Rameau's Review Archive: Dark Space by Lisa Henry

Originally posted on Goodreads February 1st 2013.

Synopsis:
Brady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless — the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.


Dark Space by Lisa Henry

This review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.


Are you interested in reading an M/M, scifi, military, mind connection, mostly character study book with creepy angels aliens?

That’s how I recommended this book in a tweet the day after I finished reading it. I threw after a warning about sibilant hisses galore but forgot to mention the rape triggers. I also might have persuaded someone by saying “you’ll like the ending” vaguely implying I was less than satisfied. And I was, but it didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying everything else.

Dark Space is set in an unknown future where humans fight a terrifying alien race called the Faceless. There are space stations that orbit the Sun (presumably) at the edges of our solar system and keep watch. These stations are manned—quite literally—only by human men because women are too precious to be put in danger like that. This was the world building detail that most annoyed me, but if the alternative was reading about poorly constructed female characters I’d suspend my disbelief for a short book any day.

Some of the world building details I liked were every single thing that made Brady Garrett the nineteen-year-old conscripted recruit three years into his ten year military service—fifteen should he choose to become an officer—trying to keep his head down, and out of trouble while helping out at the medical bay. I loved the idea of stark class differences, refugee camps, factories, and all the problems that were only implied instead of infodumped on the reader. That includes the alien race, which—as creepy as they were—was nothing compared to the Weeping Angels.

Cameron Rushton is an officer—three or seven years older than Brady depending on how you look at it—and a prisoner of war who has just been returned to home. Or as close to it as Defender Three, Brady’s space station, is. The doctors make a mistake and Brady becomes a temporary human pacemaker to the man who no one trusts. They’re locked together in a room and have to spend prolonged periods of time together adapting to this new situation. Their connection forces them to learn much about themselves and about each other.

Because it’s an M/M novel, sex is a big part of that learning process. And because I liked it, you can expect to read about dark themes, and horrible things being done to the characters.

The pacing is pretty much perfect. Whenever I started to think “that’s a bit much” the author would make shift that not only made sense within the story but also advanced the overall storyline. There weren’t any unnecessary scenes or exposition for the sake of exposition. The repetition that was there—like Brady thinking of his home and family—felt natural to the cycle of human psyche and the way humans think. We get stuck on something, move on, and come back to it when the time is right again. Brady also didn’t accept the mind melt connection unreservedly. He had doubts and he fought it, but he also learned to trust his own judgement about the connection.

And the heartrending goodbye… Well, I’ll let you read about that on your own.

Rameau's Review Archive: About That Night (FBI/US Attorney #3) by Julie James

Originally posted on Goodreads May 4th 2012.

Synopsis:
He's Playing Games

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face-to-face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she's stunned. More troubling to the beautiful assistant U.S. attorney is that she's still wildly attracted to him.

But She's Making The Rules

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn't thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case—but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can't say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn't mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won't give up on something he wants—and what he wants is the one woman he's never forgotten.

About That Night by Julie James

This is the point where I say you either like how Julie James writes or you don't. I do think she writes better contemporary romance than most, but it's not ideal for me either. I have my pet peeves like over-repetition of certain jokes, the missed opportunities with familial interactions, and nipples. That's all I'm going to say about the sex scenes this time. Nipples.

The story starts slow with an in depth look at the events that took place nine years earlier. Even when the story jumps ahead to present date, it takes time for the couple to meet. Both Rylann's life after college is established, and the events from the previous book paraphrased to explain Kyle's current situation.

As per usual—she says with the voice of experience of reading three books of the same series—Julie James creates three dimensional characters with thought out motives and strong friendships. There's always more under the surface and this is emphasised with a character like Kyle Rhodes.

In A Lot Like Love Jordan Rhodes was said to have a recognisable face from the Chicago gossip columns, but it wasn't an all-pervading part of her daily life like it's for Josh Kyle—dammit Alicia. His mugshot and heir apparent status ensure that every stranger has an opinion on him. There's a public image he exudes, but excluding three people who have known him longer than a decade no one really knows the private side of him. So far that hasn't been a problem, and Josh Kyle actually prefers it that way.

Then Rylann Pierce walks into the courtroom and back into his life.

The fact that they almost had a date in college makes Rylann just curious enough to let herself bend the rules and divert from her twelve-year-plan. She's a good girl prosecutor who plays by the rules, but with Kyle she makes a few new rules. For Kyle, who is used to playing games, this is a novel experience. They play these power games to the point where it made me uncomfortable. I assume it was done to heighten the sexual tension, and it did, but it also made me realise that I didn't like Rylann very much. Not at that point at least.

Still, their behaviour was true to their characterisations and, like always with Julie James, that drove the plot. Sure, there were external obstacles too, but the biggest problems Rylann and Kyle had with their relationship, came from within. Rylann's need to plan ahead and exude a certain kind of image because of her work, and Kyle's need to turn his life around and let go of a few grudges dictated their interactions.

I especially like how Julie James' characters don't always get what they want. It doesn't matter whether or not an apology is justified or not, when they don't get it, they act like an adults and move on with their lives. They don't throw huge tantrums that artificially kick start a romantic comedy and drive the plot. There's something very real about them. So real, that I'm always disappointed when there's not enough room for one more scene of "meet the family."

Julie James needs to stop doing that.

She needs to stop creating stellar secondary characters like Nick's Italian mother, or Kyle's father Grey, or Rylann's busybody mother and not have them meet the significant other their child is dating. I was beyond disappointed that Nick's mother didn't suddenly turn up in Chicago to meet this girl his son had talked about, because I really, really wanted to read that scene. I know the author aims for realism, but dammit, this is a book:

Bend the rules a little and have the characters do something outrageous.

Or at least explain their motives a little better. While I'm not heartbroken that Kyle never got to meet Rylann's mother in this book, I would have liked to have those comments and phone calls explained a little better. As it stands, her mother's only function in this book was to guilt Rylann into wanting to stay away from Kyle. Sure, I understood Rylann's motives, but I never understood why her mother would call to talk about the Twitter Terrorist if she didn't suspect there was something going on between them. And I never got an answer for that.

I'd really like an answer to that. I'd really like to read in-between-novellas where Jordan is introduced to Nick's family, and Kyle has to win over Rylann's retired paralegal mother. I'm not above bribery either. Some good wine and chocolate should do the trick, don't you think?

Rameau's Review Archive: King of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca

Rameau's ramblings: So far I've given examples on what my one star and five star reviews—or a "total failure" and "one brilliant book" ratings—look like. Now it's time to see what "meh" means to me. This just happens to be one of my snarkier reviews. 

Originally posted on Goodreads on January 12th 2012.



Synopsis: 
Some men are born to rule…

She’ll find him a bride if it’s the last thing she does.

And it very well might be. Evangeline may be powerfully persuasive in her way, but convincing the notoriously wild Highland king Lachlan MacLeod to strengthen his alliances with a strategic marriage seems to be asking the impossible. Stubborn and proud, Lachlan seems determined to go against her will, even if it means endangering the people he’s sworn to protect and the enchanted isle that has already seen so much discord.

Yet the battle-scarred Highlander cannot ignore his sultry advisor for long. When his mentor is kidnapped, forcing him to ride into combat alongside the beautiful Evangeline, he must choose between her safety and his own independence. It’s a choice he makes in an instant…but once wed to the woman he could not resist, he’ll soon find that his heart is in even greater danger than his kingdom…



King of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca

A while ago I won a book on a Twitter and a little while later I received a small package in the mail. My first ever paperback ARC. So naturally, I postponed reading said book until I could concentrate and give it the attention it clearly deserved. And I did–concentrate–for several weeks.

After I finished reading said book, I wrote a long list of things that bugged me about the novel and I set it aside. This was my attempt to remove the sting of somewhat critical review.

Everyone in their seats? Seat-belts? Safety glasses? Just glance at the stars, hold on, and let the ride begin.

Oh, for the love of... That was my first thought. Repeated several times during the early chapters. With every bountiful breast jiggle I cursed all the smut-writing gods and prayed for fanfic erotica salvation. (I am saved.) What the author must have considered as slow building for the sexual tension designed to bring two stubborn people together and help to break the ice between them I regarded as cheap smut tricks. Thanks to this book I could go on a lifetime without ever reading the expressions feminine curves and his manhood ever again. My quota is full.

I think M(r)s Mazzuca forgot that it's not the action of a lively pair of breasts women readers think is sexy, it's the hero's reaction to it. Though that didn't work well either when Evangeline and Lachlan went riding with winged horses (see his manhood).

I love the Scotch, both the drink and the accent, but I swear these authors are trying to destroy that love. Writing thick and sexy brogue is anything but. Reading it is painful. I swear, part of the reason why it took me so long to read through this book was because I couldn't understand a word Lachlan was saying. There were long pieces of incomprehensible dialogue that slowed my reading to the point where I started paying way too much attention to the details. And what happens when the reader starts paying too much attention to detail? This review is what happens (I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not).

Speaking of Lachlan and his male pride (another thing I'd happily never read again), the caveman mentality sucks. It's especially unappealing when it's the only thing continually showing the period. Yes, there's a time-traveller, but the rest of the characters, human and fae alike, are supposed to be living in the early 17th century. Do they act like it? No, they don't. And don't even get me started on the equal partnership-thing. (Seriously, don't. I've forgotten that bit.)

Then there's the supernatural. I was under the impression that faeries are supposed to be older and long-lived. Sure, there must be or have been fae children once upon time, but those are far and few between. Or so I thought. I don't even know how old Lachlan is, I just know that at twenty-six, Evangeline is supposed to be older. Why the hell couldn't she be at least in her sixties to make things more interesting? I had other complaints about the fae, but I've forgotten them too.

Perhaps this is explained elsewhere in the series, because before there was a King there was a Lord and a Warrior of the Isles. You can certainly read this book without having read the prequels (I did), but the knowledge of things you're missing will haunt you (it did haunt me). I would complain more about the abundance of secondary characters apparently known from the other books had I cared enough about Evangeline and Lachlan to be upset when the focus wasn't solely on them.

The series issue is a hindrance in other things too. I have no way of knowing if this was explained in the other books, but I must assume it was, because if it wasn't... it's just a sign of the author's laziness. Having not read the other books, Evangeline's fears remained too abstract and thus the culmination of this book fell flat for me. This combined with the fact that there isn't a true ending for the story, only further groundwork for the sequel, I can't recommend this book for anyone not willing to commit to a series.

That's most of my complaining done, but there are few spoilery details such as the vampirism and the pregnancy issue. I still wish Evangeline would have remained childless, because I refuse to believe that every woman must reproduce to find happiness in her life.

There were good bits too, as you can see from my rating. Whenever the author was writing action or was otherwise engaged with the plot, she forgot to add the unnecessary descriptions, which in turn made the text flow better and the reading enjoyable. Mazzuca clearly knows how to come up with plots for her romances, it's just a shame she doesn't focus on that more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. 

Rameau's Review Archive: American Love Songs by Ashlyn Kane

Originally posted on Goodreads September 2nd 2011.

