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Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

September 18, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Brie from Romance Around the Corner mentioned this one to me on Twitter when we were talking about some New Adult books we were loving. She wanted to get hold of the book but as the author is Australian, it was geo restricted for her. as an ebook and at the time, not available in print either. Myself, I ended up waiting for the UK publication as it was less than half the price to buy it from The Book Depository than to get it here – even in an ebook version. Brie tells me this one is now lined up next in her queue.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy?

Warning: If you have rape triggers, this is not a book for you.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This is kind of a hard one for me to grade. On the one hand, I devoured this book in 1 day, staying up way too late to make sure Carly got a happy/hopeful ending. The writing was clean and engaging, even though I probably didn’t understand more than half of the surfing language. (It will be interesting to see what Brie thinks of the Australianisms in the book – there’s a lot of “mate” and other Aussie terms. It felt authentic to me even while I was sometimes cringing at the way some of my brethren can be… less than articulate).

Carly gutted me. After being sexually assaulted during “schoolies week” (I think in the US many teens go to Florida to celebrate the end of school – here they go to the Gold Coast in Queensland) after she finished high school, she withdrew from her family and friends, dropped out of university, moved from the Central Coast of New South Wales to Manly and lived only to surf. Her only happiness was in surfing, where she could get away from herself and not feel empty or awful anymore. She is frightened of men, intimacy, sex. She feels rage and emptiness and overwhelming shame. What bothered me, both in terms of the book and for Carly, is that she didn’t talk to anyone about it. Even by the end of the book, there is really only a fairly brief discussion with Ryan (and, while he loves and accepts her, he possibly did not articulate what she needed to hear – but then, what do I know, I’ve not been sexually assaulted). Carly got no treatment, no counselling – it seems she wasn’t even tested for STD’s. She didn’t tell anyone, until Ryan. She has very interesting reasoning for not telling anyone and for not reporting it, which felt authentic but at the same time, it left her dealing (or not dealing as the case may be) with an horrendous trauma completely alone.

By the end of the book, Carly was essentially doing the same things she had been doing at the beginning, albeit she had now opened herself to love with Ryan. But she had made no decisions about possibly going back to uni (to pursue perhaps a different form of study given that she clearly hated the business communication course she had been doing) or possibly pursuing further education/an apprenticeship as a chef/cook. She had not reconciled at all with her family. She had not been to a counsellor. After the big reveal to Ryan, which was heartwrenching – gritty and raw rather than especially graphic in my opinion (and I DARE YOU to stop reading after that), she burrows away for a long time and eventually finds solace again in the surf. There is a happy/hopeful romantic ending, never fear, but I wasn’t convinced, in terms of Carly’s mental health, that she had really processed anything or was in a better place.

The story is told from Carly’s first person POV and Ryan isn’t a big talker, so I did feel that I didn’t get enough of him. However, there was one wonderful scene (involving a discussion about tattoos) which showed he was absolutely gone over Carly. And, when push comes to shove, he chooses Carly over everyone else. Ryan is a fairly unusual hero. When we meet him, he’s just got out of jail. While it wasn’t a violent crime he was put away for, I wonder if some readers may find his criminal past makes it difficult to warm to him. But, I liked that he turned his life around and it was clear he wasn’t going back to jail. (He got a job and he moved on – that’s why I particularly noticed that Carly (with the exception of her relationship with Ryan) didn’t.) Considering that for most of the book he was clueless about what made Carly so skittish (and, while he wasn’t a bully or pushy, he wasn’t what I’d call sensitive either – at least in terms of sex) he was certainly very patient with her emotions – to the extent that on one of their first dates she spends a lot of it sobbing in his arms. Ryan is also unusual in that he’s not drop dead gorgeous. He has a good body – he’s a surfer: of course he has a good body, but he has freckles everywhere and “sandy lank hair” and ears that stick out. I liked that he wasn’t an Adonis. Not a lot was made of his looks really (or hers for that matter – there was little physical description of Carly in the book) and it put me in mind of the recent post by Kate Elliott regarding the male gaze – I felt this book was written very much with Carly’s gaze – it wasn’t terribly sexual – which makes sense given what happened to her. She sees bodies more as functional, particularly in relation to surfing. Or, at least, that was my impression.

I would have liked a few more chapters, or maybe an epilogue a little bit down the track to give me some comfort that Carly was truly going to be okay. My heart broke for her. As much as Ryan loves her, I didn’t think his love alone could “heal” her and I really wasn’t convinced she could do it on her own. While I understood her reluctance to get help, I wondered if the book was perhaps sending an unhealthy message to younger/vulnerable readers? (my inner parent showing).

What else? Carly is 19 and Ryan 26, so I’d say this book is definitely “New Adult” rather than YA. One other thing I’ll add is that it is told in present tense – that might put some people off, but I found in this book, it kept the tension strong – I was finding out what was happening just as Carly was, and I wasn’t ever sure just what would happen. While I’m not a huge fan of 1st person present tense, I think it worked well in this book.

Carly strikes up a friendship with a fellow surfer, 15 year old Danny. He has synaesthesia – he sees things in terms of colour. For example, Wednesday is green. The title of the book is actually a reference to a way Carly describes the ocean toward the end of the story:

When I come over the top of the dune I see the ocean and I feel like I’m seeing it for the first time.

Today it’s blue, straight and simple. Raw blue.

But, it also relates to Carly herself. Danny sees Carly as blue – when she is particularly troubled, it is a dark, sickly, blue from which Danny flinches and when she is better the colour is somehow easier on his eyes. And Carly was certainly “raw” in very many important ways.

While I devoured the book and the main character gutted me (my concern for Carly ran well beyond the end of the book), there were some things I felt were missing or light on, in terms of an excellent story. Hence, my grade. I’d recommend it but it may leave you feeling on the melancholy side rather than with warm and fuzzy with satisfaction and triumph.

Grade: B- ETA B This book has stayed with me. The more I thought about it… well, now it’s a B.

All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

September 14, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Carina sent an early copy to all of its auto-approved NetGalley reviewers. Thank you Carina! But in any event, I’m a fan of the series.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Born to RoamMitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way. Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with running the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man—for anything. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge, especially a beautiful one.Looking for Home

After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto men are a luxury, not a necessity. But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.

Mitch won’t stay put for a woman, and Paige won’t chase after a man—they’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize the amazing sex has become anything but casual…

What worked for me (and what didn’t): First of all, Mitch Kowalski is ROWR. He’s also a bit of a player, but he’s not a dick about it. He makes it clear from the start that he’s not into long term. Things will end, he will say goodbye and leave. He won’t call, he won’t text and he won’t be back.His role as boss/owner of a demolition company (what a cool job!) means he travels a lot and he’s very busy and he learned the hard way that his business and a long term relationship don’t mix well.

But, even before that, he was a love ’em and leave ’em man – as many many ladies in Whitfield will tell you – the strange thing is that no-one holds a grudge. All the memories are fond (at least on the part of the women, some of their daddy’s? Not so much.)

She leaned her hip against the stainless steel island the coffeemaker sat on and looked him over. “Tall, dark and handsome, with pretty blue eyes. You must be one of Josh’s brothers.”

Usually a guy didn’t like being told he had a pretty anything, but he’d learned a long time ago having pretty eyes led to having pretty girls. “I’m the oldest. Mitch.”

When Mitch comes home to Whitfield to help his brother Josh with the Northern Star Lodge after Josh breaks his leg, it is with bittersweet joy. It is good to be home, to see family and the lodge, but he detests that he doesn’t seem to be able to shake off the mistakes and hubris of his teen self. No-one in Whitfield will let him forget his adventures – and over the years, many of them have been embellished.

Mitch doesn’t take long to spot Paige and decide that he’d like to spend his 6 weeks in Whitfield getting cozy with her. Paige’s role-model was her mother – a woman who flitted from one man to the next, who felt it was necessary to have a man to be “complete”. Her philosophy is that men are a luxury she doesn’t need so she’s sworn of relationships. Despite how hot and sexy Mitch is, it does take him some time to wear down her resistance – by the time he does, half of his time is up (which seemed like a bit of a waste if you ask me – I mean, he was the perfect candidate for a fling wasn’t he? Temporary and hot – and, not staying, so she wouldn’t have to keep bumping into him in town.)

Paige also has to deal with the “girlfriend code” – her good friend Hailey had a fling with Mitch when they were teenagers – in fact, it is one of the reasons Hailey is urging Paige to go for it.

“But still nothing. Trust me when I tell you there was no emotional involvement at all, for either of us, and you are clear to land, honey.”

“My runway’s closed.” Paige frowned, then shook her head. “I’m butchering this whole airplane thing. I can’t be the plane and the runway.”

“Let me make it easy. He’ll be the plane. You be the hangar.”

“For a guy who’s parked his plane all over town? He can taxi on down to another hangar.”

Hailey laughed. “You’re right. You do suck at the airplane thing. But I don’t think he’s quite as free with his plane parking as legend makes him out to be, you know. I’ve lived my whole life here, and a lot of those stories are the equivalent of my uncle’s fish stories. They just want everybody to think they landed the big one.”

“I can’t do planes and fish. You’ve gotta pick one.”

“Reel him in, keep him a few weeks, then throw him back and let him swim away.”

“You’re killing me with metaphors.

*gigglesnort*

I didn’t mind the build up of the sexual tension actually, it was sexy and fun and it gave the couple some time to do a bit of courting. But, I did think Paige’s turnaround made little sense in the big scheme – after all, nothing had really changed, other than resistance being futile I guess. And, I would have liked the period of “togetherness” to have lasted longer than a couple of weeks.

When Paige and Mitch do get together, they certainly scorch up the sheets (and a few other places as well) and find extra uses for a can of whipped cream. Pretty soon, both of them have developed feelings but Mitch won’t stay and Paige won’t go – if she does, she would be giving up on her dreams and they’re just as important as Mitch’s. What I liked, is that Mitch never ever contemplated that Paige would or ought to do so (which was why I was able to forgive him for a couple of his more sexist type comments – like we woman need a man to open a jar! Really!). The compromise, when it occurs, seems obvious (and not dissimilar to that reached in Slow Summer Kisses really) but I didn’t see much resolution of the other problem Mitch has with Whitfield – not being able to escape his past.

I think, in the end, perhaps the 6 week duration of their journey from “hello” to HEA was a little on the short side for me, particularly as they were dancing around each other for half of it. I guess I would have liked the relationship to span a little more time. Other than that, I can’t really articulate why I like others in the series better than this one (having said that, I didn’t not like it).

As usual, there is plenty of sizzle and spark and humour – all the things which have made Shannon Stacey an auto-buy for me. Her contemporary voice just works for me. While this book wasn’t my favourite in the Kowalski series, it was nevertheless good fun and I recommend.

What else? We are also introduced to the other Kowalksi brothers Josh and Ryan and their soon to be significant others (they just don’t know it yet) Katie and Lauren (Ryan and Lauren are next) and a broader cast of Whitfield townspeople. I particularly liked Drew and the storyline with his wife Mallory. He wants children, she doesn’t – but she’s told him for years that she would eventually – turns out, not so much. Their ending in this book isn’t happy. I’m hoping that over the course of the trilogy we might see Drew get a HEA of his own (ETA: Ms. Stacey tweeted that Drew will be getting his own book – yippee!) – whether his HEA will be with Mallory again or someone new, who knows. They certainly have believable and large obstacles. I can’t help but be sympathetic to Drew’s position – children were something they had agreed on before they were married and Mallory’s been lying to him about it for 10 years.

There is an overarching storyline about whether Josh will stay in Whitfield and whether he will keep running the lodge which didn’t bog down this book but links the 3 stories together. Next up is Ryan’s carpentry assistance to get the lodge into tip top shape for the as-yet-unknown future.

The good news is that All He Ever Desired is out in October and All He Ever Dreamed is out in November, so we don’t have long to wait to find out what happens to the other Kowalksi brothers.

Favourite Quote:

“Men are a luxury, not a necessity.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, scowling as if the concept was totally foreign to him. Which it probably was.

She moved away from the island and straightened the salt and pepper shakers just to give her hands something to do. “It means I don’t need a man in my life. And I have that written on a sticky note taped to my fridge so I don’t forget it.”

“But you want a man, right?”

She pretended to think about it for a few seconds. “Not especially.”

“Who opens jars for you?”

“I have a little gadget that does that.”

“But…” He grinned. “What about sex?”

“I have a little gadget that does that, too.”

Grade: B-

I’m at AudioGals today!

September 13, 2012 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals today discussing JD Robb’s In Death series in general and Innocent in Death in particular. So happy to be their very first guest reviewer. Stop by and say hello! 🙂

My review of Overseas is up at ARRA

September 12, 2012 / Kaetrin

I’m over at the ARRA blog with a review of Beatriz Williams’ Overseas today. (They don’t grade there but I gave it a B.)

There’s even a giveaway for members. Come say hi! 🙂

Power Play by Rachel Haimowitz & Cat Grant

September 7, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: My very first foray into m/m romance was with Anah Crowe’s Uneven, a book recommended by Sarah Frantz, former Dear Author reviewer (and, as it happens, current Riptide Publishing editor who, I understand, had a hand in editing either the second or both of the Power Play books). Uneven was a book which didn’t work for me that well, because I didn’t “get” BDSM and especially the pain side of things. Plus, there was blood. One MC kept hitting the other and making him bleed and I just didn’t understand why that would be fun for anyone. Since then, I’ve read a bit more and have learned a little more about it, although I can’t say that I’m any kind of expert or that I really understand it. Still, I’m a curious and adventurous reader. I heard that this book/series “explained” BDSM in a way that made it accessible without being boring. I downloaded it (as well as Power Play: Awakening) from NetGalley but I’ll admit it took me a while to be brave enough to open it, especially after reading the advisory:

Reader discretion advised. This title contains heavy kink. While consent is clearly established and frequently reaffirmed, some moments in Power Play push hard against the outer edges of consent.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Give me six months, and I’ll give you the world.

Brandon McKinney has scraped and sacrificed for what little in life he’s ever had. Though it’s been fifteen years since he escaped his father’s abuse, the damage remains. Trust seems as far out of reach as his dream of becoming an architect, and though he’s come to accept being gay, he can’t deny the shame and confusion he feels at other urges–the deeply repressed desire to submit.

Jonathan Watkins is a self-made Silicon Valley billionaire whose ex-wife took half his money and even more of his faith. Comfortable as a Dominant but wary of being hurt again, he resorts to anonymous pickups and occasional six-month contracts with subs seeking only a master, not a lover.

When a sizzling back-alley encounter cues Jonathan in to Brandon’s deep-seated submissive side, he makes the man an offer: Give me six months of your life, and I’ll open your eyes to a whole new world. Brandon doesn’t care about that; all he wants is the three million dollars Jonathan’s offering so he can buy the construction company he works for. But he soon learns that six months on his knees is no easy feat, and shame and pride may keep him from all he ever wanted-and all he never dreamed he had any right to have.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Well, my “innocent” eyes were certainly confronted by some of the pain play in this book. I can’t say that I honestly understand why anyone would consent to having a taser to their intimate parts (makes my eyes tear just thinking about it) but, it was clear that Bran’s consent was present at all times. Jonathan and Bran agree on rules at the outset and Jonathan sticks to them. He responds immediately to Bran’s use of safewords and always makes sure he has the ability to “say” it – sometimes by use of a panic button or a red bandanna if he’s gagged.

Even though they set up the rules, it becomes clear over the course of the story, that Bran really didn’t know what he was getting into – yes he consents but he doesn’t understand at all the reasoning behind the actions Jonathan is taking. And, it’s clear (particularly at the beginning of the second book) that Jonathan realises that his initial approach was in error.

The writing is smooth and compelling – even when I was reading about things which made me uncomfortable as a reader, the story flowed so well and the characters were so interesting that I found the book very difficult to put down. And, it wasn’t the voyeuristic horror of a car wreck which made me not want to look away either. I surprised myself actually that I didn’t look upon it like that at all. I was still querying why? at the end of the book, but I didn’t feel that Jonathan crossed into villain/serial torturer territory. The parts of the book from his perspective, particularly toward the end, made it clear that he wasn’t getting much out of it because of Bran’s resistance and was using the more severe punishment as a way to make Bran give up and leave – to put them both out of their misery. Because, despite Bran’s resistance to what Jonathan is trying to do (and again, I can’t say I was anymore clued in on this than Bran), he will not quit. This idea of resisted consent intrigued me. The things Jonathan required of Bran were things he almost universally resisted – he wasn’t happy about kneeling naked on a cushion and keeping still for long stretches, being hand-fed, he wasn’t happy about daily enemas (Twitter tells me this could lead to lazy bowel so I did worry for Bran a little on this), he certainly wasn’t happy about being beaten, slapped or whipped. But, he did consent. He had the ability to make it all stop on a word (or a gesture if he was gagged) and he was free to leave at any time. And, I don’t think staying had as much to do with the $3 million as Bran perhaps thought. It seemed more about pride, a “you WILL NOT break me” kind of thing.

Of course, everyone has their breaking point.

One character I did not like was the housekeeper Sabrina. I didn’t really understand why she had so much power and authority over Bran. Jonathon I could understand (if I squinted a little) but Sabrina? No, And, I didn’t like her smugness about it either. It’s quite possible that there is something (else) about this total power exchange business that I’m missing when it comes to other people however.

What else? I started reading Awakening as soon as I finished Resistance. Awakening is a complete story with a distinct beginning, middle and end, but it is not their complete story. At the beginning of Awakening, Brandon tells Jonathan that he broke him and now he has to fix him and I felt the same way in my reading experience. Resistance is all about breaking down and Awakening (I hope) is about the rebuilding. I really don’t feel you can read one without the other and so I decided that the reviews had to be concurrent also.

I don’t expect that I will ever completely understand BDSM and I don’t think it’s for me outside of fiction but right now (and as I’m writing this, I am only a couple of chapters into the second book) I do feel like I just might be able to “get” it in a way I never have before, or at least almost – like something which is on the tip of your tongue. Also, now I think I need to read Master Class.

I couldn’t grade Resistance until after I finished Awakening either. For me, they are 2 essential halves with how much I enjoyed this book ultimately depending on what happens at the end of their story. (You might want to not give that last too much thought, as it doesn’t make a great deal of sense. Just go with it).

Grade: B

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Brandon McKinney is a man reborn. Newly awakened to the notion of consensual power exchange and the submissive urges inside him, he begs for a second chance from the man who opened his eyes to this world: Silicon Valley superstar Jonathan Watkins. But no birth is absent pain, and Brandon’s is no exception. He fears he’s not strong enough to see it through.

Jonathan knows better. He’s seen the iron core inside his new submissive, and the wounded heart inside him too. He means to teach Brandon to heal the one with the other. They have five months left on their contract, after all, and Jonathan has done more with less before.

It’s tough to stay objective, though, when you’re falling in love. Shame Brandon doesn’t feel the same. He’s only there for the three-million-dollar payout at contract’s end—a fact that Jonathan, nursing his own wounded heart, reminds himself of each day. For even as Brandon’s barriers break and his mind expands, even as he grows to love his place at Jonathan’s feet, he’ll never love life with a sadist—especially one who cannot escape the public eye.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): There is something about these characters which compels me. I can’t say that it’s the power exchange, although that may be part of it. I really think that is more of an adjunct than the reason however. I find myself thinking about them, pondering the how and the why like I do with any book whose characters blow me away. Even when they are confronting me, I want to spend more time with them.

This book is more about Jonathan and Bran’s emotional relationship than Resistance and the emphasis isn’t so much on the S/M part of proceedings, although there is some of that (clothes pegs – ouch!). The focus is much more on Bran’s growing ease and peace and acceptance – of himself and of what he shares with Jonathan.

Ultimately, I felt Awakening was somewhat less satisfying than the promise of the first book – while I preferred the emphasis on the emotional side of things in this book, the ending felt a little underdone to me and somewhere along the way, I lost my tenuous grasp on the “why” of it all. It’s quite possible (even probable) that I’ll never “get” it and certainly, these 2 books had me closer to understanding than I had been before, so there is that.

I understood that Bran found a great deal of peace and freedom in his relationship with Jonathan but I would have liked a little more of the how of their relationship once Bran has resumed his life outside of their one-on-one relationship. I think I fell down a little there in my understanding of how it all works.

There were a couple of things about which I was left curious by the end and, because I’m the type of reader who does like things tied up in a neat bow, I found myself niggled by the questions. For example, what happened with the swear jar? Was it re-set to 0 or did Bran take his punishment?

I also wondered whether Jonathan understood that Bran’s reaction to Solange was jealousy and if so, what he thought of it. That wasn’t addressed in the story and I would have liked to have known. It is apparent that Jonathan is bisexual – he was married to Susan for 5 years and he says he still has feelings of love for her; he obviously had some kind of sexual relationship with Solange. But he also said that when he was quite young, he realised that he preferred men. I wondered if Bran ever worried about this. If he did, it wasn’t mentioned in the story.

The biggest thing which felt somewhat undeveloped to me, was that Jonathan comes to the overt realisation about halfway through this book, that he and Bran are not compatible sexually – Bran is NOT a masochist – he does NOT like pain. Jonathan IS a sadist. He DOES like (other people’s) pain. He reflects that they cannot be for each other what each other needs. Obviously, he changes his mind and I admit I wanted him to do so, but I did not see enough of the how of that change in the text.

What else? I am glad I read these 2 books. I liked Jonathan and Bran and I enjoyed reading about their emotional journey, even though some of the physical aspects of the trip had me squinting my eyes a bit. I would happily have stayed in their world and learned more about them and how they manage their lives together. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters and – while I can’t say I “get” BDSM completely, if there is a continuum, then I think I have moved along it. The books took me outside my comfort zone in some ways but ultimately, at its heart, the story of Jonathan and Bran is a romance – a story of love, acceptance, courage and faith. If only there had’ve been a little more closure…. but perhaps it is a story I will re-read and perhaps in doing so, there will be gleanings I missed the first time around. I certainly hope to meet up with these characters again in the future.

Grade: B

Even though I found Awakening a little less satisfying than Resistance in some ways (but not in others – Awakening was definitely the more “romantic” of the two), I ended up with the same grade for both – the stories are so interdependent on one another, I felt I needed to grade Power Play as a whole.

Beautiful Mess by Lucy V. Morgan

September 5, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Jayne from Dear Author had a great review of this one. And, after I read that, realising I already had the book on my TBR I moved it on up to the top of the pile.

A review mainly in quotes: This cute funny short story is about Bailey, who lives with 3 male roommates (well, one doesn’t actually live there but he’s there so often he might as well) and what happens after her boyfriend of 2 years dumps her. The boys decide to cheer her up with some pizza and Jagermeister. As Bailey is a one pot wonder, before long she’s confessing that her ex never gave her an orgasm. The boys’ responses are hilarious. I had many laugh out loud moments in this one.

“It does take a while sometimes,” said Olly.

“But you have to find the buttons before you can push them, so to speak. Preferably before you get a hand cramp.”
“Or neck cramp,” said Tom.

“It’s better if you get some feedback. It’s like the videos me and Ol make.” Linc paused. “The better a reaction you get for the first bit, the more you enjoy doing the second bit, and then…”

“It does get dull if she’s not doing anything,” Olly cut in. “You’re like, ‘fucking hell, we‘re not doing the ironing!’”

and

“So what do you suggest I do, then?” I said finally. “Go out and molest men until I find one with your sexual prowess, Ol?”

“Oh God, I don’t know.” He rolled his eyes at me. “I mean, you might do all sorts of weird things like not let them go down on you, or you might not actually know where your clit
is.”

“Or sometimes it’s just too hairy and you wish that she’d wouldn’t let you,” Tom said glumly.

“I’m not a freak,” I muttered. “And I’m not that hairy either.”

“Not that hair is bad,” said Olly quickly,“just that nobody wants friction burns. Or to suddenly be transported to the Mongolian wilderness when she takes her knickers off.”

I loved the way the boys were portrayed – completely authentic, geeky and funny. I’m looking forward to Olly’s story which I believe is coming out soon. There are also some fun shorts and deleted scenes on the author’s website. It also has the best insult ever, vis: Tosspot wank-bastard fucktarded nonce captain

What else? The author is based in the UK and unlike my experience in Never Enough, the British idiom was spot on. The only thing I questioned was her use of the word “ow” for an exclamation of pleasure. Normally I see it used for pain. I’m not sure if that’s a British thing or a Lucy V. Morgan thing.

It’s only 52 pages so it’s easy to read in one sitting. And worth it. Did I mention it’s funny?

I mean, it’d been a week since I broke up with a guy who not only chewed my heart up and spat it out, but slowly re-ingested it so he could shit it on to crackers and feed it to parrots with attachment issues.

Grade: B+