Category: Erotica

I Kissed a Boy – Addison Avery

Author: Addison Avery
Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press
Word Count: 86,849
Published: 2010
Fictionwise: $6.00

It’s never a good thing when you finish a book and still can’t figure out where the title came from. But to be honest, that was the least of the issues for this story. Luckily, for my taste at least, neither of them were boys in this tale, but instead, they were child-hood friends who finally decided, somewhat randomly?, to take it a step further. The beginning was promising – one of them was coming home to finally take action on their desires. But after things became blurred during their first encounter, the tale just got strange.

Paul, the person who lived in Los Angeles, had some secrets – big ones, that only came to light when Adam moved to LA with Paul as a snap decision, fearful that he’d lose Paul forever – mind you, this was still during their initial encounter. Anyway, what unfolds was so jumpy, unrealistic, and quite frankly, WEIRD, that I’m still not really sure what happened. Think: a random love square (four people, like that play), but I am not sure whom loves who and all of the details.

The focus here was clearly creating as much hot steamy sex scenes as possible – m/f, m/m, m/m/m. The sex itself could probably have been hot since it took up most of the book, but it was so unclear what the relationships were, that the sex became distracting. In the end, I was rolling my eyes quite a bit, and finally, relieved when it was over.

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

I would not recommend this to anyone. It was way too confusing, even if all you want is hot sex. There were too many partners without any clearly defined roles, and then very end (last five pages), was SO ridiculous, that even if the rest of the book was ok, it destroyed any redeeming qualities.

Nowhere Ranch – Heidi Cullinan

Author: Heidi Cullinan
Publisher: Loose-Id, LLC
Word Count: 68,356
Published: 2011
Fictionwise: $6.99

After his family turned their back on him for being gay, Roe left his family’s farm and learned how to survive without creating strong connections or roots. That was until he arrived at the Nowhere Ranch. When Roe needed a break and needed sexual release, he drove to the nearest gay bar – three hours away, to find the owner of the ranch he’s working on, there too. Relationships are not his thing, so getting involved with his boss is a very bad idea, especially since he’s starting to fall in love with the ranch. But one night can’t hurt, right?

This was my favorite Cullinan book yet. It was a fantastic story with rich character development and a story line that was well thought out and surprising at times. The bond and relationship between Roe and the ranch owner, Travis, was realistic and deep. Their exploration together of their D/s relationship paralleled with each of them allowing themselves to open their hearts again, was powerful. There were bumps along the way, but each man found a way to come together and work things out.

The sex was HOT (or shall I saw H-A-W-T)! Several different sexual encounters, but each told a story of their blossoming relationship. Starting from strictly D/s with no strings attached – moving into a loving D/s relationship was exciting to read and engaging throughout. This is a recommended read for any cowboy fans, experienced m/m readers, or anyone who is looking for a unique love story within the D/s relationship.

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

The only thing holding back from this getting a perfect score, is the ending. The last 10 pages or so was a bit of a let down. Don’t get me wrong, it ends up fantastic (and be sure to read it through the very end), but one part of the conclusion felt rushed and slightly out of character. But it doesn’t impact the overall story – just the ending impression.

Mistletoe and Submission – Kim Dare

 

Author: Kim Dare
Publisher: Total E-Bound
Word Count: 56,247
Published: 2010
Fictionwise: $6.13

In a completely inappropriate dare, the junior Doms challenge a fellow junior (although very experienced) dom to be tied up and blindfolded in a room until midnight. While completely against his nature, Sloan accepts the challenge to keep from his fellow “Dom” Carl, from accepting it on his behalf. During the dare, a sub makes his way into the room and Sloan is absolutely hooked – he needs to find HIS sub, but no one is sure who it can be. What he does know though, is he wants it to be Carl.

An unusual take on a club’s dynamics and dares – I’m not sure any Dom would challenge another in such a way, and it was a bit disconcerting that Sloan had never actually experienced the things he dished out to subs, but none the less, a strong story ensued. Throughout, there was an underlying tug of shame or question around what it means to be a sub. Carl continuously fought to overcome this and wanted to be treated with respect – something he never saw Sloan do with who he thought were his subs, before. Throughout, there are great internal power struggles while both men try to find out what they want and how to make it work.

The sex was hot with a lot of tame D/s play throughout.  This is a good read for people who like a Christmas themed story; or are testing the D/s waters. Don’t expect a lot of romance here – feelings were not explored as much as they were shown.

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

A good and quick read for anyone who wants some hot D/s action, or is looking to get a glimpse in to the scene. I would also recommend this for people who enjoy stories that deal with the differences between Doms and subs, and the internal struggle behind each role.

Bound by Honor – SE Jakes

Author: SE Jakes
Publisher:  Samhain Publishing
Word Count: 63,422
Published: 2011
Fictionwise: $4.50

Soldier Tanner James holds his word and shows up to deliver the dying wish of his good friend who died in combat one year earlier. He walks into the club searching for the owner and badass Dom, Damon. Tanner’s mission is simple – submit to Damon for one night exactly one year following his friend’s death. What happens when Tanner walks into the club is heartbreaking as Damon isn’t sure he’s able to uphold his end of the bargain. Will he be able to overcome his past to embrace the best thing for his future?

Soldiers fighting for power, submission and acceptance – is there anything hotter? This is a great D/s read with incredibly hot sex, but more than that, it was relatable. Each character struggled with emotions and past wrongs, to be able to fully accept their current situation. There were several points in the book that were difficult to read (yes, tears flowed) – the fear, the shame, the underlying pain was always right at the surface. There was sex, lots of sex, but never gratuitous. The subplot and characters were fantastically written and I can’t wait to see their story next! I was not aware that this was part of series when I read it, but I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment.

The sex was incredibly hot and a relatable D/s relationship, once all of the false starts were addressed. It was an emotional read and one that I could not put down – it grabbed my attention, not just because of the heat (although admittedly that helped), but the plot and characters were so well developed and clearly everything was executed seamlessly.

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

I think this is my first “perfect” score – it truly is a book, not to be missed. The plot was intriguing and had significant depth; hot soldiers; and believable D/s play and relationships. Read this if you like masculine men stories, strong erotica or D/s play.

Burn – Sean Michael

Burn

Author: Sean Michael
Publisher: Torquere Press
Word Count: 51,011
Published: January 2011
Fictionwise: $5.99

An annual game brings together two childhood friends – finally. After a difficult day as a fireman, Marshall shows up to the annual gathering to say hello to his friends. When he arrives, his friend Dave can tell that something’s wrong with Marshall and finally has his opportunity to take care of his long-time crush. As soon as Dave finds his opening, he’s determined to show Marshall everything that he needs to help him deal with his high-stress job and also satisfy his sexual desires. Marshall has no idea what’s in store for him as Dave takes over as Dom and Marshall learns how to submit.

This is a surprising read from Sean Michael, particularly for the Hammer series. This book is based more on the relationship and internal struggles of the main characters, Marshall in particular, versus the D/s relationship or gratuitous sex. There is plenty of sex, and some of it is gratuitous, but there are also well-developed characters and a decent plot. The D/s relationship and roles are not as blatant in his story – while each character has a clearly defined role in the bedroom, one of the characters is unsure of the lifestyle and continuously struggles to come to terms with it.

There is sex throughout the book – vanilla and some D/s play. At times the sex scenes run too long as is typical in Sean Michael’s writing, but they are always hot! You are rooting for both characters to get what they want and what they need from each other, and you see that the sex helps them both meet that goal.

Overall this is a good read with super hot sex. This is a very beginner level D/s book and good for anyone who is looking for a glance into the lifestyle and the very “mild” end of the spectrum. In addition, it deals with issues of coming to terms with sexual need and roles in a way that is very “friendly” for a new M/M reader.

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

Read this book if you’re interested in getting a glimpse into the D/s lifestyle and the Hammer series. And of course, if you’re looking for some seriously hot sex!

A Matter of Time Book I – Mary Calmes

A Matter of Time – Book I


Author: Mary Calmes
Publisher: Club Lighthouse Publishing
Word Count: 61,666
Published: 2009
Fictionwise: $5.99

This series appears to be one of the highest rated series posted on several sites, so I decided to finally read it! This is a story about a stubborn man without much going on in his life, when he witnesses (randomly, I might add) a murder and steps into the middle of a huge police investigation. A police officer on the scene questions Jory, and finds that he isn’t able to leave him alone. Jory continues to live his life, refusing to let a dangerous killer force him into witness protection. While we see the beginning of a relationship develop between these characters in this book, the main focus is on establishing all of the people, players, and reasons why these two men can’t be together.

This story is well-written and best of all, it’s a story. There is a real plot, relatable characters, and people work! While there is heat and a little bit of sex, although honestly not much in this first book, the dynamics and inter-connectedness between all of the characters is truly the pull, and leaves you wanting more.

This is a very easy read and the plot and characters will pull you in. The sex is hot, but don’t read this expecting a lot of scenes or anything too detailed – that comes later in the series. While somewhat predictable at times, there are a few twists along the way.

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

Read this if you’re looking for a great story with some action (police and danger action that is) and are looking for a new series. The entire four book series is somewhat addicting, you’ll find that as soon as you get to know and love these characters, you won’t be able to put the books down until you find out what happens. The sex is hot when it happens, but don’t expect it in every chapter.