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Teddy Bear Collection #3
Ivan vs. Ivan
Gay Fiction / Mature – Bear Romance / Industrial Blue-collar Theme / Suspense / Adult Content
Out here in the North Sea love usually passes a man by like a ship in the night. So it’s a nice surprise when the captain of the ship hired to transport Ivan’s platform rig into port for the winter might actually offer some unexpected non-business type amenities as well.
Ivan Voloshyn owns and operates the Marianna Shoal, a deep sea oil rig. It’s hard work and long days out in harsh weather. And he loves it that way. Because that’s what he knows. Seabeds— rigs— oil— and bad weather. He’s also about to find out the Norse Gods have a sense of humor. For who should it be to come riding in on the Sea Dock Heavy Lift ship? Another Ivan.
Captain Ivan Blažević knows who he is and what he wants. Problem is, he also knows he can’t have it. Just because the rest of the world is coming out of the closet doesn’t mean every gay man can or should. Out here on the seas the weather can change in an instant. He needs to trust his crew to do their job, and their hostility towards gays would get in the way of that if he was ever found out.
Ivan-the rig-owner’s very presence threatens Blažević’s closet doors, nevertheless it’s hard to turn that away, because he wants him to keep doing so.
Out here, the North Sea can change a man’s life— but hatred can take it away.
THE TEDDY BEAR COLLECTION
Their Plane from Nowhere
Big Spoon & Teddy Bear
Ivan vs. Ivan
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Out here in the North Sea love usually passes a man by like a ship in the night. So it’s a nice surprise when the captain of the ship hired to transport Ivan’s platform rig into port for the winter might actually offer some unexpected non-business type amenities as well.
Ivan Voloshyn owns and operates the Marianna Shoal, a deep sea oil rig. It’s hard work and long days out in harsh weather. And he loves it that way. Because that’s what he knows. Seabeds— rigs— oil— and bad weather. He’s also about to find out the Norse Gods have a sense of humor. For who should it be to come riding in on the Sea Dock Heavy Lift ship? Another Ivan.
Captain Ivan Blažević knows who he is and what he wants. Problem is, he also knows he can’t have it. Just because the rest of the world is coming out of the closet doesn’t mean every gay man can or should. Out here on the seas the weather can change in an instant. He needs to trust his crew to do their job, and their hostility towards gays would get in the way of that if he was ever found out.
Ivan-the rig-owner’s very presence threatens Blažević’s closet doors, nevertheless it’s hard to turn that away, because he wants him to keep doing so.
Out here, the North Sea can change a man’s life— but hatred can take it away.
THE TEDDY BEAR COLLECTION
Their Plane from Nowhere
Big Spoon & Teddy Bear
Ivan vs. Ivan
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
- GenresM M RomanceRomance
137 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2015
4 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Tarian P.S.
29 books72 followers★ Author of the Teddy Bear Collection ★ and Three-time MM Goodreads Best Cover Artist Nominee 2013 & 2014 ★
*´¨) ABOUT
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` THE TWINS ¤ *.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*
Both Proud Indy Authors: Tarian like his twin, Talon, love to torment their editor with a nefarious world of foreign-language, slang, local dialect, stretched/outside-of-the-box definitions, and have even been known to throw in some new word creations of their own at times. This, of course, is all thrown in there with the dyslexia soup stock they both suffer from that makes editing for them a joy {joy: n. see mental illness}.
However, the final product comes out as richly detailed as we believe all stories should be created: holographic worlds of love, pain, frustration, and challenges beyond the every day. We believe a good story should take you on an emotional ride, pluck your heart strings, and zing you about until you’re dizzy and screaming at the antagonist, while cheering for the protagonist before returning you to your cozy reading spot. And we’ve created these adventures within a mix of genres, so you can find the one right for you: Gay & Het Romances, Suspense, Paranormal and Sci-fi Erotic Romances, War-time Romance Fictions, along with Talon’s favorite Space Sci-Fi Frontiers, and Tarian’s favorite works of Post-Apocalyptic Dark Fantasies and Historical Fantasies. All for readers to submerse themselves into and escape from their day when they need or desire, and to whet your appetite for more.
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December 5, 2023
You don't know how much it hurts that I can only give this 3 stars! This was a very highly anticipated read for me because it contained so many things I love: a pairing consisting of big bear characters (not in the shifter sense); the MCs are competent professionals in their professions; an in-depth exploration of a blue collar industry that I didn't know much about and the usage of many Northern/Eastern European ethnicities, which is rare in the world of MM romance. Unfortunately, the story structure was a bit strange but what dragged it down was the strange writing. From what I understand, both choices are deliberate and it's part of both authors styles (Tarian P.S. and Princess S.O. are co-writing partners) but was so distracting that I couldn't enjoy the story.
Despite struggling to make it through the story due to the writing style, there were so many positives that the story still deserves 3 stars. We have the two Ivans, who are huge, strong, bearded and heavily tattooed bears. I have no idea why the authors decided to give both MCs the same first name but they did a great job differentiating between them so there was never any confusion. I'll call the lift ship captain 'Ship-Ivan' and the oil rig chief engineer/boss will be 'Rig-Ivan'. I loved that both men were walking mountains who could probably crush metal pipes with their bare hands who were instantly attracted to those same qualities in the other person. Alpha pairings are one of my favorite things but bear alpha pairings are rare so I was happy about it. So having the MCs go ga-ga over the other person was great but add in that both men work on the North Sea for months at a time and gay hook ups are very rare in their world so they were both horny and once they realize they're both gay and Ship-Ivan gets past a bit of internalized homophobia, it's go time. The two explicit smut scenes that took place in the first third of the book were smoking hot and they were exactly what I was hoping for!
I also love the cover! Huge kudos to whoever designed the cover for choosing models who matched both MCs almost perfectly and every tattoo you see on either model is based on the corresponding characters' real tattoos (which are important in the story). I wish both men looked a bit older (especially the guy on the right) because they're both supposed to be in their early 50s, but it's still an amazing cover. Best of all is that the Marianna Shoal drill rig is in the background and after you finish reading the book, you'll feel as heartbroken about that as I do.
I really enjoyed getting to learn more about how these massive ocean drill rigs work. The authors didn't get overly technical with things but I was thrilled to have some of my incorrect assumptions corrected. Specifically, I was under the impression that these drill rigs were also tower-shaped boats. But that probably demonstrates my lack of understanding about boats in general because I learned very quickly that no - those massive tower structures aren't boats so they can't move themselves around. They're fine when they're anchored into the sea bed and they're capable of floating when required but they're too big and too top-heavy to zip around the ocean. So I thought maybe tug boats pull them around. But no, because tugs can't pull something that massive through the stormy open ocean of the North Sea. So how do they move these monstrosities? They use lift boats. These massive boats submerge themselves beneath the drill rig and then come up underneath, lifting these enormous mo-fos onto their backs like they're a dad giving their toddler a piggy-back ride before chugging to the new location. The entire process is shown in the story and I found it fascinating from start to finish!
Another thing I adored was the diversity in the various European cultures that the author included. Ship-Ivan is Chechen, he lives in the Netherlands, most of his co-workers are Russians and the company he works for is also run by Russians. Rig-Ivan is Ukranian, he lives in Iceland and his crew mostly consists of Scottish and Dutch people. The authors did a great job using the big cultural differences between many of these groups to create interesting conflict in the story. In particular, I loved that Ship-Ivan's status as a Chechen and a gay man was made even more complicated by the presence of many Russians around him. In addition, the authors have Rig-Ivan bring Ship-Ivan to his home in Iceland and we get to spend lots of time exploring this fascinating country, including the gorgeous but inhospitable tundra landscape, the hardy and kindhearted people and the huge role that Nordic Paganism still plays in Iceland. I don't know anything about the latter so I don't know how accurate that depiction was but it was wonderful that Rig-Ivan had adopted Nordic pagan religious traditions because they're so heavily intertwined with his life as a mariner. In the second half of the book, there's a very intense plotline where Ship-Ivan has run out of options and he takes inspiration from Rig-Ivan and sends prayers to the Norse Gods, which was a beautiful way of showing how the two men have impacted each other's lives.
I also appreciated that Rig-Ivan's work as an oil rig driller was examined from an ethical and environmental perspective instead of just being his job. Working on oil rigs is one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world so people don't end up there by accident and they certainly don't stick around unless it's beneficial to them. From what I know based on my own past doing environmental work in the oil patch, the majority of workers are there for the money but they also have a deep respect for nature and the planet as a whole, which tends to be true for most people who work in the natural resource sector. Rig-Ivan was a little different since he's a chief engineer so he has university degree and part of his attraction to the job is the technical difficulty of it but he also strongly respects the planet and works hard to balance utilizing the planet's resources while also respecting the ecosystem they come from. His home is completely run by thermal heat from the lava flowing under Iceland's surface but his job involves finding and collecting fossil fuels. At first glance, this might look like hypocrisy but I loved that the authors took some time to explore the topic in detail and remind readers that the situation isn't nearly as black and white as some people tend to portray it as.
Next to the Iceland stuff, my favorite part of the story was definitely the second half. The first half is a slow, ordinary romance but then a switch gets flipped and the second half is one of the most intense plotlines I've ever read. I spent last night literally sleeping 1-2 hours at a time and then waking up to read more because I couldn't stop.
So the whole reason the Ivans meet each other is because Rig-Ivan needs to move his rig (the Marianna Shoal) back to the Netherlands for winter downtime and repairs and Ship-Ivan captains the lift boat that will give the Marianna a piggy back ride to shore. Things go well on the trip to the Netherlands, the boys enjoy their winter off in Iceland together and then they repeat the same process to bring the Marianna back out in the spring to her new position. And that's when things fall apart and I became a complete wreck.
So based on all of this, why only 3 stars? I hope you feel my pain!! But the writing was so bizarre that I can't justify giving it a higher rating. In the authors bio, they talk about deliberately messing around with language when writing (making up words, deliberately using incorrect words or changing common phrases) and they also blame their dyslexia on any strangeness that readers may encounter. Regardless of their intentions, I found it very difficult to read and the strange language used was a constant distraction. Here are some examples and you can judge for yourself:
"You don't bother to hide that from your men?" He gruffed with the question and finally mustered the movement to step back.
Ivan felt his face melt. He'd just said out loud he was staying, but he'd truly had no reason to do so except misguided ideas of seeing this one a little bit more.
"Is this going to delay the transport?"
"Not no more."
...before he footed the door closed.
[Rig-Ivan] was eating the smug pile all right as he led [Ship-]Ivan right up to the hotdog stand.
...shouldn't nothing good come out of it.
Could a man truly be so starved that he would drop on hands and knees to lick the blood of kill just to sate their aching bellies?
It wasn't helping his insides any that the Daughtry singer he liked so much was on the tunes lamenting with the song 'Wicked Ways'.
There were other issues, like Rig-Ivan saying 'woof' multiple times whenever he was overcome by how hot Ship-Ivan was (remember that the guy is supposed to be in his 50s). There were multiple grammar issues, such as plural things not having an s and having an aposthrophe before the s. Much of the dialogue was incorrectly formatted. Italics were used for different purposes with no consistency. Most of the wrong word usage seemed to be deliberate but there were some errors that I'm sure were just plain errors (insure used instead of ensure, distress used instead of destress - which is such an ironic mistake that I burst out laughing). A few instances of OTT YA-type writing style like 'NOOOOOO!'.
Then there were the choices the authors made when writing characters' accents. All Russian characters and Ship-Ivan had all their 'w's written with a v infront so What was written as VWhat. The word bitches was written beeches.
Also irritating was that the tone of the story abruptly changed from erotica to normal romance after the first third. I'm usually not a fan of erotica but the UST between the MCs was off the charts and the authors set things up with the promise that there would be Epic Sexy Times. And we did get two smoking hot explicit scenes...but that's it. Every other sex scene in the rest of the story is conveyed by telling instead of showing.
This was a huge letdown because the two explicit scenes had been rough hook ups that were a result of two horny people coming together for casual sex. We're also told Ship-Ivan has little experience with physical intimacy with a man so when he and Rig-Ivan are in Iceland, I was so excited to see more tenderness and intimacy between them. Well...it does happen but we're only told about it. Booo!! What a disappointment! And after the MCs , you'd assume we'd get at least one last scene that's also the make-up smut scene, right? Nope. It's skipped over and then the story ends.
Do you feel my pain?!? This book contained everything that I love in MM romance and so much of it was exactly what I wanted, but the writing style and lack of smut left me very disappointed.
Despite struggling to make it through the story due to the writing style, there were so many positives that the story still deserves 3 stars. We have the two Ivans, who are huge, strong, bearded and heavily tattooed bears. I have no idea why the authors decided to give both MCs the same first name but they did a great job differentiating between them so there was never any confusion. I'll call the lift ship captain 'Ship-Ivan' and the oil rig chief engineer/boss will be 'Rig-Ivan'. I loved that both men were walking mountains who could probably crush metal pipes with their bare hands who were instantly attracted to those same qualities in the other person. Alpha pairings are one of my favorite things but bear alpha pairings are rare so I was happy about it. So having the MCs go ga-ga over the other person was great but add in that both men work on the North Sea for months at a time and gay hook ups are very rare in their world so they were both horny and once they realize they're both gay and Ship-Ivan gets past a bit of internalized homophobia, it's go time. The two explicit smut scenes that took place in the first third of the book were smoking hot and they were exactly what I was hoping for!
I also love the cover! Huge kudos to whoever designed the cover for choosing models who matched both MCs almost perfectly and every tattoo you see on either model is based on the corresponding characters' real tattoos (which are important in the story). I wish both men looked a bit older (especially the guy on the right) because they're both supposed to be in their early 50s, but it's still an amazing cover. Best of all is that the Marianna Shoal drill rig is in the background and after you finish reading the book, you'll feel as heartbroken about that as I do.
I really enjoyed getting to learn more about how these massive ocean drill rigs work. The authors didn't get overly technical with things but I was thrilled to have some of my incorrect assumptions corrected. Specifically, I was under the impression that these drill rigs were also tower-shaped boats. But that probably demonstrates my lack of understanding about boats in general because I learned very quickly that no - those massive tower structures aren't boats so they can't move themselves around. They're fine when they're anchored into the sea bed and they're capable of floating when required but they're too big and too top-heavy to zip around the ocean. So I thought maybe tug boats pull them around. But no, because tugs can't pull something that massive through the stormy open ocean of the North Sea. So how do they move these monstrosities? They use lift boats. These massive boats submerge themselves beneath the drill rig and then come up underneath, lifting these enormous mo-fos onto their backs like they're a dad giving their toddler a piggy-back ride before chugging to the new location. The entire process is shown in the story and I found it fascinating from start to finish!
Another thing I adored was the diversity in the various European cultures that the author included. Ship-Ivan is Chechen, he lives in the Netherlands, most of his co-workers are Russians and the company he works for is also run by Russians. Rig-Ivan is Ukranian, he lives in Iceland and his crew mostly consists of Scottish and Dutch people. The authors did a great job using the big cultural differences between many of these groups to create interesting conflict in the story. In particular, I loved that Ship-Ivan's status as a Chechen and a gay man was made even more complicated by the presence of many Russians around him. In addition, the authors have Rig-Ivan bring Ship-Ivan to his home in Iceland and we get to spend lots of time exploring this fascinating country, including the gorgeous but inhospitable tundra landscape, the hardy and kindhearted people and the huge role that Nordic Paganism still plays in Iceland. I don't know anything about the latter so I don't know how accurate that depiction was but it was wonderful that Rig-Ivan had adopted Nordic pagan religious traditions because they're so heavily intertwined with his life as a mariner. In the second half of the book, there's a very intense plotline where Ship-Ivan has run out of options and he takes inspiration from Rig-Ivan and sends prayers to the Norse Gods, which was a beautiful way of showing how the two men have impacted each other's lives.
I also appreciated that Rig-Ivan's work as an oil rig driller was examined from an ethical and environmental perspective instead of just being his job. Working on oil rigs is one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world so people don't end up there by accident and they certainly don't stick around unless it's beneficial to them. From what I know based on my own past doing environmental work in the oil patch, the majority of workers are there for the money but they also have a deep respect for nature and the planet as a whole, which tends to be true for most people who work in the natural resource sector. Rig-Ivan was a little different since he's a chief engineer so he has university degree and part of his attraction to the job is the technical difficulty of it but he also strongly respects the planet and works hard to balance utilizing the planet's resources while also respecting the ecosystem they come from. His home is completely run by thermal heat from the lava flowing under Iceland's surface but his job involves finding and collecting fossil fuels. At first glance, this might look like hypocrisy but I loved that the authors took some time to explore the topic in detail and remind readers that the situation isn't nearly as black and white as some people tend to portray it as.
Next to the Iceland stuff, my favorite part of the story was definitely the second half. The first half is a slow, ordinary romance but then a switch gets flipped and the second half is one of the most intense plotlines I've ever read. I spent last night literally sleeping 1-2 hours at a time and then waking up to read more because I couldn't stop.
So the whole reason the Ivans meet each other is because Rig-Ivan needs to move his rig (the Marianna Shoal) back to the Netherlands for winter downtime and repairs and Ship-Ivan captains the lift boat that will give the Marianna a piggy back ride to shore. Things go well on the trip to the Netherlands, the boys enjoy their winter off in Iceland together and then they repeat the same process to bring the Marianna back out in the spring to her new position. And that's when things fall apart and I became a complete wreck.
So based on all of this, why only 3 stars? I hope you feel my pain!! But the writing was so bizarre that I can't justify giving it a higher rating. In the authors bio, they talk about deliberately messing around with language when writing (making up words, deliberately using incorrect words or changing common phrases) and they also blame their dyslexia on any strangeness that readers may encounter. Regardless of their intentions, I found it very difficult to read and the strange language used was a constant distraction. Here are some examples and you can judge for yourself:
"You don't bother to hide that from your men?" He gruffed with the question and finally mustered the movement to step back.
Ivan felt his face melt. He'd just said out loud he was staying, but he'd truly had no reason to do so except misguided ideas of seeing this one a little bit more.
"Is this going to delay the transport?"
"Not no more."
...before he footed the door closed.
[Rig-Ivan] was eating the smug pile all right as he led [Ship-]Ivan right up to the hotdog stand.
...shouldn't nothing good come out of it.
Could a man truly be so starved that he would drop on hands and knees to lick the blood of kill just to sate their aching bellies?
It wasn't helping his insides any that the Daughtry singer he liked so much was on the tunes lamenting with the song 'Wicked Ways'.
There were other issues, like Rig-Ivan saying 'woof' multiple times whenever he was overcome by how hot Ship-Ivan was (remember that the guy is supposed to be in his 50s). There were multiple grammar issues, such as plural things not having an s and having an aposthrophe before the s. Much of the dialogue was incorrectly formatted. Italics were used for different purposes with no consistency. Most of the wrong word usage seemed to be deliberate but there were some errors that I'm sure were just plain errors (insure used instead of ensure, distress used instead of destress - which is such an ironic mistake that I burst out laughing). A few instances of OTT YA-type writing style like 'NOOOOOO!'.
Then there were the choices the authors made when writing characters' accents. All Russian characters and Ship-Ivan had all their 'w's written with a v infront so What was written as VWhat. The word bitches was written beeches.
Also irritating was that the tone of the story abruptly changed from erotica to normal romance after the first third. I'm usually not a fan of erotica but the UST between the MCs was off the charts and the authors set things up with the promise that there would be Epic Sexy Times. And we did get two smoking hot explicit scenes...but that's it. Every other sex scene in the rest of the story is conveyed by telling instead of showing.
This was a huge letdown because the two explicit scenes had been rough hook ups that were a result of two horny people coming together for casual sex. We're also told Ship-Ivan has little experience with physical intimacy with a man so when he and Rig-Ivan are in Iceland, I was so excited to see more tenderness and intimacy between them. Well...it does happen but we're only told about it. Booo!! What a disappointment! And after the MCs , you'd assume we'd get at least one last scene that's also the make-up smut scene, right? Nope. It's skipped over and then the story ends.
Do you feel my pain?!? This book contained everything that I love in MM romance and so much of it was exactly what I wanted, but the writing style and lack of smut left me very disappointed.
August 20, 2016
*ARC copy provided by author for honest review. Also pre-ordered on Amazon.com*
Right out of the gate this book bucks overdone trends in current romance, and still delivers an engrossing journey that is also sometimes infuriating, frequently suspenseful and ultimately happy, if bittersweet.
Most notably to those of us readers closer to the wrong side of the grass than not, both Ivans are men with some years to call past. The point is in no way belaboured, instead it merely adds welcome layers of experience to their overall character; a comfort within themselves that comes with time. It also, blessedly, uncomplicates most personal aspects of their relationship, apart from Ivan B's necessarily closeted status on his Russian-owned ship. Reference "infuriating" above...
Also of refreshing note is the setting in which this story unfolds. Both men captain sea-faring vessels; Ivan V. a massive oil-rig, and Ivan B. a massive cargo ship designed to carry the likes of oil rigs as its freight. In addition, Ivan V. makes his off-season home in Iceland. Readers are given glimpses of a life very different, customs that inspire, and are allowed into "V's" spiritual centre; a place that comes to be very important as the story progresses.
As the climactic event in this story approaches, it is so far beyond the usual crazy-stalker-ex, or kidnap scenario, or deep-dark-secret-that-is-neither-deep-nor-dark, that the reader is easily swept up in the unimaginable but frighteningly possible circumstances. And then...its still not over.
Having gone where few authors dare to go with some of the secondary but key characters, there are still two emotionally wounded men to heal, and a fractured relationship to be healed, if possible. It is at this point where I usually want more than a very nicely concluded story. I could read on and on, but this author has a gift for understanding when more is just...more.
This story has a recognizable appeal to a comprehensive reading audience, and at the same time is pleasingly different in presentation. It is a smart tale about real working men of some age, and about overcoming, with nary a 22 year-old billionaire in sight...
Right out of the gate this book bucks overdone trends in current romance, and still delivers an engrossing journey that is also sometimes infuriating, frequently suspenseful and ultimately happy, if bittersweet.
Most notably to those of us readers closer to the wrong side of the grass than not, both Ivans are men with some years to call past. The point is in no way belaboured, instead it merely adds welcome layers of experience to their overall character; a comfort within themselves that comes with time. It also, blessedly, uncomplicates most personal aspects of their relationship, apart from Ivan B's necessarily closeted status on his Russian-owned ship. Reference "infuriating" above...
Also of refreshing note is the setting in which this story unfolds. Both men captain sea-faring vessels; Ivan V. a massive oil-rig, and Ivan B. a massive cargo ship designed to carry the likes of oil rigs as its freight. In addition, Ivan V. makes his off-season home in Iceland. Readers are given glimpses of a life very different, customs that inspire, and are allowed into "V's" spiritual centre; a place that comes to be very important as the story progresses.
As the climactic event in this story approaches, it is so far beyond the usual crazy-stalker-ex, or kidnap scenario, or deep-dark-secret-that-is-neither-deep-nor-dark, that the reader is easily swept up in the unimaginable but frighteningly possible circumstances. And then...its still not over.
Having gone where few authors dare to go with some of the secondary but key characters, there are still two emotionally wounded men to heal, and a fractured relationship to be healed, if possible. It is at this point where I usually want more than a very nicely concluded story. I could read on and on, but this author has a gift for understanding when more is just...more.
This story has a recognizable appeal to a comprehensive reading audience, and at the same time is pleasingly different in presentation. It is a smart tale about real working men of some age, and about overcoming, with nary a 22 year-old billionaire in sight...
October 8, 2015
I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So many books that are written today are done so from the perspective of the 20ish-30ish year old characters. In Ivan vs Ivan we are treated to men of a slightly more mature set. Both men are in their 40's, working in a very homophobic industry, but still recognize the connection between themselves. I loved how the two men worked together to overcome this, to come together in times of strife, discrimination, loss and still find a way to form a relationship.
Ivan Voloshyn is Captain of a Deep Sea Oil rig, he’s Out, but doesn’t advertise it, but isn’t ashamed of it either. Ivan Blažević, Captain of Transport ship is trapped in a Russian controlled world of Discrimination and constant threat of physical injury, loss of employment, and let’s face it even death if people find out he’s Gay. But when these two hot men come together, it is magical. The physical attraction is so lifelike that you feel as if you're sitting in the room, ally or store room with them. But one of the things I like about this series is the fact that it’s not just Sex. It actually tells a story of two people coming together, facing fears and obstacles together and coming together
But more than that, the description of the Nordic and Russian life, the cultures and the current attitudes were spot on. The brief description of the Religious practices of the men and women who work in some of the most dangerous waters in the world, added a very rich layer to this wonderful book. I've been a fan of Princess since her first book of the Teddy-Bear series because it deals with men who are older. Older does not mean dead. Believe me, us older guys can be pretty sexy, so if you're looking for for a great read with an older, more mature men then you really need to read this book.
Ivan Voloshyn is Captain of a Deep Sea Oil rig, he’s Out, but doesn’t advertise it, but isn’t ashamed of it either. Ivan Blažević, Captain of Transport ship is trapped in a Russian controlled world of Discrimination and constant threat of physical injury, loss of employment, and let’s face it even death if people find out he’s Gay. But when these two hot men come together, it is magical. The physical attraction is so lifelike that you feel as if you're sitting in the room, ally or store room with them. But one of the things I like about this series is the fact that it’s not just Sex. It actually tells a story of two people coming together, facing fears and obstacles together and coming together
But more than that, the description of the Nordic and Russian life, the cultures and the current attitudes were spot on. The brief description of the Religious practices of the men and women who work in some of the most dangerous waters in the world, added a very rich layer to this wonderful book. I've been a fan of Princess since her first book of the Teddy-Bear series because it deals with men who are older. Older does not mean dead. Believe me, us older guys can be pretty sexy, so if you're looking for for a great read with an older, more mature men then you really need to read this book.
September 6, 2023
The next book from the Teddy Bear Collection is coming!! Oct 13th.
If you enjoy mature men and deeply engaging tales even when you don't have the time for the full size novel to deliver that, than give the Teddy Bear Collection a try. All three tales are unrelated stand-alones with a common theme of older, more Mature Big Bear Men.
As for the Ivans... some bears are just rougher to handle. <3
-- Hope you enjoy their company, Tarian PS
If you enjoy mature men and deeply engaging tales even when you don't have the time for the full size novel to deliver that, than give the Teddy Bear Collection a try. All three tales are unrelated stand-alones with a common theme of older, more Mature Big Bear Men.
As for the Ivans... some bears are just rougher to handle. <3
-- Hope you enjoy their company, Tarian PS
October 13, 2015
I do love a story that not only takes you for a great ride but also makes you think. Princess S.O. has given us two rugged bears in a challenging profession both physically and mentally. The oil industry it seems is ever growing and moving forward in technology and equipment but still a bit in the past as attitudes go about personal relationships. Slowly the world is learning to accept couples of the same sex but not in this environment. It is more the don’t ask, don’t tell and definitely don’t show kind of environment.
Ivan Voloshyn and Ivan Blažević are not cute little pups just learning the ropes; they are seasoned older salty dogs and both Captains. Ivan V is Captain of the oil rig Marianna Shoal and Ivan B is Captain of the Sea Dock a heavy lift ship. They have the years and experience that not only makes them good at their profession but also gives them the ability to accept who and what they are as well as the consequences of both. If only they both had the same consequences this would be easy but then we would miss a great story!
Although there are a lot of similarities between our Ivan’s there are quite a few differences as well. One of which I really enjoyed. Ivan V calls Iceland home even though he spends most of his time on the sea. What a beautiful home he has the people of his town are a combination of neighbors who have become family not just friends. He also pays homage to the Old Norse Gods, he isn’t religious but in his line of work it makes sense to keep an open mind and heart. This also adds so much to the story, you will see. *wink*
I have to say I loved the variety of characters Princess S.O. gave us in this story. She brought bears, roughnecks, bigots, environmentalists, a true community and Norse Gods together to deliver one heck of a romance. A romance that has the perfect moments, but also the rougher sexy moments too.
This is not only a romance story you remember I did mention this was also a suspense story, you know the North Sea is not always calm. Choices need to be made and sometimes those choices take what is most important to us or help us discover what is truly most important to us. You may want to have the tissue close because you are going to need them.
Set aside some time because you are going to want to read this in one sitting. Enjoy!!
If you want to see the fun stuff that goes with this review click this! http://talon-ps.com/books-n-cozy-spot...
