Review: A Christmas Bride by Mary Balogh

A Christmas Bride

It has become tradition for me to kick off the Holidays by picking up one of Mary Balogh's many Christmas novellas. This year two of her old classics have been re-released in one book, just in time for the season. A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau have been on my list for a while, now I own both. Here is my review for  A Christmas Bride.

The son of a Bristol merchant, Edgar Downes is an attorney and a  wealthy, successful merchant and businessman, a cit. His father believes that there's no better man or gentleman than his son and that Edgar deserves nothing less than a lady for a wife, so it is that at the age of thirty-six Edgar finds himself promising not only to search for a lady willing to marry him, but to bring her home as a Christmas bride. Luckily for Edgar, his sister Cora and brother-in-law Lord Francis Kneller invite him to London for the season, and along with their aristocratic friends plans are made to introduce him to eligible ladies. Aristocratic young ladies with parents willing to marry their daughters to a merchant are found, unfortunately during that first planned event the woman who catches Edgar's eye is the beautiful seductive widow wearing red, Lady Stapleton.

Helena is also shocked when the handsome, powerful and rather imposing stranger catches her eye and soon she maneuvers the situation until he escorts her home, alone, where she promptly seduces him. Almost immediately she regrets her weakness, and soon we are treated to the mocking, self-destructive, sarcastic, and hurtful Helena. Edgar is not much better, he is taken aback by Helena's passionate nature and his own passionate reaction to her. They both know they made a mistake, but soon find that there are consequences to that night of seduction that will change lives and take decisions out of their hands. As Christmas approaches and all make their way to Edgar's country estate, will those changes bring happiness? If it's up to Helena, the answer to that question is no.

Edgar Downes and Helene, Lady Stapleton were introduced in previous novels released by Balogh. Edgar is Fanny's (The Famous Heroine) older brother, and Helene is Gerald Stapleton's (A Precious Jewel) wicked step-mother. Yes, Helene is the villainess in that romance and for much of this romance Helena plays the role of the hurtful, mocking woman who embraces suffering for her past mistakes but takes that self-hatred out on those who attempt to make her happy, in this case Edgar. Helena's hard edges are in full display as she refuses to show a softer, vulnerable side or to embrace happiness because to her way of thinking she doesn't deserve it. And well, there's a good reason for that!

This situation with Helena might have been a total disaster if she had not warned Edgar from the beginning that she did not want happiness or him. She is straight forward and relentless when it comes to fighting deep feelings. He knows this, yet can't stop thinking that they are made for each other because she's a strong woman and he's willing to fight for a future. The man has the patience of Job! Actually Edgar is a man who knows how to control his domineering side quite well... and has no problem showing his softer side. He's a lovely man. Balogh works this rather prickly and rough relationship slowly from beginning to end. It works because although feelings change between the characters, the characters don't really change who they are, instead what is beneath the surface is revealed as the story moves along.

Edgar and Helena are excellent examples of Balogh protagonists with a bit of a twist. She is a woman willing to sacrifice happiness and he is an honorable man of character. I see two differences here from the norm: Helena's sacrifice doesn't come about because she's trying to protect someone else, and she's willing to hurt other people's feelings in order to punish herself. Balogh's usual heroine hurts herself before hurting others and sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of others. I actually found Helena as an ex-villainess who is not exactly looking for redemption, but finds it and doesn't necessarily change into an unrecognizable character, a bit of a refreshing protagonist -- particularly in a Christmas novella. This view of Helena, however, might not be shared by all readers.

Another aspect about this novella also surprising to me is that first seduction scene between Edgar and Helena. That has to be one of the most passionate bedroom scenes I've read so far in a Balogh novel or novella. Balogh's intimate scenes are known to be rather tame, and although in comparison to others out there it won't be considered over the top, in Balogh-land that is definitely a steamy scene!

As a Christmas novella set in the Regency era and written by Mary Balogh, you will find that no matter how non-traditional the trope or the characters in A Christmas Bride might be, her trademark traditional English Christmas scenes in the country are also very much a part of the story. Gorgeous secondary characters with interesting little stories of their own abound, but in this novella the most interesting  aspect of those secondary characters is that most of them come from other romances -- besides the ones mentioned above the group also involves the Duke and Duchess of Bridgwater (The Plumed Bonnet), Jennifer and Gabe (Dark Angel), and Hartley and Samantha (Lord Carew's Bride). It's a happy reunion full of family and friends with the focus always kept firmly on the romance.

I really enjoyed A Christmas Bride with its non-traditional heroine and traditional Christmas story about forgiveness and redemption -- and boy, nobody needed forgiveness and redemption more than Helena! It gave me that kick start I needed to get me into the mood to read all those holiday books I have sitting on my coffee table. Reading now, Christmas Beau.        

Category: Historical Romance/Holiday
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Dell/November 27, 2012
Grade: B+

Visit Mary Balogh here.

Review: Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Originally released in 1994, Mariana by Susanna Kearsley has been reprinted and released quite a few times, including this year's release of the digital edition. Mariana is a time travel romance that takes the reader on a back and forth journey between contemporary times and the 17th Century. The story takes place in Britain on a quaint, bucolic, small village steeped in history and atmosphere.

All day within the dreamy house,
The doors upon their hinges creak'd;
The blue fly sung in the pane; the house
Behind the mouldering wainscot shriek'd,
Or from the crevice peer'd about
Old faces glimmer'd thro' the doors,
Old footsteps trod the upper floors,
Old voices called her from without.
     ---Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Mariana"

There's much to love about this story and I do believe that it stands the test of time. Kearsley hooks the reader on the story from the beginning by having a child recognize a house she has never seen, in a town she has never visited. In this tale of time travel, she beautifully weaves in Julia Beckett's contemporary story with Mariana Farr's life as it was lived in the 17th Century, reincarnation and time travel -- the movement by a person's soul between two different time periods. This movement is almost seamless and frankly the simple way in which it is done lends a certain plausibility to the story by the end. I actually loved this aspect of the story.

The historical details used to build Mariana's story during the 17th Century are excellent: the plague that hit London, small bits about the King's coronation and politics, religious beliefs and attitudes toward women, children, nobility, and peasantry, plus details about daily life. All of these factors fit the historical times and are captured by Kearsley, setting a distinct atmosphere between Mariana and Julia as they live their lives in the house called Greywethers in Exbury, Wiltshire. When time traveling, I particularly like the fact that Julia cannot change the past through her knowledge of the present or contemporary influences, instead she becomes the woman that was Mariana -- not Julia in Mariana's body. Yet, when returning to the present, she retains knowledge and memories from her expeditions to the past. For some reason, this really made sense to me.

The romance happening in the 17th Century between Mariana and her impossible love, the angst and the beauty of it, accompanied by the brutal realities of those times are well rendered by Kearsley. The fact that Mariana's story is told in spurts, or in a stop and go manner, while Julia lives her contemporary life and deals with what is happening to her, doesn't affect Mariana's story in the least. Her romance is a full, complete story, if a sad one in the end. But is it sad? After all, this is a reincarnation story too... and Julia has the opportunity of righting wrongs in the present.

The secondary characters, Julia's brother Tom, Vivien, Grey de Mornay and Iain Sumner all become an intricate part of the story and Julia's life. Some of the characters, her brother Tom in particular, truly become three-dimensional and just as absorbing as does Julia. And, just as important to the overall story are the secondary characters from the past: Mariana's uncle Jabez Howard, friend Rachel, aunt Caroline and Richard.

When it comes to the overall story, Julia becomes so entranced by the past that her decisions become muddied, fuzzy and confused. But truthfully this story is all about Mariana, because what happened in her life affects Julia's decisions about her present life and her future. Both lives are so tightly woven together that in the end, there is only one happy ending for both women.

Leslie reviewed this book back in September. That review is the reason I picked up this book last week -- thanks Leslie! In her review she called this a "non-traditional romance," and to my way of thinking she hit the nail on the head with that phrase, the unusual ending alone makes it so. That ending will surprise and shock most readers. For this reason alone I strongly recommend not to peek ahead at the end-- it will spoil the whole effect of the story.  Mariana is so intriguing and absorbing that I could not put it down until the very end. It is a great read!

Mariana is my first read by Kearsley, but it won't be my last. I already have The Winter Sea (a book I've seen around countless times) in my possession and will read it next.

Category: Historical Romance-Time Travel/Sci-Fi
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Sourcebooks/April 1, 2012
Grade: A-

Visit Susanna Kearsley here.

Review: The Perfect Hope (Inn Boonsboro #3) by Nora Roberts

The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

The Perfect Hope is the last installment in the Inn Boonsboro romance trilogy by Nora Roberts, and where the sexy song and dance that has been going on between Ryder and Hope since the beginning of the trilogy, ends.

What happens? Ryder and Hope already shared a hot kiss during New Year's Eve, but returned to their usual relationship of avoiding each other and bickering when they are in each other's company. That is until Hope's old boyfriend/boss shows up and proceeds to make an indecent proposal. Ryder just happens to be passing by and Hope grabs him and plants a kiss on him to make a point. That kiss ups the ante between the two of them and soon after they decide to have an affair. An affair that to both of them is just simply about sex until Hope realizes that her feelings are involved and as much as he hates to admit it, Ryder comes to the realization that there is such a thing as the perfect Hope for him.

There is much that happens while this romance is developed, though. The whole family gets involved in  the search for the resident ghost's lover, Billy. Lizzy, the ghost, makes appearances and is again used as a device to further the romance between Ryder and Hope. Clare and Avery, Owen and Becket, the children, Justine and Willie B, their dogs and extended family, all play important roles and their own stories are expanded throughout this book. And of course the running of Inn Boonsboro by Hope, and the construction and revitalization of Boons Boro done by the Montgomery family continues so that there are plenty of minute details given about both.

There is nothing complex about this romance, the conflicts are simple enough. They are basically about learning how to negotiate personality differences between the protagonists, resolving past mistakes, and coming to terms with the past. All of those conflicts are resolved in a relatively simple and easy way, either by Ryder and Hope coming to their own conclusions, or more often by committee -- meaning that they both seek advice from the whole family, and listen to their wise and knowledgeable family members and/or friends.

Both Hope and Ryder are likable characters. What is there not to like? Ryder is rough and outspoken on the outside and a marshmallow on the inside. I like that he is a straight talker and displays his flaws to Hope from the beginning. He can't deal with women's tears and sends flowers instead. . . that's about as bad as the man gets, but Hope deals with that quickly enough. Hope is also a likable woman --hardworking (to the point of being a workaholic, but aren't they all?), gorgeous, and also a straight shooter, but not perfect. She is also vulnerable and her insecurities show. I like the way she approaches Ryder first and blows his mind -- that is worth waiting for...

The first two-thirds of the book are taken up with those details I mention above, the running of the Inn takes a lot of page time, as does the construction. This is the beginning of the romance between Ryder and Hope, and except for the first time the two "hook up," the rest of their relationship is told, not really shown. We get an overview of how the relationship develops while getting lots of details about daily life in the Inn and interactions between all the other family members and the work being done all around town on a daily basis. *shrug* My personal note around this point in the story reflects my feelings: "[...]these people are so constantly busy working, and all of it is so minutely described that by the time I finish each chapter, I'm exhausted!" And that's the truth!

The last third of the book is the best in my opinion. This is where Ryder and Hope's love for each other, their feelings and real emotions, are finally "shown" to the reader. The story about Lizzy and Billy is quite nice... I enjoyed how it all makes sense and its conclusion. And as the final installment of a trilogy, The Perfect Hope really rounds off the lives of all the characters involved rather well. The epilogue gives the readers a sense that the circle is closed and Ryder and Hope's romance and this trilogy end on the right note.

In the end, I liked The Perfect Hope a bit more than the first two installments. That has a lot to do with Roberts' all-around likable characters -- central and secondary, how she works the romance during the last third of the book, and the fact that it really serves as a great ending to this rather average contemporary romance trilogy.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Inn BoonsBoro
Publisher/Release Date: Berkeley/November 6, 2012
Grade: B-

Visit Nora Roberts here.

Series:
The Next Always, #1
The Last Boyfriend, #2
The Perfect Hope, #3

TBR Review: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The theme for this month's TBR Challenge is "all about the hype."  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is a best seller, and in certain reading circles this book definitely qualifies under that theme. It has been in my own "to be read pile" since March. Does it live up to the hype? Let's see.

The Snow Child

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart—he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season’s first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone—but they glimpse a young, blond-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

Definition (Wiki): Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of thought.

The Snow Child is a realistic portrayal of the rough and often violent life as it was in Alaska in the 1920's, combined with a magical fairy tale. I wanted to know what the hoopla was all about, and found that what makes this book so special, besides the beautiful prose, lies in how well Ivey brings the magic of a fairy tale into the realm of the possible and the beauty and harsh realities of 1920's Alaskan rural life become magical until together they become a possible magical reality to the reader. Magical realism? Absolutely.

"Wife, let us go into the yard behind and make a little snow girl; and perhaps she will come alive, and be a little daughter to us."

"Husband," says the wold woman, "there's no knowing what may be. Let us go into the yard and make a little snow girl." --- Little Daughter of the Snow by Arthur Ransome

Jack and Mabel moved to Alaska to start over almost ten years after Mabel lost her baby during childbirth. Jack is breaking under the brutality of working an Alaskan farm alone and thinks himself too old to start over. Mabel is dying of loneliness and depression to the point of becoming suicidal, but having drifted apart she doesn't tell Jack, and of course Jack doesn't share his concerns with Mabel.

It is after a fun, light visit to neighbors George, Esther and their sons that during the first snowfall Mabel and Jack playfully build a little girl out of snow in their front yard and spend an evening together. Next day, for the first time both see a little girl running through the woods wearing the mittens and scarf previously worn by their snow girl. A game of hide and seek ensues, but the little girl, who always seems to be accompanied by a red fox, is so quick that neither Jack nor Mabel can catch her. 

Eventually, the child decides to become a part of Jack and Mabel's life, on her own terms. She comes and she goes, the woods always a part of their life... until summer arrives, when the child disappears and everything seems to go wrong. There are desperate, dark moments as Jack and Mabel work and almost give up on the farm and each other. Thankfully, George, Esther and their son Garrett are there to help whether they want it or not! But when winter returns, will the child return with it?

Through this first part of the novel, Ivey sets the atmosphere for the story by using the beauty and danger that nature in a barely explored Alaska presents. Ivey incorporates nature into the story by making the snow girl part of it, and through her both Jack and Mabel come to appreciate and respect its bounty, beauty and danger. Through Jack's experiences with the child, Ivey brings to the reader moments that are both wondrous and hard to explain combined with a stark reality to the little girl's seemingly magical existence, firmly placing this novel into the realm of magical realism. 

The second part of the book is one of the most heart wrenching of the story, yet one of the best!  Mabel and Jack finally confront much of their past. I love the way the balance teeters and shifts between the main characters -- Mabel, Jack, and Faina. Secondary characters also gain depth in this section. Esther!! I love her down-to-earth, loud and take-over personality. The contrast between Esther and Mabel is sharp -- where Mabel's flights of fancy take the reader into the world of fairy tales and magic, Esther serves to ground the reader to reality. At this point, her youngest son Garrett is groomed as an important character as he plays the role of teacher to Jack and Mabel and soaks up the respect and singular attention focused on him by these two lonely people.

As she gazed upon him, love... filled every fiber of her being, and she knew that this was the emotion that she had been warned against by the Spirit of the Wood. Great tears welled up in her eyes --- and suddenly she began to melt. "Snegurochka," translated by Lucy Maxym

Ivey uses a Russian fairy tale as the base for her story, and as in all fairy tales there is magic and in this one love, but also as in all fairy tales there is a dark side. I think it is best said by Ada, Mabel's sister, in one of her lovely letters, " Why these stories for children always have to turn out so dreadfully is beyond me. I think if I ever tell it to my grandchildren, I will change the ending and have everyone live happily ever after. We are allowed to do that, are we not Mabel? To invent our own endings and choose joy over sorrow?" The sorrow is expected, yes? Ohhh, but there is also joy and happiness in this story!

