Truffles and Leather by Winnie Jerome

Title: Truffles and Leather
Author: Winnie Jerome
Length: 7,400 words (27 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m BDSM contemporary
Rating: B

Blurb:

Cody and Jaime from “Pop, Pop, Snap!” are back in this sweet sequel. There isn’t a Guinness World Record for Worst Valentine’s Day, but Cody’s sure that last year, he and his then-boyfriend Keith would have made it in spades.

He’s determined to make this year’s celebration perfect by surprising Jaime with the best homemade truffles ever. It’s a simple plan, but Murphy’s Law seems to have its own ideas…

Review:

I reviewed Pop, Pop, Snap back in Aug. 2011 (wow, so long ago). I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters, especially with Jaime being the dominant partner, but not really looking the role. This little addition doesn’t add significantly to their story, but it was a nice spicy interlude.

Valentine’s is coming, and Cody is still feeling guilty about choosing the wrong guy, even though he’s corrected that and wants to do something nice for Jaime for Valentine’s. He convinces his friend who is a chef to teach him how to make truffles. It goes pretty well, however he’s running a bit late getting home and then gets distracted by the internet and burns the chocolate. He runs out again to buy more but he can’t find the right type and buys something he hopes will work. Not so much.

When Jaime gets home, he doesn’t appreciates the thought and they use the remaining chocolate which was for dipping them for a little body painting fun, followed by some BDSM Valentine’s sex. The chemistry between the two is off the charts and they have as wide assortment of toys and leather that they use, in this case a Pyrex dildo, blindfold and cuffs. The story is told from Cody’s POV so you don’t get into Jaime’s head much, but you know he loves Cody and they are highly compatible.

If you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well. You certainly don’t have to have read the first story. Enough background is tossed out here to make their history clear, so don’t let that stop you if the subject matter appeals.

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Catching Fireflies by KC Kendricks

Title: Catching Fireflies
Author: KC Kendricks
Length: 20,000 words (80 pdf pages)
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating:  C+

Blurb:

Sequel to the Amber Allure best-seller Between The Moon And The Deep Blue Sea…

Dale Langley longs for some triple R time—rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. He accepts his cousin’s invitation to winter over on Ocracoke Island, far away from the hustle and bustle of life on the mainland. He’s always loved being a rolling stone, traveling for his job without the worry of a place to call home, but it’s time for something different. Now Dale anticipates several blissful months to learn how to be still with no demands on his time while he prepares for the next phase of his life.

Aubrey Zimmerman came to Ocracoke to attend a friend’s commitment ceremony. Never one to settle down, Aubrey’s had enough of involvements that took him from man to man without a place to call home. He needs a break—and a little solitude. Housesitting while his friend is on his honeymoon is the perfect way to clear his head and catch up on his sleep. At least it seemed that way until Dale arrived and Aubrey realized sleep is the last thing he needs.

Fate has changes in store for Dale and Aubrey, the sort neither one knew they wanted. Sometimes the more you wander the closer to home you get.

Review:

I did not realize this was a sequel but it really can be read as a standalone. The couple from the first book feature in this as Aubrey’s friends, but they how they got together doesn’t really play a big role.

Dale has been recovering after he was attacked by some thugs when stopped at a red light and nearly killed. He just can’t face going back to work as a travel writer and has been let go. However living with his mother is not working, so his cousin invites him to come and live in the old family home on Oracoke Island where they used to spend summers with his grandparents. The first day there he sees a gorgeous man, and is told they are invited to celebrate the commitment ceremony of the neighbors. Despite having been rather reclusive since the attack, Dale is happy to go along since the good-looking guy he saw is a friend of the couple. Within seconds of meeting, Dale and Aubrey are flirting up a storm and by the end of the night, despite Aubrey saying he would sleep with him, they are in Dale’s bed having some fun. However Aubrey has his own demons, only recently breaking up with is older lover and also having survived a life changing event when he was gay bashed.

This book has a very distinctive feel to the prose. I won’t say it’s purple prose because it’s not. It doesn’t lapse into ridiculous euphemisms, however it is more flower (for lack of a better term) than most of the books I read, and to be honest that I prefer. An example:

His tongue was silky warm on mine as our hands stroked skin, each careful not to race ahead of the other. I tore my lips from his and kissed my way down his neck, dipping beneath the covers to go lower. In the hot darkness, the rich scent of male musk filled my senses, making me breathe in the heady fragrance.

