Review- Dancing with Venus by Roscoe James

Dancing with Venus
by Roscoe James
May 2010
Contemporary/ Lesbian
64K
Ebook- Loose-Id

Buy it Loose-Id

Blues is Jessica Butler’s life. No performer romances the audience better. Unfortunately the audience is the only thing twenty-eight-year-old Jessie is romancing these days. Her life is an endless string of club dates with the occasional male groupie thrown in to stave off complete isolation. Careful to never surrender more than her body, matters of her heart remain a mystery, even to her.

On the outs with her family, she’s been running from gig to gig for over a year. When her little sister’s wedding invitation finds her in Chicago Jessie realizes it’s time to stop running. Unwittingly she starts a pilgrimage that turns the ever elusive matters of her heart into a train wreck.

Marcella Dionysius keeps company with the dead Europeans. Instead of bars and clubs, Marci’s venues are concert halls and recording studios. She’s a world-class cello player, a woman that loves women, and the only daughter of a very powerful man who wants just one thing before he dies. An heir.

Marci is an exotic Greek goddess next to Jessie’s pale, lanky, Midwestern form, and Jessie hates her sister’s best friend immediately. She hates her even more after their first kiss. Because this time running isn’t an option.

Dancing with Venus is one of those books that based on the first few pages, I expected to have issues with. However, this turned out to be one the better reads of this year not only in writing quality but amazing character depth portrayal that I don’t read too often. Roscoe James captured and created a character in Jessie that crawled under my skin and made a home.

At first I had a hard time with Jessie. She’s jaded to the max, going through life with a huge chip on her shoulder. She’s done whatever she could, to the point of being cruel, to piss her mother off at every turn, and she fucks guys she meets at her gigs just to add a notch to her little “pink” book. There’s something really hard about her, and yet, of course we see further on that it’s a cover up for something painful in her past and some deep vulnerability.

Now typically, I start to roll my eyes at the tortured, self destructive character who has a heart of gold really. It’s so stereotypical and kind of boring. Yet, surprisingly, the author took this to a different level and added some real depth to Jessie as a character.

As the story progresses, Jessie learns things about why she acts like she does that shock even her. Things that she completely blocked and forgotten because they were too painful. I felt this was very realistically portrayed and I thought myself that Jessie really had no idea of those things that were haunting her psyche and causing her to act in self destructive ways.

Marci was more of a catalyst character in this story. She’s not as well developed, but in a way, it doesn’t matter because this is more or less Jessie’s story and her growth. What I liked about Marci is that in contrast to Jessie, she’s very stable about what she feels and knows what she wants. She bee-lines it to Jessie and pushes her way into Jessie’s heart, which is something that obviously Jessie needed. She never wavers, even when Jessie goes in and out with her flakiness about what she wants or feels.

There were times in this story that I felt it could easily go the way of the “oh my god I’m a lesbian,” but it never did even though Jessie does freak at first. Jessie finds herself shocked that she likes being with a woman and does fight it on some level, but it goes deeper than the whole fear of what people will think. It touches a deep nerve inside of her that brings up stuff that have to do with who she really is, her core, her security, relationship with her parents, her childhood and so on. I liked this because so many times an initially non gay character that ends up in a gay situation screams that “oh my god I’m a lesbian” is used more as a cheap way to show inner conflict than as part a complex character issue. So kudos to Mr. James for that.

The next issue that almost derailed this story for me was the push-pull thing that goes on quite often as a conflict device. In this case, Jessie opens up to Marci but then freaks and pulls back. Not once, but twice. When they finally get together again half way through the story and again Marci wants some kind of commitment or declaration and acknowledgment of Jessie’s love, Jessie can quite bring herself to it and again, they go on their separate ways.

I was thinking at that point, ugh, really, I hate this back and forth indecisiveness of characters. But then Mr. James took that and didn’t keep it frustrating, but ran in a different and interesting direction. I think it’s very hard to keep a contemporary love story interesting without a side theme like suspense or some other plot device to keep the characters distracted enough to build up tension. But I will say that the story line went in a direction that did that in a way that was able to showcase Jessie’s internal growth and desperate need to get Marci back without pissing me off.

Instead of a constant back and forth, both go on with their lives, especially Jessie who has a booming personal life outside of her love of Marci. But all the while, she’s trying to find and get back with Marci. This puts the focus on the story back into creating enough tension that I was aching for these two to get together again without getting pissed off by the drama of it. By the time they do meet up again, it’s so clear that Jessie will do anything for that love even sacrificing the other most important thing in her life, her music.

For those who are wondering, there isn’t that much sex in this book. Much of the story takes place with both Jessie and Marci being apart, with just enough scenes of them together to establish what they feel and the crisis they go through to end up together. But I liked this. For once in a long time, sex wasn’t thrown in there to show a relationship between the couple at the expense of character development and plot.

And I wasn’t going to mention this because really, it doesn’t matter the sex of the writer. A good story is a good story and this was a well written story. However, something that struck me here was that Mr. James had more insight into a woman’s character than many of the female writers of the same genre I've read. And I dare say, that Jessie as a character does have an edge and vulnerability to her that made her more real for me than many female protagonists that I read in these types of stories.

So, bottom line, I highly recommend this book. While it does have some issues, and maybe some of the story could have been cut in parts where Marci and Jesse are apart and doing their own thing, I’m still left with thoughts of this book in my head and wanting to continue on with the characters, to see how they made out with their HEA. And I was quite impressed with the writing quality

Heat level: 3- there are some, short, somewhat graphically written sex scenes, but they are few and I didn’t find them over the top but more about expressing what the characters feel for each other.

Grade: B+, A-

BBC movie: The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

I saw this on AfterEllen.com blog which has an exclusive trailer for a film coming out about an actual historical figure Ann Lister, who was a lesbian and chronicled her life in a series of diaries.

This looks like it's going to be really good. Unfortunately, I don't get the BBC so I will have to wait until it's out on DVD. The DVD is coming out on June 14 according to Amazon UK. But could be a while for it in the US. I do have a code free DVD player though.

After watching Tipping the Velvet, I have a craving for historical lesbian stories. What's especially interesting is that she was a real person. Hats off to the BBC who has the guts to make these films.

You can watch the Trailer here for The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

From the BBC site:

Maxine Peake stars in The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, a bold and passionate new drama for BBC Two, written by Jane English and directed by James Kent.

Anne Lister, 1791–1840, was a Yorkshire landowner, industrialist, traveller and diarist. She was also a lesbian who, despite needing to keep her orientation secret from society at large, defied the conventions of her times by living with her female lover.

Anne kept a detailed account of her life, loves and emotions in a fascinating and painfully honest four million word journal. A sizeable portion of the journal was written in code and the recent deciphering of these diaries provides an astonishing insight into the life of the woman who has been called Britain’s first modern lesbian.

Anne Lister's remarkable diary and her truly extraordinary life form the basis of The Secret Diaries Of Miss Anne Lister.

This one-off 90-minute drama features a stellar cast, including Anna Madeley; Susan Lynch; Christine Bottomley; Gemma Jones; Dean Lennox Kelly and Tina O'Brien.

An accompanying documentary presented by comedy writer and presenter Sue Perkins tells the story of Anne Lister and the decoding of her diaries.

Janice Hadlow, Controller of BBC Two, says: "This is the world of the Brontes, with an unexpected twist.

"These remarkable diaries have shown that life and love in 19th century Yorkshire was more varied and surprising than you might think from reading the great novels."

Review- Tipping the Velvet (DVD) by Sarah Waters

Tipping the Velvet (DVD)
2004- BBC mini series

Smitten by music hall life, and by the beautiful male impersonator Kitty Butler (Keeley Hawes), Nan Astley (Rachael Stirling) leaves her family’s Whitstable oyster parlor and follows her heart to London. There she finds unimaginable joy—and misery—as she explores the secret side of fin de siècle life.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Sarah Waters and adapted by Andrew Davies (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Doctor Zhivago), this powerful BBC drama is both a frank depiction of lesbianism and a witty and moving account of a young woman who will win your heart while searching for her own. Also starring Anna Chancellor (Pride and Prejudice), Jodhi May (The Last of the Mohicans), Hugh Bonneville (Iris) and John Bowe (Poldark). "Provocative and uplifting" ––The Baltimore Sun. "Flat-out sublime" ––The Seattle Times.



There are 103 reviews of this film on Amazon, so I think if you want a full spectrum of reviews you can go there. I thought I’d just give a few impressions of how I experienced the movie.

I haven’t read the book. Nor have I read any other of Sarah Waters’ books, so I really can’t compare it to the original story or her other stories. However, from what I gleaned over at Amazon, the movie version is pretty close.

I also can’t compare this to Fingersmith, which I read in several reviews is way better. So this is a first time impression based on nothing really except my personal experience with this film.

I loved it. Really loved it. There are very few films, or books for that matter, in which when it’s over I feel really sad. I didn’t want to let go of the world I’d just been in for a few hours, I wanted to hang out with the characters just a bit more.

Tipping the Velvet affected me on so many levels and I’ll admit that it did break my heart in a few places and I did get a bit emotional and cry a few times.

The first thing that hit me was how the relationship between Nan and Kitty develop. It’s a slow build up and Nan’s longing for Kitty palpable and extremely passionate. She’s only 18 and has no idea really that she’s in love with a woman as opposed to what she’s supposed to feel with a man, but is so smitten that she only knows she will do anything to be around Kitty.

This for me was the best part of the film, how they start relating and how slowly Kitty opens up to Nan and seduces her in a way. It’s sweet, it’s very romantic, poignant, innocent and it’s heartbreaking in a way. It brings up all those feelings of longing you’ve ever had a for anyone plus all that vulnerability when falling in love, and brings them to the front of your psyche. So this was very well done and rather emotional and touching for me.

Of course, things hit the skids because that’s what makes for good drama, and Kitty blows off Nan to marry their theatrical manager. This throws Nan into a tailspin of emotional anguish, which sets her off on a different journey than she would have thought for herself as a simple country girl.

I’ve read a few reviews of the book at Goodreads and quite a few mentioned that Nan seemed to drift aimlessly, having no backbone or ability to stand up for herself. I don’t know if the book portrays her like that, but in this story she does have backbone. It’s just strength to do what she has to do to survive. In that process, she uses and embraces this world she was in of dressing like a man to get what she needs and she grows from her experiences of selling herself in different ways to get on.

I will admit, that once Kitty was out of the picture it’s more of a somber drama without that inner feeling of joy that two people who love each other will be together and some of the passion of it was gone, with reality setting in. I kept wishing Kitty would somehow come back into the story, that it couldn’t be true that two people who loved each other like Kitty and Nan would not survive. But I admit this desire in me that they get back together kept up the tension and desire to watch this movie.

The scenery and imagery of Victorian life was very well done in this story. Especially the world of vaudeville or stage performers. I wasn’t so much hot over the singing and dancing numbers in the movie, but was intrigued to know that during this time period many women dressed as men and did stage performances as men. There was a whole underground world of performers that crossed dressed and were gay and lesbian that was well known about in certain circles and it seems that it was quite accepted amongst those people, even if against the law at that time. It also portrayed the ugly side of this world as well, which was quite fascinating.

There were some minor instances that portrayed that being gay during these times was wholly unacceptable and apparently, in the book Kitty rejects Nan due to some inner homophobic conflict, I don’t know. However, in this story that is not the case. Although we really don’t know why Kitty rejects Nan, but that she does pay for it emotionally.

One thing I must bring up is that there were quite a few nude scenes as well as sex between Nan and several women during her journey. I thought they were beautifully and tastefully done, very erotic but not in a gaudy, titillating way. I felt that these women really want and have deep need for each other during those scenes. And there is one fascinating nude scene in which Nan is dressed as Hermaphrodites, naked and painted in gold and wearing a strap on as entertainment for her mistress’ party. I thought that the BBC allowing this to be in a TV film was quite bold.

All in all this was a good movie. I’d definitely recommend it to any woman who is lurking about some inner openness to women on a romantic level. It portrays the passion that women can feel for each other in a rather beautiful and erotic way.

I’ll probably get a hold of some other Sarah Water’s books or DVD’s, especially if they are as intense as this story was. Oh and that was another bonus, this DVD had a short interview with Sarah Waters, which was kind of interesting.

Heat level: 3- tastefully done sex with some nudity

Grade: Between A- and B+

Here's a montage of scenes from the movie that show the most poignant moments. Just so you know, it does give away some of the best parts, although it's done to music and it's well worth not watching this if you intend to watch the movie at some point. There are lots of vids of this movie on youtube in case you want more.

It's a Non review week

This week has kind of sucked book wise. I've read two shorty's, started a longer book was a DNF, and started another book that I couldn't even get past the first chapter due to major info dump and boring writing that didn't hook me in. *sigh*

The first shorty is:

Enchanted Waters
by Bryn Colvin
Fantasy/lesbian
4.6K
Loveyoudevine

Fate brings Catherine and Bracken to the healing spring at two critical moments in their lives. Encountering each other and sharing tears sparks passion and wild possibility.

Perhaps the old Gods were watching over Bracken and Catherine, sending them to the same healing spring at two critical points in their lives. In the spell of this magical place, the two women forge a deep connection and awaken a magical passion within each other.

Unfortunately this story didn't do it for me. I bought this book thinking it might be in interesting fantasy.

What didn't work for me was the incongruity in the ambiance.

It starts out all kind of new agey and spiritual with flowery and poetic language. The dialogue in the beginning was a bit stilted and off with the characters seemingly talking at each other without a connection. Then when the women get together, the language suddenly gets quite sexually graphic but mixed with with comparing the sex to the elements and the stars and so on. It came off to me like when a religious person talks all spiritial as they're taking advantage of someone sexually. It was weird for me.

Some parts of the story were OK, but it was too short for any other development outside of establishing some karmic meeting and spiritual sex. C-

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The next book was a DNF.

Lavender Excursions
by Danielle Engle
2000
Erotica/ contemporary/ Lesbian/ some-m/f
67K
ebook

A self-styled entrepreneur, whose good looks and reputation precede her, Taryn Williams operates a business catering exclusively to women.

Lavender Excursions is her dream child, a place where women play out their deepest and darkest sexual fantasies. When Pat Brooks buys her best friend, Kimberly Justin, an excursion for a Christmas present, she sets off a chain of events that change not only Kimberly's life but Taryn's life as well. As past and present collide, these two women discover that love is a truly splendid thing.

Ok, this was erotica, so my standards are a bit less. But I just couldn't finish it. The whole premise was dumb and it's mostly hard core BDSM and non-stop sex with barely a story line. Now I wasn't so bothered by the BDSM and some of the sex was pretty hot. And I did manage to read about one third of the book. But when the main character started flogging one character with a shovel from the fireplace, that was it for me, I'm done.

I think if you're up for some hard core rough sex, with some serious flogging and strong D/s dynamic, you'll have a great couple of hours. It just wasn't for me.

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The last book, unfortunately is not for sale anymore. I wasn't going to review it, but dang-it, it was the best group of little short stories.


Taste Test: Learning Curve
2008
by C. B. Potts, Jodi Payne, and Elisa Viperas Anthology/Contemporary/Erotica/ Lesbian
ebook
Short

Advanced Studies by CB Potts

Hot for Teacher by Jodi Payne

Do it With Class by Elisa Viperas

I must say, although very short altogether, and having three short stories within that, this is a juicy book. If you like the school, teacher/student- older/younger dynamic- fantasy, I'd totally recommend it. All three stories focus on a school setting.

The first, Advanced Studies, is a quick yummy between a Dept. head prof and a not yet tenured instructor who is feeling a bit rebellious. I liked the dynamics in this story, older women, younger woman tight tension. Very hot.

The next story, Hot For Teacher, is about a TA and a prof. The prof is the one in control here and *coughsurreptitiouslycough* seduces the TA, who is secretly lusting after the prof. Again, nicely written with those titillating differential power dynamics.

The third story, Do it with Class, is about two teachers teaching kids in a Catholic school. Again, this one is between older/younger in that the younger teacher is just out of college, and the older one is a former fitness instructor turned gym teacher. I'm kind of partial to the juxtaposition of sex within religious type setting. The little rebel in me rather enjoys it. But this was kind of cute because these women are so different. The younger woman is kind of straight laced even though she's a lesbian and the older one is pretty bawdy and outrageous. Plus, the writing and dialogue in this story was witty and fun.

Grade: B+

It was originally published by Torquere Press, but I can't find a copy of it anywhere even though it was pubbed in 2008. Don't know why it's gone, but it is.

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I'm not going to comment on the last DNS (Barely started) book because what's the point? I tried. I skipped ahead, hoping that the prologue only was a huge info dump, but the first chapter read the same way, and a few chapters in read the same way. I don't know who these characters are and unfortunately for the author, I don't care.

Authors, please, do NOT start your books with info dump and back story. It confuses and bores the hell out of readers. If we can't get past the first few pages, then even if the rest of book is brilliant, no one will know.

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All is not lost this week though because the library finally came through with my hold of a few weeks, the DVD version of Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters.

I'm going to try and watch it tomorrow and get a review up of it in the next few days. Woot!

Foreplay in f/f or lesbian erotic romance

Yesterday on Dear Author, one of our contributors, Jill Sorenson posted her review of Fool's Gold by Jenna Byrnes.

In her review she said that she felt that there was a lack of foreplay between the two main female characters during sex and she was disappointed in that or didn't like that. She compared it to m/m sex, which is usually portrayed more like how men are thought to like sex; without preamble or any warm up.

This got me to thinking about foreplay in f/f or lesbian erotic romance. To be honest, this has never been an issue for me. Or, I've never noticed any lack of foreplay in an f/f or lesbian book.

That got me thinking about what foreplay means. For those of us who are straight or bisexual and have only been with men, I think technically it usually means that a man gets a woman warmed up and turned on by breast play and clitoral stimulation for the big (main) event, which is intercourse. Or that's how it is for many women since many men aren't into long drawn out kissing and cuddling sessions before sex, which is also considered foreplay.


In m/f erotic romance, the lack of foreplay is something that I notice immediately. There are quite a few authors who dispense with the foreplay altogether because the magical penis and alpha energy of the male is so intense that they can just jump right in and viola!, the woman is immediately ready and has the most amazing orgasm. Lisa Marie Rice is one such author who does that and her books are like crack to me. Do I usually believe it, that the woman is all wet and comes right away without any stimulation? Nope. But it's one of those things in m/f that is very noticeable and a big deal.

The usual in m/f erotic romance foreplay is not so much the kissing and cuddling, but that the hero spends a lot of time on the heroine's breasts combined with clitoral stimulation, either orally or through manual stimulation. He's usually totally focused on giving her an orgasm this way before they even start intercourse.

Foreplay becomes an issue in m/f because it's a common complaint among women that men just don't take the time to get them warmed up and in fantasy, this is what we want to read.

But then there's f/f sex. F/f sex in its totality, is for the most part, the same thing men do to get a woman warmed up. While in many lesbian stories and in erotica a strap on is used, usually, it’s oral sex and fingering that is the main event between women.

So what is usually foreplay in m/f is the main event in f/f. To me, it's a given then that a woman is going to be warmed up and satisfied in f/f sex and foreplay then becomes something else altogether.

And this is the interesting thing to me, I wonder of readers of f/f have different expectations about what foreplay is between women as opposed to foreplay with men? Is foreplay more about the emotional dance between two people prior to the sex, like in verbal banter and flirting? Or is it more about the actual physical act of foreplay?

I think many of us who like to read f/f are looking for an emotional connection before it’s expressed in the physical, which would mean more time spent cuddling and kissing, talking about feelings and such and just connecting maybe on a softer physical level regardless of how the actual sex is eventually expressed: rough, intense, soft, aggressive, etc.

I know when I started reading lesbian romances, one thing that struck me clearly was that often the characters got excited and were satisfied just with cuddling and kissing and I totally loved that. I felt that was something totally missing in m/f romance. It's something that I think many women respond to, but don't read too often.

Personally, I prefer that there is an emotional connection whether it be m/f or f/f. However, what I consider foreplay in f/f is probably more different than in m/f.

So what do you all think? Do you have different expectations when it comes to sexual expression and foreplay between women than between men and women in m/f?

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+