Review- Rules of Attraction by India Masters

Rules of Attraction
by India Masters
April 2009
Contemporary/ m/f, f/f, f/f/m/ erotica
Ebook
Novel
49K words -$5.99

Buy it Loose-Id, Fictionwise, ARe

Successful and stylish fashion consultant Anna Craig thinks love is a greeting card marketing conspiracy. Her overgrown hippie of a best friend, polyamorous professor Parvoti Jordan thinks she couldn't be more wrong. Challenged, Anna decides to put it to the test, convincing Parvoti to sign up with her for an online dating service for wealthy men.

Playboy Jonathan Bain's not interested in relationships. So he has no qualms about making dates with two women he gets matched with. No problem. He has no intention of falling for either of them. Let alone both.

But Jonathan's not the only one who falls. Parvoti and Anna do too...and for each other. Maybe there's something real to those Rules of Attraction.

The words “Beach Read” are commonly used this time of year and that’s what I felt Rules of Attraction is; a good ménage beach read. It’s a fun, light, no need to think too much-- juicy love story in which three people come to really love each other and start a relationship.

Anna is a young writer for a chick magazine who thinks that men are only into relationships for the sex. She herself doesn’t believe in love. Being more concerned about appearances and the latest trendy clothes and make-up, she thinks that’s what her readers want to know about, not things like how to get a man. Her boss Nina thinks that the readers want to know more about dating and finding true love, so she puts Anna up to writing an article about it. Wanting to prove that she is right and that love really doesn’t exist, she signs up for an online dating site that caters to wealthier men.

To prove her point, Anna enlists the help of her best friend since childhood, Parvoti, a professor and expert on sexuality who believes in love and free sexual expression, including polyamory. She sets it up so that both she and Parvoti will date the same guy without telling him. Parvoti is a much deeper person though and feels uneasy about the whole thing, but goes along with it to prove to Anna that love does exist.

Jonathan is a major player and doesn’t believe in true love or settling down with one person. His best friend has found love and wishes that Jon could know the bliss of that. To prove his friend wrong that he’s not cut out for love, he signs up with his friend’s new online dating site. Of course, Anna finds Jon straight away and sets it up for both her and Parvoti to date him.

This is one of those stories that is nicely developed in all areas, which keep it fun to read. The characters are each so different and the plot, while a bit contrived in parts, has enough depth to keep out of the realm of being too fluffy. It’s not a deep book, but a very playful and loving take on a polyamorous relationship.

Author India Masters managed to convey that these three people all love each other and that somehow they will work it out. What I specifically enjoyed was that Anna and Parvoti have known each other since they were children and although they are completely opposites as far as personality traits, they still love and support each other. I liked that they don’t make a big deal about getting sexual with each other. It comes across as a natural progression or extension to their friendship and not something just to do. And they don’t do it solely for Jonathon’s titillation, which I appreciated.

Another positive note: normally, I don’t buy it when guys are a playboy, find “the one” and suddenly do a 360. But in this case, Anna really is a player herself and doesn’t cling onto Jon like all the other women have. For the first time he meets his match, which makes him think about things. So I could see him becoming very intrigued by her.

Parvoti is also a very interesting character and totally different from both Anna and Jon. She’s so open minded, socially a bit awkward, and down to earth. She’s not after his money or anything he has to offer and he finds that very attractive as well. When it comes to sex and love she’s rather innocent emotionally about it. And it’s hinted at that she’s open to women sometimes, which I liked.

While I really enjoyed this book, some bits of the plot were a bit goofy. OK, first, I don’t buy a woman not believing in love on any level. I can see a woman, in this case Anna, thinking that for most men sex is a bigger issue than love, but that love doesn’t exist at all is a bit far fetched. I also thought the set up of her and her friend dating the same guy anonymously as a very unrealistic way to test love being real or not. What if he hated both of them? What if he loved only one of them? As an excuse for the threesome though, it worked well.

The ending, not the relationship part, but the magazine part was also a bit hokey. You know those typical feel good American stories in which it all easily works out and is highly improbable? That was this ending. The relationship between Anna, Parvoti and Jon was what this story was about for me though and that ended on a very good and satisfying note.

The sex in this story is no holds barred steamy and juicy. However, one thing was just a bit off for me. Parvoti is a sexologist, meaning that she is very intellectually oriented about sex and talks very matter of fact about it. But then all the sudden, during sex, she’s talking like a sailor using very sexually explicit language and telling Jon and Anna what to do. It didn’t fit her character really; it’s more like how Anna would act.

Still though, I thought it was a nicely written story and for a f/f/m it’s my perfect kind of read; two women who are good friends and very close who take it to another level easily. And a man who can be a part of that, loving both of them.

Sex rating: Orgasmic- very graphic sexual language, public sex, f/f, m/f, f/f/m.

Grade: B++

Review: Two's Company by Marie Soutien

Two's Company

by Marie Soutien

2009

Contepmorary BDSM f/f/m menage romance--bisexual

$4.99

Purchase from Loose Id

Mike doesn't pay his sexy slave, Cassie, as much attention as she'd like. That is until she absentmindedly disobeys a direct order. When her disobedience is brought to his notice he is jolted out of his complacency. Her misdeed needs punishing and with a dungeon of delights close to hand, he is just the man to do it.

Cassie is thrilled by her Master's newfound enthusiasm and wholeheartedly joins in with his plans for them to return to the BDSM club scene. At the club there is a surprise waiting for them, in the shape of the flame-haired siren, Mira.

When Mira later turns up on their doorstep, the heat is on. Neither Cassie nor Mike wants to resist her charms, but can they enjoy playing with Mira and still love each other?

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: BDSM (includes bondage, caning, Domination/submission, fire play, flogging), dubious consent, exhibitionism, ménage, same sex interaction (f/f).

Two's Company is a short, well-written story embracing the master/slave aspect of the BDSM lifestyle. This is not "bondage lite"--Mike is the master of his domain, and Cassie is his willing and obedient slave in all aspects of life, not just in bed. I have to admit, BDSM is not exactly my thing, but considering the scarcity of f/f/m erotic romance out there, I figured what the hey. I've read more than a few Loose Id books, and I've rarely been disappointed by issues like poor editing or less than competent writing, and I've found myself surprised in the past by enjoying things I never thought I would when they're presented by a good author.

I have to admit, I felt a bit at sea while reading much of this. As much as I can appreciate and relate to the innate desire to be submissive to a man in bed, I can't imagine putting up with the kind of relationship Cassie and Mike have. I often find the heroes in books where the D/s dynamic is a 24/7 lifestyle to be, well, condescending, and the heroines more like doormats than women (although for some reason I have no problems at all when it's another female in the dominant role--in fact, that kinda floats my boat). I was a bit surprised to not find myself bristling and annoyed by all the kneeling and lowered gazes, the domestic demands put on Cassie, or even when Mike disciplines Cassie by making her sleep on the floor. Granted, these things didn't particularly resonate with me, but I have to give Ms. Soutien credit for writing them in a way that didn't put me off.

Part of this, I think, is the alternating POV. Though Mike's and Mira's POVs are written in third person, Cassie's is in first. It was a little disorienting at first, but I do think that the added intimacy of the first person POV helped me understand that though this kind of relationship isn't what I would want, it's what Cassie wanted.

The story begins with Cassie being bored--it's been a long time since Mike has had to discipline her, and she's looking for a line to cross to get the punishment she craves. After chewing on her pen to the point where her tongue is stained, she agonizes only briefly before confessing her transgression. Mike is annoyed. He's made it clear that Cassie's habit of chewing on pens and pencils is a no-no, and Cassie's dread and anticipation of her punishment reignites the fire in their stagnant relationship. After a scorching-hot session of caning, Mike decides they've been shut in too long, and it's time to go clubbing again.

At the club, they meet Mira, the sub on display during a demonstration of fire play. Both Cassie and Mike react very strongly to her. One of Cassie's previous relationships was with a female Domme, and she finds Mira incredibly sexy. Mike is likewise hot for Mira, though he berates himself for being disloyal to Cassie. Mira reveals that she's a lingerie designer looking to set up an internet storefront. Fortunate happenstance: Cassie is a web designer. They set up a meeting at Mike's house for the next day.

Mira arrives while Mike is out and about, and she and Cassie have a nice lunch together. When Mike arrives home, the delicate, half-spoken negotiations begin, and Mira's uncontrollable giggles earn her a sound spanking. I'll admit, there's something about spankings that gets me hot, and the scene itself was pretty...ahem. The three of them agree that they'd like to explore a relationship together.

After a couple of weeks to think about it, the three spend a weekend at play. I'm not big on the play part of the lifestyle--I like the dynamics, but the accouterments always seem kind of silly to me. Floggers and restraints and elaborate, orchestrated scenarios often make me feel one step removed from the nitty gritty, flesh-to-flesh heat of sex (and yes, I know it isn't all about sex). But once the games were over and the floggers got put down, I was kind of blown away by how well these three worked together. Mira is a switch, and I absolutely loved seeing her be forceful and dominant with Cassie. In fact, I found myself wishing there had been more of the three-way action in this fairly short story.

The weekend is a success, and Mira departs with promises that they'll get together again soon. And Mike and Cassie--through an admittedly schmaltzy, pat ending--reaffirm their feelings for each other.

Though the main relationship in this story is Mike and Cassie, I found myself most intrigued by Mira. I love to read about switches of any kind--especially those who are bisexual (I think because it pertains to my own life). The fact that she was compelled to dominate Cassie, but be submissive to Mike really resonated with me. That said, very little of this story was told in Mira's POV, and I'd have loved to read more of it, to get more into her head. The story ends without me really knowing her at all, and that's a shame because I felt she was the most intriguing of the three, and given time might have ended up as the center of the relationship.

My feelings about the story itself are mixed. I'm probably not the best judge of how accurate the BDSM lifestyle was reflected, but it was well-written enough to convince me that the characters want and are happy in this kind of relationship. The orchestrated scenes left me a bit cold (an entirely subjective reaction), although there were moments within them that grabbed me by the throat. What carried me through the story to the point where Mira entered the relationship was Ms. Soutien's light, easy prose. I read this one in an afternoon--and with my DNF average at 50% or higher these days, that's saying a lot. But at the end of the day, I did find myself wishing for something longer and more meaty, with more focus on Mira. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I almost always end up wanting my f/f/m menage romances to end up poly.

I suppose if I gobbled up BDSM like I gobble up popcorn with extra butter, this one might have been more enjoyable for me. That said, it was good, and I'm happy to say the one real f/f/m scene in it bumped it from a C to a C+ in my reckoning.

Sex rating: hard to really say--the sex was vanilla for three-way (no anal or dildoes or fisting or anything), but the BDSM elements were pretty extreme.

Should Lesbians have their own clubs?

Surfing through blog land I came across a link to this article. It's about a party organizer in Australia who wanted to be able to ban men from parties specifically organized for lesbians and bi women. They won the ability to ban men in court.

The article in itself is very interesting and it does bring up a lot of issues around equality and non discrimination based on sex or sexuality, but what was more interesting to me were the comments.

If you read them you can see that mostly men showed up to comment. Most of them came across as totally angry that their rights are being diminished while women get to have what they want. OK, WTF???

Those comments are EXACTLY why those lesbians need to have a safe place to congregate without having to deal with neanderthals. Because you know, a party full of lesbians is not going to attract a normal, conscientious man who is empathetic to women and what they deal with. Nope, the men who'll show up at those parties are just the type of guy that will harass and act incredulous that those women just don't want them.


Normally, I think a party consisting of 99% lesbians would be intimidating to a man. Why would men want to go to something like that anyway? The fact that men wish to go tells me they are going for only one reason, to mess with them. Unless they are gay men.


I just don't get why the men in those comments were so angry. What's it to them really if a bunch of lesbians want to gather without men? And they are so slanted in their thinking as well. I mean really, how often do men get sexually harassed at work, on a crowded train, in a crowded bar, walking by a bunch of women, in a gym, and so on? These things happen constantly to women on a daily basis. Those comments just go to show that many men, who've really had it so easy all through history, are feeling so angry and oppressed by women getting any kind of right that puts them on some equal playing ground.

For me, if all of those neanderthals wish to have their own club banning women, fine by me. They aren't the kind of men I'd want to be around anyway.

Review- Jessie's Girl by Amber Scott

Jessie’s Girl
by Amber Scott
2007
Contemporary/ lesbian/ f/f-bi
Ebook- 50,200K

Buy it Liquid Silver Books, Fictionwise - $5.95

Her life was exactly on the path she wanted. The right man, the right career, even the right wedding dress. But, Sabrina’s perfectly laid plans unravel in one heartbeat when she sees the only person whose very memory could always tingle her toes.

Jessica Hayes. Those bee-stung lips, those soft curves. Jessie.

Like an addict, Sabrina finds herself fighting for a reason to be near her, to see her, to touch her one more time. Six years ago she’d been too scared, but today, despite all that she would put at risk, she craved being Jessie’s Girl.

I’ve wanted to read this book for quite a while as I’ve heard much about it. I think this book will go down as one of my favorite f/f stories even though it does have some minor flaws.

It’s Jessie’ brother’s wedding and her twin brother Kyle has brought his girlfriend Sabrina as his guest. Jessie is instantly attracted to Sabrina but doesn’t want to hurt her brother, so she keeps her distance. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jessie’s mom had Sabrina stay in Jessie’s room for the few days she was there and Jessie finds it hard avoid her and what she feels for her as they are sharing the same bed.

Sabrina has been dating Kyle for a few months but is getting ready to break it off after the wedding, not really being into him. To her surprise though, she’s very attracted to Jessie and initiates a sexual encounter the last night she’s there, which turns out to be a mind blowing experience for both of them. Sabrina leaves early the next morning and that’s the last that Jessie hears from her.

It’s six years later and just by coincidence they meet at a Bridal store where Sabrina is getting a dress fitting for her upcoming wedding to Chet. Sparks fly again between Sabrina and Jessie, but both have so many obstacles to overcome; the main one, actually expressing what they really feel for each other.

Overall, I really loved this story. Author Amber Scott did an excellent job of creating a burning passion between Jessie and Sabrina. Right from the beginning I was rooting for these two women to get together.

One thing that I liked was Sabrina’s sexual ambiguity. We don’t know her past sexual experience before Kyle and Jessie. Yes, she did have a short relationship with Kyle and she is getting married to Chet, whom she’s been with for a couple of years, however, it’s seems that her main reason to be with him is not out of a sexual/romantic love, but to fit in socially. She doesn’t really get that though until she meets up with Jessie again.

This was something that bothered me though; Sabrina has issues around being proper and fitting into “normal” society. She has a strong sense of duty to her mother who cares only about appearances and her marrying Chet, Mr. socially connected. At the same time though, she’s been very open with Chet about liking women. He pushes her into a threesome with another woman to sew their wild oats before marriage,--- (I didn’t get this at all. Why can’t they do things like that after they’re married as well?)---- which she readily goes along with. While she’s doing that, all she thinks about is Jessie. So I did wonder why she just walked out on Jessie after what was described as the most amazing night for both of them, with no explanation to Jessie at all.

Jessie is the one who really has problems, because she knows that Kyle loved Sabrina and was very hurt when Sabrina left. It eats at her and she’s hates that she betrayed him by being with Sabrina. Jessie is actually the one who had more of an immediate concern if she and Sabrina continued somehow. I didn’t get why it was Sabrina and not Jessie, who walked away. That’s what makes for good drama though, right?

What did work well for me was the build up of tension and heartache at not being together as Jessie and Sabrina both fight against, and give into their overwhelming attraction. The deep ache and need these two women have for each other is palpable. This is what kept this story very intense and juicy for me. The pacing was just right to keep me wanting them to get together, but at the same time wondering how they will work it out without acting in an inconsiderate way to the other people involved.

Jessie’s Girl was just one of those very sweet love stories between two people who love each other more than anything and fight for their love over what seems to be insurmountable obstacles. It’s my perfect kind of love story.

Sex rating: Orgasmic—f/f, the sex in this book is very hot and explicit vanilla. There’s also a minor f/f/m scene.

Grade: B+

What are you whining about? There's TONS of f/f out there!

Warning: this is not a "sunshine and lollipops" post.

Biphobia and bisexual erasure are rampant in popular media. From Phoebe's "The Bisexual Song" on Friends--"Oh, sometimes men love women, and sometimes men love men. Then there are bisexuals, though some just say they're kidding themselves..."--to Willow's total conversion from straight to lesbian in one fell swoop on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to even supposedly LGBT-positive shows such as Queer as Folk suggesting that if you aren't totally straight or totally gay, there's something wrong with you--the implication is that bisexuals simply don't exist.

In my own personal experience since coming out, I've had people suggest that I'm only faking it to titillate straight men, or I'm deluded in my attraction to women, or it's "just a phase" that I'll eventually get over, or I'm really a closeted lesbian. The assumption is that I can't possibly be sexually and emotionally compatible with people of both sexes. And oddly, this assumption seems to me to be more prevalent in the LGBT community than anywhere else. It may be no more common there, but because that community is supposed to serve all the letters in the acronym, it is more...noticeable.

Well, I'm not particularly interested in what straight men think of my sexual orientation--other than to say how infuriating that straight-guy eyebrow waggle is. If I'm deluded, I've been deluded for my entire adult life (and my adolescence and much of my pre-adolescence) and by now, at age 38, I think I can safely say it's not a phase I'm going through. As for being a closeted lesbian? I just find men too damn hot to give any credence to that.

I'm bisexual. Get over it. And please, please, please stop telling me I don't exist!

So what does this have to do with f/f erotica and romance? It comes into play when making a distinction between f/f romance and lesbian romance. This is a distinction both lesbian and non-lesbian f/f authors have been known to make. Many lesbian romance authors shudder at the very thought of that slash-tag being associated with their work, and rightly so. Lesbian romance is a specific genre with specific tropes that are common to it.

