Review: One Night Ever After by Tere Michaels

Reviewed by Fehu
One Night Ever After by Tere Michaels, Elle Brownlee, Elizah J Davis
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 254pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Just a Drive by Tere Michaels

After weeks of flirting, “One Night” Wyatt Walsh spends a fabulous night with his shy coworker, Benji Trammell. As Wyatt tries to sneak out the next morning, he receives a call from his frantic, very pregnant best friend Raven—she needs him immediately. With no other way to get from New York City to the Pennsylvania town where Raven and her husband live, Wyatt accepts Benji’s offer to drive him there. Wary and unsure of each other, they start the trip at odds, but as time goes on, the barriers that usually keep people at a distance fail. And what started out as “just a drive” becomes a step toward romance.

Just a Stranger by Elle Brownlee

The excitement of meeting a stranger in a club can’t be beat. Loud bass sets the rhythm to Michael Wiercinski’s primal urges as he flirts with Andrew, a cute guy offering the promise of a hot night with no strings, no complications. Still, when their night is done, Michael admits there was something about Andrew that left him wanting more. Months go by with no sign of Andrew until Michael moves back home to help after his father’s heart attack. Once there, Michael is completely amazed to find Andrew Lucas living in his hometown. Despite surprising “complications” in Andrew’s life, Michael vows to take advantage of this second chance to make Andrew more than just a stranger.

Just a Weekend by Elizah J. Davis

James is a homebody in a predictable, if not altogether comfortable, rut. He’d rather stay in with a book than brave the Seattle bar scene. One night, after allowing his friend Kara to coax him out for drinks, he meets Devin—charming, gorgeous, and way out of his league. With a little bit of help from Kara, James leaves with Devin to indulge in a night together, which is as much time as he’s bound to get with a guy as hot as Devin. He doesn't expect the easy rapport that quickly develops between them, and when the weather conspires to keep them together, James wonders if this could be more than just a weekend fling.

Review
A surprising anthology, I expected to like the first story but ended up liking the last story a lot more. The first story is about Wyatt, who is a love them and leave them kind of guy and who is called to the aid of his best friend, his pregnant best friend, just after his one night stand with his co-worker Benji. Benji is shy and has some secrets of his own; surprisingly he is very helpful and offers to drive Wyatt, even after he was pretty mean to him in the morning after. Like I said Benji turns out to be a very helpful guy, a bit too helpful to be believable and there was a lull in story, considering that it is a short story, I would have liked a bit more action. Since Wyatt was mostly a jerk and Benji nearly a saint, I found it hard to relate to them. So I wasn't as emotionally involved in this story as I had expected. What worked was the writing and the dialogs. It's a well written story, well edited, but I personally wish it had some more spice.

In Just a Stranger we meet Michael and Andrew; one is a cop and the other a landscape architect. After a great night Andrew leaves without a word and Michael is surprised, when he meets the guy again in his own hometown, after moving there to help his parents. Andrew has a reason for not wanting further attachment; he has to take care of his sisters children.  The children were quite sweet and Michael was surprisingly hung up on a guy he just met on one evening. I really liked Michael’s family and that they did come around and rallied to help his get his man. All in all this was a rather sweet story, I might have wished they took longer to fall for each other, but other than that it's a nice read if one needs a HEA and a pick me up story.

Just a Weekend features James and Devin. David was a bit of out of luck later and had to move home on a trip with a friend he meets James, who takes him home. A snow storm makes them stay together for the weekend, but their time is interrupted by James's sister in law, who needs him for babysitting.

I liked James and Devin, they were both sweet and James was a bit of a homebody, who is always there for his family and a very nice guy. Devin is a bit of an opposite at least he likes to go out more and is more social. So they are a great fit and it was cute to see them play with the kids and make pillow castles in the living room. I was invested in the characters and there was enough personal drama to keep me reading. The story is well written and there was happening enough things that I was entertained and wanted to see them both get their happy end.

3.5 Pants Off

Review: Fairytales Slashed #5 by Jaime Sulllivan

Reviewed by Fehu
Fairytales Slashed 5 by Various Authors
Less Than 3 Press
Novel: 579pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Five tales, familiar and new, where nothing and no one is precisely what it seems, and where it will take more than determination and magic to set all to rights again …

Part of Your World is the tale of a man adrift, his dreams of music all but lost, and his only solace found in taking his boat out to sea for a few hours. Deep beneath the water, the lonely Ren looks up at the surface he is not supposed to breach …

In Beast, the very last thing Beau expects to land on his desk is the story of the year: the location of the missing scumbag rockstar Gabriel Fletcher. Eager for the chance at a story that could make his career, he heads off immediately for the remote mansion where Gabriel is rumored to be hiding. But the questions he seeks to ask bring answers he never could have expected …

The Heart of Evil is the story of Kallum: depressed, broken, his magic burnt out. All he wants is to recover in peace and quiet, an opportunity he hopes he'll get when he agrees to look over his aunt, comatose for the past five years. But his first week in town, Kallum is pressed into service by Nathaniel, who needs his help fighting an evil wizard. And there's Ash, who seems to be anything but the harmless librarian he claims …

Matters of Perception is the tale of Nathaniel, a young apprentice wizard still trying to get the hang of his powers, worried about his sister and jealous about the relationship between his master and his former brother-in-law. But all that is set aside when he falls into a magical garden from which there is no way out, and his only companion the garden's mysterious caretaker …

In Memories Lost in Forgotten Time, a broken pocket watch and a shop full of junk are all that Colin has left of his lover, Quentin. Behind on the rent, tormented by his landlord, he knows he should sell everything and move on. But memories are not so easily discarded—or trusted.

The Power of a Wish is the tale of a boy forbidden to cut or otherwise alter his hair until he turns twenty-five, on the orders of his strict grandmother. But when he returns home and reunites with an old friend, a seemingly harmless prank goes horribly awry …

And in The Blind City, Charley, a lowly librarian's assistant, never expected to be sent out on a quest with the most famous knight in the country. Sir Thaddeus Constantine is strong, honorable, a legend told in countless stories. To spend time with him is a dream come true, especially when Charley realizes that the man behind the knight is far more fascinating than stories …


Review
Anthologies are always a mixed bag and this one is not different, but fitting for Christmas this collection was a delight to read and it has some surprises!

What I loved was how fairytales which seemed similar had a different approach and I was impressed with the constructed worlds in this one, also not all of them were set in a fantasy world. I liked the urban fantasy ones as much the ones with knights, that one reminded me a bit of the Arabian night’s cartoons.

I liked this fairytales collection a lot, with the exception of one story, which was just weird. The character set to repair a watch and traveled in time to see his dead lover and found out that his dead lover actually is not dead, but that they found a youth fountain and he himself de-aged too much. I did mention my confusion about this one right? First he was grieving for his lover and then he started travelling in time, seeing zombies, dead people, a war in the past, but he always come back and sees the nephew of his dead lover. He himself was a brilliant inventor, before his de-aging days.

My favorite stories were by Sandra Bart, The Heart of Evil and Matters of Perception. They are set in the same universe and were beautiful fairytales. One about a charmed house where it's always summer and which is sustained by a magical orb and is guarded by a beast. The other one was about a wizard who had to fight an evil woman to rescue his aunt and the villagers, she put in a coma.
I found both the story telling and the characters very charming. Both stories were 4 pants reads.

The Blind City- 4 Pants Off 
Also a very charming story about a librarian assistant and a knight, who searches for his brother and finds a lover instead, when they travel together into the lost city. The actual librarian was quite bossy and I think was having an affair with the king. I would have loved it if that one was longer and not wrapped so fast at the end.

Beast- 3.75 Pants Off
This one was about a rockstar, who had pretty bad bed manners and was therefore cursed to be a beast. I thought the ending was a bit funny, when the manager brought back the witch, since the solution to the curse was not the typical one, which is not true love. It was a bit of a refreshing remake of that particular fairytale.

Part of Your World -3 Pants Off
I know it’s a novella, but still I felt like it lacked depth. I liked the merboy, but it was just not explained well enough how he was able to learn to speak, if he was always alone and with fish. I know that it's fiction, but still. Also the end was wrapped up pretty fast and the villain defeated with ease. The whole story lacked details and the characters were behaving strange. I didn't feel the love between the main characters, since the selfish bastard, who is supposed to be the prince in this one, abandons his mute friend, as soon as a girl appears and only remembers him when he is gone.

The Power of a Wish  -3.5 Pants Off
I found that one to be an infesting take on Tangled. Here it is a guy who is not supposed to cut his hair and it's not because of some evil witch, so his mother might see her mother in law that way. He promised it to his grandmother, that he won’t cut his hair up to a certain age and the hair did come in handy in a fight for the live of his best friend/ love interest. The genie was a bit of a surprise to be sure and the sister was, let's just say strange.

4 Pants Off

Guest Post & Giveaway: Interview with Vongue (Cover Artist for Bump in the Night)

Hi Vongue, thanks for joining us at Pants off Reviews.

Walk me through your creative process? In what order do you work? 
First I look for similar concepts and search for inspiration in a common theme. At some point in my head a pretty sharp picture forms of how the art should look in the end, and then I start looking for references. Most times it's not a single photo, but different references for the general pose, left hand, right leg... Sometimes for references, when I can't find them online, I take photos of people who kindly agree to suffer for me. =)

How much does the author's ideas of how a cover should look influence the cover design? 
Pretty much. Generally I try to stick to an author's ideas as close as possible, if they are realizable, and if not then I find an alternative.

Do you prefer to use a reference or not, and if so, how do you go about finding the right references for your paintings? 
I think I just answered that in the question about "creative process". =) I can only add that most artists who draw in a realistic style always use references, more or less.

This is your first cover with Riptide Publishing, what are your favorite covers and why? Which author(s) would you like to work with next? 
My favorite covers are by Petite Madame (Fragile Bond, Mark of the Gladiator, He Is Worthy) and Imaliea (Power Play: Resistance, A Glutton for Punishment, The Flesh Cartel #14: Independence Day). I know them from deviantArt and I adore their styles. Colors, realism, composition - everything!

Bio: To learn more about Vongue's art, please visit her DeviantArt page at vongue.deviantart.com

About Bump in the Night:

Turn off the lights . . . and turn on your darkest fantasies.

Demon pacts. Ghostly possessions. Monsters lurking in the depths. The things that go bump in the night frighten us, but they also intrigue us. Fascinate us. Even turn us on.

Join us as fan favorites Ally Blue and Kari Gregg bring over-amorous aquatic beasts to life with their mythic twists on the Siren and the monster in the lake. Erotic horror pros Heidi Belleau, Sam Schooler, and Brien Michaels show us just how sexy scary can be with a pair of demon deals destined to curl your toes and set your heart thrashing. And literary masters Laylah Hunter and Peter Hansen weave haunting worlds where ghosts and dead lovers can touch our hearts (and other, naughtier places too . . .) and teach us lessons from beyond the grave.

By turns exciting, evocative, and exquisitely explicit, the stories in Bump in the Night are sure to scratch your sexy paranormal itch. Explore your wildest fantasies with us in this collection of dark erotic tales.

You can read an excerpt from each story and buy the whole anthology here!

Contest:Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $25 Riptide Publishing gift certificate! Entries close at midnight, EST, on November 2nd, and one grand prize winner will be contacted on November 3rd. Contest is valid worldwide.

Review: Weight Of A Gun II

Weight Of A Gun II Edited by S.L Armstrong
Storm Moon Press
Short Story: 88pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Everyone knows that guns are dangerous; they have long been a subject surrounded by controversy. Combine them with sex and you have a subject that is virtually taboo, but smoking hot. Our second gun kink anthology continues to push the envelope of combining sex and guns with three more stories hot enough to cause powder burns.

Continuing in the world of The Machinist, Avery Belfour and his captor/lover Lord Harrow now face the threat of The Inquisitor. But Harrow is very possessive of his prize and has no intention of turning Avery over without a fight.

Then, a routine black market bust goes wrong for Officer Caleb Baker. He ends up Playing With the Big Boys when the thieves get the drop on him and decide to have some fun with their new catch.

And finally, Cole Beauchamp is the greatest pistoleer of all time; he's also thoroughly unpleasant and has a habit of scaring away his assistants. But when he is sought out by a devotee with a love of guns that matches his own, Cole finds a new respect for Benjamin Pepperwhistle and the Fantabulous Circus of Wonders.

Review:
I was really looking forward to read this one, because book one was so awesome I wanted to experience more gunplay. The amount of stories is significantly less than the first book, but not to worry the quality is still up to par. I wouldn't say I am blown away with this anthology, but it was still enjoyable.

The Inquisitor by Gryvon
First, I am always a fan of anything written by this author. Always dark and so wickedly erotic I am caught up in whatever world I am reading. The Inquisitor is the sequel to The Machinist that was apart of the Weight Of A Gun anthology (book 1). Where I found the first story to be quite good, The Inquisitor seals the deal for having my attention. Avery and Harrow's relationship is so complex, and with a shocking turn of events, I'm just wanting more from this world. The gunplay is raw and dirty, and these guys play it hard (I'm talking safety off).

Overall, I liked this one and I am impatiently waiting for the next instalment because I have lots more questions this time around.

Playing With the Big Boys by Scarlet Blackwell
Alright, I don't even know how I feel about this one. Caleb is a cop and about to bust some punk ass thieves (my description of the thieves) instead he is captured and becomes their sex toy. They tie him up, take the gun out and get all down and dirty with Caleb who likes to be in the drivers]’s seat but doesn't like to be driven (that was clearly a pun).

This is pretty much a PWP, because I consider it one giant sex scene. I like Scarlet Blackwell's writing but this one failed to "wow" me. I did like that a possible relationship could come of this, even though it started out non-con and impossibly crazy. I think the absurd factor kicked at the end of this one, I would have probably liked it more without the involvement Caleb's partner.

Benjamin Pepperwhistle and the Fantabulous Circus of Wonders by Cornelia Grey
Wowza! I was very iffy about this story when it started but then it became all kinds of fantabulous. Benjamin Pepperwhistle (what a name) wants to join the circus and he wants to work with world famous pistoleer Cole Beauchamp as his assistant. See, Benjamin likes guns he likes them a whole darn lot.

The gunplay in this one is different, and so sexy. Benjamin and Cole seem so destined even in such a few pages. I really like how Cornelia Grey writes and this is the second story by the author that has both surprised and captured me. Life in the Circus of Wonders is exhilarating and interesting, would love to read more about these characters.

Once again, SMP manages to put interesting stories in another anthology with authors who don't mind pushing things a bit. While not as awesome as book one Weight of A Gun II still delivers. Plus that cover is made of all kinds of awesome.

3.5 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Weight Of A Gun

Guest Post: Un-Erasing Bisexuals in Erotic Romance- "Torn in Two" by K. Piet

Un-Erasing Bisexuals in Erotic Romance- "Torn in Two"

That's right, everyone. The wait for more bisexual fiction is over for the time being! Storm Moon Press just recently released an anthology devoted to male bisexual characters. Torn in Two contains three great short stories by authors Kelly Rand, G.S. Wiley, and Lee Cairney, all of which are written in a contemporary setting.

When editor S.L. Armstrong and I (K. Piet) were brainstorming anthology calls, as we do every few months, the one theme that we instantly agreed upon for a possible anthology was the broad sub-genre of bisexual erotic romance. As active seekers of fiction representing all facets of the QUILTBAG, we've always been eager to get more fiction that draws attention to the facets of sexuality that go beyond the popular G. Now, don't get us wrong, we love having gay erotica and erotic romance submissions coming our way, but we have a little mission to do everything we can to encourage authors to write bisexual characters!

When it comes to bisexuality in society, there are a lot of mixed opinions across the board. The problem a lot of bisexuals face when they come to terms with their identities is that there is opposition coming not only from straight individuals, but also from gay individuals. Some believe bisexuals are just greedy, that their desires have little to do with being attracted to both men and women and more to do with the desire for gaining attention no matter the source. Some believe anyone identifying as bisexual just "isn't ready to admit they're gay/a lesbian". There are even those who break it down by sex and/or gender as well. If you ask them, they state that, while women are capable of being bisexual due to being "wired toward intimacy", men are incapable of it and don't have any middle ground. Bisexuals are painted as straddling the fence and told they need to just choose a side and get over it. They're either gay or straight. End of story. Bisexuality doesn't exist. At the very least, not when it comes to men.

And that's when we all call bullshit.

Bisexuals do exist, and, if we go by the Kinsey scale, the majority of people likely fall into varying degrees of bisexuality rather than being at the two far extremes of exclusively heterosexual or exclusively homosexual. Bisexuals are quite common, but society has a way of restricting the visibility of them, of telling them they need to give it up and pick which of the two sexual orientation boxes they fit inside most. As if it's just a matter of making one's mind up. This erasure is so very harmful! It plays into all the same narrow-minded views that the gay and lesbian community has tried to combat over the years. Bisexuals don't fit easily into the binary of "gay or straight", and that makes some people uncomfortable on both sides of the proverbial equation, as it forces them to re-evaluate the way they define sexuality and expand their number of possibilities.

At Storm Moon Press, however, we're all about expanding the number of possibilities! It was the erasure of bisexuality from fiction that we wanted to combat by creating our Torn in Two anthology, which was even named after the concept of being pushed and pulled by opposing sides of the binary. What we asked for was quite simple—stories starring bisexual men in which their bisexuality is shown, rather than alluded to—and it left authors with plenty of options in the way of writing in the genres they preferred. It was by chance that the three stories chosen for the anthology all ended up being contemporary. Looking back, however, it's a wonderful happenstance. What better way to weave in the themes of bisexual erasure and the conditioned splitting of binary sexual orientation than to set stories in the world we currently live in? It brings the bisexual element of the story home in a way that we thoroughly enjoyed at the press, and we hope lovers of bisexual erotic fiction will be pleased with the three stories we've compiled in this anthology!

It is often said that bisexual men are 'torn in two' by the opposing expectations from society. They are often accused of being confused or riding the proverbial fence between gay and straight. To many others, their attraction to men makes them 'not straight', while their attraction to women makes them 'not gay'. It is this conflict that sets them apart and often ostracizes them from both communities. Torn In Two is a collection of short stories highlighting bisexual men, including their relationships with both men and women.

On the rebound from an ended relationship, Daniel visits his old friend Jude looking for some direction in his life. Jude and his wife Celeste offer him solace in their arms, and the comfort of Songs from Devil Lake. Then, in Syncopation, Jonathan Tager's budding music career is thrust into the limelight when scandal reveals his bisexuality. Everyone from his management to his new female soloist seems to have an opinion about it, too, but the one opinion that matters to Jonathan belongs to Peter Merritt, a British single father who has everything to lose if he gets too close to such a controversial celebrity. Finally, Phillip Farrell accidentally makes two dates on the same night—one with a woman, and one with a man. When the scheme inevitably falls apart and he has to come clean, he learns first-hand why "to assume" means to make An Ass Out of You and Me.

Torn in Two – Now Available from Storm Moon Press for just $4.99 (ebook) and $9.99 (print). Get your copy in time for the holidays!

Review: Written In Flesh

Written In Flesh by Various Authors
Storm Moon Press
Novella: 117pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
For many people, there's nothing hotter than a man with tattoos. He might get them to commemorate a lost loved one, celebrate an event, or just to look bad-ass, but there's no doubt the man enjoys showing off his ink. Tribal, classic black and white, or elaborate colored artwork spanning the entire back, each mark has a story, an indelible reminder of the past etched onto the human canvas with care and precision. We're showcasing four of those stories in Written in Flesh.

Key is Bound by Ink to a woman he does not—cannot—love. He runs to escape his fate, but finds Dax, another fugitive, and learns that some bonds go deeper than skin. In the heyday of the 1980's, Ian Grothe's club is about to discover the Next Big Thing, but Ian only has eyes for the lead singer. But as the band's star rises, Ian gets left behind, his hopes turning to Powder.

Then, in Helotry, Rontak is an escaped slave who wears the mark of his service beneath his skin. While on the run, he is sheltered by Tréy, an artist with a heavy secret of his own. Finally, Ellis comes to the Sui Generis Protection Agency bearing the Mark of the Familiar, magical animal tattoos granting him remarkable shapeshifting abilities. When he feels a True Bond to William, the Wardsman of the agency, he has to convince William of the truth or risk losing his sanctuary, and perhaps even his life.

Review:
Another anthology I was looking forward to but once again didn't meet my expectations. I found this anthology to be the tamer of the bunch than what I am used to from SMP. It’s not a bad thing to go with mild sometimes but almost none of the stories worked for me except for one. I will just share a little on what I liked and didn't like about each story.

Bound by Ink by Kimber Vale
This was a hot read about Key, a man running from the wife he never wanted and searching for a place he can belong. It’s on the outside where he meets Dax and the men begin and explosive sexy relationship. It’s an all right story but I had problems with the dialogue. Just the way they were speaking during sex just didn’t quite go with the time they were living in. I couldn’t quite picture them speaking with a “Fuck Yeah”. I think that’s where the story fell for me. I just could not believe it.

Powder by Alina Ray
I loved that this one was set in the 80s and I loved the tats and overall nightclub feel. I just found the story to be too feel good, and Ian our MC to be rather annoying. I wanted to give him a swift kick because Apollo needed to grovel a bit more. Overall, an entertaining story but the ending was wrapped up just a little bit too neatly, but hell yes to 1985 :D

Helotry by Suzanne van Rooyen
One of those where the story is too big for just a few pages. I liked the world created and it really had my interest but overtime it just felt rushed and left me unsatisfied. Everyone gets their HEA but I just feel like this is just piece of a bigger picture. I would love to see more, because when slavery is tackled it needs at least like a 100pgs to get across. My second fave in the anthology.

Mark of the Familiar by Alex Whitehall
Thank the gods there was this story, seems they saved the best for last. There is something about shifters and their true mates that get me every time. One can say that it has been played, written, and re-written but trust me never like this. Fantastic job by Alex, and I am looking forward to more stories from her. Love the hell out of this one, so sexy and awesome the anthology is worth it for this story alone.

Not the awesome I was expecting but it does not suck either. I always find a new fantastic author in a SMP anthology. If you like, tats, sexy men, and a ridiculous amount of happy. Then this anthology is for you.

3.5 Pants Off

Review: Carved In Flesh

Carved In Flesh by Various Authors
Storm Moon Press
Novel: 193pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
People often say that the true perfection in the human form is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral reminders of a person's past, a sign of an event that can never fade. Whether it was gained in combat, a traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a lover, scars are the ultimate labels. They leave a permanent mark on the body and spirit that, one way or another, change a person forever.

Veld is an Elf who has known for years that his mute friend Oren is spoken for; the design of scars spanning Oren's torso reminds him with every look. When Oren's vowed, Haram, is killed, Veld must not only help to prove his own innocence, but also tread carefully as he discovers Oren's Right and Haram's last request. Next, Tiocfaidh Ár Lá—"our day will come"—was the cry in Joe Colson's heart, even as he fled his beloved Ireland to hide from his sins in the States. He'd assumed his chances for love were long past when a much younger man rekindles something in him he'd thought long dead.

A near-fatal car accident leaves superstar model Ashley's face permanently scarred and his career into a tailspin. Only his lover, Will, can pull him out of his depression, provided his affection hasn't turned to Faded Love. Young Timothy has come to Larry for Scar Therapy. But Tim is seeking healing of a different kind, and Larry finds that he has his own wounds that need tending. Garvin's scars are a Gift of the Goddess, seared into his skin as a beacon to find his kidnapped love, Nyle. Rescuing him, though, may entail a deeper wound than even the Goddess would bestow. Finally, when Kanovan returns from his off-world tour, his lover Mirin finds a lover's mark he hadn't expected. Mirin must re-evaluate how much Kanovan means to him, and what he must do to make Kanovan always Sojourn Home to him.

Review:
Storm Moon Press always does some great anthologies, they go places others are afraid to and always do a wonderful job. In Carved In Flesh, they offer up some great stories that deal with scars and cutting. I thought the cutting would have been predominant, but I was somewhat surprise by the offering of stories. It is a wide mix of tropes, and I believe readers will find a fave among the six stories.

Oren's Right by Blaine D Arden
Veld is an elf that has very strong feelings for his dear mute friend Oren, but he knows he can never act on his feeling because Oren already belongs to someone else. He's the shoulder to lean on when Oren has to put his dead lover to rest, he'll be his strength and confidant but he knows that is all he could ever be because Haram, though dead is Oren's keeper. The scars on Oren's body tell a tale of ownership, and Veld knows that even now Oren could never belong to him. When Veld is suspected of Haram's murder, he knows this could be end of his relationship with his beautiful friend. Now he must prove his innocence and find a murderer among their midst.

I am a fan of D. Arden’s writing; it always manages to pull me in. It was such a treat to read about her elves once again, their forests and magic intrigue me. The story was an enjoyable read, mild on the hot loving but beautiful on the intimacy shared between the characters. The murder mystery added a little spice but I could have done without it, Oren's and Veld story was intriguing enough without it.

Tiocfaidh Ár Lá by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks
I thought this one would have been my favourite, because the authors of this one tend to shock and make me lose my pants. I was surprised, though pleasantly. Joe moved from his beloved Ireland to the Sates to get away from the bad things he had done and horrible things done to him. I think the overall tone of this story is touchy one, dealing with politics, IRA, and so forth. I am no Irish history buff, but I know it’s a touchy/serious topic today as it was twenty years ago.

Joe sins show in his scars and disfigurement of his face, and he has all but given up on life. Until, a young beautiful man sweeps into his life and proves that sometimes the stuff on the outside is smaller fraction to person you are on the inside. This one is on the very sexy side, with a neat HEA that will please a reader. As I said I was expecting a lot, and it did not live up to my expectation but was still a good read.

Faded Love by M.A Church
I tried a lot to get into the story but in the end, it did not work for me. It’s a sweet story, but I did not connect with the characters and wasn’t invested in their happy ending. I believe this one will be a hit with readers but it just didn’t work for me.

Scar Therapy by Logan Zachary
I really enjoyed this story but I had one huge problem with it. Larry finds Timothy and his mom in his office, seems Timothy will need a little scar therapy after suffering through a very violent robbery. The scars tell a tale of the violence Timothy suffered at the hands of his assailant, but Larry senses there is more to the story that meets the eyes. Timothy starts to open up slowly (that sounds pervy) and Larry finds that he is very attracted to the young man, and wants not only to heal his physical scars but his emotional ones too.

My only beef with the story is how what happened with Timothy was concluded. Yes, Tim chose to lie about what happened to him but the crime is just so big that it shouldn’t have been overlooked. The severity of it made me want a better conclusion, and I think that was lost during some jacking off and hot tub play. It needed a tone down to have a reverse affect.

Gift of the Goddess by Kaje Harper
Garvin finds himself praying to a goddess he isn’t sure he believes in, but desperate times call for desperate measures. When his lover Nyle is taken against his will Garvin knows, only he can go and get him back. When the goddess blesses him with the path to get Nyle back, he must now come up with a plan to bring his man back and take down the ones who took him. It will not be easy, and he has to use his only weapon. His body.

This story was just... so very good. What Garvin does won’t settle well with a lot of readers but it was necessary. The emotions captured choked me up a bit. Garvin is a strong and wonderful character and reading about the love, he shared with Nyle was beautiful. Comes as no surprise that he is willing to give his all for the man he loves. Awesome story!

Sojourn Home by T.C Mill
I have mixed feeling about this story, on one hand I really like it and on the other I like it only a little. I mean serious mixed feelings. It’s a nice look into their marriage and the steps Mirin is willing to take to keep his spouse. I think what I did not like is other lovers leaving a mark on Kanovan. It seems too personal, and I understood Mirin’s misgivings. I believe marking is intensely personal and I didn’t get it from this story. Though it is a very good story, I am on the fence with it.

Carved In Flesh is not the hit I was expecting it to be, but it's still a very good offering of some wonderful stories and talented writers.

4 Pants Off

Review: All Wrapped Up Anthology

All Wrapped Up by Various Authors
Storm Moon Press
Novel: 168pgs
4 Pants Off (Overall)

Blurb:
Tentacles are a taboo subject for most, something most people look at from between their fingers as they hide. But for a growing number of people, it's a subject that is fascinating and sexy! Tentacle erotica has been around for ages, from The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife to Demon Beast Invasion—it's a genre that is here to stay. All Wrapped Up explores this genre through the lens of gay erotic romance, offering four science-fiction and fantasy stories featuring tentacled heroes in all their wiggly glory.

The men in Ground Mission are podmates, a matched set: Simon Pollux, the lethal scout, and Adrian Lovasz, his willing and even more lethal combat specialist. In the midst of exploring an alien world, Simon is infected with an alien virus; to what lengths will Adrian go to ensure Simon's comfort?

In the wood-locked town of Orm, ranger Koster meets the mysterious Irsing: the guardian of the forest. Is he the one letting the forest turn to wilds, or is the forest turning to wilds on its own? In Wildwood, Koster aims to do whatever it takes to set things right.

Eli exchanges his a life of poverty in Dark Covenant when tricked into signing a contract giving himself to the masters of the Academy. His body, his movement, his life is theirs to do with as they wish, until the enigmatic Eramus offers Eli his power—if Eli will join with him.

Sebastian Reed lives on the legal limits in Situation Normal, barely scraping by in his hunk of junk ship until a Peace Officer, Ten, commandeers his ship... and his body. Not that Sebastian minds, except for wondering exactly where it is that Ten means to take him.

Review:
It is always through Storm Moon Press that I discover my kinks; their anthologies are always made of awesome. I have yet to read one I did not love and lose my pants. They push boundaries without being crude, and manage to do it in such a way that will have you searching out tentacle loving in all forms. I am not gonna pretend, I am as kinky as they come and I don’t get surprised/shocked easily. Well, All Wrapped Up surprised me and had me gasping because it was so deliciously sexy, so deliciously dark and I want an All Wrapped Up take 2. Yes?

Ground Mission by Laylah Hunter
This story has fancy words like cryogenics, and genetically engineered men. Simon and Adrian are pod mates, partners, and lovers. They have been assigned to visit Old Earth and gather some information and then hit the road. It was supposed to be an in and out kind of a job, but the planet isn’t as barren as they thought, and they are greeted by some hostile locals.

I really enjoyed this story, loved the relationship between Adrian and Simon. In the beginning, it sounded very clinical their interactions and sometimes I wondered if their feelings were frozen along with their bodies. Through it all, I began to see a real connection and fell in love with them. The tentacles, good grief I never expected all that hot. I loved the turn the author took because I thought the hostile locals would have free reign on Simon and Adrian's ass, but I was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t happen. This story really made for some good pants losing.

Wildwood by Thea Hayworth
I found this story to be the most complex of the bunch, and by complex, I mean ‘My brain is slow and therefore I had to use it’. Peace is to be had by a relationship between human and Guardians. The Guardians protect the forest and the people by creating a balance and not letting things get out of hand. Because without them things can get ugly, and by ugly I mean shit will go crazy. Koster is ranger and he protects the people, he knows the destruction that can happen without a Guardian or a Guardian gone bad. He has seen it first hand. With his arrival, a change begins a change no one saw coming but hope with everything, it continues.

I liked this story, and it is the milder one of the bunch. I don’t mean there is no sexy; I just found it gentler somehow. It also provided quite a new twist on the tentacle aspect, so get out of the octopus mentality. What confused me the most was the changing POVs; sometimes I had no clue who was speaking but even in all that the focus still remained on Koster. It was a sweet story and I am quite satisfied with how it ends.

Dark Covenant by Gryvon
Eli is dirt poor and works in the mines. On his birthday, he encounters a stranger who informs him that he is special and there will come a time when he will need his aid, and only then should he call upon him. Eli ignores it, but then soon discovers he is special and everyone wants a piece of him. He gets sucked into pretty words, and being able to provide for his family and literally sells his soul but in this case his body.

I am both deeply in love with this story but I also kind of hate it a lot. I found Eli to exceptionally naïve and I wanted kick him. I got his hang-ups, but I doubted his devotion to his family because dude you were just a little too late in fighting to see them. The story is both sexy and scary, and should include my warning. There will be parts of it that might make you sick to your stomach and no the tentacles weren't involved (thank fuck). I am very intrigued by the world Gryvon created, and am on my hands and knees for a book or even a novella *don’t keep me waiting my knees might give out*. I kept thinking Dark Shadows while reading this (and no not the crazy love child of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton) I am talking the original with the shadows, dungeons, and the ongoing feeling of spook.

I liked this one a lot but it also frustrated me. I even had some personal feelings while reading because the MC shares the same name as my youngest, so I really had to disconnect from the story. It’s hard reading about the abuse of a young boy who shares the same name as one of your children.

Situation Normal by Morgan Harcourt
All I am gonna say is that I love the freaking hell out of this story. It’s snarky, funny, and too sexy for my pants. Interspecies sex is a kink of mine and nobody does it better like SMP. This is the story I want more of, and guess what “I ain’t too proud to beg” Morgan Harcourt for more.

With a name like His Most Just Tenacity who wouldn’t want a book? The name belongs in a museum. I also loved Sebastian, he’s a broken firecracker his sparks are haywire. I would love to read about him more in hopes that he does become more survival orientated and start liking himself a bit more. I want more of the situation.

So yes, I liked the hell out of this anthology and the stories are excellent. There is both the extreme and the mild and it created a perfect balance. I am never disappointed by an SMP anthology and they remain high on my list for the best. I also blame them for all my reading kinks. Blood fetish, tentacles, interspecies loving, brother loving *gosh*. They just might make my heart give out before the year ends.

4 Pants Off

Review: Lashings of Sauce Anthology

Lashing of Sauce by Various Authors
JMS Books
Novella: 138pgs
4.5 Pants Off (Overall)

Blurb:
We Brits love our sauce, whether it's what we lash on our food, read on our seaside postcards, or write in our stories. Come and enjoy a buffet of tasty LGBTQ treats!

From marriages to reunions, via practical jokes and football matches, to weresloths and possibly the oddest Tarts and Vicars party in the world, join us as we celebrate the UK Meet in the best way we know: telling the story.

As a follow-up to the critically acclaimed British Flash and Tea and Crumpet anthologies, our talented writers bring you sixteen stories about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer characters enjoying what Britain and mainland Europe have to offer, with their wonderfully diverse range of cultures and landscapes and some incredibly colourful and quirky people.

This anthology is a souvenir of the 2012 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love. Funds from the sale of this anthology will go towards future UK Meets, to which all are welcome.

Review:
The Lashings of Sauce anthology is a must read with a story for just about anyone. You want some sweet/sexy, some angst, a tearjerker, or something to put a big ole smile on your face? Well this book has it all. I love it because it offers up everything that falls under the rainbow. It’s great to see a positive representation of all sexuality, a positive look at gender, and most of all the importance of love.

I won’t spend the time talking about each of the stories, because all were good. Some better than others, but each story offered up a nice little read. You might be excited for a pants losing by some of your faves author, but the new to me/you aren’t chopped liver. They all delivered, and man I wish I was going to Brighton, so I could be apart of all the talent.

I just really want to express my love for one story in particular, and that is My Husband by Zahra Owens. This story moved me beyond words and left me in tears. All I kept thinking was “I want a love like this. I wish everyone loved like this”. It’s a beautiful Trans* story with such a beautiful message.

This was also my first time reading a story by Jordan Castillo Price 'hangs head in shame' and by the power invested in me it will not be my last. Really, such a great anthology!!

• Post Mortem by Jordan Castillo Price- Really liked this one, and such a great use of the Postal service :D
•  Dressing Down by Clare London- Gawd! So incredibly sexy, I just love when a man donnes a sexy skirt.
•  Et Tu, Fishies? by JL Merrow- JL always brings the funny, and this was funny.
• Zones by Elyan Smith- So much angst, and hauntingly sad. I enjoyed it!
• Sollicito by Charlie Cochrane- Hahaha a Were-Sloth O_o and I did look it up on Wikipedia
•  A Few Days Away by Elin Gregory - Cute
•  Vidi Velo Vici by Robbie Whyte- So cute.
• Shelter From Storms by Sandra Lindsey- A good historical story.
• Faulty Genes by Rebecca Cohen- 
•  Lost in London by Tam Ames- Cute story and one of my faves. 
•  My Husband by Zahra Owens- The Best!!
• Waiting for a Spark by Lillian Francis- Cute, and loved Tomak.
•  Social Whirl by Emily Moreton-Good F/F story
•  School for Doms by Anne Brooke - Sexy!!
•  Dragon Dance by Josephine Myles- Always a pants losing with Jo
•  Reclaiming Territory by Becky Black- Cute story about lovers reuniting. 

4.5 Pants Off

Review: Fraternal Devotion

Fraternal Devotion by D.K Jernigan, Alisha Steele, Leigh Wilder, Azalea Moone, and K.Piet/S.L Armstrong
Storm Moon Press
Novella: 143pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
When you pit knowledge against emotions, there's the no-man's land in between those two opposing forces where taboos lie. Incest is one of the untouchables, a taboo that even in alternative cultures is often still looked on negatively. But how can something that feels so right be wrong? In Fraternal Devotion, the focus is on brotherly love--in every sense of the word. These are tales of love, lust, devotion, and passion as real as any other romance. Why should the fact that the two men are brothers take away from that? This collection may challenge your assumptions and beliefs, but may also melt your heart. Not to mention steam up your glasses.

Keith is a Humanist Corpsman, sworn to protect society from the mutated ranks of the Infected. When his own team betrays him, however, it's his long lost brother, Riley, who takes him in and makes him choose between War and Peace and Brotherhood. After nineteen months apart, Brandon Patrell, of Analgesia, is convinced it will take more than a home renovation to keep his playboy brother, Ethan, from running away again. But as Ethan resumes his old mind-games, Brandon is determined to tease back for once, even if it means risking everything in a game of all or nothing. A dozen years after discovering his father's suicide, Cale returns home and finds his older brother Derrick showing the same signs of melancholy. But as much as he wants to help his brother, he fears being sucked back into that world of Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools.

Jeremy has been On Clouds of Obsession since long ago glimpsing his brother, Matt, naked in the locker room. Years later, with Matt due to be married in a week, Jeremy takes a chance after Matt's bachelor's party that could jeopardize their relationship, not to mention the impending wedding. Songwriter Andrew lives life On the Edge, using drugs to quiet his uncertainties about his ongoing relationship with his twin, Ben. Disheartened by Andrew's empty promises, Ben begins to pull away, forcing Andrew to choose between letting go and finally finding the strength to stop running.

Review:

All the ways I have been excited to read Fraternal Devotion, and all the ways I am happy I read it. This book went to front of the line, just because I love me some bromance of the sexy kind. I gobbled it up in no time, and was slightly disappointed there weren’t a lot more stories. I Wanted Moar!!

War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan
Keith is apart of society of fighters sworn to protect humanity from the people they call the infected. So this infection is transmitted sexually, and the form varies depending on the individual. One can become a shifter, while the other gets super speed this infection affects everyone differently. Keith is the leader of his Corps group, and they are to stop the evil infected from hurting and infecting others.

So while kicking ass and taking names, Keith longs for the brother he lost 3 years ago. Having been in love with him, Keith fears he somehow pushed him away. Now he has his family of fighters or so he thinks, their hatred runs for anything deemed different, and Keith being gay is different. He finds himself at the end of a bullet fired from the people he trusted and is saved by the last person he expected.

I liked this story, and found the world created very complex and original. I think the most fascinating part of the story is the evolution of humans and their newly achieved powers. I did not really feel the romance in this once because I felt like Keith was backed in a corner and took the most logical way out. Yes, I knew he had feelings for his brother but the overall delivery made it feel very rushed and I didn’t really believe in them. I just wanted a bit more to make it a bit more fleshy.

Analgesia by Alisha Steele
Brandon is annoyed because his older brother is back home and he is just too freaking tempting for his own good. When it comes to Ethan it’s hard to be around him without wanting him, and he doesn’t seem to know boundaries. The brothers have a history, and it’s that history that caused Ethan to run like fire was on his heels.

I loved the hell out of this one, and man did it cause severe pants losing. This story being the longest of the all stories really touched on all my naughty buttons. It really did a wonderful balance of providing their relationship as lovers but never letting the reader forget that they are brothers. They fight, argue, and constantly tease each other and it just amplifies the naughty. The writing is fantastic and provide a realistic elements in a playful manner (I liked that). Analgesia was just made of awesmazingness.


Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
Cale is back home for Spring Break, a home he rarely visits, a home he moved almost 400mi from. He is running from things from his childhood and being home brings it all back. Especially his brother Derrick who just lies about in the pool house. Derrick suffers from depression and other mental issues and Cale is just trying to escape it all. They like to run, and will keep on running until they start confronting their issues.

I have mixed feelings about this one, so mixed. I feel it’s too heavy hitting for such a short story and would have worked better as a novella/novel. I feel like Derrick is too broken to be making decisions, and Cale just keeps getting pushed in a corner. His decision to sleep with his brother doesn’t feel like his own and them being together just did not work for me.

On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone
Jeremy has wanted his brother something fierce since he saw him naked in locker rooms at school. Obviously, he knows his feelings won’t be reciprocated but a boy can dream. Suddenly his brother Matt is engaged to be married and it’s sorta pissing him off. Jeremy finds an opportunity to feel Matt up after his bachelor’s party and he’s passed out drunk. Suddenly Matt is awake and they’re having sex “Say What”. The next morning just might be a walk of shame.

This one did not really work for me. I think the representation of both characters really turned me away from this one. One minute their hot and the next their cold. I found them indecisive and I feel as if they have no chance at making it work long term. This is one brotherly love I couldn't get down with.

On The Edge by S.L Armstrong and K. Piet
Fraternal twins Andrew and Ben have been inseparable in both life and love. They have a long sexual history, been having sexual relations since they were 14 and now its 11 years later. While Ben has admitted and accepted that, he is in love with his twin Andrew has taken the other road. He wants his brother, but the guilt and shame of that want eats away at him and so he has resorted to hard drugs to help him cope. Ben knows his brother struggles with their relationship, because he pushes him away after but he goes back every time only to face the same hurt.

This story is so hard hitting and makes it hurt. It is the most realistic of the bunch which makes it the most painful to read. It delves a little into what siblings would have to in order to live freely together. Ben and Andrew have ostracized themselves from family and friends, and you can feel how it affects the brothers. With Andrew’s fears, it’s like adding salt to a wound because it all becomes for naught.

These authors really know how to make a character hurt and bring out all your emotions. I feel sad for Andrew because I can understand his fear, shame, and guilt. Yet, I would really like to punch him in the face, 11 years is a long time not have your feelings figured out (cowardly). Ben I would dearly like to kick because he’s an enabler, and a bigger coward for keeping Andrew in drug-filled lust so he wouldn’t have to be without him. I would love to see more of these brothers because they need some fixing.

Overall, I l really enjoyed the anthology. It wasn’t just sex on pages, most of the stories offered up some solid plot with good characters and little dose of reality. Not the awesome I was expecting but I am glad with it. Though I am going on and on about plot and such, I liked it cus I love brothers doing each other ^_~.

4 Pants Off

Guest Post: UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet 2012 and Lashings of Sauce Anthology

First, congratulations to Pants Off Reviews on your blogaversary. May you have many more happy years of reviewing terrific m/m romances while pantsless.

Today I’d like to share some news on a couple of events in the m/m world that are closely related, intimately if you will. *wink* *wink*

The first is the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet 2012 which is taking place in Brighton in the UK, September 14-16 with a full day program on Saturday. It is the third annual UK Meet for readers/writers/reviewers/fans of GLBTQ fiction. While it’s held in the UK, it’s obviously not limited to British participants. Hopefully fans from all over Europe will decide to attend along with some North Americans like myself and Jordan Castillo Price, award-winning author of the PsyCop and Channeling Morpheus series, and owner/publisher JCP Books who will be the keynote speaker at the event. For the one low price of £40 you can participate and meet some amazing people in the genre. Click on the pic for more detail on the event including the program and hotel info.

Beautiful Brighton!

This is a broad event that encompasses all of the colours in the rainbow flag, so if you are a fan of lesbian, transsexual, bisexual or gender queer characters in your romance, there will be something for everyone.

Hey, speaking of something for everyone (how’s that for a segue?), Meet participants were invited to submit stories for an anthology and today is the release day though JMS Books.  Yay! *tosses confetti* I hope everyone enjoys the stories which cover the full spectrum of GLBTQ characters. 

Blurb:

Lashings of Sauce 

We Brits love our sauce, whether it's what we lash on our food, read on our seaside postcards, or write in our stories. Come and enjoy a buffet of tasty LGBTQ treats!

From marriages to reunions, via practical jokes and football matches, to weresloths and possibly the oddest Tarts and Vicars party in the world, join us as we celebrate the UK Meet in the best way we know: telling the story

.

As a follow-up to the critically acclaimed British Flash and Tea and Crumpet anthologies, our talented writers bring you sixteen stories about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and genderqueer characters enjoying what Britain and mainland Europe have to offer, with their wonderfully diverse range of cultures and landscapes and some incredibly colourful and quirky people. 

Contributors include: Tam Ames, Becky Black, Anne Brooke, Charlie Cochrane, Rebecca Cohen, Lillian Francis, Elin Gregory, Clare London, Sandra Lindsey, JL Merrow, Emily Moreton, Josephine Myles, Zahra Owens, Jordan Castillo Price, Elyan Smith and Robbie Whyte. Edited by: UK MAT (UK Meet Acquisitions Team: Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London, JL Merrow and Josephine Myles).

This anthology is a souvenir of the 2012 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love. Funds from the sale of this anthology will go towards future UK Meets, to which all are welcome.

We are giving away a free copy of the anthology in honour of Pants Off Reviews special celebration, so be sure to leave your name with an e-mail so we can contact you if you win. Hope to see some of you in Brighton this fall.

• Leave a Comment with Email
• Must be 18yrs or older
• Winner has 24hrs to reply to my email
• Contest Runs until July 28th 11:59PM EST

ARC Review: Like It Or Not (Anthology)

Like It Or Not by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks, Sean Michael, Gryvon, Stella Harris, T.C Mill, Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane
Storm Moon Press

Novel: 168pgs

4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Be it forced seduction/dubious consent, non-violent intimidation, or pre-negotiated fantasy, there is something wickedly taboo about non-consensual sex, where consent is muddled. While rape is a crime of power, focusing on exerting physical control over another person, non-con is all about the gray area where verbal consent is either never given (not a 'yes', but not a 'no' either) or doesn't match the arousal and passion both parties share during the act. In Like It or Not, we push the boundaries of consent without fully breaking them.


When Connor's rent money is due and not even hooking can make up the shortfall, he really is Out of Options. So when playboy Jarrett makes him a very generous offer, he doesn't look too closely at the terms—and lives to regret it.

Then, werewolf Trevor is subjected to Obedience Classes when his pack alpha becomes fed up with his rebellion. Dirk, the wolf charged with this task, though, seems more interested in claiming Trevor for himself, by any means necessary.

Writer Ian Richards has to decide What It's Worth to get his story when his contact meets him in a private club. In fact, Vincenzo has no intention of letting his information go easily, if at all.

In Blindside, freshman Matt is tired of enduring the hazing by (admittedly gorgeous) upperclassman Dylan, when Dylan ups the ante significantly. And as much as Matt wants Dylan, he can't be sure the whole thing isn't one more bizarre prank.

Confessor Isak must resort to Unnatural Means when he is charged with the task of forcing Sain to confess his sins of murder and witchcraft before inevitable execution. Torturing in the name of the Divine is difficult enough, but when Sain's seductive magic takes hold of him, he isn't sure it will be Sain who breaks under pressure to find release.

Finally, Salting the Earth becomes Ronan's only choice when he suspects his sister has been taken by the fairies. However, this only draws the interest of ruthless King Finnbheara, who extracts a price for his cooperation that may be too high for Ronan to pay.

Review:
Another winning anthology by Storm Moon Press. I am never a fan of reading them because they disappoint or you love it too much and want more. I really want more of all the stories offered up in this anthology, which is driving me hella crazy because I want more. I really loved/really liked all the stories in this one, if you have no problems with reading non-con then I highly suggest checking this book out.

Out of Options by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks
I do believe this is my favourite story in the entire anthology. Talk about being totally surprised by the amount of sexy, and gender pushing, and just overall awesomeness that was offered up. When money gets a little tight for Connor, he goes to his last resort, which is tricking. When he’s picked up by Jarret who pays him nicely, gives him tender loving, and wouldn’t mind seeing him again with payment of course. Connor feels like he’s hit the jackpot, but it calls go south when he signs a shady contract and bind himself to Jarret who isn’t as nice as he seems O_O (shady contract dude)

Seriously, I loved this story! Without getting into the politics of gender and all that, this story really pushed the boundaries. I think I blushed I bit, because I found it so incredibly sexy. It’s hardcore and it won’t settle well with most readers but it sure settled well with me.

“I like my boys with tits, and my girls with dicks”
-Out of Options

Obedience Class by Sean Michael
I really liked this one, because what’s not to like? Werewolf, unruly mate, and hot sexy man love. I know the whole mate werewolf thing is played but I’m a real sucker for them. Trevor is rebellious and his pack has had enough so they put Dirk on the case to bring him to obedience. I don’t know if I really liked Dirk methods of reining in Trevor. He truly came across as terrified, so that part really bothered me. Otherwise I totally loved it, and have been thinking about the sex they did/might have had in wolf form. Wanna know how that went down =_=

What It’s Worth by Gryvon
Fucking gawd, another story I want more of. Ian is a bit of a douche and literally hates everything. He does take pride in his work though he feels it all sucks which is contradictory. When one of his assignments leads him to the arms of Vincenzo.  Ian is thinking he takes too much pride in his work and should have left this one alone when he had the chance. It’s all just a little too late, and Ian finds himself tied and submitting to a stranger. I enjoyed this one a lot but just couldn’t handle the deflowering of Ian. So public, so clinical, and just not what I wanted for him. Although by the end, he is less douchy.

Blindside by Stella Harris
Another favourite, just because it was so freaking cute and funny. Matt believes he’s being hazed by upperclassman Dylan when he is called to do his medical and Dylan is getting all up close and personal with his prostate. It might just be all fun and games for Dylan, but Matt is experiencing things he only dreamt of. If only he could walk away, but he keeps going back to Dylan and his special brand of hazing.

Oh Matt you naïve fool you. Prostate check at 18! You should have seen it for it was he just wanted to feel you up.

Unnatural Means by T.C Mill
I am honestly going to admit that I don’t get this story. Isak is to cleanse Sain’s soul by having him confess to murder and witchcraft. It’s not going so well because Sain is stubborn and doesn’t feel he has anything to confess. This one is a bit of a mind fuck, and I was left thinking two things. Sain is a murderer and dabbles in the dark arts, or he’s a con man and has everyone fooled. He uses his ‘witchcraft’ to ensnare a man and then he gets rid of them when he wants to. Either which way, is this really a non-con story? Moreover, which of the characters is the one not consenting? As I said mind fuck!

Salting the Earth by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane
O_O that is all. Seriously, this one really freaked my freak. I am lost, puzzled, and loving all the faery pretty. All I am thinking is that Ronan was crazy, and he was the bait to begin a series of events that will bring us to The Druid Stone. I think this was a nice set-up, and will leave the reader with questions. Is TDS here yet *stomping foot impatiently*!
 

Overall, really enjoyed this anthology. So many different levels of writing and storytelling and all very unique. Another winner by SMP, and I look forward to whatever creative anthology they come up with next. I guess I should warn and say the whole book is dub-con/non-con but it didn’t feel like it for me. Though it really depends on the reader, which basically means I am hardcore. Loved It!

4 1/2 Pants Off