Tag: author KC Wells

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Kel’s Keeper by KC Wells

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I enjoyed this story of twenty-four-year-old Kel Taylor, home from school for semester break when tragedy strikes his family, and he’s left without his parents. His next-door neighbor, Luc Bryant, steps in to help him, and Kel virtually moves in with the silver fox as he becomes dependent on the older man. Luc is forty-OKseven, runs a software development business from home, and has a crush on Kel ever since Kel reached maturity. Luc is a caretaker, a loving, giving person so it’s no hardship at all for him to help Kel, and when they each learn the other is gay and they are attracted to each other, their relationship becomes more. 

And here’s where I had my first negative reaction: I was a bit put off by how quickly they went from zero to full-on penetrative sex. Kel was raised by a preacher father and very zealously religious family, including his grandfather who is a missionary. He’s still a virgin, even though he knows he’s gay. I would have liked to see his intimacy with Luc develop slowly, with a little frottage, blow jobs, hand jobs, kissing, and more before they have anal sex. But in one night they went all the way. Granted, the scene was hot. After all, this is KC Wells. Still…

During the rest of the time that summer their relationship continues to grow. Luc stresses the importance of truth and full disclosure; he reinforces Kel’s behavior with assigned tasks; they go out to eat and out to Kel’s first gay club, Luc explaining and answering all Kel’s questions. But they both realize they love the other and yet neither admits it out loud. And not only that, they both perpetuate the idea that Kel will go back to school and possibly move away. Then there’s the daddy issue. Luc wants his boy to be his forever, with all that encompasses. He wants to take care of Kel, guide him, discipline him, etc. And he wants to be Kel’s Daddy. But daddies are barely mentioned in the early chapters of the story. Yes, Kel learns what they are, mostly by watching porn videos, but I had hoped Luc would explain that his own dream is to have a boy who can freely call him Daddy and let him be his Daddy in every way. And that’s where the story fell short for me. I wanted it. Luc wanted it. Kel wanted it. But nothing happened until the end of the story. So although my impression was this story was about Daddy kink, it really wasn’t, not to me. 

That being said, it is still a lovely romance and great story, with lots of hurt-comfort, recovery from grief, coming out, growing up, and falling in love. I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy age gap romance.

The cover, designed by Meredith Russell, features an older man gazing down at a young man sporting a chest tattoo. Both men exactly match the descriptions of the MCs in this story. 

Sales Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published September 1st 2019
ASINB07WDYTJF1
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Pride & Protection (Southern Boys #2) by KC Wells

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Del Walters, an out and proud bear, moves from San Francisco to a small town in Tennessee to open a business with his brother. Rainbow Racers attracts the wrong kind of attention pretty quick. There aren’t a lot of out and proud gay men in this town, where the homophobes are loud and proud. It’s no surprise vandalism strikes the shop before it even opens. Called in to investigate, police officer Taylor Cox takes one look at the bear and his imagination takes over. Deep in the closet, he dreams of the day when he might be able to approach Del on a personal level. Too afraid to let his ideal bear know how attracted he is, Taylor locks himself up tighter.

The small coffee shop in town attracts them both as well, giving more opportunity for conversation and Taylor slowly thaws. But it’s not until each is on a much-needed trip to Atlanta’s gay bars that their spark erupts, and Del has a chance to let Taylor know he won’t rush him, and he won’t out him, but he definitely wants him.

Most of the story is the slow buildup of romance between the two men, and then Taylor’s introduction to what it’s like to be with a man sexually—one who cares about him. Opportunities arise in his personal life for him to come out slowly but surely, and the guys finally get their chance to be together as partners. The story takes place over the course of two months so some may label this insta-love; however, there was no “jump into bed with each other too soon” moment, and I like the way the author handled their early attraction, with Del respectful of Taylor’s fears. He certainly seemed to be the kind of man—or silver bear as Taylor called him—who would be worth waiting for.

I’m not a huge fan of the homophobic cop stereotype. I know it exists but I just don’t like reading about it so that impacted my appreciation of the story, but overall, I enjoyed this romance and I especially enjoyed the time spent with Del, the big, fuzzy bear. A sweet man with a ton of commonsense, self-confidence, and smarts—Del is an easy character to love. Taylor, on the other hand, was timid and closeted at first, and I didn’t like him, but his personality grew on me as he gained in confidence and started letting his true self come forward and his fears take a backseat. So, in summary, yes, I highly recommend this May-December MM romance.

