Love Like This (Seven Shores, #4) by Melissa Brayden

Love Like This by Melissa Brayden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an ARC I received from Bold Strokes Books & Netgalley.

It’s been a month or more (more) since I last reviewed an ARC. Various reasons, and I only make note now of this issue because this specific ARC review appears the same day the book is published. Why did I wait until this date to review anything? Simple enough – I did not have access to the book until a few days ago. And unlike a few years ago when I could easily read a book a day, sometimes three (sometimes requiring a week), I now literally live in a different state, have a different job, and have different responsibilities so I do not read as quickly as I used to. (I bore everyone with this opening paragraph because I’m like the last person to review an ARC for this book, and quite possibly there are people who have bought, read, and reviewed the book before this review appears).

This is the fourth book in this series, and I believe I saw something somewhere indicating that this is also the last book in the series. This seems reasonable since the last of the Seven Shores friends’ stories unfolds in this here book. That last friend being Hadley Cooper, bubbly, seemingly always happy, always bouncing around like a cat on catnip, and always mentioning that she believes in soul mates/true love/or however she put it – and yet her romantic story is told last (also, she hasn’t exactly been happy in love so far). Hadley also, readers may recall, is the one heavily involved in the fashion industry.

I take a moment to note: for those curious about the continuing stories of the other friends of Seven Shores: their stories are deeply intertwined with this book, and more of their life unfolds before the readers eyes over the course of this book (and even more over the course of the epilogue – which, I believe, might include more time elapsing than in the main part of the book). So Isabel & Taylor, Autumn & Kate, Gia and Elle continue to be seen and felt by the readers.

Getting back to Hadley and my mention of her lust for fashion: the main thrust of this book, the underlying connective tissue is fashion. As in, Hadley has been tasked with finding ‘new blood’ for her store, find young designers to join the group of designers who fill the high class store on Rodeo drive. Hadley has had zero success so far in finding someone her boss will accept, but has good feelings about the newest potential addition to the store: Spencer Adair (the other main point of view in the book).

The reader learns instantly certain factors during the meeting between Hadley and Spencer, which occurs at the store: the store Hadley works at has an aging vibe, one that seems to cater more to over 40 year old white women (over 45?); while Spencer herself has a much younger vibe (though she herself is in her 30s) and . . . has dark skin. Is Hadley’s store ready for a black designer?

No it is not.

Or at least that’s what Trudy (her name was Trudy, right?) tells Hadley. Now before anyone screams racism, I’m not sure Trudy has the first clue who the designer is that Hadley pushed forward – she, Trudy, just saw a few sketches, barely looked at a few samples before making a snap judgment (I can’t imagine a) working for Trudy; b) why anyone would work for her – she literally tells Hadley to fire whoever did the glove display because the colors hurt her gut . . . or something like that).

Hadley, eventually, gets Trudy to reconsider – as long as Spencer does some redesigns immediately – or, I mean, in a month. So, that happens. Over the course of the book.

I’ve yet to mention the only thing I discussed in my status updates: sexual harassment. This book really did seem to be going down a weird road: showcase everything you are not supposed to do, at least in terms of sexual harassment. Exhibit 1: during a job interview, the interviewer cups the interviewee’s hand in an attempt to ‘calm her down’ (remember sexual harassment class: don’t do this – no touching!); exhibit 2: during the same job interview, one of the women tells the other that she looks outstanding in her jeans, in a ‘your ass looks so fine in those jeans’ kind of way (here it was the job interviewee, instead of interviewer, who made the physical appearance comment so . . . ). I realize that this is an apparently acceptable thing in romantic comedies (seriously, the amount of stalking and otherwise creepy behavior that occurs in romantic comedies . . . are so extreme that to showcase that someone really is a nutball and not actually a loveable-screwed-up-socially misfit, the person has to go to the extreme of cooking the other person’s pet rabbit (you know, Fatal Attraction), and the like, but . . . eh, it annoys me personally but probably not everyone else. So, whatever. The story quickly moved from ‘two complete strangers, who might have talked briefly not face to face prior’ to ‘people dating’ so I stopped paying attention to sexual harassment no-nos.

Despite my dive into weirdness above, I actually liked both main characters (though there was a period there wherein I was finding more enjoyment watching the other people’s stories unfold, or, more accurately, watching everyone’s story unfold except when Hadley and Spencer were in the same room). Eventually the story-line that actually followed the two main characters turned neat/interesting/exciting, so I was happy and stuff.

Not sure what-all else to say. There’s lots and lots of sex. There are tender, emotional moments. I enjoyed the book.

Rating: 4.38

October 17 2018




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Proxima Five by Missouri Vaun

Proxima Five by Missouri Vaun

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an ARC I received from Bold Strokes Books & Netgalley.

I believe I already mentioned this in a status update: this is kind of a post apocalyptic Conan the Barbarian type book set on a different planet than earth.

Like the previous book I read: earth is dying, certain groups are attempting to save humanity by fleeing in space ships. The book opens with Leah waking up in a spaceship on another world. A world with breathable air but locked with one part of the planet always facing the sun while the other only knows the night. Mercury is like that (I believe) - locked part not breathable atmosphere.

Leah wakes up as the sole survivor of her ship - but there were nine other colony ships that had set out from earth to this planet. Leah desires to find the colony/or possibly colony sites. So she leaves her ship and is promptly captured by humans but not any she had ever meet before (and she does have some knowledge of the other colonists). Some time later Leah is 'saved' by the female verison of Conan - the other main character Keegan. A commander in the Tenth (and ruling) clan.

I've used the term/shelf 'culture clash' for many books. But Leah truly does not understand the culture that she meets/finds herself interacting with; and while Keegan 'knows that Leah is something 'different' (for one: Leah is just too pale to have lived long on the sun side), she still expects reactions of her culture and is not getting it and so gets frustrated.

An overall interesting and good book. That had a somewhat riveting build up to conclusion but kind of fizzled there at end.

Last thought: I said female verison of Conan instead of referencing Xena because Keegan really did d'sseem more female Conan than Xena.

Rating: 3,82

September 3 2018



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Chosen by Brey Willows

Chosen by Brey Willows

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from Bold Strokes Books & Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really had no idea what to expect from this specific book here. I mean, I read and enjoyed the author’s Afterlife trilogy, but that was fantasy. This is science fiction. Post-Apocalyptic science fiction. What I found? Well, there is a rough-ish start, I need to mention that, but after that rough start? I found the book very hard to put down. I inhaled the book – quite enjoyed it.

There were moments in the book that reminded me of other post-apocalyptic lesbian fiction stories I’d read, though very briefly. Like there were times when the women (well two women and one man) were bravely pushing through the wilderness that reminded me of both May Dawney’s Survival Instincts (at least, again like in Vaun’s book, the wandering around outside part – though Dawney’s series is very much a darker future for mankind book), and Missouri Vaun’s Return to Earth post-apocalyptic series (mostly the part in the prequel book when one of the main characters is wandering the post-apocalyptic USA landscape, like in this book here). I stop to mention that Vaun’s ‘Proxima Five’ is the third ARC I requested this month – and there’s this weird thing that developed from reading this book here, then immediately turning to Proxima Five . . . I kind of felt like Proxima Five could very easily have been a sequel of sorts to this book here . . . at least that was the vague vibe I had in the beginning while reading Proxima Five.

But let’s talk about this book here, Chosen.

Chosen is set in the relatively near-future (not that close in time, maybe a hundred years in the future? I think a date was given at some point, but I missed it *opens book for different reason, see that this book is set in 2100) in a world wherein the Earth has succumbed to the ravages of man-kinds impact on it and society has to live with diseases that can’t be treated by anti-biotics; with every rising sea-levels; with constant outbreaks of wildfires; with massive constant hurricanes, typhoons, tsunami’s, earthquakes, etc. etc. – basically earth is trying to shake mankind off the planet.

The book opens with two main characters - Devin Rossi and Karissa Decker. Unseen in the story, but mentioned – both women received a ‘disc’ about a year ago that indicated that the government would be collecting them . . . eventually. Well eventually is now. And both women react quite differently with the pick-up. First we see Devin Rossi calmly being picked up – even being saluted and stuff (Devin, along with being a top geologist, was also a Lieutenant in the Air Force). Then we see Karissa being picked up – Devin was picked up from a falling apart (from ‘conditions) home, by herself, Karissa has her two parents there – mother dying from ‘the fever’, and father. Karissa puts up a fight – though, since Devin was picked up first, she was able to bring the tension levels down (by reminding/stating/asking if Karissa wanted her parents last memories of her being tasered until unconsciousness and dragged away, or . . .something calmer?).

Devin and Karissa, you see, have been picked up by a government convoy – that’s been going around picking up top tier scientists (stop for a moment to inject: it’s not the only convoy for this project). They are told nothing – even though Devin is respected and stuff, they are told nothing much. Just get into the truck and sit there while the truck wanders the countryside.

Eventually a new point of view suddenly appears. Unexpectedly. *glances at book description again* Yep, unexpectedly. We move, the reader does, to the point of view of ‘Van’ – one of the leaders of a survival groups (I can be more exact, but I’ll let things unfold for the reader like they did for me). The book alternates between two plot-lines (except for moments when it splits into three – when the two lead women from the beginning, Devin and Karissa, are too far apart to keep in same line), one following the ‘top-tier scientists’ and one following ‘Van and the raiders’.

And that’s how the three women meet – while stuffed in one of the trucks, Devin and Karissa hear gunfire suddenly break out. Then a voice, and tapping. Raiders force the scientists out of the truck, then start raiding the supplies.

The two-plot lines show the diverging paths of humanity in this era (well, there are more than two paths, but these are two of them) – the attempt to ‘restart’ humanity ‘elsewhere’ (and this is why Proxima Five feels like a sequel – because that’s how the book opened, earth is ravaged, people get onto ships to try to ‘make a restarted humanity better through the experience and knowledge and mistakes from ruining Earth’ – and the book opens with one of the ships on a ‘new earth’). Distracted myself. Ah. And the other path (or another path) – those who stay behind to try to ‘save humanity’ here and not there.

I loved watching the story unfold, the tension, the action, the moments of insanity, and the moments of sanity. Quite enjoyable book.

Of the now four books I’ve read by Brey Willows, I’d put this one at the top of the list of favorite Willows books. This one gets a full five stars. The first book in the Afterlife trilogy received 4.75 stars.

Rating: 5 stars

October 2 2018




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On the Fly by P.J. Trebelhorn

I received an ARC of this book from Bold Strokes Books & Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first of three books I requested this time, this ARC month. The story sounded quite intriguing. Sadly I misinterpreted what I was going to read, which I know played a part in my reaction to the book.

What did I think I was going to read? Well, my own fault really – the little snippet I’d read (not from the book but from the teaser) indicated that the book starred a hockey player who had always wanted to try to break into the men’s league but ‘knew’ it probably could never happen. Which lead me to wrongly conclude that I was about to read a book that involved that – a woman breaking into the men’s league. I was wrong. I wasn’t reading a sports fiction book with a strong Romance subplot, but a Lesbian Romance, with a strong sports fiction subplot. Luckily I knew immediately that I’d made a mistake – based on the age of the main character (though I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak – many have ‘broken into’ leagues they ‘didn’t belong in’ at an older age than the main character (I’m thinking of some Negro League players to transitioned over to the MLB, and did quite well, at rather advanced ages)).

Right, so. As noted this is a Lesbian Romance book with a strong Sports Fiction subplot (I stop to note: what’s the difference between the two, putting Sports first or second? Well, the emphasis – like there’s a heck of a lot more emphasis on romance in this book than I’d expected, and a heck of a lot less sports action than expected (there’s sports action, but mostly training, practice, snippets from games seen through other character’s eyes (in the stands), and watching a different team play)).

Mind you, even with my confused belief about what I was going to be reading, I did rather like the book.

This story follows two women in their mid to late thirties, one who doesn’t mind being around kids but never thought they’d have one of their own, and the other a single mother of a much older than normal child. Older than normal? Children in lesbian fiction tend to go two different directions, which has impact on the story-line. I’m talking about age. Single mother story-lines – where the lesbian (or bisexual) truly is the mother and not a sister or cousin, or the like, tend to have young children in lesbian fiction (though some can be as old as 12, most tend to be much younger), while the other kind of story-line with lesbian with ‘child’ involves much older ‘children’ – because it’s a ‘lesbian (or bisexual) who is raising their sibling, not a mother raising their child’. So the child in those stories tend to be of the older kind – 15 to 18 (occasionally the story mentions that one of the lesbians raised their sibling, and both are adults now).

Here? The kid is a sophomore in high school, roughly 16-17 years of age. Much older than the norm. Well, enough of that. . . . oops – the kid plays an important role in the book – being a hockey player himself, and being the kind of kid to try to set his mother up on dates, leads to the kid getting training and tips from Courtney Abbott (that’s the hockey player), while also leading Courtney into his mother, Lana Caruso’s orbit as a potential date. Though Lana had already meet Courtney before that moment/scene.

Lana, you see, is ‘back’ in her small town because her father had a heart attack and so she’s back to try to help. Mostly by helping her brother with the family pizza place so the father could rest. She’s back until the high school year is over . . . for reasons. There’s also the subplot of tensions between her and her parents – they want her closer to home, she works as a concert violinist and there isn’t exactly an orchestra in the tiny town (also there’s tension around Lana being a lesbian).
So going back to where I’d left off – Lana had first seen Courtney having dinner with Gail (Courtney’s coach and boss) at the family pizza parlor, and then later meet her at the real estate agent’s office – her agent was too busy so asked Courtney to fill in.

Right, so . . . tension tension tension. Two more bits of tension filter throughout this story: there’s a new ‘future star of the team’ player who has joined Courtney’s team. She’s arrogant, stubborn, and very much a bully who doesn’t like lesbians. So she’s constantly in Courtney’s face – though Courtney can stand up for herself. The other to round out that ‘two more bits’ of tension come from the dynamic of the situation – both women know that Lana’s only there temporarily, and so both ‘know’ they are ‘just having fun’ – the tension comes from neither communicating with the other about just where they see the relationship.

*looks over prior review/notes*

Oh right. Lana has a constant need to roughly slap, elbow and punch people (not lightly tap) and it is very off putting. I do not think any were 'love taps' though I'm sure she'd pretend they were. That . . . abusive behavior was very jarring and unsettling to witness. I realize it’s a ‘thing’ with certain people and they don’t mean it as ‘abuse’ or the like (see: Elaine from Seinfeld who was also always hitting people).

Lana isn’t the only aggressive person in the book – most of the other’s, though, are more ‘in the heat of the moment’ type stuff. Aggressive sports action. Except for that newcomer Hilton’s constant bullying and abuse of Courtney (which included tripping her in game time); and for Gail’s (Courtney’s coach, boss (on the Real Estate side) actions – mostly referring to how she’d constantly grab at Courtney’s arm and restrain her, keep her from leaving (and that one time Gail viciously hit Courtney in the leg – seriously enough that Courtney couldn’t get up and walk, just because she wanted Courtney to stick around longer). Bah, all this woman-on-woman violence in this book. Mmphs.

*thinks*

Yeah, so, less sports action than expected; more sex than expected; more violent (outside of sports violent) than expected. ‘Good enough’ book.

Rating: 3.75

September 2 2018

The Western Star (Walt Longmire #13) by Craig Johnson

The Western Star by Craig Johnson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Disjointed. Ended with many plotlines left hanging. Included, as a villain, someone who 'obviously' has been around a while in the series but who I had no bloody clue who that individual was. No foggy idea.

Not very transgender friendly. (view spoiler)[including the part wherein he kept calling the woman by male pronouns; and the part where he mockingly asked 'did you kill her because she was able to be female and you weren't?' (hide spoiler)]



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Moribund (Circuit Fae #1) by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

Moribund by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I'm fairly certain that I was by no means the target audience for this book involving two 16 year olds. I couldn't stand either point of view character. Not only did both of them mentally keep telling themselves to stop being either emo (dark fae) or 'whiny-pants' (summer fae), they super were. They weren't just being tough on themselves. If you made a list of the most angsty teens around, both would be near or at the top.

I understand that they were 16, but there were some much older people around to help them (though they were kind of like Peanuts, the cartoon, parents - there but .... filler-ish (it is true the mom plays an important role, but she still played while being a stock figure - you could have gotten a wax figure of Barbara Bush from a wax museum and not lost anything)). I say this because time after time they not only acted too stupid to live; they compounded the issue over and over again by setting themselves up for stupidity. Like, one example, they figure out the super stupid 'evil dude’s plan and . . . go into a 'let's be patient' stance. Seriously, it doesn't take a genius to know some certain things that might, I say might, help ((view spoiler)[they know that the evil duo were planning to make a 'circle of power' around the city - they had months and months and bloody long bloody months to do something to disrupt this 'circle'. Did they do even a token 'let's try . . . something!'? No. (hide spoiler)]) It kind of kills the tension when you know certain simple things could have been done to disrupt the major plans but . . . nothing. (view spoiler)[and for fuck sake, they could have fucking done massively important deeply great things if they would just stop fucking sacrificing themselves for the other. Are they trying to fucking recreate Romeo and Juliet, or defeat evil and save an entire species (dark fae)? Fuck. (hide spoiler)]

Again: both are 16. Again: bloody months went by and there were several adults around who could have offered pointers, knew of the issue, were close enough to offer these pointers but did fuck all to keep the two young women from fucking up. Which they did, the young women, constantly. It's like every bloody choice they made was the wrong one. From beginning to end. WTF is up with that?

And that half-time show just pissed me off. The people in the stands (view spoiler)[stormed the field and danced around? Seriously? Fuck me with a snow globe that's fucking stupid. SO fucking stupid.
This is for half-time, remember, not at or near the end of the game when 'their' team 'won' (hide spoiler)].

Judging from the references, and the 'things' in the book, this really did read as if a serious attempt was made to make this 'Buffy the vampire slayer' like. With Summer Fae being Buffy, who has just the one parent (dad's somewhere unspoken in Buffy, almost never around; no mention of him in this book); Fiann, the bitchy head cheerleader in this book, is basically the bitchy mean girl Cordelia. Emo Dark Fae is 'obviously' the brooding Angel character. Scooby gang was basically missing, though (unless Lennon was supposed to be Willow; no one corresponds to Xander, and let's just forget all the rest of the Gang). The librarian who is actually something else . . . yeah, that's here also. The 'evil' principal? Yeah, that's here (and there). The popular girl who suddenly wasn't any more? Yeah, that was in both Buffy and this book (as in Buffy was a popular cheerleader until she wasn't; Summer Fae was in popular group though kinda on the fringes it seems). To a certain extent, I think the book suffers from all the constant Buffy references, because then I play the game I just did in this paragraph, and I see how much is lacking in this book.

hmm. I was thinking one of the reasons I might not be in the target audience is a lot of the pop references either not things I'd recognize, or, if I did recognize them, are fairly recent. But Buffy's old. The film was out in 1992. TV series started in 1997, ended in 2003. A 16 year old would have been alive when the show ended - barely. *shrugs* I went on an odd tangent.

The villains were stupid (I mean that they were by no means on the level of Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes, more on par with Forrest Gump). The 'good guys' allowed their whiny/emo-ness to get in the way of their brains to defeat dimwitted evil dude. (view spoiler)[seriously - the guy controlled the dark fae girl with his voice. Fucking wear ear-plugs. OMG! HE CAN"T CONTROL YOU NOWWWWWWWW!!!! FUCKCKCKCKCKC. mmphs. It wasn't tone, it wasn’t a look, it wasn’t touch – it was his fucking voice. She constantly had free reign to do anything, like put in ear-plugs, are destroy his jaw so he couldn’t talk. Did she? Well, she busted open his nose a few times, but no, she did not. His ability to heal himself would probably counter ‘break his jaw’. But what is the counter to ‘ear-plugs’, eh? Fuck.

So many fucking things had easy solutions that were just ignored.

Or those moments when dark fae trained summer fae . . . but forgot to teach her out to fight. When she was training her to . . . fight. WTF? Instead she trained her in how to run on buildings. Not even how to do it fast (that fae wind thing) just . . how to do it across long jumps. (hide spoiler)]

Man that villain. Shesh. Weakest villain I’ve seen in decades. Mmpsh. Stupid Forrest Gump man-boy villain.

Rating: 2.5

August 9 2018




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Lost for Words by Andrea Bramhall

I received an ARC of this book from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This is an odd position to find myself in . . .. I picked up two Ylva ARCs this time around and assumed I’d like/love the Jae one, and ‘enjoy’ the Bramhall one well enough but not love it. Since I tend to love Bramhall’s mysteries more than her other works, not that I’ve read everything by her yet.

As I was reading along my expectations were being mostly meet, an enjoyable enough book but not loveable. An odd thing occurred along the way, though, I began to get quite into the story, unable to stop reading, gobbling it up. There’s a certain amount of humor, but this isn’t a humor book; there’s a certain amount of tears, but it isn’t an angsty book (the tears are for . . . well, they weren’t from laughing too hard); certain amount of annoying ex, but barely – in the end this was a much deeper more enjoyable book than I expected when I started it an saw it was about a spa worker, her fellow spa worker friend, and Sasha’s ‘pothead’ mother.

Bobbi, that friend of Sasha’s, did a certain something behind Sasha’s back (and said it in a way that I knew I’d find irritating if it was repeated too much in the book, and it did seem, in the beginning, like it would be a reoccurring gag – the one friend constantly telling the other ‘I have a confession to make’ whereupon she would spill some horrible thing she just did – but for various reasons, that didn’t become an irritating reoccurring gag, though it did pop up a few more times). That certain something hinted at in prior sentence? Entered Sasha’s script into a film competition (well a script competition) being run by a film company. And Sasha’s script won.

That’s one point of view in the story – Sasha Adams, 45 year old Sasha Adams of many careers, and sometime secret scriptwriter. There are two other important people who ‘enter’ things through Sasha (well others, but two ‘main’ others) – Sasha’s mother (Fleur), and Nips, Sasha’s mother’s cat.

Pothead mother? Well, Fleur, you see, had a cancer scare about 5 years ago, a serious one. And ‘weed’ is one of the things Fleur uses to combat the still occurring pain. Also she wears tie-dye clothing and went to Woodstock.

The other point of view, meet much earlier than I’m letting on, is 50 year old Jac Kensington. Director, producer, and co-owner of the film company based in Manchester (where Sasha also lives and works) that is/was holding the scriptwriting competition.

And, unless I missed something, that’s the point of views in the book – a 45 year old and a 50 year old. Both full-fledged lesbians. Who live and work in Manchester England. I quite like the age of the main characters. *nods*

Right, so – from Jac’s side of things come: Mags & Sophie, the other two co-owners of the film company (which had a name like Keffan Media or something like that), and Vanessa – the ex-girlfriend of Jac’s (the 50 year old Jac’s 25 year old ex-girlfriend who opens the book still Jac’s girlfriend, short lived, though, that state of affairs would last (technically, to be really accurate, at that point Jac was still 49)).

The story, as maybe hinted at already, is about:
1) Sasha having yet another career change, as in becoming a paid scriptwriter;
2) Coming together of Sasha and Jac;
3) The family interactions of: a) Sasha and her mother (and to a certain extent her best friend Bobbi); and b) Jac and her chosen family, best friends Sophie and Mags;
4) Complications of aging;
5) Mean cats;
6) constant mention of both Sophie and Mags having significant others, but never actually seeing these women (like Norm’s wife in Cheers; or Frasier’s brother’s wife on Frasier – heard about, never seen), even when you’d expect them to be there (group party; occasions when people come together to help others – the kind even random strangers would show up to help at – but not the significant others for no given reason) – seriously, is this something of an attempt at a ‘hidden’ humor gag like thing, on par with Norm’s wife, Cliff’s mother, Frasier’s brother’s wife (why the heck am I channeling Cheers right now? Though technically that Frasier thing was only on Frasier)?

That’s a serious thing, by the way, that last point. If there was anything about this book that I found . . . less than excellent/perfect/whatever, it was the missing ‘significant others’ part that built and built and made me annoyed. It’s probably one of those things only I noticed (or not), and only I got annoyed about. But . . . I did notice. *shrugs*

Right, so, another enjoyable book read. Unexpectedly: loved it beyond all expectations (see: overuse of ‘unexpected’), and became teary-eyed beyond any expectations (this is not a book I expected to get teary-eyed about).

Rating: 4.8888

August 7 2018

Paper Love by Jae

Paper Love by Jae

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

While not a favorite book by one of my favorite authors, the book is still quite enjoyable – for many reasons. Possibly largely due to just what it sets out to do: tell a female-female romance set in Germany involving only Germans. It was quite fun to bump into the unknown (to me).

While I did, for the most part, like both of the main characters, neither really ‘clicked’ for me. Unfortunate, but that happens.

The main characters being: Susanne Wolff and Anja Lamm. Susanne is an aging, currently out of work (by her own choice) business consultant. Wolff also has a non-identical twin sister. Lamm is a long time employee of a stationary store, the same store owned by Wolff’s uncle. Both women, if I recall correctly, are somewhere in their thirties (Anja is somewhere around 36 or 38 and Susanne might be slightly older . . . or not, I forget now).

The book opens with Susanne dreading a question her mother always asks this time of year: New Year’s resolutions. Because she knows she’ll have to admit to quitting her job (with her resolution being finding a new job). I’m not sure why that is/was a ‘must’ thing for Susanne to admit, but it did push things along. Since that got a completely unexpected response from the mother – who said that it’s great (or something like that) because her Uncle (no not that one, the other one, the one on your father’s side of the family (being the father’s brother)) needs help trying to save his business. Serious and immediate help – as in, the place will probably close within three months without some help, any help (and so it’s great that a highly skilled, clever, etc. etc. business consultant is there available to try to help . . . for free).

Certain problems, though, to how this isn’t really ‘great’ – Susanne has a seriously bad attitude about the whole thing before anything even was learned about the situation (Susanne really didn’t want to have to be forced to go to some middle of nowhere German city to try to help; plus a) Susanne is not at all knowledge about the industry her Uncle’s shop is in (pens/stationary/etc.) and b) does nothing to learn about the industry before arriving in the city).

Right, but let’s move on, mostly because I just shook myself awake to continue typing – not a good position to be in – obviously I’m going to have to wait for night three before I fully polish an actual review (ETA: I said this jokingly, but I fell asleep two paragraphs after this one and then there’s a really long string of ‘2’s that I’m not sure how to interrupt; in other words, we are now in night 3).

Other point of view character is the quite short (it’s important¬) Anja Lamm (Wolf & Lamb, get it get it? (it is, like, one of the first comments that pop up . . . uh, somewhere in the book)). Lamm has spent the last, oh, . . . darn, I can’t remember. Spent the last ‘really long time’ being an employee at Uncle Nobby’s store (I do not recall if that’s actually the guy’s name, but that’s what I read every time his name came up, so that’s the name I stuck on him (which, for all I recall, might actually be his name in the book)). Lamm’s late thirties and really, and I mean really into pens, and stationary, and all that (seriously, she is, to the point she’s super giddy and bouncing around like a ferret on sugar when she learns she gets to go to the Paper . . . um, convention).

As expected, there are other minor characters, though the ‘most important’ other characters are Miri (sp?), Anja’s lesbian friend (which I mention because I forgot to mention that Anja is bisexual); ……… (ETA: and here’s where I fell asleep. Um, let’s try to reconstruct this now?).

I’m not sure why I said it was expected. Mmphs. Stupid need to sleep.

Right, so, there are some good minor/side characters in this book – characters that help push the story along. Including Miri, Lamm’s best friend, and Frenzi (seriously I cannot recall the non-identical sister’s name, but it . . . wasn’t that, I think I started with an F though). Oh, and I suppose I should include Uncle Nobby (may or may not be his name) since that’s the person who owns the store to which Wolff went to try to save, and Lamm works at.

Also important is a small cat. Lovely cat. Lovely interaction with cat. Though there were times I was sad when Wolff kept tossing the cat outside and/or not letting the cat inside (it’s not her cat, but a neighbor’s cat – said neighbor just gave birth and the cat and the child are not getting along).

*looks at notes* Right right, there’s a ton of kissing in this book – either a tease or a warning, depending on if you like or care to not involve yourself with graphic depictions of wet germ filled mouths interacting with each other (‘Scientists at Harvard School of Dental Medicine have discovered more than 615 different types of bacteria that can live in the mouth, tongue and throat making it the dirtiest place in the human body.’ – what, the sister is a dentist, I figured I could pull up a quote from dentists)

*goes back to looking at notes, realizes other tab is still locked in on germs, flees screaming; goes back to notes* In addition to the many sloppy graphic kissing scenes, there are also many scenes of a graphically sexual nature.

Right. So. I enjoyed the book, but I find that it is the second favorite of the new Ylva books I’ve read. I’ve read two new Ylva books.

Rating: 4.37

August 8 2018


Behind the spoiler tag are my notes I wrote three nights ago after I finished the book. (view spoiler)[
NOTES:
1) I rather enjoyed reading a
---a) non USA based f/f story that
---b) contained no USA citizens (everyone in the story was/is German)
2) for the most part I rather liked both main characters but, admittedly, until something ' 'clicked' in me, i found myself somewhat distant from the characters and action.

This is a work place romance,,but with a twist - more on that later.

3) I really like the cat, though there were moments when I was sad, but more on that later
4) this book deeply dove into the power and lure of kissing- not really what I like reading but I'm weird and stuff
5) there was a lot of graphic depictions of a sexual nature ...
6) I liked the brief flashes seen of the nonidentical twin sister and Miri, Annie's BF

Rating; up in air at moment. Leaning towards 4.37 (hide spoiler)]



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Take a Chance (A Pine Cone Romance #2) by D. Jackson Leigh

Take a Chance by D. Jackson Leigh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Just a quick note: This is the second book in the trilogy. A trilogy set in the same small village in ... why can I never remember if this is in South Carolina or Georgia? *reads book description* Right, Georgia (there were several mentions, in the book, about South Carolina, which is why that state was also lodged in my brain).

Right, so - the first book involved someone from 'out of town', a 'yankee' at that, who was brought to the small town through inheritance. An aunt she didn't really know left the woman, River, her belongings, which included an art galley, a car, and a . . . I think a house though I do not recall now. River, being all femme like and stuff, 'fell for' Clay upon first sight; Clay, 'all butch like' (or was she sporty? eh, all three books made a point of pointing these specific things out so I include them in the reviews) also was 'struck' upon seeing River, hurdles had to be overcome . . . . etc. etc.

Second book, this book here, included a book involving a 'person of color', though, despite seeing this character in two other books (book 1 and 3), this is the first time I learned of this specific issue. I'm either not very observant, or it wasn't an issue that was brought up, much, in the other two books (and here, while it was brought up several times, it was somewhat lightly brought up). I forget if Jaime is also described as a 'yankee', though Dani certainly is (Dani being the 'outsider' in book 3). Regardless, Jaime is 'different' in being an outsider, and 'from the projects', oh and having, as the book notes 'caramel skin'. But let's get into book 2 later.

Third book also includes an outsider mixing it up with an insider - Dani the zoo vet from Baltimore. Who, like in book 2, also hooks up with a police officer. Or, in other words, both of the books involves a police officer hooking up with an animal doctor. Difference being which individual is the 'outsider' and which is the 'insider'.

Right, that's kind of boring and I already did that three book description thingie elsewhere, so back to book 2.

Book 2 stars Trip, the money conscious animal doctor (well she did seem constantly aware of money, how much certain things pull in money wise, etc. etc.), who, 'despite' that money comment, is from an 'ultra rich' local family and living in a massive mansion like place. Before I move onto the second main character, I'd like to note: there were many comments about Trip and her mother, all made in passing, all vague, all seeming to indicate that they do not have a great relationship but . . . the Beaumont family, Trip being in that family, is the 'top tier' family in the small town and I've read enough books involving such descriptions so . . . where was the 'forced' interactions with the mother? Or was she dead? I became confused somewhere along the line if the mother was dead (just like Trip became confused, every once in a while, as to whether she had living siblings (she does, though, apparently, she has nothing to do with them, preferring to see her friends Clay and Grace as her family; along with the people who live/work on her estate).

mmphs. That paragraph got away from me. So let's retry that, eh?

Trip is the ultra-player in the group of three Pine Cove friends. The kind who has no problem sleeping with her vet practice clients . . . and . . . um . . stuff, you know, she's a 'real player'. As cliche as it might be, there was someone who 'stole her heart' long ago which 'turned' Trip in this player direction (though she had that reputation way back then as well). She's from a rich family, is an animal doctor, played college basketball, and . . . hmms.

Jaime is the other main character. The story starts with her already living and working inside Pine Cove, as the newest police officer. She's a military veteran with PTSD issues. She comes with a trained drug dog, though the dog has a gas problem (is important issue). Something like, hmm, 15 years ago, Jaime left the projects and went to college - played basketball there. Became best friends with a fellow teammate, only to catch that teammate doing something horrifying and betraying, and responding by fleeing into the military. One thing lead to another and Jaime is where she is now - a police officer in the same town as that former college friend/teammate who betrayed her.

To a certain extent this specific book might be best read third instead of second, and definitely not as a stand-alone. Not as a stand-alone - there are many plot lines mentioned, shown, and very much not followed in this book that would be frustrating for anyone trying to read this book without knowledge of how those plot lines were resolved - those plot lines that intersected with the Grace & Dani storyline, and the plot lines involving River & Clay. Entire scenes are recreated in this book that occurred in the other two books, mostly from new viewpoints, but there are scenes that just can't be included because they weren't seen from either Jaime or Trip's point of view. Though I had expected the epilogue to fill in some of the blanks, maybe not all of them, but enough to give a satisfying enough 'closure' to those plotlines followed in the other books (obviously enough some things couldn't be mentioned, shown, etc., but we are talking about three books set at the same time, following connected people, so no matter how the three books ended, they would cause issues - either because they revealed too much about the other books/plot lines, or not enough).

