I'm at Leontine's today!! ...with a High Five, Low Five review of Raising Kane by Lorelei James

Come visit me at Leontine's Book Realm today, because I'm guest reviewing a hot cowboy romance for her. It's Raising Kane by Lorelei James and Leontine is giving away one of Lorelei James' Rough Riders books to a lucky commenter. Check it out here!
And while you're at it you can check out her other Smutty Researcher's posts for all kinds of awesome prizes! :)

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Here's a copy of my post/review:


When Leontine asked me to write a guest review for her Smutty Researchers at Play event I did a little happy dance! I feel like Leontine and I are smut-sisters-in-crime and I adore her and her fabulous ideas! She liked me to do one of my High Five, Low Five reviews about the latest installment of Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series because she knows how much I love this series about hot and sexy cowboys! So, here it goes.

High Five Low Five Review of Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf

Michele Hauf
Her Vampire Husband
HQN Books - April 1, 2010 - 368 pages - ISBN 9780373774999 - $ 7.99

Genre & Keywords: Paranormal, Vampires, Werewolves, War, Violence

Rating: êêê½ - êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹


I’ve received this romance from the publisher, through Netgalley. It’s a full length novel and I’ve read it as an ebook.

This is one of my High 5, Low 5 reviews. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head or raise my brows in a less admiring way.

We have a colorful, sassy werewolf princess and a sexy, refined, old vampire, we put them together in a big luxurious house where they have to live together because of an arranged marriage, we throw a little physical attraction in the mix, add a lot of ancient hate and prejudices for the other sort and we have a wonderful premise for a lovely romance! Her Vampire Husband is altogether a fun read. Sexual tension, love, action, a sexy vampire and a kick-ass heroine, what more does a romantic story need? Well, maybe a slower build-up from mortal enemies to true loves? Or less conversation during sex scenes? So, there were a few things I really liked about this novel and a few that made me frown a little. I tried to cut them down to my five highs and five lows.

First the Back Blurb:

She may resist his bite, but she can't resist his charms…
Werewolf princess Blu Masterson won't allow her seductive vampire husband to consummate their marriage with his bite, marking her forever. Alone in a secluded estate with her sworn enemy, Blu curses the marriage arranged to bring their rival nations together, especially since Creed Saint-Pierre calls out to her most feral desires.

When Blu uncovers her pack's secret plot to destroy the vampire nation—and Creed—she is forced to confront her growing feelings for her sexy undead husband. Will she choose the only life she's ever known or accept his vampire bite?

High 5

• Vibrant heroine
Blu is a refreshing, witty character. I especially enjoyed her in the first half of the story when she gave off some attitude. She seemed strong and vibrant and yet had this deeply hidden vulnerability that she showed Creed more and more. Creed’s honesty and noble attitude got to her and made her fall for him.

• Good sexual tension
Although the love scenes were not too earth shattering, even a bit predictable, the sexual tension between the two characters was palpable and made this a very erotic read altogether. Their attraction for each other was made very believable.

• Nice character development
The two main characters were not only loveable, they also seemed to have a positive influence on each other and went through some kind of growth. I really liked that they sometimes were unpredictable, and I don’t mean acting out of character. For example the matter of Creed biting Blu which would make her his, was handled a little bit differently than I’d expected.

• Mix of love story and action
We get it all in this book, love and action and the both are nicely related to each other too. I really like romances that can deliver both in one package, it makes the romance so much more intense. I have to admit that the love and action could’ve been balanced slightly better. Now it was almost like the first half of the book was a love story and the second half an action story. I would’ve appreciated the book even more if this was dosed differently.

• Surprising magical world
I’m not an experienced paranormal romance reader, so I don’t have much comparison. But I liked how the paranormal and magical world in this story worked. There were vamps, wolves and witches and although they tried to work together the differences were too big for a happily living with and accepting the other sorts. At first it annoyed me that the witches were so harsh towards Creed and couldn’t see him as a person, only as one of the vampires. But I have to admit that it made the story stronger. Especially in the end when all is not solved with an easy way out (a magical spell), the plot surprised me more than when the author had chosen for the power of the magic. Now it was the hero’s goodness, his mental (and physical) strength, which brought the solution.


Low 5

• Falling in love happened fast
It was rather hard to grasp how fast Blu and Creed turned from being mortal enemies to each other’s true love. It felt as if the protags were still in the phase of getting to know each other and learning to like each other when suddenly the big L-word was brought into the game. For me, the build-up to that should’ve taken much longer, especially given their history.

• Lukewarm smexing
The love scenes were nice and explicit but what turned me off was the extensive talk (about non-sexual things from Creed’s history) at one point during the smexing. Really?… bad timing.

• Where’s Bree?
At the first page we get introduced to Blu’s best friend, Bree, who seems to be important for Blu. And when she’s at Creed’s house she’s constantly phoning with Bree until Creed takes her phone away for a while (which had nothing to do with Bree but with Blu’s ex boyfriend). Funny thing is that Bree doesn’t play any role in the story from then on. She gets mentioned once or twice again but without it being meaningful. That strikes me as odd, especially since Blu could need a friend at some points in the story. Besides, I like it when the heroine (or hero) has some sort of social life with important people in it. Blu seemed very isolated in that aspect. It’s a missed chance to let Bree evaporate like that.

• Continuity mistake
Without wanting to give away something of the plot, there was a discontinuity near the ending. Before Creed could’ve told Blu what role the wolf Ridge had played during Creed’s important scene, which I try to keep spoiler free here, Blu knew about that while she couldn’t have known. This threw me off a little bit at that point, but it wasn’t a big deal.

• Cruelty of Blu’s father/wolves
The role and character of Amandus Masterson, Blu’s father, came across as rather one-dimensional. His cruelty and that of most wolves in this book seemed a wee bit oversimplified and therefore less believable to me. It did make for some good suspense though.


Those were my five highs and five lows. Overall, I most certainly enjoyed Her Vampire Husband! It was a refreshing and sexy love story with some nice action. I loved the heroine and hero and their chemistry. I would definitely recommend Her Vampire Husband to those who like their heroines to be kick-ass and their love stories to be action filled with a little vamp vs wolf drama mixed in.

Link luvin'

Michele Hauf's weblog and website
Michele Hauf on Twitter
Buy the book here
Read an excerpt here

Her Vampire Husband on Goodreads
Fiction Vixen's review: 4/5 stars
Smexybooks Mandi's review: 3.5/5 stars
Larrisa's review: 4/5 stars

(Leave me a link if you want your review added)

High Five, Low Five Review of More by Sloan Parker

Sloan Parker
More
Loose Id, March 2010

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Ménage, Violence, Private vs Public Life, Politics

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3 flames

I’ve read this romance for the M/M Reading Challenge, it’s a full length novel and I bought it as an ebook (my pdf has 245 pages). I don’t think it’s available as a paperback yet.
This is one of my High 5, Low 5 reviews. In general the High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in a less admiring way. In this case the last ones were not really low, only a little lower than the High Five.

More is one of those books that surprised me and made me reconsider a few preconceptions I have about my own likes and dislikes. I’ll talk about a few of my usual dislikes under Low 5. And although I listed them under the low five, you’ll see that they’re not really dislikes here, somehow they worked for me in this book.

So, when I closed the book a content sigh came out of me. I loved it. Whenever that occurs, I feel the need to write a review about the book, but also know that when I would do that immediately after finishing the book, I have not much more to say than that the book is fabulous and a variety of those adjectives. Therefore, it took me a few weeks, but now I can give you my thoughts on this gay ménage.

First the Back Blurb:

For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men whom he can’t get out of his head have Luke breaking them all. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries—both sexually and personally—and now he’s no longer hiding from his senator father; he’s taking him on. And he isn’t just falling for one man; he’s falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big.
But Luke’s father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he’ll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew.
Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his familiar way of life just when his new lovers want to bind him tighter?

High 5

• Good writing style
If I hadn’t known that this was a debut novel, I would’ve never been able to tell. It’s written very well: with functional descriptions, no annoying mistakes, good dialogue and good visualization. Yes, even for me, a non-native speaker, it’s important that the language and writing style are good. Maybe even more so. I don’t want to get distracted or taken out of the story because of a bad sentence or a discontinuity in a description of a scene. So, I appreciate a well-written (and well-edited) story very much, also because this is not always the norm in this genre.

• Great build-up
Along with the first high, comes the second: the story has a good pace, the right amount of suspense and a natural feel to the relationship building. I like it that it’s not rushed and has the length of a novel.

• No taking a nosedive for this ménage
I’m rather picky when it comes to ménage romances because usually they only satisfy me in the erotic and not in the romance department. It’s quite tricky for an author to make the polyamorous relationship believable (for me). I seldom buy the ‘I love you’s that are exchanged at the end, just to give the book a HEA. Ms. Parker succeeds in making my romantic heart flutter for her three guys in More. And, like I said, that’s not an easy job. She lets the three men individually, at different moments and to other people, tell how they see the other two men in their lives. And for example when Richard talks about Luke and Matthew on page 188 I can understand how their relationship works (for them). He says: “The attraction and affection you see between them – it isn’t just about them. Wrapped up in that is me – their feelings for me.” The author worked hard with many other descriptions like this one and by showing their feelings within their behavior, before I became a ‘believer’, but she succeeded.

• Loveable & well-developed characters
Very important for me is how I feel towards the main characters. I know it’s probably the most subjective one of my criteria but I’m not the only reader for whom this is essential. It just makes it easier to keep reading. And I just happened to like Luke and Richard a lot and really love Matthew. His bouncing, happy persona was outright adorable. At least, that’s what I thought, someone else might disagree… But, they probably will agree that the characters were well-developed and showed some growth, especially Luke. He almost changed from black to white: from a loner to a dedicated lover, from submissive towards his dad’s demands to an ‘action hero’, from being secretive to a sharing person and from a guy on the run to a domestic man.

• Steamy sex scenes
You know me… and in case you don’t, I’ll say it out loud… I heart steamy, hot love scenes. And More absolutely delivered them. Nice, long sex scenes that left me sizzling. Also not unimportant, there was a lot of hot kissing going on. And maybe I like a good kiss scene even better than a sex scene but those two combined makes the best love scene. I hardly ever reread a book but I would reread More for them alone, and I think Mr. ErotRomReader won’t object if I do.
Well, the love scenes were not only hot but also showed a parallel development that was present in that of the relationship - or to be more precise Luke’s growth. It’s symbolic that he wants to be tied up the first time the three men meet and have sex, and Luke’s also the one who refuses to go bareback long after the two other men are ready for that kind of commitment. So, the sex scenes mirror the feelings in this relationship and play an important role in understanding each other. I love it when sex is functional like that *grin*.


Low 5

• The amount of sex
Okay, that being said, I have to make a comment on the amount of sex scenes, because it can be overwhelming. It wasn’t for me, because I read the book spread out over three or four days. But, I can imagine that it is, when you read the book in say one day. I like to add that the sex scenes never became repetitive at all. That’s an achievement in itself with that high quantity.

• Luke’s father’s influence
Luke’s father, the politician, has a slightly unbelievable hold on his son. I didn’t quite buy his behavior, perhaps it was a little over the top. But then, reality is probably weirder than fiction. Also Luke’s impassive attitude – always on the run, never confronting his father – rang a bit untrue. But this element in the story made for great suspense and was a perfect motivation for the pace the love story took. It didn’t bother me, but asked for a little suspension of disbelieve.

• The setting of the gay sex club
The gay sex club, where the three men meet in the beginning of the story, is not my favorite setting, usually. It’s so not romantic. Nevertheless, it was a very logical setting, not only for Luke (who avoided everything smelling like a committed relationship) but also for Richard and Matthew. Ms. Parker did explain well why they were there. Still, I was relieved when the club was left for what it was, after only a few meetings. The setting of Richard’s house was much better.

• Lack of a social life
Luke, Matthew and Richard don’t seem to have many friends or family. Richard’s social life consists only of his business meetings, Matthew just has his mother with whom he has a wonderful relationship for that matter. And Luke only has one good friend, an older ex-cop, who seems to be mainly a handy contact because of his security skills. I usually prefer there to be some meaningful relationships besides the love interest, but somehow I hardly missed it in this book. Probably because there already was so much going on with Luke’s investigation, the threats from his father, all the sex, the relationship issues, etcetera.

• The use of first POV
This story is told solely from Luke’s point of view, in first person. I always thought it’s not my favorite POV, but more and more of my five star reads, like this one, seem to be written in first POV (e.g. books from Sean Kennedy, L.B. Gregg and Josh Lanyon). Often it doesn’t work for me, but when it’s done well, it gives a book that little extra. I think it was a good choice for More, because with the three male characters it could’ve become awfully confusing with the changing POV’s and a disastrous case of head hopping. But, still, I put it under my Low Five, because I really missed Matthew’s and Richard perspective.

Ps: There are rumors that Ms. Parker is thinking about writing two sequels to More from Richard’s and Matthew’s POV

Ps2: I've invited Sloan Parker over to my place for next week. She’ll be talking about writing in first person and third person for romances (her next manuscript is in third from both character’s POV). She also generously offered to give away a copy of More, so check in next Wednesday if you want to know more about that.

Those were my five highs and five lows. Did you notice how my five lows weren’t really deal breakers? I guess it’s obvious then that I totally loved More! It was a very sexy and heartwarming love story with good suspense. I completely believed in the polyamorous nature of this relationship and especially Matthew found his way to a special little place in my heart. The story of Luke’s life is heartbreaking and I’m happy that he found a way out of it. More definitely made my Favorites of 2010 list. And I would be the first to buy a sequel from Richard’s or Matthew’s point of view.

