Brie's Corner

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner A few months ago, everyone was talking about a self-published book titled On Dublin Street (or at least everyone on my little corner of the blogosphere). The book became a huge success and soon was acquired by Penguin. I thought it was a compelling story, but not a unique or innovative one. The sequel was still on my radar, though, and it became a must-read when I realized that the heroine would be the sexually forward, gold-digging friend from On Dublin Street.Jo is a bartender whose goal in life is to marry a rich guy. Her current boyfriend certainly fits the requirements, so she pampers him and does everything he wants, even if that means not being herself. But before you get excited thinking that we’re finally getting a heroine that completely breaks the mold, I should tell you that the reason why she acts that way is because she has to take care of her teenage brother and their abusive, alcoholic mother. So nope, she’s not materialistic or self-absorbed; she’s just damaged and filled with a bunch of secret pains. Of course she is.One night, her rich boyfriend takes her to an art function where she meets brooding Cam. Sparks fly immediately, but he acts like a judgmental ass and insults her. That’s not enough to stop her from finding him a job, though, and they end up working at the same bar. It takes a while for Cam to realize there’s more to Jo than meets the eye, but when he does, well, they still can’t do anything about their attraction, because both have partners. So they become friends instead. And this is why the book is worth reading, because as predictable and cliché it sounds, the main characters have to develop a relationship before they get to the romance.The last time I read a book with a similar mother, I was angry and disappointed, and this book pretty much goes there yet again. But in this case the mother is more than a plot point. Now, don’t get me wrong, this woman isn’t a complex character, and pretty much behaves like any other similar stereotypical character. However, her actions and presence do have direct consequences on Jo, and dealing with those lasting issues is the central part of the story, even more so than the actual romance. On second thought, the mother is a plot point, and her portrayal is more than problematic, but the end result was highly effective and not as offensive as in other books. Or maybe I’m just making excuses to justify how much I enjoyed the book. I liked Jo a lot. Here we have this character so desperate to find security that she will sacrifice her personality and personal happiness to be with men who will provide that support. Yet when her best friend offers her a stable job, she’s unable to accept it. I spent most of the book thinking she was an idiot, until I realized that she couldn’t break the pattern not because she was stubborn or dumb, but because she was paralyzed by her insecurities. And throughout the book we see her deal with it and discover just how valuable she is. Her relationship with Cam is a big part of that, but her newfound self-respect doesn’t depend on the romance, so when the big misunderstanding happens, she’s able to put herself first. The book is told in 1st person POV, so we only get Jo's perspective, but Cam was far from a cypher. He had a strong presence and was quite open. There’s a heavy dose of insta-lust, but it slowly transforms into friendship and then love, which makes this a surprisingly slow-building romance. I also appreciate the fact that Cam was far from rich, which is a huge change from the previous book. He was still pretty much an alpha, thought, but he had it (mostly) under control.On London Road is a highly readable, intensely emotional book. It’s far from perfect, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t put it down.

Note: I had to modify the review to fit Goodreads, so I recommend reading this one on my my blog because the original format is much better.Warning: minor spoilers for previous books.As you guys know (because I keep telling you), this is my favorite series, and the final book, Guardian Demon, was one of my most anticipated book of, well, ever. So it's a bittersweet moment for me, because as much as I enjoyed the book, saying goodbye to a beloved series is never easy. The good news is that I read the book in May, so I’ve had time to get over the book hangover, and this review won’t be a blubbering mess.The blurb mentions a "terrifying encounter in Hell", and it's quite right. What Michael does to Taylor is almost unforgivably bad, but also serves as a way to bring down and humanize a guy who wouldn't have worked as a hero otherwise. And of course, other than figuring out how to be together (or if Taylor wants to be with Michael), they also have to deal with… stuff.Man, I’m getting really good at summarizing plots.The reason why I’m hesitant to say more about the story is because the book almost reads like a suspense novel, even if the rules of the genre guarantee a happy ending. But even knowing things will eventually resolve, there’s a feeling of incertitude and fear for the characters’ fate that permeates the whole reading experience, and I don’t want to rob someone of the whole experience by inadvertently giving away a minor detail or spoiler. So I’ll just say that there is a lot going, but everything that happens feeds the relationship between the characters at the core of the story. And that we get to see old friends in important roles that don’t feel like intrusive fan service.When a book is surrounded by so much love and expectations, there’s always the possibility that it will disappoint those who spent years feeding said love. Add to that a hero whose heroic qualities are dubious not because he’s morally corrupt, but because he’s perfect to the point of unattainable, we get a recipe for possible disaster. But as I said, the first thing that happens is that Michael stops being perfect, not only to us, but to Taylor. And so, not only does the love story become possible, but we almost become active participants in Taylor’s journey. The end result is an incredibly satisfying conclusion to the series.As much as I was intrigued by Michael, Taylor was the one I really cared about. I’ve liked her since I first met her all those books ago, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her even before I knew she would be the final heroine. She’s always been an outsider who was forced to share the world with angels, demons and vampires, but who never felt comfortable or even accepted them. She’s a complex woman filled with strengths and very much aware of her vulnerabilities. She’s also torn between what’s right and what she wants to do, which is her main journey in this book, even taking preference over the impossible romance. The story is about her as an individual as much as it is about them as a couple.On the other hand, Michael took some getting used to. Ms. Brook’s brand of alpha male is different from what Paranormal Romance has us used to. These guys are strong leaders who take action, but they are not overbearing or abusive. However, Michael is really, really old and really, really powerful, something that complicates things. I was surprised by how believable his otherness was. It’s so easy to turn a character like that into a joke, but there’s nothing particularly laughable or exaggerated about him. It’s so well done that it made it hard for me to find something about him that read human or relatable; a problem I shared with Taylor. The problem gets slowly resolved once she begins to see him under a different light, so his transformation actually takes place within her.Guardian Demon was perfect for me, but it is not a perfect book. There is a lot going on in the story, and some parts felt rushed while others felt slow, so the pacing was uneven, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some readers found it boring, especially those unfamiliar with the series or not as emotionally invested as long-time fans. Certain resolutions happen too conveniently, and although there’s some clever foreshadowing that makes said convenience seem clever and surprising, I thought it was more about creating a problem impossible to solve without the use of certain elements that looked a lot like deus ex machina. But these are things easy to ignore with such an engrossing and riveting story, and considering everything the book accomplishes, they are nothing but minor issues.The review is already way too long, so I should warp things up, but I can’t leave without saying just how happy the book made me. I realize this review is even more subjective than usual, so you should take it with a bigger grain of salt, but the best endorsement I can give Guardian Demon is that I’m an unabashed fan of the series, I’ve been dying with the anticipation to read the book, and I can honestly say that this is the conclusion such a wonderful series deserves. If you’re new to the books, go back and read them in order.Source: A review copy was provided by the author.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerSource: A review copy was provided by the authors. Fire and Frost is the newest collaboration between authors Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane and Jessica Sims. The novellas are unique and almost impossible to compare, but they do have two things in common: the charming, compelling characters and the way the “hot and cold” theme has been cleverly incorporated into each story.In Speed Mating by Jessica Sims we meet Estrella, a mixed tiger and lion shifter (or liger) who is about to go into heat and asks her clan’s alpha to help her find a suitable male to have sex with. Hilarity ensues. Well, not hilarity exactly, but as the title suggests, this is a light, tongue-in-cheek story that’s all about having fun while still managing to sneak in an interesting and welcome take on the ubiquitous shifter romance.Speed mating is a fun and simple story, but it’s detailed enough to form a clear image of the rules and workings of its particular world. These characters have an animal side that sometimes takes over them in ways that are both natural and inconvenient, but they also have choices and are, above all, rational humans. So ultimately Estrella can decide whether to have sex or not (even if not having it can be quite difficult), she can pick a mate, and her alpha stops himself from actively pursuing the woman he wants just because he’s in a position of power over her and doesn’t want to abuse it or make her feel forced.It was perhaps a bit too short and rushed, especially at the end where the love declarations came out of nowhere, but I had a lot of fun with it.3.5 StarsNext we have Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane. Set in the 1980’s, it tells the story of Veronica, a reclusive witch who’s being chased by the mob and uses a computer to create a complex spell that allows her to conjure people from a picture. That’s how she ends up with Max, a cop who was recently murdered by the same people chasing Veronica. Her plan is to use him as a bodyguard, but things get complicated when they fall in love, even if neither is aware of the other’s feelings.The premise is weird and slightly cheesy, but the story was surprisingly charming and even a bit sad. A nerdy witch that uses a magical computer program to bring photographs to life sounds like a weird premise, but once we see how alone this woman is, how badly the dead cop wants to live, and how much they need each other, it becomes clear that as interesting and weird the setting is, Veronica and Max are the real stars.The romance was very emotional and heartfelt, even if it was never clear exactly why he was so in love. I had the impression that he was confusing need with love, and his emotional response to her was similar to hero-worship. Yet seeing Veronica through his eyes was enough to make me root for them.4 StarsLast but not least is Wrecked by Meljean Brook. Elizabeth has been running from her father for years. Caius is the huntsman in charge of bringing her home. She always liked him, but thought he hated her; he tried really hard not to like her, but thoroughly failed at it. And now they meet again under slightly different (and dangerous) circumstances. Basically, this novella is an unrequited love twofer with a touch of adventure. And I loved it.Wrecked is a bit longer, which means that we get more insight into the character’s history. Elizabeth is a strong, kind and resourceful heroine; perhaps a bit too sweet, but never annoying. And Caius spends the whole time being emotionally vulnerable. The result is a lovely romance and a reader filled with all the feelings. All of them!On top of that, there’s action and a disturbing villain. What keeps this from being a 5-star read is that the resolution was slightly rushed and too convenient, but other than that, it was entirely satisfying.4 StarsIt’s unusual to find an anthology where all the novellas are equally strong, albeit for different reasons. Each story is part of a series, but they all stand alone well. I highly recommend it to everyone, but especially to fans of Paranormal Romance who are feeling bit tired of all those overbearing alpha males. You certainly won’t find one of those here.

This trend needs to die. Or the books should be free.

This book is really, really bad. And I liked the previous three, so my standards aren't that high, but boy, I just couldn't keep reading even if at times it made me laugh (not a compliment).The book is very formulaic: Langdon has a female sidekick; there’s this creepy assassin hunting them; a mysterious, evil group is planning to do something bad somewhere, but we don’t get much beyond their obscure POV’s so that we can be surprised when the bad guy turns out to be Ian McKellen Langdon’s best friend. It feels like I’m reading the budget version of the Da Vinci Code.But all that would've been just fine if not for Brown’s constant abuse of the ellipsis. At one point I counted up to ten ellipses in one page. Download the sample and take a look; he even uses them in the acknowledgements, for fuck’s sake. Is this a literary device I’m not aware of? I just can't.. really.. I just... I mean... UGH! Were his other books this bad?

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerGuess what? The book world isn’t entirely made out of popular books! Surprising, right? That’s why today I’m reviewing this little Young Adult M/M novella that I accidentally discovered last week.I can’t go into many details about the plot, because discovering what’s going on is part of the experience. All I can say is that Aaron is a five-year old orphan living with a set of foster parents who care about the money, but not about him. He’s lonely and sad until one day he meets James. They recognize a bit of themselves in each other and spend the day laughing and playing, but when Aaron goes back home and inquires about James and his family, his foster parents tell him that there’s no kid named James in town. He keeps seeing him, though, and the other boy insists that he’s real and that he remembers where he’s been and what he’s done while Aaron is at school.So the years go by, and we see their friendship getting stronger and stronger; we see Aaron question James’ existence as well as his own sanity, but their relationship is so vital, that they mostly ignore the obvious questions.But how real can an imaginary friendship be? And what happens when Aaron makes real friends and is no longer desperate for companionship?For the most part, Imaginary was an engaging, intriguing and sweet story. The two boys were adorable and I enjoyed watching them grow and support each other. I was also dying to know what was going on, and how the author would manage to pull a HEA off. So as a whole, I liked the book. The problem was the ending, but not because it wasn’t happy or unsatisfying, but because of how farfetched and cheesy it was. I can’t go into details, but since the story was so quirky and unexpected, maybe the ending could have reflected those traits, even if that meant for it to be unconventional.In case you’re wondering, there is a bit of a romance, but more than half the story takes place while Aaron and James are young, so they don’t fall in love until later on.I am happy I took the chance. The production values of the book are good. Less Than Three Press is a small, independent publisher, so it could go either way, but despite some typos, the book had quality. The price is high*, though, so that’s the one thing that makes me hesitate to recommend it. Well, that and the ending. My advice would be to download the sample and see how it goes, but keep in mind that this is a YA book and the characters read quite young -- except when they are really young and read like precocious, unbelievable little kids.*$4.99 for about 100 pages.

Ugh.

Gets points for effort and great, unique premise, but the insufferable characters kill any possibility to make this an outstanding read.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerSource: A review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.My relationship with this book is a bit complicated. On one hand, it gave me an early rush of book joy and left me with plenty of food for thought, but on the other hand, I hated most of it. And this review is hard to write, because I want to highlight the complex good, yet I’m afraid that the simple bad will ultimately outweigh it. But although I’m not sure if it’s a book worth reading, I do think it’s worth discussing. The story goes like this: Whitney is a plastic surgeon who just moved to a new town to establish her new practice and get over her cheating boyfriend. Matt is a kindergarten teacher trying to adjust to single life after the recent divorce from his cheating wife. They meet, she seduces him, shenanigans ensue, and they live happily ever after.Sounds simple, right? It’s not.The Rebound Girl is the ultimate role-reversal story. The heroine is in the business of boob jobs and Botox. She’s not particularly in love with her profession, but she’s not out saving the world in whatever the stereotype of the deep, non-materialistic version of a plastic surgeon is, either. She’s confident to the point of displaying a superior cockiness. She’s into sex and pretty forward about it. She seduces the hero and sets the rules of what is to be a mostly sexual relationship, and relentlessly pursues him even when he initially rejects her. The hero is in the business of teaching cute, little things to cute, little kids. He’s insecure and the epitome of the fish out of water. Sex is fine, if he can figure out how to have it, but not-strings-attached sex is not fine, because he just wants to settle down. He’s younger and softer than her. And they liked each other just as they were.It didn't take long for me to realize what the book was trying to sell. After countless talk about the state of Contemporary Romance and how it would greatly benefit from fresh ideas, new concepts, and even some transgressions, a book that paired a strong heroine and a soft hero, while playing with traditional gender roles in such a blatant way, felt appropriate and refreshing. But to my despair, the execution was all wrong.The book is fundamentally flawed, and as much as I celebrate the intention, I can’t get over the spineless, TSTL hero that let his ex manipulate him in the most bizarre way; the judgmental, annoying townsfolk; the big misunderstandings that felt out of character; and the bad plot that didn't even make much sense. Frankly, Whitney and the role reversal were the only redeeming qualities of the book.Whitney seems to be a polarizing character. We could call her “difficult”, which is not a term I’m entirely comfortable using in this particular case, but it’s better than “flawed”. It’s interesting because everything she does is pretty much standard Contemporary alpha-hero behavior; a behavior that’s almost always welcome by readers (myself included). I get that we can't strip Romance of its social and cultural context, and gender roles are portrayed (and perceived) in certain ways for a reason, but aren't these books the perfect place to experiment and bend a some rules? Maybe the book was too obvious and poorly executed, but the idea was great, so hopefully we will get similar stories in the future.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerI bought this book on an impulse after reading a couple of favorable reviews. I’m surprised I actually managed to read it, because as much as I’m a fan of impulse buys, I don’t usually read YA stories that sound, well, so juvenile. I’m even more surprised by how much I enjoyed it.Maggie is a 16-year-old spy who, along with her parents, works for a secret organization in charge of stopping criminals. As a talented safe-cracker, her job always involves waiting until her parents are done so she can come in, open the safe and get out. But when their latest target takes them to New York, she becomes the person in charge of the latest assignment: befriending the teenage son of the magazine editor who’s about to expose the entire organization.In order to do so, Maggie enrolls in a prestigious private Manhattan high school; something that seems quite easy at first. Yet once there, she realizes that she lacks the social skills to pass as a regular teenager and that being normal might be the most difficult assignment to date. Worse, the guy she has to befriend (and ultimately betray) is really cute, and the lonely girl she meets on the first day makes her long for friendship and normalcy.Will she be able to complete the assignment and survive high school?This book was plain unadulterated fun. A story about a teenage spy going to high school for the first time can’t be taken too seriously, and the author knows it and rolls with it. On the other hand, a book like this is in danger of being too silly and cheesy for human consumption, even if it’s aimed at a younger audience. But although it comes perilously close to that line, it never crosses it, and the end result is a light story that uses likeable characters and a ridiculous setup to address interesting themes, or at least reinvent some tropes.Maggie is the heart of the book; a big responsibility, for sure, but she can more than handle it. I found her endearing, charming and clever -- just the type of lead you want in a YA book. What makes her truly special, though, is the relationship she develops not only with the love interest, but with former mean-girl turned social pariah, Roux. It was interesting to see a friendship that comes out of necessity and loneliness be so grounded in honesty (even if, yes, Maggie lies to her half the book).The love interest was just as charming. Ms. Benway takes the bad boy and turns him into something authentic and worthy of a book about people pretending to be someone else. Even better, the conflict is directly related to his character and it’s complicated enough to create tension, but manages to avoid predictable resolutions. In fact, these guys could give adult characters a lesson in communication.And finally, parents! You heard me; there are parents in this book, as well as a third parental figure to offer guidance and help. They are present throughout the story, have a say in what the main character is doing, are supportive, and intervene when they have to. Maybe a bit too late, but that’s half of the fun.I can’t find anything bad to say about this book other than it reads really young (as it should). But that’s more about personal taste, so the only thing that stops me from recommending it is that I’m not sure if you guys will like it. But maybe the teenage kids in your life will! It has a sweet romance, interesting characters, and positive role models. If this sounds really good to you, give it a try.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerSource: A review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.Never a Hero is the fifth book in the Tucker Spring series, which is the M/M Romance version of a small-town Contemporary. I have only read one of the previous books in the series (coincidentally co-written by Sexton); an experience that wasn’t entirely successful. And much like that one other book, this one ended up being a bit of a mixed bag.The main character is Owen, a reclusive, insecure man who has serious mommy issues. He is deeply self-conscious about his congenitally amputated arm, his stutter and his sexuality. But when charming, outgoing Nick moves downstairs, Owen’s life radically changes, not only because of the instant attraction that flares between them, but because Nick helps him become more comfortable in his own skin. The rest is way too spoilery to tell. But there is a painful secret and lots of issues. Lots!It’s undeniable that Ms. Sexton knows how to write great characters and stories full of heart. Both Owen and Nick are endearing, sympathetic protagonists in a story that was perhaps too short to actually explore the issues that presented.Owen’s issues with his disability and social anxiety were handled well. Nick’s sister has a similar amputation, and she becomes a positive presence in his life. His anxiety is deeply linked to his disability, so once he gets comfortable with the latter, the anxiety lessens.Nick’s issues, on the other hand, were mostly a convenient excuse to create tension and conflict. I can’t go into detail, because what he’s dealing with is one of the big revelations, but it was hard for me to believe that someone as happy, mature and with such a strong support system, would take so many years to come to terms with it, just to magically get over it thanks to the healing powers of love. The subject matter is serious, and as much as I’m happy to see an M/M book tackling it, it’s was glossed over due to length constriction and everything else that was going on in the book.And then we have the evil mom. This character was so over the top and cartoonish, that I was expecting her to kill someone with a poisoned apple. Such a character is nothing but lazy writing, and there’s no excuse for it. The father, on the other hand, was equally neglectful in his inability to put a stop to his wife’s behavior, but he’s painted as another victim and Owen easily forgives him. This, my friends, is how you thoroughly ruin a book that up until that point was flawed, but enjoyable, and turn it into a joke. And we wonder why M/M Romance gets criticized for its negative portrayal of women.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerSource: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalleyI think this is the first time I review one of Cara McKenna’s book, but it’s certainly not the first time I read one. And it was about time I told you about this fantastic author. If you like Erotic Romance and Erotica, you should be reading McKenna’s books. She pushes boundaries, deals with realistic characters and situations, and writes about a variety of relationships and sex.In After Hours we meet Erin. Circumstances forced her into a caregiver position, and she took that experience and ended up becoming a nurse. When her sister gets in trouble, she is, once again, forced into the position of having to take care of someone. So she moves to a new town and gets a job at the local psychiatric hospital where she meets Kelly, one of the handlers.Erin finds Kelly equal parts intimidating and arousing. He’s way too big, scarred, blunt, and very clear when he tells Erin about his needs to be in control and dominate. But unlike Erin, Kelly is an extreme caregiver by choice. And she finds the idea of letting go very appealing, while at the same time feeling appalled by the fact that she’s attracted to a man who wants to control and order her around.However, the temptation to let someone else be in charge is too strong to resist, and soon they start a sexual relationship that will affect her deeply.This story was an interesting character study and a very effective erotic romance. It’s set in the psychiatric hospital of an impoverished town, and even if these places only serve as a background, they felt like another character. They give the book an authentic, honest and almost bleak tone. It’s not a happy book, but it’s quite hopeful and real.The star of the book is Erin, and to a lesser degree, Kelly. She’s in a constant power struggle and negotiation with herself. And letting go of a control that she doesn’t want, yet doesn’t know how to live without, is her biggest challenge. It’s also was draws her to him as well as the main source of conflict.Kelly, on the other hand, is quite straightforward and knows himself well. There’s also a certain vulnerability to him that comes from his honesty and from past traumas, but he deals with his secret pains by acknowledging them and admitting the role they played in shaping the person he is.There are minor BDSM elements in the story, but they relate to the characters’ needs and personalities, instead of to the need to write a book that fits the latest trend. And because of the themes of the story, these elements feel organic and right. After Hours is the best Erotic Romance I’ve read this year, and the only thing that keeps it from being a 5-star read is that Kelly sounds and acts very similar the hero of [b:Willing Victim|8812286|Willing Victim|Cara McKenna|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312599674s/8812286.jpg|13686547], one of McKenna’s previous books. It was more than a vague sense of recognition; it was full-on flashbacks. But this becomes a minor complaint in light of how well the rest of the book worked for me. Needless to say, I highly recommend it.

Lots of lust and little else. I lost interest halfway through.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerSource: A review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalleyNew Adult has been a self-publishing phenomenon, so it’s interesting to see what the big publishers are going to do with it. In that regard, True is an interesting addition to the sub-genre (?), and it successfully portrays the themes and subjects of NA. Unfortunately, there were other aspects in which the story wasn't as successful.Rory is a bit of a nerd, so of course she’s a virgin. Lucky for her—and inexplicably for us—her best friends (and I use the term loosely) and roommates are hot party girls who know exactly what Rory needs: to get laid. So they enlist the help of Tyler, a guy they know from, well, having sex with him.While that happens, Tyler and Rory get to know each other and date a little. There is chemistry between them and they develop a friendship that’s framed by sexual attraction. They become a couple, get over a couple of obstacles, and overall make it work. And then life gets in the way. And by “life” I mean Tyler’s responsibilities and shitty mother.As I said before, Ms. McCarthy captures well the essence of NA. It’s not just age and setting, but the situations, feelings and issues that come with becoming independent for the first time, having new responsibilities, figuring out what to do with the future, and how different limitations impact the way we begin to shape that future. And as such, I thought it was a fairly competent entry in the sub-genre.The romance was also effective, although I admit to being a bit tired of stories about bad boys with hearts of gold corrupting good, virginal girls. I think it’s time to read about bad girls corrupting virginal boys, or any other variation if we’re unable to simply get rid of the “bad”. But regardless, I thought there was chemistry between the leads, and I liked them together.The premise is silly and screams of predictable misunderstanding and angst, but it never goes there. Once Rory discovers that her friends hired Tyler to sleep with her, she is outraged and hurt, but also stops to think about it and realizes that their relationship is real.So the beginning was intriguing and the first half was promising, but I had a couple of issues with the second half; issues that the more I think about, the angrier they make me.The first thing that bothered me was the portrayal of poverty. Tyler’s mother is an addict who terribly neglects and mistreats her children. She’s unreliable, so Tyler is mostly in charge of the household (and he’s really bad at it). He sacrifices his dreams to get a quick EMT certification in order to support his family. And in the meantime, the house is dirty, disgusting and foul. Because poor people are all abusive addicts who don’t know how to keep a tidy home, right? Tyler’s situation is used to make the heroine aware of her own privileged life, which may not be that bad, except that in doing so, the stereotypical portrayal of poverty becomes a plot device to teach the heroine a lesson, turn the hero into a martyr, and create a final conflict that was actually quite depressing.The second thing that bothered me was the way the main characters treated Tyler’s brother, Jayden. He has Down syndrome, so of course he’s used as another way to show how awful their mother is. But more than that, I was bothered by the patronizing way Tyler and Rory treated him. Jayden is in his late teens, yet they treat him like a small child, and in fact, some of his behavior was that of a small child. This is a young man we’re talking about and he should be treated accordingly.The final score is True: 0 – Stereotypes: 2. Stereotypes win, and we all lose.

Originally posted at Romance Around the CornerSource: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.I’ve been gushing about Ms. Knox’s books for the past year, and as I keep saying, I think she has one of the best and freshest voices in Contemporary Romance. But all good things must come to an end (or in this case, a small bump in the road) so today’s review won’t be a gushing one.Along Came Trouble is the first full-length book in the new Camelot series (there’s a prequel novella, but each story stands alone well). Ellen is a single mother whose only wish is peace and tranquility. But when her famous, Justin Timberlake-ish brother has an affair with her pregnant next-door neighbor, the paparazzi invade her street and put an end to her peace and tranquility. That’s when her brother hires Caleb Clark’s security firm to provide protection to Ellen and the neighbor. Needless to say, Ellen disapproves.Caleb really, really cares that Ellen doesn’t want him there, because 1. He needs the job to provide the financial stability his new security firm needs and 2. He’s very attracted to Ellen. As you can probably guess, these two are bound to butt heads and to fall in love. Ellen’s marriage left her some baggage, and she deals with it by constantly reassuring herself of her independence. She doesn’t want to rely on anyone and because of that, she comes across as prickly. This is the part where I tell you how much I hate describing a heroine as prickly, mostly because anything that doesn’t resemble a nice damsel in distress becomes a negative trait. But yes, prickly and somewhat reactionary are good ways to describe her. These are qualities I understand and appreciate, but don’t expect a cuddly, sweet heroine, because you won’t get one here.Caleb, on the other hand, is as sweet and cuddly as it gets (while being manly and hunky, because of course). It becomes obvious from the start that Ellen is the one who holds all the power in their relationship: he’s the one who falls in love first; the one convinced that they stand a chance and in charge of convincing Ellen of it; and the one in danger of having his heart broken. Not only that, but his professional future also depends on Ellen. So poor Caleb is at the mercy of a woman terrified of commitment and hell-bent on proving to herself that she is self-sufficient. He is, perhaps, one of the most emotionally vulnerable heroes I’ve read this year.But as much as I liked Ellen and Caleb as individuals, I never quite got them as a couple. The red-hot chemistry present in all of Ms. Knox’s books was completely missing in this story, which is a shame, because chemistry would have helped made the insta-love a bit more palatable. As it was, I found it hard to believe that two mature and cautious characters would fall so hard and so fast when it’s obvious that they lack the necessary recklessness needed to make such a leap. The pace and setting weren’t ideal for a romance between these two.There are also many secondary characters that distract from the main storyline instead of adding to it. I wasn’t particularly curious or invested in the secondary romance, and I found the sequel-bait character so compelling that at times I wished I was reading her book instead. All the characters were interesting and developed, but they were too intrusive. And one of them does a big gesture that was just plain ridiculous and embarrassing.Along Came Trouble was a bit of a mixed bag. It’s better than many small-town Contemporary series, but let’s face it, in this particular case, being above average doesn’t take much of an effort. Hopefully the bumpy ride ends here and the next book in the series will be up to par with what Ms. Knox has us used to.

Originally posted heretWarning: there will be spoilers.When New Adult started generating buzz, I was equal parts confused and hopeful. The first few books I read convinced me of the potential of a category that I’m still trying to figure out where it belongs. I have talked about the subject before, so I won’t repeat it here, but I’ll say that while most have a dismissive and cynic reaction to these books, I’ve championed and tried to explain that no, NA is not a bunch of steamy YA’s.However, the truth is that the more I read, the more disillusioned I become. The success of a few bred many similar stories that tried to reproduce key elements of the original, but with a complete disregard of the quality and care that made those first books so successful. The result is a bunch of novels that offer nothing new and that use serious topics as convenient sources of angst. Instead of true storytelling and concern for the craft and the readers, these books feel like an exercise in marketing and fan-service. Wait for You is a perfect example of this.If I had to describe this book in a few words, I would say that it’s a poor copy of Tammara Webber’s Easy that uses similar tropes and themes, but fails to develop them in any meaningful way. This means that there’s rape, bullying and other serious topics, but their role in the story is to make the heroine sympathetic, the hero dreamy, and the plot over emotional and intense (but not in a good way).Avery is a bit of a nervous wreck doing her best to go unnoticed. So of course she gets noticed by hunky Cameron, who happens to be her neighbor and classmate. He relentlessly pursues her, but she keeps declining his offers to go on a date, and in the meantime they become friends. Yet she’s almost a recluse, and it soon becomes obvious that there’s something wrong with her. And by this I mean that she keeps hinting at it in her constant inner dialogue.The problem is that Avery was raped when she was fourteen and then endured persistent bullying, which culminated in a suicide attempt. Her rich parents more concerned with their reputation than with their daughter, made her drop the charges and sign a confidentiality agreement, so her rapist was free to spread rumors that everyone believed. That’s why Avery decided to leave everything behind and go to a small college. Needless to say, she never got help and she only confides in Cameron but not until almost the end of the book.I don’t understand the need to make something as awful and tragic as rape even more dramatic by adding evil parents. Is this a way to make the heroine more sympathetic? Or is it a way to make the story emotionally manipulative and over the top? Have we become so desensitized and used to rape that the only way to have an emotional response to it is through exaggeration?But the rape, the bullying and the attempted suicide barely get a mention in the book other than to emphasize how damaged Avery is and how understanding is Cameron’s response. She has no support system to help her deal with what happened, and she only gets (doubtfully) better when she falls in love. I’m not saying that someone’s partner can’t be part of the support system, but in this book it was yet another case of curing her with his charming personality and, oh yes, sex.The issues don’t stop there. Avery has two best friends, one of which is the stereotypical sassy gay, and the other one a girl who is levelheaded, carefree, and seems to enjoy sex, but whose only purpose is to talk about boys. So if you’re keeping a bingo scorecard, now you can cross off “stereotypical and lazy portrayal of the only gay character in the book” and “fails the Bechtel test”. Worse, these two truly care about her, yet their role in the story is that of the romance facilitator. They are nothing but plot devices. And the best friend isn’t even the sequel-bait character; that honor goes to the very minor character that was in an abusive relationship.On the positive side, Cameron is a great hero who supports, understands and respects Avery. He is protective but not possessive, and overall I thought he was sweet and very likeable. He doesn’t escape some stereotypical character traits, but a book that features a scene where the heroine hides behind the curtain of her hair, is bound to be ridden with clichés and stereotypes.The book has a somewhat positive portrayal of sex. At one point Avery discovers masturbation and there was no slut-shaming. But I’m also conflicted about it, because the book has a lot of explicit sex that I thought was unnecessary. I still believe that NA shares a target audience with YA, so adding sexual content to these stories makes me uncomfortable, especially in books like this one that don’t need it and would have been just fine with milder or fade-to-black scenes. But again, sex sells. So perhaps the detractors are right to say that NA is nothing but an excuse to add sex to YA.Ms. Lynn is a talented writer, but Wait for You isn’t a good book. It certainly is more than a fairly competent copy of the latest trends; I mean, I’ve read some stuff I wish I could un-read. But unfortunately, I still have standards and I’m not willing to give this one a free pass just because it's entertaining. There’s certainly a huge market for similar stories, but I’m sure there are a lot of readers out there craving better books.