Anne

Duende by E.E. Ottoman

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22699093
Grade: B-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Fantasy, m/m,
Series: Mechanical Universe #2
Published: 9/10/14
Reviewed by Anne
37 pages

Badri is the male lead in the city’s ballet company.  Aime is a famous opera singer.  They secretly each like the other.  On his birthday, Aime goes to see Badri dance, and then goes backstage to introduce himself.  Amidst all the other fans, Aime is very embarrassed and leaves quickly after meeting Badri.  However, that small act is enough to get Badri interested in Aime.

This is a very short story and it was very enjoyable.  I see that it’s part of the “Mechanical Universe” series, but it had a very historical feeling to it.  That was fine with me – a historical may as well be a fantasy when I read it.  I enjoyed seeing these men slowly but surely get to know each other.

Unfortunately, I found the cast of secondary characters confusing.  I would have enjoyed it more if it had concentrated fully on Aime and Badri.  It may be that reading the series in order would have made this one much more enjoyable.  It did leave me interested in checking out the first book in the series, though.

Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

20325481

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Historical, London
Series: Brothers Sinister #4.5
Published: 8/19/14
Reviewed by Anne

I saw “Courtney Milan” and “novella” and “mathmetics” and I was in!  I have a good history reading Milan and enjoying her stories.  I’m not a huge historical fan anymore, but Milan + math was enough for me.  I was right, too, this story did not disappoint.

Rose is a “computer,” a person who does math for a researcher.  She’s a genius and really enjoys her work.  She’s a bit shy and shocked to find herself attracted to her neighbor, the scandalous Stephen Shaughnessy.  He’s an advice columnist and a known rake and he’s surprised to find himself falling for her.  As a way to spend more time with her, he manipulates her into giving him math lessons.  This leads to some incredible math innuendo!

Stephen and Rose are wonderful characters.  I was pleasantly surprised that the Rose is black!  That was new for me in a historical.  Stephen is white.  He seems untroubled by their differences, but Stephen is not a worrier by nature, and he’s not experienced the discrimination that Rose is used to, both for her gender and her race.

Rose is very intelligent and comfortable with it.  Stephen is entranced by her and her abilities.  He appears to be quite shallow, and as it turns out, he has a pretty light hearted approach to life, and he doesn’t feel bad about that.  It’s who he is.  It does turn out to be an obstacle between him and Rose, though.  He’ll have to convince her that he’s serious about her.

This was a wonderful historical novella, and I highly recommend it to historical or math lovers.  I think it’s the very first historical nerd-mance I’ve read!  And the math jokes abound and are awesome!

 

“You’re not going to multiply with me?”

“No,” she said somewhat severely. “You’re going to multiply on your own.” p. 20

 

 

“All you had to do was look up a number in a table.  Was that too difficult for you?”

“A great and might table, ringed by fearsome logarithms, with their terribly, terrible…” He trailed off.  “Oh, very well.  Set me another problem, Miss Sweetly.  My resolve is firm and my angles are acute.  But beware — if I have to draw another diagram, things may become graphic.” p.32

 

I will say, despite the cover, it’s not a ballroom and opera historical.  Stephen and Rose are solidly middle class.  It’s a great story, though!

This is the last installment in the Brothers Sinister series.  I haven’t read any of the others, and I still loved this one, so jump right in!

I only read historical romance occasionally.  How about you?  Do you enjoy historicals?  If so, do you prefer ballrooms and opera?  Pioneer America?  Medieval?  What’s your favorite?

Caught! by J.L Merrow

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22030684
Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Series: The Shamwood Tales #1
Published: 8/19/14
Reviewed by Anne
257 pages

Robert Emeny (Mr. Enemy to his students) is the new teacher in a small town English primary school.  He’s happy to have left his past behind him and settle into this new, less fancy life.  He’s upper crust, wears a bow tie every day, is a bit of a nerd, and is the kind of man that people just seem to figure out is gay.  Sean is the local pest control guy, and uncle to two of Robert’s students.  They each find the other attractive, but there’s some misunderstandings and baggage to work through before they can settle into a relationship.

First off, let me warn you that this book is told from the first person point of view, and that Robert, our narrator has an ADHD style of thought that almost made me dizzy as I read.  That said, it’s hilarious.  So, just go into it knowing what you’re in for.  It works for me, but I don’t think I could read a bunch of J.L. Merrow stories back to back.  Here’s a quick example as Robert looks around, marching his class into an assembly:

 

“Thirty pairs of eyes (actually, twenty-nine and a half; Jodie was wearing a patch for her lazy eye) searched eagerly for the sight of parents and grannies.  I gazed out on the sea of female and/or wrinkly faces in the pews and wondered idly if there was any job in the world, anywhere, that was worse for meeting men than the average primary-school teaching post.  Father confessor in a nunnery, maybe?  Avon cosmetics rep?  Or one of those poor sods who went round emptying the sanitary bins they put in ladies’ loos?” p. 5

Robert is a bit of a geek; math jokes and Doctor Who references abound, and that made the story even more enjoyable for me.  Robert has a couple friends who round out the story and add to the hilarity.  Rosie is a fellow teacher working her way through a recent break up with her boyfriend.  She takes Robert on as a friend and project and works to hook him up with Sean.  Hanne is Robert’s grandmotherly neighbor who enjoys popping into his house and baking him things.  The exploits of Robert’s class round out the hilarity.

In a sweet twist, there’s a side story with one of Robert’s students and his father.  It made for one of those moments where you just sigh and think maybe the world is an ok place.

There are some more serious threads weaving through all the comedy.  Robert is dealing with some baggage from his previous job.  He also worries about coming out to Hanne and being gay in the small town he’s living in now.  I thought it was all really well handled.

The only thing that frustrated me in the story was that Robert sometimes seemed too oblivious or stupid.  I think that’s a risk you face when you have this kind of narrator.  The biggest obstacles to Robert and Sean’s relationship were all in Robert’s head.  Still, it worked for me overall.

If you enjoy m/m, or are wondering if you might, I’d recommend this book.  It’s hilarious and sweet – a story that will keep you laughing and smiling as you read!