Review: Treasure for Treasure (Being(s) in Love, #7) by R. Cooper

In the nineteenth century, the dragon Dìzhèn put the small coastal town of Everlasting under her protection. Her family was supposed to carry on the tradition, but all of Dìzhèn the Great’s heirs eventually left rather than live in the shadow of such a powerful dragon.

Only the youngest dragon of the current generation remains: Zarrin, the softhearted disgrace of his family. He might be weak, small, and afraid, but he is determined to show the humans they have not been forgotten… one human in particular. The problem is, Zarrin can barely get that human to talk to him.

It should be a dream come true to have a dragon trying to get his attention. But Joe refuses to bow to Zarrin like everyone else. Yes, Zarrin is sexy, oddly gentle for a dragon, and stares at Joe with a gaze so hot it makes him shiver. But hurt, mistrustful Joe can’t believe Zarrin’s promises that he’s here to stay. Joe doesn’t realize he is the treasure Zarrin has been looking for his whole life, a treasure he once let slip through his fingers out of fear. Now, to win Joe’s trust, Zarrin has to be brave and become as strong as Dìzhèn herself.

Most charming version of 'Mine!' I've ever read :)
R. Cooper doesn't make it easy, though, with the need to read between the lines and having to wait as information is dribbled out, but it is so worth it.  I like this 'Being(s)' world; the history, the rules, all the little details.  But it's the characters who make these books for me.  And this story had awesome characters.

I loved Zarrin, that shy dragon who, once he got his hands on his treasure, wasn't so shy anymore. He is such a great character- adorable and sweet, unsure of his place but so very determined to protect the town and his treasure.  And that determination revealed itself in a lovely dominant way, as an assured tormentor in bed and fierce guardian in town. More characters like this, please!

And Joe. He broke my heart with his defensiveness, that mix of anger and hurt, vulnerability and hope. Because of his wariness and uncertainty, he managed to hold his own against the confusing dragon, not making it easy for Zarrin, but once he trusted, once he believed, it was beautiful to witness.

Zarrin and Joe together gave us a sweet, but intense, romance overlaid with such passion...*fans self*
Their story made me laugh, made me melt, and yes, made me hug my ereader. Definitely one for my favorites shelf, to be read again and again.

Side notes:
Joe's mother was awesome, and Zarrin's reaction to her was priceless :)

Although part of the Being(s) in Love series, this can be read as a stand-alone.

Find on Goodreads!

Review: One Glimpse by Lydia Gastrell

For years Sir Samuel Shaw has secretly lusted after the handsome and popular Lord John Darnish, a man known for his good humor, expert riding prowess, and very female mistress. Certain that John is an unattainable fantasy, Sam is shaken when an accidental discovery reveals John might not be as unattainable as he once thought. But what is possible is not always likely, and Sam finds himself trapped between keeping a friend and risking everything for the unlikely hope of something more.

 John is terror struck when his drunken mistake threatens to shatter the double life he has worked so hard to maintain. His terror soon turns to hope when he finds himself drawn to Sam, who he is sure does not share his interest in men. But subtle things cause him to second guess, and fear that his hopes are making him see what he wants to see.

 Sam's risks and John's hopes turn futile, however, when blights from Sam's past resurface to threaten them and Sam's family. Can Sam choose between the love he has always wanted and the security of his family, or will forces outside his control hurt all the people he holds most dear?

Before starting 'One Glimpse', I re-read 'One Indulgence' (so not a hardship) where I was first introduced to Samuel, where his story broke my heart. I wanted his HEA so badly after reading that story and I was thrilled that I was finally going to get it.

Of course, the author had to put me through that awful story again, and with more detail, so, yes, there were tears. Ugh. Poor Sam, hiding his sweet, vulnerable nature to avoid cruel comments. Showing only rude, bad tempered behavior to put people off...he needed love in the worst way :(

And poor John, so scared of being found out. His sweetness a good match for Sam's. I liked them together, although I hated Sam's initial deception. Reading about the furtive glances, the secret desire they each had for the other, it all made me impatient for them to open up and get together.

When it finally happened, I was so happy, because they were so happy, reveling in the thrilling excitement of a new romance and that incredible, 'I can't believe this is real' feeling. But then the story started to drag for me at times. Part of it was the feeling of doom hanging over the story. I knew something bad was going to happen and I was dreading it. I wanted it over and done, I wanted the HEA, all villains vanquished. Instead, I had to wait as things got drawn out.

In the meantime, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the sexy times. Steamy, at times a little rough, and oh, so sweet...*sigh*

When the bad stuff did happen, it was almost a relief. Even though there were a few things that didn't make sense to me, the story picked up and the problems were being dealt with. Decent plot, but the strength was definitely in the characters.

In the end, John and Sam did get there HEA, and I was happy, but there were a few hanging threads. What is going on with Julian? According to the author, the next book is his, so we'll find out. I'm also hoping we get more on Evers, because I think he can be redeemed, and I want him to get an HEA, too, even if it is MF ;)

A feel good, enjoyable story that I'll be reading again.



Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Find more info on Goodreads.

Unicorn Favourites: Love is an Open Road: Weeks 13 & 14

The M/M Romance Group on Goodreads hosts a Don't Read in the Closet event each year where they invite members to submit a photo with a story prompt. Interested authors then volunteer to write the requested stories, which are published for free for everyone to read. It's a fun/exciting/stressful process, and a great opportunity to read stories from favourite authors. And chances are, you'll also discover some new authors, who hopefully have a back-list of goodies to check out :)

This year's event was named Love is an Open Road and they started releasing the completed stories on June first. Here at BMBR, we've been following along on comment threads, anticipating the stories from our favourite prompts, and now greedily reading the stories as they become available.  The stories are being released slightly slower now - and many are novel length - so we won't be reading them as quickly, but we promise, we're still reading them!. 

Sunny: Reclamation by Cari Z, Sado by Steelewhisper, Dark Soul by Lexi Ander & The Biggest Scoop by Gillian St. Kevern

Awesome world building with a strong sense of place and appealing characters. The suspense had me a little stressed out and anxious, though. I don't like when that happens, but this was so good, I kept reading. It helped that the pacing was just right, carrying me through the tense parts. The writing style in general, the voices, descriptions, dialogue, really worked for me

Elegant, intense, quiet, and erotic. Beautiful.

I was incredibly impressed at what the author did with just over 5000 words, and little of it dialogue. The precise descriptions conveyed so much, not only about the setting, but about the characters. Yearning, respect, comfort, security...it was all there. The submission, the control, all shown in small details. 

And the ending...beautiful in its simplicity.

Omg...why didn't I wait?! I need part 2 right now!

So many of my favorite things in this story, I loved the world building, characters, and plot.

Sweet, tender, lusty, with a bit of the Mine!
...and there was a tail :P

YA isn't my favorite genre, so while I enjoyed the story, it wouldn't have made my favorites list if it hadn't been for Milo, who gets all the stars. Quirky, adorable Milo who made me laugh, and got me a little choked up. He is one of my all time favorite characters.

Lorix: Reclamation by Cari Z & The Biggest Scoop by Gillian St. Kevern 

I didn't think this prompt would be my thing. I'm so glad I gave it a go though because I loved this story. I loved the world that has been created by Cari Z. Matt and Grayson were great characters and I loved the journey we took with them in this dystopian future world. The attention to detail was amazing, the bosy modifications for example. I'm not the hugest futuristic fan - but when it's written well, I love it. This was written well.

The biggest scoop - firstly can I say how much I LOVE the cover. It really, really appeals to me and I would absolutely have chosen this book for the cover design alone, so kudos. As it was, cute cover or not, I am so glad I read this story. It was hilarious. I adored Milo, every over the top, foot in mouth bit of him. I loved him because he wasn't afraid to be himself. I loved him because he made mistakes. I loved him because he admitted when he was in the wrong. I loved his humour, his style, his kindness, his honesty, his....his everything. He was the story. Everything else slotted into place around him and it worked really well. Growing up is hard, but Milo does it in style. He is a force to be reckoned with and I am super glad I got to meet him. I also loved Taylor - and really the whole cast of characters. This book was a pleasure to read and I'll be watching for this author in the future. 

Unicorn Favourites: Love is an Open Road Stories: Weeks 11 & 12

The M/M Romance Group on Goodreads hosts a Don't Read in the Closet event each year where they invite members to submit a photo with a story prompt. Interested authors then volunteer to write the requested stories, which are published for free for everyone to read. It's a fun/exciting/stressful process, and a great opportunity to read stories from favourite authors. And chances are, you'll also discover some new authors, who hopefully have a back-list of goodies to check out :)

This year's event was named Love is an Open Road and they started releasing the completed stories on June first. Here at BMBR, we've been following along on comment threads, anticipating the stories from our favourite prompts, and now greedily reading the stories as they become available.  The stories are being released slightly slower now - and many are novel length - so we won't be reading them as quickly, but we promise, we're still reading them!. 

As an aside, there are SO many amazing stories being released and while we haven't read all of them yet, we will get there. There will be a few however, that won’t be reviewed here. You see, unicorns are not only badass, they are also mysterious and magically rare. We can't expect their presence to show up in our reviews, the interwebz couldn't handle it. But, just know this, this week, we LOVED The Best Man by Olley White and An Unexpected Acquisition by L. L. Bucknor . That is all.

Sunny: The Last Yeti by Tully Vincent. 

4 stars

Maybe 4.5?

The loneliness, sadness, and pain were almost too much in this bittersweet story. So glad these two found each other, and made room for some happiness.

Will watch for more from this author :)

Optimist King's Wench: Angles by Tripoli

Tripoli did a fantastic job with an ambiguous prompt.

Mikhail and Dima are displaced Russians in Brussels. They meet at a sex club. Initially I was thinking this story would be some mediocre glitterkink filled with BDSM pomp and circumstance that would undoubtedly bore me to tears.

But it took a welcome and surprising turn down Suspense Lane ending up in Espionage Court.

 I love that destination!

Intriguing storyline with well fleshed out characters made for an entertaining read.

It's clear early on that Dima has suffered. His loneliness is palpable, and his self-image is so distorted that he's accepted his solitary existence. Were it not for his pushy and delightful best friend, Izzy, he'd be sitting at home eating TV dinners watching Eurovision. Perish the thought.

Mikhail is very dogged in his pursuit of the dysphoric Dima, arranging picnics, showing interest in many of the things Dima's passionate about and whispering filthy nothings in his ear while molesting him IN PUBLIC!!!!

“One day soon, I’m going to turn you over and fuck you over the table of our cottage. Fill you up with my cum; watch it drip out of you.”

Evocative and fluid writing style that drew me in and the imagery of Brussels and the surrounding area was very vivid. Makes me want to see it for myself.

Thanks to the author and their team for participating in the LOR event.

Lori: A Case of Time by Al Stewart and Noah Homes.

I loved this short story. So full of wit, and a wonderful understanding of relationships. I thought the fact that the MC's were older and the relationship established was a refreshing change (kudos to the prompter), and I adored how the authors made the story fun. It is something I'm appreciating more and more in my reading, the love and excitement in established relationships. 

Thanks for this story.

Review: Werecat: The Fugitive by Andrew J. Peters

On the run after killing a Hunter from The Glaring, Jacks travels to the Bahamas with his only clue to what the secret society’s assassin was after: his maker’s key to a safety deposit box at an offshore bank. A thirty-day legal procedure holds Jacks up from uncovering what could be a hidden treasure.

Meanwhile, Jacks meets an alluring ex-pat named Maarten who hosts a nonstop pleasure cruise for disaffected werecats who have no interest in the politics of their kind. With his nerves scratched raw from living on the run, it’s too tempting of an escape for Jacks to turn away. But while he’s cruising the Caribbean and spending his nights in an orgiastic cuddle pile, The Glaring lays siege to New York City in a night of terror. Jacks’ boyfriend Farzan fights for his life and tries to reach Jacks overseas.

 Jacks needs to emerge from a binge of drugs and flesh to defend his boyfriend. But can he give up the chance to be with his own kind for the first time in his life? When the secret in the safety deposit box is revealed, Jacks realizes that it’s up to him to get it before The Glaring uses an arcane magic that could destroy humankind.

Jacks is in Barbados, waiting to get access to Benoit's accounts and safety deposit box. Worried about his lack of funds, missing Farzan, he wanders around, looking for something to do. Meeting up with Maarten, another werecat, leads to an extended party cruise with a group of spoiled werecats while Farzan deals with wild cat attacks back in New York.

Not a good storyline for me, and I was concerned how it would play out, especially when the story sometimes felt manipulated to go a certain way, where the events didn't feel natural, didn't always make sense. Worse for me, though, was how Jacks made up excuses to justify his poor choices. I was irritated with his implausible rationalizations, and angry at how inconsiderate he was being to Farzan, the man he supposedly loved, but who he now questioned if he "liked" him. WTH? Wasn't he worried about Farzan? Didn't he miss him, want to hear his voice? What were his declarations of love all about? Yeah, I was angry. His priorities were messed up and he was being self absorbed and immature.

So why was I still so caught up in this story?!

Because I wanted to know what was going to happen, how things would get resolved. Luckily, we got some action, and progress in the storyline as Jacks and Farzan were reunited. Jacks seemed to finally be getting it and I appreciated his remorse even as I winced at the angst of it.  Unfortunately, even though this story was longer than the first two, it still read as an installment in a series, and not a complete story by itself.  So, good things were happening, but the main problem with The Glaring was still unresolved.  I'm a little frustrated, but also curious how this will all turn out.



Side note:
A few odd word choices were jarring at times, especially when I was caught up in the story. I kept checking the dictionary to see if my understanding of a word was incorrect.

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Get more info on Goodreads!

Review: Werecat: The Glaring by Andrew J. Peters

Free from Benoit, the man who made him a shifter, twenty-two-year old Jacks tries to get on his own two feet while crashing with Farzan, the only person who knows about his werecat nature. It will take a grueling schedule of off-the-books jobs and a steady mantra of self-control.

Then a raid on a bodega pushes Jacks to transform into his mountain lion self to fend off a group of gun-wielding gangbangers.

Jacks scrambles to disguise the truth, but the incident leaves a thundering wake of questions. The police want to know what really happened to a freaked-out young thug in custody. Farzan, who has been crushing hard on Jacks since they met, begins to doubt that it’s safe to have Jacks living with him. Jacks wants to know where he belongs: with the man who took him in when no one else would or among his own kind. As he searches for answers, Jacks is confronted by a secret shifter society The Glaring. They have come to avenge the death of Jacks’ maker and to claim a powerful item that Benoit left behind.

Jacks adjusts to the changes in his life in this installment of the series, made more difficult by juggling three jobs and dealing with the police who are suspicious of the big cat sightings.  We also learn about the consequences of Jacks killing Benoit, with hunters from The Gathering planning to provide justice by killing Jacks.  Side note: as a cat lover, I was a little creeped out by the role domestic cats played in this world.

After the introduction of the first book, I expected more character development in this one. The storyline still kept my interest, but I didn't like Jack as much in this book, and that made it difficult to connect with him. His character was stiff, awkward, and making some bad choices.

My problem was I wanted a romance, and this...wasn't. I wanted to see growing feelings and a developing relationship. I liked Farzan and I wanted to see him with someone who loved him without reservation. Jacks' feelings seemed more lukewarm.

There were a couple scenes with the two friends getting intimate, but even though we were told of Jacks' attraction, I didn't feel it, especially in the second scene, which fell flat for me and mostly happened off page. What we did get had too much telling and felt awkward. There were also some phrases in both scenes that made my face do weird things. And then...they were in love.
???? More weird things happening to my face.

I think it works best to read this as a non-romance story.  The author has created an intriguing world, and if I focus on the shifter story, I'm much happier.  It did feel like this book was mostly a bridge to the next one, though, and not a complete story on it's own. I almost didn't want to rate it on its own, but decided to give it 2.5 stars because I'm still fascinated by this world and I want to know more.

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Get more info on Goodreads!

Review: Werecat: The Rearing by Andrew J. Peters

For Jacks Dowd, a college senior who feels ungrounded from his family and life in general, an alcohol and sex-infused weekend in Montréal sounds like a pretty good escape. His Spring Break binge takes a detour when he meets Benoit, an admiring drifter with startling green eyes. A hook-up turns into a day, two days, and then a full week in Benoit's hostel, making love and scarfing down take-out food. But at the end of the week, Benoit demands that Jacks make an impossible choice: stay with him forever, or go back to college and never see him again. Great set up for a werecat series. Not a romance so far, but an interesting story about a unique world of shifters.
 

An enjoyable introduction to a werecat series. Not a romance so far, but an interesting story about a unique world of shifters.

I liked the writing style, it was wonderfully descriptive without burying the reader in adjectives or unending metaphors. There was also a strong sense of place, sometimes making me feel almost uncomfortable, it felt so real, so dark, but I appreciated that the story wasn't prettied up.

The characters weren't prettied up, either. Benoit embraced the traits that came from his panther, lacking remorse for his actions. Jacks felt the pull of similar traits from his mountain lion, and his reactions added a nice layer to his characterization.

There was an interesting dichotomy of Benoit not being good for Jacks, but Jacks still liking it, that created some nice tension. That dynamic also led to more uncomfortable feelings on my part, with me wanting to yell at Jacks, "Run! Get out!"

His possessiveness confused Jacks. It was sometimes terrifying, but he had never felt so important to anyone.

He felt hollow and small from Benoit's forceful and fleeting affection, but he couldn't deny that he wanted more.

Definitely a complex relationship between Jacks and the man who turned him. Not a romance, but plenty of emotions. And no HEA here, although the ending left open the possibility of something happening with a friend. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Side notes:
I'm not a fan of using more than one or two flashbacks...it's disorienting to keep going back and forth in time. I'd be all caught up in what was happening and I'd get yanked out to visit the past, or back to present day. I did like getting the back story, though.

The story ended up not being as dark as I expected. It was more a feeling underlying the story, with some violence, but nothing overwhelming for this wimpy reader.

The two on page sex scenes were brief and not particularly steamy. Although I would have liked sexier bits, the plot kept my interest from beginning to end.  

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Get more info on Goodreads!

Unicorn Favourites: Love is an Open Road: Week Six

The M/M Romance Group on Goodreads hosts a Don't Read in the Closet event each year where they invite members to submit a photo with a story prompt. Interested authors then volunteer to write the requested stories, which are published for free for everyone to read. It's a fun/exciting/stressful process, and a great opportunity to read stories from favourite authors. And chances are, you'll also discover some new authors, who hopefully have a back-list of goodies to check out :)

This year's event was named Love is an Open Road and they started releasing the completed stories on June first. Here at BMBR, we've been following along on comment threads, anticipating the stories from our favourite prompts, and now greedily reading the stories as they become available.

SheReadsaLot: The Truth About Forever by Piper Vaughn

Hot cover, great title, sweet story.

"The Truth About Forever" uses one of my favorite plots - 'I'm not good for you, let's break up so I don't drag you down'. It always works for me.

Marco has loved Jonny since they were thirteen. He thinks they're have that forever kinda love. Despite where they live, what they're doing...him and Jonny against the world. All day. Every day. But his world comes crashing to a halt at eighteen when Jonny breaks it off (quite cruelly might I add).

I truly felt Marco's anguish. It fucking hurt. And he didn't think he could live without his other half.

But things look more extreme at eighteen, eh? :)

He picked himself up, he made something of himself without Jonny...on his own. Proud of him. It kinda waned once Jonny returned six years later.

I like more groveling in these types of situations but Marco is a lover, not a fighter. Reading about him, you get he's a passionate type of guy. He loves hard, why wouldn't he accept Jonny just as easily. Better person than I. ;)

What I think I loved more than the romance? The characters and not relying on stereotypes. I'm so happy Marco had the stable background, he might look like a hood but he wasn't. It wasn't all gangsta's paradise just because they didn't come from the 'burbs. (Yes, I'm happy Jonny had the broken background.) 

Great second chance romance: sweet, low angst and very light grit. Wonderful in-between read right here.

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Optimist Kings Wench: Shintarou's way by Eve and Seventh Son by SenatorBlitz

Japanese True Blood!
Shintarou came to be steeped in pain, violence and blood, or so the legend goes. He's been isolated for years following the death of his lover. When he reemerges he finds that vampires are now legal citizens. He's also finds himself feeling lonesome.

Someone needs a puppy.

*makes ridiculous kissing noises*

*insert some super gushy baby talk*

AWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

Akio is a dog shifter who's been expelled from his pack for being gay.

BOOOOOOO!

