The m/m challenge 2011 is completed

First of all, happy new year to everyone and I hope 2012 brings lots of books to read and good health to enjoy them!!

Now onto business...
I managed to end the m/m challenge. I've read more than 30 lgbt books which means I was able to read all the books I wanted to plus some more.
This was a great experience. I had read several m/m books since I first started in 2009 but I've never tried to do it in such a precise way.
Like I said, I picked random authors and even more random stories and in the end it was an eperience I liked.

Obviously some books I didn't enjoy that much, other I absolutly loved and among them are my top 3, books I loved with all my heart and will re-read one day (perhaps when my TBR list is a little bit lower...), but for now I treasure them immensely and don't have any problems by recommending them to everyone who likes to read m/m.
The books are - really in order of preference! - the following:

1. The Archer's Heart by Astrid Amara, something I've read in september;
2. Snowflakes and Embers by SA Payne, something I've read in may;
3. With Abandon by JL Langley, something I've read in march.

These were the best for me! Wonderful reads without a doubt!
I'll post a bigger summary in the challenge's page on top, if anyone is interested. The links to each comment are there too.

I'm not particpating in a challenge this year, but I'll surely keep on reading m/m...
Take care, people!

Several Authors - Kegs and Dorms anthology

The best time of a young man's life is when he hits the college scene. From figuring out the best way to meet guys on campus to testing untried limits, the men of Kegs and Dorms take university life and turn it upside-down. In Kiernan Kelly's "Secui Domus", clever Aidan thinks he has a solution for solving campus housing problems, and all he needs is a little help from his friends -- including the delicious Bobby Hatcher, who might just carry a torch for Aidan.
Stephanie Vaughan's "Another Believer" takes a look at the train ride of a lifetime in which two college-bound strangers find they have a chemistry that can't be denied. Tory Temple's "What It's All About", a rip-roaring adventure through Rush Week, tells the story of Max, who's out, proud, and confused. Last but not least, Jane Davitt's "Reading Between the Lines" tells the story of Seth and Gabe, the odd-couple-from-hell roommates who are either going to kill each other or fall in love, and it's anybody's guess as to which'll come first.

Comment: The last m/m book of the challenge and, obviously, of the year.
I decided to pick an anthology because it's different enough from a common book that would be a better "surprise" and because, well, I hadn't read any this year.
I chose Kegs and Dorms, edited by Jennifer B. because I had it in my TBR list for a long time and to be honest I'd rather go through something I had in waiting than to spend money in something more appropriate like with the christmas theme.
So, the only valid reason is the fact I had it already.
This anthology has 4 stories, all about the world of students, each one with a different aproach. Of them all, none was wow, but one of them I liked a bit more, and I read it faster too, because it was more interesting, I guess.
I've had read things by three of the authors and curiously enough, the one I preferred is by the one I didn't know, funny this.

So, in a few lines, here are the stories and my comment:

"Secui Domus" by Kiernan Kelly
This is the first story and it's very original. When the dorm where the characters used to be has problemas they are on their own, so Aiden has the idea of doing a strip show to finance a new place. With this comes the issue of the dean, who isn't very happy with Aiden's idea. The thing is, the dean used to have a relationship with the owner that has his gay bar near campus. hen there's the issua of finding people to participate in the strip...
The storyline is original yes, but I didn't find the end that interesting, it was predictable because of the way things went, although the author has points for putting on the redemption line in there. It was a nice story but it's not wow and to me it didn't really made an impression.

"Another Believer" by Stephanie Vaughn
In this one we meet two young students who start talking in a train. After some misunderstandings they see they have a lot in common and decide to finish the trip together.
I liked this one, the chemestry was obvious and I was very curious to know more about them and their personalities. I think it ends with a certain sense of hope because sometimes even what is unexpected can be good.

"Reading between the Lines" by Jane Davitt
My favourite of the lot and the only one by an unknown author to me.
I like the theme of hate turning to love and when they realize they're roomates, Seth and Gabe don't get along that much. But Seth is very curious about Gabe and the fact he seems to be hooking up with some of Seth's exs.
When they're together spaks fly and I liked to see them taking their relationship to the next level. Sometimes Gabe didn't look very approachable and I confess it made me a bit annoyed with him, but in the end his reasons made sense and I was happy to see him with Seth.

"What It's All About" by Tory Temple
This story is about Max, a young student who's gay and out but he hasn't met someone that makes his head spin, until Devin. However, Devin isn't very reliable and seems to be playing around a lot. Still, they hook up sometimes but there's never any serious conversation of what they're doing, which makes Max very confused.
I enjoyed the story but everytime things were looking up, Devin would act strangely, not showing up for dates, making excuses, even saying to Max college isn't about dating seriously.
I found exhausting this cat and mouse game and what saved this story for me was Max's standup at the end, when he tells Devin waht he really feels and goes away.
Of course I predicted Devin would come to him and try a relationship, but the best part of really Max telling him he was tired of being with him and then nothing.
It wasn't the one I preferred but it has some issues that left me thinking.

All in all, a good anthology. I'm aware I don't read that many and I could be missing some interesting things out there...I'll try to read more next year.
This one I read relatively fast and it had an appealing theme, so I recommend it.
And this is the conclusion of my participation in the challenge...I'll post soon the main ideas about this experience.

Challenge in the end

The challenge is pratically completed and finished.
I only have two more books to reach the end of my 30 books mark.
I'll post my final comments after I read the two remaining books, probably by the end of december (or in the beginning of january) but this has been the most interesting experience, I'm very happy with the way things worked out for me.

This month two letters remain:
Z from Drew Zachary
and the surprise letter I haven't posted yet. Well, I wasn't sure which one to pick or which author, so I decided to choose an anthology instead. Yes, an anthology.
I'll post it whan I read it, I think it will be the perfect end although it's not christmas related.

Anyway, this is it. After the two remaining books I'll post a little something here to announce it officialy, but I'll put my comments about the whole challenge in the challenge's page in order to make things tidy.
It has been fun, that's for sure...

Angel Martinez - Finn



 Sanity is relative and the world has room for more than one truth.

When Diego rescues a naked man from the rail of the Brooklyn Bridge, he just wants to get the poor man out of traffic and over to social services. He gets more than he bargained for when Finn turns out to be an ailing pooka, poisoned by the pollution of the city. To help him recover, Diego takes him north to New Brunswick where Finn inadvertently wakes an ancient, evil spirit, the wendigo.

While Diego and Finn struggle to find a way to destroy the wendigo before it can possess Diego or kill nearby innocents, Diego wrestles with his growing passion for Finn. Can they succeed in destroying the monster and in navigating a relationship between a modern man and a centuries-old fairy?

Comment: Another book for the m/m challenge. This is a fantasy story... I mean it has several fantasy elements, but the action isn't exclusive to the woods, so I'd say this is just a paranormal story.
Diego helps a strange man and stops him from jumping from a bridge and takes him home. He likes to help others even if the ones he rescues don't prove to be that thankful. This makes him vulnerable and always in need of help himself, which is why his boyfriend ends things with him.
Finn is a pooka, something out of a Fae legend and in Diego he sees a hero and someone who wants to be needed and who deserves to be loved.
In the end Diego is so much more than he looks like and Finn can't let go.
I enjoyed the story mainly because the writing. It's smooth and blends legend and fiction quite well. We can feel things for the characters, I was sad because of the way Diego was treated by others and I wanted to see Finn experience the good things about human life. I think the author did a great job with the characterization. During the book, we discover more and more things about both protagonists and what it means to be with the other, to fall in love with each other. It's a very unusual plot, usually when books focus on Fae legends it's always about how beautiful and aloof they are, but in this case Finn cares for Diego in a very special way and he's a pooka, not the average Fae. Only for this the is book worth it.
The end was rather rushed, I think. But I've seen there are sequels, I hope to read them one day, only next year, but one day.

Willa Okati - Lovers, Dreamers and Me

Tolliver’s buried his own life in taking care of his sister and the independent bookstore his grandmother left him. The minute Noble steps into his life, that changes. Tolliver wants him, but he doesn’t know what to do about it.

Comment: The moment I've read the blurb for this book I decided this had to be the one I'd pick for the challenge.
This is the story of Tolliver, a young man who works on a antique bookstore and never goes out because he has to take care of his younger sister. Then, one day, Noble shows up. He seems to "see" Tolliver in a very special way and that same night night, Tolliver dreams about Noble. Things seem a bit strange for a while, but soon, Tolliver can't hide the attraction and the enchantment Noble has on him.

Since I've read the book I've read some reviews where people couldn't get past Sarah's personality (the sister) or the strangeness of the story. I agree to a point.
Sarah is the one who meets Noble first and he sees in her something but only after meeting Tolliver does he realize he was the one with all the appeal. However, Tolliver isn't thrilled to meet Noble and thinks he doesn't have the time for someone, much less a guy. When things change between them, Sarah proves to be a bit childish and fears Tolliver no longer would care for her and makes some scenes which are, for a 15year old, a bit too much. I think we can understand her if we think about what she went through.
The thing I had more trouble with was the lack of confidence in Tolliver, I get it, yes but while it's understandable inreal life and excusable at times, in a romance I like it when it's in smaller doses, so all the insecurities Tolliver had were a bit too much, not because he had them (that I understand) but because he expressed them all the time, even after saying I love You.
What I loved...well, the initial descriptions, the writing. And the sexual tension. Before Tolliver admits to Noble he feels something, there are amazing scenes charged with sexual tension.
I also loved to see Tolliver realize people care about him and there's more around than his bookstore...it might seem a contradiction but I enjoyed seeing his insecurities change to more confindence. Not all the time, perhaps not at the moment where it should, but in the end it made a good HEA.
This wasn't the first book I've read by the author but so far it was the best.

Miza izanaki - Riding the Tiger

Sometimes life deals you a bad hand. No one knows that more than Evan does. Battered and locked out by his abusive boyfriend, Evan finds himself at The Body Shop. There he finds a safe haven with his long lost twin and his brother's friends. Evan also meets Varian, a weretiger and the newest bouncer at the club. Varian is brave and sweet and the perfect person to help Evan start over. They become fast friends but a run in with his ex brings up the uglier parts of Evan's past. Will Evan's insecurities get the better of him or will Evan find a new life with his handsome weretiger?

Comment: This is a short story about Evan, a young man who is abused by his boyfriend. In the beginning I felt realy sorry for Evan because of the way he was treated. After leaving, Evan is alone and bruised and ends up in an alley, where the meets again his twin brother. He then helps him and welcomes him to the club where he works and the book, Kale, offers him a job.
Evan later meets Varian, a weretiger that will help heal and face his ex again.
I think this story had a lot of possibility to be a larger novel. I think things were a bit to rushed for the kind of issues at hand (abuse and the world of weres) but in the overall, it worked. Nevertheless, I wish I could have seen a bit more about how Evan really dealt with the fact he was abused, I'm sure it takes longer than a few days and one doesn't jump into bed with someone else just because they seem trustworthy.
My only real critic is the fact evan is a bit twink. Nothing against twinks but usually I don't enjoy stories with twinks because they are always in need of help and can't work out things for themselves. i know it's hard to ask for help and that isn't exactly thr problem, it's the whole "poor thing" characterization. I wish I could see a book where one of the guys doesn't want to ask for help, has problems to solve and gets that help but doesn't behave like a twink.
The writing style is good, I think. It simple and fluid and doesn't complicate. Anyway...for the size of the story I'm glad things worked out, but like I said it could be a bigger story.

Challenge almost completed

So, the challenge is almost at its end. I'm happy to say I'm easily going to finish the number of books I decided to read back in january. I guess I could have read more but with such a huge TBR list, it's really easier to just read a few at a time.

Anyway, this month I'll read books from the following authors:
I from Miza Izanaki
O from Willa Okati
M again, a repeated letter, from Angel Martinez

Next month will be the end, with only two authors remaining...

Josh Lanyon - Somebody Killed His Editor

For sixteen years Christopher (Kit) Holmes has enjoyed a successful career as a mystery writer, thanks to the popularity of elderly spinster sleuth, Miss Butterwith and her ingenious cat, Mr. Pinkerton. But sales are down in everything but chick lit and Christopher’s new editor doesn’t like geriatric gumshoes. It’s a pink, pink world for Kit.
Reluctantly the reclusive Christopher agrees to attend a mystery writer’s conference at a remote Northern California winery. But no sooner does he arrive then the bridge to the outside world washes out. On his trek to the Blue Heron Lodge, Christopher discovers the body of a woman in the woods. If nearly two decades of mystery-writing are anything to go by, the woman doesn’t appear to have died a natural death.
Thanks to the ongoing storm and washed-out bridge, local law enforcement is not able to come to the rescue. Déjà vu! It’s practically like all those classic murder mysteries in isolated country manors that Christopher has been penning for sixteen years! If only Miss Butterwith was on hand. Or even Mr. Pinkerton....

Comment: After reading so many good things about the author's work and seeing some positive reviews I was expecting the book to be close to perfect.
The story focuses on Christopher Holmes, an outdated writer who tries to meet his publisher in order to get back his graces, but he stumbles on a dead woman on his way to the rustic place where the writer's convention is being held. There he meets several people and faces again an ex-lover.
The premise is good and the mystery is constant from page one, I enjoyed it and also how a small step at a time the relationship between Holmes and Moriarty, his ex-lover, developped and seemed to gain force.
This was the first book by the author i read so it took some time to get used to the language, the writing style and I must say I wasn't dazzled. It was ok for me. The overall story wasn't that bad either, but I was hoping for soemthing more, I don't know exactly what. True, the dialogue and inserted ideas about publishing these days is quite well done, but the story itself...I'm not sure but it didn't made such an impression on me as I was hoping for. On one hand it kind of puts me off from going to read more things but I'm still curious over the Adrien English series, that so many people love, I wonder if my mistake was by not starting with those?
Anyway, I'll read that series one day, but so far, I'm not impressed. Curious, hopeful still, but not impressed.

Amber Green - Bareback

Joe's life is perfect--except for the serial killers, the mysterious twins, and his new love being a guy...who needs sex to stay human.
Everyone knows Joe as a straight-up, straight cop standing fast in the moral heart of his beloved town. Brian's new in town. He's also a bareback, a jinx, an untwinned huntsman nobody in his right mind would rely on. When the dark side of the cops--vigilantes gone outlaw--joins with the monstrous dark side of the huntsmen, lovers must become brothers to strike at the heart of evil.

Comment: My second read for the challenge this month.
I am aware this was a second book, it would follow a previous story somwhow, but in most cases we can follow the stories without having read others before, so I figured out I would be ok.
After all, things didn't work out that well. The story is very confising to follow, I realized although it's set in a different time, the way it's told assumes the reader knows what is going on. I was confused all the time. Another thing is the writing itself. Many scenes just jump from one thing to another without a link, so the reader has to guess where the action is next. All this confusion and jumping scenes make the book too exhausting to read and also a bit difficult, because we must figure things to quickly, without much certainty.
The romance was ok, I guess, but I could put aside what I wasn't geting to, in order to enjoy the love thing. The story was a mess, it took me a long time to understand things.
So why didn't I start with the first, well, that one is a m/f/m or m/m/f which means menage and I'm not looking for those books at the moment. I wasn't really interested in reading a menage book, so I jumped ahead... a mistake, but well, this is how we learn. I visited the auhtor's site and there's not much there to catch my eye, so I guess it would be an author to avoid from here on.

Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe - The Exceptions to the Rule

Two men with nothing in common, a strip club on a Tuesday night and a meeting that will forever change the rules. Nathan Daniels and Jamie Nolan are from two different worlds, but underneath the facades and packaging, they're more alike than they think. Suits and ties meet leather and tattoos as a bartender and a financial analyst find out that falling in love is everything the storybooks say, even when it's the X-rated version.

Comment: I chose this book for the challenge because t had a blurb I felt was catching. Opposites attract are one of the things I like to see in romances. In the blurb we get the idea the two main characters couldn't be more different and that was the spark. I felt wonderful when I downloaded it to my e-reader and wondered how much fun I was going to get while reading it.
Wrong.
The story can be summarizes like this: they meet, they have sex, they face an ex-lover of one of them and they say I love you. Predictable but perhaps enjoyable if well writen. In this case it was as basic as one gets. Nothing interesting happens, there's no conflict, no real challange in starting a relationship, nothing. They have sex and that's it, there's almost nothing to think about and when that ex shows up it's cleary an attempt to bring some flavour to this but it's no use, it's forced and it doesn't work.
I was quite disappointed, other books by them are so well liked! I must have picked the wrong thing to read by them, but it's done. I don't recommend this book.
What was meant to work is flat, it's tasteless. I don't recall a single thing to like in the story, even the couple has a lot to be desired.
Better luck next time, I hope, but it it will be a long time before that.

October's challenge update

October arrived and with it, three more m/m author to read for the challenge.
When I finish these, I'll only have 5 more to finish the challenge. I guess I could've ended it sooner but part of the fun is to read calmly, so...

Anyway, this month's authors are:
G, from Amber Green
L again, from Josh Lanyon
S, from Fae Sutherland
However, Fae Sutherland's book was co-writen with Margurite Labbe.

ML Rhodes - True of Heart

A hundred years ago, the high sorcerer of Velensperia launched a swift and deadly attack against the draegans—a race of dragon shapeshifters who’d always lived in harmony with the humans. The draegans were all but destroyed, with the few who remained, scattered and in hiding. Now, a group of them have united and begun to fight back. Their leader, Keiran Hareldson, seeks to free his people from the cruel repression the high sorcerer’s reign has imposed on them.

Gaige Rizik is captain of the sorcerer’s High Guard, and known for his lethal ability to hunt down his prey with no remorse. His orders are to infiltrate the draegan rebels’ camp, learn their plans, and identify their leader so he can be destroyed. But when Gaige joins the rebels, posing as a human sympathizer to the draegans’ cause, he discovers the shapeshifters aren’t the bloodthirsty beasts he’s been led to believe, and their leader is a passionately captivating man who only wants what’s best for his people. Keiran sparks powerful emotions in Gaige, tearing down his walls of steely control, and stirring a longing in him he can’t deny.

Torn between his duty to the high sorcerer and his growing feelings not only for Keiran, but for the draegan way of life, Gaige knows he’s damned no matter which he chooses. In a world of lies, deception, and dark secrets, one false move will bring destruction to all he’s begun to hold dear. With the fate of so many lives on his shoulders, Gaige’s only hope is to follow his heart...and pray it’s true enough to save them all.

Comment: Since I've started reading m/m, I've read several reviews and coments about the dragon books by this author and all of them stated they were great and wonderful to read.
They were right.
I liked the story a lot, I couldn't put it down. I liked the descriptions, the world the author created and the sense of adventure in the book. I was always very curious to what would happen next, always wondering when who the main characters really were was going to be revealed. It was very good to see how things developped and even better that it happened in a believable pace. I think it helps a lot if the author can use vocabulary to help creating a sense of time passing by without being rushed. Very good.
The two main characters are a great couple and I was so happy to see they were mates and how it happened. I love romance and I enjoyed seeing theirs.
I'm so curious to how the fact they're mates will affect others around them, which means I can't wait to read the other books.
I also liked the secondary characters and want to know more about them. All in all, every little detail in the story worked for me. The story itself was fun and addictive and the said details really made it all better.
It was a great world indeed and I loved the book. Totally worth the time I've waited to read it and a great pick for this challenge.

Ava Rose Johnson - Breaking Ground

Buddies since kindergarten, Ray Jenkins and Eric Richards have never crossed the line into a sexual relationship. But when Ray breaks the news to Eric that he’s leaving for war, their friendship suddenly slides into something deeper, and what’s intended to be a guys’ night in turns out to be a guys’ night in bed.

Two years later, their one night of hot sex is a distant memory and having heard nothing from Ray since his abrupt departure, Eric can’t believe it when his old friend shows up. Using his mouth and his hands, Ray makes it clear how much he still wants Eric, and unable to resist, Eric falls right back into Ray’s bed. But fear that Ray will leave again holds him back, and despite the passion growing between them, Eric can’t let go of the pain he suffered while Ray was gone. Ray has to convince him that this time ’round he’s not going anywhere or else their burgeoning relationship will be over before it has the chance to begin.

Comment: This book wasn't what I thought. It's well written, sure, but the story didn't make an impression on me.
To summarize things, guy is straight and is going to war but has gay night with gay best friend, tells him to get out and leaves to war. Returns years after knowing the gay friend is the one. While trying to convince gay friend to be his everything shares him with gay friend's roomate in an menage à trois.
Huh?
Ok, someone has doubts and actually has curiosity to try a gay relationship, gets confused, there's the usual mix-ups, but after two years that guy is the one and in the, say...path to discovery, must try someone else just to make sure oh and have the one at the same time? I was surely not convinced.
The blurb seemed promising and I pictured some possibilities in my head of how the story might developp, but in the end I was just too numb to care, I mean, the characterization and writing are well done, but the realistic part of things seemed too much "created", it sounded fake. I guess there's people in the world who behave like that, but honestely this isn't what I like in my books. I like my gay books the same way I prefer all the others, with a touch of romance and this one didn't captivated me.
I don't think the protagonists were breaking ground, they were experimenting and they had doubts. But I wasn't convinced of their feelings, I didn't feel urgency or chemestry between them.

Astrid Amara - The Archer's Heart

In the ancient kingdom of Marhavad, noblemen dominate the lower castes, wielding mystic weapons, known as shartas, against any who oppose them. For generations the rule of Marhavad’s kings has been absolute. But now the line of succession is divided, and whispers of revolution are heard in even the royal palace.
Keshan Adaru, an outspoken man of unearthly charms, welcomes these changes. All his life he has foreseen an uprising that will shatter the castes and end the tyranny of the old laws. His visions have driven him but now, at the brink of their fulfillment, he finds himself obsessed with Prince Jandu Paran-- a man whose entire family must be destroyed if the kingdom is to be freed.
Tarek Amia would gladly see Jandu Paran brought low. Born the son of a charioteer, Tarek has no love for the royal princes who have slighted and insulted him all his life. Only Keshan’s philosophies have elevated him from the brutal ranks of common soldiers. Tarek owes Keshan his devotion, but he is a pragmatic man and when he discovers Keshan’s reckless affair he realizes that Keshan may have to be sacrificed for the sake of his own revolution.
Young Prince Jandu Paran has never concerned himself with court intrigue. His life has been dedicated to the lordly art of archery and mastering the immense powers of the shartas. Handsome and arrogant, he is sure that no man can surpass him and yet Keshan Adaru’s mere touch brings Jandu to his knees. But his desire for Keshan is more than forbidden; it threatens to destroy Jandu’s pride, position and family. In the midst of this turmoil, an unspeakable event forces Jandu to redefine the meaning of honor and loyalty.
And now, as armies arise to war, each man must decide where his allegiance lies and what he will sacrifice in his heart and on the battlefield.

Comment: The best m/m book I've read so far this year! Totally amazing. I recommend it to everyone who likes m/m and a bit of fantasy. I even contacted the author to say so, something I don't usually do.
This out of the way, now to my comment...well, I don't even know where to start, everything worked out for me in this story. Even the things that let me sad work within the story.
Basic things first: the story is divided in 3 parts (you can have them all in ARe, if you want) and each one follows a step in the main character's lives. I won't explain as it would spoil things and this book deserves to be savoured without influence. I only read the general blurb in the author's site before reading and thankfully I could appreciate the story completely.
The world is a bit of fantastic as there's references to magic and demons in a different dimension but seriously, I'd say it's more of a historical but with the detail it shows the influence of the indian caste system, so it's not a free and happy world in the west...it's a different kind of society but I think this was one of the things that made me read it in the first place, because it got me curious how it would suit the story.
The two main characters are Jandu and Keshan and both have a very solid way of seeing the world and what to expect from it, but during the whole story they grow up and they face things and end up changing their POV's on what is really important to them. I loved their romance, I think it's very well balanced and believable.
One strong point in the book is the secondary characters and how they all seem real. There are some who are more villains than others but everyone has something good and something bad about them...just like a normal person. I think the author must have had lots of work creating anf balancing them so none looks too uch of anything.
I like the writing a lot, the story flows and I wanted to keep going but I had to sleep and work...but I was thinking about the story the whole time.
I don't even know how to describe the feelings I got while reading without explaining things and it would be a spoiler, so, please someone read this and come back so we can talk! I felt happiness, I laughed and I cried because it hurt to think about some things...But we can see all the effort she put into this novel and I'm really happy to have read it. I think this is really a very good novel. I ended it at night just before going to sleep and I couldn't for a long time because I was thinking about everything. The way it ends..somethings broke my heart, but there's a HEA, don't worry. A very good HEA, with lots of lessons learned before, but still a good HEA.
If nothing better comes along, I'd say this is THE BEST m/m book I read, for sure.

Challenge almost done

So, another update.
I've read almost all the books I decided to when I first started the challenge. I set up a 30 books mark and I only have 11 to read.
So far, it has been a good experience and many of the authors I didn't know turned out to be quite interesting, but I'll post about it when it's done.

* * *

The authors for September are chosen:
J, from Ava Rose Johnson
R, from ML Rhodes
A again, a repeated letter, from Astrid Amara

Let's see how it goes...

Mary Winter - Riding Partner

Equestrian Derek Whitten watched his dreams fall with the last jump at the Athens Olympics. Not only did he lose the gold medal, but his personal life imploded as well. Now, in financial trouble and needing to sell his prize horse, Derek turns to the one man he trusts. A simple business transaction, that’s all it can ever be, no matter how much he wants it to be something more. Charles DeMorinson never blamed Derek for his horse’s performance at the Olympics. Yet, he watched both of their dreams, and his lover, slip through his grasp. He’s spent the years since regretting not fighting harder for their relationship. But now, Derek’s on his doorstep, and he needs help. Time and distance did little to douse their attraction for each other. And when Derek returns, Charles is ready to stake the claim he should have made in Athens. Except if he on holds too tightly, he’ll earn nothing but resentment. Yet he let Derek go once, and he won’t make the same mistake again. He just has to convince him that they both need one thing – each other.

Comment: First things first, I didn't dislike this book per se, but to be honest, it didn't mean anyhting to me. I was actually disappointed, because the blurb seemed to be one of those stories with a bit of angst, a bit of trial and error to have a better relationship, I was even willing to ignore the part about reunited love (something I try to avoid, as I don't care much for this type of plot), but no. The reason why they separated is stupid, too WTF to believe. It's not just a case of misunderstanding, it's simply stupidity and from then on I wasn't interested anymore. I kept reading because it's something I do, if the author had the trouble to write it, I like to read it all too, but I wasn't a happy camper.
So, they separated for a stupid reason, and years later they see each other again because one of them needs to do business and right then they have sex. Did I mention this happens years later after the break-up? I don't think someone would do it even if still in love with the other person; I mean it's fiction, ok, but this is a contemporary, they were away for lack of trust, to go to the point, and them suddenly, it was like nothing ever happened. Too weak a plot, I think.
Anyway, there's a happy ending, but since page one things didn't work out for me.
Now, I know one book isn't the way an author writes all the time, but this author doesn't have many m/m books, or at least m/m isn't the focus of her books, so...I think I won't insist, the one didn't grab me and I don't want to be disappointed again. Oh well, we learn everytime.

Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux - Warrior's Cross

Cameron Jacobs is an open book. He considers himself a common waiter with normal friends, boring hobbies, harmless dogs, and nothing even resembling a secret... except a crush on a tall, dark, devastatingly handsome man who dines alone at his restaurant on Tuesday nights. All it takes is one passionate night with Julian Cross to turn Cameron’s world on its head.
Julian's love and devotion are all Cameron could have hoped for and more. But when his ordinary life meets and clashes with Julian's extraordinary lifestyle, Cameron discovers that trust and fear can go hand in hand, and love is just a step away from danger.

Comment: these two authors have written one of my favourite gay stories, Caught Running, something I re-read often. Therefore I was expecting more brilliance from them.
And I understand the beauty of this novel, the two layers of darkness and joy advancing and retreating while the story develops. I do.
But I was always expecting some more on the lines of the other book, where things just sizzled. In this book there wasn't any sizzle, I wasn't eager to see the romance happen or to find out about Julien's personal life.
Yes I wanted to know what he did for a living for sure, and how would he react to the fact they were in love, but things happened so smoothly I think I didn't even have te chance to feel surprised.
It's a gorgeous story but the romance is too silky, I think it needed some more struggle from them before they accepted what was happening...It does have some kind of angst in there, a very small dose of it, but still...
Julien is mysterious character and the reader feels impressed to know what is really going on, but I much preferred the apparently common Cameron. He was a nice person, he had a simple life...I liked him a lot and then he had a crush on Julien and wanted him in his life..totally understandable...but I wished there had been more salt in there.
I'll keep reading the things these authors wrote because that one novel still blazes in my head since the day I read it, but this one although a good read, wasn't memorable to me.

Catt Ford - Extreme Bull

Inside and outside the rodeo arena, Jeff Stratton and Clay Harris are rivals with tempers worse than the bulls they ride. So Clay is shocked when Jeff taps that wild energy and kisses him, sparking an undeniable urge for more of each others' bodies.

But when they discover they might want more than casual sex between competitions, Clay's greatest fear is recognized: He is scared of being identified as gay. He'll have to cowboy up if he hopes to hang on to Jeff on the circuit of love.

Comment: This was the first book I read by this author and I was quite glad I decided to pick something by her. The writing is fluid and feels right and the story is compelling. It was a lot of fun to see how at first Jeff and Clay were trying to best the other but after a kiss of fury it all changed. I tink the best thing in th book is that the author amnaged to present lots of tension while the couple was falling in love. I mean, it wasn't too fast to feel rushed or too slow to lack real feelings, it was done well.
When they were together it was obvious they liked each other and it made me smile to see them go through thair lives while the truth was they loved each other.
I really liked the story and read it fast because it was just too good. I found out everything worked for me in this book.
I didn't know there is another book set in the same world, or should I say, a previous one, but I'll read it too someday.

August m/m challenge update

This month I'll be reading 3 more books for the challenge...I think tricky will be to get them all in the end together lol

Anyway, this month the letters are:
F, from Catt Ford
U, from Madeleine Urban
W, from Mary Winter

And I already have the books chosen too.
As always, I'll post as long as I read.

Nicole Kimberling - Primal Red

Peter Fontaine is a reporter writing for a free weekly newspaper in the quirky little town of Bellingham. Nick Olson is a reclusive painter with questionable past and a studio in the Vitamilk Building. Peter has a knack for choosing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In this case that place is the Vitamilk Building and the time is the moment that Shelley Vine, local art professor and rising star of the art world, is stabbed to death.

Determined to understand why Vine was killed, and convinced that breaking the story could jumpstart his career as an investigative journalist, Peter begins his own investigation into her death. As Peter uncovers more information about Vine, Olson, and the interconnected lives of the rest of the artists at the Vitamilk Building, he finds himself falling in love with Nick.

Peter wants a story but he also wants Nick, and it looks like he's going to have to make a choice before the two can paint the town Primal Red.

Comment: It was difficult to me to get in the books's pace properly. Something was good at first, probably the constant changing of text between the main character's POV and his personal thoughts. Once I got that things started to look better.
The story focuses on art and mystery. Two strong subjects. However I preferred the romance happening in there. Peter was funny and I liked him immediatly. Nick is more cute in a shy kind of way. I liked how they didn't have sex right away, it took some time and understanding which is good because many novels start with meaningless sex and then it's more difficult to see the change to deep love, especially if ther eader doesn't "see" that. In this case it happened slowly and thus, more crdibility to the relationship.
The rest of the novel was a bit predictable, the secondary characters were a bit of a stereotype but they didn't suffocate the story, considering it wasn't that big in word count.
I liked and might look for more things by the author, particulary because there's a sequel to this one.