Tag: NetGalley (Page 33 of 37)

Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly

December 29, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this one up from NetGalley, having heard a lot of good things about this author and the story sounded fun.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Her first thought: “Who are you?”

It’s the morning after her cousin’s bachelorette party in Vegas and Megan Scott wakes up with the mother of all hangovers. Even worse, she’s in a stranger’s penthouse having woken up with something else as well—a funny, arrogant, sexy…husband!

Up until now, finding even a boyfriend had seemed impossible—been there, got the broken heart, sworn off men for good. Then a few martinis with Carter…no, Connor Reed and she’s gone from first meet to marriage in one night!

Megan wants a lawyer. But Connor’s shocking bombshell?

“I don’t want a divorce.”

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Some of my Goodreads friends have read this one and looking at their reviews, it’s like they were reading a different book. Unfortunately, Connor and I got off on the wrong foot and we never recovered.

The story was well written and easy to read, with some stand out moments (one being the scene at the grocery store with Pete and immediately after at home with Connor) and some really good lines, like this one.

This guy had one of those slanted smiles going on. The kind so lazy only half of it bothered to go to work.

But, ultimately, I couldn’t get over what an asshole I thought Connor was. Which is odd, because I really don’t think of myself as a feminist, but his manner got on my last nerve.

Apart from that, I did have a little trouble buying into Connor’s idea of a partnership marriage, as opposed to a romantic one.

“If it’s not about love, then what?”

Connor gave her a satisfied grin. “All the vital components that make a relationship successful, without any of the emotional messiness to drag it down. It’s about respect, caring and commitment. Shared goals and compatible priorities. It’s about treating a marriage like a partnership instead of some romantic fantasy. It’s about two people liking each other.”

Connor’s definition also included fidelity and given that they had already demonstrated an abundance of passion between them, I was left thinking, well isn’t that love? And, why doesn’t he see that? He’s a smart guy. And then, he goes and contradicts himself, in order to convince her to give things a go.

“We’re good together, Megan. It’s not about glass slippers or fairy tales or love at any sight. It’s not about private schools or mutual goals or any of the other things we’ve talked about today. It’s about you and me fitting together. It’s about this feeling of rightness you told me about last night. The one I’ve had since I met you. And I keep seeing signs of it today. Tell me. Tell me you feel it too.

If I had liked Connor better, I think I would have been more able to roll with the plot which essentially was an excuse to get them together so the sparks could fly.

Connor is very definite in what he wants. He struck me as mercenary, calculating and extremely self-serving. I thought there might be some kind of redemption for him but after about 3/4 of the way through, I realised that the parts where I found him most annoying, was him being charming and seductive.

“WHAT IN THE HELL do you think you’re doing?” Megan demanded from the far side of the elevator where she stood, hands on hips, eyes boring into him like little embers of hell.

Connor snapped the picture from his phone then slipped the device back into his tux pocket before it ended up incinerated beneath his wife’s fiery glare, or more likely crushed beneath the spike of her sexy glass slipper.

“Documenting our first fight.”

For a moment, all the red-hot rage directed his way turned to utter shock, leaving her sputtering in a way he couldn’t deny he was getting a serious kick out of. But in a blink, she rocketed back to fury, leaning into the space between them, her voice going lethally low. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Come on, it’s something for the scrapbook. You’ll thank me later.”

“You know good and well I’m not talking about a picture.”

Yeah, he did. The way he knew taking a snap of her when she was this cranked up was probably a move just short of suicide, but like his decision to break his promise to her back in the club, it was one he wouldn’t regret.

In the example above, Connor has disregarded an agreement he made with Megan not to announce their wedding to her cousin on her own wedding day. Megan didn’t want to steal her cousin’s thunder. Connor agreed. But then he changed his mind. To add insult to injury, he treats her fury over his disregard of her wishes with amusement. And, here’s the condescension again “You’ll thank me later.” Um, no thanks.

I also didn’t like his judgment of women which was another thing prevalent in the book. Like this.

Connor had to have her.

His wife didn’t flaunt it for everyone to see—thank God—but she was the sexiest thing he’d ever laid eyes on.

(my emphasis)

He was always telling Megan what was best for her, manipulating her into agreeing with him, putting himself and his desires first.

What else? I’ll read this author again because I enjoyed the writing style and I think I would have liked the book a lot more if I had not developed a dislike of the hero. But, according to Goodreads, I’m something of an outlier, so YMMV.

Grade: C-

Trick of Time by JL Merrow

December 26, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this up from NetGalley as soon as I heard there was a new JL Merrow available.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) A lover from another time

When Ted Ennis steps out the doors of the Criterion Theatre for a cigarette and finds himself in Victorian London, he begins to doubt his sanity. At first he thinks it’s all a film set, and is sure that the strikingly handsome young man leaning against a lamppost must be the leading man…

What starts as a sordid transaction with a beautiful rent boy quickly turns into something much deeper, drawing him back again and again as he gets to know Jem and craves meaningful encounters with him.

But Ted doesn’t understand the exact conditions necessary for his trips through time—and for Jem, time may actually be running out. Now Ted has one last shot to get back to Jem and save their relationship, before it’s too late…

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This delightful story was a perfect evening’s read, coming in at just over 80 pages long. After spending some time on Twitter in the past few days talking about how writing short is a special talent and how, often in a shorter format, an established couple is going to work better for me to believe the HEA, this book comes along and shows me that in rare cases, it doesn’t have to be this way for me to enjoy it.

I think the time travel aspect of the book added to the fairy tale quality and that meant that I was more forgiving of the early connection and declarations of love.

I would have liked to have had more information about Ted’s injuries, his prognosis (mainly because I’m like that I think) but he had my full sympathies very early on and I was only too pleased that he found someone else to love.

I suppose Jem was a bit of a cipher – the story is told from Ted’s POV so we don’t get a lot of what’s going on in Jem’s head, but, in keeping with the fairy tale quality of the story, I was prepared to accept him at face value.

Which is odd don’t you think? If the story hadn’t been a time travel story but Ted just met up with a male prostitute outside the theatre in his own time, I don’t think it could have worked for me. But, this did.

I closed the book with a smile on my face and extra confidence in this author’s ability to always satisfy.

Grade: B

O Come All Ye Kinky, edited by Sarah Frantz

December 17, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this one up from NetGalley but Sarah Frantz had already whet my appetite with her Twitter stories of editing hijinks well before then.

Tree Topper by Jane Davitt – B- Stan and Martin have been together for a while but things have started to pall. Martin is an inexperienced Dom and thinks that is the reason Stan is pulling away. Things come to a head (pardon the pun) at Christmas when the men finally have a frank discussion and make a new plan. Essentially, the conflict was a big misunderstanding which is one of my least favourite tropes in romance. However, in a shorter format, that trope does tend to work a little better for me (less time for me to gnash my teeth) and while I find it frustrating, it seemed believable. When Martin took control (which fortunately was quite early on in the short story) and they began to talk and sort things out, the story became a lot more fun for me. But I’d keep Martin away from the duct tape myself. 🙂

‘Twas the Night by Ava March – B Set in 1820, Percy, a barrister’s clerk goes to visit Michael. Percy loves to submit and Michael gently challenges him to ask for what he wants. The story is sweet and sexy. I really liked how Michael got Percy to open up (pardon the pun) about what he wanted and how that led to both men being more forthcoming about their feelings.

Fireworks by Katie Porter- B- Rachel and Emma have been meeting regularly for two years but New Year’s Eve will be their last night together – Rachel is moving to Tokyo for a 2 year assignment and continuing their long distance relationship is not practical. Emma wants more but Rachel has refused. Rachel believes she is not long term relationship material; that eventually everyone will leave her, so she does the leaving first. I’ve not read very much f/f but I found this story to be sexy and enjoyable (albeit that the tongue biting was a bit ouchy for me) – which, given that I’m a hero-centric reader and there was nary a hero in sight in this story, says something. I did think that Rachel’s motivation for being so relationship averse was a bit underdeveloped and she did make a quick turnaround in the circumstances, but I think both of those things are probably more about the length of the format. What I did like especially, was the way it was shown that the pain in their sex play was a quite different pain to the emotional pain Emma was experiencing at the imminent death of their relationship – I’ve probably not worded that well, because it sounds so obvious reading it back, but I can’t come up with a better explanation I’m afraid.

Candy Caning by LA Witt – B Nate and Stephen have been together for a few years but Christmas is a time of tension because of Nate’s mother’s passive-aggressive viciousness. Stephen has lost his Christmas joy and Nate holds himself responsible – if he didn’t have to deal with Nate’s mother (“you can do better, Nathan”) Christmas wouldn’t be so stressful. Stephen is perhaps less bothered than Nate thinks but has picked up on Nate’s own misgivings and devises a clever kinky plan involving a very large candy cane (three feet long and thick as a cock) to take his mind off his problems. I thought the story did a good job of depicting the compromises we often have to make at Christmas – put up with someone whose company you don’t enjoy/who is actively hurtful and miss out on seeing other family or don’t see them at all? – and the sex was certainly very hot. The family issues aren’t ones that could be solved short of Nate’s mother disappearing off the face of the earth so the solution they reach isn’t perfect. But then, what is?

Submissive Angel by Joey W. Hill – A- I think this was the best of the stories in the anthology. Robert is a big burly former soldier, now the proprietor of a vintage toy shop. Six months earlier he had found Ange in the alley by his shop, the victim of an assault. Robert takes Ange to the hospital, offers him a place to stay and a job in the shop. Ange is sweet and shy, with an affinity for the vintage toys Robert loves and an almost magical knack for communicating with children and patrons of the store. For a little while I wondered if the story was going to take a paranormal turn (because of something Ange says early on about elves) but that wasn’t ever really developed. The story is deeply erotic and moving, with Ange’s quiet strength and submission reawakening Robert to life and love. (Robert had been grieving the death of his parents). I did have a little trouble picturing a big muscly guy wearing suspenders and a bow tie in a vintage toy shop but other than that, the word pictures conveyed in the story were lyrical and lovely. There was an atmosphere to the story which made it not so much arousing as erotic and somehow… sacred I guess is the word that comes to mind. After I finished the story, I realised there were some things left undeveloped (a casualty of the short format I think) but during the reading, it was just beautiful.

Open Return by Elyan Smith – B- Zach (formerly Hannah) returns home to confront ghosts from his past, and to see if anything can be salvaged from his relationship with Laura and Seth. The trio grew up together (I gather Laura was a kind of foster sister) and Laura and Seth both dominated (then) Hannah and Hannah loved it. However, Zach was dealing with issues involving his gender/identity and found it necessary to leave Illinois and he took off to Australia. I’m not sure exactly how Zach funded his transition from female to male (this wasn’t addressed in the story) – to be fair, there wasn’t really room for it, but I kind of felt a little behind, because most of the journey from Hannah to Zach was glossed over and what there was was only in flashback. It wasn’t something really discussed with Seth and Laura. However, there was much hotness between the trio and I found the sex scenes to be pretty hot (if a little drool-y) and I had no disconnect between Zach’s male identity and his vagina. I don’t know if I was expecting there to be but I noticed I didn’t have that reaction so I thought I’d mention it. It was only my second trans* romance so I’m hardly an aficionado of the genre but this one worked much better for me in terms of the romantic aspects and I felt the gender and sexual identities of the players were well defined, regardless of what body parts were/were not present. I wonder if a longer format would have been better though because it seemed there was too much to cover in this story – the ending seemed a little abrupt and while there was an HFN, there was much left unresolved I felt.

Ring Out the Old and In the New by Alexa Snow – B+/A- Two months prior to the start of this story, Evan was mugged on the (London) Tube and suffered a severe facial laceration. He’s understandably traumatised and he’s extremely sensitive about his scar. He was an artist’s model prior to the assault and his physical appearance is something he based much of his self worth on. On the one hand, I thought that maybe Evan’s extreme sensitivity to his scar was more about the trauma because he didn’t come across as particularly vain and on the other, I’d probably be pretty upset about a significant facial scar so what do I know. Russell, Evan’s long time partner and Dom, has been treading carefully around Evan since the attack, but in this story, Russell tries a different approach – directing Evan to tell him things and thus allowing Evan some relief in submission. I thought this was beautifully portrayed actually. This story came a close second (pardon the pun) to being my favourite in the anthology. Again, it had an atmosphere of gentle melancholia, great love and sensuality which really got to me.

His Very Last Chance by Kim Dare – B Kingsley overheard his sub, Drew talking on Christmas Eve and found out that Drew doesn’t think he’s romantic or particularly in touch with his feelings. Kingsley plans a special New Year’s Eve to show Drew just how romantic he can be. Drew however, thinks that he has to prove himself to Kingsley on this night (that the last chance of the title is his) and is terrified that he’s going to blow it. Drew’s realisation during the story of his own deep feelings for Kingsley was a bit of a surprise – I kind of thought he would have known that already and it’s the big misunderstanding again which I generally don’t love. However, what was very clever and sexy about the story was the way Kingsley made traditionally romantic (and sappy) things into kinky sex toys. Although I will say rose thorns and penises ought never meet IMO!

Overall: Apart from all having BDSM aspects, the other thing all these stories have in common is that all of the couples are established. I think short stories work better when the couples start off together and it certainly worked here. All of the stories were enjoyable, a couple of them exceptional in my opinion and they were certainly all very kinky.

Grade: B

The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry

December 4, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this one up from NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The best thing between Oliver Barrett and Mackenzie Williams is a fence. Ever since Oliver’s new-neighbor gestures were met with unfriendly responses, he’s decided to keep his distance. After all, he’s in this seaside town to get his life on track again. That doesn’t include working hard to get on Mackenzie’s good side—no matter how intriguing she may be.His intentions are put to the test, however, when his dog becomes infatuated with hers. The two crafty canines do their best to break down the barriers between the properties. And where the dogs gowell, the humans must follow! It doesn’t take long for a powerful attraction to build between Oliver and Mackenzie. They soon discover that the worst of first impressions can lead to the best possible outcomes.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Oliver is a darling. His soon-to-be ex-wife is mad. I mean, really. Oliver is gorgeous, successful, kind, sexy, loving – he can even sing and play guitar – why would any reasonable woman cheat on him with Mr. Toxic-Ex? But that’s what she does. Lucky for Mackenzie that Oliver’s on the market again.

Mackenzie doesn’t make a good first impression (or second or third for that matter), coming across as very rude and scary. But she is actually not rude or scary and once she let’s “nice Mackenzie” out, Oliver soon finds himself deeply in like and mentally lusting over his new friend. I liked how it became clear over the course of the story that Mackenzie probably was a lot closer to “rude and scary” pre-accident than by the time she met Oliver – her old life doesn’t fit her anymore. Oliver, very astutely, encourages her to see that things have to be different now – fighting to get back to what was was not really possible – searching for a what–can–be was a better option. And, I liked that very much about the book. Trauma, any significant trauma changes you. As you gather scars and bruises and pains (and joys for that matter), they leave indelible marks which become turning points in the journey – but there is no going back (however much we might wish it from time to time). There is an implicit acknowledgement and understanding of that in the book and that, I think is its strength. There is encouragement (without sappiness) that life goes on (but adjustments are necessary) and life can be good and joyful even after things have truly sucked – even if they’re different than expected. (While everyone knows that sometimes life just continues to suck, this is a romance novel and there‘s no way you’d get a HEA out of that and who’d want to read it anyway?).

I liked the main characters being somewhat older and I liked that children or the lack of them wasn’t an issue in the book. By the time the book ends, I suppose that Mackenzie and Oliver could still pursue that if they wanted to but it wasn’t the focus of the book and there is no baby epilogue here. I guess readers are free to imagine whatever future they see as bright and happy but I thought the ending was pretty good just where it was. I was glad of the epilogue though, because Oliver was only 5 months into what was going to be a messy divorce when he first meets Mackenzie and (as the book acknowledges) he is still pretty messed up. I needed to see a glimpse of them after they’d whethered those storms.

Also, truly cute dogs.

What else? My difficulty with the book comes from my own background in the workers compensation industry. I had a whole thing about why but then I realised that it was REALLY BORING. For the purposes of the story, I could go with it, but my OCD did kick in a little. However, for everyone else, who doesn’t have my career background, it won’t make any difference.

The author clearly knows about tv production though – that aspect of the book was interesting and felt very authentic. Also, she totally made me Google Mary De Garis (who is a real person).

Favourite Quote: “I promise you that your heart will always be safe with me. Always.“

Grade: B

Red Hot Holiday anthology by KA Mitchell, Leah Braemel & Anne Calhoun

November 26, 2012 / Kaetrin

Wish List by KA Mitchell

Blindfolds. Handcuffs. Submission.

