Goodbye

Well this is it.  The final post.  I considered doing a huge song and dance with jazz hands and everything, but in the end it just wouldn't be me.  A quick hug, a peck on the cheek and a cheerful wave is more my style.

I do want to say a huge thank you to all my followers, lurkers and friends who have made my blog what it is.  Without you, I would be writing into the void and I appreciate every single one of you.  I've made some good friends here and that's not going to stop.  I'll still be around on Good Reads, Twitter and your blogs.  I'm also keeping my reviewing commitment to Reviews by Jessewave and Three Dollar Bill Reviews so no doubt I'll see some of you there.

I also want to apologise to those authors whose books I haven't reviewed yet - I think there are two books, one of which was an anthology, which I just didn't have the time to do.  I shall make sure I write a decent review for them on Good Reads and I could possibly persuade Emily to let me post them at TDB reviews as well.

In terms of what's going to happen to this blog, I shall keep it as it is for a week and then strip the side bars to a minimum, close off all comments and write a general post to have up when people find me.  I want Well Read to remain a resource for authors and readers so I won't be deleting any posts.

So that's it.  For now at least.  Who knows what may happen in the future - I may get more time, less pressure from home and then I could re-open this blog.  Until then, goodbye and thanks for all the laughs, support and friendship.

Review: A Game of Chances by TC Blue

Marcus is just recovering from a hurtful break-up with his ex, when he literally runs into Tanner, the new occupant of his former flat. They get along well and soon become friends with Marcus hoping for much more. What Marcus doesn't know is that Tanner is on a mission to revenge his former partner's death and Marcus is but a tool to help him with that. Unfortunately for Tanner, he likes Marcus and starts to fall in love with him. Suddenly his mission is in tatters and Marcus is betrayed. It takes a visit from Tanner's sister - the indomitable Patrice - to sort out the mess they've both made and reveal the true nature of her and Tanner's involvement with The Farmingdale Gentleman's Club.

This complex action/adventure book has much to recommend it. The plot itself takes us on a journey which spans several months starting from the first meeting between the heroes. The story itself is in two parts. The first part deals with the development of the relationship between Marcus and Tanner and the second part deals with Marcus' introduction to The Farmingdale Gentleman's Club. Both sections were fast paced and packed with emotion. However, as this book is the first in a series it suffers slightly from an excess of world-building as we learn about the gray-ops organisation that Tanner belongs to. I didn't mind that too much because I could see why it was necessary to be given the information, plus it was written in such a way that I never felt that information was dumped on me. Instead, the character of Patrice is cleverly used to show the reader how the operation works through her interactions with Marcus, Tanner and Mr Farmingdale, the boss of the organisation. I liked Patrice and thought her a nice contrast to the rather emotive Marcus and Tanner. The way she could take command of a situation through the lift of an eyebrow was amusing, and if she sometimes came across as a little smug, I forgave her as the scenes where she appeared breathed a freshness through the book.

The relationship between Marcus and Tanner was fraught with emotion as both fall hopelessly in love with each other and then do stupid things like being self-sacrificial or letting pride get in the way of their feelings. Typical men! There were a number of amusing moments, such as 'the drunken episode' which lightened the story slightly, so that I didn't feel the emotional angst was too heavy. The sex scenes were smoking hot but with an underlying tenderness which appealed to the romantic in me. One thing I liked a great deal about the two men is that they didn't conform to stereotype. Tanner is the tough secret-ops agent, but he wasn't a tough, arrogant burly man, quite the opposite in fact. Marcus too has his surprises and it was nice to see a couple who didn't have assigned roles in the bedroom too.

I thought that the way that the story twisted in on itself, with many surprises and misdirections, was another highlight of the book. Different characters all have different perspectives and so it's not always clear who is right, who is wrong; who can be trusted and who can't. I liked having my expectations challenged and thought it all rather ingenious. One note of caution, there are some themes in this book of abuse and paedophilia which may be distressing to some readers. There's also a fair amount of brutality - all of which happens off page, but there are some graphic descriptions that may be a little off putting. Those of you who insist on condoms at all times may also have a problem with the book - although I felt that aspect was quite an important part of the relationship between Marcus and Tanner, if not particularly sensible.

If I have any niggles, it is that the story took a left turn towards the end, into what seemed like a whole new adventure and I did wonder why that part had been necessary. I'm wondering whether this is because the character introduced near the end is going to be the hero of a later book in the series, but that's just supposition on my part. I also thought that the whole 'grey-ops' organisation was a little far-fetched, especially as it seems to be one of those mysterious organisations with unlimited funding and resources and manpower who are above everything and everyone. After healthy suspension of disbelief, I was able to overlook that part and just went with the ride.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I like action/adventure and felt there was plenty of interesting twists and turns in the plot, decent characters and some exciting action sequences to keep me interested through to the end. If you're a fan of action/adventure too, then I'm sure you'll like this book as much as I did. A Game of Chances gets a grade of 'Very Good' and I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

Buy this book HERE.

