Loose Id

A Fostered Love by Cameron Dane

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Cameron Dane’s A Fostered Love

Blurb:

Christian Sanchez never thought he would see Jonah Roberts again. Foster brothers for a short time as teens, Christian developed a massive crush on Jonah, his tough, older roommate. That all ended when the cops came and arrested Jonah, stealing him from Christian’s uncertain world.

Jonah never forgot Christian, even though he cut off all contact with the boy. Jonah knew the kid with the crush on him would be better off forgetting that Jonah ever existed. Jonah stayed in contact with his foster mother Marisol, but refused to hear stories about Christian, and made the woman promise never to tell Christian anything about him.

Upon her death fifteen years later, Marisol leaves a request that Jonah come home and help Christian renovate her house. Jonah can’t refuse, even though he knows he will have to face Christian once again.

Although they haven’t seen each other in years, neither man has forgotten the other. Neither man will deny Marisol her final request…even if it means facing their past, working together, sharing the room they had as teens, getting to know one another now as men, and discovering that the brief friendship they shared has altered into a consuming, abiding love.

 
More sexy Anne Cain cover..

Utopia X: Seeking Something Wicked by K.Z. Snow

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 K. Z. Snow’s Utopia X: Seeking Something Wicked

Blurb:

Unsettled by the passionate romance between his comrade Win and their new employee Pablo, Tole hopes to quell his restless spirit by spending a night in the woodsy Interzone. He’s joined unexpectedly by a handsome vampire acquaintance, Ridley Barron, and the two men begin to succumb to a longstanding attraction. But their cozy campfire interlude is interrupted…by a shrieking menace that swoops from the sky.

Regenerie’s mismatched wonder-workers must pull together to identify and neutralize this dire Interzone threat. But when Ridley himself is kidnapped, their challenge becomes personal and takes on added horror and urgency.

Dealing with the elusive attacker turns into a game of clever stratagems and careful timing. Trekking through the Interzone, confronting paranormal creatures, and infiltrating a hostile metroplex will test the Coven’s mettle…and prove to be Tole’s introduction to the unique demands of loyalty and love.

 

Lengthy review with spider rape and spoilers…

Looking for Some Touch by K.Z. Snow

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Looking for Some Touch by K.Z. Snow

Blurb:

Pablo Creed ~ amateur poet, bisexual whore, and upstanding citizen of the Utopian Metroplex of Regenerie ~ wants a new job. The all-male Coven of Three ~ a trio of mismatched wonder-workers who live in Regenerie’s subterranean Undercity ~ needs a "Touch" to sexually spark its collective energy.

In danger of being assigned to a sadistic VIP client, Pablo applies for the position instead. He knows his way around the human body. He can do what they need. What he doesn’t count on is his immediate, intense attraction to the gorgeous Win, one of the Coven’s members. Or the immediate, intense hostility of Tole, another member, who resents that attraction. And he certainly didn’t expect to be drawn into the center of a bizarre missing-person investigation that threatens his life.

It turns out the Coven of Three are not the magicians they seem to be. That revelation will either send him fleeing to the desolate Interzone…or taking a chance on the sublimely sensual Win, who’s more unusual than anybody Pablo has ever known.

 

Why is everyone a slut in futuristic urban fantasy?

Primal Red by Nicole Kimberling

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Primal Red by Nicole Kimberling

Blurb:

Peter Fontaine is a reporter writing for a free weekly newspaper in the quirky little town of Bellingham. Nick Olson is a reclusive painter with questionable past and a studio in the Vitamilk Building. Peter has a knack for choosing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In this case that place is the Vitamilk Building and the time is the moment that Shelley Vine, local art professor and rising star of the art world, is stabbed to death.

Determined to understand why Vine was killed, and convinced that breaking the story could jumpstart his career as an investigative journalist, Peter begins his own investigation into her death. As Peter uncovers more information about Vine, Olson, and the interconnected lives of the rest of the artists at the Vitamilk Building, he finds himself falling in love with Nick.

Peter wants a story but he also wants Nick, and it looks like he’s going to have to make a choice before the two can paint the town Primal Red.

Quirky but not wholly satisfying..

Zachary Zangel’s On the Way to the Wedding

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Now, I don’t like to write bad or snarky reviews. I prefer to well, like, the books I’m reading and it’s rare I’ve come across a book so horrible I ask, is the author on crack? Sure I may not like this or that, but for almost every book I dislike I can usually understand why the book got published and usually even bad authors have big followings. However, putting that aside, I seriously questioned for hours after reading this spectacularly bad piece of … fiction…

Loose Id… what were you thinking? Seriously. No one stopped this and said "boy, this reads worse than a bad porno." Who edited this and thought "yanno, there IS a market for people with dicks described as small elephants."  

I’m so astonished at how bad this is. So…read on at your risk.


Zachary Zangel’s On the Way to the Wedding

Blurb:

If Erik and David were Tofutti, David would be vanilla swirled with pistachio and Erik would definitely be cherry vanilla — but not for long. Erik’s divorced with a six year-old son. He’s also gay and a gay sex virgin. He knows nothing about how men love each other…until he meets David.

Erik might be new, but he’s eager to learn. Top, bottom, it makes no difference; he loves it all. And David is more than happy to be his teacher, from the basics to the not so basic. Then they run across a flight attendant who entices them into their first three-way, for educational purposes, of course. Next comes a group of frolickers at a gay guesthouse whose activities convince Erik that joining in may be more fun than being monogamous.

Of course, there’s the proverbial monkey wrench. Erik’s ex-wife objects to their son being around a gay couple. But you never know what’s going to happen — on the way to a wedding.

[This is a deceptively good cover. But it’s a lie.]

 

 

Review:

I thought about writing a complete review for this but really, I don’t want to put more effort in than the author did so I’m going to use his style and give an outline of the relationship with relevant quotes. I have tried as much as possible not to add additional commentary. I don’t think I’ve ever known on page 6 that I would loathe a book before.
 

Erik and David meet in a department store and decide to go to dinner with the upfront knowledge that there will be sex immediately after. They managed to make it through dinner by copiously groping each other, which then begins their relationship. They do make it back to the apartment before David begins to educate the closeted Erik.

“I pulled off the few almost-invisible hairs stuck to my lips, then stood, kissed him, and snowballed. And that’s how he discovered the taste appeal of cum.”


The next night after their first "date", Erik introduces David to his son as Erik’s boyfriend and they go on a family outing. By the end of the outing, David is in love with both father and son. Here’s an example of Erik’s son, ten year old Little Rik using his words at the movies when an older pair complained about a child at a Russian sub-titled film.

Disgusted, Little Rik turned around and said, “First of all, I’m not Chinese. I’m half Korean. I can so read, thank you very much. Probably better than you can. How dare you question my intelligence, you dolts? You’ve got a lot of nerve. And I was trained properly in good manners, so if I did get restless, you’d never know it. Humph. Stupid bitches, both of you.”

I looked around for somewhere to hide from embarrassment, but the women pretended to have heard not a word. Erik, meanwhile, gazing out into space, ignored it all. 

I knew it wasn’t up to me to correct him, but Erik hadn’t, and I felt uncomfortable. “Little Rik,” I admonished, “you shouldn’t…”


“But they started it, sir.”

I couldn’t argue with that, so I let it drop.

 

The parenting was overwhelming in this book. By the third hook up or "date", Erik and David openly grope each other at the opera and decide they are monogamous. Erik has also nicknamed their "meat" "bob and boing".

10 days from the start of their relationship and 2 days from becoming monogamous, Erik brings David home to meet the parents, who want David to call them Mom and Dad. Oh and Dad sits on the bed with his naked "sons" while they discuss how much they fucked the night before. Thankfully Dad didn’t mind the hyena braying that is his son in the throes of orgasm. He’s just glad the two are having a good time.

Thank god the Swedish have no hangups about sex like the ultra conservative Americans. But even though the men are declaring their undying love and so forth, David just can’t resist a married man’s “thick, piece of junk”. However, David displays some amnesia and rationalizes it because:

All I could think about Erik. But I told myself, I haven’t made any commitment to him. We’re dating, but neither of us has said anything about being exclusive. So why shouldn’t I? When opportunity knocks…

Moving on, less than a week after the cheating incident, David and Erik are engaged, wanting to move in together and have a ceremony to symbolize their lasting commitment. Good thing Erik doesn’t know David is enjoying snowballing with others.  But not to worry, David is there to teach our virgin but hairy gay boy about tea bagging with “giant hairy nads the size of freakin’ turkey balls” on the night of their engagement.


Now, this was all in the first 60 pages of the book, which totals 170 pages. I was starting to majorly fatigue on the abundance of bad writing but I persevered.

In the remainder of the book, David comes clean about cheating but Erik gets over it after a few days. They then regularly get together in a threesome with a nearby flight attendant because David clearly likes variety. The book has a lengthy aside were Erik’s shrew ex-wife forces both men to grovel at her feet for her approval of their marriage; they beg, months later she approves. But the stress of the marriage forces the men to run off to a gay resort where they meet Erik’s boss and have an orgy.

Here is when David drags Erik over to meet Charlie, Erik’s boss, at the gay resort thereby outing both Erik and Charlie to each other:

“But Charlie recovered quickly enough to smile, shake hands with me, and put his arm around Erik’s shoulder. And to introduce both of us to Mikey. 

“Mikey isn’t my boyfriend,” Charlie said, “but I wish he was. He’s a firecracker. Sucks dick like you wouldn’t believe and takes my big one up the ass like a pro.”

If only we all had bosses like that. But once again, don’t worry because gay guys on vacation have orgies and Bob and Boing, attached to our intrepid heroes who are ready to play. And play they do. However, as much fun as that was, the duo head back to New York to find out Erik’s ex-wife decides she can’t find any good men so she gets herself a girlfriend and the men skip their own wedding, calling an hour after they were supposed to show up and said it was too stressful, they eloped on the beach.

“Just as I was telling him how much I loved him, he delivered a massive load of cum, not onto my chest or face, not into my mouth, but over my head, going splat in the sand.”

 


This went splat a long time before that. I may have nightmares about some of it.

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I wavier between incredulity, laughter, and anger that this was published along side such books as St. Nacho’s, Ghost Who Wore Yellow Socks, Lovers Dreamers and Me and many other quality novels. This is marketed as an erotic contemporary and it is far from either. There are so many clichés, stereotypes, ignorance and flat out BAD writing, I want to laugh and then burn the book.

Do not buy it. This is a bad porno mockery.

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St. Nacho’s by Z.A. Maxfield

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   So while there are a thousand and eight (guesstimate) reviews about this book and every single one raves about how great it is; I thought I’d add my own in a mistaken view of my own non-importance. After all, why –else- have a blog? Anyway, I figured I’d love this book because really, it’s bound to live up to the hype. Gratefully it did and I’ll post my full review under the cut. So just to make it eye candy, I’m posting the cover here.. it’s so pretty. I’m not gay, but can I marry Anne Cain? Or maybe just offer random favors. *licks the cover*

 

 

Blurb:

Cooper has spent the last three years running from a painful past. He’s currently moving from town to town, working in restaurant kitchens, and playing his violin for tips. As soon as he starts to feel comfortable anywhere—with anyone—he moves on. He’s aware that music may be the only human language he still knows. Ironically, the one man he’s wanted to communicate with in all that time is deaf.

Shawn is part of a deaf theater group at the nearby college. Shawn wants Cooper as soon as they meet and he begins a determined flirtation. Cooper is comfortable with down and dirty sex, just not people. As far as Shawn is concerned, dirty sex is win-win, but he wants Cooper to let him into the rest of his life as well.

Cooper needs time to heal and put his past away for good. Shawn needs to help Cooper forgive himself and accept that he can be loved. Both men find out that when it comes to the kind of healing love can bring, the sleepy beachside town of Santo Ignacio, “St. Nacho’s” as the locals call it, may just be the very best place to start.

(again because it’s prettyyyyy.. )

 

Review:

Cooper is the proverbial man with a past. Technically a drifter for the past three years, the man has been running from life and himself for a lot longer, likely since he started drinking at the tender, impressionable age of fourteen. When he finally wanders into Santo Ignacio and to Nacho’s bar, he’s been on the go for so long, he barely knows how to stay still anymore. However, the bar owner extends Cooper a kindness and allows him to stay in a small studio above the bar in exchange for help around the kitchen. Additionally Cooper is encouraged to play his violin for the patrons most nights for tips. It’s a good situation if only Cooper can hang around long enough to take advantage of it.

Looking to take advantage of Cooper, however, is Shawn, a deaf college student and working at the bar as busboy to make money in between classes. When he meets Cooper, the attraction is instant as is Shawn’s determination to act upon their shared chemistry. Shawn is a delightful contradiction, described by Cooper as angelic looking but in personality, anything but an angel. Shawn throws the stereotype of a nice, disabled boy completely out as he demonstrates he can be just as naughty as Cooper. Although at peace with his lack of hearing, Shawn doesn’t let that hold him back from anything, least of all Cooper.

Cooper is carrying a lot of emotional and physical scars. His past is hinted at early on with a lengthy list of sins he’s participated in, showing the depth of Cooper’s loneliness and misguided choices seeming to have no end. Aside from his deep love of music and his violin, Cooper has no real attachment to anything or anyone, nor is he capable of forming those attachments. He is truly baffled by Shawn’s pursuit and is caught between craving the safety of Shawn’s affection and fearing the ultimate end. Shawn, for his part, is not unaware of the emotional problems and fears Cooper has, yet remains undaunted by them. One of Shawn’s great lines, of which there were many, was his acknowledgment that being with Cooper would never be easy.

“You’re an asshole.” He let out a deep breath. “And you’re going to be a lot of work, aren’t you?”


Yet knowing that, Shawn takes care of Cooper and is determined to love and be loved by him. He refuses to let Cooper go, even when Cooper pulls what has to be regarded as one of the dumbest moves he’s made in a sea of mistakes and runs from Shawn and the bar back to his hometown in a misguided and consuming sense of guilt and responsibility. Cooper’s motives for doing this were difficult to understand and sympathize with until near the end, when Cooper thinks:

I wanted to stay. I wanted to be there and let him lean on me. I wanted to give him my strength, such as it was, and my last drop of blood if that’s what it took.

Although misguided, Cooper’s motives are pure and deeply entrenched in a mixture of love, guilt, need, memories and a feeling of not deserving any better than living a life in regret and remorse. His emotional and physical journey from this point to a belief in his love and life with Shawn are what make the book truly wonderful. From the incredibly well drawn characters to the vivid settings and supporting cast adding a depth and flavor to the story, it definitely lives up to the hype it’s been getting as one of the best stories this year.

As entirely told from Cooper’s point of view, some have mentioned that Shawn’s motives and past remain a mystery and this is certainly true. Very little is revealed about his past or present for that matter, however, to me, this simply sets up the possibility of a sequel for these characters. Shawn’s presence is so vivid and strong that his lack of past wasn’t bothersome and his young age, only twenty-two to Cooper’s twenty-eight, was largely forgettable in light of his maturity and sophistication. Which is not to say he didn’t come out with one of the best lines ever, while having sex with Cooper and convincing the determined submissive Cooper to top him.

“Move,” he said, taking a deep breath. He grinned suddenly and said in that awkward voice of his, “Drive it like you stole it, Cooper.”

Without a doubt, this is a keeper book and guaranteed to delight and enthrall its readers. The author creates a fantastic story of these two men who are nothing like what they seem, yet together are exactly what they need. The sex scenes are steamy but more so, there is very little sex for the sake of sex; often scenes are cut shorter than you see in typical erotica or romance to give weight and focus on the characters and their relationship. The bad title and nod to the history of nachos aside, get this book. Go go – get it HERE. 

 

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Lovers, Dreamers, and Me by Willa Okati

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Willa Okati’s Lovers, Dreamers, and Me

Blurb:

Tolliver’s buried his life in taking care of his sister and the independent bookstore his grandmother left him. That doesn’t leave much time for romance or fun. Sarah, his sister, thinks he’s getting hidebound and decides to do a little matchmaking. Only the first problem with which is that her choice is another man, and Tolliver’s not gay!

It turns out, Noble’s not either. But he is attracted to Tolliver, deeply, and as a seer, he knows they can be together, if they can just figure this out. He’s not above using his psychic gifts to draw them together on a sexual journey to self-discovery, but the road has more twists and turns — and toys — than even he ever dreamed.

 

 

Review:

 

Tolliver’s parents died when Tolliver was only eighteen and his sister, Sarah, was only nine. Since then, he’s spent all his time, energy and effort into raising his sister and taking care of their bookstore which has been passed down in their family for generations. Tolliver is a quiet man, happy in his life and hard working, foregoing personal time and pleasure to ensure he takes care of his responsibilities. All of his careful plans and ideas are shaken when Noble starts to stop by the store with his mysterious sayings and enticing body.

Tolliver is a bit naive and innocent, happily oblivious in his life. He doesn’t realize his neighbor has a crush on him or that his sister needs help. It’s not until events are forced onto him does he realize what has been in front of him the whole time. This is probably the reason he doesn’t think of himself as gay, he hasn’t had a romantic relationship and has been too focused on his sister and the bookstore. When a somewhat mysterious Noble starts to stop by the bookstore, Tolliver is shaken.

Noble is a world traveled and sophisticated man who happens to be able to “see” things. What he sees seems to be up to interpretation but he clearly can see a vague sense of the future, part of which he “sees” Tolliver and Noble being happy together. But to convince Tolliver of that is no easy feat. Tolliver is very cautious and thoughtful, attempting to think out every step with possible consequences but he simply can’t fight the strong chemistry and attraction he feels for Noble. More so than any previous person, he can’t stop thinking about Noble and seeks him out, against his better judgment.

The story is told from Tolliver’s point of view in a beautiful, flowing voice lending an ethereal quality to the story and characters. Although Noble’s visions are vague and not defined, Tolliver believes in him and comes to depend on Noble’s strong confidence and sense of self. Noble remains a mystery for most of the story, from his visions to his cryptic comments, unwilling to talk about his past or his future. At times his way of speaking, vague and knowing, was almost maddening as he refused to share the insight and knowledge in any way except the ubiquitous “you’ll see” mantra.

Interestingly this rarely bothered Tolliver, who seemed to prefer discovering the answers in his own time, provoked by the few sentences Noble would offer for him to think on. Their path is not an easy one and the internal conflicts are neither small nor inconsequential. The characters, however, are nicely fleshed out and given life and flaws that can’t help but charm. Tolliver’s sister, Sarah, is a very vivid character and nicely drawn. She exemplifies the problems inherit when a child grows up without parents, struggling with her own ranging emotions and maturing. Her humor and love of Tolliver coupled with flashes of great maturity and great immaturity added a depth to the story and richness to the telling.

This is a well-written story with an easy, beautiful style of writing. It’s not my favorite of Oakie’s as I ultimately felt Noble was too much a mystery for the majority of the novel. His refusal to share his insights occasionally caused some pique for me and took away some enjoyment of the novel. For all his considerable charm, Tolliver moved past the conflicts quicker than I would have thought, given his temperament and background. Even with these problems, I enjoyed the book and would read it again. It may not be my favorite, but it’s a guaranteed pleaser. The issues I had with it are unlikely to deter anyone from liking the story and furthermore, they may not even have the same problems. Either way, I still suggest you run and get it. 

Get it HERE!

 


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Review: The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks

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The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In Lanyon’s latest offering, he pairs a slight, innocent Perry with world weary ex-military Nick in a setting reminiscent of classic Hammett and Agatha Christie mysteries. In isolated Vermont, a crumbling, spooky mansion has an unusual group of tenants matching its equally unusual and varied history. By turns, this novel is suspenseful, gripping and subtle.

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Review: Lord and Master

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Lord and Master (Lord and Master, #1)Lord and Master by Jules Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mark Paulson is a PhD student working in industry and writing his thesis, expecting to be offered a full time position in the company and generally happy to continue on the way he’s going. So he is surprised when his advisor suggests a career change to something that’s not exactly his field. He’s good looking, detail-orientated, and very easy-going. He may be young but he only has glimpses at his youth, his laid back nature giving him an older outlook. Continue reading →