Tag: GLBT Post-Apocalypse

Halcyon Hush by Indra Vaughn

18518351Title: Halcyon Hush

Author: Indra Vaughn

Genre: Romance / Post-Apocalyptic

Length: Short Story (22 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (September 18th 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Halcyon Hush is a harsh town in an even harsher world. The apocalypse left behind a scattering of tough survivors who are finally starting to rebuild their lost civilization.

There is no room for men loving men, not when the population needs to grow. So Doctor Ira Ellis does his duty, lives his life if not quite content, then at least quietly. He has his work, he has his small home. What he doesn’t have is the strength to resist temptation when it comes, in the shape of Doctor Richard McLean.

Product Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=3997

Review: The world’s population has been decimated. The feeling of desolation and despair still lingers even after two centuries. What remains of humans is a harsh race, forced to do unspeakable things in order to survive. After two hundred years, Halcyon Hush is one of the few cities standing. Battling raids of rogues who do not aim at prosperity rather live in the present and aim to destroy. Halcyon Hush still stands and grows.

People are obligated to father at least two children so that humanity will have a chance to survival. Men like Ira are not exactly hunted or illegal anymore, but neither are they looked upon with a tolerant eye. Before they used to be instantly killed; now they are simply banished. The notion of being with another man has never crossed Ira’s mind. He craves it, oh yes, like a man in desert craves water, but he’s resigned himself to a life without a man’s touch. Until Richard comes along…

Am I conveying the feeling properly I wonder? This story made me wonder indeed. It was so short, yet in such a short length, the author managed to spin such a wholesome tale. This is perhaps the second or third work I read from this author and every time I think the same. She can write wonderful, engaging stories that carry you away with them and leave you short of breath. She managed to do the same with this one too.

Although it was a bit dark and the future of humanity was still quite fragile, in the end, this relationship gave the entire read a feeling of hope. I loved this story and I sure hope to see more from this author in the future, perhaps a proper novel to delve in.

Strongly recommended!

The Event by Talia R. Blackwood

9b133b6c249c25bfaa29a375cc682f8f.image.300x450Title: The Event     

Series: Apocalypse 01 

Author: Talia R. Blackwood     

Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Science Fiction, Fantasy    

Length: Novel (188pgs)     

Publisher: Silver Publishing (28th September 2013)    

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit     

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts    

Reviewer: Pixie     

Blurb: A mysterious event destroys the world and merges two adjacent realities. The Dark Ones are gathering and now more than ever, Lucian and Raide must fight for each other and those they love.

After an apocalyptic event—a devastating earthquake and acid rain—the world merges with a parallel reality. Atmospheric gases obscure the sun and strange entities haunt the night. A group of survivors start a journey to seek aid.

Lucian Seagrave, a city boy with aspirations of becoming a rock singer, discovers Raide, a former monk from the adjacent reality. Raide reads auras and knows Lucian is fated to be his soul mate.

But the Dark Ones are lurking. As any hope to find help fades, Lucian and Raide learn they have to fight for each other and those they love.     

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/the-event-ebook-p-59069.html    

Review: A cataclysmic event causes the world Lucian knew to nearly cease to exist, with the earth churned up and building crumbling Lucian’s small band of survivors seek others and shelter, but with the acid rain and the strange nighttime creatures, they have a harsh journey ahead of them. Raide was a novice monk when the earthquake first struck and the acid rain fell, he watched as those around him disappeared and with another young novice sets out to discover what happened. Raide and Lucian meet, Raide overjoyed that his soul mate still lives and their attraction flares, but the Dark Ones are out there seeking to spread their blackness and Raide and Lucian must fight for each other. 

This is a great story of two nearly parallel worlds colliding, with few survivors and a daunting new world. Lucian survives the earthquake and the acid rain, he rushes to his best friend Emanuel, and they discover nearly everyone else has disappeared. With one other survivor they set off to check on loved ones and join up with those who have survived, they face the desolation and set off for the city hoping there are more people. Raide and Julius are the only survivors at the monastery and they set off to find out what has happened and if anyone else has survived, but they fall into the hands of the Dark Ones before being rescued by Raide’s soul-mate, Lucian, and they all embark on a journey of survival hoping to avoid the Dark Ones and the night creatures. 

This is one of those stories that has quite a bit for us to grasp, somehow two parallel worlds have collided and the destruction is devastating, we have bands of survivors searching for others, but none of them can make sense of what has happened until people from the opposite worlds meet. Mysterious night creatures attack at night and there are bands of Dark Ones or evil people who roam during the day, then we have the various relationships of the survivors. We also discover that some people on Raide’s world have soul mates and some people can see auras, it adds that bit of extra intrigue to the story as well as the fact that Raide’s world was three months in front with time.  

This story holds your attention from the start but you do begin to question Lucian’s relationship with Emanuel early on, but you begin to understand the dynamics of their friendship. Lucian’s and Raide’s relationship is special their coming together is both sweet and powerful. The discoveries we make are good and the slight action we see is great. The band of survivors are an interesting selection and you become invested in their journey and wonder what they face. The world building is great, you get a wonderful sense of the desolation that surrounds them all on their journey with the burnt out cars and destroyed buildings, the piles of empty clothes and the nameless, faceless identification as though those that are gone never existed.   

I recommend this to those who love strange post-apocalyptic events, bonds being made, and relationships being forged, hot sweet loving, kidnappings, and rescues and ending that is also a beginning. 

Patient Z by Beck Black

18218754Title: Patient Z

Series: N/A

Author: Becky Black

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic

Length: Novel

Publisher: Loose Id (July 23rd, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Two years ago, the zombie apocalypse wiped out the world police officer Mitch Kennedy had a role in. But he’s found a way to continue doing his duty, serving as guardian of a small community of survivors, living in the safest place they can find. When the group takes in Cal Richardson Mitch can’t help but be attracted to the first available–and incidentally, gorgeous–man to cross his path in months.

Mitch and Cal can’t resist each other physically, but each man tries to hold back his emotions. Though he’s strong on the outside, Mitch is too badly hurt inside to risk more pain. Cal’s very sure he won’t stay for long. He’s been a drifter all his life and it came naturally to him to survive alone after civilization fell. He’s sure this is a temporary stopover for him. He has no intention of becoming emotionally involved with a cop who is certain to despise Cal when he learns the truth about him.

But the longer Cal stays the stronger his urge to run, but the harder it becomes to give up the safety of the community and his new friends. The harder it becomes to give up Mitch.

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/patient-zero.html

Review: Post-Apocalyptic books are so very tricky in my opinion. You’re either going to love them or you’re going to hate them, nothing in between. At least that’s how I’m affected. Zombies? Oh God, the very notion is horribly appealing. You hate them but you can’t stand away from them, and you pray that it’s well written so that they don’t turn your stomach the bad way. I’m sure there are many half-arsed works out there, grabbing the virus idea, and going bat-crazy with it. This is not the case.

I loved, no adored this book. It made my “Favorite” list without blinking an eye. It was simply brilliant; the plot, the characters, the romance, and damn even the end was bloody fantastic. It starts with a hooking scene, one you can’t say no to, and in a matter of seconds, it has you in its grip, daring you to stop, driving you crazy when you really, really need to take a break.

Cal is found on his boat, nearly dehydrated, and on top of it bitten. (Ah and this is my one issue here. I couldn’t understand how the Doc didn’t understand the difference between a dog bite and a zombie one) He is rescued, shot with a vaccine that is on trial and error phase, shackled and fettered, and observed for a week by the guardians of a small community of survivors.

And what a community that one was. I couldn’t believe it when it was revealed. I didn’t know what to do with that, laugh my head off, or marvel at the brilliance.

Mitch Kennedy, a cop when the world had a meaning, retains some of that past duty with his community of survivors, being their guardian, training their guards, and distrusting everybody. The chemistry between Cal and Mitch, electrifying. The willingness to go for a quickie while transparent from Cal’s side doesn’t even stand a chance with Mitch. There can’t be simple sex between them, not now, not when they’re sharing the same room, not when they’re living, working, surviving together.

The men’s different personalities clash, the strain of their chemistry unbearable, the situation they’re living in when every day could be your last day weights on their heart, and the inevitable is only around the corner. As much as Mitch tried to stay away Cal is a master in seduction, and as much as Cal tried to guard his heart, Mitch is the kind of man who you can’t help but lay it in his feet. The drifter and loner in Cal’s soul gets restless and the steady Mitch can’t do anything to stop him, making him stay.

I absolutely loved this pair. The romance part was fantastic, so hooking, so hot and sexy, so heartbreaking, and so suitable. I kept thinking, this pair is made for each other, and I know, right? This is a piece of fiction, of course this pair was made for each other.

As for the rest of the plot, well there are no words. It was well thought, well executed, kept me on my toes all the time, had my heart beating every time the guys were on raids, and in the end, when Cal does that brilliant stunt that has Bren shouting “He’s the King of the Zombies” oh my, I was half shouting along with Bren and half shaking my head frustration. It took them long enough to figure that out didn’t it? But yeah, that scene was amazing.

In the end there isn’t much left to be said. I love a good post-apoc and this not only didn’t disappoint, but it raised the bar a bit higher. If you’re even remotely fans of the genre, this is a book you must not miss. Strongly recommended!

 

Marginalia by Laney Cairo

tmp_6b02ff9f77b749d40a12d26661677d8a_qgDuaO_html_3bf0f5ceTitle: Marginalia

Author: Laney Cairo

Genre: MM Post-apocalyptic, Sci-fi- BDSM

Length: Novella (81 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (July 13 2013)

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts

Heat: Explicit

Blurb: Bailey likes to cut people—in a purely consensual way—which makes his work as a surgical technician with cosmetic enhancement corporation SirenCare his dream job. His recreational pursuits, however, would displease his employer, so he lives his personal life on the margins of Sydney, away from SirenCare’s corporate enclave, taking his chances in a city without water or power.

Quint is one of his chances, an illegal resident who pulls beer and breaks up fights. Quint’s not used to corporate men with the means to buy water, but he could get accustomed to being with Bailey and Bailey’s friend, Flynn, who engineers new and addictive body mods for SirenCare.

When Immigration incarcerates Quint as an illegal resident, only intervention by a corporation can free him. Can Bailey, with Flynn, persuade SirenCare that a disreputable bar tender is carrying experimental body mods, and should be rescued from detention?

Originally published in the Spiked anthology.

Product Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=3940

Reviewer: Cat

Review: Bailey is a cutter in a corporation and has the opportunity if a privileged life in a world where water, power and other stuff is all restricted and for the wealthy. He chooses to live in the outside world not the corporate world because he likes the touch of another man, he can afford some of the conveniences most can’t.

Quint is a bartender and an illegal, but he refused to join the military to get a real identity and job so he takes his chances. He is surprised when he finds out his newest sexual conquest is a corporate and interested in him for more than just a one-night fling. But can a corporate and illegal have anything else? You will have to read and find out!

I have to say at the beginning I got pretty confused, and during the book I had to ponder some of the slang, some I never quite figured out. I think a simple prologue giving us the gist of the timeframe and more about the characters would have helped immensely. Eventually I figured where the setting was( this also  solved a bit of the slang)  but still not  why this was happening or what the characters are, since there was allusions that not all are human. I also wasn’t sure what these implants were or why so many was wanting them ( a couple were easy to guess). But I read on and was glad. The story is very interesting and the characters very intriguing. I liked what I knew of this new world jus to would have liked to known more about it and  a little more about the characters, but the story was sweet, intriguing, suspenseful  and very hot. The ending very satisfying!

Recommendation: If you like futuristic stories, post-apocalyptic ( my favorite sci-fi), intriguing characters, a bit of mystery a good romance and very hot sex I highly recommend this book!

The Three Hour Man by James Cox

400000000000000790608_s4Title: The Three Hour Man

Series: Manlove at the End of the World, 02

Author: James Cox

Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Futuristic (2016)

Length: Short (46pgs)

Publisher: Evernight Press (18th July 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit/Scorching

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Getting away from murderers was the easy part, surviving in the storm was the hard part, and inhabiting a paradise island may just lead to true love.

In the year 2014, a virus wiped out most of the population. Those that survived learned to trust in no one but themselves. Deon first laid eyes on the beautiful Chase with a noose around his neck and an angry mob ready to kill him. He was not about to let such a good-looking white boy die. Deon saves the sexy man and it leads to a wild adventure neither of them saw coming.

Purchase Link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-three-hour-man-by-james-cox/

Review: This book is part of a series and although it can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading the series in order as the first book has more world building and gives you a better idea of how the world now is, this book is also set eight months before book one and has characters that we met at the end of book one.

Deon has travelled the world in his boat. He has seen much destruction and death around the world and has kept away from most of the survivors since the virus struck. But, now as he looks for supplies he stumbles upon a lynch mob about to hang a man for being gay. Chase wakes up on a boat with a hunky man who saved him from death, but the adventure is just beginning.

This is a great short erotic story that is hot and heavy and will make you sweat. Deon and Chase meet in extreme circumstances, what with Chase being at the end of a rope. But, Deon isn’t about to let Chase die, after all gay men were hard to find. But, Chase has lost one husband and isn’t about to give his ass to just anyone, so Deon has his hands full. With a storm heading their way and a lynch mob waiting on the beach can these two men find their version of paradise?

This is a fast paced book with a bit of action with a touch of adventure, with lots of hot steamy erotic sex, and two men who rapidly fall in love. Now Deon is like a sex starved man, and having a sexy gay man like Chase around is making him constantly horny, but he does try to give Chase a bit of time to get to know him…lol. The circumstances of their meeting and their subsequent return to Chase’s hometown leads to a new beginning for both of them, as they decide to build a new ‘safe’ town, which we saw briefly at the end of book one.

So in all honesty I will recommend this book to those who love post-apocalypse, futuristic, new start, extremely erotic and hot sex, sexy hot men and a happy ending with a new beginning.

In the Dead of Night by Jamieson Wolf

17346756Title: In The Dead Of Night

Author: Jamieson Wolf

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Zombies

Length: Novella (158pgs)

Publisher: Breathless Press (26th January 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥1 ½ – 2 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Ikarus remembers nothing.

One moment there was darkness and the next, there was light. However, Ikarus Kane remembered nothing.

The world he knew is gone. Waking from a coma, he finds the world as he knew it greatly changed. It is now infested with the living dead. Ikarus has one choice: find shelter and hide or risk becoming one of them.

He finds shelter in an abandoned bed and breakfast. But there is someone there already. Mikhail Jones is a man who has survived more than just the zombie apocalypse. There is something about him that sets Ikarus’ body on fire and, despite knowing him only moments, he wants Mikhail desperately.

Ikarus is more powerful than he knows, however. Ikarus and Mikhail become entangled in a fight for survival where only they can save the world; only they don’t know it yet. They are part of an ancient prophecy that has been set in motion.

When they find a woman named Ruthe in one of the bedrooms upstairs, with no memory of how she got there, things are only beginning to get interesting.

In a desperate race to find answers, Ikarus and Mikhail cling to the only thing that feels right: each other.

They will need the love that blooms between them if they are all to survive the night…

Purchase Link: http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=17&products_id=418

Review: Ikarus is hiding from the living dead, he finds an abandoned B&B and seeks shelter and runs into Mikhail who is also hiding out. Their reaction to each other is explosive but they have bigger problems to face than their attraction to each other, like the woman (Ruthe) who mysteriously appeared in an upstairs bedroom, like the zombie hordes gathering outside the B&B and the fact that Ikarus can’t remember anything before three months ago. As Ikarus, Mikhail and Ruthe run for their lives they pick up two more survivors Rapphael Higgins and a young girl, Sati. All of them are connected but none of them knows how, and when they are betrayed they discover someone has been pulling their strings and needs them for their own purposes, the five of them have to work together to stop their destruction and to stop a madman from completely destroying the world.

This is one of those stories that begins with great potential but then gets too complicated and fanciful. The story starts with a series of news items explaining that there was a chemical spill and the results of it, we then meet Ikarus as he hides from the Zombies. The story progresses quite quickly and sometimes, it feels too quick, we are left with little information and mysterious characters who confuse us and leave us clueless. Other things come into play and you shake your head as the story becomes even more confusing. The one thing that results from reading this story is that you understand that a lunatic listened to some voices in his head and created a chemical that resulted in the world inhabitants becoming Zombies, the rest just leaves you banging your head.

I love a good post-apocalypse Zombie outbreak as much as the next person, but this one fell short by trying too hard. The storyline became too complicated with the five survivors being the impossible, and the maniac apparently ‘making’ them what they are. I couldn’t wrap my head around the coincidences as they suddenly all appeared in just the right place at the right time, half of them not remembering anything from before they were found. The only ones who remembered anything was Mikhail and Higgins, but we still didn’t get that much background from them. What really annoyed me was how the women seemed to know things no one else did and they also refused to share most of what they knew. It was like the blind leading the blind while being mysterious about it.

The relationship between Mikhail and Ikarus was impossible to believe, the instant attraction you can understand but saying the ‘L’ word after just a few hours was just wrong, them taking Higgins to bed after just meeting him was over the top, especially seeing as Mikhail and Ikarus hadn’t even had sex yet. Some things I did like though, like the descriptions of the Zombies and their movements, how the fresher they are the faster they move, so yeah I really liked the Zombies and how the world was infected, it just got complicated when it went off into fantasyland.    

I would only recommend this to those who love fanciful zombie stories, absurd happenings, mmm, and an ending that leaves you wondering. 

To See the Sky by L.M. Brown

toseethesky_400x640_zpsdebc2e1fTitle: To See the Sky

Series: N/A

Author: L.M. Brown

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic

Length: Novella

Publisher: Total E-Bound (May 24th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Can a lab rat whore find love with the servant of his master, or will their different backgrounds and prejudices keep them apart?

In the distant future, where the devastation caused by war has driven the human race below the surface of the Earth, society is split in half. The rich scientists live in towers where they can monitor the surface and determine when the poisonous gasses have cleared and the world is safe for humans once more. Meanwhile the majority of the human race lives in crowded labyrinthine caves, where life is harsh and short. Uneducated and with no real prospects for the future, a ‘lab rat’ is lucky to live to see thirty years of age. Employment options are minimal and few can escape the fate of choking to death on the dust of the caves.

When AJ, one of the poorest members of society, needs credits for medicine for his sister he is in a desperate situation. With no other options available he risks alienation from his family by selling himself to the highest bidder. Love is the last thing on his mind, but while Blake, his new owner, might not be Mr. Right, Ryder, his servant, just might be. Unfortunately, their different backgrounds, prejudices, and AJ’s brutal owner seem destined to keep them apart, but true love can be theirs for the taking, if they can only find a way.

Product Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=2112

Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. Some parts I liked and some I didn’t.

The world this story lives in is Earth somewhere in the future and after one very destructive war people are forced to live underground in tunnels due to the poisonous air above ground. Supposedly there are many such compounds around the world, but there is no communication whatsoever between them. In the compound we are reading of, there are many levels of rich and status. AJ is one step from the lowest and his life along with that of his sister and brother are hardly managed. Now his sister has less than a week to live due to the dust levels underground and the choices are quickly dwindling. As a last resort AJ decides to sell himself and a very peculiar contract has him as a personal slave for Blake for one week.

Now here is where I start resenting some things. A whore in this world is so much frowned upon, that taking that route can cause alienation from even the lowest parts of society and the ruining of your entire family. That for me makes no sense, since through the centuries people’s desperation has driven them to do whatever it takes to survive. The survival instinct is simply too strong to ignore. So when AJ’s family, and especially his sister, that a few moments earlier was dying, turn him away in disgust, it was more than surreal to me.

Moving on, the way the servants in the house AJ was to live for a week treated him was again a bit odd. Firstly AJ’s Master didn’t even care to provide for him or give the orders for him to be taken care of; a room and clothes. It’s incomprehensible how he bought a virgin only to treat him like a seasoned whore. The same with the servant, Ryder, who while later (and way too fast to be credible) falls in love with AJ, treated him like common dirt at the beginning, justifying it as reaction of jealousy.

The plot itself was a bit underdeveloped too, with things not being properly introduced and decisions hastily made. The only part that made me cringe was the sexual treatment AJ received from his “Master”, while the entire angst life in that future was supposed to provide was totally lost. The blackmailing that followed was unthought-of and while the “evil” character had every opportunity to even kill them, he simply let them go. Albeit in an insecure future or rather past.

I don’t know. I still don’t know what to make of this book. The pair came together in a haze and I didn’t really get how or when they developed such strong feelings for each other. In the end, I was left with some kind of wistfulness that this read was a bit more, because I did like the idea behind the story a lot.

Here I Am by Evelyn Shepard

es_mt1_iamhere_coverinTitle: I Am Here

Author: Evelyn Shepherd

Genre: LGBT M/M/M Apocalyptic

Length: Novel

Publisher: Loose Id (October 30, 2012)

Heat level: Explicit

Heart rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts

Blurb: Sawyer never it saw it coming. He never expected Jesse to finally respond to him. He never expected the meteors to take out LeVeque tower. He never expected an old woman to try to eat his face off.

Sawyer thought that when he went into work that night it just be another boring evening at the bookstore. But the impromptu quickie in the bathroom is just the beginning. Sawyer, with his gorgeously infuriating boss Jesse, his best friend Chloe and her little brother Jaden are in for more than a boring night.

The undead are rising up and they will have to find their way through the aftermath. With the aid of Jesse’s wryly sexy ex-lover/best friend Topher, they will attempt to head south to find a safe haven in a world turned to bedlam. But with the government keeping secrets and the infected turning, it’ll prove that the nightmare is far from over.

As Sawyer struggles to come to terms with his new world, he’ll also face the conflicting truth that he is in love with not one, but two, men.

It leads him to ask life’s great question: can you find love in a zombie apocalypse?

Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices, ménage (m/m/m), violence.

Product link: http://www.loose-id.com/i-am-here.html

Reviewer: Heart

Review:  As a big zombie fan who had a positive experience with one other book from this author, I had to see what I Am Here was all about. An attractive cover and particularly three men on it, worked like a charm and as soon as I got it, I jumped into the zombie apocalypse.

Sawyer works in a bookstore and has the hots for his boss Jesse. Their attraction comes to its peak on the night when there is a meteor shower everyone else just has to see, but instead of solving their boss/employee relationship they end up defending themselves from biting old ladies and the still walking dead. The action, both plot related as well as the sexual, starts right away, and before you know it, you have two guys who are crazy about each other killing zombies. Personally, I really like fast paced stories with well-developed fight scenes and well thought through plot, both of which I found here.

As they run, they rescue Sawyer’s best friend, Chloe and her little brother and eventually meet up with Topher, Jesse’s ex and still a very good friend.

The ménage itself develops rather late and even then I thought it lacked the chemistry which was obvious between Sawyer and Jesse as well as Sawyer and Topher. It’s really hard to incorporate romance into something as gore filled as a zombie story and there were plenty of times where I either noticed the inconsistencies or rolled my eyes at inappropriate situations where the main characters decided to have sex. I suppose it’s a curse when you watch as many zombie related movies/shows as I do, to pick apart each action and pay attention to details.

Anyway, my main issue here was the amount of sex, which frankly pulled me out of this fast paced story. I feel there’s just no room for it when each minute is danger filled and you’ve just spent your day killing people you used to know and actually still have their blood in your hair and clothes.

Sawyer as a character was someone I liked the least. He had his good moments and I do like bratty characters, but his outbursts seemed more acted out than a part of his personality. Topher was my definite favorite and I can’t get over how little there was of him in the story as well as the relationship. Maybe its partially just my impression because I liked him so much, but the story had involved him to a bigger extent.

As apocalypses go, this was a good one. From losing your loved ones, to military involvement it probably falls under ‘classic’ category, but the author has a flair for action and it shows. So if you lack zombies in your life, pick this up and read about what’s it like to find yourself surrounded by people who want to eat you and all the imaginative ways how to escape that fate.

Working Stiffs by Jana Downs

Title: Working Stiffs

Series: Dead Zone 01

Author: Jana Downs

Genre: Zombie, Post-Apocalyptic, Ménage (M/M/M)

Length: Novella (173 Pgs)

Publisher: Siren-BookStrand Publishing (7th July 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: After the collapse of civilization, Ager Munez finds work as an agent, helping customers with their zombie insurance needs. He’s a bit of a workaholic and a romantic at heart, but the only romance he’s been experiencing lately involves watching his bosses in tight-fitting jeans on casual Fridays.

Jim and Jason Tanner agree they want a third in their relationship, but have never been able to find the right man. When Ager begins working at Deadzone, they know that they’ve found their match. He’s smart, funny, and adorable in a way that should be illegal in at least four sectors.

When a zombie outbreak in Sector 7 requires field representatives, the two know the perfect candidate for the job. Little does Ager know that this mission will test him in ways he’s never been tested and land him not one but two hot men in his bed and his heart.

Note: This book contains double anal penetration.

Purchase Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/working-stiffs

Review: Ager works at Deadzone, an insurance company that takes care of ‘all your Zombie needs’ including disposal of a zombie outbreak. Ager fantasies about his boss, Jim and on occasion Jim’s husband, Jason, but he never truly dared hope that he would ever catch either of their eyes, especially seeing as they are happily married. Jim and Jason have had their eyes on Ager since he started working for them, but have held off for the right time. Now, in the middle of a zombie outbreak, Jason is impatient and rushes things, but he is lucky, as Aga is receptive. Now, all they have to do is get out of sector seven alive.

This has got to be one of the best zombie stories that I have come across. I thought the characters were brilliant, the world building was great and the plot was really interesting. Ager is terrified of zombies, his dad worked for the UMF (United Military Forces) and sat on his balcony shooting zombies that strayed too close for the fun of it. But, it left Ager scarred and now Ager is quite happy to stay in his nice safe zone, in his nice safe job and not have to see a zombie ever again. Well, that is until his bosses ask him to go to Sector 7 with them. Both Jim and Jason own Deadzone and they have the perfect marriage, but they long for a third. Both are positive that Ager is that third and want to ease him in gently, but being in Sector 7 puts a rush on their relationship.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I cracked open this book, but it sure was a treat. Jana Downs has created a world in the future where a military experiment went wrong and they are now plagued with zombies and not just the run of the mill ‘brains brains’ zombies, no she has also given us second level Necros and Necro-Kings who are more cunning in their hunt for ‘food’. Ager, Jim and Jason find themselves cut off and hunted by these zombies and it is a trek for their lives, to get to a safe zone before they are caught. Ager has to let go of a lot of his fears and Jason comes to a realization about his active role in ‘clean-ups’. And Jim realizes that he isn’t cut out for field work anymore.

The progression of the story is great and yes, the sex is extremely hot and even though it might seem quick, it didn’t really feel quick because although they have just got together, they have all been sniffing around each other. Each man has to face something personal to them, Ager’s is the toughest to confront, as it is not just fear. Jim and Jason’s is more of facing the truth and accepting their limitations.

So, with this one, I will recommend it to those who love zombies, three hot men, hot sex, a run for your life, some slight betrayal, a bloody battle against zombies and a very sweet and happy ending.

 

The Last Cowboy by James Cox

Title: The Last Cowboy

Series: Man Love at the End of the World 01

Author: James Cox

Genre: Futuristic (2017), Post-Apocalyptic

Length: Short (42pgs)

Publisher: Evernight Publishing (13th June 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½ – 4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: When the world ends, can a tough cowboy find true love?

The world suffers a plague that wipes out most of the population. For Benjamin, the last cowboy, it is a lonely existence. He spends his days on a farm and dreaming of someone to spend the rest of this miserable life with. That is until Cody arrives…

Cody has secrets, but the more time he spends with the lonely cowboy makes those lies harder to conceal. For this ‘in the closet’ virgin, life got a little more complicated, especially when that secret comes to the farm to kill them all.

Purchase Link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-last-cowboy-by-james-cox/

Review: Benjamin has been alone for three years, ever since a virus wiped out a lot of the world’s population. Other than the odd straggler he’s had no company and his wrist is mighty sore. But, one day while lying nude next to a pond, someone spies on him and Benjamin has found a new companion. Cody is running and in Benjamin he finds a protector. Although, that isn’t all he wants Benjamin for and when his past catches up to him, will Benjamin even want to keep him safe, when he finds out he lied?

This is a great erotic short story, that is quite heavy on the sex or more on the want of sex, as poor Benjamin has been alone for three long and lonely years. Cody comes across Benjamin by chance, but Benjamin is wary, at first, as strangers are hard to trust. Benjamin might have a hankering for the city boy, but he still has to be careful that it isn’t some type of trap. And when the truth comes out, Benjamin has a choice to make. Cody and Benjamin are quite well suited and they make for a good story.

Okay, so there is a lot of sexual tension at the beginning of the book and it is laced throughout the book as well, but it settles down a bit after a while. The storyline is really interesting; humankind starting over after a virus wipes out most of it and going back to basic’s where money is worthless and goods are traded. Benjamin, at first, seems to have sex on the brain, but when he meets Cody he is actually interested in something longer term than just getting off. Cody is just looking for someplace to hide out, but Benjamin is more than he bargained for, and Cody ends up wanting more than just a hiding place. When these two are together sparks do fly, but Benjamin is really quite gentle with Cody as they ease into a relationship.

So, I will recommend this to those who like futuristic, post-apocalyptic, cowboys and city slickers, hot sex, a new beginning and a happy ever after. P.S. keep an eye out for the epilogue where we meet the characters for the next three books.