The price of temptation
Feb. 4th, 2008 04:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevenswellsOh God, I had the most delightful read: Harlequin-fake historical yaoi novel, lent to me by berylia. It's called "The Price of Temptation" by MJ Pearson and I really can't post the cover in this journal because it's too much bad taste even for me to bear, but you can find it very easily on Google images or amazon.
Where to start? First, it was so good to read a real yaoi book (and not a gay novel, which is quite different, I insist) at last, you know, with pages of paper and printed words, written by a woman. It had the scent and the taste of a Harlequin, except it was gay romance -- I was sighing and smiling cheesily on the subway as I read it, carefully concealing the cover from the eyes of my fellow co-subway travellers.
Second, it wasn't bad at all; the style wasn't exceptional but it wasn't pompous or too flowery -- it can be such a put-off sometimes.
The story was quite good too, with some spectacular developments (including a final scene in a dungeon with instruments of torture and a psycho killer 0____o -- I'm not even kidding ), and most of the characters were convincing or at least engaging. All in all, I felt extremely good by the time I reached the final words, and I'm really wanting to write yaoi of my own now (hah, am I saying I'm being inspired by Harlequin-fakes? I'm afraid so).
That book also left me wondering about its author, though: what kind of woman past her forties would write historical yaoi novel, and in western countries too? I guess she's become a kind of hero to me, that woman. Take a look at her bio, which pwns total respect: "M.J. Pearson's meandering career path has included stints dispatching taxis in Vermont, making pizza in Santa Fe, digging Roman ruins in Israel and studiying nationalism in Scotland." (gotta <3 randomness)
AND she's also managed to kill me by the end of the book in only two sentences:
"What do you do once you've been snatched from the very jaws of mutilation and death? Why, you have some tea, of course, and then go to bed."
berylia. It's called "The Price of Temptation" by MJ Pearson and I really can't post the cover in this journal because it's too much bad taste even for me to bear, but you can find it very easily on Google images or amazon. Where to start? First, it was so good to read a real yaoi book (and not a gay novel, which is quite different, I insist) at last, you know, with pages of paper and printed words, written by a woman. It had the scent and the taste of a Harlequin, except it was gay romance -- I was sighing and smiling cheesily on the subway as I read it, carefully concealing the cover from the eyes of my fellow co-subway travellers.
Second, it wasn't bad at all; the style wasn't exceptional but it wasn't pompous or too flowery -- it can be such a put-off sometimes.
The story was quite good too, with some spectacular developments (including a final scene in a dungeon with instruments of torture and a psycho killer 0____o -- I'm not even kidding ), and most of the characters were convincing or at least engaging. All in all, I felt extremely good by the time I reached the final words, and I'm really wanting to write yaoi of my own now (hah, am I saying I'm being inspired by Harlequin-fakes? I'm afraid so).
That book also left me wondering about its author, though: what kind of woman past her forties would write historical yaoi novel, and in western countries too? I guess she's become a kind of hero to me, that woman. Take a look at her bio, which pwns total respect: "M.J. Pearson's meandering career path has included stints dispatching taxis in Vermont, making pizza in Santa Fe, digging Roman ruins in Israel and studiying nationalism in Scotland." (gotta <3 randomness)
AND she's also managed to kill me by the end of the book in only two sentences:
"What do you do once you've been snatched from the very jaws of mutilation and death? Why, you have some tea, of course, and then go to bed."
BRITISHNESS PWNS THE WORLD! \o/
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 06:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 04:58 pm (UTC)n.n
Sounds like a lovely book. :O Must read it one of these days...
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 04:59 pm (UTC)O_o
I dunno, I think I'm confusing myself again.
In short, must read this and you...
You have to read Good Omens! You must! I demand it!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 06:38 pm (UTC)But I worship you taste, of course an awesome being like you should like British humor and Good Omens! *chompage*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 06:33 pm (UTC):o
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 07:05 pm (UTC)I dunno, Mother might be angry if I read something with that obvious of a cover. XD
no subject
Date: 2008-02-04 05:39 pm (UTC)And just wait for "Discreet young gentleman"...
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 06:48 pm (UTC)Oh yes, I've been sooooo frustrated since I finished the book, no Harlequin-fake historical yaoi waiting in my handbag for me to read in the metro is the greatest tragedy I've experienced yet! é_____è I understand now what you meant. *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 07:38 pm (UTC)And don't worry you just have to make a call to Fufu to exchange books and have another one in your greedy little hands. But alas for myself I will have to wait till MJ Pearson delivers her new baby.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 10:12 am (UTC)i couldn't help myself! gay harlequin romances? i googled it in a second and...buhahahah!!! no wonder you didn't post the cover!!! "Discreet Young Gentlemen" my ass! there's nothing "discrete" about THAT package!!!^^
haha, this whole genre sounds intriguing, and i'm super curious about the writing stlye and how the author lays it all out (so to speak!), cuz i've read these cheesy drug store romances and had my fair share of "secret midnight rendezvous' with the stable boy" and "heaving bosoms" and i want to see how all that translates when put with two men!
BUT! i'm afraid i've been effectively scared off by cover art...i don't think i would have the nerve to bring myself to walk into a store (anonymous drug store or not!) and publicly buy this little gem; perhaps the time will come, when i've managed to grow a set of balls as prominant (and gravity defying!) as those gentlemen on the covers!
eheheheheh!!!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-05 07:06 pm (UTC)Your comment gave me my giggle fit of the evening, thanks :DDD
But if you're familiar with cheesy romance (as I am, too), you should totally read it, it gets you veeery high on endorphins I promise, nevermind the cover (never judge a book... you know)
I mean, I really looked like that
in the parisian metro. (which reminds me that I have to tell you fangirls about this episode of Genshiken too)
And nevermind the shame of buying it in a drugstore, that's what the Internet is for, girl, FOR PORN!!! I mean, for book orders via Amazon :)))))
no subject
Date: 2008-02-06 10:02 am (UTC)and i WISH i could buy it online! oh what i would buy! ...but i have...control issues...and i was...encouraged (with the promise of bodily harm if otherwise) to cut up my credit card...i know, sad, right? i'm missing out on the wonderful world of corny gay romances because i have no restraint! *sigh* life is SO hard!!!
...teehee, HARD *thinks back to the impressive display all-male genitalia* eheheheh *is shot*