I've read nearly a hundred books this year. Some of those have been decent, several I can call good, and a handful were really great. But there's beenI've read nearly a hundred books this year. Some of those have been decent, several I can call good, and a handful were really great. But there's been only one book that's lingered in my mind like this. Until now.
Jake Brenner is a twenty year old college drop out of his own volition. He chose music and the band, or more accurately, he chose Jimmy, his best friend, and Chris, his long time crush, over school. After a drunken mishap the band is forced to find a new guitarist and Jake a new roommate.
In walks Parker McAvoy, a mysterious musical genius, who finds a his place with them after a long drifting period. And he quickly finds his way into Jake's heart too.
I spent two days in a reading haze immersed in these boys' lives. I cried, I laughed, and I felt my heart tumble. The characters swept me along with them on this amazing journey from uncertainty and anonymity to certainty and fame. I watched these characters grow and accept change like too few people do.
Most of all, I enjoyed the writing. It didn't drag me down with false bravado, but carried me through the scenes and showed me their emotions effortlessly. The characters stayed true to themselves and their actions made sense, even Parker's whose motives weren't revealed until the end.
And you know how I'm always complaining about the annoying point of view changes usually between first person voice and third limited, well, it turns out it doesn't matter one bit when it's done right. From the beginning the story is scattered with Jake's blog entries and occasional emails, which feel like just extension to the dialogue. Jake's voice is clearest in his postings.
I read the ebook, but I'm still eyeing the hardcover. It's that good.
Merged review:
I've read nearly a hundred books this year. Some of those have been decent, several I can call good, and a handful were really great. But there's been only one book that's lingered in my mind like this. Until now.
Jake Brenner is a twenty year old college drop out of his own volition. He chose music and the band, or more accurately, he chose Jimmy, his best friend, and Chris, his long time crush, over school. After a drunken mishap the band is forced to find a new guitarist and Jake a new roommate.
In walks Parker McAvoy, a mysterious musical genius, who finds a his place with them after a long drifting period. And he quickly finds his way into Jake's heart too.
I spent two days in a reading haze immersed in these boys' lives. I cried, I laughed, and I felt my heart tumble. The characters swept me along with them on this amazing journey from uncertainty and anonymity to certainty and fame. I watched these characters grow and accept change like too few people do.
Most of all, I enjoyed the writing. It didn't drag me down with false bravado, but carried me through the scenes and showed me their emotions effortlessly. The characters stayed true to themselves and their actions made sense, even Parker's whose motives weren't revealed until the end.
And you know how I'm always complaining about the annoying point of view changes usually between first person voice and third limited, well, it turns out it doesn't matter one bit when it's done right. From the beginning the story is scattered with Jake's blog entries and occasional emails, which feel like just extension to the dialogue. Jake's voice is clearest in his postings.
I read the ebook, but I'm still eyeing the hardcover. It's that good....more
I gave The Siren two stars mainly because of the quality of the writing—and because I didn’t completely hate it. This novella, however, has made me doI gave The Siren two stars mainly because of the quality of the writing—and because I didn’t completely hate it. This novella, however, has made me doubt Reisz’s basic command of English. The book has to be really, really bad for me to notice its grammar. I’m terrible with commas and all other forms of punctuation but when words sound wrong to me it hurts my head.
This book hurt my head.
Individual words hurt my head.
Words put together hurt my head.
The plot and character arcs of this novella hurt my head.
Having expressed my critical view on Reisz’s writing before and having read several other critical reviews, I can’t unsee the flaws. I can’t turn back time to when I didn’t see how everyone had to be beautiful and how everyone had to worship Nora and how she was the saviour of broken things, broken men.
”She obeyed. She was trained to obey, trained to want to obey.”
She’s a broken thing, a broken soul, and she was made that way by a predator I refuse to fawn over.
Merged review:
I gave The Siren two stars mainly because of the quality of the writing—and because I didn’t completely hate it. This novella, however, has made me doubt Reisz’s basic command of English. The book has to be really, really bad for me to notice its grammar. I’m terrible with commas and all other forms of punctuation but when words sound wrong to me it hurts my head.
This book hurt my head.
Individual words hurt my head.
Words put together hurt my head.
The plot and character arcs of this novella hurt my head.
Having expressed my critical view on Reisz’s writing before and having read several other critical reviews, I can’t unsee the flaws. I can’t turn back time to when I didn’t see how everyone had to be beautiful and how everyone had to worship Nora and how she was the saviour of broken things, broken men.
”She obeyed. She was trained to obey, trained to want to obey.”
She’s a broken thing, a broken soul, and she was made that way by a predator I refuse to fawn over....more
Brandi Collins has a few weeks to get back into shape to show her ex-fiancé, the jerk who dumped her at the aOriginally posted on Love in the Margins.
Brandi Collins has a few weeks to get back into shape to show her ex-fiancé, the jerk who dumped her at the altar and made his mum apologise for him, exactly what he’s missing. It’s not that she wants him back—she has too much self respect for that—it’s that her pride is all she has left and she’s damned if she’s going to let Wesley take that too away from her.
However, there’s a problem with Brandi’s new low calorie, low men diet. That problem is her new neighbour, Mr Dark Chocolate, who bakes through the nights in preparation for the International Pastry Competition. Adam Ellison has quit his job and is living on his savings trying to fulfil his childhood dream. He doesn’t have the time to day dream about his beautiful, delicious neighbour. Better to avoid her altogether, unless she can help him create the perfect recipe.
Her diet is doomed. I know mine would have been had I been foolish enough to try to adhere to one while reading this book. I was drooling after the blurb and it only got better er, worse in the book.
WARNING: Make sure you have chocolate in the house when you read this book. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT try to read this book without stocking up your guilty pleasure snack stash.
It wasn’t just the pastries that made my mouth water: It was the hero. Here we have a decent, hard working man who has decided to give up on his high-paid career in favour of something that makes him happy. Granted, he’s in the enviable position to be able to do that without risking starvation or homelessness, but he at least he recognises it.
Adam is very much aware that financially Brandi is in a much tighter spot, but he doesn’t immediately offer to write her a check and worm his way into her bed that way. Instead, he offers to help her secure a business loan in her terms and only does what any friend would do: he helps her with the paperwork, holds the camera, and drives her to the post office. So what if he steals a few kisses along the way and twists her arm to get her to taste his chocolate cakes.
Brandi doesn’t quite know what to make of this man who says she doesn’t need to loose an ounce, but supports her anyway even if he’s trying to sabotage her diet with all the delicious desserts. He even wants to give her space and time to get to know him. Surely she must be dreaming.
It’s always a pleasure to read two adults act like adults while they fall in love. Brandi might be lusting after Adam but she’s not throwing her caution or sense to the wind, and neither is Adam. Despite his chronically tightening groin he steps back and lets Brandi take the reins.
Then there are the secondary characters. Brandi has some really good friends. Her friend doesn’t exist simply to talk about the new hunk in Brandi’s life but actually saves her proposal when Adam—gasp, he’s not a jack of all trades—comes up short. There are also the families. Both the Ellisons and Collinses come across horrid in the beginning but there are reasons for these strained relations. I actually ached for Brandi, because unlike her I come from a family where our first instinct is to protect our own. If my fiancé asked me what Erin’s did her, he’d not need a best man.
Unfortunately no book is perfect and there were things that dragged down my rating. The sex scene vocabulary featured some of my most hated words and even the odd incomprehensible expression. Unless he’s a disreputable surgeon, I don’t see how he could kiss her innermost spot.
There was also the huge, scandalous secret he kept from her. Adam hiding his family inheritance was a non-issue for me because he’d been cut off and he didn’t lie about anything else. Sure he kept the extent of his savings from Brandi, but as she herself said in the book they’d only known for a short time. Sadly it led to a lovers spat at the end that felt like it had been manufactured for drama’s sake rather than being something organic and stemming from the characterisations.
Otherwise, it was as close to perfection as a book can be.
Oh, and the characters are black as is the author.
Final Assessment: Stack up on the goodies and read this book. B+
Series: First of the two books featuring the Ellison brothers. ...more
This is a quick and easy read. It’s even an enjoyable romance novella if you don’t stop to think about it. I’m serious, either give your brain a holidThis is a quick and easy read. It’s even an enjoyable romance novella if you don’t stop to think about it. I’m serious, either give your brain a holiday for the day or you’re going to be disappointed with this one. Mild spoilers ahead.
It all starts with a misunderstanding and that’s how it continues as well. Michelle is just finishing her first week at her new job when a misbehaving printer—let’s just ignore the ridiculousness of that situation and suspend disbelief for the romance for now—gives her an excuse to flirt with a cute nerd she mistakes for a help desk. technician. He’s charmed and doesn’t correct her immediately. After all being a rich CEO of his own company has such an averse effect on a man’s social life. To his credit, as soon as there’s a sign they could become more than office acquaintances or friends, Noah aka. Sark decides to tell Michelle the truth about himself. Only he does it in the most spineless way imaginable.
He writes her a note but doesn’t leave anything personal on it from where she might recognise him. Then again, she reveals her lifetime membership of club too stupid to live when she thinks that the CEO of her company would write a personal apology letter to her but not to any of the other employees he’s about to make redundant. And that’s how the miscommunication that drives this story is sustained. He thinks he’s been honest with her and she thinks it’s okay to date someone above her just not her CEO.
As easy a read as this was, there were rougher moments there too. The euphemisms grated and the convenient coincidences that drove their story forward bordered ridiculous. No one ever referred to Sark as Noah in front of Michelle and they were quick to defend him when they found out about the lie of omission. There’s a difference between saying “he must’ve had a good reason” and “that doesn’t sound like him.” One is excusing bad behaviour and the other is postponing judgement until further evidence is provided. Still, everyone, even the couple who just met him were quick to help Sark to win her back.
Another thing that bothered me were the inconsistent characterisations with regard to money. Apparently since taking the company public and earning a huge sum, Sark has only bought a handful of expensive things for himself. Yet his first impulse is to buy her a new mountain bike for their first date. He doesn’t tell her that, of course, and it somehow makes it all better. If biking is such a big part of his life, Sark must know other enthusiasts who might’ve lent him a used mountain bike for the day. It mars her characterisation too. When Michelle decides to turn her life upside down once again, what does she do? Does she decide to economise and save every penny possible? No. She decides to take a trip home for the holiday—entirely understandable—and splurge on taxi drives. Very soon after—almost in the next scene—she’s taken a temp job to earn extra cash.
The worst part is that I couldn’t even enjoy her positive career development and ambition. Michelle showed herself capable and willing to work her way to the top, but it was overshadowed by her stupidity in her personal life. Worse yet, she (view spoiler)[ended up supporting his new career move and a start-up that was based on one new idea. I guess he could have had other ideas but the author made it sound like there was only that one and it was worth the risk of losing everything (hide spoiler)].
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley....more
For once I’m not going to complain about the sex in an erotica. This review can also be found on the "new" Portable Pieces of Thoughts Wordpress blog.
For once I’m not going to complain about the sex in an erotica. Sort of.
I liked the set up. A weekend at a romance novel writer’s convention and couple with history trying to reconnect. It’s pretty much the perfect way to bring two people together for quick sex scenes and somewhat believable promise of something more. I even liked the characters as they were initially introduced and Gray’s mother too.
The problem, however, was the inconsistency of those characterisations. Unconventional Romance is written in third person omniscient, but unfortunately it isn’t well done. Between the point of view changes the narrator’s personality seemed to change, so that whichever character was talking was the passive submissive and the other the dominant instigator. In Gray’s chapters Mark took the initiative and in Mark’s scenes Gray was the one taking control of their situation. This is why I kept forgetting who as supposed to be who. I saw the labels but I couldn’t remember which name came with the paramedic experience and long hair and which with the English accent.
And there was another thing. Whenever I had a problem with a scene, whenever I thought a character had behaved badly, I was promptly offered a convenient explanation. It was little like reading a manuscript where the writer instead of going back and fixing the scene had pasted a one line excuse-explanation for the character’s actions. Some of those justifications came too late to make a difference.
Despite all this, I didn’t hate it. As a quick read erotica it works. ...more
I liked this book. It wasn’t anything special but I liked it. So why the fourth star?This review can also be found on Portable pieces of thought-blog.
I liked this book. It wasn’t anything special but I liked it. So why the fourth star?
Wilkins? Sadly no.
This is about Cade Morgan who was introduced in the Twitter Terrorist book and Brooke Parker who is just as wrapped in her career as he is. They meet because of a case he’s prosecuting and they meet again because of a return favour she asks.
And they kiss.
And they date.
They have sex and they have internal meltdowns about things getting too serious when they’re not ready to admit that’s exactly what they want. He has family trouble and she has career plans. Life is complicated.
It’s boring. And it’s all so deliciously normal.
These characters are adults. They’re capable at the jobs, they have friends they talk to, and they worry about spending or not spending the rest of their lives alone. There are miscommunications but those don’t last and they’re not manufactured. They’re just little complications of life.
After reading too many paranormals with insta-mates it’s a wonderful relief to read about an ordinary romance between two people who suck at relationships but manage to find and fall in love with someone who just fits in their lives.
