So the last week and a half I have been pretty much absent. I had this big team project/presentation that I had to give on Thursday night for my Finance class. Last weekend I spent pretty much every waking moment buried up to my ears in spreadsheets and numbers. Between work this week and putting together the powerpoint for the project, I just haven't had the time to read, let alone update this poor blog.
But now I'm finished! yippee!
In the reading department, I am still working my way through the Kresley Cole book Captain of All Pleasures. It hasn't really been doing the trick for me. Nothing inherently bad about the book, just nothing all that special. It feels somewhat cliched and redux. That said, I did sit down with it for a good hour this morning and now that I'm in the last 3/4s of the book, it seems to be picking up (finally).
I've been looking over the e-books I snagged from Harlequin during their daily freebie giveaway over the holidays. Funny enough, one of the ones that I did read during the time I was working on my finance project was set in New York and the protags were supposed to be big finance execs. haha. It didn't really inspire me to keep studying. I also started one by Hope Tarr called Strokes of Midnight. This one seems promising. The writing is decent anyways and I'm not rolling my eyes after the first few chapters. I feel like categories are so hit or miss. I haven't really read them since my teen years, but I'm trying to dip my toe back into the waters. Sometimes short and sweet is all I have time for.
Watched another episode of Torchwood before bed last night. I don't care if John Barrowman is playing for the other team; I'd do him. He is purty. And although sometimes you want to slap Captain Jack for being such a cocky self-assured bastard, you want to hug him at the same time.
I'm emerging from my cocoon of financial data analysis overload (don't ask...big MBA class project due next week, entire weekend spent manipulating numbers in spreadsheets and creating financial models, w00t).
Anyways, blogger buddy lisabea and I decided to hold an abbreviated version of our patended MLM ™. This week's entry will be short and sweet (at least on my end...I think hers will be longer and bettah). But hopefully still entertaining and fun. *g*
This is yet another short clip from Torchwood. That Captain Jack...he knows how to kiss teh mens! But rather than tender and romantic, this interchange tends towards the aggressive and violent. whoooeeeee, it's hot in there! All you Buffy fans will no doubt recognize the object of Jack's affection/aggression.
Hello again. Well, we're back with another edition of Man Love Monday. Yes, that's right. A whole day dedicated to blogging about the beauty of m/m. As always, please be sure to check out my uber-cool buddy lisabea's blog for an exclusive interview with author Josh Lanyon, and of course (her specialty) HOT photos.
As I talked about last time, I had a great experience reading JL Langley on my first venture into straight-up (teehee) m/m romance. So I figured that I would try another book by her. This time I read With Caution which is an entry in what appears to be a series based around a pack of gay werewolves. (Well, to be fair, I don't think it's a requirement that they be gay to be in their pack, but it seemed like 90% of them were. So I guess we can call it that.)
Our story starts off with a bang. Nothing like a wetdream about oral sex to pick up the pace. Yowza! Our young hero Remi is trying to come to terms with his new werewolfness and what seems to be an unlikely attraction to his friend Jake. He has these new tingly exciting feelings of arousal which confuses him because he can't possibly be gay. Or can he? Remi comes from an abusive background in which his homophobic father routinely beat the crap out of him. His younger brother still lives at home and Remi will do almost anything to protect Sterling. He doesn't want to do anything to piss off his father to the point that he'll hurt Sterling and this makes him afraid to explore the new feelings he has for Jake.
Jake knows that Remi is destined to be his mate. Why? Don't ask me, it's some sort of magic having to do with werewolves and karma and stuff. In any event, Jake knows that Remi is THE one even if it's going to take Remi a while to figure this out. Once he does though, LOOK OUT! Actually, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that the 'getting together' part didn't get dragged out too long. Once the idea of being Jake's mate has been introduced to Remi, he seems to get used to the concept with relatively little angst. Hooray, now let's get down to the good stuff! Jake and Remi are really good together. Their love scenes are tender and emotional yet passionate and forceful. Oh and down-right hot. Exhibit A: Leather chaps + red jock strap = oh hell yeah!
Of course, trouble brews with the mean old father, but in the end, Remi's pack has his back. What I liked about this story was that the guys were, well, guys. They played football and drove Harleys and shot pool. They razzed each other and tussled. The dynamic between Jake, Remi and the rest of their pack felt very natural. A bunch of guys who happen to be werewolves, and oh yeah, many of them are coupled up as mates. While this book didn't work as well for me as My Fair Captain (most likely because I'm a historical reader at heart and don't read many contemps), what I do like about Langley's writing is a sense of respect for her characters. I never feel like the m/m factor is there to shock or titillate. It's just a fact of life and you're sucked into the story and are rooting for the HEA just as you would for any other romance couple.
So three cheers for a happy ending for two hot and sexy men. I give this book a solid B.
And now I leave you with possibly one of the most romantic (and achingly sad) things I've seen in quite some time. Merci beaucoup to Carrie Lofty for the heads up on this. Just watch and be moved. Talk about Man Love! le sigh.
Oh, in case anyone wants to know, the clip is from the television series Torchwood and you can catch it on BBC America on Saturdays and Sundays.
Watched another episode of Torchwood before bed last night. I don't care if John Barrowman is playing for the other team; I'd do him. He is purty. And although sometimes you want to slap Captain Jack for being such a cocky self-assured bastard, you want to hug him at the same time.
