This is the first novel I read by Nica Berry (I read only a short story before), even if I heard good things about the previous two books (that I have and probably will read). One of the things that prevented me to read her before, was that I have always had the idea that her stories have an high level of angst, that angst that leave you with the feeling that it will not an easy life for your heroes. I'm happy to say that, in the end, Northern Love is more romantic than expected and so for me was easier, even if one thing is confirmed, the women in her books are not exactly "nice" characters (at least in this book Atka gives to my gender some hope).

There are quite few things that were challenging for me: the fantasy setting (a genre I'm not really fond of), the menages a trois (but truth be told is an all male menages, so not many problem here) and the non consensual sex (rape is till something that I hardly find erotic). But the author dribbles among all this issues in a way that makes me overcome all my preconceptions. Emmanuel and Jerek are two orphan boys in a fantasy kingdom who find in each other a reason to live; Emmanuel is the body, the force for both of them, and Jerek is the mind, the cleverness that serve to both of them to survive. Jerek has a dream, to find a mythical citadel in the north, a place where they will be never starving or in danger, and to find that citadel they both embark in a privateer ship. Obviously two young boys in the hands of unscrupulous men have no easy life on board, and Emmanuel, with his beautiful body, but maybe with a not so clever mind, is the first to fall prey of the captain. He is convinced that he is doing what he is doing to not harm Jerek, that if he takes all the "punishment" upon himself, he will save Jerek from the same destiny.

Emmanuel is young, and even if he experimented with Jerek, he is also innocent, and along the way the torture becomes almost a pleasure, and this, instead of soothe him, makes him even more guilty at his eyes. If he was not enjoying the torture, he was not betraying Jerek, but if he finds pleasure in the torture, then he is a traitor. And so when Jerek speaks aloud the words, calling him a traitor, Emmanuel is unable to defend himself, and Jerek goes away believing Emmanuel guilty.

Jerek finds solace in the arms of another man, the shapeshifter seal Piaktok, and he also fulfills his dream to find the citadel, but without Emmanuel his joy is not complete. He says to himself that he is searching vengeance, but instead he is missing a part of his heart, only that, when he finds again that missing piece, his heart is shielded in ice, and he is blind to love, as his past lover is became blind for real. There is a strange parallelism in the story, both Jerek's lovers have a physical disability, Piaktok is mute and Emmanuel is blind, and in a way they represent the inability of Jerek to see the true and to speak his true feelings; on the other hand, Piaktok and Emmanuel, even if mute and blind, are able to understand each other and to recognize the love around them.

There is a bit of squirming feelings in the story, when the author ventures to describe Piaktok's physical attribute in shifted form, but she never goes farther on, there is no sex in shifted form, and instead she always dissolves that feelings adding a bit of humor, Piaktok is quite a "funny" lover, always with a smile on his face. And maybe also for this reason, when the nastiness falls upon Piaktok it's even more sad, since of all the characters, Piaktok is the more innocent soul.

http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Northern_Love-922.aspx

Amazon Kindle: Northern Love

Reading List:

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


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Blaise Risner, the captain of a small cargo ship, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Confederation Army is dealing with some nasty attack to their ship and space colony, and they blame the pirates, and so the attention is very high. In normal time, probably Blaise would skip the control, but now he is arrested for smuggling, piracy and other minor violation. Since he can't avoid to admit the smuggling crime, he tries to negotiate for the other two accusation and Admiral Peter Keller is willing to listen to him. Peter is not new to similar arrangements with his prisoners: a sentence to hard labor commuted to service him as personal assistant... very personal assistant. More the prisoners are stubborn, and more Peter likes to bend them (pun intended).

If you stick to the romance rules, what Peter does to Blaise could easily be classified as non consensual sex, since Blaise at first claims that, if he had a choice, he would have never submitted to Peter. But truth be told, he doesn't protest so much, and for what I can understand, he enjoyed every single encounter with Peter, even the first one. What I like of the story is that the sexual relationship evolves with them: at first it's obviously only sex, Peter has not a personal interest in Blaise if not since the man is an interesting sex partner that gives him a lot of satisfaction. But more they are together and more their relationship deepens, but always remaining primarily a sexual one: there is not many chances for Blaise or Peter to know each other other than in a sexual way, they don't speak a lot; who they are and what they like is all communicated through sex.

Peter is obviously the domineering character, even if he is not the stronger in a physical way, actually I have the feeling, even if I'm not sure, that he is even leaner and smaller than Blaise. But he has for sure the attitude of a leader and he is used to the command; he lives his personal life as he lead his spaceship: no one questions his orders. Problem is that, on the other side, Blaise instead has the classical behavior of a rebel, he is not used to be ordered around, but he will find out that, in some cases, he likes it. It's not clear if Blaise, before Peter, have already realized that he has a submissive nature in bed, but he will discover it with Peter. There is not doubt that in bed this two work in a very good way, all the trouble arrives when they are out of the bedroom. They are both very stubborn, and they don't know how to communicate; they arrive to hasty conclusion even before having taken the time to analyze all the possible side of a problem.

The book is quite long and it's a very classic futuristic novel, even if the reader has not many chances to see the two heroes among other people or outside the bedroom, but in the few cases when it happened, the setting is light and enjoyable, there is not the usual heavy use of detailed description to force the reader to understand a different and fictional world.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/hotcargo/hotcargobuynow.htm

Amazon Kindle: Hot Cargo

Amazon: Hot Cargo

Reading List:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading List:

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

Adam is a crippled man, son of an evil man who betrays the sacred oath that pirates make to the Goddess of Sea. And now the Goddess has sent her man, Captain Fox, to take hand of the matter. And Adam wants to help Jaden, cause he has read about him and his ghostly ship. And Jaden makes a pact with Adam: he will teach to the crew how to write and read and Jaden will teach to Adam how to love.

Well, the story is pretty simple and without much surprise. Jaden is not an handsome evil like some pirates I have read, instead he has an aurea of childness in him. He is gentle and friendly, he takes care of Adam. And Adam is so open and eager of love, he put no reserve when he choose to give himself to a ghost and to love a man (something he declares never has done and never has imagined was possible).

Actually it's an enjoyable reading, but maybe Jill Knowles has put not enough meat in the paranormal/horror dish (even if I'm not fond of the horror itself); and then I like a lot my pirate a little too rough and a lot more forceful... Not much historical details: I really can understand in what period it was setting, maybe after the Napoleonic War? they speak of an eight years war and Jaden is 250 years old and he was a pirate... But if you want some hot love in a bunk, it's your novel.

http://www.loose-id.net/prod-A_Pirate_s_Primer-543.aspx

Reading List:

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


Cover Art by Anne Cain

This is a very very short tale surely worth af a sequel.

Robard is a pirate that during an attack finds no material treasure but a worthy surprise: Jordan, a medicine student, young, beautiful and innocent. He immediately decides to chose him as his prize and to start from the very first night  his new training as sex slave.

He promises to Jordan that, before the pirate finds his relief in his beautiful body, he will come three times... and in what pleasurably way he makes come his new consort. Maybe here I ask myself about the correctness of the story: is it possible that a nineteen century pirate knews about an enema, and about other kinky games? My historical knowledge not arrive to that point!

This story reminds me a lot another beautiful short novel, The Pirate and the Butcher by Sean Michael.

So, for only twenty pages I have to say it is a very arousing story, I can say I will glady read more about the sexual education of Jordan.

And, as I said for another epublisher, please mind you cover: you can understimate a good piece with an ugly cover.

http://www.loveyoudivine.com/

Four stories of sea and pirates with a common element: the apparently less strong man eventually is the master in the relationship

Searching the Seas by Sean Michael: Abraham is the son of a lord banished in the Americas cause his procliveness. His first and only lover, Red, is vanishesd many years ago, probably beaten to death by Abraham's father. Now Abraham, a giant of man, live in a peaceful island as a lawman. And one day a pirate's ship arrives and his captain is Redding, Red, his former lover: Abraham has to choice between his lonely life as lawman, and a life full of love with his pirate.

The White City by Julia Talbot: Jem is held in captive by some arabian pirate. But the real name of Hakim, his captor, is Hunter, an irishman. And Hunter is fascinated by Jem, and the captor become the captive. But Sharim, the leader of the pirates, wants Jem and Hunter could not leave him

Fool’s Gold by Mychael Black: Ian is a forty years old pirate's captain who makes a bargain with Silas, the son of the former captain of Ian: to find the treasure of his father. Silas apparently is a young and innocent man, but eventually he is far more experience and Ian maybe is the real love of his father...

Of Boats and Blue Beards by Willa Okati: Kit has lost his lover David by the sea, and now he wants nothing than reach him. But Paul, best friend of David, has vown to David to protect his lover. And now Kit is held captive by an evil pirate...

Four wonderful story that I highly reccomend.

http://www.torquerepress.com/

Amazon: Galleons and Gangplanks

Aidan and Talos are an unprobable couple: the first is an eighteen century pirate, the second a twentyseven bounty hunter.

Aidan is young and energetic. Talos is not his first man lover, but before "love" was not exactly the term to describe the sex. Now he has found Talos, who wants first love and then sex. And in this Christmas Day Talos want to recreate the Christmas Days of the past for his lover Aidan.

Aidan is all energy, actions and words, Talos is strenght and few words.

http://loose-id.com/default.aspx

Series:
1) Details of the Hunt
1.5) Home for the Holidays

Waiting Reading List:

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

Tonight I have no much time to read: I closed my store at 9.00 p.m. but remained here untile 11.00 to assist to a fight between my business partner and our french barman; the two are mad, nothing less: it is a war of I want you (she), I don't want you (he) but if you insist maybe...

So when I arrived at home I want to relax and began to read this short story (only 46 pages), The Pirate's Liar by Mychale Black and Shayne Carmichael. Really, in this moment, I have no mood to read something too long, and this novella suit me. Maybe the sex arrive a little to fast, but, in effect, we have only 46 pages to concentrate the first encounter, the sex, the falling in love and the happily ever after. So I can say it hit the goal.

The pirare is handsome and rude, the captive young and willing. The authors successed also to combine a plot, apart the love affair, so, at the end of the story, we have also a little surprise to make more interisting the lecture.

http://www.torquerepress.com/

I just finished to read "The Butcher and the Beast" by Sean Michael. Thanks to Mychael Black for the advice.

It is a short novel (for me, all under the 200 pages is short...) but very intensive. A story of seduction, of passion that win over conventions.

And old story indeed, like those of Rodolfo Valentino in the role of the Sheick, when he seduced a maiden. Here we have a Pirate, a strong, old style pirate, that prefer men over women, that like a bit of rough over gentleness.

But also we have a Pirate that, when the butcher's love is give freely, become the true lover.

And the Butcher is an debauche angel, a man that never has experience love nor passion, and suddendly he find first passion and later on love.

http://www.torquerepress.com/