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N'awlins Exotica #1
I Like 'Em Pretty
New Orleans is supposed to be the big easy. One night changes everything for Frankie Choteau.
New Orleans. A city rich in tradition, diversity, and on the comeback trail from hurricane Katrina. Francois “Frankie” Choteau, a resident of this town, a cop with a hot temper and low tolerance for bs. Kajika Fortier, a transplant from Oklahoma came here looking for a dream and unfortunately it’s turned into a nightmare. On a hot summer night, they meet and cross paths during a very difficult situation. Despite this, the attraction between them is evident and loneliness for both men is a fate worse than death. They’d both like a chance at happiness but will the circumstances and Frankie’s uneasiness prevent their happy ever after?
New Orleans. A city rich in tradition, diversity, and on the comeback trail from hurricane Katrina. Francois “Frankie” Choteau, a resident of this town, a cop with a hot temper and low tolerance for bs. Kajika Fortier, a transplant from Oklahoma came here looking for a dream and unfortunately it’s turned into a nightmare. On a hot summer night, they meet and cross paths during a very difficult situation. Despite this, the attraction between them is evident and loneliness for both men is a fate worse than death. They’d both like a chance at happiness but will the circumstances and Frankie’s uneasiness prevent their happy ever after?
255 pages, ebook
First published April 6, 2013
32 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Michael Mandrake
57 books180 followersMichael Mandrake pens complex characters already comfortable with their sexuality. Through these, he builds worlds not centered on romance but rather the mainstream and/or obscure plots we might encounter in everyday life and beyond. To find out more please visit
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 24, 2013
1.5 stars
New Orleans Homicide Detective François “Frankie” Choteau is tired of hiding who he is. He wants forever with someone and he can’t have that pretending he has a relationship with his female partner so that his coworkers won’t find out he’s gay. When he’s called out to a possible homicide, Frankie is taken aback by the witness – a beautiful man who is extremely flirtatious even though he’s just seen his lover kill himself. Frankie is determined to get to know the younger man better…after the case is closed and he is proven innocent.
When his older lover of the past three years takes his own life, Kajika Fortier finds himself at a loss. Yes, he loved Bob, but more as an older brother or father. The first time Kajika lays eyes on Frankie, he knows the detective will be his eventually.
Proven innocent and free to pursue his attraction to Frankie, Kajika comes on strong, determined to get his man. But it may not be as easy as it seems. Both men must find a way around the doubts, insecurities, and jealousies of the people closest to them that are threatening to tear them apart.
Okay, this is only my opinion and others may have a completely different one. So, this book was not for me. There are only a couple things that I really like about this story – the difference in culture and the interracial relationship being the first. I always love delving into different histories and cultures. And then there is the stripper aspect. It’s sexy and add in a cop to that mix and it’s bound to start fires. But still, neither were enough to save this book.
I felt no connection to the characters as a reader and to be honest, I can’t say I really liked any of the characters beyond surface features of beauty and sexy jobs. Frankie and Kajika are one-dimensional characters, no depth. Frankie is annoying and whiny. Kajika is self-centered and ditzy. The only two things they have in common are that they’re both gay and both shallow. They were in need of a stronger character development, and that just didn’t happen in this story.
The writing was choppy and the dialogue awkward. Every other sentence of dialogue between Frankie and Kajika held several endearments which was just repetitive and annoying. I understand that the author was trying to portray a Cajun accent, but it comes across forced and unrealistic. The entire story is more telling and very little showing and made it very difficult to read. There are several filler scenes that added absolutely nothing to the plot. The storytelling was overshadowed at times by author’s need to show the knowledge of places and histories of the Natchez people. Honestly, had I picked this book up on my own not having to review it, I probably wouldn’t have finished.
And then there’s Frankie’s partner, Kenina. I can’t figure her role in this book other than to be the bigoted female partner who secretly hopes to turn the gay man straight. Jealousy and obsession seem to be the only things she’s good at. Every scene in which she had a role, she was either trying to convince Frankie why he should love her, telling him that he chose to be gay and calling him horrible names, or trying to find reasons for him to doubt his attraction to Kajika. Yet, he always forgave her and brushed off her craziness. I don’t get it.
