Lessons in Love & Lessons in Desire
Feb. 4th, 2011 12:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anteros_lmcCochrane, C., (2008), Lessons in Love, Samhain Publishing.
Cochrane, C., (2009), Lessons in Desire, Samhain Publishing.
I've recently finished reading the first two of Charlie Cochrane's Cambridge Fellows novels Lessons in Love and Lessons in Desire so I thought a little review might be in order. I had a bit of a struggle reading these lovely books because my kindle went into hibernation for most of December due to the cold weather. Kindles have a minimum operating temperature of 0°C. Did you know that? I wish I'd known before I bought mine because it's a bit bloody useless if you want to read on the bus in winter! I lost count of the number of times I was forced to abandon Jonty and Orlando in tantalisingly compromising situations. It was very frustrating! Next time I will buy "proper" paper editions.
Despite the best efforts of my hibernating kindle I thoroughly enjoyed both books, which is hardly surprising because Ms Cochrane is an immensely engaging and talented writer. However crime and romance are two genres which I generally tend not to read. I think I once read an Agatha Christie novel out of sheer boredom but that is the full extent of my reading in this genre. However I was so delighted by Lessons in Love that, as soon as I finished it, I went straight on to Lessons in Desire.
It really is very hard not to be thoroughly charmed by these books as they are written with such wit and joie de vivre. There is a lovely fluidity and lightness to Ms Cochrane's writing, she never labours the point and she has the ability to evoke a real sense of place with the minimum of fuss.
The heart of these novels really lies in the main characters though. In Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith the author has created two characters that are delightfully familiar and unquestionably unique. Ms Cochrane's affection for Jonty and Orlando really shines through and both are written with real depth and colour.
I particularly enjoyed the fine vein of humour that runs through both novels. I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me smile quite as much as these did. The frequent nautical metaphors, the little absurdities such as Jonty's fear of being stranded in his socks as he undresses and Orlando's bathing costume angst and the frequent giggling during sex all had me ginning like the Cheshire cat! I feel I should also point out that, although they are never explicit, these novels are really quite hot. I nearly missed my bus stop one night as I got quite carried away by Jonty and Orlando getting quite carried away with each other :)
Of course having fallen for Jonty and Orlando I am now dying to read the latest installment of their story All Lessons Learned however because I am an orderly kinda gal I am determined to read the other five books in between first. I had better get reading :)
Cochrane, C., (2009), Lessons in Desire, Samhain Publishing.
I've recently finished reading the first two of Charlie Cochrane's Cambridge Fellows novels Lessons in Love and Lessons in Desire so I thought a little review might be in order. I had a bit of a struggle reading these lovely books because my kindle went into hibernation for most of December due to the cold weather. Kindles have a minimum operating temperature of 0°C. Did you know that? I wish I'd known before I bought mine because it's a bit bloody useless if you want to read on the bus in winter! I lost count of the number of times I was forced to abandon Jonty and Orlando in tantalisingly compromising situations. It was very frustrating! Next time I will buy "proper" paper editions.
Despite the best efforts of my hibernating kindle I thoroughly enjoyed both books, which is hardly surprising because Ms Cochrane is an immensely engaging and talented writer. However crime and romance are two genres which I generally tend not to read. I think I once read an Agatha Christie novel out of sheer boredom but that is the full extent of my reading in this genre. However I was so delighted by Lessons in Love that, as soon as I finished it, I went straight on to Lessons in Desire.
It really is very hard not to be thoroughly charmed by these books as they are written with such wit and joie de vivre. There is a lovely fluidity and lightness to Ms Cochrane's writing, she never labours the point and she has the ability to evoke a real sense of place with the minimum of fuss.
The heart of these novels really lies in the main characters though. In Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith the author has created two characters that are delightfully familiar and unquestionably unique. Ms Cochrane's affection for Jonty and Orlando really shines through and both are written with real depth and colour.
I particularly enjoyed the fine vein of humour that runs through both novels. I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me smile quite as much as these did. The frequent nautical metaphors, the little absurdities such as Jonty's fear of being stranded in his socks as he undresses and Orlando's bathing costume angst and the frequent giggling during sex all had me ginning like the Cheshire cat! I feel I should also point out that, although they are never explicit, these novels are really quite hot. I nearly missed my bus stop one night as I got quite carried away by Jonty and Orlando getting quite carried away with each other :)
Of course having fallen for Jonty and Orlando I am now dying to read the latest installment of their story All Lessons Learned however because I am an orderly kinda gal I am determined to read the other five books in between first. I had better get reading :)
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no subject
Date: 2011-02-04 11:17 am (UTC)Thank you so much for this post - and for reading the books when they're not your genre. (As for labels, they are mystery and they are romance but primarily they're about the ongoing saga of Jonty and Orlando.)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-04 10:05 pm (UTC)As for labels, they are mystery and they are romance
See?! I am so unfamiliar with the genres I even get the labels wrong!
primarily they're about the ongoing saga of Jonty and Orlando.
Now that I can definitely appreciate :)