Seeing Red Freya’s Bower

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Author: Maggie Toussaint
Publisher: Freya’s Bower

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Quentin Stone owns Stone Construction. Emma Heartly has a great, high profile job, but she’s decided to convert her old family home into Heartly Bed And Breakfast, which is her dream.

When Quentin and Emma meet, sparks fly. He falls in love with her old homestead, and Emma talks herself out of falling in love with Quentin…or does she? Enter Emma’s two sisters who refuse to give her a quick claim deed to enable her to get the money she needs to remodel the house. What’s a gal to do when her sisters won’t cooperate, her boss is an ass, and the sexiest man alive wants to help her return the house to its earlier splendor and fulfill her dream?

Well…against her better judgement, she accepts, of course!

But not without repercussions…oh, no! One sister is thoroughly ticked off, and the other sees both sides, but is torn on what to do. Poor Emma is pulled in so many directions she’s afraid she’ll snap.

And then there’s Quentin’s big family who drop all sorts of hints about Emma being the one, but don’t pay any mind to his first three engagements! Oh, and let’s not forget that boss who’s such an ass, and Quentin’s ex-fiancee’s who are bent on having him back—no matter who gets hurt. Who’s tampering with the Heartly Inn rennovations? Who sliced the tires of Emma’s car?

Who? Who? Who? (Damn, I sound like an owl!)

There were many lines and paragraphs in Seeing Red that I liked, but I found the following paragraph special because it gives the reader such a poignant look into Quentin’s heart concerning Emma Heartly.

He remembered the rightness of Emma’s touch. They weren’t dating, and he wanted to keep her away from other men. He wanted to see her by candlelight. To see if her eyes would glaze over with passion for him.

Read Seeing Red. It’s witty, fun, and fast-paced. One of the better romances I’ve read in months! I give it five flutes of champagne.

The Price of Gold Freya’s Bower

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Author: Ansley Vaughan
Publisher: Freya’s Bower

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Alex sets off on his journey to visit his parents. On the way, he has an accident due to bad weather conditions. A woman comes to his rescue. She is a little odd—especially because she has a flame-like halo and seems to know a lot about Alex. When she calls two cats, Aalstein and Valgerour, to her side, Alex wonders what the hell is going on. What is she doing out in the middle of nowhere with those animals? And how does she know things about Alex?

Upon the woman’s insistence, Alex takes her home to meet his parents. His mother knows the woman and calls her ‘Lady’, much to Alex’s confusion. They appear to be old friends, and Lady’s appearance warrants champagne…

Lady is the goddess Freya. Summoned by Alex’s mother, Freya’s on a mission to make Alex take more time for his personal life and not be so bound up with his career. Freya returns to the city with Alex and conspires to ensure he notices Nossa, a woman he has known for a long time.

Freya, unfamiliar with the fast pace of our day and age, makes some hilarious comments, confusing herself as well as those she speaks to. Her cats shapeshift into hunky men, and those men also teach Alex a thing or two…

The Price of Gold is a really fun book that has many laugh-out-loud moments. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Vaughan’s voice and appreciated the research into Freya and mythology—I learned a lot from this delightful read. Thank you!

Tiffany’s Twisted Wild Child Publishing

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Author: Christopher Tran
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

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Michael has a lot to cope with this summer. With his mother dead, he lives with his father and brother. Sadly, his father is dying of cancer, and for Michael, his father’s illness overrules the happiness that graduation should bring.

Michael has had a crush on Tiffany for a long time. She shows interest in him and, surprised, Michael can’t believe his luck. However, Tiffany isn’t quite right. Saying she’s sick and twisted is an understatement, but love is blind, and Michael can’t see what’s right in front of his face. His friends try and make him see that his new girlfriend is as crazy as a loon, but Michael isn’t having any of it…

Tiffany has scores to settle. She seeks justice for her mother’s death—and stops at nothing to get it. Her schemes are atrocious and involve heartache and death. She is insane! Though her antics are shocking, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Life sought to sling her a bad lot, and Tiffany works through it in the best way her whacky mind knows how. She feels she’s entitled to kill people, after all.

Michael’s friends strive to prove that Tiffany Tabor is twisted. Will Michael accept the truth, or will Tiffany wreak havoc on more unsuspecting victims? Why has Tiffany chosen Michael as her boyfriend? And who is the hooded freak who aids her every crime? What is it about the past that joins Tiffany and Michael?

