Blessed Isle by Alex Beecroft

There is a mix of all the best novels by Alex Beecroft in this novella. Of course there is, the setting is the same she loves so much, a military ship sailing in stranger seas, and there are two men, two officers, who fall in love. Where is the difference? Well maybe in the way the story starts, they are safe and in love in Rio de Janeiro, retired from the Army and enjoying an almost “marriage” bliss. So here is the main difference, we can read of their story, and fear for them, but we know that, in the end, they will find a way to stay together.

And at the beginning I also thought that Alex Beecroft had become more daring, the first scene, with one of them sleepless at night looking at his naked lover in bed was quite erotic, was it the prelude to a sexier story? But no, as usual, there is a lot of hidden eroticism, desires and forbidden thirsts, but all happens behind a closed door.

The very nice thing of this novella is the narration path. First Harry, the captain, and then Garnet, his lieutenant, tell their own story from the different perspective they saw it. And from their narration you can understand the men. Harry is conservative and almost shy, despite his rank, he is not arrogant, and maybe he is also a bit naive; when he realizes his feelings for Garnet he is both tempted than troubled, and above all he thinks to be alone in his desires, that he could almost corrupt the lesser officer. And then we read Garnet’s point of view, how he almost seduced Harry, how he was always aware of the forbidden desire of the man, that were the same as his. Garnet in a way fill the voids Harry’s narration left and he is also the spirited one, who probably gives a bit of spice to the entire story.

Not to Reason Why by Mark R. Probst

When you are telling a story set in the middle of the war between Army and Native Americans, 1876, and you are aware of how tragic it was, it’s quite difficult to have an happily ever after romance. Plus, if you add to that that one of the main character is married and apparently content of his life, the quest for romance is even harder.

Brett and Dermot are fellow officers, but Dermot has also the sacred fire for his mission and instead Brett was forced into it. Dermot has all settled in front of him, a long and satisfying career in the Army, a wife who is willing to wait for him, and a good friend in Brett. On the other hand, Brett has nothing sure, the only thing he certainly knows, since it is eating him alive, is that he is in love with Dermot and that love it’s not only forbidden, it’s also impossible.

From the first pages the reader knows that the story is heaving on angst, the only thing that console him is that, in the end, Brett finds the courage to express his feelings for Dermot, and Dermot proves to be the good man Brett thought he was and the reader had the chance to see. And maybe, there is even a little possibility that a romance for Brett is at hand.

I like that, for once, it wasn’t the “gay” character the perfect one; if you compare Dermot and Brett, probably Dermot is a better man, he is not only a good officer and a good husband, but he is also able to accept Brett for who he is, a good friend, and not for who he loves, another man. On the other hand, I think Brett is a very troubled man, and not so strong: he is not a bad man, but he is for sure not perfect like Dermot. And in the end, if I have to choose, I probably prefer him to Dermot, not since he is gay, but since I have always preferred the imperfect one; but some of Brett’s actions are not exactly what I would expect from a novel’s hero.

No Darkness by Jordan Taylor

Again I had the feeling from the beginning of the story that I wouldn’t find an happily ever after here. I don’t know, but every story I read involving the WWI has never had an happily ever after. I remember my history professor told us that the WWI marked a passage in the way men did was, they lost their quality of men to become meat to slaughter. And the men in command lost their quality of knights to become even more detached from the simple soldiers.

Darnell is a lieutenant, and Fisher a simple soldier. There is no reason for them to be together if not for the war and a bomb that traps them in a cellar of an abandoned farm. In the hours they are forced to be together, Darnell and Fisher learn that they have more in common of what they thought; it’s not a clear discovery, more a play of unsaid words and uncompleted motions. Fisher is more open than Darnell, even in his childish memories the reader seems to find some sign of what Fisher is trying to communicate to Darnell, and instead for Darnell it’s more a play to understand what he is not saying: he is married but doesn’t want children. He has a good wife but he doesn’t seem to miss her so much other than missing the simple life they had together. There is a lot of possibilities for these two men, and they come out from the “darkness” in a strong way to the reader, but still, in the end, the darkness is stronger than them.

The reader is aware that Darnell and Fisher can be something more for each other. And this is the reason why, sorry, I don’t understand why the story has to be so tragic, to be faithful to the history? Since the war was so cruel that it couldn’t have been different? I can understand that, but still, I prefer to have at least a smallest chance to a better future, for how much unbelievable it could be.

Our One and Only by E.N. Holland

This is probably a very unexpected pleasure to read. Unexpected since ab absurdo, this was the most sad of all the story above, one of the two lovers of the story is already dead at the beginning of it, and from that moment on, all we read is how the remaining one has to cope with his pain, a pain he can share with only few people, the one who were aware that Philip was not only a dear friend of Eddie.

This story had me almost in tear, above all since I was not seeing any chance of happiness for Philip. Every chapter is 10 years in his life and chapter after chapter I was finding him always alone, 10 years older and with that pain still strong, so strong to blind him to any other possibility. And to make thing worse, Eddie, even if dead, chapter after chapter was coming out like a wonderful man, someone who Philip was right to mourn. How was it possible for him to forget and going on with his life?

So no, in the end I was not expecting an happily ever after for Philip, but I didn’t feel cheated by it; the author was plainly clear from the first page, Eddie was dead and there wouldn’t have been no coming back of the good soldier for relieving Philip of his grief. The only thing I was expecting was for Philip to find a way to be at peace with his pain, to find a way to stop to believe in an happily ever after. Oh guys, I’m in tear right now, writing this sentence, since I can still feel Philip’s pain and it’s so strong, but I can also feel Eddie’s love for him and also it’s stronger, so stronger that even 40 years after, he is still able to give an hope to Philip, the hope that also him can have an happily ever after. In a way, to be happy again, Philip had to finally being angry with Eddie, for being an hero, being angry with him for the exact reason why he loved and still loves him so much.

So in the end, if the purpose of this anthology was to make me cry, well it reached it. I didn’t cry for Alex Beecroft’s story, in a way it’s a sweet and light story with little angst; I didn’t cry for Mark Probst’s story, I enjoyed the setting, but not so much the characters; I maybe almost cried for Jordan Taylor’s story, but as I said, there was an oppressive atmosphere, and truth be told, the love between the two men was only hinted (the scene in the darkness when Fisher tries with all his remaining strength to reach for Darnell, that was the scene that almost brought me in tears)… but boys, how I cried and still am crying for E.N. Holland’s story! If you want a reason to read the anthology, well this story is your reason.

http://www.bcpinepress.com/ (ebook)

http://www.cheyennepublishing.com/books/hidden.html (print book)

Amazon: Hidden Conflict: Tales from Lost Voices in Battle

Amazon Kindle: Hidden Conflict: Tales from Lost Voices in Battle

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

This is by this time the fourth book I read with this fellows, and so now they are for me as familiar as old friends. I know them and I don't need to find new hint to understand them, but, it's strange, they seem always a bit different from book to book.

Jonty has always been the more easy of the two, in everything he did, job, life and love. Both Jonty and Orlando had bad experience in the past, but Jonty probably had the more traumatic experience, he was abused when he was a young boy at school. Despite this, he grew up as a good boy and with a joy of life that seems untainted by what happened years ago. And instead in this book, where he has to investigate in the murderer of the same two men who abused him, we discover that Jonty is very good in wearing a mask. A mask that, for a bit, he is unable to lift even with Orlando, who is the real love of his life.

Also Orlando changes a bit in this book. He has always been the shier of the two, the one who always worried for the future, who was always skittish to express their love through a physical manifestation. And instead now, he is very much physical, almost if he understands that Jonty needs the material assurance that a warm body gives. And he is also very protective, but always in a quiet and good way, even if he has all the reason to hate the men who abused Jonty, he realizes that he can't have an outburst of rage, it would be worst for Jonty than everything else.

As you all know, I'm not much for the mysteries, so, when I read one, I notice other things ;-) This time for example, my attention was caught by two different things: the setting, and with that I mean the various habitat where Jonty and Orlando move, like they restored Georgian cottage or Jonty's family country house. The author describes them in such a detailed way, that it almost seems to the reader to be there, living with them. The second thing I noticed where the supporting characters, that were as nice as the main ones, and sometime take the center stage; above all, Jonty's mother, Mrs Stewart and her husband, but also Jonty and Orlando's housekeeper, Mrs Ward, and finally, but not last, Rex Prefontaine and Matthew Ainslie, this last a character I would really loved to see having an happily ever after of his own.

I like this series, since it has a suspending feeling, it's an historical, obviously, but it is set in a time that it's not so far from us, and so we can identify in the men. How they live, how they think, how they love. Orlando maybe, is a bit too innocent, but I think he would be the same even in a modern setting, Orlando is an innocent at soul. And Jonty needs him to be like that, to cancel the ugliness of his past experiences with men very much not innocent.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/lessons-in-power

Amazon Kindle: Lessons in Power: Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 4

Series: A Cambridge Fellows Mystery
1) Lessons in Love: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/417687.html
2) Lessons in Desire: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/506663.html
3) Lessons in Discovery: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/641112.html
4) Lessons in Power

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

I suspect that Charlie Cochrane is a little prude as her character Orlando; and since I like Orlando, don't take this as a complaint, it's only that Charlie Cochrane's books are not notorious to be overly erotic, but more subtly sexy. The first book in the series was almost chaste, with some hints here and there that something was happening between Orlando and Jonty, but not real explicit proofs. In the second book it was expected for them to move on in their relationship, to deepen it... now, don't think that they jumped in bed and replayed the Kamasutra, but well that time something happened.

And in the third book? It's not in the nature of these characters to be daring, or at least not from Orlando's side, and so Charlie Cochrane adopted a trick that Monopoly's players well know, the "start again" penalty. And so at the beginning of the book, Orlando opportunely suffers from amnesia and Jonty has to start all over again his seduction play. It's indeed a nice play, and I enjoyed all over again the very prim and proper behavior of both characters, not only of Orlando; also Jonty is quite conservative: for example, when he finally manages to have Orlando again in his bed, he lets himself being swerved from his seduction plan for a coughing attack... and all end with both of them in their respective beds in separate not only rooms but even buildings... not exactly the behavior of a man overcome by passion.

But indeed Orlando and Jonty are right like they are, the nice stereotype of the two English professors of the beginning of the XX century, clever and full of knowledge, but maybe too often with their heads on the clouds instead of the ordinary things of life. They are allowed to being in that way since they live in a quite protective environment, the walls of Cambridge. In this case for them those walls are not a "prison", but their shelter, Cambridge is like a natural reserve where people like Orlando and Jonty can thrive where instead, outside those walls, they would perish. Some of Orlando's behaviors made me want to knock him on the head, but then I realized that I was thinking with a XXI century mind, and instead Orlando, and all his reserves, is the consequence of his upbringing in a very strict late XIX century family; we have to comprehend him and allow him to live in his safe world inside those walls, that are not only the physical walls of Cambridge, but also the mental walls he erected to protect himself, and that maybe are also one of the reasons for his amnesia.

I like also the new mystery they undertake in this new book; if it was another real murder, I would have suspected that Orlando and Jonty were like some unlucky charm, and I would have suggested to people to avoid them to not ending dead... And instead this time their investigation is aimed to resolve a more than 400 years old mystery, an investigation that is led through papers and legends, deciphering codes and making assumptions, some of them during a Christmas holiday spent with Jonty's family, they solve a mystery like modern families play at Cluedo. The mystery this time is more playful and less angst, above all since regarding people long ago dead and not directly involved with the heroes.

The new Cambridge Fellows Mystery confirms to be a nice and enjoyable book, with a very sweet romance, and two endearing characters.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/lessons-in-discovery

Amazon Kindle: Lessons in Discovery: Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 3

Series: A Cambridge Fellows Mystery
1) Lessons in Love: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/417687.html
2) Lessons in Desire: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/506663.html
3) Lessons in Discovery

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

This is actually a book that won me over in time and not from the first pages as usually a book does. I'm very much the reader that, if at page 5 is not yet taken by the book, goes back to the blurb to see if I missed something, than read the last page, maybe the before the last page (I know, I know, shoot me on the place!) and then, if nothing else happens, I close it and open another one. No friends, I'm not such a martyr to finish a book I don't like, and so I don't post of book I don't like at all.

Said that, Stand and Deliver arrived to me with a big handicap, it's a menages a trois. Usually I don't read them, but this was an all male menages and plus it was an historical romance, so, well, I decided to give it a try. Another handicap was the starting point of the story, a young earl kidnapped by two highwaymen who becomes their private sex toy... well, a part from the "highwayman" factor, it didn't seem an accurate historical romance, and I have my idea: or you are perfect in what you write, full details and all, or you are at the opposite, the historical setting is barely there, and you instead focus on the characters. Scarlet Blackwell chose the second way.

Lucien is a young earl indeed, comes to his wealth maybe too soon. At nearly 30 years old, he spent all his life doing nothing, and now he is obviously bored. When his coach is cut off by four masked men, Lucien should be scared, and instead he is bored. He doesn't need the money he has with him, he could be very well give them to the men and being happy and alive, but he instead decides to not "stand and deliver". He dares one of the two leaders of the group and obviously he looses the challenge, managing only to see in face the other man. The same man who now forbids to his fellow highwayman to kill Lucien and instead kidnaps him.

Ambrosius is the man who saves Lucien and instead Dante is the one who would have preferred to kill him. They have a strange relationship, a man linked them, Sebastian, Ambrosius' lover and Dante's best friend, and now that he is died, the two men seem to find in each other comfort. But Dante is full of rage, and he thinks all the wealthy men he robs are the enemy, and instead Ambrosius is more the mourning type. With them there are also Robert and August, two lovers who play the role of silent best friends, usually characters that are not fated to last in the story, but don't worry this is not the case. All four of them live in a cottage in the forest, and no, it's not a retelling of Robin Hood, they don't rob the richer to give to the poorer, from what I gathered that is simply another job for them.

The main focus of the story it's not the "strange" career chosen by Ambrosius or Dante, or the tiredness of life that distresses Lucien, it's instead the play of domino among the three men (and even a bit with Robert and August, even if this couple remain exclusive). Lucien thinks to be in love with Ambrosius, but lusts after Dante. Lucien believes Ambrosius and Dante to be in love, and so he would not be against the idea to be third in the menages, if only for the chance to be with Ambrosius. Dante wants first to kill then to bed Lucien, but at the same time he behaves like he is trying to please Ambrosius, like if he is gifting him with a new toy to distract the man from the pain of losing his former lover. In all of this Ambrosius is the perfect mourning romance hero, with an aurea of sadness and imploring eyes, always trying to "say" something to Lucien, but actually never saying.

That's, the play between the three it was what kept me reading. Oh yes, there is sex, a lot of sex, even a threesome, and it was probably good, but the sex wasn't the main event in the story. The sex was always a tool, to persuade, to comfort, or to barter, and it was always used in the right way. The sex was not free and in this way it was right.

I usually don't like when the sex is too much in comparison of the story, and I'm true, I wasn't expecting for Stand and Deliver to balance it as good as it did. Lucien is for sure the better character, above all since he didn't change: he was and is and will be always a bored son of the aristocracy who has found a new toy; Dante and Ambrosius can believe that Lucien is their captive, but Lucien and the reader know better.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=581

The Rainbow Awards: Phase 2: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/823682.html

I'm an old romance reader, old since I like the romances of the '70 and '80; I'm not that old of age, but in Italy those romance arrived more or less 10-15 years after their officially release in the United States. And so, when in America the Western Romance was becoming a passed fashion, I discovered it. There is one that was and still is, one of my favorite, Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer, the story of an ex con (framed for the murder of a prostitute) who is hired by a widow with two little sons and a third arriving. It's a wonderful romance and it was later made into a movie with late Christopher Reeves as the hero. But more than Morning Glory, my favorite, that I read and read again, was The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory. Probably to many of you the name Lisa Gregory says nothing, but she is now more famous and read, as one of the queen of Regency Romances as Candace Camp. But sincerely I think that the Rainbow Season, the love story set at the end of the XIX century between the bad boy, and ex con, of the town, with the young spinster who is in love with her brother in law and decides to marry the hired man of her late father, is and will always be her best novel. There is only another one that can compete, Satan's Angel by Kristin James, the story of a lawless who falls in love for the woman he kidnapped, a woman who was traumatized when she was still a child, and now she is maybe too simple, unable to see the evil in other people... but Kristin James is Lisa Gregory, so, you see, it's obvious why I like that romance as much as the other one.

Why this long introduction? To pay my compliments to Jan Irving to be able to make me feeling again as the teenager of so many years ago, reading a story that is able to take me in another world, a place where your dreams come true. The Hired Man is a perfect Western Romance, as seldom you find today. The Historical Western Romance are strange, since you can read of a recent past history: you can enjoy an historical romance without feeling too far from their characters, escaping in that world is like taking a short trip over the weekend, you are far from the city, but the city is not so far from you. The feeling is the same, the world at the end of the XIX century had still a quiet pace, it was a world of baking cakes at home and doing chores in the barn, actually not so different from the life you can see in some places in the world.

Bryn is the bad boy of this novel: young and pretty, he had the bad luck to be born in the house of a drunken man who never cares for him, and when his mother died, Bryn was all alone. Nobody wondered when he was framed for raping a young girl and sent to prison. To the great surprise of the townfolks, when his conviction ends, Bryn comes back home. The only person who is willing to hire him is Reverend Ian, a man that even before Bryn always looked upon as a good man. But while Bryn was in prison, Ian changed: his wife killed herself soon after murdering their newborn child, and Ian was never the same after that. He lost his faith, and only the cares of Mrs Robson, his housekeeper, keep him going. Despite that Ian hires Bryn, since he sees in the boy's eyes the desperation of not having anything and anyone in the world.

It's a mutual need that brings Ian and Bryn together: Ian is searching for the family he lost, and Bryn for the lover he always dreamed. Even before going in prison, Bryn had "unclean" thoughts on the pious reverend, and his experience in prison only let him with the knowledge that sex between men is possible, but that is a dirty act. Bryn can't possible believe that the perfect Ian is willing to have a relationship with him.

Actually I think that, from Ian's side, there is more the need to protect and having someone to care of than love; it's strong, I know, but I felt like Ian was more a pater familiae than a lover for Bryn. He wants to protect Bryn, he wants to hide him from the ugly thing that is the outside world, and if to do so he has to be Bryn's lover, to fulfill even that side of Bryn's need, than so it be. There is an hole in Ian's past, something I didn't catch quite well: why he became a Reverend? he was from a wealthy family, from what I gathered he had a strict upbringing, but actually I didn't find in him the fire that usually lit a man of faith, even if that fire is smothered by a tragic event. To me Ian seemed more like a man with an extreme need to love and care for people, but not in a religious way, but actually in a very personally way, he needs the feeling to be part of a family, to be whole again. In a way Ian is too selfish to be a good reverend.

On the other hand, Bryn is eager as well, but not for something he lost, but for something he never had; Bryn wants a family, and at first he is willing to barter his body for that. All he knows is that his body is the only worthy thing he has, and that using it he can have shelter and protection. I really think that, with his behavior, in a way he corrupted Ian. I don't think Ian would have ever thought to that possible evolution of their relationship if not for Bryn's attempt to "pay" him for his kindness. Or at least not so soon. I think it's an obvious conclusion of both men's predisposition: Bryn is gay, and he is young, and he has needs; Ian wants to take care of Bryn, and of Bryn's needs, any of them.

I like also how the author dealt with the townfolks, not like they were living in a fairy land where the good Reverend can do everything he wants. There is not easy acceptance from who find out, but more a resignation, like they understand that is not something they can fight. I think this is a righter attitude than some other quite unbelievable situation I read in similar gay historical romances. Said that, the author is quite conscious that she is writing a romance, and a romance has to be romantic, even if it's not realistic. Again, I think that Jan Irving does know well the art of writing a romance with that old fashioned taste of my teenager memories.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=55_108&products_id=1561

Amazon: The Hired Man

Amazon Kindle: The Hired Man

The Rainbow Awards: First Week results: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/811346.html


Cover Art by Paul Richmond

Julian is a gentleman of the beginning of the nineteen century. He is wealthy and handsome, and deeply in love with his best friend Richard. But his love is impossible, he knows that, and now Richard is returned from a journey abroad with a beautiful and charming bride. Fortunatey their friendship seems not to be affected from the new marital status of Richard and Julian still have a lot of chance to stay near his love, even if this is a pleasure filled of pain.

Richard has understood to be in love with Julian also before his friend. For this reason he has left and searched for a bride to try to forget his love. But one year later his marriage he has to admit that his feelings are still here and deeply than before. And no more he can deny to himself the hunger he bears for Julian. He will do anything to finally have his friend by his side, soul and body.

A very brief novel who explore the hidden world of gay love in the upper society of the nineteen century. The most important merit of this work is that it not underestimate the trouble and the perils to love another man in a place and in a time where this act was a crime punishable with death. Too short to give me a full impression of the two characters, it seems to me that they are sketched with a certain degree of reality.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2232

The Rainbow Awards: First Week results: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/811346.html

This is a historical anthology, with a bit of paranormal in one of the tales, and with plenty of different approaches on the same genre, the historical romance. With more or less 25 pages each, all the stories should be considered "shorts", but what struck me (positively) is than no one of them has the feeling to be rushed, all of them are well plotted and the characters have a good development, almost an impossible thing to achieve in a short story, and here we have 4 examples of that.

My Outlaw by Stormy Glenn: I was curios to read this short story, I'm used to a "futuristic" Stormy Glenn, with a push on the erotic side, and maybe with a bit of Alpha/omega play. How was it possible to shift all of it back in time, to the late nineteen century in the wild wild West? When Daniel is kidnapped by the notorious outlaw Black Bart, I didn't feel like he was so upset by his captive condition. From the first moment he sees the handsome outlaw, Daniel seems more than eager to play catch and go with the man, and even if he has a meaning behavior, Black Bart actually doesn't do anything to hurt the younger man. My Outlaw is a romp in the desert, with all the element I was used to find in other Glenn's books, and with a final twist that gives thuthfulness to all the tale.

Forbidden by H.C. Brown: set in the 1075, Middle Age and Norman conquest period, this would led the reader to believe that it was a savage romance, with the damsel (in this case male damsel) in distress who will be saved by his knight in shining armor, a big and strong, and maybe stranger man, more used to the battle field than the bedroom... right? Wrong! Our "damsel" in distress is Renoir, the younger son of a Norman baron; even if he looks like the right weak partner in a savage romance, blonde hair, fair skin, Renoir is not exactly an innocent. He is living in sin, and his father is tired of that, more King William himself wants for him to marry an older woman with plenty of lands but no man around. Instead of rebelling to the imposition, like every "damsel" in distress would do, maybe even run away, Renoir accepts to marry the woman and leave with his male lover to live in blissful isolation. And now another side of Renoir comes out: maybe he is so aloof and unromantic, since he has a broken heart? And his lost lover maybe is the knight in shining armor we were all expecting? As I said, this tale has a plot and characters development that is impressive for how short the story is. The overall approach on the story is that of a farce (word used not in a derogative way), it reminds me some old plays with the trick of the exchanged character; the story is more heavy in the plot twists than in the historical accuracy, but I think that was the aim of the author.

Poisoned Heart by Anna O’Neill: here is the slightly paranormal tale. In Edo-period Japan, Raiden is seeking vengeance against is guest-brother, a man his family welcomed and who killed Raiden's parents. Now Raiden has managed to learn the magic to travel back in time, and he wants to kill Masashi before the man could kill his parents. But even before starting his travel, Raiden seems unwell with the idea to kill an unarmed Masashi, it seems like he wants to give a chance to the man. I don't feel so much hate inside Raiden's heart, more betrayal, but not the betrayal of a guest-brother, more that of a lover. And so it's, when Raiden steps back in time, he can see the old Raiden, the fifteen years old who looks upon Masashi with starstrucked eyes. Only that now Raiden can see Masashi also with different eyes, those of an adult and not of a teenager. More Raiden has now the knowledge to understand that maybe Masashi was a victim like him.

Deliverance by Aleksandr Voinov: the last tale is setting during the Crusades and William is a medieval knight who wants to do penance for his sins, the sin to have loved a man. In the Templar order William suppressed all his secret desires, not only for men but for anything that is mundane. He thinks to be at peace, to have finally found his path. But William is in denyal, he is not repentant, he is only far from any temptation. As soon as he is faced with it, in the form of Guy, his past lover, all William's hidden desires are freed. I like Guy's approach to the problem: he didn't near William with a broken heart or recriminations, he didn't try to convince William that what he is doing is wrong, he simply states that William was not free to take a decision regarding both of them, he had obligations that prevented him to join the Templar. It's a very logic and effective way to face the problem.

3 out of 4 of these authors were new to me, and so I can't say if this work is better than any other previous work. I don't even know so well their background to understand if they are newbie or not... What I can say is that I think this is a good quality product. BTW, in no one of the short stories is played the card of the "blushing" virgin, so common in so many other historical gay romances... a coincidence or a choice?

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=61

Setting the rules for the Rainbow Awards, first phase will start soon: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/799266.html

When I was young I read a lot of classics and enjoy them very much. Strong stories with well written characters and able to take you awake till late and eager to read more. Sometime romance, cause there were a love story on them, but not erotic cause there were no sex on them. But I didn't miss the sex, cause I could imagine in my mind what happened behind the closed door of a bedroom, usually between a married couple. Captain's Surrender is a such story? in some way yes. In an epublished world where sex is the easiest way to drawn the reader (and I'm first in line to it, as I always say I like my sex scene...) Alex Beecroft has chosen the hardest way, writing a very good story, with wonderful but very human characters and giving us a lot of love but very few sex, barely some hints. I'm accusing her for it? Oh, no, not at all. Cause her book is right like it is and one of that book I will read again and again, to find every time something new in the very rich prose she has used.

Josh is a midshipman in a ship under the command of a crazy captain. A man who has no problem to beat to death a sailor who has spoken aloud his believes, unfortunately not the same of his captain, and who will have no problem to hang a man framed with sodomy (and in that time he has also the right to doing it). So Josh, who judge himself an abomination to crave the touch of another man, tries to do his work and not react to the captain's wickedness. But he knows that the captain has read into him and soon or later he will hang. And then Peter enters his life: a young lieutenant, third son of a nobleman, but with no money of his own, Peter his the epitome of grace and cavalry. To Josh's eyes he is like an angel, someone he can't dirty with his sin. But Peter his like a magnet, and soon Josh finds himself to surrender to this man, with body and soul.

Josh is a wonderful character. He is the real "noble" man, and even if he is younger, and less cultured than Peter, he is more wise and I think also more brave. He first of all thinks to the better of whom he beloved and then maybe to his desire. Peter instead is like you can imagine a nobleman and a spoilt son: sure he is good, full of his own idea of what is right and what is wrong in the world, but he is also sure that he is like a gift to Josh. He never say it aloud, but sometime his behaviour let me think like he is doing a favour to Josh. Oh, yes, he loves John, no doubt in it, but at what he renounces to stay with Josh? Nothing, and when he has to take a decision, what do you think he will do? So in the end I like a lot Josh and I think he maybe deserves someone better of Peter, and to regain my sympathy, Peter has to behaviour very good.

As you see, every book that manages to awaken in you such strong feelings is for sure a good book. Due to the matter, historical fiction setting in the sea world, I was exepcting it to be maybe a little bit demanding, and instead I have read it in a session, without grown tired neither for a moment, and eager to turn the page to see what would be happened to my heroes (yes even to Peter, cause I wanted to see if he made amends for his selfishness :-) )

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/captain-s-surrender

Amazon: Captain's Surrender

Alex Beecroft's In the Spotlight post: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/534359.html


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Justin, a commander of a garrison near the Wall in norther Britain meets a man of legend: Falan is a shape-changer, an healer who can shapeshifter in a grey wolf.  Justin is not so startled to meet the man, cause he is born in Britain and his mother has raised him with the old tales. Both Justin and Falan prefer men upon women, and so it's pretty clear and simple that they can share something together, without too much problem: they start a relationship, both maintaining their life, but finding a point amid the path to connect.

But Justin, even if living far from the politics, is a man of Rome, and when Rome calls he has to respond. But if the call can put in danger Falan and his people, what Justin will do?

Taming the Mountain Mist is a smooth tale, you have a feeling of peace reading it. It's true, there is a clash between two world, but Justin seems to be a man that can conciliate these two worlds. I'd like to read a bit more on this story, less then 40 pages, cause, even if it's a paranormal tale, it's also an historical one, and I have always liked the Roman tales setting in Britain (beautiful one, Born of the Sun by Joan Wolf).

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2193

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle

Dona Nobis Pacem is one of those lost pearls that sometime you find; a lost pearl is a book you start thinking to read a nice and good novel (since you like the author and the publisher), but maybe a bit on the average side. You start it maybe on the brink of sleep, already with half mind shut down for the night, and soon realize that you are reading something different, that this is not your usual average novel, that you have on your hand a special romance.

Dona Nobis Pacem is an historical western romance; there is not precise time period, but probably it's the late nineteen century. Donnell is a mute saloon owner. He is born mute, the son of a "soiled dove" that died two hours after giving birth to him. People told to those women to let him die, that it would have been a pitiful thing to do, but another woman, Bettina, didn't listen anything of it and raised him. As often happens when you are born in certain places, Donnell has always spent his life in saloon and brothel; he has a clever mind and did a bit of money with gambling. He used that money to buy his own saloon and now he lives there with his "mother" Bettina and an impromptu family made by his employees. Donnell communicates through his hands and the music he learned, he is now the piano man of the saloon, but his music sometime also conveys his moods. Donnell has also soon learned that he prefers men, but it's too dangerous to indulge in his preferences with temporary lovers, and so he swore to Bettina to be careful.

Then a day Donnell sees a man in front of his saloon. Nathan is young and beautiful, with big blue eyes and a stubborn behavior. He has nothing, not even the right clothes to be under the sun, but he is also to stubborn to accept help without giving something in exchange. He wants a job, but he is too dirty, weak and "odd" to find one. He collapses in front of Donnell, and Donnell takes him home, like a stray dog. For Donnell it's love at first sight, maybe also since Donnell is lonely and he recognizes another lonely soul in Nathan. During the day and night that Donnell spends to take care of a feverish and delirious Nathan, the story of the man comes out: he was a seminarist and threw out from the "church" when he didn't pass the last temptation test; Nathan has desires for men and this is the biggest sin.

Nor Donnell or Nathan are really strong characters, at least in a physical way; they both have a strong will, but in my mind I built them more ascetic; Nathan with his latin words, and Donnell with his elegant hand moves, they are a bit of a bohemian artists soiled by the dust of the Far West. Even if Donnell, with his disability, should be the weaker one, it's not like that: both Donnell than Nathan are at the same level, both of them have their own disability, and they compensate each other.

After that, the story is not much more complicated, it's more or less based on Nathan and Donnell's discovery of each other, of their tentative to build a relationship, a relationship that will add the last piece to Donnell's odd family, a companion for himself. As Nathan says, they are both fallen angels, and their love is not a sin inside the strange haven of Donnell's saloon, doesn't matter what happens outside. It's not the purpose of this book to be realistic, to show you that it would have been impossible for Donnell and Nathan to have a life together, even in that particular condition. It's not that the novel underestimates those problems, they are there, just outside, it's only that the author prefers to have a more romance sight on the story, to let you dream and believe that it's possible for two fallen angels to be happy together.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2136

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Rose Lenoir

Jonty and Orlando go on holiday. It's a nice thing, and so it gives a new light to their story. And it's exactly the feeling I had reading the book, light, in both its meanings, the book is more easier and joyous than the previous one, and, even if the previous setting in Cambridge was a dear one to me, it had a sense of gothic and darkness, that in this new adventure you will not find.

Even if at first Orlando doesn't feel comfortable to be outside the protective shell of Cambridge walls, he in the end arrives to enjoy the sense of freedom and the chance to be alone in a double suite with Jonty. They decide to spend in the Channel Island of Jersey, in a little beach hotel with an upper class clientele. During the trip and on the island, the reader has the chance to see a side of Jonty that I don't remember to have notice in the previous book: he is quite protective of his dear friend Orlando, and he, at the same time, pushes the friend to experiment all the possible joys the life can give them, and to share his past with him, a way to exorcise the nightmares that still prevent Orlando to fully love Jonty.

Even if in the previous book both Jonty than Orlando's past were presented to the reader, I really haven't had an idea of them outside the college. There were some hints on Jonty's family and some memories of Orlando's parents, but it's only in this new book that I have a whole idea of them, and at the same time, understand better the reason why Orlando seems unable to be completely involved with Jonty; I know, and appreciate, that the author is faithful to the period, and I understand that Jonty and Orlando would never be able to have an open relationship, but when they are inside their room, with the door locked, at the college, or at Jonty's house, or even there in the hotel, before reading of Orlando's reasons, I never really understood why he wasn't comfortable with Jonty's proofs of affection. There is that very first night, when Jonty almost implores him to share the bed, and Orlando stearnly refuses, that I would like to knock him on the head; but then he is so tender with Jonty and from that very first night Orlando seems to blossom to new life, accepting Jonty's dares that become every day more challenging and intimate.

There is obviously also a mystery, but I'm not good at describing it, I never know if I'm giving too much details with the risk to spoil the story... so I will let you discover it all by yourself, I will only say that it's good and with a very surprising ending.

Comparing the two books, I have to say that this second is way better than the first. In the first book both characters were nice, but they almost remained captive in themself, like the wall of the college protecting them from the outside world in a way were also shading them from the reader. Instead in this second book both characters shine, they are in the open, they walk in the sun, and in this way they are displayed to the reader. Also the sexual relationship between them evolves and it's more clear to the reader, but always with privacy: it's not necessary to give much details, when a word here and there is enough to give you the idea of the whole.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/lessons-in-desire

Amazon: Lessons in Desire

Amazon Kindle: Lessons In Desire: Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 2

Series: A Cambridge Fellows Mystery
1) Lessons in Love: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/417687.html
2) Lessons in Desire

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Jonathan Stewart, Jonty for the intimate friends, and Orlando Coppersmith are both young professors in one of the Cambridge's college at the beginning of the twenty century. They are at opposite in work and behavior, Stewart a literature professor and Coppersmith a mathematics, Stewart open and friendly, both with students than colleagues, Coppersmith aloof and always lost in his mind. They also had very different family, Coppersmith now orphan and with two very cold and distant parents, Stewart still surrounded by a loving family.

But they are both rather young and so they click together. Jonty has no problem to admit that he has also a personal interest in Orlando, being him not new to feel a maybe not appropriate moving for another man. Instead Orlando is more hesitant, but not since he judges inappropriate that feelings, but since he never before has felt something similar for a man or a woman. Orlando was taught to avoid any personal emotion, to suppress any physical urges, so soon and so strong in his youth that he never allowed himself to disobey that teachings.

When Jonty tentatively tries to introduce Orlando to such physical contacts, Orlando believes that kissing and cuddling is the greatest extent of what two men can do together, not having any knowledge of what happens in bed between man and woman let alone between two men. But Jonty, even if in love with Orlando, can't be satisfied with simple being a little more than a dear friend for Orlando, and gently pushes for something more.

Just when Orlando is letting go a bit, a string of murders targets the students, and all the victims are men who were known to prefer the company of men. To Orlando's inhibitions is now added also the fear of what it could happen to Jonty if someone should know of their "particular" friendship.

The story is a good mix of romance and plot; the relationship between Orlando and Jonty has the lion share on the plot, leaving the investigation on the killing in second line, never interfering with the development of Orlando and Jonty's exploration of love. Even if the relationship reaches and deepens to a sex level, it's never in graphic details, always maintaining a sweet romance grade.

The setting is the same of the previous tale by Charlie Cochrane, the Old University buildings of Cambridge, with its all male atmosphere where women are only seen as intruders.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/lessons-in-love-rr

Amazon Kindle: Lessons in Love

Amazon: Lessons in Love

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

The Timeless Dreams series by Dremspinner Press has all the good basis to be one of my favorite series. I often say that the Sheikh is one of my secret dream hero, and so I was pretty curious to read this story by Sonja Spencer about the love between a daring sheikh and the pleasure slave he bought. There were all the preambles for it to be naughty and sexy, but I forgot one important detail: the author. For what I read by Sonja Spencer she is not the usual erotic romance writer, she is more "dreamy", with a strong propension to be emotional rather than sexy. And so also her story is like that, the love between Shahin and his servant Noori, is sweet and tender, but not at all sexy; there is almost no sex, but there is a lot of intimacy. And there is the rebirthing of a man who was used and misused and that has to learn to trust again, but he is lucky enough to meet a gentle and caring man.

There are some details that almost made me think that this was more a fantasy tale rather than an historical. The setting is obviously historical, but not so far in time to be medieval: Shahin wears glasses and they use ink and paper, and I don't know, the relationships between Shahin and his men and people is more "modern" than a medieval kingdom. But still Noori was sold as a slave to pay his father's debt, and he was from a "northern region", he has blonde hair, blue eyes and very pale skin... some of the old Scandinavian kingdom? A place where there was still a some sort of feudalism that allows people to be sold in slavery? I think that the author purposedly chose to not be too detailed, to let the story have this "out of time" feeling. And then it's exactly the way why the Sheikh romance is so popular, the sheikhs and their way of live, out of time even when they are in the XX century, make a story fascinating and with an aurea of mystery mixed to danger. The Sheikh, in the little world that is their household, a few tends scattered around, is the one and only Master, he is both power and law, he is the only steady point for a lot of people as well for his lover, being this lover willing or not.

But Noori is more than willing. Noori is a particularly clever and cultured slave, he was not raised to be a slave and he was sold when he was old enough to have memories of his previous life. Nevertheless Noori is also a very sweet and gentle man, he is not a domineering character, he is witty and spirited, but he has not an independent streak. He doesn't like his life before Shahin, but he was accustomed to it; he dreams for a man who will save him from his sad fate, and he is willing to urge that man toward the right decision, but it's not freedom he is searching, it's a good natured man who will treat him good. Noori is used to be a slave, and also a pleasure slave, he would only like to be so for a man he likes as well.

On the other hand, Shahin is gentle and caring but he is not used to have a slave. He buys Noori since he dislikes to see a clever man like him being treated no more better than an object, but Shahin is too closed inside his protective shields to allow someone else in. And even if he was married twice, I believe that he has always had trouble to express his feelings. For sure his second marriage was an arranged one, and Shahin had not to court and woo the bride. So from a side there is Noori, who is willing to share Shahin's bed if only asked, but who was taught not to overimpose himself if not wished; from the other side there is Shahin, that has never learned how to court a lover and that is too considerate to impose himself to someone who do not make clear his wishes... not the best of situation and this is the reason why, even if they are very intimate, and shared the close proximity of a tent, Shahin and Noori behave more like two child who don't know sex, rather than a twice widower and a former sex slave.

The only thing that let me perplexed it's the change in pace toward the end. All the story has a slow pace, very coherent with the way of life of the desert people and their philosophy, there is no need to rush thing, all the world has a natural pace and you have to follow it. But at some point danger breaks the peaceful flow and from that moment on, the book takes a full swing, not all the details are full explained (see for example to man who brought the danger inside Shahin's household, what happened to him?), and almost as suddenly as it happened, all is resolved and the book ends... But maybe the author needed something to shake both men from the empasse they were stalled in.

Despite the lack of sex, I like very much this book, it was sweet and tender to see how Noori opens little by little to Shahin and his people, how he first learns how to smile again, and then how to be impulsive and happy; even if at first Noori didn't understand it, and took Shahin's refusal to bed him as consequences of something he did wrong, it comes out exactly how Shahin wished, Noori was able to be again a free man, and when it is time to share Shahin's bed, the sheikh is sure that Noori is doing in completely willingness, and not as a duty or as a way to express his gratitude.

Anyway, The Sheikh and the Servant is not maybe the naughty tale I was expecting, but it's probably even better.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

Amazon Kindle: The Sheikh and the Servant

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

All Shook Up by J.M. Snyder

Eduard is a depraved nineteen century Dutch nobleman who runs a plantation on the Isle of Java. Actually his wife runs the plantation and all Eduard seems to do his to harass all the men servant of the place. Since Eduard was banished from his native Denmark after a trial for homosexuality, a trial he survived only to the fake testimony of his wife. And now they live far from the high society, with the unspoken pact that his wife could be the real master of the house, and Eduard will lead the life as he likes.

In this apparently paradise arrives Reza, Eduard's former lover. Reza was a crewman on the ship that took Eduard on his new homeland, and it was also the first native lover of Eduard. After him, Eduard always sought men like Reza, probably never found one. But sincerely Eduard was not very sad to have to leave his former lover, and actually he even doesn't recognize him when Reza re-enters his life. But Eduard realizes that he was like a child in a candy store: he had in front of him an entire new world full of men who he could finally have without risking his life, but what he didn't understand years ago, is that Reza was his real love and he shouldn't never let him go.

Eduard is not the perfect hero of your usual romance. He is naughty and debauched, a man who is content to be order around by a woman, and actually not a man with a courage of his own: he becomes courageous when he is near Reza, he draws force by the silent man. Reza is a very difficult character to understand: he doesn't speak a lot and he, at first, seems strong and independent, but then you realize that he is a man in love and that he is not whole without Eduard, his first real love. In the end, Reza is a simpler man of what you thought.

A very interesting short historical romance, less than 75 pages, with two original characters... original since nor Eduard or Reza are romance heroes: usually a romance hero is so perfect that he really doesn't respect the reality of an historical character. In this romance instead, I think that both Eduard than Reza are pretty real: Eduard with his laziness and naughtiness and Reza with his simple soul.

http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AllShookUp.html

Amazon: Renegades, Rebels, & Rogues

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

I remember when the two authors were planning to write this book, Angelia Sparrow wondered if it was possible for a boy raised as a girl, and having no real contact with anyone if not his own maid and guardian, a man himself disguised as a woman, to really believe that all people, men and women, have a penis, and the only difference that distinct them is how they behave in public.

The book is a good and precise retelling of the Robin Hood's legend. The twist is that Marion, the bastard son of dead King Richard I, was raised by Sir David as a princess. Sir David was Richard's lover, and was supposed to be killed during the crusade. Instead, to accomplish the last dying bed desire of his lover, he disguised as a woman, Bess, and collected Marion from his peasant mother family, and brought her to Locksley, where Robin's father betrothed his son to "princess" Marion. Years later, Robin is an outlaw and Marion is taken in almost captivity by the Sheriff of Notthingham.

Adult Robin, even if he doesn't know Marion's true nature, is not against the idea of man on man love, in fact, among his merry band, he is quite intimate both with Will Scarlett than Little John. But with them it's more friendship than love, and when he meets Marion, and discovers his true nature, it's no problem at all to fall in love and swear to his guardian Bess, that he will take good care of the "princess". In all this plan, poor Marion doesn't come out as a very clever boy, he is all in all the perfect example of how a young lady was raised at that time, with little regard to his mind, since she doesn't need it, and all the efforts spend to make her a perfect and proper lady. But Marion has some surprise on her bow.

The story and the point of view on the history is more Hollywood type than historically accurate, means that it's more important to show the nice and naughty side of the age, than the real life style, much as it is always done on the movie from the Errol Flynn's time to Kevin Costner, passing from Sean Connery and also Walt Disney. Said that, if someone wonders why there are so many homosexual relationship, maybe the strange thing is that there are so many in the same place, but don't forget that they are not historically inaccurate, it's well known that Richard I was scolded both from the Pope than from his mother to have not accomplished his due as an husband.

There is quite a lot of sex in the story, but even it is accurate, having in mind, for example, Marion's innocence, or the discomfort of having sex in the wood without the proper equipment (oils and similar). All of that, managing to make it good and enjoyable nevertheless.

I think that the quality of this book is above to the usual level I found on Ellora's Cave and for once, even the cover is right for the story itself.

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7439-heart-of-a-forest.aspx

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

If Leopold was a woman, it would have been the classical heroine who no romance author chooses as main character. Usually a widow, or a fallen woman, in the Regency romance they are friends, mistress (usually abandoned at the beginning of the story), housekeeper. Some daring romance authors made them the main heroine, but seldom, and usually with no much success. And so that Ava March decided to write the story of a corresponding male version it's quite original, and daring as well. In the few M/M historical romance you can find around, the men are strong and dominant figures, full of sense of honor, or innocent young boys, the male version of the damsel in distress. If the man is a rake, it's probably due to a poor childhood, to a lack of love that made him aloof.

Leopold instead is "weak" to the pleasure of flesh since he is basically easy to fall into temptation. At 19 years old, when he was starting to realize that he preferred men, he fell in love with Arthur, the nephew of his father's solicitor. While Leopold was a noble man, the fourth son of a Viscount, Arthur, even if middle class and wealthy, was on a different level. To Leopold that didn't matter, but he was really young, and as I said, not so strong, neither then. He let pass too much time to make clear his feelings with Arthur, and the man chose another. Falling in despair, Leopold spent the following ten years drinking stupor his pain, and sharing his favors with everyone was willing. Not a good way to prove to Arthur that he did the wrong choice.

Where Leopold could care less of the society, his father's title and money protecting him, Arthur has to be discreet; his position depends from his job, and his job from his reputation. A relationship with a discreet man, albeit cold, it's better than an hot affair with a young man apparently unable to be low profile. But even if sure, the relationship is also unsatisfying, and when it ends, for natural death, Arthur is tempted to accept an invite for a brief stay at Leopold's country home. Leopold's intentions are clear, and Arthur is willing to surrender, only for few days.

While Arthur is the hero you are expecting from a man on man Regency romance, as I said, it's Leopold who wins my sympathy. Leopold is not a strong man, without Arthur's love he is no one, not "man" enough to resolve his self-confidence issues by himself. Basically Leopold is a spoiled child, as fourth male child, his father doesn't expect to much from him, but loving him, he gave everything to his child. Not having the bear his father's expectation, Leopold is free to live his life as he wants, but on the other hand, he has no real purpose. I don't feel as Leopold charges of something his father, he is a beloved child, and he expects to be loved. When Arthur doesn't do that by himself, Leopold his willing to help him to take the right decision, to let him taste what he is missing. From the unconditionally love of his father, Leopold wants to pass to the unconditionally love of Arthur: it's only natural, why someone shouldn't love him? 

Said like that, it could seem that Leopold isn't a nice character, and it's absolutely wrong. Ava March describes him in a way that the reader is all for Leopold, and when Arthur, with right, states his perplexity, the reader only thinks that he is not right with Leopold, that he should be more flexible and understanding. Leopold is an easy man to love (no pun intended).

http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Convincing_Arthur-979.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Convincing Arthur

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by April Martinez

This is an old fashioned vampire novel. Lately vampires are become dream lover type and reader forgot that they are actually deadly creature. Creature of the night and shadows. And the Victorian London is a place that suits them, since even during the day, the reader has always the impression that the sky is cloudy and the weather is rainy. There is seldom full day light, and even if you click on the gaslight, nevertheless the rooms are always full of shadows. People also are more enthralling, same man than during the day light would make you change your path, at night it is a tempting alley.

Collin Foster is a reporter for an important newspaper; he loves to find the true, he loves to bring justice, but people like to read about scandal. Just an year before Collin was following and helped to bring to justice a children murderer, but it was not a news that makes the paper for days. And now, when Collin brings to light a brothel for very wealthy men who prefer the company of their same sex, now Collin is all over the news, the wealthy men are flying away in France or somewhere else, and the poor boys who worked there are in prison. And Collin is not feeling as he brought to justice some sinner, he is feeling bad, since those men are like him, only that Collin has never had the chance, or the courage, to follow his instincts.

One night he meets by chance an handsome man, Eduard de Sonnac. He is a stranger, he probably will leave the city soon, and Collin is tempted. Not only by the beauty of the man, but also by his deepness: de Sonnac seems to know so much and he is enthralling. Collin is tempted and he surrenders to temptation.

This is a novel which told a story in the middle of a bigger event. A lot is happened before to Eduard, and his character is only hinted here. More of the story is about Collin. Collin is quite a complicated man; not only he is homosexual, he has also chosen a strange career for a middle class man like him. Plus there is a dark and gothic story in his past, the murder of his sister, an event that was never really explained or resolved. Collin has a thirst for justice, and he tries to qualm this thirst with his work as reporter. But Collin has not a black and white perspective on the world, he is too much on the edge to have the sacred fire of a true reporter inside him: Collin is horrified by the fate of the victims when they are innocent, but he is also able to feel for the guilty ones when their acts are something unintentional. Collin can feel for who lives in the shadows, since he is like them. The only important difference between him and them is that Collin is a very strong man, able to resist to the darkest desires, even when they are sexual desires... at least he is able to resist till he meets Eduard. It's strange, Collin at first is so controlled, almost cold, but then he is even more passionate than Eduard, and I have the feel that he could be a stronger man than Eduard, if taught well.

As I said Eduard is not so much developed, it would be interesting to read his story before and after Collin. And I have the feeling that the author is not finished with them, there is still a lot to say, a lot to develop and secrets to unveil.

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/WrittenInBlood.html

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

The Adventures of Nico and Gianni, London 1712, is, like the title lets presume, a farce set in the world of theatre, opera and more of the XVIII century. I'm not using the word "farce" in a derogative way, but in the way it was used many years ago, to describe a play, comedy or drama, where the necessity to be real was not the main purpose of the story. The story had to be entertaining, and various, and possible full of surprise, that always left the reader wondering. And then, if there was also a love story or two, maybe complicated, maybe interconnected, even better.

The Adventures of Nico and Gianni is all of this, and if it manages to be also an in deep view on the world of Opera and the life of castrati who sang it, even better. Nico is a 19 years old castrato from Neaples (Napoli); he has quite a good life in Neaples, but nothing special, since he is one among the many castrati who are raised in the local music college. So he decides to find his success in London, where Lord John, a wealthy aristocratic Englishman is founding a new theatrical company. Right the day he is living Neaples, his childhood friend, 17 years old Gianni, another castrato, decides to join him: Gianni, like Nico, is an orphan, and he was raised inside the church. At nine years old they were operated, and while Nico found his path outside the church, Gianni is almost taken captive by a powerful cardinal who uses him like a plaything. Gianni has a good and innocent nature, but he is suffering from this situation and Nico has no heart to leave him alone.

And here there is another thing that make the story more a farce than a real historical drama: all the characters, especially the Italian ones, bore a name that is the description of their attitude; Nico is "Premuroso" than in English sounds like "attentive", Gianni is "Frivolo" than means "frivolous", but there are also a Claudio "Indegno" (unworthy), villain of the story, a Giulio Cantabile (singable), composer; among the English characters, there are Mrs Busybody, matchmaker, Herbert Heartsease, lover, Peter Penetrable, he-whore, Dr Knitbone, a doctor... Just from the name you can identify the character, exactly like in those Italian farces where the same role was played always by the same mask, so that the spectator could easily identify the role.

When Nico and Gianni arrive in London, they discover that there is only one role left for a male soprano and two roles for female soprano... the decision is soon taken, Gianni with his very feminine feature will audition for the female role as Giannina. Things go so well that Nico is taken as second male soprano, and Gianni, now Giannina, is the first female soprano. On the same opera there is also another Italian castrato, Claudio Indegno, who is not so happy to see his position of best male soprano put in danger by these new arrivals.

The opera is a success and Giannina draws the attention of their benefactor, Lord John; at the same time Nico falls in love for Lord John's best friend, Robert. While Nico has to not deny his true nature since Robert is like him, a man drawn by his same sex, Gianni doesn't unveil his true identity to "her" suitor, Lord John. Meanwhile other characters enter the scene, like Mrs Busybody, a female columnist for The Spectator, a local newspaper, who is a bit too masculine to be a real woman, and Herbert, her "nephew", a Danish man who was raised by pirates, and rescued by Mrs Busybody when he was 10.

Among performance, odd parties, raid from the police, processes for sodomy or attempt to sodomy (with a fine but important distinction), lost and found sons, improbable masking, and even some cameo appearance form Queen Anne, the Adventures of Nico and Gianni go on, always with a light mood rather than drama. All in all, Nico and Gianni are two young men caught in a world bigger than them, all they want is to find a true and sincere love; in a way Gianni is luckier than Nico, he immediately finds his true love in John, but their is an impossible love, due to the little "surprise" Gianni is bringing under his gown. Nico instead is torn between Robert, his perfect dream man, noble but maybe a bit detached (and truth be told, I don't like him so much), and poor but sincere Herbert, with his big body, his strange accent and his gentle behaviour; where Robert is cultured and clever, Herbert is maybe more simple, but I like him better.

So if you are searching romance, other than adventures, in this story there is plenty, and I will give an important hint to the romantic hearts: don't worry, thanks to the fact that the story is maybe not too "serious", I believe that you will not be disappointed by how it wraps up. I don't know if it makes sense, but the story is not serious, but the history is very detailed; what I mean is that unrealistic characters (or at least characters with an unrealistic development) are immersed in a very realistic setting. The details on the time, places, even custom and dresses, are very much true; I have the feeling that also the history lover will not be disappointed by this book. It’s like I read not an historical novel, but a novel written by a man of that age who wanted to be over the lines.

Amazon: The Adventures Of Nico And Gianni: London 1712

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Eon Alan Day

The Convenient Husband by J.L. Langley

When I started this book, I had the feeling to read one of my favorite old sweet romance. I confess, I was an avid reader of those old Harlequin Present series, above all the Long Tall Texan series by Diana Palmer. In those romance, the hero was always an handsome and wealthy Long Tall Texan rancher and the heroine was always some sweet virgin, and often it was some family friend's daughter, or a neighbor, or the foster child hosted on the ranch. A bit of age difference was requested, but not so much to be insurmountable. Usually the two lovers were aware of their feelings soon enough, but the wiser and older hero was reluctant to take advantage of someone he considered under his protection.

The Convenient Husband is all of this. Tucker is the oldest son of a Texan rancher; he built his life far from the ranch, but often he was come back home to visit, at least until Micah reached his 18 years old. Micah was the nephew of the ranch's foreman, and he has always lived on the ranch since 4 years old. And he was always the shadow of Tucker. But on his 18 years old birthday Micah was suddenly the forbidden fruit and Tucker surrendered to temptation. It was only a kiss, but it was enough to make Tucker run away. Four years later Micah needs Tucker to come back home: Tucker's grandfather is dying and he wants his nephew near him; plus the old man's will states that he will leave the ranch to the first of his nephews to marry... even if it's not a legal marriage in Texas. Being both Tucker than Micah gay, the obvious solution is for Tucker to marry Micah, so the young man will be able to remain forever on the ranch, and this time even as a real family member... But once Tucker tastes for real the forbidden fruit, will he be able to walk away from him again?

The story is mostly funny and it doesn't last long in the life of the two main characters, only few days. It also avoids almost all the angst usually linked to a gay relationship in a "unwelcoming" setting, only one man has something to say against Tucker and Micah's relationship, and inside all the other people around are supporting and happy, like it was the only thing they were expecting. So there is no really trouble among Tucker and Micah, if not only a bit of stubbornness from both side, exactly like on those old sweet romance I loved so many years ago. The Convenient Husband is a modern tale with an old sweet feeling.

Seeing You by Dakota Flint

The feeling of this second story is quite different. It's always about a ranch and two cowboy but the ranch is in Montana and the two cowboys are grieving for the loss of the same man. Simon was Dylan's brother and Wade's lover; it was Dylan who presented Simon to Wade and doing that it made of Wade an happy man and of himself a desperate one. Dylan was in love with Wade but Wade never seen him as nothing more than a friend. And when Wade found his happiness with Simon, Dylan was able to accept it since he loved Simon as much as he loved Wade if not more. But than Simon died in a car accident while driving with Dylan, and Dylan had not the courage to stay and see the sorrow in Wade's eyes, he dreaded the question, why Simon died and not you? To not loose also the best friend after the brother, he severed the contact, loosing in this way also his family.

Years later Dylan is called back home: Wade's ranch is decaying as it's doing his owner. Without his lover by his side, and having lost also his best friend, Wade was unable to cope and let it everything go waste. Dylan knows that he can let it happen and he decides to be again Wade's best friend. But when Wade is asking for more, Dylan has to understand if the man is searching a substitute for his lost lover, or if he is ready to love again.

As the previous story, even if more sad, also this one is almost a sweet romance. Again there is more speaking of feelings than sexy scenes. The mood is definitely less light, but the story is not less romantic. And again there is this undisputed acceptance of Wade and Dylan's, and Simon's, sexuality, without trouble, with only love. This time there is not even a lonely opponent. The problem between Wade and Dylan are of different nature, it's a question of too much unsaid questions. The strange thing is that I really think that Simon's death is the only reason why Wade and Dylan have a chance to be happy together, and it's not so obvious; Wade was really in love with Simon and I don't think he would have been the same with Dylan before. Wade and Dylan are too similar, they would have been probably shifted in an ordinary and boring life together, and sooner or later they would have split. Simon is the glue that stick them together now. With Simon Wade had the chance to taste what is a passionate love; without Simon, Dylan had the chance to live outside the ranch. Now both Wade than Dylan know what they want to be happy, and they know that they can have it together.

Side note: Dakota Flint paid an homage to James Buchanan, a supporting character on the novel was reading The Good Thief and was enthralled by the story.

Judas Steer by Kiernan Kelly

Judas Steer is on the same mood of the previous historical western romance by Kiernan Kelly, In Bear Country. As in that one, it's the romance between a young and inexperienced (at least of the cowboy's life) young man and an older and somewhat bitter cowboy. Granger is a cattle driver and he likes that life. Never staying long enough in a town suits him, since in this way he can indulge in his taste, that is more for men than women. And during the long night out herding the cattle, it's easier to find a friendly soul. But this time Granger has his eyes not on a weathered cowboy like himself, but on Billy, a young boy that seems out of place among them. It comes out that Billy is the owner's son, sent out with the men to learn the job. Granger feels pity for the young man, and also a lot of lust, and decides to take him under his shadow, teaching him the job and also something else.

The story is a mix of sex and adventure. While Granger is teaching to Billy what happens at night between men, there are enemies outside that are planning to take their revenge on both Granger than Billy, for different reason. Of the two villains of the story, I'm quite of Sinopa, I have always had a soft spot for Native Americans, but truth be told, Sinopa is not the best example. Probably the most interesting thing of all the story is Granger: he is the good hero, but, all in all, he is also a seducer, I have no doubt that he took advantage of Billy's innocence and that he is full aware of it. But he did it in a way that Billy was not forced, he went willing: Granger presented himself like a full main course to a starving man, and Billy dipped with gusto... and "technically" speaking, it was Billy who "did" Granger.

Buy at 1 Romance Ebooks

Forgotten Favor by Angela Fiddler

If you are wondering why an author like Angela Fiddler is in a western romance anthology... well, stop to wonder and read the story. I don't want to spoil it, enough to say that as usual she adds something "special" to the story, even if it doesn't make it so unbelievable, it makes it only more... gothic? weird? spooky? I don't know, odd maybe. Anyway the story is pretty classic, Mark is the second and spoiled son of a wealthy Canadian rancher. His father his more used to money than cows, and so Mark has not the best of the relationship with him and grew pretty much alone. He went into the rodeo circuit and met Jake; glances, innuendo and Mark was ready to jump the fence with the more experienced man, but that same day, Mark's brother died in a riding accident and Mark's father made him swear that he will never see again Jake. And so it was, but then Mark had an accident himself, he went into rehab and his father sold his beloved horse... you can do everything to a man, but not selling his horse. Jake is the one who rescued Butter, Mark's horse, and now he is also willing to give shelter also to Mark. And to start again from where they were interrupted years before.

As I said the story would have been pretty simple, if not for that spin that links Mark's brother's death and the resolving point of the story: it's almost like the fate was in debt with Mark, and it decides to pay him back allowing him a late happily ever after. And a big one, with all of them happy together and without financial issue. Actually someone could even question Jake's real reason for being so gentle and caring with Mark, but then, they are so good in bed that you can forget that.

Buy at 1 Romance Ebooks

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=STUDSPUR

Amazon: Studs & Spurs

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

When I read Let's Get Medieval by Jardonn Smith I was quite candid in stating that while The Bishop of Grunewald was not my cup of tea, I somewhat liked The Tortured Secutor. I like the setting, the roman empire, and I like the relationship between the two men, very explicit and "down and dirty", but with a certain degree of romance, even if not the classic "pick glasses" type of romance.

Danube Divine is on the same level of The Tortured Secuter, and it's also losely connected to the previous story. But instead of in the apex of the Roman Empire, the story is set during its decline and it's not told from the perspective of a glorious and pompous roman soldier, but from the perspective of two "barbarian", Theo and Gregoric, two of the Goth who scattered the Roman at Hadrianopolis. There is also another thing that links this story with the other one, the way it starts: Theo and Gregoric are in a warriors paradise, or walhalla, or in any other place a good warrior went when his time on earth is ended. In this way we know, from the start, that both Theo than Gregoric had a good life, and, despite everything will happen during the story, we know that they will overcome all of it.

Theo and Gregoric are cousins but their similarity ends there. Gregoric is stoic and steady, he has a bigger perspective on life than the immediate day; Theo is more easy, he enjoys the day and little think on tomorrow. After the Battle of Hadrianopolis, Theo is roaming among the dead Roman soldiers, like many other, to find a pair of boot of his size... not exactly an eroic act, but quite normal in that situation. Among the fallen soldiers he finds Drusus and Strabo, two Romans, injured but still live; they are like all the other soldiers, but for Theo they are different, thanks to the medallion they wear, Theo recognizes two fellow Mithras worshipers. I don't know if Theo saves them since they are fellow worshipers or since he is in lust with Drusus, in a way or the other, Theo kidnaps Drusus while leaving Strabo to Gregoric's care.

Gregoric is on the battlefield with Boris, a Christian priest but also a Mithras' worshiper. Boris was Gregoric and Theo's tutor, and when it was time, he became Gregoric's lover. Their relationship is more a Master and disciple one than erotic love, but nevertheless it's deep and involving. Gregoric is willing to die for Boris, but I have the feeling that Boris knows that Gregoric is fated to something bigger. He teaches him everything to let him go to his destiny.

The novel is very long but it's parted in different phases each of them told in first point of view from Theo or Gregoric, and the mood of the story varies according to the narrator. At the beginning it's Theo who told as he met Drusus, and all the focus of the story is on their erotic escapade far from the horripilation of the Battle of Hadrianopolis; there is sex, and it's playful, the mood of the story is light. Then the ball shift to Gregoric, and he remembers as he met Boris. For a good portion, Gregoric recalls what Boris told him about his past, how he was initiated to the Mithras's cult, how he arrives to be a captive of Gregoric's uncle. Then Gregoric goes down the memory lane, his love for Boris, and how he ended in the Battle of Hadrianapolis. All this part of the book is full of historic details, or history mixed to fiction; there is a bit of romance, I really love Gregoric and Boris' relationship, but it always had a sadness inside.

From that moment on, with Gregoric's narration that reached Theo's point, the story continues from Gregoric's point of view, and so it remains on a upper level, less light but more involving for the history lover. There is less sex, even if sometime the author returns to his distinctive point of view on what is sexy and erotic, Boris's torture with Gregoric that almost reveres his body it's at the same time dreadful but so full of love. In the end I think that this is one of the most romantic book I read by Jardonn Smith, and Gregoric and Boris' love is an epic one.

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=DANUBE01

Buy at 1 Romance Ebooks

Amazon: Danube Divide

Amazon Kindle: Danube Divide

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

I don't know, but I have the feeling that Ava March wanted to prove that she can write an accurate gay historical romance... the previous book, Bound by Deception was really good, but, maybe since it was short, or maybe since it was only the starting of a relationship, when all the odds seem smaller, reader actually didn't indulge in wondering if there was historical accuracy.

Lord Oliver and Lord Vincent were in love, Lord Oliver deceived Lord Vincent but only for love, and at the end of the novella they were happily in love ever after... or not? At the end of the previous book Vincent admits to be attracted by men, and in particular to be attracted by his friend Oliver, but a lot of question are still opened; Oliver is still a destitute aristocrat that barely makes the ends meet, he has not the wealth or the means to allow him to be above the law, and he is to proud to accept help from Vincent. On the other end Vincent has the means, but probably not still the willingness; he has barely accepted his preferences for men, maybe helped by the fact that now he can satisfy them easily in the safe haven of Oliver's apartment.

But Vincent is not still at peace with himself, he still considers his desires as a deviance and since him first judge them, he has the idea that everyone around him are judging them. And so if previously Oliver, even if poor and out of fashion, had the chance to frequent Vincent in public as his friend, now Vincent limits their encounters to shabby places or in private. Now Oliver, other than feeling inferior due to his financial situation, feels like Vincent is considering him his mistress. So the happily ever after we thought they found at the end of the first book, is not so happily in the end...

And since this is the second book, the author now has the chance to deal with her characters in society... how they can remain inside the boundaries of the ton even after? The obviously and only answer is: they can't. The author decides to not use the easily short cut of making them both wealthy and noble, and saying that the law is not equal for all, that noblemen are judged with a different parameter; the only concession that the author does to the romance, and the romance reader, is to write that the heroes, and Vincent in particular, are still very young, 24 years old, and so the necessity to marry and produce an heir is not yet so imperative... and maybe it will never be, since Vincent is a second son, like Oliver, and if his older brother does his due, Vincent will have a change to become an old bachelor, with a very special friend by his side like Oliver... but never openly and always with discretion.

And so my final verdict is that Bound to Him is less pink glasses perspective that Bound by Deception, more realistic, and being so, feels truer, and probably will appeal to the more selective historical romance readers. Anyway, again, to be only a novella, the quality standard is very high.

http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Bound_to_Him-931.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Bound to Him

Series:
1) Bound by Deception: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/617430.html
2) Bound to Him

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by April Martinez

The first thing that drew me to this novel was the cover... and it was not a surprise to discover that this an Anne Cain's original cover. Since it's a commissioned artwork, it reflects perfectly the story, an historical romance, and the setting, that folly in the background is part of the story. And so it is also explained the second reason I wanted to read this book, it's an historical romance, and so I was expecting another breeches rippers, one of my favorite genre as all you know. And I was not disappointed in my expectation, on the contrary this is "exactly" a real breeches rippers and to be so, one of the main character has to be a sort of damsel in distress, but I'm not saying in a derogatory way.

The book respects all the rule of a Regency Romance, and so we have the dashing and dangerous earl, with a notorious reputation among the ton, and the young and innocent new "beau" of the season, who obviously falls immediately on the net of the aforesaid lord. Only that the "beau" is himself an earl, the American Earl, just arrived from the former colony to claim the title of a distant relative. Leander was the first to be surprised by the turn of the event, he was the fat too often ill third son of a american farmer, forced to bed for most of his childhood and youth. For that reason no one expected from him to be healthy enough to attend College, and so he gave the money his grandfather left for his tuition to his two brother to invest in a merchant ship. Unfortunately the ship, with his two brothers above, got lost at sea, soon after the death for illness of his father, and so, when the news of the inheritance arrived to his american small village, Leander was the only one left to claim the title of Earl of Dearborne.

Now in London he is seen by society like an odd but funny stranger, someone no one has the courage to scorn due to his title and wealth. He also finds a group of aristocratic scholars who share his love for history and books and so he is able to obtain his place among the ton. His strange and secluded upbringing allowed Leander to form a strange way to judge and be judged, and so when he becomes friend with Julien, Earl of Blackstone, he pays little attention to the gossip that the man has "strange" preferences... also since Leander himself is quite attracted by Julien, and starts to wonder if his apparent indifference for women and his only and one interest for a youth friend was not the proof that also him has odd preferences regarding bed companions. Even if innocent, Leander is more than eager to follow his instinct and willing to let Julien being his teacher.

At first Julien is not interest in having an affair with another member of the ton. Due to a bad past experience, Julien reserved himself to pay for his bed partner, and he has a "mistress" settled in a comfortable house. But more or less at the same time of Leander's arrival, Julien is starting to get bored of his temporary partner, and so his interest is sparkled but the young Earl. There is no plan of seduction, instead Julien at first tried to discourage Leander, but when he realizes that the young man is willing, all his reserves are put aside. The conquer is slow but steady, and step by step, Leander experiment a kiss, a stroke, a rub and... well, you can imagine! All Leander's innocence is violated meeting after meeting, but with mutual satisfaction and eager participation. When I said that Leander is a damsel in distress I meant exactly this part of the story, Leander is not a "manly" figure, he was not raised to be a man according to the rule of the XIX century, and so he is extremely innocent and vulnerable; Julien assumes the role of his protector and teacher, and so apparently stronger. But Leander, even if innocent, is smart and clever, only gentler than most of the men.

The fact that their relationship is not something acceptable by the common rules of society and by the law, is not underestimated. It seems that Julien and Leander are excused only due to their high rank position and wealth, but if both of them were not part of the ton, would not be allowed for them to be seen together in society.

Overall the book is almost a classic Regency romance, also in the length, almost 300 pages. I believe that readers like me, who came from an Historical Romance background, will enjoy very much this one. The novel is first in the Timeless Dreams line by Dreamspinner Press, a line I'm sure will love: stories of M/M romance in historical settings. While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma. You can visit the rough and tumble Old West, travel the ancient kingdoms of desert sheikhs, see the black and red lacquer of the Far East, or dance in dramatic Regency England. No matter where or when, in the romantic worlds of Timeless Dreams, our heroes always live happily ever after (description of the line from Dreamspinner Press website).

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/desirefordearborne/desirefordearbornebuynow.htm

Amazon Kindle: The Desire for Dearborne

Amazon: The Desire for Dearborne

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

The starting point of this novella reminded me an old Italian movie "Swept Away... by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August" which was remade by Madonna in recent times, but I had in mind the old version. Two men, from different upbringing and education are brought together in a Pacific Island during WWII; their only purpose is to watch for Japanese movement in the sky and on the sea, and to tap into their signal.

Mike Dabrowski, low-class sergeant of Polish origin, is conscript for the mission to avoid the carcer: he was caught in the act doing an illicit cigars black market; actually it was not a so bad crime, and I believe that this only gave to his superior the right excuse to force him to an unusual mission like the one to babysit a snotty professor for three months. Mike is not the classical hero, strong and essential, he is more a good for the moment hero, one that do the best he could day after day, without planning the future. It's not even since he doesn't believe to have a future, it's more that he has never thought so far. Mike is not a bad man, but truth be told he doesn't excel in the mind compartment. Anyway he has some preconceptions on love and what is right and what is wrong, mainly due to his catholic upbringing, but he is also ready to let them apart when presented with the chance to taste the forbidden fruit, sex with a man. Mike is not even new to have feelings for a man, when he stops to think about it, he reminds his strong youth friendship with a guy who resembles a bit his professor.

James Hamilton is a Jewish mathematician who unlucky him knows the Japanese language, and since he is also a conscientious objector, he is offered with a chance to avoid the military service: doing his time in a Pacific Island translating Japanese codes. Actually of James we don't know so much, Mike starts from the beginning insinuating about his sexual preferences, but James does nothing to back that idea. He feigned no interest whatsoever for Mike, letting the man boil in his broth till the moment he is him to make the first move; at that point, James unveils to be the cleverer of the two, and obtains the things how he like them... Mike is quite played around, and I don't believe he realizes it. But all in all it's Mike's character that shine, and James remains a bit undertone, we don't really know for sure his reasons and dreams.

Putting the two men in a desert island easier a bit the author who can avoid almost all the implications of an homosexual relationship in the '40, if not for the ending that, truth be told, let me a bit perplexed... I wouldn't mind to see the two deal with the society. But I believe this is not the purpose of this novella, above all since the length of the book doesn't allow it.

http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Pacific_Nights-937.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Pacific Nights

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Marci Gass

Pure Fully is an historical romance with a bit of gothic and eroticism thrown in the middle to spice the things. Alastair is the second son of a noble and wealthy family and even if it's not exactly said in the book, I have the feeling that he both regrets than enjoys the freedom he has from being a second son; no one is expecting something from him, his mother is not pressuring him to marry, his father is not insisting he does something worthy in his life, he probably has an allowance that let him live in a comfortable way, he can do whatever he likes inside the boundaries of good society, and he doesn't know what to do! Better something he knows, he is in love with Jude, the soon-to-be fiance of his cousin Charlotte, but loving Jude is not something he is allowed to do, neither if he is a second son and so it's not asked from him to produce an heir.

Truth be told, Alastair doesn't exactly know what loving a man means; he has sexual fantasies on Jude, but for him it's a first experience, and he is deeply convinced that it's a sin, and so he tries to shun the idea from his mind and body. Probably due to his tentative denial, Alastair doesn't realize that the attraction is mutual and that Jude is not at all the unaware object of his desire. Jude knows and actually he is waiting for Alastair to loose his battle with his conscience. But when that battle lasts too long, Jude looses his patience and forces a bit the hand; when a bet with Charlotte and Viola (Alastair's sister) dare both men to spend a night in a gothic temple in the garden (a pure folly of the time, both the temple than the bet), Jude plans to seduce Alastair if the man will not willingly surrender to his inner desires.

Most of the story is a pure historical romance, without any paranormal event; but almost to the end, a secret in the closet of Alastair's family comes out in the most unexpected way, a ghost who claims his toll after years of denial, and Alastair is the man who has to fulfill that request. I like that the paranormal event arrives so late in the story, since this novel is a very good historical novel and I prefer for it to be defined more from the historical genre than the paranormal one. Alastair's struggle with his inner demons, the fear for something unknown that prevents him to see that the interest his mutual, is dealt with a good hand for a novella; probably Alastair would never allow to his desire to become clear, not realizing that what he felt was not some sinful deviation of his mind, but something that could be common among his peers: Alastair has never had the chance to be in contact with that reality.

On the other hand, Jude had time to digest and analyze the matter; when he was still young he was "molested" by an older man, but even if he didn't particularly like the man, he liked the act. He had then another chance to "taste", and this only reinforce his belief that he actually prefers men over women. But unlike Alistair, Jude has to marry and produce an heir, and so he is planning to do it as soon as possible to then spend the rest of his life as he prefers. Here probably is the big difference between Alastair and Jude, in the way they "feel", Alastair so strong and impulsive, Jude more daring but at the same time more calculator; they are both probably an example of how a man in that period would face the matter, someone like Alastair would flight abroad or live in denial for all his life, someone like Jude would build a safe nest around him, far from society, but maintaining the privileges from being a member of it. The author chooses to not tell us who is wrong or who is right, probably since there is nor wrong or right, and so both men, Alastair and Jude, come out as likable characters (even if, if I'm to be true, I prefer the impulsive Alastair, who, in a way, would have preferred to not compromise for their love) and the final solution is a real and possible one.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=474

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

It's never easy to write a book set in the moment in time when Germany was changing, and some of its inhabitants didn't recognize it. Josef Jaeger is the perfect emblem of that arian youth Hitler is promoting: young, blond, blue eyes... but at 13 years old Josef has only his look since he is living with his single mother, an opera singer, in Bayreuth, and money are not so much. Even if Josef doesn't exactly realize it, he is ostracized by his schoolmates and his only real friend is his mother... since the beginning of the book, Josef is playing a role, the little adult in the body of a child, the male partner for his mother (mind you, no incest here, don't get me wrong). It's not maybe a perfect life, but Josef feels safe and protected with his mother.

Then the sudden death of his only parent, the apparition of an uncle he has never known and the moving to Munich, change it all. His uncle Ernst is a very important figure in the Nazi emerging party and Josef sees his life turns upside down. From the poor but safe apartment he shared with his mother, he is thrown in the rich lifestyle of his uncle, private schools, expensive clothes and the discovery of sex. Ernst is living with his partner Ruby, and Ruby is not much older than Josef, 18 years old to 13 years old. Uncle Ernst is not a bad man, probably he is only not used to deal with a child: a former officer, aloof and detached, his only weak is his love for Ruby, a man that clearly is taking advantage of his money; Ernst is not a man used to compromise, and this is clearly shown by his living openly with a man. And also Ruby, even if calculating and profiter, on his way has a good heart. Both men will give to Josef a comparison parameter, and from both of them he will learn something, and again, Josef will play a role, this time the role of the perfect Hitlerian youth.

But another change and another moving will wait for Josef. This time to Berlin, to really play as an actor in a propaganda movie. In Berlin Josef is alone, for the first time without an adult reference by his side, and maybe for the first time he will live without playing a role, while ab absurdo, he is playing a role in the movie. In Berlin he meets David, the son of a Jewish doctor; it's obviously a fated love, David's father is planning to leave Germany as soon as possible, but Josef and David will have time to tight a special bond. Also with David, Josef will play a role, the role of the dream date boyfriend, the movie star, giving perhaps to David something to smile in a moment he has not much reasons to do that.

There are two things that a boy the age of Josef should not be allowed to be involved with, politics and sex, but both of them play an important role in Josef's life. Politics he only sees from afar, even if politics is changing his life forever; politics is also using him for its own reasons and Josef will not understand it till it will be too late; for a political reason he will move to Berlin, and have the chance to meet David, the only good thing politics will do for him. And instead Josef has plenty of chance to discover the various side of sex: as a form of comfort, a way to finally have the feeling to belong to someone, as a way to share emotions with the boy he loves, as a barter to obtain what he wants. Josef is a really "sex" driven person, even if young he has clearly in mind what he likes and what he wants, and what he can obtain; probably since he is always used to play a role, he plays a role also during sex, he is the man they want him to be, everyone of them. Even David, the only boy Josef really loves, doesn't really know the real Josef, but only the fake one Josef wants to show him.

But even if skilled in acting and obtaining what he wants, Josef in the end is only a boy like David, and the history is bigger than him; his only hope is that, seeing the life like a big movie, and him an actor, he will manage to hide behind his makeup and play role after role after role.

http://www.prizmbooks.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=47

Amazon: Josef Jaeger

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Rose Lenoir

There are many things that pleasantly surprised me in this book, but once stood upon all the other, the sensuality and the carnality that lacked in the previous book, by the same author, Captain's Surrender. It's not a big fault, I loved that book, and in a way, being it almost asexual allowed more readers to near a genre that sometime it's stigmatized as "erotic" when maybe it's not erotic at all (don't let me go further on the matter, it would be too long). Anyway, for example, I gifted this same book, False Colors, to a friend of mine who is a newbie of the genre without even having read it before since I vouched Alex Beecroft with closed eyes: I said to my friend, you will find a very good historical setting, adventures and beautiful characters, but no worries, there will be few "sex"... and now I'm wondering if my friend will still talk to me! All right, I'm slightly joking, it's not that, all of sudden, Alex Beecroft has written an erotic romance, it's only that this time I "felt" her characters in a more physical way, and at the same time, and maybe for that reason, they are also more exposed to the turmoil of unrequited love, they suffer more for love.

At the beginning of the story there is always the love for the sea, but above all for the Ladies of the Sea, the stunning Royal Navy ship, of a man, an officer of that same Royal Navy. The year is the 1762, and John Cavendish has the luck to receive the command of a ship; he is quite surprised, he is not so well acquainted or wealth, or senior, to have the right to it, but he will not question his luck... at least not until the moment he realizes that he was also given a suicidal mission with the ship, a mission that will bring down him and the ship, and all the man on it. John is the son of a quaker mother and a libertine father... from the mix, John came out as a man with high principle, very pious, but with a tendency to passion that not always is proper for an officer. John has always denied his passionate nature and he is the perfect officer by the book: he will not question his orders, he is willing to the sacrifice, but he pities his men. And so when he is informed that there is a voluntary officer for his mission, he is not quite happy with the news.

"Alfie" Donwell is the typical self-made officer; from a middle class family, he probably chose the sea as the only way to arise himself from a mediocre life. It's not clear if Alfie always preferred men, or if the alluring personality of his first captain (when he was only 13 years old) made him so, we only know that Alfie is careless and almost open to his true nature. He likes man, and you can read it in his eyes when he sees John, that he likes him. And he is not even shy to hide it, he makes it quite clear. But John is not "awaken" to this possibility, in his naivete, he knows that there are sodomites in the "world", but for sure they are not abroad. And so when Alfie approaches him, he banishes those strange feelings he is having to a some sort of comradeship. How candid he is...

But when a man for Alfie's past comes along, Alfie confirms his carelessness and maybe also his unrequited love for John, and finally speaks the words that clearly state what he was trying to prove to John with actions... and obviously John at first rejects him, it's in his nature, it's against all he believes, he can't do anything else. And here come out the real Alfie and John: Alfie feels rejected (and he is) and runs away, without giving time to John to digest the shocking news... Alfie is always ready to flee away, he is so driven by his heart more than his mind, that he never stops to think. He is and he will always be, for all the length of the book, ready to catch only the first meaning of the words he hears, without trying to catch instead the hidden meaning. John instead is a man who is ready to listen and comprehend; even if he is a very religious man, he is not the man who always wants to bring God's justice upon other men. John asks for his own punishment, but his always ready to forgive other mistakes. And when faced with Alfie's revelation, even if shocked, he is willing to comprehend the man, and doing so, to question his own believing. If Alfie was not ready to run away, maybe the evolution of their story would have been different.

But this would have not been an adventure romance if there was not the adventure part, would have been it? And so our heroes take separate ways, and have to face very difficult moment, but all of it serve them to understand what it is really important in life and who they really love. Not all the adventures they have are "romance" like, there is blood and sweat and dirty, actually only when they are together I feel the romance, and it's always a pure and "clean" love, but when they are distant, the real world is right there ready to catch them. Alfie, in his haste to run away from John, will also chase his first love, a man who clearly is not right for him and that will never give him what he needs, since Alfie, with all his carelessness, is only searching someone to age with, same as John. Even if everyone around tells him that for the sodomites like him there is no good in searching love, Alfie still believes in romance, and for doing "certain" things, he has to believe to be in love. John on the other hand, "has not" to believe, he can be with a man ONLY if he is in love, and since he is in love with Alfie, there is not other man for him other than Alfie.

http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/runningpress/book_detail.jsp?isbn=0762436581

Amazon Kindle: False Colors

Amazon: False Colors: An M/M Romance

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Larry Rostant

Bound by Deception was an unlucky book in my reading list, it slipped day by day till the day I almost forgot I had it, and now that I read it, thanks to the release of a sequel, I'd like to knock myself on the head for allowing so. I knew that I would have liked it, I loved another book by Ava March, an Erotic Regency as this one, so why I waited so much? Mystery of my strange mind...

Anyway, Ava March, in this second book, but really her first book, confirms my previous idea of her: she is a very good erotic writer, but above all she is a very good Regency romance writer. Not Traditional Regency, it's obvious, but as many writers of the genre are saying, the Traditional Regency romance genre is languishing, and so welcome to a bit of fuzzy borders, with Mystery, Erotica and even Vampires! And yippie yippie yeah, the M/M Regency Romance! And don't worry, in Bound by Deception you will not find a damsel in distress disguised by in gentleman clothes, the men in it are both men, only that one happens to like to be a bottom, and the other one is a total top... but preferably on top of a man!

Oliver and Vincent had one thing in common, both second sons of the aristocracy, they met at boarding school. They became best friends, even if Oliver really never understood what Vincent found in him: even if second son, Vincent was from a wealthy family and he had chances that Oliver never had: a superior education, a small inheritance that he made thriving and above all a fine appearance and a bearing that Oliver total lacked. Despite this Vincent still considers Oliver one of his best friends, even if with the parameters of the time: a man he is comfortable with, with whom he likes to chat at the club, and a friendly ear that comprehends his striven to try to always please his father, a man that has never even acknowledged his presence in the room, since he has just the heir he needs. Actually I wondered how good the author was, creating a whole family environment for Vincent, without actually presenting any of the members of it, if not as names and outline shadows without cue, and at the same time rendering the desolation of Oliver's life, of whom we never once, neither in his youth memories, meet someone of his family. All Oliver's world turns around Vincent, since the day they met as children, and in the end, Oliver has to do something.

Other than being neglected second sons, Oliver and Vincent have something else in common, they prefer the company of men. But where Oliver admitted with himself who he is and what he likes, maybe since he likes to be on the bottom, and it's difficult from that perspective deny it, Vincent is still cheating himself with the lie that, since he is on the top, he is not really a sodomite; it's quite a weak excuse, but then, he has to use it only with himself, since never once Vincent shared his segret with Oliver. And Oliver happens to know it only since they frequent the same brothel and the same whore inside it. The deeply knowledge Oliver has of Vincent and his love for him, made the man able to recognize him in the words of the whore and now Oliver has a plan: for one night he will be in the place of the whore and he will finally have the night he wants with Vincent, without loosing their friendship... and here maybe is the only problem I had with the book, since I don't believe that a three days beard, long hair and the absence of the glass he usually wears, is enough to Oliver to not being recognize by Vincent. To excuse the author there is also to say that we are used to modern electric lights, and instead in that time there were candles and firelight, and plus Vincent is not absolutely expecting to find Oliver in the man he payed for sex.

This is only a novella, but it's a finely built novella, and I'm really happy to know that there is a sequel, even if, for once, I didn't find it lacking: all the pages and scenes were properly weighted and in the end, you had the feeling to read a longer book. A sequel will only add more and welcome details to a nice story.

http://www.loose-id.com/detail.aspx?ID=806

Amazon Kindle: Bound by Deception by Ava March

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by April Martinez

Paxton's Winter is an old classical western romance with the twist to be a male on male love story. But if not for this twist, all the other elements of a good western romance are there: the wealthy and cultured southern man with more ideals than better sense who chose to live in the Far West were he can be who he really wants to be (and due to that twist here it means that he was in love with not only a man, but also a black man); then the villain decided that he didn't like our southern hero, Paxton, and killed his lover Maddox (who was probably an interesting character, but since this is a novella, he is already dead when the story starts). Paxton, obviously, like a good Far West hero is searching for vengeance and the villain, as much as obviously, hires a payed killer... well, a bounty hunter, Zane, but there is not much difference. And since this is a romance, the outlaw falls in love for the bounty killer.

The story even if short, builds a very nice set up: Paxton is maybe a bit too much a romance hero, I don't know how many wealthy southern gay men were leaving in the Far West, but lately I found often in gay romances, that the Far West was a common destination for those men who wanted to run away from the strict rules of society. So maybe there were more than I believed and then, in places where the life for women was not so simple, maybe it was not so strange or talked upon if two men lived together, four hands were better than two, and you also saved wood for fire during the winter!

Anyway, the love story between Paxton and Zane is easy and natural, without regrets from any side, and they start it like something more than friendship but not yet love; two bodies in a snowstorm searching warm and comfort. But Paxton has an easy way, he is so comfortable with himself, that Zane is hooked since the first moment. Paxton is very much the son of the wealthy family he said he is; it's quite clear that he hasn't had many trouble in his life, and maybe for this reason what happened to Maddox is even more terrible, Paxton is not used to the nasty aspect of life. Where in a way or the other we have a bit of background of Paxton and of his preference for the company of men, we don't know much of Zane; it seems that he is not new at having experiences with men, but we don't know what is his past. Here maybe the fact that this is only a novella weights a bit, since I wouldn't mind to know something more on Zane, he is quite the mysterious man.

There is sex, a lot, but not so detailed; it's more romantic than erotic, I had to read two time the first sex scene to really understand if they did something or not. Not that I'm complaining about it, sometime I prefer less than too much, and in a novella lenght, I prefer a bit of story that endlessly sex scenes.

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PaxtonsWinter.html

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

There is all the range of love in this historical novel, but there is also the drama and the betrayal, real or supposed, and maybe there is also the incapacity of two young men to recognize the real love, the one for which it's worth to die for.

David and Jonathan, just from the name you understand that they are fated to be together as the heroic figures of the Old Testament they share the name with. It's love, it's friendship, maybe it's even a brotherly affection pushed too far, in any way, all the novel turns around this two men and how they met and lost together. David is the son of a wealthy (at least according to the town standard) blacksmith; in the first scene we see David as he will be for all the novel, a young blond god basking in the sun while instead he should have been at work. David is like that, he is not severe and diligent, he is all lies and smiles, and with his behavior he always finds a way to escape the right punishment. His father doesn't approve him, but truth be told, he also doesn't do anything to really correct him, maybe even him is fooled by the angelic look of his son.

To ruin a bit the paradise on earth where David is living arrive Jonathan, the new apprentice of his father; Jonathan is dark where David is blond, but it's not only a physical dissimilarity. Jonathan is a puritan, he has instilled in his mind what is wrong and what is right, but even him seems to succumb to the lazy angel who is David. At first Jonathan covers David's escapade, sometime even following him to be sure that he would be fine. David treats Jonathan like a beloved pet, and Jonathan basks in the little attention he receives from his personal angel. But then David discovers the sinful love to the hand of another man, Tobias, and only a night is enough to collapse the fragile dam of David's resistance. The other man is soon forgotten, maybe since he is lost, maybe since he was not important, only a tool to awaken him, and David turns his full newfound seductive power on Jonathan. And Jonathan gives up while at the same time he is sentencing himself to the hell, but only him, since the sinner is not David, David is to be protected and it's Jonathan who is ruining the young boy, it's Jonathan who is dirty, while David still remain a pure angel of love.

