Review: House Warm'd by K. A. Merikan

--- How to make a house a home ---

Dan and Kyle have just moved in together, but to make their new place cozy, Dan wants to make friends in the neighborhood. And what better way than to invite the guy next door over? Dan’s dirty minded boyfriend has been mentioning his interest in a threesome and Dan is ready to take the plunge. He’s willing to invite someone new into their bedroom, but it will only be happening on his own terms.
Terms that involve handcuffs, duct tape and a fake gun.

*

‘House Warm’d’ is a standalone story in the XXX’d series, a prequel to ‘Clown’d’.

  
CLASSIC K. A. MERIKAN.

Fuck yeah!
When I was asked to review this short book, that was my actual response: Fuck yeah!
This sounds right up my alley. I love the short stories by K. A. Merikan, especially in the XXX'd series. They just sing to me, you know? I see them like these little birds, sitting in trees on sunny days, cheering me on, and I'm like, "Thanks, you awesome little birds, for the salutations!"

So I read this entire thing in one sitting, I think, the same night that it was sent to me. I stayed up late and finished it because it was THAT good.

Uughhhhhh, okay okay. This book is about a role-play home invasion with their next door neighbour. I've never read a story about a role-play home invasion, but by god did I ever want to. It's the same characters as from Clown'd (LOVE THAT SHIT), Dan and Kyle. Kyle is a dirty-minded little cum-dumpster brat. He's so posh and cute with his little clothes but he loves it nice and messed up. My kinda boy. And we have Dan, the loving, much bigger, much more dominant and caring boyfriend who takes an interest in his cute little boyfriend's fantasies. This is their first experience together.

This involves a threesome, fake forced sex, GUN PLAY *foams at mouth* and lots of dirty talk that's even been equipped with some humiliation.

 

So the writing is A+ like usual. I was completely enticed the entire time, never bored, always found it easy to follow along. I felt like I was in the room with them.

"He knew all too well that his spunk-hungry boyfriend was all up for roughing up, and the role-play turned him on as much as sex. Sometimes, Kyle would get hard from getting a slap and being talked down to."

By the way, the 'fits two' writing? Hilarious. I can't think of many other times (except for a hilariously placed balloon during Clown'd) when I can bark out a laugh in the middle of reading something so sexy.

Again, as with my other XXX'd story I've read, their relationship is actually very caring, nurturing, and seems very loving, which makes stories like these all the more enjoyable. It's hard to convince the reader that two people are very in love during a short story like this, but they do it perfectly.

I give this an honestly earned 5/5 well hearts. 5 gigantic, raging boners. 5 little birds singing to me. 5 finger discount. Wait, that's not right.
Anyway, if you have a naughty streak like me (or you'd like to try something a little kinky), this is the way to go. It's so fun, actually funny, cute, and god, so hot.
Don't look at me like that. I know what you think about me.

 

This story was fucking great. I've read it twice now since it was delivered to my inbox by the smut-faeries who love Natasha. I will likely buy it and gift it to my equally slutty unicorn friends.

From Your Cum-Dumpster Loving Friend,

Review: A Better Man by Jaime Reese (The Men of Halfway House #1)

Matthew Doner is starting over. After a five-year prison term that alters every aspect of his life, he receives a bequest from his aunt with the stipulation that he use the money to make things right. Breaking free of the long-standing role he's played and inspired by the few who support him, he decides to create a safe place where people like him can find purpose and start a new life. Julian Capeletti likes challenges. He is confident, brash, stubborn, and just what Matt needs. Desperate for work after a downturn of luck, he accepts the job to renovate Matt's crumbling building. Over the course of a year, romance simmers between them as they restore the house. But there's a bigger renovation that must take place in their hearts. To become better men, they need to learn to trust each other even with secrets and painful memories they fear may rip them apart.

NOTE: 2nd edition is revised and expanded.

I first read this story back in November of 2012 and fell in love the main characters Matt and Julian. Sometimes you read about two guys who just fit together like perfect puzzle pieces and they fill the empty spaces, that’s what Matt and Julian are to each other. That impression really stuck with me and made this one of my favorite reads. When I found out the story had some revisions and was being re-released I contacted the author and shamelessly begged for a review copy. Hoo-RAY for me and being shameless because it was totally worth it and no here we are! *tips hat* Thank you Jaime.

Matt is fresh out of prison for a white collar crime and there is a WHOLE story behind all that that I’m not giving away. Matt comes from money but he did not grow up happy. His favorite aunt, the one who always accepted and supported him, has left him her estate and his only instructions are to do “something good” with what he now has. His goal is to build a halfway house for men like himself who have come out of prison with no support system and just need a solid foundation to rebuild their lives. This is no small undertaking and the dump of a house he has purchased needs a complete redo. No contractor will take the job, too much work, not enough budget, too little time. Enter Julian Capeletti, down on his luck handyman loner extraordinaire. Julian needs work and while he sees that this project is pretty overwhelming he’s not one to shy away from a challenge and a tenuous partnership is formed.

Matt and Julian are attracted to each other but there are a lot of reasonable things standing in the way of the two of them connecting. They are employer/employee, Matt is afraid that Julian will be completely turned off because of his past and of course there’s the whole, “is he even gay?” thing. There is an intense amount of back and forth, flirting and stepping back and dancing around all the issues in the year it takes to get the house ready for inspection and their first guest. I think that was one of the things I loved most about this story. Lordallmighty! I wanted these two to do SOMETHING, but it really wouldn’t have been right and the payoff? When these two finally connected? In ALL the ways? Was so worth the literary blue balls journey it took to get there. I totally believed the love between these guys, I was there through the whole struggle to get along, the tentative friendship, the real flirting (Julian says to Matt after he gets his hair cut short “Don’t cut your hair so short the next time. You should keep it at least grip length.” – HELLO!) and finally the honesty and true love.

Matt does have support outside of Julian in the form of Sam, whom he met while he was incarcerated. Sam is going to help Matt in any way he can to make sure the halfway house succeeds and he gets the right fit in the guests who will be living there. Julian didn’t know what the relationship meant between Matt and Sam (he didn’t know Matt’s background at that point) and seeing how jealous he was of Sam at first and the slow acceptance of each other was pretty cute. They’re both very protective of Matt in their own way.

You know what was awful and fun? Meeting and hating Matt’s mom. Good gravy that woman is a bitch. Not a good kind of bitch either, she’s a she devil of the highest order with absolutely NO redeeming qualities. No awful past to be able to explain away her awful, she’s pretty much the worst mother and just so very cruel to Matt. Ohhhh, and that gets Julian’s hackles up in the most alpha of ways. Sometimes it’s fun to have a character that fuels your hate fire and this is her. The only reason she is so awful is because she just is, so you can loathe her with impunity and love to hate this villain.

Matt and Julian’s backgrounds couldn’t be more different but they really had so much in common. Loneliness is loneliness, it doesn’t matter where it comes from and for once in both their lives they belonged somewhere. They had the house and they had the comfort of each other. Each man inspires the other to be a better man and it’s so sweet that they see the other as the best possible man already.

I love when couples have a “thing” something that is just theirs. A running joke between them is Julian’s middle name, or the fact that Matt can’t figure out what it is, and Julian’s hatred of the nickname “Jules” that Matt’s friend Sam insists on using for him. Matt comes up with a compromise and decides to just call Julian “J”. Julian doesn’t really do nicknames in general, but Matt gave it to him and after that, he only wants to hear Matt say “J” to him. Plus it doesn’t matter which one says “I love you” the other will say “I love you more” – that’s just . . . just . . . . d’awwwwww! Because I saw the evolution of their relationship these little things are tender and important and not just irrelevant sweet talk.

I’m so excited to read the next installment of this series. I feel all kinds of invested in their relationship, the work they have put into the house and the goals they have set up for themselves there. The story of their first guest has me completely intrigued and I sense some seriously awesome angst heading my way when I read about him. Bring. It. On.

A copy of this story was begged for by the reviewer and provided by the author for an honest review.

Happy Hour Chat: "Superhero" by Eli Easton

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Review: Cold War by Keira Andrews

After an explosive locker room confrontation with his Russian rival ends in the most surprising and intense sex of his life, American pairs skater Dev Avira needs to refocus. He’s worked for years to win Olympic gold, and he can’t let himself—or his partner—down. Distraction in the form of steely and smoldering Mikhail Reznikov is the last thing he needs as he prepares for the biggest competition of his life.

But with the Games only days away, they can’t keep their hands off each other. Dev soon learns that beneath Mikhail’s arrogant and aloof exterior is Misha, a passionate man who warms Dev’s heart and scorches his bed. They're both determined to win, but for Misha his freedom could be on the line. Can Dev put his deepening feelings on ice as he goes for gold?

I was very excited to read "Cold War" when I saw the cover. I'm not what you'd call a sports-nista (I can imagine a few of the other unicorns attesting to this) but I like watching figure skaters. So you know I'm excited when the Winter Olympics comes around. Don't think I become glued to the TV set during this time of the year, I'm an amateur at best. But after reading one of last year's buzz books (Leta Blake's Training Season) which featured a figure skater main character, I  saw the appeal of romance starring a skating athlete. When I saw that Leta Blake's writing partner, Keira Andrews was coming out with a figure skater MM romance, you can believe I was all over it.

Is this book another Training Season? NO! And I'm happy too because Training Season is totally separate from Cold War. (We do get a brief Matty Marcus mention - I smiled and agreed with Dev.)

Cold War is a novella about two competing pairs' figure skaters, Dev (America) and Mikhail or Misha (Russia). They are gearing up for the Winter Olympics and both men and their skating partners want gold. They have worked for this very hard and made sacrifices, for one of them even being forced into a closet. The reader is introduced to the competitive world of skating that will not leave you lost if you are not an avid skating fan.

This is an enemies to lovers theme (a favorite theme of mine) but it's not angst heavy. It's lighter than I expected. The story gets straight to the matter at hand, Dev and Mikhail don't like each other but that doesn't mean they can't get off together. They were both gay but could not let their dalliance known due to their skating careers. Dev is the underdog skater paired with a sassy redhead best friend, Bailey and Mikhail (Misha) is the ice king paired with his fellow automaton skater, Kisa.

Dev started off hating the man but Misha didn't really come off as someone to hate. He didn't really seem cold. Once Dev and the reader got to know Misha, it is shown that he's deeper than he seems. The enemy lines get blurred once the lust is brought in. And boy was it brought in. (*whispers* the locker room and bathroom stall...yum)

What I really enjoyed? 

- The multiculturalism: I loved that there was an Indian American main character and the culture embrace in the story was not heavy handed.

- The smut: Very hot. For the amount of story, we get some hot scenes including some nice rimming and fingering and...*wipes mouth* let's just say Dev and Misha can heat up the e-reader screen. For vanilla sex, it was hot. No corn mazes, folks. You're safe. ;D

"I want to fuck you every way I can. I want your ass and your mouth and your cock. I want to come all over you. I want you to come all over me."

- The pairs' skating talk: I admit I'm an amateur when it comes to watching so I appreciate not having to search for skating terms and the like while reading. It was easy to understand, so non-skating fans can give this book a try as well. And I was swept up into the competition, that I rooted and yelled (I even closed my eyes for a bit during one particular scene) for both teams at the Olympics...like it was an actual skating team on my television screen.

- The spotlight brought to Russia's anti-gay laws: It was done tastefully. And it sucks. The end.

My...concerns (if you will):

- The beginning chemistry - Dev and Misha heat up the scenes when crossing the forbidden sex line. It's hot. I get it. But in the beginning, these men hated each other. I question their intensity for starting their sexual relationship in the beginning. Maybe another scene (or two), to show Dev's love/hate for Mikhail. It was sort of 1..2..BAM! They're boinking now. As the story progressed, I began to understand (mostly). But I wanted to know more of what drove these two men together. We just get the candy coated shell, I want the filling too.

I spied there will be a sequel coming out later this year. I like this a lot and will keep my eye out for it. I really liked Dev and Misha...maybe we can get a little deeper with those two?

Light, easy, sexy fun that ends with a light HEA/ heavy HFN finish. I'm down for round two.

Book Discussion: Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan

To celebrate the re-release of Special Delivery, we organized a buddy read at Boy Meets Boy Reviews.  After reading the story, we couldn't wait to talk about it.  And when four members of the Unicorn Mafia meet for a serious literary discussion, anything can happen. We jumped right into sharing our favorite characters, scenes, and quotes.  Jenni Lea could hardly contain herself.  A few of the highlights:

Jenni Lea: I love Randy, I love Randy, I love Randy. There. That should do it for my review. Or do you think it's too much? 

Sunny: Not enough, JL! 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: After reading Double Blind you really get the gist of Randy and then rereading Special Delivery I saw all the subtle Randyness I didn’t really get the first time 

Sunny: crap, I should have re-read Double Blind... it's been awhile 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: I haven’t reread Double Blind yet, I just remember how much more I got him after reading it and it changed how I read him during the reread of SD

Jenni Lea: I got the subtlety of Randy the first time around. He is way more intriguing than either Sam or Mitch. 

Sunny: I keep thinking about how sweet Sam was, but how he wanted to be so slutty. I loved him. 

Lorix: I loved Sam too. 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: Also, I love that Mitch loves Sam sluttiness and lets him strut it like the little Slutty McSlutterson he is 

Sunny: it's awesome how Mitch was the perfect match for Sam 

Lorix: Mitch is a brilliant character. i love how it hints at his dark past but really he's the sweetest guy. 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: What are the odds those two kinky bastards would find each other? 

Moving onto our favorite scenes...

 Sunny: That bar scene in Denver was so flippin' hot 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: Damn, that was cray shit wasnt it? 

Jenni Lea: Denver! Loved it! Guh! 

Lorix: The bar scene was my absolute favourite. 

Jenni Lea: That Leon guy was gross though. So smarmy! Blech! 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: You know what was REALLY hot? Before they went into the bar and were sitting on the bench outside! 

Lorix: *fans self* 

Lorix: Had to have a coooold shower after that one. 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: Lets hang out in Denver! 

Sunny: I liked the toy shopping 

Lorix: big boys toys 

Jenni Lea: me too! Sam was adorable in his hesitation to pick stuff out. Always worried about the cost and if Mitch would think he was a freak for wanting some of the stuff he did. 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: That was great. I loved when Sam kind of forgot himself and let go. 

Lorix: I loved when Sam just let go too. 

Jenni Lea: agree 

Sunny: I loved when Sam would share what he thought was too kinky/pervy/freaky and Mitch was totally cool about it and even loved it. 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: Exactly Sunny. He finally felt comfortable enough with somebody 

Lorix: It was what he wanted but he needed someone to allow him to be. 

Jenni Lea: They really are a perfect match, huh? 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: Completely! 

Lorix: They are. 

Sunny: *sigh* 

More favorite scenes after the jump!

************    WARNING: SPOILERS    ************

Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan Re-Release Blog Tour-apalooza!

SPECIAL DELIVERY
Release date: February 4, 2014

Book One of the Special Delivery Series
When your deepest, darkest fantasy shows up, get on board. Sam Keller knows he’ll never find the excitement he craves in Middleton, Iowa—not while he’s busting his ass in nursing school and paying rent by slaving away in a pharmacy stockroom. Then Sam meets Mitch Tedsoe, an independent, long-haul trucker who makes a delivery to a shop across the alley. Innocent flirting quickly leads to a fling, and when Mitch offers to take him on a road trip west, Sam jumps at the chance for adventure. Mitch is sexy, funny and friendly, but once they embark on their journey, something changes. One minute he’s the star of Sam’s every x-rated fantasy, the next he’s almost too much a perfect gentleman. And when they hit the Las Vegas city limit, Sam has a name to pin on Mitch’s malady: Randy.

