A review by angelahayes
Covalent Bonds by Wendy Sparrow, Jeremiah Murphy, Charlotte M. Ray
4.0
4 Stars
“Covalent Bonds aren’t just about Atoms sharing electron pairs anymore- it’s about the electricity that happens when you pair two geeks together. This anthology celebrates geeks of all kinds (enthusiasts, be it for comics, Dr. Who, movies, gaming. Computers, or even grammar), and allows them to step out of their traditional supporting roles and into the shoes of the romantic lead. Forget the old stereotypes: geeks are sexy”.
Covalent Bonds is the third book in the Red Moon Anthologies series and is made up of 9 short stories- all from different authors. All the stories are wonderfully different and each is individual to the author- but they all have the common thread, that follows nerds/geeks and their romantic and/or sexy antics. I really recommend that you dive right into this incredibly entertaining book and enjoy all the geeky and nerdy goodness.
The Hacked Match By: Wendy Sparrow
Aubrey Lawrence is a FBI analyst who’s thrown completely out of her element when her boss sends her on a mission that takes her out of the office and into the field. Her mission is to attend a cyber security conference where retired hacker turned businessman and cyber security expert, Seth Lawrence will be a guest speaker- She has to convince him to help the government hack into a network belonging to a weapons manufacturer. This won’t be an easy task, as it was the FBI who were responsible for his conviction 10 years earlier. Her advantage is she is just his type- smart, shy and sexy. Things aren’t exactly as they seem. Will she be able to gain his trust and convince him or will her mission be an absolute failure.
This is a really fantastic story that has a lot happening in a short space. It is really well written and the author has done a wonderful job of blending all the various elements of this story into a really riveting read. There’s drama, action, a little suspense, romance and lots of swoony sexy antics. I really wanted more and can’t wait to read more from this author.
Issues By: Jeremiah Murphy
Emma moved to New York in the hope of becoming a comic book artist. It’s her passion and she can’t see herself doing anything else. She is attending a comic book convention to not only showcase her work, but she is trying to hunt down the missing comic book for her collection- as well as enjoying the atmosphere and company of likeminded people. So when she finds her annoying neighbour Max is also there, she is not impressed. Emma does everything she can to avoid him for the rest of the day, but they seem to keep running into each other and the sparks are flying. Will she make an unexpected connection? Will she find what she’s looking for?
This is a super short story that didn’t make a lot of sense to me to begin with, but by the end it all came together. It is an interesting, funny and sweet story with a touch of sexy.
Addie-cted By: Charlotte M. Ray
Addie runs a live streaming game chat/show. It is her passion as well as her business. On the eve of a marathon weekend of gaming play and organised raids- one of her most important team members has major computer problems that will put him out of the game. As this would jeopardise the whole weekend, Addie invites him to come to her place to use her desktop PC, while she uses the laptop.
Addie is a bit of a loner, not venturing out much and doesn’t have many friends in the real world. So this is a new experience for her and she is both anxious and excited. When Trent arrives she can’t believe how Hot he is, and has trouble concentrating on the gaming. This is going to be an interesting weekend. What happens when her secret is revealed? Will these two find they have more in common than just the game?
A very quick, easy read. The story is super sweet and the characters were delightful. This is a lovely, touching story with a wonderful message.
Spoilers By: Marie Piper
Mike is a camp horror movie buff who meets Aliesha in line at the grocery store while buying movie snacks. Neither knows that the other is attending the same 80’s horror classic, but they end up in a conversation where they find they have a lot more in common than it may have first appeared. Will attending the same movie bring them more than they bargained for?
This is a really short story that has a wonderful message about ‘not judging a book by its cover’. Aliesha and Mike are adorable and were a perfect match. A clever story that has left me wanting more.
Rogue Trip By: Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Adam is a gaming writer on the verge of making it big. Cassandra is a gamer who also volunteers at a hospital where she works with sick kids. These two are about to have their world collide in a major way, when they both have missions that have go seriously awry. The only way to solve both their dilemmas is an anxious race against the clock, a cross-country road trip where they will not only have to share the driving, but as they aren’t each other’s favourite person- they’ll have to put up with each other as well.
So ensues a story of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Turning point and Acceptance.
The story was entertaining, but I did have a lot of questions and was left wondering right up until the end. The author did manage to tie up the story well in the end, although the ending did seem a little rushed.
Critical Hit By: Cori Vidae
Hallie is shy and unsure of herself, she’s has had a crush on Terrance for months but hasn’t had the courage to do anything about it. Can Hallie find the bravery she needs to express her feelings through a very flirty game of Dungeons and Dragons? Will her gaming bravado follow her back into real life? What does Terrance think/feel?
“She was distracted. His leg was still touching hers beneath the table. Was it because he hadn’t noticed, or did it mean something else? And if it meant something else, what? Did he like her the same way she liked him, or was he just oblivious to her because he thought of her as only a friend?”….
“The idea of having him control her, even in a D & D session, was enough to make heat flood her belly…..”
The story is cute and well written. It is a quick, easy read that flows well and has a great pace.
Classification of Nerd By: Marla Malins
Emily works for a gaming company called Tester.com, the best computer game testing company in the United Kingdom. “She knew the work would be mostly tedious and repetitive but the lure of testing games pre-release was so thrilling that she had taken a pay cut to join the company.” But since joining the company, her boss Jack has been almost unbearable- awkward, stubborn, bossy, rude and downright unpleasant. So when they are both sent on a work trip and end up having to share the same room due to a booking mix up, things get very interesting. Will she discover why Jack acts the way he does? Can Emily get over her trust and control issues long enough to discover what she needs may be right in front of her? What is the classification of Nerd?
This is a really erotic, well written, witty and entertaining story. I was engrossed in it from the first page until the last. I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Malins.
Better than Chocolate By: Tellulah Darling
Sadie has had a night from hell and just wants to drown her sorrows with chocolate. Nic Rossi has also had a pretty horrendous time and is at the same store as Sadie. So when the two clash over the last bag of sweet goodness, sparks fly. The two went to school together, but never ran in the same circles as the other- they had some of the same classes though and she always thought he was arrogant, getting what he wanted either through charm or intimidation. He thought she was a mouthy know-it-all. They haven’t seen each other since graduation a year ago and here they are having a run in over a bag of chocolate.
Will the two bond over their awfully bad night? Can they put aside their judgemental attitudes and really see the other for who they are? Will they turn things around and make this a night to remember for all the right reasons?
A sweet, clever and captivating story. This wasn’t what I expected at all and I enjoyed it immensely. I will definitely be checking out Ms. Darlings other work.
Girl Meets Grammarian By: G.G Andrew
Eliza Stein is a newly appointed professor at a prestigious university. She’s trying to establish herself and find her way in this new endeavour. Eliza is a poet who is very passionate about the English language. So when her older, frustrating colleague Dr. Kunal Narang gives her his opinion on grammar and sentence diagramming, the two butt heads. If only he didn’t look so distractingly handsome, or was so infuriatingly charming – or so wonderfully good with his hands.
“Their words were fighting words, but their tone wasn’t and instead of sparring, Eliza simply wanted to reach up and run her finger down the straight bridge of his nose. Or, she realised with surprise, turn her head up to press her lips against his.”
A well written, interesting and witty story of finding love where you least expect it. I will definitely be looking at the authors other work with interest.
I really enjoyed all the stories in this unique anthology. I was captivated and read the whole thing in one sitting. The stories are diverse enough that each one has something different to offer the reader, yet all were based on the same theme- that of Geeks and/or Nerds becoming the heroes of their own story, instead of the support act in someone else’s tale.
Thank you to all the contributing authors!
“Covalent Bonds aren’t just about Atoms sharing electron pairs anymore- it’s about the electricity that happens when you pair two geeks together. This anthology celebrates geeks of all kinds (enthusiasts, be it for comics, Dr. Who, movies, gaming. Computers, or even grammar), and allows them to step out of their traditional supporting roles and into the shoes of the romantic lead. Forget the old stereotypes: geeks are sexy”.
Covalent Bonds is the third book in the Red Moon Anthologies series and is made up of 9 short stories- all from different authors. All the stories are wonderfully different and each is individual to the author- but they all have the common thread, that follows nerds/geeks and their romantic and/or sexy antics. I really recommend that you dive right into this incredibly entertaining book and enjoy all the geeky and nerdy goodness.
The Hacked Match By: Wendy Sparrow
Aubrey Lawrence is a FBI analyst who’s thrown completely out of her element when her boss sends her on a mission that takes her out of the office and into the field. Her mission is to attend a cyber security conference where retired hacker turned businessman and cyber security expert, Seth Lawrence will be a guest speaker- She has to convince him to help the government hack into a network belonging to a weapons manufacturer. This won’t be an easy task, as it was the FBI who were responsible for his conviction 10 years earlier. Her advantage is she is just his type- smart, shy and sexy. Things aren’t exactly as they seem. Will she be able to gain his trust and convince him or will her mission be an absolute failure.
This is a really fantastic story that has a lot happening in a short space. It is really well written and the author has done a wonderful job of blending all the various elements of this story into a really riveting read. There’s drama, action, a little suspense, romance and lots of swoony sexy antics. I really wanted more and can’t wait to read more from this author.
Issues By: Jeremiah Murphy
Emma moved to New York in the hope of becoming a comic book artist. It’s her passion and she can’t see herself doing anything else. She is attending a comic book convention to not only showcase her work, but she is trying to hunt down the missing comic book for her collection- as well as enjoying the atmosphere and company of likeminded people. So when she finds her annoying neighbour Max is also there, she is not impressed. Emma does everything she can to avoid him for the rest of the day, but they seem to keep running into each other and the sparks are flying. Will she make an unexpected connection? Will she find what she’s looking for?
This is a super short story that didn’t make a lot of sense to me to begin with, but by the end it all came together. It is an interesting, funny and sweet story with a touch of sexy.
Addie-cted By: Charlotte M. Ray
Addie runs a live streaming game chat/show. It is her passion as well as her business. On the eve of a marathon weekend of gaming play and organised raids- one of her most important team members has major computer problems that will put him out of the game. As this would jeopardise the whole weekend, Addie invites him to come to her place to use her desktop PC, while she uses the laptop.
Addie is a bit of a loner, not venturing out much and doesn’t have many friends in the real world. So this is a new experience for her and she is both anxious and excited. When Trent arrives she can’t believe how Hot he is, and has trouble concentrating on the gaming. This is going to be an interesting weekend. What happens when her secret is revealed? Will these two find they have more in common than just the game?
A very quick, easy read. The story is super sweet and the characters were delightful. This is a lovely, touching story with a wonderful message.
Spoilers By: Marie Piper
Mike is a camp horror movie buff who meets Aliesha in line at the grocery store while buying movie snacks. Neither knows that the other is attending the same 80’s horror classic, but they end up in a conversation where they find they have a lot more in common than it may have first appeared. Will attending the same movie bring them more than they bargained for?
This is a really short story that has a wonderful message about ‘not judging a book by its cover’. Aliesha and Mike are adorable and were a perfect match. A clever story that has left me wanting more.
Rogue Trip By: Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Adam is a gaming writer on the verge of making it big. Cassandra is a gamer who also volunteers at a hospital where she works with sick kids. These two are about to have their world collide in a major way, when they both have missions that have go seriously awry. The only way to solve both their dilemmas is an anxious race against the clock, a cross-country road trip where they will not only have to share the driving, but as they aren’t each other’s favourite person- they’ll have to put up with each other as well.
So ensues a story of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Turning point and Acceptance.
The story was entertaining, but I did have a lot of questions and was left wondering right up until the end. The author did manage to tie up the story well in the end, although the ending did seem a little rushed.
Critical Hit By: Cori Vidae
Hallie is shy and unsure of herself, she’s has had a crush on Terrance for months but hasn’t had the courage to do anything about it. Can Hallie find the bravery she needs to express her feelings through a very flirty game of Dungeons and Dragons? Will her gaming bravado follow her back into real life? What does Terrance think/feel?
“She was distracted. His leg was still touching hers beneath the table. Was it because he hadn’t noticed, or did it mean something else? And if it meant something else, what? Did he like her the same way she liked him, or was he just oblivious to her because he thought of her as only a friend?”….
“The idea of having him control her, even in a D & D session, was enough to make heat flood her belly…..”
The story is cute and well written. It is a quick, easy read that flows well and has a great pace.
Classification of Nerd By: Marla Malins
Emily works for a gaming company called Tester.com, the best computer game testing company in the United Kingdom. “She knew the work would be mostly tedious and repetitive but the lure of testing games pre-release was so thrilling that she had taken a pay cut to join the company.” But since joining the company, her boss Jack has been almost unbearable- awkward, stubborn, bossy, rude and downright unpleasant. So when they are both sent on a work trip and end up having to share the same room due to a booking mix up, things get very interesting. Will she discover why Jack acts the way he does? Can Emily get over her trust and control issues long enough to discover what she needs may be right in front of her? What is the classification of Nerd?
This is a really erotic, well written, witty and entertaining story. I was engrossed in it from the first page until the last. I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Malins.
Better than Chocolate By: Tellulah Darling
Sadie has had a night from hell and just wants to drown her sorrows with chocolate. Nic Rossi has also had a pretty horrendous time and is at the same store as Sadie. So when the two clash over the last bag of sweet goodness, sparks fly. The two went to school together, but never ran in the same circles as the other- they had some of the same classes though and she always thought he was arrogant, getting what he wanted either through charm or intimidation. He thought she was a mouthy know-it-all. They haven’t seen each other since graduation a year ago and here they are having a run in over a bag of chocolate.
Will the two bond over their awfully bad night? Can they put aside their judgemental attitudes and really see the other for who they are? Will they turn things around and make this a night to remember for all the right reasons?
A sweet, clever and captivating story. This wasn’t what I expected at all and I enjoyed it immensely. I will definitely be checking out Ms. Darlings other work.
Girl Meets Grammarian By: G.G Andrew
Eliza Stein is a newly appointed professor at a prestigious university. She’s trying to establish herself and find her way in this new endeavour. Eliza is a poet who is very passionate about the English language. So when her older, frustrating colleague Dr. Kunal Narang gives her his opinion on grammar and sentence diagramming, the two butt heads. If only he didn’t look so distractingly handsome, or was so infuriatingly charming – or so wonderfully good with his hands.
“Their words were fighting words, but their tone wasn’t and instead of sparring, Eliza simply wanted to reach up and run her finger down the straight bridge of his nose. Or, she realised with surprise, turn her head up to press her lips against his.”
A well written, interesting and witty story of finding love where you least expect it. I will definitely be looking at the authors other work with interest.
I really enjoyed all the stories in this unique anthology. I was captivated and read the whole thing in one sitting. The stories are diverse enough that each one has something different to offer the reader, yet all were based on the same theme- that of Geeks and/or Nerds becoming the heroes of their own story, instead of the support act in someone else’s tale.
Thank you to all the contributing authors!