A Sammy Review: How to Train Your Dom in Five Easy Steps by Josephine Myles

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5
How To Train Your Dom coverEddie Powell is a painslut, quietly looking for more than just hot sex. That hasn’t worked so well with his last Doms – but when he spots Jeff White, a supposedly straight wannabe-Dom, he can’t resist a good challenge.
Jeff is newer to the scene, and between an embarrassing past experience and his lack of personal etiquette when it comes to meeting subs, he’s been struggling to find his way. He’s skeptical when Eddie approaches him and offers to train him, he isn’t gay after all. But he could use the help, and it’s just experimenting, right?
But even the most sound experiments can go awry, and no one factored chemistry or love into this equation.
“And you think you love him.”
 
“I do love him. Even if he doesn’t deserve it.”
 
“Deserving it has nothing to do with it. If you wait around for someone who truly deserves your love, you’ll be waiting forever. We’ve all got our flaws. You can be a good Dom and still have issues.”
Hm… well, my feelings toward this are a bit mixed.
I’ve stated it before, I do not actively seek out heavy BDSM practices in my books. I make an exception for this one based on the wonderful reviews it had gotten and a plot that sounded pretty yummy. And for the most part, I liked it.
I’m still a bit more on the side of vanilla when it comes to CBT (which, you know you’re in a helping profession when you originally think this means Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The meaning in this book is quite different LOL). I could’ve taken it or left it. Plus, I have a hard time getting the image of all the contraptions combined with the rope work and such in my head, which can be a bit frustrating.
Beside that, though, I enjoyed the idea of the story. It’s something I’ve read quite a few times before. Straight boy experiments with gay boy and they fall madly in love. I thought adding the element of BDSM and a D/s relationship to this was quite interesting and gave it a whole other layer.
I also enjoy hearing a bit about the practices in general, as someone who isn’t involved in the scene, I’m always open to hearing about it and how people potentially view their roles. I got some interesting insight in this book, particularly in conversations between Eddie and Maddy. (I was a bit disturbed by the mom being called Mags though, I got them mixed up a bit and was like “wait, what?”)
I was really looking forward to the humiliation aspect of this, too. And the dirty talking. And it fell a bit flat for me in those realms – bummer 😦
Overall it was good, I just wish I had felt more connected to it.
The cover art by Lou Harper is pretty basic and in general just okay. I like the use of the basic font, but his tie looks like it’s floating and from a design standpoint, it seems like there wasn’t much that went into it. At least the guy is nice to look at.

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing  |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Links:
G00dreads
Kindle Edition, 295 pages
Published September 23rd 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASIN B00KT23WMW
edition language English

A MelanieM Review: Overly Dramatic (Treading the Boards) by Rebecca Cohen

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Overly Dramatic coverAndy Marshall moves to London looking for a fresh start after breaking up with his long-term boyfriend. To stave off boredom from his day job as an accountant and to meet new people, Andy joins a local amateur dramatics society called the Sarky Players based in Greenwich, South London. Despite his best efforts to avoid it, Andy is cast as one of the leads in a truly dreadful play called Whoops, Vicar, There Goes My Trousers, written by a local playwright.

The play might be bad, but the Sarky Players are a friendly bunch. Andy quickly makes new friends and finds himself attracted to Phil Cormack, a local artist helping with the props. But life doesn’t run to a script, so Andy and Phil will have to work hard to improvise their own happy ending.

I’m used to Rebecca Cohen having a few characters who trod the “boards” in her stories but those actors did so in William Shakespeare’s days.  Now Rebecca Cohen has given us a gentle romp herself with Overly Dramatic, a light-hearted romance set in contemporary Greenwich,  London, England, where a local amateur acting group is putting on a resoundingly bad play.

The name of that  play? “Whoops, Vicar, There Goes My Trousers!”  Full of double,triple, and quadruple entendres and a vicar mounting paper mache’ goat on wheels,  its a disaster along the lines of “Springtime for Hitler”.   The dramatic society producing the play is the Sarky Players, a local dramatic group Andy Marshall has just joined looking for companionship and perhaps something more.  Andy was lured in thinking the play was Cold Comfort Farm but once he started to read for it, Andy was caught up in the people, the action and the feelings of being part of a group again.

I loved how the author brought the Sarky Players to life in their snarky, believable characters.  I thought these were people we had in our offices or sat next to us in the cubicles or ran into at class reunions.  Even Andy and Phil are far from the normal “gorgeous” characters that may stride across your typical m/m romance novel.  A little paunch is visible (and Andy’s ok with that), the brown hair is lovely and nice but maybe not so glossy.  In short, lovely, men (no I won’t call them average – dislike that) who might fall along the “normal” range than movie star.  Both Andy and Phil are coming off bad romances but not completely disastrous ones.  And that just might be a problem right there for some readers.  There is no hurt/comfort.  No drama.  Just two very human men slowly finding their way into a relationship with each other.  Amidst a very bad play.

Some readers will find this boring.  I found it very sweet and lovely.  What did I wish more of?  Something more from the ending.  That felt a little abrupt.  It needed to play out a little more than it did for my total satisfaction. Other than that…this play and these men were just my thing!

Rebecca Cohen’s secondary characters are well crafted as her main ones.  I loved Ussie, Andy’s elderly game-playiing neighbor, along with Ryan, Derek and Naomi.  Ryan needs his own HEA and as this is just the start of the Treading the Boards series, I’m hopeful that is to come.

If you are looking for drama (outside of bad plays and paper mache’ goats of course) and angst, this is not the story for you. But if sweetness, lovely men in search of love and romance is your thing, then Overly Dramatic is a story you will enjoy.  I know I did and I look forward to the others in this series.

Cover art by Paul Richmond was as cute and adorable as the story and cast.  How can you resist a man in that Marilyn Monroe pose?

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 131 pages
Expected publication: August 19th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781634764551
edition language English

A Stella Review: Resurrecting Elliot (Newport Boys #2) by Cate Ashwood

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Resurrecting Elliot coverNightmares and panic attacks following a horrific tragedy leave Professor Elliot Lawrence a prisoner in his own home. After months of relying on his sister as his only connection to the outside world, Elliot is desperate for a sliver of independence. But leaving the safety of his home isn’t an option, not yet, and he reaches out in the most innocuous way he can think of: grocery delivery.

Colton Kelly, retired porn star and recent college grad, is struggling at two minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. During one of his grocery deliveries, he meets Elliot. Although the attraction between them is instant, they must first traverse the long road of putting Elliot back together. When disaster strikes yet again, this time in Colt’s life, Elliot’s not sure he’s strong enough to be the man Colt needs him to be.

Resurrecting Elliot by Cate Ashwood wasn’t what I was expecting, at all. I was first waiting for something still set in the porn industry, then reading the blurb I was sure it was darker. I love Cate’s writing and ideas so of course I enjoyed this book, I gave it 4 stars after all. Still, in my humble opinion, I think if she had decided to focus on or emphasize more the struggle both MCs went through in their lives, I could have been reading just what I love to read; maybe it would have been heavier but although I liked Resurrecting Elliot A LOT, too many times it seems to me the story flowed too easily.

The way Elliot could overcome his fears just with Colt’s help was beautiful to watch but was much too simplistic. I know when you close yourself off, after a trauma like the one that hit Elliot, the love of the person you have beside can be strong enough to help you heal but not so smoothly as in this book. Okay it’s  fictional but I’m always looking for reality in my stories. So for me the author made a couple of choices that prevent the book for being perfect like others written by her.

Now I’m going to stop to be so freaking critical and start talking about all the good aspects. First of all the book opened with the marriage of Evan and Bran. Do you have an idea how happy I was? Keeping Sweet, book #1 in the Newport Boys series, was the first book I read by Cate Ashwood and most likely one of the first m/m books I read in the 2013. I fell in love with Evan and knowing he would have had his deserved HEA was beautiful, especially after the little snippet in Thirty Things (https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/2015/04/17/a-stella-review-thirty-things-by-cate-ashwood/). Also you can read it as a standalone.

Resurrecting Elliot is set six years after the first one,  Colt has quit doing porn and is looking for a job as a teacher. Meanwhile he’s doing a couple of job, one of this as a delivery man. Guess to whom he goes to deliver groceries? Elliot is imprisoned himself a year after watching one of his students take his life. The trauma was so deep he’s having problems to even leave his house. When he meet Colt things finally change. They soon hit it off and start seeing each other first as just friends and then as lovers and Colt is able to help Elliot dealing with his fears and panic attacks. There is a little more I obviously can’t talk about that  was a great closure to Colt and the final push to Elliot to be stronger than ever and overcome the pain.

As every book Cate Ashwood wrote, Resurrecting Elliot was well written, sweet, hard to put down. A truly feel good story. I want to recommend it to all of you.

Cover art by Brooke Albrecht. I like it. Nothing special but simply and clean. Well done.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published July 20th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634762250
edition languageEnglish
seriesNewport Boys #2

Newpost Boys Series (Goodreads links -add  to your TBR list:

A Mika Review: Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars  ★★★★★

Definitely Maybe Yours coverSeattle-based baker Craig Oliver leads a life that is happily routine: baking cupcakes for an enormous family reunion, managing Sucre Coeur for its frequently absent owner, and closing out his day with a pint at the local pub. He has a kind heart, a knack for pastry, and a weakness for damaged people.

Habitual playboy Alex Scheff is looking to drown his sorrows, but instead discovers that he may have a weakness for Englishmen who carry cookies in their pockets. Can a seemingly incompatible pair find the recipe for love in a relationship they claim is casual?

*Le Sigh*

Craig Oliver is amazing. Everything about him is amazing, from his English mannerisms, to his simplistic views, even his ability to bake with alcohol when his heart gets shattered is amazing. I really love this character.

I’ve never read anything by this author before, and it was the black guy on the cover which sold me. It was also the character of Craig. I love that he was an English born and bred and living in the States. I didn’t know what to expect from this. I admit, while reading this, there were some cringe worthy moments on how things were written, point of view changes, and the general tone in the first 40%. Certain things bothered me, I got disappointed. I didn’t like the secondary characters having a point of view in the story. I strictly wanted Craig and Alex. Plus it felt a bit disjointed, and sort of choppy when switching point of views as well. All of those were big no no’s in my book.

But nothing could deter me from the story itself. It’s two guys who did not want to date, just be casual who instead realizes that they are in love but it’s not easy. While Craig is open, honest, and free; Alex is the complete opposite. It’s like pulling teeth with him. The first morning after was difficult.

I loved the meeting of them. I mean who brings out a baked good at a bar? It was completely innocent, original and real sweet moment. I like that my heart fell for Craig at that moment. Being in both of these guys heads was an amazing  experience. Craig was just being with Alex and it was sweet. I can’t get over how good of a character Lissa Reed was able to write, Alex was angsty. He had his reservations but with good cause. Throughout most of the book he did not want to talk of his ex. I kept thinking what happened? Unfortunately he never got to explain to Craig one on one before it blew up in his face. Here’s where I really fell in love. Their breakup. Yes I know it sounds callous, but they each had to realize what happened, how it happened, and what the other means to each other. Jeez that moment where strong Craig finally cracks in front of his friends had me in tears, and then closed off Alex breaks down to a 9 month old Kira and I couldn’t stop crying. It was sweet. Dude, then Craig brought this cute Yorkie name Fitz, by that point I was a total goober, because Craig gave the most beautiful reasons why he loves Alex. I’m giving this 5 stars because I loved Craig and Alex relationship, it wasn’t easy and it’s definitely how a relationship goes. I’m not doing it for the writing, or choppy sentences, or the instant point of view changes. I’m doing it for the romantic in me.  I want to see more of them. Maybe a year down the line, when Alex is Alex again, and is learning to love himself.

 Cover Art by Buckeyegrrl Design. The cover is the reason why I wanted to read it. I think he’s gorgeous, he looks exactly like Craig is described. Maybe a little younger than he’s supposed to be, but I still like it.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Paperback, 296 pages
Expected publication: August 11th 2015 by Interlude Press
ISBN13 9781941530405
edition language English

Can A Seattle Baker Hold the Recipe for Love? Find Out with Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed

Definitely Maybe Yours cover

Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed
Release Date: August 11, 2015

★★★★★

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist:
Cover photography by LaToya Conward

Cover design by Buckeyegrrl Designs

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Sales Links: Interlude Press | Smashwords |Amazon
Our books are also available for order from the Apple iBookstore, Book Depository and Indiebound.

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Blurb:

Seattle-based baker Craig Oliver leads a life that is happily routine: baking cupcakes for an enormous family reunion, managing Sucre Coeur for its frequently absent owner, and closing out his day with a pint at the local pub. He has a kind heart, a knack for pastry, and a weakness for damaged people.

Habitual playboy Alex Scheff is looking to drown his sorrows, but instead discovers that he may have a weakness for Englishmen who carry cookies in their pockets. Can a seemingly incompatible pair find the recipe for love in a relationship they claim is casual?

Pages or Words: 296 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt:

With a wink, Craig pulls a ten-dollar bill out of his left coat pocket and a carefully bagged almond and raspberry-lemon croissant, Katie’s all-time favorite baked good, out of the right. He passes them across the bar as if he’s James Bond—a very cheeky and cheery sort of 007. “You know I’ll always look out for you. Keep the change.”

Katie squeals and flops across the bar to squeeze him breathless, and her ponytail slaps him in the nose. She bounces off with her treat in hand and Craig shakes his head and pulls long black and red hairs from his face, as he does every time this happens. Katie really is his favorite bartender at The Order of the Garter, hell, his favorite bartender in Seattle and maybe even the world. Much too good to be working at a grotty little pub, fending off unsavory advances and spilled drinks four nights a week; that’s why Craig will bring her any bakery treat she wants, anytime she wants it, until she finally wises up and gets the hell out of this place.

Time for another sip of this excellent, excellent stout: Craig reaches forward. It’s a good Thursday.

Of course, that’s when it takes quite the sharp turn, leaving every Seattle-pub-Thursday Craig’s ever known in the dust.

“Well, aren’t you a hit with the ladies,” comes a surly drawl from his left, startling Craig just as he’s got his fingers around his glass. “Was that a croissant in your pocket, or were you actually happy to see her?”

“Both,” Craig replies, shifting around to lean on his elbow and survey the formerly silent pile of misery hunched over two stools down, the limp guy at the end of the bar Craig had spotted on his way in. He is not unconscious after all, much to Craig’s surprise; judging by the row of empty shot glasses upside down in front of him and the distinct aroma of tequila emanating a good four-foot radius from his person, he should be. Craig winces and turns away as the fumes burn his nose.

“Baked goods. That’s a new one. Never saw anyone use baking to hit on the ladies before.” Mr. Misery sways his head upright, pushes a wild flop of brown hair out of his eyes and swings around until he locates Craig. He blinks. “Does it work?”

Surprised by the color of the eyes meeting his—an unusual shade, gray, not blue-gray or blue, but the gray of a sky covered in early storm clouds—Craig answers without thinking. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t hit on girls. Katie’s my friend, not my type.”

RC

 

About the author:

Lissa Reed is a writer of fiction, blogs and bawdy Renaissance song parodies. She traces her first interest in becoming a writer to the fourth grade, when her teacher gave her the gift of her first composition book. A former newspaper editor, Reed shifted her focus to romance and literary fiction early in her writing career. She lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is currently working on her new novel, Certainly, Possibly, You—the sequel to Definitely, Maybe, Yours.

Where to find the author:

Connect with Lissa Reed at

Website: http://www.lissareed.com; on
Tumblr at http://lissareedbooks.tumblr.com/; on
Twitter @LissaReedBooks; on
Goodreads at http://goodreads.com/LissaReedBooks and on
Facebook at http://facebook.com/LissaReedAuthor

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press gift card. Second prize: One of five e-copies of ‘Definitely, Maybe, Yours. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Tour Stops:

11-Aug
Happily Ever Chapter
Jessie G. Books
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

(Check out Mika’s 5 Star Review here )
12-Aug
Prism Book Alliance
MM Good Book Reviews
Mikky’s World of Books
13-Aug
Nephylim
Bayou Book Junkie
14-Aug
Amanda C. Stone
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
Love Bytes
17-Aug
Divine Magazine
Hearts on Fire
18-Aug
Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy
19-Aug
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
20-Aug
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
BFD Book Blog
21-Aug
Molly Lolly
Inked Rainbow Reads
24-Aug
My Fiction Nook
Dawn’s Reading Nook
Rainbow Gold Reviews

Into the Spotlight: Looking For Home ( More Than Friends #9) by Aria Grace (excerpt and contest)

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Looking For Home ( More Than Friends #9) by Aria Grace
Release Date: August 15, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Surrendered Press
Cover Artist: Kris Kendall

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Sales Links:   Amazon  |  Nook  |  Itunes

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Evan spends half the week on the road, literally, and the rest of his time sitting around in an empty house. Killing time and drowning his hopes of ever finding someone to share his life with. Someone to come home to.

When he meets Georgie at a New Year’s Eve, Evan’s entire perspective changes.

Pages or Words: Approximately 35,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt


Bill, bill, coupon, coupon, bill, and a big black envelope addressed to me. An invite, maybe? I don’t see my name in calligraphy very often but it looks good.

Mr. Georgie Kelton

Most of the mail that comes to the penthouse is not for me so I rarely look through it. I mostly toss it in a pile for Spencer or Dylan to take care of when they’re in town. But for the past two weeks I’ve been checking every day for something important. Not just something. The one thing that could get me pointed in the right direction for a real career in fashion.

The Bijou Design Summit for Fashion in New York accepts six up-and-comers with no experience or schooling into their Page program for the week of the event. It’s not glamourous work but if I get accepted as a page, it’ll be worth a few years of practical experience right there. Fast-tracking my fashion aspirations from a ten year plan to a five year plan would be huge.

I’ve had dreams of starting my own fashion line since I was a kid but I couldn’t risk anyone catching me with a sketch pad full of wedding gowns so I put those dreams on hold.

Once I ran away and started dancing, I all but forgot about the goal. It wasn’t until Spencer and Dylan encouraged me to start sketching again that I even considered a career in fashion was possible.

But here I am, waiting for a letter from New York that will tell me if my dreams are more than fantasy. If I have what it takes to even stand in the same room as the people I’ve idolized since the day I thumbed through my mom’s Cosmopolitan magazine.

And as much as I want to say getting to New York is all about fashion, I know that’s a lie. It’s about more. I want more.

My friends are all beginning to couple up around me and it’s becoming harder to ignore the lack of a better half in my own life. I have fun with my tricks and I’m physically satisfied but watching them get dressed and go home to their wives or kids or wherever they go after they get their rocks off with me is starting to wear me down.

A five-year plan is perfect. Just enough time for me to put together a decent portfolio, make some contacts in the industry, and work my way out of whoring. It’s a good gig while you can get it but I can’t do this forever. And I won’t try. Wouldn’t want to even if I could.

Dropping all the junk mail on the counter, I take the invitation with me as I flop on the white leather couch. The Christmas tree is still standing in the corner but the unusually sunny day drowns out all the holiday cheer that filled the penthouse just twenty four hours ago.

With Dylan and Spencer back in California to spend time with Andre and his new boyfriend, Frankie, the penthouse is more lonely than ever.

Pulling open the corner of the black envelope with my teeth, I shake it sideways until the single notecard falls into my lap.

You’re Invited
Ring in the New Year with Chance and Vinnie
Black Tie Attire
10pm
 Private Mezzanine
at The Heathman Hotel

A party at The Heathman? Are Chance and Vinnie going all 50 Shades on us? I haven’t spent much time with those guys but what I do know about them is all good. It sounds like just the kind of party I love but I have other plans.

Theo promised to ditch his wife on New Year’s and spend the evening with me. The tyrant he’s married to keeps his holiday schedule locked up during the entire month of December but he’s already given her an excuse about having to entertain some colleagues from the United Arab Emirates.

If all goes well, that ball in New York won’t be the only one getting some action on Saturday night. Being a high-end rent boy guarantees I have sex nightly when I’m working, but Theo will cuddle.

Sometimes.

If he doesn’t have to rush out, he’ll hold me until I fall asleep. But it’s been too long since he hasn’t had to rush out so Saturday can’t come soon enough.

While I’m thinking of him, I can’t resist a quick text.

I’ve sent the proposal.

Because his wife is always monitoring his phone when she’s around, I have to start every text with an innocuous phrase that won’t raise any suspicions.

Thanks. In a meeting. Will review tonight.

Tonight? I wasn’t expecting him to come over tonight. I quickly thumb through my scheduling app to make sure I’m free. I have one client at 7:00 but will be free by 9:00 so I send him a coded reply.

I’ll be offline until 9. Will look for your comments then.

Confirmed.

Confirmed! He’s coming tonight.

I toss the invite onto the coffee table and jump out of my seat. If I’m going to see my sugar daddy tonight, I need to do some prep work. I haven’t waxed in a week and I could use a pedicure.

Theo also likes lace so I spend the next hour trying on lingerie until I find a pair of panties that displays my package the best. The red lace against my pale skin has the same classic thing that my girl Taylor rocks.

The best part is they’re assless. The straps that hold the front together fit snugly under my cheeks, giving me a bit more of a bubble butt than nature intended. Again, exactly how Theo likes me.

Personally, my style is more about beauty and comfort than purely being femme. But, Theo has a thing for princesses. His wife is a princess but more beast than beauty.

So I give him what he wants. He doesn’t pay me anymore, not in terms of my nightly rates. He gives me something far more valuable than the cash I get from every other trick. Theo gives me affection. It’s not a perfect relationship right now, but as soon as he leaves the ice queen, we can be together.

Of course, if the page job in NYC comes through, I may have to reevaluate everything, including my patience with Theo.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Aria enjoys the year round sunshine and laid back environment of the west coast. She lives with her husband and two children on a quiet hill that gives her lots of time to read and write. Once she ventured into the exciting world of gay romance, she never looked back. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to drop her a note or visit her at http://www.ariagracebooks.com.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: http://bit.ly/FollowAriaGrace
Amazon Author Page
Twitter: @ariagracebooks
Pinterest

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Tour Dates & Stops: August 11, 2015
Parker Williams, Happily Ever Chapter, Charley Descoteaux, Bayou Book Junkie, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews, V’s Reads, BFD Book Blog, TTC Books and More, Carly’s Book Reviews, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My. Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Christy Loves 2 Read, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Velvet Panic, Inked Rainbow Reads, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

 

 

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift card and paperback of Looking for Home (or other Aria Grace book).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Final

A MelanieM Review: The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

PinchOfTheGame[The]FSBeing a witch doesn’t mean one can beat the devil forever.

Jeffrey Overton, unemployed IT professional turned poker player, pushes his luck once too often and runs afoul of the host of an illegal card club. The man sent to escort Jeffrey to a “meeting” about his supernatural winning streak arrives at Jeffrey’s crappy North Portland apartment, lock-picking tools in hand and a charm to block Jeffrey’s magick.

Head muscle for said host, Mike Wells, is a Daisy from Daisyville. He isn’t a witch. What he lacks in magickal talent he makes up for in brawn, so he doesn’t expect the guy he’s after to overpower him. But once Mike renders Jeffrey helpless, he’d rather seduce him than bring him in.

Jeffrey and Michael ditch the “meeting” and end up hunting some of the same people they ran from, trying to get Jeffrey back into his own body. And that’s only part of the adventure. The pair travel halfway across the country on the quietest road trip in history and find missing people, empire-building witches, and maybe even the families they’d both thought lost to them.

I really like Charley Descoteaux because even as sections of this story had me grinding my teeth in frustration her characters of Jeffrey Overton and Mike Wells are so endearing and charming that they swayed me over to their side and kept me there for the duration of The Pinch of the Game.  No matter how many times along the narrative path I wanted to stop due to poor universe construction or illogical character traits, their engaging ways and winning natures carried me through one bumpy writing obstacle after another.

We start off in an alternate universe that’s never really given any explanation or foundation.   There are  witches, but of what type and magical basis we just don’t know.  There are non-magical humans as well, like Mike, but again, little background or history is given.  At first (I missed the note at first), I thought The Pinch of the Game must be part of a series I had missed.  As a stand alone that lack of foundation and grounding in world building leaves this story feeling as though it is the middle part of a much larger story.  What’s worse?  The knowledge in the foreword that this story started out as a short story and was enlarged to this version.  *shakes head*

Jeffrey is a Stumptown witch and “A Stumptown witch doesn’t go far from the source of his power”, except when he does.  In search of his mother, another witch in a bad situation that is never quite explored and whose resolution comes far too quickly for the buildup.  There is some stomach churning body switching and more, none of which really makes any sense which is probably ok because neither does the plot.  I just liked reading about Jeffrey and Mike and their developing relationship.  That saved this story for me.

Of course, the whole thing came close to being derailed one more with a little scene at the end where unexpected and sort of jaw dropping facts came out about Jeffrey.  With no basis laid anywhere in the story for this and no way to substantiate their truthfulness or weigh the impact upon Mike and Jeffrey’s relationship because the story just ends, the reader is just left hanging, wondering again what they had just read.

Only Charley Descoteaux’s terrific imagination and two main characters saved this story from a lower rating.  I love this author but this story was just too disorganized and jumbled to make any sense.

Cover art by AngstyG is wonderful.  I love the design and 20’s feel.  Great job.

Sale Links:  Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon |The Pinch of the Game Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 98 pages
Published June 24th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632169068
edition languageEnglish

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Author Discovery: Stella on Wulf Francu Godgluck

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Wulf Francu Godgluck

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I am an enthusiastic member of the M/M Romance group on Goodreads. If you are too, you know their moderators work really hard every year to host an event that includes a collection of free M/M short stories, novellas and novels written by authors/members of it. Being in love with the group and the M/M world, I try to read most of these stories each time. Last year one I picked was Of Gods and Monsters: Menoetius by a new to me author called Wulf Francu Godgluck (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23110843-of-gods-and-monsters?ac=1) and it pretty much was love at first reading.

I admit he writes what I usually don’t read; in general I need my books to be sickening sweet and pure romance and it’s totally not Wulf’s style. Still I loved his stories (and I like adding a big FOR NOW cause I’m pretty sure I’m going to kill him about his WIP works LOL). Okay the language is really not so clean, in some parts a little much too hard, a little much too dirty, I can understand it’s not for everyone but I’m all for it.

Of Gods and Monsters: Menoetius is the story of Colt and Beo. Apart from the plot that pushes a lot of buttons (BDSM, alpha man, sweet sub), what caught me from the start was the writing and the fact that it was able to make me emotional, not easy because of the asshole MC. But the thing that wins me over was the idea that love can make us better. Seeing Colt change himself into a better man was really beautiful. I’m pretty sure this story could be perfect for anyone who wants to dive into Wulf’s crazy world for the first time. And it’s free. Be ready for the next installment in the Of Gods And Monsters series, Hades, coming in July 2015. I’m not sure if it’s going to be a M/M/M or a love triangle story but I can’t wait!

Then if you are looking for something really different, you absolutely need to try the A Tooth Claw and Horns Chronicle series. It’s made of short episodes and I can tell you each one will leave you hungry for more and angry at Wulf, but the pain is so worth it. This series is dark, mysterious and well balanced, there is a solid plot and well defined characters (surprisingly, see the few pages each episode has). Most of all it’s original. I can anticipate the next episode will be so much more in every way, taboos and cliffhanger are assured. Stay tuned for late summer.

As I hope you understood reading my thoughts, Wulf Francu Godgluck has a crazy world in his mind, he spaces from contemporary to paranormal, from BDSM to vampires. Last one he worked on was a sci fi story called ACID for the new M/M romance group’s event. I read some sneak peaks (here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2232381-dear-author-free-dreamer—claimed-by-wulf-francu-godgluck?page=1) and I’m really curious. It is unique and darker but so unbelievably interesting.

Last thing. If you are going to check out these books be aware that the cover artist is the same Wulf and I find them different from the usual ones I see everywhere and perfect for his writing style. I can’t recommend this author enough.

About author Wulf Francu Godgluck

They come to me in the night, creeping into my head. Their voices are all different, their stories all dissimilar, but they keep saying the same thing…

“Show us, tell us to the world. Bring us into yours, and make us known.”

Then I sit and they take over. They tell their tales of love, loss and sinister misfortune, not all of them get a happy ending, but they are pleased when their part is written.


I sometimes find myself lost in my own mind; a world very similar to our own yet so different. Things don’t go bump in the night—they squeal, and crawl under your skin, making you grind your teeth, and your stomach turn over and put your nerves on edge. Then there’s the drama. Oh, the drama!

I write because I must! There is so much inside of me that needs to get out. So many stories to tell, characters that want to be heard, and hearts lost and won. Words and art are my way of bringing my world to others. I enjoy telling tales of the human condition but working in elements of the supernatural. Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies, Witches and the unexplainable all set against the human world or worlds of their own.

I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, grew up in a working class family and enjoy writing, cooking and spending my husband’s money! Yeah I’m a cocky little brat too 🙂 (and proud of it, spankings included.)

Where to find him

Goodreads Author Page
Facebook Author Page
Website

Books and links to Stella’s Reviews:

A SNIPPET FROM Of Gods and Monsters: Hades

COMING ON JULY 2015

It was the day Kemono returned from a five week mission in Russia that his father tested him. Twenty years of age when he stood before the snake. Kemono’s only friend, Mamoru, stood beside him, their gaze trained on the wall.
His father ordered him to kill Mamoru.

Blood had still dripped from his trembling hands while his father smiled, bitter pride in his eyes. “There’s the monster I spawned.” Kemono just stood, jaw ticking, locked tight, and balled his fists. Mamoru’s blood sticky and still warm as it pussed from between his fingers. His friend lying next to him, choking as gore pooled from his throat where Kemono had sliced it.

Kemono stood there feeling nothing. Nothing for his friend of fifteen years, a man and boy he had been intimate with on far too many nights, a friend he knew was in love with him. Nothing when Mamoru’s body was dragged out of the room to be disposed of. Nothing for the mother and sister left without a son and a brother to provide for them. Nothing, knowing they would starve. Nothing. He had felt it for so long now.

Only when he walked out of the washitsu, stepped down the hall to wash his hands and come back out, did he feel something.

Anger. Pain. Worry. Fury.

He flared his nostrils, squinting his eyes. Tremors ringing up his body, his muscles pulsing, going taut at the same time.

His frame vibrated violently in rage.

His Shuiro’s soft sobs was a hand against his throat choking him, slowly ripping him apart inside. The boy rested against one of the pillars, his back damp as the material stuck to his bony skin. Kemono had looked at the sky briefly, noting the sun’s position, confirming the time of day, late afternoon as sunlight played, making the blue sky sing with purple, pinks and shades of gold. It was usually around this time his Shuiro came from training with his sensei, a kind man, but he was known for pushing his students hard.

But it was the slump to his Shuiro’s shoulders that was unpleasing to Kemono’s sight.

His heart had clenched, pain shooting in his chest when his Shuiro collapsed against the pillar, sliding against it to the floor. The boy’s chest heaving, lips parted and eyes closed.

Kemono hated to see the boy and not be able to see those dancing eyes.

He stomped towards him, furious that his steps didn’t invoke the reaction he wanted.

His Shuiro should have been up, alert with his gaze down to the floor, pressing himself against the pillar to appear smaller than he was, to somehow make his presence disappear. Rex always did that when he and Kemono’s paths crossed in the temple. It was that form of submissioned respect he cherished in the boy. The shyness and innocent the boy possessed that had speared and claimed Kemono’s heart.

He knelt before his Shuiro, his hands numb, not knowing what to do with them.

“Kemono-san,” his Shuiro had whimpered. It was the second word he had spoken to Kemono, and the first time the boy had said his name. His venomous name, coming from innocent lips. Not just Kemono, but Kemono-san. It did things inside, ruptures and tears and rips and—

Warm clammy hands had touched his cheeks. He snapped his gaze to his Shuiro’s, and the boy smiled, a smile that didn’t melt the ice around Kemono’s dead heart, but seared it into vapors of steam. His heart pounded hard against his ribs. Loud in his ears. It hurt inside. Raw. Bleeding. It had hurt so very much.

His fingers had shook as he inspected the cut on his boy’s bottom lip, gently brushing his thumb over the bloodied bruise. Small arms were wrapped around his neck, a wet cheek pressed against his hairy chest in the gap of his yukata while weak words spilled from his Shuiro’s lips.

“I missed you.”

Kemono just breathed, sucked in the smell of his Shuiro while his heart was bleeding, screaming, crying. The embrace was too much, the words a brutal scar to his heart.

Soft lips pressing against his.

And Kemono trembled.

He quaked.

His big hands on the boy’s small shoulder holding him painfully tight, and he knew it was wrong, volitional and blasphemous, destroying innocence like this, but it was the first human touch he had ever been given.

Kemono had opened for him, allowed his Shuiro to taste him. And Kemono had tasted back. He kissed him so hard that he tasted his Shuiro’s life. He savored that purity, the freedom to cry, to laugh, to stumble and fall, to be weak…to be human.

He carved that into his very soul, his very heart and, in that kiss, he willed a silent promise: Someday I will take care of you, my innocent Shuiro.

The slam of a cane against wood floors had made Kemono roar into those soft lips, sending his sutoroberī to scurry away from him.

His father had found them.

A Bj Review: Unconventional In San Diego Anthology (Authors Carol Lynne, Amber Kell, T.A. Chase, Jambrea Jo Jones, Devon Rhodes)

Overall Rating:   3.75 stars out of 5

Unconventional In San Diego Anthology coverThis anthology features stories by Carol Lynne, Amber Kell, TA Chase, Jambrea Jo Jones, and Devon Rhodes; the stories are tied together by a common setting, a paranormal club/bar in San Diego named Unconventional.

Fate’s Bridge by Carol Lynne – 2.75 stars


Vampire Roman Gschwind discovers the soul of his lost love inside the body of another. Having promised not to turn his love, he has no choice but to allow his brother Alexi to do so in order to save his life. But now he must decide if he’s willing to share his love with another vampire in order to rekindle what he lost?

This one started well, but quickly became disjointed for me. This story has quite a lot of M/M/M sex and very little buildup of sexual tension beforehand, which made it a bit flat for me. There wasn’t a lot of character development, especially of Alexi, and that combined with lower levels of UST than I prefer kept me from forming a connection to the characters. Reincarnation is an interesting theme, so I was looking forward to that aspect. Julian and Roman’s story was touching, and the ending gave it such a bittersweet twist that it made me teary. But I think the story suffered because of length and moving too fast, especially at the beginning.

Coming in Third by Amber Kell – 3.5 stars

Niall is a fae prince who’s fifth in line for the throne, and his mother wants him wed. When Niall sneaks out of the palace to fulfill a fantasy of having two men, he winds up at Unconventional faced with a pair of lion shifters looking to spice up their love life. After a night with him, Jovan and Luka’s shifter instincts tell them the innocent fae could be their long sought mate—the one fated to be theirs. But Niall’s guards cart him back to the palace and a possible arranged marriage. Will the shifters go after him or let it be the one-night stand Niall had offered?

For those who might be bothered by it, be aware that this one has some abuse (past/off page) both from Niall’s domineering, controlling mother and the guards who string him up and whip him at his mother’s instructions. Niall is a magical fae, but the bindings his guards use strip away his magic. This is a case of an established couple bringing in a third who had been search for exactly such a situation, hence no jealousy or angst. I loved that Niall glowed when sated, and that despite being small, he was strong both physically and mentally (the former because of his magic). A cute story with some interesting world details and a satisfying ending. Some humor in this one. Also some rather weird metaphor use, some of which worked for me and others which totally didn’t.

The Unicorn Said Yes by T.A. Chase – 3 stars

Ivan Brusilov, king of the unicorns, goes to Unconventional for a drink and meets Carney Ferguson—a twenty-five year old human virgin. Turns out that innocence, and hence virgins, are irresistible to unicorns! But there are darker forces at work and neither Ivan nor Carney are safe and things are not as they seem.

This was cute at first but got to be confusing at parts. There was an awful lot of telling vs showing and some repetitiveness. I found it strange that they were both so into the Kinsey scale enough to have known their exact number ratings. I enjoyed Carney’s brother Jordan quite a bit. Many things about the way the story as a whole was told didn’t work so well for me, but the premise was quite unique and interesting and the tension and intrigue in the latter half was well done.

Blood on the Moon’ by Jambrea Jo Jones – 3.75 stars

Montague Ramey is a witch seeking exciting in his boring everyday life. Then came the night the moon turned red and his life changed. Kishar Nichelson’s is an incubus whose motorcycle ended up in a ditch on the road at midnight under the red moon and then stalled out on him. Someone’s after him, but he can’t remember what happened exactly and he’s weak from lack of sex that its hard for him to think. Can a witch and an incubus find love and solve a mystery on the night of the blood moon?

Montague is a rather sad, mousy man at the start of this story. And not really very appealing. This story, like the one before, had lots of telling vs showing at the start, but I liked how it tied in some characters from prior stories. There was a contradiction that bothered me and took me out of the story early on–him wishing out loud for something exciting to happen in one sentence and cowering from having even said it out loud in the next. Huh? BUT…

Kishar, on the other hand, was quite interesting from the start. An incubus who chooses to feed his need for sex with other paranormals rather than harm the delicate, fragile humans. And once the two are together, it starts to work for me. The head-hopping made it a bit hard to follow at parts, but I enjoyed seeing both characters grow and change once they found each other. Overall, it was a bit playful with some nice action and a sweet HEA.

A Sliver of Sunset by Devon Rhodes – 4.25 stars

Angelo is the only paranormal known to ever have leukemia, and the doctors are mystified as to the cause. To cure himself, he must repress his shifter side with a chemical inhibitor so he can go through chemotherapy as a human. Dominic hooked up with hottest guy and spent a night having the best sex ever, but wakes to find his lover gone. A week later, he meet a new oncology patient to find the same man fighting for his life and dependent upon his care.

This is by far my favorite story in this anthology. Angelo intrigued me from when I read about him in one of the earlier stories, and I hoped we’d get more about him. Glad I was right. More than any of the other stories, this one gave a sense of being set in San Diego (where I lived for some years in the past). This anchor story of the collection also did an excellent job of tying all the stories together.

I won’t give away exactly what sort of paranormal Angelo is, since that’s a fun part of the story to learn as you go. I don’t usually like to read stories in which one of the MC has cancer (or any possibly fatal disease), but this was an exception. This is well-written, well-paced and all-around enjoyable read.

The cover is appealing; picturing the cityscape and two hot guys in sunglasses, so it has a definite San Diego feel and caught my eye. However, I don’t think it gave me much of a feel for the stories within as nothing about it says paranormal.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing |  Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 198 pages
Published July 11th 2015 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781784306878
edition languageEnglish
other editions (1)
Unconventional in San Diego

Time to Reveal the Cover for Discovery (Drakyl Ranch #1) by Thianna Durston

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Discovery (Drakyl Ranch #1) by Thianna Durston
Release Date: September 1st, 2015

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Goodreads Link:
Publisher: Thianna Durston
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer – Simply Defined Art

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Sales Links: Amazon

Its on pre-order sale for $2.99 until release day!

About Discovery

Warning: This book is a paranormal m/m romance with some horror elements. It also crosses cowboy and vampire genres. If you don’t think cowboys look hot with fangs, you’re missing out.

Living in Montana and working the ranch is all Aaron wants to do for the rest of his life. Diagnosed as allergic to the sun thirteen years previous, every day is a struggle to get out of bed. Having to wear long-sleeved shirts, gloves, and even material to cover his face from the effects of the sun, just makes it all worse. Now, in his thirty-second year, he is sure this will be his last summer. While he hates it, he knows he needs to come to terms with the truth and put things in order for his younger cousins. Before he does so, he heads out for one night of pleasure before facing what’s coming.

Jaret loves excitement and new adventures. For over five hundred years, he has sought them out. In Montana on a whim, he comes across someone he doesn’t expect, someone who makes him feel things he does not understand and does not want to give up. In no time at all, he feels like he cannot live without Aaron. The only problem is Aaron doesn’t know who he is, what he is, nor that he isn’t going to die. Not on Jaret’s watch. With a plan to help the other man discover who he is in place, he only has one thing to worry about: whether an ancient enemy will come and destroy everything he now holds dear.

Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Western/Cowboy

Excerpt from Discovery:

“You’re not going to die, Aaron.”

“You don’t know that. This sickness, ailment, curse…whatever the fuck it is. It’s gettin’ worse. And it’s changin’. Morphin’ into somethin’ scary. My nightmares lately have been horrible.”

“What kind of nightmares?” Of course, Jaret knew. They were the same kind all of them had during the change. Fire and ice as the body went through horrendous chills and soaring high fevers. They would only stop once the change was complete. For after that, there was no real sleep anymore.

“Bein’ caught on high mountains, pelted with snow. Of the forests here bright with orange fire. Of you—” His voice broke. “Callin’ out my name only I’m no longer here to respond.”

“Babe,” Jaret said in a soft voice, not understanding why but knowing he was closer to this drakyl than he had ever been to anyone. “We’re going to get you cured. Then you can come out with me at night. We’ll keep the place predator free while your cousins slave in the sun. How does that sound?”

A sad attempt at a laugh left the other man’s throat. “Promise me you won’t leave until I’m gone?”

Fury swept along Jaret’s veins. Anger at the sun, the fact the man next to him was terrified, and at Davis for not explaining to the poor man earlier what he was. But mostly, he was furious at himself for not telling Aaron the truth. Leaning in, he placed his nose against Aaron’s. “I promise you,” he said in a deep growl, “that you are not going to die, Aaron Drakyl. I won’t let it happen.”

About the author:

Thianna loves to write strong stories with even stronger heroes. While all of her books have an erotic overtone, it is the story that is the most important to her. “The story should be able to stand on its own. The erotic elements are an add-on.”

She enjoys writing about couples with kink, paranormal couples, and straight out strangeness. But more on that later… You can find her at mm.thiannad.com.
She also writes m/f under the name Thianna D.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thiannaDismyname?fref=ts
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ThiannaDurstonAuthor?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_weremouse
Website: http://www.mm.thiannad.com

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Tour Dates & Stops: August 10, 2015
Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Rainbow Gold Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, My Fiction Nook, Havan Fellows, Jessie G. Books, Prism Book Alliance, Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone, MM Good Book Reviews, EE Montgomery, Happily Ever Chapter, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Up All Night, Read All Day, Charley Descoteaux, Emotion in Motion, Inked Rainbow Reads, Mikky’s World of Books, Velvet Panic, Divine Magazine, Iyana Jenna, Michael Mandrake, It’s Raining Men

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Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Rafflecopter Prize: eCopy of ‘Discovery’ when it comes out.
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