Review: Personal Changes by K.C Wells

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Personal Changes (Personal #2) by K.C Wells
Island Tales Press
Novel: 164pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Rick Wentworth has had enough of one night stands and quickies in clubs. It takes a night of uncharacteristic hedonism to make Rick admit what he really wants - someone to love him. But for that to happen, he needs to make some changes. Rick can do that. After all, what’s the alternative? And when he meets a guy who ticks all his boxes, he can’t believe his luck. His boss Blake Davis, and Blake’s fiancé Will Parkinson, however, aren’t convinced. They want to know more about Mr. Perfect, and their instincts are keener than Rick’s. Both men want to protect him. As it turns out, they needn’t have worried. Rick has a guardian angel…

When Angelo Tarallo sees Rick for the first time, it’s a match made in Heaven, as far as he’s concerned. And when he rescues Rick from danger, it gives him the opportunity to get to know the man who has captivated him. Before long, it’s plain to both men that this could lead somewhere. But when Angelo’s traditional Sicilian family finally discover what he’s been hiding from them for so long, an ultimatum spells heartache for the lovers – and worse.

Review
We met Rick Wentworth in Making It Personal and this is his book. Poor Rick had the hots for Blake and never got his man. He wants a relationship, something real for himself and yet, he’s doing his thing. He’s single and while not quite loving it, he’s making do.

One night he meets these guys at a bar and has a night of wonderfully wild sex as part of a threesome. But in the morning, he feels so empty, just blah and empty regarding what his sex life has become. He wants something more and he’s going to change his ways!! He goes out and to just dance and enjoy the music. He meets this guy, Julian who makes a great first impression and off they go. There is something that isn’t quite right about Julian, but Rick tries to make a go of it. Until Julian does something so horrible, that there is no going back.

Enter Angelo Tarallo. What Rick doesn’t know is that Angelo is watching him. He keeps an eye out for Rick and when Julian loses his cool and acts so damn wrong, Angelo comes to the rescue. Angelo takes his time in wooing Rick. Getting to know him and not rushing into sex, this makes him even more wonderful in Rick’s eyes. Rick was at the point in his life where he wanted more and was working on it. Angelo had seen something that he wanted and kept at it until he got it. They are so good together and for each other. They complimented each other perfectly.

Of course, Angelo’s family helped put the pressure on Angelo regarding his sexual preference. And that caused some angst. However, it was something that Angelo needed to deal with. It had to happen for him to realize what was/is important in his life and to make the choice that was right for him.

Overall, I will say that I actually liked this story. I liked how they got to know each other and didn’t jump right into bed with each other. They moved fast, but didn’t necessarily rush into bed. They each had to work through their own issues and make it back to one another.

I loved seeing Blake and Will. I loved how they took care of Rick and showed their love and support. It’s always nice to have friends like that. Who support you and yet, they’ll give you the kick in the pants when needed. Recommend for a nice, lazy day read.

4 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Making it Personal

Review: Waiting For A Prince by K.C Wells

Reviewed by Fehu
Waiting for a Prince (Island Tales #1) by K.C Wells
Island Tales Press
Novella: 117pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
When trainee hairdresser Mark sees Sam for the first time in the salon, it’s lust at first sight. Sam is Mark’s living, breathing fantasy guy. He couldn’t be more perfect. Of course, there’s the tiny, insignificant detail that Sam has a girlfriend. Hell….. A chance meeting on Mark’s favourite beach brings the two men together, and Mark finds himself with a new friend. As they spend more time together, Mark grows to see Sam less as an object for his lust and more as someone who just… fits. But falling in love with your new best friend—especially when he’s straight—is bound to bring heartache in the end.

Sam likes Mark. As in, he really likes him. And he’d like to get to know him even better. But Sam has secrets. There are things going on in his life that he can’t bring himself to tell Mark about, because the shame Sam feels is too much to bear, and not something he ever wants to share with another living soul. And if Mark ever finds out how Sam really feels about him, and the fact that he’s lied to him…. Sam can’t take that chance.

Then one drunken night in the pub changes everything….

Review
Interesting topic, certainly an unusual angle on an abuse story in an m/m romance. Mark is the only male hairdresser in a salon on a small island, so his being gay is not exactly a secret. It's in the hair salon he meets Sam, who intrigues him from the start. What Mark doesn't know is that Sam might remind him of things he rather not remembers, like the death of his father, whom Mark’s mother abused until he died.

Sam seems to be in an abusive relationship and Mark wonders, like he did with his father, why one would endure something like that. When Mark has the chance to befriend Sam after a chance meeting on a nudist beach, he takes it. But Marks feeling don't stay at friendship and he falls in love with Sam Prince, whom he knew from school and now had a chance to get to know and who became his bestfriend.

