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-

Tigers Meet Harlequin: The Secretary's Dreamy Bombshell

Our Hero: Brad Ausmus

What You Need to Know: In a Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Star first I give you - our manager.  In his playing days Ausmus was a catcher and enjoyed an 18-year big league career.  He made one All-Star team (1999) and won three Gold Gloves ('01, '02, '06).  He attended Dartmouth college and while he was never a "superstar" during his playing days, he had a reputation for being a solid player, smart guy, and all around good teammate.

He's probably best known for his tenures with the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres - but he also played for the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.  After retiring in 2010, he coached the Israel national team in the World Baseball Classic in 2012 and was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 which means that yes Jewish romance readers - you could bring Brad home to meet Mom.

His Baggage: The Tigers named Ausmus their manager in 2013 after Jim Leyland retired.  This news was met with...skepticism.  While Ausmus had stayed in baseball (working as a special assistant in the Padres front office) his leap straight to managing a team that was loaded and primed to "win now" was seen like giving your 16-year-old son the keys to a Ferrari on prom night.  Plus, just look at this guy ::dreamy sigh::. The Tigers have always played their best under crotchety old white guys who like to smoke (see: Sparky Anderson and Jim Leyland).  Hey, I love Sparky and Jim but dreamy isn't an adjective that really applies.


Just how dreamy is Brad?  So dreamy that some jokester in the clubhouse last year had T-shirts made.

So dreamy that photos he did for a fitness magazine years ago once again surfaced online.  (No, no - feel free to thank me later).  And yes, Brad surfs and (at least he used to) lives in San Diego in the off-season.

Honestly, if I didn't know for a fact he was married with grown daughters I would take up stalking San Diego beaches in my free time.

And then last season happened.  The wheels fell of the team, we went from first to last in one season, star players like David Price and Yoenis Cespedes were traded away, and everyone started pointing fingers.  Rumors started flying and everyone was calling for Ausmus to get canned.  Instead?  We waved so-long-farewell to our GM and Brad survived to manage another season.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot: The spotlight is shining bright and it's starting to get uncomfortable.  As one of the youngest managers in baseball, he realizes how lucky he was to land his first managerial job with a team that was loaded to the gills with talent.  The first year was OK, they made the playoffs.  Last year was when things got ugly.  Fans, the press, everyone seemed to be calling for his job.  He somehow survived, but he knows he's on a short leash with the owner - who has one foot in the grave and is ready for a World Series ring already.

So he understands the pressure, the spotlight, the glare of unwanted attention.  And while he knows he can't afford any distractions (especially now!) - he can't help but feel sorry for his personal assistant, who is surviving her own public nightmare.

The Heroine: She made the mistake of falling into a workplace romance and it ended very, very badly.  Not only did her accountant ex lie to her and sleep with every baseball groupie sniffing around hoping to score with the players - he also got up to shenanigans with the team's financial records.  On his way out the door he tried to foist the whole thing off on her, which blessedly - didn't work.  When his back was truly up against a wall and jail time became imminent?  He decided to go out with a blaze of glory by posting nude photos of her online - some of which landed temporarily on the team's web site.  They were taken down quickly, but by that point?  The damage was done.

She's managed to keep her job (barely), and while the organization has stood by her, things have still been uncomfortable.  There have been hastily halted conversations when she's entered rooms, pitying looks and a few overheard "poor girl" whispers murmured through bathroom stalls.  What she needs is a protector.  Someone to help shield her from well-meaning coworkers and gossip.  So when the hunky manager proposes they pretend to be a couple - she knows she should say no, but can't help but say yes.  It's sure to fuel even more gossip, but dating the boss means the chatter will die down at the office and wait for Happy Hour cocktails at the local pub.  Besides - dating the hottie manager will be the ultimate revenge against her no-good, jail-bird ex and maybe her parents will stop looking at her like she's such a disappointment now that she's linked to the most eligible bachelor in town.

What Category Romance Line?:  Oh Brad. Hunky and a protector of damsels in distress?  Could you possibly get any dreamier?!  I don't think so!  A boss/secretary romance merged with a pretend relationship means I think we have ourselves a surefire Harlequin Desire.

Tigers Meet Harlequin: The Catcher's Sexy Revenge

Our Hero: James McCannn

What You Need to Know: Taken in the second round of the 2011 draft by the Tigers, McCann was one of four catchers Detroit drafted that year looking for the guy who would carry them into the future.  McCann won the race, having a cup of coffee in Detroit in 2014 then making the big league roster to back-up starter and Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Star Alex Avila in 2015.  He hasn't been down to AAA Toledo since.

He's also a big reason why Alex was sent packing when he became a free agent.  McCann has come into his own and he's seen as a leader in the clubhouse.  What does Wendy think?  I think he's young and the jury is still out.  Also, I'll be blunt.  While Avila was plagued with injury issues, that guy calls a damn fine ballgame.  I wasn't all that in love with McCann's game calling last season - but then my whole team turned out to be a dumpster fire, so I'm probably not being fair.  I think this will be a telling year for McCann and I hope I fall completely in love with him.

His Baggage: So...last year. Last year was not good.  OK, it was awful.  After four years of American League Central Division titles in a row - the Tigers went from first place to last place.  First to worst.  For a team that was loaded with talent - but, you know, with a crappy bullpen (among other issues).  It was hard to watch and I'm sure hard for the players and coaching staff.

Tensions bubbled over in early August when McCann and former Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Star Jose Iglesias got into a shoving match in the dugout.  On camera.  It was depressing.  I really like Jose so I spent a little while simmering over McCann and just generally being disgusted with the whole lot of them.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot: Catchers are not only leaders among the pitching staff, but also the clubhouse and he's trying to get his feet under him after replacing a popular teammate.  The fact that the team, and some of the pitching staff, are struggling this year has not made the transition any easier.  After a stinging defeat at the hands of the Red Sox, he loses his temper and comes to blows with one of his teammates.  He knows it was stupid, but dang - the guy has been rubbing him the wrong way.  He needs to stay focused.  He needs to right the ship.  But seeing Jose across the clubhouse every day has proven to be irritating.  And then in walks the man's all too sexy twin sister and he comes up with a plan...

The Heroine:  As twins she and Jose were really close growing up.  So close that when he made it to the big leagues she moved in with him to help take care of his house, help with his travel arrangements, and basically act as his personal assistant.  Normally it's great fun, but this year?  With the team doing poorly?  It's been less than happy times.  And now her hot-headed brother has gotten into an altercation with the team's new catcher.  Ugh.  She knows Jose isn't blameless but seriously, McCann could have backed off.  And while she knows she shouldn't get in the middle of it?  Her own hot temper boils over one night when she runs into James at her favorite restaurant.  Even though she knows she should stay far away - she can't ignore the attraction.  But is he just using her to get back at her brother?

What Category Romance Line?:  A hero who is possibly using the heroine to get revenge on her twin brother?  OMG, if this isn't a Harlequin Presents story I'm not sure what would qualify.  McCann's not a Greek tycoon, but hey - none of us is perfect.

Tigers Meet Harlequin: The Pitcher's Second Chance Romance

Our Hero: Daniel Norris

What You Need To Know: Young Mr. Norris is 22 years old (23 at the end of April - but yes, we are all dirty old ladies) and a starting pitcher we picked up from the Toronto Blue Jays when we decided to trade former Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Star, David Price, during the dumpster fire that was last season. (The less said about that the better.)

At the time of this writing, it's unlikely that Norris will even make the Tigers roster out of spring training. But just look at this guy.  Besides the fact that he's dreamy, his baggage is such great romance novel fodder that I don't care if he ends up starting the season in AAA Toldeo.  Welcome to the big leagues Mr. Norris!  Well, at least as far as this blog goes.

His Baggage:  At the start of last season Norris was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  His doctors assured him he could delay treatment until the end of the season, which he did.  The Tigers and Blue Jays were aware of his medical issues at the time of the trade, but made it happen anyway.  In the off-season Norris successfully had surgery and is now cancer-free.

He is also the resident "free spirit" of the team.  He spends the off-season traveling around the country in his 1978 Volkswagen camper van he's nicknamed "Shaggy."  He's an amateur photographer, he surfs, he lives on very little money and possessions.  He's a hippy with a hipster beard and he's in Detroit.  God help us all.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot:  He's pretty good at baseball, but the accolades have always made him uncomfortable.  Everyone keeps telling him it's time to grow up, to act like a "big leaguer" - but that just ain't him.  He's a rolling stone.  He wants to see the country.  And that's what he's done.  Footloose, fancy-free, surfing his way along the west coast and spending time with a surfer girl who is just as much a free-spirit as he is.  No ties, no attachments, just a good time.  Until he finds out he has cancer and everything changes.

The Heroine: When her last boyfriend vacated her beach bungalow taking her vintage vinyl music collection and favorite board with him (out of nothing but spite - what a jerk!), she's vowed to stay away from men for a while.  Obviously her judgement is severely impaired.  She's going to spend the winter focusing on herself and surfing her troubles away.  A plan that gets a wrench thrown in it thanks to a hunky nomad ballplayer who might be a bigger hippy than she is.  The attraction to much to ignore, they decide it won't hurt to share some laughs, and more than kisses, for a brief fling.  Besides, just because her last boyfriend was a jerk doesn't mean that a girl has to give up all fun.  They part as friends and while she misses him, she knows it could only be temporary.

Then she gets a call at the start of the baseball season.  He has cancer and while he's soldiering on, he's scared.  He wants her by his side even though they both agreed, "only a fling."  And now she's scared and her whole world is turned upside down.

What Category Romance Line?:  I envision flashbacks and given the medical conflict I'm thinking we need a longer word count.  Harlequin SuperRomance here we come!

Tigers Meet Harlequin: The Slugger's Family Promise

Our Hero: Miguel Cabrera

What You Need to Know: Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera is one of the premier players in all of Major League Baseball.  A World Series champion with the 2003 Florida Marlins, he's a 10-time All-Star, 2-time American League MVP, 6-time Silver Slugger winner, 4-time American League batting champ, 2-time American League homerun leader, 2-time American League RBI (runs batted in) leader and he won the Triple Crown (lead the league in RBIs, homeruns and batting average) in 2012 - the first time that had been accomplished in 45 years.

Yeah, Miggy is pretty good at baseball.

His Baggage: So the last time we saw Miggy as a Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Star he was overcoming some wee issues he was having with alcohol and falling for the sexy head of his new security detail in a Harlequin Presents story.  By all accounts Miggy has put the past behind him and in recent years we've gotten Fun-Loving Miggy.  Nobody has a better time at the ballpark than when Miggy is being Miggy:


Then there was this great interaction he had with a young Cleveland Indians fan last season.  After the kid makes a sweet snag on a foul ball, he takes the opportunity to talk a little trash with the opposing team's first baseman.  Well, just see what happens next:



The Proposed Category Romance Plot: The last couple of seasons have been rough. His numbers were still respectable, but with the team vastly under performing all eyes are on him, the team's superstar, to put everyone on his back and carry them towards the promise land.  But he's getting older and nagging injuries the last couple of years have slowed him down.

Now, fully healthy, ready to rock n' roll, he decides that this season will be different.  This season he is determined to have fun.  To learn to embrace the game again like he did when he was a young boy growing up in Venezuela.  And helping him find his groove?  A young fan for one of his team's biggest rivals.

The Heroine: It's just her and her nephew.  Her parents long past, her brother-in-law killed in a freak car accident, when her only living relative, her baby sister, is diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, she quits her job in Michigan and moves to Ohio to take care of her sister and help raise her nephew.  Her sister now gone, she's completely unprepared to raise a 12-year-old boy on her own.  She never thought she'd have kids.  In fact, had no plans.  And now here she is, a mother (of sorts).  It's been a bumpy adjustment.  The only time they seem to connect is when they're watching baseball - even if he is an Indians (::shudder::) fan.  But taking him to the ballpark is the only time the kid seems to come out of his grief, so for that she'll soldier on and watch (::shudder::) the Indians.  When the Tigers come to town she scrapes up enough money to get insane seats and before you know it?  They're meeting the star player and she's getting dazzled by his charm and charisma.  But what would a big time ballplayer want with a woman who has lost everyone dear to her and who is holding on by a thread?

What Category Romance Line?:  Awwww, Miggy helping a family heal from grief.  What a guy!  Sweet and lovely, plus we have a kid.  So yeah - Harlequin Special Edition.

The 4th Annual Tigers Meet Harlequin Extravaganza!

Yes, it's that time of year again.  A most wondrous, magical time of year.  When spring has sprung, baseball fans everywhere have hope, and Wendy once again decides "Hey, I haven't been sued yet - let's throw caution to the wind!"  It's time, once again, for Wendy to take players from her beloved Detroit Tigers baseball roster, make up a whole bunch of nonsense, and mold them into perfect Harlequin romance hero material.  Besides, we all need something to read before the regular season kicks off on April 3.  I'm doing a community service here!

What's on tap for this year?  Besides my fervent prayer that my team doesn't finish in the basement of the division again (sigh) - I've two new Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Stars, a returning All-Star with a brand new story and a hunky surprise in store.

All new stories will launch tomorrow, but in the meantime here's your chance to catch up with the stories featured the past three years:

2015 Tigers Meet Harlequin Roster:
J.D Martinez, outfield - Someone to Come Home to
Ian Kinsler, second base - The Texan's Redemption
Yoenis Cespedes, outfield (NY Mets) - The Woman He Couldn't Forget
David Price, starting pitcher (Boston Red Sox) - Reunited with the Pitcher's Sweetheart

2014 Tigers Meet Harlequin Roster:
Rick Porcello, starting pitcher (Boston Red Sox) - Angling Towards Danger
Alex Avila, catcher (Chicago White Sox) - Collision at Home
Jose Iglesias, shortstop - The Shortstop's Secret Baby
Max Scherzer, starting pitcher (Washington Nationals) - His Brother's Keeper

2013 Tigers Meet Harlequin Roster:
Victor Martinez, designated hitter - The Single Dad's Homerun
Austin Jackson, outfield (Chicago White Sox) - Action Jackson
Phil Coke, relief pitcher (Atlanta Braves) - Good Time Phil
Prince Field, first base (Texas Rangers) - Daddy Doesn't Love Me
Justin Verlander, starting pitcher - Bring the Heat
Miguel Cabrera, third base (now first base) - The Venezuelan's Sexy Bodyguard

#TBRChallenge 2016: The Way Home

Pretty cover, but doesn't fit story

The Book: The Way Home by Megan Chance

The Particulars: Historical western romance, Harper, 1997, Out of print, Available digitally (self-published)

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  It's a western and the beta hero is a virgin.  So yes, of course it's in Wendy's TBR (how could it not be?!), where it has been for more years than I care to admit.  Also, for the purposes of this month's Challenge theme (Recommended Read) - it's a KristieJ favorite.

The Review: OMG, this book! It's no secret that I've been in a reading slump that's dated back to last year.  This slump has mostly been related to my general lack of focus and attention when it comes to reading.  Good books have been slog to get through.  But this book, which clocks in at 447 pages?  I didn't read it so much as devour it.  Which goes to show that when Wendy finds the right book and her reading mood aligns (I really wanted to read a western when I picked this up!), she laughs in the face of The Slump!

Eliza Beaudry is desperate to get the heck out of Richmond, Texas.  Away from people who look down on her because her Daddy is a poor sharecropper and her Mama is half-Comanche.  And how exactly do pretty young girls get out of Dodge in 1876?  Yep, a man.  Eliza has already been pretty free with her kisses, but when Cole Wallace, a smooth-talkin' gambler strolls into town she just knows he's the one who will make all her dreams of leaving Richmond behind come true.

We know where this is going right?  Eliza ends up pregnant.  Cole, naturally, shows his true colors and Eliza's in a real sorry state now.  Poor, penniless, with not even a sliver of decent reputation left - she takes the only thing Cole does offer her.  She can marry his younger brother, Aaron.

Aaron is nothing like Cole.  He's working the family farm, taking care of their disagreeable invalid father (bedridden from a stroke), and he's painfully, awkwardly shy.  Eliza is so pretty she makes his eyes hurt, he's half in love with her before he can even stutter out a hello and she scares him so much he can barely spit.  She's also pregnant with his brother's baby and Aaron knows he cannot compete - but he marries her all the same.

You can tell this book was published 20 years ago because there isn't an editor alive who would publish it as is today.  First, it's 447 pages long.  Second, it opens with Eliza meeting Cole.  Third, we get a sex scene between Eliza and Cole (who is NOT the hero), and finally?  Eliza and Aaron (remember, the hero) don't even meet until after page 150.  We also get to spend more time with Cole after he leaves Eliza on Aaron's doorstep.  There are several reasons Cole dumps Eliza off on his brother, the biggest one being that Cole has bigger fish to fry.

The writing flows and the characters are so richly drawn.  Eliza is the kind of heroine you want to smack early (and often) because she's so young and so naive in the beginning.  You see disaster looming the moment she's introduced.  However it's how she grows as a character after she marries Aaron that's most intriguing.  Other reviews I've since read have expressed dissatisfaction over her lack of denying feelings for Cole - but by the end of this story I was convinced without the author resorting to Eliza's grandstanding or denouncing Cole in some Big Ol' Grand Gesture.  How she falls in love with Aaron is done gradually, over time and I believed every moment of it.

Original cover (much better!)

Misunderstandings and lack of communication do abound here.  Aaron is so painfully shy, belittled by his father (for Reasons), dismissed by Cole (because, well, Cole is kind of a jackass), and shunned in town (again, for Reasons).  Eliza is really hung up on the fact that she's Poor White Trash and not "a lady."  She thinks that's a big deal for Aaron (which, it's not) and Aaron thinks that she's in love with Cole and he's a bumbling idiot that she could never be attracted to.

If this book had been published today it would be 200 pages shorter and we'd start the story with Cole dumping Eliza into his brother's lap.  And the story would be much the poorer for it.  As it's written, Chance has done something remarkable.  None of these are bad people.  Cole, Daddy Wallace, these aren't cookie cutter villains.  There are times they are not nice men, but they're not caricatures - and it adds a richness to the story's conflict.

This started out as a strong B+ for me and got pushed into A territory when I had to fight back tears while reading the final chapters on my lunch break at work (only slightly embarrassing).  When Eliza realizes she loves Aaron and that he's not ashamed of her and she goes to him?  O.M.G.  I'm a mess just thinking about it.  It's wonderful.  It's amazing.  Read it now.

Final Grade = A

The Saints of the Lost and Found

I was all in on The Saints of the Lost and Found by T.M. Causey the minute I heard the words Southern and Gothic.  Yes, the back cover blurb pretty much clued me in that I was going to have to wade through paranormal woo-woo but seriously...SOUTHERN and GOTHIC!!!!!  I would have resorted to walking over hot coals to read this book.  Luckily it didn't come to that.

Avery Marie Broussard can see "lost things."  These lost things roll off people that enter into Avery's orbit.  She can tell you innocuous things like where you left car keys, where you misplaced your wedding ring, where your toddler left his pacifier - or, you know, where the bloody knife is you used to murder your unfaithful husband.  She's had this ability since childhood, which came in handy for her con artist parents.  However, for the last several years, Avery has been running.  Running away from her family, running away from the only man she ever loved, and running away after she fails to help the FBI in tracking down the notorious Little Princess Killer, a man who had been kidnapping and killing little blonde girls.

Her parents moved her around a lot, but Louisiana is the closest thing she's got to a home.  Normally she wouldn't set foot across the state line, but her father calls and tells her Latham, her beloved older brother, is in danger.  Daddy can see when and how people will die and apparently Latham is not long for this world.  But being back home also means being back near Jack.  Jack, the only boy she ever loved and the same boy who Daddy says will one day kill her.

What we've got here is classic Gothic.  A heroine torn between her gift and reality, a hero who may or may not be a "nice guy," a serial killer running amok and a boat-load of family secrets that could sink the Titanic.  Avery's "gift" (more like curse) is literally tearing her apart.  She agrees to help the FBI because she can't stand idly by doing nothing - but her gift isn't always detailed or precise.  It's when they're literally a couple hours late from saving the last victim that she snaps.  She can't go into police stations or hospitals because the "losses" pile up in her head.  All those victims, all those lost opportunities, she short-circuits and her in the throes of an epic seizure becomes a YouTube sensation.  So she lies.  She tells them the last epic seizure broke her - that she can no longer find "lost things."  And she heads home to help her brother and does her best to avoid Jack.

The book starts and finishes strong.  Where the cracks begin to show is in the middle when the reader suddenly realizes that the entire conflict hinges on characters who don't talk to each other.  It hit me like a ton of bricks when we're introduced to Jack's Bitter (with a Capital B) ex-wife, Marguerite.  Oh make no mistake, the woman is a bitch in heels - but half the reason she's that way is because Jack and Avery can't get their crap together and TALK TO EACH OTHER and she keeps running and he keeps feeling guilty and blah, blah, blah.  And it's not just Marguerite.  Because Jack and Avery can't get their crap together their Drama Llama sucks in every single secondary character.  Latham, their BFF's Sam and Nate, Jack's and Marguerite's son Brody...

Because Avery won't talk to Jack and Jack won't talk to Avery pretty much the whole blessed town is held hostage by their drama.  And naturally it's the Evil Other Woman that makes Wendy see the light (seriously this is a trope that needs to die a thousand deaths already).  I got so annoyed and so disgusted that what started out as a strong B+ read slid all the way down to a C.  Seriously.  TALK TO EACH OTHER AND STOP HIDING BEHIND MYSTERIOUS WOO-WOO CRAP!!!!

Whew.  There.  I think I feel better.  Anywoodle....

All, however, is not lost. Once the author stops with all the internal angst and shifts her conflict back to the external, namely, the Little Princess Killer and Avery's family drama, the story ends as it started - on a very strong note.  A serial killer running around kidnapping and murdering young girls has a way of diverting your attention away from a romantic couple that JUST NEEDS TO TALK ALREADY, WHY WON'T YOU TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY?!?!?!

Oh, wait.  Sorry about that.  Anywoodle....

All the secrets come tumbling out, Jack and Avery actually talk to each other (Praise Jeebus!), we get our final showdown and Wendy's mood starts to improve.  I didn't love it to bits and while I spent the middle chunk of the story wanting to slap Avery and Jack (and Latham to a certain extent) into next week - the Gothic "stuff" is very well done and the ending saves the day.

Final Grade = B-

Note: I struggled with how to classify this one and ultimately settled on Southern Gothic with Romantic Elements.  The romance is actually pretty strong, but you've got a serial killer, bad things happening to kids, and things don't end terribly sunny for a couple of secondary characters so....yeah.

Reminder: #TBRChallenge for March

For those of you participating in the 2016 TBR Challenge, this is a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, March 16.  This month's theme is Recommended Read!  A book that has been languishing in your TBR even though it was recommended to you by a friend, trusted blogger, GoodReads acquaintance...whomever!  But what if you pick your books in a vacuum and never listen to recommendations? Hey, no problem!  Remember - the themes are totally optional and are not required.  It's not about the themes but reading something (anything!) out of your TBR.

Also, it's not too late to sign-up for the 2016 TBR Challenge!  You can find more information about the challenge (and see the list of participants) on the Information Page.  If you'd like to sign-up, please leave a comment on this post and let me know where you will be posting your commentary.

Forever Your Earl

I have a complicated relationship with "light historical romance."  I want to like them but finding one that doesn't make my brain bleed is getting to be an increasingly tall order.  The problem, as I see it, is sometimes authors confuse "light in tone" with "light in substance."  Yes, I will happily gorge at the Cotton Candy Trough, but you've got to toss in a bran flake or almond every now and then to give me something to actually chew on.

By now I think it's pretty well known that Eva Leigh is a new pseudonym for Zoe Archer.  When I first heard this news I thought, "But why?!  Zoe Archer writes historicals, Eva Leigh writes historicals, what gives?"  Now that I've read Forever Your Earl the first book in Leigh's Wicked Quills of London series it makes more sense.  Archer historicals tend to be a bit action and adventure while Forever Your Earl is straight-up frothy Regency historical.  The thing that keeps it buoyant is Leigh's sparkling knack for dialogue and a feminist core that somehow doesn't feel totally overblown modern.

Eleanor Hawke owns and edits a scandal rag, The Hawk's Eye.  She's worked her way up from nothing, brought her paper into profitably, and her readers love every juicy morsel she tosses their way - especially when she's writing about Daniel Balfour, Earl of Ashford.  Lord A-d is a rake of the highest order, so he rarely disappoints when it comes to providing publishable material.  Well, that is until he shows up at her office demanding to see "Mr. E. Hawke."  Imagine his surprise when he finds out the editor of the scandal rag that's obsessed with his every move is a woman.

Daniel would normally not give a flying fig, but Eleanor's keen eye dogging his every move could blow apart a bigger scandal he has no intention of making known.  A good friend, a Duke's younger son, has gone missing.  The Duke's heir dying unexpectedly leaves Jonathan next in line, but ever since he returned from the war he hasn't been quite right.  Daniel will do anything to find and help his friend, but having Miss Hawke sniffing around is too dangerous by half.  So he figures, why not keep your enemy close?  He promises to take her out on the town, show her what a rake's life is really like, and she gets plenty of material that will keep her diverted from Daniel's true mission.  It all seems perfect, until of course he finds himself falling in love with her.

What Leigh has done is give readers a heroine who is "ahead of her time" but somehow keeps this story from completely jumping overboard into the absurd.  There are some readers who will say that all "ahead of their time" heroines are anachronistic - a theory I've never subscribed to.  I mean, if there never were, truly, any "ahead of their time" heroines in the world - well, the lives of women would have remained totally unchanged since the dawn of time.  I think where Leigh succeeds is by not completely throwing the baby out with the bath water.  Eleanor is unconventional, but she still has to play by some rules.  Every time she's around "polite society" in this story it's hanging out with rakes after hours, in disguise, and digging up dirt.  We don't see her in glittering ballrooms having conversations with people who, in actuality, would treat her like something unpleasant they need to scrap off their shoe.

What's remarkable about this book is that it almost reads like a love letter to romance readers and writers. 

Why was she so bloody angry?  It wasn't as though Ashford hadn't expressed opinions she had never heard before.  People called her work, and The Hawk's Eye, trash.  Or they damned it, and her, with faint praise.  You're too talented to waste yourself on ephemera.  Why don't you try writing something real?  Something with actual substance?

It's like deja vu all over again.

And that's the tip of the iceberg.  Eleanor's first night out with Daniel involves her having to disguise herself as a young man.  As Daniel teaches her how to "act the part," she, in turn, basically tells him the unvarnished truth about how unpleasant it can be to be a woman in a man's world - right down to the Regency equivalent of "man spreading."

Still, sometimes the parts don't always add up to a whole.  I found this book a slog to get through at times and it took a while to put my finger on why - it's the pacing.  Here's a perfect example - it takes us 100 pages for Daniel to show up at Eleanor's office, proposition her, for her to go to her friend's theater for a disguise (Sequel Bait!) and for them to get through their first night out together.  100 long pages.  Do I read too much category romance?  Is it the seemingly constant lack of focus miring me in my current reading slump?  Is it because this story is "light" and there's not a bucket-full of Angst-O-Rama-Jama?  Perhaps. Pacing is in the eye of the beholder.  But I could have done with 50-75 fewer pages.

Which leaves me with This Was Good.  I didn't love it to bits like some of Leigh/Archer's other work (check out her Blades of the Rose quartet or Lady X's Cowboy), but this is the strongest "light historical" I've read in a dog's age.  Plenty of banter, interesting characters who rub each other in just the right way, and a feminist core that never devolved the story into absurdity...the book's title notwithstanding.

Final Grade = B-

Retro Review: The Virgin and the Vengeful Groom

This review of The Virgin and the Vengeful Groom by Dixie Browning was first posted at The Romance Reader in 2000.  I rated it 3-Hearts (C Grade) with a sensuality content rating of PG-13.

+++++

Semi-retired Navy SEAL, Curt Powers, was happily minding his own business when fate steps in to foul things up. After surviving a dangerous mission that has left him physically and emotionally aching, he discovers that his father has recently passed away. This is big news to him, since his mother told him years ago that his father was already dead. Dear old dad left him a cabin by the ocean, Power’s Point, along with six boxes of old family papers. A rolling stone for most of his life, he had finally decided to take a look through the old boxes, when a gray-eyed vixen steals them right out from under him!

Romantic suspense writer, Lily O’Malley, was on her way to drop off some of her books in a storage unit when she happened on an auction. On the block were six sealed boxes, and her curiosity getting the better of her, she puts in the highest bid. What she discovers turns out to be a gold mine of inspiration - so, when Curt shows up at one of her book signings demanding his property back, she’s hesitant to relinquish it. After all, she’s the one who bought the boxes all nice and legal after he missed three payments on the storage unit.

Since Lily is unwilling to back down, Curt offers a compromise - why not return to Power’s Point with him where they can sort through the boxes together? While Lily is a little hesitant to run off with a strange man, she’s not all that anxious to stay in town. Lily’s success as a writer has come with her own stalker. Not only has this man left dirty messages on her machine, but he’s also broken into her house to leave her “gifts.” While going away with Curt isn’t exactly appealing, the idea of getting out of town is.

After groaning upon seeing the title (why do categories always have the dopiest titles?), I found myself pleasantly surprised after the first few chapters. For one thing, Curt and Lily have oodles of sexual chemistry, and the tension is thick right from the very start. Browning has crafted two fine characters that play very well off each other. Curt is an alpha hero with a wounded past, and sexy as hell. The author had me scrapping my chin off the floor by the close of the first chapter, and completely envious of the heroine by the time they are sharing living space.

As the title implies, this story has a virgin and (big shock here) it’s Lily. The great thing about her is that she’s not the standard “shrinking-violet-must-have-man-to-protect-me” type of romance virgin. She grew up in a very tough environment and learned to take care of herself at a very young age. She may be a successful writer now, but she never takes it for granted, and still has a tendency to worry about where her next meal will come from. In her own words, her body grew up but her brain barely made it past puberty.  

The main problem with this story is that it needs to be twice as long. There was too much going on that needed to be explored in depth, and the length of the Desire line just doesn’t provide the author with the opportunity. For one thing, the stalker issue is wrapped up a little too neatly in the very last chapter. It practically screamed “plot device,” and it often detracted from the sheer enjoyment of reading about the romantic couple.  

Also, Curt’s ancestors play a prominent role in the form of the historical information that both of the characters want to keep their hands on. While these ancestors are briefly explored, it only served to wet my appetite and left me with lots of questions by the close of the story.  

Most unsettling were the unanswered questions about Curt. Why did his mother leave his father and tell Curt he was dead? Exactly what happened on that fateful secret mission that left him scarred and almost broken? Since this title appears to be a part of the “Passionate Powers” series, I can only assume that some of the information I crave is locked away in early books.

While an enjoyable story with excellent sexual tension, I can’t help but wonder what might have been if this story was twice as long. With an expanded suspense thread (or omitting it altogether) and more information about Curt’s past, The Virgin And The Vengeful Groom could have been a real blockbuster. Browning has a real knack for characterization, and I’d love to see what she could do with a full-length single title.

Fractured Fairy Tales and a Turning Point of a Genre

Between preparing for a number of romance-related presentations, various Twitter conversations, and the continued realization that I'm old, I've found myself musing on the state of the romance genre of late.  As usually happens when I start musing on something, it takes me a while to put together my thoughts.  What typically ends up spurring me to some sort of epiphany?  A brouhaha.  A kerfuffle.  Drama llamas.

Sinner's Creed by Kim Jones is the first in a new MC series and published by Berkley.  MCs are really a romance genre "thing" right now, there are endorsement quotes by Joanna Wylde (this book) and Katy Evans (upcoming second book) and, you know, just look at that cover.  If it looks, acts and walks like a duck, you'd think - hey, a duck romance.    Well....no.  For gory (literally) details - Mandi from Smexy Books has a spoiler tagged review over at GoodReads. (ETA: Mandi has now posted a longer review over at her blog.)

I'll wait.

