I know I’ve said in the past that I’m tired of vampires, and it would appear many other people would agree. In the YA genre, we’ve seen many a trend come and go over the past couple of years: faeries, werewolves, zombies, and angels. That said, I’ve yet to see one of those supernatural creatures really stick the way vampires have because for all that I (and other readers) complain about overexposure, vampires truly are a perennial hit. To acknowledge that fact, I think it’s fair to say that the general weariness with vampires has less to do with the topic and more to do with the execution. A person can only read so many Twilight clones before wanting something new. So after hearing some good things about your debut that piqued my interest, I decided to get over my vampire-aversion and give it a try.

Solange Drake comes from a long line of natural-born vampires. In her world, there are two kinds: vampires who are born and vampires who are made. The natural-born vampires are rarer. Even rarer are natural-born female vampires. In fact, Solange is the first, and only, female vampire ever born in history. That’s bad enough all on its own. With Solange’s transition fast approaching, she’s become the recipient of many proposals, courtship offerings, and just plain all-around stalking behavior that warrants restraining orders if such things were observed by vampire kind. However, it also appears that a long time ago, someone prophesized the coming of a vampire queen from the Drake bloodline who’d unite the fractured vampire races. Solange, being the novelty that she is, is widely assumed to be said vampire.

But Solange wants nothing to do with that. She’d much rather throw pots and anyway, she’s squeamish around blood, which is an unfortunate trait for a vampire to have. She already has to cope with seven overprotective older brothers. Does she have to deal with vampires who want to kill her because people think she wants to overthrow the current vampire queen too?

What sets this novel apart from other vampire YA of its ilk are the awesome female characters and the great depictions of relationships. I adored the friendship between Solange and her human best friend, Lucy. Because their mothers were best friends since before Solange’s mother became a vampire, the girls grew up together and Lucy has no fear of vampires whatsoever. The contrast between them was great: Solange, daughter of an ancient vampire bloodline and whose mother is a fearsome martial artist that puts those skills to work regularly, who hates blood and Lucy, daughter of peace-loving vegan hippies, who has a violent streak.

I also loved how Solange’s family was portrayed. Solange is very much suffocated by her overprotective family — something that Lucy strives to mitigate as much as possible. Their concern is not without reason, of course, since I imagine most families would be paranoid if people kept trying to kidnap their only daughter so she could bear a score of vampire babies. But despite their paranoia and coddling, it’s obvious those actions arise out of nothing but love and affection. I can’t really emphasize enough how much I loved the Drake family. Coming from a large extended family myself, I certainly know what it’s like to have eccentric relatives with varying degrees of reputation and influence. The only difference here is that many of Solange’s relatives are several centuries old.

The burgeoning attraction between Lucy and Solange’s older brother, Nicholas, was great too. I loved how Nicholas was very much aware of the fact that he’s been in love with Lucy since forever but Lucy was slower to accept the truth. They’re a great example of how stories about schoolyard romance (boy pulls girl’s pigtails) carrying on into adolescence and beyond can have their charm when done well. Solange also has a love interest in a young vampire hunter named Kieran, but I admit I wasn’t very interested in that couple because it’s a dynamic I see more often in these kinds of books. I admit I was more entertained by Lucy’s steadfast refusal to be impressed by Kieran’s mysterious, stealthy vampire hunter background. (I will never stop laughing about how she simply looked him up in the phonebook, called him up, and then proceeded to blackmail him. And then later used the idea of crank calling Kieran to cheer up Nicholas.)

If I have one criticism about the book, it’s that a lot of the background on the vampire races is cursory and not explained very clearly. I know part of that can be chalked up to space but there are two other major types of vampires in addition to the natural-born and standard made ones. If I understood it correctly, they’re variations on the standard made ones but the details can be confusing. I hope these differences get clarified in the next book in the series (of course it’s a series) because judging by the ending, they will play larger roles.

All in all, however, that’s not a major flaw in a book that’s otherwise a quick, funny read. I especially think readers who like snappy dialogue and solid depictions of female friendship and family relationships will like this one a lot. B

My regards,
Jia

| Book link |  Amazon |  BN | Borders |

There is currently no digital format for this book but I’ll update the links if the digital version becomes available.

Since I’ve been having good luck with contemporary British authors lately, I decided to check out your latest book, “Starting Over.” Things were bubbling along nicely until right at the end when…well, we’ll get to that in a minute.

Tess Randell is starting over. Her fiance dumped her by email just days before their wedding, she miscarried then suffered physical after effects for months while living with her smothering parents – who also seemed to have more sympathy for the bastard ex-fiance then they should have. While driving to her newly purchased country cottage, she rear ends a wrecker and damages her car. Life just keeps getting better. < /sarcasm>

The owner of the wrecker tows her into town then helps her lug her stuff to her house after which Tess starts to try to assimilate into her new life. New town, new house, new people around her but same old friction with her parents and, amazingly, old fiance showing up looking contrite. Will Tess take him back, settle for just being friends with a new possible someone or dare to try one more time for love?

Even though this initially sounds like a first person Chick Lit book de jour, it turned out to be very different. It’s not first person and there’s no immediate hero in sight. Plus Tess and the person who does turn out to be the hero don’t either instantly love each other or fight an attraction by pretending they don’t like each other. I was a bit stunned as the narrative flows on and months pass with no romance in sight. Yet I was enjoying watching Tess fit herself into her new life so much that none of this bothered me. In fact, I was tickled to be reading something different.

I also like that Tess isn’t in some dead end and boring job she hates. She’s actually a talented illustrator who is in demand and respected for her talents. And then there’s Ratty – Miles Arnott-Rattenbury – though one would never know it at first glance. The tattooed owner of a very successful garage dealing with vintage cars hides his posh background well. But then Ratty’s not posh in either attitude nor actions. He’s more a working class man whose father just happens to be a solicitor. The fact that you have the authorial guts to let time slide by without forcing sparks or attraction between Ratty and Tess delights me. And there’s no sudden about face at the end of the book with Ratty being elevated in status. No long lost Duke nonsense at all. Ratty is as he is and stays that way.

I mentioned in my review of Rosy Thornton’s book, “Crossed Wires,” that I like seeing a different country through a book. I like reading about petrol, bonnets, boots and the M5, village life, pubs and fetes, ticking things off lists, ringing people and wearing knickers. It’s nice to feel like I’ve actually traveled to a different place even if it’s just though the pages of a book.

Another good thing is that neither Tess nor Ratty are wholly likeable characters. Both of them do things which make me want to bash their heads. Ratty can be, as his mother warns Tess, very manipulative in getting his way and Tess tends to take off and flee when the going gets tough. This made some of the reading hard going but I can say that neither character bored me. Nor did I feel that this was a book I’d read a thousand times before.

I feel I need to talk a bit more about the above paragraph though. What is done to precipitate the romance does initially make me see red – as it does Tess. But I end up accepting it, as does Tess, because it gets her what she really wants and it shows how much Ratty wants a relationship with her. Plus I like that you don’t have Tess flounce off in a tiff as would happen in so many romance books.

Tess’s actions, when a past event threatens their romance, also initially makes sense given what her ex-fiance put her through. But the extent of it before she wises up and heads back to face the music put a damper on my enthusiasm for the book as a whole. She ends up way past a reasonable response and deep into selfish territory. What gets her back in my good graces is she does face what she’s done and she’s not let off lightly by those she hurt.

Good onya for writing compelling characters who are engaged in a complex relationship. While it doesn’t totally work for me, as I outlined above, I still found it fascinating and so different from the norm that I hope readers will be willing to sit back and go with the slower pace of this story to discover its nuances and charm.

~Jayne

| Downloadable Excerpt | Smashwords |

| Book Depository | Amazon UK |

Proviso: Smashwords is having a huge sale because it is International eBook Week (or something like that). Anyhoo, this book is 50% off right now which makes it all of $3.00.

In a way “Steal Away” is a major departure from the previous books of yours I’ve read. Yet in others, it’s very similar. Here there’s no paranormal element, at least not that I noticed. But you reprise the use of two men and one woman as the main characters around whom the drama unfolds. As well, there is an immediacy to the story that makes me feel that I’m there, right there, with the characters.

During Prohibition, Twilight Amery has dreams that she refuses to let die. She’s going to escape rural Alabama and get to Harlem where a young woman with a voice can sing at the Cotton Club. But even after years of scraping by, she doesn’t have enough money for a train ticket. So, dodging Pinkerton men, she hops a northbound train and encounters two very different men. Courtly Hector with his deep, booming voice and Daniel Stone, who is initially as hard as his name, are unlike any men she’s ever met with a relationship unlike any she’s seen. Together they’ll backtrack across the South then end up in an Atlanta whorehouse where they pick up a deadly foe before finally reaching Harlem. But once there, will Twi achieve her dream, will the three of them work out their relationship and can they escape a deadly enemy determined to track them down?

The sex is hawt but it doesn’t overpower the story nor is it included in inappropriate places. I don’t usually care for or read menage books but you’re one of the few authors who can entice me to do just that. Yet this one has a twist from your usual m/m/f books in that there is a bisexual character, Hector, who has relationships with both a man, Stone, and a woman, Twi and often in the same bed while the other character watches. Okay, so add voyeurism onto the list of things I don’t generally read but which I will from you. And doesn’t that sentence sound strange?

When I read your novels – I’m there. I feel surrounded by the atmosphere you create and immersed in the action. This is something I look forward to in your novels and you don’t disappoint. I can feel the tension as Twi waits to jump a train, the heat in the upstairs room of Miss Beu’s house, the tenderness with which Hector removes Twi’s face paint, the nonstop action on the streets of Harlem. The period detail is wonderful and I never once thought I was reading 21st century characters in Prohibition era clothing.

At Loose-Id this is listed as a novel length story but it’s shorter than the usual Harlequin category novel by my ereader page count. So I wasn’t too surprised when the final conflict was resolved mostly off page. I was bummed that some of what happened isn’t explained at all – how did the injuries occur? how was the rescue carried out? how was the escape made? will there ever be a resolution or will these three really have to watch their backs from here on? But, on the other hand, I like the open ending of the relationship of Stone, Hector and Twi.

An unusual setting, coupled with three dimensional characters, mixed with hot sex makes me happy you offered me the chance to read this novel. Since you took such care with the action throughout most of the book, I was sorry that the ending seemed slightly truncated but overall it’s still a B read for me.

~Jayne

| Author Website | Loose Id |

I am a reluctant paranormal reader these days. Everything seems so common that it’s hard to generate excitement.  This book came to me on the recommendation of someone whose previous recommendations had worked out for me and so I took a chance. I was so glad that I did.  This is a curious and interesting mix of philosophy and myth which takes it a step beyond the ordinary paranormal.   I wondered, at times, if it was inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

I do want to state out front that I am not sure why there is any mention of steampunk surrounding the marketing of this book.  Brass fittings and mechanical gadgets do not a steam punk make. Steampunk is a specific ouvre and using the term to describe this book is misleading and might lead to reader disappointment.  //rant over

Now that I have that out of my system, let me address the book directly.  It is atmospheric with some gorgeous prose.

“We are all broken, Dominic, all of us—cursed, or damned. Our fragile minds cannot span the paradox. We wish to stand out and fit in, to be unique but not alone, one with God and still ourselves.”

I am going to be purposefully vague because the way in which the story unfolds is part of the beauty.  The story is told in alternating POVs, first person from the female’s POV and third from the male’s POV.

Oliva is a fallen angel and, like all fallen angels, feeds off the blood of humans. All the vampires are the female progency of the Angel of Desire, cursed only to feel vicariously through human blood. The vampires have quills in their nails and teeth to allow for blood gathering. She is searching for a way back to heaven and believes that if she can find a man who would love her, quills, wings, and all, she can escape her curse.

Dominic is a Reborn, an ancient cursed to reincarnate every 30 or so years. In early adolescence, the reborn begin to recover their memories of their past life and generally it drives them crazy. Of course, the worst thing for a reborn is to suicide because they will relive their suicide every time they are reborn.

Dominic doesn’t belief he is cursed but mentally ill.  In this life he is a neuroscientist who is determined to discover the way to isolate memories and obliterate them.  A wealthy woman agrees to donate money to his university on the basis to further his research. She is desperate for a cure for her granddaughter who believes that she is a vampire.

Dominic posits that traumatic events can cause people to believe that they are vampires or reincarnated individuals and that if the root cause of the event can be isolated and erased, the psychosis would be cured.

“Now this isn’t neuroscience, just psychiatry, but let’s take, for example, an outgoing, imaginative child who believes in monsters,” Dominic extemporized. “Maybe this girl is involved in a traumatic car accident. Her parents are killed, and she is thrown from the car.” Now he had Madalene riveted. “The child recovers physically, but the emotional pain is so severe that she begins to dissociate. She might pretend to be incapable of suffering.” Madalene nodded encouragement. “The girl might start to believe she’s a monster and responsible, somehow, for the death of her parents.”

Madalene was pale, and even dull Harold looked alert. Dominic’s rogue imagination stretched itself. “The little girl, guilty and frightened, remembers being thrown from the car and the taste of blood, and she imagines herself a powerful, flying, insensate monster.”

“A vampire . . .” Madalene whispered.

“Sure,” Dominic took the suggestion readily. “This confabulation, tied to a trauma-related identity disruption, could become so foundational to her self-image that she might lose her ability to taste food. She starts sleeping in a coffin, develops a phobia of mirrors or crosses or wooden stakes, and becomes immune to physical pain, all in service to this explanatory story that helped her escape intolerable suffering as a child.”

Dominic and Olivia meet in L’Otel Mathillide in Ireland. It’s an underground hotel for the damned: the vampires, the reborns, and every other type of “paranormal” being. But is it a hotel for the damned or a rehab center? Is it the portal to Hell where beings seek and may find redemption? Olivia’s own mental state reminded me of an addict desperate to be free of her addiction yet helpless to find a cure.

While the story makes it clear that it is a paranormal or urban fantasy, there is the underlying question of whether the curse of vampirism, reincarnation, etc. is really the product of someone mentally ill. The overarching story arc is that what you believe you want may never make you happy. Dominic wants to lose his memories but if he does so, he’ll forget Olivia and everything that she meant to him. Olivia wants to return to heaven but given the opportunity, she must abandon what she found with Dominic. I’m not sure what awaits me in the next White book, but I’m anxious to find out what it is. For those romance readers who want to know about the happy ever after ending: There is a solid HEA for Dominic and Olivia. B

Best regards,

Jane

| Skylar White’s Website (no direct book link) | Kindle | Amazon | BN | nook | Borders |
Fictionwise | Books on Board

I am not sure why I am always surprised when I read a good series romance. After all, I’ve been a big proponent of series books for the last few years. I suppose it’s partly the titles and maybe it’s the brevity of the books that gives rise to a preconceived notion that these stories will be lightweight. The one big complaint I had about this book, though, was related to length. I’m not sure if it is length of book that was the issue. More on that later.

This is a very tender love story between two misfits. Marnie Jones’ longtime boyfriend, Mark, broke up with her, leaving her heartbroken and lost. She drives away from him and her hometown to seek refuge with her sister, Tess who married Ash Bravo. Marnie’s boyfriend told her that she had lost what it was that made her special. Upon reflection, Marnie realized that he was right. She had moved in with him and because he had a trust fund, she didn’t need to work. His friends became her friends; his interests her interests. Her whole world narrowed to focus solely on him and Marnie transgressed to become his shadow.

Marnie had actually been a wild child of the family engaging in everything from petty thievery to general outrageous behavior. She had grown up with Mark, fell in love with him, and thought that they would live happily ever after. It wasn’t that Mark asked her to pack away her identity. She just did.

Upon arriving at her sister’s house, Marnie runs into Jericho Bravo, a big, tattoed, and dangerous looking man. She thinks he might be an intruder. This does not go over well with Jericho who is really the black sheep of the Bravo billionaires. Jericho is not a billionaire but a former felon and current owner of a custom motorcycle business. He doesn’t want to be the black sheep but he doesn’t fit in with the rest of his overachieving family either despite loving them very much.

Jericho is a sweet man. He does not feel good enough for someone who looks like Marnie, full of spirit and freshness but Marnie convinces him that she’s only in town temporarily and a fling would be good for the both of them. Marnie goes so far as to sell Jericho on the idea of being the rebound man. She won’t fall in love with him because she’s still nursing her broken heart. At first, this appeals to Jericho. There is something about Marnie that trips his trigger. The more time that Jericho spends with Marnie, the more that he regrets the lack of permanence of Marnie in his life.

I also appreciated that Marnie and Jericho’s interaction with their siblings. There was a bit of sibling rivalry between both the sister and the brother and everyone didn’t always get along. These seemed to add a feeling of realism to the story.

While I totally believed that Jericho and Marnie were meant to be together, I felt that the time which passed between her break up with Mark and her falling for Jericho was too short, particularly given the strength of Marnie’s feelings for Mark at the beginning of the book.

I did enjoy seeing Marnie step out from the shadows and find balance between being the free spirit and the responsible adult. Jericho was a sweet, sweet hero who found himself in love with a woman who might still love her former fiance. B

Best regards,

Jane
This book can be purchased at Amazon
(affiliate link), Kindle (non affiliate), eHarlequin in print (non affiliate link), eHarlequin in ebook (non affiliate link) or other etailers.

After I enjoyed the previous book in this series, “Wedding Bell Blues,” so much I was excited to see that the next book, about brother Lars, was available. From what went on in WBB, I knew that Lars’ bitch of an ex-wife, Sherice, would be there along with all the other crew characters: the other Toleffson brothers, their wives and sundry members of the small Texas town of Konigsburg. The question was, who would Lars’ heroine be and how would the love story play out.

Jessamyn “Jess” Carroll thinks she’s found a safe-haven for herself and her 9 month old son far away from her rich mother-in-law who is determined that the boy be raised with his Moreland kin, his rich kin, and not by the wife of the son whom Lydia Moreland despised. Lydia is willing to go to any lengths to get her grandson so Jess has fled halfway across the country and lives under the radar. But she steps into the world of the Toleffsons when she answers Lars’ ad for a baby-sitter for his 2 year old terror of a daughter, Daisy. The attraction between Jess and Lars is immediate but it doesn’t take long for Lars to see that everything isn’t as it seems with Jess. Now, can he do anything to help this haunted young woman? And better yet, how does he keep his matchmaking sisters-in-law from taking over the situation?

One really nice thing about this series is that I think new readers can jump in at any point. Yes, there are a lot of characters from the previous books to learn but I think you laid them and their relationships out logically here so it was easy to remember who is who. True, I did remember most of them from WBB but even so this book didn’t start with as much of an info dump and learning curve. As well, the characters haven’t done any 180 degree changes and mainly serve to further the relationship between Lars and Jess.

The humor of the characters adds a nice bounce to the story. Lars and Jess both add mental asides throughout the story which had me smiling and laughing. The dialogue, especially between the Toleffson brothers is great as are the scenes with the scary waitresses in the Dew Drop Inn.

The buildup of the plot involving Jess and the Morelands, and the reaction of the characters to the situation, seems realistic to me. No one immediately jumped on the OMG bandwagon yet at the same time, no one pooh poohed the possibility that Jess was telling the truth regarding what she was up against. I really liked seeing this from Pete the DA and Erik the policeman. And as the final showdown took place, brava for having those two have mini strokes at the short cuts that Lars the Warrior Accountant took to protect Jess and her baby. The fact that Jess feels fine about taking down her mother-in-law is also okay with me.

Thank you for not making baby Jack or Daisy be wittle angels. After all, we’re talking about a 9 month old and a 2 year old who are going to get singularly or collectively cranky at times. God help Lars when Daisy does start flashing her smile at boys for real. He will need to keep that baseball bat on hand. I did have one “oh, no you’re not” moment when Lars and Jess decide to spend the night doing the horizontal bed bounce after finding out that a villain is on the loose. True, I believed the reasoning that there probably, probably mind you, was no danger but still….

The means that the Toleffsons use to persuade, shall we say, the Morelands to better behavior sounds reasonable and more likely to take place than some major FBI investigation. I enjoyed seeing Erik be moved more into his brothers’ lives and would assume that a book with him as the hero is due next. I look forward to hearing his POV on his relationship with the other brothers. I did wonder at the speed with which Lars, who was repenting his hasty first marriage at leisure, dove into a marriage with Jess but I guess that’s twue lurve.

Anyway, it was nice to visit with the friendly folk in Konigsburg, TX again and I look forward to seeing Erik redeemed and, maybe, Wonder and Allie finally get hitched as well. B

~Jayne

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

I reviewed a short story of yours in my review of Sindusty I from Dreamspinner Press. It was one of my two favorites of the anthology. I had this to say about it: “I adored this sweet little story. Patrick is a video game designer, working the final kinks out of a game weeks before release. He’s not perfectly sculpted and toned—he’s a dork and kind of soft around the edges. His friends buy him a prostitute for his birthday, just so he’ll get laid. But Jack keeps coming back, “the gift that keeps on giving.” The connection between the characters, the fun they have and the affection between them makes this a gem of a story. Grade: A-”

But I didn’t realize I’d already read a story of yours when I dove into the short (70 pages) “Rules Were Meant to be Broken” from Dreamspinner. I chose it because it’s labeled a BDSM romance and while I think that’s a gross mislabeling (one-time use of handcuffs does NOT make a BDSM romance), I certainly don’t hold that against you because the story was just wonderfully fresh. Aaron has lusted after his best friend for 15 years and has an elaborate set of rules he follows so that Dale doesn’t find out:

“In fact, he’d devised a “Big List of Rules For Hiding That You’re In Love With Your Best Friend” just for this purpose. Rule #4 was: seeing the guy really shouldn’t make your heart beat faster, so just pretend it doesn’t.”

Rule #9 said: you’re not supposed to be jealous of the girls who sleep with your best friend. It was always the hardest rule to follow.

It was hard for me to warm up to Dale. He’s a no-good layabout with no job, no ambition, and indiscriminate taste in women…and apparently in men, too, as Aaron finds out later. It’s that indiscriminate taste that is the cause of him calling Aaron at 3am one morning so Aaron can help him out of the handcuffs one of his bar pickups left him in attached to the bed before she stole his wallet. And Aaron’s reaction to being that close to Dale while he’s freeing him makes Dale realize how much Aaron wants him and Dale acts on that realization. However, by the end of the book I loved Dale and I adored Aaron the whole way through. I loved the quirky secondary characters and the obvious deep friendship between the men, even before the grow biblically closer. But most of all, I loved your voice. The “in love with my best friend for year and YEARS” storyline is trite and can be awful, but you pwned it so beautifully, with such a freshness, I loved the story. Grade: Another A-

Then I moved to “Ganymede,” a short story in the I Do Too anthology by MLR Press (review of the whole anthology forthcoming). This story is incredibly different from the other two of yours I’ve read. If asked, I would have said they had different authors. But again, your voice shines through, even though it’s so different in the other two stories. An American vinter goes to Italy to drop in unannounced on a legendary but retired Italian wine-maker who is experimenting with non-technological ways of making wine, in order to become the Italian’s student — acolyte, even. The story is told in present tense, which threw me, but the language is evocative and exciting, and the characters are brilliantly detailed snapshots of two deeply imagined, beautifully written men. I think the relationship happens a little too quickly, but the lushness of your language and the richly layered characterization and motivation mostly make up for that. I also loved that these men were both (?) older. Certainly the Italian was over 60 probably. The story is just…different, but in such a good way that it makes me excited about your future stories as long as you keep writing. Grade: B+

The question becomes at this point: you’re brilliant with short stories, but what are your longer stories like? Can you sustain that brilliance? All’s Fair in Love and Advertising allowed me to figure this out. Quick answer: Oh, hellz YES!

The book is about 150 pages and Max is a character I should have hated. He’s an advertising genius, a complete workaholic, but not in the grim alpha-hero way. He’s neurotic and melodramatic and completely over-the-top. One of those people who’s impossible to work with but absolutely brilliant. He’s not over his wife leaving him two years previously (and breaking their partnership) and he hides his hurt by “turning gay.” Which should be insulting and obnoxious and awful, but just isn’t, somehow, because it’s just…Max.

He’s competing for an account for Avionics, a flight technology company that needs to up its visibility and therefore its stock value in order to avoid a take-over bid by Omnion, the Evil Corporate Empire. Of course, Max meets Joe, the founder and owner of Avionics and falls for him, hard. But in a completely neurotic, manic, Max-like way.

Again, voice is what carried this story. It was told in deep third person perspective from Max’s perspective. I haven’t laughed out loud at a book so much in a long long time. I was giggling through most of it. Max was maddening and adorable at the same time. In trying to find a quote, I just want to cut and paste the whole thing. But try this. Joe just told Max that he liked his work, and Max, who is a typical New Yorker who can’t get beyond the fact that Joe is from Montana, challenged him to name his favorite:

“You know, I liked the gum thing. That was catchy. And the beer stuff. Everyone likes that. But I think my favorites are the commercials you did for that financial services company, the serious ones with the black-and-white footage and the literary quotes. Gotta admire someone who can work e.e. cummings into a commercial about asset protection.”

Max blinked. That campaign dated from at least ten years ago. It wasn’t one he was generally remembered for, but it happened to be his own personal favorite. He lifted his chin stubbornly. Just because Bennett appreciated his work didn’t make him any less of a yokel; it just made him a yokel with good taste. Any moment now, Max knew, the charm would rub off, and Bennett would show his true, narrow-minded colors.

Max did his best to hurry along the process. “I read your company is headquartered in Montana.”

“We have a small office here in New York. But, yeah, most of the operation is back in Wilcox,” Bennett said. “A small town, but we like it. Great views of the mountains. And we’re one of the biggest employers in the state. So that has its perks.”

“Is that what drew you there? Tax breaks?” Max lifted an eyebrow inquiringly. “Or was it the handy proximity to the local militias?”

Bennett laughed again, but it didn’t have quite the same humor as before. “Naw, no playing at war out in the woods for me. Wilcox is where I grew up. After I retired from the Air Force—” His voice got tighter. “Medical retirement. My jet got shot down in Bosnia. It just made sense to come home. Be near family while I was laid up. I ended up staying put.”

“Oh,” Max said weakly. “I didn’t realize—”

Bennett shrugged. “Hey, all in the past now, right?”

Happily, the sommelier chose that moment to descend upon them. Bennett turned his attention back to the wine list, and Max fidgeted in his seat. There was an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, something he wasn’t used to, something that left him off-kilter. Possibly it was a sense of shame. That would explain why he didn’t recognize it right off the bat.

And that makes Max sound like an asshole — and he IS — but I loved him all the way through and I loved that Joe liked his abrasiveness. And Joe was delicious — I could totally see how he fell for Max and it was obvious what he was feeling and why, even though we never get into his head. And again, the secondary characters were wonderful. For such a short story and the large cast of characters, the characterization was pitch perfect. And I totally did NOT see the twist at the end of the story, which was refreshing. Altogether, I adored this book, devoured it, and will come back to it again and again. Grade: A

And finally, there’s the unfortunately-covered “SPAM! It’s what’s for Christmas”. Ben is a washed-up, unemployed baseball pro with a bum knee. His boyfriend just threw him out and he’s desperate to get him back. Desperate enough to answer an ad for nude male models. Where he meets the delicious photographer, Gavin. Hijinks ensue, but Ben really wants his boyfriend back…he thinks. We don’t see much of Gavin, to be honest, even though what we do see *is* delicious. This is Ben’s book and Ben is…adorable. Trying to make it work, trying to readjust his life after his dreams are destroyed, trying to figure out what he really wants. Again, the tone of the story, Ben’s voice and his characterization, make it something I just couldn’t stop reading. Grade: B+

You’ve got free fiction on your website (bittersweet) and on your Livejournal (a fairy tale retelling with beautiful writing that stretches my disbelief a little bit too much on the plot, but still gets a B grade because the characters are so good). (Oh. Also: a short story in a Ravenous Romance anthology that I refuse to buy or even request. Not even for you. Sorry.)

And sadly, that’s it. You need to write more. And longer. And OMG, if you keep it up, I think K.A. Mitchell’s got a rival in the m/m world (although the beautiful thing is, of course, you’re not rivals. If you both just keep writing, then the world will be a better place and we can all be friends with sunshine and rainbows and iPadsunicorns!).

Best regards,
-Joan/Sarah F.

When Grace Emerson’s ex-fiancé starts dating her younger sister, extreme measures are called for. To keep everyone from obsessing about her love life, Grace announces that she’s seeing someone. Someone wonderful. Someone handsome. Someone completely made up. Who is this Mr. Right? Someone…exactly unlike her renegade neighbor Callahan O’Shea. Well, someone with his looks, maybe. His hot body. His knife-sharp sense of humor. His smarts and big heart.

Whoa. No. Callahan O’Shea is not her perfect man! Not with his unsavory past. So why does Mr. Wrong feel so…right?

When I start one of your books I know I’m going to get a few things in it. It will have memorable (at least to me) characters. It will be humorous. There will be at least one dog. It will be first person POV from the heroine. The hero will [probably] not initially appear to be her best romantic choice. The dialogue will be wonderful. The heroine, and often the hero’s, occupation will be central to her/him and presented as an integral part of her/him. The fact that true love never runs smooth will be shown through the relationships of the secondary characters. The heroine will be somewhat martyrish in her relations with her family. The heroine will be flawed in how she views the men she meets in her book long search for love.

I think that covers most of what I expect to find. And most of it I’m looking forward too since you handle these things so well. But the last two issues….well, sometimes they can drive me nuts.

I love your characterizations even if sometimes I don’t care for some of the characters. But then I’m not meant to care for them all, so that’s okay. But they’re definitely not cookie cutter people who feel as if they’re pulled from any of the previous romance books I just read last month. From Grace’s father, who shares Grace’s passion for Civil War reenacting, to her mother who creates, um, interesting blown glass sculpture, to some of the teachers with whom Grace attempts to instill knowledge in the heads of today’s youth, to Grace’s terror of a grandmother, they remained unique over the course of the book. Never did I have to stop and think back, “now, who is this character again?” The one exception would be Julien who I wish hadn’t been such a stereotyped Gay Best Friend.

The humor and dialogue of your books go hand in hand for me. As I read yesterday, I startled my own dog and cat several times by clutching my sides and laughing out loud. Humor is an individual thing, I know, but yours works for me just about all the time. Even when it does tend to stray in the direction of slapstick. I especially like the fact that the humor doesn’t seem cruel – if that makes sense. And you know when to turn it down or cut it off instead of milking it past the point of funny.

I love books in which the characters have pets and obviously love them – even if the people might appear a little foolish about it at times. My pets are my children and I talk to them all the time. Yeah, cleaning up hairballs and the occasional mistake isn’t fun but like Angus McFangus, Kitty and Puppy are worth it. If a hero doesn’t like his heroine’s pets, he’s not a keeper IMO, so Cal’s willingness to deal with the Westie goes a long way with me.

Grace’s profession is such a part of her. She lives and breaths history, literally in the case of her weekend reenacting, and finds fun ways to try and get her students to realize the importance of the past. I enjoy watching her at work and the passion she shows for it in her presentation when applying for the Department Head job. As for Cal, well, let’s just say that ex-cons generally don’t work so well for me because they’re usually dripping with angst and eager to act like asses. But here you have him keep his cards close to his chest until the revelation of his past will have the most impact. Kudos for having him insist on not hiding it either.

The fact that not every couple in the book has a “fluffy bunnies” marriage is a plus for me. Because let’s face it, that’s usually how real life is. But you also let us glimpse that no one who’s not in the relationship knows everything that goes on in it or how a couple has chosen to make it work. I also like that the final conflict between Cal and Grace is the result of what’s gone on in the whole book and of their respective pasts, not something cooked up at the last minute to get those last 20 pages of story length.

All good things must come to an end and here’s where I start in on the things that don’t work so well for me. Your heroines usually seem to have willingness to put up with demands from their family that exceeds my tolerance. Sure, be a good sister/aunt/daughter/whatever but don’t be a doormat. This is a constant issue for me with a lot of romance heroines so maybe I’m the one who’s out of step but I wish it hadn’t taken until the showdown at Soleil for Grace to stand up for herself. And while her procession of blind dates is an improvement on those in “Catch of the Day,” do all your heroines have to endure “Dates from Hell” on their way to wedded bliss? But at least Grace seems a bit more toned down about why she is searching for “Mr. Right.”

So, I’m still looking to give you that “A” that I so desperately want to. But in the meantime, I’ll laugh my way through your books and enjoy the ride. B

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Amazon, Kindle, eHarlequin in print, eHarlequin in ebook, or other etailers.

I was so excited to see a m/m author at the RWA Literacy signing (yes, July last year in DC) that I bought two of your books — your lightest and your darkest, at your suggestion. The Happy Onion was your light book and a lot of fun. It was a sweet, cute read and I closed the book with a happy sigh, despite a couple of issues.

Thom arrives in Ashville, NC to find that the job he’s been promised as a nightclub owner is on hold because the resort company opening it is in legal limbo. He has to find a job and a place to stay right away, which he does when he goes into a bar/restaurant and is hired as the bartender and rents the upstairs apartment. He celebrates by going out to the local gay bar and finding a guy to fuck. The encounter is one of the best he’s ever had…and of course, he’s shocked and stunned to find out ten days later — when the restaurant’s owner finally shows up at the restaurant after 2 weeks off — that his amazing fuck is, indeed, his boss, Phil. His earthy-crunchy, vegan, far-left liberal, hot as anything, best lay he’s ever had, boss.

I love these two men. Thom is small and blond and everyone assumes that he’d the twinky bottom, but he’s an assertive dominant top with a really bad temper that Phil finds especially hot. Phil, on the other hand, is above six feet, and a big, nelly, hungry bottom who is perfectly comfortable with who and what he is. They’re amazing together as a couple and wonderfully distinct as characters. I very much enjoyed watching them get to know each other.

“It’s fine,” Phil spoke before the silence could become seriously uncomfortable. “I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. For real this time.”

That made Thom look at him. “Are you saying you pissed me off on purpose?”

Those big eyes seemed to see right through Phil’s skull and into his innermost thoughts. Phil hunched his shoulders and forced himself to hold Thom’s gaze. “Um. Yeah.”

“Because I’m sexy when I’m mad.”

“Oh yeah.”

“You’ve been doing that all along, haven’t you?”

Phil swallowed. “Maybe.”

Sighing, Thom ran a hand through his heair. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

He’s not yelling. That’s a good sign. Phil ignored the rebellious parts of him which disagreed and risked a cautious smile. “There’s just something about a hot little blond with a temper that turns my crank like nothing else.”

Thom eyes him with a calculating look. “Hm. Isn’t that interesting?”

The predatory way Thom was looking at him sent goose bumps racing up Phil’s arms. “So. Are you mad?” He sounded hopeful. Dammit.

Thom gave him an evil grin. “Do you want me to be?”

The EW factor: Jayne noticed something similar in her last review of one of your books. My “ew” wasn’t a body odor issue, it was a sexual practice issue: I’m really not that interested in reading about felching. I mean, really. Thanks but no thanks. Other than that one unfortunate incident, however, I also very much enjoyed the sex scenes. They were hot, interesting, distinct, and…oh yeah, very hot!

I also think there would have been more character growth and relationship conflict if the owners of Thom’s nightclub, which finally got off the ground, weren’t so irredeemably crooked. If Thom and Phil actually had to work out their political differences, to the same end, of course, I think it would have been a more interesting book. Of course, it’s not my story to write, but it seemed to me to be a cop-out to have a common enemy appear so obligingly just when Thom and Phil were figuring out how they fit together. And whatever Thom might think when he goes to a lawyer with his discrimination suit, yes, throughout most of the country, you CAN be fired for being gay. Sorry. And boy, he was pretty stupid when his boss called him into her office: hmm, I wonder what she wants me for? That seemed a little disingenuous to me, one instance of TSTL in an otherwise beautifully constructed character.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book. It was a strong romance between two great characters. Nothing brilliant, but a lot of fun, and a feel-good happy at the end when I closed the book (yes, OMG, a REAL book with pages and everything). Thanks for those happy hours I spent with Thom and Phil.

Grade: B

Best regards,
-Joan/Sarah F.

This book can be purchased at Samhain (non affiliate link) in ebook format.

This is a very recognizable storyline within the Harlequin Presents line. The hero, Kain Gerard, believes that the heroine, Sable Martin, is a no good gold digger out to seduce his cousin’s fortune away. Kain is summoned by his aunt to check out this woman for whom the cousin, Brent, has bought a thirty thousand dollar ring and installed in his apartment.  Brent has an unfortunate history of falling “violently in lust with the most unsuitable female in sight”, dumping said woman who then runs to the press to wail about how poorly he treated her.

Brent’s mother is unusually concerned because Sable is older and not his usual type.  For one thing, Kain’s aunt notes “she isn’t hanging onto him or gazing worshipfully–or seductively–into his eyes.”  I find that hysterical.  Brent’s family is convinced that Sable is evil because she’s aloof instead of an appendage of Brent’s.  At first Kain is unconvinced.  Maybe she’s normal, he posits for Brent’s mother.  But Brent’s mother brings up Sable’s sketchy upbringing (Sable’s dad was the town drunk) and given her past, Sable must also be up to no good.

Of course, Kain and his aunt are completely wrong about Sable. She is a beautiful woman who has a relationship with Kain’s cousin, but it is just a friendship. Sable even tries to explain this to Kain but because Kain is so attracted to Sable, he cannot believe any man would have just a friendship with Sable.  Further, Kain’s investigation into her background brought some unsavory facts to light which cements his poor opinion of her. Of course, despite the fact that she is this supposedly an amoral creature, Kain burns for her. (classic)

Kain asks Sable if she is in love with Brent and she denies that she is.  Brent is merely lending his flat to her while he is out of the country.  Kain suggests that the two of them pretend to be lovers and Brent will then back off.   Kain is pretty heartless with his cousin by preparing to steal his woman, but Kain figures Brent will be better off in the end (maybe Ruthless Rich Man should have been the title).

Sable is attracted to Kain against her better judgment and he makes a concerted effort to woo her, albeit under false pretenses.  As Kain is seducing Sable, however, he falls in love himself and his jealousy and desire to possess leads him to act unkindly.   We are treated to a good grovel from Kain which I never get tired of.  

If the reader is not an HP reader, I can see being irritated at Kain’s constant highhandedness and how the value placed on Sable’s sexual innocence (although she is not a virgin) could be trying. However, Sable is not a doormat and for most of the book, Kain is not an asshole so the asshole doormat ratio is fairly low and the sometimes unintentionally funny scenes along with the strong emotional pull makes this a fun, entertaining way to while away the afternoon. . B

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased at Amazon
(affiliate link), eharlequin in print (non affiliate link), eharlequin in ebook (non affiliate link), Kindle (non affiliate link), nook (non affiliate link), Books on Board (non affiliate link) or other etailers.

