It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Date. It is a place to share what we have read, what we are currently reading, and what is up next on our TBR pile.
Always Angel by Heather Killough-Walden (The Lost Angels #0.5)
Roadside Assistance by Travis Beaudoin (Bryce Can Play #7)
Reclaimed by Travis Beaudoin (Bryce Can Play #8)
Her Broken Alpha by Isoellen
No idea yet!
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Date. It is a place to share what we have read, what we are currently reading, and what is up next on our TBR pile.
Nothing. I seem to be in a pretty big reading slump at the moment 😦
Always Angel by Heather Killough-Walden (The Lost Angels #0.5)
Roadside Assistance by Travis Beaudoin (Bryce Can Play #7)
Rating – 4 out of 5
Genre – Erotica
Blurb – Preston has no friend closer than Luke, the surfer bro with a hangdog attitude. And Luke has no better friend than Preston, his snarky genius roommate. They spend their summer surfing and playing innocent games, like Who’s-the-Spy and Hide-and-Seek. But when Luke changes the rules, inventing games like Kidnapper and Interrogation, Preston feels something he’s never felt before for his friend. He lies awake at night, waiting for Luke to “break in,” eager for the ominous tearing sound of duct tape, the rattle of handcuffs. He doesn’t understand: he’s straight, and so is Luke. He’s always loved his best friend. Of course he has; that’s what friendship is. But now he’s starting to wonder: does he love him, or is he in love with him? Or maybe he’s just in love with the taste of tape on his lips and the chafing of belts against his wrists. The two friends trade sweet pain and agonizing pleasure, until Preston is bound and helpless — in every sense. Is Luke feeling something similar when he puts on his leather gloves and mask, or is all just a game to him?
Review – I stumbled across Thomas Carver after one of my favourite authors recommended him on Twitter, so I just had to give him a try. And I enjoyed this book just as much as I expected to given the source of the recommendation!
This is the story of Preston and Luke, two college guys who are exploring their sexuality (and their kinky proclivities) through regular games which seem to have more than a little bit of a kinky twist to them. It starts off innocently enough with games of hide and seek, but then they develop a game where they take it in turns to be the kidnapper, and they have to restrain the “victim” for an hour in order to win the game. Each time they play this game, it seems to become more intense, with each of them taking things further than ever before.
Just a Game is definitely a slow burn erotica story. It takes a long time for anything to happen sexually between Preston and Luke, but the sexual tension is built so spectacularly through this kidnapper game as the story progresses that, in my mind, the actual act was secondary to everything else. This story is more about the kink involved in the game and the way that Preston reacts to being captured and restrained. Even though they take it in turns to be the kidnapper, Preston definitely has more of a submissive streak and much prefers the times when he is being caught.
Although this isn’t really my kink, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story. The author manages to perfectly describe Preston’s arousal as he is held captive, with both the fear and the helplessness playing a big part in the way he feels. It is written in such a way that there is almost an element of suspense for the reader, too. Although we know that an “attack” is going to happen, we never know when Luke might strike or what he will do to Preston once he has got him restrained. This suspense helps to build on the excitement that Preston feels.
While this is also obviously a story of two young men exploring their sexuality, it is more an exploration of the physical than the emotional. It is not a story of two guys falling in love with one another. But, Preston and Luke have been best friends since childhood and so a bond definitely exists there even if they aren’t able to talk about their feelings for one another.
Overall, I’m really glad that I picked up Just a Game. There were some very hot moments and I really felt as if I became invested in Preston’s story. Both Preston and Luke were believable and likeable characters and I found myself hoping that they would have a happy ever after while still being able to live out all their kinky fantasies. Definitely worth a read if kinky erotica is your thing!
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Date. It is a place to share what we have read, what we are currently reading, and what is up next on our TBR pile.
Just A Game by Thomas Carver
Unbroken by Aparna Gayle
I’m not completely sure yet, but possibly this…
The Saint by Tiffany Reisz (Original Sinners (The White Years) #1)
Up today is an excerpt from another one of my favourite authors; Travis Beaudoin! He writes steamy gay erotica that is full of heart and I have absolutely fallen in love with Bryce from this particular series. If you haven’t yet read anything from Travis then you will love the hot little excerpt that he picked out for you today! And if this sneak peek at the first book in the series isn’t enough to persuade you that you HAVE to read this series, then you can find my reviews for books 1-6 here. But, without further ado, here is the excerpt that you are all waiting for…
Bryce and Mateo have a happy, fulfilling marriage. They also have an arrangement.
Mat gets off on the attention his slutty, sexy husband earns from other men, and Mat’s work requires him to travel a few times a year.
So when Mat’s away, Bryce can play.
On the day his husband leaves for a week-long business trip, Bryce reconnects with Theo, a long-time friend and former mentor. As a sculptor, Theo is fascinated by the human body. Especially Bryce’s body.
Bryce loves Theo’s gentle soul, his strong hands, and his big dick. He loves how sexy he feels when Theo looks at him.
Join them for an evening of friendship, playful touching, and affectionate-but-vigorous sex.
We’d been friends for a long time and fucking as long as we’d been friends. We had our little routines. I knew what he wanted.
The day’s warmth had raised the thinnest layer of sweat on my chest and neck, making my skin glow in the low light. I peeled my shirt off, folded it carefully, and draped it over the back of the couch.
Theo leaned against the bannister, arms folded across his broad chest, his eyes glued to me.
I continued to undress for him. Not like a stripper—there was nothing explicitly sexual about my movements. But I took my time, like I was alone in my bedroom after a long day, undressing for bed.
I slid my thumbs under my waistband, letting fabric whisper against fabric as I lowered the chinos past my groin, past my thighs and down my calves. I gave two small tugs where I’d cuffed them tight against my skin, then stepped out.
I hadn’t looked at him this entire time. At least not directly. I’d kept him in the corner of my eye, aroused by his arousal. I wasn’t hard yet, but I felt thick and heavy inside my briefs from the way he stared. I adjusted myself, and even that tiny bit of attention felt good.
Meeting his gaze, I crossed to him. Our bodies close, I reached for his half-full beer, took a long swallow, then kissed him again. Our lips pressed together nice and firm while an inch of empty air separated our bodies.
He was tense as a steel spring. He wanted to touch me. But he kept his hands to himself. He got off on the tension.
I gave him back his bottle, turned away, and walked toward the couch, retreating as slowly as I’d approached. When I reached the coffee table, I bent over and pulled my briefs over my ass before stepping out. I folded those as well, then set them on the small stack of clothing I’d built. Naked, I turned to him and smiled.
Theo stood in scarred work boots and heavy denim jeans, his red-and-black checked shirt stretching across his muscles. Even in the low light, his blue eyes pierced, causing a tightness to spread through my belly. I felt vulnerable—almost breakable—but perfectly safe, standing naked and half-erect in front of this fully-clothed, gentle man. Mat and I never played this game. I’d forgotten how much I liked it. I took his hand and let him lead me through the house, out the kitchen door, and onto his back deck. He guided me gingerly down the stairs then stepped aside, walking in the dirt while I placed my bare feet carefully on the paving stones that led to his workshop. Outdoors, my nakedness felt even more vulnerable than it had in Theo’s living room. But it felt right, too. Natural and primitive and right. The day was cooling, and a fresh breeze trembled against my skin.
Having lived in Miami, Chicago, and NYC, I eventually ended up twenty minutes from where I was born, in Nowhere, Virginia, where the days are quiet and the stars are bright. I share a big old farmhouse with my unbelievably supportive husband, a terrorist cat, and the world’s most neurotic dog.
I am nerdy about lots of things, including but not limited to classical rhetoric, the lives of the saints, Egyptian mythology, Shakespeare, contemporary fantasy, and the Muppets. Nevertheless, I am fun at parties.
I like rainy days, long drives, and cuddling. I drink more coffee than I ought.
Though it sometimes contains more plot and character development than strictly necessary, I get off on writing filthy gay erotica, usually with a focus on power exchange and often with a light-to-moderate D/s edge. I hope you enjoy it.
I am active on Twitter and check Goodreads when I remember to. I’m starting to get into Facebook, but it feels a bit like the Wild West, so please be gentle. If you visit my website, you can sign up for my newsletter under the “Free Smut” tab (simultaneously earning some free smut for your troubles), and message me using the form under the “Contact” tab.
Series – Private #2
Rating – 3 out of 5
Genre – Contemporary Romance
Blurb – After years of catering to the whims of the rich and famous at one of the Caribbean’s most luxurious resorts, there isn’t much that can rattle Carla DeLuca.
Until Sam O’Connell shows up.
Tall, dark, and sexy, Holley Cay’s new security chief is no stranger. He’s the irresistible bad boy who seduced her over a long, hot summer only to leave her heartbroken, humiliated, and determined to never again fall for a player like him. But though her heart still stings with the memory of his rejection, her body can’t forget the all-consuming pleasure of his touch.
Sam never forgave himself for his too cruel rejection of Carla over a decade before. Young, reckless, and convinced it was only a matter of time before Carla regretted hooking up with a troublemaker like him, Sam pushed Carla away before she could realize her mistake. But when Sam lands a job working for Carla in paradise, he seizes the chance to finally make things right.
When a hurricane strands them alone on the island, Carla is unable to resist the passion simmering between them. She doesn’t fool herself that what they have will last past the storm. But little does she know, Sam will do whatever it takes to make her his – forever this time.
Review – Even though this is the second book in the series, it works well as a standalone novella. I have not read the first book in this series – I believe I picked up Private Paradise a long time ago when it was a free download on Amazon, which is why I started with #2 rather than #1 – but I had no trouble at all keeping up.
I loved the setting of this book and more than once I found myself getting lost in the descriptions of the tropical island and wishing that I could be there too. This was definitely one of the better things in a novella which held a lot of potential, but which ended up being slightly disappointing. I also fell in love with Sam as I learned more about him. Yes, he hurt Carla badly in the past, but he has changed a lot in the years since they last saw one another, and he is mature and responsible. He is ready to prove his feelings for Carla and show her that he is no longer the scared and reckless heartbreaker he once was.
The romance between Sam and Carla was sizzling and provided many steamy scenes throughout the story – another very definite plus point for this book. But I didn’t find Carla to be a very likeable character. There were many times when she was cruel to Sam. I understand that he hurt her badly in the past, and if she truly felt that the way he treated her was unforgivable then she should not have got involved with him again and kept things strictly professional with him at the resort. But instead, she became a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character – being sweet and loving and seductive one moment, only to follow it up with some very cruel comments about how she perceives him to be the next moment. In my eyes it was completely uncalled for, and Sam had the patience of a saint not to lose his temper over the way she treated him. Rather than listen to his words and look at his actions, she chose to ignore all the effort he made to show her that he has changed and instead pay attention only to the judgements she made about him a long time ago. This made her come across as very immature and I just couldn’t seem to find anything about her that I liked all that much.
Another peeve of mine in this story was the poor editing. There were many times when there was an extra word added into a sentence or a word missing. At the start of the novella, it only happened occasionally and I was willing to overlook it, but the errors became much more frequent as the story progressed and it started to become quite frustrating.
Overall, I found this book to be pretty average. I didn’t love it – there were too many things that irritated me a bit for me to really enjoy it – but I didn’t exactly hate it either. Sam and the hot sex scenes did help me to make it through the entire story. But I would not be put off from reading more from this author as there was definitely the potential there for a good story, it may just be that my inability to like the heroine in this particular book made it harder for me to enjoy it. Perhaps another one of Jami Alden’s book would be more to my taste.
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Date. It is a place to share what we have read, what we are currently reading, and what is up next on our TBR pile.
Ferocious by Aurora Caine
Naked Secrets by Samuel Silver
Just a Game by Thomas Carver
I literally have no idea right now what I will be reading next!
Today I will be sharing an excerpt from one of my favourite authors, and if you are not yet familiar with B.J. Frazier’s work then you can read some of my reviews of her books here! I haven’t read Betting the Pride; Losing the Prejudice yet but I am looking forward to starting this series. Especially after reading this teasing little snippet!
Shane Shackleford has been a bull for over twenty years. He has trained many subs to serve him, to be a hotwife and to cuck their husbands.
After an argument with his nieces over the film “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days”, Shane concocts a bet with himself to prove that rom/coms aren’t real.
Anne Rickerson is happily married to the love of her life, and she’s the accountant at Shane Shackleford’s real estate company. She is awkward, frugal and dowdy. As such, Anne keeps to herself, does her job, and mostly goes unnoticed.
After she catches Shane engaged in rough sex with the office manager, Anne tells Doug, her husband. He recognizes Anne was incredibly turned on by what she witnessed and begins to open her eyes to the idea of a bull/hotwife scenario with Shane as the bull.
When Shane chats with Anne about the sex she witnessed, he decides to put his bet into action.
“Betting the Pride; Losing the Prejudice” merges themes from “Pride and Prejudice” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, set in Beverly Hills, California. With real estate as the backdrop, the book tours homes, sex, crime, passion, and love.
This is book one of a trilogy. While it’s a bull/hotwife book, and contains some of the usual elements of its genre, it also steps outside of the typical trope to keep the reader guessing, intrigued and aroused.
“Betting the Pride; Losing the Prejudice” is erotica with twists, a treasure trove of characters and a whodunit that unfolds under layers of sexual domination and sexual awakening. Delectably relatable and hot fiction from the clever pen of B.J. Frazier.
Shane walked up to her table and looked at her book, “Jane, good afternoon. I’m late for lunch because I just landed another client this morning.”
With Shane’s cock at eye level, Anne became flustered and dropped her book.
Shane picked it up and flashed another smile as he handed it to her.
Striving to maintain equilibrium, she flipped the pages to find her place as she asked, “Why did you call me ‘Jane’ in such a weird tone?”
“It was a joke. Was it that bad?” Shane smiled again while pointing to the book’s spine.
“Ohh, because I’m reading Jane Austen, you… okay, I get it.” She laughed awkwardly.
“Mind if I–”
“My name’s not–”
“–join you, Jane?”
“–Jane, Shane.”
She giggled at their speaking over each other as well as her rhyme.
The sound was closer to a sick animal that anything mirthful. Shane sipped his coffee to avoid wincing, and to give her time to settle down.
When she stopped, he pointed to the chair across from her, and she nodded.
“What were you saying when I rudely spoke over you?”
“Uh, I said, my name’s not Jane.”
“You mean, you’re not the author of this book?”
Anne blushed. “Omigod, no! Jane Austen is one of the finest English authors of the Nineteenth Century. This,” she eyed her book, “is my favorite book. It’s her second, and was published in 1913.”
“I see.”
Anne couldn’t believe how much she babbled. She wasn’t usually a talker.
Except with Doug.
She absent-mindedly crunched on kale chips, because she needed something to do with her hands.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that Jane Austen should be regarded for the wonderful and historical figure that she is; not joked about.”
“Please accept my sincerest apologies.”
He was putting on an act; he had to be. She rolled her eyes, remembering the cultural idiot he was.
“It’s okay,” she muttered.
Shane would’ve thought she was a lesbian were it not for her wedding band. Then he reminded himself that it was no indication of her sexual orientation.
It would certainly explain her moronic commentary… but it didn’t explain her blushing embarrassment.
With no one else in the lunch room–and having just sat down–Shane was forced to plod on.
“I hope you know I was just teasing, right…” He stopped himself from saying “Jane” again.
He sighed, knowing she would forever be “Jane” because of his pneumonic structure. He’d said or thought “Jane” more than three times in the same conversation. Therefore, “Jane” was solidified.
She half-smiled and half-shrugged in answer.
“I’ll have you know that I was forced to read that book in high school, so I’m quite aware that you are not its author.” He smiled again.
“Oh, well, most people forget it or her or.”
He waited for her to finish the sentence, but she was done.
“Let’s see now. I think I always thought of myself as Darcy–”
Anne was mid-swallow and the kale caught in her throat as she tried to hold back a nasty comment.
B.J. Frazier is a published author of erotica from the U.S. B.J.’s professional résumé includes time spent as a high school English teacher, advertising executive and business owner. B.J. draws on all three backgrounds to create believable and relatable characters and stories.
B.J. also writes from personal experience in Femdom, which adds realism to the stories.
Readers often comment, “you’re so readable.” B.J. never gets tired of hearing that.
The stand-out comment is from a very vanilla reader, who said, “I don’t mean to be insulting, but I think ‘Mistress Managed’ can be mainstream!”
Follow B.J.’s NSFW blog on bdsmlr
Rating – 3 out of 5
Genre – Erotica
Blurb – A marriage lying in shambles. A job flying off the rails.
And a decision that will change his life forever.
Mac knows.
He knows beyond the shadow of a doubt.
He knows that his wife is cheating on him.
But how can he prove it?
For months, Mac has been running around in circles, chasing his own tail. And now, he finally has her by the ropes. But before he could unravel the worms in his wife’s can, he stumbles upon his own shortcomings. Shortcomings that ignite hot, fervent passion in his workplace. Shortcomings that toss him right in the middle of a dirty, steamy office affair.
Burdened with guilt and self-loathing, Mac quickly realizes that the tables have turned on him. Suddenly, he’s the one with a secret to keep.
His reputation depends on it… so does his marriage… and so does his career.
But how far is he willing to go to keep it?
Review – I was asked by the author to review this book and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. It is quite different to a lot of the other erotica that I have read as it deals with a lot of heavy emotions and heartbreak while still managing to include a lot of steamy moments, considering that this is a short novella. It certainly doesn’t skimp on storyline or emotion which is impressive in itself.
I ended up becoming quite emotionally involved in Mac’s and Alisha’s story. It was a little heart-breaking to see that they both obviously loved each other so much yet there was an emotional and physical distance between the two of them that neither of them seemed to know how to bridge. I did find myself hoping that they would somehow find a way to talk about their differences and work things out, but neither felt able to take the first step.
There were some great twists and turns throughout the story that I didn’t really see coming so it certainly wasn’t a predictable story (for me, at least). It managed to hold my interest well and I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. It also ends with a pretty big cliffhanger that will leave you wanting to read book two.
The steamy moments were hot and very descriptive without crossing the line into becoming vulgar. And the author is great at describing the story in a way that you can picture it perfectly in your head. But I just had one complaint about this story, and it is quite a big one. It really needs a heavy edit. There were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors littered throughout the story, including even the main characters names at one point. These errors ended up becoming quite distracting and kept pulling me out of the story.
Overall, this is a story that holds a LOT of potential, given the author’s ability to craft an engaging storyline, write exciting sex scenes, his descriptive style of writing, and his ability to portray emotions so well. It just needs some editing work to really bring it into its full potential.
Rating – 3 out of 5
Genre – Sci-Fi Erotica
Blurb – To protect my little brother, I plead guilty to three counts of theft. I have no prior convictions, so I should be safe, right?
Wrong.
The judge has had a bad day and orders me to leave the mining station my family lives on. Next stop: Corudeen 7, the infamous outlaw prison planet.
I’ve heard everyone there has gone insane. I’ve heard all men on the planet have turned feral. I’ve also heard those ferocious men haven’t seen a woman in forever …
Review – I stumbled across this book while browsing Amazon and I was intrigued by the premise of it, so thought I would give it a try. It was a short, quick and steamy read, which was perfect because I seem to have the attention span of a flea at the moment. I was able to sit down and read this quickly in one sitting and, even though it was short, there was an impressive balance between storyline and smut.
The storyline was well written, although there were some moments where the author leaned a little too heavily on telling rather than showing. There even ended up being a few twists and turns and a happy ending which was a very pleasant surprise.
The steamy parts were, well, steamy! Once Willow arrives on Corudeen 7, she is captured by a tribe of five giant Vikings with fangs, so it is a story that will stretch the imagination but, for me, that was part of the fun. Willow is expected to give the men sexual favours in return for protection and food and a place to live. For those of you who do not enjoy such things, this story touches on the theme of dubious consent when she is first taken in by the tribe. But it is not long before she begins to trust the men and crave them. And, if you have a size kink, this story would definitely tick that box, with each of the men towering over Willow at a massive eight-feet tall!
Overall, this was a fun read and I enjoyed some of the more unusual aspects of it as they were what made this book stand out from all the other erotica that I have been reading lately. That being said, I didn’t exactly fall in love with the book either. I just didn’t feel much of a connection with the characters and felt that, the male characters in particular, just ended up blurring into one with no distinguishing features between them, with the one exception of the leader of the tribe. But it was an entertaining read and I am glad I picked it up.
Chrissie's Romance Reviews 