I know some people love prose which evokes scents and emotions, but for me I find it distracting because I find myself wondering if someone would really think like that?

I did like Dale’s cousin a great deal. He’s straight but has no issues with flirting or just having fun with gay men. I did find the fact that he had won the lottery and thus was able to refinish the house and not work a bit convenient, but I liked his character. I didn’t get to know Aubrey very well, but Dale’s memories of family and childhood were nicely done and evocative of childhood lost. I think readers who enjoy a very prose rich story will enjoy this, but it may not work as well for those of us who enjoy a bit more straightforward method of storytelling.

Sequel to the Amber Allure best-seller Between The Moon And The Deep Blue Sea…

Dale Langley longs for some triple R time—rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. He accepts his cousin’s invitation to winter over on Ocracoke Island, far away from the hustle and bustle of life on the mainland. He’s always loved being a rolling stone, traveling for his job without the worry of a place to call home, but it’s time for something different. Now Dale anticipates several blissful months to learn how to be still with no demands on his time while he prepares for the next phase of his life.

Aubrey Zimmerman came to Ocracoke to attend a friend’s commitment ceremony. Never one to settle down, Aubrey’s had enough of involvements that took him from man to man without a place to call home. He needs a break—and a little solitude. Housesitting while his friend is on his honeymoon is the perfect way to clear his head and catch up on his sleep. At least it seemed that way until Dale arrived and Aubrey realized sleep is the last thing he needs.

Fate has changes in store for Dale and Aubrey, the sort neither one knew they wanted. Sometimes the more you wander the closer to home you get.

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Taking Inventory, A Hammer Story by Sean Michael

Title: Taking Inventory, A Hammer Story
Author: Sean Michael
Length: 3,500 words (16 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m BDSM contemporary
Rating: C

Blurb:

Marcus is getting ready for a leather convention and Jim is helping his Master take inventory. There’s nothing better than the smell of leather and his Master nearby, and Jim is happy as a clam. Happy enough that even Marcus pushing can only bring joy.

Markus and Jim first appear in the Hammer novel Bent.

Review:

My rating on this is not based on the quality or characterisation, it fits perfectly well within the series and specifically for Marcus and Jim, however the story is essentially one sex scene between the men with little context and no real progression of the relationship.

Jim is helping Marcus do inventory before a large leather show. It doesn’t take them long until some teasing from Marcus leads to some hot sex in the store room, using some scraps of leather and other toys on hand. The banter between the two is fairly typical of them, Jim being shy and a little unsure and Marcus pushing. Although it’s never said, I think Jim has Aspergers, since most of the time he really doesn’t get the nuances of Marcus’ teasing. While the reader can see that Marcus is just fooling around, Jim isn’t sure if he’s upset with him for some reason.

Fans of Marcus and Jim will enjoy this little peek at their HEA life now. However for people who aren’t familiar with their relationship, the rather romantic and sappy (in a good way) that they treat each other now, is not how they originally started out, when Jim fought his submissive side in a big way. There’s not much to say, it’s pure Marcus and Jim having sex. Don’t expect to learn much more about their lives outside of that short period of the story.

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You Think You Know Someone… by Glyn Soitiño

Title: You Think You Know Someone…
Author: Glyn Soitiño
Length: 10,900 words (39 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m paranormal
Rating:  B

Blurb:

It’s Halloween, and incubus Rafael is looking forward to a fun night out with his lover, demon-hunter Dominic. But Halloween can be a busy time of year for demon-hunters, and Rafael is not surprised when Dominic has to go to work instead.

Dominic and Rafael have been together for a long time, and Dominic thinks he knows just about everything there is to know about his sweet little twink of an incubus. But Dominic’s mission this evening does not go at all according to plan, and tonight he’s about to find out that sometimes, though you may think you know someone, you really don’t know them at all.

Review:

This is a follow-up to Hungry, which again… is not mentioned anywhere in the blurb. I was reading and thinking “this sounds familiar”. Luckily I found I had reviewed Hungry so it all made more sense. It could be read as a stand-alone, but I would say read book 1 first to get the full impact.

Life is still good for Dominic and Rafael. Rafael is as twinky as ever, and catering to Dominic’s every whim taking care of him. He’s hopeful that this Halloween, Dominic will get some time off and they can go out and have fun. However when Dominic’s informant tells him two low-level demons are planning a human sacrifice, party plans are off. Dominic recruits a couple of new employees to be his back-up and they start their plan.

Only like all good plans, this one goes to hell in a hand basket (nearly literally) when the whole thing seems to have been a set-up to get to Dominic. Rafael’s dad is determined to introduce him to the whole family, and at the same time get to Rafael by killing Dominic. However Rafael’s not just the cute innocent harmless twink his file says he is, and he barrels in to the rescue, leaving Dominic wondering if he even knows the guy he’s been with for 20 years.

I adore Rafael. He’s the ultimate incubus twink, who just happens to feed off human semen. It is mentioned that when Dominic’s away, he has to find other donors, which Dominic doesn’t like, but the demon can’t starve to death. I thought Rafael was very logical as well when he explains why he kept his secrets and I liked that Dominic was also sensible, and not a “play it by the book” or “get bent out shape because Rafael didn’t tell him” kind of guy. Sure, he was a bit hurt, but once it made sense, he was okay. I like when characters are sensible sometimes. 🙂

I do enjoy this author’s voice a great deal. Her characters are often fun and light without being too flighty, and they just appeal to me a great deal. This is no exception and as I said, while you can read it as a stand-alone (enough of Dominic and Rafael’s past is explained to make it clear), it’s more fun if you read Hungry first to really get a feel for their relationship. And you may never look at bacon drippings the same way again.  😀

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Valentine Wish by Eden Winters

Title: Valentine Wish
Author: Eden Winters
Length: 36 pdf pages.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: m/m romance
Rating: B-

Blurb:

Isaac Lewis left the gangs behind to remake himself. He’s a street fighter turned gym rat, a thug turned honest man—only his loneliness hasn’t changed.

Success as a restaurateur hasn’t erased Thierry Guillaume’s insecurities. Well-padded in a world where looks matter, he’s been grasping at crumbs of affection. Can Isaac convince him he deserves the whole cake?

Review:

When I requested this for review I hadn’t realised it was a sequel to a novel, The Wish, nor that it was a re-release of a title originally published with Torquere in 2010. However, since I enjoy Winter’s writing I set about reading The Wish so that I could do the sequel justice. I have to admit, I sometimes wonder at the wisdom in rereleasing older titles, as it’s clear Winter’s writing has improved significantly since she wrote the novel. I’m not about to launch into a review of the novel, but I just wanted to make the point that you don’t really need to read it first. Isaac and Thierry are very much minor characters who only make the occasional appearance in the original. While your experience of reading Valentine Wish might be enhanced if you know who Alex and Paul are, I don’t think you’ll suffer unduly if you don’t.

This short is entirely from Isaac’s point of view, as he celebrates his Valentine’s Day birthday. More accustomed to visiting Berkley’s as the chauffeur for his rich employers, Isaac  has gotten to know the owner and head chef over time. For a long time Thierry was unavailable but now he’s single again, and Isaac is determined to have his birthday wish.

I loved the fact that Winters has made a big bear of a man the object of Isaac’s affection. As Isaac himself points out to Thierry, he likes to snuggle and that just wouldn’t be possible with another gym rat. Isaac genuinely lusts after Thierry’s ample, hairy body and doesn’t care about his age. This was a refreshing change in a genre which usually only eroticises the lean, muscular and young.

Another part of the story that worked particularly well for me was the scene where Isaac sees off Thierry’s no-good ex, Victor. Isaac calls on his street fighter past to deal with the sleazy thug, rescuing Thierry from the man’s clutches. As Isaac observes, the Frenchman is a lover, not a fighter, and can only cower in fear while Victor threatens him. While this didn’t make him particularly heroic, it added a note of realism and Thierry certainly stirred up protective feelings in me, just as he did in Isaac.

