Category: Sexuality

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Frat House Troopers by Xavier Mayne Narrated by Peter Brooke

Dreamspinner Presents:   http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Frat-House-Troopers-Audiobook/B00IGHJSTS/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1422386682&sr=1-1

frat houseBlurb

State trooper Brandt’s new assignment to infiltrate a sex-cam operation puts him in a very uncomfortable position, especially since he’ll have to perform naked on camera for his audition. Fortunately his partner and best friend, Donnelly, has his back—whether that means helping Brandt shop gay boutiques for sexy underwear or offering Jäger and encouragement while he researches porn.

Despite his mortification, Brandt gives the audition his best “shot”—and becomes an overnight sensation. But to meet the man behind the operation, he’ll have to give a repeat performance, this time live on webcam opposite the highest bidder. Donnelly makes sure to win that auction for his partner’s sake, but their plan has a flaw: faking it is not an option.

In the aftermath, Brandt is a humiliated mess trying desperately to come to terms with what he’s had to do for the job and his own mixed feelings. But Donnelly has been on a journey of discovery of his own. Suddenly everything the two men thought they knew about themselves and each other gets turned inside out. Meanwhile, they still have a case to solve… but it may not be the case they thought it was.

Review

Brandt and Donelly are best friends and partners on a police force. They are called in to bust a “porn” ring that supposedly exploits college kids to make gay videos for the internet.

To prepare for this they go to the “gay part of town” and meet some hysterical guys who outfit them convincingly and also become their “tutors” on how to be gay.

Brandt must go undercover and join the crew, going so far as to masturbate online to fulfill his undercover roll.

While “performing his duty” Brandt discovers many things about himself, his partner and the so-called porn ring.

In the end the two partners must admit that there is an attraction between them that has to be addressed, a hidden agenda in the police force that has to be rooted out and a true love to be explored – maybe for the rest of their lives.

**

When I first saw this book I was a little leery of the title. It seemed to “campy” and goofy for my tastes, but when I read the description I was compelled. Double GFY. Friends to lovers. Police men. Ooo la la. Count me in!

There are some “over the top” moments that are clearly done tongue in cheek – Bryce who works at Camp & Dragg (a clothing store) and his friend are hysterical. But the emotions, the look at the porn industry – those are more “real” and definitely worth reading.

The “mystery” was a little obvious, but so what. For me the relationship between Brandt and Donelly was why I bought the book and it was awesome. I absolutely loved their relationship and have since read this book several times.

5 of 5 hearts

Audio:

Peter Brooke does a fantastic job with this!!!! He is awesome. The cop voices are tough and gritty, Bryce and the “gay voices” are swishy and comedic. The sex is scorching and the overall entertainment is 6 of 5 hearts!

Due to the overall awesomeness of the listening (and reading) experience I give this 6 of 5 hearts.

amazing

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The Burnt Toast B&B by Heidi Belleau and Rachel Haimowitz

Riptide Presetns http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/burnt-toast-bb
burnt toastBlurb

After breaking his arm on set, Wolf’s Landing stuntman Ginsberg Sloan finds himself temporarily out of work. Luckily, Bluewater Bay’s worst B&B has cheap long-term rates, and Ginsberg’s not too proud to take advantage of them.

Derrick Richards, a grizzled laid-off logger, inherited the B&B after his parents’ untimely deaths. Making beds and cooking sunny-side-up eggs is hardly Derrick’s idea of a man’s way to make a living, but just as he’s decided to shut the place down, Ginsberg shows up on his doorstep, pitiful and soaking wet, and Derrick can hardly send him packing.

Not outright, at least.

The plan? Carry on the B&B’s tradition of terrible customer service and even worse food until the pampered city-boy leaves voluntarily. What Derrick doesn’t count on, though, is that the lousier he gets at hosting, the more he convinces bored, busybody Ginsberg to try to get the B&B back on track. And he definitely doesn’t count on the growing attraction between them, or how much more he learns from Ginsberg than just how to put out kitchen fires.

Review

Wow! Not what I was expecting.

Better!

Ginsberg is a transgender stuntman who got injured on the job and needs a cheap place to recuperate. He finds Derrick’s B&B and signs on for a room.

Derrick is a closeted gay man who has huge, huge, huge gender issues. He thinks being gay is not masculine. He thinks bottoming is not masculine. He thinks cooking and cleaning is not masculine. So… his job, his sexuality, his desires… all not masculine – so he hates himself and his life.

Ginsberg does what he can to try to save the B&B despite being subjected to every inconvenience known to man (Derrick’s trying to get him to leave so he can close the place down.)

In a very unlikely match, Ginsberg and Derrick finally realize they meet one another’s needs and start an affair only to have Derrick ass-out and make him leave the only place Ginsberg’s ever identified as “home”.

Finally, with some help from his ex, Derrick realizes his mistakes and makes amends – just in time!

**

This is not your typical m/m storyline. It’s quirky. Sometimes dark and painful. It covers topics we don’t see all that often (transgender) and though we have seen gay men who hate themselves, I haven’t seen it quite this fiercely before.

Anyhow, when they do finally connect physically, its amazing and awkward and funny and tender … again not your typical hot and horny man on man action. (I, for one, would have liked to see some more of this – if only to really emphasize how love and sex are unique to each couple and not constrained by society’s “normal”. I love the “bonus hole”! and wish it could have seen more action 😉

All in all I thought it was a great book, a lovely continuation of the Bluewater Bay Storyline (we get to see some of the old characters like Eli and Carter), and a really nice look at subjects not normally seen.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Heaven Can’t Wait by Eli Easton

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5150

heaven can'tBlurb

When Brian Matheson dies at nineteen, his soul is in limbo. He has one chance to redeem himself before he’s thrown into a nasty pit. All Brian has to do is save the life of Kevin Anderson, a boy he and his friends tormented for being gay.

Kevin thought he’d finally escaped bullying. But his college roommate, Chuck, and his homophobic pals, prove him wrong. Now he can only wait for another room to open up—and try to keep his eyes off sexy, uber-straight Chuck.

Chuck is struggling to keep up the tough-guy façade everyone expects, but being trapped in a dorm room with the prettiest twink he’s ever seen isn’t helping him keep his feelings hidden.

If Brian can untangle this mess, he’ll deserve his wings.

Review

OMG – literally. Such a sweet, fun read. Ok, there were parts that were hard – very hard, to read, but it has such a fantastic ending, you forget the hard parts.

Brian is kind of a jerk – but he realizes this and learns from his mistakes. On the path to redemption he is sent back to earth to help some of his college “friends” find love and though he pretty much screws up all his attempts, he does manage to help them out in the end.

Poor Kevin – the typical “ugly duckling” who needs only a bit of time and perspective to become the “swan” touches any one of us who was less than perfect in high school/ college/ now … I just cringed when he was bullied and felt every single one of my heart strings pluck when he manages to stand tall despite it all.

Chuck, what a sweetheart. Sure, he didn’t do things right the first time, but he’s human, and he learns and … GOL-LY he is so damn sweet at the end you can forgive him anything.

I LOVED Eli’s version of heaven/evolution/explanation of Gay… fantastic.

This was a super fast read, but well worth it. I’m sure it will be re-read many times.

I give it 4.75 of 5 hearts – a teeny tiny deduction because DAMMIT I wanted to see more of the two lovebirds!

Highly recommended!

5

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Fever Pitch (Love Lessons #2) by Heidi Cullinan

Samhain Publishing Presents https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5166/fever-pitch

Blurb

feverpitchBook Two of the Love Lessons Series

Sometimes you have to play love by ear.

Aaron Seavers is a pathetic mess, and he knows it. He lives in terror of incurring his father’s wrath and disappointing his mother, and he can’t stop dithering about where to go to college—with fall term only weeks away. Ditched by a friend at a miserable summer farewell party, all he can do is get drunk in the laundry room and regret he was ever born. Until a geeky-cute classmate lifts his spirits, leaving him confident of two things: his sexual orientation, and where he’s headed to school.
Giles Mulder can’t wait to get the hell out of Oak Grove, Minnesota, and off to college, where he plans to play his violin and figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. But when Aaron appears on campus, memories of hometown hazing threaten what he’d hoped would be his haven. As the semester wears on, their attraction crescendos from double-cautious to a rich, swelling chord. But if more than one set of controlling parents have their way, the music of their love could come to a shattering end.

Warning: Contains showmances, bad parenting, Walter Lucas, and a cappella

Review

Finally!

That’s what I said when I found out Love Lesson’s was to finally have it’s sequel!

I knew it had been planned for a long time and was super excited to finally read it! Let me tell you that I was NOT disappointed!

This is another long book of the new adult variety, in keeping with the Love Lesson’s theme. Fever Pitch takes place at another university in the mid-west, small and liberal arts oriented – but no gay swans, mores the pity.

Aaron and Giles actually attended high school together their senior year. It is in their last days there that Aaron begins to give in to his cravings for male romance and Giles is happy to help him explore this side of his personality. Unfortunately, both boys are really quite scarred from past experiences and the relationship is over before it really begins, leaving Aaron tentatively in lust/love and Giles really pissed off.

Aaron follow Giles to St Timothy’s University, mostly in stalker fashion, and over the course of many months they eventually forge a friendship through their mutual love for music.

During this bonding process we get to see our friends Walter and Kelly again – woot! Walter ends up helping Aaron deal with his new feelings and helps him to “get his man”.

Once the boys get together the drama doesn’t stop. There are other crazy parents involved and other sad gay boys to be saved. We see parents who can help save lives and those who set out to ruin them. There is lots and lots of music being played, composed and sung. And finally there is a wedding. Sigh. Walter and Kelly get married in what has to be my all time favorite gay wedding to date.

I just loved these two books so much! This second book is even stronger than the first. The side issues are more serious and the tragedies more tragic. If I’m being honest… the sex is hotter too, but don’t tell that to Walter or Kelly.

I loved how the book furthers the lives of people we met in book one, but if you didn’t read the first book, no worries, this stands on its own quite nicely.

Again Heidi has given us a love story interwoven with some serious, coming of age issues and the result is a rich tale, full of well developed characters and satisfying story lines.

I highly recommend this book and give it a 5 out of 5 hearts.

5

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Recipe for Magic by Agatha Bird

Dreamspinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5898

recipe magicBlurb

Connor Roth is a fire mage who’s going places. He’s powerful, popular, and he has a plan. But his plan for fame and glory is disrupted when the Oracle sticks him with Landyn Glendower for Senior Trial. This is an act unprecedented in their school’s history. Landyn is a water mage, and everyone knows mages with opposing elements can’t work magic together.

Connor is left with a choice: work alone and fail or swallow his pride and work with Landyn to find a way to combine their magic in a display the Archmages will never forget—if they don’t get kicked out of school in the process.

Review

So, I’m sure I won’t be the only one to see a little Harry Potter in this story…

Connor is the “hot shot” son of a famous sorcerer who has to prove to the school his prowess in a grand tournament at the end of the year. He is paired with Landyn, someone with opposing magic skills, a loner, and a dark horse.
At first both Connor and Landyn are miserable with the pairing (for differing reasons) and are certain they will fail. Connor’s fair weather friends abandon him and Connor’s hubris rubs Landyn wrong over and over. When Connor finally breaks down and admit he needs Landyn’s help, the tides begin to turn. And… over time the boys learn that opposite magic might just be the perfect “recipe” for winning and the old adage about attraction… yeah that’s true too.

**

This is a short story and YA so not my favorite things right off the bat. But… it’s about magic and young love and a possible GFY so…totally redeemed!

It was wonderful! The set up for Connor to look like a jerk then turn around and be a sweetheart was perfect. Landyn was snarky and bittersweet the entire time. The enemies-to-“lovers” was very well played and there was just enough sexual tension to keep the pages smoldering.

I really enjoyed the world Agatha Bird created and hope we see more of it. I would especially love to see a longer, more fully played out story where our boys are over eighteen… if you catch my drift 😉

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Where Least Expected by DC Williams

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

where leastBlurb

Blake has absolutely nothing in common with his ex’s annoying hippie roommate. So why are they hanging out together?

Blake is totally not still hung up on Jeff, his hot ex-boyfriend. And he’s so not sleeping with Bob, Jeff’s annoying hippie roommate. Except he is. And even though they have absolutely nothing in common, Bob might just show Blake that there’s more to their relationship than just sex. If Blake can share some of his secrets and let his guard down just a little bit.

Review

Blake just got dumped by his ex – for a straight guy! Bob is Blake’s ex-boyfriend’s roommate. He’s straight, a hippy, and has the worst fashion sense Blake has ever seen, but… he’s there when Blake is feeling horny and lonely and it’s his birthday and since Bob is showing some “curiosity” about being gay… Blake decides to take Bob home and show him just why gay sex is the best sex there is.

Bob is a laid back hippy raised by two moms with dread locks and a penchant for wearing sarongs and t-shirts. He finds Blake fascinating and beautiful and when Blake agrees to fool around with him he finds that he really likes gay sex… in fact… he thinks he might even be gay!

As the semester goes on, Blake and Bob find that their “one night stand” is becoming a regular thing and they are spending more and more time together – even time together not naked. When it looks like they might even be starting something “real”, Blake subconsciously sabotages things between them.

Fortunately Bob is amazing and patient (so are his moms!) and after some time and some real communication it looks like our boys will get their happily ever after.

**

I have to admit the cover threw me – I was kind of expecting Blake to be an emotional, whiny, twink. And he sort of is – but he’s mostly a snarky, sad, funny, sweet, jaded, old soul who has had a rough start and not enough love in his life.

 

I LOVE BOB. I love him! He is such a real character! I can totally imagine a guy like him at a small, liberal arts school in the north-east or even the mid-west. I love his two moms and his house in the country. What I really appreciated about his exploration into being gay was how open he was and yet how appropriately trepidatious he was about committing to the idea of actually being gay.

I found the slow, easy, gentle way the two began their relationship to be fascinating, real, and so touching. It was almost like their love just snuck up on them. I was sad the story ended where it did, because I would have loved to see more of them as an established couple, but that’s how you should feel when you’ve met a great fictional couple.

Blake’s history was so well played out – the subtle hints leading to the reveal about his childhood boyfriend was great.

I also really loved that Blake never asked Bob to cut his hair – they both just accepted one another for who they were – even though they didn’t like it. It felt so real to me.

I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I will definitely be looking into future and past works. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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The Sensualist & The Untouched by Susan Laine

Dreamspinner presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5822

sensualistBlurb

Being over thirty is not an issue for Corey Paige. Being frigid and a virgin, however, is a huge problem for the only son of a newspaper magnate. No matter the risk, Corey’s intent on resolving both problems in one go.
Enter Lucian Allard, a wealthy hedonist with a notorious reputation at club Boudoir—and an unconventional sexual mentoring program for those who suffer from dysfunctions. As the two men begin a sensual journey to awaken Corey’s libido, Corey’s frigid body isn’t all that begins to melt. His untouched feelings also spark to life.

Though a family emergency puts a halt to awakening Corey’s senses and desires, Corey and Lucian grow closer as friends. Then an unexpected kiss from Lucian in Corey’s most desperate hour changes everything. Now Corey must decide if the program is still an aid or an obstacle to two lonely men trying to maintain a professional detachment but falling hopelessly in love.

 

Review

This is my first Susan Laine book and it won’t be my last. She is an excellent writer who spends pages developing her characters so that we really know each of them intimately.

She has a writer’s eye for detail and a nice touch with phrasing.

The story moved a bit more slowly than I would have liked and is a bit longer than the usual m/m novel, but it was all for a purpose.

Sometimes the dialog felt a bit contrived but overall I thought it matched the MCs.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Loving Jay Audiobook by Renae Kaye Narrated by Dave Gillies

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Loving-Jay-Audiobook/B00RM40KMK/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1420147158&sr=1-1

loving jayBlurb

One thing Liam Turner knows for sure is that he’s not gay—after all, his father makes it very clear he’ll allow no son of his to be gay. And Liam believes it, until a chance meeting with James “Jay” Bell turns Liam’s world upside-down. Jay is vivacious and unabashedly gay—from the tips of his bleached hair to the ends of his polished nails. With a flair for fashion, overreaction, and an inability to cork his verbal diarrhea, Liam believes drama queen Jay must have a screw loose.

An accident as a teenager left Liam with a limp and a fear of driving. He can’t play football anymore either, and that makes him feel like less of a man. But that’s no reason to question his sexuality… unless the accident broke something else inside him. When being with Jay causes Liam’s protective instincts to emerge, Liam starts to believe all he knew in life had been a convenient excuse to stay hidden. From intolerance to confrontations, Liam must learn to overcome his fears—and his father—before he can accept his sexuality and truly love Jay.

Review

Liam notices Jay on the train to work everyday. He is entranced by what he sees. When a missed train places the two on the platform, waiting, they strike up conversation and discover that they could be (at the least) friends. Later, Jay (James) is being gay bashed and subsequently rescued by Liam and the ability to deny the attraction is too much for them.

Liam has had “male relations” but doesn’t outwardly identify as gay (yet) and Jay is a bit swishy and fem, but perfect for Liam.

Of course Liam’s dad “can’t have a gay son” and so Liam has to be absolutely sure that he is gay before coming out for Jay.

Jay helps Liam delve into the world of gay sex and it is hot and very sweet. In then end we get a very HEA.

**

This was my first Renae Kaye book and I just loved it. Normally I am not attracted to overly fem characters, but Jay is just wonderful… high maintenance and not too swishy.

I love how Kaye writes and love the relationship that develops between Jay and Liam.

Audio:

Dave Gillies is an amazing new narrator. Every one of his narrations has been fantastic. I really love his accent and love his ability to understand the story and really add flavor and color. I highly recommend listening to this book as it is wonderful in the hands of this great narrator!

Overall, 5 of 5 hearts

5

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Extreme Bull Audiobook by Catt Ford Narrated by Paul Morey

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5949

extreme bullBlurb

 

Inside and outside the rodeo arena, Jeff Stratton and Clay Harris are rivals with tempers worse than the bulls they ride. So Clay is shocked when Jeff taps that wild energy and kisses him, sparking an undeniable urge for more of each others’ bodies. But when they discover they might want more than casual sex between competitions, Clay’s greatest fear is recognized: He is scared of being identified as gay. He’ll have to cowboy up if he hopes to hang on to Jeff on the circuit of love.

 

Review

This is a double GFY! Jeff and Clay have had some “experience” with other guys (circle jerks count, right?) but are basically two straight bull-riders who are neck in neck competing on the rodeo circuit. They aren’t even friends, maybe frenemies if anything, when one day Jeff gets overwhelmed by … something… and kisses Clay! Instead of getting punched in the mouth like you’d expect from a straight guy, Clay welcomes the change in their relationship and pushes for more.

The next morning Clay has some serious recriminations and bolts. Jeff, understandably, is both hurt and relieved, because he doesn’t exactly understand these feelings and doesn’t want any sort of “reputation” as a gay cowboy to tarnish his chances for rodeo success.

The bulk of the story is Clay and Jeff dancing around their feelings and experimenting with the physical side of their relationship. They get some great advice from the only “out” gay cowboys on the circuit but it isn’t enough to keep the boys from fretting (and frotting ;).

When push comes to shove they decide that their relationship is worth working on and we are left with a pretty satisfying HFN.

**

I was really loving this story – planning on at least a 4 heart review-  up until the end. I didn’t like the vague way the boys left it and I was disappointed that they didn’t get a chance to really “go all the way” in terms of completing their commitment to one another.

I enjoy Paul Morey as a narrator and he did a good job with the country twang in this story. But, there were a few voices that were just “odd” and didn’t really seem to fit, so I don’t consider this his best work.

Overall, both the story and the narration are a 3.5 of 5 hearts.

If you need the “L” word, or penetrative sex you’ll be disappointed, but if you like cowboys who have no gay experience experimenting with both their bodies and their hearts – I think you’ll really like this story.

3.5

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A Scout is Brave Tour with Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

ScoutIsBraveIn the months following the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, fourteen-year-old Joshua, a half Native American boy, is new to a Boy Scout troop and spending a week camping in northern Wisconsin. The weaker kids in the troop soon realize Joshua is not afraid to stand up to the troop’s ruthless bullies. Joshua’s bravery and kindness is infectious, and the bullied Scouts quickly find their own inner strength.
Joshua, however, is plagued by self-doubt as he realizes he has feelings for Cody, the son of the troop’s harsh and puritanical Scoutmaster. The two discover they have more in common than Scouting as they share their deepest secrets and develop a close friendship. That friendship faces its greatest challenge as the homophobic bullies claim a “faggot” has “infected” their troop. As if struggling to come to terms with his sexuality while dealing with hatred and bigotry isn’t enough, Joshua discovers the camp holds another dark mystery, one that will make him summon all his courage and learn for the first time what it truly means to be brave.

Excerpt:

Joshua didn’t know how far or for how long he had run. He desperately gasped for air but didn’t stop running. It didn’t matter to him where he was going. As he ran, he pushed his body to its limits.

When he felt tired, he increased his speed. When cramps gripped his chest, he ignored them. The harder he pushed his body, the more he had to concentrate on moving it and the more willpower it took to compensate for the overwhelming instinct to stop. The harder Joshua pushed, the less room there was in his head to contemplate what had just happened. Total concentration went into continuing his physical exertion.

All the willpower in the world, however, would not allow Joshua to continue to exceed his body’s natural limits. Eventually, it began to weaken. His rapid speed finally slowed to a crawl, and his steady course was replaced by recurrent stumbles. Joshua tried to correct his performance, but ultimately his body gave in, and he tripped on his own feet, tumbling to the ground. A moment of elation overcame his body as it enjoyed the sudden relaxation in tension. Then everything rushed back to him, and Joshua felt the full force of reality drag him desperately back down into an inescapable dark void of despair.

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Author Bio:
Jay Jordan Hawke holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in history, as well as a second master’s in Outdoor Education. He loves everything sci-fi, especially Star Trek, and hopes to be on the first starship out of here. In the meantime, he teaches at a college prep school and anxiously awaits the day when he can write full time. In addition to all things sci-fi, his hobbies include camping, reading, running, and writing. He has lived in several Midwestern states and currently resides in Indiana. Ugh – get me out of here!
Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/jay.hawke
https://www.facebook.com/JayJordanHawke
https://www.twitter.com/@JayJordanHawke

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain