STARS & STRIPS

TITLE: STARS & STRIPES

AUTHOR: ABIGAIL ROUX

Pages: 292

Date: 10/03/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 6 Cut & Run

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The blurb:

“Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have managed the impossible: a few months of peace and quiet. After nearly a year of personal and professional turmoil, they're living together conflict-free, work is going smoothly, and they're both happy, healthy, and home every night before dark. But anyone who knows them knows that can’t possibly last.

When an emergency call from home upsets the balance of their carefully arranged world, Ty and Zane must juggle family drama with a perplexing crime to save a helpless victim before time runs out.

From the mountains of West Virginia to a remote Texas horse ranch harboring more than just livestock and childhood memories, Ty and Zane must face their fears—and their families—to overcome an unlikely enemy and bring peace back into their newly shared world.”

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My thoughts:

Before I start on my review proper I want to make something perfectly clear: I adore Ty and Zane who are fast joining that small and elite group of fictional characters who refuse to stay fictional in my mind. I love their antics, the quick fire dialogue between them, their relationship as it is steadily growing stronger and the mad adventures they find themselves caught up in. And as far as all of that goes this book was a very welcome addition to the series and a wonderful read.

And yet...While I had a wonderful time reading ‘Stars & Stripes’, this book missed the oomph factor for me. The previous books in this series somehow managed to hit me hard, made me want share my adoration for the series and the characters in it with the world in SHOUTY CAPS and refused to leave me alone.

This story on the other hand wasn’t more than a highly enjoyable read. While I loved every minute I spent with Ty and Zane, this book didn’t have the ‘can’t put it down, have to keep on reading’ urgency for me. And I think I know why that is. For me these books have always been about the relationship between these two men. I enjoyed the thriller aspect of the stories and can’t deny it added some much appreciated spice to them, but I didn’t read them because that particular kind of action.

In this book the relationship between Ty and Zane is rock solid and never in any doubt. They love each other and are so sure about their relationship that they actually find the courage to come out to those closest to them. With one exception this revelation didn’t cause the tension it might have and although that was heart-warming in a ‘if only that was true for everybody coming out’ sort of way it didn’t add a lot of emotional depth to the story.

Which leads me to a statement I didn’t think I’d ever make; I could have done with more angst in this story. Yes, you heard me right. Me, who always proclaims that she is not one for angsty reads, is bemoaning the lack of that aspect in this particular instalment. No, I don’t quite get it either and can’t begin to explain it.

Now, you may have noticed that I did give the book 4.5 stars. Everything I said above doesn’t mean that I didn’t like this book – I loved it – just that it lacked the WOW factor earlier titles had. There is a lot to love in this book; most of all the insight we get into Zane, his background and everything that made him into the person he is. My heart broke for him as his mother refused to give even an inch, knowing it would cost her the relationship with her only son. On the other hand, I adored Zane’s father.

“Had a gay bull I had to sell last year. That was a damn nuisance. Gay son? That don't cost me nothing.”

And as always there are the jibes between Ty and Zane to bring light relief even in the direst of circumstances. I also loved Ty’s relationship with the animals he encounters, unrealistic as it may be.

I would probably read these books if all Ty and Zane did in them was talk to each other and have sex. I love these characters individually but adore them as a couple which makes me very glad that I have at least two more books of their story to look forward to. This brings me to something else I rarely do; read two books in a series immediately after each other. As soon as I finish this review I’ll be starting on ‘Touch & Geaux’. I realise that book number eight in this series, ‘Ball & Chain’ is already available. The official release day was March 17^th though, and my aim was always to be ready for that story on St. Patrick’s Day. The way things are looking right now, that won’t be a problem. I’m looking forward to an Abigail Roux filled reading week and can’t think of a more enjoyable prospect right now.

“There are...there are so many paths in life. Some we choose, and some are chosen for us. We walk our paths without looking down and that’s the life we lead. The only things you’ll get from guessing where another path would have gone are questions you can’t answer and heartache you can’t ever soothe.”

UNRAVELLING OLIVER

TITLE: UNRAVELLING OLIVER

AUTHOR: LIZ NUGENT

Pages: 240

Date: 07/03/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: Received from Penguin Ireland

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The blurb:

“'I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.'

Oliver Ryan is a handsome and charismatic success story. He lives in the leafy suburbs with his wife, Alice, who illustrates his award-winning children's books and gives him her unstinting devotion. Their life together is one of enviable privilege and ease - enviable until, one evening after supper, Oliver attacks Alice and puts her into a coma.

In the aftermath, as everyone tries to make sense of his astonishing act of savagery, Oliver tells his story. So do those whose paths he has crossed over five decades. What unfolds is a story of shame, envy, breath-taking deception and masterful manipulation.

Only Oliver knows the lengths to which he has had to go to get the life to which he felt entitled. But even he is in for a shock when the past catches up with him.”

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What a way to start a book:

‘I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.'

And it sets exactly the right tone for this book. This story is really a mystery, although not one in which we anxiously read on to find out who perpetrated the crime. No, the big question in this book is what on earth possessed Oliver to beat up his wife. The answer to that question is revealed at a slow, almost leisurely pace.