Link luvin'

Sloan Parker's weblog and website
Sloan Parker on Twitter
Buy the book here
Read an excerpt here

More on Goodreads
Jenre's review: Good
Jessewave's review: 4.75/5 stars
Kathy Kozakewich's review: 5/5 stars
Rainbow reviews: 5/5 stars
Tam's thoughts
Ebook Addict Theresa's thoughts

(Leave me a comment if you want your link added)

High Five, Low Five Review of Hard To Hold by Stephanie Tyler for the DIK Book Reading Challenge

Stephanie Tyler
Hard To Hold
Mass Market, November 2009

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Military Romance, SEALs, Suspense, Violence, Africa

Rating: êêê
Heat level: ¹¹

There are some books you really look forward to reading and then they just can’t live up to your own high expectations. There’s no one else to blame but yourself. Hard To Hold by Stephanie Tyler turned out to be such a book for me. Based on three Blaze novels about three SEAL friends by this author I really wanted to read her new contemporary military romance series about the brothers Jake, Nick and Chris, all Navy SEALs too. The first book about Jake was released on November 24, 2009 and the third one a few weeks ago. It took me a while to finish Hard To Hold because I struggled a little bit with the book.

I’ve read this book for the DIK Reading Challenge which made me finish it this month and also makes me write a review now, very shortly after reading the last page. I usually like to wait a little bit longer before putting my thoughts on paper because I like the little distance and objectivity the lapse of time provides, so I can look at a book without it still being under my skin. But I have to post my review in January for the Challenge, so here are my High 5, Low 5 concerning Hard To Hold. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in a less admiring way.

First the Back Blurb:
Lieutenant Jake Hansen has survived some of the riskiest missions known to man. But now the wounded Navy SEAL faces his toughest job yet: smuggling Dr. Isabelle Markham out of Africa without triggering an international incident. Not easy to do when the gorgeous hostage happens to be a senator’s daughter—and about as easy to resist as an oasis in the desert.

If it weren’t for Jake, Isabelle would still be halfway across the world, where rebel forces left her for dead. The special ops warrior may have saved her life, but she doesn’t need him to protect her now. Tell that to the ruggedly handsome hunk in full battle fatigues who’s just been assigned as Isabelle’s personal bodyguard. Close quarters aside, Isabelle won’t let Jake anywhere near her heart—until danger throws them together again. And nothing in the jungles of wildest Africa could prepare them for a passion this wild. This crazy. This hot…

High 5

• The hero Jake
One of the highs of this novel for me was definitely Jake’s character. He’s adorable, attractive, wounded, caring and hot. His tormented soul and anger are very sexy and his consideration for Isabelle is really sweet. He’s struggling with his own feelings while protecting Isabelle’s. Maybe his life story was a bit extreme (he had a very abusive youth) and we are made to believe that he joined the navy at the age of 15 or 16 without anyone in the army noticing or doing something to prevent it. That’s quite unbelievable. His grander than grand issues with his past were probably necessary to make Isabelle realize she’s not the only one of them who is struggling with abuse and guilt. For me it would have been enough if Jake just helped her heal by being patient and kind like he was from the beginning without the addition of their shared problems as a remedy to make her whole and trusting again. But that has more to do with one of my lows I guess.
One of the sweetest Jake moments was the one where they have a love scene on the couch in which Jake cuffs his hands behind his back while Isabelle sits on his lap and he tells her that she is safe and can touch herself.

• Good secondary characters
I like a story in which the protags are surrounded by friends and family. Mainly Jake has great people in his life. I especially had a soft spot for Nick, Jake’s stepbrother. He’s easy going, tough and sexy with his habit to walk around the house without clothes.

• Great story building
Ms. Tyler tells a rounded story that is well build. All pieces of the puzzle fall into place in the end. It’s all very well plotted. Her story contains a lot of suspense as well, but to be honest it didn’t bring me once to the edge of my seat.

• Easy writing
Ms. Tyler’s writing style is pleasant. With seemingly little effort she can make a scene visible and tangible. Sometimes she tends to explain a bit too much for my taste and she becomes repetitive, while in other moments (towards the end) she skips a few things. But overall her writing has an easy vibe and doesn’t ask too much (or less) from her readers. For example I like the way she described Jake:
“Nothing about him was overtly pushy or blatant or cocky. He didn’t have to be. He moved with the quiet confidence other men envied, tried to emulate and failed. His commanding presence wasn’t something to be copied, it was something to be earned.”

• Interesting world
Ms. Tyler has the ability to evoke a whole world with her words, an interesting world that I wasn’t familiar with but that became vividly alive before my eyes. She provides us with a lot of information and details to reach that. The lives of SEALs, mercenaries and social/medical workers in Africa were all new to me.


Low 5

• The heroine Isabelle
As much as I liked Jake, I could not feel the same sympathy or tenderness for Isabelle. In fact, she pretty much annoyed me a great deal of the time. And I feel bad about that, given her abuse and ordeal during the kidnapping and all. She sure did deserve my sympathy, and she had it most of the time. But not so much when it comes to the way she treated Jake. Okay, she had trust issues, I got that and sure, she had a hard time giving up her control sexually, I got that too! But I didn’t get her selfishness and her being mean to him at one point. And after denying him his pleasure a few times while she had hers, she finally is ready for him – you know, all the way – after Jake has shown his anger and then she tells him:

“I want you,” she repeated in a husky voice against his ear. “Don’t deny me this.”

The nerve, to be so demanding!

• The very distracting multiple POV’s
From the beginning I was struggling with this book because of the often changing POV, not just between the hero and heroine but between many secondary characters as well. And not their POV on the H/h, nope they all had their own storyline and personal issues. I found these very distracting, since I hardly knew the H/h at that point. Gradually I got used to the multiple POV’s and in the end they were reduced to just a few besides that from the H/h (mainly Clutch and Sarah’s, which was an interesting couple btw).

• Many flashbacks in italic
I don’t really mind flashbacks in a story, they can add something essential, but in most cases it’s enough when the narrator just tells what happened. The showing with the help of flashbacks is not always necessary, especially not when the telling is already done. In Hard To Hold often both the telling and the showing takes place. That’s superfluous imo. Besides that, I don’t need the italics to know that I’m dealing with a flashback – the italics can be omitted!
The bad thing really was that a great part of these flashbacks were from the secondary characters! That was just too much for me, I couldn’t care less. Their POV’s and secondary storylines were enough distraction from Jake’s and Isabelle’s love story, their flashbacks were over the top for me…

• Incomprehensible love
Why Jake and Isabelle fell in love with each other? I have no idea, except that they experienced an intense ordeal together maybe. Perhaps I can see why Isabelle liked Jake in the end, because I myself fell in love with him a little bit, but I never felt her love! I needed more of her thoughts and perspective concerning her feelings for Jake, because now I didn’t believe it. And why Jake loved Isabelle is really beyond me! Not only because what I wrote about her (see my first low) but also because of the lack of an explanation of his feelings.

• Lack of love scenes
There weren’t many love scenes between Jake and Isabelle. And no, I’m not only talking about the hot kind (although I’m a big fan of those and to be honest the love scenes between Clutch and Sarah were a welcome addition). I’m also talking about tenderness and sweetness between the two. Of course, the physical part of their relationship was hindered by Isabelle’s abuse experience. But that part was stretched out way too long I think.

Those were my five highs and lows. Overall, Hard To Hold was an okay read for me. It didn’t meet my high expectations by far and I’m the only one to blame for that ;). My dislike of certain elements in this story is personal. I hope that the second book, Too Hot To Hold, about Jake’s brother Nick, will be more than an okay read for me, since I already purchased it. When my high expectations had something to do with my rather harsh judgment of Hard To Hold than maybe my very low expectations of Too Hot To Hold will make me like that one way better!

High 5 Low 5 Review of Warriors Cross by Urban & Roux

Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Warrior’s Cross
Dreamspinner, August 2009

Genre & Keywords: Gay, M/M, Suspense, Violence
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 1.5 out of 3 flames

I’ve read Warrior’s Cross the last week of 2009 and it was one of the best M/M romances I've read that year. And when you know my taste for smut the surprising thing was that there weren't a lot of sex scenes in this book. It was just plotted and written very well which made it really very hard to put it down! And I loved that!

Although it’s been over three weeks that I finished this book, I don’t mind at all to dive into it again to write this review. I like the little distance and objectivity the lapse of time provides, so I can look at Warrior’s Cross without the rushed and overwhelming feeling with which the book had a grip on me shortly after reading it. So here are my High 5, Low 5 concerning Warrior’s Cross. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in a less admiring way.

First the Back Blurb:
Cameron Jacobs is an open book. He considers himself a common waiter with normal friends, boring hobbies, harmless dogs, and nothing even resembling a secret... except a crush on a tall, dark, devastatingly handsome man who dines alone at his restaurant on Tuesday nights. All it takes is one passionate night with Julian Cross to turn Cameron’s world on its head.
Julian's love and devotion are all Cameron could have hoped for and more. But when his ordinary life meets and clashes with Julian's extraordinary lifestyle, Cameron discovers that trust and fear can go hand in hand, and love is just a step away from danger.

High 5

• The fabulous anticipation
Definitely one of the highest high fives of this novel is the incredible almost heart stopping anticipation the authors have their readers submit to. The first third of the book the two heroes circle around each other like moths around a flame and things are very mysterious. I just wanted to keep reading because I had the feeling that any moment they could get together or something important could be revealed. Instead new circles were made and new mysteries were raised. Very compelling.

• Wonderful story building
When Julian and Cameron finally start working on their relationship and get to know each other, this is so realistically done. The story build is nice and the novel is long, but it’s perfectly so. The book could not have been one page shorter. The anticipation from the beginning turns into tension (also of the erotic sort but not only) and then evolves into suspense, while the writers lead me through all kinds of emotions, to finally, finally deliver the happy ending, but not before I was doubting a few times if there would be one at all.

• Beautiful language
There’re beautiful sentences in this book, not one word is unnecessary. This is one of those stories that ask for the reader’s full attention and dedication to the written words. I wanted to read this novel slowly and fast at the same time. Fast because I wanted to know where the story would take me and slowly because the writing forced me to, since it would have been a shame if I’d skipped some words, let alone sentences. (yes, I admit I do that sometimes with other books…)

• Strong characters
Cameron and Julian are opposite poles who can complement each other once they get passed their differences and insecurities. One is the good guy, the other the bad guy and not the kind that becomes suddenly pure of heart because he found love. The character development is very well done. The story is mainly told from Cameron’s point of view (except for one moment when we hear Julian’s friend Preston’s voice). Julian can be kept mysterious this way and little bits of information are released in a well dosed pace. Meanwhile Cameron’s feelings, thoughts and insecurities are out in the open pretty much from the beginning. We are a close witness to every change and every growth he goes through. This way the characters never become boring and nicely grow into three-dimensional persons.

• Heart aching sob moment
If you don’t care for romances that make you grab for a tissue Warrior’s Cross is not for you, because it had me sobbing. Granted, I’m a weak hearted squealer that cries way too easily at fictional sorrow, but only when it’s done well by the author. I’m not gonna spoil what scenes made me whimper but those who have read the book will know…


Low 5

• Loneliness and desolation
The lonely existence of Cameron depresses me a little bit. I always like the main characters to have one or more good friends or a nice family support system. But the protags of this book don’t seem to have family or friends to spend Christmas with, which is sad. But I must admit that it strengthens their storyline because the focus is solely on them.

• The ever annoying female friend
I haven’t read that many M/M romances yet (less than 50) but I haven’t seen many nice female characters in them so far. The women that are allowed to play a (minor) role at all are usually of the annoying kind. So is Miri, Cameron’s colleague and friend who means well but is also the irritating one that causes the stirring of a lot of doubts in Cameron’s head.

• Few tame sex scenes
As the smutty hussy that I am I would’ve been even happier if there were some more hot sex scenes between Cameron and Julian. Just a few times in the beginning of their relationship we are witness of the two men getting hot and bothered. Sadly these love scenes are also more lovely than scorching hot…

• Cameron’s quick capitulation
Near the end Cameron and Julian have a lot of issues still standing between them. It’s hard for Cameron to trust Julian again, but all it takes are a few words of Julian and they are as thick as thieves again. Hmmm, I wouldn’t have minded if that was drawn out a little bit more.

• Questions about Julian’s profession
The authors left me hanging with a few unclear things about Julian’s profession. Without wanting to spoil anything I just have to say that it’s not only not clear what he’s doing for a very long time into the book but I hardly find his role believable in the whole situation with Cameron’s boss. Let’s not say more…


Those were my five highs and lows. Overall, I loved Warrior’s Cross in case you hadn’t figured that out ;). The heroes were a joy to spend my time with. Their love, insecurities, attraction, grief, happiness, doubts, satisfaction, anger, distrust, joy and happily ever after were all told about in such a way that it brightened the hours I spent with them. I highly recommend this M/M romance, especially to those who have never burned their fingers on this genre, because it’s more of a love story than an erotic romance. The sex scenes are easy to absorb for those who are new to them having two guys in it instead of the traditional man and woman. By the way, Warrior’s Cross made it to my Best of 2009 list!

Review of Skin Game by Ava Gray

Ava Gray
Skin Game
Berkley Sensation, 2009

Genre & Keywords: Paranormal, Suspense, Violence

Rating: êêêê½
Heat level: ¹½

Skin Game by Ava Gray has been applauded very loudly by a lot of the romance bloggers I follow. It made me curious enough to give this novel a try myself. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I’ve never read a book by Ava Gray before - as Ann Aguirre she has written some SciFi and Urban Fantasy novels – but this will definitely not be the last one I want to try. Next June the sequel Skin Tight will be released and I will be hanging out for it. Because I can only applaud along with the others: man, this woman can truly write a wicked, explosive story!

Reading Skin Game was a different experience than usual. It’s a full length novel that’s structured accurately and written in a deliberate way. I haven’t read many romances that are quite as… well… literary as this one.
Although a lot of reviews already have been written I still like to share my High 5, Low 5 with you. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in wonder or even annoyance.

First the Back Blurb:
A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.
A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

High 5

• Fast paced suspense
One of the highest high fives of this novel is the well dosed pace which adds to the great suspense. There’s a lot of action and many events take place but this is alternated at the right moments with reflection on feelings and emotions. The suspense is not only brought on by the chase and the violence. The sexual and emotional tension yield quite some reading suspense in itself.

• Sexy read
The physical attraction between Kyra and Rey is pretty explosive. Although they don’t have sex all the time - like in some other romances where the h/h only have to look at each other to become completely aroused - when it happens their interaction is hot, with some blazing love scenes. These scenes evolve from quick sexual relief into long and tender love making. Their growing feelings for each other become credible because of the way Ms Gray expresses them.

• Not your usual suspects
Ms. Gray’s characters are something else. Her heroine is a con woman and her hero a hit man. Not the most moral persons. And on top of that, they stay that way. There’re no promises made that they will give up their bad ways or profession. Their ethics are not questioned at all. There’s only a hint made that they will retire from their evil businesses once they reach the island. They are not very typical in that sense. More often than not the amoral hero or heroine turns good when the love couple finds their HEA. Not these two! Nope, they even get off on the idea that the other person would kill for him or her! And to be honest, that turned out rather refreshing. The same goes for the supporting characters, Mia and Foster by the way; not your stereotypical man or woman either.

• Manageable paranormal level
So far, I haven’t read many paranormal romances (but I will take it up a step soon) and although this story is labeled as paranormal it remains manageable for me. Because there are no fangs or weresnakes involved. It’s kept at Kyra’s ability to steal other persons best features by touching their skin (hence the title). It’s quite convenient for her, being the con woman she is. I must say that I experienced this paranormal element as an original touch to the story. Once I surrendered to the idea of it, it was quite a good addition to the already strong storyline.

• Strong second storyline
Alternating with Kyra and Rey’s adventures and feelings of attraction is a second full storyline that is set in Las Vegas. In this thread of events the casino owner Serrano that put money on Kyra’s head plays an important role, along with Addison Foster, his head of security. Especially Foster turned out to be multi layered and has the potential of becoming a very interesting hero. He’ll be back in the sequel Skin Tight as a main character.


Low 5

• Poems?
One of the things that bugged me the most was the sudden emerge of Serrano’s poems that he supposedly wrote for Kyra. The man was depicted as some mob-like villain during the entire novel and I had a hard time believing that a man like that would write some soppy poems after his lover left him. No way! But let’s face it, this is just a minor annoyance.

• Too many details
Sometimes the pages were interspersed with details. Particularly the second storyline suffered from too many extensive descriptions. Especially where it concerned the whereabouts of Serrano. This could have been more summarized at times.

• Sex with a target
Okay, I wouldn’t want to miss the hot scenes but I considered it not very professional of Reyes that he slept with his target, and keeps sleeping with her, just out of lust. He’s way past the first half of the story still thinking of killing her. Even at the instant where Kyra confesses to him she thinks she’s falling in love with him. Just seconds before he’s concerned about his reputation:

He couldn’t throw away years of work, establishing himself as th go-to man who always got the job done. He couldn’t walk away from this job with his reputation intact; Foster would see to that.

• Clean?
Near the end Reyes takes another job. He has to take out some child molester and than he thinks:

He needed this. Needed to feel clean again by doing something worthwhile, make the world a better place by taking a scumbag out of it.

This sounded a bit farfetched imo. I think it was the use of the word clean that had me raise my eyebrows high.

• predictable breakup
At one point this novel was not so original. The breakup with the heart squeezing moments of being apart is quite traditional. I didn’t expect it in this story, but it was there. Although it perhaps took more time than in other romances for the h/h to get back together the breakup progressed a tad predictable. And the heart wrenching emotions could have been more milked perhaps instead of replaced by descriptions of every day hit man stuff ;).

These were my five highs and lows. Overall, I loved Skin Game very much. It was a very enjoyable read with a sexy heroine and hero and an interesting supporting cast. The banter between the h/h was humorous and the structure with the alternating storylines and point of views was well done. This novel has got something of a literary allure, not just because of the repeated mentioning towards the end of the book of my favorite modern literary novel ever: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I guess that rereading Skin Game would make me discover a few new things, because it has a well developed plot and three dimensional characters.
So, go get yourself a copy of this book if you haven’t read it yet!

Review of Double Play by Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis
Double Play
Berkley Sensation, 2009

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Sports: Baseball

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹½

I’ve read a few Blazes by Jill Shalvis before. Just Try Me, Shadow Hawk and Room Service are really lovely and steamy reads. That’s why I wanted to give one of her other romances a try. What attracted me in Double Play was the setting of this sports world, baseball to be exact. And of course the yummie cover! I mean, look at it...
And the story didn’t disappoint me, Double Play was a fun, sexy read.

So, reading Double Play was enjoying. There were a lot of things to like but also a few things that had me raise my eyebrows. So, I like to share my High 5, Low 5 with you. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in wonder or annoyance.

First the Back Blurb:
Getting to first base is a cinch...But getting home will take a grand slam...

Pace Martin is the ace pitcher for the Pacific Heat. He's got the arm, the experience, and the wins. He's also got the pain, the pressure, and the possible end of his career looming over him. The last thing he needs now is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses.

Holly Hutchins knows a good story when she sees one, and the tall, dark, and slightly attitude-challenged Pace Martin fits the bill. But when she realizes there's more at stake than just a win, she starts to see the handsome, broad-shouldered jock in a different light.

Pace and Holly begin a seductive game, but in the face of unexpected betrayal and challenges, they'll have to find the courage to swing for the fences...

High 5

• Funny, witty writing
Jill Shalvis’ witty way of telling her story makes this book alluring from the first page. Her writing is funny and light until the last page and that makes this a very enjoyable and easy read. Here’re the first few paragraphs so you can see for yourself (and it gets better further down the book):

“If Pace Martin had the choice between sex and a nap, he’d actually take the nap, and wasn’t that just pathetic enough to depress him. But his shoulder hurt like a mother and so did his damn pride.
Go home and rest, Pace.
That had been his physical therapist’s advice, but Pace could rest when he was old and far closer to dead than thirtyone. In the locker room, he bent down to untie his cleats and nearly whimpered like a baby.” (p. 1)

• Entertaining dialogues
The same goes for the dialogues, which are a pleasure to read. Not only because they are quick and funny but vibrant as well. This made the interaction between the H/h very appealing.

• Non-typical adonis hero
Pace is a hot alpha-athlete, at least he looks like one with all the delectable muscles in the right places. But he isn’t acting like one; although he is the star of the team, he doesn’t like to be the one in the spotlights. I think this is an attractive combination. Clearly that’s what Holly thinks too. He actually isn’t all that charming or easy-going at the beginning. But when his gruff and surly ways transform into one of his sexy smiles, he is all the more attractive. Combined with his edible bod he becomes hot as sin in an instant. Holly is a perfect match for him, by the way. I liked her as well, because she’s sassy, spunky, open and honest. And once Pace gets to know her, he starts to notice her beautiful hair and eyes as well.

• Well developed storyline about trust
The issues with trust that Pace and Holly have are made convincible by their background stories. Ms. Shalvis shows cleverly the gradual alteration in her protags, concerning this topic. It’s not hard to understand Pace’s distrust because of Holly’s profession and history of revealing secrets at her blog. But her direct way with her feelings makes him eventually see that he can trust her. Although there are a few bumps in the road to overcome, of course. These trust issues was what the story thrived on mainly. Fortunately, the author worked out this theme pretty good, but it edged on becoming repetitive and boring.

