Dear Author » Emma-Holly

Reading List for Jane, Week of August 13

Jane — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:00:06 +0000

This is more a list of what I read last week because I don’t know what I am going to read this week. Last week I read:

Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid by Maureen Driscoll. This was sent to me by the author. The pitch was really good. The book not so much. Standard fare Regency historical that pays no attention to societal restrictions in order to get the couple together. Also a secret baby story. It took me days (4) to finish this book. Full review to come.

Goodreads | Amazon | nook

Wild & Steamy by Carolyn Crane, Jill Myles, Meljean Brook. I liked all three stories although there wasn’t any consistent theme among the three. I understand that there was some angst over Crane’s female protagonist but having not read the previous stories, I didn’t find the character objectionable. Meljean’s story made me mad because a) it was short and b) I don’t have another Iron Seas book to read until next year. Jill’s story is fun. I consider Jill a friend, though, so take my recommendation with that proviso.

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

Hidden Talents by Emma Holly. It’s a shapeshifter, etc. alternate reality story based on fated mate bonds. It’s fairly decent erotic romance but it’s short and the emotional connection is underdeveloped. At the beginning of chapter two, Holly has a gay character use the word ‘faggot’ in reference to himself. I visibly recoiled.

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

To the Brink by Cindy Gerard. This is a marriage in trouble story recommended by the readers to last Tuesday’s thread. I liked it but I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see the fallout from breakup. Gerard writes several flashback scenes including how the couple met, got together and what led up to the breakup, but not the actual breakup itself and I felt emotionally robbed.

A Whirlwind Marriage by Helen Brooks. A marriage in trouble story recommended by Saly on Twitter. It was a great read and very different in feel than past Brooks books. Brooks often writes about the heroine who wants to stay at home and have children and devote herself to her family. She often has her characters refer to those “driven career women” as hard and uninterested in family. But in this book, the heroine married young and felt suffocated. She wanted to have a life outside the marriage and this leads her to leave her extremely wealthy husband and rent out a dingy bedsit and work at a grocery store until she can start university classes. Her husband wants her back but until he comes to accept her desire to have a career and a family, they can’t have their HEA. Full review to come.

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

Bad Girl By Night: A H.O.T. Cops Novel by Lacey Alexander. I meant to press the “send a sample” button but inadvertently hit the “buy” button. Oh, Amazon. Your technology is too easy at times. I haven’t liked previous Alexander books in the past which is why I wanted to try a sample, fortunately, I ended up liking this a lot. There are definitely problems in this book but I’ve struggled to find erotic romances that have a good emotional arc and this one does.

Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day. I’ve really enjoyed the short story contributions by Day in the upcoming Men Out of Uniform and another one (the title of which I can’t recall) but I haven’t been able to get into the historical books. I picked this up because I figure it would feature the Day contemporary voice. There is a kernel of a very good story in this book, but because of the “no paranormal being left behind” mantra that seems to be driving the worldbuilding, the overlapping and confusing taxonomy of beings, and the super unlikeable and hypocritical hero made this a disappointing read. Full review to come.

Catch Me by Lorelie Brown. This is a historical western and I love the cover. I’m not wild about the idea - the heroine robs a bank to pay for medical care for her dad, the town sheriff, and then is hunted down by a bounty hunter who wants to be the town sheriff. I’ve been reading it off and on for a month now. I don’t know if I am ever going to finish it. I keep hoping that at some point I’ll start being lost in the text but it hasn’t happened for me.

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

Bride for Real by Lynne Graham. Apparently this is a sequel to a previous Graham book. I think this is the second time this year that Harlequin Presents have had sequels to a book but haven’t really given the reader a heads up about it. The sequel starts off with the couple in the previous book having broken up, so a marriage in trouble trope. I found parts of the story kind of interesting because the secret baby in this story was the hero’s that he created with a different woman while the heroine and hero were separated (but not divorced). For some the infidelity might be hard to overcome. My problem was with how superficial some of the issues regarding the couple’s separation were treated. I did like the idea that the heroine didn’t want to accept the hero’s baby and how the hero’s baby paralleled her own life (she was the out of wedlock child in her family).

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

REVIEW: Three to Tango by Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Emma Holly and Bethany Kane

Jaclyn — Mon, 09 May 2011 09:00:47 +0000

Oh dear. Yes, that’s what I said when I finished reading this book. During the various stories I also said the following: WTF!?, Shut UP!, No way…, and Huh?

Three to Tango is a collection of four novellas all featuring m/f/m ménages and the tag-line on the cover says “sex is best when it’s one-on-one … plus one”; this is a little misleading because while two of these stories are about ménage relationships, two are more love triangles where the third person causes angst and discord.

I picked this volume up because I’ve read and enjoyed Emma Holly’s books–this winter I went on an Emma Holly read-a-thon after a conversation with Dear Author’s Janet; I’ve also read Lauren Dane’s Inside Out, which I loved. I had never read anything by Megan Hart, though I’ve been meaning to, and Bethany Kane is a new-to-me author; I love reading collections of short stories, they are great during my short commute to work or for a quick read on an evening when I don’t have the energy to read for hours.

I was sitting in the airport, waiting to board a connecting flight on the way home from a short business trip and reading an advanced reading copy of Three to Tango when I emailed Jane to comment that this read a lot like a draft. Particularly Lauren Dane’s and Emma Holly’s stories struck me as less polished than other of their work that I’ve read.

Three to Tango suffers from two main problems:

Unpolished writing.
Absurd scenarios.

dirty/bad/wrong by Lauren Dane

This is the story of Ava, who returns to her hometown upon her mother’s death and comes face to face with men from her past, Luca and Angelo. Ava has mommy issues (her mother was a selfish alcoholic who slept with married men). Angelo has being gay issues. Luca’s issue is that Ava and Angelo have issues that keep them all from being together.

Of the four, this story has the most flow problems. Sometimes I was confused about the activity going on, and that distracted from the emotional arc of the story. Other times the writing felt unpolished. The story itself is has great emotional potential, but the writing kept dragging me out of it. Here are two examples (the story is full of other examples):

She hesitated as past and present swam in her vision, disorienting her with a wave of memory so very strong and sweet. Her first days there when Maryellen had ever so gently tapped her shoulder each time she found her looking at the floor.

The first sentence is overwritten. The second is confusing. In the context of the story flow we understand that in the second sentence Ava is remembering how Maryellen helped Ava during a difficult time in her life by showing her kindness and caring.

Here’s another example:

The downy trail of hair leading from his navel inside the waistband of his jeans led to places she’d never forget.

I understand this sentence. And in my opinion it’s overwritten. In the sentence before this one we learn that Luca is in jeans, so delete “inside the waistband of his jeans”. The trail of hair shouldn’t have “led” in the same sentence that it’s “leading”. How about this:

”The downy trail of hair led to places she’d never forget.”

The writing in dirty/bad/wrong feels rushed and it was examples like these that made me comment to Jane about draft-like quality of this book. I don’t recall the same feeling of rushed writing in Inside Out, which as I recall was an emotional, tight book with characters that I loved.

In the end, I found the story less than compelling because the overwritten, rushed writing kept grabbing my attention away from the emotional drama of the three characters. F.

Just for One Night by Megan Hart

This story is the bright spot in the anthology. In Just for One Night Kerry and Jeremy have been dating for a long time and live together, they’re happy and comfortable together, except that Kerry still fantasizes about her high school best friend Brian. Jeremy encourages her to sleep with Brian because the thought of his girlfriend having sex with another man turns him on.

What follows is a satisfying emotional journey where Brian and Kerry have their one-night stand, then realize they want more. While Brian and Kerry each sort out what they really want, Jeremy gets hot imagining them together in bed. Of the characters, Jeremy is the least interesting and I found his actions were thoughtless and short-sighted. This story engaged me, the writing was tight. B

Flipping for Chelsea by Emma Holly

What I like best about Emma Holly’s books is that she creates memorable characters that she treats with respect and care. But I absolutely did not buy into this story because I don’t for a minute believe Liam’s acceptance of being part of a ménage with his BROTHER and the love-of-his-life.

Shay (Seamus) isn’t Liam’s blood brother; however, they were raised together and both called the same people Mom and Dad, and ‘brother’ is how they think of each other throughout the story.

I understand why Liam loves Chelsea. I understand why Shay loves Chelsea. I understand why Chelsea loves Liam. I understand why Chelsea emotionally loves Shay, but I do not understand why Chelsea needs Shay in a sexual relationship. And I absolutely do not believe that Liam would agree to include Shay in the romantic and sexual relationship that might develop between him and Chelsea.

In the end this story didn’t work for me because it felt contrived, and I didn’t believe the characters actions. What really killed this story was when Liam made a revelation about a past relationship/encounter. I absolutely did not believe it fit with the character I’d come to know throughout the story—this particular moment crashed the entire thing and reduced it in my mind to a gratuitous set up solely for the reader’s titillation rather than a true emotional journey of the characters. F.

On the Job by Bethany Kane

This story is tightly woven story with polished writing. In fact, if not for the ménage I’d probably have rated it a B, even with Walker’s crazy dominating wacko-ness. However, the occurrence of the ménage was such an absurd set up for a spanking (you messed with another dude? I’m going to punish you…even though I told you to do it) that it ruined all credibility of Walker’s character.

Walker and Madeline were in love until Walker joined the Secret Service in an effort to pull himself out of poverty and make something of his life. He comes back into Madeline’s life as her bodyguard, hired by her friend Tony to keep her safe. Tony has pissed off the Russian Mafia and thinks Madeline might be killed because he’s convinced everyone (except Madeline, who considers Tony a good friend and occasional fuck-buddy) that he’s Madeline’s finance.

Are you still with me?

Madeline and Walker come back together and have hot sexual encounters with Walker dominating Madeline and getting all possessive and telling her she’s his. Fast forward and they’re all on Tony’s yacht when Walker decides to spank Madeline for touching another man, then does an about face and tells Madeline to give Tony a blow job because he’s going to prison.

WTF?! Seriously. W. T. F.

Thankfully this was the last story. I am done with Three to Tango and just want to erase this book from my brain. F.

November Recommended Reads

Jane — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 09:00:23 +0000

Here’s our November Recommended Reads. Do you have a book you think we should have recommended. Did you read one of these and have a totally different response? Let us know in the comments.

Jennie and Jane

Seven Nights to Forever by Evangeline Collins.

Janine and Shuzluva:

Play of Passion by Nalini Singh

Shuzluva:

Devil at Midnight by Emma Holly.

Sunita

Dating the Millionaire Doctor (Harlequin Medical, October print, November ebook) by Marion Lennox
Twelve Nights of Christmas (November HP Extra, M&B Modern line) by Sarah Morgan

Janine and Sunita

A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh

Jayne:

Mistletoe and the Lost Stiletto by Liz Fielding
Christmas with Her Boss by Marion Lennox

Jill Sorenson

The Lovers by Eden Bradley

Jane:

The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry
Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter
Expecting the Boss’s Baby by Christine Rimmer
Crown of Crystal Flame by CL Wilson (recommend to readers of the series)

REVIEW: Saving Midnight by Emma Holly

Joonigrrl — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:00:57 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly:

The problem I’ve run into with reviewing this trilogy is discussing the book while trying to avoid spoilers. I’ve decided that it’s close to impossible. You’ve been warned . . .

Saving Midnight begins soon after the events of the second. Edmund has been rescued thanks to Graham, Pen, Estelle, Ben and Sally, but the two vampires Li-Hua and Frank have managed to escape. To his dismay, Edmund discovers that while he was captured, Graham had been forced to feed off from Estelle, and that Estelle enjoyed herself. Nevermind the fact that Estelle couldn’t help herself or had no choice but to assist Graham in such a manner, this knowledge is more than Edmund can deal with. He’s angry that such a feeding took place, but he also feels guilty because he knows Estelle had no choice and that neither she nor Graham would betray him in such a way. Instead of discussing his feelings with Estelle, he closes himself off from her and slowly drives himself mad. His feelings bring forth all sorts of guilt that he has bottled up from his past- most of it not deserved. Once again, I was glad that you had shifted the focus of the trilogy away from these two. I found this entire plot development frustrating and bordering on the ridiculous. I’m not sure how much more I could take of Edmund’s self indulgent angst.

Saving Midnight once again features Durand, mercenary and rogue vampire. This time he’s working for the Fitz Clares, trying to bring his former employers down. I was particularly interested in his past relationship with the vampire queen, Nim Wei, and his resentment towards her. I was glad for the opportunity to learn more about him and wouldn’t mind seeing him featured in his own book. However, this isn’t his book. Instead, it’s really Graham’s and Pen’s more than anyone else’s.

After she helps rescue Edmund at the end of book two, Pen goes back home where she discovers that her estranged mother has passed away. She needs to visit her mother’s home and claim her inheritance or risk losing it to her viperous aunts. I liked this little detour in the story. We find out that while she may have grown up with a father who loved and protected her, she was continuously belittled by a mother who masked her venomous intent towards her with a Southern, sugary sweet charm. It’s during a visit to her mother’s home that Pen is attacked by Li-Hua and Frank and we discover just how unusual a young woman Pen really is.

Li-Hua and Frank have given up their quest to discover the means to change a human into a vampire. This time, they’ve managed to get their hands on an ancient vampire device that allows the user to suck the soul from their victim and to absorb that soul into themselves while also increasing their powers. This means that Li-Hua and Frank have gone from dangerous to almost impossible to kill. To make it worse, the rapid increase in power has driven them nearly mad.

Li-Hua and Frank were rather unpredictable to begin with, but you’d think the extra bit of craziness would make them two very difficult vampires to track down. Not so. In fact, it’s almost laughable how easy they are to find. The FitzClare clan decide to travel to Chicago to search for the villainous duo and as soon as they arrive, a friend of Pen walks up and happens to have exactly the information they need to locate Li-Hua and Frank’s new lair. I was kind of amused by how easy it fell together, but by this time in the story, I wasn’t really looking for a long drawn out chase scene either.

My major complaint with this book was Edmund’s psychotic spiral. Not only was the entire thing easily resolved, but it was completely unnecessary in the first place. Not necessarily a Big Misunderstanding, but just as frustrating. What also became frustrating were the numerous sex scenes that broke up the action in Kissing Midnight and actually, throughout the entire trilogy. I know this is trademark Emma Holly, but it seriously got a little old after awhile.

I’m glad I read your upyr trilogy, but I’ll admit to experiencing some fatigue towards the end. As I was reading the last hundred or so pages of Saving Midnight, I remembered thinking that it was almost like I was at the last mile of a marathon- or what I imagine a marathon would be like. And while the marathon may ultimately be rewarding, it’s not always an enjoyable experience.

C+

:) Joonigrrl

This book can be purchased at Amazon or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

REVIEW: Breaking Midnight by Emma Holly

Joonigrrl — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:00:04 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly:

When I first decided to read and review your latest upyr trilogy, I had the idea that I would write a single review of all three books together. Two paragraphs in, I realized I was going to need more space than a single review allowed.

Breaking Midnight begins shortly after the ending of the first. While Edmund was attempting to come to terms with himself and his relationship with Estelle, he is suddenly gifted with enough power to transition to Elder. During this transition, he is captured by Li-Hua and Frank, two unpredictable and very dangerous vampires. Li-Hua and Frank chain him up, torture and starve him in an attempt to learn the secrets that only Elders know: how to change a human into an upyr.

Meanwhile, Estelle, Sally, Graham and Ben are doing their best to look for Edmund. One night, Estelle dreams that she’s with Edmund, although a thinner Edmund than she’s used to. After a few more dream visits, Estelle begins to realize that these aren’t simple dreams at all. Despite her best efforts, she struggles to uncover clues as to his location.

After closing Kissing Midnight, I was a little concerned where the second book would go. I wasn’t sure I could take more of just the Edmund/Estelle and Sally/Ben relationships. Thankfully, book two introduces Pen Anderson, the daughter of Graham’s former boss at MI5. Pen’s a prickly, independent young woman. Although she has always liked Graham, she doesn’t really think all that highly of him either. Convinced that Graham needs her help in finding Edmund, she thrusts herself into the middle of the FitzClare family crisis regardless of whether anyone actually wants said help.

But Graham isn’t the same reliable, mild young man anymore. Believing that the best way to help find his father is to become upyr, Graham turns to Edmund’s biological son Robin for help. The change to vampire creates subtle but compelling differences with Graham: he’s taller, better looking, more commanding, and more confident. And what he doesn’t need or want is his former boss’s annoying daughter involving herself in Fitz Clare business.

Like the other relationships, there’s not much anticipation or build up before Graham and Pen are jumping in bed. Or, rather, on the floor of a train. Together, Pen and Graham find in each other the perfect sexual partner. They can express their desires and needs to each other in ways they having never been able to share with anyone else. Outside of bed is another story. When not tearing each other’s clothes off, Pen and Graham are two very guarded individuals. Trust doesn’t come easily for either of them. Pen is a bit of a mystery in book two, but for Graham, he is still dealing with the betrayal from his handler at MI5 and how easily he was fooled into turning against his father.

Breaking Midnight also introduces Durand, rogue upyr and mercenary. Durand somehow ended up working for Li-Hua and Frank, and is assigned to guard Edmund. Durand is an odd combination of honorable and ruthless. It’s that hint of honor which is at odds with his current employment. I liked this mysterious upyr quite a bit. In fact, whenever the point of view shifted back to Edmund, it was about Durand I was more interested in reading.

Of the three, Breaking Midnight was the most difficult to finish, and the one that took the longest. Perhaps that’s because I found Edmund’s angst at the end of the first book and his subsequent capture a little contrived. For me, his imprisonment by these two vampires was a little hard to follow for an entire book. Breaking Midnight also features the rather convenient dream waking scenes so that Estelle is able to pin point Edmund’s location and narrow the search. Of course, it also allows them to have sex even while they’re thousands of miles apart. I probably could have done without the latter. By the second book, Estelle and Edmund had become my least favorite couple and that’s including the icky brother sister Ben/Sally pairing. It’s not that I disliked them. I just found them rather tedious. I was glad that you shifted the book’s focus to Graham and Penelope and looked forward to learning more about where their relationship would progress.

C+

:) Joonigrrl

This book can be purchased at Amazon or in ebook format from Sony or other etailers.

REVIEW: Catching Midnight by Emma Holly

Janine — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:00:56 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly,

A few years ago, I read your historical romance Beyond Innocence. While I didn’t love the book, I thought it was better than average and I especially liked your writing voice, so much so that I quoted from it in my opinion piece on style. Therefore, when Janet (Robin) recommended Catching Midnight to me, I ordered a copy of the book and took it with me on a recent trip.

Catching Midnight is the first book in a historical paranormal series that features upyrs, immortal, blood-drinking shape-shifters. Set in the medieval era, the book opens in 1349, when ten year old Gillian is cast out of her home by her mother because her baby brother is infected with the plague. Gillian can sometimes sense people’s secrets and her perception tells her that her mother prefers her brother to her. Nonetheless, she follows her mother’s advice and runs to hide in the forest, where she expects to die.

After falling asleep in the woods, Gillian awakens to hear voices arguing over her. The voices belong to Auriclus and Nim Wei, two upyr elders who both want to claim Gillian. Nim Wei and her “children” (those she has made into upyrs) live in the cities, while Auriclus’s “children” dwell in the forest. Nim Wei believes in the pursuit of knowledge and material things, while Auriclus sees a more austere and simple life as the path to goodness. When the two elders let Gillian choose which of them she will go with, Gillian, though she possesses a lively and curious mind, chooses Auriclus because even more than knowledge, she wants to be a good person.

The story then flashes forward over twenty years. Gillian is now an ageless upyr with the ability to read many creatures’ minds, and she lives in a cave with upyrs who can transform into wolves. The leader of the pack, Ulric, wants Gillian to be his mate. But although he and Gillian occasionally sleep together, she does not feel that their relationship is exactly what she wants, and because she craves the knowledge that the rest of the pack does not care about, she refuses to take a wolf as her familiar and acquire the ability to become a wolf herself.

Sensing that Ulric intends to force the issue, Gillian leaves the cave in the middle of the night. When she takes shelter in a seaside cliff, she is able to hear the thoughts of a baby falcon, and she instinctively knows that she and the bird can join their consciousnesses so that they will then be able to transform from Gillian’s form to that of the falcon and back at will.

Just as Gillian is making the falcon her familiar, Aimery Fitz Clare and his nephew Robin are planning to capture a baby falcon. Aimery is the younger brother of Edmund, the baron of Bridesmere. Edmund’s beautiful but self-centered wife, Claris, believes she is in love with Aimery, and her fixation on him has made Aimery’s life hell, since he lives in Bridesmere where he serves his brother as master of arms. Edmund and Aimery’s relationship is strained by Claris’s infatuation with Aimery, and by Edmund’s envy of Aimery’s courage. Aimery is battle-scarred and huge, and many fear him, which serves to make him feel further isolated.

Such is the situation when Aimery captures Gillian while she is in her falcon form. His nephew Robin names the bird “Princess.” Aimery’s gentleness with Princess appeals to Gillian greatly, and she becomes fascinated with him. After arriving Bridesmere, Gillian takes her human form to explore the castle. In her search, she stumbles across a scrying device that alerts Nim Wei to a disturbance within what is part of her domain. The elder decides to go to Bridesmere and investigate further.

Meanwhile, Gillian encounters Aimery and when he believes her to be a goddess, she does not correct his misapprehension. A mutual attraction develops quickly between the two and Gillian visits Aimery at night, while during the day she learns to fly. But she begins to fear that she will hurt Aimery by sucking his blood, and when Nim Wei arrives at Bridesmere, things become more complicated.

Catching Midnight started off wonderfully. You do an excellent job of blending historical detail with a romantic feel. In fact, the book is so strong in this regard that this aspect of it, along with the presence of honorable yet interesting characters, and the inclusion of a falcon in the story, reminded me initially first of one of my favorite medieval romances, Mary Jo Putney’s Uncommon Vows.

The scenes of young Gillian running away from plague-ridden London were vivid and powerful, as was her first encounter with Auriclus and Nim Wei. The pack and their cave were less interesting to me but I liked the character of Lucius, one of the older upyrs.

Although I was very confused by the scene in which Gillian and the falcon united, since I was not sure whether only their consciousnesses merged or their bodies as well, even after reading it more than once, I was quickly hooked again when Aimery appeared. His kindness and gentleness with Robin and then with Princess endeared him to me very quickly, and I understood why Gillian would feel so drawn to him.

Unfortunately I could not understand why Gillian would fascinate Aimery so quickly, since he had only previously known her as the bird Princess, and did not even know that she and Princess were one and the same. This was where the book did not work so well for me. I felt that Aimery fell in love with Gillian for her beauty and her paranormal nature; her external qualities, in other words, rather than anything specific about her personality.

The biggest barrier to my enjoyment in the book was this one: I felt that it relied too much on Aimery and Gillian being soulmates, and didn’t really take the time to develop the relationship. Aimery’s instantaneous feelings for Gillian made it difficult for me to care about the progress of their relationship once he met Gillian in her human form, since I felt that the progession of that relationship was disappointingly conventional and rushed. It was around this point in the story that I noticed that it was becoming easier for me to put the book down.

In addition, Gillian’s supernatural abilities and power seemed to me to develop in a way that was not entirely consistent with the paranormal aspects of the world-building and this seemed a bit too convenient.

A subplot involving Nim Wei and Edmund developed partway into the book and I found myself more and more interested in this couple and less and less interested in Aimery and Gillian. Nim Wei is a splendid character, clever and cynical, and her interactions with the uneasy Edmund were very enjoyable. I also thought the resolution of Nim Wei and Edmund’s relationship was much more fresh and interesting than the way the obstacles keeping Aimery and Gillian were removed.

Every once in a while I come across a book I feel has tremendous potential, one that raises my expectations and excites me, and when it doesn’t satisfy me as much as I hope that it will, I feel let down, perhaps more so than I should. Catching Midnight is such a book. I feel that several of its parts were special, but the sum they add up to is not all that it could be, so it gets a C+ from me.

Sincerely,

Janine

This book can be purchased in mass market from Powells or ebook format.

REVIEW: Demon’s Fire by Emma Holly

Jane — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:00:46 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly:

When we think of cross over genre, we readers usually are referring to the science fiction/fantasy book that appeals to both the sff reader and the romance reader. But you are probably one of the first cross over authors I ever read except I never really identified as such. You started out writing erotica that had broad appeal within the romance reader crowd. As erotic romance has become more popular, your books have largely been folded into the romance genre. Demon’s Fire, however, while a romance, seems more of an erotica book to me, but one that crosses over because of its strong romance overtones.

Demon’s Fire is the third book in the alternative Victorian England world that was started in The Demon’s Daughter and Prince of Ice . Prince Phandir was introduced in Prince of Ice as a captured Yama prince who was sold to be a sex slave at a pillow house (a house of prostitutes). The young women of the pillow house learn to service Yama’s by “practicing” on Phandir. Prince Phandir is freed of his slavery but not of his sexual dsyfunction. As a Yaman Demon Prince, Phandir can only find true release with very few others and with his beloved wife dead, he fears that will never happen. The Demon’s Daughter include the characters Beth and Charles who make up the threesome in the menage romance of Demon’s Fire.

The strength of this book is that it uses sex in every aspect: to draw the characters; to advance the plot; to build the world. What I mean by that is the sex scenes and sexual overtones are integrated into every aspect of the story. Sex is shown in its loving glory and its meaningless encounters. The duality makes for a provocative statement and plays off the underlying setting. This series is set in Victorian England, purportedly a notoriously rigid time in society. It’s wonderfully perverse then to create an alternate world that is so highly sexual as if to say that under the veneer of prim Victorian England beat an unrelentingly sexual pulse.

Another fascinating part of the book (and the series) is the strongest character is the heroine, Beth in this case. Both Charles and Phandir have sordid past sexual histories. Charles was a prostitute and Phandir, a captive sex slave. Beth is portrayed as both sexually and emotionally healthy and is the driving force for the relationship.

One of the problems I had was that Charles and Beth seemed so young in comparison to Phandir. It felt like the two of them were a couple of college students off on a study abroad trip where they came across a house of ill repute and experimented their heads off. I felt that there was an attempt to offset this comparative youth by showing Charles’ harsh upbringing and thus suggesting that he was old beyond his years (although I found him to act immature quite often). Beth was infused with the power of a goddess and her strength was found in this well, rather than her own backbone at times.

This story was weak on the paranormal aspect and while the setting was integrated quite well, I missed the Yama overtones that were so strong in the Prince of Ice, particularly the Buddha cultural overtones. Demon’s Fire is set in Bhamjran, a desert country (I kept thinking Egypt although there are desert spaces in China like the Gobi desert) and while the physical overtones of the desert were strong, there wasn’t the sense of culture that I enjoyed in the previous series.

Finally, the suspense plot which features an old foe of Phandir turned a bit comical and left me with some (in my opinion needlessly) unresolved questions.

I don’t think that a reader would have to read either Demon’s Daughter or Prince of Ice to understand and appreciate Demon’s Fire, but I won’t deny that having had read those two and the novella featuring the goddess Tou provided a good base for Demon’s Fire. Overall, I appreciated the mastery of the erotica writing but wished it had been buttressed by equally strong worldbuilding and suspense plot. B-

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased in trade paperback from Amazon’s or Powells or ebook format.

REVIEW: Fairyville by Emma Holly

Janet — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:00:23 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly:

Your new erotica release, Fairyville, is vintage Holly. The heroine, Zoe, is a woman with a big heart and an unsatisfied love life. The heroes, all three of them, have various obstacles to their ultimate happiness in love, none of which include a lack of available sexual opportunities. Through various mix and match combinations, true love is discovered and peace reigns supreme in Fairyville’s fictional kingdom. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

What's a bit different&emdash;and fun&emdash;about this latest offering is your foray into the "woo woo" (you even uses that term in the book) world of fairies, magic, crystals, and psychic mediums. And like most of the communities you create in your erotic fiction, Fairyville, Arizona is a relatively gentle one, quirky, a little off the grid, but a little idealized, as well. Zoe Clare has an attending retinue of genuine fairies, who embody pure joy and love and basically life to serve her, performing tasks like hair care (Zoe has that curly cue hair that requires the coordinated effort of fairy magic) and kitten care. ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬ °migrés from Fairy, the supernatural land on the other side of Fairyville's falls, the little fairies escaped a tyrannical queen, mother of Zoe's lust object, Magnus Monroe.

Unbeknownst to Zoe, Magnus has a supernatural secret, as well; he has to win a new heart every month. Also unbeknownst to Zoe, Magnus is as smitten with her as she is with him, and has tried to restrain his naturally high libido by having a wild night with one woman a month to secure his safe stay in the human realm and work off his sexual hunger. Zoe is one of Magnus's many artistic protégées, and while friends, the relationship has never progressed because of the secret Magnus keeps. Every heart Magnus wins he must give back, and if he did win Zoe's heart, he couldn't bear to give it back after just one night.

What shakes up Magnus and Zoe's status quo friendship, however, is the arrival of Zoe's old boyfriend, investigators Alex Goodbody (and yes, that's an accurate description) and his business partner/recent sexual conquest, Bryan McCallum. Like Zoe, Bryan pined for Alex for a long time, and the old memories an unusual new case involving a woman who believes the Fairyville hospital where she gave birth switched her son with a child we immediately recognize as fairy. Having to go back to Fairyville, where Alex suffered a significant trauma, rattles Alex to the point where he finally responds to Bryan's feelings, initiating a new relationship and an excuse to return to Fairyville and Alex's unresolved feelings for Zoe.

What happens with and between these two couples in Fairyville is the obvious erotic content of the novel, and like all of your erotica that I've read, it's presented as good natured, earthy fun, with the characters taking such good care of each other, emotionally and physically, that the multiple pairings seem quite natural and emotionally positive for all involved. And in the meantime there is a plot involving Magnus's mother, who has been looking for Magnus in the human realm for years, and presents some danger to Magnus and Zoe. Then there is the investigative mission that Alex and Bryan are on, as well as the difficult emotional issues presented in Bryan's fear that Alex will not be able to return his deep feelings and Alex's need to find some sort of resolution with Zoe, to whom he's still clearly attached emotionally. All of the characters have a certain amount of maturing to do, and they each undertake a journey toward more uniform happiness and satisfaction, not just sexually but emotionally, as well. As Magnus reflects, "He couldn't remember what it was like to be completely satisfied, not just physically but in his heart. He wanted to wake up soft instead of aching . . .–? While not necessarily able to achieve the uncomplicated joy of Zoe's tiny fairy caretakers, Fairyville's protagonists struggle toward a certain measure of soft satisfaction.

Two books ago, in Strange Attractions, you started exploring the notion of alternate realities, and that exploration continues that in Fairyville. Since my own spiritual beliefs are far more radical than anything presented in either book, I am fully on board with the blend of spiritual and physical realities, and the somewhat New Agey sensibility that emerges in Fairyville. There is a great gentleness to the spirituality in this book, and even the unsavory forces seem far less evil than a lot of human badness can generate. I have wished for more substance from several of your latest books, and this one is no exception. However, despite the slight feel to Fairyville, it's clear that you are fond of your characters and respect them, as well. Fairyville, then, is a fond and clever adult fairy tale, one that won't necessary stick with a reader for long after she closes the book, but one that will give a reader cause to appreciate the virtues of a little good natured magic, for both the body and the spirit. B+

Janet

REVIEW: All U Can Eat by Emma Holly

Jane — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:00:42 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly:

Whenever I think of erotica, my list always includes you. I remember that the first modern erotica book I read was menage. It was such a different story for me at the time. It was the first story I ever read that featured a menage. Since that time, you have moved from traditional erotica to romantica or romance with explicit sex. I liked your work to varying degrees but nothing has ever been a keeper for me.

I appreciate the chances you took in your books before Ellora’s Cave even trademarked romantica. When I was reading this story, I felt that this would be it, my first Emma Holly keeper. To some degree I believe that it could be. It focuses primarily on a romance between Frankie, an experienced woman, who is getting over a bad public breakup and the chief of police, Jack West, who has lusted after her for quite some time but because of a bad divorce has some self esteem issues. (I thought this was great because you rarely see this in romance. It’s almost turning the genre on its head with this type of conflict).

While the heroine, Frankie, does have sex with characters it seemed for the most part in keeping with her personality and with the development of the story altogether. The suspense part of the story featured the slaying of Frankie’s ex’s new fling outside her restaurant. This implicated Frankie and complicated Jack West’s pursuit of Frankie. The suspense plot was a bit flimsy but maybe necessary to move the book along.

Even with the weak suspense plot, I still thought that it was a good read until a certain part of the book in which you inserted a menage that was completely gratuitous. I don’t know if it is part of the erotic romance manual to include this scene or if I missed some character growth/plot development or what. I didn’t even find it titillating because the characters who were involved in the menage seemed like caricatures.

I can’t say that one scene ruined the entire book for me, but it diminish my overall enjoyment. Thankfully, I bought the ebook version, so I am just going to delete that portion from my ebook, pretend like it never happened and I am pretty sure I will enjoy my re-reading of this revised envision. B.

Best regards

Jane

REVIEW: Prince of Ice by Emma Holly

Jane — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 09:00:05 +0000

Dear Ms. Holly:

This is probably my favorite book you have written so far. It’s a fairly traditional romance set in the Far East featuring young friends who have a close friendship and then are torn apart by one child’s family. While it is marketed as a paranormal and your worldbuilding is based upon the creation of a different race, it reads like a fantasy historical. Yamas lived in isolation for centuries until they were discovered by human explorers. The setting is Victorian Earth but the yama are more technologically advanced. Their race values emotional control above all else. Those that show signs of unrestrained emotion are considered defective and not fit to rule. However, because emotions are forbidden, the yama are attracted to humans’ emotions. Further, yamas can become addicted to imbibing human energy as it produces a drug like euphoria. While it is a well known secret, like drug addiction, that yamas have affairs with humans and imbibe the human chi, to have the affair known to the public is a great disgrace.

The interesting part of the yama lore is not the technological advances or the genetic enhancements but the societal structure. This story is much more about society, class and culture than it is about ghosts, demons, and otherworldly creatures. To some extent it is reminiscent of Slave to Sensation where the alternate reality world provide a backdrop but the story is carried by understandable and accessible conflicts.

Yama royals are the product of careful interbreeding and genetic matching. Honor and face are important concepts within Yama culture. The story is told of the Huon family, close to royalty, who was banished because the wife of the lord took a human to her bed and it was made public.

Then and there, with all the royal houses watching, the Huons’ proud, long hair was shorn to chin length by the emperor’s guards. Corynna remembered staring at the daughter’s locksÃƒÆ’Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬”Xoushou, she thought she was called. They had lain in a perfect sheaf across the marble pavers, black with a touch of rubies in the noonday sun.

While I don’t want to give too much of the story away, I do want to comment on how much I liked the backstory of Corum and Xishi. I love the childhood friends to soulmates theme and thought that this one had all the makings of a keeper. Corum and Xishi are brought were brought up together from the age of 6 months and were inseparable until Corum’s mother detects an inappropriate connection between the two. Xishi is sent to a foundling home and becomes a pillow girl, a geisha like creation. She is purchased by Corum without either knowing of their previous connection. Unfortunately, the human chi that Xishi possesses soon causes Corum to begin to act unnaturally, showing emotion and attachment.

The sexuality of the story is expertly woven throughout the story from the opening scene to the training sessions that Xishi undergoes to the passion that flourishes between Corum and Xishi. You are a master at creating believable, exciting and fully integrated sex scenes that advance the plot of the story.

Where this book fails to achieve keeper status is the last 50 pages or so. It’s a shame, really, because parts of the story is told with such elegance and deftness that it makes the manhandling of the ending all the more disappointing. The conflict between Corum and Xishi is resolved with the use of a deux ex machina. It comes out of nowhere and seemed like a shortcut. The ending just didn’t live up to the great backstory you provided Corum and Xishi and the drama that was created from their seemingly inequal pairing. It is still heads and shoulders above much of the paranormal dross out there. B

Best regards,

Jane