...On Book Shopping!

Ohhhhh! I went book shopping this weekend. My favorite past time...well... one of my favorite past times! Some of these books have been on my list of books to buy for a while, and others are recent recommendations. There's a little bit of everything I like to read in this neat little pile and I can't wait to get my hands on them. So, here are the latest additions to my TBR pile...

Babylon Babies,  a translation of the futuristic thriller written by the French sci-fi author Maurice G. Dantec. This is one I've had on my list for a while.

 

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald is the first in a military Sci-Fi trilogy -- a recent addition to my list. Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan, the first book in the Tres Navarre Mysteries, I've been wanting to read these for quite a while and decided now is the time! And could not shop for books without picking up at least one historical romance, so I chose The Promise by T.J. Bennett -- medieval romance set during the reign of Charles V that caught my attention.

A few Contemporary Romances also made my shopping cart. Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James, Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen and A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash are all books I've either been meaning to buy or have been recommended highly. 

And of course, I finished my shopping by buying one Category Romance, The Rancher's Rules by Lucy Monroe. I saw a review in the bloggosphere for this book a while back and I put this book on my list. It finally went from the TBB list to the TBR pile! 

Now, to find the time to read them ALL!

Reviews at Musings

I keep forgetting to announce the books I'm reviewing at Musings of a Bibliophile! I'm almost finished reading the 20 books I set as a goal for the M/M Reading Challenge -- one to go -- but, I'm behind on posting my reviews. Surprise, surprise! I guess I've been too busy reading to write *g*... not a bad thing, I say.  I'll be all caught up by next week with my writing and then one last book to read!

This is a late post -- this week, so far, you'll find three M/M Mini Reviews and a historical romance.

M/M Romance Reading Challenge - Part Six

Dancing in the Dark by Jenna Byrnes, a love story between a vice cop and a hustler. Crime, angst, love and illicit erotic encounters all weaved into this novelette. I placed this one under the "Cops and Lovers" category and it was perfect.

Which Way to Dominance by Gavin Atlas, a short story included in the How the West was Done Anthology by Editor Adam Carpenter. A short story that was disturbing, but one that made me think. With a strong subject matter, this fit right into the "Out of the Comfort Zone" category where I placed it.

Str8te Boys by Evangeline Anderson is a straight to gay story of two college buddies. Anderson wrote one of the first M/M stories I read... "The Assignment." I placed this book under "First M/M Authors Ever Read" Category. I was very happy when I saw she had a new release and added her to my list immediately!

Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase

Also at Musings, you'll find a review for Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase. A historical romance book I was looking forward to reading and one I enjoyed. This was not only a fun book to read, but I loved writing the review as well. Loretta Chase is one of those authors whose new releases I always look forward to. This one was a good choice. 

Hope you stop by... see you at Musings!

M/M Mini Reviews: Jenna Byrnes, Gavin Atlas, Evangeline Anderson

Dancing in the Dark by Jenna Byrnes

Vice Cop, Nick D'Amato is turning 40 and he and his buddies, Gil and Sam, are three gay cops in a sea of blue. They've had their share of fun and broken relationships, now Gil is feeling the weight of a long-term relationship going south, and Sam is in desperate mode looking for love wherever he can find it. Nick seems to be the only one who doesn't have a problem with being alone or with that upcoming birthday.

Nick is holding out.

William (Squeek) is a hustler who works the streets on Nick's beat. Will has become Nick's dirty little secret. A young man who refuses to change his lifestyle and take help from Nick, even when there is a serial killer on the loose, Will is Nick's obsession and his secret love.

Dancing in the Dark was erotic and dished out enough angst for my taste. Nick's obsession and love for Will are obvious and you can feel his pain, hurt feelings and his love for the young man, as well as his anxiety about the future. The suspense part of the story felt contrived, although it did not affect my overall enjoyment of this piece as it was not really the central part of the story.

Ms Byrne touches lightly on sexual addiction -- a subject key to the story that needed to be better fleshed out. Will's feelings for Nick were not as clearly defined even at the end, and the resolution to their conflict seemed rushed. This novella was a short but complete story with likable characters.

M/M Erotica: Grade B-
Find this book here.

