Review: Night's Templar by Joey W. Hill (Vampire Queen #13)

Lord Uthe, a member of the Vampire Council, was a Templar Knight centuries ago. Even up to the present day, he has attempted to honor the spirit of the Rule, despite the volatile and highly sexual nature of the vampire world. Yet now he’s caught the attention of the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Council and Fae Court. Keldwyn challenges Uthe’s emotional isolation and dominant nature. When a quest from Uthe’s past requires Keldwyn’s help to protect both their worlds, Uthe will have to decide whether the Fae male is a gift from God to be cherished and trusted, or a curse that will make Uthe fail the Order he promised to serve all his life. 

Fangirl Review!

Joey is a favorite of mine but when I realized this was her first M/M book in 3.67 KAGRILLION years (or since 2007 but who's counting?) dog's covered their ears. And in my favorite series too!!!!

I don't even know where to start the fangirling so I guess I'll start with the series. This is book 13 of the Vampire Queen series BUT this can be read as a standalone. True, there are nuances to be had from having some familiarity with the series, but Joey does an excellent job of explaining the high points which, honestly, for someone like myself who's read virtually the entire series became a bit tedious. Also, this book is a beast! Amazon puts it at 453 pgs. It has over 7K locations! I'm thinking those are Word doc pages not Kindle pages. 

If you're not familiar with Joey's writing, she has an affinity for the English language and uses it to the best of her abilities to draw the reader into her world's. 

And she LOVES angst and feels. 

Lord Uthe has been an intriguing and enigmatic character since he was introduced. He's a Templar Knight who sits on the Vampire Council with Lyssa, the vampire Queen. They are both allies and friends. He and the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Vampire Council and the Fae courts, have been growing closer. They are well matched in that they are both accustomed to navigating the intricacies of their worlds with their delicate egos and political machinations and are skilled in the art of detachment or at least masking their detachment.

When Uthe's final Templar mission puts him in need of getting into the Fae world Keldwyn inserts himself as his partner. With stipulations. Erotic ones. Erotic ones that shocked me. Frankly, this turn of events was highly unexpected. And welcome. Very welcome. I couldn't have been happier if a basket of puppies landed on my doorstep!

Trust

Trust is the issue. The Fae talk in riddles and usually have an ulterior motive, so can Keldwyn prove himself trustworthy and can Uthe accept his words at face value is the primary obstacle between these friends becoming lovers. The eroticism of their D/s relationship is satisfying and disappointing. I know what Joey is capable of brining to the BDSM table and I found myself longing for more kink and pain. It's hinted at but never really comes to fruition.

Keldwyn realized the idea of possessing him, calling him his own, almost superseded the urgency of anything else, at least in this moment.

The story itself, though, was wonderful and not just their relationship development. The adventure in the Fae world was filled with some of my favorite mythical creatures and battles that had my heart pumping with adrenaline. Pacing is a bit of an issue and I do think this could've been trimmed and tightened up. But you throw in some of my favorite characters from the series and I'm liable to forget any and all niggles.

It should be noted both men are bisexual with a preference for men. There are a couple of m/f scenes that are mostly fade to black and not graphic.



It goes without saying (or at least it should) that I highly recommend this series and this author. 

I paid for it! With my own money and everything!


Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: O Come All Ye Kinky edited by Sarah Frantz

Christmas is a time of love and joy, and the New Year is a time of renewal. But they are also times of stress and strife, family drama, pressure and heartache—a potent mix of high expectations and conflicted emotions. Add in power exchange relationships, kinky gift swaps, and unconventional love in a sometimes unforgiving world, and you have a formula for a sizzling anthology of stories that tug at your heart.

From Ava March’s forbidden Regency love among men, to Katie Porter’s scorching hot contemporary tale of two women discovering holiday happiness, everyone will find a favorite here. Pervertible toys abound: Lambda Literary Award finalist L.A. Witt’s candy cane, Jane Davitt’s wrapping paper and tape, and Alexa Snow’s Christmas candles all please and delight. Newcomer Elyan Smith and fan favorite Kim Dare both celebrate New Year’s Eve with romantic flair and kinky fireworks, while bestselling author Joey W. Hill’s poignant story of love lost and regained will lead you home.

Whatever your desires, we invite you to explore new fantasies and old with these eight kinky tales of holiday happy endings.

This anthology offers lots o' kinky, holiday jizz!

Tree Topper by Jane Devitt  ♥♥♥½

Stan and Martin have been in a D/s relationship for some time now, but it's kind of falling apart. Stan is acting up and Martin isn't giving him the discipline that he needs. Basically, these two need to have a chit-chat about who's who in the relationship. I liked the switcharoo from the norm and the Dom was the less confident one, second guessing himself.

Oh, Martin definitely came up with some creative ways to spice things up and to show who's the Dom! It was some kinky holiday fun.

Twas the Night by Ava March ♥♥♥♥

I'm a huge fan of Ava March. Her historicals never fail me and Percy and Michael were no different. Percy has been seeing Michael for some time. And by seeing, I mean visiting him, being a very good boy and then being on his way. He feels like he doesn't have the right to ask for more from Michael since he thinks his wants are unnatural. 

Throughout the kinky scene I was witness to, they start to reveal their feelings towards each other. Michael gave Percy the confidence to ask for what he wants. Literally. It was delicious. 

Fire Works by Katie Porter ♥♥♥½

Rachel and Emma are having one last session together before Rachel moves away for her job. Emma would willingly follow Rachel anywhere, but Rachel refuses to make that kind of commitment.

Holy shiz these girls were hard core. Emma can take a beating! There were all sorts of toys and Rachel loved to use them on her girl. Really hot F/F story.

Candy Caning by L.A. Witt ♥♥♥♥

Stephen and Nate are out Christmas shopping when they spot a huge candy cane. As soon as he sees Stephen pick it up, Nate instantly knows what Stephen intends to do with it. Heh.

Hot and sexy with some sweetness thrown in, exactly what you'd expect from L.A. Witt. Even though the story was mostly sex, it was easy to tell that they had a solid relationship. They had a great dynamic with obvious love for each other. 

Submissive Angel by Joey W. Hill ♥♥♥

After Robert found Ange beaten in an ally he gave Ange a job at his vintage toy shop. They'd been attracted to each other and Ange finally was able to seduce his Master.

This seems to be a common favorite in this anthology, but I couldn't get into it. I think it may be because it was more serious than the previous stories and I just wasn't in the mood for that. 

Open Return by Elyan Smith ♥♥♥

Zach (who used to be Hannah) has returned to his former lovers Scott and Laura after he up and left fifteen years ago.

I really liked the idea of this story. There was a lot of emotion and themes (reunited lovers, menage, trans) crammed into this novella. Also, there was only one very short sex scene when this is an erotic anthology. I was gypped in the sex department! I think this needed to be longer to really delve into the themes and flesh out the characters. 

Ring out the Old and in the New by Alexa Snow ♥♥♥♥

Ever since Evan was attacked he hasn't been the same. He's ashamed of the scar it's left on his face and has been distant with his Dom, Russell. 

Russell was the perfect Dom. He was so kind and understanding towards Evan. He slowly brought him back to himself and showed him there was nothing to be embarrassed about. This one was lighter on the kink, but made up for it with the sweetness.

His Very Last Chance by Kim Dare ♥♥♥♥½

When Kingsley overhears his sub, Drew, saying that his Dom doesn't do love and romance, he sets out to prove his sub wrong.

Kingsley was very creative in his ways of proving Drew wrong. He used all sort of romantic items to prove just how kinkily (<- is that a word? *shrugs*) romantic he is. They were already in a relationship, but they were in that 'do I love him? does he love me?' point, so this scene solidified what they were to each other. They were able to start out the new year with a clean slate, knowing where they stood together. This was my favorite of the anthology.

Well, there you have it. Nothing says Christmas like collars, floggers and butt plugs!

MERRY JIZZMAS EVERYONE!