Review of Bound For Keeps by S.E. Jakes

S.E. Jakes

Bound For Keeps (Men of Honor #5)

Samhain Publishing | February 19, 2013 | 222 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Since losing their beloved third to cancer, Keith Masters and Johnny Lou Reed haven’t thought about filling the void in their lives with anyone else. Until a stormy Christmas Eve, when a half-frozen, newly discharged Army Ranger shows up on their doorstep—with no memory of who he is or how he got there.

Review: The Hot Floor by Josephine Myles

Josephine Myles

The Hot Floor

Samhain Publishing, September 25, 2012 | 233 pages

Author’s website | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
Two plus one equals scorching hot fun.

Dumped by his boyfriend and reduced to living in a grotty bedsit, Josh Carpenter has gotten used to expecting the worst. Now he lives only for his job as a glassblower…and occasional glimpses of his sexy downstairs neighbors, Rai Nakamura and Evan Truman.
Every time he overhears the diminutive academic and the hunky plumber having loud and obviously kinky sex, Josh is overwhelmed with lust…and a longing for a fraction of what they have.
To his amazement, Rai and Evan find his embarrassing tendency to blush utterly charming, and the three men grow closer over the course of the long, hot summer. Despite Rai’s charming flirtation and Evan’s smoldering gaze, Josh is determined never to break his new friends’ loving bonds.

Review: Choosing Love by Winona Wilder

Author: Winona Wilder
Title: Choosing Love
Series: Coming Out #1
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing
Date: March 23, 2011
Length: 20,129 words / 74 pages

Backblurb/Goodreads link | author's website | buy link

Genre & keywords:

M/M/M, Contemporary, Ménage, College, Teacher-student, Coming out, Gay for You, Physical abuse

Backblurb:

Cal has hidden his true feelings from Waylon for years, not willing to jeopardize their friendship. After a night of drunken passion, the truth finally comes out. While Cal learns to accept his true nature, Waylon is afraid to risk alienating his family. Will he live in denial or choose love?
With the help of their sexy history teacher, Evan, the three men learn that love has no boundaries. But are evenings filled with hot sex enough to forge a lasting ménage?

My opinion:
This is a hard book for me to review because I’m very aware of the fact that my own likes and dislikes when it comes to certain tropes and settings, are playing an important role here. For example, I’m difficult to please when it comes to ménage romances: I need to ‘feel’ the Love – between all three characters equally – and it’s definitely not enough for me to be immersed in sex scene after sex scene. Another not-so-hot-button for me is the teacher-student trope: the more often I come across this theme, the more I start to dislike it. That being said, I’ll give my honest opinion (as always), but bear in mind my personal dislikes, which can very well be exactly what other readers are looking for in a story.

Choosing Love starts out as a cute friends-become-lovers story between two college boys, which has a flash of Gay For You in it as well. Cal has been hiding his feelings for his straight jock friend, Waylon, for years. I really liked how Cal and Waylon were portrayed in the beginning, both had their distinct characteristics, they felt real and it was easy to see how they could feel attracted to one another. But when their relationship evolved nothing happened with the nice set-up for the personalities of these protags. Both men stayed the same without any noticeable character development and they even became sort of interchangeable, blending into the background of sex filled craziness.
Ethan’s characterization is almost non-existent from his introduction on. He’s not much more than a caricature of a teacher who’s horny for his younger students. That I feel this way about him has probably something to do with the fact that Choosing Love is told in third person, with the point of view solely alternating between Cal and Waylon. Strangely, Evan’s perspective is missing, although he’s part of the ménage and the HEA too.

As for the setting, the contemporary college setting suits the friends-become-lovers theme. I like college boys as heroes, but as I said, I’m usually not very excited when a teacher becomes part of the plot and the relationship. Unfortunately, in this case it’s not different. Actually, when the relationship turns into a ménage, the setting didn’t feel right anymore, and the threesome sex scene in the teacher’s office felt just wrong.
Readers who are looking for very hot and frequent sex scenes will find what they’re looking for in Choosing Love. It has plenty of those. However, the lead up to these scenes isn’t gradually and – especially in case of the threesome scenes – isn’t very credible or probable.
So, I simply have to conclude that Choosing Love is not for me. But I know a few more installments are coming in this series, and probably some will be ‘regular’ m/m romances, without the extra ‘m’. I better read one of those then.

Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
Final judgment: 2.5 out of 5 stars
~

Guest Review: Texas Tangle by Leah Braemel

Leah Braemel
Texas Tangle
Carina Press, 2010

Backblurb:
Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an over-drawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued…and a little gun-shy.

Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki’s life, but he’s determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki’s heart.

Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?

Genre & Keywords:
M/F/M, Menage, Cowboys, Foster-brothers

~~~~~
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3 flames
~~~~~

*Review copy received from the publisher through Netgalley*

Guest review by Lis:


Wooooweeeee. Where can I find a pair of these sexy as sin, hot as hell cowboys as described in this book? Hot damn people. The times I wanted to switch places with Nikki, the female lead in this story. This sure is a story to keep you warm on a cold December night!

Oh right, you don't know what I'm talking about yet! Texas Tangle is the story of Nikki, Dillon and Brett. Nikki is on the down and out after a no good, dead beat ex hubby and a self-centered, egotistical and thieving brother left her. Not to mention her bible waving and quoting parents.

Brett and Dillon are foster brothers. Brett came to live with Dillon’s family at a young age after he was almost beaten to death by his drunk father. He now is a cop in the small Texas town and not to mention stubborn. Dillon is the knight (or cowboy) in a black hat who is responsible, caring, problem solving, loving and hot as hell. They're both good neighbors (where can I find neighbors like this?!) to Nikki and have been there for her since before she got married to that no good ex-hubby of hers.

It is not a complex story. More than anything else, the focus is on the relationship between the three and how it should work out and some problems from the past. The fun part is that the suggestion for a permanent menage-relationship comes from the grandmother.

What I missed in this story is depth. Yes there is depth in the conflict between the three on how everything should work, but that's it. Of course, the story involves a lot of hot, screen-melting and very imaginative sex scenes. Because of the tunnel-focus on the relationship, I missed a bit of the surroundings, support characters and the general world building. It is mentioned that Nikki works with horses, but we almost never get to read about her handling the horses. Brett is a cop, yet we never get to really see him do cop things. Just as Dillon is a landscaper and we never get to see him get all dirty.

While the story reaches a satisfactory ending (yes it is a HEA), it sort of leaves the story unfinished. Not in a bad way, but we never get to see their relationship evolve. There were also some issues that, while minor, were never talked through. The small subplot, in the form of her thieving brother, never reaches the end I thought it should have gotten. If my brother took off with all my stuff and 19 creditcards in my name, there was no place for him to hide where I would not find him and beat the living shit out of him. Then again, I'm a little more vengeful than Nikki.

