This is what I like to think of as classic Sean Michael in that the sex is sizzling off the pagREVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
Time Out – Sean Michael
This is what I like to think of as classic Sean Michael in that the sex is sizzling off the page. Chaz and Val had parted ways after Chaz mocks the use of his safeword during a scene. One angry and grumpy Dom and one desperate and depressed sub later pushes one of their friend’s to stage an intervention in order to get them back into the same room. Before they can even think of getting back to where they were they need to communicate – something which was definitely lacking when it all went so wrong last time.
Strict Consequences – Morticia Knight
Garson is a young man who subs for an hour a week at a local BDSM club and has a long list of hard limits – most of them designed to prevent a Dom getting to know him or to enable any intimacy to develop – he is there purely for the pain and the release that gives him. This story follows Garson as he has a mini meltdown and just can’t wait until his usual Friday session. Turning up on a Wednesday and running into his favourite Dom Jarvis might just be the game changer he needs, especially when Jarvis has been learning all about the man he has fallen for and is ready to start knocking down his walls.
Tagging Mackenzie – L M Somerton
I love a bratty sub who gets himself into trouble and that is exactly who Kenzie is. Tired of waiting for his perfect Dom Steele to notice him he takes things into his own hands without thinking the consequences through. His actions though might just get him what he wanted and then some as Kenzie hasn’t gone as unnoticed as he thinks. Steele has been biding his time and when the time is right this pair are great together and their kinky takes an innovative turn.
Bad Idea – Lily Harlem
Heavy is the leader of a motorcycle gang and poor Junk is the newbie at the bottom of the pole. They are also Dom and sub and have been albeit secretly for the last two years. Although Junk is aware of the inherent dangers for them both if the rest of the gang were to ever find out he can’t help play up when he hasn’t had the attention of the one man he wants for the last month. When they do finally get some alone time it’s hot and heavy and I loved seeing the softer side of Heavy when he let his guard down. This would make a great longer story as its left with a HFN ending.
Safeword – Samantha Cayto This was another HFN ending that was left rather open. Carter left one nightmare, his homophobic family, and ran straight into another. Winter was a bad man and an abusive Dom who kept Carter locked away from the world once he got his claws into him. Crow is visiting Winter to do a deal and is given Carter for a couple of days as a sign of goodwill. Their time together is unexpected but then Crow is a bit of enigma all round.
Earning His Leathers – S. Dora
This is the story of Connor who wants to earn the right to be called a Dom. A chance meeting leads him to an exclusive club where he is given the opportunity to earn his leathers under the tutelage of Sir Stone. There’s no romance here but there is the opening for it right at the end – I would have liked a look at how things worked out with Jesse and possibly even Stone.
All six stories in this anthology were quite different even though they all covered kink in its many forms. As is often the case some stories were definitely stronger than others but each story offered something different and I enjoyed them all.
Merged review:
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
Time Out – Sean Michael
This is what I like to think of as classic Sean Michael in that the sex is sizzling off the page. Chaz and Val had parted ways after Chaz mocks the use of his safeword during a scene. One angry and grumpy Dom and one desperate and depressed sub later pushes one of their friend’s to stage an intervention in order to get them back into the same room. Before they can even think of getting back to where they were they need to communicate – something which was definitely lacking when it all went so wrong last time.
Strict Consequences – Morticia Knight
Garson is a young man who subs for an hour a week at a local BDSM club and has a long list of hard limits – most of them designed to prevent a Dom getting to know him or to enable any intimacy to develop – he is there purely for the pain and the release that gives him. This story follows Garson as he has a mini meltdown and just can’t wait until his usual Friday session. Turning up on a Wednesday and running into his favourite Dom Jarvis might just be the game changer he needs, especially when Jarvis has been learning all about the man he has fallen for and is ready to start knocking down his walls.
Tagging Mackenzie – L M Somerton
I love a bratty sub who gets himself into trouble and that is exactly who Kenzie is. Tired of waiting for his perfect Dom Steele to notice him he takes things into his own hands without thinking the consequences through. His actions though might just get him what he wanted and then some as Kenzie hasn’t gone as unnoticed as he thinks. Steele has been biding his time and when the time is right this pair are great together and their kinky takes an innovative turn.
Bad Idea – Lily Harlem
Heavy is the leader of a motorcycle gang and poor Junk is the newbie at the bottom of the pole. They are also Dom and sub and have been albeit secretly for the last two years. Although Junk is aware of the inherent dangers for them both if the rest of the gang were to ever find out he can’t help play up when he hasn’t had the attention of the one man he wants for the last month. When they do finally get some alone time it’s hot and heavy and I loved seeing the softer side of Heavy when he let his guard down. This would make a great longer story as its left with a HFN ending.
Safeword – Samantha Cayto This was another HFN ending that was left rather open. Carter left one nightmare, his homophobic family, and ran straight into another. Winter was a bad man and an abusive Dom who kept Carter locked away from the world once he got his claws into him. Crow is visiting Winter to do a deal and is given Carter for a couple of days as a sign of goodwill. Their time together is unexpected but then Crow is a bit of enigma all round.
Earning His Leathers – S. Dora
This is the story of Connor who wants to earn the right to be called a Dom. A chance meeting leads him to an exclusive club where he is given the opportunity to earn his leathers under the tutelage of Sir Stone. There’s no romance here but there is the opening for it right at the end – I would have liked a look at how things worked out with Jesse and possibly even Stone.
All six stories in this anthology were quite different even though they all covered kink in its many forms. As is often the case some stories were definitely stronger than others but each story offered something different and I enjoyed them all....more
Book 3 in the Kick series and finally we get to meet Finn.
Finn Kelley is one of the founders of Kick but we REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
4.25 Stars
Book 3 in the Kick series and finally we get to meet Finn.
Finn Kelley is one of the founders of Kick but we are only getting to know him now as he starts an arduous recovery after being in a coma. He has begun his rehabilitation but has withdrawn from the world and all his friends and colleagues as he tries to come to terms with the anger and frustration of his current situation. His body has changed, his brain has changed and his best friend is dead – add on the fact that his company seems to be running just fine without him and Finn is feeling pretty inadequate.
Tanner Dorsey has devoted his life to being a Marine. When his two best friends Chris and Finn retired he re-upped and for the first time in years the three men were separated. Tanner is just coming home after his latest mission and his first port of call is to check on Finn and to pay his respects to Chris. Finn doesn’t look anything like the man he left behind but he is determined to help his friend and bring him to back to function in the real world. There is a very touching graveside scene when the three brothers are finally brought back together – bring tissues!
There has never been anything sexual between Tanner and Finn but from the outset you can feel their chemistry. Fear is a huge factor in neither of them moving things forward – fear of losing their friendship which for Finn is bigger than life itself at the moment and the one thing he is clinging to as he tries to recover. Regardless of that fear their feelings cannot be quashed and for the first time in a long time Finn takes control, he thrives on Tanner trusting him with that control and the very thing he feared actually helps him move forward.
This is a much softer book than the previous one and I ached for Finn’s losses. It’s a bit of a bumpy ride at times but love wins, a lot of fears are put to rest and Finn’s recovery although slow does progress.
A final offbeat thought – When Chris disappeared in the river there was no body found. My over active imagination has him still alive. Imagine if he came back – would he find his own love or would he slot into an already established couple – see where I’m going with this………….
Merged review:
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
4.25 Stars
Book 3 in the Kick series and finally we get to meet Finn.
Finn Kelley is one of the founders of Kick but we are only getting to know him now as he starts an arduous recovery after being in a coma. He has begun his rehabilitation but has withdrawn from the world and all his friends and colleagues as he tries to come to terms with the anger and frustration of his current situation. His body has changed, his brain has changed and his best friend is dead – add on the fact that his company seems to be running just fine without him and Finn is feeling pretty inadequate.
Tanner Dorsey has devoted his life to being a Marine. When his two best friends Chris and Finn retired he re-upped and for the first time in years the three men were separated. Tanner is just coming home after his latest mission and his first port of call is to check on Finn and to pay his respects to Chris. Finn doesn’t look anything like the man he left behind but he is determined to help his friend and bring him to back to function in the real world. There is a very touching graveside scene when the three brothers are finally brought back together – bring tissues!
There has never been anything sexual between Tanner and Finn but from the outset you can feel their chemistry. Fear is a huge factor in neither of them moving things forward – fear of losing their friendship which for Finn is bigger than life itself at the moment and the one thing he is clinging to as he tries to recover. Regardless of that fear their feelings cannot be quashed and for the first time in a long time Finn takes control, he thrives on Tanner trusting him with that control and the very thing he feared actually helps him move forward.
This is a much softer book than the previous one and I ached for Finn’s losses. It’s a bit of a bumpy ride at times but love wins, a lot of fears are put to rest and Finn’s recovery although slow does progress.
A final offbeat thought – When Chris disappeared in the river there was no body found. My over active imagination has him still alive. Imagine if he came back – would he find his own love or would he slot into an already established couple – see where I’m going with this…………....more
Wes’ Denial is book 2 in the Tease and Denial series by Joseph Lance Tonlet, it is an incredible and perfect follow upREVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
Wes’ Denial is book 2 in the Tease and Denial series by Joseph Lance Tonlet, it is an incredible and perfect follow up, but you must read Grif’s Toy first. Both books feature the same characters, follow their ups and downs and give you differing opinions that will slowly unravel an epic love story from the beginning through to a very emotional end. Grif’s Toy was one of my favourite books of 2014 and you can find what I had to say about it here.
Where we got to know Grif in the first book we now get to know Wes and I think once you have read his story the overall story makes much more sense. Both of these men have a need that the other fills and however society would choose to look at it it definitely works for them. This is a very kinky story with a lot of sex that delves into humiliation and control that some readers will no doubt find uncomfortable but it’s also a love story and that part is pretty epic as both these men love hard and completely. They quite literally live for each other…
As with the first book this story jumps around between the past and the present and as with the first book it works well. Joseph’s writing is raw and emotional and to find out how his men got to where they are now you need to see where they have previously been. Wes has his demons from the past and as hard as he tries to hide them he inevitably brings them to his relationship with Grif. Wes has many fears but the biggest is that Grif will see him in a different light, will think less of him or will walk away thus destroying him. Every aspect of his relationship with Grif is built on honesty and withholding his past from the man he loves is not doing either of them any good.
The writing here is beautiful, the story is compelling and every word from start to finish is perfect. Joseph’s stories just get better every time – he is an author I know will deliver something a bit different that will hook me right in. There is such depth to both his characters and their lives. The ending left me devastated and was something I thought about often for days after I finished the book. This is definitely a conclusion to the story of Wes and Grif – but what a conclusion it is!
This has undoubtedly made it onto my list of best books in 2016.
Merged review:
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
Wes’ Denial is book 2 in the Tease and Denial series by Joseph Lance Tonlet, it is an incredible and perfect follow up, but you must read Grif’s Toy first. Both books feature the same characters, follow their ups and downs and give you differing opinions that will slowly unravel an epic love story from the beginning through to a very emotional end. Grif’s Toy was one of my favourite books of 2014 and you can find what I had to say about it here.
Where we got to know Grif in the first book we now get to know Wes and I think once you have read his story the overall story makes much more sense. Both of these men have a need that the other fills and however society would choose to look at it it definitely works for them. This is a very kinky story with a lot of sex that delves into humiliation and control that some readers will no doubt find uncomfortable but it’s also a love story and that part is pretty epic as both these men love hard and completely. They quite literally live for each other…
As with the first book this story jumps around between the past and the present and as with the first book it works well. Joseph’s writing is raw and emotional and to find out how his men got to where they are now you need to see where they have previously been. Wes has his demons from the past and as hard as he tries to hide them he inevitably brings them to his relationship with Grif. Wes has many fears but the biggest is that Grif will see him in a different light, will think less of him or will walk away thus destroying him. Every aspect of his relationship with Grif is built on honesty and withholding his past from the man he loves is not doing either of them any good.
The writing here is beautiful, the story is compelling and every word from start to finish is perfect. Joseph’s stories just get better every time – he is an author I know will deliver something a bit different that will hook me right in. There is such depth to both his characters and their lives. The ending left me devastated and was something I thought about often for days after I finished the book. This is definitely a conclusion to the story of Wes and Grif – but what a conclusion it is!
This has undoubtedly made it onto my list of best books in 2016....more
It feels like forever since I read In From The Cold the first book in this series. After the first couple of chapters REVIEWED FOR LOVE BYTES
4.5 Stars
It feels like forever since I read In From The Cold the first book in this series. After the first couple of chapters the memories from that first book came back and I was totally immersed in Nathan and Quinn’s lives once again. I don’t remember things being so wrong between Nathan and Quinn in the first book but when dead bodies start turning up and Special Agent Drew Walker returns to town we are taken on a roller coaster of a ride Mercy Celeste style.
Drew really struggles being back in Quinn and Nathan’s life and it’s not long before his return is causing struggles for Quinn and Nathan. I think putting these three men back in the vicinity of each other even after a few years have passed causes all of them to take a long hard look at where they are in their lives. This story is complicated and sometimes messy. You have a couple who thought they were doing ok when really they are just treading water and a third man who is desperate for one or the other or both of them. There are a lot of things that need to be resolved between these three men but none of them know where to start and in true avoidance they end up in bed together.
But first there is a murderer to catch and the clues left point to it having something to do with one of our men. The storyline is tense and it takes all three men working as a team to resolve the case and survive. They are not just surviving the present – the memories from the past are just as dangerous and the more tense things get the more driven they are to be together.
There is no resolution at the end of this book. There is anger, resentment and concern at being left out. This is a very tentative HFN. Quinn and Nathan’s relationship is really put through the wringer and although they are certainly stronger at the end it’s not clear where they go from here and what role, if any, Drew will have. Another Mercy book that was a total hit for me. This series definitely needs to be read in order....more