Review: He's The One with Linda Lael Miller, Jill Shalvis, Lucy Monroe, Kate Angell, Cat Johnson

He's The One is a contemporary romance anthology with short, sweet, sexy stories about finding him, the one. This book is perfect for the beach or a vacation because you can read one short story, put the book down, go have a good time, and get back to another story later on. Not all the stories and authors worked for me personally, but there's something here for everyone.

I have two personal favorites beginning with No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service by Kate Angell. Angell scores high with me by focusing her sexy romance on one couple from her already established Barefoot Williams world. I found this short story to be truly romantic, high on the sensuality scale, with a wonderful happy ending and an absolutely gorgeous summer atmosphere that really fits this anthology.

My other favorite is Fish Out of Water by Cat Johnson. Cat Johnson's contribution won me at "hello," or as soon as the handsome but rather nerdy and brilliant English professor was introduced. I love how passions run deep and wild once he meets his "cowgirl." She sees more under his pink polo shirt and lack of fishing/camping experience, and he sees more than the "cowgirl" trappings as they take each other for the ride of their lives. This is a sexy summer read that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Less enthralling, yet still good enough for me, is Jill Shalvis' Captivated. In this novella, the married protagonists meet at their vacation cottage under highly unusual circumstances just after she serves him with divorce papers. This is a "hot, hot" signature Shalvis piece with chemistry between the couple, great atmosphere and a beautiful summer setting. On the minus side, there is a forced quality to the set up or unusual set of circumstances and the ending is a bit "over-the-top."

Seducing Tabby by Lucy Monroe comes in on the average side with a story about a gorgeous Englishman who sets his rather possessive sights on a curvaceous beauty who believes men only approach her to gather information about her classically gorgeous sister. This story begins with a great premise, but it doesn't quite deliver. It has a nice, slow, non-sexual seduction that I enjoyed, with sexual tension used to build up the relationship. However, for some reason, his quick claims of "love" feel more calculated than passionate, and the end is rushed and rather predictable.

The one short story that didn't really work for me is Batteries Not Required by Linda Lael Miller. In this romance a woman returns to a town where she lived years ago for a very short period of time and as soon as her feet hit the ground she meets the old boyfriend she ran away from. Things get moving and shaking between the two in the blink of an eye despite the rather superficial misunderstanding that kept them apart for years. Years when they "thought about each other" every so often. This romance and its quick, improbable happy ending felt wrong from the beginning and fell flat for me in the end.

As you can see, I liked some novellas more than others in the He's The One anthology, but the one winning factor they all have in common is the summer theme. I like that the settings for the romances are different, yet they all fit the theme perfectly. Our couples find love in a diner on a boardwalk, while on a fishing trip to a lake, stranded on a beautiful Mexican beach, discovering each other in a small coastal town, and meeting again in the beautiful west. All of these places help give this anthology that wonderful feel of sunshine, warm summer breezes and well... summer love.

Category: Contemporary Romance/Anthology
Series: None
Publisher: Kensington Books
Source: Kensington
Grade: B-

Review: No Strings Attached (Barefoot Williams #2) by Kate Angell

Balmy ocean breezes. . .sweet coconut oil. . .glistening tanned bodies. There's no better place for romantic sparks to fly than at the beach.

As a professional volleyball player, Dune Cates attracts scores of pretty women who flock to his side. But only one has managed to get under his skin--Sophie Saunders. Unlike the skimpily-clad beach groupies, Sophie marches to a beat all her own. And though she's afraid of the surf, burns in the sun, has two left feet, that doesn't stop her from trying every daring sport available on the boardwalk. Dune knows Sophie spells trouble, and he should keep his distance, especially since he's a no-strings-attached kind of guy. But he can't ignore an overwhelming instinct to protect her. And with the promise of ice cream sandwiches, merry-go-round rides and dreamy sunsets, it's only a matter of time before Dune gives in to the temptation of Sophie's soft lips.

Love is always sweeter in the summer.

As with No Tan Lines, the first book of the Barefoot Williams series, Kate Angell again excels when it comes to setting and atmosphere. No Strings Attached is a quick, light, cute, beach read. For me, the best part of Angell's contemporary read is that she made me want to be on that boardwalk playing beach volleyball, eating ice cream cones, and enjoying some summer fun!

The romances, yes, there are two of them again, are okay, but again not on the sweeping side of the scale. The central romance between Sophie Saunders and Dune Cates is light, sweet and lacks real conflict. Sophie suffers from multiple phobias and Dune helps her get over them, which is cute at the beginning, but gets kind of tiring after a while. The same goes for Dune's protectiveness and rather unreal, unending, patience and sweet understanding -- those scenes with the hamsters pushed me over the edge as I found them to be over-the-top sugary sweet.

On the other hand, the romance between Dune's volleyball partner Mac and Jenna Cates is fraught with conflict and fun. Mac is a womanizer, a boy/man who has a tough time filtering what comes out of his mouth. Jenna is sharp-tongued, sarcastic, and not the type of woman to really put up with Mac. They seem not to like each other and argue. I like how she makes him work for a relationship. Mac is an obnoxious womanizer and a pain in the ass, but unlike Dune who at times seems more like a protective brother to Sophie than a lover, Mac is fun and falls passionately in love with Jenna. Yes, Mac has some of the best lines in this book. "He gives good fun."

Ms. Angell's No Strings Attached was a mixed bag for me. It's strange. I highly enjoy the atmosphere she creates in these contemporary romances and love Barefoot William as a setting, but there is something missing for me when it comes to her romances. Yet, I gobbled up this book in one sitting, just like I would a sweet ice cream cone. So do I recommend it? I recommend it for those of you looking for a quick, sweet, summery romance.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Barefoot Williams
Publisher/Release Date: Kensington/ April 30, 2013
Grade: C

Reviews:
No Tan Lines, #1

LGBTQ: Upcoming & Recent Releases

There are SO many upcoming LGBTQ releases or books already released that I want to read! Some of the books on my ever growing, greedy list are already in my Kindle and others will be as soon as they release. Here are just a few:

UPCOMING:

RED CAPS by Steve Berman (Lethe Press, October 2013)

Red Caps might be a rock band. Or they might be something more sinister, a fey source of sounds that are but the backdrop to thrills and misadventures. These thirteen stories provide readers jaded with the traditional, Old World fairy tales and tempts them with new stories that will engage bored readers from their suburban ennui. Closets are waiting to be explored. Escape from work camp leads to a dangerous encounter on a wet road. That high school year book is magical and might be mocking you...or helping you find love. And isn't love one of the central premises of the fairy tale? These teenage boys and girls need not fear that their love has no worth, because Steve Berman has written for them princesses who love maidens and adorkable students who have wondrous and smart boyfriends. Readers can be assured that, if the tale does not end happy, it ends most memorably.

This is a new gay Young Adult speculative fiction collection written by Steve Berman. Berman wrote Vintage: A Ghost Story, a book that is loved by many and considered a classic LGBTQ YA read. I'm really looking forward to reading this one!

FOOLISH HEARTS: NEW GAY FICTION by Timothy J. Lambert & R. D. Cochrane (Cleis Press, January 14, 2014)

Okay, I don't have a blurb for Foolish Hearts yet. But, I couldn't wait to highlight it because this is a sequel to one of my favorite anthologies, Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction. I have been stalking Becky Cochrane's blog ever since I found out this anthology was on the planning stages. Well, it's going to happen. There's a cover, a release date, and finally, a list of the contributing authors:

Tony Calvert, David Puterbaugh, Trebor Healey, Steven Reigns, Erik Orrantia, Paul Lisicky, Jeffrey Ricker, Taylor McGrath, ‘Nathan Burgoine, Greg Herren, Timothy Forry, Felice Picano, Mark G. Harris, Craig Cotter, Rob Williams, Timothy J. Lambert, Andrew Holleran.

I am really psyched about this anthology! It's all about the lurv...

ALREADY IN MY KINDLE:

PACIFIC RIMMING by Tom Cardamone (Chelsea Station Editions, March 2013)

Lambda Literary finalist Tom Cardamone’s novella, Pacific Rimming, is a dazzling narrative of obsession.

Set in New York City in the late 1990s, a young gay man wanders from bed to bed, creating a life of drug use and sexual conquest to avoid emotional intimacy, his desire focused exclusively on Asian men.

Cardamone is a favorite speculative fiction writer, but with this book he goes into a totally different direction. There is a review in amazon that calls it "filthy/gorgeous" and another one at the Lambda Literary site that makes it sound like an outstanding read. Just what I have come to expect from Cardamone.

CRACK SHOT, WESTERN EROTICA by Dale Chase (Bold Strokes, Books, April 15, 2013)

Men of the Wild West indulge in far more than drinking and gunplay. Cattle drovers, gamblers, miners, outlaws, and the lawmen who chase them rub up against each other in towns where law is thin and a saloon occupies every corner. How could they not indulge in sex? This collection of Western erotica brings to life the intensely masculine Old West in stories such as “Brazen,” in which a man indulging in sexual gratification beside his campfire welcomes a stranger to further indulge; “Thyself A Man,” in which a preacher attempting to save souls in a gold rush camp loses his own through sexual indulgence; “Gandy Dancer,” which shows building the transcontinental railroad involves more than laying track; “Crack Shot,” in which a lawman cannot resist his prisoner; and “Picture Show,” in which the past comes alive as two former lawmen who were once lovers reunite on a silent movie set.

Lovely Ms. Chase whose western gay erotica I absolutely adore! Of course I picked up this collection immediately. I'm so glad I'll have so many of her great stories in one volume and hope to find new favorites to reread over and over again. :D

THE DUST OF WONDERLAND by Lee Thomas (Lethe Press, June 3, 2013)

A panicked call from his ex-wife summons Ken Nicholson back to New Orleans, where his son has been attacked and left for dead. While his child's life hangs in the balance, Ken endures visions connected to a terrifying time from his past. As a teenager, he witnessed the brutal deaths of several young men, an act orchestrated by his benefactor, Travis Brugier. Following the shocking spectacle, Brugier kills himself before Ken's eyes. Now, decades later, someone wants Ken to remember, wants Ken to return to those violent days.

With the lives of his estranged family and his lover, David, threatened, Ken has no choice but to follow his nightmares back to their origin. There he will battle a corrupt and powerful being that believes every life is a story to be captured and rewritten, a being that doesn't believe in happy endings.

Welcome back to Wonderland.

My expectations of a Lee Thomas novel or novella are rather high at this point. He is such a talented writer. The Dust of Wonderland is Lee Thomas's latest novel and I'm hoping to sink my teeth into it soon, soon, soon!

Also added to my Kindle: What Comes Around by Jameson Currier (Chelsea Station Editions, 2012), Love, Christopher Street: Reflections of New York City ed. by Thomas Keith (Vantage Point, 2012) , and On the Clock by Chris Owen (Torquere Press, July 17, 2013).

Oldies But Goodies: Dorothy Eden, where do I begin?

I love reading romance during the summer, so I'm happy to report that I'm finally back on the old romance reading horse. I've read a few these past few weeks, True to the Law by Jo Goodman, Kentucky Home by Sarah Title, The Notorious Rake and The Counterfeit Bride by Mary Balogh, Twice Loved and Years (a favorite and a reread) by Lavyrle Spencer, Beach House Beginnings (Beach House No.9) by Christie Ridgway, and Love Irresistibly by Julie James. Yes, I am on a romance reading tear and hope to continue!

As you can see there are four older romance titles in my list of books above. I love mixing older titles and classic authors with newer talent and/or the latest releases. I find that it keeps my romance reading fresh while I catch up with well... the "history" of romance, compare different writing styles and experience how tropes within romance have evolved throughout the years. And, I love discovering great books and/or authors whose works I missed along the way. This method of mixing older titles with new releases has been working for me for years.

Although I cut my romance reading teeth reading works by authors like Rosemary Rogers, Woodwiss and Kinsale, Nora Roberts, Krentz, McNaught, Deveraux, and Sandra Brown, I didn't read works by Lavyrle Spencer or Pamela Morsi until 2010! And I still haven't picked up anything by Maggie Osborne and many others. You see what I mean? I've missed so much goodness. This is one reason I love that so many of the older classics, no longer available or hard to find in print, are now available or being made available in digital format. So the following announcement immediately snagged my attention:

Open Road Media just released digital editions or ebooks of 14 novels by the author Dorothy Eden. I looked up the author's biography and wondered if this was another case of missing out on more of that goodness I mention above, but this time in the gothic romance, romance suspense, and historical fiction categories. Click on link to see complete list of titles.

Dorothy Eden (1912–1982) was the internationally acclaimed author of more than forty bestselling gothic, romantic suspense, and historical novels. Born in New Zealand, where she attended school and worked as a legal secretary, she moved to London in 1954 and continued to write prolifically. Eden’s novels are known for their suspenseful, spellbinding plots, finely drawn characters, authentic historical detail, and often a hint of spookiness. Her novel of pioneer life in Australia, The Vines of Yarrabee, spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list. Her gothic historical novels Ravenscroft, Darkwater, and Winterwood are considered by critics and readers alike to be classics of the genre.

I've never read a book by Dorothy Eden. Have you?

Where do I begin exploring? If you have read Dorothy Eden's works, which book do you recommend? If you haven't, where would you begin?

Review: Dust Devil on a Quiet Street by Richard Bowes

I was introduced to Richard Bowes's writing by way of a short story. Later I read and really enjoyed his adult fairy tale book The Queen, The Cambion, and Seven Others. His short story "Grierson at the Pain Clinic" in the Wilde Stories 2013 anthology was so unique and creative that I went hunting for his Lambda Literary Award-winning novel Minions of the Moon. So what is it that about Richard Bowes' works that grabbed me? I love the realism he utilizes to set up his fantasy. His latest fantasy novel Dust Devil on a Quiet Street has that quality in spades.

As a child I went to bed worried that the me who fell asleep would disappear in the dark and not be remembered by the me who woke up. I've never wholly lost that. It's one reason I write these stories.

Bowes's tale of dust devils, local ghosts and small gods begins in Greenwich Village on the evening of 9/11 right after the Towers fell. Richard's friend and old lover Megs insists that as a result of the tragedy, a rift opened and ghosts from past and present disasters are coming through and flooding the City. She can see them, and decides to search for the ghost of Richard and Megs' old lover Geoff. As this tale of ghosts, friendships, and lovers lost progresses, the reality of what happened on that beautiful, tragic September morning slowly creeps in as Bowes imbues the atmosphere and his characters with a sense of dislocation and disorientation so spot on that ghosts, dust devils and witch girls seamlessly become part of that reality.

As the story of Richard, Megs and Geoff continues, Bowes plays with time by relating events taking place in the present and connecting them to the past, taking the reader for a fantastic ride through a Village's past history full of the real and the supernatural. In the second chapter we learn what drives our main character and narrator, Richard. Supernatural events surrounding Richard's encounter with the eerie Witch Girls are weaved in with his college years, new friendships, sexual escapades, and a significant early childhood trauma that leads to a long battle with self-destructive behavior and drug addiction.

When I opened my eyes they were gone. I understood that what I'd done and what had been done to me were the misfortunes that come to a Witch Boy trying in all the wrong ways to be human.

The supernatural encounters continue as the reader is introduced to lovers, friends, writers, sexual escapades, and in the process is whisked back in time to a City that lived a long time ago. That is most evident in the Ray Light and Judy Finch incident where the narrator's strong presence is felt on the periphery while Bowes transports the reader to the 1960's in a mesmerizing story of young runaways, hippy life, hustlers, drugs, sex, psychic powers, and murder. Bowes brilliantly weaves the Ray Light incident throughout the whole book so that it blends in with the "memoir" style of this novel. But as I said before, he also plays with time, so that this and other events that begin long ago are effectively connected to events, or small moments, taking place in the present. It all works out quite well.

I particularly love how Bowes incorporates events that begin with the present as the setting but flow in and out of the past. In relating the death of New York City, Bowes turns to Richard's present and the ghost of a past lover Hal Dizeg, dubbed the Downtown Ganymede, who was legendary in the Village for his brilliant beauty and wealthy sugar daddies. Later they were involved as lovers in a relationship fueled by drugs that ended with Hal telling Richard: "I don't think you're really here, and you don't think I'm really human." But this chapter is about Richard's present and his nostalgia for the past. He is singularly harsh on a modern Manhattan full of yuppified New Yorkers, yet, not unexpectedly, Richard is always toughest on himself. The proof is in the pudding when returning as a ghost Hal leaves our aging narrator with these words: "It wasn't a soul you lacked, it was courage and timing, darling. You didn't know when it was your moment to die."

Dust Devil on a Quiet Street was more of an experience than I expected. It is a fantasy book full of those fantastic supernatural events some of us love, and yet, it is also much more. Bowes inserts himself as the central character, establishing a thorough connection with the reader while relating the highs and lows of life, such as they are or were, so that this book is an intricate, masterful blend of fantasy and life-long experiences gained during a lifetime of living in a New York City he knows and loves. Bowes is so good at using this device that there are times when the reader must wonder where reality ends and fiction begins. Highly recommended.

Category: LGBT/Fantasy
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Lethe Press/June 21, 2013
Grade: A-

Visit Richard Bowes here.
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Favorite quote: (Chapter 11, Page 158)

"Writing is the place where I can be as bold and compassionate and wise as I choose." 

TBR Review: The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh

The theme for this month's TBR Challenge is "the classics." A classic author, book, and/or category. I read a few books for the challenge this month. Years (May/December romance) and  Twice Loved (triangle) by Lavyrle Spencer, and The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh (the rake). For me in this case both the authors and themes are classic -- and in the case of Years and The Notorious Rake, the books are also considered classics by many. In the end, however, I chose to review The Notorious Rake by Balogh only because Years by Spencer was a re-read for me (there's a mini here somewhere).

The Notorious Rake (Waite #3)

The Lady and the Libertine

Lord Edmund Waite was everything that Lady Mary Gregg despised in a man. He was lewd, lascivious, mocking—the most notorious and successful rake in the realm. Happily, Mary had nothing to fear from this lord of libertines. A bluestocking like her could never tempt a man whose taste ran to pretty playthings for his pleasures.

How startled Mary was to find herself the object of Lord Waite's determined desires. But even more surprising was her reaction to his shocking advances. How could she remain a lady with this man who knew so well how to make her feel like a woman?

The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh was originally published in 1992 by Signet and rereleased by Dell in an omnibus this year. It is a 224 page-long character driven Regency historical romance novel, and the last of the Waite trilogy. The first two books are The Trysting Place and The Counterfeit Betrothal. My first impression? After all this time I'm still amazed at the depth of characterization Balogh achieves and the amount of information she packs in so short a novel.

The story begins at Vauxhall with Lady Mary Mornington and Lord Edmund Waite surprised to be included in the same party. She's a not so attractive bluestocking, and he's a disgraced,unacceptable man. Mary, however, accepts his offer to stroll around the gardens out of courtesy. Unfortunately, an electric storm catches them unaware, and even after they find shelter Mary's terrified reaction to electric storms drives Edmund to comfort her. But nothing works until the two are wrapped around each other and end up having an unexpectedly passionate sexual encounter. Still in shock, Mary spends an unforgettable night of passion with Edmund. At least it becomes unforgettable to Edmund, who begins a relentless, and almost stalkerish, pursuit of Mary the very next morning.

He wanted to have her to start his days and as dessert to his luncheon, as a mid-afternoon exercise, as an appetizer before whatever entertainment the evening had to offer, and as a nighttime lullaby and a middle-of-the-night drug.

This novel has the perfect title. Edmund is crude, vulgar, a womanizer who doesn't hide who he is or what he has become. He admits to everything he is accused of by the ton: killing his brother and mother, jilting his fiancée for another woman and getting jilted himself, whoring, drinking, gambling. There's no end to what Edmund has done or won't admit to, he's upfront about all of it when he pursues Mary and hopes she will become his mistress. In Edmund, Balogh creates a self-loathing, unlikable hero. I need to check if there is a more self-loathing one in her repertoire, but Edmund is definitely at the top of the list.

Balogh likes to throw this curve around in her romances once in a while, I know, and I tend to love her hero-centric novels because she makes them work. You see, the thing about Edmund is that he kind of takes the place of the heroine in this romance. He is the one with the angsty past. He's the one with layers to peel behind the mask he presents to the world. Yet, Edmund believes that there is nothing to him and Mary buys it hook, line and sinker. Mary is an independent, strong woman in her own right. She doesn't just dislike Edmund, she despises the superficial wastrel she believes him to be. Mary feels she owes him for rescuing her at Vauxhall but is flabbergasted when she realizes that he is not going to go away easily. She is rude, judgmental, and hurtful to Edmund, but who can blame her. I mean, initially Edmund is obnoxious, insulting, and truthfully those first three weeks when he pursues her in London turn into a debacle when it comes to courting.

Of course there is more to Edmund, and Balogh goes on to peel those layers. It takes a lot to get underneath because this man's belief that he has nothing to offer is ingrained and goes deep. And Mary? With Mary it is a case of her "body" betraying her attraction while she fights her dislike of the man, and yes, she tells Edmund so. Mary is an intellectual, strong and sharp, but I would say that women's intuition fails her -- particularly after she learns more about him.

The Notorious Rake is not one of Balogh's uber romantic novels with the innocent child bride or a woman willing to sacrifice herself for love. It is not one of her novels where the hero is a respectable man of character. Yet, I found this romance to be better than that. It is intense and passionate with conflicted protagonists that are flawed, frustrating, and redeemable. Edmund is a memorable character, and although Mary's "body betrayed her" a few times here and there, she is a ruthlessly frank woman and I couldn't help but like that about her. I can see why so many Balogh fans love this novel.

Category: Historical Romance/Regency
Series: Waite #3
Publisher/Release Date: Dell/April 30, 2013
Grade: A-

Kentucky Home (Southern Comfort #1) by Sarah Title

I was in the mood for a nice, comfy contemporary western romance and Kentucky Home by Sarah Title seemed like the answer to me. I ended up with mixed impressions about Sarah Title's debut novel.

It begins with Luke Carson and Mallory Thomson. They meet while she is married to a doctor with an ego the size of Manhattan, a man who has been psychologically abusing Mal for years and ends up physically assaulting her when he finds out that Mal is looking for an apartment to move out of their condo. This is when Mallory finally decides to really get away from her husband Michael and goes to her friend Luke for help. Luke's brilliant "plan" is to hide her at his family home, the Wild Rose Farm and Stables in Kentucky, until Mal can get her life together. Unfortunately, Luke's plan places Mal in an awkward position as her new "start" in life begins with they agree to lie and show up in Kentucky pretending to be a newly engaged couple.

The awkwardness continues as once there Luke basically dumps Mal on his family and takes off the next day for places unknown, supposedly for one week, and leaves her to deal with a less than welcoming family: cranky father Carl, headstrong sister Holly, sweet housekeeper Miss Libby, and Luke's reclusive, widower brother Keith. The Carson family is not happy about Luke's dumping and Mal feels less than welcomed. She wants to help around the farm, but Mal is a city girl unaccustomed to farm life and makes mistakes that do not impress these folks Not a good beginning.

The Carson family's "down home Kentucky hospitality" is really lacking in the beginning. This family was quite rude to Mal. I mean, even taking into consideration the fact that Luke dumped her on them, she was supposed to be his fiancé. A bit of courtesy? Yes? Thank goodness for Ms. Libby. She at least tried to make the poor woman feel welcomed. Mal herself didn't help things and I wondered about her social skills more than once during the first part of the book, but she was traumatized by all the changes so to me her awkwardness was understandable.

As opposed to my initial impressions when I read the introduction, Keith is the male protagonist of this piece, not Luke. I admit that bit through me for a bit -- Luke is a charmer and I liked his point of view in that initial introductive section. But let's move on to his brother Keith. Keith has been a widower for over 3 years and he is still basically in a deep depressive hole. He is still grieving, deeply, and refuses to socialize or seems unable to move forward. This is an unhappy man. But Mal wakes him up! His brother's fiancé. And Mal, who is not yet over the trauma of her abusive marriage to Michael, begins lusting after Keith the second she meets him. Not a good thing. Hostility takes over when sexual frustration and guilt ensue on both sides. Back and forth.

I don't know. The lies cause unnecessary grief. Then there is Mal's traumatic marriage to Michael. She is separated, but still married and quite traumatized by years of abusive behavior that began in college, progressed through the years Michael went through medical school, began his successful practice and to the present. This was a long, established relationship and marriage. Those years left Mallory feeling like a rag, her self-esteem shot to hell! And, there is Keith who is obviously still grieving. This is an ambitious romance with some tough, challenging issues, yet, to me, it felt like a light read with many witty moments thrown in along with Mal's numerous crying jags and Keith's guilt over his lusty feelings because he was betraying his dead wife and his brother. Oh boy!

This is the reason I'm mixed up about this novel. I laughed. I couldn't help it. There are funny scenes involving a three-legged dog, Mel's horrible blond dye job with brown roots, and all the sneaking around Mal and Keith go through to get laid. After all, there is nothing wrong with wit and humor to lighten up the harshness of life. Keith falls for Mal like a two-ton truck and overcomes his grief. I like the way this part of the romance is executed. After loving and grieving for three years, he deserved a second chance at love.

Mal's issues on the other hand? Hmm... as far as I'm concerned Mal's trauma goes deep after what seems a lifetime of dealing with an abusive, narcissistic asshole. In this novel she begins to recuperate from that trauma and to get a sense of herself, but, BUT. It became obvious, to me at least, that she needed more time to find her own two feet before getting mixed up in another relationship and that didn't happen here. Mal is not allowed that time on her own, instead another man becomes the solution to the problem. Additionally, the resolution to the Mal/Michael situation is over the top and Mal's involvement, underwhelming. I understand that this is a romance, yet, I guess these days I expect a better executed resolution from a contemporary romance when it comes to issues like a woman (or a man) recuperating from an abusive marriage or any type of abuse for that matter.

Kentucky Home is a cute and light contemporary western romance. There is chemistry between the protagonists and the initial premise is good, if ambitious. Unfortunately, the author overreaches by introducing one too many heavy issues to contend with, and fails to execute on the one key issue that would have given this romance depth and the storyline, plausibility.

Category: Contemporary Romance/Western
Series: Southern Comfort, #1
Publisher/Release Date: Kensington Books/ April 13, 2013 - Kindle Edition
Grade: C

Highlight: Countdown City (Last Policeman Book II) by Ben H. Winters

There are just 74 days to go before a deadly asteroid collides with Earth, and Detective Hank Palace is out of a job. With the Concord police force operating under the auspices of the U.S. Justice Department, Hank's days of solving crimes are over...until a woman from his past begs for help finding her missing husband.

Brett Cavatone disappeared without a trace—an easy feat in a world with no phones, no cars, and no way to tell whether someone’s gone “bucket list” or just gone. With society falling to shambles, Hank pieces together what few clues he can, on a search that leads him from a college-campus-turned-anarchist-encampment to a crumbling coastal landscape where anti-immigrant militia fend off “impact zone” refugees.

The second novel in the critically acclaimed Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City presents a fascinating mystery set on brink of an apocalypse--and once again, Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond "whodunit." What do we as human beings owe to one another? And what does it mean to be civilized when civilization is collapsing all around you?

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters won the 2013 Edgar® Award for Best Paperback Original, the first book of the Last Policeman trilogy. Last year I read, and loved that book!  Countdown City is the second book of Ben H. Winter's pre-apocalyptic trilogy.

Hank Palace is one of the most unique protagonists to cross my reading path in a long while, and the imaginative, creative set of circumstances he faces in this series are more that just intriguing, they are fascinating. As you may well imagine, Countdown City has been in my must read list since last summer.  The time has come!

Release Date: July 16, 2013
Category: Science Fiction/Mystery
Publisher: Quirk Books

Reviews:
The Last Policeman, Book #1

Review: True to the Law by Jo Goodman

August 1889, Chicago: Cobb Bridger, private detective, is hired by Andrew Charley Mackey III of the wealthy Mackey Chicago family to find thief, Gertrude Morrow. The instructions are clear, "find her," inform Andrew Mackey of Ms. Morrow's whereabouts and hold her in place at all costs.

Cobb tracks Ms. True Morrow down to Bitter Springs, Wyoming where she has been hired as the new teacher. What he finds is a smart, beautiful woman dedicated to her work, one who doesn't hide her personal or employment histories with the Mackeys. She is not a runway. Cobb inserts himself into all aspects of Tru's life and begins the process of getting to know her. It's not a hard task as a mutual attraction is obvious from the first time they meet. Intimacy is not far behind as Cobb and Tru begin a tentative friendship that leads to an illicit affair. Soon Cobb begins to suspect that although at times True displays guilt or unusual reactions when her ex-employers are mentioned, she may not be a thief. But what other reason would Mackey have for tracking down the beautiful teacher?

True to the Law is a warm western historical romance with a small western town atmosphere and a romance between two people whose attraction quickly leads to the bedroom. Unfortunately, this couple lacks chemistry, both outside the bedroom and between the sheets. That surprised me because Goodman is usually great at building up sexual tension. They do, however, forge a connection through conversation, and a personal give and take that makes for a heartwarming relationship filled with humorous moments.

Although the romance falls on the average side of the spectrum, the western historical atmosphere is well established with great secondary and periphery characters that make up the town of Bitter Springs, Wyoming. This story doesn't involve cowboys or wild shootouts, instead it evolves around the mystery behind Tru's life as companion to the wealthy Mackey family matriarch, and what happened after the lady died to instigate a pursuit by the Mackey family.

Cobb's role as a detective working for the Mackeys ends at one point, but continues for the duration of the story after he accepts the position of town marshal. As his attraction grows, so does his protectiveness of Tru. The villain of this piece is easily identified and the mystery easily solved by the reader, so there is little thrill there. However, I enjoyed the purely fictional western climactic scene.

True to the Law is a stand-alone, however, the town of Bitter Springs and most of its residents are introduced in The Last Renegade, the first book in this western historical series by Jo Goodman. That book is a terrific read, so I recommend it as an optional first read.

For those of you who read The Last Renegade, secondary characters Rabbit and Finn are part of this story and again they steal every single scene where they appear! I love those boys. My favorite quote of this book is by Finn. He's at the school, pulls Priscilla's braid, and Ms. True Morrow asks him if he has anything to say to Priscilla. Here is his response:

"[...] Prissy, that pigtail is nuthin' but a temptation. And now that I heard you squeal, well, giving it a yank now and again is a thing that can't be resisted." He risked a glance at Miss Morrow. For reasons he did not entirely understand, she looked as if she going to choke on her spit. "That's all I got to say, ma'am."

True to the Law is a somewhat average romance with some great secondary characters and western atmosphere. I found myself enjoying the chemistry between the townspeople of Bitter Springs and the humor that permeates the pages of this romance despite the lack of chemistry between the main couple. This is not one of my favorite Goodman romances, but still, if you are a fan you might enjoy this installment in what I think of as her Bitter Springs series. I look forward to the next book, particularly if Rabbit and Finn are part of it.

Category: Historical Romance/Western
Series: Bitter Springs
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/May 7, 2013
Grade: C+

Visit Jo Goodman here.

Series (related book):
The Last Renegade