Review: Anything But Everything & Five More Gay Erotic Stories by J. Phillip Elwes

Anything But Everything & Five More Gay Erotic Stories is six short stories about men lusting for and loving other men.

Here you will read about college fraternity bothers, a mechanic, police detectives, a former boxing champ, a famous photographer and others in such varied locales as San Francisco, a Colorado ranch, a ski resort and a small town in Oklahoma.

Two of these stories were previously published on a gay website and in anthologies.

Erotica done right.

Yep, that is exactly what this is, erotica done right. I could stop right here, because that really does say it all, but I didn’t because then my fellow unicorns would know what a slacker I am. Besides I really want to talk about these stories. These aren’t stories of hearts and flowers but that doesn’t mean they aren’t romantic. They are masculinized romance and have the unapologetic edge that making them more deliciously filthy than your typical MM love story. What makes these better though, is that they also have fully fleshed out characters and an actual story to go with the sex.

The author really nails the friends to lovers theme and those stories were by far my favorites. These are short stories, so you can’t assume you are going to get much backstory so when the author says they are best friends he needs to put something out there to make me feel it too. And Elwes really does. He puts just the right anecdotal glimpses in there and I can really believe that these guys are that close. Knowing and feeling that makes the sexy times just that much sexier. Because, while the sex is HAWT, the sex with the connection is HAWT x infinity.

While the average I have for these is 4 hearts, I threw in an extra half a heart for the sheer enjoyability of it all!

Brother North Star – 4 Hearts

Frustrated friends to lovers story about Mitch and Nathan, frat brothers who have been best friends since they met. Mitch has been pining for Nathan since the initiation ceremony at the frat house and the attraction is most definitely mutual. Poor Mitch can’t understand why Nathan isn’t willing to fool around, when his dick is just as interested as Mitch’s. What you think is just cock tease torture turns out to be incredibly sweet and romantic and I went “awwwww” at THE moment. The UST is high in this one and the payoff is well worth it at the end. Add the fact that the two look very much alike in every way and the visual is VERY appealing.

So, UST, hot look-alike frat boys, friends to lovers, romance and an HEA – yes please Brother North Star, you win!

Glass Pond – 3 Hearts

Big city web designer Tom Rally comes back home to small town Oklahoma after he and his boyfriend of 20 years split up. Riding his horse one day he comes across Kevin Adler, 20 years or so his junior skinny dipping. The lust pours both ways and Tom is aroused and curious while Kevin is aroused and a little cautious. It turns out Kevin has seen Tom working out in his backyard naked on numerous occasions and the two come to a jokingly awkward agreement that Kevin owes Tom moments of Kevin being naked in front of Tom to “even things up”. Actually, the awkward was what I really liked about this story. It really leant an added air of tension to their meetings that was sexy as hell. It was just a little too short though to get fully invested and that was too bad because I liked what little I knew about both of them. It felt more like a taste of what could be. They did end with saying they would see each other more, so I would say it ended with a cautious HFN. But, both walked away happy which given the time and circumstances that are here read realistically.

Stakeout – 4.5 Hearts

Partners on a stakeout, Mac and Andrews are best friends and with the story being told from Andrew's point of view, we know he’s been lusting after Mac for a long time. Mac throws enough little clues out there that it’s pretty safe to assume he feels the same. But, they are subtle enough, and Mac is a bit of a joker, so they could be laughed off easily instead of acted on. Thankfully Mac takes the reins as he is one horny bastard and asks Andrews how many times he jacks off a day and that hot conversation opens the door.

When thinking about their time in the car and the jack off conversation, Andrews has to take his boner to the bathroom to deal with it and asks his reflection, “How do you tell your partner you’re jerking off night and day thinking about them?” And doesn’t that simple question lead to some good times? The bathroom interlude was hot as all hell, especially the condom part and if cops and friends to lovers is your thing, this story was written especially for you. Note – a little smoochin’ would have bumped this story up another notch for me.

Hat Trick – 5 Hearts

Well, if this wasn’t every gay young man’s fantasy growing up, it is definitely in the top 5. Remember what I said in Stakeout about how well the author writes friends to lovers and connections? That continues on in spades for this one.

Country boys Pete, Charlie, George and our narrator (whose name I couldn’t find, it’s told from his POV and I didn’t even really notice until the end and I started writing this). A quick look-see back through and I didn’t catch it, but to be fair, I got distracted by the hat again :D. Anyhow, these guys are heading to an abandoned cabin by a lake for some get away time and skinny dipping. Our narrator and Pete have been best friends forever and the anecdote that describes how their relationship has already moved beyond friendship is 5-heart worthy alone. Seriously, then tension, the admissions, the affection and the lust were good, damn good. Damn, damn good. When the guys are driven into the cabin by a thunderstorm, naked and sporting the inevitable young man boners, you can pretty much guess where this is heading and you will NOT be disappointed.

What follows is funny, sexy, slightly awkward (in a good way) and really pretty sweet. Is it pretty convenient that all these guys are into it? Probably. Do I care? NO!

The First of the Month – 4 Hearts

This one started out a little funky. And by funky, I mean, post workout, sweaty jock funky. So, I had a brief “ewwwww” moment, but quickly got past it as the story progressed. These guys are athletes and a sweaty jock or two is part of their every day, plus Jason really dug on it, so embrace your kink and roll with it. I really liked how this one was told, from present day, to a shared memory, to a flashback and then back to present day. It sounds like it may be a little confusing for a short story, but the author is really good at telling a non-linear tale without losing the reader along the way. The office scene was quick, but damn steamy and I was a big fan. I also appreciated the sweet factor in this one a lot. When a deliciously filthy and sexy story can give you a “D’awwwww” moment as well, you’ve got a winner.

Anything But Everything – 3.5 Hearts

This one was . . . the most unique of the offerings here. The way Ted and Jack meet and connect is definitely different and while their “meet-cute” may not be everybody’s idea of a romantic interlude it sure did work for these two cats. It’s a good thing they found each other, Ted is an erotic photographer and Jack is perpetually horny, so they are perfect together. The meeting on the bridge was actually quite sweet even though I couldn’t help but feel bad for Liam. He needs his own short story of love and lust too! While the meeting on the bridge was sweet, the sex in Jack’s room was HOT and I highly approve of this couple staying together.

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

Review: Bound to Break (Men of Honor, Book #6) by SE Jakes

Four men fighting against their pasts…and for each other.

Several years after washing up on a beach in South Africa with absolutely no memory—not even his name—Lucky would rather not remember his past. Based on the number of scars on his body, it couldn't have been anything good.

Then a man claiming to be his former Navy SEAL teammate walks into the bar and insists that Lucky’s real name is Josiah Joshua Kent. Turns out he’s been listed as KIA, and since he’s not dead, he’s now AWOL—and under suspicion.

Discovering Josh is alive throws Rex, and his relationship with Sawyer, into a tailspin. Rex can finally lay to rest the nightmares of the night he couldn't save his teammate. And Sawyer is faced with his worst nightmare—a relationship threatened by a very real ghost from the past.

As Josh begins to piece his memories back together, another man with a shadowy connection to his past—and maybe his heart—holds the key that could free him. Or send him to a traitor’s fate.

"Bound to Break" is book #6 from S.E. Jakes military MM series, Men of Honor. You'd think that by book #6, there is not much story to tell, right? Definitely not!

"Bound to Break" comes back in full force with four main characters (this is not menage-though a daisy chain would have not have been frowned upon from this quarter but I digress). We have two couples (Sawyer and Rex, Dash and Luck/Josh) who stories run parallel to the mystery of Lucky. He was presumed dead by his team in the Navy SEALS including his former lover Rex. Four years later he is found alive, scarred & damaged from terrorists and has amnesia. He can't remember anything before the four years he has been declared Killed In Action.

Lucky has been working for Dash's family's bar as a bartender and civilian, not knowing the world he left behind or even his own name. The mysterious Dash has been away for six years for reasons he did not choose to share. A freak encounter changes not only Lucky's life or Dash's life but Lucky's former teammates' lives as well including Rex.

The plot lines were not hard to follow. Should you read all of the books prior? Yes, I think so. Rex and Sawyer were mentioned in previous books so I think the added back story will help with the experience of both characters. Josh/Lucky was mentioned in passing. Dash (the South African-American blonde bowl of yum) is totally new. (Can I say South African accents are in my top faves? Just saying.)

We get brief mentions of Rex and Sawyer's past. They are the established couple of the bunch so there was not much angst or unnecessary drama thrown in to spice it up because those two are hot enough to carry it off. There is a brief trip to D/s world but it was pretty light but very hot. The main issue was Lucky aka Josh. Rex struggles with accepting Josh is alive...and when they last saw each other they were lovers very much in love. Lucky struggles with learning about his past, he can't remember anything, is not sure who to trust (might I add Dash's first move does not add to the situation but I was not mad at him as the story progressed) and falling for the untrustworthy Dash.

We get visits of Clint and Jace (Sawyer's best friend and teammate), lots of doses of snark, great secondary characters and hot sex. The sex...two thumbs up! Add in the suspense and these four men's struggles, it equaled one enticing read. There's action, in and outside the bedroom. And a couple of twists and turns. The story is fast paced, everything is not what they seem and somehow, love is found.

Around 80%, these thoughts were running through my mind: the suspense of who the hell is who, who should be trusted, what the hell is going on, I don't think a HEA can be possible...I was anxious/nervous and would have been fine with a HFN. But we get a HEA, of course! This is S.E. Jakes and she definitely does deliver the hotness.

There's just something about picturing muscle bound hunks of military real life heroes loving one another that melts my butter. They can kick ass like no other and then having them get their man...it's great!

Sounds like I lurved this book and wanted to get to know it better, so why 4.5 stars? There was the insta-love of Dash and Lucky. I wouldn't have minded more buildup between the two but for what was given it was pretty good. Also we jump right into sex in the first 10%, luckily there is story to go with it, removing it from being called PWP.  There most definitely is a plot, I felt like I was reading a MM version of the Scandal television show or something to that effect. SE Jakes has stepped up the game with intrigue and suspense. And thankfully, the HEA is more realistic with not everything being solved and tied up in a neat bow.

If there are any more planned books for this series *coughs*hope so*coughs*Uncle please*coughs*, I am so there!

P.S. When the couples join forces together, I swear the only song playing in my head was AC/DC's "Back in Black" so if I chose a theme song, that would be it. ;D


A copy provided by the author for an honest review.

Review: An Unauthorized Field Guide to the Hunt by Kari Gregg

On Mariket, the strongest competitors win...by losing.

Narone native and former heir of Class II shipbuilder Denbo-West Industries, Shane West surrendered his perilous birthright to compete in the Hunt and tried his luck with the lusty cats of Mariket. Shane’s mastery of survival craft in the untamed forest made him an early favorite among gamblers, fans, and arena officials. When he lured a cat into an arousing chase the first night, mating with Lore to become the season’s first victor seemed guaranteed.

Then news from Arena 4 slowed to a trickle. Rumors emerged about cats who’d gone feral as well as shocking breaches in security. Unconfirmed reports of assassins and rogue predators circulated before offworld communications screeched to a halt.

In this unprecedented glimpse inside the arena, Shane peels back the veil of secrecy. What does it take to tempt a sexy cat? How does being marked as prey by a feline lover feel? Experience the wanton pleasures of the heat with Shane and his mysterious mate—and discover which of last season’s scandalous rumors are true.

Run, pounce, fuck.

Mate?

Welcome to the Hunt.

"Life. Fear. Sex. In the arena, everything is confusing and surreal. Whatever you think you know is wrong." ~ Shane West

Kari Gregg's "An Unauthorized Field Guide for the Hunt" is a sci-fi cat shifter/alien clusterfuck of primal mating and a Hunger Games-esque competition told from human competitor, Shane West's POV. Shane is being hunted by a murderous family and the Hunt on the shifter alien world Mariket is his only salvation. He plans on taking part in the Hunt and wants to lose...in order to win. To be a "victor" means to mate with a Mariket shifter...think large, primal, lusty cats. The Hunt are for competitors to try to either win the competition by not having succumbed to the mating cats or become a victor. The hunt takes place when the cats are in mating heat - the cats can force their pheromones on you at their will but to actually have one keep you is a prize.

The start of the story is jarring. We are thrown into the hunt with Shane, slowly learning the objective of the competition and what exactly Shane hopes to gain. He's human, weaker compared to the natives of Mariket. The Hunt's arena is all lush forests with wild beasts, cats looking to mate and arena wardens roaming loose. The world Gregg built is a beautiful one. The Hunt is brutal, competitors can't be trusted and the mating...the mating is animalistic. The cats are known to stalk and fuck their prey until resistance is but a thought. And Shane catches the eye of a solitary puma named Lore. When these two were together, whether the chase, the mating, the nonverbal communication...it was memorable.

And the sex?!

"Their sex was beautiful, consuming. And cruel."

Oh. My. Stars! The sex was off the Richter scale. Dubious consent enthusiasts can definitely enjoy the primal fucking that Gregg delivers. And can I say Lore's puma anatomy--self lubricating cock and intoxicating semen...totally different. But made for one erotically intense read.

I enjoyed Lore's dominance and masterfulness over Shane. He did so with minimal effort but did not humiliate Shane. And compared to my favorite Kari Gregg, "I, Omega"- where there's a power struggle between Dom and sub-Shane fights the entire way while becoming a victor or pseudo-sub. Even when being given mating hormones to make him lust for his mate's touch all the time, Shane yields but grudgingly. I enjoyed his struggle until the very end. Just when I thought the hormones or the Lore pounding got the best of Shane...he would fight his feelings. And Lore trying to court his lover and chosen mate? Adored it for all of it's gruff awkwardness.

A few of my favorite Lore seducing Shane quotes:

"Precious," the cat said and leaned forward, angling his head. Shane longed for the cat's kiss, but instead the cat bent to nip Shane's chin. "So mine. And so hungry."

Enjoyed it!

"Want my spend, Precious?" Shane shuddered, the pleasure from his ass streaking to his balls and then to his untouched cock.

"Please. Yes. I--"

"I would give you the world."

*squeals*

Kari Gregg's writing works for me because she does not tell everything at one shot. The full picture unfurls at its own pace. (So if you need to have all the facts from the beginning, I don't think this will work for you) And her sex scenes are so elemental- blood, semen, fucking, contact, skin, fur...it's delicious.

And the last 10-15% of the story took such an unexpected twist that even after finishing (don't worry, it's a HEA), I still can't believe that happened. Fucking awesome! Violent but thoroughly entertaining and no sugar coated easy way out. The reader is thrown into the hunt from the beginning. It gave a true sense of what Shane was experiencing. At the end of the story, all questions were answered.

For less than 100 pages, this novella was one hell of an action filled, erotically masterful ride. Kari Gregg has yet to let me down. Dig her writing. I hope there will be more stories from the Mariket world *coughs*Mareo*coughs* I think this has legs to make for an interesting series.

Find on Goodreads!

Review: Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water, Book #2) by SE Jakes

When a tornado meets a volcano, nothing is safe.

Soldier of fortune Prophet Drews always worked alone—until Tom Boudreaux became his partner. But when Tom walked away three months ago, ostensibly to keep Prophet safe, Prophet learned the true meaning of being alone. Everyone knows that Prophet, a Navy SEAL turned CIA spook turned mercenary, can look after himself. Which means he must’ve driven his lover away.

 Even with half a world between them, Prophet can’t get the man out of his head. Maybe that’s why he’s in New Orleans in the middle of a hurricane, protecting Tom’s aunt. But the only looter around is Tom, bursting back into Prophet’s life. It turns out that Prophet’s been stuck in Tom’s head—and heart—too.

 Their explosive reunion gets even hotter when Tom is arrested for murder. As they fight to clear his name, they delve deep into his past, finding enemies among everyone they meet. Staying alive in such a dangerous world is hard enough, but they soon discover that fighting to stay together is the most difficult thing they've ever done.



*fans self*

What you will need while reading "Long Time Gone", Book #2 of the Hell or High Water series. Probably afterwards too.

Hot! Damn! Back again for round two! S.E. Jakes delivers a solid punch with "Long Time Gone". We catch up four months after the cliffhanger from book #1. I won't spoil what happens at the end of "Catch a Ghost" in case you haven't read this series yet. (Meaning: Start this series. Like now-ish)

However, you will be pretty happy with how "Long Time Gone" proceeds. Tom and Prophet are back in business, kicking asses and taking names! Don't think it's rainbows and butterflies because for these two, that is just not the case. Tom still has his "Voodoo" premonitions (thankfully it doesn't overshadow the story) and Prophet has that ghost situation. Does it read like a paranormal? *shakes head* No, not really. It's so subtle and I am grateful for this. Because if you have read my review for the previous book, you know where I stand with ghosts and psychics.

S.E. Jakes is known for having rugged, hot men action in scenes and in the bedroom. Rowr! She does not disappoint. At. All. *coughs*hurricane sex/ washing machine sex score*coughs* Nothing hotter than two big, strong brawny men trying to figure what a partnership can truly mean.

“You are so fucking good for me and so fucking bad for me at the same time." 

"It's not good if you don't have the mix of both. ”

Do these men figure it out? Sort of. (I mean hello this is book #2 out of 4, people!) There still is room to grow.

What we do get in this latest installment is more background on Tom's past, deep down in the Louisiana bayou. A category 4 hurricane is brewing and Prophet and Tom weather it together with a snarky as hell aunt Della and her two renters, older gay couple Dave and Roger. You will love these three.

Here's a sample of my favorite quotes from these characters:

“You're doing it wrong."
"Son, I've got a gun to your chest and you're telling me that I'm doing it wrong?"
"Yes"
"How?"
"Closer isn't better." He disarmed her with a swift motion, then offered the weapon back to her. "Further away you are, the less unpredictable I can be."
Della's eyes had opened wide with surprise, but she recovered fast. Took the shotgun back and said, "Okay. Knock again so we can start over.”

I love Aunt Della, wished there was more scenes with her and more interaction between her and Prophet.

Roger and Dave:

In the dark, Dave reached for Roger's hand as they watched the shadowed lovemaking. "Were we ever that beautiful?" 

"You still are," Roger told him. 

"Maybe we should make the most of the hurricane." 

"This is definitely foreplay." 

"It's like Tumblr, the live version.”

This couple was a hoot. And they got to live a dream of mine, being a voyeur to Tom/Prophet loving.

Do not confuse this story for being a drawn out PWP, that is farther from the case. There is a backwoods murder/mystery going on and Tom, unfortunately, is in the middle of it. We get to see where Tom comes from (bayou), how he grew up (it wasn't pretty), secret talents he has (hint: alligator) and how he is most deservedly the perfect partner for Prophet.

I love Tom...I think a smidge more than Prophet (alright a little more than a smidge). I'm a sucker for damaged heroes, what can I say?

Prophet is still as snarky and wisecracking as ever. He has a tendency to leave one in a state of frustration (from his smart mouth) and lust (from the rest of him)...lustration, if you will. I was happy Tom got to shine a little more in this book.

Oh, it sounds like I was in alpha love with this book, why not 5 stars? I was in total alpha lustration. Believe me. But...the niggles, they were present. The pacing was not as smooth as the book prior. It was a little braking here and there. Plus, at times, I questioned what exactly was going on, who's doing what, the characters seemed to know more than the reader and I want an invite to the party. Maybe if book #1 and #2 were combined, I'd rate higher, but since it wasn't...I'm going with 4 hearts. The murder/mystery gets solved with some muss and less fuss. We learn a few answers to some questions like Prophet's real name. Totally fitting, BTW

I liked how the book ended. Yes, it is a cliffhanger but it seems like a good spot for Tom and Prophet's partnership. They are finally realizing how to balance and share...well for Prophet and Tom, anyway.

A great combination of hot sex in hot places, memorable secondary characters, a bayou whodunit, snark and hotter kick ass action with mercenaries, spies and ex soldiers, oh my! Just another slice of S.E. Jakes' wonderful imagination.

Do I want to read book #3? Hell yes. Need to feed my Tom/Prophet addiction.

Would I recommend? See above. But please read the series in order, otherwise you will be lost.

Do not expect: immediate resolution. If you need instant gratification, you might suffer from lustration.
Do expect: an entertaining ride. ;D

A copy provided by author for an honest review.