Tag: NetGalley (Page 36 of 37)

June Reads

July 3, 2012 / Kaetrin

on Paper/eBook

NB This review first appeared in the ARRA June newsletter which is distributed to ARRA members.

Gateway to Heaven by Beth Kery – B- First published in 2008, I picked this up as a Kindle freebie recently. Christian Lasher is a rock star who’s looking to take his career in a different direction. He meets art teacher and sculptor, Megan Shreve and is instantly captivated by her. She’s different to anyone he’s ever met before and she doesn’t know who he is. Because he doesn’t think she’d go for the “rock god” thing, he keeps it from her so she can get to know him without the hype. Megan is over protected by her sister Hilary, who gives her all the dirty gossip about Christian PDQ. When Megan was 3 years old, she was abused by the husband of her daycare provider and even though she can’t remember those events, they have affected her ever since. Hence her sister’s over protectiveness. But Megan isn’t as fragile as Hilary believes and Christian wants her to chart her own course and not be held in kid gloves. There is a bit of the on again/off again between Christian and Megan – a few times there I was kind of surprised that she was apologising – especially when it was Christian being the ass. There is kind of early shades of Bared To You and similar books in the dynamic between them – although, not quite as obsessive. I enjoyed the chemistry between Megan and Christian and found this one an easy, fast read. At the end, even though I believed in their HEA, I would have liked to have more about what their lives would be like – what did she end up doing with her career etc. I do like Beth Kery’s writing and I think this is one of her earlier works. It does kind of show – I think her writing has become more polished since then. But, I did like this one.

Beginnings and Ends by Suzanne Brockmann – see my full review here. The short version? Very disappointing.

A Different Kind of Forever by Dee Ernst – B I picked this one up after seeing a positive review of it at Dear Author . This is an older woman/younger man story – Diane is 45, divorced and a mother of 3 teenage girls. Michael “Mickey Flynn” Carlucci is 26 and a rock star – singer/songwriter, keyboard and guitar player in the band NinetySeven. Michael was all but raised by his older sisters and in Diane he has found someone who finally compares favourably with them – his womanly ideal.

I could certainly understand their attraction to each other, even if I did wonder occasionally how long it would last. But, as Michael himself says:

“Forever, Diane. I will love you forever.”

She looked at him. “Michael, think about what you’re saying. You and I will never grow old together. You know that. There is no forever with us.”

“Of course there is,” he said softly. “We aren’t like everybody else, you and I. You know that. We’ll have a different kind of forever.”

Michael and Diane have the sweetest meet cute that I have read in a long time – involving a big dog who loves pastrami. He falls for her pretyt much instantly even though she doesn’t believe him really. Early in their relationship, she asks him how many times he’s been in love. This is his response:

He thought. “Three times. My first great love was Theresa Milano. She moved next door to us when I was in the third grade. She was in public school, and I was in Catholic school, but I was determined to make it work. I proposed to her half-way through the fourth grade, but she had become infatuated with a shortstop. She broke my heart. But we stayed friends. She’s an intern now, at Columbia Medical School. I still see her.”

“How sweet.”

“There was an actress. We dated for about a year. Then I stopped touring and we lived together for six months. All that togetherness was a big mistake.” He sipped more wine. “And then there was a week ago Tuesday.”

*sigh* I did like Michael. A lot.

In the end, Dabney and I give this the same grade, although I think we had different things we liked/disliked about it. I did notice some typos and grammatical errors and there were a couple of references which dated the book to an earlier work (as it says in the front). But, there was something so compelling about the passion and connection between Michael and Diane. I grade with my emotions, so it gets a B. I did wonder how they would be in 20 years, but Michael was quite right in point out that life is precarious and either of them could get sick, get hit by a bus etc, way before age became an issue – I could get with the idea of living for now and worrying about tomorrow when/if it comes but still – 19 years is a big gap. I was seriously worried toward the end (even though I knew there was a HEA) which says much about the writer’s ability to suck me in. There is much unresolved at the end of the book and it has a very abrupt ending – like Dabney, I could have used an epilogue checking in in a year or so to round of my experience.

The Cool Part of His Pillow by Rodney Ross – C When I browse NetGalley, I search by genre – specifically, romance. So I thought this book was a romance about a guy whose husband has died. But it wasn’t a romance. The book tracks a year in the life of Barry Grooms, from the day before his 45th birthday, to his 45th birthday (the day on which his husband Andy dies) to his 46th birthday. This book is a book about Barry’s journey in grief and him getting to a place where he feels he can move on, at least, when the book ended, I thought that’s where he was supposed to be. I wasn’t 100% sure he was quite there yet. He has other difficulties and tragedies in the year of the book and it brought me to tears a couple of times. But, I’m a romance reader and the reason I persisted with the book was that I thought there would be a romance. Then, after 300 pages of the 330 odd page book, I thought maybe he’d just meet someone at the end and it could be a vaguely hopeful happy ending. But alas. So, I’ve graded it as a romance reader. I would not have chosen to read the book had I known it wasn’t a romance. That’s my reading preference talking and not really a reflection of the book. There are many great non-romance books out there I choose not to read every day, for the same reason. In terms of this book, there were parts of it that were very moving and well written and parts of it that I found confusing, with references I didn’t understand and which were inadequately explained – like I was not in on the joke. The first part of the book, where Barry is snippily describing all his friends and his horrible nicknames for them predisposed me to think he was a bit of a dick actually. I did believe that he and Andy had a strong connection, but truthfully, in the book itself there weren’t many flashbacks which showed me this – mostly the kind of things Barry shares are neutral or negative. But, the real and pervasive grief that Barry suffers shows me that there was more to that relationship and I would have liked to have seen a couple of scenes of very happy times to balance out the other. I’m not sure what I would have graded this had I gone in with only a “gay fiction” tag. Possibly around the same. But, be warned, this is not a romance. There is no HEA, there is no relationship – this is a stroy about Barry getting over the death of his spouse and moving on. But, it did make me cry, so there is that.

Party of Three by Daire St. Denis – see my full review here. This is the one with the TATTOOED PEEN.

One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and M.J. O’Shea – see my full review here.

Brook Street: Thief by Ava March – C+ The first in Ms. March’s Brook Street Trilogy, Thief follows the story of Lord Benjamin Parker and Cavin Fox. Ben is fairly sure he’s gay but he’s never had sex with a man and wants to give it a go to make sure once and for all. He heads to Clements, a gaming hell, where he’s heard that men of a certain persuasion gather. There, he meets Cavin Fox and is instantly smitten. Cavin is the thief of the title. He lives in the rookeries and has an Oliver Twist/Fagin like relationship with Hale – if he doesn’t bring back sufficient funds, he’s punished. Cavin is also very close to 13 year old Sam, also a protege of Hale’s and has virtually raised him for the past few years. The story is sweet and sexy and enjoyable but I found myself questioning how ‘easy’ it all seemed to be. Cavin is the first man Ben has ever been with. They don’t spend much time together at all before Ben is opening his home, his wallet and anything else he has, to Cavin. Even after Cavin confesses his nefarious past, this doesn’t faze Ben at all. The solution was one I wondered about too – it seemed very unequal to me and I wondered how long it would be satisfactory – or, would Cavin eventually feel like a whore, bound by obligation and the need for a roof over his head rather than true feeling? Perhaps I’m reading too much into this short story. It’s certainly enjoyable but I found it to have a certain fairytale quality to it.

Sharing Hailey by Samantha Anne King – see my full review here.

The Girl with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir – C+ This cute novella is mostly from the perspective of the cat (Max). Sick of seeing his owner Melody with losers, Max decides to find her a mate himself. After venturing outside his backyard, he follows a homeless man to a shelter where he meets Joe. He likes Joe and thinks he will be suitable for Melody. It’s cute and sweet and written in a simple style entirely appropriate to a cat’s perspective. There are some portions from Joe and Melody’s perspective as well to round things off. Enjoyable but I didn’t love it as much as Sunita and Jayne did at Dear Author.

Bound to You by Bethany Kane (aka Beth Kery) – B Sexy short story about a blind man who knows what to do with his hands (and his mouth). Rowr. John Corcoran is holidaying in his cabin in the woods. Out for a walk, he hears Hollywood actress/singer Jennifer Turner singing as she hikes. Knowing there are sinkholes off the trail, he follows. Both of them fall into a sinkhole and are stuck there overnight until rescue can arrive. Jennifer (for reasons which are explained later in the story) has a pathological fear of the dark and John helps keep her, ahem, occupied. Mandi from Smexybooks recommended and I picked it up after hearing from her that this was a dirty story about filling dirty holes 😀

Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker – see my full review here.

Convenient Strangers by Cara McKenna – C Sexy short about 2 guys both down after recent break ups. They hook up for the night and the story ends with the hopeful prospect that they’ll see each other again. These guys also talk a lot about their exes and that wasn’t particularly sexy to me, particularly for an erotic short which focuses only on one night. I know from listening to the Savage Lovecast that gay men have an advantage sexually over straight people – they’re used to asking “what are you into?” – Stephen and Adam do that here and I appreciated their negotiation and openness. However, there was so much of it, that I found the sex strangely transactional – which is odd when I compare that to Curio (which I loved), where the sex was transactional (bought and paid for) but didn’t seem that way on the page.

Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey – see my full review here.

The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts – C+ I reviewed this on for the ARRA blog. I’ll provide a link when it’s up

Restraint by Charlotte Stein – B Mandi from Smexy Books recommended this one in a recent post and as it was only 99c from Amazon I immediately went and bought it. As it is a fairly short story and I was between books at the time, I immediately went and read it. It’s a sexy short about dirty talking Mallory who goes on holiday with her two best friends. Another friend is invited but unfortunately, Artie and Mallory dont’ get along. She thinks he hates her because of her potty mouth. After a revealing conversating in the hot tub, Mallory realises that it’s not dislike at all that Artie is feeling. Very sexy short read and well worth my 99c. Thx Mandi!

A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready – See my full review here.

The Virgin’s Revenge by Dee Tenorio – See my review here.

Still Into You by Roni Loren – B This is a sexy short which is described as book 1.5 of the Loving on the Edge series but it reads easily as a standalone. Seth and Leila have been married for 8 years but have fallen into routine and rut and are not feeling connected anymore. Seth overhears Leila on talkback radio asking for help after she’d been tempted to cheat and realises that desperate times call for desperate measures. He takes her away for a long weekend to “The Ranch” a sex fantasy resort where anything goes to try and revitalise their connection and save their marriage. The sex scenes were certainly very hot and enjoyable (*fans self*) but I particularly liked that issues about jealousy and communication were covered and that the story was about rebooting their relationship and not just an excuse for a lot of sex scenes. Seth’s job is one of the barriers in their relationship – he works very long hours chasing after a promotion which will mean he can finally afford the house Leila wants and he believes she should have (she comes from money, he does not). However, this aspect of the story was left unfinished – while I thought Seth was going to make a change, the reader wasn’t told what that would be and that loose end was left dangling in the wind. I did believe that Seth and Leila were well on the path to saving their marriage and I appreciated that the the book didn’t pretend that one weekend would fix everything. And, did I say the sex scenes were hot? This is my first Roni Loren book but I think I will be checking out more from this author.

Overseas by Beatriz Williams – B I reviewed this book for ARRA and will post a link to the blog post when it goes live. This was a book I really wanted to read and Heather at ARRA was kind enough to approach the publisher to get a review copy for ARRA (and thus, me!) and I very much appreciated her efforts. Thank you Heather! 🙂 When I finished, I didn’t quite know what to make of it. I was kind of “I liked it, but…” Now, I’m finding that the more I think about this book, the more I like it. Weird.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry – B+/A- Full review to come. ETA: here it is.

Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone – B- This is my second male prostitute book. I liked Curio better but this one explores different aspects so they can’t really be directly compared I don’t think apart from the obvious. Sara’s attitudes bothered me from time to time – she was pretty uptight and uncompromising. On the other hand, Ryan wanted to stop being a prostitute so maybe her ultimatum is what he needed. There were things I wish were further explored in the book and I did wonder why Ryan couldn’t just save his money and then leave town and set up somewhere else – surely Catherine doesn’t have an unlimited reach? Those aspects lessened my enjoyment of the story somewhat but I did otherwise like it.

Easy by Tammara Webber – A Excellent book. Full review to come. If you’re not usually a YA reader, don’t let that tag put you off. The main characters are 18/19 and 21/22 and the romance is fully satisfying. I’m not a big YA reader but I’m so glad I went outside what I thought my comfort zone was because it is a great book. And really, apart from the YA tag, not outside my comfort zone at all as it turns out.
ETA: Review is up – here it is.

Holiday Secrets by Jill Sorenson (from Risky Christmas anthology) – C+ Good story but it felt a little rushed, like too much was being fit into the short word count. It had the effect of making it seem a little staccato. I liked the characters though. I think a longer length suits this author better.

Surrender by Pamela Clare – B- The author has recently put out an extended mix of this book but I read the original. It’s one of her earlier books and I think it shows a bit, as her later books are more polished and I think, more tightly plotted. I did like this book and plan on reading the others in the series – the historical setting of the war between the British and the French in America is a fascination for me. Even though Jamie and Clare were at Fort Ticonderoga much later, when I read this book I did think it did put me in mind of the Outlander series. I’m afraid Jamie is the winner in that hero battle for my money. Hands down.

on Audio

If You Hear Her, If You See Her and If You Know Her (Ash Trilogy) by Shiloh Walker, narrated by Cris Dukeheart – C I reviewed the trilogy for AAR and my full review is in this Speaking of Audiobooks column.

The Convenient Marriage (abridged) by Georgette Heyer, narrated by Richard Armitage – A- A delightful farce about a young woman who persuades the Earl of Rule to take her to wife instead of her older sister (who is in love with another man). There is a wonderful subtext especially from the Earl and Richard Armitage brings it to life. The story dragged a little toward the end when I just wanted Horatia and Marcus to have a conversation and sort it all out but otherwise, I was charmed. In hindsight, I suppose I didn’t really know why the Earl fell in love with Horatia and why (apart from the general – he’s rich, handsome and charming) she fell for him. Perhaps that’s in the unabridged version? In any event: Richard Armitage. Say no more.

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley, narrated by Carolyn Bonnyman – See my full review here.

The Bride by Julie Garwood, narrated by Roslyn Landor – C+ I have a confession to make. This is my first Julie Garwood. I’m actually reading her latest romantic suspense right now and I have a few of her other historicals on my TBR but this is my very first. I have to say that it was enjoyable enough but was a fairly standard “Highlander romance” – it was not enhanced by the narration I’m afraid. Landor is not my favourite narrator. Her heroes all sound really old, stuffy and blustery – she deepens her voice and out comes an old windbag. Adding a Scottish accent actually helped in this case because it muted the old and stuffy and as Alec is full of bluster, it worked better for me. I’ve tried Landor 3 times now. She won an Audie this year for her narration of Susanna Kearsley’s The Winter Sea so she has plenty of fans. I wouldn’t not listen to a book because she was the narrator – probably. But there’d be a definite hesitation.

Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey

June 19, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’m a fan of Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski series. I think she writes really good, fun, sexy contemporaries. I picked this one up at NetGalley in the Editor’s Choice Vol 1 edition. I’m not sure if/when I’ll get to the other stories – the main reason for my interest was this novella.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Anna Frazier is used to living life at 100 mph, but being downsized out of a job in the financial industry has her permanently stalled. With nowhere to go, go, go, Anna hails a cab to her grandparents’ neglected New Hampshire camp to plan her next move. It seems like a good idea—until she realizes there’s no takeout to be had and the boy next door has grown into a sexy but surly recluse.

Cameron Mayfield knows he can kiss his peace and quiet goodbye when Hurricane Anna blows in. She was loud and bossy as a ten-year-old—and besides developing some attractive curves, she hasn’t changed. Cam’s not looking for a relationship, especially not with a woman like Anna. He nearly broke down on that road once before. So why can’t he stop thinking about her?

It’s not long before their sizzling attraction leads to smoking-hot kisses. But as the days get shorter, Anna must decide if she’s found a new road to happiness, or just taken a detour.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’m a hero-centric reader and I think Shannon Stacey writes excellent contemporary heroes. They’re realistic. They talk and act like men – they hate shopping and dithering over which plants to buy (flowers are flowers after all) or which particular shade of white to paint a window trim. They’re also funny and sexy and good guys. Cam has withdrawn from the rat race after seeing it kill his father. It cost him his marriage but he’s found peace at Askaskwi Lake and he’s not going back to that “gotta-get-ahead-no-matter-what” world.

Anna is all fast paced, making lists and being busy and Cam has to teach her to relax and take a break. She’ll probably never be as good as it as he is but she does appreciate the absence of gastric discomfort that being away from her high stress job brings. However, she’s also worked very hard to get where she is and she doesn’t want to just walk away from a career she’s put so much effort into and in which, as it happens, she excels. For all that Anna is a high maintenance lady (just as well Cam is a handyman – ha, geddit! :D), she is not a bitch. She’s capable and smart and busy but she’s also kind and a bit lonely.

Cam and Anna’s initial reaction to each other is a bit oil/water and it is NOT helped by the fact that she is a Yankees fan and he’s Boston Red Sox all the way. (It’s a bit like the Crows and the Power here – random AFL reference – I gather). Regardless of Cam’s baseball allegiance, there’s plenty about him she can appreciate:

…while she was, in fact, watching a shirtless Cam Mayfield swing a hammer. And what a view it was, all tanned flesh and rippling muscles. She should probably feel guilty about using his body as her entertainment, but she didn’t have cable.

I enjoyed the banter between the two. It felt real and adult while at the same time being funny and sexy and showing the genuine open affection between them.

Cam stared blankly at the menu in his hand, his mind on everything but the food choices. He’d kissed her. In the paint section of a home-improvement warehouse, no less. Classy.

“I’m having a cheeseburger,” Anna said. “With fries smothered in vinegar and salt.”

“I told you I wouldn’t kiss you again. You don’t have to poison your mouth.”

“Very funny. What are you having?”

“Something with onions and garlic.”

And, there’s this:

He wasn’t a cuddler or a spooner, preferring to sleep on his opposite side…

At last! From a vox pop of my friends and family, this is actually pretty common outside romance novels (it certainly is in my house) so it was nice to see a romance hero who likes his own space in the bed.

The couple reach a reasonable compromise in the end, which I believe will satisfy both of their needs without either having to give up what is essential to them. I loved that.

I could happily have read a full length story featuring these two and I did feel that the end was somewhat rushed. I also thought Anna’s reaction to Cam’s confession of love was a bit odd – almost like she didn’t hear him when he said “I love you Anna”. But these are small niggles in an otherwise delightful fun and sexy book. I recommend. 🙂

What else? I learned that “camp” is a New England term for a holiday cabin used mainly either for snow or in the summer – what we Australians call a “shack”. See, you really do learn stuff from romance novels! 🙂 Now, if someone would tell me what “steak tips” are….

Grade: B+

Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker

June 17, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: Jane from Dear Author tweeted the other day that she was enjoying In Rides Trouble, the second book in this series. I requested it and this one from NetGalley. Of course, being me, I started on book 1.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) He’s the bad boy she’s always wanted…

Nate “Ghost” Weller has loved Ali Morgan nearly half his life. But he’s done something so heinous he’s convinced she’ll never forgive him if she discovers the truth, so he keeps his feelings and his secrets to himself. Then she blows into town with a mother lode of bad guys on her tail and Nate can’t deny she’s in serious trouble. Unfortunately, he’s the only one who can help her.

She’s the good girl he’s kept at arm’s length…

Ali knows Nate as the most solemn, aloof man on the planet. Sadly, he’s also the sexiest. For years she’s avoided him, unable to stomach his dark scowls and brooding silences… especially when she secretly yearns for his touch. Now she must rely on him to save her from the malevolent shadows ghosting her every move. When the bullets explode, so does their passion. But can love really conquer all? Or are some things just too terrible to forgive?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): This is a fast paced, spec-ops group types series, very much in the vein of Tara Janzen’s Steele Street (Crazy) series (except with bikes not cars) or Cindy Gerard’s BOI’s. Lots of over the top alpha male action – both romantically and in terms of plot. A certain suspension of disbelief is required to buy into the super seekrit spec-ops group disguised as a custom bike facility, but really, if you’re not prepared for that, why would you even pick up the book?

The book starts off when Nate delivers the news to Ali of her brother Grigg’s death. Because they are spec-ops of course, he can’t tell her the truth about the circumstances. Nate is haunted by the death because (and I don’t think this is a spoiler as it’s revealed fairly early on) he was the one who had to finally put a merciful end to Grigg’s life after some horrific torture meant the choices were only between a long, agonising death or a quick one at the hands of his best friend. Nate doesn’t believe that Ali, if she knew the truth, could ever forgive him for that and he cannot forgive himself. Essentially that is the main internal conflict between the two.

The external conflict is around Ali being followed, her place being broken into and being mugged – someone is looking for something from her – she believes (correctly) that it’s linked to Grigg’s mysterious work (she knows he’s not just a custom bike specialist) and goes to Black Knight Inc for aid, where she meets up with Nate and the rest of the team. There follows a road trip, hit men and plenty of explosions, with a couple of steamy interludes until the villain gets his comeuppance and the man gets the girl.

Some of the writing didn’t ring true to me. This for instance from Nate:

It just didn’t seem right. A day like this. So sunny, so bright. Didn’t the world know it’d lost one of its greatest men? Didn’t its molten heart bleed?

But then, there were lines like this, which felt much more realistic

Unmentionables?

Whoever came up with that ridiculous term? Underwear that fantastic deserved to be mentioned on a regular basis.

When Nate was being himself and not trying to wax lyrical, he was a pretty funny guy:

“So that’s why you’ve been acting so…so surly and disagreeable all these years?” she asked in disbelief. “Because you want me?”

Surly and disagreeable? He hadn’t been surly and disagreeable. He’d been noble and honorable. Jesus. Couldn’t she tell the friggin’ difference?

The problem was, that because Nate has been so “surly and disagreeable all these years”, they don’t really know each other well. Until the book starts (and most of it takes place in about 48 hours) she’s never heard Nate laugh and rarely seen him smile. So, it was a little hard to buy that what was between them was true and deep and lasting – they certainly have combustible chemistry but I can’t say I had confidence by the end of the book that they had a deep bond beyond the physical.

Wow. Those two sure had it bad.

Ghost practically lifted a leg and pissed on Ali anytime she walked in the room, and Ali got all doe-eyed and flushed the minute Ghost looked at her.

Nate drops his “g”s quite often but not terribly consistently and his habit of weird word contractions didn’t work that well for me –

“What’r’ya doin’ here?” he asked again. The man had the strangest way of making contractions out of multiple words.

partly because it was inconsistent and partly because it made the text harder to read.

Ali is a kindergarten teacher. Yes. That’s right. Kindergarten teacher with alpha male Spec-Ops type. It is a cliche and it’s not helped by her habit of not swearing and saying things (even to herself) like “h-e-double hockey sticks” and “crimeny“. She also pukes a lot. That’s her stress reaction. Seriously, she vomits all over the place. It isn’t very sexy but it is unforgettable, as quirks go.

The villain is fairly one dimensional and not all that bright – which did make me wonder how he could have caused quite so much damage without getting caught previously. What I did really like though was the character of Dagan Zoelner. He’s been following Ali for three months trying to locate some information, thinking he’s on team white hat – but then he begins to wonder. I really liked how this character was introduced and I’m looking forward to more from him.

The chemistry between Nate and Ali was smoking and the sex scenes were well written and steamy. There were parts of the story that were fun and cool and sexy and other parts which felt too cliched and over the top. Ali ventured perilously close to TSTL territory a few times and I got the impression that some things were there because the plot required them rather than that they made a lot of sense otherwise (eg, Ali accompanying Nate to Jacksonville). Her website says this is Ms. Walker’s debut and for a first book, it’s pretty good.

What else? A reasonable amount of the story is devoted to the unwanted attraction shared by Frank “Boss” Knight and Rebecca “Rebel” Reichart. There is a 13 year age gap and Frank is desperate to protect her from his bad old self. These two feature in In Rides Trouble and I’m looking forward to seeing Frank brought to his knees by love. Rebel is kickass and reminds me a bit of Skeeter from Janzen’s Steele Street series.

There’s plenty of sexy guys on sexy bikes and I think Cindy Gerard and Tara Janzen fans will get a kick out of this series.

Grade: C+

Sharing Hailey by Samantha Ann King

June 14, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this one up at NetGalley because I liked the blurb.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Hailey Anderson’s deep, dark secret? She’s been madly in lust with her overprotective brother’s two best friends for years. Gorgeous woodworking artist Mark Allen and sexy doctor Tony Adamo have no idea they star in her fantasies every night.

After a nasty breakup with her abusive boyfriend, Hailey’s looking for a little distance. Headed for a two-week Hawaiian vacation with her brother and his hot friends, Hailey can’t wait to feast her eyes on Mark’s and Tony’s rock-hard, ocean-slick bodies. Even if she can’t touch.

But instead of treating her like their little sister, Mark and Tony have a surprising proposition: a monogamous ménage à trois. The three of them—and no one else. Both men want Hailey and have agreed to share her. The red-hot reality is even better than the forbidden fantasy. Until Hailey’s ex threatens their newfound happiness…

What worked for me (and what didn’t): There was much about this book I loved. The connection between Tony, Mark and Hailey was clear from the start – they have been best friends for many years. Even though in the blurb they’re described as her brother’s best friends, really, they are hers also. Living in the same city, they hang out regularly – although less so since her relationship with Daniel began. The book begins shortly after her breakup with Daniel. It took her a long time to realise he was bad for her, but when he started getting violent – pushing her, shaking her and leaving bruises, she called it quits.

The book is told from Hailey’s third person POV so we don’t get to spend any time in Tony or Mark’s head, which was a little disappointing. It seems that Mark is the more kinky of the pair and it was initially his suggestion that they try “sharing” Hailey. The way they put it to her is not as squicky as it sounds though – both, either or neither is fine, but they wanted to give her all the options. As she loves both of them, once she gets over her initial concerns about a threeway relationship, she’s on board.

The sex is certainly hot and there are scenes with Hailey/Tony and Hailey/Mark and also with all three. There is even one scene where, caught up in the moment, Mark and Tony kiss. Mark is more willing to identify as bi but this freaks Tony out a bit. Unfortunately, that aspect of their relationship wasn’t very well explored – the story went off into the suspense plot and never really got back to whether or not the physical relationship would develop further between the men. Having made it an issue in the book, I felt let down that it wasn’t explored. I admit I do like m/m action in my m/f/m books, but if it hadn’t been raised, or had merely been mentioned as not ever happening, I would have been fine with that – because the relationship between each of the men with Hailey was so hot and the men were good friends, I could go with it. But, having teased me with glimpses of intimacy, I felt disappointed when it didn’t really go anywhere.

The middle portion of the book lagged a bit for me. I was much more interested in the relationship between Tony, Mark and Hailey – how they were going to work it out, whether there was any jealousy between the two men from time to time – again, some of this was hinted at, but not really explored. Parts of the middle felt a little like a social commentary on domestic violence – and quite pessimistic at that (although perhaps validly so) and when the focus wasn’t on the trio, I found myself skimming.

But the beginning and the end do feature the relationship mainly (even if the ending depicts their relationship in the shadow of violence, the focus is still on Hailey and the boys), and they were the parts of the book I enjoyed the most.

What else? I am hoping that this author has more to write about this world – Hailey’s sister-in-law’s brother, Landon or his other sister, Meredith, all look like good potential MC’s to me and maybe we’ll get a glimpse in the future of how Hailey, Mark and Tony are getting on.

While there were things which I didn’t love in this book and things which I wish had been more fully explored, I did enjoy this one. There was something good about the writing and the way the author put the words together in the sentence that raised it to another level and she can certainly write good sex. I was so invested in the relationship between the three that I wanted more of it and most of my frustration was ultimately because I cared about the characters. I’ll be watching for more from this author.

Grade: B-

One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and M.J. O’Shea

June 12, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: My friend Chris recommended this one on Goodreads and when I saw it on NetGalley, I snapped it up.

What it’s about: Rue is a hairdressing student working part time in a bar who takes a walk on the wild side and tried the hetero sex one night. Surprise surprise Natalie turns up pregnant. She doesn’t want the baby and Rue, having been abandoned by his own parents, cannot bring himself to reject his child, so agrees to take her. After baby Alice is born, Natalie signs over her parental rights to Rue and bows out of the picture altogether.

Desperate for help with child care, Rue approaches his neighbour, Erik, a sci-fi writer who rarely leaves his house. Told in the alternating 1st person POV of both Erik and Rue, this is the story of how, the cobble together a kind of family, together with Rue (and soon Erik’s) BFF, Dusty (totally non sexual with Dusty, BTW).

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Once I got over the hurdle of believing that Rue would actually leave his newborn daughter with a virtual stranger, references or no, with no childcare experience, the story was actually delightful. I occasionally had some difficulty in identifying which POV I was in, but otherwise, the story flowed easily. The relationship between Erik and Rue grows over time and the camaraderie and friendship of Rue, Erik and Dusty and their gradual realisation of the depth of feeling between them (in terms of family) as well as the more romantic relationship between Rue and Erik was both believable and enjoyable. Erik is full of anxiety and uses Star Wars as therapy – there are some funny lines in the book (which I understood only thanks to my husband’s own love of the movies and therefore his insistence that I watch them all. Over and over.) In Rue’s case, it is Dusty that showed him the joy that is Star Wars and he’s not always happy about it.

I’d do anything to keep her out of that place, even subject her to the evil machinations of Emperor Palpati—oh, seriously. I’m gonna kill Dusty. I should not know that.

As for Erik, he might be somewhere on the autism scale but it’s never explicitly made clear. He doesn’t like to be touched by anyone – except, as it turns out, by baby Alice, Rue or Dusty. He has strict routines which he feels he must adhere to – although, as his relationship with Rue develops, he is able to let some of this go. He also has a slight stutter which is more prevalent when he’s upset. So, not your usual hero material I guess. But he’s kind and sweet and initially baffled by the whirlwind that is Rue coming into his life. Erik had never identified as gay – he’s never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend before – before Rue, relationships of any sort were a very alien concept

I’d always been able to recognize beauty, but I’d never been moved by it.

Not until Rue.

In Erik, Rue finds a safe place to fall and the partner he’d never realised he’d been desperate for. Much to his surprise he takes to fatherhood like a duck to water and falls instantly and deeply in love with his daughter. He finds nothing makes him happier than spending time with his little family and the realisation that Erik is a large part of that sparks the more romantic aspects of the book. I suppose I would have loved an epilogue to check in with them in a year or so as the events toward the end of the book could threaten the status quo – would Rue’s new environment lead him to want something else? Erik, while having come out of his shell a great deal, would always be on the anti-social side of the things and would the new environment suit them both? I choose to believe they’ll be fine, but would have loved a short epilogue to seal the deal. Having said that, I gobbled the story up. Sweet, fun and sexy, this one hit the right spot for me.

Grade: B+

Party of Three by Daire St. Denis

June 9, 2012 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I picked this short story up from NetGalley, intrigued by the blurb and thinking I might finally try a little of the f/f.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Determined to end a long dry spell, Tina is thwarted by her best friend, Des, who scares off the only eligible guy at their party. But Des more than makes up for it when she and her boyfriend, Josh, invite Tina to their own intimate celebration. The encounter awakens cravings Tina didn’t even know she had. She’s intrigued when the couple asks her to join them for two days of sun, sand and steamy sex in Santa Barbara. She should say no. But she doesn’t…

The erotic weekend is beyond amazing. But there’s something deeper developing between the trio-something Tina is not yet ready to explore. After all, their party of three can’t last forever-can it?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’ve considered reading some f/f romance for a while now but hadn’t got around to it. I must admit it’s always been a bit mysterious to me and so I was curious. When I saw this one pop up on NetGalley, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally try some f/f – even though there’s an “m” involved too! Most of the menage I have read is m/f/m so a f/f/m menage also intrigued. If the story had’ve stuck to what I believed it would be from the blurb, I think it would have been much more successful for me. The sex scenes between Desi/Tina/Josh and Tina/Vixen were well written and very hot (although there was an alarming lack of condom use on Josh’s part). I’m interested in trying more f/f romance now, so I guess something in the book was successful for me.

Unfortunately, the plot took a sharp and unexpected right turn into dark and icky for me, with an evil and rapetastic villain. The “eligible guy” scared off in the blurb is Kenton, a sexual sadist who hides behind an initially pleasant facade. Tina’s first clue (apart from being vaguely warned off by Desi) that Kenton is not who he appears, is revealed when she and Desi go to one of his “parties”. It’s the modern version of a swingers party (now called “open concept parties”) – there, Kenton slips some Ecstasy to Tina without her consent. Right there, that’s enough for her to be warned to stay far away from this douchebag. For reasons which aren’t clear to me (but which the plot necessitated), Tina goes back to Kenton’s house and even accepts a work contract from him (she’s an interior designer). He continues to make unwanted and unpleasant advances towards her and she keeps going back. I’m not in anyway suggesting that Tina invites Kenton’s advances or that she was deserving of his later attack on her. Rape is always and only the fault of the rapist. However, I did find Tina’s choices somewhat inexplicable.

In terms of character, Kenton is very one dimensionally evil – complete with (and this is the God’s honest truth) a tattoo of a grinning wolf on his “enormous” peen (also referred to as “the anaconda”). Seriously.

The interaction between Tina and Kenton takes up a lot of the book and most of it was very unpleasant to read and not what I thought I was signing up for when I picked up the book.

Readers be warned: there is a pretty graphic rape scene toward the end of the book which was most unpleasant to read.

As far as the triad between Desi/Tina/Josh is concerned, so much time was taken in the story with the “suspense” aspect, that not enough time was available to be devoted to the romance. Desi and Josh are already together when the book begins, so I was prepared to believe they were already in love. Desi and Tina have been “best friends” for 20+ years, so I was prepared to believe that there was love between them and a sexual attraction which had been unmentioned and smouldering for some time. But, Josh and Tina barely know each other and the fall “in love” very quickly. I didn’t really see this happening, rather the reader was told it was so. The other thing which didn’t quite fit with the BFF relationship between Tina and Desi was that there was much they didn’t talk about and quite a bit of miscommunication – especially because they apparently “told each other everything”.

Josh’s mother is aware, by the end of the book of their menage relationship and is very accepting of it, but it does not appear that the girls’ families have been told and there is no mention of any kind of difficulties involved in navigating their unconventional relationship. In fact, it does seem that most of it is sex. Which is smoking. But, still. I would have liked more of their non sexual connection.

Also, as mentioned above, Tina is raped near the end of the book, but there does not appear to be any fallout from it in terms of her relationship with Desi and Josh and it seems she jumps back into sex with them without a second thought. Which seemed odd to me. If rape is going to be included in a story, then I do think the consequences of it need to be addressed for the story to be complete. I wasn’t so much concerned with the legal consequences – what was in the book was enough for me, but emotionally, there really was very little.

What else? I was expecting a light and fun erotic read – I would have been happy enough with limited relationship development if the story had’ve only spanned a few encounters as the trio decided to embark upon a menage relationship. The sex scenes (well, except any of the ones involving Kenton of the tattooed peen) were hot and well written. Those aspects of the story deserved a C+ but the story is really not as advertised and there are things in it which could be triggering to say the least, for some readers. I don’t think I would have chosen to read this had I known what I was getting into. As much as I enjoyed some aspects of the book, my overwhelming feeling when I finished was distaste, hence the grade.

Grade: D+