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Blame It on the Mistletoe – Eli Easton
When physics grad student Fielding Monroe and skirt-chaser and football player Mick Colman become college housemates, they’re both in for a whole new education. Mick looks out for the absent-minded genius, and he helps Fielding clean up his appearance and discover all the silly pleasures his strict upbringing as a child prodigy denied him. They become best friends.
It’s all well and good until they run into a cheerleader who calls Mick the ‘best kisser on campus.’ Fielding has never been kissed, and he decides Mick and only Mick can teach him how it’s done. After all, the physics department’s Christmas party is coming up with its dreaded mistletoe. Fielding wants to impress his peers and look cool for once in his life. The thing about Fielding is, once he locks onto an idea, it’s almost impossible to get him to change his mind. And he just doesn’t understand why his straight best friend would have a problem providing a little demonstration.
Mick knows kissing is a dangerous game. If he gives in, it would take a miracle for the thing not to turn into a disaster. Then again, if the kissing lessons get out of hand they can always blame it on the mistletoe.
I’m happy to say my first Eli Easton book was a surprise hit. I didn’t read the blurb beforehand so I was totally blank when I started listening but the narrator, Jason Frazier, was so good at it and boy did it turn out to be utterly adorkable!
Mick Colman was looking for a housemate and eventually landed on Physics geek extraordinaire Fielding Monroe. The two hit if off really well, became BFFs until Fielding ask Mick to teach him how to kiss. This would have been all sorts of awkward between two friends but Fielding, not keen on social cues, was relentless. This lead Mick, who has always considered himself straight, to ask questions about himself.
This novella packs a lot of goodies: jock-and-nerd + gay-for- you + roommates-to-lovers + best-friends-to-lovers. There’s snappy dialogue and dry humor. The writing is that type you can breeze through in one sitting. Despite the lightness of the writing, the whole thing was so sweet and emotional, you should avoid reading it in public lest you end up with a silly grin all over your face. I know I was smiling like crazy when I was listening to it.
Fielding is a joy to listen to. He revels in simple everyday things he missed growing up, like snow-ball fights and DVDs. His child-like glee, good nature and exuberance were contagious. Frazier’s voice for him perfectly captured his geeky but lovable personality. Mick couldn’t help but like him the first time they met. It would have been easy to hate Mick being a man-whore and a jock but he endeared himself for being kind-hearted, loyal and always looking out for Fielding. His confusion and anxiety, though understandable, were really funny. Frazier’s voice for him was on point as well, capturing everything from seductive player, all around nice guy, to “but I’m straight?!” self-debate and the momentous
“It was so… fuck. And it was… damn.
“
Definitely a highly recommended Christmas treat!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Kiss Kiss Kiss
Artist: John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Album: Double Fantasy(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18776908-blame-it-on-the-mistletoe)
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Fence #3 – C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad
As Nicholas works to become a better fencer, Seiji takes an unexpected interest in his journey.
Getting really good and getting really queer. Hints of Nicolas’ parentage, OTPs and cannons, crash course on fencing and of course, cliffhangers.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Competition
Artist: Matt Pond PA
Album: Measure(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37554812-fence-3)
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REVIEW: Cask Strength by Layla Reyne
Agents Irish and Whiskey: Cask Strength – Layla Reyne
Professionally, the FBI team of Aidan “Irish” Talley and Jameson “Whiskey” Walker is as good as it gets, closing cases faster than any team at the Bureau. Personally, it’s a different story. Aidan’s feelings for Jamie scare the hell out of him: he won’t risk losing another love no matter how heart-tripping the intimacy between them. And loss is a grim reality with the terrorist Renaud still on their trail, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.
Going undercover on a new case gets them out of town and off the killer’s radar. They’re assigned to investigate an identity theft ring involving a college basketball team in Jamie’s home state, where Jamie’s past makes him perfect for the role of coach. But returning to the court brings more than old memories.
As secrets and shocking betrayals abound, none may be more dangerous than the one Jamie’s been keeping: a secret about the death of Aidan’s husband that could blow his partner’s world apart and destroy forever the fragile bonds of trust and love building between them.
This was marginally better than the first. For one, this airport scene is the best:
Mouth dry, heart racing, cheeks burning, Jamie’s fingers twitched with the urge to weave through the long red strands. Reaching down instead, he grabbed his phone, held it between his palms, and wedged his clasped hands between his knees, forestalling his impulse. He tried to force out a “hello,” but his brain refused to cooperate, all the blood in his body having raced south where his jeans became painfully tight.
Fuck.
He was gone. So far gone. Past casual, past a crush, past simple attraction.Poor Jamie!
I am now also mildly interested in the mystery of Aidan’s late husband’s connection with the terrorist and what Mel’s doing. I think this Renaud mystery could have been solved in book one already but book two had to end with a cliffhanger so we have to read the third book just to see things through. What a hassle! The basketball story was nothing spectacular and there were elements of predictability. It was pretty easy to guess the mastermind behind the identity theft ring once the character was introduced.
As I listened to the audio book, I love Aidan laying his Irish accent on thick as part of his disguise as sports agent. Jamie as Whiskey Walker, assistant coach was a good hiding-in-plain-sight twist with the added complication of his ex showing up on campus. I am still not a fan of the partners-to-lovers trope as shown here because there were too many emotional entanglements and unnecessary drama. It made the two agents who were otherwise competent, seem unprofessional and too emotionally compromised to do their jobs properly. Thank god for Cam, the voice of reason and sense, who didn’t even bat an eyelash at the scandalous photos nor made any snide comments at how the two agents are carrying on.
So, I’m still not getting why it has such high ratings in GR. Granted, there has been some improvements but I wouldn’t really go out of my way to recommend this series.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Why Oh Why
Artist: Spearhear & Michael Franti
Album: Chocolate Supa Highway(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34033755-cask-strength)
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Fence #2 – C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad
As Seiji and Nicholas struggle with their living arrangement, the competition heats up.
I’m feeling the heat! Lovely meeting the rest of this wonderfully diverse gang.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Campus
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Album: Vampire Weekend(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36501268-fence-2)
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Would it be Okay to Love You? – Amy Tasukada
A robot fanboy. An erotic voice actor. When love comes calling, will they shed their armor?
Sato’s only long-term relationship is the one he shares with his Gundam collectibles. He dreams about the kind of unconditional love his parents enjoy. If only he could break out of his shell, he might find his special someone…
Outgoing playboy Aoi has sworn off relationships. He knows they only distract him from his budding voice acting career. He’s earned a few loyal fans, and if he keeps at it, he may even earn enough to never worry about being evicted again…
When Sato meets Aoi at the local anime store, there’s definitely a spark. But even as they tread carefully, their commitment issues and Aoi’s troubled past soon muck things up before they can start. In order for Sato and Aoi to have their happily-ever-after, they’ll both have to take a leap of faith… and hope to be caught.
Would It Be Okay to Love You? is the first book in a gay romance series set in Japan. If you like original characters, nerd culture, and simmering chemistry, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s charming multicultural love story.
If Blood Stained Tea was a homage to everything BL, Would it be Okay to Love You is a bombastic overload of everything Japanese pop culture from Gundam kits and VK to seiyuu in-store meets and megane moe. I love everything Japanese but I couldn’t help but find the whole thing cringy as it was so tropey and weaboo-ish. Maybe it was meant as a tribute to everything the author love about Japan (the kind of Japan you see on the internet) but a little subtlety and sophistication can go a long way.
Heavy-handedness aside, the romance was sweet and fluffy and the couple was adorable. Aoi is a smol power topper whose every other line was an innuendo but he didn’t come across as a sleaze. Sato is a virginal, number crunching geek who won trophies for pen spinning. It’s the opposite attracts kind of thing that came together in a delicious slow-burn process. The secondary characters were all likable and I have a special shoutout to Michiko, a girl after my own heart.
The writing is still amateurish, the plot was pretty much standard but maybe the author was going for less high brow, more fanfiction-y, fan servicey anime-ish kind of story. I have come to the conclusion that it’s Amy Tasukada schtick so I just need to get over it and think of it as a BL manga in prose form. With that in mind, I’m just going ahead and see if I could get my hands on book 2.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Sekaijuu de Ichiban Taisetsu na Mono
Artist: Charlotte
Album:(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36182496-would-it-be-okay-to-love-you)
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A Charm of Magpies: Jackdaw – K.J. Charles
If you stop running, you fall.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. His betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.
Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, the policeman and the thief must find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them…
A Charm of Magpies linked story, set after Flight of Magpies. Previously published by Samhain.
This is such a delightful, joyful read!
It was a treat to meet Lucien Crane, Stephen Day, Merrick and Saint once again. To see them from the eyes of Ben was double the treat. Crane was still his charming arrogant self and Merrick and Saint got married. I have always loved seeing Day at his job. He’s always been good at it. I never got over his decision.
Jackdaw follows Ben Spenser and Jonah Pastern as they escape the justiciars and the Met. Through out all these, they try to deal with their past relationship, misunderstandings and hurts until they finally found peace in Pellore, Cornwall.
Jonah’s carefree, vibrant attitude just pops out of the page. Charles did a brilliant job creating vivid pictures of windwalking. I could practically feel the wind and see the sky and feel that tingling feeling you get when you are at a high place. Ben was the steadfast, serious type, a good grounding point and conscience for his flighty lover. I felt sorry for the two of them. I think they were trying really hard.
The writing was excellent as always. The words just flow in a way that you couldn’t stop reading. I love the wit, the humor and all the feels. There was just the right amount of angst, pain and hurt to get the point across without plunging into the depths of unbearable misery that is painful to read. For me, this book is bright afternoon sunshine, the kind that makes you hop on your bicycle, pedal up a hill and swoop down with your arms out, wind in your face.
P.S.
To fully appreciate Jackdaw, please read the A Charm of Magpie Series firstRating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Blood Under My Belt
Artist: The Drums
Album: Abysmal Thoughts(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34861586-jackdaw)
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Captive Prince: Pet – C.S. Pacat
Pet follows the rise of Ancel at the poisonous court of Vere. Set during the events of Captive Prince.
OMG! It was sooo good! I didn’t even remember Ancel until Pacat revisited the garden scene. And that last line!
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect
Soundtrack: Evergreen
Artist: Echo & the Bunnymen
Album: Evergreen -
A Love Song for the Sad Man in the White Coat – Roe Horvat
Simon had always expected love to feel different than this. Whether it was his Catholic upbringing or the poetry he’d read – Simon had thought that true love would be uplifting, fulfilling, that it would give a meaning to his loitering, and add joy to his leisure. But not this kind of love. This love was a flesh-eating monster, sharp-clawed and evil-eyed, ravishing his mind with medieval cruelty.
Dr Simon Mráz is a respected specialist and lecturer at the Charles University in Prague. He is a serious man, responsible. His students call him The Cruel Doctor Frost not because he’s unkind, but because of his unwavering, ice-cold composure. As a psychiatrist, he values sanity. And sanity can be found in work, restraint, and self-control.
Not many know of that one time in the past when The Cruel Doctor Frost lost his cool. His ill-advised, secret affair with a student left Simon deeply wounded. Since that day, every minute of Simon’s life has been a struggle to remain sane, functioning. He’s managed so far – as long as he is needed, as long as his work makes a difference, Simon can scrape together enough strength to get up in the morning and run off the nightmares. But when his friends begin drifting away, his beloved protégé becomes independent, and the man who bereaved Simon of his precious sanity might return… Simon’s mind and body stop responding to his impressive willpower.
Some authors write fictional books that are semi-autobiographical. Based on their (Horvat’s pronoun) books, I’m guessing Roe Horvat used to work in a university, possibly in a psychiatric medicine-related field. I also suspect that they might have become involved with a student in a more personal level. But that’s just me speculating.
The story started with Matej, making his daring move on Dr. Simon Mraz which paid off really well. They had an affair then Matej disappeared leaving Simon and Marta, Matej’s sister, to cope with the loss.
Unfortunately, I felt an irrational annoyance towards Matej for leaving these people without closure. Logically, I know he had his reasons, abusive father, trauma and what not, but to disappear without any contact for years seemed selfish. I didn’t warm up to Simon. People kept saying he was cold, logical and rational which would normally make me like him but he just came across as miserable, restless and empty but that is mostly probably the author’s point. Simon showed signs of the big D and having gone through that myself, I totally understand where he’s coming from but reading about it is not pleasant.
I know it’s not doing the book justice but I skipped part two because I didn’t feel like going through the details of what happened in the past. Most of the stuff there, I already know from part one but you might want to check it out for the steam and the fluff.
Part three was the best part, in my opinion. Here, we meet the present day Matej whom I could finally forgive and it was quite refreshing to see Simon get hammered. My favorite characters were Mike, Lukas’ boyfriend and Marta. They bought joy and lightness in what was otherwise a dismal atmosphere. The reunion was an emotional nuclear bomb but the resolution came on gentle tiptoes after some opiods and alcohol. It was all worth it.
Even if it hits close to home, reading about missing someone or somebody with mental disorders is never enjoyable for me and it doesn’t necessarily make me sympathetic to the characters. But what I loved most about the book is that I am given a clear picture of real Czech people and Eastern Europe. None of the touristy stuff such as those found here but a real insider perspective. This is particularly interesting for me because this is half-way across the world and I would probably never get to visit these places in my lifetime. I also liked how Horvat casually throws around indie and literary references without seeming like a pretentious name dropper. Bjork, Radiohead, Henry Rollins, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, they’re all in there along with Rimbaud, Terry Pratchett and Cards Against Humanity. Simon and Matej AND Horvat know their stuff.
Overall, some people might go for the feels but I went for the realism. Read it for a good dose of both.
Rating
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Red Eyes and Tears
Artist: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Album: B.R.M.C.(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36697128-a-love-song-for-the-sad-man-in-the-white-coat)
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The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Tea – Amy Tasukada
A bloody past haunts him. A devastating present calls him back…
Nao hides from his violent past in the Japanese mob by opening a teahouse in Japan’s cultural center, Kyoto. His past comes flooding back when he discovers a gravely injured man with a tattooed chest, a bloody knife, and a Korean business card.
Saehyun would’ve died if not for Nao’s help. He knows nothing of his savior’s connection with the local mafia, but Saehyun has his own secrets. He commands the Korean mafia, the mortal enemy of Nao’s former syndicate.
As Nao and Saehyun grow closer, so does the strength of the Korean mob. A shocking murder pulls Nao back into a past he’d all but abandoned. War is looming, and Nao must choose between protecting Saehyun or avenging the honor of his old mafia family.
Most of the time, you can tell when an Asian themed book is written by a westerner for westerners by how, for the lack of a better word, “touristy” it is. While Japanese authors like Higashino Keigo or Minato Kanae would just write about deceptively normal, everyday things without feeling the need to showcase the cultural aspects, a western author usually goes out of their way to highlight customs foreigners usually associate with Japan such as geisha, samurai, yakuza and the likes, to keep that exotic Japanese vibe going. Which is why, I am always wary of western authors writing about Asian stuff for a western audience
Some authors can pull it off very well. For example, Trash by Andy Mulligan did a great job portraying third world street kids without going through the usually stereotypes. I could tell Mulligan really spent a lot of time with them because at one point, the story mentioned that these kids had a certain smell that marked them as street kids even after they bathed. This is very, very true. Kids living on the streets had a distinct tangy, rusty, earthy smell that remains even if they’re clean.
In the first book of The Yakuza Path series, Blood Stained Tea, Amy Tasukada did the usual touristy tour of Kyoto (shrines, festivals, yukata) then topped it with generous servings of anime and BL sauce starting with that opening scene of saving an abandoned person in the rain, then moving on to The Fever and The Porridge, teasing the cat with a feather toy trick, floppy hair hiding the eyes maneuver, the “I can’t say it yet” hesitance, meek man with berserker alter ego and much, much more. Go see for yourself, play a game of catch that trope and see how many you can find. The only thing missing is an actual description saying Nao looks like a girl but “Nao is a girl’s name” comes close. The writing, characters and plot are amateurish but I found it amusing. Saehyun and Nao behaved like adolescent boys in their first love affair instead of hardened mafia members. Funnily enough, Nao didn’t get along with the most sensible characters of the book, Sakai, the lawyer and Takeo, the reluctant bodyguard who had to be killed off.
The simplistic and naive dealings of our couple went on for about 80% of the book (i’m trying to avoid the word but yeah, they were both stupid as in the smart guys who should know better than to fuck up and/or fuck kind of stupid) until finally, finally, FINALLY! Nao got his shit together then went on his badass shadow assassin mode, discovered his inner god and wrecked havoc worthy of Kenshin Himura in battousai rage. That safehouse scene was worth the 300+ pages of protagonist blunder and anime rip off. Yes, we get the much awaited “suki desu” moment but no, you’re not going to be happy about it. It’s not that kind of romance story. In addition, for me, it counts in the novel’s favor that it is shounen ai. Although the language is explicit and there’s blood and gore, the smexy scenes get a fade out treatment.
Overall, it’s not the most well-executed or sophisticated of gay yakuza romance dramas but well… a fujoshi wrote it, a fujoshi might like it.
P.S. I haven’t read light novels but this must be what light novels are like.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Haruki on the Road
Artist: Amazarashi
Album: Chihou Toshino Memento Mori(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33152873-blood-stained-tea)
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Tork & Adam: If I Should Stumble – Claire Davis & Al Stewart
Love is sure and timeless and forever. It whispers over the morning coffee and the last thought before sleep. Love is beyond hope, and cruel as life.
Kaz has been in the UK for almost a year, but the days pass by in an endless round of alcohol and nothingness. He has a story but no words good or bad enough to tell it, until one day, he is assigned a new peer mentor who asks him to help train a sponsored running team. Something that was stretched as old parchment breaks inside, and memories begin to re-surface.
Zack is overjoyed when his friend Adam asks him to be part of the sponsored run team trying to make money for the local homeless shelter. All day he makes cakes to lighten people’s load, but something is missing from his life. Then he meets the boy with eyes like the desert, and with every step he runs, Zack’s light burns away the darkness in Kaz’s heart.
As the race heats gets nearer, Tork, Adam, Zack and Jo realise that under Kaz’s careful programme, they have a chance to qualify and set right some of the wrongs of this world.
This book features the characters Tork and Adam from The Invasion of Tork and The Invasion of Adam.
Reading about Kaz feeling guilty about liking boys, I wanted to shake him and tell him, it’s totally OK. Somehow I have taken it for granted because there are gays and lesbians everywhere here in my country, that in other places and other people still find it hard to come to terms with their sexuality. I’m so used to the fact that there is usually no big to-dos about coming out here. What usually happens is that a boy starts to get swishy at an early age, wears shorts that are too short, would more or less join gay beauty pageants and/or date another boy. People might make some insulting comments at first, then get used to the fact and would just treat them normally. I think it really helps that most gay guys have a great sense of humor so people tend to like them.
So I’m sorry Kaz, I wasn’t feeling your pain. But go! GIve Zack a hug, a kiss, whatever…be happy!!! Like Tork and Adam. You all deserve it.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
Soundtrack: Everytime I Thought About It I’d Burst Into Tears
Artist: Hello, Psychaleppo
Album: Gool ‘lah(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32742275-if-i-should-stumble)
