Love Bites by Lila Bruce

Love Bites
by Lila Bruce
Pages: 223
Date: November 23 2015
Publisher: Author

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: December 21 to 22 2015

My third work by Lila Bruce, and second novel (one of the three is a short story). If I only counted the book length works, the two of them I’ve read, I’d find that my overall rating for the author would be somewhere near 4.65 stars. Including the short story, the overall rating would be closer to 3.7666667. All of which is exciting, I’m sure.

So, this book here. There are three points of view, if I recall correctly. Well, I know there are at least three, and I think only three. The book opens up with one of the three. Obviously enough. And if I had not read something prior by this author, I might have immediately stopped reading. Well, probably not, but it’s hard to continue when the book opens with a character saying how much they hate cats. I mean, that’s just super off putting, you know? I’d like to say that I understood what was going on right around when this character lifted their hind leg and scratched their ear, since that would be fitting, but I caught on earlier.

Viewpoint one: Moose Baldwin. Dog. Specifically the dog of one Ashley Baldwin, who joking calls Moose her boyfriend. Since this cat-hating was expressed through the view point of a dog, I figured I’d not allow that to put me off. The perspective from the dog’s point of view as actually quite good and well constructed. Enjoyable even. For the most part.

Viewpoint two: Ashley Baldwin. High school teacher. Long term resident of, if I recall correctly, small-ish town Georgia (I say small-ish as it is for the most part, but it is also near two colleges). She’s spent the last twelve years attempting to move on with her life but finding it difficult to do so. Move on, that is, from a bad breakup which occurred near the end of College with her longish term girlfriend, who she actually first meet, if the stories are matching up right in my mind, back in high school. Part of the break up was based on how Ashley wanted kids and a house. With, I assume, a white picket fence. Peyton Maxwell, this so far unnamed ex-girlfriend, expressed the view that she didn’t want that. Couldn’t give that to Ashley. Expressed, or implied the opinion (it’s murky) that she didn’t like kids. So, that’s what Ashley has been attempting to move on from. Attempting relationships, breaking them off, trying again, repeat. (There was some comment somewhere along the line that all Ashley had was her dog – her parents, that she was somewhat estranged from, live in Florida now; and yet there are at least two best friends who pop up in the story. I might have misunderstood the comment. Since one of them’s off for the summer ‘elsewhere’, so the comment might have been related to that).

Well, I just distracted myself there, sorry.

Viewpoint three: Peyton Maxwell. Ex-girlfriend of Ashley Baldwin. Recently moved back to Georgia from Texas with her daughter Daisy, in the last six months I believe, and taken a position as a vet at Ridgeview Animal Clinic. There are ‘reasons’ for her return, for return it is, one of which involves living closer to her parents. One may or may not involve being near Ashley again.

Book opened, as noted, in the viewpoint of Moose. Which I mention because he’s at the animal clinic. For fleas. They wander back, when called, to an exam room. Get all settled. Find a vet come in and . . . it’s that ex-girlfriend. Moose, unlike himself, growls and instantly takes a dislike to the vet. Largely due to how tense and flustered his person is when this newcomer entered (plus he doesn’t particularly like meeting new people anyway). Ashley and Peyton somewhat nervously bounce off each other, Peyton offering to get another vet to cover, Ashley saying no, etc. etc. Visit over. Both flustered. At some point the possibility of being platonic friends came up, mayhap on this visit.

Friends:
Ashley – Cassie (fellow teacher, going off for the summer), Melanie - she only seemed to turn up at Cassie’s grill party as someone to rub her hands against Peyton’s leg and make her feel all uncomfortable and drool over how hot Peyton is.
Peyton – um, her parents? Other than attempting to become friends again with Ashley, I don’t recall any specific friends mentioned.
Moose – Elvis – Cassie’s dog. And some others, but Elvis is the one he runs into most often.

Glad I finally tried this book here. I rather liked the first book I had read by Bruce, but the second one – the short story, was such a letdown that I’d been kind of burned and was distrusting my initial impression of the author. Like maybe I had tricked myself into liking the first book or something. But this one was quite good. Solid characters, story-line, pace, humor. Not sure I’ve read a book like this one before. Oh, right. Of course I have. Before I go too far done the road of vagueness, I mean a book involving two people who appeared to love each other but broke apart, only to bump into each other again years later and have sparks fly again. The other book I’d read that had that specific relationship arc, though the stories themselves were different, was “The Thousand Mile Love Story” by Natalie Vivien.

A Man of Some Repute by Elizabeth Edmondson

A Man of Some Repute
by Elizabeth Edmondson
Pages: 306
Date: 2015
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Series: A Very English Mystery (1st in series)

Review Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Read: November 6 2015

My first book by this author.

This is a rather neat little book set shortly after the end of World War II in England. The book opens with a man and woman driving to Selchester Castle. The date is 1953. The man is Hugo Hawksworth. The woman is Georgia Hawksworth. I say woman because I initially didn’t realize she was 13. I thought she was closer to Hugo’s own age of [insert age here; he comes off as a guy in his thirties, though he might be in his 20s]. I found her annoying until I realized she was only 13.

Hugo and Georgia are heading off to Selchester because Hugo is heading there to take up a government position there. National government, not local government. Georgia’s heading there because she’s 13. And both Hugo and Georgia’s parents are dead. This is less shocking when you recall that they are the same parents. And that there was this war that just ended. That included bombs falling from the sky. Hugo is watching out for Georgia, now. So she follows him to Selchester, and enlists in the local high school. Joins. Registers with. Hmms. Whichever word works.

It’s easier for Hugo to watch out for Georgia, now, than it had just recently been. Shortly before the story begins, Hugo was jetting around the world. Doing stuff. Secret stuff. The kind of stuff spies would do. Until he got shot in Berlin. He has a cane and limp now from the ordeal. Plus the desk-bound assignment. Hugo’s all set to toss the job and get a non-government one, what, him tied to a desk? But he is talked into sticking around for a little bit longer.

So, as said, Hugo and Georgia are off to Selchester at the beginning of the book. They drive there. This pains Hugo’s leg. They arrive to find an actual castle. Not some Victorian age manor that had some little designs and fake turrets thrown up so it could be called a castle. But an actual castle. The kind that has one tower that’s livable, another that’s ruins, and a really huge servants section. They are greeted by Mrs. Partridge and Freya Wryton.

Mrs. Partridge is the . . . um . . . what do they call it there? Well, the housekeeper like person. Freya Wryton lives at Selchester Castle. She’s the niece of the Earl of Selchester. She’s vaguely put out that ‘Sir Bernard’ forced these people upon her. With short notice. She learned of their arrival shortly before they turned up. Sir Bernard being Hugo’s new boss over at the ‘Government Statistics Bureau’, or whatever fake name is stuck to the front of the building.

I’ve gone a little overboard in describing things. So I’ll just jump to: a dead body is found shortly after Hugo arrives. The police arrive. Find out that it is the missing Earl (missing for almost seven years). They begin a murder investigation (earlier it had been a missing person’s investigation). Their immediate suspect is Tom and Freya. Tom being the son of the dead Earl. Immediately they are suspect because everyone else has an alibi. While Tom and Freya only have alibis for each other. And Tom died in between the Earl’s disappearance and the opening of the book.

So, for various reasons, Hugo the spy decides to do a bit of investigation himself. One of those reasons being the weird cover-up that appears to be in progress by the police who wish to find anyone, someone, immediately to blame the crime on. And a dead guy seems like a good fit.

It’s interesting to see a spy doing investigation work. Murder investigation. Though there’s also some spy investigation going on in the background. A well constructed plot and well defined characters. There were certain things here and there which popped up and to which I gazed at in some confusion. Plot points of no importance during or after the fact. Just . . . there (like when Freya thinks she sees the Earl walking around the train station. But then remembers that the Earl is both dead and looked older than that guy walking around when alive. That was a head shaker. Why is the author showing me this particular event unfolding before Freya? There was kind of an unstated implication that Tom might not actually be dead. Which was reinforced by a chapter/section title that popped up shortly thereafter. But . . . maybe it was a plot point that was going to be expanded on later? And/or got forgotten?).

