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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A Wee Taste of Holiday Spice

Hill, Daisy.  David's Selfie.  Samhain Publishing, 2014.  

As a doctor and a single dad, David doesn’t have much free time to meet people, especially datable people.  A widowed bisexual man interested in meeting a new guy, David isn’t sure he will ever manage to have sex again, let alone find another relationship or someone to help raise his daughter.  Go-go dancer and graduate student Craig meets plenty of people, but his job means that no one really takes him seriously as a potential partner.  He has plenty of dreams, goals, and plans, but it’s hard to get guys to see beyond the body and the dancing, to see him as more than a one-night stand.  Their paths are unlikely to cross, but an attempt at online dating gone wrong, a lost cell phone, and one naughty picture may be all it takes to bring this unlikely couple a Christmas gift of happily ever after.

Daisy Hill’s David’s Selfie isn’t particularly original in terms of romantic plots, but her novella is sweetly charming with plenty of sexy spice to add to the reader’s enjoyment.  Hill manages to avoid being either sappy or trite, instead offering a new twist on romance between the social classes.  David and Craig are both well-developed and interesting, and David’s daughter Maia adds a delightful twist of innocent handicap to the couple’s relationship evolution.  Even given the short nature of the story, Hill takes her time with David and Craig’s relationship, carefully guiding her characters through realistic pitfalls and relationship hiccups to a chance at forever.  If I have a complaint at all about David’s Selfie, it’s that the story is short.  Interesting sub-plots and supporting characters, including Craig’s not-quite-a-villain landlord Joachim, are only shallowly developed, though they have potential to be much more. 

If you’re looking for some holiday fluff to keep you warm during your holiday reading, David’s Selfie is a delicious dash of Christmas cheer, one that is both naughty and nice.

ARC received from NetGalley.

Happy Halloween, a little early

Roux, Abigail, Andrea Speed, Anne Tenino.  My Haunted Blender's Gay Love Affair and Other Twisted Tales.  Riptide Publishing, 2014.

Well, it’s not quite Halloween, but October seems like a fine time for this collection of paranormal romances from Riptide Publishing.  The publisher describes My Haunted Blender’s Gay Love Affair and Other Twisted Tales as “a collection of not-so-chilling tales of love and laughter from three of the genre's masters of pulp,” and indeed these novellas provide evenings of fun reading for the fan of both the supernatural and erotic romance.

“The Bone Orchard,” Roux’s contribution, is an Old West adventure, one in which not even death can stop US Marshal Ambrose Shaw and Pinkerton agent Ezra Johns from stopping a notorious serial killer, or from falling in love.   Speed’s “City of Monsters”  features the haunted blender that gives the collection its title, along with vampires, fairies, shape-shifters, and more, including a sexy were-snake photographer with a taste for danger and a disreputable investigator trying to keep himself and the hot newcomer to the city alive long enough to find out what kind of were-creature he is.  Finally, “Horny” is Anne Tenino’s take on a world in which the Greek pantheon is real, sort of, and Achilles leads a band of demigod enforcers on the trail of Zeus, who is in trouble again for sexual immorality.  Their investigation leads them to Ryan Caulfield’s bar.  A sensitive soul with a troubled past, Ryan isn’t looking for excitement or romance, but that doesn’t mean that Fate isn’t waiting to bring him both in the form of a sexy demigod and a little unknown family history.

Twisted Tales is a delightful collection of romantic misadventures -  sweet, steamy, and laugh-out-loud funny.  Brilliant characters, including a fabulous villain, and a fast-paced Wild West adventure, complete with shootouts and a hanging, combine with a sweet touch of romance and some steamy supernatural sexy times to make “The Bone Orchard” a great beginning to the set.  “City of Monsters” offers an unusual world peopled with monsters of all flavors, each with their own rules and restrictions, in a place where nearly anything is possible and nothing is quite what it appears.  And “Horny” brings a new twist on old stories, reshaping Greek myths into the modern world with a flair for drama and great sex.  Any of these tales would be fun on their own, but as a group, they provide a delightful introduction to three unique authors and to the kind of erotic fiction that Riptide embodies.   Highly recommended for a great fall weekend read.  

