Review: About That Night by Julie James

HE’S PLAYING GAMES

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

BUT SHE’S MAKING THE RULES

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

The Twitter Terrorist! Yes, the fact that this is Kyle Rhodes' romance is what really made me rush to read Julie James' About That Night as soon as it released. I loved his witty character in A Lot Like Love and couldn't wait to have him all to myself during this read.

Well, the romance begins well with Kyle and Rylann Pierce meeting when they were in college years ago. It's obvious that they had chemistry and could have easily fallen in love, but key events got in the way of their planned date and their lives took different paths. By the time they meet again, Rylann is an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Kyle is the infamous Twitter Terrorist and an ex-con who also becomes her witness in a related case. The chemistry is still there and so is the possibility for more, but Kyle's poor choices and Rylann's position make it impossible for them to act on their feelings. Or does it?

Kyle needs to use the reset button and start over again after making a total mess out of his life because a woman pricked his pride. The last thing he expects is to become obsessed and fall in love with Rylann. It's interesting because for most of the book Kyle comes off as a boy/man who needs to grow up and is trying hard to do so  -- I mean he's way past the frat boy age and in many ways he and his friend still act like frat boys. Thankfully by the end of this book he shows growth on the maturity scale, and the level of maturity is higher than when we first meet him in A Lot Like Love.

On the other hand, on the surface Rylann seems a mature, responsible woman who plans every single step of her life and doesn't make allowances for impulsive acts or self-indulgence. She's getting over the break-up of a long-term relationship that she thought would end up in marriage. She has worked hard to be an AUSA, so her career is most important to her. And who can blame her, really? But Rylann has the hots for Kyle and eventually acts on that desire, pulling Kyle into a secret, steamy, affair. She ends up lying to everyone, including herself and Kyle, about her personal activities and real feelings.

When Rylann decides to have an affair with a man who had been her witness, she has real reasons to worry about the career that is so important to her. That I understand. I also understand that the idea is that Rylann is finally acting on impulse and this is supposed to be romantic. Yet, I never really bought the premise because first she constantly makes negative assumptions about her man of choice and ends up showing little concern for his feelings. And second, her credibility as an AUSA is immediately shot when she lies to her boss by omission at the beginning of the book about knowing Kyle in the past. In the end Rylann really ends up coming off as the one who devolves into an immature character. I never got over that.

The chemistry and sexual tension between Rylann and Kyle keeps the romance going, and as feelings grow emotions take over, particularly Kyle's. Although I still wonder what it was about Rylann, besides the physical chemistry, that pulled him in with such force. There's some banter, but the amusing, witty lines that I loved in A Lot Like Love are sorely missing from About That Night and that surprised me! I expected more on that front from Kyle's character. However, taking into consideration Rylann's mostly sober and sarcastic personality it is understandable.

Overall About That Night turned out to be an average contemporary romance read for me with a couple that has some good sizzle and burn moments. James keeps the focus firmly on the main couple with secondary characters, both those from past installments and newly introduced characters, making good contributions to the overall story, and Rylann's case investigation ending with a whimper. Although this is not a memorable read, I seem to be enjoying this series by Julie James and I look forward to her next contemporary romance.

Category Romance: Contemporary Romance
Series: FBI/US Attorney
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/April 3, 2012, Kindle Ed.
Grade: C

Visit Julie James here.

Series:
Something About You, #1
A Lot Like Love, #2
About That Night, #3

This n' That: Recs, A Bargain, Reads + Updates!

Hey how's everyone this Friday? Ready for the weekend? It's a gorgeous spring day, and guess what? It's baseball time! Yankees are holding their game opener today at Yankee Stadium against the Angels. I know you all don't want to hear it, but... Go Yanks! LOL!

I guess this is the perfect time to again recommend one of my favorite fiction books with a baseball theme: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger! Have you read it? No? Well, even if you don't love baseball, you'll love this book because I dare you not to fall in love with the wonderful characters and the excellent story. (review here)

----------

So what else do I have for you today? Heads up people! Special subscription offer for ICARUS: The Magazine of Gay Speculative Fiction. Lethe Press has a bargain going on today only for those of you who love great writing and/or would like to give gay speculative fiction a shot. I mentioned back in October that I love ICARUS magazine, so you know that I took advantage of this bargain. Check it out here.

