Wolfsbane Winter by Jane Fletcher

Wolfsbane Winter by Jane Fletcher
Bold Strokes Books, 2010.

Overview: In the land of Galvonia, we meet Deryn, a female mercenary (a.k.a. an Iron Wolf) who has serious attachment issues due to her tragic past, and Alana, a member of the demon-spawn nobility with a semi-legitimate fear of starting a romantic relationship with a commoner. (Yes, I’m serious—demon-spawn.) Deryn and Alana’s paths cross about 100 pages into the 254 page book, and the rest of the book details their struggles to maintain their defenses in the face of extreme sexual attraction.

My reaction: While this was definitely as ridiculous as I was expecting a paperback romance to be, it was a quick and enjoyable read. There were plot points that pushed my ability to suspend my disbelief to the limit, demon-spawn politics fell into the unfortunate category of “Too-fleshed-out-to-be-forgotten-yet-too-spare-to-be-anything-more-than-semi-annoying-and/or-tantalizing.” I guess that I got a kick out of seeing how little the nobility’s antics affected commoners, but that made the slimy king’s counselor’s machinations pretty irrelevant. The sex scenes are kind of absurd and remarkably scarce, considering that the first sentence of the blurb on the back cover is “The Iron Wolf mercenaries who guard travelers on the Misery Trail are notorious for their quick and casual sex lives.” However, they’re perfect for a good read-aloud/laugh, and I will give Fletcher credit—I actually wanted Deryn and Alana together, and genuinely rooted for them through my laughter. 

She Rises by Kate Worsley

She Rises by Kate Worsley

Bloomsbury, 2013.

Overview: Louise Fletcher is a young dairymaid who is suddenly sent to the “big” port city of Harwich to be a lady’s maid to a captain’s daughter, Rebecca Handley. Before she leaves, her mother asks her to find out what happened to her brother, Luke, who was presumably press-ganged into service to the British navy. The story follows both Louise and Luke’s struggles, but Louise’s attraction to her mistress is what drives her story forward.

My reaction: This book was very well done. After finishing it, I was not surprised to read that Sarah Waters, one of my favorite authors (who I reviewed here and here, and the Lesbrarian here and here), actually mentored Kate Worsley, as She Rises has a similar attention to historical detail (albeit in a century and a half earlier than the majority of Waters’ oeuvre), a delicately balanced dual plot-line, and a CRAZY plot twist. Like in Waters’ Affinity, I did catch multiple hints of said CRAZY plot twist as I read, but when it was confirmed, my mind was still blown. I wish I could get into a whole discussion about that, but I will resist the urge to spoil it! 

To give you fair warning, She Rises is not an easy read. It definitely is no modern lesbian romance dropped into Harwich, c. 1740, which led to some serious discomfort for me more than once.  The internalized misogyny and gender norms in particular made me think; I realized that it was much more realistic to write the story like that, but a little part of me wished that the characters had been able to free themselves of society’s more repellant mores. 

That said, I could write a paper on the ways that class and gender and sexuality intersect in this novel, and it’s always a pleasure for me to read a book that not only has a compelling storyline, but real substance.

Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill

Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill

Bella Books, 2006

Overview: Jackie never intended to return to Pine Springs, not after her parents sent her away on a bus after she came out to them. And she never intended to act on her feelings for her best friend Kay, feelings that were her first sign that she was gay all those years ago. But now, upon her father's death, she has no choice bu to return to her childhood home and come face to face with the past she tried so hard to leave behind.

My Reaction: Behind the Pine Curtain has a pretty classic plot: our heroine falls in love with the girl next door and finds that first love is always the best. However, despite some skepticism about the writing (telling us that Kay "stopped breathing" seemed to be one of the author's ticks), I was drawn right into the story, hopeless romantic that I am. If you are a fan of the longing look, a la Jane Austen, there are plenty of those to go around, as well as enough electric touches and colliding eyeballs to keep you guessing when they'll FINALLY KISS ALREADY. Despite a major plot hole/implausible backstory, I still found Hill's book enjoyable. A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.

Calling Dr. Laura by Nicole J. Georges

Calling Dr. Laura: a Graphic Memoir by Nicole J. Georges

Mariner Books, 2013.

Overview: I know this was in the non-fiction section, but it was so good that I’m going to include it here anyway. (Besides, it comes with the caveat that the author “has tried to remain as truthful as possible, but has taken the liberty of melting together certain individuals in order to protect the innocent and not bore readers,” so there’s a little fiction?!) Calling Dr. Laura is a graphic memoir about the author’s life, which delves into the emotional effects of growing up not only without her birth father, but with a couple of terrible stepfathers, her complicated relationship with her mother. While Georges reveals that she was essentially incapable of “lesbian processing” during her young adulthood, this book is proof that she has the knack of it now (in a good way!). Along the way, a massive family secret is unearthed piece by piece, and Nicole has to decide how this new knowledge will affect her life.

My reaction: I really enjoyed this book!  Georges’ sense of humor (for example, comparing herself to a fainting goat re: her emotional response to her mother) made it much more comfortable to read her very personal narrative, but did not keep me from being amazed at the enormity of what she had to deal with. She uses her visual medium to great effect as well— the tension and awkward silences were palpable, and what memoir can’t be improved by adorable drawings of pet chickens and dogs? I’ll definitely check out her other stuff! 

Beautiful Journey by Kenna White

Beautiful Journey by Kenna White

Bella Books, 2008

Overview: World War two is in full swing and Kit Anderson has moved from her Kansas hometown to England to fly as part of the Women's Air Transport Auxiliary. Though she is fearless in the air, braving enemy fire and severe weather, can she find the courage to face her feelings for feisty British school teacher Emily Mills?

My Reaction: I wanted this book to be good, but unfortunately it just wasn't. While I appreciated the history lesson - I would be interested to read more about the Air Transport Auxiliary - the story and characters were one dimensional and even the the action sequences lacked any sense of excitement. Most notable, perhaps, was the quite inventive use of vagina metaphors during a couple of laugh-out-loud sex scenes. "Honey path?" Is that a thing? 

On top of the questionable writing, the ending was just silly; a classic romance trope in which the one of the heroine's friends dies, making her realize she doesn't want to lose her relationship, but with a bizarre sequence involving spanking. If you like WWII history or airplanes, this books has some fun detail to offer, but if you just want a romance, I'd skip it.

Note: For more information about female pilots in WWII, try this list of recommended books from the British Air Transport Auxiliary website. The site is run by former ATA pilots - I definitely recommend checking it out!

Our Apologies

We will return next week with more reviews!