Tag Team Review: The Art of Mutual Pleasure by K.A. Merikan

--- The path to debauchery is strewn with good intentions. ---

Benjamin Snowley is trapped in a most distressing predicament. He’s been feeling poorly and after having recently recovered from influenza, he knows that the fault for his declining health lies in a vice he wouldn’t dare mention in polite conversation.

Onanism, self-pollution, masturbation. All names for the same sinful affliction.

For Benjamin, it all started back at school, where he first encountered the immoral Frederick Cory. Ever since then, the man has been plaguing Benjamin’s dreams and causing most unnatural urges.

Now is the time for all the infatuation nonsense to stop. With the help of an unorthodox doctor and an indecent proposition to a young stablehand, Benjamin will rid himself of the vile addiction.

But can the experimental treatment be enough to make him forget his feelings for Frederick?

Warning: Contains a clueless young man on a futile quest for chastity and a libertine artist eager to rid him of that goal

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes: masturbation, historical attitudes to sexuality, medicine, doctor, guilt, unorthodox treatment, master/servant, groom, superstition, moral failure, enemies to lovers

Genre: M/M Regency romantic erotica

Erotic content: explicit language, inappropriate medical examination, cum swallowing, bareback, sex toys, body worship, multiple partners

Chelsea - 4.5 Hearts

That was so much better than I was expecting! I didn’t have high expectations for this one, I don’t know why, I love K.A Merikan and I’m glad they proved me wrong and reminded me why I should always trust their writing!

This is more of a self-discovery story than a romance, but it ends romantically, or happily? I don’t know if you can call orgies romantic? Either way I totally loved it!

Poor Benjamin lives in a time where masterbation or ‘self-abuse’ is the cause of many illness and even death, who knew right?!? It all started when he was 13 and witnessed an older schoolmate making out with another boy?! Oh the scandal! He couldn’t help but indulge in a little ‘self-abuse’ after that. Despite this he doesn’t understand his provilicaties lean towards the same sex until much much later in the book. So be prepared to watch Benjamin struggle with a huge amount of self-loathing.

This book had me shaking my head in disgust, my eyes popping out of my head and absolutely praying for Benjamin to get a clue!! but I loved watching the process of his self- awareness developing. My heart did break for him when he felt so isolated, It was nice when he finally found some freedom. That's what I love about the Merikans they so easily involve so many different emotions into their stories.

But what I think they’re known for is there dirty dirty kinky sex and this book is super dirty, like cum guzzling, spit-roasting, glory holes and gangbangs… just to name a few.

So Benjamin obviously has multiple partners throughout this story and he ends in an open relationship with a man. I think the Merikans have written the best open relationships I’ve read so far. There's an understanding and something a little extra between the couple but both enjoy other men and want to keep it that way. It worked so well for Benjamin and I’m glad he didn’t end up in a monogamous relationship, it wouldn’t have worked for this stage of his life.

If you can handle your frustration at the opinions of the time and don’t mind multiple partners and super dirty sex with a HEA, I’d highly recommend this one!!!

Adam - 3.75 Hearts

I’ll acknowledge the obvious first: the premise of this book is silly and very unrealistic. But the authors were going for a light-hearted and sexy read, and they definitely accomplished that.

This book tells the story of Benjamin Snowley, an upper-class English gentleman who struggles with a major health concern - masturbation. He’s convinced that this his daily practice of “self-pollution” has resulted in his ailing health.

Benjamin consults a doctor with unorthodox methods. The doctor has a simple solution: in order to compensate for the vital fluids the Benjamin loses by masturbating, he’ll need to consume the stronger fluids of working-class men.

Benjamin struggles with this advice, but he soon finds a compelling reason to go through with it - the captivating stable boy on his country estate.

And so begins Benjamin’s descent into debauchery.

Benjamin takes to man-on-man action like a fish to water. He’s eager to try new things, and he soon finds that he prefers being on his knees and making his “donors” happy.

There’s a lot of sex in this book, which could easily have become stale or repetitive. But that wasn’t at all the case. Each sex scene was incredibly hot.

The romantic relationship doesn’t really come into play until the second half of the book. Benjamin’s love interest is Frederick Cory, a libertine who Benjamin went to school with, and who Benjamin blames for his health predicament.

But Frederick slowly brings Benjamin around, convincing him that sex is something pleasurable and acceptable on its own. It takes a while, but with Frederick’s support Benjamin finally learns to accept his desires and kinks.

I’d say this book is more so about Benjamin’s self-discovery than about a romantic relationship, but I still found the romance to be sweet, and the HEA was perfect for these two.

This book takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to enjoy. Benjamin’s naive belief in the “remedy” can get annoying at times. But even so, I ended up really liking this book.

If you’re looking for a sexy MM historical read and are willing to go with the flow, give ‘The Art of Mutual Pleasure’ a try!

Review: The Master Will Appear by L.A. Witt

Dr. Mikhail “Misha” Budnikov takes one look at fellow fencer Ryan O’Connor and instantly knows his type. The undisciplined hothead is all ego with no finesse and even less control. In short, Misha’s pet peeves personified. To put the arrogant kid in check, Misha challenges him to a sparring match, which he predictably wins.

Not so predictably, Ryan asks him to be a mentor and show him how to fence. Startled by the moment of humility, Misha agrees.

What begins as fencing lessons becomes something much hotter, and before they know it, Misha is giving Ryan an entirely different kind of education. Dominance, submission, pain, pleasure—at the hands of an older, experienced man, a whole new world is opening up for Ryan.

As the trust deepens and their bond strengthens, though, Ryan retreats because that sham called love left him jaded long ago. Cynical beyond his years, he’s not letting his guard down, least of all for a thrice-divorced man twice his age.

Now Misha has to find a way to crack through those defenses…or accept defeat and walk away from the submissive who might just be the love of his life.

Confession. I did something with this review that I've never done since I began reviewing. I sat on it. I sat on it for SIX DAYS. Yeah, I'm not a procrastinator when it comes to reviewing. Everything else is fair game. My rationale was I wanted to see what I remembered, see if my feels changed at all with time. They didn't. I'm still circling between 3-3.5 Hearts.

I liked this book. I didn't love this book mostly because it felt like a draft. Maybe not a first draft, maybe a second or third, but a draft nonetheless. Witt's editor did her a disservice by not acting like my college philosophy prof, in my opinion. That mofo returned papers to me that looked like his pen Hulked out all over my writes. It was like something died on that paper. Fuck, I hated that class. Anywhat. I'm digressing.

Up and down. Up and down. That's precisely how this read went for me. Moments of brilliance like the phone call scene when I simultaneously respected the hell out of Misha while feeling their connection paired with redundancy and repetition like the lotion and water. Times when I felt I was being told rather than shown and vice versa. I also feel like this was two books. The first half was sex heavy. Every time I turned around they were gearing up again like they were freebasing Viagra. I was looking for some relationship development but all I got was sexual chemistry. Then the second half was like the flip side of the coin. It focused more on them as a couple and growing closer. I would've liked a better overall balance.

Ryan's characterization was heavy on the angst and pain having much to do with his dysfunctional family and the toll that's taken on him. Sometimes I felt like the angst and pain was relevant and other times gratuitous. Misha's characterization was simpler, as it should be with all Ryan had going on, so I did appreciate the lack of drama on his end and the fact that we were shown how he's retained his sense of optimism and romanticism through numerous failed marriages and relationships. I think their difference in age (19 yrs) was handled well and shouldn't squick anyone out.

This is Witt so the sex was hot as was the kink. I do like pain, though, so if that's not in your comfort zone you may want to exercise caution. I didn't think it was overly explicit but it's been established I'm not the best barometer for these things so... Ryan also has a bit of an exhibitionist streak and wants to be the star in a gang bang, which Misha arranges and IT WAS HOOOOTTTT!!!!!!! Scorching hot. My favorite part was how Ryan kept looking for Misha though like he was his protector and touchstone. That was a thoughtful touch.

I've been watching a lot of Iron Chef lately, because THE GAUNTLET (((***echoes***))) so I'm about to Alton Brown this review.

We have two primo ingredients here-age difference and kink, which I'll liken to steak and lobster. Both are capable of carrying the show even if you do little with them they're still stellar ingredients and that's what Witt did. Both are prepared well but not transformed in any way. Steak and lobster are a good dish that anyone would pay good money for in any restaurant around the world, but it's not a composed dish and thus, not Iron Chef worthy.

Still worth a read if you like steak or lobster, though.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Don't miss The Master Will Appear Blitz + Giveaway HERE!

Review: Clown'd (XXX'd #1) by KA Merikan

--- It's clowns. It's a gangbang. It's helium balloons. ---

Some nights just don’t go as planned. It’s Halloween and Kyle’s rushing home to see his boyfriend after a late evening shift at work. As usual, he takes a shortcut through the local park, but a poster informing about a killer clown in the area makes him apprehensive about being alone in the dark. It’s only when he discovers there is a man in a clown costume following him that he panics. Soon, it turns out his cackling shadow isn’t the only circus freak hiding in the dark, but what does a bunch of crazy clowns do when they catch you?

Some nights don't go as planned?  

If the plan was, 'Let's Make Halloween Hot as Fuck', then I think the night went exactly as planned.  

Maybe just not according to what Kyle had in mind. Once he was keen to the goings on, then hell yeeeeeaaaaah, he liked the plan. 

Plans are good.

Especially plans involving gangbanging clowns with balloons. 

Kyle was being followed and captured by a coupla creepy clowns. Pretty quickly he realized that his boyfriend, Dan, was in on this and was making his fantasies come true. Even knowing that this was fantasy and that Kyle knew everything was fantasy, it was sooooooo hot. Like, I can't even express the magnitude of all the hotness. 

I think the fact that they were clowns is what made the fantasy so damn sexy. Kyle had no idea who these dudes were. He made up nicknames for them to keep 'em all straight in his head. He liked that he was being gangbanged by strangers in front of his boyfriend. I think I liked it, too.

Dan is basically awesome and a badass boyfriend to put the whole scene together for Kyle. Almost makes my heart a little mushy inside. 

Moral of this review: Clowns are, in fact, fucking sexy.

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