Hannah's Writing List (April 2017)

Review: Strays by Garrett Leigh

Strays by Garrett Leigh. $5.99 from Smashwords.com
Work, sleep, work, repeat. Nero’s lonely life suits him just fine until his best friend, Cass, asks him to take on a new apprentice—a beautiful young man who’s never set foot in a professional kitchen. Despite his irritation and his lifelong ability to shut the world out, Nero is mesmerised by the vibrant stray, especially when he learns what drove him to seek sanctuary on Nero’s battered couch.


Whew. I found this e-book on page 57 of my Smashwords Affiliate Program list, almost 45 minutes of reading, frowning, clicking and rolling my eyes after joining the program and thinking it would be easy to find something reviewable. Spoiler: It wasn't. But I prevailed, and here we are!

I wasn't in the best of moods when I downloaded the sample file, so this novel passed a harsh bar. I had tried out seven other novel samples before this one, getting more and more impatient with what I had been reading so far, but STRAYS managed to capture me within the first five taps on the screen, enough to have me buy it before reaching the end of the sample. No spoilers ahead, promise!
Stylewise, this book is flawless, as is to be expected from a professionally edited book. It doesn't dawdle on uncessarily drawn out scenes, it doesn't run off with half of the plot left unfinished, and it doesn't get boring. It's an easy read regarding the choice of words, but with a flowery, colorful undertone that somehow entertains without getting too deep. Loads of swearing and verbal roughness, so be warned of that, but it fits the protagonists so well, it wouldn't be the same without it. One heart for style it is!
The two main characters are Lenny and Nero, a waiter and a prison-taught chef, who are forced together by happenstance and still work out, somehow. Both have their quirks, weaknesses and relatable pasts and they probably wouldn't have noticed each other in different circumstances. But as they say, sometimes love doesn't happen at first sight and needs a little bit of forced cohabitation to catch on. Having said that, I got an in-depth-view of their minds and thoughts and the how's and why's of their choices, which is all I ask for when reading a book. One heart for the protagonists! :)
Now for some not so gushing words. The antagonistic forces are twofold- an outside conflict in the shape of a stalker, and an inside conflict due to Nero's fucked up past. Both are interesting, but the stalking aspect gets cut out shortly after the beginning and is sadly kept in the back too much for my taste. It does get resolved, but in a manner I don't much care for, a side note that could have been so much more. The inner conflict is that much more well-drawn and carried through the story beautifully, but I still had a "meh" moment because of the stalker stuff. No heart for the antagonist, sorry!
Since I'm not one for spoilers, I won't give away any plot details. Just know that it's inventive and entertaining and will keep you glued to the book from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, so one heart for the inventive plot!
And finally, can this book be read on its own? Yes it can. There are other books in this series and I'm looking forward to reading them soon, as the characters are mentioned and outlined in this one, but I had no troubles at all understanding what was going on and how it came together. One heart for standalone!


Final Rating: 💗💗🖤💗💗

Conclusion: Great fun to read, worth every penny, romance you can actually root for. No railroading, no "decal"-characters, and good for your heart.

Wanna buy? Click at the link up top!

New short story: Get them out

Hello dearies!
Last weekend I tried my hand on a short story challenge from Sci-Fi-London. It turned out rather well, albeit devoid of any grabby guys :D I'm still proud of it, so here it is:

Get them out

 Have fun reading!

Love,
Hannah

Re-Share: How to use Active Reading to Become a Better Writer

I'm sharing this because it got my mojo going today! Nothing like chewing through a complete 80k novel and noticing all those little holes you didn't see before - good incentives, great explanations!

How to use Active Reading to Become a Better Writer - ProWritingAid