Saturday Shorts

Pet Sitting by Syd McGinley
There was a 20% off sale on at TQ last week and so along with *ahem* several other books, I bought this, the first in the Dr Fell books.  I've read a couple of other Dr Fell stories in anthologies but have found them bewildering because I hadn't been reading the books from the start.  This seemed like a good opportunity to at least try them and get a better idea of whether I would like them.  John Fell is a Dom without a sub, his sub having died in a gay bashing 5 years previously.  John needs some time and space to finish his thesis so his friend Ben offers John the use of his house whilst he's away at a conference for two weeks.  There's a catch though in the form of Ben's sub, Charlie, who's a former druggie and one of the worst subs John has seen.  John promises to 'train' Charlie in Ben's absence.  This was one of the more brutal BDSM books that I've read, not because John uses whips and paddles, but rather because he trains Charlie through humiliation.  John doesn't love Charlie or even particularly respect him so his callous treatment made me wince a little.  Having said that, I also found it quite a fascinating look at how the 24/7 D/s lifestyle is supposed to work and John's grief and sense of loss over the death of his sub gave him a sympathetic edge to the hard exterior.  I've bought the TQ Chasers which follow on from this story and I'm still interested enough to want to read those.  Grade: Good.

Buy this book HERE.


Blood on the Ice by AM Riley
Nick is an NHL ice hockey player who, let's face it, isn't the brightest man on the team.  One day, whilst searching in his locker for his lucky socks, he gets bitten and turned into a vampire.  Nick's heightened senses makes him able to 'smell' the emotions of his other team players, especially his best friend and room mate, Petey.  This story was just hilarious.  I know nothing about ice-hockey, except that it's supposed to be a sport but looks more like several men on skates trying to kill each other over a small round disc, but that didn't matter as the focus is more on Nick.  Nick is a delightful dumb ox, with an engaging personality which put me in mind of a Labrador.  He's completely clueless about Petey, even with his vamp senses, and I found myself laughing several times over that.  The vamp stuff is kept to a minimum except for a few humourous observations about which blood tastes best.  Overall, a delightful and very funny short with a paranormal twist.  Grade: Excellent.

Buy this book HERE.


Betweentimes by Jordan Castillo Price
Owen and Jonny are neighbours and friends.  When Jonny returns from a particularly stressful day at work, Owen suggests they go for a meal at a local burrito bar.  Whilst there, Owen relaxes Jonny in a very unexpected way.  As with all JCP books the beauty of the story is in the details.  The burrito bar is one of these chains of restaurants where families go for meals.  The food is bland and the margaritas taste like kool aid, yet the company makes up for the bad food.  I also liked that the men seem opposites but actually have more in common than you would think at first.  Both of them wear a 'costume' with Jonny in his suit and Owen in his ripped jeans, tight t-shirt and piercings, but underneath that there's an attraction that transcends these assigned roles.  I liked that this was developed through the story with Jonny noticing little details about Owen and Owen able to see that there's more to Jonny than a corporate drone.  Overall, an amusing story which I wished had been a little longer.  Grade: Very good.

Buy this book HERE.


I've also written a couple of reviews of shorts at Wave's blog in the last couple of weeks.  You can find my review of 8 Seconds on the Mountain by PD Singer HERE, and my review of Independence Day 2 by Christiane France HERE.

Review: Last Gasp Anthology

This anthology of four historical short stories takes the idea of the alien or outsider in a foreign land.  In the first three stories the outsider is a British man and in the final story the outsider is an American in Canada.  Whilst I enjoyed all the stories, and feel that they are all worth reading for those who like historicals, I liked some better than others.  I also found that those who like a high degree of romance in their stories may be disappointed as in many stories the emphasis is clearly on the historical content rather than the romantic relationship.  Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, especially for me, just that those who like their historicals to be heavy on romantic and sexual content may not find this book to their taste.

The first story, Tributary by Erastes, is set in Italy during the 1930s and follows bored Guy, as he tootles around Europe in his car before settling at an isolated hotel in the Italian Alps.  Rather predictably the hotel is full of Brits who are there to take the air and holiday.  Whilst there he meets Professor Calloway and his 'assistant' Louis.  Guy finds Louis' dark good looks irresistible, but there's the added complication of Calloway's affection and love for his young assistant.