ARC received from NetGalley.

Mary: The Summoning Book 1

Monahan, Hillary.  Mary: The Summoning.  Disney Hyperion, Sept. 2014

Horror isn’t usually one of my favorite genres, simply because too often it seems silly rather than scary or trite rather than original.  And Mary: The Summoning could have easily fallen into either the trite or silly category, based as it is on the premise of the Bloody Mary urban legend/slumber party game.  But it doesn’t.  Instead, author Hillary Monahan takes her source material and weaves a tale that is genuinely creepy with characters who are authentic, interesting, and relatable.  Mary is one of the most intriguing examples of young adult horror I’ve read in recent years.

Shauna, the story’s narrator, is a part of a group of four high school friends who are encouraged/cajoled/badgered by group leader Jess McAllister into attempting to summon the ghost of Bloody Mary in a bathroom mirror.  Like Shauna, Kitty and Anna are somewhat reluctant but intrigued, and the attempt is made.  And, to their great surprise, Bloody Mary herself appears in the mirror.  Be careful what you wish for, they say, you just might get it. 

But once isn’t enough for Jess.  “It was supposed to be a cool thing,” Jess says later, “but it went weird.”  Weird is an amazing understatement for the horror that Shauna’s life quickly becomes.

The next summoning attempt is both a success and a disaster.  Mary appears again, but this time she is stronger and much more dangerous.  Shauna is more than physically hurt when Mary escapes the mirror; she’s haunted now, by an angry specter that can appear anywhere there is water or a reflective surface.  And she not only wants Shauna; she wants her to suffer…and everyone she knows is suddenly at risk.  And Shauna is desperate for help, and answers. 

But Monahan is careful to make Mary more than the villain of the piece.  How did this young woman from nineteenth century New England become the monster in the mirror?  And if Mary died in 1864, why do the legends of her hauntings not begin until the 1960s?  Letters written by Mary to her sister, letters about a young girl bullied and abused by the church pastor and others in the church, offer glimpses of a sweet young heart driven to madness, perhaps even dreams of vengeance?  But how did Mary die?  And where does her power come from?  Like Shauna, the reader needs the answers, needs to understand how this could come to be.  Is Mary a demon or a victim?  And can solving that mystery help Mary, and Shauna, find peace?

Mary is brilliantly paced; the story moves quickly as events unfold in a few short days.  Supernatural horror mixes seamlessly with teenage relationship drama, family relationships, and negotiating high school.  Shauna is an excellent narrator, an authentic teenage voice trying to hang on to sanity in the midst of a situation which makes no sense, but which must be endured and raged against if she wants to survive.  The supporting cast – Jess, who is keeping secrets that may prove deadly; Anna, quick to blame and anger, but still willing to fight to help Shauna; Kitty, distracted by her on and off relationship with football hero Bronx but firmly on Shauna’s side; and Cody, the last girl/woman to successfully summon Bloody Mary, whose willingness to help is tempered by a fear of Mary reattaching to her own life – all surround Shauna with actions and opinions that both help and hinder her fight to find the answers that will free her from Mary’s bony grasp.   

If I have a complaint about this novel, it’s the fact that it doesn’t end; it just stops.  Yes, I realize that the Book 1 subtitle implies that it’s part of a series.  I like series.  But, I like authors who write series books like J. K. Rowling.  I like books where each volume is both a complete story AND part of the larger story arc.  As a reader, I need a sense of resolution, some kind of closure to feel the author gave me at least part of the answer.  Cliffhangers annoy me on television, but they’re worse with books because book 2 may be a year or more away.  That’s a long time to wait for resolution, especially since book 2 may lead to book 3…or book 7. 

But, I confess I will be eagerly watching and waiting for Book 2, because I do want to know what happens next.  Monahan convinced me to emotionally invest in her story and her characters, not merely Shauna and her friends but in Bloody Mary too.  I want to know what happens next, and that, in my mind, is the proof of a story well-told.

ARC received from NetGalley.

Bombs Over Bikini

Goldsmith, Connie.  Bombs Over Bikini.  Twenty-first Century Books, 2014.

For most children and teenagers today, the drama of the Cold War and fears of imminent nuclear war are mostly just historical mumbo-jumbo.  Even harder for them to understand are the terrible fearful immediately post-war years, when the US and the Soviet Union were locked in a feverish race for better and more deadly weapons, explosive power that would make even the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seem insignificant.  In Bombs Over Bikini, Connie Goldsmith helps to make that time, and the consequences of the combination of fear and arrogance, real for today’s youth by focusing on the Bikini Atoll bomb tests and the terrible damage done to man and land alike by men playing with forces that they had no hope of understanding or controlling.

Careful to keep the likely age of her readers in mind, Goldsmith is nevertheless frank as she expounds on the actions of the American navy and its associated scientists as they exploded a series of ever more powerful atomic bombs on Bikini and surrounding atolls.  Photographs give life to the naval authorities, common sailors, and island peoples, even the animals who too were victims of the bombs tests as Goldsmith details how many were exposed to horrific levels of radiation both during and after the tests.  Inset boxes within the texts offers additional information on key individuals or further explanation of mentioned topics.    Chapters are short and the narrative accessible; the book is carefully paced to keep the reader engaged and to prevent the boredom often associated with reading history textbooks.  Footnotes, a rich bibliography, glossary, and suggested list of additional resources confirm the veracity of Goldsmith's text and encourage the reader to explore the topic further for greater understanding of the American nuclear program, the dangers of radiation and radioactive fallout, and the peoples of the Marshall Islands.

History classes, in my experience, often fail to address America’s failures and mistakes at both the national and international level.  Books like Goldsmith’s are important for young readers because they shine a light on the darkly shadowed elements of our history that we would perhaps be happier to forget, but which must be known so that they cannot be repeated.  Bombs Over Bikini is a brilliant introduction to this sad chapter of American military and scientific history, a straightforward condemnation of the indifference with which the people of the Bikini Islands have been and continue to be treated by the US Government, and a warning for those who would pursue knowledge without careful consideration of both the current and future dangers.  

ARC received from NetGalley.

The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate

Berrisford, Kay.  The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate.  Less Than Three Press, July 2014.

I admit it; I picked up this book because I thought the title was hilarious (still do, for what it’s worth).  I was expecting a cheesy, but hopefully very hot, bodice-ripper of story, possibly with some interesting human/merman naughtiness. 

And I was wrong, brilliantly wrong.

Kay Berrisford’s novel is a fabulous combination of coming of age, romance, and adventure.  Raef is an innocent young merman, raised by a single mother on fairy tale love stories, stories where lords are good, pirates are bad, and lovers live happily ever after.  Forced to leave his mer tribe when love is outlawed and arranged marriage required, the romantic-minded Raef seeks out the coast of England, searching for the human lord to be his perfect love.  When he spots the handsome young Lord Haverford on the beach one night, Raef is sure he’s met the man who will make his dreams come true.  But his plans to show himself to his would-be lord are disrupted by an attack by the feared pirate Jon Kemp, who not only ruins Raef’s intended rendezvous but forces him to reconsider everything he thought he knew about lords and about pirates.

Jon Kemp, on the other hand, is bored and jaded, a successful pirate who has lost interest in treasure and instead has become a kind of Robin Hood, using his skills at banditry to help the weak gain justice against the strong.  A love-em and leave-em type, uninterested in commitment despite his fondness for love poetry, Kemp has no desire for a relationship, certainly not one with an innocent and mysterious young man who might stand in the way of his current quest for justice against Lord Haverford.

Berrisford takes her time, and that slow build-up gives Raef the chance to grow up and the reader the time to care about his happiness.  Raef starts out as an almost annoyingly innocent young man, the male version of the princess in the tower who has never experienced life other than through books and stories, desperate to find someone who will give his life meaning and completeness.   But the as story builds and Raef begins to develop his own sense of personhood, to build relationships with people rather than fantasies, and to stand up for himself against those who would control him, he becomes his own champion, and in that he is able to become a champion for others as well.  

  

And Berrisford does not sacrifice her story for erotic fan service.  Instead, romance and adventure share the center stage, and Raef’s relationship with Kemp develops slowly rather than merely exploding in instant sexual contact.   Little details give the story both unexpected depth as well as a sense of realism.  Raef’s confusion when faced with the realities of being human – clothes, whiskey, even sexual arousal – perfectly captures the oddness of trying to be something you’re not, and Kemp’s wonder at his lover’s mer form seems natural for a man who has spent his life at sea and long heard legends and stories of the sea folk.  With an interesting supporting cast, a well-drawn villain, and some excellent swashbuckling adventure mixed with delicious eroticism, The Merman and the Barbarian Pirate is a delightful read, perfect for beach or poolside.  For readers who prefer plot to porn in their romance, this sea story is an unexpected pearl. 

ARC received from NetGalley.

Saddle Up for a Naughty Ride

Chase. L. C.  Let It Ride.  Riptide Publishing, May 2014

I loved L. C. Chase’s Pickup Men (see review here), and I was definitely excited to see that she’d added to this series with Let It Ride.  Pickup Men introduced Kent, Marty, and Bridge…a trio of rodeo cowboys bound together by a lifelong friendship…one totally straight, one openly gay, and one who might be somewhere in the middle.  Pickup Men was the story of Marty and his cowboy lover Tripp Colby; Let It Ride is Bridge’s story. 

Like Marty, Bridge Sullivan works the rodeo circuit as a pickup man, corralling the animals after the competitors ride.  Bridge is mostly straight, he thinks.  He has one gay relationship in his college past (that his friends don’t know about), but he’s dated women since then, and he’s been mostly happy that way.  But, then he meets newcomer Eric Palmer, a gorgeous paramedic who has left the city behind to work the rodeo circuit.  Eric makes Bridge want things he’s not sure he can have, but never let it be said that the cowboy is afraid of a challenge.  But Eric has demons of his own, demons that may be harder for Bridge to wrangle than your average bucking bull or bronco…

Eric Palmer is New York born, but he’s fled the city and his own rocky past to start a new life among the rodeo cowboys.  Marty’s injury on the circuit introduced him to this tight-knit group of friends and gave him his first real taste of acceptance and relationships when the boys welcomed him into their comradery.  Eric is willing to acknowledge his attraction to the handsome and charming Bridge, but he’s not sure he wants to risk his new life and friendships on a cowboy who might just be experimenting on the wild side.  But it’s hard to keep saying no when Bridge seems to be offering everything he’s ever wanted…

Let It Ride lacks some of the drama and depth of Pickup Men; the only thing standing between Eric and Bridge are their own secrets and issues, not the violence and injury that threatened Marty and Tripp, but that’s not a bad thing at all.  More romance than social commentary, Let It Ride is deliciously sexy and unexpectedly sweet.  Indeed, its contrast to the darker Pickup Men moves the series forward nicely.  Every romance may have its challenges, but sometimes those challenges are more within than without.  Let It Ride unfolds at a steady pace, keeping the reader emotionally invested and eager for a happy ever after.  Bridge and Eric’s journey is perfect for beach or poolside, or any reading time requiring romance and plenty of hotness.  Plus, Chase introduces newcomer Cory Ackerson, who features in the third volume of this series coming in the fall.  I can’t wait.

ARC received from NetGalley.

Sorry the absence, but

So, it's been a while since I managed to review here.  Life sort of got away from me, and I added reviewing for another site to my list of things to do.  But, I'm back and eager to work on getting a more regular reviewing schedule happening here.

In the meantime, if you want to see the graphic novel reviewing I've been working on, check me out at No Flying, No Tights.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Stroud, Jonathan.  The Screaming Staircase: Lockwood & Co. Book One.  Disney Book Group.  September 2013.

I picked up this book, I confess, because I loved Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy, and I was hoping for something in a similar vein.  And there are certain similarities.  The story is set in an alternate England, one in which the supernatural is normal, or at least expected.  The main characters are young, adolescents with exceptional and preternatural gifts.  And the adults whose lives intersect with those of Stroud’s young heroes are often antagonistic; certainly they are not helpful or supportive.  Indeed, the book’s narrator, Lucy Carlyle, her boss, Anthony Lockwood, and colleague George Cubbins must battle not only the ghostly Visitors who infest London and Britain, but against an adult world which tries to control how and when they can use their gifts.   

But it is the differences between this new series and Bartimaeus which are perhaps most compelling.  Missing is the wonderful snark that Bartimaeus himself provides the reader with his footnoted commentaries.  That trilogy, for all its action and moments of horror, is funny.  And it is/was that humor that made me such a fan of Stroud’s previous work.  The Screaming Staircase does have flashes of that wonderful humor, often in Lucy’s thoughts about her boss and George's commentary on life in general, but overall, it is definitely more horror than comedy.

And that is no way a criticism.  Indeed, I was reminded more of Rick Yancy’s Monstrumologist series (which I also love) than Stroud’s earlier works, though I must confess there is much less bloodshed here.  From the Lucy and Lockwood’s first encounter with an angry Visitor to the group’s terrifying night in one of England’s most haunted residences, this book is legitimately, absolutely must keep reading horrifying in the best sense of the word.  The adult reader knows, logically anyway, that if a book is marketed as first in a series, the heroes must survive to see the story through.  But, J. K. Rowling showed us that not all the heroes must or do survive, that main characters can be sacrificed for the greater good.  Stroud keeps the pages turning, through twists and tangles until the dramatic climax is reached.  And, like Rowling, he both gives the reader a sense of both resolution and anticipation, closing the chapter of this particular episode while also setting up a continuing story arc to tease the reader with the next possible adventure.

Interesting, likable, and multidimensional characters with potential for continuing growth combined with a deft touch at world-building makes this first in a series novel a definite winner for both teen and adult readers.  And while the male/male/female friendship triad has become a common one in young adult fiction in recent years, Stroud's characters do not fall easily into that kind of trusting dynamic.  Instead, their relationship(s) are ones in which everyone has secrets and bonds are slow to form, even as they face ghosts and death together.  Competition, ego, disparate personalities, and those secrets conspire against Lockwood & Co, but slowly they do begin to realize they are stronger together than they are as individuals.  The Screaming Staircase offers a hint of the kind of power team this oddball group could become;  I find myself already impatiently waiting for whatever adventures will next befall Lockwood & Company.

ARC received through NetGalley.  

Cowboys and Secrets, Oh My!

Chase, L. C.  Pickup Men.  Riptide Publishing.  July 2013.

Brokeback Mountain with a happier ending?  Well, not quite.  Tripp Colby and Marty Fairgrave may be gay cowboys, but that is where the similarities stop.

The child of successful dude ranchers set to take over his family’s ranch someday, Marty Fairgrave is the sowing some wild oats on the rodeo circuit, experiencing some action and excitement before he settles down someday.  His job as a rodeo pickup man is to help capture the bulls and broncos after a cowboy rides.  Marty is well-known on the circuit, the “gay pickup man” in a sometimes hostile macho environment.

Tripp Colby is rodeo royalty, a three-time PBR champion with the rodeo world at his fingertips.  He’s also a man with a secret that threatens to destroy him.  But the burden he carries isn't merely his after-hours, under-the-covers relationship with Marty Fairgrave, but something much darker. 

Against his own ideas and beliefs, Marty has been Tripp’s secret for a long time, accepting Tripp’s unwillingness to come out despite hoping that someday Tripp will publicly stand at his side.  But when Marty throws himself between a Brahma bull and Tripp and Tripp stands aside, Marty’s forced to realize that sometimes love isn’t enough.  He deserves more than shadows, and he’s willing to walk away from Tripp to find someone willing to stand with him in the light. 

For all his accomplishments in the rodeo ring, Tripp Colby knows the truth about himself.  He’s a coward, afraid of publicly acknowledging not only Marty but the truth about himself.  Even if he wants to come out, scars on his spirit from a bitter past keep him hidden in the dark.  But when he is forced to face the real possibility of losing Marty, not only to his own fears but to another man, can Tripp dig deep to find the courage to face not only his secrets but his past?

The road to happily ever after is rarely smooth.  But this journey is filled with interesting characters, and unlike some novelists, Chase does not allow her supporting cast to be mere cardboard figures.  Kent and Bridge, Marty’s partners in crime, Eric, the hot new paramedic on the circuit, and Scott, Tripp’s competition and the embodiment of the macho cowboy world, are all given development and depth.  They are active parts of the story, not merely props in Marty and Tripp’s play.  Nor are Marty and Tripp the cowboys one might expect in an Eastwood spaghetti Western, but unique individual with their own demons, their own follies, and their own love.

In addition to her wonderful characters, who are so easy to fall in love with, Chase uses Marty and Tripp’s story to make important points about the dangers of conversion therapy, the damage effects of lying – to yourself and to others, and the healing power of forgiveness and love.  Pickup Men is sweet, provocative, hot, and uplifting.  And, it’s the first in series set in the rodeo world.  I admit, I can’t wait for the next installment to see Chase’s cowboys continue their story.

ARC received through NetGalley.

A Return to Reviewing

First, an apology.  Health and work issues have kept me away from reviewing for the last few months.  But, I'm back with new reviews to share and several books in the to-be-read pile!  The first book for this rejuvenation....College Boys by Daisy Harris.

Harris, Daisy.  College Boys.  Siren Publishing, May 2012.

Daisy Harris, I think it is safe to say, gets it – gets what the readers of this sort of erotic male romance are looking for when they pick up a book.  Her characters are sweet and endearing.  Soccer jock Chris Fisher, trying to find the space to deal with his mother’s recent death and his own transition from small-town boy to college student, has moved away from the dorm space he’s been sharing with several teammates to a small single room on the other side of campus.  No one warns him, though, that the ways in his new living space are thin, so thin that he can hear his new neighbor’s every move and word.  Enter Peter Cohen, the new neighbor in question.  Openly gay, Peter is an active member of campus gay life, including membership on the Queer Student Council.  He’s out and he’s definitely not willing to hide or deny who he is, not even for the hunky soccer player next door.

It would be easy for this story to devolve into tropes and stereotypes, but Harris keeps it fresh and interesting (and nicely steamy).  Chris’s struggles to deal with not only his own growing feelings for Peter but with what those feelings mean for his life outside their joined dorm spaces avoid melodrama and capture well the self-reflection and self-doubt that are so a part of figuring out your place in the world as a young adult.  Peter too must consider his own values and ideas, about what it means to be yourself and how to be supportive when a friend is trying to find his way through a maze of morals and preconceptions toward personal discovery.  Along the way, both Chris and Peter figure out new things about not only their growing relationship but about themselves.  And, perhaps most appealing in this novel is that the sex isn’t perfect.  It’s awkward at times, the guys are unsure and a bit insecure, and they don’t jump immediately into intercourse in their first intimate encounter.  Instead, Harris builds heat and tension, letting the sexuality evolve as the characters grow closer naturally.

Delicious steamy and with a rich authenticity of character and voice, College Boys is a great downtime read.  And, as College Boys is only a part of Harris’s Holsum College series, I have to say I greatly look forward to reading more.

Reading copy received from NetGalley.

Rock and Roll Sexy Time

Cunning, Olivia.  Double Time.  SourceBooks, 2012.

Rock and roll and hot musicians, does it get any better than that?  And Olivia Cunning’s upcoming Double Time, the newest release in a series about a fictional metal band (“Sinners on Tour”) is filled with delicious sexiness.  At the center of the story is Trey Mills, the bisexual rhythm guitarist for Sinners, who is desperately and unfortunately in love with his band’s lead guitarist, who is not only uninterested but completely in love with his wife and newborn son.  Trey’s melancholy is interrupted when he meets Reagan Elliott, the unknown guitarist who is stepping in as the newest member of Exodus End, Trey’s brother’s band.  Exodus End and Sinners are setting out on tour together, and sparks fly as Trey and Reagan’s relationship explodes into passion.  Determined to make the relationship work, Trey vows to give up on men, but can he deny his own desires?  Especially when those desires come to live in the person of Reagan’s roommate/bodyguard/ex-boyfriend Ethan – gorgeous, available, and oh-so-tempting?

Filled with delicious and frequently hilarious dialogue and steamy sex in a bounty of flavors, Double Time is a great erotic read.  Cunning’s world is peopled with interesting characters, freaks and musicians comfortable in their own lack of mainstream normality and the story feels authentic in its depictions of life on the road.  Trey, Reagan, and Ethan own their story and Cunning evolves the three-way relationship with a deft hand, balancing emotional personal evolution and the physical explorations of this unorthodox bonding perfectly.  If there is a flaw here, it is in the idea that a bisexual individual cannot be happy in a monogamous relationship, that Trey can only be happy or fulfilled with a lover of each gender, but Cunning is writing erotica, not a gender or sexuality treatise, and Double Time is clearly not meant to be a commentary on sexual orientation.    

What it is, though, is a great escapist read.  Fun, sexy, with just a touch of a mystery to keep the story rocking, Cunning moves her novel toward a great climactic confrontation and an unexpected happily-ever-after resolution, in which not only our heroes but their bandmates find satisfaction.  I highly recommend  this one to fans of non-hetero-normative romance.  And, personally, I’m eager to find the earlier volumes of this series.  While Double Time works well as a standalone, it might leave you hungry for more glimpses into the world of Sinners on tour :).

ARC received through NetGalley.

Two for One Romance

Today’s review post looks at two gay romances…Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino and Second Hand by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton.  As you can see, both books are written by women and both have a feminine feel, despite featuring male characters.  Let me start out by saying, these books are hot!  The sex scenes in both are deliciously done, with the right mix of emotion and steam to make for enjoyable leisure reading.

First, Tenino’s Frat Boy and Toppy, a fun college coming out story that introduces us to Brad, all-American jock and frat boy… who hates his own dating experiences, likes organic gardening and food preparation, and is majoring in PE because he thinks it’s expected, though he’s minoring in home economics.  Brad is discontented with his life, but he isn’t sure why until he meets Sebastian, the TA in his history class, and suddenly Brad starts to make sense of his own muddled feelings and desires.  Tenino does a good job here of playing with stereotypes…Brad, for example, uses the popular perceptions of what it means to be a college athlete and fraternity brother to hide his sexuality, even from himself, and Sebastian, the smart academic, is the more experienced sexual partner and the “toppy” of the title.  While there is certainly a happily-ever-after romantic component here, the journey to that ending is fun, with a delightful cast of supporting characters.  From Brad’s family to the marketing major ex-friend who tries to plan his coming out campaign to the frat brother who becomes “a card-carrying member of PFLAG,” Brad is surrounded by a motley band of supporters and confidants who try, successfully or not, to help him reconcile his emerging sexuality with his previous public personas.  Well-drawn and entertaining characters, a quick-moving if simple plot, and delicious sex scenes – both in Brad’s own experimentations and his relationship with Sebastian – make this a great escape read.  Even in the fun, though (and the story is fun), Tenino manages to raise interesting points on academic culture (or at least popular perceptions of campus life).  Definitely recommended.

Equally recommended is Cullinan and Sexton’s Second Hand.  Like Frat Boy and Toppy, Second Hand features a confused central character whose journey toward happiness requires that he accept himself as being something other than “normal.”  Vet school dropout and recently dumped by his fiancé Paul is struggling to maintain the rental property his ex choose and then left him with, including a seemingly endless array of useless kitchen gadgets and  her ugly art projects, and his desire to rekindle the romance is rooted more in a desire for normality – wife, children, and all that those things imply in society – than his own passions or desire.  Enter El Rozal, the local pawn shop owner—gay, cynical, and saddled with his own problems in the form of a hoarder mother and crazy extended family.  These two put the fun in dysfunction, though, when they meet as Paul seeks to bolster his finances by ridding himself of all the kitchen cast-offs and El finds himself drawn to the insecure and confused young man.  One man doesn’t want a relationship….and the other thinks he’s still in love with his ex AND that he’s too boring for anyone else to want him…and yet, somehow a Panini press and a misfit mutt manage to help bring these two very different souls together toward that elusive happy ever after.  The balance of story and steamy eroticism is well-handled, El and Paul’s relationship is as hot as it is funny (ever had to figure out what to do with your dog when you’re trying to get some action?  Yeah, it’s got that!) Second Hand is the second of a series of novels, loosely connected and set in the same charming small Colorado town with more than its share of misfits, Tucker Springs and one hopes the authors will continue to produce such works.  I look forward to finding book one and hopefully future volumes in this series.

The existence of a largely-underground market if you will of female driven male/male erotic works is something I’ve been aware of for years, but it is interesting to see publishers beginning to capitalize on the market for such works.  I’m not a gay man, so I can’t judge the appeal of these books for that market, but I definitely think both will find female readers interested in this sub-genre of erotic and romantic fiction.

ARCs received from NetGalley.

Coming of age and coming out

Lavoie, Jennifer.  Andy Squared.  Bold Strokes Books, 2012.

Coming of age and coming out are two themes that appear frequently, not only in literature for young adults, but in literature as a whole.  Indeed, they appear often enough that, done poorly, the story can quickly slip into cliché.  In Andy Squared, Jennifer Lavoie does a fine job of avoiding that slide as she details the coming of age and coming out experiences of a small-town soccer hero struggling to find his own path to maturity.  Andrew and Andrea, both nicknamed Andy, are twins who share starring positions on their respective soccer teams, a bedroom, and plans for college.  But the comfortable shared pattern of their lives is rocked when Ryder, handsome, charming, and a little exotic, moves to their small New York town from Texas.  As his friendship with Ryder grows, Andrew discovers a new hobby, new dreams, and the reason why none of his relationships with girls has ever worked out.  As their relationship becomes both romantic and physical, Andrew struggles to come to terms with this new identity, finding surprising support along the way.  But when their secret is exposed to small-town high school minds, will Andrew be strong enough to admit, to himself and to the world, the truth about his relationship with Ryder?  And will his relationship with his twin ever be the same?  Lavoie is deft and careful with her subject, crafting a story that will work for most high school-aged readers.  While the implication of sex is present, both with Andrew’s past girlfriends and with Ryder, such activities are off-screen; kissing is as far as Lavoie takes her details.  This lack of physicality allows the story to focus on the emotional struggles of learning something new about yourself and finding a place for your new self in a world that perhaps isn’t ready for that personal evolution.  From her teenage protagonists and their supporting cast of friends to the adults that guide and support both Andrew and Ryder, Lavoie’s characters are interesting and well-drawn; if there is a lack at all here, it’s that Andrea, Andrew’s sister, is a bit shallowly drawn.  It would have been interesting perhaps to see more of her internal thoughts, though certainly her actions for good and for ill do allow the reader to judge her and the relationship between the two. 

Andy Squared is definitely a recommended title for readers, male or female, gay or straight, who are struggling with establishing an individual identity outside of the expectations of the people who love them.

ARC received from NetGalley.