Love in an Elevator: A Romantic Comedy Anthology

Love in an Elevator: A Romantic Comedy Anthology by Aven Ellis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


7 Chick Lit stories, 1 Dick Lit story, some by authors I've read before.

Hold the Lift by Aven Ellis
Age 23, Denver, Writer/reporter, athlete, MF

Woman arrives back to her apartment building after a long day of making fajitas. Smells like that. Is vaguely worried about how bad she smells. Doors begin to close, an English accent calls out 'hold the lift' - woman debates about doing so or letting the doors close. Holds the lift. Man gets on. Elevator goes up. Gets stuck. They are forced to spend hours talking. They get to know each other and like what they find. Eventually elevator repaired and their life (and story) continues.

Neat enough story. First thing I've read by this author.

Rating: 4.25

November 6 2016

Down, then Up by Beth Labonte
Las Vegas, Writer, Age - 31?, Second Chances, Flashbacks

One of the two authors in this collection that I have previously read.

A woman is on a Bachelorette trip, for her sister, to Las Vegas and she thinks it is worse than being on death row for a murder you did not commit, or winning the jackpot but losing the ticket in a fire. All because she gave up alcohol or something like that.

Late one night Lauren Oswald, the star of this particular story, is sent no a mission by her drunk sister and her sister's equally drunk friends - go forth and acquire donuts. Lauren initially thinks of fighting this request but then notices that one of the women seems to be on the edge of barfing. And then she recalls that she might actually like getting away for a while. So she does - darting out the door to find donuts.

The mission is derailed/redirected, adjusted immediately. When the elevator door pops open and Lauren spots the one man she didn't want to see - her ex-boyfriend from college. Who she hasn't seen for something like 10 years.

She briefly thinks of not getting on but does.

Whereupon a series of flashbacks and 'current present events' unfolds. Showing Lauren and Jamie Mullins (that ex-boyfriend) marching forward from introduction to each other, friendship, relationship, then splitsville, to leaping forward 10 years to 'today'. Though the first flashback occurs 13 years earlier.

Quite deep and enjoyable story - complete in and of itself - a full story, not just a snippet like many short stories can be.

Rating: 4.45

November 20 2016

Going Up? by Whitney Dineen
New York, Blue Collar, Mob Boss/Mafia

Another author I've read before.

A woman goes to New York from Western PA to try to succeed at her chosen profession (massage), but fails to get much luck. Takes a job as an elevator operator in an upscale location to pay the bills ($28.50 an hour to operate an elevator, mmphs).

Ends up flirting with one of the people who regularly rides the elevator who she thinks is a handy-man. Gives a massage to a mob boss (different guy), gets conned out of her fee by an old woman, etc etc.

Her grandmother owns and runs a biker bar, her mother . . . um, is equally 'independent' (word choice used in story) but I can't recall what she does, something about pottery, and her grandfather could be a mob boss . . . possibly/potentially.

This is actually a pretty interesting slice of life story involving a young woman finding a long lost family member. Problem, though, is that this story is in a romance collection. And the romance? Very thin. Very. Basically it consisted of 'young woman meets young man, they flirt, now they are a couple'. And so . . . lower rating. Sadly.

Rating: 3.5

November 21 2016

Taking a Chance by Becky Monson
New York, Facing Fears, Age-20s

Haven't read this author before.

A neat story about a woman somewhere around 23 years of age who is attempting to fulfill her dead sister's bucket list - she made a promise. Even if most of the things on the list are things that she's afraid of (like heights, and close spaces, and people, and germs), but she made a promise.

She bumps into a man in the elevator on the way up to the top of the Empire State Building who attempts to help her when she begins to show signs of panicing. panic-ing. hmms. He is about 27 or something like that.

I initially gave the story a rating of 4.45, though it probably deserves something higher than that.

Rating: 4.50

November 29 2016

Happy to be Stuck with You by Rich Amooi
Humor, Finance, Dick-Lit

Certain amount of humor does not overcome some of the short-comings inherent in this story. I was reluctant to read this one, but I figured I shouldn't prejudge a story just because it's by a man and starts in the point of view of a man - and calls itself chick-lit when it's clearly dick-lit.

But then the POV shifted to a woman and . . . I wanted to just toss the story and not finish it. But it is just a short story. And. Stuff. For better or worse it was not easy to read that type of female character and know that it is by a male author - granted it isn't easy to read when know female author, but harder to take with male author.

Then there was that 'smile' 'beautiful' comment and I wanted to shove a ice pick into the guy's dick.

So, this story didn't work for me.

Rating: 1.5 - 2

November 29 2016

Upstairs, Downstairs . . . and the Lift Between by Geralyn Corcillo
England, Class/cultural differences

Haven't read this author before.

A woman has saved up five years so that she can have a 'country estate party' type of 'fantasy' experience in an old Baron estate in England. She herself is from California and works with computers.

She is a bright bubbly type, full of energy and joy. Brightens every room she enters. She's Maisy.

Then there's a fella named Mark. He's always running all over the place, working on/for Drakenfall -the name of the country estate.

Then Mark and Maisy meet, and both take a fancy to the other. But . . . one is a guest, and the other works downstairs. Soooo....

Lovely story. A few things of annoyance, but easily brushed past. Oddness about the narrator - vaguely confused, but I think everything was actually narrated by some old woman who watched everything unfold. Not exactly a POV I've come across a lot in my reading. Some vaguely disinterested/interested third party narrating stuff.

Rating: 4.9

November 29 2016

The Only Way is Up by Lindy Dale
Australia, Writer

Haven't read this author before.

A rather emotional woman, and a rather unprofessional man end up having their lives entangled. Twice. First when the woman fainted in an elevator and woke up to a man kissing her (him: I was giving you mouth to mouth!; her: You were sexually assaulting me!), then again when it turns out that the man had actually being heading to the hotel (in which the elevator was lcoated) to meet the woman (though neither recognized the other upon first meeting - the man didn't know what the woman looked like, and the woman didn't know her publiscist was sick and that his boss would be handling her on her book tour).

Well. PR man acts very unprofessionally. Writer woman acts professionally in public, and quite emotionally out of the public eye. Naturally they are perfect for each other.

The 'neatest' thing about this specific story is the part where it was taking place in Melbourne Australia.

Rating: 3.3

November 29 2016

Out of Order by Dee Ernst
Building Super, Paralegal, Writer, Morristown New Jersey, age: 40s

Haven't read this author before.

The lead female in this story has a rich aunt who lives in Morristown. She's going to Paris for a week, and needs her niece to live in her place to watch her dog. The LF (heh) is a paralegal with a writing fetish. Hmm. That isn't right. Fetish. hmm. Well, she writes in her spare time but is not confident enough to attempt to get her stuff published.

Neat thing about the story - both lead female and lead male are in their 40s.

Lead male is a building super (manager) and, apparently, something of a 'hunk'.

Which can cause 'issues' since the lead female has a lot of trouble acting like herself around handsome men - she turns into the type of woman who tries to guess what the man really wants then force herself to be that. She's attempting to stop being that type of woman.

I rather liked this specific story. So much so I've already picked up another book by this author (well, to be fair, what I picked up was the first book in her mystery series - which was free).

Rating: 4.44

November 29 2016

Overall

Hold the Lift by Aven Ellis - 4.25
Down, then Up by Beth Labonte - 4.45
Going Up? by Whitney Dineen - 3.50
Taking a Chance by Becky Monson - 4.50
Happy to be Stuck with You by Rich Amooi -2.00
Upstairs, Downstairs . . . and the Lift Between by Geralyn Corcillo - 4.9
The Only Way is Up by Lindy Dale - 3.30
Out of Order by Dee Ernst - 4.44

Overall average rating: 3.9175



View all my reviews

How Do You Know? by Meredith Schorr

How Do You Know?
by Meredith Schorr
Pages: 270
Date: December 2 2014
Publisher: Booktrope Editions

Review
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Read: December 25 to 26 2015

My second book that I have read that had been written by this author.

I’m vaguely surprised, in the end, by where I ended up rating this book. I have many a review wherein I make comments about the age of the participants, in a manner suggesting that if they hadn’t been so much younger (or, occasionally, older) I’d feel a closer connection to the book and/or possibly like the book more. Well, I should have just loved this book here, eh? I mean, it ‘starred’ a woman of my own age, not near, not slightly older, slightly younger, but my own age. And the setting was my own city.

Before I go further, no I didn’t assume that I’d love a book simply because of these characteristics (age of characters, setting). Just hadn’t run across the specific characteristics much and figured I’d like it more than I did.

Hmm. I just noticed that the book is listed as a first in a series. The other book I’ve read by Schorr is/was also the first book in a series. That one, the other first in a series book, actually either having the second book just now appearing or appearing shortly. Considering how this story unfolded, well . . . not important. (hmm. Rereading this . . . I had some point. I've no idea what that point is now).

The book opens with one Maggie Piper, 38 and with the love of her life, Doug. She works in a law firm as the marketing person. But not staff. I’ve no real idea what that means, where she actually is in the hierarchy, just that there was this big point made over and over again that she was ‘not staff’. As in, perfectly acceptable to turn up at an ‘attorney-only’ party. But whatever that means, she’s that. She loves her job, her man, and seems to like her family and friends too. She’s about to turn 39 though, days away or something like that, I forget now how close. And that reminds her of how close she is to 40. So she freaks out.

Did I mention she loved her man? Well, they’ve been going out for a while now, three years or so, live together even. Well, those aren’t just words she bats around. The love one I mean. She does in fact love him. The stuff they do the life they live. Etc. But . . . she isn’t really sure if he really and truly is ‘her one true love.’ So, she asks for a moment or to think about things. Instead of a break, like she requested, he breaks up. ‘If you don’t know now if you really love me, you won’t know after a break!’ he screams (or, actually, mutters with shiny eyes). What an asshole.

So. She’s now 39 and single. I mentioned 38 before; they broke up on her day of birth. So, 39 and single. Starring at the dating pool again. Naturally she does a second stupid thing. She dates her boss. Not literally the next second. Months are going by in this book. It’s set over slightly more than a year 39-40. But, yeah, she dates her boss. Because he’s so . . . um . . . something. They appear to have nothing in common, but at least she’s not stuck with a guy she loves, likes being with, and even likes watching television (which the boss doesn’t like doing; nor like amusement parks, another thing both Doug and Maggie love).

I’ve no inherent problem with reassessing where you are, what you are doing with your life. But the way she went about it with her man was like kind of stupid. Then to go off and date your boss? That’s just . . . icky. And no, I’m not picturing my own boss and shuddering – putting us in place of Maggie and whatever the guys name is in this book. No the icky part was getting involved with someone either higher up or lower down the chain of command. Getting involved with a coworker is kind of iffy enough without adding layers of power one way or another.

So, the book unfolds. Doug is off dating others. Maggie is dating others. Life continues. Her friends drift in and out of her life. She drinks a lot. Talks to her television. Spontaneous breaks into victory dances after guessing correctly about stuff occurring on the television. You know, life moves on. A slice of her life has been scooped up and offered for people to peer at. To a certain extent, reminding myself that this is a slice of a person’s life, helped keep me interested and moving on instead of focusing on some of the ‘dumb’ decisions made.

Not a bad book per se. Just odd. Maggie had read a lot of romantic books. She just knows there’s supposed to be angst and conflict and stuff, so it just must mean something if there wasn’t any with her relationship with Doug (pre-break up). Interesting twist. Not sure I particularly liked any of the characters as people, but meh.

December 28 2015

Touch of Trouble AND Time for Trouble by Susan Sey

Touch of Trouble
by Susan Sey
Pages: 75
Date: April 13 2014
Publisher: Third Girl Publishing
Series: Blake Brothers Trilogy #2.5

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: December 22 2015

A quick short story by an author I've read two previous books in this series.

Book doesn't actually start immediately after the previous book, it actually starts in a police station with Drew and Meg sitting there. Telling a cop why they are there. Then book flashes back to near the end of the last book. With Hildy racing in her car to an unknown, to Drew, location, and Drew in his car chasing Hildy. Meg's sitting next to him dodging his questions, and flirtations.

As I believe I read in a review, this is less a romance and more a look at Meg's family. Sure Drew flirts with Meg and makes her feel things she didn't expect to feel from such a young guy, one who seems unable to be serious, but she 'friend-zone''s him hard.

Heh. I was just thinking to myself, while staring at the cover, about what to write next (I knew, but my mind wandered), and the thought crossed my mind about how the covers, all of them in this series, show legs. A series about brothers. Cover's show women's legs. Started to think why that might be when it hit me that I already knew why this one had that on the cover. Drew is very fascinated by Meg's legs. Her long long legs. So . . ..

Before I distracted myself - so, yeah, this is a book about family. Specifically Meg's family. And less about Drew and Meg. Interesting story. Hildy being the mother. And 'special' - as in she works as something of a . . . hmm, not sure correct word, I'll call her a ghost buster for the heck of it. Joe, Hildy's ex, is described as an alpha male. Hates the very idea that his wife, ex-wife, is a con artist (in his view). Meg - the 'sane' twin. Quite good with electronics. Doesn't believe anyone when they say she's 'pretty'. Believes anyone interested in her would instantly turn their affections towards her sister, Clara. Clara's the 'insane' twin. I'd say something like - at least when she doesn't take her medication, but no, she's 'insane' even on her meds. So, that's the Wise family.

It's a short story - it's a short review. Heck, I didn't even mean to read this here story, but I'd started on the third book in the series (this story being considered 2.5), and realized that the book was opening too far forward in Meg and Drew's 'relationship', so I needed to go back and read the short story. So I did. The short story was entertaining. Had a bit of humor. And stuff. Off to the third book I go.

Time for Trouble
by Susan Sey
Pages: 309
Date: April 13 2015
Publisher: Third Girl Publishing
Series: Blake Brothers Trilogy #3

Review
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Read: December 22 to 23 2015

My third book by this author, fourth work when including the short story. Everything read falling within the Blake Brothers series.

This is a vaguely strange series in that it kept bouncing around genres/themes/etc. First one involved celebrities, athletes and sports agents. Well, more the reality tv angle I’m going for here. Second introduced ghosts, the paranormal and ghost busters. Third introduced spy or crime caper or thriller.

This story barely made it to 3 stars. I was quite certain it’d end up getting only 2. This is strange as there were some good interesting parts. And it began strong. I stopped shortly after beginning to go back and read the ‘prequel’ short story, since I felt like I was ‘missing’ stuff. And I liked the short story. And the characters in it. Despite involving the same characters, Meg and Drew, I didn’t really like the characters in this one. Oh, and yes, I do think reading the short story first greatly enhances this here book.

I mean, that whole ‘Meggy – don’t call me Meggy! – you know she doesn’t like to be called that right? – that’s why I do it! I know she hates it! *giggles insanely*’ thing was super annoying. It wasn’t cute it wasn’t fun(ny). It was just downright creepy. Personally, I preferred when Drew kept calling her Pretty Meg. Instead of, you know, Meggy.

It’s strange looking back on the series, but the brother I like best of all, at least by the end of it, was Will. I never really got a good handle on James – that or by the end, I’d forgotten what exactly made him tick. I assume I had a better handle on him earlier, and that it was more than ‘smart-alacky, smarmy, lazy, super-star’. Will was, and still is to a certain extent, mostly a mean bastard. But he’s up front about it. He kind of has a rage-y shell over a raging asshole. While Drew, well, I’ll be wordier as he’s the star of this here book.

Drew is a man-child. He lost his parents at really young age, ten, and was warped by it. Not desiring to ‘lose’ anyone ever again, he developed a shell. People in this situation tend to go in two directions. The one I normally see in popular entertainment is the other path/direction. The direction/path in which the person ‘hurt’ at a young age puts on an angry grimace and glares at the world around them. That’s their mask, their shell over whatever is beneath. Drew went the other direction. He put a happy go lucky smile on his face. Bounced around all cheery like. This is a mask/shell over a mixture of numbness and rage. The outside shell mostly included crap that is quite off-putting to me personally. Including the outward appearance of never being able to take anything seriously. His need to say ‘I love you’ to everyone around him at every opportunity. And not really meaning it. Mostly.

Will and Drew sure can’t read women. Will’s a strong dominant type who is kind of rough. And knows it. So he was freaked when he ‘let himself out’ and ‘hurt’ Audrey when they had their sex scenes in the second book. And completely misread Audrey’s reactions to it. For example, she was moaning in pleasure, and he thought she was crying in despair. Will kept trying to stop himself. The woman in his life kept having to, basically, beg him to continue. And Drew? The opposite, to a certain extent.

During a sex scene with Meg, he got really creepy. Verging on rape-y creepy. It’s a good thing Meg actually wanted him, eh? Because . . . otherwise his actions could have landed him in the hospital and possibly jail (what, Meg’s strong, able to knock someone out with one punch . . . or something like that). Why do I say all of this? Because of how everything broke down. Gah, every fucking time. More or less.

Meg’s freaking out about a situation; he can barely hear her for his need to pounce on her. So he does. Forcing himself onto her with a kiss. To which she replies in kind. So he continues. When she tries to push him away, when she indicates she wants him to stop, what does he do? He thrusts his hands into her, now open, shirt to grope her. To fondle her breasts. Why? What were the thoughts going on in his head? That he might never have another opportunity, and fuck the consequences, he just needs to touch her, fondle and grope her. That’s . . . you know, super creepy.

Luckily for him, she was trying to get him to stop not for the sake of stopping their amorous activity, but to rearrange them into a more fuckable position. So, yeah, Will couldn’t read that Audrey loved what was going on and was horrified by it, and Drew couldn’t read that Meg also loved what was going on, and was, basically, turned on by it. So you might see why Will ended up being my favorite brother. James was so memorable that I can’t remember what he was like. Drew was a perv-y creep, and Will was a strong dominant type who cared what others felt.

The other star of this show, Meg, is also something like ‘damaged goods’ because of her family background. She’s a twin. In that when her mother gave birth, two daughters came out. Not in that she has someone who looks like her like a clone. Meg got the legs. Clara got the looks. Meg thought she got the brains, but Clara, once she applied herself, proved that she was quite intelligent as well. So, Meg got the legs. And that kind of warped her. Because when the two were standing next to each other, men drooled over Clara and didn’t give Meg a second look. And her parents kind of thrust their attention towards Clara. Making Meg something of an outsider in her own family. Though more because Clara had a mental illness issue and would go on psychotic episodes. So, Meg was damaged by that. Shown in this book by her constant mentioning to herself how unattractive she is to others. (That whole no underwear thing was kind of weird, but I do not wish to express any additional thoughts on the matter).

So, the book itself. Or, less on the characters now. The book opens with Drew and Meg in a bar. About 8 years after the second book. Drew spots Meg talking to a ‘very handsome man’ and becomes enraged. Charges across the room, grabs the man and thrusts him into a table. For it is Ian, the guy who Drew had watched die 12 or so years ago. They then proceed to drink a lot then go on a crime caper. That whole crime caper thing was just plain stupid. Mostly in how easily Drew and Meg were talked into it. Into doing it right then and there. Granted that Meg didn’t really want to do it, but she did. For such a smart guy, Drew sure did a lot of dumb shit. And based on various comments/thoughts here and there, he knew it too.

It’s unfortunate, but this is how the series ends. With a book I’d probably rate 2.8 stars.

December 24 2015