To be honest, Erastes was always going to be on a winner with this story for me.  I studied the literature of the 1930s at College and have a great affection for that era.  This meant that I was thoroughly delighted to read about some of the prevailing feelings at the time, especially in relation to the First World War.  Guy served in the home office and never saw active service, and Louis was too young to fight.  Both men are suffering from a form of survivor's guilt in that Guy is ashamed of his wartime desk job when compared to Calloway and another military man staying at the hotel, both of whom have suffered from war injuries.  Louis is disappointed that he never got the opportunity to fight for his country.  These feelings lead to a sense of shared feeling between the men and forms the start of their relationship.  Other themes such as the ennui of the British abroad , the May to December relationship and the circumspect way that both Guy and Calloway conduct their relationship with Louis all add to the period feel and made this a very enjoyable story.


The second story was The White Empire by Chris Smith.  Set in Hong Kong during the Victorian era, the story follows first person narrator Vaughan, a clergyman and the younger son of an aristocratic family, who has decided that in order to win his battle over his homosexuality he needs to volunteer for an overseas mission.  He travels to Hong Kong and discovers a city in the thrall of opium.  Vaughan is determined to do all he can to eradicate opium but finds his path blocked by British bureaucracy and by his feelings for Lord Runfold.

This was the longest story in the anthology and my least favourite.  Not that there was anything wrong with the writing, which was excellent, or the characterisation, which was well rounded.  The sights, smells and tastes of Hong Kong are all lovingly described in all its dirt and foulness, and the manners and morals of Victorian society are exposed as mere niceties which hide the rot underneath.  The problem with the story was all mine, as I'm not hugely fond of stories set in the Victorian period (unless they are written by the Brontes).  I also found it a little odd that at the beginning of the story Vaughan is deeply committed to overcoming his homosexuality and yet that seems all but forgotten by the end.  There's not even a gradual change, he just abruptly changes his mind and his position as a clergyman is never mentioned towards the end of the story.   Having said that, this is perhaps the most traditionally romantic of the four stories and does give an interesting insight into the British opium trade in Hong Kong, something I knew nothing about.


The shortest story in the anthology is Sand by Charlie Cochrane.  Set in Syria during (I think) the early 20th Century this story follows Charlie, who has been charged with the thankless task of minding his friend Bernhard who has been sent overseas for a number of indiscretions with women.  Charlie's job is to ensure that Bernhard stays as far away from the opposite sex as possible.  Their destination is a archaeological dig in the Syrian desert run by Dr Andrew Parks and whilst there, Charlie learns that given the right companion the "bloody sand" isn't that bad after all.

This was the most lighthearted story out of the collection and I enjoyed it a great deal.  Much of the humour is derived from the acerbic comments of the long-suffering Charlie towards his rather dim-witted friend and the desert conditions.  It's not all humour though as both Charlie and Andrew have loved and lost someone in the past and also have to cope with life in the desert with all its dangers.  The way the romance between the pair develops was quite delightful as was the understated way the men expressed their feelings for each other.  The setting itself wasn't described in as much detail as the previous stories, but overall this was a great little read with an unusual setting and pleasant characters.


The final story was my favourite, despite the lack of a British character!  The Ninth Language by Jordan Taylor is set in the Canadian Yukon at the height of the gold rush, 1898.  Native American Mitsrii kills a man who he witnesses killing wolves.  When Mitsrii is captured and brought to nearby town Dawson, a young translator Troy Karlson is brought to find out why Mitsrii killed the man.  Troy is desperate to act as an ambassador between the whites and the Native Americans and hopes that Mitsrii will help him find some of the NA tribes and villages, but the young NA man is both unwilling and  impatient with Troy and his blundering ways.

What I liked most about this story was the mixture between the beautiful Yukon setting, where nature rules in all its glory, and the difficult relationship between Mitsrii and Troy.  Much of the story is set in the wilderness as Troy learns to appreciate the balance in nature as well as realise the harm that the white men bring to that.  Mitsrii leans a little towards the noble savage cliché, but it was refreshing to see a character who could calmly kill a man but also respected the cyclical way of the natural world.  I felt dreadfully sorry for poor Troy for most of the book.  He's so earnest in his search for ways to bring white and NA people together and yet his naivety and clumsiness when compared with Mitsrii was endearing.  The relationship between the the men develops from antagonism on the part of Mitsrii, the grudging acceptance and finally attraction.  The emotions are understated and moving, and I found tears in my eyes before the end of the story.


For those readers who enjoy historical stories this anthology is a must.  On the whole I found it an enjoyable read, if a little slow moving at times, and I would recommend it with a grade of 'Very Good.

Buy this anthology HERE.

Holiday Reading

Well aren't you a bunch of lucky people cos you get two blog posts from me today :).

As you all know, I've been off on my rather damp and rainy camping holiday.  I don't like to take my Sony Reader camping with me cos I'm scared to death that it might get a) wet or b) stolen or c) draw too much attention to itself so that people want to look at it.  Instead I take boring old paperbacks that gain no attention other than...them: watcha reading?; me: an (insert sub-genre) romance.  At which point the word 'romance' either elicits a snort of derision or people wander off bored that my reading choice is so 'girly'.

This trip I read two books.  The first book was The Daywalker Legacy by Amanda Young which comprises of two paranormal novellas about her Daywalker vampires.  I'm not going to say anything about that here cos I'm reviewing it for Three Dollar Bill Reviews sometime next week probably.  You'll have to wait until then to read my views on it.

The second book was one which has been on my TBR pile for a while - The Larton Chronicles - which I bought after reading Chris' review on it ages ago.

The book is a rather eclectic comedy romance about two British men, Robert and Michael.  Robert, who is our main third person narrator, is a bad tempered ex-policeman who now writes novels.  He decides that he's had enough of the noise and pollution of London and so moves to a small village in Gloucestershire, Larton.  In the village is an assortment of different characters but the one which stands out most is Robert's near neighbour, Michael.  Former Lord of the Manor and descended from the Anglo-Irish gentry, Michael divides his time between Larton and Dublin where he is in the Irish military.  Michael's main love is anything to do with horses.  He rides in various horsey competitions with the Irish guards and loves drag hunting.  The book follows this unlikely pair as they become friends and then fall in love.  During that time they suffer various injuries and argue a lot, mostly about Michael's complete insensitivity.  I thought they were marvellous, especially in the understated way they express emotions in a typical British bloke fashion, ie, either not at all or, when forced, in a bit of a gruff manner.  The door shuts on all physical contact, even kissing, but I thought that was in keeping with the way the men live their life.  I often found myself chortling at Robert's acerbic commentary, especially about the horse-mad people who litter the pages.  I got a glimpse into the world of the landed gentry - something as a complete pleb I know nothing about - and yet other things seemed delightfully familiar.  I'm not sure this will be a book to everyone's taste - it is VERY British - but I greatly enjoyed its vast number of characters and rambling plot.  Wonderful.

Buy the book HERE.

Review: Touch by Clare London

I have to admit I’m a bit of a sucker for the redeemed rake or the dissolute young man who is brought to his knees by the love of an innocent. In this novella, Clare London has taken that theme and added a paranormal twist and a fantasy setting which I found only enhanced that theme and freshened it for those who may have been tired of reading it in a historical setting.

The dissolute man is Chariz, son of ‘The Lady’ who appears to rule the city in the stead of her absent consort. His family connections have made it so that Chariz has the position of Chancellor, a job he does well for one so young. However, his youth, good looks and power have made it so that Chariz finds only boredom in his life. He often neglects his job, spending days locked in his room with a number of willing young men. He takes for granted that he has only the finest food and wines, the most sumptuous clothes and servants to wait on him. When a young slave is brought to Chariz, he sneers at the young man. Chariz takes the young man, Oriel, to his bed whereupon he discovers a connection between them; one that not only exposes all Chariz’s insecurities and past hurts, but also leads to unexpected love.

One of the things I liked most about this novella was its setting. It heavily models that of medieval times, but has the added twist that the power lies with Chariz’s mother and her magician advisers. The atmosphere around the castle is oppressive. Servants and hangers on witness any discussions that take place, gossip and rumours are rife, and the all pervasive superstition make it difficult for Chariz to have any peace at all. The political machinations of The Lady and her magicians added to this oppressiveness, especially towards the end when Chariz learns how easily his decisions can be overturned.

Another part I liked was the gradual change in Chariz. At the beginning of the story, everyone lives in fear of Chariz and his careless cruelty. When Oriel arrives with his simple honesty, Chariz is taken aback when he hears some home truths about himself. Threats and intimidation don’t work on Oriel who calmly accepts all that life throws at him, so over time Chariz is worn down and forced to face up to what he is. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for him, but an experience he doesn’t have to face alone as he becomes increasingly protective and reliant on Oriel.

If I have a criticism of the story it is in the character of Oriel who was a little too passive for my liking. He has been badly used in the past because his power is so sought after and yet he just accepts that this is how his life is. In some ways this is part of the attraction for Chariz, as his rage and mean spiritedness is counterbalanced by Oriel’s inherent goodness and passivity. However, I still wanted Oriel to show some spirit, some indication that is frustrated at the treatment he receives from other and that his life has been unfair at times.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story. The writing was lush and vivid in its descriptions of the setting and the emotions of the characters; the sex scenes were both hot and beautifully tender; and the story satisfying to read. I would recommend Touch, with a grade of 'Excellent', to those readers who are looking for a well written and unusual fantasy based story about the redemptive and self-sacrificial power of love.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: I Fell in Love with a Zombie by Sean Kennedy

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for post-apocalyptic sci-fi books, especially those which chart the disintegration of society.  It gives me a shiver down the spine to read about just how close society is to total melt-down.  When I was a teen I loved John Wyndam's books, especially Death of Grass and Day of the Triffids.  Why am I telling you all this, you may ask?  Well, just that this novella by one of my favourite m/m authors fits exactly into that 'recovery and survival in the face of disaster' mould that can be found in those books by John Wyndam.  Unsurprisingly, I loved this book.

I Fell in Love with a Zombie begins with our hero and first person narrator, Jay, coping with the aftermath of a swine flu virus which has wiped out most of the world, including his lover, Mike.  Not only that, but some people who have supposedly died of the flu come back to life after a couple of days.  These 'zombies' have limited speech and motor skills, but most horrifying of all, for no reason they attack humans with a lightening speed and superhuman strength.  Jay battles with grief over Mike and the unknown fate of his family as well as surviving in a world littered with dead bodies and zombies who want to kill him.  In desperation, Jay decides to leave the city in search of other humans.  On the way he encounters many dangerous situations, not all due to zombies, and finds love in an unexpected place.

As I said earlier, I loved this book.  It contains many classic elements which can be found in post-apocalyptic survival books and I was delighted every time I came across one of these well loved parts in the story.  Firstly, there was the theme of survival with Jay having to do things that he would never have done otherwise. At the beginning of the book Jay recounts the first time he had to kill a zombie who was attacking him.  At the end of the account he says:

Was this what my life was going to be from now on?  It was enough to make me wish I had died with everybody else.

It's not only rampaging zombies, Jay also has to cope with other survivors, never knowing who to trust, and yet desperate for some contact to ease his loneliness.  In some ways these scenes were the hardest to read as Jay is treated badly by those with whom he hopes to find some companionship.  It was heartbreaking.  Jay's loneliness is a constant presence throughout the first part of the book as he tries to come to terms with the fact that his life has been overturned in less than a month.

Another theme which I enjoyed is that of the journey that the hero has to take to find some semblance of peace.  Jay travels from town to town by taking a discarded car and driving it until the petrol runs out.  On the way he encounters different situations before finding someone with whom he can settle.  Even then life isn't easy for Jay and Dave, and it isn't long before they have to continue their journey.  This gave the book a pacey feel as the setting moves from place to place with our heroes.  It also meant that there was a lot of action in the book which counterbalanced the slower parts as Jay muses on what has happened to him, and the section where he and Dave meet and begin to fall in love.

Given what I've written above you might think that this would be a maudlin and slightly depressing read.  Whilst parts of it were undoubtedly sad, as Jay copes with his grief and life alone, Jay is actually quite an optimistic character, with a strong sense of purpose.  This injected the story with a bright shaft of hopefulness as Jay moves on from each difficult situation in the hope that the next situation will have a more positive outcome.  I liked Jay a great deal, liked his willingness to see the best in others, even when they treated him badly and his pragmatism that life must go on, so make the best of what you have.  As narrators go, Jay is incredibly sympathetic and likeable and this went a long way towards my great enjoyment of the book.

One word of warning  for those of a slightly squeamish nature.  There are several gruesome parts in the story, especially those involving Jay and the zombies.  Personally, I felt this fit well with the genre of the book and I'm not particularly squeamish and so those bits didn't bother me at all.  I liked that the author hadn't chosen to wash over some of the more unpleasant aspects of life within a time of chaos, such as the stench of rotting bodies or the sorrow that whole families lay unburied.  I also liked the depiction of the zombies, that they were disgusting and brutal, but also that, for some at least, there was a trace of humanity.

Whilst reading this book I experienced a whole wealth of emotion.  At some points I felt genuinely frightened, at other points angry.  I felt joy and happiness for Jay and Dave, but also sadness for them - even crying at one point.  I completed the book feeling overwhelmed, knowing that I'd read something extremely well written, that moved me.  If you like sci-fi, horror and stories set in a post apocalyptic future, then this book is an absolute must.  I thought it was bloody brilliant and it gets a grade of 'Excellent'.

Buy this book HERE.