Bonfires by Amy Lane

4.5 Stars

I absolutely LOVED this book.  Loved it!

The heroes of Bonfires are just south of 50 years of age and BY GOD that's amazing!  We so seldom get to see heroes in romances that are older than 35 these days... hell, most of them are in their early 20s in the m/m subgenre.  And they're ordinary guys!  No mental illnesses or diseases or infirmities to conquer along with falling in love.  Just kids and creaky bones and grey hair.  How goddamned refreshing is THAT!  I LOVED IT!

Yes, being as the story is set in a small town there are current day prejudices and bigotries to be discusses and small-mindedness and bullying to be concerned with, but these things don't take over the love story of these two, special ordinary good guys.  I don't know which one was my favourite, Aaron the deputy sheriff, or Larx, the reluctant high school principal.  (On small problem I had was that name though... Larx, short for Larkin - bugged the hell out of me for no specific reason.  Just did.  *LOL*)

And they have kids, both their own kids and students that have need of an understanding ear or a helping hand.  Smart kids.  Clever and wise kids.  Smart kids that do dumb things.  Sad kids.  Happy kids.  All kinds of flipping kids that made me laugh and smile and grumble and even cry.  The middle chapters of this book saw me becoming a blubbering mess!  *LOL*

If you read a lot of Amy's books, you know we usually see a family being formed, usually through the eyes of a young man or two.  In this case, we see the same forming of a family, but this time through the eyes of the two mature men.  It's so viscerally Amy but different.  :)   And yet, there's so much of Amy in this book, I can definitely see why she says she felt such joy writing it.

Anyway... I just loved it!  Period, full stop.  :)

Fish Out Of Water by Amy Lane

4 STARS

So one of my faves, Amy Lane, has turned her hand to trying one of my favourite sub-genres, romantic suspense! And the results are pretty damned good!

I love this set of MCs. Jackson is just such a guy! And Ellery is like a sexy... I want to say Felix Unger! *LOL* I like how they mesh together, and how Ellery turns out to be the driving force behind the relationship. He's so... SURE and competent and positive and I really, really liked him. :)

The cast of secondary characters is quite wonderful too. Amy is an excellent creator of unexpected families. Jackson's nextdoor neighbour, Mike, I think is my favourite. Ellery's mom is a very close second. (I saw Christine Baranski in my mind's eye whenever she appeared on the page.)

And for those who are bemoaning that this book isn't as 'sweet' as Amy's usual fare... well of course not! These are MEN, not youths! There were definitely spots of sweetness though, and if those readers didn't catch them, then maybe they need to slow down and actually read the damned book.

And yes, it is the first of a series. (I honestly don't think there's a romance writer out there who is capable of writing standalone novels any more.) And that's good news because I am quite eager to head off 'fishing' once again!

Under the Rushes by Amy Lane

5 STARS

The Grande Dame of Angst delivers something unexpected in this out of the ordinary novel. Most folks know Amy as the talented author of contemporary angsty wonderful gay romances, peopled with characters that you fall in love with and suffer right along with them when they get put through the wringer, physically, emotionally and even spiritually. Well we have that here, but it's the setting that's so different - if I were categorise this book, I would call it a romantic steampunky superhero sci-fi novel. The cover sort of screams traditional steampunk, but it's more than that. It's like steampunk set on Victorian Aldebaron with superheroes.

One of the many things that Amy writes well is the creation of a family - sometimes it's a family of outcasts, sometimes a family of necessity, sometimes a family of circumstance but always a family of love, protection, acceptance and always of hope. Even in the darkest of hours - and believe me, Amy delivers on those - even in the darkest hours, there is always a tiny glimmer of hope.

The two main characters, Dorjan and Taern have their fair share of tragedy and then some in their pasts and indeed in their present as well, but they find each other. Despite everything, including themselves, they find each other. They are lovely and I wept of both happiness and sadness for them and their love story unfolded. Then there is Areau, Dori's best friend and close to the most damaged character that I think Amy has ever written. (At least that I have read). I ended up loving him the best, I think. And then Krissa and Mrs. Wrinkles and Madame M... such WONDERFUL secondary characters. And the baddies... so bad and nasty and weak, driven by greed and a lust for power.

Amy has given us a tale frought with sadness and danger, but also imbued it with love and hope and trust. The world-building is not intense but it works as the foundation for the story it serves. The creations of Nyx and then Cricket were so much the Batman and Robin growing into Nightwing, of my mind and since I have been an UBER fan of Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson from the age of 8 or 9 (that's back in 1964 kids!) it delighted me no end.

I love this book with all the love I feel for the Promise series and Clear Water and while it may have small imperfections to the genre purists out there, it's a 5-star read for me. :)

Left On St. Truth-be-Well by Amy Lane

4 STARS

What can I say. I love Amy Lane! And this is a terrific story, full of humour, great characterisation, fun, mystery and sexy love.

It's not angst-free - hell, it's Amy, guys! But Carson's inner monologue is amusing even while being somewhat self-deprecating.

Chicago and Florida meet when Carson and Dale meet - and Dale is such a perfect southern states type of name - when Carson heads south in search of his boss' nephew, Stassy. Mystery and hijinks ensue - including some hot sex scenes, let me tell you.

I loved Dale, I have to say. I think he may be one of my fave Amy Lane characters and all the while I was reading, I was picturing Luke Mitchell from The Tomorrow People.

Anyway, I loved the book - Amy produced another winner and I love her for it! A great, fun read that left a smile on my face. :)

Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane

4.5 STARS

This is a wonderful story. I mean, seriously, Lifetime or someone should make a movie of it and play it every year. It'd be so much better than a lot of the stuff they're showing!

Rusty and Oliver are friends. They meet in high school. Rusty is a football player and Oliver... is not. Rusty's family leaves much to be desired. Oliver's family, while challenged, is a warm, loving place. Oliver is gay... Rusty is... well, at the start of the book, he's undeclared. *g* This is the story of how Oliver and Rusty became a most adorable couple.

Nobody writes confused young people the way Amy does. She understands the angst that consumes so many of them and how everything is so important, so live or die important. And she creates characters that you take to your heart and, well, in my case, just want to mother the hell out of. *LOL* And she creates secondary characters that I always fall in love with. Oliver's father, his cousins, Rusty's sister, his college roommate... I loved them all. Rusty's roommate, Rex, made me laugh out loud so many times. What a piece of work! I've heard murmurs that he will be getting his own book (as is de rigeur in M/M circles)

So, if you're looking for a heart-warming, easy-to-read, emotion-packed, fun Christmas read, you can't go wrong with this one!

Hammer and Air by Amy Lane

4.5 STARS

I was not expecting to read the story I read. :) That Amy Lane, she's a wily one! This was a lovely read! I really, really want that half star because it's a 4.5 Star book for me, almost perfect. 

It would have been 5, but there was one little thing that bugged me... Hammer & Air is written in the first person and that doesn't usually bother me, but Amy chose to have him write narrative in the vernacular. Now, when this is done sparingly, I love it, but this was a case of "It were morning." instead of "It was morning.", for example. All through the book. And in any book, there are a lot of was and weres!

But that being said, the story was absolutely charming and heartwarming and heart-twisty in places. There was a sense of danger through most of it - due to the bear - and I thought Amy did a SUPERB job of maintaining that 'when's he gonna snap?' feeling from the time he appeared until the very end. 

The love story between Hammer and Eirn was so heart-achey in all the best ways. Amy at her finest, I must say. I loved them both. :)The magic in Hammer & Air is handled with a deft touch, the perfect seasoning for this tale. In the end, I loved the book, loved the characters and I adore Amy Lane for writing these gorgeous stories for us. :)

Forever Promised by Amy Lane

5 STARS

Promises - Book 4

Five minutes ago, I finished Forever Promised and I am still weeping. :) First thing I did was tweet wonderful Amy to thank her for such simple beauty, then I blew my nose again. I LOVED this book and I LOVE this series and while I am so very sad that the series is over, it's one of those happy-sad things because the series came to such a perfect circle with Promise Rock right in the center of it.

(And I read so slowly, savoring every paragraph, wanting it to last forever.) 

All of our favourites are here, every last one of them takes the stage and has their time in the sun, so to speak. My favourite of all my favourites has always been and always will be that little diva Mikhail. I love him and I love how he loves his cop and everyone else. 

Tears, Lord, I shed a lot of them reading this book - sad ones AND happy ones. And tears shed just because the telling of the tale was so beautiful. :) The last quarter of the book was read through misty eyes.

And the last line... THE LAST LINE! The ultimate perfect way to close the curtain on our beloved people. (And now I'm reaching for another kleenex.) So, thank you again, Amy, for writing the stories of these most awesome characters and sharing them with us. You did them proud. :)

City Mouse by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Country Mouse - Book 2

Even though I wanted to PINCH Malcolm on more than one occasion, I still adore him and Owen together. Two such different souls, yet the idea that they love each other - not so far-fetched at all. 

I have to say, for two authors with such disparate styles, Amy and Aleksandr blend their work seamlessly in this tale. I really hope that we get to see more of both couples! :) I loved this romantic story to bits - it does not disappoint!

Sidecar by Amy Lane

4 STARS

I really enjoyed this. It's a good story of a good man, Joe, and Casey, the young man he takes under his wing. 

It's a heart-warming love story that takes its time to unfold. There are no huge bombastic plot points, shocking reveals, explosive narrative twists... none of that, just a good, juicy, loving comfort-story of two really nice guys who have their faults but are clearly meant for each other from day one. 

I love Amy's writing and I thoroughly enjoyed Sidecar. This is one that I will both recommend and reread. :)

A Knitter in His Natural Habitat by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Knitting Series - Book 3

Loved it and I love this series. :)

How to Raise an Honest Rabbit by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Knitting Series - Book 2

LOVED IT!!

The Locker Room by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Nobody... I repeat, nobody does angst and heartbreak like Amy Lane does. She does it in such a way that you welcome it! You love it! You want more and more of it. But she always delivers on that HEA - okay, the characters may be bruised, damaged and a wee bit broken, but dammit, they're happy together! 

Amy creates characters that are really gorgeous in their flaws and Xander and Chris are no exceptions. From their first meeting at the tender age of 14, on through the next 15 years of their lives, their flaws and their shining qualities just seem to meet each other perfectly. I think, even more so that Crick and Deacon, (The Promises boys) Xander and Chris are made for each other - they fill each other's empty spaces, both bad and good. I loved them and I wept with them and I laughed with them.

Another thing that Amy does par excellence is create non-standard families. In this family, we find not only our heroes, Xander and Chris, but we find Chris' parents, his kid sister, two stray 'lost girls' that Xander manages to come home with, the crusty lawyer and the quiet and efficient housekeeper. 

So the book is about two basketball players. I hate basketball. Even more than baseball. (Give me soccer, curling and hockey, thank you.) Anyway, the setting for a good portion of the story is the NBA and I imagine that what Amy describes is pretty much what a gay pro ball player would experience. I imagine that sometimes, it might even be much worse. But as the backdrop to Xander and Chris' love story I totally bought it. And I totally wanted to do bodily harm to the coach. I don't know if Amy is a basketball fan, or if she maybe played basketball, but the descriptions of Xander's feelings and thoughts as he played - be it in the games, or practicing or just holding the damned ball - those passages are really almost like poetry and perfectly illustrated the great gift Xander has for the sport. Kudos to Amy for that!

Great book, twisted and squished my heart and left it the better for it. :) LOVED IT!!

Gambling Men: The Novel by Amy Lane

4 STARS

This book had a bit of a different flavour than the other Amy Lanes that I have read. Maybe it was the switching POVs? Maybe it was the big city setting? Maybe it was that both men were the same age (that I was reading as early 30s - I don't remember if it was stated. *LOL*)? 

At any rate, I fell for Jace and especially Quent in a big way! 

I loved that both were a little fucked up about stuff - Jace more so than Quent and I loved how difficult it was for Jace to put things into words. Like SO many men I have known over the years. :) And I loved how Quent and Jace loved each other. That's the thing with Amy's books - I ALWAYS feel the love between the characters and it always leaves me with a smile and a warm heart.

Talker's Graduation by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Talker - Book 3

Mmmmhmmm. That's the sound of satisfaction. 

Tate and Brian are grown men now (I'll still see them as boys but that's because I'm an old lady. *LOL*) and they've begun to actually live the life they've fought so hard to have together. They love each other SO much and they love their life and it's really pretty damned satisfying to this reader. 

There are some lovely bits of introspective thought in this book as Tate finally, FINALLY, truly understands what's between him and Brian. God, they're lovely together.

I'm sad their tale is done, but I can envision a future for them both, say, ten years from now, Brian with his art, Tate with his kids and how they conquer more of life's struggles together, with love and laughter and understanding. (And maybe get a fireplace in that cottage of theirs!)

Talker's Redemption by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Talker - Book 2

Rip your heart out, that's what Amy does here. Rips your heart out, turns it over a few times in her skilled hands and then shoves it back into your chest filled to overflowing. I love Brian and Talker. I love Jed, Aunt Lindie, Doc, Craig, even the rat... OMG, I love 'em all!

Talker by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Talker - Book 1

A lovely, heartfelt, sweet story of first love. 

Tate and Brian are lovely young men that you root for from the very beginning. Tate is so open and so sweet and trusting and just gets so damaged by life. But Brian is there and Brian loves him even if Tate doesn't see it. Tate talks - hence the nickname Talker - and Brian listens. 

I think this would be a perfect read for young people and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to young adults. Yes, there is sex, explicit at times, but it's my opinion that young folks need to be exposed to this and allowed to talk about it openly and with no judgement. You know, I wish I had had this book 10 years ago when one of my son's friends was dealing with coming out.

Country Mouse by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Country Mouse - Book 1

This was just the thing to cleanse my reading palate after experiencing the horrendous writing of 50 Shades of Grey.

I kind of fell in love with Owen and Malcolm. :) They are cute and handsome, have wonderful sex, fall for each other in 60 hours and have messy hair. Oh... and they banter. I love banter. I love clever banter, and theirs is definitely that. 

I had a couple of tiny negatives. First there was the missing pair of jeans during the encounter on the couch. Owen's jeans. They slid along the leather when he moved... and then he was in his boxers suddenly. How did they come off and where did they go? I actually paged back in my e-reader because I couldn't get it out of my mind. 

The other thing that sticks out, was the treatment of Owen's friend, and I use the term loosely, Jenny, I think her name was. She felt very cardboard and clichéd, but in a story this short, I understand that supporting characters - the only one really - is going to get short shrift, but I felt a little sad for her. She was so unlikable. 

That out of the way... this partnership of Amy and Aleksandr which sounds so, almost crazy, at first thought, works really, really well! The narrative was pretty much seamless and the two styles gelled together quite well. I wouldn't have been able to say it was a co-authorship if I hadn't already known, to be honest. I have never read any Aleksandr Voinov (Amy is one of my fave of fave authors.), but I think I'm going to have to add him to my list after this. 

I hate the way Goodreads catagorises their stars. 4 stars should mean more than I really liked it. 5 stars is perfect, but for ME, 4 stars means it was really, really good, almost perfect. And I'm anxious to learn more about Owen and Malcolm - I kinda feel shortchanged! *LOL* Amy and Aleksander MUST WRITE MORE!!!

Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane

5 STARS

Amy does it again! Writes a tale that is at once wonderful and fantastic and touching and sad and happy and sexy and REAL!

I thought I knew exactly how this was going to play out by the time I was barely a couple of pages in, but that wasn't a problem at all because I adore the way Amy writes and how she creates real, lovely, flawed, endearing characters - and my God, the angry, cranky, grumpy Knife is a wonderful character, even when he's learning not to be so angry and cranky (I think he'll always be somewhat grumpy.). 

So on I read, enjoying the tale immensely, and then came the wee twist, the most very important thing that I never suspected in the least. (I'll not give it away.) And I burst into tears. Hell, I'm tearing up now, just remembering that scene/reveal. Oh, it was so heart-breakingly beautiful! GUH! So freakin' amazing, this author!

I would be remiss if I didn't also comment on the terrific love scenes. Yeah, they were a bit more than sex scenes. :) They were sexy and hot, affectionate, loving, desperate when they needed to be desperate - they were perfect! Yeah, so I kinda loved it - A LOT!!

It's Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane

4 STARS

Amy Lane has yet to let me down! 

I totally enjoyed this story, totally enjoyed the two MCs, totally enjoyed the few secondary characters we got to know - the only thing WRONG with it was that it was too short. I wanted more of James and Raphael... okay... Jimmy and Rafi. :) I want to know how they settle into their relationship, how they reconcile their differences and make it all work in the day-to-day. And Marlowe... damn, who wouldn't want more Marlowe??? :) I feel like we've only seen the first leg of this couple's journey and I hunger for more. 

Indeed, this was a delightful read!

The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters by Amy Lane

5 STARS

Knitting Series - Book 1

THIS has to be one of the most adorably fun stories I have ever read! And I want to know more about all of them! Rance, Ben, Ariadne, Aiden and Jeremy - EVERYONE! Absolutely delightful!