Sam is in the closet, since he knows his father would disown him and Sam works for his father's company and coming out would mean he would lose his family and his job at the same time. His fiancé is blackmailing him into staying with her, even though she is abusive, or she'd tell his father the truth about his sexuality. After meeting Mark, Sam comes to see some things differently and now has a reason to come out and free himself.

At times I was very frustrated with the characters, I was wondering alongside Mark, why Sam would tolerate his girlfriend’s abuse. Mark's father might have cared about his son and wanted to distract his wife’s attention from him, but Sam lets his father pressure him in a relationship he doesn't want. He is a grown man and has a good profession and work experience, why not just work for someone, who is not his father????

Sam has known he is gay for a long time, but he just cannot admit it and acts cowardly towards Mark, when Mark admits his feelings, he (Sam) acts enraged and betrayed, while he has been lying to Mark all the time!

The story had and interesting concept and was well executed, but the characters didn't charm me, like they did in the second book in this series. Don't get me wrong it's a nice story, but I just was too frustrated about Sam's behaviour to truly enjoy the story.

Should You Read It? You might if you want to start with the first book in a series.

3 Pants Off

Review: Book #2 September's Tide

Review: September's Tide by K.C Wells

Reviewed by Fehu
September's Tide (Island Tales #2) by K.C Wells
Island Tales Press
Novella: 146pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
David Hannon hasn’t written a word of his latest detective thriller since he threw out his lover Clark five months ago after he caught Clark cheating on him. So when his agent informs him that he’s about to leave New York to take a little trip to an island off the south coast of England, David is torn. It could be just what he needs—or the vacation from hell. Once he arrives there, David quickly falls in love with the beautiful, tranquil Steephill Cove. The quiet little bay has everything David needs, including the opportunity to get laid regularly, in the gorgeous shape of Taylor Monroe, who runs a water sports equipment hire business. David’s a happy man. He always writes better when there is a plentiful supply of good sex.

When Taylor first meets the Lighthouse’s newest occupant, he can almost hear the click. David is just what Taylor needs—an older, sexy guy who is willing to share his bed, no strings, no promises. At least, that was the plan. As the two men spend more time together, Taylor finds himself growing to like the confident writer more and more. Taylor’s family like him. Taylor’s friends like him. And then there comes the moment when Taylor realizes that maybe it’s no longer a matter of liking David, but something a whole lot stronger.

Unfortunately, his epiphany occurs a little too late, when a visitor to the bay forces Taylor to accept that David might be spoken for. In any case, David is leaving at the end of September—and it looks like he’ll be taking Taylor’s heart with him…

Review
A new author and a story to remember the summer in October with all the rain, I wanted at least to read about some nice Island Tales. Granted, Britain is not exactly known for its nice weather, but the cover looked promising and the summary intrigued me.

David is a writer, who has come home and discovered his lover of a few years in bed with another. Not exactly a trope, but it did not fail to get David my sympathy. Good thing David was a successful author and his agent liked him enough to send him on vacation, to make him come out of his depression over his ex-lovers behaviour. His friends conveniently decided that after a break up, you should throw salt in the wound and tell the poor guy, how his lover was only interested in him because of his money. NOW they tell him that, oh and he supposedly had cheated on David before, again they tell him that after years. Why he had such nice friends, I've no idea.

The island get away proved to be just what David needed for his career and for his love live. It's cute how one of the few gay guys on the island set his sight on David and it turned out to me more than a holiday fling after all. Taylor had good friends, who were worried about him and warning David of, if he didn't mean to keep his promises to Taylor, to stay in contact. Now that I call good friends!

David and Taylor's romance has developed slowly, while the fell in bed pretty soon, they were not talking about love at the same time. I liked how David got to meet Taylor's friends and family, so the whole story did not focus solely on those two characters. There was a good constructed world around them.

This was a nice, easy read, good for a beach or if you want to catch the summer feeling. It's mostly a light read, not a lot of drama and all misunderstandings are cleared of pretty fast. Throw in a bit of humor and a great atmosphere and you have a good companion for a journey.

Should You Read It? If you are looking for a light romance with some humor and don’t mind May/December, David is older than Taylor like a bit more than over 10 years older. You don't need to read the first book in this series; this one can be read as a stand-alone.

