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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Live and Love Again in Books

Feb 13, 2018

Three years ago, Sarah lost her partner, Cheryl, in a terrible accident. A former Colonel in the military, Sarah remains shattered by Cheryl's death and closed off to those around her. She focuses on her furniture business and her dog, Benny. But on a flight to Chicago, she meets Jessica Whitney, a beautiful, successful, businesswoman. The two hit it off immediately and feel an instant connection. The sudden sparks force Sarah to re-think everything - is she ready to move one? Can she really imagine herself with a wealthy and strong woman?

This book is admittedly, a fairly stereotypical cheesy romance. But if the New Adult genre can write them so prolifically, then I think it's refreshing to find a novel that actually offers lesbian characters. True, I probably overlooked a few flaws in this book because I'm completely starved for books with lesbian protagonists and romance, but it was still an enjoyable story. The book engages you early on, when Jessica and Sarah meet. I read the first 150 pages rapidly - it drew me in immediately. Sarah is a likable character; as is Jessica, really. You can imagine knowing either of them in your lesbian circles (beyond Jessica's money, perhaps).

Speaking of the money, the book hammers home that point a bit much: Sarah has no money, Jessica has plenty of it. That gets a bit repetitive and the book stalls a little in the middle. That stall is helped by the cliche of the "wounded character hurt by a death in a previous relationship who can't move on." However, that cliche is found in plenty of genres, not just LGBT. Still, Gayle maneuvers her characters around all their issues fairly deftly. You're pretty sure you know how Jessica and Sarah will wind up, but it's still fun watching them get there. The book is sexy (especially early on - maybe that's the real lesbian cliche - ha!), fun, and, as always, refreshing to see some lesbian characters portrayed as real people. Points for the sweet and loyal supporting character of Jimmy the Driver, too. Definitely a fun, quick read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for publication on 1/19. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.

Kudos

ArecRain (8 KP) rated Lexin's Quest in Books

Jan 18, 2018

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second story I have read by Tamara Hartl, and further solidified my appreciation for her. If you have read her novel Dark Lord of Kismera, then you are familiar with her fantastic world and characters as well as her easy writing style. If you havent read Hartl before, I highly recommend her. Her Dark Lord series is a perfect mesh of fantasy and romance with a nice touch of heat. Her mythology is easy to understand and I didnt feel left behind when she described anything fantastical. I also feel that you dont have to read the first in the series to enjoy the second. The author lets you know everything pertinent to enjoy the story.

I recommend Hartl to anyone looking for a steamy fantasy with an amazing world.

Kudos

Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, #1) in Books

Mar 1, 2018

The Iron Hunt is a beautifully written book with some interesting twists on established fantasy memes. To some extent, I felt that I'd come in to the world on book 2 or 3, but as far as I know (and from what Amazon says) this is the first book of the Hunter Kiss series. There was a bit of Buffy and a little Witchblade, with other elements I'm sure I'm overlooking.

For once, it's good to see a novel in which an established couple has a seemingly-healthy relationship. Maxine and Grant have very different skills, but they work together well. That said, this is not a romance.

Edited to add: I just learned that there is, in fact, a prequel to this book in The Wild Thing anthology, which I hadn't heard of before. I'll certainly be looking for it.