meitachi | books, books, books: 2017 jun-aug

Summer reading! A mix of different genres and series.

One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews - The third and so far latest book of the Innkeeper series, which introduced Dina's older sister and niece. They sort of cropped up out of nowhere, with very little previous mention, but I liked them and the story. It was convenient to have Arland fall in love with the sister, since obviously Dina and Sean were tied up in each other. As always, I really like the world/universe building and all the interesting creatures/aliens/species and their specific cultures and traditions (and looks -- they're not all humanoid). Authors say the story will continue, so I'll have that to look forward to in the future.

Enemies Like You by Joanna Chambers and Annika Martin - I liked some of Chambers' m/m regency novels and saw a new story from her. Different fare: modern m/m enemies to lovers, undercover spies, with some crossdressing for plot purposes. It ended up being tropey but for tropes I didn't like, alas. Ended up more D/s than I prefer. It also falls into what I discovered is a common m/m ebook publishing style, which is alternating first person POV, each chapter from a different main character's perspective. I hate that, sorry. I can do first POV, though I prefer third, but if we're gonna do that, at least be consistent with on person's limited perspective.

The Ruin of A Rake by Cat Sebastian - Her third m/m regency romance and finally one that hit all my buttons. The scandalous rake with a reputation! The buttoned up stoic one who cares about propriety! Masquerading like they're together for thin plot purposes! But really it was the pining I liked, and how they quickly become sort of FWB and yet still with some kind of UST... or maybe it was unresolved emotional tension, haha. I think there was a broader plot but I forgot it. The background het relationship barely pinged my radar; I'm not sure what its purpose served.

Vassalord by Nanae Chrono - A manga about sexy vampires and Catholic priests, except one vampire sired the other, they're in a codependent relationship, the other is a part-cyborg vampire who also operates as a vampire hunter for the Vatican... And the first vampire also has a twin, except female, and a former master who's a demon who's obssessed with him. There are drugs and mysterious machinations and incoherent plot, but the main point is that the blood-drinking is a scorching hot sexual proxy. Seriously. So hot. So delightfully iddy. And canon m/m happy ending.

Fair's Point by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett - Last so far published in the Astreiant series. I enjoyed it like I enjoyed the others. Very crime procedural: deaths happen, the pointsmen (cops) have to string together why, how it ties into a larger situation in the city, etc. Also dog-racing set up more depth to the world in how it worked and how that intersected with the crime investigation, sort of how life/society goes.

Faking It by Riley Hart and Devon Cormack - Fake boyfriends! Best trope but written in that style I just...can't really feel the groove of, with the alternating first person POV every chapter. Plus each dude is like a stereotypical pornstar voice, with pasted on angst and depth. Their voices were kind of indistguishable to me. But it was a fast, easy read. The porn was pretty good, but without the emotional investment in the characters, not as hot as I've read in fic tbh.

Fallen Angel by Charlotte Louise Dolan - A slightly different take on a marriage of convenience where hero and heroine were happy to accept each other as is...but I guess in the end both are changed unconsciously? She of course has feelings for him before he develops the same, but doesn't exactly pine away and remains calm and practical. Unfortunately the book wasn't outstanding enough for me to remember it in any particular detail, but I also wasn't annoyed and frustrated while reading it, which is always a good sign.

Working It by Riley Scott and Devon Cormack - Sequel to Faking It, it took a side character and made him the main character. That's how these series works! Either siblings or friends, each gets their own turn in the spotlight. Anyway, I liked this dynamic better. Their feelings still felt a little pasted on, but this was a more friends to lovers dynamic, rather than two strangers faking a relationship. There was also a hot threesome scene. I don't know how I feel about the resolution though, of one guy giving up his dream job for this new relationship, but the narrative tried to make clear he wasn't happy/fulfilled at the so-called dream job either so...sure. /bad flashbacks to the Friends finale

A Little Bit Like Love by Brooke Blaine - Emotionally much closer to what I want out of relationship-focused stories! Even though it retains the alternating first person POV style, it tells the story of two friends-to-more in childhood, a bad breakup, and how neither are over the other ten years later. It's constpiated emotional h/c and is both self-inflicted as well as inflicted by outside forces. The Drama! Good tension/sex coupled with angst over how that's not enough/their history. I dig it. (The drama is tropey, but didn't feel as pastede on yey.)

Aced by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine - First in a trilogy about a hot shot Hollywood action star and a rising (underwear) model and their budding relationship when the Hollywood actor is out but still tentative about papparazzi attention... It's a delicious sounding premise, and executed so, so badly. I just...actively did not care or disliked the characters. They sounded the same. They had stupid motivations. It was like one of those bad "imagine" headcanons of Famous Actor/Reader, except the Reader was a poorly drawn Gary Stu. I did not bother with the remainder of the series. What a waste! Actor RPF on AO3 has done this shit better.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - A cute little YA story I've had recced as frothy and charming, and it was! I was initially a little hesitant as I'd also heard criticisms that it was a bit heavy-handed with social justice topics (discrimination based on race, gender, etc.). All of that is fine, even welcome, as long as it works in the narrative and doesn't feel like an anvilicious lecture (unfortunately I've enounctered that in other YA books). I didn't find that to be an issue here -- felt like the diversity and any issues raised occurred naturally within the story. And it was a charming tale of a young noble lord on his Grand Tour through Europe and ending up in more adventures than he expected, and learning about himself and his friends and his society. The adventure and characters were still primary, which is what I want, and as a bonus some of the language was really lovely without being ostentatious.

The Founding by Georgette Heyer - A new Heyer for me! Slow start but segued quite well into the delightful hijinks she writes so well, and Gilly is such a well-meaning and somewhat hapless main character -- not the usual domineering hero of regency romance fame. Just so earnest and willing to laugh at himself. Loved to see him grow, loved his relationship with his cousin Gideon (who canonically has pet names for him, including "little one"), loved also his bride though she wasn't the main focus of his adventures. Charming, as many Heyer stories are.

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews - So I finished the available Innkeeper series and moved on to the Hidden Legacy series, which had conveniently wrapped up with three books! A different kind of worldbuilding as it took place in modern Houston except with magic Houses and heirarchy, so it was cool to recognize places but also surreal (especially as I read this over the hurricane period and knew some of those familiar places were flooding). I liked Nevada, the protagonist, almost immediately: very practical, cautious, loves her family, but she definitely develops more depth than that and gets to be very badass. I wasn't sure at first who her love interest would be, but that resolved itself pretty quickly. Stereotypical romantic hero: super hot, super rich, super tough -- but he does come with very real baggage and Nevada has legitimate reasons to dislike and avoid him despite being forced to work with him. The worldbuilding of the types of magic and uses was very fun and I'm glad it was further explored in the next two books.