Kate Pavelle

3.75* Review by Karen posted at ScuttlebuttReviews

Tony and Ken meet when their connecting flight is stranded at Miami airport while en route to New York. To pass the time, Tony and Ken play chess. They share glances, checking each other out, and flirting, and after chess they seek out something to eat, and things between them heat up a bit. Finding a remote area of the airport, they end up feeding each other melting ice cream which develops into a sexual encounter, Ken’s first.

Their conversation deepens, and they discuss their mutual interest in physics. Unbeknownst to Tony, Ken is Dr. Ideka, Tony’s idol and the man he will be attempting to secure a position with while in New York. Tony reveals to Ken his cerebral love for Dr Ikeda, but assures Ken he still has a place for romantic love. Ken, meanwhile, is taking note of and delighting in all their similarities: both men hold degrees in physics, Tony earned his PhD through the GI Bill and Ken is a prodigy in the field.

Once aboard their flight to New York, they continue sharing more about themselves and make plans to see each other again, after Tony's conference.

Relativistic Phenomena is a sweet novella, and the tentative relationship between Tony and Ken is quite endearing. My one sticking point is that in my experience, it’s virtually impossible to find anywhere quiet at an airport, let alone an airport where the planes aren’t flying, and I was quite fixated on this point. Also, a couple of times it was difficult to determine which man was doing what, to whom. Aside from that, this story is a quick, pleasant read with likable characters.… (más)

3.5 of 5 review by Karen, from ScuttlebuttReviews

There are multiple layers to Breakfall. First, the premise of a victim taking back control, while not completely original, gives scope for some exploration of character and psychology, which could really go somewhere. But accompanying that is a sense that Pavelle has done some box-ticking to ensure all her bases are covered (attack, feminizing, GFY, family issues). Then there is some really good writing and a fundamentally strong story, and then there is just too much martial arts information. Parts of Breakfall managed to really confuse me.

Furthermore, there are several elements at work: Sean, who witnesses a violent crime and is due to testify, becomes the victim of a crime designed to stop him. Meanwhile, Asbjorn, who is in the process of taking over some karate classes, attends some of Sean’s Aikido classes – without letting Sean know who he is, in an attempt to assess the kind of instructor Sean is.

The first third of the book is drenched with martial arts references, and I have to say that I struggled here, and would have preferred a little more drip feeding of information, it felt a bit like Pavelle wanted to get all the technical stuff and backstories dumped on us, so she could get on with the rest of the book.

Then there is the attack. There is a part of this that didn’t sit well with me, and honestly felt unnecessary. It led to feminizing Sean’s character, which seemed pointless and I felt detracted from a story strand that is actually interesting and exciting.

The relationship between Sean and Asbjorn has potential, they are actually both strong and quite dominant, and there are lessons for both of them around control and trust to be negotiated. That being said, the GFY seemed totally unnecessary, there being enough drama with the external plot to keep the reader engaged.

While this all may seem critical and a bit negative, the cliffhanger ending left me wanting to know what happened next. Between that and the more successful parts of the book, I am looking forward to the second installment. With a bit less extraneous information that seem to have been covered in Breakfall, the meatier parts of the story should have a chance to lead.… (más)

Title: Breakfall [Book 1 of the Fall Trilogy]
Author: Kate Pavelle
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"Breakfall" by Kate Pavelle.....

What was this novel about?

"Sexual assault doesn't discriminate. Aikido instructor Sean Gallaway learns that when he falls prey to a violent stalker. Asbjorn Lund, a karate sensei on campus and a Navy vet, yearns to teach Sean how to survive. How to overcome. How to recover. Sean feels hunted and alone as the stalker escalates, testing his boundaries. With the entire dojo at his back, Sean resolves to play bait. He will catch the animal stalking him and reclaim his sense of self if it's the last thing he does. Yet Sean's hunger for justice clashes with Asbjorn's protective streak, and their budding romance might not survive their war of wills."

My thoughts from the read...

I thought what a interesting book cover and when I went on to find out what this novel was about I thought this may be good so I read "Breakfall." And YES, it is about gay partners. I must say I did like the martial arts going on but I really wasn't able to follow it all due to all of the references and its sayings? However, I kept on reading and found the two main characters were definitely alpha males and after all that happens the main question will be will they be able to work it all out in the end? There will have to be a lots of giving of space for one of the characters and for the other one to back off some but isn't that what love is all about...being there for each other and the give and take? Will these stubborn alpha males learn how to love each other while maintain their individuality? Well, I will not give any of it away other than to say you will have to pick up this read "Breakfall" to see how this will bring it all out to the reader. You will have to wait and see because this author will leave the reader with a cliff hanger, so we will have to wait for the next trilogy!… (más)