Anchor by Jorrie Spencer

TITLE: Anchor
AUTHOR: Jorrie Spencer
PUBLISHER: Samhain
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 54k)
GENRE: Paranormal romance
COST: $4.50

Mala has dreams about helping wolves in need, but when she starts to think they might somehow be real, she decides to check it out for herself. She finds herself in Wolf Town, in the alpha’s home, face to face with proof that the lives she’s saving in her dreams belong to real people. Angus doesn’t know what to make of this woman who claims to be able to get into wolves’ dreams, but he’s willing to believe in her. He needs to. The safety of the wolves he takes care of – as well as Mala’s – is too important…

The latest entry in Spencer’s shifter series adds some interesting texture to the world she’s created, but ultimately, doesn’t really work as a romance.

Mala has had night terrors all of her life, dreams where she becomes a part of a wolf who is in terrible fear of its life. Over the years, she’s learned how to harness that fear and turn it into a weapon against the attacker, but the nightmares always leave her shaken and exhausted, not to mention isolated and half-convinced she’s crazy. At least, until she slips back into the mind of the latest wolf she’s saved and discovers his name and where he lives. After losing her latest job, she decides to go check it out and see if the wolf is for real. She doesn’t think he will be, so color her surprised when she shows up in Wolf Town and finds out that he is. The alpha in Wolf Town is Angus, a leader who’s more nurturing than he is violent. He’s been protecting the young wolf Mala saved, and when he learns that Mala has been visiting wolves in her sleep, does everything he can to keep Mala in town. He’s convinced she’ll be in danger should news of her talents spread, not to mention the fact that the violent wolf after his new ward is still out there, waiting to kill both of them.

The action in this is fairly seamless and continuous, providing a constant forward momentum that makes the novel a quick and easy read. The aspect of Mala being what the wolves have dubbed a dream wraith brings some new elements to Spencer’s shifter world, a new avenue to explore as her powers aren’t heard of by anybody, not even by series regular (and one of my favorites) Trey. It opens doors in stories to come and keeps the world interesting and colorful, constantly growing and changing, but it does so organically, rather than allowing the world to grow stale and stagnant. This is its greatest strength, and is the primary reason followers of the series should read it.

It’s unfortunate, then, that the romance is so lackluster. The vast majority of the story is spent on the tension, both that of the action and the mystery of Mala’s powers. Mala and Angus express physical attraction early on, but that’s it until a good two-thirds of the way through when all of a sudden, they’re having sex. I never felt any sexual tension between them, nor believed it might be something more than a passing physical thing. In fact, their so-called romantic scenes are so truncated, even the epilogue that attempts to pull threads together feels incomplete and unsatisfying. It’s not helped by Mala’s inconsistent characterization (she seems to alternate from weak to flirtatious without a bat of an eyelash) or the fact that Angus has a damsel in distress weakness. I more easily believe that he wants to protect her in response to that than I do any genuine emotion.

This isn’t the strongest entry in the series by far, but considering the new elements that were introduced to the world building, like a necessary one. I just wish I could’ve cared about the romance more, or that the romance had been left out entirely.

Readability	8/10 – Always so compulsive to read
Hero	7/10 – Nurturing and likeable
Heroine	6/10 – Seems to alternate between strong and wishy-washy, lacks consistency
Entertainment value	6/10 – The action part of the plot worked well, but the romance was forced and unbelievable
World building	7/10 – It helps to have read previous books, but even then, it’s not always clear
TOTAL:	34/50

Favorite Heroines of 2009

One of the things I can count on? My shortlist of favorite heroines of the year always being my shortest. That doesn't diminish the characters that make it. If anything, that proves their worth all the more, because they stand that much higher above the rest.

4th Runner Up
Eleni Whitby in Texting Aphrodite by Amy Lake

Eleni is an excellent example of the type of heroine that gives me faith in the genre. She was fresh, vibrant, and delightfully intelligent. She proves a contemporary heroine doesn't have to be anything but real to be a joy to read. A character doesn't always need super powers or huge problems to make a reader care.

3rd Runner Up
Katya Ortaega in Lost Gods by Kim Knox

Of course, having super powers can still be a good thing. Katya had those and attitude to spare, and helped propel the taut action of this novel to its satisfying conclusion. Without her, it never would have worked.

2nd Runner Up
April Didrickson in Deja Vu Lover by Phoebe Matthews

April is the ditzy heart of this fascinating past-life romance. It's a delicately balanced characterization, one that could have become annoying and intolerable, but instead, April becomes the kind of character you can't take your eyes off, even when she's racing toward what seems like an awful crash.

1st Runner Up
Maddy de Victoria in Bound by Blood by Evie Byrne

Maddy. Maddy, Maddy, Maddy. To say I loved Maddy is an understatement. She's funny and strong, independent and yet somehow vulnerable. She's sexy, real, and absolutely amazing. I don't think I can say enough good things about her, or how much she really makes this book for me.

And my favorite heroine of 2009 is...
Morag in Selkie Island by Jorrie Spencer

Where Maddy made me laugh, Morag made me cry. Her loneliness was a physical thing, bleeding from every word. She made me believe in water shifters, and more, she made me care, where water shifters tend to leave me cold. The juxtaposition between her innocence of the world and her weariness of it gave this novella depths others could only hope for.

Favorite Novellas of 2009

For those people following my year end favorites, novellas are next. Last year, they were heavily weighted for Samhain, a testimony to the quality I often find over there. This year, the balance is more even, with four e-publishers represented as well as both het and m/m. There' s even a repeat of an author from last year's list, which goes to show how much a fan I'm turning out to be.

4th Runner Up
NEG UB2 by Rick R. Reed

This is one of those cases where the sequel is better than the original. While I enjoyed VGL Male Seeks Same, the emotion in this was so much more palpable that there's really no comparison. They engulfed me, even when I had slight issues with the protagonist's melodramatic ways.

3rd Runner Up
Bound by Blood by Evie Byrne

Evie Byrne is my repeat author on this list, with the second of her vampire series. While the first book was certainly solid, this one outshone it. Both her hero and heroine were strong individuals, the sex was hot, and it epitomizes what I consider her best strength - the sheer energy that flows through her work.

2nd Runner Up
Unrequited by Abigail Roux

For anybody who read my recent review of this novella, its presence on this list should not come as a surprise. Its dialogue is some of the best I've read all year, its relationships some of the most real. I loved that these men felt like they should have been sitting in my living room, and I adored that the author made simple kissing more erotic than a lot of the far more explicit work out there. An absolutely lovely little gem.

1st Runner Up
Selkie Island by Jorrie Spencer

There are a few things that almost always stop me from finishing a blurb. The fae. Mate talk. Weird shifters. Paranormal water elements. But because I like this author, and because I loved this cover so much - enough for it to be one of my favorites from the year - I gave this one a go when I might not have normally. What I discovered was one of the most tender stories I read all year. It's evocative and atmospheric, with a truly wonderful love story.

And my favorite novella of 2009 is...
Losing It by Kate Willoughby

Finding an author whose humor meshes with your own is always a joy. When they can actually write, too? Even better. I discovered this author with this wonderfully funny, cheerfully romantic story, and as much as I love her, I still consider it my favorite of her work. Just like the last story, it proves that in the hands of a talented author, it's possible for me to look past personal peccadillos and fall in love harder than I would have imagined possible.

Favorite Covers of 2009

I'm starting out my 2009 Favorites lists with covers, but honestly, my shortlist of covers that I loved from books I actually read this year was ridiculously short. I was far more entranced with covers of books I didn't purchase more often than not, but I'm not a reader who buys books based on pretty packaging (well, 99% of the time I'm not). That's not to say I didn't love these 5 covers, because I did. I think they're gorgeous. I did find it curious that there's not a single m/m cover in the bunch, even though 1/3 of the books I read are gay or menage. Three were in my shortlist, but in the end, these were still my favorite of the year...

4th Runner Up

Face of the Maiden by Emma Wildes, Cover Art by Anne Cain

There's a delicate elegance to this cover that perfectly fits the genre, if not necessarily the mood of the story. The wistfulness of her expression, however, is a wonderful match, and I find the sheer level of its prettiness too much to resist.

3rd Runner Up

Lost Gods by Kim Knox, Cover Art by Anne Cain

The appeal of this cover rests in its rich coloring and texture. I love the gorgeous reds in contrast to the blonde, who also fits the image of Katya from the story. It works, very well.

2nd Runner Up

Selkie Island by Jorrie Spencer, Cover Art by Kanaxa

Samhain has recently acquired a new artist, one whose bold, vivid style is already standing out in the crowd. This cover hit me the second I saw it, and falls into that 1% where I go against my own usual rules and take a chance on something I wouldn't normally. I love the moody coloring, the texture, the absolutely gorgeous model who epitomizes Clay to a T. It takes my breath away.

1st Runner Up

Strands of Sunlight by Anya Bast, Cover Art by Syneca

This cover always makes me look twice. It plays with the concept of chiaroscuro with an elegance you don't usually find in EC covers, with the woman and scarf silhouette framing the almost kissing couple perfectly. My one quibble is with the title's placement, but it doesn't disrupt the flow of the rest of it, so I can understand why it's tucked away at the top.

And my pick for the favorite cover I reviewed this year is…
A Leap of Knowing by Dani Harper, Cover Art by Sable Grey

Last year, I went for dramatic simplicity. This year, it's about soft, muted layering. I'm not usually a fan of Cobblestone covers, but this one stands out from the crowd. The combination of the Celtic scrollwork with the near-kiss (a romance staple, yes, but it often works), makes it seem simple until you look at it closely. Nothing overwhelms anything else, keeping it balanced and almost gentle.

Selkie Island by Jorrie Spencer

TITLE: Selkie Island
AUTHOR: Jorrie Spencer
PUBLISHER: Samhain
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 22k)
GENRE: Paranormal romance
COST: $3.50

For too many years, Morag has lived the life of a selkie, but as time passes, she spends less and less time as human. A boat approaching her island encourages her to take human shape and investigate, but when she discovers the injured man it carries is the only man she’s ever loved, she does everything she can to nurse him back to health. Clay has escaped to Selkie Island to hide, because it’s a place he holds dear to his heart, the place he had his first love affair. He doesn’t expect to find Morag again on it, though, and he certainly doesn’t expect her to look the same as she did when he’s nine years older…

NOTE: This is a review originally written for Uniquely Pleasurable.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of water-based shapeshifting stories. Nine times out of ten, I’ll see something aquatic in the blurb and completely pass it on by. But I stopped on this one for two reasons. One, I like this author. I’ve read a number of her stories, both het and gay, and while I might not have loved everything I read, I’ve certainly learned that this is an author that deserves my closer attention. Second, I love this cover. Love it. So, so, so much. I don’t buy books for the cover art – I spend far too much money on books as it is to add those kind of impulse buys to the cart – but good art will make me look twice, even if it’s a subject matter I might not necessarily want to read.

In this case, I’m oh so glad I took the time.

I think this could very well be my favorite work by this author. It is gentle, tender, and evocative, without treading in maudlin territory or destroying character credibility. Morag has spent years in this sort of half-life and though it saved her initially, over time, it has slowly destroyed her in other ways. She’s desperately lonely, something she notices more and more whenever she takes human form. It doesn’t get in the way of her being productive or throwing all her energy into being with Clay when he arrives, though, which is a tribute to her strength of character and the depth of her feelings for the man. Her innocence with the world, since she doesn’t leave the island, is a fascinating juxtaposition to her weariness of it.

Clay has the same effect on me. He’s been shot and is on the run from his boss, so he’s far more worldly than Morag, and yet, when these two are together, he regains an innocence he’s long since lost. His reactions when he starts questioning how it’s possible for Morag to still look the same are grounded in reality as well, without ever sliding into an extreme that would turn the story into melodrama. His feelings for her, and his need for sanctuary, temper what might otherwise be an instinct to run, creating an atmosphere of trust that coaxes the reader to believe as well.

There is some great atmosphere surrounding the island and its isolation, perhaps less so of Clay’s world. The focus on Selkie Island encourages the sense of fantasy prevalent in Morag and Clay’s relationship, giving them a haven to rediscover each other while never truly forgetting the other world that lies beyond. It makes it impossible not to be emotionally invested when the climax comes, and inevitable that this will rate as one of my favorite love stories for a very long time.

Readability	9/10 – Gentle and evocative
Hero	9/10 – Understandably reticent, but true to the core
Heroine	9/10 – Her melancholy and loneliness are tangible
Entertainment value	9/10 – Tugs so hard at heart strings that I still get choked up on re-reads
World building	8/10 – Great atmosphere and some lovely history of the island, but Clay’s background is understandably not as detailed
TOTAL:	44/50

Favorite Non-Erotic Stories of 2007

So why is it that I read fewer non-erotic stories online than I do erotic, yet the ones I rated highest during the year were non-erotic? Is it because I read so much erotic romance that I increase the odds of finding stuff I won’t like? I would have thought it was the other way around, actually. But whichever it is, the fact of the matter is, my list of favorite non-erotic stories of the year was much harder to rank than the 4 I picked for erotic romance (getting posted on Wednesday). I love all these stories, though for very different reasons.

3^rd Runner Up
Snowdance by Sarita Leone

Snowdance is not a story for a quick read. It’s not a story for a reader who only wants a romance. It’s a story you read when you tuck yourself into the corner of an overstuffed couch in front of a fire in the middle of winter to savor over a long, lazy afternoon. It’s quiet, evocative prose at its best. It’s the portrait of a woman you’ll remember for more than the man she falls in love. I really can’t say that about 95% of the stories I read online.

2^nd Runner Up
The Strength of the Pack by Jorrie Spencer

In spite of the fact that I can’t look at the cover when I read this book, it remains one of those books I bought this year that I can’t stop reading once I start. Though he didn’t make my top 4, Seth is still one of my favorite heroes of the year. I fell utterly in love with him and all his heartbreaking angst. This book put Jorrie Spencer on my list of authors to watch. Even if the cover does bug me.

1^st Runner Up
Twist of Honor by Karen Welss

Considering both Kit and Antonia made my favorite hero and heroine lists, it probably isn’t a surprise this is on my favorite non-erotic book list, too. As a rule, historicals have to work harder for me to appreciate. I get bored too easily with them most of the time, so for one to be my second favorite non-erotic story of the year, you know it has to be special. The author writes compassionate, realistic characters in quiet, compelling prose. I can think of a lot of writers who could learn a lesson or two, simply from reading this book.

And my favorite non-erotic book I reviewed this year is:

Threads
by Michelle L. Levigne

This book is where the I hope the rest of the e-industry will eventually end up being. It approaches a fantasy world without skimping on detail, and treats the reader as intelligent without pandering to a lowest common denominator. It’s presented professionally without the common editing errors that plague many e-publishers, and on top of all of it, it’s just lush, gorgeous storytelling. I have this one in print now. It has a position of pride both on my bookshelves and my computer.

Any non-erotic stories you want to recommend? Because my TBR list can never be too big.

Oh, and to everybody who reads, Happy Holidays!

The Strength of the Wolf by Jorrie Spencer

TITLE: The Strength of the Wolf
AUTHOR: Jorrie Spencer
PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 60k)
GENRE: Paranormal romance
COST: $5.50

Being a werewolf isn’t Veronica’s biggest problem. Being a werewolf with amnesia is. She is ready to find someone human to latch onto in hopes of surviving another winter when a wolf trap snares her. The kind David Hardaway rescues her, and Veronica decides that this is the man she wishes to be human with, at least for a little while. She seeks him out the following summer, but David doesn’t know what to do with this strange woman who has golden eyes that look all too familiar. He’s got his own problems, like the fact that his nephew’s hacking has gotten him into serious trouble. That doesn’t matter, though. Because David’s not about to turn his back on her, even when good sense tells him he should.

There is something about Jorrie Spencer’s writing that completely sucks me in. I start reading her work, and all too quickly, I find myself unwilling to stop, even when real life demands that I do. It helps that Samhain books always seem to be some of the best edited out there, because I get the chance to actually get lost in the story instead of being jolted to reality by an overload of spelling errors. And I did get lost in this one. Much to the annoyance of my family.

One of the contributing factors was how much I liked David. This is a man much like some of the single men I know in real life – hard-working, isolationist, dependable with good intentions. I believed him from the second he decided to free Veronica from the trap, and I kept on believing him because he acted rationally and intelligently throughout the story. When characterization is this consistent, it’s easy to invest in the story. I understood his frustrations with his family and Veronica so well that by the end, I was a little ticked at Veronica for not coming to him sooner. Silly me.

There’s a definite tragic undertone in all his interactions with Veronica, understandably so. She lives on the edge, and as a reader, I felt like I was right there with her. Sometimes, that pulled from enjoying the story more, but I plowed through that to get to the next David POV scene. Those were welcome reprieves.

The story is the sequel to The Strength of the Pack, but this can be read completely as a standalone. The one drawback to that, however, is that any explanation of the werewolf mythology is lacking. Because of Veronica’s amnesia, there is never any exploration into her animal world, beyond her firsthand experiences in the book. It doesn’t detract from enjoying the story, but a reader going in needing that should be prepared to be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this story, enough that I’m looking forward to seeing what this author does next. The action and characters are solid, and David will linger for me for awhile. I strongly recommend this to anybody looking for a winning blend of romance and drama, with just a dash of heat.

Readability	9/10 – The style sucks me in and professional presentation keeps me there.
Hero	9/10 – Solid and dependable, as realistic as I’ve found and still romance-worthy
Heroine	8/10 – It got a little tiresome dealing with extreme paranoia all the time, but consistent and worthy of my attention
Entertainment value	8/10 – A solid read
World building	7/10 – The nature of Veronica’s amnesia restricts this throughout most of the book, and adding more detail on the wolf mythology gets ignored in the end in favor of the romance
TOTAL:	41/50

The Strength of the Pack by Jorrie Spencer

TITLE: The Strength of the Pack
AUTHOR: Jorrie Spencer
PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 64k)
GENRE: Paranormal romance
COST: $5.50

Werewolf Seth Kolski leads a solitary life, haunted by his sister’s disappearance. A chance encounter with his teenaged crush, the recently divorced Jamie Buchner, leads to more complications than he anticipated – her reciprocating feelings, a five-year-old boy in desperate search of a father figure, and a future he can’t allow himself to believe in. When the past rears its ugly head, it threatens to tear apart everything he loves. Including Jamie and her fragile family.

I almost didn’t buy this book. The cover kind of creeped me out a little bit, and since werewolves aren’t necessarily my favorite paranormal, I was prepared to skip the blurb. But I did, and then I read the excerpt anyway and liked it enough to give this one a go. I am so glad I did. This is one of the most compulsively readable books I’ve had in quite awhile. The first few chapters were the usual stop and go I get with books, but by the time I was halfway through, I didn’t want to walk away from it.

Seth is sexy, complex, and haunted, painted with a deft brush throughout the story. It was completely understandable why Jamie fell for him, even with his half-hearted attempts to keep her at arm’s length. I found myself caught up in his personal drama, anxious for Jamie to get through to him, eager to see him get some happiness. I credit Seth for my inability to put the story down. He was wonderful.

Where Seth’s characterization excelled, Jamie was a bit of a letdown. Her behavior was erratic, and while I suspect the author would argue her physical state as the reason for that, it was too much for me to buy. Her indecision didn’t bother me – in fact, it was to be expected – but emotional flipflops multiple times within a single scene got to be a little much. I still liked her, just not as much as Seth. It would have been nice to know why she wasn’t working, though.

While maybe not the freshest plot around, Ms. Spencer’s even pacing and commitment to her hero more than compensate. She could have done more in regards to building the history and world of Seth’s werewolves, but what she does have is engaging and doesn’t leave a reader asking too many questions. Maybe it was my adoration of Seth that made me want more. I only wish the upcoming book in this series was more of Seth. I’ll buy it anyway, though. Ms. Spencer has a new reader in me.

Readability	9/10 – Compulsively readable. Mostly great pacing and professionally presented.
Hero	9/10 – Heartbreaking and three-dimensional. Loved Seth.
Heroine	7/10 – Likeable, but uneven
Entertainment value	9/10 – Couldn’t put it down, though it took me a little bit to get into it.
World building	7/10 – When it came to Seth’s world, very believable, though I would have preferred more detail/explanation to better enrich it.
TOTAL:	41/50