Blog Tour + Giveaway: Together by Eloreen Moon

Welcome author Eloreen Moon and Other Worlds Ink as they visit on the Together blog tour! Discover more about the polyamorous romance and enter in the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway!

Eloreen Moon has a new MMM erotic romance out: "Together." And there's a giveaway!

Victor has loved El and En since high school. The problem is, they love each other and only see him as a friend. Victor leaves town, unable to cope with watching them together, but now he’s back—and his heart still feels the same.

El and En have had feelings for Victor for a long time, they just haven’t said anything. After all, a poly relationship isn’t something society looks upon kindly. But that isn’t going to stop them, not now they understand what missing Victor is like. They want their third, no matter what anyone says—they just have to find out whether Victor is up for the challenge.

Together again, individually, the three men know they’re meant to be a trio. The thing is, who will say so first? And will the dynamic work if Victor joins a stable couple? Can Victor fit in and have the relationship he’s dreamed of with the two men who have held his heart in their hands for what feels like forever?

Find out in Together.


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Universal Buy Link | QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads

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Giveaway

Eloreen is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card with this tour – enter via Rafflecopter for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47139/?

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Excerpt

Sitting on the patio outside our favorite North Atlanta diner on a spring-like April Friday should not have been cause for melancholy. This was, after all, our regular weekly lunch whenever we were all in town. But it had been around this time, three years earlier, when my best friends, El and En—Miguel Armenta and Enrique Cruz—had dropped a life-changing bomb on me. I couldn’t help thinking back to high school when they’d told me they were moving in together after graduation.

My world had gone dark that day.

I hadn’t let it show. I’d hugged them gently, told them that they were my best friends and we would keep in touch, while hiding behind my shoulder-length black dreads. I quietly changed all my post-graduation plans, embarrassed that I was running but certain I didn’t have any other choice. My pain was too great. Fortunately, I hadn’t told them of my plans before it had happened. It was around that time I had begun to realize I had feelings other than a simple crush for my best friends in the months before we got our diplomas.

I almost had another panic attack shortly after heading for university when I realized I wanted both of them; I couldn’t choose between them and proceeded to break up with my then girlfriend so I wouldn’t string her along for any protracted length of time than I already had. I had to get as far away from the ones I desired so I hightailed it to California like my ass was on fire.

The subsequent change of scenery had triggered a lot of soul-searching. During that time, I came to the realization that I could have feelings for both men and women. Following that, ménages were not unheard of as far as committed relationships went. I returned home from school three years later after graduating early with my newly minted degree in systems engineering. I went back to my hometown in Metro Atlanta because of the availability of tech jobs even though I knew returning would put me in their zone again. They had never left the small town north of Atlanta where we’d grown up. The lower cost of living in the region and my initial salary made it an easy decision. In reality, I had missed them while in school too much to stay away. I was sad sometimes but I had other interests and friends, kept in shape with kick boxing, and hung out with them on a semi-regular basis. I had made my peace to be near them again but was about to find out that may not continue.

I had taken another bite out of my sandwich while they had been quietly talking and reminiscing when a shout of surprise penetrated my consciousness. It was the expectant looks on their faces that finally registered, and I realized that someone had asked me a question while I hadn’t been paying attention.

I chewed quickly so I could focus on the two dark-haired, golden-skinned, Latino men sitting across from me.

“What? Did I miss something?”

My heart squeezed as I looked at their gorgeous faces. They both had slightly oval-shaped jaws, and mustaches, but En had trimmed scruff along his jaw while El was clean-shaven. My attraction to them had never waned, but I wasn’t going to break them up to satisfy my selfishness. I ignored the familiar pain, just as I had for the previous eight years, and waited for them to respond.

El rolled his dark blue eyes at my tendency to get stuck in my head and answered for them both. He usually did—being the one who was six-two standing and slightly taller than En, while En was the quieter one. El was protective of him, too. Considering En is a writer and El a lawyer, they fit. The thought flitted through my mind that I wanted to hold and protect them both. I mentally shook my head and focused on the repeated question.

“Vic, would you be our best man at our wedding in two weeks?”

I reared back in shock. “What! How? When did this happen?” I stood instantly to my full height of six-five, almost toppling the chair in my haste. Slightly embarrassed at my reaction, I continued to deflect, “Of course I’ll be your best man. Together?”

El and En stood with me, and we migrated close to each other as we talked.

At En’s nod, I continued, “That’s going to be some interesting coordination. Yes, sure! Where?”

I smiled through the searing pain that lanced my heart. I had gotten used to hiding my feelings from them for so long it was second nature.

Seemingly a little nervous, En showed the rings he had and said softly, “I just asked him now spontaneously.” He gazed at El lovingly while holding him around the middle, his head tucked under El’s chin, and his pretty brown eyes radiating happiness.

El wrapped his arms around him, grinning widely, and he eyed me intently.

“I said yes,” he confirmed as well.

“Awww, that’s cute,” I said, outwardly amused but inwardly I was shattered. “Sorry about missing the request the first time around. You know how I get lost in my head sometimes.” I walked the few steps to them and gathered them both in a group hug, my long arms almost encircling them.

I had no hope now, since I never saw any signs they were interested in me romantically, but I didn’t want to lose their friendship and so I’d never told them of my feelings. While I knew about polyamory, I wasn’t sure they did, and they never gave any indication that they were interested in something more than friends. I enjoyed the contact for a few more seconds then pulled back a little, catching my dreads in a loose ponytail with a hair looper I had on my wrist most of the time. “You haven’t figured out how to do the deed yet, huh?”

“Actually…we have,” El answered excitedly, practically jumping in our three-way hug. “We’re going to ask one of our friends who have their online ordination to marry us in Piedmont Park that Saturday. I’d been about to ask En tonight at home as I already got a marriage license last week.” He focused on En sheepishly, kissed him on the top of his short-haired head, and only separated some as he continued, “Apparently, great minds think alike and all as he had the rings with him today.”

Adorable. My heart turned over at how cute they were. God, I loved them so much. I’d thought it was just friendship with them growing up as I hadn’t ever had any feelings for guys. I’d liked girls as a kid and loved touching them. I’d noticed guys but only in passing, and it was fleeting, so I’d never thought about guys that way for many years. For fuck sake, I had a typical high school sweetheart cheerleader to my wrestling jock self!

It had never occurred to me that I was bisexual when I’d transferred to Appleton Middle School at the tender age of thirteen. My parents and I moved from Jamaica because of political unrest at the time. With a June birthday and different grade entrance laws in Georgia, I had to repeat sixth grade, so I was two years older than them. I was the ebony dark guy to their golden Latin American in a school system with only a smattering of non-whites to satisfy the diversity in the upper middle-class school system we had attended. People eyed me warily when I’d first arrived. Whispers of that N word and occasional other derogatory name-calling crept up over the years. I came to realize the stories of discrimination I had heard but hadn’t paid attention to before the move about the US in general, and the southeastern states in particular, were true. En and El became my best friends despite the lack of true diversity at the time and had me join them for lunches in the school cafeteria from day one. We’d continued the lunches over the years and only interrupted them when I went to college.

It hadn’t surprised me much when they’d started behaving differently with each other in sophomore year. They came out to me as gay about the same time they told me they’d begun their romantic relationship toward Christmastime that same year. It was a wake-up call, and I realized I had a crush on El first, then En invaded my heart later. Since I was eighteen at the time, I considered running from the feelings they evoked. Even then, I couldn’t leave as I didn’t want to lose our friendship. At Appleton High, I dated the head cheerleader, probably more due to being on the Varsity wrestling team despite the mixed-race pairing we were. I hadn’t understood why my heart ached even though I had no issues being intimate with Gwen until that fateful day that spring.

And now they’d done it to me again.

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Author Bio

Eloreen Moon is a pen name for a writer, reviewer, proofreader, and reader of all things romance, including alternate lifestyle (LGBT) stories and novels. Inspiration is all around and life will not limit her to one particular topic.

Her first story published is Charon’s Dilemma with the 2014 Love’s Landscape event from M/M Romance group on Goodreads.com. Her second story to be published is also with the Don’t Read in the Closet's (DRitC) 2015 Love is an Open Road event, with Coil Me Up. She also finished five 300-word shorts for the Discovery: QSF’s Second Annual Flash Fiction Contest, Flight: QSF's Third Annual Flash Fiction Contest, Renewal: QSF's Fourth Flash Fiction Contest, Impact: Queer Sci Fi's Fifth Annual Flash Fiction Contest, and Migration: Queer Sci Fi’s Sixth Annual Flash Fiction Contest (QSF Flash Fiction Anthologies 1-5).

She likes to read and write a blend of #LGBTQ science fiction, fantasy, historical, paranormal, and sometimes more than one together, especially if romance is involved. However, cowboys, lawmen, and contemporary times are fun too. In Real Life, she works full-time, has a blended family with children, and enjoys gardening, computer games, and enjoying nature.

Author Website: http://blog.eloreenmoon.com

Author Facebook (Personal): http://www.facebook.com/eloreen.moon/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/eloreenmoonauthor/

Author Twitter: http://twitter.com/eloreenmoon
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eloreenmoon/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8158422.Eloreen_Moon
Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/eloreen-moon/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B013MWVB5K

Review: Three's the Charm (Maths #3) by P.A. Friday

James, Laurie, and Al are settling into a surprisingly easily life as a triad. Finally, things seem to be going well for them. But when an unscrupulous journalist takes advantage of Al’s blossoming film career and the men’s unusual relationship to write an exposé article, cracks begin to show. Can the three survive with their love, their careers, and even their sanity intact?

 

I have a strong bias when it comes to the Maths series. I’ve said it before in my reviews for the first two books, you must read them out of order to really get the emotional and romantic depth of these characters. Read One Plus One, then Love Plus One and then this one to meet James, his best friend Al and the love of their lives Laurie long before this story happens. Just trust me, it makes more sense that way and you need to know their story fully.

So, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way.

Seven weeks. Had it really only been seven weeks since the three of them ‘officially’ became a triad? Their lives had been so complicatedly bound up together for so long that it was difficult to work out where one stage had ended and another begun.

The book is told through the three POV’s of our triad, James, Laure and Al and that first chapter starts off so hot with these men doing what they do best, getting it on and making Al submit. I agree with James and Al that Laurie is fuckhot when he gets all dominant with Al. For someone who is quiet and reserved, Laurie knows how to make Al beg for what he wants and then give it to him until he can’t talk straight. It’s so freaking hot to read but while they are good at sex, it’s not what the book is about.

This book really goes into what these three meant one another as friends and lovers. When the question comes up on when and how do they tell Gillie – James’ mother, Al’s “adopted” mother and Laurie’s best friend – they are in fact a triad they men talk it out and decide it’s time they owned up to what their relationship means outside of their home. Of course, Gillie is Gillie and that whole conversation is amazing even if the three men were nervous as heck. It was great seeing them squirm and then wonderful for them to be able to show affection openly.

But while the triad is committed and yes in love, they accept each other for who they are and they know Al still has sexual partners outside their committed relationship. This has always been the case and Al never sleeps with anyone Laurie and James don’t know about and the men and women Al sleeps with know about his relationship with James and Laurie. But when Al misjudges a date and the date comes off with homophobic remarks, he forgets himself and mouths off to the woman. That woman happens to be a journalist and decides to take her rejection and her hate for homosexuals out on Al and his lovers in the worst way.

“We can do this. […] you’re not alone.”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
“Would you rather be?”
“No,” he admitted softly. “You know I wouldn’t. […] My boys. My men. My blokes. Whatever. Even if the worst happens. They’re worth it.”

This article hurt to read and it hurt to have Al, then James and Laurie read it. This woman spins the truth into terrible lies that hurt this triad and made them question what they feel for themselves and each other. This book hurt and it hurt in that good way only angst can. Goodness. I knew that these three had a tendency to tug at my heartstrings but they go far beyond that and actually made me put my hand to my chest it hurt so much. There is so much self-examination in this and examination of the three as a triad that I loved it. I know some readers have a hard time understanding how a polyamorous relationship would or could work and this obstacle the three men face really give them an opportunity to dissect who they are and what they want. Make no mistake, Laurie, Al and James are in love with one another but the dynamic of their love and their relationship is tested by the damaging article and I loved how each of them took time to be truly cerebral about themselves and their relationship.

“You’re not very good at being loved, Al, are you?”

I adore the bones off of Al. I have from the beginning with his passion for living his truth and being who he is without apology. His parents were awful and left him alone when they moved to the States and his friendship with James has always beautiful. Al is a talented filmmaker and while being promiscuous, it dedicated to this new relationship with his boyfriends. But people need to stop hurting our Al. First, he was raped and though the horrific act brought him to James and Laurie in this new way, it hurt our Al and it’s unacceptable. Now, this bitch and a bad journalist takes shots at Al and his lovers that cuts Al deeply and this makes this ginger ragey. Al, though slight in stature, can handle his own criticism but when the journalist aims for his lovers, Al takes the blame and wants to do whatever he can to save the hurt off James and Laurie, even if it means leaving. But neither of the three could have predicted who would be the one to walk out the door after reading the article.

It had mattered so much from the very beginning. It mattered so much still. Laurie mattered so much.

Laurie, Laurie, Laurie. You broke me in the book and if it weren’t for what you gave James and then Al at the end, I am not sure where we would be. You always seemed to be the strong one, the oldest of the three who put his wants off for James so long to be respectful and then falling for Al was never supposed to be on your radar but you did. You love both of your men in ways you never expected and life without them is impossible to imagine. But what you go through, all that you thought you were was heartbreaking to read. Just thoughts of whiskey, broken glasses and a hard slap brings tears to my eyes. I am thankful it was all worked out but you put me heart through the ringer, Sir.

James loved Al to bits, and couldn’t even begin to imagine living without him, but Laurie was… Laurie.

James, dear sweet guitar playing James you started all of this. First having a crush on your mother’s best friend and then finding sexual release with your best friend to falling for both men, you began this triad with simply being you and you could resist you or your arse? You became so strong in this book, being there for both your lovers with compassion, affection and justification beyond what anyone could have imagined. I loved watching you grow and I loved watching you ask for something you never thought you’d want and get it. Your desperation for a resolution made you think clearly and gave reason to the situation both Laurie and Al faced. You are simply stunning.

Wow. Yeah, this book was good and I loved every word of it, even the ones that made me cry. Three’s the Charm shows the success of James, Laurie and Al becoming a strong triad in and out of the bedroom. The men have seen what they could lose and know all of it is worth fighting for. I got so lost in this story and loved how each man craved the other for support and comfort and… and… sigh.

Good book, was good.

Happy ginger, is happy.

Long review is done.

Audiobook Review: Summer Heat by Jay Northcote

A summer fling is an ideal cure for a broken heart. But when it’s with your best friend, things get complicated.

When Adam is dumped by his boyfriend, a week away at a beach resort seems like a great opportunity to get over his ex. Sun, sea, and no-strings sex will be just the boost he needs to move on with his life.

Adam’s best friend, Finn, agrees to accompany him at short notice. Finn’s had a crush on Adam for years, but is determined to put his feelings aside and be the perfect wingman in Adam’s time of crisis.

A spontaneous threesome with another guy forces Adam and Finn to confront their attraction to each other. Having a holiday fling together wasn’t part of the plan, and as their trip heats up, they soon realise that one night of fun won’t be enough for either of them.

The passion might be scorching, but their hearts and friendship are on the line. If their romance is going to survive the flight home, they have to be honest about what they want.

Narrator: Mark Steadman

No one writes the friends to lovers theme like Jay Northcote. He’s got the magic touch with this trope and I eat these stories up like the sweetest of candy. I was a little wary of the setup as Adam and Finn get together. A threesome on vacation? Hmmmm . . . . ok. Maybe. We’ll see. . . .

I’m totally down with menage stories. The more lovin’ peen the merrier as far as I’m concerned. As long as everything is well balanced and there’s no odd man out, I love ‘em. This was not a menage relationship story but a fun vacation fling that caused feeeeeelings and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about three becoming two when it started with three, etc. etc.

Turns out I had no reason to be wary at all and I should have known that. The author knows how to write guys having a peen party without making the sex or friendships seem cheap. Adam gets dumped by his douchebag boyfriend and instead of cancelling his all-inclusive beach vacation that the two were supposed to take, he takes his BFF, Finn instead. Of course Finn has been crushing on Adam forever, but they’ve never been single at the same time so the crushing is unrequited. Finn is a little leery of the trip but he’d do anything for Adam, even be his wingman while Adam rebounds, as painful as that may be.

Adam and Finn hit the beaches, the clubs, the pool and all the prerequisite vacation spots. The flirting is rampant and Adam starts getting his confidence back. The two even lightly flirt with one another and that could easily be chalked up to the atmosphere, or to honesty, hard to say at this point. But, there’s a delicious little pink haired twink who’s been eye boning Adam since they were all on the same flight to the resort. The twosome between Adam and his rebound bone turns into a threesome when Finn gets invited to join in and holy cats was that a hot night! Sweet baby cheezus. Hot. Night.

Their third was definitely in it for the fun and he was SO on to these guys and the true attraction they had for one another and really, it was very sweet. I don’t doubt that Adam and Finn would have gotten together eventually, but the Vacay Fairy Godtwink was the catalyst they needed to make them become a thing.

I liked how the chapters went back and forth in perspective between Adam and Finn. Being in each of their heads in a dual POV as the story, and their relationship, progressed kept the story virtually angst free. I knew where they both stood the whole time, I knew they were on the same page so I got to just enjoy the dance the two did around each other in bed and out. Did I mention that these guys are hot together? Whew and wow.

I love Mark Steadman’s narration, he does a great job with Jay’s words. My only very minor niggle was that Adam and Finn sounded pretty similar and with the back and forth in the chapters it got confusing once or twice. Not too big of a deal and was easy to get back on track, but a little more differentiation would have been good.

Summer Heat is a perfect summer listen. It’s got everything in it that reminds you why romance is so satisfying and nourishing for our happy little hearts.

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

Review: While My Wife's Away by James Lear

To all appearances, Joe Heath is a typical straight married man, living with his wife and two teenage children, commuting to work, playing sports and going to the gym, enjoying a beer and a barbecue. But there are things about Joe that his friends don't know. For one thing, his relationship with his wife has deteriorated to the point that they're sleeping in separate bedrooms, only staying together until the kids have left home. And there's something else: for the last few years, Joe has wanted to have sex with another man.

While My Wife's Away recounts Joe's recognition of his sexual nature in a series of encounters--some short, some repeated, some comic, some sad, all of them extremely hot in the way that only James Lear can make them. Each chapter is a self-contained episode from Joe's life, but throughout the book we see him coming to terms with what he really is, and struggling with his feelings of guilt and betrayal as it becomes clear that his marriage is over. Much of the dramatic tension in the book arises from the difficulties of negotiating his family life with his new personal life, the awkwardness and potential disaster inherent in each situation.

Well that was a very interesting book which left me with very mixed emotions. I love a good cheating book, one where the relationship is shrouded in taboo, lust and a splash of guilt. However be aware, this isn't a love story. This isn't the story of a man falling in love with another man while he happens to be married. This is the story of a lonely but selfish man who is searching for a connection with someone.

Don't expect to like Joe, he's very self indulgent and knows it. Don't expect a HEA, there isn't one. Some people would say there's a HFN, which I guess for some parts of Joe's life that's true, for some others... absolutely not. Despite all of this I felt for Joe and felt with him, probably because this was so well written. We understand Joe on such depth you can’t help but feel his loneliness and want him to find his HEA and then in the same breath he can make you feel sooo angry you just want to punch his silly head.

I've read a few books where the whole mindset of the cheater was very glossed over because let's face it, it's not a pretty thing, but that was not done here. One of my most favorite aspects of this story was seeing Joe's own justifications of what he was doing, it felt very realistic to cheaters. For example after one of his trysts he comes home feeling guilty, ready to make up with his wife, when he finds she's not there he is angry at her for missing her chance at making up. Like I said not pretty, but quite realistic.

Now all of this is sounding pretty depressing, which is totally not my thing, so why 4 hearts? The sex. Seriously, the sex! Joe plays with voyeurism, exhibitionism, threesomes and moresomes, subbing and dominating, he has sweet sex and rough sex…. Really he does it all!

The end of this story really started to stress me out, like I said some of Joe’s life works out for the better while others don’t. By this stage in the story, he’s so used to feeling connected to the men he has meaningless sex with that he can’t separate sex from human connection and it gets him into some real pickles...

I really enjoyed this story, the sex was hot hot hot and varied. Joe was a complex and realistic character but man I was stressed out reading this towards the end and couldn't help but feel sooooo angry at Joe. If you go into this knowing it's not a love story I think a lot of people could really enjoy it, just be prepared to feel a large amount of different emotions.

Review: Triad by Remy St. Lawrence

Six months after the breakup of his relationship, Rex has yet to move on. New in town, he is alone at a bar, and for the first time, Rex is tempted by a heterosexual couple. As the centre of Robert and Ilham’s attention, Rex realizes he is on the verge of a new experience.

True story!

I read it twice. Once sober and once... not as sober. A little experiment that I had hopes of bringing clarity to this story, but science failed me.

It brings me no joy to criticize a first time author but this was too much for me. 

As the air stewed, it would only be a matter of time before the mercury inhibition dipped.

Triad is the tale of one man's experience with an established couple and, coincidentally, his first experience with a lady garden. I'm fairly certain there will not be a repeat performance either. I'm not sure if it's meant to be titillating or more of case study. What I can tell you is the use of language is strange and the undercurrent of surrealism is bizarre.

We lay in dermal gradation:  Robert, Ilham, me.

I think the surrealism is by design undoubtedly to add interest, but it kind of makes Rex seem a wee bit psychotic and it put me off. Is it a dream? Does he suffer from amnesia? Is it déjà vu? Under the right circumstances this sort of ambiguousness can and has worked for me, but here I perceived it as a contrived plot device.

He came up after a few moments, crawling over her like a lustful salamander...

From her easy peaks, he migrated south, planting kisses along the way until he reached the center of her earth.

That combined with the purple drivel was the death knell for me.

He removed his hand after a time and replaced it with his face, lapping the rain from my shaft and balls, flicking his tongue at Ilham's swollen petite nob.

I would actually recommend this to others just to see if they have the same reactions as I did or if I'm in the 'you just don't get it' category.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads & Ninestar Press.

Review: Stand and Deliver by Scarlet Blackwell

When Lucien Mayer is held captive by dangerous but seductive highwaymen, does he escape, or does he give in to his heart’s desire?

Lucien, Earl of Ravensberry, has the looks, the title, the house and all the money in the world. What he’s lacking in his humdrum life of loneliness is someone to warm his sheets at night. When he’s kidnapped by five highwaymen one night, things start looking up. This is the most exciting thing to happen to him in forever.

But Lucien’s life is in danger. Dante, the tough, self-appointed leader of the band, doesn’t have a lot of time for captives and vows to kill him—after he’s used Lucien’s body as he desires. Then there’s Ambrosius, Dante’s best friend, a damaged, reclusive individual who appeals to Lucien from the outset. The feeling is mutual, and Lucien is soon braving a whirlwind of emotions. He had never thought to fall for an outlaw, and he is torn between escaping and satisfying the needs of his heart. All he knows is, life will never be the same again…

Lucien seemed to have it all, on the outside. But he's lonely and tired of his mundane life. Lucky for him he gets kidnapped by some highwaymen!

Wait. Huh?

Lucien gets kidnapped and instead of planning escape, he pops a boner.

First off, the kidnapping scene was very confusing to me. There was a lot of "the man with the green eyes" or "the man with the dark eyes" going on and I couldn't keep track of who was who. I had Dante and Ambrosius mixed up for the longest time, and this is a short book, so... I was all over the place character-wise.

Lucien was really intrigued by Ambrosius. He was the most sane and level-headed of the group and they had a connection almost right away. Ambrosius had a heartbreaking past and I felt for his character. He and Lucien were good together, they didn't wow me, but I understood their attraction.

Now Dante... I have mixed feeling about that (sexy?) wacko. He has no use for Lucien and wants to dispose of him, after he uses his body in delicious ways, of course. Dante is just mean and gruff and vows to take what he wants from Lucien. To which Lucien protests, but then secretly wants. I never really connected with Dante and I'm not sure of his purpose in the relationship between Lucien and Ambrosius. His character was left way open for a sequel. 

And guess what? This is a historical romance. But you wouldn't know that based on the cover and not really from the blurb either. While I like the cover, I do wish it gave off a historical vibe. 

Stand and Deliver was OK. I liked the main couple, Lucien and Ambrosius, but otherwise this didn't really stand out for me. It needed more fleshing out, especially Dante's character.

 A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Here Without You (One Voice #2) by Mia Kerick

With all of his scratched and dented heart, Nate DeMarco wants to be two places at once, but he’s been forced to make an unbearable choice. Having barely survived high school, Nate and his boyfriends, Casey Minton and Zander Zane, are ready to move forward. Casey and Zander have left home to attend Boston City College. Nate remains in New Hampshire to protect his volatile younger sister from their increasingly violent, alcoholic uncle. Nate suffers with anger, resentment, and loneliness as what he wants battles against what he feels he must do.

Separated, the young men fight to stay in contact. But they are faced with separate issues. Casey copes with residual fear from having been bullied in high school. Zander obsesses over the establishment of One Voice, the gay-straight alliance at Boston City College. And Nate fights for his sister’s survival. Meanwhile, the intensity of the boys’ relationship increases, both sexually and emotionally.

Nate’s effort to live two lives leads to tragedy, which threatens to blast their relationship apart before they can adjust to the changes in their lives. They must find their way back to a united path before it's too late.

Here Without You starts with Zane and Casey off to college, while Nate is still home taking care of his little sister. More than taking care of her, he's protecting her from their abusive uncle by taking all the abuse on himself.

In the first book, Us Three, Casey struggled with the intense bullying he was subjected to. Zane and Nate were there for him, to love him and support him. In Here Without You, it's Nate that needs the support of their throuple while he deals with his sister and his uncle. And by 'deals with' I mean getting the crap beat outta him. Regularly. Oh, Nate. *cries*

He's pretty much lost without his other two. But Zane and Casey are lost without him, too.

This was written in the same style as the first book. Each guy has their own POV and all three are told in a different way. It really worked for me. Not only did it give a distinctly different voice to each of them, but it made it easy to follow who I was hearing from. With three different POV's, all from guys, I would imagine that things would get a bit confusing at some point, but instead, the writing flowed naturally despite all the alternating narrators.

The whole time I kept wishing that they would do more for Nate. Why are Zane and Casey letting this happen? Why is Nate letting this happen? Why? Do something, someone! But, they're still kids. Fresh out of highschool, they're doing the best they can. Starting collge, starting an LGBTQ group and keeping their relationship together is a lot to handle without much family support. Amongst everything they were going through, they were still the loving, devoted, sweet throuple we all fell in love with in Us Three.

I loved Us Three. It was one of the best books I read last year. I wish, so hard, that I could say I loved Here Without You. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Here's why: the flowery dialogue. There was too much 'love' thrown around. In their dialogue, in their inner-dialogue, in the sex scenes... it was lovelovelove, all the time. Way too mushy for my tastes. I love me some gushy-fluff, but this felt unrealistic to me at times. If my hubby tried to talk to me that way, I'd laugh at him. Probably in his face. It wouldn't be helped. If all the lovey talk would have been cut by about 50%, I think I would have loved this. I know it's only one gripe, but it significantly lessened my enjoyment.

I still love Casey, Nate and Zane. I will absolutely read more about them. In this stage of their relationship, they were too much for me, but I adore them nonetheless.

 A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads!

Review: Brit Boys: On Boys Anthology by Various Authors

From east to west and north to south, these British boys are having a blast in and out of the bedroom with the men of their dreams. They’re topping and bottoming from London to Cardiff, living out fantasies in the wildest fells and hooking up while serving HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

With passion and lust the name of the game, nothing is off limits. Throw in honed muscles, high-strength testosterone and an accent to die for and there is nothing they can’t do and no one they can’t get in this world or another.

Don’t miss Brit Boys: On Boys—a smokin’ hot box set, containing 147,000 words/440 pages of unforgettable M/M erotic romance from eight popular British authors.

I used to not like anthologies - until I realised they were a great way to try new authors. The Goodreads MM groups free DRitC events  were a wonderful revelation to me - I was able to dip my toe in this amazing genre and find authors I liked. Now I've built up a great group of like-minded readers and friends, but way back then I had no idea about any of these amazing authors.

Since then I have loved anthologies and the exposure they give me to new-to-me authors. This selection was no let-down. I have previously read some of these writers and some were completely new. It was great to read such a variety of work. Covering contemporary to futuristic/sci-fi to fantasy and friends to lovers, threesomes, royal marines and some plain old kinky nooky - this compilation is a great bundle of reads, pretty much guaranteed to make your heart beat faster and your nether regions tingle. And sometimes that's all I need from a book.

My personal favourites were;

Dish of the Day by Clare London - friends to hot 'n' kinky. Yes please. Excellent use of food if I do say so.

Love on Location by Lucy Felthouse - hmmm, can't put my finger quite on why, but this really, really worked for me. It left me with a silly grin on my face.

and

Locked Out by Josephine Myles - the one author I knew I liked before starting reading this anthology, Josephine Myles does not disappoint. With her trademark snappy sense of humour and some great sexy times this story was just yum. 

Although these three stood out for me, all the stories were fantabulous.

Bodywork
By Ashe Barker

Alex is doing okay. His body repair shop makes enough to live on, he has a decent apartment, life is fine. That all changes when he runs into Graham in a supermarket car park - literally. He offers to fix the damage to Graham’s car free of charge. The sparks soon fly, and the heat between them has nothing to do with welding equipment.

Breaking the Marine
By M.K. Elliott

Brandon Rosen hadn’t planned for his final night before enrolling in the Royal Marines to involve a hot stranger and a pub car park. And he certainly hadn’t planned for that same hot stranger to turn up at the barracks in the form of his Drill Instructor, Corporal Will Stewart. In the testosterone fuelled environment of the training camp, can Brandon and Will overcome past pains and face up to what they really want? Or will the Royal Marine Commando School break their relationship before it even gets started?

Love on Location
By Lucy Felthouse

When Theo Samuels heads off to film on location in the village of Stoneydale, he's expecting drama to take place on camera, not off. But when he meets gorgeous local lad, Eddie Henderson, he struggles to ignore his attraction. A relationship between the two of them would be utterly impractical, yet they're drawn together nonetheless. Can they overcome the seemingly endless hurdles between them? Or is their fling destined to remain as just that?

Landscapes
By K D Grace 

Alonso Darlington has a disturbing method of keeping landscaper, Reese Chambers, both safe from and oblivious to his dangerous lust for the man. But Reese isn’t easy to keep secrets from, and Alonso wants way more than to admire the man from afar. Can he risk a real relationship without risking Reese’s life?

The Chase
By Lily Harlem

Steve's killing time working in a comedy club. Why not? It makes him laugh and both the clientele and the comedians are not just fit but also great company. One stand up joker decides to create a wild goose chase for Steve and his ex Robert. Cavorting around Cardiff on a frosty night, however, does more than just show them the way to a threesome, it also reveals the reasons why they should give each other one more shot.

Dish of the Day
By Clare London

Richie’s sunk all his hopes and savings into a new restaurant in south London promoting British ingredients and recipes. His best friends Craig and Ben should be around to help him celebrate the grand opening, but it looks like it’s all heading for disaster - until his friends step in to tell him some home truths. Then they’ll help him relax and enjoy their loving, intimate menu instead. 

E2
By Sarah Masters

When Archie meets Dan after The Change, he realises there is no such thing as a random meeting of soul mates, it's all mapped out in the stars. Now all he's got to do is hope those orbiting planets stay in alignment and true love finds him again.

Locked Out
By Josephine Myles

Getting accidentally locked out of his hotel room on Valentine's Day night is embarrassing enough for teacher Martin Cooper, but the fact he's stark naked makes it even worse. It doesn't help that the one person he runs into is Rod, the gorgeous man he'd been checking out earlier in the hotel pool. But when Rod offers Martin a refuge, the night heats up. Now if only Martin could get the hang of this seduction business... 

A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review.

For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Group Review: Sacrificed: Heart Beyond the Spires (Baal's Heart #2)

Reunited once more, the crew of Baal’s Heart must make the long and treacherous journey south to the towering spires of the Devil’s Isles. The path through the mountain range is fraught with peril; mayhem and tragedy plague the pirate ship, but what the men find beyond the spires is the most shocking of all.

In this sequel to the acclaimed Caged, the pirates are dragged into a dangerous new world by Captain Baltsaros’s all-consuming obsession. In the midst of terror and chaos, Jon learns that the captain and first mate have been keeping secrets from him. But will the truth tear them apart?

Ann: 5 Hearts


I actually have to keep this review pretty general, if I didn’t it would be, hold on, let me check to see how many pages are in this book . . . 380. So my review would be that x 2. I’d be mostly rambling because trying to navigate the mind fuckery would take at least that and more to explain. The first three chapters were the perfect way to start Book 2 in this series. The back and forth for each character filled in blanks, gave reminders and made me anxious to get going on this adventure. That being said, I’m actually not going to say a lot about the adventure. You have to go into it without any preconceived ideas of what’s coming, because the absolute crazy ass stress about the whole thing is half the fun.

This is an example of my rambling notes and thoughts – obviously taken out of any context but you’ll get the idea:

Tom has never had any power sexually and now he does? Maybe? It’s scary. Scary to him, confusing to Baltsaros and arousing to Jon. Baltsaros is the only person Tom ever sought out. Did Baltsaros ever really understand that gift he had been given? Or maybe he did, hence the guilt. Or maybe he only did once he had Jon. Or maybe I just have no fucking clue, should stop taking random notes and get back to the reading.

So, Ann, conflicted much? Conflicted yes, confused no. There was a lot going on but it was so well done it kept the angst from being the story and the marrying of the adventure with the evolution of their relationship dynamics was fascinating.

Sacrificed really explores the relationship between Tom and Jon. I loved it and it was everything that each of them needed. But, it wasn’t complete without Baltsaros and something is off with the Captain. And, I don’t mean his usual “off” self, but something is changing, he’s hiding something and for fuck’s sake I had no clue. I pretty much wanted to strangle him so many times! It’s bad enough that they can’t explain how they feel to one another because they don’t even understand it themselves, but throw in there some kind of plan the Captain has in his head and there is no way to figure out what’s coming. Now, take all that and put them in a situation that could end with them all dead in pretty horrific ways and you’ve got yourself a story to power read.

What I find incredibly brilliant about this series so far is the fluid dynamics with the three main characters. Their “roles” were pretty well established after book 1, but it was all still pretty new and really could have gone in any number of directions. Book 2 takes all that and chucks it out the porthole. The perceived roles are still there, but the evolution of the characters as they grow and change is well written and flows organically making it easy, yet sometimes painful, to follow. Because they do change, they change a lot and it’s totally believable. It makes me see the effect each one has on the other, both good and bad.

These three have their perceptions of themselves that are not wholly accurate. Perceptions of each other, also not accurate and perceptions of what they think the other believes of him. These guys are mind fucked before they even leave their bed in the morning. Jon really does change everything and he sees more than Tom and Baltsaros are capable of. Jon knows that the other two are scared; scared of being vulnerable and scared of being broken. Neither of them thinks so and in their misguided attempts to protect Jon, they end up pissing him off instead. Well, turns out a pissed off Jon is a very bad thing. He’s become much more “pirate” living his new life and while it was a big change from when he first came aboard Baal’s Heart I think it was a necessary maturity in him to survive in this new life.

Jon also is the catalyst for the evolution in the relationship between Tom and Baltsarsos. He’s changed them both and he’s really screwed up their perception of ‘normal’. The two of them have been pouring the love and protective feelings onto Jon because they can’t do it with each other. That was the piece that was missing. Jon has become the glue that keeps them together, but he is also the one person keeping them apart. Not because of anything he’s done, but because of the fucked up perceptions in Tom and Baltsaros’ brains. Baltsaros’ brain is the wild card in this one and while Tom is his outlet for his evil and Jon is his outlet for his tender side, the lines are getting blurry and are starting to cross. What’s funny is that when they do have a pretty reasonable feeling like jealousy or protectiveness they think that feeling is somehow wrong and they try to bury it.

So yeah, conflicted. But seriously, in the best and most fascinating of ways.

Before I just end with, “Why the actual fuck aren’t you reading this yet?” I have to take a sentence or two to talk about Tom. Tom, the completely brilliant and insightful sexy beast with the scarred body and the ocean eyes, Goddammit he’s awesome. He can distill a situation into a sentence that makes so much sense on every level. He doesn’t over think, he just knows. He knows how to deal with Jon and Baltsaros better than anyone he knows how to survive. I love that as the story continues he’s really owning his strengths and letting them play out. He was completely intriguing in book 1, but now he’s my hero.

#TeamTom

SheReadsALot: 5 Hearts

I don't know how to convey my joy that is in my marrow for "Sacrificed:  Heart Beyond the Spires", book # 2 of the Baal's Heart series. Forget that I thoroughly love pirates. Forget that a hero with a damaged heart, mind and/or soul will always call to me.

The words. 

These words from this story are filled with so much heart, passion and love of well fleshed out characters, I can't not rave about them. When an excellent, well plotted story is delivered like this one, I always get a loss of words. I could discuss the book all day. I would rant and rave about the characters for days. Fan girl gush: There was dirty talk with a few of my favorite words in a scene!

“Does it occur to you that maybe you've burned me out? That I no longer care whether what you spout is truth or lie?”

The second book in the trilogy is hands down one of my top five reads of the year. And surprise, surprise, so is its predecessor, Caged. (See the review of book #1, in case your interested - it is not suggested for you to read out of order) This is a book that will not be for everyone, it's dark. Darker than book #1 and if you're put off by kink [breath play, blood play, wax play, mind fuckery] or have triggers: attempted rape and violence, then I wouldn't suggest this.

Bey Deckard has written quite the follow up to one of the best triads I've ever read. Jon, the empath virgin who was alone for most his life, Tom, the damaged first hand that is quick with a fist and Baltsaros, the evil captain that can't help being possessive of his boys. This is how I picture a triangle to be, there are intimacies between the three and sometimes a branch of two men, jealousies and a bond that can't be denied.

“Yes, fine. Savvy,” she muttered.
“Aw lovey, yer a fine-lookin’ woman, it’s not that,” Tom said apologetically. “All jokin’ aside, if it ain’t the captain, or it ain’t Jon…” He shrugged again. “There just ain’t anyone else.”

Sacrificed could be considered a character study of each main character. I got all that I asked for in my first review and then some:

-more kink (see above)
-keep that adventure coming (this was pirating and fantasy-gasm adventure)
-more info on Baltsaros (we got more info into that dark and devious mind)
-more of Tom (I am floating from the gift, wonder and character that is Tom. Thank you Bey!)

My list has been answered, my kinky pirates have upped the game tenfold. This book was intense. Consider book #1 to be the foundation of an awesome tale, book #2 is crafting the titanium house. The men have grown: Baltsaros is learning to be a human, Tom is learning to open himself for more than Baltsaros and Jon is learning how to be a man (he makes some mistakes but who doesn't?) The boys aren't 100% set in their ways as yet, there are fluid parts about them but you can not deny they make each other stronger.

“Tom reached out and let his knuckles graze Jon’s arm, a hidden touch just to ground him for the span of a heartbeat. Maybe Jon would turn a blind eye. Maybe they’d continue to live in denial that they both loved a fucking monster.

Jon smiled at the brief caress, and Tom felt his chest get tight.”

If Caged was more about Jon and Baltsaros, this book is definitely more about Jon and Tom (I so wanted to learn more about this side of the triangle - not disappointed) We travel to beyond the Spires, to a bloodthirsty land with a mystery behind it. The groundwork laid in Caged comes together. The suspense is subtle but intense, the action even more so. I don't want to spoil all the good parts, so I'll quit before I spill.


Highly recommended - this is why I read for stories like this. I have high hopes for book #3:

- Tom!
- learning about Baltsaros
- kink
- Tom!

I can't believe this author started publishing this year, this book is more fine tuned and effortless. I hope there are more stories to come from him and it doesn't end. *hint hint*

Book #1 made me propose to the author. This book is like a honeymoon and vow renewal all in one.

#TeamTom4eva

 

For more information check out Goodreads or Booklikes! Today is release day!!

Group Review: Us Three by Mia Kerick

In his junior year at a public high school, sweet, bright Casey Minton’s biggest worry isn’t being gay. Keeping from being too badly bullied by his so-called friends, a group of girls called the Queen Bees, is more pressing. Nate De Marco has no friends, his tough home life having taken its toll on his reputation, but he’s determined to get through high school. Zander Zane’s story is different: he’s popular, a jock. Zander knows he’s gay, but fellow students don’t, and he’d like to keep it that way.

No one expects much when these three are grouped together for a class project, yet in the process the boys discover each other’s talents and traits, and a new bond forms. But what if Nate, Zander, and Casey fall in love—each with the other and all three together? Not only gay but also a threesome, for them high school becomes infinitely more complicated and maybe even dangerous. To survive and keep their love alive, they must find their individual strengths and courage and stand together, honest and united. If they can do that, they might prevail against the Queen Bees and a student body frightened into silence—and even against their own crippling fears.

So, every now and then, here at BMBR, there comes a book that we love so much we can't help but rave about it. One Unicorn will read it, wax lyrical and more of us jump on the bandwagon - then we start fighting over who gets to review it. When the glittery DM's come out ya know we're in for trouble. So. In the spirit of compromise we settle the situation by doing a group review. When Justin told us how fabulous Us Three was of course we all wanted to read and review. The afore mentioned compromise has resulted in this post. Enjoy.

Breann's thoughts;

What a story. What a wonderful, beautiful story.

The chemistry between Zander, Nate and Casey was off the charts. They fit together so perfectly, whether it was two of them together or all three of them together, I could feel all the emotion flowing between them. What they had was unexpected for the boys. While they were working together, this strong and solid bond was forming and they had no idea. They had no idea that they could have two people in their life that meant so much to them, that without all three of them there, it just wasn't the same. Just two would have never worked.

The bullying was heavy. It was intense and gut-wrenching. The poor boy, who is just trying to get by, just won’t be left alone. The mean girls won’t let him be. It’s incredibly brave of him to return to school after the horrible things that were done to him. I loved, absolutely loved, how Nate and Zander were there for Casey. They were both there but in completely different ways. They helped in their own way, and both were equally loving and effective in their efforts.

Casey, Nate and Zander’s characters were written flawlessly. Flawlessly, I tell you! They were three very distinct and different people. Their dialogue and choices were true to who they were every single time. The way they comforted and loved each other was different for each of them and I could see their individuality shine through in every scene.

Us Three is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It wasn’t an easy read, but it was definitely beautiful and honest. There were some horribly difficult moments and some romantic and sweet moments. It was intense, but completely worth it.

Justin's thoughts;

What can I say about Us Three? I had very high hope going in but at the same time I had reservations about a YA ménage book. Let me just say that this was a slam dunk. Mia Kerick did an amazing job telling the story of three completely different young men who became friends and then discovered something more between them.

This is a love story. It is told from each of the three MC’s points of view, using different story-telling techniques. The format was interesting and unique and gave me insight into each characters' thoughts and feelings. I felt like I really got to know each of them in a personal way and I was drawn immediately into their story.

As with any book involving bullying, this one may be difficult for some to read. The bullying in Us Three is vicious - and surprisingly the bullies are girls. As extreme as it was, I still found it believable and realistic. In the year 2014 some suggest bullying is no longer a problem and that schools and teachers will not tolerate this sort of behavior. Unfortunately, bullying does still exist and in some instances even to this extreme.

I don’t want to spoil this for anyone so I won’t say more but I highly recommend this book.

 




Jo's thoughts;

I hesitate normally on deciding to read ménage books. Lets face it, a lot of the time it is just an excuse to read a book about multiple beautiful people putting tab A’s in multiple slot B’s, yet when an author gets the choreography and story right I will own the fact that I have enjoyed them. It is just rare for an author to convey the intimacy I need to feel an attachment for the characters. When I found out this was a YA book I was even more hesitant but on a friends recommendation I read the book and I am so thankful.

Mia Kerick’s portrayal of Casey, Nate and Zander’s lives and how they intertwine just broke me. It is a wonderfully weird combination of heartbreak that rips into you, while still being so beautifully sweet. Ms. Kerick creates these lonely, broken souls and weaves a story showing you how they fit together to complete each other.

The bullying aspect also really stayed with me. I honestly believe we let our “friends” destroy our souls much more than we ever let a significant other. We get so lonely for companionship and acceptance that we keep moving the line of what we would put up with until you no longer recognize who you are and what you would do to fit in. It is horrible to want Casey to not trust, to not have hope, to not forgive and yet……

Lori's thoughts;

When I think of menage, or a relationship of three, I think of smokin' hot sexy times and not-a-lotta plot. This may be unfair because I've not read much in this sub-genre and it's never really appealed to me. When J started talking about this great book he'd just read I had to give it a go though - and I loved every minute of it.

It is a beautiful story, with fabulous characters. Characters that you don't think will work together, yet the chemistry between them is amazing. I don't think I could even pick a favourite because they all brought something special to the story.

The bullying storyline was sensitive and had a twist in it - it wasn't just your typical jock bullies. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of something bad to say about this, but I can't. It's one of those books you start and just can't put down. Mia Kerrick is a new to me author, I can guarantee I'll be reading her stuff again.