Quarterback Sneak by Pepper EspinozaPepper Espinoza loves the unlikely lovers who win over everything. And she loves romance. This last book is a very nice novella, about two football quarterback in love; but it's not one of that story where love suddenly strikes and the two lovers can't do nothing if not surrender, it's the story of two childhood best friend grew together with a common passion, football, but this very passion drew them apart, first in different college and then in different teams. Despite the distance and the need to be discreet, Eric and Cache managed to build a steady relationship, lived inside the wall of their home, far from the eyes of everyone else, family, friends, fellow players and fans.
Eric played football to prove to his father that he was worthy, that he was the best; football for him was not his first choice of career, but he did good, and his father was happy. And after his father he played football for Cache, to have something more that bounded him to the man he loves. Eric is loyal and clever, but he has not a deep love for the game, he would be glad to throw all away to be able to claim his love for Cache, but he played accordingly to the unspoken rule that all football players are straight only to please Cache.
Cache played football since he thought it was the only thing he could do well. His father was a football player, and he always supported his son; probably he would supported him even if he came out, but Cache never did. When Eric almost forced him in a relationship, and not his first experience with a man, he was more worried on having a long-term relationship since it was easier to be discovered. Cache loves Eric, but he loves also football, and since no one asked him to choose, he thinks to can have both. But when his career is on stake for a bad injury and his relationship with Eric lands on the first page of newspaper, Cache has to choose what he loves more, football or Eric.
I like the story, it is a parallel tale of both Eric and Cache's life as young man at the beginning of their career and as two well-known professionals. Without the story of them at the beginning of their relationship, maybe the reader would only side with Eric, and blame Cache for being a coward. But with the tiny insight on their life together, and seeing him also through Eric's eyes, we now that Cache is a good man and that he was and he is good for Eric. The story is both tender and sexy, a very good mix of romance and erotica.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Qu
Amazon Kindle: Quarterback Sneak
Making Waves by Pepper EspinozaThe story is not very long, and it's a shame since one of the characters is my favorite type, an actor. The starting point is pretty common, a famous Hollywood actor, Scott, has to remain in the closet to not ruin his career and he even asked to a woman to marry him. But the night before his wedding he has second thoughts and to find the courage to go on with the fake marriage he decides to get drunk. Andy his the bride's brother, and his sister asked him not only to find Scott but also to bring him to the wedding ceremony in San Francisco. Problem is that Scott, as soon as he sees Andy, makes a move on him and Andy is not enough stoic to refuse the man, since he has a crush on him since his sister introduced them.
As I said the plot is not very original, but it's original as the author deals with it. Nor Scott or Andy are the usual perfect hero: it's necessary very little persuasion to Andy to have an affair with his sister's groom the night before the wedding. Even if Scott knows well that he is making a big mistake, he decided to marry a woman to hide the true from the media, that he is gay. Scott is not at all a brooding character, he is not strong and sure of his behavior, to go on with his plan he needs to get drunk. When they are together, other than having sex more than once, Scott and Andy smoke pot, since Scott wants to try everything he has never done, before marrying his lover's sister.
Reading all this, have you had an idea of both Scott and Andy? have you realized that no one of them is a square perfect All American hero? All right, Andy is openly gay, but he is also a grown man without a steady work, he lives in a borrowed house, he realizes that he is betraying his own sister, but still he does so, and not only, he even tells everything to his best friend! (kiss and tell philosophy...). Actually between the two, probably I like best Scott: all right he is lying to the media, but be honest, can he do otherwise without loosin his career? probably he is only wrong when he decides to marry a woman instead of choosing the bachelorhood, but this is another story, and you need to read the book to know what will happen.
All in all, the story is good and enjoyable, I like the atmosphere of little escapade and also the relationship between Andy and Scott, with all their faults and imperfections; probably, at long distance, a real relationship will be not simple between them, no one of them is strong enough to be the mainstay, but the book covers only two days.http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ma
Amazon Kindle: Making Waves
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Amazon: Holding And Hiding
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Play On is another short story by J.M. Snyder sets around some sport field, this time soccer played by college guys. Sean is a junior at College and also in the soccer team. He is one of the best player but then Cordero joins the team; it's not the competition that distracts Sean from the game, it's the man: Cordero, with his African American look and his cool behavior is like fire for a moth, Sean can't resist to be near the man.Quite daring for someone you don't know well, Sean makes clear his preferences with Cordero the first day, and good for him, Cordero returns the interest. It's hot, fast and often sex till first day, but only after practice; it seems that, other than a great sexual agreement, there is nothing much else between them: they have different friends, different interests... The mood of the story is exactly like that, it's not a romantic love between Sean and Cordero, and I'm not saying that they will have no chance to an happily ever after, it's only that, in this moment, no one of them is searching something more. Now the only problem is to have enough sex to satisfy the initial hunger so that they can also play on the field, instead of playing only out of it. Or the other possibility, is to find the time to meet also out of the practice day, so that when it's time to start the game, they are not horny like two teenagers who have just discovered sex.
Another hint that basically this is an erotic romp, and not a sweet romance (if sex in the shower, on the couch, on the kitchen table is not enough...), is that Sean's attraction for Cordero is very much physical; Sean doesn't even know what Cordero is studying, what he likes, what he wants, he at first doesn't even know if Cordero is gay, but despite all of this, Sean knows that he wants the man; Sean likes African American men, he even tries to melt with the slang, that is not his own, to have better chances at success. So Sean is more attracted to what Cordero represents than to who really Cordero is. But as I said before, for a sexy romp without expectation to be more, this is more than enough and leads to very naughty and enjoyable sex scenes.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Pl
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I usually don't read reviews of book I have in mind to read myself since I don't like to be influenced in my judgment. But the eyes sometime caught something, and I'm true, I look out with more attention when it's a new author. So as soon as this book was out, I read a very negative review for Horizons by Mickie B. Ashling and I was a bit surprise, since from the blurb and the quality of the publisher, I was really interesting in reading it. What last more to me of that review was the critique on the lack of research in the specific matter, the College Football environment, and the too emotional behavior of the main heroes. I will give mine own opinion in both matters further on in this post. Jody is a 33 years emergency doctor in an Oakland hospital. He is out and proud to be and he was helped in being so by a supporting family, which not only accepted him when he came out but also helped with good advice and love all around. So Jody had the easy way and the only bump in his gay life was a fated love story with Rick, a man Jody met when Rick was already HIV positive and who died three years after their relationship started. But despite the heartbreak, it was nevertheless a good and fond memory, since Rick was a good man, a man who helped Jody in the transition from sheltered gay teen at home to gay man exposed to the big bad world. Again, Jody had it easy, Rick was a wealthy and respected personality of the San Francisco society, and Jody was not exposed to the harshness usually reserved to a young man coming out. So even if Jody is 33 years old, I have the feeling that he is a bit "naive", a bit pampered from life: it's easy for him to be out and proud, he has never witnessed the negative implication of it.
Clark is a 23 years old college student and gay in the closet. He came from a very conservative family, the fifth of five sons. His father is a jailor at Folsom, and he is the worst homophobic man you can imagine. He brought up all his sons in an homophobic environment where he described gays like the worst sinner and perverted people. When Clark realized that he has different feelings towards men, sexual feelings, he was not easy for him to reconnect it with what he was listening at home. He was still at that stage in life where you are too young to question your parents words and so he really believed that he himself was wrong in his desires. To add shame to shame, he has Attention Deficit Disorder and his father dealt with it with the same obtrusive way, ignoring it. Since Clark was good at football, the fact that he was not good at school was not a problem, it was all right to have a dumb son, if that son had the change to bring home a lot of money using his body instead of his mind. Again Clark has not courage to question his father's beliefs, and his ADD problem is another proof that he is wrong, in more way than one.
When Clark meets Jody, the young man has big behavioral problem. He has not self-esteem, he thinks that his only worth lies in his body strength, any possible damage to it is a damage to his future. The smallest injury is a drama, taking drugs to help him concentrate is not to be discussed. Plus for Clark is the first time he has the chance to meet a gay man, and for him it's like meeting with an alien. All right, at the beginning, and maybe even during their relationship, Clark comes out with some sentences that make me cringe for how homophobic they are, but I believe in that moment his Clark's father speaking, not the boy. Both men sometime ring wrong, like they are out of this world, but I believe that, in Jody's case, it's the way he has always had it easy in life, and for Clark's it's that I'm not used to speak with homophobic people... and I'm not saying that Clark is homophobic, I'm saying that he talks like one because he was taught to be like that.
It's true, both men are quite emotional, but it's not like they are crying every page or so. For Clark then I believe it's a way to react to his inner struggle; he has always to behave like this big and strong jock, he has a lot of turmoil inside, and he doesn't know how to come out from the trap he is in. On the other side, Jody only comes to tears when he has a very personal involvement, when he thinks that his story is slipping away from him; again I think it's only a natural way to react to the situation.
And then the big trouble, the fallacy on the timing of the Football season. First of all, I'm not an excerpt so I can use only the few I collect on the web. From what I read, the College Football season starts the Labor Day and ends at the beginning of December. The book didn't exactly says what time it is when the story starts, but Clark has a bone injury during a game (he is in full uniform) and he is stopped for a month; than there is a period he visits Jody after that month, then they starts to meet once/twice a week since Jody is tutoring Clark, and more or less at the third meetings it's Thanksgiving (end of November) and Clark says that his season is over. I don't believe there is a so big fallacy in the timing, it's possible that Clark was injured during an official game, he was out for a month, then started again but his team didn't make the finals, if so, it's possible that at the end of November the season is over for him. What probably it's not so believable, it's that being stopped for a month during the game season didn't worried so much nor Clark or his father. But truth be told, all the aspects related to Clark's life as football player, games, trainings and so one, are not so much detailed, not in comparison to other sports themed novel I read. Only once we witness to a game and never once to a training. So yes, maybe all the sports side of the novel could have been better, but I think it doesn't matter so much since it is not so essential to the story: the essential point is Clark's desire to be a professional player in a big money sport, the sport itself in this case is football, but it could have been baseball or basket or something else for that matter.
What instead I found unsettling at the beginning, but that then I think it makes the book even more original, it's the different point of view of the heroes. The book is not a total first point of view, it's like that only when it's Clark's time to think and speak, for all the rest of the characters it's a third point of view. As I said, at the beginning it's strange, also since I found that Clark was way more too overanalyzing. He spoke of himself as if he was another person, like he was the third point of view narrator describing the main hero. Since I started with an idea of Clark and a dumb jock, it was strange to "hear" him speak like that. But more on the story, I understood that Clark was in a coming out process, that he was analyzing his life and his beliefs to find the courage to do the right think.
All in all I think this is quite a particular novel, since it's not following the "normal" standard. To like it you have to put yourself inside the characters, trying to judge their action not by your standards but by their own. For example, Clark being a 23 years old student and Jody a 33 established doctor, it's something that lead you to believe them being at distance, in expectation and behavior; but as I said, Jody is almost "naive", and Clark is in a growing process, and so the distance is not so big, and it's almost a non existent factor. For normal standard this is wrong, but if you think like the characters it's not.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/current
Amazon: Horizons
Amazon Kindle: Horizons
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Gone Surfin' (Cattle Valley 9) by Carol LynneIn the past books on the Catlle Valley gay soap opera it seemed that everyone found love in this Wyoming small town. But there is one man that has found love elsewhere, and it's just the first citizen, the major of Cattle Valley. During his last winter holiday, Quade fell in love for Kai, a younger professional surfer; their relationship was doomed, 12 years of age difference and thousand of mile of distance divided the two lovers, but that seems not important for their heart. After 10 months Quade is still pining for Kai, and Kai decides to surprise his lover; he arrives in Cattle Valley during one of the worst snow storm ever: not exactly the right impression for Kai to have of the city Quade loves so much. Kai is all in all a tropical flower and to force him to live in Wyoming is like killing his joy.
I like how Carol Lynne built Kai's character: he is young and naivee, all in all the innocent young man you will expect from someone who has always lived day per day in a free style manner. Kai has never really had much trouble in his life, he is content with the few he has and he doesn't wish for more, at least not now. But he is not selfish, he would be ready to turn upside down his life for the love of Quade. Problem is that it's quite obvious that where Quade probably would be able to live everywhere, it's not the same for Kai.
As I already noticed in the previous books, there is an high and down pacing in this series: some books are very moving, almost dramatic, some others are nice and quiet, without too much angst. This one belongs to the second type: Quade and Kai are already in love when the book starts, so there is no play of take and let it go between them, and the reader knows that they have only to find a way to shorten the distance between them (and not only the physical one). The big question is: will Quade leave the winter paradise of Cattle Valley, or will Kai discover that he can be a surfer also in Cattle Valley, maybe with a board on the snow instead that on the sea?
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The Last Bouquet (Cattle Valley 10) by Carol LynneWhat I started to call probably after the third or fourth episode, the Gay Soap Opera is arrived to its tenth installment. Even if from the blurb it could seem that this was only the story of Hearn and Tyler, it's instead also the story of Nate and his double-the-love partners Rio and Ryan.
One of the thing that I like of this soap opera, and probably the reason why a lot of people continue to buy book after book, is that the author introduces her characters little by little, giving some hints on their story in the book of other couples, to then devote an entire book only to them. In this way, no one of the characters is really dropped after you finish a book, since you continue to find them wandering around the city, Cattle Valley, an utopia city for LGBT people, and maybe come back on the front line like for Nate in this last book.
In one of the previous book we read how Hearn lost his lover Mitch in a car accident that involved also Tyler, his best friend. In following books, we learn how Mitch wasn't exactly a saint, cheating behind Hearn's shoulder, but Hearn continues to mourn his lost lover. People could think that he is destroyed by the pain, and instead he is eating alive by remorse. Hearn didn't love Mitch when he died, and hadn't had for years. Mitch treated him like a lesser man, always putting him down. Hearn had started to have feelings for Tyler and when Mitch died after a bitter confrontation over Tyler, Hearn thought he didn't deserve the love of a good man like Tyler.
Tyler, the florist of Cattle Valley, is a tiny and shy man who can't stand violence. From an abusive family, Tyler needs the peace and quiet that his work as florist allows him to have. He is bringing a torch for Hearn for years, but he has not the courage to confess it. But they live in a small town, and their friend intervene, someone needs to tell to Hearn how Mitch really was. Obviously there is an happy ending for Tyler and Hearn and this is something I like in this series: the author usually didn't spend all her time in letting us read the trouble two men as to face to getting together to end the book when they finally get together. Usually the odds of their relationship are surpassed quite soon, and the reader have plenty to read about their happiness together.
Then maybe Carol Lynne picks up those same characters again later for another story, like Nate Gills. Nate, Ryan and Rio were the first threesome to introduce the new series of Cattle Valley, spin off of a previous series Good-time boys. During all the following books, they grew with the series and the city, and they are almost the core of the series, all turn around them. And now the author decides to give Nate a little more space, telling a bit more on his past. Nate is the naughty elf of Cattle Valley, and his new story serves to Carol Lynne to write some nice and erotic sex scenes. Hearn and Tyler are the sweet couple of this new book, they have their share of sex, but all in all, they tend to be more sweet than erotic; on the other hand, Nate confirms is naughty core, and the scene that involves chocolate sauce and a threesome is quite nice.
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Amazon: Cattle Valley
Series: Cattle Valley
1-2) Cattle Valley 1: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/21160
3-4) Cattle Valley 2: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/28565
5-6) Cattle Valley 3: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/32648
7-8) Cattle Valley 4: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/40542
9-10) Cattle Valley 5
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Texas Hold 'Em by Carol LynneThis is the first book in a new series by Carol Lynne, the Poker Night series. As the title suggests, it's the story of a group of six buddyfriends who meet every two saturday at the home of one of them, Zac. All of them is an ordinary man, with an ordinary job, more or less of success, but all of them with a thing in common: they are all gays. What probably the author would like to pass to the reader is that being gay doesn't mean being "different", and above all being a stereotype. Zac, Marco, Kent, Trey, Bobby and Angelo, from different culture and family social status are exactly like all the other single men in the world, they are more or less interesting in having a comfortable house, a nice place where spend time with good friends, and possibly a nice man to share all of it. As Zac said, looking at his garage apartment, being gay didn't automatically turn him in Martha Stewart. But Zac was raised good by his mother and so it's funny to see him reprimand his friends when they "use" his house as a crashing point, and he directs them as a mother hen; Zac is a high school football coach and he has the tendency to be a director also in his private life. And this is the reason why, maybe, when he meets Eric for the first time, he immediately plan an attack strategy, and when he has caught the "prey", he tries to direct him as he does with his friends.
Eric is a young doctor who is doing his internship while at the same time he is trying to pay his student loans. He has also a side job as pizza delivery guy and so he matches the strange hours he does at the hospital with the even more strange hours of the pizza delivery thing. There is something in Eric past, in his family origin, that forced him to behave as a workaholic, and this is not a good thing, since Eric stretches the concept of responsible guy into almost being a maniac. While I actually found a bit overwhelming Zac's tendency to be the dominant partner in their relationship, I found his behavior more excusable than Eric. Zac is a bit insensible, maybe also a bit obtuse, but Eric is totally stubborn; and for a doctor, he is not exactly behaving in an healthy way.
Being this the opening book in a series, other than Eric and Zac's story, we have also a glimpse on the future characters, and from my side, I'm quite interested in reading Trey and Dr Peters' stories (not together, I believe Carol Lynne has two different partners in mind for them). Eric and Zac's story is good, there is a right dose of conflict, that are almost immediately resolved, all the course of the book is very fast, in this respecting Zac's behavior that is, as I said, quite overwhelming. I have the feeling that Zac, other than being dominant in his personal relationship, he is also dominant in his everyday routing: he is the mainstay of all his friends (who, in fact, gather at his house), and so it's right that the first story is about him; I have the feeling that he will be a center characters in all the future stories.
Nice start for a promising series.
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Slow-Play (Poker Night 2) by Carol LynneThe second in the Poker Night series is a nice may / december relationship, even if, apart telling the age of Jules, 43, there are no other hints that Jules is older than is lover Bobby.
Jules is an handsome and lonely doctor, and also a very wealthy man. The money doesn't come from his work but from family; apparently Jules was born in a lovely family and he grew happy and confident. At college he met his first love, and lover, Morgan, and they were fated to be happy together. As all the young people believe, they thought to have a life in front of them, and Jules devoted himself to his studies and career. But when he was only 27 years old, Morgan died in a car accident and Jules was left only with remorse. Worst, both his parents than his sister died for illness, and he, other than with remorse, was left also alone. It's a bad joke of destiny that Jules, a good doctor, was unable not only to save his lover but also his family. From all these tragedies, Jules comes out as a sad but still good man. He is not angry with the world, he is only disappointed of himself. He now devotes all of him to the hospital he works in and when he is at home, to restore old classic car: I don't know, maybe restoring old things that were fated to die gives him some peace, some relief from his sense of guilty.
Bobby is one of Zac's poker night friend. Like Jules he was born in a wealthy family, but unlike Jules, his parents were not supportive of him. He soon detached himself from them and tried to make his living restoring an old yacht to take around tourist. Only that he had money trouble, and his brother bought the leasing from the bank. It's was not a brotherly love gesture, instead he is now treating Bobby as an underpaid employer. After all this, Bobby has not a so good opinion of men coming from money, but Jules seems different. Actually it's not Bobby who brings Jules out of his mourning period, it's Jules who takes the chance to live again and talks Bobby into a relationship.
There are not much contrast between Jules and Bobby, their story flows nicely and easily. I like that the money factor was never a problem and that Jules has never tried to buy Bobby's love, not even unintentionally. The only few troubles between them are aroused by their respective misunderstandings, and they are all things they can work through with a bit of patient. Again the overall feeling is of a series about ordinary men living in ordinary places, the problems are common to most people, money trouble, past mistakes... and the solutions are simple as the problems are. The first two books in the Poker Night series have also a low drama profile, something that maybe will change in the third book, from what I could understand from the closing scene of this one.
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Amazon: Poker Night
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Cover Art by April Martinez
The second in the theme sports series by J.M. Snyder, Playing the Field, is a bittersweet story which is perfectly set in the golf course world. I don't know, but I always link golf with quiet and also a bit of sadness, maybe since ofthen the movie industry influence that idea.And so here we start along the memory lane with Greg, a man that has always dreamed to live of golf and that he has always felt more at home in a golf club than everywhere else. He has now the perfect life, he lives and works for a golf club and he can enjoy its atmosphere every single moment of his life... but maybe the golden cage is more like a real cage, above all when prevents Greg to meet and seriously set down with a man. He has plenty of opportunity to meet willing men, but Greg has a point to not have relationship with customers, and the people who work for the club like him, are mostly temporary worker, today here, tomorrow perhaps.
Greg has never realized as the life is fast flowing through his fingers till the moment he meets again Trey. Trey was the son of the first man for whom Greg was a caddie, the man who helped Greg to realize his dream. Trey was four years younger, and Greg has never seen him as nothing more than an annoying kid. Not even when Greg started to have feelings for other men, he thought twice to Trey. But now Trey is back again in his life, all grown up and willing... where all those years went? Is it possible that, while Greg was living in his golden cage, the world outside move one? The meeting of the two men should be a nice chance for Greg to have some fun, and instead it starts a chain in Greg's mind that will lead him to wonder if what he has is what he really wants, and if Trey could be something more of a weekend fling. At the same time, the thought to having a relationship with Trey means, in a way, to close a chapter of his life that probably Greg is not yet ready to do, if Trey remains the little annoyng kid of his memories, Greg will remain forever the young man with great expectation.
For a 40 pages long short story, Tee'd Off has two round characters and a nice set, and it's really an enjoyable story, above all, as I said, for the setting in an exclusive golf club, and for the taste of a life that not all people can have.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Te
Series: Playing the Field
1) Faceoff: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/58298
2) Tee'd Off
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Dumb Jock is a coming of age book aimed to an adult target... or maybe I'm too old fashioned, and I really don't know how teenagers are these days. I would really like to be able to go back of 20 years and have the chance to read thise book with a 14 years old mind. Would I be really shocked to read about sex between a 14 years old boy and a 16 years old one? Truth be told there is sex, but it's a mid core level of detailed sex, there is no doubt what is happening between the two, but actually the author doesn't give us very much details. It's not a "behind closed door" type of sex, we are there in the room with the characters, but we have to cover with our imagination where the author doesn't describe something. For example there are blow-jobs, and even an anal sex scene, but actually I believe to have never found the word penis or some equivalent word. I have a clear physical impression of Jeff, small and lithe, a bit on the skinny side, and Brett, tall and muscular, and how Jeff feels protected when he is in Brett's arms, but actually that physical impression never deepens to intimate details (no description under the belt). Soooooo... I'm telling all these since I believe that the novel lacks in something? Not at all. For me it's a merit, since the book, without lacking of the sexy part, it's still innocent enough to be read by a young adult target.Jeff is the classical nerd, a linguistic nerd: he loves to read, he likes books and musics, he is a good student, but all in all he is a pretty ordinary boy. Then all of sudden his life changes: he is asked to tutor in English another student, Brett, the football star of his high school. Jeff is almost blackmailed in doing so from the Physical Education teacher, who clearly tells him that, if he doesn't help Brett, he will not pass his class, and Jeff can't have it, since he needs all good grades to obtain a future full scholarship at College. What the PE teacher doesn't know, is that probably Jeff would have helped Brett anyway, since he has a crush on the other boy. Actually Jeff is not aware of the real nature of his feelings for Brett since in the small town where he lives, there is not hint of such a thing like gay or lesbian.
And now we arrived to the other interesting side of the book, the setting: the novel is set at the beginning of the '80 in a small town USA, this means before AIDS and probably before the rekindling of a string of bashing crimes in the USA. The author clearly stated that he chose to set the story in a ante-AIDS era to not focus on this aspect, Jeff and Brett's trouble are just enough without adding to them also the AIDS plague. But in a way, AIDS also unblocked the conscience of a lot of people, and also thier awareness that being different was not a condition so far from them. AIDS killed a lot of people and changed forever the life of the rest of them, but AIDS also revealed the biggest secret, that gay people are everywhere, even in the small town USA. Without this conscience, we can read of Jeff who, at 14 years old, is still not aware that the wet dreams he is having of Brett are due to his unrequited love for him. And when they fall in love, and it's real love, still Jeff tolerates that Brett treats him like a submissive, like if Brett was the man and Jeff the "fag"; I'm not saying that Brett doesn't love Jeff, but I'm saying that Brett has still big preconceptions on what is straight and what is gay, and those preconceptions can ruin their life.
Where Jeff is an easy character to like, also since he has to go through a lot of sad things so soon in his life, Brett is a bit harder to love. But truth be told, I think he is coherent with himself; he is not a bad guy, but he is for sure a spoiled brat. He has always had an easy life, an only child of a wealthy family, and thanks to his body and his average mind, he would probably have had not any problem in excel in his life, if he chose to live forever in that small town USA. But Brett happens to be gay and being gay in the '80 and living in a small town was not a choice. On the other hand, Brett being gay doesn't immediately makes him a perfect poster boy for gay guys: he still remains a spoiled brat. He still remains the classical jock who likes to be worshiped by his fans and pointed out at school. It's not an easy choice to renounce to all of this in the name of love... and don't forget that we are talking of a 16 years old guy, someone who is still living with his parents and still dependent from them.
Brett's immaturity balanced the even too much maturity of Jeff, that sometime made me wonder if he was really a 14 years old boy. But it's not uncommon that a boy has to grew before his time facing such events, and Jeff went through all the range, from being bullied at school, to having trouble at home, and so on. There are very sad events in the book, but there is also hope in the end... this is not like those gay novels that, to be truth, has to be hard and without romance. Dumb Jock is a nice romance, in the style of Bobby Michaels, but maybe with a little less smelly sex.
Amazon: Dumb Jock
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I have some stories that are swirling in my mind that probably I will never fix, and so I was really happy to find this book, that in a way matches with an idea I had: a love story between an apparently "perfect" man, cultured and sophisticated and a "simple" boy, someone who has a special look on life, and a world all of his own in his mind.Dane is a part time janitor in a private college and a semi-professional boxer. He is a little "slow", he was always like that and people never tried to see the world from his eyes, and so he often comes out as dumb or stupid. But Dane is a very special man, with a big heart, and sometime the world is better from his perspective, since he seems unable to see the nasty things of life. A retired boxer, Charlie, took care of him since he was a young boy, and even found him the job as janitor, and through the boxing he is trying to teach him how to be independent and to trust in his own possibility. And so Dane is not a sad man, and he is not really alone, but he misses the companionship of someone special, a "boyfriend". Dane is an handsome man, and if he wants to find easy sex, he has no problem to be picked up in a bar; actually he is so trusting and friendly, that often people take advantage of him. But Dane, even if easily fooled, always realizes when this happens, and time after time, it's becoming more and more difficult to bear it.
Dane decides his boyfriend will be Noel, the little and shy man he always sees studying in the library. Noel is a very beautiful man, but he is crippled, due to an accident he had when he was still a boy, and his leg often causes him great pain. He is living a sheltered life in the care of his father, his only parent alive, but he is almost a captive: his father forbids him to do everything, always telling him that he is too weak. Even if his father is always there for him, he is not a loving man, he is often lead by anger and Noel is missing the kindness of a lover. Giving their background, Dane a boxer and an "experienced" lover, and Noel a scholar and a virgin, you could easily expect the development of their relationship, but here arrives the nice surprise: Dane being so simple and trusting, becomes Noel's protege, and Noel, being for once the one to take care for another, gains a bit of trust in himself. Noel becomes the master and Dane the pet, and doing so, they rebalance their differences in body and strenght.
This is not an easy book to like, there are some points in which my "inner" self was sending me warning alerts, above all, having Dane obviously some "troubles", it was right for Noel to assume the role of the Master in his life? To this my heart replied that Dane has his own perspective in life, and he is well aware of what is wrong and what is right, and he chose to submit to Noel, but still I can't help to feel as if Noel is taking advantage of Dane. The really strange thing is that I never felt as it was happening the opposite, never once I felt like Dane was taking advantage of Noel thanks to his body strenght; it's true, Dane awakened Noel to his physical desires, but from the beginning, he did it in such a way, that it was always like Noel was only waiting for something to happen, Dane never imposed him anything. There is a bit of "gay for you" in this book, since Noel is not really "gay", he is a newbie at sex at all, but how he reacts to Dane's body, makes me think that, as I said, he was only waiting for the right one, and the right one happens to be a man.
The are other minor things that didn't ring right to me, like as they often use the "Daddy" naming for Noel, or when Dane often dismissed Noel's feeling for him, and in doing so, diminishing their story. I'm also not sure that I like how the things evolved with Noel's father and the sudden "revelation" on his past. And truth be told, I always felt "uneasiness" during the sex scenes, but maybe this is due to what I said above.
Now I'm sincere and I said what made me uneasy in the book, but they are all points that made me think, they are not points that I didn't like, and this is an important distinction; on the contrary, I think that they are exactly the points that made this book so interesting. And there are also some points that moved me, almost to tears, especially when Dane was alone and was thinking to his life and how he would have liked it to be. Dane is a very special and wonderful character, and him alone makes it worthy to read this book.
http://www.loose-id.com/prod-The_Janitor-9
Amazon Kindle: The Janitor
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Cover Art by April Martinez
This short story by J.M. Snyder it's all a question of "play": the hockey game Christian and Ronnie are playing on the ice, for the first time in opposite team after being fellow players the years before; the play of glances they are doing, Christian trying to catch Ronnie's look, and Ronnie trying with all his own to avoid him; the secret game they were conducting, playing the role of teammate and being instead lovers. The book lasts the time of the game, during which Christian replays his story with Ronnie and more the game goes on, more the time is near the actual one, and the final move will be played here and now.Usually in a sports romance there is always the big issue of being gay in a uber-manly world, a world that seems to deny that gay men can also be good players (no pun intended). Instead in this short story, this issue is down-played; it's not denied, but it's not the main problem Christian and Ronnie had. When their relationship started, they probably recognized a fellow soul in the other man, the necessity to hide the relationship was common understanding, and the things seemed to develop nice and easy. But Christian is a young professional players, with still big dreams and stars in his eyes: he wants to hit the big game, and the little league where Ronnie and him are playing is not his final target. Ronnie instead is content with his life, with his steady role in a small town league that probably allows him more freedom, always with discretion. And so it's not the "gay" issue that torn them apart, but more Christian's ambition.
Now three months later, Christian wants to "play" their problem on the field, and instead Ronnie seems to prefer to avoid all of it. It's really ended between them? Actually there was not a break point, Christian simply left and Ronnie didn't stop him... the final confrontation will prove if their love (if love was, since no one said the big word), was real or was only another game.
As I said the book last only the space of a game, so it doesn't want to be all-inclusive of all the possible strand of the story; it's more a moment in life, but both characters are quite nice. Christian maybe is more developed, but Ronnie has potential: his reasons are not quite explained, I can only imagine them, like my idea that he prefers to "play" in a small field to avoid the judgment of the big media, but I believe this is a bonus; I have enough hint to fill the void that a short story usually leaves.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Fa
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All right if people was wondering why I spent the last two days without posting a review, you have Sean Kennedy to blame! He wrote a 376 pages long book, and one that it's quite impossible to read skipping here and there, since it's all story, very few sex and all the elements I like in what I calls "show business" story, means that the heroes are under the spotlight of public opinion and have to deal not only with the ordinary trouble of a love, but also with the expectations of family, friends and fans.The story reminds me a bit of a movie I saw recently, "Outing Riley", where the main character is not exactly the flamboyant gay character. For starter, Simon spent the first pages of the book explaining us his philosophy on Australian football and the life important choice of the team of your life, much more important of your partner of life, you can change a partner, but you can't change your team; you can cheat on your partner, but you can't absolutely cheat on your team. Anyway at the beginning of the book Simon is single and happily involved with his team, that in this moment is not on the winning side (and it wasn't since a bit), but Simon is still faithful. And since his father is from another team, and his brother from another one, and his best friend from another one, when Simon is not defending the honor of his team, he is willing to defend the honor of another team player, if it's not against his own team. And so at a party he is speaking aloud in support of Declan Tyler, not knowing that the man is behind his shoulder listening to all.
Unbelievably, Declan is gay, even if in the closet, and is immediately attracted by Simon, a man that sometime talk before thinking, but that, all in all, has a big heart. And Declan is the perfect hero: always gentle and caring, always understanding of Simon's needs. He is so perfect that Simon, and the reader with him, has to forgive him to be in the closet and to involve Simon in this farce. Truth be told, even if Simon is out, he is not the classic out and proud man who wants to be an example for the youngers; Simon is willing to give to their story a try, and if not for people around, the thing will be quite good.
But Simon's friends are worried for him, and in Roger, Simon's best friend, I can almost see a bit of jealousy, not in a sexual way, but since he is loosing the exclusivity he had on Simon's time. And then there is obviously the big problem of being discreet, and this means that, apart from his best friend Roger and his wife Fran, Simon has no one to talk about Declan and his issue with this new relationship. Not that there are many of it: it's more Simon that worries, Declan has never asked to Simon to be different from what he normally is. All in all Declan comes out like a very good man, one that Simon should be careful to not let go.
The book is above all a light one, almost funny sometime. Simon is really an unwilling comic character, a burst of energy always in motion and always causing trouble... he is not exactly the man to choose if you want to be discreet. But Declan is obviously in love and ready to forgive, and forget, a lot of thing. Simon is not ever a man who would be able to approach in the right way a relationship with Declan, since Simon is not a man who is able to read between the lines, and Declan is not a man to speak aloud his mind; and so if not for the help of Fran, probably Simon and Declan would have a lot of more trouble to be together.
The book is really romantic, with a lot of scenes that will melt the heart of the most romantic reader, the classical big Hollywood comedy scenes, flowers and chocolate type (even if here is more beer and steak, but well, Simon is not, as I said, your typical gay romance character). Strange is that, even if there is no explicit sex, there are enough innuendo and let imagine scenes, that I can say that I had my more than satisfactory quota of sex, even if it's not described in full details.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/current
Amazon Kindle: Tigers and Devils
Amazon: Tigers and Devils
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Eleven years before Damian and Jake were lovers; but there were a lot of obstacles to their happiness: they were professional football players in a period when gay football players weren't even considered to exist; Damian was an African-American man and Jake a white man, and they lived in deep south Alabama... actually I don't know if it is worst that Damian is gay or that he is African-American...; nor Damian or Jake were out of the closet and Jake came from a very bigot family. And so Jake took the easiest solution and gave up their love.There is quite a justice after Jake's cowardice, since he went back home to live a life in the closet without really being the son his father wanted, and instead Damian, even if still mourning his lost lover, found another nice man and built a good life together with him. But now Jake's father is dead, and so is Damian's new lover, in a car accident. And Damian maybe thinks it's time to give a second chance to true love and comes in search of Jake. But old habit are hard to die, and even if he hasn't the weight of his father's inquisition on his shoulder, Jake is not really ready to welcome Damian back in his life.
The story is really short, less than 60 pages, but I found both characters interesting since they are not the strong and pure heroes; Damian probably is the one who is more near to the image of an hero since he is ready to bet on their love, not once but also two time; but he is not a mourning hero, he didn't swallow in sadness when Jake dumped him, he probably suffered for some time, and then went on with his life. Deep inside of him, he probably knew that his real love was Jake, but if he didn't loose his new partner by accident, he probably would have never searched Jake again. And even when we had a glance in Damian and Jake's past together, I had the idea that their was a great sex relationship, but probably it was not real deep love, and this is the reason why Damian could move on with another relationship.
On the other side there is Jake: I actually can't say that I like him so much. He is not a fighter, he always abandon the field. When his relationship with Damian started to give him problem, he left; when he has problem at work, he leaves (have you never heard of unfair discharge?)... actually I believe that he finally gives a chance to Damian, only since it's his last chance, and I don't know if this is so right for Damian.
Anyway, as I often said, it's not important if I like the characters as "person", it's not me that should have a relationship with them!, these characters are right for their story, they are likely, I like the fact that Damian didn't spend 11 years pining for a man he couldn't have, and I like that Jake, if not forced by fate, probably would have spent his life alone in his small town USA (as someone else did in the book...), it's probably what would really happen in real life; but this is a romance, and so, to the real life, the author adds a bit of sugar and gives to this two imperfect heroes another chance at love.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ja
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I always liked T.A. Chase's work, I believe he is one of the first authors I read, but this last book probably is one of my favorite; the first impression I have soon after ending it, is of a very easy and well plotted book, once that despite being almost 200 pages long took me only a night to read since I was eager to know what was happening.The second impression is the play of contrast, that the author uses in two different way: once between the two main characters, Garrett, an Hollywood actor, and C.J., a race driver; from their jobs and from the fact that C.J. was apparently straight and also older than Garrett (even if only for 4 years), you will expected C.J. to be the MAN in the relationship. Yes I know, I'm letting old habit and idea to lead me on, but well, I'm not the only one! Even if you are reading a male on male romance, if you are strong, older, and with a more manly job, you are the MAN. And instead in the relationship, Garrett takes the upper hand: he is the one who shelters and offers a friendly shoulder to C.J. when no one else apparently is willing to do it; and when C.J. is ready to admit that he is gay and wants to come out of the closet, Garrett is more than willing to be his training ship and to teach him everything a good and healthy gay man should know ; and here is when the naughty part of the book is coming, but strangely enough, is not the main aspect of the story, and it's not even so soon in the book, you have to savor it.
The second contrast I notice was in C.J.'s parents, and again my old fashioned idea kicked in to make me having the wrong mind. Usually mothers are more accepting and supporting, they are the ones who try to mediate with their husbands and sons when the truth comes out (pun intended). And even more in this case, where C.J.'s parents are old southern people and his father is a mechanic, not usually a job that allows people to be very open minded (why on earth when we are speaking of car and motor, it seems that women and gays are not enough clever to be involved?). Anyway, I was in for a big surprise when it was C.J.'s father who stood for his son when on the other side his mother kicked him out of house.
This are only two example to prove you that the story, as I said, is very well plotted and carefully crafted in every details. Plus the characters have a good development, enough for the reader to identify himself and try to imagine how it would be for him of he was in their shoes.
Last but not least, I really like as T.A. Chase seems to have done his homework right: the car racing world, even if only hinted, is enough vivid to give the reader the impression to be not only a nice cover for the main character: this is something I noticed before in this author's books, there is often a sport setting (baseball, rodeo, horse jumping and now car racing) and they are always rendered with nice details to help the reader building the world in his mind. So, two are the things, or T.A. Chase is an huge sport fan, or he does well his research work.
Only one regret: I would have liked to read about the Academy Awards night, hope to see it in a third book?
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Series: Love of Sports
1) Out of Bonds: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/28207
2) High Line
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Cover Art by Anne Cain
This is not at all the novel I was expecting. First of all the characters are much younger than I thought. Ryan is a 19 years old college student and hockey player who, during a game, was badly injured. Now he is in a wheelchair and ahead of him he has many months, maybe years, of therapy for the hope to walk again, but not more skating for him. He has lost everything: he is not a striking guy, not a good student, he is plain and simple, and maybe a little surly, and being the star of the college hockey team was his change to be someone in college. Now he is a cripped guy living with his parents and with no chance in front of him. And he is also virgin, he likes guys but he has never had the courage to near someone, only an interrupted attempt of blowjob during a frat party.
Dante is a 18 years old boy from the wrong side of the city. After high school he didn't go to college, cause he has no the necessary money, and to be true, neither the inclination. He only loves speed skating, he is very good at it, and his dream is to arrive to Olympics. He works to pay his lessons and the fee to the trials. He is a beautiful latino guy, the dream man of many girls, but he is gay. He has had only a lover, a very bad experience with a schoolmate, but he has not given up the hope to find a boyfriend. Yes, a boyfriend, cause Dante is only an eighteen years old guy, and for him love is someone to call mine, someone to hung out with, someone who, like a knight in shining armour, stand up for him and claim to all the world and above all to the men who bother him, that he is his boyfriend, so hands out from him!
The story is very well written and compelling. Dante's trouble to find the money for simple things but also for the month's rent, his daydreams of glory. Ryan's struggle with the therapy, his bad attitude, very right considering his situation, his relationship with his mother. Oh yes, his mother... cause we are speaking of a nineteen years old guy, not a man, and mothers are still a very present costant in a guy's life. And Ryan's mother is a wonderful character, not the perfect mother of fantasy, but a real mother, bothering but loving.
And then there is the sex, that at that age is the most important thing you have, but it is naive and tender. Sex is also a kiss stolen in the shadow, but sex is also something more, you do careless and with enthusiasm. Condoms are a joke, not a life's necessity... they are teens in heat.
Amazon: Power Play
Dev and Lee are both college students. Dev is a jock and Lee is not a nerd but almost, he is for sure a "straight" student like Dev: Lee is gay, he is part of the LGBT circle and he writes gay themed play for the local theatre group. When Lee's friend, Brian, is attacked and sent to hospital by two football players for the only reason that he is gay (even if later in the story probably we realize that Brian isn't a so easy character, and probably is not a 100% victim), Lee decides to vengeance his friend at his own way: he dresses in drag and goes to the pub where the local football team is celebrating a victory and hooks up with one of the jocks, Dev. If at this point someone is wondering how Lee could deceive Dev so much, disguising himself as a girl without no one notice it, well, it's simple, there are no clear elements to tell Lee from a girl, like a breast or gentle hips, if not his male attribute (that he can hide under a skirt), since Lee is a fox and Dev is a tiger. Out of Position is another of the anthropomorphic novels by Kyell Gold, and for me his best so far. As in the other contemporary romance I read by Kyell Gold, Waterways, the problems that Dev and Lee have to overcome in order to have their happily ever after are the same of an ordinary couple, but in this novel there is the bonus that they are both "furry" characters, with tails, and paws and scents... plus there is an obstacle more, they are of different breeds, but this one is not so important as the other big one, that they are gay. Actually at first Lee approaches Dev believing him a 100% straight boy: Lee wants to teach to Dev a lesson, proving him that he can have sex, and enjoy it, also with a man. Problem is that Dev non only enjoys it, he is almost addicts to Lee: Dev can't help to search for Lee even if they are at opposite; Dev is in college with a sport scholarship, he is not a perfect student but he manages to have his credits thanks to his sport success; Lee is the classical perfect student and he and his friends look upon the jocks at college with superiority, like something to suffer since they can't do anything else.
At first Dev comes out like the simple mind guy who discovers that he can enjoy also a male partner; he is not an homophobic, but he has never considered having sex with a man. But if you read with attention Dev's introduction, you will realize that he is not simple as appears; in a world where Dev has the chance to have all the girls he wants, thanks to his jock status, he has a discriminating attitude, he is more for the quality than the quantity. For Dev is not necessary only a willing body, he wants that his partners have also a mind of their own, he wants to be challenged. And so when he meets Lee, after the first shock when he realizes that Lee is a man, he is ready and willing to overcome this obstacle due to the fact that he really likes Lee as a partner, not only as a body to have sex with. Not that the sex is not important, and in the book you will find plenty, so yes, if you can't go through the fact that this is an anthropomorphic novel, be careful since you will have to face a lot of scenes in which the fact that the two characters have furs, paws and tails is clearly in display.
The book is very long and follows the two characters in a long span of their life: not only as two college students that have to hide their relationship due to the homophobic environments where Dev lives, but only as two young man, Dev as a professional football player and Lee as a sport procurator for a professional football team. Strange is that it's not Dev that realizes that living as an openly gay man is not so easy as you imagined in college: it's Lee that has to come to reality, Lee who always though to change the world, and instead now is living and working in an all-male world where gays are not supposed to be. It's Lee that is questioning his beliefs and what he wants to do with his life. What the reader thought at first of the two main characters, Lee the steady one with his future all planned and Dev the uncertain one with no real skills other than being good with a ball, is totally turned up: outside of the secured walls of the college world who has problems to settle down is Lee.
I like a lot how Lee and Dev's relationship evolves: even if they have to face a lot of obstacles, they are always together, and for together I don't mean in the physical way; for work Lee and Dev have to live apart from time to time, but they are always sure of their love, they never question who is the real forever love for each other. They can have problems, they maybe have to change idea on something they thought was the right thing to do, but never, never they think to give up to their relationship. I also like as Dev comes out of the story, how his character develops and deepens to prove to the reader that being a jock not always means being dumb; all in all who makes the most embarrassing and dangerous mistakes is Lee, the one who should be the clever of the couple.
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Cover Art by Blotch
Mark is an Australian Olympic Gymnast that during New Year's Eve of 2000 (the year in which Olympic were held in Sydney) instead of enjoying the holiday, is practicing. Mark is not at the best of his performance, but as an Australian athlete he can't not going to the Olympics, even if, maybe, it's not what he really wants. What Mark really wants is his lover Daniel, an mining engineer who is working far from Sydney: with Mark's training and physical problems, he can't leave Sydney, and Daniel can leave the mine only few time a year.But on this special New Year's Eve, Daniel makes Mark happy, and he arrives to share the night with Mark and to say to his love to not worry, that he will always have an home and a lover, being a champion or not.
I like this story since it shows a moment in the life of two people that feel to me real; despite being deeply in love, Mark and Daniel live in different places due to their careers... love could be a very strong bond, but not always allow people to do as they wish. Secondly, I like that Mark is not an invincible hero... this is only a night in their life, 25 pages, so we don't know if Mark will make the Olympics or if he will be a winner, but we know that he is real, with doubts and hopes, and we know that, in a way or another, after the games, he will still have a life, not glamorous, but probably happy.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/advent.h
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This novel is a mix of "Beverly Hills" or "Gossip Girl" fiction that meets Yaoi World; I have the feeling that the author loves both.In a American prep school where all people seems to have a double surname, Heyden is the black sheep; it's not clear but probably his divorced parents decided that it was better for him to go to boarding school, since his mother works in Japan and doesn't have time to raise a kid. But Heyden is middle class, not even near to the old wasp wealth of his fellow schoolmates. When he first meets his future roommate he only tries hard to make a new friend.
Blue is pretty and almost feminine, and all the school thinks he is gay, but Blue has really no experience regarding sex. He prefers to spend his spare time alone in his room, watching yaoi anime on his laptop. Yes, probably Blue is gay, but he has never had the chance to be sure.
Put together two eighteen years old pretty boy with not real worries in their life, and it's quite obvious what will happen. The only thing that let me perplexed is Heyden's experience with gay sex; it would be not so important if it was only an hand job, or even a blow job, but full sex experience is something quite important that in the book is not really explained.
Anyway, Heyden and Blue get along well since they are only two half of the same halves, but when they need to interact with the rest of the school, things are not so simple. Heyden is aiming to a full scholarship for sports merit and the jocks circle is not so accepting of gay in general, and of Blue and his friend Peyton in particular. And the other hand, Peyton, who has a little crush on his friend Blue, is not so accepting that Blue is suddenly pairing with one of the same jocks they understimated only the previous year.
Heyden and Blue's relationship gives Blue the courage to finally admit who he is and what he wants, and with that he is blossoming to his newfound seductive power. The new Blue can't stay confined in their room, and Heyden is both jelaous and afraid to be pointed at as gay. Heyden and Blue draw apart, and both of them have the chance to experiment a different type of love, something that maybe could be make they reconsider what they had.
The story is a nice coming of age, in a rich man world very few people could live on. From my perspective it's unreal, but I don't doubt that somewhere in the world there are schools like this one; and then, maybe the setting is richer, but the problems are the same: the desperate needs of the misfits to be part of a group; the need of a lonely boy to be loved, doesn't matter who loves him, only that there is love; the prejudice against who is not like all the others, maybe he is more clever, maybe he is better in sport, maybe he is gay.
There is a lot of sex in this story, the type of careless sex only very young boy could do. At eighteen yeard old the concept of exclusivity is something lame, but Blue tries to be faithful to himself; his body knows who he loves even if his mind maybe in that moment is a little clouded. And then, even Heyden in his little, isn't a saint, and you have to consider that he was the first to betray Blue when he hadn't the courage to claim his love for him. But they are so young, that you can only forgive them for all, and enjoy the fairy tale ending.
Nice supporting role for Peyton, the best friend who always see things in the right way, the Jimmy cricket who no one wants to listen to since his words are too true. It's a really good character considering that he would have his reason to lie to Blue, to finally have a chance with him.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/current
Amazon Kindle: True Blue
Amazon: True Blue
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A Secret Edge is a classical Coming of Age novel with teen characters. But it's slightly different from the usual young adult novels since for the first time the characters are pretty open in their sexual experience, and the author doesn't used the rule of don't tell what happened behind the closed doors. So as always when this happens, I have the feeling that this is more a romance for adult with young characters rather then a young adult novel for teens.Jason is 16 years old and the classical good boy next door. Good at school and good in sports, he is also cute and lucky with girls. He is also the type of boy who gathers around him other boys who want to be his friends to shine in his aurea. But Jason is really a good guy and he is friendly with everyone. Lately however he is troubled since he makes strange dreams by night: a wet dream for a teenager is not a strange thing, but if in the dream there is another boy instead of a girl... So Jason is beginning to questioning his sexual preferences and maybe that friend he had when he was younger, the boy who shared their first sexual discoveries, was not only a friend.
When Jason starts to open his eyes to his new urges, he also opens the eyes to all the other guys around him, and finds out that he is not alone. And when he lays his eyes on Raj, he is smitten. Ray is an years older, with indian origins, and he is "hot": Jason can't stop to think at the exotic beauty of his new friend, and when Raj comes out to him as openly gay, Jason has to face an hard decision: being out himself and so have Raj, or stay in the closet... the choice is not hard when he realizes that he has a supportive family and that also at school he can find a support. True, there are other guys who are not so friendly as before, but the pros are more than the cons.
A Secret Edge is a very good novel since it faces a difficult matter without being too pedantic. When you are speaking of boy of 16 or 17 years old, you can't pretend that they act like adult. True, Raj is a old young, but he has seen a lot in his younger age. But Jason instead had a pretty comfort life, he is the beau of the school, he has big chances in front of him for the future. So he behaves like a simple guy, who likes to date and who likes to kiss and who is open to more. He can discern what it is right and what it is wrong, but he is not the perfect son who always follows the right path, he is, after all, a teenager.Jason and Raj will not go out from this experience unarmed, but all in all I think they had a simpler life than a lot of other guys in the same situation. Jason and Raj are among the lucky ones, those who can think of a future, and a positive one.
Amazon: A Secret Edge
Robin Reardon's In the Spotlight post: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/78951
Bella-Sophia is a beautiful woman who chose to do a man job; she coaches a college football team and she is also very good at it and has all the right credentials. But as expected, she had to overcome all the prejudice which seems derived only by the fact that she wasn't a man. Now, thanks to the foresight of an old coach, she coaches at college level and she is happy, but she has repressed her femininity... oh, she is still a beautiful woman, and every man can notice that, but she dresses like a man and avoids all the little details who pleases a woman, like jewelry and make up. Wulf is a former German professional soccer player who was hired to coach the soccer team in the same college. He is a big man with pleasant behavior and old style gallantry. From the first time he meets Bella-Sophia, he decides that he is more interested in the woman than in the coach. Not that he underestimates her proveness at work, but he is not interested in it: Bella-Sophia can be the most successful football coach of USA, but when she ends her work day, she has to go back home to him and only him.
The story is not very long, less than 100 pages, but flows smoothly. The style is a bit more tamed than other books I read by the same pair of authors, actually, even if there are two or three quite strong words scattered in the book, there is only an actual sex scene, and even if it is pretty enthusiastic, it is more unbalanced in the funny side than in the erotic one. All in all I found this one lighter and funnier than the previous books.
What remains of the previous experience I had with Johnson and Leigh, is a very strong Afro American female character and a even stronger white male character, the type of male who still opens the door the his woman but it's male enough to not be intimidated if she has a life of her own.
http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/p
Waiting Reading List:
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Jacob and Sean were in a foster home together, Jacob a 5 years old scared boy and Sean a 15 years old young guy. From the first time Sean knew that Jacob needed him and he was always there for him. Even now, twenty years later, Sean a Navy SEAL and Jacob a professional baseball player, Sean is still there for Jacob.Sean has long realized that he is in love with the younger man, but he can't do this to the man: both for his army career than for Jacob's public image, an homosexual relationship is not good, and so he forces himself to be a good big brother, always present, always caring. But when Jacob is kidnapped by a madman, Sean throws away all the thought about career and public opinion, and goes to rescue his man, since from that moment on, Jacob will be his man and no one wil interfere.
The story is pretty good, Sean the classic alpha male and Jacob the pretty twink. I also like the big brother-little kid relationship between the two, even if it borders maybe a little too much near incest, but well, they are not real brothers, and then now they are both adults, and Sean always behaved only as a caring brother and nothing else when Jacob was a kid.
What I find a bit disorienting is all the hurry in the story; all the events happen in a blur, I almost lost tracking of them. I think the plot and the characters were good for a longer novel, and a lot of points would be easier to understand. It's something I just experimented with Helen Gabriel's work: she has very good stories and characters, but I always read short stories by her (this one is less than 50 pages)... I'd like to try something longer.
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?m
Waiting Reading List:
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First of all, for who likes me is not into horse racing and similar... FEI is the Fédération Équestre Internationale or in English, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, is the international governing body of equestrian (horse) sports. Recognized competition disciplines include: dressage, combined driving, endurance riding, eventing, para-equestrianism, reining, show jumping, and vaulting.For what I understand reading this book and also the Home series by T.A. Chase, dressage and show jumping is made with an English saddle (those little saddles used by men in tight white pants and high boots...) and reining is made with an American saddle (by men with leather chaps and cowboy hats). And it seems also that Dressage and Show Jumping competitions are held in the East Coast and instead Reining competitions are more a thing of West Coast and fair events.
The differences in the sport are turned and represented in the two main characters of this book. Andreas is a professional horseman, award winning in the Dressage discipline. He has spent all his life in the professional circuit, and also in Europe, and so the fact that he is gay seems not important, almost irrelevant. Rock instead is a former rodeo cowboy, a winner in the rodeo circuit but someone who needs to prove himself again in the FEI competitions. And he has had pretty bad experiences in the past when people knew of him being gay.
Two different men for life and experience, but equal in their desire to have someone with whom share the love for horses and the love for another man. In bed and alone from the world, Rock and Andreas go along well, they have a perfect harmony, but in the arena it's another matter. Rock needs to learn that even if controlled and cool, Andreas' discipline is not less difficult than his own, and Andreas needs to learn that control and coolness is good riding a dressage horse, but to ride a real cowboy, he needs to lose a bit.
There is a lot of sex in this book, but the author is very good in mingling it with a bit of information on the FEI world that arouses the reader's curiosity and gives importance to what happens outside the bedroom. I'd like also a little more of interaction with the other characters of the books (almost inexistent) like, for example, Charles and Derek, main character of Riding Partner, another book setting in the same universe I have still to read.
http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.a
Series:
1) Riding Partner
2) Cowboy Up
Waiting Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
One thing you could say of T.A. Chase's books is that they are all very different. This one is a sexual romp (from Merriam Webster Online romp = a: high-spirited, carefree, and boisterous play b: something suggestive of such play: as (1): a light fast-paced narrative, dramatic, or musical work usually in a comic mood (2): an episode of lovemaking).Kasey is a 23 years old pro basketball player. He is only in his second year as professional player and he has no courage to openly admit that he is gay. He is out with his family and friends, but not with the public opinion. Plus his twin brother Garrett, a famous actor, has made coming out some years ago and now all media are only waiting for him to make the same claim.
But Kasey till now has never had a boyfriend to care and he doesn't see the reason to suffer all the harrassment he will receive in the locker room if he makes that claim. That is, but now in Kasey's life enters Gram, a night club owner and an openly gay man who had bad experiences in the past with closeted lovers.
Kasey must decide if he is willing to risk his career to keep his lover by his side.
The story is not very long, less than 90 pages, but it's very erotic. From the first time Kasey and Gram have a very intense relationship and they are driven by lust most of the time. Since Kasey is a 23 years old guy that for sometime was deprived of a sexual partner, I think it's not strange that now that he can have someone near him, he is in frenzy to make up for the lost time. Plus it was a true discovery that Kasey is a totally bottom. I'm used to sports characters to be always very manly, even if gay, and usually they are totally top. Instead Kasey wants to be mastered, even if he is a pushy bottom.
The main characters don't interact a lot with the supporting characters, but there are some interesting figures: Garrett, Kasey's brother, Paul, Kasey's teammate, but also Bo, Gram's employee and Colville, another pro basketball player. Since this is the first book in a series, I think we will have the chance to read something on one or plus of these characters.
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/out-o
Amazon Kindle: Out of Bounds: Love of Sports book 1
Reading List:
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Cover Art by Anne Cain
Rowan McBride has a series of stories about the "growing muscle" event: one or both main characters change their looks to suit the taste of their beloved.Joel is the perfect guy: six foot six of football player, he is not the usual jock, he has also a thinking brain. But he is too used to be adored by everyone, he can have all the girls he wants and all the friends he likes. At 19 yd he is the raising star of his college.
But everyone around him continue to warn him against his college roommate, Walker Cain, a creepy geek, always with a book in hand and that everyone seems to avoid. Walker is a skinny guy, five foot four, all bones and big eyes. But he has a costant perfume around him that appeals a lot to Joel, and told be truth, Joel likes to be around Walker. Obviously not in a sexual way, Joel has never had a second though on Walker in that way, but still he is comfortable around him.
Walker is cursed. He is the last descendent of the biblical Cain, and he now belong to a long line of wizard. All the Cain has the chance to cast a big spell in their life and Walker chooses to use it to bond Joel to him forever: through the bond he can make Joel doing everything he wants, and he forces Joel to have sex with him. Everytime Joel reaches a climax, he passes to Walker some of his strenght and physical appereance.
Both Walker and Joel think that the spell will stop when both of what Joel was will be pass to Walker, but they are wrong. And things seem to spiral down to a unthinkable end.
Joel is a character in travel: during the book he will experiment many lifes and different perspective and he will learn to deal with them. You can think that Joel is a victim, but truly he "needs" this experience to see the world in the right perspective. All the things he gives granted to his physical strenght, could be not so granted if you are weaker, but you can also learn that your attitude can represent you more than your look.
Walker is a sociopathic, no doubt in that. And he is also very selfish and without regrets. Even when he could see all the wrong things he has done, still he is not repentant: maybe, he says, he would do something different, but still he would cast the spell to bond Joel. Cause he wants Joel. Walker is not a good person: I think he can play the role of a good person if he has by his side Joel, but left alone, he can be a lethal weapon. He has not conscience by himself, his conscience and his good behaviour are given by Joel.
For this reason, the bond between Joel and Walker is almost a sickly one. But it is also a very powerful and enthralling one. Want Me is a very original and powerful book, a pretty long story which will take you bond to the book till the last page.
Amazon: Want Me
Reading List:
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This is a very strong book. But it also an heartbreaking one and full of hope. But I had no doubt, since Laney Cairo is the author of Bad Case of Loving You, another very strong book.Shane is an Australian Rules Football player. He is young and he plays for a winning team, so he should be very happy. He has also a beautiful girlfriend and some very good friends. But he is on the edge of suicide. One year before he has badly dumped his male lover, bending over the pressure of the team and the public opinion that couldn't consider the idea of a football gay player. Dale was the only true thing in his life and now he hurts so much, in body and soul, that only through mix of pills over pills he can go on. And in the end it arrives the day when it seems impossible to bear another day. And he goes to the apartment he shared with Dale, the only place he feels like home.
Dale is returning for the first time in a year to the apartment, and he is surprised to discover that Shane has continued to come to the place in all these months. So he decides to stop and to see if the man will appear. But the man he sees is not the same man he remembers. Shane is clearly sick, and drugs addicted. He needs help to heal, but he also needs someone who will stay beside him when he finally will take some hard decision. This is not more a choice for Shane, but a necessity if he doesn't want to fall apart.
The path of Shane through the healing from his injures, rebuilding his life and coming out will be slow and painful, but Dale will be a steady presence: even if Shane is a strong professional football player and Dale a businessman, it's this late who is the strong core of their relationship, and not only now that Shane is ill. Even before Dale was the stronger in the relationship, even if he didn't force Shane to take decision he was not ready to take. And another think I like in this book, is that not all the faults are on one side: true, Shane preferred to dump Dale rather than coming out, but also Dale has made some mistakes.
The interaction between the two main characters is wonderful. Both characters are real and full of layers... you hardly manage to have an idea and soon after the author unveals a new layer that throws out all your careful filed information.
http://www.torquerebooks.com/zencart
Waiting Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
Broken Pottery (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneThis one is maybe the more angst in the Campus Cravings series.
Daniel is a thirty something art professor in the local college. He is a submissive by nature, cause he is only used to associate pain with love. He has has a tragic experience when he was a child and now he needs someone in his life that can give him a safe place to stay and stability. After being beaten almost to death by a man he refuses to accuse, Daniel agrees to stay with Tony, a wealthy businessman. Tony is a top by nature, but he couldn't bring himself to be a dominant like Daniel seems to need. He will try to convince this man that love can be alsto sweetness and comfort.
Daniel is not a weak character. He is instead very strong and he has managed to razionalize what is happened in his childhood and rebuilt a life that apparently seems normal. But he needs a man beside that help him to overcome his issues with intimate relationship. And Tony is the right man. He is very emotive, but not impressionable; he is gentle, and probably deeply in love, but he knows that he can't bertray himself to "play" the role of the man Daniel seems to need .
This last in the Campus Cravings series is slightly different from the former ones: we only see the appearance of three of the multiple gay characters that seem to have conquered this little province town. But I have just seen that in the next enstalment I will have the chance to read of Nate, a character I'm waiting.
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
In Bear’s Bed (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneCampus Cravings series is now a sure appointment for me. It's like a soap-opera, every books I read of a new couple but also have some hints of the past ones and glimpses to the future one.
I was waiting for this one: Bear is a big Afro American Football player and Liam is a cute soccer player. In the past books Bear has helped Liam with some homophobic teammates, and since Bear is a very big man, no one has dared to bother Liam from that moment on. Liam is out with his family and friend, instead Bear passes for a straight man. But at the beginning of this book, Bear confesses to Liam that he felt in love with him months before and now wants to share a room in the new all gay dorm and also his life.
The relationship between Bear and Liam is smooth and nice since the beginning. There aren't much problems for the multicultural matter and even the same sex issue seems to go smooth, fellow teammates of Bear fear him to much to make trouble.
The book is really enjoyable, the characters are young and cute (even the big Bear), but maybe I was expecting a bit more angst from this enstallment. Things seem to go too good for Liam and Bear, it is like hearing a bomb clock to tic toc and in the end not having the explosion. But well, we have nevertheless two new wanna-be-couple, Sam, Aaron's brother, and Jace, Tony's colleague, and Charlie, the blind dorm director, and Jack, the new dorm cook and former marine. And also a new gay friend, Michael, that maybe will give us some surprises,
All in all, if you have read all the other in the series, and want to read the future ones, you can't miss this one.
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
Amazon: Back on Campus (Campus Cravings)
Series: Campus Cravings
1-2-3) Campus Cravings 1: On the Field: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/13379
4-5) Campus Cravings 2: Off the Field: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/16506
6-7) Campus Cravings 3: Back on Campus
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Hot Like Fire is a mix of tradition and innovation. Tradition cause it's the story of our everyday woman, strong and interesting, but not overwhelming beautiful, who finds the perfect man who will love her forever and will treat her like a goddess. Innovation cause it's pretty hot and erotic and sex is very good but it's also almost hard-core.Samson and Mariana meets in a dream resort, and from the first time he sees her, Samson knows to have found the woman of his life. He only has to convince Mariana of the same thing, and overcome the fear she has of not being enough "woman" to satisfy her man.
Samson, our hero, maybe is not a man you can find in real life, cause he is too perfect. He is rich and hansome, 6 feet and 9 inches tall, long black hair, father from Portugal and Native American mother, he can see past the phisycal appearance of a woman to her soul. And he is also so sure of himself, that he doesn't fear to display his alpha behaviour.
Mariana is a woman who needs to be loved and needs reassureance on her feminine side. She is a tought woman, but she needs an even tougher man to her side. Mariana is like a lot of modern woman, who wants to be independent, but who also likes to have a Man, with M capital letter, who is not afraid to stay with a woman like her.
Sex is very hot. I'd like to think possible to ever find a such intimacy, but if maybe it's difficult to find in real life, it's good to be able to read it in a book. I have no problem to say that Hot Like Fire has touched so many soft spots in me, cause it talks truth to many women like me.
http://www.lulu.com/content/1295291
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Miami's Perfect Weekend (Calendar Boys - January) by Jamie CraigTre is a Afro American professional football player who lives in Miami. But this year his team has not make the final and now he wants nothing but leave the city to not be around people who are waiting to see the big final game and blaming him cause their home team is not on the field. So when his flight is delayed and he is forced to spend a night in an hotel near the airport, he thinks to drink some beers to the hotel bar and hit the matress alone. And instead he meets Michael, a shy history professor who is in town to visit the family and who doesn't know nothing of football and the only thing he knows is that Tre is a very handsome and nice guy and surprisingly he has made a move on him.
Michael is thrilled. This gorgeous guy is willingly to spend an entire weekend with him and he seems also a very thoughtful man: what starts like a quickie in a bathroom, becomes an hot weekend where they have the chance not only to do a great sex but also to know better each other. But Monday Michael has to fly again home in Washington DC and Tre is a deep in the closet man, who can't outing without destroying his career.
I like this story. It's simple and tender. Tre is a very good next door guy, gentle and clever, not the usual stereotyped athlete character. Michael instead is the classical professor type, cute but shy, who sells himself short. But he is also a very sensual man, very open to sexuality and when naked in bed, not very shy: a really discovery I should say.
All in all this is a very enjoyable book, maybe a little short, less than 60 pages, but really well written.
P.S. another cover which doesn't much with the book, Michael is not at all like the man in it...
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ca
Amazon Kindle: Calendar Boys--January: Miami's Perfect Weekend
Mine (Calendar Boys - February) by Jamie CraigIf you want a very erotic vampire gay romance, Mine by Jamie Craig will suit your taste. But mind you, you have not to be easily impressed from fresh blood and hard pleasure/pain games cause here you will find plenty of them.
Erik is an old and strong vampire who is hunting a man, Travis. Six months before Travis has kidnapped his mate, Joel, and now he is holding him like pet. But Joel is not a consensual pet in a Master/Pet contract, he is drugged and unable to fight against Travis. And so Erik is planning to seduce Travis, rescue Joel and kill Travis soon after. But during is plan, could happen that he, maybe, is a little fascinated by Travis, and by his clearly desire to be mastered.
This could be a short story, less than 60 pages, but it's well developed and very enthralling. My friends know that I'm not fond of pleasure/pain game, but this one is really alluring. Even if Travis is since the beginning the bad boy, slowly I began to feel for him and to cheer for Erik to not kill him. And even if Joel in the first part of the tale is not a main character, he takes the scene in the second and last part. Travis instead is for all the tale the real Master, and he plays very good his role: usually in a romance, the captive never suffers before his savior manages to free him, but here poor Joel has to pass throught some not really enjoyable experience... unless you are not into the scene, and so maybe, it's what you'd like!
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ca
Amazon Kindle: Calendar Boys--February: Mine
Kiss Me (Calendar Boys - March) by Jamie CraigAlejandro is a porn star, no hiding in that. He is also very good at it and one of the most sought bottom in the market. But even if Alejandro likes sex and has no problem to turn it into a profession, in private life he is almost a "normal" guy, who wants a quite steady relationship.
Six months before he laid his eyes on Mal, a young and promising photographer. But for how impossible is to believe, Alejandro must find the courage to ask Mal a date, cause he fears that Mal sees him only like the "porn star" and not like a guy. And told be thruth, Mal "sees" Alejandro like a porn star, like the star of all his wet dreams, and when Alejandro asks him out, he can't believe it.
But the first and the second dates, for how much pleasant and nice they are, don't end as you would expected: Alejandro wants to wait, to "test" Mal and his real interest in him. Then when Mal passes the test, it's time to Alejandro to prove his interest in him: and it's really tender and sexy to see Alejandro, who every day and more times a day makes sex for work, be jelaous and very possessive with Mal, that, let we say, it's the "average" guy, someone who probably you don't look twice in a club full of men.
It's obvious that the main character of this story is Alejandro: he is the object of Mal's fantasies and the director of their story, but also Mal has a very lovely role; Mal accepts Alejandro for what he is, and don't put a tantrum when Alejandro has to do his work: in the end it's only sex, and what they have together could be love...
A very interesting story, I loved to read of Alejandro and how he faces his day-to-day "work"; don't know if it's a realistic attitude, and problaby the porn movie market is not so nice and "clear", but nevertheless, Alejandro is a quite original character, and I feel his moves and actions enough "realistic".
P.S. the cover is not so bad, but for what I have read, it doesn't "fit" Alejandro's character...
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ca
Amazon: Calendar Boys, Vol. I: January-March
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Brandon and Jake went highschool together but never have been friend. Brandon was a nerd, homeschooling till his sophomore years and more interested in biology than baseball and Jake was a total jock, whose only interested was sport and the chance to have a scholarship on baseball.
But fifteen years later they are both again in the same highschool, Brandon struggling to have his second doctorate and Jake recovering from a bad injury which has stopped his professional carrer even before it started. And now they have to team up while Brandon cover up his teaching hour coaching with Jake.
Jake and Brandon are both gay, but seems that their gayradars need a check, cause even if both lust on each other, neither of them seem able to do the first move. Brandon is still mulling over the jock vs nerd matter of his highschool years, and Jake fears too much to be seen as the classical dull coach. Even if they are grown men, they act like two teenager with their first crush.
The story is pretty long but even if it is fairly smooth, without any significatn twist, it manages to be compelling till the end. First you want to see how they got together and who will do the first move, and then you want to see if they will be able to stay together (do not forget that they live in Georgia, and I don't think it's simple for a gay couple to live openly together there).
At the end of the book there are some open point (take in mind this word, California, and reading the book you will know what I mean) that I'd like to better understand, but overall I'm really satisfy with my reading: the story is classic and a bit romantic, the sex is well written and arousing, and the two characters are both cute and tender (I don't feel a real alpha male in the couple, they are almost on the same level)
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/current
Amazon: Caught Running
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Iason is the aleiptae of the palaestra of Demetrius and Aristae is the better Athlete of the palaestra. Iason loves from afar Aristae, cause he doesn't consider himself worth of Aristae's love: the Athlete is handsome and brave, and he, instead, is a simple aleiptae, plain and shy. And so he contents himself to take care of Aristae's body and to play the flaute during his training.But when they all go to Olympia for the Games, Iason asks to Zeus to favour Aristae during the Games but also to concede to him his love; soon after he is scaried by his dareness and begins to fear to have drawn the fury of Zeus on Aristae.
The story is pretty short, less than 30 pages, but it's very detailed and tender. No sex, only love. A fresh touch on a sometime abused genre. I'd like to read more about Iason and Aristae, cause what I read is only a starting point of an interesting story.
http://www.lulu.com/
Waiting Reading List:
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Terry lived in a little town in Canada. Even if Canada could be a little more open than other country, being gay in a little town is the same all over the world. And so Terry is the object of all the bad jockes in high school. He is only waiting to be eighteen years old and to leave for Toronto and the anonymity he will find and a big city.And then Adrian, a twenty years old hockey player, young but just a champion, comes in town. He has inherited an old house just outside the town and wants to renovate it. And Adrian is a good guy, gentle and friendly, and gay... And so the last summer for Terry in his hometown could be also his first summer as "man" while he discovers love in the arms of Adrian.
But Adrian is not out and he cannot be out to the risk of losing his professional carreer and he has also a destructive relationship with a teammate that he claims to love. Adrian is very clear and open with Terry, for him it could be only friendship between them and sex, yes, but not love. Between the two, even if Adrien is more sexually experienced, it is Terry who is the more mature in understanding his feelings. It's Terry who accepts what he can have from Adrian, and it's Terry who asks forgiveness to Adrian when his feeling becomes too strong (!!!) and it's Terry who sees clearly how Pierre, Adrian's lover, really is.
D.J. Manly is very "male" in his stories. When I read one of his novel I always feel that the characters are driving first by their bodies and then by their heart. Love without sex is not taken in consideration and the way he describes his "men" is always very physical. And as always his novel flows smoothly and in a bit, and in the end you will want more.
http://www.extasybooks.net/ebjmsite/inde
Amazon Kindle: He Scores
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Ryu is the son of a yakuza. He was raped when he was 17 years old from the son of the leader of the family and fearing his father's reactions (to be against him and not against the family) he has left his home to go living with Kiku, a man who professes a strange religion, the White Tiger, who feeds human energy through sex. But ten years after the man who has raped him, tries to have him again and he is sent away on Phuket. Nat Phoenix, and ex kick box fighter and now cop, is assigned to protect Ryu, but from the first moment he is enthralled by this young man, small in body, but with a great energy in him.The romantic plot is very tender: Ryu's need of love and his generosity in giving and sharing his body with Nat (who has his own problems to deal) is very sweet; in spite of all the bad experiences he has had, Ryu is still a young and innocent man, who seems to have no control in his body when that body demands to be satisfy through Nat. And Nat is like an elephant is a crystal shop: he has no idea how to deal with this precious jewel which is Ryu.
The story is long enough to give you a lot to read, but maybe to full deal with all the elements in the story (the yakuza thing, the former career of Nat, the White Tiger disciple...) I'd like the book a little longer. Anyway I have really enjoy the story and also the sex scenes, which are really exciting.
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=6
Amazon: White Tigers: Men of Phuket: Tongue Thai'd
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Cover Art by Anne Cain
This is a pair I have never met before: two total tops! How can they find a way to not kill themself in bed? Paul and Dave are both brits and both now live in US. But Paul is there only since few months and has few friends; and he is not out with his rugby playmate, so has had few chances to meet the right bottom. And instead he meet Dave, a full top. Dave agrees to help Paul cruising the club, but they always end to go home together. And one night after another, they end also in bed together. But it is always a fight to decide who will be the top of the situation... and maybe Dave is wondering if what they are building together is true love...Paul and Dave are both top, but Paul is the "classical" teddy bear top, tought outside, but soft inside, and instead Dave is the smart one, who always knows when to win and when to lose in their personal fight.
And I have to say that, after buying the Dieus du Stade 2008 Calendar (sadly to gift it to a friend), I'm totally agree with Dave and with his decision to make an execption to his "no bottom" rule when he meets Paul... Even if sometime Dave has scared me, his perception of what is beautiful...
http://www.torquerebooks.com/zencart/
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Please please, Amber Allure, could you use better cover? My artistic eyes cry when I see some of your cove... Above all cause sometime the story is worthy.Ty and Jaegar (what all american name!) play for the baseball professional league. Ty is on the team since 4 years now and Jaegar is the new guy, arrives only for one week to substitute the injured rommies of Ty. And the first night Ty has the chance to see Jae in all the glory mother nature has given him and he is struck. Ty is gay but he has never open admitted it with the team; only his fake girlfriend, London, knows that and she willing plays the role for him. But now Ty has met a man who makes him desire to live openly his life, a man he wants to go out in the daylight and not hide in the dark room of some hotel.
The story is brief but enjoyable. The life of the pro baseball players of a not so big team is decipted with realism: cheap hotel, bus smells of sweat, dirty lockroom... and the fear to look for too long to a playmate.
Ty and Jae are handsome but normal characters. They don't live in the glamour of the professionals: Ty is thinking to leave at the end of the season and Jae maybe will not have no more a contract after this one. They are not rich and famous and distant, they are the boys next door who want a live together: a barbecue, some friends around them and a house to share.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ta
Amazon Kindle: Take Me Out
Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
Off-Season (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneThis is the story of Demitri, one of the two brothers of Alec, the main characters of Side-Lined. Demitri is still mourning on the loss of good friend, but he has set his eyes on Aaron, the soccer coach. Demitri is strong and big, but has fragile feelings, he doesn't want to risk again to loose someone he loves, and so he takes Aaron at arm lenght. But phisycal desires are also strong and in the end Demitri has to take his chance to love and suffer again to gain a always forever type of relationship.
The story is romantic and not too much troubled. It flows smooth and fast. It's enjoyable. And book per book the series is becoming ever more a "gay happy community": all the coaches are gay, all the new student are also gay, all the characters you meet... I'm wondering what would they think Alec's parent, old fashion greeks, that two of their three strong sons are gay, or a new freshman when both the football coach than the soccer coach are gay...
But in the unrealistic setting Carol Lynne has built, she has also managed to make me wonder how the next story will be (the next is Rocco and I'm expecting this one, and then I have noticed also Liam and Bear...), so I will sure buy the next books in the series... I think Carol Lynne succeeded in her goal... entrapped me and other readers in her "gay happy community"!
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
Forbidden Freshman (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneIn the end of Off-Season we have known about Joe, the 35 years old psichiatric who cares about all the guys in the Campus Cravings series, and Rocco, the 18 years old son of old coach Williams.
Rocco is a very beautiful man, who has always cared for himself, so at 18 years old he his very mature and knows exactly what he wants, and what he wants is Joe, his father's friend. Joe can't deny the attraction, but he will do nothing to ruin his friendship with Coach Williams, above all cause he can't believe a beautiful boy like Rocco could be really interesting in him.
But when Rocco finds himself alone one more time, Joe finally accepts that he now is Rocco's family and eventually lover.
I expect more drama from this story and instead it's is smooth and enjoyable. The love between Rocco and Joe is sudden and forever, their life together also. The big gap in years between them is not still a problem, maybe in the future it could be, but in this book you will read only of the good moments of the couple.
As always in the end Carol Lynne introduces us to her next characters: Toby and Michael, probably Charlie, but I'm still waiting for Liam and Bear's story!
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
Amazon: Off the Field (Campus Cravings)
Series: Campus Cravings
1-2-3) Campus Cravings 1: On the Field: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/13379
4-5) Campus Cravings 2: Off the Field
Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
Danny is a motorcross champion who can't run no more. His body betrays him and know his sponsors have left, leaving him with one million and half dollar and nothing to do in his life. He has no one, unless his personal assistant, Todd. Todd who always pushed and fussed him. Todd whom know he sees with different eyes... Todd who could be his partner in life as he was in business. But Todd will agree?A very short story, the idea was good but in so few pages I have a lot of question still open: Danny was gay? And Todd knew that? And before Todd has liked Danny in "that" way?
But if I manage to put apart all these question, the story is fast and good, and accomplishes its scope to be a sip reading before sleeping.
http://www.torquerebooks.com/zencart
Trey is a dance instructor. He is an handsome guy, not very physically impressive but with a nice body. Long blond hair, lean body and cute spectacles. He is the right choice as stripper for a bachelorette party. Doesn't matter he has never do that before, he knows how to dance and it's enough. He only needs a g-string and all is perfect.At the sexy shop he meets Kenshin, a martial arts teacher. Trey is not gay, but this guy is hot and he has no intention to going in that shop again, so a bit of flirting doesn't harm nobody. But Kenshin is not a man you can dump, and when he meets again Trey accidentally at the bachelorette party, in no way he let go the guy again.
A classical yaoi situation, even if Trey is not a helpless boy who needs someone who takes care of him. He is an independ guy who happens to be attract to a guy for the first time in his life. And this particularly guy is not used to be denied. Kenshin is very good in seducing Trey both with gentleness than with strong hands; he has no problem to use is undoubtely stronger body to win the resistance of this beautiful boy and conquers all of him, heart and body.
The seduction's scene is very arousing and very explicit. But even if Kenshin is a little bit forceful, you have also the knowledge that Trey is consenting and enjoys every moment of it.
The story is rather short and the plot simple and smooth, but still the book is very enjoyable.
http://www.extasybooks.net/ebjmsite/inde
Amazon Kindle: Torrid: A Shounen-ai romance
Amazon: Torrid: A Shounen-ai romance
Cover Art by Eiris Key
Coach (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneAn All Amercan Boys story. Justin is the young coach of the high school football team. He is a good coach and he is gay. And these two things can't work in the little town where he lives, so he has decided to live in the closet and since five years he has not never had a lover. But his heart throbs for Luc, the father of one of his student. And now Luc has a stunning news for Justin: he is gay and he wants Justin in his life. But the town is not ready to have a gay coach near its sons...
Justin and Luc are very plain and simple characters. They fall in love, they make love, they decide to live together, everything in a smooth way without drama or trouble. Drama and trouble are outside their home and could be a difficult situation. But Carol Lynne has decided to manage the situation with sharp edges and all ends fine, like in a very american dream.
A short story from the new erotic publisher Total E-Bound. A good beginning, not extraordinaire, but satisfying.
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
Side-Lined (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneI said this in my last review: Carol Lynne goes better every book I read. The first enstalment on the Campus Cravings series was enjoyable but not impressive. A good story, fast and simple, no much drama.
In this second enstalment, Max, Luc's son (Luc and Justin were the main characters of the first enstalment), is still grieving for the loss of Nick, his first and only lover till now. Nick is dead in a car accident and Max was behind the wheel. Doesn't matter that was not his fault. And doesn't matter that his relationship with Nick was not the same after two years. When he lose his lover, Max lose also the wish of life.
But something is changing in his life, he is dreaming of a commanding man, a man who has a clear face: his Greek history professor, Alec. And Alec is observing Max and he is only waiting for Max to stop mourning his lost lover. But Alec his not a common man, he likes to be a real Dom in his private life, he likes to be calling Babas (father) and to call his lover little man. He likes to take care and protect his man, he has also tattoed "protector" above his... penis! And he is jelaous like hell. But really his dominant behaviour only result in being a lot possessive and commanding during love and to take decision on Max's life, and Max discovers he like to be commanded by Alec. So everything all right, apart Justin, Max's adoptive father, and the slight age's difference betwen Max and Alec... Alec has more or less the same age of Max's father, Luc.
In this novel I read a little more character's investigation than the other novels and also the story seems to me better planned and developed. And it gives also a good anticipation for the next coming soon enstalment.
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
Sacking the Quarterback (Campus Cravings) by Carol LynneThird in the Campus Cravings series is the story about Koby, the new freshman college quarterback, and Julian, the conditioning coach. Koby is 18 years old but very mature for his age and Julian instead is 24 years old but an abusive past that prevents him from having a love relationship.
Koby is a good boy, with a strong attitude that allows him to face any adversity. He starts college with the knowledge that he has to do everything by himself, no help will arrive from his parents. When Julian hols out a friendly hand, Koby falls immediately in love for this gentle guy. But Julian has to overcome his past to be able to build something real with Koby.
Carol Lynne decides not to put too emphasis and angst in the story: you can imagine all but the tone of the novel remains light.
The story is enjoyable and the series begins to be a little funny: in this undefined american small town, every gay man manages to find his true love and gathers together with his friends... at the end of the series gay men will overtake on straight men!!! But it's not a complaint, on the contrary: I really want to read Demitri's story, but above all Rocco... from what Carol Lynne lets us now, this black/blue hair man promises to be a very interesting character!
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?s=a
Amazon: On the Field (Campus Cravings)
Series: Campus Cravings
1-2-3) Campus Cravings 1: On the Field
Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
Calder Finnegan is a professional football player. He is a loner, no wife, no children, no friends. He has only an estranged father. Fin was a mommy child: when he was young his father worked all day, when he went home from work Fin was already asleep and he saw his da only during breakfast time. His da worked also on saturday and sunday, cause he had an irish pub open all days. And so, for little Fin, his father preferred his pub to his wife and his son. Now his mother is dead and is father gets cancer. He is dying and asks Fin to return home for some months. During the off season Fin goes home and finds a good surprise: his father's bartender, Mick, tall and dark and very sexy. But Fin has to careful, he can't open live his homosexuality, a pro football player can't be gay. And so since seven year Fin has never had a lover and when he meets Mick... the temptation is too strong and Mick agrees to mantain a low profile.
I think this is the best romance I have read by Carol Lynne till know. It has some point of originality: Fin, a strong hunk man with a deep insecutiry when it is matter of feeling. Mick, sure and steady, but with some unfinished business in his past. This relationship, which works through the sad moments of life. Other points I have found unsolved: above all Mick's past, throws on the table withour further investigation. But I like Lynne's approach to the career problem of Fin, and the acceptance of Mick of that situation.
http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.a
Grayson and Jesse are rugby playmates and now both best man for their friend Nolan. They all are invinted in the country manor of the father's bride and has to share a room together.Grayson is very attracted by his friend but he has never made a move cause he doesn't think Jesse could be interested. But he is wrong, cause also Jesse is gay, but he fears that coming out he will put in danger his and Grayson's career as professional rugby player. But a photographer is hiding among the guests and he has found a story a lot more interesting than some photos of a marriage.
Grayson and Jesse are simple characters. Good friends, rough player, they don't have a gentle lovemaking: they are tought inside and outside the bedroom. And for they sex is the main reason, but sex with love could be forever.
A short and smooth story, without much drama and not much good feelings: hell, it is or not a naughty nuptials story?
http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.a
A very short "classical" story: Brendan is a sweet guy, not a stunning one, but with a warm behaviour. He has a five years relationship with Seth, but love life is trouble. Brendan is getting fat and he thinks that the cold behaviour of Seth is due to this and he decides to lose weight and to get in shape to regain his lover. But this is an illusion, is not his looking that cause problem in their relationship and he discovers the thruth in the worst way. But maybe Kyle, the owner of the gym he frequents, could be an answer to his dreams.Brendan is a normal guy, who tries to rescue his relationship changing himself. Unfortunately this is not the right way to do things. One thing I really cannot understand when I read similar situations is why a good man like Brendan can't kick out from his life a dork like Seth when he begins to behaviour like this: it's obvious that he is not the right person, that he can never be the right person. Maybe everyone loves more the love's idea that the lover himself.
The plot is pretty and even if the story is really short, it is enjoyable. Maybe the sex scene are a little to "loud", some phrase I heard are somewhat too crude in the mouth of Brendan, but they also contribute to make the story very hot.
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Ne
The Dark Dragon is a former pro wrestler and now plays on the babies league. For some reasons he was put off the big league when he was still in good form and now he manages to mantain himself working city to city and living in depressing motel. Then one night a young reporter, Alex, promises him a good dinner in exchange of an interview. Put in front of a big steak and a nice view, the kid reporter is not a bad guy, he can't refuse.Alex is following the wrestler circuit since years. And he has a soft spot for the Dark Dragon, the bad boy of the circuit. And when he meets him, the soft spot becomes an hard one (here is a pun) cause Dragon is a good guy, open and honest. And so Alex decides to write a good article, and maybe decipt this guy like the hero this time and not the villain. And if he gains a night or two with this guy, well, no one will be unsatisfied.
Dragon is the classical big guy, with a big heart and maybe not so clever, but gentle and caring. Alex instead is smart, and even if he is the weaker one, phisycally, it is the leading character of the couple. A short and enjoyble story.
http://www.torquerepress.com/
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