Love at First Write by Jae

Love at First Write by Jae

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review

This anthology contains four short stories written by Jae. All four stories involve at least one writer, some involve two (like the first story, 'Romance Bet', involves a reporter and a best-selling romance author). One of the four stories is also part of a series, the Shape-Shifter series. And at least one of the short stories has been previously published prior to this collection - 'Sex Sells' previously appeared in Finding Ms Write.

The Romance Bet
Reporter, Romance Writer, Bet, Solo POV

Story consists of a reporter talking with a romance writer. The reporter has never read a romance book, at least not a contemporary romance book, and is disdainful of the genre. She accidentally lets this information slip while talking to the romance author. One thing leads to another and a bet is made - since 'anyone' can write a romance novel, the reporter has a month to do so. Well, a novella - for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), since that requires 'only' 50,000 words for 'victory' (and 50,000 words, apparently, is a novella not a novel, despite the November writing event being called a novel writing event). 50,000 is, roughly depending on different factors, about 125.6 pages (if the font size is 12, font is Times New Roman, and there's single spacing (all other factors the same, Comic Sans would make it a 141.9 page book; Arial - 111.1 pages; Calibri - 105.1 pages; Courier - 138.1 pages; Verdana - 134.7 pages; it would be neat if I could write those little factoids in the font I'm writing about, but I don't know how).

Distracted myself with the idea of reading a 50,000 word book written entirely in Comic Sans. Where was I?

Oh, right, so a bet is made. The journalist, who has never even read a romance book, will write one in a month. because 'anyone' can.

Interesting enough story. I didn't really like either character, but interesting enough story.

Rating: 3.78

December 6 2017

Sex Sells
This is the story I'd previously read. I'll insert here the review I'd written for that read.

Writer, Editor, Solo POV
A woman is in public talking on the phone – specifically with her editor. She’s thinking of how to kill someone (then saying so loudly – again in public). Editor mentions something about how those books that include romance tend to sell a lot more copies than books like what the author currently writes (mysteries). They discuss this. Then fumbling over what a ‘date’ means.

Neat story. I want more stories involving these two characters. I like them. Sadly this is more of a snippet than anything else. It’s not even really a full short story. More of a snippet.

Rating: 4.15

January 18 2017

Rating: 4.50

December 6 2017

Overall rating: 4.325

The Snow Liger
Writer, Investigator, Shifter, Solo POV

Griffin, the liger shifter, and Jorie, the writer, live in snowy Michigan - as the story puts it, it's either snow time or it's about to snow time in Upper Peninsula Michigan. This is another story snippet as opposed to full length short story, but it's quite good and interesting. And, frankly, probably a lot more interesting for someone who has read the first book in the series than someone who's read nothing in the Shape-Shifter series. There just are 'things' that need to be known that aren't reinforced, that are just touched on. Like, for example, this story mentions that Jorie is a Dream Seer - said in passing in the same way that the next story happens to mention that one of the characters can read the other character's mind - said in a joking manner not to be taken seriously, I mean. Except, Jorie is in fact a Dream Seer. She can 'see' things through dreams.

The fact that Griffin is a liger (her father is a lion shifter, her mother is a tiger shifter; they don't actually use those words, but other words something like Puwar for the tiger shifter . . . or something like that) and therefore has cat like tendencies is probably something a reader new to the series can pick up relatively quickly.

But still, more of a nice little glimpse into the further lives of Griffin and Jorie for those who've read the series instead of an introduction for new readers into the series.

Rating: 4.48

December 6 2027

Blind Date at the Booklover's Lair
Writer, Hypnotherapist, Bookstore, Blind Dates, Solo POV

It is rather unfortunate that this story starts off with me disliking it out of the gate. Why? Because I really, and I mean really, dislike that pushy 'best friend' who barges in and demands that the main character go on a date. A blind date. In an hour. This is the same best friend who had set her up on a date a month ago with someone horrible; and had previously set her up with Lisa, the main character's horrible ex. I really dislike Chi Lo.

Well, no matter, that was relatively easily gotten past.

The main character has two names, one of the reasons I keep calling her 'main character' - she uses a pen name on her books, and then there's her actual name. Though it's something like the difference between Tricia and Trisha (or Trish). I'm going on and on because I couldn't actually remember the main character's name. heh. mmphs. Right, on with it.

Chi has set Tricia up on a date at Tricia's favorite bookstore. She's to meet a Jenny in the LGBT section and she'd be holding a particular author's book (not Trish) - and that's how she'd know her. And so that's what happens - Tricia very reluctantly changes and goes to the bookstore. Scopes out the woman in the LGBT section. Finally wanders over and introduces herself - they have coffee, etc. etc.

I wish to learn more of Jen and Tricia's story. Was a great humorous story.

Rating: 4.78

December 6 2017

OVERALL
The Romance Bet: 3.8
Sex Sells: 4.15 + 4.50 = 8.65/2= 4.325*
The Snow Liger: 4.48
Blind Date at the Booklover's Lair: 4.78
Overall rating: 4.34625

* admittedly I was going for the 4.33 overall rating, so I put down whatever would get me there for the second read rating.



View all my reviews

Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon

Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


1) I'm doing a reread of the series, shouldn't I be able to think of 'stuff' to slide into these review boxes after I'm done? Heck, I've been writing reviews for almost everything for at least 1 or 3 years now, even if it's a little as 'I loathe Jonathan' (Don't recall if that's the character's name, but that's the entirety of a review I wrote this year). But alas, not having as much luck doing reviews recently. I keep taking days, weeks to get around to them.

2) I'm in the middle of the last book in this series (yes Ky returns in another series, but that's another series; and yes, literally in the middle, well, okay, something like 51 or 54% into book 5), so any review here will be tougher to write. Though being there I can say: I liked the earlier books better than the later. And I think that's almost entirely due to the many many characters who have POV's throughout the series. Many of whom I don't really care about (like, say, Rafe, Toby, occasionally Stella - though she grew on me; not 'basically everyone but Ky', but many of the POV characters and story arc's aren't that fun for me to read).

I say 'almost entirely' but I'm not certain how much of another reason fits in that 'the rest of the reason', or if I'm hiding the size of that reason's importance to me. For, you see, people were constantly lecturing Ky on being a young woman and, as 'everyone knows' young women are susceptible to pretty faces, and Ky kept taking it like an asexual who thinks everyone's dumb to keep lecturing her like this - for assuming what should not be assumed. That's the early part of the series, of course, not the later (well, I'm in book 5 - people are still assuming things about 'young women' and 'pretty pretty boys'). In the beginning Ky had Hal, a fellow cadet, and they'd exchanged class rings - but the reader never saw the two together, and later learned that - while there was 'something there', and while Ky thought she loved Hal, it had never advanced to fucking (or included it, depending on feelings about fucking and how much of an emotional connection is needed before fucking can occur, I'm not referring here using the word for profanity purposes, I'm literally talking about . . . sexual activities, but fucking is shorter that using two words). Men came, men went, Ky showed no attraction to any, despite people lecturing her (onto her ship, near her, etc., I don't mean into and out of her bedroom). In the middle of the series, this book here, Ky actually literally drooled over a gorgeous woman who boarded her ship - but alas, no, this isn't, way down in book three, the start of a romance; or lesbian fiction. (view spoiler)[that's one of the problems with the series - by book five Ky's occasionally, when she is actually in control of the POV, lusting after Rafe - who is also lusting after her; it's a bloody romance trope of 'but I can't have her/him because . . . 'our families' (people funding Ky's fleet; Rafe's literal family, his company he works for, and his government) would hate us if we got together . . . course that came up like three times in book 5, it's not actually a major plotline, yet, though it certain removes asexual from the mix (she still might be demisexual), though still leaving the possibility of being biromantic (hey, she did drool over that gorgeous woman in this book three here) (hide spoiler)]

3) And now I’m facing the problem of currently being in the middle of book 5 while trying to write a review for book 3. Hmms.

As the book description notes . . . bah, forget that.

Right, Ky, Stella and Toby had been flying together. Somewhere along the way they acquire another ship and Stella goes off on it while Ky & Toby fly off on a larger ship. Book three has all three land on the same overly and aggressively polite star system. Cascadia or something like that. Hmm, that . . . doesn’t look right. Darn, name of system not in book description (at least the book description for this edition). I’ll call it ‘Tree-lover system’. Right, so, while the three Vatta’s had been separated, they all now meet again in ‘Tree-Lover system’. But there’s a problem – Ky has the ship she acquired along the way and tries to do business in the system. But her ‘old friend’, that Vatta captain who was captain on Ky’s apprenticeship year, turns up. And claims . . . that Ky is an imposter – the real Ky had died. HE KNOWS! *angry shaking fist* It becomes a court battle. Is Ky an imposter, or not? Part of the problem is that, while there is DNA evidence in system, the court can’t use it because of legal rules (it’s with the bank the Vatta’s use, for identification – and that bank agrees that Ky is a Vatta and biologically closely related to the DNA sample on hand (Jo Vatta, Stella’s sister).

