Review: Settling the Score by Eden Winters

Settling the Score is the third novel I've read by Eden Winters. I like her books and find her writing smooth and easy to read. This book was no exception.

The story follows Joey who's a small town mechanic and blissfully in love with his boyfriend who's just hit the Hollywood big time. However, all his dreams come crashing down when his boyfriend publicly breaks up with Joey on a TV interview, outing Joey to his family, friends and the members of his small town at the same time. The ensuing fall-out isn't pleasant for Joey and his family, but Joey tries his best to keep his head down and get on with life. Joey is surprised when famous author Troy contacts him and asks if he can use Joey to help with the research for his next book, but what Joey doesn't realise is that Troy has revenge in mind and Joey is going to be the key to his revenge schemes.

I have to admit I had a mixed response to this book, although overall my opinions are favourable. Much of the story hangs on the reader liking the main characters of Joey and Troy, and whilst I liked Joey a great deal, I wasn't as keen on Troy. Joey is your typical small town boy. He's not too bright, but intelligent enough to still be appealing. He has an honesty and integrity about him which he manages to keep throughout the book and a naivety which, thankfully because this was a bit annoying about him, he manages to lose as the story progresses. One of the delights of the book was watching the change in Joey from someone who is played for a fool and a doormat, to a man who is confident and willing to stand up for himself whilst also retaining the values he holds dear. A slight warning for those people who dislike such things: Joey has a strong Georgian accent, which could either be seen as endearing or annoying depending on your views of such things. It didn't bother me, mainly because the accent is used as a plot point in the book, but I know some readers are turned off by this so I thought I should mention it.

As I said earlier, I wasn't as keen on Troy. I found him rather self-absorbed and not particularly sympathetic. I think this is how we are supposed to see Troy at the beginning of the book, but for me at least, I didn't think there was enough of a change in him to really deserve Joey by the end of the book. He's done some pretty rotten things in the past and essentially uses Joey to further his revenge plans and I didn't think there was enough in terms of atonement for that. So whilst I found the end very gratifying for Joey, it was less so for Troy.  I also found the revenge plot a little uncomfortable.  The whole thing sat a little uneasily with me, especially as Troy is lying to Joey for a large portion of the book.  I do acknowledge that I was probably supposed to feel uncomfortable about the situation, but that didn't mean that I liked Troy any better for that.

The whole book is almost stolen by the secondary character of Erica, a tiny black woman who acts as Troy's PA and friend. She's tough and feisty and I liked her a great deal, even if she did occasionally slip into the mode of 'interfering friend'. I could forgive her that though because on the whole she was responsible for furthering the plot and getting the silly men to see sense! Joey's family were also great characters and managed to show life in a Southern USA family, without slipping into cliché. Another interesting character was Kez who only appears for a short time, but it was enough for me to be longing for his own story :).

In terms of pacing, this story is what would consider a quiet, steady book. There's not a lot of action and the plot is furthered through dialogue and is very character focused. This didn't mean that the plot was slow moving because the pages turned very quickly as I read on eagerly to find out how the story would conclude. Those looking for endless sex scenes are going to be disappointed as the romance also progresses slowly as the guys fight their attraction for each other. Again, this wasn't a bad thing as I found myself caught up in their games of who gets to crack first!

Overall, I enjoyed this story, although maybe not as much as the author's previous books. Joey was a delight and Troy less so, but those who are looking for a steady, character based romance are sure to like this story. Grade: Very Good.

Buy this book HERE.

UK Meet 2011

I've been meaning to publicise this for weeks and have only just got around to it!

UK Meet is an exciting event which is happening on the 23rd July for readers and writers of m/m romance - or even GLBT fiction for those who don't want to solely have the 'romance' label applied to them.  There are lots of British authors going and a few of us readers - including me!  It will be great to put names to faces and meet some of my favourite British m/m authors and especially the bloggers such as EH and LesleyW who I know will be there too.  What fun!

Anyway, if you are a British (or even N European) reader and haven't heard of the event, which is taking place in Milton Keynes, then you can go to the website HERE to find out more and to see the list of some of the authors who will be there - I should say, the list is incomplete as there are about 40 people going (I think).  I'm booked into the conference hotel for the Friday and Saturday night (big hugs for my Mum who is having the kids for me) so I shall have plenty of time to chat with people and attempt to drink Clare London under the table (again) :).

It should be a great day and I'm really looking forward to going.

Review: Out of the Woods by Syd McGinley

It was the blurb that caught my eye with Out of the Woods. I get the email that comes from TQ highlighting the new releases and when I read the blurb, I just knew I had to read this one. The story is set in the future where society is divided and men and women live separately. Men live together in communities and separate even from that are the boys who live a wild existence in the woods, from about age 11, for eight years. After that they are captured by the men, civilised and taken as submissive lovers by the men who expect them to serve them in every way. If that makes you feel uncomfortable, or if you get squicked out about the fact that these young men are very child-like in the way that they think and act, then this book will not be for you. As for me, I have very much enjoyed Syd McGinley's Dr Fell books which portrays the submissive men in a very similar fashion, so I settled well into the world-view and it didn't bother me at all.

At the heart of the story is the third person narrator, Tarin. When we first meet him he's a boy into his eighth summer. He knows that when the men come to hunt he will be caught this time, and no matter how much he wants to stay in the wood he knows that the right thing to do would be to sacrifice himself to save the younger boys in the wood. Before the hunt takes place, Tarin meets a man, Garrick, just outside the wood who tries to capture him, Tarin fights and manages to escape but it's only a temporary reprieve and the story then follows Tarin as he struggles to cope in the world of men. He's an engaging narrator being at turns fierce to the point of savageness but he has a good heart. It's not a harsh world that Tarin is brought into but one that has a solid set of rules and it is this that frustrates Tarin who longs for his free, uncomplicated life in the woods. I found him to be a delight and it was his experiences, his observations and his confused emotions which drove the narrative and made this book almost unputdownable for me.

The rest of the characters are all filtered through Tarin's sometimes simplistic world view. Thus at first people are stripped down to merely good or bad, handsome or ugly, friends or enemies. One of the parts that worked for me was seeing Tarin begin to change, to learn to see the shades of grey, especially in relation to Garrick who is essentially a good man. The author managed to give a sense of a very busy environment, full of men, without overwhelming me with too many characters to keep track of. This made it easy to follow what was going on as well as giving me enough space to assimilate all the information about the futuristic world building.

In terms of setting, the story was certainly very unusual. This is only the first part of what looks to either be a series or at least a duology, and so some aspects of the world-building are only hinted at. I also had to bear in mind that everything is filtered through Tarin's mind and he has a strange mix of superstition and scepticism - going from screaming in fear of ghosts when seeing his own reflection, to claiming outright that the 'mothers' don't exist. Although he often questions much in his own mind, he doesn't seek out answers and so I was kept in the dark as to some of the history of the world and also the societal structure outside the community of men. I'm hoping more will be revealed in the next book.

My one complaint about the book is that it suffered a little from a 'saggy middle'. The beginning of the book is attention grabbing and fast paced and I was propelled through the first 80-100 pages very quickly. After that the pace slowed down and there are a number of scenes which seemed to be included for scene setting or some character work rather than furthering the plot. Scenes such as Tarin's various work posts with the chickens, or baking bread, or in the library, all fleshed out the world building but there seemed little point to them - except maybe in the library scene where we are given a teasing piece of information about a very minor character which may be useful in the next book - or at least I hope it will, otherwise why include it? I've learned that this book was first published as a serialised novel in the TQ Turn of the Screw monthly publication. These scenes which provide little slices of life for Tarin in the community, would have worked better serialised, but when placed so close together in a novel they altered the pacing to the detriment of the story, I think. However, the pace of the book sped up again towards the end and finishes with a HFN and a promise of more to come which was a little frustrating, but I least I have the promise of more!

Overall, I really enjoyed Out of the Woods. I enjoyed it so much that I could hardly bear to stop reading and I only put it down when I was so tired that the words were swimming in front of me! Those who like Syd McGinley and are comfortable with her types of characters are going to love this story. For me, it combined great characterisation with a compelling futuristic story. If only the middle could have been a little tighter. As it is I'm giving this a grade of 'Very Good' and I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series which is due out towards the end of this year.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Mere Mortals by Erastes

Before I talk about the content of this historical, I just want to mention how beautifully done that cover is in my opinion. It's also very apt. It's not often that a cover manages to capture so well the ambiance and themes within a book, so hats off to the cover artist for doing such a good job here.

This is the third Erastes historical I've read so far and I have to say she just keeps getting better and better. Mere Mortals begins with our first person narrator Crispin travelling to the home of his new benefactor, Philip Smallwood. Crispin has been an orphan from birth and has never known his parents or any family, although he suspects that his father is influential because someone has been paying for his schooling. A year previously Crispin had been caught in a compromising position with another boy, but instead of being expelled to what would have been a life of poverty, Crispin gains a new guardian on the condition that he see out his final school year. Crispin's obviously curious about the man and is even more surprised when he discovers that there are two other young men at Horsey Mere who are also orphans and now wards of Smallwood. The three men become fast friends, but Crispin is concerned that things may not be as straightforward as he first thought with his new guardian.

There was much to like about this novel. I'm a huge historical fan and I enjoyed being immersed in early Victorian country house life. There is much fun to be had with the fact that Crispin is rather overwhelmed by the opulence of the house and by the services provided by the staff, including his own valet. The servants form a backdrop to the actions within the story and I liked that they didn't overstep that role. It annoys me sometimes in historical novels when the 'upstairs' people become overly familiar and chummy with the 'downstairs' people. It just didn't happen, and so Crispin's initial bewilderment at the large staff, the way he deals with his impassive valet and the imposing butler was realistic and added a lightness to the tone of the story.

The setting of the Norfolk Broads was also a plus point for me. Modern day Norfolk is rather different to its Victorian counterpart and I liked seeing how the people coped with not only the isolation but also the myriad of rivers and streams that needed to be used if any travelling were to be done. The setting also provides a great deal to the overall mood of the story. The cold November weather, the fact that the boys are essentially cut off, the hidden nooks and crannies and locked doors of the house, all gave the book a sombre and eerie quality, which when added to Crispin's worries over the reason why Philip has taken such an interest in him and the other men, provided a chill which permeated the book. This tone doesn't overwhelm the story, rather it's a slight but constant presence, like a cold breeze to the back of the neck, that gives the impression that all may not be what it seems.

Another part which worked well was in the relationship between the young men. There's a realism in their dealings with each other especially as they are only just out of school and still retain the pettiness and jealousies of children which then wars with their developing maturity into adults. Thus they get along famously one minute followed by fallings out, sniping, cold shoulders, followed by being fast friends once again. Over and above this is their curiosity in why they have been brought to the house and their relationship with their guardian and mentor, Philip. Philip is a benign but enigmatic father figure for the young men and I liked how as the plot enfolds we learn more and more of Philip. My sympathies for him as a character ebbed and waned as the story continued.

In terms of plotting this is quite a slow moving book with few action scenes. Instead the plot flows through the emotions of Crispin, through conversations between Crispin and the other characters and through a few set scenes which are meant to show Crispin's developing abilities to move in society. Having said that, the story does not drag at all. The growing sense of unease in the tone of the book compelled me through the narrative and I read this almost in one sitting.

I have very few niggles with the book. In fact, apart from wishing I knew more about Crispin's parentage, I can only think of one, very minor thing. Towards the end of the book Crispin is given some medication for a migraine and when he wakes up he is violently sick over the side of the bed. He gets up and goes to get some food because it is too early for the servants to be up. On the way back he bumps into Myles and they go back and have a lengthy discussion in Crispin's room. The whole time this conversation was taking place I was worrying about the vomit and how they could stand to be in a room with a puddle of sick on the floor which must smell awful. Only minor, I know, but it spoiled what turned out to be a very emotional and dramatic scene. Still, it wasn't enough to ruin what was a fascinating book.

Overall, if you like historicals then I would urge you to read Mere Mortals. I don't think I've read a historical that manages to blend drama, romance and suspense with such skill, and I'd highly recommend this book with a grade of 'Excellent'.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: The Keeper by SL Armstrong & K Piet

Before I begin, I'd just like to say how much I like the cover to this book. It's very apt and quite clever really. Anyway, on with the review.

It's going to be very difficult to review this story without giving spoilers away - but I'll try! The story involves Hadi who is forced to leave a burgeoning career in the Milan fashion industry and move to Algeria to take care of a friend of the family. This has been the tradition for all elder, unmarried males in Hadi's family. That doesn't mean that he likes taking on this duty, especially when he's at such a crucial point in his career. When Hadi arrive and meets Dhakir, he discovers something extraordinary about him.

I have to admit that I had a bit of a mixed response to this book. On the positive side, I really liked Hadi. His frustrations at being dragged from Milan to Algeria were accurately shown, but I also liked that he was pragmatic about his circumstances. Once he realised the importance of his role as a 'Keeper', he was able to work out his life so that he was able to look after Dhakir and also keep his career going. This made me much happier about the situation than I perhaps would have been had Hadi given up everything for Dhakir.

Another thing I liked was the way the authors had shown the world-weariness of Dhakir in comparison to Hadi's youth. Dhakir's sadness at the way his life works, and even his disgust at how he uses his Keepers, balanced well with his ennui brought on by too much living. It was realistically done and made me feel a great deal of sympathy for Dhakir. The writing in general was strong, and even though the plot and the pace of the story is quite slow, the book didn't drag.

The part of the book which worked less well for me was the supernatural religious theme. It's not that I didn't think it was implausible, and actually I can see the merit in a story which changes Dhakir's true persona from what is widely accepted. That part at least was unusual and interesting. What failed for me, was that I was left with a number of questions about the whole thing which I didn't feel were given sufficient answers. One of these is why Dhakir ended up as he did, what purpose was it supposed to achieve? The other question was how long was Dhakir expected to exist as he does, was there an end in sight for him? The fact that none of this was answered for me was rather frustrating. I suppose I can see that it was partly the 'punishment' of Dhakir that there are no answers but I found it annoying as a reader nonetheless.

The final part which didn't work too well for me was in the romance between the men. Although there was a good emotional connection between the men in terms of friendship, I didn't feel the sexual desire or the crackle of attraction between lovers. Partly, I think this is because the story takes place over a few weeks and there are long periods where we are told the men barely engage with each other. The fact that this is a Gay For You story also didn't help with the romance either. Dhakir seems such an asexual man, lacking in the desire and motivation for anything, so that when he realises that he is feeling more for his Keeper than he should, it seems a little out of character.

So overall, whilst this was an unusual story with an interesting take on what is a well worn paranormal theme, I wasn't wholly convinced by some of the aspects to do with the religious theme and the relationship between the heroes. I'm giving The Keeper a grade of 'Good' and I think the story should still appeal to those readers who like these authors' or who are looking for a character based story with a unique religious theme.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Half Pass by Astrid Amara

This review can also be found at Three Dollar Bill Reviews.

I love Astrid Amara’s books and so jumped at the chance to review this latest book of hers. Whilst it wasn’t one of her best books for me, I still rather enjoyed it.

The story follows reluctant stable owner Paul, who has inherited his stable business from his aunt. He’s struggling a little because running a stable is a far cry from the safe accountancy office job he used to have. However, he’s trying his best to keep things ticking over whilst he waits for a buyer to take the stables off his hands. Things are further complicated by his jealous cousin who thinks he should have inherited the business, by homophobic townsfolk and then by the disappearance of a Olympic medal winning horse. Paul also has to contend with an attraction to star trainer Estevan, who is contently throwing Paul mixed messages and seems to be hiding something.

Those readers who love anything to do with horses are going to really enjoy this book which lovingly describes the joys and frustrations of owning horses. I’m not a huge horse fan and so whilst I found it interesting to learn all about their upkeep, the ins and outs of running a stable and the various personalities of the horses, I wasn’t particularly captivated by this part of the book. As much of the book is on this subject this meant that, although it was fun to read about these things from Paul’s point of view, much of the book was merely interesting from an intellectual point of view rather than engaging my emotions. As I said, if horses are your thing, then you’ll probably find this one of the best parts of the book as the reader is taken through Paul’s day to day running of the stables and the difficulties he faces due to his fear of horses.

One of the best parts of the book for me was the character of Paul. I liked him and sympathised with his problems. He’s a bit of a whinger at first, but as the book progresses, he begins to appreciate his life at the stables more and as such his narration becomes more upbeat. He’s thrown into a situation not of his choosing and manages to conduct himself with a certain amount of dignity even when everything seems against him and the problems are piling up. His reluctant love of horses was cleverly shown and I wanted him to succeed – showing that the author had managed to get me to care about him.

The romance aspect relies heavily on the reader forgiving Estevan for being a bit of a prick. I never really warmed to him as a character, nor did I think he was good enough for Paul. He messes him about, leaves mixed messages and is as skittish as a horse (if you’ll forgive the analogy). I could see why Paul was attracted to his good looks and arrogant personality, but I never felt the spark or really believed there was any sexual tension between them. It felt flat to me and as such the romance was a bit of a dud. Whether this was because I just didn’t really like Estevan or because of some failure in the writing, I don’t know. All I do know is that emotion-wise the book didn’t work for me and that reflected in my feelings towards the romance.

There were other things that did work, including the rather clever mystery plot and the way that Paul manages to overcome all the obstacles thrown at him during the book. The secondary characters add to the story and are a nice mix of personalities.

 Overall, I would class this as a decent read, a good story but lacking a little in the romance. I would still recommend it though to those readers who love horses or those interested in reading a character based mystery story.  Grade: Good.

Buy this book HERE.

Apologies

So I've got a few books that I'm supposed to be reviewing here and I've even read them.  Unfortunately, I just haven't had the time to post reviews and now it's nearly my bedtime so I've got no time today either.

I've also got a rotten cold.  It's currently blocking my ears and I can hardly hear a thing - which is probably a good thing because I can ignore youngest son when he begins one of his monologues on the intricacies of the PC game Spore.  Believe me, it's exhausting once he gets started :).

Sorry, sorry, sorry to all those very patient authors who are waiting for reviews.  Normal service will resume once I stop coughing and having to blow my nose every five minutes.

On the other hand Brit Fortnight continues at Brief Encounters Reviews with an interview with the lovely Anne Brooke and a review of her short story Entertaining the Delaneys.

Brit Fortnight at Brief Encounters Reviews

For the next two weeks over at Brief Encounters Reviews, Tam and I are showcasing some British m/m romance authors.  Each day we will feature an author with a short interview made up of Tam's deep, probing questions about tea and the Royal Family and a review of one of the author's short stories.

There's also lots of opportunities to win copies of the authors' stories plus a goody bag or two of British themed stuff.

Today is the turn of Fabian Black but nine other authors will be on hand during the week too so don't miss it!

Where am I again, again?

Join me for my final day at the DIK blog where I will be pondering about the lack of characters with Indian or Pakistani names in books.

Review: Willing Flesh by JS Cook

Those of you who like historical mysteries are in for a treat with Willing Flesh. It’s a dark and murky tale of murder in Victorian London. Inspector Raft of Scotland yard is called on to investigate a series of gruesome murders where the victims are killed and then their skulls are drilled into. With the help of his new constable, Freddie, Raft is drawn deep into the back streets of the East End, where even the aristocracy isn’t safe from the murderer’s long arm, and where blackmail, male prostitution and poisonings complicate Raft’s case – as does his attraction to Freddie.

One of the things that struck me most about this book was the wonderful setting of Victorian London. We are never told the year, but given some of the Victorian inventions in the book (lifts?) I am guessing that the book takes place late in the 1800′s. Although the city is there as a backdrop, there isn’t any excessive description of places. Instead London is brought to life by the many people who pass through the book’s pages. From whores to children, police officers and surgeons, rent boys and nobility, the people in the book create London for the reader, personalising the book and easily pulling me into the story. Unfortunately this strength could also be seen to be one of the book’s weaknesses because there are so many characters in this story, many of whom only appear for only a few pages, that I sometimes lost track of who was who, and more vitally who was important to the story and needed to be remembered.

One character I couldn’t fail to remember is Inspector Raft. He’s a hard working – and hard put on – police officer who spends much of the book chasing down loose ends, getting frustrated as the bodies begin to pile up, not sleeping well, getting attacked and generally behaving with a mix of tenacity and world-weariness that many great detectives seem to share. Added to this is Raft’s terror over the fact that someone should discover he is gay, especially in the light of the recent Labouchere Amendment to the law which meant that any man caught in a homosexual act could be subject to 2 years hard labour. The thought of being caught and prosecuted for ‘gross indecency’ fills Raft with dread and he spends much of the book worrying about it. On the other hand Raft’s constable, Freddie, is a constant temptation to Raft, especially since Freddie doesn’t seem to be as concerned as Raft over the new amendment. I had a great deal of fun reading about their developing relationship and I liked that the emotional Raft found an anchor in the steadier Freddie. I also liked the way that their investigative techniques were very different and further complemented their relationship, plus I liked that Freddie had his own story to tell and was therefore much more than the ‘love interest/sidekick’.

The mystery itself is a complex meandering thing which brings in lots of characters and threads and loose ends and then gradually pulls them all together to make a clean and satisfying ending – one where I failed to guess the murderer until the reveal. Having said that, I felt that the sub-plot regarding the male prostitutes sat uneasily with the main murder mystery and I don’t think it would have harmed the book any had that sub-plot been dropped. It was hard enough at times to follow the main threads of the mystery without that secondary plot to muddy the waters. The murder mystery is also a bit gruesome in places – so a warning there to those faint-hearted readers. One aspect which I felt was underused was the paranormal leanings of Raft and I await to see whether more will be made of that in subsequent books.

Overall, this was a complicated and compelling historical mystery with unusual and interesting characters in Raft and Freddie. The author has certainly garnered my attention for the series and I look forward to reading the next book. Until then I recommend Willing Flesh, with a grade of 'Excellent', to those readers who like historicals and want to get their teeth into a knotty mystery.

Buy this book HERE.

Where am I Again?

I'm over at the DIK blog for a second day where I shall pondering about nerdy or dorky names.  Join me there to compare notes on what is considered a nerdy name where you come from.

Where am I?

Join me at the DIK blog today where I am pondering about names and hair colour.

Review: A Daring, Devoted Heart by Linda Hines

This historical western is set during the 1800's and tells of Calder who is part of a powerful New Mexican ranch family and Emeric, an ex-prince turned soldier who has sworn to protect the family after a revenge mission gone wrong brings him from Europe to New Mexico.  The two men have a powerful mutual attraction for each other but Emeric is bound by duty and honour and refuses to act on his desire for Calder.  When Emeric's horse is stolen, the two men are drawn into danger in their search for the valuable horse.

I had a mixed reaction to this novella and some bits worked for me and some didn't.  One of the things that worked for me was the unusual mixing of the two different personalities of Calder and Emeric.  Emeric is older than Calder and has seen much in his lifetime.  I liked the way that this was more than just a Western, as Emeric's past as a soldier in Europe is explored through the secondary plot of the book.  The story of how Emeric came to be in New Mexico was interesting and added much to his character, making Emeric a flawed but also sympathetic man.  Given Emeric's past and his personality, it is only natural that Calder is a little overpowered and comes across as less well characterised.  However, we see enough of the young man's determination and his bravery to make him a likeable character too.

Another aspect which worked for me was that it reminded me a little of old Western films.  The two men take a journey together and during that time come face to face with the hardships and cruelties of life in that period of history.  It's a time when men ruled over the plains, and tough decisions had to be made to survive and I very much liked the gritty feel to the story.  There's even a thrilling gun fight which was tightly written and realistically described.

What didn't work as well for me was the way that the writing swapped and changed in style during the book.  The style of the writing was divided into two types of scenes: For most of the first part of the book the men are alone together, thinking about their relationship, their love for each other and dwelling on their past.  It was during these scenes that the yearning the two men feel for each other is palpable, and I sympathised with Calder's frustration and impatience at Emeric's noble sense of duty and honour. This part was lyrical and poetical in style - perhaps a little too poetical as the prose at times veered into florid, so much so that it was difficult to be wholly immersed in the story because the overly descriptive writing was a distraction.  Then a little later in the book during the more action based scenes the prose moved much swifter and the language was simpler and in some cases coarser.  These two types of scenes sat uneasily against each other, and I often found the switch between them quite abrupt and occasionally confusing.  There was also some confusion, at least for me, in the sudden changes in time.  For example, there's a scene where Emeric and Calder are arguing which suddenly switches to Calder travelling on his own.  I hadn't found it clear up until then that the men had separated because of the sudden change in time and scene.  This sort of switch happened a lot and made the plotting a bit choppy.

Overall, this was an interesting story: The New Mexican setting was vivid; the characterisation strong and the action based scenes exciting.  It's a shame really that the ornate prose prevented me from being completely engaged with the book but this might only have been my response and other readers may not find this a problem.  As it is, I'm giving this a grade of 'Good' and can recommend it to those who are looking for a romantic western with a nice historical twist.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Enlightened by JP Barnaby

I'm reposting this review from last year because the lovely JP Barnaby (who I saw a whole new side of, once I friended her on Twitter :)) has now switched from self publishing to having her Little Boy Lost series published by DSP.  This republishing of the first book in the series, Enlightened, is not exactly the same as the previous release as it has three extra scenes which have added 10,000 words to the book.  However, in essentials it is the same so my feelings on the book haven't changed since I wrote the review (unless you count being even more enthusiastic about it).

Anyway, enough waffling from me. Here's the review with the new buy link at the bottom. Enjoy!

This YA story, the first book in the Little Boy Lost series, centres around 16 year old Brian who has recently come to the realisation that not only is he gay but that he's in love with his best friend Jamie. Brian finds this knowledge very disturbing and frightening. Firstly because he lives in the bible belt south of the USA and Jamie's family are strict southern Baptists; secondly, he's a foster child and he's worried that if his foster parents find out that he's gay, they'll toss him out back to social services; and thirdly, Jamie is the only friend he's ever had and he doesn't want to lose that friendship. So immediately we are thrown into what is a very uncomfortable and difficult situation for Brian. He can't help his hormones and his body's response to Jamie, but he fears rejection at every turn. Fortunately for Brian, Jamie also has feelings for him which leads to several beautiful and tender scenes as they feel their way into this new side to their relationship. Unfortunately, it also means that they have to be doubly careful about their friendship so that no-one suspects that they are in love.

In some senses this was quite a bleak book. It deals openly with all the troubles that a young gay man, who is stuck in the closet, has to contend with whilst living in a small Southern town. Thus there are many parts that I found sad and dispiriting. For example, Jamie starts seeing a 'girlfriend' so that people won't be suspicious of his and Brian's relationship which makes Brian upset and jealous. This also causes problems later in the story. Whilst I understood why Jamie felt the need to do this, I felt sorry for both the girl and for Brian and felt that Jamie, despite his protestations of loving Brian only, enjoyed having both Brian and his girlfriend. I also felt all of Brian's frustration at having to hide his feelings for Jamie, as well as his fear of the repercussions should they be discovered. Because the story is taken from Brian's first person point of view, it's difficult to get a deep understanding of Jamie's feelings for him. I was uneasy at times - mainly because of the girlfriend - that Brian's love for Jamie was stronger than Jamie's love for Brian. This is something I shall look out for with interest as the series continues.

Brian is a very sympathetic narrator. He's a real innocent, whose small town upbringing means that he knows very little about sex, or about being gay - even the internet isn't a big part of his life, leading to an embarrassing scene later in the book. His worries and fears are entirely plausible, his jealous feelings and frustration show his inexperience. He spends much of the book riding a haze of hormonal emotions as he veers between the bright hopefulness of young love and the despair that comes with bruised feelings. He clings optimistically to the knowledge that in just over a year both he and Jamie will be 18 and then they can please themselves, go anywhere and live freely. This optimism was charming, but part of me knew this was just naivety and that life isn't as clear cut as that. Brian's complexity, his range of feelings, was just delightful and by far the best part of this book.

Another aspect which worked quite well in the book was the balance of viewpoints shown. Whilst Jamie's Mum is a strict Christian, his Dad doesn't hold such conservative views. Brian's foster parents are shown to be liberal and sympathetic, but the other teens are vociferous in their hatred of gays. Another thing that interested me, and is something I'd never really considered before, was the way that Brian is looked down on because he is a foster child. That somehow losing his parents and having to be cared for in the system makes him a second class citizen. This social snobbery was prevalent throughout the book and is Brian's main worry about coming out to his foster parents - not just that he will be rejected by them, but also that the small minded townsfolk would reject his foster parents because of their association with him. The social stigma associated with being gay, and the way that it affects all the characters was a compelling theme in the book and made me really think, perhaps for the first time, about that side of being gay.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. The themes are, as I said, a little bleak and I would class this more as a romantic drama, as the ending is nowhere near a HEA or even a HFN. However the beauty and complexity of Brian; the raw emotion; and the sympathetic look at two young men struggling with their sexuality in a town of closed-minded people, made this an engrossing read and one that I won't forget in a hurry. I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which I think is due out soon. In the meantime if you like YA books, if you want to read a book which shows the genuine difficulties faced by gay teenagers, I urge you to read this book which gets a grade of 'Excellent'.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: The Rifter Part 1: The Shattered Gates by Ginn Hale

This review can also be found at the DIK blog today.

Now here's something new. A serialised novel in ten parts being issued once a month by Blind Eye Books. My interest was already aroused by that idea alone, but then when you add into the equation that the serialised book is written by the frankly quite astounding Ginn Hale, I knew this would be something I would want to read. I wasn't wrong.

It's a bit odd to review the first part of a serialised novel. The book has been divided roughly into 100 pages per issue and so this first part is the opening section to what is going to be a 1,000 page book. Obviously, it's going to end as a cliff hanger and obviously this first part is going to contain a lot of scenes setting up the world building and characters who are to play the important roles within the book. I suppose what I need to be looking at during this review is the effectiveness of this part as the opening to a novel. So here goes!

Blind Eye Books publishes fantasy/spec fiction novels so that should give you an idea of what type of book The Rifter is. It's a dark fantasy set in two worlds. There is the modern day world of America where we meet our hero John and his friends Bill and Laurie, and there is the world of Basawar where our other hero Kahlil (or Kyle) originates from. Kahlil has the ability to travel between these worlds and has been sent on a special mission to America for reasons we are told about as the opening progresses. The narrative alternates between John and Kahlil and so gives us background and insight into both characters, their thoughts and the reasons they act as they do. I did find Kahlil a little confusing at first, especially when he is in Basawar at the beginning of this first part and on the whole I felt more settled and sympathetic with the character of John. John is a geology grad student who gets inadvertently pulled into the story (like all good fantasy heroes) and then has to make the best of situation beyond his control. I liked John, especially that he was scientifically minded but also had a strange affinity with the planet. I look forward to seeing where the author takes this character and develops some of the abilities we are given teasing hints about in this first part.

Another thing I liked about the story is that it currently only focuses on five characters (and a dog). This allows the reader to concentrate on what will be the main protagonists in the tale and be drawn into their different characters and relationships. It also meant that some time could be devoted to the world building, which was complex but not overwhelming without also having to keep track of too many characters. The setting of Basawar is similar enough to Earth so that things are not so strange, but contains significant differences which affect the characters. This familiarity eases the reader into the world building and it wasn't long before I was immersed into the world that the author had created and eager to discover further differences that will affect the characters. As the first part draws to a close, the setting is beginning to widen and I don't think it will be long before more characters are introduced, plus the possibility of politics and intrigue into the plot. I can see especially that there is going to be a lot of change and growth in John and his friends and I am looking forward to seeing how their relationship deepens, or otherwise, as their friendship is tested. The author has also gone the extra mile of creating a whole new language in the world of Basawar, and those who find these thing fun and amusing have a glossary of terms to peruse.

Overall, this was a pretty terrific opening to what looks like it may well be a complex and spellbinding fantasy novel. Strong on character and imaginative in setting, it nevertheless contains a slowly unfolding plot which has already grasped my attention. I think the hardest thing for me with this serialisation is going to be waiting impatiently for the next instalment! I urge all fantasy fans out there to give this serialisation a go. I don't think you will regret it.

I'm not going to give this book a grade, because how can you grade something which is only 1/10th concluded?  Instead I shall give the book an overall grade once I get to part 10.

A note on how you can purchase this serialisation: You can either buy the first part - and then any subsequent parts - separately for $3.99 each, or buy the whole book at $29.95 and each month the new part will be sent to you via email. More information about this and the buy now page can be found HERE.

Saturday Shorts

Beautiful C*cksucker II: Such a Good Boy by Barbara Sheridan
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!
I'd read and reviewed Beautiful C*cksucker at BE reviews and thought I'd then read this sequel. This one didn't work too well for me. It didn't help that the story begins with the reader being told that the hero from the previous book, Ray, is dead. I liked Ray and felt a bit cheesed off that he'd been disposed of. Parts of the book were really well written especially the BDSM and the sex scenes, but the choppy pacing (which I've noticed from this author before) meant that the plotting wasn't smooth mainly because they barely stay in one place for longer than more than a scene. Although I liked the characters well enough, I didn't get much of a handle on their attraction for one another - I was especially concerned about the nearly 30 year age gap which is something that is hardly addressed. Finally, I had lots of concerns about the undercover police work, especially as to why Miki was getting involved in that when he should have had more of a supervisory role. Having said that, I can see that lots of other readers really liked it, so don't be put off just because it didn't work for me. Grade: Poor.

Buy this book HERE.


Brady's Choice by Anne Brooke
This short tells of Brady who is a potter. He's applied for a job as a design consultant and at the interview is horrified to discover that one of the interviewers is a former lover, Philip. They had parted badly five years previously, leaving Brady in a mess. Brady's life is back on track now and Philip's appearance in his life stirs up memories and forces Brady to make a choice about his life that he'd been trying to put off. Although this is only a short it's packed with an emotional intensity and contains a very flawed first person narrator in Brady. My sympathies were with Brady for much of the book but the author was clever in the way that she allowed my sympathies for Philip to shift and change. It's not often in a first person narrative that the other character's POV is portrayed with such dexterity and I was very impressed that Philip came over as just as conflicted and flawed as Brady. The plot is character and emotion based rather than action packed and I was drawn into the story, feeling all of Brady's confusion. There was a 'what the heck are you doing?!' moment during which I thought was going to stop liking the story, but even that was handled with sensitivity. Overall a great read with strong characterisation and fluid writing. Grade: Excellent.

But this book HERE.

Review: Long~Term by Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks

This was an interesting take on the theme of the D/s lifestyle. It looks at two different points of view. There is Teague, an older Dom who has often taken in young subs who have been abandoned by their Dom partners and helped to get them back on their own feet. He does this by offering them shelter for a month during which time they have to actively look for a job, or move into education. After the month is over he sends them on their way, happy to have helped them. Although Teague never asks for it, he is repaid by a willing partner in his bed for a month. The story begins as Teague notices a young man who had serviced him at his club a few nights back. It’s obvious that the man, Ian, has been thrown out by his Dom and so Teague takes him home and sets out the rules for getting Ian’s life on track. Things are different almost from the beginning with Ian because his sub training is so ingrained. Ian sees everything he could possibly need in Teague, but he also knows that he has to earn the man’s respect.

I have to admit that this was sometimes a very uncomfortable read for me. Ian’s past treatment by his previous Dom masters had been harsh and at times bordered on the abusive. His training had led to some psychological problems such as an inability to climax and also a deep seated need to be in a submissive lifestyle, so much so that he had passed himself on from master to master, unable to cope on his own. This has meant that he is seen as a slut and a sponger to the point that Ian even believes this of himself and hates himself for it. So at the beginning of the book I was deeply troubled for Ian who is conflicted between needing the submission and yet wanting to prove himself to Teague. This complexity in Ian’s character is what compelled me through the story as I was drawn into his struggles and wished to see him well.

I didn’t like Teague as much as Ian, although I thought he fit well into the caring Dom character role. I liked that he was tempted by Ian’s submissiveness and yet also strong enough to resist, knowing that Ian needs to make it on his own. He did on occasion slip into ‘smug Dom’ mode but I thought the authors had done a good job of showing how attracted he was to Ian whilst recognising that giving into the attraction wouldn’t be the best thing for Ian at that time. The internal conflict between the men and their growing respect for each other, along with the development of Ian’s self confidence, was by far the best part of this book for me.

I think if this story had stayed as one where the conflict was mostly internal and couple-focused I would have liked it more. As it is, there is an external conflict which is brought in part way through the book and didn’t work for me. I don’t want to say too much about it because I don’t want to give away spoilers, but the whole situation was odd and felt slightly unrealistic to me, and so added a forced note into what had been an intensive, emotional journey between the two characters.

Overall, though I would still recommend this story, with a grade of 'Very Good', especially to those who like D/s character based stories. This pair of authors always produces well written books and this one is no exception.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Catalyst by SL Armstrong & K Piet

Recently I've been in the mood for some darker m/m romance and have been reading a lot of BDSM m/m romance books. This one caught my eye because the original idea was a little different to the usual BDSM stuff. The story begins as our hero Logan visits a therapist to try and curb his blood fetish urges. It is so bad for him at the moment that he can barely function without the urge to taste blood, especially during sex or masturbation, during which he self harms to get the rush he needs to get off. A recent disastrous scene at a local BDSM club which led to the sub being hospitalised has meant that Logan is desperate to be cured from this fetish in case he hurts someone else.  He turns to therapist Kasper to help him but instead Kasper begins to form the basis of nightly fantasies for Logan.  When Logan admits this to Kasper, he sets off a chain of events which leads to a downward spiral for his therapist as Kasper's life begins to unravel.

One of the very best things about this book is that it starts off focusing on one character and theme and then gradually changes to become a different story.  The change is so gradual and expertly interwoven into the story that it was only when I got about half way through the book that I noticed how much things had changed.  The story begins with its focus on Logan and his blood fetish. I have to admit, I don't really understand those who like to drink blood and get off on the taste, but I thought the authors did a great job in getting me into Logan's mindset so that I could understand why he felt as he did and it wasn't too long before I could see the eroticism of the act, at least as Logan sees it anyway.  Those readers who feel totally disgusted by the idea of drinking blood shouldn't be too put off by the story as the scenes where Logan actually takes part in blood play are few.  It's talked and fantasised about, rather than being shown much on page.  As the story develops we shift more and more away from the blood fetish and onto the problems that Kasper encounters as he discovers through his relationship with Logan that he is a submissive.  I don't want to say too much about that here as it will spoil the drama of the book if I reveal the secrets from later in the story, but the shift in narrative focus felt natural and it wasn't long before I was engaged as much with Kasper as I was with Logan at the beginning of the book.

Another part of the book which worked extremely well was the build up in sexual tension between Logan and Kasper.  The heightened emotion and longing that both men feel was intense and I was helplessly drawn into that magnetic attraction that the two feel for each other, even as they know that professionalism and propriety dictate that they should deny the attraction.  I could barely stop reading the book at this point and it was only as they gave into the tension between them that I felt I could relax into the story again.  Actually I was a little disappointed at first to lose that delicious tension, but as the story began to develop into something different by that stage I was once again drawn into the story and read quickly onto the end.

The shift in focus from one character to the other, meant that both heroes were given enough page space for thorough characterisation.  By the end of the book I felt like I knew them intimately and I was so captivated by them that I rejoiced when circumstances brought them together.  The story showed how the push and pull of their strong attraction was both a blessing and a curse and I especially liked Logan's complete helplessness when faced with the situation Kasper gets himself into as it was a dramatic change for Logan from the confident seducer we see at the beginning of the story.  As the main characters are the focus of the story, this meant there was little space for secondary characters.  Those that did appear, such as Logan's boss, Adam, were used only to forward the relationship and provide some background information on the characters.  In fact, if I have any criticisms of the story it would be that the scene at the party with Adam and Logan seemed a little forced and a too contrived way to give Logan, and the reader, some personal information about Kasper. However, I also acknowledge that the reader needed that information in order for the story to move on.

My only other niggle about the story was the way that Logan's blood fetish wanes almost to disappearing by the end of the book.  At the beginning it is all consuming for him and yet he barely mentions it by the end.  I wasn't sure whether this meant that the circumstances of his relationship with Kapser has now helped to alleviate some of those urges, or just that there wasn't space towards the end to continue focusing on that theme.  Either way it was an oddity and I couldn't understand why  the theme had been downplayed as the story ended.

That niggle wasn't enough to spoil my enjoyment of what was an extremely well written and rewarding book.  The themes are very dark and the characters are put thoroughly through the emotional wringer (as is the reader) but I was drawn into Logan and Kasper's story and found this to be a compelling read.  I recommend Catalyst, with a grade of 'Excellent', to those who are looking for a book which pushes the boundaries of m/m romance but still has a strong romantic and emotional core.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: One Real Thing by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox

This book had a lot going for it before I even metaphorically opened its pages. Firstly, for me these authors have always written consistently good books and secondly, I love friends to lovers stories. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed as this turned out to be one of the best friends to lovers stories I’ve read for a while.

The book begins with our hero, Nick, who lives a nice comfortable life with his wife and well respected job as a political reporter. His friend from college days, Holly, isn’t fairing so well as his lifestyle of endless partying, drugs and alcohol have left him in the tabloid papers after being publicly dumped by a starlet. Nick has tried to stay out of Holly’s business over the years but when he reads of Holly’s latest escapade, Nick finds himself on a plane and heading to LA on a mission to save his friend.

The narrative in the story alternates between both of the heroes, so right from the start we know how the two men feel about each other. Holly has been in love with Nick for years, and really the same could be said for Nick except that he’s hidden it behind layers of needing to be in control and living what he would foolishly consider the ‘perfect life’. Knowing the score from the start meant that I could sit back and watch as these authors expertly interweave a story which brings these men closer and closer together, one which exposes all the self-doubt and lies that the two men have hidden behind for years. It was a truly satisfying experience. it was also a lengthy process which takes place over a lot of pages. Those expecting a quick hook up or for things to be resolved easily are going to be disappointed as this is a detailed character study of two flawed men, and sometimes two frustrating men, making the slow painful realisation that they need to be with each other. I really believed that too. Nick and Holly complement each other wholly, and I was delighted to take that journey of self discovery with both of them.

I also liked the fact that both men need to undergo a journey in this book. Often in romance books there is one man who needs to take a journey of self-discovery and another who supports him through that. In this book both men have to reassess their lives and as a result there is a swapping of roles and a sharing of support. I thought this quite unusual and it added greatly to my reading pleasure.

There were a couple of things which irked me a little and so prevented me from having a ‘wow’ experience. Firstly was the character of Caroline, Nick’s wife. She has little or no redeeming features and yet Nick loves her, or at least he tells us that he loves her even though his actions actually say otherwise. I couldn’t understand why Nick was married to her, or why he loved her when she was such a prize bitch. I might have understood it more if she’d grown over the years to be the cold hearted, society-centred woman she is when we meet her, but no, Nick tells us that she’s always been that way. Certainly her behaviour makes it so that I had no sympathy for her later in the book, but I would have liked to have known more about Nick’s reasons for marrying her so that I could understand him a little better.

My second niggle is only minor. About thirty pages towards the end of the book the relationship between the heroes starts taking a turn into D/s territory. It’s only minor and more to do with Holly wanting to serve Nick and with Nick’s strong wish to protect Holly than BDSM. It didn’t feel tacked on, and was more an extension of the way their feelings have always been for each other, but I also didn’t feel it was wholly necessary to the story either so it bothered me a little.

However, these were only very minor niggles in what was a really terrific contemporary romance. I greatly enjoyed reading this story which was strong on characterisation, both in the main and secondary characters, and realistically charted the developing emotions of two long time friends into a romantic and sexual relationship. Highly recommended with a grade of 'Excellent' to all those who love friends to lovers romances or who are looking to read a well written and very entertaining story.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand by EM Lynley

I met EM Lynley when I was at Yaoicon. What a nice lady she is! We had a lovely chat about the difficulties of editing an anthology (which she was in the middle of doing at the time) and she also asked me whether she could send in her book for review. The book turned out to be this one.  It's an exciting mix between Romancing the Stone and Indiana Jones, and follows gay romance writer, Trent, as he's forced out of the comfortable rut he's in when his well meaning (and let's face it, a bit irritating) friends book him a holiday in Thailand.  Once in Bangkok, a mix up at the airport means that Trent accidentally gets himself embroiled in the shady goings of the very handsome and charismatic Reed Acton.  There's an obvious attraction between the two men, but Trent isn't entirely sure that he can trust Reed.

The best thing about this book was the Thai setting.  I know almost nothing about Thailand or Bangkok, but the author really brought the city and the culture alive through the eyes of Trent.  Everything is lovingly described from the food to the markets and streets.  Even the country  and small towns that Trent sees later in the book were vivid in the descriptions.  By the time I finished the book, I really felt that I'd learned something about that country - and not just the sights, as everything from the personality of the Thai people to the Buddhist religion had been interwoven through the narrative.  It was done so well that I never felt preached at or like I was reading a guide book because much of it is shown to the reader through Trent's eyes and we share his wonder at the diversity of the people and culture as he experiences it for the first time.

Another part which worked well was in the adventure plot.  As I said, it was a little like something out of Romancing the Stone and fans of that film will enjoy some of the sly winks that the book makes in terms of some of the events that happen to Trent who definitely plays the Kathleen Turner role!  Later the book takes a turn into Indiana Jones territory as priceless treasures are sought, and bad guys attempt to kill our heroes over a treasure map.  It was all jolly good fun, as well as quite tense and action-packed at times.  Trent fits perfectly into the clueless tourist accidentally caught up in events and it wasn't difficult to like him.  He's a nice guy who has retreated into the safety of routine, but was still able to cope admirably when thrown into dangerous situations.  Reed was your typical action hero, capable and protective of Trent (even when it's clear that Trent can look after himself).  The two engaging heroes complemented each other and I was pleased and satisfied with the romance that blossomed between them.

I did have a couple of niggles.  Firstly, I felt the book took a little long to get going.  There's a lengthy section at the beginning where Trent is with his friends and preparing for his surprise trip.  This dragged a little for me, mainly because I was impatient for him to get to Thailand and start his adventure, but also because I found Trent's friends really annoying.  They were the sort of friends who purposely interfere with another friend's life 'for their own good'.  I know they were supposed to come across as well meaning, but I just couldn't warm to them because I generally don't like these types of characters, and so couldn't wait until they were left behind and Trent could get on with his holiday. My second niggle was that when the two men were together and having a conversation, the dialogue was often broken up by paragraphs of internal angsting by whichever character was taking the narrative at the moment.  This had the effect of slowing the narrative down and those passages dragged a little too.  I wanted them to stop thinking and get on with the talking!  Or better yet, get on with some action scenes.  It's a shame really because most of the romance in the book happened during those scenes and I felt that far too often the characters were telling us how they felt through the internal thoughts, or worrying over their feelings, rather than showing us how they felt through action.

However, these were not serious enough niggles to spoil the book for me entirely.  In the end, I was left with the impression that this had been a very enjoyable read with engaging characters, an unusual setting and an interesting adventure plot and I'd recommend Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand with a grade of 'Very Good' to those who have a yearning for an action/adventure romance.

Buy this book HERE.