Review: World Turned Upside Down by Elyse Springer

After three winters in Antarctica, Simon Bancroft is an old hand on the ice. The harsh weather and extreme isolation aren’t for everyone, but he enjoys the tight-knit community at McMurdo Station… and lately he’s enjoyed watching the hot new researcher, Asher Delaney, who’s recently arrived to study the aurora. But Simon’s just a janitor. Asher doesn’t even know he exists.

When Simon’s friends propose a wager, he gets a chance to introduce himself to Asher at last. But Asher defies all of Simon’s assumptions, and suddenly he finds himself reevaluating everything he thought he knew about Asher, himself, and falling in love at the bottom of the world.

I powered through World Upside Down in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down once I got started as I was hooked on the geography and the characters right from the start. “Power through” is probably a little dramatic as the book is 105 pages, but still.

This is my first book by this author and I’m a big fan of her writing style and the way she writes conversations between her characters. Simon is a treat, I felt like I got to know him pretty quickly and organically, I wanted to hang out with him and I loved being in his head when he was mooning/lusting over Asher.

And I think that led to my favorite aspect of the story. The author really nailed the getting-to-know-you phase between Simon and Asher. And from there, the reconciliation Simon went through as he got to know the Real Asher vs. his Fantasy Asher. It was actually very sweet, and very realistic, to read. Not everything is insta-lust and fireworks, reality is more about getting to know and more importantly, getting to appreciate the other person. I loved it.

The author also made Antarctica a character in and of itself. I wanted to know more and dive in deeper. That was obviously impossible for a novella, but it did pique my interest and it will make me seek out more about the locale.

My only issue, and it stressed me out to no end, was the bet. It was meant to be somewhat innocuous and wasn’t meant to be cruel in any way, but it was out there and I knew what was coming the whole time. It tainted the wonderful feels I was having a smidge, and mostly because I love Asher’s sweet, sweet heart so hard. It was the conflict that the story was plotted around, but again, Asher!!!

Anywho, the evolution of Simon made the ending work and his honesty went the whole way and back in making Asher feel all the things he deserved to feel. While I loved this as a novella, I would also love to read it as a full blown novel. The elements were high quality and plentiful enough to fill up hundreds of pages. I always figure that’s the sign of a great novella too, nothing was missing but I’m left wanting more just because I don’t want to let the characters or the setting go just yet.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Review: Three Months to Forever (World of Love) by Hudson Lin

Ben is looking for an adventure when he accepts a temporary assignment in Hong Kong, but he never anticipates how his life might change when he meets a sophisticated, intriguing man named Sai. Their initial attraction is sizzling and soon grows into more as Sai takes Ben on a tour of the city’s famous landmarks and introduces him to the local cuisine. Sai stimulates Ben’s intellect and curiosity, and for jaded corporate lawyer Sai, Ben’s innocent eagerness is a breath of fresh air. It would be so easy to fall in love….

But nothing is that simple. Sai’s job forces him to do things that violate his morals, and the difficult dynamics with his family is a major obstacle to any lasting relationship with Ben. Back in Toronto, Ben’s father is ill, and can he really leave behind his home for a man he’s only known a short time? With the clock ticking, they must decide whether to risk it all and turn three months into forever.

I love a nice simple read. No fuss, no complicated roadblocks, just an easy flow romance that shows relationship growth and warmth.

I am definitely on an easy romance kick at the moment. Life is so complicated right now and I just need the satisfaction of knowing that it isn’t always hard for people to be together. This delivered on low angst, which is exactly what I needed.

Getting to know Sai was a little slower than Ben but most of the story is told from Ben’s POV and Sai was a little guarded at first, because of the issues he had with his job and family. Ben was lovely and open. He didn’t hide how he felt, and was willing to be there for Sai when external job drama got in the way of their short time together. He made his feelings about what Sai was putting himself through known, but respected him enough to accept Sai as he was and just be with him any time they could steal away.

The light kink was a really nice surprise. By light, I do mean light, sweet and enjoyable. This would be great for people who haven’t read any kink and want a small taste. Or those who like a little bossiness in the bedroom.

Overall this was nice. It wasn’t quite fluff but a really gentle read. I would read more from this new to me author. I really enjoy her point of view.

Recommended for all romance readers.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion