What do you think?
Rate this book
Signed and Sealed
William Drake’s living an ordinary life—he's got a job, a dog, and a house near Lake Superior—when a frantic call for help from his ne'er-do-well sister, Katrina, throws a big rancher-shaped kink in the works. Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, Will’s arrival at the Montana ranch belonging to Katrina's fiancé, Martin, is marked by a flat tire and unexpected help from a tall, dark, and handsome Good Samaritan who turns out to be Elijah Hunter, Martin's brother, and the most unsettling man Will has ever met.
Eli’s fury over Katrina’s misdeeds boils over onto Will, and he demands that Will remain on the ranch until the matter is resolved. While Will can take Katrina's place, Eli doesn’t make it easy, testing Will at every turn, but Will’s uncompromising morals exceed even Eli’s exacting standards. The attraction growing between them is further complicated by Eli’s ultimatum: he's still holding Katrina to the pre-nup she signed... unless Will agrees to marry Eli instead.
Eli’s fury over Katrina’s misdeeds boils over onto Will, and he demands that Will remain on the ranch until the matter is resolved. While Will can take Katrina's place, Eli doesn’t make it easy, testing Will at every turn, but Will’s uncompromising morals exceed even Eli’s exacting standards. The attraction growing between them is further complicated by Eli’s ultimatum: he's still holding Katrina to the pre-nup she signed... unless Will agrees to marry Eli instead.
200 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2011
About the author
B.A. Stretke
152 books386 followersB.A. Stretke is a Gay Romance and fiction author who publishes through Dreamspinner Press, LLC, and Amazon.com
B.A Stretke began writing as a hobby. He read his first Jane Austen novel as a teen and was instantly hooked. The age-old dream of being a novelist took hold. Now long into adulthood, and a few years as an editor under his belt, B.A. is a full-time writer. B.A. spends his days reading, engaging in sarcasm, and plotting the next storyline, often leaving little headspace for much else. He loves hiking through the Northern Michigan woods he calls home, often finding inspiration for his books. Writing and finding that perfect cup of coffee occupy the rest of his time.
B.A. Stretke lives in Northern Michigan with one royally spoiled cat and his dear friends and family.
You can connect with B.A. Stretke on his website: www.bastretke.com
Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/BAStretkeWriter
Like me on Facebook! - B.A. Stretke
B.A Stretke began writing as a hobby. He read his first Jane Austen novel as a teen and was instantly hooked. The age-old dream of being a novelist took hold. Now long into adulthood, and a few years as an editor under his belt, B.A. is a full-time writer. B.A. spends his days reading, engaging in sarcasm, and plotting the next storyline, often leaving little headspace for much else. He loves hiking through the Northern Michigan woods he calls home, often finding inspiration for his books. Writing and finding that perfect cup of coffee occupy the rest of his time.
B.A. Stretke lives in Northern Michigan with one royally spoiled cat and his dear friends and family.
You can connect with B.A. Stretke on his website: www.bastretke.com
Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/BAStretkeWriter
Like me on Facebook! - B.A. Stretke
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 23, 2011WTF-ery, Thy Name Is Signed And Sealed
This book had one of the most implausible and convoluted plots I've ever read. Will's sister, Katrina, is a gold digger who's managed to snag a guy (Martin) that she thinks is rich. Martin's brother, the one who's actually rich, Elijah doesn't want Katrina to marry Martin. Katrina finds out Martin's not actually rich and tries to leave him. Elijah, who didn't want them to get married in the first place, makes Katrina sign a contract that says she'll forfeit a crap load of money if she backs out of the marriage to Martin.
STOP! Wait...what? What indeed! If Elijah doesn't want his brother marrying Katrina why the HELL would he try to force her into marrying Martin?
It gets worse.
Somehow Katrina convinces Will to take a trip to Elijah's ranch. When Will gets there it turns out Katrina was like "Peace out, bitches!" and left. The thing is Elijah only let her leave because she promised Will would stay there for 30 days as collateral. Will can't leave because Elijah threatens to bankrupt both Will and Katrina and take Will's house.
Elijah sounds like a gem of a guy doesn't he? The kind of guy you'd want to suck face with, right? What's sexier than manipulation and threats?
I would say that Will and Elijah hate each other but they don't exactly. They have some kind of schizophrenic hate/love thing going on.
Elijah's all "I will ruin your fucking life unless you let me hold you hostage and stick my tongue in your mouth".
Will's all "I hate you! But OMG you make me all horny which makes me hate you even more you stinkin' bastard. Now, stick your tongue in my mouth!"
Ugh.
I'm not even sure exactly how far I got in this book because it was such a mixed up, hot mess that it all blurred together into a big WTF. DNF, good lawd almighty, such a DNF.
This book had one of the most implausible and convoluted plots I've ever read. Will's sister, Katrina, is a gold digger who's managed to snag a guy (Martin) that she thinks is rich. Martin's brother, the one who's actually rich, Elijah doesn't want Katrina to marry Martin. Katrina finds out Martin's not actually rich and tries to leave him. Elijah, who didn't want them to get married in the first place, makes Katrina sign a contract that says she'll forfeit a crap load of money if she backs out of the marriage to Martin.
STOP! Wait...what? What indeed! If Elijah doesn't want his brother marrying Katrina why the HELL would he try to force her into marrying Martin?
It gets worse.
Somehow Katrina convinces Will to take a trip to Elijah's ranch. When Will gets there it turns out Katrina was like "Peace out, bitches!" and left. The thing is Elijah only let her leave because she promised Will would stay there for 30 days as collateral. Will can't leave because Elijah threatens to bankrupt both Will and Katrina and take Will's house.
Elijah sounds like a gem of a guy doesn't he? The kind of guy you'd want to suck face with, right? What's sexier than manipulation and threats?
I would say that Will and Elijah hate each other but they don't exactly. They have some kind of schizophrenic hate/love thing going on.
Elijah's all "I will ruin your fucking life unless you let me hold you hostage and stick my tongue in your mouth".
Will's all "I hate you! But OMG you make me all horny which makes me hate you even more you stinkin' bastard. Now, stick your tongue in my mouth!"
Ugh.
I'm not even sure exactly how far I got in this book because it was such a mixed up, hot mess that it all blurred together into a big WTF. DNF, good lawd almighty, such a DNF.
August 2, 2011
Spoilers are scattered here and there, so please read at your own risk. I won't deliberately give all the major parts away, but there's just too much to be said that cannot be clearly explained without giving some sort of context.
I'm torn between giving this a two or a three but decided to settle for two stars because while there were times where I found myself enjoying the book, as a whole I wasn't really satisfied. However, I could've easily given this book four stars if it was correctly billed as a historical novel - there were just too many old-fashioned things that I just had a tough time believing this was happening in the present.
To be completely honest I bought this on a whim. Knowing that this is B.A. Stretke's first published novel, I didn't have any expectations at all, except perhaps the great mistake that Will has to pay for according to the blurb. And I'm glad I didn't enter it expecting a great read; while the author has a pretty solid and engaging writing style, I do believe he's writing for the wrong genre. His voice screams sophistication and is very much old-fashioned. Throughout the book I would sometimes catch a glimpse of casual writing here and there, but these moments were too few and far between that they just couldn't erase the feeling of a historical novel.
This all carried over to the dialogue. And how! Here's a piece of dialogue that you can easily spot from the end of the first chapter: "I will see to your comfort. I promise you will be well cared-for during your stay." Who says that in the modern world? Personally, I would've put it this way: "Dude, I promise I'll take good care of you so chill, okay?" Of course, I wouldn't be that crass and rude but still. There's a fine line between sounding polite and sounding just plain fancy and uptight. Like I said, it all contributed to the big feeling of a historical novel. There are so many more factors to this, but the writing style and voice are the first things a reader notices so those were the aspects of the novel that I mentioned first.
There weren't that many references to any modern conveniences, although within the first chapter we already encounter a Ford Focus, so it was in my great understanding that the story was taking place within the last decade. Otherwise, it would've just been one big anachronism stew. There were cellphones and planes and cars. And oh, there was also a mild continuity error with Elijah's cars - in the first chapter it's described as a large one and after a first chapters we are told it's a sports car. Unless SUVs are considered sports cars these days, I don't see how a sports car can be anything but sleek and compact and not large and bulky. But that's just a minor thing. The disconnect between the given time period and the writing itself was a big point of contention for me. I'm going to sound like a broken record once more, but by golly I can't repeat how many times I can say that I wouldn't have minded so much if Dreamspinner Press and the author billed this novel as a Timeless Dreams book and edited out all references to modern stuff.
(Also, the author seems to be quite fond of using the phrase "out loud" - which is completely unnecessary if you ask me because Will's thoughts were enclosed within quotation marks, which should've made the point in and of itself that Will was saying them out loud. I hope that made sense.)
I feel bad for saying this, but it just felt like a Harlequin novel to me. Countless times I would recall all the old Harlequin novels my mother used to read. Personally I've never read a novel published by Harlequin Enterprises myself, and so when I say that this novel felt like one, that must be saying something. Even Will himself admits to it! He thinks, and I quote from the book, "Talk about a gentleman, I feel like I'm in some sort of Harlequin novel." The fact that his characters seem to think so too should've been a big wake-up call to B.A. Stretke. The plot was just so reminiscent of one of those old-fashioned "bodice-ripper" stories that it made me internally cringe at times. Will was sent there as collateral and basically all he does is mope and spend time with Elijah and just stay in the house or talk to people all day long. It would've felt more modern and realistic if Elijah made him work so that he could pay off his sister's debt of $500,000. What did they accomplish by letting him sit around? Nothing, really. Will felt to me like a helpless damsel-in-distress most of the time, not the independent young man he professed himself to be.
Elijah was also a bit of a problem for me. Not to sound rude or anything, but does he have PMS? One minute he's shouting at Will and saying hurtful things and the next he's putting his arm around him and leading him into his room. I admit that his actions pretty much even out as we move along further into the book, but his hostile behavior in the beginning doesn't really justify his sudden change of heart. And Will! How clueless can one person be? The character traits pale in comparison to the major point of the writing itself, but I still felt bothered by them. (To be completely honest I wanted to see more of Martin but it was like he was just brushed off to the side, which is weird considering it was his supposed "marriage" that opened the plot.)
Overall, it was just the Harlequin feel to it that bothered me the most, especially since this wasn't even a historical novel to begin with. I know, I know - you're all tired of me blasting about how the time period is inappropriate. But I cannot reiterate it enough because this was perhaps the biggest mistake the author made. It would've shown a lot of promise and potential had it been in the right genre. Perhaps a shift in genre would benefit the author a lot. Signed and Sealed isn't a bad read; it's just the fact that it was placed in the wrong genre that bothered me the most.
I'm torn between giving this a two or a three but decided to settle for two stars because while there were times where I found myself enjoying the book, as a whole I wasn't really satisfied. However, I could've easily given this book four stars if it was correctly billed as a historical novel - there were just too many old-fashioned things that I just had a tough time believing this was happening in the present.
To be completely honest I bought this on a whim. Knowing that this is B.A. Stretke's first published novel, I didn't have any expectations at all, except perhaps the great mistake that Will has to pay for according to the blurb. And I'm glad I didn't enter it expecting a great read; while the author has a pretty solid and engaging writing style, I do believe he's writing for the wrong genre. His voice screams sophistication and is very much old-fashioned. Throughout the book I would sometimes catch a glimpse of casual writing here and there, but these moments were too few and far between that they just couldn't erase the feeling of a historical novel.
This all carried over to the dialogue. And how! Here's a piece of dialogue that you can easily spot from the end of the first chapter: "I will see to your comfort. I promise you will be well cared-for during your stay." Who says that in the modern world? Personally, I would've put it this way: "Dude, I promise I'll take good care of you so chill, okay?" Of course, I wouldn't be that crass and rude but still. There's a fine line between sounding polite and sounding just plain fancy and uptight. Like I said, it all contributed to the big feeling of a historical novel. There are so many more factors to this, but the writing style and voice are the first things a reader notices so those were the aspects of the novel that I mentioned first.
There weren't that many references to any modern conveniences, although within the first chapter we already encounter a Ford Focus, so it was in my great understanding that the story was taking place within the last decade. Otherwise, it would've just been one big anachronism stew. There were cellphones and planes and cars. And oh, there was also a mild continuity error with Elijah's cars - in the first chapter it's described as a large one and after a first chapters we are told it's a sports car. Unless SUVs are considered sports cars these days, I don't see how a sports car can be anything but sleek and compact and not large and bulky. But that's just a minor thing. The disconnect between the given time period and the writing itself was a big point of contention for me. I'm going to sound like a broken record once more, but by golly I can't repeat how many times I can say that I wouldn't have minded so much if Dreamspinner Press and the author billed this novel as a Timeless Dreams book and edited out all references to modern stuff.
(Also, the author seems to be quite fond of using the phrase "out loud" - which is completely unnecessary if you ask me because Will's thoughts were enclosed within quotation marks, which should've made the point in and of itself that Will was saying them out loud. I hope that made sense.)
I feel bad for saying this, but it just felt like a Harlequin novel to me. Countless times I would recall all the old Harlequin novels my mother used to read. Personally I've never read a novel published by Harlequin Enterprises myself, and so when I say that this novel felt like one, that must be saying something. Even Will himself admits to it! He thinks, and I quote from the book, "Talk about a gentleman, I feel like I'm in some sort of Harlequin novel." The fact that his characters seem to think so too should've been a big wake-up call to B.A. Stretke. The plot was just so reminiscent of one of those old-fashioned "bodice-ripper" stories that it made me internally cringe at times. Will was sent there as collateral and basically all he does is mope and spend time with Elijah and just stay in the house or talk to people all day long. It would've felt more modern and realistic if Elijah made him work so that he could pay off his sister's debt of $500,000. What did they accomplish by letting him sit around? Nothing, really. Will felt to me like a helpless damsel-in-distress most of the time, not the independent young man he professed himself to be.
Elijah was also a bit of a problem for me. Not to sound rude or anything, but does he have PMS? One minute he's shouting at Will and saying hurtful things and the next he's putting his arm around him and leading him into his room. I admit that his actions pretty much even out as we move along further into the book, but his hostile behavior in the beginning doesn't really justify his sudden change of heart. And Will! How clueless can one person be? The character traits pale in comparison to the major point of the writing itself, but I still felt bothered by them. (To be completely honest I wanted to see more of Martin but it was like he was just brushed off to the side, which is weird considering it was his supposed "marriage" that opened the plot.)
Overall, it was just the Harlequin feel to it that bothered me the most, especially since this wasn't even a historical novel to begin with. I know, I know - you're all tired of me blasting about how the time period is inappropriate. But I cannot reiterate it enough because this was perhaps the biggest mistake the author made. It would've shown a lot of promise and potential had it been in the right genre. Perhaps a shift in genre would benefit the author a lot. Signed and Sealed isn't a bad read; it's just the fact that it was placed in the wrong genre that bothered me the most.
August 11, 2011
CAUTION: Slight Spoilers
Holy Hell! A mm-romance that's your standard Harlequin romance! Aaaaaaa!
.
.
.
/crazyfanmoment
If you don't like Harlequin or you don't like western romance, move on. If you like at least either one of them, this book may be your cup of tea. I don't care for western romance but I do occasionally read Harlequin and the sort. What can I say? I'm a sucker for those baby mama stories. =P
Instead of a chick, it's two guys with dicks, one being all alpha-you-better-listen-to-me and the other I'm-a-good-guy-with-a-lonely-heart. This is a romance and not erotica, because there are only three mundane sex scenes to tug the heart.
Disregarding my the 5-stars rating I gave the book, Signed and Sealed does have its flaws. IMO, flaws are inherent in Harlequin or Harlequin-esque stories.
Gripes
I have a few gripes with the plot. I wished Will would have phoned his lawyer the moment Katrina pulled him into another of her gold-digging scheme. That should have been his first warning if not the phone-call from Eli at the start of the story. I wished he would have done so especially when Eli demanded Will to stay in exchange for Katrina's freedom. Two words: illegal imprisonment. Well, almost. Will only agreed to stay because Eli threatened to sue and take away Will's home. Wake up! Your sister accused you of being an accomplice to her gold-digging scheme, there's a guy threatening to sue you because of her, and you're not calling your lawyer?!? I get Will was hesistant to call his lawyer because then Will will have to deal with the loss of his parents again, but come on! I thought the imminent threat of homelessness would have beatdown the grief of family death of two years ago.
Another impossible thing was how Eli was able to get his hand on Will's safety deposit box that his parents left for him in their will. A safety deposite box filled jewel heirlooms and the deed to ancestral land. Apparently, Will's lawyer trusted Eli enough to for Eli to give it to Will...uh, what? Seriously? Maybe the reason why Will didn't call his lawyer is because his lawyer is a crappy one. WTF happened to lawyer-client privilege?
Moreover, I thought the three tests Eli gave to Will for proof of duplicity were too apparent. A credit card with a thousands of dollar limit, a dubious marriage proposal, and access to Eli's bank account. A big reason why gold-diggers are so dangerous is because they're sneaky. It's not until AFTER the marriage AND several stack of bills later that you'll find out she/he is a gold-digger. The other kind of gold-diggers, the ones who are so obvious you have to be blind and deaf and retarded, are not dangerous because their rich lovers know what they're getting into. Hugh Hefner, the face of Playboy, is one such example. Yeah, those young, hot girls really love Hugh for his look and personality. /sarcasm. So I thought those tests Eli gave didn't really prove or disprove anything other than Will's intelligence.
Nonetheless, these plotholes didn't break the story for me. It was pretty much the standard it-is-this-way-for-convenience-to-make-good-drama Harlequin always throw around. Like I said, if you don't like Harlequin and similar romances, then you will not like this story at all. A possible gripe people might have is how the setting of the story—rural Montana was so liberal, i.e. pretty much everyone were all into gay-acceptance. Realism, thy name is not Signed and Sealed, especially not in Harlequin. I tend to avoid the contemporary subgenere of mm-romance because of this, so I was all for having a setting where romance is main issue, not sexuality or social acceptance or civil rights blah blah blah. Not My Thing, I like reading Harlequin remember? Of course, there's only so much suspension of belief a reader can handle, but this story didn't irritate me with its plotholes of convenience.
Characters
I love Will and his vulnerability. I usually loathe goody-two-shoes characters, but Will's personality of being levelheaded (the lawyers thing aside) was refreshing. Eli was always testing Will and provoking him that I was delightfully suprised Will didn't throw a temper tantrum the entire time—I sure as hell would have. I'm suprised Will even managed to stay the entire time that Eli forced upon him. I also like how there were no slut-shaming that is often prevalent in Harlequin romance. But that's most likely because Will was male not female. No double-standard here.
I like Eli, he's your typical aplha male. Beneath that rough-and-tough exterior lies a heart of gold that cares deeply for family and friends. Hot sexy cowboy. The man all the ladies and gay laddies want. Eli may have been stereotypical but he wasn't dull. It was compelling to see him so conflicted between testing Will because he's the brother of a gold-digger and wanting Will because he's may be The One.
Overall
If I can change one thing about the story, I wish the ending would have extend after the wedding and in the honeymoon. Signed and Sealed gets a five from me (because it's the first Harlequin-esque mm-romance book I ever read, so there =P).
Holy Hell! A mm-romance that's your standard Harlequin romance! Aaaaaaa!
.
.
.
/crazyfanmoment
If you don't like Harlequin or you don't like western romance, move on. If you like at least either one of them, this book may be your cup of tea. I don't care for western romance but I do occasionally read Harlequin and the sort. What can I say? I'm a sucker for those baby mama stories. =P
Instead of a chick, it's two guys with dicks, one being all alpha-you-better-listen-to-me and the other I'm-a-good-guy-with-a-lonely-heart. This is a romance and not erotica, because there are only three mundane sex scenes to tug the heart.
Disregarding my the 5-stars rating I gave the book, Signed and Sealed does have its flaws. IMO, flaws are inherent in Harlequin or Harlequin-esque stories.
Gripes
I have a few gripes with the plot. I wished Will would have phoned his lawyer the moment Katrina pulled him into another of her gold-digging scheme. That should have been his first warning if not the phone-call from Eli at the start of the story. I wished he would have done so especially when Eli demanded Will to stay in exchange for Katrina's freedom. Two words: illegal imprisonment. Well, almost. Will only agreed to stay because Eli threatened to sue and take away Will's home. Wake up! Your sister accused you of being an accomplice to her gold-digging scheme, there's a guy threatening to sue you because of her, and you're not calling your lawyer?!? I get Will was hesistant to call his lawyer because then Will will have to deal with the loss of his parents again, but come on! I thought the imminent threat of homelessness would have beatdown the grief of family death of two years ago.
Another impossible thing was how Eli was able to get his hand on Will's safety deposit box that his parents left for him in their will. A safety deposite box filled jewel heirlooms and the deed to ancestral land. Apparently, Will's lawyer trusted Eli enough to for Eli to give it to Will...uh, what? Seriously? Maybe the reason why Will didn't call his lawyer is because his lawyer is a crappy one. WTF happened to lawyer-client privilege?
Moreover, I thought the three tests Eli gave to Will for proof of duplicity were too apparent. A credit card with a thousands of dollar limit, a dubious marriage proposal, and access to Eli's bank account. A big reason why gold-diggers are so dangerous is because they're sneaky. It's not until AFTER the marriage AND several stack of bills later that you'll find out she/he is a gold-digger. The other kind of gold-diggers, the ones who are so obvious you have to be blind and deaf and retarded, are not dangerous because their rich lovers know what they're getting into. Hugh Hefner, the face of Playboy, is one such example. Yeah, those young, hot girls really love Hugh for his look and personality. /sarcasm. So I thought those tests Eli gave didn't really prove or disprove anything other than Will's intelligence.
Nonetheless, these plotholes didn't break the story for me. It was pretty much the standard it-is-this-way-for-convenience-to-make-good-drama Harlequin always throw around. Like I said, if you don't like Harlequin and similar romances, then you will not like this story at all. A possible gripe people might have is how the setting of the story—rural Montana was so liberal, i.e. pretty much everyone were all into gay-acceptance. Realism, thy name is not Signed and Sealed, especially not in Harlequin. I tend to avoid the contemporary subgenere of mm-romance because of this, so I was all for having a setting where romance is main issue, not sexuality or social acceptance or civil rights blah blah blah. Not My Thing, I like reading Harlequin remember? Of course, there's only so much suspension of belief a reader can handle, but this story didn't irritate me with its plotholes of convenience.
Characters
I love Will and his vulnerability. I usually loathe goody-two-shoes characters, but Will's personality of being levelheaded (the lawyers thing aside) was refreshing. Eli was always testing Will and provoking him that I was delightfully suprised Will didn't throw a temper tantrum the entire time—I sure as hell would have. I'm suprised Will even managed to stay the entire time that Eli forced upon him. I also like how there were no slut-shaming that is often prevalent in Harlequin romance. But that's most likely because Will was male not female. No double-standard here.
I like Eli, he's your typical aplha male. Beneath that rough-and-tough exterior lies a heart of gold that cares deeply for family and friends. Hot sexy cowboy. The man all the ladies and gay laddies want. Eli may have been stereotypical but he wasn't dull. It was compelling to see him so conflicted between testing Will because he's the brother of a gold-digger and wanting Will because he's may be The One.
Overall
If I can change one thing about the story, I wish the ending would have extend after the wedding and in the honeymoon. Signed and Sealed gets a five from me (because it's the first Harlequin-esque mm-romance book I ever read, so there =P).
November 21, 2012
DNF at chapter three.
This story reads as a 1980s Sandra Brown or harlequin romance novel. The things I didn't like about this story are a direct result of that. I don't read m/f largely to avoid this type of story.
What I didn't like
Unrealistic/cheesy and stilted dialogue.
POV switches were confusing.
I'm pretty sure this was written as m/f and swapped to m/m. Will reads as a female.
Elijah acted as if he had multiple personality disorder.
The plot (especially the beginning) made no sense to me. The characters motivations were confusing.
Very cliched situations
Lackluster narrator (audiobook)
I didn't like it. At all. I'm upset I spent money on this. However, I you would like a m/m Harlequin romance, this will be 100% up your alley.
This story reads as a 1980s Sandra Brown or harlequin romance novel. The things I didn't like about this story are a direct result of that. I don't read m/f largely to avoid this type of story.
What I didn't like
Unrealistic/cheesy and stilted dialogue.
POV switches were confusing.
I'm pretty sure this was written as m/f and swapped to m/m. Will reads as a female.
Elijah acted as if he had multiple personality disorder.
The plot (especially the beginning) made no sense to me. The characters motivations were confusing.
Very cliched situations
Lackluster narrator (audiobook)
I didn't like it. At all. I'm upset I spent money on this. However, I you would like a m/m Harlequin romance, this will be 100% up your alley.
Read
September 7, 2011I understand that Signed And Sealed is B.A. Stretke's first published work (if memory serves me correctly). I will try to bear that in mind as I write this review which is, just MY opinion.
First of all, the basic premise of the book...i.e. Will being held against his will in exchange for his sister until she can come up with the money to break her contract etc. is completely unbelievable (and I daresay illegal). Even ignoring this fact, I still had issues stomaching Will's gallant show of arriving to "save" Katrina (his gold digger sister) given her character and the fact that he seemed torn up with guilt at a family that Katrina had broken up in the past.
Knowing that she was up to no good AGAIN and then rushing off to help her despite the fact that they aren't close in the least...just does not ring true to me. Will seems to be be TOO much of a saint, too PERFECT in terms of ethics etc. to be real. The author also has will questioning himself - "why does Eli affect me like this? Why am I being so wanton," too often for my taste. It's like every other paragraph Will is asking himself these questions. It's as if the author was worried we'd forget Will is usually a saint and this behavior is new to him.
Eli is a typical hard ass and mean sort but who everyone on the ranch claims is just misunderstood. Of irritation to me were Mrs. Coleman and the other woman (the wife of one of Eli's ranchers). Yet again an author falls into the trap of using hard as nails women who basically insist they know what's going on better than the main characters. If, as they say, Eli really is a good soul inside then why the surprise at his recent behavior? It seems one moment Eli is thinking that Will is a gold digger like Katrina was...and then admits to himself he doesn't really believe that...then goes back to believing it again.
Worse, even when believing Will is up to no good he goes and buys a piano because he learns Will is a piano teacher. Eli is the typical aggressive sort and basically tongue wrestles with Will and in the next breath threatens to destroy him and Katrina. I am rambling and you will have to read the book to see what I mean. The book also falls into the cliche of uber-jealousy on Eli's part several times. It got annoying.
It seemed that everybody is so interested in Eli and his change and the constant references to it just got old. We got it already. No need to show us surprised townsfolk - even giving us a peek into a waitress' head - over and over.
I agree the characters were quite one dimensional. There was saintly, hurt too often, Will. Hard ass yet loving soul deep down Eli. Know it all Mrs. Coleman and what's her face. Martin is basically just a sounding board to get Eli to talk so we see what he's thinking (not that we need it given the author lets us hear their thoughts all the time). Martin has no real depth, neither does Katrina (but then she's meant to be shallow). The only characters that have any hint of substance are Will and Eli (and not enough).
If it were a short story you can get away with it. But for a book introducing characters who don't add to the story just doesn't seem right. Anyway, I think the book wasn't a complete failure, but there was room for improvement (as is to be expected given it is the author's first work). I for one have read much, Much, MUCH worse from 'authors' who churn out 'book' after 'book' and never improve.
I hope I haven't insulted you, Mr. Stretke and if I did my sincerest apologies. I'm just being honest. Hey, even the best authors had criticisms leveled against them (and many still do :P ). All the best for future writings of yours!
First of all, the basic premise of the book...i.e. Will being held against his will in exchange for his sister until she can come up with the money to break her contract etc. is completely unbelievable (and I daresay illegal). Even ignoring this fact, I still had issues stomaching Will's gallant show of arriving to "save" Katrina (his gold digger sister) given her character and the fact that he seemed torn up with guilt at a family that Katrina had broken up in the past.
Knowing that she was up to no good AGAIN and then rushing off to help her despite the fact that they aren't close in the least...just does not ring true to me. Will seems to be be TOO much of a saint, too PERFECT in terms of ethics etc. to be real. The author also has will questioning himself - "why does Eli affect me like this? Why am I being so wanton," too often for my taste. It's like every other paragraph Will is asking himself these questions. It's as if the author was worried we'd forget Will is usually a saint and this behavior is new to him.
Eli is a typical hard ass and mean sort but who everyone on the ranch claims is just misunderstood. Of irritation to me were Mrs. Coleman and the other woman (the wife of one of Eli's ranchers). Yet again an author falls into the trap of using hard as nails women who basically insist they know what's going on better than the main characters. If, as they say, Eli really is a good soul inside then why the surprise at his recent behavior? It seems one moment Eli is thinking that Will is a gold digger like Katrina was...and then admits to himself he doesn't really believe that...then goes back to believing it again.
Worse, even when believing Will is up to no good he goes and buys a piano because he learns Will is a piano teacher. Eli is the typical aggressive sort and basically tongue wrestles with Will and in the next breath threatens to destroy him and Katrina. I am rambling and you will have to read the book to see what I mean. The book also falls into the cliche of uber-jealousy on Eli's part several times. It got annoying.
It seemed that everybody is so interested in Eli and his change and the constant references to it just got old. We got it already. No need to show us surprised townsfolk - even giving us a peek into a waitress' head - over and over.
I agree the characters were quite one dimensional. There was saintly, hurt too often, Will. Hard ass yet loving soul deep down Eli. Know it all Mrs. Coleman and what's her face. Martin is basically just a sounding board to get Eli to talk so we see what he's thinking (not that we need it given the author lets us hear their thoughts all the time). Martin has no real depth, neither does Katrina (but then she's meant to be shallow). The only characters that have any hint of substance are Will and Eli (and not enough).
If it were a short story you can get away with it. But for a book introducing characters who don't add to the story just doesn't seem right. Anyway, I think the book wasn't a complete failure, but there was room for improvement (as is to be expected given it is the author's first work). I for one have read much, Much, MUCH worse from 'authors' who churn out 'book' after 'book' and never improve.
I hope I haven't insulted you, Mr. Stretke and if I did my sincerest apologies. I'm just being honest. Hey, even the best authors had criticisms leveled against them (and many still do :P ). All the best for future writings of yours!
August 5, 2015
I read this story in a hundred Harlequins back in the early 80s, when I was young and foolish--and I was interested to see one of the old classic tropes in a current-day M/M romance.
Nostalgia only takes you so far, and the early 80s were kind of a low point anyway.
I kept reading to see if it would get better or interesting or something. It didn't. Eli has no redeeming qualities at all, but at least he's not as annoying as Will.
Terrible.
Nostalgia only takes you so far, and the early 80s were kind of a low point anyway.
I kept reading to see if it would get better or interesting or something. It didn't. Eli has no redeeming qualities at all, but at least he's not as annoying as Will.
Terrible.
April 15, 2013
I probably would have never read this story except I saw a few reviews from some of my GR friends that were so bad I had to do it.
OMG this was the best bad book I have read in so long!! I was so entertained that I could hardly put it down, and then I wanted to go slower so it would last longer.
Yes, this book will not appeal to many readers. It is the epitome of a cheesy Harlequin romance from the 80's. If ya read my bookshelf lists you would know how much I love to read those literary gems ...even in 2013. Seriously, it's like someone took all of my favorite Diana Palmer cowboy stories and wrote an M/M version. Yep, not everyone's cup of tea but I make no apologies for my questionable judgement.
This book is so awesome, there are actually lines it in like, "stroking the fullness of his member," and "plunders the moist softness of his lips." I could go on and on with examples - I know terribly awesome right?
Now you have to understand a bit about my reading habits to question why I enjoyed that since at this point you have lost all respect of me. Really, I read all kinds of romance and I don't flinch over much - it was just such a novelty to read a story written like this in 2011. If I could write a romance I would probably want to write one like this, but then again my skin isn't thick enough to handle all of the negative reviews it would generate. I wish I had the guts to do it though.
So now you have an opinion formed on this book with my highly questionable judgement, and if like me you find this sort of far-fetched cowboy fantasy tale to be entertaining then I highly recommend you read it.
OMG this was the best bad book I have read in so long!! I was so entertained that I could hardly put it down, and then I wanted to go slower so it would last longer.
Yes, this book will not appeal to many readers. It is the epitome of a cheesy Harlequin romance from the 80's. If ya read my bookshelf lists you would know how much I love to read those literary gems ...even in 2013. Seriously, it's like someone took all of my favorite Diana Palmer cowboy stories and wrote an M/M version. Yep, not everyone's cup of tea but I make no apologies for my questionable judgement.
This book is so awesome, there are actually lines it in like, "stroking the fullness of his member," and "plunders the moist softness of his lips." I could go on and on with examples - I know terribly awesome right?
Now you have to understand a bit about my reading habits to question why I enjoyed that since at this point you have lost all respect of me. Really, I read all kinds of romance and I don't flinch over much - it was just such a novelty to read a story written like this in 2011. If I could write a romance I would probably want to write one like this, but then again my skin isn't thick enough to handle all of the negative reviews it would generate. I wish I had the guts to do it though.
So now you have an opinion formed on this book with my highly questionable judgement, and if like me you find this sort of far-fetched cowboy fantasy tale to be entertaining then I highly recommend you read it.
September 2, 2011
2.5
It was like reading a mm version of a 1980s Harlequin. Crazy, vengeful, super-rich rancher and the poor little innocent. Of course, the rancher quickly realizes the innocent is truly innocent and falls in love, but by then there's nothing he can do to convince the innocent he's sincere and that his protestations of love aren't just part of his vengeful scheme. It even included the ubiquitous scene where the rancher is overcome by lust and almost takes the innocent against his will, only recognizing at the last minuite that the innocent is reacting with fear instead of passion.
It was entertaining in the sense of providing a nostalgic flashback. Diana Palmer, I think, right down to the significant age difference. But I'm no longer as naive as I was back then, and I'm so very grateful that romantic fiction has (for the most part) evolved along with me to leave that crap in the past.
Also, I found the constant POV-jumping distracting and, at times, confusing. Not only did we jump between the main characters, but also to various bystanders for maybe a paragraph each, such as the waitress in a diner. It might not have bothered me so much if I'd actually gotten involved in the story, but since I wasn't it was an additional distraction (and source of unintentional amusement at times).
It was like reading a mm version of a 1980s Harlequin. Crazy, vengeful, super-rich rancher and the poor little innocent. Of course, the rancher quickly realizes the innocent is truly innocent and falls in love, but by then there's nothing he can do to convince the innocent he's sincere and that his protestations of love aren't just part of his vengeful scheme. It even included the ubiquitous scene where the rancher is overcome by lust and almost takes the innocent against his will, only recognizing at the last minuite that the innocent is reacting with fear instead of passion.
It was entertaining in the sense of providing a nostalgic flashback. Diana Palmer, I think, right down to the significant age difference. But I'm no longer as naive as I was back then, and I'm so very grateful that romantic fiction has (for the most part) evolved along with me to leave that crap in the past.
Also, I found the constant POV-jumping distracting and, at times, confusing. Not only did we jump between the main characters, but also to various bystanders for maybe a paragraph each, such as the waitress in a diner. It might not have bothered me so much if I'd actually gotten involved in the story, but since I wasn't it was an additional distraction (and source of unintentional amusement at times).
September 18, 2011
I think this is another one of those stories you'll either love it or you'll hate it. It's got the feel of a harlequin book but make no mistake neither of the characters are effeminate.
I personally loved it but of course I've always been fond of 'arrangement' type books and this one definitely can be found under that classification. I don't really want to give spoilers about it but basically William has a quiet life but when his sister calls it's thrown into chaos. He flies to Montana to help her out only to realize she sold him out and now he's stuck on a ranch with a gorgeous man until she can pay off her debt.
I liked William and I loved Eli. William is the type of character where it's 'no, no, no' with anything revolving around Eli. He doesn't trust Eli because of how Eli treated him so it takes Eli doing some fancy moves to convince William that he's genuine. The story was very amusing to me. In the beginning I loved William's reluctance but by the end I was a bit annoyed at William for not seeing how much Eli cared. I loved, loved, loved Eli because he's such an alpha man. Pushy and manipulative at times, cold and ruthless, too, but he's also gentle and caring when he needs to be with William. What I loved MOST about the book was Eli's easy affection with William. I also liked that people realized William was someone special because of how Eli wasn't so touchy with others.
While I loved the story, there were some things that annoyed me. William's constant denial in the end was one of them. There was some head-hopping I really didn't care for especially when it would hop into a strangers thoughts and they'd think how strange Eli's behavior was. It was amusing what they all thought but it got annoying pretty fast. I also hated Willian's sister. She bugged the shit out of me but I can understand why William put up with her and her schemes.
Overall, I liked the story a lot. I wouldn't mind reading more about these two or reading something else from B.A. I know some people think it was just a silly book but it all depends on what mood you'd be in and whether you'd be open to reading something like this. Either way, I'd recommend it.
I personally loved it but of course I've always been fond of 'arrangement' type books and this one definitely can be found under that classification. I don't really want to give spoilers about it but basically William has a quiet life but when his sister calls it's thrown into chaos. He flies to Montana to help her out only to realize she sold him out and now he's stuck on a ranch with a gorgeous man until she can pay off her debt.
I liked William and I loved Eli. William is the type of character where it's 'no, no, no' with anything revolving around Eli. He doesn't trust Eli because of how Eli treated him so it takes Eli doing some fancy moves to convince William that he's genuine. The story was very amusing to me. In the beginning I loved William's reluctance but by the end I was a bit annoyed at William for not seeing how much Eli cared. I loved, loved, loved Eli because he's such an alpha man. Pushy and manipulative at times, cold and ruthless, too, but he's also gentle and caring when he needs to be with William. What I loved MOST about the book was Eli's easy affection with William. I also liked that people realized William was someone special because of how Eli wasn't so touchy with others.
While I loved the story, there were some things that annoyed me. William's constant denial in the end was one of them. There was some head-hopping I really didn't care for especially when it would hop into a strangers thoughts and they'd think how strange Eli's behavior was. It was amusing what they all thought but it got annoying pretty fast. I also hated Willian's sister. She bugged the shit out of me but I can understand why William put up with her and her schemes.
Overall, I liked the story a lot. I wouldn't mind reading more about these two or reading something else from B.A. I know some people think it was just a silly book but it all depends on what mood you'd be in and whether you'd be open to reading something like this. Either way, I'd recommend it.
May 18, 2012
The criticisms are true. The dialogue reads like a period piece male female novel then as if the writer changes his mind in the middle and turns it into a modern day cowboy novel with gay leads. Only this is the least rugged cowboy out there as they do not speak in contractions. Wow an old English cowboy rancher hybrid. Why 5 stars???
why i like it:1. The story hit all my kinks! Loved the bad boy who falls hard for the conservative good hearted guy. 2. You know what EVERYONE is thinking. So we know before William (and even Elijah does) that Elijah was falling hard for unassuming William. It soothes the control freak in me... 3. The good guy gets rewarded by marrying the billionaire every nasty gold digger is targeting. 4. The sex scenes were sweet/ hot. 5. Your future hubby will have your dog shipped to the ranch so you won't have anything to worry about. AWWWWW!
Hilarious but ADORABLE: There were times that William was treated like a girl-- I mean who carries a guy so he does not step on broken glass? if BA Stretke writes another novel.. I am buying it!
why i like it:1. The story hit all my kinks! Loved the bad boy who falls hard for the conservative good hearted guy. 2. You know what EVERYONE is thinking. So we know before William (and even Elijah does) that Elijah was falling hard for unassuming William. It soothes the control freak in me... 3. The good guy gets rewarded by marrying the billionaire every nasty gold digger is targeting. 4. The sex scenes were sweet/ hot. 5. Your future hubby will have your dog shipped to the ranch so you won't have anything to worry about. AWWWWW!
Hilarious but ADORABLE: There were times that William was treated like a girl-- I mean who carries a guy so he does not step on broken glass? if BA Stretke writes another novel.. I am buying it!
August 26, 2011
Stars: 2-2.5/5
Overall
A lot of other reviewers have listed this book as "Harlequin" in nature, which really didn't mean much to me, since I've not read enough Harlequins to judge. However, it is something to keep in mind when reading this review, as some of my points may be applied to this Harlequin status.
To enjoy this book, the reader is going to have to take a ginormous leap of faith from the beginning, as the entire story is reliant on the notion that Will is practically held hostage at Eli's estate. While he's not being forced physically, Eli is holding financial reasons over his head. I found that, and the majority of the plot, to be ridiculous and horribly weak, which made a majority of the story unenjoyable. That, rolled together with the facts that Will can't trust Eli (who seems to change personalities every other scene) and Eli thinks Will is a gold digger like his sister, but they both have the hots for each other, makes for a frustrating story.
However, not all is lost. Once the story begins to dig deeper into Eli actually beginning to court Will and overcoming Will's distrust of him, the story picks up. If this is "your sort of story," I think it could be very interesting, but in general I was not impressed.
Strengths
Admittedly, I have a soft spot for antagonistic romances where hatred (with a touch of lust) blossoms into love. Once this novel got to that point where the initial logistics were put behind and Eli was beginning to court Will, everything was much more enjoyable. I realize that a large portion of the beginning was needed to develop their relationship to create the conflict, but more could have been done to focus on the strength of the story rather than the flimsy building blocks.
Weaknesses
The point of view was third person limited omniscient, jumping from character to character at the author's discretion. While it wasn't done poorly, I feel this novel could have improved if it was kept in a second person perspective, leaving the reader just as confused as Will was about Eli's motives and feelings. As it was, we know what's going through Eli's head, and it makes the majority of the struggles rather inane. While many books flip between the two characters and play off "misunderstanding" trope, this novel relied too heavily on Will's issues and distrust to work the conflict appropriately. While we can see Eli is a bit of a jerk, we never think he's as mean as Will does because we see inside Eli's head, although sometimes even that isn't enough to make sense of what's going on. I give the author credit for being consistently omniscient in writing, but don't feel it was very helpfully to the story telling.
The set up of the story was the most difficult for me, as I mentioned above. It seemed trite and unfeasible. I couldn't buy it and so I had a difficult time settling into where the author wanted me to go. Along those lines, I had a hard time buying that Will could just take off from work for a month, since we know he's not exactly rich. Plus, even though his dog is safe at a "friend's" house, I'd be a little pissed if I was asked to dog-sit for a weekend and it became a month! And he never calls to see how the dog is. Minor points, perhaps, but symptoms of the larger problem.
In addition, Eli seemed a bit unbalanced. To an extent, we are given the reasons behind this, but for the most part he just comes off as a little crazy/vengeful, which makes sense, as this is how Will is supposed to see him. However, some of the events that we see through Will's eyes are not compatible with how Eli behaves when we see events through Eli's eyes. Not until the end did Eli begin to have a consistent personality that seemed to fit with the person everyone describes throughout the story.
Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
Overall
A lot of other reviewers have listed this book as "Harlequin" in nature, which really didn't mean much to me, since I've not read enough Harlequins to judge. However, it is something to keep in mind when reading this review, as some of my points may be applied to this Harlequin status.
To enjoy this book, the reader is going to have to take a ginormous leap of faith from the beginning, as the entire story is reliant on the notion that Will is practically held hostage at Eli's estate. While he's not being forced physically, Eli is holding financial reasons over his head. I found that, and the majority of the plot, to be ridiculous and horribly weak, which made a majority of the story unenjoyable. That, rolled together with the facts that Will can't trust Eli (who seems to change personalities every other scene) and Eli thinks Will is a gold digger like his sister, but they both have the hots for each other, makes for a frustrating story.
However, not all is lost. Once the story begins to dig deeper into Eli actually beginning to court Will and overcoming Will's distrust of him, the story picks up. If this is "your sort of story," I think it could be very interesting, but in general I was not impressed.
Strengths
Admittedly, I have a soft spot for antagonistic romances where hatred (with a touch of lust) blossoms into love. Once this novel got to that point where the initial logistics were put behind and Eli was beginning to court Will, everything was much more enjoyable. I realize that a large portion of the beginning was needed to develop their relationship to create the conflict, but more could have been done to focus on the strength of the story rather than the flimsy building blocks.
Weaknesses
The point of view was third person limited omniscient, jumping from character to character at the author's discretion. While it wasn't done poorly, I feel this novel could have improved if it was kept in a second person perspective, leaving the reader just as confused as Will was about Eli's motives and feelings. As it was, we know what's going through Eli's head, and it makes the majority of the struggles rather inane. While many books flip between the two characters and play off "misunderstanding" trope, this novel relied too heavily on Will's issues and distrust to work the conflict appropriately. While we can see Eli is a bit of a jerk, we never think he's as mean as Will does because we see inside Eli's head, although sometimes even that isn't enough to make sense of what's going on. I give the author credit for being consistently omniscient in writing, but don't feel it was very helpfully to the story telling.
The set up of the story was the most difficult for me, as I mentioned above. It seemed trite and unfeasible. I couldn't buy it and so I had a difficult time settling into where the author wanted me to go. Along those lines, I had a hard time buying that Will could just take off from work for a month, since we know he's not exactly rich. Plus, even though his dog is safe at a "friend's" house, I'd be a little pissed if I was asked to dog-sit for a weekend and it became a month! And he never calls to see how the dog is. Minor points, perhaps, but symptoms of the larger problem.
In addition, Eli seemed a bit unbalanced. To an extent, we are given the reasons behind this, but for the most part he just comes off as a little crazy/vengeful, which makes sense, as this is how Will is supposed to see him. However, some of the events that we see through Will's eyes are not compatible with how Eli behaves when we see events through Eli's eyes. Not until the end did Eli begin to have a consistent personality that seemed to fit with the person everyone describes throughout the story.
Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
September 3, 2011
I think this book has to be read for what it is. A first time novel of MM romance. For some they will find it sweet and like the gentle angst of Will. For others its a step back in time to an era they left behind.
Personally my problems with the book were more about the style than the story. Sometimes it felt almost like a historical piece, and that was never my favorite. But at the same time it was kinda nice to remember the good old Mills and Boon days but still have my MM fix lol. .