Synopsis:
Jake Brenner has too many wild oats to sow to fall in love-or so he claims. Besides, he's much too busy with his band, the Wayward Sons, to go looking for romance. His reticence has nothing to do with his embarrassing crush on Chris, the band's lead singer and Jake's erstwhile best friend. But that was before enigmatic wanderer Parker McAvoy signed on as the band's new lead guitarist.He can only deny his attraction to sweet, dorky Parker for so long before the urge to do something about it becomes impossible to ignore. The trouble is, Parker knows all about Jake's philandering ways-and oh, yeah, he's not gay. Or so Jake thinks until a string of related events provides encouraging new insight. Can he convince Parker to overlook his colorful past and give him a chance? Or will this love song fade out before it even begins?(

American Love Songs by Ashlyn Kane

I've read nearly a hundred books this year. Some of those have been decent, several I can call good, and a handful were really great. But there's been only one book that's lingered in my mind like this. Until now.

Jake Brenner is a twenty year old college drop out of his own volition. He chose music and the band, or more accurately, he chose Jimmy, his best friend, and Chris, his long time crush, over school. After a drunken mishap the band is forced to find a new guitarist and Jake a new roommate.

In walks Parker McAvoy, a mysterious musical genius, who finds a his place with them after a long drifting period. And he quickly finds his way into Jake's heart too.

I spent two days in a reading haze immersed in these boys' lives. I cried, I laughed, and I felt my heart tumble. The characters swept me along with them on this amazing journey from uncertainty and anonymity to certainty and fame. I watched these characters grow and accept change like too few people do.

Most of all, I enjoyed the writing. It didn't drag me down with false bravado, but carried me through the scenes and showed me their emotions effortlessly. The characters stayed true to themselves and their actions made sense, even Parker's whose motives weren't revealed until the end.

And you know how I'm always complaining about the annoying point of view changes usually between first person voice and third limited, well, it turns out it doesn't matter one bit when it's done right. From the beginning the story is scattered with Jake's blog entries and occasional emails, which feel like just extension to the dialogue. Jake's voice is clearest in his postings.

I read the ebook, but I'm still eyeing the hardcover. It's that good.

Rameau's Review Archive: A Lot Like Love (FBI/US Attorney #2) by Julie James

Originally published April 16th 2012.

Synopsis:
The FBI wants her cooperation.
As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city's top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago. But there's only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fundraiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob. In exchange for her brother's release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.

Agent McCall just wants her.
As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal. This "date" with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment— one they're both determined to pull off even if they can't be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly. But when Nick's investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they're a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something more.



A Lot Like Love by Julie James

Julie James has fallen was pushed stepped down from the pedestal of my unreasonably high expectations. She is, after all, just a woman who writes better contemporary romance novels than most.
This time I knew what to expect. I knew to expect characters that are strong and coherent, and I knew to expect a story that won't surprise me with its twists and turns but will effectively carry through and take the pressure off the romance. I knew to expect something believable--or as believable as the romance genre is capable of offering.

I like how Julie James does her research and how it shows in the daily details of a lawyer or a wine merchant. I like how Jordan teaches Nick about wine, looking at it, and tasting it. What I would have liked even more, if the passion a person or a character feels for his or her trade had shone through the text. For example, when Jordan explains that a wine's age affects its hue, she fails to elaborate how it affects it. For someone who works, lives, and breathes the stuff, that little detail should be clear as day and slip out in everyday discussion whether it bores the none wine enthusiasts or not. I know that when I start explaining physics I won't stop talking and pointing out little details until someone shuts me up or until I reach the limits of my knowledge.

Then there are times when the author should know to shut up. Writing the same word or expression over and over is like repeating a joke after it stops being funny. It's something I can live with, but I doubt it will ever fully stop nagging at me.

I didn't notice this, until Alicia pointed it out to me, but James likes to describe clothing and she likes to do it by saying he wore or she wore a lot. So I can say, there are some perks to not caring about everyday fashion--or fashion at all. Except Crocs. Even I won't wear them.

As to something that didn't affect the plot, but could have, I'm asking:

Why does Nick tell absolutely everyone that he works undercover and why does he tell absolutely everything about those undercover works of his? Telling his family about working undercover is one thing, spoiler telling a random sex buddy is anotherspoiler. The woman's confusion over his last name would have been enough to tip off the private detective, because apparently that was her only function. I wonder how such a blabbermouth survived doing that job for so long.

It's been a while--few days--since I read this book, and I can't think of much more to say. Other than to thank Alicia for recommending it to me. If the next two books I read from Julie James are as good as this, I'll be adding another author on my favourite authors list.

Review: Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse 13) by Charlaine Harris

Genre: paranormal romance

Target audience: adults

Form: pdf, e-book

Synopsis:

Sookie is going to face  sharp, unexpected turns and twists of fate. Nothing new, right? Ok, perhaps nothing new for the faithful readers of the series but it is supposed to be new to her. You see, she will have to redefine her love life and her social status. She will have to face the music after the magic revival of Sam Merlotte, her former boss and her business partner. She will be pursued and harmed and hurt. She will experience the force of true friendship and the bitterness of an estrangement. She will find her true partner for life. She will be shot at and wrongly accused of murder. Will she survive? It’s the last part, officially anything can happen and yet…and yet… you don’t have to be a Sherlock Holmes to guess the rest. Because the rest is the silence (and I would love to add ‘the silence of the lambs’ but I suppose I would get you spooked so let’s leave that out, ok? Just an innocent remark in parentheses).

My impressions (with spoilers):

Writing a book is a strange business. Sometimes you think you get all the ingredients for a great story and you find yourself one character or one scene short for a complete, unparallel disaster. Sometimes you think the whole enterprise is just a silly prank and you are wrong again. Finishing a popular series is even a stranger business. You already know it’s been a success, you have your devout audience, plenty of people have nourished their own expectations concerning the story and now they want you to deliver. What to do? Fulfill the wishes of your most faithful fans (hey, they deserve it! They’ve voted with their money and made it happen!)? Follow stubbornly and proudly your own vision (providing you’d had one at all)? Listening to your editor, publisher and marketing gurus who are whispering in your ear some uncomfortable truths (‘hey, it’s the last chance to earn a bit more, most probably not to be repeated any time soon!’)? All of the above? Neither of the above?

I completely agree that finishing a series is more daunting a task than starting one. I do applaud Ms Harris that she never went back on her word (she’d promised she wouldn’t follow the example of Twilight and her Sookie would never become a vampiress). Still the last Sookie novel left me cold, miserable, shrugging and sad. As I predicted some time ago (and no, I wasn’t alone) Sookie ended up with Sam. Yes, it was a kind of disaster. I’m writing it without even a drop of malicious satisfaction.

Yes, I used to like that silly Sookie girl and her supernaturally exciting albeit completely small-scale life in the middle of nowhere (read: the southern rural America). Some of the installments were better, some were worse but in those better ones I found really good observations about the contemporary America and its inhabitants – their hopes and fears dressed up as supernatural creatures of different but mostly bloody sorts. Meanwhile the last part sounded banal and boring, from the beginning to the very end, as if it was written by somebody else who just gritted her teeth and ploughed through the plot to finish the blasted thing once and for good. Yes, the book consisted of roughly the same elements as the previous ones but somehow the whole magic was gone and my interest was never stirred, not even once.

Now the list of my woes. Sookie predicaments rang hollow. Her love life went into a nose-dive with Eric so clearly out of the picture most of the time (if I had to be honest it had gone into a nose-dive even one or two installments earlier but at that point you still could hope). I didn’t care whether the unimportant and completely superficial crime riddle concerning the death of a certain white trash slut called Arlene would be solved or not. I didn’t enjoy the cavalcade of different, half-forgotten characters from previous parts the authoress forced to parade through more than half of the book without any sense, reason or fun. The new child of Eric, an ashen blonde called Katrin the Slaughterer, was almost comically bland compared to other vampires who had been presented in the heyday of the series. The almost- final sex scene between Sookie and Sam left me bored stiff and yawning (seriously, I bet sex in elderly nursing homes can be more hot than that). Nothing made sense. Nothing was new or clever or funny. Nothing worked anymore.

Final verdict:

Yes, I have been warned not to read this one. Yes, I couldn’t stop myself, especially that a friend lent me the book so I didn’t have to buy it. Yes, I regret it ended how it ended. Yes, I wasted an hour or two of my life again. Flames to dust… Now I need a pick-me-up rather badly. In fact it should be added to every copy of this novel for free.

Review: Trick of Time by J.L. Merrow

Synopsis:
A lover from another time

When Ted Ennis steps out the doors of the Criterion Theatre for a cigarette and finds himself in Victorian London, he begins to doubt his sanity. At first he thinks it's all a film set, and is sure that the strikingly handsome young man leaning against a lamppost must be the leading man…

What starts as a sordid transaction with a beautiful rent boy quickly turns into something much deeper, drawing him back again and again as he gets to know Jem and craves meaningful encounters with him.

But Ted doesn't understand the exact conditions necessary for his trips through time—and for Jem, time may actually be running out. Now Ted has one last shot to get back to Jem and save their relationship, before it's too late…



This was a sweet, fluffy novel about Ted who had lost his family—and possibly his sanity—in a car accident. A year and a half later he has a new career and a life. He wanders outside for a smoke and steps into 1886. His second stumble is in insta-love with the nearest rent boy.

There was quite a lot of clichéd sex and very little relationship development, but I did understand why Ted wanted to save Jem, why he’d fancy himself in love again. I just didn’t believe Ted was in love. Yet. Maybe at the epilogue but we never got to see exactly how they got there.

Rameau's Review Archive: The Marrying Kind by Ken O'Neill

Originally posted on Goodreads June 18th 2012.

Synopsis:
Wedding planner Adam More has an epiphany: He has devoted all his life’s energy to creating events that he and his partner Steven are forbidden by federal law for having for themselves. So Adam decides to make a change. Organizing a boycott of the wedding industry, Steven and Adam call on gay organists, hairdressers, cater-waiters, priests, and hairdressers everywhere to get out of the business and to stop going to weddings, too. In this screwball, romantic comedy both the movement they’ve begun and their relationship are put in jeopardy when Steven’s brother proposes to Adam’s sister and they must decide whether they’re attending or sending regrets. 


The Marrying Kind by Ken O'Neill

As I was browsing through NetGalley I happened on this book. I glanced at the cover, read the blurb, and thought maybe not. Then I looked at the author's name, and thought maybe yes.

A M/M romance written by a man? Definitely, yes.

Skimming through the blurb I thought this book would be more about Adam, the wedding planner who quits his job in protest until he can legally marry his partner Steven, but as it turns out it's not. It's more about Steven, the columnist for The Gay New York Times, with a Romanian family and more than his share of neuroses. He tells the story of how their wedding boycott started and how others embraced it. He shows how the wedding plans of their siblings created conflict not only between them and their families but between Adam and Steven and their cats too.

The Marrying Kind is written in first person limited there's only one way to win me as a reader over once that writing choice has been made: The narrator's voice. I'll either love it, tolerate it, or hate it. While I can't claim to be ready to drop down on one knee and profess my undying love, neither can I dismiss O'Neill's writing as merely tolerable.

Despite the slow start I found myself swept away even by the long paragraphs flashing back to Steven's childhood and other significant moments of his life that usually annoy me with all that telling going on. And then there were the moments of showing. I might have awed a couple of times, but I was usually giggling, cackling, or guffawing loud enough to scare the unsuspecting passes-by depending on the moment. Most of my status updates are direct quotes from those moments I once again scared the neighbours.

The book is filled with classical film references some of which I recognised and others didn't. Luckily, the author provides a short summary for the relevant parts. One thing the book isn't filled with is erotica. The plot doesn't dissolve into pure porn and there is exactly one reference to a sex scene and it's vague. That fact almost makes me want to give this book an extra star.

Though, I've shelved this book under romance, it's more than that. The story is set in New York in 2007 when gay marriage was yet not legal in the state. It's about fighting what's right and making your family see it. It's about the reality of a stable relationship and accepting your partner as is. It's about showing why equal rights should be equal.

I couldn't recommend this book more if I tried.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Rameau's Review Archive: Something About You (FBI/US Attorney #1) by Julie James

Originally posted on Goodreads April 8th 2012.

Synopsis:

There's something about Julie James... 

Staying overnight in a luxury hotel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde overhears a high-profile murder involving a U.S. Senator. Special Agent Jack Pallas is assigned to the investigation-the same Jack Pallas who still blames her for nearly ruining his career three years ago. Now the pair will have to put their rocky past behind them, focus on the case at hand-and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension.

Something About You by Julie James

This is not a fair rating. I do try to rate evenly independent of genre and solely based on my enjoyment of a novel, but that doesn't always happen. Sometimes I come across writing of a quality that in itself raises my expectations for an author and I end up being much harsher on them than I would otherwise. Those authors–debut or not–must deliver in order to earn their stars. The last time I can remember having this particular problem was when I read and reviewed Proof of Seduction by Courtney Milan.

It looks like Julie James is going to be one of those authors.

Unlike Milan, James writes contemporary romance and about lawyers especially. The very first chapter of Something About You set my expectations high and for a while it looked like James would deliver. Her writing flows easily and the dialogue is witty. Her characters act like levelheaded adults would in real situations and there aren't any manufactured obstacles for their star-crossed romance. There is a misunderstanding, but it's years old and the reasons for it are understandable. There also appears to be a plot.

I admit I was a bit miffed for not getting to play the guessing game of a whodunnit mystery, but that didn't lower the rating from a solid four stars to a three. Several small beginner's mistakes did.

First of all, I didn't really think the killer's point of view added anything to the story. I think James might have been underestimating her skills as a mystery novelist, but I respect her for choosing not to go down that road. At least she decided to stick with third person limited instead of switching between a first person voice narrative and third limited. The horrors I've read.

I was also disappointed with the secondary culprit, the so called leak. This plot point lead to a little too neat bow being tied of those plot threads in the end.

The whiff of repetition. Occasionally James succumbed to writing scenes where a flavour of the month joke or plot point was beaten to death like the famous horse. In someone else's writing, I doubt I would have noticed these things, but as I mentioned before, Julie James has the questionable honour of my great expectations.

The floundering sex scenes. There are very few people who can write smut that I deem acceptable let alone good. I know I might be asking too much from a starting author, but if Courtney Milan can deliver so can Julie James, with a little practice.

If I made a habit of adding people on my favourite author's list having read only one of their books, Julie James would be there with Milan and Marchetta. Alas, she'll have to wait until I've caught up with the rest of her works.

Review: Stranger In My Arms by Lisa Kleypas

Book info: 
Form: pdf format

Genre: historical romance
Target audience: adults

Synopsis:

As a young man accustomed to privilege and filled with a sense of invulnerability, Hunter Hawksworth had once believed the world existed only to please him. Accordingly he enjoyed different pleasures in every possible way: he had a young wife and a temperamental lover, a lot of friends to hunt with and cavort around, a nice, profitable estate. He lacked just one thing – an heir – but being still a young man he could hope to acquire that commodity as well. However one day he decided to go to India and almost drowned in a shipwreck. He was badly injured – had his head almost cracked open – and for some time forgot his own identity. When he got better, though, he started to remind himself the important details and returned home where he had been officially declared dead for some months.

Larissa lady Hawksworth was never more relieved than when she became a young widow. Although noticeably poorer, she was finally free from the debasing, disgusting marital duties and a brute of a husband who was bored by her almost immediately after their wedding. She could focus on things she liked the most – helping the others, especially underprivileged orphans. She enjoyed her independence, limited only by the money at her disposal, until her allegedly-dead husband returned, claiming his title and his wife back. What a drag. Couldn’t the man do one decent thing in his life and stay dead?

However, soon enough Lara finds out that a quite different person returned from the land of dead - Hunter has changed into a man she can trust, rely on and even love. Will it last? Is this new, improved lord Hawksworth really the person he claims he is?

My impressions:

It is a story about an angel tempted by the devil who was able to change into...whatever he wanted to be. Quite an usual pair of romantic protagonists but it worked for me well enough; let me tell you why in my own way.

Our young, green-eyed Lara is of course the said angel – sweet, unpleasantly experienced because married to a man who didn’t care about her at all. She is pretty but unaware of her assets and almost maudlin in her goody-goody attitude. Now returns Hunter, the very devil she feared and despised– he managed to survive a horrible accident and stayed in India long enough to pick up this and that (think Kamasutra, martial arts and yoga and you won’t be far off the mark).When I was reading about Hunter’s experiences I could hardly suppress a smile. He reminded me suspiciously of the generation of flower-children who considered a pilgrimage to India (yes, it was nothing less than a religious pilgrimage) to be a life-changing event, highly recommended to any troubled, world-weary soul. Hunter would fit in perfectly well; we are not told that but I suppose he was bored with his comfortable life and yearned for a change.

