2.5 stars. - Even though I normally am a big fan of paranormal romance stories, especially ones with action and suspense, I could not get into this bo2.5 stars. - Even though I normally am a big fan of paranormal romance stories, especially ones with action and suspense, I could not get into this book. The MCs didn't really draw me in to care about them and their relationship. (I did like bossy, sunny Dane, but overall, I found their chemistry low and a little dull.)
I wasn't a huge fan of the story progression, or how things resolved. (But don't worry, there's an HEA.) Also didn't like how the author would switch POVs randomly. Most of the time it's with the MCs, but occasionally it goes to a side character. I understand that this method is to help with suspense or see a scene from a different perspective, but when it's used only occasionally, it feels a little lazy, like it was too hard to figure out how to stay consistent with the two MC perspectives, so a quick change to another character was used.
Anyways, your mileage may vary, and if you like your m/m romance with a paranormal twist, you may like this, but it was too wooden and dull for me and I skimmed a lot of it to get through it. :/
Merged review:
2.5 stars. - Even though I normally am a big fan of paranormal romance stories, especially ones with action and suspense, I could not get into this book. The MCs didn't really draw me in to care about them and their relationship. (I did like bossy, sunny Dane, but overall, I found their chemistry low and a little dull.)
I wasn't a huge fan of the story progression, or how things resolved. (But don't worry, there's an HEA.) Also didn't like how the author would switch POVs randomly. Most of the time it's with the MCs, but occasionally it goes to a side character. I understand that this method is to help with suspense or see a scene from a different perspective, but when it's used only occasionally, it feels a little lazy, like it was too hard to figure out how to stay consistent with the two MC perspectives, so a quick change to another character was used.
Anyways, your mileage may vary, and if you like your m/m romance with a paranormal twist, you may like this, but it was too wooden and dull for me and I skimmed a lot of it to get through it. :/...more
3.5 stars – A pretty enjoyable shifter romance about Lucas Blacque, a very closeted werewolf who struggles with balancing increased responsibilities f3.5 stars – A pretty enjoyable shifter romance about Lucas Blacque, a very closeted werewolf who struggles with balancing increased responsibilities for his pack just as he’s starting an illicit affair with his hot vampire neighbor Oliver Bleu. Blacque doesn’t think he can have both worlds, and expects to spend a long lonely life as his pack’s future alpha, but his want for Bleu can’t stay buried, especially when outside threats come calling.
What I liked: The MCs were interesting and sympathetic. Even though he’s a big muscly martyr, I liked Blacque a lot, and appreciated his slow crumble under Bleu’s determined seduction. I also liked Bleu, and how he struggled to survive against the nightmares that drained him, and how both he and Blacque took on the roles of caring for each other.
What was hard for me: I wasn’t so much a fan of the angst separating our heroes for a good 30% of the book as Blacque stayed clear because he thought he had to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of the pack. This kind of slowed the pace down overall for me and made the book more of a slog. I’m glad things worked out in the end and everyone got their very much earned HEA, but by that time, I didn’t feel super connected to the characters and didn’t have that deep feeling of catharsis or relief after a hard battle was won.
It was a nice read, and I liked the town of Arcada and how it serves as a haven for different kinds of beings though. If you like shifter stories, you may dig this one a lot, but in the end, it was just an okay read for me. I hear good things about the next in the series though, so am interested in checking that out.
Merged review:
3.5 stars – A pretty enjoyable shifter romance about Lucas Blacque, a very closeted werewolf who struggles with balancing increased responsibilities for his pack just as he’s starting an illicit affair with his hot vampire neighbor Oliver Bleu. Blacque doesn’t think he can have both worlds, and expects to spend a long lonely life as his pack’s future alpha, but his want for Bleu can’t stay buried, especially when outside threats come calling.
What I liked: The MCs were interesting and sympathetic. Even though he’s a big muscly martyr, I liked Blacque a lot, and appreciated his slow crumble under Bleu’s determined seduction. I also liked Bleu, and how he struggled to survive against the nightmares that drained him, and how both he and Blacque took on the roles of caring for each other.
What was hard for me: I wasn’t so much a fan of the angst separating our heroes for a good 30% of the book as Blacque stayed clear because he thought he had to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of the pack. This kind of slowed the pace down overall for me and made the book more of a slog. I’m glad things worked out in the end and everyone got their very much earned HEA, but by that time, I didn’t feel super connected to the characters and didn’t have that deep feeling of catharsis or relief after a hard battle was won.
It was a nice read, and I liked the town of Arcada and how it serves as a haven for different kinds of beings though. If you like shifter stories, you may dig this one a lot, but in the end, it was just an okay read for me. I hear good things about the next in the series though, so am interested in checking that out....more
3.5 stars (*I'll up my rating if/when a sequel comes out.)
Some spoilers below. Don't read if you don't want that.
Enjoyable, fast-paced sci-fi gay YA a3.5 stars (*I'll up my rating if/when a sequel comes out.)
Some spoilers below. Don't read if you don't want that.
Enjoyable, fast-paced sci-fi gay YA adventure about the closeted son of a US president, the new hot transfer student to his boarding school, and attacking robots.
Liked: the fast pace and the cracker-jack sci-fi plot that felt ready-made for a movie with dreamy "teen" leads played by actors in their mid-to-late 20's who would have lots of shots of whipping their hair artfully around, and a few of those slow-mo shots of when people are actually moving very very fast.
There would even be a spying-on-the-hot-guy-to-see-his-hot-chest-scene. 'Cause it's in the book!
Less a fan of: Maybe it's because it's published by a Simon and Schuster imprint, but I found some of the themes oddly dated for queer YA. Mostly being:
a) Even though it's a future setting with tons of robots, the fear of coming out was revived due to an increase in family values policies. The main character (who is in the closet) doesn't run into other queer people in his school except for the new hottie transfer. Everyone's got robots, but it's all Don't Ask Don't Tell. It felt odd and "convenient" for part of the conflict.
b) For the romance fans (sorry!), it's not an HEA or HFN, but more "hopefully...in the future...this will work out....maybe?" (The tag line of "Terminator" meets "Romeo and Juliet" should have tipped me off.) This may change if/when a sequel is released.
That lack of HEA/HFN irritated me because it did feel like a throwback to the "Gay stories are ultimately Sad/Alone" themes, and overall, that I was reading something from the 90's or early aughts and less something published in 2015 that was more assured with pushing forward an ending of Being Gay didn't automatically mean Someone would have to make the Choice about Survival.
The ending is still a good ending; it's just not a Romance ending.
With both themes (fear of coming out, no Happy Ending for the couple...for now) made me less excited to recommend this book to readers looking for something that is both a fun adventure and something romantically affirming. I would probably still rec something like Hero by Perry Moore, which ALSO had some of the coming out fear, but it was written in 2007, and to it's credit, had that happy ending.
There's no sequel yet, so I'll update after that comes out, but for now, you're just kind of hanging, and I'm done with hanging.
For those who like a good queer YA action story with a nice romantic subplot, you should check it out. But it is not a Romance with a capital R....more
Overall, this is a really enjoyable and imaginative urban fantasy romance, and fans of that genre should have good time with this fantastical romp in Overall, this is a really enjoyable and imaginative urban fantasy romance, and fans of that genre should have good time with this fantastical romp in New York City.
What I liked: Overall, I dug the world and all its fantastical beings running around. Also the developing romance between straight-arrow Val, who is an Elf and has difficulties understanding human customs and nature, and skittish Quinn, a human magic-user who tries to lay low, especially from officers of the law (like Val.) Fortunately for romance fans, things keep pushing them together.
I appreciated that the authors threw in a bunch of other characters to carry the story along. It felt colorful without feeling crowded, and I give props to any authors including a Yeti in a romantic relationship. Yetis need love too!
What was harder: The climax happens somewhere between 70-76% of the story, and after that, it's like a longish epilogue and wrap-up. Because the climax happens so early, I kept pondering if something else was going to happen, or if it was something like Samhaim and the story was going to end by 90% and we would be hit with excerpts. I kind of wished for more energy in that last quarter to keep the pacing up.
Do you like urban fantasy? If you do, then this may be a fun ride for you. It's got magic, fairies, cops, baddies, romance, sex, swords, not-mean river trolls, loving Yetis, centaurs, flirting incubi, the roving dead, and more. It's chock full of stuff and an overall fun and very readable story....more
I found this book surprisingly readable--surprisingly for me because I have a really low bar for paranormal/shifter stories these days. It's sometimesI found this book surprisingly readable--surprisingly for me because I have a really low bar for paranormal/shifter stories these days. It's sometimes hard to find ones that feel fresh, you know? This one didn't break much new ground, but it had some interesting things in it.
A) It's British! So, some slang, etc.
B) Shifters (of "Altereds") were created via a chemical pathogen, changing some, but not all, and creating new ways for people to be discriminated against. (Altereds are feared for being different.)
The worldbuilding was okay--interesting, although it seemed that this chemical poisoning was only done in the UK, and you would think it would be strange globally if one country suddenly had shifters running around. (Like, imagine if someone poisoned the water in Seattle, changing 15% of the population into full or partial shifters. Would this make Seattle more fun to visit?)
Stuff like that. I stopped asking questions though and just went with the flow.
Some of the shifter sensing and feeling reminded me a little of the shifter rules in Kaje Harper's Hidden Wolves series (starting with Unacceptable Risk) except without any of the pack laws/dynamics.
At a little over 200 pages, it was a pretty quick read. The main romance was pretty good; I dug the friendships that the characters had, and I even liked the developing secondary couple. (Sometimes those annoy me since it's like we're moving on to book 2 before book 1 is done, but this time I didn't mind.)
Will I go on to book 2? Yeah, I'll check it out. See what happens next.
This made me also interested in checking out the author's fantasy trilogy that starts with Capture. It had been on my TBR list for a while, and this one was enjoyable enough to help push those up the list.
So, if you LOVE paranormal and shifter stories, this could work for you. Hard to say though because I feel like we have our own lines and limits with shifter stories (especially for all ye gorging on Teen Wolf fics.) I found this overall a fun book to read on vacation and it kept me interested until the end. ...more
4.5 stars - Surprisingly, this might be one of my fave reads of the year. Surprisingly because I had some issues, but in the end, I really enjoyed it.4.5 stars - Surprisingly, this might be one of my fave reads of the year. Surprisingly because I had some issues, but in the end, I really enjoyed it. For fantasy fans, it can be a fun ride.
Do you like fantasy? If so, that’s good, because I think that might be necessary. This is based in a magical world with wizards, the fey, trolls, and other magical beings. There is little-to-no-explanation or exposition about the world and all the magical beings, so you have to either go in with some idea of fairies and incubi, or just take a relaxed “go with the flow” feeling.
What this reminded me of? Argent’s style, especially with its crowds of characters, reminded me a lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books. Jones, who wrote a truckload of awesome YA fantasy books, also would often toss you into the deep end of the pool with little explanation, and you just had to swim through her imagination and magical worlds.
Argent’s style, especially MC Sebastian, who is quick with an insult, grouchy (yet secretly kind) and loves books, reminded me also of Megan Derr’s works, and other fantasy works from Less Than Three. If you like fantasy, and stories like Derr’s Dance in the Dark or Isabella Carter’s Dragon Slayer, this may also work well for you too. (I’m personally a big fan of both those books.)
What was harder for me? This book is CROWDED. Sebastian has, like, nine siblings? Plus his parents, the kids of some siblings, the partners of other siblings, his romantic interest, the prince (who is gloriously persistent against Sebastian’s grouchiness), the prince’s parents, the castle guards, some villains, LOTS of people. It took a while to sort through, and because there are a lot, I didn’t always feel connected, and at times, they just felt like listed names. I sound like one of the heartless villains, but if I could have removed 3-4 of Sebastian’s siblings, I would have been happier, although his family would not since even when they’re devising poisons for each other, they really do love each other.
The amount of characters and how there was not a lot of explanation were probably the hardest parts for me. I was more frustrated in the beginning, but then I got into the “go with the flow” vibe, and like Sebastian in the story, I warmed to this frenetic world and its devious (but loving) characters, especially Sebastian, who feels like he can never let down his shields, but then he meets his match with the tireless Turren. (I have such a soft spot for those who can wear down grouches!)
When I knew I really dug this book? I have two commute choices—the twenty minute express bus that is usually too crowded to sit or the 40 minute slower bus that leaves at erratic times but you can always get a seat. (Great for reading!) And I found myself making sure I could take the slow bus so I can spend 40 more minutes reading about what will happen to Sebastian next. After wading in, I was HOOKED, and really enjoying the story, the emerging romance, and even the crowded dinner table at Sebastian’s house. (It’s also nicely long! At over 300 pages or 100,000 words, so I was able to enjoy a few commutes with this one!)
If you’re a big fantasy fan, you may also really dig this. Heads-up that it can be confusing, and there are a lot of people running around, but within it, there’s a sweet romance about a young magical man, and his tenacious, ever hopeful prince.
Would I read more? Well, my jury is out. Sebastian was definitely my fave character, so I would be up for reading more with him, but I didn't feel much for other potential romantic leads.
I think Argent did a fun job and is an author I want to keep tabs on. You may also dig this one too....more
For audiobook week at Boys in our Books, I pondered what to pick. This would be my first foray into listening to m/m romance **Review of Audio Version
For audiobook week at Boys in our Books, I pondered what to pick. This would be my first foray into listening to m/m romance by a narrator. (“How awkward are sex scenes to listen to? If the writer included written-out sex noises like “Unngh!” or “Ahhhhh!”, does the narrator then do the sex noises? Am I going to be listening to sex scenes on my crowded bus commute?”) These are the things I pondered. Finally when we were all picking books, I opted to try to adhere to my reading challenge—read what you already own—and picked an audio version of a book that’s been on my TBR pile for a while—the fourth book in LB Gregg’s Men of Smithfield Series, Adam and Holden.
I’ve really enjoyed Gregg’s Romano and Albright series (and good news for fans, she’s working on the third book now). I’ve felt more lukewarm to Men of Smithfield—a series of novellas and short novels that revolve around various gay men living in the same picturesque small New England town, except this one had a small pile of small town mysteries to sort through. Book 1 and 2 (Mark & Tony, and Max & Finn) were okay reads for me, and I enjoyed book #5, Sam and Aaron.
How was book 4? This is my favorite of the group so far. The contrast between wealthy, experienced, and agoraphobic Holden and young, guileless, and achingly sincere Adam was a nice mix. For Holden, Adam tapped into newly developed needs to both protect and teach (since Adam is a virgin and also doesn’t understand many social cues) and also to be protected and cared for (as Adam is also very caring and strong.) It is hard to not love Adam, who is so honest and sweet, especially when he’s confused about a joke or sarcasm. I appreciated Holden more as he came to understand Adam and how best to communicate with him.
The mystery itself was fun and like other Gregg works, a little kooky, and since Holden has a hard time leaving the house, the story is close to being a closed-room mystery, where most things happen around Holden’s lavish home or yard.
How was the narrator? Overall, I thought he was great. His version of Holden was an interesting direction—at times I felt like I was listening to a gay man’s version of Katherine Hepburn (with that upper-class Yankee New England drawl.) Sometimes it made it difficult to picture Holden as also the burley strong adventurer that he was, but then I thought I should check myself, and that burly adventurers could talk like a male Katherine Hepburn, just coming off a yachting trip on the lake if he wants to. Why not? The narrator also did voices for the other characters, and changed into them seamlessly, whether it was Adam’s earnest young tone, or Officer Tony’s brusque deep voice. I could picture all the characters speaking and it was nicely distinct. I thought the narrator was pretty splendid here.
How was listening to M/M in audio? It was fun. I don’t know if I’ll do audio a lot, but I definitely found the niche. At one point after work, I was so tired and a bit stressed, and I couldn’t “land” on reading, so I turned on the audio book instead, and was able to settle on listening. I was tempted to multi-task and listening while cleaning worked well, but listening while web surfing was too distracting, so I have to really pick my activities or else I’ll miss whole sections of the story.
Do I recommend this one? Very much so. Not only is the price great ($2.99!), but the story was also a lot of fun.
Can you dive into this one cold? Maybe? It’s hard to say since I’ve read three of the other books, but the mysteries are all stand-alone and only linked by the setting of Smithfield and some of the same characters (like Tony) pop up. I started reading at book 2, Max & Finn, so you probably could enjoy this one as a start although you may want to go back and check out some of the other stories as well.
I’m grateful that audiobook week helped show me that m/m romance in audio is a fun and relaxing way to get some reading down. Now what to listen to next…?...more
4.5 stars - If I hadn’t been reading this for the blog, I might have put this book down too early, and that would have been my loss.
Why was I ponderin4.5 stars - If I hadn’t been reading this for the blog, I might have put this book down too early, and that would have been my loss.
Why was I pondering dropping it in the first early chapters? Well, I’m not the biggest contemporary romance fan to begin with—I picked up this book, the first in a new series by Beecroft, because I saw that a later volume will have an asexual character. I couldn’t dive into book 3 without trying the earlier ones, right?
But why I almost put it down was because the beginning of this book is GRIM. Grim and morose, much like its MC Michael May, a policeman who starts this story with a truly terrible case, one so horrifying (even to this reader), that it changed the entire course of his career, and his life.
From those horrors that have drained his life of color and vitality, Michael May returns to his hometown to take care of the house his jerk of a father left him. He is a dejected man, having to break into his own home because his father, still a dick even when he’s deceased, hid the keys from him.
The beginning chapters of this story were a bit dark in mood, and mirrored Michael’s depressed, exhausted mental state. Having a hard week myself, I didn’t know if I could finish this, but then I saw Ami’s review. I didn’t read it, because I won’t read other reviews while mid-read, but I gleamed the glowing stars around it, and I know she’s a tough critic, so if it made it by the Ami-meter, I had to have faith that this was something special.
And it is. And I recommend hanging in there with Michael as he weathers those first rough nights back home, because once he comes upon the window of an eccentric bookshop, and is compelled to open the door to go inside, a light falls onto his dim life, one that’s part fiery and warm, and part brilliant and electric. The entrance of Michael’s polar opposite, Finn, is a heady mix of energy, cleaned-up chaos, classy refinement, and snark. His keen gaze sees right through Michael, and even if pursuing something might be hazardous for both of them, they find themselves falling into each other’s orbits, with Finn’s flirty, secretive nature and Michael’s earnest shy honesty coming together into a surprising stunned, but hungry union.
That’s long way to say that the MCs really work well together, even though they are very much opposites, and at times, those opposing natures cause fear and distrust within both of them (and at one point bring on one of my Least Favorite tropes in contemporary romance—the Misunderstanding, followed by jumping to conclusions.) Thankfully, Beecroft doesn’t draw this instance out for long, and our MCs realize they are adults and they can talk through misconceptions, especially for the right incentive.
This is the first time I’ve read Beecroft, and I thought her writing was stellar. Lots of detail that paints the scenes without feeling overblown. (What is up with these hyper-evocative British writers? I’m looking at you, Harper Fox!) Smooth writing that’s easy to sink into, and well-crafted transitions in style when we shift POVs between Michael and Finn. This was a great introduction to Beecroft, and I’m excited to check out more of her work.
Overall, I thought this was a very enjoyable read, once I got past the grim beginning. Michael and Finn’s chemistry is very palpable, and as a reader, I was rooting for them to push beyond their mutual hang-ups and see how together they were the golden glue that fills in the broken cracks in each other’s lives and reveals something whole and beautiful.
I look forward to reading what’s next in Trowchester. It’s certainly off to a wonderful start....more
Overall I thought this was a pretty fun read. I never got a chance to read the first edition Notturno, so was happy to read it in this re-released verOverall I thought this was a pretty fun read. I never got a chance to read the first edition Notturno, so was happy to read it in this re-released version (with a new title/cover/publisher.)
I think my fave character is the limo driver/vampire slayer though......more
Under a New Star is a nice change of pace when it comes to holiday reading—a story that happens around Christmas, and is set...IN SPACE. In the 26th cUnder a New Star is a nice change of pace when it comes to holiday reading—a story that happens around Christmas, and is set...IN SPACE. In the 26th century to be precise, where scientist Michael and his work partner Adrian, (a winged, angel-like modified human known as a Morph) are nearing the end of a months-long journey to colonize a new planet. One thing that is secret from their crewmembers (and is taboo for their program) is that Michael and Adrian’s relationship runs much deeper than professional, and when faced with the reality that they might have to end their affair or risk their careers, things start to go awry.
This was a fun quick read, and I appreciated the chance to read a sci-fi holiday story. At the start of the story, Michael and Adrian are just a few shorts days from landing on their new home, and those last hours are filled with both excited tension and menial labor as the crew has to tick off all the boxes on their check-lists to make sure they are safe to leave warp and prepare for landing. And then add to that mix a basket of anger and hurt-inspired miscommunications. (My internal subtitle for this story is “When lovers badly communicate...at warp speed!”)
Overall, a very imaginative story that could probably spin off into another, since hey, Michael and Adrian are starting on a whole new world! Length-wise, at 76 pages/23,000+ words, it’s also one of the longer holiday stories that I’ve read, and it was nice to have that space for further development, although I wish the main conflict wasn’t built around the MCs fighting between each other, but that’s really a me-thing since communication issues is probably one of my least favorite conflicts.
For sci-fi fans, this could be a good read for you, especially if you’re looking for something a little different, and I look forward to seeing what new worlds this author creates next. (And shout-out to the author, who has the flirtiest bio I’ve read.) :-)...more
It's hard to cut out of a thriller early. (Who is the villain? Will there be awesome action scenes ahead?)DNF @ 20% or around 23,000+ words (of 118k+)
It's hard to cut out of a thriller early. (Who is the villain? Will there be awesome action scenes ahead?) And normally I love a good long read, but I found the author's style frustratingly over-written, where scenes would drag on with details, characters repetitively pondering, or not very interesting dialogue. If I could recommend something, it would be to work with a heartless content editor and cut at least a third (or much more) of the writing to help tighten the pacing....more
For those still gnashing their teeth in frustration over not having more Magpie Lord to dive into, behold! You have here a sequel/extension of CharlesFor those still gnashing their teeth in frustration over not having more Magpie Lord to dive into, behold! You have here a sequel/extension of Charles’ popular paranormal historical romance series, this time following the side character of Jonah, who had played an important and villain-ish role in Flight of Magpies (#3 in the Charm of Magpies series). Unlike some of the horrible baddies in that volume, he wasn’t completely and utterly irredeemable. He did have a heart, or at least, he had someone he very much wanted to protect and was willing to do whatever it takes to keep that person safe.
Jackdaw follows sometime after book 3, when disgraced former policeman Ben comes to London to track down the bane of his existence (and former love of his life), but he’s not the only one looking for Jonah Pastern, and he comes face-to-face with five feet of menacing power, Stephan Day, who more than anything wants to drag Jonah kicking and screaming to justice.
It’s almost hilarious how Charles did a twist on her much loved Magpie characters, where here, from another POV, especially one of lesser power like Ben’s, Stephen and his crew come off as impatient, dangerous, unsympathetic, ruthless, and particularly with Stephen, a little bit of a high-minded jerk who has NO PROBLEM using Jonah’s possible affections for Ben to flush him out of hiding. (I’m glad I had three books to ingrain my love for Stephen, because if I came into this one cold, I don’t think I would have warmed up to him.)
Jackdaw is different from the other books in the series in a couple ways—first the obvious one is the story follows Jonah and Ben’s journey as once lovers, now wracked by bitterness and regret, but still can’t give up on each other, and when the Victorian version of the Heat come crashing down on them, they flee London together. Along the way, truths are revealed, apologies spoken, and promises made, and the two of them see if they can get beyond their pasts to see if a future is possible.
Besides the starring characters, the other big difference is the thrust of the story. The Charm of Magpies series normally had a big Baddie or three and some kind of case to push the story forward and torment Stephen and Lucien. In Jackdaw, technically Stephen IS the big baddie, but the focus of the volume is really on Jonah and Ben reuniting and tentatively repairing what was broken, and those repairs play out over the windswept coasts of Cornwall as they adjust their lives to living in a small village.
For me, who is a big fan of Charles’ work (with The Magpie Lord being my fave read of 2013 and Think of England being my #1 in 2014), Jackdaw was a fun time revisiting the Magpie world, but I did feel less connected to it than the other books in the series. Since the focus is more on Jonah and Ben’s wary reconciliation, I found the pace much slower than the other books. That, and Ben is a somewhat morose and grim character. (He has every right to be with his recent history, thanks to Jonah.) But this means their relationship felt much more somber, a soft, tentative glow, as opposed to the zinging sparks that you could feel between say, Stephen and Lucien (or if you jumped books, Archie and Daniel in Think of England.) As happy as I was that Jonah and Ben were reforming the fierce bonds between them, I did miss that energy, and found the book easier to set aside compared to the others.
With that said, I think if you have enjoyed the Magpie series, then I think you will enjoy diving into this one as well, both to revisit with such beloved characters, envelop again into Charles’ marvelous writing, and follow two lost souls who, when given the chance, will fight tooth and nail for the one the love.
Can you read this one without reading the others? Maybe? I wouldn’t recommend it though since Charles saves time by providing only minimal world-building in this one, and you may feel less connected with the drive-by references to earlier characters or plots from the other books. I think those that have read the other books are primed to enjoy this volume the most.
If you’re a diehard fan like me, you’ve probably already ordered this one, but for those wondering, my rec is—If you liked the others, then it’s a safe bet that you will enjoy this one.
And for those wondering, yes, you do get some great glimpses of our four main Magpie troublemakers, enough to be quite satisfied. :-) (And if you haven’t seen yet, there is a fun Jackdaw prequel comic here.)...more
3.5-4 stars: I read this novella, #6 in the Market Garden series, but #3 for focusing on the "Excellent Rentboy Adventures of Jared & Tristan (and Rol3.5-4 stars: I read this novella, #6 in the Market Garden series, but #3 for focusing on the "Excellent Rentboy Adventures of Jared & Tristan (and Rolex)" and it's predecessor Take It Off all in one go, so reviewing together.
These two parts follow Market Garden #1 Quid Pro Quo, where we first step into the high class club and where our two MCs, experienced and savvy Tristan and less, experienced, less confident Jared are asked by a Rolex-wearing client if they work "together" and that night, they decide to go for it for what looks like a worthwhile and moneymaking time. (Little does Jared know how Tristan will sexily torment him and tease out all those bills from Rolex's wallet.)
In part #2 Take it Off, Jared gets to return the favor when Rolex comes back for another show, and in part #3, Payoff, Rolex wants in on the performance, in more ways than one, and cool-as-you-come Tristan has to face a new reality--that he doesn't want anyone "in" between him and Jared anymore, but does Jared want the same thing?
I don't think I'm a big erotica reader--I don't really get swept up as things steam up for the characters, and tend to latch on to anything nearing character and relationship development. So, I wished for a meatier read with these, but they're light and fun, and at 40-50 pages each, quick reads.
Extra bonus: I was able to get part #2 from the library as an ebook borrow! That was pretty nice, and since Riptide puts up a lot of their books into the Overdrive ebook system (which many libraries pull from), if YOUR library lends ebooks, it's totally possible to put a request in and have them purchase these (and more!) So you too could get your Market Garden sexy-times...from the library! :D...more
When I saw that Fyn Alexander, who may be best known for her contemporary BDSM romantic suspense series Angel and the Assassin, released what looked tWhen I saw that Fyn Alexander, who may be best known for her contemporary BDSM romantic suspense series Angel and the Assassin, released what looked to be a historical western romance, my interest was piqued. Although Angel and the Assassin pushed up against my envelope of things that I want to read, I dug Alexander’s straight-forward writing style and her development around the ruthless assassin Kael and his evolution as he learned to become more “human” around his Angel. Since I also enjoy historical romances, I was interested to see how Alexander’s style would translate to the lonely prairie of the 1880’s.
This is a straight-up historical. (No BDSM dungeons in the back of Luke’s prairie shanty.) The focus is on our two leads, seasoned farmer Luke, who has been living a lonely life on his own, and newcomer Sam, who has come to the Dakota Territory to farm his new claim, but his “book learnin’” about how to tend the land doesn’t cover everything. Thankfully for him, he is rescued from a blizzard by Luke, who takes in young Sam, and they soon realize that they have much more in common—they both prefer to be with men.
For fans of historicals, especially historical westerns, Winter Hearts is a good pick. It feels very much like a traditional historical romance, with the focus being on the trials these two men face, whether it’s with the terrain, or surviving with their secret relationship in a time where being gay was illegal. Alexander’s style is still very straight-forward, but I find it easy to sink into, and she dots her passages with sparse but fitting details that bring to life Luke’s small but cozy shanty (thanks to Sam for bringing the warm light in) and the harsh terrain they’re toiling away at.
My only down point is some of the conflict is based on one of my least favorite tropes (lack of communication). Also, since the novel is a historical, its mood is weighed down by the very heavy, very true conflict that you could be murdered for being gay back then, and Luke lived with an underlying fear that they would be caught and killed. It felt pretty heavy, and made me think that I probably love sci-fi and fantasy romance so much because the “queer factor” is often more accepted in those fantastical settings.
Do you love historicals? If so, and especially if you like ones with a western setting, then this is an easy book to recommend. Alexander sweeps you along with Luke and Sam’s love story. If you’re a nervous reader (like me), I can promise the ending is good.
Do you hate historicals? Then this is probably not the book to turn you over to the historical-side. It feels lovingly traditional, and is well-paced as it follows the seasons with Sam and Luke as their land and love grow.
I was super surprised that Alexander, whose Angel and the Assassin series has some BDSM scenes that I don’t want to ponder too much about (the Humbler!), could write such a sweet (although still very sexy-times laden) story set in the Old West. Very happily surprised. I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next....more
I'm pretty much not the ideal Thirds fan and probably too grumpy for most who are excitedly following this action-paranormal-romance series.
For one, I'm pretty much not the ideal Thirds fan and probably too grumpy for most who are excitedly following this action-paranormal-romance series.
For one, I'm not a fan of the main couple, the stars and backbone for books 1-4. I find Dex fun, but sometimes too much, and for most of the four books, I find his and Sloane's chemistry tepid. Somewhere in book 2 or 3, I allowed myself to skim their sex scenes, and I've been much happier.
If you're as BrodyBear as Sloane, why are you reading these? Cochet is a MASTER at developing side couples, as you can see in her other series, which are like lush orchards of potential romances. If you don't like one, there's probably 2-5 others that strike your fancy, and that's basically what happened here.
So, why I doggedly plowed through four books (!) (and skimmed Dex and Sloane's relationship) is that I am 100% IN for book 5, Against the Grain, which is when background couple Cael and Ash (CASH!) have their hopefully glorious union. That relationship hits all my grumpy/kind pairing buttons, and I want to hug it at night like a worn plush bear whose ears were chewed off by my dog, but I can't bear to give it up.
If I was still writing fanfic, I would probably spend the five months until the next book comes out writing cutesy CASH snippets, epics set in magical ninja high schools, or coffeeshop AUs...IN SPACE. Cochet has expertly left you hanging so you totally want to go fill in the blanks while you're drumming your fingers, itching to hand over your monies to her.
Okay-okay, we get it. How was book 4? I liked the action parts. Wasn't a fan of Dex being kind of dumb, but did dig his scenes with Ash (I like their begrudged bromance), LOVE Tony and anything with him and his sons, some good CASH progress, one really awkward Cobbs (Calvin/Hobbes) scene, so with some skimming, it was a fun book, and I'm looking forward to book 5. I don't recommend book 4 if you haven't read any of the books. You'll be too confused and should start with book 1 Hell & High Water.
Still not sure if I'll keep reading after 5, although looking through the orchard, that Hudson/Seb tree sure looks ripe...
