One of the first manga reviews that Jan did for us was about this story. But since I’m not a manga devote, I’m afraid I didn’t recall it until after I had already decided to try this movie via Netflix. While I’m still not a manga fan, this is probably the nicest film adaptation of manga I’ve tried so far.

While riding the train, a desperate geek (Takayuki Yamada) meets the girl of his dreams (Miki Nakatani), prompting the socially deprived but brave young nerd to start a chat room thread asking his faceless Internet compatriots, “How do you talk to girls?” The courtship advice he receives from his online pals — and what he does with their expert counsel — form the basis for this charming romantic comedy, a love story for the 21st century.

What a delightful and charming story and how well it’s been adapted into a movie. Several places where I read up on the film all say that it’s a true story. I don’t know about that but I do know I enjoyed the heck out of watching it.

Train Man is such a geek. He lives online at home and looks to be an IT specialist at work – computers are his life and he has few social skills since he hardly ever seems to actually talk to anyone. Thus when he’s faced with the woman of his dreams, he hasn’t a clue as to what to say to her. Internet chat room geeks to the rescue!

The help and encouragement he gets are heartwarming. When to call her, what to say, how to ask her on a date, what restaurant to go to, what clothes to buy from which store and go to a hair salon, not a barbershop! They even eventually provide him with a flow charted date.

The interaction and growing attraction between Train Man and Hermes (so called because of the gift she got him as thanks for his initial intervention from the drunk man) is fun to watch. I groaned when he flubbed things and, like his internet buddies, cheered him on when he appeared about to falter.

I laughed after he describes her mother’s favorite brand of tea and half the internet buds immediately rush out to try it. I was touched by the time and care he spends researching a computer for Hermes. I slumped in my seat after he almost breaks off their relationship and urged him through the rainy streets of Tokyo on a quest to find her and repair the damage to their relationship. I was totally caught up in this film.

But I think the thing that will stick with me most is how his actions spur his friends on to get out in the world, away from their computers to live life too. Train Man tells Hermes that before he met her, he was content to be alone and face a future alone. But after he met her, he couldn’t continue like that. And she tells him that the reason she began to fall for him is that he was as scared as she of the belligerent drunk but that he still came to her rescue. Hermes goes on to say, “You turned nothing into something and turned trivial things into wonderful memories.” What a guy, eh?

The film is subtitled but still retains it’s “chat room” feel. The hour and 40 minutes seemed to zip by. Yes, it’s formulaic. Yes, you can sort of predict what will happen next but it’s still charming and well worth looking into. B+

~Jayne

A friend loaned me A Chance Encounter, one of your earliest books. Given that the book is twenty-five years old and does contain a few elements that I associate with romances from that era, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I know some of your traditional regencies are being reprinted and hope that this one will eventually join them. It may be slightly outdated, but it is also enormously engrossing.

The opening of A Chance Encounter bears some resemblance to that of Pride and Prejudice. The town of Granby is agog to learn that a wealthy young man, William Mainwaring, is about to begin residing in the manor house he inherited from his uncle. Not only that, Mr. Mainwaring is bringing company with him.

In very little time, Granby is rife with speculation as to what William Mainwaring looks like, whether he is married or single, and what kind of balls and parties his presence in Granby might occasion. One thing is certain, Mrs. Rowe decides. Her daughter’s Cecily’s wardrobe must be updated in honor of Mr. Mainwaring’s arrival. And Miss Rossiter, Cecily’s companion and former governess, should obtain a new dress too.

But Elizabeth Rossiter does not want a new frock. She is perfectly comfortable in her gray dress, and for all that she is twenty-six and well born, she has no interest in catching an eligible man’s eye or indeed, in marrying. Elizabeth prefers to blend into the background. And she is trying her best to do just that when William Mainwaring and his friends pay a return call on the Rowes, and among the party is the man she once loved.

Robert, now the Marquess of Hetherington, was a penniless younger son when Elizabeth met him during her one season in London. At first the two became friends, and then they became smitten. Exactly what it was that separated them isn’t revealed until late in the book, but it’s clear that neither one is interested in rekindling the relationship.

Yet despite her polite coolness to Robert, and his own coldness to her, Elizabeth is unhappy to see Robert turn his charm full force on her charge, Cecily. She does not want to see the girl’s heart broken, and grows even more agitated when she learns that Miss Norris, one of William’s guests, has every expectation of a betrothal to Robert.

Meanwhile, William Mainwaring begins to open up to Elizabeth, and she realizes that he is not toplofty, but merely shy. He begins to charm her by coming out of his shell, and Elizabeth realizes that she could easily grow to care for William, and that William is developing feelings for her.

But how can she allow herself to love William, when Robert is his friend? Is she truly over Robert, and if not, would it be fair to encourage William? Yet if she discourages William, will she be cheating herself of the happy future she could otherwise have?

A Chance Encounter is written in omniscient third person viewpoint and while we get much access to Elizabeth’s thoughts, there is almost none of the hero’s POV. You’ll notice that I have tried not to give away which of the two men Elizabeth ends up with, so I will just say that since we get very little of his POV, this character is not as fleshed out as Elizabeth.

Like Elizabeth, I had a tough time deciding which of the men she should be with. I wasn’t always crazy about the man she ultimately chose. And although by the end of the book I was fine with the choice she made, I felt for the other guy, too. My enjoyment of A Chance Encounter was therefore centered less on the development of the romance itself, and more on the characterization.

Many of the side characters in the town of Granby were delightful, from the tongue-tied girl Lucy Worthing, to the sparring Cecily and Ferdie, who might or might not marry someday, to my favorite, Mr. Rowe, whose fatherly banter with Elizabeth, whom he referred to as “Cinderella,” charmed me to my toes.

But what really made this book click with me is the restrained Elizabeth, who keeps her deep feelings below the surface. She is fiercely independent, but most of the time, not in a way that feels anachronistic. She also has a wry sense of irony, a stubborn will and a kind heart.

I loved watching Elizabeth grapple with the choices facing her, which were not just marriage to William or marriage to Robert, but also, a life as Cecily’s companion, or governess to some other family, or staying with her brother and sister-in-law. Because Elizabeth considered most of these options, often weighing them thoughtfully yet occasionally acting impulsively, she was a heroine whose depths absorbed me so much that I lost track of time reading the book.

As mentioned above, there are some old fashioned elements to this book, both in terms of the plot and in terms of the characters’ behavior. Unfortunately I can’t go into them in details because they involve big spoilers, so suffice to say that I felt some of what kept Elizabeth and the man she chose apart was contrived. I did like the plot twist in the middle of the book, though again, to say what it is would be to spoil it.

Readers should also be aware that the sex in A Chance Encounter amounts to no more than a couple of paragraphs, and that is not really surprising given that the book was first published in 1985. I didn’t feel this as a lack, though, because the book absorbed me so deeply. A Chance Encounter gets a B/B+ from me.

Sincerely,

Janine

This book can only be purchased used and it is fairly expensive. Hopefully it will be reissued by Signet or Ballantine who is currently republishing formerly out of print Balogh regency titles.

• ISBN-10: 0451159667
• ISBN-13: 978-0451159663

You seem to enjoy writing tough, smart mouthed heroines who don’t seem to know when the right man is just under their noses. I actually read your next book, “Everything Nice” first and backtracked to this one. Liza is not as masculine acting as Mike but she also has her moments of pushing away The One and nearly losing him. She’s also got life lessons to learn as well as lessons about herself.

Outspoken playwright Liza Weiler left Yale with everything she thought she needed to make her mark on the New York stage. So why, nearly a decade later, is she still waiting for her “real” life to finally begin? But like any great drama, Liza’s life only needs one good twist. And that’s what happens when she turns her ankle on the way out of a downtown nightspot and falls into the arms of a suspiciously gallant Wall Street prince and a practically perfect ER doc. Suddenly Liza not only has a couple of men in her life, but her play has fallen into the hands of a uber-hip theater director. Now Liza’s about to discover how much mess she can make of a seemingly good thing … and how terrifying, slightly tragic, and utterly hilarious a little success can be.

As I read the story, I got an image in my mind of a smart, acerbic young woman in NYC with a deadpan sense of humor. Liza can’t help but let her frustration at being a Yalie who’s forced to temp for rent money while her playrighting career goes nowhere. I like the foils you’ve created for her in the characters of her college friends Jeremy, thank God *not* the Gay best friend, and Parrot, the daughter of a man who might be a Mafioso but who is fiercely devoted to Liza.

And then there’re are the men in Liza’s life. Dr. Tim who honestly seems like he came straight from a box at Walmart marked, “The Perfect Man” and George, who’s box would say, “The Asshole.” All through Liza and Tim’s dating sequence, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it did, I was happy that you hadn’t turned Tim into some kind of monster in order to move him off of center stage and make room for the man who is obviously meant to partner Liza through life.

Because it’s also pretty obvious, as in any good RomCom, who the main couple is meant to be. And just as obvious that after blissfully getting together for a while, they’ll have to hit the act during which they break up and suffer before finally getting their HEA and fade to credits. Now, would the driving force behind the breakup and makeup make sense or would it ruin the book for me?

The breakup actually worked for me. You’d laid the groundwork and the dividing factor seemed to flow from the characters you’d created. Everyone has their vulnerable spots and people in love have even more of them. So far, so good. The misery each feels afterwards also seems realistic and heartfelt. The makeup, hmmm. It just seemed a little sudden and too conveniently timed for me. The epilogue wraps things up nicely but I just never quite felt I caught onto what brought George back into Liza’s life.

After all is said and written, I enjoyed the humor, I enjoyed Liza and George’s Meet Cutes, I liked the secondary characters but the resolution of the romance didn’t give me the emotional payoff and Feel Good feeling I was looking and hoping to get. B-

~Jayne
| No Book Excerpt | Kindle | Amazon | Nook | BN | Borders |
Fictionwise | Books on Board | KoboBooks

I’ve wanted to read you for a long time and when this book was hand delivered to me when I was in NY, I felt like I had no excuses but to read it. I’ll tell you that it was a lifesaver. As I spent almost 10 hours at La Guardia due to weather complications, at least I had a good book to read.

Emily Benedict was brought to live with her grandfather in a small town of Mullaby, North Carolina. It’s a town of oddities. Her grandfather is almost eight feet tall. Her bedroom wallpaper changes, frequently. Everyone has its secrets. Her mother was involved in something scandalous involving the Coffey family, so scandalous that the townspeople’s long memories have pegged Emily as an outcast before she even has time to set foot in Mullaby. But people’s recollections of Emily’s mom don’t fit with the social do gooder that her mom was before she died. What Emily comes to realize was that she was her mother’s chance at redemption.

Her neighbor, Julia Winterson, befriends Emily. Even though Emily’s mom was one of Julia’s high school tormenters, Julia recognizes loneliness when she sees it and it radiates from Emily. This story is all about second chances. It’s about Emily’s mom’s second chance lived through Emily. It’s about the Win Coffey defying his family’s orders to give his people a second chance. It’s about Julia, who bakes her cakes for a lost love and not the most recognizable loss either.

Like most romance books, this one has its happy ever after, for Julia and for Emily. With all the reconciliations and redemptions, the story had several opportunities to be too sugary but the writing kept it from falling into the treacly sentimentality. In part, I suppose, because the characters had all suffered so tremendously that a little happiness was something that they all needed.

It’s a lighthearted read for all the serious subjects that it contained. I was suprised, too, at how recognizable some of the romance elements were such as Emily and Win Coffey’s instant connection (soul mates anyone) or Julia’s old romance with the high school golden boy when she was the high school outcast. I wish some of the themes had been taken a little farther, given it a little more depth. For example, there was a thread about the sins of the father being revisited on Emily and her new friend, Win Coffey, but it wasn’t addressed in any significant way. It’s like Emiliy being befriended by Julia and then Win made the years of resentment melt away.

At times, though, I wondered if the eccentricities of the townpeople were taken too far. Why was it that the bedroom wallpaper changed? How did it come to be? Why was that, on top of everything, necessary? Was the Coffey secret too–Twilightish?

I enjoyed this story and believe, based on the prose and the feel to the book that I’ll like your others too. Thank you to the book fairy that gave me this book. B

Best regards,

Jane

| Author Website | Kindle | Amazon | Nook | BN | Borders |
Fictionwise | Books on Board only the audio version

Proviso: Apparently Random House hasn’t reduced the ebook price for this book yet but the trade paperback was supposed to be published on the 16th of March so hopefully the prices will have reduced by the time this review goes up.

Has it ever been a long wait for the follow up book to “Disappearing Nightly!” Which I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about. When I read, and loved, it in late 2005, I was peeved that it would probably take a year to find out if Esther and Lopez would get together. Little did I know…So I was a happy camper when news of “Doppelgangster” reached me and even happier after I’d finished it and read that there should be at least two more books to look forward to in the series.

Esther Diamond, aspiring actress in New York City, finds a whole new set of Evil People up to no good in the five boroughs. After the show she was in closes, Esther returns to waiting tables at Bella Stella, a restaurant frequented by several members of the Mafia. When she witnesses a mob hit, even though she didn’t actually see anything – and isn’t that the excuse all would be witnesses tell the police? – she and Max Zadok, along with wise guy Lucky Battistuzzi, find themselves frantically racing to eliminate someone who’s clever, connected to magic, and trying to start a mob war in the Big Apple. Oh, and keep Detective Lopez, who’s just been transferred to the Organized Crime Control Bureau, from figuring out what the three of them are really up to.

While the plot, as a whole, is creepy enough to give me the same willies it does to Max, Esther and Lucky, it doesn’t exactly zip along despite the short length of time the action actually encompasses. First our three principles have to get a rough idea of what’s going on, then it all gets rehashed every time someone new has to be told about it and then the basic information must be honed and new insights discovered, usually through improbably circumstances, just when needed. As bored as Esther and Lucky got reading and researching in Max’s antique book collection, I was still more bored reading about them doing it.

There’s a lot of talking and more talking and still more talking that goes on in this book. And the sparkling dialogue that delighted me in the first book makes only sporadic appearances here. Without the A grade I gave to “Disappearing Nightly” and my anticipation for this book, I’m afraid I might have tossed in the towel before getting to the good parts here. The scattered “now why aren’t they clueing into the glaring warning signs” moments didn’t help either. It’s not that I expect this plot to make total sense, things come from seeming nowhere on a routine basis, but I expect the main characters, who’ve spent the whole book fixated on what they think the problem is, to recognize the problem when it shows up right in their faces.

I had also hoped for more romance between Esther and Lopez. They’re certainly willing and give it their best shots but I need more. And then the ending, while it does make sense, isn’t the reward I’d hoped for them for the whole book. However, I will continue to cross my fingers that you have more planned for them. And I’m also willing to overlook a lot of disappointment for Lopez’s last line in Chapter 25. Yes, it’s that line that boosts the total grade to B-.

~Jayne

| Book excerpt | Kindle | Amazon | Nook | BN | Borders |
Fictionwise | Books on Board

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.

A reading friend initially recommended your series to me last year with the book, Big Bad Wolf. I am a big shifter fan and was looking forward to reading this release. (It crept up on me). There were two things I particularly liked in this story: the mystery and the courtship. Ironically (or not), components of those two factors also bothered me the most.

Josie Barrett is Stone Creek, Oregon’s veternarian. She took over her father’s practice upon his retirement. Her single minded focus on becoming a veternarian has left her little time for personal relationships. At least this is the excuse given for the fact that Josie has never before recognize Eli Pace as a sexual being.

Eli Pace is the sheriff of Stone Creek, a town that is comprised primarily of Others, mostly shapeshifters. Why Eli is there is a question that is raised but never really answered. He, too, has been ignorant of Josie’s charms until he barges in one night carrying a gun shot wolf.

I liked that this was a departure from the previous book which was more urban in setting and involved pack politics. This was more of a scientific whodunit. The wolf that Eli brings to Josie is really Lupine (shapeshifter) and to her surprise and dismay, the wolf does not heal nor can she shift. Worse, once the wolf’s mate is found, he, too, shows signs of a mysterious Lupine illness which is resulting in an unexplainable high white blood count.

I really enjoyed seeing Josie use her training and skill as a veterinarian as she tried to ascertain the source of her patient’s medical problems. Her employment was an integral part of the storyline. Having no medical background myself, I can only say that the medicine sounded right and added a layer of realism to the paranormal setting.

I liked their courtship which included the sudden realization of the other as a sexual and attractive being and then the banter and flirting which followed. Unfortunately, the characters move from not even knowing the other existed to true love within five days. Love is faster than a speeding bullet in this book. The rapidity of Josie and Eli’s feelings for each other were disappointing because it seemed like care had been taken to create a basis for their relationship that extended beyond the common “mate bond” that so often fills these books.

This build up and then disappointing denouement to plot points happened more than once. For example, much is made of Josie’s levelheadedness. She promises not to interfere with Eli’s investigation, after all she is human and he is preternatural. But she violates this promise to her detriment in a kind of silly way. Eli thinks about the best way to bring the villains to justice, such as considering what testimony he will need to get a conviction but then violates basic probable cause requirements (i.e., you can’t just go breaking into someone’s home to make your case). The scientific mystery held my attention for most of the book and the resolution seemed so over the top that, again, the careful planning that went into it seemed for naught.

Paranormals have a tough time catching my attention these days so that fact that I read this in one sitting, even despite some of the disappointments, means I’ll be on the look out for the next Other book. B-

Best regards,

Jane

| Author Website | Kindle | Amazon | Nook | BN | Borders |
Fictionwise | Books on Board

Proviso: This is a St. Martin’s Press book thus the current ebook price is listed at $14.00. Also, no nook link because apparently BN isn’t selling the ebook even though its subsidiary, Fictionwise, has it.
Second Proviso: I have no idea what is going on with Warren’s website

You created a splash in the subgenre of historical mysteries with the “Silent” series and now move on to something a bit different. The era is still Victorian but the place is the depths of Transylvania where the strange is normal and things are believed which defy the imagination of other countries.

With little to hold her in Scotland, Theodora receives a letter from an old school friend which will change her life. She’s been invited to the friend’s arranged wedding to a relative, Count Andrei Dragulescu. So off Theodora goes, with everything she owns, to a Carpathian castle which seems mired in the past and a family which borders on Draconian.

Theodora feels as if she’s in a totally different world from anything she’s ever known, a place where the bizarre is accepted, a land where no one questions the existence of werewolves or vampires and everyone keeps their windows shut tight at night. Can she survive this alien place and find love or will its secrets claim her very life?

This literally has almost all the elements listed for a gothic novel. I looked. You must have looked at numerous sources and checked off each element as you worked it into the plot. The parts makes a satisfying whole yet there is almost nothing new. The book isn’t a parody of gothics, it doesn’t use those standard elements as a springboard to something different, it merely tells a story which has been told many times already. It’s told well, it’s readable, it uses the usual gothic features to convey what you want but unless the status quo is what a reader wants, I’m afraid fans of the genre will find themselves on autopilot to the finish.

I do like that there are explanations for all the supposed supernatural events described. And that the explanations make sense both in the story and in a historical context. I like that the heroine is a strong enough character to go about doing some of her own saving. Even if at the end, she still needed to rely on others for her final salvation, she wasn’t totally weak and fainting. I like that the hero appreciates a smart woman and reading and writing woman even more. There’s a great dog. I even like that both Theodora and Andrei compromise their life goals at the end in order to work towards their HEA.

Yet I found parts of the story to lag and drag and noticed that my reading pace varied markedly throughout the book. After a certain amount of time stuck spent reiterating the same things, my mind would drift a bit and I’d have to wrestle it back onto the subject. Built in reading breaks became a necessity instead of breathlessly turning pages to discover “what’s next.” For some reason, the relationship between Andrei and Theodora lacked “oomph” for me. Maybe because it sticks so closely to the established stereotype in gothic novels thus not allowing for any surprises along the way.

The imagery of the countryside, the peasants, the castle – all were nicely done. And if you’re going to write a gothic novel, where better to set it than Transylvania? And what better nationality to use to counter all that gothic-y-ness than a Scotswoman of English descent. No offense to either country but both have an image of solid implacability and sound sense. There is Theodora with her stout walking shoes and plaid wraps, ready to face anything that overblown Transylvania might try and throw at her.

I’m not sorry to have read the book and I felt almost certain that with your name on it, the book would prove to be well written. But it didn’t turn me into a fan of the genre though it served as a nice change from my usual fare. B-

~Jayne

| Book Link | eHarlequin.com in print | eHarlequin.com in digital |
| Kindle | Amazon | nook | BN | Borders |
Fictionwise | Books on Board (couldn’t find)

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
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Eighteenth century conspiracy theorists would have had a field day with this movie and the real events that inspired it. As it is, twenty-first century film goers can watch it then wonder, “What on earth did I just see?” It’s a monster film! It’s a historical! It’s a romance! It’s a bromance! It’s even a martial arts film! That’s right, it’s damn near everything!

It’s during the Reign of Terror. As peasants scream for an aristo’s blood, he ponders events which occurred many years ago. Determined that the truth should be known, he begins to write….

We start with an opening scene that could be called “Jaws on land.” A terrified French peasant girl flees – something – which grabs her and flings her back and forth before killing her. Then two muffled riders find a father and daughter (?) being attacked by more peasants. (The peasants in this film will give you the creeps.) Martial arts fight ensues. The riders ride on and we discover they are Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) and Mani (Mark Dacascos), his faithful Mohawk companion/blood brother. Fronsac, a naturalist, has been sent by the King to the province of Gevaudan to investigate the mysterious killings which have terrorized the land for over a year. No one knows what the beast is but it’s evaded the soldiers sent to kill it and Something Must Be Done.

Fronsac and Mani shack up with some decadent aristos and wow them with stories of America. Fronsac flirts with the daughter of the house (Émilie Dequenne) while Mani makes Deep Pronouncements. He’s a Noble Savage, you know. Talks to trees. Does cool martial arts fighting. Communes with nature. A beautiful hunt scene follows which actually does…nothing. The beast kills again. Fronsac flirts more then visits a high class brothel which has a madame (the beautiful Monica Bellucci) who’s into weird shit.

More killing despite the hunt which wiped out most of the area wolves. The King sends his top man who kills a wolf and leans on Fronsac to stuff it and make it look good. Political pressure is applied and Fronsac caves in. But he knows the real beast is still out there. When it kills again, he yields to the entreaties of the young aristo ( Jérémie Renier) he’s befriended and goes back with Mani. More hunting, more martial arts, and we begin to get an inkling of what’s really happening. Well, as much as you can in this film.

Mani is killed. Fronsac mourns then buries him in grand style, vowing revenge. Bizarre nastiness occurs between Fronsac’s wannabe aristo girlfriend and her brother (Vincent Cassel). All of a sudden we’re getting Voice Overs telling us what’s going on – which is good because at this point I totally lose track of the plot. I mean it gets really strange from here on. But I do know…the beast is killed, we’re given some half ass excuse as to what happened and why it was occurring and Fronsac sails off with his lady love – as written down by the aristo who is thoughtfully allowed the night before his execution to pen all this. Yeah, right…

So, why watch this movie? It’s gorgeously filmed. The colors of the aristos’ clothing just jump out and grab you by the throat. The misty landscape is beautiful and director Christophe Gans shows it to best advantage. The martial arts scenes are lovingly shot in real time and slo-mo. The costumes are great, the interiors are fantastic, the music is fine, there’s pageantry all over the place and it’s got a plethora of hunky actors to drool over. There’s also an interesting plot angle of the entrenched aristocrats vs the new Age of Reason sweeping the world if you want to get intellectual. What’s not to love?

Okay, so if you want your movies to actually make sense this one will give you fits. But I’m enjoying the visual feast so much that by the time everything goes to hell in a handcart, I don’t care. The strong cast of actors actually do a pretty good job with what they’re given and I’m still believing in what they’re presenting even as a tiny part of my mind is asking, “WTF?” But I get the idea it’s supposed to be totally over the top so I can’t complain when it is. One reviewer at IMDB calls it “Merchant Ivory takes up kickboxing.” Others label it an amazing genre film. It’s definitely one of a kind – at least so far.

~Jayne

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.

Thank you Darlynne for urging me to watch this one otherwise I might not have got around to it for ages. It’s funny, it’s quirky, it’s sad in places but nonetheless hopeful by the end.

Burt Freelander (John Krasinski) and Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) are expecting their first child (hilariously determined during the opening scene). They had moved near Burt’s hippy parents for support after the birth but at month 6, Gloria (Catherine O’Hara) and Jerry Freelander (Jeff Daniels) spring the news that they’re moving to Antwerp for 2 years. So, with no reason to stay in Colorado anymore, Burt and Verona decide to travel to various places where friends and family live to decide where they want to relocate.

Should it be Phoenix to be near Verona’s old boss, Lily (Allison Janney)? Hmmm, maybe not as Lily is spectacularly crude and loud in public. Or near Verona’s sister Grace (Carmen Egojo) with whom Verona has a wonderfully portrayed relationship? Still not sure, the two head to Madison where Burt’s interviewing for a job and where a childhood friend and her husband live. LN (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Roderick (Josh Hamilton) are as New Age as you can get. But Verona and Burt are horrified at the lengths to which these two carry their self righteous lifestyle. So, maybe not there.

Montreal, where Burt and Verona learn the heartbreaking loses suffered by their friends who seem to have such a happy family? Or Miami where they comfort Burt’s brother whose wife just left him to be the one to raise their daughter alone? Or is there some other place just waiting for the couple to call home?

Director Sam Mendes manages to capture the essence of each character in short but intense sequences. The only constants throughout the story are Burt and Verona but the secondary cast are fabulous in the allotted time each has. The set and costume designers also do a wonderful job of helping to set the mood and capturing who these people are supposed to be.

The story contains sweet, subtle humor along with laugh out loud moments – such as when Burt takes his revenge, via a stroller, on LN’s cutting comments. But then it’ll switch to the emotional depths of miscarriages without piling on the pathos. Lily is hilariously crass in scenes that’ll make you cringe even as you’re laughing. While Burt’s brother conveys his anger at his departed wife and his worries about being up to the task of raising his daughter alone when he frets about being able to fix her hair. There are a ton of little things, little touches which, gathered into a whole, make me believe in these people – both who they are and in their relationships to each other.

The best relationship, by far, is that of Burt and Verona. Verona obviously loves Burt in spite of his fashion sense and lack of a hairstyle. While Burt is so determined to be the best dad he can – the kind who makes stuff and knows knots and isn’t afraid to raise the baby’s heart rate. He has a line which captured me. “You’re my light, Verona. My sky.” They question themselves and what they’re doing in ways that expectant parents have done for eons. Are we ready? Will we be good parents? They make what promises they can and then agree to live with them. And when the two finally find their Home, it feels right. No, it’s not a place that everyone would love but as these two sit together, gazing into the future it’s perfect and perfect for them.

~Jayne

Who is it who said that books about rock stars don’t sell? Well, in the case of this book, I hope that saying is wrong.

Adam Nash parties like a rock star – even if he’s a country and western rock star. And he’s got the headlines and tabloid stories to prove it. But after his latest “trash the hotel room” episode, he’s determined to clean up his act. He also needs to get something for his assistant’s birthday or she’ll make his life hell.

Spying a flower shop, he insists the car be stopped so he can duck in and make the purchase himself. Inside, he finds Jade Graham who just happens to be about the only woman in LA who doesn’t know who he is – courtesy of her past 6 years spent cataloging flora in Colombia. Curious to see how long he can remain anonymous, Adam flirts with her than later calls her for a date.

Things go well, due to the work of his assistant and bodyguard, and Adam finds himself falling for this unpretentious woman. Meanwhile, Jade is also falling hard for the mysterious Adam – kudos for having her realize that something is up – who wants her to get to know him for himself before she learns who he is. Because at that point, he knows all hell will break loose. Is there a future for this celebrity singer and his florist?

Since this is a short book, you’ve got to cram a lot of story into a little space. But I like that you only take us from initial meeting and flirting to a potential HEA. I also like that Adam is well aware that any relationship with him will change Jade’s life and perhaps cause her a lot of hurt in the process. Good for him that he makes sure she’s also aware of it. The details of Jade learning about Adam’s world – checking out the limousine and the crowds – seemed realistic to me even if she was so quickly forgiving of him for not initially revealing who he was.

The details about Adam’s career and lifestyle give me a sense of who he is without overwhelming the story. Since he lives in this extravagant world, I needed to see some of it as well as see it contrasted with Jade’s normal, ho-hum world. Adam must be selling music better than Garth Brooks at his best in order to fund his house, cars, bodyguard and boat!

The scenes in which Jade and her roommate Dean are salivating over the plants at Adam’s house make sense based on what the two of them do and add an additional touch of humor to the story.

I liked Dean and Jade’s relationship, their bantering and care for each other and the story’s easy acceptance of Dean’s homosexuality. It’s definitely a Gay friendly world. But I wish that Dean hadn’t also come across as such a stereotypical Gay Best Friend. At least the two of them weren’t squealing together like Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett.

As I said, I’m glad that the book ends with Adam and Jade only headed down the road to commitment instead of already happily planning their wedding – despite Adam checking out rings at Tiffany’s. I can believe the sexual heat between them and the beginnings of love but with the one and only conflict occurring so late in the story, I think they rightly need some more time before any wedding bells. Thanks for giving it to them. B-

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Liquid Silver.

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.

I’d call this book a loose sequel to last year’s “Jane Austen Ruined My Life.” It’s not necessary to have read that one to jump right into “Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart.” I also love that while you take advantage of the current “Austen craze,” this book isn’t one of the many books out there that seek to take Austen’s secondary characters and write HEA novels for them.

Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister’s behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn’t looking for Mr. Anyone. She’s been dating Neil — a nice if a bit negligent — sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine?
Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice — in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy — leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author’s own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil’s unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire’s journey to finding her own romantic lead. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn’t logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places.

As I read the book, I couldn’t help but get frustrated at times with Claire. Just as frustrated as those who love her probably feel about how she’s put off her own life to do for them. This book is more, I think, women’s fiction with a romance at the end than a romance. It’s told in 1st person POV and deals more with Claire and her journey to understanding herself and what she’s done with and allowed to happen in her life. It packs a lot of change and self examination into a weeks time.

As with the first book, I just accepted the Formidables. But the thought of a hidden Austen manuscript would be tantalizing. I like the bits and pieces of the version of “First Impressions” you’ve created and think it makes sense given what little I know of Austen’s life. We see what could have been the outcome of Jane examining her own life and the people in it, just as Claire does. And how that could have changed what is probably her most widely read book, “Pride and Prejudice.”

There is a romance here and as with the previous book in this series, “Jane Austen Ruined My Life,” the heroine has to deal with two men in her life. Who are they both and what does each want from her? Claire has to determine that, and learn her own heart, before the end of the story. Part of my difficulty with the book is that since it’s from Claire’s POV, all we know is what she has figured out or thinks she knows. It’s not until late in the story that we learn more about both men, which helps to illuminate who they truly are and what they feel for Claire. I was willing to keep reading because watching Claire come to self realization caught my attention. She’s a flawed person but then aren’t we all? She doesn’t come to immediate self knowledge and fights what she discovers about herself along the way. And who doesn’t do that too? After she finally figures it all out, though, I’m glad that she’s going to wait almost another year before tying the knot. I think settling into her new relationship needs a little time.

You did have me guessing about who she’d end up with. It swung back and forth, chapter to chapter and even within chapters. I was even to the point of thinking that she’d not end up with anyone but perhaps take more time to find out what she really wants from life before looking for a relationship. And honestly, I think I would have been fine with that too. I do like her choice because who doesn’t want a hero like that?

But even as you kept me guessing about Claire’s ultimate hero, I discovered that I don’t care for books which make me guess. Love triangles have rarely been my reading choice and I think I know why. I want to know who the hero and heroine are going to be and not be pulled back and forth over the course of the book as to which person another ends up with. Sure, I want to watch a couple work out their relationship but I want to know who I’m supposed to cheer for. Here, the information needed to see who would be the hero seemed to come from left field.

I do like the way you’ve woven Austen and her books into these stories as it’s more unique than just another rehash of the characters she left without HEAs. In the end, my grade is based, somewhat, on what is my own personal dislike of love triangles. I think that people who don’t mind these will ultimately enjoy the book more than I did. B-

~Jayne
This book can be purchased at Amazon (affiliate link) and Barnes and Noble (non affiliate link). No ebook version.

Since I love the time frame, I’ve done a number of reviews of books set in ancient Rome and am always on the look out for more. Hence when Samhain offered us your book, “Damon’s Price,” this month, I pounced. Pounce is a good word to use here since the book involves a hot Roman Cougar heroine x hot Greek slave hero. Roar!

Thirty-eight year old widow Claudia Sabina has returned to the estate she inherited from her father. She’s wealthy but most importantly, she enjoys a degree of freedom from male control that is rare in her world. Though determined to manage the estate herself, she realizes that the estate steward, a young Greek slave named Damon, is an invaluable resource. Claudia finds him attractive and accepts the physical release he can give her. Such relationships, though officially forbidden, are not unknown and as long as discretion is maintained, no harm, no foul. What she doesn’t realize, until it’s too late, is that not only has Damon fallen in love with her but she has fallen for him. Can Claudia keep her independence? And is there any kind of future for them?

You manage to deliver a lot of information about Claudia’s and Damon’s pasts very economically then dive into the story. Since I’m not initially looking for romance between these two, I’m not dismayed when they begin a physical relationship almost immediately. I’m also delighted that Claudia has no false modesty and goes for what she wants. Since it’s what Damon has dreamt of, I say “go for it.”

The quick glance she’d intended to judge his reaction became a prolonged gaze into his eyes when she recognized in them something she had not seen in a very long time. This beautiful young man lusted for her—for her, a woman twelve years his senior. “What would you do?” she whispered.

The sex is hawt and initially their relationship is kept strictly to that – which makes sense. The change to a realization of mutual affection then love, on Claudia’s part since Damon has always loved her, is handled well and I didn’t get a rushed feeling about it.

The intervention, on the part of the world, follows the hints and warnings you’ve included in the text so when it happens, there’s no surprise about it. It’s only the manner in which Damon leaves which I didn’t expect. Their reunion is touching, heartfelt and a neat way around the initial problems their relationship posed.

The main problem I have with the story is in Damon. Simply put, he’s almost too good to be true and he has no character arc. He’s loved Claudia from afar, he loves her physically and emotionally when offered the chance then ends up staying true to her for quite a long while before they can finally be together. He’s an excellent steward, he’s loyal, intelligent, handsome as sin, and a fantastic lover. All that sounds lovely but not too realistic. At least make him snore or scratch in public or get impatient – something that tells me he’s not so perfect. Secondly, he doesn’t change – at all – over the course of the book. He reaches no revelations on his own, he doesn’t grow as a character, he just stays perfect and static.

His attitude towards his slavery also seemed a little off to me. Had he been born a slave, I could see his seemingly easy acceptance of his servitude but as he wasn’t always a slave, his perfect submission was odd. His experiences before coming to the estate also seem to have left little mark on him emotionally. Perhaps this is all in tune with the mores of the day but it all struck me as odd.

I enjoyed a lot about the book and think you did a good job with the timing and pacing. It was neither too long nor too short. The resolution of Damon’s slavery seems believable and a HEA granted to two people who deserve it. But Damon needed – something. Some growth or emotional stretching. Just something. B-

~Jayne

| Book excerpt | Kindle | Samhain |

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.