Ivan Voloshyn and Ivan Blažević are not cute little pups just learning the ropes; they are seasoned older salty dogs and both Captains. Ivan V is Captain of the oil rig Marianna Shoal and Ivan B is Captain of the Sea Dock a heavy lift ship. They have the years and experience that not only makes them good at their profession but also gives them the ability to accept who and what they are as well as the consequences of both. If only they both had the same consequences this would be easy but then we would miss a great story!
Although there are a lot of similarities between our Ivan’s there are quite a few differences as well. One of which I really enjoyed. Ivan V calls Iceland home even though he spends most of his time on the sea. What a beautiful home he has the people of his town are a combination of neighbors who have become family not just friends. He also pays homage to the Old Norse Gods, he isn’t religious but in his line of work it makes sense to keep an open mind and heart. This also adds so much to the story, you will see. *wink*
I have to say I loved the variety of characters Princess S.O. gave us in this story. She brought bears, roughnecks, bigots, environmentalists, a true community and Norse Gods together to deliver one heck of a romance. A romance that has the perfect moments, but also the rougher sexy moments too.
This is not only a romance story you remember I did mention this was also a suspense story, you know the North Sea is not always calm. Choices need to be made and sometimes those choices take what is most important to us or help us discover what is truly most important to us. You may want to have the tissue close because you are going to need them.
Set aside some time because you are going to want to read this in one sitting. Enjoy!!
If you want to see the fun stuff that goes with this review click this! http://talon-ps.com/books-n-cozy-spot...
October 18, 2015
4.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.
What an interesting story this installment turned out to be. I can honestly say I have never ready anything even close to the setting that takes place here, and I found it extremely refreshing. It is a different world for these guys working out in the ocean, and I really enjoyed learning about the oil rigs and the people who work on them.
You know these guys have to be tough – it’s not an easy life by any stretch of the imagination. One Ivan is a captain of an oil rig, the other the captain of the boat/ship that helps relocate the rigs. I thought it would be difficult at first to keep the Ivans straight, but I had no trouble at all. The author does a fabulous job keeping things clear on who is who. Ivan the rig captain (Ivan 1) is out, but not in any type of relationship. Ivan the boat captain (Ivan 2) is deeply closeted, mostly in fear of his employer, a Russian company.
These guys have great chemistry, and it was fun to watch Ivan 1 bring Ivan 2 out of his gay shell. What’s sexier than two growly but sweet, mature alphas getting sexy? Not much in my book. They have some trials and tribulations to go through wherein they each learn what is important in their lives. The closet issue puts a damper on things a bit, but Ivan 2 comes around in the end when it counts, and in a big way. I loved how their roles ended up switching as Ivan 2 takes over the title of Ivan 1, and vice versa.
I have really enjoyed all of the stories in this series, all about growly bear alpha types. Each can be read as stand alones, as they don’t intersect. I believe this was my favorite of the three so far, and I look forward to more.
October 8, 2015
Ivan vs Ivan gets five hundred stars … but the limit is only 5.
First we meet Ivan V, rugged, mature captain of the Marianna Shoal, an oil platform in the North Sea. He takes care of business in more ways than one, and forget anyone who gets in his way.
Next up is Ivan B, captain of the SeaDock, a transport vessel hired to take the Shoal back to shore for the off season. He's just as big as the closet he lives in.
This story is hot, with great erotic scenes woven through a richly detailed glimpse into these men's lives as they try to find a way to live in a world that doesn't always allow for happiness to grow.
Can Ivan and Ivan make a place for themselves together? Is the North Sea big enough to handle them as a team?
First we meet Ivan V, rugged, mature captain of the Marianna Shoal, an oil platform in the North Sea. He takes care of business in more ways than one, and forget anyone who gets in his way.
Next up is Ivan B, captain of the SeaDock, a transport vessel hired to take the Shoal back to shore for the off season. He's just as big as the closet he lives in.
This story is hot, with great erotic scenes woven through a richly detailed glimpse into these men's lives as they try to find a way to live in a world that doesn't always allow for happiness to grow.
Can Ivan and Ivan make a place for themselves together? Is the North Sea big enough to handle them as a team?
February 15, 2018
It is, in fact, a must read for guys.
The title I chose for my review is not to say women can’t read or won’t enjoy it, but I put it this way so that any of you guys out there who think you can’t get what you want out of a book because a cg woman wrote it or because of the author’s (real) name, you’re missing out. My title also crops up from an encounter I had while reading it on the plane home.
I had a long flight ahead of me with two lay overs, While there are some books I like better than others, I’ve yet to get disappointed with the twins. So when Tarian P.S. had a new release out, it became my go to book to assure a good read during the flight home. Ivan vs Ivan blew me away. Because there are so few authors out there that can really pack all the emotional intensity and research of industry and culture you’d typical only find in a full size novel stuffed into a novella without turning disjointed or missing any of the pleasure of a well plotted story. So as I read, I became despondent to everything else. I was near chewing on a finger at times. I more than waved off the stewardess when she was bugging me about flight meal or something. Then the dude sitting next to me, in his business suit and Newsweek magazine, remarked that it must be a good book. It annoyed me that if he concluded this than why was he interrupting me? Then I became aware this was a chance to talk about an excellent writer who deserves to be better known. And the conversation went something like this…
“Yes, it just came out the other day.”
“What book is it? I might have to look it up.”
“Ivan vs Ivan by Author Princess S.O.” (former name no longer relevant)
He choked, “Can’t be that good if the author goes by princess.”
“That’s like saying you can’t be any good at your business because your tacky suit came from Mens Warehouse.”
He looked insulted, “It’s Italian.”
“It’s not Italian. I work in the fashion industry. I know Italian when I see it.”
This seemed to get his attention and I talked a little about the book. Once I mentioned it was gay fiction, he was turned off and didn’t want to hear any more about it. Which was fine by me, at the time, as it meant I could go back to my reading without any further interruptions. The stewardess sure as hell wasn’t going to come back.
But let me explain why guys need to read this. Because it’s not what you think. There’s nothing pink and fuzzy or cute about the men or the story between them. This isn’t a story about two female personalities written under a façade of being male going through insecure romance issues. And the Ivans are not what the romance genres would like to make them out to be for them. It’s about a couple of guys in the real world, with real jobs, and real issues. And while there are a couple of good raw sex scenes, the book isn’t over embellished with them to dodge a true plot. The plot is there and you’re in for a rough ride.
The roller coaster is intense. The first few pages aren’t the typical grabber for this author, it’s a bit slow, not dull but not the grab you by the shorts opener. I wondered about this until, in retrospect, I saw there was no other time in the story for the author to let the reader ‘get to know’ Ivan Voloshyn in a mellow spot in order to become attached to him, because once Ivan Blažević takes the stage and at 16% a ‘busted’ blunder of spying in on the gay porn, the story starts rolling, and in no time does it slow to say, “Oh by the way this is so and so, nice to meet you.” Every ‘slow down’ from there on is a heavy emotional time. Intros had to be in place.
There is a considerable amount of tug of war stuff going on, one in the closet-one out, and a funny argument over food, which makes the title spot on. All in all, there are about a dozen emotions thrown at you to feel along the way and will experience most twice through.
Bottom line is, even if you don’t like men with beards, or you don’t know what to think about the author’s name or you don’t usually like to read shorts. You want to read THIS one. If for no other reason than for the experience of what writing talent looks like. But it’s safe to say you’ll enjoy having sat down with a damn good story teller.