This behavior of both Jonathan than David will continue even when they will be torn apart and believe in the betrayal of the other; David will always regret the lost of his "puritan" young lover, but he will manage to find another type of love, more adult, not the same love he had for Jonathan, but nevertheless important and strong. Since David has never believed to be a sinner, he will not sentence himself of any wrong, and he will be able to love again. On the other hand, Jonathan has always believed to be a sinner, and when he looses David, he is not able to allow himself to love again; he has to be punished, he has to find an hell on earth until he will reach the real hell that he is sure he is awaiting him. Jonathan has the sin inside himself and that sin is eating him alive... but the sin is to have loved someone of his same sex, or it's the prejudice that doesn't allow him to see the light? I have the feeling that Jonathan was always condemned till the beginning since he believes in sin, and David was always freed from sin since he doesn't believe in it.

On the background of their fated love there is the history, an history that led to the separation of England between the men of the King and those who wanted his head, and this separation is reflected in the separation of David and Jonathan that obviously will take separate side. That sunny day that saw David basking, will be one of the last of the novel, that soon will be plunged in darkness, blood and war, and to know if there will be another sunny day in the end, you have to read the book.

http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780762435739-0

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Transgressions/Erastes/e/9780762435739/

http://www.amazon.com/Transgressions-M-Romance-Erastes/dp/0762435739/

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Larry Rostant

It's not simple to write something on this book as a whole since it's not a whole; they are two completely different stories, not only on the setting, but also on the emotional impact they had on him.

The Tortured Secutor is setting in Rome in 270 A.D.; Artimos Traius is the doctor who tends to the gladiators in the Colosseum. Of Greek origins, his great-grand father was personal  physician to Emperor Trajan, but also a slave. He was freed by the Emperor at his death, and now Artimos' family is leaving a respectable life in Rome. Artimos is the last of his family, has a comfortable house near the Colosseum and indulges in his love for the men among a strict circle of friends. He doesn't flaunt his homosexuality, but who is near him knows.

During the execution of his duty, to examine the new slaves to become gladiators, he meets Philokrates. Philo was a freeman from Macedonia, but he was unfairly framed of a crime and sold as a slave; despite all the things he has suffered, Philo maintains a proud behavior that attracts Artimos. Even if Philo is proud, and strong, he is of a lower class than Artimos, and this difference will characterize their relationship: Artimos takes care of Philo, he tends his injuries, worships Philo's body as he would do with a wonderful example of human body. Artimos is attract from the strenght and body of Philo, and Philo let him being so. I don't think Philo having a preference between men or women, probably in his mind he has never thought to have a choice, and so when Artimos takes care of him and shows such a love for his body, Philo accepts it without questioning if it's right or wrong, without questioning their difference in social status or in age.

There is a lot of sex, as always in a Jardonn Smith's book, very direct and explicit, almost bared, but it's right like that since reflects the feeling I had of Artimos and Philo's relationship, very based on their physical reactions. Artimos treats Philo like a coveted prize, worrying to have someone to tend him during the day while he is at work, and then worshiping his body by night, with physical therapy and sex, two things that almost mix in one. Even if in a strange way, I think there is a romance between Artimos and Philo, even if it doesn't follow the usual rules; the passion between Artimos and Philo is strong but silent, no many words are needed, the bodies can speak for them.

Amazon: The Tortured Secutor (A Boner Book)

The Bishop of Grunewald is for me very much more difficult to like than The Tortured Secutor. First of all is not a single story between two, or even three men, but it's a intertwined story of different couple in different stage of relationship. At first we meet William and Jonathan, living in a medieval small village. Best friends for many years, William comforts Jonathan when he is forced to marry Helena; Jonathan wasn't even interested in the woman, but he was deceived. What is the relationship between William and Jonathan? At first it's not clear, and the jealousy of Helena seems unjustified. Both William and Jonathan are handsome and good-looking men, but maybe Jonathan is neglecting his wife, or maybe Helena is only a very greedy woman... in a way or the other Helena decides that she is bored by his husband, and when she is rebutted by William, she sets her eyes, on William's younger brother, Tobias, an innocent soul William is trying to protect from everything and everyone.

The village where they live is ruled by Peter Sion with the help of the Bishop of Bethune, Frederick. Helena frames William of raping her with the help of Jonathan, and has both men arrested. Bishop Frederick seems not really interested in making William and Jonathan confess their sins, and leaves the men in the hand of Peter. Peter is a sadist who is leaving in an open menages with Otto, called the little bull, and his two cousins; Peter is fascinated by William and Jonathan, by their strong bodies and even stronger wills. Peter doesn't want to break them, he wants to play and drive them to the edge of sanity. He knows, or at least hopes, that both men are strong enough to bear all he will bestow to them and being even stronger at the end. Peter is not even interested in having William and Jonathan as his for ever, he is quite content with his little bull, Otto. Meanwhile William and Jonathan are going through their unfair torture (unfair since they are not guilty of what Helena accused them, but are they really innocent?), another true comes ashore: Helena's obsession, young Tobias, is not only her. Bishop Frederick has his own plans on the young blacksmith, and now he has the chance he was waiting to reach for the innocent soul. It's quite a bad joke that the real sinners, at least at the eyes of God, are of no interest for the Bishop, and instead he is obsessed by the only innocent soul of this book, Tobias.

All right, at this point you have understood that The Bishop of Grunewald is a saraband of stories and all of them centered around one only emotion, Lust. There is again a lot of sex, this time even more explicit, almost raw and painful, more pain than pleasure aimed to force men to admit their true nature. It pushed a bit my boundaries, and if I'm true, I liked more the first story than this one, maybe also since The Tortured Secutor has a full setting even outside the relationship between the main characters, the Roman Empire and its corrupted society, where connections and money make the difference between being a man or a slave; instead the Bishop of Grunewald has almost a claustrophobic setting, the dungeon and the private chambers of the manor, it seems like there is no life outside.

Amazon: The Bishop of Grunewald: A Tale From the Dungeon (A Boner Book)

Amazon: Let's Get Medieval: Jardonn's Erotic Tales - Two Books In One - The Tortured Secutor - The Bishop Of Grunewald

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

When you start a book, you must have clear in mind what you are reading and what you are expecting, so you will be not disappointed if what you read is not what you expected... is this a sentence to start a negative review? No, not at all. The Cactus League Society is a romp in the dust, a late nineteen century sexual adventure of a young man in search of excitement and sex, and this is what he finds.

Drew is the pampered son of a wasp family in New York. Good family, beautiful home, prestigious university... his family gave him all, and now Drew wants more. Drew is homosexual and truth be told has not real trouble with that; oh yes, he pretends, even with himself, to understand that he has to be discreet, but then he seduces a childhood friend in his bedroom when the house is full of guests... and obviously he is discovered. Again his family tries to pamper him, they kick him out, but with a chunk of money to start over somewhere else, as far as possible from New York. Money that Drew, in his careless behavior, due to his young age, refuses and claims that he will find his way in the Wild West... and he finds right his way passing from the arm of a man to another to another till he arrives in California, the dream land.

Even if Drew behaves like a "grown" man, I believe he has still a lot to learn, and he is the classical example of what I call "lucky" guy: he puts himself in great danger, but he seems to have a guardian angel to look over him, and nothing of really nasty happens to him.

Now, lets get a summary, relationships with 3 men in 23 pages, plus a discovery journey throughout the country, from Ivy League boy to Dream Catcher... just the fact that the author packs all of this in a short story is a good thing. So I will pass over to the fact that even if it's an historical romance, there are very few details that allow me to immerse in the "historical" atmosphere; at the end of the story the author hints to something more, a book titles Wonderland, full lenght novel (that I already have in my reading folder), so maybe this one is only a sample taste of what we will find there. But I don't think that the "purists" of historical gay novels would consider this short story as one of their own.

The feeling of the story is more an erotic escapade than a romance, I don't believe that Drew is already in love with his childhood friend, but he could be in the future, and meanwhile he is free to explore.

http://www.ravenousromance.com/ravenous-rendezvous/the-cactus-league-society.php

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Warrior Prince is the sequel of a previous novella by J.P. Bowie, part of a two novellas anthology, Slaves to Love: Erotic Love Stories of Ancient Rome. Shame on me I didn't read the previous book, but the author took pity to the like me, and wrote a brief but comprehensive prologue. And since I'm a total looser with happily ever after, I'm almost happier like that, since now I know that in the first novella Lucius and his lover Callistus were separated, and I probably wouldn't like at all to read a story with such an end.

So at the beginning of this new book (novel lenght, so we have plenty to read), Lucius, a young capuan teacher, is mourning his lost lover Callistus; Lucius is from a patrician bu impoverished family and three years before he had the chance to meet a rebellious gladiator, Callistus, a Gaul who joined the Spartacus' mutiny. Lucius helped Callistus, but above all he fell in love; probably Callistus didn't want to subject Lucius to an unknown destiny and after an heartbreaking night of passion, he left. There is also the "little" problem that, at home, Callistus is a "prince", the only heir to the command of his tribe, and so he must marry and produce an heir. And Lucius, on his side, is the only caretaker of his family, a widow mother and two little sisters, and he can't leave them alone. So Callistus can't stay in Capua, and Lucius can't go in Gallia, the only reasonable solution is to break their relationship.

After three years, Lucius has seen the three marriages of both his sisters and his mother, and after "selling" himself to a rich merchant, he has also paied off his father's outstanding debt. So now he is free to do as he likes, and what he likes is to find his Gaul lover. In his quite naive mind, the perfect solution is to join the Roman's army which is fighting with the people of Callistus. After seducing, or being seduced, by a Roman's general, he joins the Army in a rather privileged position, but still he is not far from danger, and infact, before rejoining with his lover, he will have to go through some trouble. But all in all Lucius has a good star that watch upon him, and truth be told, he is luckier than a lot of other people in his same situation.

This novel has quite an epic feelings, battlefield and gladiators, starcrossed lovers and betrayal, it has all the ingredients for a good historical romance. It has not perhaps the cruelty that sometime I found in stories setting in the same period, even if some events that happen around Lucius are far from being "nice", but all in all, as I said, Lucius is lucky enough to always get out of trouble with little inconvenient. Maybe since Lucius arrives to me like a man willing to "compromise"; he has his ideals, and he puts love in front of all, but he is not an intolerant man, he doesn't see things in black and white. For example, he whored himself to pay his father's debt, but he saw it like a barter and remained friend with the counterpart. And when he falls in captivity, even if for a brief time, he faces that time with willingness and openmindness, even if he has not idea of how he will escape, if ever he will have the chance. Even in his private life, he has the same attitude, he knows that, if he wants to have a life in common with Callistus, he has to consider a possible future wife for his lover (even if we don't read of it...), but he again faces that chance as it is, an unavoidable event; and it's like that, the readers with "modern" mind has to not forget that this is an historical romance, and even if maybe homosexual lovers are seen in a different way in Roman Empire, there are still the bound of family to be followed.

Even if the story is often told from different points of view (Lucius, Callistus and even Flavius, the man Lucius seduces), it's Lucius' voice the one that is stronger. Callistus comes out like a loyal man, both to his people that to Lucius, but probably he would sacrifice his love for Lucius (but not Lucius, mind you), for the good of his people. He is a total unselfish man and he tends to protect Lucius, but Lucius is quite a stubborn man and tends to not stay where he is put.

There is also a lot of sex, very detailed and direct: not fancy words or embellishment, when Lucius wants something (since usually he is him that prompts) he tends to take it as soon and as much he can... there is even a sex scene soon after Lucius received a mild concussion on his head, talking about slow down things! But well, in such time of danger, you reach for what you can when you can...

http://www.mlrpress.com/ShowBook.php?book=WARPRN01

Buy at 1 Romance Ebooks

Amazon: Warrior Prince

Amazon Kindle: Warrior Prince

Series:
1) Slaves to Love
2) Warrior Prince

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Ava March is a new author for me, but I heard about her work in the past; she is an historical romance writer with the bonus that she writes man on man relationship, so she brings together two things I love so much. So when I saw that there was a new historical novella by her, of course I launched myself on it. And I'm not disappointed! I usually tag as "breeches rippers" all those stories where men dressed in thos frilly but so beautiful garments, and if one of the men proceeds to "rip" them off from the other man, even better. Not always this happens, but when an author manages to write a breeches rippers, with the rip part, without having the men loose their masculinity this is definitely a plus.

Henry Shaw is a country man; third son of an above the average but not wealthy family, he sought his own fortune in London. And then London was also the place where he can satisfy his secret "dark" desire easier than at home. Henry prefers the company of men, and he met a man, Markus, who not only was willing to teach him a thing or two about loving a man, but also introduced Henry to the most exclusive inner circle of London's best society. The relationship with Markus was doomed, but not since it was a man on man relationship, but since Markus was not an honorable man, and Henry puts honor among everything else. And this is the reason why Henry took notice of Arsen Grey, Marquis of Somerville. All right, Arsen was also an handsome man, but above all Henry was drawn by his behavior. Pity that Arsen was without doubt out of his league and also straight. So it was quite a surprise when Henry receives the invite to the one week country party holds by Arsen in his estate; oh, Henry knows that this one is not the classical meeting, but more a way for Arsen to choose his new mistress among all the ladies, of easy virtue, that will attend. And the other men will have the chance to amuse themself with whom will be not chosen by Arsen. But Henry is not interested in women, he has an unrequited love only for Arsen.

By the classical standard, Object of His Desire is a pure savage romance: the dashing lord, wealthy and handsome, a notorious rake but also a man of honor; the blushing country "virgin" (well, not exactly virgin in this case...) who has nothing if not his good look and his virtue; the unspeakable offer to be the kept mistress that obviously the virtuous country mouse will honorable reject... or not? well is this or not a savage romance? and our two hero are they or not both willing men? Once the boundaries of society are overcome by the convenient set of an orgy in a country house, and also by the wealth of the lord, what prevents them to enjoy the carnal pleasure? And so free rein to an erotic night that rivals with the best historical erotic scene I read (gay and not).

I like as the author manage to blend the rules for historical romance with the erotic elements, all mixed up with the gay romance. I like as all seems realistic, and how both men don't loose their role of men: true, they are in love, or lust, with another man, but neither of them is the "female". Arsen maybe is a bit more selfish, Henry maybe is a bit more respectful, aware of the difference in class between Arsen and him, but both of them are aware of their valor, and of what they can bring to their relationship. Pity that this is only a novella, since I wouldn't mind to read something more than one night in their life.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/object-of-his-desire

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

In the beginning of the nineteenth century, Micah ia a young letter student from Harvard. He is almost near to graduate and his professors want for him to be published as a poet. But Micah is from a middle class wealthy family that doesn't see a scholar career like something worthy or important for one of their sons. Luckily for Micah he is only the fourth son, and so he manages till now to escape the pression from his family and pursues his love for poetry. A love that lures him to Wroxham, a little village hours far from Boston, where he hopes to meet Jefferson Dering, a poet he listened to a lecture at Harvard, and that he hopes could give him some good advice for his writing.

When he meets Jefferson, he finds a man who lives like an hermit in a little village where no one seems to be aware of the great poet they have among them. Jefferson seems to be eager to have a kindred spirit to talk, but soon both Jefferson, with awareness, and Micah, without awareness, realize that there is a lot more than only love for poetry between them. It's also a physical love. But Micah is a very innocent and naivee boy, he has never had sexual experience before, nor with women or men, and the first reaction is to run away for this too much strong feelings.

Then they start a mail correspondence, first like two friends that talk about a common interest and little by little turning in a love correspondence. But Micah has to take some decision and there is also something of not human that binds Jefferson to Wroxham, something that has his rutes in Jefferson's family.

The story is very long and it's peaceful and quiet, it flows like a placid river. It starts slow and continues with a almost straight course. But it's very beautiful and romantic. The paranormal event is only a second line aspect, and this is for sure an historical romance. Reading it I remember some biography I have read of poets who chose to live alone far from the so-said civil society, to enjoy the nature and the simple life of the country. In this case there is also the matter of homosexuality, and Jefferson chooses a self-imposed exile to avoid the consequences of a sexual scandal in the scholar Harvard community.

Almost all the story is setting in Jefferson's cottage, and in a very small village, and both Micah than Jefferson come from wealthy family who provide for them, and so they live in comfort. But more than the historical accuracy of the setting, it's the sensuality between the two men that draws me, the poetry that becomes love stimulation, the words that become sex toys...

Beautiful cover that enlights you in one of the sexual game they play... you should read it!

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/a-hidden-beauty

Amazon Kindle: A Hidden Beauty

Amazon: A Hidden Beauty

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Bend in the Road is a two stories anthology, but it's really only a book since the two stories are strictly connected.

In the Lion's Den Aryeh Nachman is the bastard son of a wealthy man who provided for him till his twenty-one year and then left him alone in the world. Truth be told, Aryeh was just alone in the world, having left his home in England at eighteen years old when his unrequited but returned love for his tutor gave him no chance: his tutor was from Poland, and after spending five years with Aryeh and realized that he loved the man, he decided to return back home and married. Since to Aryeh was never denied anything, this refusal didn't set well with the young man, and he spent the following years searching for the love he was denied; from careless rake with his father's money to kept man for wealthy and older women, Aryeh is now without money and a roof and he accepts the offer of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe. Here he meets Danaleh, a very young and very innocent man, but even if innocent, and very much virgin, Danaleh knows that he is not interested in woman, on the contrary he is very much drawn to the handsome Aryeh. Even if Aryeh is not much older than Danaleh, he is very much more experienced and he doesn't want to taint Danaleh with his "filthy" desires. But if he only knew that Danaleh, with his naivete and innocence, is more than eager to be the heroine in Aryeh's dreams, in fact Danaleh has a penchant to dress as a woman, a thing he can only realize when he is on stage, but that he would so like to do also in private, with Aryeh.

In From Stage to Stage is the story of talented musician Yuval Smolenski, the other member of the troupe who has more interest in men than women, but as for Aryeh and Danaleh, it's not simple for him to find a soul mate. He travels with his sister, a grown woman with mental problem who behaves like a child, and Yuval, even if interested, would never marry and leave her alone. And so he is content with the few hush encounters he can snatch in anonymous cities. But being Jewish and gay is becoming more and more dangerous, for a reason or another. Then, while rehearsing for a big marriage during which they will perform, he meets Tsvi, a big man with the face of a monster and the voice of an angel. Also Tsvi is hiding, but more his preferences for men, he is hiding his religious origins: he is a member of the Chassidim, an ultra religious sect of Judaism, and he has some reason why he doesn't want for it to be known. But when he sings, his origins are very much clear, since he sings like he is making love with God, and Yuval can't help to love him as well, despite his external looks.

For complete different reason, both couples don't consider themself worthy of love: Aryeh probably believes to be tainted, Danaleh to be too simple, Yuval consider a problem his religion and Tsvi is running away from his sense of guilty. All of them will find shelter and a new family in the traveling theatre troupe, and around them history will have its course, making the novel quite fascinating and really interesting for the history lovers. Part of this fascination is also due to the very detailed and researched work that the author obviously made: the Jewish culture and way of life of the end of the nineteen century is described in such details that even if you are not familiar with the words and the customs, you will find yourself immersed in them... and if you have some problems, well there is a very helpful glossary at the end of the book!

http://www.mlrpress.com/ShowBook.php?book=JBBEND01

Buy at 1 Romance Ebooks

Amazon: Bend in the Road

Amazon Kindle: Bend in the Road

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

The Officer and the Gentleman is a novella which starts in a good way and ends in a wonderful one. Robert is a wealthy scotsman: he inherited from his grandfather a good amount of money and this allows him to live as he likes without have to worry of what people think of him. But he is not a careless man, he was not brought up in a supportive and happy family, his late grandfather was not a caring man, and probably Robert lacks the warm of a family. Plus Robert is gay and his only lover left him for the New World: it's not clear if it was real love or simply a friend with benefits relationship, it seems to me that Robert misses more the friend than the lover.

Robert is in London to visit and he befriends a young girl without dowry he finds interesting but not in a sexual way; he is a lot more interested in that way in her brother Charles, a cavalry officer. The time is the 1854 and Charles is enlisted in the Eleventh Hussars of Lord Cardigan, The Light Brigade, but before the history takes its toll, Charles and Robert share two weeks of passion; it's love at first sight, and for them everything seems possible. Actually everything is possible since Robert has enough money to not worry about society, they can live apart from the ton in total happiness. But Charles has to return to his military duty and after some weeks it arrives the sad news that almost all the Light Brigade was killed in a battlefield with the Russian Army.

To Robert is enough a feeble hope when he discovers that some soldiers are confined in a battlefield hospital in Scutari, to face the travel and rescue Charles to certain death. But the man he finds his no more the man he remembers: Charles has been catatonic for weeks and so remains even after Robert takes him back to England. This is probably to part of the book I liked best, how Robert takes care of Charles with so much love, even if actually he knew the man only for two weeks before he left. The trial they face is hard and deeply moving, and I really was wondering if there was an happy ending at the end; at some point I even thought that, in some way, even if Charles never fully recovers, for me it was still a story with an happily ever after, since they were together and Robert was happy to have Charles with him in every way he could: never once Robert regrets to have to take care of Charles.

There is also a lot of sex, more before Charles' illness, but also after: obviously it was a different way to approach sex, at first they are passionate and free, also a bit careless, and then it's a more sad and longing way, but nevertheless romantic, maybe even more than before.

When I first approached this story I was perplexed: how it was possible for the author to concentrate all that events in a novella of only 74 pages? But it's possible, and at the end of the book, I didn't feel like something was missing: I had enough time to care for the characters and enough historical details to like the setting.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=409

Reading List: 

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle

Two of the dearest heroes of the historical gay romance fiction have in this novel their third adventure. From the discovery of their love under dangerous situation in the first book, passing through the climax of an almost separation in the second, the third book is almost an aftermath. Nor William or David never doubted their love, but the fear is always there and they need to find a way to stay together.

William thought to be able to leave David to a normal life, a wife and possible a son, but David was not of the same idea. And despite the fact that David could seem the weaker of the two, it's upon him to find a way to change William's mind. The bait is a secret mission to rescue a frenchman in French territory; the tool a wonderful and fast little yacht which William has to command with a small crew and with David in the fake role of a canadian trader and yacht's owner.

The book starts in a very nice way, with a much waited reunion between William and David, who finally share a bed in a country inn. But the day after they are separated, even if not physically, since in the narrow space of the yacht, without possible intimacy, they have to restrain themself. And then David, who never doubted William's love, found out soon before their leave, that William was set out to really severe any communication with David; David still doesn't put in question their love, but maybe the wish of Will to commit himself to find a way to work through the odds to stay together. On the other hand, Will can't see a way for them to be together, even if David suggests a marriage of convenience for Will (don't worry, it's only a suggestion, and there is not even a woman around to accomplish it...).

And then Will has the chance to meet "another" man: again don't worry, there is not a betrayal behind the corner, but still, Will has the chance to understand that what he feels for David is not so strange or forbidden, it's something that he could well have felt for someone else if David was not around. It's not that David turned William, it's Willam's nature. I don't know, but in a way, William's mind finds absolution. In all the books I read on this series, I always found that David was the one who was willing to take more risks for their relationship; it's not that Will is a coward, but sometime he is too cautious.

With this book Lee Rowan introduces us to Etienne, a character that I'd like to see in the future, maybe with his own story.

http://www.cheyennepublishing.com/books/eye.html

Amazon: Eye of the Storm (Royal Navy, Book 3)

Series:
1) Ransom
2) Winds of Change
3) Eye of the Storm

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

I have to confess that I have never seen Titanic before. Why should I witness to a story that is domed since the beginning? And then, truth be told, I cordially hate both Leonard Di Caprio than Kate Winslet. And so when I realized that this book, Ship of Dreams, was about a story on the infamous Titanic, and that the two main characters resemble so much the characters of Di Caprio and Winslet (even if Winslet in this case wears trousers...), I hesitated. But I'm glad that my hesitation lasted only a moment, since the book is very easy to read, and flows smooth, without any "iceberg" on the way, if not the famous one.

James is a young man who tries to gain his day one per one. He is a gambler, a liar, probably also a thief. But he is not a real evil character, he is more like so many men of that period, that if lucky managed to build a good life for themself, and if not, well, they didn't remain in the history books. James is not a real criminal, he hasn't real malice inside.

Will is the only son of a widow who has only him to whom lean on. Probably Will knows who he really is, who he really likes, but it's not an option for him: he needs to marry a good woman, someone that can help him to take care of his mother, someone with whom he can walk among the good society. His late father and now his mother have great expectations for him, and he needs to be up to them. But when he meets James, he is even more sure that he is living a lie.

Will and James's relationship is easy and simple from the start. They recognize each other as twin souls, even if from the opposite side of society, they are similar; there is no need of words, they are like two magnets. But strange is, there are no words at all between them: they don't talk of the future, they don't analyze the consequences of their acts, they don't think of possible ways to be together... it's almost like they know that there will be no future for them, that their story is domed, and not only for the obvious reason. The ship is like a small world outside the time, and the people in it behave as if their life is only the one they are living on that ship. I have this feeling not only for the two main characters, but also for the other supporting characters in the story, in more chances than one, there is someone who is asked about the future, and he/she didn't answer in a right and clear way, but remains vague.

There is a suffused sadness during all the story, but in spite of this, the book is not tragic; even when they reach the climax, the moment when they are forced to take a life change (or ending) decision, the characters, and the story with them, continue to have this quite and sad behavior. Yes, all in all, this is not at all an happy story, but I like the feeling, it gives peace and hope at the same time.

Side note for who likes the historical accuracy: of 329 First Class passengers, 199 survived, 60% of them (all the story is setted in First Class, no hint to Second or Third class whatsoever).

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/ship-of-dreams

Amazon Kindle: Ship of Dreams

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

When I was a teen I was deeply fascinated by the Native American culture. Two of my favorite books were Dee Brown's Buy My Heart at Wounded Knee (that I searched for a bit since when I was young the Italian version of that book was out of stock) and a book who tried to tell from a different point of view the spanish "Conquest", and for this reason the title was 2941 (1492 on the other verse). Unfortunately they were never light books, since it's not easy to write of the Native Americans and be light, there is so little joy in that period for them. More when you think that most of the tribes were peaceful like the Dinè (Navajo). For this reason I like this book, since it didn't take with lightness the matter, but it gave also hope to the story of the two main characters.

William Lee, ex southern son of a preacher, left his home in disgrace after that his father found him in a barn with a young male friend... and it was obvious that they were not only friends. With some luck from his side (or maybe not after he realized in what he ended up), he became apprentice for the Indian Agent at Fort Summer, only to find out that the previous Agent is vanished and he is now the new Agent. But this is not the only surprise for William: he went in the Indian reserve believing to find almost a lost paradise, where the Native Americans are leaving in peace and prosperity, thanks to the unselfish help of the white men. And instead the reserve is more or less a detention field, and the Navajos there are slowly dying from starvation, since there is no way for them to farm the land or the herd the sheep. And if they are not dying from natural causes, they are killed from the soldiers who instead of take them safe, are using them as personal play things.

Probably William didn't arrive at the reserve with noble idea of being a saviour, even if a bit of his father's lessons probably still are inside him, but now that he is there, he can't help to feel sympathy for this people, even more since among them he meets Hasbaa, a Two-Spirits, a man who has inside him also the spirit of a woman. Hasbaa considers himself a widow, since he lost his warrior's lover and to show his grief he chose to wear only as a woman and to renounce to all the physical joy that he can find with another man. Since no one among the Native Americans treats him in a different way or looks at him in a strange way since he dresses like a woman, no one outside the reserve knows that Hasbaa is a man. William is deeply surprised, but also fascinated, to see that there is a way for him to love a man, and live happy. I don't know if William decides to help the Native Americans to have a chance with Hasbaa or if he really wants to help them, but in a way or another, William makes his the right of his new people.

As I said, I like this book, because, even if faithful to the story, it's not a sad book. It was really an easy ready that will make happy the history lover as well as the romantic reader. I believe that Hasbaa is a really historic accurate character, and even if he is a very good romance hero, he still remain faithful to his time and period. This good blend between history and romance probably is due to the good mix of the two authors that arrive from different origins, but come together to write a very moving but at the same time tender book.

http://www.lethepressbooks.com/gay.htm#Williams

Amazon Kindle: Two Spirits: A Story of Life With the Navajo

Amazon: Two Spirits: A Story of Life With the Navajo

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

This is really a short story, 14 pages, but it's really unexpected since I was not used to this type of story by Steve Berman. It's an historical romp, strangely setting in an unknown Caribbean island, and it has love and sex.

Radford is a young English man who was shanghaied to become an unwilling pirate. During an attack, Radford manages to gain vengeance toward the man who forced him, a fellow crewman, but he is also injured. Marooned in an island with a strange frenchman known as Inkman, since he creates wonderful tattoo for the pirates dock on the island, Radford will heal not only his physical injury, but also his mind, also thank to the help of an handsome spanish pirate.

The story it's all about Radford and his journey out of the darkness he fell in. It has also the great merit to be unexpected in only 14 pages, since I started reading it obviously waiting for Radford to bond with Inkman, and why I wouldn't? it was almost impossible that in a so short story there were more than two main characters. And instead Radford bonds with Inkman, but not in the way I think: Inkman helps Radford to heal physically, but the whole mental healing will arrive also thanks to Salort, the pirate who will show to Radford that not all the pirates are to despise.

Very nice short story, with enough little details to allow the reader to plunge in the story, always an hard thing to do with an historical setting and few pages time.

http://allromanceebooks.com/product-inkmanswork-14158-144.html

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle