Review: Making It

Making It by Christine d'Abo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've loved Christine d'Abo's Ringside Romance series from the beginning, but this one is my absolute favorite. Eli has been mentioned in the previous Ringside novels, but this is the first time we actually see him on screen, and I think he's my favorite of the men of Ringside.

Devan and Eli are both great characters, interesting and well-developed, and their story unfolds in a natural and engaging tale. Neither character ever seems to fall into cliche; they are unique individuals with strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices, and d'Abo is careful that neither character is portrayed as a saint or villain in the tale. Speaking of villains, this story has a great antagonist in Eli's overbearing manager Stephan, who wants a successful top-match fighter in his stable no matter what the personal cost to Eli might be. I was pleased to see a great supporting cast of characters here; the other men of Ringside and their partners are more present in this story than in the others, and Devan's best friend is often a frank female voice in an otherwise testosterone heavy story.

The book features great pacing; I was never bored or bogged down with unnecessary details, nor did I ever feel that the author was rushing toward the end. The story is hot and sweet, fun and real in its romantic progression, and while you can count on the happily ever after, d'Abo does make her characters and her readers work for it. This relationship is one fight that Eli desperately needs to win, but his usual approach isn't going to work for victory out of the ring.

I'd recommend all of the Ringside novels, but this one does stand out. Reading them in order is probably helpful, but I don't think it's necessary. Each of the novels works as a stand-alone story, even this one which does include the previous characters more. The backstories aren't so important to this story as to make the plot difficult to understand, so you could start here and still enjoy the men of Ringside. It will probably make you want to read the rest.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Review: The Other Five Percent

The Other Five Percent by Quinn Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Logan Vanderveer is hard to like, even for himself, I think. He's a driven workaholic with a clear vision of what he expects from his future, and nothing, not even those few weeks of experimenting in college is going to derail that plan. Yeah, he tells people that he's "95% straight," but really, Logan is so far in the closet that he should have found Narnia by now. But, when he unexpectedly re-ecounters Ellis Floyd, the star in those other 5% experiments, Logan may find that he isn't quite as straight as he wanted to believe.

Quinn Anderson weaves a realistic coming out romance here; even if Logan isn't particularly likable at first, he's definitely relatable. The story builds slowly, with Logan's sexual identify crisis encompassing much of the story's start. Indeed, I wish Anderson had given Ellis and his thoughts more screen time here; his artistic flair and chaotic self-possession would given the story some needed balance. Actually, I wish other supporting characters, including Logan's hilarious sisters, had been given more action and dialogue to help balance the time we spend in Logan's head.

But, the story builds to a sweet and hot climax, offering a satisfactory resolution to this tale of delayed happily ever after. Logan even become a much more personable and interesting character as he lets go of his very black/white, gay/straight vision of the world to accept that people are more than percentages..

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Review: Faking It

Faking It by Christine d'Abo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Riptide Publishing rarely steers me wrong when I want a little romance in my reading, and Christine d'abo's Ringside Romance series is one of my favorite Riptide discoveries. Working It, book one in the series, hooked me immediately as solid entertainment, with great characters, smooth pacing, and an engaging storyline. Those qualities continue here in book two, and Faking It is an excellent continuation of this delightful and delicious series.

Max, though only a minor character in Working It, was one of my favorites, and I was thrilled to see him get his own story. His nurturing nature, warm personality, and snarky sense of humor are all in excellent form here, and d'Abo pairs him with the perfect romantic foil -- Grady Barnes, failed reality TV star and the spoiled and troubled scion of wealth and privilege who needs an emergency fake fiancé to help escape his father's control of his life. Max needs money to help fund Ringside, and Grady's crazy offer might be the opportunity he needs to make a difference, and to escape the rut his life has become.

It definitely isn't smooth sailing to happily ever after, but the trip is a good one, with a strong storyline, fabulous protagonists, and great supporting characters (Justin, Grady's long-suffering handler, deserves his own book!) and a great blend of emotion and sexiness to keep the reader engaged and interested. Max and Grady's chemistry, both physical and emotional, is delicately crafted, and their shared legacy of troubled family relationships serves as a nuanced backdrop as both men seek to figure out themselves so they can figure out each other. Christine d'Abo is great not only at character development but at the highs and lows of relationships, and she takes her characters, and the reader, on a journey that is hilarious, sexy, and emotionally real as flawed people try to find those moments of connection that change I to we.

Zach and Nolan, the dynamic duo of Working It, both make minor appearances, reinforcing their own happily ever after, and the stage is set for the appearance of the mysterious Eli, the third member of Zach and Max's childhood boxing group, who is mentioned but as yet unseen in the series. I admit, I'm ridiculously excited for the next chapter in this series.

Advanced reader copy received from NetGalley.

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Review: Working It

Working It by Christine d'Abo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nothing can make me love a book like great characters, and Working It features two solid protagonists whose stories quickly grabbed my attention. Zach and Nolan are both seriously flawed men -- one is a self-declared ass with nonexistent people skills; the other is trying to recover from an accident that almost claimed his life and has left him with serious physical and emotional scars. It's a pairing that could easily slip into maudlin or cloying hurt/comfort tropes, but d'Abo crafts her characters with care, and she gives both men strengths and weaknesses that make them individuals, people whose stories the reader is eager to explore. Zach may indeed be an ass, but he's also a strong, driven personality with a hidden heart, an intense desire to give back to the community, and more compassion than his dragon exterior would lead one to believe. Nolan carries the scars of his past trauma, but he isn't cowed or defeated by them, even when he is overwhelmed by panic and anxiety. Their working relationship builds on a foundation of respect, one that only becomes more as they learn about each other's secrets.

Working It is well-paced, the relationship and the sexual tension builds slowly, a careful plotting of story that kept me engaged and interested to see how these two opposites would find a resolution and a happy ending in each other's arms. d'Abo builds her story well, clearly laying the foundation for this new series with solid supporting characters (please, please, let Max be the star of the next book), but there is a definite sense of resolution how Nolan and Zach's story unfolds from introduction to happily ever after. One thing I really appreciated about d'Abo's storytelling was her deft and direct approach to consent, something not always clearly addressed in stories about boss/employee relationships. While there could be an obvious power imbalance between Zach and Nolan , instead d'Abo makes consent a part of the story, one that happens after clear conversations about these potential issues, definitively establishing Nolan as a strong character who chooses how and when to engage in relationship with his boss.

Working It is a solid start to what promises to be a great series of stories featuring the men of the Ringside Gym. Strong characters, realistic conflicts, and steamy romance made this a great weekend read, one that I would definitely recommend. This was my first book by Christine d'Abo, but it is not likely to be my last.

Advance reader copy received from NetGalley.

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Review: Glass Tidings

Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heartbreakingly lovely and fragile, like the delicateness of a handmade glass Christmas bulb, might be the best possible description of the protagonists of Glass Tidings. Gray and Eddie are two lost souls, both burdened by their pasts, uncertain how to move forward, and both resistant to building relationships - romantic or platonic - for fear of being rejected again. Thrown together on Thanksgiving night by a small-town tragedy, each will have to face his own demons and overcome his own baggage to give them a chance at happily ever after.

If you're looking for a fluffy holiday read, this probably isn't the best choice. Angst and hurt abound, and the struggle to find happiness in the broken pieces of two lives causes Gray and Eddie to lash out instead of seeking to build a bridge. But, if you're looking for a contemporary romance with nuanced characters and a slow build toward resolution, then Glass Tidings might be for you. Cousins uses language well, giving Gray and Eddie distinctive voices that reflect their lives and stories, and there are some wonderful moments of humor and sweetness mixed in with the sadness. Cousins also demonstrates a great love of classic scifi that made me laugh (and note down some new to me titles). Carefully paced, well-plotted, and emotionally real, Glass Tidings was my introduction to Amy Jo Cousins, but it probably won't be my last venture into her work.

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Review: Guarding Mr. Fine

Guarding Mr. Fine by HelenKay Dimon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recently read (and very much enjoyed) HelenKay Dimon's _Stranded_, so I was very eager to pick up this new title. A fabulous blend of espionage and romance, _Guarding Mr. Fine_ is a delicious read featuring excellent protagonists, clever dialogue, and enough action and steam to keep the reader engaged and interested. Rick and Seth's story is well-paced, moving from their investigations of possible weapons smuggling to figuring out their own romantic entanglements with an easy flow that keeps the story moving toward its climax and resolution. If there is anything lacking here, it's setting. Though the story is set in Munich, there is little local color to help set the reader in place; the events could be taking place nearly anywhere that has an American consular presence, and I do think that a more detailed setting would have helped root the story. Despite that minor flaw, the book is a fun and sizzling read, one that definitely made lunch hours pass more quickly.

I was unaware when I picked up this title that it is part of a series, but I have definitely added the earlier titles in the Tough Love series to my to-read pile, and Dimon has become one of my preferred writers in this genre.

ARC received from NetGalley.

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After a long hiatus...a new review!

Frostbitten by Charlotte Stein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love the concept of this book; it has amazing potential for both sexiness and emotional character development. I also love Stein's characters; they too have amazing potential to be more than just types or tropes. Sadly, though, I didn't love this book. It isn't bad at all, but it's very rushed; the book is really too short to do the plot idea or the characters justice. Rather than give her story time to evolve naturally, the reader is given only a brief set-up to help introduce the characters and their world, and then the story is over before I really had time to appreciate it. Given the concept and plot, it's also somewhat hesitant in its sexiness; the erotic scenes are almost detached in their descriptions, lacking the forthrightness I tend to appreciate in Riptide publications. The story isn't unsexy, though, and it has its moments of great one-liners in Cora's mental monologues, but I wish there was more to appreciate.

Reader copy received from NetGalley.

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