Hey guys, we have Lee Brazil visiting with an oldie but goodie Loving Jacob, we asked Lee a couple of questions, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Cat’s review! So enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Loving Jacob
by
Lee Brazil
When Malcolm Jenner’s sex-on-the-side turns into more, he isn’t above begging for a second chance.
High profile attorney Malcolm Jenner is looking for a bit of fun, nothing serious. He’s got duties and responsibilities, after all. Though he’s not one to choose his lovers from the office, Jacob Renault is an attraction too compelling to resist.
However, Jacob isn’t interested in temporary. He wants it all—Prince Charming, the castle, the happily ever after. There’s no rule that says the younger man can’t have fun while he’s searching for his prince, though…
At first neither is willing to compromise on their stance, but an agreement is reached, with each man planning to do his best to subvert the other to his viewpoint. Lust turns to love, and what’s impossible becomes merely improbable, but is it going to be enough?
Blurb: Dean believes love is never wrong, but is that still true if there’s a twenty-one year age gap?
Jeff was raised to believe love between two men is wrong. Or is it? Can love ever be wrong? When Jeff meets the much younger Dean, he only knows he wants him, consequences be damned. But things are not as easy, especially after Jeff’s ex calls and announces big news.
And Dean? He thinks the new neighbor is hot, but he’s not interested in anything more than a rebound fuck. That’s what he tells himself, at least. But lust isn’t a good basis for a relationship, more so since Jeff isn’t sure whether he can deal with being gay.
Review: Never Wrong is a sweet romance about two men just getting out of a relationship. Dean caught his boyfriend in the act of cheating. He moved into a new apartment building to begin a new life.
Jeff left his girlfriend of 11 years because though he loved her, both were unhappy and he needed space to explore his feelings.
The moment Dean met Jeff he wanted him but thought he just wanted a rebound roll in the hay.
Jeff was really struggling with some hidden feelings but as much as he wanted Dean he had issues with the 20 year age gap.
This is a very sweet story. It started out little slow for me but towards the end picked up. There was actually a very memorable scene with Dean cooking for Jeff that had me rolling in the floor laughing. I totally fell in love with Dean. T
hough Jeff is more my kind of man…Dean won my heart. He is young, sweet, naïve, charming and all over a nice man. His personality really shown through the story. On the other hand. I liked Jeff but would have liked more from him.
The story line is good but a typical romance. There is a small twist that I did like the way that was handled.
So all in all this is a good Feel-good short story. If like a good sweet romance with a little twist, two broken men, friends to lovers and older man-younger man this is definitely for you.
Title: Fixing the Hole Author: Katherine Halle Genre: Contemporary Length: Novella (80 pages) Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (November 5th 2014) Heat Level: Mild Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3 Hearts Blurb: Heavy rains and strong winds slammed an uprooted tree through Steve Crowell’s roof, leaving a gaping hole to match the one in his heart.
After his ex left him for a younger man, Steve’s not sure he’s ready to handle another disaster. His best friend highly recommended the contractor, but the man’s already late, and when he shows up with his music thumping, Steve isn’t impressed—until Riley steps out of his pickup truck. Personable, gorgeous Riley talks a mile a minute, which Steve finds both ridiculously endearing and terrifying.
Piecing together a heart isn’t as easy as fixing a roof, but Riley might just be the right man for the job.
Steve still hasn’t completely recovered from his younger boyfriend leaving him for an even younger guy. And now a storm has landed a tree on his house and left a hole in his roof to match the one in his heart.
Riley is everything that Steve likes in a guy… sexy, charismatic and some fifteen years his junior. But Steve worries about opening himself up again and the possibility of being hurt again. They spend most of their time dancing around their mutual attraction, but Riley has the good sense to push the envelope and see where the chemistry takes them.
I’m a huge fan of age gap stories, and I really liked the edge this story took with Riley having to be the persistent one and Steve being hesitant. But the ending was very anticlimactic for me. They spent the entire book dancing around each other, then *snap* they go on a date and the end. I wanted to see more of the connection between the two characters after they accepted their feelings for each other.
