Windward by Kirby Crow

4 Stars

Mirror - Book 2

This is a serious book!  Not for the faint-hearted, let me tell you.  And I loved it.  :)

We're back with Matty and Grant who still have so many things to iron out between them.  It's not an easy row to hoe by any means, love notwithstanding.  Are they to be allowed to do this by themselves?

Oh hell no.

If it's not interference and at times outright disapproval from Grant's family, it's the FBI come knocking with a request for Matty to help them out with the tracking down and capture of his ex-lover, the chilling assassin, Jaeger Koning.  And what's with Jaeger?  Well, nothing other than that he wants his one-time submissive, Matty, back where he belongs.  With Jaeger.

There's action.  There's banter.  There's humour.  There's emotion.  There's heart-stopping danger and there's moments that one is tempted to weep.   Seriously!

But the main strength in this book, I think, comes from the way the author brings us into the minds of the three main characters - Grant, Matty and Jaeger - sharing their thoughts and how their minds and their.. well... their selves are guided and formed by the power exchanges of D/s relationships.  I'm explaining it badly - who's surprised? - but I find the whole idea of power exchange to be sexy and heady and fascinating.

Loved it and I hope we may revisit the Mirror Universe at some point.  :)

Meridian by Kirby Crow

4 STARS

Mirror - Book 1

After the disappointment of the previous book I was reading and DNF, Meridian was a total joy to read! I knew it would be good because I really enjoy Kirby's work, but seeing as it's her first contemporary, there was always that slight possibility that things could go horribly wrong.

NOPE!!

First off, let me tell you, one of the MCs, Grant, is THIRTY-EIGHT years old!!! Stated clearly! He's not a kid! I can't tell you how much this thrilled me. So many of my fave authors seem to be gravitating towards the angst-filled 'new adult' characters and stories, that it was so wonderful to have a mature character and one who could bring the angst, trust me! And his younger love interest, Matty, isn't THAT young, he's twenty-seven, not really 'new'. *LOL*

The plot revolving around the assassin and the reason for Grant and Matty to come together works pretty decently - even if it did give me visions of Hotch and Reid at the BAU for a moment or two. *LOL* The villain of the piece, Jaeger, is menacing and evil and wicked and almost gave me the shivers. Had he more screen time, he'd have for sure given me the shivers.

The secondary characters, Grant's family and friends and Matty's friend/boss were terrific. Not cardboardy-cutout, but interesting, real people all on their own. (We don't see much of him but I have to tell you, I cheered out loud for Henry!) And if this is a series, I can say that I did not immediately spot the next couple, if indeed I spotted a couple at all! Which is rare in m/m, folks, and something that drives me insane.

But you know... I wonder if Grant and Matty's story is finished. Yeah, I'm very pleased with the HEA as it played out in the end, but man... there are threads dangling! And I'm reminded that Ty & Zane of Abi Roux's Cut & Run series got their happy and continued to have adventures, so.... we shall have to see what Kirby has planned. :)

OH! The sexy, BDSM, intimate love story. Well... it was very, very hot. No toys or role-play or costumes or any of that stuff, just Dom/sub power exchanges that are beautifully fascinating! And it's so wonderful to see a Dom that has a goofy at times sense of humour and the capacity for being so corny that he actually made me chuckle out loud.

And BEAKIE!!! I cannot forget Beakie!!! That's one special bird!

Anyway... I loved it and am looking forward to Mirror #2. :)

Craving Flight by Tamsen Parker

4 STARS

A terrific off the beaten path novella that was recced last weekend by Bree of Kit Rocha fame. This was a freebie on both Kobo and Amazon, so I urge you, if you like BDSM erotica, go and download it!

Our heroine is a Jewish University professor who has decided to embrace the more Orthodox lifestyle of her religion. The hero is a kosher butcher in the Orthodox community from a very orthodox family. Both have been previously married, he's a widower and she's divorced. I liked both of them and totally believed their love story. And the D/s elements were very well done. I think the story could have been expanded and the developing relationships explored a little more, but all in all, it was a really enjoyable and interesting read. I learned stuff about the Orthodox Jewish community too. :)

The Siren by Tiffany Reisz

4 STARS

The Original Sinners - Book 1

I picked this book up because I read Tiffany Reisz's blog post for Queer Romance Month and was intrigued. As I said in my comment to this post, I headed over to Amazon Canada and it was on sale so it seemed like I was fated to read this book. :) I did. And OMG, it was NOT what I expected.

First off, if you're going to go into reading this with the idea that it's a kinky, queer romance... baby, it ain't that! Oh, there's romance, there's kink, there's queer, but what this book is... is... hell, I don't know. It's the story of a woman, her obsessions, her loves, her needs, her desires, her darkest thoughts... it's ... well look, I'm going to link romance author Courtney Milan's Goodreads review here. She says things SO much better than I ever could.

Courtney Milan on The Siren

There are a lot of things in this book that I wasn't okay with... A LOT. That's why I could only give it 4 stars and not 5, even though it probably deserves the 5. *LOL* But there was a lot that was uncomfortable to read, but I couldn't NOT read it. There was so much PAIN. Physical and emotional and while I looked for some of the glory and the wonder that I know can exist in BDSM, there was little of that here. I didn't like Nora and I didn't like Soren but Dear Lord, they were fascinating! (I did like Zach, Wes and what I saw of Griffin and Kingsley)

Will I read the next book in the series? The Angel? Yes, I will But not right away. After The Siren, I've picked up something totally different. A fantasy adventure. With magic and stuff. Because The Siren just wrecked me all to hell. :)

Home the Hard Way by Z. A. Maxfield

4 STARS

This book came out in July of 2014 and I've had it in my TBR pile since then. Why did I leave it unread for so long! *LOL* Seriously! I was up very late last night reading it, wanting to finish, but I just couldn't - my eyes kept closing despite everything, so the first thing I did this morning, before even getting the coffee going, was to pick it up and read the last 4 chapters.

I don't know why there wasn't more buzz about this last summer, it's really a good read, but I think that some of Z.A. Maxfield's (aka ZAM) titles aren't for everyone because there's an undercurrent of something dark, something broken, something very real that is never completely resolved by the end of the book - and THAT'S OKAY! It's real and I love it! In some ways it made me think of Lost and Found which I absolutely adored.

Both of ZAM's main characters - Dare and Finn - are flawed. Neither is perfect and at times both can be quite unlikable. But they're interesting and real and that's what makes me so enthralled by their story. I wanted to shake Dare so many times while I read because his demons are so recognizable and so ordinary and I guess I found it out of place in the supposed hero and wanted him to rise above them, but even though he tried, he kept slipping and it was so honest and real... well - it worked bigtime for me.

And Finn, my God, his tightly wound, walls up, protect the inner Finn was so believable, so logical and so well done that I teared up on more than one occasion. The scenes with his aunt - OMG! - they were so gutting and filled with emotions. And it seems on the outside that Finn is so together, so cool, so capable, but like so many people, he really isn't. Stubborn git!

The mystery. The suspense. The WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??? It was really well done. There were twists and turns throughout the book, a couple of biggies that had me going... OMG, REALLY?... and the final twist, the end of the mystery caught me totally by surprise.

Then there were the BDSM elements that were very, very well done. The power exchange, the discovery, the separation of scenes, sex and love and the way those things can or cannot come together and it's perfectly normal. The scene with the rope, the shibari was excellent! I never really understood the attraction in anything other than an abstract way, but now I feel like I 'get' it.

And ZAM also does a lovely job of her supporting characters. They're all unique, have depth and serve to move the story forward all the while being real people.

I think that one thing I really appreciated about Home the Hard Way was that the ways the characters were challenged or damaged/hurt were, I guess I want to say, normal and run of the mill. There seems to be a trend today in M/M or maybe all romance, that one or both of the characters has to be afflicted, or suffering from, or dealing with, or conquering, or existing with some form of disability be it mental or physical in order for the story to have some what, ... deeper meaning? a roadblock to conquer? be a symbol of diversity? show that everyone deserves love and an HEA? Which is all well and good, I'm all for diversity and I love many of those books, but I like to see stuff I know and recognise as having impacted my own life every once in a while. (Yes, that's my privilege showing probably, but it's my blog and I can give voice to it.)

So all in all, this was a great read with terrific characters, a good mystery, some hot sex scenes, depths of all kinds of emotions and an ending that didn't solve All The Problems Ever with a hug and a kiss and an I love you.

Books like this are why I love ZAM.

How to Train Your Dom in 5 Easy Steps by Josephine Myles

4.5 STARS

Fun, sweet, sexy, touching... Josephine Myles does it again, this time, turning one of BDSM Romance's most prevalent tropes on its head.

Most of the time, it's the all-knowing Dominant and the young (usually), exploring submissive he takes under his wing. The sub is usually confused, coming to terms with what he likes, worried about giving up control and every other uncertainty you can imagine. And the wise Dom shows him the way, breaking the hard, world-weary shell around his own emotions at the same time.

Not this time! Jeff is the Dom and he's new to kink, hell, he's new to gay! After breaking up with his long time girlfriend - long time being 14 or so years, he's all about exploring the things Sarah would never allow - except he's not very skilled at it. Enter Eddie, experienced, gay, good-natured, happy sub, totally willing to show Jeff the ropes because he finds Jeff just that hot. :) Which would be all well and good except that Jeff doesn't like boys. :)

And thereby hangs the tale. :)

Jo, as always, writes with her lovely British voice. These are real people, who do real jobs, and have real families and if their love affair is a little shiny and sparkly, I didn't care at all. I loved how both the physical side of their relationship bloomed as their emotions grew. And it wasn't all about the Hawt Sex, Jeff and Eddie found things to talk about, moments to share out of the bedroom and were just totally charming together.

I really appreciated how the kink was written so matter-of-factly - sometimes it comes across as very um... titillating and voyeuristic - and not in a good way. Not here. Jeff's glee at being allowed to do all sorts of things to Eddie and have Eddie love them all, well, it was a lot of fun as well as being steamy hot. I don't get the attraction for having my partner trussed up like a Christmas turkey, but Jeff certainly liked it and THAT made it very hot.

Funny thing... I discovered a personal squick in reading this book. I don't enjoy it when a Dom calls his sub, "bitch". Maybe it was the frequent use by Jeff in this book? I don't know, but I did find it bugging me by about halfway through and even said as much to a close friend I was talking to online in between chapters. But that's a very personal thing.

So, if you're up for a sweet love story that's peppered with humour and enjoy the BDSM aspect, the exchange of power et al... well, this is a great one!

Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan

5 STARS

Special Delivery - Book 3

Heidi is one of my all-time favourite authors. Not only do I love her books, they tend to touch me in a deep place that not many books make it to. Tough Love is the 3rd book in the Special Delivery series and while the 2nd book, Double Blind, is still my favourite, I think this one is the most intense and the most challenging read of the trilogy.

This is BDSM like I've not seen it in the m/m romance genre. I have read more than a few BDSM genre books over the past couple of years and most of them have been interesting and enjoyable, but this one, it gets into the minds of the characters in ways that the others have not. Maybe it's as simple as me loving the way Heidi writes? At any rate, whatever it is, this book is not for someone who has a tough time with the BDSM lifestyle. Heidi goes there. Not only do we have a flogging scene that was so intense that I had to put the book away for a few hours, there is also blood play, needle play, puppy play, watersports - you don't see that stuff in m/m romances every day.

The main characters, Steve and Chenco are so beautifully created. You begin by thinking that it's Chenco who needs the most help to become the man he dreams of being; that he needs Steve far more than Steve needs him... but man, it's so not that! It's Steve that is the most damaged, the most in need of Chenco, the family and someone to give HIM the strength he needs. And the boys are back and featured prominently - Mitch and Sam, Randy and Ethan - oh, and Crabtree (who is so very fascinating. *g*). Chenco is the little half-brother that Mitch discovers when he comes home after his father's death. And Chenco is a drag queen. A glorious, wonderful, stunning drag queen. I loved the way Heidi chose to show us how Chenco and Caramela are two separate entities, yet not.

Part of the reason that Mitch's buddy, Steve, is so... knotted up inside himself, let's say, is because of Steve's childhood friend, Gordy. OMG, the character of Gordy scared the piss out of me! But I have to say... remembering things about spouse #2 (who had his problems bigtime), I can't say that this guy isn't possible. Maybe that's why he scared me so much?

The journey that Chenco takes, discovering the world of BDSM with Steve and the others was fascinating, and it sheds a lot of light, I think, on how the community and lifestyle actually is and offers insight into the mindset of those who are part of it. It's certainly not for everyone.

On a bit of lighter note, one of my favourite scenes in this book was when Ethan asked Chenco to dance and they ballroom danced and Ethan was so elegant. (Yes, Randy might be my fave of the Special Delivery boys, but Ethan is close behind.)

So I said that this was the 3rd book of the Special Delivery series and honestly? I do hope it's the last one even though I love these characters with all my heart. Leave the audience wanting more, y'know? I'm fairly sure Chenco would agree with the sentiment at least. ;)

This is a wonderful series and this book a fabulous part of it! LOVED IT!!!

Bound by Honor by SE Jakes

3 STARS

Men of Honor - Book 1

This is the first of the Men of Honor series from an author I have come to really enjoy, and I think it's also one of her first published books. It shows. I can see flashes of what I've come to really love about SE's stories, but in my opinion, this book could have done with an in-depth edit for content. 

The characters are good - albeit all big, muscled, over 6 feet behemoths - but their personalities worked perfectly well for me. The plot worked too. It was the execution that needed help. First off... I thought I was reading the tale of Tanner and Damon, but all of a sudden, LC pops up and becomes far more than a supporting character. It was confusing because the story was really about the relationship between Tanner and Damon and I think should have stayed focused on that, while the whole plot having to do with Damon's (and LC's) backstory should have supported the progression of the relationship instead of seeming like a second story happening.

And I don't know that seeing LC's POV so often works in a book like this. This isn't Game of Thrones, after all. And quite often, it wasn't clear who was doing the talking... walking... fucking.... I had to reread paragraphs to make sure who was who on more than one occasion. And with all this hopping around, I don't know that any of the three stories was done justice. Tanner learning about his submissive side, Damon coming to terms with his past, LC and the mystery of the attacks and the detective and HIS past. There was just too much going on in a novel of this size. Things often felt rushed.

The story of Damon and Tanner and their D/s relationship was fascinating but I felt I needed more understanding of the basic needs that drove them to this type of relationship - since the D/s is a big part of the whole book. The payoff of Damon allowing Tanner, needing Tanner to top him didn't seem so climatic because I felt I was missing some vital piece of information. And then... well, it felt to me like a case of the magic dick. Tanner fucks Damon with his well-hung (and why are they always well hung? Can't a hero have an average dick?) dick and all the hurts and traumas of Damon's past fizzle into nothing? They disappear? Doesn't work for me.

I don't know that I've been able to articulate my concerns about the book properly, but I've tried. *LOL* This is why I don't review for a living. ;)

But all that being said.... I enjoyed the read - didn't love it - and it was certainly interesting to see how much SE has improved her craft over the past couple of years. Will I read the other books in this series? Probably, at some point, but I won't go and load them into the Kobo right away. :)

Check It Out!

This is a terrific blog post by Lisa Henry and illustrates the main reason I enjoy this genre so much. :)

Boys In Our Books - BDSM Week - Guest Post: Lisa Henry

Screw the Fags by Josephine Myles

4 STARS

This is what I call a Shorty, around 50 pages and it was also a freebie. It takes place after Screwing the System, but can be very easily read on its own. And it should be because it's a fabulously fun little tale! 

There's some BDSM, but it's happy BDSM and I love Jo for that. Cosmo is a very bratty, very lovable young sub and Alasdair is his older, experienced dom and most probably love of his life. :) Cosmo's birthday is coming up and thereby hangs the tale. It's a fun, funny, sexy, affectionate romp and just the thing when you're looking for something light-hearted and happy.

The title is a bit of a pun, but you may have to be from the UK or aware of UK slang to get it.

Anyway, the first book, which I've not read, is going on my To Acquire list!

Rush by Maya Banks

2.5 STARS

The Breathless Trilogy - Book 1

Well, Rush was not exactly a rush, if you know what I mean I was really looking forward to reading this one, it came fairly well recommended by folks whose opinion I trust, so I was expecting something special. Sadly, it was a case of Lunchbag Letdown.

Here we have another young woman meets successful billionaire - BDSM ensues - emotions enter the picture - misunderstandings take place - BDSM goes wrong - confessions of love - everyone's happy and OH LOOK... sequel fodder!

What bugged me about the book? Well, first off, the first third seemed to be a total rip-off of that other book, you know, the one that started this bullcrap. Did Ms. Banks write this in response to the success of that book? Was this supposed to be tongue in cheek? I have no idea, it was never hinted at, so, for me? Rip-off of the same material, but thank God, the writing is better.

Also... is there a rule book somewhere that says that young, submissive female heroines in BDSM erotica books that are involved with older billionaires NEVER KNOW ENOUGH TO EAT PROPERLY! WTF is that?? You know, to make a hand-feeding scene sexy you don't have to have your sub be dining-challenged. As a matter of fact, it kinda works better if she/he loves food.

Another thing that bugged me throughout the whole books was the author's use of "cream". I'm guessing "cum" grossed her out? Fine and dandy, there are other words, but "cream" sounds like something out of a bad porno read to me. Which reminds me, there was a scene where the hero takes the heroine in his office. She orgasms all over the place until "cream" is dripping from her, then he fucks her and there's more "cream" and it reads like there's a flood of ejaculate everywhere and all I could wonder was who was going to clean up the puddle of cum on the floor. (Hint - nobody does.)

Gabe is the hero. God, he was unlikable. I don't care how many times we're told that he feels so guilty for not taking things slow with Mia (and what, is Mia the name for the early 2010s?), he never, EVER does... unless they're "making love" which means no real BDSM interaction. He's selfish, he's greedy, he's a navel-gazer, he's spoiled, he lacks empathy, in fact, the only thing going for him is really that he looks sexy and has lots of money. All he can think about is fucking Mia... fucking her all over the place. And while I like my heroes to be somewhat obsessed with my heroines, this ... it was too out of control for me to find enjoyable.

Which brings me to the big turning point in the story. There is a scene with three other men... now... Gabe is supposed to be Mr. Uber Dom? I don't care HOW fucked up he is over how he might be feeling about Mia, he is NOT going to put her through THAT. It was a totally distasteful scene and in my opinion, really had no place in an erotic BDSM romance. The other big scene, when Mia's brother, Jace, and the third man in the Friend Triumvirate (It's a trilogy, after all), Ash find out what has been transpiring between the sweet, little Mia and Uber Dom Gabe frankly had me laughing as if it was a slapstick comedy.

Seriously, what this book ended up saying, to me, was that, once again, true romance, true love, cannot be found within a BDSM relationship. And I KNOW that's not true. Maya Banks is a good writer, she writes good sex scenes (except for that cream shit), her characters are okay enough, she could make this work, but she falls back on the mainstream perception that BDSM is for the flawed, that it is flawed and no true love can be based on it. She doesn't come right out and say it, but it's implied by the path the narrative takes. It would have been so much hotter to see Mia bloom under Gabe's tutelage, to see them both come to embrace and enjoy the lifestyle side of their relationship in a healthy, fun and satisfying way. Kit Rocha does this with her "Beyond" series. Her characters are more full and rich and develop over the span of the book, unlike Gabe and Mia who, for me, stayed cardboard cutouts until the end.

I was disappointed and won't be spending my $ on the other two in the trilogy.

Capture and Surrender by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Market Garden - Book 5

Capture & Surrender is the 5th book in the Market Garden Universe and turns the spotlight on the owner of the Market Garden, Frank. One of the best things about Frank? He's in his 40s. :) I love stories that feature a mature man in a lead role. We need more of these! And his love interest? Stefan, the young, handsome, American new rentboy at the club. I liked the feel of these two right off. Stefan was pushy, pushy and so very attractive and Frank was stoic, outwardly calm and so very, very interested. They worked for me. Who else worked for me? Frank's two friends, Geoff and Mike. I love how they take care of Frank, their love and affection just comes pouring off the page.

The love story itself is good. Sweet and bittersweet and very hot and steamy. It hits all the marks for a good tale and then some. I even found myself getting a wee bit choked up a couple of times. :) Small drawbacks were that I did find were that Frank, in the latter, oh, quarter of the book, began to get a little repetitive in his introspection, and that there was more action in the first half of the story than the second. It was almost as if the theme (is that the word I want?) of the book changed lanes from hot and steamy love story to something a little more seriously real. I assume this had to do with the reality of Stefan's past and Frank's past and present and how they were going to deal with it.

I very much enjoy the Market Garden universe and this slice of it was no exception.

If It Fornicates by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Market Garden - Book 4

More adventures with Nick and Spencer! I love these two. To me they're like the odd couple but perfectly matched. *LOL* I know, makes no sense, but they are. 

Honestly? The only problem I had with this volume of Market Garden is the ultimate conclusion. It satisfied the romantic side of me completely, but the intrigued side of me wanted to see how Nick and Spencer could make things work without Nick having to give up his Market Garden career. The solution to the couple's problems left me thinking it was a bit of a cop-out. Is it really impossible for a sex worker to find emotional happiness, get their HEA, while keeping their 'day' job? 

That disappointed me. But the writing was stellar! Magic happens when L.A. and Aleksandr write together. It's like watching a great dancing couple, to read one of their books. This is the reason why, instead of giving If It Fornicates 3 stars because of the resolution, I gave it 4 stars

Finding Master Right by L.A. Witt

4 STARS

This was a hugely fun read, even though I wanted to smack both Chase and Derek upside their clued-out heads through most of it. *LOL* Talk about being at cross-purposes! Boys, all this angst and heartache could have been avoided if only you'd have TALKED ABOUT THINGS! And talked honestly! But then we wouldn't have had a story. 

I think what makes this book work is the two main characters and the colourful secondary group. They're just fun guys. We don't get to know much about them beyond their love lifes... love lives... whatever. :) But I don't feel short-changed over that, it really wasn't important to the tale. 

I really enjoyed the look into a kinky, leather convention, but I was left with one question, and that being, were there really that few female attendees? It seemed like a glaring absence to me, but I guess I'm being unfairly picky because it doesn't really matter to Chase and Derek's story. 

Lastly, I find myself thinking that since the author has indicated that maybe Master Raul might be getting his own story (of course) it wouldn't surprise me if he gets hooked up with Ian. *sigh* I hope not. Too predictable for my blood. So, in the end, a great, fun, kinky read! Highly recommended! :)

If It Flies by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

5 STARS

Market Garden - Book 3

I loved this volume in the Market Garden series! I'm not totally sure I can tell you exactly why, but it just left me with a wonderful feeling of Fistpump! "Way to go, guys!" and a big smile on my face. 

I loved both characters, Spencer and Nick. I loved how their relationship started, progressed and grew. I loved how Spencer just trusted and I loved how Nick just realised. Yes, the sex was hot, steamy and plentiful, but it was also fascinating to watch Spencer finally be able to explore his inner self. 

Another thing that struck me about 3/4s of the way through the book, it was all written from Spencer's POV, which allowed us to really see and understand his growth. Yeah, I loved this one. :)

Take It Off by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Market Garden - Book 2

Hot and steamy second installment of the Market Garden tales. Pure heat from beginning to end. I love the characters of Tristan and Jared and hope we'll be seeing more of them. :)

Duck! by Kim Dare

5 STARS

Avian Shifters - Book 1

"A modern day M/M, BDSM retelling of The Ugly Ducking Fairy Tale using avian shifters."

Surprisingly, I LOVED this book! Not that I didn't think I would enjoy it, it just surprises me how much I did. :)

Avian shapeshifters - who knew? I have stayed pretty much away from shape-shifter erotica/romances, but this one was written by Kim Dare, an author I recently discovered through the Riptide Anthology O Come All Ye Kinky and her story His Very Last Chance and her novel Once a Brat, and whose style I like very much. So I thought, what the hell, it's not werewolves or werebigcats, it's birds. And I love birds. Also it's a retelling of the Ugly Duckling fairy tale in a very different setting and I love that kind of thing.

So the main characters, Raynard and Ori, are lovely. The journey they take in this story is one of discovery and personal growth and acceptance and it was fascinating to watch unfold at just the right speed. There were secondary characters, but not so many as to be overwhelming and they were written as secondary characters, the reader only seeing what the reader needs to see. I often find that authors err one way or the other with their secondaries.

The world building was very interesting - I got a bit of a goth-steampunk type feel from the atmosphere and in my opinion, really fit the story. The idea of the nest is very interesting as well. Part bar, part sex-club, part palace, part halls of government, it seems to be the hub of avian society. (Where humans fit in, I have no idea, they are barely mentioned.) Colour me intrigued. :)

The sex... OMG, the sex was hot. The BDSM elements worked, were natural, were done right. :) The underlying question of the novel - what is a true submissive and is it nature or nurture - plays out on the pages and the concluding answer makes sense. Oh, and did I mention that I cried? Yes, there are scenes in this book that brought me to tears. Ori and Raynald's heartache really got to me, it was so beautifully written.

I loved it. Go and read it. :)

I did wonder though... where are all the female shifters? There must be some, right? I'm curious! And also... what would a flamingo shapeshifter be like? Maybe these questions are answered in the second Avian Shifters book which is going on my "To Be Aquired" list RIGHT NOW!

Pup by SHD Peterson

4 STARS

Guards of Folsom - Book 1

I enjoyed this. A good kinky read with likable characters. I'm a sucker for books set around a sex club and I found myself wishing we were seeing a little more of the workings of the club. I'll be looking for more in this series. :)

Once A Brat by Kim Dare

4 STARS

Kinky Cupid - Book 1

Loved it! And I want more. :)

Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan

5 STARS

Tucker Springs - Book 3

I LOVED this book! One of the clichés of love stories is the "I'm a better me when I'm with you." and in so many cases we never see evidence of it other than the characters say so. In Dirty Laundry we DO see it. We see the first seeds get planted, so to speak, in the laundromat and we get to see the seedling push through the ground in the bar, the leaves unfurl and the stem grow strong in the various other places around Tucker Springs as Adam and Denver navigate the mine fields of... well... themselves. :) 

They are so perfect for each other and it's wonderful to watch them come to recognise this. I cried for Adam more than once and even Denver had me wiping away tears once - yes, it's that kind of heart-touching book.

Heidi Cullinan manages to convey to the reader what it's like to live with OCD and how it affects every aspect of a person's life. I love the solutions that Denver and Adam found to deal with the fact of the disorder and what I love most is that Denver didn't run when the going got tough and neither did Adam. And for me, the BDSM aspects of the story were perfect! The sex was hot and dirty sexy - Heidi writes GREAT sex scenes - and even the simple touch of a hand against a cheek was beautifully erotic.

So, yes, I loved this book and everyone should go out and buy it and read it again and again. I intend to!