Fangirl Review: Polished by Alyssa Turner

It seemed like they had everything, but they didn’t have Jack.

Without question Spencer Hartley burns hot for his girlfriend, Rory, but his other desires are hidden down deep. He might blow things up for a living and climb mountains for kicks, but the scariest thing in his life is the truth about his sexuality.

Jack Rothman works hard and plays dirty. After long, demanding days in his family's engineering firm, he indulges in the pleasures of silk restraints and fine wine. Lots of hot meaningless sex helps him forget that he's suffocating, with no one to give him a reason to breathe.

When a catastrophic accident traps Spencer in a flooded subway tunnel with Jack, they need each other to survive. But something strong stirs down there in the darkness, and it's more than their desperation to live. There's a spark between them that's impossible to ignore.

Rory Campbell would love to give Spencer the one thing he doesn't have, the freedom to explore his secret desires. But how does that fit into her picture-perfect relationship? When Jack invites the couple to his sprawling Hamptons beach house, Rory realizes that she has secret desires of her own--the kind only Jack's Dominant hand across her bare bottom can satisfy... 

I'm not sure who tipped me off to this book originally, but Baby reminded me of it. I'm so glad she did because I needed a good to excellent m/m/f book after my last forgettable foray. I can't believe it took me so long to read this!

This story has great characters, pacing, and story arch. Even the conflict was believable! None of that contrived nonsense that annoys me so. 

Just in case you haven't figured it out there are girl bits.

Rory and Spencer are an established couple. They've been together 3 yrs or so. They are gaga over each other and that doesn't change, but Spencer has a secret that is holding him back from popping the question.

Rory is no dummy. She's well aware of Spencer's "secret", but she's having a hard time finding a way to address it without freaking Spencer out.

Enter Jack.

Jack is very prickly, truth be told. He comes across as an entitled brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is exceptionally good at manipulating people and a self proclaimed "man whore". Underneath all the bravado he struck me as lonely and isolated. His father is a fuckwit and uses him horribly. He has no friends. Really all he has is a job he hates working for his father who undermines him at every turn, but it does serendipitously pair him with Spencer.

He and Spencer survive a harrowing experience that put them in a flooded tunnel for more than 6 hrs. They bond and the first stirrings of desire begin. It so happens that Rory is instrumental in saving them and waits above ground. The triangle starts to come together shortly thereafter and ignites once Jack invites them to his Hamptons house as a show of gratitude. 

Turns out Spencer's not the only one with a secret. Jack's dominance awakens something in Rory that I don't think she even knew was there. Spencer is a natural sub. I believe I've made my feels clear on this subject.

It's SO HOOOOOTTTTT!!!! 

That kitchen scene... 
*grunts*
I'll never look at a pot rack the same again.

Then the shit hit the fan.

Of course it did.

I would've been pissed too. I'm glad they waited for Jack to make the first move because he screwed the pooch and he... no, I needed him to be the one to grovel.

These characters are well constructed and the pacing of the story is such that I devoured this thing in a day. With my recent outbreak of reading ADHD devouring a 350+ pg book in a day is damn near a seminal event.

There are touching side stories with Rory's and Jack's family and I thoroughly enjoyed the BDSM discovery and how it affected both Spencer and Rory, but by far I think Jack's progression/transformation was the most compelling.

If you like m/m/f ménage stories you should give this a go.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: Full Moon Dating Series: Books 1-3 by Julia Talbot

BOOK #1:  Aiden and Ben

When Aiden goes to Wyoming on the dime of the Full Moon Dating service, he doesn’t really think he and country wolf Ben will be right for each other. He just wants some time off from city life.

Ben knows better right away. He and Aiden are meant to be together, despite Aiden’s city ways and cluelessness about being a werewolf. Can he convince Aiden to stay with him, or will Ben, and Full Moon Dating have to write this one off as a mistake?

There is a lot to like in this short. It's hot. It has a couple of wolf shifters that are hot for each other. It's a nice introduction to a cute, cheeky series about a paranormal dating service with a kooky admin (Adelia) who pretty much runs roughshod over her bosses, Stone and Harve. In this installment Aiden and Ben get put together on Adelia's gut instinct rather than relying on the computer.

It works out. Good on her.

Talbot really shows her strength in portraying the difference between shifters in their human form versus their predator form in both their actions as well as their thought processes. What I found distracting was the writing style which is very unpolished and, at times, a bit juvenile and the speed with which Ben and Aiden start in with the "mate" and "mine" business. I wasn't ready for it. Also, there was sort of an undercurrent of "Little Red Riding Hood" which could've been fleshed out more. All told, I enjoyed the hotness and the cuteness of the wolfy stuff, but these characters and their story was too short for me to fully invest in it.

There is some mild BDSM discovery, nothing too harsh.

Find out more on Goodreads.

BOOK #2:  Coy and Denver

Coy is a big city werewolf who heads to mountain Colorado on the word of the team at Full Moon Dating, a paranormal dating service. He’s not sure Denver Allen is the vamp for him, but it can’t hurt to take a vacation and get a little hot loving in the process.

Denver knows Coy is the one for him when they meet, but there’s the whole issue of who the ultimate predator is between them. There’s also the problem of all that biting. Can Denver and Coy work out their troubles before it’s too late for both of them?

MUUUUUUUUCCCCCHHHHHHH better effort. The writing is more composed. The characters are better developed. The storyline is more engaging. The story as a whole is better constructed. In short, I invested in this one. I don't think Coy's attraction is as well articulated as Denver's, but I just went with it. I could possibly even go up to 4 Hearts on a different day.

Coy is a wolf shifter who gets paired by Full Moon Dating's computer. In keeping with the running theme of one of the Full Moon people choosing the coupling, at Harve's insistence that they will be a love match. Coy is paired with Denver, a vampire. I will say this vamp reminds me a whole lot of... 

The image didn't hurt I'll tell you that. 

Denver is isolated in some sort of gothic manor in Colorado with his butler, Addison, who signed him up with Full Moon. Denver is posh. The poshest of the posh. Coy is COUN-TRY! Country as country can be and a wolf shifter at that. Sounds like a match made in hell. Neither of them have expectations beyond sex, but they hit it off.  Their connection happens really quickly like in the first book, but I bought into it more than with Ben and Aiden. Them enjoying each other's company outside of the bedroom and the ordeal they go through strengthened their bond and drew me in.

Talbot again excelled at showing the differences in shifted states and how animalistic their predator sides can be. They are very rough with one another with tons of biting, as you can imagine, in their fight to establish dominance. I really REALLY loved how Coy eats. He adores eating especially meat and he kind of goes into a meat trance. Totes adorbs. And he's awfully cute and playful in his wolf state I couldn't help but smile. I also really loved how accepting Denver was of Coy being in his shifted state and their telepathic communication. 

There were times that I felt the writing was clipped and it occasionally struck me as juvenile, but it's terribly cute and fluffy. Like Coy's tail.

Find out more on Goodreads.

BOOK #3:  Evgeny and Feng 


Tiger shifter Evgeny worries that he’ll never find a lover who can stand up to his sheer size and strength. He’s scared off more than one man, which is why he turns to Harve and Stone at Full Moon Dating. He wants someone who can deal with his tiger self and not run away.

Acrobat and snow leopard Feng is all over Ev’s physicality. He’s used to working without a net, so he’s not afraid of anything Ev can dish out. Especially since Feng finds Ev far gentler than anyone would expect. They’re determined to make a two-city love affair work, so when Feng disappears, Ev will move heaven and earth to find him.

I've neglected to mention the growing UST between Harve and Stone up until now because we only get snippets of the two, but they are getting closer to closing the deal, if you catch my meaning. I'm intrigued as to what sort of shifters they are. Quite frankly, I was more interested in them than in Ev and Feng, who are the stars of this installment. It's Stone who puts these two together and there's a bet on the line between he and Harve if he wins. *eyebrow waggle*

Ev and Feng's relationship is constructed around the yin/yang philosophy. It's a thoughtful touch considering the heritage of the characters. 

Feng is a snow leopard and... exhausting. He's always bouncing around, jabbering, playing, exuberant which Ev seems to relish but I found frentic. Ev is a Siberian tiger and another shifter who loves his meat and is kind of lumbering and mellow. They are very cute together what with Ev constantly worrying that he's going to overpower and accidentally hurt Feng, but Feng assures him that his day job as an acrobat gives him an advantage coupled with his speed. 

They nuzzle and chuff and clean it other with loads of petting and the fuck like... well, like rabbits actually. The cat shifter aspects were more cutesy here. They like to nap and play with one another's tails and they talk about curling up in the sun. It's maybe too cute for me. I think I missed the edge of danger. Surprising since Ev's a tiger. I expected more danger.

Ev is an artist living in Santa Fe. I get sort of giddy when stories happen in places I've been. I love love LOVE Santa Fe! Both times I've been there have been repeated efforts to get into The Shed with zero success. These two knuckleheads just waltz right in without a reservation and immediately get a table! Then leave to go fuck in Ev's SUV!

*raises hand*

Uh, can I have your table then? 

This third installment follows almost exactly the same format as the previous one, but I enjoyed the characters of book 2 and their relationship more than I did this one.

Still enjoyable fluffery. 

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review copies provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Review: Werecat: The Glaring by Andrew J. Peters

Free from Benoit, the man who made him a shifter, twenty-two-year old Jacks tries to get on his own two feet while crashing with Farzan, the only person who knows about his werecat nature. It will take a grueling schedule of off-the-books jobs and a steady mantra of self-control.

Then a raid on a bodega pushes Jacks to transform into his mountain lion self to fend off a group of gun-wielding gangbangers.

Jacks scrambles to disguise the truth, but the incident leaves a thundering wake of questions. The police want to know what really happened to a freaked-out young thug in custody. Farzan, who has been crushing hard on Jacks since they met, begins to doubt that it’s safe to have Jacks living with him. Jacks wants to know where he belongs: with the man who took him in when no one else would or among his own kind. As he searches for answers, Jacks is confronted by a secret shifter society The Glaring. They have come to avenge the death of Jacks’ maker and to claim a powerful item that Benoit left behind.

Jacks adjusts to the changes in his life in this installment of the series, made more difficult by juggling three jobs and dealing with the police who are suspicious of the big cat sightings.  We also learn about the consequences of Jacks killing Benoit, with hunters from The Gathering planning to provide justice by killing Jacks.  Side note: as a cat lover, I was a little creeped out by the role domestic cats played in this world.

After the introduction of the first book, I expected more character development in this one. The storyline still kept my interest, but I didn't like Jack as much in this book, and that made it difficult to connect with him. His character was stiff, awkward, and making some bad choices.

My problem was I wanted a romance, and this...wasn't. I wanted to see growing feelings and a developing relationship. I liked Farzan and I wanted to see him with someone who loved him without reservation. Jacks' feelings seemed more lukewarm.

There were a couple scenes with the two friends getting intimate, but even though we were told of Jacks' attraction, I didn't feel it, especially in the second scene, which fell flat for me and mostly happened off page. What we did get had too much telling and felt awkward. There were also some phrases in both scenes that made my face do weird things. And then...they were in love.
???? More weird things happening to my face.

I think it works best to read this as a non-romance story.  The author has created an intriguing world, and if I focus on the shifter story, I'm much happier.  It did feel like this book was mostly a bridge to the next one, though, and not a complete story on it's own. I almost didn't want to rate it on its own, but decided to give it 2.5 stars because I'm still fascinated by this world and I want to know more.

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

Get more info on Goodreads!

Blog Tour & Giveaway for Julia Talbot's 4th Book of her Full Moon Dating series

Excerpt:

Gage checked his shirt before he headed into the sushi place. Boulder had the best downtown, charming and upscale, but not formal. Not as hipster as Austin or Portland, not as redneck as Denver or Dallas -- it managed to be clever and casual all at once.

He totally approved.

Now if he could only approve this date. A bear? Him?

Gage was as far from low-key twink as they came. He was... challenging. Doms dumped him regularly.

A bear seemed so. Oh, he didn't know. Sweet. Goofy.

He glanced around, wondering if he was early.

He tended to be early.

He liked being early.

There. Back in the corner where the bar bent around. That has to be his date. A huge man with shaggy, dark brown hair and a sunbaked face with lots of smile lines.

He looked a little like a lumberjack. It was adorable. So not his type, but cute.

The guy stood, smiling, making his oddly light brown eyes light up. "Hey! You must be Gage. I'm Hamish." He pronounced it "hay-mish".

"Hamish. Hello." He found a smile to offer back. How could you not like a guy who grinned like that?

"Hi. I hope you like sushi." Hamish waved to the seat next to him at the bar.

"Fish, salty peppery yumminess. What's not to like?"

"Right?" Hamish was a big guy. Not fat at all, but he overflowed his personal space into Gage's, warm and spicy smelling. At least he didn't stink. That was always hard to get around. "Anyway, I got a little hungry before you got here, so I got mussels and carpaccio. In case you hate mussels."

"Mussels are good. Tuna is my favorite. Cliché, but true."

"They have an amazing hamachi appetizer." Food was a great social equalizer.

"I'm totally in, man." He nodded to the waiter, got his attention.

"Excellent. So, what do you do?" Small talk. Again with the cute.

"I'm a software designer. I create weird little things that people don't know they need. You?"

"I build shit. Right now I'm very into tiny houses. For other people. I need square footage." He grinned.

"Tiny houses? No shit?" Okay, that was cool. Not sexy, but better than software designer.

"I've done some work for local architects, and I love carving on a large scale." Hamish held up his hands, scarred and callused.

He took one in hand, hoping for a zing, for a flash of lightning, but there wasn't one. Just a warmth. Sweet. Steady.

He looked at the palm, fingers tracing over the calluses. "I approve."

"Thanks." Hamish grinned. "It's good work."

"That's sort of how I feel about mine. It's computer work, but there's a lot of design involved in it."

"Sounds neat. Keeps you from getting bored, right?" Hamish flagged down a waitress to order their hamachi.

"It does." He ordered a couple of honey wheat beers.

"So..."

They both said it at the same time, then laughed. "You go," Gage said.

"I was just wondering what made you go to Full Moon."

"I've been searching for something and I'm beginning to think that I'm doomed, that I'm too much to handle." And now he was sitting with a big teddy bear. "What about you?"

"Oh, you know. Everyone thinks I'm a big marshmallow. No one wants to play rough." Hamish's cheeks went pink.

"No one? That totally sucks." He was touching Hamish's wrist now.

"I know! I mean, this is a cosmopolitan place, kinda. Boulder, I mean. You'd think I could find someone not afraid to bait the bear."

Okay. Okay, now there was a hint of promise there. "What are you into?"

"All sorts of things." Hamish met his gaze, golden eyes alight. "I love bondage. Spanking. Some discipline, though not deep domestic or anything. And I like rough stuff, when someone will fight me, make me work for it."

Well, now he got it, why they were put together. He was, at best, a pushy little bottom. Still, Hamish seemed so... laid-back. Could there really be an opportunity?

Full Moon Dating: Gage and Hamish

Series: Full Moon Dating

Book: Four

Should be read as a series

Release Date: July 29 2015

Blurb(s): 

Cat shifter Gage is an impossible bottom. No one has ever been able to tame him, even if he wants them to. He’s willing to keep trying, though, and when he finds out about the paranormal dating site Full Moon Dating, he puts himself in their hands. He longs for someone who will take him in hand and make him like it.

Hamish is a bear shifter who plays too rough for most subs. Gage sounds like just what he needs, so when Full Moon matches them up, he’s happy to see how they get along. Can he convince Gage that he’s the one to make the man toe the line?

Pages or Words: 11,000

Categories: BDSM, Gay Fiction, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Sales Links: 

Torquere

Amazon

Find out more on: Goodreads

About the author:

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Dreamspinner and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com.

