This n' That: Catching Up

Hi there! I'm here... reading, working and will soon be posting reviews again.

I've had a few bad days all around. Last Thursday, I lost my glasses! I spent three days blind as a bat, trying to work without using a computer, which is next to impossible in my line of work, and then trying to finish my days without taking a bottle of analgesics to calm the headaches. No reading for me during that time at all! Plus, no computer when I got home either.

By the time my new pair of glasses were ready it was Saturday evening. I do the bulk of my reading and review writing during the weekend, and well... the headaches didn't go away until Tuesday of this week. I felt like the man from that Twilight Zone episode, "Time Enough At Last," all those books to read and I couldn't see a thing! What frustration. Whatever happened to my spare pair of glasses?

Of course this week I had to catch up on all the work that was neglected due to my blindness! So, late nights, eating at my desk and lots of files to get through at the office this week. Plus, RWA is next week and I'll be leaving early a couple of days in a row and taking one day off to hang out with fellow bloggers, so I want to get ahead of myself so I don't have to worry about work. It's burnout time!

But hey, before the whole fiasco with the glasses and during this week I did read a couple of books. There's Cheryl St. John's new June release Her Wyoming Man (see my review), which I really enjoyed, and I did finish More Than a Mistress by Mary Balogh. That's a book I've been meaning to read forever. Well, I can tell you that it was worth the read for me personally. Now I'll try to read the second book in the series, No Man's Mistress, before the new release comes out next month. :)

At the moment I'm reading and enjoying a women's fiction book with quite a few interesting characters and situations, Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards, part of her Happiness Key series.

And, slowly but surely, I'm also reading Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse) by James S.A. Corey, a science fiction opera that's going to take me a while to read as it's 592 pages and it's chuck-full of sci-fi details, plus there's a private investigation in it with a mystery and everything... I can't wait to find out what happens in both these books.

So what's everyone reading at the moment? What are you looking forward to reading in July? I'm waiting for Mary Balogh's The Secret Mistress.

Review: Her Wyoming Man by Cheryl St. John

Courtesan Ella Reed escapes dangerous city life to rural Wyoming and says "I do" to a marriage of convenience! But she may not live the life of a respectable woman for long if she can't keep her past—and her heart—under lock and key.

For a self-made man with political aspirations, love is trivial in a paper marriage. Nathan Lantry needs a wife to secure his election and manage his rowdy little boys. Yet he can't stop wanting more from his irresistible new bride. Then her secrets start to unravel….

In Her Wyoming Man Cheryl St. John again writes a historical romance where passion is subtle but strong, characters are humanly flawed but capable of kindness and love, and where the atmosphere and western setting are the perfect framework.

Ella Reed grew up in a high priced whorehouse in Dodge City, Kansas. She possesses a rare beauty and has been trained since childhood to be a high paid courtesan by Madame Fairchild. Ella has also been kept under lock and key for all those years servicing one "gentleman caller." When the chance presents itself in the form of a newspaper advertisement, Ella, Celeste and a few other working ladies decide to leave Madame's Fairchild's house to live the life of respectable women:

Several gentlemen of means from the Wyoming Territory seek young, intelligent, refined maidens of a loving disposition for the purpose of matrimony. Railroad tickets provided upon acceptance by our liaison. 

Nathan Lantry is a widower, a father of three, and Sweetwater's choice as their representative for the next Wyoming Territory Governor's race. Nathan is not really looking for a wife when he meets Ella, but one look at her and two conversations later quickly change his mind. Two days later Nathan has a new wife and Ella has a new husband, three children and the respectability she craves.

Initially Ella savors everything around her, including her newfound freedom, the children and most of all a man that she truly desires, admires and respects. Nathan is a man of integrity and the best of fathers... and Ella finds herself desiring him more every day. But is she worthy of this man? Eventually Ella has to deal with the fact that her relationship with Nathan is based on deceit.

Nathan is a man with baggage and personal disappointments. As Ella becomes an intricate part of Nathan's life and his passion grows, he realizes how empty that life had become before she came along. Nathan finds in Ella the perfect wife and partner, as well as the perfect mother for his children. Their family becomes exactly what he dreamed it could be. How will he react to her deceit?

In Her Wyoming Man, St. John uses one of my favorite tropes, the mail-order bride where a woman and a man are usually desperate enough to take a huge chance on marrying a stranger, and somehow make the relationship work in the end. This is a classic mail-order bride story.

I love the way these two strangers slowly fall deeply and passionately in love with each other despite their reservations, feelings of guilt, and doubts. I like that no matter how blind they are to their own worth, somehow they can see the other person's clearly. Of course there are always issues to be had with a story line like this one. Thankfully Ella is not portrayed as a calculating woman, even though she is deceitful and therefore manipulative to a certain extent. Ella is a sympathetic character throughout the story even when she's lying. And Nathan? Well, he was deceived so his reactions are understandable. Truthfully although his view of perfection vs. reality gave me a few moments of anxiety along the way, ultimately I liked the way he processed the situation.

Secondary characters don't take the focus away from the main couple, however they are very much a part of this romance. The community's views on what a wife represents and how she reflects on her husband, as well as the social life and class distinctions in a small town are all beautifully detailed. And how did all those other women who travelled with Ella to Sweetwater fare? Those relationships are key to Ella and Nathan's romance and to the overall story.

In Her Wyoming Man you'll find deceit, passion, warmth, love and forgiveness. I find it interesting that even with all those issues to resolve, this isn't an angst-ridden or high tension read. Instead, a sense of buoyancy, happiness and hope for the future seem to permeate the story. I recommend this book to those who love a family-oriented historical romance with a dash of passion that leaves the reader with a warm glow at the end.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Harlequin Historical/June 21, 2011
Source: Copy received from author
Grade: B

Visit Cheryl St. John here.

Review: Magic Slays (Kate Daniels Series, #5) by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels has quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but starting her own business isn't easy when the Order starts disparaging her good name. And being the mate of the Beast Lord doesn't bring in the customers, either. So when Atlanta's premier Master of the Dead asks for help with a vampire, Kate jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, this is one case where Kate should have looked before she leapt.

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews was one of those highly anticipated books for me. The great part about finally reading it? It wasn't a disappointment. This is the fifth book of the Kate Daniels series and so far there's not one loser in the bunch. Changes seem to be the main focus in Magic Slays. Everyone is going through changes in this story, Kate, Curran, the Pack, Andrea, Julie and even the Magical community as a whole.

Kate is learning how to navigate her new role as the Alpha's Consort within the Pack, worrying about Julie who ran away from school, adapting to her new, intimate relationship with Curran, while simultaneously trying to make a go of her new PI business. The phones are not ringing, Julie is missing in action, the Pack is acting out and Curran... well, he's being his Royal Fussiness.

Magic Slays seems to be a transitional book in this series. Kate, Curran and the rest of our favorite characters are still battling evil, however the quick pace and high volume action is not there, at least not in the beginning. The end result is that there's a slower pace to Magic Slays that doesn't immediately grab the reader as previous installments have in the past, and the overall plot isn't as compelling as those in the previous books where the mythology-based components were more complex. However, that's not to say that this is not a great read, it is. And although not gripping, the resolution to the overall plot is as well done as expected.

Kate is still Kate, and she gets into all kinds of trouble after she and Andrea are hired to investigate their first case which by the way has nothing to do with vampires. The Red Guard hires them to find one missing inventor, but soon they realize he's not the real problem, it's the invention he created and the devastation it can bring to Atlanta. He must be found, but most importantly the device must be destroyed before it's too late.

While all this is going on, Kate finds out that her role as the Alpha's mate interferes even with her new business. Whether it's dealing with magical or human beings, she must follow protocol, and there are consequences for those who mess with her. Curran tends to take an attack on his mate personally... it's not business to him, it's personal. I began to worry about Kate after a while and how all this interference from the Pack, and all this new protocol she has to follow, would curtail her activities as a PI and well... with kickass Kate. No worries though... she handles it pretty well. Not only do I love the way she and Andrea work together as partners in Cutting Edge with all that snark and banter, but Kate and Curran also make an awesome team as the Royal Alpha intimidators.

Kate is still her snarky, kickass self. I love the fact that the Andrews writing team continues to develop this character. A character that has grown emotionally in leaps and bounds since that first book so that by now she's learned how to take the risk of loving others and making them a part of her life. In this story that part of Kate's character development is kicked up a notch.

