Little Whispers (Short Story collection) by Karen Campbell

Little Whispers by Karen Campbell
Rating
 


This lovely collection of short stories combines heart with a range of interesting characters, and a common thread of fond retrospect. A few are picked out below...

The first story Voices Carry opens the conversation, as an older woman takes a train journey that transports her into the past, remembering a special love. 

Silent Love conveys the challenges but rewards of a relationship that friends and family find it difficult to accept, however from the point of view that adds an extra twist to the tale. 

Forever Lost conveys the beauty of a lifetime of love and a well-weathered relationship that fades into all but memory as dementia sets in for one partner. Something that could sadly be a horribly-familiar story for couples that go the distance. 

Buy a copy on Amazon (from £1.86)

By Katie 

'Jess' by Pauline George

An interesting debut, this writer shows promise, Pauline has based her book around Jess a 'love them and leave them' type of lesbian who falls in love with a straight friend and turns her live upside down. 
Rating:

 

 

If that sounds like a cliched story, it doesn't come across like that in the book. 

Set in Croydon this book is a welcome addition to lesbian fiction from the UK. The author tells a good story, keeps you interested in the characters which keeps you reading because you want to know whats happens next. 

She writes particularly well about friendships, you can feel the closeness between these women, although some are more developed than others who are just names on a page.

The author is less adept at writing dialogue, it can come across as stilted, or like its being used just to move the plot along and as a result often doesn't sound realistic. Which is a shame as this has a bit of an impact on quite big scenes in the book and some of the emotional moments. 

Some of the plot also didn't work for me, predictable at times as you might expect from a romantic drama/chick lit style piece. As a writer you can get away with that if the way that you write is gripping enough or full of meaning and careful use of words that as a reader you are swept away with the beauty of the language, unfortunately this writer doesn't do that. However, as a first book it may be forgivable and the style can develop; the story and characters are there and those are the essential factors. George does write very good sex scenes not cliched but real and believable, (even though they all have washboard stomachs!!!)

The book was a good read, I found myself caring about and engaging with Jess - wanting her to find happiness, getting frustrated with her at points when she was uncomfortable with her feelings.

The ending was a little unsatisfactory, I won't say more so as not to ruin the story, but I think it put the main character through unnecessary soul searching, it seemed to me that what she was being asked to accept was a huge change without any time to adjust so punishing her for months seemed a little harsh. The fact that I cared so much about her though, has to be a good sign! 

I look forward to reading the author's next book.

Available on Amazon from £6

By Claire

 

Moon Chilled by Caitlin Ricci

Moon Chilled is a story of two werewolf mates, Shae & Maiki. Shae leaves the pack when she is 13 years old; she’s had enough of being abused by the alpha.

Rating:

 

They do not speak for 10-years until Maiki calls her asking her to come back: Shae feels guilty about leaving her mate behind all those years ago and so instantly sets off back to the pack, her mate & the alpha she so despises.

I had never really read any werewolf books before but I really enjoyed this one. Shae & Maiki have been separated for a decade but Shae will still do anything for her mate, even if it means facing the alpha again. 

I really liked how they story is told from the viewpoints of the two main characters, switching between them from chapter to chapter so we really get to know them well. 

This is a simple but very effective story, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone, whether you like werewolf stories or not.

Pre-order a copy now from just £2.50 (subject to exchange rates) at Less Than Three Press

By Amy

 

A Map of Everything, by Elizabeth Earley

A Map of Everything by Elizabeth Earley

Available: (RRP from $9.99 digital download) from Jaded Ibis Productions

Rating:
A Map of Everything is literally what it says on the tin (or the book cover in this case), it is a map (or a novel) about everything: love, tragedy, despair, complex family, and personal, relationships and personal transformation. The story follows a family through

their ups and downs, good times & bad after one very wet day changed their lives forever.

We are told this story by Anne, the youngest child, the “fifth-born” who is hit hard by what has happened to her sister June. Anne was just a young girl when the accident happened & through this story we see how she coped as a young child, how it affected her when she hit her teens and on into adulthood. Anne also tells us, through stories & anecdotes, how the rest of her family were affected by and coped with what happened.

By the end of the novel I felt like I knew Anne very well, I’d watched her grow from a young troublesome teenager into a very well-rounded woman. At times I actually felt like I was living Anne’s life right alongside her: I felt her pain, her sadness, her joy.

An exceptionally well written novel that I would recommend to anyone. Elizabeth Earley draws us into the story and makes us feel everything the characters are feeling, near the end of the book we are rooting for this family we know so well, we want everything to work out because god-knows they deserve it.

