When Wicksy falls for drag queen Charlie, they discover that both sexuality and gender can be fluid.Simon Wicks—Wicksy to his rugby teammates—has only ever been interested in women. But when he sets eyes on Lady Gogo, a drag queen who performs at Rainbow Place, he can’t stop thinking about her. He knows there’s a guy behind the fishnets and make-up, but he’s ready to explore his fantasies, and … fantasies, and Lady Gogo is game for making them come true.
Charlie adores performing in drag. It allows him to indulge in his love of cross-dressing while earning some extra cash. Fooling around with a mostly straight guy in secret seems like a fun diversion, and gives him the chance to explore his feminine side. He feels safe wearing the mask of his confident alter ego, because the real Charlie is hidden from view.
When Wicksy sees more of the guy behind the make-up and glitter, his attraction to Charlie persists, and he realises he’s bisexual. In turn, Charlie begins to understand and accept his gender fluidity. As their mutual journey of self-discovery brings them closer, the secrecy becomes increasingly hard to deal with. If they’re going to have a future together, they both need to find the courage to show people who they really are.
Although this book is part of a linked series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
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Both Wicksie and Charlie are having to do some soul searching abut how they are not just to each other but to themselves as well. I also love the fact that they have a supportive family. This was another great addition to the Rainbow Place series.
I listened to the audio version which is well done. Really love the accent.
This series by Jay Northcote has been incredible, I’ve felt that I belonged to their friend group and that Rainbow Place was somewhere I coukd actually go.
Hamish longs narration was brilliant. Loved that I could close my eyes and still feel that I was there with them.
Between Jay’s great writing and Hamish’s story telling, I listened to these books overnight without sleeping.
Please can we have more books in this series. Loved them
Just…wow. I was absolutely blown away by this audiobook and the amazing narration by Hamish Long.
I read the ebook a few weeks ago and already knew the story is a solid 5 stars. Mud and Lace has become a firm favourite along with some of the Housemates series. Beautifully written, it is a breath of fresh air with its references to biscuits (not cookies) and other British institutions, like drinking tea.
Simon (Wicksy!) could have come across as arrogant for his treatment of Charlie. Instead, he is confused. Oh…I so wanted to push him forward, but it is made clear that he has to grow at his own pace. Charlie also suffers from confusion, but for different reasons. How he comes to his realisation is fully explained with the clever use of secondary characters. I think that is what is so great with this author’s books. Every tee is crossed but not in a wordy way.
Hamish Long is a new favourite narrator. He speaks clearly and at an even pace. His range of voices is astounding and I loved his West Country ones…almost Doc Martin! I looked him up to see what else he’s narrated and I will definitely listen to more Rainbow Place and a couple of others I spotted.
This is book 4 in the Rainbow Place. We previously met the characters in books 2 and 3, but Simon’s interest in Lady Gogo was obvious in book 3 and I was overjoyed when Jay said he would be writing their story next.
This is an excellent exploration of sexuality and gender. Jay expresses the confusion that surrounds these realisations and the subsequent upheaval and that these revelations can cause. And he handles it all with the sensitivity the situation requires while still keeping the reader entertained.
As with the rest of the series we get glimpses of the previous couples, especially Cam and Alex.
If you’ve not visited Rainbow Place before suggest that you start with book 1, because, why not? However this book can be read as a standalone if you must.
Well written, these books have a great sense of place and an excellent British feel.
I hate to chose but I think this might be my favourite.
All I can say in closing is ‘Please, Jay, can I have some more?’ Quentin’s story, maybe.
5 stars
Heat Level: 4
Words can’t express how much I loved this book! Totally amazing, healing and a great understanding of gender identity and fluidity.
I’ve loved the Rainbow Place series and this would have to be the best of the lot! I loved Wicksy and Charlie! They are perfect together and their chemistry and connection is a joy to uncurl.
I resonated so much with Charlie and what he is going through. He is exploring and coming to terms with his gender identity and what that means for himself, his family and friends and what it could mean with his growing connection with Simon (aka Wicksy).
Simon is attracted to Charlies drag persona, Lady Gogo from the start and what was supposed to be an exploration of a sexual fantasy turns into a new understanding of his sexuality and identity. Jay handles both these situations with such care and heart you can feel the whole process of exploration and discovery. This is a fantastic book about attraction, gender, and ingrained roles. Surprising and heartfelt I enjoyed every moment. Highly recommended!!!
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Edited 2/29/20 to add my comments about the audiobook.
Performance – 5 Stars
Story – 5 Stars
I loved Mud and Lace as an ebook and I loved it even more as an audiobook. I can’t say enough good things about Hamish Long’s performance of this entire series, but I especially loved this one. His voice for Charlie fit the character perfectly. I know Jay Northcote has another book in this series coming soon and I sure hope that Hamish Long is the one to bring it to audio.
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Below is my original review when I read the book last year:
My favorite one of the series.
Mud & Lace is part of the Rainbow Place series but reads just fine as a standalone story. Characters from other books in the series appear but you won’t feel lost if you haven’t read them. While I have very much enjoyed all of the books in this series, Mud & Lace is my favorite.
I haven’t read too many stories with gender fluid characters and I really enjoyed this one. In Mud & Lace both Charlie and Wicksy (Simon) discover things about themselves that they didn’t know or acknowledge until they became involved with each other.
Charlie loves performing in drag as Lady Gogo and Simon loves watching him. As their sexual relationship turns into something more Simon must make some decisions and admit how he really feels. He finally realizes that while he was first attracted to Charlie’s Lady Gogo persona, he’s also attracted to Charlie no matter how he’s dressed.
I really felt for both of these characters. It was hard to read how hurt Charlie was when Simon denied their relationship to his friends. At the same time Jay Nortcote’s fantastic writing of this story also had me sympathizing with Simon. He was so confused about his feelings for Charlie and it took him a while to admit to himself how he felt.
I don’t know if there are more stories planned for this series or not but I hope there are because Rainbow Place is a very special place to visit and I wouldn’t mind spending more time there.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
This is the fourth book in the series. I’m a huge fan of this series. One of things I like about this series and this book is no different, it makes me think in a good way. I always put myself in the characters’ shoes and really think about what they’re feeling and understand their perspective. I love the setting of Rainbow Place and I’m always happy to revisit with each book. I like seeing how the characters from the previous books are doing. I loved Charlie and Wicksy. It shows strength these two when they truly be themselves. It’s not going to be easy because both characters are finding their true selves. It’s not easy opening that part to others. I was really looking forward to their book and it met my expectations.