One True Thing by Piper Vaughn and MJ O'Shea

One True Thing by Piper Vaughn and MJ O'Shea
Stars: 3.5/5

Length: 260 pages
Blurb
Dustin Davis spent years wishing for a prince but kissing frog after slimy frog. When he sees Archer Kyriakides for the first time, Dusty thinks his luck has finally changed. Archer could be it. The One. But their hot and cold romance leaves Dusty confused: why does it feel right one moment and wrong the next? It doesn’t make sense—until the day Dusty meets Archer’s identical twin, Asher, and realizes he’s been seeing them both.

Asher Kyriakides dreams of being a fashion photographer, but he’s stuck with a job he hates and an irresponsible playboy brother whose habits drive him absolutely insane, especially when he finds out Archer is dating the cute little blond Asher can’t seem to forget. Torn between loyalty and desire, Asher does nothing but try to warn Dusty away.

But when Archer finally goes too far, Dusty turns to Asher for comfort, and Asher knows he can’t refuse. It isn’t long before they realize they’re falling fast, but more than one thing stands in their way, not the least of which is Archer, who isn’t quite ready to stop being a thorn in his brother’s side.

Overall
While I enjoyed this novel, I also was very blasé about it. The writing felt stiff compared to One Small Thing and while the plot was interesting, I had a hard time getting into the characters and siding with them. Don't get me wrong, I liked the characters, but also struggled to really care about them.

This is worth a read, but I found it disappointing after how much I enjoyed the previous story.

Review
Dusty and Asher are a cute couple; both men are looking for true love, and they feel the classic zing when they meet. They definitely fall into the love at first site trope, but it's pretty well-handled and a majority of the story doesn't focus on that so much as the twin confusion and the later troubles involving Archer. I still found it a bit irksome, but not enough to put down the book and not continue.

The broader cast in this book is enjoyable, and the roles they play in the story (minor though most of them are). I'm also hoping we'll get a Lane/Josh book, because things were definitely set up for that to happen. The additional cast added some nice flavor to the story and let characters talk out their problems with outside sources, but I also felt like most of the extra characters were just cardboard cutouts. They lacked much depth, although I still found them darling.

I really wanted to smack Asher (after taking a hit at Archer) for how he handled his brother and the entire fiasco that he causes. I found the whole thing super annoying, but I can also respect that people react differently to situations. In the end, I found the end resolution very fitting and kind of amusing.

Everything gets tied up rather neatly in the end, but that doesn't mean there isn't a little bit of heartache. I was glad the ending had a bit of melancholy because that balanced out the love at first sight perfection from the beginning of the novel.

This won't be for everyone, but I think fans of the authors and the standard contemporary romance will enjoy.

Dex in Blue by Amy Lane

Dex in Blue by Amy Lane
Stars: 4/5

Length: 350 pages
Blurb
Ten years ago David Worral had plans to go to college and the potential for a beautiful future in front of him. One tragic accident later, he fled to California and reinvented himself as Dex, top porn model of Johnnies.

Dex’s life is a tangled mess now, but the guys he works with only see the man who makes them believe even porn stars can lead normal lives. When Kane, one of Dex’s coworkers, gets kicked out of his house, the least Dex can do is give him a place to stay. Kane may be a hyperactive muscle-bound psycho, but he’s also a really nice guy. What could be the harm?

Except nothing is simple—not sex, not love, and not the goofy kid with the big dick and bigger heart who moves his life into Dex’s guest room. When they start negotiating fractured pasts and broken friends, Dex wonders if Kane’s honest nature can untangle the sadness that stalled his once-promising future. With Kane by his side, Dex just might be able to reclaim the boy he once was—and if he can do that, he can give Kane the home and the family he deserves.

Overall
After Chase in Shadow, the next of the Johnnies series is far less intense! Dex in Blue is not nearly as angst ridden, nor does it have as much of a rising action/climax/falling action construct. It focuses more on the development of these two men, especially Dex, in their own lives and in their relationship. This is a much slower book than many other of the genre, and aside from some drama at the end, it keeps it's steady pace throughout. That didn't stop me from reading it all in one day though, and I think most people will enjoy the characters, story, and writing enough to forgive the somewhat drawn out telling.

Review
After my first read through, I was of the mind that I enjoyed this novel, but felt that it covered too much and could have ended earlier. However, on the second read, perhaps because I was prepared for the length, I felt the story worked. The problems both characters have are faced and dealt with, and while I still have some issues (in a spoiler note below), I enjoyed it more.

Kane and Dex are sweet together as they just sort of stumble into bed and then build a life together without defining it as having a relationship. Kane’s insistence that he isn’t gay seems a little questionable, but somewhat understandable, and the conflict and resolution this builds is worth any of the eyebrow raising it may create.

While I read this all in one night, I wouldn’t recommend it for most readers. The gradual and slow build of the plot is better experienced when it’s not rushed into one sitting, and although I felt an urge to know what was going to happen, this is one of those novels that is better savored. I think hurrying through leaves a feeling of disappointment, since the drama is minimal and it really is the journey that is worth experiencing.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the Johnnies series, which hopefully will focus on Ethan!

Spoiler!
*
*
*
*
*
The end felt a little too perfect. Everything ties up too neatly, too perfectly. Also, since most readers will be familiar with Chase in Shadow, they'll notice some repeated themes. The ending isn't bad, and it definitely is sweet, but the almost absolute perfection of it all working out felt like too much to me. I could have been left with more hope and fewer definites.

Carved in Flesh ed by SL Armstrong & Kristen Pavka

Carved in Flesh ed by SL Armstrong & Kristen Pavka
Stars: 3/5

Length: 193 pages
Blurb
People often say that the true perfection in the human form is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral reminders of a person's past, a sign of an event that can never fade. Whether it was gained in combat, a traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a lover, scars are the ultimate labels. They leave a permanent mark on the body and spirit that, one way or another, change a person forever.

Overall
Anthologies are always tough, and once again I found a wide range of quality, both in writing and storytelling. How much you enjoy the stories will really depend on what you want out of them: Are you here purely for the carving kink? Then they all will probably satisfy that. For those who want more depth and exploration, there are a good number for that as well, and even the ones I considered weak were still enjoyable.

I must admit that the creation of scars always made my skin crawl, but after reading "Oren's Right" and "Sojourn Home," it has become beautiful. These stories definitely opened my eyes, and it was interesting the different ways the authors interpreted the theme.

Oren's Right by Blaine D. Arden
Stars: 3.5/5
This was an interesting story that continued in the world of Arden's short "The Forester." I found the characters compelling, and I love the world we're provided, but I wasn't wild about the plot. While it fits in and explains some points in the story, it also feels completely unrelated to the romantic strain of the story and the narrator's near-obsession with Oren and his marks. I enjoyed the description of the scarring ritual and Vern's own marks—and his love of Oren's marks. I wanted more of that and less of the mystery, but overall still an enjoyable read.

Tiofaidh Ar La by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks
Stars: 2.5/5
Initially I wasn't too wild about this story. It felt rushed through the meeting and the courting and the sex. The time skips jumped through massive amounts of development and potential for character building, and while I can understand why, it all went too fast. This would have been better told in a full novel to better explore the bond between the characters and to explain why a young man would go to such lengths for a man he's only known a few months/a year.

I liked Joe's difficulties with his scars and how Ryan reacted to them, recognizing them, adoring them, but not forgetting that they still hurt. The romance worked well, despite what I felt were underdeveloped characters, because of the strong emotions Joe felt about his scars and Ryan. So a nice story, but really could have been explored more completely.

Faded Love by MA Church
Stars: 3/5
This one started rough for me, as the opening scene is sex and felt rather porny. It took me a while to get into the story, and I wasn't wild about the narration jumping between the two main characters constantly, but the end was sweet and made me go "Aww." So that was worth it in the end.

The plot (pretty boy loses his looks) isn't necessarily new, but some interesting things were done with it here, although again it felt like too much story was pushed into a short piece.

Scar Therapy by Logan Zachary
Stars: 2/5
This one really didn't do it for me. I like the concept of the injured young man coming in for scar therapy and the bond between man and therapist, but too much was told not shown and I never really got a good sense of the characters and their bond over the story.

By the end I was so irked by the patient/practitioner questionable-ethics issue that the sex just felt like porn. There were also several things that just felt weird, like Tim's mother coming to his first therapy session (which made me think Tim was much younger than he was [he's out of college]) and Tim just showing up at Larry's house (which was just kind of creepy and a porn setup).

Gift of the Goddess by Kaje Harper
Stars: 5/5
Loved this one. The incorporation of scars was fantastic for both men, and the drama and plot were riveting. It was amazing to see how far Garvin was willing to go in order to save Nyle. It was intense, and I appreciated that while Garvin was all strong about everything, it still affected him, despite his 'choice' in the matter.

This feels like it is the start of something, with the fickle goddess's attention now turned on Garvin, but the end resolved all the current issues and felt complete, leaving the reader at a compelling point. Overall this story quickly fleshed out the history of the two characters and threw me right into the action. Absolutely recommend it.

Sojourn Home by TC Mill
Stars: 4/5
I struggled with this one, not because it was poorly written or boring, but because it was so emotionally charged that it hurt to read. I have difficulties with open relationships though, so some people may not be as affected as I was, although I felt the narrator was compelling in both his desires and his restraint.

Not only did it make me ache, but it also made me rejoice. The ending was near perfect (only not perfect because I like my endings oozing a sugar-laden chocolate center). But I felt happy with how things went and it fit both the characters, which can be difficult with stories of open relationships where one is maybe not so happy with that setup. Not much happens action-wise, but this is worth reading just for the compelling emotional story.

Received this book for review.

The Hot Floor by Josephine Myles

The Hot Floor by Josephine Myles
Stars: 5/5

Length: 233 pages
Blurb
Two plus one equals scorching hot fun.

Dumped by his boyfriend and reduced to living in a grotty bedsit, Josh Carpenter has gotten used to expecting the worst. Now he lives only for his job as a glassblower…and occasional glimpses of his sexy downstairs neighbors, Rai Nakamura and Evan Truman.

Every time he overhears the diminutive academic and the hunky plumber having loud and obviously kinky sex, Josh is overwhelmed with lust…and a longing for a fraction of what they have.

To his amazement, Rai and Evan find his embarrassing tendency to blush utterly charming, and the three men grow closer over the course of the long, hot summer. Despite Rai’s charming flirtation and Evan’s smoldering gaze, Josh is determined never to break his new friends’ loving bonds.

On the night a naked Josh falls—quite literally—into the middle of one of Rai and Evan’s marathon sex sessions, the force of their mutual attraction takes control. But just as Josh dares to hope, he senses a change. Leaving him to wonder if the winds of love are about to blow his way at last…or if history is about to repeat itself.

Overall
Y-U-M.

Followers of my reviews know that sex in stories is usually my least favorite part. This is an exception to the rule. A perfect mix of hot, steamy sex, a slow build of romance and drama, and a terrified narrator, who I associated with perhaps a bit too much. A perfect mix for a steamy romance that is just as delicious as the cover.

Review
Considering the smoking-hot cover and the steamy sex scenes later, the beginning of the book starts slow as the characters meet and become friends. It worked, and it helped lay the foundation that cemented their relationship.

The first-person narrator is a bit of a spazz and jumpy. I connected with him immediately. He worries about his job when he has no need, he can't imagine people wanting him, and he has a string of crap luck (or good luck, maybe), to get things to where they go. Despite his poor self-image, he's not overly dramatic about it, although his kicked-puppy personality is the motivation for most of his actions.

I think what worked best for this story (aside from the yummy sex scenes) was the fact that the characters didn't seem like they went together at all, but Myles made it work for just that reason. The three men are all so different, but in that way they complement one another and break up stereotypes (mostly). Even beyond the main three men, there is a great cast of everyday folk who are just like coworkers, neighbors, and flirty friends that you've probably met in real life.

I do have to admit, a little bit, that when the threesome first gets together the scene feels like something out of a porn, but for some reason it works, and I didn't even think about it until my second read through.

Finally, I just really enjoyed the story, the character dynamic, and the sex. The end is a little expected, but not so much that it's silly, and it felt completely appropriate and alluded to throughout. This story can be summed up with a few visuals: schoolboy role play with creative use of ties, bathtubs in bathtubs, '70s decor and owls, and giant glass dildos.

Enjoy!

Making Ends Meet by SL Armstrong and K Piet

Making Ends Meet by SL Armstrong and K Piet
Stars: 3.5/5

Length: 65,000 words (166 pages)
Blurb
Zach is just seventeen years old, but despite his youth, he has more than his fair share of responsibility. An experimental fling in high school has led him down the path of single fatherhood. Now, he holds down a job, takes his college classes online, and pays his own bills as best he can—all while juggling daycare and chores and play-dates for his four-month-old, Mae. It's a rough, 24/7 life, but to Zach, Mae is worth every penny spent and every minute of his day.

With no free time to speak of, it feels like a miracle when Zach meets Wil in the check-out line at his work. Handsome, grounded, from the proverbial "right side of the tracks", and—even better—good with kids, Wil is everything he could want in a boyfriend. But as interested as Wil is in Zach, he has his own life, his own family, his own job and college career to think about. All the various draws on their time means that it's hard just to find chances to be together. But Zach's no stranger to hard tasks, and believes he owes it to himself to try.

Overall
If you're expecting a plot twist, huge drama, or dark secrets, you're going to be disappointed with Making Ends Meet.

The story is as described in the blurb. It's a charming tale of a very young man who decides to keep the baby he and his friend produced after a misguided night of exploration. Zach is overly independent and Wil is too good to be true, but they still have a sweet story to share. For lovers of everyday romance (and who love babies in stories), this will probably hit all those soft squishy spots.

Review
I found this novel difficult to review because it's just so mellow. There are a few dramatic moments, mostly due to Zach's insistence that he be independent, and there is some family drama, but it's never too explosive, and most of it is just plain ol' Family Drama. In some ways this is refreshing and nice, in other ways it feels like it's missing something. Much like Zach, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Wil is a perfect boyfriend, a perfect father, and a good guy. I found him almost too good, as he's rarely, if ever, the cause of strife in the relationship. Obviously he's the older, wiser, more experienced one, but his perfection rubbed me the wrong way. He rarely gets angry and he does nothing wrong aside from spoil Mae and Zach. I would have liked to have seen some faults in him, but from a literary angle, his only fault was his lack of faults!

Zach is the opposite. He is inexperienced and young and is struggling to raise Mae on his own. He's all about being independent and is against taking money from people, even his parents and his boyfriend. I can completely understand his stance, his struggle, and the arguments he has with friends and family, but I also think it's good that he learns to accept help when he needs it.

The familial contrasts (money, love) are a persistent theme in the story, and I felt the end came together to show what is important. However, in regards to the end, I also wished Zach wasn't always wrong. I felt he had some good points, even if they were only emotional, and they needed to be addressed and accepted more than they were, especially in regards to Wil spending so much money on him and Mae. Wil isn't seen in the wrong because he's giving them something, but the story brushes aside Zach's feelings about this, and despite Wil kind of knowing how Zach feels about the money being spent, he continues to do it. While he obviously has the best intentions, I thought this fault of Wil's could be explored and a better balance found.

An enjoyable story, worth reading, but only if you're in the mood for something super mellow.

Received this book for review.

