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richardderus

Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud

With This Ring (Love is Always Write) - Jeff Erno Rating: 3* of fiveThe Book Report: Jason Mathers, geek extraordinaire, works for his dad's IT company. During a trade show in their Denver hometown, Jason (all of 24 and barely out of college) sees a hawt DILF cruising him from the aisle (that will resonate later) and, being a sensible DILF hunting lad, cruises him right back. Lust breaks out. But then...ZOMG...it's Jason's dad's ex-business partner, the very mention of whom sets the elder Mathers aflame with hatred and fury.It's a romance, so everything comes out right. The aisle that the DILF saw him from at first becomes the aisle they walk down to get married. Awwww!My Review: This is definitely the midnight express to HEA-ville. It's exactly the wrong length, 24,000 words, to be anything like completed. The story's plot points go whipping past without enough set-up or resolution. The arc of the story is exactly right for the genre, so the missing bits aren't to be found there, but rather in the build-up to the crises on the arc and resolution of them. That's purely word count.The author does something I find infuriating: He euphemizes. Jason goes to the restroom in his own home. No he doesn't. He takes a piss. He has his morning movement. But goes to the restroom? How pursey-mouthed. Either use grown-up words or don't mention the subject at all.And Jason's mom passed away. Is there a test? Why is it that, after being in failing health, one passes away? She DIED. That sort of stupid circumlocution to do what, exactly, deny death exists? is more annoying to me than almost any other euphemization.The sex scenes were agreeably hot. The story, if given its full rein in another 40,000 words, is one I'd happily pay $10 for. That HEA on the aisle was somethin' nice.