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Somatesthesia
Sensual overload can be a tactical disadvantage.
Devlin Grace’s experience with child exploitation cases lands him a new assignment with the Special Crimes Investigators unit of the Federal Justice Agency, plus a new partner who could make the job tougher than expected. Connor Hutchens possesses incredible, scientifically enhanced senses…and zero social skills. Word on the street is that his last partner left under a cloud—and it was Connor’s fault.
Connor blames himself for losing his previous partner, and wants to do right by his new one. But Devlin confuses and frustrates him, and he struggles to cope with Devlin’s swift intelligence, quirky humor and teasing sexuality.
With the dangerous, perplexing case facing them, there’s no one Devlin would rather have at his back than Connor. But the longer they work together, the higher the sexual tension rises—until attraction boils over and puts everything at risk. Their careers, the children they’re trying to save—and any chance of lasting love.
Warning: Violence and non-graphic reference to mutilations. But also snarking, teasing, why-won’t-they-get-a-clue syndrome, and kittens in barns.
Devlin Grace’s experience with child exploitation cases lands him a new assignment with the Special Crimes Investigators unit of the Federal Justice Agency, plus a new partner who could make the job tougher than expected. Connor Hutchens possesses incredible, scientifically enhanced senses…and zero social skills. Word on the street is that his last partner left under a cloud—and it was Connor’s fault.
Connor blames himself for losing his previous partner, and wants to do right by his new one. But Devlin confuses and frustrates him, and he struggles to cope with Devlin’s swift intelligence, quirky humor and teasing sexuality.
With the dangerous, perplexing case facing them, there’s no one Devlin would rather have at his back than Connor. But the longer they work together, the higher the sexual tension rises—until attraction boils over and puts everything at risk. Their careers, the children they’re trying to save—and any chance of lasting love.
Warning: Violence and non-graphic reference to mutilations. But also snarking, teasing, why-won’t-they-get-a-clue syndrome, and kittens in barns.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2010
5 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Ann Somerville
52 books280 followersAnn Somerville grew up in one of Australia’s prettiest small cities. In 1989, she left Australia with a BA and a burning ambition to see more of the world and its people, and to discover this ‘culture’ thing people kept telling her about. In 2006, she returned home to Southeast Queensland with two more degrees (this time in science and IT), an English husband and a staggering case of homesickness, vowing never to leave Australia again.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 3, 2018
Posted at Shelf Inflicted
In 2042, America finally comes to its senses and decreases its use of oil significantly while relying on solar, wind and water power. As a result, automobiles have become nearly obsolete and trains have become the primary mode of travel for commuters and industry alike. The cost of imports has become prohibitively expensive, forcing people to become more self-reliant and produce more local products. Crime is still prevalent, and the Federal Justice Agency, a group of elite agents with jurisdiction over state borders, strengthens its crime-fighting abilities by pairing up agents with scientifically enhanced senses with “normal” agents.
Devlin Grace is new to the agency. He’s devoted to his family, committed to his work, and protective of his new partner, Connor Hutchens.
Connor is the enhanced half of the duo. Although he has superior hearing and sight, he has a social anxiety that makes it difficult for him to interact well with others. His childhood was traumatic, having been abandoned by his real parents and then losing his adoptive parents along with his eyesight in a car accident. He was then adopted by an emotionally distant Japanese scientist who provided a good life and security for his young charges as he experimented on them.
Though the two men couldn’t be more different, they work well together and efficiently put their brains and abilities to use in solving a series of bizarre kidnapping cases. Despite agency rules against fraternization, it is inevitable that the two men eventually fall in love.
I enjoyed the fast pace of this story, the growth of Connor and Devlin in and out of their relationship, the well-developed secondary characters, and the twists and surprises that made me think, made me laugh, and brought a tear to my eye. I felt the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Another winner from Ann Somerville!
In 2042, America finally comes to its senses and decreases its use of oil significantly while relying on solar, wind and water power. As a result, automobiles have become nearly obsolete and trains have become the primary mode of travel for commuters and industry alike. The cost of imports has become prohibitively expensive, forcing people to become more self-reliant and produce more local products. Crime is still prevalent, and the Federal Justice Agency, a group of elite agents with jurisdiction over state borders, strengthens its crime-fighting abilities by pairing up agents with scientifically enhanced senses with “normal” agents.
Devlin Grace is new to the agency. He’s devoted to his family, committed to his work, and protective of his new partner, Connor Hutchens.
Connor is the enhanced half of the duo. Although he has superior hearing and sight, he has a social anxiety that makes it difficult for him to interact well with others. His childhood was traumatic, having been abandoned by his real parents and then losing his adoptive parents along with his eyesight in a car accident. He was then adopted by an emotionally distant Japanese scientist who provided a good life and security for his young charges as he experimented on them.
Though the two men couldn’t be more different, they work well together and efficiently put their brains and abilities to use in solving a series of bizarre kidnapping cases. Despite agency rules against fraternization, it is inevitable that the two men eventually fall in love.
I enjoyed the fast pace of this story, the growth of Connor and Devlin in and out of their relationship, the well-developed secondary characters, and the twists and surprises that made me think, made me laugh, and brought a tear to my eye. I felt the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.
Another winner from Ann Somerville!
April 15, 2010
Somatesthesia has been previously published and I read a statement from the author that the book is essential the same as the previous edition. For those that didn’t get a chance to read this self published book, you’ll want to pick it up when it goes live at Samhain. This futuristic urban fantasy story hits all the right notes with some great characters, a wonderful setting, interesting plot, and happy ending. There are a few minor stumbles along the way with some odd phrasing and I didn’t particularly care for the ending, but for the most part Somatesthesia offers an absorbing, interesting read you won’t want to put down.
Set in the future, the world is not post-apocalyptic but the energy crisis and depletion of natural resources has made a significant impact on life. Almost nothing runs on gas and as such, few cars exist with the majority relying on public transportation. This futuristic world has a few pockets of farm communities that return to the basics of homemade self sufficiency while the major cities remain similar in many ways to current times. Among the changes is a new government agency that teams human investigators with enhanced individuals. These people, derogatorily called cyborgs, use mechanical enhancements to their senses –such as sight, smell, infrared capability, ultrasonic hearing, and so on – to overcome disabilities or simply increase their own abilities. The world building is incredibly complex, intricate, and fascinating. The subtle changes blend with a modern urban fantasy setting to give a recognizable future but one with conceivable and interesting changes. The rich use of detail is one of the best aspects of the book and the setting adds a layer of complexity that makes the story absorbing and hard to put down.
The plot is strongly character driven with a subplot of finding a murderer reeking havoc in Chicago. This subplot is well crafted with a good pace and solid action. There are no outrageous heroics or leaps in knowledge but the steady, interesting police work gives a framework for the two agents and their budding partnership. Both Connor and Devlin are well rounded, three dimensional characters with opposite but complimentary personalities. Devlin is young, good looking, and surprisingly mentally and emotionally stable despite a difficult childhood. His personality compliments the more rigid, socially inept Connor who is the mechanically enhanced part of the duo. For his part, Connor is abrupt and awkward due in equal parts to his isolated lab rat upbringing and his own difficult personality. His enhancements are an interesting, but very welcome to the story. They are used subtly, almost too subtly, which takes away some of their importance and the emotional impact on Connor. These changes are essential to Connor for many reasons but I wish their importance had been emphasized a little more; both because they are interesting and part of Connor’s complicated relationship with his father.
The relationship between Connor and Devlin is a nice progression as they start as co-workers, slowly becoming friends and more. The scenes with Devlin’s family on the farm are sweet and show another side to both men, keeping the pace of the story moving and adding a good contrast to the stressful police work. The two men are romantic while still keeping a masculine feel and only a handful of erotica scenes. There are several fade to black sex scenes which I appreciated as it kept the story moving without too much sex.
The story does stumble some at the ending which has to wrap up several loose ends. There is the murder case to resolve, the relationship to tie up, the issue with Connor and Devlin as partners and lovers, and Connor’s difficult relationship with his father. There aren’t too many threads but the ending does tie them all up realistically and neatly with a strong happy ending. Unfortunately I didn’t particularly like all the resolutions and this is difficult to say why without giving spoilers. Some of the emotional scenes between the two men didn’t make much sense in light of later actions and I just didn’t care for all of the solutions. However, this is a purely subjective response and even my mild dislike of the ending doesn’t hold up to the enjoyment of the story.
Overall Somatesthesia is a well written, interesting, and absorbing tale. The writing is crisp with a few awkward phrases and prose choices. Connor’s dialogue is intentionally stilted due to his personality but still some of the descriptions and dialogue in general are clunky. For the most part the engaging subject matter and well crafted story will draw you in immediately, keeping you hooked to the end. There is something really interesting about the urban fantasy settings Somerville offers and this story is no exception. If you’re looking for a solid, entertaining story definitely pick this up.
Set in the future, the world is not post-apocalyptic but the energy crisis and depletion of natural resources has made a significant impact on life. Almost nothing runs on gas and as such, few cars exist with the majority relying on public transportation. This futuristic world has a few pockets of farm communities that return to the basics of homemade self sufficiency while the major cities remain similar in many ways to current times. Among the changes is a new government agency that teams human investigators with enhanced individuals. These people, derogatorily called cyborgs, use mechanical enhancements to their senses –such as sight, smell, infrared capability, ultrasonic hearing, and so on – to overcome disabilities or simply increase their own abilities. The world building is incredibly complex, intricate, and fascinating. The subtle changes blend with a modern urban fantasy setting to give a recognizable future but one with conceivable and interesting changes. The rich use of detail is one of the best aspects of the book and the setting adds a layer of complexity that makes the story absorbing and hard to put down.
The plot is strongly character driven with a subplot of finding a murderer reeking havoc in Chicago. This subplot is well crafted with a good pace and solid action. There are no outrageous heroics or leaps in knowledge but the steady, interesting police work gives a framework for the two agents and their budding partnership. Both Connor and Devlin are well rounded, three dimensional characters with opposite but complimentary personalities. Devlin is young, good looking, and surprisingly mentally and emotionally stable despite a difficult childhood. His personality compliments the more rigid, socially inept Connor who is the mechanically enhanced part of the duo. For his part, Connor is abrupt and awkward due in equal parts to his isolated lab rat upbringing and his own difficult personality. His enhancements are an interesting, but very welcome to the story. They are used subtly, almost too subtly, which takes away some of their importance and the emotional impact on Connor. These changes are essential to Connor for many reasons but I wish their importance had been emphasized a little more; both because they are interesting and part of Connor’s complicated relationship with his father.
The relationship between Connor and Devlin is a nice progression as they start as co-workers, slowly becoming friends and more. The scenes with Devlin’s family on the farm are sweet and show another side to both men, keeping the pace of the story moving and adding a good contrast to the stressful police work. The two men are romantic while still keeping a masculine feel and only a handful of erotica scenes. There are several fade to black sex scenes which I appreciated as it kept the story moving without too much sex.
The story does stumble some at the ending which has to wrap up several loose ends. There is the murder case to resolve, the relationship to tie up, the issue with Connor and Devlin as partners and lovers, and Connor’s difficult relationship with his father. There aren’t too many threads but the ending does tie them all up realistically and neatly with a strong happy ending. Unfortunately I didn’t particularly like all the resolutions and this is difficult to say why without giving spoilers. Some of the emotional scenes between the two men didn’t make much sense in light of later actions and I just didn’t care for all of the solutions. However, this is a purely subjective response and even my mild dislike of the ending doesn’t hold up to the enjoyment of the story.
Overall Somatesthesia is a well written, interesting, and absorbing tale. The writing is crisp with a few awkward phrases and prose choices. Connor’s dialogue is intentionally stilted due to his personality but still some of the descriptions and dialogue in general are clunky. For the most part the engaging subject matter and well crafted story will draw you in immediately, keeping you hooked to the end. There is something really interesting about the urban fantasy settings Somerville offers and this story is no exception. If you’re looking for a solid, entertaining story definitely pick this up.
July 17, 2017
The Fountain Pen Diva has reached her first milestone here.
Somatesthesia was my first (but by no means, last) interracial M/M romance and goodness it was well worth the wait! I cannot express my gratitude to author Ann Somerville for getting it right, making it sweet and hot and heartbreaking and humorous all at the same time. I must also thank her for creating such an awesome character like Devlin Grace. She could have committed major fail by making him a stereotypical black male lead, but no, she's got more class and is a far better writer. Dev is intelligent, witty, sometimes brash but his heart is always in the right place. In short, he's nuanced.
Dev is a cop who once worked Child Exploitation, so when a series of unsolved kidnappings amongst the well-heeled of a futuristic Chicago baffles all attempts to solve the crimes and prevent any more children from being abducted, he's paired with the hottie equivalent of the Six Million Dollar Man. Connor Hutchens is everything Dev is not--shy, retiring, utterly lacking in social graces and rumor had it that he drove his last partner to exhaustion. However, Connor's enhanced senses makes him one of the best field officers working. Teamed with the gregarious and gay Dev, the snark and the tap dance begin in earnest.
This is ultimate gay cop-buddy book--Starsky and Hutch figure quite prominently in the book as a joking reference point. Dev and Connor are both sexy and smart and in massively in love with the other, but workplace rules are rules and one just can't start snogging one's partner, right? As always, the path to true love is frought with peril, this time from a psychotic genius with a penchant for strange neurotoxins and amputations. Connor has his own issues stemming from his brilliant but distant adopted father, a man who views him less than human and more of his greatest experiment.
I love how Somatesthesia treats the concept of gayness as a matter of course, that somewhere in the not-so-distant future, people have gotten over their lame issues of homosexuality. I also love the diversity of the secondary characters because it reads like what a real and cosmopolitan city would be populated by. Basically Ms. Somerville got it right and believe me, she's on the top of my list as a MUST-BUY author. I hope she plans to revisit Dev and Connor again really soon...hint, hint, hint...
Somatesthesia was my first (but by no means, last) interracial M/M romance and goodness it was well worth the wait! I cannot express my gratitude to author Ann Somerville for getting it right, making it sweet and hot and heartbreaking and humorous all at the same time. I must also thank her for creating such an awesome character like Devlin Grace. She could have committed major fail by making him a stereotypical black male lead, but no, she's got more class and is a far better writer. Dev is intelligent, witty, sometimes brash but his heart is always in the right place. In short, he's nuanced.
Dev is a cop who once worked Child Exploitation, so when a series of unsolved kidnappings amongst the well-heeled of a futuristic Chicago baffles all attempts to solve the crimes and prevent any more children from being abducted, he's paired with the hottie equivalent of the Six Million Dollar Man. Connor Hutchens is everything Dev is not--shy, retiring, utterly lacking in social graces and rumor had it that he drove his last partner to exhaustion. However, Connor's enhanced senses makes him one of the best field officers working. Teamed with the gregarious and gay Dev, the snark and the tap dance begin in earnest.
This is ultimate gay cop-buddy book--Starsky and Hutch figure quite prominently in the book as a joking reference point. Dev and Connor are both sexy and smart and in massively in love with the other, but workplace rules are rules and one just can't start snogging one's partner, right? As always, the path to true love is frought with peril, this time from a psychotic genius with a penchant for strange neurotoxins and amputations. Connor has his own issues stemming from his brilliant but distant adopted father, a man who views him less than human and more of his greatest experiment.
I love how Somatesthesia treats the concept of gayness as a matter of course, that somewhere in the not-so-distant future, people have gotten over their lame issues of homosexuality. I also love the diversity of the secondary characters because it reads like what a real and cosmopolitan city would be populated by. Basically Ms. Somerville got it right and believe me, she's on the top of my list as a MUST-BUY author. I hope she plans to revisit Dev and Connor again really soon...hint, hint, hint...
June 12, 2013
despite my three star rating, i really liked it.
the premise is amazing (just read the blurb, i'm not going to summarize it here) and the characters are interesting; i only wish there would've been more development, both in the world (enhancements and all) and the character's psyche. the writing was clunky in some parts and in a few instances the mcs' behavior made little to no sense. last thing: the villan was, to put it simply, stupid. he was there just because a villain was needed, but had no character development and appeared evil but goofy.
BUT! read on, because here go the things i liked, the really good things:
1. the characters. geeky type and cheerful, friendly guy who tries to get him out of his shell. this is [EDIT/7 months later: used to be] my dream couple.
2. the setting. 2042, gay-friendly world, enhancements... admit it, this is pretty great.
3. these guys had friends! as in real, interacting friends. friends they work, spend christmas and exchange advice with. now, in romance books, friends are usually either very few or absent most of the time, so this was a very appreciated change.
4. the relationship between partners. this is something you never see in books or movies so i wouldn't know how much of it is true, but here this relationship is portrayed as a really intense bond. makes sense to me, and i appreciated this side of the police work.
so i recommend somatesthesia, and i have faith in ann somerville; i can't wait to read more of her books.
the premise is amazing (just read the blurb, i'm not going to summarize it here) and the characters are interesting; i only wish there would've been more development, both in the world (enhancements and all) and the character's psyche. the writing was clunky in some parts and in a few instances the mcs' behavior made little to no sense. last thing: the villan was, to put it simply, stupid. he was there just because a villain was needed, but had no character development and appeared evil but goofy.
BUT! read on, because here go the things i liked, the really good things:
1. the characters. geeky type and cheerful, friendly guy who tries to get him out of his shell. this is [EDIT/7 months later: used to be] my dream couple.
2. the setting. 2042, gay-friendly world, enhancements... admit it, this is pretty great.
3. these guys had friends! as in real, interacting friends. friends they work, spend christmas and exchange advice with. now, in romance books, friends are usually either very few or absent most of the time, so this was a very appreciated change.
4. the relationship between partners. this is something you never see in books or movies so i wouldn't know how much of it is true, but here this relationship is portrayed as a really intense bond. makes sense to me, and i appreciated this side of the police work.
so i recommend somatesthesia, and i have faith in ann somerville; i can't wait to read more of her books.
January 15, 2023
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
1* the book and 5* to me for finishing it.
The first 70% was dull but readable after that it went batshit.
Emotionless case of child abduction sort of solved. Moving on to responsible sensible Devlin wanting to party and sexually harassing his partner. Then off page family drama, they don't act like partners but oh they're in love now! The 'let's release some steam buddy' morphed into 'baby' 'hon'... then some melodramatic showdown that made no sense. Some big family drama completely offpage. Then the from nowhere HEA on steroids.
