The Independent Gay Writer is
pleased to present a new book reviewer,Kathi Isserman
Kathi lives with her partner and two very spoiled cats outside Washington DC. When not reading all kinds of books, she can be found on the golf course attempting to hit that little white ball. If you would like to work directly with Kathi on future book reviews, please contact her, here.
In this issue, Kathi reviews several books: All the Wrong Places, Course of Action, Dawn of change. See more reviews by Kathi on pages 16 and 17.
  All the
Wrong Places by Karin Kallmaker ISBN: 1931513767 Bella Books, Inc Paperback/ $12.95,174 pages Genre: Lesbian Romance/Erotica Review by Kathi Isserman All the Wrong Places is not a typical Karin Kallmaker romance, but a hot and steamy graphic love story. Karin Kallmaker has created the first full length erotica novel for Bella Books, and it is full of tantalizing sex that heats up every page. Brandy Monsoon and her best friend Tess work at a Caribbean resort doing almost anything to meet their guests’ needs. For Brandy this means giving straight women the pleasure they cannot get from their husbands or boyfriends. Tess, who is straight, comes crying to Brandy one evening, because she is not satisfied with her most recent date and is very hormonal at that moment. So they experiment that night and decide that becoming sex buddies can work out. Brandy is giving her best friend the physical pleasure without the emotional attachments. Then a tour group of 300 lesbians comes to the resort for a week, and that is where the fun really begins. Kallmaker has always been a master at creating tension-filled romances that affirm the power of love and a promise of a future. All the Wrong Places is no exception, but even as she teases the reader, she gives us release along the way with visually explicit sex. The book isn’t all erotica either. The romance is front and center throughout. Throughout the pages, Kallmaker describes so well through her characters’ thoughts and actions the difference between sex and lovemaking. Her mix of erotica with the romantic plot is balanced. Her trademark in all of her romances is that she creates intelligent and strong-minded women, and she does that beautifully here. One of my favorite lines of any book is when one of the characters gives advice to Brandy, “… Dance through life any way you want and don’t worry about people who can’t hear the music,” (pg. 104). This is definitely a book that you may want to have two copies - one in the bedroom and one that you carry with you. Both will become tattered with use because you will reread this delicious book over and over again. |
 Course of
Action by Gun BrookeISBN: 1933110228 Bold Strokes Books Paperback/ $15.95, 320 pages Genre: Lesbian Romance Review by Kathi Isserman Gun Brooke’s international debut of the romance Course of Action is a winner. I could not put this book down once I began reading the first page. It is tension-filled and fast paced with easy to follow dialog. It is a wonderful romance from a first time published author. Annelie Peterson owns Key Line Publishing and decides to produce a trio of movies of the best selling Diana Maddox books. The character of Diana Maddox is a lesbian criminal investigator. Diva actress Carolyn Black is the very popular voice in the audio version, but she is not the front runner for the starring role. At forty-five, the marketing experts want a more bankable younger star. So the Diva pursues this role and Annelie as well, with dogged determination. She even states to her agent that she will do just about anything to secure this role. In the course of this pursuit Carolyn, who is straight, becomes attracted to Annelie. But is it all for show just to land this prime role or is it for real? Brooke develops her characters through great dialogue that is to the point and flows smoothly which makes for fast reading. She doesn’t get bogged down in details that do not advance the plot. The author creates tension not only with words, but with descriptions of subtle inadvertent touching and physical closeness. Brooke illustrates the struggle and complexities of not only a gay-straight relationship, but one that crosses professional boundaries as well. Both Annelie and Carolyn begin to go down one path only to find as they get to know one another, the path changes. Annelie and Carolyn have to make personal and professional choices, and the author demonstrates that the choices each makes may not be what are best for their budding relationship. As the story progresses, Carolyn’s single-mindedness to get the role of a lifetime and Annelie’s stubborn refusal to give her the part because it may jeopardize her company, slowly melts away as the characters are fleshed out even more. Brooke’s words capture the intensity of their growing relationship. Her prose throughout the book is breathtaking and heart-stopping. The following quotes illustrate this. “She lifted from the box a white gold bracelet, a simple chain with three charms attached to it-a heart, a cross, and an anchor…”( pg 186) “The sound of Carolyn’s throaty voice was reassuring. It wrapped around Annelie’s heart like armor, and for a moment, she instinctively knew as long as Carolyn was there to love her, nothing could really pierce it.”(pg 209) Where have you been hiding, Gun Brooke? I, for one, would like to see more romances from this author. |
 Dawn of
Change by Gerri Hill ISBN 1594930112 Bella Books, Inc Paperback/ $12.95, 236 pages Genre: Fiction/ Lesbian Romance Review by Kathi Isserman Gerri Hill has delivered a heart pounding, tension-filled romance that will leave you breathless through the last page. Dawn of Change is a story of discovery- a different kind of coming out story where damaged hearts take a chance again and first loves are realized. Susan, the “perfect” wife and mother, escapes to the mountains after she finds her husband of 20 years in bed with a much younger woman. There she literally runs into Shawn while hiking. Susan invites Shawn to dinner on the spur of the moment because she is lonely. They strike up a friendship that includes regular dinners with conversations, sharing their pasts. Every weekend that Shawn camps in the mountains, she spends time with Susan. By the end of the summer, they have become best friends. But without telling each other, they both begin to have more than friendly feelings towards the other. Shawn does not want to become involved with a straight woman on the rebound. Susan is questioning whether her feelings are real. While I find most lesbian/straight romances in novels suspect, Dawn of Change is believable. Hill develops their friendship throughout most of the book. Through the characters’ visits with each other and their family encounters at Susan’s cabin, Hill illustrates beautifully their individual emotional struggles with their current situations and their pasts. As Susan and Shawn get to know one another so does the reader. This process occurs over several months, not just a week or two. Hill builds her characters gradually, making their relationship realistic and natural. Susan and Shawn as friends support each other’s choices, and that gives each woman more confidence to make independent decisions. Hill creates believable histories that flow well with the storyline. With Dawn of Change the secrets are shed, the souls are bared, and the hearts slowly open. The reader will find it difficult to stop reading until the very last word. |