^^^^Look at those faces. *lip quiver*

Aiko has taken to staying in his dog form, living as a stray and subsisting on scraps. Shin patiently coaxes him into a semblance of trust with an endgame in mind. Every pup needs a loving master.

If the idea of puppy play squicks you, you'll be fine. It's very light and fluffy with beautiful, evocative prose that draws you into the story and makes you root for these two protagonists. It's sweet without being sappy. It's sexy without being porny. It pulls on your heartstrings especially with the hand feeding and cuddles. *swoons* I wish it was longer. Can't tell a lie. I want that punishment scene like nobody's business.

Maybe a follow up?



Thanks to the author and her team for participating in the LOR event.*****

What an odd little story.

I really liked it, though. It's quirky and weird and the prose is almost word vomit, but I liked it.

I liked it so much that at one point I was trying to stifle my laughter in my office and it started sounding like a weird choke/snort which I'm now going to refer to as CHORTING.

Aerie is an odd little man who thinks odd little things. He's so funny that I'd like to put him in my pocket and carry him around so he can spout off sarcastic epithets at random strangers just for shits and giggles. What can I say? I'm easily entertained.

Plus... 

mean I’m a sarcastic pissant who enjoys fighting with my butler. I was aware that I wasn’t the most cheerful unicorn in the universe, but I’d never realized I was actually unhappy.

It didn't really follow the prompt for the historical portion and I would've liked a kilt or two, but the prompt did say contemporary if the author was so inclined.

The whole kidnapping thing was weird and the resolution doesn't make sense exactly but I liked the big reveal of why "Scotty" did what he did.

If you like silly reads, this is worth it just don't take it seriously.

Thanks to the author & their team for participating and the chorts!

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Sunny: In Heaven and Earth by Amy Rae Durreson

I loved this story. The creative elements, the characters, the dialogue. Omg, the dialogue. Loved it. So many grins. They were a nice balance for the serious, nerve wracking parts of the story.

More thoughts for this BMBR post:

This was a fantastic read for me. The well developed characters, the thought provoking quotes, the humor, the emotions, the fascinating world. It all worked together to keep my interest throughout the story, and still makes me smile when I think of it. Will definitely re-read this one :) 

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Lorix: The Truth About Forever by Piper Vaughn and Eagle Man and Mr. Hawk by Dawn Sister

So this right here is exactly why I love Piper Vaughn's words! She always gives me that stomach clenching moment when the two MC's sort out their stuff.

Jonny and Marcus really had a deep, to the bone (HA!! no pun intended) relationship. The kind of love that six years apart doesn't destroy, no matter how much you want it too. The kind of love that bloody hurts - but also feels so damn good.

Piper nails it so well, it's never too much or too little, but just right. Even in a short story she makes me fall in love with the characters and want their HEA more than anything. And she always delivers the perfect HEA. A beautiful story, from prompt to cover to finish. <3 Thanks guys! 

*****

This book made me smile. I loved Ethan with a passion. Seriously, he's quirky, nice, funny & cares about animals. I could read more and more and more about him. I have me a new book boyf!

Alex, I liked him alot - even when he was being annoyingly stubborn and or dense! I think there is a lot more behond Alex's character that we don't actually find out in tbis story.

Despite the fact thee was a bit of miscommunication/jumping to conclusions going on, something I usually hate, I just loved this story. 

Ethan made it for me, though I really care for Alex and want to know more about him. It was humorous and delightful. Thank you so much for this contribution.

Unicorn Favorites: Love is an Open Road Stories: Week One

The M/M Romance Group on Goodreads hosts a Don't Read in the Closet event each year where they invite members to submit a photo with a story prompt.  Interested authors then volunteer to write the requested stories, which are published for free for everyone to read.  It's a fun/exciting/stressful process, and a great opportunity to read stories from favorite authors.  And chances are, you'll also discover some new authors, who hopefully have a backlist of goodies to check out :)

This year's event was named Love is an Open Road and they started releasing the completed stories on June first. Here at BMBR, we've been following along on comment threads, anticipating the stories from our favorite prompts, and now greedily reading the stories as they become available.

As an aside, there are SO many amazing stories being released and while we haven't read all of them yet, we will get there. There will be a few however, that won’t be reviewed here. You see, unicorns are not only badass, they are also mysterious and magically rare. We can't expect their presence to show up in our reviews, the interwebz couldn't handle it. But, just know this, this week, we LOVED fawn by Nash Summers and The Frat Brat by Nico Jaye. That is all.

Other than fawn and The Frat Brat, here are some of our favorites from the first week of the event, June 1-7:

Ann: All About Trust by D.P. Denman

 I saw the pic, I read the prompt and I gotta admit, I got skeered. Seriously, how could this story possibly wrap up with me feeling anything but uber sadness? My curiosity got the better of me though and I started reading. Cue the clock striking at 1:00 a.m., I finished and you know how I felt? Hopeful, full of warm fuzziness and my faith in humanity was restored. Not that parts of the story weren’t incredibly difficult to read, the author didn’t take a Pollyanna view of the brutality Eric suffered. It wasn’t described in a gratuitous way though, there was just enough description given to get your imagination going and there was no question about where Eric’s distrust and hopelessness came from.

Marcus is volunteering at the hospital where Eric is recuperating after being left for dead by Daddy. Marcus is the quintessential good guy. He’s not too-good-to-be-true good, he’s just an honestly decent human being. It really bothers him that Eric is alone with no prospects but a life on the street when he is released from the hospital. They forge a tentative friendship of sorts and the author really captured this time between them so well. It wasn’t easy, but it didn’t have any added unnecessary drama or angst to try and make a point. There was already plenty in Eric’s life and the author let all that speak for itself and let the characters be and grow organically.

I have to mention the absolutely amazing secondary characters. The story wouldn’t be what it is without them. Once you meet Marcus’ parents you can immediately see how Marcus turned out so amazing. They were exactly what Eric needed when he needed it. I appreciated how the author kept the relationship between Eric and Marcus tame. Anything else would have been totally unbelievable and would have cheapened all the trust they achieved throughout the story. This was not the story for the magical peen that comes along and solves ALL the problems. It really was all about trust and how much work both Eric and Marcus put in to get their happy.

Audrey: A Single Step by Vicky Heysham

 Lovely and unconventional short story that features an online romance. Told entirely through blog entries, blog comments, and emails, this story isn't erotic, but it's heartfelt. I personally love the epistolary format, and A Single Step did it very well. Definitely worth a read, and at a shorter length, it's easy to fit in for a lunch break. :)







Breann: All About Trust by D.P. Denman

Honestly, the prompt and picture really did nothing for me. So much that they almost deterred me from reading the story. The author took what was a so-so prompt for me and turned it into an amazing story.

Eric's story was all about his growth and healing from the horrific experiences he endured. I can't begin to think about how much strength someone has to have to learn to trust after abuse like Eric suffered.

But it wasn't all Eric, the humanity and love from Marcus' family was so beautiful. Yes, Marcus' family did take a risk with letting this stranger into their lives, but all it took was some love and humanity to make such a difference for Eric.

It was a lovely, heartbreaking and touching story.

Lorix: Risking the Field by Jean McGray and Lima Oscar Victor Echo and the Truth about Everything by Suki Fleet

Oh wow. *sighs*

This story was written for my prompt - and truly. for the second year running I feel like such a winner. What an amazing story.

Friends-to-lovers is my all time favourite storyline. There is something about the trust and love that already exists in a friendship that just makes the move into more just wonderful. Therefore my prompts tend to be of a friends-to-more variety - and Jean McGray has truly captured everything I was hoping for.

This short story shows us basically one day and night in the lives of these two friends - but it's the day and night when everything changes for them. Jean McGray has captured the moment so perfectly. i swear, the first (proper) kiss had me melt into a gooey puddle. It was so perfect, I'm such a sucker for kisses - I need those kisses more than sex in my books. Pen and Davey's first kiss in most definitely one of the best snogs I've read. It was beautiful.

Although this was set within just a twenty-four hour period (save the epilogue & prologue), I believed in the friendship between Pen and Davey, therefore I believed in teh developing relationship. Jean McGray did a wonderful job. The writing was light and witty and so easy to read. I swear I could read more and more about these two.

In fact, more than just those two, I also loved the secondary characters. Mom 1 and Mom 2 especially. I could feel their pain at having graduating sons! Children grow up WAAAAAY too quickly. It struck a chord.

Thank you so much Jean McGray for this story. It was everything and more than I hoped. <3 I love Davey and Pen. xx

Thank you to everyone involved in making this event happen. You are all fantastic!

 Every single star ever gets thrown at this story. There is a reason Suki Fleet is one of my favourite authors, and that reason is everything about this story.

The characters, the love. That first kiss - OH MY GOD, THAT FIRST KISS! There is not a word out of place in this story. Not one. Friends falling in love, yep, my favourite theme. Friends with a welsh accent (my favourite accent) - could it get any better? Pretty much no. I will read and re-read this story forever. I love Oscar & Jamie. I would adore more from this world. *bats lashes*

Thank you so much for your entry Suki, it's perfect. (Oh & get out from behind that rock!)

Sunny: The Forest Savage by Claire Davis & Al Stewart

Raw, unflinching, and so very sad. With gradual healing, though, we got glimpses of hope and happiness. I alternated between wanting to shake the MCs and wanting to hug them.

Side notes:
I don't know the right words, but I was especially impressed by the strong sense of...place? Setting? Mood? Whatever it was, it permeated the story and made it all so believable.

I loved how well I could see Troy, just through Cal's eyes. Clear, consistent characterization. He got to me, that sweet, mixed up boy.
  
SheReadsALot: Obsidian by Rory Ni Coilean

 "Once I lived for the touch of the Sun. I dimly remember this. Now, though, I am part of the human world. I need to know why, I need to know what has happened to me. But this male, this beautiful gentle male who rescued me from the forest floor and touches me so sweetly… he is mine.

This, I need no one to tell me.

This I know."

Okay, I'm one of those 'ew, snakes' people - can't stand snakes, scare the hell out of me, etc.
But there is something about snake shifters that change the game for me.

Rory Ni Coilean's Obsidian packs a punch in less than 8K. The prose was touch purple in the beginning. We're talking lilacs and violets. But the world building and race she creates held my attention that I didn't worry about the purple.

It was all about Naqxo, Lamia (snake) shifter and Damis, a human who was betrothed to the female-dominant race. The inner turmoil of Damis, who prefers men and laments having to be given to a woman was done very well. The fact that Naqxo is a snake takes a backseat to the fantasy filled magic that happened on the page.

It was magical, romantic and gives enough without giving anything away. Some authors can be open and others hold their cards to their chest. This one is the latter giving just enough to carry off this short story.

And the first time sex scene was scorching. I'm hissing along with Damis and Naqxo.



*** All stories are available for download at  http://www.mmromancegroup.com/ ***

Tag-team review: Top Me Maybe? by Jay Northcote

Duncan has a secret fantasy, but is Tyler the right man for the job?

Tyler’s new policeman boyfriend, Duncan, is gorgeous. Tall, broad, and über-masculine, he’s the epitome of the dominant top—in appearance at least.

When they discuss their sexual fantasies, Duncan confesses to a secret desire that surprises Tyler. Luckily for Duncan, Tyler’s happy to oblige and is determined to give Duncan a night to remember.

and a quarter hearts.

Sunny and I took a look at this sexaaay short by Jay Northcote. Here's what we thought!


Sunny says;

Brit love!

Brits, who watch films and say things like bloke. Throw in one of my favorite themes, and some steamy scenes, and I'm a happy reader :)

*remembers steamy scenes*

So good. Even a brief clean up scene got me going. I loved the intimacy it showed, especially in such a new relationship. And the hints of D/s elements...icing on the cake.

Another great thing about this short story? The genuine sweetness. Not sugary or over the top, just a gentle sweetness that made me smile. *sigh*

Steam and sweetness...a perfect combination. I didn't even feel cheated by the length of the story.

I'll be reading this again when I need a sweet pick me up :)

Lori says;

Sometimes a shorty McShort story is just what you need.

Sometimes a steamy McSteamy story is just what you need.

When you get both, and it's not even PWP, it's just win, win, win!

It would have been so easy to turn this story into just that (Porn Without Plot) an encounter of high hotness - but about charcters we've not learnt to love yet. JAy Northcote doesn't do that though. She gives us characters to lvoe and then ups the hotness factor. What a winning combination.

A recommended read for those times when you want something good to read but don't have the time for a full length novel.

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