Tag: Mandingo’s Reviews

More Than a Stud by Jerry Race

91fPE0R9JPL._SL1500_Title: More than a Stud

Author: Jerry Race

Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal/ Contemporary

Length: Novella (114 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-927185-56-1

Publisher: Muse It Up Publishing

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.75 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Will stakes and fangs keep Shane and Jamie from being a couple before their relationship begins?

Shane Richards, 24, male model, has a few problems. His rival threatens to discredit him if he participated in the upcoming America’s Top Male Model contest. Near his twenty-fifth birthday, the dormant vampire abilities within him begin to surface and he starts having nightmares about meeting his so-called father whom he’s never met. As if that isn’t enough one of his male friends, who has the hots for him is determined to make him his lover. On his twenty-fifth birthday, his nightmares come true and he winds up risking his life in a battle with his father over a pendant with supernatural powers.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/More-than-Stud-Jerry-Race-ebook/dp/B005KDCAG4

Review: Okay it was hard to put this story into a neat slot.  There are a number of stories that are swirling around.  There is the story of Jamie and Glow who are vampire slayers and run a model agency. Then there’s the story of Shane who’s a latent vampire about to come into his powers.  He’s been having nightmares and visions of who might be his father. Then there is the political battle ensuing with Shane’s vampire father and his need for vampire world domination.  Then somewhere in there is a supposed romance between Jamie and Shane.

The plot ideas are great and would make for a superb book, however it doesn’t work well in a novella because none of the stories is developed well enough. Especially the romance between Shane and Jamie. That story falls flat because the reader doesn’t ever see how that relationship develops or what the two men have in common.  In fact, there is little character development of either Jamie or Shane.

The vampire intrigue and the need for Shane’s father to get back the ‘key’ is the most well-developed plotline in the story and if being measured on that alone, then the story would be a resounding 3. However, because all these other elements are introduced, as additions or sub plots, then there is a need to see them all handled with finesse and care.

Great plot idea, but I think the story needs more development.

Briefcase Booty by S.A. Welsh

4280briefcasebooty510w-430x645Title: Briefcase Booty

Author: S. A. Welsh

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (88 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-77111-769-2

Publisher: eXtasy Books (February 19th, 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Two men are brought together by a green pirate parrot at a Christmas work function. One is a divorced highflying lawyer with a baby and the other is an acrobatic pirate performer. The link? They were best friends until they were nine and Luka’s family moved away. Luka, the pirate, just got out of a relationship and needs a place to crash, and Peter is sleep-deprived and desperate not to lose Luka again. The problem? Luka is gay and Peter is straight. Against the odds, they come together and discover family isn’t made by blood but love. Can Christmas spirit and the love of family help them overcome their differences, rekindle the childish love they shared when they were young, and let it grow into something more?

Purchase Link: http://www.extasybooks.com/briefcase-booty/?keyword=briefcase%20booty

Review: Two little boys are best friends. They are separated by the wrongdoing of a bad parent.  Twenty years later, they meet again and what ended as simple childhood friendship is now rekindled in passion.  Peter, now a successful businessman divorcee is simply trying to live each day, be a good parent to his son, and dodge the unwanted attention of his assistant.  Luka is a performer who checks all of Peter’s never before known buttons on the sexy meter. The two men fall instantly back into the patterns of their childhood friendship.

There are a lot of insta’s going on in this story.  Peter insta-invites Luka to move into his house with him. Peter insta-ntly moves from straight to being attracted to a man. There is insta attraction between Luka and Peter. There is insta-adoration between Luka and his namesake Loukas, Peter’s infant son. Then there is the insta-love that the men feel for each other.

The story moves from zero to sixty in about sixty seconds.  However, the three men are very adorable as a family and so the reader will suspend their disbelief to believe in the fairy tale and the happily ever after.

Devon Cream by Jet Mykles

20660032Title: Devon Cream, 2nd edition

Author: Jet Mykles

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (81 pages)

Publisher: MLR Press (January 30th, 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: When Steven helps his neighbor Devon move into the studio apartment upstairs, he can’t help but drool. And that’s all. Devon is straight and totally off limits. Knowing, though, doesn’t stop the desire Steven fights every time the two men are together, which is a lot since Steven has decided to take Devon under his wing until the young man can get his life together. 

This story was part of the HOT COMFORT anthology previously published. 

