Month: September 2011

Air Demon by Stormy Glenn

Title: Air Demon

Series: Elemental Demons 02

Author: Stormy Glenn

Genre: Erotic, Paranormal, Demon, M/M Romance

Length: Novella (131pgs)

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand, Inc. (3rd September 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 1/2Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Nicholas Dane is happy that his friend Gabe has found the love of his life, even if he can never return to the surface world. The same cannot be said for Nick. He knows who his demon mate is, but Storym won’t give him the time of day.

Storym knows the surface dweller, Nick, is his Demonas Amaté. But he also knows that claiming the man would place Nick’s life in danger, and Storym can’t allow that. He has a hard enough time dealing with Nick’s need to save the world. He doesn’t need to bring more danger to the man.

Afraid that he won’t be able to deny himself if he stays, Storym leaves without saying goodbye to Nick.  He’s heart-broken.   Nick returns to the surface world to lose himself in his work as a police detective. Unfortunately, the shadow demons seem to know who he is, and they start coming after him. Nick’s only chance is to return to Jinnistan. But even there, his life is in danger because someone has their sights on Nick, and they will let nothing interfere in their plans, not even an Air Demon bent on claiming his mate.

Review: Well, it’s about time, Ms Glenn.   I thought you’d never let us have this one; it has, after all, been over a year. Ok, so maybe I like Ms Glenn’s work a little bit….ok fine… a lot, but that does not mean that I will not be brutally honest.  I will be.

Nick was dragged down to Jinnistan when his friend and work partner, Gabe, is taken there for safety.   Having his life turned upside down wouldn’t be too bad if only the demon he has the hots for would notice him. Storym is ignoring Nick as hard as he can because he knows that Nick will be in danger because of him if he caves in.  After a night of passion (really hot, sexy, gonna melt your eyeballs passion) Storym flees leaving Nick feeling betrayed, so Nick leaves for the surface.

This is a great fun read; the interaction between the characters is great (I loved the fire-ball and whirl-wind play-fight between Gabe and Nick).  The dangers are realistic to the setting and Nick isn’t a walk over (Storym has to earn his trust back).  Nick and Storym worked well as a couple but they also worked well as a team along with Gabe and Themper to solve the problems in the palace. Ms Glenn even starts this book exactly where the first one finished, so it jogs your memory.

So my totally honest opinion is this… go out buy the book, it’s great. You have got to read it even if it’s just for the sex because you would never believe what Storym does with those mini whirl-winds!!!  And if you don’t believe that I am being brutally honest then read the book and get back to me. *sly smirk*

 

 

 

 

 

Master of Wrath by Nikki McCoy

Title:  Master of Wrath

Series:  Keepers of the Gods, #2

Author:  Nikki McCoy

Genre:  Paranormal/Science Fiction/MMM ménage

Length:  Novel

Publisher: Total-E Bound (August 29, 2011)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb: As the God of Death continues his battle for supremacy, three hearts are caught in a whirlwind of danger that will test the very limits of their strength and love.

For three millennia, Cyaan has survived a warrior’s life, taking passion as it came and revenge when it was due. Yet none of that could have prepared him for his latest challenge. For five years, he has lived with the pain of having failed his mate. A man who sacrificed his freedom for the sake of another. Cyaan will do everything within his power to bring his mate’s kidnapper to justice.

But his campaign takes an unexpected turn when he discovers he has a second mate, Loken. Son of the God of Wrath, Loken lives by the blade and has no intention of losing his heart to love. Unwilling to lose yet another mate, Cyaan convinces him to aid in the rescue of the only man who can complete them.

After escaping the ruthless clutches and desires of his captor, Jace once again finds himself held captive by not one man, but two. Both fierce warriors eager to claim him as their mate and protect him at all costs. But he has been damaged almost beyond repair. It will take every ounce of Cyaan and Loken’s loving patience to convince Jace that he is more than worthy of them.

Reviewer:  Natasha

Review:   Master of Wrath continues five years after the events of Son of Death. Cyaan is on a crusade to find his mate Jace, who is a prisoner of Mikel. During one of his searches for clues to the Jace’s whereabouts, Cyaan finds Loken, his other mate. And together they combine forces to find the missing piece to complete the threesome.
First and most importantly Master of Wrath is the second book in a series in progress and it is essential that you read the first book; both to keep up with the plot and to know the characters.

Having said that, my review of the book.

Master of Wrath is an engaging story and managed to hold my attention from first page. The story flows well and the sex scenes are super hot.

At the beginning of history, Jace is traumatized by what was done to him by Mikel. But he is not broken. He has a strength that makes him an ideal partner for the two Doms which are his mates. And though their relationship is new, you can see that they are actually a ménage (and Loken and Cyaan work as a team to dominate Jace). Loken is lonely, but not by choice (his life is in danger if his existence is discovered). But, when he meets his mates, he knows just how valuable they are and so he makes a leap of faith.

Overall, Master of Wrath is an enjoyable read and a good addition to the series. And I look forward for the next book.

 

Bondi Beach Boys by Rhian Cahill

Title: Bondi Beach Boys

Author: Rhian Cahill

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Etopia Press (May 6, 2011)

ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-936751-29-7

Length: Novella

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5Hearts

Reviewer: Artemis

From the Publisher:   What’s a girl to do with two sexy Aussie surfers? Ride the waves, of course…

After weeks of lusting over a couple of hot surfers, Piper Doyle has the opportunity to turn fantasy into reality. There’s just one problem—they’re her new clients. When the men offer a no-strings-attached affair, Piper has a decision to make, one her body made for her weeks ago when she first started watching “her boys.” She can’t risk the job that could make or break her career, but she sure as hell isn’t going to pass up this chance to live out her wildest dreams…

Sam Bridges and Nate Russo share everything, from their home to their business to the occasional woman. Even themselves. But they’ve never shared what they feel for Piper. What starts out as hot sex with a willing woman turns into something none of them expected—but what’s wrong with a few strings on a hot summer day at the beach…

About the Author:   Years of slavery to four young aliens and their sire failed to squash the love of writing or reading hiding behind the facade of a boring stay-at-home mum. Escaping from the mother-ship with vivid imagination intact, Rhian uses her superpowers for good.

Okay, so that’s not quite how it happened. Married to her very own hero for over 20 years and raising a family of four kept writing on the back burner but with more time to spend on the things she loves most, Mr. Muse and Rhian have taken over.

Writing a multiple of genres keeps life interesting and busy. Rhian can be found in numerous places online where her love of talking is well satisfied. An Aussie, who’s spent years living overseas, Rhian and family are now happily residing back in their native land of down under.

My Review:   This book started off on a very positive note. I could really imagine that I was sitting beach side and watching the waves, enjoying a fruity beverage, and ogling the sexy scenery as it walked by! As each character was introduced, they seemed very charismatic and I really wanted to get to know them all a little bit better.

What really bugged me was that by page 15 we have our 2 main male characters having sex. I am all for M/M sex but I like to get to know the characters in a book before they start fooling around…the buildup, the tension, the sexual frustration all makes that first sex scene something worth waiting for.

Soon after the rushed sex scene we had another one of my personal dislikes…a fainting female. Just the mere site of her object of desire causes Piper to faint right there on the porch step? Maybe it’s just me but I like my women with a little bit more backbone than that!

The story line itself was promising. Up and coming web designer gets hired by 2 cute male business partners who happen to enjoy each other’s company as much as that of a woman. I think more time should have been spent developing the story and really creating the characters. With the descriptive and smooth writing style that Ms. Cahill has, I think she could have really weaved a bit more story into the sex that is so predominant in this book.

 

The Six Year Itch bt Neil Plakcy

Title: The Six Year Itch

Series: Got 15 Minutes? (Various Authors)

Author: Neil Plakcy

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short Story (57pgs)

Publisher: MLR Press (July 2011)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Spencer and Armando have built themselves a beautiful world– a two-story apartment atop a building they own on South Beach, full of sensual domesticity. But is that enough to keep them together, when things start getting stale, and they begin keeping secrets from each other? Can their love survive the handsome men and daring distractions of South Beach?

Review: I really liked this book as the two main characters are not in the first blush of love, but have been together for 6yrs.

Spencer and Armando are in a rut; Spencer especially is feeling it and is becoming more despondent about their love life.   For although the connection is there and the tenderness is apparent, there is no passion and it has become routine and predictable.   He’s also noticed that Armando is hiding something from him and he fears the worst.  Spencer is also keeping a secret and his eye is beginning to rove.  Armando is quite happy with his relationship, he knows he’s not as passionate as Spencer, he also knows that he controls their love-making and is satisfied with that, but now he has to keep a secret from Spencer.

I liked seeing these two men sort out their problems and being truly honest with each other as they both realize that they have taken each other for granted.  I also liked the fact that they were complete opposites with Spencer being the out-going, passionate and a bit of a drama queen and Armando being dignified, reserved and a bit staid, but, they complemented each other well. I think this is a cute little read that should be on everyone’s ‘to read’ list.

 

Breaking Cover by Kaje Harper

Title: Breaking Cover

Series: Life Lessons 02

Author: Kaje Harper

Genre: Gay Suspense/Mystery

Length: Novel, (320pgs)

Publisher: MLR Press (22nd July 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 1/2Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb:  For homicide detective Mac, it’s been a good year. Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person. For Tony, it’s been hard being in love with a man he can’t touch in public. Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work.

As the Minneapolis Police Department moves into a hot, humid summer, Mac is faced with a different challenge. A killer has murdered two blond women, and the police have no real clues. Mac hates to think that another murder may be the only way they’ll make progress with the case. But when that murder happens, it hits close to home for Tony. And suddenly Mac faces an ultimatum: come out into the sunlight and stand beside Tony as his lover, or walk away and live without a piece of his heart.

Review:  I loved this book as it wasn’t just about Mac and Tony, it was also about Ben and Anna (Tony’s foster son and Mac’s daughter) and what was best for them.

Jared MacLean is a homicide detective who is hiding from everyone that he is gay and it’s about to come to a head. Tony Hart is a teacher who has never lived in the closet; he loves Mac with his whole heart but is finding harder and harder to live with the secrets and lies.   Will he give up Mac for not only his own sake but Ben’s as well?

The struggle that these two face and how they both handle it is incredibly written and I cheered Tony’s decision.  For not being a whiney man and for knowing what he wants and deserves. Mac loves Tony but can’t say the words; he also knows that if he came out then he would have difficulty not just at work but with his religious zealot of a cousin who his daughter lives with.

The way these men are with each other and with the children is fantastic.  Add in the suspense and mystery, the heart break and the happiness and we have a story to please everyone, so buy this book and enjoy a great read.

 

 

 

 

 

Half a Man by Scarlet Blackwell

Title: Half a Man      

Series: War Tales 01

Author: Scarlet Blackwell

Genre: Historical (1919)

Length: Novella (156pgs)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (10th September 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Traumatized by the nightmare of trench warfare in France, Robert Blake turns to rent boy Jack Anderson for solace. Neither man expects their business relationship to go quite so far.

It is 1919, less than a year after the end of the First World War with a recovering Britain in the grip of the influenza pandemic. Crippled veteran of the Somme battle, Robert Blake, is looking for someone to ease his nightmares of France and his guilt over what happened to his commanding officer. He turns to educated rent boy Jack Anderson for physical solace, not expecting how deeply the two soon become immersed in each other’s lives.

Review: Robert is a war veteran who was severely wounded.   He now only sees himself as half a man but he has decided to find a little human comfort in the form of a companion. Jack is a book store worker but he also works as a discreet escort providing companionship and comfort to those who request it.

This is a well written story that pulls at the heart strings. We have Robert who has shut himself off from the outside world because of his injury and guilt;   guilt over his lover and commander who didn’t survive the war.   We have Jack who has turned to being what rich men want (discreetly) so that he can survive in post-war England.

The arrangement between these two men quickly becomes something more for both of them but they both put up obstacles as Robert fears that he cannot give Jack what he needs because of his condition (he can’t walk and can’t get an erection), while Jack worries that he can’t be in Robert’s life because Robert knows all about his profession as an escort/companion and that he isn’t good enough for Robert.

I think this was a very charming story that gave us a great happily ever after for the time of 1919.   I do think that the setting and the reactions of the time were realistic, I also liked that Robert didn’t become magically healed by Jack but that Jack started the healing process instead, all in all well worth reading.

