That Old Emerald Mountain Magic by Cara Malone

That Old Emerald Mountain Magic by Cara Malone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The good: This was a very readable book - hard to put down in fact.
The bad: The conflict point and separately the ending.

Emerald Mountain is in Colorado and operates as a ski resort. Two worlds will collide when a 'townie', who works at a resort there, and a 'rich family' interact with each other. Interact in the normal resort employee/resort guest way until the worlds literally collide more than the figurative suggested in the last sentence - when Joy, the resort shift supervisor, glides on a snow board hard and fast into Carmen, the rich resort guest, who had been stupidly standing in the middle of the ski slope (she wanted to get a selfie without actually having to ski.

Carmen (one of the two point of view characters), her father, and mother lived poor - the needing to use the homeless shelter food pantry kind of poor (though I don't think they ever lost their home) until Carmen was around 10 to 13 when one of the father's 'crazy' inventions took off and made the family rich. Carmen's twin sisters were born nine months after the windfall, and so never knew a life outside the wealthy cocoon. They, the twins, also never new a white Christmas and the parents, more the father, wants to give them a white Christmas before they grow too jaded to appreciate it (their Christmases up to this point have involved going to warm locations, mostly to Cancun (I suppose here I could insert something like 'my family spent Christmas in Cancun once, I remember Christmas church service in some temporary room at the hotel with like 10 others with the Spanish speaking priest, but this isn't about me'). At the time the family head to Emerald Mountain, Cameron is 22, and the twins are around the age of 13.

Meanwhile, the other point of view character Joy grew up in and has spent her whole life in Emerald Mountain village - and started working at the ski resort after high school. Right before the current season started, her roommate left the town to go join a rock band - her last local friend. Her family, in the form of her mother, now lives in Florida, so Joy's there in Emerald by herself and is wondering what next to do with her life - take up her manager's offer to get trained to move further up the resort job hierarchy, or move somewhere else (here's where I insert the part where Joy only has a high school education and has a good steady job that has massive advancement potentialagainst . . . whatever she could do elsewhere).

Right, so, amongst the Carmen family attempting to stick close to the massively huge itinerary put together by papa (and that also reminds me of my father), the family does snow related stuff - like taking the limo into Denver to shop for the day (wait, that's not snow related; well the did do some snow related stuff . . . eventually) some 'feelings' and stuff are felt between Carmen and Joy. Though they'll 'only' have a week to have their fling - since that's how long the family will be there.

Nice enough story. Kind of thin. Open-ended ending. The conflict point is because both main characters have the maturity of goldfish, and the story/book is open-ended because it isn't resolved before the end of the book.

Sex did occur. Certain amount of graphicness to the sex description but . . . how to put this . . . somewhat lacking in heat and stuff.

Rating: 3.85

December 11 2017



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Run in the Blood by A.E. Ross

Book received from Netgalley and NineStar Press for an honest review

I hate when I start off a review this way but . . . I've no real clue how to write a review for this book. Most of what I could say would probably be spoiler. So . . . I'll try to weave my way to something approaching a review.

One of the first things I need to mention, and I'm not sure if it is a spoiler or not, I assume it isn't considering how the book flows from beginning to end, but it is something that was hidden from readers in the book description. And that is the part where I thought I was going to read one of the quite rare FFF books. I mean, the description certainly lead me to a reasonable belief. Perhaps. Maybe. Maybe not. The words around one of the characters - describing all but that character, are loaded with female gender terms. I suppose it could be said that having two of the three characters be overloaded with female pronoun words, while leaving the third suspiciously pronoun free should have been a hint at something or other. Well, I didn't notice - I just saw all the female pronouns, saw that the book involved three main characters, and assumed stuff.

The book alternates point of views - having Aela, Del, and Brynne get turns at the POV controls. I mention this specifically so that I can continue the above paragraph. The first time I got to Del's POV section (Aela leads off the book, Del came second), things were worded a particular way. Well, one, I knew immediately that Del thought of himself as male. But there were these hints being dropped that made me vaguely suspicious. Del was described as soft, and as someone the other soldiers were protective towards. Should I be reading anything into that, I thought to myself as I read? Yes . . yes I should. But I'll leave that specific detail of why be found out by the reader. I will say, though, that as far as I know, this book involves two women and one man.

Aela is a pirate, a corsair (I think I spelled that right). Her entire life, at least as per her own memories, has consisted of being a pirate. She leads off the book and POV. And there's this quite exciting, thrilling pirate action scenes where a pirate ship chases down another ship. Aela is dark skinned, heavily scarred, and there's something . . . different about her that gets revealed relatively quickly. Something I'll let the reader learn, though they don't have to wait long to learn. Aela, from everything 'dropped' in the book, is, at my best guess, a lesbian. A woman who enjoys the sexual company of other women.

Del takes over control of the book second. He, when first seen by the reader, is a solider whistling happily as he wanders with his fella soldiers, and the fiery other, on a quest. And yes, he. While there's these 'soft' impressions heavily laid down, he is a man. It is never really confirmed, but it appears that Del might very well be heterosexual.

Brynne takes over third. Three things to know about her immediately: 1) she has a connection to Aela - they are lovers; 2) she's a crofter's daughter (I've no clue what a crofter is - her mother sells fruit from a stand while her father is a merchant ship captain; I just made myself giggle after looking up the word crofter - 'crofter: a person who farms a croft' . . . um, wha? croft: small scale food production); 3) her first appearance introduces her as the newly engaged bride to the prince of the kingdom - which is both in the book description (well that she needs to learn to be a princess) and the first thing the reader sees from her point of view. She has red hair . . . I think I remember that. bah, I bad at noticing things. She's the kind of person who normally lived a life of walking barefoot, and speaking crudely. Already noted: Brynne and Aela are lovers. Both are female. She's engaged to a prince and seems determined to be a good princess and seems to have no 'issues' with marrying a man. Weakly I use this evidence to come to the conclusion that Brynne might be bisexual.

The book includes some interesting, fun, pirate action, a mini-quest, wandering underground, dragons, learning to be a princess, learning to read, learning about the past, both the past of the land the kingdom sits on, and Aela's past that she otherwise doesn't remember.

There's some exciting stuff in this book, but there's also a longish period in the middle where nothing much happens (stuff happens, just not the kind of stuff expected after pulse pounding opening action bit), but excitement returns to finish off the book. There are some obviously plot-lines, though, that are not wrapped up by the time the book is concluded.

Rating: 3.82

December 8 2017

Party Favors by Jaime Clevenger

Party Favors by Jaime Clevenger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the third time I've read this book, all reads this year. I don't know, there's just something about this book that pulls me back time after time. There are many paths that can be taken - but then this is a choose your own adventure - for adults! type book. But that wasn't what I was getting at, but the part where the individual paths make such satisfying reads on their own terms - as if, beginning, middle, end, I was reading one book . . . each time I open the book, and it's not the same book. Most of the beginnings/middles/ends make damn fine books, a few, surprisingly, make damn fine erotic romances, while another few make damn fine erotic flings (the nature of the story 'shows' that you won't actually end up with that specific individual . . . or you do, that's the pathways you chose).

Last month I read a path that I thought I'd already gone down, but everything seemed new - especially the sex scene, I'd remembered it as a tease, a tease that got interrupted. But it wasn't interrupted this time. Which is both confusing and vaguely alarming (in an 'am I losing my mind' kind of alarming). I had just followed the natural flow like I'd thought I had before, I hadn't taken any detours or moves that would have lead me to some other conclusion, but weirdly I found myself on a path that I had thought I'd traveled before but hadn't really. But that was last month. And last month's read would have made a damn fine standalone erotic short story. But we are talking about this month, well, I wasn't, but I should be.

It's not really a reread if you just go down one path (or is it), and yes I did go down more than one path last month and this month. But the path I went down this time, the memorable path at least, was one I do not believe I traveled down before. Which is odd since I thought I'd travelled down all paths the first time I read the book (is Amazon updating the book behind my back or am I, in fact, going insane?).

This specific path started off the same, as all paths in the book do. Since, all paths start with me in a batman costume (it is a choose your own path not a choose sally's path, so yes, me in a batman costume, not some random woman), at the entrance to a rich house waiting for my estranged girlfriend. And realizing, with horror, that while it is in fact a fancy dress party, fancy dress did not mean, as I apparently thought, a costume party. Or, in case others have the similar confusion - the party involved formal clothing, nice dresses, and tuxes; while I'm there in a rather expensive looking outfit . . . but it's still a Batman costume. That's how all the paths start. I'm caught in the costume, I talk with a few people, my estranged girlfriend turns up and . . . paths diverge here - do I brush off girlfriend and immediately leave, or try to explain to her why I'm there dressed as Batman (or, in other words, do I leave, or do I go into the party dressed as Batman).

Well, on this specific occasion I brushed off the estranged girlfriend in a kind of fit of embarrassment at being caught in a Batman costume, and fled. Stopped at a fast food place because my stomach's making noises (weirdly get only fries and a drink, eh, whatever). Then immediately head across the street to a sex toy shop. Still dressed as Batman. Because hey why not. No choices were allowed me, by the way, between leaving the party and arriving in the sex toy shop as Batman.

I'm not going to continue down this path of telling what happened to me, no I'll allow others to enjoy or not. One of the paths, this time, led me to diving into a rather riveting romance with someone I lusted for and perhaps loved for many years (but she's straight! - by the way, one of the benefits of a choose your own adventure for this specific story line is the part where I've read this type of story line many times - and most of the time it bloody annoys me, because I 'know' the two are the 'designated couple' and the 'I must not make a move' *three hundred pages go by while both pine for the other but don't say anything; suddenly, a look! a kiss! A . . . the words 'The End' NOOOO!!!); but here, in a choose your own adventure, there is not 'designated couple', I don't 'have to' end up (or get to or . . .). So it added an extra layer. An extra insight into the situation that oddly made it seem both more real and more realistic. Because in real life you can pin away for a friend, straight or otherwise, and never make a move; or make a move and have things turn awkward for a little while; or make a move and have everything blow up and now you have no friends because, oops, apparently all of your many friends were actually friends with that other person who is now grossed out (or other words similar) by you 'making a fool of yourself' - real life's a bitch not a romance novel). And most of the paths in this book don't find you with the love of your life ((view spoiler)[most of the paths find you restarting your relationship with your estranged girlfriend - with or without sex with others along the way ('allowed' sex with others). (hide spoiler)]).

Early on in my romance reading days I'd read a book by Lynn Galli that involved a specific coupling. I mention this because I'm actually relatively new to romance book reading. So the fact that most of the book, in that specific instance, involved a woman dating another woman only to turn around and end up with a different one worked for me. I saw it through my mystery reading eyes - that first woman was a red herring! I mention all of this because romance books, no I mean capital R romance books, follow a pattern - two people circle each other, there's some conflict of some kind (most of the time internal (i.e., miscommunication); occasionally only external (mad man with gun chasing them)) and by the end the two will either be in HEA (happily ever after) land or HFN (happy for now). So a lot of the things that are done to create conflict, which in the past I could enjoy (or not) in non-romance books, bloody frustrate me and drive me up the wall in a romance book because I know the two are supposed to be together - it's the law . . . of romance writing. If I'd read that Galli book today I'd probably be quite harsh about it; at the time it was great, red herring and all (part of the harshness is the part where it was something like 90% of the book involved that other wrong woman, and not even 5% involved the 'correct' woman - the rest of the percentage involved basketball). But here? As in Party Favors, I have many books in one. The conflicts are there, but they don't bother me as much as normal, because there is in fact no 'designated couple' here. So a mistake here, there, a choice that drives that woman away, or pulls that one in - well, that's all part of the 'game', and not a frustrating side-trip of wasted time and wasted words/pages.

As indicated, I think, I did travel down more than one path on this read. The 'fell for friend' path is one I read first. But I also traveled several more - like the one where I somehow ended up back at my apartment and flirting with my next door neighbor (who is both bi and currently dating a man) - there's at least two paths that flow on from finding that neighbor there - I end up in some kind of 'situation' with the neighbor (with or without the man involved), or I blow her off and end up watching her screw her boyfriend (it's very easy to see across into their apartment). I mention this further reading for two reasons: not every path is actually fun; not every path leads to sex; not every path involves just two women (fuck I went beyond two reasons). And there were other paths I followed, which I only quickly mention - tack on to this paragraph - because one of them involved a different threesome - different couple, with me in the middle. And all three of us were women in that scenario.

Right, I don't think I actually wrote what I specifically was intending to write, but some part of it is there so . . . good and stuff.

Crap. I now remembered what it was I actually wanted to write. Okay, I'll very briefly tell the simplistic version:

This choose-your own adventure book contains, it seems, many quite satisfying 'books' in it, with great ideas. That's what all that beginning middle end was supposed to be about. That there are several satisfying books in Party Favors. And while I've read this book at least three times now, I've still never attempted to read anything else by this author. And they do have at least 8 or 9 other books out there for me to maybe try. But no, still I've failed to read anything else by them. Partly because every time I look at the other books, none scream at me 'read me now!' so I don't. Let's see, witches, barn . . . next . . . massive waves of flashbacks in this one, next . . . 'Waiting for Love Song' oddly looks like a book I've already read, but not under this name, next . . . 'Sweet, Sweet Wine' looks vaguely interesting but no digital version, next . . . 'All Bet's Off' looks quite crap no digital edition, next . . .

Rating: 6.0

December 8 2017



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Do You Feel What I Feel edited by Jae and Fletcher Delancey

Do you feel what I feel: A Holiday Anthology by Jae

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review

12 short stories by 12 different authors. A mix of authors who I have read before with authors who I have yet to sample. And a short story is something like a sample, an appetizer instead of a full meal. All 12 stories have a holiday theme. Not sure if that means that they all take place in December; all involve Christmas; or what exactly (ETA: I was going to adjust this after I read the anthology, but I still don't know if everything takes place in December, though I know not all involve Christmas). I know 4 have Christmas or Claus in the title. And one has lots of snow in the story itself, though never mentions Christmas or any holiday (though that's also the story with the ultra-right wing Christian fundamentalist family).

S. Claus by Blythe Rippon
North Pole, World Travel, Magic, Talking Caribou, Santa Claus; Solo POV

Selene Claus is Santa Claus' sister. She's quite jealous of Santa and sees him in a negative light. She plans to 'get back' at him by making him look bad in the eyes of the world. She plans to do that with magic, and a talking caribou - Rudolf's granddaughter Lara. Complicating Selene's plans is the appearance of Zaida, Santa's wife's sister.

There's not much to the story but I rather enjoyed it. I've slowly lowered my rating from my initial enthusiastic rating, and hopefully I'm 'close' to where I should be with my rating (should be as in my real rating for the story).

This is potentially an 'age gap' story, but Zaida's age was never given. If I understand correctly, Selene's about 100. 50 in a photo that might itself be 50 years old.

Rating: 4.88

This Thing by Jove Belle
Age Gap; Single Mother; Tattoo Artist; Reality Star; Multiple POV

I've gone the opposite direction with this story, raising the rating a little after my initial low rating.

So, there's this 'Beth' and a 'Willa'. Beth is a tattoo artist & Single mother who, on a dare, asked out a reality show star (who is also, presumably, at least 8 to ten years younger than her). That reality star being Willa. Who works in her parents gun shop and on her parent's reality show. Apparently they, the parents, signed up for this show when Willa was in high school. She's college age now (I forget if it was worded as 'college age' or 'in college now'), and so has more on-camera time. Which was apparently important to note in the story.

Willa's family is ultra-religious and conservative (I don't watch reality shows myself, but the few that I've heard mentioned, here or there, always seem to have that pattern - ultra-religious and conservative, at least the family focused ones (though even as I write this, several people pop into my brain - hard to know if they fit the pattern without watching the show, but I think there might be some that don't fit the pattern). Willa's ultra-guilty about spending time with Beth, but just loves doing so. Plus she also really loves guns.

I know I've mentioned something about age up above, giving the impression that we are reading about two mature fully functioning adults but . . . both of the main characters read as if they are lustful 15 year olds. Not even just because of their thoughts/words/actions between each other, but also their interactions with others. Like, for example, Beth seems weird in relation to her tattoo shop boss, oddly . . . wishing for her approval and feeling a couple of words expressed to her by this boss as if they were her 'graduation'. Weird.

I did not like the story, though I normally like the work I've read by this author.

Rating: 3.10

December 6 2017

Red Suits and Second Chances by Eve Frances
Office Party; Transgender: MtF; Toronto; Canada

An office has a Christmas party. Gina finds a coworker, Felicia, attractive but doesn't know if she should do anything with this thought. Gina is made aware of Felicia's thoughts. The end.

Rating: 3

December 6 2017

A Gift of Words by Patricia Penn
Boston, Demons

Something called the 'Fianna' defend humans against rival demons. Yet another story involving two women who find it 'wrong, but feels so good' to be with another woman 'that way'. bah. I looking for nice holiday stories, not guilt-tripping women tentatively pawing at each other, while knowing it's 'wrong'.

The two female demons stumble upon a Christmas fair in Boston while attempting to locate rival demons. While doing so, one becomes bedazzled by the decorations, while the other becomes shocked by watching two women publically kissing each other.

I believe the story might take some time around 1993? Well, I think some part of it is, and some other part is set in 1996.

I've no idea if this story is some kind of stand-alone, or if there is some series connected to it. It is quite . . . good though.

Rating: 4.94

December 6 2017

Snow, With a Chance of Love by B.A. Caldwell
Librarian, dog, snow-storm, Portland, Graduate Student, Humor

The story opens with a woman gazing about her torn up apartment. Her own apartment. That she herself tore up. Because she was looking for a missing library book. She starts putting stuff back together, sad that she can't find the book. Her dog wakes up and wanders over. She begins petting the dog then glances over to his bed. And spots the book in that bed. All chewed up.

There's a snow storm about to hit and the main character (it's easier to remember people's names and stuff if I don't read about 20 short stories in a row before being able to do reviews, mmphs) wants to get some entertainment from the library. Otherwise she'd put it off.

There's a good bit of humor here. And great chemistry between 'Dream Librarian' and the main character. Fun story.

Rating: 4.80

December 6 2017

Crossroads by Ruth F. Simon
Religion, Christianity, Family, stuff, Nurse, Accountant?

At the advanced age of 29 the main character in this story has come out to her family during Thanksgiving meal. At the part where everyone was supposed to go around saying what they were thankful for. Whereupon her father very aggressively lectured her and told her to leave and never return until she has repented her ways. Her father, by the way, is a Pastor.

Lots of conservative religious people in this collection.

Right, so, that was prior to the start of this story - that revelation and banishment. Now father has cancer and the main character is the only one capable of taking the time to try to help. And she tries to do so.

Meanwhile, because hey why not, that main character struck up a friendship with one of the nurses in the hospital, and there may or may not be more there (it's hinted at).

Rating: 3.33

December 6 2017

More than a Holiday Romance by Chris Zett
30s; Advent Calendar; Doctor; Professor

For 12 years two women traveled together during the summer as travel friends and fuck buddies. At least from end of college to before last summer. When one of the two had wanted to have an important discussion and the other cancelled at the last minute.

Now the one who cancelled has been sending postcards from their trips as a kind of Advent calendar kind of thing. And the other isn't sure how to handle things.

Interesting story.

Rating: 4.35

December 6 2017

We Wish You A Merry Christmas by Lyn Thorne-Adler
Fantasy; Christmastime; Elves?

I've literally no clue how to rate this story. It just . . what the . . . what did I just read?

Rating: WTF?

December 6 2017

Sadie and Rosa by Alison Solomon
Hanukkah, 70s, Family

Two old Jewish women fight over coming out to their family.

While it is nice to see another religion in the mix, the story itself was just average.

Rating: 3.20

December 7 2017

Kicker's Christmas by Lois Cloarec Hart
1917, Canada

This and the next story in the collection would probably have been better read after reading the book/series associated with them. I'm sure both could have been 'neat' and or 'interesting' additions - additions to the story. But both were crowded with people - one even had an odd little brief POV jump to one of the side characters for like 2 seconds that I'm sure is better understood by those who have read the series - and both had story lines that add to the original series/books instead of being stories all by themselves (for the most part, both could be read by themselves, both, though, seem tightly tied to previous works that I've not read).

This specific story here involved Kicker and . . . um, I think it's Maddie preparing dinner, learning of Clarence being hasseled for not being in the war (which pisses off Pudge), though he's not off fighting because of a heart condition not because he is a coward; Seamus arrives, mentions there's a guy at the train station, the women wander off to get him, etc. etc. Oh, and Kicker and Maddie think of their life together.

If you enjoyed this short story, you might want to read Lois Cloarec Hart's Kicker's Journey, the novel in which Kicker and Madelyn met and fell in love.

Rating: 3.43

Just a Normal Christmas by Caren J. Werlinger
Christmas; Big party, Cats

As noted above, this story is also a continuation of a series/book.

The story opens with Jules and Kelli arriving back at their home after a longish journey - they'd spent Thanksgiving with Mae, Brooke (don't recall if it actually is Brooke or not) and Ronnie. Jules has invited that gang to pop over for Christmas. And, before the story is over, many more pop over, including Kelli's dad, sister, coworker Toni, and friend Donna. Toni being the super clumsy klutz, while Donna's the one who briefly gets a turn at the POV controls (and recently finalized her separation with . . . whoever she broke up with, Elaine or something like that).

Interesting good story. Best part were Holly and Mistletoe. The cats.

If you enjoyed this short story, you might want to read Caren Werlinger's Turning for Home, the novel which introduced Jules, Kelli, and their family and friends.

Rating: 3.75

December 7 2017

Chatting with Charlie by Catherine Lane
Gym Teacher

A gym teacher reflects on her life and is super depressed until a former student gives a speech.

Rating: 3.12

December 7 2017

OVERALL
S. Claus by Blythe Rippon: 4.88
This Thing by Jove Belle: 3.10
Red Suits and Second Chances by Eve Frances: 3.00
A Gift of Words by Patricia Penn: 4.94
Snow, With a Chance of Love by B.A. Caldwell: 4.8
Crossroads by Ruth F. Simon: 3.33
More than a Holiday Romance by Chris Zett: 4.35
We Wish You A Merry Christmas by Lyn Thorne-Adler: WTF?
Sadie and Rosa by Alison Solomon: 3.2
Kicker's Christmas by Lois Cloarec Hart: 3.43
Just a Normal Christmas by Caren J. Werlinger: 3.75
Chatting with Charlie by Catherine Lane: 3.12
Overall: 3.8072727272727272727272727272727

So, top three reads: 1) A Gift of Words by Patricia Penn: 4.94; 2) S. Claus by Blythe Rippon: 4.88 & 3) Snow, With a Chance of Love by B.A. Caldwell: 4.80

Sadly, in terms of finding new authors to read, I've already read all but one of Rippon's books, Penn has just one more short story in a different collection for me to read, and Caldwell, apparently, has nothing at all else I could read. mmphs.

December 7 2017



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Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon

Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I rather dislike Rafe.

December 5 2017

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I rarely reread - much more so recently, but still I rarely reread. So the number of series I've reread, completely, can be counted on one hand. There's this series here - the Vatta War one (yes, it continues in Vatta Peace, but I've never read that one). Then, hmms, Jae's Hollywood series. Oh, heh, that's it. Those two. I came really close to rereading Jae's Shape-shifter series, I've read all but the last book and last two short stories, but . . . my energy ran out I guess. So - I reread every book in this series here and Jae's Hollywood series.

'Vatta's War' had never been my favorite series by Elizabeth Moon, that'd probably be either the Deed of Parksenarrion or Paladin's Legacy series. Both fantasy, and, chronologically, Deed is second and Paladin's is third in the same fantasy universe. I've never read the first series in that universe, The Legacy of Gird - not exactly sure why though Parksenarrion isn't in the first series, and does pop up on occasion in the third series (plus, the story of Gird is basically told over the course of the other two series). So it is easy for me to say that I've always liked Moon more as a Fantasy writer than a Science Fiction writer, though I also did like The Serrano Legacy series.

One of the things I had forgotten before the reread was the part where the series does not actually follow Ky Vatta. Though I probably should have realized/remembered that, since that’s something Moon likes doing in her series – follow a bunch of characters, not just one. Still, I forgot. Most of the books in the series do include significant sections devoted to Ky’s point of view, but there are books, and sections of books, that are almost exclusively devoted to other characters – like, if I recall correctly, both book 4 and 5 have significant time spent with Rafe and his family/business issues, with book 5 having a large chunk also devoted to Toby and his ‘stuff’. There’s still significant Ky action in book 5, but, by the end of the series, I kind of forgotten the character amongst all the others. Though I did see and recognize the character growth curve.

So, what did happen in book five? Plotline 1: Toby, the youngster (13? 15?) from prior books, does stuff on the space station he lives on, like go to school, invent stuff, date a girl his own age, have to deal with the parents of that girl, be kidnapped, etc.

Plotline 2: Rafe continues reluctantly guiding his family and business affairs. Though in terms of family, mostly just his sister (who he is kind of condescending to until he realizes she’s not ‘just’ his young sister but an actual individual who also happens to be an adult). The business part involves him dealing with being ‘temp’/’acting’ CEO for his ill father’s company. Oh, and he is also still lusting after Ky.

Plotline 3: Ky continues work on creating a fleet to defeat the ‘pirates’. Reminds me – there’s a ton of talk about ‘traitor’s’ that seemed very misplaced. How exactly were all these people traitors? Sure, some of them are, but just because someone is your enemy doesn’t magically make them into ‘traitors’. Sorry, that came up a lot, that word, though more in other people’s sections than Ky’s. Where was I? Oh, right, Ky continues creating fleet, gets into battles, matures, continues being condescended to because of her age and gender (‘of course she’s going to be distracted by pretty pretty boys!!!’ bah).

Plotline 4: Aunt Grace & her boy toy McRoberts (or was that MacRoberts?) doing stuff important related to the defense of Ky’s home system (what was that again, Slotter Key or something like that?).

Right, so, that’s the series. Relatively interesting and well written. Certain melodramatic parts (like the villain literally poses as a kind of soap opera villain, though there are no sections devoted to him and it is explained why he is acting that way – purposefully, so, okay).

I liked the books well enough. Though my purpose was to set myself up to read book 1 of the follow-up series before book 2 appears shortly. But I somewhat failed since I’m kind of burned out now on Vatta issues. *shrugs* Happens.

Rating: something around 3.75, since that’s the shelf I put it on on the 5th of December.

December 7 2017



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