New Book Review: "Claimed by the Yakuza" by Ariel London

Official Synopsis:

“If being with you puts me in danger, why is it that I only feel safe when I’m in your arms?”

Kenichi

I’ve been killing men since college and my father raised me to take his crown. Now he’s dead and I have sworn to avenge him.

I hired Cassandra to do one thing: teach me English to help expand our family business. Before our first lesson starts, I claim her curvy body and show her who’s boss. It only takes once, and she’s addicted to me. Twice, and she’s caught in the crossfire between me and my rivals.

They’ve messed with me one too many times. If they think they can take her from me, they’re wrong. Dead wrong.

Cassandra
I came to Tokyo to teach English, but I never expected to be tutoring a Yakuza mob boss!

After one scorching pre-lesson f*ck, he’s all I can think about. His possessive attitude only makes me want him more. The further we go, the more dangerous it gets. Every time he gets closer to revenge, his dark side is exposed and my innocence is stripped away.

I should know better than to play with the Japanese mafia, but how can I let him go when he’s the one person who makes me feel alive?

Set in the gritty underworld of Tokyo, Claimed by the Yakuza is a stand-alone dark romance between a dangerous bad boy and a fiery heroine with sinfully sexy scenes, gripping action and a happily ever after!

Details:

Author—Ariel London

Publisher—Self-published

Genre—Romance

Sub-genre—Contemporary

Date Published—August 11, 2016

Pages—110 (on Kindle)

Setting—Contemporary Japan

Main Characters—Kenichi Himura and Cassandra Haynes

Review:

I received a free copy for review from the author.

Spoilers

I want to say first that I had higher than average hopes for this one solely based on the cover. Ms. London did an excellent job in making it attractive and able to stand out among the numerous self-published novellas on Amazon. Unfortunately, the writing left a lot to be desired.

*Characters:

Kenichi's primary motivation is getting revenge on the man who murdered his father. His other motivation is for his Yakuza gang to learn English in order to more easily access American markets. These are pretty much his only drivers and the only “personality traits” we get. He has no reason for falling in love with Cassandra, other than he finds her very attractive.

Cassandra is even worse. She has come to Japan, having just graduated from her university, to teach English as an assistant English teacher. There are a few brief lines about her adjustment to Japan and its culture, but that is the extent of the “characterization” we see. She doesn't think logically and she also has no reason for falling in love with Kenichi, other than his “hotness”.

*Story:

There are many flaws in logic within this story, to the point where one has to suspend their disbelief too much in order to believe certain actions. Cassandra accidentally loses her ID, which Kenichi finds. He essentially blackmails her into teaching his gang English in order to get her ID back. Not only that, but he offers her a ride home after said blackmailing and she accepts.

Firstly, a lost ID card can be replaced and is definitely not worth risking your life for. The idea is that Cassandra finds Kenichi attractive enough to go along with it anyway, but she knows he's Yakuza—her friends somehow recognize who he is, despite his belonging to a self-admitted minor Yakuza gang—and it makes no sense why she would put herself in danger for an ID card.

Secondly, The Yakuza are well-known for their involvement in the sex trade, and a young white female with no family in Japan would be a prime target. Cassandra barely argues the point and gives in easily, again because Kenichi is “hot.” This complete lack of logic skips over what could very well have been interesting and compelling character and story development.

Another major flaw in logic I cannot ignore is the glossing over of the unsavory aspects of the Yakuza. While Kenichi states his Yakuza gang is more involved in “legitimate” ventures, such as hostess clubs and bars, he does state the primary Yakuza business in America is drugs. This is brought up exactly once and never mentioned again. Oh, the business with America part is brought up plenty, but never the specifics. Also, Cassandra knows Kenichi has killed people, and eventually sees him kill someone in front of her. While these acts could be justified in the context of the narrative, Cassandra seems to have no qualms about this whatsoever. There is no internal struggle, no crippling doubt, no attempt at further characterization at all.

