Review- Champagne by Inara Lavey

Champagne
Inara Lavey
2009
Contemporary/ m/f, f/f/m- ménage
50K- $4.99-6.99
Ebook- Ravenous Romance

Buy it ARe, Ravenous Romance

Jeanette Wilson is an American girl on the trip of a lifetime to the wine regions of France. Unfortunately, she's trapped with her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend Daryl, a self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, self-styled wine expert bent on swirling, sniffing, sipping, swishing, chewing, swallowing and occasionally spitting his way through the wineries. Between his endless lectures and insufferable putdowns, her insignificant other is quickly turning her dream vacation into a nightmare.

But things change for Jeanette once they come to the zenith of their French road trip, the Champagne house of Chateau Roux-Dubois. Their hosts, Amaury and Marie-Elise Roux-Dubois, turn out to be both charming and attractive, and go out of their way to extend a warm welcome to her. And they make it very clear that it is she, not Daryl, who is their special guest, particularly when the striking Marie-Elise takes Jeanette down to the wine cellar for a very personal tour, followed by an unusual French lesson from Amaury.

When she and Daryl are invited to stay and participate in the harvest festival, Jeanette finds herself caught up in a ménage a trois with the Roux-Dubois, both intent on teaching her many things...and not just about wine.

Champagne is a fun, light ménage story, with an interesting backdrop for a contemporary and an eclectic group of characters. I really enjoyed reading it.

Jeanette, the main character whose POV this story takes place through, is one of those heroines you feel immediately at home with. She’s playful and easy going, while at the same time coming across as self depreciating and completely normal.

What really made me all hot and bothered about this story was the lack of angsting. Jeanette goes along with being seduced by Marie-Elise and her husband Amaury and actually falls in love with them. She doesn’t bother about that she’s with a woman or in a ménage internally even though it’s a first for her. All she knows is that she feels good with them and wants to be with them, especially Marie, and I liked that.

Marie-Elise seduces Jeanette first. How that happened was very yummy and I wished for more actually. Marie has a warmth about her that was very appealing; she was always treating Jeanette in a loving way even when she's being a bit predatory…in the beginning. Then Amaury seduces her but in a totally different way. He’s definitely a dom in that, spanking her and telling her to behave (only during sex), but Jeanette has fun and goes right along with it not taking it too seriously.

Marie-Elise and Amaury are two people who I feel are very mature and loving. And the fact that they knew they wanted Jeanette and seduced her was kind of hot. Another thing was that I found it refreshing to have characters who act in unclear and somewhat cold ways take responsibility for it and really apologize, which is what Marie and Amaury did in the end after realizing that they acted in a way that left Jeanette unclear about their intentions.

The backdrop to this story occurring in Champagne, France and the world of wine making was written in colorful detail that felt very authentic. The setting, landscape descriptions, food and wine descriptions kept this contemporary more compelling than the usual fare. It gave me the feeling of being on a fun trip with all the expectations of doing something new and exciting.

There were a few things that bothered me though about this story.

I almost got pissed off at one point by the direction the story was going. One of my most hated tropes was involved, the big misunderstanding. There was a set up by the author that introduced another character to the mix after Jeanette gets with the Marie and Amaury that had me thinking, no, no, no and why? Plus, I couldn’t stand that character. But this character is a friend of Marie and Amaury’s and they practically push him on Jeanette. This left me a bit confused as to why they would do that. Do they want Jeanette and him to get together? Do they usually include him in their little manage trysts and want this become a foursome of sexual games? I was confused because Marie and Amaury don’t come across as this type in the beginning.

The other thing that bothered me in this story was the lack of build up and follow through with the relationship between Jeanette, Marie-Elise and Amaury in the beginning. I felt teased by a delicious seduction that had me wanting more. But then the story shifts to Jeanette and Marie and Amaury’s friend. The author makes it very clear that Jeanette really wants to be with Marie and Amaury so I was disappointed that there wasn’t more interaction or tension created between those three before the end. But it was still an engaging read with a very satisfying ending.

Champagne is a definite recommend for a sweet f/f/m ménage. One in which all the characters really want each other and it’s clear they will work it out.

Heat level: 4 – some graphic sex scenes with some minor D/s play. M/F, F/F, F/F/M

Grade: B+

Review-The Life Not Lived by Michelle Houston

The Life Not Lived
by Michelle Houston
February 2010
Erotic romance, lesbian romance, paranormal/horror romance
Short Story (27 pages) 7K words
Ebook- Phaze Publishing

Guest Review by M.A.

Buy it Phaze, ARe, Fictionwise


We all have those moments in our lives we wish we could take back. Natasha has come to regret the choices she has made in her life, the biggest one being turning away from the one woman she had ever loved. But thanks to a late night visit from a succubus and a magical diary that found its way into her life, she can have a second chance. If she¬s willing to take a leap of faith...

I’ve read The Life Not Lived a few times and mulled over how to grade it. This short story qualifies as an “almost-book,” imperfect in places, but still likeable enough I want to recommend it.

Houston’s lyrical “voice” is a pleasure to read. Its cadence best compares to rainfall or the waft of soft piano music from a distant room. Her storytelling resonates with beautiful, subtle imagery. I often visualized specific scenes as though they’d been shot with soft-focus effects. Dream-like, no harsh edges.

Like many good short works, The Life Not Lived relies upon scene/setting, atmosphere, and emotion to build itself. Houston’s talent shines in her ability to craft a tale where 95% of the action occurs in a single location – the protagonist’s home – without ever inducing claustrophobic tension. Sufficient description illustrates Natasha’s world without overwhelming the plot.

Natasha is a convincing, well-drawn protagonist with whom many readers can identify. Recently divorced and approaching middle life, the successful professor/scientist contemplates past mistakes as she refurnishes her home. Years ago she broke off a romance with her college roommate, Lydia, in favor of marriage to Andrew because she viewed heterosexual marriage as a social and professional advantage. The selection of career over love haunts Natasha, and her recent acquisition of an old diary boasting paranormal properties may offer her a second chance for true happiness … if Natasha pays an unspecified price.

Self-doubt and fear of the unknown cook conflict through the storyline. A demonic visitor’s revelation of Lydia’s awful fate raises the stakes as Natasha reconsiders the toughest choice she ever made. As a horror fan, I enjoyed the subtle terror these elements added to the narrative. Great payoff followed great tension, but Houston remained true to the romance genre and provided readers with a happy ending. In a manner of speaking.

The Life Not Lived is marketed as erotic romance. It contains brief explicit content, including masturbation and f/f(demon) erotica. I viewed the erotica as neutral and a little gratuitous, not integral to the plot. It disappointed me that none of the erotica portrayed Natasha and Lydia together. Technically the “demon lover” contains an aspect of Lydia, but it was concealed to the point Natasha did not recognize her. In my opinion, an erotic romance featuring a character willing to seriously consider altering fate for a lost true love should contain the couple’s lovemaking.

The beautiful, flowing qualities of Houston’s storytelling do hit some awkward “bumps” at times. The plot lacked consistency concerning Natasha’s relationships with Lydia and with Andrew. At the beginning, Natasha describes Andrew as her college sweetheart, colleague, and friend turned faithless spouse. Later on, the narrative hints that Andrew’s extramarital affairs were condoned by Natasha, their own union platonic, and their divorce amicable.

The story also implied that Natasha’s interest in Lydia was more superficial while Lydia was truly in love with Natasha during their heyday, even though Natasha has never moved past her feelings for Lydia. It read like, from chapter to chapter, the author couldn’t decide who Natasha truly loved and who Natasha used. I normally enjoy the complexities related to sexually fluid characters. I think the author wanted to convey Natasha loved Andrew and Lydia, but this wasn’t addressed in a way I found credible.

Editorial problems included awkward word/phrase use and repetition. I’ve decided to only “count” technical issues if they are glaring and frequent enough to actively interfere with my reading enjoyment. Given this story’s size (approximately 7,000 words,) I felt too much error/awkwardness made it to the final copy. I’m unhappy saying that; Houston’s talent shines in this story, and a conscientious “polish” would have made all the difference.

An issue that might irk some readers is the low percentage of dialogue involved in the story’s word count. This worked, in my opinion; it increased the aura of isolation contributing to the story’s horror element. Since trends in popular fiction indicate preference for lots of dialogue, the silence might be an issue to some.

This story appealed to me. It has that “something” capable of engaging me through the read. I’m not blind to its faults, but the beautiful tone and voice combined with emotional subtlety and good horror elements outweigh its flaws.

I recommend The Life Not Lived to readers seeking a pleasant, entertaining quick adult fairy tale, keeping in mind fairy tales contain creepy moments.

Heat level: Erotic

Grade: C +

Review- What She Needs by Lacey Alexander

What She Needs
by Lacy Alexander
Nov, 2009
Contemporary/Erotica/BDSM/m/f, f/f
304 pg.- Penguin Group

Buy it Amazon, B&N, Borders

By Guest Reviewer- Jill Sorenson

The author of "The Bikini Diaries" now invites readers to an erotic hotel where sensual satisfaction is the main amenity...

Mild-mannered Jenna Banks never considered sex a recreational sport-until she wins a two-week stay at the notorious Hotel Erotique, where every sexual fantasy comes true-in room after room, with stranger after stranger. Even more unnerving for Jenna is Brent Powers, her wildly sensual personal guide who can't wait to put his degree in sexual psychology to work. But with the steady seduction of Jenna come feelings that neither expected. Where will the ultimate fantasy take them?

I’m going to preface this review with a confession. LVLM asked if I wanted to be added to the sidebar, and I said yes. But I don’t know if I belong there. I’m an infrequent contributor, and most of the f/f I read is in m/f books. I’ve never actually read a lesbian romance! I have a few in my digital library, but I’m not a big ebook reader. I also tend to gravitate towards straight or bisexual female characters, because I think I’ll be able to relate to them better. I’m new to this subgenre and just sort of experimenting with it. I hope to read and review of a “real” f/f novel sometime in the future. Stay tuned?

Okay, so even an ingénue like me knows that good f/f is hard to find. I’m always looking for m/f erotic romance with f/f scenes or ménage situations, but the blurb rarely hints at that kind of material. Reviewers don’t mention it. Authors keep quiet. Shhh! It’s dirty. ;)

I got an f/f vibe from a review (can’t remember where) of What She Needs. Really, a person has to be psychic to figure these things out. Anyway, I ordered this book hoping it might have some light girl-on-girl, and I was pleasantly surprised. The f/f content is a good portion, maybe 25%. Although the type of contact isn’t as intense as I’d have liked, and the emotional connection between the women is nonexistent, I really enjoyed this story.

To set it up, Jenna Banks wins a surprise vacation to the Hotel Erotique, where all of her sexual dreams can come true. She intends to turn down the sex and enjoy the beach, but her handsome guide, Brent Powers, is impossible to resist. Jenna admits that she wants to relinquish control, and Brent is happy to direct her. If you’re squeamish about BDSM, group sex, m/m, or multiple partners, this story is not for you. It’s all a bit of a smorgasbord, to be honest, and plays out as more of a spicy fantasy than a deep-seated need for Jenna. She acts as the submissive, and is aroused by Brent’s orders, but this is not a permanent lifestyle switch for her.

Most of Jenna’s contact with other women is orchestrated by Brent. There’s a harem scene, a sensual massage, and a very sexy encounter at a private pool. The turn-on, for Jenna, is performing for Brent. At times, I found her lack of engagement unsatisfying. She’s okay with receiving oral sex, but not giving it. During the pool scene, there’s a third woman hanging around for no reason, and Brent watches from a distance. I wanted Jenna to get her groove on without these distractions, to find pleasure in another woman for herself.

The romance portion is well done. Jenna and Brent negotiate the sexual relationship like reasonable adults, use safe words, and constantly reevaluate each other. It turns out that Brent needs to change just as much as Jenna, if not more. I appreciated that the story wasn’t just a “good girl gone bad” meets “all-knowing sensual master.” Brent isn’t perfect, and the concession he makes at the end totally worked for me.

All in all, What She Needs is a very steamy read with some nice f/f scenes.

Grade: B+

Review- Femme Noir by Clara Nipper

Femme Noir
by Clara Nipper
Sept 2009
Contemporary (period)/ Lesbian/ Interracial/ Erotica
287 pg.- $12.95
Bold Strokes Books
Ebook version

Buy it Amazon (paper), ARe (ebook)

Womanizing tough broad Nora Delaney meets her match in Max Abbott, a sex-crazed dame who may or may not have the information Nora needs to solve a murder—but can she contain her lust for Max long enough to find out?

Dames, booze, and murder is the oldest story in the book, but this time, it happens too fast to Nora Delaney, who is a notorious womanizing college basketball coach. After her ex is found murdered, Nora chases the scent all the way from Los Angeles to Tulsa to find some right angles in this nasty business, only to be waylaid by a gorgeous, gin-swilling skirt who has information as well as an appetite for women like Nora.

Filled with cock-eyed optimism, vivid sexual fantasy, tough broads, and big babes who know their ways around drinks, trash talk, and murder, Femme Noir is a wry homage to retro outlooks of a bygone tough guy/femme fatale age. If you like sex and humor, this book is for you.

Yeah, um… I don’t quite know what to say about this book. It’s kind of all over the place with every cliché out there. But that over the top way about it was also what kept me interested in this book.