Which Way to Dominance by Gavin Atlas (How the West Was Done Anthology by Editor Adam Carpenter)

Teddy has worked on the Lawson ranch and sheep farm going on four years now, since the age of 16. Roy is the ranch foreman and quite a despicable man who abuses Teddy. For all of his 20 years on this earth, Teddy hasn't had an easy life and doesn't ask for much. Teddy feels that all things considered, his life "could have been worse: and at least he has a job and isn't alone.

One stormy night, Roy sends Teddy to the airport to pick up the new ranch hand, Marco Belini. Marco becomes Teddy's bunkmate, and in getting to know him, Teddy finds a kindred spirit when it comes to gentling horses. In Marco, he also finds a friend and eventually a lover.

Roy was a bully and an abuser. The man took his pleasure by inflicting pain. He was sadistic and uncaring of his partner's pleasure or lack of it -- a brute to both humans and animals alike. I found the abusive scenes disturbing, although Atlas writes them well.

Teddy is a near illiterate young man with submissive tendencies. His rationale for staying and taking Roy's blackmail and abuse was: better than being alone. It seemed to me as if Teddy was afraid of going out into the world on his own. He felt comfortable enough where he was, even if he had to take the abuse.

In comes Marco -- a new ranch hand that travels all the way from Argentina and ends up bunking with Teddy. Marco and Teddy share their love of horses and their abilities to tame them without force. The title, "Which Way to Dominance" in this book can be applied to both Teddy and the horses. Marco's role in this triangle shows us how to use dominance without force.

Although I was repulsed by Roy's character and behavior, I thought Atlas dealt well with both. The abuser in this instance is definitely dealt with, and although we don't exactly know his motivation, his character is well established. The abuse and the consequences are not glossed over. Atlas takes them straight on.

Teddy's character was a bit tougher for me to process. Although it is established that he has a submissive personality, he also emerges as being very dependent. I was ultimately unable to connect with his character and thought that due to the heavy subject in this short story, the victim needed further development.

Marco played the knight in shining armor with lots of tenderness and a soft touch. The perfect way to illustrate "Which Way to Dominance."

M/M Erotica: B-
Find the Anthology here.

Str8te Boys by Evangeline Anderson

How far would you dare to go... to win it all?

Maverik Holms and Duke Warren share almost everything -- a college soccer team, an apartment and the same extremely competitive nature. Thanks to that never-back-down spirit, they're about to share more than they bargained for.

The game is "gay chicken." The rule: get as close as possible without kissing, and the one that pulls away first is the loser. The problem: neither of them likes to lose. It isn't long before the game becomes an excuse to touch and kiss in every possible forbidden way. And after they pose for a gay website to earn extra money, things really heat up.

Suddenly Duke is talking lifetime commitment, and Mav is backpedaling as hard as he can, not sure if he's ready to accept all his best is offering him. Or the truth about what he is.

Oh my! What can I say about this book? Except, that it was tons of fun to read. Evangeline Anderson wrote one of the first M/M books I read, "The Assignment." I still feel nostalgia when I think of that book and my reaction to it *g*... so, when I saw she had a new release, I just had to add it to my list.

Fun and sexy, the characters in this book go from playing "gay chicken" to "super gay chicken" to well... you can just guess. Mav's denial is as deep as the River Nile, and Duke plays the game pretty well, no doubt about it.

Two hot, sexy and likable characters, some erotic games, lots of straight boy denial mixed with angst, and a happily ever after. If you want a light, fun read, you can't ask for more.

M/M Erotica: Grade B-
Find this book here.

Originally posted on Musings of a Bibliophile July 21, 2009

Mini-Review: Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh

The Psy Changeling Series

When a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped, DarkRiver sentinel Mercy, a cat, and SnowDancer lieutenant Riley, a wolf, must work together to track the young man - before his shadowy captors decide he's no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it'll leave them both branded by fire.

Many wonderful reviews have been posted for Branded by Fire -- Lurv A la Mode , The Book Smugglers, Book Binge, to name a few -- I figured I would just post a short, mini-review outlining my final thoughts.

Nalini Singh continues to deliver with her latest installment in the Psy/Changeling series. In Branded by Fire, the romance was the center of the story and it was one of the most sizzling romances in this series so far. Mercy and Riley set the pages on fire.

The pairing of these two dominant changelings turned out to be both hot and tender. I loved the way Ms. Singh consistently maintained Mercy's alpha characteristics throughout the story. Mercy gave of herself without ultimately losing herself. Her dominant female characteristics and self-assurance were not lessened to give Riley, another alpha hero, the spotlight. Reiley as an alpha hero was also a winner. The give and take between these two characters made for a balanced and well done romance, gifting us with a strong and passionate pair.

Ms. Singh also delivers on the world building front. The overall arc in the Psy/Changling world stays tight and the story moves forward without sacrificing the romance. This world keeps getting better and it absolutely has my attention. I'm looking forward to learning more about Kaleb, the Ghost, the Net and of course, the Forgotten. Blaze of Memory should give us more on that front and I can't wait.

As you can see, I loved Branded by Fire. Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series maintains its place at the top of my Paranormal Romance list. Maintaining the romance focus without losing the tight world building, this installment gets a Hot A

Visit Nalini Singh here. Read an excerpt here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile July 17, 2009

Troubled Thoughts... on Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan

I'm almost done reading Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan and I find myself needing to write down some thoughts on this book. This is the last book in the Drake Sisters series, and I figured... well, good, one more series down. For me this has not been a great series, but an okay, readable one that I wanted to finish. But this book? This book has floored me and not in a good way.

Let's begin. I WARN you now, there will be Spoilers, so if you don't want to know, please don't read this post.

The Plot, so far:
Elle, the youngest and most powerful of the sisters is undercover. The bad guy in this book, who also has psychic powers, kidnaps Elle and holds her captive for over a month. During this month, he rapes her repeatedly, he beats her, he uses both psychological and physical ways to torture her, and uses her psychic powers against her. He also rapes her psychically. So, this woman is degraded and raped in every way possible as he attempts to break her. A violent and graphic way to begin the story.

Jackson, Elle's destined mate, comes to the rescue together with her 6 sisters and their mates. At this point, Elle decides Jackson is the only one who can protect her physically and psychically and goes home with him instead of seeking her sisters' help. We know that the evil/bad guy is seeking Elle. He has somehow bonded with her through his psychic powers and continues to torture her this way, while Jackson and her family attempt to protect her.

Problems I see with the story, so far:
If we take into account that Elle has been brutally raped in various ways, beaten and almost broken then the following timeline becomes quite problematic.

* the following day after rescue: SHE is kissing Jackson

* two days after rescue: SHE is performing fellatio on Jackson

* three days after rescue: SHE is having hot/steamy sex with Jackson

* four days after rescue: THEY decide to marry

Mind you, during the first two points, she is still exhibiting some symptoms of trauma, but she is enjoying this. This is something that SHE wants to do, not something that HE asks her to perform and requires of her. It's presented as her choice.

Also, please note that at this point:

* she STILL has not de-tangled her hair from her one month ordeal, due to trauma; although she did shower.

My troubled thoughts:
What was really the purpose for Elle's violent rape in this story?

Was it used as a tool to dis-empower Elle? To cut her "balls" (figuratively speaking)?... Elle is the most powerful of the sisters, yet in this book, she has been reduced to a ball of wax. Jackson, on the other hand, has become the stronger one of the two, even though he's not as powerful as she is. So, we are told. Not shown. Is this a way to make this "kickass" heroine more amenable and malleable for our alpha hero?

Or, was rape used as a tool so that Elle could reach a better understanding of Jackson as a person? Jackson having gone through torture himself and still suffering from PTSD.

Either way, why is a serious subject like rape being used in this manner? Why is it being used as a tool?

I certainly don't think it's being taken seriously. Not when the female character in this book has been brutalized and without receiving any real help for trauma or having spent any real time recovering, she is WILLINGLY having a sexual relationship three days after rescue. The fact that the male is not the aggressor and the female is the one wanting this does not make this better. It makes it unbelievable. Or should I use the word outrageous? Was that really supposed to make this acceptable?

I'm not finished with this book yet. You're probably asking, why are you still reading it? Well, I WANT to see exactly how or why this plotline was used... I want to know...