A nicely written "fairy tale" romance of two orphans who grow up together at the orphanage, grow to become each other's worlds and when faced with theA nicely written "fairy tale" romance of two orphans who grow up together at the orphanage, grow to become each other's worlds and when faced with the repercussions of a crime, flee together towards an unknown future, or unknown except for one thing--no matter what, they will stay together. No matter what.
I'm not an angst fan, especially with contemporaries, so there's a section of Lane's works I can't dive into. Her lighter or speculative work though is open season for me, and I'm always really impressed how easily she shifts between genre and narrative voice, while still also writing a good, compelling story.
This one was a nice imaginative story, written in a style similar to a fairy tale (except with more on-page sex.)
And I totally cried during the last section. For nervous readers, the ending is totally fine, but just a little emotional....more
3.5 stars - Wings of Destruction is a dystopian/post-apocalyptic novella about Martin, who is asexual in a world built around fulfilling carnal desire3.5 stars - Wings of Destruction is a dystopian/post-apocalyptic novella about Martin, who is asexual in a world built around fulfilling carnal desires. He is unable to keep relationships (or Mates as it is referred to here), and tries to survive on his own while trying to stay off the radar of roving gangs who rape and pillage whatever they can find.
At the beginning of this story though, Martin is at the end of his resilience, and he decides that dying would be better than anything this desolate world can offer him, so he prepares to kill himself, and when trying, he meets the angel Anael who has been sent to judge whether those on earth should remain or be destroyed.
What I liked:
Wings of Destruction is an imaginative story, and went into a couple directions that I hadn’t expected, which was a nice twist. I also very much appreciated how some of the characters weren’t all that they appeared.
I went into this story primarily because I was looking to read something with an asexual character. Being ace myself, it’s really rare to find romances with ace characters so I wanted to check this out.
I have complicated feelings about fantastical pairings with ace characters. Here Martin is happy to find someone, a literal angel, who can love him for him, and won’t pressure him for sex. A part of me is, “Yay!” because Martin deserves love. A part of me is wary because of the (not intentional) message that ace characters can only find love with those not of this world. I think it’s hard for authors now writing ace characters because there is so little available in romance now, and so anything that comes up is looked at as an example of representation, and asexuality is really complex, and there are so many ways to write about it.
For those who want a quick primer on asexuality, I’m going to steal what I wrote for my City of Soldiers review:
“Asexuality is the orientation when a person doesn’t feel sexual attraction. They can feel romantic feelings, and they can fall in love. They can like touching and kissing and cuddling. Some are into kink, some aren’t. Some can like sex and be aroused while others can be repulsed by sex. There are hetero-romantic and homo-romantic and pan-romantic and aromantic asexuals. I’ve come to understand that it’s a really wide spectrum of people, where the real commonality is the lack of feeling sexual attraction towards others.”
Martin is ace and also suffers from depression, so overall really devalues himself, especially since no one will stay with him because he doesn’t want to have sex. Meeting Anael is for him, like finally feeling what love can be, even for him, which was nice.
Was the Asexual character “fixed” in the end? No, he’s not. And I bring it up because my worry with reading ace romances is that the ace character will be changed somehow in order for there to be an HEA that is considered more “normal”. But, no, Martin’s asexuality is not changed or erased.
What was harder for me: The writer’s style felt simplistic, and felt like an early work. I’m really psyched that the author wrote a story with an ace lead, so I encourage them to continue writing and working on their craft. There was a lot of ideas here in a short amount of space (20,000 words), and for me, the execution felt too simple or bare for what being called within the fantastical plot.
Do I recommend buying it? This is partially an activism issue with me. For me, who sees so few stories with ace characters, I feel the need to buy them when they do come out to send the message to keep writing more.
The market is very cyclic--so if you want more diversity in your romances, whether it’s more trans*, bi, or gender fluid characters, more characters of color or diverse backgrounds or characters with disabilities, the cycle is this: Write Publish Buy. If a part of that cycle isn’t working, it can encourage the other parts to also stop. So, if you want it, people got to write it, people got to publish it, and people got to buy it, and that’s how it gets into the market more.
So, although this story was just an okay read for me, I’ve already pre-ordered my own copy, and my encourage to the author is to keep writing, and to the greater field, I’d love to see more ace characters getting their Happily Ever After. (I see Alex Beecroft has a book on the horizon.)
3.5 stars - An interesting and imaginative read, although I had a few issues.
The story: It's our world, but there are those who exist who can "dreamwa3.5 stars - An interesting and imaginative read, although I had a few issues.
The story: It's our world, but there are those who exist who can "dreamwalk" or when they sleep, they enter the dreamworld of Somnus, lucid and having powers, while drone-like zombies mill around (that's us when we're sleeping.)
The first time dreamwalker Bryn meets Laszlo, it's when he's visiting this dream world. They don't know each other in the waking world, but that meeting starts a chain-reaction of realizations, as Bryn learns his skills in dreamwalking run much deeper (and dangerous) and Laszlo finds that he can't run from his dreams any longer, especially if it means risking never seeing Bryn again.
How were the MCs? Bryn was very likeable and it was easy to follow his journey, whether it was in the real world or when he was dreamwalking in Somnus. I felt less connection to Laszlo, where much of his journey was focused on coming to grips with who he really is. Together, they were fun, although I'll admit, it felt pretty "insta", so much so that I wondered if there was some greater meaning to their instant attraction--like if they had met before in Somnus, but couldn't remember. So far, that hasn't been spelled out.
What worked for me? Fun ideas, and good tension built up as Bryn and Laszlo are automatically pulled closer and closer to danger when they enter their dreams.
For those who are nervous about their couples and the endings, readers should feel safe here. Chambers does not pull a "Provoked" with this volume. (I say that will love, BTW.) :-)
What was harder for me? I found this book a bit frustrating, but I'm not sure how frustrated I'm supposed to be.
I like the pacing at first as the novel's world unspooled and you tried to figure out what was going on, but it did feel very "well-paced" or a little slow in development. Around 60% or so, I started thinking that I must be in a first book of a trilogy or a multi-book character arc, because I wasn't getting a feeling that we would get much character development in this first book. I was a little frustrated because it felt like much of this first volume was set-up, and didn't feel like a solid story on its own.
The last quarter, things speed up, but then I felt frustrated because it was almost too fast after that first half, and felt a bit anti-climactic after all the build-up before then.
I honestly don't know what to think of the book. Will Bryn and Laszlo have their story continue in book 2? If so, I feel more forgiving and will just wait for things to be developed further.
But I got the feeling that their love story is done at the end of this, even though so much of the novel felt like setting up something much longer. Side couples are also introduced here, so I'm wondering if the side couples are now going to be main characters in the next volume. If so, I feel more frustrated because I didn't feel enough development with the first couple, and don't really care about the side couples.
So for me, it was hard to understand how this first volume fit. It felt like mostly set-up, but then a fast close-up for the MCs. Will we get more with them to match that set-up? If so, I'll look forward to that. If it's progressing on with the conflicts between the side characters, then I care less.
Overall? An interesting and imaginative read. Those who like sci-fi-ish/speculative fiction with their m/m may dig it.
For me, the frustration over the pacing, the slow and then fast development, and the uncertainty of how things will progress make me pause when thinking about whether I should continue to vol. 2. I guess I'll wait for the blurb. If it's jumping to the next couple, I probably won't continue.
A very fun sci-fi romance that develops further the interspecies relationship and love between Liam and Ondry as they try to better understand each otA very fun sci-fi romance that develops further the interspecies relationship and love between Liam and Ondry as they try to better understand each other as well as navigate the politics of what being together means for human-Rownt relations.
Heads-up, this is book 2 in the series! If you are new to Gala’s amazing Rownt world, you should head first to book 1, Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts. That’s where this story really starts and how Liam finds himself literary chained to Ondry’s bed, and then realizes how he got himself there (and how it’s actually…kinda…something he really wants.)
What did I dig about this sequel? (Besides the fact that at 69,000 words, it’s twice as long as the first novella? Yay!)
1- Gala’s world-building: Like in book 1, Gala’s world-building is probably one of my favorite parts of the series. The Rownt are so INTERESTING and often very funny as they try to parse out the very illogical actions of the humans stationed on their world. Their love of profits and status remind me a little bit of the Ferengi on Star Trek, except they’re much taller and more purple and have very skilled tails. The descriptions of the Rownt, including how their feelings would often be reflected by their skin tone, were fascinating and lovingly consistent, which meant it was easy to sink into the novel and travel along with Liam and Ondry as they worked through their varies challenges.
2- The solidity—This is less a romance-romance since it’s not so much their journey to be together, but their struggle to stay together. Liam and Ondry, even though they are confused or uncertain about some things, are still very *together* and I loved that. I loved seeing their devotion while they tried to work through problems. I also dug how their sexy times were mutual in the way that they wanted to give each other pleasure, but operated in understandably different ways.
Their relationship is still one that is innately D/s, one that is life-long and surrounding, and which is part of Liam’s role as a palteia, one that serves his Life Partner/Dom, but is also taken care and protected. This is not whips-and-chains D/s with a pleasure dungeon out behind Ondry’s pillow nest, but is more of a lifestyle that is reflected in how they interact and care for each other. It also fits more as a way of life in the Rownt world.
It’s interesting that you could probably take the sex out, and you will still have a very compelling read. (Not that the sex is unnecessary–it’s well-written and not distracting; it’s just Gala did a nice job of rounding everything out so it would still have been strong without it.)
Would I recommend this? Did you like book 1? If so, then YES. It’s a very fun and interesting continuation of the story, and Gala does a good job with the sci-fi. I didn’t feel like she covered up a sex scene with some hastily developed alien wallpaper. I felt like we got to visit a really fascinating world and story where sex was included, but was not the dominating factor that propels the story or their love forward.
If you like sci-fi romance, I would point you to try the first novella, and if that works for you, come check out this sequel. And for me, I would definitely be up for a third visit with Liam and Ondry....more
Nicely spooky and like much of Fox's writing, very evocative and rich with its setting, so you can feel the mist on the moors and the chill in the airNicely spooky and like much of Fox's writing, very evocative and rich with its setting, so you can feel the mist on the moors and the chill in the air.
I steered away from this because I'm rarely into novellas. (It's hard for me to get excited about stories less than a 100 pages.) But I saw that Fox has continued this series, now at 4 stories, and that convinced my novella-leery mind to dive in, since there's more to clutch at later if I like it.
And it is good. Gideon and Lee have some nice developing chemistry, although I'll look forward to more development as things progress. I think the real star for this one is the setting, as well as Gideon's growing trust in himself to go out into misty unknown, whether it's to solve a crime, or to allow himself some happiness with a potential new love.
I look forward to seeing where things go in part 2, Tinsel Fish. :-)