Winter Boys: Troy by Sean Michael

June 29, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Winter Boys: Troy by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Meet the Winter boys – Todd, Tommy and Troy. Can these triplets each find their happily ever after?

Todd and Tommy have found their happily ever afters, but Troy is still single and doesn’t even mingle. He’s got his nose to the grindstone, working easily eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. He’s focused and driven and takes only rare breaks, usually to visit the family. This year the boys even have to talk him into coming to the family birthday dinner.

Dee Smyth owns a landscaping business that essentially runs itself now, which lets him do the part he loves best – the planning and actual landscaping. He’s an easy going, friendly guy. When he sees Troy across the room at a holiday business party, he’s immediately intrigued. When the company is fairly dull and the food subpar, Dee asks Troy to go have dinner with him. One thing leads to another and Dee takes Troy home.

The two men are super compatible, Dee even being a Top to Troy’s very closeted bottom, but is Troy willing not only to trust Dee, but to make time in his business filled schedule to find out if there’s something real between them?

Troy is a confirmed workaholic and he knows he should take more time for himself but he’s just never managed to do that. He finds some incentive when he meets Dee at a Christmas party he’s networking at, but neither man was expecting to find something serious or so special together.

I really enjoyed this full length story. While Troy and Dee get intimate extremely quickly that’s not too unexpected for a heavily erotic story like this. Even though I didn’t find the near-immediate intimacy realistic I was pleased that the progression of Troy and Dee’s relationship was emotional and a lot more fulfilling. I greatly enjoyed getting to know Troy and Dee’s characters better as they learned about each other and found this really helped even out the pacing of the story as a whole and made it a lot more logical and relatable. Troy had a little bit of a hidden (even to himself, I believe) streak of submissive in him. Readers who aren’t a fan of BDSM shouldn’t be put off by this – I felt the handling of that side to the story was given a very light touch and I was pleased with this because it added an extra element to the story – and the sex in particular – but it didn’t detract from the main element of the romance and relationship building between Troy and Dee.

There’s a small but very strong cast of secondary characters – primarily surrounding Troy’s family members. Readers should be aware that one of the smaller sub-plots involves Troy’s much younger sister being in a difficult situation. While I personally found it tastefully and sensitively handled and this is a very, very small part of the story I feel some of the issues raised might be polarizing or difficult for other readers to have addressed in a steamy, erotic story.

While this is the third book in the series (Troy is the eldest of triplet boys and the previous two stories revolve around these two brothers) I easily picked this up by itself and had no problems happily following along despite not reading the other two books. I got a good kick out of Troy’s family members and felt they added some much-needed depth and dimension to the story and I was pleased with the added plot they all lent which helped keep the book from being purely about Troy and Dee and their relationship.

While very heavy on the sexual element between the two men I found myself really enjoying this story and read it very quickly. Readers who enjoy a lot of sex and passion in their stories – along with a light bit of kink and a side-dish of family shenanigans should find this a fun and interesting sexy read. I enjoyed this story and it will be going on my keeper shelf, for sure.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Right Move by BL Dayhoff

June 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Right Move by BL Dayhoff
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full length (179 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy, LGBTQ Interaction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Alstroemeria

Trevor can never leave good enough alone. So when he meets model-gorgeous Chase who has an aversion to being touched, he spots a challenge. After all, no one wants to go through life not being touched by anyone, right? Despite a friend’s plea not to, Trevor sets his sight on fixing Chase.

After being forced to transfer his senior year of college, Chase just wants to avoid drama, pass his classes, get his degree, and move on (and back to his friends). He’s not looking for new friends, and his attitude gives him a reputation that makes it easy to accomplish. At least until he meets Trevor.

Despite an awkward beginning, common interests — and Trevor’s persistence — draw Chase and Trevor together. It’s almost inevitable that their friendship develops into something else. But when secrets come out, it might end the game early.

Taking a chance on this novel will guarantee to be The Right Move! Getting wrapped up in the sometimes complicated flirtations between Chase and Trevor will make your heart pound and your pulse race!

BL Dayhoff has somehow crafted a book that is in the perfect stages between young adult and adult where the reader gets to fall into the ideal version of college, full of many nerdtastic real-world allusions, while also fulfilling the steamy fantasies that we could only dream would happen to us during our own four year tenures.

Trevor is everyone’s favorite college goofball, excited to be a part of everything and anything and always looking to lend a helping hand, even when nobody asks for it. So when Trevor’s world collided with gorgeous but complicated Chase’s, his motives of trying to help the transfer student began to change.

The readers are given plenty of adorable romantic moments, but Dayhoff has also gifted us with a wonderful helping of steamy scenes that will have you (and Trevor), begging for more!

While reading The Right Move it was nice to have a sweet storyline about the budding relationship between Chase and Trevor while also working through the major conflicts of the plot in a very important and practical way. What happens in the bedroom is very sexy, but the open line of communication between partners in this book is what keeps us sat-is-fied!

Let The Right Move take you back to a time where the world was your oyster and getting the full college experience was the pearl! This novel will fill you with nostalgia, meet you where you are at, and it will take you into the world of your deepest desires! Happy reading!

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Blood Communion by Anne Rice

November 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Blood Communion by Anne Rice
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (274 pgs)
Other: LGBTQ Pairings Mentioned
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In this spellbinding novel, Lestat, rebel outlaw, addresses the tribe of vampires, telling us the mesmerizing story of how he became prince of the vampire world, and of the formation of the Blood Communion, and how his vision for the Children of the Universe to thrive as one, came to be.

Lestat takes us from his ancestral castle in the snow-covered mountains of France to the verdant wilds of lush Louisiana, with its lingering fragrances of magnolias and night jasmine; from the far reaches of the Pacific’s untouched islands to the 18th-century city of St. Petersburg and the court of the Empress Catherine. He speaks of his fierce battle of wits and words with the mysterious Rhoshamandes, proud Child of the Millennia, reviled outcast for his senseless slaughter of the legendary ancient vampire Maharet, avowed enemy of Queen Akasha, who refuses to live in harmony at court and who threatens all Lestat has dreamt of . . .

Lestat is back and he’s ready to set the story straight.

I’m a sucker for an Anne Rice book. I’ve loved Lestat since Interview with the Vampire. That said, I knew I’d get a solid book with my favorite Anne Rice character.

I won’t lie. I’m still getting used to the style Rice writes with, especially in this novel. It seemed like a lot of telling and a lot of this happened, so let me explain. Don’t get me wrong. I couldn’t put it down. I read this in one afternoon. There were times though, when Lestat didn’t seem as important and dangerous as he’d once been and more fearful. He can be impulsive and this didn’t seem to show as much. Maybe it was just me.

There was a lot of fighting and a lot of pieces ending up where they didn’t belong in places they didn’t belong, but it’s a vampire novel. The vampires are romantic, but they aren’t nice. I expected some gore.
If you’re in the mood for an Anne Rice vampire book, then this might not be the one to start with. Go back and start with the beginning of the Vampire Chronicles series first. It’ll explain a lot if you do. But for sheer entertainment, this one worked. Try it.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Screaming Down Splitsville by Kayla Bashe

May 2, 2016 By Leave a Comment

SPLITSVILLE
Screaming Down Splitsville by Kayla Bashe
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Length: Short Story (41 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet, F/F
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Screaming Down Splitsville takes place in an alternate 1950s where two groups of people with magical powers fight for dominance. Flip, a young lesbian, thinks her healing powers are completely useless. After her escape from a lab, she’s been grounded to a safe base, and while everyone else is on important missions, she keeps the fridge stocked and fixes the plumbing. However, when a chance coincidence sends her on a solo rescue mission, Flip has a surprising reunion with a woman from her past.

Unable to speak after a botched cleft palate surgery, Emma-Rose grew up half-wild in the Southern backwoods- until strangers discovered her magical powers and imprisoned her in a laboratory of torture. Her one salvation was the woman in the next cell, Flip. Now Flip’s returned, and according to her, they’ll both make it to safety. But Emma’s plans have failed so many times that she has no hope left to lose.

As the two women seek to evade their pursuers, their friendship rekindles, and they are forced to confront both enemies and insecurities.

Rescue comes in many forms.

Wow, what an intense story. Everything from the torture chamber to the big chase later on made it impossible for me to stop reading. The fast pacing worked well how energetically the plot was written. I simply had to know what would happen next and if Emma-Rose would get away from her captors. This is the kind of world I deeply enjoy discovering when I crack open a new book because of how much fun it is to explore.

The romantic elements of this tale didn’t work so well for me. They didn’t show up until very late in the plot, and there wasn’t much foreshadowing going on for them before then. I absolutely loved both the characters involved in this part of the storyline, and I was excited to see what would happen to them next. With that being said, I would have liked to see much more time spent building up the romantic tension between them before anything flirtatious happened.

Ms. Bashe did some interesting things with her flashbacks that made me smile. I barely knew anything about the two main characters in the beginning, and she didn’t reveal very much about them until several scenes had flown by. It was fascinating to get to know them so well before learning anything about their previous lives. I also liked seeing how the author tied even the smallest and simplest memories to what was currently going on in the characters’ lives. This isn’t something I’ve seen done very often in this genre.

I’d recommend Screaming Down Splitsville to anyone who enjoys a little romance in their science fiction.

Filed Under: Horror, Other, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Storming Love by T.A. Chase

April 14, 2016 By Leave a Comment

DARRAGH
Storming Love by T.A. Chase
Wild Fire – Aubrey and Darragh
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (41 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Aubrey Rabinstern is prepared for the wildfires sweeping across the land around his house. He’s even accepted the fact he’ll lose his home. But Aubrey doesn’t expect to find a man he can love in the midst of the ashes left behind.

Darragh O’Flannery never thinks he’ll meet a man like Aubrey Rabinstern while fighting the wildfires destroying acres of land and homes. Yet in the middle of the chaos, he and Aubrey forge a connection. Can it withstand the normality of life once the fires are put out?

Darragh is a firefighter, working against the wildfires to save as much land and as many homes as he can. Aubrey is trying to defend his home against the fires but knows his chances of saving his home aren’t good. While they’re both instantly attracted to each other, with Aubrey evacuating his home and Darragh fighting the fire the men don’t have much time to exchange pleasantries. Darragh finds an orphaned kitten in the fires and is delighted when he finds Aubrey working at the local clinic.

I found this to be a lovely, well paced story. Who can possibly go past a hot firefighter? Darragh is a sexy hero with a heart of gold – I wasn’t the least surprised how quickly Aubrey fell for him. And it was a delight to read that the instant attraction was mutual. I enjoyed how sweet both guys were and found their excitement at getting to know each other addictive. I would have enjoyed if the plot was a little deeper – possibly being able to see more of the wildfires going on and more of the action/conflict of the firefighters against the fire itself. While I immensely enjoyed the story, I felt the loss of not having a strong conflict in the plot itself.

There was nothing missing, though, between Aubrey and Darragh. I greatly enjoyed their interactions and loved watching them come together. While there were a few chaste kisses, and some steamy looks and talking, there was no sex at all. In many ways I found this to be quite a sweet romance. Both Aubrey and Darragh take their time and both are happy to move slowly as they build something lasting and worthwhile. Readers looking to dip their toes into M/M romance, or who like a softer style of story should really enjoy this. I’d happily recommend it to friends who like their romance steamy but in no way explicit or spicy.

I feel this is a lighthearted, emotional and very heartfelt story. I loved the happy ending and greatly enjoyed reading about Aubrey and Darragh.

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Partners In Deed by Hollis Shiloh

April 5, 2016 By Leave a Comment

DEED
Partners In Deed by Hollis Shiloh
Publisher: Spare Words Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (77 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Shy Kevin and outrageous Rhys are buddies and police partners—and they sleep together a lot. Neither one is very mature, but they have fun together and can depend on each other.

Rhys is part wolf shifter but can’t shift. Kev is a former overweight teenager who doesn’t stand up for himself very well. But he wants to be somebody’s one and only someday—not just a sex buddy.

When it’s time to get certified as the official shifter and partner team their precinct needs, the process reveals fundamental cracks in their relationship, tensions that have to be resolved—one way or another.

Rhys is a quarter wolf shifter. While his shifter side is diluted enough he can’t change into a werewolf, he can beat pretty much any human in any physical challenge without even breaking a sweat. So his work precinct is making him take some extra training to be a proper, certified cop shifter. While not opposed to the extra work, Rhys and his human police partner, Kevin are both perfectly comfortable with their partnership as it is. Neither wants to rock the boat. So Rhys talks Kevin into doing the certification with him. But the fierce training shows them both problems neither had been aware of…

This is an interesting read I really enjoyed. While I’m not always a fan of stories written in the first-person I quickly got into the swing of this one. I enjoyed the ribaldry between Rhys and Kevin, two guys who, while perfectly grown up, often acted like immature teens together. I felt like it gave the whole book a relaxed, casual tone that had me smiling and happily turning the pages. I had a few questions about the world building – like how can someone be considered a wolf shifter, and be a quarter werewolf but not be able to change? – so it felt a little like I was entering a series mid-way through. While I usually hate that, I did enjoy the characters and story itself, so I could push back my own questions about how some of the things worked.

There were some descriptive foreplay-ish kind of scenes – M/M, obviously – and a very small amount of non-explicit sex. I found all the physical romance to be tastefully written and deliciously spicy. I think most readers should enjoy them as much as I did – only those who want to avoid M/M or prefer “sweet only” stories should steer clear. There is nothing outrageous or even really erotic here – just two men in a happy, consenting sexual relationship.

I found the plot to be interesting and quite fresh, I’ve never really read a book like this so the newness kept me entertained. I also really enjoyed the author’s style and tone. I found Rhys and Kevin to be interesting, layered characters and found myself engrossed in their world and their getting certified. Their relationship underwent quite the drastic change and this added strongly to the emotional content too.

A fun, fast paced story I really enjoyed. I can strongly recommend this work and plan to look up more by this author.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Moon Dogs by Erica Kealey

April 4, 2016 By Leave a Comment


Moon Dogs by Erica Kealey
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (42 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Grant’s had enough. It took him a few months, but he’s figured out Cary’s secret and where he’s hiding, so it’s time to put all cards on the table. He’s tired of the secrets and the way they’ve both been pretending they’re not in love with each other.

But his plans for tipping friendship into romance didn’t account for Cary throwing him out—or that everything would just get so much worse from there.

Grant is determined to talk to Cary. It’s taken a while, but Grant finally knows Cary’s secret, and Grant wants to get serious. When Cary pushes Grant away – insists there’s nothing between them Grant is devastated. Can the two men make things work when there’s so many secrets and complexity?

This is a great werewolf/paranormal short story. I thoroughly enjoyed the complex plot – and was surprised by a few of the twists, which was lovely and refreshing. I also particularly liked how Cary and Grant didn’t just fall all over each other and jump straight into bed. They both had to work at their relationship and had problems to overcome.

I did find the whole set-up a little over the top. I’m not sure how often FBI agents are werewolves, or their paralegal boyfriends get kidnapped by rival werewolf clans and held as hostage – but while fun and fantastic, this is definitely a book where I think you’ll need to check your brain at the door, suspend disbelief and just relax and go with the flow. Realistic, it’s not. Fun and action packed, it is.

I also really liked both Grant and Cary’s characters. There is only one sex scene – a deliciously hot one that is fairly brief and one I didn’t find gave too much away. I felt the author walked a great line between a steamy love scene (M/M) and not tipping over into an erotic or overly explicit scene that could put readers off.

I found this to be a fun, fast paced short story and am hoping it’s part of a larger series about the Moon Dogs werewolf pack. I’ll definitely be looking for more of these stories. A great, quick read and one I would happily recommend.

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End Of Summer by D.C. Williams

April 4, 2016 By Leave a Comment

END
End Of Summer by D.C. Williams
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (57 pgs)
Other: M/M, Anal Play
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wake and Cody finally have their happily ever after home, but life is a little more complicated than they had expected.

Wake and Cody’s new house is everything they had imagined, but money is tight. Then Cody’s family’s past intrudes on their lives, with additional expenses, and a house full of secrets.

Wake and Cody might have long commutes to their respective jobs, but being in their own home more than made up for it. They’re both blissfully happy and deeply in love. Even though they’re a bit strapped for cash, they decide to hold an End Of Summer barbecue for their friends as family. But before they can get that organized, tragedy strikes and their world is turned upside down again.

I really enjoyed this short story. While I have a feeling there might be other books previous to this one, I picked it up easily enough and was able to happily follow the story with no problems. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors tone of voice and found myself quickly invested in Wake and Cody’s relationship and the drama going on in their lives. I liked how normal the author made them both seem. Laundry and long commutes, satisfaction at finally living together and mild concern over their jobs and money situation. I found both men interesting and relatable.

There was not a lot of conflict in the plot, but I was still quite intrigued to read about Cody dealing with the death of his estranged father. It made for a strongly emotional read. There wasn’t much action or intrigue, but the plot was interesting enough to maintain my interest. Family, relationships and all the emotional drama relating to that made for a solid plot and while it hadn’t been what I was expecting I still enjoyed it. I felt some of the resolution was a little pat, but this didn’t detract for me liking either character. The sex was tasteful and nowhere near as explicit as many M/M erotica pieces out there. While definitely sensual and sexy, I found the focus of the story really is centered on the relationships – not the sex. This would be a good book that I’d recommend to friends unsure of the M/M genre as a great introduction. Passion and intimacy but nothing earth-shattering or envelope pushing. Just an easy, romantic story that happens to be about two men.

A quick, interesting read with two great characters I thoroughly enjoyed. A gentle and sensual M/M story that I feel will appeal to a broad range of readers.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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