Status Update: Lemon Drop And The Case Of Too Many Books

So I haven't blogged in over a week and I'm several months behind now in my "monthly recap" posts.

Oh look!  Here's a recent photo of Lemon Drop!

Suitably distracted by the cuteness?  OK, good.  Mission accomplished.

This photo was taken post-RWA when I made a quick weekend jaunt to Casa de Lemon Drop (oh, and Lil' Sis) to help them out with some projects.  Lemon Drop decided she wanted to see how the world looked through Auntie Wendy's glasses.

The answer is: blurry.  Very, very blurry.  Auntie Wendy is darn near blind without prescription help.

So what's been going on to keep me away from blogging?  Mostly Real Life stuff.  Nothing "bad" - just been really busy.  And on top of the Real Life busy-ness, I'm in the throes of Contest Reading.

Yep, I'm doing contest judging again.  Which means getting nine books read before the end of September.  The good news is that I'm making progress.  I started book #6 today.  The bad news?  Well, anyone who has judged writing contests will surely know.  So far the books have ranged from Unreadable (In My Opinion) to This Is OK to OMGWTFBBQ Plot Is This?! But Hey, The Author Can Write So This Is Readable Even If It Is OMGWTFBBQ Plot.

It's reminding me a lot of how I judged this same contest last year.  There were several books that made me Wendy Mad Wendy Smash angry - but down the stretch I found some Very Good Reads.  And the books I still have to go through do look very promising.  So there is hope.

I'm also painfully, dreadfully behind on review books.  And I'm checking out books via work that I've stumbled across that sound really good.  Because, you know, I need more to read.  Blessedly it's a holiday weekend here in the States and my Tigers are slowly falling off the cliff.  So maybe I won't spend the whole weekend watching baseball after all and actually get some reading done.

There's hope anyway.

So, what's everybody up to this weekend?  And are you reading anything good?  Because, you know, I need more to read.....

TBR Challenge 2014: Digital Review: Soloplay

The Book: Soloplay by Miranda Baker

The Particulars: Erotic romance, digital-only, book two in series, 2011, Samhain

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  When some authors "recommend" books I treat it like "white noise."  But then there are some authors who genuinely recommend books and I actually believe them.  Which is how this book landed in my digital TBR - it was recommended by Jill Sorenson.

The Review: Remember when erotic romance was fun?  Yeah, me too.  The last couple of steamy offerings I've read have featured protective, dominant possessive Alpha-hole "heroes."  Reading one story featuring such a character device is more than enough for me - try reading two in a row.  Yeah, I missed "fun" sex.  Seriously authors, sex is supposed to be fun.  And if it's not fun?  Your characters are doing it wrong.

Ahem.

Which brings me to this book.  Stay with me here folks, I'm well aware this plot description sounds like a hot mess rolled into a migraine from Hell, but trust me.

Alisa Mane is a frustrated librarian who has never had an orgasm.  Her latest disastrous attempt has the guy accusing her of being frigid and leaving in a huff.  Alisa is hurt, embarrassed and then gets really angry.  Why can't she "get there?"  So she decides to do what any good librarian would do - research.  There's an upscale, and discreet, sex toy shop not far from where she works.  She'll just go there, peruse the offerings, and see if she can solve her dilemma the old fashioned way - with something battery operated.

A gal who works at the shop, Crystal, helps Alisa start to find her groove thang.  Mores the pity that Crystal is a lesbian and Alisa likes men.  But never fear!  Crystal has an idea.  SoloPlay is looking to expand their line of quality toys and needs beta testers.  Alisa signs on and boy howdy!  She hasn't had this much fun in....well, ever.

Mark Winters owns SoloPlay and this new line of original products is his baby.  And SoloGirl (code name for Alisa) is the best product tester ever.  She picks nothing but winners.  Her critiques of the products are spot on.  Which means now that Mark wants to test his DoublePlay products?  He wants her to sign on.  But for that - he needs to find her and her partner.  The fly in the ointment being she's not all that happy to be found and she has no partner.  Well, until she propositions him....

What I enjoyed so much about this story is that Alisa doesn't behave like countless erotic romance heroines who have come (ha!) before her.  When her ex accuses her of being frigid, she doesn't take his word as gospel.  Oh sure, she knows something isn't right - but she doesn't automatically jump to the conclusion that she's "broken."  She goes about fixing herself and she has wonderful orgasms prior to meeting Mark in the flesh.

Can I get an amen!

The crux of the conflict is part ethics, part product testing.  Mark finding his best beta tester and then agreeing to test products with her should be all sorts of squirky, but somehow manages not to be.  Then there's the issue that as Mark and Alisa are falling for each other, they both think the other one is only there for SoloPlay, the money, the free sex toys, etc.  Once the testing is done they both have to take the risk, take a leap of faith, and really talk to each other.  To share parts of themselves that go beyond getting naked and kinky with all sorts of party favors.

This is a perfect example of when a story finds you at just the right time.  Yes, the plot sounds silly.  Yes, the sexually frustrated librarian heroine who has never had The Big O should get on my last hot nerve.  Yes, the ethical and business issues should have pushed me right over the edge.  And yet?  No, no, and no they didn't.  This was a quick, fun read that reminded me that not all erotic romance is over the top angst featuring idiot a-hole heroes who fancy themselves as Doms while looking to pull the wool over some silly 20-something-girl's eyes by selling her a You're-A-Sub bill of goods.

Download SoloPlay now and tag it "break glass in case of emergency."

Final Grade = B

Read-A-Romance Month

I'm over at Read-A-Romance Month today for Blogger Day talking all about why I think we should celebrate romance.  In a nutshell?  Romances are books where women have value, and how awesome is that?  Way awesome!

Also, as part of my blog post, I'm giving away a box of goodies (sorry folks, US only) of books and swag from the recent RWA conference in San Antonio, Texas. Seriously, you totally want to win this box of goodies.  Just sayin'.

Reminder: TBR Challenge for August

For those of you participating in the 2014 TBR Challenge, this is a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, August 20.  This month's theme is Luscious Love Scenes.  A book with sensual love scenes, erotic romance or erotica.  Basically we want to leave those PG-rated books on the shelf this month.  However, remember - the themes are totally optional and are not required.  Maybe you're burnt out on Sexy Time Shenanigans right now (mores the pity).  It's not important what you read, just that you pull something (anything!) out of the TBR pile.

To learn more about the challenge and see a list of participants, please see the information page.

Digital Review: 1001 Erotic Nights Part I: Slave Girl

It has been several years since Lisa Cach last released a book with a traditional publisher, and Slave Girl marks the first novella in an erotic trilogy set at the end of the Roman Empire.  I'll admit that this was an instance where the author's name is what persuaded me to give this one a go as the plot description didn't exactly light my world on fire.  In the end, I'm glad I read this - if only because it is filled with great promise of things to come.

Nimia is a slave of King Sygarius.  She was taken as a child when he raided her tribal village and so taken with her lush beauty, he has schooled her in the sensual arts.  Basically what that entails is Sygarius doing years of endless teasing, working Nimia up into a frenzy until finally, ripe and ready as an adult, he will deflower her.  Needless to say, Nimia is just about ready to have a go at it, and the endless teasing, the endless schooling in carnal delights, most of which are done through voyeurism, means Nimia is one frustrated girl.  Then one of Sygarius' allies rides into town.  A group of barbarians.  That king's son, Clovis, has completely twisted Nimia inside out - to the point where she foolishly gives away the one thing meant for Sygarius.  The one thing that will surely get her killed.  Her virginity.

I've been reading erotic romance for a long time, even before it really existed and I sated my own desire by reading "romantic" erotica.  So I feel fairly confident in saying that Slave Girl read Old School for me.  The style, the voice, the choice of language and words that Cach used to tell her story.  It's not the purplest of purple prose I've ever read (hardly), but I wouldn't say it's as frank as some of the language employed by newcomers to the sub genre.  I also think that the time period, setting, and plot of the story has a lot to do with this Old School vibe.  It's not a harem story, per se, but it's pretty close to it.

As a romance, this story alone isn't going to cut it.  The author is setting her stage, plus the added duplicitous nature of all the characters (yes, we have politics!) certainly doesn't instill a lot of trust in the reader for any of them.  It's a soap opera, with more sex and a few light paranormal elements thrown in for added flavor.  Which makes this a hard story to judge on it's own.  Really it's sole purpose is to whet the reader's appetite to keep going, to continue on with the serial.  And this story did leave me with that, mostly because of the promise that Nimia gives to the reader.

This is a heroine who is a slave.  Who has no control of her own person.  She's not allowed to have free will.  But over the course of this story you see her yearning for it, plotting for it, thinking that maybe Clovis is her ticket to finding her people.  Maybe she can escape.  Maybe her life can be more than being some king's sexual plaything.  Where I hope this trilogy will eventually lead is to a heroine who takes control over her own life.  A heroine who takes control over her own sexual desires.  A heroine who, after years of not being her own person, becomes one.

But this is only Part I and it's too soon to tell.  It's the promise of those things though that will keep me going.  As a stand-alone romance, this story doesn't entirely work.  As the set-up to a bigger picture?  The jury is still out.

Final Grade = C+

Retro Review: Dream Of Me

This review of Dream of Me by Lisa Cach was first published at The Romance Reader in 2004.  I rated it 4-Hearts (B rating) with an MPAA content rating of "R."

+++++

Cach has never been an author to be tied down by conventions. Her stories have crossed time periods and sub genres, making her one of the rare romance authors who never writes the same thing twice. She continues that trend with Dream Of Me, the companion book to Come To Me. The setting, time period, and story elements are essentially same with this second book, but Cach throws the reader a slight curve ball. Dream Of Me is notably darker than her other works, and lacks the humor that has largely been her trademark. In a nutshell, Dream Of Me is pretty darn intriguing.

Readers met the incubus Theron in Come To Me and learned he’s a character with questionable morals and strong ambitions. He strikes a deal with Vlad Draco of Wallachia – Theron will get Prince Dragosh of neighboring Maramures to break the engagement of his younger sister, Lucia, and Prince Nicolae of Moldavia. Vlad will then concur Moldavia, marry Lucia – which aligns him with Maramures – and he will be ruler of three territories. In exchange, Theron will be allowed to inhabit Vlad’s body for three days – three days where the dream demon will learn what it’s like to be a mortal King.

There’s just one catch though – it’s been six years since Theron’s succubus counterpart delivered a disturbing dream to Dragosh and set a war in motion. Vlad is on the eve of victory and yet he still has not held up his end of the bargain! When it finally dawns on Theron that Vlad has no intention of delivering on their deal – Theron makes good on a threat. He vows to Vlad that he will visit his virginally, naively pure Lucia and corrupt her to the point that she’s as knowledgeable as a tavern whore.

Lucia has spent six long years in total isolation. Her only companions are a senile nun and a lady’s maid who thinks of her with contempt. Lucia is pampered, sheltered and intensely curious about married life. It’s 1423; she’s 20 and an old maid. She’s ready for a husband and children – even if she has absolutely no clue when it comes to love and sex. For you see, Vlad wants his betrothed to be perversely sheltered and ignorant for his own twisted appetites.

Incubi are dream demons who bring erotic dreams to frustrated mortal women. When Theron begins visiting Lucia, he has nothing more in mind than revenge on Vlad. However Lucia is a special girl, and it appears she has inherited her grandmother’s gift of “sight.” Lucia can see Theron. She talks to Theron. And worse yet, she still exhibits some measure of control over herself in her dream world.
Dream Of Me reads very much like a companion to Come To Me, with both stories essentially taking place over the same period of time. In fact, some scenes repeat themselves in both books, albeit they are told from different perspectives. While Dream Of Me does stand alone, and can be read separately, there are certain elements of back story in Come To Me that make this book that much more compelling.

Theron is a morally ambiguous hero if ever there was one. His motives are highly questionable, and he’s equally as power-hungry as Vlad. In the beginning, Lucia is merely a means to an end – and she stays that way for over half of the book. It’s as Theron spends more time in her dreams that he begins to change. He learns what his selfishness has wrought.

Lucia is one of these hyper-virginal heroines. Normally this type of character goes down about as smooth as razor blades for this reviewer, but Cach does an excellent job of creating her. She has literally been locked away like a fairy princess, surrounded by people who are terrified of what Vlad will do to them should she become even the slightest bit corrupted. It’s a joy to watch Lucia grow over the course of the story – from literally a naïve child to a woman who must learn to make her own choices.

There are a few light-hearted moments towards the end of the story, mostly revolving around the demise of one of the villains. However Cach never really abandons the dark atmosphere she creates. Even the ending has a slightly creepy edge to it, throwing the reader a surprise that still has me pondering the possibilities. It’s a classic dark fairy tale.

Lisa Cach has already amply proven herself to be one of the freshest voices in the romance genre. Dream Of Me merely reinforces it. With intense, dream-like love scenes, dark atmosphere, and complex characters, this two-book series is easily one of the highlights for romance in 2004. Don’t let these unique books pass you by, take a walk on the wild side and lose yourself in Cach’s world.

+++++

Wendy Looks Back: I remember being completely captivated by Theron in Come to Me, so reading his book was really a no-brainer.  Upon investigation, it appears that this book has not been re-released digitally ::sad face::.  Here's hoping that is eventually rectified.

Retro Review: Come To Me

This review of Come to Me by Lisa Cach was first published at The Romance Reader in 2004.  I rated it 4-Hearts (B rating) with an MPAA content rating of "R."

+++++

In the five years I’ve been reviewing, I’ve had the pleasure of being assigned three novels by Lisa Cach. Upon diving into Come To Me, one question kept tickling at the back of my brain – why oh why isn’t this woman a huge star? Whether she’s writing about a woman posing as a mermaid (The Mermaid of Penperro), a pro wrestler who travels back in time to slay a dragon (George and the Virgin) or a succubus who becomes a mortal woman to help a scarred man (Come To Me) – readers can always count on Cach to deliver creative plots and interesting characters.

Samira is a succubus, a low ranking creature of the Night World. It is Samira’s job to bring erotic dreams to sleeping men. She’s seen a lot in her several hundred years of existence, and figures she has mortal men figured out. So when she is asked to do a favor for Theron, her incubus counterpart who delivers erotic dreams to women, she handily agrees. She delivers a disturbing dream to Prince Dragosh, the ruling prince of Maramures. Little does she know that the dream she delivers sets off a bloody chain of events.

Dragosh’s dream causes him to break the engagement between his younger sister and Prince Nicolae. A war ensues, and Nicolae ends up a scarred, bitter man hiding out in a crumbling monastery. He’s taken to reading books on black magic, hoping to use the dark arts as a way to regain his father’s respect, and get revenge against Dragosh. It’s while dabbling in this magic that he discovers Samira, and decides to use her to achieve his goals.

Unfortunately, Nicolae’s dabbling resorts in Samira becoming a mortal woman. Banished from the Night World by the Queen of the Night, Nyx, Samira’s task is to help Nicolae and undo the damage her dream to Dragosh caused. There’s just a small catch however – she has 30 days in which to accomplish this mission, at which time Nyx will show up with none other than Death himself.
Come To Me is something of a dark fairy tale. The author sets her tale in 15th century Transylvania, and the story has gritty medieval overtones. The dream that Samira delivers to Dragosh is disturbing in nature, and given that she is a purveyor of erotic dreams, the story is full of steamy dream-like moments.

Adding to the dark atmosphere is Nicolae, who is severely scarred and bent on revenge against Dragosh. Here’s a guy seeking to use black magic in order to achieve that revenge. He’s not a nice guy in the beginning. However, Cach writes him with an underlying vulnerability that is sexy and appealing. As he spends time with Samira, he begins to question his motives, and his early distrust of her.
And really that’s where this story works – Nicolae has trust issues. Given he has a 15th century attitude, he isn’t going to readily embrace a succubus – a demon – when she offers her help. He’s also not happy that she offers this help in her human state – what use is a demon if she’s no longer one?

The story loses some grit and momentum immediately following Samira’s transformation, but the author recovers quickly. As a bit of comic relief, some time is spent on Samira getting acquainted with the human body and all of its functions – most notably eating and using the latrine. While the author tries to write Samira as an innocent during these scenes, she comes off with shades of too-stupid-to-live. Luckily, these moments are brief, with later scenes focusing on Samira’s physical innocence versus her mental experience in regards to the desires of men.

I see a lot of grumblings online that Romance Novel Land has turned into humongous Regency Historical Land. There may be some truth to that, but the fact remains that interesting, creative stories do continue to seek their way to bookstore shelves for readers who take the time, and the risk, to seek them out. Lisa Cach is one such author who continues to bend boundaries and write stories that are not “safe bets.” Come To Me is innovative, dark without being depressing, and the most original story this reviewer has come across in ages. Don’t miss it.

+++++

Wendy Looks Back: I obviously read this one before my well-documented Paranormal Burn-Out set in and inhaled it.  What I especially loved was that it was "different" at the time.  Cach gave us a succubus heroine instead of another retread of a vampire or werewolf story.

Retro Review: George And The Virgin

This review of George and the Virgin by Lisa Cach was first published at The Romance Reader in 2002.  I rated it 4-Hearts (B rating) with an MPAA content rating of "R."

+++++

Being a librarian, I’m a firm believer in intellectual freedom and the first amendment - but honestly, even I think any book with the word virgin in the title has to go. I’m not sure if it’s been just my luck lately, or if the romance publishing industry is out to get me, but I’ve read more books with moronic titles in the last couple of weeks than I have in the last couple of years. I can’t help but feel that more than few readers will avert their eyes and walk hurriedly from the romance section of their favorite bookstore upon seeing Lisa Cach’s latest. A shame really, since it’s a delightfully fun read - and probably the most unique book to cross my path in some time.

Alizon is a desperate young girl living in medieval Markesew on the southwest coast of England. What could a 14-year-old possibly be desperate about? Why her virginity of course! Alizon has no wish for a husband - she just wants to be rid of her maidenhead before the next lottery. Only virginal women need apply, and instead of coin or jewels, the winner is fed to the town’s resident dragon. Alizon, having failed to succeed in deflowering herself, is chosen to be the next sacrifice.

George is a professional wrestler living in the present day, who is also having a bit of a crisis. Two young boys in Missouri decided to emulate his trademark moves and got themselves seriously hurt. Now concerned mothers are out for his blood. His sister, Athena, a New Age practitioner, convinces George to let her hypnotize him. The theory is that while in the state of hypnosis he will find a way around his current doubts.

Instead, George wakes up on Markesew and quickly learns he is to slay the dragon. Thinking he is hypnotized, George figures that “slaying the dragon” is symbolic of his current professional crisis. However, once he makes his way up to Devil’s Mount, he finds a surly gatekeeper, a mysterious crone, and the ghosts of dead virgins standing in his way.

