A Double-Edged Sword and A Weekend at the Edge by L.M. Somerton

A Double-Edged Sword

Tales from the Edge #4

157 Pages

Buy Links:     Pride Publishing       Amazon US    Amazon UK

The blurb

How do you stay standing when the ground is torn from beneath your feet?

Becket and Christian are taking the first, tentative steps towards the committed D/s relationship they both crave when the world literally explodes around them. In a frightening reversal of roles, Becket has to deal with his own vulnerability and Christian must find the strength to take care of his Dom. With the help of their friends at The Edge, the two men come to realise that dominance and submission cannot be switched on and off.

Events that could have ended in tragedy provide the catalyst that affirms their trust in each other, but there are still questions to answer. Is the safe path always the right one to take? Is control simply a state of mind?

One thing’s for certain, life’s too short for compromise.

My thoughts

“He wasn’t devastatingly handsome like Joe, he didn’t have the air of sheer power that Heath possessed or Carey’s charisma, but he exuded an aura of absolute control and that pressed all Christian’s buttons” – Christian on Becket.

I’ve become somewhat (understatement of the year) addicted to the Tales from the Edge. I love the combination of suspense, love story, BDSM, and very hot scenes these books give me almost as much as I adore the characters featured in these stories.

A Double-Edged Sword tells the story of Christian and Becket who are perfect for each other. Becket needs to be in complete control as much as Christian needs to surrender totally to his Dom. From the very start of the story it is clear these two men are meant to be together, which makes it all the more cruel when Becket’s job throws a spanner in the works and upsets the apple cart. Now these two men have to figure out what they are together when their roles are less clearly defined.

If I’m honest I have to admit that the subsequent conflict was far less angsty than it might have been. In fact, I think I would have preferred it if Christian and Becket had had to fight a little bit harder before resolving their issue. (Yes, I know that is strange, coming from me with my aversion to angst, but there you have it.)

But, as issues with a story go, this one was very minor. Overall I enjoyed getting to know Christian and Becket better and following them as they get closer together. The scenes between them are (of course) very hot and I absolutely adored Christian and how he responded to Becket’s dominance.

I am so happy that the characters I fell for in the earlier books all make a reappearance in this one. Olly, as always, made me laugh out loud whenever he appeared on the page but it was equally as much fun to spend more time with all the others. I’m so glad I’m only half way through this series right now. I’m very much looking forward to whatever may be coming my way next. In the company of all these ‘Edgy’ men I have no doubt I’m going to be in for a treat.

A Weekend at the Edge

Tales from the Edge #4.1

Free Short Story

Buy Link:      Pride Publishing

The blurb

A rare free weekend provides an opportunity for Heath and Aiden to reaffirm their roles as Master and sub. When Heath sets Aiden a challenge the prize is very tempting, but sometimes losing can also bring rewards.

My thoughts

As stated above this is a short story. In fact, I feel it would be safe to describe it as a scene rather than a story. But what a scene.

In A Weekend at the Edge the focus is on Heath and Aiden as they get to spend some rare and much needed time together while everybody else is away. Aiden has intrigued me from the moment I first ‘met’ him. I love his ambivalence when it comes to submission. He constantly fights Heath’s dominance and his inclination to submit to it and yet, the moment he stops thinking about it and just goes with the flow (as indicated by Heath) he can’t deny that it is exactly what he needs and craves.

Did I mention these two are hot together? Because, phew, they are. What’s not to love about a prolonged session of tease and denial? You’d almost feel sorry for Aiden—almost but not quite J

Links to my posts about earlier Tales from the Edge Series:

Reaching the Edge    Living on the Edge    Dancing on the Edge  A Birthday at the Edge

Analog to Digital - Posy Roberts - Review Tour

Length: 13,655

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner | AllRomance | B&N | KOBO 

Blurb

All Ethan wants for Christmas, and the rest of his life, is Toby.

For years, Ethan and Toby have said they’ll never marry, despite Ethan’s secret wishes. So leaving sunny California for snowy Minnesota to witness his sister’s vow renewal is not how he wants to spend his Christmas Eve. It’s the second time she’ll say “I do” in less than a year, when Ethan saying those words to Toby even once is hopeless.

In the run-up to the ceremony, Toby seems to avoid Ethan, and doubts grow in his absence. Ethan can’t help noticing Toby spends more time with Ethan’s family than with him. Little does Ethan know, Toby has desires of his own. But if Toby doesn’t find a way to reveal them, Ethan could leave for home without him.

Excerpt

LOOKING UP from the doodle I’d started on a cocktail napkin, I ordered. “Surly Furious. Two, please.” It was the beer I’d begged my sister to ship to me from back home. I wanted to give my employees a taste of Minnesota, even if they relentlessly teased me about my accent and “unfathomable” work ethic. I didn’t end up owner of a top-rated design house by the time I was in my midtwenties by phoning it in, so I never let their jibes bother me much.

The server reached for glasses after cracking each large can with a pfft and pfft, but I waved him off. “We’ll drink ’em right from the can, thanks.”

“Certainly.”

I slipped a ten in his tip jar and turned to the center of the distinctive ballroom, where people were dancing. His thanks trailed after me as I made my way over to Toby, who looked ready to blend into the leather couch while the room buzzed around him.

I pressed the chilled beer into his warm palm. “Here. This is the one I told you about.”

He took a sip and looked at me with dark eyes before taking another few swallows. He smiled when he finally set the can down. “It’s good. Real good.”

“Told ya.” I leaned in and kissed the beer foam that clung to his mustache. His beard brushed my chin, and as much as I wanted to get lost in his kisses, I was there as the boss tonight and couldn’t really let go like I wanted.

“Look at you two! So in love.” Stella, my right-hand and necessary coconspirator in most projects, plopped herself in the chair next to me and sipped at a neon-pink drink garnished with at least three fruit kabobs. Her eclectic style, mostly latent punk rocker meets Vargas pinup girl, was in full bloom. She would’ve fit perfectly on the nose of an Air Force plane or at any dance club in the city.

I smiled at her as I leaned against Toby’s shoulder. The sparkle in her lined eyes made what she was about to ask obvious.

“When are you two going to finally tie the knot?”

“We’re not,” Toby said without a second’s hesitation.

I crossed my feet at the ankles to ward off any evil as I lied through my teeth. “It’s not something either of us has ever wanted. No need to be tied down to a person. God knows I’m tied down by enough strings to this business, which grows busier by the day.”

Stella studied me out of the corner of her eye, skeptical. I talked shop to shake her focus.

December 29 - V's Reads, Out Of My Head, Hearts on Fire Reviews, Dog-Eared Daydreams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BooksLaidBareBoys, More Books Please Blog, The Way She Reads, Keysmash, Gay Book Reviews

December 30 - Bonkers About Books, The Day Before You Came, The Geekery Book Review

January 2 - Making It Happen, Wicked Faerie's Tales & Reviews

January 4 - Bayou Book Junkie

January 6 - Bella's Blog, Books Lovers 4Ever, MillsyLovesBooks, Jim's Blog, MM Good Book Reviews, Slashessed.

My Thoughts

Analog to Digital is a wonderful and sweet Christmas story, a bit of a comedy of errors really.

Poor Ethan, for years he’s been telling his boyfriend, Toby, that he’s not interested in marriage just because he believes that’s how Toby feels. Deep inside Ethan wants nothing more than to be Toby’s husband but he can’t figure out how to share that truth. A visit home for Christmas and to watch his sister and her husband exchange wedding vows for the second time within a year is about the last thing he wants to do. But Toby insists and Ethan loves Toby, so they go.

Things go from bad to worse when Toby keeps on disappearing on Ethan, going off on missions he never has a satisfactory explanation for. Ethan moves from bemused through uncertain to fully convinced that Toby is hiding something from him and maybe even putting distance between them.

What happens next probably won’t come as a huge surprise to the reader but Ethan certainly didn’t see it coming. I read the final fifth of this book with a huge grin on my face and happy tears burning in my eyes once or twice, delighted to see Ethan get everything he thought he would never have.

As always Posy Roberts gave me characters who felt real. Sure, I wanted to slap Ethan once or twice for allowing his doubts to cloud his mind so very fast, but whether I liked them or not, his thoughts and actions were realistic. Toby was utterly adorable, even if he should have realised the turmoil he was creating for Ethan. In fact, I guess it was the fact that these two men weren’t perfect and did stumble once or twice, that made me like them so much.

If you’re in the mood for a Christmas story that will lift your spirits and make you grin hugely, I’d recommend you pick up Analog to Digital asap.

About Posy

Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.

Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.

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The Road to Frosty Hollow by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Authors: RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | AllRomance

Blurb

Nick and Cameron face old demons, and find new love, on a Christmas road trip.

Former Marine Nick Sheridan is at a crossroads. With his entire life ahead of him he struggles to find direction and his place in the world. Car sharing to get home for his sister’s Christmas wedding seems like a good idea at first. Spending the time with the man he kissed and left years before, maybe not so much.

Cameron Bennett lost most of his teenage years to cancer and he now lives every day to the fullest. He decides to drive from Seattle to Vermont for his best friend’s wedding and capture moments of it on film. He hadn’t planned on car sharing with the man who kissed him ten years ago, but somehow he ends up with a brooding Nick by his side.

Along the way, the men learn that sometimes life plans mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Love can be found in the most unexpected of ways, and facing your demons head on is sometimes the only way to live.

My Review

The Road to Frosty Hollow is such a sweet story; I couldn’t help but read it with a smile on my face from start to finish. Sure, my heart ached at times for the past demons and present fears both Nick and Cameron deal with, but overall I just luxuriated in the comfort of their getting together and the adventures they had along the way.

I greatly enjoyed how the authors took my biggest pet peeve when it comes to romances—protagonists not communicating with each other—and turned it into not just a plausible but the only logical story-line. In this story’s context talking to each other, baring their souls and feelings, early on would have been unbelievable. Nick and Cameron haven’t seen each other since they shared one kiss ten years earlier. They had no idea about the feelings they had for each other at the time of the kiss and now they have even less of a clue. While privately they admit to themselves that the attraction they’d felt in the past is possibly even stronger now, they keep that fact to themselves and well hidden. Both of them struggle with unresolved issues, fears and insecurities, and are disinclined to share them. Watching Nick and Cameron as they slowly open up to each other (and themselves), spurred on by the travel plans and challenges Nick’s sister has provided them with, was a pure delight.

The journey our two men undertake was fun but I smiled as soon as it became clear Nick and Cameron were about to visit a place I’ve become very fond of over the past few months. I won’t say what place though because I enjoyed the surprise so much I don’t want to deprive others of the same pleasure.

I thoroughly enjoyed my road-trip with Nick and Cameron and was rooting for them to come together every mile of the way. Sometimes all I want is a relatively angst free, uncomplicated, yet engrossing story, which is exactly what The Road to Frosty Hollow was—utterly delightful.

December 26 - The Way She Reads, Urban Smoothie Read

December 28 - BooksLaidBareBoys, Sexy Erotic Xciting, Wicked Faerie's Tales & Reviews

December 30 - MM Good Book Reviews, Making It Happen

January 4 - Jim's Blog

January 9 - Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books, Reading in Sarah's Corner, The Novel Approach

January 11 - Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Geekery Book Review

January 12 - Diverse Reader

January 16 - Alpha Book Club, Wicked Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, Book Lovers 4Ever

Author Bios

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing.

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk

Website        Facebook       Goodreads     Twitter         Library Thing

Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

Website/blog                    Facebook       Twitter         Instagram

Email: meredithrussell666@gmail.com

You can find Meredith's blog on cover art, including information and portfolio here:
http://meredithrussellart.blogspot.co.uk

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Bullet (Blue Boy Studio #1) - Garrett Leigh

 Author: Garrett Leigh

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Levi Ramone entered the gay porn market for one reason, and one reason only: he needed the cash to pay his momma's spiraling gambling debts.

Seven years later, he's a veteran with a reputation as one of Blue Boy Studio's most ruthless tops, and when his boss suggests it's time for a change, he finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Figuratively speaking, at least.

Enter Sonny Valentine, a go-go dancer at Blue's sister club, Silver's. Levi has secretly admired Sonny from afar for years, but there's a problem. He can't stand Sonny and the feeling is entirely mutual. When Levi learns Sonny is to play the third part in a scene he already considers his worst nightmare, he figures things can't get any worse.

But when preparations for the scene from hell collide with tragic events in his personal life, he finds his fast-growing, red-hot attraction to Sonny just might be the only thing left between him and a bullet.

My Review

I have this thing about Garrett Leigh books. I love them, the style of writing works perfectly for me and without fail I connect with her characters. But that’s where it gets complicated, because I connect almost too well with them. These characters get under my skin, claw their way into my heart and demand that I understand their issues, feel their pain…and I do.

Levi Ramone in Bullet worked his way into my consciousness slowly but surely. At first he appeared to be a tough and somewhat selfish guy. While his reasons for working in the porn business were selfless and went, as far as I was concerned, well beyond what anyone could expect of him, his approach to the scenes he shot came across as single minded with very little room for consideration for his scene partners. But then, as I got to know Levi better, I discovered his attitude is nothing more (or less) than his unconscious method of protecting himself and his feelings. If he doesn’t let people in, they can’t hurt or betray him. His tough outer shell served to protect his fragile core and it works like a charm until, that is, Sonny.

The interactions between Sonny and Levi took the story from raw and at times brutal to touching and beautiful. Despite Levi’s resistance, Sonny manages to slowly break through his defenses and open him up to the possibility that all he has been avoiding and fighting for years might be not only something worth exploring but also something he needs in his life. If I did have an issue with this story it is that I would have loved to spend at least a little time inside Sonny’s head. As much as Levi’s story captivated me and as thrilled as I was to get to know him better and understand his motivations, I never really understood why Sonny wanted to help him even while Levi was almost hostile towards him. Having said that, not getting Sonny’s motives didn’t stop me from loving every single encounter between him Levi.

As for those encounters; they were hot. Few things are as erotically charged as a man pushing his boundaries and discovering that he loves what he has been fearing and rejecting for as long as he can remember. Levi’s voyage of discovery as he gets his head and body used to the idea of bottoming was powerful, both on a mental and a physical level, and kept me mesmerized.

I read book two and book three in this series some time ago and loved them, which makes it all the more surprising it took me so long to get around to reading Bullet, but I’m delighted I got there eventually. I’m even happier to discover that there’s a fourth book in this series to come in the not too distant future. I’ll have to find the time to re-read book two and three before Brave releases.

If you’re curious what I thought about the two sequels have a look at: Bones and Bold.

Author Bio

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits is a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com and co-owns the specialist stock photography company M O O N Stock Photography.

Just Hear Me by L.A. Witt

A short story based on The Father Project

41 Pages

Buy Links:     Amazon         Amazon UK

The blurb

Five years ago, Darius awoke to an empty bed. He’s never forgotten Jordan, though, and now he wants to face the man—now a priest—who broke his heart.

Jordan has tried to put his sinful past behind him and focus on his duties as a clergyman. The only problem is that even half a decade later, he’s haunted by his feelings for the man he wasn’t supposed to love.

When Darius confronts Jordan, it’s a disaster. But it might also be the beginning of the second chance both men desperately need…

This 11,000 word short story is based on The Father Project by Tooji, and written/sold with permission. All royalties from Just Hear Me fund a short film project being produced by Tooji and the author. Any surplus (or monies received after the film’s production) will be donated to an LGBT charity of the author’s choosing.

My thoughts

I saw the video this short story is based on long before I read the words. Both the video and the blurb tell you everything you need to know about this story, so I won’t go into that.

What I do want to say is that this short tale really captivated me. Both men’s despair and pain almost leap off the page to grip you by the throat. It would have been easy to portray Jordan as the villain of this piece; after all, he does desert the man who loves him dearly without saying goodbye or explaining his actions. But Jordan has demons to deal with. How do you choose between a calling and the love of your life when the two are not compatible? How do you throw away all you thought your life would be for something you know the world at large, the church you’re a member of, and your family rejects and sees as an abomination.

Darius’s anger is so understandable. Five years have passed since Jordan walked out on him and yet it might as well have been yesterday for how raw Darius’s pain still is. Of course it is exactly because of the depth of the feelings both of them have for each other that their coming together, when it does happen, is such a powerful and memorable moment.

This is a short story. We get some background and the feelings both men harbour today, five years after they’ve last seen each other, and we aren’t told anything about what will happen to them after their reunion, although a relationship appears to be on the cards. This could have been frustrating (I wouldn’t be surprised if it is for some readers) but for me it worked because in these few pages L.A. Witt managed to convince me that Darius and Jordan will find their way. I don’t really mind not knowing exactly how they’ll manage that or what form their life together will take, the fact that they are heading that way was enough for me in this tale.

This was a gripping short read about two tortured souls coming together after way too much time apart and as such I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And here’s a link to the video that inspired the story: Tooji – The Father Project

Limits by Tantalus

Damon & Pete – Playing With Fire #4

10.900 words

Buy Links: Amazon   Amazon UK

The blurb

Pete finally gets to go to the Folsom Street Fair.
It's a weekend for exploring his limits.
But ultimately it's Damon's limits that are challenged....

My thoughts

As stated above, this is the fourth short story / chapter in Damon and Pete’s story. We’ve followed them as they moved from what could have been a single, very hot and kinky, encounter to discovering that there might be a lot more for the two of them to explore as well as a growing bond between them.

In this instalment they take Pete’s introduction into the world of BDSM a long way further. Preparations for and subsequently attending the Folsom Street Fair reveals that Pete’s appetite for submission and kink goes further than Damon could have dreamed it might. As a result, their kinky day out is not just about discovering what Pete’s limits might be, because it turns out that Damon has a limit or two of his own when it comes to his boy.

As limits are pushed and feelings deepen it seems that Pete and Damon are on their way to establishing a wonderful dynamic and relationship until a ghost from his past shows up on Damon’s doorstep leaving both the characters and the reader to wonder what this might mean for the fledgling bond between them.

So, to start with what for me was the bad news, this story ends on a cliff hanger and I’m not a fan of those. Having said that, as cliff hangers go, this is a good one; I can’t deny it left me on the edge of my seat and very impatient for the next instalment in this tale. I find myself totally invested in Damon and Pete and can’t wait to find out what this latest development will mean for them and how they’ll overcome whatever obstacles they may encounter. Of course, I do need those answers soon (are you listening, author dearest?).

If you like your fiction kinky and enjoy stories in which sexy times are the main focus without neglecting feelings and growing affection, I can’t recommend the Playing With Fire stories enough. The characters are intriguing, their interactions fun and extremely hot, and the writing is smooth and a pleasure to read—what’s not to love.

My thoughts about the earlier instalments:

Summer Heat           After             Consequences

Of Love and Corn Dogs by Parker Williams

#1 Of Love and ….

152 Pages

Buy Links:     Amazon         Amazon UK

The blurb

With more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes, Darwin Kincade still couldn't keep death from stealing his lover. A little older and a whole lot wiser, flirting with his twice-a-week waiter is the perfect no-risk substitute for a real relationship. Until the night his routine is upended by the restaurant's newest employee.

Ricky Donnelly loves people. While being a server isn’t his dream, he’s good at it. When a grumpy man is seated in his station, Ricky sees there’s more to him than he lets on, and when the man relaxes, he’s actually sweet.

As the two men bond over a discussion about corn dogs— something Darwin’s never heard of—he realizes how much he’s missed out on in his life. He vows to open himself to new experiences—including, perhaps, a chance at finding love again.

Not wanting anything to muddy their blooming relationship, Darwin hides part of himself from Ricky. He likes the look in Ricky’s eyes, unclouded by Darwin’s notoriety. Unfortunately, the truth can never stay hidden, and when it comes out, Darwin may lose any hope of holding onto the future they’ve begun to build. 

My thoughts

Of Love and Corn Dogs is, for the most part, a sweet feel-good story featuring two adorable, be it at times frustrating, protagonists I couldn’t help but fall for.

Ricky is such a good guy. He’s nice. He just wants people to be happy, doesn’t appear to have a selfish bone in his body, and charmed me from the moment he appeared on the page.

Darwin was a different story. Initially he came across as rather short and stand-offish. Of course the fact that he at first appeared to be rather arrogant made it all the more wonderful when he revealed himself as a thoroughly good and warm-hearted man.

I read most of this story with a huge grin on my face as these two men find their way towards each other and in the process brighten each other’s lives. Of course it isn’t all plain sailing and I’ll happily admit to feeling the urge to slap first Darwin and subsequently Ricky for being short-sighted fools and almost destroying what could be. But, I could understand their reasons for doing what they did, even if I didn’t agree with them.

This story features quite a few fabulous secondary characters. I adored Henley (Darwin’s chauffeur) and Maria (his cook) but there were others who made me smile. In fact, as I said before, this whole book made me happy. This is a thoroughly enjoyable feel good story and as such it was exactly what I needed during a somewhat sad and difficult personal time. It was impossible to not fall hard for both Ricky and Darwin and root for them from the start. Just as I now find myself very curious about ‘corn dogs’ and longing for a good shake. J

In short, I highly recommend this book if you happen to be looking for a story that will make you smile and lift your spirits. In the meantime, I’ll be investigating other solo novels by Parker Williams. I have no doubt I’m in for a happy surprise or two.