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A Full Plate – Kim Fielding
Opposites come together for a spicy surprise.
Bradford “Tully” Tolliver has everything—money, a great car, a beautiful condo, and a promising career as one of Portland’s hottest young lawyers. Sure, he puts in long hours and has no social life to speak of, but who needs romance when corporations pay top dollar for his expertise? He hesitates when a colleague asks if her cousin can live with him, but the arrangement will last less than a year, and then the cousin—Sage Filling—will return to his tiny hometown.
But Sage is handsome and intriguing, and his cooking makes Tully swoon. Sage has obligations back home, though, and Tully has offers he might not refuse from a persistent—and very wealthy—ex. Since Tully and Sage each have a full plate, can they make room for a side of love?
This is not the book to read if you are on a diet. This book is full of sumptuous, mouth-watering food and men moaning in culinary ecstasy. You have been warned.
Bradford “Tully” Tolliver never expected how good a deal he got when he agreed to house Sage Filling as a favor to his co-worker and friend, Carrie who was Sage’s cousin. Sage turned out to be a genius in the kitchen and soon Tully, who probably couldn’t boil an egg to save his life, was eating the best meals of his life (hence the moans). Major bonus is the fact that Sage was really nice and handsome. Tully found himself intensely attracted to Sage but as Sage declared that “he had his plate full”, Tully kept his hands off.
I really liked Tully because when he says he will keep his distance, he really kept his distance and when that annoying Eddy Harrington tried to go beyond the lawyer-client relationship, he was really adamant in keeping things professional to the point of socking his client when Eddy kissed him. And even though he was a hotshot corporate lawyer, he is such a decent human being. He generously bought Sage all the fancy kitchen gadgets he could play with and he always treated Sage like an equal even though Sage was poor.
Sage would probably win the grand slam titles of best dad, best cook and best boyfriend. He is also one of the hardest working book people I know, slaving in the kitchen all night and still have enough energy to cook some food for Tully, and drive 200 miles every week to see his daughter. I very much prefer this Sage to the other Sage found in K. Sterling’s In the Kill as this Sage can make his own mozzarella, cook a variety of international dishes from Thai, Filipino. Italian to Croatian and has encyclopedic knowledge of all things culinary.
The book is from Tully’s POV and I think the story worked really well from his perspective. This is like a Cinderella tale in reverse where the prince found his love in the guise of a pauper. The book had that characteristic Kim Fielding brand of magic, full of those fluffy, endearing moments that trigger warm fuzzy feelings. Tully and Sage had great chemistry together and I am beyond happy that there were no big misunderstandings. In keeping with the fairy tale theme, both men knew that their relationship had a deadline because Sage needed to go back to his hometown and they tried to make the most of the time left. In the end the prince gave up his castle to live in an old house in a boring rural town full of nosy relatives with the love of his life. And they couldn’t be happier.
P.S.
I am so glad Paul put Eddy Harrington out of his misery. The man was a giant pest.
Rating
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Fruits & Vegetables
Artist: Shonen Knife
Album: Brand New Knife(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36258643-a-full-plate)
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Winter Kill – Josh Lanyon
Clever and ambitious, Special Agent Adam Darling (yeah, he’s heard all the jokes before) was on the fast track to promotion and success until his mishandling of a high profile operation left one person dead and Adam “On the Beach.” Now he’s got a new partner, a new case, and a new chance to resurrect his career, hunting a legendary serial killer known as The Crow in a remote mountain resort in Oregon.
Deputy Sheriff Robert Haskell may seem laid-back, but he’s a tough and efficient cop – and he’s none too thrilled to see feebs on his turf – even when one of the agents is smart, handsome, and probably gay. But a butchered body in a Native American museum is out of his small town department’s league. For that matter, icy, uptight Adam Darling is out of Rob’s league, but that doesn’t mean Rob won’t take his best shot.
So we know Special Agent Adam Darling is quite the looker and then we have this:
Having reached the airport in plenty of time, Adam had relaxed. He looked tired, there were shadows beneath his green eyes, but he smiled at Rob. He had an attractive, quirky smile—despite noticeably sharp incisors—and Rob was sorry again that the night before had been a one-time thing.
Fangs! Oh that’s just too cute!!
Usui Takumi as Adam Darling
“And we can always talk over the case, if it’ll make you feel better.” Rob was teasing him. Flirting with him? Adam smiled uncertainly. “True.”
“And then we can be back at work bright and early tomorrow morning.”
“Yes. That would be…”
Heaven? Sort of.
“See how easy that was?” Rob said. “Easiest decision you’ll make tonight.”
It was hard to tell in the grainy light, but Adam thought Rob winked.
Yuu Otosaka as Deputy Rob Haskell
Adam and Rob. I was neutral about these two until that fang incident mentioned above. That’s when I squee-ed (internally)! From that point forward, I was low-key cheering them on. Low-key because I need to keep a straight face. I’m reading this while there are other people around.
This is really good! I especially enjoyed Winter Kill because the mysteries (as there are several) kept me guessing, and for once, there were no loose threads left hanging. The story wrapped up and resolved things satisfactorily and though the ending was still in that characteristic abrupt style, it promised a HFN, which is realistic for the kind of relationship Adam and Rob have.
P.S.
After I realized this is the Adam Darling mentioned in The Art of Murder series and that Lanyon’s FBI agents live in the same world, it became a little game of anticipating who’s going to pop up in whose book. BAU chief Sam Kennedy made an appearance here and he was as menacing as ever. Special Agent JJ Russell was also present in the AoM series. I think, Tucker, Adam’s ex has a book of his own.
Rating
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Snow Day
Artist: Matt Pond PA
Album: Winter Songs(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17261670-winter-kill)
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Laws of Attraction: Damage Control – Kate McMurray
Senate candidate Parker Livingston chose his political dreams over a future with the man he loved. He lives with constant regret about not having Jackson Kane in his life. Or his bed. And when a strange woman is found murdered in Parker’s apartment, Jackson is the only person Parker trusts to help clear his name.
Jackson never forgave Parker for the way their relationship ended. He moved on, built a name for himself as a criminal defense attorney and swore he’d never let heartbreak back in. But when Parker shows up on his doorstep, wild-eyed and handsome and desperate for his help, Jackson can’t say no. Parker is a lot of things, but he’s no murderer.
Forced back together, searching for answers, their attraction returns with a vengeance. Any distraction—personal or professional—could be deadly. The murderer is still at large, and he’s made it clear one of them is his next victim.
If I get a dollar for every failed I’m-not-gonna-sleep-with-him self-promises these book people have, I would have enough money to replace this 8-year-old laptop with the latest Apple Macbook Pro. But then again, it’s not really a matter of if but of how many pages these people would last until they finally lose it.
Jackson Kane lasted until page 83 (213 page ebook version) and should have already been disbarred from law practice for getting involved with his ex, Parker Livingston’s case. Everybody, including Jack himself, was saying it was a terrible idea. Funny, Jack didn’t suffer any harmful consequences; nobody called him out plus he even got the love of his life back. But as somebody purported to be a damn good lawyer, his integrity is very questionable.
Park is the scion of the Livingston family, one of the oldest and wealthiest in New York. He has political ambitions, has funky dress sense and is good at handling media attention. He is also whiny and has “dabbled in pretty much every martial art that offers classes in New York City” but couldn’t even defend himself properly. Sure, the assailant has a gun but I’m pretty sure there’s some nifty krav maga move he can use to disarm him.
Murky ethics and wimpy-ass rich boys aside, this is a heartwarming story about first loves and second chances. Jack and Park were each other’s firsts and were in a committed relationship for eight years. One day, Park walked out of Jack’s life, his reasons for doing so remained unconvincing until the end. Park and Jack never entirely got over each other and the attraction remained mutually strong when they saw each other again after five years.The two were on the opposite side of the political spectrum. In addition, Jack was out while Park was back in the closet. Kate McMurray did a good job rekindling their romance as well as resolving these two conflicts so I’m sold on the romance part of the story.
The politics, I cannot comment on because I don’t know American politics but a look at the inner workings of a political campaign was interesting. This is something Strange Bedfellows, a similar book on gay politicians, failed to do, so I’m giving Damage Control extra props for showing me this side of political life.
The murder mystery was intriguing for the most part but the villain was as generic as they come. I wish the suspect has a more compelling motive for doing what he did. It would have added an extra layer of complexity had this part been made more sophisticated. .
I say this book is best enjoyed with liberal suspension of disbelief and tolerance of other people’s political stance. It is a romance novel at its core and at that point it, delivered a touching love story. Whether the rest of it works, depends entirely on your taste.
P.S.
I think Reed and Gavin deserves their own story. I liked these two so I’m hoping for a gay-for-you story for them.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Second Chance
Artist: Sounds Like Sunset
Album: We Could Leave Tonight.(source; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39777837-damage-control)
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The Shamwell Tales: Caught! – J.L. Merrow
You can run from the past…but the past runs faster.
Behind Robert’s cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He’s taken a job teaching in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn’t part of his plans. But he’s knocked for six—literally—by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils.
Sean works in pest control, rides a motorbike, and lives on a council estate. On the face of it, he shouldn’t have anything in common with Robert’s bow-tie, classic-car style and posh family background. Yet Robert is helpless to resist Sean’s roguish grin, and a rocky, excruciatingly embarrassing start doesn’t keep the sparks between them from flaring.
Despite Robert’s increasingly ludicrous attempts to keep his past where it belongs, his past hasn’t read the memo. And soon his secrets could be the very things that drive Sean away for good…
Warning: Contains the alarming misadventures of a pest control technician, a stepsister with a truly unfortunate name, and a young man who may have more bow ties than sense.
Hipster pretenses aside, I am of the opinion that bow ties are cool. Had I the physique to pull off tailored menswear with credibility, I would probably wear one myself.
Robert, effortlessly rocking that Dr. Who vibe, is just too cute for words. Unfortunately, Robert, gifted in Math but lacking in sense, is also hiding some sordid secrets that would come biting him in the ass. How he handled the situation when these secrets came calling was definitely not cute. However, his POV and observations were funny in that not-keen-on-social-cues kind of way
Sean, a pest control technician and a motorcycle riding ginger, is a nice guy but I think, him always being the first one to make an effort to reconcile when Robert was the stupidly rude one is just too much. I get a kick out of Sean getting a kick out of Robert’s dress sense but they seem to not have much in common other than the mutual attraction. Maybe mutual attraction is enough to work on for some people but it might work to the book’s advantage if we had Sean’s POV.
Rose, co-worker and BFF, is a voluptuous, recently single woman with a wicked sense of humor. As the voice of reason and snark, she has no problems telling Robert or any body what she thinks. She played mostly a sidekick/wingwoman role and although she did not actually come across as cardboard, it would have been nice if she did other things and had her happy ending too.
This is my first L.J. Merrow book and it certainly won’t be the last.
Points in the book’s favor are the delightful British humor and setting, and the wonderfully eccentric and quirky characters. The big misunderstanding was predictable and is the kind of plot device I’m tired of reading about although this was offset by the good parts. The writing is the fun, easy to digest kind that makes reading a breeze. Overall, a highly enjoyable read.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Chances
Artist: Athlete
Album: Tourist(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22030684-caught)
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To My Future Number 1 Fan – L.A. Witt
Struggling actor Adam Jacobsen was ready to pack up and leave Hollywood when a stranger gave him the encouragement he needed. Five years later, he’s made it, and when he wins his first major award, he dedicates it to the man who said “It could be you.”
Brian Stewart is stunned by the acceptance speech, and so are Adam’s fans. Immediately, both men find themselves swept up in a media frenzy. Everyone wants to know the man who gave Adam that much-needed boost—including Adam. When the guys finally meet again, a single talk show appearance isn’t enough. Before long, they’re flying to see each other at every opportunity.
But Adam’s career means being in a fishbowl. When word gets out that America’s biggest crush has a new boyfriend, the press and the public descend on Brian. Adam can’t protect him. Brian can’t handle the constant attention.
And something has to give before fame costs each man the love of his life.
This would make a super cute rom-com movie!
I haven’t read a lot but I think this is one of the better famous person falls in love with non-famous person stories. I’m thrilled with the concept as well as the execution of the plot.
“I…” He laughed self-consciously and flipped to a blank page. “I realized a long time ago how many servers in Los Angeles are actors trying to break into Hollywood. And it occurred to me that any one of them could be the next big thing. There’s no telling who it’ll be.” Some of the shyness faded as he looked right in my eyes and added, “It could be you.”
Those opening scenes were simply heartwarming and the acceptance speech got me teary-eyed. I was right there with them when the nerves and anticipation of their talk show meeting was almost too much to bear. It was a major aaw moment when Adam got choked up sharing the story of how a complete stranger turned his life around. Then they were finally face to face for the first time in five years…
There he was.
Adam stood up, and he smiled even bigger now. He came around the chairs and threw his arms around me, and all the butterflies vanished as I hugged him. He was shorter than I’d realized—I’d been seated the entire time we’d interacted at the diner—and I had two or three inches on him. We fit together, though. His embrace was tight and strong, and over the roar of the crowd I heard him whisper just loud enough for me and nobody else to hear, “Thank you.”
It was clear to both parties that the mutual attraction of that fateful day in the restaurant was still there. They decided to meet again and found they just clicked.
The honeymoon phase was generally smooth sailing which could be a bit boring depending on your taste. While some novels depend on miscommunication for conflict, Adam and Brian talked. They talked about about what they want in a relationship and what their limits are which is quite refreshing. A point of interest for those on a lookout for such things is that Adam, at 28, is still a virgin. I don’t know if this is a point of interest for people in the US but Brian is a male nurse. Male nurses are very common in my country so I’m not sure why Brian said there was a big deal about him being one. Whatever. I think it was pretty sweet how they dealt with each other with infinite patience. They just matched each other perfectly, the story could have ended right there when they first came out as a couple.
The conflict came in the way of paparazzi and social media. Brian shuns the spotlight, dreads it really due to some childhood experience. When they announced they were a couple, a shitstorm of vitriol from internet trolls hit. Brian claims the unwanted attention was not a deal breaker but it very nearly wrecked them. I was disappointed with Brian for even paying attention to these toxic people but fortunately, our boy rallied.
Yeah, this was wrong. I’d let the assholes win. It was no different than when I’d let my middle school tormentors chase me off the wrestling team or let the homophobic assholes in high school scare me off the baseball team. Or when, believing the classmates who’d convinced me I was stupid, I’d declined to take a test for Honors classes. Except it was different. This was way worse. I wasn’t just missing out on a sports team or an advanced class—I was missing out on the man I loved.
Cue: reconciliation scene. We see echoes of that iconic boombox scene except with a selfie. Two years later, Adam and Brian attend movie premieres together and nobody gives a damn. Also, L.A. Witt owes us a wedding scene.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Actors
Artist: Bravestation
Album: V(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40508649-to-my-future-number-1-fan)
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Speechless: The Gig – Kim Fielding
An accident in Drew Clifton’s past left the former novelist with aphasia, unable to communicate through either speech or writing. Through sheer strength of will, he built a quiet but lonely life for himself. But now he’s fallen in love with Travis Miller.
Travis has his own issues—a permanent eye injury and unemployment. But he’s determined to help Drew find ways to engage and succeed again in the wider world, and a guitar-playing gig at a local coffeehouse seems like a good start.
Dylan Warner and Chris Nock happen to be in the audience that evening, and they have a few niggling problems of their own. Perhaps a chance meeting will provide solutions that might benefit all of them.
Another glimpse of Drew and Travis, this time with a shout out to The Clash. It’s great catching up with them as they go about Drew’s big night. Travis has scored Drew a gig at a cafe and Drew finally get to perform in public for the first time. He was understandably quite nervous and Travis ever so supportive, was there to cheer him on.
This is so warm and fuzzy!
Their story is an inspiration to anyone whose partner has a disability.
It perfectly captured how the couple are so attuned to each other. Each glance or quirk of an eyebrow convey so much emotions. It tackled Travis’ unemployment insecurities which I think was solved a little too neatly but hey, I’m just happy for him. It also highlighted Drew’s amazing guitar playing skills and what music means to him.
The thing about Drew’s playing was that after a while you stopped noticing that he wasn’t singing because the notes he played became his words. Travis didn’t know the lyrics to all the songs Drew played. He wasn’t even sure all of them had lyrics. But he had no problem at all understanding what thoughts and emotions Drew was conveying as he strummed each tune.
It was such a heartwarming moment when Drew finally came out of his shell and this whole new world of possibilities opened up for him and Travis. I think the ending left some openings for more. I hope Kim Fielding expands the Speechless world. I don’t mind the crossover with the Bones couple.
It was nice meeting Dylan and Chris. Now I am intrigued by their story as was Travis. I was chuckling at how nosy Travis was when he saw Dylan and Chris. He was really making an effort to eavesdrop. Little did he know Dylan has a very good hearing. Well, tables turned, but in a good way.
P.S.
I want Drew’s record collection!.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Love Song
Artist: The Damned
Album: Machine Gun Etiquette(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17877356-the-gig)
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
My knee jerk reaction to the book:
Maybe I’m too old for this shit but I am really, really tired of contemporary YA books being about sexual identity and other identity woes all the time. Can we have an LGBTQA+ teens that don’t give a rat’s ass about these things? Can we have LGBTQA+ teens who are just happy being themselves and don’t let their sexuality define them? Can we have a contemporary LGBTQA+ teen do something else other than worry about dating, sex, relationships and identity? This is why I prefer middle grade books over the kind of YA books that emerged after Twilight and Hunger Games (I know these are not contemporaries nor LGBTQA+-centric but they were a bad influence). So I’m sorry, I guess this is not the book for me.
But then, there’s the mystery of Blue. Who the hell is Blue?! I have got to find out.
Blue and Simon’s relationship consist of exchange of emails. They started tentatively then things turned sweet and flirtatious. It’s similar to Anyta Sunday’s note exchange story Noticed Me Yet? and while the latter’s handwritten note exchange was a drag, Blue and Simon’s was more plausible and interesting. Soon, both found that they were falling for each other and Simon tried to uncover Blue’s identity. There were a lot of red herrings and Simon never did guess, although there was a big clue but I’m happy to say I got it right.
I still don’t understand all the hype surrounding this book. It has this typical YA vibe, a lot of pop references, sarcasm and the like. Yes, it was fluffy but so are a million other young adult books. I like the low angst quality though and I might revisit old Elliott Smith songs because of it but overall, the story was nothing spectacular.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Independence Day
Artist: Elliott Smith
Album: XO(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19547856-simon-vs-the-homo-sapiens-agenda)
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Going Up – Amy Lane
Every dreary day, Zach Driscoll takes the elevator from the penthouse apartment of his father’s building to his coldly charmed life where being a union lawyer instead of a corporate lawyer is an act of rebellion. Every day, that is, until the day the elevator breaks and Sean Mallory practically runs into his arms.
Substitute teacher Sean Mallory is everything Zach is not—poor, happy, and goofily charming. With a disarming smile and a penchant for drama, Sean laughs his way into Zach’s heart one elevator ride at a time. Zach would love to get to know Sean better, but first he needs the courage to leave his ivory tower and face a relationship that doesn’t end at the “Ding!”
Once upon a time, there was a prince who lived in an ivory tower. The prince worked to defend the people but he was lonely, very lonely. One day, while riding the elevator, he met a peasant. The peasant was bright and charming and the prince wanted to see him again. Everyday he took the elevator and almost always, he met the peasant. They talked and soon they discovered their feelings were mutual. However, the king and the queen did not like the prince liking the peasant and they banished the prince’s people to a poorer place. The prince told his people about the king’s action. The people liked the prince, they understood and supported him. The prince decided he wanted to get out of his tower and tried to take the next step. The peasant who was also a knight, helped the prince. He taught the prince how to kiss, how to have a conversation, how to open himself. Soon the peasant moved in with the prince. The prince who was very lonely was now happy, very happy and he and the peasant lived happily ever after.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Hotel Yorba
Artist: The White Stripes
Album: White Blood Cells(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19274364-going-up)
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Return on Investment – Aleksandr Voinov
Martin David, an eager but inexperienced financial analyst, is the newest member of the investment team at Skeiron Capital Partners in London. His boss is an avowed financial genius, but he’s also overbearing and intense. Despite his erratic behaviour, Martin can’t help being drawn to him both professionally and personally.
Too bad his boss doesn’t seem to feel the same. In a firm where pedigree and connections mean far more than Martin’s newly-minted business degree, Martin feels desperately inadequate—at least until he meets the enigmatic investment manager Alec Berger, who promises to help Martin establish himself in the financial community. Martin is so charmed by Alec’s sophistication and wit that he gives him data that should have stayed confidential.
Then the financial crisis hits. Banks burn, companies teeter on the brink, and Skeiron’s survival is at stake. Martin is pushed into the middle of the fight for Skeiron—against both the tanking economy and a ruthless enemy who’s stepped out of the shadows to collect the spoils.
Return on Investment is the new gay financial thriller from EPIC Award winner and Lambda Award finalist Aleksandr Voinov.
This book comes with a warning. According to author, Aleksandr Voinov:
Just a PSA – this is not a traditional romance, m/m or other. I’d describe it as part coming-of-age, part financial thriller (yes, quite a few scenes involving the office, deals, finance talk, etc), and love story. The love story is not the main thing going on, and the main character spends quite a bit of time/quite a few nights with other people.
Duly noted. And with that, I had to tread carefully and keep an open mind lest my biases get the better of me.
One of my guilty pleasures is reading about rich people. Not the Hollywood celebrity or rock star kind of rich but the upper 1% old rich kind of rich. And nothing says old rich as that scene where Alec was enlightening Martin to the merits of bespoke shaving equipment. Apparently, fancy Gillette triple blades has nothing on Sheffield steel single blade razors with handles in production since 1930s.
Return on Investment has three main players, Alec Berger, the consummate charmer whose job title I forgot (broker?, investment manager?), Martin David, the young and slightly naive number cruncher and Francis de Bracy, Martin’s workaholic boss with whom he had a crush on. Voinov did a very convincing job with Alec’s character, he actually got me thinking that hey, Alec seems alright, nice even. I was as gullible as Martin. I liked Martin, he seems genuinely nice, he gets along with everyone and he had it bad for his boss. I wasn’t comfortable with Martin sleeping with other people since he likes Francis but I guess that is more realistic than expecting a healthy, active gay guy to live a celibate life. Francis is an enigmatic, overbearing financial genius who is also, very, very unexpectedly, a religious/spiritual man. Even if the book is from Martin’s POV, he dominated the books and right up to the end, we know very little of Francis de Bracy apart from his work. I heard book 2 would remedy that.
Is there a love triangle? Well, Martin did sleep with a lot of people, each helping him little by little to become the man he is. Martin’s time with Alec was physical, hedonistic. In contrast, the connection between Martin and Francis was on a purer, more spiritual level. I felt it was a very understated romance, understated in a way the truly elite is understated.
“Can I want you?” Martin asked—a thought spoken aloud.
The reader, like Martin, is then left craving for an ounce of affection, a tiny nod of acknowledgement from the mighty Francis de Bracy until that big moment when Martin could no longer take it. Of course, Francis true to form, the reply was strictly business
Francis stood close without touching, simply holding his gaze, but Martin maintained eye contact, even if it made him breathless. “I need to know whether you’ll be with or against me.”
“About what? The restructuring?”
“That, too.” Francis didn’t explain further, merely stood there, magnetic, towering. “I need a commitment from you.”
“I am committed. I’ve been fucking committed all this time. I was there sorting out your companies; I started a fight in a hotel for you. I’ve been here. Waiting.” Martin struggled to breathe or to swallow. “Waiting for Francis de Bracy to be there and touch me like you did and maybe even stay around after fucking me. All this time I wanted to be worth it, wanted to be more than the stupid kid you’re teaching how to work hard, and then harder still, until I have no life left and can’t think of anything else but whether I’m good enough for you. It bloody hurts, Francis. It bloody fucking hurts wanting you so much, but loving you is even worse, because I have no idea how to deal with that. All the fucking time I want you to be there and I want to hold you and I’m fucking scared to touch you because you could give me that famous de Bracy stare that makes me into nothing. I cease to exist. I just do. I’m not even there, but I can’t help it. All I can do is to wait and hope and deal with that pain. That’s it. That’s my commitment. Is that worth anything?”
“It’s worth a Partnership in my firm.” Francis said it with a little smile that would have been infuriating if it had not been so tender.I don’t know what to make of the book. It’s was certainly not romance focused, most of it were talks about equity, hedges and other financial jargon I couldn’t understand (nor could I explain what it is about, something to do with banks dying and hostile takeovers which is as nasty as it sounds) but I kept on listening anyway. I was riveted to the story and if that’s not a testament to how good a story teller Aleksandr Voinov is, I don’t know what is.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Changes
Artist: David Bowie
Album: Hunky Dory(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22720162-return-on-investment)
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Broken – Nicola Haken
Author’s note:
“For anyone who’s ever felt a little broken. Keep going – one breath at a time. You are important”When Theodore Davenport decides to switch his mundane job for a career, he walks into Holden House Publishing with enthusiasm and determination to succeed. As he settles into his new role, makes new friends, and dreams of making it to the top, everything is going to plan.
Until he meets James Holden, CEO of Holden House.
James Holden hasn’t been able to stop thinking about his encounter with the timid man he met in a club bathroom last week, and when he discovers the one haunting his dreams is an employee, he can’t seem to stop himself from pursuing him.
Just a little fun – that’s what James tells himself. He can’t afford to care for someone who can never reciprocate, not once they find out who he really is. James believes nobody deserves the burden of being attached to him. He’s a complicated man. Damaged. Difficult. Demanding.
Broken.
Is Theodore strong enough to confront James’ demons? More importantly, is James?
Please note:This book contains scenes of self harm, mental illness and suicidal ideation which may be uncomfortable for some readers.
Audiobooks are what I am into nowadays because my eyesight is getting worse (devastating news for a book blogger). It’s quite a game changer, enhancing my literary experience through voices, accents and acting and motivating me to finish what I would have otherwise DNF’ed after a couple of chapters. Basically if the narrator sounds good and there are some fancy schmancy accents, there is a higher probability I’ll see things through to the end no matter how shitty the story.
Broken is one such book. If I just read the blurb, I wouldn’t have bothered since contemporaries are mostly a miss with me but when I heard the opening chapter, I was greeted with Mancunian. So I decided to give it a go.
And what a beautiful, emotionally satisfying book it turned out to be, resonating strongly due to some personal experiences. It took a while for me to get into it, mainly because James came across as an annoying, arrogant bastard at first and I was ready to drop the book but the witty banter between Theo and Tess won me over. James gradually turned out to be not such an asshole Theo made him out to be and there were some sweet and fun times that slowly ease its way into darker times as James finally gave in to his inner demons.
James has type 2 bipolar disorder which is a very difficult illness to deal and live with. Nicola Haken wrote very accurate scenarios of how it is for both the patient and the people who love them. I marvelled at Theo’s strength and unconditional love. He never gave up on James and that is something a bipolar patient needs, someone who never gives up on you even if you already have.
“When your boat is drifting from the shore, it’s okay to use an anchor for support. We all need an anchor. Without people to love us, we’d just drift further and further away.”
Broken tackles complex themes but it’s not a heavy book. Haken managed to balance the darker notes with lighter moments of humor and romance. It shares a hopeful message that yes, we might not get cured but we will be okay.
Rating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Maybe Tomorrow
Artist: Stereophonics
Album:You Gotta Go There to Come Back
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20646135-broken)