 

 

 

 

Tricks by Rick R. Reed

(I teased Rick R. Reed that I wanted to read one of his books, but I was scared of the dark.  Some have called Rick, the Stephen King of gay fiction.  He is best known for some very dark horror.  He let me know he was more versatile and sent Tricks in for review.  I may have to get a nightlight, because I know that I want to read more of Rick’s writing. Portia♥)

 

Title: Tricks

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (196pgs)

Publisher: MLR Press (14th October 2010)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4 1/2Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Tricks can mean many things: sex partners, deceptions, even magic. In Rick R. Reed searing love story, it means all three. Arliss is a gorgeous young dancer at Tricks, the hottest club in Chicago’s Boystown. Sean is the classic nerd, out of place in Tricks, but nursing his wounds from a recent break-up. When the two spy each other, magic blooms. But this opposites-attract tale does not run smooth. What happens when Arliss is approached by one of the biggest porn producers in the business? Can he make his dreams of stardom come true without throwing away the only real love he’s ever known? And will this question even matter if the mysterious producers realize their dark intentions?

Review: Arliss is an exotic dancer who hates his job.   He finds it degrading and demeaning to be pawed by these men but he needs the money to survive.   When he spots Sean in the club, he’s intrigued as Sean doesn’t look at all comfortable in the club. Sean has recently split from his boyfriend of 3 years and has decided to try his hand in the city’s gay nightclubs.  After finding himself uncomfortable in all the clubs he walks down to the shore of Lake Michigan.  As Fate would have it, he bumps into one of the dancers from one of the clubs and it’s the start of something beautiful.

This is a romance that will have you at the edge of your seat as you root for these two sweet men. These two men are complete opposites.   Sean is an average looking geek and Arliss is a smoking hot dancer.   It amazed me how innocent and naive Arliss was considering the things that he’d had to do to survive and I could soooo completely understand Sean’s reaction to Arliss when he told him he wanted to do a porn movie.

The suspense will grip you as you watch these two men try to work thru Arliss’s decision and the repercussions as part of the truth of the porn shoot comes out and Arliss realizes that he might have just signed his life away when he signed the contract.

I really cannot recommend this book enough as you have love, romance, suspense and drama.

 

Stolen Summer by S. A. Meade

Title:  Stolen Summer

Author:  S. A. Meade

Genre:  GLBT Contemporary

Publisher:  Total-E Bound

Length:  Novel

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts

Blurb:  The horror of Evan and Colin’s stolen summer may be over but the nightmares remain. Can their love survive the fallout?

The last thing journalist Evan Harrison expects to hear, when he returns from covering the war in Afghanistan, is that his best friend, Colin Williams, is in love with him.

Colin, an Oxford Professor with a poet’s soul and a roving eye, turns out to be a temptation Evan can’t resist. What he discovers is that sex with Colin is hot, wild and relentless. The two of them embark on a passionate affair and Evan knows he’s going to spend his days with Colin – after one last assignment.

A western journalist in Pakistan is too tempting a target for local insurgents. Evan’s ‘Oh-shit’ sense fails dismally when he is taken hostage and spends four months refusing to let his captors grind him down by clinging to memories of the lover he left behind. Freedom from captivity, however, doesn’t bring freedom from terror. The legacy of Evan’s ordeal results in meltdowns and nightmares that threaten to destroy his life with Colin. He can’t even seek comfort in lovemaking because the pills intended to save his sanity kill his desire.

Evan seizes a chance to put his nightmares behind him by taking one final assignment, covering unrest in Jordan. Colin sees Evan’s decision as the end of a relationship he fought hard to save. If Evan makes it back to England in one piece, winning Colin back will be the toughest assignment he’s ever faced.

Reviewer:  Portia

Review:  I hated this book.  Hated it so much, I couldn’t put it down for two days.  I guess I was expecting a cutesy little story about a bi-curious guy’s first time.  And I did get that.   But, I also got a very poignant story of a young man’s journey through a harrowing experience and his subsequent recovery.

I spent more than half the book waiting for someone to die.  There was just a dark foreshadowing that kept me waiting for the next shoe to drop.  What happens, instead, is worse in a lot of ways.  Wonder if Colin and Evan would ever get their Happily Ever After kept me turning pages.  Wondering how Colin would respond to Evan’s choices kept me up way past my bedtime.  Stolen Summer is an amazing book.  It’s not your average war story, as neither Colin nor Evan is a soldier.  But it does give the reader a glimpse into war-torn areas.  Not just the atrocities of war, but the humanity of regular folks caught up in a hell that they didn’t create.

The loving is hot and sweaty.  The British dialogue is a hoot and the story is very well told.  I highly recommend this book and look forward to S. A. Meade’s next work.

Galen and the Forest Lord by Eden Winters

Title: Galen and the Forest Lord

Author: Eden Winters

Genre: Fantasy/Shifters

Length: Novella (119pgs)

Publisher: Torquere Press (10th September 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: By the time Galen Olaf-kin woke up and smelled the spiced ale, it was too late, and he never finished the wicked deed for which he stood trial. Banished from his home, he flees to the forest, taking nothing but the unwanted infant he’s rescued. Perhaps the legends are true and the forest lord will take them both in. The lord is said to give sanctuary to outcasts, but none of the stories mention the naughty, tempting things he whispers, or that he shares Galen’s forbidden passions.

Lord Erik rolls his eyes at the prophecy that says when human hands deliver a babe to the forest, he’ll meet the mate destined to reunite forest folk with humankind. What interest has he in a child? The handsome human who brings the babe is another matter entirely, and a little thing like destiny won’t stand in Erik’s way of claiming the golden-haired Galen as his own. Or will it?

Sometimes prophecies are overrated, legends incomplete, and heroes not always the sharpest swords in the scabbard.

Review: Galen is banished from his village and chased into the forest for a crime he didn’t commit; he’s also been given the task by the village’s wise woman to deliver a baby to the Lord of the forest. Lord Erik is impatiently biding his time for his mate to show up and in the meantime he is trying to civilize his pack.

I loved these characters as they are cheeky, funny and adorable, they are also both quite clueless but are helped along by Erik’s aunt Eydis and the Seer Jarl. In fact, all the characters in the forest are brilliant.   The villagers are sneaky, mean and nasty and they certainly get what they deserve at the end.

Eden Winters has written a charming, engaging, witty, funny and loveable story which is well plotted out, has enjoyable characters and will make you giggle. One of my favorite parts has got to be the inner monologue between Lord Erik and his wolf, they are just so funny.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves romance, wolf shifters, comedy, hot sex and well m/m in general because this is a truly incredible light read.

 

 

 

 

Variant Breed: Chris and Zach by D. H. Starr

Title: Chris and Zach

Series: Variant Breed 01

Author: D.H. Starr

Genre: Paranormal

Length: Novella (83pgs)

Publisher: Ai Press (23rd August 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 1/2Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Across time, two hot immortals find each other. But is mutual passion enough?

Chris Molina is a MAP, a molecularly advanced person. Rejected by his family in the 18th century and sent out into the world alone at the age of twenty-five, he wanders through time, craving love and companionship. He finally settles down and establishes a homestead in Virginia where he meets the first of his own kind, Abigail DuMonte. Together they start a life, one where they can live openly and honestly. However, in spite of the love and friendship they share, something else important is missing: Soul-searing passion. Until…

When Chris meets Zachary Bishop, he’s found everything he’s ever wanted. Zach is handsome, intelligent, sweet, and craves the same things he does. However, Chris soon realizes that his dreams may come true at a cost. Although Abby is not his lover, they have a long and close history together that Chris doesn’t want to jeopardize. Is there room in his life for both Abby and Zach? What if he can never really find the family he’s longed for? Will Zach become simply a memory of erotic passion and unfulfilled longing? Three immortals on the brink of change…

Review: This is an incredible paranormal romance.  Chris has been longing for a family for over two hundred years and even though he has his good friend Abigail who has been with him for a hundred and fifty years, he yearns for more.   For that one man to complete him.  Zach also longs for a family of his own, for someone to accept all of him and to be there for him.

The complex relationship of Chris and Abigail confused me at times; it felt like there was more to their relationship that we weren’t seeing. The tension between Zach and Chris is palpable, the longing to have someone who is the same as you, who understands and accepts you, is tangible, the attraction scorches the air and the friendship is deep and unbreakable.

The struggle these two men have as they realize that they can have everything they have always wanted, for Zach to overcome his fear of rejection and for Chris to balance out having his best friend and rock Abigail and the love of his life Zach without taking anything from either of them.

When these two men come together to make love it is intense and explicit. Feelings, longing, touch and taste are described in such detail that you could almost be there and you feel like you want to weep at the beauty before you.

The storyline was inspired, human beings who are more advanced with abilities from empathy to healing but are also immortal, and that some of these immortal’s can’t handle it and can become mental unstable because of it, is a brilliant turn and completely refreshing.

So I recommend this to everyone, so what are you waiting for …don’t just sit there.

 

 

 

Barging In by Josephine Myles

Title: Barging In

Author: Josephine Myles

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (September 20, 2011)

ISBN: 978-1-60928-592-0

Genre: Gay Contemporary

Length: Novel

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Reviewed By: Artemis

From the Publisher:  

When the boat’s a rockin’, don’t come knockin’!

Out-and-proud travel writer Dan Taylor can’t steer a boat to save his life, but that doesn’t stop him from accepting an assignment to write up a narrowboat holiday. Instead of a change of pace from city life, though, the canal seems dull as ditchwater. Until he crashes into the boat of a half-naked, tattooed, pierced man whose rugged, penniless appearance is at odds with a posh accent.

Still smarting from past betrayal, Robin Hamilton’s “closet” is his narrowboat, his refuge from outrageous, provocative men like Dan. Yet he can’t seem to stop himself from rescuing the hopelessly out-of-place city boy from one scrape after another. Until he finds himself giving in to reluctant attraction, even considering a brief, harmless fling.

After all, in less than a week, Dan’s going back to his London diet of casual hook-ups and friends with benefits.

Determined not to fall in love, both men dive into one week of indulgence…only to find themselves drawn deep into an undertow of escalating intimacy and emotional intensity. Troubled waters neither of them expected…or wanted.

About the Author:    English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. She blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Her first novel, Barging In, a gay romance set on the English canal, will be available from Samhain Publishing in September 2011.

My Review:   Dan has spent his life being out and proud and sleeping with just about every available guy that will drop his pants for him. Robin, on the other hand, isn’t completely comfortable with his sexuality and he REALLY dislikes the fact that he wants Dan with something akin to obsession. Dan is on assignment as a magazine photojournalist and is determined to mix a little bit of pleasure in with his business trip. There is just no way he is going to let Robin’s tattooed and pierced body get away without sampling the goods! These two characters are so completely different but the author does an amazing job at bringing each of them to life.

Robin’s comes from money but a troubled past has him ditching the wealth and taking up with a community of boaters…picture gypsies on narrowboats floating from port to port in the canals of England. Dan comes from a family that had very little growing up but he is the carefree, live life to the fullest character. I enjoyed the way their developing relationship allowed Dan and Robin to balance one another out as the story progressed.

I thought the setting of the story was truly unique and I have never seen another book like it. Now, I love cowboys and FBI agents as much as the next girl but after a while you want to see something a little bit new! Ms. Myles did a great job of describing life on the water, including all the technicalities of living on a boat. There are no long hot showers or gourmet meals when you are living with a small water tank and a galley kitchen. I really got the feeling that I understood what living on the canal would really be like.

The physical relationship between the two is both sweet and hot. Dan and Robin decide to just enjoy the week that Dan is visiting with no strings attached. Their time in bed is passionate and intense and when the week is up, neither one of them is ready to say goodbye.

I will say that I was surprised at which character accepted the intensity of his emotions first and actually had the courage to utter the ‘L’ word. I won’t say who it was but for some reason, it wasn’t who I expected!

Overall, an amazing book. I loved the characters, the descriptive setting, and the passionate interactions between Dan and Robin. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

 

Hitman's Creed by Edward Kendrick

Title:  Hitman’s Creed

Author:  Edward Kendrick

Genre: GLBT Action/Adventure

Publisher:  Silver Publishing

Length:  Novel

Heat Level: Mild

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Blurb:  Can two men, one, Joey Fairburn, a twenty-one year old Criminal Justice student, the other, Glenn Tanner, a thirty-four year old hitman attempting to start a new life, reach a common bond to stop a murderer and find love despite their disparate ages and occupations?

Two men:
Glenn Tanner, a thirty-four year old hitman who wants to disappear and start a new life.
Joey Fairburn, a twenty-one year old Criminal Justice student studying to become a police officer.

One problem in common:
Joey’s father, an escaped killer, has come to the small town where Joey and his mother live and where Glenn has finally settled down. Glenn meets Joey, discovers what is happening and becomes involved in trying to stop the killer before the man can murder Joey’s mother.

Will these two men, Glenn and Joey, with such disparate ages and backgrounds, be able to find a common bond that will unite them in love? Only time will tell.

Reviewer:  Portia

Review:  This was so not what I was expecting from Edward Kendrick.  There is a lot of sexual tension but not a lot of sex.  Which really surprised me, as his last book that I read, Everyone’s Man was dripping with sexual innuendos and steamy bedroom scenes.

Instead, this is a very well written story.  For Joey, it is love at first sight. And as much as Glenn would like to take Joey up on his subtle invitations, he is more concerned with keeping Joey safe.  There are guns and bad guys and two very horny men fighting their attraction for one another.  It was a bit of a stretch when Glen brought Joey into his lair and Joey barely blinked, but everyone is not a nosy control freak like me.

I loved the ending…kinda. Might have been interesting for Nate to fight a bit harder…but, since it really wasn’t his story…

This was a very enjoyable read.  Would make an excellent movie.  Tall, dark hitman willing to risk everything for the sweet tender criminal justice major…I’d pay $8 bucks to see them come to life on film.

In His Hero's Shadow by Stephani Hecht

Title:  In His Hero’s Shadow

Series:  EMS Heat #10

Author:  Stephani Hecht

Genre:  Contemporary

Publisher:  Extasty Books

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer:  Astrid

Blurb:  Trauma nurse Chauncey and paramedic Brody have only ever agreed on one thing in life—that they share a mutual hatred for one another. While they may have to work together, they’ve never gotten along. Brody sees Chauncey as nothing more than a bossy, jerk whereas Chauncey thinks Brody is a cocky, brat who needs a good slap on the nose. What neither one of them is willing to admit is that they share a secret mutual attraction.

One night they lose control and give into their passion. When they find themselves waking up in each other’s arms, they have to face one of the biggest decisions of their lives—do they give love a chance or are their differences just too big to overcome?

Review:  The EMS Heat series is one that I’ve enjoyed and this new title is a great addition. I love the way the author creates a new story while letting you check in on previous characters without cluttering the current storyline.

Chauncey and Brody have been circling around each other, trading jibes and insults for the past year. Each has their own set of preconceived notions about the other. Chauncey is the arrogant and entitled rich boy. Brody is the mouthy bottom only interested in a good time. Neither guy actually believes the crap they spew about the other; it’s akin to boy’s picking on their playground crush – silly but effective in getting a rise.

When Brody looses a patient, his pain from a past lost is compounded and Chauncey finds himself called in to lend a hand by meddling friends. Now I wouldn’t say that either man does an about face in regard feelings for the other, merely giving in to their true desires. It does happen on the fast side, but it isn’t entirely hard to swallow. What I did appreciate was how neither character immediately turned into a mushy ball of goo. Sure you saw their soft bellies as they left themselves vulnerable, but the snarky commentary persisted. The tension that made them interesting didn’t collapse once they made a connection.

I do wish the epilogue wasn’t used to clear everything up and make all nice, that we’d been able to tag along in some of the cleaning up of the loose pieces, namely Brody’s mom. But then again, that’s probably more about me and my pension for angst.

On a side note, I’d like to commend the author for her tribute to 9/11 EMS workers. She did a lovely job of bringing our focus to those left behind while honoring the sacrifices of the men and women called into duty that tragic day.

Portia’s Two Cents:  Okay, I confess…EMS Heat series is my guilty literary pleasure.  I love watching these guys fall in love.  But, for me…it’s all about trying to see if I can catch Stephani in a medical error.  I spent a lot of years as an ER nurse and this series always makes me feel like I’ve come home.  I can honestly say…I know these guys; the nurses, medics, firemen…even the doctors.  The language, the medical scenarios…even the back coffee in the break room is spot on. 

So far it’s Stephani/10; Portia/0…but, I’m still on the job.  That’s right, Hecht…I’m watching you. 😉