Claire Thompson - Island of Temptation

When artist Sam Jamison finds himself stranded on an island with dark-haired, blue-eyed Donovan McNair he knows he'll have to keep a tight rein on his rising passions. Donovan's straight as an arrow-or so he assumes. Survivors of a cruise shipwreck, the two men are thrown together in a desperate struggle to survive. Alone with no idea if they'll be rescued, Sam and Donovan forge a bond far stronger than mere friendship. Donovan discovers sexual attraction and love needn't be limited to the opposite sex. Though afraid of his own impulses, he finds himself captivated by Sam's good looks and quiet authority. Experiencing a freedom not possible back in "the real world," desire boils over, inhibitions melt away and passion burns a clear, loving flame. When rescue throws the cold water of reality on the lovers, Donovan returns to his old life-a life with no place for Sam. Torn and confused by expectations and self-imposed constraints, Donovan must find the courage to go where his heart leads him. Sam can only wait with quiet longing, praying the love they have shared will be strong enough to survive away from their secret tropical paradise. 

Comment: I had this book in the pile for some time now. It's one of the few by the author I have that don't belong to her BDSM collection. As I tend to avoid books with that sub genre, I was quite eager to read it.

This book presents us Donovan, a man who has practically everything he wanted after a not so happy childhood. His on and off girlfriend, however, has dumped him again so he goes to a romantic cruise on his on, instead of with her. Their relationship isn't perfect but he knows how she is and they always come back together after a bad phase.

On the cruise there's also Sam Jamison, a recently "discovered" artists, whose work has been receiving interesting feedback. He was offered the cruise trip and plans on enjoying it now that he knows his career is going on quite well.

What both didn't count on was that the ship where they are would sink and leave them stranded, together.

Nor that they would end up at a desert island. Alone...

I had some fun reading this book, I think it had an interesting take on the castaway scenario.

This is not the first book by the author I read that doesn't have BDSM content. I like that a relationship doesn't have to depend on those things to make sense or to work out. Maybe I'm old fashioned but, in general, I don't like to read about those types of relationships, especially when most times it's just an excuse to write about kinky sex.

Anyway, I haven't read her BDSM work, so I can't really talk. As for her other work, this book, as was the other one I've read years ago, seems to be much more balanced and interesting to me.

This book offers interesting notions, I liked it but yes, it does depend a lot on the main characters. I liked them overall, but I still think they weren't as strongly portrayed as they could. I think one of my biggest complaints about them is how they focused on sex in moments where it wouldn't be very realistic. I guess it's not that bad because readers are able to glimpse their thoughts about how despairing it is to be alone and not knowing help can come. Often they mention how glad they are they have someone else there. But I really think the author could have increased the drama between them with better developed sexual chemistry.

It seems to me Sam is always more aware of himself and has more confidence in his sexuality, so no surprises there. Donovan is too afraid but gives in rather quickly to his need to find out what he is feeling... I suppose I'd have preferred a more gradual passage from unknowns to lovers. Their time on the island had great moments, but the personal relationship could have been done better, could have more drama and romance scenes too.

Eventually, they are rescued and go back to civilization, where, obviously, they must deal with what happened. It was quite predictable how things progressed, in both of their lives. Sam follows the pattern of knowing what you had and lost but still hoping, while going on with his life and Donovan, always more doubtful, faces others' ideas and influence and no longer is confident on what he said on the island.

In a way, of course this is to be expected on a realistic reality, unpredictable situations tend to make us doubt everything and weight in stuff we wouldn't in our daily life routines but... I think the way the plot developed at this point was a little bit boring. I mean, I get it's not easy to follow through with a "under stress" situation and how that affects someone and even later responses, but...well, I don't know what I expected but it certainly wasn't to see the guys so focused on them alone and not on the other as well. Anyway, they ended up having an HEA so that hardly matters in the end.

I think that, in terms of romance, the other book I've read before by mrs Thompson was better, more dreamy, but this one offers an interesting escapism exercise. I think some details weren't well explained or developed but I guess the book has its own balance, not too good but not weak either.

Grade: 7/10

Claire Thompson - Handyman

Handsome, sexy and gay, Will Spencer used and discarded lovers as easily as he made his Wall Street stock trades. He was used to taking whatand whohe wanted. Jack Crawford, a recently widowed handyman, never thought of himself as gay. Frightened by an erotic encounter years before, Jack had never embraced his deepest sexual longings. In an unlikely pairing, Will and Jack explore an incendiary relationship, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, always scintillatingly erotic. Jack is forced to confront feelings hes hidden for a lifetime. Will is faced with something he isn't sure he can handle: love.

Comment: I've had this book to read for a long time. As most books in my shelves are, but anyway...I don't remember why I got it, probably because so many people loved it and I guess I was curious to know what got their attention. But time and other boos got in the way, and so on and on...but now I went for it at last.

This is the story of Will and Jack. Will is a young gay man, very successful but needing a break from his fast life. He gets a new house in need of repairs and he calls Jack to do some work, as he was referred to him by another person. Will immediatly feels attracted to Jack's looks and air but he realizes Jack's too straight...or is he?
Jack is a 44 old year widow with two grown up sons. He only wants to get by in his life but in the back of his mind is a gay encounter he had in his teens. Now Will is in his like and slowly they start to talk, to share things until attraction is just the beginning.

What I liked the best about this book was its pace. It was slow, it took time, they didn't just had sex right away. I liked how things were slow to happen because it seems they had more time to think and to wonder even when it says only a short amount of time passed. In this case, the writing style helped.

I liked Jack. I think he was the one who had the biggest trouble coming to terms of what he was feeling. He thought himself in a place in his life where things were done, where he just had to go through the motions, but when he least expected, someone comes up and changes his look at things. I believed him when he was having doubts, when he had issues, insecurities and I guess part of beauty in this story is how someone used to one way of living suddenly finds not only the courage but the will to change his path for someone he never thought he could like much less care for. Jack was brave and his problems were convincing.
Will, on the other hand, wasn't as endearing because he admits he wasn't looking for the one, and he played around a lot. However, the way he talked to Jack, how he seemed to encourage but guide him as well was something he did out of true feelings and not a secret agenda. Still, I thought he was a bit cocky in some of this thoughts about Jake. I liked how they got together but not all the little details, especially concerning Will's.

The story line was believable enough. But it did have a thing here and there not that convincing according to the "feel" of the story namely the coincidences. But that's fine.
The age difference was always on my mind though. I try to keep an open mind but May-December story lines don't always win me over, it's hard to believe people from different generations have that much in common to last, but hey I'm not in a relationship, what do I know. But this, despite not bothering me that much, was always in the back of my mind nonetheless.
Overall, a good story, many good elements and, like other books by the author I've read, interesting to see developing.