Tag: Contemporary

Three New Wishes by Sean Michael

Title: Three New Wishes

Series: Rainbow Island 03

Author: Sean Michael

Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotic Romance

Length: Novel (213pgs)

Publisher: Pride Publishing (11th April 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Come to Rainbow Island, where all your sexual fantasies will come true.

James, Guard and Damien continue to grant the sexual fantasies of their clients, but so far have been unable to make Rainbow Island work for their own relationship. Damien misses being home more often with his lovers and Guard has been working on breaking down James’ defenses. Can they make their own fantasies come true?

As always, three different fantasies are granted through Rainbow Island.

Tim is rich and bored. A ‘sometimes sub’, he’s searching for something more. Full-time Dom, Rain, is brought in to give Tim the twenty-four-seven experience he’s been looking for, but Rain has a secret—he’s been watching Tim in the club for years, just waiting for Tim to get serious before making his move. Can these two men find what they need in each other?

Mike has been hired to be a submissive. He doesn’t know that much about the lifestyle. He figures he can handle it—besides, the payday is too good to give up. Dom Brendan is handsome and confident, and the things he shows Mike speak to something deep inside him. Could he have found something more than just another job in Brendan?

Angus and Robbie are a committed Dom/sub pair who want to spice things up a little and see if puppy play is for them. They’re excited and nervous to learn from Sam, the puppy master that Rainbow Island has brought in to show them the ropes. They discover there’s more to puppy play than they’d imagined and not all of it is for them. Can they separate what they need from what they want and come out stronger than ever in the end?

Reader Advisory: This book contains fisting,scenes of puppy play and the use of urethral sounds.

ISBN: 978-1-78651-561-2

Product Link: Pride Publishing | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: I loved reading how each couple worked together to find out what works and does not work for them. Some are as different as night and day.

I think Damien, James and Guard were the couple I looked forward to the most after the obstacles they have been through before. I was hoping to see them together for good. Mike and Brendan were perfect together in their quest to find someone. Mike never having experienced BDSM and Brendan wanting someone new seemed the right mix for these two.

Angus and Robbie want to try something new in their relationship and so go to explore at Rainbow Island. I liked how you could love yourself in Rainbow Island without being judged. Not to mention being taught the right way to do things.

All in all it was a wonderful read with plenty of hot scenes.

Three More Wishes by Sean Michael (2nd edition)

Title: Three More Wishes

Series: Rainbow Island 02

Author: Sean Michael

Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotic Romance

Length: Novel (191pgs)

Publisher: Pride Publishing (9th August 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Come to Rainbow Island, where all your sexual fantasies will come true.

James, Guard and Damien are back, still running their resort, where every fantasy, no matter how perverse, may come true. The three men continue working out the bumps in their threesome, but when it comes to their clients, they’re a well-oiled machine. Which works perfectly for the three new couples arriving in paradise.

Cameron is losing his sight, and he knows that he’ll be useless once it goes completely. He’s cashed in everything to leave his life behind for one last fling. Xander is on the island for a fantasy, too. He’s looking for someone to love on, someone to care for and Cameron seems to be the perfect match, but can they make it work?

As a writer, Ben always writes the script, which is why his fantasy is to give up control. He’s told his fantasy can’t be fulfilled, so he settles in for a relaxing vacation on an island paradise instead. Is he really as safe as he thinks he is?

Finally, Leo is a consummate top, always wanting to better his technique. He wants to know what it’s like to be a sub, but it won’t be easy for a Dominant to bottom for five days. Leo will do his dead-level best to measure up—his only worry is who the boys choose to be his fantasy top…

Don’t miss out on these fantasies come true.

Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of fisting as well as scenes of kidnap and dubious consent.

Publisher’s Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

ISBN: 978-1-78651-452-3

Product Link: Pride Publishing | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Shorty

Review: James, Guard and Damien are back at it again on Rainbow Island with three more couples looking for fantasy and love. Not to mention the struggles they are face in their lives. I have to admit I am wondering whether or not James, Guard and Damien will make it for the long haul.

Cameron and Xander seemed like a great mix. Even though Xander struggles to really connect with Cameron and his depression at times these two seemed to overcome their obstacles and shine.

Ben’s fantasy was a little bit more dangerous as he wants to be kidnapped and have all control taken away. Tip is chosen for this fantasy and I found that to be weird as Tip is a kind and gentle man. He did not seem to fit to me.

Finally Leo and David’s story was one where David has been in love with Leo for years and only now has admitted it after being involved with Leo at the island. I love the stories but I would have liked more story than sex as is the case with these books.

Outtakes by Tibby Armstrong

18052848Title: Outtakes

Series: Hollywood, #4

Author: Tibby Armstrong

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: Novella (137 pages)

Publisher: Loose Id (August 19th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: After actor Kit Harris tells the world he’s gay, life isn’t all cupcakes and rainbow flags. It’s decidedly less tasty and a lot less colorful. Coming out might not have been the best thing for a Hollywood career or a high-profile love life.

Try as he might, rising star Jeremy Ash can’t seem to stir Kit’s interest long enough to heal his bruised ego or fragile heart. Complicating matters, a celebrity chef enters with plans to cook up a new angle on Kit’s career.

Jeremy’s worried Kit’s going off half-baked, or worse, turning up the heat on a new relationship. Either way, Jeremy knows the situation is a recipe for disaster if he and Kit can’t come up with the ingredients to love.

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/hollywood-4-outtakes.html

Review: Tibby Armstrong comes back with my favorite couple from the Hollywood Series, Jeremy and Kit, with excruciating story. Let me tell you, half the time reading this book was spend biting my nails, and the other half wanting to smack some reason at either one of the characters.

After Kit came out at the Awards three years have gone by. Three years but things didn’t get better, neither remained the same. Jeremy made a leap in his career, being the new favorite boy of the city, while Kit’s career is hitting bottom hard. His whole life is changing and Kit finds it difficult to adjust or even take control back. The self-assured, over-confident, and favorite paparazzi boy is now buried underneath a strong layer of self-doubt and fear. Fear for his work, fear for his life, and fear for his love.

Jeremy on the other hand has made leaps from that starry-eyed kid Kit first met. No longer a newbie in the scene, his confidence shines bright, and he appear to need Kit and his experience less and less every day, making Kit’s panic attacks rise and that fear of being left behind overshadow everything.

The first thought that came to mind while reading this book was how real this all seamed. The problems a long-time relationship accumulates, the fears, the inability to make things work because you simply don’t know how, all that made me feel like I was observing a real couple out of their window, instead of read a book. The most impressive thing of all was that Tibby made a great job not making one the jerk and the other the martyr. In this relationship there is not only one’s fault. Both Jeremy and Kit make their own mistakes, both help to create a chasm between them, both men’s fears and insecurities coming out in knee-jerk reactions, creating monsters out of shadows. All their differences that once upon a time helped them stick together now are tearing them apart.

When Kit fails to find that balance in his life he dives into the only thing that can ground him; his baking. More and more nights he spends cooking little things at the only place that gives him a semblance of peace; his kitchen. He manages to win a celebrity show and that’s how we get introduced to a new character, Andy, a famous chef who has his sight on Kit.

You know how they say no one can tear you apart from your mate, unless the tears are already there. Grabbing opportunity of the fragile relationship between Jeremy and Kit, Andy is determined to win him the prize with a scary obsession. Fear of rejection for his new dreams has Kit hiding them from Jeremy, along with the new excitement that someone new is seeing him and wanting him again, and things steadily reach rock bottom.

And you can’t imagine how very easy it was to dislike and despise characters this time around. I felt like really hitting Kit, his selfishness at times made it hard to think clearly. I also got angry with Jeremy, too. As I said, there was not only one to blame here. But I despised Andy with a passion. I literally saw red with this one.

The entire book was an angst-fest, with things going hot and cold in a matter of seconds. One moment we were reading the most powerful lovemaking from Jeremy and Kit, sexual scenes that were so freaking easy to immerse in them, and the other everything, everything crashing down. Painfully sad at times, this book manages to steal your breath away, shake, and spin you around not letting go for a moment to clear your mind. Gripping is inadequate a word to describe it. Torturous would be more like it. It tortures you with the ever-increasing intense scenes that follow one another unfailingly, with a speed that makes you gasp and pant in order to follow and not be left behind.

As much as I liked Jeremy’s and Kit’s first story Acting Out, I think I liked this even more. It was what I expected, and definitely didn’t let me down.

 

Black Mahogany by Emily Carrington

Emily Carrington Black MahoganyTitle: Black Mahogany
 
Series: Previous book: Heartwood
 
Author: Emily Carrington
 
Genre: Contemporary
 
Length: Novel (199pgs)
 
Publisher: Loose Id (25th June 2013)
 
Heat: Low – Moderate
 
Heart: Black heart (cards)Black heart (cards)Black heart (cards)Black heart (cards) 3 ½ Heart 
 
Reviewer: Pixie
 
Blurb: Can marriage be a shield, sword, and healing balm? That’s Aidan’s hope: use marriage to get out of town, preserving his relationship by saving his lover’s mind.

