First Position by Melissa Brayden

First Position
by Melissa Brayden
Pages: 264
Date: August 16 2016
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: connected to the books 'Waiting in the Wings' and the Soho Loft series

Review
Rating: 5.5 out of 5.0
Read: July 4 to 5 2016

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

(For those who care about such things, two people from Waiting in the Wings appear and have relatively significant roles); just an FYI in case someone would wish to read that one before this book here (which I’d recommend doing)

This story has seemingly a cast of thousands, but two of them are the most important for today’s discussion, both of whom are roughly 27 years of age. Natalie Frederico and Anastasia Mikhelson.

Natalie Frederico is something of a wild child, rebellious type, who has great dancing talent and spent some time in a prestigious ballet school but found it too restraining, controlling, rule-based and so left without graduating. As the book opens, Natalie is wrapping up a show in Los Angeles, a show she created that mixes classical, and modern dance with ‘mixed media’. A show that’s fabulous successful and always is sold out. As you might expect in such a situation . . . heh, no. Natalie is very much an ‘art before profit!’ type, and so she and her show are being kicked out of their building because she only charges $10 a ticket. A man wanders by, after the last show (actually the next day, but I needed to work in the ‘last show’ part) and offers Natalie a job with the New York City Ballet. Natalie doesn’t really want to have anything to do with ballet, but she doesn’t exactly have any other opportunities pounding on her door, so she agrees to head off to New York.

One little tidbit about a ball and chain around Natalie’s ankle. Always a good thing to toss into a romance story, no? The young Natalie happens to have an adoring girlfriend (I think her name might be Morgan, though it might be something else – the current book I’m reading has someone named Mrs. Morgan Morgan in it, so that’s causing me doubts about the name; okay, looked it up – the girlfriend’s name is in fact Morgan. Weird - that). Right, so, heading off to New York, has a girlfriend – Natalie offers to bring Morgan along. Morgan notes that she would rather just stick around Los Angeles. Veg out. Party. Maybe Morgan is less of an adoring puppy, eh? Well, they decide on trying that ‘long distance’ thing.

Anastasia Mikhelson is the other lead in this here book. She’s fabulous talented, gifted, the kind who can cause grown men to weep with joy upon seeing how technically accurate, how flawless her movements are, while also shuddering in despair at how lifeless, emotionless Ana’s dancing tends to be. The book opens with Anastasia having spent the last nine years slowly moving up the ballet hierarchy. This year though, this year will be hers!

When a new season starts, Ana is warming up in a crowd of ballet dancers, though at the same time somewhat off by herself, since she’s kind of stand-offish (her co-workers call her ‘Frozen’). Just then someone bursts through the door – a late arrival. Ana feels vaguely sad for the girl – first day and she’s late – making a bad impression for her first day as an apprentice (see, Natalie’s addition to the Ballet company is kind of abnormal, atypical, both from not being a ballet school graduate, and for leaping over several levels to land at soloist position).

One thing leads to another and Ana realizes that she actually went to school, ballet school, with this other woman. And was annoyed/irritated by her at the time. And was actually happy when she had dropped out. But here she is again, in the unusual role of leaping up to soloist. Ana’s pissed.

Still, it’s her year. She’s going to lead in a show. She approaches the guy, Roger Eklund (the same guy who invited Natalie to the Ballet company), running that show, is told that she isn’t really right for the role – it calls for someone much better at expressing emotions through their dancing than Ana gives in performances. Ana begs. The guy agrees to watch Ana try out.

Later that afternoon – Ana, Natalie, and several others compete for the lead role of Mira, rehearse. Jason Morales is also there – he’s the lead male and . . . only one invited to the rehearsal (to play the role of Titus). Ana and Natalie compete. Ana’s technically perfect. Natalie’s emotionally perfect. Neither is perfect by themselves.

Roger decides to split the duties. Ana will dance three nights, Natalie three nights, and Jason will be Titus throughout.

To round things out – as noted Jason is Natalie and Anastasia’s dance partner in the show they are putting on. He is also madly in love with Anastasia and is not clued in to the fact that Anastasia doesn’t exactly feel the same way.

