Review: BAMF by SJD Peterson

BAMF by SJD Peterson
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 200pgs

2 Pants Off

Blurb

With his fauxhawk, sleeve tattoos, and visible piercings, Ridley Corbin has the whole bad ass vibe going on in spades. The image serves him well as the self-proclaimed protector of the underdog, and he wants nothing more than to be Alex Firestone's hero.   

Alex, a mild-mannered library assistant, has moved to Slater, a quiet college town, hoping to hide from his past. He keeps to himself, but that doesn't save him from catching the unwanted attention of the campus bully. But not all is as it seems. Alex's past comes calling, and it's time he becomes top dog.

Review

BAMF! I feel like this book needs a new title something along the lines of “WHAT!”. Like what the hell did I just read? I'm still trying to figure out. It's as if I walked into two guys story knowing squat and left their story knowing squat. I had such high expectations for this one. I thought I was getting a sexy nerd, and then it did a total 180, and I got something else instead.

Ridley Corbin looks like a badass with his faux hawk and tattoos. No one messes with him. So he uses his bad boy image to help the underdog. He doesn't like to see anyone get bullied. If he can put an end to that type of situation, he's gonna do it. So it comes as no surprise that his hackles rise when the campus bully hones in on his librarian crush. Alex Firestone has Ridley all twisted up inside with his nerdish good looks and just overall hotness. So it doesn't surprise him when he feels he wants to rescue him. Ridley can hardly say two words to Alex, so he just spends his time stalking skulking around the library looking at Alex.   

When he finally gets Alex on a date, their Chemistry is undeniable, and it leads to a passionate, explosive night. Seemed he pegged Alex for a very good boy and what he gets is nothing like what he expected. The never “judge a book by its cover” is strong with this one. Ridley gets a night of explosive hard sex, and then he's left hanging in the dust with no call back from the sexy Mr. Firestone and wondering if all that heat between them was just a figment of his imagination. When he does run into Alex again, it's not the private meeting he was hoping for. He lands in a fight and is surprised that Alex can take care of himself as more than take care. While trying to be a hero Ridley is brained (and not the sexy type). He gets a serious brain injury and then finds out there is more to Alex Firestone, and it seems he wasn't the bad boy after all.   

There is so much that annoyed me about this book. Like the complete lack of the sexy nerd. That cover cheated me, and I'm all types of disappointed. Next, the characters are flat. Like a five day old opened bottle of Pepsi (without all the sweetness). It's a series of “I thought I was the baddest but you the baddest” and so it goes on. Mans is suffering from a severe head injury, but he's down for rough sex and such. It's the stereotypical I’m a bad ass male BS, and I did not enjoy it all. I had to force myself to finish and overall it was just not a good read.   

This book certainly was not for me. Where it started out promising the overall premise fizzled and burnt out. It's becoming apparent that maybe this author just isn't for me, but I'm holding out hope. BAMF tried to deliver, but all it left me with was “WHY”. 

A letdown!!  

 

Review: PUP by SJD Peterson

PUP by SJD Peterson
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 214pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Micah “Pup” Slayde knows he wants Tackett Austin the moment he lays eyes on him in the Guards of Folsom. Micah wants to have purpose, to be taken care of, and to take care of his Dom—wants to trust him completely, live for him, belong to him. To become his everything. Micah is sure Tackett is the one. The problem is, in order to be the perfect sub, he needs to stay focused, and that’s not easy for Micah, who suffers from what he refers to as a “broken brain.” Focus and adult attention deficit disorder rarely coexist.

Ever since Ty Callahan and Blake Henderson’s collaring ceremony, Tackett’s been thinking too much about his own loneliness. Even though Ty introduces Micah and urges Tackett to give him a try, Tackett isn’t so easily convinced. He’s spent his life pursuing a successful business career, and the subs he dominates almost never enjoy the kiss of his leather twice. Twenty years Micah’s senior, Tackett has no interest in taking on and taming such a young and naughty sub—but it’s difficult to resist such an adorable pup when he begs.

Review:
I seem to be having a hard time with this author's books. Don't get me wrong, they're not badly written but once again I was disappointed in characters and remained unmoved with the overall story. I was really looking forward to reading because of the BDSM element, but I found that part to be the weakest and was left feeling "meh".

Micah is looking for a Dom, and not just any Dom will do. He has his eyes on Tackett Austin, and is hoping he can become the perfect sub for the man that he knows is "the one". Only thing keeping them apart is Tackett himself, and Micah's inability to focus. Micah knows he can be a handful because of his lack of focus, and serving a Dom and caring for him takes just that. But Tackett is the one to keep him grounded and if only Micah can convince the older man to take him and finally give him the very things he's been looking for, a place to call home and a Dom to call his own.

Tackett Austin has achieved all the things, he has a successful business and he can just hang out at home. What he doesn't need is taking on a full time sub, no matter how adorable and sexy the sub happens to be. Yet, Tackett can't resist the allure that his Micah and he finds himself taking the young man on for 2wks. Micah turns out to be handful and Tackett is feeling like he's taken on more than he can spank.

So Micah has attention deficit and while that added something interesting to the character, I found it to be too fantastical. On some level it’s believable but in the end I found it to be a little extreme for the character. Also I wasn't really feeling Tackett on a whole; he was there but wasn't interesting enough. Overall, I just didn't love it as much as I had hoped, the BDSM was very weak for me and I couldn't get into it. Felt like one of those SSDB (Same Sh*t Different Book) kinda feels (I am horrible).

Should You Read It? Once again to each his/her own, I liked it enough to finish reading, but in the end it was just an 'o.k' read. I haven't given up hope that there is a SJD book out there just waiting for me to love it.

3 Pants Off

Review: Plan B by SJD Peterson

Plan B by SJD Peterson
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 200pgs
2.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Danny Marshal has always lived his life out loud, but his androgynous appearance is only a small part of who he is. One night at a frat party, Danny meets Lance Lenard, football jock and apparent straight guy. Lance is shocked when he's immediately attracted to Danny's feminine side. Danny is happy to be the subject of Lance's first man-on-man experiment—until Lance begins to struggle with the fact that despite his appearance, Danny is indeed a man.

Lance's whole life has been focused on his goal of playing in the NFL, and he knows those dreams will be smashed if anyone finds out about his little secret. Although Lance has come to hunger for Danny's touch, he's not willing to give Danny what he's grown to crave: a boyfriend who's proud to love him for every flamboyant and snarky cell in his body.

Life sends Danny and Lance in different directions, each of them focused on his respective Plan A. But the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Review:
All the ways I was excited to read this book, it even made unto my list of January pants droppers so expectation was high (ya think I would learn my lesson by now). I am a huge fan of androgynous characters who like to play with their look and this book looked like it had it spades. Well, it didn't go the way I expected and ended up getting all the bad feels.

Danny Marshal doesn't hide who he is, he likes to be pretty and man is he ever good at it. A little make-up here and some six inch heels and he looks spectacular. Off to be the wingman to his best-friend Bo at a college frat party, Danny would rather be elsewhere but what the hell's a best-friend for? Danny is happy that his friend has found a girl, and Katie seem very sweet but it’s her brother that get things stirring. When Lance asks Danny if he sucks dick, the night goes from bad to worst. Danny is pissed and just wants to head home, to forget what the dumb jock asshole said. It’s a good thing he never has to see Lance again? Or so he thinks.

When Danny runs into Lance again, he never expected him to be polite or to show some interest. Suddenly, their hanging out together, Lance is coming to his plays, and making an actual effort to be a good guy. While Danny fights his attraction, Lance admits he's also attracted to him when he dresses and looks feminine. Which leads to stolen kisses behind closed doors, and sneaking around and Danny wants more. He's lived out and proud his entire life and will not resort to hiding so Lance can keep his straight act up in public, it’s better to walk away no matter how much it might break his heart.

This book has all the things I love reading about but somehow this didn't work for me. With Danny being the first person narrator, I think this is where the story went wrong for me cus I feel like Danny had no story to tell. All I kept reading from him was how fabulous he is, and he could be out getting laid and what not. There were moments when I got real sincerity from him but it all got lost when he would say something obnoxious. He needed a moment to realize that it wasn't all about him, and that is why I did not enjoy him as a character.

Lance had the story to tell, but he just came off as the bad guy. He got no time to prove himself, and everything was done on Danny's time. He was more sincere in his feelings, even bordering on desperation but he remained like a speck in the life of the person who mattered. Where he wasn't willingly being a bastard, Danny did things out of selfishness trying to hurt Lance (gawd, he was petty). I think I told him to "suck it" a few times, and after awhile I just stopped caring and the story lost me. Since Danny was the main focus, and I don't like him (not even a little) Plan B was a disappointment. I don't even want to call it a romance, because I didn't feel it.

Should You Read It? This is one of those books that will vary depending on the reader. I once again could be the odd one because it has all the things I like reading about, a cross-dressing character with attitude, but I think over the entirety of the book that’s all it was. Danny lacked depth, and he really shouldn't have been the entire focus of the story. This is just all me though, because others seem to like this one a lot.

2.5 Pants Off