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The following titles were reviewed in November 2009:

She’s Got Balls by Mia Watts
Night Ride by Desiree Holt
Below by Kaitlyn O’Connor
Big Girls Do Cry by Hollie Davidson
Darkling Seas by Madelaine Montague
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Lynn Lorenz
Nerd in a Wolf Suit by Laine Morgan
The Riddle of the Sands by Geoffrey Knight
Duty and Desire by Pamela Aidan
Mute Witness by Rick R Reed
An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan
All Lost Things by Josh Aterovis
Dime by Aubrey Leatherwood
Brier’s Bargain by Carol Lynne
The Horsed Thief by Teel James Glenn
Kilted Lover by Nicole North
The Forbidden Chamber by Ella Drake
Unnecessary Roughness by GA Hauser
Cast a Lover’s Spell by Claire Thompson
Magnificent Man by Randall Lang
Sweet Ultimatum by Naima Simone
Memory of Darkness by PA Brown
Playing with Fire by Katie MacAlister
Sound to Die By by Nikki Duncan

Title: She’s Got Balls
Author: Mia Watts
Author’s website:  http://www.miawatts.com/
Publisher:  Resplendence Publishing, LLC
Release Date:  November 2009
ISBN: 978-1- 60735-090-3
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

When FBI rookie Chris Tarpington is assigned an undercover narcotics operation cooperating with the local police force, he is less than pleased to find out that he and the police detective, Vincent Pilk, will be posing as a heterosexual couple. Newbie or not, he’ll be damned if he’s going to dress up like a woman; Detective Pilk will just have to wear the falsies and heels. But then Chris meets Vin, who has to be at least six foot five, is built like a brick outhouse, and has the pleasant disposition of a pit bull. Like it or not, Chris is about to get up close and personal with pantyhose and hot wax to infiltrate a suburban housewife drug ring.

Chris may be wildly attracted to Vin, but he’s pretty sure the guy’s not gay. Or is he? The man certainly seems to enjoy the kiss they put on for the benefit of the suburban housewives, but it is also entirely possible that he’s playing the role just to yank Chris’s chain. Chris knows one thing, though: this undercover business is dangerous, because if the panties don’t kill him, his lust for his partner surely will.

********

So what, aside from the lovely young man on the cover, drew me to read this story? The title, of course! When I picked this novella up, I figured that there was no way that any story titled She's Got Balls could possibly take itself seriously. And I was right. She’s Got Balls by Mia Watts is a quick and humorous read that revolves around the running gag of a man in a dress. Or, rather, a man trying to deal with torturous panties and the crimp that they put in his out-of-control libido. This story is cute, funny, sexy, and just plain fun.

She's Got Balls features two irresistible heroes that you can’t help but love. Both are very manly men, but one of them is doomed to spend a lot of time in a dress. Chris is clever, irreverent, mouthy, pushy and constantly has sex on his mind. He might not want to play the girl, but he throws himself into the role completely and is a very quick study. It’s very entertaining to watch him try to be “one of the girls” because he is such a man. Vin, who gets to be “the man” of their couple because of his size and physique, is actually the kinder and gentler of the two. He tends to hold his emotions close to his chest, and although he puts up a tough-guy front, he has a softer side that is in direct contrast.

The interaction between the main characters strikes sparks along with being humorous. These two are definitely an “odd couple.” Chris’s goads Vin incessantly just for the pleasure of watching the man react, calling him Gigantor and suggesting that his momma fed him growth hormones, and all the while he just wants to get into his pants. Vin, despite first impressions, is the more even-keeled of the two. When he decides to make his move, however, he is definitely the one in control of the situation. And oh, what control he has. This man definitely knows how to put a pair of gag-gift fuzzy handcuffs to work for him.

I was a little disappointed that the investigation in this story did not receive more attention, because I think She’s Got Balls would have benefited from a little more “meat” in the story and would have made a more effective novel than novella. The investigation seems more of a vehicle to bring the two main characters together and an excuse to get Chris into drag rather than being a true plot device. Regardless, this is a cute and fun story. It tickled me and made me grin, and I thought it was definitely worth the reading time.

--Bobby

Title: Night Ride
Author: Desiree Holt
Author’s website: http://www.desireeholt.com/
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: 2008
ISBN: N/A
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Western
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Lily has been receiving a white lily from someone every day for over a month. She is going crazy trying to decide what cowboy might be leaving this calling card. Hopefully she is about to find if it's the man she has secretly been falling in love with; or is it a stranger?

After receiving directions to be blindfolded and to go with the driver that arrives to pick her up, she experiences the most amazing sexual experience of her life. Her gut tells her it's the man she wants it to be, but another part of her wonders if she hasn't just had amazing sex with a stranger.

********

Deeply sensual and sexual, Night Ride will have you fanning yourself. The thought of having sex with a potential stranger is mysterious and purely naughty. The anticipation that builds as the story progresses will have the reader hooked. The sex is edgy and downright delicious. I enjoyed the story, and the only negative I could find is that it was too short; I wanted more.

Title: Below
Author:  Kaitlyn O’Connor
Author’s website:  n/a
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Release Date:  October 2003
ISBN: 978-1- 58608-332-5
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic and Print (as Abandon)
Genre: Science Fiction, Suspense, Romance
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Victoria Anderson is the commanding officer of a mining expedition to the planet Kay2581. Her mission: join the crew already on the planet and process as much ore as possible in the next six months. Her crew is made up of both humans and humans genetically altered by the company to suit deep water mining conditions, and she intends to keep all of them safe. However, when they arrive at the planet, they find the newly constructed habitat and mining rig abandoned and no signs of the construction and mining staff. Before she can start investigating, the company ship that brought Victoria and her crew to the station abandons them on the planet.

As they resume the abandoned mining operations and try to establish some contact with the company, Victoria and her second in command, the genetically engineered and physically beautiful Raphael, try to discover what happened to the previous crew.  It soon becomes evident that whatever caused them to vanish is still on the planet – may in fact be indigenous to the planet – and Victoria’s crew is in just as much danger as they were.

When members of Victoria’s crew begin to disappear, she realizes that they really only have one option: seek out and destroy the threat before it can kill them. Their enemy isn’t only the unknown threat that resides on the planet, however. It is also the very company that sent them there. Because not only did the company know the situation that they were delivering this crew into, they also have no intention of rescuing them.

********

In her novel Below, Kaitlyn O’Connor gives readers a highly suspenseful science fiction adventure that combines action, danger, and romance into a very entertaining package. This mixes deep sea elements from The Abyss with the feeling of threat from Aliens, and does it in a way that makes the story very original but somewhat familiar at the same time. While I am for the most part not a fan of science fiction, I found Below to be an excellent read.

Below pulled me into its drama from the first page and held me there until the very end. As I read, I almost felt like I was watching the action on a movie screen. In high definition, no less. Ms. O’Conner gives us an exciting plot, well-drawn characters, an eerie setting, and of course a compelling romance between her two main characters – a commanding officer who cares deeply for her crew and a sexy and unique merman who just about any of us would want to take home with us.

Ms. O’Connor builds the suspense throughout this novel in a manner that keeps the pages turning. The characters face two main threats: the external forces that destroyed the previous crew as well as the ill intentions of their own parent company. While we know that these exist from just about the beginning, the true extent of both threats is not revealed until the climax of the story. The “monsters” of Kay2581, aka the Kaymons, are wonderfully unpleasant and original, and the extent of the company’s betrayal is potentially quite devastating. It all adds up to quite a thrilling read.

I would recommend Below to just about anyone who enjoys science fiction. In fact, I’d recommend it even if you don’t care for that genre. It is a well written, compelling, and highly diverting novel, and I enjoyed every page of it. I definitely plan to read more of Ms. O’Connor’s work in the future.

--Bobby 

Happy over-eating day to you all!

--Teagan and Bobby

Title: Big Girls Do Cry
Author: Hollie Davidson
Author’s website: N/A
Publisher: Mojocastle Press, LLC
Release Date: 2008
ISBN: 1-60180-AC1-X
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Candace Boyd may be a big girl in size, but she just lost some much needed weight . . . her worthless ex-husband. Weight has been an issue her whole life, and food has become her best friend. Food is what she turns to when times are bad. Her one other friend, Laverne, is knocking at her door and telling her to suck it up and get dressed, they are headed for a double date.

Candace never knew she was in for what might be the start of a whole new outlook on life.

********

It is amazing how much an author can put into such a short story. Candace comes full circle in fewer words than it takes most authors to describe the dress their character is wearing. I felt as if I could identify with Candace on every level. The insecurities that come with extra weight and failed relationships throughout life literally shaped Candace into what she has become. It is touching to read a story that is realistic and down to earth.

The transformation of Candy is sexy and insightful. Even in such a short story, an important learning tool comes through: love yourself. Ms. Davidson has penned a wonderful short story that is delightfully sexy and heartwarming.

Title: Darkling Seas
Author: Madelaine Montague
Author’s website:  http://madelainemontague.blogspot.com
Publisher:  New Concepts Publishing
Release Date:  June 2008
ISBN: 978-1-60394-153-2
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Science Fiction/Fantasy, Romance
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 4.5
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Doctor Angela Norris and her fellow scientists have traveled to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in order to capture and study a giant squid. She never expected to be netted and dragged under the waves or to wake up cold and naked in a laboratory. But here she is: a lab specimen herself. And staring down at her with clinical interest and a gleam in their eyes are two men who aren’t men, but they aren’t fish either. Angie always thought mer-people were the stuff of fairy tales, but if she’s not mistaken, she is staring right back at a couple of honest-to-goodness mermen.

Damien and Miles thought they were capturing a mythical creature along the lines of a wild beast when they netted the terra-biped. However, it quickly becomes apparent that, despite the communication barrier, she is an intelligent being not that different from themselves. This poses a huge problem. Since they can’t keep her in a cage like a lab animal, they aren’t sure what to do with her. If they return her to her people, it will doubtless cause trouble for their undersea kingdom, and if their people catch wind that they have captured a terra-biped, they be in trouble with their own authorities. As if that weren’t enough trouble, both Miles and Damien feel the pull to mate with her.

Angie doesn’t mind being on the receiving end of the two men’s amorous attention; she’s quite attracted to them both. In fact, she’s not in a particular hurry to return home now that they are learning to communicate. Unbeknownst to her, Angie is about to receive a crash course in okean mating rituals, and they are unlike anything she could ever imagine.

********

Madelaine Montague’s Darkling Seas is an engaging trip to the bottom of the sea in a world where mermaids are real and humans are an oddity. This is a sexy and frequently humorous read that features individuals from two completely different societies learning to interact with each other and understand each others’ customs and social mores.

The narrative is for the most part lighthearted and a little bit sarcastic, especially during the portions of the story told through Angie’s point of view. The main characters are well developed and personable, and I found the okeans to be fascinating. Their non-human qualities are quite striking, even startling, but they are not so dissimilar from humans as to make a relationship between the okean males and Angie feel “off.”

I enjoyed the interaction between the characters Damien and Miles in this story. They are like two brothers who bicker and push and shove each other constantly, but it is obvious that their friendship is a strong one. Their feelings for Angie unite them as well as place them in direct competition with each other as they undergo the instinctive mating aggression of their species. Their jealous posturing and tussling over Angie’s favors at first seems a little alarming, but soon the reader realizes that this is instinctive behavior that doesn’t impact their friendship.

One aspect of this story did cause me to stumble a bit. Throughout most of Darkling Seas, Angie has two main love interests with the possibility of a third. However, close to the end, that number suddenly swells to seven, and we are given little opportunity to get to know these additional characters. Nor do we see any relationship development between Angie and these four men. I found that to be a little confusing, and it did impact my enjoyment of the novel slightly.

Overall, though, I found this story to be entertaining. It was fast-paced enough to hold my interest, contains enough humor to elicit a smile, and the love scenes, while somewhat surprising, are sensual enough to make this reader fan herself a little and squirm in her seat.

--Bobby

Title: My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Author: Lynn Lorenz
Author’s website: http://www.lynnlorenz.com/
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC
Release Date: November 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60272-602-4
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary GLBT
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

A chance encounter while looking for costumes leaves two very sexy men wanting to meet again. Luckily, Charles and Simon will be at their friend's "Stag and Drag" costume ball. Simon has never dressed as a woman before and when a hunky man helps him pick the perfect costume at the costume store, he can't believe what a dress and a little makeup does for him.

Charles is smitten. He has been sporting an uncomfortably hard situation in his chaps since meeting the man in the costume store. He has always wanted to play cowboy, but ever since he talked the man in the shop into dressing as a Native American princess, all he wants to do it play cowboys and Indians.

Since they will both be attending the same costume party, Charles is sure he will be able to use his gun on one very hot Indian for a whole lot of pleasure.

********

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys is a light-hearted story of kismet . . . with a little bit of well-directed opportunity. I immediately liked Charles; he knows what he wants, and he goes after it. His instant attraction to Simon, and his ability to sway the situation are amusing and memorable. There is a healthy amount of humor and fun in this book, and I found myself with a smile on my face throughout my reading.

Simon is less comfortable with his role in the Drag part of the party. His appears to be not overly confident, and yet he knows what he wants within minutes of meeting Charles. I really enjoyed the scene between Simon and his sister when she is attempting to help him buy makeup for his costume; it was hilarious.

The story is a fun romp with plenty of sizzle. I always look forward to anything Ms. Lorenz puts out, and I am never disappointed. She has a knack for writing and entertaining.

Title: Nerd in a Wolf Suit
Author: Laine Morgan
Author’s website:  n/a
Publisher:  Champagne Books
Release Date:  October 2009
ISBN: 978-1- 926681-46-7
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

After her husband’s death, Phoebe Morin decided to start anew to put her grief behind her. She now has a new town, a new house, and a new job, but she also has brand-new problems as well. Because the welcoming committee that arrives when she moves in to her house isn’t the neighbors; it is a group of goth punks who have an uncanny resemblance to vampires, and they insist that she give them a microchip. Phoebe has no idea what they are talking about, but she does know that the incident would have ended tragically were it not for a huge dog that came out of nowhere to rescue her. It is only afterwards that she finds the microchip in question hidden in a picture of her late husband.

Drew Montana, the budget analyst in Phoebe’s new office, is considered to be a nerd and “a little off” by his coworkers. In actuality, he has Asperger’s Syndrome, which makes social interaction difficult for him. The only time he is able to break out of his shell is around the full moon when his wolf side comes to the front, and then he is able to shed his introversion like yesterday’s suit. He never meant to get involved with Phoebe and her troubles – he can’t even look her in the face comfortably – but the werewolf inside him demands that he fight the vampires. And that he win the girl as well.

The vampires clearly have no intention of giving up without the microchip that holds the key to the saving their race. Drew has no intention of allowing the vampires to harm Phoebe; he is just afraid that the wolf will recede before he can help her. As the wolf and the nerd within Drew struggle with each other for dominance, he wonders if his growing love for Phoebe has a chance, or if once the Asperger’s returns, he will even have a place in her life.

********

Laine Morgan’s novel Nerd in a Wolf Suit is a paranormal romance that gives us something just a little bit different. This is a story of vampires and werewolves, a woman’s second chance at love, and a race to destroy a technology that would strengthen evil. It is also the tale of a man who finds that the right person will not be put off by the social symptoms of his condition but will love him Asperger’s Syndrome and all.

I found this story to be entertaining and well worth my reading time. Ms. Morgan has given us evil villains we can revile, main characters we can care for, something of a treasure hunt, and an exciting life-or-death struggle for survival. She also gives us a sweet and sexy love story between two people who truly deserve to be loved. And woven throughout this tale of adventure and kicking vampire ass is a thread of humor that is both charming and irresistible.

In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of any story is the characterization. In Nerd in a Wolf’s Suit, Ms. Morgan has given readers two very engaging protagonists, and I especially appreciated the nontraditional hero Drew. While the action-oriented, super sexy and macho Drew is extremely appealing, I found that the nerdy Drew, the man living with Asperger’s Syndrome, captured my heart as well. Ms. Morgan does an excellent job capturing the characteristics of Drew’s condition, from his lack of eye contact to his obsessive focus on the topics that he finds interesting to his repetitive change jangling.

Phoebe and Drew suit each other perfectly. In some aspects, they are complete opposites: Phoebe wants to drive, Drew insists on walking; she loves chocolate and junk food, he prefers to eat healthy; she dithers from time to time, he focuses with the intensity of his condition. Yet they are both introverted, shy, and not prone to much social interaction, and they fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces.

There is a brief epilogue at the end of Nerd in a Wolf Suit, and although I don’t generally care of epilogues, I found this one efficiently answered a question that would have otherwise been left dangling at the conclusion. In all, I enjoyed this story and found its mix of romance, action and the paranormal quite satisfying. Nice job, Ms. Morgan.

--Bobby

Title: The Riddle of the Sands: a Fathom’s Five Adventure
Author: Geoffrey Knight
Author’s website: http://geoffreyknight.blogspot.com/
Publisher: Cleis Press, Inc.
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-573443662
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Action/Adventure GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

The sands of Egypt hold an ancient secret that has been buried for millennia. A secret regarding the greatest mind in Egyptian history, a clash between father and son, and a pyramid lost in the sand. Now that secret is about to be revealed, thanks to the greed of one man and the desperate efforts of a team of five adventurers to save the life of a young friend.

When Jake finds his young protégé, Sam, poisoned in the New York apartment they share, the only hope to save the boy from death lies in a note left behind by Jake's enemy Pierre Perron. It specifies that if Jake will reveal the location of the Lost Pyramid of Imhotep, then Perron will provide an antidote for the rare poison that is swimming in Sam’s bloodstream. Jake has only five days to accomplish this goal; otherwise the poison will run its course, and the young man will perish.

With the help of Professor Maximilian Fathom, the four other members of his team of experts and adventurers, and a young British journalist, Jake will rush to solve the riddle of the sands and discover how the most magnificent pyramid ever built could vanish into thin air. What these men will find is beyond their wildest expectations and will rewrite the history of ancient civilization.

********

When you open Geoffrey Knight’s The Riddle of the Sands, prepare yourself, because you are about to be taken on a nonstop, no-holds-barred adventure that will keep you balanced on the very edge of your seat. This is the second installation of Mr. Knight’s Fathom’s Five series, picking up where his novel The Cross of Sins left off. The Riddle of the Sands might be considered to be a stand-alone story, but readers not wishing to find themselves a little confused (albeit still entertained) will definitely want to read The Cross of Sins first, because the first novel introduces the main characters and provides important back-story.

This novel is just plain fun. Along with gorgeous men and lightening-paced action, The Riddle of the Sands has an irresistible thread of humor that runs throughout it. Whether we’re witnessing a Texas cowboy having a face-off with an irascible camel, our heroes stripping down to the buff to blend in with a museum display, or young Will Hunter goggling at the size of the sexual appendages on dozens of fertility gods, we are almost guaranteed a smile.

Don’t expect much time to stop and catch your breath as you read this story. The action is constant, taking the reader from the tundra of Siberia to the Brazilian jungle to the deserts of Egypt, from a bathhouse in Cairo to the streets of Paris and Warsaw. Our heroes face madmen, crocodiles, booby-trapped rooms, and even a ticked-off housekeeper. They are in constant danger, and they tend extricate themselves from one situation only to land face-first into a mess of even greater magnitude.

If I were to extract a theme from The Riddle of the Sounds to go along with the fun, I would say that it is one of father/son relationships. Not only does this tell the story of the character Jake and his young friend Sam, whose relationship resembles one of parent and child, it focuses on the youngest member of Fathom’s team, Will, and his tempestuous relationship with the father who disapproves of and denigrates him and dips briefly into the character Luca’s search for the father who abandoned him as an infant. In addition, the central riddle revolves around Imhotep of ancient Egypt and a son who does not appear in any history books.

This story has a cinematic larger-than-life feel to it. As I read The Riddle of the Sands, I felt almost as if I were in a movie theatre, popcorn in hand, watching open-mouthed as The Mummy meets Indiana Jones and the heroes face constant danger. The plot follows several different paths as the members of the team split apart and then reunite over the course of the story, and while this has the potential to be confusing, Mr. Knight keeps it all very well organized and tightly choreographed.

Similar to the previous novel, The Riddle of the Sands ends with a number of cliff-hangers that will make readers clamor for more. Next in this series is The Curse of the Dragon. If this novel runs true to form – and I have no reason to believe that it won’t – then we are guaranteed a well-told tale filled with action, adventure, humor, and just a touch of romance. Oh, and lots of naked muscular chests.

--Bobby

Title: Duty and Desire;
Book 2 Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
Author: Pamela Aidan
Author’s website: N/A
Publisher: Wytherngate Press
Release Date: 2004
ISBN: 0-9728529-1-3
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Historical
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 1
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Fitzwilliam Darcy is determined to banish Elizabeth Bennet from his constant thoughts. He leaves Hertfordshire with the intent of finding another better suited to replace her in his heart. He returns to Pemberly and immerses himself in his life there with his sister. He is invited to an old classmates house party where he meets the beautiful and mysterious Lady Sylvanie.

********

In the second installment of Pamela Aidan's Fitzwilliam Darcy series, the reader gets an even more in-depth look into the life of the beloved hero of Pride and Prejudice. While in the first novel the reader is still in touch with the characters from the original classic, this book takes a great departure from the classic and goes in a completely different direction. A bit more of Georgiana and cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam is seen in this novel, as well as a closer look at Georgiana growing up. From there the departure is quite abrupt. Darcy travels to a house party with the intention of finding a wife. Though this seems like it would definitely be a realistic endeavor for him to find a proper replacement for Elizabeth Bennet in his heart, it was hard to read as a fan of Pride and Prejudice. Ms. Aidan adds an element of mystery to this novel, and it is interesting. I can say I never knew what might happen next.

While I enjoyed the second book, I must admit it was a bit harder to follow and the story took some turns that were shocking. At present I am impatiently waiting for book three.

Title: Mute Witness
Author: Rick R. Reed
Author’s website: http://rickrreed.com/
Publisher:  MLR Press
Release Date: September 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60820-108-2 (print),
978-1-60820-109-9 (ebook)
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic and Print
Genre: Contemporary Suspense
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 2
Rating: 5+Keeper

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Small-town Pennsylvania may not exactly be the ideal setting for life as a gay man, but on the whole, Sean Dawes is content. He has made a home with his partner, and he has an eight-year-old son whom he loves more than he thought possible. And while his relationship with his ex-wife is not exactly the stuff of fairy tales, they get along well enough for the sake of their son Jason. The idyllic veneer is shattered, however, on the day that Jason disappears. When the boy is found, the brutal trauma that he has withstood has left him silent and in shock, and the entire town is up in arms to find his attacker.

Narrow minds and small-town attitudes soon have fingers pointing at Sean in blame. Because he is gay, people assume he is a child molester, and no critic is more outspoken than Sean’s aggressively pious and bible-thumping ex mother-in-law. As Sean is repeatedly denied access to his son and suffers the inquisition of the police, the actual culprit remains free. That person is closer – and more familiar – than anyone might think, and he has no intention of allowing the child to reveal his identity.

********

I think it’s safe to say that Rick Reed knows what scares us. His novel Mute Witness is the perfect example, reaching out and touching on one of the greatest fears that parents will have: the fear that harm will befall their child and that they be completely powerless to help in any way. This is a tale of love and guilt, betrayal and forgiveness, and while this is without a doubt a nightmare of epic proportions to any parent, it is also incredibly well-written and insightful. In my opinion, this is not just a “should read”, it is a must read.

This is no quick and easy throw-away novel. I found it to be very emotional and not just a little bit painful to read. No parent wants to think of their child being hurt in the way that young Jason is in Mute Witness, nor do they ever want to stand in Sean’s shoes on the receiving end of ugly narrow-minded suspicion and enforced separation from their child. But for all the pain and guilt and evil present, I was still captivated by this story, because it also tells the tale of the deep and limitless love that a parent has for his child.

There is not much that I can say about the plot of this novel without giving too much away. This is not a mystery; it is suspense. As Mr. Reed spins this tale, he makes sure that we the reader know exactly who the villain is for the entire duration of the story. We see just how pointless the finger-pointing and hate-mongering is and how prejudices can and do blind people to the truth.

I don’t believe that there is any possible way to read this story without being affected by it on a number of different levels. My emotions ran the gamut as I read Mute Witness: from wide-eyed horror at the actions of the antagonist, to disgust at the attitude of some of the small-minded denizens of the town, to heartbreak at the situation of parent and child, to joy and hope for the future. By the time I finished the last page, I felt as if I had been put through the wringer along with the main character, but I also felt as if I had been treated to entertainment on a first-class level. Undoubtedly, this is the finest of Mr. Reed’s work that I have read to date, and it is without hesitation that I recommend it to others. Mute Witness is definitely a keeper.

--Bobby

Title: An Assembly Such as This,
a novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, gentleman
Author: Pamela Aidan
Author’s website: N/A 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Touchstone
Release Date: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-7432-9134-7
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Historical
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 1
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Have you ever wondered who Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice, might have been? Wonder no more. In the first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy trilogy, Pamela Aidan takes her readers on an in-depth look into Darcy's life and movements.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has come to Netherfield to help his good friend Charles Bingley with the goal of becoming a landed gentleman. He knew he would be helping guide Bingley in the right direction; he never thought he would be finding himself in the unlikely position of fending off the unwanted advances of one female while at the same time having feelings for a girl so wrong for him that he would be committing a grave faux pas in even entertaining thoughts about her.

********

This story from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy is a delight for any Austen fan. Ms. Aidan stays true to Pride and Prejudice, and the book flows splendidly. I am aware that this book was published years ago and that I am a bit late in reviewing it, but better late than never as the saying goes. I think anyone who is an Austen fan would be enchanted with this book, and I am sure there are more out there who haven't read this. Good books never lose their appeal.

I especially enjoyed the look into the life at Pemberly and the opportunity to learn more about Georgianna as well as the events leading up to Darcy's interest in Elizabeth Bennet. Darcy's personal feelings upon the subject of Wickham give great insight to his inner demons when dealing with Wickham. I think Ms. Aidan hit the nail upon the head with her take on this. It put new perspective in the relationship between the two.

Another aspect of this book that had my complete attention, the reader gets to experience the life of a gentleman in this era, and it is not exactly as one might think. The pride that we experience in the original classic is explained in this book as we understand the weight of the class system.

I think Ms. Aidan has done a great job of entertaining the Austen fan. I can't wait to start on the next book in the trilogy. Kudos to her for feeding my Austen addiction.

Title: All Lost Things
Author: Josh Aterovis
Author’s website: http://www.joshaterovis.com/
Publisher: P.D. Publishing Inc.
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-933720-70-8
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Mystery Paranormal GLBT
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 1.5
Rating: 4.75

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

The summer after his senior year signifies change for Killian Kendall. With high school in his past, college to look forward to, and a brand-new summer job working for a private investigator, life should be sweet, but Killian’s excitement is tempered by the fact that he and his boyfriend, Asher, have recently split up. When Asher’s new boyfriend is arrested on suspicion of killing his father, Asher asks Killian to help prove he is innocent of the crime. Blessed with an insatiable curiosity, Killian agrees to help, but his motives aren’t entirely altruistic. Buried deep in his heart is the hope that he might uncover something during his investigation that will break up Asher’s new romance.

Making life even more stressful for Killian is a series of what can only be called ghostly phenomena. Not only he has been having bloody nightmares of the killing he is currently investigating, but his best friend who died two years ago has chosen this time to begin visiting. Moreover, one of Killian's guardians has purchased a house reputed to be haunted, and that ghost is not shy about making herself known to Killian.

With the help of his new boss, Killian wades into the not-so-glamorous world of private investigation. It’s not easy when the suspect refuses to cooperate and appears to be a compulsive liar, and despite his promise to find proof of the boy’s alibi on the night of the murder, Killian has reservations about whether he is as innocent as he proclaims. Killian has an uncanny talent for uncovering the truth. His curiosity will not let him leave questions unanswered; it could also very well get him killed.

********

Josh Aterovis’s novel All Lost Things is the third of a series of stories featuring teenaged sleuth Killian Kendall, who was introduced to the world in 2001 in a novel titled Bleeding Hearts. This unique blend of paranormal and mystery kept me entertained for hours, featuring an irresistible main character and an intriguing storyline, and I would be hard pressed to decide which I preferred: the mystery or the ghost story. Both are very well done, and they work quite well together.

I waffled between classifying this book as a Young Adult novel or not and finally decided to leave the label off. I believe that this story is enjoyable regardless of the age of the reader. This can be considered something of a coming of age story, because Killian is leaving his childhood behind. Although he is young, he is no longer a child, and his life is moving quickly towards adulthood and all the realizations and responsibilities that are a inherent to that time of life.

All Lost Things is a complex story with a number of different subplots and a large and distinct cast. We meet people who must have appeared in the two previous books, but Mr. Aterovis does an excellent job keeping this from being confusing to a reader who hasn’t read those novels. Also, Mr. Aterovis keeps the storyline well-organized enough to keep us from getting lost.

Killian Kendall is a very personable character who displays a mixture of childish reactions and adult behavior. He is prone to typical youthful rebellion against adults, gets caught up in his own relationship drama with his ex-boyfriend, and tends to pout a bit when things don’t go his way. However, he also has a tender heart and a very sharp mind.

My attention was hooked early on in this story as the teen drama between Killian and his friends develops into something much more serious and the promise of paranormal activity becomes reality. The investigation proceeds in a methodical fashion, as Killian is mentored by his boss Novak, who encourages him as he investigates and takes him to task when he missteps. Killian’s teenaged impatience causes him to rush a bit and forge out on his own, and we can never truly anticipate what kind of trouble his sometimes hasty actions and unguarded mouth will create for him. This keeps the investigation lively, and I have a distinct feeling that it probably ages his mentor prematurely as well.

I found All Lost Things to be a very diverting read and will be looking forward to reading more about both Killian and his social circle as Mr. Aterovis continues this series. Since Killian is at this halfway point between youth and maturity, it will be very interesting to see what his direction his life takes in the future.

--Bobby

Title: Dime
Author: Aubrey Leatherwood
Author’s website: http://www.aubreyleatherwood.com/
Publisher: Phaze Books
Release Date: November 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60659-520-6
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Nicole Donaldson grew up in a music-oriented household, but she does not consider herself a musician. Sure, she enjoys listening to rap and hip hop and spinning lyrics in her head, but she has an MBA and has a very responsible job as the director of a call center. Positively staid and stuffy, if she might say so herself. That’s all about to change, however. An evening of one too many drinks and cutting up with her recording-artist brother, and Nicole has a song recorded that attracts the attention of local DJs as well as music producer Baron Odom.

Baron knows unique talent when he sees it, and Nicole has what it takes to make a real name for herself in the music industry. He wants to offer her a lucrative recording contract, but Nicole swears that she’s not a rapper. Sure, she enjoys playing with words and rapping in an outrageous manner, but she doesn’t like the misogynistic attitude of a lot of rap music and refuses to perpetuate it.

However determined Nicole is to ignore Baron’s arguments, though, she can’t deny that he truly seems to believe in her. And she also can’t deny her reaction to him. The man is absolutely mesmerizing, mouth-watering, and incredibly persuasive. And not only does he want her for a recording contract, he seems to want her in his life as well.

********

Aubrey Leatherwood’s short story Dime is the story of a woman who realizes a dream that she never even knew she had and in the process finds that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. While I’m not a fan of rap music, I enjoyed this story nevertheless. I found Dime to be an entertaining fantasy with clever word play and well-drawn and appealing characters.

Many of the thoughts that the character Nicole has about rap music – especially the sometimes misogynistic and hateful lyrics – ring true for me. I’ve never been able to get into it, and quite honestly have always found it to be just so much noise. However, this story reveals an enjoyable and playful side to rap that I never considered. The joy that the character Nicole finds in the rhythm of the music, playing with words, and expressing herself in a tongue-in-cheek manner is very engaging. Her self-deprecating humor and attitude make her quite likeable, and I found myself looking at her as almost friend as well as a fictional character.

There is an energy present in Dime that is catchy and irresistible. The scene where Nicole is singing in her brother’s recording studio radiates fun, and I could almost see her dancing around the room and hamming it up as she makes up rude and playful lyrics with her brother. Likewise, the concert scene is almost electric, especially when the group plays Prince’s song “Delirious” in conclusion.

Dime is a very quick read, packing a lot in just a few pages. This may be the first story by Ms. Leatherwood that I have had the chance to read, but it will not be the last. She definitely has a way with words, and I look forward to seeing how much fun and energy she instills in her other work.

--Bobby

Title: Brier’s Bargain
Author: Carol Lynne
Author’s website: http://www.carollynne.com/
Publisher: Total-e-Bound
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-907280-28-3
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Romantic Suspense GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

As a child, Brier Blackstone sustained brain damage that left him mentally handicapped. Subsequently abandoned by his parents, he grew up in a mental institution until his twin brother, Bram, discovered his existence and took Brier home to live with him and his lover. Any mental deficiency on Brier’s part has not affected his ability of love and be loved, however, and he loves his brother’s coworker Jackie with all that he is. When Jackie is injured overseas while on a bodyguard assignment, Brier desperately makes a bargain with God: if God will make Jackie better, Brier will do everything in his power to make himself a better man. His lover pulls through, and Brier doesn’t forget his pact with God.

During the years he was institutionalized, Jackie was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a number of the orderlies. Now the FBI has apprehended one of the men responsible, and they want Brier to testify against his abuser. Bram and Jackie are protective of Brier and are afraid that emotionally he will not be able to deal with facing his abuser. Brier knows he’ll never be able to forgive himself if he doesn’t testify, however. Being a better man means not running away from issues such as this. If that means he has to assert his independence and go against the wishes of his brother and his lover, so be it. A promise is a promise, and Brier intends to live up to his end of the bargain.

********

With her novella Brier’s Bargain, Carol Lynne begins a new series of stories called “Bodyguards in Love” that spins off from her “Men in Love” series. Those familiar with the previous series' stories will recognize quite a few faces; however, readers do not have to have read that series in order to enjoy this story. Brier’s Bargain is unique in that it offers readers a main character who has sustained brain damage and who is working hard to cope with the handicap that life has handed him. This story is about that man’s fight to make himself a better man and to do what is right regardless of the pain and difficulty that it might cause him.

As is the way with much of Ms. Lynne’s work, falling in love is not an issue with the heroes in this story. In fact, they are already in love and lovers when it begins. The conflict comes in maintaining and nurturing that love, Brier’s determination to uphold his end of a bargain he made with God, and his loved ones’ struggle to acknowledge and accommodate his need for some independence in his life regardless of whatever mental and social handicap that he might have.

Jackie and Brier are a unique pair of lovers. While one might at first wonder why a man like Jackie nurtures a relationship with someone with Brier’s limitations, it soon becomes apparent that he sees beyond any imperfections to the heart of the man. He is more interested in Brier’s love than in his mental capacity. Of everybody, Jackie is the one who acknowledges that Brier is a grown man who deserves to make his own decisions. The tension between Bram and Jackie regarding Brier’s care adds an extra dimension to the story. They are overprotective of Brier, but we know this is only because they love him so much.

A mixture of adult and child, innocence and sensuality, Brier is definitely the heart of Brier’s Bargain. Some aspects of Brier are quite young and naive, and Ms. Lynne does an excellent job of conveying this in the story. He is incredibly loveable and obviously not very smart, but he has the integrity of an adult and works earnestly and diligently to fulfill his goals. When something is important to him, such as his driving test and his relationship with God, Brier focuses with his entire being in order to succeed.

I always enjoy a good versus evil conflict in a story, and Brier’s Bargain serves up a pretty good one with Brier’s abuser from the mental institution in the role of villain. Brier may have been a victim at this person’s hands in the past, but he believes that can redeem himself in his own (and, he feels, God’s) eyes by helping to put his abuser behind bars.

Ms. Lynne ends this story by setting up what appears to be the next couple to be spotlighted in this series. This little bit of a tease is a pretty good hook – an almost fool-proof way to make readers want to read the next book. It certainly worked with me; I know that I’ll be looking forward to its release.

Note: Readers who are interested in the story of Bram and Brier’s reunion may wish to read Ms. Lynne's novels Tortured Souls and Reunion.

--Bobby

Title: The Horsed Thief                      
Author: Teel James Glenn
Author’s website: http://www.theurbanswashbuckler.com/
Publisher: Eternal Press
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-926704-67-8
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Source: P
Sensuality Level: 1
Rating: 4.25

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

At Virtual Futures Corporation, software developers are busy working on a virtual immersion unit that could change the future of computer gaming. This device will take a pair of players directly into the game, enveloping them with a completely real interactive experience. When a bug is found in the software that allows for the game parameters to be hacked from outside the system, Virtual Futures employees enter the immersion unit to test the patch they’ve encoded. They are about to find out just how real – and how dangerous – virtual reality can actually be.

********

Teel James Glenn’s novella The Horsed Thief takes its reader on a trip into a world of virtual reality gone awry. This brief but action-packed tale combines elements of both science fiction and fantasy to tell two concurrent stories: the misadventures of a thief in first century Persia and the debugging of a virtual reality gaming system. I found this story to be entertaining, unique, and somewhat surprising in the end.

The two worlds of The Horsed Thief – the software development company and life inside the game – merge and diverge throughout the story. Since the character who becomes the thief Asad loses any sense of personal identity outside of the computer program, I found it a bit of a guessing game trying to determine which character in the “real” world translated to which ones in Al-Basrah. Who is real and who has been manufactured by the computer program? When the truth is revealed at the end of the story, I was more surprised that I thought I would be.

One characteristic of Mr. Glenn’s writing that I enjoy very much is the realism he instills into his action sequences. As Asad leaps between rooftops, evades the guards in the palace garden, and battles the troops of the evil Abdul-Azim who are trying to capture and kill him, there is a sense of urgency and danger, and I felt as if I were watching an expertly choreographed movie scene.

Mr. Glenn includes a number of unexpectedly lovely passages in this story. The songs sung by the physically enchanting Fatinah have a rhythm and a rhyme that appealed to me very much, and one character's observation that “cheekbones may change, but smiles are lit by souls” struck the romantic in me as well. Overall, I enjoyed this novella. Mr. Glenn has given us an unusual and well-told story in The Horsed Thief, and I hope that he offers us more such tales in the future.

--Bobby

Title: Kilted Lover
Author: Nicole North
Author’s website: http://www.nicolenorth.com/
Publisher: Red Sage Publishing
Release Date: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60310-398-5 
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 3.75

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Leslie Livingston is a fan of all things Scottish, so when she talks her boyfriend into dropping her off at the Scottish Games in Charleston while he goes golfing, she’s looking forward to a day watching the games and attending a Celtic rock concert. And if she ogles a man in a kilt or two? No harm in that, is there? She doesn’t expect to be accosted by thugs who want to steal the amulet she wears, and she certainly never anticipated being rescued from the purse-snatchers by a gorgeous and built caber-tosser dressed in workboots and a kilt. He tosses her over his shoulder as if she weighs nothing, and the chase is on. This would be exciting except that the muggers seem to be shooting at them.

Scott MacPherson is a construction contractor, not a policeman, but there is no way he is going to stand there and allow anyone to harm the red-haired freckle-faced beauty. Evading the thieves puts a bullet-hole in the dash of his truck, but he finally gets her to safety on his boat, and he plans to keep her there until he knows she’ll be safe.

Leslie’s relationship with her boyfriend is on the cool side of tepid, so she is surprised when passion flares so quickly and intensely between her and her rescuer. She finds a connection with Scott that goes beyond sexual, although the sex is certainly nothing to sniff at. Her plans to break off her relationship with her boyfriend and ride off with Scott into the sunset are foiled, however, when the thieves kidnap her boyfriend and hold him hostage in exchange for her necklace. What is it about this amulet that makes these people willing to kill for it? It’s going to take a miracle – or perhaps a bit of magic – to get them all out of this situation alive.

********

Let’s admit it, ladies…there are few things more irresistible than a strong man in a kilt. That and the promise of a little humor are certainly what inspired me to pick up Nicole North’s novella Kilted Lover. This is a light and sexy read with an element of danger to it that keeps the action moving, and I found reading it an agreeable way to spend a few hours.

In this story, Ms. North gives us a hero and a heroine who are both entertaining and sympathetic. Leslie strikes a humorous chord from the beginning with her reaction to Scott, all but drooling over him at the Scottish Games, wondering if he wears underwear under his kilt, and daydreaming about the correlation between the size of his hands and feet and that of his sexual equipment. Scott is strong and passionate and wears a kilt the traditional way, much to Leslie’s delight. And he is just plain nice as well. What else can you ask for in a man?

The love scenes between Leslie and Scott are passionate and playful. Leslie has always been a “good girl,” and Scott brings out the assertive temptress in her. He also encourages her to indulge her kinky side as they watch their exhibitionist neighbors, and they have sex on just about every surface of the boat Scott is staying on. The only thing that stands between these two is Leslie’s boyfriend Fletcher and the guilt they feel regarding him. Having been hurt in the past, Scott is reluctant to poach on what might be considered another man’s territory. He shows himself to have scruples instead of simply thinking with his little head.

Overall, I found this to be a cute and sexy story. Although the paranormal element felt like something of an afterthought, I still found reading Kilted Lover enjoyable. There is just something about a man in a kilt…too bad we don’t see many of them around these days.

--Bobby

Title: The Forbidden Chamber
Author: Ella Drake
Author’s website: http://www.elladrake.com/  
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60504-721-8
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Historical Gothic Paranormal Shapeshifter
Source: R
Sensuality Level:
Rating: 4.75

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

The proper Lady Isabel Colven never realized when she came to Hayle Manor that she would be seduced, compromised, and married within a matter of days. Her new husband is rumoured to have murdered his first two wives, and now Isabella is quickly realizing she will most likely be next. His words haunt her - "your life is forfeit if you open that door" - in reference to a door in his bedchamber. Isabel is drawn to him, and when his dark secrets are revealed, she isn't sure if she will live to let her feelings grow.

Lord Rukh Hayle wants to fight his desire for Isabel he doesn't want her to end up like his previous wives. He is no match for those feelings and takes her to be his wife, even though he is afraid his family curse will take her also. His love for her grows as does the evil threat to her life that lives behind the door in his bedchamber. Can he save her, or will the curse take what is dearest to him?

********

If you are looking for something a bit different with a dark gothic feel, this is a must read. I was entertained from page one, and the uniqueness of the story held my interest. As a fan of gothic novels, I am thrilled whenever I get my hands on one I haven't read, and even more thrilled when it is this engrossing. From the first page, Ms. Drake does a wonderful job of keeping the darkness surrounding the reader while unraveling the story. I was afraid for Isabel while I admired her strength in dealing with the difficulties she faces.  The evolution of her character from proper maiden to wanton wife under Rukh's tutelage is particularly sexy.

Rukh's demons are very real, and his determination to do what he can to keep Isabel safe are endearing. He is a man possessed, and he is such a strong character, I won't be forgetting him anytime soon. Rukh's personal conflicts are stormy and well-written.

I would love to see more of this type of story from Ms. Drake; she has an undeniable talent for gothic-type writing. Of course, I am partial so I am always on the lookout for that genre. I found the story decidedly enchanting. 

Title: Unnecessary Roughness
Author: G.A. Hauser
Author’s website: http://www.authorgahauser.com/
Publisher: The G.A. Hauser Collection           
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-44955-353-1
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Romance GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

When Kyle Baker transferred from the University of Oregon to UCLA, he had every intention of staying in the closet until after graduation. He figured that his sexuality was nobody’s business but his own, and he would much rather concentrate on playing lacrosse for the Bruins and finishing up his final year of college. He didn’t count on meeting the absolutely gorgeous Connor Worthington. Connor is his teammate on the UCLA lacrosse team, and both friendship and strong attraction click between them almost immediately. Connor is in the very same closet as Kyle, but if the ugly homophobic taunts and overt aggression of many of their teammates are anything to go by, he is not quite as successful at hiding as Kyle is.

As if a full course load, heavy-handed parental pressure, and varsity lacrosse aren’t enough, Connor is being chased by just about every woman on campus while fighting his attraction to his best friend and apartment-mate, Kyle. If he admits that he is gay, his father will surely kill him, and heaven only knows what the reaction of his obnoxious teammates will be. Kyle is too much of a temptation to resist, though, and soon the two young men are not only the best of friends, they are also lovers.

The joy that the two men find in each other is tempered, however. Regardless of the so-called tolerance of the college campus, the locker room seems like the last bastion of narrow-minded homophobia. When the college grapevine reveals the truth about Connor’s sexuality, the harassment of Kyle and Connor’s lacrosse teammates turns ugly. Regardless of Kyle’s attempts to protect his lover and the intervention of the team’s head coach, the threats increase to a point of combustion. When the tension finally breaks, the results will shake the entire UCLA campus and will change both Kyle and Connor forever.

********

It seems very appropriate that G.A. Hauser’s novel Unnecessary Roughness was published just as the President of the United State was to sign the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, amending the current law on hate crimes to include violence based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. I’m sure this is no coincidence. While this story has the high-spirited fun present in much of Ms. Hauser’s work, it also addresses the very serious issue of intolerance and violence against gay individuals, and I found it thought-provoking as well as entertaining and well worth my time.

Ms. Hauser’s heroes are usually completely adorable, and Kyle and Connor in Unnecessary Roughness fit the mold quite well. Connor plays the long-haired pretty boy role, while Kyle is the more macho caretaker type. They are playful, high spirited, and young – very, very young – but at least they acknowledge their youth and the fact that they are finding their soul mate at what one might consider a dangerously young age. They seem to know that at age twenty, the odds are stacked against them staying together forever, and this strikes a note of realism even as they profess their dedication to each other.

Unnecessary Roughness builds a thread of tension throughout the story as we witness the attitude of our heroes’ teammates and wonder how the situation that is building will pan out in the end. The threat that these “skinhead” members of the lacrosse team post to Connor and to Kyle feels very real. The atmosphere of hostility and fear becomes so thick that as I read the story, I worried that something terrible would happen to one of these boys. The inevitable climax, while not especially surprising, is still sad. While I certainly acknowledge that this is fiction, it still saddens me to think that such intolerance and unfounded hatred can exist in a society that is supposedly as advanced as ours is.

Readers who are familiar with the universe Ms. Hauser has created and populated with her characters will enjoy a fleeting glimpse of Oliver Loveday, son of Angel Loveday from her novel Love You, Loveday. I have to admit to getting quite a charge out of how she works her heroes into each other’s stories. It is like getting to see old friends when we bump into these characters, however briefly.

In all, I found Unnecessary Roughness to be a unique and worthwhile addition to Ms. Hauser’s collection of work. I enjoyed the fact that as well as offering entertainment, this story deals with a serious issue that affects our society. Also, Ms. Hauser indicates that a portion of the royalties from this novel will be donated to the charity Gay American Heroes (www.gayamericanheroes.com), who reminds us that hate of any kind is unacceptable and who honors the memories of those GLBT individuals who have been victims of hate crimes.

--Bobby

Title: Cast a Lover's Spell
Author: Claire Thompson
Author’s website: http://www.clairethompson.net/  
Publisher: Romance Unbound Publishing
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 1449546773
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Paranormal
Source: A
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Paul Windsor has spent his two hundred plus years of existence enjoying both mortal and magic women. He finds particular pleasure in finding and nursing broken women back to help with his own brand of loving. As a powerful warlock, he has the ability to bend them to his will, even though with his looks they are usually throwing themselves at him anyway. The last thing he ever expected was to fall head over heels for a mortal woman practically at first sight.

Anne Kaliner has lost her husband, her job, and her will to go on. Eight months have passed since her husband succumbed to cancer, and she can't seem to pull herself out of a self-imposed funk. The last thing she needs is to get entangled with an extraordinarily handsome man she meets in the park. Little does she know that magic, love, and a bit of reality is what she needs to learn to live again.

********

This is an enchantingly sexy book, that will take you from sweet romance to lustful couplings and even a bit of suspense. I felt as if I could conjure the perfect image of Paul as the descriptions were in-depth and vivid. He could ply his magic on me any day. I found him to be mesmerizing as a character, and his heartfelt feelings for Anne are beautifully written. This story is complex but easy to follow. Anne's growth throughout the story is admirable. She blossoms in her connections with Paul. The suspenseful part of the story is a great addition, and I will leave it at that. Ms. Thompson is a wonderful storyteller, and I find that she always injects an amount of reality that makes the reader think. I enjoy her style and talent.

Title: Magnificent Man
Author: Randall Lang
Author’s website: http://www.randalllang.com/
Publisher: Midnight Showcase
Release Date: 2009
ISSN: 1555-5488 Vol.59-03SE
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Twenty years ago, Cassandra Taylor was the toast of Caddo Parrish and considered the most beautiful girl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Now she is a divorcée raising a teen-aged daughter, supporting her widowed mother, and barely making ends meet. She never lost the stars in her eyes, however, and when she reads a casting call looking for attractive older women who might be interested in a career in film, she knows that she owes it to herself to reach at least once for greatness. Her trip across country ends in disappointment, however, when the films in question end up being for adult entertainment, and despair starts in when her dilapidated car breaks down and she is left stranded in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Cassie’s luck takes a turn when she is rescued by a knight of the desert – an amazing man on huge motorcycle, who addresses her as “my lady” and says that he is at her service. He might seem a little odd at first, but something about him just feels right as he assures her he will see her home safely. And so begins a week-long journey across the Southwest on the back of a motorcycle, in which time Cassie will get to know and love the noble and strangely innocent desert rider who treats her like a queen.

Although Coyote is initially hesitant about physical intimacy, patience and perseverance on Cassie’s part break through his barriers, and love unlike any Cassie has ever known grows between them. She would like nothing more than to spend her forever with this magnificent man of strength and courage, but she has responsibilities at home that she cannot ignore. Coyote can’t be tied down away from the desert, and Cassie can’t turn her back on her family. She knows that if he must ride off without her at journey’s end, he will take her heart away with him.

********

Randall Lang’s novel Magnificent Man was a very pleasant surprise for me. This is a unique and quite touching tale that mixes sensual romance, deep emotion, and a fair share of action to tell a story about the coming together of a disabled Desert Storm veteran and a faded beauty queen. It incorporates a fantastic travelogue through the Southwest, as the characters Coyote and Cassie visit remote villages, mesas, and National Parks and travel the back roads of Arizona and New Mexico by motorcycle. This is not a quick and easy read; in fact, you owe it to yourself to slow down a little with this one. I found myself savoring every description and every page of this pleasant and enveloping novel and not minding that I took a little longer to read it than I usually do.

The descriptions are wonderful, and Mr. Lang brings the scenery and the characters to vivid life for the reader. Every day that passes brings a new adventure and a new set of faces that keep the story consistently interesting. And while Magnificent Man can at times be quite emotional, there are moments of humor interspersed throughout that break up the potential melodrama and balance the story nicely.

Coyote at first seems to be a very strange character with his stilted speech and knight-like behavior. But very soon we look past that to his nobility, his love of nature, his almost childlike innocence. The best description of him comes straight from the mouth of his friend Frank: “He carries within him that knight’s code of nobility, chivalry, courage and truth that is completely absent in this real world.” He treats Cassie with a breath-taking tenderness that is as endearing as it is unusual and is overall a completely beguiling individual. The reason behind Coyote’s offbeat persona, when it is finally revealed, is quite touching and may very well bring tears to your eyes. It brought tears to my eyes, at least, but it’s not exactly news that I’m a soft touch when I read.

Cassie is definitely a Southern gal, raised to be a lady and a prom queen. She has wisdom and empathy, however, that belie her sometimes ditzy veneer, and she can think and react on her feet with the agility of a con man. She isn’t put off any physical or mental imperfections that her desert knight may have – besides his physical beauty, she sees the beauty of his spirit and his strength of character. And unlike others, she can also see the fear and pain that he hides under the thin armor of his confidence.

The references in Magnificent Man to Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote de la Mancha are a very interesting touch. The story reveals that Don Quixote was one of Coyote’s favorite literary characters before his injury, and the name he takes afterwards, Don Coyote, mirrors this closely. Like Coyote, Don Quixote was also a little delusional and determined to defend the helpless with his misguided chivalry. Another possible parallel in the story can be found in Coyote’s friend and attorney, Frank Sancho, who would take the place of Sancho Panza in Cervantes’ tale. This makes me wonder if perhaps Cassie is intended to be Dulcinea, since knight-errant Coyote treats her like a princess, and if the motorcycle “El Caballo Negro” is Rocinante, although the bike is certainly no nag.

Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent reading Magnificent Man. It is a romantic and very well-told tale that tugged at my heart and made me think about the true meaning of love. Well done, Mr. Lang, I hope that you give us more stories as charming as this one in the future.

--Bobby

Title: Sweet Ultimatum
Author: Naima Simone
Author’s website: http://www.naimasimone.com/  
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 9781419923852
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Caitlin is back in New Eden, Washington after leaving six years ago with a heavy heart, and the need to hide. She never thought to see the man she onced loved again after breaking his heart for reasons only she knows. She knows she must keep her distance, but it is hard when all she has to do is look into his eyes to lose herself.

Selig finds himself back in his hometown and facing the woman that shredded his heart and left him cold. He wants to make her pay for what she did by making her bend to his will. His revenge should be sweet, but his feelings can't help but get in the way.

********

If you like your sex hot and plentiful, this is the book for you. The chemistry between Caitlin and Selig is about as hot as it can get. Caitlin is an admirable character; she will do anything to protect the man she will always love, even if that means giving him up. The conflict is heavy with a substantial secondary story that evolves as Caitlin and Selig find each other again. I enjoy when an author can make me have pronounced feelings for a character, and she did exactly that with Nicholas. Even as a secondary character, he made my blood boil.

This novel starts off with a sexual bang, but there is definitely a story in there, and the author does a good job of combining sex and story. I will be looking for more work by this author.

Title: Memory of Darkness
Author: P.A. Brown
Author’s website: http://www.pabrown.ca/
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC
Release Date: September 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60272-570-6
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Suspense/Crime GLBT
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3.5
Rating:  5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

John Wager hasn’t exactly lead a straight and narrow life. Just the opposite, in fact. He has been known to boost a car or two and to deal a few drugs, and he is constantly on the prowl for a sex from pretty young men. But he is not a violent man, and has certainly never been tangled up in murder before. Until now, that is. He expects fantastic sex when he picks up the hot young blonde and takes him to a by-the-hour motel, but what he gets is a moment of violence that leaves Wager unconscious and his trick very gruesomely dead.

Wager knows that if the cops find him, they’ll assume he killed the young man. It will be Wager’s third strike, and he’ll be locked away for life if he doesn’t get the death penalty. So he runs, and the cops, lead by none other than Wager's estranged son Mike, are hot on his trail.

Wager knows that if he wants to stay out of prison, he’ll have to find out who killed the boy, but it soon becomes very clear that this is no random murder. Because the dead young man was a police informant who had been marked for death by the local mob. Wager was supposed to take the fall; since he didn’t, they now have their sites set squarely on him, and they don’t care how many people they have to kidnap or kill in order to get to him.

********

A word of warning: when you pick up P.A. Brown’s novel Memory of Darkness, plan your time accordingly, because this is a book that you’re not going to want to put down until you turn the final page. It is a well-written, attention-grabbing thriller of a novel that not only involves a grisly crime and a life-or-death situation but also features unique and complex characters who will keep you glued tight to the pages.

The setting of Memory of Darkness is realistic and somewhat gritty. This is not a pretty story, and Ms. Brown doesn’t mince words as she describes the scene and puts her characters through their paces. The crime is a gruesome one that should please die-hard thriller fans, and the cast is an unglamorous yet believable mixture of people that one might find in the Los Angeles setting.

The first person point of view works very well with this novel and presents the reader with a unique angle. I enjoyed getting into the head of a less-than-savory main character and found it a very enjoyable change of pace from the usual fare. Our narrator, John Wager, is something of an anti-hero. Definitely not a good guy, he is in fact a pretty seedy character. Thief, occasional drug dealer, and con man, he constantly looks out for number one. But while this all sounds unpleasant, Wager is actually a captivating and almost appealing individual. He has obviously made a boatload of mistakes and poor choices in his past, but as the story progresses, he morphs into someone much more sympathetic. He shows that he has some integrity and that he is capable of – or at least interested in – having a relationship with both his son and his lover.

Although parts of the story are quite dark, there are brief flashes of humor in Memory of Darkness that give it depth and keep the story from being overly grim. Many of these are provided by the character Hyacinth, a six and a half foot tall drag queen who drives a flamingo-pink Kia and who truly lights up the pages of this novel. This story is very fast paced, and there is a strong sense of urgency that builds throughout. As I read, I found myself entrapped and involved, not wanting to put the book down for even a minute and definitely not appreciating the breaks that were necessary to take care of life’s details.

Ms. Brown has a true knack for writing a thriller, and I am very pleased that I had the opportunity to read this book. Now this author’s backlist is calling my name, and as soon as I have the opportunity, I plan to check out her LA Heat series.

--Bobby

Title: Playing with Fire - The Silver Dragons
Author: Katie MacAlister
Author’s website: http://www.katiemacalister.com/
Publisher: New American Library
Release Date: May 2008
ISBN: 978-0-451-22378-4
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Paranormal Humor
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 2.5
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: Teagan S. Boyd

Gabriel Tauhou, the wyvern of the silver dragons, is cursed to never have a mate born to him, so when he first meets May Northcott he can't believe she has the ability to withstand his fire. Only a true mate can take a dragon's fire. He marks her as his mate even though she is as elusive as a shadow...literally.

May Northcott was not born; she was made. She is a doppelganger: a being created from a twin's shadow. Her twin Cyrene, a Naiad, created May when she was a demon lord's lover, so when May was made she was immediately bound to do the demon lord's bidding. With her unusual ability to blend into the shadows, she is quite valuable to the demon lord. When she meets Gabriel, she isn't sure what to think...when she can think due to her insatiable attraction to him. Between stealing for the demon lord, being hunted by the Otherworld law, and being a wyvern's mate, May is being pulled in too many ways.

********

In the first installment of the silver dragon series, I was happy to see Gabriel, the silver wyvern from the green dragon series. He was a very memorable character in that first series. Gabriel oozes sex appeal, which seeps off the pages. The descriptions of him bring him perfectly into the mind's eye. I liked the in depth look into the silver dragons, and luckily we get some explanations of Gabriel's actions from the previous series. I was as enchanted with him in this book as I was in the others.

May is a fabulous character. Her uniqueness will captivate the reader, and leave them wanting more. The idea of a shadow world of the regular world, and the fact that May can traverse between the two is very interesting. The interaction with her twin is laughable; May makes a wonderful "keeper" for Cyrene.

I was of course thrilled to see my favorite demon in a Newfoundland suit, Jim, back and as funny as ever. I would read any book he was part of. Ms. MacAlister has done a nice job on her second series.

Title: Sounds to Die By
Author: Nikki Duncan
Author’s website: http://www.nikkiduncan.com/
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60504-677-8
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Romantic Crime/Suspense
Source: R
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

FBI Agent Kieralyn Beckett is working on a series of kidnapping cases that have come to a dead end. Her gut feeling is that the cases are related to each other, but the only evidence that she has is a recording that is too garbled to understand. As much as she hates to ask for help of any kind, she knows that if the case is to move forward, she needs the assistance of NSA “listener” Ian Cabrera.

Ian may have been blinded as a child, but his hearing is so incredibly acute that he can even distinguish heartbeats from one another. He is not particularly inclined to help Kieralyn, but when the name “El Dogo” crops up in the tape she has him listen to, he has no choice but to become involved, because El Dogo is the name of his father, a CIA Agent who has been missing for over two years.

Since Ian is blind, this is definitely not a case of love at first sight. He is, however, entranced by the sensual heartbeat of the pushy FBI agent. He knows that the two of them can’t possibly have a future together, but working with Kieralyn has pulled him out of his previously lonely existence, so he is determined to enjoy her company while he can. He also needs to find out what his father’s involvement in this case is. Is the man deep under cover, or is he truly involved with a kidnapping and slave trafficking ring?

Kieralyn and Ian make a pretty good team – both in the field and in the bedroom. But Kieralyn doesn’t have any room in her life right now for the hassles of a relationship. Before she can even think of a future with Ian in it, she needs to solve this case and win the grudging respect of her team.

********

Most of us rely on our sight to make our way through life. We think of the world in terms of shape, color, texture, and when asked to describe a scene, we focus on what it looks like before considering how it affects our other senses. In a book, we usually find dazzling descriptions of scenery, clothing, and people, and while the other senses are not completely neglected, they seem to fall far behind the visual impact of a scene.

Given this truth (or at least truth as I see it), I was surprised and delighted with angle that Nikki Duncan’s novella Sounds to Die By takes. This is a very auditory-oriented story. One of the main characters is a blind man with an extremely acute sense of hearing, and the portions of the story that are told from his point of view focus on scent and sound, taste and touch. These scenes are so rich that you don’t even miss the lack of visual descriptions.

Along with this unique viewpoint, Sounds to Die By is a fast-paced and suspenseful story that combines danger, romance, and just a touch of intrigue. In the alphabet soup that is the Department of Homeland Security, this story has agents from the FBI interacting with the NSA and the CIA as well. While I’m not knowledgeable in the least bit about how these agencies actually operate, aside from what I’ve read in books or watched in the movies, Ms. Duncan makes her characters, their actions, and their respective agencies feel quite realistic.

Kieralyn and Ian are both intriguing characters, and they fit together perfectly. Both are concerned that justice be served, but while self preservation and solving the case are most important to Kieralyn, Ian is more concerned about his father and how he might be involved in the case in question.

The connection that Ian feels with Kieralyn through the beating of her heart is very visceral and immediately strikes a sensual note that carries throughout Sounds to Die By. The romantic tension between the two positively vibrates, and it continues even after they succumb to their physical attraction to each other. The love scenes between these two are mind-bendingly sensual. Because Ian cannot see, the scenes from his point of view are very tactile and focus on other senses: scent, taste, and touch. It’s enough to raise any reader’s temperature a few degrees and send you dashing for the ice water. Ian and Kieralyn find that the physical part of intimacy is the easy part, though; the emotional barriers that Kieralyn throws up are almost impenetrable and continue to be a source of conflict between them.

Ms. Duncan develops the suspense masterfully in this story, keeping her readers wondering until the very end what Mick Cabrera’s role is in the kidnappings. This adds another dimension of tension to the action, as both Kieralyn and Ian each have an emotional investment in the case that they are not willing to let go.

In all, I found the mixture of action, suspense, and romance offered by Sound to Die By along with its more sound-based “viewpoint” to be very appealing, and I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end. This appears to be Ms. Duncan’s first published work. I certainly hope that she has more in store for us, because I will definitely be looking forward to reading her next release.

--Bobby