Coffee on Wednesdays by dare121

Title: Coffee on Wednesdays
Author dare121

Fanfiction: Gotham City Sires (comics), Smallville (TV), Supergirl (TV; Alt universe)
Link: Archive of Our Own

Review:
I do not believe I can stress enough how incredibly long this book is. Super super long. So so long. So many thousands upon thousands of words. But, enough of that.

Supergirl gets 'shipped' with a bunch of different people in fanfictions - I've read a few, not read a few others. Specifically limiting myself to Supergirl + some other woman relationships (since I haven't paid attention to see if there are any with her and any men), we have: SuperCat (Kara + Cat Grant); SuperCorp (Kara + Lena Luther - Lena runs L-Corp, I assume that's where the Corp part comes form); SuperLocke (Kara + Emily Locke from Powerless - included because I've read said ship; oh, and that's not an 'official' ship-name, but seemed to fit, so I used it); and here we have . . . no idea what ship name to use. In other fanfictions some version of cest gets used. Like, maybe calling this Supercest. That's shockingly popular, by the way, having a bunch of incest stories floating around. But that doesn't actually work here since, not only is Alex and Kara not blood relatives, they weren't raised as sisters in this story (this is what happens when I insert a paragraph before what I'd already written, mmphs - yeah, Kara, as I mention again later, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, not the Danvers). So, two completely unrelated people, who only first meet as adults, get into a relationship together, one named Kara Kent, other named Alex Danvers. The natural ship name would probably, following the theme above, be something like SuperDanvers, or the like, but that still implies incest, which isn't occurring here. Probably something that incorporates Kent into the name should probably be used for the ship name. *shrugs*

This story here is a Supergirl story based on the television show; though, technically, and this is something I found out only after starting, this is more of a Gotham City Sirens comic fanfiction, mixed with a Smallville tv show fanfiction, with layers of the first season of Supergirl (TV). And even for the Supergirl part, this just takes some of the ideas, and sets the story in some other world/universe. For example, story includes Kara as Supergirl, but she was raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent, the same people who raised Superman (in every story I know about except the one where he landed in Russia and presumably was raised by Russians - referring here to 'Red Son' story). And, while Kara still works with Win in this story, Win is in the background and almost never speaks (more on that later . . . if I remember*); and while she works for Cat Grant, Cat Grant does not run a media company, but a string of coffee shops.

From Gotham City Sirens we get Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Harley Quinn, and Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy living and working together - and appearing in this story as well. For they are friends with Barbara Gordon. Oh, I'm sorry, I meant 'Alex Danvers'. Alex, you see, is from Gotham, and her father is the police commissioner. And while she didn't become Batgirl, she did go into the police (as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon wanted to do, but was kept from doing by her father). While there is mention of an actual Barbara Gordon in this story, in passing, Alex really does seem to have Gordon's backstory, while still having the Supergirl (TV) personality of Alex Danvers.

From Smallville we get: the main enemy in this storyline (and possibly Clark Kent/Superman + Lois Lane might also be Smallville's versions, not sure). The main enemy is . . . I forget now exact words, but something like 'Hero Menace'. It's an organization that believes that heroes are a menace and should be stopped from existing. Apparently that was a thing on Smallville, though I didn't see enough of that show to have seen them. If you've seen X-Men, you might have come across the idea before.

Right, so Kara Kent works, as her day job, in a coffee shop. The first 20 pages, or thereabouts, of this story take place entirely in that coffee shop. Though eventually we get out of there, and eventually Supergirl is also seen. Though it takes a really long time for the first physical appearance of Supergirl (she's mentioned a bunch of times before she is ever seen). And I'm not trying to separate out Supergirl into a separate character, no that's Kara Kent's night job. At the coffee shop, working beside her, is Kara Kent's best friend - Lucy Lane (sister of Lois Lane). Also there is Cat Grant, as boss, and Winn, as coworker-maker of food. Oh, and to somewhat round things out on this end - James, presumably the same James from Supergirl (TV), is Lucy's somewhat estranged husband. Kara is one of the point of views.

Another point of view is Alex Danvers. Alex, along with everything else I already noted, is a police detective who has moved from Gotham to National City (an important thing to note that Gotham is on the USA east coast and National City is on USA west coast, since people from Gotham kept popping up in this story) after 'the incident' forced her to flee Gotham and her former life (The incident is lifted directly from something that had already occurred in the comics; there's even a comment that 'this incident is one that is just like what had happened to Barbara Gordon'; also, based on how Alex kept reacting, the incident really didn't match up to her feelings of self-hatred and need to keep away from superpowered people). Because of that 'incident', Alex no longer desires to work with, near, or around superpowered people, though she isn't anti-supers. Unlike her new boss (Max Lord, new police chief) and his terrorist friends (hero menace).

Alex and Kara bump into each other at Kara's place of work. They have a lovely slow burn fluffy relationship starting when some ill-timed, inappropriate stuff occurs in Kara's line of sight that causes waves of angst and heartbreak. Based on how Alex is friends with the Gotham Sirens, and they are very touchy-feely.

Interesting story. Mostly enjoyable. To a large degree, the only part that I could have lived without - seriously - is the whole issue involving James and Lucy; and the yelling at Lucy done by her sister Lois. Though mostly the James, while still married to Lucy, 'falls for' both Lois and Clark Kent. And they are quite inappropriate about the whole thing and stuff.

ETA: * - and I did forget. mmphs. Right, so - the very important point I had meant to mention is relatively simple. There are several important men in this story: Hank Henshaw - Alex Danvers police partner; Winn - food maker; James - husband of Lucy Lane; Superman/Clark Kent; Max Lord - chief of police; random henchmen and higher ups on criminal side; the police therapist etc. There are a bunch of important women in this story, two of which have POVs (Alex Danvers; Kara Kent): Kara Kent; Alex Danvers; Lucy Lane; Lois Lane; mother Danvers (Elisa Danvers?); Selina Kyle (Catwoman); Harley Quinn; Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy); Cat Grant. One important agender person (Officer Vasquez). And the point? 99.999999% of the men have very little to do in this story - very little in the form of lines/scenes/etc. Hank Henshaw is the one exception - he has both an important role in the story, and an important amount of 'screen time'. The rest? Mentioned. Rarely scene - one example: Max Lord is the much despised boss. How do we the readers know? Alex talks about him as being the much despised boss to others. There are scenes wherein Alex is called back to his office, scenes where he has a smug smirking look on his face but . . . he's an evil critter who is more 'there' than 'there'. His scenes consist of Alex going into his office, then leaving being pissed off/shocked/etc. He rarely says anything - in the book. 99% of the other men face similar 'lost scenes' issues. Like - Win is constantly in the cafe at the same time Kara and Lucy work there, he is mentioned, they occasionally walk past him and . . he almost never opens his mouth, he almost has zero impact at all on the story - one counter to mentioning him -> he is in the back area making food so . . . less chance for him to talk; well there's also the Asian man who works up front with Kara and Lucy and I believe he never opens his mouth in this book. That's what I mean when I mention that there's something odd going on with the men in this book. The women? Well, Cat Grant has some important scenes, but mostly a background character. Similarly Lois Lane. And yet - both have roughly the same 'importance' to the story as someone like Clark Kent and Max Lord and yet most of the men's scenes are mentioned/told about later, while Lane and Grant's scenes are shown to the reader. Not sure what the weird thing that is going on in this story. I mean, this is an almost 1000 page book - most of the women have significant 'page time', while all men but for Hank are background characters who are almost silent.

Rating: 3.70

October 2 2017

Her Hometown Girl by Lorelie Brown

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

First off, a little snippet on why my rating isn't higher than it is: It is quite possible that if one specific aspect had not been included in the book, I would have likely liked the book about . . . oh, maybe 75% more than I did. It is one of those things that just shuts me down, drives me away, and makes me want to not read what I'm reading. If this book had been by anyone else, and if I hadn't already read the two previous books in this series and loved them - I likely would have not been able to continue, would have had to not finish the book.

I'd love to say that either I worked past that issue, or that the issue was not a large one in the book. However much anyone else might feel about the subject, it was large enough to adversely impact me.

This is a book that involves a woman who had to tightly control themselves in their small town in Idaho and couldn't wait to spread her wings in some much larger location - because she's a lesbian ('funny' how the tone changed on that aspect later in the book). While reading that, like say in a flashback or something, would not have been a favorite thing for me to read - it is not what I'm referring to nor are there any flashbacks in this book. That same woman then, once she arrived at a California based college, allowed herself to be 'taken over' by another woman. One who constantly berated her and controlled her. One who she only finally got away from when she caught the woman humping one of the caterers on their wedding day (that then didn't happen - the wedding). That's how the book opens, by the way - with Tansy finding Jody on top of a man. But no, as hard as it is to read about an abusive relationship, and about a woman trying to recover from that relationship (that included, and this is an important type of trigger warning, but also a spoiler, so I put behind a spoiler tag - there's just one word there rape, that also isn't the issue I had problems with. Well, I don't particularly like reading about abuse and the like, and I have skipped books that included it, but that isn't the issue that caused me to not wish to continue this book when it first popped up (then relatively easily pass by; much much harder to pass by the second time - I literally had to stop in the middle of a sex scene because of this issue and not pick up the book again until a day or two later).

I've really built this up, haven't I? Well, it's a combination of power imbalance, and 'daddy and little play'. Yes, daddy. Tansy literally called Cai daddy during activities that occurred (maybe only once, - after I realized what the sex scenes were going to be focused on, I started just skimming them, so that daddy might have just been once, power imbalance and words like 'little', 'good girl', and other references that turn Tansy into a kid like figure and Cai into a parent like figure? Continued throughout).

That just kind of leapt out at me. First there was some reference to S&M, and a somewhat vague idea that Tansy might actually be into that . . . maybe. Then sex occurred - sex where one turned over all power to the other, and waited for permission from the other, and put themselves into pain so that they 'could feel' (wtf?). So yeah, any other author, any other book, I would have not continued this book.

Some aspect of that, one woman comforting another and helping her recover from an abusive relationship, would have worked perfectly. Turning it into 'daddy play' involving two women? Awkward and not something I wanted to read. Especially as it falls into the trope of . . . hmm. I've forgotten how that is worded now. Something along the lines of 'BDSM helps abused people recover', or 'BDSM is something abused people fall into'.

Ah well.

This book stars Tansy Graves - teacher, 20 something (26?), almost married woman, and Cai something (did her last name get past me without me catching it?). Cai is late 30s. When Tansy was 12, Cai would have been 26. 14 year age difference. I think Cai might be 39, then, and Tansy 25. Both are allowed to have their point of views expressed and seen.

The two meet when Tansy stops by the Belladonna Ink tattoo parlor to get a tattoo. And she has the tattoo placed on her skin (I'm wording this all wrong, which words do you use when you describe someone getting a tattoo?) at roughly the same time she was supposed to be reciting her marriage vows. But instead - butterfly tattoo. The tattoo artist being Cai. Both see something in the other. Then Jody, the abusive girlfriend of Tansy, shows up.

I'd like to say 'and the story jumped three months', but there's a rather . . . disagreeable scene that readers have to get through involving Tansy and Jody before we can get to that three months later bit.

Three months later Cai and Tansy meet up again when Tansy comes in to get her tattoo touched up. Whereupon they decide to date. And do so. Time passes. Mention of S&M occurs. Sex involving Cai dominating Tansy occurs - repeatedly. More time passes . . . etc.

As my status updates noted, 'Up to something like 19% in, or thereabouts, I was thinking that I might not actually like this one - at least not as much as the previous two. Then something snapped and I was really feeling everything. Sucked into the story. Was in there up to about . . . oh, 24%? When S&M was mentioned. But that came and went quickly, and I got back deep into the story.' So I was 'into it' from 19% to 44%. Somewhat deeply into the book. Whereupon the story shifted for me. Tansy had started coming into her own, allowing her more natural bouncy, happy, etc. personality out. And then she continued with that self-determination, admittedly it was her desire to go here, and became Cai's 'little one'. And that's when I had to stop reading the book for a day.

sex: lots, graphic, BDSM related, includes spanking. Other than noticing how super awkward the first sex scene was, I cannot comment on the quality of the later scenes as the nature of the 'daddy-little one' power-play going on forced me to just skim those later scenes. There's at least one scene involving Cai and Tansy that doesn't include that dynamic, but that's also the scene that got stopped in the middle by a kind of PTSD attack.

Overall: Despite my desire not to read a book that includes one woman calling another one 'little one', I did find the book entertaining and readable. Even, in places, quite fun and good. And, as I started off with - there's a strong chance I'd have rated this book much higher without that little one stuff. That was partly what my skimming was about - trying to get a reduced 'little one' experience. It was too ingrained in the story, though, to do that.

Rating: Tentatively rate this book ... 3.65

August 24 2017

Songs Unfinished by Holly Stratimore

Songs Unfinished
by Holly Stratimore
Pages: 264
Date: January 19 2015
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: April 12 2016
This is my first book by this author, and, unless something got misfiled somewhere, this is also the first book by this author.

I've read many stories involving people in the entertainment industry, which includes actors, musicians, dancers, novelists, and others (I could change it to 'creative industry' or some term like that, to include the gallery owners, and artists characters I've read). This book here contains two musicians as the co-leads (and a budding novelist side character).

Most of those books that I've read that involve the entertainment industry involve people who are: (a) comfortably established in their field interacting with people comfortably established in their field (that one book by Selina Rosen that I read, and loved, that others tended to be less enamored with, involved a famous/formerly successful musician and a successful actress (and musician); the 'attempting to restart their career, reluctantly' is something of a sub-genre of this 'entertainment industry' field); (b) comfortably established in their field characters interacting with those just starting out in the entertainment industry (which includes, as my example, Brayden's 'Waiting in the Wings'); (c) two characters who have been in the entertainment industry for a while, and neither have exactly comfortably established themselves yet (strangely, I've never read a book/story in this category, until now. Until this book. While it is true that Jaymi and Shawn are not at the same success point, it is true that neither is 'just starting out' nor 'comfortably established. Jaymi's band is regionally known, and just on the cusp of stardom (though they've been on the cusp before and, for personal family reasons, didn't make the transition to stardom; while Shawn's been in the business for 7 years and is still at the open mic stage of her career); (d) everyone involved is just starting out in the entertainment industry (oddly, while I'm somewhat sure I might have read something like this at some point, I do not specifically recall any story/book that falls into this category).

Characters
Jaymi Del Harmon is a musician and band member of 'Passion Fruit' (I could be wrong about the band name, though I know Passion is in the name). She is a college graduate, and the band itself formed while she was in college. Formed after she meet and set up an arrangement with one Nikki while at college. Nikki would help Jaymi become comfortable on stage, while Jaymi would help Nikki become better with the guitar. The two then went on to form the band that incorporated two further members (Kay being a friend of Nikki's, and . . . Brian? being Jaymi's cousin). All of this back-story occurred before start of the book. The band went west to find their fame and fortune (as in went to California). While there they bumped into Shawn Davies out at open mic gigs. But I'm way far down the plot section now so I'll move on. The band was on the cusp of success when two things happened at once (well, first: Jaymi's mother needed her because the mother had cancer; second: slightly after news of the need of Jaymi's need to return to the east coast, and possibly in reaction to it, Jaymi's long time girlfriend (who actually had been showing signs of distance before the cancer issue came up) was caught cheating (possibly on purpose). Jaymi returned to New Hampshire. The band, not wishing to give up on Jaymi, followed her back east. Jaymi spent time helping her mother. Then the mother died. Eventually, and I think this is two years later, the band started up again and as of the start of the book, are on the cusp of stardom. Again. At the very least, they have some regional celebrity status, and their songs are on regional independent radio stations.
Of Importance: the other band members, Devin (journalist and budding novelist - linked to Sara; friends with Jaymi) & Sara (...; linked to Devin; friends with Jaymi), Alice & Peter (old family friends of Jaymi's mother who allow Jaymi to live in the apartment over their horse barn when Jaymi returned east). Randi - through Nikki, as she's friends with Nikki & is a police officer).

Shawn Davies is a musician who has mostly failed in her attempts to have a live as a musician. Just after high school, Shawn headed west (as in to California). She was somewhat nervous and clumsy on stage, but a musician she bumped into at open mic gigs helped her gain some confidence. This musician being Jaymi. Shawn was out west without any support structure, and with very poor abilities to hold a job. Relatively quickly in the process she descended to a form of homelessness - using one-night stands to find a place to sleep at night; or sleeping in her car - more often using one-night stands. The book opens with Shawn fleeing California to head back home. She's fleeing homelessness, failure, and, the real reason for her flight, fleeing a brutal attack.
Of Importance: the ghost of her dead mother (not literally, figuratively), her basterd father, an old girlfriend from high school named Mel, a dead aunt.

Others: Others are of importance, but through their connections to the lead characters (both of whom have alternating points of view). I've mentioned several up above. There's two entities though, who become significant later in the story-line: Shawn's bitchy boss (once she actually finds a job back east), and Jaymi's stalker.

Plot
Everything I've mentioned above, for the most part, happened before the start of this book. The book opens with a woman fleeing a brutal attack. Grabbing all of her belongings, and heading from California back to New Hampshire. Along the way, for gas money, she basically performs on the street. If the takings are good, she'd stay for a week or so (no more than). If not, she'd hurry along the road. Eventually she arrived back in New Hampshire. Drives up to her aunt’s home. Sees a car in the driveway but can't seem to get a reaction from her aunt. While prowling around looking in the windows, a neighbor yells at Shawn (who I just notice I didn't yet mention in this paragraph as the woman fleeing California). Before he calls the cops, Shawn notes who she is and why she is there. Only to be informed that her aunt died the month before. Her one good connection to home has been severed. And she hadn't been in a good position to learn of this issue until just then.

So. She's hungry and tired and eventually will need to put gas in the gas tank. Reluctantly she turns towards her actual former home. She somewhat timidly knocks on the door. A man answers. Screams at her, asking why she is there. Shawn begs to stay the night. The man screams at her again then slams the door. Shawn dejectedly leaves her father's house, after making some comment about how the man still blames her for Shawn's mother's death. Gets back in her car. Drives. Seriously contemplates parking on some railroad tracks. Turns on the radio. Hears a familiar band on. And learns they are performing nearby. That band being the band Jaymi performs in. Shawn heads in that direction instead of towards the train tracks.

POV shifts to Jaymi. She's exiting the 'gig' and is in the process of attempting to start her truck and go home. But the engine only sputters. She looks around. Sees a car start to head her direction. She's vaguely nervous. Eventually she learns that the young women in the car will help her. And that she knows this woman - it's Shawn. Who she hasn't seen in about 2 years.

One thing leads to another and Jaymi offers the use of her guest room to Shawn until Shawn can find a job and get her own place. They somewhat nervously circle each other but the strings of their earlier friendship rejoin. Romance is not, yet, on either's minds. Jaymi can't have the complications and distractions of a romance right then and there, not right when the band is on the cusp of stardom. Shawn needs to re...um . . revive her life. Reform? Something like that.

Romance
Jaymi has certain feelings for Shawn that she knows she can't do anything about (because of her own need to devote time to her career; and because Shawn isn't in a great place at the moment, is vulnerable). Shawn has fancied Jaymi since she first meet her two years ago. But doesn't want to fall into the trap of 'using' her. She wants something more. But isn't in a good position to ask for more at the moment. So tries to keep things on the friendship level.

So - things are a slow burn. Yes, they become friends first (and/or rekindle the friendship); but both separately, and with a certain amount of awareness of the other's feelings, 'burn' for the other. They kind of fall into a pattern of one being in a vulnerable position, making a pass at the other, the other wanting to lean into this flirtation, this possible love making, but not wishing to take advantage, and pulling/pushing back. And yes, both find themselves in both roles - the vulnerable one making the pass; the one being flirted with who must be strong. First occasion, I think it's the first occasion, involves Jaymi being tipsy from wine and attempting to 'get with' Shawn. Another occasion finds Shawn being the tipsy one.

Overall
There are a lot of complications and 'issues' that pop up, but things flow rather well - nothing seems contrived (well, the stalker subplot bordered on almost falling into annoying territory, though skidded just short of that). Things flowed nicely. I don't mean their lives flowed smoothly, I mean the writing and plot seemed to flow nicely. No, their lives were not smooth. But bumpy.

Overall - a satisfying book by a writer who I had not read before. I'm not actually sure how I'd stumbled upon her - I just know that I had two disappointing books in a role (as in attempted to start reading them, and paused both) and saw this as a sample on my Kindle and read the sample. Then read the book.

Overall, to overuse a word, I'd give the book a rating of something approaching 5 out of 5 stars (maybe 4.75?)

April 12 2016

Second Chance by Sydney Canyon

Second Chance
by Sydney Canyon
Pages: 197
Date: April 20 2015
Publisher: Triplicity Publishing, LLC
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 4 to March 5 2016
In my ever evolving quest to read at least one book by everyone who writes LGBT (specifically the L part), at least those who have written something that was 'really liked' by one or more friends on here, I decided to try this book here.

It's been almost a week since I read the book, so this will be slightly difficult. Especially since everything that needs to be learned could probably be best dealt with by having me say something like *read the book description, then come back here; here's a few words on what I thought* but that's boring. So. ..

The book opens on an interesting scene in a war zone. A convoy is driving through dangerous territory, and it's under attack. During the attack, the vehicle that the main character is in is hit by at least two, maybe more, explosive devices. Fire, smoke, debris flies everywhere. The main character, though, one Staff Sergeant Darien Hollister, isn't exactly in the best position to help the situation. What with her being blinded in the explosions. So she calls out to her team, trying to get a sense if anyone else is still alive. Everything might explode at any moment, and she's not getting any responses so it's up to her to try to find the outside. Preferably gathering as many of her troops as she can on the way out.

She did, in fact, make her way out. Otherwise this would be a really short story involving someone who died in combat. And I've actually read a few of those - they are the kind of books where at the end you realize that everything that had occurred had been a flash back type of a 'this is my life' flashing through the mind of someone who refuses to die. Then does. Die that is. That isn't this type of book though.

So, book then turns to a beach. Darien Hollister is sitting on that beach starring at the setting sun. Which is hard to do since she can't see. Her best friend Val is there to help. Actually she's Darien's cousin. Though still a friend. See, it's been a week or more since I read the book, was she called 'best friend'? I can't recall.

Darien had dedicated her life to joining the US Marines. And advancing from recruit, all the way up to Staff Sergeant. She's still relatively young, but she doesn't know what to do with herself. Now that she's been honorably discharged from the Marines. And is blind.

After a longish period of time, chronologically at least, if not in pages in the book, Darien learns of a medical procedure that might help her. There's been like three surgeries. At the moment, only one has been successful - would Darien be interested? Well, considering who and what Darien is in the grand scheme of things, the possibility of making things worse with a statistically small chance she could see? She decides to have the surgery.

More time passes chronologically. She's sad that someone had to die for her to have her new eyes. And she is still unsure what to do with herself, since she's still out of the Marines. And while she still has savings, it won't last forever. So, she puts herself onto a mission - after a lot of work she learns where her eyes came from, and learns who belongs in that individuals family.

She hasn't really thought things through, despite all the time needed to learn the information she has learned, nor does she think things through before popping into a plane and flying out to where she expects to find some family members of the donor.

Takes her some time to actually drive onto the farm, drove past a couple of times. And when asked if she's there for the advertised work, she takes the easy out. And so, she gets a job on a farm. While there she meets the mother of the person who had to die so Darien could see, Beverly, Beverly's daughter-in-law and son. Plus Ernie, who works on the farm.

Darien works hard and interacts with the people there. She feels vague feelings for the daughter-in-law, which she finds vaguely wrong, and develops something of a friendship with Beverly. They have some nice moments telling stories to each other (mostly Darien discussing her joining the Marines, then her rise through the ranks).

The book was a rather nice interesting read. Enjoyable. It had both a vaguely light and heavy feeling to it - light because some events seemed to get more of a passing reference than a deep reflection, and heavy from the emotions explored and revealed through certain other events.