Where to find the author:

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Dates & Stops: July 23, 2015

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Bike Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, Molly Lolly, Full Moon Dreaming, Ogitchida Book Blog, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Carly’s Book Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, MM Good Book Reviews, Christy Loves 2 Read, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Hearts on Fire, Chris McHart, Kimi-Chan, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Boy Meets Boy Reviews

Review: Werecat: The Rearing by Andrew J. Peters

For Jacks Dowd, a college senior who feels ungrounded from his family and life in general, an alcohol and sex-infused weekend in Montréal sounds like a pretty good escape. His Spring Break binge takes a detour when he meets Benoit, an admiring drifter with startling green eyes. A hook-up turns into a day, two days, and then a full week in Benoit's hostel, making love and scarfing down take-out food. But at the end of the week, Benoit demands that Jacks make an impossible choice: stay with him forever, or go back to college and never see him again. Great set up for a werecat series. Not a romance so far, but an interesting story about a unique world of shifters.
 

An enjoyable introduction to a werecat series. Not a romance so far, but an interesting story about a unique world of shifters.

I liked the writing style, it was wonderfully descriptive without burying the reader in adjectives or unending metaphors. There was also a strong sense of place, sometimes making me feel almost uncomfortable, it felt so real, so dark, but I appreciated that the story wasn't prettied up.

The characters weren't prettied up, either. Benoit embraced the traits that came from his panther, lacking remorse for his actions. Jacks felt the pull of similar traits from his mountain lion, and his reactions added a nice layer to his characterization.

There was an interesting dichotomy of Benoit not being good for Jacks, but Jacks still liking it, that created some nice tension. That dynamic also led to more uncomfortable feelings on my part, with me wanting to yell at Jacks, "Run! Get out!"

His possessiveness confused Jacks. It was sometimes terrifying, but he had never felt so important to anyone.

He felt hollow and small from Benoit's forceful and fleeting affection, but he couldn't deny that he wanted more.

Definitely a complex relationship between Jacks and the man who turned him. Not a romance, but plenty of emotions. And no HEA here, although the ending left open the possibility of something happening with a friend. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Side notes:
I'm not a fan of using more than one or two flashbacks...it's disorienting to keep going back and forth in time. I'd be all caught up in what was happening and I'd get yanked out to visit the past, or back to present day. I did like getting the back story, though.

The story ended up not being as dark as I expected. It was more a feeling underlying the story, with some violence, but nothing overwhelming for this wimpy reader.

The two on page sex scenes were brief and not particularly steamy. Although I would have liked sexier bits, the plot kept my interest from beginning to end.  

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

Get more info on Goodreads!

Cover Reveal and Teasers: Charmed and Dangerous Anthology

When Boy Meets Boy Reviews was contacted and asked if we would like to be involved in the cover reveal of a soon-to-be-published anthology, one look at the line up of authors had us drooling like bull mastiffs. I mean, c'mon, take a peek - it's a line up of who's who in fantasy MM fiction today. I am pretty sure this is one anthology that want be sitting around on metaphorical ebook shelves getting dusty.

Rhys Ford - Dim Sum Asylum

Ginn Hale - Swift and the Black Dog

KJ Charles - A Queer Trade

Nicole Kimberling - Magically Delicious

Jordan Castillo Price - Everyone's Afraid of Clowns

Jordan L. Hawk - The Thirteenth Hex

Charlie Cochet - The Soldati Prince

Lou Harper - One Hex Too Many

Andrea Speed - Josh of the Damned vs. the Bathroom of Doom

Astrid Amara - The Trouble With Hexes

Charmed and Dangerous
Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy 

Take a cauldron full of magic, add a pinch of humour, a dash of snark and a huge dollop of m/m goodness, and what do you get? Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. This all-new collection is packed with arcane action and intrigue, and every story will whisk you away to a fantastical world where the hero finds his prince and the paranormal investigator always gets his man.
Release date: August 25, 2015
Edited by Jordan Castillo Price
ISBN 978-1-935540-80-9

Magic takes many forms. From malignant hexes to love charms gone amok, you’ll find a vast array of spells and curses, creatures and conjurings in this massive collection—not to mention a steamy dose of man-on-man action. Charmed and Dangerous features all-new stories of gay paranormal romance, supernatural fiction and urban fantasy by ten top m/m paranormal authors.

Amazon Pre-order Link

Need more convincing? How about some tasty teasers to whet your appetite?

Teasers-Swift and the Black Dog by Ginn Hale

We were just kids,” Jack muttered.

Shafts of afternoon light speared through the blinds, illuminating the hard angles of his lean face. He exhaled a cloud of pale blue smoke and ignored the glare of the well-dressed diners seated at other tables. In a moment a maitre’d would appear and smoothly suggest that he remove himself from the building.

Then, inevitably, David would intervene, flashing his ministry badge and pronouncing Jack’s full name a little too loudly, a little too officiously. A halting apology would be offered and followed by requests for autographs and photos. Behind it all Jack would hear the whispers.

That’s Jack Swift?

God, did you see his hand?

He looks like some ragman from the Bone Ledges.

I’ve heard he’s a queer.

Lifting his scarred hand, Jack drew the smoke down to ring his fingers. Let the surrounding diners see that the ragman in their midst was a wizard. They didn’t need to know which one. Any wizard was too much trouble for most decent folk.

-Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford
From his square jaw and beefy build down to his dirty blond fade haircut, everything about the guy screamed ex-hardcore military. He moved as if expecting a riot to break out on the upper loft, icy blue eyes scanning each of us, stopping only long enough to mark our presence before moving on to the next cop.

He found me first and then again, last. His gaze pierced through me, assessing and judging in a way that did not say cop. I wasn’t sure what was found wanting, my shaggy mane or my odd ommatidia-faceted pupils, but something made his nostrils flare. I definitely spotted the moment he saw my pupils’ copper-green sheen. His head jerked back a few millimeters and his chin jutted out.

If my new partner had a thing against fae or fae-bred, we were assuredly going to have a problem.

-The Thirteenth Hex by Jordan L Hawk
“Mr. Kopecky?”

“Yes, that’s….” Dominic began as he lifted his gaze from the paper. Then his tongue tangled, and he forgot how to speak.

The man standing in front of his desk was…well, he’d never thought of a man as beautiful before, but it was the only word that came to mind now. The white of his shirt collar contrasted with rich, brown skin. Silky black locks brushed his shoulders, and wide lips shaped into a rather cheeky grin.

“…You?” the man prompted, when Dominic only stared.

God! He dropped his eyes quickly, willing his reaction under control. He couldn’t forget himself at work, in full view of everyone. As he glanced down, his eye snagged on the badge pinned to the man’s vest.

A familiar? Here?

Unicorn Favourites: Love is an Open Road: Week Six

The M/M Romance Group on Goodreads hosts a Don't Read in the Closet event each year where they invite members to submit a photo with a story prompt. Interested authors then volunteer to write the requested stories, which are published for free for everyone to read. It's a fun/exciting/stressful process, and a great opportunity to read stories from favourite authors. And chances are, you'll also discover some new authors, who hopefully have a back-list of goodies to check out :)

This year's event was named Love is an Open Road and they started releasing the completed stories on June first. Here at BMBR, we've been following along on comment threads, anticipating the stories from our favourite prompts, and now greedily reading the stories as they become available.

SheReadsaLot: The Truth About Forever by Piper Vaughn

Hot cover, great title, sweet story.

"The Truth About Forever" uses one of my favorite plots - 'I'm not good for you, let's break up so I don't drag you down'. It always works for me.

Marco has loved Jonny since they were thirteen. He thinks they're have that forever kinda love. Despite where they live, what they're doing...him and Jonny against the world. All day. Every day. But his world comes crashing to a halt at eighteen when Jonny breaks it off (quite cruelly might I add).

I truly felt Marco's anguish. It fucking hurt. And he didn't think he could live without his other half.

But things look more extreme at eighteen, eh? :)

He picked himself up, he made something of himself without Jonny...on his own. Proud of him. It kinda waned once Jonny returned six years later.

I like more groveling in these types of situations but Marco is a lover, not a fighter. Reading about him, you get he's a passionate type of guy. He loves hard, why wouldn't he accept Jonny just as easily. Better person than I. ;)

What I think I loved more than the romance? The characters and not relying on stereotypes. I'm so happy Marco had the stable background, he might look like a hood but he wasn't. It wasn't all gangsta's paradise just because they didn't come from the 'burbs. (Yes, I'm happy Jonny had the broken background.) 