The Snow Child is Eowyn Ivey's debut novel, and an excellent debut it is! It is a tale of contrasts where the renewal of the human spirit is brought about by nature's glorious beauty and stark brutality, by believing in love given and accepted freely with all those harsh realities that just make the magic so much more powerful. I recommend it to lovers of fairy tales, nature, magical realism, fans of Alice Hoffman, and to those who just love a gorgeous story with beautiful prose and unforgettable characters.

Theme: All About the Hype
November

Category: Historical Fantasy Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Reagan Arthur Books/ February 1, 2012
Grade: A-

Visit Eowyn Ivey here.

NOTE: This was a wonderful book to read right before the Thanksgiving holiday!

Book Highlight: Weird Fungi for Thanksgiving

Do you like 'shrooms? Thinking of including them along with your Thanksgiving turkey dinner this year? Well, this next book might make you think about them 'shrooms once or twice. . .

You might think I'm a strange woman, and here's old news, I am! But, come on... loving speculative fiction the way I do, how can I not get excited when I receive a brand new anthology full of weird and strange stories about (of all things strange and weird) fungi? ;P

FUNGI edited by Orrin Grey and Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Fungi
Ed. by Orrin Grey and Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A collection of fungal wonders...and terrors.

In this new anthology, writers reach into the rich territory first explored by William Hope Hodgson a century ago: the land of the fungi. Stories range from noir to dark fantasy, from steampunk to body horror. Join authors such as Jeff VanderMeer, Laird Barron, Nick Mamatas, W.H. Pugmire, Lavie Tidhar, Ann K. Schwader, Jesse Bullington, Molly Tanzer and Simon Strantzas through a dizzying journey of fungal tales. Feast upon Fungi.

Please note: the e-book and paperback contain 23 stories. The special edition hardcover contains three stories and illustrations not found in the other editions.

Isn't that an eye catching cover? It's by Oliver Wetter. I have a copy of this book with illustrations by Bernie Gonzalez included and will let you know how they turn out. . . but, of course I'm really interested in the stories themselves. I've been enjoying weird Lovecraftian and other New Weird tales lately, and have a feeling these stories are going to hit the right spot.

Both editors are new-to-me as is the publisher. I checked out the publishers and Innsmouth Free Press is a "Canadian micro-publisher of dark fiction and horror." You can find out more about them here. The print book releases on December 1, 2012, but the ebook is available now.

So, guess what I'll be reading during my Thanksgiving break? Weird? Well... hopefully!

(Cont'd) ...on Tart, Triads and the all elusive balance

In Part I of ... on Tart, Triads and that all elusive balance, I reviewed Tart by Lauren Dane. While reading that book, I found that the romance, the emotional connection between the males in the triad involving Jules, Cal and Gideon, was lacking. Yes, Dane establishes a physical sexual connection and the two men are "buddies," but a romance between Cal and Gideon is not even entertained.

My personal view of a true "triad" might have something to do with my opinion. I think it must include three romances:  romances between each individual male and the female, plus a romance between the two males (not just sex). For me, if those romantic connections are not well established, then the relationship falls under the "threesome" category.  Two men who love one woman and whose only connection is affection for each and that mutual love for her.

I decided to read a few other books to find out if there are any new reads that come close to my expectations. I dug deep into my TBR for some of the reads, purchased a couple, and except for Lauren Dane, all the authors are new-to-me.

Destiny Calls

I began by digging into my TBR pile and chose Destiny Calls by Samantha Wayland and got lucky on the first try. This book worked for me. First, it is a friends-to-triad romance where all three people involved are emotionally connected, in love, as well as sexually hot and bothered for each other. Not one person is more important than the other in this group, and that really hit the spot for me. The fact that the story is sizzling, smoking hot? Yeah... that also has a lot to do with my enjoyment of this book. Wayland gets a big plus for excellent sexual tension, as well as hot bedroom scenes between the men (I was surprised), and her male/female and male/male/female scenes are just as good and enjoyable to read. The story has a bit of angst, a lot of love, scorching bedroom scenes, and a police investigation in the middle of it all. This is more my idea of a triad with a few rough patches.

Patrick, Brandon, and Destiny were practically raised together by Patrick's aunt since they were children. They have always been best friends and understand each others' baggage. Patrick and Brandon are cops working together, and although Patrick is straight, Brandon is bisexual and has loved Patrick for years. Destiny carries some heavy personal baggage, and she and Patrick have been having an on and off sexual relationship through the years. They are about to get back together when as a gag Patrick kisses Brandon as a way to keep away a man harassing him at a gay bar. The kiss is a scorcher and Patrick goes on an emotional, crazed tailspin. Wayland doesn't just have Patrick come to a quick and easy realization that he wants Brandon, there is a real emotional and conflicting battle for him. I like that. It shouldn't be easy particularly when there is friendship and love already involved. Wayland balances the relationship between Brandon and Destiny well too, both the emotional connection and sexual attraction. She also confronts the outside world and how that will affect this type of relationship for all three. What is my niggle with this story then? Well, Destiny's internal conflict about the relationship comes to light late into the relationship so that her emotional angst seems neglected until then, and while the police investigation comes to a great conclusion, the mafia storyline seems superfluous . But overall Destiny Calls by Samantha Wayland was quite the great surprise. Grade: B/B+

Compared to Tart, this story conveys the emotional connection between the three people involved much better, it has more depth of character and works on the depth of the relationship, and the bedroom scenes between all three people (including MM scenes) are better detailed. Tart, however, begins with the three people wanting a committed long-term relationship, whereas Destiny Calls begins with the tired plot device of "let's have fun" first, and then works itself into a true relationship.

With Grace

Since I enjoyed Wayland, I followed by purchasing and reading another triad story by Samantha Wayland, With Grace. It turns out that this story is linked to Destiny's Calls and it precedes that story. The mafia storyline that I mention above makes much more sense if this book is read first. This erotic triad is okay, but not engaging as is Destiny Calls. Wayland establishes an emotional connection between the three parties involved, however I think the timeline for developing this relationship is the problem for me here. One week seems too short a time for a serious relationship like this one to really take root or to be about more than just for sexual pleasure. There are some excellent, sexy MM scenes in this book, as well as MMF and MF, nobody gets left behind. And, although the emotions are there between the three people involved, I wish that this had been left open as in "a relationship in the making," instead of a happily ever after type of read.  Grade: C-

Compared to Tart, these three people are better suited emotionally and the connection is well conveyed, however the timeline hinders development, and the three people involved jump into the relationship with equal alacrity.

Brotherhood
of Fire

Next during my triad marathon reading week, I picked up Brotherhood of Fire by Elizabeth Moore from my TBR. This novella turned out to be a threesome instead of a triad -- the two males are not involved sexually or romantically. Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me -- and it is not necessarily because the men are not involved. The central characters are married and the husband basically pushes his wife and best friend into a three-way situation to fulfill a personal sexual fantasy. He manipulates his wife until she agrees to it knowing that his best friend and colleague has feelings for his wife. Then the husband refuses to talk about the details or emotional fallout of the sexual relationship, he just wants the sex and damn the consequences! When both his wife and best friend fall in love and want a permanent, long term relationship involving the three of them, this man becomes possessive, jealous, and freaks out! This guy is a jerk, and even after things were worked out between all three, and as much as I liked the best friend, I'm afraid that I just could not like this man. My enjoyment was minimal even for a threesome. Grade: D

This story doesn't compare well to Tart because it is not a triad. However, they do share the alacrity with which the three people jump into the relationship and the lack of working out details beforehand or taking doubts and trust into consideration.

Rule of Three

And the final book on this trip through triad erotic lands was Rule of Three by Kelly Jamieson. This book has one of the nicest, artsy covers of the bunch. Don't you think? But when it comes to the actual story, it was initially a mixed bag that ended up on the below average side. The sexual scenes are repetitive (this trio didn't have much imagination when it came to using the same positions over and over again), and another manipulative boyfriend with the "damn the emotional consequences" attitude is involved. There is angst and a bit of a soap opera feel to it, with denial on the boyfriend's part as to his feelings for his old time college buddy with whom he has been sharing women for years that ends up in a major jerkwad homophobic scene! And dramatic emotional outpouring and feelings of being used from the girlfriend once she finds out the college buddy loved her boyfriend before he loved her! Problem? The boyfriend Chris didn't give a damn about emotional consequences to either college buddy Dag or girlfriend Kassidy. He just wanted/needed the sexual pleasure and refused to talk about "feelings." They work things out including the lack of communication, but in the end I still think of Chris and Kassidy as a couple and Dag as a buddy with benefits, with that balance in the relationship on its way but not there yet. Grade: C-

Although as in Tart, the three people in this book similarly jump into the relationship quickly and both share the lack of balance between the three, this book compares negatively to Tart. There is always respect between the three people involved in the relationship between Jules, Cal and Gideon. That is not always the case here. And this is beside the point... but of all five, Tart and Rule of Three have my favorite covers!

Conclusion: So how do these books compare to Tart by Lauren Dane? Destiny Calls by Samantha Wayland is the one book in this bunch that worked for me, and I think that's because the three people involved really loved each other and shared a true, strong friendship before they began the relationship -- that makes a huge difference. It gets a B for the romantic relationship and a B+ for the erotic scenes. None of the books I read had the "fluffy, contemporary" chick lit atmosphere found in Tart and that makes it unique among the bunch. In my comparisons above you can see how often the couples quickly jumped into lust-based or sexual relationships before working out details, or while entertaining doubts, or thinking of the emotional fallout, a similarity they share with Tart. However, except for the one book, all the others rated lower for me.

Balance? Emotional connection between three people plus hotness in the bedroom -- as I said at the beginning of Part I of this post, it is a tricky combination and not easily found in an erotic romance featuring three people. I know there are books out there that have it all! However, if you read all these minis you will see a definite set pattern in the story lines, so that reading too many and finding THE one can become a tough endeavor. On the other hand, I do love reading a good erotic romance with the right touch involving a triad or threesome, so I'm not yet prepared to give up my search.

One of my favorite triad stories is still Rough, Raw and Ready by Lorelei James, (review here). What about you? Who is your favorite trio? Do you have a favorite title that you would like to recommend?  (I'm writing them down) ;P 

...on Tart, Triads & that all elusive balance (Part I)

This past week reading Tart by Lauren Dane started me on an erotic romance reading binge. The common denominator? Triads and threesomes with two males and one female as the central figures of these erotic-based romances.

Why did I go on such a binge? Well, for an erotic romance involving a triad or a threesome to really work great sex between all three partners, although a top requirement, is not the only aspect of the story that I take into consideration. For me, there has to be a balanced emotional connection between the three partners involved in the relationship. Conveying that balanced connection is tricky and I find that not all authors can get close to achieving it. It has been a while since I've read erotic romances involving threesomes and after reading Tart and finding it somewhat lacking in the balance department, I decided to search, compare and see if this is even a real possibility or just wishful thinking on my part. I chose new-to-me writers instead of my old favorites for my search.

Tart 

Tart by Lauren Dane is good, but not great. Juliet is part of a group of friends who call themselves Delicious. She owns a successful baking business specializing in tarts. She's content although her family life is a real mess and her sex life is sadly lacking. Jules has been in love with her friend Cal for years, but he never made a move. In comes gorgeous Gideon, an old friend who knows both Cal and Jules from their teenage years. The hunky cowboy returns to town to take care of his elderly grandfather and takes over the family farm. Sparks fly and Jules and Gideon begin a sexual relationship that quickly turns into a true romance. But Cal is not a happy camper, and afraid of losing Jules after years of loving her finally makes his move complicating matters. Well, one thing leads to another and on Gideon's suggestion, pretty soon all three are involved in a relationship.

In this erotic triad romance Jules is the center with both Cal and Gideon playing her adoring men. That aspect of the book is well done, as is the initial romance between Gideon and Jules and later the development of the relationship between Cal and Jules. The men are both bisexual, a fact that initially becomes a problem for Jules, and in this threesome they do become sexually involved from the beginning. There are some good sexual moments between the men, as well as between all three, no question about it.

Here is where my problem begins, there is a lack of balance when it comes to the emotional connections. Even with the bisexuality introduced into the relationship, this romance is all about Jules. Cal and Gideon connect sexually, but did they love each other? They say they do a few times, but I didn't really feel the love between them. Both men repeatedly say that neither can live without Jules, but can they live without each other? That never comes up, so yes... I most sincerely think they can live without each other and to me that negates the idea of a true romance between three people. There is sex, but NO romance between Cal and Gideon. None.

My other niggle with this book is that I think one of its strengths is also a weakness. The dialog and atmosphere are fluffy, light, and very contemporary. On the one hand this works because it gives the book a fresh, young contemporary feel that I really like and enjoy. However, that same light, fluffy style doesn't work at all when the need for a mature decision arises. Example: When the three people involved make the decision to be together, Gideon's proposal comes off as superficial to say the least, and later Jules jumps into their first sexual ride while still having major trust issues about Cal's bisexuality. Additionally as to the dialog, a pet peeve that might not bug others: there are phrases such as the following one throughout the book, "[...}good looking one so he would be well versed in bullshit as they tended to be. But he wasn't phoning it in with her." (meaning he wasn't being a phony or insincere). Sorry if this phrase is supposed to be "kewll and all that," but I couldn't help but cringe.

Overall Tart ended up being a C+ read for me and that's because despite my reservations, both male/female relationships are well done, the characters extremely likable, the fun, fluffy moments enjoyable, and I like how Jules finally resolves her family situation.

During my quest, while searching for that balance, I read four other erotic romances involving triads. My initial idea was to do one post with all five reads as minis, while comparing them to each other, but in the end because I'm basing my comparisons to Tart I decided to post a longer review for this book. So, expect Part II of this post in the near future. :)


What do you look for when reading an erotic romance involving a triad or threesome? Do you prefer M/M/F or M/F/M? And, in this type of read, do you think that the emotional and romantic connection should be as important as the physical and sexual hotness?

Review: Velvet by Xavier Axelson

Velvet by Xavier Axelson

What is it about Xavier Axelson's books that I enjoy? I keep asking myself that question. I've read most of his contemporary novellas, and looking back Axelson's knack for giving his characters a happy ending while keeping them anchored in reality is definitely what attracts me to his works. Velvet has those qualities.

Virago is extraordinarily talented and serves in court as royal tailor, a skill and position he inherited from his now deceased father. His loyalty, love and bonds of brotherhood to Prince Duir are unquestionable, after all they were raised together as children. Virago has enjoyed all that privilege since childhood, but things begin to unravel when Duir inherits the kingdom and Virago discovers a new fabric sent to his household from foreign lands, an amazing cloth that oozes sensuality called "velvet."

Virago becomes obsessed with this velvet. The sensuality of it calls to him and to forbidden, secret and unfulfilled yearnings until he meets Seton, a master lute player. His music is entrancing enough to capture Duir's attention, but the magnificent Seton also captures Virago's heart and when his feelings are returned danger lurks at every corner for the lovers. When the soon-to-be king also becomes obsessed with velvet and the bloody laws of sumptuary threaten to take effect, darkness begins to gather, peacocks become the harbingers of doom, brotherhood is tested, and the truth of loyalty and real love come to light.

Virago is portrayed as the man who can see but has been blind to the real faults of those around him, and it takes the discovery of velvet and his love for the well-grounded Seton to awaken his sensuality as well as his other senses. On the other hand, Virago's brother, the physically blind Silvain, serves as the anchor to reality and the one who has always "seen" the men in their lives for whom they really are: as true, loving and loyal or as superficial, spoiled and cruel men with a sense of entitlement and with little understanding of honor and loyalty. The road is not easy as Virago experiences a forbidden love and battles betrayal, entitlement, prejudice, and ignorance.

Velvet is Axelson's first full-length novel and a historical romance set in medieval times in a fictional kingdom. Historical medieval elements are achieved with the consistent use of language, fashion, music and beliefs of those times, yet throughout subtle flavors that reminded me of a fantasy play also permeate the atmosphere. This medieval setting combined with those other elements set a rather distinct tone as background for the romance. Axelson, however, also infuses touches of reality to keep his characters grounded and readers connected. It's an interesting combination.

Common men play the heroes in Velvet: a tailor and a musician. Well . . . that is if you don't consider artistic or creative talent as extraordinary. Personally, I consider Virago and his lover Seton, as well as Virago's brother Silvain, as extraordinary or uncommon men. Not necessarily because of their individual talents, but because under dire circumstances they choose to follow their hearts and a difficult path. Brothers Virago and Silvain are the best drawn characters with Seton playing the true, passionate, and knowledgeable lover whose past is not entirely disclosed. Secondary characters play their roles rather well by adding to the overall story line.

Velvet by Xavier Axelson is really a wonderful story with a little bit of everything: yearning, angst, music, fashion, decadence, sex, violence, betrayal, love, romance, intrigue, and even a couple of sword and knife fights! I read it in one sitting. The characters, plot and action certainly kept my attention.

Category: LGBT/Gay Historical Romance
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Seventh Window Publications/October 29, 2012
Source: eARC for review
Grade: B

Visit Xavier Axelson here.

October 2012: Monthly Reads Recap

October was a good reading month and pretty well balanced genre-wise. There's a little bit of everything in there: historical romance, romance suspense, young adult fantasy, gay romance, a memoir and contemporary romance.

I enjoyed my reads, but there are always stand outs. For me, the dramatic historical serial The Gin Lovers by Jamie Brenner definitely stood out because of the 1920's atmosphere and New York City setting, the characters, and all the delicious drama. I reviewed the first two episodes, and although a bit behind because real life got in the way, expect reviews for the rest of the episodes.

I already mentioned Occultation and Other Stories and The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron as great reads in the speculative fiction horror category, as well as Steve Berman's Wilde Stories 2012 Gay Speculative Fiction Anthology, however Immobility by Brian Evenson is another story that stood out and stayed with me for quite a while because of the stark moodiness of the piece.

On the bright side, re-reading the Born In Trilogy by Nora Roberts when hurricane Sandy hit, proved to be the right picks. Talk about comfort reads! That was a treat I haven't allowed myself for a couple of years. It was fun spending a couple of days with Nora's great characters in that small fictional Irish village again.

As to the rest, please click on titles to read reviews or posts.

Total read: 25
New Reads: 22    Re-reads: 3
  Contemporary Romance: 6 (3 romance, 2 romance suspense, 1 erotic romance)
  Historical Romance: 8
  Speculative Fiction/Horror: 3
  Young Adult/Fantasy: 1
  Non-Fiction: 1
  LGBT: 6 (1 spec fic, 5 romance)

• If I Wait For You by Jane Goodger: B-
• The Gin Lovers #1 by Jamie Brenner: B-
• Little White Lies: The Gin Lovers #2 by Jamie Brenner: B+
• Society Sinners: The Gin Lovers #3 by Jamie Brenner
• Vice and Virtue: The Gin Lovers #4 by Jamie Brenner
• Dangerous Games: The Gin Lovers #5 by Jamie Brenner
• Hell Hath No Fury: The Gin Lovers #6 by Jamie Brenner
• Wilde Stories 2012: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction ed. by Steve Berman: B
• The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan: B
• Black Ice (Ice #1) by Anne Stuart: C-
• On Thin Ice (Ice #6) by Anne Stuart: B
• Immobility by Brian Evenson: B+
• Old Poison (Dangerous Ground #2 by Josh Lanyon: B
• Everything Changes (Alex Kennedy #1.5) by Megan Hart: C-
• Pressure Head by J. L. Merrow: C
• All Roads Lead to You by Harper Fox: D+
• Heart Trouble by Josh Lanyon: D+
• Perfect Day by Josh Lanyon C-
• The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo Martinez: B
• My Scandalous Viscount (Inferno Club #5) by Gaelen Foley: C+
• Born In Trilogy (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame) by Nora Roberts (Re-read): A-
• Occultation and Other Stories by Laird Baron: B+
• The Light is the Darkness by Laird Barron: B+

That's it for my October reads! I again hit my TBR pile throughout the month and read 11 books from there! I'm really trying to get to a few of the books I've purchased before the end of this year, which is approaching really fast! How was your October? Did you find any great reads you would like to recommend?

Minis: Romance Suspense, Erotic Romance, M/M Romance

Here are my reactions to some of the books I read in October in my favorite short, quick mini-impressions format. They are featured in order of books read, and as you'll see below my grades fluctuate from a solid B to D+'s for these seven reads. Genres included are romance suspense, erotic romance, m/m romance and m/m romance suspense.

Black Ice (Ice #1) by Anne Stuart: What happened between this book and me? Well, I loved the suspense/thriller aspect of the book but didn't enjoy the romance. Why? Well I question whether there's consent from the heroine during the first sexual encounter. The hero is overwhelmingly cold and for most of the story is thinking how or when he will or might kill the heroine. Not very romantic. Stuart's heroine mentions and dismisses Stockholm syndrome as a reason for her feelings throughout the story, however that's the only way I see this woman falling in love with this man. The fact that she's a bit on the clueless side and her judgment seems to be impaired so that her actions magnify the danger do not help. This suspense/thriller romance would have worked really well for me without the romance though. If this couple had walked away from each other at the end, I would have been better satisfied because in my opinion Stuart can write some exciting, thrilling suspense and action scenes. Grade: C-

Old Poison (Dangerous Ground #2) by Josh Lanyon: I enjoyed the second book in the Dangerous Ground series by Josh Lanyon more than the first book! It has one of the best "happy birthday" bedroom scenes I've read in any book. *g* There's a good mixture of romantic and erotic scenes, as well as suspense and action. There are a few incidental details that I found out of place, but overall Old Poison is a solid, enjoyable gay romance/mystery suspense. As a result of liking this one, I will definitely read the next book of this series.  Grade B

Everything Changes (Alex Kennedy 1.5) by Megan Hart: A look at events that happened in Hart's Tempted from Alex's point of view. Written in broad strokes without much detail and very little emotion, this short piece didn't do much for me personally except to reiterate my initial thoughts about Jamie and Anne as two self-centered people who use and hurt Alex to please themselves. This is a sad story that I did not find erotic, nor does it showcase Hart's talent for rendering detail.  Note that the cover featuring two males is extremely misleading. I cannot recommend this novella as a standalone read, nor to first-time readers of Hart's works. However, I would say that this book is a "must" read for fans of the narrator, Alex, and the book Tempted. Grade: C-

Pressure Head by J. L. Merrow: I liked this romance between a man with psychic abilities and the bully who made his life a misery in high school. Merrow has a flair for featuring characters who are very different from each other and selling a happy ending, but this romance did not quite convince me in the end -- too much unresolved anger on both sides and not enough time to resolve all the issues to make this relationship work, made the happy ending questionable for me. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery the main characters solve together. An average read by this talented author. Grade: C

All Roads Lead To You by Harper Fox: I do enjoy a good gay romance by Harper Fox, unfortunately this was not it. Set in Italy, in my opinion this story about a model-turned-rent boy and his first love-turned-mafia boss tried too hard. It had a pretty unbelievable plot line with too many different conflicts going on at the same time and little room for development due to the short format. A good premise never realized. Grade D+

Heart Trouble Josh Lanyon: I love Josh Lanyon, but for me Heart Trouble turned out to be a surprisingly incomplete, outdated, and underdeveloped short story (very short), lacking in both detail and real emotion or connection between the two main characters. There is no happy ever after (which I don't usually mind), instead the story ends with the beginning of what might be a relationship. Why? I don't know. I didn't really understand when these two men 'clicked' with each other. A solid writer, Lanyon doesn't usually receive low grades from me, unfortunately I can't really recommend this story. Grade: D+

Perfect Day Josh Lanyon: Perfect Day is another very short story by Lanyon. This romance features the breakup between a man in love with a lover who lost his partner and is still grieving. In this short story, Lanyon successfully establishes an emotional connection between reader and narrator, but unfortunately there is an unlikely happy ending brought about or influenced by rather contrived circumstances. Grade: C-

That's the end to my minis, hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Question: I love writing mini-impressions or mini-reviews. Do you enjoy reading mini-reviews? Or do you prefer the long, extended version of reviews with all the details and spoilers? 

This n' That: Catching Up + Nora Roberts, Laura Lee Guhrke

Has it been almost a week since I last posted? It has! There is so much going on. Post-Sandy, I'm back at work but our offices are not 100% yet. My boss lost her home and much more than that, so she's gone for now. Additionally, New Jersey's Courts in the north of the State are still closed or just now beginning to open -- at this point I'm basically catching up on a little paperwork and getting ready for the avalanche of work once everything reopens.

But there are other reasons! On the bright side, our family welcomed a new addition, my middle brother's third daughter. Natalia A. J. arrived on November 3rd and weighed 8.5 lbs. She arrived just in time to bring happiness and much needed brightness to all of us! I'm a tia again!

-----------

Born In Trilogy

What about reading? Well, during the hurricane I was unable to read new books, so I picked up an old favorite comfort re-read, the Born In Trilogy (1994 to 1996) by Nora Roberts (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame). Why do I love this trilogy? Well, Roberts has a way with her depiction of those small little rural places in Ireland. In this case it's County Clare with its farming land, the village, pub, and all the requisite places: castle ruins, cliffs, and the sea. But of course Roberts' characters, from the protagonists to the villagers, are the main attraction. There is spitfire Maggie and her jackeen Rogan, cool-as-a-cucumber Brie and her charming Yank Grayson, and of course beautiful-oh-my-god-I-have-a-crush-on-him Murphy Muldoon and clueless-somebody-smack-her Shannon. I've read and re-read this trilogy countless times and know these books like the back of my hand. I still love them!

My favorite hands down? Although Born in Fire IS fiery and Born in Shame has my favorite Irish hunk Murphy Muldoon as its hero, for me Born in Ice is the most romantic of the three books and the one I read slowwwly this time around. It took me forever to finish it because I wanted to savor every word. Have you read this trilogy by Nora Roberts? It's a classic and it is still my #1 favorite trilogy by this author.

Conor's Way

I also read Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke. I loved, loved this historical romance! Truthfully? I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I looked at this book critically (as a reviewer), and if you review books, you know there are always flaws to find or nit picking to do. But, sigh... as a reader, there just was not one aspect of this book that I did not enjoy! From Conor and Olivia as our main romantic couple, to Olivia's three little girls who play their roles as secondary characters to perfection, the characters are fantastic. I love the mixed setting -- the small town in post-revolutionary American South in the present, and a famine-plagued/post-famine Ireland full of revolutionary Fenians in Conor's past. This was an emotionally wrenching story with a tortured hero, but it was also sweet, sweet, sweet, with a great strong spinster heroine and three little girls that will win your heart. Lovely!

This week I also picked up and finished Velvet by Xavier Axelson. A gay historical romance, this is Axelson's first full-length novel. I will be reviewing it soon.

---------

Last, but not least, today is National Election Day in the U.S., it comes every four years and doesn't take too much of our personal time. So, please don't forget to vote!