Passionate embryologist, Savarna, is in a complicated relationship, with two different women, when she is told that she Must have a baby. Her conservative East Indian American parents are desperate for her to conceive, in spite of her “not being married”. They insist that she is the last in line of a great spiritual lineage. In the process of choosing her lover and having doubts about her ability, or desire to conceive, Savarna begins to question the necessity of biology and lineage within her parents’ beliefs and becomes forever fascinated with the process of conception and the definition of family. Threads of Dan Brown (DaVinci Code), Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Sister of My Heart) and The L Word (Tv series) flavor this colorful tale of awakening, romance and mystery.
The Last Conception by Gabriel Constans was a delight to read. This novel covered the gamut of human emotion and interaction. Extremely well-written with brilliant character development, I had trouble stepping away from the story, flipping pages into the wee hours.
Savarna is an embryologist helping other women in their quest for pregnancy. She works with one of her best buds, Johnny, a friendly and disarming black man who is a pivotal character in the book. When Savarna’s conservative Asian parents, who are stereotypically meddling yet caring, insist that she continue the family’s lineage, the young Indian woman slowly warms up to the idea—at least in terms of conceiving a child, but to a lesser extent in regard to the somewhat bizarre notion her folks present to her.
“We often live out our dreams through our children.”
The fact that Savarna is a lesbian and has yet to tell her parents of her sexual orientation turns out to be the least of her problems. Despite all the tests she has done indicating she’s a healthy and fertile woman, she is unable to get pregnant. The journey Savarna takes along with Johnny, her donor, and Charley, her partner, draws the reader into an emotional saga of compassion, grief, love, and understanding.
A thought-provoking and entertaining read, The Last Conception is without a doubt a five-star read!
This was my introduction to the work of Gabriel Constans. He is a very talented writer with a gift for taking his readers to various locales, and into a myriad of situations, with ease.
This is a story about so many things. It’s about life; it’s about family; it’s about love. Savarna is a talented embryologist who – at first – lacks both a committed relationship and the desire to even have a child. Then, without telling her why, her family begins to pressure her to get pregnant.
The reader is in the dark for a short while about the reason for Savarna’s parents’ sudden obsession – but when the secret is revealed, whew, it’s a doozy!
Journey with Savarna as she travels the road to commitment with her long-time girlfriend, Charley; as she learns the deep mysteries of her family’s past; and as she explores the concept of motherhood for the very first time.
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2018
The Last Conception is about unconditional love – between partners, family members and friends. It is as intriguing as it is unconventional, as one woman strives to find compromises between her alternative lifestyle and the expectations of her traditional conservative family. When Savarna questions her own desire to have a baby while being pressured to continue her Eastern Indian lineage, she discovers what the love of a child truly means. This book is well written and expertly researched. The compelling story invites readers to consider preconceived ideas of what “birth” truly means and to expand ones idea of the process of conception and the definition of family. A most enjoyable read!
Gabriel’s latest works of fiction are THE LAST CONCEPTION and ZEN MASTER TOVA TARANTINO TOSHIBA: THE ILLUSTRIOUS AND DELUSIONAL ABBESS OF SATIRE. Previous fiction includes BUDDHA’S WIFE, SAINT CATHERINE’S BABY, THE SKIN OF LIONS, and JUST A HEARTBEAT AWAY.
He has written for numerous magazines, newspapers and journals throughout North America, Europe, Africa and Asia; has 14 books published in the U.S. and continues to write fiction, non-fiction and screenplays. His latest work of non-fiction is A B.R.A.V.E. YEAR: 52 WEEKS BEING MINDFUL.
Dr. Constans has worked as a trauma counselor in a variety of situations and environments, most notably with local and international non-profit organizations such as hospice, the coroner’s office, hospitals, state prisons, the Center for Street Children and the Ihangane Project (both in Rwanda).
His classes on grief, loss, hope and transformation, can be found at The Figley Institute and Quantum Continuing Education Online.
Detective Olivia Winston and IRS Special Agent Maureen Jeffries have “tied the knot” and happily settled into married life. But crime in their home county of Goslyn hasn’t settled down—in fact, it’s at an all-time high. Drugs and corruption have found a foothole in the once small, quiet community, and Olivia and Maureen discover it’s a family affair that reaches from the street corner dealer right up to the County Board of Supervisors.
The love-hate drama between Supervisor Cleo Jacobs and her street-wise nephew, Chris Jacobs, has filled their pockets with plenty of cash but caused a dangerous rift between the two as both try to make their mark in the drug game. Driven by greed and ego, the Jacobs do their best to satisfy the growing demand for pills that “make you happy” and “numb the pain.” But their love of money comes with a callous disregard for others, including those close to Detective Winston and Special Agent Jeffries, who find themselves right in the middle of Goslyn’s biggest crime story.
Love, violence, and betrayal combine to make the perfect, poisonous pill.
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Housed within the pages of County Vices are strong and resourceful female characters.
Maureen and Olivia, a married couple, are on the case of who’s harassing old man Rufus Bennett. As they put their detective skills to work, they discovery Rufus’ drama is only one small piece in a very large puzzle. Drugs, corruption, and greed are running amuck in Goslyn County. Honestly, it’s an epidemic all over the world. Like in real life, it takes a team to combat the distribution of narcotics. It takes many people to stop corruption plaguing the political world and/or cooperations, too.
A.M. McKnight created a dream team to bring justice to most of the guilty parties. However, what about Stuart and Big Smit? Maybe their story will continue on in a future book. It must because there were loose ends that needed cleaned up.
A mostly black community with its roots in farming, Goslyn, Virginia lay just south of the State’s Capital. The once small, close-knit county had grown rapidly in the past two decades and boasted a population of just over fifty thousand. But the county’s crime stats had grown as well, and the latest offenses included several break-ins and rumors of a meth lab. Time had brought many changes, and many of the longtime folks of Goslyn no longer recognized their community and longed for days gone by.
Goslyn PD Detective Olivia “Ollie” Winston loves her family and friends and shows it through her sense of humor. Just like her neighbors, she too worries about the recent events, and it’s her job to find out who’s behind the crime spree.
While investigating three burglaries, Olivia meets IRS Special Agent Maureen Jeffries who is pursuing a tax fraud suspect. Their cases are connected, and both soon discover they have much in common, personally and professionally.
Sweet is the moment when you know you’re in love again. And who better to be in love with than someone who wants you as much as you want them. That’s the feeling shared between Olivia and Maureen, two women who have experienced love’s hardest lessons—pain and disappointment. But so much has changed in just two years—two years in which both women realize that letting go of the past can open one’s heart. For Olivia and Maureen, what they have together, could be their best love ever.
I’m a longtime Virginian and practice law as a first profession. I decided to try my hand at writing after getting hooked on lesbian crime and romance novels. As a lover of fast crime action and black lesbian romance, I combined the two and wrote my first book, Goslyn County–self published. My future works include a short story romance and a second self-published novel–both based on the characters of Goslyn.