Overall, this was a short, sweet story but it felt unfinished in the end. I would read a sequel for sure though. I’d be interested to see what happens in the future for Steve and Riley.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Cutting Out Series: N/A Author: Meredith Shayne Genre: May/December Length: Novel (247 Pages) Publisher: Bottom Drawer Publication (October 11, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts Blurb: A twenty-year veteran of the shearing shed, Aussie Shane Cooper loves his job, and the home he’s made for himself in New Zealand. If he’s a little lonely, he’s got good mates to keep his spirits up. When a hot, cocky young shearer named Lachlan Moore catches his eye at a competition, he’s content to look but not touch, knowing the young man is out of his league.
Lachie wouldn’t mind a piece of Shane, but the gorgeous gun shearer from Australia is soon forgotten when the Christchurch earthquake hits, and tragedy strikes Lachie’s family. Lachie deals with it the best he can, cutting himself off from all he knows. A year later and he’s back in the shearing shed, out of practice and lacking confidence. That Shane’s there to watch him flounder doesn’t help his nerves.
As Lachlan struggles to re-acclimatize, Shane can’t resist giving him a hand to get back on his feet. As they move from friends to something more, Shane finds himself wanting to know everything he can about Lachie. But Lachie’s got secrets he desperately wants to keep, and when things come to a head, those secrets might just mean the end of them before they’ve truly begun
ISBN: 978-0-9941572-3-2 Product Link: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!cutting-out/ckts Reviewer: Lisa Review: This was a very good book, if not way too long for me. I thought my eyes were going to stay crisscrossed while reading. I however found myself captivated by it. I never would have thought that I would be into a story that did not have the paranormal or law enforcement angle.
However, I was quite surprised by this book. It has such a sad tone to most of it, and I can actually see it. I was drawn to it. It was a beautiful story that just grabs you and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Lachie is a beautiful young man with a heart of gold. Whereas Shane is a forty-year-old man, who has his heart set on Lachie.
Shane has been in the shearing shed for most of his life and even though he is alone through it all, he loves what he does. When he meets Lachie, he thinks he has found the man for him. Lachie is quite a bit younger than he is but he wants a future with him. However, there is something going on with Lachie. Something he is hiding and he doesn’t know if he wants to push it or let it go.
Lachie has been in the shearing shed for a few years, but he is pretty damn good at it. He had met Shane and was actually almost as good at it as Shane is. Then the earthquake hits and his father is killed leaving him taking care of his father. His mother is taking it very badly and he is just not sure how to handle it all. He knows that he is keeping secrets from Shane but he doesn’t want Shane to feel sorry for his family. He is actually not sure what to think about it all. He is running scared and now he needs to learn how to trust another with all that is going on.
Shane wants to help, he wants to be there for the man he has fallen in love with. I loved this book, but it was very hard to get into all the details. I actually put that on the fact that the story is placed in another country and I had difficulties with the slang I would say. It was a beautiful story and you can tell that there was a lot of passion and heart put into it. There is nothing better than a story that you can tell the author put their entire heart into it. I was blessed to have had a chance to read this amazing story.
I would recommend reading this especially if you love sexy men, tender sex, lots of passion and fire, angst, pain, fears and happily ever after. It will give you all that you could possibly want in a story.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Touch Me: An Erotic Romance Author: Chris Scully Genre: Erotic Romance Length: Novella (73 pages) ISBN: B00NBJCPE6 Publisher: Chris Scully (September 23rd, 2014) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts Reviewer: Zane Blurb: Massage therapist Erik Morgan offers a very special after-hours service to a handful of select clients. From a young man anxious to explore his sexuality, to a stroke patient who fears he’ll never be a man again, Erik touches them all. But no one touches him. Not anymore.
Faced with a personal tragedy, Erik loses himself in helping others. Until one brave client turns the tables and gets under his skin, and Erik finds himself touched in unexpected ways.
Warning! This gay erotic romance novella is intended for an adult audience. It contains explicit scenes of erotic massage, edging, rimming, m/m sex and a vibrator or two.
Review: I had a feeling I would like this novella (I’m a fan of Chris Scully’s work) and I was not disappointed. From the start, Erik is a character you feel for – harboring his own emotional trauma. He helps others and uses that to bond with his ailing partner. What an emotional ride – the journey of love, loss, finding new love, and a May-December romance as well.
The characters are very likable; the two MCs are absolute sweethearts. The story is gripping from the get-go, and I was rooting for everyone, including the secondary characters being helped by our lovely Erik. The points of view are very clear, the love between couples is strong, and the sex, well, that was hot, too!!!
This book may be short in length but it certainly is not short in substance. Chris Scully is a great storyteller with the ability to elicit deep emotion, both from her characters and her readers. If you are looking for love, lust, laughter and tears in a short read, this book and this author are definitely worth your while.
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through www.mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com **
Series: Romance on the Go AUTHOR: Elizabeth Monvey GENRE: Interracial/May*December LENGTH: Short (36 pages) PUBLISHER: Evernight Publishing (August 12th, 2014) HEAT LEVEL: Moderate HEART RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts BLURB: Jin-Pyoo is an Olympic Alpine skier who has been reared all his life to focus on winning a medal. His father is harsh and demanding, but when he orders Jin to stop being friends with ski resort owner, Tolliver St. James, Jin has to decide if he should continue with his Olympic dream or follow his heart.
Tolliver St. James knows that Jin is the man for him. They’ve been in a secret relationship for two years and he wants them to be publicly out, but Jin wants them to keep hiding in the shadows. When Jin’s father forces Jin into an engagement with a woman, Tolliver is afraid of losing his lover forever.
But when Tolliver is caught in grips of an avalanche, Jin knows he can’t live his life without him and it’s a race against time to find the man he loves more than anything.
REVIEW: If you like, your love story with some sports, this is great. Jin-Pyoo is a Korean alpine skier who has just bombed at the Sochi games and now is under pressure from his father and Korean sponsors so he will be in medal contention at the upcoming Korean Olympic Games. He’s 29, which means that the next Olympics would be his last chance to win gold. His boyfriend of two years is Tolliver, who owns the ski resort in the US where Jin trains.
Tolliver has been extremely patient with Jin. Because of his father’s old-fashioned beliefs, their relationship has been completely hidden. Worse yet, Jin’s father has arranged a marriage and Tolliver has told Jin he isn’t taking any more of their closeted relationship.
From the beginning, I found myself feeling sorry for Jin with the situation he was face with. However, I also feel sorry for Tolliver, having to be the hidden lover despite the fact that Jin feels that Tolliver is his happily ever after. I also immediately completely adored Tolliver from the outset.
This is packed with emotion, especially when Jin faces the possibility that Tolliver could die after they have an argument. A great, quick read with a very sweet and adorable couple.
Title: The Encounter Author: Jacey Holbrand Genre: Urban Fantasy/May ~December Length: Novella (56 pages) Publisher: Evernight Publishing (July 3rd 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 2.5 Hearts Reviewer: Tams Blurb: Evan ‘Zen’ Zenas is the top agent at The Agency and is known for his brusque demeanor. He’s also known to be tough on trainees. Those who find themselves under his tutelage usually don’t last long. When he’s assigned a new assistant, Seth Trivos, Zen’s faced with questions about his past he’s not too keen on answering.
Seth Trivos knew Evan once upon a time, loved him even, but when Evan disappeared, he unknowingly broke Seth’s heart. Now, he’s in Evan’s world as the newest recruit at The Agency, and he’s looking for answers.
Will Zen chase away another new assistant because he doesn’t want to open up about a past encounter or will being forced on a case together make him face the demons he’s been trying to hide from?
Review: Seth Trivos has been in love with Evan since he was a teenager. At the time, Evan was Seth’s uncle’s partner, but the two have long since broken up. Now Seth is poised to be the man who has filled his dreams and fantasies for years, new assistant at The Agency.
Even Zenas, Zen, is top of the food chain at The Agency. He chews up and spits out rookies, and the outcome for his newest assistant isn’t looking promising. But there is a familiarity in Seth that Zen recognizes immediately. It’s a little bit of a shock when Zen learns who Seth is, even more shocking that the young man holds a grudge against Zen for breaking his uncle’s heart, since that’s not exactly how things went down.
Working a case in the dark of night in some secluded woods, the attraction between these two is evident and a quick mating leaves Zen sated and sleeping, but Seth confused. His wet dream turned out to be slightly dry. Zen hadn’t planned on ever seeing the young, virile nephew of his ex again, much less kissing him and touching him, like he did many a night in his dreams. This current case stirs up memories of his past Zen would rather not face, and it left him exhausted and spent before the kissing even started. The question is, can he make it right in the light of day?
There was a lot going on in this naughty little novella. A lot of potential with alien abductions and the May to December romance between Seth and Evan, what’s the mysterious Agency really all about? Sadly, it came across as more of a jumbled mess than a steady flow of a story. I think had this been a longer novel with the opportunity to pursue and fully describe, delve into all the details within the story, this would have been a much better read. As it was, it was just okay for me.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Loving His Cowboy Series: (His Cowboy #1) Author: Jess Buffett Genre: Contemporary Cowboy Romance Length: Short (32 pages) Publisher: Evernight Publishing (April 11th, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts Reviewer: Tams Blurb: Quinn Bridges has almost everything a man could ask for. He is healthy, his cattle station is doing well, and he just signed a deal of a lifetime. After a chance encounter with a young man at the pub, he thinks perhaps he has met the final missing piece to his life.
Luc Walker has spent most of his life proving himself to everyone around him. Meeting Quinn changes that, as the older man has no idea who Luc really is. Desperate to not change how Quinn sees him, Luc keeps his true identity from him.
But when things fall apart and Quinn discovers Luc’s secret, will he be able to convince Quinn that nothing is more important to him than loving his cowboy?
Review: Luc Walker has lived his life trying to convince everyone he is not this entitled rich kid that everyone thinks he is, as soon as they hear his last name. He works for his father, yes, but he works hard at his father’s insistence. So when he meets the sexy cowboy that has come to his dad’s office to do some business, he’s immediately taken with the big man and sets out to see if the attraction could be mutual.
The two share a very passionate night and Luc is ready to walk away and chalk it up to a one nighter, but Quinn convinces him they should get to know each other and give each other a chance. But, as the threat of Quinn finding out who Luc really is looms closer, Luc breaks off all contact for fear that it’s inevitable anyways. Luc finds himself desperate to do anything to convince Quinn to give him another chance when his worst fear is realized.
These two guys are about to learn that an intense, immediate attraction and smoking hot sex aren’t the only elements of a relationship they need to master in order to be together. Definitely short and steamy, and I’m not sure that a lack of communication is the issue because Luc just flat out doesn’t tell Quinn who is. First Quinn has to get past that, which builds a trust issue from the start. The story itself is really well written though. Buffett lengthens the time frame of the story by mentioning the passing of time here and there, so the reader knows that these two have actually known each other a while, not just the 30 something pages we are reading. There were a few hiccups in the story and it didn’t flow quite as well as I like, but overall, it was a pretty sexy read that will eat up your lunch hour and allow you to skip all those extra calories while reading!
Series: Stand alone/ character from ‘Matter of Time’ series
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Sean Crisden
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 6 hours and 34 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (01-11-14)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy. He just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.
Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been looking for. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.
