Warriors of the Heart by BadSquirrel

Warriors of the Heart
by BadSquirrel
Pages: 173
Date: December 2012
Publisher: Self
Series: None
URL: http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/badsquirrel_warriors_of_the_heart.html

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: August 17 2016

It is funny in it's way. One of the reasons I decided to try this book was because it involved an undercover police officer. More directly, because it involved said police officer operating undercover as a stripper.

And nearly the first scene, or around there, involved a lap dance by said undercover officer given to a woman. Who promptly orgasmed. One of those 'quickest to orgasm' type moments, eh?

Who knew, from that background, what I'd actually find when I continued reading? The two main characters, Rachel and Stevie, are probably my two favorite characters I've come across. There's family turmoil, religious turmoil, crime, passion, thrills and chills.

This might be the best family/religious/LGBT-related book I've read.

While reading I was thinking several thoughts, one of which is - why am I able to read this book for free? Other than a few mentions here or there of green eyes, I noticed nothing that would put either woman as being stamped from the mold of the two main women from Xena. Maybe Stevie and Rachel are modeled on some other couple?

There was one moment wherein I think the author or someone got confused (maybe it is I who got confused), but there is one moment when it appeared that Rachel, for one brief scene, had her name switch from Rachel to Teresa, to Rachel again. Other than that specific issue, this was a lot more polished than I'd have expected (granted I'm not talking about the formatting, that was annoying how scenes/etc, meshed together; while other scenes kept getting interupted by large blocks of text informing everyone the name of the book and the page number). Right, think I lost my focus there, I had meant to just note that I did not see anything specifically that would have kept this book from being published for pay.

Not sure which would have lead me to it quicker, free, published for pay, or published for free. *shrugs* No matter. I rather enjoyed the book.

August 17 2016

Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz

Trigger Mortis
by Anthony Horowitz
Pages: 310
Date: September 8 2015
Publisher: Harper
Series: James Bond

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: April 29 to 30 2016

This is something like my 51st or 52nd James Bond book I've read. But even so, I was reluctant to read this book. Several reasons - (1) I got the book for free, not normally an obstacle to my enjoyment, but why was this book, a James Bond book of recent vintage, free?; (2) it has been a rather long while since I read a Bond book; (3) the concept of Bond, his place in society, and his vaguely out-dated way with women had finally reached a breaking point years before I read this book. So . . . could I actually read this book here?

Well, attempt to read it I did. *shrugs* I mean, it was free, it was Bond, and I did have a challenge on GoodReads that would accept this book and so, I attempted it.

Unlike many of the non-Fleming Bond books, this one actually took place back in the time of Fleming's Bond - literally moments after the Goldfinger mission. The book actually opens up with him dealing with the aftermath of that mission (which includes having him have Pussy Galore in his apartment in London - because she needed to get away from the US authorities, the criminal element and stuff).

Goldfinger was released in 1959. I do not recall a date appearing in Trigger Mortis, but since the story takes place immediately after Goldfinger, I assume that the events taking place have to have occurred some time around 1959. There is mention of Eisenhower as the president, and mention of the Republicans in power, so 1959 works.

While dealing with the weird situation of actually having a woman in his apartment (he tries to keep his spy life separate from his London life), Bond is contacted by his superiors. Asked about his driving abilities. Apparently the Soviets have built a race car and they are going to be racing at a specific race track. One that has already claimed [insert some high number here] deaths.

All well and good, of course, but . . . SMERSH is involved. And they have apparently targeted the English race driver - the favorite in the race. So, the book turns to having Bond train to drive a race car (actually, retrain since he had apparently had some practice at that in the past). He is going to go undercover as some rich guy buying his way into the race, which apparently happens. He is going to use the lovely cover name of 'James Bond'. As an aside, this is one of the reasons I kind of always assumed Bond itself was a cover name - who the hell goes around and tells everyone asking his name 'Bond, James Bond' unless he's using the name itself as part of his cover? Both in terms of it not actually being his real name, and in terms of that's a name well-known in spy circles, with a rather big elite reputation. But, I'm getting off track here.

The car training/racing scenes were quite fun. Not a large part of the book, but still exciting. Then the story turns to the after-party for the car racers and hangers-on. Some action in a castle, meeting a woman there, stuff happens. Spy stuff, I mean.

The spy stuff there lead to spy stuff taking place in the USA directly connected to the USA space program. And a plan by enemies of the USA to impact the USA space program. Some exciting scenes here as well - in Virginia and New York. Mostly.

I was on edge throughout most of the book, tittering on the edge of 'is he going to do something now? Now? Now? To piss me off with his cave-man 'me-man, you-woman, obviously want to hump me' ways. But there were some surprises along the way. Some of which I doubt would have actually appeared in a book released in 1959/1960 (some elements of it, just not the full bits). Like how a woman Bond was eyeing, dodges his advances, and goes off with another woman. In a Bond book. And he didn't immediately rape her (sorry, overpower her) and show her what she was missing - man-wise (like, say, in most of his encounters with women - there's even a scene, the after party for the car racers, where Bond looks around in disdain. All the women were purring and eager for action. Bond turned his nose up at them - he needs a challenge, to overpower. Which goes along with Bond's character as shown in other works - like that one specific woman in a film who eagerly bounced around him and tried to hump him at every opportunity, and Bond kept kicking her away).

The action was interesting. The characters and events were 'Bond' like. Bond himself . . . hmms. I was thinking at the time that Bond was feeling vaguely off for some reason. As if someone in about 2014 or 2015 had the task of writing a Bond book, set back in the 'bad old days' aka Fleming's macho man days, while also knowing that they were writing a book to be released today. There's this vague vibe of 'need to show him looking macho, but not piss people off' type of vibe. That, actually, made Bond look less Bond like than he should have. But, whatever.

Good book. I enjoyed it.

April 30 2016

Faster Harder by Colleen Masters

Faster Harder (Take Me... #1)
by Colleen Masters
Pages: 308
Date: December 13 2013
Publisher: Hearts Collective
Series: Take Me... (1st in series)

Review
Rating: 3.8 out of 5.0
Read: April 15 2016

This is one of those unfortunate times when a book gets read and finished when I'm not in a position to do anything about the fact that I'd read and finished it. So there's this delay that gets built in - both in terms of getting my thoughts together for a review, and in terms of other works have been examined/read since the completion of this book here. So, let me see what I can put together here.

First off - I'm not actually sure what I'd rate this book. I'd initially put it down on the 3 star level - more so I could mark it read (I was away from my computer, and my phone was giving me issues); though I had the thought that I'd probably rate the book somewhere around 3.5 to 4.2. Realizing that, now, I move it up to the 4 star level.

The book involves Siena Lazio and Forumla 1 racing. And I admit that I read the book largely because I wanted to read another book that involved car racing. They seem oddly hard to find. Oh, and the book was free, so that helped. I mean being offered on Amazon for $0.00, not meaning that it was free to me and only me.

Siena Lazio is an Italian-American woman of roughly 25 years of age who works for her family's car racing team - Team Ferrelli. Technically not actually her family's car team, just they have had a long history with the team, and Siena's pop owns a majority stake. The Lazio family, and Team Ferrelli are, in the book's world, highly regarded in the sport of auto-racing. Siena's pop is majority owner of the team, and an hands on manager; her brother is the lead driver for the team (and the brother is her twin). Siena works public relations for the team, though she is being constantly undermined by her father - who seems to only be able to see her as his daughter; and, is constantly being 'watched' - 'guarded'. Both in terms of what she does reflects on the team, and in terms of 'she's a female family member, therefore, 'obviously' she needs to be watched'. The brother, on the other hand, while required to be the top, and be constantly working on being ready to race, isn't as controlled off the track - in terms of - he is allowed to be a ladies man.

So, the book opens with the start of a new F1 season. The team, and the race, is in Barcelona. Siena feels the need to 'unwind', so she goes to a night club. Followed along by her 'watcher', the son of the team ... manager? I forget what post Gus fills (that's the father, not the son). The son and Siena grew up together, and Siena believes that the son (this would be easier if I'd done the review immediately after I'd read the book - I can't recall the son's name) lusts after her; but she can't see him as anything other than a brother-type.

So - they are in a night club in Barcelona. Siena wants to be herself; that son guy keeps being an uptight ass. Eventually Siena gets that son guy to leave and soon bumps into a man named Harrison. She doesn't say who she is in terms of auto-racing; and he doesn't say who he is. Though both acknowledge that they are somehow involved in F1. They flirt, they dance, they end up in the bathroom together; some fondling begins but they get tossed out before they can get anywhere.

Harrison, which will be eventually learned, is a guy by the name of Harrison Davies. 'Secret weapon' for Team McClain. Which is right in the book's description. heh. He's a driver and will give Enzo some competition for champion of F1 (Enzo being Siena's brother).

There's a 'Romeo & Juliet' vibe going on in this book - in terms of Davis being a member of Team McClain, and Siena being a member of Team Ferrelli.

There are some scenes on the track, though most everything that involves the auto-races are from Siena's perspective watching. This is the first book in a series; maybe additional books shift the POV to someone actually behind the wheel? I might find out some day.

Oh, and the book felt quite complete and then there had to be a cliffhanger ending tacked on at the end. Mind you, that was, to a certain extent, foreshadowed, but still.

April 18 2016