Category: Gay

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Iron Angel (Elemental Reapers #1) by SA Welsh

Extasy Books Presents http://www.extasybooks.com/Iron-Angel/

iron angelBlurb

Brett is a government scientist on the run because the people he works for want to use his research about realms and other worlds for their own gain. He escapes with the help of his uncle, only to find a man falling from the sky in a ball of flame and feathers after being shot down by the very people he himself is running from.

Iron is a warrior guardian to the rightful king of Angelum, but was forced to flee his home realm with his king after a coup for the throne. There is a bounty on his head and the last thing he needs is to be almost captured by the human military that want to cage and experiment on him.

Iron cannot resist the tempting human that saves him and, when they give in to the heat between them, they accidentally trigger the irrevocable mate bond. Both of them are running from something, but they may just discover that each of them is exactly what the other needs.

Review

Brett finds himself rescuing a “birdman” from the government he is also running from.

When Iron awakes, tied up, he initially panics – thinking he’s been caught by the government, but when he realizes Brett only tied him up to help him heal, he realizes there is more to Brett than good Samaritan.

Iron is a warrior guardian of the king of the Angelum, protecting the next ruler by having sex with humans on earth in the hopes of shielding the power held by the ruler in hiding. (It makes more sense when you read about it – trust me – it’s a bit of a stretch- but it works- and makes for some very, very hot smexy times!)

Brett and Iron find their attraction surpasses that of the norm, and inadvertently bind themselves together. This serves a greater purpose though, because when they have sex the energy created far surpasses that of anyone else’s mating, and it will help the king and his brother. (I do this a disservice in explaining – again – it makes sense in context.)

The next stumbling block is Brett’s uncle and Iron’s King – but they soon see how deeply attached the two are and what a good union it is.

**

I really loved the world building in this story and look forward to the next installment. The unique take on mating and other planes of existence as well as the way cool power of the wings and their role in the smexy times was awesome!

I enjoyed this thoroughly and highly recommend it to fans of paranormal romance. No – it’s not about angels, but more akin to a shifter romance than anything.

Plus huge kudos for the cover – YUM!

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Random Acts Audiobook by Mia Kerrick Narrated by Iggy Toma

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6526

random acts audioBlurb

Bradley Zelder can’t find his way in life. After struggling for nearly a decade, he has yet to complete his college degree. Working as a school custodian, living in blue-collar Landsbury, MA, his love life is as empty as the rest of his existence. But on his way home after another disastrous date, his truck breaks down in upscale Oceanside. When he thinks life can’t get any worse, a man who is the epitome of Boston elite and everything Bradley finds attractive and intimidating helps him move his truck to the side of the road. Ashamed of his lot in life, Bradley almost lets the opportunity slip away, but he comes to his senses in time and tracks Caleb down.

From a random act of kindness, romance begins to grow, filling all the dark corners of Bradley’s empty life—until a random act of violence threatens to take it all away. Bradley must step up and be the man Caleb believes him to be. Caleb rescued him from a life without hope. Can Bradley rescue him in return?

Review

Bradley had a bad experience with a man in his early years, so he now has sex with women, but can’t connect with them emotionally.

Caleb lost his husband a few years ago and is only recently able to think about moving on.

When Bradley helps Caleb out the two find they have a strong connection that slowly builds from friendship to lovers to permanence.
About 60% through the book the focus of the book shifts to the “random acts” aspect of the title when Caleb is attacked and sinks into a depression. From there the focus changes from their relationship to dealing with life’s “haphazardness” and issues of how people handle things like “accidents” .

**

This is a tough book to review because on the one hand I liked the characters and thought the overall sentiment was really sweet and touching.

On the other hand I find Mia Kerrick’s language sometimes terribly stilted and awkward, especially when it comes to dialog.

I enjoyed the slow burn and the gradual unfolding of the love between the two men – I thought it was awesome that Caleb was able to differentiate his feelings for his dead husband and his new lover and that Bradley didn’t seem to dwell overly much in the land of jealousy for the past relationship.

I wasn’t sure that the attack (especially as it came from left field).
3 of 5 hearts

Audio

I really like Iggy Toma’s narrations and felt he did an excellent job here. He definitely added to the overall experience and I would recommend listening to this above reading it.
5 of 5 hearts

Overall 4 of 5 hearts

4

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Guarding January by Sean Michael

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6136

januaryBlurb

Lord January is at the top of the charts, only comes out at night, and is usually covered in blood. Say what you will, but the man knows how to put on a great show. But when the Vampire King is let out of rehab, the last thing he expects is someone forcing him to eat real food, hang out in the sun, and generally be a human being.

Rye Sommers, the best bodyguard in the business, has been hired to babysit a rock star whose biggest threat surprisingly isn’t all the hard drugs, desperate groupies, and crazy fans—it’s Lord January himself. But the closer Rye gets, the more LJ turns into sweet, gentle, caring Jeff Smart. He may still be the super-skinny, pierced and inked genius Lord January, but he is slowly shaking his death wish as he sheds the loneliness and exhaustion his stage persona saddled him with.

But as Rye falls in love with the real Jeff, he finds himself in over his head. He knows he can keep Lord January away from the drugs and the groupies, but saving Jeff might force Jeff to choose between his career as Lord January and his very life.

Review

Lord January, aka LJ aka Jeff Smart is just coming home out of 8 months of rehab. He had been entered into the program after his heart stopped – twice – due to the drugs he took to help him maintain his persona.

Rye is a bodyguard enlisted to aid LJ stay safe and sober – 24-7. They immediately find they are more than client/employee and Rye swiftly begins to care deeply for the beleaguered and confused LJ.

LJ/Jeff is a mathemeatician and musician who has fallen into his role as the vampire/death metal star because his friend was in the band and needed a new lead singer after the other BLED OUT ON STAGE – gah!

Jeff is a quiet guy with a poet’s soul, mostly vegan, and completely unable to be the center of attention in the way Lord January is. He coped with drugs and now he is lost.

Rye shows him how to stand up for himself and find his own style but he can’t leave the band with so many people depending on him. In fact, it takes some pretty major crises to occur before Jeff will allow January to go away.

**

Sean Michael is a such a unique writer. He writes all this BDSM (not my style) and then all these Manny/extended family stories. He is definitely skilled at weaving a story that inspires a strong reaction.

I loved this story – more than I thought I would. I loved how vulnerable both men were to the other – almost right away – and while I was frustrated by Jeff’s resistance to change I could understand why he thought the way he did.

I loved the end and the sappiness of it all – though there was plenty of hardship along the way to balance things out.

I highly recommend this to fans of musicians in romance as well as bodyguard stories.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Remy’s Painter (Werewolves of Manhattan book 2) by AC Katt

MLR Press Presents http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=ACKREMYS

ACK_Remys_PainterBlurb

Ian Sullivan is being chased by a mobster and has to come up with five thousand dollars he doesn’t have. His only hope is an estimate for a large house. Little does he know that the house belongs to a loup garou who just happens to be his mate.

Ian Sullivan is in trouble. His father and brother died because his brother gambled and owed money to a mobster. Now Sal Ferrara want to collect from him and if he doesn’t, he’ll take Ian as his boy toy instead. Ian’s only hope is getting a job from an estimate his father had outstanding for an seventy eight hundred square foot house. Little does Ian know that the house belongs to a Remy Clavier, a loup garou who meets Ian and knows he’s found his mate. Now all Remy has to do is take care of Sal Ferrara and convince Ian, a human, to accept both him and his wolf.

Review

Ian lost his father and brother to a gambling debt with a mob boss. Now he is doing his best to make the money needed to keep him from being essentially a sex slave for that same mob boss by continuing his father’s painting business.

Remy is the second most powerful werewolf in North America and finds his mate in the house painter whose come to do his newly purchased houses.

Remy is afraid to tell Ian his truths and Ian is afraid to trust someone so obviously out of his normal circle.

Eventually they must band together for Ian’s protection and slowly grow to love one another. They keep things chaste until Remy tells Ian of his true nature and claims him as his Mate.

**

I really liked the slow burn of this novel. The author does a lot to make the whole “insta-love” more palatable and sincere.

I liked the characters and found the story interesting.  I wish there was more about them being wolves, however.  Besides the rules and the mating bite there is absolutely nothing about being a werewolf in this story.

My main problem was the writing itself. It’s rather stiff and awkward, there are some grammatical mistakes and the dialog isn’t very believable. Everyone is entirely too self aware and they spend way too much time dissecting their feelings. There is a lot of telling and not much showing.

I think the creativity and storylines are great and with some improved editing future works could be outstanding.

3 of 5 hearts

3

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Binding Hearts by Cassandra Carr

GoodReads Presents http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=277154

binding heartsBlurb

Dear Author,
All three of us met on a study abroad trip to Spain, and the sparks flew pretty much immediately. To say we were enamored with each other would be an understatement.
Spain is one of the most tolerant countries of homosexuality in the world, as are the other countries we had the opportunity to visit during our stay, including Portugal and France. That’s not to say our threesome never got unwanted attention during our trip, but we were empowered by the freedom these countries offered us, and being so far from our “normal lives”, afforded us a nonchalant attitude about any strange looks or off-handed comments.
But now, we are back home in the U.S. with our families and friends, and an even less accepting society for unconventional relationships. As our sexual infatuation has developed into real love, we want to stay together. However, we’re each struggling with cultural reintegration in our own ways. Please tell me that we can make it work.

binding orign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Description:
Three young men sitting on a cobblestone street with their arms around each other and melancholy expressions. The man in the middle is kissing the cheek of the man on the right, while the man on the left is resting his chin on his knee.

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

This is a short story of three college guys who hook up while on a Study Abroad program in Spain. There, the gay isn’t such a big deal, and the threesome only a little more concerning. When they return they are back in Virginia and not only afraid to be a threesome, but not all of them are even “out”.

Their biggest fear is being gay bashed and to a certain extent it’s justified by their own experiences. They also fear their parents reactions to the gay and the triad.

There are a few – almost random- sex scenes and a lot of hand wringing.

I typically love this author’s work, but this didn’t do much for me. I found the “utopia” that the fictional UVB presented to be unrealistic in the extreme as well as the way the parents handled the big reveals.

I really liked the characters and would have loved to get to know them in a longer, more well developed novel, but I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to become engaged in this short story.

2.5 of 5 hearts

2.5

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Unexpected Alpha (Lone Wolves Book 1) by Tielle St Clare

Amazon Presents http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Alpha-Lone-Wolves-Book-ebook/dp/B00T0GPV6I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436754926&sr=8-1&keywords=unexpected+alpha&pebp=1436754928209&perid=1N8GJPNQ0T7KVAN0Z70Y

unexpected AlphaBlurb

Rowan’s a patient man.

As a Lone Wolf, he lives outside of the Pack, but he’s been watching Craigh for almost a year, waiting for the right moment to stake his claim.

He’s not in any rush. If Craigh wants to act like a Top when really he’s a hot little Bottom Boy, that’s fine. Rowan knows the truth.

Until Craigh challenges the current Alpha. There is no way his sweet Omega will survive the fight.

But how can Rowan stop his future mate from dying when Craigh insists on being noble and doing the right thing?

Review

This is a quick read – some typical shifter stuff and some really, really hot sexy times.

Rowan is an Alpha, but a lone wolf. He’s got his eyes on an Omega who thinks he’s an Alpha (read a bottom who thinks he’s a top).

When Craigh challenges his evil Alpha for control of the pack and to wrest the pack from tyranny, Rowan knows he has to make his move. In a move that was a little Deus ex Machina, Rowan manages to take over the challenge thus saving his Omega, and saving the pack.

But… Craigh is really strong and ends up saving Rowan back – so it’s a great partnership.

I really enjoyed this – though there’s nothing too exciting or new here, but it was well written and a fun read.

It’s Free with Kindle Unlimited!

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Xavier (Gillham Pack #1) by Catherine Lievens

Extasy Books Presents
http://www.extasybooks.com/Xavier/

xavierBlurb

Xavier’s life has gone to hell. Not only has his ex-boyfriend’s stalker attacked him, but in order to keep him safe he’s being sent to the Gillham pack. It wouldn’t be too bad, if not for the small detail that he hadn’t known shifters existed before that! He’s not sure what he can expect from them, but he doesn’t have a choice. When he meets Andy, he’s weirdly attracted to the man, but Xavier knows he’s not good enough for him.

Andy doesn’t want to play babysitter for Xavier, at least not until he meets him and realizes the man is his mate. He knows he’s going to have a hard time convincing Xavier to at least give their bond a chance, and that’s not counting the other problems their relationship will have to face.

The two mates will have to navigate angry families and the ever-present lab problem, and still Andy isn’t sure he’ll be able to help his mate get over his low self-esteem long enough to give him a chance.

Review

For fans of the Whitedell Pride you will be happy to know that this “spin off” relies heavily on knowing the story of the previous Whitedell packs and their mates.

In fact, Xavier was Andrew’s ex boyfriend before he found his own mate in Andy. Yeah – he went from Andrew to Andy (Not shortened for anything, his name is just Andy!)

Xavier has a lot of self-esteem issues, doesn’t know about shifters, and is possibly being attacked by Andrew’s stalker. He is put in the care of the neighboring Gillham pack (wolves) for protection when it’s discovered he’s one of the inner circles’ mates.

He doesn’t take being a mate well nor the information that shifters exist. He hates the idea that Andy is “forced” to mate with him because of the mate bond and resists until he’s finally convinced that the bond is only part of the attraction Andy feels for him.

In the way of many shifter romances this is fairly predictable, but the unique use of someone not ripped or super buff makes it superior in my eyes ☺

I really enjoyed this new start to a new series and recommend it to all the fans of the Whitedell series and shifter romances in general.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Knight of Ocean Avenue (Love in Laguna Book 1) Audiobook by Tara Lain Narrated by KC Kelly

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6749Blurb

KnightofOceanAvenueAUDMEDBlurb

How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor’s license he so desires, and fear of his mother’s judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.

Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue?

Review

(From previously)

Billy can’t find a woman who “sticks”. He’s been involved, seriously, three times and they all sort of fizzle out. One day he “rescues” a beautiful redhead from a bully only to find out he’s the stylist hired to help his sister for her wedding to a rich guy.
Chase, aka Shaz, sees the hunky Billy and falls into lust. But Billy is straight, Shaz has a boyfriend and a vision of his future and that future doesn’t include blue-collar straight boys.

When Shaz and Billy spend time together “sprucing” Billy up for potential future dates with a socialite pegged to be Billy’s next girlfriend they find a mutual attraction. When Billy ends up in the same bar as Shaz one night, the attraction goes from potential to realized and now the pair have some serious decisions to make.

**
I loved Billy! He was a sweet, gentle soul. His heart is so big and he is just in need of someone to recognize his diamond in the rough. Shaz was the perfect shiny foil to his understated Billy’s fabulousness. The couple had amazing chemistry and the story felt real and authentic. I totally bought in and loved every minute of it.

Audio

KC Kelly did so much with this story! He gave Shaz this delightful lisp and managed to give all the secondary characters distinct voices as well. I loved how he made it clear which “thoughts” were out loud versus spoken and really enjoyed this narration immensely. My only gripe was Ru – the voice he chose, while comical, was hard to listen to as it was so nasally. I get that it was a character development and I appreciated it for that aspect, but it was an unpleasant voice. Barely a detraction.

Definitely made the entire thing even more enjoyable!

6 of 5 hearts overall

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The Raven’s Flight by Catherine Lievens

GoodReads presents http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=276856

The-Ravens-Flight-Jutoh-200x300Blurb

Dear Author,
I have never ventured far from home. Being a shifter keeps me from becoming a part of society, but it seems that society is beginning to infringe on my territory. They, the humans, are all so full of themselves and think they are entitled to my land. But there is one man, who stands up to the others, who stands on his own… he draws my attention. Why?

Photo Description:
The picture is a close-up of a gorgeous Native American man. His long, black hair moves with the wind and flows against his right shoulder. His dark eyes are looking straight at you, and you can almost feel them on your skin. His arms are crossed on his hairless chest, and there’s a barbed wire tattoo wrapped around his upper right arm. His plump, pink lips are highlighted by the dark stubble on his cheeks.

raven imageThis 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.

This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

Review

This is a sweet short shifter story about a toppy twink who goes looking for proof of bears in a small Colorado town and runs into a Raven Shifter.

The shifter doesn’t believe humans and shifters can mix after being burned in the past and resists it, but his Raven side is enamored and keeps bringing gifts to the human!

It’s a very cute story with some hot sexy times, but what I loved was the animal qualities which we don’t normally get to see. The bird wants the human and we get to see new, sometimes funny behaviors demonstrated – different from the typical wolf or cat shifter stories.

The only thing keeping this from being a perfect review was the ending. I didn’t like how tentative things are left – though we know mating is forever, the couple really hadn’t gelled yet and it made me uneasy.

But – it was thoroughly enjoyable and I definitely recommend it to fans of the paranormal/shifter romance genre.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Trusting The Flop by S Allen

GoodReads Presents http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=277515

flopBlurb

Dear Author,
I’m in love with a strong willed man. He is a High Jump Athlete. I hope my love inspires him to fly higher. Btw, I’m a Sports Medicine Physician.

Photo Description:
A man is in midair, back bending over a high jump bar. He is wearing a prosthesis on his left leg just below the knee.

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.

flop orign

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review

Very sweet and tender, low steam story about a man who loses his leg but keeps his heart.

His physician becomes his boyfriend and together they get this athlete back into shape after a horrible accident.

**
I really enjoyed how sweet this was and the message.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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