Review: Romantic Interludes

 

I've never done a review on a collection for short stories before, but I was searching through my reader a few days ago and found Romantic Interludes. I remember getting it when it first came out but then it just kind of sat there as life got in the way. And, of course since it's been awhile, each of these stories are now being sold separately.

As a whole:

Title: Romantic Interludes
Authors: Lissa Bryan, Suzy Duffy, T.M. Franklin, Jennifer Schmidt, Allie Jean, Sandi Layne and Sydney Logan
Publication Date: February 1, 2013
Source: Bought
Summary:  (from Goodreads): The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House gives its readers seven spicy, sweet, and sassy stories guaranteed to satisfy.

What happens when the God of love is smitten by a mortal woman? Or when a marine comes home from overseas and wants a second chance with the one he let get away?

From a greeting card writer who hates Valentine’s Day, to a matchmaker who doesn’t believe in love, to a young couple who has to face fears from the past before then can accept their future – Romantic Interludes includes seven tales of love from these authors:


Whether in an emergency room or flower shop, love is in the air. From first glances to second chances, this bundle of romantic stories will get your heart racing!

The Golden Arrow and the Butterfly: When one of his arrows goes awry, Eros whisks the beautiful, modern Psyche to his home on Mount Olympus. He keeps her blindfolded so she doesn't fall in love with the first man she sees. But what if love is blind after all?


The Gentleman Gardner: Becky longs for something beyond small town life and her job at The Little Flower Shop. Perhaps a handsome stranger with terrible taste in flowers will be the one to give her what she’s been missing.


A Piece of Cake: Emily Valentine walked away from her gift and her family’s legacy, instead trusting in science to help others find love. But when cake designer Sam Cavanaugh is matched with her latest client, she just may find the heart trumps reason.


Dissecting Lies and Intentions: After the less than stellar ending to Christine and Mitch’s relationship, she has gone out of her way to avoid him. When she finally works up the courage to confront him about his lies, will she be able to forgive and let go of the past?


Justin’s Second Chance: Ten years ago, Justin Clark walked away from April Peterson. Will a chance encounter with the beautiful widow and her daughter be the second chance that Justin has longed for?


Stupid Cupid: Jada Morgan hates Valentine’s Day and especially Cupid. Perhaps single father Nathan Reynolds will be the one to change her mind.


Two Pink Lines: After twelve years of friendship, Memphis and Kennedy Adams took a risk that changed their lives forever. Will two unexpected pink lines destroy their blissful world or will Kennedy be able to overcome her fear of the past?

I was only going to rate this as a whole book, but then I started reading each story and realized that just wouldn't do. The book as a whole gets....

                                   
There were parts I liked, and then parts I didn't like so much. Which is why I have to do individual reviews for each story. So here we go!

The Golden Arrow and the Butterfly by Lissa Bryan

I’ve read a couple of Lissa Bryan’s novels and think she’s really great so I was excited to see she was part of this little collection.

Meet the God Eros, or we know him better as Cupid. Yes, a real life Cupid. Eros has a little crush of his own on a mortal named Psyche. While playing with his bow and arrow in a mall, Eros is distracted by Psyche as he takes aim at his intended target and WOOSH! The arrow misses and lands straight into Psyche’s chest. What is the golden rule of Cupid’s arrow? Well love, of course. What is the God of Love to do when he misses a target, shoots his crush and panics as she will fall in love with the first man she now sees? Knock her out with magic and vanish with her, naturally.

This is a fun little read about Eros taking his work home with him. Yep, that’s how I see it. He kidnaps her, blindfolds her so she won’t fall in love with him, pampers her on Mount Olympus and well, I’m sure you can guess the rest. You get to meet some other Gods along the way, some rather amusing and watch as Eros stumbles is way through finding love himself. 

                                          

The Gentleman Gardener by Suzy Duffy

Suzy Duffy is another one of my fave TWCS authors.

The Gentleman Gardener introduces us to Becky. Becky works at a small flower shop, is depressed about her love life and in need of a little excitement. Cue Monday Man. No, not really the kind of excitement she needs, but he does add a little bit of interesting to her usual boring work week.

