Tag: Heidi Cullinan

Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan Audiobook

Heidi Cullinan - Dirty Laundry audio CoverTitle: Dirty Laundry

Series: Tucker Springs, Book 3

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Narrator:  Iggy Toma

Genre: Contemporary, BDSM

Length: 7 hrs. 34 min

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (30th March 2016)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: The course of true love doesn’t always run clean. But sometimes getting dirty is half the fun.

Entomology grad student Adam Ellery meets Denver Rogers, a muscle-bound hunk of sexy, when Denver effortlessly dispatches the drunken frat boys harassing Adam at the Tucker Springs laundromat. Thanking him turns into flirting, and then, much to Adam’s delight, hot sex over the laundry table.

Though Denver’s job as a bouncer at a gay bar means he gets his pick of geek-sexy college twinks, he can’t get Adam out of his head. Adam seems to need the same rough play Denver does, and it’s damn hard to say no to such a perfect fit.

Trouble is, Adam isn’t just shy: he has obsessive compulsive disorder and clinical anxiety, conditions which have ruined past relationships. And while Denver might be able to bench-press a pile of grad students, he comes from a history of abuse and is terrified of getting his GED. Neither Denver nor Adam want to face their dirty laundry, but to stay together, they’re going to have to come clean.

Product Link: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Dirty-Laundry-Audiobook/B01DKVWQH0

Reviewer: Cat

Review: Dirty Laundry is the third book in the Tucker Springs series though these books stand alone. 

In Dirty Laundry we get Denver’s story.  He goes one night to do laundry when a bunch of Frat boys are picking on another young man, he breaks it up and he and Adam enjoy a hot round of sex in the Laudro Rama.

Not a man for relationships he is shocked finding himself hoping this twink does call him.

Adam is a grad student studying bugs. He has recently moved out of the frat house after a break-up. He suffers OCD and is having a hard enough time living in a new apartment now he finds himself wanting to see Denver knowing once he finds out about his problems he will leave.

I love stories about broken men. I especially love it when both characters are broken. Denver though big and strong feels like a dummy because he can’t get his dream job because he can’t pass a test. Adam has OCD with panic attacks. I love how Heidi did such a good job getting both Adams OCD right, though every case is different. I was able to relate to him having OCD though mine is nothing like his. What I really liked was how she used BDSM to help Adam. The BDSM is not overboard and not the major focus of the story but the aid to help bring both Denver and Adam together.  There is a strong plot and some hot man-sex.

I loved Iggy’s Thomas voice for Denver.  He did such a good job with the cowboy twang. I was surprised since he has such a soft voice. I am still not sure I liked Adams voice, I think it was a bit over the top.  But having said that there was a good distinction between the characters.  As usual his narration is quite good. He can always draw me into a story.

If you love sexy cowboys and bouncers, sweet nerdy college students, a touch of BDSM, an allover good romance and some hot man-sex then you should like this.

Second Hand by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton ~ Audiobook

61OZa0OaVCL._AA300_Title: Second Hand

Series: Tucker Springs 02

Author: Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton

Narrator: Iggy Toma

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Length: 5 hours and 11 minutes

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (January 22nd, 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Paul Hannon moved to Tucker Springs for his girlfriend, but she’s left him with a house he can’t afford and a pantry full of useless gadgets. All Paul wants is to get back to normal, even if he’s not sure what that is anymore. When he wanders into Tucker Pawn for a gift to win her back, he meets El Rozal, pawn shop owner and all-around cynic.

El Rozal doesn’t do relationships, especially not with clueless straight boys still pining for their ex. El may make his living dealing in castoffs, but that doesn’t apply to men. Still, when Paul starts clearing out his old life, pawning kitchen equipment he never wanted in the first place, El is drawn to Paul in spite of himself.

Paul and El have nothing in common except a past full of disappointments. There’s no reason to believe the two of them could fit, but in El’s line of work, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. When it comes to love, El and Paul may learn that secondhand doesn’t mean second best.

©2012 Heidi Cullinan, Marie Sexton (P) 2016 Riptide Publishing

Product Link: http://amzn.to/244R28d

 Reviewer: Cat

Review: Paul moved to Tucker Springs for his girlfriends so she could sell her sculptures. When she found out he failed his vet school and got a job as a receptionist, she found someone else. Someone she felt could help her make it in the art world.  Down on his luck, Paul kept trying to win Stacy over. For her birthday, he went to the Tucker Springs Pawn to find a gift for her.

El was immediately taken by the cute, innocent young man. Straight man.

All Paul really wants is love and acceptance. To be able to make out in public, hold hands in public.

This was such a fun, romantic story. I loved how Paul was so clueless that El was taking thing just to see him, especially when he took the dog left on the vet’s steps for Paul. I loved the way El’s friend chided him about Paul and the fun banter between El, his friend, and his family.

If you are looking for fun, humorous romance, like bisexual men, Gay for you stories, cute dogs, gardening and an all over great romance, this is the book for you. It’s perfect for an afternoon of yard work or housework.

Plug in your earphones and let Iggy Toma tell you the story of El and Paul! I love Iggy Toma. He can tell a story so well.  His voice is nearly mesmerizing. He conveys all the characters so well.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com  *

Clockwork Heart by Heidi Cullinan

clockwork-heartTitle: Clockwork Heart
Series: Clockwork Love, #1
Author: Heidi Cullinan
Genre: Steampunk Romance
Length: Novel
Publisher: Samhain (February 2nd, 2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Blurb: As the French army leader’s bastard son, Cornelius Stevens enjoys a great deal of latitude. But when he saves an enemy soldier using clockwork parts, he’s well aware he risks hanging for treason. That doesn’t worry him half as much, however, as the realization he’s falling for his patient.

Johann Berger never expected to survive his regiment’s suicide attack on Calais, much less wake up with mechanical parts. To avoid discovery, he’s forced to hide in plain sight as Cornelius’s lover—a role Johann finds himself taking to surprisingly well.

When a threat is made on Cornelius’s life, Johann learns the secret of the device implanted in his chest—a mythical weapon both warring countries would kill to obtain. Caught up in a political frenzy, in league with pirates, dodging rogue spies, mobsters and princesses with deadly parasols, Cornelius and Johann have no time to contemplate how they ended up in this mess. All they know is, the only way out is together—or not at all.

Product Warnings
Contains tinkers, excessive clockwork appendages, and a cloud-sweeping tour of Europe. A little absinthe, a little theft, a little exhibitionism. Men who love men, women who love women, and some who aren’t particular.

ISBN: 9781619227231

Product Link: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5706/clockwork-heart

Reviewer: Portia

Review: Clockwork Heart is a wonderful start to the new Heidi Cullinan series, Clockwork Love. Set in an alternate world, where ManLove is not exactly forbidden, but neither is anyone waving rainbow flags.

Cornelius is a tinker surgeon. He has spent the past several years apprenticing with one of the premier Master Tinkers. When he comes across a gravely wounded enemy soldier, his surgeon heart acts before his good sense can kick in. Helping this soldier, much less adding clockwork will be considered treason. Not a good look, when your father is the head crazy in charge of the military.

What can I say? I loved every single moment between these pages. Cornelius is an absolute gem. Nerdy and slutty…what’s not to love? Johann is his polar opposite. Strong and silent, Johann is questions his attraction to Cornelius, but doesn’t fight it very hard. 😉

There is fabulous world building, which is usually my down point with Steampunk. All of Heidi Cullinan’s science is plausible. And for me that was a huge selling point for my reading pleasure.

Several interesting side characters are introduced, and I’m curious as to whether a certain captain and his part-time Asian playmate will end up in their own romance…or wind up sharing a lover. Not to mention a certain Frenchman with some snazzy clockwork of his own, who need some love.

All in all, this was a fabulous read from beginning to end and I highly recommend it.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan

Heidi Cullinan - Lonely Hearts 300Title: Lonely Hearts

Series: Love Lessons #3

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary with a Bit-O’-Kink

Length: Novel (260 Pages)

Publisher: Samhain (August 11, 2015)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: With the quiet help of his wealthy family, Sebastian “Baz” Acker has successfully kept his painful past at bay. But as the end of college draws near, his friends—his buffer zone—are preparing to move on, while his own life is at a crippling standstill. With loneliness bearing down on him, Baz hooks up—then opens up—with Elijah Prince, the guy Baz took a bullet for last year. The aftershocks of their one-night stand leave giant cracks in Baz’s carefully constructed armor. For the first time, the prospect isn’t terrifying.

Accustomed to escaping his demons by withdrawing into his imagination, Elijah isn’t used to having a happy herd of friends. He’s even less comfortable as the object of a notorious playboy’s affections. Yet all signs seem to indicate this time happiness might be within his grasp. When Baz’s mother runs for a highly sought-after public office, the media hounds drag Baz’s and Elijah’s pasts into the light. In the blinding glare, Baz and Elijah face the ultimate test: discovering if they’re stronger together…or apart.

Warning: Contains sex in a Tesla, sex in a cupboard, sex under a piano, kinky role play, and a cappella RuPaul songs. Just a couple of boys groping, battling, and then finally loving their way to becoming men.

Product Link: http://www.heidicullinan.com/Lonely-Hearts

ISBN13: 9781619226692

Reviewer: GiGi

Review: What a hot mess….putting these two flawed characters together was either going to be genius or dangerous but it turned out maybe a bit of both. Through this series, Baz had always pulled my heart strings, though I did have sympathy for Elijah. The two together were explosive, passionate and at the same time tender and beautiful. Both these characters have a lot of secrets and a past to unveil.

I may be biased because I lurved the first two books in this series so much, but I will also admit to needing to do some musical research before spouting too much about Lonely Hearts. Now the Lonely Hearts reference I get, but I just didn’t put Elijah and Ru Paul together musically. So I did my homework, Supermodel brought back memories, but I had to give Sissy That Walk a thorough listen.

Maybe I wanted more anger and aggression from him, but what I got from this combo is that Eli really was just totally misunderstood. Elijah had some really good reasons and really terrifying experiences to build up that hard and thorny shell around his heart. I was really worried when he began to expose it for Baz.

Yes, I was rooting for the hard-hearted Eli to keep his armor. I’m a sick bitch, right? But sometimes it’s a survival mechanism that can do us good. Thank the muses, that Heidi gave Baz an even bigger pair of balls and a constitution to stand up to Eli despite his physical weaknesses, because they wound up being a perfect complement to each other.
This hot angsty story contains political machinations, a little less song and dance, and a lot more fast cars, drugs and sex. And did I mention big tender hearts and a giant romantic streak…..just when I thought it was Baz that was all romance….Eli surprises me.
But wait…one of the best parts….we get to visit with Ed and Laurie again!!!!!!! If you somehow missed reading Dance With Me, first….what the hell? And second, go grab that baby and read it. Preferably before Lonely Hearts, but if you don’t- read it anyhow and find out what you’re missing. All together with Walter/Kelly, Aaron/Giles, Ed/Laurie, and the ever increasing supportive community around them, Cullinan builds a world of good people. Those I hope would reflect me and my community. I’ll just overlook the fact that she names one of her villains Giselle. I love to read Heidi’s books because I’m drawn to heroes and heroines that have hurdles to jump, the under dogs that have to fight for happiness and win it! But the truth is, none of these characters should have to fight these odds for love, and it’s a lesson we can apply to our own communities. People misunderstand this genre, but the truth is it’s a mirror to our society, one that helps us examine the problems, reflect on our own issues and hopefully find solutions. Both Baz and Eli found a community that loved and supported them in the end, and that shouldn’t be a fairytale.

Sleigh Ride by Heidi Cullinan

91L2uGiR88L._SL1500_Title: Sleigh Ride

Series: Minnesota Christmas, 02

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, BDSM, Con-non-con

Length: Novel (194pgs)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (November 11th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5Hearts

Blurb: The way to a man’s heart is on a sleigh.
Arthur Anderson doesn’t want anything to do with love and romance, and he certainly doesn’t want to play Santa in his mother’s library fundraising scheme. He knows full well what she really wants is to hook him up with the town’s lanky, prissy librarian.

It’s clear Gabriel Higgins doesn’t want him, either—as a Santa, as a boyfriend, as anyone at all. But when Arthur’s efforts to wiggle out of the fundraiser lead to getting to know the man behind the story time idol, he can’t help but be charmed. The least he can do is be neighborly and help Gabriel find a few local friends.

As their fiery arguments strike hotter sparks, two men who insist they don’t date wind up doing an awful lot of dating. And it looks like the sleigh they both tried not to board could send them jingling all the way to happily ever after.

Warning: Contains a feisty librarian, a boorish bear, small town politics, deer sausage, and a boy who wants a doll.

Product Link: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5222/sleigh-ride 

Reviewer: GiGi

Review: I always knew that librarians were sexy, and Cullinan threw in some kinks for fun! This is a fast-paced read full of details and drama. I always love the challenge of turning a cynical man into a love-struck ball of passion and Arthur Anderson fits that bill!

This second Minnesota Christmas tale fits right in with the language, lifestyle, and atmosphere of the first. Small town, both broad and narrow minds, traditions, family and a mischievous mother are all part of the sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking plot to bring Arthur and Gabriel together.

Don’t let the glasses and kids’ story time hero fool you, this small town librarian is a lusty one, but he’s in denial of the kinky side of his passions. Arthur may think he needs big strong one night encounters, but what he doesn’t know is that Gabe can handle whatever Arthur dishes out, and they may have much more in common that what lies on the surface.

There are a few small town stereotypes complete with anti-gay bashers, but even Arthur is guilty of stereotyping. He first overlooks Gabriel as weak, snobby, over educated, but one encounter at library story time open his eyes to how important Gabriel is to this town, and thus to Arthur. What starts as Arthur’s mom’s attempt to save the library budget, quickly becomes Arthur’s pet project, but can it become more?

So much great entertainment is crammed into this wonderful story! I’d be amiss to overlook the very sensual scenes, where Cullinan whips out her kink writing skills. A bit of D/s, a bit of consensual non-con, a little rough trade, and a lot of chemistry!!!!

I highly recommend this read, and not just for the cold winter months, but for hot winter nights!!!!

Fever Pitch by Heidi Cullinan

81UoyiJwASL._SL1500_Title: Fever Pitch

Series: Love Lessons #2

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary/College Days

Length: Novel (285 Pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (September 30th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: Sometimes you have to play love by ear.

Aaron Seavers is a pathetic mess, and he knows it. He lives in terror of incurring his father’s wrath and disappointing his mother, and he can’t stop dithering about where to go to college—with fall term only weeks away. Ditched by a friend at a miserable summer farewell party, all he can do is get drunk in the laundry room and regret he was ever born. Until a geeky-cute classmate lifts his spirits, leaving him confident of two things: his sexual orientation, and where he’s headed to school.

Giles Mulder can’t wait to get the hell out of Oak Grove, Minnesota, and off to college, where he plans to play his violin and figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. But when Aaron appears on campus, memories of hometown hazing threaten what he’d hoped would be his haven. As the semester wears on, their attraction crescendos from double cautious to a rich, swelling chord. But if more than one set of controlling parents have their way, the music of their love could come to a shattering end.

Warning: Contains showmances, bad parenting, Walter Lucas, and a cappella.

Product Link: http://www.heidicullinan.com/Fever-pitch

Reviewer: GiGi

Review: Okay, Heidi-baby is sneaking her angst back in now…but still, if Love Lessons #1 was woven around a Disney fetish, Fever Pitch is practically a musical, in fact that’s how my weird mind started imagining these fellas, moving into a dramatic scene and breaking out in song.

Poor Aaron is always hiding from himself, until he makes the decision to follow a high school tryst, Giles, out to college. He only picks the school because Giles is there, but once he faces him off and is seemingly rebuffed, Aaron makes efforts and has no problem fitting in. Only problem is it isn’t the pre-law crowd that Aaron finds his home with, but the music department, and the a cappella choir. He finds such swift success with the music department that he decides to switch majors but know his father will soon find out and facing that wrath is scary as hell.

Speaking of scary as hell, his roommate truly gave me the creeps along with the “toads” he hangs out with. Cullinan truly did well on the creep factor there! I really don’t’ want to give away the most interesting things about Aaron’s roommate, let’s just say, fuel plus fire can only lead to explosions and not good ones.

And Giles, that damned boy got things so screwed up with Aaron, he can only stand back, and try to be friends. Good thing Giles is a great guy, with very supportive parents to convince him to be patient. They wind up working together on some major musical programs and soon the lust reignites….YAY!

But all this fun and good times can’t last long. Aaron’s dad will discover many truths about his son and behave abhorrently. Thank goodness for good ole, Walter from Love Lessons #1. The moral of this story is to pay it forward. Be a good example for the youth of the next gen, be there for a friend in need. Walter took this to heart and is always there to help both Aaron, Giles and the creepster roommate.

This fever-pitch storyline crescendos into a huge explosive scene dredging up everyone’s past and creating a serious crossroads for all characters involved.

This story has more drama, more angst, and more twist sand turns than book one. I love them both for different reasons, though this one left us hanging with the tasty plot for book three. And I for one can’t wait!

Double Blind by Heidi Cullinan

81Y24wHn4UL._SL1500_Title: Double Blind, 2nd edition

Series: Special Delivery, #2

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary/BDSM/Ménage

Length: Novel (350 Pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (re-release March 14th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: Know when to show your hand…and when to hedge your bets.

Randy Jensen can’t stand to just sit by and watch as a mysterious man throws money away on the roulette wheel, especially since Randy’s got his own bet going as to the reason this guy is making every play like it’s his last day on earth. The man’s dark desperation hits Randy right in the gut. Half of him warns that getting involved is a sucker’s bet, and the other half scrambles for a reason—any reason—to save the man’s soul.

Ethan Ellison has no idea what he’s going to do with himself once his last dollar is gone—until Randy whirls into his life with a heart-stealing smile and a poker player’s gaze that sees too much.
Randy draws Ethan into a series of wagers that leads to a scorching kiss by midnight, but he isn’t the only one with an interest in Ethan’s vulnerability. Soon they’re both taking risks that not only play fast and loose with the law, but with the biggest prize of all: their hearts.

This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.

Warning: This story contains high-stakes poker, gangsters with a weakness for kittens, foursomes, and kinky consensual sex.

Product Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/double-blind-p-73245.html

Reviewer: GiGi

Review: This is a perfect second installment in the Special Delivery Series! I absolutely fell for Randy in Special Delivery and knew that spitfire of a man needed his HEA, I just wasn’t sure how, or who would pull that amazing feat off. Double Blind lets us get to know Randy in a different way, and for a while apart from Sam and Mitch. But don’t worry. This just wouldn’t work without the lovely newly married couple and a fun foursome!

Randy shows his submissive, yet assertive side, his hostess skills, and his heart in this sexy story. He takes a risk on a defeated heart, by laying out all his cards for Ethan Ellison. Ethan is the perfect angry, wounded man, in need of a wake-me-up experience and Randy surely gives it to him in the form of risky business and hi-octane sex.

As Randy teaches Ethan the skills he employs in his night job, that of card shark, he begins to see the strength in him come shining through. Problem is Ethan doesn’t trust, not the people he works for, not the stability of the job, and not that he would have a future with Randy. Thanks to some of Randy’s close and critically important friends, Sam and Mitch, Ethan begins to loosen up, see what a home could be, and trust.

While Ethan is regaining his confidence, Randy begins to worry he’s gotten too big for his britches and may get into deep trouble with the casino and the retired gangster he initially sought out for help. But when all seems to be tumbling down around them both, Sam, Mitch and the rest of the gang come together to lay it all down and gamble on a new future. Will it work, or will all be lost? You’ll just have to read and find out.

This book is fun, fast paced, hot and kinky, yet soft and sweet as a baby kitten. Hearts are broken and mended, and lives are saved and rebuilt! This whole series is a winner in my book!

Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan

LoveLessons72lgTitle: Love Lessons

Series: Love Lessons, #1

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary/College Days/Disney Fetish

Length: Novel (379 Pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (October 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: Love doesn’t come with a syllabus.

Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.

Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.

Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his worldview.

As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.

Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds.

Product Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/love-lessons-p-73022.html
Reviewer: GiGi

Review: This is a perfect happily ever after, not too much angst and suffering, which is surprising for this author. Normally her writing is super edgy, angsty, dark and highly kinky. But it’s pleasant to know her repertoire goes beyond those tasty nuggets into the super sweet, awe shucks, twu-wuv wins out happily ever after. This series is all about discovering yourself, finding help and love in others, creating a community when going off to college, and starting your life. Sweet, fresh outta the closet freshman virgin is stuck rooming with the tomcat of campus and due to Kelley’s morals and Walter’s fear of commitment and abandonment, they steer clear until the sparks can’t be avoided. It’s so damn precious, and a fun loveable read.

Yes, there are plenty of dysfunctional families, but compare to so many in this genre, a little manic depression almost seems mild, almost. But I feel there is a strong personal connection with the mother’s mental illness to the author’s experience here, it’s authentic, and I feel Walter’s guilt and pain.

My favorite part of this story has to be when the sweet apple cheeked virgin seduces the campus man-whore and knocks his socks off! Yep, Kelley’s a virgin, but he knows what he wants and he knows he has Walter by the balls and the heart.

Okay I have another favorite part. The college advisor, aka the prof everyone talks to, is a focus in each of these books. It’s important to believe there are still great professors like this out there. That part of the job is guiding, and supporting your students, not just spewing a lecture, marking down grades and grabbing a paycheck. Everyone has a fond memory of a prof that helped them, inspired them, and mothered them a bit in the right direction, or at least I hope so.

The writing is always smooth with this author, she has good editors, and the woman knows how to pull you in. Yes, there were some areas that my cynical heart wanted to grumble at, but like the Disney movies Kelley is so fond of, you can’t help but like the sweeping romantic gestures and the fact that the boy gets the boy in the end!

Sweet, romantic read, highly recommended to recharge your feel good batteries.

Tough Love by Heidi Cullinan

ToughLove72lgTitle: Tough Love

Series: Special Delivery Book 3

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary/BDSM/Drag

Length: Novel (408 Pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (April 8th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: Special Delivery, Book 3

Crescencio “Chenco” Ortiz pulled himself up by his garter straps after his father’s will yanked the financial rug from under his spank-me pumps. He doesn’t need anyone, yet when Steve Vance steps into his life, the prospect of having a sexy leather daddy on tap begins to take on a certain appeal.

There’s a hitch when he learns Steve is friends with Mitch Tedsoe—the half-brother Chenco never knew except through his father’s twisted lies. Despite his reservations, soon Chenco is living his dreams, including a performing gig in Vegas. Now if only he could get Steve to see him as more than just a boy in need of saving.

Steve’s attraction to Chenco is overshadowed by too many demons, ones he knows his would-be lover is too young to slay. Yet as he gets to know the bright, determined young man whose drag act redefines fierce, Steve’s inner sadist trembles with need. He begins to realize Chenco’s relentless tough love might be the only thing that will finally set him free.

Warning: This story contains glamorous drag queens, exhibitionist secondary characters, and no-holds-barred BDSM play, including water sports. Readers advised they may well leave this novel feeling uncharacteristically fierce.

Product Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/tough-love-p-73306.html
Reviewer: GiGi

Review: I’m going to begin with the end, and that so much happened so abruptly that it left me wanting more, and that’s a good thing! Being that this baby was already 408 pages. I understand the poor author didn’t want to make us read an encyclopedia, but damn, there are so many new directions, so much drama, just so damn much!!!

Okay, enough with my rant. Tough Love fits beautifully in this collection of Special Delivery stories. Mitch and Sam were mouth-watering, we all knew Randy needed something special and Ethan fit that bill, but what I didn’t see coming was how very special Mitch’s unknown little half-brother would be. Chenco, Crescencio, Ortiz, is a hot little package of stress, survival, angst, and the strength of a queen. His alter ego, Caramela, a strong as steel drag queen, is a very interesting illustration of the alter ego and strength in us all. Only Chenco gets to let her out physically instead of just figuratively. Only even with the strength of Caramela within Chenco, his life is going to hell and he’s about to reach a breaking point when he learns he’ll become homeless after the long-awaited death of his hideous father.

Enter a big Papi with the need to help, the need to control, the need to direct Chenco, to help him free his pain and give it to him. Oh yeah, did I mention big Papi Steve is a sadist, oh, that first release was pulse pounding, hot, and just, yeah. What also fits this book into the series are the very hot, very edgy, very kinky erotic scenes. You will not be disappointed if this is what you’ve come to expect from Cullinan.

Problem is, both of these characters have problems, big problems, big flaws, and even though we see them overcome them, there are plenty of issues left unresolved, at least for me on Steve’s part, by the end of this story.

Tough Love illustrated two main needs, both taboos in most social circles, the lifestyle, and persona of a drag queen, and the very real needs of sadists/masochists or those taking the BDSM lifestyle seriously. Through her words, and the characters actions, we see the needs, and the execution, the resolution of that need in both areas. Drag isn’t about a man in a dress, and those living the BDSM lifestyle aren’t playing spank me please games, they’re venting a need in a way that is productive, and safer for the world at large.

We also get to see more of Crabtree in Tough Love, and I grow to like him and fear him more and more. Though I feel he failed here, I think that peek into his past and look at his present could lead to a much bigger story. Can’t’ wait to find out!

I could not put this book down. In fact, I had a death grip on my poor Kindle. When my hubby suggested I turn it off and get some sleep, the crazed look in my eyes made him back away slowly, roll over and accept defeat. As long as you enjoy kink, I highly recommend Tough Love, I know I’ll be rereading it again soon!

Hooch and Cake by Heidi Cullinan

20811584Title: Hooch and Cake

Series:  Special Delivery

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Contemporary/BDSM

Length: Novella (65 pages)

Publisher: Heidi Cullinan (February 15th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: Book 1.5 in the Special Delivery Series Where there’s a Randy, there’s a way.
Mitch Tedsoe isn’t expert on many things, but he’s pretty sure getting married shouldn’t be this hard. A justice of the peace, some hooch, some cake—all Mitch wants is to walk down the aisle with Sam Keller, have a party, and live happily ever after. But every day of wedding planning brings a new set of handicaps, legal, logistical, and emotional…until he brings in his best friend, Randy Jansen.
Randy loves being the third point in Sam and Mitch’s kinky triangle, and nothing would give him more pleasure than to thumb his nose at small town snobbery and give Iowa the most fantastic gay wedding it’s ever seen. But as his plan comes together and his friends prepare to sail off into the sunset, Randy Jansen begins to consider the unthinkable: that maybe, just maybe, he wishes he could have a little hooch and cake of his own.
Warning: This novella contains gratuitous three-ways, shameless sentimentality, Delia Biehl, and the return of Keith Jameson.

Product Link: http://www.heidicullinan.com/hooch-and-cake

Reviewer:   GiGi

Review: Oh my god, Heidi grabbed me by the proverbial balls right out of the gate! The airport gate that is. So great to be back with the boys, this Troika rocks! Of course, if you’ve followed the series along past Double Blind you’ll know this book falls in between Special Delivery and Double Blind and revolves around Sam and Mitch’s wedding.

Poor Sunshine doesn’t have many reason to be wearing his blinding smile these days, because people keep throwing road blocks into the planning of his big day. To the point, that our sweet Sam wont’ even speak of it anymore. Mitch knows he should have intervened before now, but has been busy with hauls. So he calls in his Ace, our favorite sweet little fucker Randy! Might I add I’ve been a huge Randy fan? Sam and Mitch just aren’t complete without the lust, love, and friendship of this ball of fire. SO Randy rides in to save the day and let the heat commence! Not only does he take over our precious little sub/slut Sam and put a smile and more on his face, but Randy also takes over the town. Randy finds a way to do a bit of recon, infiltrate the natives until he finds just the right people, Mexican cooking ingredients, and kink to make Sam and Mitch’s day something special. Along the way Randy samples the native fare, because let’s face it, he’s super kinky and super sexed and we like it that way!

All of his hard work culminates in plenty of fun, friends and kink for Mitch and Sam’s big day, good thing they realize that it’s just as much Randy’s big day too. It’s a great read and packs a big punch for such a short story. Now my appetite has been roused for Tough Love…I can’t wait!

Let It Snow by Heidi Cullinan

LetItSnow72lgTitle: Let It Snow

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Holiday

Length: Novel (185 pages)

Publisher: Samhain Publishing (November 26th, 2013)

Heat: Moderate

Heart: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Mickie

Blurb: The weather outside is frightful, but this Minnesota north woods cabin is getting pretty hot.

Stylist Frankie Blackburn never meant to get lost in Logan, Minnesota, but his malfunctioning GPS felt otherwise, and a record-breaking snowfall ensures he won’t be heading back to Minneapolis anytime soon. Being rescued by three sexy lumberjacks is fine as a fantasy, but in reality, the biggest of the bears is awfully cranky and seems ready to gobble Frankie right up.

Marcus Gardner wasn’t always a lumberjack—once a high-powered Minneapolis lawyer, he’s come home to Logan to lick his wounds, not play with a sassy city twink who might as well have stepped directly out of his past. But as the north winds blow and guards come down, Frankie and Marcus find they have a lot more in common than they don’t. Could the man who won’t live in the country and the man who won’t go back to the city truly find a home together? Because the longer it snows, the deeper they fall in love, and all they want for Christmas is each other.

Warning: Contains power outages, excessive snowfall, and incredibly sexy bears.

Purchase Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/let-it-snow-p-73107.html

Review: Let It Snow is the Goldilocks and the Three Bears version I always wanted to read! Heidi Cullinan weaves that magic that she weaves so well ONCE AGAIN! (No surprise there!)

Frankie, the main character is so adorable and endearing with his insecurities and open heart; his strength of character is so obvious to everyone but himself, you find yourself wanting to just wrap him up in cotton wool…but that is not our job, it’s the job of a lonely, bitter, gorgeous bear with a grizzly attitude named Marcus!…and when the two come together, they SIZZLE! The transformation that their love, (YES, LOVE), produces; grows these characters into two wonderfully strong, sexy, and loving men; and is a joy to read. You find yourself rooting for them every step of the way, and hoping they can find a way to make their love last forever.

The cast of supporting characters is a fun one, and I personally would not mind reading continuation(s) of this book to check back in on Frankie & Marcus; as well as to read about the happy endings so many of these SCs deserve! This book is full of sexy bears, wonderful characters, plenty of laughs, hot sex and a great story! I highly recommend this book, as well as this author!

Let It Snow was a heart-warming and lovely story with characters that grab you, and a story that will make it hard to put down! ENJOY!

Family Man by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton

familymanTitle:  Family Man

Author:  Heidi Cullinan & Marie Sexton

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Length:  Novel (262 pages)

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing (March 12th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb:  Sometimes family chooses you.

How does a man get to be forty without knowing whether he’s gay? That’s a question Vince Fierro is almost afraid to answer. If he is gay, it’ll be a problem for his big, fat Italian family. Still, after three failed marriages, he can’t help but wonder if he’s been playing for the wrong team.

There’s only one way to settle it, once and for all—head for Chicago’s Boystown bars, far from anyone who knows him. Naturally, he runs smack into someone from the neighborhood.

Between working two jobs, going to school, taking care of his grandmother, and dealing with his mother’s ongoing substance abuse, Trey Giles has little time for fun, let alone dating someone who swears he’s straight. Yet after one night of dancing cheek-to-cheek to the sultry strains of Coltrane, Trey finds himself wanting to help Vinnie figure things out—no promises, and no sex.

It seems like a simple plan, until their “no-sex” night turns into the best date of their lives and forges a connection that complicates everything.

Warning: This book deals with alcoholism, broken promises, and overbearing little sisters.

Product Link:  http://store.samhainpublishing.com/family-man-p-7287.html

Reviewer:   Any

Review:  A comforting read.

There’s just something really warm about this story that makes reading this fun and easy. I read this over a couple of cold, wintery evenings, and it was like having hot chocolate and marshmallows. Yum.

The pace is superb for a light read. There is no major angst or any dramatic unexpected turns, the story is simply about two sweet guys, Vinnie and Trey, who let themselves show their attraction to one another and it simmers and grows into love.

The two perspectives worked for me as well. Trey’s perspective is in the first person and Vinnie’s is in the third—both are skillfully written and pleasant to read. Though, I felt a touch more connected with Trey most of the story.

This was a smooth, fast read with a simple plot. If you’re looking for a break in-between more angst driven stories, this is a great option.

 

The Pirate's Game by Heidi Cullinan

Title:  The Pirate’s Game

Series: The Etsey Series 3

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: LGBT Fantasy

Length: Novel

Publisher: Loose Id (April 24, 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb:  As the love slave of the captain of the pirate ship The Merry Sue, Charles Perry, professional mess and reluctant god, is at last reunited with his lover Timothy — partly, at least. Somehow Timothy has become implanted in Captain James Gibbs’s mind, and for the right sexual favors, the pirate will grant Charles’s lover a few moments at the helm. Three square meals a day, endless pirate fantasies played out in real-time, and more Timothy than he’s seen in months. How can Charles complain?

Of course, trouble always manages to find its way home to Charles. The Pretender is still trying to kill him. His cousin is in a funk and shocks everyone with the reason why. But the most worrisome part is that Charles has realized he’d trade all his god powers and most of the world he made to have Timothy back with him for real — and he’s finally figured out how to do just that.

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/The-Etsey-Series-3-The-Pirates-Game.aspx

Reviewer: Thommie

Review: Hmm, now this one was quite the overwhelming book. I haven’t encountered yet a novel with such a detailed plot, numerous characters all having so much to do and say in the story line.

Somehow confusing the fact that one body is overflown by entities, Charles is at the same time Charles Perry and The White Charles aka The Lord. He is the bringer of Life, the very creator and at the same time the man, with his flaws and weaknesses. Timothy is Timothy Fielding, the concubine, the Lady, the darkness, a ghost… In this book Timothy has lost his mortal body and haunts James Gibbs, the captain of the Merry Sue, a Ring Pirate. After the second novel of The Etsey Series, Temple Boy, Timothy is trying to save Charles from the Pretender, Bassam, an androghenie, bound to kill the Lord, their Father and take over his power. We will see in this novel a lot from Jonathan Perry, Death Unit Officer, House blood survivor and Gateway to souls and Madeline a most powerful witch and House blood survivor as well. In their confusion between being Gods and men and trying to protect themselves from yet another war, the “blood brothers” find themselves involved in games that are being played and foreseen in time before they even dared to imagine. I have to admit that my favorite character was Elleian, the androghenie, somehow I expect to see “tir” in the next book of the series along with the great mistress The Sea.

A very interesting plot, with suspense overflowing every chapter, unexpected twists and a most satisfactory ending. A little bit lacking on sexual scenes and the much need intensity on them never the less a great novel for lovers of Fantasy and those fascinated with the pirates 😉

And although the novel is readable on its own I strongly recommend the previous two novels of The Etsey Series in order to truly appreciate the complexity of the storyline.

 

Temple Boy by Heidi Cullinan

Title: Temple Boy

Series: Etsey Novels 02

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Length: Novel (165pgs)

Publisher: Loose Id (20th September 2011)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: There is something different about Aurel. Though he’s lived his whole life as a Temple Boy in remote Mantua, no one seems to know when he arrived, or even when he was born. Despite a strict edict against sexual contact in the monastery, somehow even the most devout of men seem unable to stop from throwing themselves at Aurel. But things really get hairy when God shows up speaking Catalian and demands Aurel help him find his true love.

Now giant stone beasts are running him down at mass, witches are dropping out of the sky, and a sad, headless man whispers of lost love to Aurel in his dreams. It isn’t until a band of vengeful amazons drag him into the desert hills, however, that Aurel realizes how much of not just his life but the lives of others are at stake—but he can’t do anything until he figures out which God, if any, is real.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, dubious consent, ménage (m/f/m with m/m content), rape, same-sex practices (m/m, f/f), and strong violence. Readers with a history of rape or sexual abuse may find elements of this story disturbing.

Review: This book is part of a series and you HAVE to read the first book or you just won’t get this book at all.  The first book, The Seventh Veil, starts with world building and the beginning of the story and the main characters that appear through-out the series. Aurel’s life will never be the same again when he wakes up from a dream where the god died and it leads him on a journey of discovery and to his true love.

In this book, we have the return of Charles, Timothy, Madeline and Jonathon.   And in true Charles fashion he screws up pretty early in the book which leads us to Aurel who is our main character in this one.  Aurel is a Temple Boy, in a Cloister Temple, who will eventually find his love Chakide when he is captured by Zamoa warrior women. This is not an easy light read.   This story is more like an installment of an epic adventure.   I have to say, it is incredibly fantastic, the world building is brilliant, the characters come to life and the storyline is like nothing I have ever seen before.

This book I would say is for readers who like long heavy fantasy.   It switches back and forth between characters and could be confusing if treated like a light read. It does have scenes of rape but thankfully does not go into too much detail about it. If you read the first book, then you know that there will be more to follow as each veil is revealed and this is only the second veil, so still no happy ending for Charles and Timothy yet.

I will recommend this to those who love fantasy, true love, hardship, a fantastic storyline and an author who is going to continue to give us quality stories. But I cannot stress enough that you have to read the first story before this one.