Novella Mini-Reviews: An Autobuy and Time Travel

So anybody who has been around the Bat Cave for more than a week knows that I love me some Charlotte Stein.  Her writing "voice" is a little eccentric, but she always delivers in the passion department and isn't prone to relying too much on Kinky Trends of the Moment.  That being said, readers - we are a fickle lot.  I have yet to have one author whose books I universally have loved across the board.  Because, you know, readers.  We're wacky.  Taken ended up just being OK for me - mostly because I had a hard time with the set-up.

Rosie and her friend are in the hero's rare bookstore up to no good.  I'm not sure why, other than they're young, impulsive and for some reason they think the hero is weird or mean or whatever.  The friend is literally going to start a fire.  In a bookstore.  I found this....horrifying.  Naturally the hero catches them in the act, they take off running - but not before the hero snags Rosie - drags her back to his shop and proceeds to handcuff her to the bed in his basement apartment.

He handcuffs her to keep her in one place until he can call the police.  But then they start talking.  And talking.  And honestly this hero talks entirely too much.  And Rosie flusters him and eventually they work out the whole handcuffing "to do," he never calls the cops, and yada yada yada.

Stein doesn't write "meet cutes," she writes "meet awkwards."  That said, nothing about this set-up worked for me.  1) The heroine is in a bookstore with her BFF who plans to commit ARSON (!!!!!), 2) There's the whole contrived handcuffing to the bed thing and 3) They talk entirely too much, in circles and it made my head hurt. 

Things did get better though the more I read though.  Stein finishes strong and the sex scenes are Whoa Baby!  But the set-up.  It just really didn't work for me.  It's obviously worked for other readers I know (I've read reviews) - but everything about it rubbed me the wrong way.  Hey, they can't all be winners.

Final Grade = C+

Mine Tomorrow by Jackie Braun is a super-short novella (88 pages) that I bought because 1) I've liked Jackie Braun's category romances in the past and 2) World War II setting.  Short, I've like the author's work in the past and WWII was more than enough for me to overlook that time travel stories aren't my usual jam.

The heroine owns an vintage clothing store and since college has been having really vivid dreams about a man, dressed in 1940s military garb trying to reach her in a crowd of people, or while the bus she's on is driving away etc.  She wakes up before they can ever connect.  Then one day she buys some clothes at an estate sale, falls in love with a 1940s style coat, and finds a vintage time piece in the pocket.  Before you can say bippity-boppty-boo, she's in Time Square on V-J Day 1945.  There she meets our hero, just home from the war, who turns out to be her husband.

Complications ensue.  Is this just another dream?  Is she really in 1945?  And if this really is 1945, what of her sister back in present day?  Literally all her sister has is the heroine (their parents died several years ago in a car accident).

For such a short word count I thought this story felt surprisingly complete, although there are short-cuts.  The author doesn't have time to unravel any complicated time-travel theories (probably for the best - most time travel books fall apart for me during the "explanation phase") and gets right down to business.  However the short word count also means we don't have a slow build on the romance and we're jumping in feet first.  There are moments when too much telling comes into play, or weird historical factoids crop up that I felt were totally unnecessary (yes, I know more people smoked in 1945 because people didn't realize that smoking could kill you back then!).  It's also the kind of novella where if you start pulling at loose threads things will begin to unravel as you question "What about..." and "What if..."  Remember, it's only 88 pages long!

You know what this story is perfect for?  Those moments when you're stuck in line at the DMV or the baby FINALLY went down for a nap after fighting one for the past 2 hours and you don't have the time or inclination to get sucked into a long, drawn-out novel and you just want something quick to unwind and pass the time.  This short story is perfect for that.  It's like having a Hershey Kiss instead of dunking your whole face into a chocolate fountain (not that I've ever done such a thing...)

For that reason?  I wouldn't say you should drop your life and download this right now - but if it ends up on sale or you need a quick read when you literally have precious time to spare?  It's ideal.

Final Grade = B-

Must Like Kids

A common criticism of romance, and category romance specifically, is that it reinforces traditional female stereotypes.  Most of the time I tend to poo-poo this notion by pointing out some of the more intriguing, challenging, different and refreshing stories readers can find in the category world.  Then, inevitably, I pick up a book where the single mother heroine literally bakes cookies for a living and I visibly wince.   (And before anyone slams me for slamming traditionally female dominated jobs/careers might I invite you to take a look at the title of my blog?).

That's probably what I found the most refreshing about Must Like Kids by Jackie Braun.  Yes, we have a single mother heroine, but she's self-employed in a very non-traditional female job.  As an image consultant, she's essentially a spin doctor.  She manipulates people for a living.  It's not only a wee bit unsavory, it's more than a wee bit subversive.  I have no idea if the author did this on purpose, if in the back of her mind she was looking to show that women could be more than homey Earth mother types - but it was nonetheless very intriguing.

Julia Stillwell has been hired by Best For Baby Inc. to bail their new CEO, Alec McAvoy, out of a jam.  During an interview he told the reporter, “Children have a place and it’s anywhere I’m not.”  Before you can say social media, Alec's gaffe spreads like wildfire, and the shareholders are in a panic.  In steps Julia whose job it is to spearhead the damage control campaign.  She thinks she has Alec pegged from the moment he's late for their first initial meeting.  A playboy who enjoys the finer things in life, who bed-hops from one superficial relationship to the next, who is so busy living in his ivory tower, with a silver spoon shoved up his butt, that he has no concept of what the world is like for "real people."

Naturally, she's wrong.

What follows is an agreeable story about two agreeable people.  Julia is a widow with two young children.  After her husband succumbed to cancer she didn't have time to wallow in grief, she had two babies to take care of and she freely admits that the children kept her going.  She may work in a high-powered profession, but she doesn't let the job run her life.  Since she's self-employed she essentially creates her own schedule, to be there for her kids, even if it means she runs on a lot of caffeine.  Of course this also means that unless it involves work or the kids?  Yeah, she has no life.

Alec grew up in a silver spoon world, but his parents were distant and dismissive.  He was the kid who spent weekends and vacations at his boarding school because Mommy and Daddy were too busy jet-setting to some Caribbean island vacation with their "friends."  Naturally they ran through the family money, and Alec's grandfather stepped in.  When he died?  He left the money in a trust that Alec oversees - which means now Alec is subjected to whiny phone calls from Mommy because even though she's burned through their monthly allowance she just has to have these new designer sunglasses for their sailing trip.

As Julia works on Alec's image, the two naturally succumb to a mutual, heated attraction.  It's lust at first sight, and they naturally resist for a time until Alec steals his first kiss.  In turn, Julia finds herself awakening after a very long slumber, having not been seriously involved with anyone since her husband's death.  She's literally thrown herself into work and her kids.  There's been nothing in between.

The story does lose a little footing for me towards the end.  Frankly, I could have used a bigger confrontation scene between Alec and Julia, especially since Julia is compartmentalizing her life, thereby hurting Alec's feelings (he did have a screwed up childhood, maybe Julia doesn't think he's "good enough" to be around her kids?).  I would have liked to have seen her called to the carpet a bit more for this, although there are some lovely scenes between her and her sister where this behavior is briefly called out.  I also think I needed a bit more of an involved ending.  It would be unrealistic for the author to give us a happy, happy rainbow ending (especially considering Alec's parents!), but given that Julia's daughter isn't wild about Alec for the entire story, a bit more of her starting to come around would have been nice.

Still, this was a nice story about two nice (and misunderstood) people who learn to work together and end up falling in love.  This was my first read from Harlequin's new Kiss line, and it was an enjoyable introduction.

Final Grade = B-

TBR Challenge 2010: Finding Home

The Book: In the Shelter of His Arms by Jackie Braun

The Particulars: Harlequin Romance #3840, 2005, Out of Print

Why Was It In The Bat Cave TBR?: Harlequin Romance author Liz Fielding stopped by the Bat Cave many moons ago and recommended this one to me. I ordered it from Paperback Swap and voila!

The Review: Oh man, Liz was right. This is a good book.

Roz Bennett has been dealt a pretty shitty hand. Abandoned as a toddler, bounced around the foster care system her entire childhood, and then unceremoniously given the boot at 18 - she has little education, no roots, no money, and now no car. Which is how Mason Striker (Best. Romance. Hero. Name. Ever!) finds her - walking along the side of a deserted road after her car breaks down. Roz has no money (which she is not about to tell this guy) and her concrete plans consist of "heading west."

Mason returned to his tiny hometown in Michigan's Upper Peninsula after his last attempt at rescuing a woman ended with a bullet in his shoulder. He's done rescuing people. Or so he thought. But something about Rose (as he takes to calling her) calls to him. Before you know it, he's hiring her as the new waitress at his bar and offering her the tiny apartment above his garage. And wouldn't you know it? He starts falling for her. But Rose's past is beyond complicated and messy. Our girl has baggage. Coupled with Mason's baggage, can these two crazy kids make a go of it?

What we have here kiddies is straight up rescue fantasy. Down on her luck heroine meets honest-to-goodness Mr. Nice Guy. But you know what? It works because Braun avoids the obvious pitfall. Rose doesn't need rescuing because she's Too Stupid To Live. No, our girl deserves to be rescued. She's a survivor. And if she had never met our hero, I have no doubt she'd keep on surviving. No, our girl deserves to be rescued. She deserves a romance, a home, a life.

Mason is classic Beta hero all the way. Patient. Understanding. But not a syrupy, sappy goody-goody. He knows what Rose needs, and he wants to help her, but he does so quietly. Given her background, Rose doesn't trust easily, and it's Mason's quiet way that helps to win her over. In turn, the reader isn't subjected to a lot of needless bickering between a blustering couple. Both of them are strong characters - just in different ways - and they compliment each other beautifully.

However, as great as the romance is, I found this story not entirely perfect. The biggest stumbling block was the hero's sister, who I would have happily throttled, shot, beaten, and run over with a SUV....uh, several times. She's one of those types that cheerfully brow-beats everyone around her with what she thinks "is best for them" because golly, she's right and they're completely clueless. To the hero's credit, he tells her a couple of times to back-off, but does this chick take the hint? OF COURSE NOT! Every time she showed up in this story my blood pressure spiked.

Also, I "get" that this is a Harlequin Romance book - which means if there is s-e-x it's behind closed doors. That's actually one of the elements I really like about this line. However, sexis interruptis - we haz it. Every romance reader knows what I'm talking about here. Hero and heroine start to get hot and heavy, then something (usually someone) has shitty timing and interrupts them. I suspect authors throw these moments in to "build tension" when as the reader all I manage to feel is annoyed that the inevitable is delayed. Admittedly, the fact that it was Annoying Sister Who I Wanted To Bludgeon Until I Saw Grey Matter doing the interrupting probably didn't help matters.

Have I mentioned how much I intensely loathed that woman?

The conflict in this story is pretty heavy stuff and there were moments when I couldn't help thinking "Gee, I wish this were a SuperRomance with a larger page count" - but Braun makes the hand work with the cards she's dealt. I also appreciated that while the heroine was from the wrong side of the tracks, and didn't have the rosiest of lives, she wasn't a bitter hissing cow or poor little orphan girl. She was vulnerable, but also tough enough to have survived on her own for so long. The hero is really the perfect foil for her, and watching him woo her in his own quiet way makes the romance all the more poignant. Yes, I had nit-picks, but man - what a nice, solid read. Thanks again Liz!

Final Grade = B+