Craving Flight by Tamsen Parker

Carolyn:  This is an older novella; I acquired it in 2015. Although I'm most definitely NOT into hardcore erotica, I'm not sure this would qualify as such, but maybe it would. What do I know?

Here, have a blurb:

Tzipporah Berger is thirty-seven and single, which is practically unheard of in the Orthodox Jewish community she now calls home. Her increasing religiosity and need for kink may have broken up her first marriage, but she’s decided it’s time to try again. And the rabbi’s wife has just the man in mind.

Elan Klein is the neighborhood butcher whose intimidating size and gruff manner hint at a deliciously forceful personality. But BDSM isn’t exactly something you discuss during an Orthodox courtship. Will a marriage to Elan solidify her place in the community that she loves and provide the domination and pain Tzipporah craves or will she forever have to rely on flights of fancy to satisfy her needs?

Lori:  Carolyn mentioned this book and suggested I should try it. Not for the BDSM but because of the religion. I love religion and a book that delves into Judaism that's also kink sounds interesting.

It was fucking brilliant.

Tzipporah is a religious studies teacher. She is Jewish raised in a secular household. She likes rough sex and was married to a man who didn't. Didn't like rough sex, didn't care about religion and was the wrong man in every way.

Tz (I'm shortening it for heaven's sake, and my sake for writing this) ends her marriage and moves into Orthodox Judaism. In the sense that she physically moves into an Orthodox neighborhood, adopts the laws and rituals and becomes a practicing Orthodox Jew.

Elan is the butcher, a widower, a man Tz is attracted to for his size and brusque manner. When the Rabbi's wife suggests a match and Elan is among the choices, Tz says yes. They have a few meals together, agree that they want children, will both continue to work and they get married (it really is that cut and dried).

Elan, on their wedding night, says what do you like? And Tz takes a chance and tells him. And discovers that her new husband understands BDSM quite well and gives her exactly what she needs.

What she needs... is the theme of this book and how BDSM and Orthodox Judaism merge together. It's about accepting restrictions and forms of bondage to find freedom. To take flight. What this book does is gives us a heroine who can only be free by choosing her shackles and losing herself in the bonds.

The sex is so necessary to this story but it isn't purple cock heads and glistening drops of pre-cum. It's pain and discomfort. It's being bound into immobility and learning to let go while bound. It's about modesty on the outside and complete freedom on the inside.

My reaction to this book was ... well... right now I have tears skimming my eyes when writing this. It was one of the best books I've read this year and possibly among the best I've read ever. It's glorious.


Carolyn: Lori's just about said it all, really, and much better than I could. I just know that this is an amazing book and deserves a wide audience.

I still have difficulty relating pain to pleasure. Perhaps it's like scratching an itch until you bleed? It certainly couldn't be equated to a gallbladder attack because there's NOTHING pleasurable about that and nothing to be learned either, except pain hurts along with a longing for immediate surgery.

And still, the silly side of me wonders ...  They want children and what happens if little Tz or Elan Jr wander into the bedroom to find mama strung up by her hair (to all appearances) and bound with pretty blue rope? I'm being facetious, of course, but still ... I do wonder.

I could see that Tz wanted to live an Orthodox life and tried her best to do so but it was never linked with her religion; kosher is part of being Orthodox but how and why does it relate to beliefs? The BDSM fit in, yes, but it seemed kosher closed her in, rather than letting her fly as the sex did. Was kosher a religious experience to her? Seemed like more of a hassle. How did covering her hair fit in her religion?

The book needed to be longer, damn it!

Lori: In Orthodoxy, Carolyn, people keep their head covered in respect to God. Men wear a yarmulke and women cover their heads with scarves or oftentimes, a wig. So that explains why nobody knew her hair color. And why it mattered to Tz.

And of course keeping kosher is how one is an observant Jew. It's following the rules and laws. And I truly believe that the entire point of who Tz was, is that in being bound by laws, rules, observance and rope was all that could set her free.