This book is told by Oliver as well as several people he has encountered during his life. Oliver tells his story after he has been arrested for putting his wife into a coma and doesn’t, at any time, try to make himself look or sound nice.

“I’m aware that I am not the easiest of people. Alice has told me so. I have no friends, for example. I used to, many years ago, but that really didn’t work out. We drifted apart and I let them go – voluntarily, I suppose. Friends are just people who remind you of your failings.”

Having said that, if you ignore the very first chapter, in which Oliver rather coolly describes how he hit his wife and his surprise at his own action and the lack of reaction on her part, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot wrong with him.

“My wife had finally brought out the worst in me. It was most unexpected. I had always been fond of her, in my way.”

For a long time it was almost possible to feel sorry for Oliver and the life he lived before he got famous. In fact, that is probably the only thing that stopped this book from getting five stars; I fully expected to be horrified by Oliver by the time I reached the end of the book, and I wasn’t. I didn’t like him, didn’t approve of the things he’d done and couldn’t sympathize with him, but he never quite turned into the monster I was expecting him to be either. And, to be honest, I’m not sure if that is a missed opportunity on the author’s part or a very clever and balanced portrait of a socially unadjusted personality.

Having said that, this was one of the more fascinating and well plotted books I’ve read this year so far. I got completely caught up in the story and had to keep on reading in order to find out what had caused this man to turn violent. The writing in this book is very good. I was impressed with the very distinctive voices the various narrators had. For example, Veronique, the French lady, sounded distinctly French, even if her story was told in English.

Ultimately this is a story about secrets and the damage they can do, both to those who can’t find the answers they need and to those who are hurt as a result of that. This was a very impressive debut by an author I will be keeping an eye on from now on.

DIAL M FOR MENAGE

TITLE: DIAL M FOR MENAGE

AUTHOR: EMILY RYAN-DAVIS

Pages: 129

Date: 05/03/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: No. 2 Ménage on 34^th Street

             Received from Carina Press

             Through Love Romances and More

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The blurb:

Katrina Holland began the New Year by waking up with two men in her bed. Introducing marine Hunter Croft into her marriage was passionate and explosive—for Katrina and her husband Liam. But now that the honeymoon period is over and they've returned to the real world, can this arrangement ever work?

Liam Holland thought he had it all—a beautiful wife, great home, and a solid career. Only one thing—one man—eluded him. When he saw an opportunity to grab Hunter, Liam reached out with both hands, determined not to let go. But as the first rush of passion fades, Liam must identify exactly how far he's willing to go to keep Hunter a part of their lives.

Hunter needs something only Liam and Kat can give him. But while he's willing to change some aspects of his life to be with the couple, he's a marine before all else. When a reassignment means relocation, he'll need to move on—with or without his two lovers.

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My thoughts:

Two months have passed since the events in ‘Ménage on 34^th Street’ that brought Katrina, Liam and Hunter together. Two months that brought them a level of happiness none of them thought achievable, but didn’t solve all the practical issues resulting from their unconventional relationship.

Hunter knows he is with the two people he wants to spend the rest of his life with but is also sure that this relationship will never be acceptable in the eyes of his superiors in the military. And his career is as important to him as Liam and Kat are.

Liam is still struggling with control issues. He can’t stop himself from keeping information that might distress or upset Kat and Hunter from them even while he knows that his secrets will cause trouble.

Kat can’t believe her luck now that she is with the two men who mean everything to her. She is all too aware of both Liam’s and Hunter’s issues though, and being the one in the middle, trying to hold it all together is emotionally draining.

Now that Hunter is about to receive his new posting it is time for this triad to put action to their words. Is Hunter really comfortable with having his two lovers close to his work environment and are Liam and Kat really prepared to leave their familiar surroundings behind in order to be with the man they have chosen as the one who completes them?  

I read ‘Ménage on 34^th Street’ in December and wrote the following words in my review:

“...by the time the story ends you know that these three people will be in a relationship that requires work and compromise on all sides, that things won’t always be easy or smooth for them...”

I also stated that I was delighted to see that a sequel was forthcoming and that I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next to these characters.

I was right on both fronts. This story deals with all the issues connected to making a triad work. Traditional relationships can be tricky at times. Throwing a third person into the equation, with their own ego, history, and hang-ups, creates a whole host of extra potential pitfalls. All three characters involved have their own doubts and insecurities. And because all of them deal differently it causes tension. Liam’s reluctance to share what bothers him until he thinks he’s found the perfect solution drives both Hunter and Katrina crazy. Hunter’s need to keep his emotional life completely disconnected from his professional one, creates frustration for all three of them. Katrina is, at times, stuck in the middle; trying to read both her men and defuse situations before they become too big.

The road Kat, Liam and Hunter need to travel to come to a place where their future seems secure is hard and at times filled with fear and confusion. It is the way in which they confront their problems and refuse to stop talking to each other that sees them through and made this book such a very satisfying read.

“This is where my military training is going to serve us (...). If I didn’t learn anything else, I learned how to move beyond being part of a whole, to seeing the whole as an entity bigger than its pieces. The three of us, we’re bigger together than as individuals. We’re bound together and we’re not coming apart now.” – Hunter.

As they go along Liam, Kat and Hunter learn to trust each other as well as themselves. They discover that while they may each have their own hang-ups and insecurities, they are in complete agreement when it comes to their need to be and stay together and that it is those differences between them that make them so much stronger together.

“They were three separate people even when they were together, and being individuals meant they had different relationships with one another. Those one-on-one relationships made them a stronger whole.”

And it was that focus on the intricacies of the developing relationship that made this book so much more than ‘just’ another hot and fascinating read. Having said that, the story was most definitely hot and fascinating, especially Hunter’s slow but oh so sensual acceptance of his need for Liam.

This story ends in a most satisfying way. It was both the happy ending I was hoping for and completely credible. Of course that does leave me with one issue; it is quite possible that this is the last time I get to read about Liam, Kat and Hunter and that idea makes me a little bit sad.

SURRENDER YOURSELF

TITLE: SURRENDER YOURSELF

AUTHOR: EVIE BLAKE

Pages: 383

Date: 04/03/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 3 Desires Unlocked Trilogy

            Received from Headline Publishing

            Through the author

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The blurb:

“Valentina Rosselli is heartbroken - she has lost Theo, her true love, seemingly forever. Yet, with the help of good friend Leonardo, Valentina gradually rediscovers her liberated sexual self, unlocking her deepest erotic desires and reaching a level of passion she'd never thought possible. And then a shock from the past sends her reeling...

In Berlin in 1984, Tina Rosselli risks everything for a steamy, highly charged romance with a charismatic young cellist. Their brief but explosive affair will affect Tina for the rest of her life. 

As the stories of the two women converge in the trilogy's thrilling and intensely passionate conclusion, both must surrender themselves: to desire, and to love.”

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My thoughts:

“We start at the beginning. I want to take you back inside your body, so that you are aware of yourself, you love yourself, for that is the best way to give and receive love from another.”

This is the third and final title in a trilogy and best read in order. The first two books, ‘Liberate Yourself’ and ‘Lose Yourself’ were previously published (and reviewed by me) as ‘Valentina’ and ‘Valentina on the Edge’. 

A year has passed since Valentina lost Theo, the love of her life. He drowned while trying to safe her from Glen, his rival and enemy. The passing of twelve months has done little to lessen Valentina’s grief but she knows she has to try and embrace life again. 

The opportunity to work in New York for a while seems to be just what Valentina needs and it isn’t long before her new surroundings awaken her sexual desires as well as a renewed interest in life and photography. When Leonardo also arrives in New York he is, once again, her rock in the storm. When he introduces her to Tantric sex she discovers things about herself, her body and about sharing that she never knew existed.

 “You have been making love with your mind, and that’s why you are hurting so much at the moment. I want to return you to your body, Valentina, for that is the way to healing your heart.”

But New York also brings danger back to Valentina’s life. While in a gallery she sees a man who strongly reminds her of Glen, the criminal who has killed Theo, who was supposed to have died at the same time. Torn between a growing sense of danger and the need to get revenge Valentina makes a shocking discovery and puts her life in danger.

This is also the story of Valentina’s mother, Tina. We learn about the two big loves in her life and the tragedy that made it impossible for her to be with either of them. We discover why Valentina and her mother have such a strained relationship and are witnesses as the past is slowly but carefully revealed and past hurts healed.

I’m a bit surprised at how much I loved this book and this series. If I’m completely honest, I have to admit that I really don’t like Valentina, or her mother, very much. I most books not liking the main character would be enough to put me off reading or finishing the story. Clearly that wasn’t the case with this trilogy and I can think of at least two reasons why.

First of all there’s the fact that while Valentina may not be the most sympathetic of characters she is definitely intriguing and fascinating. I felt like slapping this young woman on too many occasions to count while reading this trilogy and yet had a hard time putting the books down. Valentina managed to get under my skin. I needed to know what she’d get up to next, how her story would end and, most of all, if she would, eventually, redeem herself (in my eyes).

The second reason I love this book and trilogy is so much can be found in the wonderful way with words this author has. Evie Blake writes with almost poetic precisions, her descriptions sparkle and she manages to create an almost tangible atmosphere on the page. Whether it is the doom and gloom of East Berlin during the 1980’s or present day New York, the place comes alive before the reader’s eyes.

This book is not so much sexy as sultry and seductive. The reader is drawn into to the intimacy rather than confronted with it, allowed to share the sensuous pleasures at a leisurely but also pleasurable pace. In fact, I think the way the sex scenes in this story are written is completely in tune with Tantric sex as described in this book; focussed on sharing joy, giving rather than receiving and opening your heart to beauty. And if this trilogy can be captured in just one word, that word would be ‘beautiful’.

For the (sexually) curious among us this book comes with a few wonderful extras. We are given ‘Leonardo’s Tantric Sex Keys’ as well as the opportunity to learn ‘How to give a Lingam Massage’. The joys this book brings to its readers continue long after the story has finished.

“Tears begin to load her eyes. He sees them and recognises how rare and precious they are, like fragments of their love, lost and refound.”