Torquere Press

Review: ZA: And the Dead Shall Rise by I.D. Locke .. Hopefully the dead will eat the living

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ZA: And the Dead Shall RiseZA: And the Dead Shall Rise by I.D. Locke

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I love a good apocalypse story and zombies can add a great humorous element. I haven’t read any other books in this series but I really struggled with this one. Some of time the story would be entertaining and pages would fly by but then I’d get annoyed by the same issues and I’d not read for several days. It’s not a bad book, it’s just too coincidental and repetitive. I read somewhere a coincidence that lands the characters in a problem is good but a coincidence that gets them out of the problem is lazy. I feel as if that quote typifies exactly what went wrong with ZA: And the Dead Shall Rise, there are so many lazy coincidences that keep life extremely easy for the main characters. Continue reading →

Review: The Prince and the Frog

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The Prince and the Frog
The Prince and the Frog by Rob Rosen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I like Rob Rosen’s writing as he’s funny, witty, and often over the top. My problem with his short stories is that they tend to be more erotica based than I prefer, but I always appreciate the humor. The Prince and The Frog is good for that. It’s a definite tongue in cheek take on the classic fairy tale and I read it in about 15 minutes so I can’t complain. It’s not as memorable as some of Rosen’s other work but it’s cute, easy to read, and doesn’t take itself too seriously as erotica; a trait I enjoy in Rosen’s writing. Continue reading →

Throwback book…Bareback by Chris Owen

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Bareback (Bareback #1) by Chris Owen
4.1 of 5 stars average rating · My rating 4 out of 5 stars

 

Published July 1st 2003 by Torquere Press

 

 

Tam inspired me to give this one another try when she posted it as one of the great “older” books of m/m. Let’s just take a moment to recognize that a book from 2003 is still making lists and furthermore I remembered something about it. That’s pretty impressive. I do have the greatest memory for books after a few months. Some I remember forever but most just blend together. This one I actually remembered something about. I recall that the book is about cowboys who fall in love and that one cheats in the sequel book. I gave it 4 stars but I remember LOVING the book to pieces. However, I hadn’t written a review of it and I didn’t want to read anyone else’s review before diving back in so I was fuzzy on all the details of the book.

To summarize, Jake is the foreman of a ranch and likes to live his life quietly. He has a past he’s not proud of and would rather blend in with the furniture than make waves. That’s why he’s especially frustrated with a ranch hand named Tor that seems to irritate him on a daily basis. That irritation is taken to an explosive level one night during a rainstorm and the two are practically attached at the hip from that moment on. However, life as a couple of gay cowboys isn’t going to be easy.

This review may contain spoilers for anyone who is upset by that.

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Review: Last Chance

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Last Chance
Last Chance by Josephine Myles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Last Chance is the third book in the First Impressions series. The first book was the aptly titled First Impressions where Jez the artist meets loud sock loving Steve. The second entry in the series is a free story called Fuzzy. This is an adorable look at Steve getting into knitting his own socks. This third short story is a darker, more serious turn as Jez’s homophobic father is dying. Despite the darker tone and content, this delightful story is a real treat to read. It’s beautifully written with a lot of subtly and punch packed into such a short space. This may not be the last we see of this couple (and I hope not) but the series and this story in particular is worth reading. Continue reading →

Review: Prove It

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Prove It
Prove It by Chris Owen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Prove It is a sweet tale, filled with a lot of humor and background. It’s short and easy to read in one sitting, but the romantic connection never really worked for me. I like the slow build up and the extensive background information on all the characters. I like the use of the third best friend and his gf quite a bit but overall the main romantic connection felt more like an afterthought and awkward than real and important. I still enjoyed reading this story for a number of reasons but never really bought into the late added romance. Continue reading →

Review: Tortoise Interruptus

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Tortoise Interruptus
Tortoise Interruptus by J.L. Merrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore JL Merrow’s sense of humor and Tortoise Interruptus is no different. The story is short, sweet, incredibly witty, and laugh out loud funny in parts. This is a great story for fans of Merrow’s as well as though new to the author. This is short enough to satisfy while giving a glimpse of the author’s trademark sense of humor. In fact it’s rare to read a story of JL Merrow’s that isn’t quite enjoyable and funny. So TI fits very well with her backlist and is an easy story to recommend. Continue reading →

Review: Demonic Harmony

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Demonic Harmony
Demonic Harmony by Rob Knight
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Demonic Harmony is a short story that is considered paranormal I guess. I’m not entirely sure I understood the story or the angle the author was aiming for, though it’s enjoyable enough to read for a quick tale. The story centers on musician Shy who is some kind of paranormal creature. I’m not sure what kind, since the story doesn’t specify other than to say he feeds off energy. Lucky for him he meets a demonic guitarist, Seth, with energy to spare. The two get down and dirty quickly and often in this erotic short. Continue reading →

Review: Forces of Nature

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Forces of NatureForces of Nature by Lily Grace
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While I found An Angel for Christmas to be utterly delightful, Forces of Nature feels very meh to me. The story is decent and gives a happy ending to some friends secretly in love with each other but I sadly got bored with the couple right before they had sex and even good gay loving couldn’t re-engage my interest. The writing is decent, though I think Grace has gotten better, and this is likely to appeal to those who love the friends turned lovers theme.

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Review: First Impressions

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First ImpressionsFirst Impressions by Josephine Myles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll admit this short story had me at the opening line. “When ugly socks attract” just sounds fun and interesting. The story definitely lives up to that expectation with an entertaining and really enjoyable narrative. The short length is well used here to entice readers and leave them satisfied. As with any short I like I want more and that’s true here but I think the author does a really good job with this length and delivers a warm romance within the allotted pages. Definitely one to pick up for those that like short stories.

Read the whole review at Three Dollar Bill Reviews HERE!

Review: Hot Lava

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Hot LavaHot Lava by Rob Rosen
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Those fans who read the utterly delightful Divas Las Vegas by Rob Rosen know that this author can write some hilarious madcap insanity. If you haven’t read the book, seriously why not and Hot Lava follows in that lauded tradition. While I didn’t laugh out loud as much with Hot Lava, nor did I end the book kissing the ground that I’d read it (like I did with Divas), the humor and clever writing combines with a lightening fast pace to produce a fun, witty, and very entertaining light story to chase away any winter doldrums. Although I don’t think it managed the same highs as Divas, Hot Lava is an easy book to recommend and fans will definitely want to read this.

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