So, a court case occupies part of this book. And questions of identity. And a very brief appearance (because of the question of identity) of a system Monitor (to keep Ky’s ship ‘locked down’ from leaving) who is, apparently in Ky’s words, super gorgeous woman. Oh, and ‘Tree-Lover system’ also wants the Vatta dog. For reasons.

Of the five books, or, at least, the 4 and a half I’ve read so far, book three turned out to be my favorite of the bunch. Not sure how that happened, but it did.

Right, so . . .

Rating: 4.75

December 5 2017



View all my reviews

Sunstone, Vol. 4 by Stjepan Šejić

Sunstone, Vol. 4 by Stjepan Šejić

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's been more than 2 years since I last looked in on Sunstone. Since I read the previous volume. Reading my review for that volume, the third in the series, I remind myself that this volume here, the fourth, isn't the first volume I read for the first time in graphic novel form. But before I go down confusing lane, I'll just be blunter than norm: I read the first two volumes of this series as thy were created and posted on Devientart. Had access to more, but didn't read volume three until it popped up as a graphic novel. That one, volume 3, and volume 4 (this volume), were 'new reads' for me. Though I'd only read this one this morning - for the first time.

There's a personal reason why I stopped reading the series, and no it isn't the part where I originally thought the author was female only to be shocked to find that the author was a man (though that did happen - the having thought woman, finding out man); no it's the personal connection with my own life. Ironic, considering what happens in this volume and in volume 5 - the story that ends this volume and is picked up in volume 5 (which I'm reading even as I write this review here for volume 4. That personal connection is the part wherein, out of everything I've ever read, all those romances, and non-romances, the characters I most identified were the ones in this series here - for reasons. Specifically, I'll have to note otherwise this paragraph doesn't serve it's purpose, the two main people in the story-line - Ally and Lisa. They corresponded in weird ways to myself and someone else in my life. Who poofed on me. Which is the whole point of this paragraph - I'd seen this series with strings connecting it to my own life, but the connection was broken by that person 'poofing' on me, so . . . it was hard to get back to read more parts of this specific story here.

I rather assumed, based on the above and other stuff, that I'd probably end up rating this something nearish 4 (if that) stars. Because, hey, part of my enjoyment of the series was the part where it seemed oddly connected to my own life . . . and that was gone now, so..... But no, the humor wore down my walls, the plot and stuff broke the wall around my . . . um . . . something, emotions? And I rather enjoyed the story.

Bah, I'm not really saying anything about the book. Stuff happened, miscommunications occurred, flashbacks upon flashbacks occurred (the whole series is Lisa telling the reader the story from some point in the future - and occasionally things will/would appear out of chronological order, because the present for narrator Lisa isn't the present for story Lisa; plus there were many occasions when stuff was told that didn't actually happen, or, I should say, happened in stories, but the reader only learned that after the fact. I've lost this paragraph and this review.

Rating: 4.80

December 4 2017



View all my reviews

Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon

Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The second book in the Vatta’s War series sees a massive ramping up of conflict. The first book showed both a flash, a brush fire so to speak (minor conflict), and how ‘competent’ both mercenary and the interstellar communications people, ISC, can be in both intimidation and fixing stuff. Basically the first showed the universe as it was on the edge of massive change. The second book, this one here, showed that change.

The conflict in the first book really didn’t seem to require the use of the term ‘war’. Well, it’s definitely war now. The communication/and financial ‘satelites’ have been taken out through many of the different solar systems. And … I’m being purposely vague since what I can say would be spoiler for the prior book, and, to a certain extent, for this book. Since the war that erupts doesn’t do so immediately. But boiled down: the brush fire seen in the first book turns to … a higher level of war. Those used to Honor Harrington’s waves of ships flying around with ‘stuff’ exploding and the like would be disappointed in my use of the word ‘war’. There’s action, there’s conflict, some of it even takes place in space between space-ships but . . . well, let me note something that I never actually got around to explicitly noting: Ky Vatta isn’t military. She’s trained, a few months from graduation, but she’s neither military nor in a military spaceship while wandering the cosmos. During war. This isn’t watching a skilled captain in a ‘lessor’ military spaceship taking on superior forces and triumphing – this is a space captain in tiny merchant spaceship that was on its way to being scrapped when the war broke out.

Right so – many point of views, again, much traveling around, lots of excitement and fun. Solid good book. Which I write 86% into the next book.

I’ll leave on the last note that: anyone wanting romance will need to continue looking elsewhere; anyone fearing romance can continue reading this series.

Rating: 4.59

December 1 2017




View all my reviews

The 100th Generation by Justine Saracen

The 100th Generation by Justine Saracen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Drat, I forgot to write a review for this book. mmphs. Right, let's do a quick recap for when I glance at the book later and wonder what the fuck the book is about.

Archaeologist Valerie Foret is working on a dig site in Egypt. Close enough to the giant pyramids to occasionally wander by, far enough away that she has to ride a long distance on camel. Which is where the book opens –Valerie on camel riding in out of the desert to get supplies, watch an opera, and fuck the local archaeologist council’s wife (you know, just to throw a bit of cheating in there right away). Valerie has just recently found what appears to be the entrance to a tomb, but hasn’t dig too much yet – doesn’t know if it really is anything yet (though big expectations that she’s found what she was looking for). While fucking the wife of that important dude whose name I forget, Valerie learns that a despised rival is in Egypt and Valerie realizes she needs to flee back into the desert again before they bump into each other (see, the cheating helped! . . . or something).

Before fleeing into the desert, Valerie watches an opera being performed by a very good friend of hers, a very gay man who constantly bordered on stereotypical gay attitudes and comments. Again, still before she flees, she and that gay opera dude wander around the city. Eventually bumping into three specifically important to the story people: a woman who gives Valerie some kind of super important … um . . box thing, scroll . . . scholar . . thingie box; another woman who is half Islamic (through father . ., I think), and half Jewish (through mother, again I think I have the parents correct) turns up as opera dude’s friend (see, this is what happens when I forget to write reviews, I barely recall anyone’s names, and there’s no way I’d have gotten most correct anyway) . . . and very pregnant – apparently by the very flaming homosexual opera singer (as in, he, apparently, impregnated her, and no, he isn’t bisexual, apparently though both got drunk one night (without drinking any alcohol) and stuff happened); and the third person they run into is a man like person – that despised evil misogynistic asshole person – who happens to also be Valerie’s boss. Valerie and bossman settle on both heading to the dug very shortly – Valerie’s going to be displaced and bossman is going to take over (bossman is in many ways: 1) super evil with no redeeming qualities; 2) super misogynistic; 3) super . . . dimwitted; and, inexplicably, and never explained, 4) slowly turning into a woman with breasts and womanly hips and all the rest – never ever explained – what the fuck was up with that anyway? – it was later explained that an ancient Egyptian who he kind of resembles also looked like that, but both were also still men . . . really confusing).

Right, sorry. So. Valerie, not wanting to give up the find, decides to flee into the desert before bossman can get on a camel, gay opera dude follows along with Valerie . . . well still wearing inappropriate clothing (like dress shoes, gay men don’t know how to dress to go on an archaeological dig? I mean, he knew that was what he was going to be doing so . . . . what the fuck?).

Right, so, apparently while Valerie was away her workers had been continuing on the dig. Found doors. Once Valerie arrives, they break in. Wander, an untouched tomb! A very weird looking bird is flying around! A ghost is talking to them!

Right, so, fairly quickly this moves from a vaguely incompetent archaeologist digging in Egypt (incompetent – she moved the dig site from where they were supposed to be digging ‘on a hunch’, but told none of her superiors – and, in fact, one of the reasons why despised evil man is even in Egypt is because incompetent Valerie failed to make the minimum required reports, what the fuck is about that either?) to a bizarre magical realm of weirdness that includes ghosts, birds with human faces, various gods/goddesses/giant vultures/and prophesized stuff.

Enjoyable in its way. Interesting. Completely wacky and insane, but interesting none-the-less.

And I forgot to put this on a rating shelf, bah. Now I’ll have to play spin around and dart toss to see which rating shelf to put this on. *spins*

Right, so, certain amount of sex occurred – cheating sex; certain amount of sexual assault occurred (it’s there, maybe I wouldn’t see it exactly in that light if I’d read it in any other current real world environment).

Rating: 4.25

December 1 2017



View all my reviews