Review: Nate is an openly gay, college professor whose best friend is his ex-wife. Just a genuinely nice guy who puts everyone from his son to his hot neighbor’s nephew, friends and family first. So when a former student, now an MD, hits on him he’s taken aback. Try as they might, Nate and the young doctor can never get their timing right. But, soon enough Nate learns that his tall, dark and sex on a stick neighbour, Dreo, has been eyeing him for years.
Dreo is a lot like Nate, he took the high road when his sister died and left sole custody of her son to her beloved big brother, taking a less than scrupulous job to support himself and Michael. He has been lusting after his much older and established neighbour, Nate, pretty much since they moved into the building. Circumstance leads Dreo to finally admit his feelings to Nate and the two dive head first into a committed relationship, not passing go, not collecting two hundred dollars! But not everyone is exactly thrilled about this new development, dangerous people. Nate and Dreo may have finally found the love they’ve longed for with each other, but will it cost them their lives?
Mary Calmes is one of those authors that you simply buy her work regardless. She can do no wrong in my eyes. And when you take her skilled storytelling ability and add Sean Crisden to the mix as the narrator of this story, what you have is perfection. Calmes can weave anything into a story, Love, lust, murder, the mafia and a man that will do anything to protect his family. Crisden nails the nuances and tones of every character, so you know exactly whom you are hearing as he’s reading.
This is definitely the May to December gay romance that goes the long haul. Oh, and I loved getting more insight into the character Duncan Steel, of Parting Shot by Calmes. If you like domineering Alpha male types, smexy guy on guy romance and a little bit of action with a dose of suspense, this is definitely the book for you.
P.S. there is an amazingly sexy bathroom scene! Wow, I hit rewind a couple times.
** I received a copy of this audio book from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews **
Blurb:The man of your dreams could be sitting right next to you…
Former boy band member Justin Hayes isn’t looking for a man. He just wants a quiet, scandal-free Christmas at home in Chicago, out of the public eye. But his best friend and bandmate is subjecting everyone to his destination wedding, and Justin can’t dodge the “best man” bullet. All he has to do is get to the island on time, survive the reunion, and get Chuck to the altar with as little drama as possible. What could possibly go wrong?
Jack Basinger’s own plans for a quiet Christmas have been dashed by the summons to his daughter’s hasty wedding with a man Jack has hardly met. On the bumpy flight to the island, he finds himself comforting a nervous—and extremely attractive—young man. One hasty sexual encounter in an airport bathroom later, they both feel much better. No one ever has to know, after all.
Now Justin and Jack must find a way to explore their attraction, despite the distractions of disapproving family members, unexpected announcements, an impromptu concert, and an island paradise that proves there’s no place like home
Review: I wish this book were longer. Why? Because there are so many ideas here that really needed to be explored that would have made the story so much better. The story premise is excellent and the characters are introduced and interact well together. The problem is that the love story between Justin and Jack just never has an opportunity to shine. Instead, it is buried amongst the other sub plots. This felt more like Justin’s story and how he’s to navigate his way from being the boy band guy into being a man who’s ready to have a relationship. If this is the intent – perfect! This then is what needed to be showcased much more. More so than his interaction with his former band members. The time spent exploring that really needed to be sent on his interaction with Jack.
The notion I assume is that the background noise of the former band mates and the wedding are to enhance the relationship with the men. What, however, ends up occurring, is the overshadowing of the romance. The reader has to deal with the former life of the boy band, the relationship between the band members, the obvious communication issues between Jack and his two children, the lack of relationship between Jack and his son-in-law, AND the reason for the shot-gun wedding (spoiler alert).
The solution would have been to KEEP all of these sub plots but insert Jack and Justin not as players in the plot but rather as pivotal to the development of these sub plots so that we learn more about ‘who’ these men are and how they will react to these issues and how together they build a relationship. Now of course, the story takes place over two or three days so accomplishing all that in itself is ambitious.