A tense scene at the end makes the heart beat faster and the mind question how some people can and actually have acted in the same manner as Tiffany.

Weird! She’s just so weird!

Phendar of the Avila Freya’s Bower

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Author: Doreen Perrine
Publisher: Freya’s Bower

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Phen has left her home and security to plant seeds by request of her mother. Sewing the seeds could save her people from extinction. A deadly curse has beset the land. While selling trinkets in the market, Phen meets with the Crystal Princess, Gledise, who takes Phen under her wing. Phen becomes Gledise’s companion, and they both grow close.

However, Gledise’s parents aren’t pleased about the union of the two women and try and forbid the princess from being with Phen. True love reigns, and Gledise refuses to be apart from Phen. Phen is sent to the dungeons, but Gledise sets her free, and the two young women move away.

The seeds don’t seem to be able to grow anywhere, and time is running out for the cursed people. Living in a huge bubble, Glendise and Phen reside in a tower with other bubble dwellers. Unfortunately, something paramount to Gledise’s survival is stolen. Can Phen retrieve it and at the same time get the seeds to grow and save their people?

Apart from the above plot being unique and interesting, Phendar of the Avila is a touching story that showcases the love between two women. Not just sexually, but in friendship. The genuine love Phen has for Gledise shines through, and I didn’t want the book to end. I loved the voice/prose and really rooted for Gledise’s life force to be found and for the seed to grow. I wanted acceptance for Phen and Gledise as a couple, for their love is a tangible, wonderful thing.

I loved the premise, loved the word use, and loved the whole book. Very highly recommended.

Whispers in the Wood Freya’s Bower

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Author: Kelly Madden
Publisher: Freya’s Bower

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At first, the title of the book made me think an actual wood or forest whispered. However, that thought was soon scuppered with a refreshing twist. Hana can listen to the tales of actual wood. Whether it still be a tree or wood fashioned into a piece of furniture, Hana can sense and read things from it. What a marvellous concept! Couple that with the fact that Hana visits an old house with a view to renovating it, and I got myself a delightful read that moved swiftly.

Lord Hawthorn is the homeowner. He seems aloof, but with good reason. Sinister goings on have been occurring, and he doesn’t want to appear too pally with Hana lest she get caught up in the weirdness of his house.

Too late—the entity in the home isn’t too pleased with Hana’s presence—and neither is someone else…

Intrigue, suspense, and a wonderful love story, Whispers in the Wood is one tale you won’t want to miss. I really did enjoy it!

PSI of the Beholder Freya’s Bower

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Author: Kelly Madden
Publisher: Freya’s Bower

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Tara has set up shop in being able to help businessmen select the best employees for their companies. The employees are sent on one of Tara’s courses. As she’s able to sense emotions and thoughts, she is quickly able to determine whether a person is right for the position their boss offers.

However, one man joins the course, and Tara can’t read his thoughts nor sense his emotions. How has he been able to block her out? Unsettled, Tara wonders if she’s losing a grip on her talent.

Liesar is the man in question. He needs Tara for a mission—one that will stop a ruthless killer’s rampage. However, Liesar needs to convince Tara that her compliance is essential, and as Tara is so strong willed, he sees trouble ahead…

Tara is transported to another world. Her attraction to Liesar grows, and she learns many things about him and his people. She should be horrified, but somehow, seeing them interact for herself, she isn’t. She agrees to help Liesar’s people knowing she could in the very least be in danger—or at worst lose her own life.

The relationship between Tara and Liesar is well defined. I fell in love with Liesar a little myself. He’s handsome, he’s strong, he’s caring. And he’s a vampire—of sorts.

An excellent read that moved at such a fast pace that the end came before I knew it. I didn’t want PSI of the Beholder to end and was saddened when it did.

Will there be a book 2? Please? Do I need to beg?

Okay, I will.

I’m grovelling. Can you see me? My knees are hurting down here. Come on, have mercy! Write another one, Ms. Madden.

Flexible Sexual Phaze

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Author: AJ Bray
Publisher: Phaze

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In this collection, AJ Bray presents six short stories about the flexibility and range of human desire and sexuality.

In ‘Extra Cream’, coffee addict Samantha rejoices when a boutique café opens in her neighbourhood. But it’s not the coffee that gets her heart racing faster but the sexy barista, Joe. After a long day at work she returns to the cafe to get another fix, but Joe wants to give her more than a Vanilla Spice latte and an apple crumb cake.

Rich with great humour and hot sex, this is a fun and entertaining read to start the anthology. 4 Flutes.

‘A Proper Tea Service’ shows us what happens when four prim and proper heiresses get together for tea. Carmen, a maid, is angered by the racist comments made by her employer and her friends. A sprinkling of shamanic magic in their drinks, and soon the ladies are on their way to becoming much more closely acquainted…

I liked this one less than the first story, mainly because it reminded me of a scene from a porn movie and was a bit clichéd. Still, it had some funny lines and was enjoyable in a giggly, cheesy kind of way. 3.5 Flutes.

Lonely trucker Robert gets more than he bargained for at a rest stop in ‘Trucker’s Heaven’. Charming French-Canadian Pierre is more than happy to take the closeted married man in hand and show him that dreams can become a reality.

This was my favourite of the collection, with some lovely characterisation, especially Robert, whose plight as a gay man with a wife and family was explored without sugar coating his needs or ignoring his hesitation and uncertainty. I liked the acknowledgement of his old high school crush on another boy and how this long-held fantasy has affected him, and how it leads him to act on his desires with Pierre. The sex scene in the shower was excellent, too. 4.5 Flutes.

In ‘Page 146′ we meet Sandra, an aspiring paranormal romance novelist who’s hit writer’s block. Her best friend Tanya orders her out for a night on the town, telling her she needs to get laid. Sandra agrees to try a Goth club, hoping to do some research for her book, but to her disappointment there’s not a single wannabe vampire in sight. There is, however, a sexy Romany girl, Shovani, who catches Sandra’s attention.

Here’s another strong, well-characterised story. Even though Sandra hasn’t been with a woman before, her attraction to Shovani is very natural and believable. A smooth and enjoyable read, with another excellent sex scene. 4 Flutes.

In ‘Kelly Girl’, married couple Gary and Jennifer have decided to spice up their love life by spending an hour with a prostitute. Kelly makes certain that she gives full value for money and pays special attention to Jennifer’s pleasure.

There’s really no plot at all here but the sex is extremely well written and very hot. The writing has a gentle quality to it that I found appealing and which lifted this above pure porn. 4 Flutes.

‘Lessons Learned’ is about an unnamed warring couple, a woman and her jealous transgendered lover. The woman flirts to get a discount on a pair of shoes; the couple argue and the woman taunts her lover that his lack of a real penis means he’s not a ‘real man’. The lover retaliates, showing her exactly what he’s capable of doing.

This was my least favourite story in the collection. I didn’t find either character sympathetic – one was a bitch and the other was almost stereotypically ‘male’ in his desire for revenge and violence. The transgender issue was almost peripheral, and overall this read as an ‘angry’ story that left me cold. 2 Flutes.

Summary

This single-author anthology of pure erotica is skilfully written with a very tongue-in-cheek humour and an eye to quirky, light-hearted fun and gratification. There’s no real agenda here, just an open attitude to sex in all its forms. It’s a quick read, and for the most part enjoyable and sexy. It was only the last story that did nothing for me personally, but overall this was a very readable collection of erotica. Overall score = 3.6, rounded up to 4 Flutes.

Roman Rhapsody Firedrake’s Weyr

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Author: Rita Trevalyan
Publisher: Firedrake’s Weyr

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Olivia, a rich housewife, has sexy dreams about a hunky gladiator in ancient Rome. At 42 she’s still sexy and desirable, although with her children grown-up and gone, she has little to occupy her time except fund-raising, tennis matches and shopping with her friends. She’s drifted away from her husband, Donald, who’s away on business so often she wonders if he’s having an affair.

Her past life and present life bear certain resemblances. In ancient Rome, during the time of Julius Caesar, Olivia is married to a man who’s constantly away. But Roman Olivia isn’t afraid to take her pleasures elsewhere. On an impulse, she decides to help a young woman who’s pregnant, taking her to the safety of the temple of Magna Mater.

Back in the present, Olivia’s routine life suddenly becomes interesting when, at a social event, she meets the modern equivalent of her gladiator. Kearney, a football player, is attracted to her, too, and they have a fling. Donald gets involved with a young woman named Caitlin, who accidentally kills her boyfriend Fred in self-defence. But Fred’s gang are determined to have revenge by any means possible, and Olivia finds her past and present lives beginning to collide.

There’s something curiously flat and lifeless about the modern-day characters. I can’t quite put my finger on why they didn’t work for me – maybe because there’s an over-abundance of detail that results in the author ‘telling’ rather than ’showing’. I suppose it could be argued that the lists of what Olivia eats, the clothes she’s wearing etc are included as a way of showing just how trivial her life has become, but it felt a bit too much like filler at times.

There are other problems too. The scene where Olivia visits her therapist becomes a ‘talking heads’ scenario rather than a dialogue between two people. The scene between Olivia and her friend Tamara, a Tarot reader, is all ‘tell’ and no ’show’. Then the characters go OOC and have a foursome, and the whole sub-plot with Fred’s murder is bizarre and completely sudden. From there the plot lurches from one drama to another, rather like the over-the-top soap opera spoof in Ugly Betty. There’s simply too much going on for this to be rational or believable, which is a real pity.

However where this story really comes alive is during the dreams of Olivia’s past life in ancient Rome. Ms Trevalyan does a good job depicting the might of the late Republic, from the gladiatorial bouts and the contempt for Christians (although historically it was a little later during the early Empire that Christians were thrown to the lions) to the social mores of the times.

There are the bones of a good story in here, but sadly it floundered under too much hysterical drama. I very much enjoyed the Roman part of the story; it was during the contemporary parts that it faltered. Just for the Roman aspect, this gets 2 Flutes.

Quod Tam Sitio Torquere

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Author: AM Riley
Publisher: Torquere Press

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George, a Protestant priest and music scholar, is leading his gay male voice choir when he catches sight of a pale, good-looking man. George has seen this guy several times, and has started to build up a fantasy about him. Seizing his chance to talk to his mystery man, George invites him to attend the next choir practise.

Dominick is an 800-year old vampire who’s drawn to the music and singing of George’s choir. He accepts George’s invitation, but his attraction to both music and man will prove his undoing. Dominick’s sire, Marcus, is jealous and angry that his childe should find solace in religion. He orders Dominick’s mad sister Poinsettia and newly-turned vampire Lawrence to imprison Dominick – but they disobey.

Now Dominick must admit the truth of his nature to George in the hope that the priest will understand and that their love will save him. But while George tries to find a compromise that can bring about Dominick’s redemption, Marcus is plotting to reclaim his childe…

I can’t remember the last time I read a book that had a Latin title that wasn’t an academic text. In case you’re wondering, ‘quod tam sitio’ means something like ‘that for which I thirst’ and it’s part of a Eucharistic prayer that appears as a song in the story.

The parts of the story that deal with music are very good, written with an obvious knowledge and affection for medieval religious music. George is very likable character, and Dominick a good foil for him. Of the secondary characters, only Patricia stood out; the rest are a bit bland. The religious content here is refreshing, too – it’s a story with a message that’s not preachy.

Best lines: He had a naked, beautiful, fully aroused vampire sitting on his toilet, George realized suddenly. This was something they had never discussed at seminary.

I do have some problems with the book, though. In places it’s incredibly vague. For example, the setting. For a long time I couldn’t work out where the story was set - US or UK? There’s mention of ‘the Continent’, which suggests it’s set in the UK, but later there’s a mention of Berkeley. The few descriptions given are so generic it could be anywhere.

But my main issues with this story are in the editorial and religious errors. Protestants don’t celebrate Mass, nor do they have a Eucharist – they celebrate Communion. Also, a Protestant priest is never addressed as ‘Father’. Catholics are ‘Father So-and-so’ while Protestants are ‘Reverend So-and-so’. This makes me wonder if the book’s hero was originally cast as a Catholic but converted to Protestantism for publication.

Aside from these problems, the story is solid enough and the characters engaging. The search for a compromise that will allow George and Dominick to be together can be read on many different levels, making this an intelligent read as well as an erotic one. It’s the author’s confusion of the two Western branches of Christianity that makes me give this book a lower score than it would otherwise have had.

Shady Ridge and the Neon Sky Torquere

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Author: Chris Owen
Publisher: Torquere

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Hank is a cop in the small town of Shady Ridge, a place where things tick over fairly quietly. That’s just how he likes it. He’s gay, but doesn’t shout about it – small towns aren’t always the best places to be out. His peaceful existence is shattered when new cop Charlie is transferred to the town for a change of pace. Ordered by the captain to give up his weekend, Hank shows Charlie around. Things just get better when Hank finds that the captain has arranged for Charlie to stay at his place.

As soon as Charlie’s settled, Hank heads off to join his friends and fuck-buddies Corey, Josh and Billy on their weekend away at the Neon Sky, a roadhouse-motel where they kick back, have sex and do manly stuff. Everything’s fine until Charlie walks in and sees them.

Soon Hank has to face his growing attraction to Charlie. It’s mutual, but is it a good idea to have a fling with a colleague – and can a cautious small town cop unwind enough to keep a sexy bit city cop?

I don’t normally go for cop stories but I loved this book. There’s something familiar and easy about it that makes it a joy to read. The characterisation is sharp and accurate right down to the minor characters. I could picture all of them as I was reading.

The tone of the book is captured perfectly by the opening paragraph:

Hank Brodnax was sitting at the front desk, diligently studying the dust motes floating by the big window, when the door opened. A gust of hot air made the motes scatter and dance, some of them twinkling brightly in the sun. They must have been leftover glitter from Tamara Ordoyne’s dress, Hank figured. She’d been pretty damn sparkly when they’d hauled her in Saturday night for being drunk in a public space. Well, that’s what they said they’d brought her in for; in truth, they were trying to keep the peace. That dress had been about to start a scrimmage on Sycamore Drive, and a riot wasn’t something Shady Ridge’s finest were equipped to deal with.

I also liked the masculinity of the story. While I love reading M/M where it’s one guy for one guy, I know it’s nowhere near as simple as that in real life. Chris Owen shows guys acting like guys – sex without strings, sex as part of friendship, and finally sex as part of love. Early on, Hank thinks Charlie is flirting with him. He dismisses the idea as daft – after all, men don’t flirt with him, they have sex with him. And it’s this difference between sex for the sake of getting off and sex because it’s meaningful that really makes this book something special.

I really can’t praise this book highly enough. It’s so real it’s as if I’m in Shady Ridge watching these guys go about their day. It’s a story about ordinary people living ordinary lives, and yet it makes for an extraordinary read. This is an outstanding read and I recommend it absolutely to any fan of M/M.

Between a Fox and a Hard Place: Threesome Torquere

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Author: Misa Izanaki
Publisher: Torquere Press

Aoi is an elf and ex-whore who strips at a nightclub. Itsuki, a kitsune (Japanese fox shifter) is his boyfriend. Things are just about perfect when a young man named Aya turns up at the club claiming to be Aoi’s son.

It turns out that Aya’s mother was a woman from Aoi’s past – a woman he once fell in love with and who hurt him badly. But is Aya really Aoi’s son? He’s certainly pretty enough – as Itsuki has noticed.

Then Aoi’s father and grandmother turn up and demand that he serves at the family shrine. It seems that Aoi’s problems are only just beginning…

I have a serious weakness for fox stories and there aren’t enough of them around (at least not in English), so I just about jumped on this one. It’s the first episode of a three-part series focusing on Aoi and Itsuki.

This short story is very cute. Yes, it’s light on plot and heavy on sex scenes, with dashes of comedy and angst thrown in for good measure… but this is 100% BL action.

Favourite exchange:

Aoi snorted indignantly. “When was the last time I got into any trouble?”

“Hmm, remember that dragon that was going to burn down the club because of you?” Itsuki raised an eyebrow. “That was what, three months ago?”

“That doesn’t count… he was hitting on me. It’s not my fault he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

There are some nifty ideas in this story. I liked the idea of body modification being so commonplace that the bartender Dante can get himself a set of horns and can casually talk about getting himself a pair of wings next. I also liked the very BL-type details such as a character wearing fortune cookie patterned shorts.

Written very much tongue in cheek and with unmistakable yaoi protagonists and situations, it’s light-heated and fluffy and as much fun as a ball of candyfloss. If you’re looking for deep and meaningful, don’t step this way – but if you’re a yaoi fan looking for an undemanding read, check this out – and imagine everyone drawn by Chitose Piyoko. Kawaii!