Hello there dear readers and followers of MM Good Book Reviews. First off I hope you’ve had a nice Christmas and that everything went smoothly, if not according to plan. I just love this holidays and how tricky they are. We try so hard and make so many plans for the perfect dinner, the perfect gifts, and the perfect everything, only to have one small detail ruining it all. We immerse ourselves so much into expectations that we forget to simply live and enjoy.

While randomly trawling the internet on this slow night, I came across a video called "The most horrifying parasites". Awesome video go check it. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulK9XUd_hh8

Moving on I came across this other post with the 7 most horrifying parasites of the world (don't even ask about my fascination with them) and the Horsehair Worm made quite an impression on me. I swear it reminded me "Mating Season" by Kari Gregg and I thought "gosh, nature is a live source for horrific ideas". And then just as I was shaking my head Sacculina said hello. I don't know, seriously Nature is quite a bitch sometimes. Enjoy her!

Sacculina Will Make You Her Bitch. Literally.

Sacculina has adopted the age-old parasite disguise of sounding like a really hot Italian chick. Well, we're not fooled.

Sacculina is actually a not-at-all-hot female barnacle that is able to inject itself into various species of crab, grow inside them and eventually emerge from the carapace as a large sac. Right near his genitals.

 
Sacculina?

There, sacculina goes to work. She manipulates the crab's hormones, sterilizing and basically emasculating him. Next, the parasite starts forcing changes in the crab's body to make it resemble a female, presumably by causing a couple of huge crab boobs to flop out. As the final insult, she forces her victim to perform humiliating female mating dances.

Finally when it comes time for sacculina to release her fertilized eggs--after having had sex with another sacculina on top of the poor crab's genitalia, that is--the former male crab is compelled to release them into the ocean and stir the water with his claw, as if the eggs were his own.

 
Where the crab's genitals used to be, that's sacculina.

Again, there are no known cases of this happening to a human, but, you know. If you see a huge egg sac growing near your junk we urge you to get it checked out right away.

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_17199_the-7-most-horrifying-parasites-planet_p2.html#ixzz2iO3wI48c

And this reviewer’s inner geek thrilled with this book.

So yeah, my former addiction with MMORPG’s is not hidden, the fact that I simply love those games and especially the ones that contain elves and orcs in there are my absolute favs. So when I picked up this particular book I was already biased, but add to that the cross-dressing character and a fabulous writing and damn, this was a very, very enjoyable read for me.

So yeah, the book starts a bit slowly and steadily introduces us Rob. At first I disliked that slow pace (I’m much fonder of the fast and furious pace where events hit you full force), but I admit that in order to truly appreciate Rob/Bobby you needed a bit of time and some clarifications.

Rob/Bobby is this very confused young man. An online game addict with a very shy personality Rob is the classic “loser.” He goes completely ignored by everyone (literally) except his sister and his online friends. Yeah, his sister has an obligation toward him right, so she can’t ignore him, but even his “friends” don’t know the real him simply because in-game Rob is Bobby.

Bobby is flirtatious, confident, and social. She is admired and always cool. Bobby is still non-existent up until Rob decides to make her part-real IRL too. And while he passed for female, making his customers at the video club he works finally looking at him/her, acknowledging him and telling him he’s pretty, a strange thing happens. Rob gets some confidence as well (was it Bobby’s influence or his new classmate/customer Dylan’s) and he starts a relationship. Miracle of miracles and his boyfriend Dylan not only looks at him, but also literally starts loving him. However, Dylan has made one thing clear since the beginning, he’s gay, and he likes his men all man…

This was a very well studied plot in my opinion, one that made me want to re-read this book to truly appreciate it. Things that are a bit mysterious at the beginning lead you on the wrong path (or at least they did me) and only near the end the complete clarification comes, after many twists and turns that were steadily building up that tension that the beginning lacked. The entire confusion Rob’s character suffered was practically brilliant and very believable. The essence of the twenty years old who’s not 100% sure of what, why or how was perfectly captured and that whole angst people that age pass through was delivered without the additional burden of unnecessary drama.

The relationship between Dylan and Rob may have made it into my favorite couples list, they were so well suited. I loved them both together and separately as characters. Dylan was just wow. The fact that he was a punk looking teddy bear was adorable, the in your face, no-censor brain-to-mouth and the flawed external appearance were simply brilliant and invigorating. Rob’s complicated personality along with the lovely presentable Chinese appearance made him a lovable character as well. Yeah there were times where you wanted to spank the hell out of him, but that’s just proof of how alive that character came to be for you while reading, a treat actually and a mark that the author did well with giving him life.

