Where the Heck is Kati?

I'm excited to announce that I've joined the staff at Dear Author. 

Come visit there to read fabulous reviews of romance!

See you there!

Katidom on Hiatus

I seem to have lost my reviewing mojo. So I'm going to take a break until I have it back.

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Thanks, and good reading!

Omega Mine by Aline Hunter - A Review(-ish)

I have to admit it, the soulmates/instant mates trope totally works for me. It's why shifter stories work so well for me. I picked up Omega Mine because both Goodreads and Amazon kept popping it up as an "if you like this..." suggestion.

Diskant Black is an Omega. Meaning that he has absolute authority over all of the shifters in New York. This is because Diskant can call all shifter forms to him. He is not looking for anything special when he rescues Ava Brisbane from an overeager group of vampires. The moment he lays eyes on Ava, he feels the connection. She's injured pretty badly, so he takes her back to his home and puts her to bed. But once she awakens, they share a heated kiss, and he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is his mate. What he doesn't know is that all Ava wants is to be left alone. Gifted with telepathic ability, she's been trying to escape notice of *anyone* for most of her life. Unfortunately, her ne'er do well brother is constantly in trouble, gambling away most of what their parents left them when they died. There are only two things left, a family cabin and a locket, which Thomas has given to someone powerful to pay a debt. What Ava doesn't know is how powerful the locket is. So, completely freaked out after the kiss, Ava bolts, leaving no trace. Given that Diskant kissed first, and didn't ask her real name, he's in a bit of a bind.

Diskant is single-minded in his pursuit of Ava, using every shifter at his disposal to find her. Once he finds her, he goes about the three exchanges needed to make her his mate, and imbue her with some of his powers. Ava, reluctant at first, cannot deny the attraction, and soon they are making like bunnies. As Diskant discovers Ava's powers, he realizes that his mate might just be the key to winning the war that has come to his doorstep.

Omega Mine combines several elements that I really enjoy: shifters, matebonds, and many options for sequels. Despite the multitude of secondary characters who are featured in the story, Diskant and Ava's relationship builds credibly, if quickly, which is to be expected in matebond stories. The book is also very erotic, Diskant is a dirty, dirty boy, which I also enjoyed. I also liked that Ava was a strong heroine, confident and honest. She doesn't keep things from Diskant, particularly after they connect telepathically. It's an interesting and visceral connection, which strengthened the love story.

My understanding is the next book in the series is with the editor and should be published soon, which is good news for me, as Omega Mine just whetted my appetite for more.  If you're looking for an extremely hot soulmate/were story, this book is a really strong choice.

Final grade: B

Cover Love - Archangel's Storm

Look at how scrumptious Jason's cover is! I know Nalini must be delighted, goodness knows I am!

Angel's Flight by Nalini Singh - A Review(-ish)

Can't get enough of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series world? This book is just the antidote. Featuring four novellas (three of which have been previously published), the book gives Happily Ever Afters to three minor characters in the series and gives a tempting taste of another possible couple.

Angels’ Pawn:

A vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless…

We first meet Ashwini, a Guild Hunter, in Angel's Blood (the first full length Guild Hunter book). She is fearless, tenacious, and has been chasing the vampire Janvier all over the bayou. The two have a contentious relationship filled with sexual tension and zingy one liners. In Angel's Pawn, Janvier helps Ashwini get to the bottom of a disagreement between two vampire kisses who are fighting. Ashwini and Janvier must go to Nazarach (the angel's) home to broker the peace. The two continue to circle around each other, with the tension and attraction between the two growing. While the story does promise a possible connection between the two, it ends up being another chapter in their ongoing hunter/prey relationship. The question is, who is the hunted and who is the prey?

Final grade: C+/B-

Angels’ Judgment:

A hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all…

When we first meet Sara, the Guild Director in Angel's Blood, she's already married with a baby. In Angel's Judgement, we learn how she and Deacon, her husband, fell in love. Sara is about the be promoted to Guild Director, but first she must help the Guild's "Slayer", the enforcer who tracks down Guild Hunters gone bad, find one of their own who has been up to no good. Deacon designs weapons in "real life", but is also who the Guild calls upon when one of their own must be hunted.