For better or for worse, Sam grapples with the meaning of friendship, letting go, growing up—even the meaning of love—because no matter how far he travels, eventually all roads lead home.

Warning: This story contains trucker fantasies, threesomes and kinky consensual sex.
Available February 2014 from Samhain Publishing and wherever books are sold.
This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.
Buy it from: Samhain, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
Read the excerpt on Heidi's website

Just some info you should know and why this is SUCH a BIG FREAKIN' DEAL:

BACKGROUND/HISTORY OF THE SERIES Special Delivery was first published in February 2010 by Dreamspinner Press, Double Blind in April of that same year. In 2013 they were re-sold to Samhain Publishing in package with a new third book in the series, Tough Love. Special Delivery and Double Blind have been edited for their second edition, though no significant new content has been added.

Special Delivery won several awards in the 2010 Elisa Rolle Rainbow Awards, including Best Gay Contemporary, Best Character, Best Writing Style, and Best Overall Gay Fiction. It was a Dear Author pick for Best of 2010 and a finalist in the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books-Dear Author DABWAHA contest in 2011. Double Blind was also a Dear Author pick for Best of 2010 and a finalist in the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books-Dear Author DABWAHA contest in 2011.

Firstly, can we talk about how appropriate the happenings that are happening right now are?

JL has been wanting to read Special Delivery for pretty much ever but being that it was unavailable to buy or lend, she couldn’t. Sunny and I both read it many moons ago and being the awesome friends that we are, we brought that fact up as much as possible. (well, maybe that was just me, Sunny is MUCH nicer than I am). So when the re-release was announced and blog tour signups started happening, the Unicorn Mafia rallied because JL needed to read this series and reading with your pals is the best.

Now for the aforementioned appropriate part:

IT’S BEING RELEASED ON JL’s BIRTHDAY 02/04/14 
WOOP WOOP!!!!!

*tosses penis shaped confetti at JL*

*passes out cocktails with dick straws and penis shaped ice cubes*

Happy Birthday one day early JL!
you are the bestest and we love you to pieces.

Ok, now shove over we’ve got some of the sweetest kink on the planet to talk about . . . .

Firstly, words from Unicorns JL and Lorix who are reading Special Delivery for the first time, then words from Sunny and myself (I'm Ann) and our impressions on our re-read. Collectively we unicorns love the sweet kink and unanimously awarded Special Delivery with 5 big ol' hearts.

From the Birthday Girl - Jenni Lea:

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this book on MY BIRTHDAY so when I was offered a chance to read it early for the blog I was stoked. Then I got nervous because what if it didn't live up to my expectations? I shouldn't have worried. It was better than I ever expected.

Sam and Mitch were perfect for each other. In fact, I'm not sure I can name another couple better suited for one another than these two. They complimented each other so well! From Sam's fragile innocence to Mitch's gruff stoicism, they played off each others' kinks with exquisite precision.

And Randy! Can't forget about Randy. Even though he wasn't an MC he played a very important role in this story. He may just be my most favorite of Heidi's characters ever!

Little Miss Classy Pants - Lorix:

Lorix here. So Special Delivery, yep I read it....and what did I think? (Okay Mum, this is where you stop reading, alright, go and potter in the garden or something, all gone, okay). Well my first status update was;

"How can taking a photo of someone fully clothed in public seem so subtly erotic?"

My next was;

"I need a cold shower."

So you tell me what did I think? I thought this book was HOT. It was sexy, naughty, erotic, but it happened with feels. It was porn but I cared more about the characters than just whether they got their rocks off. Kudos Heidi Cullinan for that. It also had my favourite erotic scene ever in so far. The Denver bar one for those who have read or are yet to read it.