I wanted to like this book…I really did, but like I said earlier, this one just isn’t for me. It’s not a book that I would recommend, but this is just one reviewer’s opinion.
Cover: On the upside, the cover by Sara York is nice with fairly accurate depictions of Frankie and Kajika, as well as the beautiful French Quarter background. I like it.
New Orleans Homicide Detective François “Frankie” Choteau is tired of hiding who he is. He wants forever with someone and he can’t have that pretending he has a relationship with his female partner so that his coworkers won’t find out he’s gay. When he’s called out to a possible homicide, Frankie is taken aback by the witness – a beautiful man who is extremely flirtatious even though he’s just seen his lover kill himself. Frankie is determined to get to know the younger man better…after the case is closed and he is proven innocent.
When his older lover of the past three years takes his own life, Kajika Fortier finds himself at a loss. Yes, he loved Bob, but more as an older brother or father. The first time Kajika lays eyes on Frankie, he knows the detective will be his eventually.
Proven innocent and free to pursue his attraction to Frankie, Kajika comes on strong, determined to get his man. But it may not be as easy as it seems. Both men must find a way around the doubts, insecurities, and jealousies of the people closest to them that are threatening to tear them apart.
Okay, this is only my opinion and others may have a completely different one. So, this book was not for me. There are only a couple things that I really like about this story – the difference in culture and the interracial relationship being the first. I always love delving into different histories and cultures. And then there is the stripper aspect. It’s sexy and add in a cop to that mix and it’s bound to start fires. But still, neither were enough to save this book.
I felt no connection to the characters as a reader and to be honest, I can’t say I really liked any of the characters beyond surface features of beauty and sexy jobs. Frankie and Kajika are one-dimensional characters, no depth. Frankie is annoying and whiny. Kajika is self-centered and ditzy. The only two things they have in common are that they’re both gay and both shallow. They were in need of a stronger character development, and that just didn’t happen in this story.
The writing was choppy and the dialogue awkward. Every other sentence of dialogue between Frankie and Kajika held several endearments which was just repetitive and annoying. I understand that the author was trying to portray a Cajun accent, but it comes across forced and unrealistic. The entire story is more telling and very little showing and made it very difficult to read. There are several filler scenes that added absolutely nothing to the plot. The storytelling was overshadowed at times by author’s need to show the knowledge of places and histories of the Natchez people. Honestly, had I picked this book up on my own not having to review it, I probably wouldn’t have finished.
And then there’s Frankie’s partner, Kenina. I can’t figure her role in this book other than to be the bigoted female partner who secretly hopes to turn the gay man straight. Jealousy and obsession seem to be the only things she’s good at. Every scene in which she had a role, she was either trying to convince Frankie why he should love her, telling him that he chose to be gay and calling him horrible names, or trying to find reasons for him to doubt his attraction to Kajika. Yet, he always forgave her and brushed off her craziness. I don’t get it.
I wanted to like this book…I really did, but like I said earlier, this one just isn’t for me. It’s not a book that I would recommend, but this is just one reviewer’s opinion.
Cover: On the upside, the cover by Sara York is nice with fairly accurate depictions of Frankie and Kajika, as well as the beautiful French Quarter background. I like it.
May 10, 2013
2.5 stars
In it’s publicity blurb ‘I Like Em Pretty’ (ILEP) promises a sexy interracial romance set in colorful, sultry, post-Katrina New Orleans. This city is ideal for a ‘policier’ setting and many authors have chosen it as a backdrop. As it turns out in ILEP, though, it’s all about the pretty. Hell, even the cover is pretty. François (Frankie) Choteau works as a detective for the New Orleans PD and has a thing for pretty men -- it’s just that he hasn’t found the right guy. Until one night when he gets called in to investigate an apparent suicide, and the lovely Kajika Fortier walks into his life. (Dang, even the names are pretty!) Kajika is an exotic dancer and his Native American heritage (the Natchez) lends to his allure -- his tawny skin, taut bod, and long, flowing black hair act as a magnet for the lonely Frankie. So what if Kajika just witnessed his sugar-daddy/lover shoot himself in the head after an angry confrontation? So what if Frankie, with his coffee-colored skin and lambent eyes, sings to his inner lust?
This is where ILEP starts to go off track for me. Death by suicide, homicide, crimes of violence: all are an urban cop’s daily grind. There’s nothing pretty about them. And Kajika acts very strangely after witnessing his lover’s suicide; he tries to sex-up Detective Frankie during the investigation. The attraction is mutual (no, make that ‘insta’), and Frankie is immediately smitten even though he’s confused by Kajika’s reaction to his lover’s death. Doesn’t matter, they can’t take their eyes off of each other and the lust rolls thick. Even though it’s given a lot of attention on the page, we never actually get an answer to what was up with Kajika’s strange behavior. Maybe he’s just a horny dude in need of security.
This first meeting is actually quite humorous, other distractions aside. The flirting is outrageous, so much so that it riles up Frankie’s detective-partner and pretend-girl-friend, Kenina. It seems she, too, has the hots for the pretty Frankie even though he insists over and over that he bats for the other team. It doesn’t help matters much that they have this fake relationship to protect Frankie’s rep with the other phobic cops in the department, but what I can’t figure is just what Kenina gets out of it. Things go from bad to worse as Frankie falls more into lust with Kajika. The dancer uses all the wiles in his considerable arsenal to hook Frankie much to Kenina’s outrage. There are several uncomfortable scenes where her relationship with Frankie is tested as she remains convinced he can be made to swing her way. This colors her investigation of Kajika and makes her a difficult character for me to like even though she’s set up as Franke’s BFF.
It’s clear that we’re not going to get much of the lovely New Orleans color. Nor will all the other lingering murder cases get solved any time soon. This cop story is really a slow-burn romance as we wait for F and K to seal the deal. Kajika’s strange post-lover’s-suicide behavior is forgotten, Kenina fumes on the side-lines, and murderers continue to walk the street... but that’s OK ’cause lust is in the air.
The story has another funny scene when Frankie first goes to see Kajika do his strip act, dancing to Janet Jackson’s I Get So Lonely. The dancer is a hot ticket and draws a full house to the N’awlins Exotic Entertainment club, including a group of septuagenarian blue-haired ladies who go ga-ga for his hot bod, tucking ‘Jacksons’ into his g-string. Predictably, Frankie fidgets uncomfortably, he’s just too cool for this crowd and he doesn’t like seeing his man pawed. Kajika can’t help it, he’s comfortable in his skin and out of his clothes.
“His (Frankie’s) eyes affixed to the platform, he stared at the man walking slowly to the front… Kajika removed his hat, revealing his gorgeous slanty eyes, and the audience lost it. Immediately women and men lined up on the sides, money in hand, ready to give it to him once he stripped off the layers… all the older women at the table; one of them, with a walker, scooted quickly… throwing money, pushing cash between the (g)stings… in a daze, Frankie looked on… he wished he could rescue (Kajika) from the mauling…”
It’s Frankie’s insecurities and jealousy that keep him from moving in on Kajika for much of the story. That, and his feet are still planted firmly in the proverbial closet. I never feel that deep connection between these two guys, their attraction is quick and they can come off as shallow. I want to like them, in concept they seem like good guys but I feel they could have been served better by more developed world building and perhaps a crime story sub-plot to galvanize the tension and action. There certainly would have been space for it. Too many pages are given to repetitious descriptions and dialogue. There are more than a few spelling, grammatical and proofing errors too. (Kajika talks about his male fiancée quite a bit in the first chapter; but that accent can’t seem to decide which ‘e’ it belongs with, and c’mon, this is the feminine spelling!!)
If you are interested in a southern, interracial romance between one hot, sexy dancer and his pretty cop, want more romance than crime mystery, and can over-look some of it’s weaknesses, then this may be the read for you.
June 3, 2014
I Like Em Pretty is the first in the N’awlins Exotica series and revolves around New Orleans Homicide Detective Frankie Choteau and his developing relationship with Kajika Fortier, an exotic dancer he met during an investigation. Despite their immediate attraction, Frankie refuses to get involved with Kajika until after the investigation is closed – a detail that I appreciated as so many books try to get the characters in bed far too quickly at times. While these two men talk a really good game and you expect them to end up in bed sooner rather than later, they don’t have sex until 70% into the book, and the wait was worth it – for both the characters and the reads.
Michael Mandrake (which is the pen name for a female author, so please forgive me if I mix up my pronouns) does a very good job of writing dialogue that is authentic to New Orleans dialect. Unfortunately, this is where the book actually lost me and it is completely a personal issue for me. I was surprised that I could not enjoy the book fully as I typically enjoy books that are written in the characters’ dialect and I have visited New Orleans and loved listening to the residents talk. My inability to enjoy the book fully is completely on me because the author does a wonderful job with the story line, the character development, the dialogue & dialect, and there is nothing I find fault with in the book. I absolutely hate that I didn’t enjoy it fully. I can only hope that I Like Em Pretty can find its way to readers who can fully appreciate and enjoy the writer’s hard work and will write the reviews it deserves.
If you think that this is a book you would enjoy, please do not let my inability to enjoy it sway you against it. Download the sample and check it out for yourself. My 3-star rating means that a book is a good read and Michael Mandrake has definitely produced a solid, well-written novel. I’m just not the right reader for it. However, I will be reading the next book in the series because I do want to know what happens to Frankie and Kajika.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
Michael Mandrake (which is the pen name for a female author, so please forgive me if I mix up my pronouns) does a very good job of writing dialogue that is authentic to New Orleans dialect. Unfortunately, this is where the book actually lost me and it is completely a personal issue for me. I was surprised that I could not enjoy the book fully as I typically enjoy books that are written in the characters’ dialect and I have visited New Orleans and loved listening to the residents talk. My inability to enjoy the book fully is completely on me because the author does a wonderful job with the story line, the character development, the dialogue & dialect, and there is nothing I find fault with in the book. I absolutely hate that I didn’t enjoy it fully. I can only hope that I Like Em Pretty can find its way to readers who can fully appreciate and enjoy the writer’s hard work and will write the reviews it deserves.
If you think that this is a book you would enjoy, please do not let my inability to enjoy it sway you against it. Download the sample and check it out for yourself. My 3-star rating means that a book is a good read and Michael Mandrake has definitely produced a solid, well-written novel. I’m just not the right reader for it. However, I will be reading the next book in the series because I do want to know what happens to Frankie and Kajika.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
June 8, 2013
I enjoyed this story but would have liked to give Frankie's female police partner a quick kick up the backside at times. Which just goes to show how well Michael Mandrake has written the characters in this book. If you enjoy flirtatious pretty boys and handsome police officers getting together and learning to give and take in their new relationship then you need to read this at once. I just hope that the next book is all about some of those wonderful secondary characters. In fact my only complaint, and the reason it doesn't get 5*, is that there wasn't really any tension as such and Frankie's job was mostly glossed over, even though he was supposed to be swamped with a lot of cold cases and recent homicides.
October 27, 2016
I like this book at first even though I thought it was kinda creepy the Kajika was flirting heavily with Frankie at the crime scene of his lover. They get together quickly even though they wait for having sex and start to make a relationship together. Then the end started to make me think book 2 is gonna make me not like it at all since Frankie's jealous attitude starts raging.
June 2, 2013
if ya don't like m/m move along, if you do, then READ THIS BOOK! i loved it, and want a Kajika of my very own ;) wanted to cut frankie's partner, because i just really didn't like her, but i think that was the point. but other than her, i loved this book from beginning to end!
