Review: Home Again

June 6, 2011Kassa 6 Comments

Home Again by Cardeno C.
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I read Home Again because I wanted to read the sequel – He Completes Me – and assumed I had to read the first book in the series. Unfortunately the couple in the sequel is only in one scene of Home Again so I could have saved myself the agony of reading this one. Except to be fair it isn’t agonizing. The story is easy to read just not very good. I hear the sequel is funny and the characters are adorable so I’m still game to read that one but sadly this book went off the rails at the beginning and never quite recovered. I don’t recommend it at all and suggest readers look for some of the better amnesia plot books out there (such as Amor En Retrograde). Continue reading →

Review: He Completes Me

May 28, 2011Kassa Leave a comment

He Completes Me by Cardeno C.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

He Completes Me is the second book in the Home series. The first, Home Again, I pretty much hated entirely (1 star), but thankfully you don’t have to read Home Again to understand He Completes Me. In fact just pick up this one if it sounds interesting to you. HCM is a better book by far but it still suffers from second half malaise as the tension drains from the book to be replaced by sex scene after sex scene with no real purpose. It’s romantic to be sure and a very strong HEA with some adorable characters so that may be enough for some readers.

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Review: Shying Away

May 25, 2011Kassa Leave a comment

Shying Away by Kate Sherwood
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I’ve come to expect a lot of internal conflict and a slower pace from Sherwood’s stories and Shying Away fits that description very well. The characters spend most of the time with little to no reason for being apart other than emotional fear and chaos. The pace is pretty slow as the characters have no external conflict and the internal source drags out. This isn’t bad usually but since the characters can’t rely on sex scenes or sadly much sexual tension the story starts to drag. Once they get together things aren’t actually much better and eventually I became pretty bored as the story just kept going without any real interest. Continue reading →

Review: The Locker Room

May 22, 2011Kassa 3 Comments

The Locker Room by Amy Lane
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about Locker Room. The premise honestly works for me as I adore angst driven men –it’s a weakness of mine- but the ending really disappoints me. I know not all readers will feel the same but I personally feel cheated. The book also tends to exaggerate and the emotions are wild and outrageous, always the depths of despair and the height of happiness. That doesn’t bother me as I like Lane’s writing and the story works regardless but not all readers may appreciate the exaggeration. I also don’t think this the best Lane’s done and the writing especially misses some of the polish and effortlessness of earlier titles. It’s worth reading though if you’re a fan or like angsty men as it certainly delivers on that score. Continue reading →

Review: After the War

May 13, 2011Kassa Leave a comment

After the War by T.C. Mill
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

After the War is an intriguing idea but never quite pulls off the concept. The story is interesting enough to read, something slightly different in the genre but if there are better alternate universe/fantasy books. I think the story gets caught in its own circular path and forgets to actually show the reader all the little details that are clearly hiding behind the scenes. The writing is engaging though and story easy to read and if readers are looking for a quick novella just slightly out of the ordinary this could satisfy.

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Dreamspinner Sale

May 2, 2011Kassa 9 Comments

Even though I’m currently reading a very bad DSP book (something all DSP readers can relate to no doubt), I’m pretty psyched about their month long sales. So just in case you haven’t seen this, I’ll add to the spam because I think it’s better than average as far as sales go.

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Review: Flesh & Blood

April 25, 2011Kassa 2 Comments

Flesh & Blood by Ethan Stone
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Flesh & Blood is the sequel to Ethan Stone’s In the Flesh debut novel. The strengths of the first novel were not the nearly non-existence romance but the pseudo interesting mystery and the author’s voice. Here the romance remains immaterial except for a lot of sex scenes while the mysteries are obvious, foreshadowed, and extremely cliché. The author’s voice is the best thing about this story which unfortunately fails in several ways. The writing tends to be abrupt and tells almost every time instead of showing. The actions are equally blunt with little descriptive prose. I didn’t mind that so much and actually like the brusque nature but the story is bland and too obvious, often gliding over incredibly difficult and complex problems in the blink of an eye. Sadly the sequel doesn’t stand up to the first book, although I’ll likely read the third book hoping it gets better.

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Review: Paris A to Z

April 23, 2011Kassa 5 Comments

Paris A to Z by Marie Sexton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want to be sad that a fabulous series (Coda Books) has ended but the concluding novella, Paris A to Z, wraps everything and everyone up so well that I feel satisfied and happy. The story could have been longer and had more Jonathan and Cole but really that’s just getting greedy since the story is nearly pitch perfect in offering solid happy endings to everyone. In some ways the various arc are the inevitable conclusions to the growth that each character has over the course of the series. Angelo and Zach grow the most but then again they had the most tenuous and perhaps out there relationship. In the end there’s no doubt everyone is happy and with their intended soul mates.

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Review: Stroke to His Cox

April 17, 2011Kassa 6 Comments

Stroke to His Cox by J.L. Merrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love JL Merrow’s sense of humor and even if this hadn’t been highly recommended around the blogsphere I’d want to read a book titled “Stroke to His Cox.” Yea I’m a perve but so are you so get this short delightful story. The writing is clever, witty, and full of innuendo and rowing terms. The characters are funny, entertaining, and like to twist the usual stereotypes on their heads. For a short story this packs a punch and leaves you wanting more of whatever Merrow wants to offer. Continue reading →

Review: The Only Gold

April 14, 2011Kassa 3 Comments

The Only Gold by Tamara Allen
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

In the world of too many books and too little time, the phrase “auto-buy” is tossed around with almost cavalier meaning. Although I have very few “auto-buy” authors where I buy everything they do no matter what, Tamara Allen has to be on my list. The Only Gold may not be as beloved as Whistling in the Dark, which if you haven’t read do so now immediately, but it showcases Allen’s meticulous attention to detail, flair for complex yet fascinating characters, and impeccable writing. Continue reading →

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Dreamspinner Press

Review: Home Again

Review: He Completes Me

Review: Shying Away

Review: The Locker Room

Review: After the War

Dreamspinner Sale

Review: Flesh & Blood

Review: Paris A to Z

Review: Stroke to His Cox

Review: The Only Gold