Elisa Rolle's Blog, page 117
November 12, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Harder We Fall
The Harder We Fall by Rebecca Raine
The Harder We Fall tells an engaging story of two people overcoming challenges in their lives while also developing a strong relationship with each other. I found the process that they went through was realistic and meaningful, with notes of humour and sadness and spice--the perfect blend. Putting it all together with a great writing style and flawless execution, and this novel is up there with the best!
https://amzn.to/31Wf7Eo
comments
The Harder We Fall tells an engaging story of two people overcoming challenges in their lives while also developing a strong relationship with each other. I found the process that they went through was realistic and meaningful, with notes of humour and sadness and spice--the perfect blend. Putting it all together with a great writing style and flawless execution, and this novel is up there with the best!
https://amzn.to/31Wf7Eo
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Fathers of the Bride
Fathers of the Bride by Marshall Thornton
The title tells you pretty much everything: who the characters are, where they’ve come from, and where they’ll end up at the end of the story. The fun of this kind of book is the journey—and it’s a super fun journey filled with zany characters and over-the-top events. A perfect antidote to the daily bad news parade, and a fun, fast, fabulous read. Highly recommended.
https://amzn.to/30lzslS
comments
The title tells you pretty much everything: who the characters are, where they’ve come from, and where they’ll end up at the end of the story. The fun of this kind of book is the journey—and it’s a super fun journey filled with zany characters and over-the-top events. A perfect antidote to the daily bad news parade, and a fun, fast, fabulous read. Highly recommended.
https://amzn.to/30lzslS
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Smash & Grab (RELIC #1)
Smash & Grab (RELIC #1) by Maz Maddox
This novel should come with a warning label--I could not put down Smash & Grab once I picked it up! The mix of paleontological detail, wit, action, fluffy romance, and the hands down best premise was like catnip to a paleo enthusiast like myself. Flawlessly executed, it deserves all my accolades and more!
https://amzn.to/30gqA0w
comments
This novel should come with a warning label--I could not put down Smash & Grab once I picked it up! The mix of paleontological detail, wit, action, fluffy romance, and the hands down best premise was like catnip to a paleo enthusiast like myself. Flawlessly executed, it deserves all my accolades and more!
https://amzn.to/30gqA0w
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Franklin in Paradise
Franklin in Paradise by John Patrick
The author does a fantastic job here bringing the characters to life and making them engaging. Also, the coming-of-age -during-the-apocalypse story keeps the reader turning those pages.
https://amzn.to/3HhJvt6
comments
The author does a fantastic job here bringing the characters to life and making them engaging. Also, the coming-of-age -during-the-apocalypse story keeps the reader turning those pages.
https://amzn.to/3HhJvt6
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: A Soft Touch
A Soft Touch by Laura Lascarso
An ex-football player and current restaurateur, Roman, gets a housekeeper, Ezra. Sparks fly. This is a definite feel-good novel with low angst and a minor trigger warning for ableism. Ezra is mildly autistic--or maybe has Asperger's which makes more sense--as in he doesn't like prolonged eye contact and he's very precise and organized to the point of rigid excess. He also has a heightened sense of smell, which can cause problems, for example the blue cheese incident, and he can get lost in the moment. His autism poses a problem for me because Roman was a possessive character. He started out nice, calm, and gentlemanly. Then he got a little extreme, watching Ezra work through cameras, having Ezra wear super-tight, super-small outfits as a work uniform, and so on. It read like a predator taking advantage of a person who didn't know any better and couldn't read subtext. But it's a minor concern because being possessive is part of Roman's personality and the sexual play between the two. And I got the sense that Ezra didn't mind being watched and controlled, though he's far from a typical submissive. Of the side characters, Jay outshines everyone else. The trickster-type that plays matchmaker and picks Ezra's tiny uniform. He's a hoot. New Orleans isn't show that much but it's a nice backdrop with its restaurants and festivals. Most of the setting is Roman's house. The writing style is what shines here the best. Not too flowery, not too minimalist. Let's call this a happy medium. This author can write! I really enjoyed this story--and the little bonus story at the end (even if Roman was referred to as boyfriend, not husband, as he should be).
https://amzn.to/3c7nfDY
comments
An ex-football player and current restaurateur, Roman, gets a housekeeper, Ezra. Sparks fly. This is a definite feel-good novel with low angst and a minor trigger warning for ableism. Ezra is mildly autistic--or maybe has Asperger's which makes more sense--as in he doesn't like prolonged eye contact and he's very precise and organized to the point of rigid excess. He also has a heightened sense of smell, which can cause problems, for example the blue cheese incident, and he can get lost in the moment. His autism poses a problem for me because Roman was a possessive character. He started out nice, calm, and gentlemanly. Then he got a little extreme, watching Ezra work through cameras, having Ezra wear super-tight, super-small outfits as a work uniform, and so on. It read like a predator taking advantage of a person who didn't know any better and couldn't read subtext. But it's a minor concern because being possessive is part of Roman's personality and the sexual play between the two. And I got the sense that Ezra didn't mind being watched and controlled, though he's far from a typical submissive. Of the side characters, Jay outshines everyone else. The trickster-type that plays matchmaker and picks Ezra's tiny uniform. He's a hoot. New Orleans isn't show that much but it's a nice backdrop with its restaurants and festivals. Most of the setting is Roman's house. The writing style is what shines here the best. Not too flowery, not too minimalist. Let's call this a happy medium. This author can write! I really enjoyed this story--and the little bonus story at the end (even if Roman was referred to as boyfriend, not husband, as he should be).
https://amzn.to/3c7nfDY
comments
November 11, 2021
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: On the Rugged Hills (The Serpent's Throne #2)
On the Rugged Hills (The Serpent's Throne #2) by Dan Ackerman
Lucifer is Hell's sweetest bureacrat and Ira is his boyfriend, a grey demon. They got together in the first installment of the series, and this is where shit hits the fan, neither quite sure what to do with their relationship or with love. Ira is not only trying to get used to having control over his life of his own but trying to navigate a relationship with the Devil. There's politics here and, of course, political rivals vying for the throne of Hell. The fact that Ira works at Marius's, a brothel in the ninth precinct, makes him feel a little insecure and doubt his self-worth. He has a habit of running away, getting in trouble, and apologizing. Ira is rather whiny at times and gets mad at Lucifer for the strangest reasons, unaccustomed to being with someone of their own free will. But Lucifer seems to have infinite patience, and he's romantic to the point of sometimes seeming like a doormat to Ira's mood shifts. Lucifer peeling potatoes? That's not something you see every day. The Devil's character is a soft, mushy pushover I adored. Don't get me wrong, when wronged he can be a force to reckon with. But at heart he's a sweetheart, and he sure melted mine. Plus, he's a daddy with an infant son, Felix, hidden on Earth. He's lost his queen, Tabitha, too--but she'll be back. Lucifer was melancholy and lonely before meeting Ira, and he has fainting spells. Much of what happens in Hell, such as souls escaping or malcontents building their own city across the plains, is kept from him. People think he's weak, and the threat of a coup is imminent. Final word of warning: This ends in the worst effing cliffhanger I've read in ages. Can't wait to read the sequel, the last in the trilogy. Literally nail-biting anticipation!
comments
Lucifer is Hell's sweetest bureacrat and Ira is his boyfriend, a grey demon. They got together in the first installment of the series, and this is where shit hits the fan, neither quite sure what to do with their relationship or with love. Ira is not only trying to get used to having control over his life of his own but trying to navigate a relationship with the Devil. There's politics here and, of course, political rivals vying for the throne of Hell. The fact that Ira works at Marius's, a brothel in the ninth precinct, makes him feel a little insecure and doubt his self-worth. He has a habit of running away, getting in trouble, and apologizing. Ira is rather whiny at times and gets mad at Lucifer for the strangest reasons, unaccustomed to being with someone of their own free will. But Lucifer seems to have infinite patience, and he's romantic to the point of sometimes seeming like a doormat to Ira's mood shifts. Lucifer peeling potatoes? That's not something you see every day. The Devil's character is a soft, mushy pushover I adored. Don't get me wrong, when wronged he can be a force to reckon with. But at heart he's a sweetheart, and he sure melted mine. Plus, he's a daddy with an infant son, Felix, hidden on Earth. He's lost his queen, Tabitha, too--but she'll be back. Lucifer was melancholy and lonely before meeting Ira, and he has fainting spells. Much of what happens in Hell, such as souls escaping or malcontents building their own city across the plains, is kept from him. People think he's weak, and the threat of a coup is imminent. Final word of warning: This ends in the worst effing cliffhanger I've read in ages. Can't wait to read the sequel, the last in the trilogy. Literally nail-biting anticipation!
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Silver Medalist
The Silver Medalist by T.J. Blackley
I liked the evolving relationship between the characters. It was a good read.
https://amzn.to/3kN2H8z
comments
I liked the evolving relationship between the characters. It was a good read.
https://amzn.to/3kN2H8z
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Give Me Grace
Give Me Grace by Bethany A. Perry
It was an interesting read. I enjoyed it. And would read more from this author.
https://amzn.to/3c8o9jf
comments
It was an interesting read. I enjoyed it. And would read more from this author.
https://amzn.to/3c8o9jf
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Fade Out (Boystown #13)
Fade Out (Boystown #13) by Marshall Thornton
I have loved this series from the beginning, and the quality of prose, plot, and characters has not diminished, even after 13 installments. Read it from the beginning. You’ll love it.
https://amzn.to/3HfSdI4
comments
I have loved this series from the beginning, and the quality of prose, plot, and characters has not diminished, even after 13 installments. Read it from the beginning. You’ll love it.
https://amzn.to/3HfSdI4
comments
2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Foreign Facades
Foreign Facades by D.J. Fronimos and Elke Lakey
Excellent setting details. Could picture and sense all.
https://amzn.to/308WqMO
comments
Excellent setting details. Could picture and sense all.
https://amzn.to/308WqMO
comments
