2011-11-29

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2011-11-29 01:02 pm

Forsaking Eternity by Voirey Linger

When the novel started I had the feeling Renatus was a quiet and timid man (angel), fragile and shy; I did like this imagine, a shy angel who falls in love for the nerdy professor, wearing tweed and corduroy, was a story I was ready to like. But Renatus surprised me, and he became a fierce character, an avenger of his people, and someone who was ready to protect his beloved with everything he had, even his immortal life.

Forsaking Eternity is the sequel of Risking Eternity; I chose to not read that book because from the blurb I was convinced it was a het romance between an Angel, Dom, and a woman, Maggie. That is true, but what was not clear in the blurb is that Dom has a very special relationship with Renatus, so special that almost bordered into love if not for Renatus’s stubbornness to abide to the law, a law that forbids same sex relationship. Between Dom and Renatus there was only a kiss, and we learn in this novel that now Dom is in a relationship with Maggie, even if both Dom and Renatus regrets the breaking of their special bond.

At the beginning of this novel, Renatus wants to understand his feelings, towards Dom but also towards male in general, and to not condemn to damnation someone else he decides to test his sexuality with a man: if the man doesn’t know Renatus is an angel, the only one who is breaking the law is Renatus himself, and the chosen human is safe.

Adam is the chosen, and he is a good man, kind and gentle, someone who is attracted by the apparently quiet Renatus, a man who seems to share Adam’s love for all ancient things, in particular books. The objective of the relationship is clear to both Adam and Renatus, they can enjoy each other company and being able to have erudite conversation, but in the end what they want is an intimate relationship and that will be what they will have.

Even if this is a story by a mostly Erotica imprinting, I found the feeling wasn’t as explicit as expected, and yes, there was sex, but was not the main focus of the novel. The internal struggle of Renatus was deftly dealt, and I appreciated the right level of deepness the author gave to plot and characters, even if, I think, there was still space to develop Adam’s character: actually I think, a sequel focusing on Renatus and Adam’s love story would be good.

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9118-forsaking-eternity.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Forsaking Eternity
Publisher: Ellora's Cave (February 25, 2011)

Series:
1) Risking Eternity 
2) Forsaking Eternity

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle
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2011-11-29 10:36 pm

The Birches by Xavier Axelson

The Birches is all about pleasure: the pleasure of food, the pleasure of sex and yes, the pleasure of simple things. Leo has not a bad life, he has the support of his father following his dream of being a chef, the right teachings he received from his mother, good memories about his life as a teenager; sure now his mother is dead, and maybe not having had the chance to prove to her he was able to reach that dream is still something that weight on his heart; plus his father is following in love with another woman, someone who could easily replace his own mother, since “unfortunately” she is a good woman, if she was a bitch, he could hate her, but she isn’t. Leo strives to achieve perfection for a lot of reason but in doing so he lost the reason why he started at the beginning, i.e. that cooking is pleasure, for the family, for the kids, for your friends, for your lover.

Then his friend Ollie takes Leo to the Birches, a diner managed by Dock the cook and two lesbian waitresses. Dock’s food is nothing complicated, muffins, omelettes, sandwiches, but it’s done with love and a special alchemy, and everything becomes special. Dock loves what he does, and loves to share it with his friends. Dock’s food is simple and open like the man himself, and if you like something, it’s enough to ask, like with Dock. At the beginning I thought there was something magical in Dock, but in the end, I arrived to the idea that Dock is magic since he has no substrates, he is what you see, and that is something not common in today world. It’s not that Dock has no ambition, it’s only that he doesn’t believe perfection is the answer to everything, something the most imperfect things are the most satisfying.

There is a lot of the old fashioned metaphor of sex like food, of pleasure of the senses, all five senses, and yes, some health rule would probably question the use of the kitchen that Dock has, but where is the pleasure if you don’t break some rules; and then it’s so nice to see Dock taking Leo down from his pedestal and dirtying him a little.

Basically Leo is a good kid, but he is really young; that with Dock is maybe the love story of his life, or maybe is only a step in his path towards adulthood, but in a way or the other, Dock is a good medicine, and it will serve him to ease up a lot of the stress he bottled in the last few years so that, even his cooking will be better.

http://www.seventhwindow.com/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=&products_id=38

Buy Here

Amazon Kindle: The Birches
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications (October 24, 2011)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2011-11-29 10:36 pm

The Birches by Xavier Axelson

The Birches is all about pleasure: the pleasure of food, the pleasure of sex and yes, the pleasure of simple things. Leo has not a bad life, he has the support of his father following his dream of being a chef, the right teachings he received from his mother, good memories about his life as a teenager; sure now his mother is dead, and maybe not having had the chance to prove to her he was able to reach that dream is still something that weight on his heart; plus his father is following in love with another woman, someone who could easily replace his own mother, since “unfortunately” she is a good woman, if she was a bitch, he could hate her, but she isn’t. Leo strives to achieve perfection for a lot of reason but in doing so he lost the reason why he started at the beginning, i.e. that cooking is pleasure, for the family, for the kids, for your friends, for your lover.

Then his friend Ollie takes Leo to the Birches, a diner managed by Dock the cook and two lesbian waitresses. Dock’s food is nothing complicated, muffins, omelettes, sandwiches, but it’s done with love and a special alchemy, and everything becomes special. Dock loves what he does, and loves to share it with his friends. Dock’s food is simple and open like the man himself, and if you like something, it’s enough to ask, like with Dock. At the beginning I thought there was something magical in Dock, but in the end, I arrived to the idea that Dock is magic since he has no substrates, he is what you see, and that is something not common in today world. It’s not that Dock has no ambition, it’s only that he doesn’t believe perfection is the answer to everything, something the most imperfect things are the most satisfying.

There is a lot of the old fashioned metaphor of sex like food, of pleasure of the senses, all five senses, and yes, some health rule would probably question the use of the kitchen that Dock has, but where is the pleasure if you don’t break some rules; and then it’s so nice to see Dock taking Leo down from his pedestal and dirtying him a little.

Basically Leo is a good kid, but he is really young; that with Dock is maybe the love story of his life, or maybe is only a step in his path towards adulthood, but in a way or the other, Dock is a good medicine, and it will serve him to ease up a lot of the stress he bottled in the last few years so that, even his cooking will be better.

http://www.seventhwindow.com/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=&products_id=38

Buy Here

Amazon Kindle: The Birches
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications (October 24, 2011)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle