June Round Up

on Paper/eBook

Like the Taste of Summer by Kaje Harper  - B+  This free online short is a little gem.  Jack thinks back to the summer he met Sean, some 28 years earlier and recounts how they got together. I actually enjoyed it all the more knowing that they'd made it and were still in love.

Taken by Him (Billionaire's Club #2) by Red Garnier - C  This erotic romance is very short (just over 80 pages) and at page 1 the couple have never before met, so it was always going to be a big ask for me to buy into the HEA.  I had the impression that the book doesn't take itself to seriously and the tone of the hero's OTT arrogance was, I thought, intended to be funny rather than insulting (as it may have been in a serious book or if a reader is in a serious mood perhaps).  The sex was very hot and Luke certainly had a massive turnaround from being a total manwhore to being a "you're-the-only-one-for-me-for-the-rest-of-my-life" guy.  I liked it, but there was something lacking in it for me. And I can even tell you where it was.  It was in Chapter 1, here:

Two hours later they were both a little too…merry.

Luke had seemed hesitant to drink first, but then he’d downed a whole beer within minutes and soon ordered more. They’d flowed into conversation like they’d met years ago, teasing back and forth.

Almost their entire getting to know each other is contained in that two hour period which occurs off page.  For me to really root for them, I needed to see their connection rather than just be told it existed.

As a fun, sexy, erotic short, it works well, as a romance, I could have used a bit more.

I'm Over at AAR today...

for Speaking of Audiobooks where I have 3 reviews up.  Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, narrated superbly by Nicholas Boulton

as well as Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn, narrated by Kaleo Griffith and The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood, narrated by Susan Duerdin.

My fellow SOA reviewers also share their thoughts on The Haunting of Maddy Clare, Beauty Queen and Practice Makes Perfect.  Come see what we thought.

Wait for You by J. Lynn

Why I read it:  I'd heard mostly good things about this self published new adult novel, so I bought it when it was 99c at Amazon.  I thought it was a pretty low risk investment.  It was subequently picked up by HarperCollins.

What it's about: (from Goodreads)  Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Warning: I don't think it's a spoiler to say that this book contains a (not very graphic) description of sexual assault.  It's not by the hero, but those for whom rape is a hot button may want to avoid it.

What worked for me (and what didn't): For the hero-centric reader, there is a lot to enjoy in how very nearly perfect Cameron is.  Even his flaws arise out of being protective and caring.  He falls for Avery almost from the beginning, is very patient with her without ever being  doormat.  He's gorgeous, popular, and not an asshole, so: win.