Happy Gay Friday & Weekend Reading

Today I’ve finally updated my reading list on Goodreads. It was about time, because I was behind a couple of months. I noticed that I’m still 4 books behind towards my goal of 250 books for the Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge. So, I have to catch up this weekend. That won’t be easy because I’m spending the best part of the Saturday with Leontine and Lis, who are coming to Utrecht tomorrow. And Sunday one of my friends is having a housewarming party. But in between those get-to-gethers I’m going to pick up a series from one of my autobuy authors, which is on my tbr for a while now: the Sutter’s Bay series by Shawn Lane.

What book(s) are you going to read this weekend?

Happy Gay Friday! 
~

Happy Gay Friday & The Letter A

And another week went by… My mini-break is turning out to be not so mini at all. In fact, I’m still enjoying the A-Z Reading Challenge and now that I’m not spending as much time online as I used to do, oddly enough my social calendar seems to become a bit overwhelming. Or maybe it’s not so odd…
Somehow invitations for fun dates with friends keep coming in and they’re making my calendar for the month of May look like one big busy feast of colors (since I’m using different pencils for all the dates). It must be the wonderful, sunny and warm weather that we’re having here for weeks now. It makes people want to plan parties, barbeques and other get-togethers. And also, all the national holidays during this time of year are a great cause for fun things, there are plenty of musical and cultural festivals you can go to.
Yesterday for example, we had a national holiday here in the Netherlands what’ll probably translate as ‘Liberation Day’ or something like that (we celebrate the end of WWII because by then, in 1945, most part of our country was liberated by the Canadians and Americans). And we went with a couple of friends to one of the many rock and pop festivals that are organized in the larger cities each year on May 5th.
Between the beautiful weather, all the holiday events and the upcoming deadlines at work, I’m afraid there probably won’t be much time for my online activities left. So don’t start to worry if you don’t see me around much, I’ll be back *wink*. Every now and then…


My reading groove is still not what it used to be, but the A to Z Challenge is at least helping me with picking my next book. I moved on to the B last week, no C books in sight yet, but here are a few reviewettes (not as short as Chris's ones but alas) of the A titles I’ve read:

Anything For You by Ethan Day

This is a hilarious and endearing story which shows realistically and makes very palpable how terrifying it is/can be to come out of the closet. Jason is the first person narrator of Anything For You and he is uniquely funny but extremely in the closet. Finding true love makes brave so that Jason can continue being hot and sweet together with his super hero gay rights activist Chad. Highly recommended! 4.75 stars

Alex's Appeal by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes

Book three in the Kindred Spirits series. Cute story about a younger cook winning the heart of an older lawyer who recently lost his lover. Although this books has its own main characters the setting is the same as in the previous books in this series: an inn where ghosts feel happy to show themselves. This time the ghost was the deceased lover of the lawyer Alex, which felt a bit farfetched: I didn’t get why he would ‘show up’ now, one year after he died, and at this place far from home. I did like the bedroom scenes between Alex and Logan but cared less for their insta-love. 3.5 stars

A to Z by Marie Sexton

Zach and Angelo's relationship starts out as an endearing friendship, which finally turns into a sweet and hot love story that comes to full bloom in the second half of the book. Their engaging and well-written story is about giving each other space, being able to be yourself, finding your own strength in the other's strength, the balance between give and take, having patience to let trust build and stimulating each other to live your life to its fullest potential. Zach and Angelo complete each other in the most beautiful way and I just loved their emotional interaction and physical chemistry. 4.5 stars

All or Nothing by James Buchanan

This final installment in this series is an explosive finale of Nicky and Brandon’s ongoing relationship which has been a rollercoaster of emotions from the start. Very raw and deeply felt feelings are threatening to destroy them when this moving couple has to deal with the mother of all nightmares. This was one of the most emotional books I’ve read within this genre so far. And yet, despite everything that’s going on in their lives, the author managed to throw in a couple of sexy scenes which involved some wicked rope work again. And these scenes even supported the plot and weren’t just inserted for hotness sake. I’m kinda sad that this was the last of the Nicky and Brandon books (and free stories) I had on my shelves. It’s hard to say goodbye to this unbelievably hot couple. *sob*. The entire series (Cheating Chance and Inland Empire are the previous books) has been an enthralling reading experience. Highly recommended: 5 stars

Happy Gay Friday everyone!

~

Review of Caught Running by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux for the DIK Book Reading Challenge

Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Caught Running
Dreamspinner Press, 2007

Backblurb:
Ten years after graduation, Jake "the jock" Campbell and Brandon "the nerd" Bartlett are teaching at their old high school and still living in separate worlds. When Brandon is thrown into a coaching job on Jake's baseball team, they find themselves learning more about each other than they'd ever expected. High school is all about image - even for the teachers. Brandon and Jake have to get past their preconceived notions to find the friendship needed to work together. And somewhere along the way, they discover that perceptions can always change for the better.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M, contemporary, nerd/jock romance, high school teaching/coaching, baseball

Why I read it:
I’ve enjoyed other books by these writers and wanted to read more. I’ve read this book for the DIK Book Reading Challenge.

Storyline:
Jake and Brandon renew their acquaintance when they have to coach the high school baseball team together. Both are gay but don’t know the other one is. Therefore they try to fight their attraction at first until one of them makes a move. A sizzling hot relationship starts in which they each have to deal with insecurities about the other man’s feelings.

My opinion in short:
Caught Running was a joy to read. It has likable, sexy heroes, a fabulous build-up, hot kissing and arousing sex scenes and a great story arc without there being much external conflict. The humorous, light scenes and the more serious feelings and developments are well balanced and the love scenes complement the wonderful relationship building without them being the main focus. I think it makes this a perfect read for new readers to the m/m genre, who don’t shy away from explicit sexual content but want to be taken there gradually. Being an angst free and ultimately enjoyable and hot novel, Caught Running has come to stay on my list of comfort reads as well as on my all time favorites list.

~~~~~
Rating: 4.75 of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 of 3 flames
~~~~~

What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Both heroes are sexy and fun guys. Jake is the so called jock and Brandon the nerd, but they both learn quickly that there’s way more to the other man than these stereotypes. The character development of both protags is excellent. These men have depth and are well-rounded characters. I absolutely adored them both and their chemistry is a joy to witness. I also loved the little banter and comfortable humor between them.
• POV
There’s an omniscient narrator that has access to both main characters’ minds and thoughts in every single scene, even to those of some secondary characters. With the result that within one single paragraph we get both Jake’s and Brandon’s point of view, back and forth. This asks for a high level of concentration to keep up with the POV fluctuations, which can become dizzying. It took me a little while to get used to this, but once I was, it had advantages to know exactly what both characters thought or did at a certain moment, even when they were not in the same place. Readers who have issues with head hopping in general, probably will get annoyed very quickly. Personally, it didn’t bother me too much in this book.
• Plot
The first half of the book consists of introduction and development of the characters and the build-up to their first kiss. Anticipation is the key word, which is done fabulously. All we want to know is ‘(when) will they hook up and who’s going to take the first step’. The second half of the book is drawn around their building relationship and the question ‘will it last’. There’s not much of a conflict and hardly any external threats to their relationship, but that doesn’t diminish the urge to keep reading. I still wanted to know how they would handle things. All in all, it was an enjoyable angst free plot, which still had a good suspense arc.
• Smexing
M/M. Very hot kissing scenes and arousing sex scenes made me enjoy this novel a lot. The love scenes complement the story without ‘being’ the story and were extremely well written. And I loved that both men were equals in the bed room. Although Jake is more the alpha type and Brandon is somewhat more insecure about Jake’s feelings, they both took charge in bed when the situation asked for it. Their fabulous chemistry as well as their playfulness made for a lot of variety in scorching, sexy and fun love scenes.
• Writing style
There’s only one niggle regarding the writing style, and that is the abundant use of the descriptions ‘the science teacher’ and ‘coach’ or other varieties when Brandon and Jake are mentioned. Other than that, I enjoyed this duo’s writing very much.

Favorite quote:

“He was slowly figuring out that he wasn’t going to get words from Jake. But the actions were pretty damn incredible, and he told himself to be content with that.”

Linking:
Madeleine Urban’s blog | Abigail Roux’s blog | Caught Running on Goodreads
Buy Caught Running as an ebook here and as a paperback here

Other books by these authors:
• Warrior’s Cross (read my review here)
• Cut & Run
• Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run, #2)

Review of Heaven by Jet Mykles for the DIK Book Reading Challenge

Jet Mykles
Heaven (Heaven Sent, #1)
Loose Id - May 30, 2006 - 123 pages - ISBN 9781596322677

Genre & Keywords: Gay, Contemporary, Rock stars, Yaoi-inspired, GFY (Gay for you)

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹¹


The Back Blurb:

The Weiss Strande Hotel is in trouble. Business just isn't what it used to be when Tyler’s father ran the family-owned hotel. On top of business being down, dad's sick with cancer and bills have skyrocketed.
Desperate to save his family interest, Tyler and his best friend sink their hopes and what's left of their money into a new venture: a nightclub at the hotel. It's imperative that the White Room is a success, or else the hotel will go under. Lady Luck seems to be with them, however, because they manage to sign the mega-popular rock group Heaven Sent to play the grand opening.
Already a huge fan of the group, Tyler couldn't be more excited to welcome them to his hotel. He's not at all prepared for the bomb of lust that hits him when he's finally face-to-face with the painfully gorgeous lead singer, Johnnie Heaven. No, it couldn't be lust. Yes, Johnnie's probably the most beautiful person he's ever seen, but Tyler is straight. It must be a misguided form of hero worship that he's feeling.
Tyler finds out that he and Johnnie share an obsession: video games. When Johnnie invites Tyler to his room to play, Tyler jumps at the chance. Who wouldn't snap up the opportunity to spend time with their idol? He and Johnnie have a great time with the games, but Tyler soon discovers that Johnnie's got more in mind. The rock star's aims to introduce Tyler to a whole new level of game play.

I’ve read this book for the DIK Book Reading Challenge.

This is the very enjoyable first book in the Heaven Sent series which is about a rock band. In this first installment we meet the lead singer of the group, Johnnie Heaven. He and his group are booked to play at the opening of this new nightclub at the Weiss Strande Hotel. Tyler’s family owns the hotel and he’s running it since his father is sick with cancer. The nightclub is a new venture that should keep the hotel in business and it’s huge that they managed to book Heaven Sent.
The opening of the club is not only a success, his acquaintance with Johnnie is pretty big too, because Tyler, who always thought he was straight, feels attracted to the very sensual and handsome Johnnie. The singer feels the same towards Tyler and tries to seduce him. Tyler is reluctant and hesitant but Johnnie is very persuasive. Therefore the sex scenes bordered on non-consensual. And although I haven’t actually read yaoi yet, but I did read about it here, I did get a feeling that Heaven is somehow yaoi inspired, with a seme (attacker) and uke (receiver) as the two participants in the relationship. The seme is in yaoi the stronger one and always on top, which makes Johnnie here the seme and Tyler the uke. It’s probably this casting that made their encounters a little bit more black and white than in the usual m/m romance.

Still, Johnnie had his insecurities. Being the famous rock star, he has to deal with the fact that he never knows if someone likes him for him or only for his fame. He has much fun in the bed room with a lot of people but almost never for more than one night. Tyler is different, his reluctance is new for Johnnie, which makes him want Tyler the more so as it assures him that Tyler is not in for the fame aspect. I liked this concept. It gave Johnnie somewhat more depth and made his eventual love for Tyler understandable.
Aside from that Heaven is a lovely Gay For You themed story. Before he met Johnnie, Tyler never felt attracted to guys. He even was engaged with a woman until a short while ago. And of course, after he has been with Johnnie, he’s not interested in other men either: just in his rock star. I gotta admit that I’ve developed a soft spot for Tyler. I felt for him and his doubts about his feelings and it was funny how he initially explained away his behavior when he went for the sex with Johnnie. Those sex scenes were pretty hot too, by the way.

I was not only totally involved with these likeable main characters and their gradually developing romance, I also appreciated the glimpse I got from the secondary characters. Heaven does have a nice cast with quite a lot of characters, but although they played a part in the story, the focus was on Johnnie and Tyler throughout the book. That’s how I like my romances best. The other band members had my interest though, since they all get their own book in this series. I look forward to the other books and the extra shorts regarding this rock band. Although I’m not sure if I’ll read the last book (Revelations) which tells Gretchen’s story, the band’s manager, and is a m/m/f ménage as opposed to the other stories that are all m/m romances.

The series contains:
#1 – Heaven (Johnnie & Tyler)
#1.5 – Pretty Red Ribbon (Johnnie & Tyler)
#2 – Purgatory (Lucas & Reese)
#2.5 – Sexy Spring Surprise (Lucas & Reese)
#3 – Hell (Brent & Hell)
#3.5 – Feisty Little Firecracker (Brent & Hell)
#4 – Faith (Darien & Chris)
#4.5 – Sly Spectral Trick (Darien & Chris)
#5 – Genesis (all 4 gay couples from the first 4 books)
#6 Revelations (Gretchen, Owen, Archer – f/m/m)

Review of Happy Ending by L.B. Gregg for the DIK Book Reading Challenge

L.B. Gregg
Happy Ending (Men of Smithfield, #2)
Aspen Mountain Press | April, 2009 | ISBN 978-1-60168-203-1 | 137 pages

Genre & Keywords: M/M, Contemporary, Suspense, (Step)fatherhood

Rating: êêê½
Heat level: ¹¹½

The Back Blurb:
All Seth really wanted was a simple massage—was that too much to ask? When his usual therapist is replaced by a sexy young masseur, Seth finds himself obsessed with the unpredictable - and wholly inappropriate - David Cooke. Pushed to the breaking point by forces both mysterious and not so mysterious, Seth must lose his rigid control to find the happy ending both he and David deserve.

I’ve read this book for the DIK Book Reading Challenge.

This is the second book of this author’s Men of Smithfield series. I’ve read the first one too, Gobsmacked, but these books can all be read as standalones. The third book is Cover Me. And the fourth, In and Out, will be released in May. Besides the two MoS books I’ve also read L.B. Gregg’s latest, Catch Me if You Can. Between these three books and her blog Nose in a Book it’s safe for me to say that I really like her sense of humor. This is an author who can make me laugh out loud with her way with words! A lot!

That being said, I have to admit that Happy Ending didn't make me laugh out loud as much as the other books did. Still, Seth made me chuckle quite a lot and he's a rather refreshing character, with his gruffness and direct, short responses. And the opening scene is memorable and hilarious. Seth and David meet each other when Seth comes in for his weekly massage and David is the replacement for his usual massage therapist. The massage turns out to be a bit too much for Seth, who can’t help himself feeling attracted to the young, somewhat weird David. It’s not so much what happens that makes this a great scene, although you’ll never forget about the poor massage table ever, ahum, but it’s Seth’s view on things and his thoughts that adds a special touch to the scene. To give you an idea of his grumpy, self-assessing ‘voice’, here he is, waiting for his massage therapist, Linda:

It reeked of lavender. Why did everything in the goddamn room have to stink of it? I opened my mouth to breathe. I always meant to complain about the smell, but by the time Linda was through working out the kinks in my back it didn't seem that important. It shouldn't seem important now. This was yet another indication that I was stressed out and irritated.
Irritated that it was currently 2:05 and still no sign of Linda.
The music was getting to me. Who would choose this shit? Birds warbled over Celtic fiddles and bagpipes and penny whistles and—holy hell, it was giving me a tension headache. A little Dave Matthews would have been appreciated. I was tired and tense and whining to myself. Even I didn't like me right now.

Seth and David's first encounter doesn’t end in a friendly way and when they meet again I have a hard time picturing them together, also as a result of Seth’s twisted thoughts about David which oscillate from attraction to repulsion. What David thinks is a mystery but apparently he sees something in Seth. And before the night is over they end up in a dark alley having some fun together. Seth and David are an unusual and somewhat odd couple - talk about opposites attract - but eventually the author succeeded in making me believe in their pairing. Although I thought that the story ended at a point their relationship started to get interesting. And I found myself wishing the book had at least 50 more pages to see a little bit more of them as a couple. By then the non-romantic storyline, which was also part of this book, was wound up and imo that would’ve been the perfect moment to focus more on their feelings for each other. Ah well.

About that non-romantic storyline: I don’t want to reveal too much of this, because it’ll spoil your reading pleasure if you haven’t read the book yet. But there’re a dandy ex-boyfriend, some sneakily taken, compromising pictures, a threat from a loser dad, some secrets about fatherhood and a kidnapping, involved. All these elements bring some suspense and tension to the story that I didn’t get much from the evolving love story, to be honest. They gave Happy Ending a fast-paced plot with some good twists. That and the presence of Molly in Seth’s life - his, motherless niece that he describes as ‘a stout moppet with hair as thick and auburn as mine and eyes the color of copper’ - were the highlights of this story for me. I also enjoyed Seth and David as characters and a couple, but not as much as I wished to, because I feel I don’t know them well enough.

Nonetheless, Happy Ending was an enjoyable read for me that I’ll recommend to anyone who likes a fun, fast-paced, sexy quick read or who’s a fan, like me, of this author’s sense of humor and witty writing.

Review of The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter for the DIK Book Reading Challenge

Gena Showalter
The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)
HQN | May 1, 2008 | ISBN 9780373772469 | 374 pages

Genre & Keywords: Paranormal, Demons, First of a Series, Violence, Immortality

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹

The Back Blurb:
His powers -- Inhuman
His passion -- Beyond immortal . . .

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.
Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful . . .

I’ve read this book for the DIK Book Reading Challenge.

When I started blogging and bloghopping a couple of months ago I quickly discovered that a lot of bloggers out there were really big fans of the paranormal genre. The whole romance genre was pretty new to me, and so far all I’d read were contemporaries. I could not imagine what was so hot about this paranormal genre. Hah!
But, the curious little cat that I am, I started asking around for recommendations. And one of the first peeps to help me out was Leontine. She offered to send me some of her paperbacks and emailed me a list with names and book titles. One of the writers she mentioned was Gena Showalter, although the book she told me to start with, The Darkest Whisper, was the fourth(!) in the series, lol! I bought it as an ebook to have a quick start but discovered quickly that there were three other books I should read first, because, yeah, I’m that anal, I have to read in order when I know about it. Well, in the end it took me a while but I finally bought and read the first book of this so called Lord of the Underworld series!
It’s not the first paranormal romance I’ve read, because in the meantime I got some other recommendations too, but it is the first paranormal I’ve read that is part of a series like this - with the whole world building thing going on. While reading it you sense there’s so much more and you can feel it’s big but you can only guess how big.

To cut to the chase: I’m sold! I can totally understand the fandom for this genre now! I never guessed that I would like it so much. But I do. These Lords of the Underworld are freakin’ appealing and I want to know all there is to know about these hot immortal warriors!

This first book is the love story of one of the warriors, who all carry a demon inside of them. Maddox’s demon is Violence. That’s bad enough, because it causes him to have outbursts of uncontrollable rage and well… violence. But on top of that he’s also cursed to die a painful death every night because he’s the one who killed Pandora, keeper of the box with the demons inside. After she got killed the demons escaped and took possession of the immortal warriors’ bodies (there are a lot of them, and we meet them all in this first book).
So Maddox leads a life full of torment and pain. But then he meets his significant other: Ashlyn. She has her own nightmare to live with: she hears voices from the past everywhere she goes and where other people have been. When she meets Maddox the voices stop and a blissful silence takes over. No wonder she wants to be with him from the beginning.
While their love story evolves other elements are added to give more insight in the whole war of the gods and demons. A hunt for Pandora’s (empty) box is started, and I’m sure we’re going to see more of that in the next books. It’s complex, because there’s not only the gods against the demons but apparently there’s also quite some animosity among the gods themselves (the Greek vs the Titans) and among the demon warriors as well.

I devoured it all! There was not much I didn’t like in this story. Although it felt a bit like the first book of a series, with many better things to come, it was in itself a wonderful story. Maddox is a deliciously hot alpha hero and Ashlyn is strong, sweet and just right for him. I totally bought their falling for each other. It was a bit tooth aching sweet in the end, but I’m not complaining.

All was written in a way that made it hard for me to put the book down. Ms Showalter’s writing is very compelling and she certainly knows how to keep her readers at the edge of their seats. That’s partly because of the high rate of action and new developments but also because of the sexual tension between the h/h. I have to say that the smexing wasn’t disappointing at all. It was postponed quite some time, but the pace was just right for this couple. And their chemistry was good.

I’m looking forward to the other books in this rather dark series. The next one for me is The Darkest Kiss, Lucien’s story. He’s the warrior who’s bonded to the demon of Death. We’ve yet met his love interest in the first book: Anya, goddess of anarchy, and she had me laughing already. Gena Showalter’s humor showed itself in a couple of scenes and I can’t wait to see more of that as well.

My conclusion: Very good first book of what seems to be an intriguing series. I’m definitely going to read the other books too. And, I’d like to declare myself a fan of the paranormal genre, it’s official now! Where can I get my PNR membership card, please?

High Five, Low Five Review of Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy for the DIK Book Reading Challenge

Sean Kennedy
Tigers and Devils
Dreamspinner Press, March 2009
Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Sports, Coming Out, Film, Australia
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 1 out of 3 flames

I’ve read this M/M romance for the DIK Challenge, it’s a full length novel and I bought it as an ebook (my pdf-file has 605 pages but the paperback about 360).
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 in a less admiring way.

Every once in a while you read a book that you don’t want to finish because you’re not ready yet to ‘live’ without the characters you’ve just learned to know and love. Tigers and Devils is such a book for me! The main characters Simon and Declan and almost all of the secondary characters as well, have become so dear to me while I was reading their story, that I just wanted to keep reading about them. Knowing at the same time that when I did do that, their story would come to an end… So I managed to slow down a little, but not much, and in the end I finished their story way too soon. Now all I have left is trying to convince others to read Tigers and Devils so that I can talk about Simon and Declan a little bit more with other people.

Back Blurb:
Football, friends, and film are the most important parts of Simon Murray's life, likely in that order. Despite being lonely, Simon is cautious about looking for more, and his best friends despair of him ever finding that special someone to share his life. Against his will, they drag him to a party, where Simon barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tyler -- unaware that the athlete is present and listening.

Like his entire family, Simon revels in living in Melbourne, Victoria, the home of Australian Rules football and mecca for serious fans. There, players are deemed gods and treated as such – until they do something to cause them to fall out of public favour. Declan is suffering a horrendous year of injuries, and the public is taking him to task for it, so Simon's support is a bright spot in his struggles. In that first awkward meeting, neither man has any idea they will change each other's lives forever.

As Simon and Declan fumble toward building a relationship together, there is yet another obstacle in their way: keeping Declan's homosexuality a secret amidst the intrusion of well-meaning friends and an increasingly suspicious media. They realise that nothing remains hidden forever… and they know the situation will only become more complicated when Declan's private life is revealed. Declan will be forced to make some tough choices that may result in losing either the career he loves or the man he wants. And Simon has never been known to make things easy – for himself or for others.

High 5

• Simon as the narrator
I love Sean Kennedy’s choice to voice this love story through Simon. He’s a brilliant narrator. I’m usually not a big fan of first person narratives, although I’m learning to appreciate them more and more after reading L.B. Gregg’s and Josh Lanyon’s stories. But in Tigers and Devils it’s really Simon’s voice that made me fall in love with the book (and with him as a side effect). He’s witty, funny, self mocking and perceptive in telling his and Declan’s love story. He knows he can be stubborn and a drama queen but he can’t help himself. He’s constantly commenting on his own narrative, like when he and Declan first kiss:

I was surprised that he tasted like beer, but at the good point, before it becomes stale and a little rank. I know I’m not exactly selling the romanticism here, but I was pleasantly thrilled by it at the time.

