An Unsettled Range (Range #3) by Andrew Grey

An Unsettled Range (Range #3) by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Length: 200 pages
Blurb
The last thing Liam Southard expects when he flees his abusive father is to be taken in by a couple of gay ranchers. Soon he has a new job and a new perspective on his sexuality, and his life starts to turn around. Then someone pulls a gun on him.

In Troy Gardener’s defense, the gun thing was a mistake. Between his marriage falling apart and living in his uncle's isolated hunting cabin, he's been a little edgy. He wants to make it up to Liam, and once he discovers how much they have in common, he wants even more. But with Liam's father popping in unexpectedly and a mining company threatening the ranch’s water supply, the only guarantee is that life is never going to be boring.

Overall
I'll be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with Andrew Grey novels. I'm pretty much always mediocre about them, but for some reason I can't resist reading them. I was mediocre on the first in this series, and yet when the chance came to pick up this one, I did. I have all of the Farm series. I swear, it's a compulsion or something. I know it's the soft squishy feelings that fill his books, the perfectly happy endings, the absolutely escape from reality.

Even when I'm sighing and rolling my eyes through the pages, I can't help enjoying it just a little. I also realize that a chunk of my eye rolling comes from reading a fair number *cough*8*cough* of his books and knowing pretty much how the story is going to go.

That said, this is my ninth book, with 10 and 11 in the wings. He definitely has a certain rhythm to his books, and An Unsettled Range follows course. Fans of Grey will like this, undoubtedly, naysayers will...well I wonder why they'd pick it up in the first place.

I liked the first in the series better, and I didn't read the second. Without further rambling...

Strengths
The mining company plotline is a nice mellow threat that lurks in the background and keeps all the characters moving and interacting. It felt pretty realistic, and any issues I had could pretty much be resolved with, "Well, it IS the government."

I love Grey's families. The children are there, important and involved without overwhelming the story or being forgotten. Here, Sofia is cute and precocious, an absolute 5 year old who holds grudges but also easily forgives. Jeanie is not-surprisingly likeable and while she's never portrayed as an evil woman, you can't help but feel bad for her and frown disapprovingly in the same breath. At least in the beginning when Troy is hurting. Telling what happens later would be a spoiler. Sort of.

I liked that the sex scenes spiced it up a little. While they were definitely tender and sweet, they had a taste of dominance and aggression. Not much, but the small touch was appreciated.

Weaknesses
For those familiar with the Farm series, you'll fine Liam's story too close to Stone's story. The two series really mirror one another in some ways, although the first story in this series had more original content then I felt this one did. Readers unfamiliar with the Farm series shouldn't have a problem.

The relationship moved very quickly. Not much time passes before they are baring their souls and promising their love and devotion. I had trouble buying it, one because they both came from such tough spots, but also it's hard to believe anyone's relationship evolving so quickly. I know it happens, but this felt too Insta-Love for me.

Grey's writing doesn't make me want to plunge out my eyes with a wine corkscrew, but it does lack a certain originality. The language tends to explain an emotion behind an action that clearly expressed what the emotion was; gives excuses or reasons behind a behavior or reaction when it's either unnecessary or repetitive (or diminishes any mystery a person may have); or draws out a line that could easily be half as many words. While it's not bad, it leaves the story feeling cluttered and somewhat dragging.

A Shared Range (Range #1) by Andrew Grey

A Shared Range (Range #1) by Andrew Grey
Stars: 3/5

Length: 208 pages
Blurb
After a year in medical school, Dakota Holden returned home to take care of the family business full time and help his father cope with multiple sclerosis. Devoted to his family, Dakota allows himself just one week of vacation a year, which he spends in some exotic location having all the fun he can stand. On his last vacation, a cruise, Dakota struck up a friendship with Phillip Reardon, and it fills an important role in Dakota’s life.

So when Phillip decides to take Dakota up on his invitation to visit the ranch, Dakota is happy to see him and meet his veterinarian friend, Wally Schumacher. Despite Wally’s inclination to help the wolves Dakota’s men shoot to protect the cattle, he and Dakota find they have a lot in common, including a fierce attraction. But they’ll have to decide if the Wyoming range is big enough for Dakota’s cattle, Wally’s wolves, and their love.

Overall
A classically Andrew Grey novel, A Shared Range brings a new taste to some standard fare. Fans of Grey will find a work consistent with his other novels, especially the Love Means... series. New comers will get a taste of his writing and style.

I found the story to be good, but not amazing, and while I may potentially read it again, it's not a tale I'll return to repeatedly. It had several positive points, and throughout there were definite moments that had me smiling and chuckling, but it didn't grab me or move me. However, readers who want sweet and soft will find exactly what they're looking for in this cowboy tale.

Strengths
The interaction between Dakota and Wally was interesting and fresh. We have two men who come from very different lives and have very strong opinions on a sensitive matter. While they come to terms with their differences relatively quickly, it is the central theme of the novel that such a conflict doesn't have to mean that two beings cannot live harmoniously. The struggle of the men as individuals and as a couple is the central conflict and ties together the theme of the novel nicely.

Dakota's dad is used well throughout the novel and I applaud Grey's consistency in never forgetting to check on him before the men go out, and do things such as leaving the door cracked so they can hear if he wakes up. (Though I hope his father didn't hear them when they got noisy!) The father, as a tool to dispense wisdom and as a character, was well handled and added a level to the story.

In addition, I liked the balance of characters in the novel, and how the two main characters, while still the focus, were not the sole elements forming the equation. Too much attention solely on the two relatively average men would have become boring, but the introduction and use of the side characters added an additional dynamic to the story and interactions.

Weaknesses
Not necessarily a weakness, the novel suffers from the condition that all Gays Out West stories bear the burden of: Who is accepting? Obviously if the story has too many un-accepting characters then the main characters will be miserable, but it's still a traditional and mainly conservative area, so not everyone can like it. Grey, from my experience reading his other works, tends to make characters accept more often than not, and A Shared Range is the same. However, the acceptance in this story felt mostly organic, and the trouble caused by the others was just enough to draw awareness to the traditional mindset of the area but not enough to make it the center focus. I put this in the 'weakness' section only because it wasn't really a strength of the novel.

Despite the originality of the characters and their conflict, the rhythm of the story as the characters fall into bed, was traditional Grey in style. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and for some the familiar style and pattern will be comforting and the exact element they return to this author for. It makes for an enjoyable story, but for me it's not different enough from some of his Love Means... books to really impress me.

4 Shorts for Friday

Puppy Tax by J Rocci
Stars: 2.5/5

Length: 27 pages
Blurb
Sky runs a doggy daycare and, in his free time, volunteers as part of a therapy dog pair with his Border Collie, Phoenix. On a visit to the local hospital, Sky and Phee share an elevator with Tony Marasutti, the hot doctor who's great with kids and loves animals. Sky doesn't think he has a chance, but then Dr. Tony invites him and Phee for coffee, so of course Sky has to invite Dr. Tony home to meet the rest of the menagerie!

Overall
This is a cute little free story. The writing is fair, the plot is thin and light, but this isn't meant to be deep. Just a happy tale about two men who meet, get to know one another and have some sexy time. There was definitely room for more development with the characters and the relationship, but for what it is, it's cute and entertaining.


The Fix by Anne Tenino
Stars: 4/5

Length: 27 pages
Blurb
Confident almost to the point of arrogance, Jurgen never worried about his boyfriend leaving him until he overheard Nik telling his best friend he wants to move out of town. That's when the macho cop realizes that maybe asking Nik to move back to tiny Whitetail Rock—where he was tormented when he was younger for being gay and looking different—wasn't Jurgen's most brilliant idea. Now he's on a mission to find a way to fix things so Nik will stay. Which should be no problem because he's good at fixing stuff, right?

Nik isn't sure what he was thinking, moving back to his hometown after graduating with his MFA. Jobs in his field are non-existent and reminders of some of the worst times in his life are abundant. But Jurgen lives in Whitetail Rock, and Nik is willing to put up with a hell of a lot to be with him. Except maybe Jurgen's own efforts to "fix" something that's not broken...

Overall
A cute (and free) continuation of the characters in "Whitetail Rock." A nice light story that points out that "happy ever after" takes a lot of work. I like that we get to see Jurgen being not-so-perfect, Nik being the not-needy one, and them working through their problems. Worth a read if you liked the first.


Harm Reduction by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane
Stars: 4/5

Length: 17 pages
Blurb
It's 1992 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and Magic Johnson has just gone public about being HIV+. Out of the news but right at the frontlines, Julio Torres works the streets and the parks, doing everything he can to keep more people from dying. He meets a young hustler named Linley who doesn't stand a chance. But no matter how hopeless, Julio never gives up trying to do the right thing.

It's 2012 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and there's a Whole Foods around the corner selling organic flowers for Valentine's Day. The city has changed, and so has the world, but Julio is still holding on to his past. He's moved on with his life, taken up new causes, but he just can't let Linley's memory go.

Overall
A free short from Storm Moon Press put out for Valentine's Day, this story is sweet and touching with a pseudo social awareness message that is balanced out by the sweet emotions that Julio continues to have for Linley, despite having not seen him for twenty years. Like most short stories, it left me wanting more (if only to see the characters continue on and where things go), but it also is perfectly self contained. Some bits of information were hinted at but never confirmed, which I felt was appropriate as to not steal away from the brunt of the story, but left my curious nature frothing at the mouth, wanting to know. A touching story that is definitely worth picking up.


The Storyteller by Blaine D. Arden
Stars: 3/5

Length: 12 pages
Blurb
Banished by his family, young, blind aristocrat Oleg finds there are advantages of living isolated with just his tutor for company. But the perfect day said tutor, Neiam, planned for them, Oleg's father seems hell bent on ruining.

Overall
This pseudo-historical story was offered free from Storm Moon Press for Valentine's day. It's pretty light on plot, with the largest confrontation being Oleg's father, but it was an interesting look at a Sub/Dom relationship where the sub is blind, thus ramping up the trust he must give to Neiam. I really liked the relationship between the two men, and I think this story could definitely be made into a series of vignettes accounting their life together.

Power Play: Resistance by Cat Grant and Rachel Haimowitz

Power Play: Resistance by Cat Grant and Rachel Haimowitz
No star rating, since I read this for work

Length: 90,000 words
Blurb
Brandon McKinney has scraped and sacrificed for what little in life he’s ever had. Though it’s been fifteen years since he escaped his father’s abuse, the damage remains. Trust seems as far out of reach as his dream of becoming an architect, and though he’s come to accept being gay, he can’t deny the shame and confusion he feels at other urges—the deeply-repressed desire to submit.

Jonathan Watkins is a self-made Silicon Valley billionaire whose ex-wife took half his money and even more of his faith. Comfortable as a Dominant but wary of being hurt again, he resorts to anonymous pickups and occasional six-month contracts with subs seeking only a master, not a lover.

When a sizzling back-alley encounter cues Jonathan in to Brandon’s deep-seated submissive side, he makes the man an offer: Give me six months of your life, and I’ll open your eyes to a whole new world. Brandon doesn’t care about that; all he wants is the three million dollars Jonathan’s offering so he can buy the construction company he works for. But he soon learns that six months on his knees is no easy feat, and shame and pride may keep him from all he ever wanted—and all he never dreamed he had any right to have.

Overall
Warning: Hardcore. While consent is clearly established and frequently reaffirmed, some moments push hard against the outer edges of consent.

So, um, wow. A hard-core BDSM novel that revolves around one man's desire to explore and expose another man's submissive and masochistic side. This isn't just another "OMG, I'm totally a sub!" story, as Bran and Jonathan struggle through a series of issues. Heavy and sometimes dark, this isn't for the light of heart, but for those who want to explore a more intense (physically and psychologically) level of BDSM, this would be something to check out.

Despite moments of extreme discomfort that I had with this book and its events, I continued on, needing to know what was going to happen and how things would work out. I was richly rewarded, and I hope you will be too!

I am affiliated with Riptide Publishing. I read this for work.

Unshakeable Faith by Lisa Worrall

Unshakeable Faith by Lisa Worrall
Stars: 3/5

Length: 242 pages
Blurb
Of all the bars in all the towns in all the world, the stranger walks into Brody Tyler’s. With no memory and a name he chose from a newspaper, Nash is a gamble—one Brody is willing to take. It isn’t long before Brody and Nash fall in love, but then a tragic accident shatters their cozy world, resetting Nash’s memory once again.

The “new” Nash Walker is a businessman with a bottom line, and he doesn’t care what or who gets stomped on. Waking up in a hospital bed after a hit-and-run with no idea where he’s been for the past six months is bad enough, but someone trying to kill him is even worse. Enter Brody Tyler, accidental bodyguard.

Brody’s determined to help Nash remember and bring back the man he loves. Nash thinks Brody’s a drop-dead gorgeous pain in the ass. If only he could remember….

Overall
This is an OK read that left me struggling to suspend my disbelief and not roll my eyes at the series of cliches involving head injuries. The initial set up and character-personality switches works well, but I was pushed out of the story a bit too often, especially at the end. OK writing, interesting characters, and a good plot with mediocre elements left me lukewarm about this novel.

Warning: Some spoiler-ish content ahead.

Strengths
The strongest part of this novel by far was the array of characters. Nash and Brody are interesting, and the supporting cast adds some nice spice to everything, from the bossy housekeeper and the well-meaning friend to the loving, no-nonsense mother. While it's hard to imagine Nash becoming a hard-ass when he's surrounded by family and friends, personal expectations do horrible things to people. I especially approve of how Nash's father was handled, seen as both a bad guy (tough with high expectations) and a good guy (a fair businessman and loving father). The cast made this story come to life.

The plot overall was an interesting concept, and although it relied on some weak building blocks, I enjoyed the situations the characters were put into. Brody facing the new, cruel Nash was a twisted hitch in their relationship, and Brody's struggles with handling this new lover was touching and sometimes heart-breaking. I appreciated that new Nash would have flashbacks of events that happened in the first part of the book, giving a sense that Nash was beginning to remember things.

The cover is very attractive and artistic, perfectly representing the book. The colors are soft and real and dry and bland split by a dizzying image of cars driving. Great representation.

Weaknesses
This story relies heavily on the head-injury trope, which while in itself isn't bad, it does mire itself rather deeply in it. The first head injury is fine, as memory loss is often a side effect of such a traumatic experience. The second involves a little bit of suspension, but is feasible. The third incident is too convenient and cliche, coming across as deus ex machina. As if the author didn't know how else to resolve it and so took a short cut. I think if the memories hadn't been handled so well prior to that point, the final incident wouldn't have bothered me as much. The complete personality change that came with the final incident also felt random, as if he was becoming a man he wasn't. Too convenient.

This novel is a realistic contemporary novel, which left me with two issues: One, when Nash goes missing the first time, I find it hard to believe that his family (who are wealthy and influential) didn't broaden the search enough to find him, especially since they should have known the area he was last seen in. The hospital would have contacted the police when they had a John Doe and things should have connected, especially since databases tend to be at least state-wide. Of course, if this had happened, the story wouldn't have gone very far. The second issue is when Brody gets the job as a bodyguard. While I can see him getting sent in accidentally, I found it hard to believe that Nash's mother hadn't checked into the names/resumes of people being sent to her to guard her son. Also, where was the man who was supposed to show? I found it hard to believe that the protective and loving mother would just take a person charged with protecting her son at face value.

Requested this book for review.

Worth (Gray Zone, #2) by Adrienne Wilder

Worth (Gray Zone, #2) by Adrienne Wilder
Stars: 4/5

Length: 196 pages
Blurb
Give us your poor, your unwanted, your criminals... that’s the unofficial motto of Atlanta’s Gray Zone, the no man’s land between the city and the Dens of the Kin—the dragons. Between Liam, the two brothers he’s cared for most of his life, and their abusive stepfather, they account for all three categories.

Liam was fifteen when he made the arrangement: as long as he let his stepfather sell his body, his brothers would be safe. Scarred inside and out from years of horrific abuse, Liam is stunned when Jericho, a Lesser-Bred—a dragon’s mixed-blood offspring—makes a pass at him, and he is helpless to resist.

Then Liam’s stepfather welshes on their deal and sells Liam’s brother into the trade, and once again Liam resolves to do anything to save him, even get involved in a million-dollar kidnapping scheme that could get him killed. But that’s not his plan. Now that he has Jericho, Liam knows his life is worth fighting for.

Overall
Although I really enjoyed this story, and love broken characters (plus abused rent boy!), this story didn't quite earn a 5-star rating. I'm not sure exactly what is keeping it from reaching that point, as I can't really think of anything really negative about it. It has good writing, a good story, interesting plot and characters and a fun world, but I still don't feel like it's a 5-star book. Maybe I'm in a blase mood, maybe the characters weren't new/creative enough. Still, a good book, definitely worth picking up.

Strengths
Liam is horribly, horribly abused by his step-father and his johns, is struggling to protect his brothers, and works his butt off so that the boys have all that they need. He's not a weak character, just exhausted and trying to continue to fight to survive while being a little broken emotionally. This pushed all kinds of lovely buttons for me and it was well handled; nothing was described too gruesomely but it didn't ignore the horrors that he's endured. Liam is a lovely character and his struggle is beautiful.

While the plot was more predictable than the first, I still enjoyed watching it unfold. Like a play you've seen before, knowing what happens doesn't make the characters' performances any less interesting. And with Liam in the center, there are plenty of interesting actors on this stage.

I liked how certain elements of the Kin world were handled in this story better than how they were handled in the first. Whether the author assumed people would be reading this book second and would recall from the first novel, or just didn't want to focus as heavily on those aspects, the more pared down descriptions worked well.

Weaknesses
This still suffers from having a glossary in the front. In addition, there seemed to be even more words defined, while not that many additional concepts were used. While it's easy to skip over this, it's hard for the reader to know if anything important is going to be missed by doing that. In this case, I didn't feel like reading the glossary was too advantageous, as the narrator knows very little about Kin society and anything the reader would need to know is explained in the story.

Plot was somewhat predictable, although this didn't damage it's enjoyment much.

Requested this book for review.

Best part of Valentine's day...

Are the sales of course!

For today only, Riptide Publishing has 25% off all their books at www.riptidepublishing.com.

Also Storm Moon Press has 4 free short reads up for today! Check them out at www.stormmoonpress.com.

Enjoy!

Moonlight, Tiger, and Smoke by Connie Bailey

Moonlight, Tiger, and Smoke by Connie Bailey
Stars: UNRATED

Length: 300 pages
Blurb
Taken from their families and raised to be assassins, Moonlight and Tiger are the perfect weapons and secret lovers. Even when they are sent into service with different clans, their love remains pure and strong until a more insidious threat divides them. When Moonlight realizes his master is manipulating people for his own ends, the discovery threatens not only Tiger, but their entire society. Betrayed by a fellow assassin, the men are tortured and broken. If their love and their people are going to survive, one of them will have to defy everything he knows and stand up for the only thing he believes is real: Love.

Overall
I think this is one of the first, if not THE first novel that I've been unable to rate.

A little history: I started this book a while ago, got about 40% of the way through and just ran out of desire to read it. The writing wasn't too bad, the characters had potential for being interesting, and the world that was being crafted had potential for being very interesting.

So why did I come to a dead-stop and not pick it up for several months?

Several factors are involved. One, the story is dark, which isn't a problem per se but does make for a more challenging read. The writing was good, but not very concise, so as I read it felt like very little progressed over time, to the point where to actually finish the novel, I read very quickly, skipping large chunks of text (which is why I'm not rating this book, as I don't think I can fairly judge this heavy of a book without having read it thoroughly).

