Ghost Hunters – Long Beach by A.M. Riley

If you start this anthology thinking to read something haunting and dark, you would be surprised by the first story, which is almost a sweet romance. James and Rick are best friend since forever, they met when they were still too young to understand what a sexual preference was, and from that moment on they were inseparable. Rick believes in ghosts and James believes in Rick; if Rick wants to go ghost hunting, James is there with him, and so it was for the past eight years. I actually don’t know how old they both are, but due to their “innocence”, I think they are 20-something, so it’s not implausible that they are in that moment of life when they need to take a final and life changing decision. James loves Rick, but he has no courage to come out to his friend, at least not with his feelings. The night before James told Rick he is gay, but he didn’t admit his feelings for him; and since Rick didn’t tell anything, James took that as a rejection, and now he is thinking to give up, to the ghost hunting and to Rick. I think that James didn’t understand that Rick is not a straightforward type of guy and that he probably has no courage himself to come clear with James. But they have a friend in common that maybe will help both of them.

I really loved this story; I have always had a soft spot for young lovers. And the scene where James admits to a “virgin” Rick that he had a sexual intercourse while his friend was away and Rick simply replies that he had noticed a change in him, was so sweet and tender, an admission of love without actually saying the words. I also loved that, all in all, this was not a paranormal story; the only otherworldly event is a nice topping to a more than nice story, I liked it, but it was not essential to the story.

Rousing Caine by Lex Valentine

This story reminded me an old Hollywood movie, not since it was old fashioned but since it faced the “ghost” side at the same way, not giving much explanation and looking at it like another oddity that adds spicy to the love story. Jason was recently dumped by his younger boy toy, a man he met soon after a bad divorce and who was probably only a way to forget that experience. Still, it wasn’t nice to be not only dumped, but also robbed, Chris, the boy toy ran off with his safe money and a priceless painting. And Jason ran off to his beach house to forget. So, when the morning after he awakes with a ghost in his bed, he was probably ready to have an affair without strings attached, and how it could have them when Caine, the man, is already dead? I think Jason takes it so easy since he doesn’t really believe in the story, oh yes, he believes Caine to be a ghost, but he doesn’t believe their story could last. And so troubles come only when both of them start to move on the simple fling and think to the future. More, when Jason realizes that Caine’s feelings are real, and they were so for a long time, that is the moment when all go to hell.

If you consider the love story, the novella is nice. What I’m not sure to like much is Jason’s character; I think he is a bit selfish. Not only he doesn’t try to understand Caine’s reasons, at least not immediately, but even worse, when he thinks to have lost Caine for good, and so he has already done a bad mistake, he even wishes Chris’s death. All right, Chris is not exactly the best of the man, but I think Jason should at least try to understand his reasons, maybe he was a runaway kid, maybe he had inner trouble, and so on. Instead, really, I have the feeling Jason is a bit self-centred. But well, as I always say, it’s better to have an imperfect man as hero than a perfect hero as man, imperfect men are more interesting and usually give better material for a story.

The Day They Closed The Iguana by A.M. Riley

There are light and funny ghost stories and there are very sad one. A.M. Riley tried both; her first story in this anthology was funny so I should have probably guessed than the second would have been not. Billy is a more than thirty year old former wanna-be-actor, not old fashioned theatre owner with ghost attached. The story is not clear, but probably Billy was in love with Seth, Seth was in love with the idea of being an actor and then he died. Since Billy is now thirty, and we are talking of something happened more than 10 years before, Billy and Seth had to be very young, probably Billy’s first love. And you never forget your first love. So Billy spent all his twenty-something year to mourn for Seth, and it was also quite impossible to forget him, when his ghost was there to remind Billy of who he lost. But years passed and nothing changes and Billy realizes that if he doesn’t do something, he will spend the rest of his life alone, if not for a ghost who is not able to warm him during a winter night.

Enter Frank from Montana. Frank is gentle, caring, down to earth and very real. He reminds me of a movie I love, Bus Stop, where a wonderful Marilyn Monroe is sidetracked from her path towards the glittering lights of Hollywood, from a very handsome and very pushing Montana ranch owner. Billy is Marilyn Monroe, he is already in Hollywood, so that is not his impossible dream. The impossible dream is his love for Seth, and instead Frank represents the today, the now, the possibility. He is maybe not the lost dream of his youth, he is maybe not so striking and perfect as Billy reminds Seth to be, but he is real. Now Billy has to decide if continuing to live with his dreams, or being sidetracked in Montana.

Black Candle Reader by William Maltese

I actually don’t know if all the facts in this novella happened by night, but that was the feeling. At the beginning I didn’t understand if I was reading a series of short independent stories or what: there were different characters, two male escort, the narrative voice, without name (an Afro-American hustler) and his lover Jeremy; a clairvoyant, Kenneth, who is eager to have finally a contact with a human body and not with ghosts; a forty-something man, Talon, who thinks he has to pay for his father’s sins; a young hustler, Sammy, who is dreaming a better life; a serial killer, without name. Their stories seem disconnected if not for one thing they have in common, the sex. And the crazy but nevertheless meaningful flow of words that is a William Maltese’s story. This time actually, it’s a little less sex-centred, to be more scaring (I don’t find sex scaring…); this story is darker, and sadder. I actually felt real sorry for one of the above character, and maybe even for another one. Not really for the third of them who will not arrive at the end of the story. The Love Me Dead of the title in this case is not the love for a ghost, but the crazy love (and not the kind of good crazy of above) which brings to death half the men we are introduced at the beginning.

The previous three stories where not at all scaring and most of all romance, with various degrees of that, and instead Black Candle Reader is probably more horror than romance. I kind of find romantic Jeremy and “I”’s love, not a typical sweet and rose love, they are, after all, male escorts still on the job, but I think “I” is looking after Jeremy, and they are only waiting a good time to retire and being an old fashioned couple aging together in a nice cottage. Or maybe I’m trying to paint in pink the darkness of the story… but still, there were sometime, during the narration, that between cum and candles, I really read Jeremy as an innocent boy at play, and “I” an odd knight in shining armour.

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

When Love Comes Back Around by Lisa Marie Davis

This book can be easily define a sweet romance. The story is pretty classic: small town, two sweetheart lovers, one from the most important family of the town, the other orphaned and raised by a drunk, the rejected of good society. They never should be friends, even less lovers. And to add problem to problem, they are both male.

Caleb is the golden son (even if he has dark hair...) and his father wants for him to be a politician. But when he is 13 years old he meets Royce, new in town after the death of his parents. Royce lives with his uncle, an abusive man, and the friendship with Caleb is his only escape from horror. When they are both 16 years old, friendship becomes loves and for four years they bring along a clandestine relationship. Caleb always swears that they will leave together, after college, they will go where they can claim their love. But when the moment arrives, Caleb cheats out, and Royce goes away alone.

Now after ten years, Royce is again in town, but he has no intention to meet Caleb, since he knows that he still loves the man and he will not survive to another farewell. Instead Caleb wants to see again Royce, even if for few minutes, since his life since their departure was an hell and he needs to be with the man he really loved, and actually the only man, or woman, for him.

The story is not so long, 70 pages, and as I said before, it's almost a sweet romance: there is a lot of talk about love, but not even one sex scene. Both Caleb than Royce treasure their memory, but the reader is not put apart of their thoughts. The story flows smoothly, it's easy to read, but since both characters are 30 years old now, I wouldn't mind a bit of more action. Anyway sometime is refreshing to read a sweet romance, and I'm always fond of the bad boy-good boy next door pair.

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What Matters Most by Lisa Marie Davis

Silas was always a strange boy. He saw imaginary friends, or so he thought. When he was a bit older he understood that what he saw were the souls of dead people who had something other to do before leaving, and they asked to Silas for help. Even if so young Silas knew that it was not normal for him to see souls, and from his parents he didn't have help. Lucky him his paternal grandfather, an old Irish man, taught him about the "sight" and that their family sometime gives birth to a special man like Silas.

To add strangeness to oddity, Silas soon realized that he was gay, and as he never hid the sight, he didn't hide his being gay. For his parents it was too much and Silas found himself alone at a very young age. With only a money help by his father he moved in a new city and began the life of a ordinary clerk, and at the same time he continued to help the souls. Always open in all the aspect of his life, when he became friend, or lover, with another man, Silas didn't hide the spiritual side of his life, and this lead to him being alone, since no one actually believed him. Silas got the fame to be handsome and sexy, but a bit odd.

When he spends a one night adventures with Josh, and the morning after he discovers that the man is very much in the closet and without any intention to come out, Silas tries to go on with his life, but Josh's mother has other idea... the problem is that Sarah, Josh's mother, is a soul and help her in her last wish means reveal to Josh that he can see the souls of the dead.

The story is an odd mix of hanging atmosphere and lustful sex. Silas is almost double faced, one side the cool and serene man who sees souls and calmly helps them, on the other side the man who picks up a man for a one night stand and makes passionate love; these are two side that almost crash, but that in a way melt together to draw up the character. Josh instead is a problematic man, with a abusive father and a weak mother, a grown man with still the mind of a child; sadly he needs an authoritative figure beside him, since alone he would not be able to break free from his father's clutches.

Even if there is sex in this story, it's almost like an ethereal experience... again that hanging feeling; the overall sensation of the story is of a continuous flow of energy, without the up and down that usually characterize a romance. In a way, for a story which deals with souls, it's quite a right sensation.

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Unstoppable Force by Lisa Marie Davis

This book has written "Cinderfella" all over the pages... there is also a fairy godmother in the guise of the very special male escort agency owner who matches Cinderfella alias Pretty Man Cale to Multi-Millionaire Prince Charming Ethan.

So, see, I can't be too hard with this story, since it's all about romance, and I can't not like a romance; doesn't matter if the story is unbelievable, if the cynical in me continued to say that a man like Ethan will never and never fall in love with Cale, I want the romance and I get the romance.

Ethan is a very handsome and very wealthy business man; at the beginning of his career he was a runaway guy with a skill for software and a pretty, even if rough, look. With the help of both his virtue, he manages to warm the bed of a middle age and wealthy man who in exchange, taught to Ethan how to be a successful business man. When the man moved on to another young lover, Ethan was enough skilled and independent to make his own success life. Today Ethan isn't searching for commitment, he likes to play the field, and so he usually buys the service of an escort agency when he is in the mood.

Cale is another runaway boy; escaping from an abusive stepfather who unfortunately taught to Cale that he is only worth for sex, Cale ended in the clutches of a little mafia criminal who, at his eyes, was a big treat. Managing to escape also from him, Cale now is under the shelter of fairy godmother Gwen, who sends him to Ethan. It's a match made in... bed? but Ethan pampers Cale like a prince, trying to instill a bit of confidence in the pretty man (and in this case I mean pretty as beautiful, since Cale is really beautiful even if he doesn't realize it).

A little trouble to resolve the issue of Cale's past does nothing to ruin the fairy tale atmosphere and the obviously path toward an happily ever after; if only life would be so simple...

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Loving Lucas by Lisa Marie Davis

Ten years before Lucas was a young high school teacher just out of college; he was the classical teacher who liked to be more a friends than a authoritative figure for his students, but he did that without second thoughts. Problem was that one of his student was an unstable teen who probably would need a psychiatric help and instead his family didn't take with the right seriousness the problem. Riley, the student, approached Lucas and when the man refused him, all went to hell: Lucas was raped and left for dead in a burning cabin. He managed to survive and to denounce Riley, but he also lost his life and his lover, who couldn't suffer his scarred body.

Now Lucas has a new life in a little small town where everyone loves him, above all the local sheriff; Nicholas is an handsome man, with plenty of choice if he wants, but he sets his eyes on Lucas. When they met five years before, Lucas was still too traumatized by his past events and he was not ready for something serious, and so Nicholas accepted the second choice to be his best friend. But now Riley is out of prison and both Lucas than Nicholas know that the man will come for Lucas, and Nicholas is not willing to let the man take the most important thing he has, Lucas; since Nicholas has no doubt that Lucas is his own.

The story is not very long and there is not mystery, since it's clear since the beginning that Riley will try to harm Lucas once again. It's more interesting to read and see how Nicholas will convince Lucas to accept not only his help but also his love. Truth be told, I think that Nicholas takes advantage of the situation to force Lucas to accept something than in other condition it will be years before they arrive to the same point. Probably Nicholas is tired to wait (but not enough to renounce) and above all he is tired to be judge by someone else actions. And this is maybe the point that I understood less: it's true that Lucas is scarred, but only on his back; in his everyday life, with dress on, he is a very beautiful man, and no one can notice his scars. All right, being a gay man, maybe having is back all scarred is a bit more important than a straight man (naughty Elisa, I know), but is it enough of a reason to dump someone? Lucas is clever, handsome, with a good work, is it possible that someone dumped him for some scars? And even if it happened, is it possible that he chose 10 years of chastity upon the action of only one man?

Anyway, the story is quite tender and the sex is good, something I noticed in the previous books by the same author: she mixes well the two elements, never letting the sex take the main role in the story, always letting the tenderness and love being in first line.

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Michael is an average American gay guy with a loving and supporting family (even if small, he has only his brother and his sister in law) and a distant boyfriend, Steve. Actually it's quite strange, usually it's the family that is distant, but here I believe, it serves to the author to prove that Michael's bindings with his past (represented by his family) are stronger than the ones he forged with his American boyfriend. More, recently Michael is having strange and erotic dreams where he loves another man, Jonathan, and they are very real; but in his dreams Michael is an English man, living in the period before and soon after the WWII. Jonathan is a childhood friend turned lover, and he is too real to be only a figment of his imagination. Conveniently, at the same time when he is dreaming of this handsome man, the estranged boyfriend, Steve, is once again away for business, and doesn't worry to let Michael knowing that he is missed.

On the other hand, when Michael talks of Jonathan, the man of his dreams, with his brother Brad, instead of being scorned of pushed to let a dream go, he is encouraged, Brad sees Michael's dream man like a symptom that Michael is not happy in his present relationship, and maybe it helps also that Brad doesn't like so much Michael's boyfriend, Steve. Brad is a very nice character, but he is only a side one. He has a very nice scene, the beginning one, during which we can understand Michael, his insecurities, his love for his brother and sister in law, his need to be love. Michael is a gentle soul, he doesn't ring me like a very authoritative man, more like someone who follows the path of someone else more daring and stronger in will. In his dream with Jonathan, the other Michael, the English one, is exactly like that: he is daring since his lover Jonathan is daring, Michael is loyal and honest, but a bit on the quiet side. Jonathan instead is a charismatic man, a born leader.

Then Michael discovers that he is the heir of a country estate in England and of 5 million pounds. Lionel, the man who dying left him all his properties, was living in Bedford Park, the previous estate of Jonathan Harcourt; Jonathan was a young man who disappeared soon after the WWII and his lover Michael committed suicide soon after. Michael's parents emigrated in America and had another daughter who is today Michael's mother. Lionel wished to leave the estate, Bedford Park, to Michael with only a request, that he finds out what really happened to Jonathan, since it appears that Jonathan's ghost is haunting the house, but in a very benign way: Jonathan's ghost is sad and apparently in search of something.

So everything seems to click on the right way. Michael is obviously the reincarnation of the old Michael, and what he is dreaming by night are not dreams but past memories. Even the fact that the old Michael committed suicide rings right with what we knew of Michael at that moment, someone who prefers to follow the lead of a stronger man, the old Michael, after the loss of his lover, had not the force to react and move one. But really, right when I was reading that, and mulling in my head that explanation, something didn't fit... even if old Michael / today Michael are not strong men, they are men in love, and from a romantic perspective, I would have preferred to see old Michael fights to find out what happened to his lover; maybe, AFTER he found out, only then it would have been possible for him to commit suicide, but not before. I can understand that, with his lover dead, Michael didn't see any reason to live, but not when there was still out there who killed his lover.

Like that, it seems not possible for this one to be an happily ever after love story, at least not in an ordinary way: Michael's is the reincarnation of a dead man whose lover is still a mourning ghost. How could they have an happily ever after together? But when Michael relocates to Bedford Park, he meets Jonathan Robertson, very real and not a ghost; Jonathan lives in Cambridge and he himself, like Michael, is dreaming of the old Michael and Jonathan. The new Jonathan is a friendly, handsome and very funny man; he is tender and caring with Michael, the perfect dream man. But Jonathan's the ghost is real, both Michael than new Jonathan see him. And I stop here since, if you want to know what it happens, you have to read the book. It's enough to say that, with this development of the story, the mood of the book shifts from sad to almost light, and also my doubts on old Michael's suicide were right and will be answered in the right way: even if old Michael and today Michael are not leader, they are not weak men, and they know how to fight for their love and lovers.

The novel is surprisingly light and easy to read, despite being almost 300 pages long. The paranormal elements are not so strong to define this book as a strictly paranormal, and all in all, I will define it more a contemporary love story with a paranormal help from the past. Michael's character is very much like you would expect from an all American boy transplanted in old country England, and the today Jonathan is a friendly and happy man, who enjoys to tease a bit the maybe naive Michael. So yes, the mood of the story is lighter than expected, and I have to say that I like it better in this way.

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The novel is a surprising light and nice book. I really was not expecting to find it funny, from the blurb and the type of story I was ready to read an almost new age full of hidden symbols book. And instead this is the story of two young men in love and the trouble they face to be together... even if, truth be told, the trouble are not so much and the happily ever after is near and clear.

Colm is an elemental witch, he has the power to control the ice, but he doesn't know it. He was not taught in the "art" of being a witch when he was young, he discovered his powers alone and he thinks at himself like some freak. He chose to live in the shadow as much as possible, and it's not an insignificant detail that he is a photographer, usually who stays behind the camera is someone who doesn't like to be at the center of the stage, he prefers to work behind the scene. Then he meets Aidan, another elemental witch, a fire witch; it's quite obvious that fire and ice are fated to be together, but there is something else between Colm and Aidan. They are forever lover, they lived many life, in every life they met and for some reason they were torn apart. It was not always some cruel game of fate, sometime it was Aidan who left Colm... actually more than sometime. Colm was always the abandoned lover, the one who loved too much and who payed for it. In some past life he was also a woman, and sometime he also gave birth to Aidan's son, but for a reason or the other, they have never had an happily ever after. And maybe this is the reason why now, Colm is running away from Aidan, instead of being happy to find him again... even if Colm doesn't remember all their past life, his heart knows that loving Aidan is dangerous, unless they don't change the past trend.

Aidan is not so change in this life, he is still the flirty and happy-to-go type of man that he was in almost all his past life; he is ready and willing to claim eternal love to Colm, but he does it without thinking, following the rush of the moment. Aidan is like is elemental, fire, he burns quickly and quickly fades, but if you are good in feed him, he can be a constant source of warm and comfort. Colm instead is like the ice, he has good and long last memory, he tends to be more careful in his action, and apparently he is less involved, but once he loves you, once he has you in his ice prison, it's almost impossible to run away.

I tried to tell you how the author plays with these two characters and their different behavior, how they are apparently at the opposite, but that they complete each other; but don't forget what I said at the beginning, all in all this is a "light" story, full of nice supporting characters, daddy leathermen and latino twinks, bearded drag queens and horny teenagers.... plus it's also quite sexy without being overtly detailed. Colm and Aidan love each other, and also if Colm is still quite uncertain of all this thing of being a witch, of one thing he is sure, Aidan is his boyfriend, and he was so for the past two thousand years, and so it's better that no one tries to take him away from him, or he will show them how it's living in the North Pole. Even if this is a paranormal romance (how it couldn't be with witches and co around), I didn't feel it too much "out of the ordinary", I read it more like a nice modern love story with some paranormal twists.

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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.

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When I started this book I wasn't expecting to find romance in it, since it was presented as an old classic sleuthing novel, and so you can imagine my surprise when the hero, Elliott, not only has a romance, he has THREE romance, two of them at the same time, and he is not even a slut ;-)

But I will try to start from the beginning. Elliott is a very wealthy man without attitude, who chose to work not for necessity but for pleasure. He loves the olf fashioned buildings of Chicago (a thing Chicago is famous for and I can say since I wandered for the city centre searching for them when i was there) and he made a work of them: he buys a building at time, gives it new life to then selling it to trusted hands. And sometime he falls in love for a building so much that he doesn't have the heart to sell it, and so Elliott has a strange collection: where other people collect miniatures, he collects real buildings. If you find strange that I spend so much time talking of Elliott's hobby, it is since most of Elliott's passion is reserved to his love for those old buildings, on a personal level he is quite aloof, almost detached. Elliott is a real nice guy, he seems to have no problem to find a guy when he wants it, and all his past lovers are still in nice terms with him... also since Elliott is so good that he is never the one to dump, they dumped him, always pleading forgiveness... mmm, I believe that Elliott is real good to not become involved when he doesn't want it.

When the story starts, Elliott is in hospital recovering from an accident and he "feels" that someone else is in the room. Elliott, practical guy he is, soon realizes that the presence is a ghost, and it doesn't take him much to link the ghost, whose first words were, My name is John, to the John Doe who was admitted in the ER at his same time, and who unfortunately died. The ghost is not actually your usual ghost, he is as I said, a presence, he talks in Elliott's mind when said mind is free from any other thought (means when Elliott is asleep), and makes clear his presence giving strange feelings to Elliott regarding objects and pictures. The ghost apparently is suffering from amnesia, and Elliott's quest to find who he is goes pace to pace with his ability to recall little pieces of his past life. So the main mystery, the core of the book, is to find out who was John, and the author is very good in letting the reader catches only little clues here and there. I pretty much soon suspected who John was, but I had an advantage that not many of you will have. Anyway I don't want to say more on it, since as I always say, you can't summarize a mystery without risking to give up the mystery itself.

Let us instead talk of Elliott's personal life, that is for me almost as interest as the mystery itself. At the beginning of the book, Elliott is in an on / off relationship with Rick; Rick is a nice guy, but sincerely I don't feel like Elliott was really involved; and so I was not surprise when Elliott manages to be dumped again... Rick also took the guilty on himself, and Elliott told him to not worry. I was not so disappointed that the first romance in the book ended in such a cold way, since I was already planning the romance between Elliott and John, the ghost. But no, even if I'm sure to have read something more between Elliott and John than a simple utilitarian bond aimed to discover John's identity, the author has someone else in mind for Elliott. Enter Steve, a young, hot and nice latin american guy who Elliott meets in a club and the same night takes to bed. The relationship between Elliott and Steve is more interesting than the one with Rick, but still I feel like Elliott is not entirely involved, I always feel as if he is taking back something. It's strange Elliott is quite a "physical" man, he has sex both with Rick than with Steve (but not at the same time!), even if the author adopts the the "behind closed door"'s rule, the reader knows that Elliott is not shy or antisocial, but truth be told, I felt a real emotional involvement only with John, and John is not even corporeal!

In the end, maybe I'm wrong but for me the real couple here are Elliott and John; Steve is a really nice guy, even John tells so to Elliott, and the reader can't really resent him, since being John a ghost, and an incorporeal ghost, you can't pretend for Elliott to be a monk. And so here my idea that Elliott has two relationship at the same time, one with Steve involving his mind and body, and one with Elliott involving his heart; till the day mind, heart and body will devoted to the same man, Elliott for me remains an on the edge man, still waiting for something.

http://www.zumayapublications.com/title.php?id=54

Amazon: His Name Is John

Reading List:

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Keta Diablo likes the unpolitically correct characters. I had just a little taste of it in a previous short story in which one of the character was a man who cheated on his lover for fear of commitment; as you all know, for me a cheating man is something I can hardly forgive, even if, truth be told, in that book the man was doing everything possible to be forgiven.

In this new book Frank is the most possible anti-hero you can find. A mix of Inspector Callaghan meets Yaoi, Frank is a private investigator who has a little help from the otherworld: he sees dead people... not so original, you will think, there is even a series (Eye Spy by Drew Zachary) in which not only the private investigator sees ghosts, he has even a ghost partner (partner as lover). But let's start from the beginning: when Frank was still a rookie in the police department he was taken under the wing of an older police officer, Quinn; he was like a father for Frank and welcomed him in his home where Frank met Rand, the 17 years old gay son of the man. Since Frank was gay, and Quinn knew it, and Rand was in need of a firm hand, Quinn and his wife encouraged Frank towards Rand, but Frank did the only right thing he will do in all the book, he didn't take advantage of the young boy (even if with he had the consensus of the parents). And, as I said, that was the last time Frank behaved as a good man; soon after Quinn died in the line of duty, and Frank resisted only few months near the widow and her two sons, and then left her alone with all her trouble, even if the woman welcomed him in her home. Five years he acted as he didn't know that the woman needed him and that her son Rand considered him a role model, and loosing him at the same time of his father was not probably for the best.

After five years the widow calls him since her son Rand is disappeared since three months without notice. The woman knows that probably the young man, now 22 years old, is in some trouble and asks Frank to find and bring him home again. Due to his sense of guilty and the respect he had for his father, what do you think Frank should do? find the boy, teach him a lesson and bring him safe and sound at home, right? Oh yes, Frank finds him all right, but also breaks into his apartment at night wearing a hood, chains the boy at the bed, gags him and plays with him using a martial weapon as sex toys, to end all with a thoroughly sex session, the part that remembered me a yaoi manga, whimpers, blushing and tears all together.

