Tag: Eric’s Reviews

The Co-Walkers, Awakening by Hermine G. Steinberg

81lUzZpazXL._SL1500_Title: The Co-Walkers: Awakening

Author: Hermine G. Steinberg

Genre: Young Adult/Action/adventure/Sci-fi/Fantasy

Length: Novel (233 pages)

ISNB: 9781610406024

Publisher: Prism Books (November 5th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Could life get any worse for Ashley, Brian, and Matthew? Their father abandoned them, they’ve been shipped off to live with a total stranger, and now they’ve discovered that everything they’ve ever learned about the world is a lie!

But to find the truth, they will have to battle evil faeries, risk their lives to claim magical talismans, and earn the respect of Elves who have vowed to kill them. Will they be able to prove that they are the legendary Co-Walkers who are able to travel between the Earthly and Faery Realms? Or are they merely pawns caught in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy that could lead to the destruction of both their worlds? It’s up to Ashley, Brian, and Matthew to discover their unique abilities and restore what magick alone cannot repair.

Purchase Link: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=77

Review: I found this book to be amazing. A fun spin on the world of Fae, I was enticed and addicted to it from page 2. The more I read, the more addicted I was to finding out more. The characters were great and fun to read about. I learned a lot through the characters. And when the book was done, I was almost saddened to see them go. I think this book was fantastic. I cannot wait to find out more about them.

The plot is solid and quite thorough. I would highly recommend this book for anyone that likes to read of the Fae and how they co-exist (secretly) with humanity.

Your Heart is a Legend by Emily Nakanishi

71JsXRZ9dmL._SL1500_Title: Your Heart was a Legend

Author: Emily Nakanishi

Genre: Coming of Age

Length: Short (34 pages)

ISNB: 9781610406383

Publisher: Torquere Press (January 23rd, 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Frankie is used to sticking to what he knows. He’s used to life in a small town, where rights movements make their last stop. He keeps his thoughts to himself, including the ones he has about his sexuality and his not-so-platonic feelings for his best friend, Tobias. 

But something has to give. The end of senior year is coming up quick, and it’s bringing the end of life, as Frankie knows it. Frankie is going to have to make peace with himself and what he’s afraid of—whether it’s school bullies or his own feelings. Frankie is going to have to learn that if he wants to change anything at all, he’s going to have to start with himself.

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=4110

Review: I found this book to be downright amazing. This book showed how hard it is for gay people to be accepted in small town high schools. Bullying, dangers, family rejection. This book has it all. I loved this book all the way through and cannot wait to see what else Emily comes up with as far as her literature.

Her short book was downright amazing. The characters were realistic and three-dimensional. They were living breathing people. The plot was solid: coming out. And it was written flawlessly.

I would highly recommend this one to those that wanna know how hard it is to come out in modern society.  Even in a small town.

Ties That Bind by Indra Vaughn

71yxDOrJ-FL._SL1500_Title: Ties That Bind

Author: Indra Vaughn

Genre: Halloween

Length: Short (29 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (October 29th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Oliver O’Shea is afraid of the unnaturally beautiful Nechtan and his disturbingly bewitching sweet shop. It’s a primal fear, something that thrills deep in his being and that no one else in the small Irish village seems to feel, not even his best friend and lover, Andrew.

On an unseasonably hot Hallow’s Eve Oliver wakes to a world empty of everyone but himself and with Nechtan’s voice in his head. Against his will, Oliver follows Nechtan’s voice through the village to the plain where the annual bonfire is held, and then into another world. In that Otherworld, Oliver will have to bleed truth and desire if he wants to save Andrew from a destiny of oblivion.

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_107&products_id=4048

Review:  This story was downright great. Addicting, fascinating. I loved it. It had a moderate sexuality to it but still remained a downright great story. I instantly added Indra to my twitter account to keep an eye on her. The characters are strong. The plot was great. I found myself wanting to read more by her.

I would highly recommend her to anyone that wants to read a good Halloween story.

Camping with Christy by Stephen Olander

3636f5f685e6890d1cc7badfdbe09057cebacc2aTitle: Camping with Christy

Author: Stephen Olander

Genre: Erotica/Ménage

Length: Novella (54 pages)

Publisher: Stephen Olander (June 24th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥ 1 Heart

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Josh has a crush on a hairdresser named Christy. When he gets the chance to see her outside of work, he jumps at it but is in for a big surprise when her on-again, off again buddy Chad shows up as well. 

Purchase Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/329427

Review: This book was downright disappointing. I found there to be no story behind it. Nothing interesting. The book was sex scene after sex scene after sex scene. The characters were strong, sure, but the story was flat and there was no plot whatsoever. This book was a total disappointment. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.

The Haunted Halloween of Barnaby Sloan by Jenna Jones

18715137Title: The Haunted Halloween of Barnaby Sloan

Author: Jenna Jones

Genre: Halloween

Length: Short (28 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (October 23rd, 2013)

Heat: Moderate

Heart: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: It’s Halloween, and Barnaby and his friends plan to do their usual Halloween ghost walk at a local park that is rumored to be haunted. Barnaby worries his new boyfriend Liam will find their plans ridiculous, and he doesn’t even believe in ghosts, but he invites Liam to join them on the ghost walk anyway.

While their friends scare each other at the park, Barnaby confides in Liam about why he doesn’t believe in an afterlife. Then Barnaby hears a familiar voice whispering his name — and of course, he must investigate…

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_107&products_id=4043

Review: I found this piece to be quite enjoyable. It was fun, fast paced, and rather addicting. When the ending came around, I wanted to know more about the characters. The plot was solid. The characters were three-dimensional.

Snow Job by E.M. Lynley

81N6RqfjlOL._SL1500_Title: Snow Job

Author: E.M. Lynley

Genre: New Adult

Length: Novella (102 pages)

ISNB: 9781623006570

Publisher: Loose ID (December 17th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Two weeks in a remote mountain cabin with his hunk of a jock college roommate Monty Jameson has Zack Gregory hot under the collar in all the wrong ways. Truth is, Zack would rather be almost anywhere else, but it’s his only option if he’s to finish a project he needs to graduate from the University of Washington. Even worse, the nearest town is a faux-Bavarian village that looks like someone poured a snowglobe out on the eastern Cascades. Late-night fantasies aside, Zack’s no fan of manslut Monty, preferring his men with virtues that are more than skin-deep.

A few days into their retreat, Monty’s raw sexuality and flirtatiousness has Zack questioning his resolve. The idyllic setting is Zack’s Christmas fantasy come true, and even the splashy village eventually works its charm on him. Then when the cabin’s power goes out and Monty lays himself bare–in every way imaginable and then some–Zack sees a whole new set of possibilities. But will falling for Monty make the best Christmas ever, or is Zack just getting snowed?

Purchase Link:  http://www.loose-id.com/snow-job.html

Review:  This novella was downright addicting. Fantastic and then some. Zack cannot get over the issues he was having. And all because of a paper that he had to do before the end of the semester. One paper that would prevent him from graduating if he didn’t get it done and turned in before a week’s time. He planned to stay at the dorm until Monty offers to let him stay at his family’s cabin.

When they get there, the paper isn’t the only studying Zack does.

I found this book to be downright fantastic. Addictive and then some. Trust me. It is worth the read.

Silent by Sara Alva

18247083Title: Silent

Author: Sara Alva

Genre: Contemporary/New Adult

Length: Novel (383 pages)

ISBN: 1493665901

Publisher: Sara Alva (October 27th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Alex’s life as a teenager in South Central LA is far from perfect, but it’s his life, and he knows how to live it. He knows what role to play and what things to keep to himself. He’s got it all under control, until one lousy pair of shoes kicks him out of his world and lands him in a foster care group home.

Surrounded by strangers and trapped in a life where he could never belong, Alex turns to the only person lower on the social ladder than he is a “special” mute boy. In Sebastian, Alex finds a safe place to store his secrets—those that sent him to foster care, and the deeper one that sets him apart from the other teenagers he knows. But Sebastian has secrets of his own, and when tragedy rips the two boys apart, Alex will stop at nothing to find the answers—even if it means dragging them both through a past full of wounds best left buried.

It might just be worth it, for the slim chance at love.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Sara-Alva-ebook/dp/B00G8UF0JM

Review:  This book was long and quite complicated. You truly do get the understanding of Alex and who he is. When he understands something or learns something, you being to feel for him and learn.

Sara Alva truly shows what life in South Central LA is like. The tough times, the dark times and then some. I found this book to be a bit long for my taste and at the same time, I found it intriguing at the same time. Maybe it was too much for me but I’m sure someone who appreciates a great amount of detail would appreciate a book like this.

I just honestly didn’t like this novel. I don’t know specifically what made it a bit of a drag but I know that it was tough to start, tough to continue and then some.

What I did like was how the characters were willing to protect each other. How they were willing to hide the secrets each other didn’t want to voice. And while I didn’t like the length or how rough it was for me to read it, I found it to be somewhat intriguing.

The Haven by A.J. Llewellyn

18769207Title: The Haven

Author: A.J. Llewellyn

Genre: Comedy, contemporary, gay, romance

Length: Novella (122 pages)

ISNB: 9781622320790

Publisher: Silver Publishing (November 13th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: In this sequel to the best-selling novel, The Oasis, Elias and Josh are celebrating their first anniversary. When Elias’s baby mama, Carina, takes their son, Julio, to the Disney resort in Hawaii, Josh urges Elias to organize a romantic vacation in Palm Springs. He wants some place private and cozy, and he wants to invite gay porn star, Samuel Colt, since they did promise the guy an anniversary threesome.

And then… disaster. From the start, everything goes wrong. The lakeside house Elias booked turns out to be a creepy, clapped-out, wreck of a trailer. He also has bigger worries. He can’t get Carina to return his calls. What is going on with her and why is Elias’s mom hiding in Carina’s hotel room closet? Why did Carina’s new boyfriend give Julio a weird animal for a birthday gift and why has some lunatic targeted Josh and Elias when this is supposed to be a fun-filled holiday weekend? And, uh-oh. Look who just showed up. Samuel Colt, looking less than impressed with the vacation house from hell…

Purchase Link: http://spsilverpublishing.com/blog/2013/11/02/the-haven-by-a-j-llewellyn/

Review: Once again, I was swept away by the beauty that was AJ Llewellyn’s writing. The book was so addictive. So amazing, I couldn’t get enough of it.

Elias and Josh want nothing more than some time alone together. When their buddy Samuel gives them a call asking if they could get together for another threesome, Elias wants nothing more than to deal with the drama around him. But when Carina comes into town, he lets his son see her mother and spend some time with her thinking nothing is going on behind his back. He sets up the vacation and heads out knowing his son will be watched over…even if it isn’t by good hands. God only knows where those nasty hands of Carina’s have been.

But when he finds out she’s in a sex ring while he’s on vacation, his mind is blown. Even after he finds out her boyfriend is bisexual and is getting services from his friend Samuel.

In a complex story of twists and turns, love always prevails. And it still does with this book. I found myself mesmerized from page one and couldn’t wait to find out more. It is so addicting you’ll crave another volume of AJ’s work.

I would highly recommend this to anyone that has read the first one. Trust me. You won’t regret it.

Beyond the Reef by A.J. Llewellyn

18936187Title: Beyond the Reef, 2nd edition

Author: A.J. Llewellyn

Genre:  Paranormal/Erotic Romance

Length: Novella (130 pages)

ISNB: 9781791848746

Publisher: Totally Bound (December 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Tony takes a shower one day and finds a naked man fondling his loofah. Frank’s a sex machine who knows Tony’s deepest desires…and won’t go away.

Wannabe actor Tony Kaven’s career hasn’t just stalled—it’s in reverse—so he jumps at the chance of being a personal assistant to mercurial movie star Rufus Roscoe on location in Maui, Hawaii. Tony wants to do well, except that, from the moment he arrives, everything goes wrong. Roscoe hates everything about him, even his blue suede shoes. Somebody on Facebook told Tony that Rufus is a big Elvis fan so Tony couldn’t resist splurging on the shoes.

Wrong information.

Rufus hates Elvis, blue suede shoes and overweight, overwrought personal assistants.

It looks like he’s about to get canned when a mysterious man named Frank shows up naked in Tony’s shower and tells him he is the man of his dreams. His true love. Who is this guy? And how is it that when Frank is around, everything has a way of going right? Tony finds that true love means taking a leap of faith, but he finds more than that it also means rolling with the punches, but leading with your heart.

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously released by another publisher. It has been revised and re-edited for release by Totally Bound Publishing.

Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/beyond-the-reef?page=2

Review:  This book is downright amazing. It kept me addicted from the start. And the only thing I could wait for is more. It never stopped once it started. And god only knows I fell in love with the main character at the start.

Everything from Tony starting the job to the surprise arrival of Frank, to the way he handles his client. Rufus loves to try and start issues. But at the same time, he wants nothing more than to get his career taken off. He takes advantage of having Tony around but yet he hides something more. And it’s definitely not attraction.

And then there is Frank. The man who came around on a wish and stuck around for good. What could someone do if they had a crush on a wished man? Would they find it real? Would the love be real? Would the pleasure be real or faked? I really enjoyed this book.

Spears and Stones by Holly Meadowes

18469419Title: Spears and Stones

Author: Holly Meadowes

Genre: Alternative, historical, time travel

Length: Novella (71 pages)

ISNB: 9781627404549

Publisher: Siren Publishing (September 7th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Ansgar, the son of a powerful Germanic chief, is hunting with his brother one day, but far from finding a wild boar they find a young, fiery haired man dressed in strange clothing. Fearing that he may be in league with the Romans that their tribe are fighting against or an escaped slave from one of said Roman camps, they take him prisoner.

The young man claims that he is from a time in the distant future and is searching for the myth of the Flame Thrower. As Ansgar tries to decide whether or not this boy is truly mad, trouble brews over the threat of Roman invasion. The fiery haired boy, Cinead makes a deal with Ansgar. If he fights with them against the Romans, he will be rewarded by being escorted to a great stone monument, which he claims he was transported here by and allowed to go home. The German warrior decides to humour him, but as they plan and train and fight together and he sees the strength, tenacity, cleverness and general beauty of Cindead, he begins to realise that, mad or not he doesn’t want him to leave.

Purchase Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/spears-and-stones

Review: I loved this novella.

It was filled with the perfect amount of detail, the right amount of sexual tension and a hot sex scene or two. I found the characters were right to be with each other. Though the story was only told in Ansgar’s point of view, it is just as good as any other romance. I found it to be one of my favourites: from the plot, to the romance, to the characters themselves.

Kuro by Ana Raine

81QW6gW9etL._SL1400_Title:  Kuro (Trick or Treat

Author:  Ana Raine

Genre:  Paranormal/ Erotic Romance

Length: Short (29 pages)

ISNB:  06623-02130

Publisher:  Changeling Press LLC (October 7th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: While shopping for candy for his friend’s Halloween party, Preston saves a strange black cat from a group of teenage boys. Overcome with a desire entirely new to him, Preston takes the black cat home and discovers things are not always what they seem, especially on Halloween.

The cat, a demon named Caleb, has been searching for his mate for months and can’t help but be fascinated with sweet Preston. He’s determined to drag Preston down to his home in the underwater demon world. Now Preston must choose between his mortal life or one full of demons — and love.

Purchase Link: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2130

Review: Preston is planning on heading over to his good friend’s house for her fourth annual Halloween party when he comes across a cat in distress. He rescues the cat and ends up taking it home with him. As soon as he gets home, he finds himself shocked to see the cat having turned into a sexy man who made him both confused and incredibly turned on.

This Hot Flash goes to show what happens when dangerous men trigger a hidden desire. It provides the excellence of an erotic romance and the enjoyment of hidden desire and what it can bring forward.

I’m the kind of person that loves a well-paced erotic story to sweep me away from a long day and this one is perfect for that sort of occasion. I find it to be a fantastic read, a quick one, and well written.

I would certainly recommend this for anyone that loves to read quick stories and become enthralled by an amazing romance during Halloween.

Paradise at Main & Elm by Barry Brennessel

18159623Title: Paradise at Main and Elm

Author: Barry Brennessel

Genre: Contemporary, Romantic

Length: Novel (325 pages)

ISNB: 9781925031577

Publisher: Wilde City Press (November 25th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Adrian Stockwell and Ezra Cherevin both battle the fallout from their broken families. Yet each one’s strategy is as different as each one’s past. Adrian’s childhood was left void by apathy, Ezra’s upended by violence. The written word soon becomes their therapy, their escape. This shared passion for literature is the vehicle that brings them together.

But their journey is filled with personal and familial potholes.

Can these two young men carve out a life together by learning to navigate a sea of challenges? And can the people in their lives do the same?

Purchase Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-mainstream/paradise-at-main-and-elm/#.UsB8ZPRDvRw

Review: So perfectly written, this novel was downright beautiful. I found myself starting it and never wanting it to end. I wanted nothing more than for Adrian and Ezra to be together. And when they did get together, I leapt with joy.

The story of two people, one of which had a violent past and the other with careless people. It’s just downright amazing. Loved the plot. Loved the characters. They were three-dimensional. And you found yourself confused about Ezra at first but a little later, it becomes an understanding of why he is how he is.

The Oasis by A.J. Llewellyn

9586480Title: The Oasis

Series:  Palm Springs Diaries

Author: A.J. Llewellyn

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (152 Pages)

ISBN: 978-1-920468-75-0

Publisher: Silver Publishing (December 11th, 2010)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: Elias and his best friend/roommate Josh take the plunge and head to Palm Springs for one of the notorious gay circuit parties that take place in the lavish desert resort called The Oasis on holiday weekends. After a disastrous start, they find all the sex with all the hot bodies they could want. However, they find to their surprise that the real oasis…was right under their noses all along. Elias and Josh realize there is something else between them. Could their real oasis be…each other?

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/the-oasis-ebook-p-136.html

Review: Elias has always been one to hide his emotions from the ones he’s been with. But, he cannot hide the desire he feels for Josh. Josh has been hiding his emotions on the occasion but in the meantime, he’s been hiding a major crush on someone he’s been super close to.

I really enjoyed this book.  The characters were great.  Josh and Elias make a great couple. Elias has had a rough year, but Josh is there for him.  If you like, a good friends-to-lover read…The Oasis would be a great pick.