Review: Transparency by Ethan Stone & Sara York

Transparency by Ethan Stone & Sara York
Self-Published
Short Story: 49pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Charlie is the quintessential bear. Big, muscular and hairy. But that isn’t the type of men he’s attracted to. He is drawn to men like Taylor—short, smooth, and sexy. Taylor is Charlie’s idea of the perfect twink. But there’s something about Taylor Charlie doesn’t know. Taylor is unsure about a lot of things, but when he sees Charlie, he instantly knows he wants him. The only issue standing in his way is how Taylor views his own masculinity. He’s afraid that Charlie will leave once he knows the secret Taylor wants to keep hidden. Can he be transparent with Charlie and allow him to look behind the image he's so carefully constructed?



Review
Taylor is Female to Male transgender and he is just looking for love and a guy to spend his nights with. Bad experiences have led to him to give up hope on finding a man that will understand he doesn't have a dick but that doesn’t mean he isn't all male. He hits up glory holes giving blow jobs to get himself off and live in his fantasies of being in love. When he hits up his usual spot for a little blow action and spots the man of his dreams. Taylor knows that he'll never land a guy his Bear, so he knows to be content with his fantasies and glory hole fun.

Charlie is looking for a sexy twink and he happened to just walk through the door. Charlie would love to get to know his sexy little twink, but before he can even come down from his orgasm boy is out the door so fast. Charlie is alright with waiting cus he knows he'll see the beautiful boy again and catch him before he can run.

While this story is very short it really manages to hit on some heavy content and manages to come out being very feel good and leaving me the reader happy. Enough reality in the story to make you want the characters HEA, and while I like reality a little scene at the end there felt fake to me. I understand what the authors were trying to do, a way to prove Charlie's investment in this new relationship with a trans individual I felt like he did enough by just accepting Taylor. So Charlie's little douchebag friend there felt a bit contrived.

Overall, I really liked the story and it does have a positive vibe that I wish existed in RL. I am always happy to read about Trans* characters and Transparency invokes a nice reaction for my feels. A cute read!!

3.5 Pants Off

DarienMoya

Review: Filth by M. King

Reviewed by Elbie
Filth by M. King
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 210pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Does gender really matter?

Kel and Toni are damaged people trying to find answers. While Kel pins his hopes on support groups to keep him on the straight and narrow, Toni looks for absolution in a bottle of Mexican hormone pills.

Kel loves Toni obsessively, and though he supports them on the money he makes turning tricks with strangers and regular clients, he struggles with the reality of Toni’s transition and her motives for doing it.

While Kel grapples with his worries and the attentions of regular client Michael—otherwise known as the Sherbet Pervert—Toni faces different problems. Danielle, a transgender woman, best friend and role model to Toni, thinks Kel is a bad influence and pushes Toni to leave him. But Toni holds off because deep down, she knows she’s not like Danielle.

Kel and Toni’s desperate attempts to build a life together make them realize their survival is precarious. And then two unrelated events show them how easily their harsh little world can crumble, bringing them confront some difficult truths.

Review
The first time we meet Kel, he's in a clinic getting his HIV test, a necessary part of the job for a street hustler. Our glimpses into his world are of a hard life in a dirty city. The only true light in his life is Toni and Toni is a mess. He's restless, unhappy, and struggling to transition from male to female with little support and even fewer funds. But, there is love there. Can that love survive Kel's reluctance over Toni's transition and Toni's fear about Kel's dangerous job?

The world of "Filth" is harsh, cold, and utterly realistic. The title evokes both the rundown part of the city in which they live and the way people view them; a whore and an unglamorous pre-op. Kel and Toni inhabit their world in a natural way. They accept their socioeconomic reality, just wanting a little better than they have now. They are just two of the millions of unseen poor that are not represented in romance novels.

There is nothing glamorous about these lives. Everything is authentic about the relationship, though. Their love isn't always pretty. We see glimpses of the past and there are spikes of violence.  There is still conflict between them. Toni is frightened about Kel's job, but relies on it. Kel doesn't want Toni to transition. He loves Toni, the man, and all of the parts that come with that.  Toni is not without doubt about transitioning, either, but he wants to escape his body, the vessel that has carried him through tumult and abuse. But no matter what, Kel and Toni hold each other up and see a future together, even when they don't dare think their lives will be better.

I thought this book was engrossing and beautiful. Reading it was an almost voyeuristic experience. Kel and Toni felt real.  Their doubt and fear and overriding need for each were beautifully conveyed.  It was a nice change from the perfect men populating too many romance novels, those concerned with the gym and cocktails.  Kel and Toni are men you'd pass on the street and never notice.  And that's a shame.  They, and their love story, are worth noticing.

Five pants off.

5 Pants Off

Giveaway, Spotlight, & Review: Wallflower by Heidi Belleau

Wallflower
Blurb:
"This gamer geek has a lacy little secret." Art student and MMORPG addict Robert Ng has always been a loner, but he's recently made it his goal to make more (IRL) friends. Which is how he winds up working nights at Rear Entrance Video, shilling sketchy porn and blowup dolls as a favor to his roommate. The longer he works there, though, the more he realizes he'll never be truly happy until he becomes the person he is online: his female persona, Bobby.

Bobby is cuter and funnier than Rob is, and a thousand times more popular with boys. Becoming Bobby IRL presents its own set of challenges, though . . . especially when you're sitting on the fence between two genders, only one of which has caught the attention of your seriously cute customer/classmate.

Dylan Ford is a six-foot Inuit comic book artist who always says what's on his mind, and screw anyone who doesn't like it. As rough as he appears, though, Dylan has a soft spot for Rob. But will out-and-proud Dylan still want Rob if he's not all man?

About the Author
Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town New Brunswick, Canada. She now lives in the rugged oil-patch frontier of Northern BC with her husband, an Irish ex-pat whose long work hours in the trades leave her plenty of quiet time to write.

She has a degree in history from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in British and Irish studies; much of her work centred on popular culture, oral folklore, and sexuality, but she was known to perplex her professors with unironic papers on the historical roots of modern romance novel tropes. (Ask her about Highlanders!)

When not writing, you might catch her trying to explain British television to her newborn daughter or standing in line at the local coffee shop, waiting on her caramel macchiato.

  Connect with Heidi:

• Blog: www.heidibelleau.com
• Twitter: @HeidiBelleau
• Goodreads: goodreads.com/heidibelleau
• Email: heidi.below.zero@gmail.com

Review

Robert is a loner, though he lives in a house with plenty of roommates who are close friends he still is pretty much all alone. He was never the cool guy still isn't the cool guy and his awkwardness and self doubt makes him almost incapable of making friends. That doesn't mean his older sister doesn't drag him to yoga in hopes of making him more social but even that is a bust but his butt sure thanks all the classes. The only time Rob truly comes alive is when he gets behind his role-playing game and become the sexy flirtatious Bobby. Because Bobby is the girl Rob sometimes like to become and Bobby says shit Rob can only dream of ever uttering. Too bad it’s his close kept secret and no one can ever know his longing desire to become a woman sometimes. Then there is working at Rear Entrance Video, the porn shop he got suckered into helping out with its sketchy customers. Yet, it’s in that porn shop where Bobby will emerge and change Rob's life truly for the better.

With working at the porn shop Rob also has his art classes, where once again he's invisible and forgettable. There he runs into Dylan a customer from REV and now his classmate, of course Dylan wouldn't remember him but Rob is drawn in by the boy and when they're partnered up for a project their relationship takes flight. They're hot for each other but Rob has secrets and he can't truly feel happy because he's plagued with guilt and afraid he will be found out that he and the bubbly sassy Bobby is one and the same. Of course a transformation such as Bobby doesn't come with a series of ups and down when working in porn shop, and Rob's shame eventually jeopardizes his safety. 

First of all I love the shit out of this book and the reasons aren't about how sexy it was or about it being interracial. There is a wider picture to this book and there are so much topics and meaning I could sit here and write a 20pg review. Heidi wrote about a Chinese/Canadian and an Inuit that in itself is like a huge feet. These characters had culture and not just the title, but actual background and the stigma that comes with being a different race and the assumptions fool ass people make. Then there is that underlying of Rob actually judging those without taking the chance to present himself and letting them draw a decision for themselves. This is where I found the book to be real, because it’s in our nature to expect the absolute worse of people and sometimes the absolute worse is to be expected. Also there is "I'm weird, freaky and wrong" so if someone is hurting me I probably deserve it because after all it’s my fault. I love that realistic writing and it made me feel. So I salute you Heidi Belleau, your writing is a fixture, its cultural, and most of all its diverse. There is just so much to love and talk about in Wallflower just so much to love, I love Rob and his courage, I love Dylan and his "fuck the man" attitude. I somehow see him rocking an N.W.A t-shirt singing "Fuck the police".

Should You Read It? Yes, yes, and more yes. If you want to read something different and not just your cookie cutter M/M romance then this book is for you. I love the play on gender and that there isn't just one way to be yourself. Like our finger prints we are unique and I just love reading that in books.

4.5 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Apple Polisher

Contest

• Win an e-copy of Rear Entrance Video #1: Apple Polisher! All you have to do is leave a comment on this or any of the other Wallflower tour posts. Each comment counts for another entry, so be sure to follow the entire tour. Just make sure your comment includes a way for me to contact you, be it email, twitter, or facebook. On October 27^th, I’ll randomly draw a winner from all the entries who will receive a copy of Apple Polisher in their choice of format. Good luck!

Review: Flawless by Cat Grant

Flawless (Irresistible Attraction #4) by Cat Grant
Riptide Publishing
Novella: 91pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Steve Campbell used to be a player, until a mid-life crisis opened his eyes to his long-repressed love for Connor, his soon-to-be-married best friend and business partner. Coming out at thirty-eight means learning how to date all over again, and this time, Steve’s not willing to settle for empty one-night stands. He wants the real thing.

Gil Alvarez has never had it easy, struggling through childhood and rejected by his family for a body that didn’t match who he was inside. A skilled driver and mechanic, he’s working hard to make his auto shop a success. The last thing he needs is a rich white guy in a candy-apple-red Ferrari tempting him, but Steve’s ready smile and easygoing manner prove irresistible.

One brief, intimate encounter leaves them both hungry for more. Gil’s not ashamed of who he is, but he’s terrified that Steve will reject him—or worse—when he discovers what Gil can’t find the courage to tell him.

Review:
Steve really became my favourite character in Doubtless and in the entire series. A little bit shady in the first book but he proved to be a character with depth that has been in love with his best-friend with no chance of ever getting with him. So yeh, he was all angst and broken and he really touched a spot in me. I was really looking forward to him finding love, and yet I can't help but feeling disappointed in his book. Could be my expectations were really high, but in the end I couldn't feel the connection with pretty much anything in the story, even Steve proved unrecognizable.

Steve Campbell pretty much has it all, he's got money, he's got brains, but sadly he doesn't have game. Finally admitting to liking men could have been fruitful for him, but Steve is over with the one night stands and wants to find his true love. Coming out at thirty-eight is no walk in the park and include his midlife crisis which could mean only one thing. It’s time to get his ass a Ferrari but with no idea how to operate the thing it’s a cool looking car and he's sure he looks just as cool driving it *vroom*.

Well, Steve is clueless and when his beauty refuses to start up (he just has no clue how to get it going) in walks in Gil mechanic extraordinaire who frankly is annoyed by rich white guys with no clue about cars. Yet, he feels a bit of attraction for Steve who's a little goofy and means well. Gil owns a car shop but business is lacking these days but he keeps himself busy by working on his baby, a car he pretty much built with his own two hands. When Steve starts showing up, Gil is delighted but afraid because he is a Trans* and fears that ultimately Steve will reject him when he finds out the truth. He's not ashamed of who is, but past experience has proved that others are not so accepting.

This was a short read, and though while enjoyable I still felt like it could have been tighter. I would say I loved the developing relationship between Gil and Steve but I feel there was no development. No, they did not confess their love but it still felt sloppy and I couldn't feel any connection. A little bit of conflict was introduced (saw it coming) which feels like there will be a sequel, an old haunts type of thing. Maybe then I will feel something for Gil and Steve's relationship. I wanted big things for Steve and somehow this just doesn't add up.

I liked that Gil was a Trans* character but the whole I like cars and not heels thing had me going "huh", I think it’s a little deeper than that. There were some moments where I got that real emotion from Gil in being in a body that didn't match how he felt then it got lost in the "I like working on cars so...” Though I did get that working on cars is not just what he does it’s who he is.

Overall, I liked this story but I can't help feeling disappointed in the story. I wanted more from Steve, wanted more from his love interest, and I just wanted more. Could be that the subject was just too hard to tackle in 91pgs but hopefully there will be more.

Should You Read It? Yes, if you are a fan of the entire series and want to see who Steve ends up with. It's no Doubtless, but an enjoyable story nonetheless.

3.5 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Priceless

Review: Book #2 Doubtless

Review: The Lightning Struck Tower by Theo Fenraven

The Lightning Struck Tower (Precog in Peril #3) by Theo Fenraven
Voodoo Lily Press
Novella: 120pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Gray Vecello and Cooper Key are back in the last book in the Precog in Peril series. Snatched by PsiOps, a covert arm of the government, they’re offered training in exchange for their psionic help. Will they take the deal, and if they don’t, what will PsiOps do to them?

Gray and Cooper meet new friends and enemies in this final chapter of the trilogy. The story takes the reader from New York City to Ely, Minnesota, and back to Gray and Cooper’s marina in Red Wing, where they will face the ultimate test of their powers. Someone will live… and someone will die.


Review:
The final book in the Precog in Peril series, and I am happy to report that I quite enjoyed it. Truthfully, the final two books didn't capture me like the first book in the series, but overall they were all pretty enjoyable. The Lightning Struck Tower brought everything to a neat close and left all the characters in a good place.

The Rundown
Gray Vecello inherited a house boat from his grandfather after he was killed, which comes a surprise because Gray was never close with his granddads. He picks up and leaves his job to move in on the houseboat, but the houseboat came with his own tenant. Cooper lived on the boat with his granddad, and with nowhere else to go he stayed on. The two men hit off, and sparks fly. Too bad there are psychic abilities to deal with, and the fact that someone is trying to kill them, and recruit them to a PsiOps ninja team.

Present
This book picks up right after where the second ended, when Gray and Cooper are kidnapped while vacationing in New York. Someone wants to use Gray's power as a Precog to something that seems very impossible, and on the other side there’s a government agency willing to give anything to train him and Cooper to their full potential. Let's just say that Gray and Coop have their hands full, and will go with the obvious choice. Joining PsiOps government program and getting trained.

With reluctance they decide to join, but it’s easier just accepting or forever spend their life running or trying not to die. Having to leave their houseboat is the hardest part, but with new surroundings there is the start of new beginnings and friendships they never expected. That doesn't mean they're out of the wood yet, there is still some crazy wanting to use Gray for his power and is willing to kill to get it done.

Alright, I did like this one a little more than the last book but I had a hard time with believing the whole story. What started out as interesting became sort of fantastical and over the top. Along the way I also started to not like Gray and Cooper very much (especially Gray). His personality kept switching up, from caring, to obnoxious, to caring again so I have mixed feelings about him. Seems like all he cared about was money, then that would switch to something else, and then he loved Coop so much, then doubted about being happy in the relationship (frustrating).

What I enjoyed in this book was the introduction of a Trans* character. There's books featuring Tran* character as the lead, but I liked that Wendy was a friend and apart of the story. I wish there was more books like that.

Should You Read It? It’s a light fun series, and could be enjoyed in a few days. As I said, book 2&3 weren't as awesome as the first book for me but I still found it all in its entirety an entertaining read. I would give the entire series 3.75, very entertaining and fast paced.

3.5 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Three of Swords

Review: Book #2 Knight of Wands

Review: A Brown Eyed Handsome Man

A Brown Eyed Handsome Man by D.C Juris
Torquere Press
Short Story: 25pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Angela has put her dreams of living an out and proud life as a transgender man on hold because of her husband, who can't understand. But a chance encounter at a bar changes everything. Rocky sees Drake for the brown eyed handsome man he is, not the plumbing between his legs. Can Rocky convince Angela to let go of her fears and embrace life as Drake?







Review:
A Brown Eyed Handsome Man is a very good transgender story, which really hit on all my good marks. I was spellbound by the main protagonist Drake, who had me feeling all his pain and frustration. I wanted to wrap him a hug and give him love (but don't worry he gets some).

It really is very short, and is a very character driven story. It provides just a short look into Drake’s life and him trying to find a balance, and really come to accept that how he feels on the inside he wants the world to see on the outside. The plot is thickened when Drake has to go back to his ‘real’ life; he then becomes Angela a married woman trying to convey all her emotions to husband who just won’t listen.

I think the husband really added a realistic look at both the characters struggles. The husband acceptance in knowing that he will be gay when Angela takes the steps to become Drake. There is no but she will still be a woman; there is just the acceptance that he is not a gay man.

I think if this story were longer, it would have definitely been a top rated read. It was also my first time reading DC Juris and it will not be last. There was a nice fluidity to the writing, and it really engaged me. I think all the emotions the author wanted to be felt off the pages, I felt them. I definitely recommend.

4 Pants Off

Review: Memories by Valentina Heart

Memories by Valentina Heart
Silver Publishing
Short Story: 80pgs
3.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Marlin is a transsexual who has undergone the hormone replacement therapy for becoming a woman, but her sex reassignment surgery has never taken place. Coming home one night, she is greeted by the sight of her man, Gabe, spread out on the bed just for her.

There was good and there was bad, some of it happy and some of it sad, but as they take a journey through their memories, they light up the old flames. Sex, tears, laughter and a wicked dose of romance show what loving is all about for Marlin and Gabe.




Review:
I was hoping for a little something more, but overall I really did enjoy it. I would have liked it more if it did not read like one gigantic sex scene. The importance of the story was just overshadowed by the amount of sex, but that could just be me. I guess it can be described as liberation for our main character. Being so comfortable, finally, with her body and sharing it with the man she loves.

Marlin has arrived home to find her man splayed across like a sexy present for her to open. It’s their anniversary and they are about to heat up the sheets, but in between all the hot and sexy loving they share their past. Marlin is a transgender (male to female) and she talks about how it was growing up being trapped in a body that just did not feel or look right. The destruction it had on her family, the cruelty she received from her mother, and the understanding and acceptance she could never find. Then there was Gabe, and being with him brought her to life and gave her hope.

I did enjoy reading this one and learning about the characters, and as I wrote before, the sex part really took away from the story. There were tender moments in there, and the author did a good job in capturing emotions of the characters. Though the sex was just a bit too plentiful, I won’t pretend like it wasn’t hot as hell (I won’t pretend).

It would be a good read if you are looking for a transgender story.

3.5 Pants Off

Pearl by Kelly Rand

Pearl by Kelly Rand
Storm Moon Press

Short Story: 24pgs

Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Edith sleepwalks through a life so normal as to be boring. She lives with her mother, works a mundane job to support them, and makes no waves among the ladies of her sleepy 1920's Canadian town. Secretly, though, she watches the flappers and so-called "loose women" with envy, dreaming of what glamorous lives they must have. And that's before Clark walks into her life. ...more Edith sleepwalks through a life so normal as to be boring. She lives with her mother, works a mundane job to support them, and makes no waves among the ladies of her sleepy 1920's Canadian town. Secretly, though, she watches the flappers and so-called "loose women" with envy, dreaming of what glamorous lives they must have. And that's before Clark walks into her life.

Clark embodies the world that Edith wishes she could be a part of. He's slick and dangerous and sexy in a way Edith has never experienced. So when Clark offers her a window into his world, she dives through without thinking. On the other side, though, her black and white world explodes into shades of gray, challenging Edith in ways she never imagined.

Review:
This won’t be a long review because Pearl isn’t a very long story, and I wish with all of me that it was longer. There is a beautiful story to be told about Pearl, because I want to know the girl she was, and how he became the man called Clark.

Edith is watching life go by; she would like to be a participant of it but lacks the courage to do so. It’s a life of chores, church going, and the constant bickering of women gossiping. Edith wishes to be like the flappers, with their short hair, short skirts, and cigarettes in hand. To be one of the ‘loose women’ is what Edith wants but fears she will never have.

Then there was Clark, he’s everything Edith wants. With his mysterious aura, and sexy good looks and he’s invited her into his world. Will Edith be able to accept the things Clark is offering, and live the life she has always dreamed.

The writing really captures your attention in a few pages, and Clark will have you wanting to know him. What’s rather important is that we know of Pearl, but he never becomes Pearl as you continue to read. That comes through with Edith descriptions and feelings for the beautiful man. I can picture the 1920’s so clear in my mind, the brink of prohibition and the dangers surrounding it and Clark involved in it all.

There’s something important in this story, just beneath the surface that Clark can easily go back to living as a woman if circumstances demand it, but would that make him any less of a man? It gave me something to think about and I ponder… Overall, really enjoyed this story and wish it were longer. Clark is engraved in my mind, and I look forward to see what else Kelly Rand will offer us.

SideNote- Love that freaking cover. LOVE!

4 Pants Off