with an audiobook review of Cecilia Grant’s A Woman Entangled, narrated by Susan Ericksen. See what I thought here.
Category: B reviews (Page 52 of 74)
Why I read it: Sometimes, I’m in the mood for a short story, kind of like a sorbet. I’d had this on my TBR for some time, having bought it ages ago, and I decided to intersperse the stories with my other reading.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) All new stories of punishing extremes and unbearable pleasure…
With historical, contemporary, and futuristic backdrops, this outrageously diverse collection of original stories explores every conceivable variation of BDSM erotica–from knitting circles to the Titanic to a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Featuring all-new stories by Meljean Brook, Jean Johnson, Bettie Sharpe, Jill Myles, Margaret Rowe, Sara Thorn, and more, this book has everything a reader could hope for in an erotic romance.
What worked for me (and what didn’t):
Agony
Transfixed and Transformed, the two stories by Anne Calhoun in the anthology (one each in Agony and Ecstasy) were about the same pairing, one from her POV, one from his. I liked these stories very much and could happily have read a whole book about them. That said, the stories did feel complete and I didn’t feel at all shortchanged. For me, these stories showed how a skilled writer can immerse me in a character in a very short space of time. After I got finished enjoying them, I did sit back and think about how cleverly it was achieved. Short is not my forte, so I’m particularly impressed when it’s done as well as this.
The Sybil by Jean Johson had a Warprize/Game of Thrones type feel to it. I liked the worldbuilding which was fairly detailed for such a short story, but the ending was not only unclear but it also bent toward the traditional and that kind of let it down a little I thought.
Why I read it: Brie from Romance Around the Corner recommended this to me and I managed to snag a copy from my local library.What it’s about: (from Goodreads) STATE OF GRACE
Money makes the world go round – that’s what twenty-something Grace Reeves is learning. Stuck in a grind where everyone’s ahead apart from her, she’s partied out, disillusioned, and massively in debt. If she’s dumped by another rock-band wannabe, squashed by anyone else at her cut-throat fashion job, or chased by any more bailiffs, Grace suspects she’ll fall apart…
GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
So when older, sexy and above all, wealthy art-dealer Vaughn appears, she’s intrigued against her will. Could she handle being a sugar daddy’s arm-candy?
SAVING GRACE
Soon Grace is thrown into a world of money and privilege, at Vaughn’s beck and call in return for thousands of pounds in luxurious gifts, priceless clothes – and cash. She’s out of her depth. Where’s the line between acting the trophy girlfriend, and selling yourself for money? And, more importantly, whatever happened to love?
What worked for me (and what didn’t): Brie thinks this book isn’t a romance. I think she’s right. It doesn’t fit squarely into the genre romance conventions but it does have a very strong romantic thread and there is a HEA (which is mandatory for me) but I suppose it is a bit more chick lit than romance. Having said that, the romance thread is very strong so I’d recommended it for romance readers. Continue reading
with a review of Charlotte Stein’s super dirty (in a good way) novella, Make Me.
See what I thought here.
Why I listened: After finishing The Firebird, I listened to some podcasts – a bit of a sorbet if you will, and I thought it was safest to listen to something from another genre altogether for my next audiobook – Kearsley casts a long shadow. Also, Bujold is always reliable I have found. This was no exception.What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Together, they can get into a lot of trouble. Trouble only the combined forces of the Free Dendarii Mercenaries can get them out of. At least, that’s what they’re hoping…
In this latest adventure with the galaxy’s craftiest mercenary leader Miles, starts out by so shaking up the High Command on his home planet of Barrayar that he is sent to the other side of the galaxy – where who should he run into but his old pals the Free Dendarii Mercenaries. And a good thing too, because it turns out that Miles’ childhood chum, that’s Emperor Gregor to you, has been the victim of foul play, and only Miles – with a little Dendarii muscle – can save him. This is very important to Miles; because if Gregor dies, the only person who could become the new emperor is Miles himself – and that he regards as a fate worse than death.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): As is most often the case with the Vorkosigan books, I didn’t read the blurb before I clicked play. The story begins when Miles is given his first assignment after graduating from the Barrayaran Military Academy. He is sent to Kiril Island (“Camp Permafrost”) where his mission is to learn to be subordinate to superior officers and to also learn how to command ordinary soldiers. What I thought was going to be the story (which perhaps would have been clearer had I read the blurb!) was not at all what the story turned out to be. But, it’s an adventure tale and it’s an adventure when you don’t know where the story is going. I was happy to go along for the ride and marvel at the way things went from point A to point Z and all the wonderful journeys in between.
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