Arrested Hearts by Holly Stratimore

Arrested Hearts
by Holly Stratimore
Pages: 312
Date: December 13 2016
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 3.7
Read: November 7 to 8 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley, and Bold Strokes Books in return for a fair review.*

A book about a cop and a factory worker. I was excited to read this one after reading and rather enjoying the author's first book.

Characters
Officer Randi Hartwell is a thirty-something police officer who hates her job, is corrupt, and - in general - hates her life. Oh, and she's a player.
Friends: Nikki from the band that appeared in this author's first book.
pets: none
drink of choice: unknown, though known to drink beer.

Jule Chapin is around 32 years old and is a factory worker. She spends her free time drinking, smoking and in general hanging around wasting time - or at least she did. Very early on in the book she decides to turn her life around (based partly on the fact that her longish term girlfriend had dropped dead on her, about a year before the start of this book).
Friends: Mostly Brenda, though she also hangs out with/hung out with Kathy and Toni - all three are fellow factory workers with Jule.
pet: dog - Sirius.
Drink of choice: something other than alcohol.

Plot
A cop pulls over a woman who is on her way home from a bar. The cop claims she pulled the woman over because of the bumper sticker (no not the rainbow one, the one about how her dog is smarter than an honor roll student). The cop then proceeds to order the woman to walk a straight line; and performs an illegal search and seizure while the woman is distracted - finding an illegal substance. The cop then produces this substances and cockily says 'sleep with me or I'll arrest you'; to which the woman responds with a 'I'd prefer to be arrested.' And this is how Jule and Randi meet.

For some unfathomable reason, Jule can't stop thinking about 'Officer Hartwell', despite, you know, how they first meet. Oddly, Randi also has a certain problem of keeping Jule off her mind. And so the two gingerly circle each other. Jule continuing to attempt to better her life (stop smoking and drinking, taking up jogging/exercise/yoga/dating 'appropriate' women); while Randi continues to stalk and harass Jule (and get caught up in a serial sexual rapist case (she keeps finding the victims, but isn't assigned to the case)).

Overall
I do not find corrupt cops fun, and do not find sexual harassment funny or sexy. An argument could be made about consent, choices, etc. - well 1) I mention sexual harassment and not rape; 2) cops and the justice system are intimidating.

It's quite possible that I could have and would have given a higher rating but for both the use of sexual harassment in the story with the addition of the hand waving - the, well because of a traumatic experience . . . it's okay. Hmm, no. No. No.

So we are in a case of - I liked the book (for the most part) despite my strong opinions on the matters of corrupt cops, and weak justifications for poor behavior.

Oh, as an aside - there is a massive amount of sex in this book. Also a bunch of softball played, if we are filling out 'other stuff that occurs in the book' type things.

Rating: 3.7

November 8 2016

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a surprisingly readable book - one that I would not have even thought to look at but for the fact that I was 'frustrated' that I had nothing much to vote for during a round of GoodReads choice voting. So was looking over the books - trying samples and the like. Tried the sample for this one and instantly acquired it.

Set in or around 1779 in Kent England, the story alternates points of view between one George Rokesby (heir to the land, title, and most of the fortune of the Rokesby’s), and one Billie Bridgerton (eldest child of the Bridgerton’s, a titled family that lives 3 miles from the Rokesby’s – though because this is England in the 1700s, being the eldest doesn’t mean anything if one is also a female (otherwise it means everything)).

We meet George and Billie for the first time on a roof. Near a cat. For, you see, Billie had been attempting to save said cat from up a tree. But I said we had been on a roof, yes? Yes – Billie and cat had fallen – a great distance – from said tree to said roof (said said said, mmphs . . . hehe). Billie has injured herself and has no means of getting down even if she hadn’t injured herself. So she was quite happy when George and wandered by – even if he is the one Rokesby brother who she is on a somewhat near to dislike level relationship. George proceeds to get himself stuck up on the roof as well – a matter of an annoyed cat darting at the wrong time, a near fall, and a foot that accidentally knocked over a ladder. Whereupon another Rokesby brother wandered by – and saved them both (though not the cat; considering that they left the ladder up, and cats are quite resourceful, don’t worry for the cat).

