Wedding Bellskis (Holidays with the Bell...

Wedding Belskis (Holidays with the Bellskis book 3)

Seth Bellski and Lars Varga have opened their own law firm that specializes in representing the underrepresented--whistleblowers, disadvantaged employees, and those lacking power. The good news is, business is never slow. But that also means they are busy when all Seth really wants to do is plan his pending nuptials. So when his brother-in-law approaches him with concerns about his own business, and when Lars's brother gives them the cold treatment, Seth wishes he could just tune them all out. But holidays are all about families, even the annoying members. If Seth and Lars are going to enjoy their joint Hanukkah/Christmas celebration this year, they're going to have to deal with the brother that has a problem, and the brother that IS the problem. And do so before anything else comes in the way of them and their happily ever after.

 

What was it about being a decent, social human being that required one to persistently attend compulsory social engagements? Seth wasn’t introverted by nature, but he also preferred spending his time with people who shared more than a last name and a predisposition for maple syrup urine disease. He had a profound distaste for small talk in general, especially with people that he needed something from—in this case, a long-term affability. "

Review:

Dear Astrid Amara,

Seth and Lars are probably my favorite characters from your Hanukah novellas and I was so happy to meet them again, I suspect that this was the last time and if so, their story ended on pitch perfect note for me. Almost a decade passed in their world since we first met Seth and Lars in the first novella of this mini trilogy “Carol of the Bellskis”, which SaraF reviewed here at DA. As blurb states Seth and Lars have their own law firm and a lot of their clients are “little guys”, in particular they are taking a lot of employment discrimination cases.

Holidays are approaching and after another case almost ended ( we see the end of the trial and the only thing left is to wait for the judge’s ruling), Lars proposed and of course Seth accepted and now it looks like Holidays are going to be busier and more stressful than usual for both of them. We also learn that Lars’ family decided to come and visit for the Hanukah/Christmas celebrations and Lars decided to tell them about upcoming wedding in person.

I said it before and I will say it again, I am perfectly okay with reading stories about the men meeting for the first time and the book ending at the moment when they decide to stay together, but I love the stories which show what happens after that moment, I love the stories which show the challenges which established couples may face and grow as a couple and realize once again that they belong together. I love those stories.

This novella is a story about established couple. Seth and Lars had been together for ten years, give or take. I say give or take, because I am not sure from what moment we were supposed to count the decade they had been together, but no matter what they had been together for a while. They had been through a lot, and they are still deeply in love even if to some degree their love transformed into something different than what it was in the beginning.

"Seth had once imagined finding his soul mate would mean two minds becoming one, a constant state of partnership and bliss. But Lars wasn’t his soul mate. He was nothing sacred or special. He was a man who left whiskers in the bathroom sink and still thought burping a song was funny. But he was also the man Seth loved more than anyone else on this earth. There may not be astral strings entwining the two of them, but after nearly a decade of waking up in each other’s arms, Seth couldn’t define where his life ended and Lars’s began. And that seemed more tangible, real, and valuable than any fairytale soul mate."

The conflicts in this story were mostly of the external type and I appreciated that a lot, it is not that couple who was together for a long time cannot have problems (I am aware that divorces after long term marriages do happen!), but I always worry that I will not be convinced that the conflict in the long term fictional relationship will make sense and will indeed cause problems between two people who were so much in love after the first two stories ended. I appreciated that the writer did not try to break them up, especially because the story was on the shorter side and it would take a lot to make me believe that Seth and Lars decide that they did not want to be together anymore.

Believe me, they had enough to deal with in this novella and preparation for the wedding was only a part of that.

I appreciated that legal part of the story once again made sense to me ( yes, the judges do not always issue a decision from the bench right away), I appreciated that in Seth and Lars we saw the lawyers who practiced law not just because they loved the job and wanted to make a living ( which is a perfectly respectable reason to practice law or any profession if you ask me), but also because they wanted to help people.

Oh and this is a Hanukah novella, so of course the holiday is a backdrop for the story, and as always I liked and appreciated it.

I am having a hard time naming something that I did not like about the story therefore my grade is A-.

Ten years ago, lovers and best friends Ivo Toreli and Robert Mackenzie were separated by death. But sometimes life gives you second chances. Life...and a lot of cybernetic enhancements. Trust Agent 505 may not remember who he was before he worked security for Trust Insurance, but now his prisoner thinks he knows him. This revolutionary named “Mack,” who has stolen one of Trust’s prized possessions, seems to think Agent 505 is named “Ivo,” someone from his past. Someone he once loved more than anyone on any of the inhabited worlds. Ivo doesn’t remember any of it, of course. But if he’s going to get Trust’s property back from the revolutionaries, he’s going to have to play along. And if playing along also means sleeping with a handsome, humorous, and slightly dangerous ex-soldier, all the better, right?

 

Review:

Dear Astrid Amara,

I am always looking forward to a new story from you, but when I heard that this one is going to be a sequel to your earlier book “A policy of lies” which I believe was published in 2008 I was a little disappointed, because I could not finish “A policy of lies” years ago and when I tried to read it now, all I managed is to skim it. It was not horrible by all means, but it just paled for me in comparison with some of your other books.

I did not feel that I was confused though, so I think the readers could easily read this book without reading the first one. It takes place in the same world, and we do get to meet the couple from the first book briefly at the end, but the events in “Trustworthy” are taking place twenty years later and those events could be easily understood on its own.

Blurb describes the set up very well. Two boys had been friends with each other since they met when they were six or seven in the orphanage, grew up together, joined the Army together and we meet them in the prologue of the story when they are both twenty five (actually I am not hundred percent sure if both of them are twenty five, Mack could have been same age or couple years older) and their unit is assigned to fight unexpected raid of revolutionaries. Ivo dies during that assignment and then the next chapter opens up with the “ten years later” note.

Now the prologue took maybe fifteen percent of the story on my kindle and I am a little torn about what the author was trying to do here (as I understand). Basically Ivo narrates the whole story and in the prologue he is still Ivo, he is still in full control of his memory and amongst other things we are supposed to see how much these guys are in love with each other. From the blurb we know that major part of the story is about Ivo actually not remembering the love of his life for some very good reasons and then eventually reuniting with him after all the action took place. Of course in the prologue the reader should see their love so it would be all the more painful to watch Ivo struggling after all that time.

So initially I was not sure how much of their love I *saw*. I sympathized with Ivo right away, clearly the guy had a hard life and he was supposedly having a deep and powerful connection with his best friend. I saw Ivo’s love pretty fast; I just did not see the connection just yet.

"When we finished our burritos and Mack got up to use the restroom, I went ahead and ordered him a flan because I knew he’d want one. I paid for our meal before he could protest, because he spent his credits on osys upgrades, virchworlds, books, instruments, gadgets, whereas I saved every penny so I could buy Mack shit. When Mack came back to the table, the bill paid for, the flan, and sugary Mexican coffee awaiting him, his look of boyish delight melted my heart.”

When the story picks up ten years later, Mack and Ivo are on the different sides of the barricades. Actually Ivo is not even aware that he is Ivo anymore. He works for “Trust Insurance” company and he is an agent 505. When Mack is attacking the train which Ivo and other agent guard because they transport a certain valuable item, Mack does recognize Ivo even if he saw his lover die in front of him, but Ivo has no idea.

The attack unfolded the way that Mack and Ivo are stuck together and going to have to look together for the item. Or to be more precise Ivo took him as a prisoner, but Mack supposedly threw away the item during the attack, but he knows where it is and he can show Ivo and they need to hire a transport and get there together since there is nobody else left to do so.

Mack in the meantime keeps telling Ivo the stories from the life he does not remember, and he does not, but here and there he seems to catch fleeing impressions from the past which disappear frustratingly fast.

Would the men reconnect? Would Ivo remember all that he had lost? Why is he alive when his last words in prologue are him feeling as if his back was breaking? What did Trust do to him and other agents who do not even have their names anymore?  Stay tune to find out!