In Magic Slays, there are important revelations about Kate's background and past that contribute to that continuing growth and that will surely affect her future. Some of the most emotional moments come from the deep sense of betrayal Kate experiences by some of those revelations. They not only affect how she views herself and her past, but also her present relationship with Curran, and eventually how she reacts to Julie's precarious situation in this story. Kate and Curran, well... their courtship might be over, but they still have much to discover about each other. No worries, though, Curran is still sigh worthy and the sizzle between these two is still there.

There's quite a bit of warmth to Magic Slays even with all the action, angst, blood and guts. I usually devour these books in one sitting and later find myself going back to look for the details, this time it took me a while to finish the book. Fortunately, the fact that this book has a slower pace allowed me the time to sit back and enjoy it all the more. It was an interesting trade off. However, I think this is just the calm before the storm -- especially after the ending -- and as always that next book is just as highly anticipated as the last one.

Category: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, Book 5
Publisher/Release Date: Penguin/Ace, May 31, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B

Visit Ilona Andrews here.

Series:
Magic Bites, Book 1
Magic Burns, Book 2
Magic Strikes, Book 3
Magic Mourns, Novella (Must Love Hellhounds Anthology)
Magic Bleeds, Book 4
Magic Dreams, Novella (Hexed Anthology)
Magic Slays, Book 5

Review: Slant by Timothy Wang

James, an Asian college student who likes video games and romantic comedies, decides he's gay. With his intensely logical and linear MIT mind, he identifies all the parts of himself he believes are offensive to others, and methodically changes them one by one. In the pursuit of total self transformation--including body, skin, hair, clothes, personality, and behavior--James becomes completely lost and bewildered, having lost any trace of the person he once was. Along the way, he betrays himself several times for love, lust, and money--engaging in dangerous drug use and sex to please his first boyfriend, Stan, and manipulating his admirer, Michael, to pay for plastic surgery on his Asian eyes. After Stan dumps him, obsessed with love, he'll do anything to get Stan back...

Slant is Timothy Wang's debut novel. I could say that this is a coming out story because in a way it is, but that would be deceiving and simplistic to say the least. Instead, Wang places the main focus of this novel on racism experienced by Asian men within the gay community. He maintains that focus through excellent writing and by using the strong narrative voice of the main character James, a young man whose initial confusion about sexual identity is compounded by ethnicity.

As the only son of overprotective Chinese immigrant parents who migrated to the Midwest, James finds himself out of his depth, isolated and lost, while attempting to navigate Boston's gay community during his sophomore year at MIT. After meeting and losing his first 'boyfriend' Stan, a gorgeous bad boy who becomes an obsession, James changes.

James hates everything about himself, from his Asian features to his upbringing. The fact that he is often rejected for being Asian in the mostly preppy-oriented Boston gay community reinforces his self-loathing. After losing Stan, he embarks in an obsessive and self-destructive path filled with humiliations, sexual exploits, drugs, and eventually ends up cynically and emotionally manipulating a lover for money.

During this downward spiral into self-degradation, cultural and ethnic shame, Wang strongly conveys the anger and resentment James feels toward himself, his parents, the gay community, and mainstream society.

I was getting an education in gay culture and didn't like the program. I hated the way everything was segmented. For such a small community, people were divided along the lines of the different races and the different types of desires. There were the "potatoes" and "burritos," the "chocolates" and the "rice." Then there were the "bears," the "daddies" and the "twinks." The white jocks that were the most popular in high school were still the most popular in gay clubs, even the gay Asian clubs. Some white guys wanted to be black and some black guys wanted to be white. Some Asian guys wanted to be black or white. But, no black or white guys who wanted to be Asian.

Thankfully during James' raw tirade of 'hates,' Wang doesn't spare his main character from this malady or makes him out to be a victim. On the contrary, sadly through his self-loathing and frustrations James becomes a part of the whole as he exposes his own prejudices with more than a few judgmental statements of his own:

I hated older white men. They somehow thought that, even though they were in their sixties, they could still date an eighteen year old Asian boy. Much to my disgust, some Asian boys would date them.

The characters are strong and compelling in the almost real way in which they're rendered by the author. James as the Asian young man who goes from being awkwardly naive to cynically self-destructive while grasping for an identity; Stan as the charismatic, self-absorbed, reckless 'bad boy' who discards men like yesterday's news; and Michael, the preppy, wealthy young doctor who is portrayed as a good, if somewhat weak man, and is seen as an almost superficial, social snob, easily and ultimately willingly manipulated by James.

In Slant, Wang uses short chapters with a narrative voice that eases the reader into the story and gains strength and momentum as the full scope of the novel is revealed. The story flows as it maintains a quick, excellent pace with a strong plot and compelling characters that draw the reader from beginning to end, ending on a rather ambiguous note.

On a personal note I'll say that I devoured Mr. Wang's debut novel. After closing the last page, those last few ambiguous chapters left me thinking about his characters and their journey. I'm still thinking about James... and that's what it's all about, right? Timothy Wang is working on his second novel, I can't wait to see where he goes from here.

Category: Contemporary Gay Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Tincture, June 15, 2011
Source: ARC Lethe Press
Grade: B+

Visit Timothy Wang here.

Review: A Marriage of Inconvenience by Susanna Fraser

Left orphaned and penniless as a young child, Lucy Jones learned to curb her temper, her passions, and even her sense of humor to placate the wealthy relatives who took her in. She became the perfect poor relation--meek, quiet, and self-effacing. She clings to her self-control because she can control nothing else.

James Wright-Gordon also lost his parents at a young age. But he became a wealthy viscount at fifteen and stepped into full control of his fortune and his birthright as a parliamentary power broker at twenty-one. At twenty-four, he is serenely confident in his ability to control everything in the world that matters to him.

At a house party in the summer of 1809, James quickly discerns Lucy’s carefully hidden spirit and wit and does his best to draw them out. After being caught in a compromising situation, they are obliged to marry. But can two people whose need for control has always been absolute learn to put love first?

A Marriage of Inconvenience by Susanna Fraser is the story of how orphaned and penniless Lucy Jones and Viscount James-Wright Gordon end up married despite the vast differences that separate them, including their own feelings. This is also the prequel to The Sergeant's Lady and it gives the readers the background to Anna's story.

I loved the first part of this book where the author depicts the interactions between the cast of characters, and conveys how 1809's society viewed both marriage and money through actions and discourse. The meetings between our protagonists James and Lucy, Lucy's interactions with her family, and the contempt with which she is treated by them as one who is less fortunate are all scenes that the reader can almost see in their minds eye because they are so well detailed by the writer. Those are the scenes that impacted me the most.

Lucy is pretty near at the bottom of the social scales, as she has no fortune and lives on her family's charity. On the other hand, James is a wealthy viscount whose father earned his money while working in India. The fact that Lucy is dependent on her family plays a big role in this romance. Even after her much admired cousin Sebastian offers marriage, their engagement is kept secret and Lucy is often ignored or humiliated with the exception of her new friends James and Anna.

The romance between James and Lucy is actually quite lovely. It develops from a new and tentative friendship into what amounts to an unrecognized courtship. I loved their interactions during this part of the story and up to the point when the two are caught in a compromising situation. A situation where Lucy is quite the willing participant. Once that happens, James plays the gentleman and offers marriage on the spot.

Once James and Lucy marry, the focus of the story changes and although the couple is happy in many ways, the conflict shifts to that of trust and control. This is all right, however, part of this trust issue is all about Lucy letting go of herself sexually. This became frustrating, not only for poor James but for this reader as well -- however, I do believe other readers might really enjoy this section. Once that happened, the story picks up again with a well done resolution to conflicts where angst becomes part of the equation.

When it comes to secondary characters, Anna and Sebastian were the main draw. These two characters really caught my attention and I couldn't wait to read their story. Sebastian was such an ass that I couldn't wait to see what happened to Anna in her own story... so I picked up The Sergeant's Lady immediately after reading this book.

A Marriage of Inconvenience is an enjoyable historical romance read. The story is a bit uneven with an excellent beginning and first half, a frustrating middle, and a good resolution. The story ends with a sweet and satisfying epilogue.

Category: Historical Romance
Publisher/Release Date: Carina Press/April 11, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B

Visit Susanna Fraser here.

Series:
The Sergeant's Lady
A Marriage of Inconvenience