After reading Adrianna Dane's first book in the Tales of the Midnight Pearl Brotherhood series, I wanted to read the rest so I picked up a copy of Camaraderie.

I was very taken with the idea of a male only island where the men live to serve one another in every capacity and where society was clearly outlined with roles drawn in black and white. The details of this society are outlined in the first book of the series, Newblood Initiate.

The story of Alonzo Smith in Newblood Initiate left me wondering why he had been exiled from the island since we learn that at the very beginning of the story, but, alas, I still don't know.

What I do know is what happened after his induction ceremony and believe me it certainly must have been something to be remembered the way Ms. Dane's tells about it. Alonzo spends a very intimate evening with a man he considers to be a good friend. There is a suspicion of love involved and perhaps that is what ultimately causes Alonzo's ousting, but Ms. Dane keeps us in suspense though she allows us to share in this most intimate night with the two men.

Now I was not able to give Camaraderie the high rating I gave Newblood Initiate and that was disappointing. While the characters and storyline were as enticing in this second volume as they were in the first, I was let down by the sheer lack of story in Camaraderie. It covers a very short period of time in the men's lives, about a day or so, and as soon as you pick it up to read what happens next, it is over.

While I understand this is a novella, I think the scope was way too limited and would have been more effective if either used as the lead in to the next book Trailmaster Phelix or to expand the first book, Newblood Initiate. Though I have to admit I like how Newblood Initiate ended so I'd hate to change it.

And just to make sure everyone knows; this is a male/male erotic story so if you aren't into that sort of thing, you might not like the series. Then again, you might like it if you try it. Always good to try something new.

Would I recommend Camaraderie? Yes, but only if you have read Newblood Initiate. Can it stand alone? In my opinion it can't. Without knowing the details of the island home of these men that is outlined in Newblood Initatiate, you'd be lost in Camaraderie.

So now I have to get a copy of the third book, Trailmaster Phelix, to see what happens next. Why don't you join me?

Reviewed By Shawn Marie Mann
© October 2011

Can murder actually lead to love?

Leon Fisher wants revenge on the man who butchered his lover, but when the deed is done, he realizes that revenge didn’t heal his broken heart or make the nightmares go away. The only way to deaden the pain he still feels is to lose himself inside a bottle and immediately he begins a downward slide that turns him into a shell of his former self.

‘The Organization’, Leon’s employer, intervenes by sending him to Alaska to dry out and face his demons. Leon isn’t happy about the order to go to Alaska, but the alternative isn’t something he wants to entertain. Once there, Leon discovers that the fresh air and solitude actually does help to clear his mind. He’s just starting to believe everything will be all right when he nearly loses his life in a bear attack. Saved by Grim, a mysterious young man who is a bit too subservient, Leon quickly embarks on a new journey of love and loss that may have both he and Grim paying the ultimate price.

As this story opens I find myself hurting right along with Leon. Ms. Blue does a fantastic job of conveying his agony to the reader. However, as the story progresses and the pasts of these two men are revealed, I found myself having some moral issues with this work. Now I know that sounds strange considering I chose to read a story involving two gay men. However, everyone’s moral compass is different.

My sympathy for the hero, Leon falls by the wayside as he plays on the weakness of others and when that doesn’t work, murders in cold blood to achieve his goal. Despite my own objections to the darker portions of this book, I did enjoy watching each of the characters personalities bloom and co-mingle until the passion Leon and Grim held for each other became a rich and deep love.

Ms. Blue has done a good job in bringing these characters to life on the page. There is plenty of action that keeps the story moving, and the sex between these two men is fiery hot. While I didn’t enjoy Untamed Heart as much as I wanted, I’m confident that if you’re a fan of Ms. Blue’s work, you certainly won’t be disappointed with Ally Blue’s Untamed Heart.

By Michelle Cary
© October 2009

I stumbled upon The Dragon’s Disciple by Barbara Sheridan and Anne Cain quite by accident, literally. I had chanced upon an intriguing, even tantalizing excerpt of it, and based on that excerpt, had requested the book to read. Only after receiving The Dragon’s Disciple did I realize it was of the erotica genre, gay erotica. I do not generally read such.