After he returns - thinner, fitter, more tanned and muscled-  he becomes really keen on his old-new wife. It is actually a classic trope: the charmed devil wants to seduce the angel but the angel doesn’t reciprocate, not at once anyway. Small wonder – Lara was so happy living alone and independent, unburdened by that oaf or a man, and all of a sudden she has a husband again, poor woman, and it seems it is really the same husband. Still she hasn’t expected what a spell in India could do to a man. The new Hunter is not only quite taken with her, he tries to win her heart back in a manner that would have tempted a saint or a saintly angel.

Accordingly Lara is tempted and after a while she cannot imagine her life without the new, tender, skilled Hunter who can teach her so many new things about practically everything (but mainly sex - hey, it is a romance, right?). Roughly after the first part of the novel the author makes us rethink the entire plot so far. The identity of Hunter is being questioned time and again (AND you might actually start to appreciate the DNA tests) but those most interested in proving he is an impostor are also the very people whose testimony can be instantly rejected or at least seriously doubted. For example his good-for-nothing, hypocritical uncle would love to fill in Hunter’s shoes again; also his former mistress bears a huge grudge after she was rejected and humiliated publicly by her former lover.

Can leopard change its spots? Can a devil turn into an angel to make another angel happy? I am pleased to say the author didn't take an easy way out but if you want to know more you'll have to read the book. No spoilers!

Final verdict:

It was one of better Kleypas romance novels I’ve read so far – more imaginative, with a logical, real-life  psychology and a plot with nice, interesting twists. Even if sometimes I hated Lara and her saintly-saint attitude I fully sympathized with her final choice. Let’s face it – who wouldn’t? I only wondered why it took her so long...

ETA: I really don't get the cover. Not even for a moment.

Review: Her Singapore Fling by Kelly Hunter

Synopsis:
In desperate need of protection, Jianne Xang-Bennett reluctantly turns to her estranged husband, martial arts expert Jacob Bennett, for help. But there are problems: they've been separated for twelve years and cannot be in the same room together without arguing or ripping each other's clothes off--often at the same time But Jacob will go to extremes for those he loves, and Jianne is the only woman who can bring this honorable warrior to his knees. Can they delve beneath their red-hot desire and blazing anger to find the love that has always been hiding?
 
Last night, after finishing this book, I made a few notes on what I wanted to write in my review. This morning, I looked at those notes and couldn’t think of anything meaningful to say. This book is forgettable. Entertaining but forgettable.

There were things I liked. I liked what Hunter did with the fragile Japanese bowls to show how Jianne could be both delicate and durable that she couldn’t be broken as easily as Jake thought. I liked that the twelve year separation had obviously changed both and that they weren’t as naive they’d been when they got married. I liked how Jake mostly got over his issues with money and how Jianne learned to talk about her own needs. Everything wasn’t solved but they made enough progress for the compulsory happy ever after to be believable. I liked how she took more and more control of the situation and their relationship as the story progressed, but that he wasn’t completely pushed aside either. It was the give and take kind of relationship.

I liked the brutal fight in the dojo. That’s what tipped the scales from a three star rating to four stars for me. Without that near death experience everything Jake thought about himself would have been lip service without anything backing up his characterisation. Hunter showed a very real flaw in this unbeatable fighter.

As for things I didn’t like, the writing. It wasn’t exactly four star calibre with the clichéd descriptions of clothes and characters, but I managed to push through thanks to the story itself. The sex scenes I ended up skipping or speed-reading, so I don’t have a list of bad smut words to attach here.

It was a nice brain holiday between more serious books.

Review: Nekropolis by Maureen F. McHugh

Form: pdf e-book
Genre: sci-fi/dystopia/paranormal romance

Target audience: adults

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Fleeing an empty future in the Nekropolis, twenty-one-year-old Hariba has agreed to undergo "jessing," the technobiological process that will render her subservient to whomever has purchased her services. Indentured in the house of a wealthy merchant as a female manager, she encounters many wondrous things. Yet nothing there is as remarkable and disturbing to her as the "harni," Akhmim. A perfect replica of a man, this intelligent, machine-bred creature unsettles Hariba with its beauty, its naive, inappropriate tenderness . . . and with prying, unanswerable questions, like "Why are you sad?" Slowly, revulsion metamorphoses into acceptance, and then into something much more. But these outlaw emotions defy the strict edicts of God and Man -- feelings that must never be explored, since no master would tolerate them. And the "jessed" who defy their master's will  risk sickness, pain, imprisonment . . . and perhaps also death. Will Hariba manage to escape her prison?

What I liked:

Firstly let me tell you that I fully appreciated the original setting of this novel - how many books you've read take place in Morocco and combine the local culture with sci-fi elements? The concept of a chemically indentured woman in an ultraconservative future version of an Arab country, who, knowing fully well it is forbidden, falls in love with an artificially made 'harni' man, is intriguing.
Hariba met the humanoid flesh-and-blood construct (genetically engineered chimera, whatever you want to call it, with 98% of human DNA and some special additions) and ends up asking herself, "How we can escape and be happy?" What's better McHugh refuses easy answers and simple characterizations, showing her characters' ambivalent relationships with freedom, and the ways that they willingly give it up  for love and security.

McHugh's prose was solid and the pacing was fantastic - the story never once dragged unnecessarily or shot ahead; it was also very engaging, I had to finish it no matter what.  It's told in alternating first-person narration chapters, first by the main heroine, then by her harni not-quite-lover, then her mother, then her best friend, and then finally one last bit we know once again from the perspective of Hariba. I very much enjoyed the immediacy of the first person narration from three very different women within the same society (the jessed domestic worker without any future, the shamed widow, the 'successful' wife and mother), and I enjoyed seeing how their relationships played out, with all the resentments and pettiness and deep, unswerving loyalty, even over their anger and disgust. Still the best chapter in my humble opinion belongs to Akhmim - the best because it showed all the weirdness of him being a 'construct', a being nobody truly understands or wants to understand, not even his mistress or beloved Hariba. It made me question many things taken for granted while reading other chapters.

Finally let me say that I was satisfied with the ending - it felt very true. A new life, new opportunities, new choices - and everything going to shit anyway. I would have been disappointed if it all turned out rosy and sweet, but McHugh knows better. Even the way it all slowly disintegrated was appropriate; there was no explosion, no drama, just a gradual dissolution and detachment. I just wish the author also showed us Akhmim's assessment of the whole situation, especially the changes he'd undergone - I kind of missed his narration.

What I didn't like:

I admit I would want more sci-fi elements in this one. The chapter narrated by Akhmim was far too short and not especially revealing when it comes to the whole process of creating a 'harni'. I did want to know more and I wasn't given an opportunity to find out.

Finally the title...my main carping is that it doesn't reflect the content well. No, it is not a book about living in a cemetery. Most of it doesn't even take place in a cemetery or necropolis of any kind. Personally I found it a bit misleading. Not to mention the fact that the cover art is rather bland.

Final verdict:

One of more original sci-fi flavoured novels I've read this year. What a pity it wasn't continued by the author - with so many questions unanswered fully I really wouldn't say 'no' to a second or even a third part.

Rameau's Review Archive: Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins

Originally posted on Goodreads February 14th 2013.

Synopsis:
Gentleman Seeks Housekeeper. Must be willing to travel.

Desperate for another life away from Philadelphia, headstrong and beautiful Mariah Cooper answers an advertisement for a housekeeper at the other end of the continent. Waiting in California is the most breathtaking—and arrogant—man she has ever met . . . and he'd like nothing better than for Mariah to go back home!

Logan Yates has run Destiny, the family ranch,since he was a boy. He doesn't need this Eastern miss his stepmother hired, though his home's chaotic state suggests otherwise. Still, he's secretly pleased that Mariah gives as good as she gets—and he must fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her whenever she proudly stands her ground. But when he's in danger of losing her, Logan will have to choose between pride . . . and his heart's true desire.




Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins

Mariah Cooper wants a life for herself. She wants a husband and children, and she wants a career as a seamstress where she works for herself instead for her mother. None of these things she can get in Philadelphia, so with a little help from her aunt Mariah answers an advertisement for a housekeeper and travels across the continent to find a new life in California. Her reluctant employer, Logan Yates finds himself bewitched by the spirited widow. He ends up wanting to share his life and family with her and it only takes him a little over a week to decide this.

Jenkins takes the time to set up both Mariah’s life in Philadelphia and Logan’s life on his farm before bringing the characters together—with a clash or ten. Mariah’s decided to change her life and she won’t let anyone walk all over her ever again. This leads to repeated conflicts with Logan who is used to getting his way without having to invest too much of himself.

The banter between these two characters is wonderful as are the little titbits about Californian history the author sprinkles between the pages. I loved that all their troubles came from their characterisations instead of manufactured obstacles. Mariah wants to commit, Logan doesn’t, and neither is hiding the fact. There’s quite a lot of plain speaking and whatever lies or secrets are told, they don’t stay secret forever. Truths comes out and they have consequences. For example, Mariah admits she’s attracted to Logan but that doesn’t change her mind about wanting a commitment. For Logan, when he finally changes his inconstant ways, there are consequences for that too.

Even though the romance itself takes barely a week to develop, it doesn’t feel rushed. With the exception of the sex scenes. The initial kisses and seduction worked well for me, but their first actual sex scene and the events leading up to it felt more like a slapdash-afterthought method had been applied in writing them. It made me question whether or not the publisher had asked them to be added in later. This could also explain why I felt like the author missed the optimal notes for the emotional pay offs such as their I love yous and the umpteenth proposal. Luckily, Mariah’s confrontation with her mother saved a lot.

Destiny’s Embrace is the first book of a trilogy and there is the definite feeling that Jenkins is setting things up for a bigger story. She spends a lot of time on introducing secondary characters like Logan’s stepmother and half-brothers, and expanding their personal histories. For some reason the book also felt little anachronistic; it felt like a 1990’s kind of a book rather than a historical romance written in the 2010’s. I don’t have enough perspective to properly explain why this is.


My thanks to Sarah for gifting me this book when I had trouble buying a copy.

Review: The Ritual (Theft and Sorcery 01) by Erica Dakin

Book info: 

Form: pdf e-book 

Genre: paranormal romance, fantasy
Target audience: adults 

Synopsis:

It is a first person narration of Chiarin or Rin, a half-elf girl living in a world where cross-breeds are discriminated against, shunned and persecuted for what they are. She has a twin sister, Shaniel or Shani who is a sorceress. Magic is a rare gift but also a dangerous one, because coveted by elven aristocracy; once you get into their service they’ll never set you free. That’s why both girls have to hide and lead a hand-to-mouth existence.

One night Rin, a professional cutpurse, is robbed by another half-elf, a very handsome man called Zashter who has…an identical twin brother, Mior, and Mior happens to be…another sorcerer. Rin first avenges herself by causing the arrest of those two but soon her sister and her conscience make her regret that move so she breaks into the prison and set Zash and Mior free.

After carrying out her ambitious plan, all of a sudden, she offers to accompany those two complete strangers wherever they are going. Zash reluctantly agrees, apparently because he has a very dangerous and important mission to fulfill – obtaining  four powerful artifacts, one for every natural element, as required by his shadowy boss. He is a master thief, though; with the support of his brother’s magic he can manage without anybody’s help even the most ambitious endeavours. Being also very handsome, he can have a new lover in every town he visits. What does he really need both sisters for?

My impressions:

It is the first part of a paranormal romance series and I am not going to criticize it for that – it would be as stupid as complaining that lemons are yellow and sour. If you don’t feel like reading about pointy-eared hotties making out on every possible occasion don’t even look at the book, as simple as that. Still I am going to carp a bit because in my humble opinion it could have been a lot better.

I liked the idea – half-elves who live in a hostile world where they have only two possible career choices: either become slaves or criminals, sometimes both, but never independent adults with a normal life. Our characters chose what they chose and never looked back. Fine. Just why they had to be two pairs of identical twins with identical skills is beyond me. A bit of variety is always a nice thing but unfortunately variety is not this novel’s forte.

Then you have the world building which is so sketchy that almost borders a catastrophe. Rin more often than not focuses on her romantic feelings, rarely sparing some time for the surroundings or politics or anything at all. The easy way Zash agrees to take both sisters under his protection and provide some tutelage is fishy from the very start; however dear Rin remains in the dark for most of the novel, never even daring to confront her lover or ask him the simplest and most natural questions. She is so busy, kissing, stealing, dreaming and kissing again. It would be such a nice change to have an interesting, clever heroine who actually knows how to make use of those two gifts in practice, especially when confronted with a handsome stranger.

I don’t want to be overly cruel and dwell too long on obvious plot flaws: like the fact that a certain monastery, full of stupid, kinky monks and some browbeaten sex slaves, contains a well which water heals every disease and can bring you back to life; seriously, the author wants me to believe nobody has ever considered taking it over and enjoying an everlasting and extremely profitable trade, not to mention an instantaneous and full recovery? Really, nobody was interested enough to gather an army of professional soldiers and punish those hideous monks for their depravity, keeping in mind that the reward might be worth more than a kingdom plus you would get those delicious women to play with? Nobody? How very improbable…

Let me finish my musings in a positive way – I appreciate the fact that the book ended the way it did, without any of those ugly cliffhangers. Funnily enough it made me curious about the second part – curious enough to buy it when it is available and the mood strikes again.

Final verdict: 

Good idea, not really great execution. Don’t think too much while reading this book – the effects might be disastrous. However if you want something steamy and lowbrow easy to read, with elves, half-elves, magic and thieves, this novel might fit the bill. 

Rameau's Review Archive: What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

Originally posted on Goodreads December 13th 2012.

Synopsis:

Is Rachel Robinson the only one on campus who doesn't know who Devin Freedman is? No big deal except that the bad-boy rock star gets a kick out of Rachel's refusal to worship at his feet. And that seems to have provoked his undivided attention. Devin, the guy who gave new meaning to the phrase "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll." Devin, the guy who somehow becomes wedged between her and the past she's kept hidden for years. 

It's up to this librarian to find out firsthand just how "bad" he really is. Because her secret--and her growing feelings for a man who claims he's bent on redemption--depend on his turning out to be as good as he seems. Which is really, really good.

What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

This review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.

I may or may not have found my new favourite author.

There’s a reason Harlequin Superromances sell so well in Finland, better than Blaze or any other kinky ultra hot sex series or imprint. The impact of naked skin kind of evens out when you get used to seeing it regularly in the sauna. And we have those long winter nights and comfy blankets in our beds… anyway, it’s all about the story.

Here, two adults in their thirties meet at a point in their lives that isn’t particularly auspicious for romantic entanglements. One desperately wants a family but isn’t ready to commit to a man to have it, and another is trying to build a new start for his life. It’s a good thing then that they don’t know anything about each other and can discover together what the future holds for them. But as I said, the timing isn't the best possible and their past mistakes are about to catch up with them.

I made a list of all the things I loved about this book and it’s as disorganised as are my thoughts, still. I loved the wit and humour Bliss infuses her text with. Jokes are a delicate thing to write especially when the audience doesn’t necessarily share the cultural context with the author, but here:

”It wasn't that he had a five o'clock shadow at nine-thirty in the morning that screamed 'bad boy.' To Rachel's eyes, that simply made him scruffy.”

"Anyone could see she had a conscience. That must be painful for her."

”’I’m not offended. You're not my type, either.'
Perversely, he was piqued. 'Not a nerd, you mean?'
Her eyes narrowed. 'Not housebroken.’”

Look at that and tell me it’s not funny even without the context. I dare you.

I loved the fact that Rachel and Devin didn’t succumb to the insta-lust/love/attraction that’s a plague in modern romances. They were actually slightly antagonistic before building a tentative friendship with the option for more. Their romance was the slow burn kind with push and pull to keep them balanced. One gave the other took, and then they switched places. Truths were shared and actual smarts were displayed. I loved that both Rachel and Devin acted like adults. They weren’t perfect but they owned up to their mistakes and were determined to face the consequences.

One thing I absolutely hate in romance novels is the plot twist involving an artificial, prolonged misunderstanding. It was delightfully absent from this book and it all comes back to characters acting like real adults. Even in their most idiotic moments, they remained true to their characterisations instead of changing to fit the whims of the plot.

As for the reason why I now have a “can-I-has-a-Devin” shelf, let’s just say—without spoiling the book for everyone else—that the man knows the right things to say. (Yes, I’m aware that a woman wrote him.) He has brilliant scenes with Rachel and another character where he expresses his unwavering love, devotion, and trust in her. Once he’s in, he’s in. He’s made up his mind and he won’t let her insecurities drive him away, and he trusts her to figure it out eventually.

I’ll need to read that other book by Bliss I bought on the Harlequin Christmas sale. Then I’ll know if I’ll be adding another author on my list of favourites.