Counterpunch

Counterpunch (Belonging, #3) by Aleksandr Voinov
Storm Moon Press

Novel: 173 pages

4.5 out of 5

Blurb:
Brooklyn Marshall used to be a policeman in London, with a wife and a promising future ahead of him. Then he accidentally killed a rioter whose father was a Member of Parliament and had him convicted of murder. To ease the burden on the overcrowded prison system, Brooklyn was sold into slavery rather than incarcerated. Now, he's the "Mean Machine", a boxer on the slave prizefighting circuit, pummelling other slaves for the entertainment of freemen and being rented out for the sexual service of his wealthier fans.

When Nathaniel Bishop purchases Brooklyn's services for a night, it seems like any other assignation. But the pair form an unexpected bond that grows into something more. Brooklyn hesitates to call it "love"—such things do not exist between freemen and slaves—but when Nathaniel reveals that he wants to help get Brooklyn's conviction overturned, he dares to hope. Then, an accident in the ring sends Brooklyn on the run, jeopardizing everything he has worked so hard to achieve and sending him into the most important fight of all—the fight for freedom.

Review:
I was excited to read this, not only for the awesmazing cover (count those abs) but because this would be my first book by Aleksandr Voinov. I had previously read a short story by him that was a part of an anthology; clearly, it was just a small slice of something big.  Counterpunch had me freaking out, and I can say I was not disappointed. Mr Voinov has just become a must read author by me, I love his gritty writing style and the amazing characters he created. Whether you hate or love them, I guarantee you will remember them.

Counterpunch is the third book in the Belonging series, I have not read the previous books before but I will be on them like white on rice. As you may see this book can be read as a stand alone, and I implore you to read it. I guess I should warn you that this book contains slavery, there is dub-con/no-con, and it’s violent. I won’t warn you against it though, why should it matter if you are looking for a great read, and by gawd have you found it.

Brooklyn Marshall is a slave, but he wasn’t born one. An accident while on the job led him to his life of being owned. He is a puppet to people he can’t see, all he knows is to fight and win. He trains, fights and every now and again, he is sold to highest bidder. So they can say they had boxing champ Brook Marshall bent over something. It comes with being a slave though; the freemen have all the power. Whether its being f*cked or doing the f*cking, he is being used. He hates it, and the anger shows because he once could make his own choices.

In walks in Nathaniel Bishop, looking all businessman and suave. Brook thinks its gonna be just another one of those tricks, where a man can say he had boxing heavy weight Brook Marshall at his mercy, but both men get so much more. There is sex, but with Nathaniel it’s a lot more than just f*cking there is an underlying of I will let you Brook conquer me. Nathaniel also comes in the form of hope and equality; he treats Brook like so much more than property and offers him his life back.

The awesomeness is strong in this book, whether you are a fan of boxing or not you will be standing your ass up and cheering. Brooklyn Marshal is one of the most snarkiest bastard you can’t help loving. No matter his I don’t give a feck attitude, you can tell he cares deeply. Mr Vonoiv really captures the human behaviour quite well; the animals some become when they have power over someone. Some of these characters are so two faced its ridiculous, but you can’t hide behind masks forever. They try to break Brooklyn, and it becomes clear that you can’t keep a fighter down. He always comes back up swinging and its total KO, because my Brook has found his something worth fighting for.

For all that is sweet and holy, this book is incredibly sexy without all the fluff and stuff. I am in some serious love with Brook, he oozes sexuality and I you just wanna get him naked. I have a huge character crush on him, just seeing him naked with some boxing gloves on (ah the imagery). This book is the Brooklyn Marshall show, no character or situation can outshine him. The overall package of this story is a hit, and I recommend you read.

What I really want to say is that “this book is the 'shit' and so is the cover”.

 "Funny how the usual niceties like manners and overall courtesy evaporated or become at least optional when slaves were involved".  From: Counterpunch

4 1/2 Pants Off

Go Ahead Take Those Pants Off

*Review Requested*

Campus Cravings

Side-Lined (Campus Cravings 2)
Total-E-Bound

Romance/D/s

Novella

3 out of 5

Blurb:
College is supposed to be a time of exploring new things, learning about yourself, and having a good time doing it. For Max Henley, it was the hardest time of his life. During his sophomore year, his best friend and lover, Nick, was killed in a car wreck. A car Max had been driving. Now two years later, Max has thrown himself into his studies. Side-lined from football due to an injury sustained during the wreck, Max's entire focus is on academics. Well, that and his Professor, Alec Demakis. The problem is, whenever Max thinks about his Professor, the guilt over Nick's death returns. Can Max ever forgive himself enough to love again?

Review:
Side-Lined (campus cravings book 2) was… it just was. I have these odd moments when I find things extremely hilarious that I don’t think was intended to be, and this book was one of them. I was just cracking up, and even through all its absurdity, I freaking liked it. The story moved quite well, and was entertaining, but what can I say I am bias cus nothing better than student and professor hooking up. That alone is worth 4 stars.

So Max had a lover who died in a car crash, in the car he was driving. Nick was his first love and losing him was a huge blow and moving on is very hard. Max has just been walking like zombie for the past two years, but that seems to change when he thinks of his professor; Alec Demakis. His body awakens and for the first time in years, he actually wants someone.

Well the story takes a turn, with the beginning of Alec and Max’s relationship. It’s all about the Dom/Sub but it’s quite tame. Their feelings develop quite quickly but it sort of works since both have been aware of each other for a long time. My only piss off moment was finding about that Nick that Max loved so much; his best friend of childhood who developed into his lover was a real DOUCHEBAG!
 
I don’t like to speak ill of the dead but I wish that he didn’t die but remained alive so he could get the ass kicking he so rightly deserved. Fucking screwing around on Max and then moping. You should have just been honest and told him you wanted to be dominated and two subs together just does not make for a mind blasting relationship. Also Alec, you douche you should have also said something if you cared for him for so long. Left him a note, sent him an email all that shit would have worked.

Overall a short and fun story, about Max and his *Babas*, to know what that means you have to check the story out. The right amount of smut with a little story, perfect for an afternoon read.

3 Pants Off

Go Ahead Take Those Pants Off

 

My Summer Of Wes

My Summer of Wes by Missy Welsh
Losse-Id

Short Novel: 103 pages

4 out of 5

Blurb:
I didn't know. How could I? All through high school, I was beaten up and teased for being gay. But I wasn't gay. Or didn't think I was. Now Wes, the guy across the street who's taken me under his wing and been the best friend I've ever had, won't stop invading my dreams, hell, my every waking thought. Am I gay? Because I'm thinking I'd like to kiss him. Actually, I'm thinking there's a lot more I'd like to do with his mouth and the rest of that tall, confident, muscular body. Ah, man... I'm so gay!

But what if he doesn't feel the same way about me? And, Jesus, what about my parents? And those bastards from school are still around. And I'm supposed to go to college this fall... Shit, I need to sit down. I can't breathe and I'm about to shake apart. Then Wes puts his hand on the back of my neck, gives me one of those encouraging squeezes and his bright smile, and everything's okay again. Yeah, I'm hooked. Oh, boy...

Review:
I have finally read My Summer of Wes, after being on my TBR for what feels like a hundred years. I read the story that was making a few online friends crazy with happiness. I must say ‘I am happy too' ! How effing cute is this book, it made me want to go out and fall in love. Just so super uplifting, just wanna skip through fields of wheat and celebrate. Though it’s mostly a sweet story there is still some pretty strong issues presented, and I found that it created a wonderful balance.

Our main protagonist Mal is the shy kid the one picked on through all his high school years. Beaten and made to feel worthless by school bullies. Abused for being gay, before he even knew he was. It’s his last summer at home, and he is trying to keep under the radar. Soon he will leave his vanilla life, and venture off to college. Yet his home life has shaped him to be a scared young man until he gets a fancy new neighbour whose about to spill some fudge on his vanilla.

Wes is the outgoing boy, gay and proud. He restores cars, is charismatic and could care less what anyone would say about his life. When he is chatted up by the neighbourhood bullies and comes out on top, Wes has never been more larger than life and Mal takes notice. The two strike up a friendship, openly gay Wes and shy unassuming Mal who has no clue where he falls on the sexual scale. The summer is going to be about Wes, and a young Mal finally coming into his own after being finally given the freedom to do so.

I am really taken with this book, because of the well-housed balance it offers. Not just sex on pages, it offers a little reality with the reading. The emotional repercussion of being bullied can really keep one in their shell. Mal is a product of that, and the simplicity of it only takes one kind word or one friend to make things a bit better. Though it seems, Mal got a good deal; he got love too.

This story is crazy, sexy, cool. Mal and Wes are hot and young together, and I freaking love it. I recommend this book if you are looking for some PYT (pretty young thing), seriously I got TLC and Michael Jackson in here. That means the book is awesmazing

SideNote- I always said all the hate from bullying comes from a deep-rooted hate of oneself, and if you have something to hide. 

4 Pants Off

Go Ahead Take Those Pants Off

Double Blind

Double Blind (Special Delivery, #2) by Heidi Cullinan
Dreamspinner Press

Novel: 547 pages

5 out of 5

Blurb:

Loading...

Loading...

Poker player and professional smartass Randy Jansen believes in fate but doesn't let it rule his life. Whether he's at the table or between the sheets, Randy always knows the odds, and he only plays the games he can win--until he meets Ethan Ellison. Ethan came to Las Vegas with a broken heart and shattered spirit, and when he sits down at the roulette table with his last ...morePoker player and professional smartass Randy Jansen believes in fate but doesn't let it rule his life. Whether he's at the table or between the sheets, Randy always knows the odds, and he only plays the games he can win--until he meets Ethan Ellison. Ethan came to Las Vegas with a broken heart and shattered spirit, and when he sits down at the roulette table with his last five dollars, he means this to be one of his last acts on earth. But Randy ropes him into first one bet, and then another, and then another.... Pretty soon they're playing poker on the Strip and having the time of their lives--and all this even before Randy gets Ethan into his bed. But before Ethan can plot out a new course for his life, they're drafted into the schemes of Randy's former lover, a tricky gangster who needs a fall guy. To survive, Ethan will have to stop waiting on fate and start making his own luck, and Randy will have to face the demons of his past and accept that to win this round, he's going to have to put up a big ante. It isn't money going into the pot this time, either: it's his heart, and Ethan's too--because for better or for worse, the game of love has a double blind.

Review:

Double Blind, is double the pleasure, double the fun and double the cum. It is funny, heartbreaking and a wonderful story into the lives of characters we have come to love. This book is in a category all on its own, the idea of using poker to explain life and it makes so much sense. This series is a wonderful tale of human emotions, the fear that comes with love and the healing that can only be found through friendships. This is the second book to Special Delivery and that book deserves its own feckin pedestal. We met Sam and Mitch and they play an important role in this book, but the book is all about Randy. I love him, which came as a surprise because he sort of pissed me off in the first book, but man oh man is this dude awesome or what.

The setting is Las Vegas and Randy plays poker professionally and he is very good. He has this uncanny ability to read people the same way he reads a poker game, but his skills are about to be shaken up with Ethan. When he makes a bet on Ethan, with no idea he would come to love him and save his life in the process. The relationship seems doomed from the start, but that’s what makes it so authentic. There is no love at first sight and candy and gum ball raindrops, the emotion cuts deep down to bone and there are tears.

Ethan gets himself caught up in some serious business with some of the more seedy business men of Las Vegas, here is this shy unassuming man and its was like coming to his own, when he takes over a casino. With millions of dollars at his disposal, it seems Ethan has bitten off more than he can chew, but no worries Randy is there as a constant guide, and it is there that a true love begins to blossom. They sound ordinary enough, but the life they live is so much more. Randy, Ethan, Mitch and Sam’s life is far from vanilla, you could call it napoleon because these boys are into some serious forms of pleasure, and when they play they play hard.

Sex or should I say sexuality is big part of this series, but this is not just fuckin for fuckin sakes. It is so much more, a way to tap into their emotions and express themselves through many different layers of sex. When all four men play, believe me when I say it is a good time, never has there been anything hotter or more beautiful. Even through dirty sex, the love they have for each other is very clear and everything just feels right.

Randy is a complex character, and Ethan is the right man for him, they both have past they would rather not share, but they find themselves opening up to each other and sharing a part of themselves that no one knows. This book is just one good scene after another. Its filled with humour, angst and nail biting moments. Heidi has done another smash hit with this book and it took me over two months to find the right words to express in this review, and I still haven’t done it any justice.

You got to read this series, its just GAWD fucking brilliant. Plus its never a bad thing to see Mitch and Sam again, and they made this book just right. With shady characters and a gay party that will have you cheering, READ IT!!!!

5 Pants Off

Go Ahead Take Those Pants Off

Ridden Hard

Ridden Hard by Elizabeth Coldwell
Xcite Books

Length: 65 pages

3 out of 5

Blurb:
Jamie Desmond has lied about his ability to ride to land a film role, and now his lack of horsemanship has been exposed he's scared he'll be kicked off the set. Luckily, riding instructor Andrej is on hand to give him tuition - but dominant Andrej recognises Jamie's latent need to submit, and his lessons are about to show Jamie what it means to be ridden hard ...



 

Review:
This was a short novella, and simple fun reading. I did have some problems with the story, but overall it is an alright read. The author has a wonderful writing style, and creates a likeable lead character. Jamie Desmond our narrator is a struggling actor in London, and with a little lie on his side, he manages to land a leading role in an upcoming film about King Arthur.

The filming is to take place in the Czech Republic, and Jaime is rather fearful that he will be caught in his lie about being an established horse rider; it’s a good thing they assigned Czech horse trainer Andrej to keep things moving. Jaime manages to keep the heat off himself but he cannot fool Andrej. Andrej decides to give him some one on one training, and Jaime gets a lot more than learning how to ride a horse.

The second half of the story is the semi-relationship that Jamie and Andrej develop. The easy way Jaime moves into a D/s relationship without even questioning the why’s and how’s. Though its one of those “that was fast” it works well with Jaime’s easy going nature and learning to ride bareback on a horse has never been more literal.

Although a likeable story, I had two major issues with it. The unprotected sex part of it was just a little too extreme for me. Usually it does not bother me, but both men barely had a conversation with each other and it just felt very contrived. The added audience for the men’s first time together also took away from the story for me. It was sexy but… it would have been even more so if they were alone.

I did enjoy Jaime as a character and the realism that was his job as an actor. It was not just an occupation mentioned in the book; we got to experience a little bit of his life on set. I also loved Jaime’s first riding lesson, unexpected and quite naughty. I had a good chuckle over it. I could take or leave Andrej, didn’t really make an impression on me.

Overall, an easy read with likeable qualities. A light BDSM theme and a neatly wrapped HEA.

3 Pants Off

Go Ahead Take Those Pants Off

Reviewed for Three Dollar Bill Reviews