So yeah, I loved the story, the plot, the characters, the sex (yeah definitely that, quite hot). I loved the geeky guy, I loved the cross-dressing guy and I could go on and on, but in the end, what matters is that if you find the above slightly appealing I strongly recommend you give this one a shot. It’s guaranteed to be an enjoyable read.

P.S. I wonder is the next book going to be Austin’s story? Hmm, I really, really hope so.

 So, I’ve been reading anthologies lately and almost all of them have this thing in common. No, not the theme (that is a given) rather the fact that after a while all the stories in the anthology seem the same, no unique ones to make a stand, a very few grab your attention. They are nice, but you forget them after a day or two.

But this one, oh my God, this anthology has made it straight to my favorites shelf, and I’ll be damned if I don’t take it down every so often to re-read it again and again and again. You might notice down below on each review how some of these stories have made quite an impact in me, one perhaps has scarred me for life. I swear I’m still going to re-read that incredibly horrifying story for as long as I live. Hell I’m going to have a great time telling them tales when with friends to scare the heck out of them too.

Because that’s what this anthology is about. An incredible mix of dark fiction and explicit erotica meant to scare the living daylight out of you while simultaneously stoking that forbidden dark fire deep down in your shadiest part of your soul. Bump in the Night is definitely my favorite anthology among them all. Many thanks to the very talented authors who created these stories, they were simply wonderful.

Resurrection Man By Laylah Hunter

Oh my, what a marvelous story, how very creepy and brilliant.

What would you do if you were to lose the love of your life? What if you could bring him back from the cold darkness of Death? What price would you pay?

There is nothing Josef wouldn’t do for Adel. All his artistry, all their money, everything he can he’s ready to give. But when he pulls Adel’s spirit back into the living world he realizes the price he ultimately has to pay is much, much bigger than mere money or knowledge. The hunger for life is so much bigger when you’ve been dead after all…

A brilliant paranormal story and so very unique to what I’ve read so far. Honestly I don’t think I’ve read anything similar and the balance between the creepy and sexy and horny is just plain perfect. It’s like a mix of Frankenstein and Vampires with a slight dose of magic thrown in for good measure. I liked it, no I loved it. Everything about it was way cool, the writing, the idea and the way the story went, the play of emotions. Excellent indeed!

This is definitely a story I’d love to tell when around the fire on dark, stormy nights, or around Halloween. And if you love the style I think this is one of those you should not miss.

Mating Season By Kari Gregg

Horrifying, oh I have no words… This is terror, pure, unadulterated terror. Oh my God!!! Oh my guts are screaming in sympathy with the poor character of this story. Oh I have no words as my skin crawls and goosebumps travel my whole body. Oh my freaking God, this is definitely a story I’ll never, ever, EVER forget.

Ok, here it is. Danny has been humiliated. His girlfriend left him right before their marriage for his boss, and said boss fired him right after. Feeling useless and in a dead end in his life Danny hides in his apartment until his friend Keith drags him out for a game of basketball all the time trying to make him feel better and suggesting him to go hiking the lake and get his shit together.

Danny never goes to the lake once autumn rounds the corner. There are tales of a monster living there and Danny deep down believes them. But his friends insistence make him careless and he eventually makes his mind to go hiking. What follows is a crazy scientist, a slimy monster with enormous tentacles, and a poor guy forced into being a lab-rat, all dancing around a horrifying story that includes forced… things and death and addiction and… I have no words!

This is a horror story people! Horror with capital “H”. There is no other way around it. The things that happen to Danny from the very first night he sets foot on that lake are made from the worst of nightmares. I was literally screaming for half this read. My skin still hasn’t stopped crawling and I’m awed at this author’s creativity and slimy tale. OH MY GOD!!!

So I don’t know; did I like it? I don’t know. Was I fascinated by it? Hell yeah. Did it grip me and held me captive despite the gut wrenching horror I felt the entire time? It sure did. Is this what you want? Only if you don’t faint easily and have a strong, strong stomach. Oh God, I’ll never step foot on a lake, ever, ever again.

Flesh and Song By Ally Blue

La Terre de la Belle Mort, The Land of Beautiful Death. The island found in no map, whispered only in frightening tales, a sinful promise of all your heart’s desires that come with a severe price.

That is what Noah has been looking for, for nearly eight months. The tale wants the island unfound when you so much search for it. Only by sheer luck or mistake one can land there, only when lost one can be found, but then you might never leave it again…

Just as he’s about to give up the search though a mighty storm leads him to this gorgeous island. But Noah doesn’t know what he wants. Now that he’s here what exactly is he looking for? The gorgeous naked man on the beach calls to him, running through the jungle the call becomes near painful. He must go to him, he needs to before he dies. And there, on a beautiful pool under a waterfall his God awaits, his fathomless black eyes beaconing him forward, his wonderful musical voice urging him to this astonishing creature.

Days, weeks, months pass in the haze of dream that takes everything from him besides the longing for his God. No memories, no ambitions, no will for anything else beside the arms wrapped around him and the sex God giving him all he wants, nothing else exists. Finally Noah understands what he’s been searching for. But he forgot that once he got his heart’s desire, it would come with a price…

This is a gorgeous story, heartbreaking and a bit sad in the end, but gorgeous nonetheless. I believe when I think of a Siren, the emotions this story evoked are exactly right. The promises, the longing, the will to do anything, to give anything for the call of the Siren. Homer would have been ecstatic to have read this version of his Sirens’. What a wonderful story this one.

Out from Under By Brien Michaels

How did it come to this? To get trapped between two demons and their century long vendetta? Each more horrible than the other, every path leading to death… or worse.

Three years under the demon’s spell. Three years of nightmares and being a slave to the demon’s twisted wishes, luring men into their deaths. But when Fromunder killed his lover right in front of his eyes Brant felt his world shift and true Hell consume him. The demon had no hold on him now that his lover was dead, or had he? The promise to bring Jason back was too alluring to deny, the price for that burning his soul, yet nothing would deter him from doing whatever in his power to achieve it.

And that’s how it came to this… lying in the middle of a bed between two sworn enemies, waiting for one to die and the other to consume him… After all he suffered, he would never see his lover again. Right?

This was a very nice story, the evil and viciousness of the paranormal world was so strong, the read so raw not shying away from explicit violence, torture, or sexual abuse, but rather basking in it. A story made from the stuff nightmares come from, a story fit for the spirit of Halloween, a story strong enough to make you lose yourself in its dark depths.

Can you tell I loved this one too?

Sleeping With Ghosts By Peter Hansen

Oh, wow! This was quite a cold story. I don’t know what to make of it really.

In this story Yordan is a Bookman, a priest who is sent to turn the last page of men’s life in order to give a chance for a soulless newborn. A weird world with many Churches, Priests, Brotherhoods. Religion and politics that make an appearance and give you a notion of what this world is about without delving much into it. The story is mostly about Yordan taking a life that was uncalled for, simply by blindly following orders. The soul who lost his body now wanders without a new one to take residence. A haunted night, a cold encounter, rippling feeling of dread… Yes, cold is how this story leaves you, cold from inside out. It gave shivers and frankly it made me want more. I was not satisfied with this short, I wan’t more Bookmen, more Ironmen, more of this world.

However this story was quite worth it and so very in the ghostly atmosphere. Lovely indeed. I still want more though. *sigh*

Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint By Heidi Belleau and Sam Schooler

Oh this story was quite brilliant as well. See this is another “deal with a Devil” themed one, but it was so very well executed.

The man who makes the deal doesn’t make it for himself, rather for someone else. He makes a deal for a person he once loved as a boy in dark corners, but shunned in broad daylight. He made the deal for a man he held in contempt, humiliated, and crushed his hopes when he most needed him. Tobias makes a deal for David’s life.

What I loved more in this story was the fact that the Devil here is a creature that as horrific and repulsive as he was described to be, I ended up admiring and actually being my favorite character here. Tobias was this self-righteous Christian charitable man who lacked humbleness and was blind by his bigotry. He perverted and twisted his love for David by convincing himself that David “tempted” him and he still stayed strong and moral, while David “chose” to be the immoral person he became. The brilliancy of the writing here was how the Devil made Tobias become David in the end. How he made him feel and understand and comprehend that sometimes in life there is no choice, sometimes you simply have to do everything in your power for the person you love, own it and never once back out from it.

I loved this story, it was deep with meanings while in the same time was full of those dark sinful erotic scenes that come when you strike a deal with a devil…

Follow the source link for 

Riptide's ‘Bump in the Night’ Blog Tour and Author Giveaway!

Some of you may already be aware of what's going on. Others may not.Here's a simplified summary.

Kobo realised that *some* indie-published books in their catalogue contained illegal or icky erotic content. So they pulled *all* indie-published books.

Yep. You've read that right.

The books aren't permanently deleted, they're quarantined pending individual reviews. However, can you imagine how long it will take Kobo staff to check several hundred thousand titles individually? Especially considering that Kobo staff are overworked and can't even cope with their normal workload.

Kobo spent much time and money courting indie authors and persuading them to publish with authors. With one fell swoop, they've destroyed that trust.

What caused this sudden action? This is where you may laugh: A tabloid newspaper in Britain published an article showing that a retailer in Britain was selling books containing incest. This exposure caused outrage against that retailer. Kobo (which sells ereaders to that retailer) panicked.

I can understand that Kobo would take a drastic emergency measure. For example, they might have decided to temporarily quarantine all erotic books, or all books containing certain suspicious words such as 'Daddy', and check them for illegal erotic content.

But to do this to all indie books, simply because they're indie?

On the plus side, Kobo sent an email to authors that books would be quarantined and why. I appreciate being informed. That's something. Alas, only authors who published directly with Kobo received that email. Authors who published to Kobo via Smashwords or D2D were not informed. They were shocked to see their books had vanished.

The situation is of course more complicated than I've described. For example, not all books were removed at once. Mine were still in the Kobo catalogue yesterday - but today they've disappeared. And Kobo has several websites (some of them are regional, some are by other criteria) and the sweeping deletion has not happened to all of them at once. I believe some (but not all) American customers can still get all titles. If you're an author, your books will still show on your dashboard page even if Kobo has pulled it from the catalogue.

I suggest we allow Kobo until Friday to sort out this mess they've created.They may not be able to because manually checking hundreds of thousands of books is bound to take months. But they may realise their mistake and do a u-turn, and restore books wholesale the way they've deleted them, and then remove individual suspect titles the way they should have in the first place.

If Kobo don't backtrack by Friday, I suggest it's time for authors (indie authors and sympathetic trad authors) and readers (especially Kobo customers) to unite and speak up.

Because if we allow Kobo to get away with this monumental breach of trust, other retailers and publishers will think they can do the same.

Some months ago, readers and authors used social media to campaign against the outrage of banks censoring books (the famous Smashwords vs PayPal case). We were very successful then. PayPal backed down, the freedom of literature was restored, and the credit card companies also gave up their self-appointed role as book censors.

If Kobo doesn't correct their anti-indie stance, it's time to speak up. Tweet, retweet, blog etc about it. On Twitter, we're currently discussing suitable hashtags. #kobofiasco and #kobogeddon are favourites.

However, I suggest we wait. Kobo *may* after all get their act together and sort this somehow. I suggest waiting until Friday.

Some authors are already removing books from Kobo, calling for Kobo boycotts etc. I think that's premature.

I used to have a positive opinion of Kobo, and used to promote Kobo a lot (largely because I hoped it would grow into a strong competitor to Amazon). But now, I'm no longer sure. If Kobo manages to review all the pulled books, to delete the illegal ones and restore the legal ones by Friday, I'll applaud them. Otherwise, I'll be in the front lines of the #kobogeddon campaign.

Rayne Hall
Fantasy & Horror Fiction
Dark * Dangerous * Disturbing
viewAuthor.at/RayneHall

All right, this is it people. This exactly what I love and crave when I read a paranormal book that involves wolf-shifters. Damn this read was one hell of a ride and damn if I’m not anxiously waiting for #2 of the series.

Let me tell you, this was a 117 pages novella that I surprisingly devoured in a couple of hours with people going in and out of the house, kids screaming their heads off and elders demanding my presence, yet I noticed nothing. Nothing at all!

From line one, I was lost to the known world. From chapter one it was a miracle I still breathed, and by the end of book, well even now it’s a wonder I have the presence of mind to write the review and actually function.

The idea of pre-shifting wolves getting in a secured compound that would allow them to come to terms and control their wolf without hurting someone was freaking brilliant. I mean it, it is so damn logical and sane I wonder how no one else thought of that first.

Here we have Collin. He is anxious and freaking out of his mind, because in two years’ time he not only has to submit himself in a prison for his kind, but he has to go through the horror and the pains of his shift. Stay in the compound till he controls his wolf and in general be away from his pack and brother (his only blood relative) for at least a year. However, an attack to his pack leaves him and his brother the only survivors, his brother seriously injured, and they have nowhere to go except follow the guard from the nearby Moon Compound and make that “prison” their residence. Collin feels like he’s going to lose it.

On the other hand, we have Sloan. Damn that hot, hot, HOT Alpha. He stole my heart, period. He’s been in the compound for three years and still hasn’t mastered his wolf. A night before the full moon and yet another change he sees a new addition coming in and his heart is lost. Not understanding why he spends all night kneeling in front of his call and watching over the new arrival, praying he’s ok. Next day he goes into a fight with another Alpha that dared go near this new Omega. And the same night, without even thinking twice about it, he offers Collin his iPod so he’ll be able to not hear the screams and horrors of the shifters.

And how many times have I said that I totally hate the “Fate” and inevitable of the mating ritual? Yes, too many to count and I take it all back shamelessly on this occasion. This mating ritual ROCKED, and it’s one of the best I’ve read so far. Congratulations to the author, that was bloody brilliant, and one hell of an achievement pulling it off the way she did.

The pair took me with it and dragged me along its story without a hitch. One moment I was starting the read, the next it was over and I was left in agony, as the final line was the beginning of the next installment, and God damn it, it was so hooking that waiting I don’t know how many months for book #2 to come out seems like the biggest cruelty ever done to me.

Oh God, I’m still upset it is over. Yeah, keep that in mind before you read this awesome, awesome book. I totally loved it.

This is a very peculiar story which I admit sneaks in that old favorite shelf of mine.

Dystopian setting in a world where society is not split in half but rather in thirds. There are the aristocrats who enjoy the freedom and wealth, there are the slaves who are actually lucky humans to have a nice upbringing and learn how to please a master and therefore given a position into a household, being cared and provided for, and there are the dregs. People with no family and a life that is lower than that of a dog.

Our characters are Demetrie and Sev (Seven); One is a rebellious aristocrat who’s had enough being held prisoner to his golden chain, always expected to conform to society’s expectations. Get married for the sake of heirs, accumulate health, and ignore your true desires. The other is a dreg, a mongrel at that. He has no family, raised by the gypsies, and won in a cheating game by a man who covets his talents. He is an acrobat and an exquisite thief. Mostly he is rare and has a subservient nature, one that walks hand in hand with the dark side of Demetrie.

When the young Count wins Sev in a card game the last he expected was to find his other half, but no one is more surprised than Sev himself with how much he came to love and adore his Master. But will that love stay strong if all a person could dream would become reality? Would Sev choose his Master over a secured wealthy life?

As I said, this genre and subgenre are my favorite. Blend in a dystopia with a good Master/slave scenario and I’m hooked. Honestly, I read this in one go and it was mostly a good story. I liked it most of it, I loved the idea, and the characters were quite charming. The erotic part was alluring to a fault (at least for me), Sev’s submission coming easily, and effortlessly, the setting provided perfect for such displays. I must say some emotions were a bit too hasty in their appearance or hastily dismissed and the tension they should have provided was lost somewhere, not quite making it up to the reader.

I did not feel as good about the narration and writing style, too. It is highly inconvenient knowing everyone’s thoughts all the time. It takes away all the suspense and intensity when you know beforehand what will happen. You just resign yourself into a read that has no anticipation at all, no reasons to keep you there.

The fact that there is such a quick love bond formed between Master and slave was also a put off. One would argue that a month is more than enough, and if this were a contemporary romance with contemporary characters, I’d agree according to circumstances. However, in a world where distrust and cynicism are in full bloom I didn’t see this happening as easy as it did. Add to that the decision Demetrie took in the end and it lost quite a large portion of any credibility it held in my eyes.

However, this was still a good read for me, one I enjoyed, and one I was glad to have read in the end.

This was quite a nice story, fun and funny along with some very hot man on man scenes that leave you all hot and bothered.

Adam is an “old man” (though I didn’t catch exactly how old he is) who’s had his fair share of men. He’s starting to feel irritated though lately, seeing as all his friends and former lovers are all one by one settling down. Just as he wishes a special someone for himself, in comes Landon, a young Cajun who is simply irresistible. However, Adam is a man that despite the confidence he shows all around deep inside he’s all insecure, second-guessing everything and everyone. His mind is convinced that he’s lost his love when he lost Beau and that he’s too old for Landon, but his heart keeps fighting him, all the while he has his brothers’ opinions weighting on him saying a bayou baby is not good enough for him.

It is quite a journey this story. Between the wild sex the two men have, there are always things that come and make themselves present, mostly on Adam’s side, that hold this couple back. Landon might be pure magic, but contemporary men, educated at that have long ago stopped believing, and when times comes for Adam to stand by Landon’s side Adam has a weak moment where he lets all his doubts loose.

And it was at this point that I felt split in half. Up until now, I loved every single moment of this read, the slow falling in love between the two guys, the hot lovemaking, the chemistry that was so strongly there, and then, BOOM, I feel like kicking Adam’s butt. I suppose between them two I fell for Landon the most. He’s quite a sweet character, so very talented, so sweet, and good deep in his bone, and he doesn’t even know it. He has no idea what a catch he really is. Truth be told, I kind of agreed with Adam there for a sec, he was not worthy of Landon. I was quite the jerk and an idiot for letting his brother interfere with his love life as much as he did. And yeah I would have loved to see him work a bit harder to get on Landon’s good graces. The kid was such a doormat for him. But all well and I kind of like how it ended.

What I didn’t get though, and I pretty much wanted, was a bit Sister time. She was supposed to be a healer and I kept thinking the entire read that she’ll get to do something right? There were tons of injured people all around the place. But in the end that was left on faith as well and nothing was proved at all.

All in all, though this was a really good read with lots of bullfighters, bullriders, ropers and plain old cowboys, spiced up with a little bit of Cajun charm and special loving. If you lean toward this genre, I strongly recommend this read to you.

Jacob Flores returns with a spin-off of When Love Takes Over and in this story we get to meet the oh so demanding father who was the cause of so much pain for Zach, Gil Kelly. However as all coins have two sides so does this character, so while our first glimpse of Gil was through Zach’s eyes and feeling, now we get to meet the real man and decide for ourselves.

I loved this book! That sated I have to say that this was not the story I expected. There is no Provincetown this time around and with the lack of the actual place, there is also a lack of fun and games that accompanied the first story set there. This is more a story of growth and fight, and internal search and a game of wills if you like. This story is set back in Victoria, Texas and it’s the story of a grown man who has lived his entire life inside a lie and is finally chasing for his dreams.

I loved this story! I loved Gil! I’m always more than happy to read a story where the main character is not twenty, thirty or even mid-thirties as most are. Gil is in his early fifties, a man who has quite literally lived a whole life, a man who already has two children in their thirties. There is no midlife crisis about him, but in a crisis he’s still living ever since his sex life became public by the mouth of his very wife, when she caught him in the middle of tryst with another man. This is a story that has too many bitter feelings waiting to be solved in the corners of this character’s life, while in the meantime it’s one hell of a romance.

While Gil has exiled himself from society and runs the other way whenever he sees a former acquaintance out of shame, there is one person that during these five past years has never stopped trying to close the gap. Tom, his son’s best childhood friend has never stopped trying to get close to Gil again whenever he’s in town. Now that Tom is returning back to Victoria for good he is giving it a shot again, and this time Gil lets his shame on the side for a bit and makes room for a man that he used to look as his own son. Well almost. After all one of the reasons Gil had been avoiding Tom was the fact that he long ago stopped seeing him as the little boy Tom once was, and more as the extremely charming man he has become.

I have to say that when it comes to man on man intimacy Jacob Flores has a peculiar way of taking you in a wild ride no matter the genre of the book. I quite love his men, they are not only hot, and they are irresistible. One moment you are reading and getting attached to the personality and the struggling Gil suffers, the next you are in wonderland and panting along with them in a highly erotic beat, and the very next you get almost wrung out with the emotional state this character brings you while he’s trying to bring his life and family in order.

I loved his daughter she was such a strong character. I loved Zach when he came in the end. But most of all I loved how the author turned Donna around, how he made her pain a spotlight and gave her the outlet she got in the end. Yes, women can be bitches, big ones at that, but damn if this one bitch didn’t make me feel for her in the end. It was also the last point Gil got and made him shine as a character, made him one of the best and in my favorite list.

In the end, I might not have gotten what I expected from Provincetown #2, but I got an even better deal. I loved every single line written and I’m absolutely sure you will too.

Strongly recommended!

p.s.

I keep feeling that Tom resembles too much of Jacob and Gil somehow is based on Bruce…

What a peculiar book this one was. I think if someone would read my mind about what I like in a contemporary romance this would be the result.

Here we have a book that has not one or two, but three main characters – and no it’s not a threesome. Danny and Eddie are in their thirties. They’ve been friends, they’ve been lovers, and they share a past that haunts them for fifteen years. As much as they love each other – that is a given here, there is no search for love or romance – they cannot reconcile with the pain their relationship has given them in the past. A ghost stands in between them, a memory so strong that every time they get together, their resulting breaks up gets stronger and the aftermath more painful.

Each tries to amend on their own, Danny turning to drinking himself stupid, becoming more and more the person he mostly hates, and Eddie trying to save the world while wallowing in a pit of guilt.

In the picture comes Tom, a homeless kid Eddie finds around his diner and decides to do what he’s known for, help him stand on his feet. Tom is a frightened kid marred by abuse, but his will to prevail is so strong, it’s downright scary. Between Danny and Eddie they manage to create a fighter out of Tom, give him confidence and tools to get on his life without having to look around his shoulders like a scared rabbit every time. Add in the mixture the mother figure of Gloria and the kid gets a bit more than he ever expected, love, and a semblance of a normal family. Until his real mother shows up and everything shatters once again.

I really, really loved this book. It had this incredible balance between love and friendship, pain and hurt. The evil of the story was bad enough to want to make you kill him yourself, yet he still maintain such a wonderful grasp with reality, not being overwhelming and not engaging in incredulous actions. His profiling was simply perfect for me.

The abusive past and the pain that came were also very well-balanced. The author showcased the horrors of everyday living in an abusive family without making it overbearing for the reader. The character’s emotions were enough to grip you without dragging you into darkness.

As for the blend of the romantic plot with the action part, you have a clear view of two stories moving in parallel, or should I say three, as there is the story between Danny and Eddie that origins from back fifteen years, there is the story of all three characters together as they move on, and there is the underlying romance between Eddie and Dannie that gets stronger the more they focus together into helping Tom. It was fantastic, one feeding the other and ending in the inevitable with such smoothness.

I the end I was left with a most enjoyable read that entertained and challenged me at the same time. However this book felt as a standalone and I’m curious what the author will do with the next one? Will this trio continue or is it going to be Dannie and Eddie with a new charge? Will it be two completely different characters in the same setting? Normally I get a pretty clear idea from a series as to what to expect next, but this time I’m wondering, and that’s what makes it even more intriguing.

As for this one, if you like strong characters, men who fight through their ugly and persist when things seem to be hopeless in a very realistic setting, and a romance that comes effortlessly without dragging the main plot under it, then this is definitely a book you will want to read. Strongly recommended!

This is quite an interesting read from many perspectives. It deals with loss and the effort it takes to move on after it. Bobby and Rig have already deal with the loss of their sub seven years ago and now they find themselves ready to try to have that relationship again. They find they need to have a sub not only for play, but also to love and care for. In their vacation in Florida, they stumble upon Mason. Mason is a very peculiar character as he suffers from social anxiety disorder. His former Doms held him quite secluded and after their death, Mason is slowly sagging deeper into darkness. He reaches the lowest point of his life, believing all would be over soon, not counting on Fate throwing Bobby and Rig on his path.

So right, here you might think it’s a bit of a big enough coincidence that a sub who has lost two Doms finds two new ones. Truth be told, I was wary of this fact, too. But, it worked fine for me the entire read. What made an impression though and made me quite love this book was the way the author dealt with this idea. So, if you expect the “magic” to suddenly make Mason’s entire life change, magically fall in love again and be perfectly happy ever after with his two shinning knights, then I suggest you leave this book well alone. Because, what you’ll find here is a mostly realistic approach in the way people deal with loss and pain and overwhelming emotions.

I loved how this book starts with a serious blow to your emotions the opening scene being a funeral, and after it has made it a point to shred you to pieces it transport you onto South Florida heaven. What a marvelous contrast of setting and emotions this one was. It manages to swipe you off your feet in a matter of minutes and in only a few pages. Afterward it’s a slow build as the two Doms try to help Mason stand on his feet. The journey is a big one, the understanding and silent support the Doms give Mason, taking care of him without any expectations from him comes a great deal into building a confidence inside the sub he had lost. The guilt that came when Mason finally saw that he could go on living without his former Doms, and that he can feel new emotions for new people was absolutely stunning. Everything in this story, the plot, the pace, the approach on human emotions was wonderfully executed. The erotic scenes between the three of them were more than satisfying, the eroticism, and sensuality ricocheting high.

However, I did expect a bit more when it came to the kink part and I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get that. While the “air” might have been D/s and all, I would’ve preferred some deeper scenes that I had been fantasizing Rig would dish out, what with him being all Alpha Dom and all. Furthermore, while the end of this novel lacks nothing, and was quite hand in hand with the entire theme of the book, I suddenly felt empty when it ended, as if waiting for something to happen which didn’t.

All in all, though I liked the book a lot. If romance between three people exists then this book gives you a great deal of it, along with a good journey of fighting ones way to live. Strongly recommended.

A selection of free stories both on line reads and downloadable books

Good Breeding by J.L. Merrow

Daylily by J.L. Merrow

Bear Naked by J.L. Merrow

British Flash by J.L. Merrow and other authors

Lonewolf by J.L. Merrow

Firm Pressure by J.L. Merrow

Just One Bite, Vol One by J.L. Merrow and other authors

A Real Boy by J.L. Merrow

On The Beach by J.L. Merrow

5 Big Glowing Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

Good Goddess of Joy and Merciful Gods!

I’ve read a book that managed to bewitch me and keep me enthralled in its spell from start to finish yet again. Honestly I’ve been a fan of Amy Lane’s writing from her first book. She never stops surprising me with her writing skills and the numerous genres she covers with her imagination. This time she’s granted us a wonderful epic fantasy.

This is the first book of Bitter Moon Saga and there are three more to follow soon. The main characters around whom this saga orbits are Torrant and Yarri. Torrant is the adoptive son of the Moon Hold and he and his mother have been living there ever since he was a little boy. His relationship with Yarri started when he was eight and helped his mother deliver the little girl. Ever since then Yarri is not only the Moon Hold’s most precious child, she’s also Torrant’s main focus in life. He literally never lets his eyes off of her, playing with her, looking after her, and doing anything in his power to make her smile. Their childhood life in Clough is a dreamy one, filled with love, joy, and laughter. It ends though in bloodshed.

Enter Consort Rath, an unspeakable evil man who has cast war on the deity of the gifted, the wanderers, the outcasts and exiles, the women, the magic-makers, the midwives, Triane’s Son Rising the forbidden lovers, and the sensually free. They are hunted down, ridiculed for their faith, and shamed for who and what they are. They are people who live in fear. One place in this country though has opened the doors of their hold to every chased soul. The Moon Hold.

Concepts and ideas are taken from reality and spun in an almost magical way to fit this fantasy. The politics and beliefs of our society are masterfully included in this tale and the results of them upon the people described in a most explicit way that doesn’t hide its horrific affect. The fear, the hatred, the agony of living you live hidden and half, the need to do something even when you know there’s nothing you can do. The guilt that comes with failing… Every single thing is excruciating and the evil is relentless on its path.

This is how this story begins. This is how Torrant’s and Yarri’s childhood life ends and their innocent days are ripped from them forever. This is how they are forced to abandon the only home they ever knew and start a most dangerous escape, battling the winter’s elements, starvation and sickness to relative safety. This is how the fiercest gift the Goddess has given him demonstrates itself in the form of a predator that has a single-minded purpose; Protect Yarri at all cost, even if that means he’ll lose himself into cold heartless vengeance in the process.

Torrant is an amazing character that it’s almost impossible not to adore. He has this deep profound love for Yarri that drives him to do the impossible. He’s vilontly ripped from his gentlest side and thrown into cold viciousness. He’s gifted with the ability to make the truth come forward; force his will upon others, and an angelic voice. This is his gentle side, his charm, and it’s quite irresistible. He’s also gifted with a predator that lives inside him, a clod hearted creature bound to the wild instincts of nature. Torrant could easily be described as two people, two different characters living in one body.

The pain he suffers from seeing his entire family butchered is so powerful that changes him profoundly. Not to mention that it is heart wrenching for us as readers too. You can only imagine what Amy Lane has done with all that pain. This is an amazing ability this author has, I think it’s her trademark, making you feel every emotion she so chooses so deeply that they leave you weak in their path. I can honestly tell you that I felt something akin to a fist sizing my heart, my stomach churn, and my eyes involuntarily shedding tears I had promised I would not let fall this time. The vastness of emotions involved is enormous. They are so powerful and they hit you with such force you’re left stunned in the aftermath.

As for this world’s she created that is pure art. The description of this world is awe-inspiring. The magic feels… pulsating, the elements almost alive, like sentient beings, vibrant. It was a wondrous place and I quite loved it.

This novel was quite large and whole, but it’s only the beginning. It leaves you with a hunger and longing. When you reach the end there are two things that happen simultaneously. One you realize you’ve read an entire 280 pages novel in no-time without even understanding it. Two you feel like screaming “nooooooooooo” because it’s ended just when you think that now this story starts. Triane's Son Rising is the epilogue of an epic journey, one you cannot wait to travel.

For me this book was perfect and I can’t wait for the next one. Recommended? Not only that, I think it’s a must read and ought to be on everyone’s to-read list.

So, I'm reading the comments on the Thursday Booklikes posts about this week's improvement - which pretty much rocks, BTW - and I find myself shaking my head over the sense of entitlement in many of the comments.  Some of them sound like orders being given to the site administrators.  I don't know if these are new BL users arriving in the wake of the GR fiasco (like myself) or longtime users, but a please and thank you would be pretty darned nice, I'm thinking!  It's a free site after all and those in charge are doing a wonderful job of welcoming the HUGE influx of new users.  

Cathy enters the room that seems eerily silent. She hopes her girlfriends made it and will soon join her in this adventure of picking up, reading, and dissecting a book she’s awfully fond of. It’s none other than Bring the Heat by M.L. Rhodes.She looks around and calls in a small voice.

“Hello everyone? Anyone here yet?”

A chuckling smooth voice startles her.

“Might be”, Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews says.

Slightly relieved Cathy gives a tremulous little laugh herself.

“So? Is it just us then?” Pixie inquires looking around the empty room, irritation marring her features. She hates it when her girls aren’t on time.

“Here too” Thommie calls winking, her body making a turn just as Cathy said “Seems that way” with a resigned sigh.

Ah the cocky bitch made it after all. She’d been gone for a month now.

“Yay” Cathy exclaims. “Thommie, love your new profile thingy!”

“Heh, its wicked isn’t it?”

“Very you” Cathy replies, big smile on her face.

“Cool, do you want to start Cathy?” Pixie interrupts irritated.

Really? They were going to start on pleasantries? Give me a break and let’s get this show on the road. I got things to do for crying out loud.

Read the rest here http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/book-talk/bring-the-heat-by-m-l-rhodes/