Review: The Perfect Whore (Storm and Lightning #1) by Josephine Myles

Being the object of everyone’s sexual fantasies ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…

On a mining colony planet a long way from Earth, bandit Jedd Lightning dreams of making enough money to get his ship spaceworthy again. During a robbery at a high-class brothel, he meets gorgeous alien rentboy Storm and is instantly smitten—but the heist goes south and Jedd has to high-tail it out of there with only half the loot.

Enslaved by a fierce Madam, Storm’s shapeshifting talents make him the most sought after whore on Talmak. He literally can’t stop himself becoming his client’s fantasy lover. Sick of enforced transformations, he wants to escape, but he’s closely guarded and has no experience of the unfamiliar city outside the brothel.

Storm is willing—and eager—to do anything to persuade Jedd to break him out of his gilded prison. Lucky for him the arrogant outlaw needs Storm’s help to free his crewmate, held as hostage by a vicious mob boss who wants Jedd to complete the theft he was hired for. Storm keeps blowing away Jedd’s expectations—but with both the law and the mob against them, they could end up with nowhere left to run.

Well, this was a super fun, slightly campy, space jam of action-y goodness! I had a great time getting lost in the adventure and the world the author built. It’s an interesting premise that has a lot of room for growth and I’m hoping the niggles I have about the depth of a few plot points in The Perfect Whore will be expanded upon in future books in the series.

I’ve been a huge fan of Josephine Myles since I read First Impressions many moons ago and I’ve gotten so much more out of every book of hers than I expected. There’s generally a lot more to unpack in her stories than just the romance between the two (or three) MC’s. There’s a lot of self discovery that happens that makes her characters so fully fleshed out and satisfying to read.

The Perfect Whore is very different from past books of hers that I’ve read and I enjoyed the departure very much. And here comes my but, but, I did feel like I was missing the depth that I’ve gotten used to with the author’s other characters and while that may not be fair to The Perfect Whore to compare that way, I couldn’t help myself now and again. That’s why I say I hope that the depth will come in future installments.

What I do know of Jedd and Storm I like very much. There is so much more I want to know about them both and at by the end I felt like I had just scratched the surface.

Jedd is more loyal and upstanding than he wants to let on and his bad boy smuggler/thief persona fits well with the genre. I felt like he was a character sketched out rather than fully fleshed out and that there is more to be had from him. I know I feel that way because of the comparing thing and I’m possibly being unfair to what this story is meant to be, but I can’t help but want more from him and if following stories give me that I will be thrilled!

 Storm is an amazing character. He’s a shape shifter that conforms to his client’s fantasies and the transformations are mostly out of his control. It makes him, literally, the perfect whore and an incredibly sympathetic being. He’s sexually empathic so he has just about as much fun as his clients do, but in the end it’s a lonely and sad life he leads at the brothel. It’s dangerous for him to be out in public and he’s way too valuable for the brothel to ever consider letting him go.

Jedd and Storm have an unexplainable connection. The shape shifting is there and the undeniable attraction is the same as with anyone else for Storm, but there is definitely something more. The shape Storm takes with Jedd is the closest to what he remembers his true self to be. He’s intrigued (as was I) as to what that might mean. Storm’s gotten a hint that some of his people may be out there, as in the “out there” of space, and I can’t wait to see where this goes and what it means for Jedd and Storm.

The story ends with an optimistic HFN, which is great, but there is soooooo much more to learn and this can continue on as a sexy and sassy fun space adventure or it can go a little further into the dynamics of Jedd and Storm. What is Jedd’s story, what’s he all about, how did he get here? I don’t even know where to start with Storm. Who is he, where are the rest of his people, can he ever be himself and exactly what does that mean? Regardless of which way the story progresses, I’m going to be reading it.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Perfect Whore (Storm & Lightning #1) by Josephine Myles

Celebrate the release of The Perfect Whore (Storm & Lightning #1) with author Josephine Myles and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the new sci-fi romance today and enter in the giveaway for your choice of Josephine Myles back list eBook!

Universal Buy Link

Cover Design: Lou Harper

Length: 58,000 words approx.

Blurb

Being the object of everyone’s sexual fantasies ain’t all it’s cracked up to be…

On a mining colony planet a long way from Earth, bandit Jedd Lightning dreams of making enough money to get his ship spaceworthy again. During a robbery at a high-class brothel, he meets gorgeous alien rentboy Storm and is instantly smitten—but the heist goes south and Jedd has to high-tail it out of there with only half the loot.

Enslaved by a fierce Madam, Storm’s shapeshifting talents make him the most sought after whore on Talmak. He literally can’t stop himself becoming his client’s fantasy lover. Sick of enforced transformations, he wants to escape, but he’s closely guarded and has no experience of the unfamiliar city outside the brothel.

Storm is willing—and eager—to do anything to persuade Jedd to break him out of his gilded prison. Lucky for him the arrogant outlaw needs Storm’s help to free his crewmate, held as hostage by a vicious mob boss who wants Jedd to complete the theft he was hired for. Storm keeps blowing away Jedd’s expectations—but with both the law and the mob against them, they could end up with nowhere left to run.

Excerpt

“Stick ’em up, people. This is a raid. I want all your valuables, right now...” The last words trailed away as Jedd took a really good look at the naked, sweaty couple on the bed. His target, the Right Honorable Senator Artaxico Thrublet, was on his knees behind one of the most gorgeous bodies Jedd had ever clapped eyes on. A body on hands and knees. A most decidedly human and male body…

Shit, had he gotten the wrong room? Jedd squinted at the client, trying to work out if it really was the senator. ’He was definitely Talmaki, with his lizard-like body, orange, hairless skin and bulging eyes . But no, he’d studied footage of Artaxico and recognized his large nose and the ridiculous looking rows of diamond studs up both his pointed ears.

“Hold on, just let me finish. Uh!” Artaxico shuddered to a stop, his belly wobbling as he panted obscenely. Jedd winced at the sight. He knew interspecies mating went on—everyone had heard the tales—but intellectual knowledge wasn’t the same thing as having it thrust in your face. Talmaki just weren’t his idea of sexy. Okay, there had been that one time he’d got drunk enough for a fumble in an alleyway, but the alien’s cock had been kind of scary, and things hadn’t got very far. But maybe the gorgeous young whore was used to those luminous, scaly shafts of meat. Maybe he even enjoyed them. Was he enjoying Talmaki cock right now? He was certainly hard enough.

Right now Jedd couldn’t see the expression on the whore’s face as it was buried in the mattress, but maybe that was for the best. There was no way he could be handsome enough to do that incredible body justice. No wonder the senator had decided to try him as a change from the celebrated Divine. The rentboy moaned through his own orgasm, just moments after the senator, and drenched the sheets below him in spunk.

Artaxico withdrew, revealing an intimidating length of glowing scarlet cock, then collapsed back onto the bed. He reached out to pat a perfectly formed buttock. “Run along now, sthweetie. I wouldn’t want you to get caught up in any of this nasty business.” The lad scooted down to the end of the bed facing Jedd, exposing an equally impressive prick which was filling up again in what must be a record-breaking time.

And as for his face... Suns above! Those were lips Jedd would give anything to see stretched around his dick. But no, he had a job to do, and he wasn’t about to get sidetracked by some hyper-sexed rentboy, no matter how astoundingly gorgeous he was.

“The boy stays,” Jedd ordered. Artaxico gave him a puzzled look, but Jedd pressed on. “I want your datapod and passcode, now!”

“Not a chance in hell. That passcode is top level sthecurity,” Artaxico lisped. “I really don’t imagine there’s anything an ignorant monkey like you could do that could force me to sthpeak.”

Okay, just as he’d feared, but Jedd had his back-up plan. “Oh yeah?” Jedd strode over to the bed and grabbed the lithe young man under the arm. There was a brief moment where he was distracted by the sensation of naked skin against his own, but he couldn’t afford to lose any time so he pulled the whore upright, holding the charge gun to his temple. “Your strumpet gets it if you don’t talk. And don’t think this is a bluff. I never bluff.” He pulled the lad tighter to him for emphasis, but this had the unfortunate effect of bringing more of his own body in contact with those taut muscles, and his face even closer to the thatch of chestnut curls. His nose was on a level with the top of the whore’s head, and he pulled in a lungful of the most divine, arousing musk. Feeling a familiar tightening in his pants where he brushed up against those pert buttocks, Jedd cursed his over-active libido. “I’m warning you! The code, now!”

Artaxico just laughed, a mocking bray that wound Jedd up worse than finding a firebug had crawled into his beer. “Utter nonsense! I’ve stheen killers before – by the sthuns, I employ enough of them, and you really don’t have that look in your eyes. You’re just an overgrown wassat, aren’t you?” The senator twitched his nose in a near perfect imitation of one of the pesky rodents.

Jedd fumed. First a monkey, now a wassat. He turned the gun on the senator. “Okay then, if you don’t give me that passcode this instant, you get it. I mean it!”

“Like you’ll ever be able to get it off me if I’m dead. Does that antique piece of crap even have the power to kill? Looks more like something my wife would carry to stun any overconfident admirers.”

Goddammit, how could the man tell? Jedd waved the gun as threateningly as he could. “You willing to take that risk?”

Artaxico laughed again, getting up to his feet. “What risk? There’s security everywhere in this place, you know? I’m just going to stroll out of here and call the guards, and you’re not going to do a thing to stop me.”

Oh, wasn’t he? Jedd aimed at Artaxico’s head and pulled the trigger. “Ha! Not so clever now, are you?”

“Is he going to be all right? That was just a stun, wasn’t it? “ The godlike young man had a voice to match his physique—a rich and sultry baritone that rumbled against Jedd’s breastbone.

The senator snored before Jedd had a chance to answer, and the lad melted back against him, sighing with what sounded like relief. Their close contact made a certain part of Jedd’s body grow stiffer while the rest seemed to want to melt into a puddle.

Would the rentboy mind sneaking in a quickie? Jedd would even pay if he had to, the lad was that gorgeous. Or would the stun charge have set off the internal alarm system? Probably best not to risk dawdling too long.

Still, seemed a shame to waste a moment like this now that Artaxico was unable to interfere. Jedd loosened his hold and let the young man turn in his arms. Holy fuck, Jedd could feel the whore’s massive erection prodding his thigh.

He took a deep breath, forced it out. Focus. Not here. Not now. Just gather information. “Captain Jedd Lightning, at your service. And who might you be, gorgeous creature?”

The man chuckled, stepping away from him and turning to fix him with a pair of intensely soulful deep green eyes. “My working name’s Divine, but you can call me Storm.”

“Divine? But… You’re meant to be a girl!” Jedd spluttered.

The young man gave a maddening, secretive smile. “Divine can be whoever you want, Captain. Divine is simply the title of your ideal lover.”

“So they swap you around depending on what the johns want? There are other Divines?”

“Something like that. But please, call me Storm.” A plaintive note sounded in his voice and his lower lip jutted in an almost-pout. “No one ever does these days.”

Storm. It suited him, as there was a wildness in those eyes that Jedd thought he recognized, something he glimpsed in his own reflection every morning. Focusing on Storm’s eyes proved a challenge, though, when there was all that naked flesh to feast his gaze on. Smooth, bronzed skin, with just enough hair between those dark nipples to make him want to run his fingers through it. Jedd’s gaze followed the trail down all the way to the most majestic cock he’d ever seen. It reached up invitingly, as if seeking Jedd’s hand.

“You have quite an imagination, don’t you?” Storm said, staring down at himself as if in fascination.

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs, an incessantly curious pre-schooler, and a bun in the oven!



Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author
Twitter: @JosephineMyles
Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=8383406 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Review: Screwing the System (Screwing the System #1) by Josephine Myles

When Boss meets brat…

Forced to apply for a job he doesn’t want, Cosmo Rawlins has only one aim in mind: fail the interview and get back to making music. But his attempt to shock the sexy, sharp-suited Alasdair Grant has a very different result.

Instead of getting thrown out of the office for flaunting an interest in BDSM, Cosmo finds himself on his knees, apologising to the most dominant man he’s ever met.

Alasdair has more important things on his mind than training a novice sub, especially a rebellious bad boy like Cosmo. But there’s something beneath the youngster’s bratty attitude that fascinates him.

As Alasdair takes Cosmo in hand—and for a wild ride on his Harley—he becomes obsessed with bending the young rocker to his will, both in and out of bed. But while Cosmo might enjoy the kink, he’s not up for becoming Alasdair’s household slave.

When Alasdair goes one demand too far, Cosmo is gone in a cloud of dust. Forcing Alasdair to admit that earning Cosmo’s loyalty—and love—will involve the toughest challenge he’s ever faced.

Warning: This title contains an overbearing Top with a less than glamorous job, a rebellious brat who refuses to call him sir, and a total lack of high-end BDSM clubs or playrooms. Expect floggings over the kitchen table instead. Written in Jo’s usual exceedingly “English” English.

When readers are first introduced to Cosmo, he isn’t entirely likeable. He’d rather live on assistance while pursuing a music career than get a job to make ends meet. He thrives on playing “the system.”

But I can’t deny that his (funny) bratty attitude and antics won me over pretty quickly. He may not be the most productive member of society, but he’s got potential, if only he would put in more effort.

Alasdair realizes this about Cosmo from the start. He’s very attracted to the younger man, but Alasdair also thinks Cosmo could do with some structure in his life. Alasdair definitely has a paternalistic streak, but he’s genuinely a nice person.

Plus, he exudes sex. This is one steamy read! Cosmo and Alasdair click from their first night together, and it just gets better as the book goes on.

I liked that the BDSM in this book was a lot less “formal” than the usual. There are no clubs and grand rituals; just two men getting kinky together.

The relationship between Alasdair and Cosmo builds gradually. As they spend more time together, both MCs realize that their assumptions about the other weren’t entirely true.

Alasdair wants to give Cosmo structure and confidence to reach his goals, while Cosmo wants to give Alasdair back a life outside of work. The two learn together to balance work and fun. They’re happier together than they were alone.

This is a fairly low-drama book. The major roadblock revolves around a previous relationship of Alasdair’s and how it continues to affect him. The issue, and the resolution, was realistic.

However, there’s a problem that comes up right at the end of the book which distracted me from Cosmo and Alasdair’s happy ending. I would have liked a more concrete finish.

Even so, I enjoyed Alasdair and Cosmo’s story very much. If you’re looking for an MM opposites-attract romance with some kinky sex and not too much angst, give this book a try!

Review: The Hot Floor by Jospehine Myles

Two plus one equals scorching hot fun.

Dumped by his boyfriend and reduced to living in a grotty bedsit, Josh Carpenter lives for his job as a glassblower. That and occasional glimpses of his sexy downstairs neighbours, Rai Nakamura and Evan Truman.

Whenever he overhears the diminutive academic and the hunky plumber having loud and obviously kinky sex, Josh is whipped into a state of frenzied lust… and a longing for a relationship like theirs.

To his amazement, Rai and Evan find his embarrassing tendency to blush utterly charming, and the three men grow closer over the course of the long, hot summer. Despite enjoying Rai’s charming flirtation and Evan’s smoldering gaze, Josh is determined never to do anything to split them apart.

However, when a naked Josh falls—quite literally—into the middle of one of Rai and Evan’s marathon sex sessions, the force of their mutual attraction takes over. But just as Josh dares to hope, he senses a change. If the three of them can’t renegotiate the rules of their new relationship, Josh risks losing their friendship—and any chance at love—forever.

Warning: Contains one well-endowed stud with a sexy accent, one improbably toppy bottom boy with an unfortunate owl obsession, and one blushing naïf who can’t believe his luck. Also, the occasional indulgence in mathematical spanking and some shameless armpit sex. Written in Jo’s usual exceedingly “English” English.

Bonus Christmas Hot Floor short story included in this edition!

Whenever Josh hears the hot kinky couple downstairs going at it, he can’t help but dream of joining in. When the opportunity presents itself to join Rai Nakamura and Evan Truman for some fun, Josh jumps right in. When the three men develop feelings beyond good sex, Josh needs to figure out how he fits in with the couple.

I’ll be entirely honest - my reason for picking up an MMM book is almost always because I’m looking for some dirty smut. I don’t read menage romances often, but usually I like them.

For me to buy a throuple, I have to really understand the motivations behind the three men letting go of jealousy and building a menage relationship. Unfortunately, ‘The Hot Floor’ didn’t do that for me.

The book started off well enough. I liked Josh. He was a bit of pitiful character, but I could understand where he was coming from. Sometimes life just kicks you down a few too many times. I wouldn’t say Josh is memorable, but he’s likeable.

Also, I’d probably be fascinated with a kinky couple that serenaded the entire building with their shenanigans as well.

Rai and Evan filled their roles as I’d expected - the small pushy twink, and the big burly top. The two exuded sex from the first page, so I was expecting some good smut when they got down and dirty with Josh.

‘The Hot Floor’ definitely delivers on the smut. There’s some spanking, mild D/s, humiliation kink, and bondage. Josh, Evan, and Rai certainly have sexual chemistry!

However, what I really didn’t get a good sense of was the emotional connection. Sure, the three men have hot sex and like each other, but I didn’t really feel romantic love between Josh and the existing couple.

I think part of the reason I didn’t get that real sense of a relationship is because the story is told entirely from Josh’s POV, so my understanding of Evan and Rai’s emotions was second-hand.

In the end, my impression was that I was told the three men were meant to be together as a couple, as opposed to actually seeing them build that relationship.

Overall, this was an okay read. There’s a lot of hot sex in this book, but I wanted more from the actual romance.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Barging In by Josephine Myles

Celebrate the re-release of Barging In with Josephine Myles and Signal Boost Promotions with a back list eBook giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 93,000 words

Cover: Harper By Design

Blurb

When the boat's a rockin', don't come knockin'!


Out-and-proud travel writer Dan Taylor is a city boy who can’t steer a boat to save his life, but that doesn’t stop him from heading into the English countryside to write up a narrowboat holiday. Compared to London, the canal seems dull as ditchwater. Until he crashes into the boat of a half-naked, tattooed man whose bad-boy, penniless appearance doesn’t fit with his posh accent. Dan is intrigued, and he always gets his man.


Still smarting from a past betrayal, Robin Hamilton is firmly closeted in his narrowboat—his refuge from outrageous, provocative men like Dan. But as circumstances keep throwing them together, he can’t help himself from coming to the hopelessly out-of-place city boy’s rescue. Exposure to Dan’s sunny charm starts to melt Robin’s resolve and he’s tempted by the idea of a brief, harmless fling.


After all, in less than a week, Dan will have left the canal and be back to his diet of casual hook-ups and friends with benefits.


Determined not to fall in love, both men dive into one week of indulgence…only to find themselves swept away by a current of escalating intimacy and emotional intensity. Troubled waters they didn’t anticipate… and haven’t a clue how to navigate.


Warning: Contains one lovable tart, one posh boy gone feral, rough sex, alfresco sex, vile strawberry flavoured condoms, intimate body piercings, red thermal long-johns, erotic woodchopping, an errant cat, a few colourful characters you wouldn't touch with a bargepole, and plenty of messing about on the river.

Author Bio


English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.


Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.


Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Guest Review: Junk (The Bristol Collection, #1) by Josephine Myles

Letting go is the first step to healing…or bringing it all crashing down.

When an avalanche of books cuts off access to his living room, university librarian Jasper Richardson can no longer ignore the truth. His ever-growing piles of books, magazines and newspapers can no longer be classified as a “collection”. It’s a hoard, and he needs professional help.

Professional clutter clearer and counselor Lewis Miller thinks he’s seen it all, but even he has to admit he’s shocked. Not so much by the state of Jasper’s house, but by the level of attraction he still feels for the sexy bookworm he remembers from school.

What a shame that Lewis’s ethical code forbids relationships with clients. As Jasper makes slow but steady progress, though, the magnetic pull between them is so strong even Lewis is having trouble convincing himself it’s a temporary emotional attachment arising from the therapeutic process.

Jasper longs to prove to Lewis that this is the real deal. But first he’ll have to lay bare the root of his hoarding problem…and reveal the dark secret hidden behind his walls of books.

Product Warnings
Contains a level-headed counselor with a secret addiction, a bespectacled geek with a sweet tooth, a killer “to-be-read” pile, embarrassing parents, a van called Alice, and deliciously British slang.

Reviewer - R *A Reader Obsessed*

Unique in topic, I was intrigued about this story on hoarding. Often fascinated and a bit uncomfortable, I felt empathy and sympathy as I rallied for the two MC's to achieve success in their lives and each other.

Jasper definitely has some issues. He knows it and wants to change, but he’s just so scared to take that first step. His stash of books, magazines, and various paper paraphernalia, all with potentially useful knowledge, has taken years to acquire. Such a collection has filled his house to the brim, as only a small pathway from the door to the kitchen and his bedroom remains. Jasper knows he’s a prisoner of his own making, however, just the thought of throwing even one thing away sends him into a tailspin of anxiety. In a moment of frustrated desperation, he makes a call for help.

Help shows up in the form of Lewis and his sister, who makes it their business to empower people to get rid of their hoards. Thankfully, Lewis is a calm and steady force, never with any judgement. He slowly urges Jasper to figure out the reasoning behind his need to collect, and gently coaxes him out of his hoard induced safety net. Lewis wants to help because that’s what he does, making his desire for Jasper all the more conflicting. When it’s reciprocated, he knows this is the worst time to start up a relationship.

What ensues is a back and forth between these two - yearning, resisting, giving in and pushing away. For what seems like the first time ever, indecisive Jasper knows what he wants and that’s Lewis. Jasper sees how good they are together, how perfectly they match up, but Lewis is not without his own personal problems and tendencies, all mocking him in the form of a slew of bad past relationships. Lewis knows his faults and somewhat doubts his own judgement, afraid to get too attached to Jasper, knowing that once he achieves success, Lewis will no longer be needed. Despite his inner turmoil, he can't resist falling hard.

These two were very likeable guys. That always makes difficult topics or situations go down nice and easy. There was a definite poignant vulnerability seen in both these men that added emotional weight. It doesn’t hurt at all that they were also quite hot and smexy in between the book piles and packed boxes, not to mention just plain, simple bed sheets! Not surprisingly, both Jasper and Lewis finally get their shit together, and it was a sweet, though abrupt, happy ending. I’m going to assume that that was on purpose, urging readers to read the next story about Jasper’s friend Mas. So yes, I’m hooked and look forward to seeing a thriving Jasper and Lewis in the periphery of the next installment!

Thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Handle With Care by Jospehine Myles

Josephine Myles and Signal Boost Promotions are promoting the re-release of Handle With Care! Check out today's info and enter the Josephine Myles back list giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 51,000 words

Cover: Kanaxa

Blurb

Great things come in small packages…


Ben Lethbridge doesn’t have many vices left. He lost his youth to raising his little sister to adulthood, then made up for lost time with reckless abandon. Two years of constant partying—and ignoring his diabetes—has left him tied to a home dialysis regimen.


He can work from home, fortunately, but most of life’s little luxuries are forbidden. Except for watching porn… and fantasising over Ollie, the gorgeous purple-haired skateboarder who delivers his discreetly packaged DVDs.


Their doorstep banter is the highlight of Ben’s solitary day, but his paranoia over his illness-ravaged body prevents him from seeing their flirting for what it really is. He knows Ollie is far too young for him anyway, but he figures there’s no harm in sprucing himself up a bit.


Then one day, a package accidentally splits open, revealing Ben’s dirty little secret. But instead of Ollie being repelled they make an unexpected connection that has Ben wondering if he’s been reading the situation wrong all this time. The only way to find out if they have a chance at love is to risk showing Ollie every last scar. And that could take more courage than Ben owns.


Warning: Contains superhero porn comics and a pint-sized, accident-prone delivery guy with colour-changing hair. Readers may experience coffee cravings, an unexpected liking for bad mullets, and the urge to wrap Ollie up and take him home.



Author Bio


English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.


Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.


Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Re-Release Blitz + Giveaway: Scrap (The Bristol Collection #3) by Jospehine Myles

Josephine Myles and Signal Boost Promotions are here to promote the re-release of Scrap (The Bristol Collection #3)! Just look at that yummy cover! Check our previous review HERE and the book info from today for a chance to win a backlist eBook from the Josephine Myles' giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 80,000 words

Cover: Harper By Design

Blurb

In a battle of the alpha males, who will end up on top?


On the surface, Derek “Call me Dare” Nelson’s life is simple. He’s happy doing up campervans while living in a slightly illegal caravan in his riverfront yard. But life gets more complicated when a smooth-talking, handsome property developer offers to buy the land out from under his feet—the very same man Dare had to escort from a party nine months ago for causing a drunken scene.


Grant Matravers is living a double life, attempting to adjust to weekends as a single, soon-to-be-divorced gay man while staying in the closet during the week. The strain of keeping up appearances at work while missing his kids is bad enough, but add in an attraction to the shaven-headed, tattooed, totally unsuitable Dare and Grant finds his emotional barriers wearing dangerously thin.


Dare blasts through those barriers in a way Grant isn’t prepared for, challenging everything he thought he knew about himself as a gay man. But as their chemistry heats up and the intimacy between them grows, Grant edges towards a decision that could blow up in his face. Exposing a mess of complications that could destroy any chance for their happily ever after.


Product Warnings: Contains one sharp-suited man desperately in need of redemption, another whose thuggish exterior does a pretty good job of hiding his heart of gold, frotting in camper vans, a sensual head-shaving scene and several (noisy) guest appearances from Mas.

Author Bio


English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.


Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.


Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author

Twitter: @JosephineMyles

Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Re-Release Blitz + Givaway: Screwing the System by Josephine Myles

Celebrate the re-release of Screwing the System by Josephine Myles with the author and Signal Boost Promotions! Check out the kinky boss/employee romance and enter the Josephine Myles back list eBook giveaway!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 


Length: 228 pages


Cover Design: Harper By Design


Blurb


When Boss meets brat…

Forced to apply for a job he doesn’t want, Cosmo Rawlins has only one aim in mind: fail the interview and get back to making music. But his attempt to shock the sexy, sharp-suited Alasdair Grant has a very different result.

Instead of getting thrown out of the office for flaunting an interest in BDSM, Cosmo finds himself on his knees, apologizing to the most dominant man he’s ever met.

Alasdair has more important things on his mind than training a novice sub, especially a rebellious bad boy like Cosmo. But there’s something beneath the youngster’s bratty attitude that fascinates him.

As Alasdair takes Cosmo in hand—and for a wild ride on his Harley—he becomes obsessed with bending the young rocker to his will, both in and out of bed. But while Cosmo might enjoy the kink, he’s not up for becoming Alasdair’s household slave.

When Alasdair goes one demand too far, Cosmo is gone in a cloud of dust. Forcing Alasdair to admit that earning Cosmo’s loyalty—and love—will involve the toughest challenge he’s ever faced.

Warning: This title contains an overbearing Top with a less than glamorous job, a rebellious brat who refuses to call him sir, and a total lack of high-end BDSM clubs or playrooms. Expect floggings over the kitchen table instead. Written in Jo’s usual exceedingly “English” English.

NB. This book is a re-release.


Excerpt



Cosmo crossed his ankle over his knee and began humming. It wasn’t deliberately to annoy the blonde chick behind the reception desk. No, he’d had this tune buzzing around in his head ever since waking, but what with having to come along to this interview for a piece-of-shit job, he hadn’t had a chance to get it down yet. That was why he couldn’t hold down regular employment, see? It wasn’t laziness or stupidity, no matter what his old teachers might have said. Nah, he was just one of those creative types. He’d told that to Irene—she was his advisor at the Jobcentre. He’d told her he was looking for jobs that would utilize his musical skills. She’d said, “In High Wycombe? Dream on, Cosmo,” and told him he had to put down a wider range of acceptable jobs or she’d bloody well do it for him.

In the end, she had started to arrange interviews for him, which explained why he was sitting here, waiting to be interrogated about his suitability as a “sanitary disposal operative”—in other words, the poor sod who had to go around emptying bins in ladies’ toilets.

Fuck that.

The skinny bloke who’d gone in before him loped out of the shuttered office and hightailed it across the lobby to freedom. Cosmo sighed and popped a stick of gum into his mouth. Fresh breath, see? It looked like he was making an effort so he’d get brownie points, but chewing gum during an interview was guaranteed to piss off pretty much every manager out there. As was asking how many cigarette breaks you got per hour.

“Mr. Rawlins?” the blonde chick called. “Mr. Grant will see you now.”

Cosmo stood and smoothed down his black drainpipe trousers. He even had a well-ironed shirt and tie on. Thing was, he’d discovered that on him, the smart clothes and grade-two haircut made him look less like a good little worker and more like a thug. He’d probably get a job as a bouncer if that was what he was going for—not that he had the intimidating build or anything, but he looked well hard, what with the couple of scars on his chin and the one across his eyebrow from fighting off angry closet cases, plus he could do a mean stare if he felt the need.

But he had other tricks up his sleeve too. Quite literally. Cosmo massaged his sore wrists and headed on into the boss man’s office, giving Blondie a huge grin on the way. She smiled back, all coy-like. Barking up the wrong tree there, love.

Mr. Grant, on the other hand… There was a tree he wouldn’t mind barking up. Or climbing up, more like. He was huge and had to be old enough to be his dad, which wasn’t actually all that old, seeing as how his dad was only fifteen when he got his fourteen-year-old excuse for a mother up the duff. But this wasn’t some fat old geezer with white hair bristling out of his nostrils. Mr. Grant wasn’t big like that. He was built like a bricklayer, all broad chest and shoulders bunched with powerful muscles. It was obvious, even with his body covered up by the fancy suit, he spent time down the gym.

“Cosmo Rawlins,” the boss-man said, holding out a huge hand, which swallowed up Cosmo’s in a warm and firm handshake. What a grip. Cosmo had all kinds of naughty thoughts about where else he’d like to feel a hand like that and wondered whether getting a boner in the interview would be something this Mr. Grant would report back to Irene. Best not take the chance. “I’m Alasdair Grant. Please take a seat.”

Usually these things were done across a desk, but Mr. Grant didn’t seem to need the prop to boost his ego and had a load of comfy chairs arranged around a giant coffee table at one end of his office. The man was clearly doing all right for himself. Cosmo could have fit the entire ground floor of his shared house in there and still had room to swing a cat in. Not that he believed in cruelty to animals or anything.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Cosmo said as he settled into the chair indicated.

“Thanks. It’s taken me a decade to build this company up, but we’re now the largest sanitary services operation in the South East.”

Cosmo tried not to look too impressed, but it was bloody difficult not to when faced with the sight of Alasdair Grant seated across from him, like a stern George Clooney with that handsome face, cropped salt-and-pepper hair and designer stubble so thick it was bordering on beard territory. He had these sharp grey eyes fixed on Cosmo. It was unnerving, sitting there with the bloke looking at him like that.

Was Boss-man checking him out? Yes, definitely, but Cosmo was buggered if he could tell if it was purely a professional assessment or if there was a more salacious interest lurking in his gaze. Alasdair Grant didn’t have a wedding band, but Cosmo wasn’t going to read too much into that.

“So, Cosmo, has your advisor at the Jobcentre let you know exactly what the job entails?”

“Emptying rag bins in the ladies’ lavs, as I understand it.”

Boss-man gave this pained smile and leaned forward a little. Shit, it felt like he was looming over Cosmo, despite him being the other side of the coffee table. “That’s certainly an element of the work, but it’s a more responsible position than that. We provide a full replenishment service for all disposables, like paper towels and hand soap. We also empty and top-up the vending machines, so there’s a cash-handling element. You’d be in charge of one of our vehicles and acting as a frontline representative of Sanco Solutions at all times.”

Cosmo tuned out the words Boss-man was saying and just enjoyed the sound of his voice. There was this deep bass rumble to it that made him think those lungs must be huge, but that was overlaid with a melodic timbre not all that many speakers had, and there was a smooth, easy rhythm to his speech. Shit, he could listen to him for hours. Cosmo found himself tapping his foot and drumming his fingers along with his words. Gave him ideas for inserting a rap in the middle of the new song. Some UK Garage or Grime stylings, maybe. Would that work? The rest of the band would hate it. Rizzo especially, which made it doubly appealing.

“Mr. Rawlins. Am I boring you?”

That made him snap his head up. “What?”

“You looked like you were lost in music.” Boss-man stared pointedly down at his fingers.

“Oh, that. Sorry, it’s just habit. I’m a musician, see, and I can’t help it. I find inspiration everywhere.” Actually, this was good. Playing the flaky-musician card put off most employers, but he didn’t normally get a chance to until the bit at the end when they asked him if he had any questions.

“A musician? What do you play?”

“Guitar, and I sing too. I’m in a band. ScarDue, we’re called.” How much longer he’d be a member, he didn’t know. They were currently experiencing a bout of creative conflict. In other words, the rest of them were content playing cover versions of alt-metal hits in local pubs, whereas he wanted to experiment with crossing genres, come up with a completely original set and go places.

“Should I have heard of you?” he asked.

“I doubt it. Not unless you make a habit of hanging out down the White Horse on open-mic night.”

“Can’t say I do. The White Horse… Is that still a bikers’ pub?”

“Kind of. More emo and goth kids these days, but there’s a few bikers still hanging around. Freddie’s mates.”

“Freddie Henderson? Is he still the landlord?”

“Yeah, you know him?” Cosmo couldn’t imagine the two of them moving in the same social circles. For a start, Freddie had a shaved head, handlebar moustache, and the rest of his body was pretty much covered in tattoos and black leather. Alasdair Grant, on the other hand, was corporate establishment through and through.

Boss-man got this weird expression on his face. Fond? Yeah, it was that, but there was something more. Something kind of hot, like he was remembering sexy good times.

Author Bio

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She’s beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo’s novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.

Website and blog: josephinemyles.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/josephine.myles.author
Twitter: @JosephineMyles
Newsletter: eepurl.com/hrQ4s

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Review: Custom Fit (Tailor Made #2) by Josephine Myles

Being "wrong" has never felt so right!

Felix McAvoy is having an identity crisis. No longer the bad boy of art college, he’s now employed as a human billboard, roaming the centre of Bath dressed as a Roman soldier while attempting to fight off his nicotine cravings. It’s a come down for the former conceptual artist, although there are compensations to the costume. The skirt, for one…

While Felix hasn’t made a secret of his desire to wear women’s clothing, he’s never dared try it until now. He’s always been worried once he goes down that road, he won’t want to come back, and the prospect of cross-dressing 24/7 terrifies him. Of course, he can’t tell that to Andrew, who’s now busy making Felix a slutty red dress.

Andrew Wheeler loves coming home to Felix and their cosy city centre flat. He just wishes Felix would let him know what’s bothering him; maybe then Andrew could confide what he really wants. Felix might not see him as anything other than a top, but Andrew’s yearning to switch things up.

Living together is one thing. Actually plucking up the courage to talk about their secret desires is going to be a whole other—and excruciatingly embarrassing—kettle of fish.

The author describes Custom Fit as a “smutty romantic comedy” and she is spot on. Plus it’s got the added bonus of tackling a couple’s growth together and separately both respectfully and deliciously. So, fluff PLUS real feels. Allow me to elucidate . . .

Tailor Made is one of my all time favorite comfort reads. It’s funny, charming and beautifully British. We’re used to Felix having it all figured out and Andrew finding his way. In Custom Fit, Felix has graduated and is floundering a little. I mean, honestly, what does one do with an art degree right out of college? Well, apparently Felix gets a job sign twirling in a gladiator costume. He definitely looks good, but he’s hardly practicing his craft. Andrew is still in school and working part time. He’s able to keep his focus and his more practical nature is exactly what this next phase of their lives needs.
The guys are living together, supporting themselves and are learning how to “adult”. It’s no real problem for Andrew, but for Felix? It kind of is.

As they navigate the waters of being actual grown-ups, they’re also struggling separately with the realization that they each have some sexual curiosities they’d like to explore. The way the author had each character work through their thoughts was just so good. It read realistically because nothing was rushed and mistakes were made. It gave both Felix and Andrew even more depth. While I loved the New Adult arc of post college life and actual adult issues, the sexual compatibility arc of the story took the story to next level awesomeness.

It wasn’t like the ‘kinks’ these two had were extreme, but I totally felt where they were coming from with their insecurities. Moving on to the next stage of their lives together has thrown off Felix’s confidence so exploring his curiosity with lingerie that he tapped into at the end of Custom Fit has become more daunting. The days of college experimentation are over and he’s having some trouble reconciling his dreams and desires with the reality of rent and groceries.

So, while Felix is trying to figure out exactly what appeals to him and how to approach Andrew, Andrew is figuring out how to be chill enough to bottom for Felix. He wants to in his mind, but his strict childhood clenches him up like nothing else. Throughout the book the guys do communicate in starts and stops and that’s what made it read so realistically to me. Felix could hardly express himself well when he’s still figuring things out. Plus, Felix being Felix, his confession skills are lacking. Andrew is always realistic and honest, but he’s not exactly loquacious by nature, so it feeds into Felix’s lack of confidence as well.

Through all the shenanigans and revelations there was plenty of humor and smexy times. There’s never any doubt that these two cats belong together and want to be together. It’s so damn sweet to read their struggles. That sounds weird, but this is where the “smutty romantic comedy” comes in. The struggles are adorable and steamy and I loved every one.

The ending was a little quick and neat, but if I had to pick between time spent on the kink matching or time spent on future careers, I’m totally fine with what I got.

For more information on Custom Fit and the Tailor Made series, check it out on Goodreads.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Trivia Question

Tommy does whatever it takes to keep his brothers and sisters out of foster care. He and his cop have a rough and emotional journey to an HEA. Who wrote this angsty contemporary romance? (worth 10 pts)

Don't forget to tag @BMBReviews on Twitter along with the author and your answer to be entered to win DSP credits!