L.H. Cosway - Six of Hearts

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.
I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.
I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.
Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.
But most of all, I put on a good show.
The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn’t. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.
Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.
I want it for all six of us.
She doesn’t remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this – if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.
So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.
You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.
I’ve only got one heart, and after I’ve pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.
So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride.

Comment: One more book by this author, whose blurb had caught my eye, to add to the list of things I have read by her. My experience has been mixed, some books seemed great, others less so. This one stays in the middle.

Matilda lives with her lawyer father and she helps him with his work, although he doesn't have a big office. To help with the money, her father decides to accept a lodger, and in comes Jay Fields, a charismatic man, an illusionist who had a lot of success in the US and is now in Ireland, apparently for work. Her connection with him is immediate and they become friends, but there's always this weird tension between them and it doesn't seem to be explained only by sexual attraction. What is Jay hiding and why, of all places, did he choose to stay with Matilda and her father? When some problems seem to come to light in regards to a trial case Jay is involved with and in which Matilda's father is helping too, will the truth be too much for Matilda?

Overall, what comes to mind when I think of this novel is "average". Everything felt kind of average to me, even though the fact Jay is an illusionist is quite the detail. In a way, this author is very clever in deciding which job/area to give to her characters, all of them are somehow linked to some cultural or artistic field. But an original activity can't be enough to sustain a plot.

This story is also told in first person by Matilda, as is the author's style. Unfortunately, here I could not fully disconnect from it and there were times where, as so often happens to me, the focus on Matilda's inner monologues was too much and gave the story an almost sense of lack of maturity. Matilda is 23, Jay is four years old, but following her thoughts made me imagine them much younger, juvenile. Of course, life experience has made them seem more mature at times and if I think about certain scenes, this is visible, but having only her POV, in this novel, kind of brought the grade down for me.

Although it is a little obvious how the characters are connected, I was still interested in seeing how the author would play out the journey until we finally have explanations. I think Jay has an interesting path in life and I can understand the reasons why he behaves the way he does while the plot develops. Matilda is less complex, but for the most part I thought she was a genuine and friendly person and while I wasn't particularly motivated to see them become a couple, I was glad they found happiness.

The romance is OK, I suppose, but it didn't impress me because it felt like they were teenagers. All of Matilda's thoughts about Jay and the weird stuff they do together go on and on so that we could have scenes with them both flirting and getting close enough for falling in love to be believable from her POV alone (she goes to a seminar to practice being comfortable talking to guys and he randomly is able to go with her). This becomes repetitive and, frankly, a little annoying after a while. I wanted more nuance and inner development, not only sexy thoughts.

The plot about the reason why Jay came to Ireland and a lawsuit he is involved with is intriguing enough, and has some cute scenes, but this is all very superficially presented. I didn't exactly mind this, but then the resolution of the legal case sets too much on situations that are too coincidental or simplistic. I liked the idea but the execution seemed a little too simple to me.

All things considered, this was an entertaining novel, had fun scenes and some silly but cute things, but it didn't really meet all the expectations I had on it. I will keep on reading things by the author, but I hope I will appreciate the next one more, whenever that happens.

Grade: 6/10

LH Cosway - Still Life with Strings

My name is Jade Lennon and I stand still for money.
The night I saw Shane Arthur watching me everything changed. A man in a suit always catches my eye, but it was the way he looked at me that was different. Like he knew me or something. He didn’t know me, especially not in my costume. My sobriety rests on staying away from men, but there was something about him that made me throw caution to the wind.
After all, I was never going to see him again, right?
Wrong.
Standing still isn’t the only way I make my money. I also bartend at a concert hall. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Shane was going to show up there. Not only that, but he’s the most recent addition to the orchestra. So now on a daily basis I have to resist one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever met and he plays the violin. For me that’s one hell of a deadly cocktail.
He wants me to teach him how to live. I’m not sure how much a twenty-six year old recovering alcoholic who works in a bar and moonlights as a living statue can teach a world class concert violinist, but I’m sure going to try.

Comment: Another book by this author which caught my interest. The protagonists come from opposed realities and I tend to like both this theme and the different class. The work by this author is usually a hit and miss for me, even if all have elements that work out somehow and this one, out of the ones I've read is one of titles I liked best.

In this book we meet Jade Lennon, a young woman trying to meet ends' meet so she can raise her younger siblings. Although they are all teenagers - one already adult - she feels responsible, since their mother died four years ago. Jade works as a waitress at a concert hall and she also likes to dress up as a statue. One night she sees a man looking at her and something about him calls up to her too, so they end the night together. 

Shane has recently joined the orchestra and he likes this new challenge, especially when he realizes one of the waitresses is the woman he was with one night, after he saw her in her statue costume. They start talking, first as friends despite their one night stand, but as they get to know one another better, their feelings change as well...but for two people from so different backgrounds, will there be any chance of a HEA?

Unlike the books I wasn't too fond of by this author, I think this one worked out pretty well because the emotional stability developed between the main characters felt realistic but had its romantic moments too. Somehow it felt more stable for me than what happened in other novels. As always, there were things I wish could have happened differently, but I had a pleasant reading experience and that counts too.

I think the best element of this story is the interesting professions the main characters have. Jade is a waitress and I kind of liked how there is some focus on this job, especially to add contrast to the fact Shane is a musician who comes from a better established family (economically speaking). She also works as a living statue and we get some clues on how these artists endure all that time in the same position, I had never thought about it but I don't think I'm a very patient person to be able to do it. I liked how this revealed a little of her personality and thoughts.

Shane is a ore classical hero, not only because he does play the violin, so more often classical music in the orchestra, but his attitude and behavior follows that of a pretty standard hero. I confess it feels as if the focus of the whole story is more on how things impact Jade rather then Shane but since he is a man who respects Jade and the fact she can be seen as more alternative than him, turned him into someone I liked and wanted to see getting happiness.

The plot isn't complex nor demanding. Basically follows the protagonists on their daily routines and emotional development, as they - mostly Jade - battle physical attraction in the attempt to cherish a true friendship. They also have to worry about the ones closest to them: Jade worries about her siblings, namely the younger ones, who seem to have bad attitude and companies at first but while Jade flourishes in her friendships with Shane it seems that helps in how she believes she can help her brother and sister becoming more confident in themselves and have correct attitudes.

Shane, again, has a more classical situation to deal with. He had been in a group, his fiance broke things up when she slept with another member and now Shane joined the orchestra. His family pressures him to get beck to that woman but he is already committed to being in love with Jade, even though they have not discussed it yet. His mother and the past seem to be heavyweights when it comes to present Shane with the "clever" choice in life, but I'm glad there weren't any silly misunderstandings, only some minor self doubt, which I don't see as weird... it's difficult to find people who always think positive.

The romance wasn't the most romantic thing ever, but I liked how they became friends, how they seemed to want to understand one another, how they didn't judge their respective backgrounds as the only explanation about their current lives... it felt as if their relationship was balanced and, sometimes, that is more important then larger than life love demonstrations. I think this is not a romance to dazzle, and in a way I liked it but.. there were moments where it felt their lives were just a bit too bland and lacking enough conflict (it didn't have to be external). In other words, some chapters were a little boring...

Nevertheless, this was a good read, I think some plot choices closer to the end were a bit too conveniently fitted into the overall story, but for the most part I enjoyed reading this, and that is always positive.

Grade: 8/10

L.H. Cosway - Painted Faces

Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn't have the best track record with first impressions, which is why she gets a surprise when her new neighbour Nicholas takes a shine to her.
Nicholas is darkly handsome, funny and magnetic, and Freda feels like her black and white existence is plunged into a rainbow of colour when she's around him. When he walks into a room he lights it up, with his quick wit and charisma. He is a travelling cabaret performer, but Freda doesn't know exactly what that entails until the curtains pull back on his opening night.
She is gob-smacked and entirely intrigued to see him take to the stage in drag. Later on, Nicholas asks her if she would like to become his show assistant. Excited by the idea, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of wigs, make-up and high heels, surrounded by pretty men and the temptation of falling for her incredibly beautiful employer.
In this story of passion and sexual discovery, Nicholas and Freda will contend with jealousy, emotional highs and lows, and the kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime.

Comment: I have had mixed feelings about the books by this author I've tried. However, the blurbs/plots captivate me and I keep hoping the next one will dazzle me.

In this novel, we meet protagonists Nicholas and Freda while Nicholas is moving in to the apartment next to Freda's but their first encounter isn't seen as very positively by Freda. However, Nicholas is a fascinating man, very alluring, and his job is exotic enough to fascinate Freda even more. The problem is that she has some insecurities which she hides with sarcasm and joking but the more time she spends with Nicholas - especially after she accepts being his assistant - the more she wants him to like her. 

Nicholas has some dark memories from his past and the heartbreak of having lost his mother at a very young age. He has lived life in his own terms but he feels he won't be god enough to commit, except Freda makes him want to try. Will they be able to be truthful to one another and take a chance on each other?

While I was reading this book, I saw there's a second one and reading the blurb I realized it's another version of this same story (probably with some other scenes), from the POV of Nicholas. In fact, this book is entirely narrated by Freda and in part, that is probably one of the reasons why I didn't like it better. I have said many times romances in the first person aren't always very well done and most times show a very limited vision of things and what a pity that was. I had this same impression with this one.

Freda is a young woman who works two jobs, she cares for her family (there's one or two scenes where this evident and I can only assume we are aware of this precisely because of such scenes) and she lives with a roommate in Dublin. I liked her well enough, there were traits in her I enjoyed seeing, I particularly liked how she felt vulnerable at times and how self conscious she was of her figure but having curves wasn't a detriment to her self esteem. She was an appealing character.

What I tend to dislike about first person narrators the most is how they inevitably seem too focused on themselves if they have to describe things for us. Unless a character is involved in something big or special or something, then the focus in romance or sex or their own feelings always makes them act like they matter more than anyone else and how can it not feel like they are conceited? At some point that was exactly what I was thinking about Freda, how self centered her thoughts were being when the story was, supposedly, not even about her.

Nicholas is the main character of this book, it's his aura of mystery and allure that make people around him interested in knowing him. We don't learn all about him until a certain point on but some things are rather obvious to guess or to infer. He is a fascinating character for certain, especially because he performs as a drag queen but he is not gay nor does he perform for the usual reasons more often associated with drag queens. His reasons make sense when he tells his story but I do think he should have followed his own advice and looked for psychological help, to deal with his traumas.

So, these two people who have nothing in common at first sight, end up being in each other's sphere and their physical attraction quickly evolves into something more. I won't go into it although I should say I wasn't convinced they had to be a romantic couple, they worked better as friends in my opinion. What bothered me the most, though, was how they talked to each other, how they acted around one another and how they thought about each other.  

Basically, I was not a fan of how their relationship developed and I couldn't understand why these people wanted to be together as an everlasting couple since their interactions felt so superficial and without the necessary depth to sustain them. When they talk about important issues it seems things are progressing but then some conflicts happen and everything just seems all over the place, I was not convinced of their feelings for one another.

I confess I also expected a bit more from Nicholas' job. I was curious to know more about his path into his drag queen persona but also the technical side of things, the wigs, the make up, more talk about the dresses, the training to pose, how the industry works, how it is seen by others, how drag queens themselves choose how to dress, how to behave, etc.,...these things were only barely mentioned and not enough, I think, for this to be a story about a man who likes being a drag queen. I don't think there was enough development on this for the story to be as good as it could on this regard.

I think there are good elements here, as they tend to exist in most stories, but the choice of putting them together the way they were... perhaps this just doesn't sound good to me, other readers have liked the pair and their story but their conversations, their "seduction mode" felt rather childish and silly, I just couldn't be sold on their HEA being a definite one. Along with the first person narrator... well, let's just say this wont be a favorite by the author to me.

Grade: 5/10

LH Cosway - Fauxmance

We pretend to be prettier, happier, more confident versions of ourselves, but not Ellen Grant. She takes it to a whole other level and pretends to be someone else entirely. Adopting the persona of a woman far more interesting is the only way she can break free of the socially awkward, romantically inept girl she really is.
And it’s all going swimmingly until she catches the eye of a man at her local coffee shop. Julian Fairchild has been noticing her for a while and he’s fascinated. Little does he know, the woman he thinks he’s obsessed with is a fake.
It’s not long before the jig is up, and Julian discovers Ellen’s true identity. However, he has a proposition. If she really wants to pretend, he can introduce her to a world where she can be anyone she wants. Ellen is intrigued by the prospect, and, blind to the nature of Julian’s profession as a male escort, closes her eyes and lets him lead the way.
Can Ellen keep her feelings in check while discovering a new world of thrills and excitement? And will Julian let it show that he isn’t entertaining Ellen purely out of the goodness of his heart?

Comment: I've decided to read this book after having enjoyed reading another one, which can be seen as the first in this duology of stories featuring two best friends. In the first story we followed Rose and now it's time for her best friend Julian, a very intriguing secondary character in that book who now has time to shine.

Julian is a man who went through difficult moments in his life but with the help of his friend Rose and a strong willpower to be a better person, he has overcome addiction and (mostly) his sense of unworthiness and is now an escort who can be picky enough to chose his clients and how far he goes with them in their relationship. He still has some issues but he feels in control and that, along with his friendship with Rose and some other few chosen people, keeps him balanced.

Ellen, on the other hand, barely has friends because she has severe anxiety in large groups and feels and works better on her own. One day she is transformed in a drag contest and she likes how her persona "Elodie" makes her feel and how confident she is to do something as simple as making a friend at a bar. That friend becomes a fixed feature in her weekly routines ans she dazzles her with adventures and romantic involvements which, are, of course, fake. She knows she's lying but she can't imagine her friend's face if sh were to discover the truth.

The problem is that Julian has heard their conversation and finds Elodie fascinating enough to come up with a ruse to present himself. Neither would guess that would be just the beginning...

In general terms, I think this story felt like being at a lower level in relation to the first one but it was still captivating enough to make me want to keep reading. I liked the steady pace of the novel, it wasn't too slow nor too quick that it wouldn't be bearable although I'd say some events were a little over the top and not something I liked reading about that much.

This is a alternated narrative in which we have both protagonists presenting their side of the story. I've said before that in romances, I prefer when the story is told in 3rd person because it's not always a given the characters are that fascinating to grab my attention and often their voice seems unappealing. In this book, as in the previous one, I found them both good enough narrators to keep em interested in reading about their thoughts and since we have both voices and not just the heroine's (as happens often), it made reading this a lot more pleasant.

The setting is London, Julian is an escort and Ellen is a writer who sometimes goes out as "Elodie" which is a way for her to feel confident. The way they meet can seem rather unlikely but I mean, how many couples actually meet in bars or over weird situations? The way thy kept seeing each other was a slightly more difficult situation to believe as likely but all in the name of fiction... they become friends, especially after Julian discovers the truth of Ellen's identity.

I think the relationship progressed in a steady pace and with cute scenes in between, except two or three I rolled my eyes at. A lacking confidence Ellen, even in a moment of craziness, asking Julian for his services really turned me off as did the scenes involving sexual fetishes of other characters at a certain moment. I didn't like them and although I don't consider myself a prude - I've read many explicit sex scenes in countless books so it was not that either - I think their being there were distasteful. They were basically used to explain Julian's easiness in some situations but... I disliked them.

This doesn't mean there isn't personal and emotional growth in each protagonist and in both as a couple. This happens and validates their romance is strong and they will last but part of me feels the obvious was overshadowed by some more fantastic scenes, not always that important.

In the end, this was a positive story for me, I liked many little details and the bigger scheme of things. I had fun reading and I enjoyed the book. I still think it was one level beneath the other one but I consider my time was not wasted with this one.

I'll definitely read other books by the author one day.

Grade: 7/10

LH Cosway - Showmance

Damon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Almost a decade later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.
As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.
Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?

Comment: This is another title chosen to be read with my friend H. 

I had previously read another book this author wrote with Penny Reid and was not impressed. Since then, I've read a book written only by Reid and wasn't impressed either and now this one, only by Cosway, and was more to my liking. It seems things are shaping out...

In this book we have the story of Damon Atwood, a young men who has won a Oscar while even younger but who has disappeared from the movie scene to live in a propriety in the isle of Skye. Now he is back for a West End production of Moulin Rouge but his people skills aren't very updated.

To help him we have Rose Taylor, the choreographer's assistant and someone who is friendly and supportive. 

The two start a cautious friendship but the more time they spend together, the more it seems their feelings are getting stronger.

While processing inner issues and the outside forces of those who can't let go of what could be gained by being with them, can Rose and Damon put fears aside and just assume they are happy together?

What made me initially interested in this book was the premise. I was really looking for to read a story about an actor who got disillusioned with the movie industry to the point of leaving it but a new will to try making him brave enough to go to London to participate in a musical.

Of course his abandoning his career at a point it felt he wouldn't get anything wrong had more to do with his family and the money/fame pressure, rather than his own choice. I think Damon's motivations and experiences were well inserted in the plot.

This obviously happened because the author uses alternate narrators, we have Rose and Damon's POV and this helps immensely to not only be able to know some things in a much more realistic and easy way and, at the same time, it makes me feel more connected with the characters and their issues when it affects them.

If only all romance writers would think of this detail!

The romance isn't complicated. Both Rose and Damon have had not so good experiences with partners in the past and both are quite cautious now they are spending some time together. It's interesting that it can be so easy to imagine real people in this situation slowly seeing a side of someone because of close proximity and that can change how feelings evolve. I could see how their feelings might change from simple friendship to real love. I think the actual admission of this was sweet and romantic but I would have preferred a more spontaneous situation for this part.

Rose is a very intriguing heroine, very approachable and with vulnerabilities I could sometimes sympathize with. Sometimes she did act as a somewhat boring person but for most of the time, I was rooting for her.

Emotionally speaking, Damon is more complex. His experiences in the past, what he has gone through until he made adult decisions is certainly complicated. I might not seem so compared with other things but we all have our crosses to bear.

The secondary characters offer very good interactions with the protagonists. I think they've embodied interesting details and character traits. There's a sequel with a fascinating character of this book and I'm curious to see what the author chooses to make him do, I'll read his story one day.

The pace of the narrative was well achieved. It actually felt like more time had passed than what actually is described.

In the end, despite some flaws which I'd say are more personally-related than related to the actual story, this was quite an entertaining romance. I had a good time reading and with the help of my schedule, I managed to read it very quickly, which wouldn't have happened anyway if this wasn't a fluid and easy story to go through.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: LH Cosway & Penny Reid - The Hooker and the Hermit

Annie Catrel, social media expert extraordinaire at Davidson & Croft Media and clandestine celebrity

blogger, can make anyone shine in the court of public opinion. She is the Socialmedialite, anonymous creator of New York’s Finest and the internet’s darling. Virtual reality is Annie’s forte, but actual reality? Not so much.
Ronan Fitzpatrick, aka the best hooker the world of rugby has seen in decades, despises the media—social or otherwise. The press has spun a web of lies depicting him as rugby’s wild and reckless bad boy. Suspended from his team, Ronan has come to Manhattan to escape the drama, lay low, fly under the radar. Only, Ronan isn’t easy to overlook, and he can’t escape the notice of the Socialmedialite…
When Ronan is sent to Davidson & Croft Media to reshape his public image, he never expects to cross paths with shy but beautiful Annie, nor does he expect his fierce attraction to her. He couldn’t be happier when her boss suggests pairing them together.
What lengths will Annie take to keep her virtual identity concealed? And what happens when the hooker discovers who the hermit really is?

Comment: April is here and more books out of the TBR are being read. 

It's also time for another specific TBR challenge read and this month the theme is Contemporary. I picked this book out of many possibilities mainly because it would suit the theme. I was curious about it but now that I have read it, despite having interesting points, it wasn't as amazing I hoped for.

In this book we meet Annie Catrel, a introvert young woman who works at a marketing company and has a blogger where her secret identity works as an alter ego to all the vivacious attitude she doesn't have in real life.

Ronan Fitzpatrick is an Irish rugby player who is in the US to rest and to improve his public image after a break up. Ronan and Annie meet quite by chance but he is immediately smitten with her. Annie is definitely more cautious but being forced to work together will bring them even closer. But what was only a job will develop to something more unless Annie can't admit she wants to be with Ronan a lot more than she wants to keep her life tidy...

When this book begins, our main couple is brought together so Annie can work her magic on Ronan and make him a new, better liked person online. Usually I'm quite fond of relationships developing in a work environment, as long as they're realistic and don't make the characters act silly in a situation where people should behave a certain way. Thankfully, most of the plot is set outside the office, so we don't have that idea in out face all the time. But I still think it's completely inappropriate that they go from client/employee to people in who act in lust.

Ok, this is mostly on Ronan's side but... I understand the romance had to start somehow but the way things were happening just didn't convince me.

Another situation that got me thinking is Annie's condition. She is described as an introvert and we read several scenes where that becomes obvious. I liked this. I like shy heroines, so going to introvert ones can be interesting, even more so because the two can be confused often. But similarities apart, Annie isn't very sure of herself in social situations and rather prefers to be left alone. Yes, she had to come out of her shell in order to a romantic heroine, but she has some actions I can't see an introvert having. Or maybe, the way the situations were being described just didn't give the right impression.

The romance was along the lines of what we would expect. Ronan is clearly an alpha type and that's fine but he pushed Annie into saying and doing things I thought were too much. I just can't seem to appreciate how forceful he acts in some situations and how gentle he is in others. It felt weird and to be honest, their connection didn't seem as romantic as that. Yes, they were sexually attracted to each other and they might even be a good couple but I struggled to think that instead of all the details I'd change.

Plus their intimacy scenes just...well, I could easily skip them because I felt weren't interesting. Somehow their emotional journey didn't convince me so the sex felt secondary and could easily not have been included and I wouldn't mind. In fact, one or two scenes related to sex were actually bad in my opinion, not the descriptions themselves, but the state of mind in which Annie sometimes is before they happen. I can't say for certain but...it felt she wasn't much into it at first or maybe Ronan is more kinky than he had to Why I don't know. My impression perhaps.

Odd questions: If Ronan is a rugby player and his career matters why don't we see him talking more about it?

Why it always look so easy and fast to simply run from one place to the airport and fly home? There is no airport control, no check in, no waiting time to go through?

This was my first story by both authors. I also didn't read anything by each one individually, so I'll try something else by both in the future. But I have to say I wasn't as impressed by this story as I wanted. Some readers have mentioned in some parts we can see two people wrote this. I confess I don't pay much attention to that sort of detail, but in some scenes it can be easy to see it if you look for it.

All in all, maybe not the best book by either to start with but it does offer some good scenes and presents social media as something all of us are aware of but how real is what everyone thinks or says online? Interesting detail but not totally when I think in general terms.

Grade: 5/10