TheRainGirl's Rec of the Week: 8/29/11

Paper Moon by mskathy

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4743181/1/Paper_Moon

Review by TheRainGirl

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
 Characters: Bella/Alice & Edward/Jasper

Summary: Follow Bella & Alice on their journey through complications and their pasts to build love together.Edward & Jasper face their own trials in dating & making it work. Slash, femme slash, lemons, adult, AU/AH. 

Bella doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Bella believes in lust and worships at the altar of pure, unadulterated sex. My kind of girl. ;)

“Alone. Always alone,” is what Alice hears and knows that Bella is not looking for a commitment; she is not looking for love or someone to share the world with. Bella is known for “lovin’ and leavin’,” so after an incredible evening of pleasure, Alice leaves in the middle of the night to get away before Bella can kick her out.

My heart went out to Alice in these first chapters, she really did feel like she’d made an amazing connection between herself and this beautiful, feminine, controlled woman. Unfortunately, Alice doesn’t see a reciprocation of this indelible thread that she feels growing from her heart. It’s aching to see her sadness as she speaks to her brother Edward about the captivating woman from the bar.

When you hear from Bella, you realize profoundly that Bella is jagged and raw, but she’s not as cold and numb as she’d like to believe. Her best friend for years is Jasper and their connection is adorable and deep. I fell in love with Jasper, actually, before Bella. His strength of character and empathy reacts beautifully with Bella’s strength and desire to control. They are both independent and love each other fiercely. I wish I had a Jasper.

Through out all that I’ve read, the emotional content is deep and soul-stirring.

I decided to try honesty for once. "I just need to be touching and loving you," I said. "Please stay?" 

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." 

Alice gives us the impression that her heart is large and open, but she does have a past. She wants things to work with Bella so much because she knows in her heart that thread is there and it leads to Bella. Bella might be gruff, but deep down she wants what everyone wants. Love.

~~~ 

So, MsKathy gives good lemon. Believe me, she gives good lemon. If you’ve never read anything from my dear MsKathy, please do run, not walk, to her profile and pick up anything she’s ever written. My personal favorite is The Trip Home, which is a poly AH. If you need something with less people (not sure why you would though), she has Discovering Bella as well, which is another favorite. Her works speak for themselves, though so I’ll shut up and go back to Paper Moon.

I was personally hesitant to start Paper Moon because I am terrified of WIPs, but I trust MsKathy implicitly with my heart and she has never steered me wrong.

She is doing a bang up job with PM. Yes, there are lemons... but there is heart. I love me some lemon, and I love to rec the dirty on my smutblog, but sometimes you need an unwavering connection to cement that physical tie. You can see that within the pages of Paper Moon.

There is one chapter in particular that focuses on Alice’s brother, Edward, and Bella’s best friend, Jasper, and I remember actually lip quivering at one point. The heart is so full within these characters... it’s almost unexplainable.

All four characters, Alice and Bella, Edward and Jasper, as well as the connections between each character are well thought out and appealing. You want to keep reading, you want to learn more about them, and you want to see the choices they make with each other and for themselves.

Yes, you can read Paper Moon because it’s hot and lusty and naughty fun, but that’s not the only reason to read it. The emotional tethers between all of the characters will warm your belly like hot soup on a winter’s day and make you smile like when you see a baby giggling. It’s just really, very good stuff!

Stop by and read Paper Moon by MsKathy. Tell her Rain sent ya!