Evan’s Heaven by Nicki Bennett


Evan's HeavenEvan’s Heaven by Nicki Bennett

Blurb:
Actor MacAlester Kerr wanders into a whole new world of pampering and pleasure when his director sends him to Evan’s Heaven for a pedicure. When Mac meets the spa’s owner, Evan York, he finds himself head over heels and up to his eyebrows as Evan spoils him like no one ever has before.

Whether it’s a paraffin manicure, an herbal body wrap, or even a sugar waxing, Evan makes every treatment special with his own brand of kinky accompaniment. But when Mac wants to take things farther than Evan ever expected, will it lead to trouble in paradise?

Reprint: This novella was originally published in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Size Still Matters.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

sex sex sex and well… porn

Kindred Hearts by G.S. Wiley


Kindred HeartsKindred Hearts by G.S. Wiley

Blurb:
Crippled by a devastating stammer, Alfie would prefer to hide himself away in the audience of London’s theaters. But as the perfect Georgian gentleman, it’s his responsibility to find a husband for his ward Eleanor. The pain of having to converse with strangers is lessened by the appearance of the kind-hearted Lord George Caldwell and his cousin Lieutenant Markham, who is far more interesting than any character Alfie has seen on stage, and far more intriguing than any man he’s ever met in person.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

different….

Above the Dungeon by S.M. Johnson


Above the Dungeon Above the Dungeon by S.M. Johnson

Blurb:
With the ink barely dry on his Ivy League diploma, Dare is expected join the family business, marry his high school sweetheart, and commit to life in conservative suburbia. But in a moment of panic he runs away to NYC, where his cousin gets him a bartending job at a club above the legendary Master Roman’s dungeon. When Roman takes an interest in Dare, he’s not sure if he should run like hell, or follow his submissive heart.

As he draws Dare into the world of BDSM, Roman has to contend with the feelings and insecurities of his primary partner, Jeff, who has a habit of falling in love with others. But this time it’s Roman’s turn, and Jeff’s not sure their relationship can survive the inclusion of a new guy.

Alternately told from points of view of Dare and Jeff, Above the Dungeon is a series of highly erotic BDSM scenes tied together with tight plot and intense relationship dynamics

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

when you just can’t get enough dick…

Idaho Pride by Sarah Black


Idaho PrideIdaho Pride by Sarah Black

Blurb:
After an attempt to diffuse an explosive situation, Lee Hunter and Jeremy Sheridan end up taking the heat for the conflict and become friends. While researching a tragic local story for Jeremy’s magazine, Idaho Pride, Lee agrees to mentor Luis, a troubled young intern. But Jeremy has a problem of his own: a jealous ex-lover who threatens not only Jeremy and Lee’s new romance, but also the fledgling family they’re trying to create.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

because Val told me to read it …

Puppy Love by Jeff Erno


Puppy Love Puppy Love by Jeff Erno

Blurb:
Matt is everything that Petey is not. He is self-confident and brave. Matt is tall and masculine and athletic. He is a natural-born leader. Puppy Love is their love story, their romance. It is both a coming-of-age and coming-out story, but sexual orientation is not the primary focus. Petey struggles with his identity both as a homosexual and as a submissive. What do you do when you love someone who is truly superior to yourself in every meaningful way? How do you feel, and what if these feelings are not what everyone tells you you’re supposed to feel? We are taught that every individual is equal, but what if you know, through experience, that this is not the case? What if, in a society in which everyone is supposed to be a leader, you discover that your passion, your destiny, is to submit? In Puppy Love, Petey Drinkell discovers the true nature of power, its role in sexual relationships, and his own role in the power structure. Puppy Love is perhaps the world’s first gay BDSM coming-of-age novel. This erotic epic is more than classic erotica; it also challenges the fundamental assumptions we make about human relationships and democracy.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

you’re not a baby, you’re just (VERY) emotional…

The Christmas Visit by Marshall Thornton

The Christmas VisitThe Christmas Visit by Marshall Thornton

Blurb:
After his mother’s death, a Chicago advertising executive in his early thirties returns to his tiny upstate New York hometown to spend the Christmas holiday with his recently widowed father. While struggling to get along with his prickly father, he finds himself becoming involved with the teenage crush he’s never forgotten, now a closeted sheriff’s deputy. The relationship still has the same old fire, but it complicated by the old crush being married. Suddenly, everything takes a backseat solving the mystery at the center of the deputy’s marriage. Will a Christmas visit bring happiness to anyone, or will it end in misery?

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

what is with no name characters?

Finding Zach by Rowan Speedwell


Finding ZachFinding Zach by Rowan Speedwell

Blurb:
For five years, Zach Tyler, son of one of the world’s richest software moguls, was held hostage, tortured, and abused. When he is rescued at last from the Venezuelan jungle, he is physically and psychologically shattered, but he slowly begins to rebuild the life he should have had before an innocent kiss sent him into hell.

His childhood best friend David has lived those years with overwhelming guilt and grief. Every relationship David has tried has fallen apart because of his feelings for a boy he thought dead. When Zach is rescued, David is overjoyed—and then crushed when Zach shuts him out.

Two years later, David returns home, and he and Zach must come to terms with the rift between them, what they feel for each other, and what their future could hold. But Zach has secrets, and one of them might well destroy their fragile love.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Got a thing for Dick, Taff?

The Letter Z by Marie Sexton

The Letter ZThe Letter Z by Marie Sexton

Blurb:
Sequel to A to Z
Spin-off of Promises

Zach and Angelo have settled into their new lives in Coda, Colorado, finding their place in the community with the help of their good friends Matt and Jared. Zach and Angelo are also working out the particulars of their relationship, but when they make a decision Jared disagrees with, Angelo finds himself at odds with his partner’s best friend. And his best friend’s partner.

When the four decide on a quick trip to Vegas, Angelo thinks he and Jared may be back on the right track. But a chance encounter with Zach’s ex-boyfriend will make Angelo question everything about himself and his relationship with Zach. Matt and Jared have always been there when Zach and Angelo needed help. But when it comes to sorting out their relationship, their friends may do more harm than good.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

sequel to a spin off of a sequel?

Winner Takes All by Elizabeth Silver & Jenny Urban


Winner Takes AllWinner Takes All by Elizabeth Silver & Jenny Urban

Blurb:
Dominic Taylor and Matt Harris have been friendly rivals – with occasional benefits – for a few years. With the downturn in the economy, though, Matt’s business is struggling. Dom, whose company is doing well, offers Matt a bet that could help save Matt’s company. But the terms of the bet would literally put Matt’s ass on the line and change the dynamic of their friendship.

As the deadline approaches, they graduate from making out to making love, raising the stakes as they each come to terms with what they really want, and what really matters.

No matter who wins, there will be no going back for either one of them. Because the winner takes all.

smutty, sexy fun

After the Storm by Chrissy Munder


After the StormAfter the Storm by Chrissy Munder

Blurb:
Angry and frustrated with his chronic illness, Vincent Poulsen moves into an old lighthouse to live out the few days he has left. After a dangerous collapse, he meets the ghostly Captain Cason, who shares stories of his distant past. In the process, Vincent stumbles over the tragedy that binds the captain to the lighthouse and his haunted memories. Then fate offers them in death a chance to make right what they couldn’t in life….

Reprint: This short story was originally published in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Desire Beyond Death

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

really good ghost story..