Resolution Reviews: 10 M/M Professional Published Original Works
I'm getting too close to the end of the year for my liking with the number of Resolution Reviews I have to do. All reviews in this section are m/m. Highly recommended books are linked so you can get more information if you so choose. So, here goes:
True North by Bethany Brown and Ashlyn Kane. Well crafted and put together. It was an interesting (in the good way!) read about a clumsy engineer and a doctor with way too many issues. I found some of the plot contrivances to be predictable and boring. However, it was an innocuous read and, unlike many of the books that I either will review or have already reviewed, it was worth the money. Basically, this book was a bit of mindless fluff. I liked it. 8 out of 10
The One that Got Away by Rhianne Aile and Madeleine Urban. Yanno, I really like Madeleine Urban's stuff but this book. IDK. I'm just sort of tired of the "I'm only gay for you" plot device. This is, in all likelihood, my own personal pet peeve so if you're not sick of that plot device, then you'll love this book. It's well-written and flows very nicely. (It's also been recently updated from the version that I read so I make no promises on quality of newest scenes.) But, all in all, can we please get away from the whole I'm only gay for you? 7 out of 10
Loving Lucas by Lisa Marie Davis. I wanted to like this book. I really did. It has an interesting premise but, in the end, omg, the melodrama and the overwrought dialog just killed it for me. It's got great grammar and you can tell that the author has quite a bit of talent but someone needed to reign in all the crying and the emo and the drama. A little dab'll do ya, yanno?5 out of 10
High Line by T.A. Chase. So, here's the thing. I wanted to like this book, too, because it was written well and I've like other T.A. Chase books. But this one has the same issue as Loving Lucas - there's just too much drama to be believable. We've got confronting sexuality. We've got dramatic outings in public. We've got gaybashing. We've got supportive gay friends. We've got gays everywhere. We've got "oh by the way, bob" moments. We've just got too many clichés and convenient plot solvings. I just couldn't get into this book.5 out of 10
Ship of Dreams by Reilly Ryan. Oh god. This book. Why did I spend money on this book? Seriously, put Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslett as both boys and have them both live in the end and you basically have the entirety of this book. So fucking painful and clichéd and annoying and bad. These two decide their soulmates within like an hour of meeting one another. They desperately search all over the ship for one another, fuck everywhere with no repercussions and then end up escaping together (complete with near drownings). It's loltacular. 3 out of 10 because at least the author knew some grammar
Cut and Run by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. Quite liked this one. Great pacing, believable storytelling, barely any clichés, didn't take the easy way out of most of the plot snafus. These two can write anything and I'll buy it in a heartbeat. 8 out of 10
Love Ahead by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. This one is two different short stories. I enjoyed both however… the first one can be clichéd and take the easy way out. The second one, however, god did I love that. Over the Road is a brilliant truckers-finding-one-another fic. GOD I LOVED THIS ONE. Sweet baby jesus but is this one well-paced, brilliant dialog, brilliant characterizations, realistic plot devices and did I mention the awesome pacing and characters? The first one is all right but the second one is golden. 9 out of 10
Best Revenge by Andrew Grey. Sappy, Too many "i love you's". Too much talking during sex. Uninteresting characters. Cardboard badguy with stupid contrition scene. All in all, blech. 2 out of 10
Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon This book had me lolling from start to finish. The set-up was cracky, the plot was brilliant, the internal monologue had me laughing so hard. The romance was believable and hilarious. The characters were all well-done and bordered on cliché but never went over the line. The entirety of this book was just ad;flas;dlfkj FREAKING AWESOME. Go out and buy this one ASAP. 10 out of 10
Warriors Cross by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux OH GOD THIS BOOK. I must have some previously unknown Contract Killer/Hitman kink because omg. This book. Swear to god, I freaking loved this book so much. The characters. The plot. The pacing. The little details. The lack of clichés. The way the main characters get together. The supporting characters. The entire freaking book. SO FREAKING GOOD. Another one that you have to go out and get right away. 10 out of 10
True North by Bethany Brown and Ashlyn Kane. Well crafted and put together. It was an interesting (in the good way!) read about a clumsy engineer and a doctor with way too many issues. I found some of the plot contrivances to be predictable and boring. However, it was an innocuous read and, unlike many of the books that I either will review or have already reviewed, it was worth the money. Basically, this book was a bit of mindless fluff. I liked it. 8 out of 10
The One that Got Away by Rhianne Aile and Madeleine Urban. Yanno, I really like Madeleine Urban's stuff but this book. IDK. I'm just sort of tired of the "I'm only gay for you" plot device. This is, in all likelihood, my own personal pet peeve so if you're not sick of that plot device, then you'll love this book. It's well-written and flows very nicely. (It's also been recently updated from the version that I read so I make no promises on quality of newest scenes.) But, all in all, can we please get away from the whole I'm only gay for you? 7 out of 10
Loving Lucas by Lisa Marie Davis. I wanted to like this book. I really did. It has an interesting premise but, in the end, omg, the melodrama and the overwrought dialog just killed it for me. It's got great grammar and you can tell that the author has quite a bit of talent but someone needed to reign in all the crying and the emo and the drama. A little dab'll do ya, yanno?5 out of 10
High Line by T.A. Chase. So, here's the thing. I wanted to like this book, too, because it was written well and I've like other T.A. Chase books. But this one has the same issue as Loving Lucas - there's just too much drama to be believable. We've got confronting sexuality. We've got dramatic outings in public. We've got gaybashing. We've got supportive gay friends. We've got gays everywhere. We've got "oh by the way, bob" moments. We've just got too many clichés and convenient plot solvings. I just couldn't get into this book.5 out of 10
Ship of Dreams by Reilly Ryan. Oh god. This book. Why did I spend money on this book? Seriously, put Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslett as both boys and have them both live in the end and you basically have the entirety of this book. So fucking painful and clichéd and annoying and bad. These two decide their soulmates within like an hour of meeting one another. They desperately search all over the ship for one another, fuck everywhere with no repercussions and then end up escaping together (complete with near drownings). It's loltacular. 3 out of 10 because at least the author knew some grammar
Cut and Run by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. Quite liked this one. Great pacing, believable storytelling, barely any clichés, didn't take the easy way out of most of the plot snafus. These two can write anything and I'll buy it in a heartbeat. 8 out of 10
Love Ahead by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. This one is two different short stories. I enjoyed both however… the first one can be clichéd and take the easy way out. The second one, however, god did I love that. Over the Road is a brilliant truckers-finding-one-another fic. GOD I LOVED THIS ONE. Sweet baby jesus but is this one well-paced, brilliant dialog, brilliant characterizations, realistic plot devices and did I mention the awesome pacing and characters? The first one is all right but the second one is golden. 9 out of 10
Best Revenge by Andrew Grey. Sappy, Too many "i love you's". Too much talking during sex. Uninteresting characters. Cardboard badguy with stupid contrition scene. All in all, blech. 2 out of 10
Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon This book had me lolling from start to finish. The set-up was cracky, the plot was brilliant, the internal monologue had me laughing so hard. The romance was believable and hilarious. The characters were all well-done and bordered on cliché but never went over the line. The entirety of this book was just ad;flas;dlfkj FREAKING AWESOME. Go out and buy this one ASAP. 10 out of 10
Warriors Cross by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux OH GOD THIS BOOK. I must have some previously unknown Contract Killer/Hitman kink because omg. This book. Swear to god, I freaking loved this book so much. The characters. The plot. The pacing. The little details. The lack of clichés. The way the main characters get together. The supporting characters. The entire freaking book. SO FREAKING GOOD. Another one that you have to go out and get right away. 10 out of 10