Spider by Harley Wylde


Spider by Harley Wylde
Hades Abyss MC Book 1
Publisher: Changeling Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (162 Pages)
Other: M/F, Anal Play
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Luciana — All I’ve known is pain and suffering at the hands of men — even from my father, a man who was supposed to love and protect me. I’ve survived, nothing less and nothing more. When I’m dropped off with a club of bikers, I figure it’s more of the same. I’ll do as I’m told, make sure I please them, and hope one day I’ll find a way to escape. There is only one thing that could ever break me, and I’m scared of what will happen when the club learns my secret. Will they return me to my father? Or will I be used to broker yet another deal?

It never occurred to me the President of Hades Abyss would be my salvation, or that I would fall in love with him. I never knew men could be honorable and kind. He’s all gruff and domineering, but under that rough exterior I can see the heart of gold he tries to hide.

Spider — Assassin Casper VanHorne, Picasso of wet work and pain in my ass, has asked my club to take in two Colombian princesses. Well, he didn’t use the term princesses, but I have no doubt they’ll be spoiled little bitches. The first time I see Luciana and her sister, I think I’ve got them pegged just right — until I look in Luciana’s eyes and see the fear she’s trying to hide. Something isn’t right. I know it deep in my gut.

I never once thought a woman nearly forty years younger than me could ever captivate me, but the more I get to know her, the more Luciana holds me spellbound. I didn’t want to fall in love, didn’t want a woman in my life… but sometimes the Fates know better than a mere mortal man, and Luciana is exactly what I need. When her father demands her return, I vow to keep her safe. No fucking way I’ll let the sick bastards who hurt her get their hands on her again. Now that she’s mine, I’ll march into hell if need be in order to keep her by my side.

The Spider will find his queen and a whole lot of trouble.

Spider is one character who has intrigued me for some time. The story of Spider and his love is one I have been waiting for quite some time. And, the wait was well worth it. Spider is quite a bit older than Luciana. And reading this story was a blast.

Luciana is a bit timid and shy, but strong as well. She trusts Spider. That says a lot about her character especially when the story of her past comes out.

Spider is quite different than most of the members of the MC that I have read so far. I love that. The heat and chemistry are present between both of them as well as Spider’s patience for Luciana. He is very much in tune with her and her needs.

It is a short read but it has scenes of violence and miscarriage that some readers may not like. As well as talk of rape.

That being said the climax and prologue surprised me but reading this story was well worth everything.

Valentine’s Ghost by Alice Gaines


Valentine’s Ghost by Alice Gaines
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Paranormal, Holiday, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (31 pages)
Other: M/F, Toys
Rating: 5 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Phyllis Green has decided her vibrator is better than men. Or so she thinks, until a little old lady named Agnes appears on a milk carton in Phyllis’s fridge on Valentine’s Eve.

Agnes claims to be Phyllis’s Fairy ghostmother, and she’s going to take Phyllis to Valentines past, present, and future. Will one of the visions turn out to be a keeper?

Nobody should sleep alone on Valentine’s Day.

The premise grabbed my attention immediately. It included so many creative nods to other genres and writing styles that I couldn’t wait to see what the author would come up with next. She really outdid herself with all of her references. Honestly, the blurb didn’t even begin to describe some of the clever things she came up with. This was definitely one of those times when the blurb and the premise underpromised what they had to offer only to astound me with all of the delightful tricks they had up their sleeves.

I loved this book’s sense of humor. There were several scenes that made me chuckle, and many more that pasted a smile on my lips. By far the best scenes were the ones that involved Phyllis’ fairy ghostmother and her raunchy expectations for what Phyllis would do on past, present, and future Valentine’s Days. She was quite funny! I’d sure like to read more about this or any other fairy ghostmother if Ms. Gaines ever decides to write about them again.

All three of the sex scenes in this story were steamy and well written. Phyllis had excellent chemistry with all of her partners. While I immediately knew which one I hoped she’d end up with longterm, it was still a great deal of fun to see her try them all out and see who was most compatible with her. Sex isn’t everything in a relationship, but being compatible in this area sure is important.

I can’t recommend Valentine’s Ghost highly enough!

Scratch by Harley Wylde


Scratch by Harley Wylde
Devil’s Boneyard MC Book 2
Publisher: Changeling Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (157 Pages)
Other: M/F, Anal Play/Sex
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Clarity — I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen, and I’ve fought tooth and nail to make a life for myself and the son I never planned to have. Caleb is my entire world, despite the circumstances of his birth. Being homeless a second time certainly hadn’t been in my life plans, so when a gruff yet sexy biker offers a bit of help, how can I possibly say no? Doesn’t hurt that the older man is easy on the eyes, and he’s so good with Caleb. I’d thought I wasn’t able to trust anyone ever again, but looking into his eyes, I know deep down he’d never hurt us. It just never occurred to me that I’d fall completely in love with him.

Scratch — The young woman and kid I find sleeping outside my club’s chop shop make me feel things I shouldn’t. Hell, she’s younger than my damn daughter, but it’s obvious she’s been to hell and back, and she’s still fighting. There’s fire in her soul, but the gentle way she treats her son leaves me wanting things I shouldn’t. Like a new chance at a family. What the hell would she want with a man thirty years older than her? When I took her home with me, I never counted on wanting to keep her. I’ll slay her demons, bury the monsters from her past, and then I’ll do the one thing I thought I’d never do… claim an old lady, then make her my wife.

A Sweet Story.

The beginning was surprise, but a welcome one. A homeless mom seeks shelter at the doorway of a building owned by a local motorcycle gang. What she did not expect was this huge and intimidating guy to give her and her son a place to say. The relationship that developed between all three of them was definitely something to watch.

Clarity is homeless but above all else she is a mother and her need to keep her son safe and fed makes her take that helping hand from Scratch. Scratch is quite a bit older than her but also understood enough to give her and her son space as well as everything they would need to grow. He was insightful enough to know that there were somethings that would take time to heal.

Clarity’s trust in Scratch did not come immediately. Instead it came gradually. Action speaks louder than words and his actions were loud and clear. Their chemistry rose up each time spend together with each other. There is drama. Thing about it–a woman, child and biker plus romance? There has to be drama and this book delivers. Between the kid, Scratch’s brothers, Clarity’s past and the club, it kept me entertained throughout.

There is a mystery in here that took some time to unravel but the suspense of it made it all so worth it.

The story is of trust and love and family. Recommended.

Schoolboy Blues by Kiernan Kelly


Schoolboy Blues by Kiernan Kelly
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (57 pages)
Other: M/M
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Once best friends, Angelo and Vincent parted after a night of hot passion and conflicting emotions.

Rock star Angelo knows a good thing when he’s got it, and what he has on stage with his band now is as good as it gets. He clings to that knowledge during the times when he longs for the warmth of a lover in his heart and his bed.

Vincent has grown adept at ducking his mother’s probing questions about grandbabies, while dedicating his life to nailing perps to the jailhouse wall in criminal court. His family and his career bring him satisfaction, but he dares not pursue a relationship that would complete his life.

Could the music that led to their parting a decade ago be the bond that brings these two lovers back together again?

Performing and being on stage is the only place Rush wants to be. Rush had left a number of things behind in his home state – and Vincent was one of them. They’d broken up on bad terms and neither had considered reaching out to the other. But when they meet again they realise they’ve both grown up a lot in the intervening years. Can their high school romance survive a second test run?

I found this to be a really interesting – though slow paced – short story. I really enjoyed both Rush’s character and Vinnie’s. While the first half of the book is quite slow – setting the scene and explaining both Rush and Vinnie’s history together and a lot about the men they’ve grown to become, when they finally meet up again things move really quickly from there and the pace speeds up to a level that I really enjoyed. Initially, I was also a bit confused as to why the story was set in the early 1970s. Right toward the end of the story this aspect becomes crystal clear, but I spent nearly the whole story confused as to why this story needed to be set nearly forty years in the past.

When Rush and Vinnie finally met back up again and finally had an intense and long-overdue talk, their relationship and chemistry started to really drag me into the story. The two men together were smoking hot and I feel despite the fact there’s only one scene of intimacy between them I found it really satisfying and believable. I also really enjoyed how once their past had been squared away Vinnie and Rush’s relationship reverted back to being both best friends as well as lovers. It was clear the two men could count on each other and had the other’s back – and I adored that.

Different and a little slow to start, I found this overall to be an interesting and well written character-based story. I enjoyed it and would certainly try this author again.

Under And Over It by Megan Slayer


Under And Over It by Megan Slayer
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (53 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Play, Fetish, Spanking
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Regan Finley’s photography makes the local music scene shine. He’s four months from his final exhibition and graduation. But instead of preparing for the party, he’s fretting about his exhibition theme — bondage and passion. There’s one person he wants to make his exhibition come to life, if he can convince his housemate to participate.

Camryn Tate plays the music that makes the young girls scream. He likes being a local rock hero. When he finds out what Regan wants for the exhibition, Cam has to make a decision. He can let Regan have his commanding way and get the pictures he needs for the exhibition, or he can walk away from the best roommate and friend he’s ever known… all because of a little ball of nylon rope.

Regan and Camryn had known each other for eighteen months and been housemates for the last six of them. While friendly, Camryn has never been keen to view Regan’s artwork, so Regan is surprised when Cam start showing a determined interest. The fact Regan has a massive crush on Cam and the soul-baring intimacy of some of his photographic pieces only makes things more difficult when Regan is determined to keep Cam’s friendship and not mess what they have up with the depth of his personal feelings.

This is a steamy friends-to-lovers style of story. I was pleased the author gave us a bit of time at the start to get a feel for Regan and Camryn’s characters, they didn’t just simply fall into bed together. I could see how they were well suited and each had been lusting after the other for quite a while. I admit I felt this story might fall a bit more into the “Happy For Now” style of relationship, not the “Happy Ever After” style mainly because both men were quite young and each only just beginning in their chosen careers and working lives. The connection and chemistry between Regan and Cam was pretty intense though and while I often don’t get the same feeling of satisfaction out of the “Happy For Now” style of relationships I felt this one might buck the trend and the two men might be able to work themselves out.

I was a little disappointed with Camryn’s freak-out when he discovered Regan wanted to practice Shibari on him. I didn’t get a good handle on why, exactly, Cam felt it so unsettled by this. Cam wanted – and was attracted – to Regan being somewhat Dominant in the bedroom and Cam considered Regan his best friend. So when Cam said he was wigged out because Regan might hurt him and he thought it was bizarre for Regan to want to tie him up, it just didn’t mesh with someone who was comfortable with some elements of BDSM and Domination in the bedroom, and a man who Cam had admitted was his closest and most important friend. This aspect of the plot passed fairly quickly, but I feel the story could have been a lot stronger had Cam’s mindset been either more strongly explained, or better fleshed out as it never really made complete sense to me and put a bit of a dampner on my enjoyment.

The sex between them is both descriptive and I found it hot and believable. There was quite a lengthy lead up between the two men so when they finally got together it was delicious and explosive. While the Shibari (bondage-style rope play) is intense and explicit, I feel this really opens up a different side of BDSM to readers. Personally, I found it interesting, fresh and a lovely flavor of different – but readers looking for something intensely kinky might not feel the same as I did.

Readers looking for a steamy and non-traditional BDSM story should find this quick read really appealing. I enjoyed it and look forward to re-reading it again in the future.

Slider by Harley Wylde


Slider by Harley Wylde
Hades Abyss Book 3
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (148 Pages)
Other: M/F, spanking
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Vasha: Being groomed for the man who purchased me is the only life I’ve known. But I want more. I want freedom! My husband-to-be is a cruel, vicious man. I dread the day he claims me. When my bodyguard and friend, Anatoly, arranges my passage to America — as a mail order bride — I hope it means things will be better. I never counted on my husband being so handsome, or so tender. Nor did I know that passion between a man and a woman could be so consuming! He leaves my knees weak and makes my heart race. There’s just one problem… He doesn’t know we’re married! I don’t know how it happened, or how to fix things, but it’s clear Slider is angry. Leaving is the only thing I know to do, but it is also the hardest decision I have ever made.

Slider: I’m not even thirty yet, but I’m already tired of the bullshit that comes with easy women. Maybe seeing my Pres settle down gave me a new perspective. Having the same woman in my bed every night is starting to sound more and more appealing. Or guy. I’m not picky. Love is love. What I didn’t count on was my ex-lover deciding to “help” me with my problem. When he left a naked woman in my bed, I was pissed… until I realized she was in trouble. She needs me, and maybe I need her, too. I always did have a hero complex, but it only takes a few minutes of knowing her before I want to slay her dragons, keep her safe, and show her that not all men are evil.

I didn’t count on her being my wife. F**cking Surge! Always putting his nose where he shouldn’t. When she runs, I realize I seriously screwed up and I have to get her back.

Slider is the Hades Abyss secretary and attracted to both male and female. Vasha was groomed relentlessly to be the perfect wife for her cruel husband. To get away, she signs up to be a mail order bride.

Slider is a biker, rough but with a soft heart. When I saw that Slider’s ex ordered a mail order bride for him, I have never seen a beginning like this and it definitely grabbed my attention and kept it until the end.

The instant attraction was there from both sides. The author did a great job of writing and creating Vasha. She is really different from all the other old ladies (wife/official partner) in everything, but she is strong even though she has had a sheltered life from the public if you don’t count the sexual/wifely training. I loved the dynamic of their relationship. The changes that came up on him when he met her were interesting. This story is different, yes, and it had a bit of an insta-love story quality which I didn’t mind one bit. There are scenes that may disturb some, though. The sizzling chemistry was loaded with action. There was some light BDSM–tying up–during the scenes.

This story is perfect for readers who want a self-healing story with action and romance.

Wire by Harley Wylde


Wire: Bad Boys by Harley Wylde
Dixie Reapers 13
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (138 Pages)
Other: M/F, Anal Play, spanking
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

When my past came knocking, I wasn’t expecting it to arrive in such a tempting package.

Lavender — My parents weren’t the type to win any awards, but I did learn a few things. Like how to read lines of code and get through the backdoor of pretty much any site or program. I also learned about the man my mother dated when she’d met my dad, someone who has intrigued me for years. I never thought I’d get the chance to meet him, until my parents end up dead and I can’t think of anyone else who might be able to help. I know too much. My parents’ death wasn’t an accident, and now I’ve been targeted. If the infamous Voodoo Tracer can’t help me, then I’m screwed.

Reality is so much better than fantasy, and with one look, I know the reason I haven’t dated is because I was waiting. For him.

Wire — I never really expected my past to come knocking at the front gates, nor did I expect it to be in such a sexy package. Lavender isn’t what I’d call a siren, but with her glasses perched on her nose, her messy hair, curvy figure, and adorable tees, she’s exactly what I want and don’t need. A nerdy, geeky, super intelligent woman who craves me as much as I crave her. So I did what any man would do… I claimed her. Now she’s mine, and if an enemy from my past thinks he can hurt her, I’d like to see him try. He might have killed her parents, but I will destroy anyone who tries to take her from me.

“So this is the infamous Dark Labyrinth.”

Wire is a hacker (aka Voodoo Tracer) and so is Lavender (aka Dark Labyrinth). I have been looking forward to reading his story for some time. And what a story.

This is the 13th book in an exciting series.  I was expecting action and a lot of it, but this is Wire’s story so action quota is down but not completely out. I loved this pair. There couldn’t have been a better partner for Wire. They do have an age gap and it shows a bit with Lavender. I loved listening them talk cyber, hacker talk. It was fascinating especially when you realize that they have chemistry.

There is a backstory that goes back long before Lavender was born. It was easy to understand. Both Lavender and Wire have a past that was entwined together and has brought both of them together for better or for worse.

Their chemistry and relationship–when you put that together with the other brothers and their old ladies, yeah, it seems like a story in itself. It made me smile, laugh, cry and everything in between. However, I should add: there are scenes of violence.

This is a fun, fiery, sexy, bloody and a story that will give you a whole range of emotions.

Renegade by Harley Wylde


Renegade by Harley Wylde
Devil’s Boneyard MC 6
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short story (115 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Darby: At fifteen, I thought I knew everything. Having been in foster care all my life, not much scared me. I’d already faced monsters parading around as upstanding citizens. But life hadn’t prepared me for a biker who would lure me in, kidnap me, and abuse me for five years. I got Fawn out of it, my precious girl, and a lot of bad memories. Being tossed into a dumpster and left to die wasn’t at the top of my list, but Renegade found me. I’ve never had a man be kind to me or my daughter before — especially not a biker — and I’m not sure what to think. I want to trust him, but I don’t want to give him my heart only to have him turn out like every other man I’ve ever known. It would break me.

Renegade: I lost my family a long time ago, and I vowed I’d never have another. I still have Nikki, my baby sis, and that’s enough. My club is a family, but that’s different. I trust them, and in my own way I love them, but it’s not the same as having a wife and kids. I’ll never go down that path. Then I found Fawn and her mother, Darby, thrown away like unwanted trash. Yeah, Fate’s laughing her ass off right now. They’re in my home, and slowly worming their way under my skin. Hearing their story is enough to make my blood boil and send rage flooding through me. I’ll exact revenge for all they’ve suffered, and then they’ll truly be free, able to move on without fear of being taken again. Except… I might not want to let them go.

Renegade, a member of the Devil’s Boneyard Motorcycle Club, was at the liquor store stacking up on booze when he heard a noise and decided to take a look in case someone was going to rob the store. Instead he finds a filthy young girl who wouldn’t talk but showed him to a dumpster. What he finds shocks him. A young woman, beaten, cut, and unconscious was left in the dumpster to die.

The young woman, Darby, had been kidnapped at the age of 15, raped and became pregnant soon after. Boomer, the leader of the Mayhem Riders Nomads, the man who kidnapped her used the two of them against each other to keep them in line. After being rescued by Renegade, she is confused whether or not to trust him with her and her daughter’s safety.

I enjoyed the plot and as soon as I started reading, I couldn’t stop. It is a sobering reminder of what can happen when someone makes a mistake that can change your life forever. We also get to see the resilience of the young and the protectiveness of a mother’s love. Then there is the fact that, although Renegade couldn’t see himself with a family, after a few hours he can’t imagine his life without them.

The characters were complex with their own issues and hopes. I enjoyed seeing Renegade opening his house and heart to the abused women. One of the cutest moments is watching Fawn, the young girl, run into his arms calling him daddy. Fawn’s trust was easy for him to earn as he was the one who rescued her mom but it was heartbreaking seeing her flinch away from everyone else.

Darby remembered Renegade and his sister, as she had gone to high school with his sister Nikki. She had a crush on him, but knew he was too old for her at the time. She was also impressed at how her daughter was treated, with care and love. Another funny moment was watching Renegade buy them both clothing and other items they would need, completely out of his element as he had no idea what they needed.

This is a book full of harsh truths, hope, and a love that overcomes tragedy. It shows that a family can be made from the worst circumstances and that the past isn’t going to hold back those who want to have a new future.

Cain by Marteeka Karland


Cain by Marteeka Karland
Bones MC 1
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (69 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Angel: I’m a teacher. Or rather, I want to be. Fresh out of college, I went on a date with the wrong man and ended up drugged and helpless in a really bad place. The motorcycle club I was taken to was no place for a woman, as I found out the hard way. They thought I was helpless, but I managed to get away — only to stumble onto three kids who need me as a teacher. The problem? They’re with another club. I can’t leave them until I’m convinced they’re safe. Unfortunately, the club president doesn’t like me much. He’s also the hottest man I’ve ever come across and resisting him is not even something I’m going to attempt.

Cain: As president of Bones MC, it’s my responsibility to decide how to handle the kids who adopted us. Who the fuck adopts a MC club anyway? Knowing for whatever reason they didn’t want social services finding them, the club hires a teacher for them. And what a fucking teacher she is! Woman nearly put me to my knees the first time I saw her. I fought it as long as I could, but a man can only take so much of that shapely ass in those tight skirts. I’ll use everything in my sensual bag of tricks to make her mine, and no one will take her away from me. Not even the club from Nashville intent on getting her back.

Cain, the president of the Bones Motorcycle club, has hired a young woman just out of college to teach three children who came to the club requesting safe harbor. The club hires Angel Black, who has her own dark secrets she’s keeping from the club, hoping that once this job is complete, she can disappear.

This is a quick novel with an alpha hero who protects those that he thinks are his. There is an obvious struggle inside him about his feelings for the teacher. As the reader gets to know him, we see the internal fight to either embrace his feelings for Angel or to allow her to leave when the job is done.

Although Angel has had a bad experience with another Motorcycle club, she is desperate to make money to help with her student loans. I enjoyed her courage when she first confronts Cain about the children needing a different teacher as they are extremely smart. She also wanted to make sure that the children were well taken care of, although she knows something has happened in their past.

When she is attacked while leaving their clubhouse, their relationship quickly changes. As we learn, Cain is a stubborn man and when he makes up his mind, nothing can stop him. This is shown when he finds out Angel’s secret. Even though keeping her could cause a war, Cain finally gives into his feelings and makes sure the club knows that she is his woman.

I thought the relationship was too quickly done.  Her past trauma and his earlier reticence about a relationship are too easily overcome.

I did enjoy the ending where her fierceness and his protection earns them their safety from their enemies. I also enjoyed the family atmosphere that developed at the end with the children and Angel’s willingness to wear his patch.  This made up for my hesitation about their ease of falling into a relationship, and made the book enjoyable.

Sword by Marteeka Karland


Sword by Marteeka Karland
Bones MC 3
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (84 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

Magenta: The day my mom took up with Black Reign was the worst day of my life. She became ol’ lady for their president. I became another whore for the club to push around. I fought them at every turn because death was preferable to living this life. Beaten, downtrodden, I was about to be given to yet another man. The scariest man I’d ever seen. He was intent on having me on his own turf, and I wasn’t sure I would survive.

Sword: The second I saw the slight young thing being beaten by that ogre of a man, something inside me I’d thought leashed broke free. A demon better left in check reared his head, and I knew she would be mine no matter what. I got her, but she came with bigger problems than I was prepared to deal with. Not that it mattered. I’m Bones MC. We don’t give up, and we protect our own. Even against The Devil himself…

If you are reading an MC book, chances are it is NOT going to be filled with unicorns and roses. This one is no different. Magenta is with one MC because her mother is the ol’ lady to the President. That doesn’t score Magenta any favours though and her mum turns a blind eye to the beatings and the rest.

If you like your alpha males tough and no-nonsense with a soft, squidgy inside for the right woman, then this is exactly what you get here. Sword is possessive and growly, yet will drive all night on his bike just because Magenta likes it.

This is a fast-paced novella but I still got the connection between Sword and Magenta. There is a twist to this that I didn’t see coming, but enjoyed all the more because of that. This is the third book in the series, and although I haven’t read the first two, I was still able to grasp the back characters that enhanced this story. There are also plenty of steamy scenes that kept me turning the pages.

For a quick, caveman read then I have no hesitation in recommending this one.