What didn’t work so well for me, though, was the slow start. The first five pages were a mix of exposition to tell us Isaac’s past and present, and description of the restaurant. These pages really dragged for me, and even when Isaac begins interacting with the other guests, we still don’t see anything of Thierry for a few more pages. They don’t spend a great deal of page time together at all, with very little conversation, so although I got a sense that perhaps they could work well as a couple, I didn’t really see the connection. The sex between them was both hot and affectionate, however, so lovers of erotic romance should enjoy that part.

I was also puzzled by a minor detail, but enough for it to drag me out of the story. We are told by Isaac that Thierry has only just become single, otherwise he’d have made a move earlier. However, later Paul says that Thierry has been single for six months. I wondered if this was an error that should have been caught in edits, because six months is a pretty long time by most people’s standards.

In short, then, this is a pretty well-written story with two appealingly different protagonists, and although it was slow to start, I enjoyed it by the end. The very last paragraph in particular was genius, and left me with a grin on my face.

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Lessons Learned by Edward Kendrick

Title: Lessons Learned (Hitman’s Creed #2)
Author: Edward Kendrick
Length: 12,753 words (65 pdf pages)
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: C+

Blurb:

When a friend of Joey’s disappears, ex-hitman, Glenn, and Joey, his young cop lover, fear the kidnapper may be a hitman sent to kill Glenn. Now they must find their missing friend and stop the killer before he gets to Glenn.

When his former boyfriend disappears, young small-town cop Joey and his ex-hitman lover Glenn set to work to discover what happened to him. In the process they decide Nate has been abducted by a hitman who may be looking for Glenn. Now they must find Nate and stop the hitman before he can succeed in killing Glenn. In the process they must learn to trust in each other’s abilities if Glenn, and their love for each other, is to survive.

Review:

You don’t have to have read the prequel to this story Hitman’s Creed but it helps you to understand the dynamic of the two main characters if you do. Things are going well for former hitman (now working freelance for the government) Glenn and Joey who is now a police officer in his small town. However their romantic interlude is interrupted with news that Joey’s ex, and now friend of the couple, Nate has disappeared. Thanks to Glenn’s expertise, they determine that it looks like Nate may have interrupted an assassin in action. They then begin the hunt. Once he’s found, Glenn decides that he is the target of the assassin and sets out to lure him in.

A big part of the first story was Glenn’s insistence that Joey was two young as he’s 13 years younger than Glenn, and that continues here, although Joey’s mother sets him straight about trying to over-protect Joey. There’s a lot of discussion about Glenn’s past and whether what he did was morally wrong and did that make him a bad person. My biggest issue was if this first guy found Glenn, someone hired him, which means there will be more coming won’t there? Mind you, it ends that night so they don’t really have time to think about it, but I’m thinking it wouldn’t be the end.

I was curious about Nate and I felt a bit bad in the first book when he ended up being tossed aside for Glenn, but I was glad to see he had found a new guy Rory and I would be interested in their story. I always tend to get curious about secondary characters. The emphasis on this story is solving Nate’s disappearance and then determining how to trick the assassin into coming after Glenn so they have the upper hand. If you like that kind of thing, or you liked the couple in the first book it will be a nice follow-up to see them coping with life together. All in all I thought it was a good follow-up to the first story.

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A Sky Full of Wings by M. Raiya

Title: A Sky Full of Wings (Notice #3)
Author: M. Raiya
Length: 15,100 words (55 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m paranormal
Rating: B

Blurb:

You’re invited to a dragon’s wedding!

That’s right! Varian and Josh from the Notice series are getting married! There will be swooning (not by whom you’d expect) and wings (not on whom you’d expect) and champagne, roses and rainbows. Warning: there will also be mysterious prophecies, swords, and uninvited guests from the distant past. And the grooms will get a wedding gift beyond their wildest dreams.

Find Varian and Josh in Notice, and in Nice: The Dragon and the Mistletoe.

Review:

I have been enjoying this series since I read the first story Notice which you pretty much need to read to understand this one. It could be read as a stand-alone but you’d likely have a few questions and not find it very rewarding, so I recommend you pick up Notice first.

