Tag Archives: lgbtq

Book Review of The Nobleman and the Spy, by Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon

The Nobleman and the SpyI bought a copy of The Nobleman and the Spy, by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon.

Description from Goodreads:
They once faced each other on a battlefield. Now soldier-turned-spy Jonathan Reese must keep watch over the man he’s never forgotten. A close encounter reveals Karl von Binder, the count’s son, also recalls the day he spared Jonathan’s life. Sparks fly between the former enemies and Jonathan begins to lose perspective on his mission. He knows he must maintain distance because the heat he encounters in Karl’s touch stirs him far too deeply for his own good. He can’t keep away–especially when he suspects someone is trying to kill the nobleman.

The spy becomes a protector as Jonathan guards the man he’s begun to care for. Together the men try to puzzle out who would benefit from Karl’s death—and how much they’re willing to trust each other when a torrid sexual fling threatens to become an affair of the heart.

Review:
I enjoyed this as a nice bit of erotic fluff. The problem was I didn’t expect it to be erotic fluff, but political intrigue and/or historical romance. As it turned out, the mystery and political machinations were all just decorations for the sex. To me, almost everything that happened happened in order to change the location for a new sex environment. That made the plot feel very shallow indeed. Plus, that first sexual encounter was extremely unbelievable.

What’s more, I felt the relationship was almost instant and moved from lust to love equally as fast. These men were putting their lives in each-other’s hands, over people they’d known for years, based on practically nothing—a passing on a battlefield years earlier. Similarly, while I liked both characters, I didn’t feel I knew them well. I didn’t understand the need for the subtle dom/sub aspect of the relationship. It was wholly non-contextual. And the ending felt rushed. So, while I didn’t dislike it, in fact, I enjoyed the ride, I wasn’t overly impressed.

The Seer

Book Review of The Seer, by Jordan Reece

The SeerI picked up a copy of Jordan Reece’s The Seer when it was free on Amazon.

Description from Goodreads
Detective Laeric Scoth is good at his job, but he’s also an ass. And Jesco Currane has just gotten stuck with him on the most frustrating case of their careers. 

When the body of a courier is discovered in an alley, Jesco is called in to assist with his seer skills. All he has to do is touch the clothing of the deceased to identify the killer. But the victim has been stripped naked, and the only evidence at the scene is a timepiece. The people he sees within it have nothing to do with the murder, yet they must be related to the case. 

Chasing down leads with Scoth lets Jesco see another side of the surly, if handsome, detective. But as their feelings for each other grow heated, so does the investigation. Someone doesn’t want them to know who killed the courier . . . and plans to add them to the death toll if they don’t stop pursuing it.

Review:
I really quite enjoyed this. It has a sedate, slightly formal pace but it’s really very sweet. Though it’s more of a mystery with romantic elements than an actual romance. (All the sex scenes are fade to black, for example.)

While none of the characters are deeply sketched, I felt I knew them well enough. I also adored the side characters, Gaven and Tammie especially. I enjoyed the seer mythos, though I would have appreciated a little more information on the world and the existence of psychic abilities. The mystery was sufficiently mysterious and the ending satisfying.

I enjoyed the writing, but it could have done with a tad more editing. It wasn’t bad; there were basically just enough errors for me to notice. But all in all, I call this one a win.

Caged: Love and Treachery on the High Seas

Book Review of Caged: Love and Treachery on the High Seas (Baal’s Heart #1), by Bey Deckard

CagedI bought a copy of Caged, by Bey Deckard. I’ve had this for a while, but never got around to reading it. Recently, several people have recommended I give Deckard a chance, so I dug this out the TBR pile.

Description from Goodreads:
Sheltered and lonely, Jon’s life changes drastically when a strange ship sails into the harbour of his small port town one day. Trapped between the possessive pirate captain and his murderous first mate, he must learn to adapt or he will lose himself completely. An epic tale of love, treachery and revelation, this first installment of the Baal’s Heart trilogy brings you into the lives of three men so bound together by jealousy and lies that they must sail to the very ends of the earth to find forgiveness.

Review:
I found that I enjoyed this despite myself. These are not easy characters to like. One is a psychotic (possibly cannibalistic) serial killer, one is a remorseless situational murder and the third seems to be turned on by these traits in the other two. I can’t even call these guys anti-heroes. They’re just sort of the antis. But despite that, you do come to root for them in the end.

I thought the book was well-written and well-edited. There were some scrorchin’ sex scenes and a bit of a slow burn toward the intercourse in the beginning. It’s largely insta-love, but I appreciate that the virgin didn’t immediately become a über versatile sex kitten. I also like the direction the plot is going, so I think I’ll be picking up the sequel.

I did think the dialogue clunked on occasion (not often, but occasionally), and about 2/3 of the way in, there is a section with so much sex I eventually started skimming it. Hot, it may be, but sometimes enough is enough. It made the book feel overly long. I also would have liked a little more pirating out of my pirates, and Jon’s talents didn’t seem to be used as often as their ostensible importance would suggest. But for the most part, I enjoyed this and look forward to more of Deckard’s work.

Note: I also read the second book in the series, Sacrifice. I did not review it; I just put a note reading, “Still enjoyable, but not on the level of the first one for me,” on Goodreads.