Tag Archives: Sarah Black

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Congrats to Vicki T, Tina, and Lauren L, who won the Three Fates anthology by Mary Calmes, Andrew Grey, and Amy Lane. Three Fates is being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Congrats to Pat N, who won Accounting for Luke (Dangerous Lovers #2) by Amber Kell!

Congrats to Sally, who won Summer School by Tam Ames! Summer School will be released by Silver Publishing on July 28.

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Reading Update
Wacky Wednesday by JA Rock. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a dom and his younger sub who haven’t been connecting very well recently… and then they wake up to find they’ve switched bodies, which definitely gives them the chance to understand each other better!
Daddio (Horizons #3) by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Very good m/m romance that picks up six months after the second book as Lil and Grier settle into their relationship – Lil learning to parent, Grier working to control his anger, and both of them learning to communicate and compromise. Jody and Clark are back, too! Plus there’s plenty of smutty goodness to go around. 🙂
Marlowe’s Ghost by Sarah Black. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a former Marine turned history scholar who goes to England at the request of a professor to check up on the professor’s sickly, scholarly nephew and perhaps shepherd him back to the US. The lyrical writing was vaguely scholarly and packed with info about Christopher Marlowe, yet didn’t have the brain dump quality that some of Black’s other works have had.
A Better Man (The Men of Halfway House #1) by RJ Scott & Jaime Reese. Very good m/m romance about a contractor who’s been unable to find work and is about to be homeless, so he answers an ad for a handyman job that turns out to be much, much more. And what’s up with his secretive, prickly, and attractive new boss? I’m glad there’s a sequel planned, because I want to see what the next chapter of their lives looks like!
The Auspicious Troubles of Chance (The Auspicious Troubles of Love #1) by Charlie Cochet. ebook. Very good historical m/m romance about a guy who lost everything that mattered to him and has been living on the edge ever since. He knows he can’t keep going on as he has been, so… he joins the French Foreign Legion.
Roses in the Devil’s Garden (Fallen Rose #1) by Charlie Cochet. free ebook short. Very good short historical m/m romance about two NYC Prohibition agents who constantly have to be on the lookout for agents on the take. Definitely looking forward to reading the next book!
Lost in My Waking Dream by Charlie Cochet. ebook short. Good short sort of historical romance, sort of not (can’t say more without being spoilery) about a guy who feels as if he’s surely been going crazy since the Great War.

Latin Boyz by PA Brown. ebook. Good but unevenly paced m/m suspense with a tiny bit of almost romance thrown in. Actually, this reminded me of an Oprah book – the depressing stuff tended to overwhelm the happy moments and… it did not end so well.

People periodically ask how I get such good pictures of Chaos and Mayhem. (Aw, thank you!) The secret is to take lots and lots of pictures, crop, and don’t be afraid to tweak the pictures to make them more interesting (plus tweaking can hide a multitude of problems). I’m all about simplicity when I work on pictures – I use a simple photo editor to crop and then tweak in Picasa. Here’s a crappy original:

Here’s the crappy original cropped to focus on the cats:

And here’s the cropped and tweaked final version (still crappy, but more interesting):

“Quit taking my picture! I’m outta here.” -Chaos

“Yeah! What the big kitty said! You are trying to steal our souls!!” -Mayhem

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Linkity from tropical Minnesota

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  • Some eloquent thoughts from Naomi Clark and Jennifer Armintrout on Laurell K. Hamilton‘s recent tweet that seems to trivialize mental illness and getting treated for such. (Thanks to Nicole for the initial link to Naomi Clark’s post!)

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Reading Update
Zero Hour by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. Very good m/m cyberpunk/dystopian scifi with a dash of romance. I think, with the very best scifi, you can see how things got from here to there without much trouble… and that is definitely the case with this story. Ernest is 30 and his one-month long retirement has started, at the end of which he’ll be demagnetized and reclaimed. His very first stop is an actual coffee house (nearly unimaginable in a world where nutrients are provided intravenously via permanent shunt), where he meets Will, who is very unlike anyone else…
Lines in the Sand by Lyn Gala. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a driver for the mob who turned informant. He removed himself from witness protection and is back in his home town, working, when the former mob enforcer (and former friend) shows up…
Moving Miss Probert by Kim Dare. free ebook short. Cute free short m/m romance (inspired by a photo I took in San Francisco) about two guys with a moving van.
Muscling Through by J.L. Merrow. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a big, muscular, tattooed guy who’s very sweet, if not very bright, and how he met his boyfriend, who’s the complete opposite. It shouldn’t work…
Red Velvet by Angelia Sparrow. free ebook short. Very fun free short scifi m/m story about an amnesiac alien leading an anger management retreat.
Ranger’s Folly (Lost Shifters #12) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a Wolf shifter who can’t stop thinking about the elusive long lost Eagle shifter twin after meeting him for only a few minutes.
Sockeye Love by Sarah Black. ebook. Good m/m romance about a photographer who usually avoids attachments, but becomes involved with young law student he met while photographing salmon in Alaska. This is told as a series of scenes several months apart and, as a result, felt choppy, making it hard for me to connect with the characters.
For One Night Only by Anne Brooke. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m story that consists of a flashback, then a single bdsm scene. Things are left very open at the end. While this was very well written, I felt distanced from the characters and story.
The 51st Thursday by Mercy Celeste. ebook. Good m/m romance about a bartender/bar owner who’s been watching a guy come in every Thursday evening for the past 50 weeks. On the 51st Thursday, when the guy shows up late, he gets stranded at the bar with the bar owner because of a hurricane… My major complaint with this book was pronoun confusion.
Jaynell’s Wolf (A Wizard’s Touch #1) by Amber Kell. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a wizard arriving at wizard college after the death of his father and meeting a very forceful werewolf… This definitely drew a lot of inspiration from Harry Potter.
Kevin’s Alpha (A Wizard’s Touch #2) by Amber Kell. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a student wizard, terrified of commitment, who finds himself strangely drawn to the alpha werewolf.
Dylan’s Dilemma (Kindred Spirits #5) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about Cade’s brother, Dylan, who’s taking care of the inn while Cade and Ethan are on their honeymoon. Dylan doesn’t believe in ghosts, but he’d sure like to figure out where that little girl in the nightgown lives so he can talk to her parents about her showing up at the inn in the middle of the night, causing a disturbance…
The Surveillance Detail by Derek Adams. ebook short. Ok short gay fiction about a cop who’s sent undercover to get close to a crime lord’s younger brother, even though the younger brother has no ties to the crime lord. This was basically just stroke fiction.
Witches (The Written Word #1) by Jamieson Wolf. ebook. So-so m/m paranormal romance about a man who can see beings that no one else can see. Because of this, he must protect those beings from an evil man. This didn’t draw me in at all… and every time I hit a pronoun tangle, I amused myself by picturing things happening exactly as they were being described. O.O

Thanks to Eyre for pointing out the stats function on Goodreads (it’s in the “My Books” dropdown)! I’ve read 415 books in 2011, and here’s how they’re distributed (click to embiggen):

“Is it time for dinner yet? No? How about now? No? How about now?” -Chaos

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Should auld lang linkity be forgot…

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Yup, linkity’s on Thursday because there won’t be a post on Friday this week. Happy New Year to all of you!

Congrats to Tj, who won The Stroke of Twelve (Perfect Timing, Book 6) by Kim Dare! The Stroke of Twelve will be released by Total-E-Bound on January 3, 2011.

Congrats to Susmita, who won Offside Pass by Stephani Hecht! Offside Pass is the first book in Stephani’s new hockey series and will be released by eXtasy Books on January 1, 2011.

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  • Um. If it’s cold enough that you’re using the Nose Dialer instead of taking off your gloves to dial the phone, you’re probably going to get snot all over your phone…

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Reading Update
Ummm… So I’ve been on vacation since last Friday and have gotten rather a lot of reading done… and I read a lot of shorts. Don’t freak. 🙂

Life Changes Everything (Life, Book 2) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance mostly about Ben from Life or Something Scary Like That as he goes on with, well, life after the events of that book. This book does a nice job tying up the loose ends, even if I was kind of cranky about one of them while it was in process.
Sno Ho by Ethan Day. ebook. Reread. Very good m/m romance about a guy staying at a ski resort whose boyfriend was supposed to join him there, but instead dumped him over the phone. Funny, yet touching.
Life in Fusion (Sno Ho, Book 2) by Ethan Day. ebook. Very good m/m romance that picks up exactly where the first book left off and continues the story of Boone and Wade during the six months Boone said needed to pass before he would move in with Wade. And like the first book, this manages to be both funny and touching.
Big Balls and Trouble by Sarah Black. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a pro football player who’s in Boise for the summer and ready to admit that he’s always loved the childhood friend he hasn’t seen for years. I found this story frustrating because it was so short – it felt more like a fragment from a longer story than something that could stand on its own.
Tooth and Nail (His Hearth, Book 2) by Mary Calmes. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a big, tough warder who takes too many chances because, according to the other warders, he doesn’t have a hearth (i.e., a mate). And then he rescues an angel…
Just One Bite (Volume 1) by Scarlett Blackwell, J.L. Merrow, Josephine Myles, Erik Orrantia, Nix Winter, & Stevie Woods. free ebook collection. Scarlett Blackwell: Very good, want more! Vampire. :: J.L. Merrow: Very good. Stone circle. :: Josephine Myles: Very good. Genie. :: Erik Orrantia: Pretty good. Mayan. :: Nix Winter: Ok. Fantasy. :: Stevie Woods: Pretty good. Vampire.
Delany’s Catch by Diana DeRicci. ebook short. Pretty good short paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shifter who walks into a bookstore to ask for directions and realizes that the proprietor is his mate.
Same Time Next Year by Eden Winters. ebook short. I’m not usually a fan of ghost stories, but this one, about a guy whose true love died when they were in college, worked pretty well, although I found it to be very sad.
Vanilla: The Dominant Ingredient by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a sub-for-hire, escaped from a bad situation, who is desperately trying to convince the man he’s staying with while he sorts out his life that he’d be the perfect sub. I want to read more about these characters!
Commanding Acquisitions (1-800-DOM-HELP, Book 2) by Christine d’Abo. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a dom, struggling not to lose his bookstore, who’s also lonely and needing something more than just casual encounters. He finds the mysterious 1-800-DOM-HELP business card in his office…
Floggers’ Holiday Sale by Stormy Glenn & H.C. Brown. ebook. Meh two-story kinky m/m holiday romance collection. The two stories were supposed to be about two different doms, each of whom purchased a sub at the Floggers’ (bdsm club) holiday auction, but things weren’t consistent between the two stories: in one, the dom’s not allowed to take possession of the sub until they both negotiate contracts; in the other, the club owner sends the virginal sub with the notoriously brutal dom and just tells the dom to bring the sub back to the club at the end of the week. Editing was consistently horrible across both stories, although perhaps a bit worse in the Stormy Glenn story – for the first part, “dominate” was substituted for “dominant” and “dominant” was substituted for “dominate”…
Hang a Shining Star by Ashlyn Kane. ebook short. Very good m/m holiday romance about a high school teacher who runs into a former student working at a Christmas tree lot and, discovering that the former student has no one to spend the holiday with, impulsively invites him over. My only complaint with this one was that the main characters were named Evan and Eric – I kept getting the names mixed up, as did the editor/proofer at least once! 🙂
Snow and Mistletoe by T.C. Blue. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a guy with a really bad self-image who hasn’t had any luck finding journalism work. He starts finding mysterious presents outside his apartment door – he’s sure they’re from his friends, trying to cheer him up, because no way could he have a secret admirer…
Christmas with Danny Fit by Amy Lane. ebook. Very good m/m holiday romance about a guy who’s still living with his mother at 30, not really living his life, until his burgeoning friendship with his sexy assistant at work inspires him to start making changes.
You Can’t Choose Your Family by Zahra Owens. ebook. Very good holiday m/m romance about a couple who’s been together for 20 years. One guy’s family is fabulously accepting; the other’s was controlled by his fire and brimstone father. Now that his father is dead, will anything change?
Christmas Bells by Andi Deacon. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about an assistant professor, staying at his parents’ house for Christmas, whose brother brings home a very attractive friend from grad school who doesn’t have anywhere to go for the holidays.
Silver Thaw by Nora Catherine Price. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about next door neighbors who get the chance to know each other a bit better because of an ice storm.
Sharing Christmas by Shae Connor. ebook short. Steamy short m/m holiday romance about a guy, recently moved to Atlanta for work, whose next door neighbor invites him over to help put together packages for the homeless shelter.
The Santa Mug by Patric Michael. ebook. Very good m/m holiday romance about a guy whose boyfriend died four years ago and who’s basically retreated from the world since then, until a friend drags him along to a family Thanksgiving celebration.
A Very D Christmas by Jane Seville. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about D and Jack from Zero at the Bone, reconnecting with family, and being a bullied teenager. (Through 1/31/2011, a portion of the purchase price will be donated to the Trevor Project.)
The Christmas Visit by Marshall Thornton. ebook short. Good short m/m holiday romance about a guy returning to the small town he grew up in to see his dad at Christmas. He keeps running into the deputy who he’d had a crush on and who is now married…
Secret Santa by Deanna Wadsworth. ebook short. Steamy short m/m holiday romance about a guy waiting naked, blindfolded, and wrapped up with a bow as a present for his boyfriend, hoping to revitalize their fading relationship.
Well-Hung by the Chimney by E.M. Lynley, Ryan Field, & Chloe Stowe. ebook. Pretty good m/m holiday romance collection. I really liked EM Lynley’s story about the difficulties involved in mixing business with pleasure. Ryan Field’s story about a couple dealing with career changes and meeting family was ok. I found Chloe Stowe’s story about an Air Force colonel and a doctor at the Air Force base to be sort of confusing. I might’ve enjoyed Field and Stowe’s stories more had I realized they were about characters from a previous collection and read it first.
A Little Something for Santa by J.M. Snyder. ebook short. Ok short m/m holiday encounter about a guy waiting tables at an all-night diner who confesses to the cook that he has the hots for Santa.
A Christmas Eve Wish by Nicole Dennis. ebook short. So-so m/m holiday romance about a celebrity chef, planning to escape to his mountain cabin for a few days, who gets caught in a blizzard and discovers his cabin is trashed. This one didn’t work for me because of instalove and awkward writing.
All I Want for Christmas by Aeryn Traxx. ebook short. So-so short holiday m/m romance about a guy dreading his friends’ holiday party because his cheating ex will be there.
It’s a Calling by Mara Ismine. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance that I actually read in October, but I somehow managed to not write down the dates I read it or what I thought about it beyond “Huh.”
My Life in Your Hands by A.R. Moler. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about an ER doctor and an undercover detective who get together.
Eyes Wide Shut by Meredith Shayne. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a doctor and a miner who care deeply for each other, but that’s not enough, because the miner doesn’t want anyone to know they’re together. Part of this takes place in Perth!
Of Sound Mind by Elizabeth Brooks. ebook short. Good short futuristic m/m romance about a guy who has cancer and doesn’t want to telepathically bond with his destined mate because if he dies, his mate would die with him.

This is definitely a picture you need to click on to embiggen. 🙂

“Have a Happy New Year. Or else.” -Chaos

http://squee.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/12/28/cute-baby-animals-when-worlds-collide/
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Worn to a little nub from a crazy week, I still attempt linkity!

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Congrats to Courtney, who won Breathe by Sloan Parker!

Congrats to Marie, who won Mistletoe and Submission by Kim Dare!  Mistletoe and Submission will be released by Total-E-Bound on December 6.

Congrats to Brenna and LadyM, who won His for the Holidays by LB Gregg, Harper Fox, ZA Maxfield, and Josh Lanyon. His for the Holidays will be released by Carina Press on Monday, December 6.

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  • Author newsletters: Kim Dare (news, free story, and a contest) and Heidi Cullinan (I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I’m sure it’s filled with awesomesauce).

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  • Have you been to Brief Encounters yet? It’s a new blog from Tam and Jenre, devoted entirely to reviews of short m/m stories. Congrats, you two! Were you concocting this in San Francisco?!

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Reading Update
Unspeakable Words by Sarah Madison. ebook. Excellent paranormal m/m romantic suspense about a very precise San Francisco-based FBI agent who’s been shuffled around a lot because he’s not easy to deal with. He gets assigned a temporary partner from Quantico because of a new lead in an old case. When his temporary partner ends up sleeping on his couch, his orderly world is disrupted and things start to get interesting. I’m definitely hoping for more books about these two!!
Beyond Reckless by Ava March. ebook short. Very good steamy short m/m Regency romance about two men who enjoy the thrill of nearly being discovered…
Idaho Battlegrounds by Sarah Black. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a small-town Idaho sheriff who’s also a lieutenant in a National Guard unit that’s been in Afghanistan for the past four years. He’s now up for reelection against the corrupt interim sheriff, while at the same time getting to know a local dairy farmer who has a few secrets of his own…

Pretty Ugly (Petit Morts #6) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m story about a photographer who describes himself as “plug ugly”. He’s shooting an event when he encounters the elusive chocolatier Chance, who gives him a very special chocolate…
Sort of Stranger than Fiction (Petit Morts #7) by Josh Lanyon. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a small-town bookstore owner who’s quite intrigued by the scarred guy who owns a nearby dojo.
One Less Stiff at the Funeral (Petit Morts #8) by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Very good short m/m paranormal story about a guy who helps family members plan services for their freshly deceased relatives.
Critic’s Choice (Petit Morts #9) by Josh Lanyon. ebook short. Very good short m/m paranormal m/m romance about a film critic who gets the chance to work on a dream project and does so, even though he’ll be working with his cheating ex-boyfriend.
Wishink Well (Petit Morts #10) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Excellent short paranormal m/m romance about a man in a hospice, dying of COPD, who runs into the mysterious and alluring Chance stocking vending machines. This Petit Mort has sharper edge than the others.. and we find out a tiny bit more about Chance.
In a Wolf’s Eyes by Cassandra Gold. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who gets lost in the woods and found by a strangely intelligent wolf…
Copper Country Gold by Taylor Lochland. ebook. Good short paranormal m/m romance about a bobcat shifter in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula who’s been limiting himself to one-night stands because there aren’t any other gay shifters in the area and he knows his clan leader will never accept an outsider.
WHAT by Missy Welsh. free ebook short. Good free short paranormal m/m romance about a tattoo artist who has a crush on his straight boss.
Dinner and a Movie by Beth Wylde. ebook short. Steamy short m/m encounter about a couple out for dinner and a very unusual movie…
Strings Attached by Nick Nolan. ebook. Good but uneven m/m romance about a high school senior who discovers, after his alcoholic mother ends up in treatment, that his dead father’s family is wealthy. His transition to a life of privilege while he tries to figure out who he is and what he wants does not go smoothly. The author’s afterward reveals numerous references to the story of Pinocchio, only a few of which I caught. I’d suggest including a forward with an abbreviated version of that story to help the reader…
Double Bound (Strings Attached, Book 2) by Nick Nolan. ebook. Ok m/m romantic suspense that was all over the place. This book focused on the butler/bodyguard from the previous book. Unfortunately, especially the closer to the end of this book I got, it felt like the heir (the main character from the previous book) was back to being Pinocchio, with others deciding things for him.
The Christmas Wreath (Tales from the Bell End Cafe, Book 1) by Fabian Black. ebook short. So-so short m/m holiday romance about a young man who fancies himself in love with the older man who saved his life. I think this is the first installment in a serial story… and those drive me nuts. I’d rather read an entire story, not wait for it to be eked out.
The Perfect Tree (The Forbidden Room, Book 3) by J.P. Barnaby. ebook short. Steamy short kinky holiday m/m romance, after which reading you’ll not look at Christmas decorations the same again!
Twinkle, Twinkle by Josephine Myles. ebook short. DSP Advent Calendar. Good short holiday m/m romance about a doctor who, when treating an electrician shocked while checking the wiring for Christmas lights, realizes that the hunky electrician was the fat kid everyone beat up in school.
Biting the Christmas Biscuit (Broken, Book 1.2) by Dawn Kimberly Johnson. ebook short. So-so short holiday m/m romance in which the couple from Broken go to spend the holidays with one’s dead boyfriend’s family. The ending on this was odd – it just sort of stopped.
Storm on the Mountain (Mountain #7) by P.D. Singer. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance continuing the story of Mark and Allan, this time with a Valentine’s Day blizzard.
On Call: Crossroads (On Call #3) by P.D. Singer. ebook short. Doctors Without Borders Charity Sip Blitz. Very good short m/m romance continuing the story of veterinarian Dante and doctor Keith, as Keith tries to come to grips with losing a patient.
Housesitting by M. Durango. ebook short. Doctors Without Borders Charity Sip Blitz. Good short m/m romance about a guy who’s housesitting for his uncle for the summer, next door to the now-resident who was his teenaged crush.
Little Fishes by Syd McGynley. ebook short. Doctors Without Borders Charity Sip Blitz. Ok short kinky m/m romance about a master taking his slave to meet his family, who aren’t aware of the nature of their relationship.
How Did I Lose My Passport – And Find My Love by JM Cartwright. ebook short. Doctors Without Borders Charity Sip Blitz. So-so short m/m romance about an absent-minded medical researcher who misplaces his passport while traveling and is surprised when his nemesis, the hospital’s COO, turns up to get things sorted out.

“That was tasty. I’m glad Mom left those crackers near the edge of the counter while she was getting something out of the fridge!” -Chaos

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Linkity. Linkity. And more Linkity.

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Congrats to Kris and Anne B, who each won a copy of The Cat and the Cradle by Jay Bell!

Congrats to Courtney S, who won In the Crease by Stephani Hecht! In the Crease will be released by Total-E-Bound on September 13.

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  • An amusing post at Deadline Dames about dating for novelists. My favorite line: “People with book-worthy personal stories are not necessarily the best people to date.”

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Cool

  • Behold, Cyclisk! Can’t you just hear the theme song from 2001: A Space Odyssey in the background?

Huh

  • How… lumpy. And I can just imagine what this will look like after a dog who enjoys chewing gets hold of it…

LOL

  • Just can’t come up with anything for dinner? This site might help inspire you…

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Trinity Trespass by Val Kovalin. ebook. Excellent paranormal m/m romance about two demonic agents who have been sent to keep a unique demon-angel hybrid out of the hands of an evil angel. After the world “clicked” for me, both the fast-paced storyline and the complex relationship between the two agents kept me enthralled.
Talker by Amy Lane. ebook. Powerful m/m romance about a physically and emotionally scarred college student who befriends a much quieter student on the bus to track meets. If you’ve ever been, or known, someone who needed to be saved from themselves, this book will have a strong impact. (And I would say that even if I hadn’t had an influence on the music mentioned throughout the book!)
Bewitched by Bella’s Brother by Amy Lane. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a chronic graduate student and his best friend who spend the summer staying with her divorced brother and his young son, saving money to continue their graduate studies out of state in the fall.
Gayday! Gayday! (G-A-Y, Book 11) by Kim Dare. ebook. Steamy cute m/m romance short about a bratty submissive who keeps getting himself in trouble and calling his dominant straight friend to rescue him.
Night Watch (A Story of The Telling) by Eden Winters. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance that takes place about a year after The Telling, on the Fourth of July, as Jay tries to minimize the noisy holiday’s impact on Michael, who suffers from combat-induced PTSD. (Your purchase during September helps support the the GLBT Bookshelf.)
Cross the Mountain by P.D. Singer. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about the guys from Fall Down the Mountain out cross-country skiing.
Pleasures of Somerville Park (Object of His Desire, Book 2) by Ava March. free ebook short. Very good free short historical m/m romance following up on Arsen and Henry from Object of His Desire.
Anagama Fires by Sarah Black. ebook. Very good short m/m romance about two potters, both nearly fifty, who’ve been together most of their lives… until the past five years. The more famous, who was the one who left, sends his nephew to his former lover to learn more about firing pottery. I did have a niggle about this one – the story took place over about a week. On the first day, puppies were born. A few days later, the same puppies were running around and getting underfoot! Whoops.
Indigo Knights 1: Squire by Jet Mykles. ebook. Very good m/m romance spin-off from the Heaven Sent series, about the straight singer who filled in for Brent in Heaven Sent while Brent’s wrist was broken, and who is now staying with Brent, Hell, and Brent’s intriguing cousin Izzy while he works on getting a new band together.
Just Desserts by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a famous French chef and the equally famous British food critic who seems to have it in for him.
Unexpected Guest (Patient Eyes, Book 2) by Andy Eisenberg. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a recently divorced guy who’s staying in his mother’s old house and fixing it up to sell it for her when a gay couple (the guys from Patient Eyes!) move in next door. Getting to know them reawakens thoughts and feelings he’s buried for a long, long time. I enjoyed finding out how life was going for the guys from Patient Eyes and enjoyed that this book felt more cohesive than did Patient Eyes.
You Can Go Home Again by Drew Zachary. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who’s back in the small town of his childhood after being away for college and vet school.
Raven by Dakota Rebel. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about two vampires who own a gay nightclub (Raven) together, but have never gotten together themselves… (I wish I’d realized this was in Naughty Nooners, which I already owned, before I picked it up! Whoops.)
Masked by Lissa Matthews. free ebook short. Short kinky m/m story that sets up an intriguing situation between a dominant and a mysterious masked submissive… From a comment the author left elsewhere, it seems she does plan to write a follow-up story.
A Lesson in Truth by Sloan Parker. free ebook short. Cute short free m/m romance about a grad student with a crush on his advisor.
Thirty Days (Book 1) and Forever (Thirty Days, Book 2) by Shayla Kersten. ebooks. Good kinky m/m romances about a Dom whose beloved partner/sub died from cancer. As he starts to get back into the scene, his friends introduce him to a sub who had been badly abused and tortured (almost to death) by his previous master. These were hard for me to read at times because they kept reminding me of a friend, although I don’t think things got quite that bad for him before he got out…
Captive by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook short. Huh. So-so m/m romance in which something seems to be happening, but that might not be what’s happening at all. I got annoyed by that.
Green Lake by Anna Marie May. ebook short. So-so short m/m romance about a guy who takes a research assistant position in Alaska to get away from his wealthy, controlling family. Way too much story for the length of the book and, as Jenre noted in her review at Jessewave, the book was all telling, no showing, which made it impossible to connect with the characters.
Golden Boy (Book 1) by Claire Thompson. ebook. So-so kinky m/m romance about a handsome young mechanic so deeply closeted he doesn’t realize he’s gay until he sees an extremely compelling guy while out clubbing with a lesbian friend. That compelling guy turns out to be a prestigious Dom who slowly helps the mechanic discover his submissive side. I had some issues with this one. I really disliked the Dom. And the book pissed me off by ending in what felt like the middle.
Golden Man (Golden Boy, Book 2) by Claire Thompson. ebook. After it felt like the first book stopped in the middle, this book picks up… six months later. Some of the characters feel more like caricatures than like people, which was a problem in the first book, too. But ultimately, I didn’t like or trust the Dom after the first book and nothing in this book managed to change my mind. (Also, I think the cover is really weird.)

“I found this book on the floor, so it’s my book now and I say you don’t get to read it, Mom.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Ackity!

38 Comments

Contests

  • Leave a comment for LesleyW with some urban fantasy related ideas to muse about for your chance to win a copy of Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day. Winner announced on May 29.
  • S7anna’s having her very first contest. She’s giving away three different packs of romances and swag (bookmarks, etc). Leave a comment by May 30 for your chance to win.

Bookity

  • I don’t ever usually watch book trailers, but I’m glad I watched this one by Tessa Dare. Best. Book. Trailer. Ever. (Thanks, Donna F!)

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Yikes

LOL

Awww

  • Comparison pictures of how different kittens look when they’re young vs. when they’re a bit older.

Reading Update
The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m chiller about a guy who becomes involved with a mysterious restaurant owner who never seems to be available at certain times of the month. At the same time, Seattle’s gay community is reeling from a series of brutal murders…
Witness by L.A. Gilbert. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a cop who meets a bike messenger while on a routine call, then runs into him again when he backs over the guy’s bike. This book would’ve benefited from a bit more conflict (or perhaps conflict not effortlessly resolved) and fewer point-of-view shifts, particularly near the beginning of the book.
Idaho Pride by Sarah Black. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a sports writer who ends up in an altercation between some hockey players and staff members of the Idaho Pride newspaper – an altercation that changes the lives of many of the guys involved.
Betweentimes by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about a businessman who is surprised (but pleased) when his cute bohemian neighbor invites him out for dinner at the tacky local Mexican place.
Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Very good m/m romance about Sam, a nursing student who hits the road with trucker Mitch and learns a helluva lot about himself in the process. Those of you who know I’m not a fan of books with menagey bits are probably surprised to see that I read and liked this one, huh? This book worked for me because it didn’t neglect the emotional to focus strictly on the physical. While I had to stop reading several times because I was a bit overwrought about Sam’s emotional safety, I kept returning to the book and am very glad that I read it.
An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride. ebook. Very good m/m scifi romance about Pasha, a whore whose master, unable to cover a bet, loses him for 24 hours to a rough and fascinating man. Pasha can’t remember the man, who seems to know more about him than he knows about himself. I’m glad Jase warned me that this stopped abruptly, so I was prepared. *commences impatiently waiting for sequel*
Winner Takes All by Jenny Urban & Elizabeth Silver. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two competitive friends and business rivals (one gay, one straight) who fool around when they’re drunk… and then a business crisis escalates things a bit.
Black: Black Leather by Vic Winter. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance about a band that’s touring for the first time since the previous lead singer overdosed. The lead guitar player isn’t looking forward to being in charge of keeping the new lead singer in line.
8 Seconds on the Mountain (Mountain #4) by P.D. Singer. ebook short. Oh oh – is Kurt trying to get himself and Jake beaten up at the rodeo?!
And Is Never Shaken by Alexi Silversmith. ebook. Good May-December m/m romance about a professor who keeps running into a book restorer. Will the secrets from the professor’s past be insurmountable?
Only His Heart (Only #3) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a nurse, new to the hospital, who can’t resist the handsome doctor that the rest of the staff calls the Ice Queen.
Forces of Nature by Lily Grace. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about a physicist who’s had a huge crush on his actor best friend since college, but has always been afraid to do anything about it until they get caught in a thunderstorm together.
Time Zone Impaired by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who stops at a restaurant after a flight from Australia, not realizing it’s Valentine’s Day until his cute waiter tells him. This had that unfortunate open-ended feel that makes me suspect it is the first in a series of shorts about this couple. I hate that – I’d much rather buy a longer completed story than read a serial.
Where the Moon Touches by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Good short m/m paranormal romance about a werewolf who’s being forced to marry a female and plans to go on sex binge with as many guys as he can during his last 30 days of freedom. His plan gets short-circuited almost immediately. (This also had that “part of a serial” feel.)
Left of Center by Zathyn Priest. ebook. Somewhat bizarre m/m romance about a non-Goth veterinarian who shamelessly lies on an online site for Goths so he can pick up guys – and then the player gets played.
Skipping Stones by D.J. Manly. ebook. I started out liking this book about a young artist who retreats from Paris after the end of an affair and seeks shelter with his best friend, who’s part owner of a gay friendly resort in Florida. Alas, by the end of the book, I wanted to slap the three main characters.
Picture Me Perfect (Sammy Dane, Book 2) by Stormy Glenn. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a photographer who moves in with a cop to hide from his abusive drug dealer ex-boyfriend. Typical Stormy Glenn. What else can I say, other than please get a better editor? (Or maybe any editor…)
Screwed by Amanda Young. ebook short. So-so short m/m romance about a teacher who was fired after racy pictures of he and another guy showed up online.

“Dear internetz: Please send help. This woman continues to hold me prisoner under the most miserable conditions imaginable.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

It’s far too late to come up with a remotely clever linkity title

38 Comments

Congrats to Jase, who won the copy of Gay Pride (G-A-Y, Book 7) by Kim Dare!

Contests

Books & Reading

  • Both Kris and Katiebabs have posts about the difference between comfort reads and rereads.

Learn, Do, Make

  • If you’re not exactly sure how a cell phone call works, check out this infographic.

Wow

Huh

LOL

  • Oh oh… If you’ve been following Brigitte’s quest to not alert Atticus that he’s going to the vet… there’s been a dark turn of events.

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Icing on the Cake by Shayla Kersten. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s the man of honor for his best friend’s wedding. She puts him in charge of getting the cake… and oh, that baker is hot. (I wish Shayla Kersten wrote more m/m, because I’ve really enjoyed what she does have out… *hint hint*)
Gaps in Your Soul by Shayla Kersten. ebook reread. Um, yeah, so after reading the previous book, I felt the need to read some more Shayla Kersten. This is a pretty good m/m romance about… Hmm. Having trouble with a summary. At its most basic? I’d say it’s about how the US military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy messes with people’s minds and ultimately messes them up.
The One That Broke Free (One, Book 4) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a soldier who was discharged ten years ago after his leg was permanently damaged. Since then, he’s been living alone in the small, closed-minded Southern town where he grew up, but after being in Boston for his brother and brother-in-law’s wedding, he’s rethinking his life. (I was lucky enough to win this from the author! Thanks, TC! And hey, TC will be giving away an ebook here at SOC tomorrow…)
Out of Balance by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a banker who’s been going through a rough time when a hunky customer asks him out.
Two Man Team (Team, Book 2) by Jet Mykles. ebook. Do I hear bodies hitting the floor out there?! 🙂 Sarah reviewed this book and I was intrigued. (No, it wasn’t because of the Candy Cane Guy cover!) It’s an m/m romance that starts as an m/f/m romance and I’m not a fan of menagey books. But this one managed to avoid the big issue I have with menagey books, so it actually worked pretty well.
Vindaloo and the T-Bird by Sarah Black. ebook short. Good m/m romance about an eye surgeon who buys an old T-Bird so he has an excuse to spend time with the mechanic he used to date. There’s one thing that bothered me about this, but it’s a spoiler – we can talk about it in email if you’ve read the book!
Object of His Desire by Ava March. ebook. Good m/m Regency romance (I’ll give you a minute to recover) about a young man who’s been at a debauched house party for a week. He hasn’t participated because he’s been pining for the lord who’s hosting the party. Alas, he knows his affections won’t be returned, as the lord is ostensibly using the week to audition for his next mistress… (And yes, that’s Underwear Guy on the cover!)
Convincing Arthur by Ava March. ebook. Another good m/m Regency romance! It turns out that I don’t mind (and actually enjoy) historicals if they aren’t overburdened with historical details. I know that some love reading elaborate details of the clothes, the furnishings, the food… but that’s what turned me off of historicals in the past. Anyway! Leopold’s been waiting for Arthur to be free from his long-term and unfaithful lover. Now that Arthur’s free, will Leopold’s own debauched reputation keep Arthur away?
Fantasies: Christmas by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s had a really bad week (he gets laid off, his beloved old cat dies, and his boyfriend dumps him by email) until he wins a Hawaiian vacation at the liquor store and invites the helpful guy next in line to go with him.
Cutting Cords by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Good m/m romance about two young men who end up as roommates in NYC because their dads were pro baseball teammates once upon a time. One guy is going blind but in denial (about more than just going blind *ahem*). The other is dealing (not so well) with crippling self-esteem issues. This story is told in alternating first- and third-person point-of-view, but I think it would’ve worked better if it had been entirely in third-person.
Poker Night 5: Full House by Carol Lynne. ebook. Well, I had to know how it all ended, since the story of Kent and Marco has been building through the previous four books! I enjoyed it, but I’d recommend reading the rest of the series first.
Theron’s Return (Campus Cravings, Book 11) by Carol Lynne. ebook. Um, I sort of pick these m/m romances up randomly as the descriptions strike my fancy, so for me, this is a completely nonlinear series. This one’s about a guy living in BK House who’s had a really, really bad year and simply can’t deal with it any more. It was ok – exactly the sort of read I needed at the time.
Calendar Boys April: Out of the Storm by Jamie Craig. ebook. Good m/m romance about a meteorologist who’s just been dumped by his boyfriend on a weekend getaway when a hunky ranger shows up at his cabin door, stranded by a surprise storm. (Wait, just how many dumped boyfriend books did I read this week?!)
Calendar Boys August: Scorched by Jamie Craig. ebook. Another good m/m romance – this one’s about a NYC firefighter who returns to Utah to help fight an out-of-control wildfire and runs into his former best friend’s kid brother.
Apotrope by Chris Owen. ebook short. Huh. This paranormal m/m romance about a vampire trying to impress a guy just never came together for me. (It’s part of Torquere’s Spice It Up series and the spice in question was garlic.)
Murder by Design by Jade Falconer. ebook. Um. Well, this m/m romance about a cop investigating the murder of a slutty model’s sugar daddy might’ve been better if half of it was cut out – I’d recommend the extremely repetitive scenes in which our two heroes gushed lovingly at each other over and over and over, ad nauseum.

So my friend CJ went to RT and all I got was… dang. A lot of goodies! Thank you, CJ! And thanks to all the authors who signed stuff for me. 🙂

“Mom, I’m truly alarmed by the large number of naughty boys and utter lack of black kitties.” -Mayhem

Contests, Gluten Free, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

An Epic Episode of Linkity

32 Comments

Contests

  • Jackie of Literary Escapism is holding a baby pool – two lucky winners will receive $15 gift certificates to the online bookstore of their choice.
  • Ms Moonlight is giving away five print m/m romance books (Tri-Omega Mates by Stormy Glenn; Switch by Claire Thompson; Frost Fair by Erastes; Male of the Species by Kate Steele; Polar Reaction by Claire Thompson) to a follower of her blog. Contest closes noon EDT, May 7. You must live in the US or Canada to win.

Free Reads

  • Check out the Free Gay Ebooks page at the GLBT Bookshelf, which has free stories from Josh Lanyon, Mary Calmes, Victor J. Banis (the first Stanley and Tom Deadly mystery! I love that series.), Eden Winters, P.D. Singer, P.A. Brown, Claire Thompson, and more. (Thanks to Mary Calmes for the link!)
  • My Reading Update (below) has links to some of the books above, plus links to additional free m/m romance ebooks. Apparently it was freebie week!

Reading & Book Miscellania

  • Beware this nasty and elaborate scam in which victims are pressured to accept a “‘pre-trial settlement’ for copyright violations.”
  • Hmm. This bookcase seems like it’d be a bit hard on books – but what great exercise!

Ebook News & Views

  • Some articles on how public libraries are dealing with ebooks.

Covers

  • Thanks to SciFiGuy for the link to the amusing Good Show, Sir blog, which features the very worst of scifi and fantasy covers, complete with snarky commentary.

Reviewing

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • Lay’s has restructured salt to help it dissolve faster and reduce the amount of salt needed for taste.
  • If you’re into genealogy, check out the new FamilySearch.

Huh

  • A sculpture made from cords and cables – love the quote from Gizmodo: “I do, though, wish I could stop myself from thinking how annoying it’d be to untangle all of those cords.”

Gluten-Free

LOL

The Cute

Reading Update
All or Nothing (Taking the Odds, Book 3) by James Buchanan. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense, being the continuing adventures of Nicky and Brandon. With a beloved series, I always worry that a new release won’t live up to the previous books, but I should’ve known better. So go. Go get the first book, Cheating Chance, and read it. I’ll wait. 🙂
Only for Him (Only, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a slightly outrageous administrative assistant at a law firm who’s really attracted to a cutely nerdy guy (one of the firm’s partners).
Cow Pie Bingo by Addison Albright. ebook short. reread. A guy who’s recently realized that he’s gay but has no idea what to do next discovers a very cute guy in line at his kissing booth…
The Wish by Eden Winters. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romance about two guys who have never met, but dislike each other based on reputation and circumstance. (Hmm. Possibly my most vague summary ever!) I don’t want to tell you too much about the story, because part of what I enjoyed about it was reading and putting the pieces together. How about I just say I highly recommend it? 🙂
The Boy Under the Bridge by Eden Winters. ebook short. This is about a character who makes a brief appearance in The Wish and isn’t treated particularly well or shown in the best light – it’s surprisingly satisfying to find out what happens to him. You should definitely read The Wish first!
The Telling by Eden Winters. free ebook. Good m/m romance about a soldier who returns from Iraq suffering from PTSD and crippling guilt.
The French Have a Word for It by Josh Lanyon. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a young man painting in France who runs into the bodyguard who rescued him from kidnappers when he was a teen.
Pinky Swear by Lynn Lorenz. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who grew up next door to each other in New Orleans and were best friends until a misunderstanding drove them apart and they lost touch… and then Hurricane Katrina arrives.
Upwardly Mobile by Clare London. ebook short. Steamy m/m romance about a couple talking to each other on the phone, one from his parked car, the other from the train…
Home Sweet Home by Clare London. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about a couple who have been taking a break from each other, not sure that their differences are surmountable.
Swap Meet by Lolita Lopez. ebook. This m/m romance is terribly misnamed. It should be The Straight French Billionaire and the Gay Firefighter, especially since it reads like a smokin’ hot category romance, complete with the slightly awkward writing. The straight French billionaire is accompanying a female coworker to a partner swapping event – he’s just there because she needs to appear to be part of a couple to get in. A mysterious, magnetically handsome man gives the billionaire a card with just a name and a room number and the billionaire cannot resist going to the room… (Issue: If this is a couple’s event, who the heck did said magnetically handsome man arrive with? That’s never mentioned.)
Last One Standing (The Five of Swords) by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a prostitute who tries to blackmail a customer and instead ends up off the streets, working as a dishwasher. I liked this a lot more before the ending – it felt like the story simply stopped. If this kicks off one of those Torquere serials, I’ll be mightily annoyed. (Also, if they managed to tie the Tarot into this Arcana, I completely missed it.)
Angelfish by M. King. ebook. Very good m/m story about a guy, back in New Zealand after attending college in England, who isn’t settling comfortably into parental expectations as he’s haunted by the mocking image of a tattoo.
The Ice Shack by M. King. ebook short. Good m/m short about a couple getting away from their families over the holidays.
First Day of Forever by Mary Calmes. free ebook short. Sweet m/m romance about two guys who were best friends growing up. Did one wait too long to figure out what he wanted? (Needs a few more commas…)
If by Rowena Sudbury. free ebook short. Meh m/m story about two martial artists who train and live together, until one realizes the other has been lying to him. I didn’t really care about either of them by the end of the story, so… *sigh*
Waiting by P.D. Singer. free ebook short. Good m/m romance about a spring break that gets off to a really rocky start when Daniel’s boyfriend shows up at the airport with a girl clinging to him.
More Than Just a Good Book by Sloan Parker. free ebook short. Very good m/m short story about two guys who meet in the college library. *fans self*
Gregori’s Ghost by Sarah Black. free ebook. Very good m/m romance about a neurologist whose dying grandfather charges him with looking after the son of a man befriended by his grandfather during WWII. I’m definitely going to be reading more Sarah Black.
Some Place Only We Know by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a rather innocent bookstore owner who volunteers at a hospice, where he meets a writer who’s visiting his brother. Beware! Instalove alert!
The Five of Wands by Sara Bell. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a resident suspended after being accused of a careless medication error who finds help from an unexpected source.
Only Human by Glyn Soitino. ebook short. Good paranormal m/m romance about a man, created by a wizard with all the knowledge he needs to survive, who falls for a closeted cop. I didn’t realize until I was well into this story that it was the sequel to Out of the Blue. Oh well.
Hoosier Werewolf: Howl and Prowl by Kate Steele. ebook collection. Very good paranormal m/m romance collection of three stories about werewolves finding their mates. The cover’s the usual Changeling Press horror and the title’s kind of weird, but this was one well-done and scorching read.
BDSFerret by Celia Kyle. holiday ebook short. While this m/m paranormal romance about a ferret shifter going to a prairie dog shifter bar is billed as being a satire, it only managed that once or twice.
Passion’s Victory by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a guy who owns part of an architectural firm and can’t resist the newly contracted, older architect. Does Kendricks always write in first person point-of-view? Seems like it, from what I’ve read. Not my favorite, especially when the characters don’t seem particularly guy-like.
A Hard Habit To Break by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. Another so-so romance about two guys who’ve been in love with each other since high school, but allowed massive miscommunication and misunderstandings to come between them. Another story told in first person… Also, I think the blurb for this one is a bit misleading, so beware.