The old crone happens to be a poorly disguised Alizon. She escaped the dragon’s clutches 12 years earlier, and is now exacting her revenge on the townspeople who tossed her aside. In the process, she takes in each new, sacrificed girl, teaches her the art of tapestry making, and continues to build the wall around her heart even higher. She’s none too happy to see “St. George,” who not only threatens the life she has built up on Devil’s Mount, but her heart as well.

What makes Cach’s latest a gem is George. How can one not love a hero who is macho and manly, but also reads Goodnight Moon to his 5-year-old niece? He talks like a guy, acts like a guy, but had enough of a feminine side to make this reader’s heart skip a beat. It is also terribly amusing as he walks around Devil’s Mount trying to find symbolic meaning in all that is happening to him.

It took me considerably longer to warm up to Alizon - even though I felt she had good reason for being the way she was. She scorns the townspeople for their cowardice - for sending helpless young girls to their death instead of finding a way to be rid of the dragon. She is angry, bitter, and just plain disgusted. It takes her some time to work through this - and she doesn’t exactly aid George in his quest to kill Belch the dragon. Instead, she thwarts his efforts, and stalls him at every turn. For his part, George is not only patient with her, but there’s a wonderful dialogue towards the end when he makes her see the error of her ways.

While I found Alizon frustrating at times, I’m recommending Cach’s latest on the strength of the unique storyline and the hero. Readers who are tired of picking up the same European historicals, Westerns, or category romances featuring amnesiac cowboy sheik babies will likely find George and the Virgin to be a refreshing departure from the norm.

+++++

Wendy Looks Back: I am so glad I had read The Mermaid of Penperro before this book arrived in a review shipment.  I remember audibly groaning when I saw the title.  Seriously, I'm going to have to haul a book out in public, to my office to read on my lunch break, with THIS title?!?!?!?  What a pleasant surprise it turned out to be!  And the start of me learning to overlook moronic titles.

Retro Review: The Mermaid Of Penperro

This review of The Mermaid of Penperro by Lisa Cach was first published at The Romance Reader in 2001.  I rated it 4-Hearts (B range) with a MPAA content rating of "R."

+++++

Konstanze can no longer stomach her existence as wife to the odious, perverted, and much older John Bugg. However, the girl is not a total idiot, and knows that she will have to come up with a solid plan to obtain her freedom - 1804 England is not exactly helpful to women who wish to leave their husbands. Luckily for Konstanze, her great uncle left her his cottage near Penperro in Cornwall when he died. Therefore, when Bugg takes off on a business trip, Konstanze takes her trusted maid, Hilde, some items for the pawnshops of London and takes off.

Tom Trewella is a businessman in Penperro with big problems. Like the majority of Cornwall’s residents, Tom makes a hefty portion of his living off illegal smuggling. However, now that England is at war with France, the Crown is scrounging around for all the funds it can lay its hands on. Their answer to the smuggling problem is to send the Preventive Water Guard Service to thwart the practice. Unfortunately the head man, Robert Foweather, while a bit dimwitted, is persistent. If only there was a way to get the man out of their hair.

A solution quickly presents itself. Konstanze, while taking a break from settling the cottage, decides to go for a swim in what she believes is a secluded cove - a nude swim. Foweather sneaks up on her, and upon hearing her sing, believes he has seen a mermaid. Seeing a way to distract the man, Tom decides to ask Konstanze for help. The plan is for her to play the part of mermaid and keep Foweather occupied while the smugglers have a chance to move their goods.

Konstanze is not exactly keen on the idea, as smuggling is illegal, and the whole nude swimming episode mightily embarrasses her. Nevertheless, when Tom offers her compensation for her troubles, she knows she would be a fool to pass. That and she finds herself strangely attracted to the man. But how long can they carry on this mermaid charade? Moreover, what will happen when Konstanze’s stepson, John Bugg II, decides to come looking for her?

The Mermaid of Penperro is a fun romance, the perfect cure for when you have had a bad day. Konstanze and Tom have a wonderful, bantering relationship, with plenty of sexual tension to boot. Konstanze is like a bird that has just left the nest, testing her wings, poised for flight, and discovering her true self in her newfound freedom. Tom is an intelligent man, with a ready charm and mischievous streak. They make a good couple, and their time together had me smiling on more than one occasion.

I was less satisfied with Robert Foweather, for no fault of his character, but for the way he is treated. Both John Buggs are suitable villains, worthy of contempt and just plain nasty. Foweather, on the other hand, is like the shy, dull kid in school who everybody made fun of. I felt sorry for the guy. Here he is just trying to do his job, and the romantic couple, along with the entire town, is laughing at him behind his back. It was a little hard for me to swallow. However, the author provides a nice ending for Foweather, one that I was happy to see included.

Also enjoyable was the fact that Cach has written a book about “the little people.” It is 19th century England and there is nary a Duke, Earl or Baron in sight. I like the aristocrats as much as the next girl, but honestly, it is nice to have a pint at the local pub with the common folk every now and again.

Historical purists may have issues with a woman swimming nude and pretending to be a mermaid in 1804 England. Admittedly, I did find myself holding back at first, but there was so much for me to like in The Mermaid of Penperro, that I quickly let go of my reservations. Konstanze, Tom, the mermaid angle, the Buggs, and no aristocrats kept me glued to my seat, and easily turning the pages.

+++++

Wendy Looks Back: I remember being suitably charmed by this story, despite myself.  Yes, it is definitely of the "light and fluffy" school of historicals, but it was the kind of book that made me feel "happy" while I was reading it.  My first read by Cach during my TRR tenure, but not my last.

Lisa Cach Week!

Once upon a time in Romancelandia there was a publisher named Dorchester.  After years of rumors detailing financial troubles and not paying author royalties, the death knell firmly rang in 2012 when Amazon bought up the rights to roughly 1000 of their titles.

This was a sad day for Wendy, as Dorchester was one of the very few publishers left standing that still would spit out a historical western romance on occasion.  There's also the minor detail that Dorchester was one of the very few "name" publishers that had a reputation for risk taking.  They published paranormal romances back when nobody supposedly wanted to read them.  They still published traditional westerns, even though, supposedly, nobody wanted to read them anymore.  And they were one of the very few houses that seemed to not pressure their authors to pigeon-hole themselves.

Case in point, Lisa Cach.

During my tenure with TRR (The Romance Reader) I read and reviewed four books by Cach, all of them different.  She never regurgitated the same book twice for her readers.  Keep in mind this was during an era when the longer Regency historical was king.  Countless writers were jumping ship and writing Regencies.  Authors were told they had to "brand" themselves.  And honestly, you can't possibly brand yourself if you're not writing in the same time period, the same type of story (be that light and fluffy or angst-up-to-your-eyeballs) every time out of the gate.  The goal was that readers should see your name and know exactly what they were going to get.  Authors that once wrote books in a variety of historical time periods went All Regency All The Time.  Authors that once wrote historical romances jumped ship to romantic suspense, or straight contemporary.  And once paranormal came back into fashion?  Everyone seemed to be dusting off old manuscripts - and let me tell you, I have deep reviewer scars to show for that folly.

Which is what made Lisa Cach so exciting for me as a reader, and a reviewer.  I never knew what the heck I was going to get.  Ever.  Every book was a new adventure.

So it was with a sense of nostalgia and glee when I went trolling on Netgalley one day to discover that she had written a serial (a novella trilogy) for Pocket Star.  And sure enough, it sounded absolutely nothing like any of the four books I read by her during my TRR tenure.  So in honor of those reviews, and the start of her new 1001 Erotic Nights trilogy, I am declaring this next week Lisa Cach Week here at the Bat Cave.  Stay tuned for those four retro reviews from my TRR days, along with a review of her latest release, Slave Girl.

Digital Review: Their Hour Upon The Stage

One of the great joys in reading Marguerite Kaye is that she is one of the few historical romance authors working today who hasn't been pigeon-holed.  She's done everything from Regency Arabia, to non-titled Regency heroes, to the 1920s and World War I.  She's also been very prolific.  In between full-length novels for Harlequin Historical, she's been publishing shorter works.  These two connected novellas for Harlequin Historical Undone are linked by sisters, torn apart by the tragedy of World War I.

The Undoing of Daisy Edwards is just the sort of angst-filled, gut-punching story I love to sink my teeth into.  Daisy is a stage actress whose husband died in World War I.  It is a loss, a tragedy, that she is slow to forget.  She didn't fight, but she lost everything.  When he died, she died.  She's not the girl she was before.  And to that end she's in a bit of a spiral when our hero, Dominic Harrington, finds her passed out in a jail cell.

Dominic is in aviation and loathe to use a title that he feels doesn't belong to him.  His family was torn apart by the war as well, when his older brother (the heir) was killed.  Mom remarried and ran off to the States.  Younger sister Grace has gone full-blown party girl flapper, which is how Daisy lands in her orbit.  Dominic shows up to spring Grace, only to find a passed out Daisy instead.  So he does what any chivalrous gentleman would do - he takes her home.

Sparks naturally fly between these two characters incapable to seeing past today.  Kaye handles the aftermath of the war, the survivor's guilt mentality of it, extremely well.  Both of these characters feel guilty for being alive when their loved ones aren't.  Both of these characters have a hard time thinking about a future in a world that let World War I happen. 

Told an alternating first person point of view, the author does, at times, rely on telling a bit more than showing.  Also Grace firmly remains off page, even though I think this story would have benefited from her having a larger role - although I'm not sure how possible that would be with the word count we're working with here.  Still it's an emotionally charged read that handles the time period beautifully without info-dumping.  I also appreciated that it ended happily while not straying into Unicorns Pooping Rainbows territory.  Frankly that would have been extremely unrealistic given the character baggage, but Kaye still makes me believe even without the saccharine.

Final Grade = B

The Awakening of Poppy Edwards takes readers across the pond to Los Angeles and the new life that Poppy Edwards has built for herself.  Also an actress, she used to have an act with her sister Daisy back before the war.  Now Daisy is the walking wounded and Poppy is left adrift.  Daisy has presence, but Poppy was always the looker, so motion pictures is where it's at for her.  She's making a decent living in silent pictures, but something is still missing, broken for her.  So she disguises herself, uses a stage name, and sings in a jazz club at night.  Which is where Broadway producer Lewis Cartsdyke finds her.  He wants her on his stage, and after seeing her sing - in his bed.  But there's a lot more to Poppy than meets the eye and then Lewis has to break the one and only rule she ever had - no falling in love.

Again told in alternating first person, this story also features the long shadow of World War I.  Lewis was an ambulance driver, witnessing the horrors of the first modern war, and Poppy watched her sister and all of Europe unravel.  Showing up late to the party, being a vast country, less dead, less wounded, less grieving families, means the United States is a welcome escape.  Plus Poppy is in Los Angeles.  Fairy tale, make-believe, glittering, flashy L.A.  A town where you can be anything you want to be, and Poppy makes the most of it by acting her way through life.  Until Lewis sees straight through her.

I felt like more "telling" crept into this story than in Daisy's romance, but I find I'm a little more willing to forgive such a transgressing when 1) shorter word count and 2) first person.  Which, yes, probably makes me a hypocrite, but ask me if I care?  (Uh, no).  Again, Kaye has a way of infusing a sense of time and place quite naturally into her story without beating the reader over the head with her research stick.  Emotional charged with good world-building, this duet is a nice ice-breaker if you're looking for something outside of your Regency comfort zone.

Grade = B-