----------

And shifting from speculative fiction to science fiction, did you know already that both Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, AND Embassytown by China Miéville made the list of finalists for the HUGO Awards? Yeap, they did!

Also in case you don't know this yet, Seanan McGuire also made it to the list of Hugo finalists under the Best Related Works Category with "Wicked Girls." And, since I featured John Scalzi during my month-long Science Fiction Experience reading binge, I'd like to mention that he also made it as a finalist under the Best Short Story Category with "The Shadow War of the Night Dragons: Book 1: The Dead City." Good stuff!

I have books by all these authors on my 2012 Wish List or TBR:

Railsea by China Miéville (May 15, 2012)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi (June 5, 2012)
Caliban's War (Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey (June 26, 2012)
Rosemary & Rue (October Daye Books) by Seanan McGuire - backlist title

----------

Last but not least, I'm reading again! Yay! I've finished some good books, some of which I've already reviewed: The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley, The Rake by Mary Jo Putney, Split by Mel Bossa, Private Eye by S.E. Culpepper and a couple of other books that I haven't reviewed yet: Just Down The Road by Jodi Thomas, and About That Night by Julie James.

Right now I'm reading a book I just received for review and that looks to be a great read, The Heart's History by Lewis DeSimone.

----------

That's my news today! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Memorable Characters: Reggie & The Rake

The Rake
by Mary Jo Putney

The rake is as common a character in historical romances as is the duke or the dandy, the military hero or that second son. He is both loved and maligned and can easily play the hero or the villain. It has often been said that "there is no better husband than a reformed rake."

A rake is usually portrayed as a man whose physical attributes can only be outdone by his prowess in the bedroom and his charm with the ladies. The ladies want him and the gentlemen want to be him. Of course, usually some of those same gentlemen end up envying him for those attributes mentioned above, and others would prefer to get rid of him when their wives or mistresses share their admiration.

Nevertheless, to qualify as a rake a gentleman must have other skills. He must not care what others think or say about him, his wit must be as incomparably sharp as his sense of fashion and his superb knowledge of cattle. A rake is a risk-taker, and that often leads to gambling, horse races, and dueling. Adulation and emulation is also part of his daily life and the ton's young bucks usually flutter around him like bees around a flower. Womanizing, gambling, dueling, racing, drinking, and making the rounds make up the life of a rake. Visiting the right bedrooms, keeping the right mistress, and having enough pounds to finance this lifestyle is a 'must.'

These gentlemen usually begin following this life style early in life while they wait for their fathers, uncles, grandfathers, or nearest relatives to die off so they can inherit a title, or marry and live off allowances from their families until the title comes along.

But what happens if after years of "raking" and sowing wild oats there is no title, no wife, and no fortune? What happens when all those great expectations promised by society or family are dashed? What happens to a rake after years pass and there is nothing but more women, more duels, more gambling, and more drink? Then he becomes Reginald Davenport, the "Despair of the Davenports," a thirty-nine year old wastrel, The Rake.

Davenport was a complicated man, one who could act with both heroism and villainy, though he was neither hero nor villain. A man who, while not old, was certainly not young; who had the recklessness to create problems for himself, and the honesty to admit when he had done so. [...] he was fair and compassionate in his dealing with those around him. 

He was also very much alone.

There are many versions of the rake -- the much admired and reformed womanizer or the charmer is the most popular version. With Reginal Davenport, the author explores the intimate, personal reasoning behind such a life, as well as how society's influence encouraged and created the rake. After having read many a version of this popular character as a hero or anti-hero, to date Reginald Davenport is the most complete, complex version of a rake I have encountered, placing him firmly on my list of memorable characters.

Review: The Duke's Perfect Wife (Highland Pleasures #4) by Jennifer Ashley

Lady Eleanor Ramsay is the only one who knows the truth about Hart Mackenzie. Once his fiancee, she is the sole woman to whom he could ever pour out his heart.

Hart has it all--a dukedom, wealth, power, influence, whatever he desires. Every woman wants him--his seductive skills are legendary. But Hart has sacrificed much to keep his brothers safe, first from their brutal father, and then from the world. He's also suffered loss--his wife, his infant son, and the woman he loved with all his heart though he realized it too late.

Now, Eleanor has reappeared on Hart's doorstep, with scandalous nude photographs of Hart taken long ago. Intrigued by the challenge in her blue eyes--and aroused by her charming, no-nonsense determination--Hart wonders if his young love has come to ruin him . . . or save him.

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley is the much awaited romance between Hart Mackenzie and Eleanor Ramsay. This is the last Mackenzie brother, and frankly after reading that first book about Ian, Hart's character was the one that most pulled at me, possibly because of all those dark places in his character that were either hinted at or detailed in the first book. I love flawed, dark characters.

The story begins with much potential as Eleanor Ramsey returns to Hart's life just as he's about to lead his party against Gladstone in the House of Commons, and his hopes to attain the Prime Minister post is at the tip of his fingers. She comes bearing bad news as she presents him with a photograph of Hart someone sent to her, a photograph of a young, nude Hart that was taken by his old and now dead mistress, Mrs. Palmer. Neither understands why the photograph was sent to Eleanor, but Hart informs Eleanor that there were a total of twenty pictures taken, and both fear that they are coming from a political foe. Hart takes the opportunity to keep Eleanor with him so he can begin wooing her back into his life. Later, as Eleanor investigates this matter and Hart continues his quest for power and his reconquest of Eleanor, there are assassination attempts against Hart and the plot thickens.

What did I like about this book? I loved the family dynamics as always. The whole Mackenzie clan makes an appearance in this book with some making more of an impact than others. Ian Mackenzie in particular plays a key role because of that special bond that he and Hart share. I love that Ashley features that bond in this book -- it is so important to both characters. Of course Ian steals every scene where he appears, but it also gives Hart's character strength.

I love Hart Mackenzie as a character. Well, I did from the beginning. He is flawed, a bit heartless, but also vulnerable. So, what is there not to like? And, I also like Eleanor very much. Eleanor is obviously a loving and giving woman, and not weak in any way. She loves Hart, but it is also clear that she can handle him quite well. This couple provides many beautiful moments along the way.

I also enjoyed how Ashley incorporated history into the romance. I'm one of those readers who doesn't get bored by a little history with her historical romances, so that worked for me quite well, and I didn't think that it was too much or that it took the focus away from the main couple.

Did I have problems with this romance? Yes. Hart as a character, and this story as a whole, had lots of potential that unfortunately wasn't entirely realized. Hart's character is introduced as dark, with dark desires and a very dark past full of a sexual history and sexual desires that are not the usual fare. Yet, we never really see that Hart in this novel. Never. That Hart is hinted at throughout the story, but he's never truly revealed. So that if the layers are there, he remains cocooned in them and hidden both from the reader and from Eleanor. This is a shame, because here is a man whose character was begging for exploration.

I also felt that Eleanor's characterization was incomplete. Here is a woman who loves and has loved Hart since breaking their engagement, to the point of obsession if you go by the fact that she keeps a scrap book of Hart.  Yet, there is much about Eleanor's motivations for breaking that engagement, that although superficially explained and valid, are not truly explored in depth, so that in the end they are not quite convincing to the reader.

The result? An undefined character, and one that is contradictory to boot. She's a lovely, caring woman who on the surface doesn't seem to care that the man she loves betrayed her with another (other) women. Yet, she's jealous when someone else "fondles" and "flirts" with Hart in her presence. As I said, contradictory and not quite believable.

Having said all of the above. Having found problems with both characterization and some awakwardness in plotting follow through, it is quite interesting that I still read this book in one sitting, and even more interesting that I ended the story with a smile on my face. Why is that? Well, Jennifer Ashley has created a fantastic family in the Mackenzies, so that even when individual stories are not up to par (in my opinion), as a whole, this series still manages to please me immensely.

The Duke's Perfect Wife is not my favorite book of this series, believe it or not my favorite so far is The Many Sins of Lord Cameron. However, I still think it works well as a wrap up book to the brothers' romances, and I'm even more hooked on these highlanders than ever. I look forward to the next book in this series, The Seduction of Elliot McBride, and of course hope that the Highland Pleasures series continues to bring me hours of enjoyment.

Category: Historical Romance
Series: Highland Pleasures #4
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/April 3, 2012, Kindle Ed.
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
The Duke's Perfect Wife, Book 4

Minis: Mel Bossa, S.E. Culpepper

Hi there! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I took a few days off to rest and regroup. I needed them.

The good news is that the rest really helped and while relaxing, I read for a change. Good stuff! So, yes... I'll be reviewing a few books in the near future. :) In the meantime, here are a couple of mini-impressions that I put together for Goodreads for two gay romances that I read this past weekend.

I haven't been reading too many gay romances and I thought it was high time to give a couple of them a shot for a change. Here are my finds. :)

❃❃❃

SPLIT by Mel Bossa

Quiet and imaginative, Derek O'Reilly spends a lot of time watching a movie in his head. His fiancé Nathan, aka “Mr. Alpha,” wonders why Derek hasn't taken any interest in their wedding planning. Aunt Fran—his spiritual guru—would like to know when her guilt-tripping nephew became some kind of kept boy. One evening, she drops Derek's childhood journal on his lap, forcing him to remember the name he's been trying to forget since he was eleven years old. Nicolai Lund.

Nick was Derek's neighbor—and first love.

Weeks before Derek's engagement party, a chance meeting with Nick catapults Derek into the past. Nick could flood Derek’s stale existence like a blond tidal wave, but Nick isn't that sixteen-year-old rebel anymore. He's a man hardened by invisible scars.

As Derek reads through his diary, Nick and Derek’s powerful relationship sways between past and present, sweeping over their emotional landscape, revealing what they were, still are, and might yet be to each other.

Split is the best, angst-ridden gay romance I've read in a long time. Well-written and executed, with excellent characterization, and an emotional plot that nevertheless left me satisfied at the end. The reader connects with the characters from beginning to end, and that not only includes the main character, Derek, but also all of the secondary characters which are beautifully developed.

The title Split has multiple meanings in this novel, including the fact that the author goes back and forth between Derek's childhood and his present life as an adult. Bossa works these shifts beautifully, and keeps the reader glued to the pages. I know that I read this book in one sitting and it has been a long time since I've read a gay romance that has touched me so. A marvelous debut for this author.

Warning: Get the tissues ready and prepare yourself to fall in love with a few great characters: Derek and Nico, Boone, Johan and the wonderful Aunt Francine.
Grade: A-

❃❃❃

PRIVATE EYE by S.E. Culpepper

Rafe Bridges stopped mixing business with pleasure long ago, but when he receives a call from an intriguing cop who needs help searching for an old family friend, he breaks down and takes on the case. With each day that passes, Rafe becomes further fascinated with Jeremy Halliday...but the biggest problem isn't his attraction to the cop or his growing need for him. It's the tiny little detail of Jeremy being straight.

Jeremy isn't as immune to Rafe as he'd like to believe and as they work together, sifting through a case that is more mysterious and dangerous than it seems, Rafe draws away from him. Knowing he might miss out on someone incredible, Jeremy has to figure out what and who he really wants. And soon.

Nothing is black and white anymore.

I liked the investigative aspect of this novel, the storyline is interesting and it has a good climax. The romance is a typical "gay for you" type of romance between a gay PI and a "straight" cop. The romance is developed slowly by the author and these two don't jump each other's bones immediately. Unfortunately for me, there's nothing that really made Private Eye stand out from other similar stories. Grade: C-

March 2012: Reads + Updates

March, the month when "real life" kicked my ass and drew me deep into that black hole we all refer to as a reading slump. Don't let the numbers below fool you, most of my reads were short stories, novellas or short reads. I couldn't concentrate for long periods of time and those books are all I was able to manage, particularly during the first 3/4 of the month.

As a result, I began and didn't finish an enormous amount of books this month. I'll get back to them when I settle down. I also book shopped like a mad person and I ended up buying books that I've had on my wish list for a long time, all in the hopes of finding books that would grab my attention and hold it for more than a mere hour. I found a couple.

Here's my list:
Total books read: 14  Re-read: 1 
Contemporary: 4 (Romance: 2 Erotica: 2)
Historical Romance: 1
Urban Fantasy: 2
LGBT: 8
    Erotica: 4
    Fantasy: 1
    Romance: 2
    Historical Erotic Fiction:1

1.   Maybe with a Chance of Certainty by John Goode: B-
2.   Brorotica by Guy New York: C-
3.   Chicks are for Fags by Guy New York: C-
4.   Hana: Polyamory and Erotica in New York by Guy New York: C-
5.   The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh: A
6.   A History of Barbed Wire by Jeff Mann (Re-read): B+
7.   History's Passion: Stories of Sex before Stonewall edited by R. Labonté: B+
8.   Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Mann: A-
9.   Dalton's Undoing (Cowboys of Cold Creed #3) by RaeAnne Thayne: B
10. The White Knight by Josh Lanyon: C+
11. Chance of a Lifetime by Joey W. Hill: B
12. Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant by Melissa Scott (Review to come)
13. Doubletake (Cal Leandros #7) by Rob Thurman: (Upcoming Buddy Review)
14. Woodrose Mountain (Hopes Crossing #2) by RaeAnne Thayne: B-
15. Discount Armageddon (InCryptid #1) by Seanan McGuire: B

Reading:
I'm reluctant to list what I'm reading at the moment because I've been jumping around so much, but I'll list the following two books:

The first book I'm reading is Point of Hopes by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett, the first book of the original duology that was just re-released by Lethe Press. The book I'm reading is actually a copy of the old edition I happened to have in my book shelves, but click on the title of the book to check out the new cover. Also, last month I read the eARC of Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant, a brand new novella by Melissa Scott that will release in July and that chronologically falls between the two books, Point of Hopes, Book 1, and Point of Dreams, Book 2.  Expect my review of Point of Knives closer to the release date. ;P

The second book I'm reading is About That Night by Julie James. This is a contemporary romance that I've been looking forward to reading for a while. The set up for Kyle's story during the previous book in this series was fun and I can't wait to find out exactly what's going on with the Twitter Terrorist.

That's it for my March update. I read some great books, however it really was the most frustrating month reading-wise for me so far this year. How about you? How did your March go? Any great reads?

Impressions: Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night... The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city...

Well, wasn't this just a refreshing urban fantasy read? It has a lot to do with Verity Price, the heroine of the story. She's young, yes... she can kick ass and has some wonderful sarcastic lines in this story, but Verity is happy! She's not moody or depressed or a downer. Helping along with this refreshing atmosphere we have her permanent roommates, the Aeslin mice, those happy, happy, talking rodents who have daily religious celebrations about everything they can think of, and HAIL Verity as their Princess. It's a party at home for this girl whether she wants one or not

Verity's family life and personal choices help along with the atmosphere too. She seems to have a "normal," loving relationship with her parents and siblings, Alex and Antimony, even if her life is not considered the norm. The other surprise is her choice to make a career out of ballroom dancing. An urban fantasy heroine as a ballroom dancing queen? Lots of fun. I love it! I also love Verity's sense of freedom when she plummets from her kitchen window into the darkness and races through the rooftops of New York City, and her straight forward approach to situations as she confronts or relates to both friends and foes.

Of course Discount Armageddon is not a light fairytale. There are dark spaces, tough villains, scary moments, great kick ass fighting, a mystery to solve and that wonderful pacing that makes urban fantasy the genre we all love. There's also a love interest who just happens to be part of the Covenant and a nemesis of the Price family. Dominic DeLuca is in New York for the Covenant of St. George to evaluate the situation for his organization to see if a Cryptid purge is needed. Of course these two meet as enemies, but this is Dominic's first foray into the field and pretty soon he and Verity are working together and she's trying to change his long-held beliefs: that all Cryptids are monsters and all deserve to be exterminated.

Verity and her family were labeled traitors to the human race by the Covenant when they quit the organization generations ago. Why? Well, they hold different beliefs. To them Cryptids are sentient beings and as such yes, some are monsters, but most just do what they are meant to do, live with their families, or alone, and survive, and nature dictates that there's a reason for their existence. Because the family is considered traitorous, they are hunted by the Covenant and have been in hiding to avoid assassination for generations. Verity and Dominic's meeting in New York is monumental and dangerous, not only for her personally, but for her whole family's safety.

I love Verity and Dominic together, as well as the rest of the cast of characters that are introduced in this book. For me, one of the few weakness in this first book comes from Verity's lack of curiosity about Dominic and in how quickly she "trusts" an enemy. Verity doesn't ask enough questions, and since the story is from her first person point of view by the end of the story Dominic is still pretty much a mystery. There's no real proof that what he says is truth, and although his actions do back up what he says, there's a 'wait and see' factor to Dominic's character that is not entirely satisfactory. Although I'm sure his background will really be explored in future installments.

Verity's family's history is also a bit of a muddle even with the family tree that's provided at the beginning of the book. Her immediate family is well defined: her mother, father and siblings sound wonderful, but once great grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc., are mentioned, the relationships and some of the events that Verity mentions get a bit confusing and some bits of information dropped here and there are left unexplained. This is something that is also left open for future exploration. The mystery is well done with plenty of clues along the way, a good twist at the end, and some logistics that don't quite make sense to me -- mainly to do with William.

McGuire is a new-to-me author, so I'm one of those readers who is beginning with a clean slate. I'm not comparing this series with her Toby books (yet). As such, I can say that even with the niggles found in this first book, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Discount Armageddon is fun and refreshing, full of wonderful characters, and I love this world. I can't wait to meet Alex and Antimony, or to find out what the heck is up with Dominic. And of course, Hail Verity!

Category: Urban Fantasy
Series: InCryptid
Publisher/Release Date: Daw Books, Inc/March 6, 2012 - Kindle Ed.
Grade: B

Visit Seanan McGuire here.

Review: History's Passion: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall edited by Richard Labonté

Richard Labonté is one of my favorite editors of gay erotica for good reasons, he has "the touch" when it comes to gathering the best gay erotica writers out there. I consider myself fortunate in that my early introduction to gay erotica was through some of Labonté's excellent anthologies. To date some of my favorite writers in this category are those I found through his collections. 

With History's Passion: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall, Richard Labonté approached the anthology differently. Instead of quick erotic short stories with 10 to 15 writers, he chose four writers who were then given the opportunity of expanding their stories into erotic novellas. The novellas are all set before Stonewall, giving the writers certain freedoms and restrictions not found in contemporary erotica.

Jeff Mann's novella is an erotic romance focused on one of his favorite subjects, the Civil War. In "Camp Allegheny" Rebel soldiers Shep Sumter and Brendan Botkin conduct a passionate love affair as they survive the Battle of Allegheny in 1861, the Battle of McDowell in 1862, illnesses, and a soldier's terrible existence during war. It's obvious that Mann researched these battles and a soldier's life during that time, however the historical information is integrated seamlessly with Mann's signature erotic scenes and the romance. There's the passion, warmth, love and connection between the characters (older Shep and his boy Brendan) that I've come to expect from Mann. The end is quite appropriate for a war story, and it leaves the reader with a feeling that he/she has just read an epic-romantic war tale.

Simon Sheppard's "Heaven and Earth" is a Depression-era tale reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde or as his main character claims in the story, Leopold and Loeb. The setting is Wichita and the main characters are the bored rich kid Eli and the poor, often filthy, gas attendant Jake. Eli goes on a crime spree and eventually Jake goes along with him. It all turns bloody, lusty, and ends with a gorgeous twist! Sheppard captures those dark times in America quite well in this short novella. There's a desperation and an atmosphere of hopelessness in this story that is carried throughout. His erotic scenes are graphic with an edge of violence. He's in his element in his description of lust with tastes and smells making the scenes come alive.

In "Tender Mercies," Dale Chase focuses her story on Luke Farrow, a failed prospector whose role in an 1800's mining camp becomes that of a 'camp boy.' His fortunes flourish unexpectedly when he sells his body to lonely miners for nuggets and bags of gold dust, while longing for a real touch and true intimacy. He finds both, plus passion, with a stranger who brings trouble to the camp. Luke is the main character and his adventures as 'camp boy' are erotic in some cases and detached in others, but with Luke as the recipient of pleasure or pain these scenes further the character's development. Cullen serves almost as Luke's much deserved reward. Chase is a favorite writer in this category, and in my opinion this is an excellent example of a Chase erotic tale.

David Holly is a new-to-me author, and in "The Valley of Salt" he goes back 3,000 years to the city of Gomorrah to relate a story that takes a young man from a virginal life to lusty desires after he is summoned by the Priests to serve as a sexual sacrifice to the city's male warriors. The story goes on to feature some Biblical characters, although Holly changes names and the chronology of events. Erotic scenes range from a one-on-one with voyeurism included, to multiple partners and even includes an orgy. The erotic scenes are well done and the story is engaging. Unfortunately due to contemporary use of language or terminology, which begins early on and does not mesh well with the setting or characters, there were many distracting instances for me while reading this story. Having said that, Holly's manipulation of historical events and characters are quite creative.

In conclusion, three of the four novellas in this anthology really worked for me. The fact that all four stories, as chosen by the editor, fit the title and the purpose for this collection is a big plus. If you enjoy gay erotica, there is no question that History's Passion: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall is worth reading. Of course now this book is a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award under the Gay Erotica category, so there you go, another good reason to read it. :)

Category: LGBT - Gay Erotica
Publisher/Release Date: Bold Strokes Books/November 2011
Grade: B+

My Reviews of Other Labonté Anthologies:
Country Boys: Wild Gay Erotica edited by Richard Labonté
Best Gay Erotica 2010 edited by Richard Labonté and Blair Mastbaum

What did I Read? Ritas, Lammies, Hugos...Oh My!

Every year after all the lists of nominees and finalists for the various awards around town are released, I'm always amazed that after reading massive amounts of books, there are just so many out there that I manage NOT to read! No, no, no... I'm not going to list them here, although I will provide a link to each complete list, but, yes... it is time to figure what or if we read any of those books.

First let's talk about RITA -- take a look at the complete list of the finalists at Wendy's blog, The Misadventures of Super Librarian, it's rather extensive. Out of that list, I read a total of 9 books, and have 1 in my TBR. ONE! The rest of the books in that list are not even in my radar!

Books read & reviewed: (click on titles to read reviews)

Contemporary Single Title Romance:
  Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale
  Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D’Alessandro*

Historical Romance:
  The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne
  The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley
  Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt*
  Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase*

Paranormal Romance:
  Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh
  Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Romance Novella
  "Angel's Wolf" by Nalini Singh in Angels of Darkness

Book in my TBR Pile:
Historical Romance:
  Unveiled by Courtney Milan

*All the above books were great reads for me. However, Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt and Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase made it to my 2011 Favorite Books list, and Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D'Alessandro was a favorite and an Honorable Mention. And I'm particularly happy for favorite author Lisa Dale! Congratulations and good luck to all!

Have you read many of these books? If so, which books do you recommend?
--------------------

Going on to the LAMBDA Literary Awards! Take a look at the complete list at the Lambda Literary Review Blog. When we talk Lammies my percentage is even lower. There's a good reason for that as the Lammies include some sub-genres that I have yet to explore -- but dang! However, although I didn't read most of the books on that list (many of my favorites didn't make it to the finals), it makes me feel better that a couple of my favorite reads made the final cut, and I already had a few on my TBR. :)

Books Read and/or reviewed:

  LGBT-SF/F/H: The German by Lee Thomas*

  Bisexual Non-Fiction: The Horizontal Poet by Jan Steckel

  Gay Erotica: History's Passion: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall Richard Labonté 

Books in my TBR Pile:

  Gay Fiction: Leche, by R. Zamora Linmark

  Gay Fiction: The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov by Paul Russell 

  LGBT-SF/F/H & Bisexual Fiction: Triptych by J.M. Frey

*The German by Lee Thomas made it to my overall 2011 Favorite Books list and my LGBT 2011: Favorite Books and Authors list. Congratulations and good luck to Lee Thomas and Jan Steckel whose books brought me hours of enjoyment!

Have you read any of the books on this list? If so, which books do you recommend?
---------------

Now HUGO!

The Hugo Award nominees won't be announced until April 7, 2012. However, I can tell you that I read two excellent science fiction novels last year that are worthy of a nomination and both could make the cut:

Possible Finalists - Books Read:
  Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
  Embassytown by China Miéville

Possible Nominees - Books in TBR: (Must reads)
  Grail (Jacob's Ladder Book #3) by Elizabeth Bear
  Vortex by Robert Charles Wilson

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for James S.A. Corey and China Miéville!

---------------

Congratulations to all the finalists!