Dear Ms. Tucker:

What happened? I confess that while I was reading this book I was convinced it wasn’t written by the same author who wrote Ten Tiny Breaths and had I not read TTB, I don’t know that I would have finished this one. I will say (and this is the reason for the C- grade) that despite all the problems I had with this story, I was compelled to find out what happened, how it was resolved, what were everyone’s excuses/reasons/justifications. I wasn’t satisfied with what I read in the end, but at least it kept my attention.

Livie is entering her first year at Princeton and she’s being challenged by her sister’s psychotherapist, Dr. Stayner, to do things out of the ordinary. Ever since her parents’ deaths, Livie has been living the life that she believed that her parents wanted her to live. As the blurb says, “‘Make me proud,’ he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.”

No one with a degree in psychology should read this book because Stayner’s actions are not just unconventional but would likely lead to a lot of malpractice suits and probably license suspension.

“Make sure to have a shot of tequila. Break dance. Whatever it is you youngsters do nowadays during frosh week. It’ll be good for you.”

…

“I suggested tequila, Livie. Not crystal meth . . . And no, I’m not recommending tequila because you are only eighteen and I am a doctor. That would be highly unprofessional. I’m recommending that you go and have fun!”

I had a problem with Livie being characterized as somehow *off* because she was shy, didn’t have a boyfriend, and was focused on getting a degree and going to study medicine after. Somehow boys, parties, and acting crazy were Dr. Stayner’s prescriptions for creating a healthy life for Livie.  And how Dr. Stayner describes Livie isn’t how she appears in the book.  Stayner says that she’s super sensitive “You are one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met, Livie. You respond to human heartache so acutely. It’s like you absorb others’ pain.”

Yet, Livie’s actions are of the most selfish and unkind that you’ll read. Livie has a drunken night she can’t remember which results in waking up with a naked man in her roommate’s bed, a tattoo, and a host of interactions she’ll be reminded of later. This one drunken night (which we only see parts of ) results in the manwhore Ashton falling for her. We don’t know why he falls for her, only that after this one event she becomes his “forever” girl and he reminds her of this through cryptic notes and even more confusing actions such as sleeping with other women.

Because Ashton tells Livie that he a) has a serious girlfriend and b) that he’s a manwhore, Livie starts dating Ashton’s sweet and sexy roommate, Connor. Every time they are out together, however, Livie is eating Ashton up with her eyes, having intimate encounters with him, and basically wanting Ashton more than she’s ever wanted Connor. Part of Livie’s therapy, apparently, is to act like an utter asshole because she continues to date Connor even though she has only tepid feelings toward him.

The story is told only from Livie’s point of view, but we eventually learn why Ashton cheats on his perfectly nice girlfriend and how Dr. Stayner steps in to solve everything.  I struggled to be sympathetic with Livie.  It’s not that I wanted or needed Livie to be perfect but I would have liked a) a believable romance and b) some acknowledgment of how awful her actions were.  C-

Best regards,

Jane

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We watch the news for a while, and the infamous Steubenville rape case flashes on the TV—two high school football players raped a 16-year-old, while other students watched and texted details of the crime. Serena just shakes her head. “Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don’t know. I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: don’t take drinks from other people. She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t a virgin, but she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”

Creative grooming competition shows crazy dog designs – I’m going to be all judge-y here and say “nope, this is not for me.” CBBC Newsround

A boy reading in a ruined … – A boy reading in a ruined bookshop in London, after a night of heavy bombing. October 1940 Twitter

How to fold a shirt in under two seconds. – Is it a slow news day or is this video amazing? (Hint: Both is an acceptable answer) Wimp

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Blackberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayne. $ 1.99

From the Jacket Copy:

Claire Bradford needed a wake-up call.

What she didn’t need was a tragic car accident. As a single mom and the owner of a successful bead shop, Claire leads a predictable life in Hope’s Crossing, Colorado. So what if she has no time for romance? At least, that’s what she tells herself, especially when her best friend’s sexy younger brother comes back to town as the new chief of police.

But when the accident forces Claire to slow down and lean on others—especially Riley McKnight—she realizes, for the first time, that things need to change. And not just in her own life. The accident—and the string of robberies committed by teenagers that led up to it—is a wake-up call to the people of Hope’s Crossing. The sense of community and togetherness had been lost during those tough years. But with a mysterious “Angel of Hope” working to inspire the town, Riley and Claire will find themselves opening up to love and other possibilities by the end of an extraordinary summer?.

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One Rough Man by Brad Taylor. $ 1.99

From the Jacket Copy:

Vince Flynn and Brad Thor, move over: introducing a pulse-pounding new international thriller series by a former Delta Force commander.

They call it the Taskforce. Their existence is as essential as it is illegal. Commissioned at the highest level of the U.S. government. Protected from the prying eyes of Congress and the media. Built around the top operators from across the clandestine, intelligence, and special forces landscape. Designed to operate outside the bounds of U.S. law. Trained to exist on the ragged edge of human capability.

Pike Logan was the most successful operator on the Taskforce, his instincts and talents unrivaled-until personal tragedy permanently altered his outlook on the world. Pike knows what the rest of the country might not want to admit: The real threat isn’t from any nation, any government, any terrorist group. The real threat is one or two men, controlled by ideology, operating independently, in possession of a powerful weapon.

Buried in a stack of intercepted chatter is evidence of two such men. The transcripts are scheduled for analysis in three months. The attack is mere days away. It is their bad luck that they’re about to cross paths with Pike Logan. And Pike Logan has nothing left to lose.

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This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas. $ .99

From the Jacket Copy:

Book 1 of This Man trilogy

Young interior designer Ava O’Shea has no idea what awaits her at the Manor. A run-of-the-mill consultation with a stodgy country gent seems likely, but what Ava finds instead is Jesse Ward–a devastatingly handsome, utterly confident, pleasure-seeking playboy who knows no boundaries. Ava doesn’t want to be attracted to this man, and yet she can’t control the overwhelming desire that he stirs in her. She knows that her heart will never survive him and her instinct is telling her to run, but Jesse is not willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her.

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Dark Highland Fire by Kendra Leigh Castle. $ 2.99.

From the Jacket Copy:

Gabriel MacInnes has led a charmed life. A Highland werewolf of Alpha lineage, he’d always thought that, as the second son, he would never have to worry much about responsibility. But with his Pack now squarely in the sights of an ancient and rediscovered enemy, everything has begun to change.

Exiled from the Drakkyn realm, on the run from the dragon prince who claims her as his own, the last thing Rowan an Morgaine wants is to deal with a bunch of overbearing shifters in the middle of nowhere. But when her hiding place on Earth is discovered, and with blood the only thing that can restore her waning power, the fiery demigoddess has little choice but to accept Gabriel as a protector …

As the Earthly and Drakkyn realms converge, Gabriel and Rowan must decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice for fate…and for one another.

What reviewers are saying about Kendra Leigh Castle:

“Ms. Castle develops likeable characters, adds danger-filled mystery to a steamy romance, and keeps reader’s interest to the revealing end.”
-Darque Reviews

“A great, fast-paced tale. Castle’s world-building is superb and leaves readers wanting more.” -Romantic Times

“Fans of straight up romance looking for a little extra something will be bitten.” -Publishers Weekly

“This fresh and exciting take on the werewolf legend held me captive until the last page. I’ll definitely be watching for more stories from Kendra Leigh Castle.” -Nina Bangs, author of One Bite Stand

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Dear Ms. Dee,

I enjoyed your book New Life and the premise of this book intrigued me so I volunteered to review it. Unfortunately, The Au Pair Affair did not have the easy flow or the charm of the earlier book.

Hollywood producer Dan Krefman and his ex-wife, actress Crissi Jondalar have two children (Cara, 5 and Liam, 3).  They hire former actor Louis Guzman to be the children’s nanny after a surprisingly short interview process and a scant background check.  The reader knows from the beginning that Louis has something he wants to hide in his work history. Something that, had the nanny agency known, it would not have recommended him.  He has no experience and no qualifications in child care, merely a personal history of growing up in foster care and babysitting foster brothers and sisters.  I found it difficult to believe a celebrity couple would hire Louis in the first place, but especially not without extensive background checks.

Dan and Crissi were married for 6 years but after Dan realised he was gay and came out to Crissi, they divorced.  They remain on very good terms and share custody of the children, with Louis moving between houses to be wherever the children are.  I did appreciate that Crissi was presented as a good mother and a fairly sympathetic character.  However, Dan rides roughshod over Crissi a number of times in the book – showing repeated poor judgement of such things as how to tell the children he and Louis are an item – and he often thinks that Crissi is high maintenance and a bit of a drama queen.  I think Crissi was a saint (Dan came out to her on their anniversary) and far too forgiving of both Dan and Louis.

Since the divorce, Dan has had a few sexual encounters but no relationships.  He is instantly attracted to Louis and the feeling is mutual. Though both Dan and Louis note the inherent difficulties in pursuing their attraction given the employer/employee relationship, I felt that it was more lip service than any real consideration and, when it came down to it, there was little by way of hesitation.

The story was written in short choppy sentences which felt more like an outline or summary a lot of the time. The detail I wanted, which would have made the characters more real and added the charm I was hoping for, was missing.

Dan had hired caterers, and the backyard was decorated with Chinese lanterns, balloons and streamers. Burgers and massive quantities of sugar in the form of soda and ice-cream cake were ingested, and then Cara opened presents. Screaming girls raced over the lawn as they played games. Before the celebration was over, there was an inevitable fight. Names were called, tears shed, and finally everyone went home with party favors.

The whole book was like this

There were a number of little storylines which didn’t seem to go anywhere.  Liam at age 3, while very fond of show tunes, barely spoke, and at various times in the book all three adults felt concerned that he may have some kind of developmental disability.  But he was talking well by the end of the book without anything really happening.   Cara was unhappy at pre-school, Crissi having been unable to pry out why. Eventually Cara confesses to Dan that there were two girls being mean to her.  Dan’s advice was to “be nice” to the girls and they might turn out to be friends. And lo, a few pages later, they were friends. Leaving aside what I thought was pretty ordinary advice – why not at least talk to the pre-school teacher? Cara had been miserable for weeks and weeks – it didn’t go anywhere as a plot point. I think those things were there to round out the story and give depth to the characters but unfortunately, on me, it had the opposite effect.

I didn’t see any meaningful relationship develop between Dan and Louis.  They had the hots for each other but their first sexual encounter pre-dates almost any meaningful conversation – which didn’t make sense given their professional relationship and how much Louis wants to keep his job. Dan, too, doesn’t want to lose “the best nanny the kids have ever had.”   So it was a surprise that even as Dan was thinking getting intimate in the driveway of his house was a bad idea (as private as his front yard was), he doesn’t take any convincing at all to let Louis open his pants and give him a blowjob against the car.  Afterwards, their entire discussion about sexual health consists of:

He let Dan’s length slip from between his lips and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. “Don’t worry. I’m clean. I can show you my most recent test results. I trust you are too.”

There was a lot of telling not showing. I didn’t feel the connection between Dan and Louis.  I didn’t see Louis and Crissi develop the deep friendship I was told they had.  I didn’t see the leap from “employee” to “friend” in either case.  I did see Louis and the children interact and I did believe his love for them and theirs for him was genuine but overall, I found the story lacked detail and character development.

There was also this surprising passage later in the book.

Chest heaving, Dan glanced down at the messy aftermath of breathtaking ecstasy. He thought about his children’s lives, once contained in a blot of semen like the one on his belly. So weird that two lives existed because of it, and so strange that his desires ran contrary to the design of life.

“Thinking deep thoughts?” Louis rasped near his ear and clipped Dan’s lobe between his teeth.

“Just pondering spunk.”

“Oo-kay.”

“What it’s meant for and how we pervert that. I don’t mean that in a negative way, I swear, but the stuff is meant to propagate the species.”

I was a bit gobsmacked by that.  It was just all kinds of wrong.  I was uncomfortable with the way homosexuality was portrayed in the book – from the way Louis “looked gay” to how Liam likes to sing “Over the Rainbow”.  This just capped it for me.

I also got tired of Louis constantly banging on about how child rearing was a noble and fulfilling role.  I mean, it is, but the numerous times it was mentioned in the story made it feel like it was a message.

It might seem like a limited dream by many peoples’ standards, as if not craving a career meant he had no ambition, but what could possibly be more important than making sure children lived a happy life?

Childcare is not the only important or valuable thing someone can do.

Louis confesses quite early to Dan (but after he was hired) that his previous work history included exotic dancing. It is not hard to guess what other work history Louis had in his brief acting career and, given the celebrity nature of his employers, what happens vis-a-vis that history.  Though, I was never concerned regarding the welfare of the children, Louis did lie on his employment application about something significant  – but instead of getting fired (as he deserved) all was smoothed over and solved within a few pages by the power of lurrrve.

What started out as an interesting premise never got any further for me, the conflict was predictable and the characters under-developed.  I give The Au Pair Affair a D.

regards,

Kaetrin

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Today is the release date for Colleen Gleason’s next installation in her paranormal romance series: The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. While I’ve been complaining for a while that I think vampires series are a bit played out, this series features fabulous vampire slayers a la Buffy Summers, AND this trilogy is set in the 1920′s, a unique and fascinating time period. Here is Colleen to tell us a little about this new trilogy and the Gardella family legacy:

1 – Tell us a little bit about the Gardella family. Who are they? What is their legacy?

The Gardellas are a family of vampire hunters. Unlike the mythology of another vampire slayer of well-known repute, the Gardella legacy isn’t quite as discriminating–there are many Venators, or vampire hunters, at any given time, rather than one “Chosen” one.

Not everyone in the family is called to be a vampire hunter. And each person can either accept or reject the calling.

The branches of the family are far-flung, and a “born” Gardella Venator can pop up anywhere. However, the direct line of descendants from Gardeleus–the first vampire hunter, who originated in Rome during the first century–are the most powerful of the Venators, and one is always the figurehead and leader of the group

2 – What was the inspiration for the Gardellas? What’s the hook?

I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer years ago, and I loved the juxtaposition of her normal life versus that of her calling–just as we see over and over again in other superhero mythology. I’m also very attracted to historical settings and characters.

So, one night, when I put on Cinderella with my daughters, I had the thought…what if, when the clock was striking midnight, Cinderella had to leave…not because her magic spell was breaking, but for a much more interesting reason: she had sensed the presence of a vampire and had to go take care of it?

All I could think was…how much fun would that be??

That was how the initial five-book Gardella Vampire Chronicles series was born. I always intended to write several sets of connected books–each set in a different time period, each focusing on a different female Venator.

3- The first five books were set in Regency-era England. What made you decide on the Roaring 20’s for this new chapter in the series?

I’d always wanted to write something set in the Roaring Twenties. What a fascinating, visually-beautiful time period. I love the intrigue of the speakeasies, the music, the fashion–the hats!–and thought it would be a great mashup to have vampire hunting among the gangsters.

Although I have another trilogy plotted out as well (set in Elizabethan England), and will someday write that one, I chose to move to the ‘20s right after ending the Victoria series because of some loose threads/beloved characters. People wanted to know what happened after As Shadows Fade (#5 of the Victoria Chronicles), and this was one way of answering those questions.

4- Sebastian Vioget, one of my favorite characters from the first series makes an appearance in the series.  What do you think make Sebastian such a favorite among Gardella readers?

He’s hot!

And he’s also mysterious, charming, disreputable…and by the end of the original series…more than a little angsty. He’s the consummate bad boy, and we never knew what to expect from him.

5- How did you research the time period?

I read and read and read. I got several pieces of documentation and literature that were written and printed during the time period. I went nuts buying books about the Twenties–including a book on millinery.

One of the things I really enjoy doing for research, aside from reading, is looking at photos and advertisements from the time period. Obviously, this is much easier to do for the 1920s than it was for the early 19th century…and so a lot of my research was visual. Studying images helped me better imagine my characters and setting

6- The Gardella series has a very strong sense of place. How do you make the settings of your novels so vivid?

Thank you! I constantly remind myself that the characters are in a different place and time–with different clothing, different surroundings, different limitations, different culture and mores. And whenever I can, I remind the reader–subtly I hope–of how the characters’ lives are so different from ours. Also, the smallest details, when used lightly and judiciously, I think help to set the scene and create a strong sense of world.

7- The sensibility in this novel is much different from the first series. Of course, the time has changed. How did the evolution of women’s rights, mindset, attitudes impact the way you approached writing Macey?

You’re right–the entire feel and culture is very different in this novel than in the Victoria books. In Regency-era England, Society women were, of course, meant to marry…and that’s it. There wasn’t really any other acceptable options for an upper class woman. And for those of the lower classes, many of the same restrictions were in place–legally, a woman was hardly her own person.

However, as we know, the culture of the flapper really changed the way women of the early 20th century were perceived and acted. We’re talking about a time where women are no longer wearing restrictive clothing, where they are smoking and drinking and working jobs, going to college, having sex, and hanging out in nightclubs–both legal and illegal ones. They lived in their own rooms or flats at boarding houses, they drove their own cars, they even got the right to vote!

Macey is a completely different character than Victoria. One of the things that was important to me when writing this spin-off series was not to make her “Victoria Reincarnated.” Having the trilogy set in the ‘20s helps–because Macey’s very environment, and what’s acceptable and what isn’t, is so utterly different from that of Victoria’s.

That’s not to say she won’t have some of the same sorts of conflict. All superheroes have many elements of conflict that are the same. And most women have the same sorts of conflict in their lives as well–regardless of when they lived.

8- How many books are planned in this series?

There will be three books about Macey: Roaring Midnight, Roaring Shadows, and Roaring Dawn.

9 – The covers of the first series, and this one as well, are so striking and beautiful. Do you work with a particular artist?

Thank you. The artist did an amazing job with the concept of these covers. For the Roaring trilogy, we wanted them to have the same feel as the original covers–but also to clearly indicate the time period. Since the ‘20s are so easily recognizable by the fashion, it wasn’t difficult to do.

10 – What’s next for Macey Gardella?

Well, she’s got to settle in to her new role–which she accepts at the very end of Roaring Midnight. There will be repercussions for her decision, and probably some people will be hurt by it. And then we have to attend to Sebastian Vioget and his legacy as well.

ETA: Colleen has agreed to give one lucky US based winner a signed copy of any of her backlist. Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter!

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Dear Ms. Gleason:

I was a tremendous fan of the first of your Gardella Vampire Chronicles series, so I was really excited to hear that you were writing more Gardellas, and intrigued to find they would be set in the 1920′s.

Macey Denton works at the library at the University of Chicago. She lives in a boarding house and is pretty much your typical young woman. But one day she finds a book written by a man named Starcasset titled The Venators. It tells the story of a group of vampire hunters who work to protect the unsuspecting world from vampires and the Tutela, their human followers. Each venator is pierced with a vis bulla, or a powerful silver amulet that gives them stronger than usual strength and an instinct for finding vampires. Macey attributes the strange dreams she’s been having to the book and heads out to a speakeasy with her friends. There she meets a man named Grady who is a newshawk, a reporter, and seems to know a lot about vampires. Their attraction is immediate, but Macey is unsure of why he keeps showing up every where she is. She’s suspicious of his motives, but she’s truly attracted to him, and he does seems to arrive in the nick of time over and over again.

In the mean time, Macey has been approached by a man named Sebastian Vioget, proprietor of The Silver Chalice, who tells Macey that her name is actually Macey Gardella and that she in descended from the greatest of vampire hunters, Victoria Gardella. Macey’s father, Max Denton, was also a very well known venator, but he thought that he could have both a personal life, and fulfill his calling. He was wrong. Macey’s mother was killed by vampires, and Max sent Macey away from him in order to protect her. It’s now Sebastian’s job to convince Macey that she should assume the mantle of venator. There’s also the matter of Sebastian’s legacy, which prophecy says Macey will be part of.

Macey is shocked and frankly, not at all happy to hear that she’s supposed to help save the world. She’s just a girl, and she just wants to live her life and go out with her friends, and eventually get married and have kids. But when a vampire breaks into her rooms at the boarding house in order to kill her, she realizes that she is going to have to accept her legacy.

I’ll be honest,  I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I’m not sure if it’s because this book has the daunting task of creating a sense of place, providing the foundation for the series mythology and introducing a host of characters and the big bad, but it was alot of talk, talk, talk and background setting. I did like that the book incorporates the gangsters of the time, in particular, Al Capone. If you’ve read the previous installments in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, there are plenty of mentions of the previous series and of course, Sebastian is back, which is really cool. But overall, this book is mostly setting the stage, and I think could have benefited from more action. That being said, I’lll definitely read the next one, as I think the Gardella mythology is interesting, and I love the setting of the series. Final grade: C+

Kind regards,

Kati

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If I hear one more time that readers turn to the m/m genre because it is free of “gendered power relationships,” I will throw a large heavy object across the room. The worst thing about this statement is that it is often made by intelligent people who seem to have some familiarity with feminism and gender theory. If they were in class on the day that the professor lectured about how male roles are also structured by gender assumptions and patriarchy, they seem to have forgotten it. Gender is not just about women. Gender is about everyone.

I apologize to readers who know this very well already, but just so we’re all on the same page, here’s the World Health Organizations’s definition:

“Gender” refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.

In a heterosexual romance, the ways the hero and heroine behave are conditioned on how the author chooses to portray these socially constructed roles. The heroine may act in ways that reinforce “traditional” gender norms, or she may rebel against them. An Alpha hero is considered to embody “traditional” gender norms of masculinity, while a Beta hero, while still masculine, will be less “manly” in a stereotypical way.

In an m/m romance, the substitution of the heroine with a second hero does not mean that gendered power relationships disappear. It means that we now have two protagonists whose socially constructed roles are drawn from the same side of the gender binary** rather than one each from opposite sides.

Yes, the male-female power dynamic, which is structured by social expectations and patriarchy, is absent. But now we have a male-male power dynamic that is structured by social expectations and patriarchy. What are some possible ramifications of that? A short paper prepared by a social work professional offers a few:

Some problems within gay male relationships reflect the deficits inherent in the male gender role:

• Some men have learned to be husbands who strive for competition for power and differentiation.
• Some men are socialized to equate their value as a person with the power, prestige, and income of their work, and to see other men, at best, as worthy competitors and, at worst, as the enemy in this game of status and power.
• Neither man in the relationship may be aware of how he is communicating either excess value or devaluation to his partner and himself based upon income and status criteria.
• Power plays (subtle, obvious) will get acted out if not talked about, mainly through competition and negotiating tasks, duties, household, & finances.
• Some men have been raised to be in control (of self and other). Thus, they will tell the other person in the relationship other what he should feel/think/be/do.

These attitudes and behaviors are part of being socialized as a male, regardless of sexual orientation (and that socialization begins at birth for most people). Not all men exhibit these attributes, of course, because response to socialization is conditioned on the individual. And gay men may fight certain aspects of gender conditioning more than straight men do. But gay men grow up in the same gendered world as straight men, women, and everyone else.

Human interactions (and many non-human ones) include negotiations over power, and some of these negotiations are influenced by the gendered perspectives of the actors. Gender and power are deeply intertwined; but not every power negotiation is shot through with gender issues, and not every aspect of gender involves thinking about power dynamics.

I agree that it’s wonderful to take a break from reading about male-female relationships that are inevitably structured by gender roles. But then you have to say hello to male-male relationships that are inevitably structured by gender roles. We need to be honest and acknowledge that m/m provides a respite from what women’s gendered roles in romance novels make us confront, not from “gendered power relationships” more generally.

Even though m/m romance differs in important ways from m/f romance (and even though there are vocal m/m readers who refuse to read m/f anymore), I would argue that we port a lot of our assumptions about relationships over to what is supposed to be a gender-neutral environment. Gay4U is basically the virgin heroine trope; guys taking care of other peoples’ kids is the family-friendly HEA; infidelity is frequently a relationship deal-breaker (unlike in other fiction with gay main characters), true love means having penetrative sex, and so on. I think that we unconsciously expect certain types of relationships no matter what we’re reading.

In Sean Kennedy’s Tigers and Devils, Simon’s father is trying to understand how a gay relationship works,  using his very restrictive lens:

“Well, Declan’s in there and they’re all over him, which is fine. But I’m fair game, so they think they can ask me all the stuff they’re too scared to ask him.”

“Like?”

I sighed. I wasn’t even sure if my dad would understand. “They just asked me if I was the woman.”

My dad was quiet. He cleared his throat. “Uh, are you?”

I couldn’t believe he was doing the exact same thing. My dad was usually gruff, but pretty smart. I would have thought he would know better. “Yes, Dad. I’m the woman. When we go home I hand Declan his pipe and slippers, put on my apron, and bake biscuits for him to take to training the next day.”

“I’m only asking a question,” Dad said, sounding genuinely puzzled.

“And it’s a dumb one. I’m a man, and he’s a man. We’re gay because we like men. Neither of us is ‘the woman’.”

Of course Simon is frustrated and of course we sympathize with his irritation and anger. But it’s not just about who’s the top and who’s the bottom (as it’s usually interpreted, and which is the subtext here), it’s how relationship roles are reassigned when the partners are of the same sex.

There is no obvious support role for Simon that isn’t about being “the woman.” The standard way for a partner/spouse to publicly support a star professional football player is by being one of the WAGs, and WAGs are the epitome of feminized public figures. Kennedy does a great job of two things in this storyline: he shows us how the WAG role is impossible for Simon, and he also shows us that many women partners are much more than the WAG stereotype suggests, especially through the portrayal of Declan’s teammate’s partner, Lisa. But whether the job of the partner is trivialized or respected, it’s an inherently feminized role. A man cannot fulfil it and be held in public esteem. Simon’s inability to function as a WAG illustrates, in exaggerated form, the social and economic penalty men pay when they take on other feminized roles.

Heteronormative, patriarchial structures shape society for everyone. Some m/m authors, like Kennedy, write wonderful books that explore the ramifications of this hegemony for romantic relationships between men and show how they are negotiated to produce an HFN or HEA. Others pretend equality is an unproblematic given in the relationship. And the same is true for m/f authors: some tackle the ramifications head on, while others don’t.

Heterosexual romance novels don’t have a monopoly on dominated, naive, inexperienced, or TSTL characters, and many of the more egalitarian relationships depicted in m/m could (and do) work as m/f relationships. But are there aspects of each that are unique and not transferable to the other? Besides lube of course. ;)

_____________

**The binary division is a gross simplification, since it assumes cis-gendered identity. But that’s a more complicated conversation. Let’s stick with the “easy” stuff for now.

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The idea was to deliver a familiar romance trope in an unfamiliar setting.

“Now they involve real-life characters who act as detectives (Josephine Tey, Oscar Wilde) or have alternative timelines (Stephen Baxter, Robert Harris) or books in which characters may not have committed crimes at all and are suffering existential crises (The Thief, Snowdrops). The crutch of something known and familiar is being used to ease us into a new form.“

How Hachette Grew Elin Hilderbrand – This is kind of an interesting article about how Hachette, with the help of Barnes & Noble, grew Hilderbrand from midlist to super frontlist. It appears that two things helped Hilderbrand and Hachette: a careful marketing plan promoted by the biggest retailer in the business and good word of mouth.

Arriving at Hachette in 2007 as a solid midlist author with five St. Martin’s titles behind her, Hilderbrand now has over four million books in print, according to Hachette’s figures. As Little, Brown prepares to publish its seventh Hilderbrand novel, Beautiful Day (June 25), it is returning to the message it’s been driving home since the beginning: a new book is dropping from the summer novelist.

But Hilderbrand is trying to grow outside of her East Coast readership into the South, Midwest and West by engaging in road trip signings. I remember when I was in the Amazon Roundtable, CJ Lyons mentioned that her readership seemed to be around 250,000 to 300,000 and that she wanted to grow it. Growing seems kind of incredible when you are at Lyons and Hilderbrand numbers but then you think of the volume of books that are selling for authors like Sylvia Day and EL James.Publishers Weekly

Touch KT’s Google Analytics integration, and how to disable it. – MobileRead Forums – Read novou gives instructions at MobileRead on how to disable Kobo’s Google Analytics integration. I was vaguely aware of Kobo tracking minute behaviors within its app because I’d seen slide shows based on this data (plus you get badges for certain activity). What I didn’t know is that Kobo sends this data back to Google.

Novou wrote, “I’d known about the KT’s GA integration for a while, but after just now looking into the implementation, I am concerned by the detail of the stats…But aiming to report each time you load the home-screen, or read a book for X minutes nonetheless seems like overkill to me. .. That said, for me at least, they still do cross the line into ‘creepy,’ especially since the callbacks are being sent to Google, where those stats will be be saved and analyzed as a part of Google’s hoard of personal data. (If it were Kobo infrastructure, I’d still be concerned, but much less so. Kobo isn’t a business built on harvesting personal data.)”

And then novou goes on to explain how to get rid of the Google Analytics callback. Mobileread

Russians who raised the dead – Well, this is suitably creepy. A Russian scientist experimented on animals (and humans) in an effort to find a way to reanimate the dead. He kept a dog’s severed head alive for 100 minutes and using a mixture containing several different chlorides, sodium bicarbonate and dextrose, brought a formerly deceased infant’s heart back to life. And other grotesque things. It’s kind of a fascinating, if not macabre, read.

Salon has an excerpt from How to Make a Zombie: The Real Life (and Death) Science of Reanimation and Mind Control by Frank Swain.

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Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin. $ 2.99 Amazon & Google Play

From the Jacket Copy:

In the midseventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. This book is, in his own words, the story of “why I did stand-up and why I walked away.”

Emmy and Grammy Award winner, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company, and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Martin has always been awriter. His memoir of his years in stand-up is candid, spectacularly amusing, and beautifully written.

At age ten Martin started his career at Disneyland, selling guidebooks in the newly opened theme park. In the decade that followed, he worked in the Disney magic shop and the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott’s Berry Farm, performing his first magic/comedy act a dozen times a week. The story of these years, during which he practiced and honed his craft, is moving and revelatory. The dedication to excellence and innovation is formed at an astonishingly early age and never wavers or wanes.

Martin illuminates the sacrifice, discipline, and originality that made him an icon and informs his work to this day. To be this good, to perform so frequently, was isolating and lonely. It took Martin decades to reconnect with his parents and sister, and he tells that story with great tenderness. Martin also paints a portrait of his times — the era of free love and protests against the war in Vietnam, the heady irreverence of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late sixties, and the transformative new voice of Saturday Night Live in the seventies.

Throughout the text, Martin has placed photographs, many never seen before. Born Standing Up is a superb testament to the sheer tenacity, focus, and daring of one of the greatest and most iconoclastic comedians of all time.

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Cruel Summer by Alyson Noël. $ 2.99

From the Jacket Copy:

“This was supposed to be my best summer yet, the one I’ve been working toward since practically forever. Now I’m being banished from everything I know and love, and it just doesn’t make any sense.”

Having recently discarded her dorky image–and the best friend that went with it–Colby Cavendish is looking forward to a long hot season of parties, beach BBQ’s, and hopefully, more hook-ups with Levi Bonham, the hottest guy in school. But her world comes crashing down when her parents send her away to spend the summer in Greece with her crazy aunt Tally.

Stranded on a boring island with no malls, no cell phone reception, and an aunt who talks to her plants, Colby worries that her new friends have forgotten all about her. But when she meets Yannis, a cute Greek local, everything changes. She experiences something deeper and more intense than a summer fling, and it forces her to see herself, and the life she left behind, in a whole new way.

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Feelin’ the Vibe by Candice Dow. $ 2.99

From the Jacket Copy:

A decade ago, Clark Winston nearly had a nervous breakdown after the man of her dreams, Devin Patterson, left her to marry another woman. Soon after, her best friend, the mother of her niece, died, leaving Clark sole custodian of the 10-year-old. Knowing she had to pull herself together, she sought help at a mental health clinic run by an old college friend, Dr. Kenneth Winston. The attraction was instant, and they proved to be a perfect match. Now 10 years later, the past is behind her and she has a perfect career and family at hand. But then, in the blink of an eye, Devin reappears and a tumultuous affair ensues. Clark will now have to make the most important decision of her life-choose the man who broke her heart or the one who fixed it.

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Taking the Reins by Kat Murray. $ 1.99.

From the Jacket Copy:

Peyton Muldoon needs a man bad.

No, not that way. What she needs is a trainer for her struggling stud ranch. And only a true life horse whisperer will do, a man with the right touch and real know how.

Redford Callahan’s on a hot streak.

Not in the sack. But with the ranch owners who hire him to gentle their animals without breaking their spirit. He can pick and choose his next gig, so he’ll be damned if he’s going to waste his time on a mismanaged operation like the M-Star. Not until Peyton sashays into his motel room one night to make him a deal he can’t refuse. Now Red’s days as a loner are numbered and he’s starting to wonder if there’s one spitfire he won’t be able to tame. . .

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Dear Ms. Reed,

Your blurb caught my attention. The book held it.

Sydney Warren is a successful painter of erotic landscapes—just the artful fantasies of a woman whose own life has been stripped of passion. Though she has stayed loyal to her boyfriend, Max, he’s unable to ignite the sparks they once shared, leaving Sydney wanting. Then comes the stranger, a work of art himself, and everything changes.

With chestnut hair, mesmerizing green eyes, and the perfect body, Colm Hennessy is every woman’s fantasy. He too is aroused, and more intrigued by the beautiful artist than he expected to be—because it wasn’t supposed to happen this way. For there’s something about Colm that Sydney doesn’t know…

Colm is only pretending to be a model. He’s been hired by Max to seduce her—a twisted scheme to test her fidelity. But Max never imagined that Colm would feel something real. As Sydney and Colm’s intimacy grows, as passions neither expected are unleashed, the stakes in a cruel game are raised—and desire isn’t the only thing set to spiral out of control.

The blurb intrigued me because the hints of infidelity make even the blurb subversive as a romance. I really thought it was women’s fiction mislabeled, but it didn’t matter. I love contemporary books set in an art world or have some kind of art involved. I also like the deceit angle because it just cranks the angst way high. I half expected a non-HEA, and would have been okay with that if the story supported it, so I had no qualms picking it up.

The story is fairly straightforward and told from both points of view, in third person. The prose is quiet, with moments of pure poetry, that still manages to ramp up the angst. The ambiance of each scene was well drawn even with few words and the emotion between the hero and heroine felt genuine.

Sydney is 28 and involved with a much older man (Max) who, being her agent and art broker, is more her mentor/Pygmalion than a true life partner. (In fact, it reminded me of the relationship between Celine Dion and her husband René Angélil.) Their relationship, however, went off a cliff when Max did and, as a result, required the use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Sydney was prepared to care for him and love him and maintain their relationship after the accident, but Max has been using his disability as just another manipulative weapon in his arsenal.

Max is a bastard. He’s always been a bastard. His paraplegia doesn’t change him. It just changes how Sydney sees his behavior, one piece of which is that he withholds physical intimacy from her.

Every part of every day the same. Every morning, the same poached egg and toast on his plate, the same grapefruit he never ate but insisted Hans serve him. Why did he waste the fruit? Because he could. Why did he waste her? Because he could.

“Max,” she said from behind her hand. “When did I become the grapefruit?”

The clang of his juice glass bumping the side of his plate made her jerk. “What?”

“The grapefruit.” She let her fingers slide away from her face. “You never touch it. It sits in its bowl in front of you. You look at it. Maybe you think about tasting it, but you never do.”

I was annoyed for the first three or four chapters with what I thought was shaping up to be yet another longsuffering martyr heroine. And then it occurred to me we all have to start somewhere, and I hoped this book was Sydney’s starting point. It wouldn’t be the first book I’d ever read where the hero was the catalyst and savior of the heroine in emotional distress, but I don’t mind those.

What I wasn’t expecting was that the hero was neither. The heroine, however broken (and she is), sees to her own empowerment in an orderly, swift manner once she sees the truth of her situation. She gives the hero credit for causing her to see her situation, not for causing her to do something about her situation. And he definitely wasn’t her savior. It was refreshing.

In fact, the way the hero and heroine deal with each other and their associated secondary characters, this book was just one pleasant surprise after another. They were adults. They talked. The deceit was, I thought, well handled because, given the hero’s constraints, it was a tough spot. There was no good out. But the resolution was mature and thoughtful.

There were a couple of clichés that annoyed me. The boyfriend was a bastard, which makes the infidelity angle easier to swallow. From the blurb, you get that he’s a bit of a jerk to set something like this up in the first place, but to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever is convenient. The hero’s motives for his deceit was also a tried-and-true-and-tired device.

But you handled it all very well, with grace and maturity and some very understated, lovely prose. There are also two (possibly three) leitmotifs woven through that added another layer of depth I appreciated.

There are two characters in this book who require the use of wheelchairs and they couldn’t be more different. I can’t tell if their characterizations were “authentic” or not (“authentic” being problematic in and of itself), but I thought they were well written.

For those of you who need to know more about the infidelity angle:

Naturally, for a deceit plot, one expects a comeuppance and grovel. My normal gripe is that the heroine doesn’t grind it in nearly enough, but here, the heroine ground it in (although I think she could have taken it a little farther). She did not find out his motives and then sigh and go, “Oh well. I forgive you in that case.” She took care of her own revenge, albeit with a bit of squeamishness at its end.

One thing about this book puzzles me and that’s, why is this a Berkeley HEAT book? It didn’t find it any more explicit than, say, Louisa Edwards’s books, which are pretty par for the course in contemporary romance. It had a decent level of sexual tension and the love scenes were lovely, but I didn’t find them especially erotic or extra-hot.

In the end, what we have here is a straightforward story populated by mature, fairly well-rounded adults, told lovingly. (I was going to say “told in a lovely way,” but then “lovingly” slipped out and I thought that fit better.) And because the situation was difficult, because they acted like adults, and because there was so much doubt, it was an angsty read, too. HEA.

Recommended read. A-~July

ADDENDUM: This does read a bit more “women’s fiction” than genre romance, but long ago in my reading history, my line between the two got a bit blurry. Jane felt a romance reader might not feel satisfied by the relationship and its end, and while it didn’t bother me personally and I really enjoyed the unique aspects of it, I agree with her assessment.
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