I think with time and guidence this author could become better at his craft. I certainly wish him the best of luck with his writing, and hopefully he will see most of the comments as constructive.
Personally my problems with the book were more about the style than the story. Sometimes it felt almost like a historical piece, and that was never my favorite. But at the same time it was kinda nice to remember the good old Mills and Boon days but still have my MM fix lol. .
I think with time and guidence this author could become better at his craft. I certainly wish him the best of luck with his writing, and hopefully he will see most of the comments as constructive.
April 6, 2013
This book had one of my most hated tropes in it - but it was chosen for me as a challenge read so I persevered - the love = possession trope. The only way I ever saw the "love" shown and not told was in sexual attraction and extreme possessiveness/domineering. I generally would have avoided this story because I know that kind of plot line pushes all my buttons. I was also frustrated because many times in the story I had to re-read a passage to see whose head we were in because POV switched so often and so suddenly and often to unexpected side characters. Overall, this was not my favorite story BUT I know that many people LOVE the domineering, possessiveness = love stories so for them, this book might be one to read. 1 star for the story, 3 stars for the writing, 2 stars overall.
August 7, 2011
2.5 stars
As others have said, this read like a Harlequin novel to me. Just read Beatrice's review for my thoughts on the characters - "Will felt to me like a helpless damsel-in-distress most of the time, not the independent young man he professed himself to be." Yep that, and her thoughts on the other characters, just about covered it. Not a bad story though.
As others have said, this read like a Harlequin novel to me. Just read Beatrice's review for my thoughts on the characters - "Will felt to me like a helpless damsel-in-distress most of the time, not the independent young man he professed himself to be." Yep that, and her thoughts on the other characters, just about covered it. Not a bad story though.
June 5, 2015
I missed the shouldn`t-be-taken-seriously-fairytale vibe I got from a book with a similar story I liked very much.
A 1950ties Harlequin m/f romance plot without even the tiniest sliver of realism - now someone stapled a dick to the damsel in distress and made a gay romance out of it. It doesn`t work that way, it really doesn`t.
A 1950ties Harlequin m/f romance plot without even the tiniest sliver of realism - now someone stapled a dick to the damsel in distress and made a gay romance out of it. It doesn`t work that way, it really doesn`t.
August 8, 2011
Throwback to harlequinn bodice rippers. If you liked those, you will love this book. I definitely enjoyed it.
May 23, 2020
I read all the reviews before I started this book. I guess it is a mm harlequin book from the 1980’s. The thing is, I never read one of those books. Back then I was reading Gothic Romances . I loved Victoria Holt.
So, I read it as someone new to the genre. I found it fun and delightful. It’s a light read with little angst. My only complaint is that Will should have been a little stronger in resisting Eli in the beginning. I still enjoyed it.
So, I read it as someone new to the genre. I found it fun and delightful. It’s a light read with little angst. My only complaint is that Will should have been a little stronger in resisting Eli in the beginning. I still enjoyed it.
February 3, 2013
Loved it, simply just loved it.
I actually thought I would hate this book. But in reality I loved it so much. Admittedly it's not for everyone, and anyone who hates sometimes random things will hate this, but I for one loved it. The plot and characters were great.
I am a huge fan of drama. And this was one of those books that had subtle drama. Not everyone would label it dramatic, but that is how I felt about it.
Will and Eli were completely different. Will was the sweet, but temperamental pushover, and Eli was the hard hearted, strong willed ice man. But the two of them together created something Will was both afraid of and skeptical of.
The plot of being held for collateral was not my favourite. Katrina was the reason for that and although I hated her character, it made the story something enjoyable. I was not a huge fan of Eli for a while, but he really loved Will.
There were some nice scenes and the characters fitted into the story well. Everything worked out. I would recommend this to most people but it's not for everyone.
I actually thought I would hate this book. But in reality I loved it so much. Admittedly it's not for everyone, and anyone who hates sometimes random things will hate this, but I for one loved it. The plot and characters were great.
I am a huge fan of drama. And this was one of those books that had subtle drama. Not everyone would label it dramatic, but that is how I felt about it.
Will and Eli were completely different. Will was the sweet, but temperamental pushover, and Eli was the hard hearted, strong willed ice man. But the two of them together created something Will was both afraid of and skeptical of.
The plot of being held for collateral was not my favourite. Katrina was the reason for that and although I hated her character, it made the story something enjoyable. I was not a huge fan of Eli for a while, but he really loved Will.
There were some nice scenes and the characters fitted into the story well. Everything worked out. I would recommend this to most people but it's not for everyone.
Read
January 16, 2013I was feeling a bit bad and wanted to read something that wouldn't ask a lot of me and simply amuse me. So, with some reward money I bought this. I knew I was buying a harlequin M/M, but this.....was more then I could have imagined ;)
At one point during the novel, the MC says something along the lines: "I feel like a heroine in an old harlequin romance". Boy, was he right. And not just in a harlequin romance, but in one of the worse ones out there. This was so incredibly bad it was kinda good :D
The only advice I can give if you're thinking about reading this is that you leave your brain behind. Don't expect logic, don't expect anything rational, don't even try to think. Just enjoy this train wreck.But be warned: only the strong of mind will prevail. Or those that are already insane :)
Joke aside, this did its job, it got me through a bad day and I read the irony even if maybe the author did not intend it.
At one point during the novel, the MC says something along the lines: "I feel like a heroine in an old harlequin romance". Boy, was he right. And not just in a harlequin romance, but in one of the worse ones out there. This was so incredibly bad it was kinda good :D
The only advice I can give if you're thinking about reading this is that you leave your brain behind. Don't expect logic, don't expect anything rational, don't even try to think. Just enjoy this train wreck.But be warned: only the strong of mind will prevail. Or those that are already insane :)
Joke aside, this did its job, it got me through a bad day and I read the irony even if maybe the author did not intend it.
August 3, 2011
3 stars....maybe. I don't know. I did enjoy the book but there was just something...the random (and sometimes useless) PoV's drove me crazy. Will was getting on my nerves a bit near the end. And the whole thing really did have the feel of a Harlequin novel.
I will read more from this author, since I did like the story. :)
I will read more from this author, since I did like the story. :)
April 8, 2017
If not for a challenge I would have dnf'd early on. The premise of the story was ludicrous and the language was so stilted and false. It was a painful read without hearing everyone's thoughts. Hopefully the author got better as this was one of his earliest works but not sure that I'm willing to try.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
November 8, 2017
non ricordavo quanto era bello questo libro, strafelice di averlo riletto
Read
August 18, 2011Reading Signed & Sealed was like doing a jump in the past, when I was an avid reader of the Diana Palmer’s series Long Tall Texans. In those serial romances, there was always, always the mousy virgin heroine who was stubbornly refusing to accept that the handsome, and very wealthy, ranch owner had fallen in love with her. There was also always a butterfly sister/friend/cousin who was taking all the attention while her shy and plain jane sister/friend/cousin was doing her best imitation of a wallflower. Now even if those romances were more or less the same book after book, nevertheless I was browsing the shelves to find yet another one of them. When I sold all my old romances, Diana Palmer was among the few authors I saved. So yes, I loved them, but I also knew, and still know, that those plots were a little unrealistic, and that, well, the mousy heroine was not so clever after all, since the solution to all her trouble was easy but apparently she was not able to see it.
Will is the wallflower in this case; 24 years old and mostly inexperienced, he is called to rescue his sister, the butterfly, from a trouble she herself caused. She needs to payback 500.000$ to a wealthy rancher, Elijah, or marry his brother Martin; she has few weeks to collect the money and until then Will is playing the collateral asset as honoured guest at Elijah’s ranch. Good coincidence is that Will is gay and also Elijah; plus Elijah doesn’t really want for Katrina to marry his brother Martin, he would prefer for Will to marry him. Of course Elijah has fallen in love at first sight with Will, it was enough for Will to shyly smile to Elijah and the man was taken; good job considering that almost everyone considers Elijah cold-hearted and aloof.
Problem is that Will underestimate the power of his shyness, and he cannot see how irresistible he is to Elijah’s eyes; sure Elijah is attracted to Will since he is docile and kind, Elijah is a natural dominant who wants/needs a submissive companion beside him. Will sometime has a rebellious streak inside him, but his rebellion shows only in arriving late to dinner or forgetting to answer the phone… nothing major, maybe annoying to Elijah, but it’s enough that Will makes a display of that shy smile and everything is forgotten.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1615819312/?...
Will is the wallflower in this case; 24 years old and mostly inexperienced, he is called to rescue his sister, the butterfly, from a trouble she herself caused. She needs to payback 500.000$ to a wealthy rancher, Elijah, or marry his brother Martin; she has few weeks to collect the money and until then Will is playing the collateral asset as honoured guest at Elijah’s ranch. Good coincidence is that Will is gay and also Elijah; plus Elijah doesn’t really want for Katrina to marry his brother Martin, he would prefer for Will to marry him. Of course Elijah has fallen in love at first sight with Will, it was enough for Will to shyly smile to Elijah and the man was taken; good job considering that almost everyone considers Elijah cold-hearted and aloof.
Problem is that Will underestimate the power of his shyness, and he cannot see how irresistible he is to Elijah’s eyes; sure Elijah is attracted to Will since he is docile and kind, Elijah is a natural dominant who wants/needs a submissive companion beside him. Will sometime has a rebellious streak inside him, but his rebellion shows only in arriving late to dinner or forgetting to answer the phone… nothing major, maybe annoying to Elijah, but it’s enough that Will makes a display of that shy smile and everything is forgotten.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1615819312/?...
January 3, 2014
This book was - O K . It actually was well written and the start had me hooked and looked promising but it ended up being disappointing . Will is in no way described as being femminate and infact at the start of the book and all the way through it really, he argues against Eli, not backing down yet as the book goes on he gets treated more and more as a girl being described as 'wanton', 'gasping against Eli shocked' and being swung up into Eli's arms, I mean really? No offense to the author because as previously stated it is actually well written but I'm pretty sure if we all wanted to read a run of the mill romance book when the girl is a strong character at the start but gets swept away by the 'love interest' and turns into a jibbering fool with no real mind and back bone we would read them? At the end of the day Will is a guy , and was meant to be a strong character. This should of been a battle of wills throughout the book not a battle of wills at the start and then a half hearted attempt by Will as he acts and gets treated like a girl. Seriously? Plus the whole 'don't really have much experience thing'? The only thing in this book unsimilar to the every day romance is that Will doesn't get pregnant,(obviously) but other than that, really apart from a few details about erections rubbing/stroking and no lady part entered into there's really no hint of it a man instead of the woman, I don't know I just think that if you're going to write a gay romance you have to do it for a reason, and what's the point of reading about gay romance if the guy gets treated lime a girl? Dissapointed but if you don't mind ignoring the stupidness of ruining a good book ,then give it a shot.
August 11, 2011
The catalyst to the story was a bit unbelievable (what businessman holds a person hostage for collateral?) but I did eventually like Will and Eli together. I was glad to see Eli was actually capable of warmth and love where Will was concerned because he sure was a cold, pompous ass for a while. And even though I liked Will's spirit and determination to stand up to Eli, I was a little annoyed with his constant refusal to ever believe any of Eli's feelings for him were real. He told himself over and over that it was just a game to Eli and I couldn't believe someone would be quite that blind. True, Eli played games and tested him, but there came a point where I thought Will should have had more faith in him, especially during those moments when Eli was so tender with him. I liked the book and didn't have any trouble finishing it, but the jumping POVs confused me at times and the dialogue seemed a tad old fashioned as well.
August 4, 2015
This is the first book I ever deliberately read a second time. I originally rated this book as a 4, but when I read it the second time I just loved it. The main characters, Will and Eli, are well developed, interesting and likable.
The story opens with Eli calling Will about Will's sister. Will's sister, Katrina, is not our hero's favorite person. In fact, he's been cleaning up after her for years. Eli thinks Will is in on Katrina's grand plan to trap Eli's brother in marriage. Through some fancy maneuvering, Will ends up at Eli's ranch. Eli doesn't trust Will, and Will doesn't want to be there, but Will agrees to stay as "collateral." This part of the story is fanciful, to say the least, but it's okay because I love the guys. I love the way the MCs interact. They're alternating sweet, annoying, adorable, and occasionally stupid. Just like people.
There's no mystery, no danger, just life angst. A love story worth reading again and again.
The story opens with Eli calling Will about Will's sister. Will's sister, Katrina, is not our hero's favorite person. In fact, he's been cleaning up after her for years. Eli thinks Will is in on Katrina's grand plan to trap Eli's brother in marriage. Through some fancy maneuvering, Will ends up at Eli's ranch. Eli doesn't trust Will, and Will doesn't want to be there, but Will agrees to stay as "collateral." This part of the story is fanciful, to say the least, but it's okay because I love the guys. I love the way the MCs interact. They're alternating sweet, annoying, adorable, and occasionally stupid. Just like people.
There's no mystery, no danger, just life angst. A love story worth reading again and again.
August 31, 2011
Harlequin romances with this premise were always my favorite, so when I read the blurb for this of course I had to buy it. It's a good read and brought back memories of those novels I read-which were many, I bought bags full of them at a used book store and then traded them for more. >.<
I'll admit at times it felt like I was reading an m/f romance, but it's not that Will was effeminate or portrayed like a woman; to me it was more like Eli's personality is imposing and very take charge.
Will's and his sister's relationship hit a little close to home, so I understood his motivations in trying to help her even though she didn't deserve it. I think his confusion and mistrust was understandable, but I liked that he didn't take the easy way out and instead tried to discover the truth.
A nice Harlequin m/m romance filled with some drama and constant public displays of affection.
I'll admit at times it felt like I was reading an m/f romance, but it's not that Will was effeminate or portrayed like a woman; to me it was more like Eli's personality is imposing and very take charge.
Will's and his sister's relationship hit a little close to home, so I understood his motivations in trying to help her even though she didn't deserve it. I think his confusion and mistrust was understandable, but I liked that he didn't take the easy way out and instead tried to discover the truth.
A nice Harlequin m/m romance filled with some drama and constant public displays of affection.
June 24, 2012
This was a refreshing read. Just old fashioned romance with some conflict. I am so sick of reading about abuse, rape, so poor one has to resort to prostitution or living in the streets which seems to be an m/m romance trend. This is a Harlequin type romance alright. Alpha gay Eli mistrusts poor falsely accused William Drake because of his gold digging sister's antics. She maneuvers William to take her place and makes her escape.
Poor guy left his dog, job and house in Michigan to help his ingrate of a sister out and she throws him to the alpha wolf of Montana-- Eli Hunter. thankfully, even if held on a tight short leash William is treated well at the ranch. Intrigued Eli looks deeper and sees the goodness in William. He then falls deep and fast but Will of course is scared to trust him now.
Poor guy left his dog, job and house in Michigan to help his ingrate of a sister out and she throws him to the alpha wolf of Montana-- Eli Hunter. thankfully, even if held on a tight short leash William is treated well at the ranch. Intrigued Eli looks deeper and sees the goodness in William. He then falls deep and fast but Will of course is scared to trust him now.
July 29, 2012
Few pages in and already the head hopping and dialogue is killing me. Killing me!
Could. Not. Wait. To finish this story. My eyes hurt from all the eye rolling. Did not like Eli, Will was too damn soft-hearted, and why oh why are we in everyone and their mama's head?
Could. Not. Wait. To finish this story. My eyes hurt from all the eye rolling. Did not like Eli, Will was too damn soft-hearted, and why oh why are we in everyone and their mama's head?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews