Save the Contemporary Romance?

Oh HELL NO!

AAAAAHHHHHHH... Make the bad words go away!!!!!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

As I said previously, THREE out of the five books I’m judging for this year’s Passionate Plumes are Contemporary Romances.

Book one is from an author whose paranormal I judged VERY highly before. But this Contemp? Not so much. The heroine female lead has a nasty personal hygiene problem. After a double penetration ménage scene that involved condoms and copious amounts of lube, she pulls on her clothes and leaves. After another scene that involved anal sex and no condom, she again merely pulled her clothes on and left. Then came the complete gross out scene— after an entire night of marathon sweaty sex, her alarm goes off in HER HOUSE, and she gets up, gets dressed and goes to work.

Now, I can hear you saying, “Bev, REALLY, do you honestly expect an author to detail every trip to the bathroom?” No, no I don’t. However, when an author describes in great detail every little thing the female lead does—from what drawer she pulled clothes out of to what she pulled out of each drawer and what color each item was- I think it’s reasonable to expect at least a brief mention that this woman also stopped by the bathroom to finish getting ready. I mean, they were awake BEFORE the alarm and she got out of bed as soon as it went off, so it’s not plausible that she was too rushed to pop into the bathroom to hose herself down. Instead, this author had the heroine pulling on each item of clothing as she talked to the hero and then rushing downstairs to feed her dog (I’ve chosen to presume she had a doggie door and the poor dog wasn’t expected to hold it all night and all day) and then out the door to work. At no point did she make ANY stops to take a shower, comb her hair, or even wash off. Note that there was also NO TEETH BRUSHING either and this skanky smelling woman WENT TO WORK THAT WAY! EEEEWWWWWWW! Can you imagine working beside this oozing spooge queen all day?!

However, I DID make it through the book because the storyline wasn’t completely awful. Mind you, it wasn’t great, and I’d have a tough time calling it good, but it wasn’t awful. On the Passionate Plume Judging Scale of 1 to 9, I gave it a 5.8. I think I would let it just barely slip into the bottom (heh) of my M&Ms category with a Flame Height of 7” out of 9”. Wait, I take that back, the hygiene issue was a complete turn-off so I’m deducting Flame Height for that. So let’s say 6.5” out of 9” Flame Height.

I decided to break up the Contemporaries with the two Historicals between each of them. They are both by the same author and are books 2 and 3 of a series. I finished the first historical (book 2 of the series) and it really wasn’t bad- VERY erotic and definitely pushes the envelope for mainstream press. If it was from an epub, I’d say it probably would receive one of their higher heat or flame ratings. As for the storyline, I often felt like chunks of the story were missing. Not characters or info from the previous book that I haven’t read, but sections that would help make more sense of the plot of THIS book seemed to be missing and I often felt like I’d walked into the middle of a conversation or scene. All in all though, I liked the characters despite their professed arousal at body odors (Yes, I’ll cut the historical SOME slack about hygiene), and I was COMPLETELY surprised by the identity of the villain and their motivations. So, this one gets scored 6.8 out of 9, and I’d place it firmly in my M&Ms category with a Flame Height of 8” out of 9”.

But then I picked up the third book (second Contemporary Romance) I needed to judge. Oh Great Balls of Badness! By page 22 I had already chalked the book off as a DNF at least three times. Let me repeat—BY PAGE TWENTY-FREAKIN-TWO, I had already REPEATEDLY fought back the overwhelming urge to flush this craptastic tome down the toilet. But I didn’t want to fuck up the plumbing so here it sits and the thought of picking it back up causes gagging dry heaves in much the same way that the thought of drinking any more of the GALLON of thick, slimy, salty bowel prep before my December colonoscopy did.

The premise is silly; the coincidences absurd- a woman who can’t achieve orgasm decides to try uninhibited sex with a stranger AND DOESN’T USE A CONDOM. And oh yeah, the stranger just HAPPENS to be the professor who will be teaching her upcoming sexuality class (of course she doesn’t know this yet) that her ex-boyfriend signed them up for before they broke up (I understand he shows up later in the book for a ménage). Yet, during this CONDOMLESS RIDE ON A STRANGER, she bumps and grinds but gets frustrated because she can’t reach the Big O with this guy either. Yet neither Ms. TSTL nor the Sexpert ever touch her magic luv button. HellooooOOOOO... the clit, the clitoris... ever hear of it Mr. Sexpert? Ever read Cosmo magazine, Ms. TSTL? Shit, even my kids’ health classes at a Catholic high school show the clitoris in their female genital illustrations.

Or wait, maybe the author is saying that women who can’t achieve orgasm without direct clitoral stimulation (which includes all but about 27% of women) are sexually dysfunctional. Hmmm... or maybe the author doesn’t have a clue WTF she’s writing about.

At this point I was desperate and hit the interwebs to find out if there was ANY chance- even an eentsy, weentsy one- that this sludge heap got less stinky if I could just force myself to read further. Okay, as expected the usual culprits are saying it’s one of the Best.Books.Ever. in exchange for being quoted in print. And RT gave it 4 stars (WTF?), but what’s REALLY scary is that the last Contemp I need to judge was only given 3 STARS by RT! ::*meep*:: So if this fecal matter is a FOUR STAR, then speaking in relative terms, the last Contemp WILL be flushed and damn the plumbing bill! Or there’s some m/m interaction in it. Because when it comes to m/m, an RT 3 star is the equivalent to a straight romance’s 4 or 4.5 star. ::*sigh*:: Somehow I doubt I’ll be that lucky.

A search through my Google Reader subscriptions turned up only one “regular” blogger who mentioned this piece of crapola- Kati and she gave it a D+. So, I’m assuming it doesn’t get any better and I don’t know WHAT I’m going to do about this book. And how the hell am I going to get through that LAST Contemp? NO ONE in my Gooogle Reader has reviewed it! But the blurb sounds like it might lean toward romantic suspense so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. At least I should be able to get through the last historical since it’s a sequel to the other historical I read.

In the meantime, these books had almost completely wiped out ANY urge I had to read. Now keep in mind that I haven’t read an entire book in TWO FREAKING MONTHS (just bits of anthologies) so I SHOULD have been open to ANYTHING and devoured it like a ravenous beast. THIS WAS NOT GOOD, PEOPLE!

But I had one hope and I had deprived myself long enough. In case of emergency, open eARC. GOD BLESS ANN AGUIRRE! Within just the first few pages of Blue Diablo, I said to myself, “THIS is why I love to read.” Seriously, I’ll write my full review shortly (Ann will be guest-blogging here on April 20th), but my mental movie reel started up right away and allowed me to escape the awful Contemps. And it hasn’t stopped (Yes, Jen and MB, I’m a dork). Even though I have had to frequently put Blue Diablo down and tend to other matters ::grrrr::, the movie stays in Pause mode in my head just waiting for me to hit the Play button again. No, wait, that’s not quite right... it’s also as if I need to hurry back to it so I don’t miss anything. Okay, I realize that probably makes more sense in my head. Nonetheless, halfway through and DAYUM I’m enjoying the hell outta this one! Like I’ve said before, I’m not able to read many ebooks on my PDA anymore, but this one is well worth the risk of eye strain. Unfortunately, I had a queen sized headache all day yesterday and didn't dare try to look at that screen.

However, I STILL don’t know how I’m going to be able to read those last two Contemps, but right now I couldn’t care less because, even though it APPEARS that I’m sitting here in front of my computer in the Land O’ the Grey (NE Ohio), the truth is that I’ve escaped to Mexico and Texas. See ya in Laredo!

L&M 2: Taking Work Home by Jules Jones

Jules Jones - Lord and Master Series

1. Lord and Master
1.5 Lord and Master: Old Age Creeping Over Me (read it FREE on Jules' website!)
2. Lord & Master 2: Taking Work Home
2.5 Lord and Master: Flight of Dreams (read it FREE on Jules' website!)

Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 7.5" out of 9"

See INDEX for more about this author.

After nearly a year together, Steven and Mark plan on getting married (their engagement happens prior to this book), yet they still live in separate homes and aren’t sure they can live together. And though monogamous, they still use condoms even for oral sex. Since I hadn't read the previous book, and even though the author includes a back story preface, it just didn’t bode well for a lasting relationship between these two men and I couldn’t see how they could have already made the commitment to marry.

Then I caught on to Jules Jones’ gem of a storyline. Steven, who is Mark’s boss and older by a couple of decades, has bipolar disorder. I think we’ve all read stories or watched TV shows (probably on Lifetime) where one partner in an established relationship develops a mental or physical illness.

But Jules explores what it’s like to know going into a relationship that there are problems. We see that, even knowing there will be challenges, Mark and Steven develop their relationship anyhow, with not only the quirks and follies inherent in any new relationship, but also dealing with what, in a way, becomes the third member of their relationship—Steven’s mental disorder.

Steven knows that his disorder means a lot of work for a partner, so much so that none of his previous partners could handle it/him for the long haul. But with Mark, Steven tries to be realistic and honest and to not put a brave face on what he can and can’t handle.

So they’ve been taking baby steps in their relationship to avoid pushing Steven’s emotional envelope. I do wonder why Steven isn’t on any medications to control his mood swings, but I really don’t know all that much about the disorder. Since Steven appears to have a relatively mild form, maybe the meds have too much of a “zombie" effect on him.

Mark has learned just how much work, and what an unequal partnership, loving someone with bipolar disorder can be. He must be careful, often walking on eggshells, not to pressure or push Steven in case he triggers another emotional swing. And when something DOES send Steven into a depressive state, or obsessive anger, or manic elation, Mark finds himself doing whatever is necessary to help Steven gain some control over himself. To be honest, Mark was, at times, TOO understanding. I wanted him to get angry, even if he kept it to himself.

Steven’s illness complicates the already frustrating misconceptions about their relationship. Mark is perceived, at best, as Steven’s mid-life crisis toyboy. At worst, he’s seen as a gold-digger who thinks Steven and his successful company are enticing prizes. Much of L&M2 involves the dynamics of Steven’s family and the introduction of Mark into it as Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right Now.

BTW, although the title suggests otherwise, Lord and Master is NOT a D/s series. It's probably explained in the first book, but my guess is that it came about because Steven often jokingly refers to Mark as his "minion". And possibly it is a veiled reference to the control that Steven must master in order to keep his disorder from mastering him.

While I still question whether Steven and Mark could have made the commitment to marry so soon, I have to give Jules Jones kudos for this story. There are no car chases, no villains, no shoot-em-ups. However, as she ALWAYS manages to do, Jules has breathed life into her unique and memorable characters in this slice-of-life, heartwarming story.

Piquant Opines: Fallen Angel Reviews, Sensual (Ecataromance), Uniquely Pleasurable, Romance Junkies, Mrs. G, Elisa_Rolle



Have you read any of these books? Feel free to review or link to a review in the comments. Even if you don't agree!

Challenge Protocol by Dawn Ryder

Challenge Protocol by Dawn Ryder


See index for previous books.




Category: Dark Chocolate - loved by some, just "meh" to me (C-,D+)
Flame Height: 6.5" out of 9"


Read my review at The Good, the Bad, the Unread

The Perfect Cover by Claire Thompson

Teddypig and Bev(QB)’s review of The Perfect Cover by Claire Thompson
Contemporary gay romance ebook released by Ellora’s Cave 26 Dec 07




Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 7" out of 9"

So what happens when an opinionated, Big City Gay Man with a deliciously wicked sense of humor teams up with an opinionated, pervy, suburban Ohio soccer Mom to dish about a Gay Romance written by a female author?

Head over to The Good, the Bad, and the Unread to read the words of wisdom (*snort*) imparted by Teddypig and I in our Dual Review.

uh... do I need to point out that neither one of us has a reliable "V-Chip"?

QB's Quickies

"So, read any good books lately?"
"What did you think of...?"

Here's the Quickie answers to those questions. Click on the Links for more info.




Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, Jean Johnson - An Enchanted Season anthology

Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books I read fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 6" out of 9"

Four surprisingly sexy, paranormal Christmas stories. I've been curious to read Singh's Psy/Changeling series because of the nearly universal glowing reviews. And I'm glad I finally read one of her stories, Beat of Temptation, in this anthology because it showed me that I probably won't like the series-- The "Psy" aspects would be too futuristic sci-fi for me. I ADORED the other three stories, though. If you buy only one holiday themed romance this season, I recommend it be this one.
Piquant Opines: RT, TRRC

Sherrilyn Kenyon with Alethea Kontis - The Dark-Hunter Companion

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 0" out of 9"

I bought this book for one reason only- I'm hoping that I'll be able to make sense out of Archeron when it's released. As I've said before, Ash's story is the only reason I haven't stopped buying this series, but after his story, that's it. Although I have to admit I'm curious about Savitar, but he's not worth reading the rest of this increasingly muddied up series.

I have to give Kenyon and Kontis kudos for the entertaining concept of this book-- it's written from the POV of a smartass Squire (is there any other kind?) writing a training manual for new Dark Hunters. It's best to read this in small doses, though, because all those Greek, Sumerian, Roman, Nordic, Celtic, and Atlantian gods, goddesses and myths WILL make your head explode if you spend too much time trying to figure them out, especially since they tend to contradict each other (much like Kenyon does). It's more than encyclopedic, and some of the info is sort of interesting, while some info is just an info dump. There's a "secret" section on Archeron that precedes the Bonus Materials section. There's also a section of Cajun and Greek recipes thrown in there (how odd and random is that?!).

The most important and telling line in this rigid cover, larger than trade, paperback is "Now for the disclaimer: This book is mutable. It goes with the wind. It changes more often than the mind of a sixteen-year-old Libra..." Indeed. And might explain why I'm not the only one who has trepidations about whether Archeron can live up to expectations.
Piquant Opines: LV,

Eden Bradley, Jaci Burton, Lisa Renee Jones - Exclusive anthology

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 6" out of 9"

BDSM doesn't usually float my boat, but I bought this because Mike, the other vet from Wild in Burton's Wild, Wicked and Wanton (see previous commentary) gets his HEA, or at least HIS version of an HEA. A pretty big life change for the amount of time that passes, but nonetheless, another intelligent erotic romance from Burton. Bradley's story just wasn't my "flavor" and Jones' story could have been better if she had just filled it in a bit more-- "show don't tell".
Piquant Opines: RT, RJ,

Maggie Shayne, Susan Sizemore, Lori Handeland, Caridad Piñeiro - Moon Fever anthology

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 5" out of 9"

Four entertaining and engrossing vampire and/or shape shifter stories. Good stuff, Crazy for the Cat by Caridad Piñeiro was particularly memorable.
Piquant Opines: RT, RJ

Charlaine Harris (editor) - Many Bloody Returns anthology

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 1" out of 9"

Thirteen authors (Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Bill Crider, Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, P.N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Jeanne C. Stein, Tanya Huff, Carolyn Haines, Tate Hallaway, Elaine Viets, Toni L.P. Kelner), thirteen stories, each using the theme of vampires and birthdays. It truly amazed me to see the thirteen COMPLETELY different stories that arose from those two words. Some dark, some funny, some cute, some suspenseful, some poignant. Most were good, a couple were just "okay".
Piquant Opines: RT, VampireGenre, Darque Reviews

Chiaroscuro by Jenna Jones

I've got a review up for Chiaroscuro by Jenna Jones over on The Good, The Bad, the Unread.

Watcha think?

Decadent by Shayla Black

Head over to The Good, the Bad, and the Unread-- my review for Shayla Black's Decadent marks my first contribution as a regular TGTBTU reviewer (instead of a guest reviewer)! Pleeeeze don't forget to give me some comment luv while you're over there!

And no, I don't THINK Sybil has completely lost her mind... YET! But, considering the techno-hell I put her through yesterday fixing the mess I made in Wordpress, I wouldn't rule it out.

TAGGED!

Devon tagged me with this meme...

1. Total number of books I own:
Coincidentally, I just bought a dozen large underbed storage containers, stackable and with wheels, to try and get my books organized. Right now, books are stashed all over the house. I might even weed a few out for the first time EVER. More than likely it will be some of the tamer historicals from before I discovered spice. But I HAVE just GOT to get organized. I think I'm up to a THIRD set (fourth for some) of LKH books because it's easier to buy more from ebay than try to track them down when I'm craving a re-read.

But right now I'll have to guesstimate that print books are well over four digits, plus a few hundred ebooks, and about three dozen audio books.

2. Last Book I bought:
Well, I just hit Walden's then Border's then K-Mart to pick up the 08/28 releases. But the absolute last one for that trip was Immortals: The Gathering by Jennifer Ashley

3. Last Book I read:
(Gwen's gonna laugh her ass off at this) Lucinda, Darkly by Sunny

4. Five books that mean a lot to me: (in no significant order)

1. Stories for Late at Night - anthology edited by Alfred Hitchcock. I'd always loved scary movies. This book showed me that I loved dark and macabre BOOKS even more. I "accidently" forgot to return this to my junior high library. Years later, I loaned it to my oldest niece, LissaNY, who "accidently" never gave it back to me and lost track of it. And, yes, oddly enough, I do still acknowledge her.

2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - the first book that was truly emotional for me. I remember crying inconsolably at Beth's death scene. Walter Farley's Black Stallion books are a close second because of the sense of power and movement they invoked.

3. Black Lace Publishing and Red Sage Publishing. Okay, technically, not a book, but they are responsible for my first experiences with Erotic Romance and the beginning of my spice addiction. Black Lace gave me Menage by Emma Holly (and, IIRC, my 1st M/M), A Gentleman's Wager by Madelynne Ellis, Continuum by Portia Da Costa, and so very many more. The Secrets anthologies from Red Sage introduced me to Erotic Paranormals through authors like Angela Knight and MaryJanice Davidson.

4. Romantic Times Magazine and Ellora's Cave Publishing. Again, not technically books, but reading RT's reviews for EC's Romantica compelled me to buy my first PDA just so I could read the ebooks RT recommended. I think my first purchases were by Jaid Black and Lora Leigh. To this day, if someone says they are new to ebooks and asks where to start, I ALWAYS recommend Lora's Breeds series and I've yet to find ANYONE that didn't end up devouring each and every story.

5. Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry and Anita Blake series. If you've been reading this blog, then you already know I'm a vamp victim in The Harlequin, so that's a "gimme". However, Narcissus in Chains and Blue Moon remain my all time favorites in the AB series. The characters are so real that, when I turn the last page of a book, I shout (in my head, of course), "NO! WAIT! I'm not ready to leave them yet!" It takes me awhile to wrap my head around the fact that I can't just go to St. Louis and catch up with these "people".

With the exception of Mistral's Kiss, which was the weakest book of the series, I believe LKH's Merry Gentry series is a modern American masterpiece. The complexity of the fantasy world building that started with Kiss of Shadows is far beyond anything else I've ever read. So far, my favorite is Seduced by Moonlight.

5. Tag 5 people:
This is the toughest part because I should probably check and make sure who has or has not already been tagged for this meme. I know I've been seeing it around for awhile. I THINK the people I've listed are tag free.

1. Sybil/Gwen/Lawson - see, I'm being nice and letting YOU choose how many to do, however, I'd REALLY like each of you to do it. You can even put your own TGTBTU spin on it

2. Mandy - because I think she's a meme virgin and it's her birthday

3. Chantal - because, except for a few, we have VERY different tastes in books

4. Ann Aguirre/Annie Dean - consider it a belated birthday present chica

5. Anyone else that thinks this is a fun and/or interesting meme. Either copy the questions to your blog and post the link here or post your answers in the comments for this post if you don't have a blog

Your Alibi by Annie Dean

Annie Dean - Your Alibi (Liquid Silver Books)

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 6" out of 9"

Addie has always been a party girl, she was even in an all girl rock band with her best friend Lorene, whom she once tried some girl-on-girl action with. Hell, she even married her now ex-husband, Fast Eddie (the name tells you all you need to know about HIM) because she figured he'd never become boring (careful what you wish for). She left the responsibility of running her family's southwestern inn, The Grail, up to first her mother until her death, and then her sister until she committed suicide (apparently because of all the responsibilities, but that's not made clear).

The story opens four years after the death of Addie's sister, Mel. Mel's husband, Manu, a huge Samoan who dresses only in assorted lavalava (wraparound skirts), is still numb with grief. Addie's father lives only to tinker with his less than stellar inventions and is oblivious to the world around him. Addie is left trying to keep the run down B&B afloat while also trying to recover from the financial devastation inflicted on her by Fast Eddie. I have to admit that this first section was pretty depressing and bleak but, as we find out later, Addie doesn't see it that way. It's her home and her family and she will do whatever it takes for them.

Addie comes up with the idea for a new on-line business called "Your Alibi" that begins to turn her financial situation around. She offers up proof for cheating spouses that they are attending a business seminar at The Grail. She even offers a deluxe package that includes fake itineraries, keynote speakers, and seminars geared toward the client's business interest. So, while "Your Alibi" doesn't bring a single guest actually walking through the door, it brings in guest rates without much overhead. Because she is aware that it wouldn't be looked on positively by her family and friends, Addie keeps the details of her successful business to herself.

Until the day a husband shows up to verify that his wife has been attending business retreats at The Grail.

Sean and his wife, Cami, have been together since they were little kids. But over the past couple of years, they've been growing further and further apart. He has a growing suspicion that Cami's frequent business retreats are a load of horseshit, but NEEDS to know for sure before he confronts her. Because of several travel delays, Cami's "retreat" is over by the time he shows up at The Grail and he realizes he'll have to snoop around to find out what Cami was doing there-- or if she was EVER there.

Addie realizes that Sean is the husband of one of her clients and sets out to distract him from asking too many questions. So Sean soon finds himself right smack in the middle of Addie's crazy life that is inhabited by some very colorful and endearing characters. Oh, and there are penguins. In the desert. And they are catalysts for a later important event.

It's not long before easy-going Sean and one-of-a-kind Addie become friends and eventually lovers. Annie Dean has turned the tables a bit with this couple, though. It's the female lead, Addie, who never thought she needed or wanted the whole hearts and flowers, happily-ever-after love. And Sean is nowhere near a typical alpha male, he's always been content letting Cami direct their lives. Now think back to most of the Romances where the female lead isn't a virgin. Almost always, she never knows sex can be good until she meets the hero. Well, in this book, Addie already enjoys sex (or would if there was anyone around the teeny town to indulge with), but after all the years of being with the cool Cami, it's Sean who never realized sex could be so out of control and FUN!

For me, the strength of this story is that I haven't met these characters before, and I CERTAINLY have never read this story before, not even close. There are a few things that are skimmed over in passing that I was hoping would be explained in more detail (Mel's suicide, Addie's infertility). But Annie has peppered this story with slice of life humor, some moments of genuine familial affection, a dash of zaniness, and at one point (Sean's freaking brilliant Jell-O comment) she even made me laugh and cry at the same time.
Piquant Opines: Mrs. G, Lauren, Rhian,

QB's Quickies

"So, read any good books lately?"
"What did you think of...?"

Here's the Quickie answers to those questions. Click on the Links for more info.



Jaci Burton and C.J. Burton - Out of the Darkness (Ellora's Cave)

Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 7" out of 9"

Werewolf and Vampire clans versus the human government. A government shrink that helps interrogate captured paranormal beings. She doesn't know she's the first werewolf/vampire hybrid. And last but not least, a werewolf/vampire (m/f/m) menage!

This book was written a couple of years ago and the world building and timeline could use a little tightening up, but that doesn't stop the flow of the story. The basic premise is intriguing with the added strength of interesting characters (even the secondary ones were well developed), and sizzling erotic scenes.

I sure hope that one day soon Charlie (Jaci's husband) and Jaci's muses nudge one another and say "So, ya wanna canoodle again?" because I would really like to read more stories set in this world.
Piquant Opines: RT, JERR, RJ,


Pepper Espinoza - Surrender's Edge (also Amber Quill Press and Amazon)

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 8" out of 9"

This stands out because it gives us a little something different from most M/M/F menages. Geoff is devastated when he discovers that the two people he loves most in this world, his friend and business partner, Nash and their receptionist, Sunny, are secretly in a relationship. Turns out they each had their reasons for keeping it a secret- Sunny knew Geoff was in love with Nash and Nash knew Geoff was in love with Sunny and neither wanted to hurt him. What Geoff doesn't realize is that they are both in love with him in addition to each other. What ensues is Nash and Sunny seducing Geoff and convincing him they CAN have a triad relationship.
Piquant Opines:




Sabrina Jeffries - Beware a Scott's Revenge - School for Heiresses 3


Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 6" out of 9"

A Regency AND a Highland Romance combined! *swoon* Has a twist I never saw coming. I never read the rest of the series, yet had NO problems reading this as a standalone. And the inside cover pic? YUM!
Piquant Opines: RT, RJ,

Heaven Sent by Jet Mykles

Jet Mykles - Heaven Sent series (Loose-Id)

Series Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 9" out of 9"

First off, I have to thank Lady Sair, Nymph of Nightly Naughtiness, for making sure I got started on this series.

In Jet Mykles' bio at the end of the books, it's noted that "Jet’s been writing sex stories back as far as junior high. Back then, the stories involved her favorite pop icons of the time but she soon extended beyond that realm into making up characters of her own." Well, Jet's still at it because this series is the grown-up version of every teenaged girl's fantasy... except now the teenage girls are young men.

The central characters of the series are members of a rock group called Heaven Sent-- Johnnie Heaven is the lead singer and, along with guitarist Luc, sets the tone for the public's perceptions of the band. The two are flamboyant forces of nature who carefully cultivate the band's sexually ambiguous image. The other guitarist, Brent, is a serious musician and guides the group's musical development, but wants no part of the publicity. The remaining original member, Darien, is the drummer who pretty much just enjoys the whole rock scene and goes along with whatever plans his best friends make.



1. Heaven Sent 1: Heaven - Johnnie and Tyler
1.5 Heaven Sent: Pretty Red Ribbon - Johnnie and Tyler's short story sequel

Tyler's family owns a luxury hotel and convinced them to invest in a new upscale club. He was thrilled that Heaven Sent accepted his invitation to be the club's inaugural musical act. But when Heaven Sent shows up for the club's opening, Tyler, who is straight, is gobsmacked by his attraction to the charismatic Johnnie.

Johnnie, however, believes sex is good. Period. With men, with women. Doesn't matter because it's ALL good. So when he sees the pretty Tyler, he decides to go for it. And after the two of them spend a couple of nights playing video games in Johnnie's room, he makes his move on the understandably skittish Tyler. Eventually Johnnie shows Tyler just what he's been missing all his life!

I liked that Tyler was first shocked and confused that he was so drawn to Johnnie, and then reluctant to act on that attraction. And they didn't fall in love overnight. After Heaven Sent left to continue their tour, Johnnie and Tyler REALLY got to know each other through months of emails and phone calls without their physical attraction overwhelming the budding relationship.



2. Heaven Sent 2: Purgatory - Luc and Reese
2.5 Heaven Sent: Sexy Spring Surprise - Luc and Reese's short story sequel

This story opens back before Heaven Sent achieved international success. They lived above a club, Purgatory, where they performed and had a loyal fan following. Reese, who is a blue-haired gay artist, had a secret crush on Luc who had just been dumped by Reese's twin sister. After an afternoon of beers and commiseration, Reese decides to go for the glory and kisses the straight Luc, who freaks and orders Reese to leave.

Cut to a few years down the road. Heaven Sent is due back in town to perform a benefit and attend Reese's sister's wedding. But a few things have changed in Reese and Luc's lives. Johnnie has introduced Luc to his "ALL sex is good" attitude and Luc has never been able to get Reese out of his mind. Reese, however, has abandoned his art and blue hair in favor of teaching math at a conservative private school. He's also decided he's no longer gay. Luc comes back to town and is determined to prove otherwise.

I kind of felt sorry for Reese in this story. Not only has he been stifling his true self, but then Luc comes along and decides to totally screw his new life up with complete disregard for Reese's feelings or financial situation. In the end, Reese is better off, but I have to admit I was a little pissed off at Luc's steamroller behavior.



3. Heaven Sent 3: Hell - Brent and Heller
3.5 Heaven Sent: Feisty Little Firecracker - Brent and Heller's short story sequel

After deciding that they would like to introduce a new sound to their upcoming album, the guys in Heaven Sent visit a nightclub to hear a talented keyboardist, Heller (Hell). Brent and Hell feel an immediate attraction for each other, but after Hell is invited to become a permanent band member, Brent decides that a relationship between members would not be good for the group and he refuses to admit his attraction to Hell.

Though still enjoyable, this is the weakest of the Heaven Sent stories. At first I had a lot of sympathy for the angst filled Brent, but his whining and woe-is-me got old pretty quick. And Hell is more a caricature rather than a character- not unlike the Yaoi covers. My biggest problem with this story (and it probably colored my perceptions) isn't even Jet's fault. When reading the description of Hell, I unfortunately had a mental vision of that odd little man, Lukas, who won last summer's Rockstar: Supernova... only with lavender hair. And I just couldn't scrub that picture out of my head! ACK!!


4. Heaven Sent 4: Faith - Darien and Chris

Darien is the most easy going member of Heaven Sent. He's also the only completely straight member. Granted, seeing his best friends with other men has occasionally made him curious, but he's never really been tempted by any man. What IS tempting to him though, is having a deep relationship. He sees the other guys paired off and in love and realizes that he's missing that closeness in his life. So he lands a quickie Vegas wedding with an actress he's been seeing off and on for a couple of months.

After seven months of work separations and getting to know each other, Darien and his new wife realize that they just weren't meant to be and amicably decide to divorce. Hell urges Darien to get his own lawyer and introduces him to his long time friend, Attorney Christopher Faith.

Chris is openly gay and Darien is delighted to realize there's a mutual attraction between them. After his divorce is final, he decides to flat out tell Chris that he's curious and wants to know if Chris is interested. Oh yeah... he sure is! But that's ALL Chris wants. He'll satisfy Darien's manlove curiosity but they'll just remain casual friends with benefits because he's had his heart torn out in a similar relationship.

For me, this was the most interesting relationship in the series. Darien is straight but it's understandable that he'd be bi-curious after seeing his friends so happy. And I enjoyed his internal dialogue with each new experience he had with Chris-- how different it was to kiss a man, the difference between holding a taller man compared to a shorter woman, how odd it was to touch a penis that wasn't his own, etc.

When all is said and done, this isn't a heavy-duty or complex series. It's fun, light, and sweet with whimper-worthy sex scenes. But sometimes that's all the entertainment I need or want. Thanks Sair!
Piquant Opines: JERR,JERR, RRTE, SRR,

♥♥♥♥♥

The same weekend that I read the first three books in the Heaven Sent series, I came across a little story about Enrique Iglesias that just seemed to fit in perfectly with the books. Evidently, whenever Enrique sings the song Hero, he invites a girl up on stage to serenade her. On June 2, however, he was playing a GAY nightclub in London so things were a bit different. But he didn't think that was any reason to change his show and the crowd went wild when Enrique pulled a young man up on stage and proceeded to show him some luv. This video is so damn heartwarming and sweet! And I now have a new respect for Enrique Iglesias.

Enrique Iglesias Thrills Gay Fan
Uploaded by funscenes3

Skin on Skin Erotic Romance Anthology

Sunny, Jami Alden, Valerie Martinez - Skin on Skin anthology

Category: Coconut Truffles - SO not for me! (D,D-,F)
Flame Height: 6" out of 9"

The first story, Jami Alden's Tempted, is the most enjoyable of the three. It's a sweet but hot, predictable "best friends" story. Kudos to Jami for creating Lauren's mother. What a cringe worthy hoot she was! My sympathies to Jami too, for having her story stuck in this particular anthology. Maybe TPTB will reprint it somewhere more appropriate.

Valerie Martinez's Hot Wired is nasty, gritty, dirty, colorful and yet haunting. It would fit right in with any erotica anthology. But an Erotic ROMANCE anthology? Uh-uh. Not by any definition of Romance that I've ever used.

Sunny's China Doll is the main reason I bought this book. I wanted to see if, once Sunny climbed out of LKH and Anne Bishop's sandbox, she could play well on her own. Apparently not.

Oh, it started off fairly intriguing, and the male lead, Rand, remained fairly sympathetic, but the female lead, Anna, became downright laughable- and this isn't a comedy. She's one of the most poorly portrayed characters I've ever read. And the out-of-character ending, after all the ridiculous Anna angst we endure, made me want to throw the book in the toilet. But I didn't because, 1- it would clog the plumbing and I already wasted enough money just buying this book, and 2- because I wanted it beside me so that I could create an accurate hazardous material warning.

Anna: "I'm a 41 year old doctor. When I was 19, I was engaged to a pretty man who turned out to be a greedy, untrustworthy dawg . I've never been with anyone since and just want a one night stand tonight, so be patient and gentle with me because I intend to act as skittish as a brutal rape survivor. *boink boink* Good morn... ACK! You shaved your beard off and underneath you're a *gasp* PRETTY MAN!!! AAAAHHHHH! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! WHY, OH, WHY did he have to be a PRETTY MAN! Oh the cruelty, whatever shall I do! Never again will I want a pretty man and he's younger than me, too! Oh, hello again! *boink boink* After 22 years of being afraid of men and one night with you, I love you and, since you are also rich like me, let's get married tomorrow."

I'd say this character sucked donkey balls, but frankly, I don't think even the donkey would be interested. I need a new commentary category below Coconut Truffles. Maybe Black Licorice 'cause that stuff's just plain nasty. Plus it's available as whips.
Piquant Opines: RT, JERR- Jami Alden lists a 4 star JERR review on her website but I can not find a review for this book at JERR's site.

Wild Wicked and Wanton by Jaci Burton

Jaci Burton - Wild, Wicked & Wanton

Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 8” out of 9”


HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Three friends, a bet, and each allows herself to experience the sex she’s only fantasized about. Only they each gain so much more from their sexual adventures than they thought possible. Did I mention these stories are HOT, HOT, HOT?

The first of the three intertwined stories centers on Abby. For her last year of veterinary school, she’s been interning with established vets and best friends Seth and Mike. On the last day of her internship, they let the relationship wary Abby know that they both want her- separately or together. Can she accept what they’re offering? Goaded on by a bet with her two friends, the answer is “Oh hell yeah!”

Blair only dates men she can control. Which is why she’s never acted on the heat between her and Rand that’s been simmering for 15 years. The bet with her friends gives her no choice but to take what Rand’s been offering for so long. But Rand has no intention of playing by Blair’s rules like the rest of the wimps she’s slept with. In fact, he knows what Blair secretly craves.

Speaking of secret cravings, Callie has mourned the death of her husband for 5 years while rebuilding her life. I thought for sure that a “certain character” (don’t want to spoil) from the first story would reappear here, but Jaci just refuses to do the predictable. (Will we see him in another book, Jaci?) Jack is a high powered attorney who has started each day for the past year at Callie’s coffee shop. Their chats are the high point of the day (and the jumping off point for private fantasies) for both of them. But now it’s Callie’s turn to fulfill the terms of the bet with her friends. Will these two people from vastly different social circles find out they have much more in common than they thought?

Jaci doesn’t insult the reader’s intelligence, which, if you’ve read a lot of erotic romance, you KNOW what I’m talking about. The three friends don’t hook up and instantly fall in love with complete strangers, they take the seeds of existing relationships and coax them to full burning bloom. They are believable and they don’t all end with a perfectly neat and tidy HEA, but they DO all end with happiness and hope for the future. In a way, Jaci has written retro stories but has added contemporary heat and situations to them. And keep in mind that I’m not even much of a straight contemporary story fan so you KNOW this must be good stuff!
Piquant Opines: RT, CK2S, Gwen

QB's Quickies

"So, read any good books lately?"
"What did you think of...?"

Here's the Quickie answers to those questions. Click on the Links for more info.



Anne Douglas - The McCabes:
1.0 Persuading Jo
1.5. Making Out

Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 7" out 9"

Persuading Jo is a short, hot contemporary ménage story with really likeable characters. However, BECAUSE they were so likeable, I would very much liked to have read their backstory as it unfolded. Instead, we got brief glimpses of these backstories as told or remembered by the characters. Matt and Brian are two straight men (except with each other) and an established couple- how did that happen, who made the first move, what obstacles did they have to overcome? Jo roomed with them her first year of college, they saved her from abuse by her cousin who became her guardian after her parents died- what had she endured, how did they save her, how did their relationship grow to the point that they realized they both needed her in their lives, when did she realize she wanted to be part of their relationship? Watching all that unfold would have made me care more for and become more involved with the characters. Besides, all that build-up would have made already smoking’ erotic scenes feel like a bonfire!

Making Out is what I refer to as a little gift from an author to their readers. It’s a VERY short story that lets us catch up with the characters from Persuading Jo and reassures us they’re still together and doing just fine. Thanks, Anne!
Piquant Opines: RT, JERR,

Rachel Vincent - Stray - Faythe and Marc

Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 5" out of 9"

WHOA!! Shape shifting panthers… and Urban Fantasy done RIGHT!! This book rocked! I thought it was a standalone because, unlike most Urban Fantasy series, Stray seemed to have a satisfying ending. But Rachel is already working on the next two- Rogue (in revisions) and Pride (awaiting rewrites). I really, REALLY hope one of those is about Jace, I just wanted to cry for his hurt. And I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Andrew. An added warning: there's a couple of intensely tough scenes to read, probably not for the squeamish.
Piquant Opines: RT, RRT,


Carrie Vaughn - Kitty Norville series
1. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (see previous commentary)
2. Kitty Goes to Washington
3. Kitty Takes a Holiday

Series Category: Lava Cake - reads like warm Chocolate Lava Cake... à la Mode... sprinkled with nuts. (A,A-)
Flame height: 5" out of 9"

After recently reading book 1, I said that I never picked these up before because I thought they were silly chick-lit instead of the unique Urban Fantasy that they are. Well, I’m now caught up with the series to date and I can’t thank my friend enough for bitchin’ at me bugging me to read them. A werewolf story without an alpha male (or female) hero; completely unpredictable- every time I think I know where Carrie is going to take us, she finds a completely different path to pull us down; rich and satisfying. Maybe TOO satisfying because, after finishing book 3 (the best one), I kept picking up other books from my Soon to Be Savored pile and then putting them back down because I just wasn’t ready to shake Kitty and her world out of my head. Brava, Carrie Vaughn- now write faster, please!
Piquant Opines: RT, RT, RJ,

Damn Her! Annie Dean Made Me Cry!

Annie Dean - The Average Girl’s Guide to Getting Laid

Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 6” out of 9”

During a night sharing too many pitchers of beer with friends, Ellie, the “average” girl from the title with too much back and rack, proclaims that she can write more than (as her friends tease) boring travel books. In fact, she makes a bet with them that she can write a sex book and, while still buzzed, dashes off a proposal to her editor for a book on “making pleasure readily accessible for average women, making it easier for them to find partners without stressing over rejection or commitment.” So, choosing the road (for her) not taken, the Cairo, Illinois girl whose sex life could best be summed up with “If her vibrator made coffee, she’d marry it.”, who describes sex with her ex-boyfriend as “the man didn’t even have kinks in his pubic hair,” sets off to NYC where “Two roads diverge in pursuit of wood and that has made all the difference.”

I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy Annie’s blog and was eager to hear her voice as an author, too. Well, that’s true, but I was also a bit apprehensive about reading this book because what if I didn’t like it? I’ve come to consider Annie an online friend, and I know she would want honesty from me, but what if this book sucked? First of all, I don’t read very many straight, vanilla contemporaries- they just don’t trip my trigger. And I knew that this was about an interracial couple, but what if it was all jungle fever, K-Fed stuff? That just sooo wouldn’t work for me!

Well, as it turns out, this book had me laughing, smiling, cringing in empathy, and even crying- TWICE!

Upon first meeting Ash- “Her gaze fastened on his earring. Her heart plummeted. I bet he’s gay. She wished she could remember left or right side, what meant what. No straight guy who looked this good would have any reason to give her the time of day... she was pretty sure gay guys were just more social or something. This reality relieved her of the need to be intriguing, flirtatious, and irresistible. Just as well, since she was none of those things.”

Here, she’s talking about her head-turning best friend- “It wasn’t that she didn’t love Deanna. Life wouldn’t be the same without her. But in every friendship, there was the pretty girl and the plain one... She hated beer commercials that glorified the mighty wingman. For each one, there was a fat girl wishing she could kill him with her cardboard coaster.”

Back in the day, I was skinny, flat-chested and could best be described as “I don’t turn heads, but then again, I don’t turn stomachs”. Annie painfully nails the universal experiences of all us “average” girls. While I never had the gaydar questions (over 25 years ago in small town Ohio), I did get more relaxed around unattainable men (or men I wasn’t attracted to) and I think that was the main reason I ended up hitting it off with a couple of wingmen, resulting in relationships that lasted longer than those of our better looking friends! HAH! Take that, bitches! OH.. AHEM… ah… back to Ash and Ellie then, shall we?

Ellie’s new attitude is “Stop seeing every man you meet as a potential husband... Don’t gauge their long-term potential. Instead, measure their PQ -- pleasure quotient. Don’t look at his car; check out his crotch. Objectify. Every man is a mobile dildo, some better made than others”, but, as many of us discovered, relationships have a way of jumping up and biting you in the ass only AFTER you stop looking for them.

What starts out as casual and temporary with absolutely NO expectations, very slowly grows into more without any conscious effort from either Ellie or Ash. And, as a Reader, I was there every step of the way with them, smiling, laughing and getting pissed off at them when they were being asshats (the ballpark, Ellie? You were WRONG!) I CARED about what happened with these two. And that whole jungle fever thing I was worried about? Not an issue, not even a plot device. A couple of friends and family expressed their disapproval and/or concern, as would probably happen in real life, but there was no Romeo/Juliet angst.

The thing is, I’m having trouble explaining why this book is so heartwarming and enjoyable (my fault, not Annie's). There are no mysteries to solve. No blood pounding danger. There IS a family crisis, but it’s the kind that thousands of us face, and it shows us what these two are made of. There’s none of that love-at-first-sight, destined soul mates longing. Ash is not a chest thumping, possessive, uber alpha, wealthy male who lives in a penthouse- he's the assistant manager of IT for a law firm. They are simply two basically good people who meet, are attracted to each other (okay, they have the frickin‘ HOTS for each other), enjoy each other’s company (and bodies- *pant pant*), and gradually get to know and care about each other- and sometimes even piss each other off. The characters ARE the story.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that Ash and Ellie could be real people we know. At it’s heart, their story is a story shared by many of us. This is the way alot of relationships form. This is how a lot of people live out their lives. They are people I could be friends with and I loved getting to know them.

Ya did good, Annie. Damn good.

Geez, the next thing I know, you’ll have me reading futuristic sci-fi fantasy! For those of you that don’t know, Annie, writing as Ann Aguirre, has just sold a book, Grimspace: Sirantha Jax 1, to Ace, who also publishes authors like Laurell Hamilton and Patricia Biggs. She is currently writing Wanderlust: Sirantha Jax 2.
Piquant Opine: RRTE,

Outside Protocol by Dawn Ryder

Dawn Ryder - Outside Protocol - Ellora's Cave

Category: Dark Chocolate - loved by some, just "meh" to me. (C-,D+)
Flame Height: 5” out of 9”

From EC "Rules surrounded her every day. It was just the way life was. Robyn didn't question it until she ran into Jace and Nash. It was hard to believe there were men who lived outside all the rules she'd been living under. One bite of forbidden fruit and she was hooked, unwilling to close her eyes to the temptation again. Not that anyone might blame her, one stunning male was enough to tempt a girl to sin…two was impossible to resist.

But it couldn't last. People just didn't fall in love in numbers of three. The sweet temptation of it haunted her though, as Jace and Nash refused to leave her. They pushed their way right into her life and took her with them when they faded back into the shadowy world they lived in. Special Forces, guns and betrayal should have turned her away but it only added more fascination to her growing addiction to remain with them. Without rules, the possibilities were endless and even love wasn't out of the question.

As long as you lived outside of protocol."

Outside Protocol was so highly recommended from several sources that I fully expected to enjoy it. Unfortunately, because of three problems, I never connected with the characters or story. I guess I can understand that a writer could be so close to her work that she can't step back and view it with an objective eye, but what surprises me is that Dawn’s beta-reader/writer’s group/editor apparently did not point these inconsistencies out to her. Bad beta, bad editor! No cookies!

But, rather than simply leave it at that, I am going to be presumptuous and critique this book in much the same way I would have done if I had been her beta reader (and, no, I’m not auditioning for the job). I have heard time and again that authors, while wishing that everyone loved their books (and I truly wish I DID love every single one of them), don’t mind a less than stellar review if the reviewer can convey WHY the book didn’t work for them.

Let me preface this by saying that I am far less tolerant of problems in non-paranormal, non-sci-fi/fantasy contemporaries than I am of any other genre. Once a story is set in the contemporary real world then I automatically expect it to follow real world rules. So, having said that, here are the three roadblocks I encountered when trying to enjoy Outside Protocol:

* After meeting Jace and Nash and leaving them at their private club, The Play Yard, Robyn says to herself, “No way. She was not going to risk her health for anything. They could have AIDS or any number of sexually transmitted diseases, or beat her up or slit her throat or…” Yet for the next two nights she has unprotected sex with both men before suddenly becoming outraged that they didn’t use condoms.

If the subject had never been brought up, I might have wondered about it, but shrugged and accepted that this was fiction afterall. I would even have accepted the lame but often used “We’ve never had unprotected sex before in our lives and would never endanger you.” Considering the circumstances under which she met them and that this was meant to be a temporary sexual relationship, I would have considered Robyn TSTL if she took their word for it, but I still would have gone with the flow. However, once you brought up STD concerns, you needed to deal with them. To be honest, that first sexual encounter in the restaurant was a bit cold and emotionless so the excuse of being carried away by passion wouldn‘t have worked for me either.

* The double penetration shower scene should have been swoon worthy, but that scene lost all credibility as soon as I read, “A single finger found her back entrance as Jace used the water to penetrate her bottom.” If you had omitted that sentence, I would have assumed she was still lubed up enough from the brief insertion of the butt plug earlier in the evening. I could even have accepted an in-the-heat-of-the-moment improvisation with (owie) shampoo or soap, but water is absolutely NOT an anal lube, particularly for an anal virgin. All I could think of during the entire encounter was OUCH!

* Even though it seemed like forcing a Bengal tiger to be a Friskies loving house cat, I could swallow that these teams of former Marine Special Ops now worked for the assessment company of their team leader and former CO, Dack. They are a high priced firm that consults for “…businesses hiring private firms to assess and critique office procedure in order to reorganize and maximize profit.“ But, what I just could not wrap my mind around was, these men are in imminent danger from many enemies, so what’s to stop these enemies from seeing that they are hired by a company of the enemy’s choosing and wipe the team out when they show up? It is, after all, a well known and high priced firm as evidenced by the fact that Robyn’s boss was thrilled to get a firm of their caliber at such a low price.

Those three points took me right out of the story, but having said all that, I liked the basic premise of the book. These two uber alpha men, who ordinarily would also be uber possessive, depend on each other for survival- “[Nash] and Jace lived together or they’d be dead together. They never slept at the same time, never fucked at the same time. One always watched the other’s back.” These facts of their lives mean that they also need to share one woman. And they had accepted that their lives would never include love because they assumed that no woman could truly love them and accept their lifestyle. So Robyn's love and the love they felt for her was an unexpected gift for them.

I also find Dack Tyden and the story behind his dishonorable discharge and betrayal by a traitor VERY intriguing. He obviously earned great loyalty and respect from his team of warriors and I would love to read his story.

Now, since I want to be completely fair to Dawn, I want to point out that other readers apparently did not agree that my issues with Outside Protocol were a roadblack to their enjoyment of the book. Several people on Lora's board raved about it; Love Romances gave it 4.5 hearts

Sean_Michael, Pâtissier_Extraordinaire

Sean Michael - Jarheads series
1. Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Jarheads 4
2. Personal Leave - Jarheads 6
3. Three Day Passes - Jarheads 1
4. Tempering - Jarheads 2
5. Out of the Closet - Jarheads 3
6. All Roads Lead Home - Jarheads 5

Note: I've listed them in chronological order rather than released order. Also, I've linked each book to Fictionwise, however they are also available directly from Torquere Press.

Series Category: Crème Brûlée - My All-Time Moan-Out-Loud Favorites. (A+)
Flame Height: 9" out of 9" (actually 12", but that would make me a size queen wouldn't it?)

I’m spotlighting Sean Michael’s Jarhead series, but the fact is that I’ve yet to read one of Sean's books that wasn’t beautifully written. Sean has a unique voice. He doesn’t give us much physical description of his characters, but somehow paints an emotional picture. We get to know them through their words and actions. In another author’s hands, I might feel that the characters are less than three dimensional because, as a reader of Romances written mainly by women, I’m used to those detailed character descriptions that aid my development of a picture of the characters in my mind. But Sean might mention hair color in one chapter, maybe eye color in another, and height in yet another. Yet, even without that complete physical picture in my head, I still feel like I KNOW these men. That is the beauty of Sean's writing, he creates real, living and breathing men.

The Jarheads series is my favorite of Sean's. We follow the relationship between Rock, a Marine sargeant, and Rig, a flight nurse. In Three Day Passes, they are joined by Dick, a Marine private. But it is Rock and Rig's relationship that is at the the center of these stories. I grew to love and adore these boys, particularly Rigger, who is the heart and soul of the series and someone I'd like to count as a good friend in real life. I have to admit that I never quite developed a strong attachment to Dick. For me, he was a way for me to see just how strong the connection between Rock and Rig was. And even for the men, it was Rig that held the three of them together- I'm sure there would never be a Rock and Dick without Rig. And that damn Rock! Every time I was convinced he was nothing more than a self-centered, selfish sonofabitch, he would do something to or for Rig that would make my heart melt.

Now, to be honest, there were times that even I wanted to say "Enough with the sex, already! Get on with the story!" But, oh how I was completely caught up in the lives of these extraordinary, lovable and loving men! In Don't Ask, Don't Tell, we learn how Rock and Rig met and the amazing leap of Faith our redneck cowboy, Rig, makes. Even though we already know how it turns out, I still couldn't help feeling nervous and holding my breath with him. In Personal Leave, Rock and Rig's relationship is firmly established and we get to see the extreme contrast between their two families. As I said before, a triad is formed when Dick joins them in Three Day Passes, which was the first Jarheads story released. The events of Tempered left me horrified and outraged. How could anyone hurt our Rigger?! This is a life changing book in more than one way. And Out of the Closet is a complete emotional roller coaster ride. Happy tears one minute and sobbing for Rig's pain the next. Now that they are free of their commitments to Uncle Sam, they are all free to live as they please, but their happiness is tempered by heartbreaking events. All Roads Lead Home is fairly short, but I consider it Sean Michael's gift to his Readers. A way for him to let us know that our beloved boys are still together and doing okay. Thanks Sean!

For a beautiful sampling of Sean's artistry with words, try his anthology Bus Stories and Other Tales. And, in addition to a rather lengthy list of his own books, Sean has stories in several other anthologies over at Torquere.