Review of Royal Rock by BB Hamel

Disclosure: I was given an ARC by the author in return for an honest review.

Title: Royal Rock

Author: B.B. Hamel

What piqued my curiosity: The opening chapter or prologue was fairly effective as a hook. In fact, I liked the opening plus a potential Queen who had enough gumption to slap the King. Of course, it was fun watching the potential fireworks.

And here's the but: The story meandered a little after the initial getting-to-know you runabout. There didn't seem to be clear direction of where this story was heading. And it seemed to stall a little. I realise the change in scenery was needed but the shift in location did make me wonder just how a tiny European country manages to get all that landscape and weather. The key word being tiny.This is a potential spoiler so look away but wasn't the kidnapping after the dress was off? And after the rescue, the medical attention scene was with the lady in jeans after she was cut on the thigh - hate to say this but the psychopath put her in jeans after kidnapping her or after cutting her? So the inconsistency, the meandering and the grammar mistakes did annoy somewhat but many (including myself) have been guilty of several such mistakes, so I won't mark things down because of this. 

What worked: The tired old premise was given a bit of a makeover though I wasn't sure they were ever going to make it through the meandering into HEA. The snappy conversation and pace of the first half was what rescued the novel.

Conclusion: It's not the best BB Hamel I've read, I prefer her other contemporary works. In terms of the bad boy royal genre, there have been worse reads and better reads, this is strictly down the middle. Could do with more sarcasm that I know Bryce and Trip (and BB Hamel) are both capable of! 

Review rating: 2.5*

Amazon rating 4*

Want to read? Here's the Amazon link!

Responses to comments on Destroying Fantasies Part 2

So far, I've refrained from actually responding to comments and feedback sent through emails and through the comments section on the story. That is, apart from readers who specifically requested responses via email. I've found from experience that responding to positive or negative comments merely encourage the trolls. I do thank all who took the time to give a considered feedback. As for the haters/doubters - Whatever your intentions, I prefer to give you the benefit of the doubt.


There was, however, one strand of comment that left me wondering just how did that impression come about. Let me be clear about one thing: I do not find infidelity, adultery and cheating sexy or romantic. So there is no chance that I could ever romanticise a situation that contains these elements. Is there anger? Yes. Is that anger romanticised? No. I do not support or endorse violence in any way. I've been on the receiving end of violence so romanticising violence is about as palatable as soggy fries floating in tea.



Revenge fascinates me. The stripping down of Man's layers of civility to basic, raw  emotions is potentially mesmerising - it's what drew me to theatre and the cinema for years! Is the exploration of all these emotions and ideas done in an OTT way in my work? Let me be honest, hell, yes. Though I might never reach the same level as the works and artists I admire, I do not shy away from the darker side of things.



Everyone is entitled to their opinion, fair enough if you don't like my work. I have varied tastes, HEA is fine but I appreciate a touch of the melodramatic (read OTT) that Euripides’s Medea and Zola's Thérèse Raquin provide. And you can only imagine what my reaction to Seneca’s Phaedra is LOL If your reading palette extends beyond pastel cotton candy and cayenne pepper chocolate, try reading my work. it's not easy reading but who knows you may like it!  Here's the link.



Everyone else, venture no further, such reading is not for the faint of heart or short attention spans! 

Destroying Fantasies Pt 2

Just in case anyone is still waiting for Part 2 of Destroying Fantasies, It's out. Readers beware: it's wordy!

 And the knives are out, so friends looking to support me, read and vote! BTW, I know some readers who commented didn't read the complete story which shows in the comments made LOL

Princely Erotica Review 3

Title: Royal Baby

Author: Avery Wilde

What made me go huh??: The first meeting and the interlude before the heroine, Keira, becomes a maid in the palace. Keira doesn't recognise slutty royal Prince Andrew. Really? She didn't google her employer?

Storyline in a snap: Art student Keira gets hired as a maid in the royal household. Before she leaves for the UK, (yes, most of these plucky Cinderellas are American because presumably no sane girl of other nationalities would want to be in a royal family LOL) she meets the dirty slutty Prince Andrew (that the story is about the British royal family and the real life Prince Andrew has been implicated in several unsavoury situations and unsuitable company does make one suspicious about the choice of name) who's incognito as Drew Ellis in NY. She's rescued from being a one night stand notch on the belt encounter for said Prince and isn't too happy with him. So after all the banter and knot untwisting that always happens, Keira and Andrew end up having that romp (make that romps) in the hay (one episode is literally a romp in the hayloft, enjoy the witty observation on the porn qualities of hay romps, it's at least a little different!). Now throw in the expected royal pregnancy (see title) plus some typical obstacles, and readers get an enjoyable quick read with HEA.

What puzzled or didn't quite work: Keira's twisting herself into knots. Getting all twisted up in knots for heroines is ok once, twice in quick succession begs the question 'why?'

What I liked: The quirky humour and I don't just mean Andrew's awful sense of humour haha (the royal sceptre joke was probably the most inventive one in his repertoire) but also the episode of she said vs She (crazy Swedish Princess) said incident where the Queen tries to shield royal dumbness from public ridicule by ordering that their pointless argument about witnesses and evidence never be raised again.

Rating: 2.5* 

                                                                    

It was entertaining, just wish it had a bit more pizzazz.

So after reading three royal erotica stories, what's the takeaway? Modern royals are (at least in fiction though the 'ahem' younger members of some European royal houses are proving fiction can be inspired by life) proud heirs of legendary crown jewels and shagging tendencies (anyone remember Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry in The Tudors?). But what makes a story a cut above the rest is the humour and Waltz proved the winner (see earlier post for review of Waltz's book) with the OTT humour.

Princely Erotica Review 2

Title: His Princess

Author: Abigail Graham

What made me go huh??: The setting was a little confusing. Alternately modern, neo-medieval, perhaps even a touch of sci-fi.

Storyline in a snap: Penny, an American girl reeling from the death of her fiancé, ends up in a country (Kosztyla) that doesn't have the best of reputations. The Prince, Kristoff, is a tortured soul who rescues her from a bunch of human traffickers abetted by an American CIA operative just before Penny is raped. There's lack of clarity regarding the condition of her companions till the conclusion. Throw in a crazy ex-fiancée for the Prince and there's a bloody struggle in the end which leads to the HEA. Frankly, the bloodshed was the more "innovative" part of the story but didn't really work with the rest of the story.

What didn't work: The bloody conflict which was kind of confusing. The timelines - the conclusion was tacked on almost like an afterthought and there was no warning that the story was jumping from post marital sex to years later.

What I liked: Hot scenes though a little overwrought. Look there's a reason why it's erotica and not fairytale though several of the Grimm brothers' texts aren't exactly politically correct.

Rating: 2*

                                                          

I liked the reference to the Persephone myth but didn't seem like it was pursued further, which was a shame. Maybe the myth cycle didn't quite work out because the Ceres equivalent wasn't really there.

What puzzled in both books: Why are the heroines always haunted by their ex-fiancés? Is it a plot device to assure the reader that modern day Cinderellas aren't just slutty gold diggers? Or is it the angst? Either way, it was just odd that both these stories had that in common. And why are the Princes all Prince Charming (model 7S??) built impossibly large - erm, ok, the crown jewels are big, I get it but a guy with tree trunk-sized limbs?? LOL

I don't like to be too hard on writers simply because I know most do spend a fair amount of time and put at least some effort in their work. So I would say Waltz's book was fun, while Graham could do with a bit more attention to the plot.

Disclosure: I bought both books on Kindle so I'm not sure how this could be construed as anything but a frank review. I've tried to be as unbiased as possible but really it's simple I only want to be entertained!

Princely Erotica Review 1

Never thought I'd read, much less review, erotica that centres on princes but had a friend recommend these reads after a really awful couple of weeks at work and life generally.

Ok, let me start by saying I was surprised by how I enjoyed both reads and I took up the last recommended read from another friend without too much resistance LOL

So to get straight to the heart of the matter:-

Title: Dirty Prince

Author: Vanessa Waltz

What made me go huh??: Anglefell. Not sure if it's a pun on the Anglo-Saxon nation and the fall (from grace) that the nation seems to have gone through. It clearly is good old Britain with all its quirks that seems to be the mold for Anglefell.

Storyline in a snap: Sassy American girl Daisy decides to sneak into Anglefell, a country that is in a state of cold war with the United States. When she's caught, she's accused of being a spy. So manwhore Prince Liam discovers a heart (ie an organ that beats with blood, other than the crown jewels of course haha!), he decides to propose a mutually beneficial alliance in the form of marriage. That starts a series of obstacle courses which the increasingly happy couple must negotiate.

What puzzled or dismayed me : Please see next post, there's something this story shares with the next read which was puzzling.

What I liked: The humour. Waltz has clearly decided to take a step away from the usual crime spiel and the first hint came in the chapter titles which are tabloid headlines. Nice touch. There's a Facebook page associated with the story and I'll pop by soon seeing how intrigued I'm by the idea.

Rating: 3.5*

                                                                    

A prince who speaks with a South London accent? LOL Bring it on!