Review: Diamond: Double Cross by Winnie Jerome

I've read and enjoyed a number of Winnie Jerome's stories so I jumped at the chance to read and review this new book. Unfortunately, for me at least, I just didn't have very much sympathy with the characters and that, coupled with some other irritations, meant that this was a below average read.

The story begins well with young and impressionable Randy who is a college student. It's no ordinary college he attends, but one which trains witches and other people with paranormal abilities so that they can join the Institute, an elite group who police and monitor the underbelly of the paranormal world. Randy is also gay and a virgin, a situation he decides to remedy at a New Year's eve party. He meets Cain and they make sweet love but by the next morning Cain has gone, leaving Randy heartbroken. It was at this point that I began to hear warning bells because I couldn't understand how Randy could weave dreams of happy every after on the strength of one night of sex. Yes, it was good and romantic sex, but Cain never made any promises and so his complete over-reaction to waking up alone was unrealistic, even for a sweet young guy.

The story then skips forward 24 years and now Randy is a jaded middle aged man who works for the Institute alongside his friend Amelia and her son Jordan. He's still holding onto all the bitterness of his one night with Cain when he unexpectedly meets Cain again. That in itself didn't work for me either as much can happen in 24 years and yet he's still emotionally dominated by a one night stand that happened years ago and unable to let it go. There then follows a fairly contrived situation where Randy is forced to pretend to forgive Cain and start a relationship with him. By this time I'd decided I really didn't like Randy and when there are further revelations, I didn't like Cain either. I didn't believe that they were in love nor did I particularly care by the time I got to the end. In fact they rather deserved each other.

Another reason why this story was a bit of a miss for me was because the paranormal elements were just too conveniently placed with characters suddenly having powers or information when it was necessary to move the plot along or get out of a tricky situation. Perhaps if there had been a little more foreshadowing of the sort of powers these witches possess then I may have found this aspect more realistic. I also found the whole sub-plot involving the skulls a little confusing, especially since all characters are desperate to get hold of information about them but none of them can explain why the skulls are so special. After the huge build up, and all the hurt that the characters suffer as a result, the way the skull was retrieved was anti-climactic. The story ends on a cliff-hanger which presumably is taking us into a sequel.

Another irritation was the way that the story kept jumping ahead in time. The characters would have a tense scene together and then the scene would end and the next scene would jump ahead a few days or a week or months and all that tension is essentially lost. The next scene would then begin with a couple of paragraphs telling us what had been going on in Randy's life which was another failing of the story - too much information dumped on the reader.

I know I've been very negative but the story wasn't all bad. I really liked Amelia, who was a breath of fresh air and offered sensible advice, and her son Jordan was another great character. I also liked the whole paranormal world building with the Institute and their fight to keep the unsavoury paranormals under control.

Unfortunately the rest of the book just didn't work for me and I can't really recommend it with a grade of 'Poor'. Other readers may find themselves with some sympathy for Randy and Cain, in which case this book may be a more of a positive read than it was for me.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: The Seventh Veil by Heidi Cullinan

I've enjoyed a number of Heidi Cullinan's fantasy novels and when I saw that she'd released this dark fantasy I was very keen to read it. The story is not your usual m/m romance and in fact its roots are in more traditional fantasy both in setting and also in that it follows a set of characters with different story threads whose stories then converge and intertwine as the story progresses.

Within this set of characters two distinct focuses arise. The first focus is that of relationships, and this is where the romance comes to the fore in the story. We follow three main set of characters to begin with, all linked by their noble blood to one of the great 'houses', starting with Charles who is the bastard son to the Perry house. He's tormented by ghost like creatures who follow him wherever he goes and overwhelm him. In order to rid himself of these wraiths he makes a bargain with a alchemist. The second set of characters are Jonathan, the first-born Perry son, and his equerry Timothy who are returning from exile in a war-torn country. Jonathan is struggling with illness and possible possession and only the aid of Jonathan's former sweetheart, Madeline, could save him. Then there is Madeline herself and her sister, Emily, whose strength is needed to save both Jonathan and Charles. As the book progresses, so do the relationships. Madeline and Jonathan's past must be dealt with and much of their scenes involve the push and pull of past hurts and present desires. Charles and Timothy are attracted to each other but have many obstacles to overcome before they can be together and Emily finds sweet love in the arms of someone wholly unexpected. I found these relationships deeply satisfying. The narrative is driven by love: filial, platonic and romantic, and it was in these relationships that the book shone for me. At several times my heart was in my mouth over what was happening, over the sheer emotion in the scenes. All the main characters are sympathetic and I was completely immersed in them as people and their situation. Even Charles who comes across as selfish and needy at first is redeemed by the end in a most unusual way.  Alongside the romantic relationships is that of the poisonous family relationships contained within the great houses which contrasted then with the close knit bonds that the characters create between them as the story progresses.

The second focus of the book is that of a spiritual world based around a Goddess myth.  This provides most of the fantasy part to the book and was breathtaking in its narrative sweep.  The whole mythology and world created by the author was so complex, with layers upon layers of different types of magic and spiritual planes, that I sometimes felt a little overwhelmed by it all.  However, the author always managed to keep me grounded in the book through the use of the characters as links to fantasy, so even when I was unsure what was happening I could relate to the conversation that was taking place between characters.  Those readers who are looking for a thoughtful and intricate fantasy world, which combines the worldly plane with a mix of mythology, truth, story telling and history, are in for a treat here. I marvelled at the imagination of the author as I read this wholly engrossing book.

The setting itself is a familiar high fantasy setting with the country of Etsey being very similar to medieval Britain and Catal (where Timothy is from) like that of Spain.  Given that much of the fantasy involves the different and hidden layers beneath the surface of both the real world setting and the minds and bodies of the characters, then I felt some comfort in the familiarity of the Etsey, especially as when the unusual begins to happen it seems all the more shocking.

I feel I ought to give a couple of warnings. Firstly this is a series, and although the story in this book is mostly complete within itself, it's also a gateway to the rest of the series.  There's happiness at the end, and also delayed happiness - and that's all I'm going to say about it at this point!  Another thing I want to mention is that this is not just an m/m book.  All three relationships, both m/m and m/f are explored, although the m/f sex scenes are much less explicit than the m/m with more fade to black.  This didn't bother me at all because I was just as invested in the relationship between Madeline and Jonathan, as I was Charles and Timothy.

Overall, I was pretty blown away by the depth and reach of this book.  The world building is vivid and complex, the characterisation thorough and sympathetic.  I felt a whole range of emotions as I was reading from genuine chills to laughter, amazement and sorrow.  I'm already anticipating the next in this series and couldn't recommend it highly enough with a grade of 'Excellent'.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Dark Designs by Luisa Prieto

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

I'd enjoyed Luisa Prieto's story Cooking With Ergo, and so when I saw she'd written a dark fantasy novel, I was interested to see if I would like it as much as that book. In many ways it's going to be difficult to review Dark Designs because, even at over 400 pages it is very much still only the opening to a much longer series. In fact this book basically sets the scene, gives us background on the characters and then stops just as the main part of the story is about to start. This was a little disconcerting to say the least, but I still enjoyed getting to that point enough that I would consider this a four star read.

The book is divided into two storylines. The first story is set in present day USA in San Jose where we are introduced to a set of characters. Kyler is a English professor and writer who is taking up a chair in a small College after a horrific experience with rebels in Colombia. Sorin is a student at the College who edits the College paper. Sorin's brother Ryan hosts a show on the cooking network along with his friend Slyvain. Gavin is a famous writer of dark fantasy fiction. Finally there is Dean who runs a local coffee shop and provides the food for Ryan's TV show. Life is about to change for all these men as they become embroiled in the work of evil mages who work on behalf of the 'Darkness'. This aspect of the book was intensely creepy and filled with genuinely frightening moments. Kyler becomes aware that he is about to undergo a change called a convergence which will join his present life with that of a knight of the darkness, Etherwolf. His resistance to this causes harm to a number of people and the casual deaths that happen during this part of the book were chilling. This story is not going to be for the fainthearted, but as a fan of dark fantasy I found myself both compelled through this part of the book and repelled by some of the characters especially Rhune, and the lack of compassion she displays.

The second story strand takes place in England during the 17th century where we follow the past lives of Sorin and Kyler (known as Etherwolf, or Kai). This part of the book explains how the men meet and the circumstances which surround an attack by the 'Hunters' on the mages. It fills us in on much of the back story and is an exciting and thrilling adventure tale in amongst the fantasy. I liked that it helped to bring greater understanding of the characters, especially Rhune and Avery whilst also providing the history behind the mages and the knights and servants of the Darkness. The history aspect is very complex, which in some ways is a good thing because it all added to the intricacies of the world building, but I did sometimes find myself getting a little lost and confused over the different characters, how they related to each other and whether they are friends or enemies. Some of that was because the lines between who is a friend or enemy were very blurred on occasion. I also kept getting a little mixed up with all the different titles and terms, especially since many of the characters are originally from Italy and they used the Italian form of the title as well as the English. In some cases I just had to push on past my confusion, otherwise I would have been forever going back and forth through the book trying to work out who was who again and whether they were a good or bad guy. A glossary would have been very handy and about half way through the book I was regretting not making detailed family tree type notes. By the time I got to that point I was too far through the book to want to go back and start again.

The romance in the book comes during the historical part. It's a slow build and quite sweet considering that Etherwolf is an evil knight of the Darkness and Sorin is one of the 'good' mages. I have to admit I liked Sorin a great deal. There's an enderaing innocence about him which contrasted well with the obvious great power he has at his disposal. Despite Etherwolf's inhumane character - and believe me, the author makes this very clear throughout this part of the story - his attraction and desire not just for Sorin's body, but also for his wellbeing was perhaps his one redeeming feature.

Believe me, I've only dipped my toe into the themes and ideas and characters in this story. The cast is huge, the sweep of the story complex and breathtaking. It may be long, but the pages turned quickly despite the fact that very little actually happens in the story. You could sum up the action in just a few sentences, but that doesn't matter because the main point of this book is to get everything in place: the history told, the key players identified and in position and the relationships explored in readiness for the next part of the story which looks to be a thrilling battle of good against evil, coupled with the struggle in Kyler to remain as himself when his body is overtaken by Etherwolf.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this intricate introduction to what may well be a compelling series and I'm looking forward to reading the next part. I recommend Dark Designs with a grade of 'Very Good', for those who like complex dark fantasies and don't mind graphic violence or disturbing scenes.

Buy this book HERE.

A Little Bit of Politics

As usual the country's gone to the dogs at the moment with politicians trying to score points off each other over the whole yes or no to AV debate.  Both sides sicken me to be honest and even burying myself in romance novels isn't shutting out the yapping of the 'if you vote yes/no, you are an evil and sick bitch who doesn't care for her country' campaigning displayed on the advertising boards throughout the city.

I might be able to suffer it with more grace if I wasn't already cheesed off about the results of last year's general election and the utter betrayal of what I saw as a viable leader in Nick Clegg.  So far many of the new policies or ideas brought in by the change in government have affected me in a negative way.  It's disheartening to say the least.  Even more so because there's not a single thing I can do about it.  My local MP is a Tory and any communication we've had with him about the new government proposals have met with him either ignoring us or sending us a letter filled with party propaganda.

It's no wonder that I choose to immerse myself in the make-believe, in the bright, shiny and, above all, hopeful world of romance novels.  There's certainly no hope left for me and my family for at least the next four years.

That was a non-party political broadcast on behalf of Jenre who would like to say FUCK OFF to the Conservative government and their destructive policies.

A-Z Challenge Review: Fun with Dick and Shane by Gillibran Brown

Why I bought the book: I read a review at Tam's blog and it sounded like an amusing read.  You'll have to read her review because she quotes one of my favourite parts from the book which made me laugh out loud at the time and I was still sniggering for ages afterwards.

Plot: The book is set out as a series of blog diary entries from the point of view of houseboy, Gilli.  He's part of a menage D/s relationship with a strict hierachy.  At the top is overall Dom Shane, then there's Dick who is both Shane's sub and Gilli's Dom, then there's Gilli who's sub to both of them.  The story takes place over a few months and every so often Gilli interrupts his diary entries with longer stories about particular events that have happened to him.  The story is mostly hilarious as Gilli gets himself in all sorts of scrapes and situations due to his habit of over-thinking everything, coupled with a volatile temper, but it's very touching in places too.  Now here's the thing: I can't decide whether this is fiction or not.  Gilli has his own blog in RL and this book is made up of his blog entires from 2006, so either this is a fictional blog and has been for 5 years, or these stories are true.  Not that it matters, but reviewing a piece of fiction is much different from reviewing non-fiction so I'm going to work on the assumption that this is actually an autobiography (which is what Gilli calls it on his website).

Characters: Whether you like this book will depend entirely on what you think about Gilli.  I really liked him.  His honesty is completely endearing, especially as it doesn't always paint him in the best possible light.  I also liked how he reflects on what's happening to him, analysing it from the point of view of hindsight and recognising the triggers that makes him act as he does - and yet, he still can't seem to help over-reacting to certain situations.  He's a complete brat for quite a lot of the book but that is tempered by a sweet and generous nature.  His relationship with Shane and Dick is that of a domestic discipline set up.  This means Gilli (and sometimes Dick) gets spanked and punished an awful lot - and not for sexual pleasure.  I've read books like this before and sometimes they can be a little repetitive - boy cocks-up, boy gets spanked, boy is forgiven, over and over again - but that wasn't the case here because of the time that Gilli takes to show us the history of why he acts as he does, the reasons behind his cock-ups and his feelings throughout the situation.  This made the whole thing very sympathetic in my understanding of how Gilli works as a person and how he needs the relationship with Shane and Dick.  Because the book is from Gilli's point of view Shane and Dick are funnelled through his biased narrative, but I did get a strong impression of the love he feels for them - and how their different roles fulfil an need in him and in each other.

Overall:  I really loved this book.  It made me laugh out loud a number of times but was so much more than a series of funny situations.  Gilli is a delight and through his self-deprecatory witty writing he shows how well the D/s menage relationship works for him.  I also liked that the book is set in Britain, with all the great British dialogue and cultural references that comes with that setting.  Some US readers are not going to understand some of the references to various TV shows and celebrities (there was one point where Gilli is accused of 'watching too much Tricia again' which made me snort with laughter, but that may go over the heads of some non-Brit readers), but that shouldn't be a reason not to read the book.  Those who aren't keen on m/m/m should be aware that the sex scenes are tastefully done with most being made up of vague references or fade to black, so again don't let that be a reason not to read the book either.

