This week at Smexy….. B+ review – Country Mouse by Aleksandr Voinvov and Amy Lane (contemp m/m) B review – On the Island by Tracy Garvis Graves (contemporary) B review – One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and M.J. O’Shea (contemp m/m) B- review – Star Crossed by Kele Moon (erotic contemporary) B- review – Hot in Handcuffs Anthology (erotic contemporary) C review – Giving it Up by Amber Lin (erotic contemporary) D review – Hawaiian Gothic by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane (pnr m/m) D Continue Reading
Smexy’s Top Ten–July 20th
10. I think we should all take a swig from my new Mustache Flask before continuing with the Top Ten. ‘Stache Flask makes everything go a little better. Thank you to my friend Sarah, who is awesome sauce. (The brown bottom is even fuzzy – *giggle*) 9. Jill Shalvis has announced that she is writing a third trilogy set in her Lucky Harbor world. Copied from her website: I know that the first new hero will be a San Francisco Lieutenant Detective who goes through hell at work and escapes to Continue Reading
Review: Hot in Handcuffs Anthology
Hot In Handcuffs by Shayla Black, Sylvia Day, Shiloh Walker Erotic Anthology July 3, 2012 Berkley Reviewed by Helyce Arresting Desire by Shayla Black Two years ago, Jon Bocelli was working a case that ended with his brother framed for the death of Lucia’s DiStefano’s father. Jon’s brother was no angel, he knew that, but he also knew that he hadn’t killed Lucia’s father. Jon had more than noticed Lucia DiStefano back then, but she was very young and innocent and he just couldn’t Continue Reading
AAD Spotlight: Damon Suede
Our Authors After Dark Spotlights continue with Damon Suede. He has pretty much lived everywhere and tried every profession, but couldn’t be happier writing stories. Last summer he released Hot Head to good reviews. It finished #3 in the Goodreads 2011 Best Romance contest. Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181: Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately Dante is strictly a ladies' man and the FDNY isn’t exactly Continue Reading
Review: Country Mouse by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov
Country Mouse by Amy Lane & Aleksandr Voinov M/M Contemporary Romance, Novella April 23, 2012 Riptide Reviewed by Helyce Owen is on vacation in London with his ex-girlfriend Jenny. When she hooks up with an old friend for the evening, Owen takes himself out to a pub for a beer. He ends up in a bar somewhere in the West End, its patrons varying from teenage girls giggling over cokes to blue collar workers. While he’s sitting there observing the crowd and trying to decide if he Continue Reading
Review: On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves Contemporary Romance Self Published - October 11, 2011 Published through Penguin – June 7, 2012 Reviewed by Mandi On the Island starts with a thirty year old teacher, who has decided to take a tutoring job for the summer with a family that will be vacationing in the Maldives, a chain of 26 islands in the Indian Ocean. Anna has a boyfriend of eight years but she is tired of waiting around for him to propose so they can move on with having a Continue Reading
AAD Spotlight: Manda Collins
We continue or AAD Spotlight with author Manda Collins. Manda is an academic librarian by day, and writing her Ugly Ducklings Trilogy at night. Her debut book, How to Dance With a Duke came out earlier this year. Miss Cecily Hurston would much rather explore the antiquities of Egypt than the uncharted territory of marriage. But the rules of her father's exclusive academic society forbid her entrance unless she weds one of its members. To clear her ailing father's name of a scandalous rumor, Continue Reading
Review: Two In Winter by Vanessa North
Two in Winter by Vanessa North Contemporary Romance July 2, 2012 Novella Liquid Silver Books Reviewed by Mandi This novella (51 pages) didn't work for me for a couple of reasons. First of all, I feel like we only skim the outer layer of who these characters are. Getty owns a small clothing line where she takes care of the business operations, and her friend Anna is the designer. She is in her mid thirties and ready to move on with having a family. She comes across as Continue Reading
The Siren on Sale!
A few months ago I picked up The Siren by Tiffany Reisz on a whim. And it turned out to be one of my favorite books I’ve read. I reviewed it here. It is about an erotica writer/dominatrix named Nora and her bdsm relationship she has with Soren (a catholic priest and her master). I’ll emphasize that it has intense BDSM in it and some uncomfortable situations. There are many supporting characters, who also have very well done story lines. Last week, I read an arc of book two in the series (and Continue Reading
Review: Giving It Up by Amber Lin
Giving it Up by Amber Lin Erotic Contemporary June 18, 2012 LooseID Reviewed by Mandi I think Giving It Up has a really intriguing and good premise and it has very dark, emotionally damaged characters, which is always something I enjoy. And while the first 10-15% of this book is really strong, I feel like nothing comes together at the end. But there is still something about this story that will stick with me. Allie was raped by her best friend two years ago and it changed her Continue Reading