At last, at last. The continuation of the series faithful fans have been waiting for. It all started years ago with “Yorkshire,” “Devonshire,” “Venice” and “Harley Street” as we watched the aristocratic Richard Kerre, heir to the Earldom of Southland, and Rose Golightly, daughter of the gentry, fall in love at first sight then battle for the right to marry. Everyone said it would fail, that rake Richard would never stay true to quiet wallflowerish Rose. But these two knew their own hearts and found in each other that which most married couples didn’t even bother to look for: true love.

Now Rose has finally given birth to their first child. I say finally not because it’s been so long since R&R were married but rather it’s been so long since the last book in the series, “Harley Street,” when Rose announced her “interesting condition.” What was it? five years? Not even elephants stay pregnant that long! [G] Anyway, the Kerre family is gathering to celebrate the birth of young Helen (I totally agree with Rose’s reaction to the name suggestions Richard jokingly made) and love, theft and murder are in the air. Can R&R further the cause of true love, discover who’s got the light fingers, solve a murder and keep scandal away from the family?

I love the snapshot of the mid-eighteenth century presented in these stories. Your history is definitely not wallpaper but detailed, in depth, well researched and integrated into the fabric of the plot. R&R discover that the theft of a necklace ties in with the murder of one of the victims but to do this requires learning about the working class victim, his duties, his opportunities, his past and who might have directed his actions. This allows us to see a comparison between the aristocratic world of the Kerres and that of their working class servants.

But when the crime seems headed in the direction that would hit close to home with the Kerre family, Richard, who has a passionate interest in seeing justice done, is caught in a dilemma. Does he let nature take its course and risk a scandal for the family or does he work behind the scenes and do what’s right but not necessarily legal?

The eighteenth century world doesn’t seem that much different from today in that the masses avidly read about the rich and famous and are just waiting for the great families/famous celebrities to flub up. And you make quite clear what flubbing up for the Kerres would mean – difficulty in making advantageous marriages, weakening the power of the Earldom and wrecking the chances of Gervase who is standing for Parliament.

I like how you also use this subplot to point out the first bit of contention between Richard and Rose. Raised in the gentry, Rose is bothered by Richard’s decision to not only not tell the constable the truth but to actually lead the man’s investigation astray. Up until now, the personal differences R&R faced were seemingly minor and easily overcome by their love for each other. But here’s something that will present Rose with a major division between her old life and her new one. This showcases one of the strengths of the series – that it portrays the evolving relationship between these two characters as would be expected in any marriage.

In the previous books, Rose is seen to be struggling a little to find her way in her new world. In “Eyton” I’m glad to see that her confidence, or at least her public acting ability, is increasing. She’s not just aping the great lady anymore but we see that she’s slowly becoming one. She’s also a new mother, dealing with the changes that brings to her station and to those who, up until now, had stood closer in the line of succession to the Earldom.

As well, she’s worried about how motherhood might change her relationship with Richard – which surely all new mothers must feel. Richard is a champ in this department, displaying his love for his wife and new daughter to their family and in some cases to the masses. I have to admit that I got tired of having the point driven home about Richard’s public mask of aristocratic hauteur and how he sometimes lets it slip to show his real feelings for Rose. I recall it from the previous books and didn’t need a reminder every other chapter.

And now for the questions. You know I always have questions about your books. Is Eyton based on any particular stately home? Were international marriages among the aristocracy common? How did the Kerre family silver avoid being melted down to support the King during the Civil War? Are there prospects for Georgianna? And of course I’m still “Waiting for Gervase.”

Though new readers could actually start the series with this book, I would suggest beginning at the beginning to catch all the references and see the evolution of Richard and Rose’s relationship. I’m thrilled to see the series continuing and eagerly waiting for the next installment. B for “Eyton.”

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Samhain.

I get several requests a day from authors seeking a review of their book. I generally read the first page of every book I receive for review. Often times the first page is insufficient to keep me reading. The story however opens with an engaging premise, a humorous tone, any promise of a worthwhile read. Although it was short, it was one of the more pleasurable erotic romances I have read in a long time.

I always feel awkward at the Hennessey’s annual family Christmas get-togethers—maybe because I’m just the sister of a brother-in-law. I don’t have any family except for him, so I get to be the tag-a-long. But I guess this year my awkwardness isn’t quite so unwarranted, when you consider that the revoltingly handsome eldest son has his hand on my thigh, under the table.

The premise is fairly simple. Nancy attends Christmases with her brother and his wife’s family, the Hennesseys. She has been doing this for three years. Not once during those previous holidays, has Nancy ever received any type of signal from Mick, “the revoltingly handsome eldest son”, so his hand on her leg under the table comes as quite a surprise.

The story is fairly short and there’s really not much that I can say about it so I choose instead to quote liberally from the story allowing the author’s voice to tell you what the reading experience will be like. This is a buoyant, charming, and and funny erotic romance. I’ve read many an erotic romance and they’re often so dark, filled with emotional turbulence that reading this lighthearted take was a breath of fresh air.

The story is told in the first person, but through conversation we come to learn of why Mick hasn’t made a move before:

“You’re absolutely gorgeous! Hideously gorgeous! I hate to break it to you, Mick, but gorgeous men aren’t afraid of asking clever women out on dates. Quite the opposite.”

“Did you work that out in your giant alien brain?” he says. Completely deadpan.

See—not only is he gorgeous, he’s also funny enough to make me laugh in the middle of indignation.

“No, but—”

“Were there lots of equations involved? If X has a tight bum and Y has big knockers, do they intersect in column Z?”

The erotic part of the romance comes from the fact that Mick is a bit of an exhibitionist.

“Your Gran’s in the next room,” I hiss at him, when he starts pushing past just making out in the middle of the night on his old bed.

But I’ve got no room to talk, because I seem to be rolling his t-shirt up his amazing body. If he keeps tempting me like this, I’m going to go for the buttons on his jeans, I know I am. Please stop me, Mick, before I unbutton your jeans.

“Is she? Think she can hear me spreading your legs?”

“Oh, gross, Mick. Gross. She’s eight hundred years old! And besides, I’m not spreading my legs so you can just—”

“Get you to make loads of noise? I was planning on it, but thanks for the permission.”

“I don’t make noise. Ever. I only have very, very quiet sex.”

“Aw, that’s a shame. Because I’m a talker. A shouter, even.”

“I don’t know why you’re telling me this. I’m not going to make you shout.”

“Well, where would the fun in that be? I’ve just told you that I’m no challenge, so making me shout would be pretty boring. Making you shout, on the other hand…”

You even throw in some clever imagery regarding the labrinth tattoo that Mick has on his arm and a bit of character growth as Nancy blossoms under Mick’s dedicated sexual onslaught. Thanks for sending it to me. I’ll be on the look out for future Stein books. B

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased in ebook format. The only place I could find it for sale was at Total eBound.

Ecstasy Unveiled is the fourth book in the Demonica series.  I’ve enjoyed all of the three previous books to varying degrees. The last one was my favorite and while I enjoyed this entry Wraith and Serena from Passion Unleashed remains my favorite couple.  The action in this book is non stop and I never once wished I was doing anything but reading the book while the story lasted.

Loren is a half human, half Seminus demon and half brother to Eidolon, Shade and Wraith. Because he’s half, he’s never suffered from the inability to complete without his mate; unfortunately, Loren remains very inexperienced because he has another sexually related problem.  The touch of his right hand or arm can kill and he’s especially dangerous when he lacks control over his body and emotions such as during climatic sexual moments.  Loren’s had a lot of self pleasure but little enjoyment with the opposite sex.  Oh, Loren, inexperience never looked so sexy.

Idess is a Memitim, the only class of angels born, not made. She is awaiting her ascension.  While Idess is on earth she serves as a protector for Primoris.  Primoris are humans or other beings who have the ability to change the outcome of humanity. Idess is impervious to most  to most dangerous and receives brief infusions of power by drinking the blood necessary to flash from one location to another. Idess feels her time to ascend is near because she has only two Primoris.

One of Idess’ Primori’s is Kynan, a Marked Sentinel, and he was virtually impervious to all threats except those of angelic origin.  Except for Lore.  Lore brought Kynan back from the dead and therefore has the power to remove the gift of life.

Lore and his sister, Sin, are assassins in the service of assassin master, Deth. Lore abandoned Sin when they were younger because he was driven slightly mad when his demon side appeared when he was twenty. Sin got herself enslaved to Deth 30 years ago and so to save her, Lore agreed to serve as well. He had to perform a 100 kills and they would both be free.

His 100th kill assignment is Kynan.   It Lore fails, Deth will cut off Sin’s arms and sell her to a different slave trader. So while Lore really doesn’t want to kill Kynan because it would mean the wrath of his brothers, he wants to save his sister.

If Idess can’t save Kynan from Lore then she will be forced to remain longer on earth. Then Lore becomes one of her Primori’s. So she has to protect Lore, prevent him from killing Kynan. Every one is going crazy at the hospital.  The brothers are fighting. Shade wants to kill Lore. Sin has unleased a disease on the wargs. It’s really all going to hell in a handbasket.  Oh and did I mention that Idess has to remain chaste in order to Ascend.

I kept wondering how you are going to get yourself out of the fixes that you had your characters in and for the most part I thought that the world building was extremely consistent there were a couple questions I had such as how a Memitim knows when the Primori has served his purpose.  I think the world building is creative. The plot moved quickly without being too frenetic.

The wind down of the story was a tiny bit problematic.  All of the resolution to the issues that you threw at your characters were resolved easily.  I also felt that the sexual content in this book as compared to the previous ones was a little toned down. There was a lot of build up but the consummation scenes seemed rushed, as if you were laboring to fit everything into the book at the end.  There were so many characters from previous books that are someone entering the series at this point might be very confused.