Those of you who are looking for a lighthearted read, with lots of laughs and also lots of heart, ought to give this book a go.  I enjoyed it so much I bought the sequel as soon as I'd finished.  It gets a grade of 'Excellent' from me and I can see it being a book I re-read when I need something to cheer me up.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Beneath the Neon Moon by Theda Black

Those of you who know me will know that I'm not a huge fan of shifter books in general.  It's not the shifting part that bothers me or that they are sometimes a bit gory and gruesome (actually I like those bits) but rather that shifter romances often rely on the form of insta-love known as 'mates' and so any sexual or romantic tension is dispelled as soon as the heroes meet.  Whilst the heroes in this book form a bond quite quickly, the circumstances around them meeting were such that I actually could see this as a realistic plot device so it didn't ping my insta-love button as much as it might have done.

This shifter book has to have one of the most unique set ups I've read in a shifter romance.  The story begins with one of the heroes, Zach, waking up from a night of excessive drink to find himself on the dirt floor of a cellar.  When he wakes up enough to be fully aware of his surroundings he discovers that he's chained to another young man, Mal.  Zach's ankle restraint is annoying, but when he looks closer he sees that Mal's restraint is studded with metal and digging viciously into his ankle.  Mal tells Zach that he was bitten by a huge dog and passed out only to find himself in the cellar.  The story then follows the two men over the next 36 hours as they wait in the cellar, knowing that Mal will soon be changing into a wolf.

As you can imagine the story itself is static and very claustrophobic in style.  The whole story only has four characters, plus the memories that Zach has of his father, and the majority of the time is spent with Zach and Mal.  This, coupled with the reasons why they are in the cellar, lent an intensity to their interactions and a heightening of emotions.  There's an attraction between them which grows quickly into stronger feelings of protectiveness as they struggle to come to terms with what is happening.  Their time together allows Zach to examine his relationship with his negligent father, and I found that aspect saddening and grimly realistic.  It adds to the sympathy I felt for Zach who has had a tough break in life.  Even his reasons for ending up in the cellar added to the feeling that bad luck just seems to follow him around, as he unfortunately happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  As Zach is the narrator we learn less of Mal, and what we do learn isn't particularly endearing.  I thought it skilful of the author to be able to present us with Mal as a flawed man, place him next to Zach who is essentially much stronger in mind and character, and yet still allow us some sympathy for Mal.  I think it helped that Mal has already started to improve himself just before the story begins, and that his time in the cellar shows his strength of mind developed further.

The romance aspect of the story is focused mainly on the beginning of the relationship: the initial attraction and them acting on that.  The tension in the story is high and there's a mix of fear and arousal in their interactions, and a desperation to thwart their fates which adds to the high emotion of their time together.  This meant that the strong feelings they develop for each other seemed realistic. I don't want to give away spoilers as to how the book ends so I won't say more on this, only that I was satisfied as to the realism of the ending and hope that there will be a sequel.

As a warning I ought to mention that there is a rape scene in the book.  It's delicately handled, not gratuitous and mostly fade to black so don't let it put you off the story.  There's also a little bit of gruesomeness in terms of the way the ankle cuff is causing hurt to Mal's ankle so squeamish readers be aware.

I do have a couple of niggles with the book.  Firstly were the opening few paragraphs before Zach woke up. I could understand why they had been included: to give us some background on Zach's past; but I found the jump from that into Zach waking up from the cellar a little disjointed.  It mentions that he's 16 and then he isn't 16 any more but much older.  I think the opening would have been more powerful and less confusing if  the book had just started with Zach waking up in the cellar.  I also thought that the characters of Aaron and Kane weren't nuanced enough to make them anything other than monsterous and I wished they had been a little more filled out in terms of characterisation.  Finally, I had a slight confusion in the shifter worldbuilding.  Aaron and Kane tell Zach that the wolves all shift on a certain night in the moon cycle.  If that was the case then how was Mal bitten by a wolf when the Were must have been out of cycle?  Or maybe I'm just confused about that bit and it's only Mal who turns on that day **.  In any case more explicit information about how the wolf-shifting worked would have been nice.

Despite those niggles, I still enjoyed this novella a great deal.  The claustrophobic atmosphere, the tension and genuine fearfulness that permeates the story was gripping and I found it difficult to put the book down.  This contrasted nicely to the awkward and yet sweet way the men get to know each other and the fierce bond of protectiveness which arises between them.  I'm giving Beneath the Neon Moon a grade of 'Very Good' and would recommend it to those looking for an unusual and interesting take on the shifter genre.

Buy this book HERE or at Amazon Kindle.

**ETA. It turns out that it was just me getting confused here and that it is only first time Weres that change with the waning moon.

Review: Rag and Bone by JS Cook

I really enjoyed the first book in the Inspector Raft series, Willing Flesh, reviewed here, and I was keen to read this second book. The story continues the relationship between Raft and his constable, the affable Freddie, whilst introducing us to a new mystery surrounding a set of fires in the Whitechapel area of London. These fires have all taken place in almost the exact spot where the victims of Jack the Ripper were discovered. Raft's investigations lead him to a mysterious underground gentleman's club. When a number of ripper copycat murders take place, Raft is convinced that the ripper is back, and he's determined to stop him this time.

I've given this book a grade of 'Very Good' after debating with myself for quite a while. The parts that worked well for me, really were quite special. These included the excellent prose and the superb attention to detail in the setting. The rookeries of Whitechapel are vividly described, both in the place itself and the people who live there. This is no wallpaper history that looks at the past through rosy spectacles, but an honest and insightful rendering of the true poverty that people lived in during those times. I was particularly affected by the descriptions of the workhouse where men, women and children struggle to survive in a cold and harsh environment.

Another aspect which worked was the developing relationship between Raft and Freddie, and the way their characters are evolving as the series continues. Freddie especially is struggling to cope with some of the harder realities of his job, and yet Raft is also wrapped up in his own problems. This could have torn the two apart, but instead we see them trying to work through their issues. Raft is terribly fearful of losing Freddie and the most touching scenes between them were those where they each voiced their fears and turned to each other for strength and comfort. Raft's past is something that we are beginning to be given more information about, but only hints at this stage, and I look forward to finding out more about the gaps he has in his memory. I was disappointed that Raft's paranormal gifts, which were made so much of in the previous book, are effectively forgotten, except for a brief mention at the beginning, and I hope this will be picked up and examined more closely later in the series.

Having said all that, I did have some issues with this book which almost made me put it in the 'Good' grade. Firstly is the secondary plot which is a homage to Bram Stoker's Dracula. I read the book fully expecting that there would be an ultimate point to this sub-plot, but there wasn't really. There's a link between Raft and the character of John Gallant in this part of the story but nothing actually comes of this and is a rather large plot thread left flapping about at the end of the book. Perhaps this is going to be taken up and explored in subsequent books because otherwise I was left scratching my head over why so much page time had been allotted to a story which effectively goes nowhere.

Another issue is that parts of the story were just not explained well enough for my liking. An example of this are the various illusions that take place, especially the fire illusion and that of the sleeping Rennie. These just seem to have been accepted as 'mysterious' with no attempts to discover how the illusions were created or maintained. It irked me a little that I was just supposed to accept that someone could create the sight, sound and heat of fire from nothing.

Finally, there were some glaring errors in the continuity. Normally the odd typo doesn't bother me in a book, but I was pulled from the story a few times which did annoy a little. One such error was that the fires which were supposed to have taken place on Hanbury Street, were suddenly in Harley Street for a page or two before going back to Hanbury Street. Another error was that several times the characters refer to an incident which happened 'the other day' when in fact it had only happened that morning. At each instance I had to stop reading and check to see whether it was me who had got confused. It wasn't.

So as you can see, overall this was a mixed read for me. I think my problems with it were due to an excess of ideas and plot all crammed into the pages which led to too much vague references and not enough concrete evidence and hard facts. Even the discovery of the villain was done through far too supposition for my liking. Despite this, the writing really was excellent, the characters are all very nuanced, even down to the most minor and the setting was vivid and realistic. For those reasons I could happily recommend Rag and Bone, especially to those who have read the first book and, like me, are hungry for more of Raft and Freddie. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series when hopefully some of the issues I had with this book will be explained and resolved.

Buy this book HERE.

A-Z Challenge Review: End of the Trail by Jane Elliot

Why I bought the book: I bought this as part of a huge order with Manifold Press on the strength of several good reviews of their books.

Plot: Will owns an isolated cattle ranch and is eeking out a living on the land with his wife and son.  They rescue a stranger, John, who has been shot and nurse him back to health.  After John leaves Will discovers that John is a wanted man with a high price on his head.  When John returns a few years later he finds Will alone and crippled.  Will takes him in again so as not to disrespect his wife's memory, but over the next year Will and John discover a closeness that Will could never have imagined before.

This book is like a fine old western film.  Set sometime in the 1800s it beautifully recreates life in the wild west with all its difficulties, its harshness and its dangers without the book seeming overly bleak or hopeless.  The plot is gentle, with the focus only on the two men and the way they get along with keeping up the cattle ranch whilst hiding John from the outside world.  The romance develops slowly in and amongst the story and the gentle pace was perfect in making the change in their relationship natural and believable.  There's not much action in the story, it's very quiet in that respect, but I was still completely engrossed in what was happening on the page and the pages turned quickly.

Characters:  Because the book is so wholly focused on the two men and their interactions with each each other, it's important that both men are sympathetic.  Gentle, stoic and good Will was easy to like.  He's an easy-going man with a sly sense of humour and I found myself laughing a few times over some of his witty observations about his life with John.  His lack of judgement of John was necessary to the plot, as is his sympathy at John's life story, but he still retains a moral fortitude that makes him uncomfortable at some of the things that John  has done to gain his reputation.  The fact that he keeps his feelings about that to himself, made him all the more sympathetic.  As an outlaw, and a murderer, you would think that John would be less sympathetic.  That wasn't the case for me, despite some pretty terrible things in his life.  The fact that he is still likeable, even though we know he's earned the bounty on his head is proof of the skill of the author in her characterisation of John.  Both men are products of their time and are very masculine in their outlook.  There're no high emotions here or sharing of feelings as both men are quiet and taciturn in nature.  Instead their growing feelings for each other are shown again and again through their actions and behaviour towards each other.  It was skilfully done.

Overall:  This was a delicately written story with a great balance between showing the romance and also grounded the story firmly in a time and place.  The historical setting is just as much part of the narrative as the characters and their relationship without ever being heavy-handed.  Will and John are isolated but they are also part of a small community, and as such there's a tension to the story over whether John will be discovered.  This wasn't overwhelming, but added a slight danger to the mundane life they lead together.

One note of warning for those who don't like such things.  There are two m/m/f sex scenes in the book where Will and John engage the services of a prostitute.  They are short and also very necessary to the development of the romance - in fact almost key scenes.  For that reason alone I understood their inclusion.

I don't think I have anything negative to say about this book.  I really, really enjoyed reading it and it gets a grade of 'Excellent' from me.  I was thrust into the era, the characters and the plot, and was very sad to finish.  The book ends as the men are starting a new turning point and I hope this means that their story is going to be continued into a next book.

Buy this book HERE.

A-Z Challenge Review: Drawing Closer by Jane Davitt

Why I bought the book: Again my memory is a little hazy about this, but I think it was after reading another couple of books by this author which I'd really enjoyed: Wild Raspberries and Wintergreen.

Plot: College professor Charles is an Englishman in the USA, having fled there after a relationship gone wrong among other things.  He runs a small community class which studies Shakespeare as a favour for a friend where he meets keen student, Gray.  After the 10 week course is over, Gray makes his feelings for Charles very plain, but Charles isn't willing to take a chance on Gray and not just because of the nine year age gap.

Characters: I found this to be a tightly written and emotional book.  The story focuses almost solely on the two men, with only Gray's friend, Carl and Charles' friend Drew as secondary characters (although Drew's wife does make an appearance towards the end).  As such the book had a strong emotional core as we are take through the thoughts of both characters and the reasons why they are so right for each other.  Charles' reluctance is understandable, but I also liked that he was strong enough to both guide Gray and also be led by Gray's own needs.  One thing I also enjoyed was the way that Charles' English voice shone through the narrative and dialogue.  You could tell his origins without having a vast amount of English slang, just because of the cadence if his voice.  I liked Gray a great deal.  He's an artist and as such has the temperament to go with it. In some ways he is painfully naive, but I liked that he was persistent and willing to stand up for himself when faced with the implacable Charles.  His youth and inexperience is a point of contention between the men, but it's also valid and believable.

Overall: Like many Jane Davitt books this does have a BDSM theme, but the scenes themselves are very tame with only spanking and D/s play as part of the on-page sex.  As a study of two men who are so right for each other and yet have past hurts to contend with it was spot on and I was strongly drawn into the story right through to the last page.  The story is quite quiet in that a lot of it is based around dialogue and internal thought and the action and complications come from the sometimes explosive way the heroes deal with all the pent up feelings, rather than external forces.  If I have any complaints about the book it's in Gray's dealings with his friend Carl.  I was disappointed in the way that the relationship between him and Gray turned out, as their close friendship added warmth and much needed humour to the story and felt that the solution at the end was a little too convenient for all concerned.

However, that was only a minor niggle in what was a well written and engrossing story of two men feeling their way into a relationship with each other.  For fans of the author this is a must read.  I enjoyed it a great deal and it gets a grade of 'Excellent' from me.

But this book HERE.

A-Z Challenge Review: Change of Heart by Mary Calmes

Why I bought the book: I'd heard good things about the author.  Plus the book was free at Rainbow Ebooks at the time.

Plot: Panther shifters Jin and his friend Crane have been exiled from their tribe and so have arrived in Reno and attached themselves to a local tribe.  When they save the life of a female panther, everything changes for them as Jin finds himself unwillingly embroiled in a war between the tribes and realises that he is the true mate to sexy tribe leader Logan.

The start of this story thrust me into the action and I read quickly through the opening section.  The plot itself is very swiftly paced with most of the story centred around a set of action scenes, or sex.  This had the effect that I read the book quickly and was rather compelled through the story by the fast pacing.  This turned out to be a good thing for me because I may never have finished this book had the pace been slower.

Characters: My main problem with the book is that I really didn't like the main character and third person narrator of Jin.  I appreciated that he'd had a tough break in life and that he'd had to forge his own way with Crane at his side.  However, in my mind that did not excuse his total selfishness, his inability to see things from the perspective of others or his capricious behaviour.  I don't think it helped that I'm not a huge fan of the 'mated therefore in love' story, of which this is an example.  Jin and Logan meet and they have an instant bond.  This bond goes so deep that Jin is prepared to sacrifice his own life for Logan within a few days of knowing him.  Yet not long after he allows Logan to behave in a suicidal way just because of some sense of misguided betrayal. All Jin's actions are based around what's best for himself and as a result I never believed him when he said that he had feelings for Logan.  Logan therefore comes across as weak and helpless when faced with Jin's actions as he's a typical Alpha who roars and uses brute strength when things don't go his way. We are told that he is a good leader to his tribe but I didn't see much evidence of that, unless being a good leader means that you sulk for most of the book when you don't get what you want and shout at people the rest of the time.  This meant that instead of the push-pull of their relationship being thrilling or exciting, which I believe must have been the intention, instead I found it tiresome and just wished they'd pull their head out of their arses and see sense.

Overall: I had a lot of negative feelings for this book and there were other things, such as the brutal sex scenes which I found more wince-worthy than sexy, which added to my dislike of the story.  I also found the various panther laws that crop up through the story a little too convenient in that every time there is some sort of crisis, Jin has a law which he can quote to get his own way.  Having said that, the secondary characters were all quite sympathetic, even if they did have a habit of fawning all over Jin in a sickening fashion. I liked Crane and Yuri, Logan's second in command, both of whom were the voice of reason in the madness that is Jin and Logan's relationship, plus Crane actually treated Jin like a friend would, even when Jin tries to constantly shut him out. The world building was interesting with all the different panther tribes, their relationships to one another and the hierarchy within the tribes, and in some ways I wish that aspect had been expanded.

Unfortunately, as you can probably tell, the majority of the story just didn't work for me. Unsympathetic characters and a plot based too much on the fickle behaviour of the main protagonist means that I can't recommend this book and I'm giving it a grade of 'Poor'.  However, a quick look at Good Reads shows me that I'm probably in the minority here and there are lots and lots of people who really liked or even loved this book, so don't let just my opinion put you off from giving it a go.

Buy this book HERE.

A-Z Challenge Review: Blood and Roses by Aislinn Kerry

Why I bought this book: I honestly can't remember. I do know that I bought it shortly after its release in November 2009 and it's been on my TBR since then, making it one of the oldest books on my TBR pile.

Plot: The story is set in Amsterdam and follows male prostitute Arjen. When famous vampire Maikel arrives at the brothel where he works, Arjen isn't impressed by the simpering from the female whores and starts to make his way up to his room. He's surprised when he's called back by Maikel who wants to buy his time, his blood and his room for the night.

Characters: The story takes place over a few months and shows the growing feelings of Arjen towards his strange client. His initial confusion and hostility to Maikel is well shown as is his frustrations over Maikel's behaviour in and around Amsterdam.  I liked that the way that Arjen's feelings changed from being slightly disgusted and annoyed with Maikel, to having a greater understanding of why he behaves as he does which eventually leads to acceptance and more.  I also thought that the whore/client dynamic was handled realistically, especially in Arjen's matter of fact way that he makes his money, followed by a growing discomfort over being paid by Maikel.  As the story is from Arjen's point of view it's difficult to know what Maikel is really thinking.  His wild behaviour isn't particularly sympathetic, but I did think the author did a great job in showing why he acts as he does.  The world weary vampire may not be the most original of characters but there was a freshness here in Maikel's interaction with Arjen that lifted his character out of the mundane.

Overall: I haven't read a decent vampire book in ages and I was surprised how much I enjoyed this novella.  I was caught up in Arjen and Maikel's story.  There's an intimacy between them that was erotic but was so much more than sex and I was wholly drawn into their story.  The mix of historical Amsterdam with the paranormal twist was also unusual and added something a bit different to the typical UF paranormals that crop up.  The writing is evocative and deeply sensual in places.  I couldn't put it down and was sorry when the story finished.  My only niggle was that the story left me with some questions about Arjen and Maikel's relationship and how it would now continue.  However, that wasn't enough to spoil what was a compelling and very enjoyable read for me. It's just a shame I left it so long before I pulled it out of my TBR pile.  Grade: Excellent.

Buy this book HERE.

A-Z Challenge Review: After Anna by Theda Black

Why I bought the book: I read an interview with the author at Clare London's blog and bought the book because it sounded interesting.

Plot: Will and Tyler are police officer partners.  When Will's girlfriend dies in a drug overdose, Tyler is there as his best friend to help him recover from the intense grief and guilt Will feels.  Tyler is also struggling with guilt over his part in Anna's death and with his attraction to Will.

The story is set out as a series of 'scenes' from the period after Anna's death.  Some of these scenes are just snap-shots of Will and Tyler's life together, and some are extended over an evening or day.  None of them last more than a few hours.  One effect of this was that the plot was very swift paced and I was propelled through the story, making it a quick read.  The downside of this type of plot is that it also felt a little disjointed as we jump from one day to the next with only the characters to link them.

Characters: The story focuses entirely on Will or Tyler with any other characters being mere shadows in comparison, apart from Anna who hangs like a spectre over their lives.  It was a little difficult to really connect with Tyler and Will because nearly the whole book is action or dialogue based with little or no internal thoughts.  That could have been a good thing, as this book certainly couldn't be accused of too much telling rather than showing!  This did work well on occasion, especially in the scenes where we see Will's downward spiral just after Anna's death.  However, when it came to the romance, I sometimes found their actions a little baffling and wished to know more about their thoughts and motivations, except from what I could glean through dialogue.  It made me work hard as a reader, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but did mean that I couldn't wholly engage with them and their difficulties.  The fact that this is a gay for you story, with both men being ostensibly straight except where it comes to each other meant that I needed to know what they were thinking, to see that internal conflict in order for the romance to work.

Overall: As you can see I had mixed feelings about this book.  On one hand it was certainly structured in an unusual way and had a plot which carried me through to the end quickly.  On the other hand, I found it difficult to connect to the main characters.  The overall tone of the book is melancholic, as you would expect given the subject matter, but this bleeds into the romance too and I was sad that the men couldn't see past their difficulties, leaving the ending nowhere near a HEA or even a HFN.

I've struggled a bit with the grade for this book because of my mixed response.  In the end I don't think it was so bad I would give it my 'Poor' grade, although it's certainly at the low end of 'Good'.  Those readers who are looking for something which plays around with style and structure may find this book an interesting read.  I know that there's a sequel to this book, Touch Like Breathing, and I'm tempted to read it, just so that I can get some closure on the romance.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Mandarin Orange: Sweet and Sour by TC Blue

I've been looking forward to this story which features Riley, the foul mouthed and frankly outrageous best friend of Jeremy from the previous book in this Fruit Basket series, Lime Green: Margarita Mondays. This book begins when our other hero, Kelly, crashes his motorbike into Riley's truck which is parked in the driveway to his apartment block. The apartment block is owned by Riley's uncle and Riley acts as superintendent for the building. It turns out that Kelly is renting the flat below Riley's, one which is usually reserved for his uncle's latest lover. Thus begins a series of misunderstandings, which is not helped by either Riley's pride or his baffling attraction to Kelly.

There was much to like about this story, which is essentially a 'gay for you' tale. Riley is a great character, who is larger than life and very comfortable in his own body. He's accepting of others but also not afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right, a trait which ends up getting him into trouble. The way that his attraction to Kelly slowly develops is realistic. This has been one of the better GFY stories I've read because Riley is just so comfortable around gay men, and indeed most of his friends are gay. This meant that when he begins to feel attracted to Kelly, his open-mindedness worked in his favour. I also liked that the author tackled the fact that Riley is just attracted to Kelly and not just curious about gay sex. Riley admits that he's never been interested before, even when it's been offered, and so it's Kelly, and Riley's feelings for him that provides both the romance and the sexual attraction.

I also liked Kelly as a character, although he's slightly overshadowed by Riley. Kelly's reservations at getting involved with Riley are justified, and I also liked that he a strong, independent man who slightly resents Riley trying to run his life. Both heroes are almost upstaged by Kelly's dog, Goober, who manages to be rather endearing and disgusting at the same time. I'm not a huge dog person (and he is a huge dog) but Goober added some well needed humour to the book, as well as lots of dog slobber.

Another plus point was revisiting some of the characters from the previous book in the series, although I was glad that they didn't overwhelm the story. They flit around Kelly and Riley, offering advice and friendship, making the story more than just about the two men. There are a few new characters who are introduced too and I get the impression they might be on hand for future hero material.

I did have a couple of niggles with the story. Whilst Riley's swearing is part of his character, it did begin to grate on the nerves after a while. Another niggle was about some of the misunderstandings that crop up early on between Kelly and Riley. I couldn't see why Riley would care enough about Kelly, a man he barely knows at this time, to keep the secrets he does from him, especially about his job. Riley goes to extraordinary lengths to cover up his lies and yet he only met Kelly a few days previously. It just seemed a bit odd. Much of the tension at the beginning of the book stems from a series of small misunderstandings, and whilst most of them fit well with the story and were cleared up quickly, the issue surrounding Riley's job added a false note to what is a realistic and romantic story.

Apart from those niggles, which were fairly minor, this is a pretty enjoyable story with likeable characters. The author has managed to address the issue of lack of trust and re-examining your sexual orientation in a way with is both light-hearted but convincing. Fans of GFY will not be disappointed in this addition to the sub-genre. I'm really enjoying this Fruit Basket series and I'm very much looking forward to the next offering in the series.  Grade: Very Good.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Dutch's Boy by Xavier Axelson

I like cowboy stories. There's something rather sexy about a man in chaps and so I was looking forward to read this offering from Seventh Window Publications. The story involves young cowboy Harry who's trying to escape from under the shadow of his overbearing rodeo star father, Dutch, and strike out on his own in the rodeo circuit. That's not easy though when Harry's never been away from home before. Fortunately he has the help of his best friend, Reb, and a determination to succeed.

This novella had a strong start.  Harry's a great character and I was quickly drawn into his story of the frustrations at being forced to stay at home when he wants to spread his wings.  It's very much a coming of age story too, with Harry leaving home for the first time and discovering the joys of sexual freedom alongside the troubles of striking out on his own path.  The first section where Harry leaves, the train journey to the rodeo and the people he interacts with on the way was realistic.  I liked the mix of confidence and uncertainty in Harry especially when he meets Blake, a man on the train, who we are never quite sure Harry should be trusting.  That element of danger worked well alongside Harry's innocence.

The relationship between Harry and Reb was another highlight.  Harry has loved his friend for some time but tries to hold back and deny his feelings.  When things begin to happen between them, it was not only very erotic, but their feelings for each other gave the sex scenes a romantic edge.  I thought it interesting that later in the story we find things out about Reb's family in the way he is treated by the other characters and it was a shame that I didn't get more information about that as it would have helped to flesh out the character of Reb, who comes across as just a lover and champion of Harry, but not much more.

Once Harry arrives at the rodeo, the book didn't work as well for me.  I think this is mainly because the focus shifted more onto Harry's sexual awakening rather than the rodeo and Harry's introduction to that world.  I was left wishing I could have had less sex and more descriptions of the rodeo, of the people there, of the atmosphere and, most of all, of the bronco ride that Harry takes part in towards the end of the book.  Or maybe keep the sex but add the detail!  As it is the rodeo section is woefully glossed over with the action happening off page.  This left me rather disappointed and feeling cheated out of what could have been an exciting and action-packed scene.  Another thing that puzzled me is when the story is set.  It seemed like a contemporary but there were some odd omissions like a lack of mobile phones.  Plus the story had a very old-fashioned feel to it in the attitudes of the characters.  Maybe that's because it's set in a part of the world where things are a little old-fashioned but it just struck me as a little strange.

That doesn't mean this is a bad book.  It isn't.  The plot skips along a fast pace, the characters are interesting - Harry especially is well rounded and sympathetic.  The tension between Harry and his father is another plus point, and added nicely to the whole 'coming of age' theme.  However, I was left longing for more in terms of detail both of the setting and of the character of Reb.  If you like cowboy stories and want something quick and hot to read then this book should be just right for you.  I'm giving it a grade of 'Good' and I shall keep my eye out for other books by this new-to-me author.

Buy this book HERE.

The Marriage of Convenience

Now here's a plot device which more often than not has me scratching my head: The marriage of convenience between a gay man and a woman.  It's not used all the time, but still crops up with a fair regularity in m/m romance books, usually as a way of making an unfaithful hero more palatable to those readers who abhore a cheater.

Now there are many reasons why the marriage of convenience takes place, but I think these are the main ones:

1. The hero's best friend from high school gets pregnant by some guy who dumps her and the hero agrees to marry her to take away the shame of being unwed and pregnant.  
Because for some reason we're still in the 1950's and being a single mother is a fate worse than death.

2. The hero's best friend gets very ill but can't afford health insurance so the hero marries her so she can go on his health insurance.
This one is very convenient because the sham wife can die and leave the hero guilt free.

3. The closeted hero marries his equally closeted lesbian friend so that everyone thinks they are straight and to stop Grandma asking awkward questions about when he's going to find a nice girl and settle down.
Of course this one doesn't stop Grandma asking about when the great-grandkids are going to arrive.

4. Of course there's always THIS reason.
*Warning - Conservative middle-class-Britain outrage alert!*

There may be others - do share!

Whilst this sort of storyline isn't the worst that could happen in a romance story, it does make me roll my eyes a little when I come across it.  This is mainly because I can't actually see it happening in real life, although a quick look at Google revealed THIS site which suggests I may be wrong about point 3, and so maybe I'm wrong about the other points too.  I also discovered a number of sites which discussed Muslim gays marrying Muslim lesbians in a marriage of convenience - which is more understandable, but I've not read a romance which uses this storyline.  I also find that the way that the wife has to be 'dealt with' sometimes leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Not always because it can be an amicable split, but sometimes I feel bad for the woman.

So what do you think?  Do you find the Marriage of Convenience storyline something you enjoy?  Perhaps you have no strong feelings either way, or perhaps, like me it leaves you feeling a little uncomfortable and dissatisfied at using a female character in this way as a 'complication' for the romance.

Holiday Reading & a Challenge

As you know I was off on my holidays last week to CenterParcs at Sherwood Forest.  Whilst I didn't get to see this man...

...or even better, this one...

...I did manage to get some reading done.  Apart from the second part of The Rifter by Ginn Hale which I reviewed yesterday, I decided that I would try and read something from my, sadly neglected, TBRead pile, rather than my TBReviewed pile.  I found it a very enjoyable experience and thought I'd do some quickie reviews.

The first book I read was Chaos Magic by Jay Lygon which I bought after Chris had recommended it on her blog.  The story is about a young witch, Sam, who has just escaped from an abusive relationship with Marcus and is seeking to get back into the dating scene.  He's a submissive and he thinks he's found his match in Dom, Hector.  However, Hector's jealousy and the fact that Marcus keeps stalking Sam threatens not only their relationship but also Sam's fragile peace of mind.  What worked for me was the way that the story looked at abusive relationships within the BDSM community, and also provided a sympathetic character in Sam who is prone to periods of depression.  What didn't work as well was the mystical magic storyline which was a little confusing at times and left me with a number of unanswered questions.  Sam was an engaging narrator and I liked him a great deal, especially because he had a lot of dignity in amongst his understandable fears.  This is the first book in a series and I think I will be reading the others very soon.  Grade: Very Good.


Then I read Hariji's Pet by Auburnimp and Michael Barnette which I bought yonks ago after reading a review at Emmy's sadly missed site.  It's a futuristic D/s story set in Tokyo which tells of zonewarrior Hariji who is rescued by a discarded battlepet when he is attacked by a gang on the street.  A battlepet is a genetically bred man or woman who is created to act as a sexual slave to the rich but who is enhanced with fighting abilities so they can be pitted against each other in something similar to a dog fight.  Hariji takes the pet home and becomes his new master.  On a suspicious routine job Hariji discovers that there's much more to his pet than just being good in bed.  Like all good futuristic novels the beauty of this book was in the complex world created by the authors.  Hariji lives in a sort of ghetto where the dregs of society are fenced off from the privileged 'corps', and the friendships and dangers in this part of Tokyo are brought to life in an expert fashion.  This rich/poor divide was realistic, as was the way that genetic modifications and genetically bred people have developed.  I liked the relationship between Hariji and his pet, and in particular the parts from the pet's point of view where he struggles to understand the world away from the opulence and comfort he found with his previous master.  The pet falls quickly in love with Hariji, which was realistic given that it's part of his programming, but I did find the love too sudden on the part of Hariji, especially since the story only takes place over about 3 days.  My only other complaint is that I wanted more from this world.  This is supposed to be the first book in a series, but I can't find any others and given that this was published nearly 3 years ago I can only assume the authors have decided not to write another one.The book still stands on its own though, and I found it an absorbing and at time thrilling read with a high dose of hot sex and some gruesome violence.  Grade: Very Good.


Finally, I read White Flag by Thom Lane.  I love Thom Lane's Tales of Aramanth books but this was a very different read from those books.  It's a charming story of travel writer and nomad, Charlie, who meets French wine maker Matt whilst travelling along a French canal gathering material for his next travel article.  The men have a fling, but Charlie knows that it will never work between them because he's a free spirit who can't put down roots and Matt is firmly grounded in his life in France.  I loved this story, really loved it.  There's a quiet beauty about the prose and the descriptions of Matt's family and the French countryside were accurate and evocative.  Charlie's a personable narrator and I thought the author had got the balance right between the attraction and camaraderie between the men and a looming desperation in their interactions when they realise how they are both so right and so wrong for each other.  There's a hint of insta-love to the story, but I could forgive that because I liked the characters, and also there's a forced time period as part of the plot.  All in all a really heartwarming and engaging story.  Grade: Excellent.


All this reading from my TBRead pile made me wish I could find a way to be more structured in my approach to reading more books from that pile, as opposed to just concentrating on books for review - which is what I tend to do.  Then I remembered that Tam and Lily are taking part in an A-Z challenge (started by Lily) where they are choosing a book from their TBR pile from each letter of the alphabet.  I normally don't do reading challenges because  have enough pressure in my life without adding to it, but It struck me that this would be a good way of forcing myself to pick books which I may be passing over and so I think I shall give it a go too.  I shall read a book and then do of my 'short' reviews.  It's probably going to take a while as I may only be able to do one a week (or even less) depending on my other commitments.  A quick perusal of my TBR pile shows that I have at least one book beginning with each letter of the alphabet except Q, X & Z, but I shall cross that bridge when I come to it :).  So that's something to watch out for in the future.

Review: The Rifter Part 2: Servants of the Crossed Arrows by Ginn Hale

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

*Warning: It will be impossible for me to discuss this second part of The Rifter without giving away spoilers for part 1!*

After the excitement of Part One of this serialised novel (reviewed HERE) things begin to settle into what looks like a duel storyline for our two heroes. The first story tales up about two thirds of this 140-odd page second part and follows John as he seeks a way to get him and his two companions, Laurie and Bill, into the city of Amura’taye where he hopes to locate a key to get them back to Earth. In order to do this John becomes embroiled in a fight between rebels and a convoy of soldiers who are conveying a boy who wishes to become a priest in Amura’taye. The second story follows Kahlil who is struggling with his lack of memory and has become a mercenary. Whilst working undercover he discovers a plot to kill a prominent war-lord from the North, Jath’ibaye, and is startled when it becomes clear that he may not be the only man to be able to manipulate gray space.

As you would expect this second part builds on what has come previously. More than that, it also starts to expand the setting away from the waste lands of Basawar and into the civilisation of Amura’taye. With this change of setting comes a switch in the importance of the characters as Bill and Laurie begin to fade a little into the background and newer characters such as the soldier, Pivan; the Lady Boursim and her son Fikiri come to the forefront. With this change of focus in character comes a move away from the survival plot of earlier in the book to one of political intrigue as John gets drawn into life in Amura’taye. This was a quieter part of the book, especially after a heart-in-your-mouth battle scene at the beginning of the second part, where the foundations are being laid for later in the book. As with the beginnings of all good books it is difficult for John to know who to trust in this strange political landscape and there are many characters who could be either a friend or enemy for him. This doesn't mean these scenes were dull, because they weren't, but their relevance to the story as a whole is a mystery as yet and it remains to be seem how much of this is important for John as the book progresses. One interesting thing to note is the way that John's decisions are starting to change the course of history. It's very subtle but as we move into the second story involving Kahlil we can see the effect these ripples cause in the future.

The section with Kahlil is shorter than the events with John, and is almost like another beginning to the book. Kahlil has somehow been thrown nearly thirty years into the future. Thus tendrils of links are made between the two stories as we are fed bits and pieces of information that Kahlil is able to glean about past events and we meet characters who appear alongside John in the first half - who are now much older, obviously. Like the first section involving John, this part was heavily political in tone as, again, the foundations are laid for later in the book. I have to say that I found this section much slower moving than the first part and my interest began to wane a little. However, this part ends with a shocking revelation which certainly regained my attention and left me clamouring for more in part three.

Overall, this second part of The Rifter was a quieter and more complex affair than part one. The complexity is good as it shows how the different layers of the story are being built. A slight niggle that came out of this is the proliferation of unusual place and character names and I have to admit getting a little lost at times, especially in the system of honourifics and titles and in particular those which used apostrophes. The handy glossary at the back will be fine for those who can easily switch to the back few pages to look things up, but were not so handy for me on my book reader. However, that was just a slight niggle in a story which is slowly gaining momentum and promises to deliver an intricate and multi-layered plot as we move into part three. My only complaint is having to wait another month to read the next part!

You can either buy this second 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.

Review: Bless Us With Content by Tinnean

I picked up this historical because I thought the plot sounded interesting and it reminded me slightly of the sort of story that happens in Harlequin historicals. I love those plots where the hapless heroine (or hero in this case) through no fault of their own is indebted to a rogue and so was looking forward to seeing how this author played with those conventions in an m/m setting. In some ways the author does satisfy in that regard, but the writing was so overly melodramatic, the characterisation two dimensional and the pacing choppy, I found myself frustrated with this book on many occasions.

The actual main meat of the story doesn't begin until over 60 pages into the book. Before then the reader is introduced to Ashton as a child and shown how he is mistreated by his uncle and aunt, their wards and the staff for the whole of his childhood. As Ashton becomes an adult the sudden death of his debt-ridden uncle brings him the title, but Ashton is shocked to discover that the son of a family friend has bought up his uncle's debts and expects Ashton to pay up in nights spent in Geo's bed.

One of the things I liked about this story was seeing Ashton become more self-confident. At the beginning of the story Ashton is a rather sullen and bad-tempered child and, to be honest, I didn't really like him very much. He's emotionally distant and cold to everyone, and yet constantly bemoans the fact that it is others who are cold towards him. He's also a complete doormat, and never stands up for himself. This carries on into adulthood until Ashton grows a spine and start to stick up for himself. Once Ashton does grow in confidence, he becomes a little more likeable, mainly because he's decent and hard-working with a love of the house and land he's inherited. He's honourable and willing to do what is right, even at a personal cost and I found that by the end of the book I liked Ashton a great deal and wanted him to be happy.

I also found that the book was a bit of a page turner in that I read it quickly. This might be because the book is written as a series of episodes all centred around a scene, which suggests that perhaps this book was once serialised. There are often times when the story skips forward by weeks or even months and that kept the momentum going. However, this also led to the pacing being rather choppy as we'd be settled into the story and then suddenly thrown several weeks into the future which left me wondering what had happened during that missed time. Also, sometimes these shifts in time were so sudden, moving from a morning scene to evening or the next day from one paragraph to the next, that I was sometimes confused which pulled me out of the story whilst I worked out what was happening.

What didn't work so well for me was the overly melodramatic tone to parts of the book. This didn't happen all the way through and so when it occurred it, again, jarred me out of the story. The story would go from a perfectly realistic piece of dialogue or a tense, emotional scene to something that tips too far into melodrama. There's a whole sub-plot involving a valuable ruby which sat uneasily besides some of the better written scenes because it was all too over the top.

Another part which didn't work was in the characterisation of the secondary characters. Ashton is a complex and interesting character but next to him all the other characters were two dimensional at best with next to no reasons given for their motivations during the story. Even Geo, who is supposed to be the other hero in this story is barely given any characterisation. In the book we are only told that he goes on dangerous missions and he is the son of a family friend whose mother died of a broken heart - and that is it! We are not told how he is wealthy, what these missions are all about, why he bought out all Ashton's uncle's debts, why he is attracted to Ashton or pretty much anything about him. This meant that the whole romance section was a bit of a failure for me as I couldn't see the attraction from either man, other than a physical one.

One final niggle is that there are occasionally errors in continuity. One huge error occurs near the beginning of the book where Ashton goes upstairs to change out of his evening clothes so he can inspect a hay field. On the way he is sidetracked by his aunt's wards and after a short while he follows them back downstairs without having got changed or gone out to the hay field. It was mistakes such as this that made me lose faith in the writing.

So whilst, I liked the growth in character of Ashton and the fact that the story moves swiftly, the choppy pacing and thin characterisation let the story down and made it just an average read for me and barely gets a grade of 'Good'. I am, however, only one reader and there may be others who didn't have the same problems that I did.

Buy this book HERE.

Holiday!

He looks happy, doesn't he? So would I if I were on that beach, especially if he were with me :).

I'm on holiday for the next 5 days and believe it or not, it's not camping!  Yes, even hardy old me can't go camping at the beginning of April in Britain - Brrrrrrr!  Instead the whole family is taking a break at Centreparks in Sherwood Forest.  It's a family centred holiday place with lots and lots for the kids to do.  It should be fun :).

All this means is that it's going to be a bit quiet here until Friday.  Do pop over to Brief Encounters reviews though where I'll still have some short story reviews coming up in the week.

See you on Saturday!

Review: Trifecta by Kate Sherwood

I’ve read a couple of other Kate Sherwood m/m/m novels and found them to be well written and thoughtful studies on the dynamics between a three way relationship. Whilst that thoughtfulness was still evident in this book, I simply didn’t really like the characters or their motivations for being in a relationship with one another and as a result this book missed the mark slightly for me.

The story begins with two men who are lovers and in an open relationship. Mark is a pilot and often away from home and as such he and his partner Alistair agree that they can seek other partners for one night stands whilst Mark is away. There then comes a time when Mark is at home and Alistair is away so Mike ventures into a local gay club and picks up Tyler for sex. When Alistair returns unexpectedly to find Mark in bed with Tyler, his feelings are hurt, and things become even more awkward when Alistair meets Tyler later and begins a relationship with him during Mark’s absence.

I said in my summary that this was an intelligently written book and I’ll stand by that. The stresses and struggles that all three men go through in the book are well documented through the alternating third person points of view and so at each point in the journey of these three men the reader is aware of what they are thinking and feeling. This made the various misunderstandings which crop up during the book less annoying than it might have been because I knew why the characters were acting and behaving in that way. The story has a strong emotional content and as such I was pretty engrossed in the story. The pages turned quickly as I was interested in finding out how the men would try and work out their relationship.

Another part which worked for me was in the secondary plot between Mark and his ex-wife, Emily. At first I disliked Emily and found her hatred of Mark to be a little extreme. However, as I read on she reminded me of the sister of a friend whose husband had left her for another man and how devastated and furious she had been at the time. That link helped me to see that Emily was probably acting in a realistic manner, even if she was being awkward, difficult and downright bitchy for much of the book. The way that Emily develops towards the end of the book may have been a little sudden, but I felt it necessary for the closure needed in that part of Mark’s life.

As I said earlier, my main dislike of the book was that I found it very difficult to connect with any of the three men, especially Mark and Alistair. Tyler is too passive for my liking although generally a nice guy – too nice in fact as he is metaphorically trodden on for quite a lot of the book. I found it a little irritating that he allowed himself to be a pawn in the relationship between Mark and Alistair, but could see the necessity of that passivity for the story to work. Normally, I’m not too bothered about stories which show an element of unfaithfulness, especially if it is agreed that the relationship will be an open one. I could also accept that Mark’s frequent absences would be a strain on their sex life and therefore why they may want to look for the occasional night of sex with a stranger. What I found very difficult to understand was the way that Alistair deliberately starts more than that with Tyler. They begin to have a relationship with an emotional connection which is far removed from the original agreement between the men. This made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t like Alistair very much as a result. I also never really felt a close emotional or sexual bond between Mark and Alistair. We are told often by both characters that they love each other – Mark even left his wife and daughters to be with Alistair – and yet most of the on page sex is with Alistair and Tyler, or Mark and Tyler, and we are told time and time again how Mark and Alistair are not particularly sexually compatible because both of them are tops who don’t like to switch . As well as this, when Mark and Alistair are together they are mainly arguing or discussing Tyler. These are not the actions of two men in love, but rather those on the edge of a break-up.

All of this meant that when the time came for the three men to get together, I wasn’t convinced that Tyler wasn’t just there as a sticking plaster over the relationship between Mark and Alistair and that, ultimately, the relationship would fail. It didn’t help that the m/m/m part came almost at the end of the book and we never get to see the aftermath of the initial group sex scene. For the relationship to have been completely convincing I needed to see much further into the future than the next day.

So whilst this book was well written and went into great emotional depth with the themes of unfaithfulness and trying to find a balance in an open relationship, my uneasiness about the lack of fidelity and whether the m/m/m relationship was actually going to work meant that I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I’d hoped and it gets a grade of 'Good'.

Buy this book HERE.