So what did I learn - well that'd be telling ;) - but also that I've earnt my full on perviness enjoyment badge. But I already knew that, I am after all a member of the UM.

The Sunshine in the Clubhouse - Sunny:

This was a reread for me. One of many, I admit. If I owned this in a paperback, it would be a battered copy with pages falling out. That's how much I love the words in this story.

Words like:
"I like to watch the way you move when another man touches you. You look so vulnerable, and so sexy, and then when you get nervous, you turn to me. Not them-me."

and
"He gave himself to them completely, with no guilt, no shame, no reservation, and in that surrender he found a quiet, shining pearl he had never known existed - himself."

I love how we get such a clear picture of Sam and Mitch, and how everything they say and do fits what we know about them and adds to our understanding of them. The neediness, the emotions, the dirty talk, and all the perviness... they hit all my buttons, and that makes this one of my all time favorite stories :) .

And Me - Ann aka Ann of Ween Gaybles:

When I first replaced the F in my MF with another M, Special Delivery was one of the first full length novels I read. What an initiation! “Come to Mama” I said, “I’m home”. The re-read on this one confirmed everything I remembered from the first go-around. Sam and Mitch are one of best, most meant to be together couples on the planet. The whole love story boils down to acceptance and watching both Sam and Mitch realize they could reconcile their secrets with real love made me melt for them all over again.

My favorite thing, and probably what I had the most fun with on the re-read is one of my all time favorite characters, Randy. I was completely intrigued with him the first read, but I didn’t really know what to DO with him. Special Delivery told me a lot, but there is so much more to him than what we see in this story and it was the ultimate tease. I read Double Blind right after reading Special Delivery and in re-reading this story I picked up a lot of subtleties about Randy and his words that I couldn’t appreciate the first time around. Randy really is Vegas and watching him play the game in Special Delivery (after learning his ways in Double Blind) was really fun.

I also appreciated his relationship, which is really very special, with Sam more on the re-read. I knew how important it would turn out to be so I paid attention to their conversations more and every word between them had more meaning. As much as I loved everything about Sam and Mitch, I think I loved when Randy said thank you to Sam even more for:

“Bringing Mitch here. He wouldn’t have come, otherwise. Or, if he had, he’d have ignored me again. You were our big do-over, and it’d be nice to think we got it right because we’re older and wiser, but we got it right because of you.” He picked up Sam’s hand and kissed it. “So, thank you for giving me back my best friend.”

Find more info on BookLikes and Goodreads 

Review: Men Can Do Romance by Michael Holloway Perronne

Despite living in free-spirited New Orleans, Elliot finds that his career as an insurance actuary has him constantly weighing the risks of every move he makes in his life.

When Troy, his teenage crush, returns home to the Big Easy after a stint with the Marines and unexpectedly announces he’s gay, Elliot must decide if he’s willing to take a chance and find out if men really can do romance.

Yup, that was cute.

Elliot has the chance to reconnect with his best friend's older brother, who also happens to be his crush from his teenage years, Troy. They chat, meet-up, have a beer... and BOOM! Troy reveals to Elliot that he's gay. Troy just figures he's gay... Elliot's gay... who better to get advice from, right?

Now that Elliot is Troy's gay-go-to they start to spend a lot more time together than they ever have. So, we know where this is headed, right? Feelings! Steamy looks! Touches! Again, it was all very cute.

No major drama, no huge obstacles, just a sweet coming out, friends to lovers tale. Both characters were likeable enough and they were sweet together. I did appreciate that they developed real feelings for each other before moving to the next step. Just because they were both gay and there didn't justify any sort of insta. Thank god for NO insta!

I don't really have any complaints about this nice, little novella. It wasn't really anything new or anything I haven't read before but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.

Quick, easy, sweet, a bit steamy. Perfect for a Saturday afternoon read.

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.