Tag Archive | 5 Stars

Mad About the Boys (Anthology) by J.L. Merrow and Josephine Myles (5 Stars)

Feb10

A sexy anthology by two talented authors tapping into both the contemporary and paranormal worlds where three hearts are the rule.

Dinner for Three by JL Merrow (3.5 stars)

After leaving her abusive ex-boyfriend, Claire is now living with two sexy gay men, Tom and Justin. Tom and Justin have been dropping some not-so-subtle hints that they wish to include Claire in their relationship, but she isn’t catching on. They decide to make things very obvious over an extremely steamy dinner one night.

Since the story is only told from Claire’s point of view, and there aren’t a lot of conversations, we really only get to know her. She’s a great character and enjoyable to read. Tom and Justin were both nice guys with some adorable banter but pretty interchangeable. This is basically an enjoyable, well-written sex scene with some flashbacks in Claire’s life.

The Greenwood by Josephine Myles (5 stars)

Mirabelle is an immortal, beautiful sprite living in the forest where the story takes place. Jay is the sullen artist living alone with Mirabelle as his only companion. He doesn’t think she’s real, but he loves her dearly. Along comes Will, a woodcutter who has decided to live in the forest. Jay and Will quickly become lovers, but can Mirabelle ever truly become a true part of their lives living in her spirit form?

I loved this story with Mirabelle’s amazing character acting as narrator. It felt magical and tugged at my emotions. I felt like I was living in the woods with these wonderfully interesting people, and I desperately wanted them to be happy. It worked as a short story, but I could have easily read about these characters for so much longer.

Antithesis of Magic by JL Merrow (2 Stars)

Gus has had a hard life being born without magic like other people. Gus goes to the local bar to meet Max on a blind date. But while waiting at the bar, he is getting hit on by Lila. After Max arrives, it turns out that Max and Lila are together and really want Gus to join them. At this point, we learn a little bit about why Lila and Max want Gus so bad.

The story is told from Gus’s point of view, and he’s not the happiest guy in the world. The characters don’t really spend very much time getting to know each other before they have sex together. At the end of that scene, I felt like they used Gus to get what they needed, which was a bit sad. I think this story needs more character and relationship development and a stronger ending.

Changeling by JL Merrow (5 Stars)

Meg and Adam are the best of friends and do everything together. They live in a time in history where witches and faeries exist. Meg is a strong character, who works hard and is willing to stand up for what’s right. Adam is a very simple man who has had a rough life growing up, but he’s a sweetheart. His troubles stem from the time he was born when the faeries switched him for another baby. They wish to be together, but it’s forbidden until the original child can be recovered. At this point, we meet the original Adam, but now have to see what impact he’ll have on the original couple’s lives.

I loved Meg, and the story is told from her very interesting point of view. She’s the kind of character I could listen to all day long. The romance was sweet, and the plot was interesting. This was also a fairly long story which worked very well.

Kiss, Mark Two by Josephine Myles (4 stars)

Ruby loves Ty, but she really wants to invite Ty’s best friend, Mark, into their bed. Mark and Ty have been best friends forever, but can their relationship handle that kind of encounter?

This was one scorching hot sex scene with three people who obviously cared very much about each other. I actually cared about them, and really wanted to see this relationship work out.
Overall, this was an excellent anthology with several extremely good and unique stories. I really enjoyed this mix of contemporary and paranormal love stories with two sexy guys and one lady.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

More Than Just a Good Book by Sloan Parker (5 Stars)

Feb5

Two older college students finally find the perfect boyfriend in each other, but first they have to work through some issues to get their happy ending.

Mark is looking forward to graduating from college and moving as far away as he can due to his poor relationship with his family. Scott will be starting graduate school soon, but doesn’t want to move too far away from his Dad. This is one of the major barriers that they need to get past if they want to stay together. They also have to deal with bullies, Mark’s controlling personality, and other school related items.

I liked Scott and Mark and thought they worked well together as a couple. They both love to read, and seemed to enjoy spending time together. Scott was a loner who lived in his world of books, but he didn’t actually come across as lonely. Mark has a pretty vibrant personality, and he was also very interested in taking care of people. There were a few times that they acted a bit immature, but they were quick to admit they were wrong and move forward. Considering neither of them had really been in a good relationship in the past, this made the story feel much more realistic.

The sex was smoking hot and plentiful, but it didn’t overwhelm the story. They were both into light bondage and spanking, making the story pretty erotic. Mark is somewhat insecure with his need to dominate another man, and it was interesting to watch him work through his desires. Mark is controlling outside of the bedroom, too, which Scott didn’t seem to mind. However, at the same time, Scott didn’t let Mark get away with anything he didn’t want him to.

I also loved Scott’s dad, and the strong relationship that they had. He played a pivotal role in the story in a good way. The epilogue was perfect, and their gifts to each other were so romantic.

Enjoyable, erotic story about older college students working through life’s challenges together.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

The Merchant of Death (Playing the Fool #2) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock (5 Stars)

Feb2

Henry and Mac become entangled in mystery and murder, but that’s not as dangerous as their romance.

This is the second story in the series, and the first one, The Two Gentlemen of Altona, definitely needs to be read first. Henry and Mac pick the action right back up from the first story, and we get to learn so much more about both of them. Henry had a traumatic childhood with his drug-addicted mother. The tragedy that befell his sister is what drives him to keep conning. Mac finds himself under investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility. We learn more about his real friends and his family life. Henry and Mac clicked on such a base level, and I truly believed that they were meant to be together. I enjoyed watching them spend more time together.

The plot focused on sinister activities taking place at a local care home. Henry infiltrates the home dressed as a woman and finds himself in the middle of the nightmare and in desperate need of Mac’s help. Seeing Henry dressed as a woman worked for both Mac and Henry and certainly lead to some interesting sex scenes.

Although Henry and Mac make some progress on their relationship, we aren’t anywhere close to seeing a happy ending. However, there’s definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

An exciting continuation of the adventures of Henry and Mac.

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Duck (Avian Shifters #1) by Kim Dare (5 Stars)

Feb1

Two shifters fall in love based on an incorrect assumption. Can their love survive when the truth comes out?

Ori is a fledgling looking forward to his full transformation into a duck. He’s living and working with a group of other avian shifters, but the other shifters are physically and emotionally abusing him. Fortunately, most of the abuse is described during flashbacks with minimal detail.

Raynard recently lost his uncle and is now responsible for taking over all of his business dealings. He’s beyond angry at Ori’s treatment, and decides to take Ori in as his own servant. They quickly settle into a beautiful, loving relationship as Raynard discovers Ori is the perfect submissive for him. Ori would do anything for Raynard and the feelings are mutual. These two take care of each other in so many ways. Ori creates a true home for Raynard, while Raynard protects Ori and builds his self-confidence.

As certain events unfold, Raynard makes a sacrifice out of his pure love for Ori. Although my heart was breaking, and tears were streaming down my face, I was also touched by their deep love for each other. As always, the author delivers on her promise of a happy ending.

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Book Blurb