Friday Update

To say I haven't gotten much reading done this week is an understatement. Between crazy work and getting the new blog up and running, it's been a bit unusual. I'm even behind on my DSP Daily Dose and it's only Day 3. Ack! I'm off to Chicago for a couple of days on Sunday and have a ton to do to get ready, but obviously I'll have time to read on the plane, but I've never been to Chicago before so a couple of friends are picking me up at the airport and are going to be tourists with me. Then two days of meetings and whisked back home.

I did however read one book and have a couple up over at Brief Encounters which I've linked to below.

Taste of Love by Andrew Grey (200 pages)
Dreamspinner Press

Darryl is a successful restaurant owner, and when business picks up he hires a desperate young man, Billy, to be a waiter. He's instantly attracted, but feels Billy is too young. Despite his determination to stay away, he can't help but be drawn to him. A misunderstanding leads to the knowledge that Billy is struggling to raise his five year old twin brothers following their father's death. Once Darryl gets past the age thing, and there is a good reason for his reticence which I won't divulge, things are going well. When Billy has to find a new place to live, they all move in together and are forming a happy family when it comes to light that maybe something hinky is going on surrounding the birth of the youngsters that could tear their new family apart. I do enjoy Andrew's style of writing and I liked both characters, Billy is very innocent and earnest and upbeat despite raising his brothers since his mother died shortly after their birth. I was pleasantly surprised, that when the crisis arose with the twins' origins, that it didn't get wiped away as a bit of a false drama. Sometimes there's an "oh my god, could it be true?" crisis which is then neatly solved with a "nope, we're fine now" ending that negates the whole drama. This doesn't happen here, and I think the way they had to deal with first the uncertainly, and then the reality of the changes in life, was handled well, but not overly melodramatically. This is a nice read which despite some serious subject matter, doesn't fall into a too heavy or angsty tone.

Click on the book title below to see my reviews at Brief Encounters Reviews.

Kid Christmas Rides Again by Eric Arvin



Picture Window by Dallas Coleman



Dinner and a Movie by Beth Wylde