12 Courses by EM Lynley

Title: 12 Courses
Author: EM Lynley
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Genre: contemporary
Length: 32k words
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf

Thom Kennedy Leyton returns to San Francisco to take up the reins of Graze, one of the city’s best restaurants, years after he lost his job when his innovative new set of recipes was stolen. Thom’s loss of self-esteem eventually caused his boyfriend, Blake Warner, to end their relationship, sending Thom into a deep depression.

Now, cured of fifty excess pounds and any attraction to Blake, Thom’s back in town. Blake catches him off guard when he visits Graze several days in a row, and Thom lets himself get caught up in Blake’s allure, despite knowing better.

Thom juggles a renewed relationship with Blake, a Christmas visit from his parents, and an important holiday menu based on a Twelve Days of Christmas theme. When an old acquaintance reveals that Blake knows more about the theft of the recipes than he lets on, Thom doesn’t know whom to trust. But the truth isn’t quite that simple, and Thom won’t be able to decide if Blake deserves a place in his life until he learns exactly what happened years ago.

I’ve been following the Delectable series, and was quite pleased with the Christmas-y edition of this food centered series. Not only has the author cooked up a second chances story to break and remake hearts, but the food writing is enough to make you drool.


Poor Thom, never sure of himself, even during his culinary school days. He was a star of the school, but even then he wasn’t quite sure why the hottest guy with the amazing credentials and skills wanted him. And then when it ended badly, following a professional crash and burn of epic proportions, his confidence was rocked even further. At last taking the helm of a noted restaurant in one of the foodie capitals of America, he worries about a repeat of his disgrace. Having Blake walk back into his life is both thrilling and terrifying, and completely entwined with the food.

Thom was the more fully realized character for me, with one thing after another piled on him, from an insubordinate chef who needs a swift kick to parents who mean well but are just Too Much, plus enough in his past to make any man look over his shoulder twice. I wanted to cook him mac and cheese and tell him everything would be okay, right after I kicked his mother in the shins. Sweet guy that he is, he finds his balance and his balls, and let him take necessary risks in both his restaurant and his love life.

Blake would have been just as interesting without the overkill background (Harvard Law? Really?). Handsome and gifted in all areas except perhaps courage, we get to watch his guilty conscience torment him into doing the right thing, and then going overboard.

I’m not sure if it was the blurb or something early in the text (can’t find it now, but terrible blurb, don't read it, read the story) that took the impact out of a big revelation, but if it didn’t surprise me, it certainly surprised Thom, who was rattled right down to his bones. The author jerks him around so hard on the way to letting him find forgiveness in his heart, and Blake too, for needing it and earning it.

The romance progresses with food, both in the restaurants and what they feed each other. Thom’s concoctions for his tasting menu sound divine, and Blake’s lobster grilled cheese sandwiches are the new food of love. The sensuality of the food carries over into the bedroom. The sex was wrapped with body image and I would have been perfectly happy not to have a yet another internal discussion of Thom’s fluctuating waistline. The whole weight issue bugged me, though I could see what it was supposed to for the story, it just seemed tacked on and took away from the joy in the delicious things they were putting in each other’s mouths.

I was flicking pages eagerly, wanting to see how exactly they were going to launch this new chapter in their relationship, and then… I discovered how much back matter there was. There’s a lot. Not the author’s fault, but when it’s over 12% of the file it’s too much, especially when I wanted more story as badly as I did. I'll be braced for it on the rereads.

This was definitely a delectable romance, and I wish I could eat dinner (and peek at the chefs) at Graze. 4 marbles.

Inquiring minds want more than hawtsex

Anyone who’s still paying attention to my opinions at this point knows that I like details. I like them to make sense, and I like them to bear more than a passing resemblance to reality as I understand it. So if a cop is involved in a fatal shooting and gets shoved back into duty without investigation and counseling, I will roll my eyes.  I might frighten the cat if the virginal MC deepthroats Mr. Baseballbatforacock first time out. And if some weird but hugely important element is thrown into the story for two paragraphs and then completely ignored, I will make a note, and the pen might go all the way through the paper and into the desk.

Sometimes the bounce is a fact.  It might hit the WTF button, and then the cat spends the next half hour under the couch wondering if I’ve lost my mind. It might hit the Huh?? button, and then I go looking.

If the author puts a 60 pound saddle on an eighteen year old horse; I will check how much saddles weigh. Because now I think the author’s cruel. The heaviest cutting saddle I could find was 50 pounds, and most of them were lighter than that. Maybe it exists and has an iron tree, but I’ve already been bounced out of the story.

If a character who couldn’t really have more than a fifth grade education uses the word “albescent” in the middle of sex, I will go look up that word. And I will also think his partner can’t be giving very good head if he can think that while he’s getting blown. Bounce.

If a character with a heart transplant has an 8 inch scar, I go looking. It doesn’t seem like enough. Except it is, if all those pictures are correct, so I come back ready to believe other stuff the author tells me.

But if the author depends on the hot sex to distract me from sloppy details, I have bad news. Sex that hot doesn’t exist.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I would so love to know their story, or a bit of it.  Tell us, 100-1000 words. 

From the Ashes by Kayla Jameth

Title: From the Ashes

Author: Kayla Jameth

Purchase at Amazon

Cover Artist:  Mina Carter

Genre:  fairy tale

Length:  90 pages

Formats:  Mobi

Cinder never thought that he could rise from the ashes of his life, but an unexpected encounter with a woman claiming to be his fairy godmother may be just what he needs. Finding himself flung into his very own fairy tale, she sends him off to meet his Prince Charming. But was the gown really necessary?

This charming retelling of the Cinderella tale gives us a Cinderfella with wonderful period feeling and just enough magic to make it all work.

We all know the premise, but here, the author puts us into the sixteenth century French court, complete with politics, scheming and deception. Our hero has been stripped of his birthright, and in truly wicked fairy tale fashion he’s also been forced to dress and live as a woman. Even his fellow housemaids aren’t too clear that one of these servants is not like the others. Overwork and undernourishment keep our hero slight of frame, so the deception persists.

Fairy godmother turns up, right on cue, to send Cinder to the ball in silks and satins and the obligatory glass slippers, with the usual admonishments, and for the usual reasons. But however shall his Prince deal with the discovery that his princess is no lady?

This does all work out-of course! We need our HEA!-but not before our emotions get yanked all over the place with the additional worry of gender, succession, and some sixteenth century political intrigue. The author is historian enough to make us believe completely in the time and setting, so even though we’ve all known how this story works out since we were six years old, the how and where reads fresh.

We do get to see Prince Charming aka Henri’s POV a bit, and cementing in the HEA. The ending lurched a little for me, but all works out well, and I would happily spend another chilly evening wrapped up in a blanket with this author’s work. 4.5 marbles.

Indigent (anthology)

Title: Indigent (anthology)

Author: FE Feeley et al

Purchase at

Purchase at   Amazon 

Cover Artist:  Louis J Harris

Genre:  anthology

Length:  180 pages

Formats:  MOBI

Five authors have joined together to produce stories evoking both loss and hope. Reaching deep within their fiery imaginations, these stories take flight and showcase dreams for a better today and future for LGBT everywhere. Embodying a diverse set of talents and stories, this volume sets out to grab the hearts of those who read the m/m genre and to offer hope to LGBT across the globe. By offering this book, we hope to support the following charities across the globe:

GALA, South Africa
Lost-n-Found, USA
Youth Off The Streets, Australia
The Albert Kennedy Trust, United Kingdom

This anthology edited by Louis J Harris and Kimi D Saunders

Indigent has been produced to entertain and delight and all the stories leave the reader with a “feel good” state of mind.

Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr’s “Indigent”, after which the anthology takes its name, brings the reader to witness an apocalyptic war between the good and evil that rages in one man’s mind. Soon he will know that his problems are insignificant compared to those of others.

Mari Evan’s “Stumbling into Forever”, involves a handsome young vampire who will learn that just a sip of blood is the difference between love and freezing to death.

Leona Windwalker’s “If Only the World”, takes rejection to another level. A heartbreaking story that is turned on its head by the kindness of strangers.

Shaye Evans’ “Rescued”, is a contemporary social statement about the aftermath of a young man’s life after his drink has been spiked at a bar.

M. LeAnne Phoenix’s “Higher Love”, takes us on an almost spiritual journey through the minds of two people who have never met, but have spoken on a telepathic level. When they do come together, that bond is already cemented, but there is a price to pay.

From CoolDudes Publishing - we're making an effort to support our gay community. Are you?

I really wanted to love this anthology. I bought it for a good cause, and I firmly believe that the various charities the book is intended to benefit, such as GALA in South Africa and Lost-n-Found in Atlanta, Georgia, are worthy of support. I count my money well spent.

However.

There is an anthology attached to the cause, so of course I read it. The book is a mixed bag, to say the least.

The lead story, Indigent, by Frederick Eugene Feeley, was a gem. In a short story, the author captures despair, hope, and strange triumphs. The end took me very much by surprise, as I did not expect this particular character to make this particular suggestion, but that was part of the charm of the story, that good and evil are not necessarily defined in a traditional way.

I truly don’t want to start my return to reviewing by harshing on a book. I open every file intending to love the story. And that is why I am not going to rate or review the rest of this anthology, because we have a number of authors who have good hearts, are trying to help a good cause, and are not ready for the exposure that comes of selling words for money.

CoolDudes Publishing is new to me, and I sincerely hope that their proofreading people get their game on, because this is a mess.

So, buy the book, read the first story, know that you’ve done something to help others, and close the file.

No rating.

Back with the Thursday inspiration!

Well, let's try this again: my spoons have been limited, and blogging is what disappears first when the energy goes. So... feeling better about life, blogging comes back.

I plan to go back to posting a prompt pic every Thursday. If you feel inspired to write a flash-fic (meaning 1000 words or less) I'll post it with your news and links, and if you have an excerpt from a published work in that length, I post those too. Bloggers love other people's content. :)

If you just like to admire and sigh, that's fine too.

Of the prompt ficlets folks have posted here, five (that I know of) have expanded into published stories. One's in a flash-fic anthology with Hugh Howey.  All of them have brought pleasure to the readers.

Check here to find the free reads or click tag "Free read" or "Thousand Word Thursday" for the older pictures. Any of them are fair game for fics or excerpts, and they're all worth looking at.

If you have a picture that tells a story, or begs for one, email me, I'll post it, within limits, no full frontal nudity please. That's for tumblr.  crysellec AT gmail DOT Com.

And the reviews will be back. Maybe slowly, but back.

Thursday's picture is worth...

There's a bond here. What kind? Tell us, 100-1000 words.