I believe my biggest regret from reading this book is the desire that developed in me, relatively early on, to continue reading this series. And I knew that there was at least one more book. So I was all satisfied to wait. Until I noticed I couldn’t actually get that second book. Apparently, despite indications otherwise, the only version available to me is the audio book version. And I don’t do audio books. So I’m sad. None of this has anything really to do with the book at hand, of course, so I’ll depart.

The Glorious Strategist by Sam Ryan

The Glorious Strategist
by Sam Ryan
Pages: 279
Date: September 27 2015
Publisher: Author
Series: Dynasty Saga (3rd in series)

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: November 3 2015

Vaguely reluctant to review this book here. Rather liked the first book in the series, loved the second, so happily dove into this one once I finally noticed it had been released two months ago, or something like two months ago. I really need to figure out a way to pay more attention.

I'm vaguely reluctant to review because I liked this book here. And the only thing I can think to write in this little box here is kinda negative. Which would give the wrong impression about the book.

I wish to note before I go all negative and stuff: I enjoyed this book, it was fun and easy to read. Had the right amount of eroticism. The characters were nice and groovy. The plot dripped cats. Okay, I was trying to find some other way to write 'good characterization, solid plot', but I failed.

Okay then, the negatives. There were a ton of times when I got jerked out of the story. Vaguely unfortunate. I normally don't notice, but I noticed this time. Why was I being jerked out of the story? Word choices. As in:

"Lymee wanted someone knew that would force her to fight differently." - 7% into book (re: knew instead of new)

"I am after all only a lord of a minor Dynasty and am still knew to being a noble." - 29% into the book. (re: knew instead of new)

There are 89 times this word, knew, was used. Sometimes when new was meant, sometimes when knew was meant. And the word know was used 221 times. The phrase 'I know' was used 52 times.

I know. I shouldn't have gotten hung up on the times knew was used instead of new, or know instead of now; or the simple number of times the word, or phrase were used. I feel petty. But jerk me out of the story. Made me pause.

See, I didn't really want to write a review. It was a good book. It is a good book. I enjoyed it. And the only thing I can seem to write about were word choices. Sorry. *hangs head sadly*

Big, Bad Wolf AND Wolf Heart by Bridget Essex

Big, Bad Wolf
by Bridget Essex
Pages: 152
Date: February 1 2014
Publisher: Rose and Star Press

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 4.0
Read: October 19 2015

This is a weird mixture of psychological terror, fantasy, romance, thriller, etc.

A woman grows up on a mountain with her grandmother. No mention is made of her parents. At least, I don't recall mention. And yes, that kept popping up in my mind, the - where the heck are the parents? question. She lives semi-wild and without much in the way of fear. Until, some event or series of barely remembered events changed her. These are remembrances of a woman grown, though, since the book is about the woman as a woman.

A woman who spends a good amount of time fearing wolves. Which is natural, since she spends seemingly every night dreaming nightmarish dreams about wolves. Wolves with blood dripping down their lips.

Somewhat magically, an unknown woman turns up in this small town. She's apparently gorgeous. And zeroed in on getting to know Megan better. On a personal and physical level. Her name is Kara. Which Megan calls exotic or something like that. Seriously? Exotic? I went to school with two people named Kara, and a third might have lived in my neighborhood, but of a different age group. Exotic? Hmms.

There were certain vaguely strange things like that that pop up. Like a gorgeous woman suddenly turning up in a town with, apparently, two lesbians. And she just happens to be one herself. And has a deep interest in the librarian (Megan, who works as a librarian). Then there's the incredibly weird living situation Kara eventually reveals but I won't go beyond this to detail.

Wolf Heart
by Bridget Essex
Pages: 70
Date: October 1 2015
Publisher: Rose and Star Press

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: October 19 2015

I’ve read two stories back to back which are both completely different, and oddly similar. Well, certain elements are similar. I suppose that the only similarities involve: both involve lesbians, involve werewolves, both are drenched in sex, and both involve people who do not know that the other woman is a werewolf. One is written tightly, competently; the other seems to have a word or two wrong every sentence or every other sentence. It even mixes up people’s names here and there.

Here’s where I could show how much better one is over the other by saying something like ‘the less well written one was a better story’ or something like that. And that got reinforced by my reading both stories back to back. Fortunately or unfortunately that isn’t the case. The one written incompetently is in fact the lesser of the two stories. This one here, Wolf Heart, is the competently written story.

The story involves a woman going on vacation for the first time in two years. Needing rest and relaxation. She had a dream of being happy and content walking through a forest, the one her family owns a cabin in, so she takes her vacation there. Alone.

Immediately on arrival she checks in with the park ranger to say she’s there. Barbara, the park ranger, is super bitchy and growls at her that she shouldn’t be there. Abby, the main character, grunts at her and ignores the words. Or tries to ignore. They kind of frightened her.

In the darkening, gloomy, forest area, Abby drives up to her cabin and, instead of immediately carrying her things in; she turns and heads to the public shower and bathroom building. While showering, she hears the door open and close. She peaks around the shower curtain and sees . . . a wolf.

Essex seems to be fixated on the ‘normal human woman bumps into werewolf women, they fall in love, but there’s this initial ‘werewolves aren’t real’ moment that most be overcome’ storyline. It keeps coming up over and over again. Yeah, in real life, if I saw someone morphing/shifting between shapes, I’d probably freak out and flee. But still, it gets tiresome to read the exact same scenario play out over and over again. Woman sees wolf, wolf becomes a woman. Human woman falls into either lust or love with the woman. Woman shifts to wolf.

I probably could have taken that a lot better if it wasn’t an often reoccurring story-line by Essex. And even though it is, I still probably could have ‘taken it’ if Abby, in this story, didn’t keep disbelieving her eyes and constantly saying things, to herself ‘how is that even possible?’ (as a side note, one of those things I feel the need to note but not explain – if someone finds that two women have exited a building, disrobed, and left everything behind, and one had looked like she had some form of weapon before going outside – take a few moments to check to see if there was, in fact, some kind of weapon. Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t, but take a few moments. Then grab it, if it exists, and the flashlight. Abby in this story just gawked at the clothing and jewelry, and only grabbed the flashlight when she went further outside).

I’m tempted to give a lower rating because of that ‘but . . . but werewolves aren’t real!’ which also included a ‘wolves aren’t in this park!’ element. But I don’t. Because it was a good story. Pumped my adrenaline, it did. I just wish I could actually read a full story some day, instead of all these tastes, something that moved past ‘werewolves aren’t real! . . . well, maybe they are, maybe they aren’t, but I kind of like you . . .’ and got to the ‘pass me the salt, please’ stage (as in a couple stage).

Peaches & Cream: a Ponygirl tale by Felicia Montoya

Peaches & Cream: a Ponygirl tale
by Felicia Montoya
Pages: 55
Date: August 19 2015
Publisher: Author

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: October 17 2015

My first read by this author. And likely I might have put off longer but for the readathon I was doing. Since it was available. And I wanted something to read.

Ooh neat, an auction. Katie Trammel, now known as "Peaches", is the main character. And is in a ponygirl auction, as a ponygirl. When the story opens. Another ponygirl short story that starts with the main character already in ponygirl stuff. Now to see if this one also will fall back to the old classic of 'flashback: this is how I got here'.

Adding to the humiliation of standing there with 'my boobs out and my shave pussy on display, potential buyers pawing me, seeing how I moisten when their fingers probe my two lower holes' is the addition of 'the lezzie-bitch from college' - Veronica. Hmms. Veronica seems like she might be fun. I hope she wins Peaches. *nods, drools*

Well, that's different. Started a story. Read story. Looked and . . whoa, it was at 100%! A full load! That makes me happy. *nods*

Oh. I just realized I forgot to write anything between drooling and the end. I kind of fell into a trance. It was a fun story, it was. Quite fun.