Royal Quarry is a fantasy MM romance by Charlotte Rahn-Lee. It was short, sweet and the kind of little star a nerdy witch packs in her back pocket for a rainy day.

Setting/Story/Characters Impressions:

First off, this on the light fantasy. Like I know there are many of us that like fantasy but can’t bring ourselves to crack open one of those usually very large tombs. Think The Hobbit. Rife with description and plot, a tomb college students such as self-truly is using to keep her door open so summer doesn’t make good on its threat to melt the eyebrows off my goddamn face…

Ahem—anyways, like I was saying, this is light fantasy so it’s not like there was a terrible amount of world-building or anything. However, the world-building that was done and the setting were all done very nicely. From page one, I was totally oriented and I knew enough about my surroundings to enjoy the super cute “meet.”

Our first MMC is a prince and like the cutest little clutz to trip off the ole’ twink block. Kind, quiet, and mousy, he spends most of his time reading the classics. Ovid, and things of that nature. Albert is the complete opposite of what his domineering and ruthless father holds in esteem. Dear old dad the asshole, actually has no problem ordering Albert’s body-guard to take him out into the woods, under the pretense of forcing him to learn how to hunt, and leave him behind enemy lines to be killed. (Perfect grounds for war with the neighboring kingdom.)

Albert’s body-guard and our second MMC is Manning. He’s quiet, sensual and strong—the kind of solider archetype that has been drawing women to sleek uniforms since the first cave man slapped on a loin cloth and said, “Me Tarzan—you Jane.”

In this story, Tarzan was wonderfully drawn. And even though the characters fall in love rather quickly, it was completely believable and so incredibly sweet. That is what this book had. More than anything, this book was very sweet. Two lonely people in terrible circumstances, the passion of forbidden love—you know, the works.

The plot is concise, but hardly worth mentioning. Oh, but I did really enjoy the research. It was obvious that the author did take the time to accurately research how hunters actually go about hunting. You know, the tracking. The sniffing of the wind. All that vague, animalistic stuff that makes the rest of us: a) look like idiots and b) very glad the extent of our “gathering” ends at grocer bags.

The Steamy Bits

Sweet. Concise. Appropriate to the characters. (Note: If you’re looking for something graphic and visceral, this is not the one. This really is just heavy petting and glossed over…manhoods and such.)

Paranormal/Sci-Fi Aspects

The “paranormal” aspect of this story was the fantasy setting, which I have already remarked upon above.

Style and Presentation

The author has a great style. And real skill. I’m talking about the kind of skill that you find in literary work. It’s a little wordy sometimes, but that’s okay because the whole time I was too busy marveling at the author’s verisimilitude and wonderful description to care.

Presentation: Cover

So, I don’t really make it a point to remark on covers, but c’mon people–that shit is shiny.

Closing Notes and Recommendation

A nice, quick read. Honestly, I’ve already reread it twice simply for the joy of returning to my spot in a lush canopy. Watching from the cover of the forest as two people fall in love beneath the trees.

Length: Short story

Genre: Fantasy/MM Romance

Primary Book Format: e-book

Publisher/Imprint: Dreamspinner Press

Blush Quotient: Blush pink

Smart Girls Rating: 3 Star

Buy it Here: Barnes and Noble

Find out more info about the author here: Author Website

(Disclaimer: This book was purchased by the reviewer. She has elected to offer an honest review.)