Review of No Limits (No Shame #2) by Nora Phoenix

  

 by Nora Phoenix

3.5 stars

Josh is convinced he’ll never find someone who’ll love him the way he is. He’s not exactly a catch with his PTSD, which has transformed him into a homebody most of the times. Sweet, maybe, but also boring as hell. Plus, there’s that submissive tendency he recently discovered and is dying to explore. His complicated relationship with Noah and Indy don’t make it easy, either. When Connor shows interest in him, he can’t believe the sexy cop would look at him twice, let alone make an effort to get to know him. When he does, Josh discovers they have more in common than he’d ever thought possible.

Connor had survived the ordeal that left his best friend and fellow Marine dead, but that survival came at a price. He’s a robot, going through the motions, but barely alive. Until fate intervenes when he meets Josh. The vulnerable man triggers all kinds of protective and dominant urges in Connor, but what would a cute guy like Josh want with an inexperienced, closed-off, bossy steamroller like him?

When Connor discovers his past endangers Indy, all hope for a future between him and Josh seems lost. After all, there’s no way Josh will ever choose Connor over Indy’s safety and Noah’s lifelong friendship. When a crisis hits, can Connor prove he’s strong enough to deal with everything that’s thrown his way?

No Limits is the 2^nd in the No Shame series by Nora Phoenix, and a great continuation from the first book No Filter.  While we enjoyed the first book, we found editing and story inconsistencies kept us form loving it, Nora Phoenix has ironed out a bot of the story, making No Limits a much easier read.

The yay?

-  BDSM:  We really enjoyed watching Connor and Josh finding their kinks, and exploring their dominant/submissive relationship.  Nora Phoenix spent some time really developing this relationship and not jumping too hardcore into whips and chains.  It seems like a natural progression for their relationship, and we loved how it suited and settled Josh.

-  Continuation of Story:  This is a series; you can’t read this book without reading the last book. We liked that, but it could be a negative.

-  Story flow:  The story was so much better edited, there was a flow to the events and just didn’t stumble along. 

The meh?

-  Confusion:  We still feel the story was a little confused about what it is trying to be.  Erotica, threesome / foursome ménage, hurt comfort, mafia, there is a lot going on.  Seem to jump from story line to storyline and it gives us a bit of whiplash.

-  The cliffhanger:  Just like the end of the first in the series and man it is unsatisfying!

-  Story flow:  Yes, this was something we enjoyed, but there is so much going on in this book, that sometimes we felt a good editor could streamline a bit more, and deal with the grammatical and word confusion issues.

So many things going on, so many feelings and storyline, so many relationships.  We love these boys and feel invested in the series, but a few issues still nagged at us, and ironing out the kinks could really skyrocket this series. 

Review of Jared’s Evolution (Jared & Kieran #1) by Riley Hart

by Riley Hart

 5 stars

He wants to dominate me…to discipline me. He wants me to call him Daddy…

I’ve always taken care of myself—worked hard to become king of the courtroom and excel in the cutthroat business of winning cases. I’m fierce…brutal…confident. I’m a lie. Underneath my armor, I’m drowning, losing myself under the weight of life. At thirty-three years old, I should be able to handle the pressure.

My neighbor Kieran sees past my spotless suits and manufactured control to the real Jared. The one who secretly craves being dominated, to serve, and to give up control—not just in the bedroom, but in every aspect of my personal life.

I can’t want this…but I do… When I’m under Kieran’s command—spanked, rewarded and caged—I’m free. With Kieran’s care and guidance, my mind is unburdened as my body soars to new heights, and Kieran becomes what we both need him to be: Daddy.

It’s a journey of dominance and submission—of rules, schedules, security and discipline. He opens my world, teaches me, changes me…but he doesn’t let me in. It’s temporary, Daddy tells me, and I’d be wise to remember that, so I don’t get hurt.

Let’s be honest – BDSM is not our kink, and we tend to stay away for that genre.  But with all the hype around Jared’s Evolution by Riley Hart we couldn’t resist, and so glad we didn’t – this book is one of her best and a winner winner winner!

So much we loved:

-        -  BDSM world: This book opened us up to a fascinating world.  The Daddy/Boy kink features heavily in Jared’s Evolution and as Jared learns about this world so do we.  We the reader feel like we are a passenger on his discovery, and it is a fascinating look at someone struggling with what society deems outside the norm.

-      -    Wonderfully crafted:  Jared’s book is a beautifully written book, it flows and is so easy to fall into the pages.  Riley Hart has created 2 characters that are so skillfully developed, we fell in love.  There is a natural progression to Jared’s Evolution that sucked us in as readers, and although BDSM can be a jarring genre, this story has a delicate feel to it, and we wrestle with everything Jared is feeling.

-          Characters:  We said a lot about this already but, we fell in love with Jared.  He is such an opposite person; strong and successful by day, and a lost soul at night.  When he struggles with fully accepting himself and the Daddy lifestyle; our heart broke for him.

-      -    Spicy Chemistry:  There is a simmering chemistry between Jared and Kieran, it is right below the surface, and is so hot.  This isn’t a romance in a traditional sense, but that doesn’t take away from the bubbling heat between these men.

What we didn’t like:

-       -   The end:  Yes, that it ended.  Seriously we need the next book. We are so fascinated by Jared and Kieran, and are so excited by this new series by Riley Hart.  

Jared’s Evolution absolutely blew us away – we enjoyed Riley Hart’s writing so much!  We loved Jared accepting what he needs and Kieran being the person to stand up and give it to him.  But all we can say is WHEN DOES THE NEXT BOOK COME OUT!!!!!

Review of Middleman by Jayne Rylon

 by Jayne Rylon

3.5 stars

I don’t kneel for any man. Not anymore.
I had the perfect dominant boyfriend. Then Cortez left me to save the world.
After two and a half years lost drowning my misery in bad decisions, one man changed everything.
Rogan is the perfect submissive, who puts me back in control of both him and my life.
Until Cortez comes home.
Who am I? Cortez’s bottom or Rogan’s top?
Maybe I’m both.
Maybe I was made to be their middleman.

Hmm, a ménage romance, 3 hot men and a BDSM kink, sound like a steamy book.  And Middleman delivers on the steam, but a few little issues kept us from totally falling in love.

Kaden is an artist and a dedicated bottom for dominant Cortez.  Cortez is a soldier, and when the military calls him away for a special op for an extended period, he thinks he does what is right and breaks it off with Kaden.  Kaden is broken and spends the next years finding relief in other men, drugs and alcohol. However, while doing a portrait for a new sexy client, Rogan, he finds himself pulled into his drama and is happy to find relief for his broken heart.  But things aren’t simple, Cortez comes back form the dead and wants Kaden back.

This is a story about 3 very different men; Kaden, Cortez and Rogan. It is a hot hot steamy erotic story, but it missed a bit for us in the BDSM side, it is a bit more of a kink with light bondage and not really BDSM.  But, it is sizzling, the sex is off the page hot, and really if you are looking for serious chemistry and scalding sex than read on. 

A few things that made us scratch our head.  There is a lot of drama, Cortez leaving, Kaden’s broken soul, Rogan’s cheating ex, and it got a bit much, a bit like drama for drama sake.  Plus we didn’t really like how the fell into the ménage.  Seriously, if your boyfriend’s ex (the one he still says he loves and is heart-broken over) returns would you invite him to be your bodyguard? Yeah, no, it wasn’t really believable.  This is our first Jayne Rylon book, so maybe we aren’t used to her style, but we felt the story missed a flow, like it was a bit forced.  We like the 3 characters individually, and the Kaden/Rogan and Kaden/Cortez relationship but we weren’t really sold on the ménage.

But we are just being picky.  We wanted to like this ménage, we really liked the steam, and the sex scenes are phenomenal, but the story didn’t really work for us.

Review of All in with the Duke (Gambling on Love #1) by Ava Marsh

 by Ava March

4 Stars 

London, 1822  Max Arrington, the Duke of Pelham, vows to never again let a handsome face blind him to a man's true intentions. But ten months of celibacy and lonely nights drive him to a decadent brothel, where a beautiful young man arouses his illicit passions as never before.

Tristan Walsh has grown tired of being used for men's pleasure. But his latest client is different: commanding yet generous, Max makes him feel cared for as well as wanted. Yet Tristan knows he'll never have the choice to leave the brothel and submit only to Max.

So when Max invites him to be his guest at his country estate, Tristan eagerly agrees to his terms—days to do as he pleases while Max tends to the dukedom, and nights spent together in wicked play. But when the "business arrangement" begins to deepen into something more, Tristan must face the fact that he has no true place in Max's life—or in Max's guarded heart…

First off, let us just say we LOVE m/m Historical Romance, there is something so sexy about 19^th Century loving.  And Ava March’s All in with the duke does not disappoint.   Max Arrington, His Grace the Duke of Pelham, is a strict, unhappy, serious man.  He has given his heart away in the past, and learned from that mistake, but after 10 months of being alone, he strikes out to find some companionship.  Visiting a brothel he hires Tristan Walsh to share his bed for a few hours, and finds himself more than intrigued, so much so, when he finds Tristan being abuse by another client he whisks Tristan away to the safety of his country home.

There are so many things that work here, Max and Tristan are really hot together, and the light BDSM scenes really steal the show.  But there is a lot of heat in this book, and we did find ourselves skimming a bit – gulp!  Not that they are boring, but it gets a little repetitive.  We really enjoyed the slow-burn of the story, how they both come to realize that this isn’t just about sex anymore, and how Ava March deals with the reality of their situation, the son of a farmer and a Duke, can’t exist in each other’s worlds. 

All in with the Duke actually reminds us of an m/m Regent version of Pretty Woman.  The prostitute and the Gentleman – how will they ever stay together?  Even though they love each other, will their worlds keep them apart?  Kidding aside, this version really works.  And introducing us to Jack Morgan, Max’s driver, and Anthony, Viscount Rawling, characters for Gambling on Love Book #2 and #3 respectively makes us want to load them up on our kindle right away!

Review of Steam by Kay Simone

by Kay Simone

4.5 stars

"What do you say to a quickie?"

Diverse, emotionally charged, and deliciously bite-sized...

Fans of Kay Simone will love Steam, a 60k collection of six standalone gay love stories with searingly sexy payoffs and happy endings. Two stories, "A Rational Man" and "An Honest Mistake," are brand new and won't be available anywhere but in the pages of Steam.

With a vast array of themes, from endearing enemies-to-lovers to scorching hot daddy kink, Steam has something to offer every reader!

*Bet Your Ass: When Rich dares Jonah to chug a bottle of hot sauce in a grocery store parking lot, Jonah knows there's only one thing that will make it worth it: the chance to tie up and top his older boyfriend. (May-December established relationship with edging and restraints. Includes light BDSM themes.)

*Red Handed: Habitual shoplifter Trent is no stranger to law enforcement, but he's never seen a rent-a-cop quite like Chester. When Chester begrudgingly busts the smug kid trying to walk through the front doors of the store with an ambitious score, Trent proposes an alternative to turning him in. Once Chester has the young shoplifter bent over his desk, he decides it's time to give Trent a punishment he'll remember--and one they'll both enjoy. (Includes light BDSM and some verbal humiliation.)

*The Duet: Barrett is unlucky in love, but at least he has his beautiful condo. It comes with great views, an ideal location, and a neighbor upstairs who plays the piano so beautifully that Barrett finds himself falling for the guy, sight unseen. When Barrett finally discovers the identity of his piano-playing crush, he's horrified to find that it's Josh: the rude neighbor that stole his mail and insulted him. Josh may not be the man Barrett pictured, but when they finally meet on new terms, he's certain he can make it up to Barrett with a little two-handed fortissimo action. (A sweet, funny enemies-to-lovers story.)

*Bets Are Off: Maybe it's a lapse in logic or maybe it's desperation that leads Logan to this spot. Wyatt has assured him that Eric's escorts are the best, but even then--a call boy? Really?
When the rude kid that shows up on Logan's doorstep is nothing like what he asked for, he's ready to pay the escort and say goodbye before he regrets the entire situation. But there's something about Henry that Logan can't quite turn away. In the end, Henry is ready to give Logan exactly what he's looking for--but he's going to make Logan wait until he's begging for it. (A hot May-December story with edging. Includes positive portrayals of sex work.)

*A Rational Man: Having multiple boyfriends sounded like a great idea in the beginning--and the reality of it for Owen was even better. But a year in, Owen suddenly finds himself left behind. Feeling like a third wheel, Owen lapses into bad habits that he thought he'd conquered years ago. When he begins to withdraw and restrict his eating, one of his boyfriends decides to prove to Owen that he loves him--and his body--by making Owen the center of attention. (Includes polyamory, body worship, and frank discussions of eating disorders.)

*An Honest Mistake: A re-imagining of the relationship between Will and Daniel from The Aftermath.

Steam is one of the best short story collections we have read in a long while, but we love everything by Kay Simone, so it isn’t really surprising!

We loved the diversity of the stories, so good, from call-boys to polyamorous relationships, there is really something for everyone.  And the re-imagining of The Aftermath is a really fun addition.  Although we aren’t really a fan of daddy kink, this had enough fun and humor to stay on this side of creepy. 

Thinking about stories that we would like in books, hmmm, Bets are Off would be fantastic, to see the relationship between Logan and Henry develop into something more.  Yes, please! 

But a warning – these are not love stories.  They are scorching hot stories, make you blush, make you squirm.  There is humor, and silliness, but they are get-in-your-pants stories.  That being said we loved them all!

Kay Simone has so many great reads out there, hello, Beauty and the Beast, but Steam lets you enjoy all the good things Kay brings to the table, a really story that captures the imagination, in a hot little package!