Review: Commitment Issues

Commitment IssuesCommitment Issues by Wynn Wagner
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Commitment Issues is Wynn Wagner’s third book I’ve read. The first I liked a lot while the second didn’t work for me. Although I really want to like CI, it falls too close to the second and not enough of the humor and charm of the first. There is a definite style to Wagner’s writing that will appeal or not appeal to readers so this author may not be for everyone. The story also tends to repeat information often and add in lengthy asides while the main plot wanders all over the place. On the positive side there is a lot of humor and the story is very funny in the few places it doesn’t try so hard. Unfortunately it couldn’t keep my attention and I came close to giving up. Continue reading

Half Pass by Astrid Amara

Half Pass
Title and Link: Half Pass
Author: Astrid Amara
Publisher URL: Samhain
Genre: Contemporary M/M
Length: Novella
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

A guest review by Kassa

Summary Review: A familiar contemporary story that didn’t work for me but may for the right reader.

Read the entire review at Jessewave HERE or at Goodreads HERE!

Wrestling with Desire by DH Starr

Wrestling with DesireTitle and Link: Wrestling with Desire
Author: DH Starr
Publisher URL: Featherweight Press
Genre: Young adult, non-erotic
Length: Novel/ 300 pages
Rating: 3 out of 5

A guest review by Kassa

Wrestling with Desire is a young adult coming of age story featuring sensitive, emotional teenagers exploring their sexuality. Now by this I mean the emotional and psychological impact of a first real relationship with raging hormones but not so much on screen sex. Considering their age and the genre, this isn’t too surprising and the two boys mostly kiss with a little groping and crotch shifting thrown in occasionally. This keeps the focus on the teenagers in their daily routines, which is both the strength and weakness of this novel. [contd]

Read the whole review over on Jessewave HERE or on Goodreads HERE!

username: 7mark8 by Nick Hanson

Title and Link: username: 7mark8
Author: Nick Hanson
Publisher URL: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary Gay Erotica
Length: Novel/ 250 pages
Rating: 2.75 out of 5

Blurb:
Recently separated from his wife, a closeted man (username: 7mark8) discovers blogging to be a therapeutic outlet for his awkward and often comical homosexual shenanigans. His eroticism and unassuming candor attract quite an online following, and as more personal questions and information about his life and his children surface, he’ll discover friends, critics, and a heap of both good and bad advice.

But the last thing 7mark8 expects to find are cult-like followers who appear to be pushing him into a relationship with a charismatic but spiritual man. As he struggles to accept responsibility for his children along with his passion for men, his blog suddenly becomes a minefield of debate—but it will also become a source of strength as he learns to stand up for himself and his lifestyle.

Review:
Username: 7mark8 takes a usual approach to storytelling. Utilizing today’s heavy blog reading as the basis, this novel is entirely in blog format. Each entry is a blog by the author, 7mark8 (Mark being his name and 7.8 his dick size) and they range from sexual encounters to personal trials, even new relationships and problems in friendships. The blogs are then followed by comments from the various readers. This reads exactly like a blog that’s simply been put together and published. So in some ways those readers that are devoted to blogs may like the style while others may find the downside to blogging, it’s sometimes boring and dry.

Read the whole review at Goodreads HERE or on Jessewave’s site HERE!

The Station by Keira Andrews

Title and Link: The Station
Author: Keira Andrews
Publisher URL: Loose Id
Genre: Historical Gay Romance
Length: Novel/ 210 pages
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

Review:

The Station is a lovely, easy to read historical. It’s not historically accurate though and is very much a storytelling narrative, almost all tell and virtually no show. The characters are decent and the plot is a charming tale of love between unlikely men moving at a slower pace. If you can suspend disbelief enough to buy into the story or inaccuracies don’t bother you (I personally don’t care) then this could be a satisfying romance read.

Read the rest of the review over at Jessewave’s site HERE or Goodreads HERE!

Lost Treasure by Kate Sherwood

Lost TreasureLost Treasure by Kate Sherwood

Blurb:
When Kyle Champlain’s grandmother, Molly, passes away, he returns to Wetlake, Canada, to settle her estate. Kyle spent his summers in Wetlake as a child, and now he has the chance to renew his acquaintance with some old friends, including Ryan Summers, before going home to Chicago. But when Kyle tries to pressure Ryan into a business decision, their renewed friendship—and any possible attraction–is almost immediately on the rocks.

As Kyle begins to deliver the personalized bequests from Molly’s will, he meets an odd assortment of people from all walks of life and realizes he has a lot to learn about living and love. But he’ll have to fight his parents, suspicious beneficiaries, and Ryan’s fears if he plans to stay in Wetlake.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Review:

I’m a fan of Sherwood’s previous Dark Horse stories so I chose this one based on the author and honestly I adored the cover. Lost Treasure is a contemporary story written in past tense so those that were bothered by the present tense of previous Sherwood novels can rest easy. The characters are natural, not too complicated, and the story just flows effortlessly. There is a mild tension and the only conflict is how Kyle and Ryan will eventually get together. The story is a light, smooth tale with good imagery and a breezy writing style that keeps you reading. [contd…]

Read the whole review over on Jessewave’s site HERE or on Goodreads HERE!

Counterpoint by Rachel Haimowitz

Counterpoint (Song of the Fallen, #1)Counterpoint by Rachel Haimowitz

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Counterpoint is book one of a two book epic story. The ending of this story is a cliffhanger with a few unresolved issues and definitely no happy ending in sight. This is perhaps why I had such a tough time with the story. On the one hand, the fantasy world is lovingly crafted with an eye for detail. On the other, I didn’t particularly enjoy the story’s focus on moderate violence, manipulation, humiliation, and hatred. This is a darker fantasy story that plays on the classic push/pull dynamic of different races that instinctively hate each other. The main romantic relationship is a very familiar King/slave one and so the slave ends up sacrificing time and again. I was honestly tired of all the violence when the story ended and needed a break, which left me with a negative feeling towards the book but it’s highly subjective and another reader may not feel that way at all.

To read the rest of the review, check out Jessewave’s site or Goodreads

Pricks and Pragmatism by J.L. Merrow

Pricks and PragmatismPricks and Pragmatism by J.L. Merrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review:

Pricks and Pragmatism is a delightful and absorbing read. It’s just a quick novella – 50 pages – but it’s worth reading. The writing is clever, sly, and witty with a lot of quick one-liners and classic characters. The tension and conflict plays off obvious and exaggerated tropes but that doesn’t diminish the entertainment factor. Luke will warm your heart while Russell is adorable as a geek. They don’t stretch beyond their pre-determined boxes but the strong writing makes this worthwhile reading. 

The full review can be found at Jessewave’s site or Goodreads