Great second chance romance: sweet, low angst and very light grit. Wonderful in-between read right here.

*********************************************************************************************

Optimist Kings Wench: Shintarou's way by Eve and Seventh Son by SenatorBlitz

Japanese True Blood!
Shintarou came to be steeped in pain, violence and blood, or so the legend goes. He's been isolated for years following the death of his lover. When he reemerges he finds that vampires are now legal citizens. He's also finds himself feeling lonesome.

Someone needs a puppy.

*makes ridiculous kissing noises*

*insert some super gushy baby talk*

AWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

Akio is a dog shifter who's been expelled from his pack for being gay.

BOOOOOOO!

^^^^Look at those faces. *lip quiver*

Aiko has taken to staying in his dog form, living as a stray and subsisting on scraps. Shin patiently coaxes him into a semblance of trust with an endgame in mind. Every pup needs a loving master.

If the idea of puppy play squicks you, you'll be fine. It's very light and fluffy with beautiful, evocative prose that draws you into the story and makes you root for these two protagonists. It's sweet without being sappy. It's sexy without being porny. It pulls on your heartstrings especially with the hand feeding and cuddles. *swoons* I wish it was longer. Can't tell a lie. I want that punishment scene like nobody's business.

Maybe a follow up?



Thanks to the author and her team for participating in the LOR event.*****

What an odd little story.

I really liked it, though. It's quirky and weird and the prose is almost word vomit, but I liked it.

I liked it so much that at one point I was trying to stifle my laughter in my office and it started sounding like a weird choke/snort which I'm now going to refer to as CHORTING.

Aerie is an odd little man who thinks odd little things. He's so funny that I'd like to put him in my pocket and carry him around so he can spout off sarcastic epithets at random strangers just for shits and giggles. What can I say? I'm easily entertained.

Plus... 

mean I’m a sarcastic pissant who enjoys fighting with my butler. I was aware that I wasn’t the most cheerful unicorn in the universe, but I’d never realized I was actually unhappy.

It didn't really follow the prompt for the historical portion and I would've liked a kilt or two, but the prompt did say contemporary if the author was so inclined.

The whole kidnapping thing was weird and the resolution doesn't make sense exactly but I liked the big reveal of why "Scotty" did what he did.

If you like silly reads, this is worth it just don't take it seriously.

Thanks to the author & their team for participating and the chorts!

*********************************************************************************************

Sunny: In Heaven and Earth by Amy Rae Durreson

I loved this story. The creative elements, the characters, the dialogue. Omg, the dialogue. Loved it. So many grins. They were a nice balance for the serious, nerve wracking parts of the story.

More thoughts for this BMBR post:

This was a fantastic read for me. The well developed characters, the thought provoking quotes, the humor, the emotions, the fascinating world. It all worked together to keep my interest throughout the story, and still makes me smile when I think of it. Will definitely re-read this one :) 

*********************************************************************************************

Lorix: The Truth About Forever by Piper Vaughn and Eagle Man and Mr. Hawk by Dawn Sister

So this right here is exactly why I love Piper Vaughn's words! She always gives me that stomach clenching moment when the two MC's sort out their stuff.

Jonny and Marcus really had a deep, to the bone (HA!! no pun intended) relationship. The kind of love that six years apart doesn't destroy, no matter how much you want it too. The kind of love that bloody hurts - but also feels so damn good.

Piper nails it so well, it's never too much or too little, but just right. Even in a short story she makes me fall in love with the characters and want their HEA more than anything. And she always delivers the perfect HEA. A beautiful story, from prompt to cover to finish. <3 Thanks guys! 

*****

This book made me smile. I loved Ethan with a passion. Seriously, he's quirky, nice, funny & cares about animals. I could read more and more and more about him. I have me a new book boyf!

Alex, I liked him alot - even when he was being annoyingly stubborn and or dense! I think there is a lot more behond Alex's character that we don't actually find out in tbis story.

Despite the fact thee was a bit of miscommunication/jumping to conclusions going on, something I usually hate, I just loved this story. 

Ethan made it for me, though I really care for Alex and want to know more about him. It was humorous and delightful. Thank you so much for this contribution.