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Dark Chocolate and Raspberries
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18-year-old Dylan's talent for music almost equals his diva mentality. A spoiled rich kid, Dylan enjoys pushing people around. Or does he? When Taj is charged with taking Dylan under his wing, he discovers the shy boy behind the diva mask.
But Dylan walks in on Taj kissing Ben, their budding feelings may not be able to withstand the blow. Stunned, Dylan runs from the room. Taj gives chase, trying to catch him to tell him the kiss he saw was the result of a game played in the dorm called 'Raspberries'. Will their love blossom into kisses, drown in drunken chocolates, or erupt in raucous raspberries in Dark Chocolate and Raspberries?
18-year-old Dylan's talent for music almost equals his diva mentality. A spoiled rich kid, Dylan enjoys pushing people around. Or does he? When Taj is charged with taking Dylan under his wing, he discovers the shy boy behind the diva mask.
But Dylan walks in on Taj kissing Ben, their budding feelings may not be able to withstand the blow. Stunned, Dylan runs from the room. Taj gives chase, trying to catch him to tell him the kiss he saw was the result of a game played in the dorm called 'Raspberries'. Will their love blossom into kisses, drown in drunken chocolates, or erupt in raucous raspberries in Dark Chocolate and Raspberries?
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 22, 2011
1 person is currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Sui Lynn
16 books121 followersSui Lynn is a born and raised mid-western gal. She loves Rock ‘n Roll but can get a little bit country too. She has been writing for as long as she can remember and is always found with a book or pencil and paper in hand. She has 2 Cocker Spaniels who are the comic relief in her life. She loves orange soda, Dr Who and her computer, all of which she could not function without.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 22, 2012
Main Characters:
Dylan is a young man fresh out of high school, fleeing a less-than-ideal home life to attend Trinity University, where he'll be able to focus on his singing. He maintains a diva personality, looking down on anyone who's not at his level and pushing away everyone else, to mask his personal pain, trapped with a mentally ill mother and estranged father. He's also not gay, or so he says.
As a character, I just could not connect to him; I spent much of the book actively hating him. His diva personality is inconsistent and often silly, and his level of obsession with Taj makes me think that his mother isn't the only mentally ill one in the family; there's a point in the story at which he becomes so jealous of girls flirting with an uninterested Taj that he vomits--a little extreme to me, and certainly not healthy behavior.
Taj is a bit older and better balanced. He performs with various choir groups, helps out in different aspects of university, and has a tight circle of friends. He's apparently dated before, though nothing of his past boyfriends ever comes out. Although he's better balanced emotionally, his character is still inconsistent--he very rarely acts his age, coming across as much too mature to be believable.
Chemistry:
The attraction between Dylan and Taj goes from zero to sixty in a very short span of time. There's almost no tension for a good portion of the beginning, and suddenly Taj is desperate to kiss Dylan while Dylan has erotic dreams of Taj. The lack of lead-up made their getting together a bit jarring, and their obsession with each other even more so.
The level of obsession is what honestly put me off the most. Taj is worried that Dylan will be jealous that Taj is leaving their make-out session to be with another man, when what he's doing is taking the other man to the hospital. Dylan, fully aware that Taj has other responsibilities one day, is determined to have a shit day because Taj isn't there with him. It escalates ridiculously.
And then there's the testing. As soon as Taj and Dylan identify as a couple, Taj is insistent that they both get tested before they have sex (or even come together, apparently). Okay--a little weird, but okay. Later, it comes out that
Secondary Characters:
The supporting cast was nearly as frustrating as Dylan and Taj, full of caricatures without much substance. Dylan's parents in particular fall short of what they could have been; his father was reduced to a manipulative, blustering asshole, while his mother became an insane whore. Although the characterizations made sense in concept, there just wasn't anything there to flesh them out, to make their behaviors believable as functional human beings. I also found Paul to be downright annoying--again, a caricature with nothing behind him to make his mannerisms anything but stereotypically queeny and almost offensive.
Story:
The characters were unfortunately not the only weakness; the story showed its cracks, too. It's disjointed and jerky, with the climax having very little to do with the rest of the story leading up to it. Just a little bit of foreshadowing couldn't have hurt.
The reactions of some characters also don't necessarily make sense.
For a story that focused so much on Dylan and Taj being musicians, too, the music fell by the wayside awfully quickly. Before they get together, there's plenty of mention of Dylan singing, or Taj's groups. Later, there's an offhand mention of them singing together in choir, but no further mention of anything else choir-related. It seemed lax.
Writing:
Commas, commas everywhere, but not a pause to need. I'm a comma queen, and even I found the usage of commas to be excessive here. Commas frequently combined sentences; what should have been two or three sentences is spliced into one awkward sentence. For example: He smiled to himself, the aloof attitude Dylan exuded when people were near had a firm hold, but despite Taj telling him he was gay, Dylan had let him in when they were alone.
Even without the comma issues, I found the writing to be a bit disjointed.
The reiteration and repetition is prevalent throughout, and the style is just not one that corresponds with my tastes at all.
There are also quite a few errors in general: missing punctuation, missing possessives, incorrect verb tenses, words that should have been deleted but weren't. Some proper nouns are also used improperly which, while not a big deal, didn't improve my opinion. (The two that really stuck out for me were Xbox (not X-box) and HIPPA (not Hippa).)
Other Thoughts:
One thing that threw me early on is a line of Taj's in which he proclaims that he thinks that words like gay and homosexual are just words people use to hurt other people. I can't pin down why it bothers me. It just seems so contrived, I think.
Overall:
In the end, it took me two weeks to read this book simply because I grew increasingly frustrated as I read, to the point that I'd have to put it down and walk away or abandon it entirely. If you don't mind obsessive characters and uneven storytelling, this might be the book for you. For me, there's just not enough of a happy medium to endear it to me.
Review originally posted at The Black Dog Reads.
Dylan is a young man fresh out of high school, fleeing a less-than-ideal home life to attend Trinity University, where he'll be able to focus on his singing. He maintains a diva personality, looking down on anyone who's not at his level and pushing away everyone else, to mask his personal pain, trapped with a mentally ill mother and estranged father. He's also not gay, or so he says.
As a character, I just could not connect to him; I spent much of the book actively hating him. His diva personality is inconsistent and often silly, and his level of obsession with Taj makes me think that his mother isn't the only mentally ill one in the family; there's a point in the story at which he becomes so jealous of girls flirting with an uninterested Taj that he vomits--a little extreme to me, and certainly not healthy behavior.
Taj is a bit older and better balanced. He performs with various choir groups, helps out in different aspects of university, and has a tight circle of friends. He's apparently dated before, though nothing of his past boyfriends ever comes out. Although he's better balanced emotionally, his character is still inconsistent--he very rarely acts his age, coming across as much too mature to be believable.
Chemistry:
The attraction between Dylan and Taj goes from zero to sixty in a very short span of time. There's almost no tension for a good portion of the beginning, and suddenly Taj is desperate to kiss Dylan while Dylan has erotic dreams of Taj. The lack of lead-up made their getting together a bit jarring, and their obsession with each other even more so.
The level of obsession is what honestly put me off the most. Taj is worried that Dylan will be jealous that Taj is leaving their make-out session to be with another man, when what he's doing is taking the other man to the hospital. Dylan, fully aware that Taj has other responsibilities one day, is determined to have a shit day because Taj isn't there with him. It escalates ridiculously.
And then there's the testing. As soon as Taj and Dylan identify as a couple, Taj is insistent that they both get tested before they have sex (or even come together, apparently). Okay--a little weird, but okay. Later, it comes out that
Secondary Characters:
The supporting cast was nearly as frustrating as Dylan and Taj, full of caricatures without much substance. Dylan's parents in particular fall short of what they could have been; his father was reduced to a manipulative, blustering asshole, while his mother became an insane whore. Although the characterizations made sense in concept, there just wasn't anything there to flesh them out, to make their behaviors believable as functional human beings. I also found Paul to be downright annoying--again, a caricature with nothing behind him to make his mannerisms anything but stereotypically queeny and almost offensive.
Story:
The characters were unfortunately not the only weakness; the story showed its cracks, too. It's disjointed and jerky, with the climax having very little to do with the rest of the story leading up to it. Just a little bit of foreshadowing couldn't have hurt.
The reactions of some characters also don't necessarily make sense.
For a story that focused so much on Dylan and Taj being musicians, too, the music fell by the wayside awfully quickly. Before they get together, there's plenty of mention of Dylan singing, or Taj's groups. Later, there's an offhand mention of them singing together in choir, but no further mention of anything else choir-related. It seemed lax.
Writing:
Commas, commas everywhere, but not a pause to need. I'm a comma queen, and even I found the usage of commas to be excessive here. Commas frequently combined sentences; what should have been two or three sentences is spliced into one awkward sentence. For example: He smiled to himself, the aloof attitude Dylan exuded when people were near had a firm hold, but despite Taj telling him he was gay, Dylan had let him in when they were alone.
Even without the comma issues, I found the writing to be a bit disjointed.
Dylan couldn't help becoming irritated. He wanted the girls to leave them alone. Taj belonged to him. Dylan glared at the two babbling girls and his ire increased, but they ignored him. Their incessant drivel rubbed Dylan's nerves raw. Taj chatted politely for a while, but seemed to sense Dylan's growing discomfort and soon tried to end the conversation.
The reiteration and repetition is prevalent throughout, and the style is just not one that corresponds with my tastes at all.
There are also quite a few errors in general: missing punctuation, missing possessives, incorrect verb tenses, words that should have been deleted but weren't. Some proper nouns are also used improperly which, while not a big deal, didn't improve my opinion. (The two that really stuck out for me were Xbox (not X-box) and HIPPA (not Hippa).)
Other Thoughts:
One thing that threw me early on is a line of Taj's in which he proclaims that he thinks that words like gay and homosexual are just words people use to hurt other people. I can't pin down why it bothers me. It just seems so contrived, I think.
Overall:
In the end, it took me two weeks to read this book simply because I grew increasingly frustrated as I read, to the point that I'd have to put it down and walk away or abandon it entirely. If you don't mind obsessive characters and uneven storytelling, this might be the book for you. For me, there's just not enough of a happy medium to endear it to me.
Review originally posted at The Black Dog Reads.
July 1, 2011
Dylan Michaels has the face of an angel and a voice to match, but Taj Davis discovers that he also has the temperament of a diva when the lovely young man enrolls at his college with the idea that he’s going to be the star of the choir. But Taj glimpses something else that lies deep below the surface—something fragile and breathtakingly lovely—beneath the hard shell of the diva which Dylan wears like a protective armor. Can Taj get through to the inner Dylan, and will he ever figure out why Dylan claims they’ve met before? Surely Taj would remember something like that?
Taj and Dylan both arrive at the campus early, before the start of semester. Taj tries to help him acclimate to college life slowly, and he finds himself getting through to him until Dylan unexpectedly witnesses Taj and his friends engaged in a silly drinking game of their own devising, one which involves either kissing or chocolate or blowing raspberries. When Taj explains the origin and purpose of the game, Dylan is quick to inform him that he won’t be playing. Taj’s roommate, the flamboyant and extroverted Paul, takes an instant liking to the pretty Dylan, calling him his Honey Bear, and outrageously flirting with him. But Dylan clings to Taj, and only finds Paul annoying.
Taj finds himself drawn more and more to Dylan, but he’s afraid to let him see that, afraid he’ll be scared away if he does. For his part, Dylan begins to have erotic dreams which center about Taj, and he doesn’t understand why that should be, with the sort of messy results that he hasn’t had to deal with since he was a lot younger. When opportunity occurs, Taj finds he cannot hold himself back, and he prays that his kiss won’t frighten Dylan away—far from it, they become closer than ever, although Dylan still hasn’t confessed to where they met before.
Campus crises are mingled with secrets that are best kept hidden, secrets that Dylan is sure will lose him Taj if Taj should ever discover them. Dylan has always wanted to be close to Taj, and he’s afraid, deathly afraid, of the truth coming out, ‘cause it sure won’t set him free. In fact, he feels that without Taj in his life, his life isn’t worth living.
When the truth is finally revealed, will it drive a wedge between them that nothing can fix, or will it reinforce the love they feel for one another? Can one ever truly escape one’s past?
Dark Chocolate and Raspberries is about overcoming a painful past and finding the strength to do that which your heart dictates. Sometimes you think that a truth is too awful to see the light of day, and that is Dylan’s dilemma—paralyzed by fear that Taj will discover his secrets and hate him for them, he is ready to give up his happiness and his life to keep that from happening. This is a story about the power of love, and what it truly means to love someone, and that if something is meant to be, it will be. I loved these boys and felt for them. Sui Lynn brought them to life for me. So much so that even on a second reading, I cried at parts of it. She makes you care, and she makes you feel, and you ache for them, hoping they can keep it together and overcome things that they had no control over.
This is the second novel I’ve read by this writer, the first being Blue Rose, which I also reviewed. If this is any indication, I think Ms. Lynn will be a force to be reckoned with, and I look forward to reading more of her work. I’ve seen enough to know that her imagination is fertile, and her characters strong and well-drawn. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys romance, and challenges, and laughter and love. And yes, it is also explicit, so I don’t recommend it for anyone below the age of 18. The cover is beautiful, created by the lovely and talented cover artist Reese Dante. Put this book on your wish list now!
Taj and Dylan both arrive at the campus early, before the start of semester. Taj tries to help him acclimate to college life slowly, and he finds himself getting through to him until Dylan unexpectedly witnesses Taj and his friends engaged in a silly drinking game of their own devising, one which involves either kissing or chocolate or blowing raspberries. When Taj explains the origin and purpose of the game, Dylan is quick to inform him that he won’t be playing. Taj’s roommate, the flamboyant and extroverted Paul, takes an instant liking to the pretty Dylan, calling him his Honey Bear, and outrageously flirting with him. But Dylan clings to Taj, and only finds Paul annoying.
Taj finds himself drawn more and more to Dylan, but he’s afraid to let him see that, afraid he’ll be scared away if he does. For his part, Dylan begins to have erotic dreams which center about Taj, and he doesn’t understand why that should be, with the sort of messy results that he hasn’t had to deal with since he was a lot younger. When opportunity occurs, Taj finds he cannot hold himself back, and he prays that his kiss won’t frighten Dylan away—far from it, they become closer than ever, although Dylan still hasn’t confessed to where they met before.
Campus crises are mingled with secrets that are best kept hidden, secrets that Dylan is sure will lose him Taj if Taj should ever discover them. Dylan has always wanted to be close to Taj, and he’s afraid, deathly afraid, of the truth coming out, ‘cause it sure won’t set him free. In fact, he feels that without Taj in his life, his life isn’t worth living.
When the truth is finally revealed, will it drive a wedge between them that nothing can fix, or will it reinforce the love they feel for one another? Can one ever truly escape one’s past?
Dark Chocolate and Raspberries is about overcoming a painful past and finding the strength to do that which your heart dictates. Sometimes you think that a truth is too awful to see the light of day, and that is Dylan’s dilemma—paralyzed by fear that Taj will discover his secrets and hate him for them, he is ready to give up his happiness and his life to keep that from happening. This is a story about the power of love, and what it truly means to love someone, and that if something is meant to be, it will be. I loved these boys and felt for them. Sui Lynn brought them to life for me. So much so that even on a second reading, I cried at parts of it. She makes you care, and she makes you feel, and you ache for them, hoping they can keep it together and overcome things that they had no control over.
This is the second novel I’ve read by this writer, the first being Blue Rose, which I also reviewed. If this is any indication, I think Ms. Lynn will be a force to be reckoned with, and I look forward to reading more of her work. I’ve seen enough to know that her imagination is fertile, and her characters strong and well-drawn. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys romance, and challenges, and laughter and love. And yes, it is also explicit, so I don’t recommend it for anyone below the age of 18. The cover is beautiful, created by the lovely and talented cover artist Reese Dante. Put this book on your wish list now!
December 26, 2012
Man, I just can't tell you how disappointed I am by this book. Just a coupla days ago I read a Christmas short by this author that I really liked, so I had hopes for this novel-length story. But it is just so BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD. The writing is awkward. The characters are awkward, artificial, inconsistent, and unbelievable. And DUMB. And one of the MCs is a big time chick-with-dick, who is too weak and stupid to solve any of his problems by himself and needs the Big Strong Knight In Shining Armor to come save him. But of course they're also both poor little rich boys, so even though they're both in college they get to have champagne and expensive hotel suites and custom remodeled condos while they're busy angsting. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg.
I would really like to give this mess 1 star, but I try to reserve my 1 star ratings for stories that have some sort of thematic material that offends me. This one is really only offensive in its low quality. So I'm rating this at a 2, but that's being very generous.
eta -- you can read Shana's Excellent Review if you'd like to see more details concerning the badness that is this book.
I would really like to give this mess 1 star, but I try to reserve my 1 star ratings for stories that have some sort of thematic material that offends me. This one is really only offensive in its low quality. So I'm rating this at a 2, but that's being very generous.
eta -- you can read Shana's Excellent Review if you'd like to see more details concerning the badness that is this book.
September 29, 2011
4,5 stars actually.
I really enjoyed this book, and loved it so much. I loved both Dylan and Taj, laughed with them, cried with them and anxious for them throughout the book.
I also liked the secondary characters, Paul, Tony, Ben, James... but not the jerks, that is, Taj's father and Dylan's parents.
About Dylan's mother... she was awfully mentally ill and needed help long before this whole mess happened. She reminds me of Akito's mother from the manga Fruits Basket:
I really enjoyed this book, and loved it so much. I loved both Dylan and Taj, laughed with them, cried with them and anxious for them throughout the book.
I also liked the secondary characters, Paul, Tony, Ben, James... but not the jerks, that is, Taj's father and Dylan's parents.
About Dylan's mother... she was awfully mentally ill and needed help long before this whole mess happened. She reminds me of Akito's mother from the manga Fruits Basket:
August 31, 2012
I gave this book four stars for a few reasons.
First, I read all the reviews that said this book was bad.
Therefore, I read it knowing that other people had found it depthless, too long for the story, no growth, a weak plot and weak characters.
In short, I wasn't expecting much of this story.
I would say this is fluff. A light, really light story. Happily ever after kind of thing.
Don't read this if you want something complex and deep with a intricate plot.
But if like me you are looking for a sweet simple story and are willing to pass over a few illogical moments, this story is not so bad.
First, I read all the reviews that said this book was bad.
Therefore, I read it knowing that other people had found it depthless, too long for the story, no growth, a weak plot and weak characters.
In short, I wasn't expecting much of this story.
I would say this is fluff. A light, really light story. Happily ever after kind of thing.
Don't read this if you want something complex and deep with a intricate plot.
But if like me you are looking for a sweet simple story and are willing to pass over a few illogical moments, this story is not so bad.
January 20, 2012
I really liked this story and the cute couple that it was about. Dylan and Taj were fun to read about and very sexy.
March 9, 2012
review will be posted on
http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
February 26, 2012
Loved it! Just goes to prove there's more than meets the eye with a 'diva'. Loved Taj and Dylan...esp. Taj. Boy next-door cutie who is loyal to the core to his beloved. Absolutely heartwarming!
May 24, 2011
Cute and sexy read. Liked it alot.
July 4, 2012
This started off well, two guys meet and fall in love at University, with a little bit of a twist in the story regarding how they had actually met before when they were kids.
September 9, 2011
Don't take my word for it...
Check out my review at Night Owl Reviews.
http://www.nightowlerotica.com/nor/Re...
Check out what Top 2 Bottom Reviews had to say.
http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.co...
Check out my review at The Reader's Roundtable After Dark.
http://thereadersroundtable.com/eroti...
Check out my review at Night Owl Reviews.
http://www.nightowlerotica.com/nor/Re...
Check out what Top 2 Bottom Reviews had to say.
http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.co...
Check out my review at The Reader's Roundtable After Dark.
http://thereadersroundtable.com/eroti...
August 21, 2011
This was a cute story and cute idea, but I think it could have been cleaned up and shortened and had a stronger impact rather than drag on. Also, I kinda felt like they spoke as if they were much older than 20 and 18 years old. It was hard to connect at times, but like I said it is a cute story. I really liked their group of friends and liked how they were all fleshed out.
December 22, 2011
It was interesting to see how one difference (a caring mother versus a lunatic) can have such a hige impact on one's life and self image. The happier it made me when Dylan and Taj found each other. I was glad they had good friends and really glad they made the step into the others arms. It was heart-breaking but also heart-warming. The bad made me appriciate the good even more
May 18, 2017
This was just sooo bad and unbelievable. I don't think there was a single thing I liked about this book. I wished for it to end from the first chapter....
Never a good sign...
(Note to self: Pick better books for challenges)
Never a good sign...
(Note to self: Pick better books for challenges)
September 8, 2011
A Recommended Read! Ms. Lynn weaves the complexities of their budding relationship and the pieces of the story together with the ease of a master weaver. To read this review in its entirety, please visit http://thereadersroundtable.com/eroti...
May 4, 2011
One big silly mess. I din't like it at all. I had to stop several times and do other things to be able to finish it.
May 22, 2011
The story was sweet and interesting. The romance between Dylan and Taj was warm, but everything other related to school and singing was missed out. In general I just couldn't connect to this story.
July 25, 2011
I would love to read a say.....a holiday story with these guys! Hint, hint ....
February 5, 2012
Dylan and Taj were such a cute couple. I liked them and thought their story was sweet and romantic.
January 6, 2016
I got the the half way point but gave up. The big reveal was underwhelming and the MCs were just boring.
February 10, 2014
Incredibly unrealistic and dramatic. I did find it entertaining enough though. Very interesting characters. Reasonable plot. HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews