Tag: Loch Awe Press

Crashing the Net by Samantha Wayland

81AlEa8XDpL._SL1500_Title: Crashing the Net
Author: Samantha Wayland
Genre: Contemporary with a Dom/Sub innuendo
Length: Novella (128 pages)
Publisher: Loch Awe Press (July 22nd 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate to Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: Mike comes to Moncton wanting nothing more than to play for the Ice Cats and finally live on his own terms. He’s broke, bruised, and covered from head to toe in cheap lube, but he isn’t going to let that stop him. All he needs is a place to live and some time to figure out how to reconcile who he really is with who everyone wants him to be.

Dumping three gallons of lube on the new kid is just another day at the office for Alexei. He knows exactly who he is: a goalie on the ice, a prankster in the locker room, and a man who knows better than to share his private life with anyone. He’s let people in before and it’s taught him that if he can’t have what he really wants, it’s better to be alone.

Despite their apparent differences, an unlikely friendship grows. Neither of them could ever have guessed how much they really have in common.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Crashing-Net-Samantha-Wayland-ebook/dp/B00M197TCA
Review: Mike is the newest recruit for the Ice Cats hockey team. With this position comes the usual hazing upon his arrival from his new team mates, but it’s one team-mate in particular the gets Mike’s blood boiling. When he’s invited to join the guys for beers, he declines, instead heading for a nice hot shower. That’s where the one that makes his heart race finds him. Naked and bruised with tear-stained cheeks.
Alexei is the goalie for the Ice Cats, and the man behind the prank that sent Mike to the showers. He makes a u-turn when headed to the bar and decides to go back and check on his new teammate. Alexei has questions for Mike. Where did those bruises come from? Why was he crying? But the older more experienced man and hockey player decides to instead become the one thing Mike needs now more than anything, his friend.

Over the next few months, Mike makes his mark on the team and he and Alexei grow closer. Neither one has confessed their feelings for the other, but they have settled into a comfortable duality. Over a break they build an apartment for Mike in the warehouse Alexei owns and lives in, and it’s that first night in his new apartment, wall shared with Alexei, that Mike finally opens up to his best friend and roommate about his scars.

This book had my three favorite things in it. Sweaty naked men, Hockey and Romance! Win, Win, BONUS!! Seriously, though, this is the first of Wayland’s books I’ve read but I’m a fan. She managed to find the right balance between passion, love, angst and turmoil to create a hard-hitting story with a slight innuendo to dominance and submission. The details in the descriptives were toe curling, hot, and sensual. This is not only a must read, it’s a keep queued on your device to visit whenever you want!

Two Man Advantage by Samantha Wayland

20261981Title: Two Man Advantage

Series: Hat Trick, #2

Author: Samantha Wayland

Genre: Contemporary/Suspense/Hockey

Length: Novel (199 pages)

Publisher: Loch Awe Press (December 19th, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb: Rhian Savage is working his way up the ranks of professional hockey, with the dream of making it to the NHL getting closer every day. He’s doing it alone—no family, no friends—and that’s the way he likes it. Then he arrives in New Brunswick, and meets the Moncton Ice Cats. Suddenly, he’s got friends—and even something, that might be an honest-to-god crush.

Garrick LeBlanc is lonely, counting the days until his last season with the Ice Cats is over, and he can move to Boston. When his girlfriend suggests he take a lover—as long as that lover is a man and he tells her all about it—Garrick laughs it off. But damned if his friend Rhian doesn’t suddenly take on the starring role in his fantasies. Good thing Rhian is way too young—and straight—for what Garrick has in mind.

Rhian takes a chance when Garrick’s increasingly confusing signals start making sense, and soon discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Sex with strangers is simple. Sex with his best friend? Complicated.


Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Two-Man-Advantage-Trick-Book-ebook/dp/B00HEVPZ6C

Reviewer:   GiGi

Review: Garrick’s girlfriend is off in Boston enjoying the excitement of her new career move as Garrick tries to balance his new role as co-owner of the Ice Cats and his imminent retirement as an active hockey player. The distance is difficult, and when she suggests Garrick find a male lover he’s dubious. He knew from their past experience that she was aroused by Garrick’s history with men. But he wasn’t so sure he could divide a new sexual relationship from his future with her.

While he’s having these doubts his attraction for Rhian reignites, they dance around each other for a while, each doubting the other’s sexuality, but eventually they combusted. The sexual attraction and interaction quickly proceed, and before you know it, Garrick is fighting the fact that he’s struggling with his feelings for two people.

This lacks some of the suspense and parallel plots of the previous book, but the sexual content is steamy. The only thing that disappoints is the balance between the two men. I did not appreciate that Rhian was made the “damsel in distress.” I like different but equal in my star couples, it’s why I actually enjoyed the m/f role in the last book. The female lead was obviously physically weaker, but stronger in mind and constitution, it leveled the playing field, or the playing ice as it were. Here we see Rhian’s past, the fact he’s been taken advantage of, blackmailed, and then we see Garrick ride to the rescue, and add to that Garrick’s dominance in the bedroom. I really wanted Rhian to take the reins.

Still a good story, interesting how the end surprises me a little, and I look forward to finding out how book three ties these two couples into one.

Fair Play by Samantha Wayland

18717363Title: Fair Play

Series:  Hat Trick, #1

Author: Samantha Wayland

Genre: Contemporary/Hockey

Length: Novel (284 pages)

Publisher: Loch Awe Press (October 25th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5

Blurb: Savannah Morrison is the new athletic trainer for the Moncton Ice Cats, a professional hockey team in the wilds of New Brunswick. It’s a good thing she’s got plenty of knowledge and grit, because as the only female trainer in the league, she has to work twice as hard to win the players’ respect. The last thing on earth she would do is date one of them. 

Twelve-year hockey veteran Garrick LeBlanc isn’t ready to hang up his skates, particularly since he hasn’t figured out what the hell he’s planning to do next. He needs the new trainer to keep him fit to play, and she’s got the skills to do it. Too bad, he lost his mind and hit on her the day they met. Now she hates his guts and he’s made an art of ignoring her.

When the team is put up for sale, Garrick and Savannah have to work together to save their jobs and their team. Somewhere along the way, they discover Garrick isn’t just a hockey player, Savannah isn’t only passionate about her work, and just maybe they’ve got more in common than they thought.

Contains brief M/M content. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty more in Book 2. 🙂

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Fair-Play-Hat-Trick-Book-ebook/dp/B00G6624U6
Reviewer:   GiGi

Review: I’m a huge hockey fan, so the action on the ice is what drew me to this series to start with. The heat is what kept me coming back for more! In the midst of hockey season and with the excitement of the Olympic hockey teams in peak fervor, I figured I better get this review done ASAP!

For the non-initiated in hockey A hat-trick refers to the achievement of a positive feat three times or more during a game, or other achievements based on threes aka, three goals in a row…and Samantha Wayland is well on her way to that! She has renewed my faith in M/F romance! Not to worry gay-rom readers, there is plenty of homoerotic content and there are M/M couples in the next part of this series.

Savannah Morrison is\not some simpering femme fatale in need of rescue, fawning over the men she works with. No, she is a kick-arse intelligent woman, dedicated to her career, and able to make smart decisions for herself, including the ability to defend herself with gumption and a roll of tape. After shooting down Garrick more than once, she finally starts to see him in a new light after giving their professional and then friendly relationship a chance.

Throughout this book, Savannah has to stand her ground as a female sports physical trainer working in one of the most testosterone infused male sports…hockey. She has to stand her ground and act professional while dealing with numerous come-ons and jerks who don’t take her seriously. When team member Bobby, the son of a rich local business (see mob) man starts to get aggressive and threatening, Garrick catches on, but learns not to go all cave man on Savannah, but lets her stand her own ground while protecting her from a distance.

Among all this activity, and the growing attraction to Garrick she tries to suppress, they find out the team is up for sale, and Bobby’s dad is trying to buy it. This all spells trouble, and new job-hunting for Savannah. The tough and most intriguing part of this book is that when things get hot between Savannah and Garrick (and oh, boy do they!) Savannah has real difficult decisions to make. Does she follow her dreams, her career goals or does she let her new relationship with Garrick keep her there. Or can she have both?

And as for Garrick, his love of hockey and his love of Savannah are tearing him in many directions. He knows his playing career is coming to an end, so now Garrick needs to think about what he is going to do in a future without hockey. Maybe he can save his team from a corrupt new buyer and plan for his future career, one with Savannah hundreds of miles away following her own goals.

Lots of action, drama and a bit of hockey tossed in. It’s fun to imagine pushing and pulling these professional athletes around to help their bodies heal and develop into the fine honed skating machines they are. And the sexual encounters…damn, I believe at one point I was even short of breath! Hot and heavy doesn’t begin to describe the amazingly written erotic scenes. This is part of a trilogy and the path is set for a bit of M/M in the next one so get Two Man Advantage queued up!

This is a great M/F read, with a dominant, strong female character that doesn’t belittle the alpha men at all! Both are strong, intelligent, complex, and sexy as hell! Yes, I believe you have a Hat Trick on your hands Samantha Wayland!