The last flaw in logic absolutely baffled me, because there were plenty of logical ways around it and yet the author chose the illogical route. The rival gang somehow knows who Cassandra is and that she is Kenichi's woman, which is believable. However, what isn't believable is how a member of a rival gang could get into Kenichi's condo and lie in wait for her. Even a small Yakuza gang would have men on their leader's home and/or escorting or tailing their leader's woman. The author could have circumvented this by having the gang take out her escorts while in route somewhere and then kidnap her. But no, the guy just happens to be in Kenichi's condo.

*Technique

There were two big technical flaws I noticed when reading “Claimed by the Yakuza”. The first occurs near the end of the novella with one of Cassandra's chapters that comes after one of Kenichi's. A good portion of it is exactly copy and pasted from the previous chapter, to the point where the author didn't delete a few lines specifically referring to Kenichi's POV: these were line-for-line identical. When trying to show the events of a scene from two POVs, this is a classic mistake, to regurgitate all the same information. It's very easy to quickly summarize the events from the second person's POV and continue the scene, rather than waste time repeating information.

The second was the choice of genre/sub-genre. This book should either have been a full-size novel or an erotica. This type of story sets itself up to have enough material to fill a novel: the revenge aspect, trying to get Cassandra to teach English, reconciling all the mixed emotions involved in dating a Yakuza, etc. What we get is a bare-bones story with barely any characterization with some sex thrown in. Had the story been tightened up a bit and the sex been overhauled for an erotica market, this would have made a far better erotica than a “dark romance” is it was marketed.

Ratings:

Hotness Rating: 5/10

Overall Rating: D-

I don't think the writing is awful, as I can see a lot of potential in it. The author suffers from a lot of novice pitfalls that eventually get worked out through practice. More reading and more writing will really help iron out a lot of these faults. And the sex was decent, which is the only reason I'm not giving it a lower rating.

Check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/fuVKxKocjLc

If you would like to purchase a copy of “Claimed by the Yakuza” you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K9886US

Mary

New Book Review: "Loveweaver" by Tracy Ann Miller, published June 30, 2016

Official Synopsis:

When Slayde pulls Llyrica from the ocean off the shores of Kent, how she arrived there from Denmark becomes the first of many questions. Her beauty and alluring voice evoke a deep and troubling need in him, but he must stay focused on the job at hand: Ridding England of the last of the Viking raiders.

Llyrica is now a stranger in a strange land, on a mission to fulfill a deathbed promise. But, she must now also find her missing brother. This man, Slayde, known as The StoneHeart in his country, seems determined to block her at every turn. And yet she can't help but be drawn to the sad and lonely side of him that awakens when he sleeps, the sleepwalker.

Unknown to both Llyrica and Slayde, each will use the other to accomplish their quests. Both will also fall under Llyrica's love spell, that of the Songweaver.

Set in the year 895, the story of Loveweaver happens among actual events. It was a time when many Vikings were settling peacefully in England while other would-be conquerors still sought to overtake the country. A romance between a Viking woman and English (Saxon) man was certainly not unheard of, but might still raise eyebrows.

The fact that Llyrica makes a living as a weaver appeals to those who value the importance of feminine creativity, cultural arts, and using those talents to carve out a place in the world.

Slayde depicts a man struggling to live up to a character of military might, while denying a life he would rather live, that of an inventor, a dreamer, a builder.

Llyrica's presence reignites in Slayde a reason to be done with war, to open the way for peace and his love for the beguiling weaver.

Details:

Author—Tracy Ann Miller

Publisher—TracyMillerDesigns (Self-Published)

Genre—Historical

Sub-genre—Viking

Date Published—June 30, 2016

Pages—246

Setting—895 England

Main Characters—Llyrica and Slayde the StoneHeart

Review:

I received a free copy for review from the author.

Spoilers

I wanted to like this book. I have a great respect for anyone who is able to write and edit a novel, as I have gone—and am going—through the process myself. Unfortunately, “Loveweaver” was just not ready for publication.

There were several issues with story, character, technique, and even the cover. I'd like to address each point in order to give the author some detailed feedback.

*The Cover

This cover looks severely outdated. When first looking at it I thought this was a novel from the 1970s, and that is not a good thing in self-publishing. The cover is the first thing customers will see and a poor one will make them overlook your novel. While I do think the author's technical skills in making the cover were good, the execution was poor.

*The Characters

Neither Llyrica nor Slayde are interesting or compelling. Llyrica is a typical Mary-Sue that is good at just about everything, but is also pretty much helpless. Slayde is supposed to be the strong, in-charge male, but comes across extremely insecure. He also resigns himself to his fate on more than one occasion even when the fate was easily avoided.

The chemistry is non-existent. Barely any time is dedicated to character development or to the romance. It just sort of happens and feels forced and unappealing.

Too many side characters are introduced by name, then described in great detail, bogging down the novel unnecessarily.

*The Concept

While I believe the concept is workable, the author falls into common pitfalls of novice writers. The main pitfall is not starting close enough to the action. So much is explained in the first two chapters that is unnecessary and slows down the pace, when the novel could have been started later and to more effect.

The “Songweaver” concept is supposedly the core idea, and yet is presented clumsily and not thoroughly explained. There is no explanation of how it is supposed to work, or whether it is either real magic or a placebo effect. Clearer mechanics and using the idea more centrally would have helped greatly.

The novel is not a romance novel. The “romance” takes up only a small percentage of the novel, and it's a stretch to even call it that. No time is taken for the characters to really get to know each other, to find real reasons why they should fall in love. It's reduced to Slayde confessing his love only 15% through the book, and then several scenes of sex for the remainder. The rest of the novel deals with taking down a warlord and Llyrica's many family problems. (Slayde's as well.)

*The Technique

The prose is far too purply to be effective. Every person, action, setting, etc is described unnecessarily, dragging down the pace of the novel and padding the length. I would estimate a good half of the novel is description alone.

While the research is apparent and appreciated, there is far too much of it used and too little explained. So much is described without actually describing anything, as she uses proper terms for clothing, houses, boats, etc. This is done without any explanation as to what these terms mean and she keeps using them. It's frustrating and needless.

The sex feels clunky, emotionless, and juvenile. There is nothing sexy about it, no exploration into the emotions and sensations behind it. It also feels very mechanical. And since I don't care about the characters it feels pointless.

There were some grammatical issues, mostly typos and incorrect comma usage. These can be forgiven, however. The main issue was the lack of contractions and the use of older language. Authors try to do this for it to seem as authentic as possible, but it slows down the pacing and feels unnatural. In most historical romances, authors will use contractions and more modern language in order to make communication and flow easier.

Ratings:

Hotness Rating: 1/10

Overall Rating: F

I appreciate the author's efforts and wish her luck in the future. Even bad novels are good for practice and should be used as stepping stones for future works.

If you would like to purchase a copy of “Loveweaver” you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H7M46BC/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Mary

Mary

Quick Update: My Reading Preferences

I've added a section for my romance and erotica reading preferences. If you click to see my full profile, you will find these listed under "Interests". This is a general list and not all-encompassing, but this way my bias is more transparent. I am certainly open to reading things off this list as well. Thanks.

--Mary

New Book Review: "A Gentleman's Guide to Scandal" by Kathleen Kimmel

New Book Review: "A Gentleman's Guide to Scandal" by Kathleen Kimmel; published June 2016

Minor Spoilers Only.

Official Synopsis:

Even men of great certainty can be completely clueless when it comes to matters of the heart.

Colin Spenser, Marquess of Farleigh, is shocked when his feelings towards his best friend’s sister take a turn into the realm of helpless adoration. Unfortunately, Elinor is more inclined to ignore him than express her undying devotion, so Colin resolves to forget his troublesome feelings by entering a loveless marriage…

Elinor Hargrove has absolutely no interest in the infuriating and arrogant Marquess of Farleigh. That is, until he kisses her—twice—inspiring unexpected and inconvenient passions. Then Elinor finds out he’s engaged, and her desires are quickly surpassed by her outrage...

But when a ghost from their shared pasts resurfaces, Colin and Elinor must work together to puzzle out a complicated intrigue by attending an extremely exclusive party where secrets and lies flourish—and scandal is only a kiss away.


Review:

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. 

The main characters, Colin Spenser--the Marquess of Farleigh--and Lady Elinor Hargrove, were compelling and interesting. Their chemistry was established very early on in the novel and continued throughout. I found myself wanting more and more of their interactions and hated when they weren't alone together.

The main plot of the novel involves the death of Colin's oldest sister, with whom Elinor was friends: the event took place many years before the novel and now the characters have learned new information. This leads to what I've dubbed the "sexy masquerade" and of course our leads are in attendance. After learning new information, the plot continues on, as does the romance.

As far as my ratings are concerned, the positives far outweigh the negatives, although this novel is not perfect. 

The Good: 

*The good characters and chemistry drove this story for me, and I read it very quickly; I found myself not wanting to put it down. 

*Along with good characters and good chemistry, the sex was very good. The tension built up to these scenes was well-done and the scenes were satisfying to read.  

The Bad:

*The main plot was not all that interesting, ultimately. I didn't feel engaged because the novel didn't give me time to get to know the dead sister and her relationships with the main characters. I groaned every time the novel went away from the romance and back to the plot. 

*There was a lot of missed opportunity with the sex, in my opinion. As good as it was, it could have been far sexier given the situations involved. There was also not enough of it to give a satisfying conclusion with the two mains. 

Hotness Scale: 7/10 

Overall Rating: A-

Overall, the novel kept me interested for the most part and the chemistry was very good. A few faults with missed opportunities and lack of engagement kept it from higher scores. 

Check out my video review of this novel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NBcfbkDNG4&feature=youtu.be

If you'd like to purchase a copy of this novel, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Gentlemans-Guide-Scandal-Birch-Romance-ebook/dp/B015DLUSWK

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this review.

Terrible Book Cover Review: "Tender Deception" by Judith Steel

About Terrible Book Cover Reviews: 

I judge a book by its cover and see if I was right or not. 

Look at that mustache.

This book was boring.

Jacelyn has come out to the Arizona Territory to look for her brother, a map-maker for the U.S. Calvalry, in order to secure her inheritance. Along the way she is captured by bandits and taken to a ranch. This ranch will be the setting for 90% of the story.

Grant is the "Chief of Scouts" and commands many Apache scouts for the cavalry. He witnesses Jacelyn's capture and joins with the bandits in order to keep an eye on her. Grant is one of only two redeeming qualities in this novel. He is interesting and has some humorous interactions with his scouts. There are also a few somewhat interesting interactions with Jacelyn, but these are few and far between.

Jacelyn and Grant's chemistry is virtually non-existent.

Jacelyn is completely incapable of saving herself. On at least five separate occasions, she finds herself in a situation where Grant must save her. And the few times she tries to save herself or help Grant end disastrously. There is no character growth throughout this entire novel, and ultimately she just falls flat.

The main setting feels as though it could be picked up and placed in any time period, in any place and still be the same thing (just with a few words changed around). It feels completely generic and uninteresting, and this is where most of the story happens.

Ratings:

Hotness Level--5/10; the sex was decent, despite the lack of chemistry, though it was too sparse to completely redeem the novel.

Overall Rating--C-; without the sex, this novel would have received a solid D. It isn't the worst thing I've read, but there is little to recommend it.

Check out my YouTube video review for a more in-depth review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4XPwy9nh8

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this review.