Libra: Outlined in Ink by Vivien Dean

Libra: Outlined In Ink by Vivien Dean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has to be one of the best m/m books I've read in a long while. I know that's a pretty strong statement, and some people might be skeptical of the truthfulness of it, but it's true.

A lot of things combine to make this story amazing. The characters are well thought out, and brilliantly executed. The two protagonists are compelling, both individually and as a couple, and even the supporting characters are interesting...they have motivations, make mistakes, and are pretty 3D, which is something that I find lacking in most modern fiction.

But where this story really shines is the plot. A good story has great characters AND great plot, and the plot here is exciting and well-paced. I never felt like the story was dragging or rushed; the tense moments were well-balanced with the romance and the mystery involved, moving nearly seamlessly from scene to scene, and from one conflict to the next. The mystery of what is going on and who is behind the attacks...and more importantly, who to trust...made for a suspenseful read, one that kept me guessing until the end, which is rarely the case.

The sex is pretty hot, and in no way overpowers the plot. In fact, for me, it was another factor to balance...just when I felt the mystery getting too intense, or starting to bore me, the romance and sex heated up, and vice versa. I had a really good sense of the history of these two characters, and how the situation they're catapulted into helps to cement a bond that started years before.

That aspect, though, is one of my few niggles about the story. The fact that these two characters were very attracted to each other in the past didn't quite jive with the intervening years. I understand why Jarrett didn't pursue the young Eli...he wasn't quite or barely legal, and their age difference was much more sharply felt at that time. My problem lies with the fact that neither of them kept in touch with the other, either through direct communication or checking up on them through internet searches, etc. If the attraction was really that strong, particularly in Eli's case, it would be a little more believable that he would have at least known what Jarrett did for a living, or that he lived in the same city. This is alleviated somewhat by the fact that Eli is writing his comic starring a Jarrett lookalike...but as Eli says, the character Sovereign is based on his perception of Jarrett idealized, but has his own history and background separate from reality.

Another small niggle was the ending; the turmoil they're embroiled seemed to end a little abruptly, and while it's implied that their involvement in the investigation isn't over, we still don't get much of a resolution to what was going on, and how exactly Eli played into the greater scheme other than his comics and site were involved in criminal activity. I would love to see a follow-up story, even a short, that gives us more of a resolution to the case, as well as a glimpse at how Eli and Jarrett are coming along with a relationship not influenced by the tension and fast pace of being chased and shot at by both criminals and law enforcement.

An excellent story, and one I highly recommend to pretty much anyone.

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Leo: All That You Are by Jamie Craig

Leo: All That You Are by Jamie Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this story out of order in the BOTZ series because it was the continuation of the "All That You Do" story, and I wanted to see where those two characters were going to go.

One problem I have with stories that continue a completed romance (as this story does) is the progression of the plot is usually some stupid fight/breakup that the couple goes through...this book doesn't really go there. The problem is with Gage's family, and dealing with the aftermath of his coming out. Really, "aftermath" is probably mostly a misnomer...only his parents truly know about Gage's homosexuality, and Gage must now reveal it to his many (SIX!) brothers.

I know nothing of Mormon life or culture, but the little I do know seems to fit with what is portrayed...rather rigid, unaccepting of "sinners" or those outside of the box allowed by their religion, and a strong emphasis on service/mission. The story and Gage's supporters may have been a little harsh at times toward Mormons, but that could be my ignorance hoping the reality isn't quite that bad. I was frustrated at his mother's inability to accept, and staunch refusal to even bend in her beliefs, although it was hard to see Gage's father with the same tenacity...maybe because he was in recovery or preparing for surgery the times we do see him. All accounts of his rejection of Gage are secondhand, except for one statement when Gage appears at the hospital, so it's hard for me to see his rigidity on homosexuality.

I really like the image of Gage's family, and how it divided them; he found a lot of support, which surprised him (and me), but also some heartache and harsh words.

My main problem with the book was the scene of infidelity. I always have a problem with infidelity in a couple that is supposedly committed and monogamous, but the act portrayed here was probably one of the easiest to accept/recover from. Part of that is the sex act itself; it involved only a drunk handjob from an old friend, and Gage didn't even reciprocate. Once he realized what had happened, he escaped and told Christopher as soon as they were together again in person. Brownie points for Gage.

Also, how Christopher works through the betrayal, both out loud to Gage and in his thoughts, made me accept how he handled it. It hurt him, but he does bring up the good point that they had never talked about exclusivity (although it may have been implied), and they talked about the incident, why it happened, that it would never happen again, and how to move past it. It gives us an idea how mature Christopher is by example, rather than inferring it from his friends' comments and teasing.

Related to this issue, it felt like the marriage proposal happened too quickly after the infidelity incident and discussion...it made it feel fake or cheaper, since they hadn't taken much time to resolve that issue and put it behind them. Plus, at that point they had only really been dating a little over month...though it doesn't really say how long it is until the wedding (that I recall, anyway).

Really good conclusion to this storyline, despite the niggles. Wouldn't mind a short showing them in wedded bliss...but then, I always like to see happy ever afters shown rather than implied. :D

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Taurus: All That You Do by Jamie Craig

Taurus: All That You Do by Jamie Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting story, in that for nearly the entire timeframe of the story the two protagonists are not in a relationship. Christopher picks up Gage the night meet, but backs away from intimacy once he finds out Gage is a virgin, and that his innocence is not an act. After this, Gage enters into a relationship of sorts with a semi-friend of Christopher's. I really like this element because it led to some awkward situations between the two protags, and ramped up the sexual tension between them with the obvious barrier of the pseudo-boyfriend.

The only part about this element that I don't like is when they have sex for the first time...which is when Gage is still technically dating the other guy, and right after assuring his boyfriend that they were exclusive and he had no designs on Christopher. It seemed to jar a little with Gage's character, who doesn't strike me as much of a liar, and I really don't care moments of infidelity (although I'm more okay with it here, because the cheating isn't on Christopher, but it implies it could happen in the future in their relationship).

Watching Gage evolve and grow was very satisfying, and I really liked the interplay between Christopher and Gage; their an interesting couple, and really diverse and into each other.

I wish there had been a little more alluding to the reasons behind Christopher's initial reaction to Gage...it isn't until rather late in the book that it's revealed that Christopher's reaction are due to a previous relationship, not some aversion to virgins. He speaks of a rule against innocents, and first-timers or those just coming out, but earlier we only see his reaction to Gage's virginity, no reasoning or hints that there might be more to it, despite the fact that we're in Christopher's head for much of the book. Even something as simple as "I couldn't have sex with Gage that first night because of his innocence; I couldn't go through that again." would have been enough to give a hint that there WAS another reason for us to find out...it was hard to understand Christopher's reticence before Gage was in a relationship without that bit of knowledge.

Despite that niggle, I really liked the book, and it ended in such a way that I felt really satisfied at the outcome.

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