Stranded Anthology - Reviewed by Trix

STRANDED ANTHOLOGY

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Amazon Buy Link

Stranded contains thirteen stories from a range of sub-genres. We have dystopian futures, historicals, contemporary romances, sci-fi and paranormal. We have angels, time travelers, and Vikings. We have it all! Our contributing authors in order of appearance: Alina Popescu, Michael P. Thomas, Kim Fielding, Asta Idonea, Rob Colton, Nephylim, Lily G. Blunt, Eric Gober, Nikka Michaels, Louise Lyons, kirifox, Sarah Hayes, & jn olsen.


STRANDED

DEFINITION:
adjective
- (of a boat, sailor, or sea creature) left aground on a shore.
"a stranded whale"
- left without the means to move from somewhere.
"he offers a lift to a stranded commuter"

###

The boys in this collection of short stories have most definitely been left STRANDED!

They’ve been shipwrecked and abandoned.

Marooned and cast away.

And left helpless and high and dry.

But you should never underestimate the tenacity of the human heart…

STORIES INCLUDED:
Craving Stains by Alina Popescu
Say Cheese by Michael P. Thomas
Standby by Kim Fielding
The Raider by Asta Idonea
The Buckle by Rob Colton
Ari by Nephylim
Opposites Attract by Lily G. Blunt
Out of Order by Eric Gober
Dating for Deafies by Nikka Michaels
One Snowy Night by Louise Lyons
The Climb by kirifox
Did You Leave Any For Me by Sarah Hayes
Sweetness and Strength by J.N. Olsen

Trix’s Review:

4 stars

I enjoyed the creative license that the authors took with the "stranded" concept. While there are plenty of scenarios involving airline delays and the like, just as often characters are stranded between societal expectations or mental perceptions. Those who get annoyed with m/m's tendency to feature stereotypical heroes will appreciate this book as well: there are some trans* and intersex romantic leads, as well as differently abled ones. 

By far, the opening story was the least successful for me: Alina Popescu's "Craving Stains" is an uneasy blend of dystopian science fiction, family drama, and romantic comedy. The individual elements could work (and there are signs of intriguing world-building), but the short length means that they don't combine well here. (To complicate things, I'm still unsure if its ending is happy or sad, if the hero is alive, or which elements of the story may have been in his imagination only.) Luckily, STRANDED gets much more cohesive afterward. 

Kim Fielding's "Standby" manages to be playful yet emotionally affecting with its fallen angel trope (I admit, I shed a few happy tears at the end). Eric Gober's "Out of Order" uses the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake to depict a very specific time in the San Francisco Bay Area AIDS crisis. Since I have strong personal memories of the earthquake, I found the story (and its charming leads) very evocative. (The details were believable, though I can almost hear my Berkeley-grad mother yelling "No one calls the Campanile 'Berkeley's clock tower'!" now.) "Dating For Deafies" is a compelling portrait of a deaf man's search for romance, blending serious, sweet, and comic elements to great effect. Some people may find the jumps between hard-hitting issues and frothy romcoms to be too jarring, but there truly is something for everyone in STRANDED.

Salty Aftertaste - Reviewed by Trix

SALTY AFTERTASTE

By Jason Lloyd

Ginge Publishing

Beaches, boys, and bad decisions...

In this nonfiction tale, Jason and his hilarious and crude motley cast of friends leave their mundane suburban jungles and flock to the mecca that is Rehoboth Beach, Delaware for vacation. They are in search of a little rest and relaxation; aka beach, bars and boys, lots of hot boys.

Jason is just looking for a little attention. He just wants to feel wanted and a little summer passion would not hurt either. Jason is the self-proclaimed hopeless romantic of the group. Will he find his summer love or is romance really scarce?

Kevin is the complete opposite of Jason. He feels that romance is only alive in stories. Kevin's love for a teenage drama goes too far and his obsession turns into more than he expected. Did Kevin finally stumble upon some romance or does his fascination finally get the better of him?

Bobby is looking for a connection. Any kind of connection. He meets a new guy every night and shares his bed every night with a different guy. What is really going on behind Bobby's bedroom door? Will he ever be able to fill this insatiable void for closeness?

Benjamin sneaks out every night. He disappears into the night and reemerges the next morning as if nothing had happened. He is quiet about his extracurricular activities. Where does Benjamin go? What is he doing?

In this beach oasis, where there is an endless sea of sexy men with perfect bodies, will Jason and his friends actually find love or just one night stands? One thing is for certain, it is an epic vacation that none of them will forget.

Trix’s Review:

3.25 stars

While the story takes place in the present day, it definitely evoked the feel of a lost '80s summer buddy comedy to me as I read it. Lloyd sets an authentic mood, and the bantering boys' frenetic search for Mr. Right Now in seemingly laid-back Rehoboth Beach is often lighthearted fun. On the other hand, SALTY AFTERTASTE also has a lot of the things that bug me about vintage teen comedies: namely, the ads would prepare you for a sexy time, but the raunchiness would emerge as gross-out humor (bathroom as much as bedroom) instead. (It's all basically guys talking a good game and joking around, but I definitely learned more about their bodily functions than I needed to know.) There's very little on-camera sex (not a good or bad thing, just something to be aware of), and no real romantic resolutions. The editing is an issue at times; verb tenses shift a lot, and sometimes the story feels a little bit stream-of-consciousness for my taste. A couple of red herrings had me fearing some major plot curveball at the end, but things generally stay breezy here. I'm not sure I feel the need to revisit SALTY AFTERTASTE, but Lloyd's wisecracking intrigues me enough to make me try another story of his. 

Speedy Rewards VBT

Synopsis:

Phil Mitchell pours his heart and soul into his job as manager of Speedy Mart, a local convenience store. He loves his work and he loves his fellow employees, but when it comes to his personal life, Phil is lonely and depressed and still pining for his long-departed ex.

He embarks upon the week from hell where anything that can go wrong does. It begins with a truck crashing into his outdoor sign and only goes downhill from there.

Add an asshole homophobic boss hell bent on seeing him fired and Phil realizes he needs to put into place a plan to save himself and his job.

First step in his plan… do something about his love life.

Meanwhile, Ezra, one of Phil's team members, is dealing with his own roller coaster ride of a week.

As is Brandon, the local cop…

And Mark, the homophobic boss…

Perhaps, with a little… luck, the next week will be better.

Buy Links:

Don’t miss the 1 Year Anniversary 40% off Sale on Wayward Ink’s Publishing’s site!

WIP     |     Amazon US     |     Amazon UK     |     Amazon AU

Amazon DE     |     Barnes & Noble     |     ARe

Technicalities

Though I’ve always been a fan of literature, I’ve never really thought of myself as a great judge of it. I’m not an expert, and I don’t view myself as being qualified to render any sort of reputable critique of which books or authors are the best. I used to co-own a review site and volunteered as a reviewer. Even in that capacity, I simply gave my opinion as to which books I really liked. I wasn’t comfortable sitting in judgment of other writers and critiquing their writing craft skills or analyzing how technically correct their stories had been executed.

There’s something I’ve discovered in recent years, particularly since consumer rating systems emerged on social networks like GoodReads, and on retail sites such as Amazon. The vast majority of people who read don’t judge stories using the same criteria as do the self-appointed literary experts. I guess this reality can be a double edged sword depending upon your perspective.

If you’re of the mindset that writing is a technical skill that should be learned and honed and perfected, and if you’re the type who believes that rules exist for a purpose and should be followed, then public opinion probably means less to you than does an official, erudite critique. The fact that anyone and everyone can now post their rating of a book on GoodReads or elsewhere must drive someone of this mindset insane.

They’re probably also the type who gets irritated when really poorly written books are made into movies or when very talented musical artists are ignored while less-accomplished wannabes skyrocket to stardom. They’re probably infuriated when a high quality piece of literature goes largely unnoticed while a trashy piece of work that’s neither well written nor carefully edited becomes a best seller.

On the other hand, if you’re someone who has always been passionate about reading and have always loved storytelling but you don’t happen to have any formal training, these public platforms could be a godsend. Writers of mm literature, in particular, do not have to hire agents and wait for years to be discovered like authors in the past. They merely submit their stories to publishers who then offer a contract and put the book through a series of edits. It doesn’t matter one iota what any literary expert says. The only thing that really counts is whether or not readers enjoy the story.

And since readers aren’t focused so much on technicalities, they’ll rate books based upon how much they enjoyed the story itself. And with that being said, it’s no surprise that a lot of the more popular authors in our genre are panned for not being “literary” enough, or they’re criticized for breaking too many writing craft rules.

In my case, writing became a passion when I began sharing my fantasies on an amateur website. I knew a lot about grammar and how to diagram sentences but almost nothing about writing craft. The first book I published contained almost every imaginable technical error, and on the rare occasion that a high school English teacher, copy editor, or other such literary expert decided to read my story, they had a field day criticizing it. But the overwhelming majority of readers judged the book by the story itself. For that reason alone, I sold enough books to begin taking my writing a whole lot more seriously.

Since that first book was published six years ago, I’ve learned a lot about technique. I’ve improved, at least in terms of writing craft. I know about point of view, showing versus telling, subtlety of voice, pacing, unpacking verbs, using primarily active verbs, creating realistic dialogue, cadence, and even following the basic story formula within my genre. My vocabulary has expanded. My manuscripts are tighter. I’ve learned a lot of words to avoid or eliminate altogether. Blah, blah, blah… In a nutshell, I’ve become a better writer. Technically.

But you know what else has happened during this period of evolution? I’ve come to realize that all my focus on the mechanics of writing hasn’t really impressed anyone. The one benefit is that I receive fewer negative reviews from the literary know-it-alls. But the average readers, the readers like me, don’t really seem to notice at all.

I’m not saying that I regret devoting effort to improving my craft. I’ll probably always strive to improve. But to those who go around with their nose in the air proud of their fancy fine arts master’s degrees, to those who have a meltdown when an author chooses not to stick strictly to third person limited point of view, to those who pride themselves in being so much better of a writer because they’ve learned to avoid using the adverb “then,” I have a message for you. Your vast, impressive wealth of knowledge and your fastidiousness in following all the rules doesn’t mean a whole lot to anyone but yourself. If you’re incapable of telling a story that touches the heart of your audience, it don’t matter how good you can write.

Book trailer

Trix’s Review:

4 stars

Since I'm sick of seeing billionaire alpha males in every book (I was never a big fan in the first place), I found SPEEDY REWARDS to be a breath of fresh air. There are a lot of characters involved here, but Erno does a great job of developing each one and keeping their plot threads balanced. Since it's the first book in the series, there can be a bit of clunky backstory exposition here and there to save time; luckily, this gets reined in before it becomes too noticeable. (The endings seem a little sudden as well, though the resolutions are satisfying.) Anyone who's wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a convenience store will be riveted by this story (inspired by true events, claims former convenience store manager Erno): it often makes the movie CLERKS look tame by comparison! I'm eager to see where the series goes from here. I have no idea if Erno is planning standalone stories for each volume, but I'd love to see what becomes of these characters!

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About the Author:

JEFF ERNO began writing LGBT fiction in the late 1990s. Although an avid reader and amateur writer from a very young age, Jeff pursued a career as a retail store manager in Northern Michigan. When his first gay-themed novel was published, he was shocked that anyone would even want to read it. So far, he's published over thirty novels. Jeff lives in Southern Michigan, where he works part time at a convenience store.

Jeff's writing credits include a variety of themes and sub-genres including male romance, Young Adult, Science Fiction, erotica, and BDSM. He is the winner of a 2012 Rainbow Award and an Honorable Mention in 2011. His style is unpretentious and focused upon emotionally-driven, character-based stories that touch the heart. Jeff is especially passionate about young adult literature and combating teen bullying and youth suicide.

Email: jeffaerno@gmail.com

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Begging for Forgiveness - Reviewed by Trix

Begging for Forgiveness

By Astrid Cielo

Pinewood Creek Shifters #2

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

When Aspen Clarke saw Skylar Ashmore for the first time, her cougar screamed that this wolf would be hers. But Aspen can't trust the mating call because she knows all to well that sometimes fate can get it wrong. After a steamy night with Skylar, Aspen is broken-hearted to find that her worries are founded when she awakens alone and confused. So, she runs back to Pinewood Creek and her old pride who'd always made her feel welcome, unlike her own parents. Little does she know that she carries more with her than emotional baggage. Now faced with motherhood alone she's decided that she doesn't need a mate.

Skylar just wanted to forget his last assignment, so like he had for the past six months after he was forced to execute yet another shifter he stopped at the little restaurant a town over from his apartment to lose himself in good food. He never expected to lose himself in a female. He took the beautiful Aspen to bed the moment he caught her scent, his wolf beside itself wanting to claim its mate. But after it was over he knows he's made a mistake...because he's already mated. So, he runs and hopes he can beg his mate for forgiveness.

Xavier had never felt a betrayal so deep as when Skylar slid into bed beside him smelling of a female, not even when his old pack had nearly beat him to death. But soon that feeling of betrayal faded to confusion, then surprise when he realized that whatever female his mate had taken was also his mate.

Now Skylar and Xavier will hunt for their missing mate. But little do they know, Skylar's last assignment has a loose end that's just waiting for the right moment to strike--and it's set its sights on Aspen.

Can Aspen accept the man who left her pregnant and doubting mating all over again? Can Skylar and Xavier convince her to mate with not one, but both of them? Will Aspen survive to forgive?


Trix’s Review:

2.75 stars

Insta-love is a common thing in "fated mate" stories, but in BEGGING FOR FORGIVENESS, things move even more quickly than usual. Aspen and Skylar end up in a passionate clinch within minutes of meeting. The story then jumps a few months ahead to find a brokenhearted Aspen alone and pregnant. In both instances, I wondered if I had missed something. Likewise, when Skylar confesses his attraction to Aspen to his male mate Xavier, Xavier blows up before proclaiming (sight unseen, strictly from her scent on Skylar's body) that she is his mate too. There is a lot to digest here, even before the (surprisingly graphic and disturbing) serial-killer subplot comes into play. This is compounded by the scattershot copyediting, especially in the first third of the book. The prose is very densely written as it is, and a lot of the sentences cry out for commas. It's a shame, because the story's intriguing world-building and sympathetic heroine give it real potential. (Cielo's real-life nursing career gives the hospital scenes believability, too.) The above blurb reveals a lot about the promising plot and flawed editing of this installment, and only the reader can decide which is the overriding factor.

In spite of my issues with this installment, I am curious about REWRITING DESTINI, the fourth book that's planned in the series. Nurse/platypus shifter Destini has a very brief appearance in BEGGING FOR FORGIVENESS, but is likable enough to make me want to know her story. Besides, I have to admit that a platypus shifter sounds intriguing!

Reviewing Life - Reviewed by Trix

Reviewing Life

By: Lara Brukz

A Review Story #2

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Recovering alcoholic Marshall Ellerbee still grieves the loss of his best friend and lover, Eric. After a year of sobriety, Marshall accepts a new job with the Wellness Center, something else to help him continue cleaning up his life. Things are finally improving when his sponsor has a heart attack. The counselor hired to replace him is none other than Kyle Young, the lost ex's best friend. Kyle has always hated Marshall, but now they must work together and move past their history. When Marshall saves Eric’s life, Kyle suddenly sees Marshall in a new light. But will romance unsettle Marshall’s hard-won new stability?

Trix’s Review:

4 stars

I had no idea that this book was the sequel to an earlier story when I read it; it works very well as a standalone. Judging from the predecessor's blurb and reviews, I may have felt very differently about Marshall's character if I had read FIVE STAR REVIEW first. However unsympathetic he may have been in the first book, the Marshall presented here is a careworn and touching character who genuinely wants to make amends. Kyle has his fair share of emotional baggage as well, and I rooted for the two of them separately and together. (Both have dealt with so much tragedy that I spent much of the book fretting about what would happen to them next, a testament to Brukz' ability to make the guys seem real.) In spite of the intense themes of loss and redemption, this is a surprisingly sweet and uplifting romance. I did sometimes find the guys'tendency to explain their feelings at length during any tender moment a bit much (especially in the earlier stages of their relationship). Of course, considering that both men work in counseling (with one having regular confessional moments at AA meetings), this isn't totally beyond the scope of belief. The story is refreshingly unpredictable right up to the very end, thanks to a few side characters. Without giving too much away, I will say that I fell hard for the adorable paramedic Dane, and I demand to read his story next!

Outing the Quarterback - Reviewed by Trix

Outing the Quarterback

By: Tara Lain

Long Pass Chronicles #1

Published by: Dreamspinner Press

Will Ashford lives in two closets. He meets his wealthy father’s goals as both the quarterback for the famous SCU football team and a business major, but secretly he attends art school and longs to live as a painter. And he's gay. But if he can win the coveted Milton Scholarship for art, he’ll be able to break from his father at the end of his senior year.

In a painting master class, Will meets his divergent opposite, Noah Zajack. A scarred orphan who’s slept on park benches and eaten from trash cans, Noah carefully plans his life and multiple jobs so he has money and time to go to art school. Will's problems seem like nothing compared to Noah's. Noah wants the scholarship too and may have a way to get it since the teacher of his class has designs on him, a plan Will isn't happy about.

When a gossipmonger with a popular YouTube channel finds evidence that Will is gay, the quarterback’s closet doors begin to crumble. Hounded by the press and harassed by other players, Will has to choose. Stay in the closet and keep his family’s wealth, or let the doors fall off and walk out with nothing. Nothing but Noah.


Trix’s Review:

3.75 stars

I'm a big fan of Tara Lain and sports-themed m/m, so I was eager to read this one. OUTING THE QUARTERBACK marks several departures for Lain, some of which I enjoyed more than others. Several of her other books are set in the art world, but this is her first to deal with sports. While she is clearly most comfortable with the art class sequences, the football vignettes are believable, and I enjoyed the contrast between the two environments. Her two leads are definitely different from the instantly lovable guys who tend to populate her stories. Will's compulsion to stay closeted leads him to a spiraling series of lies, as well as the tendency to commit iffy behavior and then cover it up with money. While Noah is more sympathetic thanks to his honesty and his tormented past, his annoyance at Will's behavior causes him to act prickly and cold towards him, occasionally lashing out. As the characters warmed to each other, I eventually warmed to them, but it did take time.

One change saddened me, however. One of my favorite things about Lain's books is her penchant for creating multifaceted female characters, from SPELL CAT's Lavender to DECEPTIVE ATTRACTION's Angel to Mary Beth from HEARTS AND FLOUR. Anyone who reads m/m regularly will know that this is a rare and welcome thing in the genre. So, I was heartbroken to see that Will's girlfriend, Tiffany, is a one-dimensional, exceptionally bitchy gold-digger with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. While her annoying presence heightens the urgency of Will's situation, I can't help but wonder what the book would have been like if Tiffany had resembled one of Lain's more admirable women. Luckily, there is a wonderful female character in Evangeline, sister of Will's teammate and best friend Jamal, who agrees to be Will's "beard" for some very specific reasons of her own. In fact,Jamal's whole family was a highlight of the story for me, which makes me very excited about the Jamal-centric sequel, CANNING THE CENTER.

While the final third of the book suffers from some iffy copy-editing, the diverging plot lines come together in a satisfying way. I was glad to read OUTING THE QUARTERBACK, though there are several other books I'd recommend first to a Tara Lain newbie. I am curious to see how the series will progress, and I applaud Lain for stepping out of her comfort zone.

Downpour - Reviewed by Trix

DOWNPOUR (Weathering #1)

By: Bella Leone

Publisher: LooseId

Weathering one of the fiercest storms of your life can seem almost impossible, but once you’re through it, things can be a whole lot brighter. Markus Simmons, a pre-med student who moonlights as a barista, narrates as he and his long-time crush, Clinton Stewart, learn more about themselves and what they’re willing to go through to heal and be together.

It took weeks before Markus knew his crush’s name. It took months of serving him coffee every morning before Markus learned that Clinton was an American History major. It took nearly six months into their senior year at UC Davis before Markus accidentally found out that Clinton had no family, few friends, and rather than the dorms, he actually lived in the library.

Trix’s Review:

4 stars

DOWNPOUR is told from the perspective of Markus, a premed student who has a day job as a barista. The first third of the book is a very sweet, slow-simmering portrayal of his longtime crush on Clinton and their shy flirtation. Both he and Clinton are sympathetic guys, and the start of their relationship feels almost cozy. The emotional stakes get ramped up as the plot turns increasingly serious, and it's compelling to see how the two weather some very real challenges. (Some reviewers have mentioned a few points that seem implausible. As a caffeine addict myself, I know how pricey a daily latte habit can be, so it's strange that Clinton can frequent a coffee house but lack basic living amenities and a means of support. A UC Davis student mentioned on Goodreads that the campus policies affecting Clinton are portrayed inaccurately in the story. I wasn't bothered by that, but I'm sure I would have been if I knew more about the campus.) I appreciated the attention spent on developing the side characters, especially Markus's roommates Jesse and Peter (who are also a couple). I actually thought that DOWNPOUR was a sequel to an earlier book starring Jesse and Peter, because so much time was spent on their backstory. (It is a compelling one, and I would have read that book.) I also like the characterization of Tyson, a one-time competitor for Markus' affections who turns out to be a valuable friend to both guys. The story isn't perfect, but I enjoyed getting to know this couple and their friends. 

Steamed Up Anthology - Reviewed by Trix

STEAMED UP anthology

Dreamspinner Press

Inventors, pilots, tinkers, and soldiers; magical metals to replace an aging heart or a ruined limb; steam-powered fantasy worlds of clockwork nightingales, automatons, dirigibles, and men. The stories in this anthology visit diverse times in the history of modern man, and the men who populate these tales face war and cruelty, masters and autocrats, illness and poverty and greed. Yet the heat of romance outmatches even the steam engines, and time and again, the gears of love rule the day.

Stories included are:
The Clockwork Nightingale's Song by Amy Rae Durreson
Caress by Eli Easton
Swiftsilver by Bell Ellis
The Clockwork Heart by Kim Fielding
The Galatea's Captain by Anka Grace
Screws by R.D. Hero
The Golden Goose by Mark Lesney
Spindle and Bell by Augusta Li
Ace of Hearts by Mary Pletsch
Five to One by Angelia Sparrow
Untouchable by Layla M. Wier

Trix’s Review:

4.25 stars

While I usually prefer more humorous steampunk, the quality of the writing is very consistent throughout the anthology. Many of the stories (especially in the first half) have much less sexual content than is usual in m/m, which may appeal to more hesitant readers while disappointing m/m veterans. Various online reviews had me fearing that these stories would be upsetting, but I was relieved to find that that wasn't true. There is a certain melancholy to many of these tales (given the time period and subject matter), but in most cases, they lead to a satisfying and hard-won happily-ever-after. (I was also unable to predict how most of the stories would end while I was reading, which is a rare thing in m/m!) 

Angelia Sparrow's "Five To One" opens the proceedings with a charming friends-to-lovers story, one that seems the closest to a contemporary m/m piece. The two stories that stood out for me happened to be right next to each other. R.D. Hero's "Screws" is both funnier and raunchier than the others, and winks at the literal nuts-and-bolts of steampunk in a clever and self-referential way. This paves the way for the emotional punch of Kim Fielding's "The Clockwork Heart," the slow-burning relationship between a castaway golem with a soul and an inventor who believes he has none. The two stories couldn't be more different, but both are very effective.

The second half of the book is a little more whimsical and relaxed than the first, culminating in the lyrical and sensual "Swiftsilver" by Bell Ellis. The stories are nearly novella-length, so there's plenty of attention given to character and plot development. STEAMED UP has a different feel than most m/m or steampunk I've read, and is all the more satisfying for it.

Switching Gears - Reviewed by Trix

Switching Gears

Track Domination #3

by Megan Slayer 

Resplendence Publishing


Ethan’s about to meet his match in the last person he ever expected.

Ethan Long is a man on a mission—finish well and he gets to keep his ride at Flash Racing. Continue to crash and his racing days will be numbered. Other than being behind the wheel of a race vehicle, this good looking hot shot hasn’t got the first clue how to harness his ego or his talent. Until he locks gazes with Royce. Then all bets are off.

Royce Darden doesn’t play around. His no-nonsense attitude propelled him to the head of the merchandise sales at Flash. He’s good with numbers and facts…and a crop. Few people know about his wilder side and what he needs in bed. He sees the inner submissive in Ethan screaming for a turn. Can Royce convince the young driver that switching gears could be the key to his racing future?

Trix’s Review:

3 stars

Slayer presents two likable leads, and the chemistry between brash Ethan and the world-weary Royce has definite spark. The transition from the opening smartalecky "I'm just out for a good time, hot thing" flirtatious banter to soul-baring emotional confessions seems rather abrupt, and leads to some clunky story exposition. The sex scenes perk up the proceedings, though the BDSM is a double-edged sword. Ethan's willingness to explore submission as a method of personal growth is a powerful concept, but it's one that's hard to do justice to in such a brief book. (The logistics are presented in risky shorthand from time to time: until now I've never seen a Dom ask a sub whether or not he'll want to use his safeword before anything happens. How would a sub know whether or not he'll need to use one before a scene begins? Each time, Ethan assures Royce "hell no," apparently granting him free reign. This seems strange at best and dangerous at worst.)

Part of the problem may be that I didn't read the earlier two books in the series. While the story is presented as a standalone, there are many references to the couple Collin and Sam (from the previous book RUNNING HOT), who work with Royce and Ethan at Flash. It was interesting, if difficult to believe at times, to see the preponderance of gay couples in this macho racing environment, and the story doesn't address that fact in the greater context of the sport. While it's refreshing to see a sports story that doesn't go into the "X sport is a bastion of institutionalized homophobia" trope, it does seem odd that female groupies keep slipping Ethan their phone numbers, and guys don't notice either way. Slayer's universe is intriguing enough that I'm willing to read the other books to discover what I've missed.  

Stories For Boys - Reviewed by Trix

STORIES FOR BOYS 

by Ryal Woods 

MLR Press

Gather 'round, grab a stick, and get those buns out, because these boys have tales to tell.

Jude loves his brother. A lot. Roland plays on trains. Mike slurps Italian ice. Kurt wants to get laid, but doesn't want to pay the price. Daniel likes it in the dark. Two lovers like to play with guns. Paul is ready to confess. Robert’s secret is he can’t sleep alone at night. And Matt just needs to learn how to say no.

Have you pitched your tents? Unzipped, and aired those sacks? Sit down, boys, have s’more. These stories will keep you up all night.

