LGBT

Brian C. Copper – Origins

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REVIEW

This is a rare book that is written from a male Dom’s perspective by a male. It is a continuous flow of originality. Unlike most romance books that portray men’s emotions in exaggerated ways, David comes across much more real.

David is an interesting character.  He is confident from a young age. Seems to have endless patience, in total control, and has excellent intuition when it comes to people and what they need. He is the type of character that you want to know more about and what makes the book a good read.

While I really liked the interweaving story arcs, it made it a little difficult to fully enjoy the story.

BLURB

Book Two of The Fullerton Chronicles finds us venturing back to the beginning stages of several of David’s playmates. Each of them give us more insight into how David has evolved from his simple curious beginnings to a much sought after Dom. Interweaving story arcs trace paths across different starting points in David’s timeline. Each moving forward to the present, revealing more layers of who he was, will be, and currently is. This is Not your Dad’s Gay Male Erotica with BDSM themes. This is full-on Donkeypunch.

BUY LINK

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Brian C. Copper – The Room

Thank You Arc to Brian C. Copper!

Author Bio

Brian C. Copper is an author that resides with his partner in a quiet suburb to the south of Boston, Massachusetts.

A perpetual people watcher, many of his observations find their way into his characters. His first foray into writing takes place in a fictional small town in New England and touches upon several BDSM themes. When asked if the book is based on actual events, Brian is quick to reply, “I never go anywhere without a set of handcuff

Rebecca Grace Allen – The Theory of Deviance

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REVIEW

A really well paced and structured story.  I loved how the relationship between Krissy, Rafe, and Mikey develops.  Some stories go from 0 to 60 in seconds and leave the reader thinking that the transition was too simplistic.  This story takes more of a dipping the toe in the water approach.  The story gives the virgin a little bit of chance to get used to the water.

The threesome aspect offers a few different homophobic reactions of the religious nature.  While the issues may be maddening, the story emphasizes the strength of the characters and their triumphs.  In the end, I came to respect the characters more than feel sorry for them.

I might have been able to rate the book higher, if the main character’s name wasn’t Mikey.  Honestly, that name doesn’t ever belong in a romance novel.  Names are critical to a story.  The only image in my head that the name Mikey conjures is that of a young adolescent boy.

This is the third book in the series.  I hadn’t read the first two books, but had no problem jumping into this story.  After reading this one, I would like to go back and read the first two in the series.

BLURB

Deviance is unacceptable. It’s taboo. And it’s the one thing he’s always wanted.Portland Rebels, Book 3Painful shyness isn’t the only reason Mikey Pelletier is a twenty-five-year-old virgin. Between working for his parents and volunteering at his church, he neither has the time nor the inclination to admit his bisexuality to the world-or to himself.A visit from Krissy Porter will hopefully fix everything. After three months of chatting with her, Mikey’s got one carefully planned week to win her heart and lose his V-card. He’s hoping he can pull it off, even with her roommate along for the ride.Krissy has been drawn to Mikey for a while. He’s so easygoing, she thinks he could be the calm in her storm. But there’s an extra complication when she comes to visit: her friend-with-benefits, “hetero-flexible” roommate, Rafe.During a week of revelations, intimacy, and kink, Krissy and Rafe become the angel and devil on Mikey’s shoulders, tempting him in different directions. And all three of them discover that a week of pure deviance can lead to the most uncontrollable emotion of all: love.Warning: This book contains innocent board game-playing that takes a sexy turn, use of recreational substances, back-door action, and some smokin’ hot threesomes. Plus, scenes of inner-demon slaying. Fans and tissues advised.

Thank You Arc to Rebecca Grace Allen!

L.A. Witt – Hiatus

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REVIEW

Holy HOT sex scenes.  The scenes make this book worthy of reading multiple times.  (If you’re into things that come in multiples.)

On a secondary note, I truly liked how the book addressed the mental illness issues.  The way in which the illness affected the relationships seemed very realistic.

Each character was distinct and interesting.  Despite Nate being a rock star, he seemed to have a sincere level of love, respect, and chemistry with Cam and Theo that seemed deeper than typical artificial rock star heroes.  Theo seemed to be genuine in his feelings and the way he acted.  Cam was an curious contradiction.  His career seem very contrary to his uses.  I would never have expected a masseuse to be plagued with such issues.

While I felt like the middle was a bit slow, the resolution was very well done.

LOVE the EPILOGUE!

BLURB

Three’s a disaster when things come unraveled.

Rock star Nate Keller is on top of the world, but his headlining tour has one drawback. It keeps him away from his boyfriends, Theo and Cameron, for weeks at a time. Yet after four-and-a-half years—and a lot of hard work—the trio is still going strong.