So – right from the beginning you, the reader, meet three of the characters and learn something about their personalities. Andrew is flippant, always joking, and making clever remarks. Billie is the kind of woman who is ‘singular’ – wearing ‘breaches’ out and about when women of the time didn’t do that kind of thing (though she does wear dresses most of the time – so yes, that book cover that shows a woman in a long green dress is her). George is the eldest Rokesby and less . . . or more . . . hmms. Less playful and more serious.

A great book, a fun book, a much more modern book than I expected to find – modern in terms of the information and graphic nature of the scenes – it still is a book set in the 1770s, it just allows the fact that the people are in fact human and have human . . . reactions, adventures, etc. Basically, what I am saying is that this is not a ‘Clean Romance.’ I believe this might be the first book that I’ve read set back in the 1600-1700-1800s that was in fact graphic. And I’ve read a lot of books set back then. So it was somewhat jarring when George suddenly had an erotic dream involving fondling breasts (or, later, when he was awake and wandering around – having to ‘hide an erection’ because of his arousal); then, of course, there were the actual interactions between Billie and George – considering that George and Billie were contemplating the fact that the mere fact that they might get stuck on the roof for an entire night might end up forcing them to marry each other – the stuff they actually get up to, shockingly enough, goes a lot further than that.

I rather liked both of the main characters – though both had tendencies wherein I was reminded that they both were in their twenties, and not as characters tend to be in books like these (well, at least men – many of whom seem to be in their thirties – and courting women in their teens (or women who are so ‘old and spinsterish’ to actually be in their 20s).

It should be noted, I suppose, that this is a prequel series. Which should be noted. But I can’t really say anything more than that – since this is also the first book I’ve read by this author. This is the prequel series to a later series titled Bridgertons (though that somewhat confuses me considering the role and importance of George – since the Bridgerton and Rokesby are said to be great friends and see each other as family - and George is the eldest and heir of the Rokesby’s . . . and is a new character. Confused as to how this can be a prequel series in that situation – you’d have thought George would have turned up before now; especially since Billie is described as being the elder sister to Edmund – who, apparently, plays some role in the Bridgerton series). The first book in the Bridgerton’s involves a ‘Daphne Bridgerton’ – not a name that appears to have come up in this book here.

Hmm. Billie is the oldest in this book. She’s supposedly the elder sister to Edmund – who appears to pop up in the later series. But, looking at a chart I saw on a review for the first book in that later series, neither person appears. That lists Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Hmms. I should pay better attention. Of course. The first book in the later series starts in 1813. This book here, ‘Because of Miss Bridgerton’, is from 1779. So I’m confused as to the mention of Billie being the older sister to Edmund that is made in the Q&A for the book.

Second book involves Anthony and takes place in 1814. Benedict is in book three. Colin in book four. Eloise in book five. Francesca in book 6. Hyacinth (who the heck is that?) in book 7. Gregory in book 8.

Ah. Edmund is the father of all those Bridgerton people. He’s too young to be in the ‘Because of Miss Bridgerton’ book – off at school and off ‘screen’, and ‘too old’ for the later series.

Right, sorry, got distracted trying to link things up. Hmms.

Rating: 4.88

November 9 2016



View all my reviews

Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers

Fresh Tracks by Georgia Beers
Pages: 240
Date: November 1 2006
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.75
Read: November 6 to 7 2016

7 lesbians ranging from mid twenties (I think directly in the middle at 25) up to 50 (most in 40s, one at 33, another at 45, another at 50, and I believe the others are in the 40s somewhere) meet at a couples 'cabin' in the woods on 75 acres in Upstate New York.

Everyone and possibly the dog have a point of view in this book (okay, there's one passage that could be stretched to be from the dog's point of view but probably wasn't actually). And while there were helpful little subsection headings with big bold words on them listing a name (like Molly), the book still had times when it drifted. Like, for example, being in Molly's point of view, under her bold name, and suddenly I realize that the book has actually slipped into someone else's point of view without making note of the sliding.

Okay then - Amy and Jo are the solid stable couple who offered their friends their 'cabin' (re: constant use of '' around cabin - 'your place is nicer than many people's homes!') for a week. If I understood correctly, Jo's 50, while Amy is closer to 45. One is butch-er than the other, one talks more than the other, and both still have a very strong sex drive despite having been a couple for many years. Both have jobs, though I've forgotten now what Amy's is, and I only recall what Jo's is because of several comments about how Jo fixed up the cabin - Jo is a contractor. I 'forget' their jobs because everyone is on vacation time. Ah, I just remembered Amy's job while thinking of her friends’ occupations - Amy is both a chef and the owner of a restaurant.

The singles
Then the friends - Sophie (black woman whose age escapes me but might be around 40, I forget her job as well). She is still attempting to get over a bad breakup with her ex who had cheated on her.

Laura is a chef who ended up working for Amy before moving on to a job with a retirement community. I believe she is in her 40s. She is also working through a bad break up – this time with her husband. And with her girlfriend. she cheated on her husband with this girlfriend, but the girlfriend ditched her after Laura surprised her by divorcing her husband. I have a feeling I might be getting her name wrong, like it might be ‘Lauren’ instead of Laura, but I can’t check at the moment as my reader is dead.

Darby rounds out the ‘singles’, and she wasn’t invited. She just dropped in – as she has an open invitation to do so, she’s ‘Aunt Jo and Aunt Amy’s’ niece. She’s 25, a player, and a manager at Blockbuster (each time that was mentioned I wondered when this book was written, hehe). And one of the reasons I’m super glad that most of the people in this book were in their 30s/40s/50s (though some of those ’20 something’ stuff seemed a little too stereotypical – too ‘of course she’s that way, she’s a dumb 20 year old’).

the couple
Rounding out the party of 7 are Molly (33) and Kirsten (40s) who have been in a relationship for something like 12 years (I might have the 12 year thing off, and Molly’s age might be off as well, I was going off of the fact that 1) Amy knows Molly because Amy baby-sat Molly when she was something like 7 and Molly was 12; 2) Molly in turn helped Amy when she would she baby-sat Darby, and since I ‘knew’ Darby and Amy’s ages, I came up with the age for Molly, but now I’m suspicious of that age). Molly and Kirsten have been going through a super rough patch at the moment – Molly is kind of passive-aggressive, and while she has a lot of issues she wants to discuss, she has trouble with conflict – meets it by not meeting it, by ignoring it. Kirsten isn’t that much better in the communication department, she’s fleeing communication by diving deeper and deeper into a job which is causing Molly to get more and more annoyed with her. But of course no one actually talks and so . . .. To round things off – Molly is a kindergarten teacher and Kirsten is a VP at an Advertising firm.

So – those are the 7 lesbians. Who spend a week together.

Quite good book, I enjoyed it.

Rating: 4.75

November 7 2016

Pink Panther Volume 1 by S.A. Check

ow
Pink Panther Volume 1
by S.A. Check, Batton Lash, Keith Davidson, and S.L. Gallat
Pages: 128
Date: December 13 2016
Publisher: American Mythology Productions
Series: Pink Panther

Review
Rating: 3.5
Read: November 4 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distrubotors, and American Mythology Productions in return for a fair review.*

This is a collection of 5 previously published single issues (Pink Panther 1-3, Trick or Pink Halloween Special, and the Pink Panther Free Comic Book day issue.

Before I get started I should note that I've seen and enjoyed the original Pink Panther movie, and seen probably all of the others. And seen the short comic clips involving the Pink Panther. I've never before read a comic involving the Pink Panther though.


'The Mighty Pan-Thor'
Okay, so, Thor and some green costume wearing dude are fighting 'somewhere in the heavens'. Thor's hammer falls and lands near the Pink Panther. Who picks it up and takes it with him. Because hey, who couldn't use hammer? And . . . um . . I guess stealing is acceptable (it's a hammer lying in the street next to a fence. Did a worker put it there, go off to do something, and come back to find it gone? or . . . ).

Somewhere along the way, the panther realizes that this is Thor's hammer. And decides to become a superhero. Which doesn't seem to work for some reason. Then . . um . . the comic is over. Um. Well. Um. This might have been interesting to watch at the beginning of a movie, but in comic book form this was kind of . . . not very exciting.

Rating: 3

Intermixed with the pink panther comics are 'The Ant and the Aardvark in Clean Sweep' 1 pagers.

'99 Pink Balloons'
A boy turns 3 and has a birthday party. And the Pink Panther is his party entertainment. The boy is not, initially, pleased.

hehe.

Rating: 4

And then another ant and aardvark 1 pager.

'Pink Panther in Fly Boy'
The pink panther is hungry but has no money. He does have a fly, though, and plans to use it to try to get a free meal.

Things didn't go well.

Rating: 3 . . . I've no idea why I'm rating these little tiny snippets. I think I'm going to stop rating the individual thingies.

'Shell-Shocked'
Pink Panther plays one of those street games wherein he moves shells quickly and people try to guess where the pebble is located.

'Drawn & Quartered Box'
Pink Panther is chased by his arch-nemesis Inspector Jacques Clouseau. And . . um . . . I do not understand what happened. Suddenly there are zombies? And now we are in the old west? and . . . what is going on in this comic?

'Pink in the Machine'
Pink Panther goes to a store. Examines a virtual reality device.

'Jurassic Pink'
Pink Panther back in the time of the cave men. And dinosaurs. Because they totally went together as evidenced by the documentary 'The Flintstones'.

Neat one. I'm going back, temp, to rating stuff - 4.5.

'Big City Pink'
Pink is off to get a job. But gets diverted when a little girl loses a balloon. Speeds around the city trying to get that balloon.

Another neat one. 3.7.


'Pink Halloween'
Halloween party. Pink Panther going as Frankenstein. Accidentally bumps into real Frankenstein. Their party invitations get mixed up, Pink goes to wrong party.

Okay story.

'Scared Pink'
Pink is causally strolling in the city when he decides to take a break and see a film. A scary film.

Another okay story.


'Harvey Pink Panther #1 (November 1993)'
Ack - they have Pink Panther talking? mmphs.

Story 1: So, Pinkie develops a better mousetrap. Goes to patent office. Accidentally runs into a guy with a time gun.

Story 2: And then Pinkie climbs a mountain. Meets snowman.

Story 3: Ah, and then the third story in this section involves a case for the Inspector. Hmm. Interesting 'case'.

Story 4: Pink Panther is robbed. Goes to a school of karate to learn self-defense.

Overall
The collection was about on par for what I would expect for a collection of Pink Panther comics. Okay stories. A few mildly amusing. Most kind of meh. None were out and out bad. I'd give the entire thing a rating of 3.5.

November 4 2016

Gingerbread Hearts edited by Judy Underwood

Gingerbread Hearts
edited by Judy Underwood
Pages: 108
Date: November 2012
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Series: None

Review
Rating: Overall: 4.025
Read: November 3 to 4 2016

Holiday Outing by Alison Grey
Coming Out, Family, Slice of Life, no romance

A woman of 25 has known for a while that she's a lesbian, has even had two girlfriends by this point, but has yet to come out to her family. Her sister talks her into doing so.

Certain amount of humor. Certain amount of . . . timing.

Rating: 3.5

November 3 2016

It’s in the Pudding by Emma Weimann
Family, Dentist, 'Romance'

A woman hasn't had a relationship in 2 years. She thinks she might want one now. It's Christmas time and it's traditional that the person who finds the almond in the almond pudding can make a wish and 'it will come true'. So, the woman wants that almond. There's this wish she's going to make (involving finding someone for herself). She finds the almond. And breaks her tooth on the almond. And so has to go to the dentist on Christmas day (or is it the day before? I forget now).

Rating: 4.12

November 3 2016

Devgo by Corinna Behrens
Dog, Scrooge, bisexual, no romance

Businesswoman tosses and turns in her bed Christmas Eve. Bells ring that it's midnight. Brightness fills room. Businesswoman blinks. Looks over, sees mini devil on her window sill. *reader thinks to self: ah yes, so this is a Scrooge story*

hehe. Woman barks questions at the tiny devil. Devil just blink at her lazily. Woman becomes annoyed by the non-response. heh.

Ah, the title of the story corresponds to the mini-devil's name (*reader in thought: new thought, not scrooge retelling*).

This is confusing. The woman is acting like it's just normal to have a tiny devil appear. And to yell at it. Then be confused when it doesn't make an appointment instead of just show up. Yes, confused is right word. Confusing.

Okay, so - Devgo works for both God and the Devil when they don't know where to send someone. Of everything I read so far, that's the most confusing part. No, not what you might think - the part where they wouldn't know where to send this specific person. Everything points towards a specific direction. Nothing seems to point the other way. So, what's the confusion for God and the devil? hmms. oooh! heh. Of course. Shesh, I should stop with rambling during stories. Of course, when I do that, my reviews end up being like two words long. Which is probably better, but still. Right, so here the 'confusion' is the part wherein neither God nor the Devil want this woman to be joining them. Ah. heh. Another theme I've heard before.

And . . . the reoccurring problem with this collection of stories continues. These stories are just way too short. They are just snippets for the most part. Not full short stories. Ah well.

Rating: 3.43

November 3 2016

A Magical Christmas by RJ Nolan
Family, kids, multiple parents, bisexual, dog, romance, Annoying ex(es)

A woman with kids learns that her ex-husband has, once again, bailed on taking the kids for a weekend. And so her plans with her lover have been ruined.

Story from the point of view of both Kris, and Erin (Erin being the 'a woman' above).

It's funny, in its way, but the fact that every story before this one in the collection had nothing even approaching 'erotica' makes the bits here annoying. This is the fourth story and now people are going to start fondling each other and stuff? mmphs. Yeah, I'm actually kind of annoyed. I know I already said that but . . . something.

heh. So, a departure from the earlier stories - a bit of eroticism (very very tiny bit, more visible due to the complete lack in the earlier stories than for any other reason), and a fuller story than the others. Less of 'just a snippet'.

Rating: 3.7

The Christmas Grump by Jae
Security guard - mall, kid

Hmm. Story starting out with a vague feeling of 'I've been here before' (story-wise).

And . . . yes, I've read this before. At least I think I have. Darn. This is at least the second time I've excitedly started in on a Jae story . . . only to realize that I'd already read it - last time it was, I think 'Morning After' which I had read when I read the book 'Depature from the Script' (if I have the titles right). Here the title of the story is the same. Just two different short story collections. This one and 'Love Beneath the Christmas Tree.' And looking at that collection - the next Jae story is also in that collection. So, it's as if there are no Jae stories in this collection - no new ones. I feel annoyed by that fact. I'd be even more annoyed if I hadn't gotten this collection here for free (just like I had gotten that 'Morning After' short story for free as well).

Well, guess I'll have a reread or two then. I mean, it has been 2 years since I read that other collection.

So, since I didn't write anything for that other collection -

This story stars Rachel, a security guard at a mall at Christmas time. She's grumpy because of all the arrests she's been having to make. While she's running around attending to 'incidents' she keeps spotting a specific boy all by himself in a toy store in the exact same spot, day after day. Near lego toys. Starring at them. If this was a story in one of the other collections I read recently, I'd know instantly what was going on (that or if I hadn't read this before) - ghost! But no, this is a Christmas collection, not one of my Halloween collections.

mmphs. How annoying. Apparently I got something in both of my eyes at the same time. They are both wet and stuff. No idea how that could have happened.

Rating: 4.8

Kissing Ms. Santa Claus by Jae
Family, kid

Ah, now I know why both stories are in both collections (as opposed to just one) - the two stories are connected. Rachel and Lilian (who I didn't even mention - mother of that boy who was looking at legos - Tyler) reappear in this story here. A year after the earlier story. And Christmas again.

Rating: 4.6

Overall
Holiday Outing by Alison Grey - 3.5
It’s in the Pudding by Emma Weimann - 4.12
Devgo by Corinna Behrens - 3.43
A Magical Christmas by RJ Nolan - 3.7
The Christmas Grump by Jae - 4.8
Kissing Ms. Santa Claus by Jae - 4.6

Total overall rating: 4.025