Emotionally messed up Connor has brothers he's close to, brothers with their own undisclosed enhancements but also with families. We never meet them, they might have added context.
Somerville's perfect man is clearly an Environmentally aware, Christian, Communist who like Cats.
Dogs smell, must be cats.
The science is worth more than the plot. But then this is an impossible to visualise 2042.
Written 2010 - lots happened since then. Lockdown showed us empty roads. Beyond that and super 'cyborgs' there's no world development. A black person walking through suburbia is stopped. Found race often referenced oddly.
- 'No Chinese ingredients' she assured him 'all American'
- He could easily detect Devlin's flush beneath the melanin layer.
And again *this is 2042* why all the Starksy & Hutch references? That series is from the 70s don't think it hit the 80s. Had finished 30yrs before this book published! 62yrs years before the book's setting. My memory of the series is very vague, yet I'm to believe Devlin a fan? Does the average house have a tv/holo-suit in this world?
It all felt off, characters never felt real.
BUT BEST LAUGH: - this reminded me if you!
1* the book and 5* to me for finishing it.
The first 70% was dull but readable after that it went batshit.
Emotionless case of child abduction sort of solved. Moving on to responsible sensible Devlin wanting to party and sexually harassing his partner. Then off page family drama, they don't act like partners but oh they're in love now! The 'let's release some steam buddy' morphed into 'baby' 'hon'... then some melodramatic showdown that made no sense. Some big family drama completely offpage. Then the from nowhere HEA on steroids.
Emotionally messed up Connor has brothers he's close to, brothers with their own undisclosed enhancements but also with families. We never meet them, they might have added context.
Somerville's perfect man is clearly an Environmentally aware, Christian, Communist who like Cats.
Dogs smell, must be cats.
The science is worth more than the plot. But then this is an impossible to visualise 2042.
Written 2010 - lots happened since then. Lockdown showed us empty roads. Beyond that and super 'cyborgs' there's no world development. A black person walking through suburbia is stopped. Found race often referenced oddly.
- 'No Chinese ingredients' she assured him 'all American'
- He could easily detect Devlin's flush beneath the melanin layer.
And again *this is 2042* why all the Starksy & Hutch references? That series is from the 70s don't think it hit the 80s. Had finished 30yrs before this book published! 62yrs years before the book's setting. My memory of the series is very vague, yet I'm to believe Devlin a fan? Does the average house have a tv/holo-suit in this world?
It all felt off, characters never felt real.
BUT BEST LAUGH: - this reminded me if you!
There are always horses. But one of them evacuated his bowels near where I was stretching -- it sounds awful to say it but that pungent, warm odor...
May 8, 2020
First let me say Ann Sommerville, thank you. After reading more then my share of m/m romance this is the first real brown skinned lover! I've had a blue alien, a couple "dark-skinned" shifters but is refreshing and it shouldn't be but it is. Wake up writers, mix it up a little bit!
I loved this book and it was a book. Not a short story, novella or whatever we're calling these bits we're reading. The characters are well written and situations are flushed out very well. The solving of the mystery didn't get lost due to the budding relationship between two law enforcement officers. Devlin was a lot of fun & Conner was a guy you just wanted to hug. The only problem I have with book is that now I've read it. I will try Sommerville again soon. Bravo!
I loved this book and it was a book. Not a short story, novella or whatever we're calling these bits we're reading. The characters are well written and situations are flushed out very well. The solving of the mystery didn't get lost due to the budding relationship between two law enforcement officers. Devlin was a lot of fun & Conner was a guy you just wanted to hug. The only problem I have with book is that now I've read it. I will try Sommerville again soon. Bravo!
June 4, 2011
It was a nice read. For some reason, I wasn't able to fully immerse in the story, thus the lower rating.
The story itself was a nice combination between slightly futuristic fantasy, cops, mystery and a dash of romance. Connor was marked by the cold relationship between himself and his father making him seem aloof and distant with others, having problems interacting with colleagues. And his abilities alienated him further from making any real friends. Shaken by his former partner's breakdown, he was unsure of himself and emotionally unstable. Along came Devlin, struggling to be the opposite of his father and easily creating a bond with him, showing him a new world of sensory wonder (hint to the title).
I felt a bit confused when the story veered abruptly from the Sorensen case to the romantic angle between the two but it seems the author did have a final for him as well. I thought the whole planning to have them killed was a bit overdone but it did bring some adrenaline to the story.
As I said, a good story. But not appealing enough for me.
The story itself was a nice combination between slightly futuristic fantasy, cops, mystery and a dash of romance. Connor was marked by the cold relationship between himself and his father making him seem aloof and distant with others, having problems interacting with colleagues. And his abilities alienated him further from making any real friends. Shaken by his former partner's breakdown, he was unsure of himself and emotionally unstable. Along came Devlin, struggling to be the opposite of his father and easily creating a bond with him, showing him a new world of sensory wonder (hint to the title).
I felt a bit confused when the story veered abruptly from the Sorensen case to the romantic angle between the two but it seems the author did have a final for him as well. I thought the whole planning to have them killed was a bit overdone but it did bring some adrenaline to the story.
As I said, a good story. But not appealing enough for me.
February 20, 2014
This was a two star read, pretty meh-tastic right up until I read the end and saw red. The ending set this story on fire, then pissed on it to put it out.
It pissed me off so bad.
So no, horrible book is horrible!
Don't waste your money!
It pissed me off so bad.
So no, horrible book is horrible!
Don't waste your money!
March 18, 2014
Oh, lol, I'd previously marked this probably-not. This explains a lot. It also tells me that perhaps I should have checked before starting reading.
This is one of those where I was painfully aware of the words on the page. Like literally I was seeing words on a page instead of a story. ...and I don't think it can all be blamed on the fact that I wasn't wearing my contacts (I could still read, geez. It was only far away stuff [like the other side of the room] that was blurry).
Below is comment as I went because I didn't feel like doing it in the GR website.
...right off the bat, before I get to figure out who the first MC is, all these other people are introduced. Dude. I haven't even figured out which MC is the socially illiterate one and which one is the other one (from the blurb) yet.
This line:
"Up close, Hutchens had the kind of complexion Devlin usually only saw on white children—pale, unblemished and with a hint of high color in his model-sharp cheekbones."
What the fuck does this mean? Is he not white, then? Or is he white, but he means the complexion is one of children, and the white is an afterthought?
Cuz, hey, we got a white man and a black man on the cover. We're supposed to take that as canon, right? Which means one of them has to be MC1 and the other is MC2.
Blah, blah, blah. Exposition masquerading as an informational speech to the characters, boring stuff I tl;dr'ed on, etc.
Something about this reminds me of conventional sci-fi with its clumsy and conventional way of relaying information, at least, so far. Stuff like Almost Human and Star Trek (the new shit, yo) and idk, other stuff.
Blah, blah, blah, more exposition, when is this going to be over, apparently never.
Ooh. Live demonstrations. Okay, this better be good.
Eh. They were kind of cool, I guess. I was still expecting some explosions, though, despite the fact that explosions don't really have much to do with sensory enhancements.
Or maybe a fugue. Yeah, I'm waiting for a fugue. It's got to happen. They deliberately and pointedly brought it up. It's a Chekhov's gun, has to be.
Okay, I admit that Connar's POV is fun. Yes, he's an incredibly woobie, and I love that.
Also, is it CSI or SCI? Oh, no, wait. I see it now. There's CSI, which is what we're all familiar with, and there's SCI, which is the fantasy thing of this fantasy universe.
NO WAIT, I FIGURED IT OUT. DEVLIN'S GOT BROWN SKIN. IT SAYS RIGHT HERE.
Okay, Connor's internal monologue is starting to sound wangsty now. Boo-hoo you sorta thing.
All these references to twentieth century stuff is getting old. Yes, I get you want to make really dated references in this supposedly futuristic thing, but I'd like it if there were fantasy references from less far into the past. Unless, of course, you'd like to spin the whole twentieth century revival thing, where everything 20th century is in fashion and shit. But that's stupid. Even lampshading it won't make it better.
Quote:
"Devlin made it clear that as from five on Friday, he would do his own thing, within limits."
...you mean "as of"? or just "from"?
Weirdly enough, it gets harder and harder to like Devlin as it goes on.
Wait a minute. Is this Sentinel-flavored? I remember this fugue thing because of over-stimulation, and I know nothing of the original series, but I read a Sentinel-flavored Sherlock Holmes fanfic. I think this is somewhat Sentinel-flavored.
By about half-way, I really didn't care for Devlin.
Also, the romance is weird and not that believable.
Half-way in, still waiting for a fugue to happen.
Actually jk Connor gets annoying, too.
It's like the characterization falls apart the more this thing goes on. Like these people are doing things but I have no idea why they're doing the things they're doing and it all seems really arbitrary and stupid and mostly there for the purpose of furthering the author's Intended Conclusion than because of any real developmental...(word which eludes me)...stuff. Purposes? I have no fracking clue.
The dad is still sketch as fuck.
The lampshading was like okay for then, but everything else keeps disabusing us to the notion that Connor is actually mentally okay and shit.
Also,
Otou-san dear gets all flanderized and shit.
Blah blah blah, boring fake-angst drama, Otou-san is flanderized and made even more one-dimensional, Connor is Mary-Sue-ized by demonstrating random Other Language skills.
