Envy

In my quest to squeeze all the good reads I can from my local library, I have been pleased to see that at least someone on their purchasing staff is aware of J.R. Ward (sadly, they are also under the impression that what we need is more Danielle Steele in the collection as well, but I digress). In any event, during my pre-holiday stock up, I grabbed this recent entry in the Fallen Angel series, also known as the not-BDB-series-yet-featuring-BDB-cameos-and-slang series. I don't know any other writer that uses phrases like a "cup of wakey wakey" or has bad-ass tough guys drop phrases like "abso" in place of absolutely. Seriously. Who says that stuff? But bizarrely enough, I still find her books eminently readable. I can't stop turning the pages. So she's doing something right.

This entry finds our angel/hero Jim Heron back in Caldwell (hrm, who else do we know who lives there?) to fight another round in the war of souls against the demon Devina. His angel buddies Eddie and Adrian are still backing him up and helping him to get up to speed on the rules and tricks of the supernatural trade. The story revolves around Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., a cop who happens to be the son of a famous serial killer. When he finds himself on the scene of a murder but with no memory of what happened right before he got there, he's investigated by Sophia Reilly, an officer from Internal Affairs, and oh yeah, she happens to be a hottie and a hard-ass. Match. Made. In. Heaven. (how's my ward-speak?) Veck isn't sure whether or not he committed the murder. He's always felt like he has a shadow waiting inside him...is he his father's son?

It's pretty much impossible to summarize the plot without either writing a helluva lot or giving away lots of spoilers, but suffice it to say that Veck and Reilly's story intersects with Jim, Devina and the rest of the gang with mayhem, blood and spirit possessions going down like you might expect. And there were a few twists that I didn't expect either.

As far as the romance angle goes, it seems like so far in this series the couples fall pretty hard for one another in a matter of a few days. It's not quite the BDB "fated mates" type thing, but definitely a strong and swift attraction. What I liked about this particular book was that Reilly was that rare female character who actually did come across as sensible and smart. She's also realistic. She is attracted to Veck and can acknowledge that without getting overly emo or denial-y. I like it when a modern woman in a novel set in the contemporary era is allowed to own her sexuality. So kudos to Ward for improving on the "females" from that other series.

All in all, I had mixed feelings when I finished the book. It a fast read because the action just keeps on moving forward, and the characters were well drawn, I felt. The camaraderie between the angels is a little reminiscent of the brothers but not quite as vibrant. But on the plus side the homoerotic subtones are there and they don't feel subtle or apologetic as in that other series. I guess in the end, it is hard to read this series without making comparisons to the BDB whether you want to or not. And in that regard it doesn't stand on its own, imo. Still...eminently readable. I'll be there for the next outing.

AdamsexyBlackback

Working on my Moning backlist glom to supplement my recent read of the Fever series. First up, The Immortal Highlander. I blasted through 50 pages yesterday morning before work and finished the rest in the evening. Romping good times with fae and humans and lots of sexy bad-boy but not overly brooding hero. I like Adam Black. He's morally kind of ambiguous, has done a lot of mischievous and even bad stuff in his past, but he doesn't seem to have done them out of malice. More like curiousity, self-centeredness and arrogance. This book finds him dumped in the 21st century without his fae powers, turned into a human by the queen of the Fae for pushing her buttons one too many times. Oh and he's invisible to humans, so he can't interact with anyone. Anyone except a sidhe-seer, those humans who have the "gift" of seeing the Fae. What are the odds that our heroine is a sidhe-seer? Anyone, anyone?

Gabrielle was raised to fear and hate the Fae, so when she runs into Adam, she distrusts and does not want anything to do with him. Well, except for that she secretly does because HELLO, gigantic, muscled, HAWT beautiful man!!!! But no no no, he's Fae, do not want! (inner conflict, we haz it). Adam starts off wanting her because she's the only person who can see him and talk to him and he needs a conduit to help him track down a way to get in touch with the Fae queen and remove the curse. And then he's attracted to her. And then he falls for her...MINE! They spend the majority of the book doing this dance of back and forth as he tries to get her to see him for who he really is (ie. through his actions towards her not from hearsay from the big Bible of sidhe-seer lore in which he is labeled as teh ebil) and she tries to keep from liking him. AS IF!

Near the end there is some gratuitous previous series couples revisiting (oh hai Daegus and Drustan and wives and kiddies), but it allows us to get to Scotland. Och aye. And then some action involving actually evil Fae. And then the wrap-up where Adam has to choose between his immortality and true love. It's all quite nicely done, with a dollop of simmering sexual tension throughout the book culminating in a three or four day marathon of nom nom nom in a Scottish castle. Who wouldn't want that? S'rsly.

If I had to grade this book as a stand-alone, I would give it a solid B+. While it's interesting to go into it knowing more about the Fae, the queen, the druids and all that stuff, I think it would work just as well on it's own by the force of Adam's personality and the romantic chase between him and Gabrielle.

Bottom line: if you see a hot Fae prince, don't automatically run away in fear. He may be worth sticking around for.

Shadows of the Night - Lydia Joyce

I snagged this book on a jaunt to the library (still can't believe it's literally around the corner from me, heh) this afternoon. I have read all of Ms. Joyce's previous books and tend to enjoy her writing. She has a nice way with words, often featuring unusual characters and a strong Gothic flavor. I guess this book came out last year, but I missed it. The blurb talks about igniting "insatiable hunger" and "forbidden love", so I was very optimistic. And while I enjoyed a lot of the premise of the book, the last 1/2 or so failed to live up to the promise shown in the beginning.

We start with a basic romance trope - the arranged marriage of convenience. The story opens with the wedding of Fern and Colin. (Actually it literally opens with Colin leaving his mistress' bed to attend his wedding, giving you an idea of how much he's emotionally invested in the marriage). Fern is a gently reared young lady and while she wants the marriage to be a success, she has no idea of how to break out of her and Colin's polite societal personas. Colin, a viscount-to-be who has gone through life on autopilot, sees his new wife with a mixture of mild interest and patronizing politness. The wedding night is pleasant enough for Colin, not so much for Fern. Her reaction to the intimacy involved in the marriage bed is to feel rebellion and a desire to maintain her sense of self.

Fern doesn't feel like Colin even registers how earth-shattering the experience was and neither knows how to communicate effectively with one another. But their honeymoon takes a dramatic turn when Fern lashes out during an argument.

Trapped, trapped forever...She had to get away now. Without thinking, she threw her body weight away from him, but his grip was too tight. She couldn't escape. Fighting down a sob of hysteria, she lashed out blindly, her free hand striking his face with a ringing slap.

Colin felt the pain, sudden and sharp, cutting through layers in his brain that he hadn't known were there. Layers wrapped around his brain...it was like a jolt of light to eyes that had always been in darkness, burning into his mind and flooding it with color that he could never have imagined.

Colin released Fern with a shove that knocked her hard against the side of the coach. In the sudden silence, they sat frozen, staring at each other. Fern was incapable of speech, shocked at what she had just done but unable to apologize as fury and rebellion still roiled, choking, inside her. Colin's expression was frozen, the livid lines that her fingers had left already outlined in red. But under the dark slashes of his brows, his eyes flared, and for the first time, Fern felt the presence of a person at the bottom of their dark depths, looking back at her.

Oh yes, precious. We likes the hint of D/s, yes we do! And everything seems to be on track for a really singular romance novel. Both parties realize that Colin has just discovered he has an appetitite for pain and that Fern has an appetite for indulging him. It's fascinating to see these two prim and proper society creatures peel back their layers and not only expose themselves to one another but also to re-invent themselves. Who do they want to be? Not who have they been raised to be.

Colin immediately decides that he can't handle dealing with the ramifications of his newfound desires in the presence of society, and the couple decamps to one of his far flung holdings. It's a property that he's never visited but he knows is isolated...perfect for exploring new boundaries. Except that rather than being a cozy but shabby outpost, it's a completely derelict and creepy deserted estate. Gothic and scary and complete with secrets and crazy old caretakers and whatnot. Unfortunately, the story gets bogged down in overly plotty mystery stuff and while the relationship between Fern and Colin continues to develop, I felt cheated. Finally, there is a plot twist (read Big Secret) thown in at the last minute that I really disliked and just could have lived without.

Overall, this was an interesting book and is worth a look, but it makes me sad to think of how awesome it might have been.

B-

Winter reads, Lightning reviews

Well it's been quite some time since I've blogged about anything book related. Dunno how that happens but I claim RL interference and the whole packing/moving shebang that claimed my holiday break. However, I did manage to get through a little stack of library books in between sorting through boxes, and I'm going to take the easy way out and do some "lightning" reviews.

Stephanie Laurens - The Taste of Innocence

Laurens was one of the first authors that got me really hooked on romance and I remember buying each and every one of the Cynster series back in college. Since then, I've gotten rather weary of the way her writing seems to repeat itself. But I figured that it might be interesting to read another entry and see if the magic was still there.

Sadly, no not really. It starts off well enough. Charles Morwellan (the younger brother of Alathea who married Gabriel Cynster in All About Love) decides that he needs a wife and that rather than risk falling in lurve, he'll marry someone sensible and safe. Like the neighboring landowner's daughter, Sarah. She seems nice and sweet and stuff, but he runs into a problem when she refuses to accept his proposal outright. She wants some time to figure out if they'd be a good match and so he is forced to do some courting. In true Cynster fashion, that means seduction and lots of little forays to a secluded gazebo where he can make it to first base, second base, third, etc. This part was pretty good and typically Laurensian hot. Unfortunately, once they get married, Charles turns into a raging idiot and almost ruins the whole story. Apparently he has this thing where he fears that love and passion will destroy him (like his father), so while he'll happily boink his wife at night, he is cold and abrupt with her in the day. Totally cuts her out of his life and is a real ass. Thankfully, Sarah is not too much of a ninny and she figures out whats what and manages to kick some sense into him by the end. Oh and there is a mystery plot about some nefarious land developers. Overall, it wasn't a BAD read, but it wasn't great either. Readers that have not OD'ed on Laurens may feel otherwise, but I'm left feeling that the Cynster glory days are over. I may as well just go back and reread Devil's Bride. The original is still the best.
B-

Linda Lael Miller - High Country Bride

Next, I moved on to something really out of my regular reading zone. I think I've read one LLM book before (I recall it being about a girl who got zipped back to the past and met a pirate...or something) but she's not a go-to author. Nor am I a big fan of Westerns (unless they are the smokin' hawt Sarah McCarty kind, heh). However, the premise of a mail order bride, a handsome cowboy, and a family ranch (ala Bonanza) sounded like it could be good. Crusty old landowner patriarch gives an ultimatum to his three wild sons - "the first one to marry and produce a child gets the whole ranch, the other two get nothing". That's kind of entertaining, no? Unfortunately, this turned out to be a totally wallpaper romance. All of the elements were there but there was no passion and no feeling of the characters being anything other than just that...characters. I didn't care about any of them even after spending 400 pages with them.
C-

Nora Roberts - Morrigan's Cross

While I've read a handful of NR books, I don't usually make a point of seeking them out. Probably because for the most part I avoid contemps and that seems to be the bulk of what she writes. That said, I've always found her to be a very capable storyteller. This book was quite entertaining, and I was surprised to find vampires, shapeshifters, wizards and witches, as well as time-travel and goddesses. An intrepid group is called together by the goddess Morrigan to fight the evil vampire horde. How they learn to get along with one another and become a team is really the bulk of the story. The romance between two of the group members almost feels like a side plot, which would be my main criticism. However, I found myself turning the pages and wanting to know what happens next. I'm definitely going to look for the next two entries in the trilogy when I visit my library.
B+

Marjorie M. Liu - The Last Twilight

This is part of the Dirk and Steele series. I read one previously and remembered it being engaging but also very dark and violent. The heros/heroines all seem to be a bit like the X-men, mutants or shifters with special powers who have to watch out for evil scientists who want to use and abuse them. What drew me to this book was that it was set in Africa and the back blurb indicated that the hero was African. Given that my own romantic interest is from that part of the world, I was eager to read a book that featured an African hero. It was the best part of the book for me. I always try to imagine what characters look like when I read, and I kept getting a little thrill out of seeing MY guy in my mind's eye. Is that shallow? heh. Other than that, the story was certainly action packed and moved along at a brisk pace. What I disliked was the level of gore and how each damn time our characters think they're safe, they get cornered by the bad guys yet again. All seems lost....over and over again. And the bad guys are really sick. Just...ugh. I don't think I'll read any more of this series because my stomach can't handle it. But it may appeal to other readers. Thumbs up for the unique hero though. :)
B-

Sabrina Jeffries - Beware a Scots Revenge

I'm not sure how to grade this one. It's not bad but also not particularly memorable either. Venetia Campbell is visiting Scotland and is kidnapped by a sexy stranger who just happens to be a childhood playmate and her father's sworn enemy. Lots of squabbling ensues during their journey to the Highlands. Some comic, some eye-rollingly formulaic. Of course there are sparks between them but oh noes, she really shouldn't be dallying with him. But then it seems that he's just been misunderstood and perhaps her father is in the wrong in their feud. At a certain point, it's like someone switched a lightbulb and she goes from hating him to wanting to marry him. Which was clearly the way the story had to go, but it happened too abruptly for me. Anyways, it's easy enough to read and has some good moments, but overall this was pretty forgettable.
C+

We're having an inclement weather day here which means that work has been cancelled. I'm not complaining one bit. I may just walk around the corner to the library and pick up some more reading material. *g*

MLM - The Hell You Say!

I should have known. I was warned. Everyone said that Jake Riordan would break my heart and it's true. *sniff* I may never get over this.

Oh hi there. Did you come to celebrate ManLove Monday? Yeah. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the festive mood. Let me tell you why. I fell in like (as in, plz be my BFF) with this guy named Adrien English. He's everything a BFF should be. Funny, witty. Wry and sarcastic. Good taste in books and movies and a thoughtful gift shopper. S'rsly. Every girl needs a good gay friend. And I want Adrien to be mine. But I can't stand watching him get his heart crushed by his erstwhile closeted boyfriend, Homicide Detective Jake Riordan. The rotten bastard!!!!

Lemme go back a bit. I'm clearly getting worked up. See, there is this mystery series written by the incomparable Mr. Josh Lanyon. The Adrien English Mystery Series. And this past week, I read book 3. Title: The Hell You Say. I think it's been reviewed very soundly and thoroughly by many other bloggers out there. So I'm not even going to try to do a proper review. This is my quickie review. But yeah, I'll attempt a brief summary.

Adrien finds himself in the middle of a mystery that includes young college-aged occultist wannabes, missing persons, pentagrams drawn in red blood and a university professor that may or may not be all that he seems. In the meantime, Adrien's mother is thinking of getting remarried and he has to negotiate the relationship with the new potential in-laws. And of course there is the police detective that he's been seeing secretly. Secretly because said policeman is totally in the closet and can't admit to himself let alone the world that he is teh gay! The plot moves along at a good pace. We're not sure who we can trust and the one person we ought to be able to trust (the rat bastard boyfriend) ends up pulling a whopper of a betrayal. But I'm not bitter. No. Uh uh. *ahem*

Anyways, back to the writing. It's good stuff. I've read short stories by Lanyon before and the elements I liked about his writing there stay true here. He has a deft touch with humor and takes the maxim of "show me don't tell me" to heart. The writing is tight, and we're treated to Adrien's take on events as they happen. Being inside Adrien's head is a great place to be. He's funny and sarcastic but also has an edge of vulnerability. It's the vulnerability, the ordinariness and realness of him that really gets me. Because unlike some heros in a murder mystery, Adrien acts like you might expect a normal person to react to finding things like dead bodies. Shock, fear, confusion but with a stubborn determination to feret out the truth behind the lies. It's this determination and ability to move beyond the knee-jerk reaction to horrible events that makes Adrien such a scrappy contender. He may not be a muscle-bound he-man, but he's got a brain and he's not afraid to use it.

I finished this book in a swirling mix of emotions. Happy that I had had the chance to meet Adrien. Satisfied with the denouement of the mystery. And absolutely spitting furious at Jake. Really. Angry. (just ask my buddy lisabea...I was sending her raging emails. lol) I think that it's a testament to Lanyon's writing skill that I feel so strongly about these fictional characters. I may not like what he's done with them, but I'm going to trust (fingers crossed) that it will all work out in the end...be that the next book or the one after it. I'm certainly going to be along for the ride.

Visit Josh Lanyon's official website here. Buy The Hell You Say here as an e-book or at Amazon in paperback.

Oh and be sure to visit my partner-in-crime lisabea for more MLM today.

What Happens in Vegas...

At long last...my review of this anthology. First of all, let's talk about the cover. Phew, that's hot stuff. Definitely a book that would be fun to take out in public to read and watch people's reactions. heh.

Now I have found that anthologies tend to be a mixed bag. It's pretty rare that I find each entry to really 'work' for me and this book was no exception. Some of the stories were stronger than others. One of them really didn't work at all. I'm gonna give the little blurb from the back jacket and then try to quickly cover a thumbnail sketch of each plot and my take on each vignette.

First up...

Hot for You - Jodi Lynn Copeland
Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Jack and Carinna have known each other forever. They were childhood friends and have remained friends into adulthood. Carinna has serious emotional baggage regarding getting serious about anyone and prefers to love 'em and leave 'em. Or at least to just have sex with no strings attached. When the story begins, we're told that she and Jack indulged in one night of hot sex a few months back and that they both got spooked by how vulnerable they felt one to another. After a high stakes game of poker, they begin to explore a sexual relationship that just might turn serious.

I think this was my favorite entry in the book. The author uses a device I haven't seen often which is alternating first person POV. The story is told in Carinna's voice for half a chapter or so, then we switch into Jack's head and get his take on what just happened as well as the next few moves of the plot. It sounds clunky, but oddly enough works very well here. Particularly because the conflict of the story lies in Carinna and Jack's differing take on "what it all means". Carinna is terrified of being tied down to any man. Jack realizes that she is the love of his life but that he has to convince her to get over her fears of commitment. I like the gender role reversal and the sexxoring is hot stuff. Overall, a satisfying little read and I'm going to keep my eyes open for more by this author.

Stripped - Lauren Dane
Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet-talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she's not giving anything away for free.

Stripper by night, MBA student by day, Dahlia just wants to be respected for her brains and not her hot hot body! How dare our hero Nash hit on her after he sees her stripping, oh no, I'm sorry "burlesque dancing" (cuz apparently, there is a big difference). It's so unfair! *pout* Um, yeah. Clearly, I didn't buy into the setup of this one. Maybe I'm being too snarky, but the "I'm a stripper to pay for my MBA and I just don't understand why people don't take me seriously" schtick did not work for me. Probably because I myself am in the middle of an MBA program (and have not yet resorted to exotic dancing. lol).

Rich playboy Nash sees Dahlia dancing onstage at the club that his brother owns. We're told he's rich and a bit of a player so when he propositions Dahlia it's not surprising but a little disappointing. In general, I want my heros to be a little more heroic. Dahlia goes OFF on him (how dare you assume that just because I do burlesque dancing I am a slut...I'll have you know I am an MBA student, etc.) and he apologizes and tries to remedy the situation by being very polite and gentlemanly. He tries to get to know Dahlia as a person and spends the next few encounters wooing her gently. Interestingly enough, it doesn't take them all that long to embark on a relationship. The conflict in the story has more to do with Dahlia feeling like she's out of her league by being with a guy in a higher social class. For his part, Nash actually grows on me. For being a playboy, he reforms pretty quickly and seems genuinely attracted and devoted to Dahlia. I guess he's not a bad hero after all. And Dahlia is a nice person. So why don't I CARE more?

I'm not sure how to evaluate this story. It didn't really engage my emotions, so I never felt all that invested in the outcome. Not bad, not great. Average?

Red-Handed - Kit Tunstall
Meanwhile, Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind...until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she's going to pay...with both pleasure and pain.

Ah, the sexual blackmail plot. How do we love thee? Let me count the ways...

As the blurb indicates Amy is in the middle of robbing the Liege Casino with her no-account cousin who has convinced her that their family has to have this money or lose the farm (or something). She thinks she's a real tricky trickster but alas, Roan, the owner of said casino, is trickier and she gets caught. Uhoh! He hauls her away and threatens to hand her over to the cops, UNLESS.... Well, let's just say that somehow Amy ends up proposing that she play sub to Roan's very controlling dom side for the next month in exchange for him not turning her over to the law. Wow. Alrighty then. Before you call me a prude, let me just say that I can dig a little captive seduction/BDSM fantasy as much as the next gal as long as it's believable. But unfortunately, this one was not. I'm supposed to believe that through all of the wannabe BDSM stuff (and honestly, it didn't actually come across as genuinely kinky) these two are forging some kind of deep emotional bond. I just did not see it. We are treated to lots of internal angst in both Amy and Roan's thoughts, and I felt like smacking them both upside the head and telling them to quit being silly and just TALK to one another. And by the time Amy has had not one but TWO scary encounters with other dudes thinking that because she was Roan's sex slave she was fair game, I was SO over it.

The Deal - Anya Bast
Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her "friend with benefits." But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

One can always rely on Anya Bast for a super hot story that hits all the right notes and entertains. This is a friends to lovers plot and I am a sucker for those. Cassidy was left at the altar by her fiance and has never recovered enough emotionally to trust another guy (not surprisingly). The best man at the cancelled wedding was James, and she's remained close friends with him. James has always been attracted to Cassidy but could never act on that connection because she was his friend's fiance. He's kept his distance for a year since the break-up to give her space, but now he wants to make his move. Five nights of blackjack with sexual prizes at stake? Oh yeah, this is the Vegas I'm talking about, baby!

This is a fun little tale. James and Cassidy are a great couple and they already know each other's quirks and foibles. This is part of why I dig the friends/lovers thing, especially in a short story that by its nature doesn't give one a lot of time to develop a relationship. We can get right down to the sexxoring, and hoo boy, it's hot. James is an adventurous sort, and it's fun to see him seduce Cassidy into letting go of her inhibitions. Cassidy regains a lot of the self-confidence she lost when she was jilted and she gets a sweet, hot sexy guy in the bargain. A definite win-win. I thoroughly enjoyed this entry and ended the book on a positive note.

Overall, I would give this anthology a B-. The best stories bookended the collection (first and last) and I'm going to keep Anya Bast on my list of go-to authors and add Jodi Lynn Copeland as a new author to watch. Oh, and I'm going to keep this book on my bedside table because it's fun to watch DBF double-take at the cover. lol.

A big thank you to Ann Aguirre for holding the contest and sending me the book. Mwah!

ManLove Monday - Master of Obsidian by Jamie Craig part deux

WAIT! Lisabea and I are doing a dueling review today. And the party is so big and fun that it cannot be contained on only one blog. No, no, we are spreading our tentacles of MLM across both our blogs. If you haven't already read part one, you gotta head over to lisabea's blog for the beginning....found here. Done reading part one? Ok, now you can begin. :)

...

whew. No one ever said that this book was hearts and flowers. Gideon reminds me just a little bit of an ethically challenged super hero. Super-hero because like Batman et al, he has “sworn to protect the city” and lurks in the shadows fighting the evil bad things that go bump in the night. Ethically challenged because, let’s face it, the guy is in many ways amoral. He’s not a cuddly vampire. Hell, his idea of a first date is taking Jesse to a vampire bar and screwing his brains out in front of an audience. With audience participation. *fans self* Did I mention that this amorality is in fact part of what makes him so goddammed attractive and irresistible? Uh huh. A bad boy who really is bad.

So. wait. Goddamnit. The plot? I always stray from the POINT! OK, well basically the drug Obsidian heightens a vampires desire. Frees them of their restraint. And they kill.

Someone is trying to hook the vamp population on Obsidian and then incite them to do evil things. You might even call this drug lord the MASTER of Obsidian (sorry, had to say it). Between bouts of hot manly manlove, our heros must track down the Obsidian pushers and end their nefarious plans. JUST SAY NO to drugs, kids! Actually, it is nice to see Jesse and Gideon work together in tandem as a partnership outside of the bedroom as well as in it. For all the rough and edgy sexxoring, both of these guys have a sense of humor. The banter between them and the way they are so clearly in tune with one another just adds another layer to the story and the nature of their friendship contrasts with the way they interact in the sexual realm. It's fascinating to see the duality in each of their characters. Gideon likes his partners to beg but he also respects the hell out of Jesse for his strength and intelligence. Jesse is smart, clean cut and something of a brainiac but he craves submission.

"What about what I want?" he countered. "You're the best friend and partner I've ever had. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"What makes you think I'd stop being those things, Gideon? I'm still your friend. I still know you better than anybody, and the only way I'd ever stop being your partner is if you fired me. And we both know you'd never do that, because you don't like to research."
"Because sex is messy, Jess. Especially the kind of sex..." He braced himself for being honest. "...I'd want."
"That's why we shower afterward," Jess joked, but it fell flat. "Gideon, the kind of sex you want is the kind of sex I want. You haven't frightened me, or horrified me, or maimed me, or damaged me. We're both consenting adults, and I'm not so naïve I don't know what I'm consenting to."

The glue that holds this the festival of fluids and buddy love together is the underlying theme of trust. Soooo many layers of trust going on in this book. The obvious...clearly any two characters involved in a BDSM relationship have got to have a foundation of trust to build upon. Although our heros have a strong friendship, they both make a leap of faith in risking that relationship. Gideon must learn to trust that Jesse can make his own choices. However, the erotic thrill ride within this little novel is the gripping fear that Gideon may accidentally kill Jesse by going a step too far. And it's not Jesse who possesses the will power to say no. His trust is implicit. The will to stop lies solely within the tattered moral compass of that reformed killer of humans for sport and pleasure, Gideon. It's one DARK fucking adventure. And I mean that most literally.

"And what was her great sin, Gideon?" Anger rippled through his every word. It was the reaction Gideon had feared.

"She killed a man, remember? She did more than kill him. You read the coroner's report. He was still alive when she tore into his gut."

Jesse yanked at his collar, revealing the bites on his neck. Even the one that was over a week old still looked deep and red. "I never stopped you because I trusted that you wouldn't leave me an empty husk. Even later that night, when you practically turned me into your chew toy. I would bet money that Toby trusted her the same way, and I believe she never meant to get high on obsidian when she was with him. Henry infected her, Gideon. I don't know why, but I think she's telling the truth. She didn't intend to hurt him."
Gideon wanted to point out that there was a distinct difference between Tricia and himself, but realized as the words poised on his tongue that maybe the difference wasn't as great as he thought. Tricia had tried to hold back because Toby was important to her. It was the exact same reason he'd given himself for protecting Jess.

S'riously. I'm not an expert in the ways of writing good BDSM, but I have to say that I think one key for me as a reader is that balance between the threat of violence and the foundation of trust. Love, desire, and fear all wrapped up in one heckuva erotic cocktail. You have to believe that the characters could be in actual danger even as you believe that everything is gonna be alright. Gideon and Jesse? All I can say is, it worked for me. Me too. Yowza.

I have to hand it to Pepper and Vivien. Sula and I worked for hours trying to figure out how to do this properly, what the hell we were going to say and how to divy up the work load. And, well ok, I need to admit that I didn't finish reading until 5 on Sunday (suck AND blow as a partner). I wondered how the pair could possibly write one paragraph at a time, back and forth, and maintain that voice...but it does happen through the shared process. We opted to color coordinate our writing cuz we is very proud of ourselves....

Pepper and Vivien both will be around the blogs today to answer any questions. There are quite a few books in this series (5) and this here book was on the Debabahahlrl. Jamie Craig will be posting a serial over at Bam's big ole website (woot to free lit-ticher!) soon.

MLM - A Bit of Rough

Before I start, let me just say that I decided to read A Bit of Rough earlier this weekend without being conscious of the fact that author Laura Baumbach would be guesting at lisabea's blog today for MLM. (Go read all about it!) So the fact that I'm reviewing one of her books is a happy coincidence. Or at least I hope it will be. Actually, it just makes me freaking nervous because I don't want to write a poor review and be ridiculed by all my friends and closest internet buddies. Oh the pressure!!!

Well enough of that, on to the book.

The distant sound of a brief argument down the alley reminded James of the possibility of discovery and he groaned and shuddered, the tremor running the length of his tense, exhausted frame. The low, throaty voice vibrated at the base of his ear lobe, coming in short, electrifying pants that pushed James' excitement even higher.
"That's it, that's it. Tremble for me, baby. I'll give you what you need. I'll take you as rough as you can stand. Fucking shake for me, baby."

A Bit of Rough may have THE single best opening chapter I have read in a very very long time. It's tight, it's hot and it throws us right into the emotional heart of our main character. Up and coming architect James Justin is trying to get over a really shitty day by knocking back a few beers in a dive bar on the wrong side of town. He happens to lock eyes with a rugged blue-eyed man across the room and before you know it, one thing leads to another and they are out in the alley behind the bar against a brick wall, having the most amazing, mind blowing sex. James doesn't even know the other guy's name at this point, referring to him in his mind only as Cowboy.

A knee was forced between his legs and Cowboy's weight settled heavily against his aching groin. James looked up into a pair of hungry eyes that glittered in the dim light. Waves of lust rolled off of his captor, washing over him like pounding surf, dragging him along with the dangerous undertow, and making it hard for him to breathe. A noticeable shudder ran down his spine.
....

"No, you wouldn't be on this side of town, in this bar, if gentle was what you were looking for. Maybe you want it a little rougher."

Cowboy seems to know exactly what James wants even if James isn't able to admit it to himself. And boy does he give it to him (heh). And boy, does the author give it to us. In every luscious sweat-drenched, body-pounding detail. Really, this one goes on my list as a definite contender for BFF (*Best First Fuck as defined by moi in the recent awards show chez lisabea.)

After this heated encounter, James is not altogether sure if he ought to see this man again, but he can't quite help himself. He makes the phone call and pretty soon he and Bram (that's his name btw, NOT Cowboy) are headlong into a torrid and fast-moving courtship. Bram owns a construction firm and gets out there on the job from time to time. I dunno about you, but to me, construction worker is shorthand for ultra-manly-man. Which can come off as just a little stereotypical, but I do like how Bram is openly gay and proud in a profession that would seem to be a tad hostile.

Both in and out of the bedroom, Bram is a very take-charge kind of guy, and James seems content to be swept off his feet (sometimes quite literally). The sex between these two is smoking hot and takes up a lot of screen time. While there are other elements to the story, most notably some run-ins with a menacing neighbor in James' apartment building and James' insecurity about his public identity as a gay man, the focus really is on the relationship between Bram and James.

And this is actually one of the things that detracted from my appreciation of the book. I had a hard time believing the breakneck speed at which these two guys go from anonymous bar alley quickie (well, ok it wasn't all THAT quick but you know what I mean) to lovers forever, mated, in luuuurve. By the end of the first date, Bram is already making noises like James is THE ONE for him. For his part, James tends to be indecisive and needy and this made me doubt the authenticity of his sudden feelings for Bram. While the sexxoring between these two guys is hotHOT, I didn't feel like I got to know them as individuals or as a couple outside the bedroom.

I think that the plot suffered from too tight a focus on the action between our two leads where it could have benefited from more character development. That said, Baumbach writes in a very smooth prose, and I thought that the dialogue flowed easily. I think that romance readers who like a strong alpha hero who rescues the hero(ine) and saves the day would enjoy this book. Oh, and that first chapter...seriously worth the price of admission all by itself.

Grade: B-

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Ok, I guess I was just a little too optimistic last week when I thought I would be able to write five reviews in five days. This should have been up on Friday. But real life (aka work, school, boyfriend) intervened. Alas.

Let's get back to the magickal mystery tour. Our last entry took us around the world and back again on the Talisman Hie. This race to the finish included our new hero Bowen MacReive. He's Lykae and from the same clan as Lachlain (he of A Hunger Like No Other fame). Bowen or Bowe as his friends call him has a bit of an attitude issue. Quite frankly, the guy is a major sourpuss. He has good reason to be. Lykae mate for life and since he lost his mate just after they got together, he is doomed to live out the rest of his long immortal existence alone. No mate. No lurve. The angst. It drags. Us. All. Down. With. Him.

But wait! Remember that the prize for winning the Hie is a magickal key that allows one to travel in time? Of course Bowe figures that all he has to do is win that key, then go back in time and save his mate and live happily ever after. Armed with this fledling hope, the man is on a mission. He attacks each challenge in the Hie with single-minded devotion and when he finds himself in an ancient burial chamber with Mariketa the Awaited (a witch) he has no qualms in grabbing the gold and sealing her in the tomb. He's seen that she can work powerful magick and figures that she'll be out of there in a jiffy, but at least he'll have slowed down another competitor. All's fair in love and war, right?

Wrong!

Mari stays trapped in that cave (along with some other magickal beings) and is tormented by incubii. Ewwww! Bowe finishes (loses) the Hie and comes back to find that he's enemy of the public numero uno. If he doesn't go back into the South American jungle and rescue Mari, an inter-species war is going to break out. Och!

Rescuing Mari and the other magickal beings turns out to be more complicated than just getting them out of the cave. They have to slog through the rainforest on foot, staying out of the way of warring rebel factions and squabbling amongst each other. Bowe has the hots for Mari but he doesn't trust his instincts because he is convinced that Mari's magick is messing with his mind. Mari wants to strangle Bowe for being such an overbearing boor (but secretly she has a thing for him as well). They fight and make up. Quite a few times, in fact. There is a lot of trudge and grudge. Trudge through the jungle, hold grudges against the other. Bowe is hardly a prince charming. His idea of romance is telling Mari that she might be his mate Mariah reincarnated (how else can he explain his urges towards her...Lykae only mate once after all). Charming indeed.

What doesn't really work is the overly plotty and convoluted ending as well as the pacing of the story in general. It goes in bursts and therefore my attention goes in the same manner. Up and down. What does work is the sexual tension between the lead characters. It's believable and it's hot, and I like that part. Also, there are some very interesting secondary characters that are probably getting set up for their own books. (I am SO ready to read about the hot (heh) rage demon king Rydstrom, gimme that book now please!)

Oh well. I'd still be game for the next installment.

Grade: C+

No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

No Rest for the Wicked picks up right where A Hunger Like No Other left off. Valkyrie warrior heroine Kaderin "the Cold Hearted" (it's kind of like a WWF name, get it?) is preparing to enter her fifth Hie. The Talisman's Hie is described as the Amazing Race for the immortal set. I've never seen either show (though I hear the Hie kicks AR's collective ass) but the exotic locals and derring-do adventures that the competitors go through reminded me of a cross between Indiana Jones and TombRaider. Kaderin has won this competition for the past millenium or so. It takes a combination of daring, hard work, skill and downright ruthlessness to succeed. And she's got all of those fine qualities in spades.

When not traipsing around the world seeking ancient treasures for an inter-species scavenger hunt, Kaderin's day job (or night job as the case may be) is killing vampires. After losing her two sisters in an epic battle against the evil Horde variety of vampires, Kaderin's got something of a bone to pick with those bloodsuckers. I bet you can't even imagine who fate has got HER matched up with? *blinking innocently*

Sebastian Wroth never wanted to be a vampire. Turned against his will by a brother who wanted to save him from death, he has spent the past centuries alone and depressed. When Kaderin the Vampire Slayer comes a-calling at his castle, he's ready to shake off this immortal coil and welcomes the killing blow she's ready to mete out. But something about him makes her hesitate at the last moment. And before you can say 'fated to be mated' (I'm starting to like that phrase, heh) his vampire heart begins to beat. Which means that he has found his Bride. Too bad for him that said Bride is a lean mean fighting machine with zero interest in emotions or love and a serious prejudice against vampires.

Thus begins a really fantastic romp around the world. The sensual game of cat and mouse between these two is interwoven with the larger arc of the Hie, as they travel to exotic and forbidding parts of the globe. Kaderin has a driving need to win this one as the ultimate prize is a time-traveling key that might offer her the hope of rescuing her sisters from their fate. For his part, Sebastian joins up with the somewhat sweet idea of winning the prize for his prospective GF, not really realizing what a freaking FORCE of nature this gal is to be reckoned with. But here's the thing. Rather than get all stompy alpha male about the fact that Kaderin can take care of things, he's supportive of her and uses his unique skills (like that vampire trick of tracing) to help her whenever he can. It's super sweet and really damn hot, the way these two clash and yet still work together throughout a variety of hair-raising adventures.

"We've got to stop this," she whispered, even as she moved her fist on him. "These beasts..."
"Are suitably terrifying. Doubtless." he pressed a brief hot kiss to her mouth, then met her eyes again. "Appreciate it if you'd keep...stroking."

Cole keeps the sexual tension-o-meter on high pretty much the whole way through and this combined with the excitement of the Hie makes this book damn near impossible to put down. As my bud lisabea pointed out to me the other day, these books really do follow the road-romance type. And we've already established that I'm a sucker for those.

I really had a great time reading this book. Strong heroines are a hard character to get right. They so often end up as either unsympathetic ball-busting stereotypes or (worse) faux warriors that are really just looking for the right man to take over for them. Kaderin is neither. She's a complex woman with her own motivations and a history that has shaped her. Ultimately, her ability to face her fears and allow herself to feel emotion is a reflection of her courage and I really respected that. The catalyst for this thawing is of course the steady and dependable wooing of Sebastian. And he's no slouch in the courage department either. He realizes that if Kaderin wins the key and travels back in time, he risks losing her forever. And he's willing to help her do it despite the cost to himself. Clearly, the man is a romance hero to fall in love with.

I heartily recommend this book. Run out and buy it right now. Even if you don't read the others in the series, this one is well worth your time. I'm supposed to be sending it to CJ about now, but I am feeling the need to reread just once more before passing it along. Enjoy!

Grade: A-

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

I'd read some of Cole's books before now, trying to see what all the fuss was about. Frankly, the two that I read (both featuring pirates/andor/seafaring which I usually love) were pretty bad and I thought that whatever the hype was, it was obviously misdirected. Then my good buddy lisabea sent me the first three installments of the Immortals After Dark series. Aha! Now I get it. These were seriously entertaining.

A Hunger Like No Other has the unenviable task of being the first introduction to this new world and suffers a bit from the strain of setting up the world, establishing the parameters, introducing the various characters, the various races and their feuds, etc. There are a LOT of immortals running around and they all seem to have quite a history with each other.

Our story begins with Lachlan MacReive, the leader of the Lykae (werewolves), being tortured for a few hundred years beneath the catacombs in Paris. The dastardly vampires put him down there and since he is blessed (cursed?) with immortality, every time he burns and dies, he wakes up and lives again...only to keep burning. Um, ouch? Lucky for Lachlan, his one true wuv aka MATE happens to walk across the ground above him and being the extra-sensory perceptive immortal that he is, he can feel that she's there. His instincts kick in bigtime and this gives him an extra boost of power to throw off the shackles and free himself...but only after ripping one of his legs off. Well, hey at least he's free and can regenerate minor things like missing limbs.

Lachlan's mate Emma is a half-breed. Born of a Valkyrie mother and a vampire (oh noes!) father, she is blissfully unaware that a big angry Scottish wolf-man has the hots for her. Until of course, he finds her, kidnaps her and comes onto her in a majorly alpha male way. Oh it's steamy stuff and only in the first chapter! (inwardly, I gave a cheer, outlook for hot sexy book favorable!) However, despite all the rough and provocative almost-sex, Emma and Lachlan spend the majority of the book fighting about how she doesn't buy into this whole mate thing and Lachlan fighting himself over the fact that he's meant to be with a vampire (remember the bit about them torturing him for 200 odd years). Emma was raised by a coven of kick-arse Valkyrie warrior women and she has always been the timid protected one. Throughout most of the book it is like she can't decide who she is. At times she is so whiny and TSTL as to make me shake with rage. At others, she grows a backbone out of thin air and dislocates Lachlan's jaw. You go girl. Just figure out which of your multiple personalities you want to settle on and then give me a call when it's over.

So did I mention the sexxoring? It's pretty hot stuff, although Cole makes us wait for the big moment of truth. I suppose that's the difficulty of using this 'fated to be mated' concept. Where's the tension if they're together from page one? So instead we have lots of near misses, hot buildups without the payoff and sexy naked showers. heh. Well, no one ever said that lots of foreplay wasn't a good thing.

The action picks up near the end of the book and Emma gets a chance to save the world (apparently she decides that the strong her is the personality she's going to stick with after all). Her Valkyrie aunties get a chance to make me really weary of them. Lachlan gets a chance to ditch his fake Scottish accent...oh wait, no that didn't happen. Lachlan gets a chance to move beyond his prejudices and accept that love conquers all. Awww, it really is romantic.

Despite some frustrations, overall this was a very fun read. I appreciated that women in this alternate universe are not wrapped in cotton wool and that they're allowed to have some good dialogue lines too. And I think that Cole has set up a very interesting world and I look forward to spending more time in it.

Grade: B-

The Dream Thief by Shana Abe

Ever wished you could see the future? Seems like a handy talent to have, no? Well, judging by what I learned from Lia, the heroine in The Dream Thief, this future-seeing thing may not be all it's cracked up to be.

Lady Amalia Langford or Lia is the daughter of Rue and Christoff, the powerful drakon first introduced to us in The Smoke Thief. Drakon are an ancient race of dragon/humans who have the power to Turn into smoke and also into dragon form. Originally from the Carpathian mountains, this particular clan of drakon live a very tightknit, secretive existence in the woods of England. The only human who knows who and what they are and is still allowed to live is Zane, a clever thief who played a secondary role in the previous book. Lia is the only Langford who doesn't have any of the drakon special powers. She can't Turn. She can't fly. What she CAN do is see the future in her dreams, but this is a secret she keeps to herself. And given the fact that she's seen that her future includes Zane as a lover, this is probably a smart idea (uber-protective father plus ultra-secretive clan plus non-drakon BF does not make for happy intra-species dating, and believe me I should know.)

Drakon have this thing for jewels. They can hear them sing. And apparently there is one jewel to rule them all, so to speak, called Draumr. Rue and Christoff commission light-fingered Zane to travel back to the old country and fetch this diamond. They offer him a lot of money. What they DON'T tell him is that Draumr can be used to control drakon. Lia shows up along the way and compels Zane to take her along on the journey. Of course Zane is remembering her not-quite-human father and thinking that this would be a very bad idea. But he doesn't have a lot of options. So off they go into the wilds of Hungary and Romania. Searching for a diamond that may or may not exist and guided by Lia's ability to hear the song of Draumr.

About that future-seeing thing. Not so great when you can foresee the man who is destined to be your lover use the jewel-to-rule-them all to control you and your family. The question is...knowing what you do about the future, can you work against your fate and change it? Can you trust the one you love? And most importantly, what's it like to be a virgin and yet have experienced passionate mind-blowing sex in your foreseen future???? (this is really what my inquiring mind wants to know...check out page 139 for the answer)

Nineteen years old, a virgin who'd never even known an actual kiss - yet she knew all about making love. She knew a human man's taste, and his body heavy over hers, and the wild pleasure of him inside her, every night. She did whatever he asked of her, everything he asked. She did things she'd never known a man and woman could do together.
Touch me here, like this.
Take me in your mouth.
Lie back.
Put your arms above your head.
Do you feel this, Lia? Tell me. Tell me how I make you feel.
Tell me what you want me to do to you.

No wonder she couldn't sleep.

Heh. Yeah, no wonder.

What really worked for me in this book is the road-romance aspect of it. I do so love a book in which the h/h are together for long periods of time and we get to see the development of their relationship. I also really love those morally ambiguous heros who are just on the edge of being an anti-hero. Zane is a thief. Not a gentleman masquerading as a thief, not a duke in a spy's mask. He's a gutter born London thief who has crawled his way up using all of the skills at his disposal. And yet he's not coarse or crude. He has a great deal of wry humor and wit and, perhaps surprisingly for a thief, honesty. And Lia. I tend to be very hard on my heroines. I have great expectations (har) for them. And I get annoyed with them when they become TSTL. But I gotta hand it to Lia. She's smart and she's tough and yet still vulnerable. I like how she thinks things through, analyzes and decides on her course.

The lyrical nature of the prose has to be mentioned. And the very clear sense that one gets of the world of the drakon. And I really really want to read the next book now because the glimpses I got of the Carpathian side of the clan are quite intriguing. So bravo, good stuff. I recommend it.

Grade: B+

Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson

I haven't read fantasy in quite some time. I'm not sure if CS Lewis' Narnia books count (cuz I read those things ad naseum in my childhood) but I think I can safely say that I'm somewhat of a newbie to the genre. Oh yeah, I did the requisite Tolkien read in college mainly because I dated a guy who was obsessed with them and who gave me the entire LOTR boxed set as an X-mas gift. I remember (vaguely) kind of liking the concept of the neat worlds and magical powers and stuff, but missing the romance and lurve action that I really do like to have in my reading diet.

Enter C.L. Wilson. What I quite like about Lord of the Fading Lands is that it feels very much like the fantasy books that I remember reading, but with a good strong thread of romance running through it. Do I dare attempt a summary? There are so many characters, subplots, machinations and whatnot, that I'm not sure it's possible to do it justice.

Rain Tairen Soul is a really old (and yet hot and young-looking) tairen who lost his wife a long time ago in a big epic war against EVIL. (and as we are reminded time and again, that would be Evil with a capital E). Rain is the King of the Fey and the leader of the tairen, otherwise known as the Tairen Soul. His kind, the tairen, seem to be facing extinction because all of the female tairen are barren (oh man, that rhymed and I totally did not intend it). All these years later, he is alerted to the existence of his truemate, who happens to be a young peasant girl. Elysseta or Ellie is the adopted daughter of a woodcarver in the kingdom next door. Her life is turned upside down when Rain literally falls out of the sky and claims her as his mate. Wowza! Before she knows it, this hot masterful king with the kick-ass powers (he can turn into a winged-cat thing and FLY!) has a one-track mind to marry her. Lil' ol' her. She spends the majority of the book protesting that it must be a mistake. She's just a nobody. Not worthy. Etcetera. But of course we readers know better. Ellie has special powers of her own and she's just starting to come into them. Will Rain claim his mate and will she save all of tairen-kind and by extension the entire world? [insert dramatic music]

Well, I don't know because this is a series and apparently book one is more like episode one. There is more to come. And ultimately, that is my whine with the book. I liked the writing. The author has a very strong voice and does a skillful job with building her world. It felt authentic and real and dare I say, epic. BUT at the end of the book, we do not get to see Rain and Ellie together in the truest sense of the word. It is like we get to the end of part 1 of their courtship. You gotta read the next book to find out how/if/when they actually get their mateship on. Arg! I hate cliff-hanger endings. So as a romance novel, this brings the grade down for me. As a fantasy epic, it's probably just par for the course.

That said, I like the book and I will read the next one. Probably pretty soon in fact. I have a soft spot for stoic yet sensitive heros and Rain has that going for him in spades. Yum. And if Ellie doesn't come to her senses and marry him posthaste, I may just beat her to it.

Grade: B

Man Love Monday: Cops edition

Hello friends. It's Man Love Monday and for once in a long time I have more than just a Captain Jack video to share with you. (although goddamit, that Cap'n Jack is so good with the manlove). Anyways, our topic today is an m/m anthology of three short stories called Arresting Developments. In each story at least one of the heros is involved in law enforcement. I'm going to review them in order of best, pretty good, and nope that didn't work for me. Let's start with the best, shall we?

In a Dark Wood by Josh Lanyon
Thanks to my blogging buddy, lisabea, I had already been exposed to Josh Lanyon's witty persona via livejournal and blog comments. I knew the guy had a way with words, but dayum! What I didn't know was that he had such a knack for drawing realistic characters and sucking you into a narrative within one page flat! This is a taut little gem of a story. It has a creepy mystery angle mixed in with an emotional journey of self-discovery and a tender budding relationship. Travel writer and columnist Tim is set up by a friend with detective Luke. The two of them embark on a weekend camping trip to explore a spooky house in the woods where Tim had a traumatic childhood memory. Along the way, they learn more about each other and Tim faces some realities about himself that he's been avoiding. The story is told in first-person from Tim's point of view, but rather than being limiting, this device adds to the layers of how we access both characters.

I mentioned that there's a mystery, and I'm not kidding. It got truly SCARY for a few minutes there, and I was turning the pages quickly and hoping that everything would turn out ok in the end (it does). *whew* You may be saying, fine fine, that's all well and good but what about the sex? Here's the thing, I found the lovemaking between our two heros to be really organic and romantic. It's not as HAWT as you might be expecting, but I loved it. Again, Lanyon has this way with his words. It felt earthy and natural, and not just tossed in to spice things up. The sex isn't there just for sex's sake. It serves the story and expands our awareness of the characters' emotional development.

"I need so much. There's such a big gaping emptiness in me. I need him to fill it with heat and hungry demands; I want his need to overwhelm my own."

le sigh. In my inexpert opinion, this is a character study drawn in confident strokes. The guys jump off the page, and you get a sense for what makes them tick but without long passages of boring or obvious exposition. Lanyon's writing makes it look easy. Give the man an A and for goodness sake, give me more of his books.

Coyote Crossing by James Buchanan.
Now on to my second favorite story in the anthology. This one is about a border patrol officer in the Southwest. One night while stopping a group of illegal immigrants, he finds the leader of the group is none other than a childhood friend. Actually, it's the little brother of his best friend from high school but lil' brother is all grown up now. Augustin, or Augi, has fallen in with the wrong crowd since Rick knew him as a teenager. Now he's mixed up with trafficking people across the border and possibly with drugs as well. Rick is allowed to vouch for Augi so that he won't have to get tossed in jail immediately and takes him back to his apartment. (This whole bit I wasn't real sure of...is that legal? ethical? I dunno...just roll with it, it's fiction). There's some nice angst between these two guys. Rick can't believe that he's attracted to his best friend's kid brother. Back when they were in high school, Augi used to shadow him and look up to him. It's pretty obvious to the reader that Augi had a crush on Rick back in those days, but apparently this never occured to Rick. They spend some quality time together talking about family and the past. Rick gets the chance to rescue Augi from some nasty drug dealers (awww) and then Augi comes out of the closet to Rick. hooray! (oh come on, we knew it all along didn't we?) Imagine making it with that guy you always dreamed about as a teenager but who never even knew you existed as a potential romantic partner. I think anyone can relate to this, and I know that I found the consumation of Rick and Augi's attraction to be rather sweet and emotionally satisfying. We're left with a definite HFN which is fine and dandy with me for such a quick story.

Grade: B

Gamble Everything by L. Picaro

I didn't really want to review this one. Not because I am squeamish about bad reviews. But frankly, this story bored me. I'll do my best to be quick, honest, and fair.

Adam is a police officer who comes to the aid of a man who just ran off the road because someone shot at him. This man, Marc, looks vaguely familiar to Adam, but he can't place him. Marc says that he's pretty sure he was shot at because he's gay, and that he'd just received threats while leaving a local bar. Adam thinks this is a bit odd because he's also openly gay and has lived in this town for years without any issues. After taking Marc to the police station to fill out some forms, Adam drives him home. The attraction between them is immediate and intense. Then Adam realizes why he recognizes Marc. He's a famous porn star who disappeared from the industry some time ago. Porn star? alrighty then. And it goes from there. Bow-chicka-bow.

I dunno, maybe I'm being too critical. Or maybe this just wasn't the right anthology for this story after the previous two entries. But in any event, I did not connect emotionally with either Marc or Adam. It all felt just a little too, dare I say it...porny. Oh well.

Grade: D+

Two out of three ain't bad.

You can find Arresting Developments at Aspen Mountain Press.

And for more ManLove Monday fun, please surf over to lisabea's to catch her awesome interview with author Samantha Kane!!! And also, don't miss azteclady's review of JL Langley's The Broken H over at Karen's blog. Happy MLM!

Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare

The year is 1763, and the Ohio Valley frontier is seething with the beginnings of the French and Indian War. Newly widowed and heavily pregnant, young Elspeth Stewart is alone on her homestead when a wounded stranger shows up on her doorstep. Nicholas Kenleigh has been through hell and back. Captured and tortured by Indians, he has survived his ordeal but now lives life without a sense of purpose.

This story has three distinct parts. In the first, we have Nicholas and Elspeth, or Bethie, alone in her cabin cautiously trying to figure out if they can trust one another. Nicholas is wounded and although Bethie nurses him back to health, she sees him as a dangerous man who is not to be trusted. They slowly start to rely upon one another. Bethie goes into labor and Nicholas helps her through the delivery. He teaches her how to read and write. Bonds of friendship and something more begin to form. It's obvious from early on that Bethie has been mistreated by the men in her life, and to Nicholas' credit he can sense this and never pushes her too far.

The second act begins when Nicholas and Bethie are forced to flee her home and make their way through the wild woods to the nearest English fort. Here they end up in the middle of a siege as the fort is quickly surrounded by Indians. Nicholas has leadership experience as well as knowledge of Indian fighting tactics, and he becomes integral to the fight. Bethie is assumed to be his wife, and they live together in order to shield her from the possible negative attentions of the soldiers. Although the situation is dire, it is during this period that Nicholas and Bethie truly begin to explore intimacy. Again, Nicholas is exceptionally tender and understanding and has the patience of a saint. He understands better than Bethie the ramifications of her abusive past and works very hard to awaken her to the possibility of pleasure between them. The fort siege comes to a end, and in the aftermath, Nicholas and Bethie make their way back east.

The third portion of the book begins to feel a bit like an ending gone on too long. Bethie returns to the home and the stepfather who terrified her as a child. She faces her fears and moves on with her life. She and Nicholas then go to Philadelphia where she finds out that the man she's fallen in love with is in fact a rich, titled landowner from Virginia. As the daughter of simple farmers (and Scots-Irish to boot), Bethie faces feelings of inferiority and her martyr complex kicks in. We get a few chapters in which she continues to refuse to marry Nicholas because she thinks he deserves better than her. Although I can understand the sentiment, I have very little patience for martyric heroines and this started to get on my nerves. Thankfully, it doesn't go on too long. After facing down yet another crisis situation with violence from warring frontiersmen, Bethie and Nicholas get their HEA.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. First of all, what a nice change to read a story that isn't set in Regency England. It's refreshing to visit another period of history and this time period lends itself well to romance because of the adventurous and uncertain nature of the era. If you've ever watched and loved Last of the Mohicans, you'll probably enjoy this book. I also really liked the characters of both Nicholas and Bethie. Nicholas was everything I want in a hero. He's strong and capable, yet tender and exceedingly nurturing with Bethie and her little baby. As for Bethie, she is strong enough to have survived some pretty awful things and doesn't spend a great deal of time feeling sorry for herself.

What brings the grade down for me is a combination of a few things. First of all, I felt the ending was a bit too drawn out, as I mentioned above. One too many climactic endings. Bethie's continued refusal to marry Nicholas 'for his own good' hit one of my personal hot buttons. Also, it must be said that the descriptions of torture were really quite graphic; much more than you would expect and in the very first chapter. I got the uncomfortable feeling throughout the book that the Native Americans were brutal savages without being given some context for why they might be doing the things they did. Having lived in a variety of cultures, I'm always sensitive to the idea that people have reasons for their rituals even if they aren't pretty. Describing elaborate scenes of ritualized torture without some kind of explanation gives one the impression that it's just senseless violence for the sake of violence, and I am somewhat doubtful that this was the case. So while I can understand the author being "true to history" (and yes, those were some violent times), I would have liked to have been given more background information to help me process what was going on. I did appreciate that the author tried to include some observations about the white settlers' actions which contributed to the situation, but overall I was left with a somewhat one-sided portrayal.

However, I still very much enjoyed reading this book, and I intend to read more by this author. Readers looking for a combination of action, adventure and satisfying romance should definitely give this one a look.

Grade: B

Man Love Monday - Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade review

And now for the second part of my contribution to Man Love Monday...(if you still haven't checked out the awesomeness on lisabea's blog, make sure you do!)


Now we move to a more somber and serious story. I’m a longtime reader and fan of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. When Lord John Grey showed up, I must admit that I wasn’t very fond of him. Mainly because he carried a torch for Jamie and I’m irrationally protective of Jamie. He’s Claire’s (and mine of course, but that doesn’t count), and I don’t want anyone else lusting after him. Like, I said…irrational. But since Lord John has started starring in his own series of mystery stories, my views on him have taken a complete turn.

I “read” Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade as an audiobook. There is something to be said about curling up in bed, in the darkness of the night and falling asleep gently to the sound of a story. Each night as I got further into the story and got to know Lord John better, the more I was intrigued by him. He’s a man of intense honor. A soldier who knows how to lead men and how to inspire loyalty. And yet, he must keep the most essential part of him a secret. I found it fascinating how LJ is both completely comfortable with his sexuality (in a conversation with a lover, he says that he’s never wished he was not gay) but yet completely in the closet. He HAS to be for the sake of his career, his family, and his very life. Being a gay man in 18th century England was not accepted. Indeed, there were repercussions far worse than simply being looked down upon. Dishonor, ruin, even prison and death.

This book is not a romance novel but does contain romantic elements. As far as the actual plot of the story is concerned, it is like any good Gabaldon tale. Long and seemingly meandering but everything falls together in the end. Long ago, the death of Lord John’s father cast a shadow of scandal over the entire family. Although it was accepted a suicide, LJ is certain that it was in fact murder and new information prompts him to undertake a quiet investigation. In the meantime, his regiment is preparing to reenter the war in mainland Europe, he embarks on a new love affair and all the while manages to balance everything with his trademark wit, grace and dry sense of humor that makes him such a memorable character. Something that I particularly enjoyed was the delicate and unspoken dance of words, gestures and double meanings that serve to convey meaning between himself and other gay men right in plain view of everyone. For an excellent example, check out the following excerpt.

As it happened, I was listening to this book at the same time I was reading My Fair Captain. The juxtaposition of gay men in an open society vs. gay men in a closeted society was really quite interesting. It made me very sad that Lord John would never be able to openly experience a loving relationship with a partner of his choice. By the end of the book, I was aching for him and what seemed to be a lonely future stretching before him. I know that Gabaldon isn't finished with him yet and he still has a role to play in the Outlander books, so I'll continue to hope that he finds some measure of happiness. And I'll continue to have a little crush on him.

A

Man Love Monday - My Fair Captain review

Yep, it's Man Love Monday! Be sure to check out lisabea's blog for hilarious commentary, HAWT photos and loads of fun. My humble contributions will come in the form of book reviews. Let's begin, shall we?

I have to be honest. I did not expect to be particularly interested in reading an m/m romance novel. To be sure, I’ve read books that had gay secondary characters as well as ménage stories which included some m/m action. But my first love is historicals and I was under the impression that given the rigid social structures in the past, a satisfactory gay love story would be difficult if not impossible to find. I like my HEA and how happy of an ending can one have with the shadow of an oppressive disapproving (and downright dangerous) conservative society hanging over your protagonists’ heads? Enter J.L. Langley’s gay space Regency, My Fair Captain. Yes, you read that right. Gay space Regency! All of the fun clothes, stuffy balls, horses and carriages and social rules but recast in a totally gay society.

Captain Nathaniel Hawkins commands an intergalactic Navy space frigate. Banished from his own home planet years ago after a duel, Nate lives the life of a rough and ready warrior. Sent to the planet Regelence to investigate a case involving missing weapons, he finds himself in the middle of a highly formalized Regency-like society where young men are chaperoned and sought after in marriage by older more experienced men of the Ton. King Steven and his consort Raleigh are Nate’s hosts, and as luck would have it, one of their five sons literally falls into his lap. Aiden is a young, headstrong artist who has no interest in playing the marriage mart. He is only interested in furthering his training in art and wonders, “Why did everyone think a man needed a consort and children to make him complete?” (sound familiar?)

Readers of historical romances will pick up on the types right away; what makes the book so fun to read is that the standard formula we all know is turned just slightly on its head. Nate is the alpha hero. Strong, masculine, straightforward and just a little gruff, he can’t understand why he’s so attracted to Aiden. Although naïve and unsure of all the new feelings coursing through him, Aiden finds himself drawn to the dashing captain and reconsiders his antipathy towards marriage. They engage in a courtship that includes all of those delightful little Regency scenarios. The first waltz at the ball. A furtive kiss away from the chaperone’s watchful eye. Nate making his intentions known to Aiden’s parents. Even the standard “being caught in a compromising situation and being forced to marry in a hurry.” It’s all there. Oh and did I mention the wedding night? I have to hand it to Langley. This was hot and romantic and thoroughly believable. A natural physical expression of the emotional connection between these two men and not something merely meant to shock or titillate the reader.

There’s more to the story about the missing weapons and the dastardly bad guys who are trying to take over the world (or something) but I found myself skimming over that stuff to get back to Nate and Aiden. The developing relationship between them rings true and becomes more involved throughout the book. And the supporting characters like Nate’s adopted son and Aiden’s parents and brothers all have distinctive personalities and propel the story along. When I finished the story, it was with a big sigh and a sloppy grin on my face. And that’s what I really want out of a romance novel.

If you, like me, are new to the world of man-love romances and you want a good place to start, you could do no better than My Fair Captain. I know that I’m keeping Langley on my list of authors to watch and I can’t wait to read another story set in Regelence. Much thanks to lisabea for getting the word out on this book.

A-

More "lightning" reviews

On my way home for the long holiday weekend, I thought I would drop by the library and get a fresh new haul to last me for the four luxurious no-work days ahead. I picked up six books and got started on them that very night. By the next evening, I had finished four and was working on the fifth. Needless to say, my book haul did not last the weekend. *gulp* Ok, what can I say? I read too damn fast. Anyways, here’s what my Thanksgiving weekend reading consisted of in the order I read them.

Why Not Tonight? - Jacquie D’Alessandro (HQ Blaze)

I’ve never read anything by this author before, although I have seen her name pop up from time to time on review lists. I’ve been making an effort to grab a few series books each time I go to the library because they’re short and bite-sized. Kind of like an appetizer. Anyways, this was a nice little book about two normal, relatively well-adjusted people getting back together after ten years apart. The real plot of the book happened within a twenty four hour period during a blackout. Since the h/h had already known each other previously and had developed a relationship in their past (albeit their young college-aged selves), this 24 hour thing didn’t feel like too much of a stretch. The love scenes were passionate and inventive even though there were quite a few packed into that one night. What I really liked about the book was that the characters talked and thought like normal people. One of the things that keeps me away from contemps is that at least in historicals I can suspend my disbelief if people act odd or in a way that I might not. Hey, maybe that’s the way people did it back in [insert date]. But when I read contemps in which the putative hero or heroine act like they’re characters in a cheesy novel and not actual people I might meet and know…it pulls me out of the story quicker than any “wallpaper historical”. All that to say, this particular book didn’t suffer from that at all. The only minor thing that pulled me out of the story was whenever the hero’s complete name would be referenced. As a huge U2 fan, the name “Adam Clayton” is synonymous with the chilled out bassist of that band and every time I read it, I pictured him and giggled. But that’s just me. Lol.
B+


Kiss of the Highlander – Karen Marie Moning

I’ve read one other Moning book, and it was the sequel to this one. I remember finding it over-the-top and laugh-out-loud funny because I just couldn’t take it seriously. An ancient Druid time-travelling and strutting around the twentieth century bellowing “och” and “doona” and “lass” just wasn’t happening for me. In retrospect, I would have done better to read this book first as much of what happened in the next book is set up by the events in Kiss. In this outing, Drustan MacKeltar is awakened after a five-hundred year enchanted sleep by geeky former scientist Gwen Cassidy. Of course, he finds himself instantly attracted to her. Of course, she is a virrrrgin (although this is unbeknownst to him). They spend a few days traipsing around the modern day Highlands as he tries to convince Gwen that he’s from the 1000s and she tries to figure out why this good-looking hottie is missing a few screws. At the ruins of his family castle, he uses his Druid magic to return them both to his time but miscalculates and lands Gwen in a past in which his past self has no knowledge of her or the future they just shared. Hijinks ensue…I feel like I’ve read this before, wasn’t it called A Knight in Shining Armor? Oh yeah, but in that one we had to settle for some watered down reincarnated version of the hero. Not in this book! I have to admit; Moning skates a very fine line between a rollicking good yarn and a howlingly funny parody of a romance novel. I wasn’t always sure which side of the line the story fell upon, but overall I was much more entertained by this book than by the sequel. (Disclaimer: my favorite books in the universe are Gabaldon’s Outlander series, so obviously I’m not opposed to time-travel and tartans in principle.)
B


By Arrangement – Madeline Hunter

I initially read this book (it was my first novel by Hunter) last Christmas while house-sitting in the same location where I’m at now. I had such fond memories of being cozily curled up with these amazing medieval stories and being completely “swept away” to another time and place. As I stared at the library shelves and thought about a long weekend, I couldn’t resist picking this one back up to see if it would work as well the second time around. *sigh* Oh yeah. It definitely did. I love this book. Ms. Hunter does such a fantastic job of weaving the historical details into the story that you never feel hit over the head with her obvious knowledge or completely alienated by the strange world in which you find yourself. David de Abyndon is a unique and memorable hero. He’s not a knight, a lord or a duke but a cloth merchant. Although beneath the nobility in terms of his social class, he holds himself with a poise and calm self-assurance that I found meltingly sexy. Still waters run deep indeed.
Christiana Fitzwarren is the ward of the king. Although at eighteen she’s older than most courtly brides, she is both naïve and self-centered. Convinced that she is in love with a chivalrous young knight (obvious to David and to the reader immediately as a total bounder), she tries to get out of the betrothal to David which the king has arranged for her. David’s quiet determination to carry out their engagement as planned and refusal to let Christiana deceive herself into romanticizing her knight force her to face reality and to grow up. Although something of a spoiled young girl in the beginning of the book, Christiana matures and shows an inner strength and intelligence over the course of the story. For his part, David finds himself and his orderly world increasingly disrupted by his deepening feelings for his wife. Watching these two people come to know each other and learn to love despite the differences in their social class, ages and worldviews is what makes this book such a pleasure. After putting it down, I wanted to reread it immediately, and to me that is the sign of a true keeper. I have since read most of Ms. Hunter’s catalogue, but I have to say that none have quite measured up to this book and that her move to historical Regencies was a huge loss for those of us who love medievals.
A+


Night Watch – Suzanne Brockmann (HQ Silhouette)

I think this is my first Brockmann. I say “think” because I may have read something by her eons ago (for some reason the name sounds familiar) but I can’t remember enough to say definitively that I have. I know she has quite a following, but I didn’t know which book would be the first in what seems to be a series. And frankly, I’m not a rom-suspense kind of gal, nor do I swoon over the thought of SEALs. That said, I figured a nice short HQ might be just the ticket for a little escapism and something outside my usual historical genre. And that’s exactly what it was. I liked that our hero is short and not the huge hulking specimen of Fabio man-meat that one might expect of a SEAL starring in a romance novel. He’s suffering from unrequited love and a hopeless crush on a fellow SEAL’s wife. And our heroine seems pretty normal (see above rant on contemps) which is always nice. She has a nineteen year-old adopted son who is in college on a baseball scholarship. Two relatively normal adults indulging in a consensual sexual relationship. How refreshing. Indeed, the side-plot involving a crazy stalker intruded on the story and I could have totally done without it.
B-


Not Quite Married – Betina Krahn

According to the inside cover, this is a re-release of an earlier work by the author. I remember reading quite a few Krahn books back in college but haven’t really picked up anything by her since then. When I flipped through this one, it looked like it was set at least partially in the colonial United States which seems rare in these days of Regency drawing rooms. Little did I know that most of the book does take place in merry old England with only an interlude in Boston. It would take too long to try to summarize the plot, but in brief, our heroine is an independent free-thinking young girl (shock!) whose father decides that he’s given her too much liberty and now she must settle down to wife and motherhood. Seeking to get out of the marriage he has arranged for her (to a loathsome Frenchman! What is it about the French that fates them to always play the bad guys anyways?) she sneaks away and pays another guy to marry her and then take a hike. The “other guy” is actually a nobleman’s son on the run from his father trying to marry HIM off when all he really wants to do is build boats. So yeah, they marry and go their separate ways. She still is forced to marry the eeevil Frenchy because Daddy can’t find legal proof of her other wedding. The evil French dude locks her up and threatens torture but ends up dying in a house fire (how convenient) and our heroine emerges from the experience as an older, wiser widow. “I shall never marry again!” Oh silly girl, you KNOW that when you say such things in a romance novel, you’re just setting yourself up. Tsk tsk. When she travels to America to manage some of the family business, guess who is the captain of the ship? Yep! They indulge in some of the happier aspects allowed them as a “married” couple but she refuses to acknowledge him as her husband. But he really loves her. And so on. I’m making it sound more tedious than it actually was. In fact, until about the last 1/5 the book was pretty good. But then, we had to have evil French redux in which the father of the dead man kidnaps our heroine and forces her (again!) to marry the cousin of the first evil Frenchman. *groan* Thankfully, THIS time around, the hero manages to show up in the nick of time with (finally!) documented proof that he has already married the heroine. Hah! So much for being brief about the plot, huh? So how was the book? Overall, pretty decent writing and good use of historical details. My main complaints are with the coincidences that are far too convenient and with the overly evil bad guys. Oh and the love scenes were too tame for my tastes.
C+


In the Prince’s Bed – Sabrina Jeffries

It’s probably a bad thing when you can’t remember much about the book you read two days ago. Well, what I do recall about this one was that the hero is the illegitimate son of Prinny and the heroine thinks she is in love with a gay poet who doesn’t know he’s gay. Alec (the hero) needs to marry a rich heiress. Our heroine (see, I’ve already forgotten her name!) is poor for now but will inherit a crap-load of money when she gets married. Supposedly this inheritance is a secret, but Alec knows about it. Thus his initial interest in her as a marriage candidate. Of course when he lays eyes (and lips) upon her, it is true love. But what will happen when she finds out that her ardent pursuer started his pursuit because of her money and not her lovely charms? That’s pretty much the plot of the book. I actually felt sorry for the heroine’s poet friend because he was in the closet even to himself, although it was a nice touch that the author gave him a love interest and the courage to move away to another country and pursue the relationship. Yay for happy endings! I think this is the first of a series about illegitimate sons of Prinny. Seems to me I skimmed another of them but didn’t find it interesting enough to actually READ. While Jeffries is a decent writer, I just never emotionally connected with either character.
C+


The Smoke Thief – Shana Abe

Thank goodness for paperbackswap.com! I had received this book a few months ago and was saving it (in its mailing wrapper no less) for a rainy day. As it happens, I finished all my library books way before the end of the weekend and this book stepped into the gap to keep me from boredom. Abe’s quasi mystical world of drakons was really quite enchanting. I loved the world she built and the details of the Turn from human into smoke into dragon. Christoff is a manipulative bastard, true. But then again, Rue is arguably just as manipulative and mistrustful. So they’re probably well-matched. I’m still working out how I feel about this book, actually. High marks for world-building, slightly lower ones for likable characters or the lack thereof. Check back with me once I’ve read the sequel.
B+


Stay tuned for tomorrow's special edition of "North and South" week celebration! See Kristie(J)'s blog for details.