I liked the depth found in this book, and I liked what was revealed. Especially as neither of the two leads were characters I was especially interested in when they appeared in the other books (one of the reasons it took me a while to read this one). Though I liked them well-enough in this book here. Mostly better than expected.

Rating: 4.15

August 4 2018



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Homodramatica: Family of Five by Kate Christie (

Homodramatica: Family of Five by Kate Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Quite good interesting book based on blog posts the author wrote as she started her career as an author, and as she and her wife grew their family to include three girls.

Based on? Well, the blog posts are not just pulled and published, they are expanded upon, and modern day observations are injected into the thoughts and writings of years ago.

Many interesting tidbits. Made me teary-eyed in parts, made me laugh in parts. One of the interesting parts was when the author mentioned someone asking if she was always going to have athletes be her main characters. It's true, of course, many of the authors characters are sporty lesbians (as is herself and her wife; her first book, she notes, bares a striking resemblance to her own real life story, though she wrote the book years before). I mention that because the first book I read by the author was by a college professor writing a 'gay' version of 'Pride and Prejudice', so I didn't 'get into' the author the same way someone who read her from her first book 'got into her'.

So - great nonfiction book. And, apparently, the book ended up with my highest rating for the author.

Rating: 5+

August 2 2018



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Once Upon a Caravan by Clare Lydon

Once Upon a Caravan by Clare Lydon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm not sure if the audio I heard was actually the entire story, or if the entire story is just a tease, a snippet. You see the description that's up there for the story? *points upwards* That's basically the entire story - as in, it ends when Casey appears (well, it goes on a tiny bit more - tiny tiny bit).

Sooo . . .. Was interesting to hear. Was . . . is difficult to rate.

Rating: .... 3.5?

July 29 2018



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Once Upon a Princess by Clare Lydon and Harper Bliss

Once Upon a Princess by Clare Lydon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A princess (or should that be Princess?), fourth in line the English (and other) throne, is weeks away from marrying an ex . . . she's been pushed into this position by her mother, the Queen. The, as in the Princess - Olivia, and Jem dated when both were in their twenties, roughly 9 years before the start of this story, but their time had come and gone. They weren't actually in a relationship when the Queen arranged this situation, and that is what this is about - an arranged marriage.

Instead of tackling what an arranged marriage might look like, the book instead follows the princess as she flees to Cornwall, to 'breathe'. I've read pretend/fake/marriages of convenience, but I do not think I've read an arranged marriage book. I've even read books where the two parties are 'compromised' into a 'forced' marriage - but none of those correspond to an arranged marriage (as in, even in the 'forced marriage' something of the marrying people's own will brought them to that position; not all arranged marriage involves parents putting the marriage together, but that's what I was driving towards, since that is what happened here - the mother arranging both Olivia's sister's marriage (to a man named Miles - years before), and Olivia's marriage, or, at this point, engagement to Jem. Because, you see, Jem is 'the right sort').

Right, so, instead of following a relationship between Jem and Olivia, we follow Olivia 'breathing' in Cornwall, a small town there to be exact, something called, if I recall correctly, Otter Bay. Where she meets the other POV character in the story, Rosie Perkins.

Rosie, roughly 28 years of age (or exactly that age?), has run the family cafe for about 8 years now - after her parents died in a plane crash; and has raised her sister during that same period of time. The cafe looks kind of run down, and is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, but Rosie is still trying to keep things together. Helping her is the chef, Gina, who is trying (and failing) to become a citizen, and Rosie's aunt, Hilly (I've actually forgotten the aunt's name, I think it's something like that). At home in her tiny apartment is Paige, the sister about to head off to college, and Cher - yes, the famous singer. heh, no, that's the cat's name. Oh, and, to round this out, Amy, Rosie's ex, keeps popping up and hounding Rosie into taking her back - to restart their relationship (she, Amy, also has a pet, a dog named Biscuit, to really round things out).

So, that's the situation that Olivia finds when she wanders into town, flees an overly aggressive shop-owner (Connie, who wants to sell Olivia a hideous blouse) and into Rosie's cafe. It is not clear if Olivia remembers their earlier collusion, but Rosie and Olivia actually meet before - when Olivia arrived on the same train Paige came in on, and Olivia accidentally walked through Rosie. Rosie recognized her when she sat down - to a large extent because of the fancy expensive jacket.

Right, so, Olivia, wishing to keep people from gazing upon her, taking pictures of her, hounding her, etc., for being a princess, says that her name is Charlie - which is what her fellow military called her (that's another thing the mother controlled, no not being in the military - that Olivia is no longer in it; pulled out when she was 30, three years before the start of this book, because it was time for her to follow her royal duties, or something like that).

Olivia and Rosie flirt. Come close to dating. Actually go on a date. Etc. etc. Then the truth comes out and . . . . stuff.

Sexually explicit.

Interesting book.

Weirdly reminded me of another book I'd read, though that one didn't include a princess, just someone that was kind of posh coming into a small village and 'wooing' the local favored lesbian woman (both books the small village knew the local woman was a lesbian). That other book was set in Wales, though, not Cornwall. And, as already noted, didn't involve a Princess - and that other woman, the posher one, actually was also from that village, she'd just left to make her money in . . . London? before returning. Thought this book here, the Princess one, was better than 'Poppy Jenkins' - though my feeling about the book was something of a minority view.

Rating: 3.75

July 29 2018



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Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest

Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is the second library book I’ve read in a long time. Second library book since I moved. And, oddly enough and unexpectedly, both include a wlw or f/f plot-line. One has that as the main theme (this book); other has that as a subplot (Mira Grant’s ‘Into the Drowning Deep’).

I’d like to say something along the lines of ‘this is the oldest lesbian fiction book that was both a romance and one with a ‘happy for now’ type ending’ – unlike lesbian pulp that I’ve read that tended to have unhappy endings, and/or if there is a happy ending, it definitely didn’t involve two women together at the end. Except: neither of the main characters (though only one has POV) are lesbians before meeting each other; both show signs of being much more likely to being somewhere on the bisexual scale than lesbian (as in, both still seem happy with the idea of sex with men, though one might have decided that they are all the way lesbian now – the one without POV thoughts, so not sure; other though is in the ‘I find men attractive, no woman – but for you’ column). Sooo . . happiest oldest, in publication terms, bisexual fiction? Something like that.

I really need an f/f shelf so I can look for those books. Since bisexual fiction ‘doesn’t rest upon’ lesbian fiction shelf (unless I’m 100% certain a lesbian is 1) involved; 2) has POV -> neither is present in this specific book; I’m not 100% certain, and the one that might be a lesbian now, does not have POV). I make that comment because I’m now going through my Lesbian Fiction shelf looking at publication dates.

Neither of the first two I’ve read fall inside the ‘lesbian pulp’ genre, but neither have happy outcomes for lesbians. Then a bunch of lesbian pulp books (~6). Then the ones I read published in the 1980s, which includes this book here. Including this book here, I’ve read four published in the 1980s lesbian fiction books – and only this one has a ‘happy outcome’ for lesbians, the other three were lesbian mysteries by the same author as of this book here.

Right, now that I’ve lost everyone . . this book here…

A massively huge number of women, at least it appears that way at first, spend a few days together at Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Millie, Madge, Chris, Liz and . . . I think Vivian are all friends. Vivian (who annoyingly includes her own name in her conversations; ala ‘Vivian is happy to see you’, though she does occasionally use I) isn’t staying at the cabin owned by Liz, and so I’m not sure if she actually is one of the groups friends – though I assume she is and that is why the main and only point of view character is staying at Liz’s cabin – Diana Holland. No one staying at the cabin has meet Diana before, though some information about her past has been shared by Vivian with Liz. Another guest, not yet named, is also brand-new to most of the group. Lane Christianson was invited to join the group by her friend Madge.

I’ve a vague idea that Millie might be in her twenties, but everyone else is somewhere between 34 and 54 (give or take ten years, though on the upper end).

As noted – all are there for a few days vacation, all but Diana there for skiing (Diana doesn’t ski, when the others are skiing, she drives to town to gamble). Also, as expected, all of them . . . wait, what’s this? Completely confusing me, when I came across this information . . . every bloody single person, including Vivian who isn’t staying at the cabin, is 100% heterosexual. And talk a lot about men. And screwing, and stuff. Most have boyfriends or husbands. For example: Diana, the POV, just broke up after a long term (5 year?) relationship with a man named Jack who cheated on her; she’d also previously been married (for 7 years?).

