Detective Mark Benemonti is still getting over his last relationship when he meets Sterling Steele – a Greek God in sweat pants – in his local park, and is instantly smitten. Mark knows that Sterling would never lie to him like his ex-boyfriend did. He’s just too sweet and innocent. Right? But while Sterling adores Mark, he’s dealing with an unhappy past of his own. He’s been hurt too many times to trust Mark straight away.
When Sterling’s secret – the fact that he works as a female impersonator at a club called Ruby Slippers – is unexpectedly and explosively revealed, Mark and Sterling’s relationship falls apart. By the time Mark realizes he’s made a mistake, Sterling isn’t in a listening mood. Mark is really going to have to go the extra mile in order to get his boyfriend back… the question is, can he handle his very own pair of Ruby Slippers

My thoughts: 

The first thing that came to my mind while reading this story is that it is the wrong format. It is way too short to cover this topic adequately. I wonder whether authors are required by publishers to deliver in novella or shorter format to meet the readers’ taste but it seems that often the chosen format and the plot do not fit together. Men preferring to dress as  a woman and the resulting problems with potential partners and people in general can’t be resolved in not even a hundred pages, in my opinion.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked the story and the main and side characters. I was totally smitten with Sterling and would have liked to know more about him. But it all felt rushed and resolved too easily and too quickly.

Mark, who obviously got his views from a seven year long brainwashing by a homophobe gay "boyfriend", got over his issues in a manner that was totally unbelievable to me. Self-reflecting is all nice and good and the support of well-meaning friends is certainly helpful, but his going from one attitude to the opposite happened in such a short time and to such an extreme that it was hardly realistic. On the other hand, Sterling who had been hurt before and was hurt again by Mark forgave him so quickly that it didn’t make me happy either. I wanted to see Mark suffer for a longer time. Nobody can tell me that after two weeks of self-contemplation next time Sterling picks up Mark from his job dressed up Mark will be ok to introduce Sterling to his colleagues as his partner. I just am not buying it.

"Ruby Slippers" is a fun read with some angst, but it could be so much more if it was another, longer format. 

Cory isn’t too happy to have to close his brother’s bakery, until a particular customer shows up. Cory would love to cheer ER doctor Kyle up with a little extra special service, but he’s not sure the man is interested. When Cory makes his move, will it be a disaster — or will his night at the bakery turn out to be better than he could have hoped for?

My thoughts: 

This is a so called Torquere sip, a very short story that just gives us a glimpse into the lives of people. It goes medias in res and stops pretty much the same way. However, it is cute and lovely, the perfect little story for a super short break when you don’t want to continue or start something longer.

I always find it amazing how sometimes you get to know a lot about the characters and come to like them even though  the story in total is only 14 pages – and there is some hot scene squeezed into it as well. Pretty nifty!

When Trent agrees to move to Los Angeles with Lucas, he knows things aren’t going to be easy. Between a lawsuit, Lucas’ closeted status, difficulty finding work, and a few other things, ‘not easy’ turns out to be an understatement.
Lucas can’t regret bringing his lover to L.A., but he also can’t live openly with Trent the way he wants to. When an unexpected film role makes Lucas even more high-profile than he already was and an unknown enemy steps in to complicate things even further, Lucas has some hard choices to make. Trent’s happiness, and Lucas’, depend upon making the right ones.

My thoughts: 

Trent and Lucas are living together now, but keep up the appearance that Lucas is merely helping out Trent who is down on his luck. Trent is not altogether happy with this situation but knows that Lucas will never come out of the closet. However, something unexpected happens and things change considerably.

It seems that some people were unhappy about the novel format for the conclusion of this series, since the two prequels were novellas and much shorter. I liked the longer format though. There were several issues to resolve, the lawsuit against Trent, the nature of Trent’s and Lucas’ future relationship and others that only turned up in "Unconventional". A shorter format would not have been long enough to give a satisfactory conclusion.

I still think that the two guys were too sex-focused. More often than not they turned to sex instead of talking first. Yes, eventually they came around to the talking but all in all the physical side of their relationship was a major plot point. I know it often is, but with all those problems that arose I would have liked them to talk them trough a little more. Another point that I still don’t get (but this is maybe only me being blue-eyed to the extreme) is why Lucas was so afraid to come out. Would the career of the actor in a syndicated show be ruined if the public found out he was gay? Why would the public care? Am I too naive to think that for a fan of a show the sexual orientation of the star is irrelevant? It would be to me.

All those little nagging things aside I enjoyed reading Trent’s and Lucas’ story a lot. They were both likeable characters and complemented each other perfectly. Another great character is the "other woman". I am one of those readers who strongly dislike women in the story. I can accept a colleague who shows up once in a while and minds her own business, but as soon as the woman is a best friend, confidante, partner or whatever I lose interest quickly. TC Blue, however, managed to portray Katie in such a way that I not only tolerated her, but actually liked her. She is funny, understanding, down to earth and has her own plans that work well with Lucas’ at the time.

If you like hot men and a solid plot with more than one strand you should go and read this series (I recommend you read the books in the proper order, you won’t enjoy them as much otherwise).

Blurb:

1888, Whitechapel. Jack the Ripper terrorizes prostitutes and baffles Scotland Yard; 1888, London. Annie Oakley thrills audiences of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show with her expert marksmanship. The Ripper may have picked the wrong target in this fascinating retelling of the well-known case of Jack the Ripper… with a Western twist! A mentally unbalanced killer who slashes throats and eviscerates his victims is stalking the Whitechapel district of London’s East End. Whitechapel, with its odors of unlimed outhouses, cabbage, cigars, coal smoke and fish; Whitechapel, with its boarding houses and casual wards, its impoverished working people, its prostitutes. Full moon, dense fog, shrill whistles from Bobbies on the beat; Hansom cabs, horses’ hooves clopping along wet cobblestones. The chills up your back as you look over your shoulder into the dark for the crazy Ripper with the long, sharp knife. This blend of fact and fiction will keep you turning the pages long after bedtime as the story unfolds in gaslit, Victorian London.

My thoughts: 

Who does not like Jack the Ripper stories? When I saw that this book was available I picked it up. The description of Whitechapel in the blurb evoked a picture right away, so I was really looking forward to reading this book.

The story

At first it seemed to be more or less a re-telling of the Ripper case, while Annie Oakley hardly made any appearance, except as the star of the Wild West Show. I was wondering when she would eventually come into play. Since I enjoy reading the original story, though, I didn’t miss her much. The atmosphere was described in such a way that I could picture the area, the people and everything surrounding that mysterious case very well.

When Annie finally got involved in the hunt for the Ripper I found it a nice twist.  I just couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to find out whether they would trap the killer or not – and I wanted to know NOW.

Story vs. facts

Tim Champlin took some liberties with the story, some of which brought the people to life, like for example Abberline’s sudden desire to go and work out at the Police’s Athletic Club, others I found unnecessary.

For example, Walter Sickert was no suspect of the police at the time of the investigation, as far as I know, but was mentioned as such in the book. According to the police he was always around when the killings happened but in reality he was in France at the time of four of the murders.

The police at the time believed that the “Dear Boss” letter that coined the term “Jack the Ripper” was written by a journalist named Tom Bulling, and that it was not written by the killer, as they did here. However, those details, even though not quite correct, didn’t mar the story as it was.

The ending

Up to the end I was spellbound and couldn’t stop. However, I was disappointed with the ending which was an anticlimax if I ever read one. I will talk about this below. If you don’t want spoilers, please don’t read what I’m saying below the spoiler alert!

If you like historical mysteries, Jack the Ripper stories in general and foggy London, read “Annie and the Ripper”!

OK, the ending was anticlimatic, to say the least.

Not only was the killer somebody who had never been mentioned in the story before, something that I find highly unsatisfying, there was also an angle to his motives that was extremely boring.

Why the killer had to have supernatural strength at the end during the chase I didn’t understand. He could have just run away and fallen into the Thames without running and climbing for miles on end. Then the “possession” angle would have been unnecessary. To give Jack the Ripper a demonic touch, I don’t know, I just didn’t like it.

Also, I find religious motives very bland and obvious. Whether it is a crazed priest who kills whores because they act against the will of God or whether it is a Satanist who sacrifices humans makes no difference to me, religion is just too simple.

Alright, nobody knows who the Ripper was and it is very possible that it was someone who never turned up in the investigation. But if Tim Champlin wanted to show that and give us a name we hadn’t come across before, why didn’t he use Montague Druitt? That man actually did exist, drowned in the Thames and after his death there were no more murders, which is – among other reasons -why he WAS suspected to be the Ripper later on. At least that solution would have been a true possibility, as opposed to the one with the guy who really nobody has ever heard of before.

The ending was not what I would have expected and it disappointed me quite a bit.

Title	Annie and the Ripper
Author	Tim Champlin
Publisher	Pill Hill Press
ISBN	978-1617060373
Buy link	Buy Annie and the Ripper

Squire William Raven has only one goal-to finally receive his spurs and become a knight. When his lord, Sir Robert de Cantilou, returns from a five-year crusade in the Holy Land, William wants nothing more than to impress him.

After Sir Robert’s return, noble guests arrive from France, bringing intrigue to the castle. William is oblivious to the politics, as he’s distracted by nightly visits from a faceless lover-a man who pleasures him in the dark and then leaves-a man he soon discovers is none other than his master, Sir Robert.

But William can’t ignore the scheming around him when he overhears a plot to murder Robert. He becomes intent on saving his lord and lover from those who would see him killed…

My thoughts: 

I am a sucker for Lord and Squire stories, so when I saw The Lion of Kent by Aleksandr Voinov & Kate Cotoner available on Netgalley I picked it up right away.

Of the three stories I read so far by Aleksandr and a co-author I liked this one best. I liked the historical setting, not to mention the two protagonists. William, a wild boy who wants to earn his spurs, and Robert, who recognizes himself as a young man in William. I found William as someone always reacting before thinking unless he forces himself to calm down and count to three very realistic. Robert as the older was the more reasonable and composed one, but still passionate and loving. The two men were absolutely great together.

The plot was solid and believable with some good side characters. Even though Stephen was a real jerk I liked him, well, as much as you can like a drunken priest who is droning on even though the only creature who listens is his dog.

The story was great from start to finish, there are not even minor things I’d like to have seen done differently. Only I would have liked it to be longer than it was. However, it seems this was not all. I read on Aleksandr’s website that two more novellas about William are planned which reconciles me a bit.

If you like a medieval setting, this is a must read.

Read more about The Lion of Kent and an excerpt at Aleksandr’s website.

EDIT (09/02/2010)

On the Carina Press blog there are a couple of posts with background info on the Lion of Kent. If you would like to know more, go to:

Finding the story in history 

Aiming for a sense of place 

When good friends and sometime-lovers-of-convenience meet again at a convention, sparks fly, but between Trent’s new job working for Neverwhere Games and Lucas’ co-star shocking the world, things get complicated.

Months later, during another convention, Trent and Lucas are faced with betrayal and manipulation from an unexpected source. Can they find a way to make things work or will their whole relationship suffer from an unexpected Conventional Education?

My thoughts: 

Slowly, but very slowly, Lucas’ and Trent’s “affair” turns into more, even if only in the minds of both men. They are still only meeting irregularly at conventions and – even though it is mentioned that they actually TALK about things on the phone – once they meet it’s clothes off immediately. I have to admit that I am eagerly waiting for the two guys to finally establish that there is more to their relationship than banging each other’s brains out.

A few more characters are introduced in person in this second instalment and they added some much needed distraction. Rory and Matthew, as well as Richard and Terrence are good side characters who are probably playing a bigger part in the third story. I’m looking forward to that.

The act of betrayal mentioned in the blurb will carry on into “Unconventional” as well and I am already curious to see how this will turn out.

All in all I regard this in between novella as a transitional story that continues what began in “Conventional Wisdom” and slowly leads to the conclusion to the story in the last novel. I wouldn’t read either of those books as a stand alone.

Addicted to the soaring skies, brash high-flier Arthur Edward “Jack” Ratigan returns to Britain to fly bombers when his birth country goes to war against Germany in World War II. It also means a return to his ancestral home of Pren Redyn House in Wales—and risking his career and freedom if it comes to light that he is homosexual.
The drama and peril of combat will create profound changes in Jack both during and after the war, as will the influence of Ifan Griffith, the young butler at Pren Redyn and the one person who seems immune to the Ratigan charm. The sky has always been Jack’s true love, but when he faces a future of never flying again, he’ll discover he’s already found a surprising new home for his heart—with Ifan.

My thoughts: 

When I saw the title of Jessie Blackwood’s book I was immediately drawn to it. It promised not only difficulties to overcome but also a perfect ending. What else could you possibly ask for? The fact that is is set during and after the end of WWII made it even more interesting for me. And I was not disappointed.

The story jumps back and forth between now and Ifan’s and Jack’s pasts. Basically we follow the two men from a very early age on, Ifan is a young boy and Jack a teenager. One thing I would have liked to read a little more about is the reason why Ifan felt that strong dislike towards Jack. It was explained, but I never got a concrete example of what Jack actually said or did to deserve it. That made it hard for me to picture him as the boy respectively the man he was supposed to be.

The relationship between the two men goes through more or less all stages, master and servant, companions, friends and eventually lovers. That was nicely done, even though I never got rid of the nagging feeling that their being lovers – or rather their falling in love with each other – was the result of the situation. Not that this is a bad thing, very often a certain situation decides the birth of a relationship, but in this case I am wondering whether Ifan and Jack would have come together if Jack hadn’t been in the situation he was. Or whether he would have fallen in love with another caretaker as well. I don’t know.

Those doubts, however, didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the story as it was. There were a lot of good side characters like Gordon or Bronwen to add to the overall good feel of the book and the title kept its promise. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Blurb:

When B-list syndicated TV star Lucas runs into Gaming-goth-geek Trent in the hotel bar the night before the convention starts, he isn’t expecting to become attached. And since Trent is obviously out of touch with television, Lucas figures he’s safe using his ‘con name’, Bill Speare. When Trent– Mainstream Video clerk and goth with big dreams–meets a stellar hottie who seems to be into him, he goes with it, happy to be free of his recent dry spell.

But one night turns into so much more, and when he finds out that his very temporary lover has been lying to him about something as unimportant yet vital as his name, he gets… miffed. Thanks to a new acquaintance, Cindy Lou, Trent works through his anger in a drunken evening, and when he finally goes to see Bill –Lucas– he’s figured it all out.

So has Lucas, and the two men do what comes naturally to them, but can they come to an explosive and enjoyable conclusion?

My thoughts: 

I really like TC Blue’s stories and when I saw that she has a new one out at Torquere I wanted to get it but learned that there are two prequels to it. So, instead of starting with the third I got the first book “Conventional Wisdom”.

It was a good story. I liked both characters Trent and Lucas, aka Bill. Since the whole situations is more or less a one night stand, or rather three nights stand, it deals with quite a bit of sex and only little other interaction. However, Cindy Lou, the housewife from the Bible Belt who was refreshingly open minded, added the necessary relief from too much of a good thing.

The way Trent got over his initial anger was rather pleasant. Usually the “betrayed partner” broods and sulks for a long time, but Trent was very rational and reasonable about Lucas’ lie.

“Conventional Wisdom” was rather short and just calls for a sequel. The ending was satisfying as it is with Trent and Lucas deciding to stay friends (with benefits), but there was much more underneath that just needs to come out. I’m already looking forward to reading that. 

Professor of Environmental Science/Wildlife studies at UNLV, Jack McBain has spent his adult life trying to track a legend overheard during his youth. Born and raised in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland, Jack remembers his grandparents telling stories of a race of people eradicated by European settlers in 1829. According to the legend, the Beothuk people didn’t die out as first thought, but were transformed into wolf shifters.

When Newfoundland wolves began to appear in great numbers, the European settlers began killing them under the guise of population control. In 1910, the last of the Newfoundland wolves was shot, making them one of the few extinct species of wolves in the world.

Following spotty leads, Jack begins to track what he believes are Beothuk/Newfoundland shifter wolves. His search leads him to the Lake Mead National Recreational Area outside of Las Vegas. There, on Spirit Mountain, he finally comes face to face with not only the shifter he’s been looking for, but the man of his dreams he didn’t know he needed.

My thoughts: 

I only know Carol Lynne’s writing from the two Cattle Valley books that I read recently and thought I’d try something different by her. And, wow, different this was. I don’t know whether it was for the better or worse, though.

But first let me say something about Resplendence Publishing’s so called “Heat Levels”. They have 5 heat levels that go from “heat behind closed doors” (Diamond) to “intense, hotter than hot” (Fire Opal). “Extinction” is rated that last level. However, it seems ALL same sex romance books are in that category, obviously because of the contents being offensive to some (my assumption, they don’t say that explicitly). So, if you buy a m/m romance at their shop your book will automatically be rated “Fire Opal”. I didn’t know exactly whether this means the heat is “hotter than hot” or whether it is simply in that category because of the potentially offensive contents (unless of course ALL m/m books are that heated anyway).

Let me get this straight, I don’t mind a heat level up to the roof, but if about 85% of the book are sex scenes I tend to get a bit bored. This is what happened here, I actually found myself skipping over sex scenes desperately trying to find the next scene with other content.

For all intents and purposes the plot was interesting and could certainly have been elaborated on. Unfortunately Carol Lynne decided to keep explanations to a minimum, just barely enough so you could understand what was going on, and filled the rest of the story with sex.

I really liked the first few pages, but then it quickly turned around to being monotonous.  I never even felt a real connection between Jack and Toby. The whole story. even though the idea is a good one, was –in my eyes- badly executed.