Reviewed by Carissa
TITLE: Not Quite Shakespeare
AUTHOR: Becky Black, Bette Browne, Theo Fenraven, M.A. Ford, S.A. Garcia, Penny Hudson, Annabelle Jacobs, Jules Jones, Rhidian Brenig Jones, Sarah Madison, Jay Northcote, Chris Quinton, Megan Reddaway, Rob Rosen, Sam Evans
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 350 pages
BLURB:
Take a ride to Northern Scotland on the famous train, the Jacobite, and rediscover desire. Get lost in the Peace Maze in Northern Ireland during a downpour and let a handsome young redhead come to the rescue. Take a tour of historical Blackpool on the English coast and set the stage for the perfect romance. From England to the outer isles, the UK holds treasure troves of romance, history, intrigue, and—naturally—quirky British humor. Not Quite Shakespeare samples it all in fifteen stories.
A man in London makes an accidental confession of sexual need to a virtual stranger who happens to be his boss. An American revisits West Sussex and rekindles an old flame with a romp in the stables. A couple finds their perfect third while vacationing on a pig farm in Yorkshire. In the office, on the race track, or in the kitchen baking bread—romance in the UK is alive and well, and full of sweet surprise.
Stories Included:
Ninety-nine Problems by Becky Black
The Jacobite by Bette Browne
Illumination by Sam Evans
Wag, Not a Dog by Theo Fenraven
The Benefits of Hindsight by MA Ford
Apollo, Heathcliff, and Hercules by S.A. Garcia
Misadventures of Mislaid Men by Penny Hudson
Rough Tackle by Annabelle Jacobs
Bread and Butter Pudding by Jules Jones
First Contact by Rhidian Brenig Jones
Chanctonbury Ring by Sarah Madison
Tops Down, Bottoms Up by Jay Northcote
In the Doghouse by Chris Quinton
Wrong Number by Megan Reddaway
Best Vacation Ever by Rob Rosen
REVIEW:
I don’t think there has been ever any doubt that I am an Anglophile. I love just about anything that has to do with the UK. A anthology set in the United Kingdom is just up my alley. And while there were a few stories here that just didn’t do it for me, for the most part they were enjoyable and fun to read. You get stories from all walks of life in England (/Scotland/N. Ireland), and touring the countryside in the heads of these MCs was just great.
Ninety-Nine Problems by Becky Black (4.5 stars)
Chez and Rob both grew up in the ice cream business, but it has been over fifteen years since Rob has seen Chez. When they meet again, after all that time, Rob is smitten with Chez. Too bad their families have long been rivals. Now with both men in charge of their family’s business, Rob has to wonder if is it too much a risk to make a move on the closeted Chez.
I’ve pretty much loved everything I’ve read from Becky Black. While I am more used to her scifi stories, I was quite taken by this sweet story of rivalries and love. Very Romeo and Juliet–w/o all the dying and teenage angst. This was a great story and one I wouldn’t mind having more of at some point. Rob and Chez are great. Though now after reading this, I will confess to wanting to go downstairs and raid our ice cream stash.
Bread and Butter Pudding by Jules Jones (3.5 stars)
Baking bread leads to some other fun activities for Trevor and Ben.
This was pretty short so there wasn’t more than a couple of scenes to this story, but what was there, I enjoyed. I do have a thing against olive-oil being used for non-cooking purposes, though that is just me and my sex and food shall never mix philosophy of life. Yummy bread, hot sex, and a sweet story.
Chanctonbury Ring by Sarah Madison (4.5 stars)
After his grandfather dies, Denny returns to England, and the location of his one summer romance. It has been years since he has been back, but there is much about the Downs that reminds him of Tarq and their time together…and of the time they spent apart. Now, back in the place where so many of his memories live, Denny hopes to recapture at least a small part of what that summer meant to him.
At the beginning I was getting a bit lost in all the descriptions of the countryside, but after the story comes into focus I was caught. Lovely writing and some great characters bring this short story to life.