Still, having requested the book, I felt it only fair that I should attempt to read the tale. I am more than glad I did. Anne Cain and Barbara Sheridan turned out a pleasant surprise indeed! Perhaps, the word “pleasant “isn’t the best description, because The Dragon’s Disciple is a dark novel. Such adjectives as “engrossing,” “intriguing,” and “superb,” might better describe the book. I will stand by the descriptive word “surprise,” though, because the authors, Barbara Sheridan and Anne Cain, did surprise me, and in a very good way.

The Dragon’s Disciple brings us to 1872 San Francisco. We plunge immediately into the darker side of China Town. We walk a gas-lighted street where the vampire, Kiyoshi, lingers in the deep shadows, watching two men of the Wong gang, or clan. One is Chinese in origin, while the other is Japanese, like Kiyoshi himself. Both are dreaded assassins. Vampire Kiyoshi makes it a point to listen to whispered rumors. Such gossip says the leader of these two assassins is the infamous Poisoned Dragon himself and the other is his protégé.

The two men enter a restaurant, which Kiyoshi knows acts as a front for a rival group’s gambling den. Fighting breaks out. The two assassins fight as devils, their knives flash, and their enemies’ blood spurts. One wounded enemy runs outside, and attempts to escape down the street. Kiyoshi seizes his opportunity and grabs the man, drags him into the shadows of an alley, and drains him dry of blood.

Now, that’s all I’m going to relate about the actual plot of this book, because I don’t want to give too much away, and The Dragon’s Disciple gets going immediately with a fast-paced and intricate plot. I will add that The Dragon’s Disciple involves as its focal point, the two male assassins, who are lovers, and with all the complexities of such an intimate relationship. And, of course, lurking in the background is the vampire, Kiyoshi, who will enter energetically into things soon enough. With all this, plus rival gangs, torrid and explicit sex scenes, desperate fights, and an age-old nemesis, The Dragon’s Disciplewill keep the reader of gay erotica glued to every page. Barbara Sheridan and Anne Cain have managed to create a convincing tale of romance, sex, and suspense.

I heartily recommend The Dragon’s Disciple to those who enjoy gay erotica with a good plot, a fast pace, well-developed characters, and intriguing ideas. The Dragon’s Disciple is a well thought out book with an exotic setting. It makes for good reading! And The Dragon’s Disciple proves an old saying, “that two heads are better than one,” because in this case, the book’s authors, Anne Cain and Barbara Sheridan, have done a wonderful job together. The quality of The Dragon’s Disciple makes me look forward to reading more of their combined efforts.

Reviewed by: Rob Shelsky
© October 2007

Over a hundred years have passed since the American Civil War and yet new facts are still coming to light. There are stories of female spies and women serving as male soldiers, men of color owning slaves and soldiers from both sides singing together on Christmas Eve. Perhaps, there are even more untold tales lying hidden in the killing fields, tales so strange that no one has been willing to tell them until now. J.M. Snyder reveals one such tale, not only a forbidden love story, but also one on the hairy side.

Remembrance Brenneman, usually called Brance, is the eldest son of an Amish minister. Brance rejects the faith and ways of his pacifist family, especially after being an attacked by a bobcat which is more than a mere feline. He enlists in the Union Army to spite his father, to lose himself in the War and to find a life worth living.

Caleb, a Southerner and a rebel, does not look for a hook up in the Union Camp. Eager to prove his devotion and worth, he does hook up with Brance, an older, more somber soldier. The two of them drift away from the war, civilization and the associated disapproval. On their own in the woods, wild and free as the trees and streams, they find their lives threatened by unexpected evil.

Beneath a Yankee Sky plays fast and loose with genres. It wants to be a paranormal erotica complete with bobcat men instead of the usual werewolf or vampires. Gay vampires would have worked, bobcats, no. There was no jumping-off point to have bobcat man, no explanation about the original bobcat. Caleb, with his eagerness to please and constant begging for sex, is at best an irritant as opposed to a fully fleshed out character, who could serve as a dynamic partner. Brance’s internal dialogue plus actions indicate that even he is tired of his besotted young lover. The characterization is heavy. Everyone is evil except Brance and Caleb. There is no backstory about Caleb. The threat of the hunters did not inspire any thrill of terror. Over all, the book was one long sex scene between Caleb and Brance in both male and bobcat form with a very thin plot to try to hold it together.

Beneath a Yankee Sky begins weak, stays weak and goes on too long. I would not recommend this book, although I am sure there are those who would enjoy it. The fact that the central relationship does not have an authentic feel, that it seems Brance or Caleb would have made do with anyone was my main complaint, along with no real plot and poor characterization.

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt
© September 2007

How would you feel if tragic circumstances suddenly and fatally whisked away the love of your life? Would you be tempted to bring your beloved back from the dead if the possibility were presented? What would the consequences be if you did play with fate in this manner? Author Willa Okati speculates on these very questions with A Year and A Day.

Ash and Slate had been introduced through Ash’s cousin and the love that grows between the two men gives them the strength to turn their backs on a world that rejects them both. Together they move to the Appalachian Mountains and set up housekeeping on a farm. Theirs is a life of hard work, casual routine, and overall devotion to one another. But when Ash unexpectedly dies, Slate is thrown into a deep depressive state. Life at the farm once shared with Ash goes on; but Slate is now a man dispossessed of all spirit. Only an encounter with unworldly forces holds a prospect of happiness for him: the tempting proposition to bring Ash back from the dead.

A Year and A Day is a paranormal M/M romance. Unlike some gay stories I’ve read, I was impressed with the author’s skill for balancing graphic sex with convincing affection between partners. The overall writing style is tidy, and writer, Okati, knows how to make for clever scene changes.

With this said, I did have a few problems with A Year and A Day. The secondary characters had interest, and I was drawn to know more about them. However, they were never fleshed out enough to come across as anything more than sounding boards for the main characters’ perceptions. I also felt that the very wonderful premise was sacrificed for a conscious fixation on the sex. While there are few genres I enjoy more than a good erotic paranormal story, the haste with which the paranormal was handled here left me feeling rather gypped. There can be harmony of plot and sensuality in any tale, but I didn’t find this the case here.

My final verdict: A Year and A Day will probably appeal to readers who enjoy a read with sex and plenty of it. But for those looking for a satisfying marriage of paranormal and erotica, this story leaves much to ask for.

Reviewed by Laurie
©April 2007

Prudes beware: Bi Sexual: Tales from the Wild Side was no light read for those with squeamish tendencies.

In a daring and rather refreshingly bold take on sex from the bisexual and homosexual perspectives, Michelle Houston made everything about lovemaking truly explicit. Gone are the euphemisms that would have left some aspects of the orgasm to the imagination-gone are the boundaries that usually would have limited the publication of such steamy material.

There were threesomes, plenty of hot bodies, and scenarios nothing short of kinky. There were awakenings of desire and discoveries of the characters' own sexuality that took place through the course of some truly raucous escapades.

Houston's definitely left subtlety behind in Bi Sexual: Tales from the Wild Side, and she blazes ahead as she continues to transcend boundaries within the erotic romance genre.

Reviewed By: Lana Eves
© June 2004

I investigated the first of The Syndicate books because the cover featured a tortured-looking man. I found a wickedly funny story, and have enjoyed both The Syndicate: Volume 1 and The Syndicate: Volume 2. I am delighted that the team of Jones and Woolgrave can sustain the sardonic humor of the first two books as they bring us The Syndicate: Volume 3.

The book features explicit male/male scenes.

The protagonist is Allard, the computer systems specialist, as always. Volume 3 finds Allard and Vaughan, the ship's engineer and nominal captain, preparing to wed, with the rest of the Syndicate (the remaining crew members of the spaceship Mary Sue) entering whole-heartedly into the planning. Of course Allard and Vaughan do not have to tell the crew of their plans to wed, since Harry, the resident voyeur, has bugged their room and made the announcement. Allard bows to the majority wish for a conventional wedding, and does not demur when crewmember Claire states he is the bride, of course.

The wedding is set for a planet and time so that all four parents can attend. The stepson of the bride, Mark, an artificial intelligence computer that Allard built and rescued from a junk heap, in that order, is obviously a part of the new family-to-be. The bride and bridesmaids carefully and hilariously shop for the wedding.

Everything old is new again as Allard and Vaughan wed in a traditional wedding that is funny, sexy, and touching. The writing team of Jules Jones and Alex Woolgrave definitely do not need to give up this series yet.

Reviewed by Catherine H.
December 7, 2004