Stranger in Black

Reviewed by Tammy for Love Bytes/Same Sex Romance Reviews.

Christian has decided to end his relationship with Carl after he discovers that even though they’ve been dating for a while now Carl is still the same as he was years ago when they were in college. Carl had been Christian’s world back then right up until the night Christian saw Carl out on a date with a woman. Christian knew Carl was scared of being outed as gay so he did everything he could to make sure no-one suspected a thing. Now that Christian has opened his eyes o Carl’s treatment of him he has been going over their entire relationship and he doesn’t like what he’s seeing!
Sure the sex hot but there has always been something missing, a lack of emotional investment on Carl’s part. Carl has never taken him out, he’s never even spent the night at Christian’s. When Carl bought in his costume and invitation to the masquerade ball held by Carl’s legal firm, Christian thought he might actually be invited to be Carl’s plus one, Carl’s excuse? It’s more of a work thing than a social thing!! This is when it hit Christian with the certainty that Carl was never going to be his and that yes he was more than likely in a relationship with someone else!
Christian has asked his best friend David to help him get in to the ball as he knows that David gets invited every year. The costume Christian ends up with is a Marie Antoinette-esque style gown along with a wig and bejeweled mask. David has asked his cousin Shenice to do his make-up and when he looks in the mirror he would swear it was a woman looking back at him. All he has to do is find Carl at the ball and discover who he’s with. The only problem with that is Carl isn’t wearing the “Stranger in Black” costume. It doesn’t take long for Christian to realise the mix-up and find the real Carl, along with the woman Carl is with.
Jarrod has been asked by his best friend Mira to wear her fiancé’s costume to find out who Carl has been seeing. When Jarrod sees a woman who is staring hard at him he realises this is the one who has been with Carl what he can’t work out is why he’s so attracted to her when he’s gay! After discovering she is really a he, Jarrod is determined to keep the knowledge that Carl has been sleeping with a man not a woman.
Even though Carl tries to get back together with Christian, Christian wants nothing to do with him as he’s found something a whole lot more meaningful with Jarrod! You are going to have to read the book to find out what happens next, I promise it’s worth getting your own copy. I definitely have no hesitation in recommending Stranger in Black to everyone.

Oh my God! From the beginning pages of Devon Rhodes’ 'Stranger in Black', where Christian’s “Chris” friends are “prepping” him for the masquerade ball, to the very last pages of the epilogue, where I found myself wanting more - I was captured.

If the blurb is a little confusing to you don’t worry, you catch on right away as to what’s up in this story.

Although cheating lovers and disguising one’s self to get to the truth are not new tropes Devon Rhodes gives you so much to chew on in this book it’s actually fun.

Characters with witty charm, sarcastic humor, great friendships, an arching theme with supportive players, along with a relationship that starts out surprisingly “bold” yet finds two men taking the time to get to know each other beyond their burning desire.

And let’s just say when these “guys-guys” hook-up it is illustrative. Down to “reviling in foreskin”.

Rhodes’ little twists and turns here and there, and things she keeps under wraps ‘til the precise moment, are what keeps you intrigued and rooting for Chris and Jarrod.

Such as what Chris and Jarrod even look like. As their first encounter, and shocking hook-up, happens at a masked ball, where their deception is more than just a costume, all they have to go by is sound and feel. So how do they know who the other is or let alone find him again? When they discover their true identities for the first time so do we as a reader.

Without giving too much away 'Stranger in Black' is a wonderful feel good book. It had me grinning through every turn of the page, hopeful with every word I read and actually happy for where things ended up. If you like your HFN give this great little novelette a read. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. The only thing that disappointed me: That it is not available in print so I might get Devon’s autograph.

An advanced reader copy of 'Stranger in Black' was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, in exchange for our fair and honest opinion.

reviewed by Morningstar for Diverse Reader

I loved the concept of this story when I first read up on it and couldn’t wait to read it!


We have Christian who has recently found out that the second-chance love story that he thought he was having was all a fantasy since Carl has been cheating on him...with a woman! I loved Christian! He was the perfect amount of strength and vulnerability that both makes you proud of what he is willing to go through to get the closer he knows he needs to move on and he makes you want to hug him because he is such a good guy.


Jarrod was the best friend of the other one Carl has been cheating on and of course like any good best friend he stands by her side and helps her catch this “Chris” that her man has been involved with. Which let me tell you leads to one HOT mistaken-identity encounter that you might need to pull out your fan for.


We have cross-dressing costumes, mistaken identity HOTNESS, romance, low amounts of angst, and the “bad” gets what he deserves in the end. Even though you do feel bad for him in regards to his own personal struggle that he is going through you just hate that he had to hurt people on his journey.


This story doesn't fall into that trap that some novellas do with characters that are not developed enough. In my opinion Devon did an excellent job creating that all important character/reader connection that allows us to want to finish it to the end and gets us to care about them as well. There was even a cute secondary romance of the secondary characters which I thought was totally adorable!


Since I know some people are screaming “But what about the cheating?” I can tell you it was handled very nicely and although it was part of the story for these characters it wasn’t harped on or over dramatized.


I have never read one of Devon Rhodes stories before but I will be checking them out now!

3 Hearts Reviewed by Lisa

I have read a couple of books by this author and have always been surprised each time. I am afraid though, that this one didn't have that reaction. For me the blurb gave it away and I had a clue what was going to happen right from the start.

Christian has loved Carl for quite a while, that is until he finds out that he is engaged to a woman. Once a cheater always a cheater, at least in my book. However he needs proof and decides to do a little digging. He is going to attend a masquerade party and catch the cheating rat ass in the act. Too bad the one he thought was Carl was in fact Jarrod. It would seem Jarrod is there to make sure Carl's cheating stops. He is just shocked that Chris is a man.

This story was a bit of a let-down for me. I didn't see the heat that should have been there and Mira was a bit off in my mind. She had this "cheated on but ok" attitude that was off. That and her reaction to David was a sign. Although it was closer to the end so it didn't really matter. David was a hit that is for sure. The man was straight and here he was helping his best friend dress up as a woman. I laughed my ass off at that.

This is a very quick, short read. It had great potential, but the fact that right off the bat you’re lost is a bit disappointing. I felt like I was just thrown into the middle. There was no true beginning for me which drove me nuts. However it comes clean further into the book. I did not much care for this book, however it is well written. There really wasn't that much heat in it which doesn't bode well for me.

I am afraid that this book just wasn't for me.