by Amanda H. (link)
Genre cest, erotica, drama
Pairings Isaac/OFC, Taylor/OMC, Zaylor
Length 14 chapters
Status Unfinished
I read several of Amanda’s short stories years ago and I always enjoyed her writing. Little Taste of Innocence slipped by me somehow, but I’m sure I will enjoy it just as much as her short stories. Even if it is unfinished, she managed to create well fleshed out worlds in simple oneshots, so I expect nothing different here.
Apparently, Amanda didn’t even intend for this to be a multi-chaptered story, and that does sort of show. The premise is fairly simple and common for a “baby Zaylor” story–Taylor is caught masturbating to thoughts of Zac, who doesn’t really understand what’s happening at all. There’s nothing new there, even if the writing is fairly strong, with little bits of humor to temper the sometimes purple prose, and both brothers’ perspectives distinct.
The story deviates quickly from what I expect from a Zaylor story; although there are some rather sexual scenes, they are nearly all fantasies and dreams. The two brothers spend very little of the story together, given that Taylor freaks out and runs away from home. It’s not surprising that he ends up meeting a slightly older guy who quickly realizes he and Taylor have something in common. The story never quite devolves in a love triangle, though perhaps that’s only because Amanda left it unfinished.
While the back and forth plot between the brothers is interesting and Amanda’s writing is quite good, there just isn’t much here to get attached to. Little Taste of Innocence began without a plan for the future and was, unsurprisingly, abandoned before being finished. Still, it has some nice elements to it, so those who enjoy “baby Zaylor” may want to check it out to get their fix, anyway.
Review by Bethany (website)