Tag: A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Manties in a Twist (The Subs Club #3) by J.A. Rock

Rating: 5 stars out of 5   ★★★★★

MantiesInATwist_600x900Look, I’ll never stop missing Hal, but this Subs Club my friends started to review suck-ass doms isn’t gonna bring him back or give him justice. For me, it’s just another chance to hang out with my friends, even if they think I’m too dumb to understand the important work we’re supposedly doing.

But maybe I’m not as dumb as they think—at least I know when I’ve got a good thing going. Which is why I just moved in with my dom. Ryan’s awesome possum. He’s really short, never makes me feel stupid, and is up for anything. One word: costumes. Two more words: women’s underwear. We’re all about the lace, no leather.

Except when we do pony play. We first tried it as a joke, but turns out I’m ballin’ at it. Now PetPlayFest is coming up, and I wanna take down the Subs Club’s archrival, Cinnamon the ponygirl, in the horse show.

My friends think I’m spending too much time with Ryan and ignoring my obligations to the group. But since when is friendship an obligation? Ryan’s my first serious relationship, and I want to take it . . . seriously. At some point I need to think about my future, not my past.

—Kamen

Kamen and Ryan are the best couple ever! This story is the definition of MORE—more of the Subs Club series, more of a look at how the men of the Subs Club have grown and matured, more healing from the death of their friend Hal, more forgiveness to those involved in Hal’s death, more of a relationship than any of the others in the series, and more kink: manties and pony play.

This installment of the Subs Club series explores Kamen’s new relationship with his diminutive dom, Ryan. Though his exact height is never specified, Ryan is a tiny man, especially when in the presence of his six-foot-four sub, and Kamen is not only not uncomfortable with that, he clearly treasures it. He’s turned on by Ryan’s short stature, tiny hands, and commanding personality.

As the story opens, they’ve not been together very long and have not yet settled on what their particular kink will be, though they are exploring cross-dressing. Turned on when Kamen tries on a pair of lacey panties left behind by Ryan’s friend, Amanda, when she did her laundry at their place, it takes hours for the two to surface from their steamy sex session. Kamen tells Ryan: “Either an angry hamster was in these panties… Or you looked so hot in them I tried to tear them off you so I could get more of your dick down my throat.” They immediately dive into a catalog to order more women’s underwear, stockings, a garter belt, and a sundress. Though Kamen has no desire to put on makeup and a wig, they do have some fun with the cross-dressing experiences, and Kamen begins to wear the feminine underwear when they go out with his friends from the Subs Club.

All the men are maturing and changing, with Miles and Drix enjoying parenthood with Miles’s newly adopted son, Zac, and Dave and D still strong together in their D/s relationship as well. But their friend Hal’s death is never far from their thoughts, and when Dave gets upset with Kamen because Ryan doesn’t seem to share the depth of their grief, Kamen gets upset as well—but with Dave, not with Ryan. Kamen can see the bigger picture now, and recognizes that Hal, his Dom, and Cinnamon, the sub who was in the same room at the time, all had a part in Hal’s demise. In fact, Kamen suggests that the club members all saw where Hal was headed, and even though they didn’t realize it at the time, there’s a small part of him that feels responsible as well. So from Kamen’s perspective, it’s time to mature and keep going—forgive and forget—stop forever wallowing in the past.

Ryan and Kamen support each other in everything they want to experience—from their career choices, to where they live, to their choice of kinks, so when Kamen comes home and tells Ryan he’d like to try to defeat Cinnamon in PetPlayFest, Ryan is immediately onboard with that idea. Cinnamon has always been a bitch to Kamen and his Subs Club friends and takes every opportunity to berate and belittle Kamen. She’s all about pony play and has won the festival for the past few years. Not this year, Kamen vows.

I love the way the author introduced pony play, and in fact, all forms of pet play, and made it not only acceptable, but quite interesting. Using practice for Kamen’s challenge as the vehicle for reader’s education, the author not only described the play, but used the bond that was forming between the MCs to endear them as a couple through this experience. They grew together and they acknowledged that growth and their need to communicate to stay on track. The story is filled with humor, but also introspection, stages of grief and healing, and true love. This couple is my favorite, not only in this series, but in all of the books I’ve read in the past year. Kamen and Ryan were so right for each other, their romance so sweet, their devotion and support of each other so complete, one couldn’t help but root for them to win the play fest and to firmly move on to their HEA.

There are so many positives to this book. I picked it up because it was Manties(!), but I couldn’t put it down because it was so much more. I hate to see them go. I want to move next door to this couple so I don’t ever have to say good-bye.

Obviously, I highly recommend this MM romance, especially to those who like a little kink in their play. This is a great book for those who are just beginning to explore BDSM, but it’s also for those who enjoy all its aspects. Don’t hesitate to buy this one!

~~~~~
Cover Art by Kanaxa shows a set of cuffs against a purple argyle background. The background, using different colors, is being repeated throughout the series, and a different BDSM-related symbol is displayed on the cover each time. I like the way the general look of the cover links all the stories in the series, however, considering the two major kinks in this story: manties and pony play, I think a better symbol could have been included on the cover. Handcuffs really don’t play a role in this story at all.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 283 pages
Published April 2nd 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleManties in a Twist
ISBN 1626493472 (ISBN13: 9781626493476)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesThe Subs Club with links to  Barb the Zany Old Lady’s reviews :

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rag and Bone (Rag and Bone #1) by K.J. Charles

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Rag and BoneIt’s amazing what people throw away…

Crispin Tredarloe never meant to become a warlock. Freed from his treacherous master, he’s learning how to use his magical powers the right way. But it’s brutally hard work. Not everyone believes he’s a reformed character, and the strain is putting unbearable pressure on his secret relationship with waste-man Ned Hall.

Ned’s sick of magic. Sick of the trouble it brings, sick of its dangerous grip on Crispin and the miserable look it puts in his eyes, and sick of being afraid that a gentleman magician won’t want a street paper-seller forever—or even for much longer.

But something is stirring among London’s forgotten discards. An ancient evil is waking up and seeking its freedom. And when wild magic hits the rag-and-bottle shop where Ned lives, a panicking Crispin falls back onto bad habits. The embattled lovers must find a way to work together—or London could go up in flames.

Set in the world of A Charm of Magpies, this is the story of Crispin Tredarloe and Ned Hall, who according to the author’s note, were featured in her short story “A Queer Trade” within the Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy anthology. Though I didn’t read this short prequel, I was easily able to follow this story as a standalone.

Crispin is a graphomancer, a practitioner of blood writing, a rare talent. Graphomancers use writing and drawing to practice their magic and can draw an injury or death for those they wish to harm. But Crispin doesn’t have good control over his skill, and after having been used by the infamous warlock Mr. Marleigh to assist him in his evil mission, he’s more than happy to take the advice of the justiciars and study with Dr. Sweet, a visiting professor who is well-versed in graphomancy. Crispin needs to learn how to use his talent without relying on the pen Marleigh directed him to create, a pen which uses his own blood to write. And he’s trying to do all this under the watchful eye of the justiciars, many of whom believe he’s a warlock and unable to learn a non-threatening way to use his gift.

Ned is a waste man, collecting paper from all over town to sell for a penny a pound. His quarters—a small corner of his part of a store he shares with a rag-and-bottle shop—are filled to the brim with paper and the accompanying paper dust. But he has a little corner in which his bed is squeezed, and it’s there that he and Crispin find their moments of happiness in the deep of night. And on one of those nights, they discover a burning heap in the middle of the rag-and-bottle shop next door, and the heap turns out to be Mr. Voake, the owner. The other mystery surrounding the burning corpse is the presence of a jug from which the song Scarborough Fair seems to be originating. The only one who can hear it is Ned, a man who is not born to the world of magic. But it appears he has a rare talent for hearing things related to magic that others cannot.

Ned sets off alone to discover if any other rag-and-bottle shops have reported a death and is dismayed to find that there were indeed more. In fact, Ned’s discoveries lead him to the conclusion that evil magic caused the deaths. When Ned disappears, he’s able to connect with Crispin through Crispin’s magic and, together, the two have to fight off a very ancient and very malevolent spirit that has managed to come to life. The story is very exciting, complex, and intriguing from that point on, not only due to the frightening discovery they make, but also due to the consequences the men face when a justiciary investigation, led by Stephen Day, uncovers the magical power unleashed by Crispin as he and Ned fought for their lives.

Though I enjoy this author’s work, it took me awhile to get into this story. I believe it’s due to the fact that I didn’t enjoy this couple, as a couple, as much as others in the Magpies world. Tristan was very unassuming, with low self-esteem and a high quotient for misunderstanding the comments others made about him. Ned was smart, but very defensive about being a person of color in the world of magic, including the dreaded justiciars. Possibly due to the circumstances and time period of the story, neither man was overly demonstrative with the other, and I just didn’t feel the loving bond of a strong connection as I did with Stephen and Crane, or with Jonah and Ben (Jackdaw).

If you are a fan of KJ Charles’s work, by all means pick this up. The history and feel of the era, the complexity of the mystery and magic, and the chance for a quick revisit with Stephen Day and Mrs. Gold, all make this one well worthwhile. Though I personally didn’t connect with the MCs, I still enjoyed the story, and I’m looking forward to more tales from this world.

~~~~~

Cover Art by Angela Waters clearly depicts both MCs in period attire. Though it’s in color, it gives the impression of having been done in daguerreotype, thereby making the photo appear authentic.

Sales Links eBooks:  Samhain Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 146 pages
Published March 1st 2016 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Original Title:Rag and Bone
ISBN139781619234734
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesRag and Bone #1, The World of A Charm of Magpies

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay #12) by Jaime Samms

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

How the Cookie CrumblesFrederic Jackson pulls up roots and moves to Bluewater Bay after losing first place on a reality TV cooking show.  Frederic is a baker, taught by his gran, but with a natural talent for creating perfect pastries.  He was on track to win the show, but the show’s producer, Blaire Caruthers, the man who Frederic fell head-over-heels for, fixed the win in favor of the hot little twink who stole Blaire from Frederic before the two could even get started.  The potential for scandal was squashed with money from Blaire’s father, who owns the production company. Frederic used part of the money to buy the bakery, with its barely working equipment, and part to settle medical bills for his alcoholic father.

A few months later, Blaire shows up in Bluewater Bay ostensibly to work on marketing and promotion of merchandise for the Wolf’s Landing TV show.  But in reality, he wants to win Frederic back, and he deeply regrets his stupidity with Jerry, the twink who won the competition.  What he doesn’t know is that winning the show would have gotten Frederic all the equipment he needed to operate the bakery.  He really didn’t want the cash because he knew his father would tap him for part of it and that proved to be true.  Now Blaire has the nerve to make overtures to him again? No way!

But fate has something else in store for the men and as they realize how much they’ve each changed, and new people and circumstances combine to keep throwing them together. There might be a way for them to find happiness after all.

I really enjoyed this story.  I like the way the author built on the existing Bluewater Bay series concept but took it much further to develop a completely separate story which works fine as a standalone.

The characters were three-dimensional and flawed but just perfect together.  Frederic’s workaholism, in combination with the emotional tug of war with his father, brought him to a personal health crisis that was both unique and believable.  Blaire’s need to separate from his own father, both emotionally and as an employee, was very evident but proved to be a difficult struggle.  His growth and maturity and his desire to find the freedom in creativity that he had craved for years finally overcame his fear of failure and of disappointing his father. The strength he found to make that break and the compassion and love he bestowed on Frederic were just the perfect mix to make this old heart swoon for Blaire and rejoice when he and Frederic finally found their way back to each other.

I very definitely recommend this story to all lovers of MM romance, especially to those who love an enemies to lovers, a hurt-comfort, or a lovers reunited theme.

~~~~~

Cover Art by L.C. Chase depicts a handsome man in a suit staring back at a young man sitting alone on a pier. This is the perfect representation of Blaire and Frederic.

Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 345 pages
Published February 13th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleHow the Cookie Crumbles
ISBN 162649388X (ISBN13: 9781626493889)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://riptidepublishing.com/titles/how-the-cookie-crumbles

Series: Bluewater BayBWBlogo_Web

Books in this Universe include with links to our reviews:

Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt
There’s Something About Ari (Bluewater Bay #2) by L.B. Gregg
Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield
Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov
The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz
Lights, Camera, Cupid (A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology; Bluewater Bay #6)
Wedding Favors (Bluewater Bay, #7) by Anne Tenino
The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay, #8) by Amy Lane
When to Hold Them (Bluewater Bay, #9) by G.B. Gordon
Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay, #10) by L.A. Witt
Stuck Landing (Bluewater Bay, #11) by Lauren Gallagher
How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay, #12) by Jaime Samms
Selfie (Bluewater Bay, #13) by Amy Lane

 

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Dom on the Side (Blowing It #3) by Kate Aaron

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Handsome man holding a briefcase in a vintage interior
Handsome man holding a briefcase in a vintage interior

“I’d love to Dom you one day. You’d be a natural.”

When a one-night stand makes Ryan Jessop a casual offer to introduce him to BDSM, he’s torn between denial of his submissive fantasies and their irresistible pull. Taking a chance, he discovers in Jim a skilled Dominant, and under his guidance, Ryan’s submission blossoms. Unfortunately, guidance is all Jim can offer. The one thing Ryan wants most—a loving Dom to whom he exclusively belongs—is off the table.

Sameer Farouk is the right guy at the wrong time, and as far as Ryan can tell, not kinky. No matter how clearly Ryan can foresee a future with Sameer, he refuses to settle for less than total compatibility, both in and out of the bedroom. Despite their obvious connection, breaking up is the right thing to do, even if it breaks Ryan’s heart.

Torn between them, Ryan must decide if he’s prepared to gamble everything on one man, or if he’d be better off with a vanilla boyfriend and a Dom on the side.

*Dom on the Side is the third book in the Blowing It universe, but can be read as a standalone.

I have mixed feelings about this story that I’ll mention below, but two important facts readers should know about this story up front—this is a prequel to the other two books in the series and takes place about five years before the start of Blowing It. And the second fact—Sameer, the second MC, isn’t introduced until the latter part of the story (at 75%) so it’s difficult to label this a romance.

The words that started Ryan on the road to BDSM were fairly simple and casually spoken after a one-night stand with a guy named Jim: “I’d love to Dom you one day. You’d be a natural.” He’d always known he was a little kinky, preferring stronger, more dominant men in bed, and he’d visited a club once with his best friend, Owen, but he’d never seriously considered it until those words ate at his subconscious, and he finally gave in and called Jim to talk about it.

Jim introduces him to the world of BDSM and all its various facets, but he makes it very clear from the start that he’s only looking to play with Ryan—he’ll never get serious since he’s already got a life partner. That shocks Ryan and later causes him to add penetrative sex to his list of things he won’t do with Jim, but he gains more understanding of the open relationship Jim and his partner, Gaz, pursue once he meets Gaz at a local BDSM club. That was an experience, not only for Ryan but for readers as well. No spoilers! However, Gaz’s preferences in the scene were totally different from most this reviewer had previously read, but it was the first time it was positively presented, and I felt drawn to learn more about that kink. As a side note—it would be great to see a sequel featuring Gaz and his partner-in-play, Liam.

The author takes us on Ryan’s journey into the world of BDSM play—from his first visit to a club through his weekly sessions with Jim as they explore various forms of play, including use of restraints, paddles, floggers, sounding wands, and more. In fact, most of the story centers around Ryan’s relationship with Jim. Though he wishes desperately to find a man with whom he can experience both worlds, he despairs of ever having that happiness. When he meets Sameer, at first it’s just a one-night stand, and then weeks later he sees him again, and the two begin to seriously date.

But Ryan always shields his heart because he’s desperately afraid he’ll fall in love, and he just knows Sameer will turn away from him if he reveals his kinky side. This leads to an emotional tug-of-war throughout the last fourth of the book.

This story can be read as a standalone since it comes way before the first book in the series. If anything, readers may be prompted to continue Owen’s story with the first two books after they read this. I enjoyed it and the author did an outstanding job in explaining the world of BDSM and many of the aspects of the lifestyle and of the equipment used, however, it fell flat as a romance. Between the fact that Sameer wasn’t introduced until the end of the book, and Ryan’s efforts to remain emotionally uninvolved with him, it really didn’t feel like a romance at all. His relationship with Jim, however, was interesting, emotional, and clearly illustrated many of the aspects of a good Dom-sub relationship. If you are well-versed in BDSM, you may find this story too much of a primer. If you are new to the theme, this book provides a very good foundation, and I would recommend it with the caveat that you won’t be getting a lot of romance. Hot sex? Yes! Romance? No.

~~~~~~~~~

Cover design by Elizabeth Mackey Graphics features a man’s two arms tightly gripping white fabric and linked by a pair of bright blue leather handcuffs, clearly illustrating the MC in this story.

Sales links:  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 285 pages
Published January 25th 2016 by Croft House (first published January 24th 2016)
Original Title Dom on the Side
Edition Language English
URL http://kateaaron.com
Series Blowing It #3

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Dangerous Territory by Cari Z

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Dangerous TerritoryWhen Connor’s spinster sister, Millie, marries a scheming money-hungry man who immediately takes steps to control the ranch Connor and his sister inherited when their father died a month ago, there’s little he can do to hang on to his share of the ranch. His only choice is to get his share of the cattle to market before his scheming brother-in-law, Percy, takes the rest of the herd. And Percy has already secured passage on the barge that goes to the town where the annual auction will take place, so Connor’s only choice is to take his cattle through Mason Canyon. The problem is that it’s in the territory of the local shifter clan, and the canyon is heavily populated by very large, very venomous snakes.

Keena, his father’s longtime foreman, is half shifter and arranges for the son of the new clan chief to accompany Connor and get him through the canyon safely. Shifters aren’t known for being helpful to others but the new chief sees this as a test for his son’s abilities and finds it an opportunity to help a neighbor who has coexisted peacefully with the clan for years.

Along the journey, the very quiet Rani finally opens up to Connor when Connor offers to teach him to ride his stallion. Can the two men ever find a common ground when it becomes obvious they are attracted to each other? Can they get the herd through the canyon without casualties from snakes or flooding? And more importantly, does Connor have any future without his ranch but with the possibility of having Rani at his side?

It’s amazing that the author was able to build a complex story which took place in multiple locations and still build three-dimensional characters, who were tough, yet gentle, and apparent enemies who manage to become lovers—all within a short 56 pages. All of the above questions are answered and there’s even more drama than what’s mentioned. The shifter population was different from the usual, and the form Rani shifted into is quite unexpected and unique. I really enjoyed this couple and would like to read more about them in the future. This novella could easily serve as the first book in a very interesting series, and if it does, I hope we get to see more of Connor and Rani as they make a commitment to remain together against all odds.

~~~~~~

Cover art by Cari Z is a very clever depiction of a cowboy silhouetted against a cloudy, orange-tinted sky. When one looks closely, a very long snake can be seen in the background of the clouds. This is the perfect depiction of Connor who has to make his way through the dangerous snake’s territory.

Sales Links:   Less Than Three Press | ARe | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 56 pages
Published January 13th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620046937
Edition LanguageEnglishsettingOklahoma Territory (United States)

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Pain Slut (The Subs Club, #2) by J.A. Rock

Rating: 4.5 stars  out of 5

PainSlut_600x900Miles is a pain slut. In fact, he’s the resident authority on pain among members of the Subs Club, a group formed a few months before in “an attempt to give submissives a private place to discuss safety concerns in the kink community.” As the story opens, Miles is participating in a scene with one of his favorite sadists. The scene is explicit and uses medical props so those who are squeamish and not able to read about masochism will be able to test their tolerance early in the story. But for Miles, it’s what he wants and needs, and he’s still suffering the aftereffects (swollen testicles) when there’s an emergency at his business, and he has to go in to take care of it.

He’s dressed in loose-fitting sweats and a T-shirt and slinks in the back door because he doesn’t want anyone to see him. Of course, that’s when the customer at his custom shirt design company spots him. Miles looks up, and up, to the six foot seven inch tall, gorgeous, long-haired, blond man who smiles back at him with shiny, sharp-pointed teeth. And, yes, it turns out his customer, Drix Seger, is a vampyre—a member of a community who believe in feeding on the prana, or life force, of others. He tells Miles he’s a sadist and he likes blood play, but his real kick is in feeding on persons with a really powerful life force.

Miles has met the perfect man for him. Drix is not only a sadist, but he’s willing to train with Miles’s favorite Dom so that he can meet his need for pain. But Miles is in a quandary—he’s just been approved for adoption, and he’s fearful his lifestyle will interfere, causing the agency to turn him down. Staying involved in the Subs Club as they extend their meetings to include community outreach to college campuses and other groups, and staying involved with Drix, knowing he’s risking the adoption with this relationship have Miles’s head spinning. And the more he spins out of control, the more he needs to submit to pain.

At a deeper emotional level, Miles has never learned to share his feelings with others. He keeps them bottled up and rarely shares with his family, his friends in the Subs Club, or even with Drix. He wants to— especially now that he’s beginning to feel so much for Drix, but he can’t seem to force himself to do it. He doesn’t realize it at first, but all of his carefully erected emotional walls are starting to crumble as he learns valuable truths about himself. Can he leave the Subs Club behind? Will he be able to adopt? Can he find his HEA with a vampyre?

I really enjoyed this story for a number of reasons. The author presented sadism and masochism in a straightforward and enlightening way, giving both a definition and demonstrations. Note—this book is not for the faint of heart or those looking for mild BDSM. There’s hardcore sadism in this one.

What I most enjoyed while reading the book was meeting Miles— being treated to a glimpse of his psyche as he moved from a serious playtime pain slut who took control of his scenes to a totally wrecked and blissed-out pain slut whose heart and mind are placed totally in the hands of his sadist, his lover, his man, Drix. Add to that, his insights into his ability to be a good parent, his fears that his inability to make a decision will make him a bad parent and poor role model, and his awakening love for and dependence on Drix, and I was totally wowed.

I recommend this to all lovers of BDSM, and especially to those with an interest in sado-masochism. And if you like a story in which the MC grows and matures and realizes his self-worth over the course of the book, this one is perfect for you.

~~~~~
Cover Art by Kanaxa shows a small surgical knife against a teal blue argyle background. The background, using different colors, is being repeated throughout the series, and a different BDSM-related symbol will be displayed on the cover each time. I like the way the general look of the cover links all the stories in the series.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon  coming soon| Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 320 pages
Published January 30th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitlePain Slut
ISBN 1626493456 (ISBN13: 9781626493452)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesThe Subs Club #2

A Barb, the Zany Old Lady Review: Horsefeathers by Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

HorsefeathersWhen Justin arrives at the mustang roundup run by the Bureau of Land Management, he’s dismayed to see that none of the mares or geldings meet the requirements his boss had given him for his next purchase. But he’s fascinated by a dark gray stallion, one with unusual forest-green eyes. The first time Brother Mustang sees Justin, he’s rightfully fearful and wants to charge the man, but Nohatu, the human who lives side-by-side in Brother Mustang’s mind is able to keep the stallion calm. Unfortunately for them, Justin makes the purchase, and Nohatu and Brother Mustang find themselves taken far away from the land they’ve known.

Caitlin Ricci took an interesting twist on shifters with this story. Each half lives within the current form, but they are not one and do not always agree. In addition, the human prefers being in the shifted form, even though he’s often in a subjugated position. We learn rather quickly that Nohatu prefers sex with men because as soon as he’s found in the stallion’s pen, he’s shipped off to the bus station, and on the way, he manages to seduce Justin into stopping for a quick blowjob. It turns out that sex is the means by which they pass on the spark to shift when they meet someone who appears to be of “their kind.” And they believe Justin is. The way the background is filled in is via storytelling by Nohatu of the tale of his own turning. It’s a clever way to impart a lot of information in a brief way.

Overall, the story was very short, but it was packed with a lot of information. On the negative side, there was no time for a romantic buildup, and in fact, it felt like there wasn’t even a romantic element promised for the future. The story ends with a HFN and actually felt as if might have been an introduction to some future series or novel.

There also wasn’t enough time to fully develop any of the characters, and although I felt a little sympathetic to Justin, I lost that when he made his decision at the end. And because Nohatu and Brother Mustang were at odds with each other throughout most of the story, and neither had a likeable personality, I couldn’t manage any empathy toward their joint or individual well-being.

Since it is so short and does display a clever and interesting treatment of shifters, I’d recommend the story to those who enjoy paranormal shifter stories with a different twist.

~~~~~

Cover art by Natasha Snow features a leafy background on which is the head of a white horse, looking down, with some of his mane flopped forward. If I look closely, I can see a hawk-like bird instead of the horse—one ear a beak, one a body, and the horse’s mane the full wingspan of a hawk in flight. It may be an optical illusion, but due to the content of the story, I suspect the artist did this purposely, and if so, she did a remarkable job.

Sales Links:   Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 13th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620046920
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL settingColorado (United States)