Purchase Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=JMDVNCRM

Review: There is nothing like a coming of age story, especially when it involves a man who has no clue that he could be attracted to another man.  Meet Steven who’s an older cook who befriends young, straight and down on his luck Devon.  The two become friends and Steven becomes besotted with young Devon even though he knows the man is straight. The lines of this friendship become blurred and that allows Devon to remove himself from his previously assigned box of identity and to explore new ones. 

Devon begins to care for Steven and takes a leaf out of Steven’s book when it comes to taking care of Steven when Steven is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity that throws his life into chaos. Readers will love Steven and Devon – Steven as the older gay man who doesn’t want to take advantage of his young padawan; and Devon with his dependence on Steven to help him adjust to his new life. They are both very different from each other, yet together they make sense and a very cute couple. The reader wants them to get together and when they do, there are smiles all around.

The reader will also enjoy seeing how the book got its title.  It’s is rife with double entendre. Nice little read.

Dandy's Little Girl by Ari McKay

81f6Hngk7qL._SL1500_Title: Dandy’s Little Girl

Author: Ari McKay

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (102 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-61040-645-1

Publisher: Torquere Press (February 4th, 2014)

Heat Level: Low to Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Noah Coleman doesn’t do casual relationships. After losing his partner, Jeff, and raising their daughter Emily by himself, he’s not used to thinking of anyone in a romantic way. But when he moves back to Chicago and meets former classmate Andy Lane again, Andy somehow manages to worm his way into Noah and Emily’s lives – and into Noah’s heart. Noah watches Emily and Andy grow closer, but Andy doesn’t seem to want anything more from Noah than friendship. What’s a father to do when he realizes balancing love and parenthood isn’t as easy as he’d always thought?

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=4123

Review: A delightful story about love a second time around.  Noah is a man grieving the loss of his partner while now raising their child.  When Andy Lane enters his life, he doesn’t think he’s ready for a relationship, but Lane’s quiet and non-threatening presence breaks through Noah’s grief and he begins to care. Feeling that the sentiment is not returned, he ends his lukewarm relationship with Andy, which depresses both men. 

Once Noah realizes his mistake via how heartbroken his daughter is by Andy’s absence, he swallows his pride and goes to talk with Andy, which will allow both men to talk about their misunderstandings and begin to build a relationship with each other.  The Epilogue of the story explains the title, which just makes the story all the sweeter.

The characters of Noah, Andy and Emily are well-developed and the reader roots for not just the two men to be together but also for the three of them to build a family with each other.  The power to love is infinite and often death is tragic, but that doesn’t mean that love will never ever be there again. This story is about family, trust and how love can heal anything.

Next to You by Rebecca Brochu

91mVISzgIGL._SL1500_Title: Next to You

Series:  Romance on the Go

Author: Rebecca Brochu

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short (32 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-77130-709-3

Publisher: Evernight Publishing (January 26th, 2014)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Understaffed, overworked, and generally exhausted contractor Ricci DeAngelo still has to contend with a long subway ride at the end of each day. The last thing he expects is to fall head long into a relationship while dozing on the train. But that’s exactly what happens when a sexy and equally exhausted stranger falls asleep on his shoulder one night. 

Ricci’s nap partner ends up being Layton Callis, an equally overworked pâtissier who looks and smells good enough to eat. When they unexpectedly fall into a routine of napping together on the late train, Ricci finds himself in a unique position. He can continue only seeing Layton during the week and spending his weekends in a sleepless mess. Or Ricci can step up and see if he can get Layton to agree to wake up next to him on a more permanent basis.

Purchase Link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/next-to-you-by-rebecca-brochu/

Review: The premise of this story is simple adorable. What’s not to love about two men who are both so exhausted that they literally fall into and onto each other night after night on the train. So many relationships are built on lust – instead both these working men find each other each night and exchange some basic pleasantries before falling asleep together.  The most intimate thing one person can do with another is to share their personal space and sleep together (not sex, actual sleep).  These men build a relationship in the late hours when guards and inhibitions are down.

They eventually find that whenever they do not sleep together, they do not sleep well and so they move their relationship from the train to an actual home where the intimacy they began continues and they find that they can build their relationship into more.

This is a story about two hardworking guys who meet and find that they are very compatible. This is the way that many relationships begin, simple and innocuous.  It gives the regular guy hope that he can find his Romeo too.

Very sweet story. Excellent plotline and the characters of Ricci and Layton are lovely.

Reading Between the Lines by Jane Davitt

74ec06b76db1b05c12a8159b226793c0a87452f4Title: Reading Between the Lines, 2nd edition

Author: Jane Davitt

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (65 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-61040-646-8

Publisher: Torquere Press (February 4th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Forced to room with a student who hates him on sight, Seth’s expecting a rocky semester, and falling for the surly Gabe only adds to his troubles. Gabe’s past is full of secrets, a closed book, but can Seth find the way to Gabe’s heart by reading between the lines? 

Previously published by Torquere in Kegs and Dorms (2008)

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=4122

Review: The book starts one way and then veers off into an unexpected direction.  Seth and Gabe are unexpected roommates with a love/hate relationship.  Gabe loves to hate Seth.  Seth sees Gabe as a puzzle to figure out and he begins his investigation to unravel the mystery. That leads him to discover violence in Gabe’s past; the discovery, however, still doesn’t allow he and Gabe to develop any kind of friendship.  It will take a confrontation for both men to be able to be honest with each other and to admit their true feelings.  Gabe must confront his past in and Seth must help him deal with the issues that have arisen from that.

This is a short story, but it manages to embrace the themes of homophobia, fear, violence and how the events of one’s life can haunt you if not confronted and dealt with.  The reader knows that Seth and Gabe will get together and their fights, disagreements and squabbles are viewed as the necessary sexual tension required.  When they do manage to get together, it doesn’t feel contrived and there’s a ‘realness’ to their conversation that is true to their age and their life experience.

As the story closes, this feels like a college relationship and not like it’s going to be an ever after story. But it is very appropriate for where Gabe and Seth are in their life.  While I was expecting some ribald college romp, this story had a hidden depth to it that made it sincere in its effort to depict what life could be like for two young men in college in this position.  I was pleasantly surprised by the content and while it has some angst to it, the ending with how Gabe and Seth had developed both a relationship and a friendship was a pleasant ending.

Second Chances by Arianna Paige

71zUtpyvZsL._SL1500_Title: Second Chances

Author: Arianna Paige

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short (40 pages)

Publisher: Arianna Paige (March 10th, 2013)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Richard Forrest is your average working stiff just going through the motions. Childhood baggage keeps him “in line”, but away from some of the things he truly wants. Adrian, or Rain as Richard calls him, was one of those things. After nearly two years of separation, Richard bumps into Rain and their incidental meeting results in old emotions flaring to life for both of them despite everything in the way. 

Rain’s free-spirited nature led him down a road of bad decisions that included drug use. This was ultimately the thing that separated the two of them in the past. Now a recovering addict Rain is trying his best to put his life back together. When Richard finds out that Rain is drug free he welcomes him back into his life and embraces who he truly is in the process. Everything moves forward in a fairy-tale manner until all too familiar behaviors start to resurface. 

Can Richard and Rain work their way through this latest set of trials and tribulations? Will suspicion and fear tear apart what their love has finally stitched together?

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-Arianna-Paige-ebook/dp/B00BSEWP2S

Review: This is a story about what happens when love is accompanied by fear and no one talks about that fear.  Addiction is real and for those who love a recovering addict, the fear of relapse is one that they live with constantly.

So Richard never admitted to himself that he was gay because of his upbringing.  However, all his friends have always known that he was in love with Rain. Now that Rain is back and he and Richard are back together and officially in a relationship, Richard’s life can begin. However, can one always trust a former addict? Having denied his sexuality for so long, Richard’s relationship with Rain is very important to him. And he so he denies his fear of his boyfriend succumbing to being an addict, again.  As such, rather than talking with his boyfriend, he will allow his fear to consume him until he creates issues where none need to be created.

The story is touching from a number of angles, the first being Richard’s inability to admit that he’s gay despite everyone knowing he is. It’s touching from the perspective of Rain’s devotion to Richard even when he didn’t know it. Then when coupled with Richard’s acceptance of his sexuality and feelings for Rain, the reader is touched on all those levels.

When Richard creates the breach in the relationship, the reader is not certain how Rain will respond. But, his acceptance of Richard’s fear and the reason behind it is further proof of the depth of the emotion between the men and how an addict must often be the first to forgive in order for them and their loved ones to move on.

A powerful story and message packed into only a few pages.

Too Good by T. Strange

20691539Title: Too Good

Series:  Take it Like a Man Anthology

Author: T. Strange

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short (29 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Josh didn’t really want to go out for his birthday, but his friend Tony insisted. He can’t believe it when a hot guy hits on him and wants to go home with him! Roy is well-hung and worried about hurting Josh, but Josh insists he can take it. They have a great time together, but Josh has a nagging suspicion that Roy might not be telling him everything. 

This story is also available in the Take It Like A Man Anthology.

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_93&products_id=4117

Review: The Take it like a Man Anthology is all about men who are well endowed and the men who love them.  This slice of erotica focuses on a former chubby child who’s grown into an accomplished attractive attorney who doesn’t quite see himself that way. He’s set up for a date on his birthday and ends up spending an erotic night with a man with his own set of hang-ups. While everyone assumes that men like to be large, sometimes being big can be an issue and Roy and Josh must navigate through their erotic night to see if there’s anything else left after that.

Realizing that he was set up, which he is vehemently against, Josh refuses to see Roy again, but calmer heads prevail and the two men meet again for another night of passion.  Roy is big, buff and hot, but more importantly, he’s hot for Josh.  What’s not to love?

This is a short story designed to get the motor running for all size queens.  It does that in spades.

Monkey Suit by B.A. Tortuga

20653025Title: Monkey Suit

Series:  Take it Like a Man Anthology

Author: BA Tortuga

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short (22 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (January 28th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: Casey resigned himself long ago to wearing a monkey suit and playing piano in swanky hotels and bars. It’s work, even if it isn’t the big break he always dreamed of. No, his ex-lover Derek got that: the record deal, big Nashville house, sold-out tour. When Derek comes back to Austin, though, he wants Casey, not all the trappings of fame. Can he make Casey believe it, or is their song played out? 

This story is also available in the Take It like a Man Anthology

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_93&products_id=4115

Review: So music star Derek left town and his love behind in search of bright lights and fame.  He found them, but in the interim, he found he lost himself. He’s returned home to collect the thing he should never have left behind – the talented piano player. Casey has never seen himself as someone with talent and so it was easy to let Derek go and be famous because he would only ever be an invisible sidekick.  Now however, they both have a second chance at love.

Derek wants to simplify his life and go back to just writing music; and, he wants to do it with Casey, the man he loves. So he’s come back to ask him to be with him on his farewell tour.  To achieve his goal, Derek will need to convince Casey that he is not a talentless hack that he can make it outside of Austin and that he, Derek, never stopped loving him.

Derek will need to pull out all the emotional stops. He will need to remember how to play the instrument of his lover’s body if he’s to prise him away from Austin and take him to the bright lights of Vegas.  Well apparently, the music of love and passion never fades … and Derek and Casey are able to hit just the right note.

Erotic and heartfelt. 

Just What the Doctor Ordered by Lorne Rodman

20691518Title:  Just What the Doctor Ordered

Series:  Take it Like a Man Anthology

Author:  Lorne Rodman

Genre:  Contemporary

Length:  Short (19 pages)

Publisher:  Torquere Press (January 29th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer:  Eli

Blurb: When size queen Sam winds up in the ER after an unfortunate incident with the world’s biggest dildo, he’s more embarrassed than hurt. But empathetic ER doc Gregg soon as him singing another tune. Could an ER visit and a bowl of soup really lead to something more? 

This story is also available in the Take It like a Man Anthology.

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_93&products_id=4119

Review: There could be nothing more embarrassing than having to go to the ER for having broken a dildo in your ass. However, sometimes there’s a silver lining in that your ER doctor is well endowed and would much rather you use him as your personal rod of correction rather than something made in China that comes with a 90 day warranty.

Once Sam heals, he and his hottie doctor, Gregg, will meet up for some soup and some sex – in that order.  Sam will be able to satisfy his size requirements and Gregg will find someone who doesn’t think his size will cramp their style.

This is a match made in heaven – the computer doctor and the ER doctor. What’s not to love?

Great characters, nice witty banter – hot erotic man on man love. 

The Perfect Size for You by Lily G. Blunt

20654577Title:  The Perfect Size For you

Series:  Take it Like a Man Anthology

Author:  Lily G. Blunt

Genre:  Contemporary

Length:  Short (29 pages)

Publisher:  Torquere Press (January 29th, 2014)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer:  Eli

Blurb: After updating his Rent Boy blog profile, well-endowed porn star Ty, receives a text requesting an appointment with a sexually inexperienced client. Andy asks Ty to provide him with the necessary knowhow, so if he ever goes on a date with the guy he’s attracted to he’s fully prepared. 

