Dear Author,
“That’s me. The one in the hat. Why did I think this weekend away would be such a good idea? Ten of us, all sleeping in one cabin in the middle of winter, freezing our balls off. I must have been crazy, especially as I had to go and wake up [guy on bed] after he drank enough to sink a battleship last night. He was like a man possessed. And now I can’t stop staring at his mouth. What’s wrong with me? I’m not gay, he’s not gay. It’s fucking ridiculous. What am I gonna do?”
Photo Description:
Two men in a cabin room. One is lying on the bed with the other leaning over him. The man lying on the bed is resting with a smile on his face. The other is looking down with a happy smile, seemingly staring at the first man’s lips.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love is an Open Road” event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Review
Though the cover makes it seem like the two MCs are stuck in a cabin together – they really aren’t. Gavin and Drew are real life partners – at work. Their boss sends them to a couples retreat to help them get over their “issues” when one of them almost gets the other killed on the job.
Together they go through the excercises – designed for romantic couples – and nobody believes them when they say they aren’t romantically involved. And then they become romantically involved.
It’s a very sweet, short story about two best friends who become lovers.
In a tourist town in the Canadian Rockies, Simon is spending the summer working at his sister-in-law’s bookstore. Shy around new people, Simon prefers to keep his nose in a book. When Benji, a local who works at a café down the street, hears Simon is vegan, he figures the best way to welcome him is bake him a vegan donut.
Upon their first meeting, there’s an undeniable burst of chemistry. Simon is drawn to Benji’s outgoing personality and wants to get to know him better. All Simon has to do is figure out a way to get over his nervousness and ask the casually flirty Benji on a date.
Review
Benji has moved to town to help his sister-in-law deal with her grief at losing his (much older) brother who has died from a heart attack at a young age. He is in college and a bookworm, so he spends a lot of time with a nose in a book. He’s a bit shy and a vegan, but enjoys the outdoors.
Simon is a local, very outgoing, very outdoorsy and very attracted to Benji. At first he makes it pretty clear he’s attracted, but his past makes him pull back.
Benji mistakes the inattention for dis-interest and figures the two will be friends. Luckily one of them manages to ask the other out and the two end up with a nice HFN.
**
I enjoyed the writing and the characters in this story very much. I was frustrated by the fact that just as the couple finally gets together, the story ends, and we don’t get much input as to how things will go in the future.
I wish this had been longer, but it was a very nice short story.
DANIEL MULLIGAN is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in—not at home with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates look down on him. Now, Daniel’s relieved to have a job at a small college in Northern Michigan, but, a city boy through and through, when Daniel arrives in Holiday, Michigan, it’s clear that this small town is one more place he just won’t fit in.
REX VALE clings to routine to keep loneliness at bay: honing his large, muscular body until it can handle anything, perfecting his recipes, and making custom furniture. Rex has lived in Holiday for years, but his shyness and imposing size have kept him from connecting with people. Though he loves the quiet and solitude of his little cabin in the woods, Rex can’t help but want someone to share it with.
When Daniel arrives in Holiday, they are smitten with each other, but though the sex is intense and explosive, Rex fears that Daniel will be one more in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in could be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls that have been keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia where a secret is revealed that changes the way he understands everything.
Can a scrappy professor, an intense carpenter, and a stray dog make a go of it in their cabin in the woods? Sometimes, you have to go to the middle of nowhere to end up exactly where you want to be.
Review
Daniel moves to rural Michigan from Philadelphia for his first job as an English Professor. There he meets Rex, a wood worker, who both inspires his lust and makes him incredibly nervouse.
Daniel has been a scrappy kid for most of his life – his dad and brothers are not supportive of him, his lifestyle, his education, his sexuality, etc, etc. He’s been burned in the past, but has also never really had a serious relationship.
Rex has loved and lost and is very guarded with his heart. Neither man is very good at speaking their feelings and yet they both feel deeply.
Most of the story is the two coming together only to be separated again by a misunderstanding of one or the other.
Eventually we get a solid HFN that looks very promising.
**
This is written in first person present tense and can be difficult for some authors/readers. I think it’s done very well and after a few pages I didn’t think it felt odd at all.
I really loved the characters. Daniel is hysterical and snarky and insecure and sexy and wonderful. Rex is a simple yet deep (still waters and all that) and the perfect foil for the kinetic energy that is Daniel.
I loved how they came together right away and started building from that. What I didn’t like was the continual waffling. A simple, sincere conversation could have easily eliminated half the angst of this long (maybe too long?) book.
I also didn’t love the ending. After all the torment I really wanted them to end up in a more decisive place. Perhaps this is leading to a book two, but if not, I really wanted more for them. It just felt so wishy washy – and we had put up with a lot of torment for us not to get that glorious satisfaction of a solid HEA.
The side story of Colin, Daniel’s closeted brother, didn’t really lend itself to the story and only served to muddy the waters. Perhaps this is another book to follow, but if not – I’m not sure it was necessary here and definitely distracted from the focus of the book.
All in all I mostly really enjoyed the book, wished it was a bit more tightly edited and wished for a slightly more robust ending.
Since a mugging a year ago, Ben’s lived with blindness. Despite an art career on hold and a deadbeat boyfriend who left him because of his disability, he’s finally getting his life back on track. Ben is gaining a new sense of independence thanks to his guide dog, Colt.
But Ben’s carefully balanced life is thrown into chaos when veterinarian Dr. Jay Connor hits Colt with his car. While Colt is on the mend and recovering nicely, Ben finds that Jay is not only fond of Colt, but also quite interested in Ben.
However, one overheard conversation might put a stop to their romance before it can grow into something more. Maybe Ben’s destined to go it alone in the dark. Or can Jay help him see there’s still a chance for happily ever after?
Review
Ben was attacked and made blind. His boyfriend left him when it was clear the blindness was permanent. Now he is a painter struggling to find a new outlet for his art. His newly acquired guide dog is bumped into (not really hurt) by Jay’s car when Ben is out one night.
Jay is a veterinarian who falls for Ben and his dog nearly upon first meeting them. He tries very hard to break down the walls Ben has built to protect himself from hurt and is almost “in” when a misunderstanding nearly ruins everything.
**
This is a short, relatively angst-free story of two men falling in love while learning to trust one another. It is fairly low steam, but sweet. The author could do a better job of showing over telling and the “misunderstanding” was a little silly, but overall it was enjoyable.
Rico Gonzalves-Macias didn’t expect to fall in love during his internship in New York—and he didn’t expect the boss’s son to out them both and get him fired either. When he returns to Sacramento stunned and heartbroken, he finds his cousin, Adam, and Adam’s boyfriend, Finn, haven’t just been house-sitting—they’ve made his once sterile apartment into a home.
When Adam gets him a job interview with the adorable, magnetic, practically perfect Derek Huston, Rico feels especially out of his depth. Derek makes it no secret that he wants Rico, but Rico is just starting to figure out that he’s a beginner at the really important stuff and doesn’t want to jump into anything with both feet.
Derek is a both-feet kind of guy. But he’s also made mistakes of his own and doesn’t want to pressure Rico into anything. Together they work to find a compromise between instant attraction and long-lasting love, and while they’re working, Rico gets a primer in why family isn’t always a bad idea. He needs to believe Derek can be his family before Derek’s formidable patience runs out—because even a practically perfect boyfriend is capable of being hurt.
Review
From Candy Man we meet Rico, Adam’s cousin who is in New York doing an internship who has just admitted to Adam that he’s gay and has found his love in Manhattan. The book opens with Rico and Ezra (the lover) breaking up spectacularly when Ezra’s dad discovers their relationship.
Rico moves back to Sacramento (almost 2 months early) heartbroken, happy that Adam and the miraculous Finn are there to help him heal. And of course there’s Darrin, the psychic candy shop owner who knew Rico was on his way before Rico did.
Rico gets hooked up with Derek, the provider of Art jobs for Adam, both romantically and as an employer. But it doesn’t always go smoothly, Rico is seriously cautious and doesn’t want a repeat of his last workplace romance.
In the end, Derek’s perfection and his persistence pay off and we get another HEA.
**
What I LOVED about this story, besides seeing so much of Finn and Adam, was how much healing we got to see Rico go through. His family is SO toxic and it takes some serious balls for him to come out – not just for himself but for Adam’s sake as well – and he does it so well!
I loved how steadfast both Derek and Finn were and what good examples their families provided for both Rico and Adam.
Of course the pets are wonderful as are Darrin and the other secondary characters.
Reading this is EXACTLY like a trip to your favorite candy store. You know you will be sad when the book/candy is over/gone but you just have to devour it as quickly as you can because it’s so enjoyable!
I can’t wait for Ezra’s story and for these to come out on Audio.
Shawn is a frequent victim of Murphy’s Law. Can he and Harley stumble toward love despite insecurity and epic bad luck? Shawn is single, twenty-nine, the full-time carer of his Alzheimer’sstricken mother, and a frequent victim of Murphy’s Law—although his family calls it Shawn’s Law. Other than caring for mum, his day consists of painting nude men and spying on the guy who walks his dogs along the street every day at four o’clock. When Shawn takes a spectacular fall on his front steps, who is there to witness it other than the man of his dreams? Harley doesn’t believe in Shawn’s Law—but he soon changes his mind. The two men make it through a memorable first date and Shawn’s sexual insecurities to begin a relationship stumbling toward love. But when Shawn’s Law causes Harley to be injured, Shawn is determined to save Harley’s life the only way he knows how—by breaking up with him. Not once, but twice. Throw in a serial killer ex-boyfriend, several deadly Australian animals, two dogs called Bennie, a mother who forgets to wear clothes, an unforgiving Town Council, and a strawberry-flavored condom dolly, and Shawn’s Law is one for the books.
Review
(Posted Previously on this site)
Shawn is a HOT MESS. If you can think of someone who’s a clutz, that’s Shawn times a thousand. He’s so accident prone the ER staff knows him by name. He’s got the auto club on speed dial and the Ambulance driver’s are his friends.
But he’s also super adorable with a giant heart. He loves his mother and cares for her as she suffers the last stages of Alzheimer’s. He helps his sister with her budding family and he thinks nobody could want to (or should want to) be involved with him in a boyfriend-type-way.
Harley, aka “Hippy Hotpants” is Shawn’s new “neighbor”. He’s actually going out of his way when he takes his daily walks to be seen by and to see Shawn working in the garden and when yet another accident throws Shawn literally at Harley’s feet, it’s the start of a wonderful, if rocky, relationship.
Between Shawn’s own insecurities, his numerous accidents, his family and his need to “protect” Harley from Shawn’s law they don’t exactly have smooth sailing … but when they do connect it’s mind blowing.
Finally, after what seems like the true and final last straw, they do manage to come together at last for a very, very HEA – well a well-bandaged HEA.
**
As you know I’m a huge Renae Kaye fan. Her writing keeps improving with each book she puts out. This story is definitely a bit different from her others in that it relies far more heavily on humor than her other books, but is no less full of tenderness and a loving relationship as we have come to expect.
As usual, she also gives us a host of amazing secondary characters, fully developed who are rich additions to the story – Shawn’s mother with the Alzheimer’s, his sister- with no verbal filter, Harely’s dad- a true ex-hippy, and Shawn’s best friend- who talks to Shawn in verbal short hand as though they share a brian. To name a few.
I devoured this in one afternoon, I couldn’t put it down. The humor was contagious and Shawn and Harley just had me wrapped around their proverbial fingers.
If you are looking for a book with almost no angst, but still plenty of substance, this is the book for you. It’ll brighten your day and lighten your heart.
Audio
Casey Hunter is a new narrator for me, he does not have an Australian accent – so that was disappointing… but he was still quite good! He did a really nice job with the emotion, and especially the humor. He didn’t do a lot to change the voices, but it was always clear which character was speaking. I really enjoyed this and it absolutely added to the overall enjoyment of the story.
Tom Halderson is a carpenter in desperate need of a big project to save the financially troubled construction company he inherited from his father. Tom is a better carpenter than a businessman, and worse yet, Tom’s estranged brother suddenly demands his share of the inheritance. When Matt Langford hires Tom to renovate his house, things begin to look up. A safari guide, Matt plans to restore and sell the home his grandfather left him and return to his exciting life in Africa. He is not about to let his sudden—and powerful—attraction to Tom persuade him to settle down—not after infidelity destroyed his own family. But adventurous Matt is exactly what Tom’s life is lacking, and Tom is determined to show Matt what could be between them.
Review
Tom takes over the construction company from his father, though it isn’t his dream. His evil brother Derek returns to take the company from him and when he’s rebuffed, tries to sabotage things.
While trying to keep the company afloat Tom meets and falls for Matt, a new (rich) client.
Tom has had some significant abuse in his past relationships, the trouble with the company and his brother, but together he and Matt find their way to happiness.
**
As with the others in this series, this is a fairly light read with some darkish moments. I liked the storyline well enough, though I thought Derek’s character acted in ways that didn’t make sense. I also felt the dialog and communication between Matt and Tom was a bit stiff and awkward.
In general, if there had been a bit more showing and less telling this could have been a better read.
Michael and James are made for each other. But they must let go of stubbornness to see that life finds a way and love has no limitations.
Sex in Seattle: Book Three
Everyone admires Michael Lamont for being a nurse, but his part-time work as a gay sex surrogate not only raises eyebrows, it’s cost him relationships. Michael is small, beautiful, and dedicated to working with people who need him. But what he really wants is a love of his own. He spends most of his time reading science fiction, especially books written by his favorite author and long-time crush, the mysteriously reclusive J.C. Guise.
James Gallway’s life is slowly but inexorably sliding downhill. He wrote a best-selling science fiction novel at the tender age of eighteen, while bedridden with complications of polio. But by twenty-eight, he’s lost his inspiration and his will to live. His sales from his J.C. Guise books have been in decline for years. Wheelchair bound, James has isolated himself, convinced he is unlovable. When he is forced to do a book signing and meets Michael Lamont, he can’t believe a guy who looks like Michael could be interested in a man like him.
Michael and James are made for each other. But they must let go of stubbornness to see that life finds a way and love has no limitations.
Review
(From previously on this site)
Everyone should have a Michael in their lives. If we did, the world would be a better place.
I fell in love with Michael in the first of the “Sex in Seattle Series” and was so excited to see him finally get his own book. Eli Easton has taken a somewhat controversial subject, surrogacy, and shown us how beautiful and powerful a tool it can be for healing.
Through Michael’s story we are shown how sex is not only an important part of being in a realationship or being in love, but how it’s a natural part of being ourselves, being human. She has clearly done her research, as she explains in the prologue, and her effort shines through. I admit, when we met Michael at first, I wondered, along with him, how he could possibly have a long term relationship for himself, given his job. I felt how sad for him, and/or for his potential clients, because what he offers is such a gift, but it must be hard to share that with someone you love. This story addresses that issue. It is touching and sweet, sexy and informative. It made me laugh and cry and I couldn’t put it down.
I love Eli’s characters. They are not physically perfect gods, they don’t have picture perfect resumes, they have flaws, quirks and are real people. She has a fantastic grasp of pacing and story telling. I never felt like I needed to rush ahead but was always on the edge of my seat. The story just plucks at every darn heart string and leaves you with a huge smile on your face, after you’ve gotten done crying, of course.
James’ character is so heartbreaking, you feel for him, from the first page. His back story is amazing and so sad, but his ability to use his pain and turn it into something wonderful is a precious gift.
Marnie and Tommy are also inspired characters and brought both pain and love and humor to an already rich story.
I really loved the snippets of James’ book that we are shown throughout Michael’s story and would love to read the real thing! Eli may have to branch out into some serious Sci-Fi next, clearly she has a knack with the genre. Lamb’s story also made me cry… you bastard!
This is another one of those books that I will have to read and re-read because there was just so much going on that I am sure I missed some the first pass. But it will be a pleasure to find every nook and cranny because it is such a good book.
Thank you Eli for giving us Michael’s story and I really hope that there are people out there doing your work, it sounds amazing.
I highly recommend this book!
Audio
Michael Stellman does a great job with this narration. He doesn’t do much to the different voices, but he is really easy to listen to and handles the emotion so well. I really think this adds to the overall enjoyment and recommend the experience.
Some people might call Avery Babineaux a prick. He’s a hedgehog shifter from an old-money Louisiana family with a penchant for expensive shoes and a reputation for being a judgmental snob. His attitude is why he and his fated mate are estranged. Not that Avery cares. He doesn’t want to be mated to some blue-collar werewolf anyway. Or so he keeps telling himself.
No werewolf likes to be looked down upon, least of all Dylan Green. He doesn’t need a mate, especially not some snotty hedgehog who sneers at his custom motorcycle shop and calls him a grease monkey. But when Avery gets into trouble with a shady loan shark, Dylan can’t stand by and let him be hurt—whether he wants the brat or not.
Yet once Dylan steps into Avery’s world, he realizes there’s more to Avery than his prickly exterior, and that unexpected vulnerability calls to Dylan’s protective instincts. The sassy little hedgehog needs a keeper, and despite their horrible first impressions, Dylan starts to believe he might be the wolf for the job.
Review
Avery is a hedgehog shifter who has decided to leave his home territory of Louisiana and move to Oregon after falling in love with the state during college. Shifter law dictates that he must join the local wolf pack since Portland falls in that jurisdiction. Though his family has always looked down upon wolf shifters, Avery doesn’t care a bit, and happily joins the pack.
Avery finds his mate, a wolf, and in a drunken mistake, throws him over for not being “good enough”. Dylan is of course hurt, and somewhat glad, because he doesn’t ever want a mate anyway.
Two years go by, and the mates avoid each other at all costs. It isn’t until Avery ends up in trouble because of some gambling debts that they spend any significant time together.
Luckily, the time spent together, coupled with some important new ways of looking at things, shows them that they do have something in common and a future together.
**
This is a bit longer and a little different than the average “shifter” romance. For one, though the instant attraction is there, it isn’t acted upon until much later in the story. In addition, the side stories – Avery’s gambling problems first and later a missing female wolf shifter – take up a lot of the book.
The world building is excellent and the character development is also well done. I enjoyed the romance between Dylan and Avery but I was disappointed by how little time they spent together.
I wish we’d had more of them working on the crime solving together and had seen more of them developing their romance more.
The writing was really good and I am definitely interested in seeing more from this series.
Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.
When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.
Review
(Review posted previously for book)
If you’ve been reading the series (which you should, but don’t have to), you know Hutch is our grocer, and so far he’s been “interested” in every gay man the town has to offer, but has failed to find “the one”.
We find out that for the last two years he’s had a best friend, Mike “Don’t call me Michael”, living in his guest house and taking up most of his free time.
As you can predict, there is more to them than friendship, despite the fact that up til now Mike has always been straight.
**
I compare these Mangrove stories to cotton candy – one of my all time favorite foods – because they are wonderful, light, sweet and just a touch unsatisfying. Because they are so short, we don’t get a lot of lead-time to develop the tension between our MCs. Sure, Mary always gives us wonderful characters and an amazingly sweet love scene or two, but I really miss her ability to create that heat and draw out the sexual neediness between her characters that she’s just so great at.
I still love these stories, don’t get me wrong – but boy I wish they were longer.
In this case the secondary characters of Ivy and Essien almost – almost! – steal the show, but Mike and Hutch are terribly sweet together and I love them as a couple.
The mangrove series is fun because the small town and the recurrence of previous characters feels like coming home and I eagerly await the next installment.
Audio
Greg Tremblay – one of my favorite narrators – did another amazing job with this. I just love how he voiced the secondary characters including the young girl! I love listening to his telling of these stories because he makes you feel like you are part of the action. Definitely adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.
Blurb
![Carpenter[The]](https://i0.wp.com/kimichanexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CarpenterThe.jpg?ssl=1)
![MatingOfMichael[The]AUDMED](https://i0.wp.com/kimichanexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MatingOfMichaelTheAUDMED.jpg?ssl=1)
