The Catah Circle by Gabrina Garza

TITLE: The Catah Circle
AUTHOR: Gabrina Garza
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press (Amber Heat)
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 36k)
GENRE: Fantasy erotic romance
COST: $6.00

When Brooke slips out of a family wedding with her sister, Lindsay, a walk through the garden turns into a flight that lands her straight into a fantasy world. There, she wakes up next to a man named Canen who claims she is his beloved brought back to him, and now, they can finally be together and rule over Catah as they were meant to. It’s never that simple, though, especially when his uncle, an evil dark elf, wants the power for himself…

I really like this author, but if I was going to introduce somebody to her work, this would not be the story I gave them. This is the fifth of her stories I’ve read, and it is by far the weakest. For me, at least. I had so many problems with it that it was hard to even write the brief blurb I did.

The primary reason the blurb isn’t more detailed is because there is a lot of different relationships and conflicts going on within this story. It jumps between at least three different storylines, all interwoven yet moving forward independently of each other, so that there are at least six principles for the reader to keep track of. Toss into that mix minor characters and a fantasy world with its own unique culture of faeries, elves, dragons, and who knows what else, and the complexity grows even more so. I have nothing against complex, but it has to be done carefully with a very conscious handling of detail. Throughout the entire book, it always felt like I was only given half the story. I never really got a good picture of the way the society worked, how the faeries worked in, if everybody was elves or if there were other creatures as well, and without that, the rest of the story suffers.

The second biggest issue I had with the story is the heroine. Brooke is not the only female character. There’s her sister Lindsay, Canen’s sister Curi, and Canen’s cousin Siqua. Of those four, Brooke is by far the most passive and inconsistent. She doesn’t really do that much. The entire story gets set up because she freaks out about faeries attacking her (she thinks they’re bats even though they talk to her) and she runs until she falls over the edge of a cliff. She wakes up with Canen at her side, and after a really bitchy exchange that makes me understand perfectly well why she’s still single, Canen mostly leads the way from that point on. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me so much, but running alongside Canen and Brooke’s story are two other threads, with women who are far more likable than Brooke ever is. It got to the point where I winced every time it switched back to her. Each and every other woman in the story eclipses Brooke, whether they’re in a scene with her or not. She’s just never as interesting as the dynamic Lindsay, or the frail seer Siqua, or the forceful and beautiful Curi.

I’d like to think that if the author had made this into a novel, it would have worked better. She certainly has the skills, and there’s more than enough bare bones here to support the detail and added length. It would have given her time to develop Brooke more and hopefully given her more of a consistent personality to merit being the star of the story. As it stands, however, it’s just not enough to sustain interest throughout the entire book.

Readability	6/10 – Not quite as polished as the author’s other work, it always feels like it’s supposed to be part of a larger story and that much of the explanation is missing.
Hero	5/10 – There are some nice moments late in the story, but up until then, his naivete grates.
Heroine	2/10 – Far, far too passive, and gets outshone by every other female character in the story.
Entertainment value	4/10 – Between the feeling that it was only half the story and my dislike for the heroine, I just wanted to get it over.
World building	5/10 – There are details there, but with so many different things going on, it’s impossible to get a full picture or understand how it all gels together.
TOTAL:	22/50

Favorite Erotic Romances for 2007

Oddly enough, I think my list of favorite erotic stories that I reviewed this year has little to do with how erotic they are. At least two of them are for reasons completely unrelated to the sexual content, while the other two…well, you’ll see.

3^rd Runner Up
Reaper’s Reward by Marie Harte

This is the one story I selected purely based on how well it succeeded as an erotic romance for me. The hero pushed a lot of my buttons, the heroine sparkled without being perfect, and the sex was hot. There was just enough kink in it not to be overwhelming, and the overlaying plot – while not perfect – was enough to sustain its novel-length without having to rely too heavily upon just the smut. This story cemented my appreciation of this author’s contemporary work. I always read her blurbs and excerpts far more closely, in search of another of her stories I’ll like just as much as this one.

2^nd Runner Up
Sex Between Strangers by Gabrina Garza

I was a little surprised to end up with a short story on my favorites list, but this story deserves a spot for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s absolutely lovely. It’s simply told, sweet and romantic, with a melancholy air that helps promote the poignancy of the plot. Secondly, it introduced me to this particular author; I think I reviewed more of her titles than anybody else last year. Ultimately, though, this remains my favorite of everything I’ve read by her. So far.

1^st Runner Up
Hold by Zannie Adams

Out of all the erotic romances I reviewed this year, I’ll confess this is my guiltiest pleasure. When I say this hits a kink, I mean this wallops that kink until it’s black and blue and wet all over. The story’s not perfect. I hate that last chapter with a passion and refuse to read it on re-reads. But the rest of the story vibrates with emotion and atmosphere, passionate and needy all at the same time. It’s got a hero as alpha and closed-off as they come, and if I could have a Cain all for myself, I’d sit on Santa’s lap every damn day of the year to get one. Just don’t tell my husband. ;)

And my favorite erotic romance I reviewed this year is:

Paul’s Dream
by Rowan McBride

This one was actually quite an easy one to call. Just like Paul lingered for me long after I’d set the book aside, the entire story stood up and demanded to be counted when I compiled this list. This succeeds on many of the levels I demand to put a book on keeper status. It has a hero I adore; the damaged Paul almost made me cry in this. It’s got a visually vibrant last act, tightly written and an absolute joy to read. It’s an intelligent, haunting story, and I eagerly await future installments in this particular series.

Though this is probably one of the most subjective categories around, I’m interested in hearing about your favorites of the year. There’s always stuff out there that doesn’t catch my eye for one reason or another, and probably should. What erotic romance would you want everybody to read?

Circle of Friends: All Wet by Gabrina Garza

TITLE: Circle of Friends: All Wet
AUTHOR: Gabrina Garza
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press (Amber Heat)
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 10k)
GENRE: Contemporary erotic romance
COST: $3.00

Carleena Benningfield has spent the past seven months watching the career she built as a party planner go down the tubes. Now, she’s watching her mother’s house for a couple weeks, trying to regroup. When Ben Pinato, her best friend from high school, shows up at her mother’s instruction to house sit, Carleena is shocked to see that the geeky boy she adored twenty years earlier has grown into a hunk of a man. Is it too late for them to find a new, adult relationship? Or has too much time passed to find that old connection?

Reunion stories are always a nice diversion. I probably appreciate them more, the older I get. The basic premise of this short story falls into that realm, and while this is another example of Garza’s easy prose, I find myself not quite enjoying it as much as I have her other work. It’s competent enough, but at the end of the day, it’s a morsel of cotton candy. There, and then gone.

Some issues within the first few pages made it a little difficult for me to engage with the characters quickly enough. First of all, the story opens with Ben spying on Carleena through the window, watching her in the pool from her bedroom. The first few pages are devoted to backstory, where the reader hears about his lifelong feelings for Carleena, and Ben jerking off while he fantasizes about her. I don’t have a problem with a little bit of voyeurism. My problem stems from two things - the fact that Ben feels very teenagery at the start instead of a 36 y/o man because of these reminiscences, and that his supposed best friend throughout middle and high school didn’t even know he was present at their last high school reunion. This doesn’t gel for me when I get Carleena’s perspective later on, because I’m left wondering, If they’re such best friends with secret feelings for each other, why didn’t she at least seek him out at the reunion?

The sex scenes are written well enough, but I’m never as engaged as I would like to be because of my lingering questions. Once I get a chance to know the grown-up Ben, I do like him quite a lot, more so than Carleena. I’m even rooting a little bit for the happy ending. But in the end, the story needed to be longer for me to overcome my initial doubts. As an erotic nibble, it’s pretty much just that for me.

Readability	7/10 – Some minor editing issues, but the same easy reading I’ve come to expect from this author
Hero	7/10 – Likable though it took me a little while to see him as an adult and not the teenager fantasy he relives when the story opens
Heroine	6/10 – The length prevents me from really getting to know her too well
Entertainment value	6/10 – A nice distraction for a short story read
World building	6/10 – I’m never able to get a real handle on the world of this, where it takes place or how they all manage to grow up in the same neighborhood if Ben’s childhood was as poor as they say it was
TOTAL:	32/50

The Countess of Suburbia by Gabrina Garza

TITLE: The Countess of Suburbia
AUTHOR: Gabrina Garza
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 88k)
GENRE: Contemporary romance
COST: $7.00

Miranda Thoms discovers the truth about her husband’s infidelity and does what any modern woman unable to get him on the phone might like to do – rents a billboard asking for a divorce. Struggling to keep it together post-break-up, Miranda gets help from various corners, such as her opinionated best friends and a world-renowned British photographer she can’t stop thinking about. When Garic Wenham starts showing as much interest in her, Miranda has to decide if she’s willing to take the plunge in exposing her heart again. And if it’s worth it to fall in love with a man who travels around the world at the drop of a hat.

I like Gabrina Garza. I’ve read two short works by her and enjoyed both of them. When I saw she had a full-length novel coming out with Amber Quill, I gave the blurb a scan and decided to give it a go, in spite of my normal aversion to romantic comedy. I’m not saying The Countess of Suburbia has succeeded in converting me, or even that it works great as a romcom, but here I am having finished it, and I don’t feel like it was a waste of time or that I want to throw my computer out the window.

One of my problems with romantic comedy – other than comedy is hugely subjective, and I find myself not really laughing at most of it – is tone. A lot of authors have a problem balancing it. They either go too far into silly, not far enough, or they try to break it up with serious scenes that for one reason or another don’t work. This story falls into the last category, though thankfully, not for its entirety. The first third of the book is a jarring balance of comedy, anger, and tragedy that never gelled with me. Miranda is hugely angry – justifiably so – but in the process of working through those first few stages, she comes across as a very unpleasant person to be around. So unsympathetic for me, actually, that when she meets Garic for the first time, my instinct was to yell at him, “Run away! Run far, far away!” Toss in tragic circumstances with one of Miranda’s friends, and I was left wondering what exactly I’d fallen into.

Thankfully, the author evens it out halfway through the book, making the second half much more enjoyable to read. Miranda is over the worst of her anger, her reactions are believable and flow naturally from one to the next, and best part of all, Garic has a stronger role.

I loved Garic. Even as he teeters on the brink of too-good-to-be-true – I mean, really, he’s British, gorgeous, a photographer who travels the world, does humanitarian work, and has a dead fiancée he doted on…oh, and don’t forget the dog and the fact that he’s great with Miranda’s two kids – I loved him. I thought he was charming without being saccharine, and honestly, I was on his side when Miranda went a little off the deep end at the climax of the book. This was a man with his shit together, and even if I might still have wondered what the hell he ever saw in Miranda, the fact that he was able to see past her moods and anger makes me like him even more.

The strongest part of the book for me, actually, came through in how realistic all the relationships felt. I’ve seen friends like Miranda, Rachel, and Olivia. I’ve seen ex-husbands like Richard. I’ve seen sisters who go a little crazy, and I’ve seen kids go nutso over the smallest stuff. This is where the book excelled, and ultimately, what held it altogether for me when Miranda didn’t. They made it worth my time. Hopefully, they’d make it worth your time, too.

Oh, and Garic. Mustn’t forget him.

Readability	8/10 – Minor editing issues such headhopping and spelling mistakes detract from an otherwise entertaining voice
Heroine	7/10 – In spite of not understanding what Garic saw in her in the beginning, she grew on me
Hero	8/10 – Borders on the too good to be true, but honestly the main reason I kept reading
Entertainment value	7/10 – Disliking the heroine the first third of the book keeps this from being higher
World building	8/10 – Solid enough, with the most realistic details coming in the various relationships
TOTAL:	38/50

Hot Phoenix Nights by Gabrina Garza

TITLE: Hot Phoenix Nights
AUTHOR: Gabrina Garza
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press (Amber Heat)
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 15k)
GENRE: Contemporary erotic romance
COST: $4.00

After walking in on her boyfriend with another woman, Josie Salazar decides to take advantage of a work weekend away in Phoenix to let loose. There, she meets Crow, the drummer of the band she’s there to review, and with chemistry sizzling between them, succumbs to a night of passion. And then another. But how long can it last when a good girl tries to be bad? Josie’s about to find out.

Short stories are hard. When they’re done well, they’re like perfect little gems you can tuck away to appreciate time and time again. When they’re not, the one thing you can be glad for is that at least you didn’t waste too much time reading them. And then there’s that gray area in the middle, where a story is good, but for one reason or another, just isn’t great.

Hot Phoenix Nights falls in that gray area, though admittedly, it’s a much stronger short than many others I’ve read. Written in 1^st person, the author gives her heroine a strong and entertaining voice that helps to draw the reader in. Josie is real and, more importantly for a contemporary, relatable. When she decides to throw caution to the wind and take advantage of her attraction to Crow, I was right there with her. I was even there with her when she had her doubts. I would have been there with her if she’d had another 20k of story, even.

That’s where the story falters. The author raises enough questions – and generates enough interest, frankly – in her heroine and her plight to warrant making this much more than a short story. We’re never allowed more than the quickest of peeks into Crow, so while he’s perfectly serviceable as an erotic figure, he suffers when a reader might want more from him. In essence, he’s foreplay. If that’s all you want, then great. If, though, like me, you want more, you’re going to be left wanting at the end. Because Crow never quite comes through with that wallop he promises. Not through any fault of his or the author’s, but rather through the lack of story that surrounds him.

Still, I enjoyed the story. A lot, actually. Josie is sharp and funny, which goes a long way for creating a pleasurable reading experience. Accept the whole thing as a taste of what the author can offer, and you should walk away satisfied.

Readability	8/10 – A fun voice for the heroine helps compensate the “sameness” feel the story has
Heroine	8/10 – Fun and likable, though I think the story’s brevity works against making her more sympathetic
Hero	6/10 – Hot as a one-night stand, but we don’t know very much about him otherwise to connect with him better
Entertainment value	8/10 – A fun, quick read, as long as you’re not looking for anything more
World building	6/10 – There’s barely enough room for the heroine in this, let alone painting a very good picture of her life and work
TOTAL:	36/50

Sex Between Strangers by Gabrina Garza

TITLE: Sex Between Strangers
AUTHOR: Gabrina Garza
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press (Amber Heat)
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 13k)
GENRE: Sci-fi erotic romance
COST: $4.00

When Sara Anderson’s husband dies, she gets the chance to allow his memories and personality to live on in the body of a donor. What she doesn’t expect is for this hybrid of husband and stranger to attract her far more than the man she supposedly loved ever did.

I’m not sure if it was my mood or something else, but this short story really got to me. Sara has been mourning her husband’s death, though it’s as much about being lonely as it is missing him specifically. When it looks like the entire process might be delayed, she forsakes having to start over in favor of taking her new man home, even though he both doesn’t have all his memories yet and isn’t exactly the clean slate she’d been promised. There’s a definite melancholy throughout the first two-thirds of the story that is poignant and moving. It sucked me in and made me ache for both Sara and Dace, the Marine who now houses her husband’s memories.

The author has a simple style, which works well in a short story setting. There’s nothing fancy about her prose, so it makes it easy to read and follow. If anything, though, I would have liked to see a little more explanation for some of the sci-fi stuff. It comes across sometimes as merely a plot device to have this sweet romance. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since it is a short story. I guess my main quibble is that I just wanted the story longer.

That being said, this was a very sweet, romantic tale. It occasionally borders on the simple, but you know, sometimes that’s a welcome change. I fell for Dace and Sara’s romance head over heels, in spite of some of my other misgivings. Maybe it was just what the doctor ordered.

Readability	8/10 – Easy to read, though at times bordered on the simplistic
Hero	7/10 – Sweet and hot, though the brevity of the story means characterization suffers
Heroine	7/10 – Likable, but I wanted some of her motivations better explained
Entertainment value	8/10 – I got sucked into the melancholy air of the story, but just wanted it longer
World building	8/10 – A sci-fi futuristic world built competently
TOTAL:	38/50