*happy sleepy stretchy clawy purry* -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Kitty toes and linkity

32 Comments

Congrats to Kathy K, who won the copy of LB Gregg’s Catch Me If You Can (Romano & Albright, Book 1)! (Don’t forget about LB’s review contest, which runs through March 16.)

Contests

Books & Reading & Readers, Oh My!

Learn Things

Things That Didn’t Fit Elsewhere

LOL

Reading Update
The Larton Chronicles by James Anson. I heard about this delightful m/m romance when Josh Lanyon mentioned on his blog that it was one of his comfort reads. The book is about Robert, ex-policeman and mystery author who moves to the obscure village of Larton, and Michael, the horse-mad and out of control village “squire”. Written in a fabulously understated style that seems quite British indeed to me (Jenre and EH will have to confirm or deny this for me), the book chronicles the ups and downs of building a life together. (Also, all sex occurs entirely offsides and is only referred to in the most discrete terms.) I’d definitely recommend picking this up directly from the publisher and not from Amazon – the price difference is quite significant. Recommended.
The Dark Farewell by Josh Lanyon. ebook. As previously mentioned, I won this historical m/m romance over at Jessewave’s. This was an extremely well-done story about a reporter from NYC in central Illinois to follow up on a union-related massacre when he becomes intrigued by a medium who is staying at the same boarding house. From Josh’s comments on Jenre’s review of this ebook, I was sort of prepared for the abrupt ending to the story, which is modeled on ghost stories from the period (early 1920s), but I found myself really wanting to know more about these characters! Recommended.
No Souvenirs (Florida Series, Book 3) by K.A. Mitchell. ebook. Very good, steamy, and intense m/m romance about that mysterious ER doctor we met in previous books. Hard to go wrong with K.A. Mitchell! Recommended.
Custom Ride by K.A. Mitchell. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who has an anonymous encounter with a mysterious stranger at Pride (in Minneapolis!), then keeps encountering the guy again back home in St. Cloud.
Scared Stiff by Laura Baumbach, William Maltese, Josh Lanyon, & Sarah Black. ebook collection. This was a good m/m paranormal romance collection overall, although each story had its foibles. Baumbach’s was unfortunately plagued by egregious editing errors such as misused words, missing words, and randomly introduced names. (Wait, I thought that Eli and Mason were in bed together. Where did this “Josh” come from?!???) Black’s story suffered somewhat from the main characters overusing each other’s names in conversation, so their conversations seemed stilted. (Handily, author Patti O’Shea just posted about this very problem.) Lanyon’s story was very good, with just a condom use issue. I skipped Maltese’s story because I’m not a big fan of his style, plus it was fantasy.
Primal Passions (Lost Shifters, Book 1) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Enjoyable paranormal m/m romance about a paramedic who suddenly discovers that the world is much weirder than he knew when he’s imprisoned by thugs and rescued by a feline shapeshifter.
Fire and Ice by A.J. Llewellyn & Stephani Hecht. ebook. I definitely like Stephani Hecht’s work on her own better. This m/m romance about a former boxer and a hockey goalie was all over the place, with instalove and bits of story that didn’t fit very well.
Garron’s Gift and Rawley’s Redemption (Good-Time Boys, Books 2-3) by Carol Lynne. ebooks. Ok m/m romances being the continuing story of the Good brothers, their guys, and dangerous homophobes in their small Nebraska town. It appears that this series, like Campus Cravings, also intersects with the Cattle Valley series. Apparently Cattle Valley is like the Borg…
Now and Forever by Addison Albright. ebook short. Sweet m/m romance short about a couple planning their wedding reception, during the all-too-brief time gay marriage was legal in California.
Moving On and Moving Along by Addison Albright. ebook shorts. These are sweet m/m romance shorts about a guy trying to move on after his lover was killed in a car accident a year ago.
Aidan and Ethan (Seeking Redemption, Book 1) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Angsty m/m romance about a guy who vanishes without a word after planning a life together with his best friend, then reappears over a decade later. I started out feeling as if the entire premise of the story was extremely flimsy, but that was actually addressed a bit later. (Also, not so good with the condom thing in this book.)
Private Dicks by Katie Allen. ebook. This m/m romantic suspense was a reread – it’s one of my comfort reads. Obviously I think it’s a good book! 🙂 And you’ll have a chance to win a copy of the sequel in the not-too-distant future…

“Mom, do I really want to know why you’re taking a picture of my back toes?” -Chaos

If you commented on this post before 7:30 am CST, March 11, your comment has vanished. Sorry! My fault entirely.