Tag: A Stella Recommended Story

A Stella Review: Practice Makes Perfect (Housemates #3) by Jay Northcote

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Practice Makes PerfectGetting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea—until the lines blur.

Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.

Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for maths tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.

They work their way through Dev’s sex-to-do list, but what starts as a perfect no-strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other—before they get to the end of Dev’s list.

 

Practice Makes Perfect is a very sweet and cute story and of course it is a winner to me. First of all because I fell in love with the main characters, Dev, with his innocent dirty talks, and ginger Scottish Ewan were hard to resist.

If you are thinking the blurb is really nothing new, you are right. The agreement between Dev and Ewan is a trope maybe over explored in romance, but I assure you Jay Northcote can write and make a plot interesting and never boring, even if it could have been easily developed into something trite.

Moreover in a story with a plot like this, often the sex scenes overwhelm the rest of the story, turning it into what we call PWP (Porn Without Plot). It’s not the case of Jay’s book, no worries. Yes, there are quite some sex scenes, very hot, cause you know, Dev has made a list, he needs to learn everything and then check off items. Still I found myself looking forward to the other scenes, where Ewan teaches Dev how to cook, or the times spent with their housemates, or the moments when they are making googly eyes at each other.

I always recommend to read series in order, I admit I haven’t read Helping Hand (Housemates #1) and Like a Lover (Housemates #2), but this third installment works perfectly as a standalone. I met the two couples of the previous books, but they were simple second characters and there wasn’t a time I felt I was missing or I should have known something.

At the end Practice Makes Perfect was a pleasure to read. I feel to recommend it.

The cover art by Garrett Leigh doesn’t conquer me but it’s well done and fitting.

Sales Links:  Amazon UK | Amazon 

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 168 pages
Published June 22nd 2016 by Jaybird Press
ASINB01H7V027A
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHousemates #3

A Stella Review: Risk Aware by Amelia C Gormley

RATING:  4,25 out of 5 stars

RiskAware_600x900Tattoo artist Geoff Gilchrest is convinced his life is some sort of cosmic joke. Why else would a hemophiliac also be a masochist? He’s given himself more than one elbow bleed since puberty just doing what guys do when alone and bored, so forget about whips and chains. How many partners would contemplate playing with someone even a mild flogging could kill?

Gallery owner Robin Brady knows he can deliver what Geoff needs: to be taken to the edge of danger but never beyond. But Robin came to Saugatuck to get away from the leather scene and heal from a betrayal by his former sub, so he’s not sure he should get involved with Geoff. His ambivalence isn’t helped by the fact that Geoff’s unwillingness to communicate about his well-being hits Robin in some very raw places.

Geoff’s hemophilia isn’t the obstacle he thinks it is. Instead, a lack of trust—on both their parts—is what could end them before they have a chance to begin.

Risk Aware was the first book I read by Amelia C Gormley and from the beginning, it revealed as a lovely surprise. I found it to be easy to read, especially for the great writing style, but it hides a lot.

Geoff and his sister have just lost their mum, he decides to move to Chicago and leave L.A. and its bad experiences behind.  He is ready to start a new life but first a little holiday in Saugatuck with his bestfriend is required. Here at the Mr Michigan Leather event, he meets Robin and a new unthinkable world opens before Geoff and his hemophilia.

Robin spent 5 years in NY. He now lives in Saugatuck where he is working on opening his own gallery. He is looking for a new life too and  his Dom side is soon attracted to Geoff. But when the connection between them will become to hard to ignore they need to try and give it a chance after the holiday ends. And then the struggles with Geoff’s hemophilia and Robin’s trust issue will play a huge rolein the story.

I have to admit, although I already knew what hemophilia is, I never met anyone who has it and seeing and reading all the little and meaningless (to us) things Geoff needed to be careful with, like a simple blowjob for example, was hard and tiring. It gave me some anxiety too, because each time Robin and Geoff played together I was very concerned about his health. But Robin is always caring and mindful of each limit in their BDSM scenes.

I liked them together, I enjoyed how the plot developed almost exclusively around the MCs’ relationship, I like how they act,  sure of themselves and the desire and love they have discovered for ech other. IMO the story was well thought out and researched, but the writing was so much better. I want to highly recommend Risk Aware, it definitely was worth my time and if you’re a BDSM or Amelia fan, you can’t miss it.

The cover art by LC Chase caught my attention at first sight, well done and colorful and fitting. It’s a winner.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 323 pages
Published May 7th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleRisk Aware
ISBN 1626494126 (ISBN13: 9781626494121)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/risk-awar

A Stella Review: Black Dust by Lynn Charles

RATING 4,25  out of 5 stars

Black DustNo matter how busy he keeps himself, successful Broadway musician Tobias Spence can’t outrun the memory of a tragic car crash from his past that claimed a friend’s life and permanently injured his former boyfriend, Emmett.

Even after losing Tobias, Emmett Henderson made peace with that awful night, living in his Indiana hometown where he has become a revered choral director. When his students are asked to perform in New York City, he decides to chance reconnecting with his former love, if for no other reason than to get a proper goodbye.

When Emmett and Tobias finally meet 15 years after parting ways, it is clear to both of them that their feelings for each other have not changed. As they explore their renewed relationship, the two men face old hurts and the new challenges of a long-distance romance. Will Tobias lose his second chance at love to the ghosts he can’t seem to put to rest?

“If the past comes back to visit you, maybe you should invite it to tea.”

Black Dust is my frst book by Lynn Charles, I was curious and excited to read it. Now I can say I’m surely going to read her debut novel, Chef’s Table, in the coming weeks.

What I soon appreciated was the prologue. I adore authors who give me the basical facts at the start and don’t let me beg for crumbs of past events. In the prologue set in the 2000 Emmett and Toby are a young but solid couple, they met two years ago during the auditions at the local theater when they were just 16 and 18 years old. It’s the night before Emmett prom and they are going out with their best friend, Scott when they have a terrible car accident and Scott dies.

Fifteen years later Tobias is a Broadway musician, he plays piano all over the world. He left Indiana and Emmett behind. He came back to his life, but the struggle to forget what happened and the dreams shared with his lover forgotten, is still strong and the youthful, broken promises hard to forget. Now his home base is NY and his best friend Malik, a sculptor.

Emmett is living in Indiana, working now as a choral director. As soon as the chance of  a couple of days in NY come out, he hopeful and calls Toby, asking for a reconnection.

Among the two, Emmett was my favorite character, he’s strong, real, loyal and beautiful in his heart. I soon felt a connection with his attitude, in his everyday life, his relationships with his parents or with his students. Yes I fell for him.

Point is I haven’t fallen for Toby, at all. And this is the only reason I’m not giving the story five stars. I couldn’t feel his emotions, I found him to be cold-hearted and stiff in everything he does. To me he didn’t stand out as a good person and was almost impossible to me to see him with Emmett. I said almost because at the end, thanks to the author abilities, I was finally able to understand his loss, his guilt and the tragedy he is still trying to overcome. Hats off to Lynn for this and for giving Scott an importance and lovable portrait, I missed him like Emmett and Toby did.

The author put in the story her whole musical knowledge and beyond. The MCs’ passion and work had a huge role in the book, but it never overwhelmed my reading, on the contrary, with the help of a well developed and interesting secondary characters cast, gave the plot a foundation and realism needed. I liked the style and the writing a lot, I think she did really great. The “second chance at love” stories are one of my favorite trope in the mm genre and Black Dust greatly delivered. The book was definitely worth my time and I recommend it.

The book and cover design by CB Messer is a winner. I like it a lot, an amazing style. It’s one of the reason why I picked the novel.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press |  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 312 pages
Published April 7th 2016 by Interlude Press
ASIN B01DR4USSO
Edition Language English

A Stella Review: Ravel: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story by R. Phoenix

RATING  4,5 out of 5 stars


RAvelFor the past few years, Reese has hidden away in his home, refusing to venture out where he might have to face what reminds him of all that he’s lost. When Ashton, a human thief, breaks into his home one night, he doesn’t have a choice but to face the harsh truths of the world he’s turned his back on. He knows he supports the society monsters of myth and lore built upon the backs of humans through his silence, but the new leaders don’t tolerate sympathizers.

If a werewolf can’t act against the status quo without facing severe consequences, a human with Ashton’s cunning and experience circumventing supernatural predators certainly can’t risk drawing their attention. Their chance encounter leaves them both shaken and questioning whether they are living life as they were intended—or if surviving is really living at all.

I’m always curious about new authors and I read some great things about this series so I wanted to give it a try and soon jumped at the change to have it.

I have to say I was pleasurably surprised by this book, the story between Reese and Ash was engaging and well done. I was caught by the blurb but the MCs took my attention from the start and I cheered on them till the end.

Reese is a werewolf, he has an outstanding account with the past;  although their first meeting isn’t the greatest, with Ash sneaking in Reese’s home to steal from him,  Reese decides to help the young human, trusting him and his good faith. Living in the slums with his sick  best friend Leo is not easy and safe but in some ways Ash has never totally lost the hope for more, for some pale shine of good to find. Then at first sight, something switches on with Reese, a deep connection hard to ignore. Will they be able to trust each other and try to be happy in a world so dark?

This is a story about needs. About finding a salvation and maybe love in a world that left the human kind with nothing to live for. That was the first element that intrigued me, the choice of the author to create a world ruled by shifters, surely a different approach to the paranormal genre where shifters  are usually in the closet or at best, outcast by humans. This difference was really welcomed.

I liked the pace of the writing, a good tempo never boring. And the dialogues, more banters actually, between the two MCs were great, funny and most of all gave the story a brightness so needed in a world so sad.

Just a note I want to make, I was waiting till the end for a little more to happen, some action, some evil characters to come out. Save a disagreement/misunderstanding between Ash and Reese, the story flew pretty easily and it was okay because I enjoyed very much but I was waiting, for no reason, for that little more and when I didn’t get it, I was just a tiny disappointed.

If you are looking for a quick story and you are fan of paranormal genre, I feel to recommend Ravel. I think the author did really great and I am looking forward the other books in this new series. I’m sure I’m going to discover more characters to love. Although Ravel is the second book, in my opinion it works pretty well as standalone. But if you like to read the series in order, you can get the first book, Bought, for free on Amazon and Are.

I like the cover art cause it’s different and simple, and the black is very fitting.

Sales Links:  Smashwords | ARe | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, Revised/2nd, 74 pages
Published April 1st 2016 by R. Phoenix (first published December 23rd 2015)
Original Title Ravel: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story
ASIN B01DBAV324
Edition Language English

About the series

The Ripples in the Status Quo works are set within a world where supernatural beings seized control from humans and relegated them to the bottom of the food chain. Used for food, entertainment, and worse, nothing protects them from the hands of those who claim them as slaves. But not everyone adheres to the status quo the world at large has accepted…

Please note that the RISQ world has little place for humanity–and the author’s idea of romance may not match yours. As such, there are no guarantees of happily ever afters, and content may be offensive to some readers.

The suggested reading order is below, though these works can be read as standalones.

1. Bought. [Dark Erotica]
2. Ravel. [Romance]
3. Recoil. [Dark Erotic Romance]
4. Owned. [Dark Erotic Romance. Follows events in Bought and Recoil.]