Review: The Straight Boyfriend (Loving You #3) by Renae Kaye

Aaron Hall has never been able to remain faithful to a single woman, and for most of his life, he’s dated two women at once. Recently his girlfriend tracked him down and knocked on his door—and his live-in girlfriend answered. Now he has no girlfriend and a mortgage he can’t pay by himself.

Vinnie Rosello needs to change his life—get a better job, stop drinking all his money away, find himself a serious boyfriend… and move out of his parents’ house. Aaron needs help with his expenses, so they become housemates.

Even though Aaron harbors some misconceptions about gay men and Vinnie misses his large Italian family, both men find comfort in their friendship. It’s a good arrangement until everything between them changes

Vinnie falls in love with Aaron, and Aaron is shocked to realize he feels the same. There’s only one problem—he’s still straight. He’ll have to overcome his fear of labels in order to love the man who’s captured his heart.

Labels. Like them or loathe them we are surrounded day in, day out by labels. Alcoholic, bi, cis,  depressive, disabled, dyslexic, dyspraxic, female, gay, husband, male,  partner, queer, straight, teacher, trans, wife,    , .. I could go on, the list is endless. Human instinct is to categorise, to order, to try and understand, and labelling is a way of doing this. Is it right? I don't know. Sometimes labels can become very dangerous, an alcoholic is more than an alcoholic, yet you can bet your life that is the term that defines them, I know from personal experience; dad, son, husband, chef, loving, funny... they all come after the alcoholic label. It can be so dangerous to reduce a person to a label.

BUT...

...and this took me a while to understand, for some people labels are exactly what they need. It helps them understand themselves and gives them a place to belong. Pansexual. For someone who has never understood their attraction because it doesn't conform to what society understands, to be able to be labelled as pansexual gives something to identify with. As humans we are all different. We are unique. Our feelings and emotions and identities are ours to own and label as we please. Right?

Aaron, frankly on the surface I didn't really like him, for a start he consistently cheats on girlfriends because he's not getting enough sex. Not exactly endearing in a romantic lead! Then he has a relationship with Vinnie yet refuses to label himself as anything other than straight... but the more I thought about it, the more I realised, isn't that his right? It's his label for himself. To me, maybe to the majority, he is bisexual. When I google the meaning of bisexual it says:

noun

1. 1.

   a person who is sexually attracted to both men and women.

Aaron is attracted to women, but he's also attracted to Vinnie, a man. Therefore by dictionary definition, he's bi. Just because it's only one man doesn't change the fact that Vinnie is a man to whom Aaron is sexually attracted. Yet he really doesn't want to identify as anything other than straight. And that is his right. Nobody has a right to tell someone they can't identify the way they want to, and that works every way. Bi-erasure is COMPLETELY wrong, but so is taking away the right for an individual to identify with whichever label they want. Personally, I think bisexuality makes more sense than anything else, we are all people and are attracted to people... but that is just my opinion and I don't expect anyone else to have the same view as me!

So what does this have to do with the book? Well Aaron is very hung up on the labels and it makes admitting that he has fallen in love with Vinnie difficult, he is adamant he's not gay, nor bi, he's straight. See above for my feelings on this. 

The thing is, on the surface this is a funny, sweet love story between two people who don't feel like they would belong together. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and Aaron and Vinnie are definitely friends before anything else. Vinnie brings out the best in Aaron, he makes us see the nice side of this serial cheater. He is a good friend, thoughtful and kind and the blossoming romance made my heart go gooey. I think you could read this and just be enamoured by the romance. Or you can read it and think deeply about labels and how they fit in society. Is there a definitive right or wrong? I don't think so - but that's just my opinion.

Personally I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves sweet romances.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Find on Dreampinner Press or Goodreads!

Review: Eyes Only for You (Eyes of Love #2) by Andrew Grey

Marcello Bagnini has a history of falling for the wrong men, and it seems he's done it again. Working out at the gym with his straight friend Jerry is becoming harder by the day-in more ways than one. Worse yet, Jerry isn't the only one who notices Marcello's wandering eyes. So instead of risking his friendship with Jerry and alienating the other guys at the gym, Marcello keeps his feelings to himself.

Real estate agent Jerry Foland has never explored his interest in other men, but there's something different about Marcello, and Jerry's starting to think he might like to see where his attraction could lead. However, Jerry's controlling father makes it clear that it's either stay on the straight and narrow or Jerry can say good-bye to his family.

As much as they try to stay away from each other, their lives overlap, both at the gym and when Jerry is contracted to sell the home of one of Marcello's friends. Friendship grows into more, but Jerry's father has his own agenda, and it doesn't include having a gay son.

I feel like it could just be me at this point. I’ve had a run of rather average books and unfortunately this book falls in with that crowd. I enjoyed this story, but it was let down with stilted dialogue and an over-abundance of gym talk.

Marcello has been friends with Jerry for 3 months and is crushing after him hard, but he’s been burned badly by men in the closet. Jerry has also noticed Marcello but has only identified as straight. It doesn’t help matters that his parents are narrow-minded, controlling, homophobic pricks. Put these jumble of issues together and these two have some obstacles to overcome before they can be together.

This was a pretty cute story, but I just couldn’t get properly invested, I think this was largely to do with the way the dialogue was written. There were clunky info dumps that didn’t feel at all natural to how people spoke in real life.

“What do you do?” Sal asked, turning to Marcello.
“I’m a technical instructor. I work with Donner and Green in Mechanicsburg. We develop classes and teach various types of computer software. I personally teach and develop classes for Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and I do a product for specialty publishing called FrameMaker. I also manage various projects within the office as a sort of in-house project manager.”

And Marcello came out with some pretty weird lines, that once again might look pretty on paper but would be stilted when spoken out loud. This one came after a kiss, before things got too heated….

“We can’t. I gave you a taste so you know the kind of man I am and how I’ll treat you. But the rest you have to decide.”

That sort of dialogue takes me out of the story immediately and I find it impossible to invest fully in the characters.

Then there was the gym talk, details of proper exercises and routines and cooling regimes. Honestly, I really really couldn’t care about that stuff and these guys spend alot of time at the gym...

This story did end on a much better note however, there was no unwanted silliness or take backsies of promises made on Jerry’s part. I found the last ‘dramatic’ climax a bit cliche but I actually liked it because it created an exciting event (other than going to the gym...) for these guys to experience together.

I liked the story, it was a nice, quiet, steady romance but it wasn’t executed in a way that griped me or had me overly invested.

Find on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads!

Review: A Year Less Three Days by Alyx J. Shaw & Mychael Black

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Review: Quillon's Covert by Louis Stevens

Martin is a guy’s guy, one who enjoys the simple things in life: baseball games with his son, family days, barbecues, and date nights with his lovely wife.

Once a year for two weeks, Martin takes his son, Marty, to Quillon’s Covert, a rustic family cabin secluded in the beautiful California mountains. Since before those long days of learning to play ball, Marty has loved his dad, but as Marty matures, Martin starts to see something else settle in his son’s uncertain gaze. What’s there lingers a little more than it should, and it seems far more appraising than it once was.

As Marty shows every sign of taking the lead, Martin is faced with the tough choices most parents never see: lose his son by being a father, or try to balance what’s best for their relationship by being something… more.

But with another trip to Quillon’s Covert on the horizon, has the point of no return already begun?

Note: This book contains incest

Tags: GAY, EROTICA, ROMANCE, TABOO, INCEST, INFIDELITY

"Son. This can't happen," Martin whispered firmly.
Marty gently force his hand down and back up his dad's length. "Buh-buh-but what if I wuh-wuh-want it to?" he asked just as quietly.

Are your Spidey Smut Senses tingling yet?

Did you re-read the blurb? Checked out the tags? *whispers* I won't tell a soul. It'll be our secret.

Come join me down the smutty road of jizztastic intentions...

...to dadcest, my favorite 'cest of all.

Jospeh Lance Tonlet and Louis Stevens' contemporary novella, "Quillon's Covert" is a story that spans the years with the Quillons, dad Martin and teen son Martin Jr. aka Marty. With twenty years apart and nothing sexual beginning until Marty is 18 years old, the story focuses on their California vacation home/cabin, named "Quillon's Covert", where the males can be free with themselves for two weeks out of the year and relax. The spans from when Marty is age 14 through 27, each chapter reflecting on the year, through alternating POV.

Marty has a speech impediment (a characteristic I really enjoy in romances) and is traumatized from a past choking mishap. Being as Marty is Martin's only kid, he coddled his son more than normal. What is very clear in this story is that the Quillon men love each other, more than anything and share a special father/son bond. Nothing was untoward from Martin's end and Marty was the one who developed sexual feeling for his "old man" at a crucial point in his teenage development that carried on throughout the years. He was the aggressor, if you will.

Now with dad/son incest, for me, there can be magic if it's depraved or full of sexual tension and forbidden moments.

It's incest fantasy...so go full throttle, y'know what I mean?

"Dad?"
"Yuh-yuh-you haven't forgotten I'm g-g-gay, right?"
"No, I haven't forgotten."
"So, um, th-th-that...what you're doing, feels really nice."
"But I'm your dad--"
"Maybe it's because you're my dad."  

This book...not so. It's one the sweetest, fluffiest incest stories I've ever read.

Sweet and sugary...

No, no...more sugar than that.

That's better.

I am not a reader who needs so much sugar, especially in my smut. But to each their own.

This story was fluffed out that it's pacing and editing were off. And the emotions that can make or break good incest story suffered from it. In fact, the story focused more on not making squicky for the curious and proving no badwrong started until Marty was legal, that plot points such as Martin's struggle with his sexuality (he capitulated way too quickly), the sexual tension was non existent and there was no recap of the other 50 weeks that didn't read like a massive info dump.

"Marty, I'm not gay."
"Dad, I know--"
"No, please let me finish. I'm not gay, but...but I love you more than anyone. Probably more than I should, in fact. But that's besides the point. The point is...The point is, although I'm not sure I'll be able to love you exactly the same way in return, the though of being that close to you, of sharing something so...intimate with you, it's very appealing. Very. And, honestly, I'd be honored. Beyond honored."

I can overlook editing errors (I am mostly in this case) if the story is good. But I was more focused on the need of editing, shaving down the words in spot that got underdeveloped rather than the characters. Most of the book (instead of the epilogue), the father and son read like they were strangers outside of their cabin retreat. I thought the son lived with his mom for most of the book until I realized they actually lived in the same house outside of the cabin. The start of the book was slow, then started to warm up in the second third and fizzled out in the last third. the epilogue was nice, it also had erotic parts under the sweetness.

And the talking, sometimes they talked so much instead of acting on something. Some parts should have been shaved down, some not needed like Marty remarking on his father's business partner being weird. Added nothing to the plot of it wasn't going anywhere.

Another thing that was a good idea until it tried to extra components was the kink. One of the Quillon men likes spanking. See nothing wrong with a little sensitizing, but there was bondage brought in...it read more for titillation for the reader instead of the characters and in something that is highly character based for me that scene read off. And the nicknames, which is usually my thing, weren't working for me either, I do that, make up cute nicknames for people special to me, but maybe it was the wacky choice. Something about it didn't work.

But I could piece together the main thread. It's a simple story of a gay young man carrying a torch for his straight father and getting his wishes. It's a slow burn, the authors voices melded very well. The sex was nice, romantic and sweet. I think the length was good, the telling parts could have been lessened and the weaker points could have been more developed. I did love the accidental 'setup' between father/son that read like an ode to common Nifty porn such as needing help in the shower due to broken arms (though carrying bags with broken arms? Hmm...) or walking around naked all the time or stealing spunky underwear. Nice touch!

There was sex with nothing happening until the latter half, all nice and respectable.

Well...for an imaginary father and son pairing, I guess. ;P

The ending was...realistic with the obvious difficult this couple has. (There is infidelity on both of their parts) But oddly enough, their significant others aren't introduced, aren't really explored and other than telling the readers about them, they could've been paint on the wall for all I know.

Overall, it was sweet read...yes, for incest. There aren't many sweet, fluff incest reads, particularly with no angst. It's swimming in the 2.5-3 Hearts range for me, not for the topic (obviously not my first time at the incest erotica rodeo, buckaroos), more so for the execution. But a certain pseudo-exhibition scene sealed me swimming to the higher end of my rating range.

I wouldn't recommend it to seasoned incest smut readers whose tastes run toward depraved. I'd recommend more for readers who are curious about incest romance and enjoy syrupy sweet. This would be perfect for those readers.

Other than the incest part of their relationship, it's quite...normal. Martin and Martin Jr. make their own HEA. I do believe they'll love each other until their very last breath.

Checkout on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Review: Taking the Long Way by Max MacGowan

Male escort Rye Bellamy is looking for a way out. Any way out. He’s getting older, and clients are getting more dangerous. If he doesn’t find something better, he knows he won’t survive.

He sees his chance in Marcus Townsend, a functionally blind Army veteran. Marcus, who refuses to accept his condition as immutable, has a shot at seeing a specialist who might be able to help him—but that doctor’s based on the other side of the country.

When Rye and Marcus meet, they realize they can help each other. Marcus can’t drive, but Rye can. Marcus knows what Rye is, but he likes him anyway. In fact, he more than likes him. Driving cross-country with a near stranger is a daunting task, but Rye’s biggest risk is falling for the gentle, stubborn-hearted soldier—and it might already be too late to stop that.

They plan to part ways when they reach their destination, but plans change as the affection between them grows. Now neither wants their journey to end, but continuing means finding a way to bridge the distance between who they were and who they'd like to become.

Rentboy...legally blind former solider...three guesses why I jumped at the chance to read this.

SRAL: on the prowl for rentboy romances. I wonder if I could add this to my business card?

Debut author Max MacGowan's "Taking the Long Way" does literally that. Apt title is apt. Old in the tooth hooker at the age of twenty-five, Rye gets an unexpected break from his rough life and forced 'retirement' by way of legally blind, sexually straight former soldier, Marcus. Marcus encounters Rye on the street and is drawn to him. But he's straight, so it's got to be that he's worried about the life the hooker leads, right? Marcus just falls into an easy friendship and invites the stranger he barely knows to escort him to Atlanta...as friends.

A different type of premise. And readers who don't like rentboy stories to be too gritty, might enjoy this. The tone is easy to follow, the characters are light and likeable. The men leave California and embark on a road trip through Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia. Some states were more interesting than others for the men. Overall, they drive their way into love.

This is tagged as erotic romance...hmm...romantica? *tilts head* Maybe. This is low/no angst. Nothing rocks the plot into anything crazy. Just a road trip from California to Atlanta, and somehow these men fall in love. They say the right words, at decent points in the novel...but I'm still on the fence with the couple. It could be they didn't make a hard enough sell in buying their relationship in the beginning.

There isn't as much sex (less penetrative) in the story as I'd have thought in an erotic romance. But the men's connection was nice. I like the progression into gay sex for gay sex virgin Marcus. Plus, taking his disability and struggle with his diagnosis into account, it was handled well enough. But there were some stronger and weaker parts.

Interesting parts:

- Demisexualism - this story is probably going to be tagged as 'gay for you'. A man who was heterosexual all of his life is now sexually attracted to a man. Not every man, just the one, Rye. But the author makes sure to introduce the term demisexual (being attracted to a person when a strong emotional connection is formed) Marcus hadn't been sexually attracted to anyone in some time. The author also made a point that it didn't matter of about the person's gender who Marcus was attracted to without making it too technical (pansexualism - term's not introduced though or properly used). I liked that they used Jessie the kid to introduce the demisexual term and get Marcus to understand. (Though the emotional connection was a little too soon for Jessie to call it nor would Jessie be able to tell really, would she?)

- Jessie - she wasn't too annoying for an eleven year old. She was my favorite of the secondary characters. Prim and Celia, the lesbian couple from Louisiana are a close second. They helped when the story dragged.

Things that weren't as strong:

- In the beginning and other spots (but mostly the beginning): the main characters weren't distinct enough in their own voice. They shared the same thoughts. An example, 10% - both main characters are strangers and yet they see the same man and refer to him by the same nickname? It tapered off somewhere before New Mexico, which leads me into my next issue.

