Page 244 of 269

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

October 27, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Many of my Twitter friends were telling me how much they enjoyed this book. I wanted to join in the fun so I bought it.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate’s sexy older brother.Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything ‘more’. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare… to the very soul.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Let’s get the gripes out of the way first shall we? There were a number of typographical and gramatical errors in the book. The acknoweldgements in the back say that there were editors so I’m not really sure why so many were allowed to get through to the final version. Examples include comma abuse, “rung” instead of “wrung”, “all and all” instead of “all in all” and I’m not entirely sure that “incapacitation” is even a word. There was also one egregious use of the word “vajayjay” by the heroine. However, the story and the characters were otherwise so well done, that I was able to press through where a lesser book may have ended up a DNF. As it was, there was some teeth gritting at the number of errors. Moving on.

I think I had expected the characters would hook up much earlier than they did and I was pleased that it wasn’t the case. We were at maybe the 2/5 mark of the book before Braden and Jocelyn first kiss. Even though their physical relationship progresses quickly from there, there was a reasonable amount of time taken to build the sexual tension and for the characters to get to know each other.

I also liked the way the book was set up (well, except for one niggle which I’ll get to in a minute). The prologue shows us a quick sketch of the devastation in Jocelyn’s life after the death of her parents and baby sister and the epilogue gave me a sneak peak into Braden and Jocelyn’s happy future without being treacly. The middle of the book charts Jocelyn’s move to Dublin Street and the beginning of the end of her self imposed emotional isolation.

I think that Jocelyn was “ready” to start connecting again, consciously, with others, or she would not have moved in with Ellie. It was clear from their first meeting that Ellie was not the sort of person Jocelyn could successfully freeze out. Not because Ellie is rude or pushy, but because she seems, in some way, fragile and Jocelyn cannot bring herself to be that mean.

Quite early on we understand that she had made connections with people – Rhiann and James and even her workmates, Craig and Jo but she had deliberately distanced herself from them. At around the time she moves to Dublin Street, Jocelyn discovers she can’t do it anymore. She wants to but the connections grow and deepen anyway.

“You’re shopping with a teenager?”

“Why do you keep saying it like that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because you’ve moved into an expensive flat, you’re spending money you were always weird about spending, you’re friends with a girl who’s seen The Notebook fifty-five times and, like, smiles a lot; you’re out for drinks with actual people on week nights, you saved my relationship, you’re seeing a therapist, and you’re babysitting teens. I moved to London and you got a fuckin’ lobotomy.”

As much as there is instant and visceral attraction between Braden and Jocelyn, it is not a book where Jocelyn is “cured” by his love. She, quite sensibly, seeks therapy – and, because she is ready now to process her loss, it has benefits. It is not without pain and panic attacks, but it is time for Jocelyn to live fully and the book charts her journey to letting people in.

In terms of structure, there were a few sections with Dr. Pritchard which seemed out of time. There would be Scene A, a conversation with Dr. Pritchard and then Scene B, but Scene B starts immediately after Scene A and it is clear that the conversation with the doctor could not have happened in between. I understood why they were there in terms of the narrative drive of the story, but it nevertheless jarred because I had mental pictures of her either using a teleportation device or having the most sympathetic counsellor in the world, who will take calls/appointments at the drop of a hat, 24/7.

And then there’s Braden. Rowr. Possessive, certain, hot, sexy. I think there is something about how definite he is that adds to his attraction.

“I want you in my bed. Gentlemen are boring in bed.”

Good point. “Gentlemen are gentlemen in bed. They make sure you’re having a good time.”

“I’ll make sure you’re having a good time, and that you’re okay with everything we’re doing. I just won’t be well-mannered about it.”

Because Braden is so secure and dominant, he can take Jocelyn’s insecurities perhaps better than anyone else – he doesn’t mind railroading her from time to time (for her own good of course)

“No. It’s spooning. You said it was just sex. No spooning. We fuck, we have fun, you go home. That’s the deal.”

He studied me intently for a moment and then lowered his head until his lips were almost touching mine. “We fuck, we have fun, and then we spoon. I don’t go home. I don’t go home because sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up, and when I wake up, I want to fuck. And for some baffling reason, the person I want to fuck is you. Now, I’m only going to say this one more time. Go to sleep.”

In fact, Braden finds things work much better this way – fortunately, Jocelyn isn’t all pushover.

“From now on I’m completely in charge. I think we’ll have a lot less drama, and definitely no more breakups, if I’m in control of this thing.”

I patted his stomach. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through the day, baby.”

By the end of the book, their relationship is more event – yes Braden is dominant in bed, but the rest of the relationship is more balanced, as Jocelyn finds her footing and learns to open up.

Jocelyn does treat some of her friends in a pretty shitty way during the course of the book, but, while I did not always like it, I did understand her motivation. Because she hadn’t processed her grief over the death of her family, she kind of reacts like a 14 year old child at times – it’s all about her. But, she does grovel and apologise and by the end of the book, I think she’s worked enough out that I don’t think she will do that again. Sure, she will struggle from time to time, but I think she will be a less crappy friend if push comes to shove.

What else? One of the characters has a medical crisis later in the book. Even allowing for the differences between the Australian and UK health systems, MRI scan results do not take 2 weeks to arrive. They just don’t. I could, maybe, stretch it to 2 days. In terms of the book, it would have made no difference to have the scan result available more quickly so I don’t know why there was a such a big delay. In any event, Braden has so much money and influence, he could have pulled strings – after all, that’s what he does later doesn’t he? Also, I think it more than likely that the character would have been admitted and not discharged until treatment/surgery had been completed. But then, I may be a little touchy about medical issues just at the minute.

Editing issues aside, I really enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Grade: B (but it would have been a B+ if the editing had been better).

I’m over at ARRA today with a review of Temptation

October 24, 2012 / Kaetrin

My review of this book is up at the ARRA blog today. It’s a YA featuring an Amish hero. I gave it a C. ARRA members can comment to win the book.

Down for the Count by Christine Bell

October 22, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I heard the Twitter buzz and bought it. Thank you to Fatin, Brie and Jane for the excellent recommendation.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Truth or dare…

When Lacey Garrity finds her groom in flagrante delicto in the reception hall closet with her bridesmaid, she’s saved by her best friend’s older brother—childhood tormentor, crush, and boxing bad boy Galen Thomas. Galen’s solution is both exciting and dangerous. What better way to forget the mess of her life than go on her honeymoon with a hot guy who can’t promise anything beyond today?

…or TKO?

Galen had been counting on Lacey’s wedding to put her out of reach—and out of his mind—once and for all, but their steamy Puerto Rican escape is testing all his boundaries. Now that Lacey’s embracing her inner bad girl, Galen is tempted to throw in the towel and claim her for himself. But with the biggest fight of his career on the line and an important business merger threatening to derail Lacey’s resolve, their romance might be down for the count before it even begins.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I really enjoyed the snappy one-liners of this book. Even though Lacey was getting cheated on at her wedding reception, the writing style made it clear that this book is a fun contemporary, not a heavy angsty read

The ensuing silence was so absolute that when he fastened his tuxedo pants, it sounded like a grizzly bear traveling down a zip line.

which was just what I was in the mood for actually.

Lacey and Galen were funny and sexy together and I enjoyed her naivete getting under Galen’s skin, as she does here, when he offers to help her out with some sunscreen.

“Do you need help with your back?”

“Nope, I already got it. I do yoga so I’m super flexible.”

Lacey has some moral qualms about starting anything with Galen when she’s technically married and so the sexual tension builds until that aspect is sorted out. It made for some lovely sexy build up without feeling like the reader was being teased

Lacey’s lashes fluttered and she shook her head.

“W-we shouldn’t do that anyway.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “Or anything else. Probably.”

He pursed his lips together to keep from smiling. “Okay. Then you might want to get your hand off my ass.”

While that was funny, Galen also showed his good guy card by not pressing her for sex.

When Galen and Lacey do start scorching the sheets (and various other places), the sex is dirty and fun and nothing like Lacey had ever experienced before. I liked that Galen comes to the realisation beforehand though, that there is something work exploring in the chemistry and attraction he has with Lacey even as he bemoans the bad timing.

I also liked how sex positive Galen was. There was no slut shaming at all. In fact, he was disappointed that her previous sex life hadn’t been more positive.

Lacey’s mother is a horror show. Although, later in the book, it becomes obvious she has her reasons for why she is which leavened her harshness somewhat. Not an excuse, but some context which saved her from being a complete stereotype. Lacey also learns to stand up for herself and there is no miracle happy families either, which is good because “The Admiral” really was a nasty piece of work and very unlikely to change.