First, the blurb makes this book sound more exciting and noir-ish than it is. I bought this book because of the blurb. I really like noir and was hoping that it would be a female or lesbian version of the typical 40’s private dick type of book. Yes, it is sort of, in feel. Apparently, the paper version is done in old style typing font to add to the ambience I guess. For me though, I think the author took a risk that worked in some parts but were too ridiculous in others.

Let’s start with Nora. She’s a tough talking woman; a player who’s not too interested in the feelings of her partners. While it does seem like she doesn’t really care about anyone, we do get to see that Nora is not as tough as she likes to come across. She gets knocked for a loop a time or two, which I thought made her a bit more real and less a caricature.

She's gone to Tulsa to find out what happened to her ex, Michelle, who was murdered just after calling Nora one night. One thing I didn't get here was why. She and Michelle had an acrimonious split and Michelle wasn't exactly Mother Theresa with Nora, so that was missing for me. Why?

One thing I need to bring up, only because it’s mentioned over and over and over again is that Nora is a black woman. She makes reference to it many times describing her beautiful black body and the women she comes across mention it as well with various old school and modern descriptions for a person of color. She brings up racial discrimination on a regular basis, so there’s much ado about race in this story, which I think was both interesting and distracting.

The noir part of this story is that it’s set in some time anywhere between the 40’s and 90’s although no references were made to cell phones or such modern things that would give it a completely contemporary feel. Unfortunately, mostly this came off as a B grade 70’s flick with Nora using language typical to Blaxploitation films of the time. While she brings up quite often prejudices she’s faced, she also acts in a reverse prejudicial way, with stereotypical ideas of country people.

Racial or sexual blurbs:

“No you ain’t , cracker!

“Oh Tanya, honey chile!”

“You want me to call some brothers to take care of this cootchie for you?”

“Of course.” Tonya sat on the bed , crossing her molasses-colored legs in a breathtaking way.” (cinnamon and chocolate were used as well to describe Nora)

“Friend. You want me to draw you a map to Max’s cootchi? Nigga be a man.”

“I guess you’re the furniture,” I said, our eye’s met.” “Guess you’re the negro,” she answered tranquilly.

“If a nigga could just get a motherfuckin’ breath!” I shouted, leaning on the car for support, filling my chest with soaked air. (she’s complaining about Tulsa’s crappy air and allergies, a constant theme throughout the book as well)

Reverse:

On a plane to Oklahoma:

“If it was going to be a crowded airplane, I expected barefoot hillbillies in overalls and live chickens under their arms.”

“You’re just a corn-fed butter-eater, aren’t you?”

She’s shocked to find all normal people on the plane. This is what had me wondering what time period this is happening in. Then at the airport she comments to herself many times about her being the only black person in Tulsa and that the only other ones there were all doing menial jobs. She teases and insults the locals treating them as ignorant backwater types saying she’s from Uganda, as if they would be stupid and think all black people are from Africa, when they ask where she’s from. She’s from L.A. where I guess in this particular time period, black people are abundant. She also seems to find it strange that people are so kind and helpful, another country stereotype.

I get that in noir, old school noir, social conscience in language use is non-existent, or that stereotypes can be exaggerated, but much of this was over the top and offensive in some parts. I won’t even get into all the butch/femme stereotypes and references, which were numerous.

Next are the gaggle of exotic and weird characters that Nora meets. She’s told to meet a woman who apparently has all the inside connections in the lesbian world in Tulsa so she can find out what’s happened with Michelle. She meets with some women in a bar who tell her where to meet this person, but this woman, while acting like a gang leader on the surface, is nothing special in the end. This group of women, all with different quirks, don’t really have much to do with the story and don’t really further the plot, but seem to be there mainly to showcase Nora’s tough talking and acting ways.

She does meet the owner of the bar, Lila who with her partner, Reese are characters in themselves. They talk like women from those 30’s films, which was confusing with the mix of 70's slang throughout the rest of the book:

“I don’t mean anything, darling. It’s such a marvelous party. And I love any excuse for a good party, don’t I Reese Angel?”

Reese pulled Lila back and wagged her finger in her face. “Lila, my queen, you mustn’t arouse suspicion. Remember whose girl you are.”

“What a bore. But as you wish, Reese Cup.” Lila grinned at me but then stood straight and solemn with a pouty mouth to face Reese. “I’m a harmless flirt. Simply everybody says so. You’re such a square.”

Then there is Max. According to the blurb, Max is a sex-crazed dame. Um, no. She’s more an elusive 30's type woman who sort of engages Nora in a sexual flirtation, but is not as mysterious as the author tried to portray her. Mostly, Nora has it bad for Max, but her interactions with Max are mostly through Nora’s fantasy life. She imagines conversations and sex with Max throughout the book, while Max herself comes only as close as she wishes.

One other thing that drove me nuts throughout this whole book was Nora’s constant search for a cigarette. She’s so proud that she hasn’t bought a pack of ciggys in a year, trying to quit. And yet, she's either thinking about having a ciggy, craving a ciggy, begging for a ciggy, or smoking a ciggy at every single turn. Really, I wanted to just say buy a dammed pack of ciggy’s a smoke to your heart’s content. Personally, I thought it was a plot device to make Nora a bit more stereotypically hard-nosed, but mostly it got on my nerves.

On to good things about this story, I did enjoy Clara Nipper’s writing style. She came out with some really colorful phrasing that grabbed me:

“Just great. They’re going places, I think” I put my face in my drink as if it were an oxygen mask.”

“In spite of myself, I laughed and slapped Ava-Suzanne on the back. As if they were monkey’s following the group, everyone else laughed too.”

In the end, there is character growth, which I liked as well. Nora gets in touch with things about herself that she’s denied, like wanting family and people that really care about her. This is one of the main things that kept me hooked into this story, besides the quirkiness of a lot of it. And it did have a certain unique ambience to it that made it interesting enough to keep reading.

I think if you’re looking for a different kind of read, one that takes you on a wild trip with odd characters, this book will be good. There’s no romance in this story though, so if you’re looking for that, it’s not happening.

Heat level: 5 --There are some very graphic sexual scenarios although not an excessive amount.

Grade: C+

Review- Last Call by Leigh Ellwood

Last Call
by Leigh Ellwood
Dec. 2009
Contemporary/ f/f
8.4K words- $. 99
Ebook- DLP Books

Buy it DLP Books, ARe, Amazon Kindle

Dejected and depressed, Janet Stanton hopes her nightly walk will improve her mood. The end of the road leads her to her best friend and a shocking revelation that could change her life. Is Janet willing to take that important first step toward love, or will she miss the last call?

Last Call is very sweet, loving story. There’s no angst or drama, it’s just two women who’ve been friends forever opening up to each other sexually in an easy, soft way.

Once again, I really enjoyed Leigh Ellwood’s writing. There’s just something about the way she writes a story that sucks me in and makes me feel really comfortable. I like these characters and feel their lives are something I’ve been a part of for a long time.

This is a short story (again, a half hour read), and yet, I know so much about Janet. Right from the beginning, the detailed description of her life and who she is grabbed me right way and I was invested in what happens to her and curious about what happens next.

Janet is a simple, good woman who’s life is going nowhere. She’s stuck taking care of her father’s business while being treated like crap and she lives in a trailer park, which her lazy bum boyfriend hangs out in all the time. She’s in a slump, but doesn’t really know how to get out.

Sarah is Janet’s best friend from childhood. She’s got dreams of starting a new business and knowing that Janet is not happy, offers to share the business and an apartment, something they fantasized about when they were still teens. While giving Janet some girlfriend therapy after Janet gets fed up with her boyfriend one night, the comfort heads into a more person arena.

What was so nice about how that was written was that it was no big deal. They ease into it very gently as if it were the most natural thing to do. Janet had no idea that Sarah wanted her all along because being a good friend, Sarah wanted Janet to be happy, so she never shared what she felt. I loved the fact that there was no internal freaking out on Janet’s part. She sees that Sarah gets her and really wants her and becomes her lover with nary a hint of regret.

Thankfully there wasn't any drama for a change. No “oh noes, I’m gay,” and no big shock and betrayal at finding out that Sarah was gay all along. Just two friends taking it to the next level.

What I also liked was that while Sarah is gay, she’s never been attracted to any other women. She’s wanted Janet since they were teens and she’s stuck with that, not going out and exploring with other women. So they are both exploring what it is to be with a woman for the first time.

I'm rather partial to a character who is clear they want someone and they stick to it. There is something about someone who wants you and wants you so much that no one else will do. What can I say, it's an appealing characteristic.

Last Call is a definite recommend if you want a feel good quickie that’s soft and loving around the edges but not all gooey sappy.

Heat Level: 4- some graphic sexual language, but mostly this is written in softer sensual language.

Grade: B+

Yes, I'm not around these days

No this pic has nothing to do with anything. I was looking for a pic using the search term "busy" and this came up. Seriously? Busy showers? I wonder what type of place this is? Maybe a swimming pool shower?


Sorry folks, but I'm so swamped with school work this quarter having taken more credits than the norm for full time. Shamefully, I'm still reading the same book I've been reading for two weeks. Alas, no time for it.

So, I'm stealing other bloggers' posts to offer something.

Today on AfterEllen, there were two articles posted about why more females are coming out as lesbian or bisexual these days.


The first guy from Psychology Today posted this.

I read it first and took umbrage to a few things. Particularly to his correlation that teenage boys watching porn makes girls come out as lesbian or bisexual. That was totally off to me. So, boys looking at porn makes girls gay or bisexual? That makes TOTAL sense. :/ sarcasm.

And guys have been jerks all through history and still the majority of women are heterosexual, so guys being jerks aren't the reason either. Although I suspect it's the reason some women turn to other women in some cases.

Then I read an article from Psych Central, which disputes the first article. You can read it here.

I think their version is more correct. I agree and think that women's sexuality is more malleable and that women are more likely to be open to blurring the boundaries than men. And, we are living in a time when it's more acceptable to be out there.

The other day in school, a girl was sharing that her friend buys from estate sales and she read a diary of a woman who lived to be 90 years old and died years ago. In this diary, this women wrote how even though she was married, she had a long term lesbian affair. She wrote how it had to be kept quite and that they never spoke of it to anyone. This woman also said that having to sneak around and having such an illicit affair was part of the attraction and fun.

This classmate telling this was shocked at that. But for me, I was a bit fascinated. I would love to read that diary. It goes show that yes, there have been lesbians and bisexuals all along, it's just never been OK to announce it to the world.

On to other things: Leigh Ellwood has a new book out- I rather liked the one short story she wrote Where Angels Dare to Tread so I'll probably give this one a shot.

Share Some More
F/F
$.79 at DLP Store

The sequel to Share. Marissa enjoys her friends with benefits arrangement with roommate Nell, but lately the twinge of jealousy makes it difficult to have fun. Between a professor persistent on employing her for dubious acts and her jealousy toward the latest object of Nell's affection, Marissa wonders how much longer she can share herself. Will she stop, or risk it all to share her love with Nell?




By the way- I went to DLP books, where this one is sold and all of Ms. Ellwood's books are sold there cheaper than ARe, or Fictionwise. And she uses paypal, so no need to worry if you don't want to give information.

Other F/F by Leigh Ellwood:


Share
F/F
$. 79 at DLP

Desperate to achieve release with a little help from her trusty toy, Marissa tries to be discreet and not disturb her roommate. Nell, however, is quick to convince Marissa to change her plans…and to share more than her battery-operated pet.

Last Call
F/F
$. 79 DLP Books

Dejected and depressed, Janet Stanton hopes her nightly walk will improve her mood. The end of the road leads her to her best friend and a shocking revelation that could change her life. Is Janet willing to take that important first step toward love, or will she miss the last call?

I have this book, but haven't read it yet.



Another book coming out from Loose-Id, but I'm not sure when as there's no date attached, is this one.


Dancing with Venus
by Roscoe James
Lesbian or f/f, don't know yet
Loose-ID

No info on this one yet: neither price, nor blurb, nor date coming out. But click the title above to get to the page for it.

I have heard that a man wrote this, which makes me a bit curious. I think so far I've only read one f/f from a man, Blood Creek Haunting. I thought the f/f relationship in that book was nicely done. So it could be interesting.

Review- Loving Ellie by Dalia Craig

Loving Ellie
by Dalia Craig
2009
Contemporary/ f/f, erotic
5K- $2
eBook- Loveyoudivine

Buy it Loveyoudivine, ARe, Fictionwise

Two women thrown together by circumstance fight their attraction for each other.

When banker Taylor Hendry swaps jobs and apartments with her colleague, Samantha Crighton it seems a good deal until she meets Samantha’s flat mate, Ellie. Taylor lusts after Ellie, from the outset, but is wary of emotional involvement with this tall, dark, sexy, femme after Sam warned her not to mess with Ellie’s vulnerable emotions.

Journalist, Ellie Lawrence, finds her attraction to Taylor confusing. She’s never had a lesbian relationship, not even a girl crush; but Taylor’s arrival provokes intense sexual feelings, which clamor for fulfillment. For the first time in her life, she wants to have full-on mad passionate sex with a woman.

Loving Ellie is a really short quickie that had a nice feel to it even though it had no plot nor character development.

OK, about the story. It’s cute. It’s rather sweet. It will take you about ½ hour to read.

Although written in third person, it starts out from Taylor’s POV. She’s a lesbian, I guess. She talks in lesbian speak about Ellie being a femme, the kind she likes. Taylor’s friend Sam, who is Ellie’s best friend from childhood and whom she lived with is also a lesbian, so I thought that Ellie must be a lesbian too.

Yes, yes, it’s in the blurb that she’s not, but I didn’t read the blurb. Or I did a long time ago and forgot about it.

About midway through the story, the POV switches to inside Ellie’s head and where she’s coming from. She’s suddenly attracted to Taylor, the first women she’s ever had any sexual/romantic attraction to and finds herself a bit shocked at her depth of “sexual” attraction for a woman. She’s also not too sure that Taylor is a lesbian, so she’s not clear if she should go with her sexual desires one night after getting drunk at a party they both go to or not. Hmmm…

As far as the writing goes, this was mostly a narrative of each girl’s story with about 5 lines of dialogue. Just a basic set up for the sex really. I would have liked more dialogue as a way to build up the sexual tension and maybe an emotional connection, but alas.

There is a sex scene. Yes, in this short story their first sexual encounter is included but there was no tension really. They meet and we are told that Taylor is really hot for Ellie. Then we are told that Ellie is turned on by Taylor and they do it. End of story.

I will say that it was nicely written though in the way that I didn’t feel pissed off or cheated like I usually do with a story so lacking in any development. I was left feeling good afterward about my 1/2 hour of reading this. But still, I prefer to have dialogue and action to see where the characters are coming from.

Two tropes that I’ve come to know from many f/f are in this: orgasm has never happened with a man but magically happens with a woman, and the “I’m NOT a lesbian” angsting mantra.

Maybe one day I'll do a post on common tropes that I feel are lame short cuts to create tension and or a reason for straight chicks to suddenly be attracted to a woman instead of developing character motivations and psychology.

I’d recommend this to anyone who feels like a quickie f/f erotic story. You know, for when you’re waiting in line for something or taking a bath or for a nightcap.

Heat rating: 5- graphic sexual language with girl on girl. Masturbation, dildo

Grade: C+

Being Gay in a Straight World

In the last few days I've read and watched some interesting "feelings," not opinions, about being gay in a straight world by some lesbians.

I admit that when Kirsten and I started this blog, I personally was more interested in discussing f/f romance in stories as entertainment, like I read m/f. And I'll be honest in saying that I wasn't so concerned nor did I want to make this a political blog or a blog that discusses social injustices in general. Not that I personally don't think about these things on my own and have strong feelings about them. But I wanted to keep this blog on the lighter side.

However, lately, as I follow blogs like AfterEllen and LesbianPro, I see the constant issues that come up with being a gay person in a straight world. And a lot of these posts have started to affect me pretty deeply.

How can I keep getting my rocks off on reading two chicks together, like "oh look, two women together, how cute" and enjoy all the fun part of it when I myself don't have to deal with the constant issues faced by such women? I can't.

Last week there was a picture posted on LesbianPro with a link to another post, which talked about a book done by a photographer Jeff Sheng. He's created a book called Don't Ask, Don't Tell through photos of actual military people. They are stunning and photos of real people who risked a lot by being part of this project.




Photo by Jeff Sheng- you can buy or donate toward the book here

I was actually haunted and touched by this photo because it's so real. We are constantly bombarded with young, cute, celebrities who kiss chicks or who are bi and it's made out as something fun and le chique to do. But this photo is of real women who are living the daily reality of it.

Then yesterday, on AfterEllen, my two new favorite vloggers posted their video discussion about being gay in a straight world. They bring up some interesting points about the stickiness and weirdness that can happen when interacting or being friends with a straight woman. One of them points out that the assumption of a lot of straight women that if a lesbian friends you, they automatically want you, which is an interesting point. Anyway, I'll link from After Ellen because the comments are very interesting.

I like these two because they stay rather light and humorous about serious topics, which I think helps people in general to be more open to them and what they have to say.

LL 121 Being Gay in a Straight World from lacey stone on Vimeo.

Then there was this post today from mfred, a person who has commented here on LVLM in the past and whom I follow because she has interesting reviews and things to say- She rants but in a very poignant and honest way, her frustrations about being gay in a straight world. Her post was the one that finally got me to do this post. It's not a political post or rant about social injustice, it's a post from her heart about her bottom line reality and it hit me pretty deeply.

Review- Heart of Change by Roxy Harte

Heart of Change
by Roxy Harte
March 23, 2010
Contemporary/ Bisexual/ Lesbian/ f/f / m/f
60+ K- $5.50 currently $4.95
Ebook- Samahin

Buy it Samhain (MBaM)

True love hides where you least suspect it.

After the truth comes out about her age, forty-something porn star Simone Sinclair is handed her walking papers, ending a career that has become more extreme sport than art form. The final straw is her long-time partner’s idea to start their own international studio with a marriage proposal tossed in to sweeten the deal. After two decades of waiting for him to deliver the white picket fence, it’s not exactly the offer she was expecting.

At least she doesn’t need a man to answer the alarm of her biological clock. And when she shares a dance with Geri, one of her lesbian gal pals, she discovers she doesn’t need a man to fulfill other fantasies, either. But Geri’s not interested in touch and tease—she wants more than Simone is ready to give.

Torn between three dreams—a post-retirement career, a family, or lasting love—Simone retreats to get her head on straight, coming to one conclusion. She can’t have everything. But two out of three is worse than nothing at all…

Heart of Change was a surprisingly good find for me. While not a perfect story by any means, the author managed to keep this contemporary interesting enough for me to keep reading and care about the characters. The overall feeling I had about this book was that it was enjoyable and affected me on many levels. It’s mainly a story about growth and opening up to new possibilities through love.

What I liked:

Heart of Change started out great for me. I’m partial to a female protagonist who works in a profession considered immoral (sex trade) and who openly enjoys it. I especially like it when there’s no stereotypical justification given for it either to make the reader more sympathetic or comfortable like: using funds for school, an abusive past, they are psychologically damaged, etc. I’d rather read a character who unabashedly loves being a whore, stripper, or in this case, a porn star and makes no excuses.

So right away, I really liked Simone since I felt that she actually enjoys being a porn star and owns her sexuality.

Second, I felt that Simone is a very self aware person. This story is written in first person present tense, which normally is hard for me to read. However, this gave significant insight into Simone’s head. She’s a deep and real person, not some fluffy bimbo. She gets that her relationship with Simon is hurting her. But she also has an attachment to him that she just can’t shake. Simone also self reflects about her life in general and how she acts, taking full responsibility for her actions, which is a character trait I admire.

She loves being a porn star and has been able to compartmentalize that sex as just work having nothing to do with love and relationships. And it really hasn’t made her jaded about men and sex, although at the same time, because of it, she won’t date. I felt it good that she wasn’t portrayed as a flaky sex maniac, but as someone who has some self discipline and makes her own choices.

