85.
Title: [Dark Night]
Author: Paul Dini
Genre: Graphic memoir
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: purchased
Date Completed: October 2016
Rating: **

To call this a "True Batman Story" is figurative, and does the job of disguising the genre through the application of the author's profession. The book describes, as promised, a dark night, and the author's brutal and violent beating that left him physically devastated and emotionally crippled. The author, it happens, was a writer for the then-running Batman cartoon, and in his ennui he struggles with why his favorite fictional property "wasn't there." In his own mind, the author retreats to a society of cartoon and comic characters, using dialogue to try to work through his own psychological trauma and depression. The characters appear, but are not themselves, looming familiarly but unfamiliarity, as they are imagined by one of their authors, but represented for his sole purpose.

His experience is a terrible one, and the therapeutic power of the creation of the book is undeniable. He writes that he hopes his story may give others hope, who may identify with his life or experience. As a reader who does not, I felt badly for his experience, but found the book as a whole indulgent and of little personal value.

86.
Title: [Fashioning Gothic Bodies]
Author: Catherine Spooner
Genre: Fashion and Literary Theory
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: October 2016
Rating: *****

As amazing as I find this book, I won't be able to properly review it until long after my comprehensive exam (in which it features heavily) ... which begins tomorrow.

87.
Title: [Dress Culture in Late Victorian Women's Fiction]
Author: Christine Bayles Kortsch
Genre: Fashion, Gender, and Literary Theory
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: October 2016
Rating: *****

Equally as amazing as Spooner, equally as important, with the same looming deadline that leaves me unable to write anything but my exam answers.

88.
Title: [Hidden Destiny]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Medium: Kindle E-book
Acquisition: Purchased
Date Completed: November 2, 2016
Rating: ***

Still in social and intellectual recovery from October, I said to a friend on Wednesday that "what I really need is a smutty novel and a bath bomb."  And then I immediately looked up a series I had read once-upon-a-time, and had a relaxing soak.

 
89.
Title: [Tattered Loyalties]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Medium: Kindle E-book
Acquisition: Purchased
Date Completed: November 3, 2016
Rating: ***

And then, even though the last one wasn't really that great, I downloaded another, which kept me occupied while I stood in line for early voting.


Tonight I'm working on the introduction of my dissertation prospectus, and then plan to treat myself to [Bodies], which arrived today, and looks to be very promising.

1.
Title: [Jason]
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Impulse buy
Date Completed: January 6, 2015
Rating: **1/2

Oh, the angst! Oh, the melodrama! Oh, the whining! It should be surprising how un-sexy a book about joyful (intended) sex can be, but this books is so conflicted and political and introspective (while remaining shallow) that no amount of fantasy can save it. I'm so disappointed that this wasn't the fun romp I thought it would be.

No Cover Art!

15. 
Title: [The Redwood Pack: Volume 3]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 11, 2014
Rating: ***

16.
Title: [The Redwood Pack: Volume 4]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 13, 2014
Rating: ***1/2

17.
Title: [Othello]
Author: William Shakespeare
Genre: Drama
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 13, 2014
Rating: ****1/2

I will always read the part of Iago in the voice of Kenneth Branaugh, which makes the play that much more enjoyable. 

9.
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
Author: Ken Kesey
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Book
Date Completed: January 31, 2014
Rating: ****

I'm leading three separate preparations this semester, and will actually be revisiting Kesey's madhouse in a few weeks...

10.
Title: [Curtsies and Conspiracies]
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: "Science Fiction" (I'm very interested in how different libraries label this series differently)
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: February 1, 2014
Rating: ***

Curtsies and Conspiracies, the second in Gail Carriger's steampunk-esque Finishing School series, is not quite as tittering and titillating as the first; the interest I found is grounded mostly in my interest in The Parasol Protectorate, and the history that now unfolds.  This second book has similarly silly charm, but isn't wonderful on its own merits. 

The covers of this series are much better than the former, I will say. 


11. 
Title: [MacRieve]
Author: Kresley Cole
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: February 2, 2014
Rating: ****

I find Kresley Cole problematic; she introduces strong female characters, subjects them to extremely brutal circumstances (both emotional and physical), in which they find their "love." The problem is that the "love" is the individual responsible for their torment, and they far too quickly forgive-and-forget - she introduces the idea of "fated mates" to justify rape, shows care by kidnappers, and has one character literally vivisected after being captured by the man she would come to care for.  My "last straw" was Lothaire, which has the protagonist engaging in sexual acts to save her own life, once she is abducted by the titular character. 

I resisted MacRieve both for its own sake - which promises a "slave trade" - and my past experience for the series.  Morbid curiosity eventually lead me to find it in the library.  Ultimately, I was very pleasantly surprised.  Yes, the female protagonist faces great challenges, and even emotional abuse at the hands of her intended, but the titular character himself is reasonably conflicted, and not simply cruel or sadistic.  The story is one of overcoming prejudices (and the emotional turmoil this can generate) as opposed to abuse, and the resolution seems far more reasonable than many others in the series.  For overall improvement, I will happily give this novel four stars.

12. 
Title: [House of Dead Maids]
Author: Clare B. Dunkle
Genre: YA Horror
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: February 6, 2014
Rating: **
This book is not, as the author contends, a prelude to Wuthering Heights; the connection to Bronte's gothic novel is an accident if epilogue, awkward, forced, and without function. It does not follow with either it's supposed source or the time at which it was written, and so failed to meet even one of my limited expectations. It is, however, a juvenile ghost story, and were I twenty years younger just the kind of story I would adore. So, I would argue this novel is best for very young audiences, but anyone over nine, looking for the Heathcliff they know, will be greatly disappointed.

13. 
Title: [Bonds of Denial]
Author: Lynda Aicher
Genre: M/M Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Purchase
Date Completed: February 8, 2014
Rating: ****1/2

The genre designation of "romance"  is somewhat comical; the genre can be raunchy, flirty, fun, outrageous, disturbing, or just plain goofy, but they very rarely come across as romantic.  To date, I don't know that I would call any of the "romance" novels I read just that, until now.  In Bonds of Desire, which apparently comes somewhere in the middle of an established series, a closeted ex-military security expert finds himself infatuated with a gay escort who frequents the S/M club of which he is a partial owner.  Deeply ashamed of himself and his sexuality, it is an act of bravery that leads him to schedule his crush's services, only to panic and flee.  What follows is a touching and sweet story of two men helping each other find peace in their identities and personal lives, lending support and understanding that neither believes it possible.  It was simply lovely. 

14.
Title: [We Have Always Lived in the Castle]
Author: Shirley Jackson
Genre: Gothic, Mystery, Satire
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 9, 2014
Rating: ****1/2

Wonderfully complex ideas on genre, society, madness, and the power of stories. 

Snow Day Reading

5. 
Title: [The Darkest Secret]
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 23, 2014
Rating: ***1/2

I find a great deal of consistency throughout this genre: paranormal warriors (both men and women), epic quests unknown to the general population, often hot romance, and personal doubt that leads to new revelations.  I have a few personal qualms with elements of the genre that will probably keep me from rating the books as five-stars (the speed with which characters fall in "love," for example, or the similar speed with which they can forgive terrible actions...), but I appreciate the evenness of certain authors, and that I can rely on them to provide just the entertainment I am looking for.  Though Gena Showalter and her Lords -  keepers of the demons of Pandora's box - are not my favorite of the genre, I enjoy her character building and attempts to balance action and romance.  In The Darkest Secret Amun, keeper of Secrets, finds his voice and his place, and the idea of enemies and righteousness are explored.  This was just the entertainment I was hoping for on yet another snow day.  


6. 
Title: [Incubus Wolf]
Author: Bonnie Vanak
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 23, 2014
Rating: *

Boring, and completely unsatisfactory conclusion. 

7. 
Title: [Seduced By the Wolf]
Author: Bonnie Vanak
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 24, 2014
Rating: *

Bleh. 

Well, that's one author I won't have to bother with in the future. 

8. 
Title: [The Darkest Surrender]
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 27, 2014
Rating: ***1/2

It seems like Gena Showalter reads Kresley Cole; in The Darkest Surrender (2011), Harpies gather for battle games against other clans, engaging in challenges and conflicts only immortals could survive ... much like the Valkyries, and the yearly hunt that sets the scene for Cole's No Rest for the Wicked (2006).  The similarities don't stop there, but there is one big difference between Showalter and Cole: the former is much less interested in the rape-and-forgive plot that drives much of Immortals After Dark.  So, bonus points for that. 

53.
Title: [Affliction]
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Pages: 576
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: July 4, 2013
Rating: ****

The debates surrounding Laurell K. Hamilton's 20-year-old series have grown far too heated for me to offer much of a review; I just don't care enough to slug it out with other readers. As usual, Hamilton delivers what I've come to expect, while touching on the popular trends in fiction today. The one specific comment I will offer is this: I could barely stomach the moment of "religious vision" in the hospital. I fully intend to continue reading the series for the general enjoyment I find, but if that's the next turn Hamilton will take even I will have to abandon ship. 

54.
Title: [Newes from the Dead]
Author: Mary Hooper
Pages: 272
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: July 5, 2013
Rating: *****

In 1650 Anne Greene is hanged for murder, and "miraculously" revived as she lays on the dissection table.  From this true account, documented in publications from the time, Mary Hooper spins an intriguing narrative, told both from Anne's perspective as she lies trapped in a kind of coma, and the young medical student who becomes the corpse's champion as the first to notice her fluttering eyelids. Though Hooper professes that she has done her research, she first admits that this is a work of fiction, and there is no doubt she takes countless liberties.  Still, the end result is a charming (and occasionally claustrophobic) young adult novel that may well spark an interest in history. 

55.
Title: Gabriella
Author: Celia Kyle
Pages: 79
Genre: Paranormal BBW Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: July 7, 2013
Rating: *

It's not at all worth the purchase price. The women have completely repulsive personalities, and I still don't understand how one includes homophobic remarks in a polyamorous "romance."

48.
Title: [Priceless]
Author: Shannon Mayer
Pages:
Genre: Paranormal ... romance?
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Kindle Library Book
Date Completed: June 20, 2013
Rating: ***

Amazon had this filed under "Paranormal Romance," although the latter part of the genre was suspiciously missing.  It's actually a stronger book for its lack of "romance," although it's very clear where the series is heading. I found the plot - about a quasi-supernatural searching for missing children, after the disappearance of her own sister - interesting, but the lack of character development or sympathy will keep me from digging further into the series. 

49. 
Title: [Marked]
Author: Elisabeth Naughton
Pages:
Genre: actually Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: June 22, 2013
Rating: ***

I'm pretty sure I've read this story nearly fifty times before. A bookish and overlooked woman, who waits tables at a strip club to keep her bookstore afloat, finds out that she's "actually special," meets a "god-like" brute of a man, etc etc etc. It's exactly what you'd expect from the genre, but didn't hold singular interest for me. So, again, not a series I'll dig back into.

50. 
Title: [A Mating Dance]
Author: Lia Davis
Pages:
Genre: actually Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: June 25, 2013
Rating: ***

OH THE ERRORS! In this case, Ms. Davis cannot even get away with the excuse of typos - not only are there whole words missing from sentences, but there are endless homonym errors, of the high school freshman variety.  The final line of the book reads: "...to help keep me sane threw it all."  Also, something or other may not be "full proof."  Apparently Lia Davis is a "co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC," and I only hope someone steps up and tells the boss that she needs a good editor - spell check just won't catch these things. 

The book itself is about a "triad" of shapeshifters. There's a conflict with "rogues" and dying or missing people, and the kind of mistakes that leave you staring at the page for several minutes, because there's no way these kinds of mistakes can slip into professional publications with such regularity. 


Now I've started a new cozy series, and I have a few preorders coming this summer. In-between I think it may be time to actually read something with some history behind it.

35. 
Title: [Forever Bound]
Author: Cynthia Eden
Pages: 342
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: April 27, 2013
Rating: ***

These novellas by Cynthia Eden, bound as one Kindle book, establish the trend in her writing that I saw in Bound in Death.  While standard for the genre - male werewolf finds his "mate" in a vampire female, and defends their relationship despite the taboo - the collection that is so clearly defined by the conflict between races left me thinking about the racism inherent in - and accepted in - paranormal fiction.  That is essentially what so many of these stories come down to - racism that is defended by arguments of tradition and nature - that these supernaturals are different by birth and blood, and therefore cannot help but try to dominate the others.  My mulling may perhaps turn into a project this summer...

36.
Title: Papers Graded
Author: 100 Students
Pages: 1,400+
Genre: Work
Medium: Word
Acquisition:
Date Completed: April 30, 2013
Rating:

I first began keeping track of my reads while a graduate student, and would include any academic article over 40 pages as part of my reading list.  As I waded through the last of my grading over the weekend I decided to take a minute to calculate just how many pages of student work I had read ... and came to approximately 1,400.  As the volume is Richardson-esque, I've decided to include the pages here.  After all, paper grading is my biggest reading deterrent.  This number does not include classwork, creative assignments, or extra credit, but rather all formal essays submitted by the approximately 100 students I've had the pleasure to work with this semester. 

As ready as I am for a grading break, I already miss my students, and, as usual, this break is bittersweet. 

34. 
Title: [Bound in Death]
Author: Cynthia Eden
Pages:
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: April 22, 2013
Rating: ***

I didn't realize until posting the title that Bound in Death is the fifth in an established series; this may explain some of the confusing allusions made by various characters, but the novel can certainly stand on its own.  The story follows a werewolf who has tracked his lover for 200 years, trying to find the place of her imprisonment.  When she is finally released she has no memory, and is left navigating a confusing world - one in which she finds herself at the mercy of a number of men around her. 

Jane Smith, as she calls herself, is not a sympathetic protagonist, as she is incredibly two-dimensional, and her eventual growth is sudden and inexplicable.  However, the struggle of her alpha partner is interesting, and proved to be more rewarding than my other recent reads in the genre.  I will likely find the first four to idle away an afternoon, post-semester. 

32. 
Title: [The Island of Doctor Moreau]
Author: H.G. Wells
Pages: 176
Genre: Scientific Romance (aka Science Fiction, although I would call this more of a horror...)
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: April 18, 2013
Rating: ****

I reintroduced The Island of Doctor Moreau to my syllabus, with some minor trepidation (in a previous semester it lead to an uncomfortable after-class discussion with a student which began with, "You can't honestly believe we came from monkeys..." and ended with a letter that begged for the souls of my children), but was once again pleased with the discourse generated.  Though short on pages, Wells' second novel is ripe for analysis  and consideration, and Margaret Atwood's introduction "Ten Way of Looking At..." is a great guide for freshman readers.  This time around we focused most on defining humanity and examining sympathy, both within the novel and on the part of the reader.  I find that I have less sympathy for Prendick, the narrator, as he shows greater apathy and loathing for the Beast Folk.

Our final discussion inspired me to begin notes for another paper, although I have no idea if I'll find a place to publish and/or deliver it.  The idea of missing stories is haunting me at the moment, and actually ties in to another piece I had started on Sappho...  

I'm going to have a fun summer trolling the CFPs. 

33.
Title: [A Bit of Bite]
Author: Cynthia Eden
Pages:
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: April 19, 2013
Rating: **1/2

Not as cheesy as werehedgehogs, but meh.  I should start looking at length more carefully - I'm tired of reading bad short stories that are marketed as novels. 

31. 
Title: [Hedging his Bets]
Author: Mina Carter
Pages: 176
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: April 15, 2013
Rating: **

Conference-prep isn't an excuse this time around - I picked up Hedging His Bets for a bit of fun fluff, as I claw my way out from under a stack of research papers.

The research papers are better.

The genre itself doesn't need much explanation, so a summary is brief: Honey owns a bar and one of her patrons wants Honey.  The different turn in this one is that the romantic interest is a - wait for it - ..... werehedgehog.  Yup.  Ok, points for originality there - I did laugh at the uber-masculine character struggling with his "cute" alternative form. 

But no adult woman should ever say "hedgie," - and no adult should write it, either.  Perhaps some readers are more forgiving of the baby talk than I, but even my babies don't speak like this. 

I'm still open to exploring the genre as a whole, but I doubt I'll try any other novels by Carter. 

8. 
Title: [Tiger Lily]
Author: Jodi Lynn
Pages: 304
Genre: YA
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 30, 2012
Rating: ***

9-10. 
Title: [An Alpha's Path] and [A Taste for a Mate]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Pages: 336
Genre: Paranormal romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 28, 2012
Rating: **1/2

I picked up Redwood Pack Vol. 1 (which contains the first two books in the series), because the title of a later novella caught my interest.  The most prominent feature of Ryan's books is her apparent failure of freshman level English; the grammatical errors are prevalent, and speak to both a poor grasp of mechanics on the part of the author, plus a terrible editor.  The narrative itself is formulaic werewolf paranormal romance, and actually fairly meta, as it is saturated with references to "romance novels."

11. 
Title: [Trinity Bound]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Pages: 359
Genre: Paranormal romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 30, 2012
Rating: ***

For being such a "strong" pack of werewolves, it certainly is easy for enemies to sneak in and make off with selected individuals (usually defenseless female mates, of course, but in this case one of the weaker sons of the Alpha, who meets his own mates in the course of their escape).  What makes this text more appealing than the last is the exploration of a nontraditional relationship: a male werewolf (the alpha of the relationship), a human ex-SEAL, and a female witch.  I enjoyed watching the characters explore what I felt were natural uncertainties and nervousness, and appreciated that sexuality did not necessarily determine gender identity.  Formulaic and in need of an editor, yes, but thankfully less than the previous two. 

12.
Title: [Blurred Expectations]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Pages: 73
Genre: Paranormal romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 30, 2012
Rating: **

The story that sparked my interest: the "trinity" from my last entry, attempting (and failing) to conceive.  My curiosity now sated, I doubt I will return to The Redwood Pack. 

13.
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
Author: Ken Kesey
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: January 31, 2012
Rating: *****

This text has generated some very interesting and thoughtful discussions this semester - Kesey's novel is a keeper. 

5.
Title: Primal Bonds
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Pages: 320
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: January ?, 2012
Rating: ***

6.
Title: Kitty Goes to Washington
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Pages: 360
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Purchased
Date Completed: January 15, 2012
Rating: ****

Kitty Norville, late-night radio DJ, is an unlikely werewolf after surviving two different - and  yet similar - attacks in a single night.  After a series of conflicts lead to a near-challenge of her pack leader, Kitty finds herself essentially exiled from her home, and taking her radio show on the road, a la gypsy-like traveling. Along the way she is asked to speak at a Congressional hearing, and finds herself in DC, and in regular trouble.

"Discovery" is something that many urban fantasy authors attempt to address, with varying success.  One of my favorite "unveilings" is Kim Harrison's, which blames a mutant strain of tomatoes for killing off a large chunk of the human population, while leaving supernaturals unharmed.  Whoops.  Vaughn's broadcasting seems to suggest that Kitty herself is a primary player, which challenges believability.  However, when Vaughn brings the consequences to DC, and shows the political ramifications of such a discovery, she slams right back into reality.  The bureaucracy, the red tape, the hearings, the politicians arguing, the reporters hounding - if the word "werewolf" was not included it could easy read like contemporary politics.  This is a great strength in Vaughn's book, and makes the series promising in the future. 

I found something else particularly interesting: Alette, the "master" vampire of DC.  In Kitty Goes to Washington, the most powerful vampire in the immediate area carries a strong and often neglected role in the genre - she is a mother.  And, she suggests at the novel's conclusion, she becomes a vampire to become a better mother to her two children.  This maternal role is not entirely unique, but is often played in the opposite fashion - female vampires are often incapable of reproduction or maternal roles (with notable exceptions, I know) - and alludes to the deeper history of vampire mythology, which goes back to Lillith's revenge for her own children, the Greek Gello, etc.  Alette is a bit of a missing link in contemporary fiction, and a character I find very rewarding. 

4.
Title: Pride Mates
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Pages: 304
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: January 4, 2012
Rating: ****

It's not often that I will rate a romance book a 4-star read (even if I rate within genres instead of across the spectrum), but the first book in Ashley's "Shifters Unbound" series is just that, because she managed to make me extraordinarily uncomfortable within the parameters of an otherwise traditional shapeshifter romance.  The source of my discomfort wasn't the romance itself, and ultimately isn't unique to Ashley's work: she left me shuddering at racism and bigotry.  In her series, shapeshifters have been revealed, and the expected tension arises from humans, but the American creation of a distinct second class is all too familiar and ugly.  Instead of outright slaughtering shapeshifters, the government forces them to wear "Collars" - part magic and part technology that cannot be removed, and deliver debilitating pain when the wearer acts violently (even in self defense).  Shapeshifters are also forced to live in "Shiftertowns" - isolation camps (they are free to leave, just not live elsewhere), are not allowed technology, can only work minimum wage jobs, and are not allowed to even apply to four-year universities.  Much of the tension in the novel (smartly) pulls from this prejudice, and leaves the novels feeling all too familiar.  I appreciate that the conflicts are not insular to the world of supernaturals, and doesn't provide an easy peace.  This is a matter that most paranormal authors have to face sooner or later, and this particular account is far too ugly to not be believable. 

2.
Title: "Orion's Way"
Author: DC Juris
Pages: 30
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: January 3, 2012
Rating: *

The premise of "Orion's Way" is interesting: a vampire who has experienced sexual abuse works to reclaim his role in a BDSM "lair" to keep his partner.  However, the story does not deliver, as it remains cryptic and vague.  Even erotic short stories contain some development, and this story has none beyond the final sex scene.

3.
Title: [Saint's Curse]
Author: Lee Brazil
Pages: 60
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: January 3, 2012
Rating: ***

"Saint's Curse" is a m/m paranormal romance that focuses on the all-important discovery of one's paranormal status by his partner.  With more development than Juris's story, "Saint's Curse" is more narratively satisfying, although the "action" is superfluous to the plot (and sex) line.  The self-loathing of the werewolf is a bit too gratuitous, and smacks of "closeting," which I'm sure is no coincidence.  Overall, while not suiting my present purposes, the story delivers on its promise.