Candy Canes and Cappuccinos by Elizabeth Coldwell


Candy Canes and Cappuccinos by Elizabeth Coldwell
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short story (24 pages)
Other: M/M
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Kyle is struggling to run his coffee shop on his own after his partner walked out on him. He has his eye on Steven, who comes into the shop each day, but hasn’t worked up the nerve to express his interest. When Steven asks Kyle to help out with Christmas lunch at the homeless shelter where he works, Kyle is too exhausted to agree. He donates his tips but still feels he’s blown his chances with Steven and made himself look like a selfish jerk.
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On Christmas Day, Kyle sees a way to make amends—to both Steven and the needy people depending on his kindness. It’s the right thing to do, and Kyle hopes he can clear up the misunderstanding and show Steven the type of man he really is. Maybe then they can consider some dessert when the lunch at the shelter is over….

When Kyle had been betrayed and dumped, he wanted to curl into a ball and close out the world. Instead, he threw all his efforts into proving his ex wrong and make their joint venture – a small coffee shop – a roaring success. Steven has been a regular at the coffee shop for a while now, and Kyle is interested but too shy to make the first move.

I really enjoyed this Christmassy, super short story. Kyle and Steven have plenty of chemistry, but I loved how they didn’t simply jump into bed with each other. The author did an excellent job in my opinion of balancing the start of the two men’s relationship, while still managing to keep the sexual tension and physical awareness between the men front and center of the story. I felt this really made the pacing of the whole short story feel like the relationship moved along at a good, realistic and quick pace without being a “sex for the sake of it” style of erotic story.

This is the sort of short story I feel people can enjoy reading privately on a train trip, or as a quick “before going to sleep” sort of happy story that’s quick and leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. It could also be a great way to introduce reader-friends to M/M as there’s nothing kinky or over the top about the story and even the sex scene is somewhat brief and not explicit enough in my opinion to be a turn-off for more traditional spicy romance readers.

With plenty of Christmas cheer, a lovely romance and a little bit of spicy love this is a great story and one I can happily recommend.

O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters


O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short Story (26 pages)
Other: M/M
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday, December 23, with junk food and bad TV, a day just for him amid the holiday chaos… until his baby sister calls and begs him to go collect a present for her. At the biggest shopping center in Australia. On the busiest shopping day of the year. Hell no. Right?
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Ethan’s soft heart gets the best of him. He battles through the parking lot, and in the main shopping concourse, he’s trampled, elbowed, and bombarded with terrible holiday music. Then he enters hell itself, a specialty store aimed at women… where he meets Ty. They bond in a sea of estrogen and manic shoppers, fighting together to attain freedom, only to find they’re not quite ready go their separate ways.

Ethan had some serious plans for relaxation for just one day before the Christmas madness set in. Only his sister called, pleading for him to go to the biggest and busiest shopping complex around and brave the hoards of crazed pre-Christmas shoppers. After risking life and limb to get through the crowds, Ethan finally tries to get the present off hold, only to bump into a fellow shopper, Ty. After helping Ty select a gift, Ethan eagerly agrees to let Ty buy him a drink – far far away from all the other shoppers.

I found this to be a delightfully fun, somewhat sarcastic Christmassy short story. I have to admit, I selected this because of the title. I loathe doing last minute Christmas shopping – even just getting the perishable groceries a day or two before the Big Day. It’s a nightmare and I can’t understand people who actually enjoy rolling with that mayhem. So this story really was right up my alley.

While the brief length of the story meant there was really very little time for Ty and Ethan to get to know each other before the chemistry exploded between them, I really liked how the author dealt with this. It made the story feel very realistic to me (although slightly too serendipitous) but overall I found it clever and believable. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t too much description in the sex scene – readers looking for a spicily erotic scene might not find this satisfying. There’s tons of chemistry between Ty and Ethan though and plenty of romantic feelings that grow very quickly between the two men. I feel this would be a wonderful story – perhaps to gift a reader friend with – to help introduce a reader unsure about M/M romances as a gentle, romantic story to show the appeal of M/M stories.

Lighthearted and fun, I feel this is a great short story, something that could easily be read quickly to help you get into the holiday mood or as a short indulgence over the holidays. Sassy, fun and romantic this appealed to me and the Happy For Now ending rounded out the story well, to my mind.

Addicted To His Touch by Sam Crescent


Addicted To His Touch by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (88 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Jared has wanted Freya for a long time, and he knows the beauty she is inside and out, even if she has a bit of an attitude. That’s all for him, and he wants every inch of her.

Freya’s had a crush on Jared all of her life. Only she doesn’t believe any man can be faithful. She’s witnessed it through her mother—men only use women, and so the crush she has on Jared must stay that way. However, she’s no longer a little girl, and that crush grows into an attraction that’s getting harder to deny.
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Jared knows that once Freya is in his home, and in his life, all it will take is time. He’ll prove to her that he wants more than her body. He wants her love, her heart, her mind, and her soul. He’s not a gambling man, but he’ll take a risk for her, because that’s what true love is all about. Can Freya get over her insecurities for a chance to be happy?

Freya had known Jared for most of her life. She also knew he had craftily orchestrated her life to be at the stage it was – he’d helped organize her apartment, created the perfect job position for her in his company…she knew he had shifted things around and made them just so for her. And she just couldn’t be mad at him for it. Despite a large part of her wanting to give in to him and his desires, she still held back. She knew it would be hopeless though, that eventually she’d become addicted to his touch.

I found this to be an interesting and somewhat intense story. Freya is not your typical heroine – feisty and fun on the one hand but also quite riddled with self-doubts and insecurities. Her parents had somewhat warped her views on relationships and sex, to the point where Freya was a virgin, despite her often bold exterior. I found myself quite drawn to her, sympathizing and empathizing on quite a few levels and this really had me invested into the story early on.

I’ll be honest, Jared could have come off as a complete jerk. For me, he didn’t, I could see through to the man who truly wanted to just shower Freya with all her hearts desires and give her the things she craved, but in a different authors hands this could have been quite the train wreck. Readers who are sensitive to over-bearing heroes or characters who like to be in control (Jared installed cameras inside Freya and Sophia’s apartment “for their own safety”) still might not feel the same attachment to Jared in particular that I did. I don’t think this story will be everyone’s cup of tea – Jared flirts a little too close to the edge for it to suit everyone’s tastes – but I do think it’s worth taking a chance on. I personally enjoyed it, mainly I think because Jared makes it crystal clear that he’s not interested in just anyone, that he’s not wanting to conquer “a woman” or rise to a challenge. It’s Freya – specifically and only Freya – that he is interested in. That made up, in my mind at least, for a multitude of sins and made the story romantic and Jared just a fairly different, incredibly determined hero.

I was really impressed that Jared didn’t rush Freya either. I feel this helped make the story more romantic – that he didn’t just want to push her straight into bed and consummate their relationship. I honestly feel Freya’s emotional doubts (her fear of being tossed aside when Jared was “done” and her worry about being hurt and cheated on) were the main reason Jared worked hard to not hustle her into bed. So when they finally did make it there it felt extremely important to me – like a milestone they had reached together. Erotica readers will also, I think, be impressed with the sex. While there’s clear emotional attachment between Jared and Freya, the sex is a little dirty and a lot hot. Spicy and explicit, I don’t think readers who like some heat in their reading material will be at all disappointed.

With interesting characters and a whole bunch of emotion in the blossoming relationship between Freya and Jared I feel this story will be addictive for a wide range of readers. While certainly not to everyone’s tastes, I personally really enjoyed this story and found it different enough to be refreshing and hot enough to certainly earn it’s hot and sexy labeling. Recommended.

Run So Far by Elizabeth Monvey


Run So Far by Elizabeth Monvey
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (78 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Play
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When Kyle stumbles into a truck stop diner, he just wants a bit of time to try to remember the weekend that has changed his life. He meets trucker Delaney Vance and when the older man invites him to travel with him across the US, Kyle thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to relax and find his memories. As the two men start to get comfortable with each other, unexpected emotions start to develop on both sides.

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The past is about to catch up with both of them. With Kyle’s memories come a difficult and scary decision to make…ruin his family or hide the truth. Can Del help him navigate a future when he himself can’t shake the ghosts of his own past?

Kyle is running and ends up in a truck stop diner to try and decide if he really wants to go through with his half-baked idea to ruin his family. While there he meets Del and they both surprise each other by agreeing to continue along Del’s way and go together to his next trucking stop. Kyle had no idea he would run so far, nor what he’d find when he reached his destination.

I found this to be a well-plotted, interesting story. Kyle knows that he’s seen something terrible, something that can ruin his family, but the trauma has given him a sort of block to help protect him from the true depths of what he’s facing. Running seems like the only option available and so he takes it, albeit with no real planning or forethought. While it seemed incredibly convenient that he met Del at the diner (and that they were so strongly attracted to each other) they both quickly realize they can help each other. The sizzling sex doesn’t hurt, either.

I liked how we, the reader, only got to learn about the plot as Kyle remembered it in bits and pieces, but I couldn’t help and feel that this made the story seem a bit choppy. It also seemed slightly weird to me that while Kyle is recalling all these traumatic, emotional memories he’s having hot and sweaty sex with Del. I’m not sure how these two polar-opposite things could have been balanced better, but it made the whole story feel a little uneven for me, bouncing back and forth from erotic sex to intensely emotional recollections about a possible murder. It just felt quite uneven to me.

The drama was very well written and I felt incredibly connected to Kyle and his plight. I eagerly turned the pages, wanting to see what he’d recall next and how the pieces would fit together. In this respect I feel the author did an amazing job with the writing and this really made the story well worth reading to me. With interesting characters and a gripping plot I would happily try more stories by this author.

Cajun Thunder by Keely Jakes


Cajun Thunder by Keely Jakes
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (59 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Play, Spanking
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Becker Baptiste is on the run and was sent to Paladin to ask for their help. Exhausted and battered, he is trying to keep his infant niece, Sabine, from being murdered. When he meets a naked man on the road into town, he worries that maybe this isn’t the place they should be hiding from Sabine’s mother.

These are also known as the Indian viagra low cost. Thus as the erectile dysfunction in men is a critical part of male sexual health. levitra 20 mg cute-n-tiny.com When blood flow improves in the penile region, it helps men to get harder and stay harder for intercourse Though it is an astonishing fact, but a majority of of them provide super active tadalafil lower costs than American pharmacies. purchase cheap cialis cute-n-tiny.com It relieves you from tiredness and stress. Roane Jackson had given up on finding his mate, but when Becker arrives with a baby strapped to his chest, Roane realizes his life is about to change in more ways than he can count.

Will Becker accept that the naked man’s claims that they are mates? Will he be able to keep Sabine safe from her mother? Will Roane ever put on clothes?

Except for his team-mates whom Roane saw as family, he pretty much hated all other people. Normal people, those who had no idea the way life truly was, annoyed him no end. So when he catches scent of his mate while roaming around in his mountain lion form, Roane is surprised and quite curious. What he finds is a man with an enormous back-pack, two suitcases and a carry-all close to his chest. The fact his mate already had a baby in tow was enough to shock Roane more than he could believe. His world is instantly turned upside down.

Becker, Sabine and Roane are not your usual family dynamic, and personally I adored them all the more for being a little outside the box. The pace of the story felt a little too fast for me personally. Becker and Roane meet and although I can understand Roane wanting to move fast on his mate after waiting so long it really felt like they just jumped straight into bed, fell instantly in love and it all happened in the blink of an eye. I thought the plot itself (as to why Becker and Sabine had come to Team Paladin) was quite interesting and fresh, but with so much uncertainty and fear it made Becker falling so quickly in love even less realistic to me. How he could leave Sabine with the other Team members mere hours after meeting them—particularly considering the danger he and Sabine were in—just didn’t make sense to me. It seemed silly and risky and I really struggled to understand how Becker could place so much faith in virtual strangers.

After that, I just disconnected my brain, sat back and enjoyed the ride. And to be honest I enjoyed the story an awful lot more once I stopped thinking about what was logical and realistic, and just rolled with it all. Once I’d put my brain in this gear I thoroughly enjoyed the fast, almost maniacally crazy pace and the sequence of events that unfolded. I loved catching up with a number of the other couples from previous stories and seeing how the town itself was going. I also enjoyed how both Roane and Becker’s characters were interesting and Becker in particular had multiple layers to him.

Readers looking for a logical, relatable story might not find this book gives them the sort of read they want. Readers, however, looking for a fast paced, interestingly plotted piece of escapism fiction should definitely give this a try. I enjoyed the plot, liked the characters and found myself at the end happily satisfied with the light read.

Winning His Man by Angelique Voisen


Winning His Man by Angelique Voisen
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (71 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Play, Toys
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Taking care of his younger brother had been werewolf Steve Doyle’s number one priority for most of his life. Now that his brother’s mated, Steve doesn’t know where he fits in the River West wolf pack. He’s average and mediocre. The last thing he expects is to catch the interest of Leon Mercer, the gorgeous pack beta. Steve doesn’t believe they have anything in common, that once Leon gets his fill of him, Leon will move on to someone else. After all, Steve knows he’s not mate material and when it comes to love, he’s always second choice.
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Scarred by his mother’s suicide, Leon doesn’t believe in mates until he spots Steve in a wedding. One drunken kiss leads to a tumble in bed, then several. Leon wants to claim Steve for his own, even if convincing Steve means fighting off old demons from the past who threaten to destroy what they’d found.

Steve had always known exactly what his job was – to protect his little brother, Tommy. But with Tommy now happily mated and married Steve feels at a loss. How will he fit into their new pack? What would he do with himself? Leon, the pack’s Beta knows from the moment he meets Steve that the two of them are mates. Convincing Steve, however, might be more difficult than he’d planned on.

I enjoyed this story and found it a slightly different take on the usual “wolf meets wolf and they fall into insta-love” tale. Far from falling at Leon’s feet, Steve quite strongly resists the notion that the two are destined mates, and I really enjoyed the novelty in that. My only real disappointment was in how low Steve’s self-confidence was and some of the reasons behind it. I understand this was part of his character and experiences, but it was difficult for me to read just how little Steve thought of himself and how he doubted anything good could possibly happen to him. It took an awful lot of effort on Leon’s part to help bolster Steve even just a bit and while this was fantastic for the plot and character development, it really made my heart bleed for Steve. It made this otherwise fun and sexy story difficult for me to read.

The sex between Steve and Leon was hot and spicily written. Even though their connection and consummation happens quite quickly I liked the emotional bond the two men shared and how it deepened between them as they came to understand each other better. I thought some of the plot (Steve’s ex boyfriend) was a little clichéd, but it did add a fair bit of conflict and drama to the story. The various characters and the pack dynamics was really the highlight of this story for me. I feel the author did a great job of showing a number of different characters and giving them all life, making them individuals and not just cookie-cutter people. I was particularly invested in Steve and Leon, both together as a couple and as individuals.

An interesting and emotional story I found this to be a good paranormal romance.

Silver Fox by Julia Talbot


Silver Fox by Julia Talbot
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (44 pages)
Other: BDSM, M/M, Spanking, Anal Sex
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Were-cougar Noah is bored out of his mind. He retired young after selling his start-up business, and now he has no idea what to do with himself. As a self-made man, he likes to be in control, but even his favorite pastimes have lost their luster these days.
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Were-fox Toland meets Noah at Faster Bobcat, where his cousin works as a bartender. Experienced and dominant, Toland sets out to turn Noah’s world upside down, convince Noah he doesn’t always need to be the one on top. Can Noah be what Toland needs, or will he run from the one thing he can’t seem to turn down?

Noah could hardly believe it, but he was dead bored – even with all the delicious, scantily clad eye-candy surrounding him. Despite the fact there were plenty of men just his type around, Noah couldn’t raise any interest. Until his attention was captivated by Toland. Completely not his type, something about the tanned, silver haired man had Noah completely riveted. Could this be exactly what he needed?

I found this to be a super hot, really lovely short story. I’ve enjoyed some of the previous Faster Bobcat books in this series but strongly believe this can be read as a stand-alone book. Noah and Toland are front-and-centre of the entire book and aside from a mention of previous characters in the epilogue there’s no back-story or feeling that readers need to catch up on anything. I feel this can definitely be read without any previous experience in the series. I love the author’s style of writing and found myself almost immediately drawn in by Noah’s voice and I was eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next. I loved how Noah was used to being in control and had never really wanted to bottom but how he felt the desire to explore new things with Toland. This was a slightly different outlook on the “reluctant submissive” style of story I’ve read before and it felt fresh, real and interesting to me.

The only very slight criticism I could put forward was that I didn’t get to see much inside Toland’s head. While I enjoyed his character and definitely felt a connection with Toland, the story is told mostly from Noah’s perspective (third person, which I greatly enjoyed) but this had me feeling like while I understood where Noah was coming from Toland was a little bit more of a mystery to me. The sex was deliciously hot and I thoroughly enjoyed how both men clearly felt a connection with each other from the start. This wasn’t just sex for the sake of it – or fucking added in to make the story steamy – this was two sensual, grown men starting a lovely relationship together and the sex deepened the connection and acted out on the attraction they each felt. There were light elements of BDSM in here – nothing that I found too harsh or envelope pushing, but readers should certainly take note if they like less spice in their romance stories.

A delightfully written and sensual M/M with a hint of BDSM spice that I greatly enjoyed. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Grizzly Affair by Dulce Dennison


Grizzly Affair by Dulce Dennison
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short (50 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Play, Ménage, M/M/M, Toys
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

With a rogue shifter on the loose leaving a trail of bodies, it isn’t the best time for bear shifter, Roarke Hilliard to have his heat cycle. Especially since he’s the lead Special Agent on the case. But nature must take its course. When his partner, agent Spencer Malloy, places himself in Roarke’s path during his greatest time of need, the bear is worried he might break the human. But Spencer wants Roarke badly… bad enough to call in a paranormal escort.

Grigore Gabor may be a male escort, but he’s never slept with any of his clients… until now. The moment the wolf shifter gets a whiff of the bear who hired him, and his human companion, he knows he’s found his mates. But getting the surly ursa to agree is another matter.
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With a killer on the loose, now isn’t the time for finding true love. With Roarke handicapped by his heat cycle, there’s only so much the agents can do against the rogue shifter. They can only hope to bring the man to justice before another body is found.

Roarke Hilliard worked for the Bureau of Paranormal Affairs. Chasing down a crazed killer, who was murdering male prostitutes, Roarke is determined to finish this hunt, even if he is going into heat and his bear wants to break free. Roarke’s Bureau partner, Spencer, has made no secret of the fact he wants Roarke, badly. And much as Roarke returns his partner’s regard, Roarke knows they’ll need help to deal with his heat. Can they ride out the shifter-bear’s heat and still catch the killer?

I found this to be an interesting and short paranormal story. Set slightly in the future (after 2023 some time) this felt to me much like a normal contemporary/paranormal story. Aside from shifters being “out” there was not much really to differentiate this from a regular, contemporary setting to my mind. I was interested in some of the dynamics and world-building that the author added in – like a shifter escort company designed to help shifters get through their heat phases – and overall found the plotting and pacing to be really good.

I liked Roarke, Spencer and Grigore’s characters. I was pleased that they all seemed to work well together though a part of me wished the author had let us see a bit more of their personal side, not just their working side. For example, did the men have any hobbies? Did they like to cook, or play a sport, did they have hopes or plans for the future? I liked knowing what Spencer and Roarke in particular were like at work (dedicated and intelligent) but I really felt like there was a lot more to their characters that we didn’t have time to explore. The sex was steamy hot and I loved every moment of it. While they all jumped into bed very quickly I can’t fault the author for that considering the short length to the story. I also was impressed that the balance between plot and sex was kept very even and I felt neither part of the story suffered – both sides being well treated. Some readers mightn’t like that part of the plot was left deliberately hanging and not tied up neatly in a bow, but the romance and threesome was absolutely settled happily and this story was clearly marked as the first in a series, so I wasn’t too upset at the plot not being fully rounded out.

For a sexy paranormal story with a good plot and a fast pace, this is a great story. While I might have preferred a bit more depth to the three characters I felt this was an excellent first book in the series and I’d happily read more by this author.

Virgin Lovers by Sam Crescent


Virgin Lovers by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (67 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When Kelly wakes up in a forest with no recollection of how she got there, she knows she’s been picked by the pack elders to be mated. What she can’t believe is that they’ve assigned her a guy she can’t stand. Drake. The one guy who has spent his whole life making her feel like crap is there alone with her.

Drake has done everything to push Kelly away, and it was the biggest mistake of his life. He realizes that now, and this time alone means something to him. He has a chance to start over, to prove to Kelly that he’s the guy for her. Drake has a secret: the only person he’s ever wanted is Kelly. He’s a virgin—and so is she.
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One year together. Alone, destined to be mates. The clock is ticking as these two virgins become lovers, but can they be more? Is there more than a physical connection between them? Or is that all they can ever have?

Kelly hated the mating call, hated the fact two unwilling and unknowing pack members would be sent off for a year without any consent and forced to become a mated pair. When Kelly found herself waking up in exactly that predicament, she can’t believe she’s been forced to mate with Drake – the one man whom she hates above all others. Can they both wait out the year without killing each other?

This is an interesting and complicated book. The plot is fairly simple – Drake and Kelly have known each other their whole lives and resisted one another because all the grown-ups say they’re “destined”. What I really enjoyed though was unraveling the far more complicated aspects of Kelly and Drake’s feelings to each other. While they both privately feel the pull of the other they’re both – for their own reasons – determined not to just fall into line. The problem is, they’ve both resisted the other so strenuously and for so long that they’ve both mostly convinced themselves they really don’t like each other and have squashed their feelings of attraction. It isn’t a quick – or easy – thing to undo year upon year’s worth of snide comments and acting mean.

This aspect of the plot really intrigued me as it’s not one I’ve come across before and I didn’t think it would be a straight-forward matter for the author to make Kelly and Drake’s about-face seem realistic and understandable. While I’m not sure that I ever truly got on board with the whole “kidnapping and isolating two unknowing people and forcing them to be bound together for a year” thing, I did come around to Kelly and Drake being a couple and falling in love with each other. I was supremely glad they didn’t simply have a huge argument then fall right into bed together – that would have been incredibly disappointing and unrealistic. They took their time, hashed out a lot of their issues and past pain and slowly came together. This helped really sell me on the about-face they both made on each other. With all the time in the world and nothing else to distract them I could appreciate and really see how their opinions changed.

Apart from a few small bumps in the plot – I really couldn’t get over how barbaric the kidnap-and-isolate thing was, nor how two grown adults with working cell phones would just roll over and accept it! – the story itself was a well paced and fairly fresh story. I liked both Kelly and Drake’s characters and felt their relationship developed at an understandable pace. The sex between them was hot and descriptive and the epilogue rounded out the story well and gave it a definite “Happy Ever After” ending.

I found this to be a good, interesting read.

Her Knight In Shining Stone by Tamsin Baker


Her Knight In Shining Stone by Tamsin Baker
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (48 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

As a Gargoyle shifter of New York City, Roman and his four brothers sit on top of the city library all day in their stone form, watching and waiting. On sun down they come alive and that is when Roman feels the tug towards his Beloved—the woman who he will be united to.

Christiana is a waitress in a dead end life. One night a man with silver eyes and the most incredible aura, walks into her restaurant and changes her life. She is thrown into a world with paranormal creatures she doesn’t understand, and a bond that is impossible to break.
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When the rogues come to destroy Roman and his brothers while defenseless and sleeping, will Christiana reach inside herself to protect the man she’s come to love?

Roman and his gargoyle shifter brothers perch on the public library in New York City. As the oldest, Roman is the one most in danger of going literally insane – having been unmated for far too long. Yet finally he senses the woman who can mate with him. Christiana can’t believe she’s about to leave her abusive boyfriend for this near-stranger, but there’s something about him that just calls to her and she just can’t deny the attraction that sizzles between them. Will she regret her decision?

I have to be honest, this is the first gargoyle shifter story I’ve ever read. Much like dragon-shifter stories, up until now I have preferred to keep some of my paranormal creatures as myth and not jump on the bandwagon to read ever-more-obscure shifter stories. I was curious about the blurb to this story though – and have to be honest the thought of there being gargoyle shifters on the NY public library was just a story I couldn’t walk past. And in a number of ways I found this an incredibly satisfying story to read. I found a lot of the “my beloved, my mate” aspect to this world actually very reminiscent of vampire stories. I also enjoyed the small snippets of gargoyle-world building that the author added. I did, however, find it a little jarring that a centuries old gargoyle had such very modern day language (like saying “all good” in response to his brother’s query to how he was). I was also a little disappointed with the clichéd-ness of Christiana’s overbearing and abusive boyfriend. I couldn’t help but skim over Roman’s fight with the crazy-chef boyfriend, eager to get past that (and what I really felt was Christiana’s complete lack of sense) and learn more about the gargoyles, their lore and see Roman and Christiana build the start of their relationship instead.

I was quite pleased that the chapters changed perspectives from Roman to Christiana. Far from being jarring with the head-jumping I was relieved and glad that I could see the story unfold from both main characters’ perspectives. Because initially – when Roman first met Christiana – I was wondering what the hell that girl was thinking. Sticking with an abusive boyfriend, making goo-goo eyes at Roman and even willing to run off with Roman all on less than a night of knowing the gargoyle. It was really hard to wrap my head around what was going on with Christiana – so having the perspective change and being able to see where she was coming from was a relief and very welcome to me. I was quite excited by the main plotline too. Clearly left open to continue in the following stories in the series (hopefully the other brothers’ tales of finding their mates too) I thought the plot was well thought out and interesting enough to capture most readers imagination. It will be interesting to see how it pans out in later stories.

Readers looking for a strong, alpha-male, take-charge, insta-love-mate type of story will probably really like this. I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and have to admit I enjoyed Roman’s character. I was a little less sold on Christiana’s character but warmed up to her a bit throughout the story. The sex is deliciously explicit and super hot. Readers looking for a steamy, sexy erotica story shouldn’t be disappointed.

I think this is a good start to an interesting new series.