Can the answer to her curse lie in the dreams of the past?

When Professor Alex Simon moves to Canyon, Texas from England, he welcomes the opportunity to change his locale. Not only would he be aiding his recently widowed sister, but he would have a chance to forget a failed relationship.

Robin Wise is less than impressed by her new neighbor– and his little devil-cat. The feline taunts her dog, and its stuffy owner has the gall to blame her pup for the squabbles. But at a second glance, Alex isn’t quite as nerdy as he seems. As a matter of fact, when he isn’t insulting her dog, he can be quite charming.

But Robin has her own problems. An inherited curse looms over her impending thirtieth birthday, and until Robin can overcome the hex, she can’t indulge in any fantasy she might have regarding the more-perfect-by-the-minute professor. No matter how she wishes she had the courage to act on the awakened desire in her heart.

Dear Ms. Archer,

I think if I’d read “Once Upon a Dream” when it was first released in 2001, I would have had a harder time believing in the heroine and her paralyzing fear. But since then, I’ve read Julia Quinn’s “The Viscount Who Loved Me” which features a hero with a similar fear plus there’s now the show “My Strange Addiction” to show just how much people really are controlled by things the average person might not otherwise understand.

When I initially saw the blurb for this book, I will admit that I was sold after the second paragraph about the dog and cat stuff and didn’t really bother to read the rest. But the first chapter lays out Robin’s issues as well as those of Alex. He has trouble trusting in relationships given how his mother spent years talking bad about him and his ex-fiance spent all her time treating him as a DIY fixer-upper project. I liked Alex’s slightly nerdy persona and felt good for him that he stood up to being twisted into a person he isn’t. Meanwhile, Robin is facing her imminent 30th birthday, firmly convinced that she’ll never live long enough to celebrate it. Three previous generations of women, her mother, grandmother and great grandmother, all died within days before they would have turned 30 – all from freak accidents. For the past year Robin has holed up in her house, never going beyond the edge of her property for fear of what might happen.

Alex wins me over from the start when he doesn’t ridicule Robin for her agoraphobia – but is this truly agoraphobia? – even before he knows what the fear that controls Robin is. He doesn’t try to fix her or change her or bully her out of this which makes sense given his own past. He sees how tight a hold this has on her and works with her up to and including being in the path of a tornado. I do have to say that Canyon, Texas gets over their brush with bad weather faster than a lot of towns in the South have over the past two years.

I’d never heard of the beliefs you mention people having about butterflies and people’s souls. Or about a lot of the superstitions that Robin’s Uncle Ethan has spoon fed her over the years. But the synchronized dreams that Alex and Robin share are my favorite parts of the book. The way the dreams flow and incorporate what happened to them that day plus the anachronistic touches such as historical western gambler Alex passing Robin’s abandoned Honda Civic as he rides his black stallion to her rescue or the town saloon suddenly having a jukebox which then plays Willie Nelson’s “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” as Robin appears in the doorway are hilarious.

The slowly developing relationship between Robin and Alex is sweet as he helps save her roses from black spot after which she introduces him to the fine old tradition of listening to Country and Western “cry-in-your-beer” songs, except all she has is milk which goes fine with the cookies he brings her. Heroes who bring chocolate cookies are boss. They tease each other and laugh together which always bodes well for the future. They’re also frank and honest with each other such as when Robin critiques the way Alex ended his relationship with his fiancee before she opens up and tells him the real reason she’s housebound. Then comes the sex which is also open, honest and unabashed in the way they enjoy being together. I laughed my ass off when they both put their glasses back on in order to be able to openly admire each other once the clothes were on the floor.

What will stick with me about Robin and Alex is neatly summed up in this passage from the book.

“…you’re probably the only woman I’ve trusted since I was a very young lad.”

“In what way?”

“I trust that you’re honest with me. That you don’t play games. That you accept me for who I am.”

I might still need to look up butterflies and souls in order to satisfy my curiosity but you’ve convinced me that Robin and Alex are meant for their HEA. B

~Jayne

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And on the One-Thousand-and-Second night, Scheherazade told this story…

By day, Taqla uses her forbidden sorcery to move freely about the city of Damascus in the guise of an old sage. Her true identity known only by her faithful servant woman, Taqla is content with the comfortable, if restrictive, life that keeps her safe from the control of any man. Until she lays eyes on a handsome merchant-traveler. Suddenly her magical disguise doesn’t rest so easily on her shoulders.

When long-time widower, Rafiq, hears that the Amir’s beautiful daughter has been kidnapped by a scheming djinni—and that she will be given in marriage to her rescuer—he seeks the help of “Umar the Wise” to ensure he will be that man. Yet as he and the disguised Taqla set off, he senses that his prickly male companion is hiding something.

In a moment of dire peril, all of Taqla’s secrets are stripped bare—her fears, her sorcery and, worst of all, her love for Rafiq. Yet the princess’s life hangs in the balance, and there is no running away or turning back. Even though passion may yet betray them all…

Dear Ms Ashbless,

As the opening sentence says, this could be a story straight out of the Arabian Nights. I can imagine reclining on a divan, eating sugared dates, drinking sherbet and listening with rapt attention as a storyteller spins out the tale of Taqla and Rafiq in their quest to rescue the beautiful Ahleme, daughter of the Amir of Dimashq, from the clutches of the evil djinni Yazid. And what a tale it is with twists and turns and adventures galore. There were times when I honestly had no idea of what would come next and instances when I gnashed my teeth at whatever it was that interrupted me from reading the next page. Had I gotten off my duff and read it last year when I got the book, it would definitely have landed on my top ten list for the year.

I used to read vampire books and shifter books and angel/demon books (but not zombies, seriously I don’t understand that one) but once the craze kicked in and that’s all people were writing, I got bored and irritated with yet another shifter book or emo/super alpha vampire hero. Frankly, I had basically given up reading any paranormal or fantasy book except for the Temerarie AU series. But here is a book with the lesser used djinni and djinniyah as well as being chock full of different creatures I’d never even heard of – though multiple Google searches bore out their inclusion in folk lore of the areas in which the book is set.

Horse Most Swift, Lion Most Strong, the Bag that Holds the World, the moving picture scroll offered to the Amir which lures his daughter into capture, the initial room Ahleme is kept a prisoner in which turns out to be hung in midair by a web of glass strands – there is something new in almost every chapter to at which to marvel. Taqla is a sorceress but there are definite limits to her powers and abilities – she often relies on instinct to guide her and she can be thwarted by someone who knows how to. Yazid and his sister Zubaida can conjure and whoosh something into or out of existence in the blink of an eye. The scene and image of djinn at play in a lake of molten fire is stunning and terrifying in turns. The single minded mission of an angel setting right what has been done wrong is chilling.

There are great individual scenes such as when Rafiq and Taqla in disguise flee across rooftops and through the back of stores from his enemies in Dimashq. I kept picturing the early bazaar scene from Raiders of the Lost Arc. Or the narrow escape of these two from the ghoulish Pale People or the giant fish that guards the special apple tree. In fact all through the story I kept thinking “this would make a hell of a movie.” The pacing is good with no draggy middle or drawn out end. It’s colorful, imaginative yet based on the places, beings and mythology of the place and time: the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, the nasty little seer Safan inTaysafun, the underwater desert sea, the the fruit from a particular tree. I love how this quest is gently dropped into the story without a lot of fanfare – the tree grew from an apple core that was thrown into the Tigris a very long time ago. My favorite is Senmurw, the Bird of Compassion, who is fantastic. I was actually tearing up a little at what she says to Taqla about love. She makes up for Yaghuth who is particularly awful and I approve of Taqla’s desire to bury that temple with the sands of time. The Pale People were utterly repulsive. The tale of Ardishir and his consort Adhur-Anahid made me shudder. As is her ultimate end – though she seems to have well deserved it.

We actually get two love stories for the price of one here – Taqla and Rafiq and then Yazid and Ahleme. Taqla is older and used to living on her own through her ability to disguise herself as Umar and Zahir which allows her to live without a man in her life. After she tells Rafiq the story of her childhood, he realizes why she’s chosen to avoid marriage as she’s seen firsthand that a man can destroy a woman’s life and that women have less power in this world just because of their physiology. I thought the vision Taqla had of growing old as Safan had also helped contribute to her willingness to change. For his part, Rafiq has also learned a bitter lesson about marriage. He often left his first bride to continue his merchant travels and never bothered to try to either get to know her or learn to love her. He returned to find her dead of a plague and, chastised, only then realized how little he knew her. Each of them has to learn to trust the other and be willing to share a life with another person. It takes their journeying and cooperation in achieving each of the goals to bring this about as they would never have gone beyond surface attraction otherwise. As much as they did, I came to enjoy their bickering – which becomes more playful as the story progresses – and have a vision of them taking verbal shots at each other as they grow old together. And I like that I can see the changes in them slowly taking place over the course of the story instead of BAM! all at once. Though of course neither quite realizes what’s happening at the time.

As for Yazid and Ahleme – here the contrast is between human and djinn, youthful daydreams of love and notions of protecting family honor via virginity vs age old bitterness at the subjugation of a race and determination to eliminate the possibility of future imprisonment of a djinni’s will.
Yazid begins his efforts at conquest with strength and bluster. He’s the big, bad, blue djinni who can create things out of thin air at will, who can become three times the size of a man and shout the house down. He wants what he wants and doesn’t truly care how this will affect an innocent woman. Up to now, Ahleme has been living in a silken prison of the harem in Dimashq so this new prison isn’t far from what she’s used to. She doesn’t have attendants and it takes a while for Yazid to provide her with amusements to pass her time – after he learns the hard way that humans require regular food and water to live – but she has a strong will and won’t bow down or give up her family honor without a fight. It’s not until Yazid does something for her that takes personal effort vs just snapping his fingers that she begins to soften. He listened to her and she realizes she can’t think of a time before when a man has done that. Yazid also doesn’t overpower her when he easily could have. He then tries to turn her innocence against her as he physically woos her. Still she hangs on until she sees the sacrifice he’s willing to make to keep her safe before giving in.

I finished reading with a couple of questions and inconsistencies that popped out at me. The Amir of Dimashq alternately has only one child – Ahleme – or more than one (in the scene where she’s kidnapped at the audience she’s mentioned as the Amir’s eldest daughter and the Amir is said to like to spend time with his children). The Bag that Holds the World seems to be able to hold anything and mention is made of Taqla pulling food out of it during their journey but when they’re forced to spend the night on one of the marsh islands, they have to go hungry because as desert land dwellers they don’t know how to fish. One of the very minor characters mentions the Holy Qur’an yet several times characters drink or are offered wine. But these aren’t things which are deal breakers and none of them impaired my enjoyment of the book.

Is there going to be a sequel? What happens to Ahleme and Yazid? Does Taqla figure out how to control Zubaida or will she get free of the imprisoning spell? Will Taqla and Rafiq travel together and have more adventures? I love it when I finish a book and want more. A-

~Jayne

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3. REVIEW: Crown of Crystal Flame by C.L. Wilson

Though I’ve made the decision not to read any more Jane Austen fanfic – um, I mean homages to JA extending the lives of the characters she created, I couldn’t pass up this book which not really about any of the books JA wrote but rather about a reenactment society dedicated to those books and the world of JA. Nah, not really, in fact it’s about one of the members of that group who goes toe to toe with a hero dedicated to all things manly and Scottish. Kudos to you for managing to combine two of the most beloved tropes in RomanceLand.

Kate Simmons might be a modern day bookstore manager but within her beats the heart of a woman in love with the romance and gentility of the books of Jane Austen. She’s also a dedicated member of the Jane Austen Regency Reenactment Society (JARRS) and has been put in charge of this year’s annual Fauxhall Gardens gala which they plan to hold on August 16th to celebrate the birthday of Georgette Heyer. Everything is spiffy except for finding a location near Spokane to host the event. So far, all the spots are either littered with discarded addict needles or far beyond the modest means of the JARRS. That is until Kate learns about a piece of public land that could be perfect. The only problem is it’s already been staked out by another group.

