Title: Winter Warmers
Series: N/A
Author: Anthology (Clare London, Chrissy Munder, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, and Lou Harper)
Genre: Anthology, Contemporary
Length: Novella
Publisher: Pink Squirrel Press (November 26, 2011)
Heat Level: Moderate overall, though a few of the stories were more explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts for anthology as a whole, each story has ratings in review.
Blurb: Baby, it’s cold outside! Beat the chill with Winter Warmers – a seasonal anthology
Mulled wine. Butterscotch kisses. Hideous sweaters. Candy at the beach, or a trip to a sex shop in Amsterdam. And the man of your dreams, wrapped around you…
Winter warmers come in many shapes and sizes, from the tongue-in-cheek to the hot-as-hell. Enjoy a quintet of heart-warming tales of men loving men from Clare London, Chrissy Munder, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, and Lou Harper that are guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.
One thing’s for sure—it’s going to be a red-hot Christmas!
Product Link: http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/108246/1/winter-warmers
Reviewer: Cat
Review: Overall I found the stories all very cute and interesting. I did have one caveat on the overall book and that was there was no titles on each stories It just seems to flow into the about the author then into the next book with no warning. But once you figured out where you were the stories were as sweet and fun as can be!
Individual stories
Lucky Dip by Clare London
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
I loved this one. Andy is a teacher getting ready for a school fundraiser. He is going to have to share his corner with a volunteer that turns out to be his ex-boyfriend Greg.
I laughed until I cried over this one. The kids were so cute and funny and the story was a sizzler; sure to warm you on a cold winter night.
Butterscotch Kisses by Chrissy Munder
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
I also loved this one! Mathew was afraid of heights and this fear cost him his boyfriend and a lot of humiliation. After purchasing a self-help program, he goes daily to the toboggan run to climb the steps. He meets “cute Ticket guy”. Does he conquer I his fear? Do he and ‘cute ticket guy’ go out’? What do butterscotch kisses have to do with heights? You will have to read this one and see! This was another very cute story written with a lot of wit and humor. The story of the fear of heights is easy to relate too and you can just feel Mathew’s fear. And the hats on cute ticket guy? Just hilarious!
Wintertide by Lou Harper
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
I really liked this one, too. It’s not as humorous as the last two, but just as sweet and sexy. Jem lives in the run down part of Hollywood and is alone for Christmas. He goes to the beach and sees an older man who he finds intriguingly handsome. He watches him throwing in candy in the water. They meet and immediately hookup. Jem wakes up at Oscar’s and looks around, seeing a lot of photos of another handsome man. Assuming Oscar has a boyfriend, Jem leaves.
This story has a very sad backstory, so be sure to have some tissues on hand. It is very sweet and sexy also! A real heart-warmer.
When in Amsterdam by Josephine Myles
Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts
Brandon went with his boyfriend, Jos, to Amsterdam for their version of Christmas. They wind up at a kink shop. Brandon isn’t into the kink scene, but knows Jos is.
This was my least favorite of all five stories. It was a good, but it centered mostly on the D/s, and sex thing without a real plot. I did like the loving relationship that Brandon and Jos had, and the fact that Brandon loved Jos enough to try new things.
A pint of beer, A Bag of Chips, and Thou by JL Merrow
Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
This one was another very cute funny one. I loved the way this one felt like the author was speaking directly to you, even asking you questions. I found myself answering a few! I laughed and laughed. I would definitely read more JL Merrow books.
Liam was a son of a witch. His family is quite eccentric, as is he. He plays his sax in the tube for money. He has his eye on a man who frequents the area, but is sure the man is far out of his league. His aunts and mom give him these horrendous knitted Christmas gifts: one a day for three days. You will have to read this to see what they are and how they play a part in the story! You won’t be sorry! The story is cute, sassy and sexy as heck! A great one to cuddle up under a blanket with hot cocoa!
I recommend this collection to anyone that loves a good anthology. Witches, Doms, peppermint lovers, cute guys in silly hats, and lots of laughs! Oh, I almost forgot the hot mansex!