May 23, 2013
Look for my review of on my web site.
January 2, 2015
I like 'Em pretty N'awlins
I like 'Em pretty N'awlins is a great read I just loved it a great read a must read .
I like 'Em pretty N'awlins is a great read I just loved it a great read a must read .
February 1, 2015
I enjoyed this story.
February 23, 2015
I really liked this story. The only part I didn't like was the frequent reference to Kajika's great looks. Everything else was very interesting.
November 27, 2019
I give this a 3.75 starring
liked this story surprisingly as there are a number of characters that are hard to understand or you like despite their behaviour. Frankie the hot detective attends a crime scene where Kajika has called in the shooting of his older partner, who he says he loves). though it is an element of the story, Kajika though madly in love with his abusive older partner who has just shot himself is flirting with the hot detective at the scene and the dead body in the room.
Frankie is in a sham relationship (at least from his side) with his female detective partner but he is tired of hiding his attraction to men and is wiling to stop this. the story takes us through how these two men come together and deal with the slings and arrows that coming out, falling in love and changing their ways brings their way.
Read it and I hope you like it.
liked this story surprisingly as there are a number of characters that are hard to understand or you like despite their behaviour. Frankie the hot detective attends a crime scene where Kajika has called in the shooting of his older partner, who he says he loves). though it is an element of the story, Kajika though madly in love with his abusive older partner who has just shot himself is flirting with the hot detective at the scene and the dead body in the room.
Frankie is in a sham relationship (at least from his side) with his female detective partner but he is tired of hiding his attraction to men and is wiling to stop this. the story takes us through how these two men come together and deal with the slings and arrows that coming out, falling in love and changing their ways brings their way.
Read it and I hope you like it.
October 28, 2017
Let me first say that this story wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I kind of thought it would be this short story of two men falling in love from different walks of life. Although the former is true, the latter was not. This had a lot more depth than I originally thought and I loved it for that. That story wasn't like anything I had ever read before, which made it original in my eyes. The only reason I'm giving it a 4-star instead of a five star review is the language and the grammatical errors that swarm the pages. Now, I'm not 100% familiar with the lingo of New Orleans, so I could let that slide a bit, but it still took some getting used to. By the time I was able to get used to the syntax, the book was pretty much over with. Now, for the grammar errors- I am not a grammar nazi by any means. I am able to look over a couple, or even several mistakes and that normally would not affect my review, but for this book, they were so blatant in the sense that they interfered with the flow of my reading, that I had to actually say something about it and it did knock down a star for me. With that being said, I still very much enjoyed this book.
May 31, 2017
DNF'd at 15%. Could not get past Kajika flirting with the cop while his lover isn't even cold in the other room. The whiplash between "me and dead guy were gonna get married" and making googoo eyes at a stranger was just too much, and I couldn't stick with it long enough to find out if I'd like him better in a while. I was really sad about this, because I liked the premise and the location, and I thought it would be an interesting read.
September 10, 2017
That was the longest 255 pages that I have ever read. I am pretty sure that there was more dialogue than there was story...
I can't even wrap my head around all the ways this story didn't work for me... but, that's OK because no story can work for everyone. I am sure that I will give this author another try sometime in the future... just, maybe NOT the sequel to this one!
I will say that I could spend hours drooling over that cover, though... mesi!
I can't even wrap my head around all the ways this story didn't work for me... but, that's OK because no story can work for everyone. I am sure that I will give this author another try sometime in the future... just, maybe NOT the sequel to this one!
I will say that I could spend hours drooling over that cover, though... mesi!
September 1, 2019
Homicide cop falls for suspect
Set in NOLA, homicide cop partners relationship fails due to his attraction to a suspect. New relationship grows as squad life has challenges. Good description in sex scenes. Characters fleshed out well and decent plots.
Set in NOLA, homicide cop partners relationship fails due to his attraction to a suspect. New relationship grows as squad life has challenges. Good description in sex scenes. Characters fleshed out well and decent plots.
March 16, 2017
Woowee! That's some spicy N’awlins fare there, m’kay! I Like Em Pretty is book one in the N'awlins Exotica series and definitely does a great job of introducing the characters and setting out the plot, not to mention building excitement for the rest of the books in the series. The characters seem to be complex and well thought out, and come across as very real and relatable. They really do a good job of drawing you into the story, which is a beautiful love story about two men who meet at the absolute worst time under horrendous circumstances but just can't help being drawn to one another. Their journey to love is not always an easy one but they make it work, and the result is something truly astonishing in its simplicity and grace. What a great start to this series! I can't wait to see what comes next!
*I was given a copy of this book by the author and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.
*I was given a copy of this book by the author and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.
March 16, 2017
This is my first book by Michael Mandrake and it certainly won't be my last.
I liked this okay. I had a few issues first, Kajika's boyfriend just shot himself and he is flirting with the hot detective. He is kinda all over the place with crying one minute and flirting the next and not to mention the whole daddy issue.
Frankie is the hot detective and he is a little leery about starting a relationship with Kajika without getting to know him first since he wants a future and the age difference. He is also hiding that he is gay and pretending to be in a relationship with his partner, Kenina. Second is Frankie's partner is a bitch. She is suppose to be in love with Frankie but she comes across as rude and a bigot.
The chemistry between Frankie and Kajika is hot. Over all this was an okay read.
I received a copy for an honest review
I liked this okay. I had a few issues first, Kajika's boyfriend just shot himself and he is flirting with the hot detective. He is kinda all over the place with crying one minute and flirting the next and not to mention the whole daddy issue.
Frankie is the hot detective and he is a little leery about starting a relationship with Kajika without getting to know him first since he wants a future and the age difference. He is also hiding that he is gay and pretending to be in a relationship with his partner, Kenina. Second is Frankie's partner is a bitch. She is suppose to be in love with Frankie but she comes across as rude and a bigot.
The chemistry between Frankie and Kajika is hot. Over all this was an okay read.
I received a copy for an honest review
March 18, 2017
I Like Em Pretty is a great start to the N'awlins Erotica series. While telling the story of Frankie and Kajika, Michael Mandrake also introduces us to the supporting cast who I am looking forward to getting to know in later books. As for Frankie and Kaj, I love watching their love and relationship grow. Like another reviewer stated, Kenina needs to just grow up and find a new man. I am no literary genius, I just know what I like to read. I also don't give up any spoilers, but this one's got some hot scenes. On to book 2.
March 12, 2017
Can you say hot, hot, hot! That accent comes through so clearly and while Kajika may not have picked the right time to go after Detective Francois; his occupation explained that. The sparks fly and cause the sheets to smolder. Cannot wait to get into the rest of the series.
May 16, 2013
2.5 stars
When Detective Frankie Choteau is called to investigate an alleged suicide, he never thought he'd be so strongly attracted by the victim's lover. He finds Kajika Fortier absolutely breathtaking, from his long, ebony hair to his smooth caramel skin. Even though Kajika had nothing to do with his lover's suicide, he's still part of an investigation, and therefore off limits. It also doesn't help that Frankie is still firmly in the closet and pretending to be in a relationship with his partner, Kenina. Will he let go of his fears and pursue the man he wants or will Frankie always remain in the closet and unhappy?
This book was a really easy read and captured my attention at spots. However, I found the vernacular language excessive. I also felt the word, "damn" was used a little too often to show surprise, anger, sadness and pleasure throughout the story. I fully understand that the author was trying to immerse the reader into the setting, but, for me, it was overused.
Frankie's partner, Kenina, was quite an unlikeable character. I couldn't really feel sorry for her because she knew the truth going into the situation and chose to ignore it, thinking she could change Frankie. When she didn't get her way, she became quite hateful and spiteful. I often wondered why Frankie didn't just tell her off once and for all, and how someone who called herself Frankie's best friend and loved him so much would do and say such ugly and hurtful things. It seemed like he walked on eggshells with her too often, and I think that gave her license to act they way she did - she knew she'd get away with most of it because there were no consequences.
