Tag: Totally Bound Books

Up Close & Personal with Author Trina Lane and Turkish Delights (contest)

Turkish Delight cover

Trina Lane is here today with her book, Turkish Delights!  Not only does she have a contest for all to enter but a NSFW, totally hot excerpt to read (cue the fans).  Check it all out below starting with Trina Lane’s guest blog Mirror Mirror on the Wall.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall by Trina Lane

Who is the hottest of them all? One of the great things about all the different publishers, genres, and authors available today in the erotic romance world is that there is generally a favorite type of character for every person. So I’m going to use today’s blog post to do a little reader feedback research. I pose a question to all of you reading this today. What type of character really rings your bells and why? Are you the type of person who goes for the stoically quiet and intense alpha? Do you gravitate toward the geeky scientist? Are you a lover of men who are literally out of this world? Or are you just looking for an everyday man?

Of those general stereotypes what characteristics are you looking for? Are looks all that matter? Do your heroes require unlimited riches to makes your ultimate fantasies come true? How can we as authors write better characters? Do you like a lot of backstory or is it better to get right down to business? Do you find characters who know how to handle themselves in and out of the bedroom sexy, or do you enjoy reading about someone is simply trying to figure things out day by day?

When it comes to writing the perfect pair. Do opposites really attract? What about two strong men that can’t seem to resist the attraction pulling them together, but on paper make the worst possible sense? Does there always need to be some kind of give and take in a relationship, even if BDSM is your preferred genre, or is there a real place for my way or the highway?

Finally I ask you to weigh in on the angst/conflict vs true romance debate. I realize that sometimes we all want a little sweetness in our lives, but I’ve read reviews of some author’s hard work where a critic lambasts the book because there is no conflict. They call it unrealistic and insulting to readers because it is so unbelievable. But here’s a side question related to that. Don’t we sometimes read romantic fiction to escape reality? I know I do. As you can see this post is really more about you as readers than about my thoughts. So as a reward for participating I’m going to giveaway two copies of Turkish Delights. Please include in your posts some means of me contacting you otherwise you’ll lose out!

Thanks for Playing,
Trina

 

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Blurb for Turkish Delights:

This is the newest addition to Totally Bound’s, Totally Five Star imprint.

Three very different men from three different countries look to build a love greater than any Wonder of the World.

Project manager Garrett Sloan builds majestic hotels for the rich and famous around the world, but when it comes to love, all his relationships seem to crumble. His latest project lands him in Istanbul, where the desire he’s held for a certain French architect heats up under the Middle Eastern sun, and his resolve never to mix business with pleasure melts beneath the added hot stare and skilled hands of a Turkish mason.

The three men discover they want to build a relationship to stand the test of time—much like Kyle LaFleure’s buildings and Emir Şahin’s stonework. As the bonds between Garrett and his partners grow stronger and more complex, they work to lay the perfect foundation on which to build a lasting relationship. Can the three men construct a relationship that will endure? Or will their love reach its zenith when their shared task of finishing the ultimate Ottoman luxury hotel reaches its completion?  Reader advisory: This book contains a scene of double penetration.

Like the sound of Turkish Delights? Buy it here.

Excerpt from Turkish Delights (NSFW) Link only for those 18 years of age or older. Click to proceed.

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About Trina Lane:

If you look up the word conundrum in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Trina Lane. Her personality is so multifaceted that her friends have spent countless hours scratching their heads in wonder. A scientist with a passion for history, music and photography she loves to travel and experience new places but is terminally shy around people she doesn’t know.

Trina has been devouring romance novels since her tender teenage years, although only began writing in 2007. When her debut novel was met with resounding success, she said “Hey I can do that again”. The rest as they say is history.

Her choices in reading and writing material are as diverse as her iTunes library, which contains music from Mozart to Metallica. Her one concession is all stories must have a happily ever after ending-did we mention she’s incurably romantic?

She lives in Missouri with her loving and indulgent husband, and orange tabby cat—affectionately referred to as ‘Houdini’ for his stealthy escape attempts.

Contest

Enter Totally Bound’s competition for the chance to win a copy of Turkish Delights and three books from Trina Lane’s backlist!

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest link and prizes provided by Totally Bound Books.

Direct link: https://www.totallybound.com/turkish-delights-giveaway/?af=53be8f313b20b

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A Stella Review: The Pride of Amsterdam (Lionhearts #1) by Elizabeth Coldwell

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The Pride of Amsterdam coverLionhearts series: 

For centuries, lion shifters have lived among men, their prides scattered around the world. Fear and superstition has led man to fear them, and to seek to bring about their destruction.

When fate draws a shifter to a human mate, two very different worlds are brought together, for good or ill. But nothing can stand in the way of passion, and whatever it takes these lovers will fight tooth and claw to be together.

The Pride of Amsterdam by Elizabeth Coldwell

,  Book One in the Lionhearts series. 

When an ancient enemy is summoned to destroy his pride, a lion shifter must fight to protect the man he loves.

Kees van der Veer has never forgotten the mysterious stranger who seduced him on Millennium Eve and who promised that when the time was right, they would be together again. Returning to Amsterdam after fifteen years away, he is reunited with that stranger, entering into a world of love and danger he could never have imagined.

Arjan is a lion shifter, part of a pride who has lived in Amsterdam since its Golden Age. He has spent fifteen years regretting the need to drive his destined mate away after one night of blissful passion. But only once they meet again can he reveal to Kees the truth of his heritage.

When an old enemy is summoned to destroy the pride, Arjan must act to protect not only his family but also the man he loves.

The Pride of Amsterdam is the first book in the Lion Hearts series by Elizabeth Coldwell, a new and really interesting series. I think it has great potential but in my opinion it wasn’t well developed in this book. This is one of the reasons I gave it only 3.5 stars but I’m waiting (not so) patiently for the next one.

This is a “second chance at love” story featuring destined mates, two of my absolute favourite themes to read about.

At the Millenium Eve night party Kees meets a stranger with blond hair and amber eyes. Kees is a shy eighteen years old, he’s soon attracted to the guy who will be his first. But the guy with no name takes his virginity and leaves him five seconds after the sex with a promise.

“I need to know— Will I see you again?”
“When the time is right. You are meant to be mine, but only when you are ready to learn what I really am.”

Kees comes back home to Amsterdam, his home, after fifteen years of being away, for the biggest job in his carrier. What he doesn’t know is that the azienda he will have to help is Arjan’s.

Arjan de Wit is a lion shifter. He waited for his mate to come back to him since the first time he lost his heart to that all too young man he met at a party. Now it’s time for them to start their life together but De Jager (the Hunter) is back in town to track the shifters down and to kill every member of the pride.

I liked a lot of things in this book. First of all the sex was really hot, maybe a little too much sometimes, but I found it well written and in the right places in the story so I didn’t care if I read one scene too much. There were some very light BDSM elements that will not bother you if you’re not a BDSM stories fan. I liked the character of Arjan, he isn’t the usual alpha shifter I’m used to read about, he is insecure and rightly so, cause even if he knew Kees was his destined mate since the first time they met, the young man is still hurt from the way Arjan left him and he is scared of the man who already left him one time. He needs to win Kees’ trust and they still need to know each other.

One thing “ruined” me the ending, the fact that I realized pretty soon who the hunter was, so I was a little disappointed to know I was right. I’d have preferred to be surprise.

If you like a book well written and well paced, with some suspense and a lot of passion, this book is what you’re looking for. I can’t wait for the next one to come out and hopefully know more about Arjan’s pride.

Cover Art by Posh Gosh. Love this cover, especially the choice of the colors. It catched my eyes, really well done.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound     All Romance (ARe)       Amazon      Buy It Here

Book Details:

Published January 16th 2015 by Totally Bound
ebook, 142 pages
ISBN 1784303682
Edition language English

 

 

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review:Turkish Delight by Trina Lane

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Turkish Delight coverGarrett Sloan is a project manager for Totally Five Star Hotels which is building a luxury hotel in Istanbul. They plan to make it highly exclusive and state of the art, yet it must blend with the culture of the area. As the story opens, Garrett is set to convey a last minute change of plans to French architect Kyle LaFleure as he arrives in Turkey just as the construction is set to begin. Garrett has been drooling over the gorgeous Frenchman for years but is staying professional and holding himself back from acting on his attraction. It’s evident that Kyle is equally attracted to him so when local stonework artisan Emir Sahin shows up to work with them on the hotel and both appear to be drawn to the sexy smoking-hot man, it poses a conundrum for Garrett. How can he be so attracted to two men at once?

When a situation arises in which all three men are drawn together, they finally act on their attraction and it’s evident that no one of the three means more than the others to each of the three. Confusing? Basically, each man seeks out both of the others and eventually all three fall in love. Most of the story takes place over the course of the year and a half it takes to build the hotel, and most of the story is about their sex life. There’s threesomes and twosomes and every conceivable position that three men can get into. If you like a little story with a lot of sex, this one is for you.

The major angst in Garrett’s life is a job decision he’s forced to make– Should he take on the CFO job offered to him by his mentor when it will mean that he needs to live in London? Though he would love the job, he doesn’t want to ask Emir to leave his homeland. <spoiler>.

Kyle has no angst. Basically, he’s just the filling in the man sandwich. Emir’s angst revolves around his family and their desire for him to marry. He has to choose whether or not to tell his parents that he’s gay. Of the old traditional culture, it’s unlikely that they will accept him once they know.

If I were to count the pages in this book and compare the content of the story outside of the sex scenes, it would likely be less than a third. Though the sex scenes were imaginative and hot, after a while I wanted the story to move on to the conclusion rather than to read about their threesome one more time.

I would recommend it to those who enjoy reading ménage and/or those who like a lot of sex in their books, but not to anyone looking for a serious drama.

Cover Art by Posh Gosh nicely depicts the three MCs as described within the story, and includes objects which symbolize elements present in the story.

Sales Links:   Totally Bound         All Romance (ARe)           Amazon links coming     Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: March 6th 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN139781784304355
edition languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.totallybound.com

A Stella Review: Renounced (Southwestern Shifters #10) by Bailey Bradford

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 (just cause the sex scenes are really hot)

Renounced Book CoverNothing is as simple as it seems, or as safe.

Dallas Smith just wanted a nap in the hammock but he ends up being abducted by a jaguar shifter named Tiago. They have a distinctly different take on several subjects, and Dallas is shocked to learn just what Tiago really is.

Tiago thinks the wolves in the rainforest are an invasive species that need to leave.

Meanwhile, there’s a threat to the rainforest that no one saw coming. Marcus Criswell has had more losses in the past year or so than he can deal with. He has to, though, because he’s the Alpha Anax of the North American packs. The only reason he’s in South America is because his guard was kidnapped, but now Keegan is safe.

There’s still the matter of the man who tried to abduct Keegan. He can’t go unpunished. Then another shifter goes missing. Dallas, gone from the hammock in a heartbeat.

And on top of that, Maarten is missing.

It just got hotter than hell in Brazil.

Renounced by Bailey Bradford is the 10th book in the Southwestern Shifters series and the 1st I read. I can suggest you start reading this series from book #1, cause you’ll need a lot of background so you can’t lose yourself in the reading, as I did.

Tiago is a jaguar shifters, he lives in the Brazil’s rainforest. He’s keeping an eye of all the wolves that have invaded it, screwing up the ecosystem with drugs, guns fights and crashed planes. He has just one problem: he’s attracted to one of them. He’s never been so attracted to anyone as to this wolf. Maybe he could just have some fun with him and be over this obsession.

Dallas is a wolf shifter, smart and funny, he likes sex (a lot), he isn’t a good fighter but he’s good to please others. He got a hit in the head that messed with his sense of smell, so he can’t go hunting (a drug dealer/kidnapper/murderer) with his pack and decides to rest on a hammock. Here he is “kidnapped” by Tiago.

Dallas is soon attracted to Tiago and when he tries to leave him, Dallas realizes the jaguar is his mate. They can speak telepathically, just how only mates can do. But jaguars don’t have destined mates, they are solitary creatures. Can this two shifters find a common ground to be together? Can Tiago help the wolves find the bad jaguar who’s kidnapping pack members?

So far it seems everything is great. But…

My biggest problem with Renounced is that Dallas and Tiago story isn’t the only one in the book and most of all, I don’t get the feeling it is the main one. Even in series, I’m used to read a story about two MCs with second characters as a support cast. In Renounced each character is a lead actor in his story. We have the lust story between Tiago and Dallas, the love story between Marcus and Nathan, the rescue mission of Maarten. It’s like reading different stories, all at the same time. Just when I was starting to know more about one of them, the writing switches to another story, making each one of them (especially Tiago and Dallas’ one) approximate and incomplete. Honestly I’m not sure I like this writing choice.

For example, since the rescue mission takes a good first part of the book, maybe the author should have found a way to put Tiago and Dallas in it too. He would give use a chance to know this two characters better.

On top of this, the POV shifts between each characters and it confuses me.

Last thing I didn’t like at all (and this is totally a personal taste) was the use of the word tits. I can totally blame the fact that I’m Italian and maybe in English it is a synonym of nipple but in my crazy mind only women have tits. So here I am, reading a really hot sex scene, YES! finally something I liked in this book, the sex is hot as hell and recurrent. Anyway here I am, at that very moment, then I read “tits” and bye bye steamy sex. I couldn’t stop giggle. I read a ton of mm books and I’m almost sure I have never found this word in any of them.

Still, I need to read more about this author, me and this book are not destined mate, but I’m sure I’ll find another one to like.

Cover Art by Posh Gosh I can only say it’s gorgeous, very well done.

Sales Links:   Totally Bound       All Romance (ARe)      Amazon        Buy It Here

Book Details:
Southwestern Shifters series #10
Published January 9th 2015 by Totally Bound
ebook, 147 pages
ISBN13 9781784303549

Southwestern Shifters Series:

  • Rescued (Southwestern Shifters, #1)
  • Relentless (Southwestern Shifters, #2)
  • Reckless (Southwestern Shifters, #3)
  • Rendered (Southwestern Shifters #4)
  • Resilience (Southwestern Shifters, #5)
  • Reverence (Southwestern Shifters #6)
  • Revolution (Southwestern Shifters, #7)
  • Revenge (Southwestern Shifters, #8)
  • Reluctance (Southwestern Shifters, #9)
  • Renounced (Southwestern Shifters #10)

 

Side Stories:

  • A Happy Fourth
  • Hearts and Tails

A Sean Michael Guest Blog: I See (writing blind characters) and Love Matters (contest)

lovematters_800magnifying glass and focus

I See, a Look at writing a blind character by Sean Michael

Writing a blind character really makes you think. You can’t use any of the usual cues when you’re writing a section from their point of view. You have to paint the picture for your readers using sounds, tactile sensations, tastes and smells. Then there’s the fact that the character himself doesn’t understand things the same way seeing people do. How do you describe blue to someone who has never seen it?

Learning how to write Trey was paralleled in some ways by Lucien learning how to love him. Lucien couldn’t rely on visual cues to let Trey know what was coming. He would have to remember to talk to Trey, to tell him what was happening, what they would be doing. For instance, instead of picking up a dildo and showing it to Trey, he would have to tell Trey that’s what he was doing, and either describe the dildo, or let Trey ‘see’ it with his fingers, learn the shape of it, feel the texture, etc.

There’s an exchange in Love Matters that deals directly with this kind of thing:

“…Your sunglasses inside give you away more, I think.”

“Yeah. I used to not wear them, but it wigs people out.

Lucien touched the side of Trey’s face. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Well, I hope not. You get to see my eyes a lot!”

Chuckling, he stroked his fingers along Trey’s skin. “Yeah. I think they’re beautiful. I’ve never seen a blue quite like yours.”

“I imagine blue is cold.”

“It is what they call a cool color.”

“Tell me what it looks like,” Trey demanded.

“Wow. That’s really hard.” He considered it, tried to figure out how to describe it without using sight as a reference. Blue was… It was blue. Then he figured it out. “It looks like how the ocean feels on your skin.”

“Like regular water, but it leaves a little roughness behind from the salt?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

It’s kind of amazing how much we rely on all our senses for massive amounts of input and never even think about it. I really enjoyed the challenge writing Trey gave me.

Sean Michael
smut fixes everything

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About Love Matters:

For ten years they’ve done things Trey’s way. Now Lucien wants more. He wants to be with his lover full-time. Is Trey ready? Will he ever be?

Ten years after they first met and fell in love, Lucien and Trey are still together—after a fashion. Terrified that he’s going to become entirely dependent on Lucien, Trey calls his lover to come spend four to five days with him whenever he finishes a novel. Lucien wants more, but up until now has been willing to bow to Trey’s wishes.

Finally broaching the idea of seeing each other more often, during Trey’s writing periods, Lucien suggests that they begin to date each other on Friday nights. Trey agrees to the experiment and begins to flourish as Lucien gets him out of the house more—to eat, to swim, to visit the beach.

But can Trey remain faithful to his work ethic, get the job done with his novels and enjoy the distractions and adventures Lucien plans for him? Or will Lucien’s desire to have more break them apart?

Like the sound of Love Matters? Buy it here.

About Sean Michael:

Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organising his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channelling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago”.

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

 

 

Excerpt from Love Matters:

Lucien watched, utterly fascinated by Trey. There was such an unconscious grace in the slender boy, in each of Trey’s movements.

He circled Trey’s belly, watching the muscles jerk and flex beneath his fingertips.

A pink flush climbed up Trey’s cheeks. “Good.”

“I…” Trey couldn’t argue with that. Trey would be lying after all, if he did.

The rests of the excerpt is NSFW-by clicking on the link you certify you are 18 years of age or older…

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Follow Sean’s blog tour to read more! The seven stops will all be running on from one another, so check out all seven to get a real insight into the book!

Check out Totally Bound’s competition for the chance to win a copy of Love Matters as well as three books from Sean Michael’s backlist.

 

http://www.totallybound.com/index.php?route=information/competition&competition_id=57&embed=1

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review of Take Heart by Willa Okati

Rating; 2.5 stars out of 5

takeheart_exlarge_PNG-210x336Dr Brendan West arrives at St. Hawk’s Medical Center for two reasons: first, because he’s onboard as a temp in the ER to cover for another doctor on leave, and second, because he’s heard great things about this area— stories that made him feel that there’s a charm to the town that brings good things to good people. He starts to feel the peace and serenity of the area and enjoy the charm of the town but is afraid to jump in wholeheartedly because he knows his time here is only temporary.

He meets Evan, a heart transplant patient who’s there for an annual checkup and is immediately attracted, then disappointed that Evan is taken when his partner, Griff, walks in. Griff is sending signals that Brendan is afraid he might be misinterpreting. He feels Griff checking him out but that couldn’t be—because he and Evan are a couple, aren’t they? It turns out that Griff and Evan have been known to take on a third over the years and they would like Brendan to join them for a night, or more, of ménage. He finally takes them up on their offer, and it’s more than he could have hoped for. They want him to stay permanently, but he’s sets his boundaries knowing he’s going to be leaving. The story is mostly about that push-pull struggle to decide what to do, i.e. self-inflicted angst as Brendan hovers between wanting to commit to them and wanting to stay detached.

It’s hard to put into words why this story didn’t grab me, but the easiest way to describe it is that it was as if I went to see a movie where the characters spoke quietly in short, staccato sentences, grunts, and mumbles, and the videographer set the scene too dark to be able to make out which characters were speaking, and then to top it all off, it was hard to see what they were actually doing at the time. I had to reread passages and entire pages multiple times to verify who was speaking. I also had trouble visualizing exactly what position each character was in during the sex scenes, but that may have been complicated by the fact that I wasn’t sure who was speaking so it was just hard to imagine. And why have a sex scene if the reader can’t visualize it?

There were many secondary characters in the story so I kept expecting that some action would take place with them, but they either weren’t important to the story or the interaction didn’t take place on page. One example is Brendan’s boss, Dr. Gabriel. We see him outside of office hours but the “important meeting” he’s supposed to have with Brendan is glossed over in that scene. Most men in the story were apparently gay as well, so perhaps the author was introducing characters who will be featured in future installments of this St. Hawk’s Medical Center series.

And my last issue is that I never really understood why Evan and Griff felt that Brendan was so different that they wanted to make the offer to join them permanent. They certainly had no reason to do so from the beginning since they really didn’t even know him at first, and they had previously played with other men in a threesome, so why he was special just didn’t seem to make sense. Perhaps if the author had filled in more on their background or indicated in some way that they had been searching for a permanent third for a long time, it would have made a bit more sense when they got together with him.

The more I write this review, the more I realize that it feels like I’m trying to remember details of a fuzzy dream, and they aren’t coming to me. I’m going to assume that’s because of my above description of how difficult it was to follow the storyline. So I’ll just end the review by saying that if you love ménage, you might like this, but it’s not something that I would recommend to others looking for a romance novel with a strong storyline.

Cover Art by Posh Gosh depicts a handsome, bare-chested man with a scenic landscape background. Although the cover is attractive, it does not depict details of the story.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound Books    All Romance (ARe)   Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

Novella, word count: 34341
ISBN: 9781784303891
eBook
genres: gay, menage, contemporary, series

St. Hawk’s Medical Series:

  • Take Heart
  • Give Chase

A Stella Review: Wrong Number, Right Guy (Celebrity #1) by Mia Watts

Rating 2 stars out of 5

Wrong Number, Right Guy coverA wrong number with a sexy voice on the other end… What are the chances a regular guy has just hooked the hottest actor on the silver screen?

 Ryan Pierce is in town shooting the latest romantic action movie and attending all the right publicity parties. He wasn’t expecting to pick up the phone to an easy laugh and real conversation. So, when he discovers that his caller has misdialed, it surprises him even more that he doesn’t want the man to hang up.

Dar Phillips is the last man to get star-struck, yet his best friend drags him out to be an extra on a movie set. It’s a chance to meet the guy on the set who he accidently called, but he has to admit the lead actor is hot stuff. Could the loping mega-star be his phone-a-friend? And, when they kiss, is Dar ready for the paparazzi and accusations of betrayal by the man who now stars in Dar’s every dream?

 Who did Dar fall for?  The elusive Ryan Pierce, who can’t be seen with him, or the quiet, gentle man who’s just a phone call away?

This book is one of my few two stars. This review will be really short because I admit I’m a little uncomfortable writing it. I’m sorry to say I don’t even know where to start, there isn’t a thing I liked.

Reading the blurb I thought the story looked interesting, too bad it wasn’t delivered in the writing. Instead, I found the book boring for most of the story and the other times it was just surreal. Some dialogues between the main characters seemed childish. And everything in the relationship went so fast, they talked on the phone, they fell in love, then they meet, Ryan comes out of the closet, they split up, they’re back together. Wow.

I enjoy a lot insta-love/lust stories but this one was so unlikely, I couldn’t even understand why they were attracted or in love with each other. It makes no sense at all.

As I already said a thousand times I love my books to be sweet, in this case it was too much. I was waiting for something to change all the way to the end, but it continued to be disappointing and flat.

Cover Artist by Posh Gosh. I like everything about this cover, even the font. Really well done. Finally something in this book fits the blurb.

Sales Links:   Totally Bound       All Romance      Amazon      Buy It here

Book Details:

ebook, Second Edition, 83 pages
Published January 30th 2015 by Totally Bound
(first published March 25th 2011 by Amber Allure)
original title Wrong Number, Right Guy
ISBN139781784303907
edition languageEnglish
Series:  Celebrity

 

A Stella Review: The Biker’s Pup by Sean Michael

Rating 3 stars out of 5

The Biker's Pup coverWhip came to the Gay Riders Carnival fundraiser weekend looking for a good time, but what he found was infinitely better.

Whip always has a good time at the Gay Riders Carnival, and this year he’s hoping to meet up with some studs and top last year’s festivities. The last thing he expects when he walks into his cabin is to be nearly bowled over by a skinny lad with a bruised jaw.

Nick came to the Carnival with his so-called Master Dirk, but instead of having a good time, things moved quickly from bad to worse and Dirk responded to his safeword with a punch. Running away and hiding was Nick’s only option.

 Broke, alone and not entirely sure how he’s going to get home, Nick thinks Whip is a dream come to life and he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop. For his part, Whip is drawn to the sweet pup and falls hard for Nick over the course of the long weekend.

But what’s going to happen when the weekend is over?

 

Being a huge Sean fan, I try to be objective in the rating and not going with 5 stars, so I give this book just 3 stars cause I have to complain with the author about the sex part. I’m used to high levels of hotness and unfortunately The Biker’s Pup wasn’t so hot. And I want to add that if you have some issues with the BDSM world, you don’t have to worry, in this book it’s very light. There’s just a short demo of a figging (I had no idea something like that existed, if you are curious have a look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figging).

Speaking of the sex aspect, can I have a rant moment please? Some people like to define some of the Sean’s books using the PWP acronym (Porn Without Plot). I know I’m biased cause I’m a Sean fan but I really hate this description, although I’m the first to say there isn’t a lot of plot in this book and in other ones. That’s one of the the reason I read them. The other reason is that I don’t like watch porn, I prefer to read about it. A couple of weeks ago I read Guns, Leather and Tinsel and that was so hot and sexy, I found it compelling. Then a week ago I start the Mannies Incorporated series and there was a plot, not just steamy sex, but a sweet and funny story. I love this author’s writing cause, looking at all his works, I can find the perfect book that fit my day mood.

The Biker’s Pup by Sean Michael is not one of that dark biker’s stories I lately read. What I read was a sweet and tender story, sometimes a little too much, but it was very welcome.

Whip goes to the Gay Riders Carnival weekend to enjoy some fun times with a friend or a sub and to join the Mr Leatherman contest. When he comes to the cabin he rented, he finds Nick, a young man abused by his ex dom, the worst dom ever, who actioned Nick as a slave and beat him frequently. The poor Nick is lonely, without money and without a future.

“…just tell me what you want.”
“A place,” Nicky finally finished. “Like somewhere I belong.”

But Whip is sweet and protective of this scared twink. They soon feel a bond that will lead them to hope for more. Whip will find his pup and Nick an angel, who will help him to straighten out his life.

“Oh… Are you for real? You’re like an angel in leather who showed up just when I needed you.”
Whip snorted. “I’m not an angel, pup.”
“You’re starting to seem like my angel.”

They will spent a weekend together at the Carnival, having fun and some (not too hot) sex and Whip will try to convince his pup to come home with him. But Nick is used to people treating him badly and wanting him just for the sex. Can he convince himself that Whip is for real and for the long haul?

“I’ll hold on tight.”
“I’m counting on it, pup.”

So, if you like some light BDSM with a caring dom and a sweet sub, I can totally recommend The Biker’s Pup to you.

Cover art by Posh Gosh. I’m sorry to say I don’t like it. Of course it’s well done and surely could have been used for another book, cause in my opinion it doesn’t fit the story, or better the characters. The models on the cover really aren’t how I imagined Nick and Whip in my mind.

Sales Links:   Totally Bound Books   All Romance (ARe)      Amazon     Buy it here

Book Details:
Published January 9th 2015 by Totally Bound
ebook, 74 pages
ISBN13 9781784303556
Edition language: English

 

A Mika Review: Run With the Moon by Bailey Bradford

Rating: 3 star out of 5 stars

Two species that have always kept themselves separated are about to collide and create a new world.

Run With the Moon coverTwo species that have always kept themselves separated are about to collide and create a new world.

  Humanity almost managed to do itself in.  Ravaged by wars and plagues, the human population on earth has been bordering on extinction, although pockets of people have been forging on over the past few hundred years. It’s a hard life, and one Aaron Olsen fears he doesn’t fit into. As a son of a village leader, there are pressures on him he can’t manage, and things he keeps hidden, desires he doesn’t know how to express that keep him up many nights as he worries over them.

Valen is an alpha, born with the crescent moon mark on his chest. It means he’ll have to leave the pack he was born and raised in. It is the way of the wolf, and the only way to prevent it is to fight his father. Valen has no intention of doing such a dishonorable thing. He leaves as he’s supposed to, only to find himself the victim of thievery. When he hunts down the party responsible for stealing his belongings, Valen finds himself attracted to the human Aaron Olsen. 

Now, if they can only survive their own pride and insecurities, and an attack that threatens everything they love, they just might have a chance at happiness in Valen’s Pack.

I’m on the fence about this story. I can say the one person who made me finish it was Rivvie. I liked his energy, positivity and just him in the story. It was suppose to be a futuristic setting shifter story, and I didn’t get it. If anything I felt like this could be almost a caveman story. Valen in the beginning seemed overwhelmed, sweet, and humble.

When the story starts progressing alone we get this caveman instead. I didn’t follow. It was simple things he did or said. His actions with Aaron were definitely caveman style it seemed. I’m not saying it was bad, but it was really. I liked that Aaron’s family were respectful to him, even though in his mind something else was happening. I do feel like it was holes in the story about the epidemics, and the shifter’s staying away from humans. I didn’t believe that village with both humans and shifters allowed some humans to come and destroy them. If this was the future, you are telling me they don’t know anything about a Molotov cocktail used as an accelerant.. I didn’t find that believable at all. My only other issue is that I wanted to see some sort of future for Aaron & Valen. What happened when both tribes intertwine? I would have loved the epilogue to be about them as mates. It fail short in that part.

Cover Artist by Posh Gosh, I’m a little on the fence about the cover too. I thought it was nice cover don’t really know if it goes with the story in my mind. I don’t see this guy as Valen. To me Valen, was this big guy almost caveman like because that’s how he is portrayed in the story.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound

Book Details:

ebook, 144 pages
Expected publication: February 6th 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN139781784303945
edition languageEnglish