I feel the concept was strong and the characters and the plot were all interesting, but the progression over about 20 years felt almost grueling as everything was built and put into place. While I can understand the necessity, it was difficult for me to sink into the story as I felt like I was being dragged down a dark tunnel and unsure if I would survive the encounter.

Still, I'm not sure if shortening the novel (time-wise) would have worked. However, cutting some scenes and making others more concise would have helped. Characters are introduced and then killed off without showing much importance to any events or character development.

This is a pretty dark and overall depressing novel, although the end is satisfactory, if not a little too neat.

In the end, while I didn't particularly enjoy this book, I'm glad I finished it. I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone, but I wouldn't actively talk someone out of reading it, especially if it seems to be their type of book (enjoying in-depth tales of espionage, spying, murder, assassins, etc).

Positives of this book? I love the cover. It's beautiful, classy, and artistic, while incorporating multiple elements of the story. Also, I never really knew how things would turn out, which is definitely a bonus in this type of tale. Finally, although most of my comments about this book have been negative, this is definitely one you'd have to look into on a case by case basis.

Requested this book for review.

Advent: Collected Shorts by SL Armstrong and K Piet

Advent: Collected Shorts by SL Armstrong and K Piet
Stars: 4/5

Length: 175,000 words (433 pages)
Blurb
The tradition of the Advent calendar goes back as far as the beginning of the 19th century. Special calendars were produced, counting down the days until Christmas, usually with a small poem or gift accompanying each day. The authors of this collection of erotic fiction bring a steamy twist to that practice, by offering a free, never-before-released short for each day of the holiday season. In addition, Advent: Collected Shorts also includes Love and Agony—seventeen additional stories and shorts not released as part of the free Advent event, that are only available in this collection!

Overall
While I didn't read every story in this collection—some involved pairings that weren't to my taste—I have to give what I did read a strong score. The Advent stories are a bit repetitive if read straight through, as they involve lots of hot, steamy sex with various pairings (mainly m/m, but some m/f, f/f, plus a few sets of multiple partners, and some incestual involvement). I only read the m/m stories, and they were plenty hot. I'm not big on straight erotica...erm, I mean only erotica...but these stories were excellent. Plus, while sex was the focus, there were plenty of teases for the stories to come.

Speaking of which...most of these pieces involve characters from works that are still in progress. I was never too confused about who was what doing what, and these definitely peaked my interest and I look forward to reading the longer works that these characters come from. If you want smokin' holiday sex, this will have a little of everything...enjoy the buffet!

As for the Love and Agony section: I liked these stories, although romance/sex isn't the focal point as much as it is in the Advent section. Not all the stories are happy (although even some of the Advent stories aren't completely happy), but the set is called “Love and Agony.” Enjoyable, although they didn't leave quite as lasting an impression as the Advent set.

Strengths
I'm not big on sex in stories. Mainly it needs to further plot/characters or be really well done. Most of this stories were really well done. Smut for smut's sake? Perhaps. But sometimes you need a foursome with a set of triplets who all share a soul that is soul mate to the fourth. There is variety in character pairings, type of sex, level of kink, and number of partners. I recommend not reading these at work though *cough, blush*.

Although these stories don't have much plot, they hint at plot that has happened previously or is going to happen in the future. These really made me look forward to some stories that are coming. Maybe not a strength, since it can be considered a good sales ploy, but I felt the teases of plot helped carry those stories that didn't have much plot within their pages. Those stories with plot were interesting; a taste of what is to come.

At 175,000 words for the price of $5.99, this is definitely worth its weight. Although I read this after the holidays and enjoyed it just fine, it would definitely work well to warm readers through the month of December with a story or two each day.

Weaknesses
Not every story will be to everyone's taste. Most readers will be going in for the m/m angle, so it's relatively easy to skip those that don't satisfy that. Readers going in for just f/f or m/f will find little to go for.

While I can understand why the stories are separated into “Advent” and “Love and Agony,” part of me wishes that the Advent stories were dispersed between the other stories in order to break up the sex—which for me became repetitious. Still delicious, but like eating too many pieces of candy.

Storm Moon Press usually does an exemplary editing job, but they may have rushed out these stories a little quicker than normal, as I found more typo mistakes than normal. They were by no means prolific, and they weren't very distracting from the story, but I do have to warn (although mine was an earlier copy and said errors may have been removed since).

Received this book for review.

Second Chances by Jeff Erno

Second Chances by Jeff Erno
Stars: 2.5/5

Length: 253 pages
Blurb
Harold Wainwright is dying. At seventy-nine, stricken with malignant cancer, the multi-billionaire insurance mogul realizes he has much to regret. In his youth he rejected his only true love and instead chose to advance his career and build his financial empire. Single-mindedly he focused upon achieving his own goals, looking out for number one, and acquiring a monetary fortune. Now he is alone, and all he has is his money…and his life is over.

Doctor Timothy Drayton has devoted his entire career to developing the technology to prolong human life. His entire focus has been upon creating a computer chip which can be implanted into the human brain, allowing human consciousness to be transferred from one human subject into the mind of another. Given optimum circumstances, he is confident that he can now preserve the consciousness of a dying patient into the mind of a donor subject with a surgically electronic implant.

Jesse Warren is eighteen years old, about to graduate from high school. He’s a track star, model student, and the typical all-American kid. One day while on his way to track practice, tragedy strikes, and Jesse is in a terrible accident, rendered comatose. When his family learns the horrifying news, they believe they’ve lost their son forever. Jesse Warren is pronounced “brain dead”.

When neurosurgeon and world-renowned brain specialist Dr. Timothy Drayton arrives, telling the Warren family that he has an advanced form of experimental treatment which can possibly save young Jesse and restore his consciousness, the Warrens are convinced that God has sent them a miracle. They are overjoyed the next morning when their son undergoes surgery and awakens as a new man. His memory loss, they are convinced, is amnesia due to his accident.

Jesse lives, and is given a second chance. Will his new life prove to be the impetus for significant change, or will the old Harold Wainwright emerge to make the same mistakes a second time around? Most of us are given but one chance to make the right choices, but imagine if… there were such things as Second Chances.

Overall
This novel held more potential than was realized and I had some pretty large issues with it. Still, it wasn't painful to read and I didn't need to force myself to finish. It was easy going and had a very sweet romance. This is one where different readers will probably have very different feelings on the matter, and I can only offer my opinions.

Strengths
The story centered around an interesting concept of one man's mind/soul being placed into another's body. I had some difficulty understanding the doctor's motivations until later in the story, but I enjoyed seeing the challenges that New Jesse experienced as he tries to fit into Jesse's life while still retaining much of Harold's preferences. Although this plot contains some science fiction elements, it's not so far outside the realm of possibility that it could be considered straight sci-fi. Er, hardcore sci-fi.

The romance Jesse experiences is very sweet and pure, like young love, and I liked how those elements were handled, carefully rebuilding a friendship that one person doesn't remember while delving into a relationship. The romance is very tender but moves pretty quickly since they are young men in love. Hormones do that to you, I hear. You can't help but want them to get together.

Although I had some major issues with this book (as I list below), it was still a pretty good read. Although it's not something I'd probably pick up and read again, it's also not something I'd warn people against or fight against having to re-read.

Weaknesses
The writing was okay, but a little heavy handed and stiff at times. Also, the repetition of "second chance" annoyed me. Obviously it was the theme of the book, but it didn't need to be pointed out so often, even in times when it would naturally come up, I think alternative phrases would have helped. A minor niggle which I could have forgiven if it blended into the writing more. However, as I didn't find the writing to be as natural as previous Erno works, I was more easily distracted by minor word choices.

While I enjoyed the plot concept, I felt it was a little abused. Part of this relates to the author's repeated use of "second chance" as a theme--slightly more than a theme since it permeates every element of the book. By the final third of the novel I knew how everything was going to turn out, even if I didn't know the specifics. Obviously with romances the two main characters are generally going to end up together, but I feel even beyond that this ending was predictable. This could just be me, though, but if you're a reader who likes surprises and figures out endings, (and if predictability bothers you), then you may want to steer clear.

Regarding the ending: I feel there were some unresolved issues that didn't get addressed and needed to be.

Also, I was a little annoyed by how much Harold flung around money. Obviously he's used to being rich and I think he gets a just reward in the end, but books that inadvertently say that money solves everything--even when they are trying to say the opposite--get under my skin in the bad way.

Received this book for review.

Crescendo (Song of the Fallen, #2) by Rachel Haimowitz

Crescendo (Song of the Fallen, #2) by Rachel Haimowitz
Stars: 4/5

Length: 107,000 words (245 pages)
Blurb
History made them enemies. Chance made them master and slave. Love overcame it all. But love isn’t always enough...

Bridging the hatred of centuries did not come easy for Freyrík Farr and Ayden Vaska. As prince of a war-torn human province, Freyrík could ill afford to fall for an enemy. And Ayden, an elven warrior with three-hundred years of bitterness in his heart, wanted no part of love—not elven, and especially not human. Yet they came together despite themselves and despite the will of their peoples, joining heart and mind to fight a race of Dark Beasts threatening the extinction of mankind.

But the Dark Beast threat pales beside the dangers of the human High Court, home of the Aegis Exalted and the harshest test yet of Ayden’s and Freyrík’s fledgling love.

While Ayden is stripped of his magic, Freyrík is forced to choose between his love for elf, Aegis, and brother, all the while seeking the one uncertain path that might save his doomed race. Time is fast running out for mankind, and only by making peace amongst themselves and with their ancient elven enemies can they end the Dark war—and undo the tragedy that’s plagued humans, elves, and Dark Beasts alike for the last three-hundred years.

Overall
Crescendo picks up where Counterpoint leaves off: Ayden and Freyrik are forced to travel to the main city to meet the king of kings and present Ayden to him (and have his magic bound). Neither is very happy about it, but they are at an impasse: Ayden won't go unless Freyrik joins him, and Freyrik refuses to betray his kings. These decisions will cost them more than they can expect.

The first half of this novel is filled with political intrigue and tough decisions. It's difficult for them to trust anyone, except each other, but even that bond is brittle in their new environment. To balance out the politics, the second half of the book has adventure with sword fights and magic (and walking, because adventures always involve a lot of walking).

Although the ending left me a off balance, I highly enjoyed this fantasy romance.

Strengths
I think I wanted to punch everyone in this story at least once, except Lord Lini and Vitr. OK, maybe not everyone, but much of the leading cast. Why is this a good thing? These characters got under my skin; they acted/reacted like people (and elves) do, and they struggled with their decisions--and the results. Sometimes it was painful and raw, but it was a little bit awesome in that as well.

The Aegis. I love him. I love him because every other chapter I wouldn't know if I could trust him, or if he was secretly cackling behind my back. I loved that I couldn't see him cackling behind the main characters' backs. He drove me nuts. It was great.

Once again the balance of action and politics saved this story from relying too heavily on either. For those who love politics, it will sate that, and for those who love action, there is a fair amount (although perhaps not as much as the first book, or at least differently structured).

There is still a fair amount of romance, although because Freyrik has successfully wooed Ayden, it's not as central to the plot or action. Most the romance here is focused on their relationship continuing despite the odds and the power balance between them.

Weaknesses
Considering the slow build of everything in this novel and the one before it, the ending feels especially abrupt. While I can see the reason for it (too many details would drag it out), I still felt shocked by the sudden arrival of the final chapter. It almost felt like Haimowitz wanted to end with the second to last chapter, but was advised on not, so tagged on another chapter. Mind you, I'm glad it doesn't end with the second to last chapter...but that will be for you to decide.

Received this book for review.