Etienne (2)

I don't write reviews. Especially when I dislike a book. If my problems with this book were limited to my opinions (below), I'd have sat on my hands. However, given recent events in the m/m genre, coupled with the fact I cite below, I felt the need to say something. Please don't shoot the messenger.
Opinion: 100% Tell, 0% Show. Also, “said” is not the only speech tag in the English language.
Fact: The 2nd paragraph of the 2nd section in Chapter 15 of this book is plagiarized from Wikipedia:

Variances underlined, Identical passages in bold:

All Fall Down:

“It’s the altitude. The boiling point of water is lower at higher altitudes due to the decreased air pressure. That may require an increase in cooking times or temperature and alterations of recipe ingredients. This effect becomes relevant at altitudes above approximately 2,000 feet. At that altitude, water boils at approximately 208° F and adjustments sometimes need to be made to compensate for the reduced air pressure/water boiling point.”

Wikipedia:

High-altitude cooking is the opposite of pressure cooking in that the boiling point of water is lower at higher altitudes due to the decreased air pressure. This may require an increase in cooking times or temperature and alterations of recipe ingredients. For home cooking, this effect becomes relevant at altitudes above approximately 2000 feet (600 m). At that altitude, water boils at approximately 208 °F (98°C) and adjustments sometimes need to be made to compensate for the reduced air pressure/water boiling point.


Further Opinion:
I'm open to considering the possibility this author did not know at the time that what he was doing is wrong. It seems unlikely, but if that's the case, I've done my duty in educating him.

Needless to say, this is chump change when viewed in a context of wholesale thievery, and yet one has to wonder…. If a person thinks it's okay to steal a piece of bubblegum from the Rotary Club's fundraising basket, what decision are they going to make if someone happens to leave a big stack of cash laying around?… (mehr)

This book was dull in some places, actively offensive in others, and sometimes both at once. I disliked all of the characters, especially that ghoulish true-crime writer. Does he seriously think people will be buying his books out of sympathy for the victims? It seems to me that people like him pretend to be compassionate and then sell a lot of books because people like to drool over probably quite lurid depictions of real-life sex and violence. Also, the author appears to have an exceedingly warped sense of "justice." I am not sure why I gave it one star, instead of half a star, when I read it, because I do not remember anything positive about it, except perhaps that most of the words are spelled correctly.… (mehr)

I really enjoy Etienne's writing, and this book did not disappoint me. This story is about two alpha males both ex military,over coming obstacles, old injuries but in the mean time they find love.

Etienne's story telling gives us just enough sex to show us even with limitations imposed on them from an injury the love they have for each other.

This story has a grandmother coming to live with them and the men trying to adopt his newfew.

Great addition to the Avondale series.

… (mehr)

In this story Etienne writes about four new characters; Dr. Ian Sanderson who teaches and Georgetown and his partner Lt.Colornal Randy Richardson who works at the Pentagon and both men have a teenage son. We also get to read about some familiar faces from a earlier Avondale book.

The story involves kidnapping of the two sons, escape, a couple close calls as the kidnappers try to get the boys back, and a new budding romance for a marine.

Etienne writing keeps you turning the pages. His writing is descriptive and detailed as in his past books he describes the food and restaurants so well you really want to go try it out. I even tried one of the wines that were mentioned in a previous book.



… (mehr)