Out Of Sorts by Sarah Bessey

Out Of Sorts

by Sarah Bessey

Release Date: Nov 3^rd 2015

Stars: 4 out of 5

If there's one thing I can say about Sarah Bessey's writing, it's that she is full of hope, encouragement, and beautiful words. Even when this book started feeling preachy and occasionally overly theological, I kept reading for the stories, the prophetic words, and the poetry of it all.

This book is a story of a journey as well as a vision for the future. It's not a practical guide-book or a self-help book, but it will leave you feeling like even when you can't see the ripples, things are happening inside church communities. New life and healing is there for the people that look for it.

It hasn't convinced me to go back to church. But I don't believe that was the book's purpose... and I've found much of the hope she describes outside the church. But it makes me long for the feelings she has – the optimism and the sentimentality.

Like her first book, this one is an auto-buy for me because of her beautiful way of looking at the world.

*I received a complementary copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

In Your Dreams
by Kristan Higgins
Rating: 2 of 5 stars

My Review:
The one thing I can say for this book, is I never thought about not finishing it. I still like the author's writing style, and the book was *interesting* to read. I even had my almost-cry moment that I normally get with her books.

But...I had two major problems with the story...

First off, this series has been going on for quite a while. And each book adds more people, who show up in each subsequent book. By this point in time, I can't keep anyone straight. I'm pretty sure I know most of who married who, but then there are all these extra people that just randomly show up. There were so many first and last names that I basically have no idea what the point was. No one had a solid personality because there were just so many people.

On top of that, with so many people involved in the book, I felt it really took away from the main romance. I didn't feel like Emma and Jack even got to know each other, or like we saw any of their good points, because someone else was always butting in.

But the worst thing of all...I couldn't stand Jack. Oh, he's so nice. Oh, he's such a hero. Oh, everyone likes him. Yeah, until he didn't like something going on and he was all nasty to Emma. He was nice to every single person, always, except her. And a small “sorry” right before the end of the book did not cut it for me. With the way he acted, he needed major groveling and major grow-the-f-up and he didn't get any of that. He kept going on his regular life, and when it was convenient again, he decided he could handle having Emma in his life again... and Emma totally let that happen. She sounded all tough some of the time, but as soon as Jack wanted anything, she made a token protest and then just rolled over and gave him whatever he wanted.


I think that might be the end of the Blue Heron series for me. Sad because I still really like the writing, but without giving some of the characters a good kick in the ass, I won't be able to handle anymore.

The Mindtraveler by Bonnie Rozanski

The Mindtraveler
by Bonnie Rozanski
Rating: 3 of 5 stars


My Review:
This is one of those books that's hard to rate, more so from the expectations than the actual content. As a romance, this book gets one star. It does not fit the loosest definition of a romance, being there's no happy ending, happy for now, or anything related to that. Even slightly more picky: the male character in the book is not likeable, the female character is interesting but not necessarily likeable either and their relationship is almost unimportant. I didn't feel emotionally invested in whether or not Margaret ended up with her boyfriend. It was simply a side note in the rest of the story.


Margaret is an interesting character. Her motive seems to be more “proving to the world that I can do this”, than looking for a second chance at love. She's angry, bitter, and wants recognition and fame. Living her 35 year old life a second time does give her some perspective and desire to avoid mistakes, but I was sad that she seemed so helpless most of the time. The world affects her, including her past self, and it felt like she took a free pass to be bitter, angry, and powerless. She had one moment to shine, but then external forces took control again and she's right back where she started from.


I found the timeline jumping a little unclear sometimes. Sixty years old Margaret seems to be the age reflecting and making note of the story, but when 32 gets thrown in, it's no longer clear that no conscious mind is currently in that time period. Jumping between 32 and 60-in-35yo-body was difficult to separate and determine what part of the story is a reflection and what part is happening in some form of now.


My biggest quandary after reading this book is, can a past-you make a change in the past that affects current “you” and you have no memory of it happening. I haven't figured out the mechanics of how that would work. If everyone around you “lived” for 25 years but because of a decision past-you made 25 years ago, your life is irrevocably different now than the 25 years current-you actually lived. It was interesting theory for the story and tied in with the feeling I had that Margaret stopped living 25 years ago and just coasted all that time, but I can't work out if there's any theoretical way that it would work as shown in the book. They talk about two different paradoxes in the story, but I felt like the story nearly ignored them when it got to the actual time travel logistics.



Was the book interesting? Yes. I never thought about not finishing it. It was an enthralling and well written book. With a science background, but no time to look up every piece of information, I found the theories well researched and interesting. It was laid out in a manner that wasn't confusing, even for someone that doesn't know much about the specifics of quantum physics. As simply a fiction/sci fi novel, I'd give the story four stars. But I can't recommend it if you're looking for a romance.

The Slave by Cheryl Brooks

The Slave 
by Cheryl Brooks
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

My Review:
It's been a while since I read a sci-fi story, even though I like them a lot. I had a couple recommendations from friends to try this one and I have to admit it did hold my interest. The story had a lot of action. But I was left kind of ho-hum at the end. There was a lot of strange manipulative feelings that didn't sit well with me.

It seemed to be somewhat of a parody. There was quite a bit of sex and sexuality, but honestly I didn't think it was sexy enough to put into the erotica category. Maybe because it's been a couple years since it was published, but I would have expected a whole lot more sex before I'd place this one as erotica. I mean, yeah there were naked or partly dressed people, but a lot of the ideas could have worked as a slightly racy Star Trek episode, even if the TV show wouldn't have shown the male nudity described in this book.

It was silly and fun, don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the zaniness and the crazy sex things, but I left feeling like there wasn't much of a point or like the characters weren't true to themselves and their adventure didn't resolve in a believable way (realizing how crazy that sounds when we're talking about aliens with addictive sperm and genital-showing clothing).

I felt like Jacinth was a little too passive for my liking. She went right along with the patriarchal manipulations in the story and by the end, I was disappointed that she had no desires outside of her man. She finished her quest, so now she could go home and pump out babies, even though that never seemed to be a part of her framework before. She had a gun, but most of the time she couldn't save herself anyway. She always needed someone big, strong, or magical, to do the saving for her.

The story was also written in first person, past tense. That made it a little jarring for me. Besides not having any idea what Cat is thinking, I just didn't feel like there was much emotional depth. It was an adventure, yes, but I didn't connect with the characters very well and by the end, the story lost a lot of steam.

Oh, and it felt really random how Jacinth came up with the conclusion of the adventure. Maybe there are more details in later books, but I felt like she just randomly had an idea and ran with it because “that's the only possible solution”.


So, I probably won't read book two in the series. At least not anytime soon. Even though the book held my interest and I never felt like giving up the story and moving on, I just couldn't get behind the characterization or the half-hearted feel to the resolution.

Make Me by Charlotte Stein

Make Me
by Charlotte Stein
Rating: 4.5 stars

Ok, so I just finished my second read of this one. I couldn't remember enough specifics to write a review before, but I knew I really enjoyed the book. So here it is. Nothing like a Charlotte Stein book to get you out of a reading slump. I read the blurb for this book ages ago, and something about it vaguely turned me off. Looking at it now, I'm pretty sure it was the “for anyone lusting after more than '50 Shades'”.

So, let's put that one on the table first. This is not anything like 50 Shades. There's no bondage, no spanking, pretty much nothing on the B, S, or M spectrum. Notice I left out the D. Yes, there is some domination, but all in Charlotte Stein's trademarked consensual style. Anyone that says “no” is immediately outed as lying and they carry on with the durty enjoyment.

Tyler and Brandon haven't seen Maisie in years, ever since they had a threesome with her and she walked out the next morning without a word. One thing to remember with Charlotte Stein novels, the relationship is loads more important than anything else going on. Meaning, I'm not 100% sure why she came back, I think the men were opening their own bar or something. I'm not sure how she knew about it, where she lived, or what made her decide after so many years to see them. But the important part is, she did. She went and gets wrapped up in them again. They have a little bit of awkward time, but they jump back into sex really quickly. Not quite coercion, completely consensual, but pushed beyond a couple of their comfort zones.

This story also contains: male/male sexuality, male/male/female sexuality (in many different positions), a little bit of exhibitionism and voyeurism, lots of durty, sexy talk, and there are two guys and a girl, so be prepared that there are butt things involved. We can leave it at that, right? Lots of durty sex things and some vulnerable, passionate, emotional characters.

It's about opening up, freedom, taking life and love with both hands even when you're nervous, and the everlastingness of love. The whole book was perfect in my eyes and I could have read more of their sexual exploits for hours.

Tyler and Brandon and Maisie are a complete package. When Maisie runs out after a sexual encounter with them five years ago, their friendship fell apart. But she hopes that seeing them will prove that at least they haven't damaged their friendship too badly. It's far more complicated when they want to pick up where they left off. Maisie finds her own power, which I love. Tyler controls a lot of their interactions – I'd compare it a bit to Lust Dazed. Maisie and Brandon seem to need someone pulling their strings and Tyler is all too happy to do it. But the twists and turns by the end, oh my gosh, I loved this one.

I felt all kinds of good things while reading the story. It definitely goes on my re-read pile, even after reading it twice already. Will I re-read this one? Yes, definitely. Does it knock Restraint and Curve Ball off my best of Charlotte Stein category? Maybe not quite, but it's a very close hair behind.

*This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Tell Me When by Mia West

Tell Me When
by Mia West
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I pretty much stopped reading for the month of November. I feel like I didn't get through any books. But...that's not quite true. I spent two or three evenings in November reading Tell Me When by Mia West. And let me tell you, it was totally worth it.

This was a big one for me. It was a little different than a typical romance novel. It was set up as a collection of seven different adventures for Bryn. Each one can somewhat stand on its own, but they're all one connected story. Each story is very sexual and I would say they all include some kind of taboo or uncommon bit of sexuality. Bryn has sex with multiple partners and that could possibly be a turn off for some people, but the story is a time-travel adventure that lives outside “normal” life for me. There was no judgement in any of the scenarios and only a small amount of jealousy from the main characters' relationship. All of the sex scenes were very hot and steamy and pushed limits in a consensual way.

So this is a romance that develops slowly over the course of all the adventures. In general, a large chunk of the sex is not connected to a relationship but the author carefully explores the idea of objectification and shows (in this fantasy world) how sex can be caring and individual even if it doesn't lead to a permanent relationship.

As for the world-building, I still had a lot of questions when I got to the end of the series. I didn't find a lot of answers to the hows and whys behind the story. A couple details were shared, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the way the world was setup.

But the romance, the sexuality, the acceptance, the interestingness of the adventure? Pulled me in and I had trouble putting the book down. It was raw and gritty, some parts of pain and gruesomeness, but very sexy with lots of positive feelings for me. I will definitely look for more by this author.

Note: The first story in this combined series is Initiation which I also blogged about here. It's a great introduction to see if you'd like the whole story.

*This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Compelled by Mia West

Compelled
by Mia West
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I started reading this book pretty much as soon as I got it. I was very excited about it. Lately, I've been on a roll for very compact stories and this one fit the bill just right. I love Mia West's voice, her stories really pull me in and leave me with a smile on my face. I pretty much ignored the world for this story and it was worth it.

Kat and Neil get trapped on a deserted island after the weekly ferry leaves without them. They end up having a little bit of camping jungle adventure. The whole story is pretty much just the two of them, no outside influences, nothing to interrupt their budding relationship.

Kat is an invisible-feeling people-person, while Neil is an awkward, geeky, know-it-all type. I felt like the author really got deeply into their heads. Neil uses big words and thinks very analytically. Kat's thoughts and actions are much more flowy and organic. I loved how the author could switch back and forth between their heads so naturally.

There's a bunch of awkward sexual situations, with Kat being a virgin and Neil not. Their relationship grew at a steady pace and progressed from looking to touching to full-on sex. Kat felt self-conscious about her own body, but in some ways, I felt she got over it very quickly. And she wasn't at all self-conscious about Neil's body. They were able to grow their relationship in sexy and emotional ways with a lot of analytical language and some not-mainstream sex acts (hello, little bit of butt play).

The story is rather short, a little more than an hour to read, which perfectly fit the amount of time I had. The sex was kind of awkward and analytical, but it flowed naturally with the story and how the characters interacted. The beginning and ending felt solid, even though there were lots of questions left open. Their relationship was enjoyable to watch and I felt good about where they went. I think this is my favorite book of the series.

This is book three of the Stranded series, but all books are standalone with no overlapping storylines.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

*This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Intrusion by Charlotte Stein

Intrusion
by Charlotte Stein
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

My Review:
I really couldn't put this book down. In some Charlotte Stein novels, it's because the characters are so amusing. But this one, oh wow, it was so intense and full of creepy tension. There was no way I could stop readings until I got past the anxious sections – it would have been too disturbing to try to sleep with the eerie parts in my brain.

Honestly though, it wasn't as bad as I had been expecting. I heard rumors that it was going to be a bit more of a thriller and I was gearing up for pretty much start to finish spine-tingling (which would have been really hard for me to stick with), but instead it turned out to be very touching with some allusions to disturbing events in the past and then one big creepy factor right near the end.

This one is written in 1^st person present tense and still has all the great Charlotte Stein high points - a really deep POV, very compact plot, and some deep insight into what the rest of the characters are thinking. Unlike a lot of her other novels, this one is very light on the amusement factor. I had a slightly twitter-pated smile for a little while, but no laughing.

In fact, I think this is the first Charlotte Stein book that I was in tears for. These characters both have a lot of pain, especially in their past, but they work through their problems in an believable manner. They were weighty and intense with quite a bit of angst, but I loved how instead of solving problems with a magical relationship, she allows the characters to overcome their problems by taking back their power. Each step in their journey felt empowering and a blossoming of their potential.

That's not to say these two grew separately. Their relationship was the catalyst for everything that happened and Charlotte Stein has a great voice for distilling an entire relationship to it's focal points. We don't see much of jobs, friends, even surroundings outside the one small house. But we get every single detail of their relationship's forward progress. I felt like I was taking each step right along with the characters.

I had so many heart-warming feelings for this story. It's a book you want to read while snuggled in a blanket – to hold in the emotional parts and stay safe from the creepiness. I'd read it again when I need to be reminded of the hope of healing, even when things look mentally messed up. But I might not read it just before bed.

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.


**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of LietoFine

Still Life by Melanie Jackson

Still Life
by Melanie Jackson

Another re-read for me. This is book four in the Wildside series and it's been on sale, possibly re-issued digitally in the recent past. This series is one of my favorites for re-reads. The language is so flowery and over-the-top that it never gets old. It's a book with all kinds of mystical creatures, a little bit of romance, some sentient magic, and all kinds of unexpected twists. This version had some formatting issues, like they OCR'd this story and lost words every now and then or picked the wrong word sometimes. It didn't interrupt my enjoyment of the story, but I hope it gets fixed in the near future.

There's a little bit of old-skool to the relationships; it's not a bodice-ripper, but it's very clear that the maiden wouldn't be able to survive without the hero calling the shots. This is the first time I noticed it specifically in all my re-reads, but it did make me roll my eyes a couple times. The heroine has all this power and can do more/different things than the hero, but he ends up “directing” her power whenever she needs to use it. Like she's too impulsive and inexperienced to harness her power in an appropriate way.

The romance is almost on the back burner compared to the adventure; there aren't a lot of longing looks and ruminations, but at the end hero and heroine are happy and in love. I read these for the magic and adventure and it always hits just the right spot for me, even if this re-read gave me some sad thoughts about the power dynamic accorded to women in this story.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Five Dates by AJ Cousins

Five Dates
by Amy Jo Cousins

This writing is just so fantastic. I love how the author has a history of making every relationship in the story wonderful and loving: the secondary characters have full personalities but they don't take over the story, the main characters don't get bogged down with minor misunderstandings. In general, everyone sees the best in each other and deals with their issues without blaming others.

The idea of hookup culture still bothers me and it came up a lot that the characters had a ton of nearly anonymous sex in the past. As a peripheral issue I just had to push it aside in my mind. But it made me a little uncomfortable that these two would jump into a sexual relationship with each other so quickly, knowing that they had been really promiscuous in the past and not really hashing out the idea of safe sex beforehand.

I honestly think this is the first m/m story I've read. For the length, it had a lot of sex, pushing it towards erotic romance, but it was a sweet story with two vulnerable and likeable characters who know how to love but just need a little push to see how perfect they are for each other.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Two Mia West Stories in One Post!!

Initiation by Mia West
I got so much amusement from this story. It's just a short snippet, but a great way to find out if you like the premise. I found it to be a lot of fun – resourceful, sex-positive female character can time travel through partnered orgasms. The language is course and erotic and let's face it, the book is all about sex. But it's got a fun story and I can't wait to read the rest of the series to see how the story unfolds. This first bit barely introduces the main characters relationship: it's the start of everything and we're just getting a feeling for who they are. This story is written in first person, from the heroine's perspective.


Confined by Mia West
Two characters, working through their pain and looking for solitude, are trapped together by a freak storm in the mountains. It's real and gritty, with lots of sexy moments, some almost tears from me and a sweet, fulfilled feeling at the end.

This story flew by so quickly. I loved Megan and Nick. They were both hurting, both afraid to trust or let their true selves show. They were careful with each other, sex-positive, vulnerably consensual, and achingly real. If anything, I wanted their story to keep going for so much longer. I had no doubt at the end that they were meant to be together, but I would have loved to be part of their world for longer.

The language is a little more course than a lot of romance - no purple prose here. It's different than the trend of dirty-talkers or the tendency to throw in the “c” word every now and then. I didn't find it offensive, but there were times I said “oh. don't see that one very often”.

This is book two in the series, but they're not connected by character or location. This book can be read as a standalone.

**These two reviews are archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

All I Have by Nicole Helm

All I Have
by Nicole Helm
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
This was my very first Nicole Helm book and let me tell you, she can really write the socially awkward heroine. It was an excellent glance into growing out of embarrassment and finding a place of confidence. The heroine was strong and powerful, even as she had remnants of her self-conscious, frumpy self.

I loved both hero and heroine in this book. They were tough and vulnerable and had some real problems to work through. There were times they acted stubborn and childish, but never to a point where they got annoying. Occasionally I wanted to smack one or two of them, but only in a good book way, not in the frustrated-throw-the-book way.

Their parents were a different matter. I didn't feel like there was a solid resolution over the way the parents were treating the children. Not that one normally gets that resolution in real life, but in my fiction I like having a powerful confrontation where the parents accept that the kids have grown up. That didn't really happen here, but the main characters showed a good amount of emotional growth in the rest of their lives and moved on from trying to please their parents by the end of the book.

The story was sweet and touching and the banter was lots of fun. I will definitely look for more books by this author.

I received this book as a gift with no review obligations.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Having Her by Jackie Ashenden

Having Her
By Jackie Ashenden
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
Ok, so I started this book ages ago. I love Jackie Ashenden's writing. Her style is awesome and when you need angst, this is the place to be. But...I over angsted myself right before I started this book. I got about half way through, saw a certain plot twist, and nearly threw my kindle against the wall. I had to take a break. But I knew I'd finish it eventually so I just put it aside for a while.

And it's true. I got back in the mood and I picked it right back up. There were tears and feelings and so much caring and angst. I liked the story a lot, even if you need the right mood for angst.

It's so rare to have a book that allow the heroine to dress however she likes, even if it's out of the norm, without trying to change her. Vin doesn't LIKE her clothes and makeup, but he's completely attracted to her even with all of it. He never asks her to change it even when he thinks it's weird.

The two of them were into BSDM a little bit, but it wasn't a “this is the only way we do it”, it was just “this is fun”. In some cases, it was letting each character hide behind a facade, but I never felt like it went into unhealthy territory.

Both characters grew and changed, even if it was a quick turn around. They tugged on my heartstrings and I really wanted them to work out. I'm still of the rational mind that “changing your attitude” or “true love” will not magically solve all your emotional issues, but I enjoy having an angsty book where everything is perfect in the end.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Three Nights With A Rock Star by Amber Lin and Shari Slade

Three Nights with a Rock Star
by Amber Lin and Shari Slade
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
I was warned that this was a pretty crazy book and boy were they right. Even with the warning, I was a little bit mind boggled. It was a very compelling read and I couldn't stop turning pages, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

So here's the deal, Hailey was trying to find her sister's lover who might be a member of this band because she wanted to make him take responsibility for being the father of her sister's baby. Lock was the leader of the band and had a case of insta-lust when he saw Hailey. He agreed to give her access to the band if she gave herself to him for three days – signing a contract and everything.

We never really know what happened that made the contract necessary. Lock was kind of kinky in an exhibitionism, three-way action, not-just-in-the-bedroom sex...a little bit of being tied up or spanking. Nothing at all non-consensual. I was more surprised how it was alluded to that he had these big, dark needs, but by the end we still didn't really know what's SOOO terrible that he'd need a contract, how he thought the contract would protect him, or how he's dealing with a couple other twists in the story.

This was basically two stories in one, both sisters got some air time and the two stories are only marginally connected. In fact, they're two completely different genres of romance. We jumped back and forth between totally dirty decadence to sweet, light perhaps-it-would-be-ok-to-kiss churchy romance. It felt a little jarring to go back and forth and I wasn't sure how the second romance actually dealt with their issues either. The reason they weren't together before was just dropped and everything's ok now.

I felt like I wasn't in right mood for a story where the big star falls for the first person who's innocent and not jaded. It's not that Hailey was against sex – she wanted everything happening – but Lock liked her because she was so inexperienced and open to everything he wanted. I'd go so far as to say Hailey was happy with whatever she got, was so thrilled that someone was paying attention to her; even the crumbs of affection that Lock was able to give were enough for her because she hadn't had anything else. It was like an edgy old-skool romance where the hero provided the adventure and the heroine was there to balance out the emotions and caring.

So as an interesting story with a lot of dirty sex, this one was a winner. I couldn't help myself reading it...like looking at the tabloids in the grocery store checkout aisle. But it left a lot of openings in the romance and I didn't feel like I knew anything about the story arc of any of the characters besides yay-sex and these pairings are together now. I felt it ended with riding off into the sunset, but not actually solving any of the problems that come up throughout the story.

I received a complementary ARC from the author, with no expectations of a review.


**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Waiting On You by Kristan Higgins

Waiting On You
by Kristan Higgins
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
This was pretty much what you can expect from a Kristan Higgins book: good people that aren't all good, bad people that are more complicated than evil, a sweet romance, lots of friends, and some tears from you. Oh and also, staying up late to finish it. This was not one of the gut-heaving sob books like a couple of her others, but there were still tears...mostly happy, sweet tears.

Colleen was loud, brash and exuberant: everyone likes her. She's got a reputation of knowing people, helping them, and just being in-tune with everyone. And for the most part, it's so seamless throughout the story. She's far from perfect, but she's enjoyable. She's in-your-face caring about people but it felt like she didn't put herself out there much.

Lucas was all quiet and broody. He kept to himself, felt like he was always on the outside, even though he's super hot and everyone likes him. Their relationship problems were a lot of miscommunication/avoidance but it never got over-the-top annoying. Every situation was something you'd look at and think it could happen to you too.

But...I was really frustrated with how Colleen's sexuality was portrayed. At first it seemed like shejust flirts with everyone, but then somewhere along the line, the story changed to she's basically the town slut. I felt like it went from she's good at being friendly and everyone knew the score to she'd slept with any man in her age bracket but everyone still liked her. I don't know. I can't totally pin down what made me uncomfortable about it. We give men in romance novels a lot more leeway on how prolific their conquest list can be, but I feel like it wasn't an unfair standard of purity that was bothering me. Or maybe it was. Maybe it was that Colleen kept saying how everyone knew the score, but whenever a little extra tension was needed, one of her old conquests would throw it out there to embarrass her. It seemed like there was no other reason for it and was this half measure of trying to be sex-positive but still missing the point.

So yes, everyone in the story was flawed. Kristan Higgins turned a couple stereotypes on their heads, which was an interesting dynamic. The tears in this one were sweet and only right at the end. Everyone was redeemed and human at the end of the story. The bad guys weren't as bad as you'd expect, the good guys weren't as perfect as they appeared. But happiness still worked out, even if it was a little bit of brush-the-problems-under-the-bed instead of dealing with things head-on.

Although I liked Colleen and Lucas overall, I hated the way her sexuality was portrayed and I don't think I'll read this one again. It touched me and was happy at the end, but the emotions were a little farther away and lighter than some of the other books. But I still stayed up late two nights in a row because I couldn't put the book down.


**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Only With You by Lauren Layne

Only With You

by Lauren Layne
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
Lauren Layne books always have such compelling characters. I kept telling myself I'd only stay up for a few minutes reading, but each session ended up being over an hour. Gray and Sophie were likable and vulnerable. Gray was socially inept while Sophie seemed to have nothing but social niceties – for a while, Gray didn't think she had anything deeper than that.

I felt so many things for these two. Sophie's sense of inadequacy really drove the book forward. We see all the things she's really good at, but no one (including herself) truly valued her contribution. Her family criticized her all the time, she was always in go-nowhere sorts of jobs, even her boyfriend dumped her for being too flighty.

When Sophie met Gray, he was exactly the opposite of her: quiet and stoic, very serious, totally grounded. I loved how he saw value in her and always called her on the way she'd belittle herself. I felt like we missed out on a bunch of his story. He seemed to have a lot of pain and motivations that didn't get hashed out in the book.

Most of the plot revolves around the misunderstandings and anger between Sophie and Gray. There were a couple times I wanted to smack them and tell them to stop being so petty and childish. But I also saw the realism behind it. It wasn't an over-the-top drama-fest. It was just people being stuck in their own heads. It kept me invested in the story and I had my fingers crossed that they could work things out.

But...the ending. Gosh, it bothered me. It felt like they had this big explosion; such a huge, nasty argument with both of them saying terrible things. Gray said and did some things that made Sophie feel so small again. It was pretty blatant and it felt really outside his personality. With all of the ways he built her up, he tore her down in seconds and I didn't feel like we saw what the cause was.

It's possible that there was introspection we didn't see. From the time of the argument until the make up, we didn't see anything in Gray's POV, so I honestly had no idea what was going through his head.

It just reminded me of some of the older contemporaries I used to read where the hero would be all “I can't possibly say 'I love you', unless I already know she loves me first”. Seriously. He didn't even say “I love you” during their make up scene. It was just sort-of assumed and he got off really easily because “he was damaged”.

So yes, Sophie grew and found her footing. Yay for her. She was a true and vulnerable character and I liked that she didn't rely on Gray to solve her problems. She fixed them on her own, started on a path that would make her happy, and even stood up for herself. I was glad for her. But I had a sour taste when she just accepted Gray back without him TOTALLY groveling, because he really needed to after the things he said.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I love the writing and I love the characterizations. But you might end up feeling dejected from the ending, like I was. It was one of those books that I felt I needed to make up my own ending to resolve my issues. I would have given it five stars if the ending was better. I still liked it enough to give it four stars.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

No Regrets by Claire Kent

No Regrets
by Claire Kent
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
Told in first person POV, this novel starts out with the emotional pull straight away. I was near tears within the first few pages. It was such a heartbreaking start to a story. With that much emotion, I ended up reading small passages at a time because I wasn't prepared for that much intensity.

I wasn't sure how much I trusted the pull of Leslie and Josh. Or maybe I should say...there were so many large, emotional things happening in other areas of their lives, I felt overwhelmed and like maybe they were too fragile to know if they'd really work out. I didn't doubt that they felt connected, but I wasn't sure that their connection would last through non-dramatic times.

At the beginning of the book, Leslie's dog is being put to sleep. She's heartbroken and completely lost. She felt like she had no emotional connection outside her dog for years and years; although she does go out with work friends on occasion.

Josh is there for her, even though he's not really wanting emotional connections. They end up with a one-night stand that turns into casual sex, but they're both hiding their feelings in a rather obvious way.

This is an intense mix of emotional intensity and kinky sex. These two experiment a lot (i.e. give Leslie lots of experiences she's never had), but in a very raw, down-to-earth sort of way. They were fumbly and enthusiastic, which gave this story a different feeling than pure erotic romance. There was public-ish sex, anal sex, spankings and male dominance; but all of it was done with a hesitant, unpretentious manner. Although much of the sex communication was grunts and groans, there was a running dialog between the characters to make sure they were both enjoying their play.

In terms of no regrets, I didn't feel like Leslie did anything else with her life except taking the risk on casual sex. I liked her conclusions near the end of the book, but I felt like I didn't see other parts of her life becoming more confident or something. I'm not sure.

Josh was sweet and damaged. He was like this perfect guy to Leslie: treated her great, always seemed to have time for her, basically perfect. Except that he just wanted casual. He didn't ever call her. He took whatever she would give without really trying to give back to her or ask for anything himself. It was sad to see and it wasn't until the very end that he got over it. There was some allusion to a mental breakdown that he had before the story starts, but we don't really see if that affects him in a physical way besides not wanting to be in a relationship.

So here's what I felt: the conflict was only internal, there was never really a reason for these two not to be together, they were physical and real with a nice ending but wasn't sure they connected outside of using each other as a crutch. They were both physically attracted to the other and they ended up with believably happy feelings, but for most of the book I wasn't convinced they could stick it out. I had an uncomfortable feeling that without Leslie's despair,

They both had something to take from the other. Josh pampered Leslie and showered her with attention when they were together. It brought her out of her own head and gave her something to focus on. Leslie was such a nurturing person, Josh was able to get the caring he needed while still convincing himself that it was all casual. They used each other and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

This novel felt raw and gritty, real and poignant. There's no way to read it without having your heart strings tugged. I was left feeling happy that they worked out but still sad for all of their pain. It's one of those novels that you can only read when you're ok with discomfort and heartbreak.

I received a complementary ARC from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Have Mercy by Shelley Ann Clark

Have Mercy
by Shelley Ann Clark
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

My Review:
I had been nervous to read this one, knowing that I don't care for BDSM (read: pain and over-dominance) stories and seeing indications of that in the blurb, but I heard good things about it and I'm so glad I gave it a try. I felt like each time I picked up the book, I traveled outside space and time and just got lost in the story. I lost all track of what was going on around me and became completely immersed in these characters.

This book turned almost every gender stereotype on it's head. From the heroine telling the hero he was beautiful, to putting her in charge of the band, to having her be the dominant one in the relationship, to having the hero be more emotional. It made me stop and think all the time about how we look at stereotypes. So many things that you don't even recognize as identified “masculine” until you see it turned around.

The only thing I didn't like about the story, was that it ended. I wanted it to keep going for so much longer. It didn't end on a cliffhanger or anything, but many of the resolutions required the reader to infer what happened; there was no big reveal at the end where every loose end is tidily completed and explained. Don't get me wrong, the ending was perfect too, but I really wanted more.

In true gender-bending fashion, Tom had to learn to stand up for himself with his family. He was a passive character in his life choices and his relationship with Emme gave him the strength to make changes and take what he wanted from life. He did smoke for most of the book. It was sort of distracting for me because you never read books with smokers anymore.

I loved the music and togetherness – being in a van together, the camaraderie of playing side-by-side, the little quirks of musicians. It made me feel like I was a part of the band and Emme held everyone together. She had an undeniable presence and while she stayed true to herself, it took this story for her to accept that there was nothing to be ashamed of.

So, let's talk about the kinky sex. I think Ms. Clark handled it fantastically. This was a female dominant story and hoo-boy was it sexy. There was a lot of talk and teasing, but it never veered towards reluctant willingness. Both characters wanted exactly what was going on. There was a little bit of spanking and it gave hints of a desire to be kinkier, but mostly it was a woman power playing a man...which you see so rarely in romance. And not only that, but Tom really wanted what Emme was offering. It wasn't a matter of him letting her have fun until he could go back to the dominant role.

So, music? Check. Sexy? Check. Enthralling? Check. I will definitely read this story again and I can't wait for more books by this author. (Oh, and as a side note, this book has nothing to do with Uncle Jesse.)

I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.


**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of Lieto Fine

Serafina and the Psycho Sous-Chef by Marie Treanor

Serafina and the Psycho Sous-Chef
by Marie Treanor
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
I like this series. It's a fun, adventurous read with some romance thrown in. I've read book one, missed books two and three, and this is book four, but I didn't feel lost or confused. This story referred to events that happened in the middle books, but it was always in a way that I got the information I needed without huge catch-up information dumps. I will have to read books two and three sometime, but even without those two, it didn't disturb my enjoyment of this book.

The series is a large arc and it's still not complete in book four. There were many things you know will be sewn up in later books, but also no cliffhangers. This novel is the story of Linnie and Phil. I liked Phil in book one. He was a fun, devil-may-care guy with a obviously big heart. Being a vampire, he's a bit morally ambiguous but he's loyal and cares about his friends. It seems Linnie has some air time in the middle books, but I don't know which ones and I won't spoil this book by sharing too much about her. In this story, she went from fragile, frightened co-ed to strong, confident woman. I liked her.

What I have to say about this book (and the series) is that each character is not 100% good or right. They all have their own moral code and in each book someone is wrestling with their understanding of who deserves empathy and compassion.

Phil and Linnie reached a positive conclusion; like I said, no cliffhangers. The book is their story but there's a lot of overall arc happening too. The sous-chef was only a minor character in my mind, but added a certain depth and gave the mystery-solvers some important clues. It's an engaging adventure with thought provoking characters. Although it has some elements common to vampire romance, it's a broad story of supernatural beings and an original take on the paranormal with some elements that are not canonical. I recommend if you're looking for a charming paranormal saga with likable characters who live in the shadows. A little bit of sex, a healthy dose of romance, some shared secrets and a thought provoking tale of shared species humanity.

I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of LietoFine

Summer Rain - An Anthology

Summer Rain
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


My Review:
So all of these stories revolve around rain, which I didn't actually take note of while I was reading. Go figure. Some of the stories revolve around the idea of consent and acceptance, others find hope and transformation. I enjoyed each of the stories although there was very little I Love You's or happily-ever-afters. There was the hope of more, but some of the stories were more of an exploration of life and a character's journey to love themselves through their interactions with others.


Redemption by Ruthie Knox is the story of Mike Kaminsky and Julie; a couple who have been casually hooking up for a while. But when bankruptcy threatens for Julie, she needs to decide if she's ready to ask for what she wants or move on the way she normally does. It's a sad story with a heavy feeling. The writing and the characters are real and excellently drawn, but the end is not sunshine and roses – it's a step in the direction of trust, both characters putting themselves out there, moving toward each other and accepting where they are.


Molly O'Keefe's story, The Heart Of It, is pretty much the most sweet and poignant story ever. I cried through nearly the whole thing. Gabe is so messed up, he hires an escort to help him get over his abuse flashbacks. But he can't seem to go through with it. This is attempt four with the same woman. Both characters are so compelling and damaged, but full of caring and hope. This story felt like the memory of a first crush: that shy time when you daydream about someone but never really pin your worth onto them and only find out later that they were thinking about you too.


Cecelia Tan's story, Sacrifice, was the most obvious exploration of consent - with a demigod and a woman given to him as a sex slave. Two characters with separate languages, no prior interactions, but a need for intercourse to fulfill the natural order of things. The glimpse I got of the characters felt very small, considering all the space needed for world building. The story was interesting, but it was recording this journey to consent more so than the lives of the characters themselves.


Real Feelings by Charlotte Stein is a little bit of futuristic Pinocchio. It's another story that deals with the understanding of consent and desire. Moira buys a sex android but finds she wants someone who wants her back. I think this is the one I thought about the most afterwards, philosophically speaking. The infinite loops you're mind can travel with this story are awe-inspiring, and the characters are so caring and sweet.


Rainy Season by Mary Ann Rivers was what I considered much less of a couple love story. It was a story about Lisa finding herself and fulfilling her own desires. Mark gives her permission to look at herself instead of only trying to be what everyone else would want. It was a very hopeful story and so well written; with a little bit of magic, some art, and a buoyant feeling.


The Rain In Spain by AJ Cousins sets Magda and Javi in Spain after having been married for a year. They're both unsure if their relationship will last; feeling isolated from each other and having such different personalities. Another story that I cried through. There's something so moving about people being together but still trying to figure out if they're worth something. It's one of the tropes that has no easy answers – Magda travels for work more than she's home and Javi likes being a homebody. In this story, AJ struck the perfect balance of acceptance without epiloguing out the difficulties.


Fitting In by Audra North is college-ish with two characters who know about shame. The son of gay immigrants and a girl who had an abortion. Leila is farther along in her journey than Stas and she's able to help him let go of the shame and fear of rejection. The story was such an interesting journey and an original take on trying to fit in vs. being true to yourself.


In Private Study by Shari Slade ,Tess was a very sheltered child and is breaking out of that mold in college. But when her college classmates find her vlog posts about sexuality and sex toys, she's not prepared for the jerks and she's not sure how to deal with the nice guy. It's one of those first love stories with lots of floundering and miscommunications. Their love story is sweet and fragile and made me hope they'd keep pushing through the awkward missteps they're sure to have.


Storm Warning by Alexandra Haughton was a fun Texas tale of second chances. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings kept Amy and Tom emotionally apart while Amy chased her dreams, but she's come home with her tail between her legs to regroup and reinvent herself. This story reminded me of some of the older Diana Palmer stories, without the old skool patriarchy. There was Texas, obviously, and a certain surprising passion to these characters that's reminiscent of what I always loved about Diana Palmer's older stories.


I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review



**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of LietoFine