Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

When Matt diLorenzo gives his lover, Vic Braunson, a copy of the Kama Sutra for Gay Men as a Christmas gift, they find it doubles as a handy reference guide to Vic’s superpowers. All they have to do is test out the positions to see which one gives Vic what ability. 

Included are the tales……
Book I: The Positions of Love (This is their first Christmas together, but Vic dreads trying to find the perfect gift for Matt and playing Santa at his company party.)……
Book II: Two Pillars Position (A quickie in the pool showers seems like a good way to start the morning, but what power will this new position give Vic?)……
Book III: Clasping Position (Valentine’s Day. Matt and Vic have reservations at an expensive steakhouse, but an intimate moment before dinner causes more sparks to fly than they expect.)……
Book IV: Hammock Position (After a day spent by the river, can Vic use his latest unintentional superpower to help rescue a school bus full of children?)……
Book V: Two Dogs Position (Matt’s party proves too much for Vic’s heightened senses. But when he overhears a struggle in the apartment above, all thoughts of celebration disappear.)……
Book VI: Cowboy Position (Matt has a secret fetish–he loves to watch a man eat. Good thing his lover Vic has a voracious appetite.)……
Book VII: Kneeling Butterfly Position (Matt wants to go clothes shopping, something Vic hates to do, so Matt suggests a quickie in the dressing room to sweeten the deal.)……
Book VIII: Pillar & Ivy Position (Vic suggests making love in the pool where Matt works, but the resulting superpower washes out his plans for the rest of the day.)……
Book IX: Tripod Position (When Matt discovers Vic’s leather fetish, he suggests they go clubbing to celebrate Vic’s birthday. But Vic isn’t the only one watching Matt’s dance moves.)……
Book X: Lotus Position (While on vacation, Vic’s latest superpower attracts the attention of a young kid, whose delight at discovering a real-life superhero almost leads to disaster.)……
Book XI: The Arc Position (It’s Halloween, and Roxie is having a party. Matt wants them to dress as policemen, but Vic’s latest power creates a costume for him on its own.)……
Book XII: Sideways Position (When Vic meets Matt’s family, he makes a good impression on his lover’s grandmother–his latest power allows him to communicate with her in Italian.)

It is amusing to me that way back in the day, circa 2007, I had actually read a few of the Positions of Love stories.  I read them individually, with weeks or even months in between the next installment, with other books in between.  I thought they were pretty good and so when the whole collection came out together now, I thought it would be great to reread the ones I had read and finish the series to date of the ones I hadn’t. 

What I didn’t count on, however, is that by reading them all at once I would become aware of the overwhelming amount of sex that tends to overshadow the whole story.  Because I hadn’t read them in a row, I guess I didn’t realize it.  This is a shame because the premise of the books is a creative one.  For an unknown reason, Matt’s semen causes odd and random powers in Vic, a different power for each sexual position.  They share a telepathic bond, in each other’s minds all the time and able to speak not only to each other telepathically but often to others, usually Vic telling someone off, especially since “…but it also tuned him into everyone else’s thoughts as well.”  Vic has a permanent case of superhuman strength (he is able to lift one thousand pounds like it’s a bag of flour and is always looking for something to actually challenge him).  This is all so interesting and I really liked that aspect.  I also looked forward to knowing what the power was going to be.  They are sometimes embarrassing, sometimes helpful and often dangerous. 

Vic is a badass, tough and grumpy to everyone but Matt.  He had a rough past, including losing touch with his little sister, Mary, when they went into foster care.  However, he has family in Matt.  “Matt was his heart and soul, and he’d do whatever it took to make the man happy.”  This is another place where reading them altogether changed my viewpoint a little because I started to think Matt was spoiled to the point of being a brat.  Vic does what Matt wants, when he wants to, whether Vic likes it or wants to or not.

Matt does at one point really feel badly about the powers Vic ends up with, even though it isn’t on purpose.  “In that instant, Matt hated the powers he bestowed upon his lover.”   Especially since the power at that time was heat ray vision, where anything Vic looked at burned up, including his own hands before he realized.  Vic, though, knows Matt is his family.  “I’d do it again in a heartbeat and you know it.  Loving you is worth whatever price I have to pay.” 

The powers aren’t all bad and other than the superstrength and the telepathy, they aren’t permanent.  They wear off after a few hours or are replaced with another power when Matt and Vic have sex again.  He is able to teleport for a while, telekinesis allows him to be a hero in what could have been a tragedy, fireworks to make Matty happy also make Vic happy.  Some I don’t want to give away because they are so creative (if dangerous!)

There is a great side character in Officer Kendra, who is slowly in the know about what Vic is capable of, but she is trustworthy with it.

All in all, the stories (some very short) are clever.  I recommend reading them just a couple at a time so the sex isn’t overpowering to the story.

Cover art, showing Matt and Vic kissing was so close to being perfect! The black locks of Matt, the bald head and muscled form of Vic.  Missing, however, were the tattoos and piercings that Vic is known for.  But overall, an excellent cover.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | JMS Books | Universal Link

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 4th 2016 by JMS Books LLC
ISBN139781634861793
SeriesThe Positions of Love #1-12