Going Up by Amy Lane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lately I haven’t been in the mood for m/m books but I chose this because it’s Amy Lane, usually a sure fire hit for me. It was a cute, sweet enough story but kind of boring. I find Lane’s greatest books come with heaping amounts of angst. When she tries to do sweet or light, it never hits the mark for me unfortunately. This is a novella so it was quick to read and innocuous but I forgot it almost while I was reading it and never really engaged in the story. The meet-cute was sweet but it lingered in nowhere for too long and then I never really bought into the chemistry between the two men. I’d probably recommend it for someone that likes very sweet renditions of fairytales. Continue reading →

Turkey in the Snow by Amy Lane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Turkey in the Snow is a super sweet holiday story with a touch of angst but mostly just a feel good, easy to read story about 2 men and a child making a ready made family. I found the maturity of the men somewhat startling given their age but it’s not impossible or unrealistic. Add in a very on point four year old and the quick novella is well written in Lane’s style and sure to please her fans. It’s definitely sweeter than Lane typically goes for so be sure you’re in the right mood. Continue reading →

Dex in Blue by Amy Lane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I like Amy Lane’s work and Dex in Blue is very much more of the same. I think it’s slightly too similar to previous books though and so I had trouble connecting to the characters. Dex in Blue is a companion piece to Chase in Shadows and the same events happen in both books, although from different perspectives. I think it’s almost better not reading CiS first because the repetitive events and changing characters. However that said, DiB has the same feel but is definitely lighter. There is not the same level of angst and emotional brutality as the first book and there is a pretty big bow tied on everyone at the end – everyone gets babies, jobs, money, houses, love, and security! It’s a bit much no doubt but Lane puts her characters through the emotional ringer so the big splashy happy ending is the payoff. Continue reading →

It’s Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I know I’m likely to be the minority on this one but this Lane book just didn’t work for me (which is a first). I liked the characters as individuals but they didn’t seem to work as a couple and there are several unnecessary and rather random scenes that didn’t add to the story very much. I like Lane’s writing now as much as ever, though the repetitive use of “heifer” in almost all books is annoying, but I wish I’d skipped this one since I think Lane is capable of much better books. Continue reading →

Talker’s Graduation by Amy Lane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It’s no secret that I adore Talker & Brian and the entire Talker series. It’s definitely one of my favorites for a lot of reasons. The third book in the series, Talker’s Graduation, puts a nice solid happy ending on the couple but due to the choppy writing, uneven pace, and flashbacks that hurt more than help this particular offering isn’t as good as the previous ones. Fans of the series will definitely want to read it and I recommend it, but it’s definitely not as emotionally intense as the previous books and thus offers a much more muted impact. Continue reading →