This is the third Serenity Snow book I have read, and so far, it’s the one that sets itself apart. First of all, it isn’t fantasy or paranormal-based, which I surprisingly didn’t end up missing. It also lets us get to know the characters on a deeper level, making it much easier to get invested in their tumultuous second-time-around romance.
Instead of a dark, violent supernatural setting, this book takes place in a gritty world of tough lawyers and passionate social workers. I really liked Lucky Kane, more than I’ve enjoyed Snow’s past butch characters. I like how she’s a tough, relentless, cool lawyer who still opens her heart to love and craves emotional intimacy as well as good sex. Having Caroline be the more closed-off woman is a departure from Snow’s usual MO, and it really worked. I felt a deeper connection to these characters. I really got to know them by the end of the book.
The more books you read by a specific author, the more you notice their patterns and trends. I’m definitely picking up on a few when it comes to Serenity Snow. There’s always an old-fashioned, wealthy, homophobic family to contend with. There’s always a tough butch character who is “packing” at strange times. And there are always gratuitous uses of shortened nicknames that no one ever really uses (like “Cari” for “Caroline”). I’m poking fun a little, but in general, it’s not something that bothers me. Authors have their hallmark writing devices, and I’ve read enough Serenity Snow to pick up on them and enjoy the ride.
However, the actual mystery at the heart of the story really fell apart by the end. From the first page, it was always way too convoluted to follow. Too many nameless players, too many vague details, too many secrets revealed at the last minute. I found myself reading a chapter, re-reading it, and still scratching my head. For a short book, the plot was ridiculously tangled. I was invested in Abigail’s story and the way Lucky and Caroline worked to protect her, but when the focus strayed from proving her innocence, I totally lost interest. I also couldn’t suspend my disbelief when it came to Margret and Jared’s involvement in both Caroline’s life and the crime itself. The plots needed to be kept apart to be believable.
There was a lot of good and a lot of bad in this story. Dedicated Snow readers will really enjoy the way she has developed her characters and given them more emotional depth. But if you’re reading for the mystery, you might end up in the dark.
Merged review:
This book was provided for free by the publisher and Love Bytes in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third Serenity Snow book I have read, and so far, it’s the one that sets itself apart. First of all, it isn’t fantasy or paranormal-based, which I surprisingly didn’t end up missing. It also lets us get to know the characters on a deeper level, making it much easier to get invested in their tumultuous second-time-around romance.
Instead of a dark, violent supernatural setting, this book takes place in a gritty world of tough lawyers and passionate social workers. I really liked Lucky Kane, more than I’ve enjoyed Snow’s past butch characters. I like how she’s a tough, relentless, cool lawyer who still opens her heart to love and craves emotional intimacy as well as good sex. Having Caroline be the more closed-off woman is a departure from Snow’s usual MO, and it really worked. I felt a deeper connection to these characters. I really got to know them by the end of the book.
The more books you read by a specific author, the more you notice their patterns and trends. I’m definitely picking up on a few when it comes to Serenity Snow. There’s always an old-fashioned, wealthy, homophobic family to contend with. There’s always a tough butch character who is “packing” at strange times. And there are always gratuitous uses of shortened nicknames that no one ever really uses (like “Cari” for “Caroline”). I’m poking fun a little, but in general, it’s not something that bothers me. Authors have their hallmark writing devices, and I’ve read enough Serenity Snow to pick up on them and enjoy the ride.
However, the actual mystery at the heart of the story really fell apart by the end. From the first page, it was always way too convoluted to follow. Too many nameless players, too many vague details, too many secrets revealed at the last minute. I found myself reading a chapter, re-reading it, and still scratching my head. For a short book, the plot was ridiculously tangled. I was invested in Abigail’s story and the way Lucky and Caroline worked to protect her, but when the focus strayed from proving her innocence, I totally lost interest. I also couldn’t suspend my disbelief when it came to Margret and Jared’s involvement in both Caroline’s life and the crime itself. The plots needed to be kept apart to be believable.
There was a lot of good and a lot of bad in this story. Dedicated Snow readers will really enjoy the way she has developed her characters and given them more emotional depth. But if you’re reading for the mystery, you might end up in the dark....more
Geonn Cannon never fails to impress. I’ve read many of his books, and this one is definitely high on my list of favorites. It’s the juicy, action-packed, character-driven, tightly-written paranormal lesbian crime drama I’ve been so desperately craving after a long line of generally fluffy romances.
After six books set in the “Underdogs” series, it’s time for a new twist on the classic werewolf dilemma—what happens when you try to cage an animal that is meant to be free? There’s been a lot of great sci-fi/fantasy plots involving canidae and hunters in the series, and there have been a lot of crime drama plots that kept me on my toes, but this is the first book that intersects the two worlds perfectly. When Ariadne is falsely accused and sent to prison, she has to deal with the isolation and heartbreak of being away from her mother, Gwen, and her soul-mate, Dale—but she also has to deal with the fact that it’s pretty hard to hide a full-wolf transformation when you live on top of a hundred other women. We definitely didn’t see that in the last season of Orange Is the New Black.
We’re thrust into the action right away and it never stops for a second. This book gives both Ari and Dale a real chance to shine as strong POV characters. Dale is usually the “woman behind the curtain”—though she’s good at research and detail, field work isn’t her area of expertise. But with Ari behind bars, she has to step it up and take charge, and seeing her in full bad-ass mode is absolutely amazing (and often hilarious). Ari is also great, but I think her strong personality takes a bit of a backseat as she uses her wits instead of her mouth to get around in prison.
I wasn’t expecting to like the side romance between Gwen and her much-younger lover, Milo, as much as I did. Their chemistry has been building, but in this story, they get the perfect romantic arc they deserve. Cannon is so good at writing full casts of diverse, kick-ass women who are strong in their own ways, and Gwen’s quiet power mixes perfectly with Milo’s brash confidence. Other awesome female characters, like Ari’s prison cellmate Segura and instant rival Kunz, leap off the page and come into themselves so quickly that it feels like we’ve been reading about them forever. And the familial bond that continues to blossom between Gwen and Dale got me misty-eyed quite a few times.
This book can certainly be read outside of the series timeline. Cannon does a great job bringing back much-loved characters while still writing a great standalone mystery. If you’re a fan of the series already, you’ll love the progression of certain relationships and the downfall of a few familiar villains, but if you’re new to “Underdogs,” many of the important plots of previous books are nicely recapped to prevent confusion. This is a hard balance to strike, but it felt absolutely perfect. Highly recommended in every way.
Merged review:
This book was provided for free by the author and Love Bytes in exchange for an honest review.
Geonn Cannon never fails to impress. I’ve read many of his books, and this one is definitely high on my list of favorites. It’s the juicy, action-packed, character-driven, tightly-written paranormal lesbian crime drama I’ve been so desperately craving after a long line of generally fluffy romances.
After six books set in the “Underdogs” series, it’s time for a new twist on the classic werewolf dilemma—what happens when you try to cage an animal that is meant to be free? There’s been a lot of great sci-fi/fantasy plots involving canidae and hunters in the series, and there have been a lot of crime drama plots that kept me on my toes, but this is the first book that intersects the two worlds perfectly. When Ariadne is falsely accused and sent to prison, she has to deal with the isolation and heartbreak of being away from her mother, Gwen, and her soul-mate, Dale—but she also has to deal with the fact that it’s pretty hard to hide a full-wolf transformation when you live on top of a hundred other women. We definitely didn’t see that in the last season of Orange Is the New Black.
We’re thrust into the action right away and it never stops for a second. This book gives both Ari and Dale a real chance to shine as strong POV characters. Dale is usually the “woman behind the curtain”—though she’s good at research and detail, field work isn’t her area of expertise. But with Ari behind bars, she has to step it up and take charge, and seeing her in full bad-ass mode is absolutely amazing (and often hilarious). Ari is also great, but I think her strong personality takes a bit of a backseat as she uses her wits instead of her mouth to get around in prison.
I wasn’t expecting to like the side romance between Gwen and her much-younger lover, Milo, as much as I did. Their chemistry has been building, but in this story, they get the perfect romantic arc they deserve. Cannon is so good at writing full casts of diverse, kick-ass women who are strong in their own ways, and Gwen’s quiet power mixes perfectly with Milo’s brash confidence. Other awesome female characters, like Ari’s prison cellmate Segura and instant rival Kunz, leap off the page and come into themselves so quickly that it feels like we’ve been reading about them forever. And the familial bond that continues to blossom between Gwen and Dale got me misty-eyed quite a few times.
This book can certainly be read outside of the series timeline. Cannon does a great job bringing back much-loved characters while still writing a great standalone mystery. If you’re a fan of the series already, you’ll love the progression of certain relationships and the downfall of a few familiar villains, but if you’re new to “Underdogs,” many of the important plots of previous books are nicely recapped to prevent confusion. This is a hard balance to strike, but it felt absolutely perfect. Highly recommended in every way....more
I love a lady who plays sports, and I love Emma Goldsworthy! You couldn’t ask for a better character to spend 200 pages with. This book is funny, sweet, relatable, romantic, and wonderfully queer. I was smiling the entire time I read it, and I think you all will as well.
This is the third book in the “Get Out” series and the first F/F book in the universe. The “Get Out” series is a new adult spin-off series of Kennedy’s super popular “Tigers and Devils” books, which are adult romances. I haven't read any of the other books, and when I started reading the first "Get Out" book about Micah, I felt pretty lost--there was too much backstory that I didn't know about. But weirdly enough, I had less trouble with this book. It felt like a more contained story. If you’re already a Sean Kennedy fan, you’re in for a treat—some familiar faces make guest appearances alongside awesome new characters and points of view. I'm definitely putting the rest of the books in this universe on my to-read list.
This is a great new adult story with smart characters who feel comfortable in the queer community and have a sharp, modern outlook on life. They work to abolish ideas of biphobia and transphobia, they’re supportive of each other across all genders and sexualities (Emma and Micah totally end the idea of rivalry between gay men and women), and they embrace the idea of community among one another. And the dynamic between Emma and Jess is not only adorable, it doesn’t rely on drama to be sexy and exciting. They just fit well together, and they communicate like normal young women trying to figure each other out.
I think the genre itself is an important aspect of this book. As someone who came out in college and surrounded myself with a young crowd of LGBT friends, I sometimes feel isolated by how romances seem to be either about teenagers or older adults already established in their lives. The new adult genre has definitely been a game-changer in the past few years, providing us with stories about early-twenties adults who are just stumbling into adulthood and independence.
It’s rare for an author to write an F/F book when their usual stuff is M/M and even rarer if it is a part of a larger, M/M-focused universe, so I’m very happy to see such an awesome change in the LGBT romance culture. Kennedy writes F/F with warmth, humor, and affection, and I’d be happy to read any of his future works in any series or universe.
Merged review:
This book was provided for free by the author and Love Bytes in exchange for an honest review.
I love a lady who plays sports, and I love Emma Goldsworthy! You couldn’t ask for a better character to spend 200 pages with. This book is funny, sweet, relatable, romantic, and wonderfully queer. I was smiling the entire time I read it, and I think you all will as well.
This is the third book in the “Get Out” series and the first F/F book in the universe. The “Get Out” series is a new adult spin-off series of Kennedy’s super popular “Tigers and Devils” books, which are adult romances. I haven't read any of the other books, and when I started reading the first "Get Out" book about Micah, I felt pretty lost--there was too much backstory that I didn't know about. But weirdly enough, I had less trouble with this book. It felt like a more contained story. If you’re already a Sean Kennedy fan, you’re in for a treat—some familiar faces make guest appearances alongside awesome new characters and points of view. I'm definitely putting the rest of the books in this universe on my to-read list.
This is a great new adult story with smart characters who feel comfortable in the queer community and have a sharp, modern outlook on life. They work to abolish ideas of biphobia and transphobia, they’re supportive of each other across all genders and sexualities (Emma and Micah totally end the idea of rivalry between gay men and women), and they embrace the idea of community among one another. And the dynamic between Emma and Jess is not only adorable, it doesn’t rely on drama to be sexy and exciting. They just fit well together, and they communicate like normal young women trying to figure each other out.
I think the genre itself is an important aspect of this book. As someone who came out in college and surrounded myself with a young crowd of LGBT friends, I sometimes feel isolated by how romances seem to be either about teenagers or older adults already established in their lives. The new adult genre has definitely been a game-changer in the past few years, providing us with stories about early-twenties adults who are just stumbling into adulthood and independence.
It’s rare for an author to write an F/F book when their usual stuff is M/M and even rarer if it is a part of a larger, M/M-focused universe, so I’m very happy to see such an awesome change in the LGBT romance culture. Kennedy writes F/F with warmth, humor, and affection, and I’d be happy to read any of his future works in any series or universe....more
First time for everything...I cried at the end of a graphic novel! Absolutely gorgeous, layered, and empathetic storytelling. Amazing main characters First time for everything...I cried at the end of a graphic novel! Absolutely gorgeous, layered, and empathetic storytelling. Amazing main characters who feel real from the very first page. Artwork that is both haunting and breathtaking. A queer sort-of fairytale about writing your own stories and taking control of a narrative that has been taken away from you....more
I haven't read a good lesfic procedural in a long time, and I forgot how fun and absorbing they can be. Hey, I'm a simple woman--give me some hot, comI haven't read a good lesfic procedural in a long time, and I forgot how fun and absorbing they can be. Hey, I'm a simple woman--give me some hot, competent ladies kicking ass and falling in love, and I am usually on board. While the series definitely needs some developing, the action sequences sealed a pretty good rating for me.
Gunnery Sergeant Tyler Monroe is still recovering physically and mentally after losing her entire team on a mission gone wrong. She takes a low-risk appointment training four CIA analysts in hand-to-hand combat, culminating in a four-day hands-on training mission. She's not expecting to immediately fall for Brooke Hart, a brilliant and cool-headed recruit who knows what she wants--and she wants Tyler.
I really like this story. There's a clear plot and an excellent climax. The side characters are all interesting and unique and play off each other well in tense situations. The last fourth or so of the book had me holding my breath, it was so intense. But wow, this is a huge example of insta-love between the two mains. They see each other, and sure, there's a physical attraction and good chemistry, but they fall straight in love so quickly. Like, do you even know each other? I'm glad to know they are the focus of the second book as well, because with a little more development, I could totally fall for them, too. But they just need some substance.
Since I will be soon be reviewing the third book in this series, I thought I'd brush up on the first two, even though the third seems like it will stand on its own. I'm definitely eager to get to know these characters and this setting more....more
I started this book last year because I wanted to read a fluffy Christmas-related lesbian story around the holidays. I didn't actually finish it untilI started this book last year because I wanted to read a fluffy Christmas-related lesbian story around the holidays. I didn't actually finish it until this month, but it definitely has that festive warmth I was searching for, with lots of yummy baked goods, Christmas trees, and all-around good feelings.
Young single mother Hannah is working hard at culinary school and trying to keep her own bakery a secret from her fellow students. When she meets Morgan, a shy student assigned to a harrowing holiday cake project with Hannah, the two women have instant chemistry, even though they both are holding things back. Through deadlines, family drama, and a truly heinous client, Hannah and Morgan get to know each other and slowly enter each other's worlds.
I didn't know this was sort of a spin-off story from Hagan's "Morelville Mysteries" series about Dana Rossi and Mel Crane, who are background characters in this book. I was pretty confused about the relationships between the characters and their circumstances, which took away from my enjoyment a bit. This book really needed real conflict--there just wasn't enough for them to do, even though they had good character potential. But I like how nice and warm everything is, so I think I will enjoy the "Morelville Mysteries" books more, as they will definitely have more drama. I'll give them a try!...more
Cleis Press will always be a must-read publisher for me. Their anthologies never fail me, and they always strive for excellence at all cost. This is my first book in the lesbian erotica collection, and I am eager to see how it has evolved over the years—and how it continues to do so.
This is a diverse book, much more diverse and inclusive than it would have been 15 or 20 years ago. Check out any lesbian erotica collection from the early 2000s and you’ll find a lot of classic butches, blonde femmes, champagne kisses, and relatively tame scenes of oral sex and fingering. And who can say those aren’t hot as hell? But there’s so much more out there, and it is uncovered in every story here. To name just a few that may interest you, there are trans femme love interests (“Do Tell”), characters over 50 (“Pinked”, “Love Remembers”), characters with chronic pain and disabilities (“Pleasure With Her Pain,” “What I Want”), and non-binary and GNC characters (“Of Sword and Sorcery,” “The Butler, the Flapper, and the Stable Boy”).
Most of the stories are unique in setting and tone. There’s the classic scenarios of role-playing (“The Butler, the Flapper, and the Stable Boy”), gang-banging (“My Sweet Femme Nightmare”), and older-character-teaching-younger (“Modern Lovers (You Probably Haven’t Heard of Them)”), but each story has an element that makes it quintessentially lesbian. There are a few parts that veered closely to the male-gaze (the exhibitionism in “Leviathan,” the objectification in “All Dolled Up”), but even in those stories, there’s something about those porn-level acts that are so shockingly different when only women are participating. It feels more secret, even more taboo. Yes, we can like these things, even if the porn industry has twisted them into something they are not. It’s so freeing to read—nothing is off-limits, no matter what blog or websites tells you otherwise. But don’t worry, this is all in good, safe fun—there’s a ton of enthusiastic consent and communication, which we all know is necessary, but can also be unbearably sexy.
I have two favorites in the collection, with many runners-up. I absolutely adore “Gina, Across the Tracks,” and I can see myself going back to it often. There’s a grittiness to it, a level of primal eroticism that is so intense and immediate that it took my breath away. It portrays two women, different in age and class, who have no choice but to take care of each other in ways no one else in their life can or will. It might be too grounded for some, too real, but I think it is a masterpiece. I also love “The Strip” by J. Mork. It is sexy, but it feels more layered than the other stories, more literary. It portrays sex workers in a rare fictional light of both humanity and sensuality, showing how sex is different when there’s mutual respect, trust, and knowledge of the female body. It stayed with me long after I finished it.
Sometimes, there will be stories in a collection that rub you the wrong way. That doesn’t honestly happen a lot to me in either lesbian anthologies or Cleis publications, but in this one, there were a few that just didn’t fit. I was annoyed by some of the “non-sexual” erotic elements, such as using violent BDSM as a form of stimming, especially when there’s nothing at all sexual about it. Erotica has to include sex or, at the very least, sensuality—and some of these stories contained neither. And I’ve never been a fan of the term “girl-cock,” mainly because I’ve never really heard it from women in real life. It seems so corny and porny. There are a lot of other excellent terms for penises that I’ve heard real queer women use that are so much better.
Despite these complaints, the good vastly outweighs the bad, and there are no obvious stinkers. Some kinks will never be sexy to me, but they strike the sweet spot for thousands of others. That’s the joy of a collection like this—there’s something for everyone. Skip a few if you’d like, but I think you’re going to enjoy the majority. This collection shouldn’t be missed....more
Over the past few years, I’ve practically sworn off these types of books. Vampires, faerie magic, a dark other-world settled atop the one we already know. It’s a popular formula that is yielding diminishing returns as time goes on. But once in a while, a book like this will come along—a book that follows genre expectations while still feeling fresh, funny, and full of potential.
Kate Kane (no, not Batwoman—this is a different bad-ass lesbian heroine) is a worn-out paranormal investigator in London, reeling from the recent death of a partner and the looming presence of a years-ago vampire ex-boyfriend who won’t leave her alone. She’s exhausted, unimpressed, often drunk, sometimes horny, and totally not looking for a fling with a powerful vampiric ex-nun who runs a sizeable chunk of London’s paranormal empire. But fate has other plans, and Kate’s small percentage of faerie blood and total nothing-to-lose attitude draws her into a case of monsters, murder, and one delicious vampire.
First of all, I love this character. Some people won’t, if you’re not into total human messes with a flagrant disregard for their own personal safety. Think if Jessica Jones lived in London and was part fae. Oh, and also was a huge lesbian disaster who can’t resist the charms of an 800-year-old vampire who wants to fuck her and feed her sugary desserts. Kate Kane is loads of fun—she’s got brains, brawn, and a sharp tongue, but she also has a ton of heart, and she’s not into seeing others suffer. Julian Saint-Germain, her powerful lover, is much the same. She may be an immortal vampire who participates in blood orgies and loves teasing flustered PIs, but she really likes Kate, even if both women know it is a bad idea.
This book moves along steadily, introducing interesting side-characters and humorous subplots. It follows urban fantasy conventions with a lot of mythical creatures, dark magic, and hidden pasts, but it always stays funny, even when there is gore galore. Kate is mostly just sick of everything, wanting to get answers without, you know, dying. She’s often out of her league, but she has a knack for attracting strays who are willing to help her out. If this was a one-off romance, I’d be perfectly satisfied, but I’m also eager to see what else this series will do.
I’ve never read Alexis Hall’s books before, but it seems he primarily writes M/M romance, which surprised me! His lesbian characters feel full and well-rounded, as if this is a person making a career of writing these types of bad-ass, multi-faceted queer characters. It shows that you can’t judge a book by its cover, pun-intended.
This series has been victim to publisher issues over the last couple years, but it seems to have finally settled at Carina, with the third book being released shortly. It’s not one to miss—urban fantasy books may be a dime a dozen, but few are as fun as this.
It’s nice to read a warm, sweet fantasy story that still introduces unique elements to the genre. Evie, an exiled book editor who is forced to become a rural library carrier, follows the path of many literary heroines before her—she must adapt into new surroundings to survive, and in turn, finds true love. But interesting magic and worldbuilding elements keep the story fresh and interesting.
As Evie struggles with her new surroundings, she learns more about the world, and also learns how other people from different backgrounds view books. When she takes a nasty fall and becomes injured on her first solo journey, a mysterious woman takes her in and offers her a new perspective on home and family. A lot of unique characters were introduced in the first half of the story, so until the second half, I wasn’t even sure who the love interest was going to be. But the romance between Evie and Katalin, the gruff woman who lives in a cave with her precocious son Lajos, develops sweetly and naturally. Evie is strong, but the natural world still baffles her, and Katalin’s protectiveness makes for a perfect match.
Evie’s magic—weaving visual tales out of written books—is so cool, but we needed so much more of it! I love how her magic is used to bring interest in literacy to poorer communities, and that message fits in well with the book and character, but I feel like Beckley could’ve taken it even further. I actually want more stories about Evie’s life before she became a journey carrier, because her magic mixed with book editing would be a really cool skill.
You’ll also be very happy with how LGBT-inclusive this world is! There are many trans and non-binary characters, and most characters seem to be bisexual or pansexual. And all family types are represented, from single parent households to big polyamorous families. In addition, all characters are unique—they come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. It’s a wonderfully diverse story, and I hope Beckley continues this world and expands on some of these characters.
This story ends on a sweet and happy note. It is all about finding yourself and finding your family in unexpected places. It isn’t a new type of story, but it’s a cozy one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it....more
I’m a huge fan of Geonn Cannon’s works. He’s consistently written lady-led romances that highlight both lesbian love and the complexity of female characters. He has mastered several genres and has even written a series that is currently being produced for television. So you could say that I hold him in pretty high regard, and I was insanely excited for this book. This is new territory for canon—a complex spy novel set in 1980’s Germany—but the characters and their struggles feel very familiar. Not everything worked for me, but I’m confident in saying Cannon is skilled at writing a spy mystery.
To start, we meet two agents in Berlin—Cassiane and Timothea, who are now hiding underground while Cassiane recovers from a field injury. Their close quarters soon push them closer, and they start a romance that has been long-coming, only to be interrupted by a new mission from a third agent, Constance. But soon, they welcome Constance into their confidence and their bed, and the three women form a team to bring down a potential terrorist hiding out in a nearby hotel.
The spycraft moves deftly, never boring us or faking us out with characters who make amateur decisions. These women are good at what they do, and they all have plenty of blood on their hands. Though I wouldn’t say we are as super immersed in the politics of the Soviet Union around the Berlin Wall as I hoped, the emotions and fears of the time feel urgent, and they are reflected in the characters’ motives. We always feel like everything could come crashing down with the smallest misstep, which I think is good in a spy novel. It has all the necessary tension.
Towards the end, the title comes into play as the characters fall into balance with one another and begin to rise above their fears and doubts regarding a poly lesbian relationship within the confides of a dangerous job. Love can feel like levitation, making everything light and buoyant and wonderful, but that feeling was never earned. Their sexual scenes are scorching, and the dynamics of writing three women in one sex scene are handled perfectly, but the love aspect is still on the back burner.
Each character is individually well-crafted—Con’s struggles with violence, Timo’s protectiveness over her agents, and Cassiane’s restless all make sense and make for a great set of secret agent characters who play well off each other in the field. But I often got all three women mixed up when they interacted—their individual dynamics with each other didn’t feel as fully-fleshed as they could be. A successul poly romance needs those little details to be truly great.
I’ve really loved most of Cannon’s books, so this one was just a little disappointing in the end. I never got as deep into his characters’ minds as I usually do, and their chemistry just never jumped off the page. This is a gripping spy book, but as a romance, I was just left wanting more....more
With one quick scan of the blurb, I was immediately excited to get reading. An androgynous biker chick and a runaway mafia princess finding forbidden love in the unforgiving Nevada desert? Yes, please! I’ve also been consistently intrigued by the scope of works the writing duo K.A. Merikan (using the alternative pen name Miss Merikan) tackle. Their romance interests reach far and wide, and I admire their adventurous writing spirits.
I love how this book begins—our runaway bride Mona, taking a bus to nowhere, still decked out in her wedding dress, finds herself suddenly onstage at a seedy strip club filled with bikers. And the one biker who catches her eye is Rain, the gorgeous woman who seems at home in the space but doesn’t have the same patches and status as the men around her. After a steamy dance and an extended one-night stand, Mona makes this small Nevada town a safe haven away from her family—and finds love with a cagey, overprotective biker.
Both of our main characters are really well-written. Mona is young, but she’s fiery and fiercely independent. She’s naïve but she manages to hold her own. She’s a good match for Rain, who has had a tough go of life as both a woman and a lesbian in her small community of MC members who will always look down on her. They both want something better from life, but there are always people in the way of letting them get it.
At first, the dynamic between Rain and Mona was sloppy, even if their chemistry burned. Rain was written too much like a male character in the way she treated and talked to Mona. In my experience, lesbians are nothing like straight men, and their dynamics with each other are very different. But as they became closer, we see that much of Rain’s bravado is just an act as she tries to fit in with her family, and we see the real Rain as she and Mona open up to each other. I also really enjoyed their sexual chemistry. Mona is a virgin at the start, but Rain is patient and gentle with her, showing all the ways women can make each other feel good.
Though Rain is close with her family and the tight-knit Smoke Valley MC, I often got pissed on her behalf. There’s a lot of really casual sexual harassment and violence in this book, more than I was expecting, and I wish Rain’s father and brothers were more supportive. I often so badly wanted Rain to just take Mona and start somewhere new, preferably with her own club, but it’s just not that kind of book. It’s about carving space that you deserve rather than starting off on your own, which is admirable in a different way, I suppose. I can’t say I was totally on board with the ending—I don’t think Mona got the ending she deserved—but it works with the characters and setting.
At first, I was put off by some of the callousness of this book, but by the end, this really becomes a story with a lot of heart, emotion, and real drama that keeps you invested. My favorite Merikan work so far!...more
Some books demand your full attention right from the start, and Imminent Dawn is one of them. It’s a complex, meaty sci-fi thriller that switches points of view at a lightning pace, showing us half a dozen key players within EMPATHY—a test study of an implant that allows its users to access the internet and connect with each other inside their minds. Everyone has their own motives and own agendas, their own loyalties and secrets, and as the project becomes more and more challenging, the relationships quickly erode.
Taking place in a slick, uber-organized future, this story begins right as the implant finally works for one of their test subjects, Chandra. Chandra only wants EMPATHY so she can connect with her wife, who is in a coma after an accident. But the creator of the implant, Wyatt Halman, and his three adult children all want Chandra to be the face if the project, despite Chandra’s continuing questions about the implant’s effectiveness. We also see the story through Meredith, a cynical reporter who wants to reveal what’s really going on behind the secretive study, and Ariel, an underappreciated Halman aid who gets in over her head with a bit of destructive code.
There are a lot of characters in this book, and some are better than others. I was the most invested in the Halman family and the dysfunctional relationship with each other and their empire. The patriarch, Wyatt, wants to leave behind a legacy, but his kids don’t inspire much hope, despite their devotion. And his continuing grief for his late wife mars all of his decision-making when it comes to EMPATHY. Meredith is the most relatable, realistic character, and Chandra’s love for her wife is the heart of the book. We really get to know and understand everyone as the drama unfolds.
However, it’s impossible to ignore all of the terrible decisions these characters make. We’re led to believe these are bright, brilliant people—scientists, doctors, artists, writers. But they make rash judgments and silly errors at every turn. Meredith is supposedly a brilliant journalist, yet she never seems to ask the right questions or really even write anything of substance. And Ariel and Chandra blunder their way through grade-school espionage, failing to understand basic computer and security protocols even though they live in and work for some of the most tech-savvy people in the world. Even smaller characters like hackers and security guards make silly mistakes that feel more like cop-outs than real conflicts. I know these are supposed to be real people, not slick secret agents, but common sense was so lacking that they seemed more like teenagers than rational adults.
There are some absolutely thrilling bits of sci-fi, though, that kept me completely on edge. I held my breath when Chandra’s implant was hacked and she was basically body-snatched by an AI virus who controlled her like a puppet. And I was completely stunned by a scene in which Wyatt uses a specific brain in a test study without thinking of the consequences beforehand. There are a lot of weird missteps in characterization in this book, but in contrast, there are some excellent, action-packed scenes that kept me invested.
Though I wouldn’t recommend this book to a lot of readers, I’m intrigued by the idea of a sequel. This first installment is basically page after page of characters making terrible decisions, and the second book seems to be about them having to deal with the fallout. I think Campbell will take it up a notch and really raise the stakes for Chandra, Meredith, and what remains of the Halman clan. This is a book for a patient reader, one who doesn’t mind a long book that takes time to pick up steam. I think the payoff will be excellent, but I hope that the next book works through some of the pacing issues to make it the true thriller it wants to be....more
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