Simone has been meeting up with a group of lesbians at a bar for 6 years every Friday night. This I liked also because I think it’s unusual that a group of lesbians would befriend a porn star, the very type of woman who perpetuates woman as sex objects, which those lesbian friends find objectionable. However, personally, I love the idea that people can meet as humans and go beyond differences like that to be friends. So this is also something I got off on in this story. Simone is made to feel welcome and comfortable even if she’s doing something they detest and she doesn’t hide or make excuses. They all accept each other knowing exactly what’s going on.

Thirdly, another break in the usual is that Geri, out of all the lesbian friends, is the most serious and intimidating and she scares Simone because she’s been the most outspoken against what Simone does. And yet, it’s Geri who Simone starts feeling something for and thinks is the most beautiful. Since we don’t get into the head of Geri due to POV, it’s hard to tell where she’s coming from. But she’s written as having some gender identification issues, which I also enjoyed because she wasn’t just a stereotypical butch type of lesbian.

Geri herself is a top who likes to pack (wears a strap-on while going out), but feels self conscious about it. She’s very male-ish in her appearance but she never comes across as an aggressive butch type. In fact, she’s got her own stuff going on and is more insecure and tender than aggressive, even when she’s being dominant. She’s as complex a character as Simone and is vulnerable with relationship issues as well. So none of this is stereotypical, but came across as real. I feel most people are usually complex with huge contradictions so I like to read characters that don’t act in stereotypical ways. In this book that’s what we get.

How Geri and Simone get together is very sweetly written. It’s rather poignant and emotionally honest, both of them feeling something for each other but both in foreign worlds; Simone never having been with a woman or even attracted to a woman, and Geri having feelings for a straight woman and a woman who does something Geri detests.

Because of the attraction and love both women feel, they are forced to re-evaluate their own personal reality and what is true for them. For instance, not knowing the “lesbian” rules, Simone does something sexual to Geri that normally as a top she would never allow, but feels OK to let Simone do. And for Simone, being with Geri gets her in touch with that part of her that wants sex to mean something deep and spiritual.

I think because both women are so out of their normal element, they can allow themselves to change and open up to new things about themselves that they normally wouldn’t do when operating in their normal worlds. The idea that change and growth can happen in love is big in this story, which was a positive for me.

Now to the things I had issues with:

I felt the story got bogged down with too much emo stuff at times. I get Simone. I get dysfunctional and co-dependent relationships. I do. But in a story I don’t want to read pages and pages of that back and forth, trying to break away, yet keep coming back thing. This gets annoying after a while. It’s also too much reality for me and my issue with contemporaries often.

This is what went on between Simone and Simon for most of the book. He knows he can push her buttons and he does. I did feel that he himself thinks that he loves Simone and that she loves him on some level. However, it’s not a good kind of love. It’s a manipulative kind of love and throughout the story, Simone keeps giving in to Simon even as she fights for some independence. After a while I was like, “please, just dump that guy. Why do you keep staying involved with him, WHY? It’s been 20 effing years of this.” Especially since they’ve really never had a love relationship.

Then there’s Geri and Simone’s relationship. There was way too much of the misunderstanding and lack of communication trope going on. At times, I just didn’t get these two. Especially Geri. Yes, the author makes is clear that Geri has relationship issues and that she’s never been able to go far in one. But it went too far for me at times. Simone and Geri meet up, have great sex, and it’s clear they really want each other, that they love each other. And yet, they each keep taking off, dealing with business stuff without communicating what’s going on or how long they will be away. Or saying hurtful things out of fears that other doesn’t want them. What is that?!

Simone even makes huge life decisions like having a baby and moving to a foreign country without sharing with Geri first. This is no foundation for a long-term relationship.

When this type of back and forth goes on I really wonder about the relationship long term. If they’ve started out with what seems to be a complete lack of that “I want you and I need you” energy enough to stay in touch, I have my doubts about a long term deal. Although for the record, this is an HFN with a bullet to an HEA. And Geri, fortunately, is also a self reflecting type who admits she has issues but wants to work on them and through them with Simone. So no worries that they are left off in ambiguity about their relationship.

Then there’s the old “am I a lesbian?” thing that is starting to push my buttons in these kinds of stories. I do get that an up-till-now straight woman would start to question her sexual orientation when suddenly falling in love with a woman. It’s normal and natural to do so I think. But in this case, I wondered why Simone was so uptight about it initially.

Until Geri, Simone has never been with a woman. OK, first off, I had a hard time believing that she’s never, ever been with a woman sexually as a porn star. I mean it’s practically a given that as a porn star you’re going to be with a woman at some point. Especially after 20 years. But OK, let’s pretend she never was. Simone realizes after being with Geri and wanting and needing her so much that she’s never actually felt that towards a man. But she also loves cock and feels that she’s had some feelings for Simon who is a man. So is she, or isn’t she a lesbian?

We get her angsting about it for a short while. Even almost getting angry that she might be. She decides that she’s a lesbian in the end, even if she still wants cock. Why, why is this an issue that a character has to be one or the other?

Simone hangs out with lesbians. She has no sexual hang-ups really. She’s in love with a woman after a lifetime of fucking men all the time and enjoying it. Why this stressing over fitting into a specific category? Especially, why a negative fear that she’s a lesbian. What’s so wrong about being a lesbian? And what’s so wrong about loving cock, men and loving a woman as well? Fortunately, this only goes on for a short time and it’s not discussed any more for the rest of the book.

Obviously since this review is really long, there was a lot in it for me. It touched me on several levels and was not a easy breezy fluffy love story. While there is lots of sex in this story, I was more affected by the relationship dynamics and feelings between the women. I definitely recommend Heart of Change for anyone who wants a good f/f story that's not just about the sex.

Sex rating: Orgasmic- many graphically written sexual scenarios. F/f, m/f, strap-on, slight hints of D/s and BDSM

Grade: B+

Review- The Portal in the Park by Shara Bloodstone

The Portal in the Park
by Shara Bloodstone
2008
Contemporary/ fantasy/erotica/(m/f)-(f/f)-(f/f/f/m) bisexual
20K- $3.75-$5
Ebook- Amber Quill Press

Buy it Amber Quill Press, Fictionwise, ARe

Springtime is blooming in Manhattan when Julie Daniels takes a break from her dance research at the Lincoln Center library. Her visit to an unfamiliar coffee shop renders an eccentric gentleman who serves up more than the average latte. After blending a little magic in her drink, he sends her to a grove hidden deep in Central Park. In addition to the usual flowers and trees, Julie discovers the woodlands also contain mythological creatures. The lusty fauns and seductive nymphs who appear have traveled through a portal in the park. The exotic creatures entice Julie into a realm of passion beyond her wildest dreams, and she embraces the carnal pleasures they offer.

When evening approaches, Julie awakens from a nap to find the magical beings nowhere in sight. And even more frightening, neither is the coffee shop, where the strangeness all began!

Julie would like to write off the bizarre occurrences as a dream, or perhaps an hallucination. But her sated body and spirit convince her otherwise. She’s left to wonder how and why this strange day began—and if it’s really ended...

I have many mixed feelings about this book. But unfortunately, mostly not very good feelings.

From the blurb: “She’s left to wonder how and why this strange day began—and if it’s really ended...”

Yeah, me too.

This story is classified as erotica, so I’m not going to get on its case for the sexual content that really had no rhyme or reason to it. It’s a pure sexual fantasy. What I am going to gripe about is what I consider to be funky writing.

The first thing that jumped out at me was the constant thinking out loud that Julie does. Most often in stories we get insight to what the character is thinking internally but not in the literal sense of saying exactly what they are thinking. When thoughts are written as if the character is actually speaking these things to themselves, verbatim, it’s just awkward. It really kept throwing me out of the story. For example:

Nothing. Just wind over tall grasses, I guess.

Arms akimbo, she completed the circle without seeing another human being.

Nobody. Then why does it feel like somebody's near?

She slid her knapsack down her back and let it fall to the ground.

Maybe I'm picking up on the two lovers getting it on, up in the cherry trees.

She let out a little snigger of laughter and froze.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear somebody just laughed along with me.

Hairs on end, she cocked an ear to the wind...nothing.

Man, I'm losing it. Let me lay down here for a while.

I mean, who does that?

The next issue I had with the writing was the awful prose during the sexual scenarios. I usually have no problem with blunt, in your face graphic sexual language, but this was over the top bad and in places, corny. Or maybe because the set up was not that great, it read more like porn than erotica. Example:

He slid her down to stand and embraced her before turning her toward the tree. He then stroked her bare ass, drawing his hand in and out of her crack.

"Mmm, this is so beautiful. I want to be inside you, in each of your holes."

He spoke between the sultry but relentless forward motion he was using to stretch her pink hole wide.

"You are such a healthy, beautiful human, strong enough to have me in you. Let me fill your beauty up in a way you have never known before. Open your precious ass for me."

While Tichi suckled her breasts and kissed her neck, Fila finger-fucked her, and Faunus pressed his cock halfway down her throat.

And corny:

Her vaginal lips were swollen, pulsing with a tom-tom beat of excitement, and she thought he had to be stimulating her clit with his hand.

"Look," he said, motioning his eyes down toward his groin. "Look at what I have for you. See how great my tool of awakening."

"Yes, but that...you're so big."

Although this is erotica, meaning there doesn't need to be a big love story, I still feel that erotica should contain some sort of emotional connection between the characters or it's basically porn. In this case, I do give kudos to the author for coming up with a creative scenario for Julie to get her freak on without consequence or need to justify to herself anything she’s done. And I actually liked this part. However, I really didn't feel much of an emotional connection between Faunus and Julie. And the main excuse it seems that the author gives for Julie getting to be part in an orgy is that it’s for her “sexual awakening,” as if there’s something wrong with her.

The words “sexual awakening” are mentioned many times in this story. First by the coffee shop owner who hints to her about her sexual awakening. Then when she slips through the portal and is in portal land, she gets her “sexual awakening” by several wood nymphs and a Faun.

Apparently though, “sexual awakening” in this instance mostly means having butt sex. Really, does having anal sex constitute a sexual awakening? This is why I feel the “sexual awakening” as an excuse is pushed on the reader by reinforcement:

Julie blushed even before asking, "And what would that be?"

"Playing, of course. Laughing, drinking, lusting. These are the things we are sent to attend to. Therefore, let us concentrate on them--and, in so doing, attend to your sexual awakening."

These words sent a shiver down Julie's spine.

"My sexual awakening? Why did you say that?"

When he smiled, unabashed sexuality gleamed in his expression.

"Bringing nubile creatures to their sexual awakenings."

She had allowed herself to get into the throes of a "sexual awakening" today, and any hesitation on her part would spoil the effect. She spread her legs to let Fila finger her, gyrating her ass as Fila plied her deeper.

"Shh, I know that," the faun coaxed. "This is your awakening, remember? I promise to pleasure you in all ways. You will be opened after this. In touch with your sexual prowess."

"All right," he said, "I'll awaken you from here."

She felt him dribbling more oil into her crack.

"Now, I will anoint you," he said.

"That's right, Amorfos, let me have you in a way no human man has ever dared. Let your awakening come. Open wide to me."

The trouble for me in this whole “sexual awakening” thing is why does Julie NEED sexual awakening? There was no background story to indicate that Julie was in need of any sexual help or that she was an uptight person sexually. Were her past lovers complaining she never allowed butt sex or sex with women? Was she herself feeling like she wanted to explore her sexuality before all this? Was she frigid? Does not having anal sex and orgies mean that you are not sexually awakened? All this interference by others telling her she needs sexual awakening was a bit weird to me. I would have felt better if Julie had just been seduced only without the insinuation that something was wrong with her.

With no reason that I could see that Julie needs this help to begin with, I also don’t get why she in particular was chosen for a “sexual awakening.” Therefore, to me, this was all a lame excuse for a whole sexual scenario that had no bearing on anything.

For me, it turned what was a good premise into something a bit more corny. Like the short beginnings to a porn flick that pretend the flimsiest excuses for the sex to happen.

Then there was the issue of Julie having sex with a Faun. During the sexual encounter, Julie notes how his fur feels against her skin. And of course, several references to Faunus digging his hooves into the ground for more leverage.

I’m sorry but the descriptions of his humongous cock and his waist down being furry like an animal kind of squicked me out. I just kept picturing Julie having sex with a goat. Not really a turn on. Maybe I’m not sexually awakened enough. Heh.

On the bright side, I rather enjoyed the beginning and ending. The set up of her finding a special coffee shop with an eccentric owner, the whole portal idea, and the end when she goes looking for where she had been, was nicely written. I feel that the author started and ended in the right direction but really veered off course throughout the whole sexual part of this story.

There’s a small part in which there is some f/f, and that’s kind of hotly written. But this is basically a m/f fantasy.

Personally, I’d have pass on recommending this book unless you like raw sexual language and descriptions and or you just want something to titillate you sexually. If you need an emotional connection, I can’t recommend this.

Sex rating: Orgasmic- very graphic sexual language, anal, DP with dildo, f/f, f/f/f/m, m/f, toe sucking, *bestiality* (if you consider sex with Pan bestiality)

Grade: D+

Review- Snowfound by Connie Wilkins

Snowfound
by Connie Wilkins
2005- (Originally part of anthology “Rode Hard, Put Away Wet: Lesbian Cowboy Erotica)
Historical/ Lesbian- bisexual/ erotica/Interracial
5K- $2
Ebook

Buy at OmniLit

Connie Wilkins' western lesbian tale "Snowfound," offers a memorable cross-dressing Civil War soldier who, after the war, rescues a woman in danger in the Sierra gold country of California.

Snowfound is a very short, sweet story. Jack is really a woman pretending to be a man and is gold mining in the Sierras. No one questions that he’s woman, believing the stories that he was wounded fighting in the Civil War, making him loose his facial hair and interest in having a woman. So she/he gets by as a man.

On his way to town for supplies, his horse comes upon a Chinese woman lying in the snow almost dead and he brings her to the doc, the only other person who knows Jack's secret and someone he trusts.

Lotus can’t speak English, but it’s clear that she’s running from something or someone and has been abused. Not knowing what to do really, Jack decides to take her to his place since he/ she is feeling attracted and protective of her and he's afraid if he doesn't, she will come to real harm.

This story is so nicely written and I loved the feel of it. I’ll admit that I am partial to that time period in the US and enjoy the women passing off as a man plot. Although it’s too short and there were some improbable things in it, I was left with a good feeling. Since it’s so short, there’s really not much space for any character development and or plot, but there was just enough to give me a good idea of where every character was coming from.

There was also an erotic sex scene, which the author managed to get in there without being too contrived. Because really, would anyone feel like having sex after being almost half froze in the snow and obviously traumatized? But Lotus is a sweet character, the type of woman who only knows that to please a man is her survival. This made her come across as very vulnerable and I could see Jack getting soft on her right away. Plus, Lotus shows no shock at Jack being a woman.

My only gripe here is that I got hooked into this story, the characters, the ambience of it being a late 1800’s western type story, but got cut off at the pass as it were. I wanted more. Why did Jack dress and fight in the war as a man and continue on with pretending to be a man? What is Lotus’ story? There’s a short explanation about the Tong’s in SF spreading their control to the Sierras as well and that she might be part of it, but what IS her story? And then I wanted to know what happened to Jack and Lotus. How did they live together as a couple where one can’t speak English? Did the towns people question it? What I’m saying here is that this could have been a great story. Instead it’s just a teaser.

Little rant coming:

This brings up something that I’ve notice happening more and more. Authors who have pubbed a story in an anthology selling their story as an ebook separately. I disagree with this even though I feel more power to the author if they can do it. In an anthology you get many short stories; the whole effect is one of satisfaction. But if you just sell one 8 pg. story, the reader is going to be left feeling a bit ripped off. Or that’s how I feel even though I loved this particular story.

For whatever it’s worth though, I would recommend Snowfound to anyone who’s looking for a short, erotic quickie that will satisfy.

Sex rating: Orgasmic- graphic sexual scene f/f.

Grade: B+ for story concept and writing, C for lack of development

Review- Scavengers: Lesbian Adventure Club: Book 1 by Rosalyn Wraight

Scavengers: Lesbian Adventure Club: Book 1
by Rosalyn Wraight
May 21, 2008
Contemporary/ Lesbian- non romance
98 pg- $11.99 paper, $7.99 ebook
Ebook- Pub: Don’t Waste Daylight

Buy it Amazon, DP books, Don’t Waste Daylight

The Lesbian Adventure Club, aka Dykes Who Dare, Scavenger Hunt

5 Couples
8 Clues
24 Hours
1 Pants-Pissing Good Time

The rules of the game are simple: trust no one, steamroll if you have to.

In the end, it matters if you win and how you play.

Series Introduction: This ongoing series revolves around five lesbian couples-from a variety of careers and at different stages in their relationships-who spend a weekend per month immersed in an adventure concocted by one of the couples. While the stories center upon the adventure, the foundation of each is built upon the gritty issues of friendship and trust between women. Told in first-person by character Kate Sutter, a newspaper reporter, the writing is crisp, and yet, it utilizes her unique perspective and peculiar sense of humor, sending it between the extremes of sentimentality and outright hilarity.

I’ve read and reviewed a few of Rosalyn Wraight’s mystery books here on LVLM and enjoyed them even if I did have some issues with the writing. The same goes for her Lesbian Adventure Club series. Scavengers is the first book in this series and sets up the tone with character development and interaction for the rest of the series.

I can’t really categorize this book as anything I’ve read before; it’s not romance, although this is a book about couples and their ongoing conflicts and relationship issues, so there are some relationshippy things that happen. I’d say this is more chick lit since it is about the everyday lives of a group of women, couples, who get together regularly for an adventure/mystery themed weekend with specific rules.

In this story, told in first person by Kate, the women go on a 24 hour scavenger hunt. They all take turns sponsoring the event and Kris and Ginny are responsible for setting up this current adventure for the group of women. They are the oldest couple, both in their late 50’s and also the longest together, 24 years, so they are looked up to by the others. They’ve chosen to do a scavenger hunt for this particular adventure. The women are given several clues during the course of the day and they all have to go out as couples and do what the instructions say. The winner is to pay for dinner for all.

I thought this is a fun and interesting concept, not one that I’ve read before to keep a story going. There’s a lot of ribbing, rivalry and camaraderie between the women as they fight to be the fastest at completing the projects. It’s kind of like hanging out with a bunch of friends during a weekend, but with a fun purpose involved.

Although this story is told from Kate’s POV, we do get some glimpses into the other characters and what they’re about. But mostly, in this book it's Kate and Claudia’s story being worked out during this weekend. Kate and Claudia have been having problems, with Claudia moving away emotionally from Kate and the group for a while now. Kate’s been upset about it, but has been at a loss what to do. What I liked here is that Kris and Ginny, being the wise older couple, are sensitive to what’s going on with the other couples and they see what’s happening to Kate and Claudia. They work out their weekend scavenger hunt to also include some things and situations that could help Claudia and Kate work things out.

So this isn’t only about a mystery hunt or game, it does have a lot of character growth within that realm, which I really liked. What I was really thankful for also, was that this didn’t go the way of the emo drama that happens often in contemps. These women are very real and fun to hang out with.

Two characters, Holly and Laura, are from Rosalyn Wraight’s other series, a mystery series that features detective Laura McCallister. I’m quite fond of Laura as a character and we get another glimpse into her private life with Holly from a different perspective, which I liked as they are part of this group of women.

Unlike the other books I’ve read of Rosalyn Wraight’s, I didn’t find any issues with the writing itself. This is a nicely written book, with lots of humor and human moments with an unusual backdrop for it. And for those who like to read lesbian stories without any sex but with some minor romance to it, this book will hit the spot.

I don't know how the other books in the series will read. There are currently 10 I believe. While I enjoyed the format for its uniqueness, I’m not sure how it would pan out over a long series. I’ll definitely read one of the other ones at some point though to see how it’s carried as the characters are interesting and I do like the concept of mystery weekends.

I think if you’re looking for something light and fun to read that offers something a bit different then you’ll like this book and maybe even the series.

Sex rating: Dry panties- there’s no sex in this book

Grade: B+