Julian Wallace might sound like he’s got a Scottish name but actually he’s part Asian/part Caucasian. He does brood nicely and looks damn fine in a kilt which he proudly dons while participating in the lifestyle introduced to him by his stepfather – the Scottish Highland Games. Julian competes in the hammer throw and this year is the year he plans on two things happening. The first is to take back the record once held by his stepfather which was wrested away by a rich knave named Duke Kilroy. The second is to secure a sponsorship from a whiskey distillery which would allow Julian to pay his expenses in this sport and also help support his mother and sisters. And no prissy group of women – regardless of how cute he thinks Kate is – who want to hold a glorified tea party on the same spot on the same weekend are going to get in his way.

So, there are two groups who both need the same land at the same time and two organizers who both have reasons very important to them to secure said land. Let the games begin.

The introduction of the main characters of Kate and Julian show, in a nutshell, exactly who they are and what is important to them at this time. Kate loves the JARRS, though she realizes that not everyone does. She dragged her best friend Jada to a ball and regrets it. Though Kate does laugh at the way Jada spices up the evening even if it causes some of the older ladies to swoon – and not in a good way. Julian is almost fanatically devoted throwing the hammer and being manly as he imagines the great Scottish warriors of olde were. But both are immediately attracted to the other and adult enough to try to work out a compromise over some drinks at a local martini bar only to discover that by “compromise” Julian and Kate each fondly imagine the other will give in.

Only this time, for almost the first time in her life, Kate discovers in herself an overwhelming desire to win. She’s been the good little girl, the easy girlfriend, the one who’s always given up or given in to the demands of others but damn it, not this time. So Julian wants to play rough does he? She’ll show him and everyone else that she’s got what it takes. For his part, Julian hopes that a bit of intimidation will send Kate and the JARRS running. After all, the Scots are better than the English any day. To his surprise, and a little bit to his delight, Kate doesn’t dissolve into tears at the roadblocks he puts in her path. No, Kate gets mad. And then she gets even.

I found that I enjoyed Kate’s various plots to get her revenge and wish that the results of one of them had figured more prominently in the scenes of the actual Games. Highland warriors in kilts plus Drag Queens would have been hysterically funny. Julian’s efforts to beat Kate made me just the slightest bit twitchy. You keep saying that his mother taught him to treat women better than that and Julian himself is uneasy but it seems that his efforts to beat Kate are a touch more mean spirited. Good for Kate that she never buckles. I also like how her friends are willing to pitch in and help her just as Julian’s are there for him. And if the two groups have fun in a hot tub while each trying to stake out the park, well no harm – no foul. The solution that Kate discovers and devises is ingenious and the scenes of how it plays out are some of my favorite in the book. The inclusion of dampening the women’s dresses is brilliant.

What do I think of the flow and resolution of the romance? I like it. You show Kate and Julian beginning to soften towards each other as a progression of them learning more about the other rather than a sudden thunderbolt of lurve. Though they start their relationship as seeming opposites, both discover how suited they are for the other and when they finally do compromise, it feels more even handed and something done for love rather than one or the other giving in.

One thing that I did get tired of is the repetition of Julian’s “Me Great Scottish Warrior. Have pair the size of grapefruits.” chest beating and testosterone oozing. Kate jokes that she almost believes Julian would whip it out and start peeing on the park grounds to stake his claim and I don’t think she’s too far off. I think Julian’s watched “Braveheart” a few too many times.

Still I finished the book with the feeling that Kate has a kilt in her future – and will be happy about that – and that Julian is going to end up cheerfully wearing his pantaloons and cravat to future JARRS events. And that’s why I read romance novels.

~Jayne

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I have a lot of news today so I will try to be short. Pithy.

Harry Potter digital books will be sourced through Overdrive and available for lending for five years. At that time, the libraries will need to repurchase the digital copies. Source: Library Journal

Google decided to kick out affiliates that weren’t making any money. That included me, but I didn’t care because I don’t think I made one Google sale but then again, I don’t recall putting up an actual Google affiliate link. Does anyone actually use it? I guess some indie bookstores did and they got kicked out and were steamed. Google reversed itself yesterday. Source: PW

Elsevier is a major research publisher, possibly the largest scholarly publisher. It supported the Research Works Act which would reduce public access to scholarly works even if the works were, in part, publicly funded Many noted scholars did not like this and began to boycott, stating that they would refuse to publish with an Elsevier arm. Under pressure, Elsevier reversed its position, pulled its support from the RWA, and now, like magic, the bill is no longer under consideration having been pulled by its sponsors. Source: Alexander Howard’s Google+ Post.

This Publisher’s Marketplace article may shed some light on Amazon’s shenanigans. Perseus Books Group and National Book Network (NBN) have agreed to pay a 3% coop fee which essentially goes towards promoting their books on the internet shelf. There is also an increased fee for ebook conversion if a publishing house can’t manage to create its own digital book files. (Hint, move to an XML workflow)

Digital books make up a fifth of sales for Penguin and 12 percent globally for Pearson. Source: Paid Content Pearson made $3 billion from digital revenue last year, which, according to 2010 comparison, means that it accounts for nearly a third of all revenue.

Following the pattern set earlier this month by Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group reported a slight decline in total revenue for 2011, but an increase in earnings. On a reported basis, sales fell 1%, to £1.04 billion, but adjusted operating profit rose 5%, to £111 million. The increase was led by Penguin Group USA which had increases in sales, profits and operating margins.

Source: PW

Print sales down, ebook sales up. I should just copy and paste this every month. According to the AAP statistics, for December ebook sales were up 72.1% and mass market sales were down 40.9%, trade paperback sales down 11.9% and hardcovers down 11.8%. Part of the mass market decline could be reflected in the increase in children/YA titles up 12.3%. Anyone who has visited the bookstore or grocery store of late can see YA titles taking up shelf space that used to be dominated by mass market romance titles. Source: MediaBistro

I’m not sure if this is good for international readers or not. (I’m going with not) Kristin Nelson reports that she isn’t selling as many rights to UK market. Instead the UK booksellers are buying US stock and reselling it. Sometimes that means that authors are creating digital editions and self publishing it abroad, but it also means reduced access to books for international readers. Gah, so frustrating.

Goodreads put together a post on how publishers and authors can get their books in front of readers. One of the ways is to get a book on a list. I’ve definitely used lists in the past.

Samhain is no longer using Paypal to pay authors. I was told that it is because of the increased transactional cost to use a third party payment processor instead of just cutting direct checks. This is not related to any Paypal crackdown but an internal business decision. Authors who live abroad are upset about this because of the bank fees that are incurred by cashing a US check in a bank overseas. In some cases, if the royalty check is small, the bank fees could eat the entire amount. Some authors are looking into opening U.S. bank accounts or other alternatives to accepting a US check and having to cash it out overseas. Any suggestions?

Deals

Refurbished Kindle Fires for $169

This is a self published book and I have no idea if it is any good but through a series of emails and misunderstandings based upon my ineptitude, I felt like I should post the deal:

• The Memory of You by Laurie Kellogg * $0.99 * A | BN | K | S

Elizabeth Lowell’s Only Series

• Winter Fire by Elizabeth Lowell * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Only His by Elizabeth Lowell * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Only Mine by Elizabeth Lowell * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Only You by Elizabeth Lowell * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Autumn Lover by Elizabeth Lowell * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S

Hachette * Forever/Orbit

• Dark Deceptions by Dee Davis * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Shadow Play by Erin Kellison * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Going Cowboy Crazy by Katie Lane * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• A Madness of Angels: Or The Resurrection of Matthew Swift by Kate Griffin * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S

Kensington (most are older debut titles)

Preorder specials:

• Shadow Play by Erin Kellison * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• The Duchess of Love by Sally MacKenzie * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S

• The Highlander’s Bride by Michele Sinclair * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Tangled Hearts by Phoebe Conn * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• The Duchess of Love by Sally MacKenzie * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Every Night I’m Yours by Christie Kelley * $2.39 * A | BN | K | S
• His Captive by Diana Cosby * $2.39 * A | BN | K | S
• To Tempt A Scotsman by Victoria Dahl * $2.39 * A | BN | K | S
• Nothing But Scandal by Allegra Gray * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• What a Scoundrel Wants by Carrie Lofty * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Mistress of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Spy Candy by Gina Robinson * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• One Real Cowboy by Janette Kenny * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Secrets of a Duchess by Kaitlin O’Riley * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• The Conqueror by Kris Kennedy * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Falling in Love by Pauline Trent * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Too Hot for a Spy by Pearl Wolf * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• My Wicked Pirate by Rona Sharon * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Midnight Eyes by Sarah Brophy * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Renegade by Sarah Parr * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Risk Everything by Sophia Johnson * $2.42 * A | BN | K | S
• Passionate by Anthea Lawson * $2.51 * A | BN | K | S
• Project Daddy by Kate Perry * $2.51 * A | BN | K | S
• A Knight’s Vow by Lindsay Townsend * $2.51 * A | BN | K | S
• Lost in You by Alix Rickloff * $2.55 * A | BN | K | S
• Lord Sin by Kalen Hughes * $2.55 * A | BN | K | S
• Mastering the Marquess by Vanessa Kelly * $2.55 * A | BN | K | S
• Ghost of a Chance by Flo Fitzpatrick * $2.58 * A | BN | K | S
• Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell * $2.58 * A | BN | K | S
• Realm of Shadows by Shannon Drake * $2.58 * A | BN | K | S
• Dark Whispers by Samantha Garver * $2.69 * A | BN | K | S
• His Conquest by Diana Cosby * $2.87 * A | BN | K | S
• The Highlander by Heather Grothaus * $2.87 * A | BN | K | S
• Highland Dragon by Kimberly Killion * $2.87 * A | BN | K | S
• One Week as Lovers by Victoria Dahl * $2.87 * A | BN | K | S
• A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure by Victoria Dahl * $2.87 * A | BN | K | S
• Every Move She Makes by Beverly Barton * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• As Good as Dead by Beverly Barton * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• The Fifth Victim by Beverly Barton * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Sinful Surrender by Beverly Kendall * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• What a Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Lipstick and Leather by Cheyenne McCray * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Silk and Spurs by Cheyenne McCray * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Every Time We Kiss by Christie Kelley * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Lord of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• The Guest List by Fern Michaels * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Highland Captive by Hannah Howell * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Lord Scandal by Kalen Hughes * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• Truth or Dare by Lori Foster * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
• To Wed a Highlander by Michele Sinclair * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S

Related posts:

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3. Friday News and Deals: Penguin Pulls Entire Digital Catalog From Libraries

Why did I decide to try your novella? It sounded cute, it has a sorta Christmas-y theme, and …..well, that’s it, actually. Yes, I know it’s now after Christmas but it’s still the Holiday Season so I figure I’m still good. Right?

Darcy Burkell and James Jones grew up together but both escaped their small Tennessee hometown. She now runs a travel agency while he’s a photographer. Six months ago, Darcy’s brother Chip hooked them up professionally and since then, James has done what he loves – traveling far and wide taking gorgeous photos which Darcy now uses in her travel brochures. The day before Darcy was planning to begin her drive home for the Holidays, James unexpectedly shows up and offers to drive with her. To Darcy, it was an “out of the blue” offer while to James it was the natural progression in the relationship he thought they were forging.

But Darcy’s got two issues that cause her to turn him down flat. One: She doesn’t like surprises and this one floors her. Two: She’s got claustrophobia – bad, bad claustrophobia and she doesn’t want James to find out because then he’ll pity her plus she knows there’s no hope of any relationship between them since he loves to travel and her traveling is limited to car rides with lots of pit stops.

Thus they find themselves on the same road home at the same time with the Weather Channel predicting a record snowfall/ice storm for the region. When the inevitable happens and traffic grinds to a halt on the now iced over Interstate parking lot, will these two find a way to stay warm without running car engines and using up gasoline? And what will James do when he discovers the real reason Darcy doesn’t want to date him?

I’m glad I read this book for a couple of reasons. I have this thing about the first book I read/finish in the new year. If it’s good, I take it as a positive sign for the year to come and for me this is a B+. So far, so good. Secondly, it’s funny. Darcy ogling James at the rest stop is funny, Darcy spilling jelly beans all over her car and in her bra is funny. Darcy and James’s truck rocking being interrupted by kindly, good Samaritans is hysterical. And the post Holiday scenes at both the Jones and Burkell households are family dynamics at their best – or worst, as the case may be.