Wrong Number by Megan Reddaway (4.5 stars)
The only thing worse than drunk-dialing your ex: accidentally drunk-dialing your boss and explaining in explicit detail just what you’d do to his cock. Which, unfortunately, is exactly what Connor does after a late night out clubbing–and then coming home alone. Now he has to go into work, knowing that his boss knows just how up for it he is.
Hot, funny, sweet…this short story has it all. I quite enjoyed Connor’s humor and Gary was all smoldering hot. And plus, who can resist a guy w/ cats? Not me, that’s for sure.
In the Doghouse by Chris Quinton (3.5 stars stars)
Someone is trying to mess with his uncle’s prize greyhound, so Jerry does the only thing he can think of: run. With the dog in his back seat, and a possible thug on his tail, Jerry goes to the one man who might be able to help him–if he doesn’t punch Jerry first. He hasn’t seen Mike since he was just out of uni, but he hopes that at least his copper sensibilities will kick in, and he’ll keep Jerry and Spot safe till morning.
I had a hard time getting into this at first. I was confused as to what was going on, and why Jerry was running. But once that got all sorted out, it was a pretty good story. Jerry and Mike are a bit of a combustible mixture when they finally get together, but mostly in good ways. There is still plenty there that needs to be worked on, but they seem to be headed off in the right direction. Was a little be iffy on how Mike reacted to Jerry’s past sexual history, but I guess he had his reasons.
The Benefits of Hindsight by M.A. Ford (2.5 stars)
Charlie and Chris have been a thing since almost the first time they saw each other across the racing paddock. But while they love each other, Chris is not ready to come out and be touted as racing’s gay star. He if doesn’t though, he might just end up losing Charlie.
Um…well. It was ok, I guess. I’m not a big fan of car racing, or cars in general, so that meant that this story probably wasn’t going to hit most of my buttons to begin with. And that middle part was a bit odd. I get what the author was trying to do, but it came out really forced. Had a hard time connecting with the characters from the start, but that just really hindered my believability of the story itself.
Misadventures of Mislaid Men by Penny Hudson (3.5 stars)
Dying relative leaving you all his money sounds like a great thing…except when you’re the solicitor in charge of finding the heretofore unknown son of the annoying old man. Walking out of a Welsh pub, after making a spectacle of himself, to find a cow cosying up to his car is the straw that broke the solicitors back. Luckily he might just know someone who can help him with his problems.
Mostly I ended up feeling really bad for the car. Everyone else seems to have come out of the story fine, but that poor car….scarred for life. This story was a bit predictable, but still good. And a sexy welsh publican is always a nice addition to any story.
Best Vacation Ever by Rob Rosen (1 star)
John’s trip to Northern Ireland is not exactly the thrill-a-minute adventure he was expecting. That is until he takes a little trip into a hedge maze and gets more than ever expected.
Ok…wow. First, walking around with your cock out to use as a ‘divining rod’ in a maze is weird and creepy–also a great way to get yourself banged up for public indecency. If this was supposed to be porn it seriously missed the mark (though if it was going for a satire on 80’s romance stories it found the bullseye). The language was stilted and confusing–not to mention the deluge of metaphors and similes–and the characters seemed little more than cocks with legs and arms. It was fairly ridiculous, to be honest.
Rough Tackle by Annabelle Jacobs (4 stars)
Declaring that he is drunk, and that the guy next to him has awesome hair, is not exactly how Alex would start out any conversation–especially one with a hot guy (with great hair). But after getting wasted with his friends, for his 23rd birthday, he just hopes that he didn’t make too big an ass of himself. Plus it isn’t like he is ever going to see Mr. Soft Hair again. That is when, of course, his best friend drags him to a football match (while still hungover) and he sees the hair–and the body attached to it–on the other side of the pitch. Which just figures.
Ah…you gotta love friends that put you in awkward positions and then mock you for it for the rest of your life. And by ‘love’ I mean you should totally get even and make their lives a living hell until they beg for mercy! Er…not that I would do that. This was a very good story. Alex was a very amusing drunk, and despite the fact that neither love nor money would pry me from the couch if I was that hungover, he was pretty interesting sober, as well. And Josh was cool. Just all around cool awesomeness going on here.
Illumination by Sam Evans (3.5 stars)
Jo is only hours away from losing his theater. It is pretty much the only thing he can think of, on that stormy, wet, day. That is until Maxwell Bond comes stumbling into his life. Too bad Max is the one who is going to be relieving him of his theater.
Had a bit of a problem getting into this one, at first. Something about the way it was written was just a bit confusing. But the characters were great, and Max’s offer was surely something Jo could never refuse. Plus, I have a thing for old buildings. I just love ‘em.
The Jacobite by Bette Browne (3 stars)
Jon’s come back to Scotland, from Australia, to attend his grandfather’s funeral. But since he has forked over a butt-load of cash to get there, he figures he might as well stay around afterwards and have a look around the Scottish countryside. That’s why he takes a train journey to a sea-side town and meets Colin, a fellow sightseer. Let’s just say that the sights are not the only thing Jon plans on seeing, after that.
This was a good story, and seeing as I am a fellow lover of all things Harry Potter, it was a trip I wouldn’t mind going on, myself. The story seemed to end a bit too soon, what with Jon and Colin only just figuring out that they want each other near the very end, but overall it was sweet. And I really want a beer now…just saying.
Wag, Not a Dog by Theo Fenraven (2.5 stars)
Wag’s job isn’t exactly on the upandup. His boss runs a computer protection company, but hires Wag to create the viruses that the company ‘protects’ against. And Wag’s ok with it, he guesses. It’s a job at least. Then Silver, the boss’s nephew shows up and Wag’s boring little life gets all kind of mixed up.
I didn’t ever really feel it between these characters. They said all the right things, did all the right things, but at the end of the story I was feeling a bit ‘blah’. Maybe it was the way the scenes were structured, or how I just never really liked Silver, but this was just not a great fit for me.
Tops Down, Bottoms Up by Jay Northcote (4 stars)
Rowan really isn’t into the whole ‘folk’ scene, but when his friend needs a hand running his booth at the local folk festival, Rowan agrees to help. When he get overheard slagging off Morris Dancing, by the festival’s Morris troupe, Rowan is pretty embarrassed–but not as embarrassed as he is when he realized the guy he’s been drooling over is part of the troupe.
Yeah, I so don’t get Morris dancing. I’ve read several books with it in it, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and the characters…the dancing itself still seems a bit silly. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy this short story. I love when MCs find themselves making a fool themselves in front of their crushes. Mostly because the making up is great to read. Very fun story.
First Contact by Rhidian Brenig Jones (2.5 stars)
Will is in Wales to get some pictures of his grandparents’ gravestones for his sister back in the States. But being American, he has no clue how to navigate the streets or read the language, so the local owner of a pub offers his son as de facto tour guide. But it is not the countryside that Will wants Ceri to show him.
Will is a bit of a douche. Ceri is a bit of a douche. But at least Ceri has the whole ‘I just been dumped’ thing to justify it. I just didn’t like these characters. And that ending….yeah not for me at all.
Apollo, Heathcliff, and Hercules by S.A. Garcia (4 stars)
Char and Simon are not exactly drowning in the love at the moment. When Char demands that Simon stop being so difficult and just agree to go to the countryside, instead of the shore, for a short vacation, it looks like their relationship is going off the rails. But Simon relents, and off they go…not knowing just what or who they will find at the end of the journey.
Their mode of talking took a bit of getting used to, for the first couple pages I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but after that it was smooth sailing. And Simon took a bit getting used to, but I found him rather fun for all his flirty ways. Very enjoyable time in the moors, and in the jacuzzi!
RATING: 
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