Month: June 2011

No Apologies – Tibby Armstrong

Author: Tibby Armstrong
Publisher:  Loose Id, LLC
Word Count: 55,510
Published: 2011
Fictionwise: $6.99

After being together for a decade, without ever admitting the truth of their relationship, screenwriter Greg Faulkner hopes that he is able to convince the one person in the world that means anything to him, to stay with him – even if that means addressing his biggest fear and admitting he’s gay. His partner, producer Aaron Blake is tired of hiding and doesn’t think that their love is enough anymore. He reluctantly agrees to attend Greg’s most recent and personal film project, with the promise of this being their last act as a “couple.” What unfolds on the screen is the history of their relationship together – out there for everyone to see.

I was rather surprised by this book, particularly in the manner in which it was told. To be honest, I’m a bit tired of flashback romances, and I was not very eager to read another one. However, this wasn’t nearly a flashback – it was their love story being told through the eyes of a movie. It was a very interesting tale and struggle, and one that unfolded quite gracefully as though a movie/screenplay would. The characters were well-written, although I did have some trouble reconciling some of their personality traits within the movie, to the actions in person. I would say this would be the only thing that was a bit confusing – the movie was not exactly their love story, but you didn’t find that out until the end leaving the reader to wonder what actually did occur between the two lovers. That being said, it was a quick read and a unique perspective of storytelling.

The sex was placed throughout – almost hard to read at first due to the young age at the time. But there was definitely love between both characters and their love was communicated and displayed through their sexual interactions.  The sex wasn’t graphic or detailed, but definitely passionate and vanilla.

This was a good read, and an even better story – I can almost see it being a real movie (has Armstrong thought of that?). I wished they were a bit older, but I’m guessing that’s my own personal preferences. It was an easy story to get into and hard to put this one down.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥♥
Plot: ♥♥♥

Read this book if you are looking for a new story and perspective; enjoy reading about young love; or watching the struggle of admitting who you are to yourself. This would be recommended for newbies to the m/m genre up through experienced readers. This is more of a romance than an erotica tale, but there is still some good sex throughout!

Making It Up – TC Blue

Author: TC Blue
Publisher: Torquere Press
Word Count: 66,669
Published: 2008
Fictionwise: $5.99

Dr. Thomas Paulson hadn’t visited home, a small town in Arkansas, since he ran away after breaking the man he loves heart. He ran all the way to Los Angeles, trying to move on. His current boyfriend knows that Thomas has been holding back, but when he intercepts a message from Thomas’ ex-boyfriend’s mother, Alan hatches a plan to get JJ and Thomas back together again. But can it really be that easy to just throw the two of them together again? Lots of obstacles are bound to get in the way with Alan letting Thomas believe that JJ is dead; JJ about to walk down the aisle; and Thomas still together with Alan.

This was a fun read with several twists and turns along the way. There were several instances of miscommunication and paths crossing which can be a bit tiresome, but the end result was fun and explosive. This was a very well-paced read with enough going on to fuel the story forward. Some relationships seemed a bit underdeveloped, but the relationship between JJ and Tommy was easy to relate to and constant, even after being apart for so many years. Blue definitely mixed things up with this setting and the set of characters, and it ended up being an entertaining and engaging read.

The sex between the main characters did not occur until very late in the read, so not a hot and steamy read from the get-go. But when they finally got together, the sex added to their already strong connection. There were also a few sexual encounters with unlikely characters that were very hot, which had me thinking: “that’s so hot; but wait, I don’t want that to happen; but it’s so hot.” Very tame and vanilla, but hot nonetheless.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥♥

Read this book if you’re interested in reading an unrequited love story, come full circle. It’s also a quick read and well-written, you’ll not want to put it down.

Manning Up – J.T. Steele

Author: J.T. Steele
Publisher:  Loose Id, LLC
Word Count: 45,927
Published: 2011
Fictionwise: $5.99

Baseball star Elijah finally ends his sham of a marriage, finally ready to move forward and be true to himself. He just so happens to meet his soul mate to help him realize the possibilities for him to live as a gay man. Growing up in a strict religious family with his father as a preacher, Elijah needs to open his mind to what his heart has always known. When he meets Wesley, he knows he can’t wait any longer.

This book was confusing on so many levels – the first 20 pages are so were definitely the highlight, but very misleading. The story tries to pack too many different themes into one short novel, when had the story been played out without the “fantasy” undertones, it could have been even more poignant. As a reader, you think that the book is going to explore being a superstar gay athlete – but it barely touches on it. If you’re looking for that story, choose a different book. Instead, it is very focused on magic and psychic powers that Wesley is honing and Elijah trying to move past his father’s beliefs.

The sex in this book was anything but sizzling. Steele went for a strong D/s tone and play, but with the lack of character development, a somewhat erratic story line, and no real grounding for that type of relationship, it completely missed the mark and unfortunately tainted the hot factor for the book as a whole. The book was an easy read, so I’m certain that Steele can write an enjoyable book, but it felt like he put together bits and pieces from a how-to book without delving deeper into the story and characterization – or the parts that would keep readers engaged.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥

This book is hard to recommend for me – I’d say if you like a little magic and perhaps constant tame sex and a quick read, then this book is for you. If you’re an experienced m/m reader, however, don’t even attempt it.