Dead Man and the Army of Frogs by Lou Harper

Title: Dead Man and the Army of Frogs
Author: Lou Harper
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Genre: paranormal
Length: 40k est
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf

All Denton wanted was a few minions. He got frogs instead.

Web developer by day and necromancer by night, Denton Mills is used to seeing things nobody else can. When he starts hallucinating frogs, he simply assumes they have something to do with his boyfriend Bran's obsession.

Bran Maurell is a witch, who in a youthful outburst, accidentally turned his then-lover, Peter, into a croaker. Bran has been trying ever since to reverse the spell. A fresh amphibian encounter only spurs him to double his efforts.

As if Peter's ghost coming between them weren't enough, Denton and Bran are forced to deal with several errant spirits stalking the citizens of Chicago. Between a French chef who refuses to admit he's dead, and malevolent creatures bent on causing mayhem, jealousy may be the least of Denton's problems.

~*~*~*~*

Oh what fun, “Dead Man” Denton (who sees death traces and has other interactions with the deceased and/or paranormal) and his witch/herbalist boyfriend Bran are back for another round of stories. We first meet Denton as a bit player in the excellent “Sanguine” books, and he’s been given the star turn in his own series.

Denton’s sweetly exuberant and ready for adventure, which he and more pessimistic Bran find both in the course of daily life and in Bran’s line of work. Their skills complement each other as we’ve seen in “Dead Man and the Restless Spirits” and “Dead Man and the Lustful Spirit”, and here too it takes both of them to accomplish their goals. Told in the now familiar format of linked short stories with an overarching theme, this is a great continuation of this couple's story.

I started giggling when I saw the title; the frogs hop through the stories and also through Bran’s past in a tragicomic way. Meanwhile, Denton’s a little creeped out by the bulgy-eyed specters. We learn a lot more about Bran in this book, from his family life to his homeschooling with an unusual curriculum to his magical abilities and past love. He’s a prickly guy, but he has reasons, and he’s evolving into someone less dour under the sunshine of Denton’s love. It’s not an easy transformation, and certainly not a linear one. “Men,” says Joy, Denton’s BFF and business partner. “Can’t live with them, can’t bury them under the porch.”

The paranormal adventures are a mix of the humorous here, from a haunted Dutch oven to the seriousness of murder, spiced up with Joy, other characters from previous stories, and Bran’s parents. Gabe from the Sanguine stories appears again. Heh.

The series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment, although if you wandered in at this point you wouldn’t be totally lost. Still, don’t give up the pleasure of watching Denton and Bran grow into their love and their power. Much fun. 4.5 marbles

Dead Man and the Lustful Spirit

Title: Dead Man and the Lustful Spirit
Author: Lou Harper
Purchase at Amazon  (free)
Purchase at All Romance eBooks (Free)
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Genre: paranormal, short story
Length: 8000 words (approx 30 pages)
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf

Denton is a necromancer and his boyfriend Bran is a witch. It's not as exciting as it sounds. They don't even get to dress the part, unless it's New Year's Eve and they've been invited to a costume party. Denton is happy to let his hair down, but coaxing the reclusive Bran out of his shell is hard enough without a demonic spirit crashing the party.

Convincing the spirit to return whence it came from will call on Denton's special skills, but not in necromancy.


~*~*~*~*

Now that we have Denton, who sees death traces and has some necromantic abilities which he’s exploring and polishing with Bran’s help, and Bran, the antisocial witch and herbalist, as an established couple, Lou Harper sent them to a New Year’s Eve party. What could possibly go wrong?


Funny you should ask—another party-goer has exactly the sort of problem that only people with Denton and Bran’s abilities can solve. The guys are having a medium good time—Bran and his dubious social skills are having some issues with the crowds amd the small talk, while Denton’s natural exuberance lets him acquire people and information like black capes collect cat fur. The banter is funny, the situation not too dire, but certainly needs to be dealt with.

I enjoyed the story, which starts with humor (who knew the right lure for certain demons is fresh cookies?) and keeps going. The couch in Bran’s apartment gets a turn as a secondary character and made me snort.

This is a lovely small taste of this couple, who get together in the first book of the series, Dead Man and the Restless Spirits, reviewed here, and it’s free, which is kind of the author. And like those cookies, it’s enticing me to have more. Dead Man and the Army of Frogs is the next volume in the series.4.25 marbles

Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper

Title: Dead Man and the Restless Spirits
Authors: Lou Harper
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Genre: paranormal
Length: 166 pages
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf, print

Denton Mills has a secret: he can see dead people. Or rather, how they died. It's quite a drag in a city like Chicago, teeming with the echoes of the no-longer living. Rather than whine about it, Denton has learned to live with his troublesome talent. His adaptability comes in handy when he meets his enigmatic new neighbor.

Bran Maurell catches Denton's eye right away, but unfortunately Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious is as standoffish as he is alluring. However, after an unexpected introduction from Bran's cat brings the two men together, Denton discovers they have a mutual interest in the spirit world. Herbalist by day, Bran moonlights as a witch, performing house cleansings for a fee.

From Bran, Denton learns that his knack for interacting with the dead qualifies him as a necromancer. It makes good business sense for them to team up and rid Chicago of its pesky spirits one grateful client at a time. Amongst ghostly adventures the attraction between the men is impossible to ignore. They seem like perfect partners—unless Bran's not-so-little secret comes between them.

Warning: men loving men, ghosts with attitudes, and a portly feline with hidden talents.

~*~*~*~*

Denton, our POV character here, first appeared in Spirit Sanguine, another of Lou Harper’s books that I enjoyed. Now he and his odd ability to see the death traces have their own set of stories.

The author’s favored format of interlinked shorter pieces in one volume is here, though I recommend they be read in order. We get to follow Denton and his new herb-growing, spirit-banishing neighbor on a series of adventures.


Denton’s fun: he has an irreverent take on life, which helps him deal with the constant surprises his ability provides. Imagine, let’s go get a coffee, whoops, someone had a heart attack on this spot six months ago. He’s a website designer by day, with Joy, his partner, foil, BFF, and occasional assistant. She has a small but entertaining role in the adventures. With her help, Denton lands an apartment sitting gig next door to the alluring but curmudgeonly Bran.

Bran has his secrets, which help explain his take on life. Here’s a guy who could definitely use a sense-of-humor adjustment, and how his bouncy, cheery mom raised such a dour man has to perplex her. Denton finds him attractive, and I hope as the series grows Bran can relax a little more under Denton’s attentions. He sends a lot of mixed signals that keep Denton off balance. He doesn’t want to admit to everything he is or can do, but once he understand what Denton is, he can help hone his new neighbor’s skills.

From haunted restaurants to possessed psychics and a tragic mystery, these two cope with paranormal events that incidentally provide Bran with a nice income. He’s good at what he does, and better with Denton for a partner. The external story arcs wrap up in their own sections, which makes the longer term character growth a little choppy, but it is moving steadily. Gabe, the slayer, and his partner Harvey the vampire from the Sanguine books make some important cameo appearances here.

The treatments of both the men and their adventures is done with a light hand and make for a quick and addicting read: I buzzed through this volume, the short Dead Man and the Lustful Spirit, and the latest in the series, Dean Man and the Army of Frogs, all in short order. More on those later.

These stories left me smiling, and Murry the cat is quite the personage. 4 marbles

Temper Sanguine by Lou Harper

Title: Temper Sanguine
Author: Lou Harper
Purchase at: Samhain. Available now for preorder
Purchase at All Romance eBooks : Soon
Cover Artist: Angela Waters
Genre: paranormal
Length: 30k estimated
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf,

One bite won’t kill you. Unless it does.

Sanguine, Book 2

Gabe Vadas’s slayer ancestors would be spinning in their graves if they knew that not only is his boss a vampire, so is his lover. But that lover, