Slaying Dragons by Sasha L. Miller

DRAGONs
Slaying Dragons by Sasha L. Miller
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (95 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Devi has about had it with mages. All she wants to do is her job, which is slaying the dragons and other beasts that plague the country. She doesn’t have time or energy to spare for coddling or pandering to the fussy mages she keeps getting stuck with as partners. Unfortunately, her last mage was also a noble with clout, and Devi has the feeling her days as a Combatant are numbered.

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Constantly traveling for work-related reasons doesn’t leave a lot of time for a personal life. Is this about to change for Devi?

One of the things I enjoyed the most about reading this book was learning about the different types of dragons and what it takes to defeat them. The plot took the time to explain this part of Devi’s occupation in detail every time the pace slowed down enough to talk about topics other than what was happening in the moment. Her work is dangerous and unpredictable. Knowing so much about what she was trying to accomplish on her mission with Noeme only made me like both characters more.

There were a few minor pacing issues. Conflicts that I thought were going to carry on until the end were resolved much more quickly than I expected them to. Their solutions did make sense, but the transition from the old conflicts to what worried the characters later on was a little abrupt at times. With that being said, this is a minor criticism of an otherwise fun and engaging tale.

The narrator gave Noeme and Devi the opportunity to get to know each other before anything even remotely romantic began to occur. I liked seeing them interact as colleagues and friends first as it added an extra layer of meaning to later scenes. This was a smart decision. It really made me hope they’d end up together.

I’d recommend Slaying Dragons to fans of romance and historical fantasy stories alike. It blends both genres together beautifully!

The Long Journey Home by Cassandra Pierce

*LONG
The Long Journey Home by Cassandra Pierce
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (49 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

For eighteen years, Wren has lived isolation with his guardians, Grum and Krulch, in the heart of a deep, peaceful forest. His life is tranquil except for the doubts that torment him: why does he look so different from his parents, and how did two male ogres manage to birth a small, pale creature like Wren?

Everything changes when he accidentally wanders too far from home and comes upon an entire village of people who look like him. One in particular, a scribe’s apprentice named Valerus, is simply the most beautiful being Wren has ever seen.
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His elation soon turns to fear when the people of the village tell Wren he is one of their own and must remain with them—abandoning the ogres who raised him. Though he would love to stay with Valerus and build a new life, he doesn’t want to do it at the expense of the life that made him. But if he wants to enjoy a promising future, he’ll have to find a way to unravel his mysterious past.

Every child grows up eventually. As the adopted child of ogres, Wren is no exception to this rule. His transition has simply been little more complicated than most.

It took me a while to figure Wren out, but once I did I grew to like him quite a bit. He’s not the kind of character who reveals everything right away. What he did share with the audience in the first few paragraphs was consistent with his personality overall. It gave me a glimpse of what kind of person he was, and I enjoyed getting to know him even better as I learned more about him.

This short story contained a few different plot holes. I had assumed that they’d be explained by the final scene, so it was distracting not to have any answers for them. The questions they raised about the characters and setting were intriguing. I would have been able to give this book a much higher rating if the narrator had shared some kind of explanation for what was going on in those scenes.

The food descriptions in this tale weren’t like anything I’ve ever heard of before. Imagine cheerfully sipping a cup of mudroot tea! I grinned when I read that section because I was so curious to know what it would be like to try it. Including these kinds of details made it really easy for me to fantasize about visiting an Ogre’s house because it involved so many different senses: sight, smell, and taste. This was a good decision on the author’s part.

I’d recommend The Long Journey Home to anyone who likes the fantasy genre.

The Kissing Contest by Francis Gideon

KISSING
The Kissing Contest by Francis Gideon
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (38 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

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It’s a contest that everyone enjoys—except Homer, who is left reminded all over again that people love the images and illusions he portrays far more than they will ever love the reality.

Homer is a very well known actor and has been talked into an unusual contest. The World Famous Kissing Contest was a publicity stunt. Men of different nationalities were pitted against each other with a bevy of willing women volunteers, and the best kisser would win the title of the Kissing King. The contest was held in Paris, and Homer can’t forget this is the bright city where he first fallen in love.

This is a very short story, but I found it filled with wonderful detail and kept me reading it all the way through in one shot. Homer – although not your typical hero – is an honest and refreshing character. Happily married to his second wife, he nevertheless doesn’t pretend to be some wide-eyed ingénue, or a slavishly devoted man while secretly harboring resentment at the repression of his life. I was startled at his private honesty – that his marriage to Clara was not the perfect picture they both painted. While Homer genuinely loves her, their relationship isn’t the normal, fairy tale, endless style of love. I found this honesty refreshing and indeed interesting, but more traditional readers mightn’t feel the same.

The twist at the end – the final kiss – was something I found satisfying and in its own way extremely romantic. There is a tone of M/M some traditional romance readers mightn’t like, but this is a sweet story – light kissing only – and I personally really enjoyed it. This is fresh, different and while not surprising, certainly not your average tale about a kissing contest. Different and fresh, I’d urge readers to give it a try and see if some of that Paris magic mightn’t leave you with a smile too.

Coffee Date by K. Lynn

COFEEE
Coffee Date by K. Lynn
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (44 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Alice is finally happy with her body and her life—except for the part where revealing she’s trans winds up leaving her hurt and abandoned over and over again. She’s decided she’s done making herself miserable by looking for love.

Love finds her anyway, in the form of Hank, the new guy at her local coffee shop. He’s sweet, friendly, charming… and will probably turn out like all the rest. Determined not to shatter the fantasy and lose him before she has to, Alice holds fast to her secrets.
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But if the truth doesn’t ruin everything, the lies will, and it seems no matter which choice she makes Alice is set for just one more heartache.

Finding Mr. Right isn’t always an easy thing to do.

Hank and Alice’s budding relationship was so sweet. The kind way he treated her made me smile. Not only did they have strong chemistry, they also shared so much in common that they could have easily been best friends. Love feels so much better when it’s combined with a genuine friendship, so this is exactly the kind of dynamic I want to read about when I pick up a romance novel.

There were a few things about the main source of conflict in this story that I never quite understood. The explanation that was given for why it developed didn’t seem to match what I’d already figured out about the people involved in it. To be more specific, some of their reactions to the conflict felt out of character for them. It would have been really helpful to have more time spent explaining what they were thinking when they made certain decisions as I would have expected them to react in completely different ways to those situations.

Mary, Alice’s best friend, was a nice addition to the plot as well. She came across as such a wise and empathic person. I completely understood why Alice valued her opinion so much. What really made me like Mary, though, was the author allowed these characters to talk about things other than men. Writing their conversations in that way was a smart decision because it allowed both women’s personalities to develop in ways that probably wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Bravo!

I’d recommend Coffee Date to anyone in the mood for something short and satisfying.

The Peach and the Poppy by Caesar J.M. Kauftheil

PEACH
The Peach and the Poppy by Caesar J.M. Kauftheil
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary, GLBT
Length: Full Length (180 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

After an unpleasant breakup with her girlfriend, Poppy goes on a solo trip to Paris. Her first morning out she encounters a beautiful stranger, but it proves to be the only good part of the day. Though she tries to appreciate the beautiful city she’s come to escape in for a time, Poppy can’t help but feel something is lacking.

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Anything can happen during a vacation.

There’s something to be said for a romance that develops slowly. I appreciated how slowly this part of the plot unfolded. The main character developed her crush quickly, but her reasons for feeling that way were reasonable and genuine. Instant infatuations work best for me as a reader when the characters involved in them seem to be aware of how much time has actually passed and that they don’t yet know everything about each other. This tale fulfilled every single one of these requirements. That made it really easy for me to hope that Rochelle and Poppy would end up together.

The flashbacks to Poppy’s earlier relationships were interesting, but they happened so frequently that they distracted my attention from the main plot. They also made me wonder why the author was spending so much time showing the reader what happened in the past. It would have been helpful to have more clues about why these flashbacks were so important to what was currently going on in the main character’s life.

All of the French food in this story sounded amazing. Including small details like what a real croissant should taste like or how the portion sizes of certain dishes differ from what someone in the United States would probably expect to see on their plate was a good decision. Not only did it make me hungry, it made it really easy to immerse myself in what Poppy was experiencing.

The Peach and the Poppy is a good choice for anyone who is in the mood for a modern romance novel that just might sweep them off their feet.

Be My Queen by RayeAnn Carter

QUEEN
Be My Queen by RayeAnn Carter
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (154 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Lavender doesn’t want a man in her life, not if it means exposing that she’s trans. Fortunately, Diego’s only in LA for a week. She can enjoy the attention without him finding out her secret.

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Is there really someone out there for everyone? Some people say there is, but Lavender isn’t so sure this is true.

The chemistry between Lavender and Diego was so sweet and bubbly. At times it felt as though neither one of them had ever had a crush before due to their lighthearted approach to the idea. The author did a good job showing the audience some of the reasons why these people might make a good match. They seemed to have similar personalities and interests, both of which are things I look for when trying to figure out if I think two characters should end up together.

With that being said, their relationship moved far too quickly. I could completely understand why they would feel infatuated with each other, but I had trouble figuring out why they said certain things to one another. The plot takes place over an incredibly short amount of time. Had their interactions been spaced out, these conversations between them and the intensity of their emotions would have made more sense.

There’s something to be said for a well-thought out-ending. I wondered how the author was planning to wrap everything up as I approached the final pages. Ms. Carter knows her characters well, though, and I was pleased with how she approached the last scene in particular. It fit in well with everything else that had happened earlier on in the plot.

I’d recommend Be My Queen to anyone who believes in love at first sight.

The Playmaker by Lane Swift

PLAYMAKER
The Playmaker by Lane Swift
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary, GLBT (F/F)
Length: Short Story (142 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Ask Meg, and she’ll say she’s content. A promising career, a steady boyfriend—her future is secure. Just like her position on the Brentley Women’s Rugby Team.

Her fascination with Jacqueline, the team’s wild and beautiful flanker—that’s nothing more than infatuation. When Jacqueline unexpectedly corners her and kisses her breathless, Meg is blindsided.
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Forced to admit her secure future isn’t nearly as appealing as it had seemed, Meg realises she has two options: keep playing it safe or change the game.

How do you know when you’re with the right person? Is this even the right question to be asking in a tough situation?

Chemistry isn’t something that can be faked. It either exists it doesn’t. In this case, the sparks flying between Meg and Jacqueline were undeniable. Some of my favorite scenes showed the little, flirtatious moments that occur between two people when they’re attracted to each other but haven’t yet admitted it out loud yet. Those small, subtle interactions were a highlight of this story because so much effort was obviously spent weaving them into the plot.

With that being said, everything moved incredibly fast between them, especially since both women were with other people when they first developed feelings for one another. The explanations given for why both characters were willing to act on their urges despite their complex home lives were never quite satisfactory for me. I would have liked to see much more time spent exploring what Jacqueline and Meg were thinking when they first became aware of their feelings for one another.

Meg’s character development was strong. It was nice to learn as much as I did about her earlier life. Those anecdotes really helped to explain why she made certain choices that otherwise wouldn’t have made as much sense. They also gave me a three-dimensional understanding of her personality. She was so well rounded and interesting that I continued liking her even when she did things that I had trouble understanding.

Give The Playmaker if you’re in the mood for something steamy.

Playing by the Rules by J. Hepburn

RULES
Playing by the Rules by J. Hepburn
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (133 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy, F/F
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Life aboard a luxury yacht, travelling deep inside safe space, isn’t supposed to be exciting, and it’s one of the main reasons Tori works on board as a beautician and cocktail waitress. Her growing friendship with Annick, another beautician, is a pleasant bonus.

Then the ship is attacked by pirates, the very last thing she needs, but it soon becomes apparent that if they stand any chance of surviving she will have to dredge up the past she’s tried so hard to leave behind.
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But even Tori’s unique history can’t help her sort out what to do when she’s caught between the friend she’s falling in love with and the pirate captain she’s seducing…

How would you survive a hostile takeover of your home and workplace?

This story had incredibly strong pacing. The idea of having a ship hijacked by strangers whose motives are unclear was spellbinding, especially since the audience is tossed into one of the tensest moments of the book almost immediately. There were no dull moments here. Nearly every single scene had me perched on the edge of my seat as I waited to find out what would happen next.

I would have liked to see more character development. It was hard to understand why Tori made certain decisions because I knew so little about how her mind worked. She also didn’t seem to change as a result of everything that happened to her during the course of the plot. Had the author spent more time explaining why this character responded to those events the way she did, it would have earned this tale a higher rating.

One of the most interesting things I learned about Tori’s current job was how it prepared her and the other employees for certain things that could go wrong while their yacht is travelling through space. It vaguely reminded me of the mandatory safety drills that contemporary cruise ships put their employees and passengers through before setting sail. Including such information about how Tori was trained was a smart decision that made her work life seem more three-dimensional than it otherwise might have been.

Playing by the Rules is a good choice for fans of science fiction and romance alike.

A Woman Scorned by Rachel Frank

WOMAN
A Woman Scorned by Rachel Frank
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (65 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual, F/F
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Once a maidservant to a rich lord’s daughter, Aurelia now spends her days on a much more indulgent career: killing worthless men for gold. When she is offered a rewarding rescue job, she expects it to be a challenge but still manageable.

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Some heroes have it all figured out ahead of time. Aurelia isn’t one of them.

They say you can tell a lot about someone by the way they treat animals. As soon as I saw how kindly she treated her horse, I knew Aurelia was a protagonist I was really going to like. Her character development later on in the plot only confirmed my positive first impression of her. She was instantly likeable and relatable even when she made choices that I didn’t necessarily understand.

Sometimes Aurelia made decisions that seemed to completely contradict her years of experience as an assassin. Based on how she behaved in the first scene, I expected her to be much more prepared for the kinds of situations she found herself in while attempting to rescue Lynnette. Had a more comprehensive explanation for her reactions in this scenes been provided, I would have given this tale a much higher rating. Everything else about it was well done.

I expected a lot of things out from this book, but laughter wasn’t one of them. The gentle humor in it was especially welcomed after the incredibly intense beginning. It’s hard to talk about exactly what I found so amusing without giving away spoilers, but I looked forward to every single one of these encounters. They seemed to show up exactly when the characters needed them the most.

A Woman Scorned was the perfect mixture of romance and fantasy. Fans of either genre should give this story a try.

Light Perpetual Shines by Kathleen Hayes

LIGHT
Light Perpetual Shines by Kathleen Hayes
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational, GLBT
Length: Short Story (40 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sam works as a hospital chaplain and volunteers as chaplain with the local police department. Called to the scene of a domestic dispute, he crosses paths with Frank, best friend of the victim. Though the two share a moment, they go their separate ways… but meet again outside the hospital after one of Sam’s patients dies…

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This is a great, but very different type of short story. While the romance aspect of it is very sweet (a lot of “getting to know you” and a few kisses) I feel much of the rest of the content might press the buttons of some readers. When Sam and Frank meet initially, it’s because Sam is called out in his position as a police consultant for a domestic case. One where the offender is a transvestite named Sandra. I actually really enjoyed Sandra’s character, and found the scene very powerful and emotional. There is a lot of praying and a serious, spiritual confession. I strongly feel this won’t be every reader’s cup of tea.

While this is certainly not your “standard” romance story, I enjoyed it. My main disappointment was that instead of being swept away and carried off in the story like I often am when I read, the entire book was so serious I found myself unable to let loose. Rather than the usual entertainment/escapism feeling, I found this a well written, but serious-toned book. I didn’t find it lighthearted, fun or frivolous. And while that’s not a criticism, it did mean I didn’t relax and enjoy it in the normal sense of my reading pleasure.

I did, however, enjoy the experience of reading a book from a completely different perspective. I found the hospital cases Sam worked very difficult and emotional, and also appreciated seeing Sam and Frank learn more about each other and begin their relationship together. In some respects I felt this was a procedural style story, with the various cases and outcomes. While the bulk of the spotlight was on Sam, and he did begin a relationship with Frank, much of this happens in the last quarter or so of the book. Sam’s work, and the “cases” he fielded really set the tone for me. There is romance, but after reading it that felt more like a sub-plot, or secondary to me.

I found this to be a different, fresh type of story, one that certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste but romantically sweet nevertheless. I feel open-minded readers could well enjoy this story as much as I did.