It's Not Shakespeare (It's Not Shakespeare, #1)

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It's Not Shakespeare (It's Not Shakespeare #1)

by Amy Lane (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 859 ratings · 118 reviews

College professor James Richards is in a rut and feeling his age. He moved to northern California to escape heartbreak and humiliation, but so far the only good thing to happen to him has been his Boston terrier, Marlowe.

Then James’s toughest student sets him up with her best friend. Rafael Ochoa is worlds apart from James—chronologically, culturally, and philosophically—...more

ebook, 174 pages

Published November 9th 2011 by Dreamspinner Press (first published November 8th 2011)

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Favorite M/M Romances With An Age Difference Between Partners

22nd out of 252 books — 218 voters

Between Sinners and Saints by Marie Sexton

Best M/M Romance Published in 2011

125th out of 399 books — 860 voters

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Nov 30, 2011 Lauraadriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-difference, buy-asap, fave-authors, m-m, cried-like-a-baby, interracial, favorites, love-conquers-all, loved-it, lmao, made-me-wish-i-was-a-gay-man, should-be-read-by-all

I am in LOOOOOOVE with this couple!! Ok, I know I say this every time, but this time it's for REALS. Rafi and James (and their dog!!) are my favorite Amy Lane couple! Because if I didn't know that it's an impossibility, I'd swear she wrote this book just for me.

So, Rafi and James. James is a Literature professor who has exiled himself in the Central Valley. After being jilted and betrayed in the worst way possible three years earlier, he picked up what was left of his dignity, and left Maine for...more I am in LOOOOOOVE with this couple!! Ok, I know I say this every time, but this time it's for REALS. Rafi and James (and their dog!!) are my favorite Amy Lane couple! Because if I didn't know that it's an impossibility, I'd swear she wrote this book just for me.

So, Rafi and James. James is a Literature professor who has exiled himself in the Central Valley. After being jilted and betrayed in the worst way possible three years earlier, he picked up what was left of his dignity, and left Maine for a fresh start. For the most part he hates his life. Except for his Boston Terrier Marlowe, his house, and some of his students, everything else pretty much sucks.

Until one day Sophie, one of his students, decides to play matchmaker and arranges for her friend Rafael Ochoa to meet James. Rafi is the hottest damn thing James has EVER seen. Way out of his league, he's young and so beautiful, it's heartbreaking...And that smile that makes James feel like his life just got made. No, James can't have Rafi, he's a washed up guy in his forties, just on this side of bitter. But Rafi, he knows what he wants, and James, he's going to be his papi, end of story.

James's been hurt badly, and he can't let things go. And they are so different, where they come from, like two different worlds. It should be hard, strained. But it isn't, because it's right. They meet each other halfway. And it's a beautiful thing, when those two planets collide.

Amy Lane did an insanely awesome job of capturing the dynamics of an interracial couple. She captured the Latin 'thing' beautifully. I was very impressed. Screw impressed, I was frigging delighted, and grinning like an idiot.

There was an instance of bad Spanish, at a pretty crucial moment. Which made me knock down half a star, but since I wanted to give this book 20 stars, it's all good :0)

Ohhh man I loved this book. Best interracial love story I've read in this genre. Full stop.

Ms. Lane has been on fire this year, and I hope she will keep writing. I count myself lucky that I know enough to keep on reading.

LOVED
Highly Recommend!(less)

26 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Heather C rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Heather C by: Lauraadriana

Shelves: contemporary-romance, ebook, m-m, read-2011, pdoc

4.5 Stars

I've been curious about reading this story ever since I read You Can't Make an Omelet sometime last month, but I have been hesitant to read it because I have not enjoyed several of Amy Lane's books in the past. In Omelet, Jimmy and Rafi seemed like a great couple so I was interested in finding out the rest of their story. Surprisingly, I ended up loving it.

James and Rafael's story is super sweet with very little angst. It's simple and touches on issues such as trust, race, and financia...more

11 likes · like · see review

Nov 19, 2011 Nikyta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nikyta by: Heather C

Shelves: dreamspinner-press, teachers, a-sweet-cute-read, bubbles-safe, contemporary, closet-cases, deception-betrayal-lies-omissions, injury-recovery, pets, separated-for-a-bit, m-m

This is an extremely sweet book that I absolutely loved. This story is a little different compared to the other books I've read from Ms. Lane. When I think of Amy Lane, I automatically think of angst. It never fails with her books but I always end up crying either just a little or a lot. With this one, however, I didn't because while it touches a few serious issues, they aren't so angsty as to make the read intense as her other stories are. It was a nice change :)

I loved James and Rafael. They a...more

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Kukko rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-gang-bang-chosen, 1-app-kindle, a-contemporary, a-romance, character-mechanic, character-teacher, sex-mix-m-m, z-2013

I generally love Amy Lane's stories, but I did not love this one. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations every time I start one of her books, because some of my all-time favorite MM romances were written by AL - so I guess I can't help myself.

This story just did not work for me. I think it was the stereotypes and the uninspired side stories that ruined it.

Rafi is Latino - something we were constantly reminded of by - the way he speaks, how he dresses (loose jeans, tank tops and large button-up s...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-owned, m-m, my-faves

Great Story!
James is a professor at a CC in California, moving across the country after a very bad split from his partner.
He has been existing but not really living,his main joy coming from Marlowe his dog ( love Marlowe) and teaching.
He meets Rafael a mechanic and despite or maybe because of all their differences this couple works!!

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, m-m, anal-play-sex, contemporary

Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Opposites attract and sparks fly when bad boy Rafi meets older man James. James is in a rut every since his last boyfriend dumped him for a hotter, richer man. So he doesn’t quite believe that sexy young Rafi could or would be interested in him. It takes some work but James realizes what a great guy Rafi is. The only problem is James may have figured this out too late and his past betrayal may stop his future with Rafi.

It’s Not Shakes...more Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Opposites attract and sparks fly when bad boy Rafi meets older man James. James is in a rut every since his last boyfriend dumped him for a hotter, richer man. So he doesn’t quite believe that sexy young Rafi could or would be interested in him. It takes some work but James realizes what a great guy Rafi is. The only problem is James may have figured this out too late and his past betrayal may stop his future with Rafi.

It’s Not Shakespeare is a fun and light story about two very opposite men that meet and mesh their lives together. Rafi and James are both well developed, three-dimensional characters with a lot of interest. Rafi comes from a very religious family with conservative views. James is from a wealthy, much more liberal background. The two men blend their differences pretty well with a minimum of angst and problems. Despite the fact they are from two different cultures and have very different experiences, the men spark immediately and fit together pretty effortlessly.

The story glides along without many problems, although there are a few side trips into unnecessary details and side issues, and tries to inject some tension with James’ inability to completely commit and the racial differences. For the most part I didn’t really buy into either of these problems as they feel too superficial and weakly presented to hold the tension and conflict the story is aiming for. The couple is basically drama free up until the near end when an argument appears nearly out of the blue and Rafi reacts in a very immature way. Other than this, the couple meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after. It’s a very easy, breezy story with not much angst.

Due to the fact that I couldn’t quite believe the made up tension, this story didn’t win me over entirely. It is, however, fun and very easy to read with the pages flying by. There is a lot of good detail about Rafi’s culture and some well crafted family scenes that really stand out. It’s a nice enough book to read and fans of the author should especially like this one.

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Dec 05, 2011 Kassa rated it 2 of 5 stars

I know I’m likely to be the minority on this one but this Lane book just didn’t work for me (which is a first). I liked the characters as individuals but they didn’t seem to work as a couple and there seemed to be several unnecessary and rather random scenes that didn’t add to the story very much. I like Lane’s writing now as much as ever, though the repetitive use of “heifer” in almost all books is annoying, but I wish I’d skipped this one since I think Lane is capable of much better books.

The...more I know I’m likely to be the minority on this one but this Lane book just didn’t work for me (which is a first). I liked the characters as individuals but they didn’t seem to work as a couple and there seemed to be several unnecessary and rather random scenes that didn’t add to the story very much. I like Lane’s writing now as much as ever, though the repetitive use of “heifer” in almost all books is annoying, but I wish I’d skipped this one since I think Lane is capable of much better books.

The story is a pretty basic plot of boy meets boy and they figure out how to blend two very different lives, backgrounds, and cultures. James is a stogy older professor who hates the world except for his adorable dog Marlowe. James happens to meet sexy car mechanic Rafael and the two men inexplicably hit it off. Although this formula of opposites attract is often a hit, it just didn’t work well for me here as I couldn’t ever see the two men together, nor really what they saw in each other. As interesting as the two characters are on their own, the couple never made sense to me and threw me off from the beginning.

Part of this is that the book is comparing and contrasting two very different upbringings and cultures from the beginning. This opens the door for a wealth of opportunity and detail. On the one hand the book does a decent job of exploring those differences, including racism and ignorance, but overall they just fall flat for me. Perhaps the story did too good of a job showing how different the two men are because I couldn’t really see them together. James comes across as a much older man than his chronological age, due to his staid and almost stuck in the mud nature, and I never really saw him as a dynamic, attractive man. He’s interesting to be sure but doesn’t really fit as the partner of a dynamic, extremely attractive much younger man.

Beyond that the story has some awkward and unnecessary inclusions. For example there is James’ boss, Lee. The whole side story about Lee and James’ brief blowjob has no real purpose or necessity to the story. It’s not that the characters act ridiculous, though the repeated confrontations are a little silly, it’s just that it has no real purpose to the story. These confrontations don’t add depth to any of the characters, enhance the main relationship, or develop the tension at all. Instead they seem to exist to just add outside elements to a mostly internal story, which is another issue I had.

Internal tension within a relationship is pretty standard for romance novels so that isn’t bad but the argument here based on a misunderstanding didn’t make any sense to me. I don’t want to give spoilers but Rafi’s reaction seems immature, over the top, and pretty hurtful, which doesn’t make sense when James spends the whole time wondering how he can win Rafi back. Granted the story is told through James’ third person perspective but the whole “argument” feels unnecessary, silly, and without basis. There is so much potential between such opposites that I think the story could have taken another, more successful route.

Unfortunately while I really quite like James, an older man made bitter by life and experience, I just couldn’t see him with Rafael as the one that reinvigorates him. They just don’t seem to have any real thread keeping them together, nor did I understand why Rafael was actually attracted to James, so the story didn’t work for me. I absolutely adored Sophie and the dog Marlowe though and as always the writing has that smooth Lane touch to everything. It’s a solid “ok” from me but judging by the buzz I heard about this one I’m sure others will disagree.

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Nov 25, 2011 Heidi Cullinan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

This is my first Amy Lane, and I enjoyed it very much. I'm not even sure why I picked it up, though it's probably because I keep wanting to try one of her books, but I just can't get into her first person, and this one is in third. Granted, for the first chapter especially it's the most intrusive third I've ever read, but it was in third and I could do it.

What I loved: Raphael. He was awesome. One of my favorite characters ever, and worth the book alone. But that wasn't all. Lane has a smooth h...more

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Nov 16, 2011 T.A. Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hope.

Such a wonderful and fragile thing. When we are young, we hope for a bike for Christmas, or a puppy for our birthday. That that cute boy or girl will notice us. We hope to get into a good school. That we get a great great job and a hot car.

We hope for love. For that special someone to be ours.

And sometimes, we just hope that this time it will be real. That we don't get our heart broken. That we have one more try in us...

James is a forty something year old professor at a community college i...more

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Nov 10, 2011 ♥Laddie♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome-just-awesome, mm, mm-interracial, mm-loved-it, mm-multicultural, mm-teacher-hero

A Little Haiku With Your Review

A hard won five stars.
Amy Lane has a new fan;
I am a convert.

Very few of Amy Lane's books have struck a chord with me. Until about 50% in It's Not Shakespeare was only a two star book for me. From the beginning of the book I liked James and his dog Marlowe. James is a college professor who loves his classes, his dog and not much else. He's a bit bitter but in denial about it. Despite how much he hates most of his life, James isn't nasty to others and tries to focus...more A Little Haiku With Your Review

A hard won five stars.
Amy Lane has a new fan;
I am a convert.

Very few of Amy Lane's books have struck a chord with me. Until about 50% in It's Not Shakespeare was only a two star book for me. From the beginning of the book I liked James and his dog Marlowe. James is a college professor who loves his classes, his dog and not much else. He's a bit bitter but in denial about it. Despite how much he hates most of his life, James isn't nasty to others and tries to focus on the two things in his life that he loves. One of the bright spots in James' life is the debates he has with one of his students, Sophie. When Sophie's friend, Rafi, comes to pick her up one day James is instantly smitten.

Rafi; a young man,
beautiful in baggy jeans.
James' perfect match.

Rafi bothered me at first because, in the beginning, he seemed like a bit of a caricature. He's a young Mexican man, a mechanic whose a little rough around the edges, and whose speech is very street. I wasn't sure I liked that but as the story went on, Rafi grew on me. He compliments James so well that I couldn't help but like Rafi. You see, James is a little repressed, very proper and very politically correct. Rafi, with his loud car and soft touch, manages to shake up James' world in a sweet but gritty way. James is also perfect for Rafi in that he accepts Rafi as he is. James never even thinks about changing him. As a matter of fact, James makes the effort to change the way he views certain things. In the relationship, Rafi and James meet each other half way. I loved that they compromised, worked on the relationship and appreciated their cultural differences.

Two different cultures
meld to make a partnership;
the best kind of love.

I have to say that Amy Lane really did the interracial relationship thing right in this book. The issues were not swept under the carpet but neither were they the focus of the story. The differences between Rafi and James' cultural upbringing were shown in a variety of ways that never cast either culture in a negative light. I can't even express how much I appreciated that.

When love comes your way,
throw away your foolish pride.
Grab love and hold on.

What made this book a five star for me was how it managed to be sweet but not too sweet. It's the story of two people, coming from two different places who bridge a gap and fall in love. I adored James and Rafi's story. I definitely recommend.(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Mouse rated it 2 of 5 stars

Rating: 2.5

I was looking forward to this book because of great reviews. I think that my dislike of this book comes down to personal preference because the book was well written. I can understand why readers liked it.

I couldn’t connect with either character. At all. I found one character to be annoyingly glum, and the other to be so immature that I wanted to smack him. So, yeah, that made it hard for me to read and engage with the story.

That aside, I really didn’t feel any connection building bet...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Yvonne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dec-cat-challenge, borrowed-kindle, m-m

This wasn't bad but there's something about this that I didn't quite connect with. The conversation rhythm between Rafi & James seemed off. The characters just felt a little cliched. James was the whitest white man ever, Rafi and his family fulfilled every stereotype about Mexican Americans you could find from the neighborhood to the car he drove to his slangy way of talking and the girl who introduced them, whose name I can't remember, was your typical tough talking too cool for the room st...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Grammy 1 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amy Lane is On Fire this year!!! This newest release is just another change from all the other voices in her head. The reality of this story is a less angsty (yeah it still is Amy Lane) story, and is how to bridge two totally different lifestyles and make it work.

James Richards is a white upper class College Professor about 40 ish . He has left his family and job in the Northeast after a terrible break up and betrayal by his lover of five years. He lost not only his self worth emotionally, but h...more Amy Lane is On Fire this year!!! This newest release is just another change from all the other voices in her head. The reality of this story is a less angsty (yeah it still is Amy Lane) story, and is how to bridge two totally different lifestyles and make it work.

James Richards is a white upper class College Professor about 40 ish . He has left his family and job in the Northeast after a terrible break up and betrayal by his lover of five years. He lost not only his self worth emotionally, but he lost his financial life savings as well, stolen by “The ex”. James is now living and teaching at South Placer Community College in California. He lives, or exists, with his dog (a Boston terrier) Marlowe.

James has a student in his class that makes teaching worthwhile. Sophie Winchester is smart and her quick tongue makes his classes interesting. Sophie decides to introduce James to her best friend Rafael Ochoa. When James sees Rafael he almost swallows his tongue. He is beautiful, the hottest thing James has ever seen. James feels embarrassed by the difference in their looks and their ages. Rafi is everything James could ever want, and not have… Who could know that Rafi knows what he wants, and James is it!!!

James and Rafi are from two different worlds, a broken W.A.S.P. scholar, and a Latino car mechanic. It is such a gift seeing how Amy builds a bridge with her words so each of these men can bring these two worlds together. Amy brings her broken street Spanish slang into play to make it all the more real. The story is fun, light-hearted, and sweet, giving the reader hope that our dreams can come true.

I loved James because he was so sure he was old, unworthy and unlovable. I loved that he could blush, feel shy, and have been so hurt, but he could maybe overcome it all and try. I loved Rafi because he knew what he wanted, and went for it. I loved that he brought James home to his family, so James could see who he was, opening himself to James. I loved Grandma Noni and her Tarot cards doing the ‘reading’ for James. And for all you pet fans, Marlowe was a treat; named after Christopher Marlowe because James had a thing about He and Shakespeare.

So you can see I loved this story. For those of you who have never gone to ‘the dark side’ and read an M/M book, this one would be a safe bet for all of those of you who still believe in twue lurve. Right Amy?

Review by Gloria Lakritz
Senior Reviewer and Review Chairperson of the Paranormal Romance Guild
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Mar 26, 2012 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, boys-love, erotica, released, romance, meh, adult-fiction, contemporary, annoying-protagonists, horrible-cover, glbt, letdown, boring, third-person-pov, review-on-blog, rude, not-my-thing, insta-love, give-me-back-that-wasted-time, golden-rule-breaking-author

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

2.5/5 Stars!

This book was a bit confusing. There was a lot of unexplained Spanish, using it is fine, but an explanation is necessary. I took German in high school and now in college. The most I know how to say is "I want Taco Bell" and "Hello, friends." Everything else goes right over my head.

Rafi, the main character's love interest, also called everyone's mom "moms." I'll admit, at first, I thought every one had two moms. It confused me a lot. And I didn't enjoy t...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

It was hopeful, and joyful, and playful, and wonderful; just something I was really needing.

James was not exactly broken, but in a place where he couldn't seem to see a silver lining anywhere in his life, except for his dog Marlowe, and maybe, I think, his student Sophie (who I absolutely love; she's who I aspired to be in high school and college, but with a sharper edge to her.)

I didn't get quite as much a feel for Rafael, probably because the whole story was told from James's POV, but that's o...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Fangtasia rated it 3 of 5 stars

From this author, I've come to expect at least three things with every one of her books:
1. Characters that make me fall in love with them for ever and ever
2. Plot that is interesting, original, and well thought-out, developed in a just-right-length story
3. Love scenes beyond the capacity of any hotness measuring instrument in existence

This book has numbers 1 and 3 down pat, but number 2...For some reason, the conflict in this story was not well defined. Or let me rephrase, there were several pos...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Cayce rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

3.5 stars.

This book has some themes that I find fascinating. May/Dec relationship. Intercultural lovers. And a cute dog.

The story was sweet and free of drama. Which I usually prefer over the pointlessly action and drama filled ones. So that wasn't the problem. Then what was it? Because I didn't like this book too much.

Perhaps it was that James really felt old. He was only 43, but sometimes I felt he was in his 60ties. Or Rafi? Like James was his last chance of a relationship because of his fami...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Bev rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Well, as anyone who follows my reviews knows, I'm absolutely mad about Amy Lane books, and would willingly fill a Kindle just with her stories (in fact I may have to), but this one just didn't do it for me, I couldn't believe in it, and yes, I know it's a work of fiction, but it doesn't feel credible.

I found it very hard to believe that a college professor would have a relationship with a garage mechanic, especially one that is so much younger than him (no, I'm certainly not a snob and don't hav...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Loves To Dive rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dr. James Richards isn’t thrilled with his life right now. Why should he be? He’s a 43 year old gay man, who is getting soft around the edges, teaches literature at a small community college and the only bright spot in his life is his boston terrier, Marlowe. Life isn’t going exactly the way he had planned, but it could be worse. James’ ho-hum life takes a turn toward fantasy one afternoon after class, when he discovers his star student has decided to set him up with her best friend.

Taken aback...more Dr. James Richards isn’t thrilled with his life right now. Why should he be? He’s a 43 year old gay man, who is getting soft around the edges, teaches literature at a small community college and the only bright spot in his life is his boston terrier, Marlowe. Life isn’t going exactly the way he had planned, but it could be worse. James’ ho-hum life takes a turn toward fantasy one afternoon after class, when he discovers his star student has decided to set him up with her best friend.

Taken aback by the fact that Sophie knows he’s gay, James is a little worried about the kind of man Sophie would set him up with. Sophie dresses like a goth weirdo, but she has a brilliant mind and James enjoys the debates they get into in class. When Sophie’s friend stands her up, James is a little relieved. The next day, the most beautiful, underwear model worthy young man shows up to give Sophie a ride, and James discovers this is who she is setting him up with. Gulp, what could this beautiful young Latino man possible want with a pasty, old white guy?

Soon James and Rafael discover that opposites do attract, and their wild ride begins. Written with a sense of humor and more than a few winks and nods, this novella was just plain fun to read. James self-depreciating sense of humor keeps the reader chuckling, and Rafael is the perfect straight man (pardon the pun) for him.

When I started reading, I couldn’t help but think there was no way this could end well. How in the world could an older professional man and a younger working class man find anything in common? Somehow they did, and it was just a pleasure to watch. Both James and Rafael have their share of issues, but they were fun guys to spend time with.

Ms. Lane is known for writing books that one needs a box of tissue handy while reading, but she must have decided to just have fun with this one. This was just a cute love story. There is a little angst thrown in, but hey what do you expect from Amy Lane?

This is an erotic romance, so there are some pretty steamy male/male love scenes; they are well written and fit into the story. While this book didn’t make me cry, get mad or any other extreme emotions, it was fun and I did enjoy it. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an old fashioned love story.

Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

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Nov 20, 2011 JoAnn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: yes

by Amy Lane

The Banger girls said that they loved this book so thought I would give it a chance and decided to read it too. I am so glad I did!

James who loved with all his heart and had it stomped on and is now afraid to try again. It is with his entire being that he would give his heart.

Rafael the "underwear model" (at least James seems to think so) who is rough around the edges and talks big. Bravado and vulnerability clash and that's why you fall in love with him.

And then there's Marlowe,...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Tj rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the underlying message about prejudice and how ingrained it really is in our culture. The romantic couple were a perfect fit together. They balanced each other. The story didn't make light of the fact that it is hard for two people from vastly different cultures have to find ways to fit together. Fun read without huge angst:)

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Jan 29, 2013 Ashley♥Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-e-books, m-m, kindle-lendables

These guys were PERFECT! Such a great story! I'd love to see them in a sequel. Every time someone used the term "co-daddy" I got a warm feeling in my tummy. I don't even know the term but it sounded so damn cute.

reread 1/28/23 4 stars

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Nov 30, 2011 Sadonna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, pdf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I LOVED this book. Will write a real review later tonight.

OK - the review. I really think this might just be my favorite Amy Lane book. I thought Clear Water was - until I read this.

There were so many great things about this book. First, James is spot on - college professor disillusioned a bit by life, having been taken (literally) by his former lover, distrustful, proud, some rather typical mid-life neuroses (losing his looks, not "successful" enough financially, current best relationship is wi...more

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Dec 20, 2011 L-D rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance, teacher-professor-scholar

Not quite 4 stars for me.

Amy Lane is one of the most consistent M/M writers that I have had the pleasure to read. And by consistent, I mean she continues to write stories that are entertaining with warm, wonderful characters. What I find unique about Ms. Lane is that her creativity has allowed her to develop extremely diverse story lines with nary a cookie-cutter plot in sight. While it is not my favorite book of hers, It's Not Shakespeare was no exception to this rule.

My favorite part of this...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Jess Candela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bingo-challenge, m-m, read-in-2012

I debated giving it 4.5 stars, but finally settled on a solid 4.

I loved the characters and the story, but I thought the writing itself wasn't up to Amy Lane's usual standards. There were too many parenthetical additions (like this one). Perhaps because that's something I watch for in my own writing, as my tendency is to do way too much of it, it pulled me out of the story. I noticed the same thing in I Love You, Asshole! and at the time thought perhaps it was specific to her Green's Hill books....more

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Nov 13, 2011 Mariana rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was very entertaining and I enjoyed the characters. This, however, didn't pull me in emotionally.

It did have me thinking of what ppl think in an inter-racial relationship, it made me think of my siblings and their relationships; how they differ, what's the same... Both my sisters are married to American men. My oldest sister to an Irish-German American; my younger sister to Black-White American (raised Jewish) and my younger brother to a Romanian-American. There has been a learning curve for...more It was very entertaining and I enjoyed the characters. This, however, didn't pull me in emotionally.

It did have me thinking of what ppl think in an inter-racial relationship, it made me think of my siblings and their relationships; how they differ, what's the same... Both my sisters are married to American men. My oldest sister to an Irish-German American; my younger sister to Black-White American (raised Jewish) and my younger brother to a Romanian-American. There has been a learning curve for all of us; and I can't say that it's been learned yet. We've had some issues within the family because of different upbringing and social/cultural differences that come with such diversity. For myself, I had a baby with a Dominican man, which is what is familiar. Having been raised in the US, we had some cultural differences, but not like with my in-laws. It's also a bit complicated when my parents don't speak English and the in-laws don't speak Spanish. Someone is always getting excluded from the conversation; until the translations begin. It sometimes gets tiring having the same conversation twice :| My point, even with all the different mixes in my family, I have not had to deal with it on a intimate level myself. It was interesting to get into James' head to see what he thought or how he perceived things. It was also very nice to see the sacrifices made by both so that Rafi could maintain his relationship with his family.

Having said that, I didn't fall in love with the characters. Rafi was a bit too much for me and James not enough... For me, James' pain wasn't really felt by me. He came across as a bit of a whiner. Rafi came on too strong and was a bit off-putting. And, maybe because I'm not a dog person, but all that face licking was not pleasant for me. Marlowe was great, but that licking! Too much...

Amy Lane is a favored author and I will continue to buy all her stuff. I just didn't have that connection to these characters as I've had with her previous works.
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Nov 13, 2011 Sammy2006 rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Sometimes the small dreams were all a person needed to live."

It's Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane...where to begin. Humor--in spades--so very funny. Romance---check---so sweet--one lovely "sigh" after another. Character Development---stunning--in it's depth and richness--like you had lived with the characters all your life. Storyline---fluid, sweet, kept me captive till the last word. It's like a checklist isn't it--how we sometimes review another author's work. We take apart piece by piece what...more "Sometimes the small dreams were all a person needed to live."

It's Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane...where to begin. Humor--in spades--so very funny. Romance---check---so sweet--one lovely "sigh" after another. Character Development---stunning--in it's depth and richness--like you had lived with the characters all your life. Storyline---fluid, sweet, kept me captive till the last word. It's like a checklist isn't it--how we sometimes review another author's work. We take apart piece by piece what someone has fussed and loved over---what someone has sometimes bled and cried over. So, today?? This review?---to hell with the formula.

I LOVED this book---I sighed often at the rich and romantic storyline, cried at times because of it's sweetness, laughed more than I have in a long, long time and had to check who wrote it at least 3 times because I've read a lot of Amy Lane---but never like this---never this funny--never this amazingly sweet. The story--a dejected, gun-shy Professor, James, meets a tough talking beautiful Mexican boy-Rafael and they fall madly, deeply, truly in love. Problems--oh yes there were. James was reeling from betrayal by a former "husband", left nearly penniless after said husband took his money and left for a better brand of sugar daddy. Rafael? Yes, his parents refused to acknowledge he was gay; he was afraid to love, afraid to get hurt, afraid, until he met James...and somehow knowing James' fears made Rafi the stronger one...the one who would take the first step...take the risk.

I honestly cannot find one bad thing to say about this book--it was simply THAT good. Author Amy Lane always puts out a good story--often with a lot of angst but always with a HEA. But this book?? This book wasn't good--it was excellent--I will give it the highest compliment I can give--this book I will re-read---again and again and again--every time I need something sweet, something gentle, something to make me smile, something to help me believe in dreams coming true again. Thank you Ms. Lane, for I agree sometimes the "small dreams are all a person needs to live."(less)

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Nov 12, 2011 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: keeper, own-it

James is down on himself and life, he had a huge life-rocking disappointment in a former partner and he is not going down that road again. But holy crap, after he meets Rafael Ochoa, he just can't seem to stop himself. Rafi is about life and vitality and passion, all the things James needs by the bushel. But they are different, worlds apart and how can that gap be bridged? Rafi doesn't get the trepidation; you bridge it with love of course. Geez. It reminds me of that famous comedy sketch of Bil...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Lasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: darkdivasreviews

I am a big fan of Amy Lane’s books. She is an amazing writer who can rev up the angst level like no one else. In It’s Not Shakespeare, she tries something different: an angst-free May-December romance. College professor James Richards has basically given up on finding love. Burned once, he’s resigned to living a quiet life with his dog, Marlowe. Enter one Rafael “Rafi” Ochoa, a friend of one of his best students. Once they meet sparks fly and James’ life will never be the same again.

I really enj...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Ami rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-cops-detective-guard, mm-romance-or-erotica

2.5 stars
If you want the more coherent positive review, go to Lauraadriana's. You will not get that from me because, well, I'm the minority. I just don't get the story. Maybe it's the way the conversation goes (which to me is just blurry and like I'm threading muddy waters) I almost don't understand what these guys are talking about one time and the next, so many jumping topics that I practically don't care about.

I do like Marlowe, the dog. And the reason behind the name (he gets the extra stars...more

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About Amy Lane

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail u...more

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Quotes from It's Not Shakespeare

“James fought the temptation to repeat “traditional chromosomal energy signature,” just because it was such an awesome example of erudition gone weird, and thought hard to answer her question.” — 2 people liked it

“Well, sometimes small dreams had grandeur, he thought with dignity. Sometimes, the small dreams were all a person needed to live.” — 1 person liked it

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