The Loft by Elizabeth Lister

The Loft by Elizabeth Lister

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 5.0

Okay, so as most of my friends know, I don't read M/M and or menage... but I've learned to never say never! I met the author, Elizabeth Lister, on my group when her book came up as the mid-month book read, and I enjoyed the interaction she had with all of us, and several of the members were going to read the book, and to the shock of my friends I decided to give it a go. Thank you for gifting the book to me, Elizabeth, hopefully this review will be considered as my gift to you.

I went into this read with an open mind about it being an M/m/m, also knowing that it was a BDSM heavy story helped with my decision since I live the lifestyle as a submissive myself.

So, I have to say that I *thoroughly enjoyed* this novella! Ms. Lister brought out the beautiful side of a consensual BDSM relationship. She showed 3 men, James the Dominant, Tate and Sebastian (James') submissives, and the love they shared, the day to day rapport, and she showed how love and respect go hand in hand in these relationships.

The darker side of this story was with Oliver, a submissive male that found his "Dominant", Terrence, on an online BDSM site. The "Dominant" was actually an abuser hiding behind the definition of BDSM, using it to cover his abusive tendencies.

Oliver, though he'd been taught better, didn't practice the *Safe, Sane, and Consensual* (number one) rule of true and healthy BDSM, in this instance with Terrences. I felt that Oliver was more concerned with having a Dominant than being safe. Ms. Lister clearly defines the difference in BDSM and an abusive relationship. For that, I thank her.

Tate, what a bratty little sub he can be sometimes! I really enjoyed his character, and the naughty things he said and did in fun. But I also like, that even though he was, at first, jealous of Oliver, he realized that Oliver was in danger and took it upon himself to try and save Oliver, only to find himself in a dangerous situation too.

Sebastian, was another character I really enjoyed, and would love to hear his thoughts as we heard Tate's in this book.

James, well who doesn't love a strong, caring, loving Dominant? James has all of those traits and more. His main concern is always the well being of his submissives... even when they are naughty!

I looked at this book from a submissives point of view, looking through the submissive eyes of Tate, and reading the book for what it truly was about, a relationship between a Dominant and his submissives. And.. it. was. beautiful.

Thank you Elizabeth for writing a book that showed the beauty of this type of relationship, and the difference between BDSM consensual play and abuse. Well done!

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First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch by Laurelin Paige

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 4.3

****4 Touch Me Stars!****

I'd Set out to capture him and instead he'd captured me. I couldn't fight it. It was done.

I've had this book on my TBR Shelf for quite some time now. Kept meaning to read it, but just never got to it. Then it came up for one of my challenges on my group, and watching my friends comments, I knew I had to read it. And so I did.

This book was a slow start for me. There was so many characters being introduced, so many background stories being introduced, that it was, at first, hard for me to get into the meat of the story.

But then it happened, that magical moment when a book turns the corner. When it goes from a "meh-fest" to an adrenaline rush. I was wide awake and taking notice.

Reeve and Emily... I had a love/hate relationship with them both. But when they came together (yes, that's a double entendre), it was pretty hot! And explosive! (another double entendre).

When Emily thought to herself, "the dominating bad boy type was my weakness", I could totally get behind that... and it was the turn around for me with Reeve. He was the "bad boy", and he became my "weakness" pretty damn quick!

The scene in the barn... read the book, you'll totally get it... was probably one of my favorite erotic scenes *ever* in a book! Sex scenes, sometimes I feel they are just thrown into a book for the sake of sex. I know that in order for a book to be in a certain genre (erotica in this case), that it has to have... well... sex! in it. And often. But most of the sex in this book was well placed, it made sense, the timing was perfect, and it was hot!

I enjoyed this book and will continue on to Last Kiss.

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One Hundred & Thirty-Six Scars

One Hundred & Thirty-Six Scars by Amo Jones

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Writing: ★
Story: ★
Characters: ★★

Overall rating: 1.3

*1 **Just Nope** Stars*

This book had such potential, but it fell seriously short. I wanted to DNF this one at about 30%, but I pushed through, then at 61% I was seriously struggling.

Am I the only one that noticed that Beast's agent name throughout the book is Agent 316 but on the cover of the book it's shows the tattooed number on his neck is 136?

Not good for the cover to be wrong. Just shows one of the many editing, and not paying attention to detail, mistakes in this book.

Here are a couple more.

"She follows, slipping the gloves on her hands. 'You have two weeks with me. You think you'll get enough information stored in my brain for that?' 'More than enough time,' I answered, intertwining my fingers with hers..."

Okay, neat trick when she just put on boxing gloves in the same paragraph!

"Both their bodies begin tumbling down the steps and I jump over them by gripping onto the railing before running up the rest of the stairs..."

Okay so were they falling *up* the stairs.. again, pretty neat trick.

The grammar a lot of the time was annoying. Switching between tenses sometimes within a single sentence.

We met a lot of characters in this book, most popping in for no reason, then disappearing without a trace or making no sense as to why they were even mentioned to begin with.

We had the MCs.. The Devil's Own Motorcycle Club, the Sinful Souls MC, (be consistent, either call it an "MC" or a "Motorcycle Club" when giving the names of the clubs), The Devil's Own, (or leave it off all together, that works too I guess), then we have The Army, the Russians... and even a rock group. Oh, and at one point, the Irish Republican Army is "mentioned".