Little does Ty know this hook-up will lead to a friendship that will subsequently change his life. Can Ty remain friends with Andy or will he always want more? And how will Ty react when Andy finally goes on a date with another man? 

This story is also available in the Take It like a Man Anthology.

Purchase Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4116

Review: It’s always the best kind of story when the stud falls for the geeky boy.  Ty is the perfect specimen of man. He’s successful in that he has his own business while also making money as a porn star and being a rent boy/escort.  He’s not just a manwhore. He’s saving up to buy himself his own place. Enter Andy who Ty is taking under his wing.  Andy has not yet come out, but he wants to employ Ty to teach him the physical aspects of being a gay man. Especially since there is a certain boy who Andy has his sights set on.

As Andy and Ty spend time together, both of them develop feelings for each other but neither of them will admit to them. The twist to this ‘sizeable’ tale is that both Andy and Ty are both well-endowed men.  Andy is ashamed of his size because it made him an object of ridicule in high school and it takes Ty for him to appreciate all of his maleness. When Ty bottoms for Andy, it shows the depth of Ty’s feelings for his young friend.

After some person angst which makes Ty stop seeing Andy, both men make up and begin a relationship with each other, because after all what’s better than one big dick in a room? Well, two big dicks, of course.

Great erotica with a lot of heart!

Love Me Tonight by Adriana Dane

18867956Title: Love Me Tonight

Author: Adriana Dane

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (56 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-61124-517-2

Publisher: Amber Quill Press (November 17th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli

Blurb: At Hotel Draysden, management fraternizing with staff is a no-no. Casper Rosabella knows the rules, but he also believes that sometimes rules were meant to be broken. Sometimes it was worth taking a risk, especially when the man Casper craves is as hot as Lando Madrid.

Eye contact leads to a need to experience more, and through phone calls and texting, the men start to learn about each other. But then the lines blur when Casper and Lando make arrangements to meet for one night of unfettered sex in a seedy motel room, when taboo passions will culminate between two men who work at the same place, but certainly shouldn’t play together.

With secrets shared and desires revealed, the men are drawn deeper into a burning need to know more about each other. But considering their situation, could the relationship become something other than just a one-night stand?

Purchase Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/LoveMeTonight.html

Review: Take a mild-mannered man who realizes that having someone control your life when you don’t want it is not the same as surrendering control and add a spicy Latino to the mix and it will prove to be an intoxicating cocktail. Casper takes a chance on flirting with Lando and starting an illicit and potentially risky affair. Both men are searching for something and unbeknownst to them they will find what they need in each other.

All they need is a month of illicit courtship followed by a night of erotic passion – what will result is two men who finally have what they need and a love that can blossom into something more.  Lando will be the masterful Dom and Casper his willing sub.  They are both well matched and suited. Lando needs a man who will see beyond his lowly position in the company and appreciate all that he is and desires to be. Casper needs someone to show him that while he is buttoned up all day, he can let go and allow someone else to be in control of his passion.

The story is hot and sexy and drips with passion. This is a story that will have you looking around your workplace to see if there are any sexy vibes you may be missing.

Going Home by Rex Patrick

Portrait of two young boys gay on a black backgroundTitle: Going Home

Series:   Home to Harmony

Author: Rex Patrick

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Short (49 pages)

Publisher: Rex Patrick (October 22nd, 2013)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.75Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb:  At age twenty-four, Evan Parker was on the way to becoming rich by anyone’s standards. He just didn’t look it, act it, or feel it. He’d left the tiny town of Harmony, Maryland, for William and Mary, and grad school at the University of Virginia, Wharton School of Business. He hadn’t seen Isaac Wells in four years, not since Isaac told him that he didn’t really love him, and probably never had. He’d decided that sex with men wasn’t for him, that it all had been a mistake, a cruel joke, and that he was going to marry Janet Bourne, and live a normal life. 

Purchase Link:   http://www.amazon.com/Going-Home-Harmony-Rex-Patrick-ebook/dp/B00G2UWW5S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389145564&sr=1-1&keywords=going+home%2C+rex+patrick

Review: The story premise for this book is VERY good. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t reach its full potential for a number of reasons.  While the character of Evan is outlined with some degree of clarity, the reader doesn’t even get a chance to understand Isaac.  He’s presented as a multi-faceted character, but we don’t know why.  The reader never discovers what makes Isaac tick or why Evan liked him during their previous relationship or why he still carries a torch for him. We don’t really know what Evan does for a living (something in the financial field which makes him very wealthy at twenty-five, but doesn’t require him actually going to a job), and the descriptions of Isaac’s professional life are drawn in broad strokes. The reader doesn’t really know why they should root for Evan and Isaac to be together, since the reader doesn’t know what connects them in the first place.

The story also jumps around a lot and the lack of effective editing sometimes makes the story difficult to follow.  Many times throughout the story, the reader will become confused between real speech and the characters thoughts as well as which character is actually speaking. The conflict and climax of the story sneak up on the reader without any warning, at which point the story seems to unravel through what appears to be a lack of planning and thought as to the steps to make this a believable series of events. Then once the conflict is resolved, the story rushes to its HEA and the reader is left a bit bereft.

So the story premise is great and this reviewer hopes that the author revisits the story and does some serious editing, which would greatly improve the story flow, followed by adding a few paragraphs here or there to round out the main characters and to fill in some missing plot details.  Another five or ten pages and the story will realize its potential and become a much better read.

Wedded Bliss by A.J. Llewellyn

81EXhh5HVbL._SL1500_Title: Wedded Bliss

Series:   N/A

Author:A. J. Llewellyn

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novella (84 pages)

Publisher: Amber Quill Press (December 10th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb:  Jack Callahan is in a financial bind, so when Australian novelist Bruce Logan offers him a small fortune to marry him so Bruce can get his green card, Jack agrees. The two men know enough about each other to pull off the immigration interview at Homeland Security, and they can happily share an apartment in Los Angeles until Bruce establishes legal residency.

The problem, though, begins when Jack develops feelings for Bruce and becomes torn when his new husband starts dating another man. Not only that, but Bruce’s expected book royalties fall way short of expectations. Now, not only can Bruce not pay Jack the promised “marital fee,” but also it seems that he’s in love with his new man. And with Jack’s lengthy solitude broken, his feelings for Bruce only deepen.

Can the two married men actually find wedded bliss with each other?

Purchase Link:   http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/WeddedBliss.html

Review: Okay, let’s just start with the fact that I loved how real this book was – Real from the point that marrying someone for a green card is illegal and will create HUGE legal issues for both parties.  However, this occurs all the time in this country. The notion of this now occurring with two men is an interesting twist and can be sure to become a very regular occurrence when marriage equality is achieved across the nation. So the author takes this premise and then layers it with some Hollywood drama complete with two slightly insecure men, and then two females who’ll help to save them from themselves. 

Jack Callahan is a perfectly nice man and when the reader first meets Bruce, he seems nice enough.  However, mid-way through the book, his charm tarnishes and it doesn’t really return until close to the end of the book.  Jack is a very likable character, Bruce less so; BUT he does redeem himself in the end and one can only relate this to the flaws that anybody would have. Real life enters when finances are not as they seem, libidos get in the way, exes make themselves apparent and feelings get hurt.  The book does a good job of encapsulating a lot of activity taking place in short time frame, and the romance between the men feels very real and true to life rather than seeming like the usual formulaic love story that is usually seen. The story is well paced, well-written with well-developed characters; and, the plot is believable.  Additionally, despite Bruce’s slightly douchy moments, you do want to see him and Jack end up together.  A good read.

The Price of Everything by D.C. Williams

20515270Title: The Price of Everything

Series:   N/A

Author: D. C. Williams

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novel (184 pages)

Publisher: MLR Press (January 12th, 2014)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb:  A chance encounter with a college acquaintance leaves Paul Willauer questioning everything, from who he is to what he wants from life. 

New attorney, Paul Willauer stops into a local bar for a bite to eat after work and runs into an old college acquaintance, Quinn Fitzpatrick. Paul thinks an encounter with Quinn will satisfy his curiosity about being with another man, but instead he finds himself questioning everything he’d thought about who he was and what he wanted. When an episode of violence threatens to shatter the fragile love that has grown between Paul and Quinn, will Paul walk away or choose to stay?

Purchase Link:   http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=DCWPRICE

Review: This story is Paul’s story as he navigates his sexuality and how it will impact all areas of his life. Closeted Paul meets his college friend Quinn and the fireworks begin. They move from casual friends with benefits relationship to being boyfriends.  Paul continues to question his sexuality while feeling emotionally drawn to Quinn, however, he cannot commit publicly to Quinn and so he compromises with Quinn on the standards of their relationship.  Paul feels that to hurt his family is not a good enough option if he’s not really, certain what he himself really wants.

By the time Paul recognizes that he wants Quinn, their relationship is dealt a serious blow and Paul must determine how he will handle this situation since it will affect the declaration of his sexuality, his relationship with his family, his relationship with Quinn, and his career.  The story navigates all these various paths, which Paul must explore until Paul has come to terms with all these areas of his life. The story starts out with Paul needing Quinn to help him find the compass of his reality, and then does a quick reversal into Paul becoming Quinn’s anchor – which is how Paul is able to come into his own as a man and as the guiding character in the story.

The relationship that Paul has with his family is very interesting and is vastly different from what one often sees in m/m books, which is usually either disdain, disgust or full acceptance.  Paul’s relationship with his parents is one, which is not accepting due to their Christian principles, but is not one, which allows them to disown their son. The relationship with his parents makes Paul’s reticence very easy to understand and shed light into much of Paul’s character.

The entire premise of the story is excellent, especially as seen from Paul’s perspective; but the passive, reporting style of writing takes some of the punch out of how visceral the story could have been. The style has the reader sitting on the outside and observing how Paul reports on the actions of his life rather than the reader being allowed to take a ringside seat and go along the ride with Paul.  This could well have been the author’s aim so it’s not a criticism, merely an observation.

Paul’s journey to himself is a good read and the last quarter of the book, the reader really begins to appreciate and like Paul more and more for the man he becomes.  As it is his story, it is one well worth reading and enjoying.

The Ten Days of Newton by Serena Yates

18930915Title: The Ten Days of Newton

Series:   N/A

Author: Serena Yates

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novella (51 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (December 18th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb:  Galen Ocker is nineteen, a music student, and his enthusiasm for life can be quite overwhelming. When he meets Clifford Jeffrey, a twenty-seven year old mathematician, their external differences are obvious but so is their romantic connection. Since Galen believes in romance, he wants to make Christmas special for both of them despite Clifford’s atheism. 

With his usual enthusiasm, Galen researches alternatives to Christmas and comes up with the ideal solution. With his best friend’s approval, Galen sets out to make this the perfect holiday for Clifford. But Clifford has his own surprise for Galen… 

Purchase Link:   http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=4101

Review: This is a lovely little story about whimsy meeting intense. These two men are vastly different and yet they still manage to strike sparks off each other. This is a true opposites attract story.  On the surface, there should be nothing to attract these men to each other since they are such polar opposites:  Older/Younger; Artist/Mathematician; Whimsical/Realistic.  It is, however, these differences, which provide them with similarities. They are both very committed and confident within their own skin and it is this that attracts them to each other. 

Their romance builds slowly with dates and light caresses as the men get a chance to really know each other.  It is in this knowledge that they both decide to make a huge gesture to each other at Christmas.  Galen, because he wants Clifford to experience the wonder and joy he feels regardless of if it’s for Christmas or not. And Clifford, because he simply wants Galen to be happy. 

The heart of this story is that both men have such great heart separately, together and for each other.  And while the men are very different, the story lends itself to the belief that not only will they find their HEA, but also that they just might have the opportunity to build on it.

A nice read.

The Obsession by Christie Gordon

7861524Title: The Obsession

Series:   N/A

Author:Christie Gordon

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novel (236 pages)

Publisher: eXtasy Books (March 15th, 2010)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb: As a senior-year art student at a Santa Barbara university, Tristan is caught in a mental prison of his own making. Sexually repressed and emotionally abused by an oppressive mother, his preference for men leads him into sexual addiction. Then a new roommate appears in his dorm—Collin, a stunning psychology major from class he’s fantasized about since the start of the school year, a young man Tristan’s fallen in love with from afar. Collin uses his charm and knowledge of psychology to pull Tristan out of his self-destructive existence and into a tumultuous affair. But Collin has a secret, a secret that could potentially further damage Tristan and send him plummeting deeper into isolation and desperation than he’s ever been before. Will Collin’s secret emerge? And will Tristan move forward and find the love he’s always craved or will he fall headlong into addiction and lose everything he’s worked so hard for.

Purchase Link:   http://www.extasybooks.com/christie-gordon/the-obsession/

Review: This book was first written in 2010 and I’m hoping that it’s in for a revival because it’s quite an interesting book.  There is lots and lots and lots of sex. So much so that after a while, the readers may find themselves skimming over some of the scenes in order to get back to the plot. Not that the sex isn’t pivotal to the plot – it is – the reader just really wants to get back to the story.  The title is The Obsession and it isn’t until the end of the book that the reader understands that it is both Tristan and Collin who both have obsessions and that their rather unorthodox relationship allows both of them to work through their obsessions.

Tristan has extremely serious psychological issues and while the story presents them very well, the ease with which they seem to be solved almost trivializes his illness by making it seem that a novice could help him overcome them with ease. So, while I love the plot of the story and how it wove along to bring the characters together and allow Tristan and Collin to bond and interact with the outside world, the notion that Collin could achieve what he did with Tristan in a mere few weeks is a tad far-fetched in reality. However, it works beautifully for the storyline and so the reader will gladly go along with suspended disbelief to achieve the outcome of the story.

Tristan when first presented seems to be introverted, sullen, invisible and full of psychoses and neuroses. Then Collin enters the picture and the reader sees Tristan begin to move from a caterpillar to a butterfly. (Insert suspended disbelief).  By the end of the story, Collin and Tristan seem to have done a personality switch and it is Tristan who’s suddenly emerged as the stronger of the two characters.  This is a necessary occurrence because half way through the story it is clear that Collin is indulging in some seriously douche-like behaviour blended with intensely unethical practices and it is only total reversal that he will in the reader’s eyes be worthy of Tristan. Of course, his selfless actions by the end of the book give him some redeeming qualities and allow the reader to actually wish to see Tristan and Collin ride off into the sunset together.

The story is well written and the character of Tristan is very well-developed, while Collin provides the necessary tool for conflict and crises in the story. And did I say there was sex?  Yes LOTS of sex! The only flaw is the timeline. For this story to have achieved perfection, it should have taken place over a longer time span – at least six months to make Tristan’s change of heart, attitude and behaviour more believable. And, that is easily achievable since the author puts specific dates of occurrences within the book – simply spread the dates out.   Without doing this, it doesn’t matter how much of a protégé Collin is, the human psyche is not a microwave and does not suddenly change at warp speed. 

The content is a little dark, but well worth the read.

Last First Kiss by Diane Adams

18630973Title: Last First Kiss

Series:   Southern Comfort, #1

Author:Diane Adams

Genre: Contemporary

Length:  Novel (275 pages)

Publisher: Love Lane Books (January 18th, 2014)

Heat Level:  Low and Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4Hearts

Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo

Blurb:  Eighteen-year-old Gage Harris is not a part of twenty-five year old Trent Foster’s plans. He likes Gage but the intense attraction between them makes remaining just friends unlikely, and the young farmer with two small children is a complication Trent doesn’t need. 

Despite all the reasons to stay away, Trent is pulled into the small family. Gage’s boys are delightful and the young man’s honesty and genuine affection impossible to resist. Trent is intrigued by a life so different from everything he’s known. As he, struggles to reconcile his plans with his feelings Trent begins to suspect that his random offer of a ride in the rain might lead straight to his last first kiss.

Purchase Link:   https://www.lovelanebooks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=23&products_id=54&zenid=f5fba7a121a809051feebea163db1888

Review: Everyone has lessons to learn in life and one’s age is not necessarily the best yardstick to use when measuring the maturity of someone. Gage as presented is an extremely competent and self-possessed young father. As the story develops, the reader will continue to be impressed by Gage’s strength and wisdom even at such a young age. He easily appears to be older than Trent in many of the ways is that the thinks and processes information and his life circumstance. He’s made decisions that many men older than him would not have made, but which he did gladly indicating an amazing strength of character. What Gage is missing is a friend and a partner and he will eventually find that in Trent. If they have, patience and can navigate through some treacherous waters.

Trent will find himself going out of his comfort zone and learning more about ‘real’ life than he imagined.  He’ll suddenly see that his reality is not everyone else’s and he will learn to appreciate his own life and that of others.  Being friends with Gage will help him to mature in ways that he didn’t even know that he needed.

Both men will need to navigate some issues to see if they can make it as a couple and a ‘family’ and there are some very serious issues to navigate that could be the death knell of their relationship. After some setbacks, they’ll find their footing together.  Gage and Trent are wonderful characters who the readers will adore and fall in love with.  Gage’s relationship with his children is precious; and, watching Trent fall in love with the children and want to become a part of the family is heart warming.

This is a story about family, sacrifice and what people will do for those whom they love.  It is wonderfully heart-warming and restorative to the soul.