I found the idea of a Slayer to be interesting, because of course, any group needs a regulator. I liked the interactions between he and Sara, although I felt that the romance was a bit ancillary to the story, and felt slightly rushed. But then, that's usually my objection with novellas. I rarely feel like I got enough time with the couple.

Final grade: B-

Angel’s Wolf:

A vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.

We meet Noel in Archangel's Kiss, when a vampire is almost slaughtered in an attack. That vampire was Noel, who is inevitably changed from the attack. He is sent by Dmitri to Nimra to help her get to the bottom of who made the attempt to poison her. Nimra is an extremely powerful angel in her own right, holding Louisiana with a power so frightening other angels avoid her. Despite her great power, she is a gentle soul, one who keeps cats, despite their short lives, and who loves those in her court so much, she finds it difficult to believe any would try to harm her. The attraction between the two is immediate, which is convenient, since the court believe Noel is there as Nimra's lover. But as they close in on who might be trying to harm Nimra, Noel becomes an anchor Nimra never expected to have.

I'm so glad that Nalini gave Noel a Happily Ever After. He was absolutely mangled in the attack in Archangel's Kiss, and it does my heart good to see him happy. This book features a sweet, quiet romance between two likeable characters.

Final grade: B+

Angels’ Dance:

An angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court.

This is easily my very favorite of the stories. I've been intrigued by Jessamy since Archangel's Kiss. A teacher with a mangled wing, who is ancient and kind and unassuming. I love how Galen, one of Raphael's Seven (his closest advisers and enforcers of his rule), narrows in on Jessamy immediately, and pushes her beyond her comfort zone, and into love with him. Galen is blunt and hard and alpha, and Jessamy is a wonderful juxtaposition from him. She's soft and sweet, but not scared at all to stand up for herself. This story was wonderfully satisfying.

The story also allows us to get a tiny taste of others of the Seven, particularly Jason and Aodhan, both of whom NEED their HEAs! Jason will be getting his this year, then I'll be initiating my campaign for Aodhan (fair warning, Nalini!)

Final grade: A

If you are looking for a satisfying taste of the Guild Hunter world while you're waiting for Jason, this book is just the ticket! It's full of interesting characters and enjoyable (if slightly short) romances.

Overall grade: B

*Book blurbs borrowed from Fiction Vixen, who reviews Angel's Flight here. 

**An ARC of the book was provided by the author. Thank you, Nalini!

One Wicked Night by Kelly Jamieson - A Review(-ish)

Kaelin Daume is a good girl. She moved back to tiny Mapleglen, IL when her dad got sick and took care of him until his death. She's an attorney, and smart and pretty. She's also a nice girl. But on the inside, Kaelin feels somewhat hemmed in by her existence. She knows that she wants more, but can't seem to work through the inertia that is keeping her in place to get it.

Recently, Kaelin has been planning her best friend, Avery's wedding. Avery and Kaelin grew up together, and Avery wants to be married in Mapleglen, even though her life is now in L.A. So Kaelin agrees to handle the details so that Avery's mom, who can be a little bit over the top, doesn't blow the wedding up into something Avery doesn't want.

Kaelin has always been drawn to Avery's family, particularly her brother, Tyler. Two years younger than Kaelin, Tyler has always been a bad boy. He's a successful businessman now, but that's no thanks to his parents, who threw him out of the house when he was seventeen. Kaelin knows why Tyler was thrown out, she witnessed the threesome between Tyler, his best friend, Nick and Tracy, a girl from high school. In fact, she can't seem to stop thinking about Tracy tied up and those things that Tyler and Nick were doing to Tracy. Now, Avery has demanded that Tyler be at her wedding, so he's swallowing his resentment towards his parents and showing up, Nick in tow.

Tyler always had strong feelings for Kaelin, but knew that she was way too good for him. So he resorted to teasing and tormenting her to keep her at arm's length. unbeknownst to Tyler, Kaelin and his best friend, Nick, have always kept in touch. So Kaelin is aware that Tyler is coming back, and she knows it's going to be difficult for him. But as soon as he arrives, the sparks start flying between the two of them. Both are still attracted, but Tyler still thinks he's not good enough for Kaelin. Plus, he's quite sure she'd never understand about his relationship with Nick, which is much more than just best friends. They're lovers.

Tyler is wrong. Kaelin still wants him, and is totally fine with his relationship with Nick. Now the question becomes, what will Kaelin do to make Tyler understand how much she wants to be wicked with him.

This book wasn't without its issues. The author had a ton of dynamics going on within the story. There was a small backstory between Tyler and Avery's parents, which was never really addressed. There was the Tyler and Nick dynamic, which was touched on, but not really fleshed out. There was some sort of a fight between Tyler and Nick about work, which was never really delved into. Kaelin had an ex-boyfriend who had unresolved feelings for her, who cameoed as an annoyance, but was never really expanded upon. Then there was the dynamic between Tyler and Avery AND between Kaelin and Tyler. There was many moving parts, and unfortunately, it drew attention away from the main story, which was intended to be the relationship between the three protagonists, Tyler, Kaelin and Nick.

I think the story would have been better served to have fewer dynamics, and more focus on the growing relationship between the three. While Kaelin is pretty well fleshed out, most of Tyler's past is "told" rather than experienced, making him seem mostly like a big jerk because the reader didn't really understand his motivation for being so nasty. For his part, Nick just seemed to be a really nice guy, who inexplicably loved Tyler, even though he really wasn't that nice to him.

I will say this, Ms. Jamieson writes really lovely sex scenes, well orchestrated and emotional. But the interpersonal dynamics between the characters really made it hard to invest in their happily ever after, and the book ended with me still not convinced that Tyler was worthy of either Nick or Kaelin. While this wasn't my favorite menage book by any means, I'd definitely give Ms. Jamieson another shot. I think she's got an effective voice for romance, but hope that the next book I read by her focuses more on the romance and less on creating a big whirl of extraneous drama.

Final grade: C

By His Rules by J.A. Rock - A Review(-ish)

By His Rules by JA Rock explores the impact of an abusive BDSM relationship on a young actor named Aiden, as well as the healing power of a healthy domestic discipline relationship that heals his wounds, both physical and mental.

Aiden is a submissive. He's looking for a strong top who can teach him to ins and outs of the BDSM lifestyle after realizing that the relationships he's had in past are mostly role playing and not the "real" aspect of BDSM. Aiden hooks up with a man named Scott who has a reputation as a brutal Dom. After a painful yet enjoyable night with Scott, Aiden decides to take Scott up on his invitation to spend three nights a week with him learning how to be a "real" Sub. Learning to be a "real" sub involves abuse, pure and simple. Scott brutalizes Aiden both physically, causing vicious wounds, but it's the mental brutality that takes a real toll on Aiden. Scott calls him "Shithead", he constantly tells Aiden how ugly he is, how stupid, and makes Aiden question everything, his intelligence, his self-confidence, even his talent as an actor. Aiden ends up losing his job because he's so scattered from Scott's nastiness that he can barely think straight. He moves in with his friend, Hera, who along with her partners try to rehabilitate Aiden, who is now at turns angry, frustrated, and terribly sad. After weeks of living with the girls, Hera is at a loss as to how to help Aiden recover. She goes to her art professor, Keaton, who she thinks might be in the life due to some of the art he shows in his classes.

Sure enough, Keaton knows Aiden. And knows of Scott. He's seen Aiden before and even interacted with him after Scott's abuse began. He's worried for the young man, but didn't know how to intervene. He agrees to speak with Aiden, and ends up offering Aiden a place to stay. Aiden, like the beaten down young man (child) that he is, thinks that he owes Keaton sex for his hospitality. Keaton doesn't want that. He does want Aiden, but not for Domination. Keaton wants to have a Domestic Disciplinary relationship with Aiden. What is Domestic Discipline? Here is a definition, as written by Learning Domestic Discipline, a blog:

Domestic Discipline is the practice between two consenting life partners in which the husband (or head of the household) takes the necessary measures to achieve a healthy marriage (or relationship) dynamic; the necessary measures to create a healthy home environment; and the necessary measures to protect all members of the family from dangerous or detrimental outcomes by punishing the contributing, and thus unwanted, behaviors for the greater good of the entire family.  In addition to punishing the unwanted behaviors, the husband (or head of the household) is also responsible for rewarding the positive behaviors in an effort to reinforce them for the greater good of the entire family.  The husband is ALWAYS to do this in a very safe, loving, healthy, controlled, and composed manner.

Keaton wants he and Aiden to come up with a set of rules that will set boundaries and limitations for their relationship. And he wants Aiden to allow him to enforce those rules by spanking, writing lines, or sitting in the corner, if Aiden breaks them.

Aiden is hesitant about allowing the DD lifestyle to become his own. He yearns for someone to discipline him, but he also is not sure about handing over the running of his life to someone else. Keaton explains to him that they will have a mutually loving relationship, but that Aiden will put his trust in Keaton to make the decisions about when rules are broken, and to take responsibility for enforcing those rules on Aiden.

Aiden, his confidence shattered, agrees to the relationship. And strangely, he finds that when Keaton provides structure for his life, he does better. He needs the discipline, and Keaton forces Aiden to talk to him about how he's feeling, slowly but surely building Aiden's self-worth as a man, and helping him to grow.

I was actually SHOCKED that this book worked for me. I had read a M/F DD book in the past, and was completely outraged by it. I could not for the life of me understand why a woman would hand over the running of her life to a man. But in this case, Aiden came from a brutal relationship where his confidence was shot. He was rudderless and devastated. Keaton's gentle reassurance, and yes, discipline helped Aiden's character grow. He accomplished his goals, and yes, he was disciplined when he screwed up. The dynamic between Keaton and Aiden was paternalistic, but for some reason it worked for me. I think part of the reason was that Aiden was a submissive. Also, embarrassingly for me, another reason was he was a guy. While the discipline scenes were never titillating in any way, I did find the relationship between Keaton and Aiden to be sexy. Even if I found Aiden to be immature and childish a lot of the time.

The beginning of this book started out so violently, which was shocking to me as a reader, but the second half of the book, which built the relationship between Aiden and Keaton were touching in sweet in their juxtaposition from the violence of the first half of the book. While I still have serious reservations about domestic discipline books, this one worked pretty well for me, with likeable characters who really do grow and flourish from the relationship.

Final grade: B

Broken by Megan Hart - A Review(-ish)

CONFESSION: I've bought and DNF'd three Megan Hart books prior to reading this one. Mostly because her books make me squirmy uncomfortable. Not the kind of uncomfortable that comes from something good, but from socially awkward situations that make me just want the floor to open up and swallow me. Much like watching the auditions from American Idol make me uncomfortable. ANYWAY...

I bought Broken because Mandi from Smexybooks bought it, read it, and found it devastating. Since I am a great lover of a heaping helping of angst with my romance, I went ahead and bought it.

Sadie is a therapist. She is also a wife who may or may not be cheating on her husband, depending on how you look at it. You see, Sadie's husband, Adam was paralyzed from the neck down in a skiing accident about four years before the book opens. Adam was Sadie's sun and moon, he was what her life revolved around completely. And when his accident happened, her life changed. Sure, Adam is still what her life revolves around, but now it's around the constant care that Adam requires. It's about remembering all the reasons she loves him, even if he takes his frustrations out on her. It's about being faithful, even if she hasn't had sex with anyone but herself since the accident.

And that's the kicker. Each month, on the first Friday, Sadie sits on a park bench in an atrium near her office. And she waits for Joe. Joe is gorgeous. He's an attorney, he's single, he's dynamic, he's everything Sadie is attracted to. And in the last two years of sitting on this park bench, Sadie has fallen in love with him. Joe is also a man whore. Every month he tells Sadie the story of some woman (mostly girl-childs) who he has hooked up with during the last month. And Sadie fantasizes that she IS that woman. He's a wonderful raconteur, and the stories are very vivid in nature. But Joe is unable to commit to any woman. Sadie believes it's because he's searching for the perfect woman for him. His perfect match. But the longer Sadie listens to Joe's stories, the more entangled she becomes in his spell, and the closer she slides to a line that a married woman should not cross.

Mandi was right. This story is devastating. It's uncomfortable. It's difficult, and it's splendidly written. The story is told only from Sadie's perspective. And the juxtaposition of those stolen moments with Joe, where she fantasizes about his women, and her real life, which is focused on bringing just a little joy to her husband, and whether he has bed sores, and whether she can really go out and grab a cup of coffee with her sister, is remarkable. In the moments with Joe, I believe that Sadie is her true self. With Adam, Sadie must constantly reassure him. She must be caregiver, wife, mother all at once. And Adam is not always appreciative of the roles she takes on. She loves him. But he makes it difficult. And as the story goes on, we know that Adam realizes that *something* is going on with Sadie. But really, there is no way that Sadie will leave Adam, even if she is entranced with Joe.

My reaction to this book was mixed. I think that Megan Hart is a brilliant author. Her story was smartly told by a character whose voice was authentic to me. But I wasn't sure how I felt about Sadie's wavering feelings. I completely understood her reaction to Joe. I understood her true frustration at loving her husband, but also understanding that her life was inextricably changed. But I also felt to my core that she was over that line. The line of appropriate behavior for someone who was married. I understood it. I empathized with her loneliness, but I also judged her for her behavior. I think because she had already crossed the line with Joe before the book opens, it made it even more difficult for me to excuse her behavior.

The book also ends on a hopeful note, but not an HEA. And honestly, it's so emotionally devastating, I'm not sure that was enough for me. It's one of the few books where I was absolutely tempted to read the end first because until the final few chapters, I had no idea how the story would end. I believe that Ms. Hart ended it in the only way that she could. But I'm just not sure it was enough for me. I needed a moment or two of shiny happy, and that was definitely not there. The technical writing, the prose, the character development were all fantastically done. But the I'm not sure that I can overcome the discomfort I felt reading the book. Overall, I found Broken to be a brilliantly written, emotionally draining novel. Will I ever try Megan Hart again? I can't say I ever would. I don't like squirming that much.

Final grade: B

In With a Roar...Out With a Whimper - Reflections on the 50 Shades series

I reflected earlier this week on the 50 Shades of Grey series, written by EL James. The books were originally published as fanfic, and are overall, quite a compelling read. The story has been summarized below, so I won't recap it again.

When I started the series, honestly? It consumed me. I was aware that there were issues with the writing and with the editing, but I found the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele compelling to say the least. Christian displayed all sorts of stalker-ish, controlling behavior that as a woman I railed against, but couldn't stop reading. I found his obsession with Ana both disconcerting and compelling. I found her struggle with his issues, and her coping mechanisms to be childish and naive most of the time.

The third book picks up Ana and Christian's relationship on their honeymoon. At the end of Book 2, Fifty Shades Darker, Christian had proposed. The first half of Book 3 is all rainbows and unicorns. The couple is quite happy together, even as Christian continues to deal with his issues from childhood. The book is meant to be propelled by a stalker that is after Christian and Ana. Christian is outraged, and more protective than ever of Ana. Predictably, Ana rebels against Christian's rule and is constantly pushing for her independence, which readers of this series understand will never be possible for her. The couple struggles for 600 (!) pages, with various and sundry issues arising as "obstacles" to their happiness. The formula should have worked for me as a romance reader. But honestly, what would have made the book work more for me would have been if they had broken up. Mostly because although the author had set Christian up to be a sympathetic character, I never fully bought it. His issues were real, but the way he manifested the damage from his childhood and the abuse he suffered was to abuse and oppress Ana. Going so far as to mess with her mentally and play constant games with her. This is NOT the behavior of an adult or sane person.

Overall, the series failed for me because I never bought the innate goodness of Christian that the author was trying to convey. His stalkerish behavior, his abuse of Ana in the bedroom and his temper, which he routinely took out on her made him irredeemable in this readers eyes. While I found the series compelling,  overall it failed for me because I didn't understand how Ana, who showed herself to be naive, but intelligent, could ever have a sustained relationship with a man who never offered a sincere apology for his abuse, and never demonstrated that he could change his behavior towards a weaker and more naive person.

Reflections on 50 Shades of Grey & 50 Shades Darker by EL James

~~SPOILER WARNING~~

There has been a growing buzz around Romance Land about these books, and it seems that readers fall strictly into two categories: Loved it! or HATED it! I fall into the chasm in between.

Anastasia Steele is a senior who is about to graduate from University in Portland . When her roommate Kate falls sick, Ana reluctantly agrees to interview Christian Grey, a multimillionaire businessman who is in Portland on business. Kate worked months to score this interview, and Ana agrees to go. When Ana meets Christian, she's immediately attracted to his handsome looks and reserved demeanor. He answers all of her questions, even the ones that are inappropriate, and at the end of the interview, there is a moment when she thinks he might kiss her. There is a definite attraction on her part, but she's sure that there is no way that Christian Grey would be interested in her.

In fact, she couldn't be more mistaken. He's not just interested, he's captivated. He immediately wants Ana, but he'll have to tread very carefully, as Christian has a proclivity toward the BDSM lifestyle, and Ana's innocence comes through very clearly. Due to his wealth, he must be very careful about his lifestyle, and generally presents the women who have been his subs in the past a contract that they must sign. Ana is shocked on all levels. First that Christian Grey would ever be attracted to someone like her, and second about his lifestyle, and what he wants to do to her.

So, that's the set up. It will be no shock that Ana and Christian do end up together. And Ana does challenge Christian in ways that he's never had before, which of course, captivates him even further. In fact, I think it's Christian's captivation that unsettled me the most. He is all kinds of stalkerish. He does a complete background check on Ana. He knows what flight she takes when she goes to visit her mom and he upgrades her to first class. He then shows up in the city where she her mom lives while she's visiting. He buys the company where Ana works because he's concerned for her safety. He's ALL up in her business. He jealous and controlling.  And I found it...disturbing.

The author clearly sets the tone that Christian has an awful past that he's survived. And that past has shaped his attitudes, his sexual proclivities, and his drive. But from the instant that he sees Ana, he's not just in love with her, he wants to possess her, he's obsessed. And it's profoundly unsettling. This is not the behavior of a healthy person. It's not a healthy relationship. If Ana were my kid, I'd be freaked to the extreme. Now granted, Ana tells no one of Christian's behavior, but her friends do see it. And they are concerned. But mostly, Ana just barrels on ahead with this man, who displays deeply paranoid and controlling behavior. And she loves him desperately. At the end of the first book, she breaks up with him. And promptly stops eating and sleeping, she misses him so desperately. Of course, he also goes off the deep end in a different way. And they end up back together.

The thing about Christian is that he's clearly loved by a lot of people, even though he thinks of himself as an island unto himself. His family is loving and supportive. He has people who work for him who love him. He has a past girlfriend who Ana hates (I never really understood her extreme hatred, which seemed shrill and childish to me), who is at turns supportive and nasty to Ana. And of course, Ana adores him, even as she is at turns intimidated and mystified by him.

It's not a healthy relationship. Not even a little bit.

But I'm not sure that was the author's intent. I don't think she wrote this as a unicorns and rainbows romance. I think it's intended as a character study. And if that was the intent, in my mind, it succeeds. I polished off both books in a day and a half, reading obsessively. Although I thought the book could use some editing, and it did tend to drag in sections, the story itself was compelling and very unsettling. I finished the second book desperate to read what happens next, even as I resolved that Ana and Christian have NO business ending up together, and positive that I would not find an HEA between them to be credible.

Overall, the series has worked for me. Not so much as a romance, but as a deeply disturbing, compelling and complex character study.