Good Enough to Eat by Alison Grey, Jae

Good Enough to Eat by Alison Grey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've probably read more than 4000 books, 3586 of which are listed on Goodreads (there's a bunch of books that I've either not listed, or combined - like, where possible, most of the Robert B. Parker books I've read have been removed and in their place are omnibus editions that include a bunch of them). I mention that specific factoid at the start of this review for one simple reason: I've read a lot of books, but very few of them have I read more than once - probably something around 50 or so books (I've not always remembered to enter rereads on Goodreads so only 42 are listed on here). Well this specific riveting paragraph is just to note that I've 1) reread another book; 2) the author I've reread the most books by is Jae. I've reread 11 of Jae's books - and this book here is that 11th book.

Right, so...

Robin Caldwell is a 68 year old successful author with an addiction problem. Which is why the book opens with Robin sitting outside a church in her car. For roughly 30 minutes. Just sitting there. For there's an AA meeting scheduled at that church and Robin's been working up the nerve to actually attend. Though she's shaking and looking kind of rough. She's really thirsty. Once she finally gets inside, though, she meets the other POV in the book - Alana.

Alana Wadd is also up there in years, and she also has an addiction problem. But she has been fighting it and been sober for roughly 2 years when this book opens. Brian, her own sponsor and leader of that specific AA's group, assigns Alana to work with Robin as Robin's sponsor. Alana, by the way, is a divorce lawyer.

Sponsors and sponsorees do not have to be friends, but can become so - they are not supposed to become sexually or romantically involved though. So the two older women move through the stages of accepting their positions (sponsor/sponsoree); friendship, before reaching sex (which was graphic and . . . quite enjoyable).

Neither of the women, despite my wording so far, look like old women. No, both look to be . . . well, I'm not sure that ever actually came up, but judging by the covers and some words here or there, I put them both as looking to be in their 30s. Neither fell into a fountain of youth or anything like that. No, while Robin is in fact 68, she is also a Girah (aka, vampire). Alana, on the other hand, is a human - but she used to be a djinn (aka Barbara Eden's role on 'I Dream of Jeannie'), and has been alive roughly 450 years.

This isn't as fluffy as some reviewers put it, but it is 'fluffier' than average. I mean there is conflict in the story - inner and outer (trying to restrain self from drinking blood, despite the fact that that is literally the thing that keeps Girah's alive; fighting family, friend, and Girah elders about restraining from drinking blood; etc. etc.). And this isn't one of those insta-love/relationship/whatever - the two women do have to go through several stages, and several walls to be together - especially the part where Alana never wants to have a relationship with another human (and thinks Robin is human); while Robin has to lie about being a human with Alana (lying is not a good relationship foundation, but then neither is perceived insanity ('right, you are some kind of vampire type creature?") or actual fear ('noo! don't drink my blood!') - plus Robin keeps alternating between wanting to hump Alana, and wanting to drink her blood. Oh, that reminds me - Robin being in an AA meeting for her addiction to blood is kind of like Alana being in an AA meeting in a fully functioning bar (since Robin's addiction is to blood - specifically the type of blood, O negative, running in Alana's veins).

Right, so, I really really enjoyed this book, and thought everything about it was great, including, did I mention? the sex scenes. And by 'really really enjoyed', I mean to the extent that the book is joining the four other books on my top shelf.

Rating: 6 stars (shelf accessible only to rereads; something only 9 to 11% of rereads reach).

November 21 2017







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