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When Detective Frankie Choteau is called to investigate an alleged suicide, he never thought he'd be so strongly attracted by the victim's lover. He finds Kajika Fortier absolutely breathtaking, from his long, ebony hair to his smooth caramel skin. Even though Kajika had nothing to do with his lover's suicide, he's still part of an investigation, and therefore off limits. It also doesn't help that Frankie is still firmly in the closet and pretending to be in a relationship with his partner, Kenina. Will he let go of his fears and pursue the man he wants or will Frankie always remain in the closet and unhappy?
This book was a really easy read and captured my attention at spots. However, I found the vernacular language excessive. I also felt the word, "damn" was used a little too often to show surprise, anger, sadness and pleasure throughout the story. I fully understand that the author was trying to immerse the reader into the setting, but, for me, it was overused.
Frankie's partner, Kenina, was quite an unlikeable character. I couldn't really feel sorry for her because she knew the truth going into the situation and chose to ignore it, thinking she could change Frankie. When she didn't get her way, she became quite hateful and spiteful. I often wondered why Frankie didn't just tell her off once and for all, and how someone who called herself Frankie's best friend and loved him so much would do and say such ugly and hurtful things. It seemed like he walked on eggshells with her too often, and I think that gave her license to act they way she did - she knew she'd get away with most of it because there were no consequences.
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2014
I Like Em’ Pretty, by Michael Mandrake, is the first installment in the N’awlins Exotica Series. This series is a parallel series to the N’awlins Exotica Paranormal Series. I chose to read this book after reading the blurb provided by the author and discovered that the blurb in no way describes the book.
This is the story of a lonely, gay New Orleans police officer, Francois, looking for love. This quest for love leads him to become infatuated and eventually fall in love with a suspect in a crime he is investigating. It does delve into his uneasiness, as described in the blurb, but the experiences of Kajika are in no way a nightmare. Mixed this with the main plot, are some additional subplots: his partner, who is pretending to be his girlfriend while secretly in love with him and hoping he will decide to no longer be gay; a number of cold cases he is investigating; and his other partners claiming to be straight but showing increased interest in his lover.
As you can tell by this description, while the book was easy to read, at times it was choppy and disjointed. There were too many plots intersecting with the main characters that made it difficult to keep some things straight. The one subplot that I am still confused about is how Nathan and Bryant fit into the larger scheme. We know Nathan is an artist that is using Kajika as the subject for an upcoming art show, but that is about it.
Despite my previous comments I will read the sequel, I Love It Rough, and did like the main plot of the story.
-Reviewed by Selina
This is the story of a lonely, gay New Orleans police officer, Francois, looking for love. This quest for love leads him to become infatuated and eventually fall in love with a suspect in a crime he is investigating. It does delve into his uneasiness, as described in the blurb, but the experiences of Kajika are in no way a nightmare. Mixed this with the main plot, are some additional subplots: his partner, who is pretending to be his girlfriend while secretly in love with him and hoping he will decide to no longer be gay; a number of cold cases he is investigating; and his other partners claiming to be straight but showing increased interest in his lover.
As you can tell by this description, while the book was easy to read, at times it was choppy and disjointed. There were too many plots intersecting with the main characters that made it difficult to keep some things straight. The one subplot that I am still confused about is how Nathan and Bryant fit into the larger scheme. We know Nathan is an artist that is using Kajika as the subject for an upcoming art show, but that is about it.
Despite my previous comments I will read the sequel, I Love It Rough, and did like the main plot of the story.
-Reviewed by Selina
January 29, 2016
I enjoyed the story, but not the slang. I had a hard time with it, I know the author was trying to portray New Orleans dialect, but I have family that is from that area and I can assure you they don't speak in slang. Not into insta-love but would have rather seen the characters learn about each other then do the love at first site. Still, looking forward to reading the other two in the series.
April 23, 2014
I thought it would be a good book. I just did not believe in them as a couple. They came across as whiney bitches. I can handle one m/c being so just not two.
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February 14, 2017I didn't like the writing style or the tone so I gave up after a few pages.
March 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were fun and interesting.. they had depth and sexyness. it was all fun and i enjoyed reading it. im glad i got to review it
April 2, 2017
Francois “Frankie” Choteau loves New Orleans, where he is a detective. He does a great job but tends to be a hot-tempered and has very little tolerance for bs. In the course of his job, he meets Kajika Fortier. Kajika came to New Orleans from Oklahoma, looking for his dream. The circumstances surrounding their meeting are delicate at best. Frankie finds himself unable to fully trust Kajika even though desire blooms for both men. Frankie and Kajika would like a chance at happiness but are the circumstances too much?
So much going on I Like Em Pretty. Frankie and his partner, Kenina Porter, have a good working relationship but she wants more. Frankie fell hard for Kajika and Kenina tries to undermine the relationship. Kajika dances in an adult club, which Frankie finds stimulating. Frankie wants to take it slow and Kajika wants to take it fast, very fast. The two find themselves at odds with what they want and how fast they want it. Can the find a happy compromise? Will the circumstances surrounding their meeting and dating be too much for this new relationship? Pick this book up and read how it goes for these two. You will enjoy the trip as much as Frankie and Kajika. Along the way you get to experience New Orleans from their eyes.
So much going on I Like Em Pretty. Frankie and his partner, Kenina Porter, have a good working relationship but she wants more. Frankie fell hard for Kajika and Kenina tries to undermine the relationship. Kajika dances in an adult club, which Frankie finds stimulating. Frankie wants to take it slow and Kajika wants to take it fast, very fast. The two find themselves at odds with what they want and how fast they want it. Can the find a happy compromise? Will the circumstances surrounding their meeting and dating be too much for this new relationship? Pick this book up and read how it goes for these two. You will enjoy the trip as much as Frankie and Kajika. Along the way you get to experience New Orleans from their eyes.
April 10, 2017
4.5 stars
I must admit that this wasn't what I was expecting when I agreed to review the series, it was so much better. I did at times find the vernacular excessive but was able to get past that to enjoy the read. I just adored Frankie as a character, hot temper and denial aside. Kaj was a bit mercurial and all over the place but I just attributed that to his age. And Kenina, I just loved to hate her. She just became pure evil and needed to be slapped up side the head. The way to true love is rocky, fraught with mixed signals, poor timing, homophobic partners, murder, intrigue and some really hot sex. I can't wait the get into the next in the series. Highly recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration.
I must admit that this wasn't what I was expecting when I agreed to review the series, it was so much better. I did at times find the vernacular excessive but was able to get past that to enjoy the read. I just adored Frankie as a character, hot temper and denial aside. Kaj was a bit mercurial and all over the place but I just attributed that to his age. And Kenina, I just loved to hate her. She just became pure evil and needed to be slapped up side the head. The way to true love is rocky, fraught with mixed signals, poor timing, homophobic partners, murder, intrigue and some really hot sex. I can't wait the get into the next in the series. Highly recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration.
April 17, 2017
I had a hard time getting into this one. Kajika and Frankie were interesting enough as they built a relationship, but the surrounding story was disjointed at times with random things happening around them throughout. None of the events occurring around them seem to have anything to do with the relationship, other than Frankie's very unlikable partner and her problems with Kajika. The way they met was a bit extreme, but that isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for me. The thing about the romance that bothered me most was Frankie's insecurities. Given his age and profession, his insecurity in the relationship seems out of character at best. The southern dialect throughout the book is a bit hit or miss - sometimes it's there, sometimes not. I did notice the very frequent use of the words m'kay and okay, which became so tedious as to become a distraction. There are other words that would have worked as well that would've broken the monotony a bit. However, that is a personal pet peeve and should be taken for just that.
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