When the man who molested Aidan’s lover escapes a pedophile charge, Aidan will stop at nothing to keep his lover, Mike, safe. But Mike can’t imagine leaving the town he’s lived in all his life. Just as he can’t imagine letting go of self-recriminations or sharing his nightmares with Aidan. If they can’t find a way through this, their fledgling relationship will die before it can grow deep enough roots.

 
 
Warning: This story has flashbacks to sexual abuse and mentions of sexual abuse of children.
 
Review: This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Aidan and Mike are struggling to keep their relationship on an even keel, which is difficult when all Aidan wants is to leave town and Mike struggles with his doubts about his molestation. Aidan has dreams of changing the world with politics and is offered a dream job in DC, but Mike doesn’t want to leave his home town even with the difficulties that he faces. Mike is filled with doubts both about his sexual orientation and with the abuse he suffered, his abusers words still ring in his head, haunting him and taunting him. Both men have to work out just what they want before it is too late and their fledgling relationship crumbles around them.
 
This is a good story about support, love, finding your confidence and what you truly want. Black Mahogany continues on not long after Heartwood finished, it continues the story of Mike and Aidan as they make decisions for the future and the repercussions of Mike coming forward with the truth about his abuse. Mike and Aidan’s relationship has many ups and downs, as Aidan tries to convince Mike to leave town and Mike tries to pretend that the abuse hasn’t left him scarred.
 
Aidan wants to get Mike out of town and getting a job offer in DC is the answer to his prayers, but Mike doesn’t feel the same way. Mike still isn’t convinced that he is gay and that he only wants Aidan, but his abusers words keep taunting him and he begins to believe the abuse was his fault. We see a whole run of emotions as these two young men try to find a way to stay together, even as they seem to push against each other and rub each other up the wrong way. Mike and Aidan both discover much about themselves in this story and that their love can’t be easily broken or ignored.
 
I recommend this to those who love broken men finding themselves, discovering their faults and accepting them and a loving troubled relationship finding solid ground.

Something Worth Fighting For by Mara Ismine

Mara Ismine - Something Worth Fighting ForTitle:  Something Worth Fighting For

Series:  Jobless in January 03

Author:  Mara Ismine

Genre:   M/M romance

Length: Short (34pgs)

Publisher:  Torquere Press (June 12th 2013)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥ 2 Hearts

Blurb:   Johnny and Charlie, from “Jobless in January: Johnny Smith”, have enjoyed a casual relationship for nearly a year, meeting up once or twice a month. The trip to Dorset should have been a fun reunion after six weeks apart and it shouldn’t have had Charlie walking out on the first morning. Johnny is left at a guest house with more questions than answers and no Charlie to answer them.

Johnny has to decide if he wants to fight for their casual relationship, and the hope that it might lead to something more, or just crawl away and lick his wounds. Is Charlie worth fighting for even if Johnny knew where to find him?

Product Link:  http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_91&products_id=3922

Reviewer:   Tams

Review:  Picking up a year after book 2, Johnny and Charlie have been living a life of stolen moments and sparse weekend visits. After several weeks spent in Canada, Charlie is back in Johnny’s arms, but for how long.

What I liked most about book 2 was the relationship development between these two characters. How Charlie taught Johnny to be aware of who he was and what it was he truly wanted. That was completely missing from this novella. They have each gotten it in their minds what their partner does, or doesn’t in this case, want and heaven forbid they talk to each other about it.

Overwrought with angst, it was like reading a YA novel! I didn’t care much for this one until the very end when Johnny basically took what was his.

The Doctor and the Bad Boy by R.J. Scott

R.J. Scott - thedoctorandthebadboy_800

Title: The Doctor and the Bad Boy
Series: Ellery Mountain 04
 
Author: R.J. Scott
 
Genre: Contemporary
 
Length: Novella (86pgs)
 
Publisher: Total E-Bound (19th July 2013) Available from 21st June 2013 with TEB VIP club.
 
Heat: Moderate
 
Heart: Black heart (cards)Black heart (cards)Black heart (cards)Black heart (cards)4 Hearts
 
Reviewer: Pixie
 
Blurb: Mitchell Ryan, the recovering alcoholic bad boy, meets Doctor Liam Wolfe, the man who shows him it’s okay to love…
No one has ever understood Mitchell Askett. The bad boy. The alcoholic. The loser. Buying into the Ellery Mountain resort and placing down roots in the community for himself, his sister and his niece puts him on the radar of the Fridays and Doctor Liam Wolfe.
 
He soon realises he has friends in his new home who don’t judge him for what happened before and finally begins to escape his past. When he falls hard and fast for the doctor, he even sees a future for him in Ellery.
 
But when his new happiness is first threatened by family interference then by disaster, he begins to lose faith, until Liam shows him it’s okay to ask for help.
 
 
 
 
Review: This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Mitchell is returning to Ellery Mountain after his family moved away when he was just a boy, he is returning for a quiet, peaceful, safe place for his sister and his niece, a place where they can call home. Mitchell had a reputation as bad boy though and he hopes it will stay in the past where it belongs, especially when he meets sexy doctor Liam. Liam is sympathetic to the uncle worrying over his niece in his hospital, but that sympathy is soon destroyed when Mitchell side swipes his car. Mitchell and Liam soon come to an understanding though and it is the beginning of something special.
 
This is a wonderful addition to the Ellery Mountain series where we see Liam, our favourite doctor, find his man. Mitchell’s return to Ellery is fraught with drama when his niece is rushed to the hospital, leaving Mitchell wondering if he has done the right thing with his move to Ellery. Liam makes his move on Mitchell when things get straightened out between them, finding what a loving gentle man he is and how much he cares for his sister and niece means more to Liam than some old gossip. Mitchell is happy with how their new start is going and the new friends being made, but he still has to worry about his parent’s interference.
 
This story really shows just how wonderful Ellery Mountain really is, people coming together and welcoming strangers into their midst’s, helping out where needed and offering friendship easily. Mitchell’s past was rocky but he has straightened himself out for the sake of his sister and his niece, returning to Ellery is for all of them and to get out from under the criticism of their parents. Mitchell is a character that warms your heart quickly, the fear and worry for his niece, the concern for his sister and the developing love he has for Liam shows him in a light that makes him shine. Liam might be a touch judgemental when he first learns of Mitchell’s alcoholism but he quickly sees the light and him and Mitchell are just wonderful together, he makes Mitchell realise that there are others to support and help him and that he doesn’t have to take it all on but can share the burden.
 
The Doctor and the Bad Boy is a story that is the perfect afternoon read, we have a relationship that develops at a great pace, we have caring and compassionate characters, we have wonderful friends helping where needed, we have a touch of drama and angst and we have the harridan of a mother trying to interfere. And we mustn’t forget how hot Liam and Mitchell are together either.
 
I say if you love hot men finding love, some angst and drama with problem parents, great friends (who are all hot) and a great new relationship, then you have to read this story.

 

Bear it All by Deanna Wadsworth

12270817Title: Bear It All

Series:  1 Night Stand

Author: Deanna Wadsworth

Genre: Erotic/Contemporary

Length:  Novella

Publisher: Decadent Publishing (August 1st, 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥ 4Hearts

Blurb:  Travis hired 1 Night Stand hoping for a hot encounter with a sexy older, hairy man, someone to make him feel safe and cherished, and John looks custom made to order.

After losing his partner three years ago, John needs to learn how to open his heart and live again. He thinks a one night stand in the Caribbean might be the answer, but when he sees the young, thin and much smaller Travis, he thinks the agency sent the wrong man.

Can desire overcome misunderstanding when these two bear it all? Or will both men walk away from exactly what they need and desire?

Review:  Travis is a twink who is looking for a bear to make him feel safe and protected; John is a bear looking for someone similar to himself to get back in the dating scene.

John can’t believe that he was set up with someone who didn’t meet his requirements, it didn’t matter that Travis is hot, young and beautiful, why would someone like that want John.  Travis wonders what the hell was wrong with him when John walks away from their arranged date, so he decides to find out.

The sparks fly between these two sexy men and the sex … wow smokin’ hot. They find they have quite a bit in common and their feelings for each other develop very quickly. I am quite fond of both characters and I wonder if maybe there could be another story for these men in the future? (hint…hint).

So all in all, it’s short, it’s hot and enjoyable.

Geisha Boys by Valario la Martire

Title:  Geisha Boys

Series:   N/A

Author:  Valerio la Martire

Genre: Contemporary/BDSM/Transvestite

Length: Short Story (45 pages)

Publisher: Self-Published (first published in Italy 2009 by Edizioni Croce) English Translation- 2012

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥3Hearts

Blurb:   “I cover my lips with a thin layer of blue colour. I look at myself again.
A distorted figure on a white background. I am the one who doesn’t need it, the one who lives alone out of the House. I am the one who doesn’t have a name because it doesn’t matter, the one who doesn’t have a colour at the right place.”

Outskirts of Rome. An Okiya house in which seven boys live together as geisha; leaded by a transsexual Mama-san. They tell with their own words their love and how they sell away themselves..

Product Link:  Geisha Boys

Reviewer: Cat

Warning: Strong sexual content, violence and you will need tissues.  Not a romance or a HEA.

Review:  Geisha Boys is a very heart-wrenching poignant story of seven young boys plus their Mama-san and how they became rent-boys. I liked how each chapter began with a dossier (character profile) for that character, and then went into his thoughts.  The story has a lot of metaphors and is beautifully written; almost prose like.

I recommend it to anyone that likes something different with no HEA, very rough sex, BDSM, rent boys, Golden Showers, a good cry and a reality check once in a while.

Beyond Complicated by Mercy Celeste

Title:  Beyond Complicated

Series:  N/A

Author:  Mercy Celeste

Genre:   Contemporary (Incestuous elements)

Length:  Novel

Publisher:  Silver Publishing (May 5th, 2012)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥3Hearts                                                                               

Blurb:   For former porn star Liam McGuire, life is pretty tame, except that his twenty-one-year-old son is now dating the love of Liam’s life. At the ripe old age of thirty-eight, Liam’s entire world is collapsing around him, his past catching up with him, his secrets and his lies are coming back to bite him. All because Kel had to go and fall in love with Seth.

Product Link:   https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/products_id/835/?zenid=dbbd6a2ced8a9829319a4b6643be2568

Reviewer:   Showme

Review:  Liam is a thirty-eight year old man barely living. He works, goes home to his crummy apartment, and wakes up to do it all again. One day he gets a phone call from his son, Kel, after seeing something upsetting about Kel’s new man on Kel’s Facebook page. Liam avoids Kel as long as he’ll let him, but eventually they agree to meet for lunch and Liam has to face whatever his son has to tell him that he doesn’t want to hear.  He never expects his son is going to surprise him with the new boyfriend and it sure as hell never crossed his mind that the “new boyfriend” would be the love of his life and ex porn partner, Seth. Seth has no idea Kel’s father is the man he lived and breathed for years ago. The reunion turns into a fight over who did who wrong, but the old fires quickly explode in one of the hottest scenes ever. You can feel the passion, love and anger between Seth and Liam. It steams off the page.  However, the next morning reality sets in that Seth had plans to commit to Kel and they’re back to the freak out stage. Kel is rightfully angry after he finds out about the night his father and boyfriend spent together. He tries to put his feelings aside because he’s finally told of Liam and Seth’s past and can see his father’s still hopelessly in love with Seth.

Liam tries to stay away, but Seth won’t let him. Seth persists and they agree they need to talk, but the irresistible pull these two have, brings them together again. They’re both shocked to hear Liam scream Kel’s name during his climax. Liam tries to deny it, but that night due to alcohol and a secret burning desire, Kel  seduces Liam. Liam and Kel realize they love each other and not in a traditional father and son way. They’ve always been closer to friends. Kel feels his stepfather has taken on the role of his father, and hates him. After their night together they try to fight it but the guys realize what they really want is for the three of them to be together.

Now, I truly enjoyed Seth and Liam’s relationship. I bought and invested in it. Like I said, they smoked up the pages and the back-story was heartbreaking and beautiful. Kel   joining the mix was a little hard for me to swallow. One scene had Liam being mad Kel’s stepfather was worried about his gay father touching him inappropriately, while the next scene had them touching everywhere! I don’t know that I would ever feel comfortable with this particular situation, but there were a few things besides the uncomfortable three-way love fest that didn’t work for me. Just when I thought I had a feel for the guys, they’d go the complete opposite way that I would have expected their characters to go. Kel never really added to beauty that was Liam and Seth IMO. However, they sure enjoyed Kel. I’ve read  some threesome books and some family lovin’ situations in books, but never have I read one quite like this.

 

 

 

Khyber Run by Amber Green

Title: Khyber Run

Author: Amber Green

 Genre: LGBT Multicultural

 Length: Novel

 Publisher: Loose Id

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating:   ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb:  (Loose Id) In Afghanistan, all the easy answers are wrong and the best-laid plans don’t stand a chance. A tight-knit band of USMC scout-snipers, enraged when one of their number murders another, is hell-bent on seeing justice. They kidnap Zarak Momand, a burnt-out Navy hospital corpsman, and blackmail him to be their guide into Momand land and to find a loophole in nanawatai, the Afghan code of hospitality. They don’t tell him their target — a deserter — murdered Zarak’s estranged baby brother.

Zarak has lost touch with his brothers, his heritage, and his religion, anything that might inspire true passion. Code-named Zulu and coerced to hunt down a deserter, he must navigate the ambiguities of fourth generation warfare, where there are no front lines and where the moral high ground shifts from situation to situation.

In the end, it’s just Zulu and Oscar, a sexually compelling cipher who embodies so much of the Pakhtun Way. But is Oscar’s rough passion a betrayal between brothers?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.

Review:  I will be honest and say I really wasn’t sure about this book when I read the blurb but the book gripped me from the first chapter.  Zarak (Zulu) is a man who is caught between two cultures and struggles with what he was taught as a boy (grew up in an Afghan region until he was about 10yrs old) and what he learnt as a man. We also get snippets of Zarak’s childhood in flashbacks so we get to understand him better and the culture he was taught as a boy.  Oscar is a Native American from the Tohono o’odham tribe, he is a big, physically strong man with a Texan accent and that’s really all you learn about him except he has a cool sniper rifle, you don’t even learn his real name!!

The mission Zarak has been kidnapped for is personal he just doesn’t know it yet, and when he does he goes from reluctant to wanting badal (blood vengeance) but is torn as he also wants to bring him in for trial. Oscar is there to watch his back, keep him alive and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.

The settings in this book are brilliant and the detail to the culture is incredible, I learned a lot about the normal Afghan citizens; i.e. the handless spice dealer who plays a joke on them (scaring them half to death), the slave auction (selling or leasing children’s service’s as a shop boy, goat herder etc. for a twice yearly sum) or the buzkashi game.

There is no romance between Zarak and Oscar, there is want and need and maybe more. It’s down and dirty and they make do with where they are and what they’ve got.   What’s between them is primal, two Warrior’s coming together, so really don’t be expecting these two men to be declaring undying love for each other cause they won’t. This is a fantastic story that I highly recommend to the people who want more meat in their stories.

 

 

 

 

Snowbound by Scarlet Blackwell

Title:  Snowbound

Author:  Scarlet Blackwell

Genre:  Contemporary

Length:  Novella

Publisher:  Silver Publishing

Heat Rating:  Moderate

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5Hearts

Reviewer:  Astrid

Blurb:  Hayden Berry is lost in a small South Dakota town after crashing his car, when he is rescued by Deputy Sheriff Dylan Hubble and taken home for the night. One night turns into two when they are snowed in and an instant attraction turns into life-long love.

But Hayden isn’t free to be with Dylan and he leaves, the memory of that winter casting a shadow over the rest of his life…

Review:  Have you ever read Scarlett Blackwell?  If so, then you know she can always be counted on to pull the heartstrings.  In Snowbound, she manages it once again in a nice compact novella.

Hayden, a gay man in denial is rescued by Sheriff Deputy Dylan in the middle of a snowstorm. Hayden quickly comes to realize that the attraction to men he’s experienced previously isn’t going to be ignored this time around. The pull of Dylan is too much to resist. The two quickly become intimate and are forced apart by time and circumstances. Since it’d be a very short story without the HOE – you know at some point these two are brought back together. And sure, it’s a bit OTT – but holy cow get your hanky, cause unless you’re heart is made of stone you’re gonna be feeling the pull.  Now it is a novella so there isn’t too much in quantity of scenes, but what there is… packs a powerful punch. The writing is excellent and the emotions fairly jump out and give your ticker a squeeze.

Fire and Light by Berengaria Brown

Title: Fire and Light

Author:  Berengaria Brown

Genre:  Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Family & Relationships.

Length: Novelette

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Heat: Explicit

Heart:   ♥♥♥♥ 4Hearts

Reviewer:  Pixie

Blurb:  Hugh’s six year old son, Orion, has just recently come to live with him. He has taken vacation time over the summer break to be with the boy and teach him to swim before he goes to summer camp. Orion and Hugh meet Quigley, and a deep friendship develops. For two weeks, they spend time together at the swimming pool and the park, getting to know each other.

Quigley invites Hugh and Orion out to dinner, and afterward he stays over, and he and Hugh have an extremely erotic night together. The next day, Quigley has to go back to work, as his vacation is over. During the next week, they miss each other a lot, and Orion learns to dive to have something to show Quigley. From then on, Quigley spends many evenings at their apartment, and the relationship grows until the men want to live together.

But this is a huge problem, if they move house, Orion will need to change schools–again. And where will they find a suitable place for such a non-traditional family anyway? Is their romance doomed?

Review:  This is one of my favorite types of stories, a single parent finding love but having to work in the concerns of his son as well. I liked this one as there were no tough choices to make and nobody breathing down their necks.   It was just a nice light read with a really cute, quite mature little boy.

Hugh and Quigley hit it off and Quigley and Orion hit it off, the adults spend the time at the swimming pool learning more about each other while keeping a careful eye on Orion but the time that Hugh and Quigley spend alone is detailed and very hot.

One of the best bits about this book was when the author wrote a bit about Orion when he was away at camp; it was so cute and made me glad, as some authors seem to forget about the kids.

I think that the only downside to this book is the blurb details everything and the book didn’t expand much on it. So all in all I really liked this book and as Orion would say it was “Awesome with Awesome sauce”.

 

 

 

 

Another Regular Bud by Ryan Field

Title:  Another Regular Bud

Author:  Ryan Field

Genre:   Erotic, Contemporary

Length:  Short Story

Publisher:  Love You Divine

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½ Hearts

Reviewer:  Pixie

 

Blurb:  When handsome young Rick stops at a local service station to get his car checked out late one afternoon after football practice, he’s in for an interesting surprise. And that’s because the owner of the service station, Bob, is in one of his more playful moods. Though Rick has always suspected Bob’s been interested in him, he’s avoided any direct contact because Bob is divorced, has teenage daughters, and is closeted. Rick is looking for love and stability with a gentleman, not a quick fling with a greasy brute. And he avoids men like Bob as much as he can. But this doesn’t stop strong, forceful Bob from closing the service station and becoming extremely aggressive with Rick. And when he asks  Rick about the high heels Rick tried to hide unsuccessfully in his backseat, he’s not asking because he wants to know how  much they cost and where he can get pair just like them. Bob has plans for those kinky, smutty high heels that will change Rick’s life in ways he never expected that afternoon.

Review:  This is a hot, sweaty, steamy short that makes your blood pressure rise, because admit it… everyone loves a bit of rough.  Rick gets a lot more than he bargained for when Bob checks out his engine and he also discovers new things about himself. Bob’s had his eye on Rick’s sweet ass for a long time and now makes his move.  I’ve read several of Ryan Fields books and they are always good but I must admit that his Short story’s  always hit the spot and makes me all warm… err I mean makes my heart all warm.

So if you want to read something that gets your motor revving this is it, it’s hot, a bit kinky and kinda sweet.

 

 

Muscling Through By Jl Merrow

 Title: Muscling Through

 Author: J.L. Merrow

 Genre:  Contemporary, GLBT, Comedy

 Length: Novella

 Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Heat Rating: Hot

 Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥ 5Hearts

Reviewer:  Pixie

 Blurb:  The bigger they come, the harder they fall… in love.

Cambridge art professor Larry Morton takes one, alcohol-glazed look at the huge, tattooed man looming in a dark alley, and assumes he’s done for. Moments later he finds himself disarmed—literally and figuratively. And, the next morning, he can’t rest until he offers an apology to the man who turned out to be more gentle than giant.

Larry’s intrigued to find there’s more to Al Fletcher than meets the eye; he possesses a natural artistic talent that shines through untutored technique. Unfortunately, no one else seems to see the sensitive soul beneath Al’s imposing, scarred, undeniably sexy exterior. Least of all Larry’s class-conscious family, who would like nothing better than to split up this mismatched pair.

Is it physical? Oh, yes, it’s deliciously physical, and so much more—which makes Larry’s next task so daunting. Not just convincing his colleagues, friends and family that their relationship is more than skin deep. It’s convincing Al.

Contains comic misunderstandings, misuse of art materials, and unexpected poignancy.

Review:  I have got to say that I was completely charmed by Al; he is lovable, sweet and admits even to himself that he’s not exactly the brightest tool in the box. Larry is little, pretty and dead clever (Al said that and I won’t argue).   The story is written from Al’s perspective and is humorous throughout, we see these two men from completely different backgrounds come together and neither one tries to change the other, which is completely refreshing, and their lives seem to mesh together really well.

Al seems to completely miss the effect he has on Larry, while Larry is overwhelmed by what he means to Al.   These two men make you want to know them, you can imagine sitting in a pub having a pint with the pair of them and having a grand time of it.

The sex scenes weren’t very detailed but they were hot and plentiful. There doesn’t seem to be much romance but you have to remember that this is Al’s POV who is a big, beefy, working-class boy, an Ex-bouncer and manual worker who wouldn’t see romance even if it hit him with a plank of wood.

So my honest opinion is that this is a poignant romance which is really well written and I loved it.

 

 

Simple by SJD Peterson

Title: Simple

Author: SJD Peterson

Genre:  Contemporary

Publisher:  Silver Publishing

Heat Level:  Moderate

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

Reviewer:  Astrid

Blurb:  The moment when the world tilts on its axis, completely changing everything. The instant when suddenly everything just falls into place. The second when a heart shatters into a million tiny pieces, only to settle back into place, complete for the first time. When an all-encompassing light surrounds a soul, touching it so deeply a permanent imprint is left behind. The first time true love is felt.

For Brycen Anderson, it didn’t happen as it does on TV or on the Hollywood screen. There was no fancy movie set or a multi-million dollar budget. No director taking control. No rehearsals, costumes or media fanfare. It was…

A passing glance…

A casual touch…

Simple.

Review:  I was prepared by a reliable source for a sweet story and that’s what I got.  But “sweet” is a bit misleading in that it’s too simplistic of a description.

Brycen is bored and stuck in a rut of the mundane. He’s a homebody who yearns for the simple things in life and someone special to share them with. John is his perfect match and they have more in common than either expects. Each has been left with deep feelings of inadequacy by previous relationships.

The story takes you through them learning how to work through misunderstandings, talk about their fears, establishing trust and to realize their imagined inadequacies are only in the minds of the unworthy ex’s.

I’m a lover of stories filled with angst, lust and passion – those extreme emotions you don’t run into on a daily basis. But a true love story told with real characters, with believable reactions and honest motivations – well, those are harder to come by. This story isn’t one filled with contrived drama to move the story along. It’s a love story, self doubt, insecurities and beautifully rounded out with real emotions – “Simple” as that.

As Advertised by Jaime Samms

Title:   As Advertised

Author:   Jaime Samms

Genre:   Contemporary

Length:   Novel

Publisher:   Freya’s Bower Publishing

Heat Level:  Moderate

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥ 4 out of 5 hearts

Reviewer:  Pixie

Blurb:  Tyler’s life perked up when he met Jake. So what if long-time friend Marty can’t stand him and his landlady has no use for his new beau. Tyler’s determined not to see the dark side of his lover. It’s his own fault for believing people don’t go around keeping secrets and lying.

Tyler should know better.   He’s an ad executive.  He knows the packaging is what sells, and Jake is quite a package.   His lover is no slouch when it comes to false advertising, either, and when Tyler finds out the truth, it hurts.    Weathering Jake’s lies and secrets gets easier with the help of new friends, Libby and Steven. In fact, Tyler figures that maybe a lot of things would get easier with Steven.

Tyler should have known better.  Not even someone as seemingly perfect as Steven Jessop is completely as advertised.

This time, though, Tyler has to make a decision. After all, sometimes, even if what you see is not what you get, what Tyler’s uncovered in Steven might just be what he’s always wanted.

Review:  I liked the characters in this as they seem human.  Tyler who suffers from migraines, Steven who has OCD, Marty who has Schizophrenia, Jake who is arrogant, egotistical and self-centered and Libby who is the all round nice girl somehow compliment one another.

Tyler can’t believe it when his face is introduced to a martini, then a rock masquerading as an engagement ring, and then his ‘boyfriend’ runs off after his fiancé. Libby picks up the pieces with more martinis and a good old shoulder to cry on. Steven is interested in being more than friends but his past holds him back. Jake is determined to keep Tyler and to ruin any chance that Steven might have.

I truly liked this book as Tyler and Steven took several months to get to know each other (even though Steven  doesn’t divulge his past), they both had reservations about relationships, Steven being worried that when Tyler found out  about his past he wouldn’t want him and Tyler worrying that he will just be used again.   The interaction between the characters is wonderful.   Tyler and Marty’s friendship is just really sad as you can imagine Tyler longing for his old friend back.

I recommend this as a really good read and hope that Marty will have a story of his own.