OK, now you're back.  Here, have a cookie, a blankie and a puppy dog.  Feel better?

The spin (because, of course, there's always spin) is that it's a "non-traditional HEA."  Now I've been guilty of using this phrase more than once in my life.  Back in the Stone Ages I would use this term to describe some Black Lace novels (which were marketed as erotica) that featured "happy endings."  Just not in the traditional Let's Get Married And Now The Heroine Is Pregnant With Quadruplets happy endings.  It was my way of calling out "Happy For Now" books back in the day when we really didn't know what that term was yet.

This book though?  I'm sorry, it's not a "non-traditional HEA," it's just not happy.  "Non-traditional HEA" still implies that YOU'LL GET SOME DARN HAPPY!  So not only does it not have a HEA, it's completely hijacked the concept of a "non-traditional HEA." Naturally some romance readers are displeased.  And by "some" I mean anyone who identifies the genre strongly with the HEA.

I can here you thinking, "WHA?!?!?!  Are you INSANE Wendy?!?!?!?  ROMANCE = HEA!!!!!  ALL READERS SHOULD KNOW THIS?!?!??!  IT'S LIKE THE ONLY RULE OF THE GENRE!!!!"

And I'm hear to tell you - all readers don't.  At least, I don't think they do.  And this is the theory I've been musing about for the last several months.

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll have noticed that self-publishing has changed the publishing industry - but nowhere so much as within the romance genre.  As far back as the early days of this blog (2003), I would state quite emphatically that the number of romance readers online is actually quite small.  GoodReads has changed that somewhat, but the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of "shadow readers" out there.  Folks who buy their books at WalMart, check them out from the library, read said books, and then don't talk to anyone about them.  They read in a vacuum.

Ebooks and self-publishing have just exacerbated this phenomenon.  These Vacuum Readers now troll around Amazon, snap up 99 cent or free books because they look interesting or they're cheap, but not necessarily because they are romance.  Or else they hopped on the Fifty Shades bandwagon, having never read a romance, or having not read one since Sweet Savage Love, and discovered they liked it.  But here's the corker - they don't necessarily identify themselves as "romance readers."  They aren't waving a Romance Freak Flag high in the air.  Self-publishing has led to more fluidity in the genre which has led to more fluidity among readers.  What was verboten ten years ago is now fair game and for some readers this isn't a big deal because they aren't lugging around the Genre Baggage.  They aren't lugging around The History.  In fact, if they've stumbled across this blog post they're now Googling "Sweet Savage Love."  In short, they're not weighed down by the trappings of the genre (the HEA) that other readers expect and demand.

These readers may read romance (sometimes occasionally, sometimes more often) but don't necessarily "identify" themselves as romance readers.  They're reading the book because it sounded good or was cheap or was free or they were bored or it's a Wednesday or whatever - but not necessarily because it's a romance novel.

The knock against self-publishing has always been that it lacks "gatekeepers."  Without editors and publishers telling readers what they deem is worthy it will be anarchy!  And to a certain extent?  It kind of is.  Because the simple truth is that anything goes in self-publishing.  There's nobody telling you that you can't write something.  That readers won't accept it.  Readers might not accept it - but you'll find that out from the readers, directly - not from an agent or editor acting as gatekeeper.  So to a certain extent?  Readers are the new gatekeepers.

Which is why, I think, we're now here.  Readers who don't necessarily define themselves as "romance readers" who wade on the fringes of the genre are open to more to this sort of fluidity.  Don't believe me?  There are plenty of early four and five star reviews for Sinner's Creed over on GoodReads to suggest otherwise.  This is exciting or terrifying depending on what school of thought you belong to.  Which is how we've arrived, I think, to this moment in time where a major romance player like Berkley would publish a book like Sinner's Creed and wrap it in all the trappings and signal cues of romance.  Because for the all the readers who will want to drive a stake into the center of this book?  There will be just as many readers who want to sleep with a copy of it under their pillow.

I have my own baggage when it comes to self-publishing (remember, I'm a librarian), and over the years my opinion on the subject has changed dramatically.  Yes, I now think self-publishing is a great thing and I would not want to turn back that clock.  The benefits, for me, outweigh, any of the negatives.  And right now I think the biggest negative is that the genre is starting to splinter into various factions.  It wasn't that long ago that the HFN (Happy For Now) was given the major side-eye by some readers.  I don't think we'll ever get away from the genre defining itself by the HEA, but I do think we're going to see more authors and publishers playing around in the minefield that borders Happy Ever After Territory and cloaking those stories in romance cues to snag more and more romance dollars.  And for readers who demand the happy ending?  Who want the happy ending?  It's interesting times ahead.

I've never been an end-reader, but I'm wondering if I need to rethink that policy.