I expect that the next romance in the series will swing back to the FBI side—no, sadly I don’t expect it to be about Wilkins—and that I’ll have to suspend my disbelief a bit more due to hazard pay. I’ll enjoy reading it nonetheless. ...more
Last night, after finishing this book, I made a few notes on what I wanted to write iThis review can also be found on Portable pieces of thought-blog.
Last night, after finishing this book, I made a few notes on what I wanted to write in my review. This morning, I looked at those notes and couldn’t think of anything meaningful to say. This book is forgettable. Entertaining but forgettable.
There were things I liked. I liked what Hunter did with the fragile Japanese bowls to show how Jianne could be both delicate and durable that she couldn’t be broken as easily as Jake thought. I liked that the twelve year separation had obviously changed both and that they weren’t as naive they’d been when they got married. I liked how Jake mostly got over his issues with money and how Jianne learned to talk about her own needs. Everything wasn’t solved but they made enough progress for the compulsory happy ever after to be believable. I liked how she took more and more control of the situation and their relationship as the story progressed, but that he wasn’t completely pushed aside either. It was the give and take kind of relationship.
I liked the brutal fight in the dojo. That’s what tipped the scales from a three star rating to four stars for me. Without that near death experience everything Jake thought about himself would have been lip service without anything backing up his characterisation. Hunter showed a very real flaw in this unbeatable fighter.
As for things I didn’t like, the writing. It wasn’t exactly four star calibre with the clichéd descriptions of clothes and characters, but I managed to push through thanks to the story itself. The sex scenes I ended up skipping or speed-reading, so I don’t have a list of bad smut words to attach here.
It was a nice brain holiday between more serious books....more
Back when I was still feeling optimistic about Scarp Metal I bought this novella on a Valentine’s Day sale. Then I lost my optimism and I had this eboBack when I was still feeling optimistic about Scarp Metal I bought this novella on a Valentine’s Day sale. Then I lost my optimism and I had this ebook lingering on my Kindle.
Again, at first, I thought maybe I hadn’t made such a huge mistake after all. Fox will never be one of my favourite authors but her stories are entertaining and I do have certain reading moods when I devour emotional anguish like candy. Yeah, no.
Matt is a horrible self-pitying mess with the worst taste in friends and childhood loves-cum-lovers. He’s supposed to be a medical student but at no point does he use anything resembling medical vernacular and he narrates the story. I couldn’t stand the guy. Oh, well, I’ve read about characters I didn’t like before and I’ve even loved such a book. Nope. Not this time.
There’s no romance. There’s rebound sex and codependency issues. Aaron is a couple of decades older, so there also might be daddy issues. There’s no plot. There are drugs, alcohol, and misunderstandings. And there are unbelievable plot twists that highlight just how too stupid to live Matt is. There’s also the compulsory vilifying of a female character.
And there’s purplish prose.
Let’s file this under not for me, never again, give up hope all ready, and what the hell was I thinking?...more
I’ve read a couple of Caletti’s young adult novels and I’ve loved them. Her work is lThis review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.
I’ve read a couple of Caletti’s young adult novels and I’ve loved them. Her work is like literary catmint to me, which is weird because Caletti writes about emotions and slow paced moments of change rather than adventurous plots. Her books are pure character studies of people trying to move, and usually I like the introspection that’s characteristic to Caletti, but here it doesn’t quite work. Here, it’s taken a step too far. The balance is gone.
”But he’s gone. He’s gone, and I don’t know what’s happened, but I know I wanted him gone.”
Dani wakes up in an empty house and takes her old dog out. She enjoys the morning and makes her own coffee for a change. She plunges into her personal history for a moment, comes back, and realises her husband, Ian, is gone.
Just like her YA books are about rejecting a bad relationship for a better self-worth—in the ones I’ve read at least—this book is about an adult, a middle-aged mother, learning new things about herself when her crutch, her husband, is gone.
The book is told from Dani’s point of view with first person voice. She goes through the motions of realising someone close to her has disappeared and beginning the search process. She talks to the neighbours, calls family and friends, and all the while she’s slowly working through her two failed marriages in her mind. She thinks about her own choices, she thinks about Ian’s choices, and she reflects on how those choices affected their children, and everyone else around them.
The problem is, that’s all she does. Dani takes a trip up the river Denial, climbs ashore, and sets up camp in Memory land.
”You learn, she says. You go from there. And then you change.“
Maybe it’s because of the set up—the agony of having to wait, to go slowly mad with worry and without having anything concrete to do—that Caletti relies so heavily on the introspection and itemising all the wrongs of Dani’s life. Unfortunately when the flashbacks are paired with inactive present, the book becomes impenetrable and boring. Caletti doesn’t even properly show the discussions Dani has with the police rather than tells about them in passing after the fact. (view spoiler)[So, she’s a suspect in her husbands disappearance that wouldn’t be interesting to the reader. Why would it be? (hide spoiler)]
The underlying story and the epiphany it leads to are good. Caletti even dabbles with an unreliable narrator, but when the balance is off everything slides to the side, just out of reach, off the pier and into the waters of the Pacific. The book is set in Seattle if you couldn’t tell.
Fans of Caletti’s work might enjoy reading this book, as long as they don’t mind switching the teenaged protagonist to her mother, but I hesitate to recommend this to anyone who doesn’t relish reading about thorough navel-gazing.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley....more
After reading Counterpunch I decided to try reading Rachel Haimowitz’s take on the modern world with ingrained slavery.
Short version: I prefer all thAfter reading Counterpunch I decided to try reading Rachel Haimowitz’s take on the modern world with ingrained slavery.
Short version: I prefer all things British.
Long version:
Make no mistake, this is an erotic BDSM novel, and not a romance. For a moment I thought about giving this book an extra star for not romanticising the Master and slave dynamics but then I stopped to think about all the other things I found disturbing and decided not to.
Counterpunch worked, for me, because Brooklyn had been born free. He grew up making his own choices and knowing who he was. He only lost that privilege due to an unfortunate sequence of events. Brooklyn was and is an unyielding character who’s never resigned himself to slavery.
Here, Daniel has presumably been born into slavery. He may not have been groomed to be a sexual companion to anyone willing to pay for his services, but he’s been beaten and schooled to obey his Master. Daniel doesn’t know what freedom is. He doesn’t have any idea what the concept of consent means. He’s not capable of willingly submitting to his master.
What’s worse, Haimowitz writes Daniel as an overgrown child. All the aspects of his life have been carefully controlled and Daniel never experienced the joys of child’s play or eating until he’s too full to eat anymore. The only thing he does know and take pleasure in—supposedly—is his work. The tasks and chores given to him to be performed like any trained monkey. I used the word supposedly because the reader never actually sees Daniel enjoying his job or taking solace in it. The closest he comes to using the news as a crutch is reading his Master’s morning paper. And when he most needs the comfort, Daniel chooses to watch an unnamed anime instead of his precious information broadcasts.
Where Brooklyn would brace himself and face the forced assignations, Daniel seems to have grown up in a cocoon where proper sex didn’t really exist. I could maybe buy Daniel’s virginal inexperience hadn’t the author contradicted herself: We’re supposed to believe a pair of slaves wouldn’t have a five minutes for themselves while trusted slaves are left to roam free in the weekends. Also, I refuse to believe Daniel could be good at his job and have spent years reporting from the field without stumbling on people who actually enjoy sex.
Then there’s the fact that for an erotica this book isn’t very erotic. The first half is spent on explaining how inexperienced Daniel is and highlighting his unease with his uncaring and thoughtless new Master whose name I’ve forgotten. Said Master spends night after night sleeping in the same bed with Daniel without demanding anything from him. We’re supposed to believe he’s caring and kind because he doesn’t force himself on Daniel, that he’s a good Master who just never bothers to make the rules clear to his new slave. If the Master truly were such a good Master, surely he’d know what he wants from a slave and how to make his will known with words and without scaring the new toy.
Finally, when the sex happens (view spoiler)[it’s rape. No, it’s not the Master who leased Daniel, but it’s brutal, detailed, and it’s treated like a kink that offers the reader the sexual gratification they’ve been looking for in this book. It’s the pinnacle of the story (hide spoiler)]. Then there’s the rushed magic cock cure for all and a very unsatisfying end to the whole thing....more
This is going to be a “let’s dissect the blurb”-review.
Gunship pilot Captain Candace Bradford has worked long and hard to earn her rank and position within the male-dominated world of Air Force Special Operations.
This is the set up and since I’ve not read the first book in the series I’m going to take this at face value. She does crash a plane but technically that’s not her fault, so I’m guessing she’s worked hard to earn her wings but there’s very little in the book to show she’s worked particularly hard to earn her rank or that her gender made it especially difficult for her.
She's not about to let anything or anyone jeopardize that, let alone one sinfully tempting man who seems determined to cause her nothing but trouble. Even if she's starting to fall for him.
This too is part of the set up but I didn’t find it particularly well done. For being such a stickler for rules, she’s having difficulties articulating a denial. Even if she’s starting to fall for someone she works with, if the rules mean that much to her she should be saying no at every turn. She’s not. She’s offering vague denials, mixed signals, and avoidance. None of these actually work. There are other ways to show her inner struggle, but this author doesn’t spend any time on developing those feelings for Candace’s character.
As an elite Combat Controller, Staff Sergeant Ryan Wentworth is used to overcoming adversity in order to complete a mission.
Now that I think about it, this actually has some basis within the story. Ryan keeps remarkably calm during the action sequence as long as we ignore the utter unprofessionalism prompted by Candace’s presence.
Breaking through Candace's prickly exterior and into her heart is a challenge he can't let go.
This is the main problem with his character. He’s like a dog with a bone; he can’t let things go not even for a second. He pushes, he stalks, he doesn’t take no for an answer, and I’m baffled why would Candace think Ryan has anything remotely resembling a softer side in him. There are a couple of instances when the author glimpses into his psyche that could constitute as his more humane and understanding feelings, but they were sparse and easily missed.
But just when he's begun to gain her trust, they're thrown together in the field facing an overwhelming enemy force.
When exactly did that happen? I know when they faced the “overwhelming enemy force” but I’m at a loss to understand when she started trusting him and why.
Candace and Ryan find themselves on the run, searching the skies for an emergency extraction. But one dangerous enemy has an agenda in mind and he'll use whatever means necessary to achieve it, including using American forces to do his dirty work….
I’m guessing this is part of the longer plot that may have started in book one of Bagram Special Ops and continue if not conclude in book three.
Instead of character growth, this novel focuses on action and sex—the first being entertaining and the second being rushed. The romantic relationship is woefully underdeveloped. As I’m not an expert on military matters I can hardly comment on the accuracy of their portrayal within the book other than to say that the abbreviation jungle was in sore need of the glossary found at the end of the pdf I read. I actually hope the epubs have footnotes inserted in them for those who need them.
I received a copy of this book through Lit Connect in exchange for an honest review....more
Imagine a modern Britain where at least two or three decades ago the politicians gaveThis review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.
Imagine a modern Britain where at least two or three decades ago the politicians gave up on trying to keep up with the ever-growing prison population, chucked the fourth article of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, and started to commute life sentences into slavery. Now people are both born and condemned to it. And it’s not just in Britain, it’s all around the world.
Brooklyn Marshall was born free and worked hard to build a good life for himself. Then a simple mistake, an accident, at the job took all that away from him. He was made into an example and his life was no longer his own. Now he boxes because it’s better than getting shot at in a war zone, and he fucks and is fucked because he is told to. He is used. He’s chattel that can talk.
”You haven’t resigned yourself to slavery yet, have you?” “No. And I never will.”
It’s cruel to give hope to a such man, but that’s exactly what Nathaniel Bishop does.
I’m not a fan of romanticising slavery, and I’m not a fan of any relationship that’s based on a severe imbalance of power, but I’m always curious to see if the author can make it work. If those obstacles of differing wealth, social status, and culture can be overcome believably. Realistically. Even in urban fantasy.
It works here because Brooklyn has never accepted his status as anything less than a human being. It works because both Brooklyn and Nathaniel recognise how wrong their situation is, and because both are fighters in their own way.
Much of the story focuses on the boxing—again, something I know nothing about—and how it reflects Brooklyn’s growth as a character. He’ll never see any of the winnings, but the fighting he does is for himself. He’s broken and beaten both in the ring and out, and he is affected by it, but he’s also a survivor. What doesn’t kill him makes him stronger, and the final fights show this vividly.
If I hadn’t struggled with the beginning of the story—it was good but not amazing—the ending would have earned Counterpunch its fifth star. Voinov opted out of the fanciful and kept it realistic.
What's more uncomfortable than answering a phone call right after you've been crying over a short story? Answering a phone call from Dad. Yes, this juWhat's more uncomfortable than answering a phone call right after you've been crying over a short story? Answering a phone call from Dad. Yes, this just happened.
It's short, it's free, and it's good.
Even if you're a sceptic, read it. I think it's worth it....more
This took me back a decade or two. The writing and the story were like something I used to read when I was still “borrowing” Mum’s Harlequins, and altThis took me back a decade or two. The writing and the story were like something I used to read when I was still “borrowing” Mum’s Harlequins, and although I enjoyed the nostalgia, I’ve moved on. Not only did the references to a then popular TV show, the gay jokes, and the playful ixnay to kink date the book, they made me think less of it. Well, maybe not the ixnay to kink as much as the name Grey’s Anatomy.
There were good things too, like how after realising the root of their misunderstanding the main couple actually acted like two adults instead of throwing hissy fits for added drama. Maddy’s reservations and reluctance to trust and Jake’s certainty stemmed from their characterisations instead of appearing from nowhere.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the sex scenes—which is ironic considering the imprint and its purpose—but that’s par for the course with my history in fanfiction smut reading.
More than anything, this reminded me of why I used to only give three stars or less to even the best Harlequin novels....more
I may or may not have found my new favourite author.
There’s a reason Harlequin Superromances sell so well in Finland, better than Blaze or any other kinky ultra hot sex series or imprint. The impact of naked skin kind of evens out when you get used to seeing it regularly in the sauna. And we have those long winter nights and comfy blankets in our beds… anyway, it’s all about the story.
Here, two adults in their thirties meet at a point in their lives that isn’t particularly auspicious for romantic entanglements. One desperately wants a family but isn’t ready to commit to a man to have it, and another is trying to build a new start for his life. It’s a good thing then that they don’t know anything about each other and can discover together what the future holds for them. But as I said, the timing isn't the best possible and their past mistakes are about to catch up with them.
I made a list of all the things I loved about this book and it’s as disorganised as are my thoughts, still. I loved the wit and humour Bliss infuses her text with. Jokes are a delicate thing to write especially when the audience doesn’t necessarily share the cultural context with the author, but here:
”It wasn't that he had a five o'clock shadow at nine-thirty in the morning that screamed 'bad boy.' To Rachel's eyes, that simply made him scruffy.”
"Anyone could see she had a conscience. That must be painful for her."
”’I’m not offended. You're not my type, either.' Perversely, he was piqued. 'Not a nerd, you mean?' Her eyes narrowed. 'Not housebroken.’”
Look at that and tell me it’s not funny even without the context. I dare you.
I loved the fact that Rachel and Devin didn’t succumb to the insta-lust/love/attraction that’s a plague in modern romances. They were actually slightly antagonistic before building a tentative friendship with the option for more. Their romance was the slow burn kind with push and pull to keep them balanced. One gave the other took, and then they switched places. Truths were shared and actual smarts were displayed. I loved that both Rachel and Devin acted like adults. They weren’t perfect but they owned up to their mistakes and were determined to face the consequences.
One thing I absolutely hate in romance novels is the plot twist involving an artificial, prolonged misunderstanding. It was delightfully absent from this book and it all comes back to characters acting like real adults. Even in their most idiotic moments, they remained true to their characterisations instead of changing to fit the whims of the plot.
As for the reason why I now have a “can-I-has-a-Devin” shelf, let’s just say—without spoiling the book for everyone else—that the man knows the right things to say. (Yes, I’m aware that a woman wrote him.) He has brilliant scenes with Rachel and another character where he expresses his unwavering love, devotion, and trust in her. Once he’s in, he’s in. He’s made up his mind and he won’t let her insecurities drive him away, and he trusts her to figure it out eventually.
I’ll need to read that other book by Bliss I bought on the Harlequin Christmas sale. Then I’ll know if I’ll be adding another author on my list of favourites....more
This novella surprised me. It’s written in first person voice from Jacob’s point This review can now also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.
This novella surprised me. It’s written in first person voice from Jacob’s point of view and in some ways it reminded me of Muscling Through, which I absolutely loved. Jacob isn’t quite up to par with Al, but he does have his own voice.
The focus here isn’t the M/M romance or the sex, it’s Jacob’s characterisation. It’s the moment in his life when something needs to give and change. For too long Jacob has just been ignoring his needs, not just sexual but social. As awkward as interacting with strange people and huge groups is for him, he soldiers on and forces himself to face his fears each and everyday. He just never stopped to think that facing someone isn’t the same thing as opening up to them.
Then he falls for Elijah.
This is where the trope I’m not overly fond of comes in. Elijah is a hooker who works in an alley Jacob walks through on his way home from work. They both know it can’t possibly work, but they throw themselves into the attraction anyway, and figure out a way. Or try to.
What I absolutely loved was the fact Black doesn’t make it easy for her characters. I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to suspend my disbelief for the fairytale ending with the magical I love you’s that fix everything in fetishistic M/M erotica. I shouldn’t have been, because there isn’t a fairytale ending with magical I love you’s for these men. There’s something better. It’s raw and real and it’s on both of their terms.