The cover by Meredith Russell features a photo by Kristofer Weston—he’s the perfect bear—the man on whom KC Wells based Del Walters. Also featured on the cover is a young man in a cop uniform who matches the description of Taylor Cox, the other MC. It’s wonderful to see a cover photo actually match the characters inside.

Sales Links:  Smashwords | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 259 pages
Published June 18th 2019
ASINB07TDFR2ZB
Edition Language English
Series Southern Boys #2

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Law of Miracles by KC Wells

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

I’ll start by saying that there was literally nothing about his wonderful love story that I didn’t adore. It had all the ingredients that make a perfect story for me, including slow burn and two older MCs—both around 50—one of whom is a widower of two years and the other still recovering from the heartbreak of his long-term partner leaving him after over twenty years together. Add to that, adult children who are not only kind and compassionate, but witty and fun-loving and fully supportive of their father, Joshua.

This is a sequel to A Christmas Promise in which Joshua’s son, Micah, meets Greg, a young man who was lured into a gay bashing and then left for dead in the snow in rural Wyoming. And though it is a sequel, there’s enough backfilled information in this story that, in my opinion, a reader could read this without having read the first book and wouldn’t be lost. That being said, this was quite delightful as a follow-up to Greg and Micah’s love story.

Alex is the gorgeous, fit, state’s attorney who will be prosecuting Greg’s case against his bashers. The story follows a timeline of approximately a year—between the initial meeting to review evidence and the final trial outcome. During that year, Joshua meets Alex, the two hit it off and become friends, and then later explore their attraction to one another. What starts as two friends meeting for cooking lessons—Alex is going to teach Joshua—ends as two men who can no longer deny what they feel for one another.

But it’s a very long, slow burn. And I loved every minute of it. From the recipes being prepared (the author really triggered my hunger pangs with some of these mouthwatering dishes) to the camping trip the kids planned in the hopes of matchmaking, to the harrowing days of the trial, and finally, to Alex learning to trust again, every moment was just perfect. Even my family asked why I was constantly smiling. I tried to explain that I had fallen in love with two men who had captured my heart and wouldn’t let go. 

Concurrent with the development of feelings between Alex and Joshua, we were treated to glimpses of Joshua’s past with his lovely wife, Rachel, and Alex’s past with his partner, Theo. Greg was still on crutches when the story opened and Micah was still struggling to put together enough artwork for an exhibit he was set to do in their small town. They, too, were an essential part of this story and readers were treated to their growth as a couple as well as to witness the outcome of Greg’s work to convince other young men to stand against the thugs who beat them. 

From the first chapter, the author endeared these characters to me. Joshua’s repulsion over using his bare hands to squish the meatloaf he was preparing made him very human. The time that elapsed as he and Alex learned more about each other, met for coffee, watched movies, cooked together, and finally, acknowledged the spark of attraction was just right. My favorite scene—and there were many to choose from—is the Cards Against Humanity game Naomi set up. Little did she know her father had such an evil streak. It was great fun; so much so, I felt I was there. And my favorite quote in this book is an old adage: “There may be snow on the rooftop but there’s fire in the furnace.” That is most definitely very apropos here.

I could go on and on. There’s just so much to like, so many wonderful memories, such engaging characters that the least I can do is very, very highly recommend this story to lovers of MM romance, particularly those who enjoy men with a little “snow on the rooftop.”

The cover by Meredith Russell features two very handsome older men, each exactly like the author’s description of Alex and Joshua, set against a snowflake background.  Perfect in every way, I’m so happy to see a cover match the description of the MCs.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 305 pages
Published November 24th 2018
ASIN B07KVJCP74
Edition Language English

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Denim (A Material World #4)by KC Wells

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

KC Wells has hit my favorite hot buttons with this story—two sweet older guys, one a sexy construction worker, and the other a bear who has no concept of his own appeal.  Both in their thirties but with two diametrically different views of the world, when Tony spots a cute bear headed into his nearby work site, he has to wolf whistle, right?  Too bad it takes days for Harry to realize he’s the object of the whistles coming from the construction site where the cute guy with the muscles is working.

This story is a journey of discovery for Harry, who begins as a guy with a poor outlook on life—dead end job in a dead end neighborhood with no good future prospects. Forget men—his clubbing days are long gone since he moved back home to take care of his ailing mother who passed away a while ago.  He hasn’t even cleaned out her closets and family memorabilia. Why bother? 

Tony, on the other hand, recognizes his value and enjoys his family, though he’d rather not still be living with his mother at age 30. But he’s full of life and he loves a bear—specifically the one he spots every day, so he sets his heart on Harry and won’t take no for an answer. Fortunately, it works, and though it takes time, he eventually convinces Harry that he really wants him and desires him exactly as he is.  Too bad Harry’s self-esteem is so low that he can’t help believing that Tony would like him better if he were thinner. 

That plan doesn’t work well, thankfully, and by the end of the story, it’s evident that this couple is truly meant for one another.  I appreciated the author’s treatment of Harry’s issues, not making light of his very real fears, but showing the consequences of the actions he chose to make changes.  Tony is a sweetheart with a hoard of friends, many of whom we meet and get to enjoy, and Tony’s persistence, love, and support bring Harry to the peace and contentment he never believed he’d have. 

I recommend this to those who enjoy MM romance among the over 30 group, especially those that feature characters struggling with personal issues and self-esteem.

~~~~

Cover by Meredith Russell features a close-up of a young man in a denim jacket, open to reveal his smooth chest. This represents Tony, the sexy construction worker—spot-on and attention-getting and in keeping with the series theme.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 229 pages
Published June 7th 2018
ASINB07DM7DDC9
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesA Material World #4 settingEngland
Croydon, England (United Kingdom)

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Lace by KC Wells

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Oh, nice one! This short story was a hot romp between two men who’ve been friends for a long time, but never lovers—until now. Dave has never come out as bisexual until he finally gives in to his attraction to his best friend, Shawn, and breaks up with his girlfriend.

Unfortunately, though he gets the courage to tell Shawn he broke up with the woman because he’s bisexual, he chickens out before he can tell Shawn that he desires only Shawn.

Shawn has loved Dave for years—the principal reason he hasn’t had a long-term boyfriend—but when he hears Dave’s announcement, he’s shocked speechless and then upset when Dave runs out. How can he let Dave know he’s attracted if Dave runs away?

When Dave finally musters the courage to return and tell Shawn, he discovers lacy underwear in Shawn’s drawer while helping to put his laundry away, and from there on, the inhibitions evaporate. The two discover each other’s bodies and eventually realize their mutual romantic attraction. It’s too bad Shawn thinks it’s only because of the kink, and when he tries to explain it to Dave, MISUNDERSTANDING occurs. Caps intentional. Readers will enjoy just how they finally get back together for their HFN.

K.C. Wells delivers yet again. Be her stories long or short, I’ve discovered that I am a fan, and I count this shorter story among my favorites from her to date. I definitely recommend this one. Of course, I have a place in my heart for manties, so it was fairly easy to interest me in starting this, but these great characters kept me riveted to their story to the end.

The cover by Meredith Russell is a fantastic and drool-worthy view of a male torso clad in lingerie—from lacy undies to a lacy garter belt leading to, I can only guess, perhaps lace-topped stockings. Yummy.

Sales Links:   Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 100 pages
Published May 17th 2017 by Island Tales Press
ASINB071S8XQCG
Edition LanguageEnglish

Release Blitz: Lace by KC Wells

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Cover: Meredith Russell
 
Length: 24,400 words
 
Blurb
 

When Shawn’s best mate Dave breaks up with his girlfriend, Shawn tries not to get his hopes up. After all, Dave’s still straight, right? Wrong. Dave reveals he’s bisexual, and that pounding you hear is Shawn’s heart. He’s loved Dave for so long, but he’s not about to jeopardize their friendship by telling Dave how he really feels.

But when Dave discovers Shawn’s little kink, it opens up a whole new chapter for the two friends. Except Shawn can’t help but worry – if there was no kink, would Dave be there? And is Shawn brave enough to find out?

A standalone short story of lust, lace – and love…

Author Bio
 

Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C. WELLS always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way. K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, when the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings—writing about men in love was even hotter….

K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career. The laptop still has no idea of what hit it… it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.

And as for those men in love that she writes about? The list of stories just waiting to be written is getting longer… and longer….

K.C. loves to hear from readers.



K.C. loves to hear from readers.
E-mail: k.c.wells@btinternet.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld
Twitter: @K_C_Wells
Website: http://www.kcwellsworld.com

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