Tag: May/December

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Wood, Screws & Nails Audiobook by Piper Vaughn and Kade Boehme Narrated by Paul Morey

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6111

wood screw nailsBlurb

Aaron Costa’s summer was all planned. Despite having to remodel the family lake house, it would be a vacation of sorts, and he had every intention of enjoying it – until the friend who was supposed to help him got injured and left him in a lurch. He decides to take the opportunity to bond with his son and hires Julian and his roommate, Malachi, to assist.

As a broke college student, Malachi could use the money, and spending the summer with Aaron for eye candy sounds like a dream. “Look but don’t touch” becomes his motto. But when Julian starts flaking on his responsibilities and Malachi and Aaron are forced to spend long hours alone together, their mutual attraction is impossible to resist.

Aaron can’t fight the temptation sexy Malachi presents. But more than their age difference stands in their way, not the least of which is Aaron’s semi-closeted status and the fact that he’s never openly discussed his sexuality with his son. He has no idea how Julian will react when he learns his father is not only gay, he’s also dating his best friend.

Review

This is a pretty straight forward May/December story. Aaron is a contractor, fixing up his own house with the help of his son Julian and Julian’s friend, Malachi. Aaron got his high school girlfriend pregnant, so though there is a considerable age gap (16 years), it isn’t too large to overcome. At this point everyone is over 21 and well over the age of consent.

It becomes evident early on that Mal finds Aaron attractive, but Aaron tries to do “the right thing” and abstain. Temptation gets to be too much and a lot of very hot, hot sex ensues.

Meanwhile, Julian acts like an ass, discovers Aaron and Mal’s secret and Aaron breaks up with Mal for the sake of doing “the right thing”, again.

But… Aaron reconsiders and tracks down Mal and a very satisfying HFN/HEA is what we are left with.

**

I really liked the characters, Malachi especially. He was brave and hot and temptation on a stick. Aaron was a little less likable, mostly because I didn’t like how he let his son get away with acting like a douche so much of the time.

The sap in me wanted the story to end on more secure footing, we never really got to see them as an “out” couple, and it’s hard to judge the success of a relationship based on the hotness of the sex, but I got the impression that things looked optimistic for Mal and Aaron to make things work long term. Since this is the first in a series maybe (hopefully!) we will see more of them over time.

Audio:

Paul Morey does a great “growly” voice and he is a perfect choice for Aaron. I always enjoy his narrations and thought that listening to this was even better than reading the book.

 

Writing/Editing 5

Romance 4

Sex/Heat 5

Storyline 4

World Building/Characterizations 5

Audio 5

Overall 4.7 of 5 hearts!

5

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Teaching Professor Grayson by Kade Boehme and Allison Cassatta

Dreamspinner presents  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5715

teaching profBlurb

Christian Grayson is a professor of sociology who comes from a close-knit Southern family steeped in values and tradition. He left Tennessee using education as his excuse for escape, when he truthfully only wanted the freedom to be who he truly was. But at age forty, he’s still in the closet and still adheres to the morals his father, a Southern Baptist minister, raised him with. This includes saving himself for Mr. Right.

CJ Hata has been under Christian’s wing since his freshman year. A genius, pure and simple, he’s a senior now and no longer needs to report to Professor G, but he still seeks his teacher out occasionally for a friendly chat.

When Christian accidentally outs himself to CJ while pouring his heart out about his dying father, CJ feels totally out of his element. He convinces himself to put forth his best effort because the man he’s been crushing on for four years needs a friend. In the meantime, everyone around CJ is stumbling out of the closet, but the one person he really wants to come out has barricaded himself in with the bible and his family’s expectations.

Review

This is a very gritty story about judging and values and how our families shape us and what society expects from us and how we have to overcome all that to be who we are.
CJ is not a very lovable character. He’s acerbic and condescending and sometimes pretty immature. He has moments of immense sweetness and that’s what attracts Christian.

Christian is a confused, closeted man forced into a role that he sort of believes in but also one he finds too constraining. He falls for a student and then falls out of the closet to be with him. In the meantime his super religious father dies and he has to face what that means for him and how he lives his life free from that judgment.

On the one hand this story really speaks to a lot of issues and handles them in a way that is more realistic than a lot of romances tend to be. On the other hand it was so gritty that I didn’t feel as connected to the characters in a way that I felt either bonded to them or invested in their outcome. I never really liked CJ and though I felt bad for Christian I didn’t really connect with him either. I definitely didn’t see them as a couple that would stand the test of time. Not because they couldn’t or wouldn’t, but because the story didn’t spend enough time showing me their compatibility. Instead it was more internal dialogs and moving through Christian’s own lifestyle choices and decisions and CJs growth of his socializing skills.

I really wanted to love this – there was so much promise in the topics and in the potential for very angst-ridden yet hot, 40-year-old-virgin-sex… but I just didn’t feel a strong enough connection with either MC to feel very attached to their love story.

Overall I give it 3 of 5 hearts for having a lot of promise.

3

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As a side – the cover really didn’t match the story in that CJ is not a happy, smiling, shy, young guy but an old cynic of a guy in a young guy’s body and instead the professor is the shy, retiring guy.

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Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay # 4) By Aleksandr Voinov and LA Witt

Riptide Presents: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/lone-wolf

lone wolf

Blurb

Hunter Easton is screwed. Fans, producers, and his agent are all chomping at the bit for the next book in his wildly popular Wolf’s Landing series, but he’s got epic writer’s block and is way behind deadline. Then he reads The World Tree, a fanfic novel by his online friend “Lone Wolf.” It isn’t just a great story—it’s exactly what the series needs.

Kevin Hussain is thrilled when “Wolf Hunter” wants to meet up after reading The World Tree. When Wolf Hunter turns out to be Hunter Easton himself, Kevin is starstruck. When Hunter tells him he wants to add The World Tree to Wolf’s Landing, Kevin is sure he’s being pranked. And when their online chemistry carries over—big time—into real life, Kevin is convinced it’s all too good to be true.

The problem is . . . it might be. The book deal, the sex, the money—everything is amazing. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Kevin is left wondering if Hunter really loves him, or just loves his book.

Review

Hunter, the sexy silver fox, is having writer’s block of epic proportions until he sneeks a peak at a some fanfic that has him drooling over the story and it’s author, Kevin, a twenty-something fanboy.

Hunter agrees to meet Kevin and then offers that Kevin’s book act as the next in the series for the Wolf’s Landing series. The chemistry between them is hot as well (they’ve shared some slash fiction as well and it sets their imaginations on fire).

Things move rapidly from here. The publisher loves Kevin’s book. Hunter and Kevin start an affair despite nearly 20 year age gap. Kevin’s life changes practically over night. Needless to say he begins to wonder if it is all for real or going to last – especially his relationship with Hunter.

The couple separates when Hunter gets sick and then reconnects when both realize how much the other means to them and we get our HEA.

**

I really enjoy these authors in collaboration, and I think that many of the elements I enjoy from them were here. Super hot sex. Intriguing characters. Diversity issues. For me what was missing was some of the sexual tension in build-up. When Hunter and Kevin meet they’ve already done their slow burn via the online communication – off page. As soon as they meet (practically) they hop in bed. I think there would have been a lot more hand wringing, especially on the part of Hunter. Sleeping with a fan. A super young fan. Especially since you value privacy so much. And you weren’t supposed to read any fan fic… he had a LOT to lose and he seemed pretty unconcerned.

I also didn’t feel Kevin acted at all like he would have – star struck, in awe, young… Instead he was surprisingly the aggressor and this was hard to believe from a guy who spends all his hours behind a computer screen.

Of course I loved the hot sex, but I felt the emotional connection happened either off page or in summary sentences. It didn’t feel as authentic as I have seen in the past with these authors.

As far as the story goes – it’s really an interesting fantasy – fanboy turns famous – ends up shagging his idol forever and ever – but I wasn’t convinced of the sincereity all that much. I especially thought the end felt rushed and too tame and though it suggests a HEA, I’m not sure I believe it.

Overall, it was very entertaining, moved the series along well, gave another side of the production story and had the added benefits of great characters with a lot of potential.

I enjoyed it even though I didn’t love it.

3 of 5 hearts

3

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Coming of Age by Venona Keyes


Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5867

ComingofAgeBlurb

It will take all of Daniel’s charm and the prayers offered at the shrine to make Aero take a chance on the romance they both want.

Akiyoshi ‘Aero’ Kurokuma, author of the wildly popular manga, Ecos, lost his assistant when his best friend retired. After Aero collapses from exhaustion four years later, he is forced to run a contest for an assistant. Placing impossible rules on the contest, Aero is sure no one can win. But a winner emerges: a young man from America, Daniel Beck. The first time he lays eyes on Daniel, Aero realizes he’ll have a hard time hiding his attraction. Daniel is a perfect assistant, but it doesn’t help Aero see past the twenty-year age difference between them. It will take all of Daniel’s charm and the prayers offered at the shrine to make Aero take a chance on the romance they both want.

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Review

In this short story we learn a lot about Japanese culture and some really interesting bits about the New Year and Manga. There is a teeny tiny romantic moment when Aero finally succumbs to the seduction attempts made by the much younger Daniel, but most of this is a little cultural lesson with a dash of romance.

I would have given it more hearts if it’d been longer. It felt like we got an info dump and the lovely story was just beginning –and then it was over.  I really, really wanted to see more of Aero and Daniel together.

2.5 of 5 hearts

2.5

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Fixing the Hole by Katherine Halle

Dreamspinner presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5646

fisingBlurb

Heavy rains and strong winds slammed an uprooted tree through Steve Crowell’s roof, leaving a gaping hole to match the one in his heart. After his ex left him for a younger man, Steve’s not sure he’s ready to handle another disaster. His best friend highly recommended the contractor, but the man’s already late, and when he shows up with his music thumping, Steve isn’t impressed—until Riley steps out of his pickup truck. Personable, gorgeous Riley talks a mile a minute, which Steve finds both ridiculously endearing and terrifying. Piecing together a heart isn’t as easy as fixing a roof, but Riley might just be the right man for the job.

Morgan’s Review

This is a short book where the ending is the beginning.

Instead of being a book about a relationship, this is really and truly just about the beginning of a relationship. Steve is older, has a thing for younger guys, got burned by the last younger guy, isn’t getting any younger himself, and still has a thing for younger guys.

Riley is a younger guy with a thing for older guys. He’s super sweet, adorable, chatty – very chatty – and he lives at home and tries to keep his dad healthy.

Steve is into Riley, but is worried about being burned again. Riley is into Steve, but worries that Steve isn’t into him.

Most of the book is them dancing around this issue. Then – bam – they go on a date.

The End.

So… the end is the beginning.

**

Ummmm, well. How do I rate this?

It was…nice. I’m sure it was making a statement. It was very well written and some people will like that it didn’t do anything besides start the relationship.

Not me. I was disappointed.

It felt like the beginning of a story that got cut off just when it was getting good! I wanted to see where it went and what happened and … well, all the good stuff that goes with that.

But that wasn’t what this was about.

It was man meets boy. Man wants boy. Man finally gets the balls to ask boy out, and he accepts.

So…

I give the author props for doing something different and for setting up an interesting start to a story, but I can’t really recommend it. However, if you are the sort that just loves the “chase” you will be psyched to read this short story.

I give it 2.5 of 5 hearts for being half a story, good, but unfinished.

2.5