It feels good to add something on my “recommending” shelf again....more
I think I'm over the billionaire fantasy. It wasn't a bad book, but I simply couldn't connect with the characters. The author made all the right movesI think I'm over the billionaire fantasy. It wasn't a bad book, but I simply couldn't connect with the characters. The author made all the right moves and there was a sense of history for the characters, but it was told rather than shown. I didn't really buy that they had any deeper feelings for each other if even for themselves. Also, I was disappointed to find out that his problems trumped hers. In the end the chemistry felt more like a mother comforting her adult child and congratulating him on growing up than a woman deeply in love and happy to see the man of her life finally ready to commit to her.
Also, (view spoiler)[I get what the author was trying to do with the necklace, but I found it tacky. It'd been better for him to finish the first necklace however he wanted to finish it and make something new for Madeline (hide spoiler)]....more
The premise of this novel is really promising: A chance encounter that leads to a tabThis review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.
The premise of this novel is really promising: A chance encounter that leads to a taboo relationship between a theatre student and her professor. It’s a shame that it was wasted on such a poor story about a naive little girl and a man whose only charm was his British accent.
As the title says Losing It is about Bliss Edward’s quest to lose her virginity at twenty two and before she graduates from college. She’s supposedly held on to it this far because she’s a control freak and not at all attracted to all the wannabe actors in her theatre school. The control makes her a good stage manager but it doesn’t exactly hinder her acting either, which is just a blatant contradiction. The head of the department points this out to Bliss:
”You’ve always been a bit too in your head, I suppose. Controlled. Careful. Mechanical, might be the best word for it. But in those auditions—you were living in the moment. You were feeling instead of thinking. I saw shades of emotion in you—strength and vulnerability, desire and disgust, hope and shame—that were quite simply captivating. I don’t know what you’re doing or what you’ve done, but please continue. You’re much better when you make bold choices.”
So, we’re told in Bliss’ narration and with the voice of an authority that she was controlled and careful, but we’re never actually shown it. Bliss is way too comfortable in her small group of friends to classify as socially awkward. She is at best a naive little girl who hasn’t fully embraced the risks and rewards of being an adult. She’s afraid and that fear is what spurs her into drinking herself silly, ignoring a lovely boy flirting with her at the bar, and falling all over a stranger with A BRITISH ACCENT. (I’m just typing as it was in the book.)
Maybe I’m being a little cruel, but from the start Garrick Taylor’s defining characteristic is his British accent, and that’s really not enough for me. I have this vague impression that Garrick had his sweet moments and that he was patient with Bliss when she was freaking out over nothing, but those possible good guy moments were overshadowed by the lack of chemistry between the couple and the sexist red flags that would have had me and any other woman with a speck common sense run away from him.
Let’s not forget the most important part, the great illicit love affair that never was. Garrick is in the know from the start. He knows he’s a teacher and he knows he lives in an area close to the school where college students might live. And yet when Bliss confesses living practically next door, he follows her and would have sex with her, if she didn’t grab the nearest flimsy excuse and run away from her apartment and the naked boy in her bed.
That’s another thing, Kelsey, a supposed friend of Bliss’—what ever happened to her?—repeatedly calls Garrick a boy before they learn that he’s their new professor. The cover shows a boy, and I’m supposed to believe Garrick is an adult, a man? Umm, okay?
When the truth about their power dynamics comes out in chapter seven, it’s only a momentary disruption. Garrick soon decides it’s not enough to keep him away from Bliss. Neither of them really acts like they’re doing something they’re not supposed to be doing, although Bliss occasionally thinks she shouldn’t. There isn’t any of that delicious angst of a forbidden love and sexual tension building up between the main couple the blurb promises, and all the emotional stress is reserved for Bliss’ relationship with her friend Cade, who is quite unnecessarily in love with her.
It says a lot about the romance when I’m ready to cheer for two other minor characters to win the wishy-washy girl rather than the apparent love interest. In two words: It sucks. This book’s only saving grace is that it’s not romanticising an abusive psychopath—that’s because it hardly romanticises anything—but unfortunately for Carmack that’s no longer enough to inflate the rating.
P.S. I really didn’t like how the gay character was portrayed....more
A quick, simple read, with a plot of misunderstandings that could have been resolved with a honest talk. Why don't the characters ever talk to each otA quick, simple read, with a plot of misunderstandings that could have been resolved with a honest talk. Why don't the characters ever talk to each other? I'd be rounding the rating up instead of down had the man told her how he felt before reading the damn letter. ...more