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: Blessed Curses by Madeleine Ribbon

Reviewed by Fehu
Blessed Curses by Madeleine Ribbon
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 168pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Though he’s a sorcerer with a talent for creating blessings, David can do very little with any other magic. He works the night shift for his cousin’s magical supply shop because he’s cursed—his brother did it when they were kids—and now people can’t stand to be near David since he inspires irrational fear. Many experts have tried to remove it, but the curse has proven completely binding. Then David meets Vaughn at his brother's wedding.

Vaughn works for the magical enforcers, picking apart complex curses and making sure sorcerers stay within the law. He has the ability to dampen magical effects around him and loves solving supposedly irreversible curses like David’s. He quickly develops a more personal interest in David. Despite the distance David attempts to keep between them, he finally realizes when Vaughn is injured on the job that he doesn’t want to stay away anymore. But what about the curse?

Review
My first book by Madeleine Ribbon and it was a very nice surprise! Hooked from the first line! I followed David to the fateful meeting with his jealous older brother. I couldn't help, but feel sorry for David and angry on his behalf or glad for him, which is a good thing, for me at least, since I like to be able to relate to the character and have at least some connection to them. Anyone who had older siblings and didn't get along with them could empathize with the poor boy, when said git of a brother cursed him. Temporarily I wondered if their mother should do more than just deal with the damage, she doesn't really punish Todd (fitting name!) for hurting his brother.

Now because of his brother’s thoughtless action, David has to deal with a curse that stuck and nobody beside his brother can stand to be close to him, or he close to them without experiencing angst, dread and other negative feelings. David never had friends or lovers and no enforcer or other magic user was able to help "The Impossible Kid", how he has been named by the researchers. All changes on his brother’s wedding day when David meets his sister in law's best friend Vaughn, who is part of the magical Enforcers that deal with different magical problems, mishaps and crimes. Sparks fly when they meet and Vaughn actually has a blessing that allows him to be close to David, without freaking out, running for the hills or just fainting. Lucky for David, Vaughn sees more in him than just a puzzle to solve.

It was a sweet story, with elements of hurt/comfort and parts that melted my heart, like David’s confession to Vaughn, about never having kissed anybody. I loved how patient and understanding Vaughn was and that they took their time to work towards a relationship. While the suspense didn't last and the story did move a bit sluggish in the middle, I got attached to the characters by that time and just wanted to see them have their happy ending. The story flows nicely and makes for an easy read, with well developed characters and sometimes heart melting dialogs. The one thing I was wondering is why David got along with Todd so well as a grown up. I mean basically Todd ruined his life and David didn't really blame him, considering the dreams he had about his own restaurant, having friends and someone to love.

Should You Read It? If you like some magic in your modern world and like hard luck characters and a slowly developing romance, than this is the perfect book for you! It's sweet, but not saccharine sweet, there are some edges, some conflict, but not enough to turn it into a drama. Recommend for all friends to lovers fans!

4 Pants Off

Winner...

VITAJEX

*Winner of Dandy by Jaidon Wells, winner was chosen by author. Thanks to all who commented and to Jaidon who offered up a copy of his book.*

Guest Post: The Ranch Foreman by Rob Colton (Promo)

Blurb:
When Madison “Matty” Ward finds himself out of work and without a place to live, his cousin comes through with a job on the Gates cattle ranch. Despite not knowing anything about herding cattle or taking care of horses, Matty does his best to impress the older hunky foreman, Baxter Hollingsworth. Baxter is drawn to the new young hand, but he’s deeply closeted, and after an openly gay veterinarian shows he’s interested in Matty, Baxter’s repressed feelings lead to an explosive encounter. Baxter then withdraws—leaving Matty feeling angry and used—until an accident forces him to confront his fears.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4093&cPath=899

Excerpt

Matty bent over, retrieving the brush he had dropped.

A sound coming from behind him made him suddenly aware he was no longer alone. When he turned around, he found Baxter watching him intently. The cowboy’s hazel eyes burned with lust, slowly scorching a trail up and down Matty’s body.

Matty’s breathing hitched as his palms began to sweat. Blood began to flow south of the border, leaving Matty practically brain-dead. Knowing he should say something, the only thing he could come up with was “Hi.”

The foreman mumbled something under his breath before he turned and walked out of the barn, leaving Matty in a state of arousal.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Maybe he hadn’t noticed it before because he was so damn tired, but over the course of the week, he found Baxter watching him on more than one occasion. But if he tried to talk to the man, he didn’t get much more than a one- or two-word answer or possibly a grunt before the cowboy walked away. He seemed to go out of his way to avoid talking to Matty.

That didn’t stop Matty from wanting him. In fact, the more Baxter played hard to get, the more Matty desired the big cowboy. He had jerked off nearly every night, his mind conjuring up all sorts of lurid fantasies involving the big hunk of man.

Yes, Matty knew he was pathetic, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

Needing to get his mind off the foreman, Matty turned back to his work.

To his surprise, Baxter returned not even an hour later. “I’m going into the city for supplies,” he said, not quite meeting Matty’s eyes. “You want to come along?”

“Yes,” Matty replied eagerly.

“We leave in fifteen minutes.” He walked out of the barn without another word.

Matty scrambled to put his grooming supplies away. After he used the restroom and washed his hands, he scrubbed his teeth at the sink with his finger and some water. Combing his fingers through his hair, he was as ready as he was going to be on short notice.

Baxter was already waiting at his truck when Matty got there.

Matty had thought they were just going into their little town, but for the stuff they needed, they would need to drive farther into the city. That was fine with Matty. Two hours alone with Baxter? Hell yes!

Wrong.

“So how long have you been working on the ranch?” Matty asked as the truck bounced over the gravel drive and made the turn onto the main road.

“Long enough.”

“The Gateses are really wonderful people. How did you meet them?”

Baxter didn’t answer. He picked up the thermos Miss Ethel had provided him and managed to pour coffee into the cap with one hand. He sipped the steaming liquid from the makeshift mug, still ignoring Matty’s question.

The cowboy made it pretty clear he wasn’t interested in any sort of conversation. When Matty opened his mouth to repeat his question, Baxter reached over and turned the radio on.

And apparently he expected Matty to be quiet as well.

About Rob Colton:

Rob Colton is a software developer by day, and avid reader of romance novels at night. A romantic at heart, he loves stories that feature big, burly men who find true love and happy endings.

Rob grew up in northern Michigan and currently lives in the Atlanta area with his very supportive husband and their very spoiled miniature schnauzer.

Visit Rob online: 
http://robcolton.com/ 
https://twitter.com/robcub32 
https://www.facebook.com/robcub32 

Guest Post with Giveaway: Your Happy End by E.E Ottoman (Geeks)

~I am very excited to have E.E Ottoman on the blog today talking about the most awesome, geeks. So please help me welcome E.E~

Hello and thank you for having me on Pants Off Reviews! I am excited to be talking about my new short novella Your Happy End. Today I want to talk about one of my favorite things: geeks!

I am a geek.

Not in a tech and math kind of a way but in a passionate to the point of obsession kind of a way.

For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with history. Ancient Egypt and mummification, Richard III and the War of the Roses, early Christian history, Japanese history, Chinese history, 19th century American women's history, the history of sexuality and sexual taboos, the history of mental illness and criminality, Asian American history, the history of American Chinatowns. I just love history, I love researching it and writing about it.

I am also a huge Star Trek fan, and have been reading X-Men comics since I was twelve. I have been a Holmesian since I was six, and a Doctor Who fan almost as long, fantasy is my favorite genre to read and write, and I built a to-scale model of Helium from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars books when I was thirteen. Being a geek is one of the things that I do best.

Most of all I love other geeky people. By 'geeky people' I mean people who are truly passionate about something to the point where they are not afraid to come off seeming a little weird. They don't have to be geeky about the same things I do at all. I love being around people who don't think it is strange that I like to spend all my time in a library or that I've just finished knitting a replica season 12 Doctor Who scarf, but they don't need to have or want Doctor Who scarves of their own.

Some of my best dates and relationships have been with other geeks. Nothing quite beats listening to someone talk about something that makes them light up and maybe wave their hands around a little bit. Better yet is the chance to geek out with your date over Baring-Gould's annotated Sherlock Holmes. Learning to love, or at least respect, something that someone I care about truly, deeply loves is, for me, one of the best parts of any new relationship.

Fortunately for me m/m romance is chock full of geeks and geeky characters. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a whole lot of geek/geek couples. By geek/geek I mean two characters whose passions and love of something push them outside of what is considered normal or acceptable. So when I sat down to write a superhero story I knew it would be about geeks.

Both of my main characters Cooper and Jun are, in a lot of ways, what we traditionally think of as geeks.

Jun loves to build robots and machines of all sorts. His job on the superhero team that he's a apart of is to come up with all their gadgetry. He also co-owns a comic bookstore as a cover for his superhero work. Jun is a huge comic book fan and is into both mainstream and indie comics. He is also a hardcore Trekkie who still stands by the Original Series as the best in the franchise.

Cooper is a hacker. His specialty is information collecting and surveillance. If the information is electronic than Cooper can find it, or make it disappear, whatever is needed. Also if you're in the line of sight of satellite or surveillance camera than Cooper can see you. He works for a masked vigilante getting information he needs and covering his tracks. Cooper prefers graphic novels over traditional industry comic books and is a lover of webcomics as well. He is also a dire hard Doctor Who fan and loves both Classic and New Who, although in his heart of hearts Ten is his Doctor.

Most importantly though both would self-identify as a geek and see no conflict with their gay and genderqueer identities.

Jun and Cooper meet each other and bond in Jun's comic book store. The really connecting happens though when they both discovered that they work as the technological support for two superhero teams.

Lots of cuteness ensues.

And I don't know about you but I think there are a lot worse things to base a relationship on than a mutual love of comic books and custom built cars.

Give-Away: if you are interested in participating in a give-away to win a copy of Your Happy End, visit my blog http://thisjourneywithoutamap.blogspot.com/2013/08/give-away-you-happy-end.html