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.

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.

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.  

More erotica, this time with history, fantasy, and sci-fi mixed in

So, my previous romance/erotica choices were interesting enough that I went looking for more in these genres.  I don’t know if “Fifty Shades of Grey” is responsible for what seems to be an upswing in erotic publishing or if there is just increased visibility of this kind of publishing, but I’m pleased to share my three latest discoveries.

Clancy, Eva.  Lord Atwood's Lovers.  Harlequin, June 2012.

First, another ménage a trois novel, this one a historical romance called “Lord Atwood’s Lovers” by Eva Clancy.  Part of Harlequin line called Harlequin Spice Briefs, this delightful novel is a bit short on plot, but deliciously steamy and the novella format works well to offer a fun and tantalizing read.  Unlike most other threesome erotica I’ve read recently, this one does include an active sexual relationship with the male protagonists as well as with the female lead, which made it stand out from other titles.  The basic plot is simple – the newly married Lord Atwood and his new bride enjoy teasing society with her flirtatious public behavior only to enjoy unbridled sex after such social events.  But Lord Atwood has a secret in the form of his last liaison, with a very male partner and his comfortable, indeed happy, life is threatened when his former paramour returns.  It is the new Lady Atwood, a lovely coquette who generously finds the solution that will offer all of them happiness and satisfaction.  The brevity here works with the simple plot and the story lives up to the “spice” its imprint promises; the erotic scenes are titillating and satisfying, particularly for readers who enjoy something other than the kind of bland heterosexuality found in most romances in their erotic reading.    

Julian, Stephanie.  Goddess in the Middle.  Sourcebooks, July 2012.

The second erotic exploration this time was yet another ménage a trois (and, really, I had no idea this idea was so available in erotic fiction), this one a paranormal romance title from Sourcebooks called “Goddess in the Middle” by Stephanie Julian.  Part of a series focusing on Etruscan goddesses in the modern world, this one is the story of the former Goddess of Health, who now lives as Amity and works as a medical aesthetist, using her remaining powers to help heal those who have suffered serious trauma.  Under threat from a God of the Dead eager to escape the underworld, Amity falls under the protection of two powerful werewolf cousins, Remy and Rom.  It is in this unlikely trio that they will find the power to defeat the powers waging war against them and perhaps heal their own damaged souls.  Part of a larger series called “Forgotten Goddesses,” this one is well-plotted and an interesting read.  While I suspect it would be best to have read previous titles before reading this one, since there were a few plot issues I had questions about, Stephanie Julian does a good job here with world-building, weaving her goddesses and associated supernatural characters into the contemporary world in a way that works for her stories.  As with some previous threesome titles, I found myself somewhat bothered by the lack of sexual inclusion of all parties, but Julian at least offers an explanation for this sexual distance by making her male protagonists family.  And the sexual scenes are expertly crafted – erotic, rich, and detailed, yet at the same time worked into the story, not added in just for titillation.  Sex is part of the novel, but it’s just a part of the story rather than its reason for being.  I enjoyed this book very much and I do expect that I will seek out other titles in this series to see how Amity’s story fits into the larger story arc Julian seems to be crafting with this one.    

Cain, Lilly.  Undercover Alliance.  Carina Press, June 2012.

My final erotic title for this post was a science fiction title called “Undercover Alliance” by Lilly Cain.  Another series title, this one is the third book in a series called “The Confederacy Treaty Series,” but it still works well as a stand-alone title.  Cain’s world features two species, humanity and the Inarrii, the aliens who have recently made contact and with whom the confederacy treaty is to be signed (assuming, of course, that they can work out all the details) facing off against enemies both human and alien who want to stop the burgeoning alliance.  A fabulous blending of scorching hot erotica and great sci-fi action, “Undercover Alliance” is the story of a damaged Inarrii warrior and an undercover human spy who find out they need each other, personally and professionally.  Only human John Bennings can offer Sarina the psychic connection she needs to achieve sexual wholeness and thus reintegration into her culture and Sarina may be the only being able to keep John alive long enough for him to find the traitor inside the spy agency that is trying to stop the human/Inarrii alliance.  A great read for science fiction fans who enjoy sex and violence with equal enthusiasm, “Undercover Alliance” hooked me into Cain’s world and didn’t let go.  Cain’s universe is well-developed, Inarrii culture is given real depth and detail rather than being merely a quaint (or titillating) other.  Sarina is no mere sex object, but a powerful warrior and strategist, a bodyguard of real power and yes, even, humanity in her emotions and honesty.  Bennings too is no stereotype action hero, but is given a depth that sets Cain’s character development a level above much science fiction (and a lot of erotica).  I look forward to going back exploring the previous books in this series as well as waiting eagerly for the next installment.


ARCs received from NetGalley.