Blurb: College student Nick Reed works late shift at a convenience store and dreams of graduation, a job he can be proud of, and finding the man of his dreams.
But the man of his dreams is about to find him.
A change in his lab hours forces Nick to swap shifts with a coworker. But no one prepared Nick for Mr. 5:25—Aaron Hampton—a beefy blond who’s Nick’s perfect guy, but professionally and socially out of Nick’s reach. Soon Aaron becomes the highlight of Nick’s workday, and when the overly focused lawyer needs Nick’s help with holiday gifts, Nick is eager to spend time with Aaron.
They become friends, share book recommendations, and are surprised to find themselves at the same charity run. But is that all? When Aaron learns Nick is heading back to his old shift, will he find the courage to ask for one last, very special gift?
Review: Damn I don’t remember being a college student, but Nick is a definite achiever. He not only goes to school but works two jobs and does extra courses on line. I wonder where he finds the time to sleep. He switched to the late shift for a coworker, that shows him a sexy man who comes in at the same time every morning. Aaron has a pretty cool secret to tell Nick.
This was a cute story about how much a guy did to show his interest. I got a kick out of it and could see myself reading more by this author. She sure surprised me with this one. It is a short story that had so much to it, that it could have been a longer story.
It was interesting and a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend this book.
Hey guys, today we have John Amory, one of the authors from the Dreamspinner Press Charity Anthology One Pulse, visiting with an incredible guest post, so check out the post and then I want you to check out the blogs that the other One Pulse authors will be visiting during the next two weeks. <3 ~Pixie~
One Pulse
by
Jon Keys, Alicia Nordwell, Mickie B. Ashling, M.T. Aspen, M.A. Church, Caitlin Ricci, George Seaton, Jayce Ellis, Bree Cariad, Chrissy Munder, Ellis Carrington, Felicitas Ivey, John Amory, Grace R. Duncan, John Goode, J. C. Long, Elizabeth Noble, Renee Stevens, Troy Storm, Connie Bailey, Dev Bentham, Andrea Speed, Laura Lascarso, Lila Leigh Hunter, Emery C. Walters, C.C. Dado, Sera Kane, KC Burn, Vicktor Alexander, Edmond Manning
Stories drive life. Sometimes life is good; sometimes life is bad. But it’s the nature of our community that in the aftermath of an act of hatred, we respond with love. Because darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Cruelty cannot stand against compassion. Negativity will never overcome hope.
To show our support for those affected by the Orlando shooting, our authors, editors, artists, and staff have volunteered their talents to create this anthology. All proceeds will be donated to LGBT organizations in central Florida. Join us as we celebrate the triumph of love over every obstacle.
Heat Level: Moderate overall, though a few of the stories were more explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts for anthology as a whole, each story has ratings in review.
Blurb: Baby, it’s cold outside! Beat the chill with Winter Warmers – a seasonal anthology
Mulled wine. Butterscotch kisses. Hideous sweaters. Candy at the beach, or a trip to a sex shop in Amsterdam. And the man of your dreams, wrapped around you…
Winter warmers come in many shapes and sizes, from the tongue-in-cheek to the hot-as-hell. Enjoy a quintet of heart-warming tales of men loving men from Clare London, Chrissy Munder, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, and Lou Harper that are guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.
One thing’s for sure—it’s going to be a red-hot Christmas!
Review: Overall I found the stories all very cute and interesting. I did have one caveat on the overall book and that was there was no titles on each stories It just seems to flow into the about the author then into the next book with no warning. But once you figured out where you were the stories were as sweet and fun as can be!
Individual stories
Lucky Dip by Clare London
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
I loved this one. Andy is a teacher getting ready for a school fundraiser. He is going to have to share his corner with a volunteer that turns out to be his ex-boyfriend Greg.
I laughed until I cried over this one. The kids were so cute and funny and the story was a sizzler; sure to warm you on a cold winter night.
Butterscotch Kisses by Chrissy Munder
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
I also loved this one! Mathew was afraid of heights and this fear cost him his boyfriend and a lot of humiliation. After purchasing a self-help program, he goes daily to the toboggan run to climb the steps. He meets “cute Ticket guy”. Does he conquer I his fear? Do he and ‘cute ticket guy’ go out’? What do butterscotch kisses have to do with heights? You will have to read this one and see! This was another very cute story written with a lot of wit and humor. The story of the fear of heights is easy to relate too and you can just feel Mathew’s fear. And the hats on cute ticket guy? Just hilarious!
Wintertide by Lou Harper
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
I really liked this one, too. It’s not as humorous as the last two, but just as sweet and sexy. Jem lives in the run down part of Hollywood and is alone for Christmas. He goes to the beach and sees an older man who he finds intriguingly handsome. He watches him throwing in candy in the water. They meet and immediately hookup. Jem wakes up at Oscar’s and looks around, seeing a lot of photos of another handsome man. Assuming Oscar has a boyfriend, Jem leaves.
This story has a very sad backstory, so be sure to have some tissues on hand. It is very sweet and sexy also! A real heart-warmer.
When in Amsterdam by Josephine Myles
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Brandon went with his boyfriend, Jos, to Amsterdam for their version of Christmas. They wind up at a kink shop. Brandon isn’t into the kink scene, but knows Jos is.
This was my least favorite of all five stories. It was a good, but it centered mostly on the D/s, and sex thing without a real plot. I did like the loving relationship that Brandon and Jos had, and the fact that Brandon loved Jos enough to try new things.
A pint of beer, A Bag of Chips, and Thou by JL Merrow
Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
This one was another very cute funny one. I loved the way this one felt like the author was speaking directly to you, even asking you questions. I found myself answering a few! I laughed and laughed. I would definitely read more JL Merrow books.
Liam was a son of a witch. His family is quite eccentric, as is he. He plays his sax in the tube for money. He has his eye on a man who frequents the area, but is sure the man is far out of his league. His aunts and mom give him these horrendous knitted Christmas gifts: one a day for three days. You will have to read this to see what they are and how they play a part in the story! You won’t be sorry! The story is cute, sassy and sexy as heck! A great one to cuddle up under a blanket with hot cocoa!
I recommend this collection to anyone that loves a good anthology. Witches, Doms, peppermint lovers, cute guys in silly hats, and lots of laughs! Oh, I almost forgot the hot mansex!
Title: The Last Gift