There’s so much Jonah Kendrick hasn’t tried, and so much he wants to explore. But just before Christmas he finds a ring box in his boyfriend’s desk. Jonah panics. He loves Evan and their sex is hot, but how can Jonah be ready for forever, when there are so many items on his Naughty Bucket List? Desires that might drive Evan away.

Evan’s noticed Jonah has been distant. His usually talkative and cheerful boyfriend is preoccupied. The seemingly straitlaced Evan stumbles across Jonah’s wish list of sexual kinks, and Evan realizes he may not have to hide his true nature from Jonah after all. The Dom in him wants to see Jonah on his knees, begging, submitting, but Evan isn’t sure Jonah’s ready to accept what being Evan’s sub would mean.

The two lovers must figure out how to share their hidden desires with each other before their secrets permanently damage their love.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I love KA Mitchell stories. I like her style, the way she writes sex scenes (and speaking of, in this book – whoa baby!) and the humour in her stories. This one wasn’t quite as successful for me as other books, mainly because the conflict was the “big Mis” which is one of my least favourite tropes in the history of tropes. I don’t get why people just can’t talk to each other. Of course, if Jonah and Evan had‘ve actually communicated, there would have been no reason for the story… but still. I liked it but big misunderstandings aren’t my favourite.

Favourite Quote:

Maybe Jonah would never be able to say for sure if the flashing lights in his eyes were because he’d finally seen the ball drop in Times Square, or afterimages burned onto his retina from coming so hard he’d broken something in his head.

Ahh, KA Mitchell, you certainly do have a way with words. 🙂

Grade: B-

I Need You for Christmas by Leah Braemel

Ryan Porter is a sculptor, and beneath his callused hands, even the most rigid metals bend to his will. So, too, does his girlfriend Megan—a confident, strong woman who delights in submitting to Ryan’s dominance in the bedroom.

Megan is a Mountie, and she’s spent the past few years in the arctic following her career dreams. Family obligations kept Ryan at home, but their love survived the distance thanks to several hot visits. A Mountie always gets her man, and Megan is bound and determined to keep Ryan.

Now Megan’s with Ryan for the holidays…but how long will this visit last? She’s always been willing to do anything Ryan desires, but will he finally tell her that all he needs for Christmas is her?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This was my first Leah Braemel novella. I believe I may have one of her other books on my TBR and if this is typical of her writing, then I think I’ll be reading more of her.

You’d think, given what I said above about the KA Mitchell story, that the miscommunication in this story would have bothered me – but it didn’t. I think it was that it was more of a gimmick and a fun secret, deliberately kept from one another as a surprise. And, it demonstrated that each of them was fully committed to their relationship and willing to make sacrifices for it. Ryan and Megan have been doing the long distance relationship thing for a very long time. I felt for them, being separated for long stretches. I respected them for being faithful to each other and for the choices they made at the times they made them. I liked how Ryan didn’t expect Megan to give up her dreams for him. I also liked that Megan felt the same way about Ryan. And the sex was very hot. This couple had a connection and it was noticeable right from the start. I always think novellas have a head start when the couple is established from page 1 and this whole anthology is proof of why actually.

Grade: B

Breath on Embers by Anne Calhoun

Christmas is the perfect time for Firefighter Ronan O’Rourke to take things to the next level with his sexually adventurous girlfriend. He knows she has feelings for him—and he’s sure of his feelings for her—but when Thea refuses his invitation to sample Christmas in New York City because what they share is nothing more than sheet-burning sex, Ronan sets out to change her mind.

Deep down Thea Moretti knows she cares for Ronan, but she can’t move past her grief over her late husband. Loud music and sex with Ronan are the only things she’s got that her feel alive, so she takes as much of both as she can get. She knows Ronan wants more, but during the darkest time of the year finding her way won’t be easy.

Ronan gambles everything and challenges Thea: one night of passion with him and another man. Can he prove to her that what they share isn’t just great sex but an emotional connection strong enough to last forever?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): The mood of this story was quite different from the other two novellas. This is more serious and bittersweet. Thea is struggling with grief after the death of her husband. She feels numb and that there is a void within. She fills that void with loud metal music and sex with Ronan but she believes she is unable to feel anything and so cannot commit to more. Of course, it isn’t that she can’t feel, but rather that she chooses not too – partly out of habit and partly out of fear. Ronan is no stranger to grief and is very patient with Thea while at the same time wanting more from her and pushing, little by little to get it. The menage scene was pretty sexy and it made sense in the context of the story too. Bonus.

The bit where the wall between Thea and her feelings comes down was very moving and I even got a bit teary. A rare thing in an erotic novella, for me anyway. I’d read Liberating Lacey by this author before so I knew she was a good writer and I had been looking forward to this story. It has a happy ending of course, but I wouldn’t call it a happy story – it is, essentially about grief. I liked that it wasn’t all hearts and flowers and I liked that Ronan was patient and kind and sexy as all get out. Plus – firefighter. Rowr.

Grade: B

Another strong Christmas anthology from Carina press. I recommend. 🙂

Overall Grade: B

Men of Smithfield: Adam and Holden

November 10, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this one up from NetGalley. I have enjoyed the others in this series and I like LB Gregg’s writing style.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Holden Worthington’s globetrotting days are over. Once the host of a popular adventure show, he hasn’t ventured past his own front door in more than a year. Then the arrival of a sexy new gardener sparks something Holden hasn’t felt in a very long time—an interest in the world outside his window.

Holden tries to resist the attraction. But painfully shy yet definitely interested Adam Morgan has Holden longing to conquer his debilitating anxiety and live again. After a grisly discovery on the grounds of the estate, the town of Smithfield turns a suspicious eye on the reclusive Holden—and the two men must trust in each other to bring the truth out in the open.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): LB Gregg has a quirky writing style which mostly suits me I think. Even though her characters are very different from book to book and series to series, there is an overarching authorial style which bleeds through. The style is simple and direct and easy to read and funny, sometimes in unexpected ways which make me back up and re-read to fully appreciate it.

The dog gave a miniature bark. “I need to take the dog out,” my brother said as if he owned a dog.

“Holden, I got a dog.”

I suppose that Adam has Aspberger’s syndrome but it isn’t explicitly spelled out. He has difficulty reading social cues and this has made it challenging for him to be openly gay as misunderstandings can lead to fist fights. What it did though, was force Holden to be direct and specific so that Adam clearly understood his message. (I actually heard someone on a podcast recently suggest that all men would benefit in being spoken to as if they had Aspberger’s because it would stop a lot of misunderstandings). Adam wasn’t weak though – it is Holden who can’t leave the house. It made for a nice balance between them and gave an opportunity to show Adam as being strong and smart when he was the younger (by 16 years) and less experience partner. Because both of them had their weaknesses, I found it easier to believe they would also see each other’s strengths and the age difference would therefore not have a huge impact. I think if Holden hadn’t been agoraphobic he could easily have seen Adam as less than equal. As it was, he was forced to acknowledge his own weakness and Adam’s greater ability in that area and that evened things out I think.

I like how the Men of Smithfield series is only loosely linked – you could really read any one of the books out of order and miss nothing of any significance. Trooper Tony Gervase only appears when he has a job to do in the story and there are no cameos without a plot driven reason, which is nice to see.

The mystery made sense and had a satisfying ending and by the end of the book, I was confident that Holden had started to get a handle on his agoraphobia and would eventually be able to enjoy life outside even if I wasn’t convinced he would ever be a world traveller again. The story does take place over only a few days so there is a bit of suspension of disbelief necessary to accept the mutual “I love you” exchanged so early, but I was prepared to go with it.

I don’t quite have a picture in my head of how big Smithfield is but I hope it has a large gay populations because I’d love to read more stories set here.

What else? There was one thing I found a bit difficult to reconcile. Holden describes himself during the course of the book as a gay man who “flames” and also as a “rugged and manly” man. He also doesn’t like gay men who “swish”. I thought flaming and being swishy were version of the same thing but I’m no expert on the subject. I can’t quite get my head around a rugged flamer combo. This made it a little difficult to get a handle on Holden actually. I felt my mental piture of him was unclear. It’s a small niggle really I guess and I did enjoy the book even if the whole romance was tremendously fast.

Grade: B