| Title | : | Divas Las Vegas |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1573443697 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781573443692 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2009 |
Divas Las Vegas Reviews
-
One or five stars? I have no idea, so I'm giving none. I read up to 60% and give up.
It's a funny book, I must admit I laugh a lot, but also it's one of the most political incorrect book I ever read in my life
*If gay white guys who like Asian guys are called rice queens, what are gay guys who like Middle Easter guys called? Mujadara queens?
*I nonchalantly strolled down the aisle, past the nasty straight people and their pestering broods...
*Twenty minutes later, we were at the Liberace Museum: Nevada's gay mecca
*And the cherry above the pie... the main character talking about "low" jobs in his opinion, in this case, be a gladiator at Ceasar casino I would love to know what these guys get paid. Did they go to college and get a degree, only to end up doing this for a living? Do their parents brag about their son, the gladiator? Did they have to slaughter a certain number of lions before they got hired? Or Christians? (Hey, maybe that would be fun.). Anyway, my point, and I'm sure I have one somewhere, is that ordinary people's ideas of entertainment are really fucked up.
just few (seriously, few, there are so many...) but it's a thin balance, all the time, between be funny, or a fuck up asshole that hate the world and want to force his ideas (and his sexual orientation) to the world...
well, yeah, fuck up people like Casino shows and I bet who work there, as a gladiator or as giving drinking, is doing a honest job, not stealing or killing... so well, so not fun laugh or make jokes about people jobs!
anyway, my personal view... and well, I don't know. One or five stars?
In the defense of this book I must say it's very well written, but against it is the book cover. I'm getting old, or reading too many MM, but damn, I'm getting tired of half naked guys in book covers. Some could be so much better, without it (and I'm not a hypocrite. I have a "cover is hot" shelf, but I should also created a "I'm so fucking tired of half naked guys covers" shelf? Maybe I will.
better say, zero, I didn't finish it and have no idea if the main character and only narrator will have more jokes or "jokes"
Too many books to read, and don't have to struggle all the time ignoring nasty jokes and pretending I'm ok with it, so moving on... next book, please. -
Divas Las Vegas is one of the best shows you’ll get in Vegas. This hilarious and entertaining romp shines with wonderful characters and a vivid city backdrop. The witty narrator will carries off the outrageous tale with the perfect amount of drug induced elegance, laugh out loud observations, and a flair even Liberace would envy. No subject is off limits and no action too over the top for this story, which will have readers wondering where the adventure can possibly go next. Fans of the author and newcomers alike will devour this offering and ask for more.
Recently jobless “Em” is drowning his job sorrows in a pint of ice cream with a side of Antiques Roadshow when he recognizes his grandmother’s vase, which his mother sold at a garage sale she’s regretted ever since. With his severance pay burning a hole in his pocket, Em enlists the help of his wealthy but slutty and bored friend Justin to help him find the vase. What follows is an adventure no one could be prepared for, least of all Las Vegas and its residents.
The story is narrated from Em’s first person perspective and reflects his personality wonderfully. Right from the beginning scene of Em hiding in a closet in a fabulous pair of silk Armani undies, Em sets the tone of the story with his flair for dramatics and style with an attention span shorter than a gnat. Thus the story seems to jump around from detail to detail, past memories to current activities including a visual tour of Las Vegas all while keeping the action and adventure fast and furious. The best a reader can do is sit back and enjoy the ride because trying to predict or guess the future won’t work for this story.
The writing is full of humor and whimsy with a deft touch to detail. The setting of Las Vegas comes alive with intimate knowledge down to the slot machines in each casino and where to get the best hot dog. Readers will feel as though they are breathing the desert air and ensconced in the lush, glitzy casinos while delighting in the outrageous antics of the characters. From the recreational drug use to sad drag queens and a slew of slutty, sexy men, the laugh out loud moments are too many to count. If anything, the gags try to top each other too much and lose some of their pizazz when packed so tightly with bigger and better antics. However, the inherent charm of the narrator and the cast will smooth over any rough spots in the book.
The actual mystery is hilarious, complicated, and very well written. Em’s search for the vase leads him and Justin into peril, murder, car chases, FBI agents, drag undercover assignments, and badges in unique places. The crisp dialogue and solid prose keep the pace fast yet interesting and never overwhelming. The action is balanced with shopping trips and visual tours of Vegas that keep the pace even. Rosen’s unique style of writing shines in a plot that could overwhelm the reader with the antics and characters, but instead fascinates with glamor and allure. Be sure to pick up this whimsical delight today. -
Amazon Editorial Reviews
“Rob Rosen’s Divas Las Vegas is an over-the-top roller coaster ride, full of bitchy humor, cops and robbers, and fabulous costumes. Laid-off bookseller Em and his best buddy Justin set off on an epic quest into the Nevada desert in search of a truly ugly vase, a family heirloom sold at a garage sale that has been spotted on an episode of Antiques Roadshow. Along the way, they have a lot of great sex, help the FBI nab a bunch of dangerous felons, and maybe, just maybe, find true love.”
-- Neil Plakcy, author of Surfer Boys, Mahu, and Mahu Vice
“Rob Rosen rules! Divas Las Vegas is page after page of fabulous fun. It’s like Some Like It Hot, but with even more drag and glitz - a whodunit, with a very sexy dose of who-done-who. You’ll be glad that what happens in Vegas did not stay in Vegas this time. I loved it!”
-- Kemble Scott, author of the bestselling novels SoMa and The Sower
“Vegas baby Vegas! Sex Romps, Dealers, Hot Boys, Secret Agents and some Fierce No Nonsense Drag Queens set the stage after a priceless vase (pronounced VAZ-- silly discount queens - cuz it's worth a lot of dough) is lost and must be recovered at all costs. Move over David Caruso - GaySI is on the case. No matter who they have to sleep with. A Gay Day at Disney thrill ride from start to finish.”
-- ANT, Stand-Up Comic/Actor/TV Personality extraordinaire
“Rosen's cheerfully cheeky romp through the boys and beds of Las Vegas
can be summed up in just three words: fierce sexy slapstick.”
-- Richard Labonte, author of Daddies and Best Gay Erotica
“What could be more fun than a trip to Las Vegas with your gay best friend? Justin and Em go to search for an antique heirloom vase, but take plenty of wacky detours on their way to find it. Rob Rosen’s Divas Las Vegas is a thrill ride of classic camp comedy that gets even crazier when “real girl” friend Glenda comes down from San Francisco to join the guys. From time to time Rosen lets Em talk directly to the reader, giving us a travelogue of sex in high- (and low-) end resort casinos. Throw a Patsy Cline impersonator into the mix with all the murder, thievery and mayhem and you have so many outlandish situations that it makes me wish I’d written this book myself.”
-- Mark Abramson, author of the Beach Reading series
“I’ve been enjoying Rob Rosen’s work for years and now I’m outing myself, because in
his new novel he pulls it all together. Divas Las Vegas has charm, fun, sparkle, wit, memorable characters, a not to miss gay tour guide of Sin City, and a pretty good mystery story. Oh, I forgot. There’s Jimmy Choo shoes, too!”
-- Felice Picano, author of The Book of Lies -
I don't often describe modern comedy writing with words like madcap and zany but I think they really fit this delightful, funny book. If you're looking for a sexy, bitchy, witty, queeny, campy, funny-as-hell, playful romp through sin city, ya gotta read this book, quick!
-
Bill is an apparently rather boring San Francisco gay bookstore manager, and being gay in San Francisco is just enough to be ordinary, if then you add the bookstore related job, well, it seems that here of sparkling there should be only the wrapping card for the books. But Bill’s situation soon changes, with also his name, he prefers to go for Em, when the bookstore place is sold in block and the owner gives him 30 thousands dollars as good exit. No work and still too young to retire, every other man, gay or not, would have probably put a thoughts or two on what he wants to do with his life, and instead Em decides to spend most of the money to buy back an very ugly vase who was in his family for year, and sold on a front yard sale for a few dollars, and that now is valued almost 30.000 thanks to an appreciation from Antiques Roadshow.
The vase was last seen in Las Vegas, and Justin, Em’s best friend and former partner in a drag queen show, drags him on that very place in first class, after hiring Chris, a good guy who will help Em to pleasantly spend his last nights in San Francisco. Already in the plane, Em’s long dry spell period, interrupted with Chris, has good chances to be completely put off, when he meets Marvin. If you are thinking that this is soon becoming a How to Do manual on how to meet gay guy in the last likeable places (Las Vegas is not famous to be a gay resort), you are not far from the truth, since Chris and Marvin are only the beginning, there will be also a Zahir, all for Em, and a Bradley, Jacques and Ahmed for Justin. Actually three for each so Em and Justin haven’t to question who got the better share.
But other than an unexpected gold mine for guys, that apparently distracted Em and Justin from the real reason of their coming in the desert city (the vase), there is also not one, not two, but three murders that helped Em and Justin to spend their time: yes, since all the three victims are related in a way or the other to the vase, and Em and Justin have enough brain free from the guys to understand that they are being targeted. Instead of asking help (this is a novel, don’t forget), they decide to understand who is the villain, and to do that they resume the drag queens attire, becoming Marilyn and Tabitha.
Even if there are three murders and apparently big dangers for our heroes, Divas Las Vegas can’t be listed on the mystery section, there is too sparkling dresses, casino and everything attached to be considered dark. It’s a funny and light book, and there are more moment when you are laughing than when you are trying to understand who is the killer. As Em and Justin, the reader soon forgets that he is searching a vase, and then a killer, to instead following the two from casino to casino, from posh hotel to not so posh hotel, always accompanied by a very detailed description of the places, a voluntary and well developed added value of the novel that makes you want to plan your next trip in the city, obviously with a copy of the book as reference.
I don’t think this is the last adventure for Em and Justin, or for Marilyn or Tabitha by the way. I don’t know if they are more clever or crazy, in a case or the other, they are “horny” enough to sex out their trouble and, in the end, to gain something for every situation they stumble upon. Again, I’m not sure if they manage to do that with consciousness, I had more the feeling that they are two very lucky gay guys.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1573443697/?... -
I've never really been interested in going to Vegas ~ too hot, too many people, yadda, yadda. But after reading Rob Rosen's Divas Las Vegas, I can see that I'm going to have to make the trip. His descriptions of Vegas ~ the sights and the atmosphere ~ have done what all my husband's and daughter's lavish praises weren't able to. I'm actually looking forward to the time when we can go down there. Not for the gambling ~ I'm not anything like Em in that ~ but just for all that there is to be seen and in which to immerse oneself; the Vegas experience as it were.
As I read this book ~ in amongst all the laughter and the moments of edge-of-the-seat tension ~ I could almost see and hear the experience that is Las Vegas. With the incredible detail and his ability to bring to vivid life all that Em was seeing, Rob Rosen has definitely piqued my interest!
But I'm most grateful that my trip will be without all the drama that Em and Justin found... thank god! It's very exciting to read in my nice quiet living room, but to live it? Oh heck no!
If you've never read anything by this wonderfully talented storyteller then you have a real treat in store. If you are at all familiar with anything that Rob Rosen has written then you'll know that awaiting you in Divas Las Vegas is a story that will keep you laughing out loud and going for a ride not soon to be forgotten! -
That was a lot of fun! I was in the mood for some lighter fare and this one fit the bill perfectly!! The MC's were rude and crude (exactly as I like my gay men) and kept the story alive and exciting. I'm not always a fan of first person narrative but it worked in this case and really made it feel like the story was being related to me personally. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Rosen in the future.
-
Some laugh out loud funny lines, a bit fluffy, and a nice vacation read.
-
The bottom was about to drop out from under us and there we were, as usual, without our protective bottom-dropping safety apparatuses on. Luckily, there was a silver lining, but again, only in retrospect do I now see how tarnished that silver was. Why, oh why, is hindsight twenty–twenty? Too bad you can’t have some kind of LASIK surgery on your foresight. Oh, well, I guess, as they say, that’s what makes life interesting. Anyway, here comes that dropping bottom I promised.
I think it’s safe to say that any book that opens with a naked gay man hiding in a church closet has two things going for it, right off the bat:
One, chutzpah.
And two, nine out of ten people are gonna keep reading to find out how he makes it out of the closet (tee hee) and whether he gets his clothes back. Whether or not you’re rooting for him to succeed in that last regard, you have to admit, it’s a compelling place to start from.
Meet Em. Yup, Em, the aforementioned naked man in the closet. And in short order, meet his friends Justin and Glenda, who had quite a bit to do with why Em’s in the closet in the first place. Not that Em or Justin make any secret about their orientation and predilections: this is a sweet nelly of a book, replete with drag, catfights, drag, gay jokes and more drag, complete with feathered headdresses. And it is glorious.
The church, it turns out, is in the middle of the Nevada desert, and as Em happily tells us, what with not having a lot of places to be right about then, not his chosen milieu. That, in fact, would be San Francisco, where Em and Glenda (I know, work with it; I assure you, it’s the tip of the big gay iceberg) have just been let go from their bookstore jobs and given what must surely be the most generous bookstore-severance package in the history of organized sales: thirty thousand dollars. Apiece.
To celebrate his windfall, Em goes home, has several large drinks and watches “Antiques Roadshow” visiting Las Vegas. To his horror, Em spots a family vase that his mother sold for three dollars at a yard sale being appraised at twenty-five thousand dollars. He is outraged. He is drunk but determined. And before you can say “MacGuffin”, Em and Justin are on their way to Las Vegas with Em’s severance package in a suitcase, determined to bring the vase home.
And from there, things get madcap. There are men to sleep with, ex-boyfriends to run into, Patsy Cline impersonators, men to sleep with while dressed as women, group pedicures, Glenda, a mysterious black car filled with men in dark glasses, shopping trips and more men to sleep with. It’s hilarious.
Now, the whole book is narrated by Em, in a classically over-the-top effete gay male voice, and you’re either going to love that or you’re going to run screaming after the first few pages. It does take some getting used to, if only because there’s over-the-top, then there’s Em and Justin (I mentioned the feathered headdresses, right?). The opening section, set back in San Francisco, has a couple bobbles, where you can see the author getting his feet under him and deciding how much is too much.
“Ours,” we told him.
“Nuh-uh,” he nuh-uhed.
“Yuh-huh,” we yuh-huhed.
“No way.”
“Dude, it’s ours,” I asserted.
“Well, I seriously doubt it, all things considered.” Man,
he was aggravating.
But that quickly gives way to a smooth and frankly hilarious style that perfectly showcases the non-stop madcap action.
The thing is, I’m not a huge stickler for plot. If you give me characters I can fall in love with, crackling dialogue and smooth and well-executed writing, I’m willing to forgive a lot of plot sins. Which is fortunate in this instance. Em’s justification for seeking out the vase is flimsy at best: if you or your mother sell a knickknack at a yard sale and then later someone else sells it for $25K? They don’t owe you anything. No one does. That’s just life, kitten. But everyone around Em seems to cheerfully agree that it should be a snap for him to show up in Las Vegas, explain the situation and be on the next flight back to SF, priceless vase safely stowed in cargo.
Blink.
There’s also another big plot hole about how the villainous ringleader makes what is possibly one of the stupidest decisions in the history of villainy and no one seems to notice, but it’s a spoiler, so I’ll stay mum. Look, I can forgive even more plot sins if you make me laugh so hard I scare the dogs. It’s just a simple fact.
Rosen also employs quite a nifty little trick to keep the pacing in check: every so often, everyone stops, rests, has one or more drinks, and one of the characters catches everyone else up on the off-screen action with a long, involved and perfectly in-character story. A bold stylistic choice that could very easily have gone horribly wrong, here it works to perfection, giving characters and readers both a relaxing little breather. All the characters are skilled and funny storytellers, especially Justin, whose tales of narrow (and not-so-narrow) escapes from drag dates with straight men are spectacular. Justin’s one of those friends who manages to get everyone around him in trouble and still be adorable enough to answer your phone the next time he calls. Or as Em puts it, “…none of us ever really learned from our mistakes, so we just tried to enjoy what good fortune we had until the police, the ambulance, the press, or the preacher showed up.”
Amen, sister. Amen. -
Honestly not sure how to rate this book. I picked it up for a challalenge or else I likely wouldn't have finished it. Two best friends go to Vegas to try to track down and old vase that was Em's grandmas. They pop pills and drink all day and do a lot of hooking up. In the mean time they end up at the center of a murder investigation and in trouble. The rest of the story unfolds as they navigate their situation and danger.
-
I'm not sure about this opne it was a fun read in parts but was alitt;le too campy for my taste but then the title should have warned me.
-
The good news is that twenty-something Bill (aka “Em”) gets a $30,000 severance bonus when the bookstore he works for is bought out by a chain store. The bad news, Em’s dotty mother somehow sells the vase that had been in her family for generations at a yard sale for a few dollars. Em recognizes the vase on “Antique Roadshow” and finds out it’s worth $25,000. The mother is devastated, and Em vows to get it back for her. He manages to track the buyer to Las Vegas.
Em and his sexy friend Justin descend into Las Vegas hoping to recover the vase, although it seems they are more concerned about drinking, gambling, partying, and men, men, men. As this madcap adventure unfolds, they cross paths with a Patsy Cline impersonator, Jason’s boyhood lover, some hot guys fighting over Em, and murderers who are searching for them. The boys soon find themselves helping to solve an FBI investigation into organized crime. After the body count begins to rise and things are looking desperate for our young gay heroes, they call in the big guns: Glenda, their fag hag in San Francisco, flies to town to take charge and save the day. But can she? Can anyone?
This is a cute, often fun read, although my favorite parts were the detailed descriptions of Las Vegas casinos and sites. It is a murder mystery, but it is by no means a dark story. Rather, it is a fun romp with good pacing and clever dialog. I never laughed out loud, but there was something to grin about on nearly every page.
As for the story, it is a farce that gets more complicated and wacky until it collapses from the growing weight of absurdity. Once that happened, once it became too over the top, I confess I lost interest in the story and just wanted to be done with it.
My two complaints were that I thought the main characters were overly cliché, and that the story became too far fetched for my tastes.
Still, for readers who want to sit back and enjoy a romp, laugh, and not have to think about what they are reading, then I can recommend this book. It’s the kind of read that lends itself to sitting on the beach – it won’t matter if you get lost in the story and people around you will wonder what you’re laughing at. -
Laugh out loud funny…Campy…Fun…Arousing…
This book brought back good and fun memories of my own trip to Vegas.
After losing the best job he has ever had, Em sees his mother’s vase on the Antiques Roadshow, and it’s worth a lot of money! He and his friend Justin take a trip to Las Vegas to retrieve the vase, but find hot, erotic sex with Middle Eastern bar tenders, murder, and their love for gambling distracting.
An added bonus is that their alternate personalities, Marilyn and Tabitha get to come out and play, when they are followed by a black Mercedes, up and down the Strip. They’ll befriend a smelly smoker, cab driver Earl, and when they get in over their heads, Em’s friend Glenda joins them in Vegas. With the help of self medication and regular drinking, with the occasional grope here and there, Em and his friend may just survive the unforgiving Sin City’s desert and make nice with the Emperor of Rome, Caesar.
There is an exciting and highly stimulating scene at a restaurant involving Land-O-Lakes! -
I had some hopes for this book, few of which were realized. The concepts and overall storyline are entertaining, but the dialogue is downright corny-not campy, or entertainingly cheesy, but eye-roll corny-which damaged any possibility of this book being entertaining. Granted, I wasn't expecting stimulating insights into the human condition or anything (the book is billed as a light beach-read romp, after al), but being brain candy is no excuse for poor delivery. And, to add insult to injury, pages 241 and 242 were missing from my copy; not ripped out, simply not included in the binding in the first place, which is just annoying.
All of that said, however, Divas Las Vegas (and I mean this in all seriousness) would make for an excellent movie, assuming the producer had enough money to film on-site in Las Vegas and hire both good actors and a good scriptwriter to polished up the dialogue. -
Rob Rosen rules! Divas Las Vegas is page after page of fabulous fun. It’s like Some Like It Hot, but with even more drag and glitz - a whodunit, with a very sexy dose of who-done-who. You’ll be glad that what happens in Vegas did not stay in Vegas this time. I loved it!
-
I loved every single minute of this book. It is the funniest thing I have read in a long time!
-
Love this author's sense of humor which sort of mirrors my own. A quirky murder mystery that was a fun read. Will be on the lookout for any others he may have written!
-
Not-stop humorous fun. I just couldn't get enough.
-
Read with Bookwatcher. Waiting for her to finish. ;)
-
80% price drop to $1.99 at Amazon US! 10/1/13