How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Knitting, #3) by Amy Lane

How to Raise an Honest Rabbit by Amy Lane
Stars: 4/5

Length: 180 pages
Blurb
A Knitting Novella

Everything about Jeremy has always been a lie—including his last name. When one grift too many ends in tragedy, Jeremy goes straight. But life’s hard for an ex-con, and Jeremy is down to panhandling and hope when Rance Crawford offers him work at a tiny alpaca farm and fiber mill. Jeremy takes him up on the job, thinking this could be his last chance to be a good man, and meets Aiden, who is growing into a better one.

As Aiden comes of age, Jeremy finds himself desperate to grow up, too, because Aiden starts looking to him for things Jeremy doesn’t know how to give. Being honest is terrifying for a man who’s learned to rabbit at the first sign of conflict—more so when Aiden gives Jeremy a reason to stay that can’t be packed up and carried in a knapsack. When Jeremy’s past comes knocking at their door, can Jeremy trust enough in Aiden and his new home to answer bravely back?

Overall
Another sweet story from the Knitting series, Honest Rabbit has more struggle than Fur-Bearing Critters. Of course, this is expected off the bat, as we're being told Jeremy's story (and Aiden's as well), and Jeremy has a much darker past than Ben and Rance. Jeremy is a panicky little rabbit, and he is consistent throughout the story, even when he's maturing. It will be reader dependent on whether this is a good thing or tiresome. I found it well executed, since trauma and life-history don't just vanish once you're in a safe little hutch.

Review
While I enjoyed this novella overall, one of the most interesting elements was that some of the plot points overlap with Rance's story, but obviously we see it from a very different perspective. Rance, for how rough he is, is an honest-to-goodness nice guy. Jeremy and Aiden are both good guys (or getting there), but are more human than Rance in some ways. Rance sees things in black and white, though Ben may loosen him up a little; Jeremy and Aiden are basic humans who sometimes tell white lies or keep secrets. It makes for a very different story.

The plot takes longer to develop, as it covers a larger part of Jeremy's life, but everything comes full circle and wraps up nicely. We get more development for various characters, which really opens up the world of the small town. For beginning knitters, it's nice because we get to hear more about yarn and knitting in simpler terms, although Jeremy obviously has plenty of time to advance through the story (while I didn't get any better!).

I think the only bad thing I have to say about this story is that it didn't grab me as much as Fur-Bearing Critters. I liked the characters, but I wasn't enamored, and while the story is sweet, it isn't as diabetes-inducing as the previous tale, which for some people might just be a good thing!

Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.

Magpie (Avian Shifters #2) by Kim Dare

Magpie (Avian Shifters #2) by Kim Dare
Stars: 4/5

Length: 215 pages
Blurb
Everet has found his perfect place in the nest. As a raven, he’s ideally suited to his new role in the nest’s security flock. Some of the jobs it entails have been far more enjoyable than others, but when he’s called to retrieve a magpie, whose got himself into trouble in a local human club, it becomes a truly life changing experience.

Magpie shifters have always been looked down on by other avians. Just as attracted to shiny things in their human bodies as they are in their avian forms, everyone knows they’ll do anything for money—and they’re not above stealing what they can’t get by more honest means.

Kane knows what being a magpie means, and he’s got the bruises to show for it. When Everet rescues him from his latest scrape, Kane knows better than to believe the raven will actually take an interest in him and his welfare, but it’s just possible that Everet is different to any other man Kane has ever met.

Overall
After reading Duck, I was anxiously awaiting Everet's story, and while it wasn't at all what I expected, it didn't let me down in the least. Everet and Kane are so different from Raynard and Ori, that it's a nice change in both personality and in the dom/sub dynamic. I wasn't as blown away or as emotionally invested in the characters, but I found the evolution of them and their relationship to be highly enjoyable. (And the writing felt stronger, since it didn’t rely as heavily on referring to them as ‘the submissive’/’the dominant.’)

Review
Kane is a brat, but with his drug-use history, it's not really too surprising, since much of his brattiness comes from his addiction (although, not all of it). He's well matched with Everet, who needs someone to boss around, but who also wants someone with a backbone to challenge him. Their personalities lead to conflict, but ultimately also lead to balance in a rough and tumble sort of way.

Hamilton continues to be a jerk, but I love how we get moments of Ori putting him in his place. That has to rub him the wrong way. *cackles madly* My only issue with Hamilton's later actions is that it felt someone forced in order to cause X, Y, and Z to happen, but it also didn't bother me as much, because I can see Hamilton doing what he did, although the motivation behind it was a tad flimsy. It would be interesting, if there are going to be more in the series, to see how Hamilton could be redeemed as a character. But if there are going to be more, I think the next is going to be Albatross or Doctor-bird. :)

The plot focuses on the transformation of Kane from a druggie whore to a happy submissive. The concept isn't necessarily highly original, but I enjoyed the progression nonetheless, and it provided plenty of opportunities for Dare to develop the world and the nest, which was a complaint I had in the first book, plus it showed the improvements that have happened since Ori came into power (as it were).

An enjoyable plot, fun characters, and further development of the world leave this being an enjoyable novel, especially for fans of Duck, although in some ways it caters to a very different audience in regards to the BDSM elements, as pain is not so important as dominance, and even that differs from Raynard/Ori’s relationship.

Hard Tail by JL Merrow

Hard Tail by JL Merrow
Stars: 4.5/5

Length: 248 pages
Blurb
"Finding love can be a bumpy ride."

His job: downsized out of existence. His marriage: on the rocks. It doesn't take a lot of arm twisting for Tim Knight to agree to get out of London and take over his injured brother's mountain bike shop for a while. A few weeks in Southampton is a welcome break from the wreck his life has become, even though he feels like a fish out of water in this brave new world of outdoor sports and unfamiliar technical jargon.

The young man who falls-literally-through the door of the shop brings everything into sharp, unexpected focus. Tim barely accepts he's even "in" the closet until his attraction to Matt Berridge pulls him close enough to touch the doorknob.

There's only one problem with the loveable klutz: his bullying boyfriend. Tim is convinced Steve is the cause of the bruises that Matt blows off as part of his risky sport. But rising to the defense of the man he's beginning to love means coming to terms with who he is—in public—in a battle not even his black belt prepared him to fight. Until now.

Overall
I've been wanting to read this for a while, since it came out and I’d heard plenty of positive reviews about it. I was not disappointed. I read it all in one night (You know, “just going to read a little before bed”...and then at 2 o’clock in the morning you finally put it down). It didn't blow me off my feet, but I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. It's sweet, funny, and a little bit awkward. It's a feel-good story that has struggles, but never gets too angsty. Definitely worth a read.

Review
There is no one part of Hard Tail that stuck out as being especially brilliant. Instead, it's one of those hinky little stories where all the pieces fall together into one cohesive tale that works brilliantly.

It's an interesting mix of characters, and even those I swore I wasn't going to like ended up growing on me until there was really only one villain, and he's a villain through and through. Matt is the happy-go-lucky type, all kindness and friendly, balanced out by Tim, who has become a bit of a stick in the mud and is down on his luck, having lost his job and his girl. Tim's mum bothered me to no end, until we're given a greater understanding of her character, and then she's just annoying, not overly annoying. It felt like a pretty standard family.

There is very little drama. Or perhaps I should say, there is a completely reasonable level of drama. The characters and the plot are very realistic, not relying on over-the-top dramatics to brew an interesting story. Instead, the quirky narrator and crazy cast of characters give livelihood to what could be a very mellow story.

This book is one I see myself returning to again and again, simply because it's an enjoyable read with a fun narrator. It won't leave you on the edge of your seat, but it will bring a smile to your face.

SPOILER
*
*
*
*
*
Some of the end could be read as being too easy, too much of a happy ending. It was all very neat and tidy, but I didn't feel like this story was meant to be too much of a struggle. The self-acceptance and confidence of the two main characters is the focus, and they are rewarded for their achievements. Because of this, I didn't mind, but people who don't like the too-neat endings may find it unsatisfactory.