The title pretty much tells you what the end will be so you know it’s coming – what you then WANT to see as the reader is how they got there. The reader keeps get glimpses of the Justin and Jack story and of course you get to the ending and KNOW that, this is what is going to happen, but you never got to go along for the ride.
Length: Novella (132 pages) Publisher: Loose ID (August 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts
Blurb: Forty-five-year-old college professor Vincent Norton expects to spend the rest of his life alone. After all, he had more than twenty years with the love of his life before losing him to an accident. When he meets his 21-year-old neighbor, Vince is shocked and upset to find himself once again attracted to someone, but this time, it’s a man half his age. College student Rob Bridges has always liked older men, but even he’s a little surprised at how attractive he finds his much older neighbor. Once he realizes he wants Vince, Rob sets his mind on catching him. Will Vince let himself be caught, or will his indecision ruin their chance at happiness?
Review: I enjoyed this sweet boy next-door romance even with the age difference. Young student falls for hot older neighbor who is a professor, who happens to be 25 years his senior. Of course, the usual age difference drama occurs, but the loss of Vincent’s lover and partner of 20 years tends to soften my heart towards him. Add all those elements to a budding relationship, throw in an ailing father and you have stacked the odds against them. I must admit being in a relationship myself where my spouse is 15 years older; I can’t wrap my mind around a 25-year age gap. I tend to plant myself in the sisters’ camp and hang on to concerns for Rob. Different milestones we hit in life should be shared otherwise when we hit those crossroads alone we tend to go in separate directions. I digress, enough soapbox. This is a sweet read, hot smexy scenes, touching emotions situations, and well written. I love how hard Rob works to catch Vince’s attention!
Publisher: Independent Published Author (July 30th, 2013) First published January 2013
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: *Recently re-released with extended content and a sparkly new cover*
27-year-old Tyler Marcus has always done the right thing. He’s intelligent, quiet, made good grades, and went on to become a celebrated civil rights attorney. But the one thing he has always wanted was the one man he should not. Mark Riley realized at 33 that his life was not what it should have been. He’d been in a marriage of responsibility, raising his son that was a teenage mistake, taken the job his father had pushed on him on the police force and had been miserably drifting along, until one night his teenage son’s friend was visiting from college and woke him from his miserable slumber. Tyler Marcus changed Mark’s life with a simple act of kindness and with one chance meeting, 5 years later, may also end up giving him the world
Review: Tyler has had a crush Mark for several long years. A chance meeting at a local gay bar brings the two face to face again after 5 years without contact. When Tyler wakes up wrapped in Mark’s arms the next morning, with expletive details of the night they shared replaying in his mind, he’s sort of standoffish. You see, it’s not just the age difference between Tyler and Mark that worries him. Or the fact that he’s been in love with Mark for what seems like forever, Mark is also his best friend’s father.
What started out as a friendly conversation on a swing set many years ago, set Mark down a path that landed him back at Tyler’s doorstep. Mark spent his entire life pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Forced to marry young by his parents, when his then girlfriend ended up pregnant, then forced into a job he hated by the same parents. One conversation with a young man who was wise beyond his years set in motion a series of events that would forever change the lives of everyone involved.
When their mutual families learn of their relationship, let’s just say the shit hits the fan! Tyler’s mom is livid. And her best friend, who happens to be Mark’s ex wife, is infuriated. And just waits until Mark’s son, Tyler’s best friend finds out. Add to that a jaw-dropping act of violence against Tyler and you have an intriguing story with just enough angst to keep you turning the pages. Boehme does an excellent job of weaving everyone’s stories together and then bringing the focus back to Tyler and Mark in the end.
In the end Wide Awake was a beautiful love story about two men that defy everyone’s logic about why they shouldn’t be together, in order to be together! Overall, this was a sexy, romantic read with a HEA ending that I just loved.
Blurb:The old sugar maple features strongly in Stuart’s life. He’d first met Harry here, while he was completing a college project. He’d been eighteen, Harry twenty-one. They’d started dating soon after. Harry had proposed under the maple—down on one knee, the whole nine yards. Under its branches, they’d decided to buy a house together, and here, many years later, Stuart had scattered Harry’s ashes.
For six years, Stuart has been alone. He feels he’s had his chance at love, and doesn’t expect to find anyone else. Then he meets Tom. But Tom is twenty years his junior and Stuart can’t take that in his stride.
Their age difference is irrelevant to Tom. He knows Stuart is it for him, the one man who can give him everything he didn’t know he needed, and he can offer the same to Stuart. All he has to do is convince Stuart to give them a chance. Once again, Old Man Maple is witness to life-changing decisions.
NB – shorter version previously published in the anthology Silver Presents… Love Is Love
Review:Never too late, Stuart is 47, was in a loving relationship for over twenty years, lost his lover to heart disease, six years ago and recently retired from his stressful job after a heart attack. He now blogs and takes photos of trees.
Tom brings his best friend Deanna home to Rochester to her grandmother’s after a bad sprain and a breakup with her boyfriend. He meets Stuart, a man Deanna claims as an uncle, and falls in love instantly. This is a lovely story of two men that both want and need a man to love, cherish, protect, long-term. The only difference is about twenty years. This bothers Stuart.
I adore all the characters in this story, even the dogs. I even liked the love at first sight thing since they didn’t actually rush to act on it. Both men were practical and let the relationship grow naturally. The sex is sensual and loving when it finally came. (No pun intended)
I highly recommend this to anyone that believes in love at first sight, loves trees, photography nurses, dogs and hot sensual mansex and a happy ending.
Blurb: Jerry Bennett doesn’t consider himself an “old fogey.” At 43, he’s still a swinging bachelor, spending his weekends with whoever catches his fancy, male or female. He’s still sexy and he knows it.
But when his company switches from Windows-based computers to MacBook, Jerry feels outdated. Refusing to conform, he continues to use his laptop, until a porn video he viewed on it infects the PC with a virus, and he has to call the IT department for help.
The guy who comes to his rescue is a young hipster named Quin who threatens to turn Jerry in for the porn video … unless they can come to some sort of mutual arrangement that will benefit them both.
But their evening together ignites more than mere lust in Jerry. Is he just another conquest for the mysterious Quin? Or is there something Jerry’s young coworker isn’t telling him?
Review: Jerry doesn’t think he is an old fogey, but when his company switches to MacBook, he balks, and sticks with his old laptop. When he logs on, the work screen doesn’t appear, so he has to call the IT department. In walks sexy techie Quin. He looks much younger than he is, and Jerry is taken by him. In more ways than one…
I really liked this story! I found it fun and quirky. I loved both characters, and chuckled aloud so much, hubby thought something was wrong with me. I found each twist cute and funny.
I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a fast, fun, humorous, and loving. If you like techies, cut guys in glasses, hot older men and hot mansex give this one a try!
Blurb: Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.
Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.
Review: Nathan is an English Professor who has decided to head back into the dating game a year and a half after his last relationship. But, he never once thought that his neighbor, Dreo could fit that role. Dreo is very interested in Nate; he’s known him for four years and has had many chances to observe Nate. and now he makes his move, but it isn’t perfect, as the life that Dreo is trying to get out of suddenly explodes around him.
Well, here we are with another feel good story from Mary Calmes, and I wondered if Ms. Calmes could really continue to give us her wonderful stories, with her great characters (you know the ones), one character is wonderful, loveable, and is a rock to all around him and the other one who is strong (alpha), silent and just what the other MC needs. Well it’s a resounding YES she can. Nate isn’t in the first blush of youth, he’s 45 and has already had his family (fully explained, but it involves a drunken night and doing the right thing). He’s being encouraged to get into the dating game by his ex-wife, but the guy he is interested in is 32 and he thinks the guy is too young for him. Enter Dreo who is 28 and is his neighbor and has his 16yr old nephew living with him. Okay, I’m not explaining any more than that because my fingers will fall off.
So, we get a lot of background about both Nate and Dreo, and we see how Nate gets drawn into Dreo’s life without really realizing it. And we also see how Nate usually moulds himself to be what a person expects, but with Dreo he doesn’t get the chance because Dreo already knows what he wants and that’s the Nate he has seen for the last four years. We don’t see Dreo’s working life, just the very fringes of it, as Dreo is getting out, so don’t be expecting loads of mob trouble. The trouble they do get is after Dreo leaves the life behind him and is from a source who hates gays.
We have an interesting mesh of people in this one, and obviously we have sparking hot love, ex-boyfriends, wannabe boyfriends, loving friends who adore, a manhandling alpha male, a touch of angst and a hospital visit. There wasn’t as much angst as I am used to in this Mary Calmes, but it didn’t affect my love for the story… Nate just wasn’t an angsty person and he seemed to be able to calm those around him. Dreo *sigh* Dreo was just everything a guy (or girl) could want, a take charge kinda guy, but he had a slight vulnerability about him *sigh*.
So, all I can say is that I have to recommend this to those who want a feel good, happy ending, leave you with a warm feeling, type of story.
Blurb: Deacon McConnell spends his days as a Cattwood-carver and his nights as head of one of the most secretive government agencies in the United States. When he meets a man troubled by his time spent in the Middle East, Deacon feels drawn to the pain in the handsome man’s eyes. He makes the decision to help Aaron Ellis any way he can.
Dishonorably discharged from the Army, it takes everything Aaron has to get out of bed each morning. He’s become used to faking his way through life, putting on a happy face when the situation calls for it is a lot easier than dealing with his buried memories.
The day Aaron wanders into Deacon’s store for the first time, the last thing he expects is an immediate connection with the shop owner. For the first time since leaving the service, Aaron begins to believe there may be light at the end of the dark tunnel. The nights he spends in Deacon’s arms slowly begin to drive the shadows from his heart.
After years spent serving his country, Deacon yearns for a normal life. The move to Cattle Valley is the first step, opening up to Aaron the second. When duty calls Deacon out-of-town, he begins to wonder how much more he’ll be forced to give up for his country.
Review: Deacon owns a furniture store selling his own creations, but he is also the head of a secretive government agency. Asked by a friend to help Aaron deal with his problems, he decides that he will. But, when he meets the young man he is drawn to him in ways he thought were long dead. Adam was given a general discharge from the army, but the guilt he feels over the deaths of his comrades affects him greatly. When he meets Deacon, he feels safe and attracted to him, so he decides to see if Deacon returns his feelings.
This story is well written. Deacon has secrets that he doesn’t want getting out. Adam doesn’t want anyone to know the real reason that he left the army and Deacon has done an in-depth background check on Adam as a way to know everything, so that he can help him. These two men end up together and help each other in some small way, but Deacon has a confession to make to Adam and Adam finds it hard to accept that a man like Deacon would be interested in him.
Okay, I liked this story as it delves into the territory of survivors’ guilt and we get a good feel for both Aaron and Deacon. But, what we don’t get is a full understanding of what either of them went though. We get given hints, i.e. Deacon’s car was purposely driven off the road injuring him and killing his lover. We get told that it had to do with Deacon’s job, but that’s it… It’s mentioned that Adam has scars on his chest and that he was held at gunpoint for three days, but not much more. Seriously, it’s as though all the really good bits were cut out.
Deacon and Adam’s relationship does move fast, but the burning down of the store forced that and the sex between them is hot. Now, some of you might be put off, but there is a twenty-one year age gap. But, to be honest with you, the only time that I remembered that was when the author brought it up, which was a few times. But, neither character ever really worried about it and there was no angst or arguments about it so to me the age between them was negligible.
So, I will recommend this to those who love damaged heroes, May – December relationships, hot sex, a good story-line and a happy ever after.
Title: Never Wrong
