Friday Booktalk
May
18
2007

I’ve been working on several deadlines so I haven’t been reading as much as I normally do (despite my yummy TBR pile). I did read two Aphrodisia titles – The Hard Stuff an anthology featuring stories by Karen Tabke, Bonnie Edwards and Sunny and Champagne Rules by Susan Lyons.

I did a reading back in March with Susan and Bonnie – both of them are wonderful people and I bought Bonnie’s Midnight Confessions and Susan’s Hot in Here. I think Midnight Confessions is one of the best ghost stories I’ve ever read (and hot!) and I already loved firefighters and Susan’s Hot in Here singed my fingers as I read!

Anyway, I loved The Hard Stuff – especially Bonnie’s contribution – Bodywork. I’m a sucker for reunion stories (and Tabke’s is as well) and the sex was smokin hot as well as being a sweet, wonderful story. Novellas are hard to write well and Edwards does the job. I also quite enjoyed Stakeout and I’ll be looking for more of Tabke’s stuff in the future. Love the cop thing as well. Sunny’s story, Chinatown, was also enjoyable but the premise pushed some of my buttons. I did enjoy her voice though.

I started reading Champagne Rules thinking the book would be one thing and found it to be something else entirely. I do love Lyons’ books and so I knew I’d like CR but I came away surprised, impressed and really loving it. It’s a reunion story, yes, but more than that, I think she handled the real life complications of career aspirations, our own personal expectations and interracial relationships really well. She didn’t play it down or pretend none of it mattered if there was love. It’s one of the best interracial romances I’ve read!

The last several Aphrodisias I’ve read have all been wonderful winners. I can’t wait to read Midnight Confessions II and the next offerings by what I’ve come to find as a really talented group of authors.

3 comments to “Friday Booktalk”

  1. Melissa
    May 18th, 2007 at 11:13 am · Link

    Every time I read your Friday booktalk I want to buy another book! 😉

    Mel



  2. rhian
    May 18th, 2007 at 2:42 pm · Link

    oh I really really liked Champagne Rules!!! So much so that I nose-dived for Hot in Here which has the same group of friends.



  3. Bonnie Edwards
    May 21st, 2007 at 7:39 am · Link

    Well, Lauren, thanks so much for the kind comments on both The Hard Stuff and Midnight Confessions. Your TBR pile must be huge, as is mine. As soon as I finish the two I’m reading, I’ll be diving into Taking Chase that I picked up from you at RT!

    And you’re SO right about Susan Lyons’ writing. It’s lovely and powerful.

    Bonnie