Dragon Varian and his boyfriend Josh are about to get married. Varian is nervous, but when he accidentally peeks in Josh’s head as he waits at the altar and sees what Josh is wearing, he starts to freak. It was quite funny, as for many years Varian lived completely in the closet, about both his sexuality and his dragon nature. Finally in Notice, when he nearly lost Josh, he fully came out, well, not about the dragon thing to everyone.

Also, the night before the wedding Varian had a meeting with an old dying woman who tells him the “Old Ones” are watching him and Josh and his brother Hamilton. All Varian wants is that they don’t crash the wedding as many human guests are there as well. However during the reception they are called to the hillside and some dragon information is revealed.

I just loved Josh. He’s completely flamboyant and in one of the other books he even kind of hinted that he likes cross-dressing but wasn’t sure he wanted to do it all the time and Varian was completely supportive of him. But Varian still doesn’t understand why beautiful talented outgoing Josh would want him when he could have anyone. It’s rather sweet. There is a bit of sweet to these two and perhaps a bit of coincidental happiness for them at the end, but there is definitely more story to tell now that the Old One and his companion have contacted them.

The wedding was fun and you get to see many characters from the first stories so that was nice and as I said, Varian’s unease with being the center of attention and being so “out” was rather amusing, but he did it because he loved Josh, and that was what Josh wanted. They are quite a romantic couple and if you are in the mood for some dragons, I think it’s a fun series with quite complex world building that continues to grow as the series goes on. I look forward to more.

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Rust Red: Galvanized by Meredith Shayne

Title: Rust Red: Galvanized (Flying Doctors #2)
Author: Meredith Shayne
Length: 17,100 words (67 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: B

Blurb:

Adam is used to the adrenaline-filled life of the Royal Flying Doctors Service, so his desk duty due to a broken leg is wearing thin. But coming out in the testosterone-driven environment of a Western Australian nickel mine is no walk in the park either. Six months after the mine cave in that almost killed Adam, he and his mining engineer boyfriend Chris Barker need a break.

A trip to Surfers Paradise to visit Adam’s family seems like just the thing, until a chance meeting with an old adversary on the tourist strip makes Chris’ private life very, very public. With the nickel mine seething with prejudice, and Chris stubbornly refusing to admit that his safety is in question, it’s up to Adam to persuade Chris that the love they share is more important than Adam’s love for his job and the rust-red landscape that surrounds them.

Review:

This is a continuation of the story Eyes Wide Shut which was a Charity Sip done for Doctors Without Borders. You do not have to have read the first one to enjoy this one, but it does explain a few things in more detail. This story picks up six months after the end of the last book. Adam is stuck in a cast for 6 months and getting surlier by the minute, and despite Chris’ promise to come out at work, he still hasn’t done it and is just too afraid. However away from the mine he seems to have lightened up. He’s no longer super-paranoid that someone might see them, and he hopes that his gift of tickets to go and visit Adam’s family will cheer him up.

Adam is thrilled, although warns Chris off his crazy family. But Chris is happy to go along and despite a few family squabbles they are having a good time, until they run into a bigoted racist mine coworker of Chris’. It doesn’t take long for the guy to clue in about Adam and Chris. Things are bit rough at the mine with the jerk and during one of Adam’s visit, it escalates until both Chris and the bully need medical attention. Adam has to make a decision. Is he willing to leave his job he loves as a fly-in pilot in order to make it easier for Chris to leave the toxic environment (although he had his bosses support)? Will Chris agree to that?

Chris and Adam were a great pair, but still had that awkwardness of people who don’t really live together. Chris visits every few weeks when he leaves the mining area, but it’s not that same kind of trust and camaraderie as people who are together all the time. I also loved the taste of the small town and the life of the doctors who visit aboriginal villages to offer medical care. In case I wasn’t clear, this is set in Australia and it’s a really nice touch, giving  you a taste of life outside of the big cities.

I really enjoyed this follow-up, watching the guys work it out, seeing Chris’ fear but his determination not to be that guy who nearly lost Adam in the first book. I liked the author’s voice, and those who enjoyed the first one will equally enjoy this glimpse at the guys.

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Devotion by Megan Derr

Title: Devotion
Author: Megan Derr
Length: 2,000 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: m/m fantasy romance
Rating: B-

Blurb:
Reyes is not the most romantic of souls; he is not a romantic at all, really. An entire day devoted to the nonsense just piles further trials upon his already hectic schedule. But even the most unromantic man in the palace has a weak spot …

Review:
This tiny short is for those readers who have read and loved The Bastard Prince. It features Reyes, the king’s secretary and his lover, Kinnaird. The day is ‘Day of Devotion’ where people send flowers and gifts to their loved ones. Reyes can’t be doing with all that nonsense, until Kinnaird manages to show him how special the day can be.

For fans of The Bastard Prince, this story is an absolute must. I must admit, I loved that story and was pleased to get this snippet into the HEA for Reyes and Kinnaird. Reyes is as huffy and prickly as ever, showing that the events of the previous book haven’t changed him at all. I smiled to myself over some of the things Reyes says at first. Things like “As near as he could tell, ‘devotion’ was just another word for ‘attempt to suck up to the king’.” and “He carefully pushed aside a dark blue vase holding yellow orchids and a tall stand holding a truly repulsive number of lilies. Did no one understand subtlety?” pleased to see that Reyes has still retained his inwardly grumpy nature.

The story may be short but it keeps the charm of the original story, and I liked seeing how Kinnaird gradually wore away Reyes’ resistance to the Day of Devotion through a few thoughtful (and subtle) gestures. The scene where they meet up later in the story is filled with humour and love and the story left me with a big smile on my face.

This may only be a short quickie of a story but it contained much to satisfy a hopeless romantic such as myself and as such I would recommend it.

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Games Boys Play by Fae Sutherland

Title: Games Boys Play (Glitter Bomb #2)
Author: Fae Sutherland
Length: 10,000 words (44 pdf pages)
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: B

Blurb:

When Zachary West and Officer Stephen Miranda met two months ago, it shook up Stephen’s boring, paint-by-numbers life in ways he’d never expected. Now, though still in the closet at work, Stephen is realizing that the things he feels for his sparkly, out-and-proud lover are way beyond just lust and intrigue. He’s falling in love, but can someone like Zach live even partially in the closet?

Zach’s games of forbidden trysts and dangerous liaisons collide with Stephen’s desire for more than just the moment at hand, forcing Zach to face one of his biggest fears – can he ever be enough for a real life hero? And should he even try?

Review:

This is the follow-up story to Gambling on Maybe. Zach and Stephen have been dating for a while and Zach knows very well that Stephen in still in the closet at work, and decides to play the whole sneaking around thing for all it’s worth. When they have a chance to meet, Zach sets up trysts in seedy motels and dresses for effect. If nothing else, he’s decided that Stephen’s relationship with him, however long it lasts, will not be dull. Stephen is smitten. He’s a cop and Zach manages to convince him to do all sorts of risky things, like role playing cop and prostitute, or having semi-public sex where he could be caught.

The problem comes when Zach realizes that he’s a bit more invested in the relationship than he’d planned. He never stays in love for long and starts to fear that it’s only a matter of time before he hurts Stephen by getting bored and dumping him. I liked how Stephen, despite being in the closet was more pragmatic about it. He realized he loved Zach and he didn’t freak out about it, it just was. However the story once again, ends just when it’s getting started. They only just came to an agreement about how they feel, and it’s over. There is no discussion about how Stephen will deal with this at work. Will he continue to pretend he’s not seeing Zach? Will Stephen continue to take risks which could get him outed at work, if not in real trouble. I’m sure police forces don’t look fondly on officers caught having public sex. Would a cop really do all that? Well, I suppose love does make you stupid sometimes. 🙂

So while this is very sexy and I adore Zach and his flamboyant ways, I think these two could have had much more story. I wasn’t left thinking “okay, they’ll live HEA now”, but given what happened with Zach’s coworker in book one, I couldn’t see this going along as it was forever. So while the writing is good, the sex hot and fun with lots of role playing, I just felt there was more story to this one. Perhaps there will be and the author will enlighten us as to how life goes for the guys once it’s not a constant “game” but settles down into real life.

Still, fans of Zach from book one will want to pick this up, because he’s still as bubbly and outrageous as ever and he’s a fun character to read about.

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