If the author had just picked *one* of these to follow, it would have made things less... confusing. I don't even know what the point was of having the Russians in the story, not to mention the rock group. Too many side stories and none of them really tying into the story. There was so much that could have been done with The Army and the MC, but it all got so convoluted when you mixed in all the other organizations and people.

Beast, and other's that have been under The Army's training, are described as "engineered human killing machines". He escapes with his best friend, Hella, then the coincidences started. Just gonna leave it there, as it would contain spoilers. But Beast's transition from The Army to the President of an MC would have been better (smoother) if we'd known how he made that transition. It just seemed like, "oh, I finally escaped with my life. Oh look! I'm now the *President* of an MC."

Don't get me wrong, I liked Beast, I just feel that his character wasn't explained to it's full potential, too much was left out. And at one point in the book, I just didn't feel like he was the badass biker anymore. His whole character just deflated.

Meadow, I liked her too. I liked that fact that she didn't let what happened to her define the rest of her life.

Beast and Meadow, the are the only reason this is a 1.3 star read, but still not enough to bump it up to a 2 star read.

And by the way, what's up with the fade to black sex scenes? It starts out and then at the start of the next page it's the next morning.

Other than the one (yes one), "Holy shit, I didn't see that coming" moment, I felt like I was reading a YA book instead of something that should have been "Dark Romance". The characters conversations a lot of the time felt like something you'd hear around a high school cafeteria. Just didn't make me believe them.

From the opening of the blurb we see, "SO CONSUMING, SO RAW, SO DARK, SO INTENSE, SO GRITTY, SOOOOOO EPIC!!". Raw? Dark? Intense? Gritty? Not really. Epic? Umm... No.

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Under His Wings by Anna Bayes

Under His Wings by Anna Bayes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★

Overall rating: 4.0

I don't read M/M and very rarely menage, but this book as been on my TBR list forever, written by a friend here on GR. So since it was a short read, and fit in with a challenge on my group, I decided to give it a go.

We all have our genre preferences, M/M isn't one of mine, but this short story was very well written, I liked the characters, and I enjoyed the angsty feel of it, and the... umm.. "interaction", (yes, that's what I'm going to call it! LOL), was elegantly descriptive.

Even though the story was a short one, there was still enough tastefully done sex scenes between Matt and Bonnie, Matt and Sean, and Matt, Bonnie, and Sean for me to get, and understand, the attraction to this wildly popular M/M genre.

Will this book open up a whole new genre or two for me? Unlikely. But I am glad I read it, and that it was something that was short, sweet, and pretty hot.




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A Gift of Time by Beth Flynn

A Gift of Time by Beth Flynn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 5.0

"Two rings. One of ink and one of gold."

This series, seriously in my top 5 favorite! From book 1 and 2, to this long awaited (for me) finale, I've been in love with this story, these characters, and this author for writing this series.

This books picks right up where the second book ended. So we know that Grizz is alive. But how will Ginny react to this news since she's married to Tommy now? How will she tell Tommy? *WHAT* will she tell Tommy?

No quick answers in this book. We are taken back in time, and into the "present", by Ginny, Tommy, Mimi, and Grizz, as the story is told from different POVs. Usually this is a hard thing for an author to pull off, but Beth Flynn makes it look easy. The storyline is seamless.

I was excited to learn all the secrets, and at the same time I didn't want it to end.

I love Ginny with Tommy and I love Ginny with Grizz. To have one soulmate in one's lifetime is miraculous, but Ginny had two.

There were some great openings for spinoff series', and I'm hoping we'll see more of Mimi and Christian at some point. Seems they could have a love like dear old mom and dad!

And by the way.... Grizz? 

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Break Me by Sophia Scarlet

Break Me by Sophia Scarlet

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★

Overall rating: 4.3

*****4 "Broken" Stars*****

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* 

This was the second book in the Absolution Series.

Break Me picks up right where Bend Me leaves off... and the ride is *scorching*!

Agnes Eliza Bright met her first Dominant, Marcus, online, and when they first met face to face, back in the first book, it looked like it was going to be a great relationship.. until Marcus' best friend David Lake enters the club where "Eliza" is waiting. One look at each other and all bets, and time with Marcus, ended up being called off.

Now Eliza has agreed to be David Lake's submissive for 2 months to see if they can build a relationship. David is very much a Dominant, and Eliza is a submissive.

Eliza breaks one major rule. She has not been honest with David. She hasn't told him her real name, or that she's still married. Although she's signed her divorce papers, her estranged husband has not. The signed paperwork sits day after day on the breakfast bar at home, and day after day, Jonathan ignores them.

She knows she needs to tell David... but how? When will be a good time? If she does, what will happen?

This story was good, but at times the actual *story* was overshadowed by sex. The sex was hot, yes, but there was just too much of it. I much rather read a story where the sex is not taking place every other page, for pages, where the story is about the characters, what's going on, and the sex doesn't feel like the main component. I ended up skimming a lot because of that. But all in all, when I drilled down past the sex, the meat of the story was a good one.

Worst thing about this book was the major cliffy at the end, so be sure you have Bind Me locked and loaded!

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