I liked how Galen taught Lacey a lot of new things and encouraged her to be brave and stretch her wings – not just with the sex, but the dancing and boxing. He was very patient and encouraging without being patronising. Although, I wasn’t a fan of him calling her “Squirt” all the time. That doesn’t feel like a romantic pet name to me. I could see that’s why he called her that when they were teenagers and even after, as it (to me) put some distance between them. But I would have liked him to come up with something new by the time they each said “I love you”.

I can’t say I loved the very end of the book, but I can see that it is a good thing for Lacey to have time to make a decision she and Galen can both be sure of. I understood Galen’s reasons for his actions, even his silence made sense, but it still seemed a bit like a plot device to me.

What else? I haven’t read anything by this author before but the Twitter buzz was doesn’t usually steer me wrong. I’m glad to have read it and I’m looking forward to more sexy contemporaries from Ms. Bell.

Grade: B+

Handle with Care by Josephine Myles

October 20, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This is one I’d had on my wishlist for some time and when I bought The Hot Floor recently, I picked up this and Barging In. They were on sale and I couldn’t resist. 🙂

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The best things in life aren’t free…they’re freely given.Ben Lethbridge doesn’t have many vices left. After raising his little sister to adulthood, he wasted no time making up for the youth he lost to responsible parenting. Two years of partying it up—and ignoring his diabetes—has left him tethered to a home dialysis regimen.

He can do his job from his flat, fortunately, but most of his favourite things are forbidden. Except for DVD porn…and fantasizing over Ollie, the gorgeous, purple-haired skateboarder who delivers it.

Their banter is the highlight of Ben’s lonely day, but his illness-ravaged body is the cruel reality that prevents him from believing they’ll do anything more than flirt. Not to mention the age gap. Still, Ben figures there’s no harm in sprucing himself up a bit.

Then one day, a package accidentally splits open, revealing Ben’s dirty little secret…and an unexpected connection that leaves him wondering if he’s been reading Ollie wrong all this time. There’s only one way to find out: risk showing Ollie every last scar. And hope “far from perfect” is good enough for a chance at love.

Product Warnings
Contains superhero porn comics and a cute, accident-prone delivery guy with colour-changing hair. Readers may experience coffee cravings, an unexpected liking for bad mullets, and the urge to wrap Ollie up and take him home.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Jo Myles has a pleasing, easy writing voice so it was easy to slide into this story and enjoy it. I did have a few problems with the book, but overall, it was a very enjoyable read.

The story is told from Ben’s 1st person POV and because of that, I missed some of the action I would have liked to have seen – particularly the developing (platonic) relationship between Ben’s sister Zoe and Ollie, which was, unfortunately, all done off page.

I don’t know whether the author intended it or not, but for a while I wondered if Ollie had some illness fetish and that was what attracted him to Ben. He certainly seemed to get off on Ben’s scars and tubes but it wasn’t really explained. For a while I wondered if Ollie would only like him if Ben was an invalid. I don’t know much about it, but I understand that there are people about who have such a fetish.

The whole idea about Ben being ill, having to have a multi-organ transplant etc and him still being the sexy hero was unusual and I liked it (I gather that his own view of what he looked like was more dire than the actuality though – nothing unusual there is there?). It was also educational without being in the least boring – it actually made me want to go and Google the kind of dialysis he used etc. After the organ transplant there is only small mention of the immunosuppressant drugs Ben has to take – I don’t know much about them and thought they could cause bloating and other bad things but it seemed Ben’s reaction to the drugs was all good.

Ben has been lusting after Ollie for months – he orders porn DVD’s more for the guarantee of Ollie delivering them than anything else but he’s so shy and his body image is so poor, he just can’t make a move. I did become a little impatient with that because the couple together is where the fun is, so I was glad when Ollie decided to take matters into his own hands.

I liked the way that Ollie and Ben had to learn to navigate their relationship – a healthy relationship (or for Ben, any relationship) was very much unknown territory and they make a few missteps and have to learn to communicate what they think and feel to make it work. I believed that it would but I would have liked more of it on the page. Overall, I’d say there was a certain… sketchiness to the story – not bad, but I would have liked more colouring in of the lines.

There is a 13 year age gap between Ben and Ollie and it does show. I think as Ollie gets more confident he will take more of an equal place in their relationship – that is what Ben wants (which I was glad about), but the story was more about the beginning of Ollie’s confidence and so that equality was more of a promise in the book I think.

The sex was pretty hot but also realistic, with Ben’s fears of whether he’d be able to get it up after the surgery, whether he’d be able to satisfy Ollie. I also appreciated the somewhat unusual depiction of their sex life after the surgery – Ben isn’t allowed to have sex, but he’s very happy to “see to” Ollie. It’s not that often that I’ve read in a book where one partner can’t have sex but is still not just willing, but enthusiastic about seeing to their partner’s pleasure. Although it was partly done out of a fear that Ollie would leave him otherwise I think, I still thought it showed something special about Ben’s character – and why Ollie would be so drawn to him.

What else? On my reader, I had 158 pages and I thought that most of that would be story so it was with a bit of shock that the story finished at page 145. It wasn’t so much that the story was unfinished (although I did find the ending somewhat abrupt) but that my expectation was that the story was going to be longer than it was.

I liked the unusual premise of the story and I enjoyed spending time with Ben and Ollie. I would have liked a few more details and for it to be perhaps a bit longer, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable read and I’m glad I bought it.

Grade: B-

One Final Step by Stephanie Doyle

October 18, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I heard the author talking about this one on a recent DBSA podcast and saw the review at Dear Author. After getting spoilers (because I had totally forgotten the podcast which let the cat out of the bag) I went out and bought it.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) A new image step by step Who said moving forward is easy? Car thief turned race car driver, Michael Langdon has worked hard to build his image. Now to take it to the next level and become a successful manufacturer, he needs to kick that image up a notch. Enter Madeleine Kane, a genius at adjusting public perception. With her in charge, he’s guaranteed to look better while keeping his darkest secrets where they belong—in the past.

Doesn’t take long, however, for his ambition to change and the campaign to become personal. Because he wants Madeleine—as beautiful as she is talented and smart. First, Michael must overcome her reservations about crossing professional boundaries and persuade her he’s worth the riskwithout revealing those buried parts of himself. Good thing he’s very persuasive.

Warning: Possible spoiler-y review ahead.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Madeline Kane (I so keep wanting to type Kahn) has been in hiding for 7 years after being a “Monica Lewinsky” to a former president. The scandal has died down (of course, it’s been 7 years and she’s been completely out of the spotlight) but Madeline is not “over” it. I had quite a bit of sympathy for Madeline. I understood completely her dismay with other people having a timetable to which she should adhere for everything to be all right.

She hated when people recited the number. It was like there wa some magical timetable in the universe for recovery. After two years she should have moved on. After five years she should have put it in perspective. After seven years she should have forgotten it entirely.

Because I related to that aspect of her, I felt kindly disposed toward Madeline and found her less cold than other readers have. And, I think she has a point. If Monical Lewinsky was in the public eye now, wouldnt’ the first thing that anyone said about her be “former paramour of Bill Clinton…” or words to that effect? Isn’t that something that the media will never let go of? I guess if Madeline embraced it and there was a certain level of media saturation maybe it would get tired, but after dealing with 6 months of harrassment and inappropriate come-ons and sexual expectations from people who thought she was a slut (and not in the sex-positive way, in the shaming way), I can certainly understand Madeline’s reluctance to go anywhere near that kind of media exposure again. And, I think she’s also right – her job is to help other people in the media spotlight – she would hog their story and most likely, damage the reputation she’s trying to promote.

I appreciated her relationship with Ben Tyler (friend and employer), as (aside from setting up Ben and Anna’s story for a future book?) it showed that she was a caring friend and not a stone cold bitch.

I also liked that Madeline took responsibility for her actions with the president and wasn’t his victim. That was a twist I appreciated.

I liked Michael also. Here comes the potential spoiler-y bit. I’m not sure it counts as a spoiler if the author let the cat out of the bag on a podcast, but just in case, BE YE WARNED.

He’s impotent after an incident in prison. Generally, I liked the way this was handled in the book, but I have a couple of quibbles and because of them, I had to reveal the issue. At one point in the story, Michael wants to do more than just kiss Madeline. He wants to touch her and go down on her and make her come. Even though he can’t. Or, he wants to use the little blue pill and have intercourse with her and make her come – even though he won’t. He’s at the point where the intimacy and connection of the acts have their own reward, where he wants to share physical pleasure with Madeline, even though as far as orgasms are concerned, the pleasure he will share is Madeline’s. And Madeline says no because it’s unfair/unequal. I didn’t really like that. I wouldn’t have minded it perhaps (maybe?) if that had’ve come up later after he’d been intimate with her for a while, but Madeline drew the line right from the start. This denied Michael pleasure and satisfaction as well as herself and I felt like it showed she didn’t really accept him. Now the story sets up that Madeline has some intimacy issues so maybe that’s why but I would much rather have seen the story arc toward Michael learning to enjoy physical intimacy with Madeline without orgasm and then progressing from there. And also, what if he didn’t get “better”? What if Viagra was the best he was ever going to do? Would she have refused them both any intimate satisfaction forever? I would have liked to have seen them enjoy sex together without a hard dick in the mix. As it was…

Potential secondary spoiler.

He gets better. And it’s pretty spontaneous and it seemed a bit quick for me. Even though in the story it was specifically said to not be as a result of true lurrve, it did kind of feel that way for me. Having said that, I know nothing about male impotence. So who am I to judge? But, if he hadn’t got better, I don’t think they would have made it as a couple – not unless she changed her position on the “equality” thing. Moving on.

I did like the chemistry between Michael and Madeline and I thought the author portrayed Michael’s “guyness” really well.

“I didn’t date much, but there were a few dates. I never cared for the feeling that I was something to be conquered. I liked kissing, but when I was with a boy I always felt like he was lying in wait, ready to pounce and move on to the next step.”

“That’s because he was. He was a boy.”

“And you’re a man.”

“Have to tell you, we don’t change much in that regard.”

and I liked the subtle humor throughout the book too:

“I bet you’ve got glass ring stains on all your tables. Maybe dried milk at the bottom of cereal bowls left scattered throughout the house.”

“Now you’re being ridiculous.”

“Oh, shit…you’re not a hoarder, are you? I’ve seen those shows on TV and those houses creep me the hell out.”

He was playing with her, and in an odd way it helped to calm her nerves. “You’ll just have to see.” She got out of the car and he followed, grabbing his overnight bag from the backseat and swinging it over his shoulder.

She unlocked the front door and swung it open. “I hope you don’t mind cats. I’ve got twenty-three of them.”

He stopped at the door.

“Kidding.”

What else? I enjoyed the author’s voice and found it an easy and enjoyable read. Brie from Romance Around the Corner tells me that The Way Back is even better so I’ll be checking that one out for sure.

Grade: B

Tigerland by Sean Kennedy & Giveaway

October 15, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: The author kindly provided a ARC for my enjoyment.

Giveaway: Because I was planning to buy the book, I’ve decided to buy an e-copy for a commenter to celebrate the release of Tigerland on October 15 from Dreamspinner Press. If the lucky winner hasn’t read Tigers & Devils, I’ll chuck in a copy of that too. Giveaway ends 26 October and I’ll announce the randomly drawn winner the following week. Please leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win. No email, no entry.

Just comment to enter, no need to be a follower or do any Twittering (though you can if you want to). International entries welcome. Let me know if I forgot anything important.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Sequel to Tigers and Devils

After an eventful and sometimes uncomfortably public courtship, Simon Murray and Declan Tyler settled into a comfortable life together. Now retired from the AFL, Declan works as a football commentator; Simon develops programs with queer content for a community television station.

Despite their public professional lives, Simon and Declan manage to keep their private life out of the spotlight. Their major concerns revolve around supporting their friends through infertility and relationship problems—until Greg Heyward, Declan’s ex-partner, outs himself in a transparent bid for attention.

Though Simon and Declan are furious with Greg and his media antics, they can’t agree on what to do about it. Declan insists they should maintain a dignified silence, but both he and Simon keep getting drawn into Heyward’s games. Simon and Declan will once again have to ride out the media storm before they can return their attention to what really matters: each other.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): It’s always a bit nerve-wracking for me when a favourite author puts out a sequel to a beloved book. After all, what happens if I don’t like it? Fortunately, I didn’t have to find out in this case. Tigerland is fun, romantic and full of classic Simon Murray humour, although 5 years with Declan has softened him (just a little). I don’t think Tigerland is quite as good as Tigers & Devils, but that is kind of like saying The Dark Knight Rises isn’t quite as good as The Dark Knight – I mean, nothing was going to live up to that and it would be unfair to even think it. I blame Heath Ledger.

Tigerland picks up 3 years after the events in Tigers & Devils. Declan has retired after injury put an early end to his career (as captain of Essendon – go the Bombers!! (that was from my husband who bows down to the altar of James Hird – I quite understand, I have similar feelings, albeit for different reasons… ahem, moving on). Declan has moved into the commentary box and even Simon has moved into television production in Community TV, with responsibility for 4 shows, including one called QueerSports. They are happy together, settled and waiting for the day when they can be legally married in Australia (aren’t we all guys, aren’t we all). Simon’s relationship with his family has improved (not least due to Declan’s influence; they are all, apart from Simon, mad keen Essendon supporters and hello, Dec was their captain). There might be a shrine in the Murray household. Fran and Roger are happy together but Abe and Lisa are separated and Simon and Dec are hoping for them to reconcile.

Then Grey Heyward, ~~Simon’s nemesis~~ one of Simon’s nemeses from T&D decides to retire from football, come out as gay and reveal his previous relationship with Dec (possibly with intimate details) and the media shitstorm commences.

What nearly tore them apart in T&D was all the adverse media attention after Declan’s outing and neither Simon nor Dec are excited about going through it again.

It says something special about Simon that the main reason he detests Heyward is the damage he caused Dec – it’s nothing so simple as jealousy.

I hadn’t seen him in person since that night at the Brownlows, and only on television or the net since then, but his image was forever burned into my brain. Declan’s infamous ex, the one that had cheated on him and kept him even further in the closet and succeeded at being the only person who ever really made Dec feel shitty about himself… there he was, walking along the street like some character in a cartoon, musical notes flying out of his mouth as he whistled merrily to himself without a care in the world.

One of my “fears” when diving into the book was whether Simon and Dec would split up during the course of it – could I cope if my favourite Australian gay couple broke up, even if only for a little while (Sean Kennedy knows the romance contract – I trust him not to break it, but still)? I’m pleased to say they don’t. (I hope that’s not too spoilery – I checked with a friend and she thought not, so blame her not me! – this, in football parlance is called “the handball“). There is tension in their relationship. It is tested and strained, but never broken. And that made me very happy. But, it also meant that, to some degree it was less satisfying than T&D because the conflict was a little familiar and wasn’t as significant. It’s not just me who thinks so. As Simon himself says:

“…But a lot of shit was said about you and me both when you were outed, and we survived that. This is nothing in comparison.”

(Simon was exaggerating somewhat here. It certainly wasn’t “nothing”).

Roger and Fran face a challenge in this book as well. I can’t tell you how glad I am that it wasn’t solved with magical rainbows and sparkly butterflies. I’m sure that one way or another Roger and Fran will realise their dream but I did appreciate the sensitivity shown here by Simon (and by extension, the author).

Even after 5 years together, Simon and Dec still go at it like bunnies. But because Simon and Dec are very private people, the lights are off (at least to us readers) and the door is firmly shut. While I have some (entirely inappropriate) curiosities about their love life, it suits the book and the characters for this to be so. There’s plenty of romance and affection and dialogue which show the depth of this couple’s relationship. To sex it up would have done them a disservice I think. Even though I’m usually pretty happy to read about sexing it up. There are exceptions to every rule, as they say.

Simon, a self-described “Eeyore” is a funny guy. Even when he’s miserable, he has a way of describing things which make me laugh. Here are a couple of “Simon-ism’s” to whet your appetite.

“We’re super,” I said, and internally winced. Why on earth did I keep coming out with that? Soon I’d be riding on bicycles with the Famous Five, enjoying lashings of ginger beer and racially profiling gypsies.

and

“Really?” I asked, idly wishing that my life was like a wua-hua film so I could throw my letter opener at him and stab him in the forehead.

I did find myself asking if the media would be quite as interested in a relationship Heyward and Dec had had some 6 years earlier. But, the media are weird. It’s not quite as salacious as when Wayne Carey porked his teammate’s wife in a cupboard at a party (true story) but when Kurt Tippett decided to defect (the traitor!) to Sydney from the Crows everyone here went nuts, so really, it could happen.

The book is peculiarly Australian – there are plenty of references to Australian TV shows, sights and culture which I wonder if non-Australian readers will fully understand. But as I am an Australian it didn’t bother me at all.

It saddened me to realise that Simon and Dec had to be so careful about something as innocuous as holding hands in public. It’s not a reality that heterosexual couples encounter. Simon and Dec are welcome to visit me anytime and they can hold hands as much as they want to at my place. Hug even.

Simon, as usual, gets himself into a series of sticky situations which made me laugh out loud. It was a pleasure to spend time with these people again. It felt like visiting old friends. Oh, how I had missed them. Note to Sean Kennedy: When marriage equality finally makes it Down Under, will you please write ~~a short story~~ another book so we can see Simon and Declan get married?

What else? You really need to have read Tigers & Devils before reading Tigerland. I read T&D before I started writing reviews but one of these days I will do a re-read and be more explicit about why it’s so excellent. In the meantime, just trust me. Go read them both.

Grade: B/B+

Don’t forget the giveaway! Comment to enter. 🙂