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YAY!! I have found another good read. I must admit that I have a soft spot for a slight British accent and red hair…hahaha It’s no wonder I’m such a fan of Lucy from my favourite movie “Imagine Me & You”!! Anyway, before I get too sidetracked, I’d like to introduce you to “The Princess Affair” by Nell Stark. When I read the synopsis my eyebrows did a slight raise…
Princess Sasha…an English princess…2nd in line to the throne..,known to be a party girl crosses path with American Kerry Donovan…a Rhodes scholar studying at Oxford. What will happen?
Btw, before you go Google “Rhodes scholar”, for those clueless and uneducated like me, it’s an international postgraduate scholarship offered to foreign students by University of Oxford. Yep, our Kerry has a pretty big brain!! ^_^ She’s worked hard all her life to get to where she is now but will she lose it because of Sassy Sasha?
Not only is this story completely nothing like what I’ve seen before but don’t you love the cover design!?! It’s such a cute and polished cover!! You have to admit, the usual covers we see are pretty ugh. Some scenic picture is considered a bit classier otherwise it’s a pair of long legs or even some naked body slapped onto the book cover.
Anyway, this book did not disappoint. I must say that the first two/three chapters were a bit of a drag though. I felt like the author was trying very hard to describe the glamorous surroundings of the places that the princess visited so it was kind of slow and made me *roll my eyes* BUT persevere!!! Once the setting is set, it picks up quickly. ALMOST too quickly. :D
I think the couple is very cute. Princess Sasha is undoubtedly elegant, gorgeous and breathtaking. To make her even more dangerous, she has an uncanny ability to read the situation and control it with her eloquent and persuasive self. Kerry on the otherhand, is not only bright and good looking but a bit of a soccer whiz too! I really enjoyed this book. She also seems such a sweetie!!! It was like going for a walk through a gay fairy tale. hahahaha
Has anyone else read this book?
SO…my weekend was meant to be very productive. I was going to start writing on a paper for work about Taiwan – economics, politics and Z…z..z..Z… OH sorry fell asleep there!!! Anyway, so I thought I should enjoy my Saturday evening and start work on SUNDAY…which I will eventually get to once I get this post written up and published, finish my cup of coffee, gone to the gym and have watched Imagine Me & You for the 5th time this week. haha You get the picture. I will get there though!!
Ok back to this post. I had found a recommendation of this online book about a week ago and started it on Saturday night. Yes, I finished it this morning!! haha The book is about Torrence, a successful photographer who is tall, sincere androgynous looking, kind hearted and falls head over heels with Helen, a 29 year old blonde model. Before you start rolling your eyes at the setting, I thought it was kind of fresh and different from other stories. Both characters are very down to earth. Helen is actually a maths teacher in high school (yay!! She has brains!!) and modelling is only a side job that she does in the summer. Despite the whole lesbian meets straight girl formula, I didn’t feel like I’ve read it before. The development between the two seemed believable and real. Although there were bits that I didn’t like, such as Torrence’s history with drug abuse (it happened in the past and stayed in the past), I guess it was kind of fitting. One aspect of this book that I particularly enjoyed was how the author managed to describe the photographs Torrence took of Helen. I honestly felt like it must have been “love found through the lens of a camera”. For a moment, I had a sudden impulse to visit galleries of photography and see if I could find something to hang on my wall. A sensual capture of a woman? Mmm…makes my apartment feel all romantic and tasteful. :D
Below is a section in the first chapter of the book. I enjoyed this book but I must admit that my favourites are still Lynn Galli’s series and Playing the Role of Herself. All time favourites!!
Check it out guys! It’s available here. One final point, the book is part of a series so if you like it, you can move onto the next one. I think each book covers different couples but there are probably appearances here and there of the other characters. Have fun!
“Hi. I’m Torrance. I’m here to photograph Helen.”
“Oh. Yeah, she mentioned that to me. I’m Kelly. She’s still sleeping. Did she know you were coming this early?”
“I’m early for a reason. Her agent knows. I was hoping to catch her asleep. I wanted to get some pictures of her that way for the book.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, her room is the last door on the right.” Kelly said.
“Thanks. Is she a light sleeper?”
“Not at all. She can sleep through anything. She probably won’t even know you’re there.”
Torrance nodded before moving quietly down the hall and cracking open the door as silently as possible. The room was fairly bright with morning light as the blonde slept peacefully. Torrance tiptoed over to the bed. Helen was lying facing the door, one arm and leg on top of her white comforter. Her short blonde hair was strewn over the white pillow case. Torrance’s eyes drifted over her bare shoulder down her arm before taking in her bare leg. Helen’s sleeping attire consisted of only a navy tank top and white cotton bikinis. Torrance smiled at the vision before her. Helen looked so much like an angel at rest. Torrance completed a roll of film of just her sleeping without Helen even stirring. Deciding to wait for her to rise, she left the room as she had found it and went back into the den.
In the last few months I have read a NUMBER of yuri books – stories about women falling in love. They’re all cheesy easy reads. :)
Somehow I came across this book called “Pages for You”. I think I was going through the recommended books over at AfterEllen (can’t find the exact link!). I really liked the name of this book and was struck by the idea behind it. It carries with it a certain air of elegance.
It is called ‘Pages for You’ because it is written by a woman, years later, to her lost love. The notion is heartbreaking and even as I write it now (I finished the book last night), it brings tears to my eyes.
The first few opening lines of the book:
Prologue
What would happen if I wrote some pages for you? Each day a page, to show you that I am finding a story, the story of how we might have been together, once. Of how we could be.
It took me a long time before I took the plunge. I could sense the sadness waiting for me and I was worried it would become all too overwhelming. Like it would pull me from the fantasy world that I have been reading about in the other books.
Pages for You is written in four parts. A prologue and three parts which covers the initial attraction, the relationship and the breaking down. The story is between Flannery Jansen and Anne Arden. Flannery is an out of town 17 year old girl who is starting her first year in college. She’s a quiet and kind one, coming from a small town. She feels a bit overwhelmed and lost by her new surroundings. One day whilst having breakfast at a dingy diner, an older woman catches her attention, Anne. Anne, of french descent is attractive but has a cool guard with striking green eyes. Anne seems to carry the natural pull of attention from people but she’s not the type you would describe as sweet or kind. After a short case of embarrassment, Flannery dashes out of the diner but later to find herself bumping into the face again, unexpectedly. Anne is a graduate student at her college.
When I first read the book, I was a bit overwhelmed by the style of the writing – not in a good way. As Flannery is a student of literature, the writing is quite figurative. Another key difference to the other books I have recommended in the past. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Another problem I had was that I didn’t “get” the attraction. One of the things Flannery was drawn by was the way Anne smoked. However, having said that, once I got past part one, I was on a roll and was starting to get into the story.
At first Flannery seemed very unworldly to me and this was mentioned many times in the book by Anne as she was a few years older but half way through the book, I came to realise that Flannery was indeed an amazingly perceptive person. She sensed the warning signals and knew how to handle Anne (in most cases). By the end of the story I was blown away by Flannery’s strength and courage. In the last third part of the story, it becomes quite an emotional roller coaster. Get the tissues ready. Some of the things that Flannery says are like a blow to me. I would love to quote sections but I don’t want to ruin it for you guys. Maybe we can discuss later in the comments or I can have a separate post if you guys are interested.
By the time I finish the last page, I turned back to the Prologue to read it again. It makes more sense now and I just hope with all my strength that Flannery will move on.
Sorry guys! I was trying to finish this post a few days ago but I couldn’t get it written in time before my trip!! HONTO NI GOMEN NE!!!
I accidentally stumbled onto this book while I was looking for some les fic to read. I am SOOOOO glad I did! If any of you have read my previous reviews, you will notice that in all those other books, our characters have the luxury of having decided that they are a lesbian and are more than ready to engage in a relationship with a woman. Caidence in “And Playing the Role of Herself” struggled a little with her relationship with Robyn but they were pretty minor. None of the books I have reviewed previously tackled the issue of “coming out”. I suppose they didn’t need to as the characters were generally more mature – in their 30s – so probably dealt with it in their younger age and is too old to care anymore.
This is where “Awakenings (I Found My Heart in San Francisco: Book One)
This book (and others to follow) are VERY different from others that I have read. It’s very detailed and for the entire book, you are reading about their day to day activities. Compared to other books it’s quite slow. You might think it sounds boring but I loved it! I loved to read about how their relationship develops. I would want a Ryan around! She is most amazing friend you can have. I also loved how the story is set in San Francisco! I just went a few months ago so some references to streets and places just flashed in my head as a I read about Ryan and Jamie walking along those landmarks. It is such a pretty city! This is well worth a read.
Oh and the beginning few pages is a bit of a shocker but it’s explained later on so try not to think too much about it…
As a side note…why didn’t I have course like that back at uni!?!! hahahaha
This is the 2nd book after Wasted Heart. I decided to read this as the main characters are Jessie and Lauren who I liked very much from Wasted Heart. ^_^
Jessie is tall and striking and has a body to die for, we are told. She is an ex-Olympian and is the co-owner of a boutique gym (aka the local lesbian gym! HAHA). She was introduced in the first book as a player having dated many MANY lesbians in Charlottesville. There are plenty of ladies buzzing around her, ready to pull her into bed. However, it also hinted that maybe there’s more than what meets the eye. She was the one that had a one on one talk with Austy and helped pinned down what her confusion was and how she should not let Elise get away.
Lauren is Austy’s best friend. Lauren is currently running her own law firm and she seems pretty good at it! She has red hair with a pale complexion that is dotted with freckles. Tall and on the lean side but nevertheless attractive. She’s a hopeless romantic and wishes she can meet someone to be with forever. Lauren’s had a few bad experiences where she emotionally got carried away early on and ended up being hurt when her love was not reciprocated. Basically, she might be intelligent and kick arse in court, but relationship wise, she’s pretty much a newbie.
Jessie and Lauren have known each other since college but they’ve always just been friends for each other. Although it’s been so many years, it’s surprising how little they know of each other at times – especially for Lauren.
I thought this book was better in that I liked both characters here (Austy annoyed me a little), I enjoyed reading the author peel back Jessie’s layers to show us what’s underneath. The friends around them also added a lot of fun – especially reading about Austy and Elise! I liked Austy here more than in book 1 – probably because we didn’t see her “speaking to herself” dialogues.
An eight out of 10. ^_^
P.S. Btw, I won’t elaborate, but there is a fairly sad scene in this book…get some tissue ready…
After landing on such a find (I cannot praise that book enough!!!), I was adamant to go search for another yuri book to quench my thirst for more girl x girl romance. Actually, to call these books yuri are a severe understatement. I’m looking for books about full fledged relationships between women. Cool huh?! ^_^
This time round, after much researching on Amazon, I found “Wasted Heart” by Lynn Galli (book / ebook). The key question in this book:
What happens when you fall in love with your best friend? Will you ever move on?
It’s an interesting centre piece and it definitely made it stand out from the rest. The main protagonist is Austy – an attractive, petite prosecutor who with her appearance and brains, should very well be attached to another woman. However, she’s hung up on her best friend, Willa, and it’s not because she’s straight, but because she is already partnered up with another good friend of hers. Austy is a wonderful person and would never hurt either of them so she decides to move away from Charlottesville, Virginia to Seattle. She needs to start a new life and stay away from her best friend – at least for most days of the month. Conveniently, Willa has an office in Seattle and is there like once a week (something like that). Austy is desperately trying move ahead with her life and it doesn’t get better when a wonderful distraction like Elise enters into her life. Elise is a FBI agent and became acquainted with Austy after she was her expert witness in a few cases. Can Austy forget about her best friend and find new love?
The book picks on an interesting enough idea, but I felt that we did not see enough internal struggle within Austy. I felt that was one of the key weaknesses of the book. The chemistry between the characters is definitely not as strong although the “intimate” scenes are definitely in a lot more detail!!! *gets a fan* Compared to “And Playing the Role of Herself“, the writing also pales a little. Call me nit picky but I’m sure there were a few errors that the editing should have picked up. I did kind of like the colourful bunch of friends that was in the backdrop of the story. Some I wouldn’t mind knowing more about.
On the whole it was an enjoyable read. I’d give it a 7 out of 10. I’m checking out the other books of this author as I know she has written books on some of the friends in this book. Now THAT I am quite interested in!!
I absolutely love this book!!!! I’m trying to refrain myself from going on and on about it cos I don’t want to raise the bar too high and cause disappointment for others. For those who read my blog, you will HAVE to read it. I will accept no excuses. If I could I would make you drop everything and read it now!!!! Hahaha I actually re-read the book immediately upon finishing it and proceeding to finish it for the 3rd time!! Btw the quickest way to get this is via Amazon (book and e-book).
Now back to what the fuss is all about. The main characters of this book are Caidence Harris and Robyn Ward. Caidence, also affectionately known as “Caid”, is a new and upcoming actress. From doing a few commercials here and there, she has now finally made it to a prime time crime TV series where she plays a kick-ass detective. She’s 34 and in recent years has acknowledged her attraction towards women – but has yet to act upon it. Robyn Ward on the otherhand has been in the show business longer and is a jaw dropper with stunning looks and the ability to make anyone weak at the knees – men or women. She’s one hell of a dangerous one!! The book never actually says how old she is but presumably around the same age as Caid. The two becomes acquainted when Robyn comes to do a guest appearance. She caught Caid’s attention immediately…
The reason why I have enjoyed the book so much is that we get to see the initial stages of the relationship i.e. a lot of flirting, blushing and SQUEAL-worthy moments! In my opinion. at least! I also find the backdrop to be very rich. We are not just reading about Caidence and Robyn but also about the characters around them, their work, their family and their past. All the characters are very much alive to me!! I love reading about them all! I was completely engrossed into this book and was sad when I came to the end. I wish I could read more about the two. *cries*!!
Everyone, you must check this book out!!! I plan to start exploring for more yuri books to read. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! I am also happy to post up guest reviews!!! If you do get a chance to read this, please COMMENT!!! I want to squeal together!!!!!!
I would rate this book 9.5 out of 10. ^_^
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