According to Rory, a lesbian romance aficionada, bisexuality seems to be virtually non-existent in the f/f romance published by LGBT presses. Women who were once married tend to end up total converts to full-on lesbianism, often accompanied by references to how their ex-husbands were inattentive, inconsiderate lovers, or simply didn't know how to fulfill their needs. An egalitarian power dynamic is also common in lesbian romance, a dynamic that simply does not work for me as a reader. It's a rejection of the D/s power dynamic inherent in male/female relationships in favor of one where no woman has to be on the bottom.

Now don't get me wrong. Lesbian romance can be whatever it wants to be. I'm not going to tell authors what kind of stories to write, or what kind of tropes to include, or that they must give me what I want. And frankly, lesbians (and everyone else) can think what they want about my sexual orientation (and my opinions as I express them here. Feel free to strenuously disagree if you like--discussion is good).

But I do believe that lesbian fiction--as immersed (subtly or not so subtly) in gender politics, lesbian ideology, feminism and the casting off of patriarchy as it can be--is a very specific niche, and it's one that does not serve my needs as a reader. So whenever someone chimes in with a "What are you whining about? There's f/f romance all over the place!" I end up gritting my teeth until my jaw hurts.

I'm not particularly interested in reading romance fiction that supports a world view of either/or. I'm not interested in reading romance fiction that does not acknowledge I exist. I'm not interested in reading about how sex with a woman is always better than sex with a man, how a relationship with a woman will always be deeper and more loving and more fulfilling than one with a man, or that a man can never truly appreciate a woman.

I'm not interested in closing a door and leaving men on the other side of it. I'm about opting into the possibility of a same-sex relationship, not opting out of the possibility of an m/f one. I'm interested in sexual fluidity in all its forms (whether that's bi- or pansexuality, gender-bending, polyamory, whatever), and lesbian romance fiction doesn't seem to address this much or at all.

I decided to write this post after Teddypig did a blog post on Bold Strokes Books (and I should really give him kudos for posting about f/f considering it's certainly not his area of interest, lol), and the comments turned into a debate about whether there's a difference between f/f romance and lesbian romance. He holds that there is such an enormous overlap in readership between gay romance and m/m there's no distinction to make between the two, and that this holds true for f/f and lesbian.

I think he's mistaken.

Gay and m/m may be all but interchangeable because the readership does overlap. Women will happily read a gay romance, and gay men will happily read m/m.

This is not true of lesbian and f/f. Lesbian romance is often entrenched in a feminist ideology in a way gay romance (which still enjoys a degree of male privilege) is not. The issues in gay romance are gay issues. The issues in lesbian romance are not just lesbian issues but feminist issues.

Women will read gay romance because gay romance doesn't make them feel bad about themselves. Gay men will read m/m because m/m doesn't commonly contain tropes that subvert their ideology, their sense of self, and the long battle they've fought, and are still fighting, for acceptance.

The same can't be said about men and lesbian romance. Lesbian romance is often written from a perspective that makes the male reader feel like an interloper, or even an oppressor. What man wants to read fiction that often tells him he can never understand or please or sexually gratify a woman the way another woman can? What man wants to read fiction that makes him feel like he's only there to keep women down, thwart their success and happiness, or in the best case, help them achieve a happiness that can never include him? And I'm not saying lesbian romance should have to concern itself with making men feel okay about themselves, either. It shouldn't need to include men at all. But it isn't a genre targeted at men.

The same can't be said of straight women and lesbian romance--no woman wants to read a book that implies you're either/or (therefore, if she's getting turned on, she must conclude she's a closeted lesbian), or that she's a chump for being with a man. And judging by the het romance most popular today, straight women also tend to like the D/s dynamic (whether it's subtle or in your face), and complain there's no fire in a relationship without an alpha and a beta.

The same can't be said for lesbians and f/f. Bisexuality and sexual fluidity are not topics much explored in lesbian romance--for a reason. Whatever individual lesbians might feel, lesbians as a market aren't interested in reading about them--at least not in a romantic context.

Add to this the age-old co-opting of f/f sexuality for the titillation of straight men (and the resentment that must accompany that), and it's not surprising to see that female bisexuality is pretty much a no-show in lesbian romance. Lesbians (and most women) rightly protest the depiction of f/f sensuality as two women in bikinis rubbing against each other at a Nascar race. When such images are so pervasive in the media, it's only logical that many lesbians don't want men to own or have any part of their sexuality or the genre of fiction they've developed to serve it.

Female bisexuality invites men back in. Sexual fluidity invites men back in. Maybe not into the bedroom, but at least into the house. And that's what I like to read, and what I write. As a bisexual, I want to read characters who are like me, fiction that acknowledges f/f sex and f/f love are different from m/f, but not necessarily better. That I can be with a man and still be attracted to women, and it isn't a concession or a defeat or a compromise--it's just love. That I can be with a woman and still be attracted to men, and it's not the end-all and be-all or a rejection of maleness--it's just love.

After a certain amount of searching, Rory went on to recommend two romances to me where the characters are bisexual. I'm pretty stoked to find something to read that might satisfy my longing for girl-on-girl love while also accommodating my bisexuality--even if the m/f sex is minimal or non-existant. But the point is, if Rory hadn't recommended those books, I'd have never known they existed, because they're marketed as lesbian romance.

I don't read lesbian romance. I read f/f romance. The two are different. What say you all?

Review- A Swithin Spin I: A Queen's Move by Sharon Maria Bidwell

A Swithin Spin I: A Queen’s Move
by Sharon Maria Bidwell
2009
Fantasy/ F/F- bisexual
48K- $5.99
Ebook

Buy it Loose-ID, Fictionwise

Tressa, the Swithin Queen, doesn't always manage to act as a lady should. Her marriage is one of duty, though not without love. Even so, Markis, her husband, is happy for her to try a softer, feminine touch, if it means that Tressa finally finds true love. Meira is half Swithin and even though she's a great healer, some look upon her heritage with suspicion. Still, she's stronger than that; what others think of her has never mattered...so why is it suddenly important to her that Tressa looks at her with love? Why does she want to protect Tressa even if it means possibly failing to do the right thing? Will the nation be able to stand up to the two women? Even more importantly, how will Tressa and Meira manage their dominant natures between the sheets?

A Queen’s Move is one of those books that’s hard to write a review for. While I didn’t hate this book, I didn’t love it either. Something was missing for me in both the love story and the general cohesiveness of the several story lines going on, but there were some things that I enjoyed about it.

Tressa is the Swithin Queen by marriage. The Swithin are a race of socially enlightened people who honor the rights both men and women equally. Sexually the Swithin are very open and have no judgments about gender preferences, only that it’s OK to love whomever you love. They’re also very powerful in this universe and so they hold much sway.

Tressa was born to the king of the Azulite, a race of people who are dominated by men. Women have absolutely no rights at all, are not allowed to even think for themselves and are forced to be completely subservient to men. Tressa escaped being forced into marriage by running away and marrying the king of Swithin, Markis. While their marriage is one of convenience---Markis is a gay man with two partners--- they do have a mutual love and respect for each other. So when Tressa expresses her desire to be with a woman, he supports her.

Tressa wants to go back to her home country to try and open them up and enlighten them on the errors of their archaic ways and takes Meira with her for support. Meira was born of parents of two races. Because of her parents intermarrying from two warring races, they were slaughtered and Meira was raised as a slave basically, being abused both sexually and mentally. She’s now a healer and Tressa is in love with her, although Tressa is reluctant express that to Meira. Meira feels this attraction but is reticent and doesn’t want to get emotionally involved. It’s only when they are jailed together by the Azulite that they do something about what they feel.

There are several issues I had with this book. The main problem for me was the lack of oomph or juice in this story. I got bored quite often and really pushed myself to keep reading this book. To be fair, I will chalk some of it up to my mood. However, there were some concrete problems that I can identify as to why this book didn’t quite pop for me.

Unfortunately, this book starts out really slow and doesn’t get much better until the very end. In the first chapter there’s hardly any dialogue and it’s about Tressa and Meira basically ignoring each other or being perfunctory on their way to Tressa’s homeland. While they are busy not talking, Tressa’s inner dialogue goes on and on though, explaining the back story of this Swithin world, which bored and confused me since until that point, I had no investment in the current story or the characters.

Another issue; I felt no heat between Tressa and Meira. Tressa supposedly has it really bad for Meira. And Meira is attracted to Tressa, but likes to keep her distance and acts rather cool with Tressa. When Meira, who is bisexual, finally seduces Tressa, Tressa retracts from Meira, suddenly fearing and wondering if she really can be with a woman since she has no experience.

I felt these constant reservations going on between the two and didn’t really believe that they want or need each other badly enough. In the end when they do finally open up to each other totally, it’s rather bland as they discuss rationally, rather than passionately act out, their feelings for each other.

Then there was problem in which I felt that the focus of this story was not very clear. It wasn’t completely about Meira and Tressa’s love story as there were other story lines going on. There’s a major story line of Tressa’s brother being in love with a woman who loves another woman in a society where that is strictly forbidden and Tressa trying to help him. I thought that this part might be used as an excuse for Meira and Tressa to get closer, and they do to a degree.

Again though, there was no passion that came from that for Tressa and Meira; it was all about the brother and the relationship between his love Kiana and Helsa. I actually felt more passion going on between Kiana and Helsa. Probably because they are doomed living in a place that they can be killed for being together, unlike Meira and Tressa who are free to love in Swithin territory and don’t have to fight for their love.

Another story thread running through this book was Tressa going home with this idealistic idea of trying to change the attitudes of her people. The Azulites are written as so misogynistic that it was clear to me right from the beginning that Tressa doesn’t even have a chance and that she’s basically got her head in the clouds chasing windmills. I really didn’t get why she thought she could change a whole nation’s way of thinking just like that. So that part of the story was unbelievable to me and felt contrived as an excuse to throw all these characters together.

Within this I felt there was too much of an underlying general social statement going on about the persecution of women and homosexuals by men, which negatively colored things for me.

On a positive note, I do admit that I liked the contrast of the Azulite race being so anti women with the Swithin being so open and conscientious as a people. It did make for some good conflict in this story. And I felt this world in general to be an interesting backdrop for character growth and the concept itself is unique.

The sex scenes between the women were also nicely written. And the story did pick up with some major action at the end, which I think helped my overall opinion of this story. I think if you like fantasy this book might appeal to you. As a f/f love story I wish it had more passion to it, which I think was possible due to the cultural and racial differences.

Sex rating: Wet panties: f/f. fairly graphic sexual language and scenarios, minor anal. Barely described fisting.

Grade: C-

For another review, which might help you better understand this book: Rainbow Reviews.

Just for Laughs

Surprisingly, I found this in my local supermarket. It's a card by a major card company. Since when did they start getting this racy outside of Spencers?


Whatever works, right? :D

Review- Cattle Valley: Fool's Gold by Jenna Byrnes

Cattle Valley: Fool’s Gold
by Jenna Byrnes
June 23, 2009
Contemporary/ Lesbian
Novella- 35K
Ebook

Buy it Total-E-Bound- $4.98

Adeline Murphy believes the Apple Valley Inn is the only thing waiting for her in Cattle Valley, and it's up to Melissa Danes to change her way of thinking.

Adeline Murphy heads to Cattle Valley, Wyoming looking for a fresh start. She's invested every dime she has and purchased the local bed and breakfast. Arriving in town with a cranky girlfriend in tow, Addie's devastated to discover the inn has been vandalised. With the property uninhabitable, she has no source of income and a mounting stack of bills.

Melissa Danes' quiet Cattle Valley existence is shaken by the arrival of the beautiful Addie and her surly tagalong, Chloe. She's captivated by Addie, but stays away thinking Addie and Chloe are in a committed relationship. When she discovers differently, all bets are off.

Mel discovers Addie has several barriers to cross, including repairing the damaged inn and her even more wounded self-esteem. When Mel looks at Addie she sees more than Fool's Gold, but she needs to find a way for Addie to see it too.

Fool’s Gold is one of those sweet, fully developed romantic stories that satisfied me on every level. There’s just enough plot and tension to keep it engrossing and the characters are written with enough depth to get a good feel for who they are. While there’s plenty of steamy sex in this story, it’s not overpowering, but adds a spicy kick to this romance.

Addie's a good person who comes from a nasty home life. Her mother kicked her out for being gay and when her father sided with her, he got kicked out too. Addie inherited the only money left from her father whom she nursed while he was dying of lung cancer, and has bought a B&B in Cattle Valley, WY to start a new life. She's jaded and has self confidence issues, but is ready to be open.

She’s also somehow recently hooked up with Chloe, a self-centered bad girl who’s into nothing but playing and having sex. One thing missing from this story that I was curious about was why Addie and Chloe are together. They didn’t seem to be in tune with each other and I thought it was strange that someone like Addie would be with a girl like Chloe. Chloe’s bad ass personality does make for a nice contrast to the clean character of Mel, though.

Mel is a kind, conscientious woman who hasn’t found someone to love and spends her days working at the local book store. (Same book store from Truth or Dare.) When she meets Addie for the first time to hand over the keys to the B&B, sparks fly in her being and she finds herself fantasizing about Addie and wanting to help her, even with Chloe telling her to piss off and die at every turn.

You can see what’s coming fairly quickly; however, Jenna Byrnes kept a nice balance of tension stemming from Addie’s problems with both Chloe and her financial situation, and the budding love between Mel and Addie to keep a good flow to this story. It’s not a smooth ride, which gives a good reason to root for Addie and Mel’s love.

I’d also like to mention that this is one of the few f/f stories in which safe sex or the fact that women can possibly pass on disease to each other is dealt with. I take issue quite often in m/f, or m/m contemporaries in which condoms or at least the thought of disease control is not mentioned and it’s good to bring up in f/f as well. I thought Jenna Byrnes dealt with it in a non obtrusive way that added much to Addie’s character as a person of worth. And I just like it; it adds to my overall positive feeling about a book.

I wasn’t going to comment on the whole Cattle Valley thing because I basically ignored it. However, I felt that since it is a big part of the book, it needs some mentioning. If you’re familiar with author Carol Lynne’s Cattle Valley series in which this story takes place and enjoy it, then you’ll enjoy that part of this book. Personally I can’t suspend disbelief of a whole town of queers in WY. However, I do enjoy Jenna Byrnes' f/f stories, even if set in Cattle Valley, so I focused on the story itself. And some of the gay characters from that series are rather fun.

Fool’s Gold is just the kind of story to read if you’re looking for something light and fun, with a gratifying HEA romance and some juicy sex.

Sex rating: Orgasmic- Graphically written f/f sex, anal penetration rimming, dildo.

Grade B+

Review- Woman Justice by Rosalyn Wraight

Woman Justice
by Rosalyn Wraight
2004- Original pub 1999
Mystery/ Lesbian
Novel -200 pgs.
Ebook version

Buy it Amazon, Fictionwise, DLSIJ Press

What happens to all those characters a novelist creates? Could it be that they exist in an alternate plane? Could they be capable of returning to the writer, demanding a better, more fulfilling existence? This seems to be reality for Emily Decker, lauded mystery writer, when she is confronted by Milicent Baylor.

In her effort to get Milicent's existence past the burgeoning state, Emily writes a series of erotic stories, set in varying locales—from Alaska to Timbuktu. Each word, each sentence that Emily writes, makes Milicent stronger, more viable, more real. Emily places herself in these torrid tales and follows her character's regeneration. As Milicent grows in strength and character, Emily realizes she is falling in love with her own creation.

But all is not well in the real world...

The book opens with a police investigation into a pile of bones found in the woods. Detective Laura McCallister intends to solve the riddle. Whose bones are they? What do they have to do with Emily? What do they have to do with Milicent? How do Emily's father and housekeeper fit into this twisted scenario? Is anything as it appears to be?

I must say, I just don’t know whether the way this book was written was genius or totally lame. Although I was left feeling good overall about it, Woman Justice did put me through the ringer and I was left with lots of conflicting thoughts about his book.

Detective Laura McCallister is called when some bones are found in a park.

Famous mystery writer Emily Decker is having a bout of writer’s block and can’t seem to focus or get inspiration for her next book, which has been contracted with a sizable advance. Caroline, her agent, has been calling and asking what is going on, Olivia, her loyal housekeeper, is getting on her nerves because of her fussing about, and family issues that she’s ignored for years are coming to the forefront.

Emily is having a hard time dealing with life in general when out of nowhere a woman appears at her back door. Virtually a recluse, Emily is intrigued by this woman, especially when this woman claims she is Milicent, a character Emily created when she was much younger and first starting to write. Even though she questions whether Milicent is real or a figment of her imagination, Emily goes along with it not caring what’s real because for the first time in a long time, she’s turned on by something. Not only that, she cuts everyone out of her life to be with Milicent by pulling out the phone and not letting anyone enter her house, including Olivia.

In the meantime, she starts writing again, but not her book. She writes short stories about Milicent in exotic settings that express her inner erotic desires and love for Milicent because all along, Milicent talks to her and complains that Emily hasn’t written her story, her character, properly and she wishes Emily would write her the life that Emily promised. One day Milicent takes off and this pushes Emily to the brink.

OK, several things about this book got to me. I think author Rosalyn Wraight was gutsy to go a very unique route in this mystery and I have to give her some kudos for trying it. The thing is, it almost bombed for me. Many times. I got so fed up with this book on numerous occasions that if it weren’t for the fact that Ms. Wraight got me pissed and curious enough to see where this story was going, I would have ditched this book after the first 20 pgs. or so.

What really rectified this story for me was the ending. It blew my mind with several unexpected twists. It was well worth it to keep plugging along because that was the best part. And as an after thought, I did think several of the issues I did have with the book, were interesting in and of themselves if taken out of context.

My thoughts and impressions: first, there was a huge problem for me in the pacing of this story. It was all off for me, and frankly, I got agitated on more than one occasion because of it.

This book is a mystery with the introduction of detective McCallister. It starts out great with her starting the investigation. Shortly thereafter, the story switches to Emily and her situation, but without context or connection to the investigation. Unfortunately, Emily’s story goes on and on and on and I kept wondering what she has to do with all of this and why aren’t we getting any investigation? It felt as if I had started reading completely separate book. There are brief glimpses of the investigation after a long while, but it quickly goes back to Emily again. There was too much of a disconnect for me to feel a good flow between the story lines.

Then there are the stories that Emily is writing. There’s a string of very short stories that go on and on without any kind of fade back to Emily herself, or fade back to the investigation in between. By the third story in a row, I was getting frustrated. I got that Emily is trying to appease Milicent and work out her own feelings around her, but let’s get on with the main story again please.

Note: The short stories themselves, are very well written. Actually, they’re much better written than this whole book; very poetically erotic and creative. I think I would have appreciated them and what they were meant to do for this story much more if there weren’t so many in a row, but more interspersed throughout the story.

Another issue I had was the overuse of funky metaphors and similes and descriptors, which totally distracted me at times. It’s something I commented about in my review of Secrets and Sins, the second book in this series. This book was worse than the second book on this level, so hopefully it gets better as the series continues.

Some examples:

“There’s not much of it left,” she pelted, inching her sleeve up, exposing her watch to emphasize.

Emily swirled the one o’clock coffee in her mouth like a sewer drain in mid shower.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the store had emptied itself for the week and would shut its blinds in sleep until Monday came around again.

The wrongness of the situation obsessed the room.

Problem number three; if I really go into it, it will give away too much of the mystery, but it was an issue that almost caused me to drop the book a few times. I’m not a huge fan of author characters treating their characters as real. I’ve read this plot device in a few books and it’s just too much for me to suspend disbelief in that. I just think it’s too hokey. Yes, we finally get to know why Emily is treating her character as real, and the end does make up for it. However, we’re talking about practically the whole book in which Emily is treating her character as real, since the end is just a few chapters.

I don’t want to leave the impression that I was very dissatisfied with this book though, I wasn’t. Overall, I will say that I loved this book. After the fact it is interesting to see what Ms. Wraight did and how it helped to get to the ending. And aside from the clunky wording here and there, her writing style is rather poetic and reflective. She also managed a shocking twist at the end, which totally made this book for me. That, and I like Laura McCallister as a character.

If you like mysteries, all I can say is hang in there with this one. While not a traditionally written one, Woman Justice still satisfies on so many levels. There’s not much of a romantic angle in this story as there was in Secrets and Sins, but there is some romance to this story, which can be felt more as an after effect.

Sex rating: Damp Panties- Lesbian--Ms. Wraight wrote the sexual scenarios more poetically, than graphically. Although some of the sexual situations were very erotic. I was a bit disappointed on this level only because at Fictionwise, where I bought the book, it’s listed under erotica. It’s so NOT erotica. The language is more sensual and alludes to rather than outright describes the sexual situations.

Grade: I have to give a mixed grade. C- for all the technical issues that I had with the book. B+ for the general overall feeling that I had with the book, including the surprise ending and unique take on this genre.

Epub's- ebook Price Comparisons

In my last review, the comments morphed into a different topic than the book itself and it brought up some issues that have been bothering me about the price of ebooks and how they affect my feelings about a book.

Lately, in my search for F/F books I've been getting more and more pissed off with the cost per word count in ebooks. This is especially noticeable in the lesbian/ F/F-bi genre because of its unpopularity and therefore lack of choice and availability.

At first I was not too aware of WC (word count) to price ratio because, as most readers, I'm used to thinking in terms of average mass market paperback of 250- 500 pgs. being all the same price. So I never thought in terms of WC.

With ebooks and epubs though, as Kirsten pointed out to me, there are all kinds of book lengths available and many 3K-10K short stories are being sold for almost the same price as a 100K paperback or even a 30K-40K ebook at some epubs. It's ridiculous!

Because the F/F genre doesn't have a huge amount of selections compared to M/M and M/F, we readers are often stuck with very short stories that are: not well written, edited badly and way over priced for that. Basically, we're screwed.

I'm getting fed up with it and am less willing to pay out that kind of money for crap, or something I can read in an hour. There are many free sites with often much better writing and story quality.

As far as lesbian and other f/f books go, even paper costs way more because it's a specialized niche market. So even if I want to go strictly paper, I have to fork out over $12-$16 for trade size 150-200+ page book.

Those pubs that specialize in lesbian/alternative fiction also do ebooks at times and charge the same $12-$16 for the ebook version. What...are they thinking?

So I've decided to rate different epubs based on cost per WC/page. One thing I'd like to point out is that many epubs don't give a word count. I think it's very tricky of them. However, if you wish to know, often those books are sold on sites like Fictionwise, which do list a word count for every book. And just for the record, I'm only doing epubs that offer the most f/f- Lesbian books.

I feel that Samhain Publishing is one of the fairest in its WC/ cost pricing so I set its pricing as my standard on which to judge others by.

Below is a general chart that I made up. I think if you click on it you can see it better. What it shows is that while a 20K story is 1/5 of a 100K, the cost is 1/3 to 2/3 of 100K story. I know that some would argue that the cost for a publisher is the same for a short story as a full length novel and therefore the cost has to be higher per word since the return is not the same. But as many point out, short stories and novellas sell a lot more, so the return is made up in volume. So I don't see why the cost needs to be so high for some epubs when others are keeping it at a fair and reasonable price.



Edited- MY BAD-- It was pointed out to me that Total-E-Bound prices were cheaper on their site than Fictionwise. I did get the prices for TEB from FW mainly because FW usually shows the epub price and then their price, which is cheaper.

Also, TEB has no price code per word count like Samhain does. Nor does it list WC on their book pages. So I literally would have had to open many books to get a WC to price range and I admit I was lazy on that part.

I did check with books I've bought from TEB and what they do is list the price, but when I get the CC statement, it shows that the list price is lower with a currency exchange amount, which totals the price given.

I didn't think about that this is a British company and that the exchange rate would affect the prices. Still though, they do appear to be very reasonable if you buy direct from them.

Samhain's WC/Cost key:

Short Stories: $2.50- (12-18K words)
Novellas: $3.50- (18-35K words)
Category: $4.40- (35-60K words)
Novel: $ $5.50- (60-100K words)
Plus Novel: $6.50- (over 100K words)

$ = fair price, close to Samhain's prices---I choose these sites and books over others first.
$$ = A little expensive, but still acceptable-- I'll still buy these books
$$$= Too expensive--- but for a good book I'd spend the money.
$$$$= Over the top ridiculous price for an ebook- Forget about it. I'm not spending that kind of money for any ebook, even if it's highly coveted.

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$$$ -Amber Quill Press- They don't have too many f/f books offered, but I find them to be fairly expensive for WC. Shows word count on books.

Amber Brief: (2,500 - 4,999 words)- $1
Amber Kiss: (5,000 - 10,000 words)- $2.50
Extended Amber Kiss: (11,000 - 17,000 words) $3-$4
Novella: (18,000 - 29,000 words) - $5
Extended Novella: (30,000 - 40,000 words) -$6
Novel: (41,000 - 70,000 words)- $7
Extended Novel: (71,000+ words) $8

I think Amber Quill charges too much money for what they offer and I probably won't buy from them in the future unless they are selling an author I really want to read. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

$$ -Phaze- I like Phaze in general because they do offer a lot of f/f and they label it clearly, but their prices can be a high and the writing quality can be a bit iffy. Gives word count on most books.

Short story: (5, 000-12,000 words)-- $2-$2.50
Short / novella: (5,000-18,000 words)- $2- $3
Novella: (12, 000- 30,000 words)-$3- $4
Category: (30,000-60,000 words)- $5- $6
Novel: (60,000-90,000 words)-$6-
Mega-novel: (90,000 + words)- $6-

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$($)-Total-E-Bound- Doesn't hardly have any f/f, but there are a few f/f authors who I like that are pubbed through here, so I do buy from them. Doesn't show word count on their books, which I don't like.

Edited- These prices below are taken from Fictionwise, which has been pointed out to me to be higher than if you buy direct from TEB even with the exchange rate taken into account. I still don't want to slog through many of their books to get an exact price range, but on average they are $1-$2 cheaper if you buy direct from TEB.

Short Story - (10,000 to 15,000 words) - $3.06-$3.47
Novella - (15,001 - 30,000 words)-$5.11-$6.13
Novel - (30,001 - 60,000 words)-$6.09-$9.28
Super Novel - (60,001 - 100,000 words)- $7.16-$11.69
Super Plus Novel - (100,001+ words)-$11.69



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$$$-Loose-Id-- Only has a few f/f titles so I don't normally go there for f/f. Also, I just don't like their site. They don't give much info at all. They have no key code for WC to catagory, so when they list "Novel" on a book page, I have no clue what they are talking about. Going to fictionwise, this is what I came up with:

(20,000 -30,000 +/- words) - $4.99
(40,000 + words) - $5.99
(50,000 -60,000+ words)- $6.99
(70,000+ words)- $7.99

They don't sell short stories, so it looks like the lowest WC is around 20K. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

$- Torquere Books- I've never bought from them so I don't have a clue about quality but I did some research. I had to go to Submissions section to get this info. It's not on their book pages. No WC or length info offered. Just price.

Sips: (3,000-8,000 words)-$1.29
Novelette: (10,000-15,000 words)- $2.49
Novella: (20,000+ words)- $3.95
Novel: (45,000+ words)- $5.95

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$$- Excessica- I've never bought from this pub either, so I can't speak to quality. They do have a book length chart, which is nice, although WC is not posted on the actual book page. Their web site is very slow to load, too slow. I would have given up if I wanted to buy something. As with a lot of epubs, the shorter the story, the more expensive in WC/cost ratio.

Short Shorts: (under 3K words)- $.99
Shorts: (3-7K words) -$1.99
Short stories: (7-15K words)- $2.99
Novella- (15-35K words)-$3.99
Novel- (35-70K words)- $4.99
Super novels- (70-150K words)- $5.99
Super XL Novels- (150-250K words)- None show up in this category.

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$$($)- Loveyoudivine Alterotica press- I only bought one book from them, which was OK. They have no WC chart, but do list word count on the book page. And they are all over the place in WC/ price. There doesn't seem to be a standard. Just some examples:

2,461 words- $2.75

3,702 words- $2

5,676 words- $2.75

9,067 words-$3
12,811 words-$3.50
10K- $4.49
14,267 words-$4


I think this press charges way too much for WC and I might, but probably won't, buy from them again unless I'm desperate for a f/f book. They do have their books through Fictionwise, which sells them much cheaper.

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$- I'll throw in Ellora's Cave even though as of this moment they don't have any f/f. It's going to change though, I hope. But they are one of the top epubs, so their stats are good to know.

Quickie: (up to 15K words)- $2.24
Novella: (15-30K words)-$4
Short Novel: (30-45K)-$4.68
Novel: (45-70K)- $5.35
Plus Novel: (70-100K)-$6.29
Super Plus: (100K+)- $7.19

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I've given a few examples of some more popular epubs, but there are some predominantly print pubs that do sell ebooks. Here are a couple that sell lesbian fiction.

$$$$- Bold Strokes Books- They are traditionally a niche print pub for Lesbian fiction- most of their print books cost between $12-16 in trade size for about 200+/- pages. Unfortunately, their ebooks are just as expensive, which is why I'd never buy and ebook from them.

They are all around $12.95 and they don't offer a huge download format range like epubs do. Nor do they give a word count. It's too bad because there are some good authors under Bold Strokes Books.

$$$$- L-Book Lesbian Fiction- They are also very expensive. They do give the WC on their book pages. What is nice about this pub is that they do offer many formats, even audio. I haven't bought from them, so I don't know about writing quality either.

60K -$10.95

175K- $13.95