Lorix

My life in one picture.

Oh such a lovely short story. Thanks Justin for the recommendation, you have great taste.

With a little help from the UM (cos I'm atrocious with comps) I've transferred my books! It is a pretty site!

3.5 - that's not a bad rating, I really enjoyed it, there are just oher books I've enjoyed more. I liked the characters, particulalry CAine, i appreciated his attitude. Macklin was good too and I liked the fact that it was set in Australia was a nice change (I used to love a programme called McLeods Daughters adn this brought to mind the setting of that).

An enjoyable read that didn't set my heart (or loins) on fire but was perfect for a mellow evenings reading.

Okay, I'm not sure I'll ever figure this place out - but then I thought the same about tumblr and GR and I managed it. And thank god for Natasha - it's not a jB free zone. Phew.

Mmmm. Another college, first time romance book and another hit for me. Connor is the shy guy at college, the one who can barely utter his own name without tripping over his tongue who earns a little extra money tutoring and Jared is the popular football player who needs a little extra tuition.
JAred would, at first glance appear to be everything that Connor isn't - popular, outgoing, athletic... Yet when it comes down to it they are both gay guys still in the closet. Jared is the one who tries it on with Connor for a start and the boost it gives Connor is amazing, though still painfully shy he does start to come out of his shell a little with JAred. It seems like the relationship is a good thing - but when you dig deeper it becomes apparent that maybe it actually isn't. As they are both in the closet they spend all their time together alone in Connor's room. and Connor becomes quite dependant on Jared. Though he starts to gain confidence when it just the two of them he still has a real inferiority complex. I found it very easy to sympathise with Connor.
As well as being a great student, Connor plays the violin and it is his stand partner, Rebecca, who really helps Connor deal with his shyness. She invites him into her group of friends and accepts him, without pushing for too much for him. She is the first person to figure out he is gay and is the one who is there for him when things go wrong between Jared and him.
I loved all the characters in this book - Sara Alva manages the dynamics of them beautifully. I enjoyed the way Connor and Jared almost changed places in the story as Connor's confidence started to grow and he became more relaxed within himself and Jared started to doubt himself, Jared particularly found it hard to admit to others he was gay.
This was a story where you really fell for and feel for the characters - you live through their experiences with them. I can truly say I loved both Connor and Jared and felt every moment of joy and pain they both had. I haven't even mentioned the nastiness that was Connor's family, his younger sister was a saving grace.
I think this is a couple who still have a lot to give and would love it if another story was written about them - as this is probably not going to happen I shall enjoy the one we were given. An emotional roller-coaster for anyone who loves a story with 'feels' in it. A real pleasure to read.

I am going to read this book every month, for forever. I loved it. Short, but sweet and totally, totally romantic. Jordan and Owen - I love them. It's brilliant. Read it.

I really, really loved this story. I loved the first person voice it was written in, Alex is a great character and so funny. I absolutely 100% believed the romance between Alex and Dexter. Andie is one of the funniest and best written characters I have come across in a long time.

The dynamics of the friendship between the main characters was great, I thought the diary and IM format that was used to write this worked well. I loved how Alex's family were so laid back - what a nice change from over anxious parents!

This book was such a light, funny read I'd totally recommend it to anyone (and thanks Lolita for the recommendation).

This would totally have had a 5 star rating from me, if it wasn't for the annoying mix of English and American. The book was set in England - but too many of the words/facts were American. If it had been set in America this wouldn't have bothered me at all, but as it wasn't, it really did niggle after a while. Mom - mum, you can't drive here until you're 17 and Alex was only 16, mid term - half term, candied apples - toffee apples. Every one irked me and took me out of the story to have a little rant to myself, which was a shame because other than this I totally loved the story!

Okay, I'm rating these two together as they seemed like 1 book to me, not 2 separate stories. I loved the relationship between Finn and Ari - this was best in book two as they were in the same dimension. I mean I think they were hot together, I really liked them. I liked the secondary characters. I liked the sci fi premise - but I don't feel this was delivered on as much as it could have been.

Now I'm not a big sci fi reader but there was so much potential for this element of this book that I was slightly disappointed with it. I loved the romance but it did feel like the the whole two dimensions thing was just a way to try and make getting these two together a bit different. It was a good book - expand the promised storyline it could have been a great book.

I'm still going to read other stuff by Chris Owen because I really loved the relationship in the book - and after all it is a romance!

I really liked this - except for the fact that it is doing what a lot of books seem to now and finishing half way through the story. I'm not keen on this trend of splitting a book to make two - yeah good marketing ploy, but heartbreaking when you realise the resolution is a whole book (or more) away. I don't mind series of books (GoT, Gentleman Bastards etc) as at least each book is a whole story,but there now seems to be a trend for books just suddenly ending at what I would consider half way through the story. As I said, it's a great marketing ploy though!!

Will review properly when I've read the next volume (see marketing ploy in action) as I can't wait to find out what happens to Ari and Finn.

I really enjoyed this book. Marty is a pick-up man on the rodeo circuit and he is openly gay, unfortunately his lover, rodeo rider Trick isn't. We start the story with Marty saving Trick from an angry bull in the ring and getting hurt himself for his trouble. Trick is so in his closet that he can't even come over to Marty as a friend, in case it is misinterpreted. As Marty lays there injured, and is then taken to hospital, he realises that he can't live his life like this, he can't be the lover of someone who barely dares to acknowledge him in public. Although it breaks his heart, he calls it off with Trick. We follow the story as Trick tries to get Marty back and the obstacles and stumbling blocks that they come across.

This wasn't an overly complicated story, it was what it was - the story of Trick overcoming difficulties and long term fears to be able to accept love. And perhaps more importantly, to be able to accept himself. Prejudices that have been with him a long time need to be looked at, fears addressed.

I liked the contrast between Marty and Trick - the confident 'out' pick up man and the closeted cowboy. The family backgrounds that contributed to their current character's - how sometimes it really is as simple as being accepted by those you love. I liked how LC Chase shows that having a team of loving family and friends can give you strength in the face of prejudice. Trick shows how easy it is to feel alone. I appreciated the contrast in fortunes between Trick and his childhood friend - it shows him that his destiny is in his hands, he is the only one who can fight his own fears.

The thing I liked particularly about this story is how strongly Trick and Marty feel about each other - but how Marty is also true to himself and won't settle for being hidden. Knowing your own self worth is very important.

This is the first in a series of books and I love the questions LC Chase has put in place about some of the secondary characters and I'm hoping their story will be in a book soon. I know I will be reading more from this author.

4.5

I have a love/hate relationship with these books. So much about them irritates me - yet I can't put them down once I start reading.

As much as the references to 'the beautiful' people in these stories annoyed the living daylights out of me, as much as Jory being fed every two seconds (admittedly there was less of this in vol 2)annoyed me even further, as much as Jory doing a disappearing act every two seconds was just unbelievable - I was compelled to read, and what's more I enjoyed it. I honestly can't think of another example of a book where I could list all the bits I didn't like and still have been unable to put it down.

Jory and Sam are great, even with their irritating ways. Maybe it's just me being a grump, god knows I can be. The story did venture into the realms of the unbelievable - I still didn't put it down. Jory should by rights have been head hunted by the FBI for the amount of evidence he found that the police didn't and Sam, where does he get off bossing Jory around and telling him he belongs to him? (BTW - don't stop Sam, I loved it - even though I hated it).

So really vol 2 left me as confused as vol 1 - I will have to check out more Mary Calmes books, even if it is like looking at clown porn.

3.75

I am finding this very hard to review and evaluate, I'm also combining the first 2 books together as that is the download I bought. I will do my very best to explain my feelings on these books.

Firstly I have to say that as soon as I've written this I am buying the next book in the series - I can't leave the story like that, so yes I absolutely want to carry on reading, I spent a rainy (it's England!) Sunday unable to put these books down, unless absolutely forced to, and I will recommend them - even though bits of them really, really annoyed me. Confused? Yeah me too.

Firstly I'd heard/read several bits about Jory and Sam so was eager to read about them. I'd read quite a lot of negative stuff about Sam - but you know what, I really liked the guy. In fact it was Jory I wanted to shake (and I really liked Jory too), as was said at (one of) their reconciliations, Jory could have spoken to Sam, given him a little bit of time instead of just running.

The characters in general I liked. EXCEPT, and this is one thing that bugged the living daylights out of me, apparently every single one of them had walked off a 'worlds most beautiful' photo shoot. Now I like my characters pretty - of course I do, but I hate having it rammed down my throat every two seconds just how beautiful they are. Less is more. Also, with book characters especially, the picture is built in the readers head so, even though there maybe some description, each reader has their own image of a character. So regardless of the physical description (apart from the obvious big, small, white, black, blond, dark, ginger etc) the character reflects their personality, in my head at least. So if I like them they will be good-looking - beauty is in the eye of the (beholder) reader. I don't need to be told every two seconds they are the most beautiful thing ever seen (and this was a lot of the characters, it certainly weren't uglyville).

So yeah, that was a bug bear, however, as I said I liked the characters. Jory was cheeky, straightforward (mostly)and likeable. Sam was a typical alpha, but I felt his passion for Jory, I really did. it gave me several stomach clenching, heart squeezing moments. The other characters were great too, the boss, families, work colleagues, I enjoyed them.

The story was good, the writing enjoyable - though on a couple of occasions I did get lost who was speaking when, and had to retrace the conversation - it was probably just me!

The twists and turns and together/apart, bits of the plot gave me a little whiplash at times, but nothing I couldn't cope with. And, I mean, talk about a good old cliff hanger at the end of each story! If they weren't going to keep you reading, I don't know what would.

I don't usually like writing about the bits that irritate me in a book (unless I'm asked to) but as I am going to read the next one, and am recommending this, I want to ask; what is the obsession with food? Poor Jory was constantly being fed by EVERYONE, and every time he went anywhere with Sam he ended up stuck in the kitchen cooking. What? It annoyed me, but - and I say this loudly - NOT ENOUGH TO PUT ME OFF THE BOOKS.

So, as I said at the beginning, I am in a real quandary as to how to rate this. I appreciate all the work the author has put in but....(she says, flicking over to ARe to get the next book).