The conflict between James and Darcy is certainly different, or at least I’ve never read it before. At first I thought Darcy was not giving James any benefit of the doubt but then the explanation of her past relationships illuminated her thought processes. James does seem to jump the gun about dating Darcy, and my, his family gets the bit between their collective teeth and runs with it, but I guess that just shows how much he cares for her in his guy way while maybe his family really wants to marry him off.

I did worry a bit when it appeared that James was going to try and force/strong arm/guilt Darcy into changing but she stands up for herself and James snaps out of his idiocy/thoughtlessness. And his apology was nicely done and neatly delivered. Although I’m not generally a fan of epilogues, this one is a beauty and ends the story delightfully. Yes, thanks to “Claustrophobic Christmas” I’m off to a good beginning for 2012. B+

~Jayne

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | All Romance eBooks

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3. Friday Film Review: 12 Men of Christmas

In the usual way of things, I am not a fan of the novella. Neither am I quite keen on the short story. I find both lacking in character, particularly in romance where that is the key to any relationship development. Neither the novella nor the short story offers an adequate length for the development of either of those two central aspects, in my experience. Or it does so rarely enough that I have come to view the novella with leery and suspicious gazes, especial those that are offered up in between books in a series.

However, I do like spinsters. This is because I am one. Being, like most people, supremely interested in anything having to do with myself I will nearly always read a story that features spinsters. And you provide bucket loads of them—a whole town full of them! This sparked my interest enough to overcome my perfectly sensible dislike for the novella. My liking for spinsters outweighed my dislike of the medium in which they were conveyed and thus I decided to give Once Upon a Winter’s Eve a try.

Violet Winterbottom has suffered a disappointment. It was such a disappointment that it took on a definite article and a capital “D”. The Disappointment resulted in Violet fleeing the ton to Spindle’s Cove, aka Spinster’s Cove, where those young ladies of quality who are awkward, scandalous, or otherwise de trop amongst Society may go for reprieve. Unfortunately, Violet’s reprieve is at an end. Tomorrow she must climb aboard a carriage and join her family for Christmas and then the Season.  Her last night in town coincides with a Christmas ball which features young men from the militia to dance with and the usual sorts of entertainments provided at balls. But the usual stops when quite unexpectedly—as these things usually are—a disheveled and bloody man stumbles into the ballroom, lurches across the room only to collapse at Violet’s feet, all the while muttering in a foreign tongue.

The militia is absolutely thrilled! England is at war (isn’t it always?) and a foreigner washed up on Sussex shores can only signal something is afoot. However, he is not speaking French. Violet, a polyglot, identifies the language as Breton, which happens to be in France and thus indicates that the unconscious man now at Violet’s feet may be a spy.

He also may be something or someone else all together. Though he claims, quite insistently, that he is Corentin Morvan, a humble farmhand there is something rather familiar about his eyes. The nose is different, yet . . . Violet is unsure what to believe. After all, her suspicions are rather incredible. When Corentin comes around, he manages to convince Violet that he will only speak if they are alone. Wanting answers, Violet does just this and finds herself running about Spindle’s Cove with an outlaw in the dead of night as a result.

I couldn’t figure out how to talk about this novella without giving away the mystery, so the rest of this review is going to contain spoilers.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Corentin Morvan is, of course, The Disappointment, also known as Lord Christian Pierce, the man who plucked Violet’s virginity last year and then ran off the next day to the West Indies without a word.  At least, that’s the story as Violet has understood it. In truth, due to his adept ability with languages and a need to make some meaning out of his brother’s death, he has become a spy posing as Breton farmhand who passes information back and forth between more important players in the game.

He’s also terribly in love with Violet and could not bear to leave England without kissing her. Christian is perfectly aware that he behaved like a cad. He’s also perfectly aware that Violet has no reason to trust his declarations of love. After all, he cannot even explain how he came to love her without bringing up some other girl.

Dash it, Christian couldn’t recall precisely when he’d begun to feel this deep affection for the quiet, unassuming girl next door. He could name the day he’d grown aware of it, but he suspected that tale would have only increased her pique.

The story involved another woman.

And it took place in a ballroom, much like the one Violet marched him to right now. At one of his parents’ more scandalous masquerades, he’d been flirting with some demimonde—for no particular reason. She was a painted bulls-eye, and all the young men took a shot at her. And she’d said to Christian, with the smile of a practiced coquette, I shan’t waste my time with you. You’re a puppy. You’ll pant and slaver over me for a while, but then you’ll grow up and be faithful to a girl like her.

And she’d tipped her fan toward the corner occupied by Violet Winterbottom.

Marry? Marry Violet Winterbottom?

Christian had laughed long and loudly, dismissing the notion out of hand. But the notion, impertinent thing that it was, wouldn’t be dismissed. It clung to him, hovered around him like a puff of cheroot smoke as he went about his nights of revelry with friends. Eventually, he’d stopped staying out so late and started waking earlier to take the dogs for their morning run.

And to see Violet.

Because suddenly, he’d begun to truly see Violet. To appreciate what a clever, thoughtful woman she’d become. She had a real gift for languages—which he recognized, being quite handy with them himself. And she liked a challenge.

As for Violet, she isn’t at first entirely sure whether or not this man is The Disappointment. And when she becomes sure of his identity, she still is uncertain as to his feelings. After all, she gave away her virtue with nary a protest last year and look how her trust was rewarded. She isn’t inclined to make the same mistake twice.

One of the reasons that I think this novella is strong is because the hero and heroine have a history together. It is very difficult for me to believe that two people who have just barely met and for whom very little time has passed could possibly be truly in love let alone love each other. My god! The number of times I have met someone, had a few drinks with them and then became absolutely convinced that so-and-so was my new Bestie Forevah! is really too many times to count. The exact number of times that such an evening out has resulted in a BFF is exactly zero. Obviously, one cannot regard one incredible twenty-four period as a sign of anything but a moment. But this book avoids that pit fall, instead giving Violet and Christian a past in which they slowly came to know each other over conversations in which they learn about each other.  This makes the ensuing romance both more believable and more interesting. That is, the obstacles they must overcome are twofold: not blowing Christian’s cover and earning back Violet’s trust.

Speaking of Violet, what a very likable heroine! She’s clever and funny and full of self-doubt. She’s not pathetic, which can be a problem with spinsters in romance. Nor is she feisty, which can be a problem with heroines in general. I enjoyed the way she thought about her past. It was tinged with pain and humor simultaneously—as can be seen by her calling Christian, The Disappointment. In fact, it was the way Violet approached the problem of Christian that was the most likeable thing about her. When she wasn’t sure who he was, her thoughts reflected what I considered to be an intelligent amount of doubt, not only for her own senses and her own imagination, but also doubt of her doubt. That is, she consistently re-evaluated the situation, as unlikely as it was, as new information came in.

She rose and went to a table where the maids had laid out tea service. As she poured a fragrant, steaming cupful, her mind churned.

It was easy enough to explain how he’d learned her name. But that didn’t explain the intensity in his eyes. It didn’t explain the way he affected her, deep inside.

It didn’t explain the eerily familiar freckle beneath his left ear.

Violet. I would cross a world for you.

The memory sent a frisson chasing over her skin.

It was impossible, unthinkable. But the more she observed and spoke with the man, the more she felt certain he was The Disappointment.

She closed her eyes. Time to stop hiding from that name.

She felt certain he was Christian. There were differences, yes. But the similarities were so numerous, and her reaction to him so strong, she was starting to believe it must be him.

And yet—if he were Christian, what was he doing here, and not in the West Indies? Why would he bother to row into the cove, trudge across fields, and claim to be a Breton farmhand? He could have simply pulled up in the drive, knocked at the door, and said, “I’m Lord Christian Pierce, third son of the Duke of Winford.” It’s not as though he would have difficulty speaking to Violet, if he wished to. And he hadn’t wished to—not in almost a year.

Christian would not have crossed a world for her. He couldn’t even be bothered to cross the square and bid her a proper farewell.

As she stirred sugar into her tea, she stole another look at the dark, intriguing man lashed to a chair. Perhaps even he didn’t know who he was. Perhaps he was stark raving mad, or suffering from amnesia.

She let the spoon fall to the tray, exasperated with her mind’s wild contortions. “Truly, Violet,” she muttered to herself. “Amnesia?”

She returned to her chair, not knowing what to think, nor even what to hope.

I do like a heroine that thinks.

Overall, I enjoyed this novella. It struck the right balance in the development of characters and relationship over the short period of time it was set (a night) and in the shorter medium of the novella. However, I do think that the latter half lost the friction and emotional tension that characterized the first parts. The latter scenes focused more on getting Christian back to his ship and figuring out what to do about their relationship than the emotional tension that such a history would leave in its wake. It felt a little uneven to me emotionally as a consequence. This, however, is a negligible complaint.

By giving Violet and Christian a past history together, what we see in this story is the final consummation (Har! Har!) or realization of that previous relationship. It is just the sort of story that is perfect to curl up with between wrapping presents and enduring visiting relations. B+

Lazaraspaste

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

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3. REVIEW: Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare

Look for deals at the end of the post.

****

Seth Godin has a list of publishers that are supporting SOPA, a bill that many internet supporters believe will allow large corporations to cut off content access for individuals.  SOPA is up for a vote tomorrow.  SOPA will allow copyright holders to have an entire URL blocked  if one part of the URL is hosting illegal material.  For example, if there is a book trailer posted by an author that contains copyrighted photos or music, the copyright holder could have everyone’s access to YouTube blocked.  This is what Viacom wanted in its suit against YouTube and ultimately lost. Proponents of the bill argue that it will never be used to block access that citizens enjoy and that it is only a measure designed to target overseas sites but the language of the bill is so broad and overreaching that any copyright holder could enforce these actions against sites like Etsy, YouTube, Google, Twitter, and so on.

The bill gives the right to any copyright holder to serve a notice on Etsy and have Etsy’s connection to the internet suspended:

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods, where users can set up a storefront and create listings for things they’ve made.  There are over 800,000 active “shops” filled with these handmade goods — far too many for Etsy to monitor manually. Further, because of the eclectic nature of goods listed, it’s difficult to technically filter through the objects listed.

All that means that it’s not feasible for Etsy to proactively prevent listings that may be perceived to violate US copyright or trademark law.  That’s a problem, because  under SOPA, anybody who is a “holder of an intellectual property right harmed by the activities” of even a portion of the site, could serve Etsy’s payment processors with a notice that would require them to suspend Etsy’s service within 5 days. That means that a trademark violation in one of the storefronts could lead to payment suspension across the entire site.

It’s not that people don’t want to protect copyright but that the language in SOPA is too overbroad.  It’s not going to affect sites like DA because we don’t allow you to upload pictures or music or books but it can easily affect any site that does allow that such as photo sites, social media sites, internet commerce sites.

Boing Boing has an easy to use form that will allow you to contact your representatives and share with them your thoughts about SOPA.

****

Samhain has launched its Retro Romance line with some very attractive pricing. I’m not sure whether this is attractive to authors, but as a reader, I’m a fan.  From the press release:

According to Heather Osborn, Editorial Director, the program is in line with the desire of many authors to find new readers for old favorites—without the challenge of self-publishing. “With the proliferation of eBook readers, authors know they can quickly reach a new audience with their books, but self publishing still has inherent challenges for authors who prefer to spend more time writing than promoting,” explained Osborn. “For authors who have older titles and want to release them digitally, but don’t care to act as their own cover artist, production assistant, editor, or distributor, Samhain’s Retro Romance line is an ideal solution. We take on the work of scanning print books into digital files, copy editing, formatting into all of the various digital formats, creating beautiful cover art, advertising and promotion – and supply authors with a robust built-in distribution. It’s a win-win.”

The line, which launched Dec. 13, includes the following authors and titles:

• Sharon DeVita, Heavenly Match
• Kate Donovan, Game of Hearts
• Patricia Hagan, Love and War
• Karen Kay, Lakota Surrender
• Debra Mullins, Once a Mistress

To learn more about Retro Romance, visit us online at www.samhainpublishing.com/retro-romance.htm.

Now the important stuff for the reader.  The price points of this line is as follows:

*****

An unhappy reader sent me a link to a blog post by Echelon, a publisher of romances. I think I’ve heard of them but I can’t say I’ve read a book published by them. In any event, the publisher is unhappy that readers aren’t reviewing more and points out that she reviews books that she publishes.  What’s wrong with you lazy readers?  You pay for the book and should review them too.  Echelon is giving away a Kindle Touch once 50 reviews are posted to one random reviewer.

****

Romance at Random has a monthly shopping list in text form.  You can check out the one maintained at Dear Author if you like the pretty covers.

*****

Taken by the Cowboy by Julianne MacLean is All Romance eBooks free book of the day.

Anthea Lawson emailed that her debut self published YA is on sale for $.99 through December 18.

Harlequin’s coupon of the day is E5DOLL11 for $5 off the purchase of one Harlequin eBook. You can check this post for recommendations.

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You’ve done it again. While Bad Boyfriend is perhaps not as perfect (to my mind) as No Souvenirs, I much prefer it to Bad Company. The book focuses on two fascinating men and their relationship with each other and with those that surround them. There’s no intrigue, no mystery. There’s just people trying to live life without getting hurt too much. Eli and Quinn just jump off the page from the first time they touch and they don’t let go until their book is done.

The book opens with Quinn having sex with Peter, his boyfriend of ten years, for the first time in four months. The next day, Peter leaves him because he’s getting married to the woman he got pregnant two months prior. Not only is Quinn in Peter’s wedding to  Chrissy, who has no idea about Quinn’s history with Peter, but she asks Quinn to be the baby’s godfather. So the story really starts the night before the baptism. Quinn’s at the local gay bar with his friend:

“I’m not still in love with him if that’s what you’re saying.”

“So prove it. Put an end to this insanity with a big fuck you.”

“Like how?”

“Show up tomorrow with a drag queen on your arm and ask Peter if he thinks she makes your dick look bigger.” [This is totally one of the reasons I read your books, Ms. Mitchell, for lines like this. Beautiful.]

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“His family. They’ve always been good to me. I couldn’t—” He hadn’t worried about losing touch with Peter’s brother Dennis. They went back too far for that, had been through too much in the Academy together, but he’d thought losing Peter meant losing the rest of the Laurents too—cracking on pop culture with Peter’s sister Alyssa, war games with Peter’s dad, and worst of all, losing Peter’s mom. Claire had welcomed him, mothered him, from the first time Dennis had brought him home on their break from the Academy. Two weeks after Peter moved out, Claire had called to tell him her son’s business was his own, but as far as she was concerned, Quinn was still a member of her family. He couldn’t humiliate them in church like that. [This is the -- very believable because fully explained -- motivation for much of the story. Peter's family is more important to Quinn than Peter is by this point. They're the only family he has and they love him for who he is, whether or not Peter left him.]

But the idea of showing up with a date, a very obviously gay date, someone who Peter would have to notice, got entrenched in Quinn’s brain.

So Quinn finds Eli. Eli is friends with Nate and Kellan, the heroes of Bad Company (Bad Boyfriend stands alone but it’s a little bit richer if you’ve read Bad Company first). Eli is 22 (Quinn is 35). Eli has never not been out, he’s never been able to hide who he is:

Eli had always been out. He didn’t really know how to make it a question of what he was willing to talk about. People took one look at him and knew he was gay. Not for the first time he thought it was a lot harder to look like Quinn, stupid little ponytail and all.

So he works it instead:

Being fuckable was something Eli aspired to every second of the day.

"[He's] A man whore. He hit on me.”

Dennis rolled his eyes.

It was Eli’s turn to fold his arms. “I’ll have you know most gay guys find me hot.”

Dennis looked like he was trying to figure out why.

Anyway…]

So Quinn approaches Eli to ask him to go to the baptism in the morning and somehow gets sidetracked into the hottest sex he’s ever had. The hottest sex Eli has ever had to. And something I haven’t read before in a m/m romance (although maybe I’m not looking hard enough):

He slid his hand down the muscle-ridged torso and landed on what he’d already felt rub on his belly. The fat length of Quinn’s dick stretched up to just under the waistband of his jeans. Eli stroked and let the inside of his wrist find the damp head pushing up past the denim.

“Ooo, Daddy,” Eli purred. “Is this all for me?”

Quinn didn’t stop smiling, but he looked like now they were both in on the joke. “Only if you’re a good boy.”

“Oh, I’m always good.”

Yes, Quinn and Eli get each other off with Daddy kink (I can’t find an explanatory link that’s not fanfic related). FWIW, Daddy kink is not in the slightest age-play or incest-play, or at least it’s not in this book. It’s an older, more dominant man with a younger, submissive man, using “Daddy” and “boy” as their sex-related nicknames. And in this book it’s completely fucking hot.

And…that’s really the book. Quinn and Eli have to find their way to each other, despite the hot sex, despite Quinn’s attachment to Peter’s family, despite Eli’s abandonment issues. Quinn has to appreciate the joy and heat Eli brings to his life, while Eli has to trust that Quinn will never let him go.

This book not only has the best one-liners; it also has some of the best, most deeply personal relationship-related lines:

Every game Eli had played, tied spread-eagle, a hand or paddle bruising his ass, a flogger stinging into his crack, nothing had ever forced surrender on him like this deep, gentle fuck from Quinn. Eli had thought he liked to give up control, take a break for awhile and let a man push sensation onto his body. This was different.

Terrifying.

Because this was what it was like to really lose control. To let Quinn inside, to let him make Eli feel so much more than the amazing sensations of bodies together.

And inside that surrender was safety. Quinn around him, voice in his ear whispering, “I’ve got you. Let me make you feel good, honey.”

But really, one of the best expressions of love I’ve ever read is when Quinn desperately tells Eli:

And even if you end up breaking my heart, I won’t mind, if I get to have you in my life for awhile.

::melt::

This review is much more about impressions than a solid narrative of my reading experience because that’s what it feels like to read it. I’ve read this book at least four times, and each time I read it I get a different, deeper impression of how Quinn and Eli fit together so perfectly, how they work perfectly, how they become better people together by becoming more themselves. It’s easy just to remember the kinky sex, but each time I reread it, the lines I go back to again and again are about the relationship, not the sex.

Problems? First, Quinn and Eli have the big scene in which they figure each other out, figure their relationship out, and then…there’s one last scene with Peter and his family. And while it was a necessary scene for finishing up the loose ends of the story, I vaguely wish the emotional climax (hur hur) finished the book instead. I see why it had to happen that way, and I usually love to see characters just being together with a full understanding of their love for each other, but Quinn had already had his “I feel nothing for Peter anymore” scene before the final two scenes, so this seemed a bit too much.

And second, Peter was just…so fucking selfish I don’t understand how Quinn managed to miss it for so long or how Peter managed not to be an asshole for long enough that Quinn stayed with him. I get that it’s stress that really brings out the worst (or best) in people, so we’re seeing him at his worse, but there needed to be some redeeming something to make me understand why Quinn stayed for so long.

But overall, I adore, once again, how you let the reader work things out for ourselves. You don’t force-feed us the characters’ motivations; you don’t even spoon-feed us. You let us figure it out as the characters do. And that helps me know, viscerally, that these characters are utterly made for each other.

Grade: A-

Best regards,
-Sarah

P.S. OMG, that cover’s brilliant. Those two men are perfect for Eli and his attitude and for Quinn and his smile.

Goodreads | Amazon | nook | Sony | Kobo

Related posts:

1. JOINT REVIEW: Bad Company by K.A. Mitchell
2. REVIEW: Regularly Scheduled Life by K.A. Mitchell
3. REVIEW: Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell

All she wants for Christmas is him. All he wants is everything…for her.

Urban Fairytales, Book 3

As Christmas bears down on Eric Athers’s empty wallet, one question plagues him: What to get the love of his life when he has less than nothing?

It doesn’t help that his wife, Nia, who works extra shifts to support him through his medical residency, practically glows with holiday spirit. Her determination to put the “Merry” in Merry Christmas only serves as a painful reminder of everything he’s unable to provide for her.

Nia loves her husband to distraction, and she can’t for the life of her figure out how someone so smart can be so dumb when it comes to something as simple as a little holiday. Christmas is so much more than presents and shopping malls.

All she has to do is show her own personal Scrooge that the best gifts come from the heart.

Dear Ms. Matthews,

The reason I chose to read your Christmas novella is that it seemed cute, about characters who aren’t billionaires and might just be about the real Christmas spirit instead of the “how much money did you spend on me?” mentality. Well, parts of it are sweet and sexy hot while one aspect seems firmly rooted in fantasy land.

I love Nia, almost as much as Eric seems to and I can fully understand why he went all out to win her love as soon as he met her. She’s smart, lovely, hawt, filled with joy and gets genuine happiness from her pitiful little Christmas tree. Eric seems like a downer at times compared to her. There were times I wanted to shake him and say, “Lighten up, man. If the puny tree makes her happy, why harsh on it?” Though he does put the left over ribbon and decorations to good use in a smoking love scene.

Showing how broke the Athers are as they struggle to pay off student loans is a slice of ‘young doctor reality’ that I perversely enjoyed seeing. Eric and his best bud Dominic Choy appear to be dedicated doctors although if they have enough time to take an hour lunch break and actually leave the hospital they have far too much free time on their hands to be residents. They also discuss Eric’s relationship woes a whole lot for men but this does allow for Eric’s breakthrough with his past and why he needs to let some of it go.

The nod to O’Henry’s famous short story, “The Gift of the Magi” is wonderful though thank heavens that things work out better for the Athers than the well known twist ending to that story. Where I think this story takes flight into fantasy is in the amount of time Eric and Nia have to make love. This is an instance where RL knowledge interferes with my enjoyment of your smexy efforts. Too many of my friends are doctors and, one and all, told me that during the intern and early residency years, they would have sold their souls for more sleep much less the energy and time for sex.

I enjoyed watching Nia and Eric work out what’s really important in life and appreciate how realistic parts of this are. Bonus points for Nia being willing to get their fight resolved because we all know that marriage in real life is a lot of work along with the joy. I just wish that beginning doctors had this much time to devote to hot orgasms. B-

~Jayne

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | nook | Sony | Kobo

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I’ve developed a deep appreciation for New Zealand/Australian set books and when I saw this in the Samhain ARC listing, I requested it immediately. It is the first story of yours that I read.

The Christmas story set in New Zealand immediately caught my attention. Merle Cameron comes to visit her sister and begins an affair with her brother-in-law’s best friend and cousin, Napoleon (Neon) Carter. It seems like a perfect setup. The affair’s end is a date certain when Merle returns to England. This provides both of them with the luxury of enjoying themselves without the attendant messy emotional feelings. This a lighthearted, sexy read but a totally enjoyable one.

Merle is a university lecturer (and I’m really not sure what that is in the UK as opposed to the US or even New Zealand). She has been caring for her mother who underwent a bout with breast cancer and has had little time for frivolity. Merle is spending a vacation with her sister, Bree, in New Zealand. She’s a bookish woman, having spent much of her life focused on trying to fulfill her very needy mother’s every whim. This vacation is as much an opportunity to relax and unwind as it is to visit her sister, Bree and Bree’s new husband, Jake.

Neon Carter is a firefighter who isn’t ready to settle down. He’s not opposed to getting married and having a family and is somewhat envious of his cousin Jake’s newlywed happiness. He complains to Jake that every woman suffers from tinnitus (ringing in their ears). “It just seems that with every woman I’ve been out with recently, we get to the third date and they start discussing the colour of the bridesmaids’ dresses.” Neon is sure that finding the right woman will take more than three weeks of dating even though Jake reports spending all of thirty minutes before realizing that he wanted to marry Bree.

My favorite part of the book was the realistic but funny dialogue between the characters whether it was Bree teasing Merle or Jake and Neon trading quips or sly interchanges between Merle and Neon. There were travelogue portions of the story which I found a bit dull. I also thought that the story could have delved deeper into the emotional conflicts such as the differences in intellect or social status. Merle delivers a slight insult to Neon early on when she is surprised by a Shakespeare reference. Neon is a firefighter and Merle is college professor (or something like it). Merle is puritanical compared to Neon and lacks self confidence of the women whom Neon dated in the past. Despite these issues, the largest looming emotional issue was Merle’s relationship with her mother. I wished I had seen more of how the mother had her hooks into Merle and why because the mother dictated the course of much of Merle’s life and I didn’t see Merle as a woman without backbone.

The dueling bets that Neon and Merle made with Jake and Bree over whether one could seduce the other were silly and if the genre wasn’t so replete with the “bet” perhaps the inclusion of the bets wouldn’t seem so stale. It could have been used as a joke throughout the story and that would have been a nice insider nod to a romance staple, but instead the “bet” was used unevenly throughout to cause minor emotional flares or provide a reason for the two to be indecisive about the relationship.

While Merle may not have had a lot of experience dating hot firemen in the past I was glad that the story didn’t dwell on that type of insecurity. That would have been a common and easy path instead, it focused on the geographic differences. No matter how easy it is to resolve the class or societal differences, Merle was from England and her sick mother, manipulative, neurotic mother, needed her. I liked the upbeat, modern tone of this book with the fun dialogue topped off with steamy love scenes. Christmas on the beach is irresistible. B-

Best regards,

Jane

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | nook | Sony | Kobo

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It’s no secret that I love your very British voice, your brilliant characters, all completely different from each other, and your wonderful stories. So I was excited to see you had another story out. And part of me thinks this one is different from your others, but then, I don’t think you really have a “style” or a theme you keep coming back to, or a particular way of writing.

This book is a Gothic romance. It’s a contemporary-set m/m Gothic with some fascinating twists, but it felt to me like the characters were being pushed to act in or even to BE certain ways in order to fulfill the Gothic conventions and requirements. The characters were true to themselves, don’t get me wrong. They don’t act out of character at all — I think you’re too good an author for that. It’s just that their personalities are constructed to fill a particular role in the novel, rather than constructed organically.

Will Golding is visiting his old summer vacation place, the Isle of Wight, with his best friend Edward Barrie, or Baz. They’re there because Baz, a journalist, is supposedly researching a book about ghosts on the island. Except he’s not really. What he’s really researching is a notorious, decades-old murder/suicide, but he doesn’t tell Will that. Will is a personal trainer in London and he’s had a crush on Baz for years. They’re friends with very occasional benefits (almost entirely Will blowing Baz and Baz reciprocating with a handjob). Will knows he’ll never get more but was looking forward to the week with Baz nonetheless. So he’s pretty ticked off when Baz immediately takes up with a woman at the campsite they’re at.

The first night on the island, Will sees a “ghost” swimming in the ocean. He realizes later, when Baz interviews him, that his “ghost” was really horror writer Marcus Devereux, owner of the local “house on the hill.” Will thought Marcus was a “ghost” because Marcus has albinism, which means he doesn’t go out during the day because it’s too bright for his eyes…but also because he suffers from severe social anxiety. Marcus is also kept virtual prisoner by his guardian, Leif, who is very overbearing, even when he’s not there, keeping Marcus psychologically isolated.

The problem with the story is that Baz is an asshole, Will’s a bit thick, and Marcus is a shrinking violet who can’t stand up to his overbearing guardian. I liked Will and Marcus when they were fumbling their ways to each other. Suffering from social anxiety as he does, Marcus isn’t very good with people. So he attempts to reconstruct a scene he had with Will:

But while he was supposed to be writing about scary things happening, all he could think about was Will. He kept turning the evening’s conversation over in his mind. Had he behaved reasonably? Damn it. Pretend this was a scene in a book. A conversation between two characters. Call them…call them Martin and Bill. How would one expect the reader to react to Martin’s behavior?

Marcus started to type.

Scene: Bill has just helped Martin, in manner of Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility (is this foreshadowing? Might Bill turn out to be Willoughby-type rogue and/or cad?)

Martin: Thanks for helping me. Why don’t you come in for a drink?

Bill: Thanks, I will.

Martin: *Leaps upon Bill and sexually harasses him*

Bill: Why don’t we get to know each other first? *Performs highly competent First Aid* Oh, and I think you should know my friend has been asking strange questions about you.

Martin: *In manner of outraged maiden aunt* Get out of my house and never darken my door again.

Oh God. Oh God Oh God Oh God. Marcus wanted to pull a cushion over his face. Maybe he’d suffocate and die and not have to live with this excruciating embarrassment… He’d been an idiot. Will must think…Oh God, Marcus did not want to dwell on what Will must think of him.

Marcus and Will together are sweet, endearing, and funny. Will is utterly unable not to be perfectly forthright. If something’s bothering, he comes right out with it. Marcus is trying to figure out how to have a relationship. Will thinks Marcus is beautiful, Marcus loves how safe he feels with Will. They’re great together and I enjoyed those parts of the book.

But Baz is too much of an asshole and Will too much of an idiot when he deals with his friend, and Marcus too tentative with his guardian for me to enjoy the whole story. And there was too much mystery-type sleuthing of Baz and Will interviewing people all over the island about Marcus’s story. This is very well done, in fact — Marcus would never tell Will about the story, because he’s too private. He doesn’t have to break character for us to get the story, and that’s great. But it doesn’t really forward the relationship at all. Or tell us much else about Marcus’s and Will’s characters, besides the fact that Will is a bit too stupid to figure out what Baz is doing, which was just annoying.

And then the murder attempts start and it all just gets in the way of Will and Marcus together and I didn’t much care for it all. I still loved the two main characters, but I personally don’t like mysteries — go out of my way to avoid them — and this felt too much like a mystery to me. So if readers like mystery that’s more like suspense, actually, with a lot of Gothic thrown in, with their romance, they’ll probably jump all over this. I…don’t. But that’s me.

Grade: B-

Best regards,
-Sarah

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This is the first book in Six Pack Ranch series which, given that there are six boys in the Coleman family, means that each book will likely feature one of the Coleman brothers.  The oldest brother is Blake and this story has a friends to lovers theme.  While I liked the concept – young girl blossoms into a woman who knows her own mind and pursues the reluctant prey, err, man – much of the story involving the family seemed extraneous and strange.

Jaxi is a friend of the Coleman family. She grew up around the boys and is considered by many to be one of the family. Perhaps kissing cousin may be a better descriptor because at one point or another, all of the Coleman boys have kissed her or more.  All except the one that she wants, Blake.

“You and Jesse kissed Jaxi? At the same time?” Blake was still reeling from the thought. “Was this before or after she went out with Travis?”

“Before.” Joel plopped on the bench next to Blake. “I still don’t understand why she ever dated him. I know he’s our brother and all, but sometimes he’s such an ass. Of all the guys she could have gone to Grad with, why’d she pick him?”

“I still don’t believe she kissed you and Jesse. Together.”

“Well, it wasn’t her idea, Blake. We were rather insistent. And she kissed us one at a time. It’s not as if I want my lips right next to Jesse’s. I’m not into that.”

Daniel sat across from them on a stool and joined in. “I kissed her once.” Blake barely stopped his jaw from hitting the floor. “Yup, only it was kiss her or kill her. She rode Thunder without permission, and when she managed to get him back into the barn without getting killed, I kind of lost my head.” Daniel winked at Joel. “You’re right, she is a sweet kisser.”

Joel poked at Blake. “You ever kiss her?”

“No! Course not. She’s just a little girl. I’m surprised at you, Daniel. She’s five years younger than you.”

“If I had been fifteen and her only ten, it would be have been a problem,” Daniel said. “She was old enough and she knew what we were doing. I didn’t give her much choice in the matter either. Looks like you’re the only Coleman boy she hasn’t kissed yet, Blake. Maybe we’d better set you up or something.”

…..

“Oh, that. Matt kissed her when she was thirteen. She told me about it.” Joel shrugged. “We were all down at the swimming hole, and Travis was teasing her how she didn’t need to wear a girl’s swimsuit yet, that she could still join them like she had as a little tyke, shorts and nothing else. Matt stopped the ass from being himself, then escorted her home. Jaxi told me he talked about changes, and how she would be a beautiful woman and not to worry when and where things would grow. Then he kissed her. She didn’t remember exactly what he said because she’d been surprised but it was something about a kiss for the woman she was going to become.”

When mother of the Coleman brothers gets injured, Jaxi comes to the house to help with the household duties.  While there, several of the Coleman boys flirt with her at nearly every encounter.

I struggled with all of the text around the romance between Jaxi and Blake.  Why did the story start out with Jaxi fighting with Trevor Coleman?  Why was she even dating him?  She had purportedly known that she wanted Blake forever so why would she date his brother when she had no real interest in the brother?  Her excuse was that she was trying to find someone her own age but why the brother?  At one point, she even offers to give Trevor a blowjob just to get him alone. There are no other boys in the region?  Some of her interactions with the Coleman brothers had an uncomfortable tinge of harassment in that they were constantly after her for some kind of sexual contact even though she wanted them to leave her alone.

After dinner Matt tugged her aside. “You want to go to the children’s summer theater performance at the community hall this Wednesday?”

She hesitated, panic flooding her. Not Matt too. Sweet, considerate, usually insightful Matt. He excited her about as much as a bouquet of dandelions. The expression on her face must have shown her fear because he chuckled and quickly reassured her. “I don’t mean with me, Jaxi. Hell if you need that kind of complication in your life right now. Not to mention you know Helen would have my balls if I stepped out on her.”

Her muscles unclenched slowly as he patted her shoulder. A pat from him felt proper, caring and supportive. It wasn’t a cop-out like the treatment from Blake the other day. If any of the Colemans was a big-brother figure to her, it would be Matt.

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You are a new author to me. I am familiar with your name, as I have seen many good reviews of your work. So when I saw that your next book was the Persephone myth retold as an erotic romance storyline, and because the price was right, I purchased. I’m happy to say I was pleased with my purchase.

Hot As Hades opens up with Persephone dropping onto Hades’s lap in the Underworld. She’s naked and has no clue why she is there, and he’s quite happy that she’s naked and in his lap until he finds out that she is Demeter’s daughter. Then he’s angry at her presence and that he was lusting after her. Persephone  is attracted to Hades, but she’s just as confused at how she showed up in the Underworld. It turns out that both of them are being manipulated – Zeus has transported Persephone into the Underworld to hide her for her own good. Now she and Hades must fight their growing attraction to each other.

Seeing as this is an erotic romance, they don’t fight very hard. They soon become lovers and it builds into a more romantic relationship. Persephone is very much not a victim in this story. While she is outclassed power-wise, she has strengths of her own and is quick to give her opinion to Hades. Even though he’s quite blustery, he doesn’t scare her or intimidate her.  She has interest in everything the Underworld has to offer, and doesn’t shy away from the uglier aspects of the kingdom. Hades appreciates Persephone’s strong personality, as most people are frightened of him. And when they decide to have sex, it’s Persephone that instigates the physical relationship.

There were parts of this story that were very amusing. Hades had several funny lines, while Persephone was more of a straight (wo)man.

She beamed as she pushed back her chair and stood. “You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

He was fairly certain that “fellatio” was not the answer she was looking for.

I liked that this was a very lighthearted and modern flavored romance between the two gods. The way their powers and immortality worked was not explained much, nor the time frame. Both characters spoke with very modern slang and the clothing and settings were modern at times. It was difficult for me to parse the setting, and after a bit I gave up and just enjoyed the ride.

There was one sour note for me that was brought up in the story – Persephone as Demeter’s  (adopted) daughter. Demeter is also Hades’s sister. This makes Hades the love interest and uncle both. While the characters bring this up repeatedly in the beginning and the reader is reminded there is no blood relation between the two or a prior familial relationship,  it made me uncomfortable each time it was brought up. I couldn’t help but think that if this was a contemporary romance, we’d be venturing into Jerry Springer territory.

Overall,  a nice, fun, sexy brief read with only one false step. B for me.

All best,

January

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I have been slowly working my way through your backlist titles, so when I came across the re-released, reasonably-priced digital edition of Bad Karma at the Kindle store, it shot to the top of my TBR list. I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the “psychic heroine” trope, but the interesting twists in Cleo’s characterization, as well as the undecorated prose style and dark emotional landscape of the book as a whole made me a believer.

Cleo Tyler fancies herself a fake psychic whose visions have always been frighteningly real. She’s been having dreams, too, which recreate the terror of the Halloween night her fiancé was killed in the car accident that merely threw her from the car, her injuries as yet unseen. In the weeks that followed the accident, the emotional hurt over losing Jordan and their unborn baby made her a virtual prisoner in her apartment, unable to eat or function, spending every moment trying to conjure Jordan’s ghost. After being rescued by her brother, she is finally back among the living, although to say she has recovered would be a massive stretch. Still, some folks have gotten it into their head that she can solve crimes, and after her visions led to the return of a missing child in California, she has garnered a reputation. Which is how she comes to be in Egypt, Missouri, posing as a blind woman so she can keep her dog, Premonition, with her on the train, and willing to do whatever is necessary to secure the money promised for finding the town’s missing master key.

Daniel Sinclair does not believe for a second that Cleo Tyler is psychic, and despite his momentary surprise at meeting an attractive blind woman with her service dog at the train, he is determined not to be taken in by such an obvious scam. He had seen a lot in Los Angeles, before he had to come back to take care of his developmentally challenged adult brother, Beau, following his mother’s death, and there is nothing new about this woman. Daniel is certain that there is no room in Egypt for this “Queen of the Scams.”

Still, Daniel feels a slight twinge when he takes her to the town’s only motel, a disheveled dive that “was like something from a Quentin Tarantino movie.” Maybe it is the way Cleo treats Beau “as an equal,” or the way Beau takes immediately to Cleo and her dog. Or it could be her “tumbling red curls” and “big, sleepy eyes,” and compelling blend of poise and fragility. Regardless, Daniel is certain that it won’t be long before Josephine Bennett, Egypt’s chief of police, realizes that Cleo is a fraud and this whole charade will be over.

Like the other Weir books I have read, Bad Karma is deceptively simple in its prose and profoundly tortured in its emotional substance. Cleo would rather have people believe she is a fraud than deal fully with the import of her involuntary visions. At one point she explains to Daniel that “people need to believe in something…That they have control. Because the alternative, that life is random and nobody is in control, is just not acceptable.” And yet Cleo perpetually struggles to feel in control. For one thing, she’s drifting. She has a linger eating disorder that makes little besides milk palatable to her; the color orange triggers panic attacks; and the chronic dreams of that Halloween accident keep her from sleep. And once she arrives in Egypt, she is also getting visions of something bad in a farmhouse that seem to have nothing to do with the missing master key. Daniel, on the other hand, seems to have everything under control. He feels responsible for his brother; he feels responsible to protect the people of Egypt from Cleo’s fraudulent game; and, once Cleo comes into his life, he even feels responsible for her, despite his bone-deep mistrust of her motives and her character.

I don’t want to give too many plot details away, in part because a large measure of the book’s appeal is in following a number of seemingly mundane details and plot and character threads until they reveal a deeper significance. In fact, Bad Karma is very much a book about facades. Not all facades are dishonest, even as they hide something else. For example, there are the facades of the romantic and suspense elements of the story. Daniel and Cleo must be in close proximity for their attraction to grow, and this is facilitated by a number of seemingly simple devices: Beau takes care of Premonition so he won’t have to live in that awful motel; Cleo has enough at one point and leaves town, forcing Daniel to go after her and bring her back; Cleo finds herself in danger and Daniel has to assist her, etc. Then there are the superficial details that make up the suspense portion of the book: Cleo is brought into town to find the master key but instead stumbles upon something darker; characters appear to be one thing but are really another; Daniel gets reluctantly drawn into the mystery and the tension mounts as he and Cleo move closer to uncovering the truth, etc.

All of these facades work simultaneously to hide and reveal deeper truths. For example, Cleo gives the superficial impression of aloof disdain for those who believe in her abilities, while underneath she is emotionally traumatized and volatile. Still, there are layers beneath that truth, as well, a deeper strength and perceptive intelligence that have made her more survivor than victim. Daniel, beneath the surface control, has his own emotional trauma from years as a California cop and coping strategies that tend toward smoking and drinking. As much as he fancies himself caretaker of his brother, in reality Beau is more suited to that role, and not only with Daniel. And like Cleo, Daniel’s own skepticism is more a scar over a broken heart than a true cynicism, and every encounter they have picks away at them:

He pressed her down until she was lying on her back, the fog swirling around them, enveloping them. At one point, he laughed, a low sound, full of wonder and delight, that filled her head, that melded perfectly with the tone of their coming together.

This time there was no anger. No resentment. No holding back. It was all sweet, open, aching vulnerability, a hoping, a wanting, a dreaming in a dark room with no walls, in a dark room with no color, with magic swirling about them.

Having a scar picked at is painful, though, and it makes the healing process more difficult and yet more urgent, as well. The challenge is to heal without just superficially covering up the hurt, and this process is complicated by all the ways in which the world is an insecure place, full of facades: a bucolic looking barn can hide all sorts of darkness; people leave; children are kidnapped, women are tortured and murdered. The world of this book is one in which love is not enough, but surviving without it seems impossible.

Bad Karma is not a light book, despite the wry humor that permeates the writing. Daniel and Cleo are damaged in real ways, and Cleo’s emotional injuries are especially deep and abiding. The only things that marred my enjoyment were the clichés that I never felt the narrative successfully rehabilitates, especially the use of Daniel’s brother Beau to reveal Daniel’s character and accelerate his emotional growth and the revelation of the true mystery Cleo’s visions uncover. Still, despite some of that narrative heavy-handedness, Bad Karma turned out to be good luck for me, breaking a small Romance reading slump. B+

~ Janet

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My blogging partner, Jayne, reviewed a few of your books and I always meant to see read them. When I was perusing the coming soon catalog I spotted the print release of Brand New Me and hopped right over to Amazon to order it. I spent the weekend reading the entire series. The reason why is because they are charming, sexy, and sweet.

For long time followers of Benjamin, this is the first book that doesn’t feature a Toleffson male as the hero but they appear, in full. Having not read the entire series, I didn’t miss the Toleffsons but I was totally intrigued by the writing and their brief appearances to go back and buy all four previous books.

Before I get into the book, I have give some backstory.  When I first started reading romance regularly, many of the books that I read were category romances I found at the library.  I remember fondly the Candlelight Ecstasy romances, the Rapture romances (who can forget the distinctive maroon covers?), but some of my favorites were Silhouette Desires written by Lass Small and Anne McAllister (McAllister’s are part of the Harlequin Treasury books if readers are interested in checking them out although my favorite – The Eight Second Wedding – is not yet digitized).  There is a sweetness and solidarity to the communities that they wrote about in the late 80s, early 90s.  This entire series kind of swept me back to those books, but in a really good way.  The town of Konisburg, Texas, is a modern version of those communities.  It’s still fairly homogenous (lots of Norwegians down there in Texas) but not as innocent.  The books are all pretty sexy, living up to trademark tongue in cheek warnings provided by Samhain.

This one comes with the following warning:

Warning: Contains dirty dancing, hot summer sex, a honky-tonk makeover, and one nippy iguana.

The honky-tonk makeover could be applied to Tom Ames, the hero; Deirdre Brandenburg, the heroine; or even Tom’s bar, Faro. They all undergo a change, one wrought by their shared experiences, their exposure to each other, and ultimately, the feelings that they develop.

Tom Ames is a man with a troubled past.  (cue the spaghetti western music)  Are you back? Allow it to play in the background.  Tom came to Konisburg a few years ago and claimed ownership of Faro, a bar with a bad reputation.  No one in Konisburg knows much about him and he’s not been eager to change that.  He does want to succeed and he’s joined the Konisburg Merchant Association to ingratiate himself with the townies, but it isn’t enough.  The town wets its whistle at the Dew Drop, a place that Tom describes as dark and dirty with the tap beer as bland as dishwater.  Tom’s an outsider and thus his bar, while attractive to tourists, is not frequested by Konisburgers.  (turn the music off now)

Deirdre Brandenburg has a fancy MBA and good business ideas but her father is a raging mysogonist.  His not so secret plan is to get her to marry his newest acquisition, a former Dallas Cowboy football player turned employee for Big John Brandenburg.  Deirdre decides she’s had enough of Big John, enough of the shithead football player who steals all her ideas and passes them off as her own, and leaves Houston and the family empire to pursue her dreams of being a coffee roaster.  Big John is enraged and cuts her off from nearly every cent that Deirdre has access to because she foolishly never took her dad’s name off the accounts he started for her so many years ago.

Deirdre takes herself off to Konisburg where her cousin Docia lives. It’s the perfect place for Deirdre to start a coffee roasting business.  The next best place to get roasted coffee is too far from Konisburg, a town that does a bustling tourist trade.  Deirdre can start there and move outward but starting is a problem when she has nearly no funds.  She gets a job waiting tables at Tom’s bar and leases a tiny space from Tom next door to the bar.  In between waiting tables, Deirdre starts her coffee roasting empire by, glamorously, cleaning and painting the space.

Big John is furious with Deirdre and orders the designated future son in law to get Deirdre back into the family fold by any means possible.

Tom and Deirdre both need a makeover.  Tom needs to figure out that being a loner isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be and Deirdre needs to learn to stand on her feet.  She’s had too much help and he’s not had enough.  I love how their character conflicts mirror and intersect.  (The title is also brilliant because, as stated previously, Tom, Deirdre and the bar, find themselves reborn).  While the standard make over trope is included here (Deirdre unleashes her inner bombshell), it was nicely offset by Tom’s emotional makeover.  Further, this book avoids some obvious traps for misunderstandings. Instead of hiding information from each other to “protect them”, both actually talk about things that happen, allowing the other to make decisions about what is going on in their own lives.

The bar family is wonderfully done with small sketches from the bossy female chef and the deceptively sleepy looking mountain of a bouncer to the troublesome regulars who come to Tom’s aid when he least expects it.  While Tom and Deirdre both think that the other is attractive, they don’t immediately fall upon each other like wolves who haven’t eaten in a week.  So why the B grade for this book?  It’s because the suspense element was disappointing and over the top in the end.  I thought the trouble that was brought into Tom and Deirdre’s lives was believable as it seemed to take on unintended consequences but the ending to that plot element was a disappointment. I also felt that the story could have gone deeper into developing some of the inadequacies that Tom felt. Those were painted with a light hand. There are multiple points of view in the story including from the “villain” but that didn’t bother me. It might be an irritant to other readers.  Still, after reading this book, I went and purchased all four previous Konisburg books.  For the record, this one and the first one: Venus in Blue Jeans, are my favorite.  I felt my $20+ was well spent.  B

Best regards,

Jane

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P.S. So the book is out in print now and it’s fairly pricey. I’m not sure what the word count is for this book but I am guessing it is over 80,000. My best advice is to go and read the sample at Amazon or Samhain. If you like the sample, I think you’ll like the book.

PPS.  A little excerpt. This is from the start of the book:

Tom Ames could never figure out the attraction of the Dew Drop Inn. It was dark. It was dirty. The beer on tap tasted like dishwater and the bottled stuff was overpriced. The barmaids looked like they ought to be performing community service, and they acted like they were.

Tom took a sip of his draft, holding back his grimace with an effort. Ingstrom, the owner, was watching him from the bar. No doubt he wondered why the owner of the Faro Tavern was in his place at five on a weekday. Maybe he thought Tom was trying to steal his trade secrets. Tom wondered briefly what trade secrets Ingstrom could lay claim to, besides the flattest beer he’d ever tasted.

….

The next booth held the Toleffsons, or two of them anyway. Tom squinted in the gloom, trying to identify which of the Toleffson brothers was sitting there tonight, given that they were all the same size—massive—and all had the same dark hair and eyes. He thought the one with his back to him was the County Attorney, Peter, and the other one was maybe the accountant, Lars. Lars Toleffson actually did Tom’s books, and he was damn good at it. But in the darkness of the Dew Drop, it was hard to tell who was who.

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Thank you for sending me a complimentary copy of this short story. Because it is short, I admit I don’t have much to say about it. When I was told that this book was connected to another short, “Silent Blade”, it made sense to read it and review it together. I had no problems reading “Silver Shark” as a stand alone should the readers wonder where to start. However, the couple in “Silent Blade” play a role in “Silver Shark” and thus scenes from “Silver Shark” serve as a kind of epilogue (complete with kids!) to the couple in “Silent Blade”. While both stories are set in New Delphi, Silver Shark takes the world building a different place. It could be argued that absent the New Delphi setting, these were two very different worlds.

One thing I think is wonderful, though, is the examination of the clan idea here. Andrews writes about this topic in all of her books, but most obviously in “On The Edge”, a book I enjoyed tremendously every time I read it. The clan is both powerful and protective, but it can also be stifling and dangerous. It can be a haven or a hell. In these shorts, I think you see both sides of the clan system and within the clan system, the niche that can be carved out for two special people.

Silent Blade

In a world where family meant everything, Meli excised herself from her clan to become their silent blade, an assassin that carries out threats on behalf of her family but because of her excision, the acts don’t reflect poorly on her family. The Galdes clan asks her to do a hit on Celino Carvanna because he is underbidding a project that the Galdes clan needs. The request is sweet because Celino Carvanna once broke Meli’s heart and led her to excision. Meli decides on a course of revenge that was surprising and held quite a bit of suspense. Would she kill him? Is there something worse than killing?

One thing that is remarkable in these shorts was the ease of the world building. I particularly liked the small details. This story and its sequel is a sexier, more romance oriented story than previous Andrews’ works. I thought that the sexuality of the story fit better here than in Silent Blade. The one problem I had Celino. I understood why Meli loved him. She was brought up to love him, trained herself to love him, and believed in her love for him wholeheartedly. I did not find Celino to be worthy of Meli’s love. He was cruel in his initial rejection of her. She forgives him because he was fighting the yoke of obligation and bondage and Meli was persistent in her pursuit. Unfortunately, I found his rejection of her to be telling of his character which was shallow and thoughtless and his later pursuit of her really didn’t change my mind. He pursued her relentlessly but didn’t show any change of character. He was still selfish but maybe less shallow. At least older, he appeared to appreciate different things although much of them still seemed physical. This was a quick and enjoyable read but I did wish that Meli found someone else to love, as her undying devotion seemed wasted on Celino.  B-

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Silver Shark

Claire Shannon is a psycher who can kill people via mind attacks. In a Matrix-like interface, Claire and other psychers enter the technological world by hooking up to a network and then entering the bionet. While both “Silent Blade” and “Silver Shark” take place in the same world, I don’t recall the bionet being mentioned. This story felt a bit more science fiction whereas the first one was more fantasy. Claire lived on the planet Uley and was part Brodwyn retainer, one of the two entities that fought for supremacy on the planet. She was not a Brodwyn retainer by choose, but by circumstance. When Brodwyn falls to Melko, the other competing Uley faction, Claire is shipped off planet to New Delphi. As a Grade A Psycher, Claire would be terminated so she hides her abilities and passes herself off as a secretary. As a refugee, she must find and maintain employment or be deported back to Uley where the Melkos would kill her. She is accepted as a secretary for Venturo Escana, the head of a powerful Escana family. When Claire meets him, she is literally struck dumb by his golden magnificence.

Claire lives in a building with other refugees and they come to her, knowing that she is a high level psycher, when something goes awry and she needs to enter the bionet. Once in the bionet, however, she can be detected and her placid safe life might be destroyed.

Claire has very protective instincts, ones that won’t allow her to turn her back on those that look to her for protection. Veturo is much like that as well. He’s created an empire from which he cares for people and destroys those that work against him. As in “Silent Blade” the small details are used to great effect:

Claire watched it for a few seconds, picked up the knife, and chopped the pepper.

It was Saturday morning and she had woken up with a sudden need to prove to herself that she could cook. Immigration had fully stocked her refrigerator with raw ingredients, so she set them out on the counter and had the AI run a comprehensive analysis finding a combination that would result in a beginner-level recipe.

“One peeled compa, cut into strips.”

“Define compa.”

“Compa: fleshy fruit of Karlovskaya species, rich in Vitamin A. Flavor: sour, with sweet aftertaste. Appearance: red tetrahedron with rounded corners.”

Claire picked out a rough pyramid-looking red fruit. “Demonstrate peeling.”

I found the immediate sexual attraction that Claire had toward Venturo to not be in keeping with her character that is supposed to be totally locked down and numb from her war experience. I understand that she was evolving due to the exposure of color and life at New Delphi, but the immediate lust seemed jarring. The bionet scenes seemed a little strange to me.  Once in the bionet, the characters can shape shift and do all sorts of different things. It also seemed like a humid jungle.  In my head, it looked like a cross between My Pretty Pony and Avatar.  The story tends to jump around a lot, first from the planet, then to New Delphi, and then into the bionet, and then to Meli and Celino’s home.  For a short, we covered a lot of ground that could have been better used in developing the emotional components that seemed to underpin the story.  C+

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It’s hard for me to grade these two shorts because of their length, I found myself wanting more. For existing Andrews fans, it would be a shame to miss these stories. On the other hand, for new Andrews fans, I’d recommend one of her traditionally published books like “Bayou Moon” first because the fuller length story is more satisfying.

Jane

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“She has two words for love. “Make me.” Then love changes the rules…

As far as hairstylist Celia Occam is concerned, she’s struck out at marriage twice, and there will be no “third time’s a charm”. So what if one salon employee and the town gossip seem dead set on fixing her up with Prince Charming. She’s nobody’s princess.

She’s all for scratching the occasional itch with the right man, but flirtatious firefighter Mason Delacroix is all wrong. Besides, with three broken engagements on his romantic rap sheet, even a one-night mattress mambo sounds like a bad idea.

From the first moment Mason encounters Celia’s emotional barriers, he’s determined to turn up the heat as high as it takes to melt the ice. If the whole town wants to back him up by playing Cupid, he’s on board. Track record be damned. He wants Celia, and he’s ready for permanent.

When her self-appointed guardian angels conspire to lock them in the basement, their long-denied chemistry explodes. She finds herself relishing every moment—though her subconscious is already on the run.

Funny thing, though. Every time she zigs, Mason’s already zagged. Making her wonder if this time it’s for real, or if Cupid is just up to its old tricks.”

Dear Ms. Jordan,

Sometimes the strangest things in a blurb will make me decide to read a book. In this case it’s the fact that the heroine Celia has been divorced two times. That Mason has had three broken engagements didn’t hurt either. So okay, I’m weird like that but it’s rare that I recall a heroine who’s already been down the aisle twice. I also wanted to see how you’d pull off a HEA between two gun shy people.

Only Mason isn’t gun shy. In fact, he’s the driving force behind the romance and has been after Celia for a year which makes the shorter length of this story still fine for me. It’s Celia who’s as skittish as a newbie in a maximum security lockdown. Yeah, she thinks Mason is hotter than hell but she’s content to look but not touch. The whole town seems bent on fixing them up, including Tori who for an older lady is really pushing the sexing and Jerry the almost insultingly super gay hairstylist, but it’s not until they get locked up with a fishbowl full of condoms that anything happens. And then they enjoy lots and lots of sex.

Since Mason & Celia have lusted for a year, the quick hook up – though done safely with protection – once they’re locked in the basement is fine. Mason thought he’d do the “sex her up once and get her out of my system” thing. I hate that. But, as usual, it doesn’t work! of course. Because they have lots and lots of sex.

So Mason is the one who wants together forevah while Celia is scared due to two past failed marriages. It’s a nice change to see the man be the chaser. And boy does he chase. Only the fact that he feeds Celia, fixes a hair dryer in her salon and unclogs a drain keeps him from heading towards stalker with privileges territory. Of course then there’s the great sex. Lots and lots of sex.

The story sorta drifts into well charted territory. Celia is so scared of marriage and commitment because – boo hoo – everyone’s always left her from her father to mother to her aunt to both husbands. Celia realizes she loves Mason but thinks things would never work out because – see above – so she won’t admit her love. He deserves better. He deserves forevah. And lots and lots of sex.

Tori and Jerry descend to depths to get them together for lots and lots of sex. I hope they didn’t set fire that hurt Mason. But whoa! it’s a change that for a whole month after Mason was hurt there’s no lots and lots of sex. No sex at all. Mason’s studly status is in danger here since all romance heroes are supposed to be able to still perform lots and lots of sex regardless of gross bodily injuries.

Anywho, Celia admits her love, Mason cleverly gets around her hang ups by proposing permanent friends with lots and lots of sex privileges forevah which Celia agrees to.

Tori and Jerry still annoy me but now they can fly off somewhere else and annoy other people while Celia and Mason get down to lots and lots of sex. B-

~Jayne

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“He finds love on the eve of a war he doesn’t plan on surviving.

A Cybershock story.

Dante knows the price of rebellion. The Grid created him in its likeness, turning him into a killing machine—tested, modified and enhanced to be a “better citizen”. Years may have passed since he escaped that freak show, but the scars are still fresh.

Without the mandatory implant, Steel scrapes by, living free of the Grid’s control. When a job goes bad, everyone around her dies, their minds crushed by the notorious Cardinal. But he doesn’t kill her. He takes her to a secret lair filled with fascinating, forbidden pre-Grid knowledge. Who is this man—ruthless murderer or eccentric loner?

Bad-mannered as she is, Dante can’t bring himself to silence the abrasive, cigarette-addicted Steel. Something about her calls to him, though trusting her could be a mistake. Should she betray him, it would wipe out years of patient waiting. Waiting while the Grid hunts him for the priceless information he carries within his living data vault. Waiting while his dish of revenge turns ice cold.

For Dante intends to go back. And this time, he intends to be the only one left standing.”

Dear Ms. Gray,

I’m not normally a post apocalyptic girl. Generally I run screaming from those arcs and books that are offered to us with this theme. Movies too. Don’t like them either. But only for you will I break that and read this one. Yep, the first story of yours I read made that much of an impression on me. And whoo-hoo Canada gets an apocalypse too! Equal opportunity bleak future. I remember reading in comments on the 2012 movie that Australia and Canada always feel left out. Glad to see they’ll go down with the rest of us. Just kidding.

This is a short novella so there’s not a lot of world building, mainly generic “life’s gonna suck” details of a world gone horribly bad. This time from the Internet taking over. I hadn’t read that scenario before but then see the first paragraph. From reviews of other post-apocalyptic books at DA, I get that you’re using shorthand descriptions common to this genre: old, decaying world down on the ground with remnants of things common to today’s reader and the new, shinier one up in the air.

Steel is a cool heroine who shoots first and then asks no questions later. She does what she wants or feels obligated or needs to do without any pansy assed hand wringing over it. If some dude’s gotta die, he dies. I love the image of her with white hair, loads of tats and piercings. She also does what she has to in order to survive including running drugs, giving blow jobs to someone other than the hero and looking out for number 1. You don’t give her much history but enough to flesh her out a bit, give her motivation for her actions, reactions and thoughts. She’s definitely kick ass but she also knows that life is easier if one flies below the radar and keeps out of sight. I love how Steel gives Dante revenge on the person who’d experimented on him and made his life hell.

The only reason she breaks with her “me first” attitude is that Dante saved her life when he could have taken it, does some small kindnesses for her when there was no reason to, he didn’t demand something in return, and is the only person to care about her and about whom she cares for in her life. He also trusts her with his i.d. and his home location. Also something not often done then. With such a sucky generalized world she lives in, I can see how this would mean a lot to her.

Dante isn’t an overly huge, macho guy. He’s barely taller than Steel! But he’s got presence which I love how you nail by the voice tone and calmness he shows. That’s all that was needed for me to believe in his stature, intelligence and determination. His choice and use of words caught my attention and is explained by the books he reads. Plus he’s a virgin! I’m not sure about whole “can kill with a thought” thing but then there’s a lot of weird stuff in this book without a lot of space for explanations. He’s fairly calm and steadfast about his decision to destroy the Bunker and try to break the Grid. His reasons are both personal because of what was done to him and general because of what he sees happening around him. He’s resigned to the fact that more than likely he’ll die doing what he’s planned. Now there’s a man on a mission.

The story has tense action that is well described. It wasn’t until after I’d finished reading the scene when Steel first escapes from Dante that I realized I was holding my breath with her waiting for the doors to the elevator to close. There’s some deus ex machina stuff with young woman who helps Steel and Dante escape but okay, they were kind of backed into a corner. She must be expanded on in someone else’s novella.

I was surprised at the delay period of 7 months from most of the action until the end. I would guess that the other stories in this series might take place during this interval but the way this is written, it can and does stand on its own. I kind of like the dragonfly dream that lures him out of his coma and back to life. But the declarations of love – at least on his part – seem quick. Steel has now had 7 months to live with him but one quickie and he’s a gonner for life? Hmmmm. That must have been some damn good sex. B

~Jayne

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | nook | Sony | Kobo

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I only read this story because your name was on it. I had a truly horrendous experience once reading a story with a not-smart protagonist (it was a BDSM story and the relationship ended up as true abuse and was awful. I was depressed for days that anyone would consider that “love”), but I figured if anyone could pull it off, it would be you. I trust your voice. I trust you as an author. And I was right: you were brilliant. As always.

Al is huge and ugly and really not at all smart. And he really isn’t. It’s not that everyone thinks he’s stupid but he’s really secretly smart. He’s really stupid. He meets Larry in a dark alley one night. Al’s pissing away his beer, finishes up, walks toward Larry, and Larry thinks Al’s going to mug or rape him. But Al is oblivious and “helps” Larry home because he thinks Larry’s a bit drunk. Larry comes to Al’s work the next day to apologize and they hit it off. Larry is an Art History professor at Cambridge. Al works on the river, hauling in the punts rented to tourists and students.

The story is told from Al’s first person perspective, complete with lower class grammar and accent. There’s very little narrative tension: Larry and Al get together immediately, move in together pretty quickly. There’s a chapter in the middle where Larry thinks Al’s cheating on him, but it’s dealt with pretty quickly. The story then follows them through their quite uneventful life, their engagement and civil union ceremony.

If there’s tension, it’s in figuring out what keeps Larry and Al together. What does Larry, a college professor, see in Al, a manual laborer, to keep them together, and will it last? The whole book, therefore, is based on a sort of schadenfreude. Not quite the shameful pleasure in the misfortune of others, but an embarrassing understanding of our own assumptions about whether a man like Al could truly be loved by a man like Larry. There’s a lovely scene where Larry’s sister is helping them back together after Larry thinks he sees Al cheating on him. Al had overheard Alicia talking with Larry in a previous scene and thinks Alicia believes that he’s taking advantage of Larry:

We got in Alicia’s car. It was a Volkswagen Golf. I fitted in easy, once I’d put the seat back a bit. It took a while to get out of Cambridge, ’cause of the one-way system, and then we went down towards Trumpington.

“Don’t talk much, do you?” Alicia said.

“Nah. I leave that to Larry. He’s better at it than I am.”

She just smiled then and didn’t say nothing. I got thinking again. I wasn’t sure what she wanted to happen, ’cause she was being nice, but I knew she didn’t like me. “You don’t like me, do you?” I said.

“What? Excuse me, but here I am, driving you up to my parents’ to meet him. You think I’d do this for someone I didn’t like?”

That confused me. “I thought you wanted us to split up. You said I was taking advantage of Larry.” I forgot she didn’t know I’d heard her when she was talking to Larry in our kitchen.

“What? Wait a minute.” She didn’t say nothing for a bit while she went round a roundabout. “I think you’ve misunderstood me.”

I nodded, ’cause I do that all the time with people.

“I admit, I didn’t think it was a good idea at first, you and Lawrence. But… Look, I think you make him happy. And he’s certainly not happy now. And I don’t think you are either.”

I frowned, ’cause did that mean she thought we’d split up? And if we had, how come I didn’t know? Then I thought, I better wait until I see Larry. He’s good at explaining stuff. And he’d definitely know if we’d split up

Of course, Alicia had been yelling at Larry about taking advantage of Al’s stupidity, not the other way around. And we can see that as readers even if Al will never really understand it. Or even need to understand it.

This does bring up the fact that Larry is a bit of a prick at times. He really does love Al, but he also uses him for shock value:

Larry was in a good mood when we left. “God, did you see their faces? The entire evening? Especially Hardwicke. I don’t think he’s been so shocked since the college started admitting women!”

“Yeah, I’ve had other blokes who went out with me so they could shock their mates or their folks,” I said, ’cause it was true.

Larry stopped dead in the street, and I wondered if he’d had too much of that port to drink. And then I thought, nah, no way, the glasses were so tiny you’d need about a hundred to get pissed. Though he is kind of little and he gets pissed easy. “Al,” he said, “you know that’s not why I’m with you, don’t you?”

“I don’t know why you’re with me,” I said, ’cause I didn’t.

He looked hurt. “Why are you with me?”

That was easy. “Because you’re pretty and you’re clever and you know about paintings and you like Charlie Chaplin.”

Larry gave me a big smile. He grabbed my arm and we carried on walking. “Well, then. I’m with you because you’re gorgeous and kind and we have the same taste in comedy.”

“Okay.” I was pleased. Usually people can’t think of more than one reason why they’re with me. I know he didn’t mean it about me being gorgeous, ’cause I got a face like a squashed potato, and I know he likes cleverer stuff than Charlie Chaplin, but it was sweet of him to say it.

But in the end I believed in these two. I believed in the inherent goodness of Al and in Larry’s need for that in his life. I believed that they loved each other and they’d stay together, despite their differences.

The one thing that was fascinating to me was that the sex — and there was a lot of it — was not, in fact, hot. As everything was told from Al’s point of view, it was told in his very no nonsense voice. And as a result, just wasn’t sexy to me. I don’t know what DOES make a sex scene hot, but one told in Al’s voice isn’t it:

Larry always looks so little, folded up beneath me. It makes me kind of scared I’m going to hurt him. I pushed in really slow and gentle, so he could stop me if he needed to. “Yes, yes—don’t stop!” he said, and I thought it was probably okay. He was still hard, so I guess it couldn’t have hurt that much.

When I was all the way in, I stopped for a minute, just so I could feel him around me. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world. But then Larry said, “Move! Now, for God’s sake!” so I started thrusting in and out of him, and when I do that, I always get carried away, going faster even if I don’t mean to, and soon I was slamming into him like my dick was a fist and Larry was a punch bag. “Yes! God, just like—yes!”

Larry’s face was all pink, and his hair was dark with sweat. He looked beautiful. I told him to wank himself off, and when his hand wrapped round his dick, it felt like it was around mine too, and I couldn’t help, I started coming ’cause it was all so fucking amazing. And then Larry went “Oh God!” and he was coming too, shooting his load up between us.

I just kept looking at his face, and it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

Sweet maybe, but not sexy.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed the book. I loved, as I always do, the utter Englishness of your voice. I loved your characters, even when Larry was being a prick. And I thought it was a really sweet love story that asked some deep questions without seeming to do so.

Grade: B

Best regards,
-Sarah

Book Link | Kindle | nook
| Sony| KoboBooks | All Romance eBooks

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I devoured this book. I had issues with it, sure, but I couldn’t put it down. It’s BDSM, done right! It’s hot m/m/m action. It’s TWO Dominants. It’s people with real lives! Yay! \o/

Ryan and Dante have been together for twelve years or so. They’ve been business partners in a photography studio for eight years. They’re both dominant, though, and every now and then they take on a submissive so that their Dominant needs can come out to play. Additionally, Ryan, known to Dante as Angel, never bottoms, ever, and Dante does but also likes to top, which he can do with a submissive. At a wedding, they meet Jordan, the brother of the bride. After the wedding, Jordan hires the pair to take promotional pictures of stallions at his horse farm. A slow seduction starts from there and soon the men are sexing it up every chance they can get. Until they start to fall in love…

Jordan is incredibly competent in his job, but his deadbeat ex-boyfriend lives with him and he’s been wanted to explore BDSM for a few years but hasn’t been able to. His physical and submissive attraction to Angel and Dante blows him away, and he’s in heaven when he gets their attention. Dante and Angel find in Jordan more than they ever expected — and therein lies the tension of the second half of the book. Their pact with each other was no emotional involvement with their submissives, but they both find themselves falling in love and have to figure out how to deal with it.

Weirdnesses first: the story is told in alternating first person point of view. So each chapter break and, at the height of the tension, each section break, I had to figure out whose head I was in. This was okay, except that Dante and Angel didn’t really have much to distinguish them. This might have been a characterization issue — writing skill — or it may partly be because they have been together so long and communicate really well, so there really isn’t much to tell them apart. Jordan was easier to figure out because he was physically removed from Dante and Angel, because he was new to BDSM, and because he was the submissive in the relationship.

Also, Jordan’s ex-boyfriend issue is a little odd. He’s an asshole who, as Jordan thinks, “Evidently . . . subscribed to the philosophy that men are like driveways: lay them right the first time, walk all over them forever.” I get that he’s the foil to Dante and Angel, but the fact that he hangs around for so long, mooching off Jordan, just bugged me (as it was supposed to, I’m sure, but not in a good way). I was flipping through the book at one point and skipped from one conversation between him and Jordan to another and they were almost literally the same (“When are you going to get a job and move out?” “I dunno, man, I’m trying.” “Well, try harder.”). And I get that that was the point. But it was boring, which is never a good thing for a book. His purpose would have been just as easily served by having him in Jordan’s past without having him actually present in the book.

The story is slow, but that’s okay. It’s supposed to be. Dante and Angel take their time seducing Jordan. All of them take their time figuring things out. When the crisis comes, it’s not a quick one, but neither is it overflowing with angst. I usually dislike stories that are just about people falling in love with no barrier, showing a “real” relationship as it happens real time, because there’s no tension. This story had tension though: the will-they-or-won’t-they tension of a couple asking another man if he’ll join them and oh, by the way, are you submissive?; the tension of working through what the BDSM meant for the three of them; and then the tension of, crap, we’ve fallen in love, what do we do now? Each of the men learns something during each stage and each of them fits together with the others better after each stage. The one thing I could have wished for is an indication of the “no emotional entanglements” rule a little earlier, to create a bit more tension right from the start. It’s only brought up halfway into the story.

That said, these guys talk, all the time. Sometimes they don’t, but then they talk about the fact that they’re not talking. It all seems a little too reasonable at times, but it’s so very realistic. This is how a BDSM relationship has to work if it’s really going to work.

And, oh GOD, it’s so refreshing to see BDSM done without the meeting in the Kinky Klub of Kinkiness, without the One True Way to Dominate, with the men having to feel each other out not only for attraction but for sexual compatibility. Kinky people meet in real life, just like anyone else, and they have to negotiate not only the “does he like me too?” question, but the “is he kinky too?” question, and you show that here. Also, Jordan never calls either of the Doms “sir,” and although they have their little ritual, it’s their ritual, that works for their relationship, not because it’s the One True Way:

I let a few seconds tick by, which must have been an eternity for him. When at last I spoke, I kept my voice gentle and soft to avoid startling him. “Excellent. Now get on your knees.”

Jordan glanced at me, at Angel, at me again. Before I could ask once more if he was still okay with this, though, he took a deep breath and knelt.

I waited a few seconds, letting the empty stillness settle its weight on his beautiful, bare shoulders. Then I moved toward him, giving him time to get used to my nearness before I stopped right in front of him. He stared at the floor between us. His fingers twitched a little on his knees. Even if my proximity unnerved and intimidated him, it likely alleviated that sense of vulnerable exposure from being naked and out in the open.

Mirroring the first contact Angel had made in the studio, I ran my fingers through Jordan’s hair. He jumped at first but then exhaled, his shoulders dropping slightly.

“Look at me, Jordan,” I whispered.

Slowly, he raised his chin and met my eyes. Few things in this world were hotter than submission, and kneeling at my feet, looking up at me like that, Jordan was the very picture of it.

Thank you for that! It makes me so happy!

And so does the sex. Whoo! Hot and steamy. Fun. These boys have fun and you show that and the reader has fun as a result (the reader’s partners might have fun too!).

I went to your webpage and almost passed out with joy at the extent of your backlist. From my enjoyment of this book, I can’t wait to dive into it.

Grade: B

Best regards,
-Sarah

Goodreads | Amazon | BN | nook | Sony | Kobo

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