Gabi Stevens: How I Define Romance

How I Define Romance

I married an engineer. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. To him, jewelry is little more than metal and rocks with some design thrown in. Flowers are just carbon atoms in rotting form. Candy is delicious, but fattening, so eat in moderation. And cards are just words someone else wrote so you don’t have to put in the effort. When he proposed, he was a poor grad student, and I was working at my first job. I bought my own engagement ring—10K gold with an opal.

So you can imagine Valentine’s Day has never been big at my house. While I like shiny things, flowers, and candy, I pretty much agree with him. Plus, I tend to be contrary. Don’t tell me I have to celebrate love on a given day. I won’t do it. I don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day either.

Over the years, he’s bowed to society’s pressure a little, especially when we had kids. Valentine’s Day was a big deal at school, and they loved making cards and receiving them. Because they expected him to do something for me, he’d play along and bring home flowers. Never fancy, but still nice bouquets usually picked out on the way home from the leftovers at Costco. I don’t think we’ve ever gone out on Valentine’s Day.

But...

He was always willing to change a diaper. He always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. He always supported any decision I made. When we traveled, he’d force me to pick out some meaningful souvenir to remember our trip and time together (I have an issue with spending money on frivolous things). When I received a scary diagnosis (no worries; it was benign), he came home from work immediately and held me. When the kids had field trips, he’d volunteer to go with the class. He played with them, made silly movies with them, took them on adventures. When self-doubt plagued me (and still does), he pointed out just how successful and amazing I was (and am). He even bought me a real engagement ring on our ten-year anniversary, and when all my jewelry was stolen, he’s been slowly replacing it, starting with a new ring. And a safe to keep it all in.

I call him Robot Guy, not because he is unfeeling, but because he worked in robotics for nearly thirty years. It’s still his passion. He has occasionally surprised me with flowers (from Costco) over the years, but he has also complained that romance is expensive and no one can live up to the romantic ideals that appear on TV or in movies.

What he doesn’t realize is that he is the most romantic man I know. He is here, with me, doing the nitty-gritty unromantic things that life is. And I can’t think of anything more romantic than that.

I hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with love and chocolates and flowers because let’s face it, they’re fun. But more, I hope your life is filled with romance—the petty-argument, chore-filled, mundane, boring, absolutely wonderful romance that makes your life complete.

Check out DeniseB's 5 Sheep review of MYSTIC

MYSTIC

by Gabi Stevens
December 19, 2017
268 pages
Boroughs Publishing Group

How could a good deed go so wrong?

Trask Sinclair enjoys his life as a famous author living in New York City. But after stepping in to help a woman on the run—a woman with eyes that speak of hidden depth, intrigue, and loneliness—Trask is suddenly pulled into a world he never could have written.

Allys Joel sees the future when she touches someone. That’s why a Wall Street firm held her prisoner for sixteen months. Escaping, with Trask’s help, puts both their lives at risk. They must journey cross-country to get to the safety of the mysterious town of Mystic, Wyoming. As they fight for their lives, their freedom, and a possible budding romance, they must come face to face with the reality—and secrets—that may change their lives forever.

Publisher-Amazon-BN-iBooks-Kobo-Smashwords

About the Author:
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Gabi Stevens was born in SoCal to Hungarian parents. After spending time in boarding school, college, grad school, and studying abroad, she spent seven years in the classroom trying to teach eighth graders the joys of literature. An award-winning author, Gabi writes in New Mexico where she lives with her robotics engineer husband, three daughters, and two dogs. She loves to play games (She’s appeared on Family Feud and Jeopardy!), has a wicked addiction to reading, forgets her age on the volleyball court, avoids housework and cooking whenever possible, and doesn’t travel nearly as much as she would like to.

Book Review: MYSTIC by Gabi Stevens

MYSTIC

by Gabi Stevens

December 19, 2017
268 pages
Boroughs Publishing Group
How could a good deed go so wrong?

Trask Sinclair enjoys his life as a famous author living in New York City. But after stepping in to help a woman on the run—a woman with eyes that speak of hidden depth, intrigue, and loneliness—Trask is suddenly pulled into a world he never could have written.

Allys Joel sees the future when she touches someone. That’s why a Wall Street firm held her prisoner for sixteen months. Escaping, with Trask’s help, puts both their lives at risk. They must journey cross-country to get to the safety of the mysterious town of Mystic, Wyoming. As they fight for their lives, their freedom, and a possible budding romance, they must come face to face with the reality—and secrets—that may change their lives forever.

Publisher-Amazon-BN-iBooks-Kobo-Smashwords

Trask Sinclair is a popular writer and is happy living in New York and working on his books. When he saves Allys from being bullied by a strange man in a hotel lobby, he has no idea what he has gotten himself into. Allys is a psychic and cannot touch other people without seeing one avenue that could be their future, so she has led an isolated life. When her life is in danger and she just needs to escape she inadvertently pulls Trask into her nightmare.

The only way to keep Allys safe is to travel across country to Mystic, Wyoming where the people there can save her from those who wish to extort her gift. There is no way the two of them can make it on their own and accept help from Mr. Nelson, a man her father told her to contact for help from Mystic. Mr. Nelson sends help in the unexpected ways.

When I first saw the cover of the book I was unsure if I would like the content, even though the cover was super cute, but the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” definitely came into play. The story was fantastic. It was original, fast-paced, full of twists and well worth the read.

Getting 5 sheep

DeniseB

About the Author:
Website-FB-Twitter
Instagram
Gabi Stevens was born in SoCal to Hungarian parents. After spending time in boarding school, college, grad school, and studying abroad, she spent seven years in the classroom trying to teach eighth graders the joys of literature. An award-winning author, Gabi writes in New Mexico where she lives with her robotics engineer husband, three daughters, and two dogs. She loves to play games (She’s appeared on Family Feud and Jeopardy!), has a wicked addiction to reading, forgets her age on the volleyball court, avoids housework and cooking whenever possible, and doesn’t travel nearly as much as she would like to.

Selah's Manga Mania Reviews: Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 by Bisco Hatori

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1
by Bisco Hatori
July 14, 2011
184 pages
Volumes 18 
Publisher: VIZ Media: Shojo Beat
Genre: Romantic comedy
Shojo
One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the "Host Club," a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it's there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else.

Sometimes, you just want something fun. You want silly, you want goofy, you want fluffy. What you want, my friends is Ouran High School Host Club.

This is one of those series that seem to have broken through, so even if you’re not totally familiar with manga, you might know of this series. And you should, because it’s so much fun.

We’re back on the school theme, and back on the working-class girl earns a way into the rich school (hello, Tropesville, I missed you). Haruhi has earned a scholarship to Ouran, and one day while looking for a place to study, she comes upon the empty music room that the Ouran Host Club uses to entertain female guests.

Okay, pause, because I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t that kind of entertainment. Think more hanging out, serving tea, flirting, fawning, and conversation.

During her first meeting with the six boys who make up the club, she accidentally breaks a vase that’s worth more than her life. Naturally, it’s declared that she’ll work off the cost as an errand boy to the club…because for reasons she’s been dressing as a male student (she also has short hair, is wearing glasses at first I think, and has a pretty ambiguous demeanor compared to the ultra-feminine girls at the school) and they just kind of assume that’s what she is. When they discover Haruhi has a gift for talking to their guests, they decide to make the errand boy a host…and discover that the boy isn’t a boy at all.

Also for reasons, the club decides to keep this to themselves so the rest of the school still assumes Haruhi is a dude through the series. Hijinks ensue. 

The main thrust of the series is the club’s president, Tamai, falling for Haruhi and trying to get her to return his affections in the most over-the-top ways possible while she attempts to repay her debt (yes, for those who have read it, I realize at least one other member of the club develops feelings for her). Honestly, though, this is a fairly episodic series so it’s mostly all about whatever adventure the club is on at the moment and what hilarity develops.

This is also a really fun take on the reverse harem trope, as each dude in the club represents a different type and possible match: Tamaki - the rich, expressive leader, Kyoya - the academic shadow king of the club, Hikaru and Kaoru – identical, mischevious twins, Mori – quiet and fierce with a heart of gold, and Honey – martial artist who looks way younger than he is and plays up his extreme love of cute things. All of the characters are likable for different reasons, and I love that Haruhi is smart, not traditionally girly but cute in her own way, has her own strengths and weaknesses, but is also so oblivious it borders on the unreal. Which makes the romance angle even better.

The manga is a little different than the anime but both are a lot of fun and do a great job of developing the story in slightly different ways. I don’t know that you could read it totally out of order, but I have skipped and gone back to volumes based on availability and not had a huge problem, though you likely couldn’t do it with the beginning or end of the series. It never takes itself too seriously, and where some series fall way into the drama of the romance, this one plays up the laughs and doesn’t fully commit totally to anything, which is a refreshing change-up.

It’s a lot of silliness, a lot of cute, and a lot of hilarity, especially when the club goes on field trips or finally meets Haruhi’s dad. There are also some great subplots with the characters exploring their own feelings on certain things, so there are some nice, introspective moments scattered throughout, too. Though come on, you’re absolutely reading it for the fun factor.

5 host sheep who are all enchanting for different reasons

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About Selah Janel:

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Selah Janel is a writer who is trying to start doing that again instead of reading manga all the time.