You are browsing the archive for 2012 August.

Theodora Taylor

THE BROKEN H by J.L. Langley

August 22, 2012 in B Reviews, Book Reviews, erotic, gay male romance, Loose ID, May December romance, rancher

Description: When Sheriff Grayson Hunter is called back to his ancestral home, The Broken H, he has no idea he’s really getting a call to fall back in love with its handsome Apache foreman, Shane Cortez.

The Good: This couple is easy to root for, and Ms. Langley pays a lot of attention to developing their relationship in and out of bed. I loved that Shane wore glasses and had really long hair — both of which drove Grayson crazy with desire. Ms. Langley gives this couple several interesting obstacles, including a 13-year age gap and a secret past. Also, there definitely isn’t any skimping on the sex. This book is chock full of it.

The Bad: Way too many typos, and plot threads — a few of which don’t get wrapped up or are resolved in a flippant manner. Also, though the book is set in a fairly small town where everyone knows everyone, no one seems to realize anyone else is gay until they either fall in love or show blatant interest in another man. This rang false.

The Naughty: Erotic. Ejaculation. Slight festish.

Editing issues: Many typos. Word misusage.

Publisher: Loose Id

Length: 218 pages

Final Grade: B-

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

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Theodora Taylor

TRANSGENDER HELL by Downy Davis

August 20, 2012 in black woman white man, Book Reviews, bwwm, bwwm romance, Christian, D Reviews, short story, sweet, Topaz Publishing, transgender

Description: Khaki has just married Bram, the man of her dreams. There’s just one problem: she hasn’t told him she was born a man.

The Good: I really love that the heroine of this novel is transgender, and I would really like to see even more out-of-the-box characters like this in IR. Ms. Davis does not shy away from going into transgender specifics: for example we’re told about Khaki’s operation, boob job, and hormone therapy; and when Khaki goes home to visit, she still helps her father with the same stuff she helped him with when she was living as a boy. Also the situation was compelling enough for me to finish the book.

The Bad: Unfortunately, though the writer’s heart was in the right place, this book was almost a complete craft fail. The characters were never fully explored. I was aghast that Khaki hadn’t told Bram her origin story before they married, and didn’t feel her character had sufficient motivation to keep this information for him. Bram is uneven as a character, and the motivation for most of his actions, outside of marrying Khaki so soon (she doesn’t believe in sex before marriage) was unclear. The resolution was rushed and rang false, given what we had learned about Bram, Khaki, and her family. Also, there were many instances of characters telling each other memories and stories they already knew, lots of lazy exposition. This story feels like a house with good bones, that needs a top to bottom renovation in terms of editing.

The Naughty: Sweet. Christian. Inspirational. No sex.

Editing issues: Typos. Clunky verging on terrible grammar throughout.

Publisher: Topaz Publishing

Length: 45 pages

Final Grade: D-

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

 

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Theodora Taylor

BABY ON BOARD by Dahlia Rose

August 15, 2012 in B Reviews, black woman white man, Book Reviews, bwwm, bwwm romance, steamy, Sugar and Spice Press

Description: When the baby daughter he didn’t know he fathered literally gets left on his doorstep, Major Rafe Steele turns to Ivy, the sexy nurse next door for help. But can he convince his practical neighbor that he’s not the frat boy lothario she thinks he is?

The Good: Ms. Rose does a good job of painting Ivy as defensive and insecure without making her too tiresome. She’s defensive because she doesn’t look like the other women on their block, who are always throwing themselves at Rafe; and she’s insecure because she has endometriosis and isn’t sure if she’ll ever be able to have children, which was a refreshing change as far as heroines go. I also really liked seeing Ivy’s day-to-day life as a nurse at Walter Reed, and her best friend/co-worker there was get-out funny. Rafe’s mother is also a funny and caring gem of a character, and an on-going conflict with another neighbor is wrapped up in a surprising way.

The Bad: The overall read suffers from too-long block paragraphs and overly long character speeches. Also, the book could actually be a few chapters shorter as it feels like it’s treading water in a few places. It’s a thin line between day-to-day details and unnecessary content. Lastly, readers who have actually had fertility issues might not appreciate how neatly Ivy’s are dealt with in the end.

The Naughty: Steamy. 69. Explicit language.

Editing issues: 3 typos. Weird indents on Kindle.

Publisher: Sugar and Spice Press

Length: 133 pages

Final Grade: B

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

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Theodora Taylor

ON CALL: AFTERNOON by P.D. Singer

August 13, 2012 in B Reviews, Book Reviews, doctor, gay male romance, self-published, steamy

Description: When Keith, the new single doctor in town, meets sexy black veterinarian, Dante, he’s way to shy to make a first move. Can his cat, Harpo, bring them together?

The Good: I adore vets in real life and wish they’d be used more in romance. Ms. Singer does a good job of making Dante vulnerable (he’s got cat scratch fever), while keeping him attractive in the opening scenes. The romantic build up to sex is sweet and awkward, and the couple is very well-matched. Also, the cat at the center of the story is quite a character. If you love cats, you will love this story.

The Bad: Ms. Singer doesn’t manage to overcome the curse of short stories. The characters are too good for the story length, and many readers will come out of this experience wanting more. Also, if you’re even thinking about adopting a cat, this book might push you over the edge, so leave it alone, if you don’t want to add in new four-legged friends to your family.

The Naughty: Steamy. Intimate medical exam.

Editing issues: None found

Publisher: Rocky Ridge Press (indie)

Length: short story

Final Grade: B+

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

 

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Theodora Taylor

CLAIMING SHAYLA (True Mates) by Zena Wynn

August 8, 2012 in alpha male, B Reviews, bi-racial heroine, Book Reviews, erotic, Loose ID, paranormal, pregnant, shifter(s), suspense, werewolf

Description: When Shayla flees Refuge, North Carolina after an intense mating session with Rory McFelan, she thought she was done with the alpha of the Sparrowhawks. But as it turns out, she has to go back for her favorite cousin’s wedding. Also, she’s pregnant. And perhaps most importantly of all, Rory isn’t at all prepared to let her go.

The Good: As always, Ms. Wynn’s excels at introducing really hot sex into unique situations. There’s a lot going on in this book plot-wise: a rip-roaring romance, a meaty family mystery, and some seriously hardcore sex. Ms. Wynn really goes there — so sensitive readers, be warned. I was worried at points by how many balls she had going up in the air, but somehow she manages to juggle them and wrap it all up with a very satisfying conclusion. There’s also a character introduction that is so crazy-intriguing, you’ll be dying for him to get his own True Mates book. Hopefully it’s coming soon!

The Bad:Shayla as a character has serious “show vs. tell” problems. She’s supposed to be a genius, we never see her use her brain. At one point she proudly proclaims, “I won’t whine, mope, or sulk in some corner like a child” after spending several pages whining and moping around in a childish funk. She claims to be traumatized by growing up different, but we never see any evidence of this. In the end she feels like a collection of stated character traits that are never proven. To this point, many readers will figure out an important component of the mystery way before Shayla does, which brings us back to the genius issue.

Also, there are so many characters and POVs, it’s hard to keep them all straight. It’s a bit like watching TRUE BLOOD. In fact, even though she’s bi-racial (black and Asian), Shayla reminds me a bit of Rutina Wesley’s character, Tara — readers are either going to love her or hate her.

The Naughty: Erotic. Physical fighting between couple. Lots of exhibition. Sex while in werewolf form. Hardcore.

Editing issues: 4 typos found.

Publisher: Loose Id

Length: 274

Final Grade: B

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

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Theodora Taylor

RIVALS FOR LOVE by Eve Vaughn

August 6, 2012 in B Reviews, Book Reviews, business man, bwwm, bwwm romance, Carina Press, erotic, menage trois

Description: After almost getting over the heartbreak of being unceremoniously dumped by her first love, Sawyer, Hayden Sinclair has managed to move on with his long-time rival, Luc, another ridiculously hot businessmen. But then Sawyer comes back to town and makes it clear that he has every intention of winning her back. What’s a girl to do?

The Good: This was the first interracial romance I ever listened to on audiobook, and I really liked the experience. I’m hoping more will come out in this format. The sex is very hot, and Ms. Vaughn does a very good job of presenting Hayden’s conflict. Readers will have a lot of fun rooting for Team Luc or Team Sawyer — if you’re wondering, I was firmly on Team Luc.

The Bad: The story is very sexy, but suffers from an abundance of momentum-killing and often unnecessary conversations. For example, it’s great that Hayden gets along with Sawyer’s much younger half-sister, but it’s excruciating to sit through pages of them shopping for an appropriate dress for her Sweet Sixteen when you’re dying to know what’s going to happen next in the much hotter love triangle.

The Naughty: Erotic. Menage. Sexy dreams. Outside sex. Peeping Tom.

Editing issues: N/A

Publisher: Carina Press

Length: 208 pages

Final Grade: B

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

 

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Theodora Taylor

AFTER THE KISS by Violet Williams

August 1, 2012 in B Reviews, black woman hispanic man, Book Reviews, bwlm, cop, Hispanic, Hispanic hero, self-published, steamy

Description: When Ebony Rivers meets Demetrius Sorventinos, it’s chemistry at first sight. The only problems are she’s already dating the son of his Russian mob boss, Maxhew Kournikova … and “Demetrius” is really an undercover cop named Tony. Oh dear…

The Good: This is a very high stakes premise with hot sex and edge-of-your-seat situations. Also, the story is told from the first person POVs of Ebony and Tony/Demetrius, and their voices are written with a strong hand. You’re never confused about who’s doing the talking. Overall, the book was a very compelling read.

The Bad: Ebony is very passive and when she does take action it’s often for dubious reasons, with which the reader might not agree. We are given many reasons to cheer for her getting out of her relationship with Maxhew, but in the end, that makes it hard to understand why a smart girl would get into and stay in a relationship with such a an unrepentant thug in the first place. It becomes really hard to root for her continued relationship with Tony/Demetrius, when one suspects that the heroine is being dumb and putting her life at stake for someone she believes to be another thug. Also, there’s a bit where Ebony has an angry memory of one of Maxhew’s friends using the n-word in front of her, which is supposed to insinuate that Maxhew isn’t above racism; but then she laughs when Tony/Demetrius calls her an “Indian giver” a couple of pages later.

The Naughty: Steamy. Masturbation. Cheating. Violence. 

Editing issues: 10 typos found. 2 counts of idiom misuage. 3 counts of word misuage.

Publisher: Quiver Publishing (Indie)

Length: 139 pages.

Final Grade: B-

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Theodora Taylor writes and reviews interracial romance novels in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

 

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