March 9 2016

Give Me A Reason by Lyn Gardner

Give Me A Reason by Lyn Gardner
Pages: 662
Date: October 25 2013
Publisher: Self
Series: N/A

Awards:
**Winner of the 2015 National Indie Excellence Awards in LGBT Fiction**
**Finalist in the 2015 International Book Awards for Fiction: Gay & Lesbian**
**Winner of the Silver Medal in the 2014 Global Ebook Awards in Gay / Lesbian / LGBT Fiction**
**Winner of the Silver Medal in the 2014 eLit Book Awards – Illuminating Digital Publishing Excellence in Gay / Lesbian Fiction**

Review
Rating: 5.50 out of 5.50
Read: February 12 to 14 2016

By the time I got to this book, there were a large-ish number of reviews, and all but 24 people 'liked' the book (or 4% of the readers; I'm going with how GoodReads takes everyone that rates a book 3,4,5 and calls them 'like' for % purposes). And so, I'll just tackle a few things here and there.

1) I loved how fully formed the characters were. I'm sure there were things here or there that could be pointed at, probably some of the side characters, but there's even more fully formed side characters going on in this book than is normal in a romance.

2) And we come to the main thing I wanted to mention - the . . .genre of romance novels, I guess I could label the 'thing'. Romance novels, with exceptions, seem to be relatively repetitive in at least one way - they might not all get there the same way, they might have a million and one variations, but they tend to follow a certain path. Two people (occasionally more, but I do not tend to read love triangle books, and rarely poly books) circle each other for most of the book, and even if they 'come together' as a couple fairly early on in the book, that doesn't remove the book from the repetitive cycle. It just means that the couple will probably either have outside forces pound on the relationship (a danger/damsel in distress type situation), or internal forces pound on the relationship (fear, miscommunication, cheating, etc.). And then, as long as the book is actually in the capital R Romance category, then the book ends with a HEA (Happily Ever After) or HFN (hmm, I have the second one wrong, but whatever the letters are, they mean 'Happy for now'). Some include a chapter or two in an epilogue section that follows the couple as a couple. As a fully formed entity. Some don't have that epilogue.

Romance novels tend to get around this relatively repetitive trap of having the majority of the book being about the formation of a couple-hood instead of being about a couple as a combined entity through two to three means - (A) create a series wherein the couple in book 1 can show up as a fully formed entity in book 2 but are not the main characters (see such series like Soho Loft, that Shifter Universe by Jae, the two series by Lynn Galli (Virginia Clan and Aspen Friends) etc.), (B) have a book that's really really long, like, say, this book here. (C) is something like a trick - have romance elements but put the book in a different genre - which the fanfiction by Fletcher DeLancey involving Star Trek Voyager mostly is - Science Fiction with very strong elements of Romance. Or be like two of Galli's books - follow the same couple, but add an element, the second book changes the normal emotional 'things' that wrap themselves around a couple and slam against them, and wrap themselves, instead, around family - so it's a two book series involving a Romance, and something else (Slice of Life?).

I thought, while reading, that the book could have had a great closing roughly around the 56% mark. And when I feared, as I occasionally fear, how this specific author was going to 'mess with' the couple, I kind of wanted it to end there. I'm really really glad that the book did not, in fact, end there, though. But if it had, then it would have been two things - longer than the average romance novel (being, as it is, that 56% of the book would be 371 pages, and most Romance books from 'official channels' in the lesbian genre tend to be closer to 240 to 300 something); and, the second thing, roughly in line with that repetitive thing I mentioned above that Romance books fall into. However they get there, the books are about the formation of a couple, not about a couple living their life after formation of their relationship. Well, this 'formation' didn't end at 56%, but there was enough there for it to close, then have some epilogue tacked on the end. Then spin the second book out as a sequel. I'm, roughly, 100% happy that that isn't the direction this author went.

As I think I mentioned somewhere along the way - this is a fully formed book. A mixture of a Slice of Life book, with a Romance, with a Family novel all rolled into one (with the addition of a 'Holiday' novel slipped inside as well). It even had the element of danger/damsel in distress/etc. mixed in. And no I'm not only talking about flashbacks for that/this point.

Hmms. I just realized that I finished this book in the early morning hours of the 14th. It's one of those books I figured I'd read a little then close it for sleep, glanced at the clock and saw it was 1 am, glanced again when I realized I'd finished the book and noticed it was 3:30 am. *shrug* Back to the 14th - it's a rather good book to read/finish up on/begin the day with on Valentine's Day.

ETA: Oh, right, forgot two elements that I reminded myself of when I glanced at my status updates. This book includes a love scene, and yes I call it love instead of sex, that is arguably the best I've read. And I forgot when I was mentioning things that this book contains - it also contains humor. Bits and pieces here and there.

From my status updates:
- Now that, friends and whatevers, is how you write a love scene. A+ and words like that.

- 'Smiling at her accomplishment, Toni looked over at Laura. “I recommend we don’t open this until Scotland or the bloody thing will projectile vomit all over the motorway.”' - re: filling trunk with luggage. Was funny. I laughed.

February 14 2016

Falling Slowly by Lila Bruce

Falling Slowly
by Lila Bruce
Pages: 178
Date: November 12 2014
Publisher: Author

Review
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Read: June 11 2015

Quick cute story about two women meet twice and have bad interactions both times. Takes the third meeting before things turn good. Quinn's a scarred military veteran, and Allie's a co-owner of a chain of stores.

They meet the first time by chance. Amanda, Allie's cousin and business partner, set up an early morning meeting with Quinn's sister Rebekah(sp?). Amanda has a t-ball game she has to attend, and so Allie attends the meeting. Rebekah's car's dead, so Quinn drives her. Even so, it's only because Rebekah made an accidental comment that lead to dragging Quinn inside the store. To be stared at by Allie. Quinn does not like it when people stare at her, is self-conscious about her scarring.

The second time they meet is a "just in the neighborhood" type deal where both Amanda and Allie are near by looking to see if they'll open a new store nearby. And drop in on Rebekah at Quinn's house. As I said, two meetings, two bad interactions. Quinn and Allie yell at each other.

People normally do not get three chances to "come together". At least not if there is no real reason why the two would bump into each other. Especially if two of the three interactions end badly. And yet, these two have a third meeting. A second chance encounter (can't call the second meeting chance, since it was prearranged). Quinn stops by a food place. Eats. Spots Allie also there and eating. Spots homeless person confronting Allie. Watches as Allie starts to get flustered. Quinn steps in to help.

One thing leads to another, and Quinn flies Allie to a wedding rehearsal. And the story unfolds from there.

Was good. I liked it. Not 100% why I think it's a 4 star instead of 5 star story, but I do.

Battle Scars by Meghan O'Brien

Battle Scars
by Meghan O'Brien
Pages: 230
Date: December 15 2009
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: November 21 2014

Quite good book.  I was going over my email right after I finished and noticed that I'd bought it at 12:55 pm.  Meaning that I couldn't get myself to stop reading and it was finished in less than four hours (it was 4:50 pm when I wrote this line).

There was a particular 'theme' that gets into these books for some reason. Repeatedly used.  That of a straight woman who suddenly realizes that she might actually not be as straight as she thought, at least for "you".  "Lesbian for you".  That popped up in this book. I don't particularly like that type of book, and was beginning to get a little worried, but enough back story, and story, moved it out of that realm.  Out of that theme.  (One of the annoying 'things' about that theme, beyond it popping up so much, is that these books never seem to consider the idea that anyone could be, you know, bisexual. Nooo, everyone's either 100% straight, gay, or "gay for you" (which would make them, I guess, 99% straight, and 1% gay, but because "you" are involved, they are all in on this "gay thing")).

So, two things I tend to steer clear of if I can.  That 'straight woman realizing she isn't actually straight hooking up with a lesbian woman who doesn't want to be burned by a straight woman who is just experimenting' theme.  And the one I didn't mention yet.  Sex.  I tend to mostly skim those scenes.  Mostly because it never seems believable.  So, both were there.  Yet I loved the book.  I even liked the sex scenes.