• Further info from the author

By Amy

True Nature by Jae

Rating:

 

True Nature by Jae is a supernatural lesbian romance that will immerse you in the Wrasa’s universe, where you’ll learn about shape-shifting wolves, foxes, and lions as well as their
strong passions and fears. But the book is mainly about love and how it can overcome differences.

The main characters, Rue and Kelsey, couldn’t be more different, but seeing them interact and learn about those differences to achieve a common goal is a pleasure. Rue is a woman used to
controlling everything around her, from her beloved ones to her job, so it was a matter of time until her life collapsed when her partner found other woman to love and her son, Danny, started doing exactly the opposite of what she wanted him to do. What Rue doesn’t know is that Danny’s changing mood and bad attitude is not just a phase and has nothing to do with him being a teenager but his true nature as a Wrasa.
 
On the other side, Kelsey is a Saru – a soldier – who can’t find her place in the world. Without a pack to call hers, she works for the seer – or Maharsi – of the Wrasa, Jorie, as her bodyguard. If being a submissive wolf has brought her nothing but troubles, the tense relationship between
Kelsey and Griffin (Jorie’s partner) just adds problems to the insecure and lost woman, whose
life has been shaped by her lack of decisions.

Everything will change for these two women when one of Jorie’s dreams brings them together.
This book is perfect if you’re looking for something deep but full of adventures, action, and
romance, because on the surface it’s a supernatural story, humans against shape-shifters
trying to survive and take care of their people, but soon the story changes and it’s all about
family, love, and belonging. Rue has lost almost everything because she can’t deal with
emotions, and whenever there is a problem related to feelings, she flees to her safe place, her
work. Danny needs her more than ever, needs his family and to feel their love for him, not only
because his First Change is near, but also because his family has disintegrated without him
knowing the real reasons. Then we have Kelsey, who not only feels guilty for what she did – or
didn’t do – to save her brother and his family; she’s in a constant conflict between what she
feels and what she thinks she has to do obeying other’s orders.

These three people need each other more than they can even imagine, but to be able to see
that, they not only will have to fight against the rules that separate them, but, because of their
differences, they’ll also have to fight against themselves, and there’s no harder fight.

Rue and Kelsey’s relationship is complex and deep. They don’t fall in love at first sight, and,
while you know they can complement each other perfectly, it’s more difficult for them to see
beyond the situation that brought them to work together. In addition to being on opposite
sides of a conflict that’s not new and won’t be resolved easily, they have their own emotional
baggage preventing them from accepting their feelings and needs.

As always, Jae is able to draw realistic characters, even when they’re not human, and that’s a
plus because every time I read one of her books, I know I will encounter a deep story, perfectly
told and with endearing characters. True Nature wasn’t an exception, of course, and I not only
enjoyed the trip with Rue and Kelsey, but now I want to know more about Griffin’s and
Shelby’s stories (Second Nature and Manhattan Moon) too.

To find out more and buy a copy (RRP $11.64) visit Ylva Publishing

By Alex, Lesbianfictionreviews.com

See Right Through Me by LT Smith

Rating:
 
 

See Right Through Me by L.T. Smith is the book you’re looking for if you want to have a great time and laughter with an entertaining lesbian romance. It’s perfect for a holiday when you just want to relax and forget everything but the magic of love at first sight and read about human doubts and insecurities that can ruin everything.
 
Since it’s a lesbian romance, you’d hope to have two main characters but the author tells the story from Gem’s point of view, a detail that makes a difference because, while Maria seems to be a mature and centered woman, sure of what she wants and with whom, Gemma is a disaster, a mix of desire, fears, and insecurities that result in a chaotic woman so prone to getting injured that you read every page waiting for another visit to the hospital.

But there’s so much more than this in See Right Through Me by L.T. Smith. With constant humor, the author tells us how Gemma’s life, not perfect but good at least, changes completely after a visit to the hospital after she got injured because of one the silliest accidents you can have at home (if what happened to her can be called a domestic accident).
 
There she will meet a woman who, ostensibly, is too good to be true and seems to be more
than interested in Gemma. This will launch a Pandora’s Box full of doubts, fears, and a constant fight between what she feels and why she thinks everything with Dr. Maria Moran is too perfect to be happening to her, a boring thirty-nine-year-old English teacher too skeptical for her own good. The fact that there are some people that are more than willing to “help” her to see the light doesn’t make things any easier for Gemma. She’s not sure whether she has reasons for distrusting the nervous and ambivalent doctor or her doubts come from her insecurities more that from Maria.
 
By not knowing more than Gemma knows and not being able to see more than she sees, readers understand her perfectly, feel her discomfort, doubt whether to trust her instincts or the evidence that’s thrown at her every time she gets a deeper glimpse of the woman who made her fall in love in mere hours and a couple of bloody accidents.
 
Having read as many books as I have, I often doubt whether I’ll find a book that is different or that will make me feel something; this one soothed those doubts. While reading See Right Through Me, I argued with Gemma about how she reacted after receiving the letter, I fell in love with Maria and her wonderful blue eyes, her vulnerability, her innocence, and felt more than a spark on their first night together… and I agreed with Gemma about her everlasting ramblings.

Thank you very much, L.T. Smith, for the treasure you shared on the last pages. I’m looking
forward to the next book!

To find out more and buy a copy (RRP $9.99 ebook) visit Ylva Publishing

By Alex, Lesbianfictionreviews.com

Three new short stories from Less Than Three Press

Safe Passage: Kate Owen

Synopsis: While doing renovation on the old New Orleans home inherited from her great aunt, Jules discovers an old safe filled with letters written in French—and code. Enlisting the aid of a local French teacher, the beautiful Gen, Jules slowly begins to learn the truth of her great grandfather's death ... 

Review: This short story is a lovely little romance set on New Orleans between two teachers. One teacher coaches the rowing team and is renovating the house she inherited from her aunt when she stumbles across some letters written in French code. She enlists the support of the French teacher at the school and they work together to solve the mystery that the letters uncover whilst getting closer. The story of full of charm and character, New Orleans makes its own impression on the reader and becomes an integral part of the story. I found myself interested by the characters and the story and wanting to find out what happened between them and between the people in the letters she uncovers. All together a delightful read.

To purchase: http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=90&products_id=558

Modern Serpents Talk Things Through: Jamie Brindle

 

Synopsis: Tina is a modern dragon, or at least she struggles to be. She's (mostly) sticking to her diet, she goes to the gym, doesn't lounge on her hoard for (too) long, and she's steadily working through some issues with her therapist. Like the humans and dwarves that recently invaded her home and shot her with an arrow. She didn't like killing them—mostly humans seemed like sad little creatures—but they did attack her and so she destroyed them. Except for the one she locked in the cupboard. That bit she's still working up to telling her therapist about... 

Review: I really enjoyed this short story. It takes a very clever medium to explore some of the challenges that women face in todays society. By having a dragon fall in love with a human creates an interesting way of looking at body size and shape and how the dragon is shunned by other dragons for falling in love with someone outside of their norm. By using this as a backdrop the author is showing us how silly and painful it is to be critical of how and who people fall in love with. Once again I enjoyed the way the writer tells the story and creates the characters and I especially enjoyed the dragon therapist! Classic storytelling…
  
Available to buy:http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=545


Selume Proferre: EE Ottoman


Synopsis: An-An Li-Johnson lives an easy-going, quiet life. She works part time at her friend's bookstore, is active in the local LGBTQ scene, manages to avoid the occasional crazy ex, and does temp work for the big name spell-craft firm Simon and Davidson.

Then she's hired to work with M.C. Anderson, an up and coming exorcist at Simon and Davidson. M.C. is deeply involved in the world of high stakes spell-craft, determined to carve out a place for herself among the extremely hierarchical and old fashioned world of professional exorcists. As they work together on an intense case of demonic possession, An-An finds herself more and more intrigued by her new boss. But just as the relationship looks like it might be deepening into something more, the case suddenly takes a turn for the worse.

Much, much worse. 

Review: 

This story reads like two separate stories, the first part is a fascinating account of an exorcism and how witchcraft and spells can create safety in the face of such negative energy. Not a world that I’m familiar with but I found this story gripping and would have liked more. Unfortunately, for me the story was cut short, so that the author could switch genres and write a piece of erotica. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy reading erotica when in the mood but to me it jarred and I felt it was tagged onto this story instead of being a natural part and integral to the plot. I think this is also because the author chose to write a short story, had they been braver and written a novel we could have had more about the fascinating supernatural world, whilst also having space to really explore the deepening connection between the two main characters. 

Available to buy: http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=94&products_id=526

I enjoyed all three of these stories; they were engaging, easy to follow, with plot and characters that you cared about. 


Reviewed by Claire Estelle