Archives for January 2014

Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson

DARCY
Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (361 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Quince

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.
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Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she’s crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn’t count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon’s a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon?

Although I am often skeptical how a retold story will turn out, in general I like reading the classics retold. There is something reassuring in the familiarity of the plot, in the idea of knowing how a story will end and that the hero and heroine will find their happy ending. I am skeptical because I wonder, “what if the retelling is so bad that it will spoil my love for the original classic in question?”. Fortunately, Unleashing Mr. Darcy was a fantastic read and Ms. Wilson has done a great job.

The story has some similarities with the original classic tale, foremost are the characters. There is Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth’s sister and Darcy’s friend, the grim aunt, and of course, villains. Elizabeth and Darcy are still full of pride and prejudice. Ms. Wilson also chose to put some memorable scenes in the story but with a twist. More or less, that is where the similarities stop and the difference begins. Elisabeth became American, some new characters are introduced, some well known characters’ roles are diminished and some characters’ names are changed. The author also decided to add a lot of steamy kisses, one lovemaking scene and a lot of sweet dogs in the story. These additions spiced it up and made it more unpredictable, which I liked a lot. What I especially loved about Unleashing Mr. Darcy is that the story provides the reader insight in both Elizabeth and Darcy’s standpoint and I was so happy that I could finally see what is on Darcy’s mind.

Reading Unleashing Mr. Darcy created a multitude of different emotions in me. I laughed (during charming Elizabeth and Darcy’s conversations), I cried (when love was not returned),and I wanted to punch some characters (when injustice was done). All in all I really enjoyed it, and when I read the last sentence I was truly sad because it ended.

As a true fan of Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, it is pretty obvious that I was not disappointed with this particular retelling of the story. I am so happy that I read it and that it made me want to re-read and to watch all the TV and film adaptations of the original one more time.

A Not So Hollow Heart by Sharon Maria Bidwell

HEART
A Not So Hollow Heart by Sharon Maria Bidwell
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (85 pgs)
Other: M/M, Anal sex
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Cactus

Mason’s facing more than one apocalypse. The darkest hours are those spent alone when memories surface and the touch of his lost love can make the most erotic of dreams horrifying. He’d rather face danger than recollect how he loved Antonio, and what he was prepared to give up for him. He’s never going to fall in love again…

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Just because love is dangerous doesn’t mean you can run from it. Ever since Mason lost his partner at the start of the zombie plague, he’s been determined to never feel that kind of pain again. It’s simply too hard to care about someone in such a dangerous world. He’s even isolated himself from the small band of survivors he’s joined with. None of that can stop him from wanting Kyle though. After Mason saved Kyle almost by accident, the two men are drawn to each other. It’s a dangerous game in uncertain times but age-old sparks can’t be denied.

A Not So Hollow Heart is a story about redemption. Mason must come to terms with his grief so he can move on and find love again, even during a zombie apocalypse. The story is obviously well known and familiar, just set during a post-apocalyptic time. This edge of uncertainly laced with understandable fear and the very reality of death makes sense for Mason to both cling to his past hurt and quickly get over it. With Mason as the narrator I could understand his fears and hesitations, his lingering guilt over his dead partner but also the desire to move on eventually. The sheer battle for survival limits grieving.

For this reason the story mostly works. It’s understandable, relatable, and above all very human. I could easily believe in the story and the characters. Mason and his fellow survivors offer a compelling backdrop and the action to move the story forward. Kyle as a love interest is serviceable but mysterious. We’re not told much about his background and very little insight is offered into his thought processes. So I’m not entirely sure why these two men hooked up together but I can appreciate the need for hot sex after a scary day killing zombies.

My only other qualm is that the story is so short it feels incomplete. Several of the scenes feel rushed, as if trying to keep brief when a longer, more involved scene would have been better. Since the story is only a novella, it’s a quick fun read but I was frustrated because I wanted more from it. The background, characterization, the romance, and the ending all feel like they should have more to them. The only thing not lacking is the sex, of which there are numerous scenes. For readers looking for a sex filled romp about emotionally moving on and happens to have zombies, this might suit.

Secrets of the Velvet Closet by Lena Rai

CLOSET
Secrets of the Velvet Closet by Lena Rai
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Autobiography, Contemporary, Historical
Length: Full Length (284 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Secrets of the Velvet Closet starts with the tale of a young girl who struggles with abuse and must somehow manage to find her way into adulthood, as well as find herself, through hardships, questionable choices, trials and tribulations, humor, and of course, love. A true coming-of-age story with heartfelt memories and laughter. This autobiographical account is truly an emotional roller-coaster with a highly inspirational message to follow your dreams, and most of all, your heart!

Terrible secrets lose power when they’re exposed to the light of day.

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The narrative jumps around a bit, and sometimes I found it hard to keep track of what was happening. The inclusion of anecdotes about such a large list of friends and family members was also occasionally confusing because there was so little space to get to know these individuals better. Ms. Rai has had such an interesting life that this tale could have been easily split up into a series. This would have also given her more time to delve into the backstories of the men, women, and children who have emotionally impacted her.

There are plenty of colloquial expressions in the plot that I’d never heard of before. I really enjoyed the author’s use of them as well as of slang terms in order to paint a vivid picture of her social circles. Ms. Rai has a wonderfully creative way with words that makes it very easy to envision exactly how her adventures take place.

Grammatical and punctuation errors did occasionally make it difficult for me to understand what she was saying, though. While most of them were easy to decipher there were a few instances in which I was stumped. Had this not been the case this book would have earned a higher rating as the anecdotes themselves were quite entertaining!

What I liked the most was Ms. Rai’s ability to pick herself up and try again no matter what happened to her. As a small child she was exposed to a lot of things that are extremely harmful to children, yet she seems to harbour no ill will against the people in her life who should have been protecting her from those experiences. It takes a lot of courage to reach this point, and I admire her honesty about the painful times as well as as the happy ones.

Secrets of the Velvet Closet made me laugh and cry. This is a good choice for anyone looking for an uplifting autobiography.