzling NA romance, which resonates with the amorphous time between finishing college and venturing out into the real world and the choices we make to be with the ones we love.

— Ilene Lefkowitz

[interludepress]

Five Stars...I loved the detail poured into this story, even something that might sound simple as a hand-holding scene takes a different connotation when done in such detail, that you can feel the hope, the expectation, the love pouring through each touch, each caress.

Bayou Book Junkie review of “The Luckiest” by Mila McWarren, now available from Interlude Press.

[interludepress]

Five Stars

Inked Rainbow Reads review of The Luckiest by Mila McWarren, now available from Interlude Press.

“Oh – I loved this. A group of high-school friends gathers after their college graduations to celebrate the group’s first marriage. Together for a week before the wedding, they catch-up with each-other, sharing successes, failures, hopes and dreams.

Aaron is our narrator. And he is perfect. Obsessed with seeing his high-school boyfriend again, he is plagued with insecurities. He loves his friends passionately, he competes with them fiercely and he wishes them well.

This is so much more than a gay romance. It is a story of growing up, growing apart and loving the people you have.

Aaron describes his friends as a United Nations at one point, and they are a jumbled mix of gender, race and religions. The diversity and fluid acceptance of his group of friends feels much more modern than so many books pushed into the m/m genre.

I loved the characters, loved the house party atmosphere of the story and I wish I’d been a wedding guest.”

[interludepress]

4.75 Stars... The writing is quietly beautiful and has a melodic cadence with a dreamy quality that I became lost in.

Joyfully Jay Reviews on The Luckiest by Mila McWarren, now available from Interlude Press.