This is just such an excellent book. I could never find pleasure in pain although as Carolyn pointed out, sometimes in scratching a certain itch or probing a painful spot feels deliciously bad. We've all felt it. So I guess there's a small awareness of how it can feel good while feeling bad.

Although I'm not interested in pain as pleasure or even the sexual aspect of the story really, it was all about finding freedom. Taking flight. 

I can't say enough about this book. Read it. Feel it. It's amazing.

Is It Time for Resolutions?

Yes, I'm one of those. There's something about a new page, a fresh start, a second chance that delights me. It isn't just the idea of decoding to go on a diet or resolve to write 500 words a day... it's bigger than that.

A new year. A new beginning. A new chance to grow and learn. To come closer to being who it s you really want to be. To a life not mired in regret or sadness. To a life lived and a life appreciated.

My so-far defining moment happened on Christmas day. We sat together around the tree and unwrapped presents. Mollie almost busted a gut in joy, so many K-Pop things she wanted. Video games, clothes, gift cards. I was so happy to see her excitement.

I didn't get what I really wanted most. There were two books I asked for and a 2018 calendar. They were the things I wanted most. And I didn't get them. I did get other things I wanted: a shoe rack, a beautiful journal, new pillows. But I wanted those books and disappointment settled into me like an unwanted but persistent friend.

Later that day more family came and Mary gave me a present she made herself: a purple shawl/blouse, flowy and light weight and made for me. Made expressly for me. Everyone had a story about how frustrating it was for her to make it to my changing size, to figure my bust and height, and to make something she'd never made before but to want to take the time and effort because, as she told me later, she wanted to recognize how much I do for my family that goes unsung.

That was the moment the window opened and I got it. Almost 60 years old and I got it. I went onto Amazon and ordered the books I wanted. I told Mollie we were going to go and find me a perfect calendar for 2018. I refused to allow the disappointment I knew so well to take a deeper root.

Mollie and I discussed it yesterday in the car. I told her about my epiphany. I told her that it doesn't matter our age, we are always growing and learning and to embrace it. It's okay to be sad about something or disappointed in someone but does that have to be what defines you?

This is the blouse, by the way.

A lot of other things have happened since I started this post. But right now I'm going to end this. We have a long haul.

It's almost 2018.

I can't wait for the new year.

Man Hands by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby

The blurb:


BRYNN

At thirty-four, I’m reeling from a divorce. I don’t want to party or try to move on. I just want to stay home and post a new recipe on my blog: Brynn’s Dips and Balls.

But my friends aren’t having it. Get out there again, they say. It will be fun, they say. I’m still taking a hard pass. 

Free designer cocktails, they say. And that’s a game-changer. 

Too bad my ex shows up with his new arm candy. That’s when I lose my mind. But when my besties dare me to leap on the first single man I see, they don't expect me to actually go through with it.


TOM

All I need right now is some peace and quiet while my home renovation TV show is on hiatus. But when a curvy woman in a red wrap dress charges me like she’s a gymnast about to mount my high bar, all I can do is brace myself and catch her. What follows is the hottest experience of my adult life. 

I want a repeat, but my flying Cinderella disappears immediately afterward. She doesn’t leave a glass slipper, either—just a pair of panties with chocolate bunnies printed on them.

But I will find her.

Lori:  "Try it," Carolyn said. "It's funny."

Ladies, Carolyn didn't lie.

I laughed out loud on page 2. I finished the book in one day. I laughed out loud a few other times. I snickered, I snorted and for once, I read all the sex scenes.

It's an erotic romance without erotica. It's romance with actual heart. 

It worked. It seriously worked.

It wasn't just that it was funny. This book took a trope I despise and made it work. And that's sex between strangers. It sets my teeth on edge. But in this, I was okay with it. Brynn is newly divorced, she's at a party and she sees her ex with a woman who is basically a younger version of herself and she can either fall apart or launch herself at the gardener.

She launches. Has sex. Condom is involved. And then later things go all wrong. But at that point, I was all in.

Carolyn:  It is truly a romance for modern times. Brynn likes to cook and she started a blog and uploaded three recipe books to Amazon. So when a partygoer videos her ... um ... experience with Tom, her book sales go out of sight and here blog gets all sorts of hits. It just tickled me, it was so millenium, lol.

And, like Lori says, it's erotic and yet not. I think it's because they're doing stuff beside tab A into slot B. You know, dialogue, shit like that. There was no time for precum! Thank God!

There's also the usual girl herd - well, in this case a trio. Ash shocked me just a bit, both her name and her language, but I got used to her and the part she played at the end of the book had me in stitches, lol. Bet the next book is about her.

Love the sense of humor displayed by these authors and despite the crazy blurb, loved the plot. These people were adults; any misunderstanding was not allowed to grow. They TALKED to each other.

And they make the cutest damn couple.  :-) 

Lori: Because no book is perfect, we will say that the cover sucks. I mean, it really sucks. Like yuck.

And I had some small issues with the girl posse because they had a lot of shit going on with them and I didn't know if they were just being set up as sequel bait or if we weren't supposed to care. I cared, dammit!

But the book was adorbs and I can't suggest it highly enough. Thank you Carol for promising I'd laugh. You were right. 

Japanese Fundraiser

I'll try not to be too embarrassed to post this here... my daughter and two other young ladies from her high school are going to Japan in June as part of an exchange program. Mollie has been studying Japanese for three years and intends to go to college and major in languages and Asian studies in the hopes of living/working in Japan and/or Korea.

We're fundraising to help with expenses.

I won't be too obnoxious with this.

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan

Fans of Debbie Macomber and Jojo Moyes will love this warm, funny, moving holiday tale from the New York Times bestselling author of Christmas at the Cupcake Café and Little Beach Street Bakery.

It’s a white Christmas in England, and Rosie Hopkins is feeling festive: Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, luscious chocolate boxes, and happy, sticky children, and she and her boyfriend are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their families.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their charming town, all of Rosie's plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she and her loved ones see their way through the difficult times?

Sweet and soulful, heartbreaking and heartwarming, this is the perfect novel for the holidays (or any time of year).

THIS NON-REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Lori:  Bah and humbug. 

I love the holidays and this year is just swimming in holiday goodness. I've already got the Christmas Pandora station streaming, I've watched 2 holiday movies with kissing and my Kindle is festooned with Christmas romance book covers.

This was the first book in the Christmas season and it drove me damned close to burning a gift and ripping down some mistletoe.

Rosie is a nurse who runs her aunt's sweetshop in a small English village. Her boyfriend Stephen is a schoolteacher, gentry type who has title and property and no cash. His mother is a bit of a witch, the town is all adorbs the way small towns are... there's the sweet best friend with the heart of gold boyfriend, the man crazy aunt who can't forget the love of her life and the mystery man with dementia. Also lots of cute kids. Lots of cute kids.

Did I mention the cute kids? Cause Rosie has a sweetshop. 

Anyway, the reason I disliked this book so much was because it was impossible to like Rosie or Stephen. What's the point of a holiday romance when you don't feel the main couple have done anything to deserve a HEA?


Carolyn: I'm sorta ambivalent about this book. After we talked, I went on and finished the book and found myself becoming more and more immersed in it. I enjoyed the snarky dialogue between Rosie and Stephen and between most of the characters, really. But I really, really dislike the 'big misunderstanding' trope and that's what this book was based on.

I understood and felt for Stephen re his PTSD. I didn't understand Rosie not clueing in on it, especially with her medical background.

It's hard to state some of my feelings without spoilers, so I will scatter warnings around and just plow on ahead.

I cried when James/Henry's story ended. On the other hand, I thought the ending of the book contained more than a little treacle and was a real downer for a Christmas book.

And I never really got a handle on all the characters except the three year old; she could have been Mollie, lol. (a younger Mollie, of course)


Lori:  To me it wasn't the big misunderstanding that killed the book for me: it was Rosie. 

I'm completely heroine-centric and if the heroine doesn't work for me then the book is a dead end. And Rosie didn't work for me. There was nothing about her that I really liked.

The worst part of the book was that Rosie's family all lived in Australia and were coming to visit for Christmas and Rosie never told her live-in boyfriend that her family was descending upon them. 

Rosie just did what she wanted and didn't pay attention to what it meant to other people. And all her choices were selfish. Even the selfless choice to keep the school open was selfish because she wanted to keep her sweetshop open and keep her boyfriend employed.

Rosie was a git and I didn't root for her. Also I don't feel she'd be a good life partner since she never treated anyone in her life with honesty or true empathy.

Carolyn:  I'm not heroine-centric, thank the lord. I did get outdone with Rosie. But, you know, she sorta reminded me of me, the way she kept putting things off. When it's something you don't want to do, that you know will cause problems and/or fighting, emotionally insecure people do tend to think "I'll do it tomorrow, I can handle it better then because ...blah, blah, blah". (That's why my house looks like it does. ;-))

I also think if you squint real hard and angle your head in precisely the right position, you can see the school/Stephen thing differently (well, not you you, but a general you). She really did want the best for Stephen. She really did have low self esteem but I didn't buy how she talked herself into believing he didn't love her. But that's what folks with low self esteem do.

It was the Aussie family that got on my nerves (sorry Lea). When first they arrived they were horrible. Trashy even. And then, for no particular reason that I could see, they became acceptable, behaved better and were gathered into the loving arms of the village, or at least Stephen's mother. Didn't buy it. But it is a Christmas story, so whatcha gonna do??

Lori: Well, because it's the season and all that fa-la-la, I'll be kind and say there is probably something in the book to enjoy. Just not for me.

I do understand how you could see Rosie as insecure but I saw it as selfish. However... it wasn't a DNF and it was an easy and moderately pleasant read. I'd love to know how other people feel about it.

And on another note: we plan on reviewing at least one more Christmas themed book as well as Loretta Chase's newest. And we'll be pulling a mean trick on one another soon and choosing a book for the other person to read. Anybody know any Amish bondage books I can force on Carolyn?

Still Old, Still Farting and Still Talking Romance

We're still here.

Where there's a Lori, there's a Carolyn and behind every Carolyn is a Lori. We're still a team, still together and still talking.

We're just the same and different.

Mollie is a junior in high school and already going to college fairs and starting to look at scholarships. She'll be leaving me soon and my life is on the cusp of that great loss... right now I'm living in every moment enjoying the last years of being a mother to a child.

My heart swells and breaks every day.

Carolyn has been adjusting to life on her own in the middle of Trump country. It's a struggle sometimes to find a reason to get up and keep moving and she's working on that. This is not a world created for aging people.

We're still laughing and fighting. We still look at pictures of Jason Mamoa and clutch our pearls. (We'd rather clutch something else .. nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

We miss the romance community.

But we're figuring things out and where we want to be.

These old farts aren't done yet.

Overwhelmed

Life has just become overwhelming as of late. Time is at a premium and free time is hard to find. Work eats up my week with long hours and endless commuting and non-work time is chores and child, a lot of movement.

I am writing a murder mystery on Wattpad. It's fun and relaxing and writing not for profit has taken the stress out of it.

Carol and I are still talking but not as much as before **insert sad face here**. Time difference and work sometimes makes the connection hard. But there's still a lot of laughs we share.

Family is pretty okay. Mollie is discovering the bad side of teenage girls and having a slightly harder time recently. We're all navigating this together and trying to help her learn and not get too damaged by teenage girl meanness. (No bullying, just friendships gone bad and friends being pulled in different directions.)

Anyway, I'll put up a link to Wattpad soon for the story. Hope all our friends are doing well.