So, I entered this book expecting to find lesbians in this lesbian fiction book to find a bunch of disgruntled heterosexual women. There’s a lot of drinking and drug partaking, but no that does not lead to ‘accidental’ woman on woman action.

Two of the women, though, seem quite taken with another woman at the party. Happily both have fixated on each other (as opposed to other members of the vacation party). Weirdly and conveniently the two share the same upper loft sleeping area. Before either even think of using the bed for anything more than sleep, both suggest ‘sharing heat’, or whatever words they used, by using that bed instead of having the other back in the other room (which wasn’t really described but seemed small, cramped, and might not actually have a full-fledged bed).

Events conspire to have both become huggy/consoling the other. Kissing breaks out. Groping as well. When Lane starts pulling on Diana’s pj bottoms, Diana has a ‘holy fuck, I’m NOT A LESBIAN!!!!’ moment that causes Lane to stop her actions. And Diana to flee (the next morning), even though her body is screaming ‘please continue this new experience with the other women. PLEASE!’

Diana grapples with the idea she is/isn’t interested in Lane. Gazes upon other women while gambling. Finds none attractive, sexually. Spots men. Finds them sexually interesting. So much so she goes to one of their rooms. Whereupon . . . well, I’d not normally state this spoiler opening, but it’s important to note that a dubious consent (‘can there be consenting rape?’) moment occurs.

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ve indirectly noted that this book was published in the 1980s, but did not mention when the book was set. If I recall correctly, the book was set in 1978 or 1979. A time I’m much more able to except the concept of ‘noooo I can’t be a lesbian!!!’ reactions. What with society being quite negative, and even the somewhat underground books for people of a certain persuasion were . . . quite negative about lesbians (see: lesbian pulp). Basically, what I’m saying is that, in the exact right circumstances a positive vibe might have developed for a specific woman in this era, but 99.9999% of women, even if they come from a family that’s deeply to the left, politically, are going to fear finding themselves being attracted to women. Or, at least, that’s my understanding. I was not in my mid-30s in 1978 (though I was alive in that year).

Right, I went into that long diversion because I needed to note that this specific trope comes up a lot in lesbian fiction. It is something like . . . required, almost, that the books be about two non-lesbians who find each other then realize, reluctantly, that they might like women (at least there’s a ton of lesbian fiction that goes that route; I’ve also read a ton involving women 100% okay with the idea of being attracted to women and having relationships with women who find women who are similarly 100% okay with the idea). I’ve forgotten how this paragraph started. Certain tropes annoy me in lesbian fiction; based on certain factors, it is easier for me to ‘accept’ these tropes, since they are probably closer to reality than many other possible paths.

This was an interesting book, though hampered by being a solo point of view book. Also too large focus on men and humping men. But no matter, still interesting.

I rated this book 3.5 (as in put on that shelf), though now that I come to the part where I actually rate the book in my review, I’m not actually sure what to rate it. So 3.5 it shall be rated.

Rating: 3.5

July 27 2018



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Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The author, as in the individual behind the various names, chose to put this book out under the Grant name instead of the McGuire name. Which tells the reader certain things, at least if they know the names. Grant writes horror/disaster/zombie/intelligent parasites type of stories; McGuire writes fantasies. Both might include the same ‘monsters’ but from different angles (I do not specifically recall any zombies or intelligent parasites as characters in McGuire books, but there are sentient intelligent sea hominids in McGuire books).

The point in noting this issue: I knew this going in so I went in expecting a horror/disaster type story. Not a romance. And that’s what I got (plus a romance, but eh, whatever).

As I noted in, I think, one status update, my greatest problem with this specific book was how often the author dived into needless character backstory/characterization type stuff. Somewhere along the way I could tell . . . well, no this would be spoiler-y so let’s move on ((view spoiler)[if not a main character, I could tell which character was going to die because they suddenly had POV control and rich characterization and backstory then mid-sentence, they dead. Mmphs. Heh. I do not want to spend ten pages on backstory/characterization for a character I barely knew existed, just to make their death more, what’s that word, poignant? Something like that. (that didn’t always happen, by the way, that a minor character would suddenly get backstory then die; just most of the time; occasionally they’d get backstory and . . . continue to live.) (hide spoiler)]).

Right, so – Something like seven years before this book opens, an entertainment company sent a research vessel out to ‘look for mermaids’ to make a ‘mock documentary’. The company has made numerous shows like this one – looking for bigfoot, yeti, etc.etc. They send real scientists and the like along, film them, but never actually expect to find anything. Well, seven years ago they sent a ship out to look for mermaids. No bodies were recovered, nobody made it back alive; video shows ‘monsters’ climbing up out of the sea and tearing people apart. Most people saw those leaked videos and assumed they were fake, a hoax. The company knows better, knows the truth.

This book follows a second ship sent to the same waters, seven years after the first. The company was waiting on science to advance in certain areas before they sent the second expedition.

There are a ton of characters in this book – almost too many, but just barely not too many. Many point of views. Several involving people who ‘lost’ someone on the earlier ship.

Another thing I noted in my status updates: these might be some damned smart people in their fields of expertise but . . . without exception, everyone is depicted as being super dimwitted outside their own field. TSTL characters fill the pages. *shrugs*

Oh, and two of the main characters are female and sleep together. Hence my use of ‘lesbian’ though, now that I think about it, I should change that to bisexual (changes). I forget if Olivia is lesbian or bisexual, but Tory is definitely bisexual since her ex-boyfriend is on the voyage, and she sleeps with/develops a relationship with Olivia.

Rating: 3.68

July 26 2018




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Take Your Time by V.K. Powell

Take Your Time by V.K. Powell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the conclusion of a three book series, each book written by a different author, and all three books set during the, roughly, same period of time. The difference in all three books is which specific characters are the lead characters.

The first book in the series, Take My Hand by Missouri Vaun, follows Pine Cone resident Clay Cahill, and Pine Cone visitor River Hemsworth. They meet when River accidentally drives into a hair salon while attempting to avoid driving into an illegally parked horse trailer – which I mention because the horse trailer belongs to Trip (star of book two in the series), who attempts to help her after the accident, and the police officer to talks with her is Grace Booker, star of book three. Clay is the tow-truck driver who drive up to pull the car away from the scene of the accident.

All three of the locals who match up with ‘outsiders’ are best friends. Trip and Clay are on the ‘butch’ side of things, while Grace is on the femme side.

Of the ‘outsiders’, River is also femme, and Dani is androgynous. Jaime, the ‘other’ in book 2, is in other parts of this series, both in book 1 and 3, but, as I’ve not read book 2, I cannot ‘pigeon-hole’ her.

Right, now that’s out of the way, this specific book here.

Grace Booker is a sheriff’s deputy, the . . . a . . .well, she’s also some form of Sergeant. The book opens with her having to deal with the fact that her latest roommate has fled, leaving behind a freaking out parrot. Which is how Grace and the other main point of view character meet – Grace needs help and stops by the local Vet office, expecting to talk to her friend Trip, but she’s out. She has to, instead, ‘deal’ with Dr. Dani Wingate. I say ‘deal’ with because Dani has already come to a negative view of Grace, simply because she wears a cop uniform. It is one of many things the two will have to get over, in the course of the book, for the two to have a relationship.

Dani, see, had ‘previously meet’ Grace when she was in a store. While there the store owner had grabbed and detained a youngster for shoplifting. Dani, while hiding her presence, watched as Grace handcuffed and lead the youngster away. What really happened, and yes what Dani saw wasn’t the whole story, wasn’t explained until after Dani witnessed Grace restraining a drunk man and leading him off.

A cop being a cop, negative vibes being created in the watcher? Dani grew up in a poor neighborhood – her only interaction with the police was when they would come and ‘hassle’ the residents, once even destroying her food when they raided her parents place.

The book unfolds with the two being interested in each other but having reasons to not pursue the other. Dani: Grace is a police officer and Dani doesn’t plan to stick around the small town. Grace: Grace just had one relationship (not really a relationship, but . . .) implode, and is still trying to get over a previous relationship that was an actual relationship in which Grace let her heart be open; plus Dani isn’t planning to stick around.

Somehow or another, largely due to: 1) attempting to deal with the bird issues; 2) living in the same bed & breakfast and therefore running into each other a lot – the two developed some kind of relationship.

I liked the book; though felt that there was a little too heavy focus on sex for my own enjoyment. Ended up rating this one about a half star less, not for the sex, than the first book in this series.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and now I need to check some more out by them.

Rating: 3.78

July 24 2018




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The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway

The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book involves a roughly week long rural party in . . . I believe the Yorkshire area of England in 1817. The party occurs right after the end of the season – which, in itself, is different from the norm in books I’ve read – I’ve read books that have rural parties pre-season, and season parties, but I’ve rarely read a book where a party took place after the season ended – as the ‘better’ people are heading back to their rural hide-outs, I mean estates.

The reason for the party: Hugh, an Earl (Earl of Briarly), has informed his sister, Caro, that he wants her to put together a list of women for him. Women he could marry (well, obviously, just marry one but …). She informs him that the season just ended, and also that she’s confused for he never pays attention to society, doesn’t care about being proper or his seat in Parliament or any of that stuff, so what gives. He . . . etc. etc., point is that a man wants a wife, asks for help from his sister Caro, and their female friend Georgina. A party is then held at the Finchley (sp?) estate (Carolyn is married to a guy with the last name or estate name or title name of Finchley).

The first part of the book follows the first woman on the list, the most attractive woman of the season. Gwen. Also follows another man who hasn’t spent a lot of time looking for a wife, though he seems more interested, than Hugh, in his position in life, and being proper and stuff. He is also an Earl. Something like Earl Charteris. Charteris is at the party because he is a family friend and he’s there with his unmarried sister.

The first part was written by Julia Quinn, an author I’ve read before and generally enjoyed. For the most part. I liked the story shown, and the characterizations. I rated it 3.88.

The second part of the book is written by Connie Brockway and follows a Captain Oakes (sp?), who had been invited to the party by Caro as a potential love interest for her widowed friend Georgina. The other main character in this section is Kate, the second woman on the ‘Hugh’s list of women to court’.

Part two was a decent enough story until certain events occurred that I couldn’t stand and I had to stop reading. I just can’t stand men manhandling women, and I’m not talking about the Captain’s need to keep grabbing and carrying Kate around without first asking her permission (I’m more talking about him locking her in rooms without her permission). I gave this one a rating of 1.80.

Third part of the story finally follows Hugh as lead character, and Georgina. Another decent-ish story, though it includes several tropes I can’t stand and refuse to stomach in romance books: 1) woman says ‘no’; 2) man continues whatever he was doing that caused the woman to say no, pays no attention to it at all; 3) woman enjoys whatever man was doing.

I do not really give a fuck if the man is rough, gentle, or whatever. But why do we even need this dubious consent mixed into the story? For fuck sake, the no came after Georgina herself, without any persuading, stripped naked to go for a swim in a pond – knowing Hugh was nearby and probably would also join her in a skinny dip. And suddenly she’s saying no to him when he kisses her? Because they are in public? I hate her for her stupidity, and I hate him for forcing himself onto her when she said no. Still, actually completed this section and stuff. Part three rating: 2.80.

Overall: 3.88 + 1.80 + 2.80 = 8.48/3 = 2.83.

July 22 2018




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Psych: A Fatal Frame of Mind (Psych #4) by William Rabkin

Psych: A Fatal Frame of Mind by William Rabkin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm frequently confused when I reread Psych books. I hasten to note that I do not mean confused as to what occurs in the book, but, instead, confused as to how I never seem to recognize the books as I read them (for the most part, with exceptions both for books and scenes). Did I read this one previously? Apparently I did since I marked it as being read in 2009. Soooo.....

Right, so. Probably this and other books in the series are easier/better read by those who watched and enjoyed the television series Psych (which isn't always the case with media-tie-in books, some can be read and loved by any random reader).

This specific book involves involves Gus dragging Shawn to go help someone Shawn didn't want to take on as a client. A professor of art. While both are wearing tuxes (which, if you know the show, must be very odd to see since Shawn is the kind to wear sneakers with blue jeans and a tux t-shirt instead of a suit), the two arrive at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Only to find a long line of police cars. Not to provide security for the high-society event (though there is a high-society event being held there), but because a murder victim had been found inside the museum (murder? how can I leap to that conclusion? Well, there is a sword plunged into the body in a way someone couldn't do to themselves).

The dead body belongs to a museum curator - whose specific job that night had been to reveal a mystery painting, famous but unseen by the public, but he died before the revealing. The professor who Gus and Shawn were there to help provides some mild help to the police. Mostly so he can get a close look at the painting.

One thing leads to another and before you can say 'boo' . . . . it's the next morning and nothing much has happened, and Shawn and Gus are still in the tuxes. While the professor is in the interrogation room - not as a suspect, but as a 'helper' type - to explain the painting (the sword in the painting matched the sword that had been plunged into the dead person). Eventually, after everyone became very bored, the professor accidentally pulls the murder weapon out of his coat pocket, takes the detective (you know, the normal male foil to Shawn - Lassie) hostage, and escapes.

Eventually Shawn and Gus join the professor as fugitives from justice.

Good solid book. Slight level of humor. Vaguely interesting mystery. Kind of fizzled out at the end, but eh, whatever.

Rating: 4.27

July 20 2018



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Journey's End (The Flight #3) by A.E. Radley

Journey's End by A.E. Radley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Third and final (I believe) book in this series.

This book finds Emily and Olivia married and living . . . mostly apart. As Emily has found limited success as a scriptwriter that requires her to work in London - commuting between there and New York. (Less required than an opportunity to get 'inside' experience by working directly on a play as it is put on stage). Henry (that's the kids name right?) is just now starting school, and Olivia is watching over him while Olivia is traveling/working. They don't just relocate to London for several reasons, some more important than others - I'll just mention that Olivia has issues now with flying on planes.

Then Emily 'develops' a stalker. Funnily enough, I knew immediately who the actual stalker was, but whatever.

Interesting book.

Rating: 4.33

July 19 2018



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Magnetic by Robin Alexander

Magnetic by Robin Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In my most recent Alexander review, I noted that this specific book was tied for fourth favorite Alexander book. Mostly because it was originally rated, on first read, 5+ stars and because I'd only read it once.

Well, the book was not as fun this time around and I'm tentatively rating the reread 4.25 stars.

Here's where I'd list/remark upon/note why I might have found myself rating this book lower than my first read. Harder to do now, unfortunately, because I'm in a transition situation in which I moved from a barely habitable super hot apartment to a hotel to a really long car ride of a thousand or more miles to a temporary home and eventually to a new apartment (though that won't be until sometime in September). So . . . it's hard to focus my energy on things like why I feel certain ways about certain issues - book-wise.

I know I didn't find the interactions between the friends, girlfriend/one-night-stand/love-interest to be as interesting as in my first read.

So, in a nutshell: Woman A gets dumped via email (or was it a text?) while on a business trip to another city. Woman A gets some heavy flirtation from Woman B - Woman A calls herself Chloe, though lied. Woman B only called herself Stacy, as in only gave first name. Woman A & B have amazing sex together. Then A leaves before B wakes up the next morning. Neither has the ability to contact the other. Both have developed certain feelings for the other based on this one night stand.

Layne, aka Chloe, is forced by her boss, I-do-not-care-about-his-name, to go on vacation. Immediately (basically he is an asshole, majorly). Layne turns over plans for the vacation to Molly - a friend who is recovering from cancer (if I recall correctly). Molly, Molly's significant other (whose name now escapes me), Layne, and their fourth friend, fourth-friend (unfortunately the friends names are not in the book description and I did not name them in my previous review). Fourth-friend (Rhonda? Rachel? Rebecca? Monique? bah, let's not even try to remember, mmphs) brings along her new girlfriend - though she's already broken some records in how long she's been around - since fourth-friend is a serious player type who runs when things get boring.

That new girlfriend? Well Layne and her friends meet up at the airport. While there Layne meets the new girlfriend - the same woman she slept with a month or so back. Naturally a bad situation all around. Compounding the bad situation: Molly chose a vacation almost guaranteed to be the opposite of what Layne might have liked on a vacation (lazy cruise ship) - a vacation at a horse ranch type place in Florida in nature.

Stuff happens. There's some humor. The end.

Rating: 4.25

July 19 2018



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Fearless by Robin Alexander

Fearless by Robin Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


You know the previous book I read to this one? That’s right, Soulshift. Wait… heh, oopsie. I thought the previous book I read was the newest Alexander book. See, now that just blows away my planned opening to this review. pfft.

Right, so, I was in the middle of reading a book (literally), when I just couldn’t take it any longer and had to jump to a different book to read. I had been reading the second book in Missouri Vaun’s ‘Return to Earth’ series, though it was the third I’d tried in that series (since there’s a prequel I also read). I generally enjoy Vaun’s works, so I’ve not put this one on my DNF shelf yet, but I needed something else to read.

Having recently read a new Alexander book, yay new book!, and having recently been glancing at quotes and reviews for other Alexander books, I figured I’d do something I rarely did in the past but is a frequent go to now – do a reread.

Fearless is a book I loved so much after I read it that I wanted to do an immediate reread. But I somehow held back. As each new Alexander book popped up, and was instantly read by me, I’d turn to this book again to see if now was the time, but no . . . not yet. I had ‘just’ read it in September 2017, I needed to give myself some room.

So, needing a book to read, I gave myself the green light and dove in.

It shows me taking two days to read, though that’s more because I keep having to break away to clean and box stuff (I cleaned 7 hours today, I very tired).

Fearless is the story, for those yet to try it, of two opposites who bump into each other on a cruise ship and immediately . . . hate each other. Literally bump into each other.

The book opens with Falon Whyte having an argument with her girlfriend (Leanne (sp?)). Leanne’s pissed because the cruise isn’t a lesbian cruise; Falon counters with 1) scheduling didn’t work out for that one and work; 2) there are a ton of lesbians around – it is a LGBT cruise. One thing quickly leads to another and before you can sing that famous song ‘Toot Toot’, the two year relationship was over. Falon leaves the ship cabin to do stuff like eat a mound of onion rings (which she couldn’t while dating Leanne), and drink.

Meanwhile, Haley’s pissed off that her roommate, her best friend’s cousin, has once again locked her out of the cabin. She’ll have to spend something like her third night out on the deck sleeping in a chair (luckily she meet a nice man she likes; both of them are not sexually interested in the other, by the way).

While heading to her sleeping spot, Haley angrily rushes through a door and a drink gets spilled on her. She immediately demands that the other woman tell her her room number so that she can send a laundry bill. The other woman asks for a new drink since this one cost $12 and it was that other woman who walked into her. Haley rushes away.

Falon, it just so happens, was that other woman.

The second time the two meet, Falon has the word ‘Ass’ written on her forehead. Haley gives her thumbs up in approval of her self-awareness of her nature.

The third time they meet, Haley is kind of having an out of body experience – she’s been talked into going on a zip line experience and Haley is in a fog, a horrified fog. She misunderstands what people are saying around her, and she ends up riding with Falon (there are in separate ‘chairs’ but the zip line sends people down two at a time). Haley, to show how out of it she is, was supposed to go with her new male friend, but couldn’t be coherent enough when questions were asked and accidentally said she was a single rider.

The two, once on the ground, continue to argue and march around. Then a man asks for stuff (in a 'my hand is in my pocket, pretend it's a gun' way) – in the middle of the two arguing with each other. One thing leads to another and . . . . the cruise ship leaves without them and now they are stranded.

Eventually the two end up at a hotel/inn/bungalow type place with a mobster looking guy in charge. A sweet mobster with a NY accent.

Any other set of circumstances and the two women probably wouldn’t have given the other the time of day (well not literally, but . . . bah). But they were forced together, they learned about each other, and they grew closer.

I once again rather enjoyed the two main characters, and their friends (well, Haley’s best friend is a bitch to Falon but . . . reasons and stuff).

Great book. Lots of great humor.

I’d originally listed this, seconds after reading this book the first time, as being in the top three of the books written by Alexander that I’d read. I was wrong at the time (as my comments show me) as this was in the top 4 of the books I’d read – at that time.

If I was to make that list again today, it’d be:
1) Patty’s Potent Potion
1) Next Time

Gave both of these six stars on reread.

3rd) Fearless
This one ends up ahead of a few others rated the same because I’ve read it twice (and gave it a 5+ rating both times) while similar rated books have only been read once.

4th) Temporary Girl
4th) Kellen’s Moment
4th) Dear Me
4th) Magnetic

All read once, all rated 5+.

I’ve reread 4 Alexander books by this point. The fourth, first that I actually reread, isn’t on this list. I’d rated it 4 stars on the reread, which is actually an improvement on original 3.5 star rating. Pitifully Ugly isn’t 8th on the list of favorite Alexander books, as there are other once-only reads rated higher than it.

Rating: 5+

July 15 2018



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The Cursebreaker Countess by Sasha L. Miller

The Cursebreaker Countess by Sasha L. Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from Less Than Three Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A woman named Kas comes across a sleeping woman when she goes into a tower to escape the rain. The woman has been asleep for some sixty-odd years, and is awakened by Kas. For that is Kas’ nature, no not waking sleeping women – destroying magic. She touched something, something else happened, and the sleeping woman was no longer asleep. Said her name was Anika, then admitted to being the Lost Princess (well, being a princess of that kingdom, and Kas informed her of that title, the ‘Lost Princess’ one).

The two talk. Kas filling in a little on what has happened the last 66 years. Anika fell asleep, by however means, in a world of magic. But magic doesn’t work in that kingdom any longer – at least new magic doesn’t, and magic that’s already working can’t be fixed if Kas touches it.

--
I do not wish to do a step by step plot-line break-down, so let’s move on, eh?

The main character is Kas. She’s the ‘Cursebreaker Countess’ of the title, though providing more explanation than that might be too much spoiler information. The entirety of the story is from Kas POV.

I rather enjoyed this story – it had a nice ‘vibe’ to it, and it was a pleasure to read. The beginning and middle were great. The ending . . . eh, what needed to be done was done, but the ending did kind of seem abrupt regardless.

Right, so, I liked the main characters – Kas and Anika. The story was good. There are things left incomplete, but that’s more of a ‘what happens next’ type of feeling than a ‘plots not completed’ type of feeling.

Rating: 4.38

July 4 2018




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Temporary Girl by Robin Alexander

Temporary Girl by Robin Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is yet another Alexander book I read and loved. Though I was worried there when I found that the book existed, had been read by others, and that the average rating was at 4 stars (it's since gone to something like 4.7, and is now back down to 4.5). I was worried because, while I say 'yet another . . .' that's more recent Alexander books that I've read and loved, there have been that I didn't love, some I didn't like, and at least one I loathed (unfortunately that one was the start of a three book series, and I'd already bought book 2 and three, still haven't read book 2 & 3 in that series).

I think I've used this phrase, or words similar, when mentioning an Alexander book: this book stars two people that have issues. Both have been working on them, and both might want to start work on the next phase of their lives, which may or may not involve a significant other (though one is more in that direction than the other; the other is still dodging the texts of her latest 'relationship' while going to a wedding, more on that later). One has commitment issues - in that they do not like being alone, hook up with someone, and use the love word way too quickly and easily (though, as noted, they know this issue and have been working on it), the other has the opposite commitment issue - one one commits too easily, this other can't commit at all (or, well, runs the other direction – away – from a woman if they start to express relationship type comments).

The commitment-phobe, Jodi, has ‘reasons’ for being what and who she is, though she can fake it. Which is where the book starts, with …. (dang, I can’t remember if it’s Jodi who is 37 or 40, or if it’s Val who is 37 or 40, one, I mean, is one age, the other is the other (though both are described as having the bodies of 20 year olds – said after seeing through lust filled eyes)). Right, let’s start that sentence again. 37 or 40 year old Jodi opens the book driving to a wedding – a ‘forced’ week long vacation. Next to her is Vince, her ‘pretend’ boyfriend (he’s gay and not out to his family). Vince, to note how the trip occurred, mentions something to his mother, after they arrive, that the trip normally takes an hour and a half but they did it in only 15 minutes, because of how Jodi drives.

Vince’s brother, by the way, is the groom. Jodi is there because of Vince. To round things out, Vince owns and operates an expensive car dealership, while Jodi owns and operates a furniture store (though it’s connected to the family store-chain).

While at the wedding, the only other lesbian in attendance takes one look at Jodi and drools. That’d be Val. Who works for a potty manufacturer (there’s a lot of good humor in this book, there’s also a lot of humor connected to Val’s job of being a potty seller that didn’t really work for me). Val’s at the wedding because she’s friends (from college) with the bride-to-be, whose name Everly. It’s important to note that another college friend is there as well – Renee, and . . . I cannot recall but I think the other two young women who pop up in the story are sisters of Everly and not Rene, though there’s a ton of people in this story and some do not even have accurate names (mostly because the others seem them as snooty and call them something like snooty one and two). I mention these two others, specifically, because of their impact on the story – Kara being the youngest at 21, though she’s much more ‘mature’ than her sister Riley (who is first seen by the reader wearing a very small barely there swimsuit that she keeps popping out of it – which is important to mention . . . for reasons).

So then: time is spent on the week-long wedding festivities (that’s about the first, oh, 50 to 55% of the book, I think), then later back in their home locations (I forget now, did they life in Baton Rouge or was the week long vacation in Baton Rouge?). Val and Jodi date. Have fun together. And stuff.

Quite fun hilarious book.

Rating: 5+

July 12 2018




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