Connor stands up for himself in the most trite and inexplicable manner possible. (What, being in Devlin's company magically made you realize omg daddy dear is abusing me so I need to stand up for myself and rebel just to show what a man I am? That's bullshit and you know it. What happened to, "Yo, I know what's going on, I know how this is going down, so don't you dare imply he's abusing me"?
Blah blah blah. Devlin mopes and wangsts to mommy.
D and C make contact, go and have a trite conversation, make banal plans, have hackneyed and dull internal monologues.
They meet, have stupid pedestrian rom-com conversation, do stupid pedestrian rom-com things, stupidly and rom-com-ly make up, and idk what.
Man, I want a Starbucks.
Are you fucking kidding me I still have 44% of this shit to sit through?
Like no joke I'm not even curious/worried who's kidnapping these kids anymore.
Devlin's a pathetic asshole. Connor's a codependent little boy who thinks he's a strong independent grown-ass man who don't need no master when really the opposite is true. They have interactions that either make little sense or are there clearly for the purposes of furthering rom-com-flavored "romantic" "development." NO ONE HAS A FUCKING FUGUE. WHY THE FUCK EVEN MENTION IT AS A THING THAT SEEMS TO BE A THING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT IF IT DOESN'T EVEN HAPPEN? Oh, cuz it's a Sentinel thing? I mean, you've already piggy-backed on the Sentinel concept. Might as well actually have a fugue thing. I mean, all that visceral omg angst you had for Connor is wasted.
Ew, sex.
This is how sexy the sex is:
"He’d been fellated before, and done it."
Also, by this point, I am unamused by the characters. Incredibly so.
I really should go to Starbucks. They close in less than half an hour.
I want more Connor angst. Connor had some pretty good angst before. Before it got hackneyed and wangsty. Go back to the delicious angst.
I see a comma where there shouldn't be a comma.
That's it. Last straw. I'm going to Starbucks. I'll continue this after I get back.
Back from Starbucks, watched an ep of Rupaul's Drag Race, read some, still no fugue in sight.
Bored of this rom-com emotional porn. Get back to the sensory porn, man. (At this rate, I think I maybe wouldn't even mind actual porn.)
Otou-san dearest still a flanderized bundle of patheticness. Can we not forget who the real villain is here? You know, the mysterious mysterious-person who's kidnapping children? And killing (some of) them? Yeah, remember that? What, is that a side plot now? Subplot? Plot bunny? Since when did the rom-com become the focus of everything? In fact, why is it even the focus of everything. Sure, I get that it's M/M Romance and shit, but come on. Surely you could have stuck with your guns and gone through with the police procedural?
Oh my god I still have 31% left. Cheezus forking crust, I don't know if I can do this.
Oh, wow. So basically those glasses allow him to sense what Connor's sensing at any time, and Connor apparently has no control over that? CREEEEEEPY.
And more emotional porn, and not the delicious angsty kind.
Oooh look. Finally some action. Too bad by the time this happens, I'm so over and done with anything related to these characters that I can't bring myself to care.
Also, beyond that, it's...stupid. Like the author went, "Oh, yeah. I still have this police procedural subplot going on. I should maybe do something with that. Like, hey, look, the villain could kidnap one of the MCs, and then I could even manipulate the MCs into further emotional closeness and shit. Two birds, one stone, all that jazz."
^I thought this could use a gif to spice it up.
What the fat why Like srsly where the fat did all that come from? Like literally from nowhere. It was just there. Why? Is it like Rowling killing off Dobby, then both Tonks AND Lupin (and didn't even bother to write out their death scenes [like geez, woman, they're important enough characters that they rate explicitly death scenes instead of implicit deaths, you know]): to distract us from the fact that the book was pretty shitty and pm nothing happens?
Wait what, what do you mean "it's over"? That's it? It just cut off? I mean, not that I'm not glad it's over, because I am, but really? It just ends? I still feel like there was no climax. Like it skipped over climax and was just falling action but since there was no climax we really don't know when the falling action was supposed to stop falling.
Things that make more sense than this story's progression:
This gif:
This gif:
And this gif:
Final Verdict:
It wasn't bad before it turned into a rom-com. And then it was really bad and I just wanted it to be over. And it wasn't over. Until it was. And it was still weird.
And wait, I never did get my fugue. ...what the fuck was the point of even mentioning it, then? It's like that one Yakov Smirnoff joke about "Big Sale: Last week" where he takes that literally and responds, "Now, why tell us about it? We've already missed it; you're just rubbing it in."
...why even mention fugues if you're not going to write one? All it did was reinforce my impression that the 'verse is a The Sentinel rip-off.
It's a bloody shame because I actually liked the beginning of this, too...
This is one of those where I was painfully aware of the words on the page. Like literally I was seeing words on a page instead of a story. ...and I don't think it can all be blamed on the fact that I wasn't wearing my contacts (I could still read, geez. It was only far away stuff [like the other side of the room] that was blurry).
Below is comment as I went because I didn't feel like doing it in the GR website.
...right off the bat, before I get to figure out who the first MC is, all these other people are introduced. Dude. I haven't even figured out which MC is the socially illiterate one and which one is the other one (from the blurb) yet.
This line:
"Up close, Hutchens had the kind of complexion Devlin usually only saw on white children—pale, unblemished and with a hint of high color in his model-sharp cheekbones."
What the fuck does this mean? Is he not white, then? Or is he white, but he means the complexion is one of children, and the white is an afterthought?
Cuz, hey, we got a white man and a black man on the cover. We're supposed to take that as canon, right? Which means one of them has to be MC1 and the other is MC2.
Blah, blah, blah. Exposition masquerading as an informational speech to the characters, boring stuff I tl;dr'ed on, etc.
Something about this reminds me of conventional sci-fi with its clumsy and conventional way of relaying information, at least, so far. Stuff like Almost Human and Star Trek (the new shit, yo) and idk, other stuff.
Blah, blah, blah, more exposition, when is this going to be over, apparently never.
Ooh. Live demonstrations. Okay, this better be good.
Eh. They were kind of cool, I guess. I was still expecting some explosions, though, despite the fact that explosions don't really have much to do with sensory enhancements.
Or maybe a fugue. Yeah, I'm waiting for a fugue. It's got to happen. They deliberately and pointedly brought it up. It's a Chekhov's gun, has to be.
Okay, I admit that Connar's POV is fun. Yes, he's an incredibly woobie, and I love that.
Also, is it CSI or SCI? Oh, no, wait. I see it now. There's CSI, which is what we're all familiar with, and there's SCI, which is the fantasy thing of this fantasy universe.
NO WAIT, I FIGURED IT OUT. DEVLIN'S GOT BROWN SKIN. IT SAYS RIGHT HERE.
Okay, Connor's internal monologue is starting to sound wangsty now. Boo-hoo you sorta thing.
All these references to twentieth century stuff is getting old. Yes, I get you want to make really dated references in this supposedly futuristic thing, but I'd like it if there were fantasy references from less far into the past. Unless, of course, you'd like to spin the whole twentieth century revival thing, where everything 20th century is in fashion and shit. But that's stupid. Even lampshading it won't make it better.
Quote:
"Devlin made it clear that as from five on Friday, he would do his own thing, within limits."
...you mean "as of"? or just "from"?
Weirdly enough, it gets harder and harder to like Devlin as it goes on.
Wait a minute. Is this Sentinel-flavored? I remember this fugue thing because of over-stimulation, and I know nothing of the original series, but I read a Sentinel-flavored Sherlock Holmes fanfic. I think this is somewhat Sentinel-flavored.
By about half-way, I really didn't care for Devlin.
Also, the romance is weird and not that believable.
Half-way in, still waiting for a fugue to happen.
Actually jk Connor gets annoying, too.
It's like the characterization falls apart the more this thing goes on. Like these people are doing things but I have no idea why they're doing the things they're doing and it all seems really arbitrary and stupid and mostly there for the purpose of furthering the author's Intended Conclusion than because of any real developmental...(word which eludes me)...stuff. Purposes? I have no fracking clue.
The dad is still sketch as fuck.
The lampshading was like okay for then, but everything else keeps disabusing us to the notion that Connor is actually mentally okay and shit.
Also,
Otou-san dear gets all flanderized and shit.
Blah blah blah, boring fake-angst drama, Otou-san is flanderized and made even more one-dimensional, Connor is Mary-Sue-ized by demonstrating random Other Language skills.
Connor stands up for himself in the most trite and inexplicable manner possible. (What, being in Devlin's company magically made you realize omg daddy dear is abusing me so I need to stand up for myself and rebel just to show what a man I am? That's bullshit and you know it. What happened to, "Yo, I know what's going on, I know how this is going down, so don't you dare imply he's abusing me"?
Blah blah blah. Devlin mopes and wangsts to mommy.
D and C make contact, go and have a trite conversation, make banal plans, have hackneyed and dull internal monologues.
They meet, have stupid pedestrian rom-com conversation, do stupid pedestrian rom-com things, stupidly and rom-com-ly make up, and idk what.
Man, I want a Starbucks.
Are you fucking kidding me I still have 44% of this shit to sit through?
Like no joke I'm not even curious/worried who's kidnapping these kids anymore.
Devlin's a pathetic asshole. Connor's a codependent little boy who thinks he's a strong independent grown-ass man who don't need no master when really the opposite is true. They have interactions that either make little sense or are there clearly for the purposes of furthering rom-com-flavored "romantic" "development." NO ONE HAS A FUCKING FUGUE. WHY THE FUCK EVEN MENTION IT AS A THING THAT SEEMS TO BE A THING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT IF IT DOESN'T EVEN HAPPEN? Oh, cuz it's a Sentinel thing? I mean, you've already piggy-backed on the Sentinel concept. Might as well actually have a fugue thing. I mean, all that visceral omg angst you had for Connor is wasted.
Ew, sex.
This is how sexy the sex is:
"He’d been fellated before, and done it."
Also, by this point, I am unamused by the characters. Incredibly so.
I really should go to Starbucks. They close in less than half an hour.
I want more Connor angst. Connor had some pretty good angst before. Before it got hackneyed and wangsty. Go back to the delicious angst.
I see a comma where there shouldn't be a comma.
That's it. Last straw. I'm going to Starbucks. I'll continue this after I get back.
Back from Starbucks, watched an ep of Rupaul's Drag Race, read some, still no fugue in sight.
Bored of this rom-com emotional porn. Get back to the sensory porn, man. (At this rate, I think I maybe wouldn't even mind actual porn.)
Otou-san dearest still a flanderized bundle of patheticness. Can we not forget who the real villain is here? You know, the mysterious mysterious-person who's kidnapping children? And killing (some of) them? Yeah, remember that? What, is that a side plot now? Subplot? Plot bunny? Since when did the rom-com become the focus of everything? In fact, why is it even the focus of everything. Sure, I get that it's M/M Romance and shit, but come on. Surely you could have stuck with your guns and gone through with the police procedural?
Oh my god I still have 31% left. Cheezus forking crust, I don't know if I can do this.
Oh, wow. So basically those glasses allow him to sense what Connor's sensing at any time, and Connor apparently has no control over that? CREEEEEEPY.
And more emotional porn, and not the delicious angsty kind.
Oooh look. Finally some action. Too bad by the time this happens, I'm so over and done with anything related to these characters that I can't bring myself to care.
Also, beyond that, it's...stupid. Like the author went, "Oh, yeah. I still have this police procedural subplot going on. I should maybe do something with that. Like, hey, look, the villain could kidnap one of the MCs, and then I could even manipulate the MCs into further emotional closeness and shit. Two birds, one stone, all that jazz."
^I thought this could use a gif to spice it up.
What the fat why Like srsly where the fat did all that come from? Like literally from nowhere. It was just there. Why? Is it like Rowling killing off Dobby, then both Tonks AND Lupin (and didn't even bother to write out their death scenes [like geez, woman, they're important enough characters that they rate explicitly death scenes instead of implicit deaths, you know]): to distract us from the fact that the book was pretty shitty and pm nothing happens?
Wait what, what do you mean "it's over"? That's it? It just cut off? I mean, not that I'm not glad it's over, because I am, but really? It just ends? I still feel like there was no climax. Like it skipped over climax and was just falling action but since there was no climax we really don't know when the falling action was supposed to stop falling.
Things that make more sense than this story's progression:
This gif:
This gif:
And this gif:
Final Verdict:
It wasn't bad before it turned into a rom-com. And then it was really bad and I just wanted it to be over. And it wasn't over. Until it was. And it was still weird.
And wait, I never did get my fugue. ...what the fuck was the point of even mentioning it, then? It's like that one Yakov Smirnoff joke about "Big Sale: Last week" where he takes that literally and responds, "Now, why tell us about it? We've already missed it; you're just rubbing it in."
...why even mention fugues if you're not going to write one? All it did was reinforce my impression that the 'verse is a The Sentinel rip-off.
It's a bloody shame because I actually liked the beginning of this, too...
February 26, 2011
I have a frustrating gift for deleting my reviews. Please forgive me if this encounters turbulence since this is my second attempt.
I enjoyed this book overall. The liked the characters, the setting was interesting, and the book is well written. But I had problems with each of these positives, keeping the book from being stellar entertainment.
Connor and Devlin worked well together, though there were moments of confusion on my part involving some of the dialogue and as to why so and so did whatever to so and so. That's my attempt at not providing spoilers. My main complaint took place towards the end. Why Connor?
Second, the setting. The nanotechnology was great but I wish it had been explored in more detail. I do not really consider this sci-fi and that's ok but I wish there had been more of a sci-fi bent than there was, though I absolutely loved the farm setting.
In the end, I did find the book predictable, down to a fairly accurate guess as to the ending action scene. I wish there had been more surprises but this was still a fun and romantic read.
I enjoyed this book overall. The liked the characters, the setting was interesting, and the book is well written. But I had problems with each of these positives, keeping the book from being stellar entertainment.
Connor and Devlin worked well together, though there were moments of confusion on my part involving some of the dialogue and as to why so and so did whatever to so and so. That's my attempt at not providing spoilers. My main complaint took place towards the end. Why Connor?
Second, the setting. The nanotechnology was great but I wish it had been explored in more detail. I do not really consider this sci-fi and that's ok but I wish there had been more of a sci-fi bent than there was, though I absolutely loved the farm setting.
In the end, I did find the book predictable, down to a fairly accurate guess as to the ending action scene. I wish there had been more surprises but this was still a fun and romantic read.
May 2, 2010
Wow. Ann did it again. Sometimes, I'm almost afraid to read some of Ann's books - I always wonder what is she going to put me through this time? By that I mean - she always pulls me into her stories and I become invested in the characters (is that the right word)? The feelings that are invoked are felt intensely - I am there with the characters through their joy and their pain. In Somatesthesia - really - how do you even pronounce this word? - making me learn something when I just want to kick back and loose myself reading.
Loose myself in this great story is exactly what happened. Besides a great looking cover, the story about Federal Justice Special Agents Devlin Grace and Connor Hutchens hits all the right bottons for me - mystery, romance, drama, life, love, comedy, family - acceptance. Terrific read.
Loose myself in this great story is exactly what happened. Besides a great looking cover, the story about Federal Justice Special Agents Devlin Grace and Connor Hutchens hits all the right bottons for me - mystery, romance, drama, life, love, comedy, family - acceptance. Terrific read.
November 8, 2012
Wow, this was a very very enjoyable story. Full of action and adventure during the first half - I couldn't put it down to go to sleep so I had to stay up until the first half mystery was resolved. Then the second half was very different from the first but equally as enthralling. Let's just say it's hard to do yard work while reading the kindle.
The MC's were great together - they were a well meshed team, on the job and off. I liked the second half with the exciting kidnapping event, then the author threw in some dreaded angst while life went on. It was not the usual storyline. The concluding chapters had some unanticipated, but satisying results. Thanks for the recommendation Mandy!
The MC's were great together - they were a well meshed team, on the job and off. I liked the second half with the exciting kidnapping event, then the author threw in some dreaded angst while life went on. It was not the usual storyline. The concluding chapters had some unanticipated, but satisying results. Thanks for the recommendation Mandy!
June 15, 2017
It started amazing and very promising but since the moment they admitted to each other they were attracted and acted on it, it just lost impact to me.
September 10, 2010
In the near future, the resources are limited and only the rich can afford vehicles. Yet crime and corruption still exist. As an agent for the Federal Justice Agency, Devlin has dedicated his life to taking care of those who are less fortunate than himself. His dedication is put to the test when he transfers to the Special Crimes Unit and is paired with Connor, an enhanced agent with zero social skills, but an impressive performance record. When Connor and Devlin are sent off to catch an elusive kidnapper/killer they learn that not only do they have to look beneath the surface to solve their case, but look beneath the surface to realize that they are exactly what the other needs to make their life complete. But the Agency has a strict no fraternization policy and a killer has turned his attention from the children to them.
Although I had to look SOMATESTHESIA up in the dictionary to figure out what it meant, I loved this book. SOMATESTHESIA was funny, deep, and intelligent.
Connor and Devlin were well-drawn out characters who each went through a complete character arc, Connor especially. I loved how the layers to his psyche were slowly peeled away and we learn that despite his ‘super’ powers how vulnerable and tortured he was. I also admired how Connor was able to finally separate himself from everything and grow and develop. Devlin also made strides on learning to not always having to take control and protect someone, but give them the freedom to learn how to protect themselves. Somatesthesia takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions and I appreciated the ride.
The plot was well done, even though SOMATESTHESIA isn’t a suspense novel, the suspense elements included were well done and caused me to keep flipping the pages, eager to see how the situation was going to be resolved.
The main focus of SOMATESTHESIA was the development of Connor and Devlin’s relationship.Although this is labeled erotica, while their is a lot of sexual tension the actual sex scenes are alluded to or described very briefly. I loved how their relationship had so many layers as they tried to battle internal and external issues. I loved how they both made mistakes and how they communicated and apologized to each other when they made a wrong move. The deep-seated respect that they had for each other is not something you often find in romance.
This is the first time I’ve read a novel by Ann Somerville. It won’t be the last.
Although I had to look SOMATESTHESIA up in the dictionary to figure out what it meant, I loved this book. SOMATESTHESIA was funny, deep, and intelligent.