But most of all he had me laughing out loud all the time with very short intervals at times, like the next two quotes on the same page, not far apart from each other:

“So what are you going to wear?”
I looked at her, wondering if she thought I had suddenly grown a vagina in the past five minutes. “Clothes.”
She sighed. “Men.”

(Btw I think I would find this type of joke less amusing in a M/F romance then in this story)

And a few lines further down the page:

I pictured myself trying to be cool and debonair over coffee with Declan – and then falling comatose into my latte and drowning before him.
He was a footballer; he had quick reflexes. Hopefully his resuscitation skills would be just as good.

Simon is also the foot in his mouth kinda guy. That’s actually how he and Declan met and what Declan liked about him. At the party where they first ran into each other Simon is defending Declan’s honor as a football player in the same sentence in which he calls him an arrogant prick. He didn’t know Declan was listening of course. But later on in their relationship this type of honesty still occurs and causes a few more embarrassing moments. Luckily for Simon, Declan finds this all refreshing and cute.

• Great sub characters
I like a story in which the protags are not some lonesome cowboys but have a good supportive group of friends and/or family. And both Simon and Declan have wonderful friends. Especially Simon’s best friends Roger and Fran (Roger’s wife) are very well developed, three-dimensional characters. It was a joy to read about Simon and Roger’s little squabbles and bigger fights. And Fran is just a woman after my own heart, she is great: sweet, funny, loyal and honest. Roger and Fran have their counterparts in Declan’s friends Abe and Lisa. Not as three-dimensional as Roger and Fran, because we only get Simon’s POV and not Declan’s, but as important to Declan.

• Declan’s attitude as outed gay footballer
Declan is a famous football player and as such has to deal with a lot of publicity. Media are hunting him down and eventually it’s a journalist who outs him as being gay. He stayed in the closet for a long time because of his profession and he also wants to keep his relation with Simon a secret. They manage to do that for a long time, until Declan lets his guards down when his father is hospitalized and looks for consolation from Simon, in a semi-public space. But after he’s outed, he gracefully accepts this fact, makes a public statement and doesn’t hide his sexuality any longer. Where Simon stays careful with public display of affection, Declan is way more carefree. He’s acting like a freed and proud man and never wants to hide in the closet again. I found him refreshing because of this attitude. It would have been so easy for Sean Kennedy to build some story tension with a different attitude from Declan, but the author didn’t chose for this simple way. He derived some tension from another issue between the guys. I loved Declan for his cool, controlled passion. And in between he came across as a funny guy as well. For example, when Simon tells him after a public kiss that he should be more careful, Declan responds with:

“Oh.” Declan clicked his fingers sarcastically. “I didn’t know, because I wasn’t given the queer handbook when I came out. Is there a number I can call to get one sent to me?”
“It’s like cats and hunting. It’s intuitive.”
“So you’re saying I’m a lousy cat?”

• The football rave
This book wouldn’t be the same without the love for football. It plays an important role in Simon’s life even before Declan starts to become part of it. Simon and Roger are huge fans of two different football teams, which causes some friendly rivalry between them. At one point it becomes an important symbol for their relationship when Roger shows up at a game without his infamous team scarf. Simon understands why and tells him to be proud of his team and buys him a new scarf, which is a big deal because even to have to touch the rival team's scarf is unthinkable. But for his friend he’s willing to bring this sacrifice.
The title of the book refers to the passion for football as well. Simon is a fan of the Tigers and Declan plays for the Devils.

• Beyond the HEA
I was pleasantly surprised that this story didn’t end at the point that most love stories end but took us a little bit further into the relationship. And there was some tension added in that part that made my heart wrench for those two fabulous guys. The book is structured like a football match in 4 quarters (I don’t know anything about Australian football, so I had no idea that there would be a fourth part, but I could tell by the amount of pages left that the story wasn’t at its end by far). The extra ‘playtime’ provided a good insight in their relationship which came across as very realistic, with ups and downs.


Low 5

• The love scenes
I can’t find more than one thing that I can call a Low, because there actually weren’t many in this book that are worth mentioning. If I have to name one - but it didn’t even make me shake my head or raise my eyebrows - it is that the love scenes were a bit tame and not very present. I wouldn’t have minded if the sex had been a wee bit hotter.

Those were my five highs and one low. I guess it’s obvious that I totally loved Tigers and Devils! It was a fabulous read, a heartwarming love story and an ode to friendship and football. I completely fell in love with Simon and developed a little crush on Declan too. This story gives an excellent impression of a gay relationship that has to deal with publicity, media and fame. And shows how it can be to come out of the closet, deal with a new way of public life and handle the communication with your partner in the midst of all this. Tigers and Devils made my Favorites of 2010 list for sure.

BTW There's a free story at Sean Kennedy's website that features Simon and Declan in the Tigers and Devils setting. Thanks Chris for mentioning that!

Letter to A Character: Skylar from Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James

Erotic Horizon is hosting the Erotica Romance Reading Challenge this year and she built a beautiful blog devoted to it. One of the features of the blog is 'Letters to A Character' and she asked me for a contribution. I didn’t have to think long about which character I wanted to write to: it had to be Skylar from Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James, because this was the first erotic romance I ever read (that was not a Harlequin’s Blaze). I picked it up at a Barnes & Noble in New York on 5th Avenue, where I was in June last year. It was the beginning of my discovery of this genre I had no idea existed. So Skylar and her adorable Kade McKay rocked my world! (It’s still rocking) I’ve read quite a few erotic romances since Tied Up, Tied Down, but it’s still one of my favorites. And Kade is my all time favorite book boy friend. So go on, read my letter to learn why *sigh*

If you want to join the Erotica Romance Reading Challenge just click the challenge button in my sidebar.

To: Skylar Ellison McKay
(From Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James)


Hi sweetie,

How are you and how are Kade and the kids? Just wanted to tell you that I miss you and I hope to see you at the next McKay family meeting very soon.

I’ve always wanted to ask you something about you and Kade hooking up.
When I look at you two becoming this close over the years I can’t help wondering why it took you so long in those early days to accept Kade’s love for you. Couldn’t you tell with one look at him that he was the one? Because I could! I knew from the first moments you two met that he was a keeper!

I know you had your insecurities and that they were valid, Ms James did a very good job explaining them when she told me your story.
But, girl, everyone could see that your sexy-as-sin-cowboy with his deliciously blue eyes and dark hair was head over heels in love with you. I mean, the way he bonded so quickly with your little daughter and made an effort to help you around the house, told me he was very serious about you. And the scorching passion between you two, wowzah! What were you thinking when you decided to keep him at distance? Good thing for you that he had no doubts whatsoever because maybe then you would’ve missed out on the best and hottest man there is, out there.
I was so thrilled that he finally took control in the bedroom (and trailer, bathroom, front garden etc.) and that you let him! Luckily, you knew a good idea when you heard one! I was aware that he was an alpha kind of guy but when he showed you his kinky side as well, I was completely swooning over him. You certainly are a lucky girl to have all the best features a man can have, combined in one hot guy that only has eyes for you, Sky!
I was so happy when in the end you had the guts to swallow your own pride and go after him to show him your love. And in that moment when he had his own surprising little proof of his love for you, he had me in tears, girl!
I tell you, he is the sweetest, most honest, protecting and caring man I’ve ever met. And let’s not forget he’s the sexiest, hottest cowboy a woman can ever lay her eyes on. If you hadn’t snatched him away already, I would’ve wanted to marry him myself! I mean, he’s definitely good husband material.

So, I’m glad everything worked out fine and you and Kade got your Happily Ever After, because you have to agree with me that your husband certainly deserved it. And so did you!
I hope your love will last forever and that you may live a long and happy life together, sweetie.


Big hugs,

Janna

Lorelei James' website

About the book:

TIED UP, TIED DOWN (Book 4 of the Rough Riders series)
...The strongest bonds are the ones unseen.

Businesswoman Skylar Ellison is firmly in control of her life. So getting tangled up with a sexy Wyoming cowboy—and conceiving a baby in the parking lot of a honky-tonk—wasn’t in her plan. Since it appears the daddy has taken off for greener pastures, the only thing to do is pull up her bootstraps and carry on alone.

Cattle rancher Kade McKay returns home after a year on the range, and is knocked for a loop when he learns he’s the father of a three-month-old baby girl. When Skylar refuses to marry him, Kade grits his teeth, moves in and plays house by her rules to prove he’s a man in for the long haul.

Despite Skylar’s insistence they are to remain strictly parenting partners, their old passions flare hot as a brush fire, spurring Kade to demand absolute sexual surrender from the headstrong woman. Skylar willingly submits her body to the hot-blooded cowboy but she’s leery of handing Kade the reins to her heart.

Can Kade convince Skylar the wicked sex games aren’t a temporary distraction? Or will he have to bust out the ropes to show her he wants to be tied to her…forever?

Warning: this book contains: no holes barred kinky sex scenes, wicked rope play, blunt language, and yowza! lots of hot cowboy nekkidness.

My last one: The DIK Book Reading Challenge 2010

Okay, this is my last one, really! But the DIK Book Reading Challenge 2010 just looked too good, I couldn't resist it! The DIK reading list is divers and I'm reading a few paranormal books, since I've really wanted to try this genre for a while now... but it seems I can't get myself to reading it without the added pressure...
There are a lot of other books on this list I like and are on my ereader already!

So, the rules of this challenge are:

1. Pick one book from the DIK book list to read and review.
2. Book reviews can be posted any day during the last week of each month.
3. Link back to the blog when you do a DIK Book Reading Challenge (we'll do a sticky post). If you don’t link to us we won’t know that you’ve posted a review! :)
4. Please clearly state in the title of your post that the review you are posting is for the DIK Book Reading Challenge.

At the end of the year the participants that have posted reviews for all 12 months will be put in one big pot and we will draw a name to win a $50 gift certificate from Amazon/Borders/Barnes and Noble/Books A Million (really it's your choice which place you want the certificate from as long as we can purchase it from our computer!)

If you'd like to join please leave a comment with your name and a link to your blog here>>>

My list:

JANUARY
1. Hard Too Hold by Stephanie Tyler, 3 stars
FEBRUARY
2. Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy, 5 stars
MARCH
3. The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1) by Gena Showalter, 4 stars
APRIL
4. Happy Ending (Men of Smithfield, #2) by L.B. Gregg, 3.5 stars
MAY
5. Heaven (Heaven Sent, #1) by Jet Mykles, 4 stars
JUNE
6. Caught Running by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux, 4.75 stars
JULY
7. -
AUGUST
8. -
SEPTEMBER
9. -
OCTOBER
10. -
NOVEMBER
11. -
DECEMBER
12. -

6 / 12 books. 50% done!

FAILED!!

You can also check my list on my DIK Book Reading Challenge shelf in my GoodReads library.

The 100+ Reading Challenge

I decided yesterday to join the 100+ Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye. It will be my fourth challenge for 2010, besides the Erotic Romance, the Contemporary Romance and the M/M Romance challenges I joined earlier. The 100+ challenge will be a good way for me to keep track of all the books I read for the different challenges and list them in one view. And it will be a real challenge of course to read that many books!

I'm actually looking for one more challenge for 2010 that will help me to read more of the paranormal romance genre... Do you have any suggestions for a good one?
The 2010 DIK Book Reading Challenge is on my radar too, but it gives me too much opportunity to skip the paranormal romances and I really want to challenge myself with that genre... Doesn't mean I won't do the DIK challenge as well though...

The rules for the 100+ Reading Challenge are:
1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.
What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.
3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.
6. You can sign up at J. Kaye's Book Blog.


My list:

JANUARY
1. Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels Finished, 5 stars
2. Cuffed and Dangerous by Bronwyn Green Finished, 4 stars
3. Mind F*cked by Mia Watts, Finished, 4 stars
4. Beth's Acceptance by Teal Ceagh, Finished, 4 stars
5. Blind Faith by Claire Thompson, Finished, 4 stars
6. Hard to Hold (Hold trilogy, #1) by Stephanie Tyler Finished, 3 stars
7. The Broken H by J.L. Langley, Finished, 4 stars

FEBRUARY
8. This Side of Heaven by Fallon Blake, Finished, 4.5 stars
9. Seeing You by Dakota Flint, Finished, 4 stars
10. Upwardly Mobile by Clare London, Finished, 3.5 stars
11. Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mystery Series #1) by Josh Lanyon, Finished, 4 stars
12. A Dangerous Thing (Adrien English Mystery Series #2) by Josh Lanyon, Finished, 4.5 stars
13. Racing Hearts (A Calculated Risk\An Outside Chance\This Time Around) by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Nancy Warren, Dorien Kelly, Finished, 2.5-3 stars
14. Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy, Finished, 5 stars
15. Magnus by Jambrea Jo Jones, Finished, 3 stars
16. The Runaway Man by Jambrea Jo Jones, Finished, 3.5 stars
17. Snowed In by Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban, Finished, 4.5 stars

MARCH
18. Midnight Dalliance by S.J. Frost, Finished, 3.5 stars
19. Conquest by S.J. Frost, Finished, 4 stars
20. Catch Me If You Can by L.B. Gregg, Finished, 4 stars
21. The Darkest Fire (Lords of the Underworld, #0.5, Prequel) by Gena Showalter, Finished, 2 stars
22. The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1) by Gena Showalter, Finished, 4 stars
23. Issue of Trust by Lorie O'Clare, Finished, 3.5 stars
24. Rope Dreams by Eliza Gayle, Finished, 3 stars
25. Somebody Killed His Editor (Holmes & Moriarity, #1) by Josh Lanyon, Finished, 4 stars
26. More by Sloan Parker, Finished, 5 stars
27. Freeze Frame (Faerily Imperfect, #3) by Mia Watts, Finished, 4 stars

APRIL
28. Only Yours by J.R. Patrick, Finished, 3.5 stars
29. Dangerous Distraction by Mia Watts, Finished, 3.75 stars
30. Two Steps Up by Sean Kennedy, Finished, 3.5 stars
31. Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf, Finished, 3.75 stars
32. Oleander House (Bay City Paranormal Investigation #1) by Ally Blue, Finished, 4 stars
33. What Hides Inside (Bay City Paranormal Investigation #2) by Ally Blue, Finished, 4 stars
34. Ratchet (Deviations, #2.5) by Chris Owen & Jodi Payne, Finished, 3 stars
35. Pineapples & Chocolate by E.M. Lynley, Finished, 3 stars
36. Twilight (Bay City Paranormal Investigation #3) by Ally Blue, Finished, 3.5 stars
37. Closer (Bay City Paranormal Investigation #4) by Ally Blue, Finished, 4 stars
38. An Inner Darkness (Bay City Paranormal Investigation #5) by Ally Blue, Finished, 4.5 stars
39. Where The Heart Is (Bay City Paranormal Investigation #6) by Ally Blue, Finished, 4 stars
40. Happy Ending (Men of Smithfield, #2) by L.B. Gregg, Finished, 3.5 stars
41. Icing On The Cake by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 4 stars
42. Perfect Man by Shawn Lane, Finished, 4 stars
43. Another Chance by Shawn Lane, Finished, 4.5 stars
44. Trust by Shawn Lane,Finished, 4.5 stars
45. Heart and Soul (Assignment, #4) by Evangeline Anderson, Finished, 3 stars
46. Turquoise and Leather (Collared, #1) by Kim Dare, Finished, 3.5 stars
47. Centrefold by Kris Norris, Finished, 3 stars

MAY
48. Night Shift by Jenna Byrnes, Finished, 3.5 stars
49. JackMagic by Jillian Snyder, Finished, 4 stars
50. Bound by Deception (Bound, #1) by Ava March, Finished, 4.5 stars
51. Bound to Him (Bound, #2) by Ava March, Finished, 5 stars
52. Deliberately Unbound (Bound, #3, Free story) by Ava March, Finished, 3.5 stars
53. Cheating Chance (Taking the Odds, #1) by James Buchanan, Finished, 4.5 stars
54. Inland Empire (Taking the Odds, #2) by James Buchanan, Finished, 5+ stars
(plus - not counting for this Challenge - a few Taking the Odds free reads and stories from anthologies:
Squirrel Run (c) 2008Spree (c) 2007
Measure Up (c) 2008
Technique from Toy Box: Handcuffs (2007)
A Little Trust from Toy Box: Rope (2008)
55. Give and Take by Anne Brooke, Finished, 3.5 stars
56. An Australian Christmas In New York by Sean Kennedy, Finished, 3.5 stars
57. Start From The Beginning by Chrissy Munder, Finished, 3.75 stars
58. Out of My Mind by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 4.5 stars
59. Broken Bones, Mended Hearts by William Cooper, Finished, 3.75 stars
60. Toy Box: Handcuffs by James Buchanan, Lorne Rodman, Chris Owen, Jodi Payne, Finished, 3.5 stars
61. Somatesthesia by Ann Sommerville, Finished, 3.75 stars
62. Positive Possibilities by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 4 stars
63. Gaps in Your Soul by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 4 stars
64. Mark's Toy Box by Laine Williams, Finished, 4 stars
65. Under Control (Lessons in Mastery, #1) by Laine Williams, Finished, 4 stars
66. Under Restraint (Lessons in Mastery, #2) by Laine Williams, Finished, 4 stars
67. Under Fire (Lessons in Mastery, #3) by Laine Williams, Finished, 4 stars
68. Hidden Hands (Hands, #3) by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 4 stars
69. Heaven (Heaven Sent, #1) by Jet Mykles, Finished, 4 stars
70. Never Let Go (Always, #1) by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 4 stars
71. Hearts & Bones (Always, #2) by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 4 stars
72. On Fire (On Fire, #1) by Drew Zachary, Finished, 4 stars
73. Black Wade: The Wild Side of Love by Franze & Andaerle, Finished, 4 stars
74. On Fire II: Still Burning (On Fire, #2) by Drew Zachary, Finished, 4 stars
75. More Than Just a Good Book by Sloan Parker, Finished, 5 stars
76. Timing by Mary Calmes, Finished, 4 stars
77. Sub for Hire by Claire Thompson, Finished, 4 stars
78. Swap Meet by Lolita Lopez, Finished, 4 stars
79. Past Lies by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 5 stars
80. The Cost of Eternity (Eternity, #1) by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 4 stars

JUNE
81. Car Wash by Shawn Lane, Finished, 3 stars
82. Captured by Julia Rachel Barrett, Finished, 4 stars
83. Bi Now, Gay Later by Kim Dare, Finished, 3.5 stars
84. Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone, Finished, 5 stars
85. Under My Skin by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 3.75 stars
86. Under My Skin II by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 4 stars
87. Bad Brad by Cheryl Dragon, Finished, 2.75 stars
88. Jungle Heat by Bonnie Dee, Finished, 4.5 stars
89. Bad Boys, Bad Boys (Boys in Blue, #1) by Mia Watts, Finished, 3.5 stars
90. Love & Loyalty (Faith & Fidelity, #2) by Tere Michaels, Finished, 4 stars
91. Three Wrong Turns in the Desert by Neil Plakcy, Finished, 4 stars
92. Bring The Heat by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 3.5 stars
93. Duty & Devotion (Faith & Fidelity, #3) by Tere Michaels, Finished, 4.25 stars
94. I Fell in Love with a Zombie by Sean Kennedy, Finished, 3.75 stars
95. Reasonable Doubt (Boys in Blue, #2) by Mia Watts, Finished, 4.5 stars
96. Caught Running by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux, Finished, 4.75 stars
97. Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell, Finished, 3 stars
98. A Detour Home by Devon Rhodes, Finished, 4 stars
99. Love Mode Vol. 1 by Yuki Shimizu, Finished, 3.5 stars
100. Pack of Lies by Vanessa Vaughn, Finished, 4 stars

JULY
101. Double Shot Cappuccino by Stephani Hecht, Finished, 4 stars
etc.

100+/100+ books. 100% done!

COMPLETED!!

The rest of my 2010 Reading list can be found here.

You can also check my list on my 100+ Reading Challenge shelf in my GoodReads library.

The M/M Reading Challenge 2010

.
I've finely decided to sign up for the The M/M Romance Challenge 2010 hosted by I Heart Paperbacks! It's my third, after joining the Erotica Romance Challenge and the Contemporary Romance Challenge. Now I've only not yet decided if I'll do the 100+ Challenge. But I think I will because that one would be a real challenge and that's the point, right?



Here are the rules:TIMELINE: January 1st to December 31st 2010
RULES: Read five(5) or more m/m romances in 2010

There are 5 reading levels to choose from:
- Read 5 M/M Romances
- Read 10 M/M Romances
- Read 15 M/M Romances
- Read 20 M/M Romances
- Read 20+ M/M Romances

DETAILS:

This challenge is for those who enjoy reading gay romances (also known as m/m or male/male romances) or those who are interested in starting. If you aren’t familiar with this genre, it consists of novels and stories where the main focus is the romantic relationship between the male protagonists.

• You must be 18 years old or older to join.
• You don’t have to select your books ahead of time. Even if you do, you can change your books as you go. Your books can crossover with other challenges.
• You don’t need a blog to participate. You can comment on this post if you’d like to share a book list or reading pool.
• Please create a post on your blog where you’ll be keeping track of your challenge reads and link back to this post so others can join in on the fun. If you use a “Current Challenges” page, or something similar, you can link back from that page instead of creating an individual post.
• You can use the large banner I’m using at the top of this post or you can use the smaller buttons I’ve provided below. Just copy the code provided. There’s no need to save the smaller buttons to your own server. (I have another large banner you can use here, if you’d like.)
• You can join at anytime between now and the latter part of 2010. Just give yourself enough time to read your chosen amount of books.
• Books chosen can be any length, sub-genre, or format. eBooks, paperbacks, young adult books, audio books, and re-reads are all okay.
• Once the challenge starts, I’ll create a page for everyone to post their reviews. Reviews are encouraged, but are entirely optional.


My list:

1. Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels, Finished, 5 stars
2. Mind F*cked by Mia Watts, Finished, 4 stars
3. Blind Faith by Claire Thompson, Finished, 4 stars
4. The Broken H by J.L. Langley, Finished, 4 stars
5. Seeing You by Dakota Flint, Finished, 4 stars
6. Upwardly Mobile by Clare London, Finished, 3.5 stars
7. Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon, Finished, 4 stars
8. Snowed In by Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban, Finished, 4.5 stars
9. Conquest by S.J. Frost, Finished, 4 stars
10. Catch Me If You Can by L.B. Gregg, Finished, 4 stars
11. Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon, Finished, 4 stars
12. Freeze Frame by Mia Watts, Finished, 4 stars
13. Oleander House by Ally Blue, Finished, 4 stars
14. Cheating Chance by James Buchanan, Finished, 4.5 stars
15. Start From The Beginning by Chrissy Munder, Finished, 3.75  stars
16. Somatesthesia by Ann Somerville, Finished, 3.75 stars
17. Hidden Hands by Shayla Kersten, Finished, 4 stars
18. Never Let Go by M.L. Rhodes, Finished, 4 stars
19. On Fire by Drew Zachary, Finished, 4 stars
20. Black Wade by Franze & Andaerle, Finished, 4 stars
21. Timing by Mary Calmes, Finished, 4 stars
etc.

20+/20 books. 100% done!

COMPLETED!!

You can check the rest of the list on my M/M Reading Challenge shelf in my GoodReads library.