Right, so, that’s the basic set-up. Cast of thousands. Some come and go before you can blink and learn their name (the people who worked in Natalie’s Los Angeles show); others hang around like lead balloons (Jason). The two women work together to impart what they both know (Ana helping Natalie with technical stuff; Natalie helping Ana loosen up). And they grow closer together romantically and otherwise, while, in the background, are three ‘things’ – (1) girlfriend Morgan; (2) Ana’s father (super-duper great ballet dude); (3) injuries and the like natural to people who perform strenuous physical activities like professional ballet.

This is my seventh book by Brayden. As I mentioned in some review here or there, there’s a particular formula that Brayden seems to follow. A top-notch writer, so the reader can kind of forgive that formula usage. Except here – yes certain things occurred that kind of followed the formula framework, but it was the smoothest I’ve seen. Seemed natural, organic. Brilliant really.

There are really just two issues that I have with the book – (1) the unexpected entrance of odd ball uses of ‘merde’ (which I learned, along the way from outside the book sources, is something said in ballet) – each unexplained usage of the phrase jerked me out of the story (I mean, I know what it means when someone says to other ‘break a leg’, but merde?); (2) the book is a natural lovely organic story, near perfect in its way and . . . then an epilogue appeared that moved things from natural perfection to cutesy too perfect to breath perfection. Unfortunate that.

Regardless of these two issues, I found that the book is either the best I’ve read by Brayden or tied for first place. A very enjoyable book.

July 5 2016

Dominatrix 2 by Aaron Dennis

Dominatrix 2
by Aaron Dennis
Pages: 24
Date: May 2 2016
Publisher: Self
Series: Dominatrix (2nd in series)

Review
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Read: July 3 2016

My first story that I've read by this author. Second in the series, though first to involve two women. Other involved a man being dominated. And wasn't free. The two things lead me to not reading it first.

An 18 year-old woman named Candy has decided to visit a dominatrix. She is not experienced in BDSM play. The dominatrix is named Domina (to bad her last name isn't Trix, eh?, but then mabye it is. Domina Trix).

First off - the story opens with Domina giving Candy a run-down of the session that's going to occur, and mentioning that she - Candy, is the one in control. By way of using or not using safewords. Nice to see something like that in there. So many just leap in and start being macho dicks to the person they wish to dominate.

Heh. I got pulled out of the story briefly by 'titties.' heh. 'Candy began removing her tee, revealing a pink, lace bra hiding perky tities.' heh.

Anyone reading along behind me know that this isn't a romance. This isn't light and fluffy. Nor is it extreme - it's not some girl who has been kidnapped by some rough people, no this is a bondage session. With a dominatrix. I assume money is involved. There's roughness, whipping, spanking, slapping, some choice word usage - all part of the game.

Of note - I dislike when stories like this call the dominatrix 'master'. Or some word similar. Pulls me out it does. She should be Mistress, no? mmphs.

'love cave' - bah.

'lick my asshole' - ewwwww

'sucked the taste of butt hole right off her tongue' -eeeww ewwew ew ew ew ew ew ew ewwwwwwww

'it's a hot water enema' - and I'm done. I'm out. Fuck this shit (heh).

Without the butt stuff, then the enema, this would have been a solidly 4 star erotic story. But with all that . . hmms. They be something not liked by me. No way, no how.

This story was 5 AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long songs long (the story mentioned the domme humming that within the first couple of paragraphs, so I played it). 5 x (3:30 play time, 3 times 60 + 30 = 210 seconds) 210 = 1050 seconds = 17.5 minutes

July 3 2016

Bitter Root by Laydin Michaels

Bitter Root
by Laydin Michaels
Pages: 240
Date: August 16 2016
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 2.0 out of 5.0
Read: June 29 2016 to July 3 2016

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Location New Iberia Louisiana.

Characters
Two point of views. Adi Bergeron and Griffith McNautly.

Merley Adison ‘Dinks’ ‘Adi’ Bergeron Nerbass - chef of a small restaurant in Louisiana named ‘Boiling Pot’. Ran away from home when she was 14. Is now 22.

Griffith McNaulty - is a reporter. Her reputation is currently smeared due to something that happened with an interview subject (something to do with a 'Tabitha Moore' who was a 'criminal' and had 'deliberatly subverted the truth' and her article had 'cost innocent people their life savings'. She is looking for more than just a puff piece.

Bertie Durall - is a 74 year old woman who found Adi curled up next to a dumpster outside the Boiling Pot. Calls Adi Dinks. Took Adi in as her own, taught her how to cook.

T’Claude Michaud - owner of the restaurant Adi works in.

J.B. Nerbass - the big evil step-father. Mixed up with criminals. Is a killer.

Plotline
At the age of 14, Adi ran away from home. Her mother was a bitch – the kind to slap her around; the father was a step-father – and connected to criminal elements. In the prologue, 12 year old Merley Adison Nerbass accidentally walks in on her step-father, J.B. Nerbass, doing something bad. J.B. gathers his step-daughter to him, puts a gun in her hand, and helps her pull the trigger. Some guy named Ransom is now dead (I say some guy, he is known to Adi as the father of two kids she knows and sees in school). J.B. praises Adi for her killing ability.

From that moment on, J.B. included Adi in his criminal activities. Without her desire to be included. Her life is hellish. This proceeds for two years when finally Adi knows she has to just leave or she is going to end up dead – either by J.B. or from her soul withering away.

Chapter one opens 8 years later. Adi goes by a different name (though one that’s basically her old one minus Nerbass and reintroduction of her real father’s last name - Bergeron, perfect disguise, eh? – it’s true that Bertie calls her Dink, but she’s the only one to do that), and is now the chef/waitress in a restaurant. She was saved by the head person at that restaurant, one Bertie. Bertie took Adi in as her own.

Things heat up when two people from a magazine pop in (one named Dawn Chapman). They didn’t plan to be there exactly, but got lost. They sample most of the food on the menu. Decide to feature Adi for their chef of Louisiana (there’s this thing they are doing, no matter). Adi wants nothing to do with it. T’Claude, the owner of the place, loves the idea. Adi is basically forced to go along.

So – the magazine reporter shows up, one Griffith McNaulty.

Potential Issues
1) Not sure if it is an issue or not – the restaurant that Adi was found curled up outside of was called Boiling Point - supposedly the same restaurant she works in now. But the current restaurant is called Boiling Pot. Not sure if there was a name change or if there was a mistake and it was always Boiling Pot.

2) Okay, I get it already. Either the author, or the character - Griff, really dislikes Los Angeles (And Griff is from Los Angeles). Based on the 8 billion times things are compared with Los Angeles, and Los Angeles is found to be the lessor of whatever is being compared.

Some Thoughts
I dragged my feet on this one. I really did not wish to be the first to say anything about this book here. So I slowed myself down. Which meant both that reading this book took longer than it normally would have and I absorbed more of the words as they flashed past. No, that's not right. I normally absorb the words; I had more time with them I guess you could say.

I could probably go either way, but I basically liked Adi. Everyone else gave off creepy icky vibes.

It's a book about someone who ran away from a very bad situation (step-father was/is a very bad man in the killer/criminal way). Got found sleeping next to a dumpster. Got taken in by the woman who found her who gave her a job and a place to live. And now it's roughly 10 years later and a reporter is interviewing the chef at a dumpy-looking restaurant who serves outstanding food. That cook being Adi.

I understand that the author wanted to set up a situation wherein the reporter would just need to dig deep into Adi's background. But . . . the way things came about is annoying. Like - she got burnt by a prior story she did and now her name is mud. So, she's doing this freelance story about a chef. And she doesn't want to be 'burnt' again so she . . . . needs to know the truth about every second of Adi's life. Not finding out that the woman - the chef, had come from a bad background and that her story might have consequences is a real issue. And, quite frankly, one that does not really have a real solution. Digging deep into her past isn't a solution. The only real solution is to not publish any story (or not use Adi's name, but the article is about Adi; or giving Adi some code name - which would be odd, considering, again, the article is about Adi).

Whether or not the big baddie, step-pops, would read a magazine about cooking, there is the unfortunate part wherein Adi did change her name. By dropping her first and last name. And retaking her biological father's last name. And putting her middle name in front of it. As in . . . evil step-pops, seeing someone they vaguely recognize in a photo in a magazine would see a name they do recognize next to it.

So, the reporter really really needs to know all about Adi's past. Because otherwise her name is mud. But . . . um . . starting a relationship with your interview subject who is ten years younger than you is okay? I'd think that would be even more of a hindrance to repairing your reputation than failing to know Adi's backstory. (That and the out and out lying she does on the story - during the interviews, etc. is on a disturbing level).

I mentioned that all but Adi is creepy/icky. Then only mentioned how the reporter is icky/creepy. Indirectly. Well, Bertie, the woman who found Adi, is icky/creepy in a overly . . . . hmm . . . possessive way. And, if she didn't have the personality she has, she'd be an evil-step-mother type. She has Adi working basically 11 hours a day; she's super pushy and constantly bringing up issues Adi does not wish to discuss; and she's super-naive for a 74 year old (what bad could happen to have your story come out; so what if your super-evil-let's-kill-everyone-who-irratates-us step-father learn of where you currently are - nothing bad can happen from that). Plus - she never plans to retire, despite the fact that Adi has been waiting for Bertie to retire before moving off to some other city so that she can 'live'. Be openly lesbian. She can't in her current small town (she believes). The excuse pushy Bertie gives for getting Adi's story out there is because Adi needs to burst out of her shell . . . except that she's hindering her development by trapping her in the situation she currently is in. Just because she died doesn't take away the icky/creepy feeling

There are way too many story-lines here. It is a big ball of mess. If the 'two people meeting, realizing an attraction' had been followed, it might be an interesting book; or the mystery of whatever evil step-father had been followed alone, without the other baggage, or . . . .. But all together makes a mess of a book. Wordy. This would have been a hell of a lot better if this had just been a reporter doing a story that lead to an even bigger story. But as is, it's super annoying.

Long and short - there are several 'books' here, but it does not really work as one whole complete book. It's strange in it's way, but if each little plot line had been teased out and pushed into a separate book - they might have worked on their own, but all squashed together created an overwhelming wordy book.

July 3 2016

The Diary of a 100 Year Old Amused Senior by Estelle Craig

The Diary of a 100 Year Old Amused Senior
by Estelle Craig
Pages: 114
Date: March 12 2015
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Series: N/A

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: July 1 2016

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and AuthorHouse for an honest review.

Estelle Craig is a hundred years old and is here to tell you her story. Don't worry, she still has her memory - she remembers her own name, what happened to her today, yesterday, and what happened in her life 10-20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90 years ago. There is a certain amount of repetition, though somewhat less than might be expected in a memoir like this one here.

Craig tells of her life in New York city, New England, West Virginia, and Toronto. Being a women's interest columnist in West Virginia, performing in radios and in plays; and spending 41 years presenting entertaining speakers for the people of Toronto through the World Adventure Tours.

Also mentions of how she noticed older people (barely able to walk old people) attempting to stumble around on tours and trips. And knew that she didn't that for herself. She wanted to tour now. Not put it off. So she did. Becoming something of a world traveller - being one of the first to visit China when they allowed people in; sitting in the desert looking up at the pyramids; being in Rome at the same time Elizabeth Taylor was there and, on something of a whim, decides to attempt to interview her (previously established in the book is the part wherein Estelle Craig had sold interviews and the like to the Canadian radio .. . um . . Canadian Broadcasting Company?), and having a tour of the set.

Craig has done a lot in her long life, and she has some interesting stories to tell in this book here (and in her two other books, though that's by assumption, since I haven't read more than a sample for one of them - the sample was interesting enough that I ended up reading this book here).