So no, Frank is not exactly a private investigator by the book, and Rand is not probably the innocent boy who Frank remembers, but one thing you can say of this book, it didn't play according the rule. And so if you are searching a lot of sex, down and dirty, and a very bad boy character, that is unrepentant till and beyond the end of the book, probably this one could be an interesting and unusual choice. I can't say more on the story since this is only a novella and if I say more on the mystery part, I will risk to give up the book. And then, truth be told, with two long and detailed sex scenes, there is not much space left.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crossroads/exact_match=exact

Amazon Kindle: Crossroads

Reading List:

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I'm a faithful reader of T.A. Chance from the beginning; long or short, with cowboys or sport stars, fantasy, historical or contemporary, a new story by T.A. Chase always climbs the first place in my reading list. They are always different but still there is always this mix of romance and naughty sex that make them so good. And in a way, I can say that T.A. Chase loves everyone of his characters.

Padraig is a ghost; but he is not living in Paradise, he is wandering the earth since when he died, he left too much things behind, above all his unrequited love for Gareth. When he was in life, Padraig was an hot head; he worked in the docks in Belfast and he was not exactly a good boy. And probably he didn't believe he was good enough for Gareth, a shy man who worked as employee in the docks office. Padraig and Gareth exchanged glances but seldom words, and at the moment Padraig died in a fight bar, he had just gathered enough courage to go finally talk to Gareth. Only that he hadn't time to do so.

Gareth is a really nice character, but who came out in full in this novella is Padraig. I can almost see him, always self deprecating himself, always thinking that, someone like him, doesn't deserve anything better than what he gets. As a dead man, he almost arrives to think that, well, maybe it's better that he ended like that, for his mother and Gareth will only be better without him. Even when he has the possibility to come back to life in the body of another man, a dying man, he has still this little doubt that maybe the dying man was better than him, and so he shouldn't deprive him of his life: mind you, Patrick doesn't do nothing to "kill" the man, he only happens to be there at the right moment for him to possess the body of a man that would die in any case.

Ten years for Padraig were without "time". Padraig knew he was a ghost, but for him time means nothing and so, when on St. Patrick's Day he has a second chance with Gareth, for him it's like he left the man only seconds ago. Not the same for Gareth, who is mourning his lost chance with Padraig for years, even more since when Padraig died, he received his last gift, the token which should have marked the beginning of their love together. And so when he is approached in a bar by a man with the same green eyes of Padraig, he does the unthinkable, he brings him home. Probably since so many years ago Gareth hadn't the courage to grasp his chance at love, and he always regretted it, now Gareth gives to this "second" Padraig in his life the chance he didn't give to old Paddy.

This is a novella and so spans only a night and a day in Padraig and Gareth's life. Their present time together is spent practically always in bed, like they have to make up for the lost time; the romanticism and the sugary feelings arrive all from their past together, even in few words, T.A. Chase manages to let you imagine the life of these men, when they were young and full of hope, when they still had all their life ahead of them. From here derives the mix between sex and romance I said before: when the reader is almost to the edge of tears, thinking to all the lost things, then he is plunged in an erotic scene, that even if detailed, it's never vulgar.

And in the end, let me spend few words on the wonderful, beautiful, stunning cover by Anne Cain: this is the classical example of a book I would buy anyway, even if it was not good (and it's, mind you). A cover like this one is a total catch the eyes and put out the money to buy the book. Very happy that it's for a book by T.A. Chase, who deserves it.

http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Ghost_of_a_Chance-900.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Ghost of a Chance

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Cover Art by Anne Cain

Eye Spy (Eye Spy 1) by Drew Zachary

DB is a private investigator of not much success. But he has something no other PI could have: his partner is a ghost, Jesse.

They share a pretty simple and quite life: resolve cases not so complicated, play chess and discuss a lot. They have never spoken of the private life of DB, cause Jesse has no private life, obviously, and seems neither DB.

But when DB discovers that Jesse is gay, like him, their relationship changes a bit: sex with a ghost seems a little weird and complicated, but DB can't deny the sudden passion he feels for Jesse. And Jesse wants badly to feels again a physical passion and to have the chance to share it with something else.

In the end the case on which DB and Jesse are investigating slip in second side and the struggle of Jesse to understand how he can have sex with DB plays the main role. Jesse is the engine of the story, DB is almost the let-the-things-flows type of characters. It is also a tender story and not creepy at all; maybe you will be a little sad for the two but you will have an open happy end to image how a ghost and a man can build a relationship together.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=606

Amazon Kindle: Eye Spy

With My Little Eye (Eye Spy 2) by Drew Zachary

Jesse and DB from Eye Spy have to solve two cases: a professional ones, the murder of a 8 years old girl, and a professional ones, the fact that they can't have sex together, since being Jesse a ghost, he has a too "ethereal" physic, and everytime they try to touch, DB passes through Jesse like Jesse does with a wall.

The book is a light comedy: the awful plot, the murder of the little girl, plays only a secondary level role, and almost all the book is voted to Jesse and DB's relationship. The two are like two male cats in the same house, both of them want to dominate and to have the last word. But they are also in love and maybe Jesse arrived to this conclusion before DB, and so now he is the most eager to find a solution.

DB is the classical PI: detached and negative, but also with a big heart well hidden behind his rude behavior. He is always ready to blame Jesse for bringing him "ghost" clients, since they are not paying customer, but then he can't never deny an help.

But as I said, is not the suspence part of the book that characterized the plot: it's more the erotic exchanges between Jesse and DB, and since this is not at all a "normal" relationship, all the erotic scenes have always a funny side, a creepy funny side.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&manufacturers_id=28&products_id=1358

Amazon Kindle: With My Little Eye

Something Green (Eye Spy 3) by Drew Zachary

DB and his ghost lover Jesse are coming back with another story where mystery mixes with humor. In comparison to the previous book, Something Green is a little more funny and light: DB and Jesse have finally found a way to be together also in a physical way. They are all in all a couple, and like a real couple, Jesse is starting to get jealous, since he is the "invisible" part of the relationship and he can't stake his claim on DB in a very evident way. Even if the author really never described DB or Jesse in a physical way, I believe that DB is a cute man, and now he has also an admirer, a cop that started to wonder why DB is always in time on the scene of a crime, and one that is willing to believe that is not only lucky or something illegal.

Joe, the cop, has a sad story on his past, that almost makes the reader wants for him to be happy, but in no way he can be between DB and Jesse. But despite this, Jess has to face the fact that he is incorporeal, and that he can't do things with his lover like going out for dinner or chatting in public; things that Joe can do. What I like is that the jealousy stunt is all on Jesse's side, DB never once lets his interest on Joe to become something more than friendship; even if in love with a ghost with whom he is having sex, DB is really a quite normal guy, with simple taste and desires: he accepted the fact that his soul mate is a ghost and now he is passing on, no more doubting of the decision he took; he is enjoying the moment and he doesn't question the future.

As I said the book is more funny, without any angst nor in the mystery case or in the relationship between DB and Jesse, and it's also more "physical", since DB and Jesse are having regular sex, and once they went on the weird thing of having sex with a ghost in the previous book, in this one they are only happy and content with what they have and they profit plenty of the chance. So the sex is only happy, and there is no regrets of "if" pending between them.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1811

Amazon: Eye Spy

Series:
1) Eye Spy
2) With My Little Eye
3) Something Green

Reading List:

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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:

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Cover Art by Anne Cain

Where the Heart is a spin off of the main series Bay City Paranormal Investigation; the main series is the story of Bo and Sam and it has five books all about them, but if you haven't read them, no problem, this last book is loosely connected and you can read it as stand alone.

Dean Delapore is Bo and Sam's colleague, a bisexual man that believes in forever love but has no problem to enjoy also a for now fling. And so, when he is visiting a couple of friends in a charming small town USA, and spot an interesting young man, Sommer, he is all for an enjoyable short adventure. Dean has no problem to admit when he sees a very handsome man, cute and pretty, but probably at first, he doesn't believe that Sommer could be something else other than a fling: Sommer is shy and cute and Dean prefers his men to be a bit forceful.

But Dean is on for a surprise: even if in public Sommer is all bushes and not direct glances, in private he is a total top; he likes to order around and Dean likes to be ordered. Plus Sommer has also another merit: he owns an haunted house, and for a paranormal investigator, this is too much of a bait. What started like a nice fling is becoming more and more an important story, and neither Dean or Sommer are sure to be ready for that.

I like this last chapter in the series since it's more romance than drama; the paranormal sub-plot is nice but not too creepy, the paranormal investigation evolves in a nice way without too much angst, and it ends in a rather tender way. What emerges more of the story is Dean and Sommer's relationship, it's rather interesting to see apparently shy Sommer turns in an almost sex slaver, with Dean playing the role of his willing toy boy.

There are also two nice supporting characters, Kerry and Ron, the couple Dean went to visit, and I liked very much Kerry's reaction when she realized that Sommer practically kidnapped her friend, who was expected to visit HER and paid the due respect to her mum in waiting status: she is jealous and she has no problem to express her feeling, but then she is pregnant, and no one can argue with her.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/where-the-heart-is

Series: Bay City Paranormal Investigation
1) Oleander House: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/31109.html
2) What Hides Inside
3) Twilight
4) Closer
5) An Inner Darkness
6) Where the Heart Is

Reading List:

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Cover Art by Anne Cain

"Famous for the notorious witch trials of 1692, the small seaport town of Salem, Massachusetts had been trying to smudge out the horrible image of murder and injustice for centuries. In a complete turnaround, the town had begun welcoming anyone who was a self-proclaimed witch, and by the early 21st century, one in four Salem residents claimed either to be a witch or to know one."

It seems an idilliac situation, isn't it? A place where everyone would be glad to come, if he is interested on the paranormal side of life. And so it's not strange that Cash Rowan, ghost and demon hunter, chooses Salem as his final point for the Halloween night. But Cash is searching a specific demon, and maybe this time he is lucky. Jace is the owner of the Demon Tailz, a upper-class night club, and he welcomes Cash at open arms... the reader is expecting a hot night but it is not what he will have.

Cash is not searching for sex, and Jace has that side of his life covered since he is in a relationship with his twin brother Konnor. To know what it will happen, you need to read the story, since if I tell you more, I for sure will spoil it, it's only 25 pages long. But despite being so short, the story is really really nice.... well maybe nice is not exactly the right word: it's a mix of splatter and comic, love and sex, Ghost (the movie) meets "The Night of Living Dead" or something similar... I didn't know if I should feel horror or smile or be a sappy romantic.

There are at least three unexpected events: when Cash reveals his real purpose, when Jace helps him, and when Konnor comes back home. All of them gave me a feeling of surprise and a need to re-read the scene to be sure to understand well what it was happening... and since it's, as I said, a 25 pages long story, I believe it's quite an achievement. Can't wait to read the following chapters in a series that I believe will be a favorite of mine.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1618

Reading List:

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

Eros Rising by Ally Blue

You know? I have a tender point for this title, cause my father's name was Eros, and I like it very much.

BTW Eros is the art's name of Keegan, a stripper in a private club, Ganymede's Grotto. He is a beautiful man, although not so young (29 years old). He has gorgeous long blond hair and a lithe body. This are the first things Scott sees in him. But he has also a past who haunted him.

Scott is in a dead end relationship with Logan: Logan needs a dom partner, but Scott doesn't like this type of love. He wants a real and simple lovemaking, without "scenes".

With Keegan at first is only friendship: Scott has a partner, and he is not the type to cheat. But... what will happen if is Logan who is cheating around?

A story in Hearts from the Ashes anthology, Eros Rising is the tale of a man who wants love and of another who has to learn how to love again. Even if in a rather short story (100 pages), Ally Blue is the queen of angst: she can draw characters who arrive to us with a luggage of bad experiences and that we see growing stronger during the course of the story.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/eros-rising

Amazon Kindle: Eros Rising

With Love by J.L. Langley

I absolutely love the "funny" werewolves of J.L. Langley. After Without Reservation, now is the turn of With Love: Dev is a strong werewolf who arrives to Asheville for business. Like every good werewolf he wants to meet the local Alpha to give his respect to the leader. But the local alpha is a really piece of shit: when he meets him the alpha is trying to rape Lainey, an omega werewolf. So Dev saves Lainey only to find that he is his mate.

Lainey is a little tiny beautiful man with red hair and amber eyes and with a propension for making trouble. But he is also an eager puppy in bed and Dev likes him very much, so does it matter if he will spend his life saving from troubles his mate?

Here, like in the other books of J.L. Langley, the humor is a main aspect of the novel. She has a way to make you happy and to leave you with a smile in your face and also eager to read more. I can't wait to read the next chapter in this wonderful series.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/with-love

Amazon Kindle: With Love

Series: With or Without
1) Without Reservation
2) With Love

Cafe Noctem by Willa Okati

Apparently Nicholas and Grey are a perfect couple: they manage the Cafe Noctem in Asheville, Nicholas the night shift and Grey the day ones, but when they are both in the apartment above the cafe, it's a comfortable and warm life. Nicholas helped Grey when he was mourning the lost of his lover, Jimmy, a man who was also Nicholas' friend. In a way it was almost natural for Nicholas to take Jimmy's place in Grey's heart. But Nicholas has always wondered if Grey really loves him or, if he could have Jimmy back, he would prefer it.

All of them, Nicholas, Grey and Jimmy have Cherokee origins, but despite Nicholas being the one with most mixed blood, it's him that knows how to evoke all the old legends. And so he summons Sint Holo, the Snake god, the one who can resuscitate the dead...

It's a bittersweet tale this one by Willa Okati, as often is in her style. The reader feels for Nicholas, but honestly you can't hate Jimmy. And Grey is in the middle: if he is faithful to his lost lover, he will make suffer Nicholas, if he decides to start again with Nicholas, Jimmy in a way will be forever lost... it's a not simple situation, and in every way the author chose to end this story, I believe that a romantic like me will never be happy.

Anyway, you can feel the love of Willa Okati for the simple life and the old traditions, it's in all this book.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/cafe-noctem

Amazon Kindle: Cafe Noctem

Amazon: Hearts from the Ashes

Reading List:

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Cover Art by Anne Cain


Cover Art by Anne Cain


Cover Art by Anne Cain

"So Richard Wallace was dead, to start off with... Of course, I didn't know yet that he'd be back."

Since the story starts with these sentences, I will not spoil anything saying that the main heroes of this really strange Christmas romance are a young student living in Pasadena in the '50 and the ghost of his hometown lover Rich. All was against their love: first being openly gay in the '50 was not an option; second Rich was 20 years older than Al and with a big secret hidden in his past; third Al now lives in Pasadena and Rich still in Bradlow, and Al has no money to come back home. So when Al receives the news of Rich's death some days before Christmas, he accepts an odd three day job to gain some money to go to Rich's wake: spending the weekend in a supposedly haunted house to prove that it's all a myth.

Al and Rich's relationship is strange, and I mean that it was strange even before Rich's death. True, from Rich's point of view he can't help to refuse Al's love: he ran away from another scandalous affair and he can't allow himself to be involved in another one. But also Al's behavior is strange; he didn't plea for love, he explained his love as a matter of fact, feigning little interest in Rich's reply; probably there are two obviously reasons: first he fears Rich's refusal and second, in the society of the time, all their life are undertone, lead without drama, always trying to be as unnoticeable as possible.

Anyway, this not so short story (47 pages with small types) is more an Halloween type of story than a Christmas romance, but I like the style of this author, since it's really a style: dry, somber, almost in black and white.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=750

Reading List:

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Portrait of a Kiss is a classical ghost comedy story.

Always when a young man kills himself for being framed, you has to expect that his ghost haunts the home. Even more when the stunning painting of that young man hangs in the master bedroom, and that wonderful blue eyes seem so alive. David inherits his aunt's mansion with ghost attached; a lot of people in town has heard stories about the ghost, but only who lived in the house had a chance to see him. Actually they didn't see him, but only the result of his action: Brian, the ghost, doesn't like to much to have strangers in his home, above all when those strangers try to change the furnishing or the interior design. But maybe David is different, maybe this time he has found a soul mate.

In 1956 Brian killed himself after the dead bodies of two young teenagers were found on his property. And since the boy was raped and Brian was the only man who had the courage to declare that he preferred a man companionship, it was obvious that Brian was the killer. The fact that Brian killed himself only added a proof for the town to believe that he was guilty. Forty years later, David, a former police inspector now retired, inherits the house and is planning to convert it in a B&B. The tale of the gay ghost only adds charm to it, since David is also gay, and the painting of Brian reveals a very handsome man: being haunted by such a male version of a Southern beauty, can't be so bad.

When Brian realizes that for the first time someone who can comprehend him inhabits the house, he can't believe to his good fortune. David is a very handsome man, someone Brian could fall for. The problem of the immateriality of Brian is soon overcome, and David and Brian share an almost blissful honeymoon restoring the house and deepening their acquaintance. But David is a cop, even if retired, and he can't shrug from his mind that if Brian is innocent, and Brian IS innocent, then there is the chance that the real killer is still around. Proving Brian's innocence could re-establish the good name of the man, but could also give peace to his soul, allowing him eternal rest... far from David.

Despite the mystery plot, and the obvious angst ending (I don't trust this type of stories since I went to the theatre and saw Ghost...), the story is for the most part funny. David is not at all impressed with the fact that his new home is haunted, and when he first sees the ghost, he spends little time worrying about the craziness of the thing, and soon gets hold of the chance to finally have found Mr Right; and since Mr Right, alias Brian, is very much real and embodied, at least with him, why worrying of the fact that he is a ghost? In these days, when you find Mr Right, you can't be too skittish...

From the first time David sees Brian, the story takes a straight road toward comedy: the ghost appears here and there without him being willing, some people could see him, some other only hear him, but more and more people are changing their opinion on him being the murderer. In the small town where they live, accept that there is a ghost is almost strange like welcoming an openly former gay cop... once they have made a step, why don't jump? While the mystery folds out like always happens in a small town mystery story, using school journals and old men memories as clues, the romance between David and Brian is shared by all the town, like always happens in a small town romance story. At the end, the story slips out of Brian and David's hands to become a common interest, and the two main characters can't do nothing to prevent it.

I can't deny that in some point the story made my eyes blurry, but if you balance the times I smiled rather than dabbing my eyes, the result is a big smile on my face.

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

Amazon: Portrait Of A Kiss

Reading List:

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At the beginning of the twenty century, Jack is a young Englishman in Santorini; he is following a dig near a church and he makes a stunning discovery: the tomb of a man; the burial seems to be prehistoric, but there are remains from all over the age, till the last, an eighteen century coin. The peasants are murmuring of evil, the tomb was not in a holy place, and the body was chained. But Jack is not a man who can be scared by superstition, and so he takes with him the skeleton, actually freeing it from its "eternal" rest.

Then Jack begins to receive strange letters from a man named Belas, a man who promises to Jack fame and fortune in exchange of very little from him: his blood.

The story now resembles a bit the myth of Eros and Psyche, with Eros pretending by his spouse that she never looks at him when he visits her at night. Belas asks to Jack to wait for him at night, blindfolded and naked, ready to satisfy Belas' desires. But probably Belas also satisfies Jack's desires, since the sexual attention of Belas are not unwelcomed by Jack. And even when Jack realizes that Belas is killing people in the village, he can't blame the man who is searching his vengeance; in the contrary, Jack offers himself as weapon for Belas' vengeance.

But then enters Gabriel, a young doctor. Gabriel fancies Jack, and he is convinced that Jack is suffering from madness... Belas is not real, it's a figment of Jack's mind, and what Jack imputes to Belas, in reality are Jack's actions... who is right? Is it possible that this is not a paranormal event, but only the oddity of an ill mind?

The story is very well written; it's a very good mix of paranormal and historical, letting the reader wondering till the end about the true nature of the tale. In the end Jack is only a man with a deep need of love, a need he brings with him since he was a child, a need that he tries to fulfill in everyway... Belas, Gabriel, are only tools for his trìhirst of love.

Belas could be real and if he is real, he is a man who has suffered for so long that his mind is cloudy with pain; if he isn't real, he is only the true nature of Jack, the passionate and outspoken man who Jack has never had the courage to be.

Gabriel is the man who bears the sin of his fathers. He is not a bad man, but he is too avid of fame; probably he, in a way, really loves Jack, but he is not the man who can save Jack, he is not enough strong.

At almost 300 pages, Revenant is an historical / paranormal / mystery romance... all genre are mixed together in a very good way.

http://samhainpublishing.com/books/revenant

Amazon Kindle: Revenant

Amazon: Revenant

Reading List:

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


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Steven awakes to a nightmare: he is alone, under the rain, amid of nothing. He is injured, scared and without a clear memory of who he is or why he is there. He knows his name, he has some flashback of his life, but still he seems to have like a cloud in his mind. He walks in the night to find a shelter, and he stumbles across an old house, apparently abandoned. But when he knocks at the door, it opens to enter him to a young handsome guy, Eliot.

Eliot is beautiful, but even more strange than his home. He never speaks clearly and he has the power to bind Steven to him: he says that he asks for Steven to come, and that Steven is his gift. Steven realizes that he is living in a parallel reality, but he seems unable to resist to Eliot sexual power; Eliot brings so much pleasure to Steven, a pleasure he never felt before.

But even if the sex is unbelievable, and the days are spent only making love, Steven can't leave his life behind. He needs to know who is Eliot, and why he is there.

The story is short, less than 50 pages, but really "haunting". Actually it's quite in theme for an Halloween's Eve. It's centered on Steven, of Eliot we know very little, a piece of memory here and there. Even if short, the plot is quite good, with a really well developed turn of the events just at the end.

I can't say much on the story, since I would risk to give up it, but let me say that I didn't expect that end, and that I was leading to believe something total different; I started to realize the things at the same time as Steven did, and so I was surprise like him in finding the true.

http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/new-releases/his-gift/prod_174.html

Amazon Kindle: His Gift

Reading List:

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

Daniel and Ramon are apparently an happy couple but it's not all the true. Ramon is very jealous of Daniel and he has his reason, at the beginning of their relationship Daniel was not the most faithful of the men. Daniel had a bad past experience who left his heart empty but still incapable to fill it with another love. Probably when he started the relationship with Ramon he didn't believe that the man could be the one who would fill the void, but he is now starting to love again.

But just when he realizes that Ramon could be that man, a ghost from the past reappears, and in this case is not a metaphor: Melanie, the woman his past lover felt in love, and the reason for which Daniel left him, is making an audition for entering Daniel's rock band, but he is not alone. With her arrives also Josh's ghost, his past lover, and the ghost seems to have some unfinished business with Daniel.

There are three characters in this book, Ramon, Daniel and Josh, and the one who probably should have the lesser role, is the one who arises better. Ramon, the new man, the one who hasn't a past history with Daniel, the one who apparently doesn't understand Daniel's hidden needs, is the most interesting character. Usually I don't like a jealous man, but Ramon is a Latin man, and it's in his nature to be jealous, and than he has his reason to be. Despite the way Daniel treated him, and continues to treat him, Ramon never holds a grudge to the man, and he is always there to protect and love him.

Daniel, even if he is the main character, is a bit downtone. We understand that he has some unfinished issues, something that he still hasn't cleared with Ramon, but he doesn't speak, he doesn't express his real feelings. It's hard to say if I really like him, probably he is not yet arrived to a balance, and he is somewhat an incomplete character.

Finally there is Josh. Josh needs something, it's not clear if he needs it from Melanie, his wife, of from Daniel, his former lover... maybe from both. Josh is a very protective man, maybe also a bit egoist, and he would like to have all around him, grieving for him. But all in all he is not so selfish and I liked very much that he didn't underestimate Ramon's love for Daniel, something that neither Daniel did.

This is not a perfect book, but giving that it's my first experience with this author, I found it pretty interesting.

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

Reading List:

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

First introduced in Light My Fire, Paul is a demon hunter; previous lover of Craig, the main character of Light My Fire, we found him again in Tall, Dark, Tattooed and Twisted, in the last scene when the demon hunters arrive to investigate on a zombie attack. Wild, Wicked and Haunted starts exactly where Tall, Dark, Tattooed and Twisted ended, with Paul ringing the bell to Nick's house, just in front of the crime scene.

Nick is an Hollywood young director whose lover was killed one year before in the front garden. It was not a "neat" murder and the ghost, Carter, still haunts the house. Carter is deeply in love with Nick, in his life he was an older man, more than 20 years older than Nick, and he believes that he was not able to protect his lover. So now, as a ghost, he is fiercely protective.

Nick can't see Carter, but Paul can. More, he can feel Carter's emotions, even when he is having sex with Nick. The unwillingly threesome needs to find a way to live peacefully together, or to clean break this situation.

As all the previous book, this one is rather short, less than 50 pages, and there is not much space to develop the characters. All the strenght of the book lies in the use of paranormal events in a funny way, splattering blood and violence in every corner, but never making the book really horrific... the book is like one of those movies which gather all the classical Hollywood scenes to edit a comic movie.

The most interesting thing for me is Volmere: I was already fascinated by this tall white haired vampire with an impressive... attribute, in the previous book, and now I'm even more interested in reading his story.

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

Amazon Kindle: Wild, Wicked, And Haunted In Hollywood

Series:
1) Light My Fire: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/340520.html
2) Sex Scene: Take One: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/396857.html
3) Tall, Dark, Tattooed And Twisted: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/397261.html
4) Wild, Wicked, And Haunted In Hollywood

Reading List:

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

Strangers In The Night by Christiane France

How is the life of rich and beautiful? Pretty good it seems, even if shit happens also to them. And so Blaine Tyler, young business prodigy of the East Coast who was taking a vacation from life in the West Coast, ended with a selfish loverboy as a partner; Blaine knew that Colin didn't love him, but before they could straight up the things, Colin died in a car accident, leaving Blaine with an huge sense of guilty: What if, is a constant question in his mind and he seems unable to find something to distract him.

One night in a up-class bar he meets Adrian: new in town and probably not for more, Adrian could be a good rebounding love for Blaine. Adrian is easy and free, a good listener and a very good lover. Blaine is not searching for commitment, not now, and Adrian doesn't ask it. But what started like a one night stand, it becomes for both of them the real thing.

The story is very short, less than 50 pages, and flows smoothly: everything is easy in this story, how Blaine and Adrian met, how they are so good together, how Adrian's work brings new inspiration to Blaine. Also their life, despite Blaine's past bad experience, are easy: wealthy and healthy, Bliane and Adrian are very similar, and there is not really a dominant partner: after Blaine overcomes his sense of guilty (and he was ready to do that even before meeting Adrian), they are on the same level, in life and sex.

For my first taste of Christiane France's work, it's quite good, even if in story this short, I can't really have a whole opinion on the characters... but I like the setting and the insight in this glossy world.

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

This Time For Keeps by Christiane France

Josh and Pete were together ten years before they split. Both former fashion models they have the hot temper of the spoilt star, always seeking the center of the stage, but all in all they love each other. So Josh was very surprise when Pete, after one of their usual temper tantrum, left without a real reason. Wounded in his pride, Josh went abroad for a job and stubbornly waited for Pete to call. But Pete never called and after six months Josh comes back to find that Pete is dead, killed by two kids who are trying to steal his car.

Josh is almost in a stupor state, he can't believe that he will never come back home to find Pete, that he is gone for real. But truth be told, Josh is ready to try to patch his life together and move on, only that Pete is not ready... better Pete's ghost is not ready.

The story is really short, less than 50 pages, but it's quite original. And it's also more funny than angst: Josh is 100% faithful to the image of the spoilt model; it's true that he mourns the loss of his lover, but really not so much, he probably would find a way to rebuild his life, and maybe also another lover. And when he has the chance to be again with Pete, it's not that he is utterly grateful for the miracle, he simply accepts it like something due, like another gift to his good personality and charm; he even professes eternal love to Pete, he also wonders what could happen if he finds a new lover and Pete is still haunting his home...

I was picking this book expecting a sad and tearful story, and instead I read a funny romp.

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

Amazon Kindle: This Time For Keeps

Amazon: Les Hommes, Vol. 1

Reading List:

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

The story is told in first person by the main character, a teenager, and so we never know his name. I actually realized that I didn't know that name well past the mid of the book, and this is a clue that I was so enthralled by the story to not take care to "small" details like that.

Our hero is a runaway teenager; when he came out with his parents, he was kicked out from home but lucky him he found shelter with his aunt. Probably still suffering from the reject of his family, he retired into his shell, and he only relates with his best friend, a girl named Trace. Both Trace and him have their problems to overcome and in their difference they find a common path: goth teens who go to funerals to spend time, dressing like the adults they still aren't.

Actually our hero was quite lucky and he now has a comfortable and welcoming home with his aunt, and so his problems are the same of a normal teen: the insecurity of a guy who wonders if he is good enough to attract a boyfriend, the daydreams of a young man who is approaching to sex for the first time. Probably since he has this strange familiarity with death, our hero is not so shocked when he meets a ghost: Josh is an 18 years old guy dead in a car accident in 1957. He is not only a teen like our hero, he is also a very handsome guy, a jock; and like every goth teen should do in high school, our hero falls in love for the jock, but this time the jock reciprocates the interest... there is only the little fact that Josh is dead and that his interest in our hero is very deeply, almost lethal.

Meantime our hero realizes that the little brother of his best friend Trace, Mike, is already fifteen years old and rather cute; Mike is clever and tender, with a joy for life that is involving. Where Josh is shadow and night, Mike is full light and sun. Where Josh arises in our hero dark desires (that are actually normal sexual urges in a teen...), Mike inspires him cuddles and playful kiss. From not having the hope to find a boyfriend, our hero now has two boys around him, but it's not a situation he can bring along forever. You could say that Josh represents the dark side of our hero, and staying with him is like choosing to not coming out from the darkness, meanwhile Mike is the light, the future that he could have if he chooses to leave behind his sense of abandonment.

Even if the story deals with quite sad things, dead people (not only Josh), the whole feeling I had of the book is of "lightness". The author is very good in taking the reader glued to the book till the last page, both for the mystery than for the romance; there is also a switch in the story that seems to lead to an angst ending, but still the author chooses for a more "normal" development. All this concurs to the lightness of the story, making it a very good read both for a young adult than for an adult too.

Also the love story between our hero and Mike is light, fresh and sweet; where our hero maybe could be ready for something more, Mike is still 15 years old, and so, for me, it's right that they don't become too involved; they are still boys, not men.

Buy at 1 Romance Ebooks

Amazon: Vintage: A Ghost Story

Amazon Kindle: Vintage: A Ghost Story

Steve Berman's In the Spotlight post: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/463535.html

The Forbidden Island by A.J. Llewellyn

An A.J. Llewellyn's book has a style of its own. They are like haunting books, something that lures you into the story despite your better intention. I don't like menage; I don't like cheating men. But even if this book has both of them, I like the book. Can you explain it to me, please?

Johnny is the former lover of Lopaka, one of the main characters of the previous book, Phantom Lover. In Phantom Lover Johnny is not a very positive character, he is the cheating lover of Lopaka and he is also the man who stirred problems between Lopaka and Kimo. So hardly a man you would choose as hero. And when The Forbidden Island starts, Johnny is slightly better, but not much. He now lives with Alex, an English man who spent most of his life in Hawaii and so earned the nickname of Aloha. They are roommates and occasionally lovers. They play a lot, and threesomes seem a Friday constant routine. But recently both Johnny and Aloha start to realize that they are very good together and that maybe they can have something more than a friends with benefit relationship. Then they meet Lopaka and Kimo again and a strange chain of events begins to happen. A strange man named Mahini enters Johnny's life and he seems obsessed by the man. Actually Johnny, who has just started to realize his feelings for Aloha, at first is not against the idea to have something with Mahini, but he hasn't realized that the man is not someone who he can have sex with one moment and dump soon after. Johnny and Aloha will have to test their love and their strenght before starting a real life together.

As I said the story is almost haunting. As the previous one, it's very filled of Hawaiian legends and customs. Actually sometime it's almost like reading a travel guide on the island, due to the detailed description of the author. One time I read that Betty Neels' fans used her books to visiting Holland... The Forbidden Island is like that, you could take foothand notes on all the places in the book, to visit if you have the fortune to make a travel there.

Lopaka and Kimo are very present supporting characters and a very important event takes place in this book that will be the starting point for their second own story, Summer Love. Truth be told, I was very happy reading the interactions between the two and sometime they steal the scene to Johnny and Aloha, but they are also, somewhat, the vehicle that brings the two toward their life together.

http://www.extasybooks.net/ebjmsite/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=ebook_flypage&product_id=3258&category_id=44&manufacturer_id=94&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=44

Amazon Kindle: The Forbidden Island

Summer Love by A.J. Llewellyn

In the real sequel of Phantom Lover (since the previous one was centered on a couple of friends...), Kimo and Lopaka are a married couple now, and they also are "expecting" twin: Lopaka's sister agreed to be their surrogate mother, and she is now pregnant. Like all pregnant woman, she is behaving strange and Kimo and Lopaka decide to bring all the family in vacation in a near island.

Both grandparents from Kimo and Lopaka side and also Baby Kimo, the child Kimo has fathered for Lopaka's friend, Nicky, join the group. Actually Baby Kimo is starting to be more Kimo and Lopaka's first son than of Nicky. In this strange family, Lopaka is the "wife" and he is becoming to assume all the protective skills of a real mother. With all there people around, Kimo and Lopaka have to develop new way to be together, their bed seems more a public plaza than a private bedroom.

Summer Love is a fun escapade. The strange and mystical events that were only hinted in Phantom Lover, here have a main role, and Kimo is more relaxed and funny than before. All the book is from Lopaka's point of view, and like it should be for a good mother, he is more quite and steady, steadier and strong. It seems that Kimo is now allow to be more free and relaxed and Lopaka instead is growing in a mature man, with more responsibility: there is an exchange of power between the two men that make the pair more balanced.

As in the previous books, the beautiful Hawaiian islands are picturing in details, with some interesting tips that make them something more than a beautiful postcard.

http://www.extasybooks.net/ebjmsite/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=ebook_flypage&product_id=3384&category_id=44&manufacturer_id=94&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=44

Amazon Kindle: Summer Love

Amazon: Phantom Lover II

Series:
1) Phantom Lover: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/204527.html
1.5) Fly Me to the Moon: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/204527.html
2) The Forbidden Island
3) Summer Love

Reading List:

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

Zack and the Dark Shaft (Zara's Bois 1) by Gracie C. McKeever

Please don't make me comment on the title...

Zara is a spoilt white wasp brat. She is selfish and childish. But she has to have something good in her, cause Quincy, a black businessman of success, considers her his bestfriend. And so Zara asks Quincy a financial help when she wants to open an exclusive gay club. Yes cause, even if Zara is deeply in love with Quincy, Quincy is gay and has no idea to be involved with Zara in something more than friendship.

Then Zara is killed in a casual accident, she falls in a lift dark shaft (yes this is the real "dark shaft" of the story...) and she reawakens in a Limbo with two angels who give her a chance: two weeks on earth to fullfill her desire to be with Quincy. And to realize her desire she has the opportunity to share the body of her twin brother, Zack (what a convenient chance, in this way she will have also the necessary "equipment" to draw Quincy...)

Quincy is a very good friend with Zara. So good that, when he met Zara's twin, Zack, and he was immediately attracted by the cute man, he has rejected his feelings knowing that Zara was in love with him. But now Zara is dead, and he has no intention to let Zack go away.

Suddenly Zack is very "open" and "friendly" with Quincy. And Quincy accepts this unexpected gift; but then Zack begins to fade in front of his eyes: weight loss, restless sleeping... Maybe Zara has no intention to leave Zack's body after two weeks?

The story is good and original, but I have the feeling that Gracie McKeever has closed it too soon. The first part is very well plotted, but the end is a blurr of scenes... maybe this is due to the fact that this is the first book in a series and we will have the chance to read more in the next enstallments.

http://www.sirenpublishing.com/graciecmckeever/zatds.asp

Amazon Kindle: Zack and the Dark Shaft [Zara's Bois 1] (Siren Publishing)

Ingenue's Choice (Zara’s Bois 2) by Gracie C. McKeever

Second in the Zara's Bois series, where a soon-to-be angel, who was a very spoilt and selfish woman in life, has to play the role of matchmaker for human soulmates (mostrly men) who haven't found yet the way to met.

This time is mission is to help Patryk, a wasp fair good boy, a bit workaholic, to find his happily ever after with Keir, a former painter, now bartender, who happens to be also a very hot African American guy with a tendency for D/S play.

Patryk is out from an abusive relationship with a lover who has misjudged Patryk's need for domination as weakness. Now Patryk has some problem issue to trust again a man, but Zara is ready to push him a little toward Keir. Keir has lost his iper jealous lover in an accident soon after their last quarrel. Still hanted by remorse, he has given up his art. But when he meets Patryk, inspiration blossoms in his heart together with love.

But there are some problems to overcome, like their different social environment, and Keir's fear to be again the only one for a man.

The story is prettry simple and smooth, with not much drama. It flows quite till the end. Very pretty the scene of the first date between Keir and Patryk.

http://www.sirenpublishing.com/graciecmckeever/ic.asp

Amazon Kindle: Ingenue's Choice [Zara's Bois 2]

Bouncer's Folly (Zara’s Bois 3) by Gracie C. McKeever

Of the three on the Zara's Bois series I read, this one is maybe my favourite.

Zara has been a good girl in her last mission, and so her angels want to reward her: she will return on Earth, her soul in the body of another lost soul who left too soon. What they didn't say to Zara is that her new body is a male one, and when Zara reawakens in the arms of sexy bouncer Ramsey, also another part of Zara's body awakens, a part she isn't used to have!

But Zara is a girl of many means, and she plays all the better she can with what she have. And the fact that Ramsey is very attracted by Trevor, the twinkie in which body Zara is now, is a plus: Zara will finally have the man she is attracted, since this time she has the right body! Only that Trevor was a drugs addicted and his old friends are not all willing to leave him alone. And then there is also the problem of Travis, Trevor's twin, that understands since the first time they meet, that the soul inside Trevor's body is not his brother's one.

I like how the author manages Zara's transition from woman to man: since she awakens, Zara thinks and acts like a woman, but the first time she has sex with Ramsey, and she fully understand the difference between a woman and a man (with a first hand experience), she stops to be an "her" to become an "him".

I think this is the last in the series, unless the author wants to tell the story also of Travis (who is straight for now) and Trevor (who has the "little" problem to not having a material body in this moment...). All the story till now were a bit short, this one is less than 80 pages, but pretty original.

http://www.sirenpublishing.com/graciecmckeever/bf.asp

Amazon Kindle: Bouncer's Folly [Zara's Bois 3]

Amazon: Zara's Bois

Series: Zara’s Bois
1) Zack and the Dark Shaft
2) Ingenue's Choice
3) Bouncer's Folly

Reading List:

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

Giving  Up the Ghost is not the usual G.A. Hauser's novel: no british brat and no cops...

Like an old classic novel, Dev and Jay are young and beautiful and their love is written on the stars, but the world is against them... and not because Jay is a Duke and rich and Dev is from the middel class and only of average wealth, and not becuase Jay is almost thirty and Dev is only nineteen, and not because Jay is a little snob and Dev dislike all the glamour... but becuase Jay and Dev are both men. So the only thing they have in common is also the one that could be tear them apart!

Jay's mother wants that her son marries a good and rich girl and gives her nephews and nieces. But Jay has eyes only for Dev, from the first moment he spots him in his house. And when you are rich and young everything is possible. So Jay, when Dev leaves after some week of young and perfect love, follows him to America and asks him to marry. They fly in Canada and get married. But the old family house of Dev they choose as home is haunted and someone doesn't want for them to stay together...

A very interesting story, born as a romantic comedy and ended like a suspence thriller. For my romantic side in everything, I have liked more the romantic comedy part: the young american who wants to stay "virgin" till he will meet the man of his life... and the debauched duke who agrees to only have some heavy petting for the privilege to be with him... it's like an old movie with rock hudson and doris day (and the choice of rock hudson is not a random pick...)

An unusual book in the Phaze catalouge who lately seems to have some very interesting authors among them.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=The+Duke%27s+Husband+by+Mychael+Black+and+Shayne+Carmichael

Amazon: The Duke's Husband

Reading List:

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

Opulence is the exact word to describe this fairy tale by Renee Manley: her writing style is rich and fable, I have the impression to read some of the old tale of my childhood. When I was young I had a big book full of tale and picture of prince and princess. This tale by Renee Manley could be one of those.

Sylvain is a 19 years old prince of an imaginary realm. He is the second son so not the crown prince. And fortunately he is not the prince who has to marry in one year. Traditions say that at 21 years old all the nobleman have to be married. So his father declares three days of bash to find a perfect wife for his first son Neville. But the very first night is Sylvain who finds a perfect companion in Roslyn, an handsome and dark stranger who stoles his body and soul.

At the end of the three day, Sylvain will find a way to stay with his new lover?

This is a very short tale, but absolutely a worth reading. For me (I'm italian) a little difficult, cause Renee Manley is a word's master and every sentence is like a Renaissance's painting, full of details and hidden meaning.

http://www.torquerepress.com/

The last book of Ally Blue is terrific! I began to read it at 10.00 p.m. and, really, this is not the hours to begin a story that tells of shadow monster. In this moment I'm in bed and look with fear at the shadow behind me...

Sam is a psychic who accept to work with a group of scientists and investigate on an haunted house, Oleander House. When he meets Bo, the group's leader, he immediately feels attraction for him: not strange, Sam is gay, even if he normally doesn't say it. But Bo is married, he has two sons, and, even if he is attracted by Sam, doesn't want to admit hid being gay.

This book can hardly be described as a romance... better description is paranormal suspence. The feelings it stirs up in me are of fears, not of desire. But it is really well written and has an open end that leaves you hungry to read more.

http://samhainpublishing.com/books/oleander-house

Amazon Kindle: Oleander House: Bay City Paranormal Investigation Book 1

Amazon: Oleander House (Bay City Paranormal Investigations)