HEAD OVER HEELS by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Gay, Novella (90 pages)

4****

Blurb: It took a family loss to draw artist Leddy Finster away from his retreat in the woods of rural Wisconsin back to the family home in Carlisle. Originally intending to help clean out his father’s condo and return to the peace and quiet his work requires, he doesn’t expect old feelings for his brother’s best friend to bloom again after all this time. Nor could he ever have expected his father’s obsession with shoes… lots of shoes. Professional hockey player Johan Weiss spends his summers in Carlisle, where he grew up. As a favor, he agrees to help Leddy clean out his father’s condo and get it ready to be sold. Working together, they list the hundreds of pairs of shoes for sale, getting reacquainted while their mutual teenage crushes renew into full-on attraction that they each try to resist. Johan’s life is busy between his home in Carlisle and his place in Philadelphia with the hockey team, while Leddy believes he needs quiet and solitude to work at his best. Their needs seem incompatible with each other, but Johan demonstrates that he’s able to make room for Leddy as well as provide inspiration Leddy never expected. All Leddy has to do is decide if home is the woods or where his heart is.

Thoughts: This was a standard Andrew Grey gay romance. It’s a short, quick read that will entertain. Leddy is an artist who has secluded himself in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. He’s comfortable there. Safe from the noise of the world. Then the worst happens, and his father dies, and he’s forced to go back home where he not only has to deal with grief, but his brother’s jealousy. His brother’s best friend, Johan (a professional hockey player in Philly), comes to his rescue. The men discover they’ve had crushes on each other for years, but Leddy isn’t sure he can handle being back in a city, or even a town. The two have a lot to deal with including their increased attraction while dealing with the death of Leddy’s father and all that entails. But there is a HEA that satisfies.

Recommended for those looking for a short, somewhat hot, M/M romance.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Birthdays: Anthony Trollope (1815), Carl Spitteler (1845), Elizabeth Goudge (1900), Robert Penn Warren (1905), George Oppen (1908), William Goyen (1915), Doris Burn (1923), Clement Freud (1924), Shirley MacLaine (1934), Brian Garfield (1929), Sue Grafton (1940), David Morrell (1943), Karan Mahajan (1984)

Carl Spitteler is a Swiss poet who won the 1919 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Robert Penn Warren won Pulitzers in both literature and poetry.

George Oppen won the 1969 Pulitzer for Poetry

Quote: “As much as I like it when a book I’m writing speeds along, the downside can be that an author becomes too eager to finish and rushes the end. The end is even more important than the first page, and rushing can damage it.” – David Morrell

Tip: Try not to use colons, semicolons, or parentheses in fiction writing. They clutter things up, especially in ebooks. Stick with the basics of periods, commas, question marks, etc.

Jumpstart: You are at a family reunion. Your great-aunt Bertie pulls you aside and whispers in your ear. What she says is so shocking, you can barely handle the news and you have to pretend like nothing happened so others don’t get curious. What did she say to you? Why did she tell you?

NOT THAT KIND OF CALL GIRL by Nova Garcia

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Latino

4****

Blurb: JULIA NAVARRO, a plucky newspaper call center manager, juggles like a pro—not tennis balls but quirky employees, cranky customers, and a sleazy boss. Pregnant and short on time to complete her “get ready for baby checklist,” Julia rushes to fill a job vacancy by hiring Carmen Cooper, a shy, inexperienced college student. When Julia finds out Carmen never made it to work, she and a newsroom pal go undercover to find out why. Their shocking discovery leads them to cook up a half-baked plan to save Carmen from a Hollywood legend turned hermit, a man she calls “Papa.” Will the gamble pay off or pave a path to disaster?

Thoughts: This was an engaging story with a mix of mystery/suspense and humor that melded well. The main character, Julia, has to find employees to hire for the call center of the newspaper where she works. Her boss is someone I wanted to slap, and then call out for what he does to her. While I understand the author’s reasoning for the character not to go to HR, it still made me cringe. But things like this do happen, even today. I loved that Julia was a list-maker. And that part of Carmen’s story is told through her diary. And how having a baby is not easy – before, during, and after. I liked that Julia and her best friend, Jerry, go on a hunt for the truth about Carmen and her life.

The story includes issues about abuse and intimidation as well as human marketing which can be a trigger for some. But these are also things that happen in our world which makes the story realistic and current.

Recommendation: Recommended

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Birthdays: Henry Fielding (1707), Immanuel Kant (1724), Germaine de Stael (1817), Ellen Glasgow (1874), James Norman Hall (1887), Kurt Wiese (1887), Vladimir Nabokov (1899), Paula Fox (1923), Janet Evanovich (1943), Louise Gluck (1943), John Waters (1946), Paul Davies (1946), Wendy Mass (1967), Eileen Christelow (1943), Andrew Hudgins (1951), Chuck Wendig (1976), Marie Phillips (1976),

Kurt Wiese won the Newbery Award for “Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze”

Paula Fox won the 1974 Newbery Award for “The Slave Dancer”

Louise Gluck was the US Poet Laureat from 2003-2004 and won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “One who makes himself a worm cannot complain afterwards if people step on him.” ― Immanuel Kant

“Stories need conflict across the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual spectra. Accidents, betrayals, cataclysm, desperation, excess – these are the letters in the alphabet of conflict.” – Chuck Wendig

Tip: Use of I, me, myself: Most people know to say the other person’s name first when it happens at the beginning of a sentence along with “I” (Mark and I saw the CEO), but when it happens in the middle or end, they get confused. (The CEO met with Mark and me). In this case, you can figure it out if you take Mark out of the picture. You wouldn’t say: The CEO met with I. “Me” is needed.” As for “myself” use it only if saying “I” or “me” doesn’t work: I kept the secret to myself.

Jumpstart: You come home late at night after a long, tiring weekend at a conference. All you want is a hot shower, decent food, and your own bed. You pull into your garage and go into the kitchen—to find lights blazing, cameras rolling, and strangers smiling at you. Your friends got together and had your house “remade” for you. It is totally NOT your style. What do you do?

Birthdays: Charlotte Brontë (1816), Alistair MacLean (1922), Elaine May (1932), James Dobson (1936), Helene Prejean (1939), Thomas McMahon (1943), Kole Omotoso (1943), Patrick Rambaud (1946), Barbara Park (1947), Jeannette Walls (1960)

Helen Prejean was a Roman Catholic sister who wrote “Dead Man Walking”

Quote: “I am not a novelist, I’m a storyteller.” – Alistair MacLean

Tip: When punctuating dialogue, remember to use a comma or question mark (or exclamation point) with a verbalized tag and lower case the word following if it’s not a proper noun. Use a period and upper case with non-verbal tags: “I can’t do that,” she said. “Can I do that?” she asked. “No, you can’t.” He shook his head.

Jumpstart: You’re in a museum, browsing around ancient artifacts. Someone pushes you and you stumble, breaking a case and an ancient sealed vase. A strange vapor escapes. What happens next?

Birthdays: Edward L. Beach Jr. (1918), Peter S. Beagle (1939), Ian Wilson (1943), Philip Margolin (1944), Mary Hoffman (1945), Sebastian Faulks (1953), Robert Crais (1953), John van de Ruit (1975), Rebecca Makkai (1978),

Edward Beach Jr. was an American submarine officer known for his novel “Run Silent, Run Deep”

Peter Beagle was known for his book “The Last Unicorn” adapted into an animated film.

Quote: “I run the writing as a business, with one overworked and overstretched employee – me! But she has a very understanding boss so that if I as worker ask me as employer for a day off the answer is always yes.” – Mary Hoffman

Tip: “That” is often a throw away word. If you can read your sentence without “that” and the sentence makes sense, you can probably delete “that”.

Jumpstart: You’ve found an unlocked cell phone on the sidewalk. While checking for an owner, you look at the contacts list and find your own name and number. But there’s no one else on the list you recognize, and you’ve never seen this number before. Who owns the phone and why do they have your name and number?

WILD MAGIC by Alexandra Ivy

Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

5*****

Blurb: From a Wyoming ranch to a New Jersey bookstore-café, when old-world demons, modern-day mages, and irresistible attraction collide, desire becomes the most powerful and dangerous weapon of all, in this spellbinding new series from the New York Times bestselling author. There was a time when demons reigned. That was before they were forced to retreat to the shadows. Today, in hidden corners across the globe their evil blood still pools, and the authority of their new rulers—the Vampire Cabal—must never be challenged. Leave it to a Jersey girl to change ancient history . . .   At sixteen, when Peri Sanguis’s wild magic first appeared, she was forced to flee her Wyoming ranch—and her suddenly murderous family—to save her own life. On the East Coast, tutored by mages who run the Witch’s Brew bookstore-cafe, Peri’s world seems magically tranquil—until her estranged mother and a coven of witches are slaughtered. Now, to solve the violent mysteries of her past, she must put her trust, body and soul, in a sensual immortal who is every woman’s darkest fantasy . . .   The golden-eyed vampire, Valen, has never wanted more than to claim an untamed female like Peri. Lured into each other’s orbit, and working together against a resurrected evil brings them intimately closer—to danger, blood betrayals, all-consuming passion, and to sacrifices that must be made to save themselves and the world . . .

Thoughts:

I loved this story. Peri and Valen are the perfect foils for each other. Peri is a mage who is fiercely independent with a tragic background. Valen is an ancient vampire who is powerful, rich, arrogant, and bossy. He wants Peri to be his, but he won’t curb her need for independence. Peri is drawn to him, but also fears what he could do to her.

They are really well-drawn characters and the world building is excellent as well (though I did want to know more about the magical Gyre). The plot flows well from tense action to catch-your-breath breaks. There is romance – and some heat (but not overwhelming), a lot of suspense, and drama.

Though the story did end well, this is obviously the first in a series as there were some threads left dangling to tease us for what’s coming next.

Definitely recommended.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by anyone.

Birthdays: Anatole France (1844), Gertrude Chandler Warner (1860), John Millington Synge (1871), Dorothy P. Lathrop (1891), Howard Mumford Jones (1892), Tristan Tzara (1896), Berton Roueche (1910), Garth Williams (1912), Kingsley Amis (1922), Carol Bly (1930), Diane Middlebrook (1939), Tracy K. Smith (1972)

Anatole France won the 1921 Nobel in Literature.

Dorothy Lathrop won the 1929 Newbery Medal for “Hitty, Her First Hundred Years”

Howard Jones won the 1965 Pulitzer for Nonfiction for “O Strange New World”

Tracey K. Smith won the 2011 Pulitzer for Poetry for “Life on Mars”

Quote: “Your readers expect a story, a story that answers the question, ‘So what, why do we care about what this person has done?’” – Diane Middlebrook

Tip: Many people confuse the words then/than. “Then” refers to time (we will do this first then that) while “than” is a choice (I’d rather do this than that)

Jumpstart: Take the first line from any book and write it into a paragraph, first as a mainstream book, then as a mystery, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and romance.

Birthdays: Henry James (1843), Corrie ten Boom (1892), Waverley Root (1903), Helene Hanff (1916), Tomas Transtromer (1931), Jeffrey Archer (1940), Jacqueline Briggs Martin (1945), Mons Kallentoft (1968), Omar Tyree (1969)

Corrie ten Boom is best known for her book about surviving the Holocaust “The Hiding Room”

Tomas Transtromer won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “I usually know the first four or five chapters in detail, and the next 10 in outline, which will take me to the middle of the book. Then it’s time to pray.” – Jeffrey Archer

Tip: Homonyms are difficult for some people to recognize such as: there/their/they’re: “There” is a place (we are going there). “Their” is a possessive pronoun meaning it belongs to them (their house). “They’re” is a contraction for “they are” (They’re coming with us). Another stumbler is: peek/peak/pique. Peek is to take a quick look at something. Peak is the top of something, like a mountain. Pique is to feel resentment or to increase interest in something (his words piqued my curiosity). Check your work for homonyms. Spell check will not catch them!

Jumpstart: What kind of cartoon would you draw for the newspaper if you could? Would your main character be human or animal? Would it be a single strip or a continuing story? Write the dialogue for it and the descriptions of your characters.