Tag Archives: lgbtq

Review of Contemporary Draconic Hoarding Practices, by Dae Richards

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I received a copy of Contemporary Draconic Hoarding Practices, by Dae Richards, through Netgalley.

Description from Goodreads:
While researching his thesis, Clayton’s work leads him to Syralis the wise, a dragon and professor at the university where he studies. Syralis’ hoard contains original manuscripts which are invaluable to Clayton’s research. Clayton soon finds himself one of the few students to ever study under Syralis, and during their lessons Clayton learns not only about medieval art, but his own history and his unusual magical sensitivity as well.

Clayton also finds himself enamored of Syralis, but when that attraction proves mutual, not everybody is pleased…

Review:
Not bad for a bit of fluff, but honestly that’s all it is. I liked the characters, the world and the writing, but I would have appreciated more to the story than insta-lust, a small misunderstanding and an easy resolution. I don’t regret reading it and would read more of Richards’ work, but there was nothing here to impress me either. A nice, safe, middle of the road read.

Apocalypse Alley

Book Review of Apocalypse Alley (Blue Unicorn #2), by Don Allmon

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I received a copy of Don Allmon‘s Apocalypse Alley through Netgalley. I reviewed book one, The Glamour Thieves, here.

Description from Goodreads:
Home from a six-month assignment to war-torn East Asia, genetically engineered supersoldier Noah “Comet” Wu just wants to kick back, share a beer, and talk shit with his best friend, JT. But JT’s home has been shot up like a war zone, and his friend has gone missing.

Comet’s only lead is a smart-mouthed criminal he finds amid the mess. His name’s Buzz Howdy. He’s a con man and a hacker and deserves to be in jail. Or in handcuffs, at least. The only thing the two have in common is JT. Unless you count the steamy glances they’re sneaking at one another. They have those in common too. But that just makes Comet all the more wary.

Despite their mutual distrust, they’ll have to work together to rescue JT before a cyborg assassin gets to him first. Racing down a miserable stretch of road called Apocalypse Alley, they must dodge radioactive spiders, a lonely cannibal, and a killer Buick. They also try to dodge each other. That last bit doesn’t work out so well.

Review:
Honestly, I didn’t love this one like I did The Glamour Thieves. I liked it just fine, but there was no love. I still got a thrill out of Allmon’s world and there is a lot of humor in the book that tickled me and I really like the writing style, but the romance literally goes from gun-to-the-head-of-a-stranger to in love, in less than six hours. There is just no way to make that work for me, even if the two go through some heavy stuff together. Almost especially if they go through a storm together, because then you have to sort what feelings are just leftover from the experience and what is real. The book doesn’t even touch on that little psychological reality.

Plus, the book just never stops. There are no rest points in the narrative and I, personally, needed them. And lastly JT and Austin are hardly in the book and I missed them.

Having said all that, I’ll still be on board for book three. This might not have shown like the star book one was, but it is still a fun read and I look forward to more of Allmon’s work.

Review of Something About You, by Jea Hawkins

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I received an Audible code for a free copy of Jea Hawkin‘s Something About You from the narrator, Lori Prince.

Description from Goodreads:
Dre’s life falls into a nice, predictable rhythm and that’s the way she likes it. But when an adorable, fashionable 20-something bursts into Dre’s flower shop to cancel her wedding order after her fiancé’s change of heart, Dre finds a distraught young woman on her hands. She doesn’t have the heart to shove her out of the shop, so she takes her out for sympathy and tea. The idea of befriending this woman who is clearly her opposite, however, is the last thing on Dre’s mind.

Kelsey feels awful for canceling the order, but she’s sincere when she tells Dre she wants to be friends. When she offers to make up the loss by using Dre’s services for a major project at work, Kelsey sees a chance to get to know the woman who represents the life she’s always wanted for herself. And as Kelsey gets closer to Dre, she proves to her that they aren’t so different.

Will Dre take a chance and break out of her comfortable routine to find love in an unexpected place? And will Kelsey finally embrace the life she’s always dreamed about? Or will this budding flower of romance be cut short before it blooms?

Review:
Soooo, I wasn’t all that fond of this. The fact that the narrator, Lori Prince, did a good job with the narration meant I made it through, but the story left me pretty cold. It’s basically a meet cute and some sex scenes. There’s some flirting and an attempt to give the story some depth by looking at how the pretty blond is so much more than her appearance would suggest, but since the romance is so rushed none of it really works.

My main issue was elsewhere though. I had some major problems with Kelsey’s character. The story begins when her male fiancée cancels the wedding at the last minute and she comes into Dre’s flower shop to cancel the flower order and breaks down. Dre offers her some friendly support. Kelsey is obviously presented as straight. Toward the end of the book, she’s still referred to as straight. But the reader is never given even a moment in which she considers her identity or sexuality before she aggressively pursues a lesbian relationship. None. If someone goes from identifying as straight to something else—bi-sexual, lesbian—whatever, I would expect there to be at least a moment of, “Oh, I guess I’m not as straight as I thought.” I don’t need a lot of angst, but a little consideration for sure.

This was all compounded by the fact that Kelsey repeatedly went on about how she’d always wanted to try this or do that. But the things she wanted to experience were basically Dre’s life, lesbian lives. It made her feel like she was just playing dress up with Dre’s identity, a lesbian identity. I expected it would be the sort of thing she’d later chortle about with her suburban mommy-friends, “That time when I was young and adventurous and dated a woman.” It didn’t feel serious or real.

All in all, the writing was ok and the narration was good, but the story was uncomfortable at best.