Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Asking For It: Erotic Tales of Female Submission for Couples


Asking For It: Erotic Tales of Female Submission for Couples
by Isabelle Ross, Marie Sudac, Erin Sanders, Skye Black, Heather Peltier, Sarah Sands, Amy Boyd, Elizabeth Colvin , Erica Dumas, N.T. Morley
Pages: 124
Date: October 10 2012
Publisher: Deception Press

Review
Rating: Overall rating of 2.0 out of 5 stars
Read: January 22 2014

Writing on phone so this will be slightly difficult.

10 stories.  10 authors. Plus N.T. Morley who is only editor this time.

Read 1 story in a different collection of stories. I believe I gave it 4 stars. Plus I'd read the first story previously as it is contained in its entirety in the sample. So not 100% sure about my ratings or feelings for those two but believe both were 4 star stories.  Then tonight I read another three roughly four star efforts.

Which leaves the other five. One by an author I had previously given a five star rating.  All five are nothing like I expected. I expected submissive women. I got five doormats and five ... ok, one story I just disliked. So 4 doormats and 4 sick abusive basterds.  Those five stories get zero stars.

Five stories rated 4 stars. Five rated zero stars. Gives overall rating of 2.  I was thinking I could say that this could be used to show difference between BDSM and abuse, but it doesn't really work out that way.  It's possible there was just one abusive bastard and I read the rest wrong.  Probably because there was so much rape play going on. And it is not always easy to tell the difference between rape play and rape until after the fact. I don't like either.

I obviously got confused about what the stories would be about.   I might have known a month or ago when I got the sample, read it and liked it but then didn't buy until today.  So the book might be perfect for select narrow target market.  They may even be up front about it. I can't check description while writing review on phone.   Whatever that target audience is, I don't fall into it.


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Infected by James Schannep


Infected
by James Schannep
Pages: 352
Date: December 11 2013
Publisher: Author

Review
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Read: January 19 2014

An interesting concept.  An adult choose your own adventure story. With Zombies.  Unfortunately it was both a little bland an a little annoying.  It's annoying reading paragraphs wherein I am told what I am doing. Or at least you the reader. 'Distracted by her naked breasts, a zombie eats you.' (Not something that actually occurred;  no it was 'overcome by how good strawberries taste you eat a ton. Red juice slides down your face looking like blood. You start moaning.  A sound. You turn. Mouth drops open.  You are shot.')  Mmphs.

It was not outright stated but there is strong indication that the 'you' character is male.

ETA: Oh, and I did survive.  I also died about three or four times.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Hurricane Dan by Bret Williams


Hurricane Dan
by Bret Williams
Pages 199 pages
Date: September 15 2013
Publisher: Author

Review
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0
Read: January 17 2014

While reading I was thinking of what I'd say in a review.  I was thinking of noting that it was a solid little book, roughly 4 star work that didn't reach 5 star territory because I didn't really like the main character.   That was up to about 60% of the book read. Where upon the book almost fell apart.    Ah well.  Despite certain issues, mostly due to the action that started after they made it to the safe zone, including the sudden unexpected sex (and certain issues involving swords), it was still able to pull me along.  

If we could give 1/2 stars, I would quickly and with easy conscious give the book a rating of 3 1/2. Since I can't,  and because I was able to like despite main character,  I give it a rating of 4 stars. (2016 eta - hmms. I have it as 3.0 on GoodReads. The weirdness you see years after the fact.)

Thursday, January 16, 2014

The Pyramid Waltz by Barbara Ann Wright

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The Pyramid Waltz
by Barbara Ann Wright
Pages: 264
Published date: September 17 2012
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Review:
5.5 out of 5.0 stars
Read: January 16 2014

It didn't end exactly the way I'd want it to, and the first couple paragraphs,  while solid, didn't really pull me in.  Otherwise,  probably one of the best books I've read.  Good solid action, solid world building,  and one of the best displays of two strong independent people coming together in love and as equal partners.  Neither submissive,  neither dominant.  Maybe something of that will/or did turn up in a later book, though I like the way it is at the moment.

Those looking for graphic descriptions of sex will be disappointed.  This one had more of the 1950s movie feel for those intimate scenes. Which I actually liked.


Saturday, January 11, 2014

RIZEN by Kirk Anderson


RIZEN
by Kirk Anderson
Pages: 44
Date: November 27 2012
Publisher: Galleon Publishing

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: January 11 2014

My heart is still racing.  Shesh.

Ok, to start with, this is a short story collection, 4 stories by the same author in the same story universe.  None of the characters reoccur.  Also, it is in reverse chronological order. Which I noticed in an introduction before the stories.  Which I am glad I noticed, because I decided to read them in chronological order.  I have to say, if I had read them in the order the author had presented them, I probably would have rated the book roughly the book average rating on GoodReads of 3 something stars. Instead, by reading it in chronological order, the tension mounted from today's world, into the zombie apocalypse world.  I've no idea why the author thought the book should be read the other way around.

I recommend two things: 1) read in chronological order (the free ebook I got has a link to each of the four stories in the front of the book); 2) read the first chronological story (which is placed at the end of the book). The book is free.  It won't take too long to read that short story, and if you aren't captured, then you didn't really lose much. Except a few moments of your time.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Prophecy of the Female Warrior by K.A. Young


Prophecy of the Female Warrior
by K.A. Young
Pages: 160 pages
Date: May 23 2013
Publisher: Author
Series: Nephilim Warrior (First book)

Review
Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
Read: January 9 2014

A melodramtic soap opera from beginning to end. A three star effort through much of it, but it pulled close enough to four stars by the end to rate it such.

I suppose I would recommend it to those who like soap opera paranormal romances. As to whether or not I will continue reading the series, I do not, at the moment, know. A little too soap operay for me and I'm not really sure I want to learn more about this world.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Darkness Embraced by Winter Pennington


Darkness Embraced
by Winter Pennington
Pages: 248
Publish Date: May 17 2011
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Review:
Rating: 3.0 Stars out of 5.0
Read; December 31 2013 to January 8 2014

The idea of the Dracule (however that is spelled) was interesting.  Actually the most interesting part of the book. Silky, furry critters. Might be interesting to read more about them.

Overall,  the book just had way too much sex in it for me personally.  Interesting enough story/read or I wouldn't have finished or given up to 3 stars, but still. It's one of the reasons that other series I read by Pennington kept getting lower and lower ratings (5 stars, 4, 3). Each book I read by Pennington seems to have even more sex in it and/or obsession with.

At this rate, the next book or the one after will open during sex, will involve people walking around while humping each other (maybe just telepathically), will have fight scenes during sexual activity,  then the book will climax with a ...well, explosive climax.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Riding with the Cop by J.S. Scott


Riding with the Cop
by J.S. Scott
Pages: 32
Date: April 8 2012
Publisher: Author

Review
Rating: 0.5 stars out of 5.0
Read: January 5 2014

"Oh my! He liked me so much he raped me! I'm so happy and excited now!" (not an actual quote; actual quote was: "Jake liked her? He had wanted her badly enough to blackmail her? She should have been angry...but she really wasn't.")

Rape play, dominance and submission, pet-play, etc. is one thing.  Rape? Actual rape? Is rape.

Hot young woman.  Hot muscle-man.  Man with tons of strength and in a heightened position of power.  Woman in vulnerable position.  He rapes her.  I do not find that to be what I would normally think of as "erotic sex".  But a story of rape and betrayal. She respected him.  Looked up to him. Expected him to do what was right.  She was worried when he disappeared. She followed him to see if he needed help.  He grabbed her, blackmailed her, and raped her.

"Oh hell...who was she trying to fool? She just had the most mind-blowing sex of her life and she wanted this man." (actual quote after the rape).

This is a very disturbing story on many levels.  A man in power. A vulnerable woman.  She liked it.  So obviously rape is ok, right? Because she liked it this time? Fucking story sickens me.