I want to note that while this book has plenty of action scenes and it is set in science-fiction setting, to me it is first and foremost a romance. Don’t get me wrong, I did not feel that the setting was lacking of anything, I thought the author shared just enough which was needed in order to write a satisfying romance. Just don’t go in expecting hard science fiction, all that I am saying.

Romance was indeed very satisfying for me and despite what I wrote above, I think it is not a spoiler to say that the men do indeed come back to each other, because once again it is Romance. I just realized something – I think it was by design that in the prologue we mostly saw Ivo’s love for Mack because he was a POV character, but even though he remains a POV character throughout the whole book in the rest of the story Mack’s love for him shines through as well.

B+

Book – Once Upon a Time in the Weird West
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 400
Cover – Gorgeous!
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – Speculative fiction, fantasy, western, LGBT


** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine


Combining some of the biggest names in MM fiction into one anthology, Once Upon a Time in the Weird West is a keeper!

~

Reaper's Ride, by Astrid Amara

★★★★★

POV: 3rd person, one character
Length: 0-13%
Theme: the Devil

This story began an incredible journey. After a brief mention of scalping, attacks on postal routes and the authors incredible gift for world building, we're immediately settled into the desert scenery, in the middle of nowhere. Adding in extensive attention to detail, a well thought out plot and timing, with the added paranormal element, this story packed a punch. I loved the characterisation and originality. I would definitely read more of these characters and this world, without hesitation.

Favourite Quote

““How about this – you get everyone on that damned list done today, then come back here, and I'll make it worth your while.”
Sye's dimples reappeared. “Why, here I thought you were an upstanding young gentleman.”
“Whatever it takes to keep you motivated through the night.””

~

Wild, Wild Heart, by Shira Anthony

★★★★★

POV: 3rd person, dual character
Length: 13%-20%
Theme: Steampunk

Wow! I loved this one. It had an emotional punch that left me reeling for a while. Instead of jumping into writing my review and moving on to the next story, I had to take a bit of a break, figure out my feelings and how to get them down into proper, understandable words. The steampunk, clockwork element was fantastically written, with such an intense attention to detail that every moment of clockwork and animation felt alive. There was a touch of the Iron Man Arc Reactor in the clockwork element that I loved! But I also really liked that we got the POV of both characters, because although Al was a great guy and a good POV, it was Cyrus who made me fall in love with the story. It was shorter than the previous story, but it was oh-so sweet!

Favourite Quote

““What are you making?” he asked when he first watched his master work.
“A gift” was his masters reply. “For you.”
“For me? Al didn't deserve such a gift. “But I–”
“I will give you life, and you will in turn devote that life to me.” His master opened his hand to reveal a gleaming silver watch, or what Al thought was a watch until his master said, “This is your life, Aloysius. A heart that will heal you. And in return for this gift,” his master added, “you will be my legacy.””

~

Dr. Ezekiel Crumb's Heavenly Soul Purifying Elixir, by Lex Chase

★★★★★

POV: 3rd person, one character
Length: 20-26%
Theme: Alien

This was a great new twist on the whole 'supernatural' element of a western. Not only did it explore the present day in a way that was believable and fun, but it had a great attention to detail for the past and the way it explored such a small location as Ezekiel's wagon, without feeling like the story was being oppressed or confined in any way. I loved the characters – Ezekiel was a great showman and yet so wounded underneath the façade. Levi was an enigma that slowly unraveled to reveal that he was just as broke.

Favourite Quote

“You've lost yourself, haven't you? Levi whispered in return. He reached up once again, cupping Ezekiel's cheek. “You could have been anyone. Instead you became a false prophet peddling moonshine strong enough to strip paint at forty paces.”

~

Corpse Powder, by Jana Denardo

★★★☆☆

POV: 3rd person, dual character
Length: 27-26%
Theme: Steampunk, Skinwalkers

The concept of bringing a Jewish man and a Navajo together was intriguing. I feel, however, that the first few pages really let it down.
The choice of language was something strange, with no sense of timing, as the character drifted between three or four different locations within one paragraph, without a good flow of explanation. It felt confusing, at first, because of that and it was hard to imagine the scene and locations because there was so little description available.
I didn't get the whole way of writing God as G-d, either. It felt strange and jarred me out of the flow of the story more than once.
As did the multiple names for Tsela; Alexander, Zahni and Tsela were all used frequently, swapping one out for another throughout the story. It wouldn't have been so confusing if one name had been used throughout the story writing and another within the dialogue, to show that he had all these various names. Instead, they were used in place of each other that it often became confusing.
It also didn't help that the entire 10% of the story was one long chapter, with the only break being between scenes. It made it a little more difficult to read in one sitting, because it was harder on the eyes.
Saying that, I enjoyed the crux of the story. The skinwalker, the two main characters both affected differently by the war, the airships and the steampunk elements were fine. Once the story got started, about 3% in, the writing improved and the story had more flow; the characters came into their own and the whole thing began to come together. But it felt very much like too much was being forced into a small space and we were given no real sense of setting.

Favourite Quote

“Sleep wouldn't come easy, not just because of the strange attack, but because he thought Alexander telling him his Navajo name meant something important. Isaac had been shown a way in, but was it merely friendship, or could he dare dream or something more?”

~

The Sheriff of Para Siempre, by Jamie Fessenden

★★★★★

POV: 1st person, one character (and an epilogue from another character)
Length: 36-44%
Theme: Zombie/Reanimation

I'm a blubbering mess right now, so if I'm not making sense, you can blame it on Jamie Fessenden. Quite simply, this story broke me. It broke my heart and it made me speechless. The story is told in a diary-like 1st person narrative that is absolutely perfect. I usually don't get along with 1st person, but this one needed it. And the dedication to the language, the detail and the perfect balance between giving us enough to build a world and not going over the top made me feel like I was watching an old Clint Eastwood movie, right until the paranormal stuff happened. It's so perfectly a western and yet so perfectly paranormal. And, I know, I keep using the word perfect, but it really is. It's the only fitting thing.
Another thing I really loved was that this is the first story in the anthology that has an established couple as the main characters, which was really great, because I could feel the chemistry between them right from the start. It's also the first to have on-page, explicit sex scenes, which weren't bad, either.
I thought the last chapter killed me, but it was the Epilogue of Wyatt Long's diary entry that really did me in.
As for the rest of it, I can't tell you much except that you have to read it.

Favourite Quote

““Do you ever wonder about all that Bible stuff?”
“Not much.”
“You don't think we're endangerin' our immortal souls, or whatever the heck Ellie said?”
Billy snorted. Then he kissed me nice and sweet on the mouth. When he was done, he said, “I ain't worried about it. If God don't want my soul, when I die, you can have it.””

~

The Tale of August Hayling, by Kim Fielding

★★★☆☆

POV: 3rd person, one character
Length: 44-50%
Theme: Dragon

This was an odd one for me and the shortest of the stories so far, which might account for that. I really felt like the story was building up to a friendship or romance between George and August, with all the sharing and the understanding they attempted with each other, though it was slight. However, the ending was really off-putting and didn't fit with the rest of the story.
I liked the dragon/hunter aspect of the story and it made sense of George's up to that point, but once we met Sarkany, things just turned on their head and happened way too fast. Perhaps if less time had been spent on the travelling and more time given to the end events, it wouldn't have felt that way. But, sadly, I just found it all really unbelievable. I didn't understand or warm to August much, as there was little characterisation and half the explanations of him that we got hinted at some kind of otherworldly origins that were never followed through on or explained. I also found his acceptance of the dragon situation – and his decision to give up everything he'd ever known for one man that he'd only just met – as bordering on ridiculous.
Unfortunately, not a story I'd read again.

Favourite Quote

““Never been questing in my lifetime. Don't reckon I'm the type. But anytime my life's been up the spout, I try an' do things different. I'd do it as a ghost too. If my questing wasn't working, I'd try it a new way.”
“I cannot find a new way,” George whispered. And after that he said nothing at all.”

~

Time Zone, by Andrew Q. Gordon

★★★★★

POV: 1st person, one character
Length: 50-57%
Theme: Enhanced Abilities, Contemporary

This one really, really confused me. It was a great story, but there wasn't one ounce of a western about it. I kept expecting Wesley's gift to jump them into a western time zone or setting, but it didn't happen. Everything about this story was contemporary super-hero related.
I liked the characters and great writing, world building and the easy flow of the story, but due to the anthology it's included in, I kept waiting for something that never came. My rating is for the story itself, as a singular entity, but if I were rating it in relation to the anthology, I'd have to knock a mark off for the lack of connection to a western.

Favourite Quote

“Lothar's smooth baritone was all the contact I was allowed with my handler. Handler? He was more like my guardian angel. I wanted to meet the man behind the damn sexy voice, but face-to-face consultations violated a safety protocol. More likely he was an AI, and they didn't want me to know I had a major boner for a computer program.”

~

Get Lucky, by Ginn Hale

★★★☆☆

POV: 3rd person, one character
Length: 58-67%
Theme: Magic, Dinosaurs, Pinkertons

This story is part of a world that I'm unfamiliar with. It doesn't say that you have to have read the novella The Long Past to understand it, but I'm pretty sure that might be the case. Unfortunately, for me, there was just far too much crammed into this story that didn't make sense. I'm guessing the year is sometime in the last 1800's, since it mentions New York, mortgages and denim all in one story and the latter didn't exist until around the 1870's. There are dinosaurs, however, which really messed with my understanding of the timeline, especially since we got no indication of the year until 2% into the story, which is a lot considering the story is only 9% in total. There are also Pinkerton's, water mages, clockwork automatons, spells and an official US government branch for magic users.
For me, the character of Lucky was intriguing, but there was just so much outside stuff going on that it was hard to get a focus on anything. I found my attention wandering, too exhausted to take in all this information and try to figure out if it was historically accurate to include in this time frame or not and then wondering if I'd missed something, because...hello...unexplained dinosaurs roaming around!
By the time the dino's were explained, I really felt like that should have come first or should have been something explained with more importance and urgency.
I also hate to say that I didn't get a western feel, at all. The Pinkerton thing kind of helped, but it was more like a fantasy story than a western with a twist; it felt like the 'western' aspect really took a back seat and the story lacked a little, because of that.
I didn't feel much chemistry between the star-crossed lovers, either and found that the whole misunderstanding and the danger aspect were glossed over too quickly and with little real plot forwarding. They felt less important than the reunion and Lucky's hurt feelings, which could also be said for the huge revelation that Lucky was about to step into a new future, thanks to the news Dalfon had come to deliver. The ending addressed none of that aspect of the story, though it was apparently the driving force for everything that had happened.

Favourite Quote

“Sure this man resembled Dalfon, but a scarlet snake resembling a coral snake didn't make them the same thing. And mistaking one for the other could get a man killed.”

~

From Ancient Grudge to New Mutiny, by Langley Hyde

★★★★★

POV: 3rd person, one character
Length: 67-73%
Theme: Romeo-Juliet, Mages

I really liked this one. It had that classic Romeo and Juliet storyline, in a brand new way. I loved the chemistry between James and Frank, the simplicity of it all and the natural way that the mage aspect flowed within the western setting.
I would have liked to have seen the final scenes in full, rather than an “imagine this” scenario, but it worked, somehow.

Favourite Quote

“He couldn't see another way out. In order to save his life, he had to clear the Montgomery name. Tonight.”

~

POMH, by Verona Keyes

★★★★☆

POV: 3rd person, one character, with one scene of another character
Length: 73-80%
Theme: Steampunk

It took me a little while to warm up to this story, because there were quite a few info dumps of background story that we had to learn, before moving off into the next scene. Though I understand the need for them and the few moments of flashback conversations, it did jar the reading a little.
There was also a continuity, understanding issue with the scene in the prison cell. A visitor stops by the to see POHM, but the POV changes abruptly from Lorem's to POHM without warning and doesn't make sense for a while, because there's a person there when there wasn't before and there's no arrival, no suddenly someone appearing or blinking and a person is there. It's just a person talks and is referred to as “the man” without any explanation whatsoever and I had to go back to re-read the half page before it to make sure I hadn't missed something.
I loved the ending and that salvaged the story for me. It made sense, it was well written and I loved the way that the chemistry and affection felt real, even though only one character had been present through the entire story.

Favourite Quote

“He ran to see what was the matter, and there lay Xander's body broken in the street, trampled to death by a trek carriage. He pushed by all the people, knelt next to the lifeless young man, and lifted him into his arms. A scream rent the air, and Sienna ran over to Loren and her dead brother.”

~

Oh, Give Me a Home, by Nicole Kimberling

★★★☆☆

POV: 3rd person, one character
Length: 80-85%
Theme: Space, Terraforming

I loved that we once again had an established couple and that I could feel the chemistry between them right from the start. The space, terraforming and robot idea was great and really well written. The slight criminal aspect was a good diversion and something that allowed some natural character exploration and development, while showing us the strength of the relationship. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Favourite Quote

“A couple of lusty Leroys who'd landed by each other had decided to hump instead.
“They're at it again,” Henry remarked. “You'd think they'd go after a Shirley.”
Gordon shrugged. “Some Leroys prefer the simplicity of other Leroys, apparently.””

~

Gunner the Deadly, by C.S. Poe

★★★★★

POV: 1st person, one character
Length: 85-92%
Theme: Steampunk

I loved this little snippet of western-steampunk crossover. The technology, the world building and the writing are excellent. The story is unique and clever, with just enough of a dash of danger. The chemistry between the main characters was great, very real and palpable right from the start.

Favourite Quote

““Your surprise tells me you didn't come to Shallow Grave for me, Special Agent Hamilyon,” Gunner said quietly.
“Rumor had it you were in Tombstone.”
“I left. Too many Earps and too many cowboys for my liking.””

~

After the Wind, by Tali Spencer

★★★★★

POV: 1st person, one character
Length: 92-99%
Theme: Elementals

This was fantastic! I liked that the 'elementals' were given their own name of 'weirdlings' to separate them from the type of elementals we know from other stories. I loved the way that it showed the Comanches in a good light, showing their brotherhood and their acceptance of the strange and unusual, without demonising them. The chemistry between the characters was great and well explored throughout the story, even with one being blindfolded for half the story.

Favourite Quote

““I've thought about you,” he said. Again he ducked his head, but this time he rested his forehead on my shoulder.
It was all I could do to not bury my face in his scent of fresh rainwater. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
“Not as much as I thought about you.” Being this near to him, my body burned. When I took the chance and placed my hands on his arms, his skin felt cool and so damn welcome.”

~

Overall, this was a fantastic compilation of speculative fiction and western themed stories. Though I loved the majority of them, I have to admit that The Sheriff of Para Siempre, by Jamie Fessenden was my favourite. It just got me, right in the feels and didn't let go, even after the story was done.

3.25 stars

Nice story about Seth who is fed up with the secret relationship he has with his boss, who refuses to come out of the closet.

I liked how Seth told Lars he was fed up with being his secret. Lars was a bit of an ass at first, but I did like how he followed Seth out to his family’s bed & breakfast to win him back.

Cute, with a Christmas-y feel. Or I should say Hanukkah-y, since they are celebrating Hanukkah, not Christmas.

The Archer's Heart - Astrid Amara Nice story, actually one of the best M/M romances I've read and it's epic fantasy based on a non-Western setting to boot.

Unfortunately, it also brings the notion of "contrived plot device" to a whole new level: while I truly appreciated the attempt to create a developed story, my expectations rose accordingly and considering the narrative's flaws, I'm conflicted as to how to rate this book. The logical reader in me says 2.5/3 stars, on a gut-level is a full four stars.

I enjoyed this three-part book and I warmly recommend it to any fan of the genre.