This is more of an action romance than one that is built upon the character introspection. Lore and Idess spend little time contemplating either their place in the world or their roles in each other’s lives. Nearly all of the conflict comes externally and once those barriers are removed, the two move on toward the cementing of the relationship.  This isn’t a complaint, but an observation. This book is fast paced and fun. I fully enjoyed the book and look forward to more Demonica stories.  B

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased at Amazon
(affiliate link), Kindle (non affiliate link), BooksonBoard, or other etailers.

I’m a big, but recent, Harlequin Presents fan. When the blogger bundles came out and one of them was a collection of Harlequin Presents, I couldn’t resist the lure to buy them (plus, they are $9.99 at the Kindle store which comes to about $2.50 per book). Although I’ve only read two of the four included books, I already feel like I’ve gotten a bargain in the bundle. I have enjoyed most of Anne McAllister’s works but you were a new to me author and after reading The Brazilian’s Blackmailed Bride I went on a Michelle Reid tear, buying every ebook out there. Note to Harlequin: Please digitize more.

TBBB isn’t even my favorite Reid, now that I have gorged myself on your backlist, but it invoked a strong emotional response from me.

Anton Luis Ferreira Scott-Lee grew up believing he was “the adored only child of Brazilian beauty Maria Ferreira and wealthy English banker Sebastian Scott-Lee.” After the death of his father, Anton took over the reigns of the family banking business and continued to flourish. Until the letter that arrives from the solicitor of Enrique Ramirez in which the deceased Mr. Ramirez claims to be the biological father of Anton. In his will, Mr. Ramirez bequeaths a large fortune to Anton along with the promise that should Anton fulfill a few requirements, he will be provided with the names of his two half brothers, other illegitimate progeny of Ramirez’s.

Anton burns to know who these men are but the requirements are steep. He is to make reparations to a woman that Ramirez believes Anton abandoned six years prior. He must do this within the next six months or forfeit a meeting with his brothers. This incenses Anton because he was not the one who did the abandoning. Instead, he fell in love with a beautiful Portuguese woman who broke his heart and refused to marry him because she did not want to sully her bloodline with a half blood Englishman. In some ways, Anton is excited to go back with his money and his pure blood lineage and rub it in this woman’s face, this woman Anton has not managed to forget in six years.

Cristina Marques is the woman Anton cannot forget and the woman that Ramirez believes was abandoned. The truth is that Cristina did say horrible hurtful things to Anton to make him believe she no longer loved him, to make him leave her. It was no misunderstanding and it wasn’t that Anton had treated her badly, but her words grew out of an angry, hurt, and immature side of her.

When Anton comes back into her life, he is rich and she is poor. She is out with the “begging bowl” as she puts it, trying to find an investor for the development of family property to save it from a company that wants to buy it and ruin the natural beauty of the valley. Anton will save Cristina because he desperately wants to meet his brothers, but also because he finds that Cristina is the only one who has ever touched him so deeply. He’s torn between his lust and love for her and his hurt and hatred for her.

Cristina has always and will always love Anton but the same reasons she had for rejecting him six years ago remain true now. She loves him but she cannot marry him. Because I, as the reader, know these two are in love with each other, their painful exchanges and actions toward one another are palatable because I understand their vulnerabilities. I completely enjoyed the fiery Cristina and the passionate Anton (whom Cristina calls Luis the entire time). I also appreciated how the beginning of the story became vitally important to the end of the story. Nice closure. B

Best regards

Jane

This book can be purchased as part of the Harlequin Blogger Bundle II put together by WeWriteRomance.com at eHarlequin (non affiliate link) or in Kindle format (non affiliate link).

I’m sure if you’ve ever had a conversation with more than…oh, two romance readers, one (or both) have them have told you to read Georgette Heyer’s books. Or squeeed over them. Or said how much Heyer has influenced her life. Or said something about how she just doesn’t get Heyer. Or otherwise mentioned Georgette Heyer. There’s a good reason for this, of course. For all intents and purposes, Georgette Heyer invented the historical romance, and certainly the Regency romance in its current form (which is not to say that there weren’t historical romances before she was writing — The Scarlet Pimpernel, anyone? — but she solidified the conventions, the heroes, the heroines, the situations, the languages, the time period).

She did not do this with The Black Moth, however. The Black Moth, in fact, was her very first book, published when she was 19. It is set in 1751, not in Regency England, but instead solidly in Georgian England, where men wore wigs, high heels, and make-up as well as the women. Published in 1921, between the wars (and 15 years after The Scarlet Pimpernel), The Black Moth tells the tale of Jack Carstares, Earl of Wyncham, exiled from polite society because he cheated at cards. He rescues the innocent Diana Beauleigh from the clutches of Tracy Belmanoir, the Duke of Andover…except he only does this just less than half way through the book. Up until this point, they hadn’t even met in a book that is nominally their romance.

So this book also tells the tale of Richard Carstares, Jack’s brother, the man who actually cheated and let his brother take the blame because he was so wildly in love with Lavinia Belmanoir, the Duke’s sister. They married after the scandal, but Richard has been wracked with guilt for six years and is convinced that to make things right with Jack, he has to sacrifice his beloved wife’s affections. So it’s the love story of a marriage in trouble — in fact, to me, this romance was much more compelling than Jack and Diana.

And it’s also the story of Tracy, nicknamed the Devil, because he knows all, sees all, has very little morals, and manipulates everyone in the book, but is still, somehow, a sympathetic character — he is, in fact, the prototype of the repellent, yet unaccountably attractive dark, amoral hero.

This book is, as Heyer’s own characters would say, a mad romp. It’s got sword fights and gambling, gallops over the countryside, abductions, love, melodrama, wonderful characters, and so much fun. It’s not her best, mainly because her best is truly superlative. But for a 19 year old, it’s pretty awesome. The three different subplots all roll together and tie off beautifully together at the end. I personally love it because above all else, it’s really an exploration of the definition of a “good man.” While Diana in particular is a bit of a cipher, more a porcelain doll than anything else (although she shows some spirit when she basically proposes to Jack), the other characters are really well-drawn. If they feel like cliches, it’s because Heyer invented them and they’ve since been reused time and again. You really feel for the characters, despite or even because of the melodrama and I actually love the character of Richard (except in that he’s called “Dicky”!) the best, because he’s tortured and makes the most moral progress in the story.

All in all, it’s over-the-top and laugh-out-loud funny and is a good place to start with Heyer’s books, because it’s just so much fun and, to our Regency-saturated reading habits, a little different.

Grade: B

Best regards,
-Joan/Sarah F.

P.S. And as an Easter egg for those few who don’t already know, all the characters are revisited with different names and slightly different relationships to each other in These Old Shades, in which Tracy, now Justin, the Duke of Avon, finds his HEA. These Old Shades is one of my favorite Heyers, but then, I think about 15 books occupy that list. :)

P.P.S I’m writing this review because I’ve been immersed in this book for the past two weeks because I’m writing an Introduction for a new Barnes and Noble edition. It must have recently entered the public domain to receive this treatment. Look for it later this year!

This book can be purchased at Amazon and Kindle (which is currently $.99).

We choose this book for our Dear Author bundle on the basis of a couple of things. First, the writing was good; but second, because it featured a female firefighter and part of the conflict is dependent on the issue of integrating a woman into a traditionally male workforce, one that depends largely upon trust and teamwork.

I knew it was stupid to get involved with a firefighter. Half the world thinks females in the department are lesbians, and the other half thinks we sleep with the crew. But he was so nice at first. So funny and fun loving.

Chelsea Whitmore is transferred to Rockford Fire Department Quint/Midi 12 station under the lieutanancy of Jack Scarlatta. Jack isn’t pleased because Chelsea is being transferred because a firefighter she dated and broke up with endangered himself and the crew in an effort to get back at Chelsea. In other words, she is tainted because the blame is placed on her for her ex boyfriend losing his mind. The unfairness of the situation not only grates on Chelsea but makes her wary of the other firefighters.

Jack just wants to run a tight ship. He is well respected by his team. He treats Chelsea with respect and generally, they follow his lead. But the integration only works because Chelsea is an exceptional firefighter. She is also not a delicate flower. She bench presses 200 pounds and weighs, as Chelsea puts it, “but weighed what most women would consider too much.” They both suffer from insomnia and in those late night hours they start talking and start falling in love.

I thought the firehouse scenes were great. They showed the way in which the firefighters were really a big family, eating and sleeping together. They also showed how awkward it could be for a woman, from the lack of privacy to what jokes could be told.

Actually, I am jealous,” Mick confessed when Diaz let him go. “I wish like hell Andrea’d have another kid.”

Diaz joked, “Yeah, well, if you need instruction on how to get your peck—” He swallowed the rest of the word; everyone stilled.

Here it comes, Chelsea thought. The watch-every-word-they-say syndrome. In the past, she’d put her fellow firefighters at ease with some ice-breaker comment—like she knew all the words for the male anatomy and could teach them some—but no more.

Chelsea is strong and capable but just when her team is beginning to trust her, rely on her and truly respect her, her competency starts getting called into question. The pilot light is left on at the station house, an oxygen tank is depleted, she falls asleep when she’s on watch. The reader knows that all these things are the work of a sabateur, but cause Chelsea’s team, particularly Jake to wonder what is going on.

In part the story challenges which bonds are stronger: the “male bond” as Chelsea calls it or the bond between two lovers. There are external conflicts such as Jake having to stand up for Chelsea against his brothers and suffer the same kind of emotional banishment as Chelsea and there were internal conflicts such as Chelsea being able to come to terms with the idea that this man could elevate her over the brotherhood.

There are flaws in the story and primarily it is the overt way in which the villain is painted. He even refers to himself as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While the intention, I believe, is to add a layer of suspense to the story, the obviousness made me hear echos of Dr. Evil’s laugh while reading the short passages given over to the villain’s point of view.

This book is clearly part of a larger series, but in a short space is able to convey the concept of nurtured families such as the firehouse family or the unspoken ones like the relationship Jake has with his former best friend’s teenaged son. It also challenges the concept of betrayal such as Jake and Chelsea’s purported betrayal of the “Code of Honor” amongst the firefighters. Jake and Chelsea’s descent (or climb) from wary co workers to friends to passionate lovers is a treat to read. B

Best regards,

Jane

This book can be purchased at eHarlequin.com (non affiliate link here) in ebook format as part of the Dear Author Blogger Bundle or other etailers.

The Harlequin Affiliate link earns us an affiliate fee if you purchase a book through the link.

I am beginning to think I’m one of the few readers out there who has not died from paranormal overload. I realize that in my deepest heart of hearts, I am a sci/fi fantasy geek of the highest degree, which is probably what is insulating me from said overload. I had a twinge of trepidation when I picked up your book and splashed below the title was the subtitle, “A Soul Gatherer Novel”. The fear of mid-series reading affects me, but I was relieved to realize that not only was this the first in a series, but this is your first published book.

Lachlan MacGregor has served out 409 years of a 500 year sentence to be a Soul Gatherer, an immortal that collects souls for Death and releases them to Angels or Demons. Lachlan ended up as a Gatherer due to his soul being in balance at the time of his death, shouldering blame for the brutal deaths of his family and distruction of his home back in 1603 (if you’ve done your addition, this story takes place a few years in the future). Lachlan blames his own arrogance and stupidity for the horror that befell his family. He’s matured and accepts his past without being robotically stoic. He’s using his soul gathering time to get himself to heaven to reunite with his family. Interestingly, Lachlan’s drive to be with his wife and children has faded over time, which makes the romance more plausible and negates any feelings of betrayal towards them Lachlan might have harbored.

With minimal explanation, Lachlan has been commanded by Death to guard Emily Lewis, a 14 year old girl, while continuing his soul gathering duties. Lachlan moved into Emily’s apartment building posing as a priest. Rachel Lewis, Emily’s divorced mom, is a talented graphic designer who is overworked, I’m guessing underpaid, is dealing with a total deadbeat ex and a defiant, petulant and generally miserable teenage daughter. None of this stops her from noticing the gorgeous priest that lives in her building, and I couldn’t help but think of the Sex and The City episode in which Samatha is lusting after “Friar Fuck”. Rachel tries to resist temptation and focus on the shitstorm that comprises her life, but when Lachlan offers to talk to Emily and actively provide some guidance she jumps on him…er, his offer.

The pace of the book is moves quickly and the world you’ve created is engaging. Friar Fu…uh, Lachlan is pitted against his long-standing enemy, Drusus, a lure demon that is bent on gaining power for himself and Satan by getting a hold of the Linen (the cloth Pilate used to wipe his hands on…I think. More on this below.) which was in MacGregor’s possession. Drusus is also targeting Emily after realizing that Lachlan was tasked with protecting her. Rachel and Lachlan’s relationship moves at a nice pace, and throughout the book the dialog was strong and flowed naturally, like this exchange when Rachel is trying to convince Lachlan to go to a hospital after an encounter with Drusus:

Men and their stupid macho bullshit. She joined him in the car, backed out of the parking spot, and zoomed toward the gated entrance. “O’Connor Hospital is the closest. I can have us there in a couple of minutes.”

“That’s if this death trap of a car doesn’t kill us first.”

She glanced at him.

His head lolled on the headrest and his eyes were closed, but he was smiling faintly.

“Was that a joke? You must be hurt more than I thought.”

When Rachel initially questioned Lachlan’s ability to heal quickly, she was easily hormonally distracted by his nice naked chest and her need for some serious sexin’. Anyone who doesn’t believe that ones’ thoughts and/or actions can be completely derailed hasn’t observed my daughters watching morning television.

Lachlan and Rachel get into it as a result of Lachlan’s superpowers, his inability/reticence to explain them and her anger at supposedly being deceived. Rachel has enough mettle to question what Lachlan has told her, and quickly comes to the conclusion (on her own) that above all he is her friend and ally. When the big reveal comes, Rachel doesn’t go off the deep end, which was a relief.

Rachel’s relationship with Emily was a tough pill for me to swallow. I can’t imagine the world of a working single mother, and Rachel’s actions were painful to watch but seemed on the nose for someone that is being tugged in a million directions. What bothered me was the lack of even an attempt at communication. Rachel was around enough to take her daughter by the ear and explain exactly what’s what, but didn’t do it. She let Emily sulk and pout and act out. Yeah, I’m the heavy of the household. Can you tell?

Not being of the Christian persuasion, I realized that people might be put off by the heavy iconographic imagery, regardless of their religious beliefs. The Soul Gatherer world depends heavily on a Christian belief construct, and the novel mixes Christian beliefs with romance and sexual relationships. While I would not call this novel religious, the amount of Christian references coupled with MacGregor posing as a priest could cause problems for some. The religious imagery and references were slightly distracting for me. When I think of other novels that delve into angelic/demonic/heaven/hell relations, I feel that many take a more neutral stance from a purely religious point of view.

I’m assuming the secondary characters will be having books of their own, and according to your website, Brian’s book is due out at the beginning of May. For me, this was a strong out-of-the-gate novel and a solid foundation for an engaging series. I’m interested to see what happens next. B

~ Shuzluva

This book can be purchased at Amazon (affiliate link), in Kindle (non affiliate link), BooksonBoard (non affiliate link) or other etailers.

This book was provided to the reviewer by either the author or publisher. The reviewer did not pay for this book but received it free.

DA reader cs recommended your writing to me in one of my previous posts. I bought this and Amor en Retrogrado and devoured both of them in about 36 hours. I adore Roger and Sean in this story, adore your presentation of BDSM, and adore the storyline, huge gaping plot holes or not.

Roger, homicide detective and Old Guard BDSM top, comes home from some time off and finds a mummified corpse on his couch. During the ensuing investigation, he travels through his own memories of gay leather circles pre-”plague,” including visiting “the happiest perv in WeHo,” his old mentor who is now in a wheelchair with emphysema. He also meets Sean, a young, restless, searching man who sets Roger’s teeth on edge for reasons he can’t figure out. Sean is the brother of the mummy on Roger’s couch and stumbles not only through helping Roger figure out the killer but also into a relationship with Roger.

I adore the emotional sparseness of your writing. It matches both Roger and Sean so perfectly, Roger because he’s so emotionally contained — almost OCD about suppressing emotional displays — and Sean because he’s so confused, so clueless and searching for security and answers and understanding. For example, when Sean is being threatened:

A wild animalistic emotion rose up in Roger. It was that thing he always sought to control and his whole body shook as he contained it.

And that’s it. That’s all the reader needs to understand Roger’s reactions, because that’s exactly how Roger deals with himself. Roger is still recovering from the loss of his partner from cancer a few years previously and is NOT looking for another entanglement — it would mess up his incredibly well-ordered life, if nothing else. Sean is…searching. He’s absolutely clueless and Roger’s somewhat clueless about dealing with Sean’s cluelessness because Roger’s trying to figure out if, how, and why he’s attracted to Sean.

The BDSM is beautifully done. We see Old Guard gay Leather in memory, we see Roger dealing with a completely novice submissive, we see the difference between consensual, loving BDSM, “traditional Christian discipline,” and outright abuse. We see a couple of BDSM scenes between Roger and other characters. We see Roger having to be circumspect about being gay and having to hide his BDSM identity.

I do not read books like this for the mystery. In fact, I mostly actively dislike mysteries, especially police procedurals that do not marry the suspense to the main characters. Because the mystery is so deeply personal to Roger, however, I became deeply invested in the mystery itself, which is very unusual and, frankly, pleasing. And, for what it’s worth (which is very little because I don’t do suspense) I had no idea who the killer was until he was revealed, so that was gratifying. These two things hid, for me, the one problem I had with the story, that I only figured out when I was rereading to review. The killer’s been doing what he does for decades. It seems an unusual escalation for him to kill as many as he does during the course of the story, and as there’s very little serial killer monologuing at the end of the book, there’s very little explanation of why he does what he did. So I felt a little bereft there at the end.

But seriously, authors, can we please figure out the differences between floggers, cats, and whips? They are not interchangeable, although there is a little overlap. This is a flogger, (in fact, a buffalo hide flogger like the one that plays a prominent part in the mystery of The Elegant Corpse). This is a cat (or, more historically, a cat-o’-nine-tails). Cats are usually braided floggers and have knots on the end of the falls. Cats and floggers obviously easily overlap now and then. This is a single-tail whip, obviously named, I would think, for the fact that it’s got a single tail, rather than multiple falls like a flogger, even if the end has multiple cracks. This is a bullwhip, like Indiana Jones uses. I’m not an aficionado of whips — they’re hella difficult to use — but I *think* the main difference between single tails and bullwhips is their length. The main differences between whips and floggers/cats is the number of falls and where they start. Another telling difference is that most whip handles are flexible and part of the fall itself, while most flogger/cat handles are solid. It makes a difference if Roger is using a whip, a cat, or a flogger at the end of the story to defeat the bad guy, and you seemed to use the terms interchangeably – in one paragraph: “the abandoned cat lying on the table” and three sentences later: “He’d probably left the singletail there to tease Roger.” Sigh.

That aside, I truly adored this book. I loved Roger and Sean was adorable. I loved the plot and the BDSM was perfect. Amor en Retrogrado was equally brilliant and completely different (review eventually). I heartily recommend this book to everyone. I’ve reread it multiple times and see it in my future. I especially love the very last scene.

Grade: B

Best regards,
-Joan/Sarah F.

This book can be purchased at Loose Idin ebook format or other etailers.

When I saw that the novella you sent to Dear Author for review was published by Drollerie Press, I eagerly snagged it for review. Unfortunately, it’s been a while getting to the review, but I at least hope I can encourage a few readers to try Over Her Head, a sweet, nicely-crafted romance that takes place at the turn of the 20th C and offers a refreshing take on the merman/mermaid myth.

Frances Schmidt is a doctoral student in history in Massachusetts, and her doctoral dissertation is on merfolk. However, there is very little primary research on the subject – except for an enormous collection held privately by one Garrett Hathaway of Ipsiquinguit, Maine. When Frances travels alone to Maine, she does not know what to expect; she is merely compelled by curiosity, a desire not to return a failure to her family in Minnesota, and the need to protect her work from a fellow-grad student, Norbert, who has taken Frances’s topic and is trying to beat her to Hathaway’s collection. What she finds, however, is a relatively young man, a “New Yorker” with a summerhouse in Maine, who has an extensive and eccentric collection of merfolk literature. And, despite the inviting beach right outside his back door, very little sun on his fair skin.

If you’re thinking that Garrett is a vampire, rest assured that he’s not. But he does have a secret that makes him a bit more than the mere mortal Frances finds herself growing more and more attracted to, after, that is, she wins him over to letting her into his library with a tasty plate of homemade spice cookies. A somewhat unorthodox form of scholarly argument, but successful, nonetheless, in gaining her access to a house adorned with almost every iteration of mermaids, mermen, and other underwater decorations, built not by Garrett, but by another fan of mythic sea folk.

Perhaps the popularity of the merfolk stories keeps Frances’s curiosity about Garrett’s extensive collection to a minimum, because she seems relatively content to merely enjoy the burgeoning friendship between her and Garrett, with whom she shares a profound sense of not wholly fitting in to society’s expectations. For both, there is both pain and opportunity in this situation. For Frances, there is a sense of not measuring up to other, more attractive, women:

When she was a teenage girl, she’d dreamed that one morning she’d wake up beautiful. On the day she put her hair up and started wearing long dresses, she’d wished for a miraculous change. For some of her friends, it had been like that. But she was doomed to stay plain, lumpy Frances. And the horrible thing was that she loved just like a pretty girl.

Not that Garrett sees her as dumpy, though, even though at first she appears to him as somewhat “stout” and plain. But as their friendship grows, so does his experience of Frances as a lush, beautiful woman. But his perceptions of himself are less embracing:

And for Garrett, the moment seemed to freeze. The beautiful summer’s day, the happy picnickers, the distant brass band faded away until he was confronted by the face of the only living human being who had ever seen his true shape. He had always known how fragile it was, his life – music, the law, all his pleasures, everything that made him more than a beast in an aquarium. He would lose it all, despite his caution, because he wasn’t really human.

A substantial part of the charm of Over Her Head is the earnestness of both Garrett and Frances, the genuine interest they have in each other and in doing their best to live good, fulfilling lives. There is a real quaintness to the story but also a touching sensitivity around how vulnerable loving and being loved can make one feel. As Frances comes to understand it, “the mermaid stories represent the uncertainty of love, the natural fear that results from unbosoming oneself to a new lover. He is strange to one, as one is to him. But perhaps, if we are fortunate, there may come a mutual understanding.” And here is the significance and Frances and Garrett’s story and the movement of the novella.

Frances stands out, first as a female doctoral student in history, and then as a woman alone in a small Maine town that includes some who might not be so keen on a single woman so openly enjoying the company of a single man. Garrett has made an effort to blend in as a respectable lawyer who had enough income to afford a summerhouse at the beach. But he is hiding his second nature from the human world, convinced that he is tainted. Neither Frances nor Garrett believes that love, marriage, and children is likely (possible, even), and despite their obvious compatibility, something happens between them that threatens any future happiness they might share as a couple. Something that puts Frances’s degree in danger, as well as Garrett’s well being. And its resolution depends not on magic or fantasy or fate, but rather on the willingness and ability of these two people to find that place of mutual understanding.

And this is what I really like about Over Her Head – that it is ultimately a very human, very humane, story about two people, neither of whom is precisely “normal,” in society’s understanding of human terms. It is sweet, it is charming, it possesses and innocence and an exuberance, as well as a sense of hopefulness that I found touching and uplifting. I wondered why a scholar like Frances was not much more curious about Garrett’s interest in merfolk (or at least in the extensiveness and originality of his collection), and I felt that some of the secondary characters (particularly Frances’s landlady in Maine and her rival in grad school) were a bit stereotypical. And I don’t know if it is the limits of the novella or the crafting of this particular work, but at times I felt there was a polite distance from the emotional depths of the characters that may have been appropriate for Edwardian propriety but not so much for the passionate nature of the story’s protagonists. But in the main, I really enjoyed this novella and hope that others will, too. B.

~ Janet

This book can be purchased at Drollerie Press in ebook format or other etailers.

This book was provided to the reviewer by either the author or publisher. The reviewer did not pay for this book but received it free.

Dear Ms. O’Keefe:

Worth Fighting For brings together the loose plot threads involving Iris and Patrick, the mother and father of Gabe, Max, and yes, Jonah. The complicated backstory to Iris and Patrick goes something like this. Thirty years ago, Iris left Patrick. She suffered from severe post partum depression. It became unsafe for the children to be around her so she left. It broke Patrick’s heart but he managed to raise his two boys. In the early days, Iris wrote twice to come back and Patrick refused. He was hurt, afraid, and thought that perhaps they were all better off without Iris. Iris was pregnant when she left and never told Patrick of his third son, Jonah.

Iris wants to reconnect with her sons she left behind, and perhaps, even Patrick, from whom she has never divorced. Jonah would do anything for his mother including spending a few days in the Catskills meeting his father and unknown brothers even though he loathes them, sight unseen.

Daphne Larson is the local divorced mother of one precocious girl. Gabe and Daphne dated briefly in Baby Makes Three. She wants to be remarried and she wants to have more children but she and her husband just fell out of love. He was a little irresponsible but mostly they didn’t work as a couple anymore. The first time Daphne lays eyes on Jonah, her hormones go into overdrive. Upon second look, however, she recognizes Jonah as “The Dirty Developer.” To say that the two get off on the wrong foot is an understatement. Daphne is an organic farmer and she’s personally affronted by a man who builds houses for families on dirty land. She cares for the Mitchells and just knows instinctively that Jonah is a man who will hurt them all.

Jonah comes to the Catskills because he promised himself he would never say “no” to his mother. He loves her too much and she asks for so little. Befriending the Mitchells, however, is something that he refuses to do and he flat out tells Patrick this:

“Listen…Patrick,” Jonah said, his voice cutting him like a knife. “I’m not here for a family reunion. I’m here because my mother asked me to be here. And—” his voice grew slightly meaner, mocking “—you probably don’t remember this about my mom but she doesn’t ask for much. So, I’m here for her. I don’t care about your sons—”

“They are your brothers,” Patrick insisted.

“They are no one,” Jonah said. “You are all strangers and you’re going to stay that way.”

I appreciated the hostility rather than the instant connection, even between the brothers. Gabe, for example, has always been very resistant to his mother’s re-entry into their lives and he’s very protective of his father. As Patrick noted, Jonah and Iris were a unit to which he wasn’t vital. He and his sons were a unit. The melding of the units, particularly when it involved hurt feelings, big egos, and very protective feelings was not going to be smooth. Gabe wanted to smash Jonah’s face in and Jonah wanted to return the favor. Jonah is feeling particularly vulnerable:

He felt himself strain and push against that promise he’d made. He’d never guessed, being so young and so suddenly on top of the world, that his mother would ever ask for something he didn’t want to give. The one thing, actually, that he didn’t want to give her.

“Were you unhappy?” he asked, blurting out the question that had been churning in his brain since he saw her smile at Max and Gabe. “All those years with me…did you wish we were with them?”

I actually thought Jonah’s attraction to Daphne would have made more sense in the context of it being a way for him to escape from the personal drama and maybe that is what it was intended to be but I would have liked a verbal cue. Jonah seemed fairly self aware and it would have been consistent for him to internally recognize that thinking about, lusting for Daphne was a release.

Daphne is torn between how hot Jonah is and how bad he is for the land. Of course, finding out that he isn’t the dirty developer that papers made him out to be makes it easier to just focus on how hot he is. But then Jonah, like all the men in Daphne’s life, doesn’t have much staying power. He is in the Catskills for a short time and even if he does seem to like her and her daughter, Daphne tends to be the type of woman who men leave.

I thought Daphne’s own personal conflict seemed forced. Her feelings toward her ex husband didn’t seem consistent with how they were portrayed in Baby Makes Three. I wasn’t sure what Jonah’s initial attraction toward Daphne was. I liked her, but he didn’t know her at all, other than that she was an organic farmer who thought he was a dirty developer.

Jonah falls for Daphne, but he can’t make the commitment to be with her because that would mean giving up all the anger, resentment, and hate he had for his father. How was it possible that it took more courage to choose to be happy?

As always, the prose was excellent and the characters were full bodied. I also enjoyed seeing Iris and Patrick reconnect after years of heartache, mistakes, and misunderstandings between them. The main problem with this book is that I think it is hard to have read in isolation. Much of the plot and character arc depends upon a reader’s intimacy with the first two books in the Riverview Inn series. I think it’s a well done series and I don’t regret a minute I spent reading the three books, but others might find it difficult to start with this one. B

Best regards,

Jane

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

I believe I purchased this book but I can’t actually recall. It may have been provided by the publisher. The Amazon Affiliate link earns us a 6-7% affiliate fee if you purchase a book through the link (or anything for that matter) and the Sony link is in conjunction with the sponsorship deal we made for the year of 2009. We do not earn an affiliate fee from Sony through the book link.