July 1 2016

Far from Home by Lorelie Brown

Far from Home
by Lorelie Brown
Pages: 208
Date: August 1 2016
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publisher Book Link: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/far-from-home
Series: Belladonna Ink, (1st in series)

Review
Rating: 6.0 out of 5.0
Read: June 10 2016

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Riptide Publishing for an honest review.

To start off - I have one specific semi-major problem with the position I find myself in at this exact moment. And that's the part wherein it appears that all, after a quick check, of the other books published by this author, including those put out under another name, are all MF romances. I do not know what to do with myself now. heh-mmph.

Right, so. This is the first book I've read by this author under this or the other name I know they publish under (is on both bio of author and in book, Katie Porter).

This book here stars Rachel Fizel and Pari Sadashiv. Sadashiv is a native of India, and Fizel is a native of California, specifically the location they are currently in. San Sebastian California (my quick look at the other books by the author spotted San Sebastian appearing in at least one other book description).

The reader enters the action after a specific point. So how it came to pass that Rachel jokeningly, or otherwise, said something along the lines of 'I would marry you' to Pari is unclear. Looking and I see that the comment is literally the first thing in the book. By everything else that is revealed, it turns out that Sadashiv is legally in the USA on a specific type of work VISA, one tied to her current employer. But she wishes to become an independent contractor. Which she can't do under her current VISA, and going through immigration the 'normal way' has become a lot harder recently. So . . . she is open to the idea of marrying someone for a green card, and hopefully, for citizenship if whoever she marries and herself are able to stick together long enough.

One slight issue rears its head immediately. Rachel is not a lesbian. Which might be a small sign or point of contention when immigration investigates. That specific issue is pushed past.

Before you know it, Rachel and Pari are now living together. Going through the beginning motions of setting up their 'fake' marriage. They seem to get along well enough, so Pari decides to inform her parents via webcam. This leads to the mother announcing that she will be there shortly and will help with the wedding. The huge wedding of many guests.

One potential problem pops up fairly quickly after the mother arrives. Rachel, who - remember, is not a lesbian, has been having these rather lustful feelings for Pari. And Pari, for her part, keeps flirting with Rachel. That is not, specifically, the problem though. No, it's more the part wherein Rachel makes a move on Pari and Pari shuts her down. Arguing that they have to just remains friends, because they have 2 years to get through. If they tried to have a relationship - especially since Rachel, up to this point in her life, had not been a lesbian, then things might just fall apart.

Moving past doing a run down of the plot . . ..

I'd never heard of this author before. The subject matter - a variation of 'lesbian for you' or 'straight woman falls for lesbian woman' is one of those themes that I can rapidly grow tired off. The concept of a woman who is very much inside her own head, berating herself, measuring herself, taking very close eye on what she eats and how she interacts with the world is not one that I would think I would want anything to do with. Funny how everything unfolded then, eh?

No idea why, but my very first glimpse of this book caused two things to unfold within me - a strong desire to read this book, and the acknowledgement that this has certain things within it that could trigger annoyance in me. But from first glimpse of the book on Netgalley, to first glimpse of the actual text once I got the book, to the end of the book, I found myself in a happy kind of trance.

I loved every single moment of this book. At some point I thought to myself that I just want to be a fly on the wall, just . . . something. Watch them be together. I want to be able to watch them through the years of their lives, see them sitting on a beach, both in their seventies, just watching the sun set. I've no real idea why exactly I feel this way, but I rather enjoy both of the main characters, and, for that matter, Pari's mother.

Heck, I have a tendency to skim the erotic portions of books. Sometimes reading closely, sometimes barely reading, but mostly skimming. Here? I wanted to read each word. Feel it, caress it. Live it. So, obviously, I wasn't going to be skimming when graphic displays of an erotic nature occurred. And, quite frankly, I rather loved those sections of the book as well.

Well, I've just babbled, as I sometimes do, so I'll move on. If you, the reader of the review, take just one thing away from this review, it is this - this is a lovely book here. (oh, and I should probably have, at some point, noted that this is only the second book I've placed on my top rated shelf).

June 10 2016