Jamie Craig: Unveiled

Jamie Craig ~ Unveiled (The Master Chronicles 2)
From: Amber Quill Press

Whenever I think of a really good representation of the type of Ménage Romance story I hate to read I keep coming back to this one. Does that suck for just about any writer to hear? Oh god, what am I doing? I am so sorry Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza you guys are dang good writers.

It’s just that…

As you may have guessed when I started this cycle of reviews covering Ménage Romance I had in mind what worked for me and why and I had firmly in mind what did not. The problem was though I was trying desperately not to call into question the capabilities of the writers involved. The examples I wanted to pull from needed to represent good solid writing that simply worked for me based on Balance, Benefit, and Clarity or did not despite the quality of the writing involved. I was not just going to prove my point from simply picking on some poor writers first foray into writing or M/M/F and point and say “see see see!” That was bad so everything like that is bad.

I repeat again, Jamie Craig’s Master Of Obsidian sits on the Grade A shelf here on my review site for the very reason that Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza are talented writers. When considering this book in my opinion um errr… Well, somehow you didn’t think your cunning plan all the way through is all.

So, in Unveiled the vampire Gideon and his faithful sidekick and homosexual lover Jesse Madding are back and at the scene of the newest grisly crime they will investigate in our second book here. Gideon does his typical “must protect Jesse from the evil that vampires do routine”, ho hum. Then wham we are off to that BDSM club scene we visited in the last book that everybody talks about and Jesse is put through his now routine sexual paces by Gideon.

So far so good. Not much here that diverges from the last book. But wait! They pick up Emmy the Emo Empath and take her home.

What lies in store for our boys? Will someone kidnap Jesse? Will Gideon become enraged and rip the immediate city to shreds as he desperately looks for Jesse? Will something happen to tell us why we are reading this book?

As soon as he heard the bathroom door slam shut, Gideon chuckled. “And you give me a hard time,” he teased. “You scared her away.”
“I scared her away? She was fine until you came in here and started staring at her. You were practically licking your chops.”
“I was not licking. And it’s not my fault I have eyes. She’s a beautiful girl.” Walking over to the refrigerator, Gideon opened it and began taking out the items he’d need to make breakfast for them. “Don’t try and tell me you didn’t notice her breasts.”
“I didn’t,” Jess said, so evenly Gideon almost believed him. “She is a beautiful girl, but she’s also been through an awful ordeal. She wants to run. Let’s not give her any excuses to bolt before we know she’s safe.”
Page ~ 43

Wait! Hold on here! Did Gideon just ask his homosexual lover if he had seen her boobies? WTF? OK, in the last book Jesse discovered old pictures showing Gideon to be bisexual… BUT! Jesse never indicated any inclination for anything but Gideon’s ass. Why would Gideon ask him that? This is not the “classy ancient vampire” I knew from the last book.

“If you’re going to stay here, you’re going to need some things,” he said. He offered her a small smile. “I’d offer more of my clothes, but I’m not exactly your size.”
Emma shook her head. “I haven’t been back to my place in two weeks. Is it safe?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll get what you need.” His smile widened. “Ask Jesse. I’ve got a good eye.”
Jess shrugged. “I’m barely allowed to dress myself anymore. But I’ve got no complaints.”
Her mouth twitched. “You mean he lets you wear more than a collar and leash around the office?”
Jess seemed startled by the question, but then he smiled easily. “Yes, but only on days we intend to get work done.”
Page ~ 46

Hold on, why is Jesse suddenly joking with this complete stranger about him and his lover’s very private BDSM lifestyle? This type of thing was what sold me on his relationship to Gideon in the last book because they had been described as buddies for so long and all that… but this perfect stranger of a woman is not freakin Gideon.

Her gaze immediately flickered to his neck. “You really…like that sort of place?”
Jess hesitated. “Yes. No. It’s difficult to explain. When we’re here, in the office, we have a pretty equitable relationship. Well, as equal as things can be, given how controlling and demanding Gideon is. But when we’re there, we’re both afforded a certain…freedom to behave and respond in certain ways.”
Emma sat there for a minute, mulling over his words. “I guess if you love a person enough, wanting to make them happy can become what makes you happy. I’ve just…I don’t think I’ve ever been in a relationship like that. I know I’ve never loved anybody like that.”
“You’re right about how it makes Gideon feel, and how that makes me feel, but that’s not the…it isn’t the only reason
I agree to go there with him.” Jess didn’t know why it was so important to him she understood. She didn’t know them, and he had no reason to believe she even cared about his explanations. “I get my own satisfaction from the experience.”
Page ~ 52

What’s with Jesse continuing to spill his guts? Why are we going page after page of talk talk talk? This is not the Jesse I knew from the last book who faithfully kept Gideon’s darkest secrets.

“I guess it’s better than a doghouse,” she murmured, and then chuckled lightly. “It’s not like you don’t already have the leash.”
“Made use.” Jess chuckled. “Past tense. That’s one thing you have to be prepared for if you’re going to work here, you know. Gideon thinks nothing of twenty-four hour shifts.”
“Stupid vampires.” And her voice was even lower now, her lashes thick as she finally closed her eyes. “They never sleep.”
“No,” Jess agreed softly, watching as her face relaxed and her breathing evened. He willed nothing to disturb her. Gideon would be quiet when he came in because he always moved like he was skulking in shadows. He just hoped the phone wouldn’t ring and no unexpected visitors arrived. He felt quite certain he would do bodily harm to anybody who disturbed Emma’s sleep.
Page ~ 58

Are you getting the sinking feeling this whole scene was an all talk, not show fest that went on and on and on? Yeah, so Emma The Emo Empath becomes the third member of their relationship because Gideon liked her rack and Jesse has suddenly turned into slave mommy.

Where do I begin?

Clarity – Holy preexisting relationship Batman! They wrote a whole M/M Romance book selling me on this dark and dangerous romance between these two GAY men one of whom is a vampire that I ate up like a box of See’s Candy including it’s solid HEA. Suddenly in the very next book I am supposed to handle them becoming this ménage because um, because… I DON’T KNOW! They picked some poor woman up at the bar? You got me here. I am lost!

Balance – I guess the focus is on Gideon. Since he is the only one plainly labeled bisexual in the first book. There was not a lot of help here for me to pick out how he renegotiated the relationship he was having with Jesse. There simply was no scenes of them together alone, without HER. Just because Gideon is a BDSM Top and Jesse is a BDSM Bottom does not negate negotiation and communication and ya know, all those things that make BDSM consensual like.

Benefit – The only one who got any benefit that I could pick out was Emma The Emo Empath (AKA Mary Sue) and that was from having Gideon’s protection. Which I would think would be good enough to stay a couple of weeks at their place and do the dishes but grounds for a ménage… NO FUCKING WAY! In my opinion Jesse should have been jealous and threatened and every other logical emotional reaction I can think of to her becoming part of their relationship but there was nothing there, nothing I could relate to. Dead, flat, no spark at all.

So I guess in the end you might be wondering why if I clearly show this book got a solid F in all my analysis of it as a Ménage Romance so why give it a Grade D? Because the writing was still strong and that at least deserved being mentioned.

I know that Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza continue to write this series and it is apparent they have fans who read and enjoy it. Hell, it probably got way better and this was just a bump in the road so to speak. I just wanted to provide a clear example of the type of Ménage Romance that plainly does not work for me. I need more than simply two available gay guys and a damsel in distress and a couple of BDSM scenes to explain it all away.

Tags: Amber Quill Press, Gay Romance, Grade D, Jamie Craig, Ménage Romance, The Master Chronicles