Shira Anthony - The First Step

The first step is the hardest. After a scandal, New York political reporter Reed Barfield is lying low at the North Carolina coast, writing a story about the seafood industry. But it’s the harbor pilots on the Cape Fear River who capture his interest—men who jump across ten feet of open ocean to grab a rope ladder and guide huge container ships into port. Men like sexy but prickly Justin Vance.
After surviving an abusive childhood and a tour in the Navy, Justin isn’t fazed by his dangerous job—it’s certainly easier to face than Reed’s annoying questions. Justin isn’t out at work, and he doesn’t need Reed digging into his personal life or his past.
But Reed’s no stranger to using his considerable charm to get what he wants, and as he wears Justin down, they realize they have a lot in common—and that they like spending time together. Moving beyond that, though, will mean Justin confessing his sexuality and learning to trust Reed with his secrets—if Reed even decides to stay. Both men want a future together, but can they find the courage to take the first step?

Comment: I got interested in this book for the opposites attract type of trope, since the main characters have different jobs and would be at odds when the story begins, and while this was a good story, it wasn't out of this world.

Reed Barfield is a reporter doing a piece on the seafood industry in North Carolina, a place that brings him less than good memories, but work demands and the need to lay low made him accept it. He's simply thinking about it when he notices the skill of a harbor pilot and start wondering if that wouldn't be a better piece to write about, but when he decides to ask the pilot some questions, he doesn't seem interested.

Justin Vance only wants to do his job and go home to his quiet life, especially since he fears coming out to his co workers might make them seem him differently, and Reed's questions about his past and interests make him uncomfortable. However, Reed doesn't seem to give up and soon Justin starts opening up about why he likes the job and they seem to hit it off. The problem is that Reed will need to go back to his job in New York, and it's quite a distance to manage, or isn't it?

This is the second book I try by the author and I did like this one slightly better. It's true that they are of different genres (the other was a PNR) but the overall feeling I have, now that I tried another book, is that the author's writing style is competent but not exciting.

The fact the protagonists seemed to be different types of people made me curious, because the fun part of this trope is to see how the romance can be developed between two people who might have different positions in life, different expectations but still care about one another enough to make things work, or to make it easier for that to happen. In this regard, the story was good enough for me, if not a little predictable, because Justin and Reed might come from different backgrounds and have different jobs but they actually are similar enough in other aspects.

Their relationship is the most central element in this book, but I should say I feel it wasn't as exhilarating as it could be. I feel the author could have added more sexual tension or could have written things so that this would be more obvious between them before they took the step towards that. The way things played out, Justin was careful because he couldn't be certain how his sexuality would be received and I actually thought his past and choice to join the navy to be away from home might have something to do with it, but in the end this element wasn't as important as it seemed to be hinted.

Reed seems a bit more complex in some parts of the story, but now I've finished, perhaps not as much as that. He had a childhood in which his Jewish roots were a problem in school, and he is an impulsive guy who gets himself in some trouble for lack of attention, such as when Justin helps him when they meet. Still, deep down, he is a charming good guy and I felt his personality and Justin's were similar, and not as opposed as the blurb and their place of living seemed to suggest.

The plot is heavily centered on them, but their personal issues in life weren't as complicated to solve as that either. This means the story lacks some driving force and while I don't mind quieter types of plots or cozier ones, something has to compel reading and here I found myself sometimes wondering when something special/urgent would happen. There's the introduction of a hurricane at some point, which I think was done to accelerate their understanding of what they felt for one another, due to the possible danger and what would happen when they had to separate when Reed would return home, but... again, this wasn't done in a very smooth way.

I did like the sweet scenes they share and when they decided to be together while Reed is around it felt the romance was getting stronger. The piece Reed is writing about the pilots also includes a small case of a pilot who got hurt at work and what could have happened, but thankfully this wasn't a big deal in the end, because I think if the intention was to showcase how Justin's work and/or his co workers might be involved in something shady would feel very stilted, considering where the story was going.

In the end, as expected, everything is solved, the guys obviously find a way to have their HEA and I felt happy for them, but it's not the type of story I will think of as being so great that i need to re-read my favorite scenes or something....

Grade: 6/10

Shira Anthony - Stealing the Wind

Taren Laxley has never known anything but life as a slave. When a lusty pirate kidnaps him and holds him prisoner on his ship, Taren embraces the chance to realize his dream of a seagoing life. Not only does the pirate captain offer him freedom in exchange for three years of labor and sexual servitude, but the pleasures Taren finds when he joins the captain and first mate in bed far surpass his greatest fantasies.
Then, during a storm, Taren dives overboard to save another sailor and is lost at sea. He’s rescued by Ian Dunaidh, the enigmatic and seemingly ageless captain of a rival ship, the Phantom, and Taren feels an overwhelming attraction to Ian that Ian appears to share. Soon Taren learns a secret that will change his life forever: Ian and his people are Ea, shape-shifting merfolk… and Taren is one of them too. Bound to each other by a fierce passion neither can explain or deny, Taren and Ian are soon embroiled in a war and forced to fight for a future—not only for themselves but for all their kind.

Comment: I probably got this book because of the cover and the idea of two gay mermen having a relationship. The book has been one of those languishing in the pile but I thought it would be a great read for this month and here it is...

This is the story of Taren, a young man whose life changes when he starts working alongside other men at a ship. However, Taren is there because he was taken as a slave by the ship's captain with the hope of, one day, being able to win his freedom and get a new life.

But there is one problem one day and tying to rescue a fellow mate, he is thrown overboard and eventually, is saved by another ship, whose captain also has a strange allure to Taren and vice-versa. But with so many mysteries surrounding not only this new captain and his homeland, can Taren find a place to belong at last? 

I think this story is quite original.At least to me. It's likely that other mermen stories exist out there and perhaps older than this one but this is the first one I read with this subject. I was curious to see if there was a specific world or if the mermen were more alike selkies, meaning, having a human and sea life apart...

After having read this I can't really say because the world building isn't very captivating. I think not enough is explained, especially for a first thing and more so if one considers that readers might not get to following titles. The setting is always very interesting, in my opinion, because characters are always moving around and there's not a real structure of the plot I could follow. I think the idea is good, but the execution felt shorter than what I expected.

The characters obviously are the stronger part of the whole thing, in particular Taren and Ian, the two mermen in focus here. There are some explanations about the existence of mermen, of supposedly behaviors they should have, rules they should abey but, as we don't see them interact in a well established mermen setting, I can't really say if I like their world or not. Based on this book alone, I think things are too spread out that I felt the lack of specifics. Taren is the key character because we sort of learn alongside him when he knows about mermen and how they can exist and so on, but to be relaly honest I never really empathized with him.

Ian, a character more used to his mermen status and more confident has a certain appeal I enjoyed but then his relationship with Taren never really became something I could look for to read about. I don't think there's enough development in their story here.

The plot is mostly about Taren's learning about mermen and his wish to return to the life he knew and, of course, his conflicted feelings about the ship where he used to be and Ian, someone he feels attracted and connected to. Like I said, I just didn't feel much structure in their romance nor in the mermen's struggles or rules or state of being...movement and moving along is very necessary for a story to become captivating but if we never really feel what we're reading and why should it matter...

The story is divided into three main parts if I can call them that, separated by a passage of time, so we get Taren as a child, Taren before the first ship and starting there, and Taren after getting used to it and the crew. Then the real plot begins. This constant change of scenes and time frames isn't very appealing, one thing is having a prequel to set up things but to keep moving things we have glimpses of scenes but not real development, so...not the best tactic I think.

I can understand why many have enjoyed this book, and I don't think it's bad but like others who considered this not as amazing, I feel the lack of romance was part of it too. Taren and Ian never really connect, never really grow in their feelings, everything happens in a way that's not romantic or done well enough to convince us they had some say by being reluctant to develop feelings...and when they say they do I didn't believe in it. 

After having read and finished this book, I really don't feel very interested in reading more. It's a pity this doesn't feel more complete, better done although I suppose I would have liked it more that way, but as it is, I think I'll stop here. This was OK, interesting parts, scenes concepts, but the way things were presented wasn't very thrilling to me. This was the first book I've read by the author, nothing bad about her writing, just not very appealing to me...

Grade: 5/10