- The story could have been shaved some: I get it. It's a road trip and the trip is supposed to intensify the bonding especially into shorter time frames. But some of it was unnecessary to the plot. New Mexico - that entire section? Not needed. Added nothing and read like filler. I would say the same about Shadow. But...I guess it worked for the Louisiana subplot. But...something about the entire thing felt wonky to me. *shrugs* I am happy with the outcome. I am a dog lover and go crazy for the pups, so what do I know?

- The story is very low angst: but it reads too easy in some aspects. It could be the lack of depth of the main characters. But the story is serviceable, more than memorable. (Could be because my last story was bombastic.) But I just finished the story and I struggled to remember character names and parts.

For a first time novel, it's good. It brings two men together who weren't looking for love much less a relationship together. I think the last chapter was necessary. But I'm iffy on the way the story ended. Don't worry, no cliffhangers involved. Everything is wrapped up...maybe a little too neatly for my tastes.

But it got the job done.

Recommended for readers who like low angst, damaged men with baggage getting together and don't want to end up being wrecked at the end of the story.

For more information on Dreamspinner Press,  Goodreads or Booklikes!

Review: Linhart's Beautiful Beast by Mel Bossa

The Great North, Quebec, 1934. Joe Vega, the Beast, has been locked up in Linhart Prison for three years. The brutish guards harass him because of his size, but Joe remains cool.

Until Christophe Dubois, the disowned son of an affluent politician, is led into Joe's cell. From the moment Joe sees him, he suspects the ginger-head is trouble. Christophe is bold, curious, and feisty, and Joe can't resist the temptation of climbing into the man's bunk for long. However, the beautiful spoiled Christophe is a furnace to which both guards and convicts want to warm their hands, and Joe must fight to keep Christophe safe.

Linhart Prison may be a cruel place, but when the two men are released from its walls, they find an even tougher world out there.

Is the flame burning between Joe and Chris enough to keep them together?

Passionate. Idealistic. Ugly. Crazy. Beautiful.

"Every morning, he woke up hoping this was Dubois's last day in here, but then, when the night came, he'd lie there, praying Dubois stayed another day.He wanted him. Wanted him until he thought he'd lose his mind. "

Prison romances. I love them something fierce. Why? Having to be caged and mentally (sometimes physically) broken down to a bare bones level can make a great read. You thought I was going to say the sex? It can be great too, but I'm looking for the emotion from the inmates. If there is going to be romance, I want broken souls coming together. I want to read and experience their journey.

Mel Bossa accomplishes this with the protagonists in "Linhart's Beautiful Beast".

Set in 1930's Quebec, 21 year old Joe Vega is over 6'6", considered nothing more than an ignorant, immigrant criminal beast. He was sent to Linhart prison aka the "Icebox" where the inmates are really being used for free manual labor. The social injustices outside the prison continues inside the prison: English vs. French in his homeland, civil unrest overseas and this mustachioed man who seems to be garnering attention.

But in Linhart prison, their world is contained by a lot of ice and trees. Joe is not stupid. In fact, he's very well read and full of ideals. He's read all but three books in the entire building, writes love letters for other inmates and though feared for his size and intimidating look, he is respected because he is a gentleman. Already three years in his seven year sentence for a trumped up charge, he gets a new cellmate. The rich, effeminate, ginger haired, twink French teen Christophe Dubois whose father is hated for his political machinations. Dubois happens to have ties to the mafia and all eyes are on him for his alluring presence.

"And do you know why I feel immune to the ugliness in here?" "'Cause you're leaving, and that gives you one thing we don't have...hope." "No, it's because I feel your presence with me at all times. You're that ship, Joseph. I've forsaken my spirit to you. It doesn't matter where you go, or I go. I'm bound to you now."

Captivated yet fighting his attraction, Joe tries to ignore the obviously gay younger man. No one can be trusted, the only person who seems to be honorable is Joe. The author tells the story through the gentle giant. It's sort of a beauty and the beast type of feel. The main characters have a lot of things going against them. It seems there are a lot of factions against them, more in the beginning once everyone notices Dubois is gay. He doesn't hide who he is. And I loved it.

"You could cut...all that out.""You mean the men. Perhaps I could. I'm quite sure I could. But you see, Joe, I don't want to. What you call unnatural is the very essence of my nature."

Trigger warnings: violence, a near non-con scene. The story was like a roller coaster once it started to get air under its sails, around 10-15%. Once it started getting into its pace, the story got more interesting. There were a lot of ideas thrown into this story, most of them worked.

But...there were times the story dragged or ended in an odd spot. Some of the characters acted a little erratic. And the beginning of the main character's relationship...something was too soon but after awhile, I got caught up in their grand declarations.

Things I loved:

The main characters - Joe the uneducated immigrant who thinks like a poet laureate, the "beautiful beast" covered in burn scars. I came to care for. Sometimes he could be a little too goody goody but overall I enjoyed him. I loved reading his internal struggle for loving another man, it read very believable. And Dubois, the passionate young rent boy who loves so crazily, so easily (I questioned the speed of his love in the beginning) he cut his finger off to prove a point to a past lover kind of passion. Dubois knew what he was, didn't hide who he was and that letter he wrote to the warden was everything. Though the boys are fairly young and could be technically be classified as new adult, the life experience they've had and the time period reads more adult. But their actions and trust me some of their choices especially when they are free of Linhart can be frustrating, but it could be blamed on their age. Still, they made quite a pair.

Historical Quebec - The Depression era and WWII aren't my favorite historical time periods to read in romance. There is something about the 1920's-40's that usually takes longer to get my attention. But the Canadian perspective was different and I really enjoyed this. The historical events were intertwined fluidly. You could feel the prison guards' frustration from having to work in the Icebox. The inmates we do meet through Joe are mostly his two friends, Levin and Novak, so their anger about their state of life was written very nicely. And the setting was rich. I really felt like I was in the cold, icy snow, chopping trees with inmates.

Things that were okay/ gave me pause:

Joe's mother - I tried to understand her. Her reactions read weird especially within the last 10%. Now I got to understand she tried to say things without overtly saying them to her son like, 'don't be a homosexual', 'what about your life', etc. But her reactions ping ponged from anger, happiness, lust(?), shame...I lost her character. She didn't like Christophe but she did, there was a birder in her house aka she didn't want the gay business in her house, I think. I don't know. I wish she came across more clearer or at least pick one side of the emotion spectrum when it came to her son so I could understand her more.

Transitioning - It could be a little rough. I think the point was for the reader to read between the lines during some of the pivotal scenes. But sometimes it was difficult to decipher.

Plot points - A lot of ideas, maybe just a little too many? I think some of the plot points could have been pushed further such as the reasoning behind Joe being arrested. It's a plot twist, explanations are given but I think it could have been explored. Maybe seeing the big bad guys in the flesh instead of being talked about secondhand? Maybe a flashback of Joe before being arrested to get a clearer picture on the set up? Some points were underdeveloped.

Though there were some issues, the romance was strong. If your reading for mostly for hot erotica, this had sex but it's secondary to the romance. Some of the scenes are implied/fade to black. There is a HEA. There are some heartbreaking and touching moments.

A passionate tale between two characters who I'd like to think would survive to love for a lifetime no matter what odds.

For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Group Review: The Last Nights of The Frangipani Hotel by Bey Deckard

All James wanted was a little solitude at his favourite resort: bright sunshine overhead, soft, white sand underfoot, and a hammock to read in while the warm breeze rustles through the coconut palms and almond trees. However, when an old acquaintance shows up, and James is obliged to share “his” beach, a profound exchange over a bottle of rum leads to a lust-fuelled encounter in the dark.

Reeling from the intensity of the drunken tryst, James decides to cut his vacation short rather than face what he’s kept hidden under mountains of denial.

However, his escape is thwarted when Rudie, handsome and plainspoken, calls him out on his behaviour and makes him see that life needn’t be spent running away from his desires.

Set at a rundown old resort on a small Caribbean island, The Last Nights of The Frangipani Hotel is a story about letting go of fear and learning that passion and love can be found in the most unexpected of places.

Lorix - 3 Hearts

A short, quick and easy read about discovering oneself in the quiet beauty of the Caribbean. Bey Deckard always writes prose I enjoy, and while this short did not blow me away I did enjoy the story.

I have a feeling that short stories from this author are not my favourite of his writing. Whilst I enjoy them, they don't hold my attention as the wonderful complexity I adore from his longer novels does.

James and Rudie were likeable characters, enjoying the sun and learning about each other, and in James' case himself. A pleasant read, beautifully written, that I enjoyed but wasn't wowed by. I am definitely in the minority so I would say give this a go.

SheReadsALot - 4.5 Hearts

"See, I like pleasing you. I like knowing that my body, my mouth, my hands... my ass can make you feel so good. I like feeling used. I liked it when you came into my room and held me down and fucked me. Like I was just a thing to be used to make you cum. Like your fuck toy."

After reading nearly all of this author's backlist, I've come to notice a few things.

1. It takes me longer to get into his contemporary. The fantasy pirates? I was all in after the first few pages. I mean pirates, hello. And the sci-fi soldiers...well, I love good D/s and a big buy bottoming, so it was a match made in heaven. The Last Nights of Frangipani Hotel didn't start to hook me until 26% and it was a tentative hook at first. But as the story progressed, I really began to enjoy.

2. This author is really, really great at painting a scene and dirty talk. The Caribbean setting was lush and I felt like I was there with actors James and Rudie in their dilapidated hideaway beach resort. The Caribbean is a favorite place of mine, so it's great to revisit in a story. And as for the dirty talk, I mean, look at the starting quote. I think all my quotes I chose from this story are of a sexual nature in some form. Deckard is to blame. (Or thank?)

James is an actor, hidden away from the stress of being rich and famous in a little vacation hut all on his lonesome. When Rudie, a hot younger German actor, encroaches James' peace and solitude with conversation and hot body. They've met before years before and reconnect over shared interests, books and their occupation.

Oh and that pesky mutual attraction that straight, separated James tries to deny.

"You are pitying yourself for something that isn't so serious. It's not like you and I are getting married. I'm only trying to help you see yourself in a different way. But if you don't want my help, I won't give it. Just realize that I'm going to lock my door at night so that you don't accidentally find your cock in my ass again."

The men are virtually secluded, alcohol is consumed...passion can't be denied. *leers*

But it is an awkward start. And things don't automatically fall into place. James is having an identity crisis because he's adamantly straight. Right? James' denial of being attracted to men was funny. GFY can be hit or miss for me. I'm not that caught up in titles but I do enjoy reading a great internal struggle and James does deliver some good moments. And Rudie definitely knew how to rub James the right way.

I found this novella from The Actors' Circle series is slightly more stronger. Maybe because there was more page time between the main characters. I think I got a better sense of James and Rudie as characters, James more so than Rudie. But Rudie was the star of the book for me. I really liked the way the men got close. Would I call this sweet? Eh, maybe? It's light in tone. I think that they had cabin fever/ vacation-itis love going on for the way the insta-love kinda developed. I'd love to see them in the future in the author ever have plans for that but I'm happy with the way it ended too.

"I felt like I had just noticed that I'd been driving with the parking brake on these years."

Another quick, easy and hot read to break in new readers of the author.
Recommended for fans of vacation romances and dirty talk, separate or together.

Sunshine - 4 Hearts


Simple, quiet read, but still lusty :)

I loved Rudie. He had an endearing combination of pragmatic confidence and sweet vulnerability that drew me in. I didn't connect with James as much, but I was sympathetic to his struggles and I liked his response to Rudie. Plus, he had his own moments of sweet vulnerability that appealed to me.

The writing was solid, with a strong sense of place and great atmosphere. Words perfectly chosen to set the mood...very evocative. And while I wanted more story, I was happy with the ending, the excitement of a new beginning.

Side note:
Loved the touches of D/s...more, please :)


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Review: Helping Hand by Jay Northcote

Wanking with a mate isn’t gay—as long as you keep your hands to yourself.

Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie—Big Mac to his mates—are in their second year at uni. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies.

When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off. But falling for your straight friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same.

What can I possibly say about this book that hasn't already been said?

So many reviewers have said everything so well and so much better than I can.

So what do I do? Try to match the hot gifs?




Try to say something others haven't?

Did anyone mention how apropos the title is? Because apropos title is apropos.

Jez and Mac lend helping hands literally and metaphorically. They are roommates who have made a pact to focus on their education this semester whilst their other roommates continue to party like it's 1999 and give them both 16 different kinds of shit for being old ladies.

Little do they know their ain't no knitting happening in that house when the cats are away.




It is hot. It's not the hotness that spoke to me, though; it was the authenticity and the lack of labels. 

I don't like labels. Gay, straight, bi, pan, Chinese, Black, White, rich, poor, smart, disabled... who cares? People are people not check marks on a demographic worksheet and all the stereotypes associated with those labels. Thankfully, Jez and Mac come to the conclusion that they don't really care what others want to label them. They're into each other. The end. I respect that.

The way they explore their sexuality gets more high marks for Northcote. They're awkward and fumbling often. They don't jump into buttesex or even oral for that matter. Hell, it takes an eternity to get to the kissing bits!



It's all told through Jez but it's painfully obvious that Mac struggles with his feelings. I think maybe if we had been privy to his thoughts I would've felt more of a connection between them. As it stands, I think this is a promising beginning to their relationship that I wouldn't mind reading more of, if that were in the works.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Clockwork Pirate by Lyn Gala

Alex hid his unnatural attraction to men for many years. That changes when the pirate Beche takes Alex after capturing his ship. At first Alex believes his fate is death and the only question a matter of how he might die. However, the longer he is on the ship, the more he realizes that Beche hates the world because it is unfair in ways Alex never understood. As Alex begins to respect this strong, independent man, Alex’s dormant desires begin to reassert themselves.

Beche hates the titled classes and their government enforcers. They might have outlawed slavery on paper, but they never came to the islands to free him or his family. Since his skin is black, society has little respect for him. Beche expects no more of this latest captive, but soon Beche begins to realize that Alex is a naïve and beautiful man who values family and struggles with his own place in society. That poses an even larger problem because Beche does not want to send Alex back to a world that will mistreat him, but he has no place for a lord on a ship full of pirates.

Clockwork Pirate is everything I love about steampunk and LG-great gadgets, wildly creative and fantastic characterization. I'm almost starstruck with her range; she's conquered sci-fi, contemporary and now steampunk. If that's not enough to sell you, try this on for size:  GFY and a virgin AND interracial AND AND PIRATES! That concoction right there is full of win. The gift that keeps on giving, I tell ya.

The fact that LG chose an interracial relationship in post Civil War America and that she didn't shy away from the race relations topic made it more compelling somehow. Contemporary issues were deftly woven into a steampunk setting with an injection of swashbuckling adventure all working together to make the experience absorbing. 

Beche is a product of oppression, yet he wasn't depicted as bitter or vengeful, but judged people individually and has an enormous capacity to forgive which spoke volumes about his character to me. His first mate also happens to be the man who wielded a whip against him at the behest of his monstrous father, and Beche considers him family. I'm not sure most could conjure up the ability to forgive to that extent. Make no mistake though, Beche is a pirate captain and capable of ruthlessness, which is how he meets and captures Alex.

"He is so gentle I fear the world will treat him badly."

Alex is tenderhearted and loyal. He sacrifices himself to save his sisters and his crew then finds himself disturbingly attracted to his captor. You see, Alex's father subjected him to aversion therapy for his urning nature, so the hurt runs deep. What I enjoyed most about Alex's character was the dichotomy. He could easily be mistaken as delicate, but he's got a core of steel. He's not worldly by any means despite his margrave title, and he's somehow managed to retain an almost childlike naivete. His sisters, however, do not share these qualities and they both make for entertaining secondary characters.

"Why would you lie with a man? They're rough and unpleasant." She sat up a little straighter. "Of course, I do not include you in that judgment, but really? A man?" Aster appeared more bewildered than accusatory, and the fear in Alex's chest eased some. 

The writing is classic LG. The story is nicely paced, low angst with great characters, enough sexy times to quicken a pulse and outstanding world building. What I found in equal parts puzzling and amusing was the gender labeling thing. I didn't know what to make of it, but, frankly, I found I didn't care because I was enjoying the ride so much. 

Cool gadgets are cool.

If LG decided to expand on this book, I would read more from this world.


If steampunk isn't your thing, it's not overpowering. If steampunk is your thing, get on this already!

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

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