This story is a nice, lovely read. It restored some of my faith in m/f books. I'm a strong believer in strong female leads. While Nikki wasn't really much of one, nor reaches the full potential of one, you do see glimpses. That was enough for me.

Now if you're looking for a melt-you-in-a-puddle-of-goo book to curl up on a cold night, then Texas Tangle is definitely the book for you!

Linking:
Leah Braemel’s website | weblog | on Goodreads | on Twitter | on Facebook
Buy Texas Tangle here

~~~~~

Review of Running in Fear: Escaped by Trinity Blacio

Trinity Blacio
Running in Fear: Escaped
Ravenous Romance, 2010

Backblurb:
Jaycee Manz has been on the run since her sixteenth birthday. After growing up fast and depending on no one, how is she supposed to handle three male werewolves who claim to be her mates? Can she learn to trust them or will she continue to run?
Dane Glassgo, alpha of his clan and a special ops commander, specializes in tracking. He's waited for the past two years to claim his mate. Nothing or no one will stop him from claiming Jaycee, not even her fear...
Pierre LeBlathe, brother to Remi and bonded mate to Dane Glassgo, knows his time is limited with Jaycee. But he is bound and determined to stop anyone from hurting her...
Mark Glassgo shares alpha duties with his elder brother, but when Dane finds his mate, Jaycee, he is shocked to learn she is also his mate. What he didn't count on was that he was also mate to Remi LeBlathe...
Alpha Remi LeBlathe, one of the most powerful weres in the country, has always protected what is his. When Jaycee comes into his life, mayhem erupts around them, but Remi is used to mayhem and uses it to his benefit. In seeking those who would harm his mate, Remi must learn how to listen to Jaycee's needs and desires...
Together, all four try to find peace, and the most powerful alphas in the U.S., Remi, Dane and Mark , declare war on anyone who stands in their way of claiming their runaway mate. But can the independent Jaycee be claimed?
In this sizzling werewolf menage story, love, lust and power take center stage in the struggle for ultimate survival.

Genre & Keywords:
M/F/M/M, Ménage, BDSM, Paranormal, Werewolves

~~~~~
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3 flames
~~~~~

Why I read it:
I received a review copy from the author

When I started reading this book it had been on my to-be-reviewed-shelf for a while and I initially forgot to look up the backblurb and just jumped in, since it was time that I finally got to it.
In the first paragraph we meet Dane, alpha leader of his pack, who is worrying about his mate, or to be more precise, the woman he's going to claim as his mate, Jaycee. Shortly after, Jaycee is introduced, as a woman who's severely abused by her ex-husband. And then the hero and heroine meet each other. They instantly mate and Jaycee's 'running in fear' starts, because her ex-husband is after her. Dane wants to protect her, but she thinks she can handle it on her own and runs from him.

After this opening of the story I started to fear for a heroine with TSTL tendencies and I was wondering about the background of Dane's pack and their mating that already happened so early in the book. So, I looked up the backblurb and discovered I was in for a few more mates for Jaycee. I didn't find out more about the background, since it wasn’t mentioned in the backblurb, but I kept reading and was soon introduced to Marc and Pierre, Jaycee's other mates.
Meanwhile quite some sex scenes had taken place, with lots of graphic descriptions but lack of an emotional level. Jaycee also got dressed up to play a role as a submissive to deceive her ex, James, and his friends at some club. That was the plan. Except, this story thread never returned in the rest of the book. And to be honest, it rang false to me that Jaycee was trained as a submissive like she stated, because she acts anything but submissive.
At this point we're not even 20% into the book and already I have quite some reservations.

And it doesn't get better. More and more I feel like I'm reading a rather inconsistent story with cardboard characters that are playing out a not very believable script, like they are actors in a cheap pron movie. We're tumbling from one event into the next one and it all feels like a bit too much and too spur of the moment. Additionally, none of the protagonists are very likable characters. My fear regarding the heroine turned out to be true, her actions don't make much sense, often she's contradicting herself and I just couldn't like her.

But despite the awkward flow of the plot, the unlikely events and the flat characters I kept reading, hoping for a satisfying romantic story arc. To no purpose! There's no romantic development whatsoever, just a few rather rough sex scenes without any insight in the protags' feelings or thoughts. And to top it all off, the book ends with an unexpected 'To Be Continued' in the middle of a 'relationship problem'. Not a hint of a Happy For Now or Happy Ever After ending. Very frustrating! How could an editor/publisher let this happen?
And to be honest, I don’t think I’ll pick up the sequel because I actually won't believe in a HEA anymore - after the way the fourth (!) mate was introduced things seem pretty irreparable. At least for me.
Overall, I'm rather disappointed in this book and I have to think twice if I'll read the sequel any time soon, if at all.

Linking:
Trinity Blacio’s website | weblog | on Goodreads

Buy Running in Fear here

~~~~~

Giveaway of Beyond Eden by Kele Moon

.
After reading about Kele Moon’s debut novel Beyond Eden at Leontine’s blog a couple of weeks ago, I immediately went to Ellora’s Cave to buy me a copy. I’ve read it last week and it absolutely took my breath away, on more than one occasion.

And now you have a chance to win this stunning debut! Because Kele Moon has kindly offered to give an ecopy away to one of my readers!
Be aware though that the warning at the bottom of the backblurb is dead serious!

Here’s the backblurb of Beyond Eden:

Three lifelong friends find themselves tangled in a web of love, pain and dangerous secrets in this erotic Garden of Eden tale.
Tall, dark and handsome Danny Carlow has always gotten whatever he wants except for the two he wants more than anything—his best friends, lovers Paul and Eve. Determined, he waits like a snake in the grass, poised for the right moment to offer them a temptation too delicious to resist.
Artist Eve Everton makes the painful decision to leave her true love Paul for the siren call of New York City. Ten years later, with her life in shambles, she returns. When Paul’s waiting arms aren’t available, Eve falls for Danny’s charm and finds herself a willing accomplice in the dangerous games Danny plays.
Former college football star Paul Mattling is now a successful attorney with a bright future ahead of him. But behind those brilliant blue eyes are secret desires for a taste of the forbidden. Will he play it safe or give in to Danny and Eve and bite the apple?

Reader Advisory: Not for the faint of heart, the pain in this story is vivid and real, the emotions even more so. Haunting and poignant, Beyond Eden presents a darker side of BDSM. You might gasp. You might cry. You might find yourself reading it again and again.


I’ve posted a sexy scene involving the two male protags on Monday the 18th here and I’ve got another one for you today.
This is a scene with Eve and Danny that gives you a little peek into the intensity of this story and it also shows how slowly and cleverly paced it is, to the point that time seems to freeze. Don’t forget to breathe ;)

When she heard Danny walk into his room, her heart slammed against her chest and her breathing became noticeably ragged like that of a trapped, wild animal, which was exactly what she felt like. She had the image of a terrified rabbit, one that cowered in fear from a deadly panther. Her instincts had her longing to flee but her mind told her to remain still because cats liked to toy with prey that ran from them. It was a game to them and panther games were dangerous for terrified little rabbits that didn’t know how to sit still and try to meld into their environment.

She kept her head down, watching only his bare feet. She followed them with her eyes as he walked to the side of the bed. There was a jingle of keys, which made her body clench in dread and anticipation. He was leaning down, unlocking a drawer that was built into the bottom of his strange bed.

Her breathing became more ragged as she thought about the large bed behind her with its oak frame that was thick and sturdy. It had four posts with wooden beams running along the top that connected the posts at the head of the bed and two more on each side. There was no beam connecting the posts at the foot of the bed but there were rings hanging at each of the posts. Eve had thought they were to hang curtains from, imagining a shimmering white material laced through each of the rings to hide the bed from view, making it a secret, mysterious haven for lovers.

Do you want to know how this ends? And when Paul joins Danny and Eve? Grab your chance to win and read this novel!

~~~~~

Giveaway:

Kele Moon has generously offered an ebook copy of Beyond Eden to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. I much appreciate it when you follow my blog (via Google connect in my sidebar), but I leave that up to you. :)

This giveaway is open to everyone, I will announce the winner on Monday, November 1, so be sure to leave your comment before that and don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

Good luck to you all!

~~~~~

Linking:
Kele Moon’s website | on Goodreads | on Twitter | on Facebook

Buy Beyond Eden here
Read an excerpt of Beyond Eden here

~~~~~

Running and Upcoming Giveaways:

Tuesday: Fearless Desire by Stacey Espino
Wednesday: River of Need by Shayla Kersten
Thursday: Beyond Eden by Kele Moon
Friday: Dudleytown by L.B. Gregg

All giveaways run until next Monday, when I’ll announce the four winners.
~

Short review of Tempted by Megan Hart

Megan Hart
Tempted
Harlequin Spice, 2007

Genre & Keywords:
Contemporary Romance, M/F, Ménage, M/F/M, Alcohol abuse, Nerving MIL, Addiction, Unwanted pregnancy

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 of 3 flames

Back Blurb
I had everything a woman could want.
My husband James. The house on the lake. My life. Our perfect life. And then Alex came to visit.
The first time I saw my husband's best friend, I didn't like him. Didn't like how James changed when he was around, didn't like how his penetrating eyes followed me everywhere. But that didn't stop me from wanting him. And surprisingly, James didn't seem to mind.
It was meant to be fun. Something the three of us shared for those hot summer weeks Alex stayed with us. Nobody was supposed to fall in or out of love. I didn't need another man, not even one who oozed sex like honey and knew all the secrets I didn't know, the secrets my husband hadn't shared. After all, we had a perfect life. I loved my husband.
But I wasn't the only one.

Tempted is told in first person from Anne's point of view. She's married to James whom she loves fondly. It's not an earth-shattering love but a calm, solid one. Then Alex comes into their lives. James and Alex have a history together and Anne immediately feels attracted to Alex. Soon they all three end up in bed together, which makes for some pretty hot sex scenes. Always straight m/f/m scenes, not a hint of m/m action though. Of course things become complicated when emotions get involved.

To be honest, I didn't like Anne that much. This feeling grew stronger and stronger in the second half of the book and her last scene with Alex sealed the deal for me - no chance left for her to redeem herself. The fact that the story is only told from her POV and we never learn about James' or Alex's feelings doesn't help. Eventually I even found the secondary storylines about Anne and her family taking too much pages. My worries for Alex (and James) kept me from enjoying these.

I usually can appreciate a flawed character, really, but Anne's idea of an (unprotected) solution just goes beyond flawed imo. In the end it's hard for me to love a book when I find the heroine selfish and unpleasant, even though I can see that it's written very well with great skill. I still look forward to reading Alex's story in Naked, because of Megan Hart's beautiful and compelling style of writing. Let's just hope I like the heroine in that story better...

Winner of More!

The winner of Sloan Parker’s ebook More has been picked by Mr. random.org.

And the winner is:

Amber!

Congratulations, Amber!!! Please email me at eroticromance [at] live [dot] nl

Thank you all for stopping by and a special thanks to Sloan Parker for offering a copy of More to give away and for her wonderful guest post on Point of view!
I hope everyone will read More and enjoy it as much as I did!

There were 21 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Amber
2. Kris Norris
3. Fiction Vixen
4. Heather (DarklyReading)
5. Christine
6. Carol L.
7. Reena Jacobs
8. Danielle
9. Patti
10. MsM
11. HighlandHussy
12. Leontine
13. orannia
14. Tracy
15. Bookie
16. Bronwyn
17. joder
18. pattepoilue
19. Chris
20. Christine H.
21. Sherry

Timestamp: 2010-04-27 10:49:41 UTC

Mondays Hot Couple & Sexy, Smutty Scene

[image]

Today’s sexy scene is from Centrefold by Kris Norris. It’s one of Total E-Bound’s Christmas Crackers and I actually got this M/M/F story in December already. It was a present from the author herself! She sent it to me after visiting my blog for the first time. That’s pretty great, huh? *waves at Kris* You rock, Kris! :)

Anyhow, so far I hadn’t read this ménage story yet. I’m pretty weird with seasonal reads, I like to read Christmas stories throughout the year and not necessarily in December. So, with the weather getting warm and sunny I suddenly felt like reading this one!
It’s a very steamy read so far and I could’ve shared easily one of the many all-the-way scenes but I’m in the mood for a kissing scene to go with this week’s picture! So if you want more of the serious smexing, you better pick this up yourself ;) It does have m/m and ménage scenes, so if you’re not into that, be warned.

Oh and Chris @ Stumbling over Chaos is having a contest with Kris' latest release. Today is the last day to enter the contest to win a copy of her recent m/f romantic suspense, Deadly Obsession (‘Til Death, Book 2)! Contest closes at 7 pm CDT.

The next scene is an m/f kissing scene and Roman and Scarlet are undercover agents 'acting' like a couple, which they have to prove in this scene:


“
The world dipped a moment before she realised she was in Roman’s arms, moving over to the rug.
She looked up at him, captivated by the erotic gleam in his eyes. He didn’t look upset…he looked like a hunter claiming his prize after a long hard chase. And if his cock was any indication of his enthusiasm, she had a feeling he was in the mood to put on quite a show.
“Roman…”
“Easy, darling,” he soothed, lowering her to the rug. “I know this wasn’t how you envisioned me loving you tonight,” he began, his voice loud enough for Everett to hear. “But under the circumstances…” He motioned back to where the man had taken root in a chair. “Just close your eyes, and feel everything I can do for you.”
She tried to speak, but he caught her lips in a primal kiss, dipping his tongue into her mouth like a man who’d dreamt the act a thousand times. He traced every hollow, every dip and curve, until his taste was all she knew. She moved with him when his fingers twirled through her hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. His soft moan drew her back, his lips still touching hers, their breath mixing.
“I’d like to say, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “But I’ve wanted you for a long time, and I don’t plan on wasting any opportunity I’m given.” He kissed the soft shell of her ear, making her body arch into him. “By the time I’m finished, no one in the room will doubt I’m your lover.”
Scarlet moaned as he slanted his lips over hers again, this kiss more demanding than the last. He didn’t taste her this time, he conquered, thrusting inside, devouring her mouth, eating her without mercy, without hesitation. Every flick of his tongue sent a pulse to her groin, heating her juices until they coated her velvety lips. Hell, if he didn’t stop soon, she just might come.
Roman pulled back, swiping his tongue along her lower lip. “Damn, you’re beautiful. Your lips all full and wet.” He drew a deep breath.
”

Kris Norris’s weblog and website
Buy Centrefold here


Backblurb Centrefold:

Sometimes a woman wants to be spread between more than just the pages of a magazine.

Scarlet's spent the past six months trying to make her alter ego, Miss December, a ghost of Christmas past. Forced to become the sexy centrefold in a high stakes undercover assignment, she's spent more time pulling copies of her naked butt off the bulletin boards at the station, than she has chasing criminals. But it's not over yet.

Someone's hunting the models from her first assignment, and with only two weeks left in the year, the rampage is only going to escalate, unless they can catch a break. A break that'll have her baring it all in the line of duty once again. But to keep her cover intact, she's being reunited with her ex-partner, Roman, the one man who controls her body in a way she never dreamed and the only man she'll ever love. Or so she believes...

Roman knows he's got some explaining to do, but after six months of hiding, he's finally ready to come clean, and come out of the closet. He's in love with his F.B.I. partner, Aiden, but bound to Scarlet as well. And with their partnership reinstated, he's determined to show her it's one he plans to make permanent. He and Aiden have made a decision, and they'll do whatever it takes to seduce her into their bed. But can they claim her heart before the stalker kills his way through the calendar?

One Author’s POV on POV: Guestpost & Giveaway with Sloan Parker

Today I’m very pleased that the wonderful Sloan Parker is my guest. She’s the author of the hot and fabulous gay ménage romance More, that you all know I loved! You can read my review here. Sloan will be talking about a topic that has me contemplating every once in a while, because like everyone else I have my likes and dislikes about it, as a reader. The topic is POV (point of view) in romances. I’m dying to hear about this from a writer’s POV. So, I’ll stop talking now and give Sloan the stage!

~~~~~~~~~~

Hello everyone! My name is Sloan Parker, and I’m a newly published romance author. Thanks to the lovely Janna for inviting me by her blog today and allowing me to share my thoughts on writing romances in both first and third person points of view (POV).

When I was writing the first draft of my current story, BREATHE (written in third person), I was also working with my editor on edits to my book MORE (written in first person). It was interesting to flip back and forth between the two types of viewpoints. Each POV has its own advantages and disadvantages for both the reader and the writer.

So today I thought I’d share some of what I like and dislike about writing in each.

Limited Third Person / Told from Multiple Alternating Viewpoints (Uses pronouns “he” or “she”)

What I like:

• Multiple histories & life experiences. I like being able to explore more than one viewpoint of the events in a story. Each character looks at the world and interprets events and the actions of others differently.
• Emotional journeys of all involved. In third person, I can more easily focus on the emotional journey of both (or all) of the main characters in the relationship.
• Getting to the heart of the matter. By switching back and forth between the main characters, I can write each scene from the viewpoint of whichever character is most emotionally impacted by the events in that moment. There are some scenes in MORE where it would have been nice to get into Matthew’s or Richard’s head.

What I don’t like:

• Those tricky little words “he” and “she.” Pronouns can be a headache for any writer, especially for scenes with two or more characters of the same gender. This is not just an issue for love scenes in m/m romances, but for any scene with multiple characters of the same gender. This can lead to awkward wording with repeated names or character descriptions in place of vague pronouns.
• A stop to the tension. It can be hard to keep the tension going in third person when you are alternating viewpoints between characters. If one character is wondering what the other is thinking or feeling, the reader may already know and thus the tension is lessoned.
• Too stupid to live. Often, the reader ends up with more information than the individual characters which can lead to one or more characters looking stupid or as if they should’ve “known better.”

First Person / Told from One Viewpoint (Uses pronouns “I” or “me”)

What I like:

• A deeper connection. When writing as the narrator of the story (who also is “in” the story), I find it gives me a more immediate and personal connection to the main character.
• Faster first draft. By putting myself in each scene as though I am the POV character, I can quickly slip into his head and the actions surrounding him. As a writer, I find this easier to achieve in first person.
• He can be trusted. First person helps establish credibility for the main POV character. At no point in the story do we see that character’s actions without his viewpoint and thus are not as tempted to question his motivations.

What I don’t like:

• What happened when he was sleeping (or unconscious or in the bathroom)? Writing in first means you are limited to only the immediate actions that the POV character is present for or what he/she is told by others.
• He seems shifty. In first person, I worry that the reader may question the motives of the other characters whose thoughts they are not privy to, and this may not be the reaction I’m hoping for.
• I don’t like him. First person (especially in novel-length works) can be a risky storytelling convention. The narrator needs to be likeable or at least interesting (he/she can have faults but cannot be boring or annoying). If the reader doesn’t like that character, then chances are they won’t connect with the book.

As a reader, I have liked and disliked romances written in both first and third person. It all depends on how the author executes the story and the characterizations.

So what do you think? I’d love to hear your likes and dislikes. Do you enjoy reading books told in first person, third, or both? Do you like stories told from one person’s viewpoint or all of the main characters in the romantic relationship?

Thanks again, Janna, for letting me share on your blog today. And thanks to your readers for dropping by and checking out my thoughts on POV.

~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Sloan! It was my pleasure to have you here today.

Giveaway:

Sloan has generously offered a copy of her ebook More for giveaway. This is a M/M/M romance, published at Loose Id.

The giveaway is open to everyone, I will announce the winner on April 27.

To enter the giveaway, follow my blog and leave a comment on this post before Monday night (April 26). I would love it if you answer Sloan’s questions or ask her something about the first and third POV. She’ll be stopping by today to respond to your comments or questions.

Good luck to you all!

~~~~~~~~~~

Backblurb More:

For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men whom he can’t get out of his head have Luke breaking them all. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries—both sexually and personally—and now he’s no longer hiding from his senator father; he’s taking him on. And he isn’t just falling for one man; he’s falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big.
But Luke’s father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he’ll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew.
Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his familiar way of life just when his new lovers want to bind him tighter?

Sloan Parker's weblog and website

Sloan Parker on Twitter
Buy the book here
Read an excerpt here

High Five, Low Five Review of More by Sloan Parker

Sloan Parker
More
Loose Id, March 2010

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Ménage, Violence, Private vs Public Life, Politics

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3 flames

I’ve read this romance for the M/M Reading Challenge, it’s a full length novel and I bought it as an ebook (my pdf has 245 pages). I don’t think it’s available as a paperback yet.
This is one of my High 5, Low 5 reviews. In general the High Five are five things that have impressed me or that I really enjoyed, and the Low Five are five things that had me shaking my head in a less admiring way. In this case the last ones were not really low, only a little lower than the High Five.

More is one of those books that surprised me and made me reconsider a few preconceptions I have about my own likes and dislikes. I’ll talk about a few of my usual dislikes under Low 5. And although I listed them under the low five, you’ll see that they’re not really dislikes here, somehow they worked for me in this book.

So, when I closed the book a content sigh came out of me. I loved it. Whenever that occurs, I feel the need to write a review about the book, but also know that when I would do that immediately after finishing the book, I have not much more to say than that the book is fabulous and a variety of those adjectives. Therefore, it took me a few weeks, but now I can give you my thoughts on this gay ménage.

First the Back Blurb:

For fifteen years Luke Moore has lived by three rules: stay off his father's radar, never spend more than a single night with any man, and never fall in love again. But one night of explosive sex and two men whom he can’t get out of his head have Luke breaking them all. Richard and Matthew push him past all his boundaries—both sexually and personally—and now he’s no longer hiding from his senator father; he’s taking him on. And he isn’t just falling for one man; he’s falling for two. If you're going to break the rules, might as well break them big.
But Luke’s father has his reasons for hating how his son lives, and he’ll do whatever he can and use all his power to keep Luke away from Richard and Matthew.
Can this threesome find a way to make their unconventional relationship last with the world around them trying to pull them apart? And will Luke be able to keep breaking his rules for Richard and Matthew, or will he head back to his familiar way of life just when his new lovers want to bind him tighter?

High 5

• Good writing style
If I hadn’t known that this was a debut novel, I would’ve never been able to tell. It’s written very well: with functional descriptions, no annoying mistakes, good dialogue and good visualization. Yes, even for me, a non-native speaker, it’s important that the language and writing style are good. Maybe even more so. I don’t want to get distracted or taken out of the story because of a bad sentence or a discontinuity in a description of a scene. So, I appreciate a well-written (and well-edited) story very much, also because this is not always the norm in this genre.

• Great build-up
Along with the first high, comes the second: the story has a good pace, the right amount of suspense and a natural feel to the relationship building. I like it that it’s not rushed and has the length of a novel.

• No taking a nosedive for this ménage
I’m rather picky when it comes to ménage romances because usually they only satisfy me in the erotic and not in the romance department. It’s quite tricky for an author to make the polyamorous relationship believable (for me). I seldom buy the ‘I love you’s that are exchanged at the end, just to give the book a HEA. Ms. Parker succeeds in making my romantic heart flutter for her three guys in More. And, like I said, that’s not an easy job. She lets the three men individually, at different moments and to other people, tell how they see the other two men in their lives. And for example when Richard talks about Luke and Matthew on page 188 I can understand how their relationship works (for them). He says: “The attraction and affection you see between them – it isn’t just about them. Wrapped up in that is me – their feelings for me.” The author worked hard with many other descriptions like this one and by showing their feelings within their behavior, before I became a ‘believer’, but she succeeded.

• Loveable & well-developed characters
Very important for me is how I feel towards the main characters. I know it’s probably the most subjective one of my criteria but I’m not the only reader for whom this is essential. It just makes it easier to keep reading. And I just happened to like Luke and Richard a lot and really love Matthew. His bouncing, happy persona was outright adorable. At least, that’s what I thought, someone else might disagree… But, they probably will agree that the characters were well-developed and showed some growth, especially Luke. He almost changed from black to white: from a loner to a dedicated lover, from submissive towards his dad’s demands to an ‘action hero’, from being secretive to a sharing person and from a guy on the run to a domestic man.

• Steamy sex scenes
You know me… and in case you don’t, I’ll say it out loud… I heart steamy, hot love scenes. And More absolutely delivered them. Nice, long sex scenes that left me sizzling. Also not unimportant, there was a lot of hot kissing going on. And maybe I like a good kiss scene even better than a sex scene but those two combined makes the best love scene. I hardly ever reread a book but I would reread More for them alone, and I think Mr. ErotRomReader won’t object if I do.
Well, the love scenes were not only hot but also showed a parallel development that was present in that of the relationship - or to be more precise Luke’s growth. It’s symbolic that he wants to be tied up the first time the three men meet and have sex, and Luke’s also the one who refuses to go bareback long after the two other men are ready for that kind of commitment. So, the sex scenes mirror the feelings in this relationship and play an important role in understanding each other. I love it when sex is functional like that *grin*.


Low 5

• The amount of sex
Okay, that being said, I have to make a comment on the amount of sex scenes, because it can be overwhelming. It wasn’t for me, because I read the book spread out over three or four days. But, I can imagine that it is, when you read the book in say one day. I like to add that the sex scenes never became repetitive at all. That’s an achievement in itself with that high quantity.

• Luke’s father’s influence
Luke’s father, the politician, has a slightly unbelievable hold on his son. I didn’t quite buy his behavior, perhaps it was a little over the top. But then, reality is probably weirder than fiction. Also Luke’s impassive attitude – always on the run, never confronting his father – rang a bit untrue. But this element in the story made for great suspense and was a perfect motivation for the pace the love story took. It didn’t bother me, but asked for a little suspension of disbelieve.

• The setting of the gay sex club
The gay sex club, where the three men meet in the beginning of the story, is not my favorite setting, usually. It’s so not romantic. Nevertheless, it was a very logical setting, not only for Luke (who avoided everything smelling like a committed relationship) but also for Richard and Matthew. Ms. Parker did explain well why they were there. Still, I was relieved when the club was left for what it was, after only a few meetings. The setting of Richard’s house was much better.

• Lack of a social life
Luke, Matthew and Richard don’t seem to have many friends or family. Richard’s social life consists only of his business meetings, Matthew just has his mother with whom he has a wonderful relationship for that matter. And Luke only has one good friend, an older ex-cop, who seems to be mainly a handy contact because of his security skills. I usually prefer there to be some meaningful relationships besides the love interest, but somehow I hardly missed it in this book. Probably because there already was so much going on with Luke’s investigation, the threats from his father, all the sex, the relationship issues, etcetera.

• The use of first POV
This story is told solely from Luke’s point of view, in first person. I always thought it’s not my favorite POV, but more and more of my five star reads, like this one, seem to be written in first POV (e.g. books from Sean Kennedy, L.B. Gregg and Josh Lanyon). Often it doesn’t work for me, but when it’s done well, it gives a book that little extra. I think it was a good choice for More, because with the three male characters it could’ve become awfully confusing with the changing POV’s and a disastrous case of head hopping. But, still, I put it under my Low Five, because I really missed Matthew’s and Richard perspective.

Ps: There are rumors that Ms. Parker is thinking about writing two sequels to More from Richard’s and Matthew’s POV

Ps2: I've invited Sloan Parker over to my place for next week. She’ll be talking about writing in first person and third person for romances (her next manuscript is in third from both character’s POV). She also generously offered to give away a copy of More, so check in next Wednesday if you want to know more about that.

Those were my five highs and five lows. Did you notice how my five lows weren’t really deal breakers? I guess it’s obvious then that I totally loved More! It was a very sexy and heartwarming love story with good suspense. I completely believed in the polyamorous nature of this relationship and especially Matthew found his way to a special little place in my heart. The story of Luke’s life is heartbreaking and I’m happy that he found a way out of it. More definitely made my Favorites of 2010 list. And I would be the first to buy a sequel from Richard’s or Matthew’s point of view.

Link luvin'

Sloan Parker's weblog and website
Sloan Parker on Twitter
Buy the book here
Read an excerpt here

More on Goodreads
Jenre's review: Good
Jessewave's review: 4.75/5 stars
Kathy Kozakewich's review: 5/5 stars
Rainbow reviews: 5/5 stars
Tam's thoughts
Ebook Addict Theresa's thoughts

(Leave me a comment if you want your link added)

Quick Review of The Perfect Gift by Ashley Ladd

Ashley Ladd
The Perfect Gift
Total E-Bound, 2007

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Ménage, M/M/F, Gay, M/M

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹½

The Back Blurb:
Bianca's on the search to find the perfect gift for her boyfriend Ty this Christmas. But then she discovers a hidden stash of gay male porn under his side of the bed. Stunned, and scared, she needs to find out if Ty's more interested in men than in her.
She arranges an illicit night for Ty with her handsome gay co-worker Brendan.
To her astonishment and delight, the night turns into a ménage-à-trois, and all three lovers end up benefiting from this special gift.

I’ve read this book last year, so this is going to be a quick, little review of the book. I don’t want to let it be, because I enjoyed it too much for that…

I liked this story a lot, the characters were fun and very likable. The plot is well developed, fast paced and to the point. And the sex scenes were hot! The situation could’ve turned into an angst packed emotional roller coaster, but Ms. Ladd kept it light and enjoyable. The heroine is amazing and the girlfriend of every man's dreams. When she discovers her boyfriend’s gay fantasies she’s getting him a wonderful, unselfish gift. In return she gets a gift herself: a second hot man in her bedroom. I like it as well that the ending was kind of open where the third person in the threesome was concerned, but with a hint of a HEA for them all. And let’s talk about the smut a little bit more ;) The two guys really hit it off and were absolutely sexy together, which led to quite some orgasmic scenes.

So this was a sweet, sexy, tender and scorching hot romantic story that I can recommend when you like to read about ménages which include some guy on guy action!

Contest Winner & Short Review of Cuffed and Dangerous by Bronwyn Green

Hi everybody, like I promised I’m about to announce the winner of the pdf copy of Bronwyn Green’s Cuffed and Dangerous! Before I do so I gotta say that I think the winner is one lucky girl, just like I was when Bronwyn sent me her book as a present. I thought I’d take a sneak peek at it before drawing and announcing today’s winner… so I at least had a faint idea about what I was giving away… and I just couldn’t put it down after that!! The first pages pulled me in right away and before I knew it I’d finished the story. I’ve read it in one breath! Luckily it was only about 50 pages long… otherwise I would have been dehydrated or worse ;)… although I wouldn’t have minded reading a little bit longer about Bronwyn’s threesome.
And the funny thing is, it was about shapeshifters! As some of you know I’m postponing reading the paranormal genre for a while now, because I had these doubts if it would be my cup of tea. I courageously bought a few paranormal books and won some others but kept pushing them to the bottom of my TBR tower. The back blurb of Cuffed and Dangerous didn’t say anything about the heroes being werecats, so I was tricked and I didn’t mind at all! I’m just saying so the winner knows what she gets!
If you want to know a wee bit more about my honest thoughts on this book, you can find them at the end of this post.

But let’s not let you wait any longer - the winner of Cuffed and Dangerous is:

Beth

Congratulations Beth! Please email me at eroticromance[at]live[dot]nl so I can send you the ebook, because I don’t have your address.

I want to thank Bronwyn again for making this giveaway possible! Thank you so much! And all of you who played and became followers of my blog, thank you too!

BTW I choose the winner with the help of Random.org.

There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:


1. Beth
2. Marissa
3. Booklover1335
4. elaing8
5. joder
6. Patti
7. Tricia
8. Leontine
9. Cathy M
10. Sweet Vernal Zephyr
11. CynCyn
12. Molly Daniels
13. Minx
14. Cecile
15. Mandi
16. Marquetta
17. adrienne
18. UniquelyMoi
19. Tracy Tabor
20. Andrea

Timestamp: 2010-01-08 12:15:54 UTC

Bronwyn Green
Cuffed and Dangerous
Resplendence Publishing, November 2009

Genre & Keywords: Paranormal, Shapeshifters: Feline, Ménage, M/F/M, Bountyhunting, light bondage play

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹¹

The Back Blurb:
When a bounty claim becomes a fight of five against one, Jude Caulfield and Gideon Wells step in to help hunter, Wrenn Saunders, before she’s mortally injured. Wrenn soon learns that three is a good number whether in a fight or in the bedroom. Especially in the bedroom—and that’s just where Jude and Gideon want to keep her.

I’ve said it before, I like a book that opens in mid action and Cuffed and Dangerous did just that and the first pages pulled me straight into the story. I intended to only take a little peek but ended up reading it in one haul. It’s a short story (about 50 pages) and when the space is that limited lust and love are always fighting for attention and the heat is mostly the winner. The same goes for Cuffed and Dangerous. Although there’s a happy ending and a glimpse of love, the romance in this story is not overly developed. The heat on the other hand… o lala… that’s very well done!
The sex scenes were really scorching hot and frequent! From the first to the last love scene the two heroes know how to seduce their girl into some sweet and tender but hot and ultimately satisfying lovin’! And although the three protags didn’t know each other before the encounter in the bar where Jude and Gideon helped Wrenn settle the fight against five werelions there’s an instant attraction and a genuine affection from the beginning between them.

There, the word werelions fell! Yeah, that’s right, I’ve finally read a book about werecats! It was my first, I was kind of a paranormal virgin and… the werecats didn’t freak me out! At first there was only one short shifting involved when they had to fight the lions, but the description of that wasn’t extensive so I could get to know the heroes first as men, and that was good. They were described as good looking hotties with the protecting quality alphas tend to have. Wrenn clearly fell for the men and certainly not for the cats. In fact she hates the fact that they are shapeshifters, since she had a traumatic experience with the sort. Wrenn makes a great heroine, she’s feisty, independent and tough – all qualities I like in my heroines. Ms. Green gave her a plausible background and more depth than Jude and Gideon. Except for their appearances the guys were pretty much interchangeable. I can’t remember which one of them was the cougar and which one the panther. They are rather flat characters and it was easier to identify with Wrenn than with one of them. But then again they played the parts they were meant to play perfectly.

So overall my first experience with the paranormal genre wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was freakin’ awesome and I’m ready for more! I think, but I can’t really be a good judge of that, that the paranormal aspect was on the light side in Cuffed and Dangerous, since the hot lovin’ was so prominent and the shapeshifting was just a given without elaborate explanations or rules or anything. Most of all I think that Ms. Green’s easy writing and way of making a story flow, helped me a lot with my paranormal deflowering, ‘cause if it wasn’t for that I would have never been sucked into the story like I was now. She really knows how to grab your attention and hold it throughout the story!
I already purchased another one of her stories: Handcuffs and Lies. And of course I couldn’t help myself and take a sneak peek again. And this story also begins in mid action and pulled me in immediately. But I managed to put it down to write this post ;) I’m not sure if there’re shapeshifters involved as well, since the back blurb doesn’t tell… But with or without them, the blurb sounds promising anyway!

Short Review of Songbird by Maya Banks

Maya Banks
Songbird
Samhain Publishing, September 2009

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Ménage, Cowboys, Violence, Grief

Rating: êêê
Heat level: ¹¹½

The Back Blurb:
The voice of an angel, a husband who loved her. She had it all…until a tragedy took it away. A Linger story.
They called her their Songbird, but she was never theirs. Not in the way she wanted.
The Donovan brothers meant everything to Emily, but rejected by Greer and Taggert, she turned to Sean, the youngest. He married her for love, and she loved him, but she also loved his older brothers.
Her singing launched her to stardom. She had it all. The voice of an angel, a husband who loved her, and the adoration of millions. Until a tragedy took it all away.
Taggert and Greer grieve for their younger brother, but they’re also grieving the loss of Emmy, their songbird. They take her back to Montana, determined to help her heal and show her once and for all they want her. They’re also on a mission to help her find her voice again. Under the protective shield of their love, she begins to blossom… until an old threat resurfaces.
Now the Donovans face a fight for what they once threw away. Only by winning it—and her love—will their songbird fly again.

Warning: Explicit sex, ménage a trois, multiple partners, a committed polyamorous relationship, adult language, and sweet loving.

I’ve read a few books by Maya Banks before and I liked them most of the times. The first ménage romance I read was her Colters’ Woman, I think. That was a hot read that I enjoyed quite a bit. Songbird is another one of her ménage stories. Again it involves some hot ranching brothers. Originally there were three siblings, like in Colters’ Woman, but in this story one of them died an early and violent death. He was the one who was married to the heroine, Emmy. She loves all three of the brothers but the older two rejected her a few years back. Now with their younger brother dead, those brothers came to take Emmy back home and help her get over her grief. So far, the ingredients are promising. And the first third of the story was promising too. The characters were introduced, their feelings explained and their relationship was gradually developing into something beautiful. Emmy’s grief was heart-wrenching and the brothers were adorable in their behavior and insecurities.

However, the first thing that bugged me a little bit and took my out of the story was a description of Greer’s appearance. If it was done somewhere at the start of the story, it would’ve been okay, but now it came at a moment that I’d already made my own mental picture of the guys. Suddenly he’s described as bulky and the shorter one of the brothers and that so didn’t match my image of the guy!

Well, this is just a minor thing, but a bigger problem for me was the sudden appearance of a kidnapper (can’t say much about that without spoiling it). Let’s just say, that turn in the plot came out of the blue for me. Maybe I’m not enough of a perceptive reader and should have seen it coming. But I didn’t and to be honest I don’t think the story needed this kind of suspense. I reckoned it all a bit too unbelievable! Besides, it reminded me very much of what happened at the end of Colters’ Woman… In my opinion it smelled of sensationalism, just added to jerk some more tears. And truthfully, the story didn’t need that plot turn to be a tearjerker. Like I said, Emmy’s grief was heart-wrenching enough. That part was imo written beautifully.

Another thing I liked was how the brothers were insecure about how to make this polyamorous relationship work, unlike the heroes of Colters’ Woman, who were all resolute about sharing one woman for the rest of their lives. Nope, not Taggert and Greer! Initially they turned Emmy down and even now they’d come to terms with it, they don’t really know how to act. That made them loveable for me. Of course things in the bedroom go smoothly from the first moment, but that’s how things (should?) go in romances! Right?

To conclude, reading Songbird wasn’t a waste of time, it has it’s good moments but it’s not one of my favorite ménage romances.

Review of Some Kind of Hero by Michelle Cary

Michelle Cary
Some Kind of Hero
Samhain Publishing, April 2008

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Wounded Soldier, Ménage a trois (M/F/M), Abuse, Violence

Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹½

The Back Blurb:
After serving his tour of duty in Iraq, Sergeant Derek Rison returns home to find his apartment—and his life—in ruins. Sitting in the back booth of a local diner, contemplating his options, Derek meets waitress Jordan Minx, a petite brunette with a sad smile and a big heart.
Well-intentioned Jordan offers him a place to sleep, but an accidental encounter in the bathroom lands them both in her bed. Derek discovers a woman with an insatiable appetite for sex and a secret to hide—her “boyfriend” blackmails her to be a toy for his group of kinky friends.
Bolstered by Derek’s love, Jordan finds the courage to do the right thing. But the cost of freedom could be her life.

Warning, this title contains the following: Explicit sex, spankings, ménage a trois, violence.

This story is very fast paced and packed with lots and lots of action. I think maybe it was a bit too much and too fast in the short span of time of the storyline. But if you like to be gripped by action and hot sex scenes, this might be just the book for you. From the very first page the hero and heroine are figuratively getting on a train together, to not jump off again, because it keeps riding and riding, even while it takes some quite impossible curves.

Ex-soldier Derek meets waitress Jordan when he returns wounded from Iraq and finds his apartment burned down. She offers him her couch for the night and one thing leads to another. Within a couple of days they have hot sex (with some out-of-the-blue-but-one-time-only spanking), share their secrets and fall in love. But Jordan can’t commit to a relationship with Derek because she has a boyfriend. And she happens to be financially dependent on that guy. I found this in itself a bit incredible but even more so when it turned out that she let him abuse her sexually. She’s a sweet woman but she annoyed me as well because of this impassiveness and dependency.

The relationship between Jordan and Derek felt genuine though. He’s not only hot as sin but also very easy to like and his feelings for her are heartwarming. His character was less well developed as the heroine’s though. The story is written mostly from her point of view. He’s really good for her, especially after what she’s been through. And he knows how to encourage her without pushing her into something she doesn’t want to do. The perfect man, right? Jordan does realize her luck and she dares to believe in a happy future for herself again. But their happily ever after is postponed shortly by some unexpected events. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this turn of the story, which involved a matter of life and death (I’m trying not to reveal too much…). It was unexpected but very plausible and it added some good emotional tension.

There’s just one thing in the storyline I’m not too thrilled about: the ménage scene between Jordan, Derek and Derek’s business partner (who was gay but unexpectedly turned bi). It’s not the scene in itself that bothered me, because that was kinda hot. But it was too farfetched with these three characters: Derek didn’t seem to be the kind of guy that likes threesomes, and Jordan had a nasty history with ménages instigated by her abusive boyfriend. Although she engaged willingly in the threesome it didn’t seem to fit at all.

But overall, I liked this book, because the storyline was interesting and the writing was good. The characters were well developed and there was plenty of action and emotional tension which elevated the suspense.

Review of Two In Hand by Mary Winter

Mary Winter
Two In Hand
Pink Petal Books, June 2009

Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Cowboys , Ménage, M/M and M/M/F
Rating: êêêê
Heat level: ¹¹


I like stories about cowboys, gay or straight, so when I read the back blurb of Two In Hand I instantly wanted to buy and read this book by Mary Winter.
And it did definitely not disappoint me: I liked this novel about two men and one woman very, very much! I'll list my High 5, Low 5 on Two In Hand.

First the Back Blurb:

Katie Kendall knew about making two beings operate as one—she participated in two-in-hand combined driving competitions. If she could control two horses in the same harness, then surely two cowboys in the same relationship would be a piece of cake. Right?
Daniel Westin had loved Katie when they were both teenagers and confusion over his changing sexuality made him leave her. When he met team roper and stock contractor, James Stanton, Daniel realized his romantic dreams had been realized. Except for one thing, Katie was missing out of their lives.
So Daniel invites Katie to a rodeo. Perhaps, if she sees how good he and James work together, she’ll remember how good things were between them. And maybe, just maybe, Daniel and James can convince Katie that she can handle them.

This story features scenes of m/m and threesome sexual encounters.

Low 5

• The first low is that I’d never read anything by Mary Winter before: a missed chance! But the good thing is that I have yet a lot of back list books to discover. In many categories, according to the author’s website.

• Another low is the length of the book, it’s way too short (90 pages in my ebook edition). I would’ve loved to read a little bit more about this lovely threesome.

• The one on one (M/M) love scenes did sometimes occur ‘behind closed doors’, which I regretted.

• There’s one (series of) scene(s) that I thought had more potential. It’s when Katie and Daniel had sex in the shower while James was asleep in the bed in the next room. The night before he left the bed to go sleep by himself in the second bed in the room. I would have liked to read a bit more about James’ reason to leave their bed, and about his feelings about Katie and Daniel having one on one time in the shower the next morning. Was he jealous, did he even know?

• I can’t really think of a fifth low… or maybe that I wouldn’t have minded if the guys had gone to some more rodeos with nice descriptions of them contesting and handling the horses and stuff.


High 5

• The story is told through the eyes of all three main characters; especially James’ view and feelings in the beginning added something special. Towards the end his view is not presented that much anymore, but that’s okay. The switching in point of views is done well and works great in this story of a threesome.

• Scorching hot sex scenes with a lot of emotion were really one of the highs of this story. Ms. Winter found a nice balance between the hotness of her characters’ physical actions and all the dilemma’s and feelings that are involved when a third person enters a good relationship.

• A big plus is the sweetness of James. He is very easy to love with his calm and reassuring posture and his never ceasing love for Daniel and his fast growing feelings for Katie. She’s such a lucky lady for having not only one but two gorgeous guys adore and love her!! James is not only sweet but also great looking, with his dark appearance. Overall I liked him better than the blond and doubting Daniel, probably this is done on purpose by the author because otherwise James could easily be considered the disposable third wheel, I guess.

• The background of western life and rodeos, in which this story is set, is great. I like heroes handling horses and ropes, wearing cowboy hats, boots and tight fitting jeans (preferably with bare, ripped chests :)). This provides already a lot of sexiness to a story.

• Katie’s reserve when it comes to getting involved (first only sexually, later in a long lasting relationship) with the two guys, appeared to be realistic. She’s taking her time telling the men what she decided, which makes them wondering and anticipating. Sometimes I get irritated by all the heroines jumping to every whim of the hero because of the physical attraction to the man. Katie is a stronger woman than that, while this doesn’t diminish the hotness of the attraction a bit.

So, this was my summary of five highs and lows. I can recommend Two in Hand, especially if you like ménages and cowboy heroes.

Review of Blackmailed by Annmarie McKenna

Annmarie McKenna
Blackmailed
Samhain Publishing, May 2006
Genre & Keywords: Contemporary, Ménage a trois, D/s, Bondage
Rating: êêê
Heat level: ¹¹¹

Blackmailed is an older novel (from 2006) by Annmarie McKenna about two men and one woman who are ‘thrown together’ by a very unusual action of the heroine’s father. If it wasn’t for Brianna’s father’s unrealistic wish that Brianna and Cole would hook up to deliver him an heir, they probably never would have met. But now Brianna is blackmailed by her father and the instance she and Cole meet they’re attracted to each other. The third person in this threesome is Cole’s best friend Tyler who falls for Brianna by only seeing a picture of her. Cole and Tyler are used to share women, so when Brianna is delivered at Cole’s doorstep, Tyler is obviously gonna be part of the party that’s getting started. No matter how scared Brianna is, hyperventilating and all, she’s gonna be taken. Sure, she’s consenting and even aroused, but I had a hard time believing her excitement given the situation she was in. Tyler only joins them the next morning, but while he’s a total stranger to Brianna she’s bound to the bed and blindfolded when he does. Not very considerate of Cole or Tyler to put her in such a helpless situation. Their relationship gets a little more equal and enjoying when the story proceeds though. And I must admit that the sex scenes are pretty hot and well written. It’s the development of the plot and the characters I’m rather negative about. They’re not realistic and the added suspense caused by the threats from Cole’s former lover, is neither. So, if you wanna read a story with a realistic plot and nice and well-developed characters, Blackmailed is not the best book for you. But if you’re looking for a hot, erotic novel with plenty of sex, written in a way that makes your juices flow, this is just the right choice!

Back Blurb:
Brianna Wyatt may be a victim of her father’s machinations, but one look is all it takes for Cole Masters and Tyler Cannon to offer her their own style of ménage a trois blackmail.
Brianna Wyatt’s father is blackmailing her into doing what he wants by threatening to send her brother to an institution. She would do anything to keep that from happening, including go along with his demented scheme of her getting pregnant by Cole Masters—a man who’s been rumored to share a woman with his best friend, and who leaves Brianna’s innocent senses in shambles.
Cole is sure he’s about to be blackmailed—why else would a man whore his daughter? But there’s something about her that neither Cole nor his best friend, Tyler Cannon, can deny. They want her, and don’t hesitate for a second on making their own offer. Her brother’s protection for her body.
When danger flirts with Brianna’s life, there is nothing they won’t do to keep her safe. Including listening to what their hearts are saying.

Warning: this title contains graphic language, hot, explicit sex, bondage, domination/submission and ménage a trois and is not for the faint of heart!