Connor and Devlin were well-drawn out characters who each went through a complete character arc, Connor especially. I loved how the layers to his psyche were slowly peeled away and we learn that despite his ‘super’ powers how vulnerable and tortured he was. I also admired how Connor was able to finally separate himself from everything and grow and develop. Devlin also made strides on learning to not always having to take control and protect someone, but give them the freedom to learn how to protect themselves. Somatesthesia takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions and I appreciated the ride.
The plot was well done, even though SOMATESTHESIA isn’t a suspense novel, the suspense elements included were well done and caused me to keep flipping the pages, eager to see how the situation was going to be resolved.
The main focus of SOMATESTHESIA was the development of Connor and Devlin’s relationship.Although this is labeled erotica, while their is a lot of sexual tension the actual sex scenes are alluded to or described very briefly. I loved how their relationship had so many layers as they tried to battle internal and external issues. I loved how they both made mistakes and how they communicated and apologized to each other when they made a wrong move. The deep-seated respect that they had for each other is not something you often find in romance.
This is the first time I’ve read a novel by Ann Somerville. It won’t be the last.
April 15, 2010
I really enjoyed Ann Somerville's newest out this month from Samhain Somatesthesia.
It's a near-future scifi suspense romance that satisfies beautifully. As always with her characters there's one damaged hero - Connor Hutchens - who has to overcome personal crises (in this case physical augmentations that make him a sort of übermensch-prototype - no Nazis in this book - implemented by his adoptive genius father, but probably not just to help the fact that he's blind, they don't stop at the blindness). His father being more of the mad scientist type has never bothered learning to fit into society, and hasn't taught his adoptive sons how to do so either. He keeps fine-tuning and messing with their equipment.
As a prototype the United States now have his kind of people as agents to solve the most difficult crimes (not sure how good the US atmosphere is as the author is Australian and I'm European) paired-up with a trained, normal agent in the field.
Devlin Grace, the newbie to the field, needing a change from being part of a unit dealing with child abuse, comes from a loving family run by his mother on a farm collective (oil is practically gone by this time), but his father was a criminal, too, which makes him have certain hang-ups.
If it isn't clear yet, this is a m&m romance (both of them are out) written not for the erotica titillation but in a truly romantic fashion (with some occasional hot scenes included) and a happy ever after. The outside dangers (going after a serial kidnapper and occasional killer) do help to propel the story along so the heros have to deal with each other, even when they would prefer to back off, but the main story resides firmly with the characters themselves and their mistakes and need to deal with their families and with the agency (which prohibits fraternisation of teamed-up agents) to grow up into men that can offer each other a believable love, free from guilt, and a future together.
Oh and Devlin is POC, by the way.
As always, excellent if you are open to that field. The book will be available on April 20th.
Read An Excerpt Online
“Somatesthesia” by Ann Somerville
It's a near-future scifi suspense romance that satisfies beautifully. As always with her characters there's one damaged hero - Connor Hutchens - who has to overcome personal crises (in this case physical augmentations that make him a sort of übermensch-prototype - no Nazis in this book - implemented by his adoptive genius father, but probably not just to help the fact that he's blind, they don't stop at the blindness). His father being more of the mad scientist type has never bothered learning to fit into society, and hasn't taught his adoptive sons how to do so either. He keeps fine-tuning and messing with their equipment.
As a prototype the United States now have his kind of people as agents to solve the most difficult crimes (not sure how good the US atmosphere is as the author is Australian and I'm European) paired-up with a trained, normal agent in the field.
Devlin Grace, the newbie to the field, needing a change from being part of a unit dealing with child abuse, comes from a loving family run by his mother on a farm collective (oil is practically gone by this time), but his father was a criminal, too, which makes him have certain hang-ups.
If it isn't clear yet, this is a m&m romance (both of them are out) written not for the erotica titillation but in a truly romantic fashion (with some occasional hot scenes included) and a happy ever after. The outside dangers (going after a serial kidnapper and occasional killer) do help to propel the story along so the heros have to deal with each other, even when they would prefer to back off, but the main story resides firmly with the characters themselves and their mistakes and need to deal with their families and with the agency (which prohibits fraternisation of teamed-up agents) to grow up into men that can offer each other a believable love, free from guilt, and a future together.
Oh and Devlin is POC, by the way.
As always, excellent if you are open to that field. The book will be available on April 20th.
Read An Excerpt Online
“Somatesthesia” by Ann Somerville
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2014
One thing Ann Somerville can never be earnestly accused of is that she doesn't have imagination. This is the third book of hers I've read, and it's the third time I'm swept away into a rich, imaginative, unique world with awesome, multi-layered characters and a cohesive story. And all three books were fundamentally different in many ways. That's something that I haven't encountered in many authors and I have to admire her for that.
At the same time, though, while I really enjoy her books and will surely read several more of them, I'm never completely blown away, and I'm not really sure why that is. There are so many things she's doing right. She uses her language (narration and dialogue) to emphasise her characters' idiosyncracies and personalities - a point that you don't find all that often unfortunately, and that is most notable here where Devlin and Connor both switch as narrators and have clearly distinguishable voices. She invents characters with flaws and virtues that develop over the course of her stories. She takes her stories seriously and takes effort in writing out her plots. So many great things.
And yet, I'm often too detached from her characters to really seriously feel with them, to cry and laugh and yell with them. And, in this specific case, while the plot is generally good and interesting, it wasn't that exciting in its intricacies and, in the end, I still didn't understand the villain at all - which is a negative in my book because I like the grays in characters and the villain here seemed to be very much on the dark end of the spectrum.
On the other hand, I have to admire that Ann Somerville doesn't always take the easy route out. Her characters do what is needed even if it's hard and painful to do so - and in the end, they're adult enough to accept, forgive, and move on.
I really think is a great book that I'd absolutely recommend if you think the blurb sounds interesting. It was an interesting read and one that kept me thoroughly entertained throughout even if my heart didn't bleed with the characters. My heart doesn't need too much bleeding anyway. ;-D
At the same time, though, while I really enjoy her books and will surely read several more of them, I'm never completely blown away, and I'm not really sure why that is. There are so many things she's doing right. She uses her language (narration and dialogue) to emphasise her characters' idiosyncracies and personalities - a point that you don't find all that often unfortunately, and that is most notable here where Devlin and Connor both switch as narrators and have clearly distinguishable voices. She invents characters with flaws and virtues that develop over the course of her stories. She takes her stories seriously and takes effort in writing out her plots. So many great things.
And yet, I'm often too detached from her characters to really seriously feel with them, to cry and laugh and yell with them. And, in this specific case, while the plot is generally good and interesting, it wasn't that exciting in its intricacies and, in the end, I still didn't understand the villain at all - which is a negative in my book because I like the grays in characters and the villain here seemed to be very much on the dark end of the spectrum.
On the other hand, I have to admire that Ann Somerville doesn't always take the easy route out. Her characters do what is needed even if it's hard and painful to do so - and in the end, they're adult enough to accept, forgive, and move on.
I really think is a great book that I'd absolutely recommend if you think the blurb sounds interesting. It was an interesting read and one that kept me thoroughly entertained throughout even if my heart didn't bleed with the characters. My heart doesn't need too much bleeding anyway. ;-D
January 4, 2012
3.5 stars Conner reminded me of a cross between Victor from JCP's PsyCop series, and Wizard from Driven, which is a total compliment if you know my reading tastes. The first third of the book was great world-building and character development, there was pretty quickly a connection (and obvious attraction) between Conner and Devlin, but no rush with a sexual relationship, which I appreciate as realistic given their circumstances.
Once something sexual did start, there were a few things that, while not bad, just hit my pet-peeve mark. For one, Somerville did the whole fade-to-black-and-just-insinuate thing with sexual encounters. Which I do not appreciate. While that used to be OK for me, now that I've been exposed the good stuff I don't want it left out and based on previous reads from this author I kind of expected all the juicy details. Also, Devlin's way of speaking and 'banter' just felt a little forced and awkward to me at times. Not a huge deal, but I definitely noticed it.
The middle section of the book did start to get a little slow. I don't mid the plot slowing down but it just dragged a bit for me. But they did pick back up, and I liked the way things were summarized and wrapped up. It covered a longer period of time but hit all the important points. I did like the ending, but I'm always a sucker for an epilogue. I would have liked that one last chapter for that bit of closure.
Once something sexual did start, there were a few things that, while not bad, just hit my pet-peeve mark. For one, Somerville did the whole fade-to-black-and-just-insinuate thing with sexual encounters. Which I do not appreciate. While that used to be OK for me, now that I've been exposed the good stuff I don't want it left out and based on previous reads from this author I kind of expected all the juicy details. Also, Devlin's way of speaking and 'banter' just felt a little forced and awkward to me at times. Not a huge deal, but I definitely noticed it.
The middle section of the book did start to get a little slow. I don't mid the plot slowing down but it just dragged a bit for me. But they did pick back up, and I liked the way things were summarized and wrapped up. It covered a longer period of time but hit all the important points. I did like the ending, but I'm always a sucker for an epilogue. I would have liked that one last chapter for that bit of closure.
July 15, 2011
I like the ideas this books puts forth on what future world 2042 will be like, though sadly Chicago still has major crime problems in the 2042 future. The story starts off strongly with a meeting between Devlin & his new Cyborg partner Connor in the Special Crimes Investigative Unit. They are presented as opposites with Devlin being smart & outgoing while Connor is gifted with extrasensory vision & hearing but is socially inept. They quickly become involved in a case of child kidnappings in Chicago & they also develop a quick attraction to each other. This had the makings of real thriller & romantic story.
It does stumble in part as it tries to show us the world building, the investigation & the romance. It felt at times that instead of getting one cohesive story, we would take a pause and show the guys at a bar, or we'd have vacation time at the farm where we would learn how farming is different in this futuristic world, then we'd eventually go back to trying to solve the crime, then we'd have to deal with Devlin's dad. The stories needed to have been better integrated.
The way Connor & Devlin try to resolve their romantic issues also felt a little convoluted & I didn't feel there was enough between the two of them at that time to sustain them as a couple. However, the author did present us with a HEA, whether believable or not.
It was a nice story with some interesting ideas which needed some cohesion to help sustain that interest.
It does stumble in part as it tries to show us the world building, the investigation & the romance. It felt at times that instead of getting one cohesive story, we would take a pause and show the guys at a bar, or we'd have vacation time at the farm where we would learn how farming is different in this futuristic world, then we'd eventually go back to trying to solve the crime, then we'd have to deal with Devlin's dad. The stories needed to have been better integrated.
The way Connor & Devlin try to resolve their romantic issues also felt a little convoluted & I didn't feel there was enough between the two of them at that time to sustain them as a couple. However, the author did present us with a HEA, whether believable or not.
It was a nice story with some interesting ideas which needed some cohesion to help sustain that interest.
December 28, 2014
3.5
This has been on my tbr pile for a few years, so I was a little unsure when I started this, but so glad I did.
This has futuristic world building with a law enforcement appeal which I usually gobble up! Throw in a little hurt/comfort...yup!
Devlin and Connor were such a great balance for each other, the nurturing family that Devlin could provide for Connor makes the heart happy. I did want a little more from the case that they were solving. I needed some more depth and participation from the MCs in the case, it was left hanging and then came back abruptly...a little fragmented.
Overall an enjoyable read!
This has been on my tbr pile for a few years, so I was a little unsure when I started this, but so glad I did.
This has futuristic world building with a law enforcement appeal which I usually gobble up! Throw in a little hurt/comfort...yup!
Devlin and Connor were such a great balance for each other, the nurturing family that Devlin could provide for Connor makes the heart happy. I did want a little more from the case that they were solving. I needed some more depth and participation from the MCs in the case, it was left hanging and then came back abruptly...a little fragmented.
Overall an enjoyable read!
November 17, 2011
3.75 stars
A well written story, with a good world building. I wanted more opportunities to see Connor and his enhanced abilities in action. They were really intriguing, but the author left them in the background as soon as the case was resolved. I expected more suspense and mystery, but this is mainly a romance book.
A well written story, with a good world building. I wanted more opportunities to see Connor and his enhanced abilities in action. They were really intriguing, but the author left them in the background as soon as the case was resolved. I expected more suspense and mystery, but this is mainly a romance book.
March 22, 2011
Очень странная книга. И вроде написана хорошо, и герои приятные, и сюжет неплохой, и мир необычный, а вот не хватает чего-то.
August 12, 2011
Gorgeous book. So much sweeter than I was expecting. I cried my little eyes out!
November 19, 2012
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover – the model in the foreground looks so fantastic I barely even noticed that there was someone in the background. Which was maybe a good thing, because that guy looks nothing like how I imagined Connor would look.
The description reminded me a little of works like Jordan Castillo Price's Among the Living (cop/detective/whatever with special powers partnered with cop/detective/whatever who's an ordinary human being). It also made me think that the child kidnapping case might take the entire length of the book to solve. It doesn't, not exactly.
The way this book was plotted felt...weird...to me. It starts with SCI training, which would have been more interesting, I think, if more details had been given. Then Connor and Devlin are sent off to investigate the child killing/kidnapping case. The passage of time was a little hard for me to follow, and there's one bit where I could have sworn they had decided to call it a day and suddenly they're off interviewing people (page 57 on my Nook). The sexual tension between them mounts but is handled badly by both of them: Connor refuses to admit his interest in Devlin, and Devlin, frustrated, purposefully hurts and upsets Connor. Before they have a chance to work things out, the case is solved, although the man responsible escapes. That happens at approximately the book's halfway point.
Devlin and Connor are ordered to take a 3-week-long vacation to recuperate. Devlin visits his family on their farm, which is like a self-contained little town, and Connor ends up joining them after he gets into a fight with his very controlling father. Connor and Devlin's problems are resolved almost right away, and suddenly everything is nice and easy between them, aside from the whole “what will we do about this relationship once we have to go back to work?” aspect. They continue their relationship in secret after their vacation ends, and Devlin helps Connor practice standing up to his father. Just when Connor is about to put all that practice to the test, the child kidnapping case comes back to haunt them both.
The change in moods felt so abrupt that it was a little like the story was stitched together. The stuff in the first half, with the child kidnapping case, was tenser. I enjoyed the signs that Connor and Devlin were interested in each other and wondered how their relationship would begin, what with them being on a case (because at that time I didn't realize that the case would be over when the book was only half finished). I did not like how things devolved between them. While Connor's lack of willingness to admit his feelings frustrated me, I understood it. I hated how Devlin acted towards Connor, and I wasn't a fan of Devlin's decision to go off and sleep with another guy rather than try to fix things between himself and Connor.
The next part, at the farm, might as well have been rainbows and kittens by comparison (and there really were kittens, by the way). I was looking forward to the sexual tension between Connor and Devlin as Devlin tried to make up for the way he acted and regain Connor trust...except then they had sex right away (or would “participated in sexual acts” be more accurate?). It was enough to give me mental whiplash. While I thought the details about the farm and how things worked there were incredibly interesting and provided lots of opportunities to show Devlin and Connor growing closer, I would have preferred it if these parts had been the author's way of working up to them having sex.
The rest of the book could easily have been about nothing more than Connor working on his relationships with all the people in his life. Thank goodness I remembered that the guy who kidnapped and killed the kids hadn't been caught yet, or his reappearance in the story would have come as a much bigger shock. As it was, I sort of expected something to happen. I was not so pleased about the aftermath – there didn't seem to be any logical reason for Connor to push Devlin away. They needed to establish better boundaries, since I think Devlin's use of the glasses crossed the line a few times (there were special glasses that allowed him to tap into Connor's enhanced senses, seeing what he saw, which he sometimes used for personal reasons, just to see where Connor was). My impression of Connor was that he needed to learn to open up to people more, so it made no sense for him to say that it would be better for him to get away from Devlin for a while. It felt cliched and inappropriate for the story and characters.
Now for the world-building, which, during the first half of the book, seemed a little weak and composed mostly of random little details. People had “readers” (similar to smartphones?), the price of a cup of coffee was outrageous, cyborgs like Connor existed, etc. It seemed like gay marriages and being gay were widely accepted things, except at one point Devlin had a thought about a friend of Connor's casually outing him (page 50 on my Nook), which seemed like an odd thing to think if being gay was considered no big deal. I thought the world-building became much richer and better integrated into the story during the part at the farm. Actually, so many aspects of the part at the farm seemed better that I almost wished the bulk of the book could have taken place there.
Overall, Somatesthesia was okay, but a little disappointing. I can't help but think that the romance would have worked better if Connor and Devlin's profession had been different and allowed for more quieter character-focused moments.
(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
The description reminded me a little of works like Jordan Castillo Price's Among the Living (cop/detective/whatever with special powers partnered with cop/detective/whatever who's an ordinary human being). It also made me think that the child kidnapping case might take the entire length of the book to solve. It doesn't, not exactly.
The way this book was plotted felt...weird...to me. It starts with SCI training, which would have been more interesting, I think, if more details had been given. Then Connor and Devlin are sent off to investigate the child killing/kidnapping case. The passage of time was a little hard for me to follow, and there's one bit where I could have sworn they had decided to call it a day and suddenly they're off interviewing people (page 57 on my Nook). The sexual tension between them mounts but is handled badly by both of them: Connor refuses to admit his interest in Devlin, and Devlin, frustrated, purposefully hurts and upsets Connor. Before they have a chance to work things out, the case is solved, although the man responsible escapes. That happens at approximately the book's halfway point.
Devlin and Connor are ordered to take a 3-week-long vacation to recuperate. Devlin visits his family on their farm, which is like a self-contained little town, and Connor ends up joining them after he gets into a fight with his very controlling father. Connor and Devlin's problems are resolved almost right away, and suddenly everything is nice and easy between them, aside from the whole “what will we do about this relationship once we have to go back to work?” aspect. They continue their relationship in secret after their vacation ends, and Devlin helps Connor practice standing up to his father. Just when Connor is about to put all that practice to the test, the child kidnapping case comes back to haunt them both.
The change in moods felt so abrupt that it was a little like the story was stitched together. The stuff in the first half, with the child kidnapping case, was tenser. I enjoyed the signs that Connor and Devlin were interested in each other and wondered how their relationship would begin, what with them being on a case (because at that time I didn't realize that the case would be over when the book was only half finished). I did not like how things devolved between them. While Connor's lack of willingness to admit his feelings frustrated me, I understood it. I hated how Devlin acted towards Connor, and I wasn't a fan of Devlin's decision to go off and sleep with another guy rather than try to fix things between himself and Connor.
The next part, at the farm, might as well have been rainbows and kittens by comparison (and there really were kittens, by the way). I was looking forward to the sexual tension between Connor and Devlin as Devlin tried to make up for the way he acted and regain Connor trust...except then they had sex right away (or would “participated in sexual acts” be more accurate?). It was enough to give me mental whiplash. While I thought the details about the farm and how things worked there were incredibly interesting and provided lots of opportunities to show Devlin and Connor growing closer, I would have preferred it if these parts had been the author's way of working up to them having sex.
The rest of the book could easily have been about nothing more than Connor working on his relationships with all the people in his life. Thank goodness I remembered that the guy who kidnapped and killed the kids hadn't been caught yet, or his reappearance in the story would have come as a much bigger shock. As it was, I sort of expected something to happen. I was not so pleased about the aftermath – there didn't seem to be any logical reason for Connor to push Devlin away. They needed to establish better boundaries, since I think Devlin's use of the glasses crossed the line a few times (there were special glasses that allowed him to tap into Connor's enhanced senses, seeing what he saw, which he sometimes used for personal reasons, just to see where Connor was). My impression of Connor was that he needed to learn to open up to people more, so it made no sense for him to say that it would be better for him to get away from Devlin for a while. It felt cliched and inappropriate for the story and characters.
Now for the world-building, which, during the first half of the book, seemed a little weak and composed mostly of random little details. People had “readers” (similar to smartphones?), the price of a cup of coffee was outrageous, cyborgs like Connor existed, etc. It seemed like gay marriages and being gay were widely accepted things, except at one point Devlin had a thought about a friend of Connor's casually outing him (page 50 on my Nook), which seemed like an odd thing to think if being gay was considered no big deal. I thought the world-building became much richer and better integrated into the story during the part at the farm. Actually, so many aspects of the part at the farm seemed better that I almost wished the bulk of the book could have taken place there.
Overall, Somatesthesia was okay, but a little disappointing. I can't help but think that the romance would have worked better if Connor and Devlin's profession had been different and allowed for more quieter character-focused moments.
(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2020
I picked this book because I liked the cover, but I finished it because I enjoyed the story! :D
This was a NEW author for me so I didn't really have any expectations at all and let's just say that I was pleasantly surprised! There was a slight "dark" feel to this, but not enough to make me skim, which I tend to do if the story gets too dark or gross... I just can't do gross! *shudder* :(
I found both MCs interesting and always enjoy the whole "big" family storyline, which Devlin has family to spare! Were there parts that I liked better than others? Of course... but that is generally true of most books that I read. However, this was written 10 years ago set 20 years into our future and unfortunately, things are not progressing as well as this author had foreseen... grrr
This was a case of the story matching the cover not only in detail but also in enjoyment!
This was a NEW author for me so I didn't really have any expectations at all and let's just say that I was pleasantly surprised! There was a slight "dark" feel to this, but not enough to make me skim, which I tend to do if the story gets too dark or gross... I just can't do gross! *shudder* :(
I found both MCs interesting and always enjoy the whole "big" family storyline, which Devlin has family to spare! Were there parts that I liked better than others? Of course... but that is generally true of most books that I read. However, this was written 10 years ago set 20 years into our future and unfortunately, things are not progressing as well as this author had foreseen... grrr
This was a case of the story matching the cover not only in detail but also in enjoyment!
August 21, 2017
Great characters and story - loved the writing.
December 1, 2019
I enjoyed this
This was a very sweet story, I loved both Devlin and Connor and found their dynamic to be lovely and realistic.
This was a very sweet story, I loved both Devlin and Connor and found their dynamic to be lovely and realistic.
July 18, 2025
4.5 stars
May 27, 2015
I really wanted to like this book. Even if it was just for fun quiet-evening-at-home don't-think-too-hard-about-it fluff reading, I wanted to enjoy it. Unfortunately, even the premise couldn't keep me interested forever when the characters, plot and pacing failed completely.
I did enjoy some of the world-building, despite it's anvilicious nature. It would have been nice if the main criminal plot had integrated more aspects of the futuristic world; instead, the far-flung future world of 2042 felt like a pretty backdrop to an otherwise ordinary modern-day crime formula. What little was used - the cybernetics, issues with travel - felt clunky and sometimes superfluous. Perhaps, rather than integrating more aspects of the futuristic setting, what aspects were used could have been integrated into the plot better.
The main issue I had with this book was the pacing. The plot is wrapped up in the first half of the book then revisited later after an extensive break that kills any momentum that might still be keeping any interest in the story. The same thing happens with the main characters and their romance.
We are told everything about these characters as they tell each other everything about themselves - including their obvious daddy issues and trust issues and every quirk and character flaw that might rear its head and cause a fumble in their relationship somewhere down the line. They tell each other what kind of mistakes they might make before they even make them! There is no tension, no room for development and every dramatic turn these characters take thereafter feels completely contrived. I don't care at all about these men or about what they feel for each other. I'm not even convinced they actually do feel anything for each other. Suddenly they were having sex after admitting only five minutes beforehand that they found each other attractive. Which was about five minutes after they were introduced as partners. Lust works that way, sure, but the book kept trying to sell that it was more than that, and I wasn't buying it.
I probably would have given this book one star, but it did have potential to be something I really enjoyed.
I did enjoy some of the world-building, despite it's anvilicious nature. It would have been nice if the main criminal plot had integrated more aspects of the futuristic world; instead, the far-flung future world of 2042 felt like a pretty backdrop to an otherwise ordinary modern-day crime formula. What little was used - the cybernetics, issues with travel - felt clunky and sometimes superfluous. Perhaps, rather than integrating more aspects of the futuristic setting, what aspects were used could have been integrated into the plot better.
The main issue I had with this book was the pacing. The plot is wrapped up in the first half of the book then revisited later after an extensive break that kills any momentum that might still be keeping any interest in the story. The same thing happens with the main characters and their romance.
We are told everything about these characters as they tell each other everything about themselves - including their obvious daddy issues and trust issues and every quirk and character flaw that might rear its head and cause a fumble in their relationship somewhere down the line. They tell each other what kind of mistakes they might make before they even make them! There is no tension, no room for development and every dramatic turn these characters take thereafter feels completely contrived. I don't care at all about these men or about what they feel for each other. I'm not even convinced they actually do feel anything for each other. Suddenly they were having sex after admitting only five minutes beforehand that they found each other attractive. Which was about five minutes after they were introduced as partners. Lust works that way, sure, but the book kept trying to sell that it was more than that, and I wasn't buying it.
I probably would have given this book one star, but it did have potential to be something I really enjoyed.
November 3, 2014
I always have mixed feelings about reading book from this author, but there is no denying that the lady can write.
This is a futuristic novel, where the FBI and NSA have merged to become a brand new agency, and where the agents work in pairs: one a normal but talented investigator, the other a human who has had his senses augmented by micro computers integrated with their brain/nervous system.
Devin is the "normal" MC, who comes to the agency after being highly successful investigator into crimes against children. Connor is the augmented investigator, and is the first augmented agent ever employed. He is the adopted son of the creator of the micro computers; adopted because he was a blind orphan.
Called into investigate a case of serial kidnapping before their partnership training is complete, both men must learn to deal with other while trying to solve the case.
Devlin's protective instincts soon emerge when he realizes the Connor was adopted purely to become a guinea pig for his new father to experiment upon. Connor has been emotionally neglected for far too long, and Devlin is determined to rectify that situation.
Needless to say, both men find they must battle Connor's past while trying to solve the kidnapping case, and of course, it doesn't go smoothly for them.
This is good story, not quite as good as Sommerville's Kei's Gift, as Devlin is a little too perfect for my taste, but I still would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a futuristic crime story.
This is a futuristic novel, where the FBI and NSA have merged to become a brand new agency, and where the agents work in pairs: one a normal but talented investigator, the other a human who has had his senses augmented by micro computers integrated with their brain/nervous system.
Devin is the "normal" MC, who comes to the agency after being highly successful investigator into crimes against children. Connor is the augmented investigator, and is the first augmented agent ever employed. He is the adopted son of the creator of the micro computers; adopted because he was a blind orphan.
Called into investigate a case of serial kidnapping before their partnership training is complete, both men must learn to deal with other while trying to solve the case.
Devlin's protective instincts soon emerge when he realizes the Connor was adopted purely to become a guinea pig for his new father to experiment upon. Connor has been emotionally neglected for far too long, and Devlin is determined to rectify that situation.
Needless to say, both men find they must battle Connor's past while trying to solve the kidnapping case, and of course, it doesn't go smoothly for them.
This is good story, not quite as good as Sommerville's Kei's Gift, as Devlin is a little too perfect for my taste, but I still would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a futuristic crime story.
November 10, 2012
Slash Readers: "Sometesthesia", is a fun read if you don't mind the darker content that comes with the territory--ae. Police type work. Right from the get go, Somerville sets up her characters in reference to each other. The interactions between all the character from the beginning to the end of the book are consistent but there is the added pleasure of maturation in them. People change as they get to know each other and everyone else better.
Overall, this was a fun book to read with a few twists built into the rest of the plot. If you enjoy books about crime fighting partners that end up falling for each other, give it a go. :)
Overall, this was a fun book to read with a few twists built into the rest of the plot. If you enjoy books about crime fighting partners that end up falling for each other, give it a go. :)
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