Monday Man is a new costumer who starts to come in every Monday (obviously) to buy flowers. Becky is unimpressed with his flower selections but very impressed with the man himself. And unable to find out anything at all about the man—what’s his name? Who is he buying flowers for? Why does he suck at flower selections but has amazing clothes? Monday Man has a little mystery to him. Finally, after five weeks she thinks of a somewhat clever way to find out his name. Bob. Bob? At this point if I were Becky I’d be thinking, “What the hell? I’ve waited all this time to find out his name and it’s Bob.” I dunno, I would have liked a little creativeness behind the name, I guess.

And then, wait! Bob starts buying different kinds of flowers. This can only mean one thing to Becky. He’s seeing two women now. Cue Becky getting all depressed about a man she barely talks to buying different flowers for another woman. Becky, Becky, Becky. This is how obsessive stalking begins, ya know.

Like I said, I’m usually a big fan of Duffy, just not this time around.

                                        

                                                               

 

A Piece of Cake by T.M Franklin

I haven’t read anything by T.M Franklin yet so I was interested to see what she brought to the table. Really liked what I read!

Emily comes from a long line of talented match makers—more than match makers, actually. Her grandmother and mother both of special abilities, as does Emily, which helps them match each person with their “other half.” But it wasn’t always so simple for Emily. Painful family history makes her turn her back on her gift, shoving it as far down as she could until she learned to turn it off. Emily doesn’t believe in soul mates and true love, instead she would rather focus on the science of love and help people find it that way, which is what she does with her company Perfect Match. Her mother and grandmother do not approve of her methods this way, needless to say.

All is going well for Emily until one night, at a cocktail party that she’s thrown for a female client to meet potential matches, Emily meets one of them and is completely caught off guard by a lot of things. Sam is there as a potential match for Jessica, but what? They have nothing in common, yet Emily’s system says they’re a perfect match? Only he doesn’t seem too interested in her and…there’s the little problem that Emily herself wouldn’t mind taking him home. Not that she’ll admit that to anyone, of course.

I really enjoyed this one! It was fun and flirty and I love the idea of match making with special powers. Kind of a supernatural feel to it. 

                                             

 

Dissecting Lies and Intentions by Allie Jean

Again, another author I wasn’t familiar with.

If this one teaches us anything it’s that dating in the work place might not be the best idea. Or it might. It’s really a 50/50 shot, right? It might also teach us that appearances aren’t always what they appear to be and women tend to get their panties in a bunch over assumptions.

Christine and Mitch, the workplace romance gone wrong. As if Valentine’s Day isn’t bad enough to get through—they don’t call it Singles Awareness Day for nothing—Christine has to spend the day working with her ex—something she’s avoided doing by switching shifts. But alas, Cupid and his fucking stupid bow full of arrow fuck ups had other plans.

Most of the story takes place in the hospital where Christine and Mitch work. It read more of like an episode of ER with all the medical speak and codes running and people needing attention than a romance short story. We didn’t really even see much of Mitch and Christine together, just her work day. We don’t even find out what happens until the very end when Christine, taking advice from a patient, takes her head out of her ass and gives Mitch a chance to explain.

I did like the story though, even if most of it was about the chaos of working in a hospital.

                             

Justin’s Second Chance by Sandi Layne

I like the idea of a pen-pal relationship turning to something more. And the start of this short had a lot of promise. But I have a problem with men being pussies, and in my opinion, that was what Justin was when he just deleted his account and never spoke to the one person who was there for him and helped him through is shit. All because, what, he was scared? Grow the fuck up.

*sigh* But I also like to believe in second chances, even if it’s just to prove that jerk doesn’t deserve it and you’re better off without him. *ahem*  So that’s what this one is about if you couldn’t guess from the title. A second chance with the one who got away. Considering what happened I thought April was a little too forgiving when it came to Justin. There didn’t seem to be any hesitation to welcome him back into her life after the bullshit he pulled. And just because he apologized that doesn’t mean all is okay, girl. She is hesitant though because she is a recent widow, and that makes things a little more difficult.

It’s a cute story about finding love again and reconnecting with the lost one that many people will probably enjoy.—it just wasn’t a favourite of mine.

                                        

 

Stupid Cupid by Sydney Logan

This was really an adorable story but once again miscommunication was a problem in this one, but once you found out it was super cute.

Jada hates Valentine’s Day and works for a greeting card company. Probably not the best profession to have when you loathe the day of overpriced chocolates and flowers. It’s at work where she meets Nathan, the new illustrator at work. Nathan is tall, dark, handsome, single father—who comes with a dark and twisted past involving his baby mama.

Jada falls fast and hard for Nathan and his little girl, but alas just as things start looking promising Nathan drops the bomb that he’s taking someone else to the company party. Oh, darn, what is a girl to do? As if we all didn’t see that one coming, but unlike Jada it was pretty clear to the rest of us who the “other woman” was.

It’s cute. Predictable but cute.

                                      

 

Two Pink Lines by Jennifer Schmidt

Okay, confession. I have been dancing in my seat trying to rush through these reviews so I could get to this one. It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Jennifer Schmidt’s novels—when is a new one coming out, by the way? Someone find that shit out for me, ASAP! But when I found out that it was a short about Memphis and Kennedy from Risking It All? *swoooon* I get my Memphis fix again!

You have no idea how badly I wish this was a second novel and not just a short story. I would have loved to see the relationship play out into the engagement and then marriage and all the troubles that follow in between with these two. And then I would have loved to see how Memphis and his one true love handle parenting. Really, Ms Schmidt, this should have been a squeal. But I’ll take what I can get.

Now married, Memphis and Kennedy are headed into a new phase of their lives. Babies!! Not that Memphis has any clue about this, and really it’s just as big of shock for Kennedy who has fears of her own from a past miscarriage. These two are just as sweet and adorable and sexy as they were in Risking It All. I was so, so, SO happy to have the flashbacks from Kennedy. The way Memphis took care of her during that first horrible experience and the way he proposed. If I can’t have a book detailing it all out for me, this was just as good. I just wish she would have had a flashback of the wedding; I would have loved to see how these two got hitched! If it’s not clear, I cannot get enough of them.

I’m not giving away any spoilers by telling you about the baby because, well hello? Two Pink Lines? Yeah, speaks for itself, but can I just say that I absolutely adored the way Kennedy told Memphis she was pregnant? Oh. My. God. Sweetest thing ever. And his response? Dude, can you get any sexier? This man makes me melt into a puddle of lust in my panties.

I want more! Please, I beg for more!

                  

                                                          

Review: The Dark Light of Day

Title: The Dark Light of Day
Author: T.M Frazier
Publication Date: September 15, 2013
Source: Booktrope Publishing
Summary (from Goodreads): Warning: This is not your typical romance. The story of Abby & Jake contains disturbing situations, graphic violence, sex, rape, strong language, drug use, and all types of abuse.

Abby has been through hell and has survived one of the most brutal childhoods imaginable…barely.

To the outside world she's just a loner with an attitude.

When her grandmother dies in a tragic explosion, Abby is left with questions-and nothing else.

Homeless, sleeping in a junkyard, and on the run from a system that has failed her over and over again, she meets Jake, a tattooed blue-eyed biker with secrets that will rival her own.

Two broken souls that can't be healed. They can't be saved.

Abby & Jake must reveal to one another their most guarded secrets and discover if they can embrace the darkness those secrets hold-and the darkness within themselves.

If they can accept one another for who they really are, they might be able to learn that love isn’t always found in the light.

*stand alone novel, HEA in a twisted kind of way, no cliffhangers, no sequel.

I was a little worried when I started this book that it would be too “high school” considering the female lead is only seventeen.

I was wrong—and very happy about that because I love this book. It starts off with a POV from our hero, Jake, and a brief little backstory on him. At first I thought we would see a POV from both the hero and heroine with each new chapter. But I was once again surprised. Jake’s POV only happens twice in the book; for the prologue and the epilogue. And I gotta say, I like how the author pulled that off. So let’s start with a little review of our feisty red-headed girl.

I totally pictured Emma Stone as this girl. No idea why since she’s never really played a dark character before but that’s the image that kept popping into my head. Abby Ford has lived through some dark things in her young life. And I mean dark things. This book is not for the faint of heart when it comes to reading about child abuse. The only place she has ever felt safe and loved is with her Nan and then suddenly her world is shattered once again. Alone with a “huge chip on her shoulder and a tongue sharper than a draw full of knives”, she’s once again alone, hiding from CPS and doing everything she can to forget how shitty her life is. It’s in one of these wallowing states that we’re introduced to Owen, maybe the only person Abby considers a “friend.”

Owen seemed like a really great guy at first. I really liked how he didn’t push her boundaries—because you know a girl like that has some serious fucked up boundaries—and how he genuinely seemed to care for her. But all isn’t as it seems with Own. At. All. I mean seriously, this dude…I don’t even really have words for how twisted his shit is. I. Hate. Owen. I need to leave it at that or else I’ll go into this huge rant that will give away HUGE spoilers, but just trust me when I say that this is a character that you root for to meet a bloody demise.

One night while sleeping in her Nan’s old truck that happens to be locked up at the local mechanics shop is when our two star crossed lovers meet…and not in a very star crossed lovers’ type of way. Enter Jake Dunn. Ah Jake. I. Love. Jake. Steve Burton is my Jake, and anyone who watches General Hospital will totally understand why I compare his former character on there (Jason Morgan) to Jake Dunn. Yes, I love the motorcycle riding, leather wearing, tattoo covered hit man. Jake is the right mixture of bad ass and softy and his love and loyalty for Abby is deeply shown in his actions. Now, I’m not saying I approve of what he does, but I get it and I feel his actions are justified. Oh, yeah, they are justified—big time.

Books rarely surprise me; I can figure out the twists pretty easily most of the time. But there was a part in this one that did and I think that made me love it more. It’s so hard for me to try and explain why it surprised me without getting into details and spoiling it all! I can say it happens in an orange orchard, when Jake is talking to Abby about his “first”. I totally thought he was speaking of his mom at first... “I want to choose a beautiful place for her.” I thought he blamed himself for what happened to his mom and therefore thought of her as his “first”. I was wrong—again!—and the story that he tells is so heartbreaking. That’s all I can say.  

Now, I do have one little gripe about this otherwise amazing novel, and this I do have to give away a bit of a spoiler so be warned. 

***************************SPOILER ALERT*****************************

I was really disappointed that Abby was still smoking up after she had Georgia. I just hoped that with everything she went through having a baby would have made her grow up a little and leave that life behind her. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s only a little grass, it’s not a big deal compared to the other shit she could have done, but I wish she would have grown out of that, you know? It just made me respect her a little less as a mother figure. She grew up with parents who did drugs and all sorts of other shit; it just seems like something she should have learned from and not continued doing after her daughter entered the picture.

Other than that, I loved this book. And the ending? The sweet revenge? Again, not agreeing with it but justified. Totally justified.

WARNING: This book does contain dark content (child abuse, rape, murder, etc), underage sex, drug and alcohol use. Don’t say you weren’t given a heads up.

 

Review: Broken (The Enemy Inside #2)

:

Title: Broken (The Enemy Inside #2)
Author: Vanessa Skye
Publication Date: November 22. 2013
Source: Net Galley
Summary (from Goodreads): A mother is murdered in an apparent robbery.

A young woman is raped and beaten in a home invasion.

Chicago Detective Alicia “Berg” Raymond doesn’t believe in random crime and is certain both cases are more than they seem—but can she trust her instincts, or is she too distracted by the feelings she has for former partner and new boss? For Berg, the need for justice burns deep and fills the emptiness where therapy and relationships fall short.

She’s certain the husband knows more than he’s willing to admit, but the trap to catch the killer is the loophole that sets him free.
The rapist is caught and sent to prison, but when Berg gets closer to the family devastated by his depravity, their behavior doesn’t add up.

As Berg fights to prevent another murder, she crosses the line between hero and villain—and there’s no turning back.

Vanessa Skye has done it again with another amazing novel.

Detective Alicia “Burg” Raymond is back with new suspects to chase, new criminals to catch and a surprise in her personal life that she never saw coming.

I’m always a little hesitant when it comes to sequels. The second is always lacking something for me, it just never measures up to the expectations I’ve set for it as a reader.  But this book? This book is amazing, just as great as Skye’s first novel.  I was not disappointed.

Burg is paired with a new partner in this one since Jay (her old partner and only love interest for those of you who don’t know) has moved on up on the career ladder. I wasn’t sure what I thought of the new guy  at first. I mean, sure it’s clear he’s a womanizing Casanova wanna be, but he also had softer moments with Burg that warmed my cold heart…only to quickly turn back into that jerk and freeze it over again. He was one of those characters that just couldn’t seem to get his shit together until he did in a big way.

Burg and Jay. There is a lot of run around with these two, mainly because Burg is so fucked up. Just when you think they’re finally getting somewhere she runs off and everything falls apart again. And then there’s this life changing moment for her. One, as a reader, you kind of see coming but that doesn’t take away from it or make it any less of a great twist. And then the real twist—the gut wrenching, sad twist—is thrown at you. It definitely made me see Burg in a new light. She’s presented as this woman who doesn’t give a damn about anything or anyone and in that one moment an entire life she saw for herself is destroyed and she’s left just as vulnerable and empty as any woman in her position would be.

But let’s not forget the mystery thriller part of the story. Like I said, Skye does just as great of a job in this one as she did her first with the murder mystery and “who dun it” factor. I love how she weaves her stories, how everything slowly comes together in a case while she still keeps focus on her character’s personal lives. I can’t really say much about “the bad guys” without giving away spoilers, but I have to say, I think my favourite part of the book was towards the end when Burg visits one of them. Talk about wonderful manipulation, people! You really see how dark and twisted this character (Burg) is and I love it!

I’ll be impatiently waiting Vanessa Skye’s next novel. Impatiently. Waiting. 

Interview with Manuela Cardiga

 

So pleased to be part of the Blog Tour for Guilty Pleasures today. I reviewed the newest release from Ms Cardiga a few weeks ago and today she was kind enough to do an interview.

About the Book

Tell us a bit about your novel.

Briefly: a red-hot narcissistic compulsively healthy-living control freak - Lance Packhard -  who happens to be a bankrupt sex-therapist (writing a book called “Sensual Secrets of a Sexual Surrogate”) gets hired to impregnate a woman who just loves food. Millie Deafly. She’s not interested in men, let alone someone like our hero. So in order to get close to her, he gets himself hired as an assistant to the Chef at Guilty Pleasures - a dinner club belonging to our heroine - and her partner, Serge. Serge used to be a prostitute in Istanbul, a fluffer in skin-flicks in Vegas and is now a Master Chef in London. He’s also a homosexual black dwarf with major personality/sensitivity issues. Every night a new set of crazy guests come to the Guilty Pleasures to pig out, and poor Lance (as his alter-ego, a geeky but sexy Will) finds himself sucked in to a riotous world of eccentricity and sensuality quite unlike anything he’s ever experienced. He suddenly finds himself falling madly in love with his “subject”… and about to be outed as an impostor! If you want to know how it ends, read the book! (It’s really funny) Every chapter opens with “advice” from Lance’s how-not-to book, and closes with excerpts from Millie’s diary. I had an obscene amount of fun writing this book. I hope my readers enjoy reading it.

What gave you the idea for Guilty Pleasures? How long did it take you to write?

One night we had a Girl’s Only dinner at a friend’s place. We had something Mexican I’d made, I believe; and lots of wine. Lots. Lovely red wine, which led to confession time; so these wonderful, bright, successful, stunningly beautiful women started talking about their sex lives. And they weren’t getting any “Satisfaction” as Mick might say. So I got home and suddenly Lance showed up and says: “Hello! I’m Lance Packhard, Pubic Detective Extraordinaire! Looking for a lost Orgasm? Call me! Satisfaction guaranteed!” THEN Serge pushed him aside. “This arsehole doesn’t know WHAT he’s talking about! You wanna know about sensuality, desire and passion for life? You talk to ME! I was -and still am - the absolute BEST in the business! Lemme tell you a story…” And that is how it happened. I wrote a chapter a day, for about three months. That was it. I was taking dictation...

Which character was your favourite to create? Why?

I didn't CREATE him. He just showed up! I LOVED living with Serge inside my head. He is funny and fierce and loyal. A survivor. A wonderful character. I had a hard time keeping him in his place. He wanted to take over the whole book! Only way to get him to behave was to promise him he would get his OWN book...He's still here, waiting!

If you were asked to make a soundtrack for Guilty Pleasures, what songs would be on it? There is a soundtrack to it! I love music and it keeps creeping up in the story! I would use a lot of James songs for Millie: Laid, She's a Star; Waltzing Along; oh and Cure: Love Cats; but her "shattered song" would be "Someone That Cannot Love" by a brill singer called David Fonseca. Lance is a Neil Diamond fan so a lot of his scenes would go thata way; Lance's broke up song would be "Creep". Serge would be snazzy, cheeky and jazzy; Hendricks is  Goth...

If your book was turned into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading characters?

Oh that is HARD! Millie would be Adele...Sensuous, so utterly lovely! Lance/Will would be Diogo Morgado (he can do cocky sex appeal AND geeky vulnerable and he is so gorgeous).I don't think I could convince Morgan Freeman to do an entire movie on his knees, so Serge would be Peter Dinklage, he is AMAZING; he forces me to interrupt writing so I can watch him in Game of Thrones.. 

What’s your writing process like?

I don't really have one, really. The characters write themselves. The story tells itself to me. I'm listen, I write it down. I'm just as astonished at how things turn out as anyone else. The characters just show up, push me around, tell their story and then leave...

About the author

What is a normal day for you? Take us through your usual routine.

I have a pare-pubescent pre-teen girl? I don't DO normal. 

My usual routine starts at 7:00, I go to work (day-job, starving writers etc). 

I take a train along the shore, and then a long walk by a sea wall to the office. (My desk is separated from the ocean by a 12 foot high picture window and a 5 meter wide quay, it's what keeps me sane). So I work, I go home at the end of the day, 18:00 train ride. Get home, make dinner; the usual gripes: "Mom! YOU RUIN MY LIFE!"; I put in another three hours on the keyboard, and usually try to be in bed by 24:00...

 When you’re not writing, what else do you like to do?

Oh I love reading, and drawing, and painting and cooking. I love music too, I love singing (badly and loudly!)... And I love writing. I do it even when I'm not doing it, if you know what i mean.

Tell us about the day you found out Guilty Pleasures was going to be published. How did you react? 

After about a year of sending the manuscript to agents and publishers, I got used to receiving these e-mails that said: "WE LOVED YOUR STORY! I killed myself laughing, the Acquisitions Department loved the concept; however...It is not our Genre.Don't give up, it's a GREAT story!" Everyone laughed, everyone loved, nobody published...HUNDREDS of lovely encouraging "no"'s. So one day I saw another e-mail, I clicked on it. I read it. I didn't understand a single word it said. So I read it again. And again. It was weird. I just couldn't understand. My daughter came over and said: "Mom, why are you crying?" And I was. So I told her, "I think someone wants to publish the story, but I can't be sure." And she started crying too.

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you?

Yes. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird. It is so absolutely perfect. Also, the Cout of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. It was my first "grownup book". My Father gave it to me when I turned 7.

What made you want to become a writer?

Oh dear....You think people WANT to be writers??? It's not a choice, it's an affliction, a compulsion. Stories possess and overwhelm you. You either let them out or explode.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you?

Chocolate, lipstick, eyeliner, silk stockings, and a bold Knight on a quest... 

What’s next for Manuela Cardiga?

I have absolutely no idea! I'm waiting for life to surprise me. 

(there is a novel harassing me, but I'm considering a restraining order)

Bonus Questions

Favourite movie/TV show/food/season? Favourite movie. JUST ONE? It's a Wonderful Life; The Piano; Blade Runner; Breaking the Waves; When Harry Met Sally;  Black Cat White Cat; Dangerous Liaisons, just about anything directed by Clint Eastwood or starring De Niro (I hate De Niro)...Sorry, there are just too many. 

TV Show: Game of Thrones(I dont watch TV. This is an exception)

Food? Are you kidding? Don't ASK things like that!

Season
Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring.
 

Who would you give the award to for best first kiss (in a movie)? The award goes to: COLIN FIRTH! In anything. The man can kiss...(Did you see what he did in "The Diary of Bridgit Jones"? He MADE that movie)

Sweet or salty?Both. Separately or together. Also spicy...

Worst fear?I wake up, and this is a dream.

 

Thanks, Manuela!