Liv Rancourt

Russell is on a trip west, helping his aunt and her Aqua Dears perform synchronized swimming shows. He meets Skip, who is part of the local orchestra, and it becomes harder to push his unnatural desires down. Russell is going to be married to a woman, and that's the end of it. However, Russell's attraction to Skip becomes too much to resist, and when Russell stays behind to help a member of the squad before re-joining the team for the next show in the next town, they get to know each other show more really well.
I totally was NOT expecting that. It was really good. I enjoyed the time period, which doesn't get written about a lot, and I enjoyed the writing itself. I liked the balance of Skip having to be who he was and Russell struggling to conform to society's (and the law's) directives. It just brought home how hard and heartbreaking it was for people to just be themselves. I can't even imagine how I would deal with it. show less

TRIGGER WARNING: I CANNOT SAY THIS STRONGLY ENOUGH: If you are a pet owner or just an animal lover, THIS IS NOT THE STORY FOR YOU. I am both and if I had not already chosen this book for several different challenges, I WOULD NOT HAVE STARTED IT, MUCH LESS FINISHED IT.

Brandon might not want to be a necromancer, but if he doesn't own it and learn to use his power, the guy he more-than-likes might die.
The main character accidentally raises roadkill, and they follow him home. Why would any show more author or publisher, think that this topic is a good idea especially considering readers who might have recently lost a beloved pet? Just NO. I have read this author before and NEVER encountered anything like this...and there's not even a warning in the front of the book. This is a good author, and the book is well written, but the subject matter is beyond horrible, even for me who reads a lot of things that others would consider to be bad.

Dead animals around Brandon just come to life while he is out for a run. What is causing this phenomenon to just magically occur? We get a brief look into his past that has an unexpected connection with his aunt wanting him to assist her and to get three friends to help. But when an uncontrolled evil presence tries to do it's evil, only exceptional circumstances allows any survivors at all. Fortunately, the evil presence does not survive.

But now we have a near repeat following Brandon's kidnapping and him being forced to assist in yet another wraith being released into the world, and intent becomes a major issue to stopping the evil and it becomes a life-or-death issue for Brandon and his friends.

Now for "The Romance": We were told, and I tried to see romance between Brandon and Stefanos, but I didn't see it or feel it. Oh yeah...they were hotter than a firecracker for each other, but not much else, certainly nothing that would, or could, have been viewed as anything even close to being "love".... not even a stable foundation for the hope of anything else to develop.

Stefanos's anger was always "off the wall", and he was angry a lot of the time, about a lot of things. I understood that he had and that he needed flaws, but why unmanaged explosive angry outbursts that even multiple therapists couldn't help him with? As for the ending. It ended with more feelings of dread for Brandon than joy or any hope for him. show less

Sarasija Mishra knows there's reason to be concerned about his new job. But he's not going to admit that to his mother. After being hired without so much as a real interview, Sara drives from Seattle to New Orleans to become the new assistant for the mysterious Thaddeus Dupont. Sara couldn't even find anything about the man on the internet. But he's been offered $80,000 a year for part-time work--and his family needs the money.

Of course when Sara arrives and it seems he wasn't expected, show more things seem even stranger. And when his new boss sends him away, he resolves to fight--he has a contract after all. But the desire to fight takes on a new meaning when the pair are suddenly attacked in the night, sending them off on an adventure that both excites and terrifies Sara. Until Sara learns what his contract meant about providing his new boss with meals that cater to his special diet...

Thaddeus isn't sure what to do with his new assistant. He's specifically always had women assistants, and for good reason. He needs to feed to stay alive, and the act of feeding always ends up a bit more physical than one might think. And the White Monks, the Catholic order that is supporting Thaddeus, have given him a set of rules. Among them: he cannot engage in what they deem to be sinful relations. And they are the last line of defense for his soul.

But proximity and adrenaline seem to increase temptation. And eventually the two of them will need to make a decision about not just the contract, but what they really want out of life. Can Thaddeus provide the sense of meaning Sara's been looking for in his life? And can it be Sara--not the White Monks--who holds the real power to save Thaddeus's soul?

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Well, my friends, all I have to say is this was an unexpected gem for me. I mean, I read the blurb and figured I would enjoy it. But I was pleasantly surprised at the sense of adventure that carried through the entire story. The pacing here is wonderful, consistent, and sustained. And that's partly how I read this in a single day, finding it difficult to put it down.

There are some characters I didn't care for, but I think that's more just a function of who they are (ugh, the White Monks are not my friends). And Sara is a dynamic character who seems to find himself in a lot of ways during the story. Although the timeline of the book is relatively short, none of the character development seems overwrought or contrived.

Definitely give this one a recommendation. And I'm personally looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.] show less

Change of Heart is a story as lovely as its cover, an historical romance that effortlessly transports the reader to 1930s New Orleans, and seduces us into falling in love with Clarabelle and Vaughn. Liv Rancourt captures the essence of the era and the characters, with a wonderful narrative voice that is full of sensual authenticity.

I loved the innocence of Clarabelle, a young woman who chose to the Sodom of the time, hoping that her sinful was might find a home there. It is wonderful the way show more Rancourt captures her conflicting desires, allowing her to be both proper and passionate at the same time. Vaughn took a little more time to warm up to, initially coming across as an empty, playful sort of scoundrel, but when her transgender nature is violently outed, she comes alive for the reader.

The playful romance between these two women drives the first half of the novel, while a heartbreaking tension between then drives the second. As much as we sympathize with Clarabelle feelings of betrayal, we empathize with the difficulty of Vaughn's identity even more. It is that conflict of genders, desires, emotions, and personalities that makes Change of Heart such a powerful story. You cannot help but be drawn in and entertained by their flirty sort of courtship, and then thoroughly tied up in their efforts to find their way through to true love. Just an altogether wonderful story, with a unique setting and a refreshing narrative voice.


As reviewed by Sally at Bending the Bookshelf show less