Review: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

A renowned rake, Cameron Mackenzie doesn't care if Ainsley Douglas has a virtuous excuse for sneaking around his bedchamber. He only cares that she's at his mercy. One kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. But what starts out as a lusty diversion may break Cam's own rules.

I enjoyed the first book of this series, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, but was a disappointed in the second book, Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage. Thankfully that's not the case with The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. I enjoyed the third book in Jennifer Ashley's Mackenzie Brothers historical romance series much more than that last book!

Cameron and Ainsley's attraction to each other flares under rather interesting circumstances. Cameron finds Ainsley snooping around his bedchamber, and thinking that she's there for seduction decides to please himself and the beautiful Ainsley Douglas. The attraction is mutual and they share a passionate and unforgettable moment. But Ainsley is married and turns down Cam's advances.

Years later, Ainsley is a widow and acting as the Queen's agent in a secret matter of the heart that involves blackmail. As a result during a house party at Hart Mackenzie's home, history repeats itself when she again finds herself in Cameron Mackenzie's chambers looking for a missing letter and gets caught by Cam. The old mutual attraction flares up with a vengeance and as Ainsley continues on her errand for the Queen, she finds in Cam both an ally and a man that's dangerously seductive.

I liked both Ainsley and Cam. Ainsley's life is that of a young woman who married a much older man and as a widow has been left without resources and dependent on her older brother. As the Queen's lady, her life is limited to the court and to service, leaving her with little time for socialization or a personal life. On the surface Ainsley gives the impression of being a demure lady, but in reality she's passionate, intrepid and determined. She's perfect for Cam.  I think it is lovely that although Ainsley was in a marriage of convenience and later widowed, her husband was a man that she both honored and respected.

Cam, well... he's had an angst-ridden life filled with childhood abuse and a marriage to a deranged woman that left him scarred for life. Cam feels more at home with horses than he does with people, and who can blame him after what he went through? He seeks the company of married women with shady reputations and doesn't ever want to marry again.

I love the fact that Cam "sees things in color" when he is with Ainsley as she brings him back to "life." I really liked that while trying to seduce Ainsley, he's caught and falls hard! Cam and Ainsley sizzled with passion too, and Jennifer Ashley really builds up to that passion with plenty of sexual tension. I especially loved the sensuality of those scenes with the buttons (those of you who have read this book know what I'm talking about). Most of all Cam and Ainsley clicked as two people who fall in love but that also become friends and lovers, and I thought that was just so important for Cam after his traumatic past.

Making Cam's son Daniel part of the romance was an excellent move on Ashley's part. Despite the fact that Cam has been portrayed as a rather nonchalant type of father throughout most of the series, Daniel is the most important person in Cam's life as it is revealed in this story. Cam is protective by nature, loving, and passionate. Those parts of his nature, however, were severely damaged by his deranged first wife before she died. So while Cam and Ainsley's romance evolves at a good pace, most of the conflict in this book is about Cam working out issues that were caused during his first marriage so he can find happiness with Ainsley.

The whole "Mrs. Brown" sub-plot was interesting and it served its purpose, but it was not arresting, neither was the blackmail sub-plot. I thought they were both obvious devices to get Cam and Ainsley together and as such they worked well enough without adding much interest to the story.

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron is the type of historical romance you'll love if you're not looking for a lot of controversy between the two main characters, or if you want to feel great about a man who has suffered and finally finds that elusive happily ever after. I love that Cam did.  You won't find a lot of conflict between the protagonists in this book, instead you will find a good, solid historical romance full of passion and emotion.

And what of the remaining Mackenzie brother? Well, I've always liked Hart and now that Eleanor has finally made an appearance can't wait to read their romance. And eventually we will have Daniel's romance to look forward to...I can't wait to see how he turns out. In the meantime, for those of you who love Ian... don't forget to look for the breakfast scene with the honey pot. I loved it!

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Mackenzie Brothers
Publisher/Released: Berkley/August 2, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B

Visit Jennifer Ashley here.

Series:
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, Book 1
Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage, Book 2
The Many Sins of Lord Cameron, Book 3

Review: From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction edited by Charles Rice-González & Charlie Vázquez

Prepare yourself to dance in a disco in Silver Lake, check out papis in Orchard Beach, cross the border from Guatemala to Mexico on your way to the U.S., see a puro macho bathe in a river in Puerto Rico, make love under a full moon in the Dominican Republic, sigh at a tender moment in an orange grove in Lindsay, visit a panaderia in Kansas, see a full blown birthday party in Juarez, and be seduced by a young artist in the South Bronx. These are some of the stories in this collection of thirty gay Latino writers from around the United States. There are ''don't mess with me''' divas, alluring bad boys, and sexy teenagers, but also empowered youth for whom being queer is not a question and a family that grows wings on their heads. The infectious rhythms of House music in New York City are adjacent to cumbia in Mexico, next to reggaeton in Puerto Rico, alongside Latin pop in L.A. and merengue in an east coast city. But the spectrum of experiences and emotions that inhabit our days gives these stories dimension and gay/queer Latinos a common ground. The stories are vibrantly varied and clearly connected in this ''era of lost signals'' in which we live.

From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction is an anthology written and edited by gay Latino writers from varied backgrounds and walks of life. That in and of itself was a huge draw for me. As seen from the gay Latino's perspective, I also hoped to find that great mixture of different backgrounds and countries that make up what we call the Latino culture and what makes our community unique.

The anthology is composed of 29 short stories. Individually you'll find different writing styles and types of stories, from the magical cuento, to love letters, and stories of neglect, loneliness, rejection, sex, drugs, and yes... yearning and love. Through the unique and beautiful rhythm found in the blending of two languages and two cultures that is often found in works by Latino writers, the reader experiences pain, joys, highs and lows.

The stories serve as little windows into the gay Latino experience. Some writers go back to their roots and set their stories in the land of their birth or that of their parents: Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. These stories serve to set atmosphere and define cultural differences within this anthology. There's La Huerfanita by David Andrew Talamantes, a disturbing account set in Mexico about a little boy who is abused by his father because he's not macho enough... or one of my favorite stories, the beautiful Yermo by Charlie Vázquez, written in letter form, about an unforgettable encounter in Puerto Rico between an islander and a Nuyorican from the Bronx.

Other stories are edgy and creative. There are quite a few of these, however as an example Fairy Tale by Justin Torres is a riveting cuento magico written in the form of a letter to an absent father where fantasy is used to convey neglect, and worth mentioning is A Doomed Gay Marriage where Rigoberto González writes shorts within a short story addressed to "the writer," "the cook," "the musician" and more, depicting reasons a marriage to each in turn would fail.

Among the stories depicting young adult experiences one of my favorite is On the Line by Benny Vázquez. I love the way the writer captures the cultural reality of views and attitudes by family and loved ones toward the two young men's changing relationship through the young man's mami's character. It's a story of friendship and love found and lost in an urban setting. And of course there's Pregnant Boy by Chuy Sánchez, the magnificent story about a boy who has seen and lost too much and yet hopes against hope for love. He is naive and a cynic, an astounding and heartbreaking combination.

The bulk of the stories, however, depict lost loves, past relationships and those regrets that leave empty spaces and "what ifs" behind. I loved Michael Moves to Faile Street by Charles Rice-González, a well-written, and complete story about a man with a need to set things right after having failed his ex-lover, and Requiem Sartajeno by Rick J. Santos pulled me in to the point where I thought I was reading a whole book instead of a short story. However, it was The Fermi Paradox by Ben Francisco that made me say "wow" after I finished it. A story about yearning for lost love while dealing with rejection and hoping there's a way to fill the emptiness left by it all. This was a complete story with excellent writing, pacing, plot and prose that left me wanting more from this author.

Urban settings are quite popular in this anthology, from the East to the West Coast, Chicago to Miami and in between, however there are some stories that do highlight life in those urban settings more than others. Dark Side of the Flame is a dark trip indeed where Danny González explores drugs, sex and loneliness. And, the anthology ends with a bang and on an upbeat note that made me laugh out loud with Orchard Beach by Robert Vázquez Pacheco where Bronx Diva La Joey teaches a mistaken papi a lesson he won't soon forget. "¿Pa' qué fue eso?!"

Taken individually some stories are better written than others and I do have favorites among them -- too few of them are mentioned above. As a whole, however, From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction is a different kettle of fish altogether. The editors of this anthology Charles Rice-González and Charlie Vázquez successfully capture the differences and commonalities within the gay Latino community and the gay experience from a distinct cultural perspective.

Pulled together, the stories do convey that distinct flavor. Whether it's achieved by highlighting societal views of the gay son, friend, nephew or neighbor within the Latino community as a whole or the importance of la familia -- mami, papi, brothers, sisters, tíos or primos -- the neighborhoods, the different foods or the music, that flavor can almost be felt and tasted by the reader. Most of all I think these gay Latino writers achieve this as only they can by expressing their experiences, with passion, heart and emotion.

Category: LGBT Gay Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Tincture/August 1, 2011
Source: ARC Lethe Press
Grade: B

Mini-Impressions: Storm's Heart (The Elder Races, #2) by Thea Harrison

During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle "Tricks" Periwinkle found sanctuary among the Wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle's death, there are those who don't want to see her ascend the throne...

Able to wield thunder and lightning, Wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the Wyr's best weapons. And he's the one sent to protect Tricks when she's almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them- a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds.

In Storm's Heat by Thea Harrison, the second book in The Elder Races paranormal series, Tricks is on her way to claim the Dark Fae's throne. On her way there, one of her cousins attempts to assassinate her and Tricks winds up alone in a motel room where Tiago finds her wounded and drunk out her mind. After a few disagreements and another assassination attempt, Tiago and Tricks begin the journey that will place them in danger and lead them to the Dark Fae's realm. As the heat builds up between the two, they'll fight an unknown enemy, uncertainty, and their own desire.

I liked Tricks in the first book and was really looking forward to her story. I loved the humor in Dragon Bound, and toward the beginning of Storm's Heat I found some of those same amusing moments. I mean Tricks has some great lines. However, to be frank it didn't take long for this character to become a bit of an annoyance. I found her to be a bit too "pouty," needy and superficial. Her "voice" got on my nerves after a very short period of time and that was not good news!

Tiago is a rather forceful alpha character. He was considered a god in the ancient times... but, unlike Dragos, Tiago is quite the softy and once he falls for Tricks (which is rather fast), all he wants to do is please her. He caves in pretty easily to her charm. The one thing he keeps intact is the overprotective bit... and of course, he is relentless once they mate. I liked Tiago, but didn't fall in love with his character.

My biggest problem with this story, however, would be the romance itself. I don't understand why Tiago and Tricks become attracted to each other all of a sudden after 200 years of having on and off contact with each other. What set it off? Why now? There's nothing in the story that explains this. There's no previous attraction or a hint that there was sexual tension or even an awareness between them throughout those years. Again it's the "mating" device that it's so often used in paranormal romance, but without anything to back up the "romance." Unlike the romance in Dragon Bound, I didn't buy this love that sprouted like mushrooms after a hard rainfall.

Overall I found this to be an average paranormal romance read. This particular installment in the series didn't stand out for me like that first book. When it comes to the next book in the series, I'm not sure that I will be reading it right off the bat either. I wasn't enamored of the vampire Carling, and although Rune seems like an interesting character, I think I'll wait and see.  Grade: C

Review: One Good Reason by Sarah Mayberry

It's time to move on...

Any day now Jon Adamson will pack his bags and hit the road. After all, his intention was never to hang around Melbourne once he’d settled his late father’s affairs. Yet he hasn’t moved on. And it might have something to
do with Gabby Wade. The not-so-big office manager with the really big attitude is making Jon’s days…interesting…engaging…fun. It’s impossible for him to resist her.

But he knows himself—long-term commitments and cozy family dinners aren’t his style. If that’s what the future holds, why is he still here? And why is he spending all his days—and nights—with Gabby? Because maybe she’s the one reason strong enough to make him stay.

What if you discovered that all you ever wanted were the things you’d left behind?

I'm so glad I read One Good Reason by Sarah Mayberry. After reading The Last Goodbye, I just had to know what happened to Tyler's brother Jon. It was worth it because as it turns out, I enjoyed Gabby and Jon's romance more than Tyler and Ally's.

After his father's death, Jon is still dealing with the fallout. He finds himself at loose ends and unable to work out serious issues from his past that are not allowing him to move forward with his life. Jon sold his business in Canada and doesn't really know what to do with himself, so his brother Tyler talks him into working for him at T.A. Furniture Designs on a temporary basis with hopes that he'll stick around. There, Jon meets Gabby, the shop's administrator and Tyler's right hand woman. Their first meeting doesn't go well and sets the stage for a hostile beginning to a relationship full of tension.

Gabby is a self-sufficient woman who doesn't really want to need anyone. She can do just about everything quickly and efficiently when it comes to the business. But after her long three year relationship with Tyler, Jon's brother, and the way their relationship ended, Gabby is suffering from low self-esteem. She really likes Tyler's wife Ally, but some residual feelings for Tyler linger and she has to deal with those. The last thing she needs in her life is Jon. As far as Gabby's concerned Jon is a silent, overprotective, too controlled man who reminds her of his brother in too many ways.

I like the increasingly hostile way in which Gabby and Jon demonstrate their initial attraction, it makes for a great explosive scene once they release all that hostility. The dialogue between them helps to build all that sexual tension with all the snap and sizzle, especially with Gabby's sass. Jon, well.. he's the strong, silent, passionate type that turns out to be too sweet for words!

Gabby is a bit of a PITA at times with her uber-independent woman of the year personality, although Jon's over protectiveness of her is a bit much toward the beginning, especially when he doesn't really know her. However, she really is oversensitive and overreacts most of the time with Jon. Now, the fact that Jon questions Gabby's sexuality based on her short hair, her lack of make-up, the way she dresses, her hostility toward him as a male, AND that she's having dinner with a girlfriend, is an assholish thing to do to say the least. That he verbalizes this to her in front of others is really idiotic in my opinion.

However, this book is really not about those dumb moments these two (evenly and briefly) share. It really is about both of them coming to terms with their pasts as they fall passionately in love and move forward together. Jon with the abuse he experienced as a child at the hands of his father, and Gabby with feeling unlovable because of the way her relationship ended with Tyler. Mayberry really digs into both of these characters' fears, guilts, vulnerabilities and strengths. She builds on those one step at a time as they first see themselves for who they've become, and then open up to each other slowly and painfully.

Jon's situation in particular is a painful one and Mayberry does a bang-up job of portraying this man's tough and uneasy journey out of the darkness. His yearning and passion for Gabby and for a life with her is heartbreaking. Gabby's combination of strength, vulnerability and insecurities make her quite human and therefore a great female protagonist for this story.

I thought the timeline for the romance was a bit rushed and I'm surprised because Mayberry usually does a better job with this. However, again the characterization is excellent in this book as both Jon and Gabby are well fleshed out throughout that short time-line. The focus on the couple is maintained throughout, although Tyler and Ally do play an important part in this story as they should.

One Good Reason is a solid, sexy, sweet romance that really hit the spot for me.

Category: Contemporary Romance (Category Romance-HSR)
Series: None -- See below
Publisher/Release Date: Harlequin, August 2, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B

Visit Sarah Mayberry here

Related books:
The Last Goodbye
One Good Reason

Review: Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen

When high school golden boy Cade Gallari publicly revealed he’d slept with “fat girl” Ava Spencer to win a bet, he broke her heart. Now a decade older and a head-turner with her own concierge business, Ava isn’t the gullible dreamer she once was—and she plans to prove it when Cade, hotter than ever, breezes back into town with an offer she can’t refuse.

A documentary film producer, Cade is shooting a movie about the mysterious mansion Ava inherited. And he wants her as his personal concierge. She’s certainly professional enough to be at his beck and call without giving him everything he wants. Like another shot at having her in his bed. But Ava doesn’t count on Cade’s determination. Because he’s never gotten over her. And he’s not above playing dirty to score a second chance at a red-hot future…

Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen! What an enjoyable contemporary read this one turned out to be... at least for me.

It all begins with one of those dreaded scenes that can only take place in high school between the gorgeous jock and the unpopular "fat girl." I cringed when Ava first began relating her happiness over having slept with hunky Cade. I knew a painful moment was in the offing, and sure enough it hits her like a two-ton truck as she walks into the school cafeteria and finds out that what she thought was a relationship on the making was the result of a bet. Poor Ava! The humiliation! She gave back as good as she got but was devastated in the process.

Thirteen years later and pounds lighter, Ava is a successful businesswoman and part owner of a mansion she and her two friends inherited, and Cade is a well-known, up and coming independent documentary film maker working in Los Angeles. Cade contacts Ava hoping that she will agree to allow him to film a docudrama based on the Wolcott's mystery in the mansion, and to act as the film crew's personal concierge. Although Ava doesn't want to be anywhere near Cade, the jerkwad, he proposes such a sweet deal that she agrees.

Why did I enjoy this book so much? The characters. Both Cade and Ava are likable grownups with vulnerabilities and flaws. Cade was a jerk to Ava when they were teenagers, there's no question about it, but he's not a jerk as an adult. It is clear from the beginning that betraying Ava to his friends and losing her affected him. He knew what he did was wrong and throughout the years attempted to apologize to her without success. I love the fact that to him Ava had always been gorgeous, and that he not only wants her bodacious body but also her joy and laughter in his life. Plus, Cade apologizes prettily and sincerely.

Ava, well... nobody can blame her for not trusting Cade. That's the real conflict in this romance. Ava loved and trusted Cade once, as only a teenager can love, and he betrayed and humiliated her in such a way that deeply traumatized her. That trauma combined with the way Ava's mother nags her about her weight even though she's now a gorgeous and healthy size twelve, makes her less than self-assured once she faces Cade again. The fact that she still burns for Cade is humiliating enough, but when she begins to actually like him? Well!!

Ava is not a character that I would say is defined by her insecurities, though. She is a beautiful, strong, successful woman with a joyful and beautiful personality. She is liked and loved and she knows it. However, seeing Cade again does bring back those painful insecurities here and there. It's a realistic look at a woman whose body doesn't conform to what's considered the acceptable "look" and every so often glimpses the "fat girl" in the mirror. Hmm... if she could only see herself through Cade's eyes.

I liked the fact that both Ava and Cade are portrayed as strong, successful characters who are not perfect. They are equal in that respect so that the characterization is well-balanced. They both suffer insecurities: she with her weight and he with his belief that he's not lovable enough. One of the sweetest things about this story is the fact that they knew each other since they were small children and those memories are made a part of the yearning that Cade always felt for Ava. I loved the way Andersen showed how differently each character viewed the other, as opposed to how they viewed themselves.

The one weakness is a side story line involving a theft in the mansion that really detracts from the rest of this enjoyable romance and interrupts the flow. The rest of the secondary characters make a good contribution to the story without taking the focus away from the main couple. I especially like the way the friendship between Ava, Poppy and Jane is depicted in this book.

Overall I really enjoyed Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen. I loved the characters, the romance, and the friendships. And for all of you out there who are always looking for this type of story, here's a female protagonist who is smart, successful, a size twelve with gorgeous curves and gets the jock and her happily ever after. A great story.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Sisterhood Diaries
Publisher/Release Date: HQN Books/July 26, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B+

Visit Susan Andersen here.

Sisterhood Diaries Series:
Cutting Loose, Book 1
Bending the Rules, Book 2
Playing Dirty, Book 3