J.L. Langley

I know J.L. Langley is well-loved but this book is just awful. Nothing rings true in this book. The characters are flat and underdeveloped, the dialogue is stilted, and the plot feels like an afterthought to pad the book between (really bland and repetitive) sex scenes. The two leads get together super fast without any sort of indication of why they fell for each other. It's explained that Jamie had a crush on Ethan for all his life but I never got a sense of what exactly he likes about show more Ethan, or vice versa. The main characters have little personality and pretty much no real character development.

There are also many things about the story that just don't make any sense. For example, Ethan started off being very quiet about his sexual preferences, he's very careful about not letting others know, and then as soon as he gets together with Jamie he's completely open about it to the point of seeming rather careless and doesn't mind that the whole town pretty much knows. For someone who'd been so careful about it all his life, I don't think it would be so easy for him to shrug off his caution and be perfectly comfortable with everyone knowing and even joking about his sexuality to people he hid it from previously.

And then there are the townspeople's reactions to the couple: either they are completely accepting of homosexuality without judgement, or are openly homophobic and hostile. Realistically, there should have been a wide range of reactions, including people being tolerant but still uncomfortable with it, people who disapprove but aren't openly hostile, people who are confused about their feelings toward their friends who came out, etc.

There was so much that the author could have written about that she just sidestepped; for example, what if Jamie's siblings were a little uncomfortable with their brother being gay? What about the 11 year age difference between the two leads? What about exploring Jamie's relationship with his father-- Jamie being conflicted between being loyal to his family but wanting to get away from his homophobic father and so on. Instead we got one-dimensional characters and equally one-dimensional villains and conflicts that were too easily resolved. I feel like the author took the easy way out, avoided writing about anything really difficult, and thus ended up with a boring and ultimately lazy book. show less

4.5 Hearts!

Seriously, this just keeps getting better and better!

It pains me to know that this might be the only series of its kind - a space opera steeped heavily in military royalty espionage, all against a backdrop of a society that holds to Regency rules, unless somebody knows differently?? Anybody??

Regardless, this time around focuses on Prince Colton, who has finally resigned himself to the fact that Lord Sebastian Wentworth, aka a notorious rake, is never going to notice him, and that show more Colton simply needs to move on with his life. If only…

What Colton doesn't know is that Sebastian basically feels unworthy to even contemplate being his consort and thus, the situation is moot. However, it soon becomes apparent to Sebastian that the boy has grown into a damn beautiful man that he can no longer ignore, nor does he want to.

Luckily, many a circumstance and two wonderfully mischievous dads (and their various co-conspirators) work hard to bring Colton and Sebastian together. Such humorous levity that includes a fabulous ensemble cast, juxtaposes the more serious main mystery of the series, balancing things out wonderfully to make this a really fun and entertaining installment!

Fear not, there’s plenty of strict societal rules ready to be broken, with forbidden stolen kisses and fervent secret groping. This was especially extra fraught with feels, adding depth to the reliable hot UST and smexy smex, all intermingled with my favorite turmoil of insecurity, jealousy, and doubt. Yum!

So again, consistently delicious, sink-your-teeth-in goodness, blending scifi and historical genres perfectly on a futuristic planet all about men loving men.

Propriety that begs to be dismantled was never stripped so sweetly than in this series. Mmmm hmmm. I can hardly wait for the next!

Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review


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This came out a wee while ago now, but it’s a book I’ve re read several times. The writing is fast paced, sexy and I liked the character of Laine tremendously. I was also rather partial to Devlin who was more of a buff, builder type and quite forbearing with Laine’s knack for getting into mischief.

What I enjoyed most about the book was Laine’s fearless nature and willingness to stand by his man in spite of his lack of size or ability in a fight. He had a sweetness about him as well show more that I got a kick out of. Devlin is confident and comfortable being in charge, but helplessly enthralled with Laine. The two discover they’re mates pretty much from the get go, so the focus was more on their developing relationship, than the will they won’t they.

The story, while short, shows how good world building makes a story just that much better. They’re werewolves, there is a pack hierarchy and there is day to day business going on in the background, but the focus is on Devlin and Laine and their growing love. I think all of the With or Without series has this delft element of blending characters lives, the everyday and supernatural. Makes for some excellent reading and is definitely a series to consider picking up.

This sweet, short and sexy story is a delight and totally fogged my glasses.
http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/with-love-by-j-l-langley/ show less

The Book Report: This is a sci-Regency. That means a Regency romance set in outer space, don't bother asking how it works or this whole review will be wasted on you. It's also a smutty gay-sex romp written by a very nice straight lady.

If you're still here, we'll get to the plot: The Queen of Englor, an Earth colony that's chosen Regency England as its societal model, is a nasty, homophobic gambling addict whose son and heir happens to be a big ol' 'mo with a taste for chicken (men younger show more than the subject). He's also a Marine Colonel, a gym rat, and as heir to the throne, PRIME marriage material. He's been dodging scheming mamas and aunties at Almack's for most of his life. Colonel Hollister, Our Lantern-Jawed (and big-eared) Hero, discovers that his revolting Mama is up to her hiney in badness...she's being blackmailed to deliver to Persons Unknown some schematics for something the Englor Marines have designed that's so secret that even the heir to the throne/Colonel Hollister doesn't even know what it is.

So, it's a romance, and that means a counterparty: Prince Payton Townsend of Regelence, another Regency-based society, is a nineteen-year-old computer genius and son of the King of Regelence and his Consort. No, not Queen, Consort. A Man...and a very studly one. Payton's younger brother has just married a Captain in the Interplanetary Navy (subject of a previous book, My Fair Captain), who also happens to be the heir to an Englorian Dukedom. Englorian spying on Regelence has been discovered, an investigation takes place, Payton meets Colonel Hollister the heir to the homophobic Queen, sparks fly, virginities are lost, tops bottom, and all sorts of runnin' from pillar to post takes place. There is an agreeable amount of very, very dirty sex. The expected miscommunications and misunderstandings and emotional angst takes place, and in the end (pun optional), Our Hero and his little bit of stuff are married and parents and just gooily happy.

My Review: Well, it ain't for everybody, but I really, really, really liked it. Is it a perfect novel? Oh heavens no. Someone needed to guide Ms. Langley to a few of the more obvious embellishments that a spy thriller really needs, and the world-building that a sci-fi novel needs is woefully absent.

But the love story is charming. The sex is waaay smutty, exactly as sex should be. (My father said it best, during his first teenaged-indiscretion talk with me: "If you can do it in front of me, you're doing it wrong. So don't do it until you need to close the door. If you need to *lock* the door, you're doing good.") So why do I like the book so much, given its flaws? Because these characters are not in any way conflicted about themselves. True, the Englorian heir is closeted, but he never feels he's bad or wrong, he feels he's put-upon and wastes little time in angsting over what he wants, just over not being able to see how he can have it. That's an adult dilemma, not a boring coming-out story suitable for kids. I am so weary of coming out stories I could urp. I was never in, really, so coming out didn't make a big impression on me. (Yes, yes, married two women, had two children, but never ever hid my true nature from anyone.) Chacun a son gout, of course, but I for one am not buyin' any more gay fiction with the words "teen" or "awaken" or "life-changing decision" in the sales copy.

So should y'all read it? Maybe. Sex is rampant in these pages. Don't pick it up...heck, don't even look at the *cover*, if you're not into big, hairy-chested semi-nude studmuffins *drifts off to Bermuda for a moment* sorry, where was I, oh yeah so if anything here makes you gag, leave it. If you're squirming a little, try it. The rest of us are waaay ahead of you. show less