Best catch line 1:
“Now I’m gonna have to rewind it to get back to my favorite part.”
“And vwhich part is that?”
Voloshyn smirked. “The part where he gets bent over the desk and asks to be pounded.”
Best Catch line 2:
“At least tell me what those crosses on your neck are for.”
“What makes you think they mean something?”
“Enough already, you’re a salty. What do they mean?”
“One for every time I should have died out here.”
The title I chose for my review is not to say women can’t read or won’t enjoy it, but I put it this way so that any of you guys out there who think you can’t get what you want out of a book because a cg woman wrote it or because of the author’s (real) name, you’re missing out. My title also crops up from an encounter I had while reading it on the plane home.
I had a long flight ahead of me with two lay overs, While there are some books I like better than others, I’ve yet to get disappointed with the twins. So when Tarian P.S. had a new release out, it became my go to book to assure a good read during the flight home. Ivan vs Ivan blew me away. Because there are so few authors out there that can really pack all the emotional intensity and research of industry and culture you’d typical only find in a full size novel stuffed into a novella without turning disjointed or missing any of the pleasure of a well plotted story. So as I read, I became despondent to everything else. I was near chewing on a finger at times. I more than waved off the stewardess when she was bugging me about flight meal or something. Then the dude sitting next to me, in his business suit and Newsweek magazine, remarked that it must be a good book. It annoyed me that if he concluded this than why was he interrupting me? Then I became aware this was a chance to talk about an excellent writer who deserves to be better known. And the conversation went something like this…
“Yes, it just came out the other day.”
“What book is it? I might have to look it up.”
“Ivan vs Ivan by Author Princess S.O.” (former name no longer relevant)
He choked, “Can’t be that good if the author goes by princess.”
“That’s like saying you can’t be any good at your business because your tacky suit came from Mens Warehouse.”
He looked insulted, “It’s Italian.”
“It’s not Italian. I work in the fashion industry. I know Italian when I see it.”
This seemed to get his attention and I talked a little about the book. Once I mentioned it was gay fiction, he was turned off and didn’t want to hear any more about it. Which was fine by me, at the time, as it meant I could go back to my reading without any further interruptions. The stewardess sure as hell wasn’t going to come back.
But let me explain why guys need to read this. Because it’s not what you think. There’s nothing pink and fuzzy or cute about the men or the story between them. This isn’t a story about two female personalities written under a façade of being male going through insecure romance issues. And the Ivans are not what the romance genres would like to make them out to be for them. It’s about a couple of guys in the real world, with real jobs, and real issues. And while there are a couple of good raw sex scenes, the book isn’t over embellished with them to dodge a true plot. The plot is there and you’re in for a rough ride.
The roller coaster is intense. The first few pages aren’t the typical grabber for this author, it’s a bit slow, not dull but not the grab you by the shorts opener. I wondered about this until, in retrospect, I saw there was no other time in the story for the author to let the reader ‘get to know’ Ivan Voloshyn in a mellow spot in order to become attached to him, because once Ivan Blažević takes the stage and at 16% a ‘busted’ blunder of spying in on the gay porn, the story starts rolling, and in no time does it slow to say, “Oh by the way this is so and so, nice to meet you.” Every ‘slow down’ from there on is a heavy emotional time. Intros had to be in place.
There is a considerable amount of tug of war stuff going on, one in the closet-one out, and a funny argument over food, which makes the title spot on. All in all, there are about a dozen emotions thrown at you to feel along the way and will experience most twice through.
Bottom line is, even if you don’t like men with beards, or you don’t know what to think about the author’s name or you don’t usually like to read shorts. You want to read THIS one. If for no other reason than for the experience of what writing talent looks like. But it’s safe to say you’ll enjoy having sat down with a damn good story teller.
Best catch line 1:
“Now I’m gonna have to rewind it to get back to my favorite part.”
“And vwhich part is that?”
Voloshyn smirked. “The part where he gets bent over the desk and asks to be pounded.”
Best Catch line 2:
“At least tell me what those crosses on your neck are for.”
“What makes you think they mean something?”
“Enough already, you’re a salty. What do they mean?”
“One for every time I should have died out here.”
November 9, 2015
4 Heart Review by Amber
I enjoyed the last two books in The Teddy Bear Collection and I am happy to say that Ivan vs. Ivan was also pretty stankin’ good. I loved the dynamic between these two characters. They were so alike and yet fundamentally different in the way they lived their lives. And while the differences between them were great they fit together incredibly well. Oh and I should mention how unbelievably hot they are together too. Hot damn!!!!
Ivan #1(their cute little nicknames in the story) is the owner and chief engineer of a profitable oil rig. Comfortably out of the closet he sees no reason to hide who he is. Ivan #2, Captain of the Sea Dock a ship hired to move Ivan #1’s rig is Russian and in his world his only option is to stay in the closet. It’s undeniable however that there is a huge attraction between these two men.
They embark on a tumultuous yet passionate coupling. Ivan #2 allows himself to experience things with Ivan #1 that he’s denied himself for years. They’re happy for a time but life and responsibility put an end to their bliss.
Back at sea they find themselves victims of homophobia in the worst possible way. When things get incredibly serious for both men Ivan #2 realizes what is important and what’s not. As things become increasingly clear for one Ivan the other keeps his distance.
I really enjoyed how Princess SO told this story. It was painful at times but so beautiful to watch their connection develop. Even taking into consideration the HUGE gesture at the end I would qualify this as a happy for now story. This was a good one and if you enjoy this authors stories then you will not want to miss out on Ivan vs. Ivan. Recommend.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
I enjoyed the last two books in The Teddy Bear Collection and I am happy to say that Ivan vs. Ivan was also pretty stankin’ good. I loved the dynamic between these two characters. They were so alike and yet fundamentally different in the way they lived their lives. And while the differences between them were great they fit together incredibly well. Oh and I should mention how unbelievably hot they are together too. Hot damn!!!!
Ivan #1(their cute little nicknames in the story) is the owner and chief engineer of a profitable oil rig. Comfortably out of the closet he sees no reason to hide who he is. Ivan #2, Captain of the Sea Dock a ship hired to move Ivan #1’s rig is Russian and in his world his only option is to stay in the closet. It’s undeniable however that there is a huge attraction between these two men.
They embark on a tumultuous yet passionate coupling. Ivan #2 allows himself to experience things with Ivan #1 that he’s denied himself for years. They’re happy for a time but life and responsibility put an end to their bliss.
Back at sea they find themselves victims of homophobia in the worst possible way. When things get incredibly serious for both men Ivan #2 realizes what is important and what’s not. As things become increasingly clear for one Ivan the other keeps his distance.
I really enjoyed how Princess SO told this story. It was painful at times but so beautiful to watch their connection develop. Even taking into consideration the HUGE gesture at the end I would qualify this as a happy for now story. This was a good one and if you enjoy this authors stories then you will not want to miss out on Ivan vs. Ivan. Recommend.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
April 30, 2017
Woof. Woof.
Growl. Growl.
GRRRR. GRRRR.
Rough. Rough.
Sons-of-beetches.
Mudder-fucking.
Disclaimer: this is not a paranormal romance if by any chance you were wondering.
Disclaimer, P.S. : It has two children playing at sex with unconventional language mixers (Russian and English) and there's something off about the use of subtexts. There are too many like a double sided pj.
Oh! And its a DNF@28%
Growl. Growl.
GRRRR. GRRRR.
Rough. Rough.
Sons-of-beetches.
Mudder-fucking.
Disclaimer: this is not a paranormal romance if by any chance you were wondering.
Disclaimer, P.S. : It has two children playing at sex with unconventional language mixers (Russian and English) and there's something off about the use of subtexts. There are too many like a double sided pj.
Oh! And its a DNF@28%
December 3, 2017
It's taken a lot longer than I thought it would to write this review. I loved Ivan vs. Ivan so much that the words simply weren't there to do it justice. I kept coming back to it, rolling everything around in my head, until suddenly everything clicked into place!
Ivan vs. Ivan is deeply character driven-- the men are MEN. Mature and self aware, they've been disappointed by life but have also experienced moments of joy. It's the warmth of those memories that keep them going.
The attraction they have for each other is instantaneous and explosive! Their world is raw and untamed; on the North Sea a single mistake may be your last. Leery of the impact their feelings may have on their circumstances, reach for love despite the odds requires strength and fortitude.
Jealousy, love, hate, passion and courage are the hallmarks of this story, wining Ivan vs. Ivan a permanent place on my list of the best of the best. It Rocked. My. World.
My OFFICIAL REVIEW written for Carly’s Book Reviews.
Ivan vs. Ivan is deeply character driven-- the men are MEN. Mature and self aware, they've been disappointed by life but have also experienced moments of joy. It's the warmth of those memories that keep them going.
The attraction they have for each other is instantaneous and explosive! Their world is raw and untamed; on the North Sea a single mistake may be your last. Leery of the impact their feelings may have on their circumstances, reach for love despite the odds requires strength and fortitude.
Jealousy, love, hate, passion and courage are the hallmarks of this story, wining Ivan vs. Ivan a permanent place on my list of the best of the best. It Rocked. My. World.
My OFFICIAL REVIEW written for Carly’s Book Reviews.
November 21, 2016
This was my first romance set on an oil rig. Intriguing premise, to be sure. And to top that off... this one was smoking hot! Two inked, bearded, muscle-bound bears clashing like Nordic gods in and out of bed, what's not to love? One Ivan is out and proud, the other Ivan is closeted and reserved. One has a place to live in between work seasons, the other drifts, ever chasing his dreams but not quite knowing what they are. Their interaction was a hoot. These two bears bicker and argue, scuffle and fight, steaming things up in the best way possible. The plot involves one Ivan coming out of the closet, the other Ivan learning from adversity, tragedy and chaos. Sometimes I had a bit of trouble telling which Ivan's POV I was getting but that was a small matter. The Norse pagan religion aspect was fascinating. In short, this story is amazingly visceral and palpable, a sensory overload, full of hot and heavy action, plus heaps of angst and heartbreak. Loved this!
May 14, 2016
I really enjoyed this. This book is a window on a whole different way of living. On oil rigs and on the enormous ships used to move them around, on the North Sea. Where people commute from Iceland to the Netherlands. As you do. And it's really really cold. The romance was nice too. I like it when a book is well thought through.
The English/editing was a bit strange, but the story was good enough to get past it.
The English/editing was a bit strange, but the story was good enough to get past it.
dnf
February 6, 2021DNF 53%
Idk what my issue is today with DNFs but it’s just not my day... and cmon... that cover looked so promising!!
Anyways, maybe it’s the 3rd person writing that been killing me?.?. Either way I’m out on this one, but as usual I’m the minority so give it a shot.
One, Ivan is out and proud, and the other hasn’t seen the light from his closet... In the beginning, it seemed to hold a lot of naughty promise but any build up to an actually relationship has been pretty nil. Which is surprising since the actually story and happenings on the ship and rig are very detailed, but when it comes to the connection and relationship it’s just “meet me here”, or all of a sudden things are just happening. No discussion, no build up. Blah...
Idk what my issue is today with DNFs but it’s just not my day... and cmon... that cover looked so promising!!
Anyways, maybe it’s the 3rd person writing that been killing me?.?. Either way I’m out on this one, but as usual I’m the minority so give it a shot.
One, Ivan is out and proud, and the other hasn’t seen the light from his closet... In the beginning, it seemed to hold a lot of naughty promise but any build up to an actually relationship has been pretty nil. Which is surprising since the actually story and happenings on the ship and rig are very detailed, but when it comes to the connection and relationship it’s just “meet me here”, or all of a sudden things are just happening. No discussion, no build up. Blah...
October 16, 2015
I have been very eagerly awaiting this book to come out. I have been a huge fan of the Teddy Bear Collection and couldn't wait for the next one. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed!!! Wow, what an emotional roller coaster the author took me through. One moment I was cheering and the next sobbing. These two men and their story was not only poignant but meaningful. It breaks my heart that people are judged and harmed just because of who they fall in love with. Who you are and who you are attracted to is not a choice. However, being a homophobic jerk is! It pains me that still, in certain parts of our world, being gay is not only not well received but, it is dangerous to even admit that you are. This book explores some of those dark sides of human nature. Hate, bigotry and bashing are still very much a part of the “norm” in many countries and in some occupations in the 21st century. Princess S. O. opens our eyes to the continuing struggles that gays face in our world.
This book also challenged me with a profession that I had no clue about. I learned so much about the world of both deep sea oil rigs, large transport ships and even Iceland. While I have absolutely no desire to ever be a part of either of those extremely challenging and dangerous professions, I do now want to go explore the wonders of Iceland that were described so vividly. Princess S. O. obviously researched extensively these subjects so that she could paint, with words, their every point so that you felt that you were there in the moment. A book hits a certain mark when they make you want to learn more and this book did so. I found myself looking for maps to see where the Ivan’s were traveling, pictures to see what this huge ship could look like to possibly carry a deep sea oil rig and more about this fascinating country of Iceland.
This never "felt" like a novella or short. It was the whole meal deal and It was done so wonderfully. I didn't feel "robbed" like I do in most shorts. It was complex and full-bodied, like a great red wine. It had such great character development, a rich, full story and so many freaking twists and turns that I about had whiplash.
I also truly enjoyed that an author had the gumption to have "seasoned" characters with full life upon them. It made for some rougher moments because they each had battle scars on their lives from a rich, full live they have lead.
I give this book a bright shining 5 stars for the journey that I was allowed to go on with these deeply wonderful and fascinating men.
This book also challenged me with a profession that I had no clue about. I learned so much about the world of both deep sea oil rigs, large transport ships and even Iceland. While I have absolutely no desire to ever be a part of either of those extremely challenging and dangerous professions, I do now want to go explore the wonders of Iceland that were described so vividly. Princess S. O. obviously researched extensively these subjects so that she could paint, with words, their every point so that you felt that you were there in the moment. A book hits a certain mark when they make you want to learn more and this book did so. I found myself looking for maps to see where the Ivan’s were traveling, pictures to see what this huge ship could look like to possibly carry a deep sea oil rig and more about this fascinating country of Iceland.
This never "felt" like a novella or short. It was the whole meal deal and It was done so wonderfully. I didn't feel "robbed" like I do in most shorts. It was complex and full-bodied, like a great red wine. It had such great character development, a rich, full story and so many freaking twists and turns that I about had whiplash.
I also truly enjoyed that an author had the gumption to have "seasoned" characters with full life upon them. It made for some rougher moments because they each had battle scars on their lives from a rich, full live they have lead.
I give this book a bright shining 5 stars for the journey that I was allowed to go on with these deeply wonderful and fascinating men.
October 17, 2015
I have to be honest when I say I'm not a big fan of "bears" but what I am a fan of is this author and once again she doesn't disappoint.
The story of one, Ivan Voloshyn, that doesn't flaunt his sexual preferences but doesn't hide them either and one man, Ivan Blazevic, that hides it to try and make a better way for himself is told with true passion, understanding and emotion. There are times in this story that the words are so descriptive that you can almost see, feel and hear what the author is describing. I feel as though I've been to Iceland.
"...How do you get a man back after you've denied him, then nearly betrayed him?"
That is the million dollar question that a man (or woman for that matter) should ask after screwing up royally and after a roller coaster ride of emotion that had me threatening to put the author over my knee, she answered that question and so many more. I'm not gonna tell you how it was answered or if it was the right answer. You'll have to read to find out. Now not only are these two strong, lovable and very sexy "bears" put to the test in their highly dangerous day-to-day job but in their private lives.
You would think reading a story where the two main characters having the same name would be kinda hard but the way this story is written, it was easy to keep to who was who. For me this was another wonderfully written and told story and I'm now looking forward to more of the "bears".
The story of one, Ivan Voloshyn, that doesn't flaunt his sexual preferences but doesn't hide them either and one man, Ivan Blazevic, that hides it to try and make a better way for himself is told with true passion, understanding and emotion. There are times in this story that the words are so descriptive that you can almost see, feel and hear what the author is describing. I feel as though I've been to Iceland.
"...How do you get a man back after you've denied him, then nearly betrayed him?"
That is the million dollar question that a man (or woman for that matter) should ask after screwing up royally and after a roller coaster ride of emotion that had me threatening to put the author over my knee, she answered that question and so many more. I'm not gonna tell you how it was answered or if it was the right answer. You'll have to read to find out. Now not only are these two strong, lovable and very sexy "bears" put to the test in their highly dangerous day-to-day job but in their private lives.
You would think reading a story where the two main characters having the same name would be kinda hard but the way this story is written, it was easy to keep to who was who. For me this was another wonderfully written and told story and I'm now looking forward to more of the "bears".
July 30, 2016
Ivan vs Ivan Princess S.O.
This is the story of the romance between two Ivan's. Ivan Voloshyn (Ivan number 1) is the owner of the Marianna Shoal Vessel, a deep sea oil rig. Originally from Ukraine, he now lives in Iceland. He's gay and out.
Ivan Blaževiic (Ivan number 2) is the captain of the Sea Dock. Number 2 is from Chechnya and has to deal with the Russian prejudices. He is very closeted.
They meet early on in the book and the sexual tension starts right away. Number 1 is eager and rough, no excuses made. Number 2 is dealing with trying to maintain the façade of being butch.
As they consume their desires, trouble ensues as they are caught. Repercussions come and go and the story turns sour in the sea. It's from the tragedy that their love will flourish.
The book is narrated from the third person point of view from both Ivan's. Unfortunately, since they are both Ivan, it's hard to follow because it's hard to figure out who's who.
The characters are not real. They feel like they are bad actors from a bad porn. The same could be said about the plot: just there so that the Ivan's can have sex.
Sadly, the sex is not erotic. I see no reason to read the book.
November 23, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Ivan vs Ivan by Princess S.O.
This was my first romance set on an oil rig. Intriguing premise, to be sure. And to top that off... this one was smoking hot! Two inked, bearded, muscle-bound nordic gods clashing in and out of bed, what's not to love? Their interaction was a hoot. These two bears bicker and argue, scuffle and fight, steaming things up in the best way possible. The plot involves one Ivan coming out, the other Ivan learning from adversity. This story is so visceral and palpable, a sensory overload, full of hot and heavy action, plus heaps of angst and heartbreak. Loved this!
This was my first romance set on an oil rig. Intriguing premise, to be sure. And to top that off... this one was smoking hot! Two inked, bearded, muscle-bound nordic gods clashing in and out of bed, what's not to love? Their interaction was a hoot. These two bears bicker and argue, scuffle and fight, steaming things up in the best way possible. The plot involves one Ivan coming out, the other Ivan learning from adversity. This story is so visceral and palpable, a sensory overload, full of hot and heavy action, plus heaps of angst and heartbreak. Loved this!
April 11, 2016
For some reason I expected this story to be over the top and/or cracky, the way some shifter romances are, but it turned out to be really grounded, with a great, fresh premise and a fascinating setting.
December 28, 2017
One of my favorite parts of MM books is that the characters have strength, they are to a degree, equals. In every trope in this genre, that has been true for me thus far. That strength in particular is one of the things that struck me the most in this book.
Both Ivan's (who I will refer to from here on out as Ivan #1 and Ivan #2 for clarification), exude strength. They both have very demanding jobs and are both leaders, responsible for many lives on treacherous seas. Not an easy thing to do and on top of that they are both gay in a world that doesn't share an LBGTQIA friendly vision.
Gods I loved these characters! Ivan #1 doesn't exactly shout his sexuality from the rooftops (and really, who should?), but he doesn't hide who he is since living on a floating city doesn't give a person much privacy. Ivan #2 on the other hand is deep in the closet because being out could literally cost him his life working for a Russian company. These guys still found each other and when they come together it's explosive in more ways than one!
There was so much more to this book than a simple romance though. You can tell when an author does their research and really puts their all into a story. That is VERY evident in this book. We readers get a glimpse of different cultures and religions and how they play into a group of men that spend many precarious moments on an unpredictable and sometimes violent sea. We see bigotry at its finest, unfortunately it's a sad reality for many and more so in certain areas of the world and in certain trades like the oil rig industry. Plus... wait for it... we get a recipe! Anyone that knows me knows that means BONUS!
Seriously, I loved the realism in this one, it was very well written and am glad I read the Ivan's journey. It was fraught with angst and danger but the end is totally worth it and I can't wait to dive into the rest of the collection.
Both Ivan's (who I will refer to from here on out as Ivan #1 and Ivan #2 for clarification), exude strength. They both have very demanding jobs and are both leaders, responsible for many lives on treacherous seas. Not an easy thing to do and on top of that they are both gay in a world that doesn't share an LBGTQIA friendly vision.
Gods I loved these characters! Ivan #1 doesn't exactly shout his sexuality from the rooftops (and really, who should?), but he doesn't hide who he is since living on a floating city doesn't give a person much privacy. Ivan #2 on the other hand is deep in the closet because being out could literally cost him his life working for a Russian company. These guys still found each other and when they come together it's explosive in more ways than one!
There was so much more to this book than a simple romance though. You can tell when an author does their research and really puts their all into a story. That is VERY evident in this book. We readers get a glimpse of different cultures and religions and how they play into a group of men that spend many precarious moments on an unpredictable and sometimes violent sea. We see bigotry at its finest, unfortunately it's a sad reality for many and more so in certain areas of the world and in certain trades like the oil rig industry. Plus... wait for it... we get a recipe! Anyone that knows me knows that means BONUS!
Seriously, I loved the realism in this one, it was very well written and am glad I read the Ivan's journey. It was fraught with angst and danger but the end is totally worth it and I can't wait to dive into the rest of the collection.
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