But then Cam comes to visit with devastating news. After seventeen years together, he and Theo have agreed to a trial separation. Nate tries desperately to fix his lovers’ broken relationship, but there’s only so much he can do from the road.

At home, Cam tries to carry on, but feels like his whole life is spiraling out of control. Theo struggles to cope with the split as his depression worsens. They’re both spinning their wheels, quickly losing hope they can keep it together—and keep the man they both still love.

Desperate, Nate drops everything in a last-ditch attempt to pull their trio back together before they hit rock bottom. Except their love could already be shattered beyond repair.

Warning: Contains two men who must face how broken they are before they can fix their failing marriage, and the man who loves them both—but doesn’t know how to save them.

PURCHASE LINK

https://www.amazon.com/Hiatus-L-Witt-ebook/dp/B01BH48BSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468926072&sr=8-1&keywords=hiatus

GOODREADS

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29058996-hiatus?from_search=true

Thank You Arc to L.A. Witt!

 

Sondi Warner – Deserving

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This book blurb drew me in, maybe it will for you, too.

Book Blurb:

Another affair? If you can’t beat them…join.

Angelina Fuentes really hates fending off women who stick to her husband like bees to honey. When her powerful bad boy hires a sexy new cleaning lady named Kristi DuPont, Matteo Fuentes is in danger of messing up big time. This is his last shot to prove to his wife he can be faithful. Or, should Angelina accept boys will be boys and girls will be better?
To keep her marriage intact, Angelina offers a ménage a trois. There’s just one problem: All three of them are in this for different reasons. Angelina is making the ultimate sacrifice out of love. Matteo wants to have his cake and eat it, too. But Kristi isn’t there to satisfy Matteo. She’s there for his wife. She’s there for revenge.

Get what you deserve when you order this dangerously good book from contemporary romance writer, Sondi Warner. Just be sure to hang onto your seats. This ménage a trois thriller will throw you for a loop!

Review: 

The premise of this book is sensationally unique.  It was an outstanding blend of suspense and sexual heat.

Holy Hades HOT!  This is my first F/F/M novel.  The steamy scenes are blooding boiling hot.

The crime part was fairly well constructed.  I liked that there were a number of side characters that made the story more complicated.  However, too many clues foreshadowed the end.  I would have liked more surprise.

The book also had a number of other elements that I respected:

  1. It seems like in any LGBT book, some homophobic element is always included.  (perhaps one day it will be a non issue)  I liked that it was restricted to the perspective of an older generation.
  2. This is a multi-racial book that doesn’t follow all the traditional stereotypes.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-05 at 10.18.58 AM to Sondi Warner! Facebook, Twitter blog: wroughtironreads.org.

 

 

 

D.W. Marshall – Stolen Flame

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Synopsis

Stolen Flame:

Vivian is excited about this weekend. Why wouldn’t she be? She is finally turning twenty-one, and she knows for-a-fact that Liam, the man of her dreams is in love with her too. On the eve of her birthday, her world comes crashing down when she is taken from her home.
Now, instead of spending her birthday in Liam-heaven, she learns that she will be forced to take part in The Chamber, a lavish sex club for the world’s richest and most powerful men. She finds early on that she will not suffer her sentence alone. With the budding sisterhood of the six other women taken at the same time, along with an unexpected ally, Vivian will discover an inner strength and love that she never knew existed.

Review

Wow!!  This story stunned me by altering my perception as the scenes progressed.  The plot is intense and dark and pushes the limit of what I normally can handle in a story.  This wasn’t by any sense of the imagination a typical erotic tale.  The majority of the story takes place where the kidnapped girls are held captive in a sex club and are forced to satisfy 5 men, 5 days a week.  While this is a chilling to imagine, the strength of the characters, particularly Vivian, compelled me to continue reading and I couldn’t book down the book.  The author amazingly weaves a bit of romance into an extraordinary situation.  As a reader I was clinging to the romantic elements as much as Vivian was desperate to hold onto her love.

** Spoiler Alert ** (It’s a romance novel – an HEA is expected)

After the girls are released – the book gets intriguing.  Vivian champions the concept of embracing the bad things in life and continuing on.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM D.W. Marshall!

Author Bio:

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D.W. Marshall an author of an elclectic array of romance novels writes direct and distinctive dialogue wrapped in sensual imagery. The first in her series, featuring Vivian Travis, is Stolen Flame. As a wife and mother residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ms. Marshall uses the sexuality on the streets of Sin City to fuel her stories. She is in her bliss with pen in hand creating her characters.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SevenChamberSeries

Blog: https://7chambers.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19294181-stolen-flame

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwmarshall7

Nona Raines – His Kind of Woman

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Roy knocking on Venetia’s door was a great beginning to this novella.

The emotional honesty in this book is what makes this a book worth reading.  The characters are open about their fears, sadness, regret, and love.  None of the characters feelings are dismissed or ignored because they are difficult.  I really liked how Venetia was strong enough to anticipate Roy’s hesitancy and strip down her clothes and boundaries and bare herself to him.

There was a lot packed into this short novella.

See Related Post:

Nona Raines – Her Kind of Man

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Tess Bowery – She Whom I love

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Who knew that historical romance could be hot?  The book is like an incredible mash-up of Downtown Abbey, Erotica, and Thriller.  This book surpassed all my expectations.

Synopsis

Treading the Boards, Book 2

Marguerite Ceniza dies on the London stage each night, but her own life has barely begun. The ingénue is on the prowl for a lover, but while she burns with desire for Sophie, a confession could ruin their decade-long friendship. In the meantime there are always men vying to be her patron, and square-jawed, broad-shouldered James Glover can’t help but catch her eye.

Sophie Armand has been a lady’s maid for too long, and she’s sick of keeping secrets. Her hidden scripts and the story of her birth are only the beginning. Her nights are haunted by desperate thoughts of the beguiling Marguerite, and of James, the handsome tradesman who whispers promises of forever into her ear.

James has the kind of problem a lot of men would kill for—two women, both beautiful, both sensual, and both willing. Sophie wants marriage, while Marguerite’s only in it for fun, and choosing between them isn’t easy.

What’s the worst that could happen if he secretly courts them both?

Their romantic triangle is complicated in the most delicious way, until a shadowy figure from Marguerite’s past threatens to destroy the budding relationship—and their lives.

Warning: Contains a lady’s maid with secret desires, a corset-maker who knows his way around a woman’s body, and an actress who never has to fake it. Rated for adult audiences only.

Review

Unlike most historical romance that are prim and proper as society expected people to behave at the time, this book is about raw desire and behaving well outside the accepted rules.  Behaving outside the norm, makes their choices very risky because the repercussions of discovery could be tragic.  This certainly heightened the emotional intrigue.

Let’s talk fashion. The men and women of the time wore a lot of clothes.  While this could serve as an impediment, the author turns the cumbersome attire into an incredible excuse for extended foreplay.

Despite women having limited power at the time, the way that Meg and Sarah take control over James is phenomenal.  All men should be made to beg in such a manner.

I also appreciated the overall acknowledgement and struggle for female empowerment.  Women were not really afforded any opportunities but needed to finagle their way through life to claim some power for themselves.

Screen Shot 2015-12-05 at 10.18.58 AM to Tess Bowery!

 

Nona Raines – Her Kind of Man

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Synopsis: During the day, Roy Girard works with truckers. It’s a macho environment where a man is judged by how tough he is. And everyone knows Roy as one of the toughest.

On his own time Roy helps mentor young people who are LGBT, and cares about them as if they were his own. He’s in love with Venetia, a trans woman.

He’s careful to keep his nine-to-five completely separate from his private life. He knows his work buddies wouldn’t understand. And he doesn’t want Venetia exposed to their crude, narrow-minded views. It’s his job to protect her.

But when his two worlds collide, he has to make a choice. In trying to protect the woman he loves, he asks for more than she can give. In his need to keep her safe, he risks pushing her out of his life forever.

*NOTE* Her Kind of Man is the sequel to His Kind of Woman.

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Review

This is less of a romance than a story of acceptance, including public acceptance, of those in the LGBT community.  There are views from all types: friends, co-workers, bigots, parents, teenagers, and lovers.  Some of the reactions scared the hell out me and eerily made me wonder if society is so cruel.  I hope not.

A teen that I know well, came out of the closet during his senior year of high school.  And from hearing and seeing some of what occurred during the process and his life since, made me appreciate this book more.

This is the sequel to His Kind of Woman.  I would recommend reading that first.  Although, it isn’t necessary for the plot, it was difficult to understand the attraction between the Roy and Venetia without reading how they connected originally.

Buy Links for His Kind of Woman (Spectrum, #2):
Loose-ID: http://goo.gl/z214p6
Amazon: http://goo.gl/IZJpRA
B&N: http://goo.gl/zvr2VT
Kobo: https://goo.gl/VQIFbs
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/AHwvws

Screen Shot 2015-12-05 at 10.18.58 AM to Nona Raines!

I received an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nona Raines

Nona Raines is a former librarian who lives in upstate New York with her many pets. She’s currently working on her next novel between walking the dog and shooing the cats off the laptop. Her romances are published with The Wild  Rose Press and Loose Id. Her transgender romance His Kind of Woman was nominated for the 2014 DABWAHA sponsored by the Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books review blogs.  Her most recent work is the romance novella Write to Me and the transgender romance Her Kind of Man.