Book recommendation
I should probably be ashamed, shouldn’t I? Given that I met JL Merrow at the UK Meet in 2010 and have been following her blog ever since (not to mention working on the BritFlash and “Tea and Crumpet” anthologies with her) I should probably be ashamed that I’ve only just got around to reading one of her books.
However, I can’t be, I’m far too busy going “OMG, this is brilliant!”
I read Muscling Through over the weekend, and I knew within a page that I hadn’t been this excited about discovering a writer since encountering Josh Lanyon. Her characters absolutely leap off the page, and they’re so extremely loveable that I found myself enjoying a contemporary novella in which not much happens except for a slight misunderstanding. Normally this kind of thing bores me rigid, but JL Merrow proves that if you’re a good enough writer you can do anything and make the reader love it. Plot wise this was the professional equivalent of curtain fic, and I didn’t care because I was captivated watching the two of them pick out curtains, they were so adorable together while doing it.
I’m still buried under editing, so this is not a proper review, it’s just an “OMG! You must read this, you’ll love it!” So, to conclude, “OMG! Do yourself a favour and read Muscling Through. It’s wonderful.”
(In my head, blond curly-haired Tom Hiddleston played Larry, and Tom Hardy played Al. This made the reading experience even better for me, but you should probably substitute actors to suit yourself 😉 )
Just finished Wight mischief myself, which has prompted me to buy the back list, so would heartily support your recommendation
I love the idea of Tom Hardy as Al! Muscling Through is indeed excellent, and when you emerge from your editing you will enjoy Wight Mischief too, another tour de force.
I’m so glad to see that By Honor Betrayed has been getting the good reviews which it thoroughly deserves.
@batchelorboy55 I’ve got Wight Mischief loaded up on my ereader and waiting for a spare moment, so it’s good to know that one’s great too 🙂
@HJ Yes, Tom Hardy’s got that great range – he’d be able to go from ‘terrifying to meet down a dark alley’ to ‘innocent and vulnerable’ the way Al does, via sexy at all times, and he comes pre-tattooed 😉
The reception for By Honor Betrayed has been brilliant so far. I’m so grateful, as I’d started to think I might be losing it. Insecurity and I are old friends.
I read “Muscling Through” within about 24 hours of its release, and it really is very good. I did think “Tortoise Interruptus” was better though – the last line of that book almost gave me a hernia I laughed so hard.
Tom Hiddleston is definitely a good match for Larry, and spookily close to how I envisioned him: I had a young Michael Sheen in mind. Tom Hardy is far too slim and refined to match the Al I have in my head though. I pictured someone more like Harley Everett. (You might need safesearch off to google him.)
Tortoise Interruptus deserves some sort of prize on title alone 🙂 I’d forgotten that was hers. Make that another one I’ll have to hunt down – such a hardship!
Tom Hardy is one of those actors who puts on muscle for some parts and loses it for others. He seems to be built up again at the moment to play Bane and in Warrior: http://www.pajiba.com/assets_c/2011/09/tom-hardy-shirtless-warrior-01-thumb-450×277-30430.jpeg and http://www.moderntonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Tom-Hardy-Warrior-1.jpg
Though I see what you mean with Harley Everett, he’s rather lovely too.
I’m not sure I’d have described Harley Everett as “lovely”. Huge, hunky and sexy for sure, and with a very generous side-order of scary too. However it’s the way he treats (in both senses of the word) Leo Helios in their video together that makes me think of Al. He might look badass, but he’s soft as melted butter underneath.
The only hardship with having so many good books to buy is not having enough money to buy them all 🙁
Well, to be honest I’m not a fan of muscles (I like the slender, lanky look in general) but there were several pictures of him where I thought he had a nice face and a kind expression, which qualifies as lovely and does make him a good match for Al.
Ha! I know that problem. And the related one of not having the time to read them when you’ve got them.