• Rich surroundings with real people
Very persuasive was the integral world, complete with a network of friends and colleagues, that the author created around the protags. Pace and Holly’s network is big and full with real people. Of course not all of them are three-dimensional characters but they do make a great supporting cast. I like that in my romances!


Low 5

• Overwhelming detail
Although it was pretty interesting, the amount of detail of the behind the scenes life of a baseball pro sometimes got in the way of the love story. The dealing with injuries, superstitions and crazy fans was all very entertaining, but I sometimes couldn’t help thinking “Hurry up, let’s get to the important stuff here”.

• Not steamy enough
And with the first low comes the second one: for my taste there was not enough of the goodies in this book! The quantity of the making out was okay I guess, but the hot sex did just occur a couple of times. Not that the sex scenes weren’t hot or steamy but we had to wait way past the middle of the book before ‘the deed’ actually happened. The sexual tension until then was pretty fabulous though, with them flirting and kissing. And I must admit that maybe the vigor of this story is that it’s not about the ‘act’ between the H/h but the love story they are involved in.

• Lot of time skipping and elapsing
I don’t mind some time elapses in a romance at all, because they are necessary to make it credible that the H/h are learning to know each other better. But in Double Play there are a lot of them. Imo too many, because I felt that some of them happened at a moment that things started to get interesting. In those moments I wished the author would have explored and described some more of what was going on between Pace and Holly. But no, the scene ended and instead of picking up where they left in the next chapter (for example from a different POV), another day/week started. Frustrating!

• Incredible interference of coach
I didn’t buy it that a coach of a pro baseball team would go to the extent that Pace’s coach went to forestall one of his players to jinx the game. The superstition theme was a bit incredible in a whole but the part where everybody believes it will bring bad luck when Pace and Holly sleep together was outrageous! And the worst thing was that Pace gave in to this nonsense. Really?

• Baseball quotes
I kept wondering what was up with the baseball quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I probably didn’t get it because I’m not an American and don’t know much about baseball. It looks like something you might find in a literary novel but not in a romance though.

So, this were my five highs and lows. I did like Double Play pretty much. It had funny dialogues, witty writing, loveable protags and great sexual tension. It’s a sexy and sweet sports romance and I’m looking forward to the next book Slow Heat that will tell Wade’s story, Pace’s friend and team mate. It will be released in February 2010.

Review of The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson

Evangeline Anderson
The Assignment
Loose Id, February 2006

Genre & Keywords: Gay, M/M, Best Friends Become Lovers, Straight Guy Turns Gay, Cops
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3 flames


My first acquaintance with the books of Evangeline Anderson was Str8te Boys. I’m pretty sure that it was at the same time my first M/M story ever. And it got me completely hooked at the genre! It was such a sweet story about two straight roommates who start feeling attracted to one another. In fact, The Assignment reminded me of that story in more than one way. Both are featuring best friends falling in love and straight guy(s) turning gay. And both are written from just one point of view, which keeps you guessing about the other guy’s feelings. And let’s not forget, both contain scorching hot M/M sex scenes!
The difference is that the protags of The Assignment are working together on an undercover assignment and that they can’t screw up their cover, so the suspense level is higher than that of Str8te Boys. The publisher even labeled the novel as ‘Romantic Suspense’ (and GLBT). Maybe that’s a bit too strong a label, although I found myself being unable to put the book down. I wanted to keep reading and reading, but that was more due to them making out and falling in love with each other than to the investigation or the threats of danger that were supposed to hang over their heads.

Overall, I loved The Assignment but there were a few things I had questions about. So, I like to share my High 5, Low 5 with you. The High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in wonder or annoyance.

First the Back Blurb:
Detective Nicholas Valenti, tall, dark and stoic, has been best friends with his partner, Sean O'Brian for six years. The two men have seen each other through divorce, disaster, and danger, and saved each other's asses more times than Valenti can count. Exactly when he started seeing his blond, intense partner in another light, Valenti isn't really sure. He only knows that he wants O'Brian in a way that had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with possession. It is a desire he will have to hide forever because O'Brian is undeniably straight.
Just as Valenti is coming to grips with his new, unacceptable feelings for his partner their police captain puts them on a new case that could blow Valenti's cover once and for all. He and O'Brian are going undercover at the country's largest and most infamous gay resort to bust a notorious drug lord and stop the shipments of poison cocaine that are flooding the gay bars all over the city.
Now Valenti will have to make a choice between friendship and desire. He and O'Brian will play the roles of gay men that will push the limits of their relationship to the breaking point. Will their time at the RamJack forge a new bond between them or destroy their partnership forever?

High 5

• Favorite subject, effectively done
I’m a sucker for the Friends Become Lovers subject. Can’t help liking that type of romances, but when it’s done well, these are the best. It’s because friends already know each other well and apparently like the other person for who he (or she) is. And it’s not only about physical attraction in these stories, but there’s a broader base. Now, Ms Anderson has a way of making this subject work for me. The doubts and insecurities that come with the feelings of love and attraction are made insightful and perceptible. At least those of Nick, since the story is told from his POV. There are a few flashbacks in which their history as friends becomes clear, their special bond and how things started changing and became more than just friendship. Nick’s reluctance to take the next step with Sean, time after time, is understandable because of the way he feels about their friendship and losing that. It was very easy to empathize with him thanks to the insight Ms. Anderson gave into his emotions.

• Lively dialogue
The way Sean and Nick interact with each other is lifelike. A big part of what made me enjoy this story is due to the lively dialogue, which was also funny at times. Just let me give an example:

“So you’re sayin’ if Valenti and I don’t act the part, we could be
in deep shit,” O’Brian said bluntly.
“That’s putting it mildly, sweetie,”
Twonnie said. “And from what Turk said, you’ve only got a week to practice your
act, so you better get to it.” He gestured at both of them.
“What, right
now?” Valenti asked, feeling slightly panicked.
“What do you want us to do,
kiss?” O’Brian asked, a lot more coolly than Valenti would have believed
possible. What had gotten into his partner lately? Valenti would have bet even
money that if someone had suggested that Sean O’Brian was willing to kiss
another man -- even his partner and best friend -- O’Brian would have punched
the chump in the mouth. But now here he was suggesting it himself.
Twonnie
looked amused. “No, honey,” he told O’Brian. “You’ll have to work up to that, I
think. But why don’t you take tall, dark, and beautiful here out for a spin on
the dance floor?”
“What, here?” Valenti asked, knowing that he
sounded like a broken record, but unable to help himself.
“Where else did
you have in mind, honey, Grand Central Station? Of course here. Don’t get
that panicked look on your face; I’m not asking you to throw your partner
facedown on the table and screw him. I just said dance.” Twonnie looked
disgusted with them. “If you can’t even dance with each other, then you might as
well forget it -- you may have to do a lot more than that to pass at the
RamJack.”

• Sweet, giving characters
Both Nick and Sean are very easy to like. They are good friends, willing to push aside their own needs to put the other at ease. Their appeasing words about what’s happening between them are meant well, even if they turn out to cause a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. In their lovemaking they’re sweet and giving as well, which makes that these scenes are not only hot, but also sensitive and affectionate.

• Great sexual tension
Yep, there’s plenty of that! And how can that not be a good thing in an erotic romance, right? It’s excellently done and it makes this a fast paced, page turning story that I didn’t want to put down.

• Memorable hot scenes
The Assignment does have a couple of hot scenes I won’t forget easily. One of them is when Sean tells other guests at the resort a bogus first-time story. This backstory is close to their real relationship except for the sex, which they hadn’t had yet at that point. He tells the made-up story while sitting on Nick’s lap, who’s sporting a huge erection at the time. Sean’s saving their asses and is voicing Nick’s deepest fantasy at the same time.
The other one is memorable in a weird sense, because the setting is awkward. A very intimate and hot moment takes place between the two guys while they’re accidentally participating in a very publicly jerk off contest (how weird is that, huh?). Because of that odd and unlikely setting I also mention it as one of the Low Fives, but memorable it was! And well written as well.


Low 5

• Single Point of View
I started missing the POV of Sean. For the most part of the book it works great that only Nick’s POV is shown. It adds to the tension and it makes you feel his doubts and fears as if they were your own (so to speak). But at the moment that Nick’s fears let him behave in a way I didn’t agree with and when the lack of communication between the two guys starts to get annoying, I thought it was time for a POV switch. But that didn’t happen, grrrr…

• Early 1980s?
It’s beyond me why Ms. Anderson had to date her story ‘Early 1980s’. I wondered about that for a while and it only made me realize that the guys would’ve been pushing the age of 60 in the year 2009 /:o. Luckily after the first chapter I forgot about it. Why did the author not just leave it to the imagination? Maybe it had to explain the lack of mobile phones when the guys are separated at the end?

• First names, last names
It bugged me a bit that someone calls the one he loves by his last name. They switched between first and last names, but a definitive choice for the first name with the progress of their loving feelings would have been so much sweeter.

• Suspense?
Like I said in my intro the publisher labeled this novel as romantic suspense. I thought the suspense storyline was a bit farfetched. It offered a good alibi for all the love scenes and it caused the kickoff of their relation to begin with, so it served a good purpose. But it got snowed under and the events became sort of unlikely. The guys are after this big drug baron who’s the owner of a gay resort, so they go undercover at that resort. But they hardly do any investigating. And when they sort of do, their personal issues get in the way. Not very professional... Even so, they know to arouse the suspicion of the bad guy. De drug baron exposes them and puts them in a highly unlikely situation, for a villain. For the love storyline it’s an excellent dilemma that brings the lovers to another level. But the suspense storyline gets wrapped up too quickly and not in a very satisfying way. Luckily I could easily discard that and concentrate on the romance part, but if you picked up this book for the suspense, it would’ve been rather disappointing I imagine.

• The RamJack? Really?
The location of the gay resort, the RamJack, put the guys in some awkward situations. I can hardly believe that such a place could be for real. And some of the regular activities were downright weird, like the on stage jerk off and suck off contests. But even though the protags participated in one of them, which was in itself nonsensical, Ms Anderson turned it into a beautifully written love scene. By concentrating on the feelings and actions of the guys as if they were the only people in the room, she succeeded in helping me get over the awkward feeling I had about the surroundings. And the emotional scene afterwards was even better done.


So, these were my five highs and lows. I did like The Assignment quite a lot, because of the excellent writing, the great tension and the sweet, loveable characters. And although I had a few annoyances and questions, they didn't bother me enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story. It’s definitely a hot and erotic M/M romance!

I’ve finished both sequels I’ll Be Hot for Christmas and Fireworks as well, but maybe I’ll write about them another time. Both are short stories and a nice addition to the novel. But since it’s past midnight, I’ll be off to bed now!

Review of Switch by Claire Thompson

Claire Thompson
Switch
MLR Press, 2008

Genre & Keywords: Gay, M/M , Bdsm, Bondage, switching Dom

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹½

I never read one of Claire Thompson’s stories before, Switch is the first. I’d heard some positive things about her work, mainly about the psychological depth of her characters. The protags of Switch, Nathan and Dane, were indeed multilayered characters. Claire Thompson wrote with Switch a strong M/M story, about the struggle of two men for dominance, which involves bondage and extreme sexual pain. I must say, it’s not for the faint of heart. But at the same time Switch is a great love story with a romantic HEA. For me, the emphasis was on the romance and the bdsm stuff was a means to tell the love story.

I like to share my High 5, Low 5 with you. The High Five are five things that have impressed me (with an emphasis on the author’s writing skills), and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head, made me wonder or regret.

First the Back Blurb:
Dane Bishop is reigning king in the Austin BDSM underground scene. A chance meeting with a sexy local artist named Nathan Levi turns his world upside down. Imagine his indignant surprise when Nathan, Dom himself, dares to assert he can see beyond Dane's swaggering persona to the untapped submissive streak beneath the leather and chain.
Can Nathan convince Dane of his place at his feet and, more importantly, in his arms? As each struggles to gain and maintain control, the sexual sparks fly. It's only a matter of time before a spark catches and bursts into flame.

High 5

• Credible attraction

When Nathan and Dane meet there’s an instant attraction between the two hot guys, which is described very well. As a reader you can feel and understand their feelings of attraction. Especially Dane is a hottie. The air sizzles with their chemistry and it’s really plausible that they can’t stop thinking of each other.

• High anticipation

The author provides us with a slow build up to their sexual and D/s relation. The first 50 pages they haven’t even as much as touched each other. But their conversations are sexually charged from the beginning. Their first actual sexual encounter is also slowly built up. It’s an experiment in which Nathan learns Dane how hard it is to follow an order, which eventually ends in hot sex. The tension is palpable.

• Great struggle

Ms. Thompson gives a good insight in Dane’s struggle, when he’s slowly becoming to learn about his submissive side. His feelings of doubt and arousal are very tangible, because the author let him reflect on them after each love scene. He’s rather adorable in his initial denial, his growing doubts, his anguish, his pleas and his final submission. Dane is the more likeable of the two protags because he has this struggle and he is the one who has to come to terms with his new self image. Not that Nathan is not loveable. He’s a really sweet guy as well, but he doesn’t have to go through this alteration, which make you empathize with him as much.

• Nathan’s readiness

It’s an appeasement that Nathan’s prepared to accept Dane as a lover even when he’s not turning into a submissive. This may even have helped Dane going through with it. I liked this about Nathan and it made Switch for me more about the romance and the HEA than about the bdsm relationship. I really appreciated this little fact. Nathan’s readiness to move to NY for Dane has the same status. It makes him an atypical Dom and a nice and considerate guy.

• Hotness

The love scenes are hot and everything but vanilla. The hotness increases when love, trust and submission become more and more a part of the love scenes. The last scene in the hammock, for example, was so scorching that it almost set the pages on fire. The chemistry is right and Ms. Thompson has a way of telling that makes you feel what her characters feel!


Low 5

• Use of labels

Despite Nathan’s statement about the terminology, the labels Dom and sub are used a lot. He states when they first meet that he doesn’t think in those qualifications:

"I wouldn't call myself Dom. Or sub for that matter. I don't especially care for labels. I think they tend to limit you. In my experience, it's the rare person who is all one thing or all the other. It's not about dominance or submission per se—it's about connection. It's about who moves you, and in what way." (p. 14-15)

That’s beautiful of course, but why than the need to convince Dane he’s a sub. And the words are used an awful lot.

• Extreme pain

The descriptions of the experienced pain were way too extreme for me. The bondage stuff is easier to withstand, the sexual pain is absolutely not my cup of tea. But I must admit that Ms. Thompson did a great job trying to explain what it meant for Dane. So it became understandable why he gets aroused to the point of ‘flying’, as he calls it. Still, I wouldn’t have minded if the flogging and caning had been omitted.

• Supporting actors

I think that the lack of secondary characters that are significant to the protagonists is always a shortcoming. This is also the case in Switch. One or two good friends or close family members can provide an essential addition to the story and the development of the characters. It’s not a must, but a nice extra.

• Missing more kissing

Nathan and Dane are not exactly the cuddling and kissing type of guys. They only kiss while having sex and then it’s almost every time described as ‘They kissed’ or another dull variation of those words. So sadly, there’re no elaborate kissing scenes with sexy descriptions of tongues and lips doing hot things to other tongues and lips.

• Ending

When the story ended I was left curious about their lives in New York and how they would proceed with their relationship now they’d agreed on their roles. So I regretted that the story ended at the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship. Maybe Ms. Thompson will write a sequel one day. That would be nice.

So, this were my five highs and lows. I did enjoy Switch quite a lot, because of the excellent writing, the great portraying of the characters and the nice development of the plot. If you’re into reading about the more painful side of bdsm, it probably is a must read for you. But for others it’s also a lovely and hot M/M romance!

Review of Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James

Lorelei James
Cowgirl Up and Ride (Rough Riders, #3)
Samhain Publishing, March 2008

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Cowboys , Ménage, Dominant Man, Brooding Bad-Boy

Rating: êêêêê
Heat level: ¹¹¹

I’m a big fan of Lorelei James’ work ever since I discovered her Rough Riders series when I was visiting a Barnes and Noble in New York. The first thing I always have to do when visiting another city is find a bookshop (anyone recognizing this compulsive behavior?). So on my first day in NY I stumbled on book 4 of Ms. James’ series: Tied Up, Tied Down. I left the store with a small pile of books, very happy. And I even got happier after I started reading Tied Up, Tied Down, because I had no idea that such hot books existed (I know... I’m a bit naïve) other than Harlequin’s Blaze books. Nowadays I know that Lorelei James is one of many erotic romance writers, but I still think she’s one of the best, so it was nonetheless a lucky hit. Of course I started reading her other books and I just finished Cowgirl Up an Ride, book 3 in the series.

I like to share my High 5, Low 5 with you. The High Five are five things that have impressed me (with an emphasis on the author’s writing skills), and the Low Five are five things that have me shaking my head, wonder or regret.

First the Back Blurb:
...Ridin’ the edge of lust is fun—until someone falls in love.
Goody-two boots AJ Foster has waited her entire life for her dream cowboy Cord McKay to see her as more than the neighbor girl in pigtails. Now that she’s old enough to stake her claim on him, she’s pulling out all the sexual stops and riding hell-bent for leather—straight for his libido.
Divorced rancher Cord has sworn off all women…until innocent AJ suggests he teach her how to ride bareback—and he realizes she doesn’t mean horses or bulls. Between his responsibilities running his massive ranch, missing his young son and dealing with the sexual shenanigans of his brother and cousins, Cord is more than willing to take AJ up on her offer. On a trial basis.
The fun and games tie them both up in knots. AJ isn’t willing to settle for less than the whole shootin’ match with her western knight. But for Cord, even though the sexy cowgirl sets his blood ablaze, he’s determined to resist her efforts to lasso his battered heart.
Sweet, determined AJ has the power to heal—or heel—the gruff cowboy…unless Cord’s pride keeps him from admitting their relationship is more than a simple roll in the hay.
Warning: this book contains: raunchy sex scenes that’ll work you into a lather faster than a winded horse, graphic language, resourceful use of baling twine, ménage a trois, ménage a quatage, and yippee! hot nekkid lovin'.

High 5

• First of all, I think it’s amazing how Lorelei James keeps a firm grip on all the different characters and their adventures throughout the whole series. She weaves a large but solid web of all her protagonists, who are sometimes the main characters and in other books the supporting actors. It’s amazing to get to know this extensive family and their friends and love interests. It makes reading one of the Rough Riders books each time a pleasure and a feast of recognition. One of the strong features, even when you read one of the books as a standalone, is the extensive gathering of secondary characters. None of the couples are isolated from their surroundings, as you see in some other authors’ books. So the big supporting cast around Cord and AJ is definitely one of the highs in Cowgirl Up an Ride.

• Another high in Cowgirl Up an Ride are the great, lifelike dialogues. They make the encounters between the hero and heroine vivacious and easy to empathize with. The dialogue alternates well with the characters’ thoughts and reflections on the dialogue (mostly in italic). The last are oftentimes prompting a smile or a chuckle at least. Especially Cord speaking to himself in this way is disarming. Ms. James makes his struggle with himself and his assumptions and doubts very well visible. He’s so adorable with his hard, tough appearance and his vulnerability on the inside.

• Which brings me at the next high: the lovability of the protags. Both Cord and AJ are easy to like, not only because of their characteristics or appearance, but also thanks to their well drawn-out complexity. Ms. James makes you understand their behavior, even the hurtful and stupid actions. But most of all she made the two of them a believable couple, their chemistry is great, although their age difference is more than ten years. AJ is a beautiful, sweet, sassy, hard-working, self-sacrificing, virgin, who pursuits her goal determinedly. Cord is a hot, dominant gruff, stubborn, proud, responsible but empathic and good-hearted divorced rancher, who’s afraid to get hurt again. His persuasive actions at the end of the book to show AJ his love, after he finally had the guts to admit his feelings to himself, are totally alluring and had me falling in love with him.

• The love scenes are hot, frequent and never the same. I admire Ms. James’ skill to never repeat herself (by the way, not only in sex scenes but neither in plots or characterizations, within the rest of the series). I recall one of the many great love scenes when AJ was there for Cord after he got beaten up by his drunken brother and she gives him a – initially – relaxing massage. Cord completely submits to her, physically and emotionally, which is very sweet and touching.

• We got a sneak peek of Kade and Skylar’s relation, which will be told in book 4 of the Rough Riders series. I’ve already read that story, because it was my first book by Lorelei James and I didn’t realize then that is was part of a series. But now I’ve become to learn more of the McKay family I wanna reread Kade and Skylar’s story because I know I missed quite a few references to the other couples from the earlier and later books. Plus I wanna read their love story again with the extra background info about them.

Low 5

I honestly can’t think of one single low. Even Cord’s goatee couldn’t turn me off, while I’m not a fan of permanent facial hair on my heroes (the non-permanent five o’clock stubble... now that I do like!). Probably because the goatee of the model on the cover looks really sexy. By the way, I LOVE the covers of the Rough Riders series! (there, another high sneaked in. So no lows I can think of for this book – can you tell I’m a fan?).

So, this were my five highs and zero lows. It won’t be a surprise that I strongly recommend Cowgirl Up and Ride. I promise, it won’t be a waste of your time. Enjoy!