Late Night Means Love - Declan Rhodes 3.5 Stars

Milo Clearwater is sous chef that has a dream of opening up his own restaurant one day. He works for a reputable restaurant that has a temperamental Head chef/owner. He hopes to also be able to find someone he can become romantically involved with who can handle his schedule. When the prospect comes for him to open his own restaurant he grabs the opportunity by the horns. Everything seems to be looking up for Milo and when he crosses paths with Cole, they seem to get even better.

But with everything looking so good, of course that’s when complications arise. Career-wise Milo is on a good path; romantically Milo isn’t sure what Cole’s relationship is with Milo’s benefactor.

I like stories that have a food theme, it’s interesting seeing the behind the scenes because not all restaurants are the same or have the same atmosphere. Milo was a sweet character and well liked among his friends and fellow cooks. He was humble and likable for the most part.
Readers didn’t get to know Cole as well as Milo and it’s hard to draw a good picture of him without being colored by his profession and how Milo friend’s perceive him. The two barely know each other before they sleep together and Milo does so when he’s having doubts about Cole and Gerard’s acquaintance. I found it odd and I didn’t like what it said about Milo. There were times when I thought Milo was acting like a teenager that had a crush.

I'm glad everything worked out in the end. Although Milo running away from his issues made me want to shake him and just push him to be a bit more fearless.

An ARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Nice traditional romance with an HEA. I liked this story very much and it was excellent counter programming to my other current read Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. This is my first romance with a blind character, and I thought it was well portrayed. But does he have to fall for the guy with the scarred face who is terribly self conscious of his disfigurements? That just seems a bit too convenient and kind of waters down the message of acceptance.

Alfred is a seven year-old boy in Hitler's Germany. When he and his father return from a short trip to the mountains his mother is gone. His father seems unconcerned and says maybe she's gone to visit her cousin. She never returns, indeed is never heard from again.

 

During WWII Alfred stays with his maiden aunts in the countryside. In the final days of the war he witnesses Russian soldiers rape one of them.

 

These two events subconsciously affect the rest of his life.

 

Alfred emigrates to Canada, becomes an engineer, marries Beth, and has a daughter, Carmen. Four years later he's divorced and moves to South Africa.

 

Now author Claudia Casper has the point of view fluctuate between Carmen, who lives with her mother and Alfred who is a serial adulterous and continues to get married and have families.

 

The Continuation of Love by Other Means is the story of this relationship. Specifically, it is a story about how one parent's life impacts on their child.

 

As Carmen grows up she visits her father in various parts of the world where he works as a mining engineer. She has fleeting relationships with her stepmothers and half-siblings and experiences different cultures.

 

It's apparent that being abandoned by his mother and seeing his aunt raped has psychologically affected Alfred, and I imagine the reader is supposed to take inferences as to how her father and his lifestyle affects the choices Carmen makes throughout her entire life.

 

This reader could never make that connection. The author seemed to develop a plot thread - an abusive relationship for Carmen, the "disappeared" in Argentina, and later Carmen's anxiety about her husband's fidelity, and then have them peter out.

 

Alfred's interest in caving and Carmen choosing to study the mating habits of little-known creatures is examined at some length, likely for metaphoric effect that again did not resonate with this reader.

 

The characters were unsympathetic and considering the book's title the story had a distinct lack of passion.

 

In the end, The Continuation of Love by Other Means is a tepid tale of a father and daughter relationship.

 

30

 

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I like this series but I really don't like the way Andrew Grey writes kid characters. That's why I stopped reading these. Jakie makes my teeth hurt. 

It was pleasant to see some of my boys again. This time around someone is out to hurt Eli. 

Okay sometimes Andrew Grey makes me crazy but when it comes to his Farm series he's pretty dependable. And the Farm series is perfect for summer reading. This time around we meet Bart and Tyrone the total screw-up and the righteous, lonely manager of the ranch. We stick to the regular story line and we see some of our past lovers.

 

I was a bit disappointed Grey still doesn't integrate past characters into a scene completely. Robbie was there but he said maybe one word. A page or two about the past characters when they are around would continue to keep them interesting and well, alive on the page. How's Duane handling Arie's out of town? So why and when did Joey and Robbie move out and do they still work at the ranch? By the way, what does Geoff's do with himself everyday? Don't get me wrong I got what I expected but now I'm wanting more.

 

He did handle Jakey better and Eli becomes wiser each book.