Trix’s Review:

3.75 stars

If you insist on "happily ever after" endings (or even "happily for now" endings) with your m/m, this collection is not for you. While the stories are well-crafted, they definitely veer toward the darker end of the spectrum. The opener, "Jude The Unsure," features pseudo-incest and dubious consent...and can be considered one of the more romantic stories. Woods spends a lot of time pointing out the difference between desire and mutual need in this book, and exploring the irony of that situation. "Be careful what you wish for" seems to be the unspoken moral. Her style is mannered and intellectual in a way that tamps down some of the more taboo elements, but sometimes the themes were just too much for me. (I couldn't finish "Undone," the tale of a previously callous lover trying to preserve his undead boyfriend's physical attributes after his suicide.) It's probably telling that the happiest story, "Floating," is a short piece concentrating on pure sensation, leaving plot out altogether. I can't see myself revisiting STORIES FOR BOYS very often, though it's certainly one of the more thought-provoking collections I've read in a while.

Starling - Reviewed by Trix

Starling by Racheline Maltese and Erin McRae 

Series: Love in Los Angeles #1

Publisher: Torquere Press

Be careful what you wish for...

When J. Alex Cook, a production assistant on The Fourth Estate (one of network TV’s hottest shows), is accidentally catapulted to stardom, he finds himself struggling to navigate both fame and a relationship with Paul, one of Fourth’s key writers. Despite their incendiary chemistry, Alex’s inexperience and the baggage they’re both carrying quickly lead to an ugly break-up.

Because the stars aren't benign.

Reeling from their broken hearts, Alex has an affair and Paul has an ill-advised reunion with an old flame. Meanwhile, the meddling of their colleagues, friends -- and even the paparazzi! -- quickly make Alex and Paul’s real life romance troubles the soap opera of the television season.

But while the entertainment value may be high, no one knows better than Alex and Paul that there are no guarantees when it comes to love in Los Angeles.


Trix’s Review:

3.75 stars

The story is written in the present tense, which (along with the multiple POVs) I found distracting in the beginning. In their blog tour for the book, Maltese and McRae revealed that they used it for a reason; scripts are written that way, and they wanted to amplify the Hollywood setting and feel of the story. Admittedly, after a while I couldn't imagine the story told in the past tense, though it still felt awkward at times. The style does give you a feeling for the hectic day-to-day feeling of life on the set of a nighttime soap. On the other hand, for me it tended to tamp down the emotional factor of the romance. Alex is a very mercurial young guy who, confused by the sudden changes that stardom has induced in his life, tends toward rash and reactionary decisions about love. Paul, meanwhile, has had much more emotional baggage to deal with, and his guarded reactions can make him hard to decipher. Maltese and McRae's use of the present tense is great for immediacy, but there's so much emphasis on the play-by-play of life on and off the set that it feels almost journalistic at times, with a journalist's emotional distance. There are some heartrending situations in the past and present of the story, but some (such as an implied suicide attempt in Paul's youth) are merely touched on. Likewise, Alex and Paul's biggest confrontation happens so suddenly that I spent most of the second half of the book wondering if I missed something. Alex's inconsistent decision-making is understandable coming from a confused young guy who is suddenly famous, but some of it doesn't ring true in the context of the story. (Alex spends most of the first half worried that bloggers and paparazzi will see him with Paul, so he seems too carefree in the second half of the book to be credible.)

There are quite a few characters in the mix, many of whom have been involved with each other on and off the set. (I don't want to spoil too much by revealing more.) One purely platonic presence is Alex's housemate Gemma, who manages to be a sympathetic and interesting presence in spite of having a fairly thankless role in this installment of the story. (If I never see another scene in an m/m book where the straight best girlfriend watches TV with her pal on another dateless night while jealously asking him nosy questions about his sex life, I'll be happy.) On the blog tour, the authors have implied that she'll have her own success and happiness in the end, and I would like to see that.

 In spite of my issues, I did find STARLING entertaining. The authors do give you a feel for the behind-the-scenes of a series, and I was thrilled to see as much attention given to the staff writers' room as to the soundstage. DOVES, the forthcoming second installment, will apparently pick up the action a year and a half later, and I'll be fascinated to see how that time has affected the characters and their relationship.

Bound to You - Reviewed by Trix

BOUND TO YOU by K.A. M'Lady

Series: Vranthian Vampires #1

Publisher: Mojocastle Press

Under the dark skies of Vranthia The Wasting has spread, claiming victims by the thousands. Disease, madness and death shroud this fierce warrior race.

With the recent death of their mother, Queen Srionna Balacjek, and the imminent demise of their grieving father, King Kamet; three brothers must now find their own path. Will The Wasting’s dark madness claim them all as deceit and lies turn brother against brother. Or, is the key to saving their people in the legend of the trion. And will they find it in time?

Draven Balacjek -- warrior, Prince, immortal. Fierce in battle, sure and deadly as a dark a storm or the shadows he walks among, must choose between the ties of brotherhood or the possibility of a life without the parts of his soul he has bound in blood and magic.

The Vranthians have taken everything from Ook. Desecrated the Darengy people as a whole. But the visions of a grave-warrior tell no lies and the spirit of the human along with the fierce strength of his Prince, Draven Balacjek call to him as nothing before. Can their love together heal the wounds that time has wrought and free him of his darkness?

For singer, Leah Allen, the choice was never hers to make. But life, like the music her heart clings to, has a way of playing itself out. Will this strange new world and the fierce warriors she meets within it bring her shattered past the healing she has always needed or will the strangers she finds herself bound to be her hearts undoing? Can she make a choice between dark, intense Draven and exotic, muscular Ook?

Does she HAVE to choose?

Trix's Review: 

3.5 stars
There is some interesting genre-straddling going on here. The opening scenes, where the bleakness of Vranthia is contrasted with the nightclub where human heroine Leah sings, hint at an urban fantasy. That quickly changes to "space opera" when Leah is kidnapped and whisked off to Vranthia by the evil Kantella. I'm not a regular reader (or fan) of the "damsel in distress" trope, but once I realized that this story would use it as a means to an end, I managed to relax and let myself see how it would play out. M'Lady keeps the plot moving very quickly, which is a double-edged sword. While this adds to the urgency of Leah's situation, it also makes the plot exposition rather rushed. The world-building is intriguing, but because of the book's short length it gets shoehorned in via some expository paragraphs that feel rather forced. Likewise, the romance and eventual menage is central to the plot resolution, but there's so much going on with the Vranthian political intrigue and medical crisis (not to mention Leah's abduction and rescue) that it isn't given room to blossom in this installment. The rescue and the romance both feel pretty frenetic at the end; more length for the story overall would have let them both breathe and evolve. (The same goes for the paranormal aspect; if it weren't for the series' title and the talk of fated mates, the vampirism would almost be nonexistent.) It's not often that I wish that a book were longer, though, which is a testament to the adventure M'Lady presents.

I enjoyed BOUND TO YOU most when I thought of it as a long short story, instead of a short novella. M'Lady's style can be rather lyrical at times, and this heightened the "futuristic fable" feeling to me. It does work as a teaser for the rest of the series; I can already imagine myself reading the second installment, CLAIMED BY YOU. (While it's even shorter, and the story template seems distressingly similar, the idea of Leah's sassy friend Cyn meeting Vranthian vampire prince Kuthar does seem really fun!)

Project X Blog Tour

Synopsis:

Morgan Bentley is a bastard. Always was and always will be.

At least that’s what Matthew Hopkins thinks. Unfortunately, Morgan is also a brilliant law student, and easily eclipses Matthew, academically and socially.

Matthew insists he hates Morgan. According to Matthew’s best friend, Cory, perhaps he doth protest a bit too much.

Cory has received the chance of a lifetime in the form of an internship with ITM—Information Technology and Medicine—the prestigious research company where Morgan’s father is the CEO. Too inquisitive for his own good, the naturally curious Cory stumbles on a deadly secret inside of ITM. What he has learned will tip the balance of everything, but for good or bad?

Just what is the mysterious Project X?

What is Morgan’s involvement?

Matthew has to sort fact from fiction, friend from foe, as his world is turned upside down and inside out, and nothing can be the way it was.

Buy Links

WIP   |   Amazon US   |   Amazon UK   |   Amazon AU   |   Amazon DE

A chat with the Project X characters

Question: So tell me, Matthew. You didn’t have the best impression of

Morgan at first. What…led you to that?

Matthew: (gives a nervous glance to Morgan, who shrugs) Um. Well. The first time we met was when me and Cory were visiting the university for the first time. To be honest I didn’t really want to go there. I thought the place would be full of snobs. Then I see Morgan with these three nobs, complaining about the gravel ruining their designer shoes, and I thought they were pretty much the worst people I could hope to meet.

Cory: It didn’t help that Morgan had this gorgeous, shiny, sports car, and parked it next to our piece of crap.

Matthew: Hey, don’t talk about Ellie like that.

Question: Ellie?

Matthew: That’s what we called the car.

Question: Why Ellie?

Cory: Because it looked like a herd of elephants had gone over it.

(Morgan sniggers)

Matthew: It’s alright for you! We saved up for almost a year to afford that car. It was our most prized possession, and the way you looked at it on that day made me want to smash your face in.

Morgan: Glad you didn’t try. I would hate to have scuffed my shoes.

Matthew: See? That’s one of the reasons I thought he was a complete bastard.

Question: Because of his shoes?

Matthew: No, because he’s a sarcastic son of a bitch.

Morgan: Guilty as charged.

Question: What about you, Cory? What did you think about Morgan?

Cory: (looks uncomfortable) I kind of knew from the very first day that he liked Matthew. There was just something in the look he gave him. Then I watched them. Matthew kept saying what a bastard Morgan was, but he kind of lit up whenever Morgan was in the room. He said he hated the way everyone ran around Morgan, and he would never do it himself, but he never took his eyes off him. By the middle of the first year I knew they were falling for each other bad.

Matthew: Now, hang on a minute. I SO did not fall for Morgan in the first year. It wasn’t until he started acting like kind of a human being I started having feelings for him.

Morgan: And I certainly wasn’t falling for Matthew. I wanted him, but I wasn’t falling for him. Until then, I got whoever I wanted. I was looking for someone with some brains in their head, and a real personality. And yes, I wanted someone who would piss my father off, but I wasn’t falling for him.

Cory: They were crazy about each other by the end of the first year.

Morgan and Matthew That’s not true.

Cory: Whatever.

Question: How did you feel about that, Cory?

Cory: (flashes a quick, sad glance at Matthew) Terrible. The worst thing was I knew I couldn’t stop it. Matthew was always so sure he wasn’t gay. He told me that if he ever thought he might be, or was just…curious, he’d come to me first. (Flashes another look) It isn’t that I was pissed he didn’t come to me first, it was just…. I’ve had a crush on Matthew since I was about eight years old. It was okay when I thought he was straight. I couldn’t have him. End of. It wasn’t about me. Then, when I saw him start to fall for Morgan, and he was so blind about, I started to wonder. Maybe, if he was gay, I’d have a chance. If he was looking at Morgan like that I might be able to make him look at me like that.

Question: Did you do anything about it? Anything to try to make Matthew look at me like that?

Cory: (shakes his head) No

Question: Why not?

Cory: It was already too late. He was already in love with Morgan. He didn’t have eyes for anyone else.

Matthew: I was not in love with Morgan. I was never in love with Morgan.

Morgan: Really? It kind of felt like that to me by the end. I mean…you did say it.

Matthew: (blushes) That was different. Of course I was in love with you by the end. We’d been through so much.

Morgan: Yeah.

Question: Do you want to tell us a bit about what happened?

Matthew and Morgan: No

Question: Is it too hard to talk about.

Morgan: Well, it’s not easy, but the main reason is that if we talk about it and give away too much of the plot and no one will read our book.

Question: Ah yes, the book. Project X. What do you have to say about that?

Matthew: I think it’s pretty good. It tells the story well, but if you ask me, it shows Morgan in too good a light, especially at the beginning. It just doesn’t show what a compete and utter bastard he was.

Morgan: I beg to differ. The very first like is ‘Morgan Bentley is a bastard’ You can’t really get clearer than that. Besides, I never was that much of a bastard. Not really. I had my own issues. And I did try to be friendly.

Matthew: That’s your interpretation of ‘friendly’ is it?

Morgan: (with the sexiest smirk ever) What can I say. I guess I am a bit of a sarcastic bastard, but I’m a very sexy one.

Matthew: I can’t argue with that, and to be fair, I never said you weren’t sexy.

Morgan: True.

Question: So, back to the book.

Morgan: Sure, but just so we don’t give away too much, let’s just leave it to the general promo huh? If you want to get to know us better, and hear our crazy story, you’ll just have to read the book. It’s worth it, I promise, if only to find out how devastatingly gorgeous I am.

Matthew: And I can’t even argue about that.

Trix's Review:

3.25 stars

There is so much going on here--m/m romance, sci-fi epic, medical thriller, family drama, Christmas tale--that I don't really know where to begin. Many times, I felt that the story would have flowed better if it were much longer or much shorter. Most of the first third is devoted to Matthew's hatred of Morgan, which gets repetitive quickly. (A "Morgan Bentley Is A Bastard" drinking game would send readers to the hospital before the 40% mark.) For the most part, the admittedly annoying Morgan doesn't seem as bad as most high school "mean girls," but Matthew is so vitriolic towards him that I could immediately tell that true love (or at least spirited hate sex) was on the horizon. Matthew's eventual realization of his true feelings seems a little bit sudden, though it does propel the story along. I think a third-person narration might have helped, since Matthew's narrow focus seemed limiting.

The variable here is Cory, Matthew's long-suffering best friend. He has a rather thankless role here, the sidekick nursing an unrequited crush on his buddy whoends up having to help the very man he resents. While Cory is described as awkward and has his milquetoasty moments in the beginning, there is some intriguing ambiguity in his character. He can't resist hacking into the ITM mainframes, and his flashes of jealousy make him seem more realistic than some of the other characters. I would have loved more development of his story, and would read a book devoted to his character.

The second half shifts into thriller territory as Project X makes its presence known. While the explanations for the project's existence are glossed over, its effects are explained very thoroughly and convincingly. The story gets complicated quickly, as Cory and his professor work to counteract Project X and Morgan's father establishes his own evil presence. While the outcome is in doubt until the very end, I often wished for better exposition. Haltingly phrased emotional moments alternate with many lengthy speeches in which characters explain their motivations (I call it Bond Villain Syndrome). I usually welcome lighter tales, so I was surprised to find myself thinking that this would have worked better for me without the romance. The transitions between the darkness and the more tender moments didn't resonate fully with me, though I think it's because so much is shoehorned into one story.

In spite of these issues, PROJECT X did hold my attention all the way through. I usually would not be eager to read such a dark story (let alone think it should be darker), which in its way is a tribute to Nephylim's storytelling. Often, my frustration was kind of a compliment: the author kept bringing up intriguing story threads that kept getting tamped down due to lack of time. (The law school moot court sounded fascinating, for example, and I would have liked to see that play out.) I will keep an eye out for her future work, especially if it resolves Cory's character arc!

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About the Author:

Nephylim was born into a poor mining family in the South Wales Valleys. Until she was 16, the toilet was at the bottom of the garden and the bath hung on the wall. Her refrigerator was a stone slab in the pantry and there was a black lead fireplace in the kitchen. They look lovely in a museum but aren’t so much fun to clean.

Nephylim has always been a storyteller. As a child, she’d make up stories for her nieces, nephews and cousin and they’d explore the imaginary worlds she created, in play.

Later in life, Nephylim became the storyteller for a re enactment group who travelled widely, giving a taste of life in the Iron Age. As well as having an opportunity to run around hitting people with a sword, she had an opportunity to tell stories of all kinds, sometimes of her own making, to all kinds of people. The criticism was sometimes harsh, especially from the children, but the reward enormous.

It was here she began to appreciate the power of stories and the primal need to hear them. In ancient times, the wandering bard was the only source of news, and the storyteller the heart of the village, keeping the lore and the magic alive. Although much of the magic has been lost, the stories still provide a link to the part of us that still wants to believe that it’s still there, somewhere.

In present times, Nephylim lives in a terraced house in the valleys with her son and her two cats. Her daughter has deserted her for the big city, but they’re still close. The part of her that needs to earn money is a lawyer, but the deepest, and most important part of her is a storyteller and artist, and always will be.

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