Whiskey And Moonshine

by Christopher Verleger

EDGE Media Network Contributor

Wednesday January 16, 2019

Whiskey And Moonshine

Clearly, George Bernard Shaw was on to something.

The Irish playwright's masterpiece, "Pygmalion," has spawned seemingly endless adaptations for the stage and screen, including "My Fair Lady," "Pretty Woman," "Trading Places," and "Educating Rita." Elizabeth Noble's delightful, endearing rags-to-riches romance, "Whiskey and Moonshine," now joins the ranks of those esteemed works about a lost, desperate soul who unexpectedly and unwittingly finds his mentor in life--and love.

Twenty-four-year-old Colton Hale has been living and turning tricks on the streets since he was fifteen when his parents kicked him out for being gay. After a violent tussle with some over-aggressive johns, Colt boards the next bus out of the Toledo station, headed to Charlotte.

Along the way, the bus makes a six-hour pit stop in Tennessee, just down the road from a well-known whiskey distillery. Colt decides to take a tour of the facility and is immediately taken in by its location and exterior. It just so happens the distillery has a few employment openings, so Colt sneaks away from the tour and introduces himself to the operations manager, Audrey Hollan, who throws him a bone and agrees to hire him.

Meanwhile, the owner of The Kensington Distillery and Still House, Mal Kensington, is meeting Jeffery Gracie, his business manager. Jeffery wants to launch an expansive media campaign to promote their whiskey and moonshine, but Mal refuses to be the spokesperson. Colt gets wind of this and manages to persuade Mal, Audrey and Jeffery that he is the only man for the job. As Mal gets better acquainted with Colt, both personally and professionally, he can't help but wonder if Colt is the only man for him.

Despite its predictability, the heartwarming storyline is irresistible, because both men are extremely likeable. Colt never forgets how lucky he is or where he came from (despite an unwelcome visitor from his past), and Mal is overjoyed to have found someone to share his life with whom he likes and trusts. Nevertheless, their courtship is hardly without drama, particularly from Mal's business associates, who are always thinking of the company first and question whether Colt has ulterior motives.

The colorful cast of characters also includes sassy fashion coordinator, Gwendolyn, and the equally brassy stylist, Phillipe. Not only does this whimsical pair provide comic relief, but they prove to be good friends Colt can depend on and confide in.

If your belief in romance is waning, "Whiskey and Moonshine" will renew your faith with the all-too-familiar reminder that it always happens when you least expect it.

"Whiskey and Moonshine"

By Elizabeth Noble

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/whiskey-and-moonshine-by-elizabeth-noble-10086-b

$4.99

Chris is a voracious reader and unapologetic theater geek from Narragansett, Rhode Island.