One Good Year by Rowan McBride

TITLE: One Good Year
AUTHOR: Rowan McBride
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 824k)
GENRE: Gay paranormal romance
COST: $4.99

A year after Spade was on in a card game, he’s still devoted to his master Ace but wondering why he doesn’t feel more secure in the relationship. Ace does everything he can to convince him, but it takes another of Spade’s kind threatening to tear them apart forever for the lovers to face what it means to belong to each other…

Revisiting loved characters in subsequent books is often dangerous, especially when a lot of time has elapsed. Unfortunately, this short sequel to One Good Hand fails to deliver much of anything except a brief walk down memory lane.

Told in 1^st person from Spade’s POV, this is a short revisit in Spade and Ace’s lives together, almost a year after Ace won Spade in a poker game. Spade is an alien species, designed to be the perfect match for whoever owns him, and in the first book, proved he was the right partner for Ace when their bond was solidified. Spade meets another of his kind who has been looking for them ever since they crashed fifteen years ago, but his intentions soon become evident. He thinks Ace will hurt Spade, so he’s determined to separate the two permanently by erasing their memories.

While I really enjoyed the first book, and often find this author very enjoyable, this story ultimately didn’t work for me. First of all, it relies too heavily on knowing its predecessor, with characterizations that tell more than show and too little attention breathing fresh life into them. Even recognizing it won’t work as a standalone, however, it becomes mired in its own over-romanticism and sentimentality. These guys are mushy from the very start, and it borders on nauseating because there’s just no ebb and flow to make their relationship feel real.

On top of that, we’re introduced to Ancel, another of Spade’s kind, who was defective and thus has other abilities that Spade doesn’t. He becomes this omnipotent force that threatens to come between Ace and Spade, but his conflict is introduced too late in the story for it to have much impact, not to mention I had very little opportunity to really get to know him as a character before the threats began. Maybe if he’d seemed more genuine or if I’d known him better, I wouldn’t have been as annoyed by what felt like manufactured conflict.

In all fairness, I think this short novella would do best with readers who were highly invested in the couple as based on their first story and really want to see something – anything – with them again. Otherwise, I’d pass.

Readability	7/10 – Overly romantic and too repetitive to be a quick read
Hero #1	5/10 – Even though we’re in his POV, I felt I knew him better in the first book than this one
Hero #2	6/10 – His constant indecision and fear were grating
Entertainment value	4/10 – Doesn’t work as a standalone at all
World building	5/10 – Too much is left unexplained, new readers won’t get it easily
TOTAL:	27/50

Lone by Rowan McBride

TITLE: Lone
AUTHOR: Rowan McBride
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill (Allure)
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 57k)
GENRE: Gay paranormal erotic romance
COST: $7.00

A trip to DC to speak at Georgetown for Seth Anderson is meant to be a little vacation as well with his lover of three months, Rafe Dirisio. But a random stop at a pool hall for a game ends in a bloodbath that leaves Seth standing and everyone else bloodied or dead around him. Rafe has questions, but when he learns the answers are more supernatural than he first expected, he needs to figure out how to deal with Seth’s other nature, and whether or not it’s worth it…

Rowan McBride writes damaged heroes like nobody else. There is always something unique about them, something so utterly broken that it seems impossible for them to be fixed, and yet, almost always, he finds a way. The case is the same in this, too. Seth has lived his entire life as an omega wolf, but even more, he’s an abomination that is usually put down at birth. He spent his childhood in the system and then tried to get a life for himself, but hunters always manage to track him down, and he always manages to destroy them before escaping. He manages to eke out a life for himself by getting his degrees via correspondence, and moving around a lot. His most recent move settled him in Brier, Iowa, at a small college and with a man who took him in almost from the start.

Seth is not a large man, only 5’5”, with the appearance of someone much younger than his thirty-two years, while his lover Rafe is 6’6” and as imposing as it gets. Rafe has always assumed he’s the one with all the physical strength in this relationship, a misbelief Seth is more than willing to foster, so when he learns the truth about just how powerful Seth is – and has to experience it for himself – it’s as much of a shock as learning about werewolves and the supernatural. His diligence as he struggles to come to grips with it riveted me to the page, and all my favorite parts of the book are most likely due to him. He is the one to show emotional vulnerability first. He is the one who keeps repeatedly making all the efforts. I liked Seth, but not to the same degree as Rafe, mostly because except for defending Rafe, Seth ends up coming across as rather passive. That’s a result of who and what he is, and is certainly understandable and explained well throughout the story, but that’s not the kind of character I always respond strongest to. It’s far easier to get involved with Rafe because of his attempts to actually do something, even – or especially – when they fail. Seth’s regression after his true nature is exposed is heartbreaking to read, but it wears thin even while I understand why it’s happening. If he’d only been a little more active a little bit sooner, it might not have been that way.

The sex is erotic and often lyrical, and the emotional moments heartfelt, but my absolute favorite part of the book – hands down, without a doubt – was the time they spent visiting Rafe’s family. Dialogue was natural, the people were real, and the whole section read like a true family. I wanted to be a part of Rafe’s family as much as Seth craved it. This cemented my feelings for Rafe.

While Seth’s angst and reversal of nature into a more primal state is a tad heavy-handed and repetitive, Rafe’s characterization and the author’s easy, lyrical voice more than made up for it for me. There’s a reason I like this author so much. Rafe is yet more proof of it.

Readability	9/10 – Some of Seth’s angsting gets a little much, but otherwise, utterly engrossing
Hero #1	7/10 – The angst wears thin as the novel progresses, but he’s still a poignant figure much of the time
Hero #2	9/10 – Absolutely adored Rafe and his attempts to come to grips with everything
Entertainment value	8/10 – While Seth’s angst weighed it down, my engagement with Rafe and his involvement more than made up for it
World building	8/10 – I loved the different take on the werewolves, it freshened what could’ve been a run of the mill story
TOTAL:	41/50

Chasing Winter by Rowan McBride

TITLE: Warm Rush, Book 1: Chasing Winter
AUTHOR: Rowan McBride
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 65k)
GENRE: Gay contemporary erotic romance
COST: $7.00

At 26, Jesse Winter is on the brink of life. The store he opened at 19 is about to go international, he’s healthy, and he lives his dream in a middle-class Connecticut neighborhood, complete with the teenager across the street who seems to idolize him. Then he goes off to Europe to open the overseas stores and his entire life changes. Three years later, he returns to Connecticut crippled, scarred, and barely going through the motions. The last thing he expects to see is little Keith Taylor from across the street. Keith has had more than one growth spurt in Jesse’s absence, and now, he’s a muscled sex god claiming to have wanted Jesse for years. Jesse tries to refuse at first, but Keith has a way of getting what he wants…and he wants Jesse.

There’s a lot more going on in this story than a simple May/December romance. Written in 1^st person from Jesse’s POV, it clings to its contemporary vibe with a stubborn tenacity, while at the same time hinting that all is not as it seems. The publisher has this marked as paranormal, but that is only true in the loosest of terms. The reason for this is Keith’s growth spurts, and though those play definitive roles throughout the story, the mechanisms and story behind them never cloud the otherwise bittersweet contemporary romance.

Jesse is a broken man, struggling just to survive. He actually died on the operating table after the horrific accident that crippled him. A large part of him is convinced he should have stayed dead. But while he fights, he never seems to wallow in his depression and anger. Instead, he seems resigned and sad, even while he’s fighting not to be an invalid. Keith’s intervention is exactly what he needs, a source of unblemished devotion, a font of strength. Because of his relationship with the young man, he’s able to slowly but surely start to recover.

While I adored and admired Jesse, Keith gave me a few problems. It’s not his youth that bothers me; I really like May/December stories. It’s his attitude. Keith admits to Jesse that while he was gone, when Keith had his growth spurts, he got too cocky. He started to think he was privileged and terrorized those who opposed him, including his family. He’s suitably contrite and trying to mend his ways when Jesse returns, but there remains an instinct to lash out physically whenever Jesse gets threatened. People get hurt. People get scared. He feels very much like a bully at these points, which makes it very hard to like him, even though I know he’s doing it for Jesse. There were even times when I wondered if this attitude wouldn’t at some point turn back on Jesse, resulting in him getting hurt. Because of this ongoing discomfort, I never warmed to Keith the way I did Jesse.

But Jesse’s arc intrigues me enough to stay engaged, in spite of my reservations about Keith. It’s his journey from broken to better that pulled at my heart strings. This is McBride’s greatest strength, I believe. The emotions he infuses into his protagonist always resonate deeper than the few words on the page would suggest. This is why I trust him so much as an author.

Readability	9/10 – McBride is a master of few words conveying great emotions
Hero #1	8/10 – Broken by the best
Hero #2	5/10 – His sometime violent nature made it very difficult for me to fully accept him.
Entertainment value	7/10 – This works as well as it does because of the author’s sensitivity to Jesse’s pain and need.
World building	8/10 – Ultimately, there are questions raised by the slight paranormal elements of the story, but I imagine those will be answered in subsequent books.
TOTAL:	37/50

One Good Hand by Rowan McBride

TITLE: One Good Hand
AUTHOR: Rowan McBride
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 23k)
GENRE: Paranormal gay erotic romance
COST: $4.99

Poker player Ace Donovan is at the top of the heap when he wins a beautiful, mysterious man in a game. At the man’s request, Ace names him, and from that moment on, Spade becomes everything Ace has ever wanted. He anticipates Ace’s needs, literally changing before his eyes. But when an old rival shows up in town, Ace has to decide which is more important – finally getting that one good hand, or letting go of the past.

There’s always an ounce of trepidation when I read a second book by an author I really like, the question of, “Was it a fluke? Was I right to love that other book so much?” Rowan McBride made a lot of my favorite lists for 2007, including having my favorite hero and erotic romance, so I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about picking up this re-release. It wasn’t part of the other series, and even more frightening, it was a novella. Novellas require different skill sets than novels. How did I know this author had them?

My fears were in vain. One Good Hand is tightly written, with compelling sympathetic characters you root for, and a satisfying – and most importantly, believable – emotional arc.

Presented in 1^st person, we experience the story completely from Ace’s perspective. We get his confusion when he first wins Spade, his pain when he visits his uncle suffering from Alzheimer’s, his exaltation when Spade gives him everything he needs. The emotions are blended seamlessly, progressing both logically and smoothly so that you’re always in the moment, just as much as Ace is. The scenes with his uncle, especially, are poignant, revealing just why Ace has grown into the man he is without being heavy-handed about it.

There’s always a risk when half of your romantic couple is supposedly perfect. Spade’s characterization walked a very fine line throughout most of the story, but where I found Kian in Paul’s Dream to be grating, Spade never goes that far. He exhibits flashes of humanism that turn him from the perfect partner for Ace into the right partner. By the time the story draws to a close, I was on both of their sides. I wanted both of them to be happy, and not just because I wanted one who happened to want the other.

There are hints that this might be the first of a series, but as this is a re-release, I don’t know if that was something that never came to fruition or something that got added in the new edits. I’m not sure which I’m leaning toward. How many times can you write about the perfect partner without it turning into the same story over and over again? On the other hand, this is Rowan McBride. An author I trust. I daresay that if this is the start of a new series, I’ll be along for the ride anyway.

Readability	9/10 – Clean, light prose that made it easy to completely forget time while I was reading.
Hero #1	8/10 – Well-rounded and flawed without dwelling on the angst
Hero #2	7/10 – Surprisingly believable considering he’s a mirror to another person’s wants/desires
Entertainment value	8/10 – I got hooked into both the romance and the overlying character development, never feeling short-changed because of the length.
World building	8/10 – Solid, but I expect that from this author now.
TOTAL:	40/50

Favorite Authors of 2007

I’m a loyal reader. When I put an author on an autobuy list, it’s next to impossible to move it off. That’s most likely because authors have to really sell me in order to get onto the list in the first place. In regards to my choices for my top 4 authors I reviewed in 2007, two of them are now on that list (one through more reading, reviews of which will be coming in the New Year), and the other two are really close to being autobuys. That’s always a great feeling. I love having authors I can rely on.

3^rd Runner Up
Josh Lanyon

I actually compiled my lists right after I posted my last 2007 review. If I was compiling it now, Josh Lanyon would probably be higher. I’ve just finished reading and reviewing two of his three Adrien English mysteries (to be posted the week of 1/7/08), and with the completion of those, he’s now officially an autobuy. I love his spare, fluid prose. I love the noirish feel to his worlds, both in his real noir and his contemporary settings. I love his flawed characters. He makes me smile, he makes me think, he makes me feel. As a reader, I can’t ask for anything more.

2^nd Runner Up
Michelle L. Levigne

Probably not a surprise to see this author here since her book was my favorite non-erotic book of the year. I have the entire Bainevah series, and when I see her name, I know it’s going to be quality writing. She writes lush prose with fantastic otherworlds, painted in vibrant colors that make them leap from the page. I’m not sure why she hasn’t been enticed away by print publishers yet. She’s certainly better at fantasy than a lot of the other stuff I’ve read.

1^st Runner Up
Rowan McBride

This one probably shouldn’t be a surprise, either. I’ve only read one of this author’s books, but I have a recently re-released book on my TBR pile, and I’ll be tackling that in January, most likely. This book was the most pleasant surprise of the year for me, and I sincerely hope that the promise it showed pays off in subsequent books. Flawed characters, tight action, all good.

And my favorite author of the books I reviewed this year is:
Annie Dean

Ms. Dean’s books are on my autobuy list. I read three of her stories this year, and while I enjoyed all of them – one quite a bit more than the other two – they’re not the reason I adore her. Her voice is the single most distinctive, most entertaining, most literate voice I read online all year. Hands down. Even when I don’t necessarily care for a character, she keeps me hooked in the story by her clever phrasing, her colorful dialogue, and more. She’s moving into print now, and I have her book, Grimspace, pre-ordered. I didn’t even read the blurb. I just know I want it.

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?

Favorite Heroes for 2007

My list of heroes I really liked this year was the biggest list I had to narrow down to four. Seriously, I wondered how I was going to do it, and if I wasn’t doing four for everything else, I would have easily doubled this list. In the end, though, these were the guys who linger with me, for one reason or another.

3^rd Runner Up
Nathan Doyle in Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon

Nathan has a slight advantage since I just recently read him, but the dichotomy of his scarred persona with his current desire for Mathew still makes me ache for him. I felt his pain, believed his confusion, rejoiced in Mathew’s attention. Plus, it gave me a huge surge of faith in this particular author.

2^nd Runner Up
Kit Fitzgeorge in Twist of Honor by Karen Welss

This is one of those men I would have read about, even if there hadn’t been a romance. I can see him as the protagonist in a historical literary novel, or something action-driven, or even a tragedy. It’s a testimony to the author’s talent that he transcends romantic hero status for me. Kit is a prime example of just solid characterization.

1^st Runner Up
Marius Asher in The Average Girl’s Guide to Getting Laid
by Annie Dean

If you read my blog, you know I give out very few 10’s. To me, a 10 is perfect, can’t be improved upon, can’t make me feel any better about it. Ash got one of the few I doled out this year. While I was reading, I was all about Ash. He was hot, and he was dominating, and oddly vulnerable in spite of it all. He’s not perfect, but that just makes it better in my eyes. I don’t care if can come across as a player sometimes. He still makes me squirm.

And my favorite hero of the books I reviewed this year is:

Paul Graham in
Paul’s Dream by Rowan McBride

Unlike Ash, Paul didn’t get a perfect 10, but when I was thinking about this list – before I compiled my possibilities – he was the first name to spring to mind. I said in my initial review that this book would linger with me, and Paul is the biggest reason for that. The journey he took in the story was my single favorite character arc of the past year. The flashes of vulnerability masked within the icy exterior made me yearn for him even more. Even now, he resonates with me. I sincerely believe he’ll resonate with me a year from now, too.

Do you have as hard a time as I did in picking your favorite heroes of the year? Or am I just crazy?

Paul's Dream by Rowan McBride

TITLE: Paul’s Dream
AUTHOR: Rowan McBride
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 61k)
GENRE: Paranormal gay erotic romance
COST: $5.95

Lawyer Paul Graham is as cool as they come. Until a mysterious man shows up in his life and turns it upside down. Kian seems familiar, but Paul can’t remember saving him from a magical enslavement four years earlier. That doesn’t stop Kian from setting out to seduce Paul, though, using every ounce of his incubus magic. Paul responds, coming to life in ways he never knew were possible, but Kian isn’t his first exposure to the supernatural. Unknown to himself, Paul is a dream walker, a cipher, a human with the ability to go into others’ dreams, solve the puzzles, and give the person the one thing he wants the most. Together, they burn brighter than the hottest fires, but old obsessions and forgotten memories threaten to tear them apart forever.

Have I really not reviewed a gay romance in a month? Shame on me. At least the one I’m reviewing today is a keeper. That’s a bonus, right?

When I say keeper, I mean a book that’s going to linger with me for quite a while. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to re-read it again any time soon, but Paul, the icy lawyer in this, got to me so much that I almost cried in the climax. I’m probably a sucker for a damaged man, and frankly, Paul is as damaged as they come. Closed off. Doesn’t believe in love. Doesn’t really know what passion is until Kian comes into his life. He’s cool and efficient, and when chaos gets thrown into his well-ordered world, he has absolutely no idea what to do so he closes off even more. It takes a lot of love and determination to break through all that, which Kian manages to do. And it’s the glimpses of the vulnerability Paul is constantly trying to hide that suckerpunch me into falling for him almost as quickly as Kian does.

I wish I loved Kian more, though. I know why he’s the way he is – with as unfeeling and uncommunicative as Paul can be, his effusive passion is more than necessary – but after a while, it grated on me. I was good with Kian in small doses – though all the purring was driving me crazy – but more than that, and there were points midway through where I started to wonder how much more I could take. He’s seemingly perfect, and really, perfect is boring. At least, most of the time it is.

All of that disappeared as soon as the last third of the story swung into motion. Just like the first third, it’s tightly written, evocative, and emotional without being maudlin. Read it out of context and it might not seem that way, but honestly, after 40k+ of Paul’s standoffishness, his declarations hit deep. Because I knew he meant them. Add in the very visual scenes the author painted, and I was sucked into the story more thoroughly than I had been for the first 40k. It’s haunting, heartbreaking, and horrific, all at the same time.

This is Book One of the Touching Fire series, and the author has done excellent work in laying out the groundwork for the next books. There are a multitude of secondary characters in this who could be central in future stories, but if readers get a vote, I vote for Asher. Asher is Paul’s best friend and New York’s Guardian of Magic. He’s funny, and hot, and sexy is hell. I think he definitely deserves his own story. :)

Readability	9/10 – Intense and evocative. I devoured this.
Hero #1	9/10 – Maybe I’m a sucker for damaged men, but Paul is the reason I came thisclose to crying in the climax
Hero #2	6/10 – Kian’s perfection grates in long doses for me, though he’s an excellent counterpart to the icy Paul
Entertainment value	8/10 – There were a couple points midway through the story where it dragged for me, but the whole last third had me wound up tight enough to spring when it resolved itself.
World building	9/10 – Some great work here, details used in fresh ways that never seems trite
TOTAL:	41/50