4 Pants Off

Review: Making it Personal by K.C Wells

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Making it Personal by K.C Wells
Island Tales Press
Novel: 155pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Blake Davis is in the closet. And he’s going to stay that way. Because if his father finds out he’s gay, Blake could lose everything he’s worked so hard to achieve during the last six years as CEO of Trinity Publishing, the fastest rising star in the publishing firmament. Not that coming out wouldn’t solve a couple of problems. Maybe then his father would stop trying to set him up with yet another empty-headed, social-climbing girlfriend. And better still, Blake could stop using that escort agency when he wants a night of hot sex with a cute guy…

Will Parkinson has had a tough life so far, but he’s back on his feet. Okay, so he’s working as an escort – with ‘benefits’– to pay off his student loans, but that does have its advantages, such as the really hot guy who hired him. Yeah, Blake rocked his world last night – several times. So imagine how Will feels when he arrives to be interviewed for his dream job as PA in a publishing company, and the guy who’s hiring is….. Blake.

And then things get really complicated….

Review
This is the story of Blake Davis and Will Parkinson. Blake is the Acting CEO of Trinity Publishing, having taken over from his father 6 years ago as a 24 year college graduate. Now at 30, he’s trying to keep everything that he’s work so hard to built to keep running smoothly.

The story starts on his 30th Birthday. Blake knows that he’s gay but he’s so very far in the closet because of what he thinks his father would think and do. His father, Justin, keeps setting him up with all of these girls not knowing that Blake is gay. Blake has been using this escort service for awhile now and for his birthday he decides to treat himself to something He Wants!! He opens his door and this Beautiful Man comes in and Rocks His World!!

Blake goes to work the next day to interview for a PA position and who should be the interviewee? Why it’s his escort from the night before. Imagine both of their surprises as they look upon each other in the light of day.

Will Parkinson-a man who has been paying his way for awhile, has secrets of his own. He was kicked out of his home for being gay and he’s been making his own way since. He’s this sweet, sexy guy whose life has had it’s own heartbreaks. Now, even though he’s already slept with his boss, he’s now getting to know Blake as a Man.

This story was really a sweet little read. You really get to know the characters. How they thought, how they felt. The mis-communications. The blackmail. Learning to trust each other and what they felt. It was sweet, light fun read if you have a few hours. There were a few editing problems that distracted enough to pull me out of their story. The editing just threw me. When it was the end of a scene, the very next paragraph would start another scene. Which is what they’re supposed to do, however, some kind of break in the page to let you know that it was another scene would have been nice.

I think that if you’re looking for a sweet, tender coming out story, this is a book for you. There was the slight editing problem for me, but the book was still overall, a really good book.

3 Pants Off

Review: Learning to Love: Michael & Sean by K.C Wells

Reviewed by Hannah
Learning to Love: Michael & Sean by K.C Wells
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 244pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Sean and Michael are best friends from the minute they meet and become roommates. But after supporting Sean in the wake of his brother’s death, Michael finds himself questioning his sexuality and thinking about his roommate in a totally unexpected light. After all, he and Sean are straight—or so he thought. Suddenly Michael’s not so sure any more. He turns to their gay housemate, Evan, for advice. Little does he know he’s not the only one seeking Evan’s help.

Michael and Sean are both thrilled to explore their newly discovered feelings for each other, but not everyone shares their enthusiasm. When the reality of homophobia intrudes on their academic and personal lives and threatens their happiness, the adversity should draw them closer. Instead, it drives a dangerous wedge between them and puts their relationship, their futures, and their health at risk.

Review:
I would describe this book as a perfect start for someone just finding the M/M erotica genre. The emotions involved in the development of the story as Sean and Michael come to terms with the side of their personality they never knew existed are realistic and fraught, but all the while leading to a place of acceptance.

The foundation for this pairing, of best friends who share everything, who form a bond like brothers at university is a gentle way to ease in to the love affair that is about to develop, along with the heartache that inevitability goes hand in hand with two young boys trying to adjust to a life they weren’t aware they were heading for.

The family emotions around the rather hot and sexy relationship allow the reader to find a bit more common ground with the story, past just hot sex. Most people in this world can relate to rejection, and the longing for acceptance from those around us, whether its family, or even the acceptance of strangers, and as Sean and Michael help each other through their own personal rejections, you see their love for what it truly is, one of best friends, who found their other half in each other.

However not all family is blood related, for most people, some of the closest family they have is the one they make for themselves, and it is these characters, Julia and Evan that provide more depth to this journey of love. As the unconditional love and support that is shown from the side-lines, reminds the reader that some people in this world don’t walk around with judgement in their heart.

The character of Evan also allows Sean and Michael’s relationship to have a slightly different twist than most ‘true love’ stories, I won’t spoil it for you, but the bond between these three is very endearing in times of conflict, trials, and tribulations.

I very much enjoyed this book, and it was extremely hot in places, however the thing that stops this being a 5 out of 5, is I don’t feel these are characters you will carry around in your heart afterwards, and for me, that is always the mark of a book that gets full marks, but as I said, this is a book that anyone new to the genre, or even someone just looking for a hot love story will devour.

4 Pants Off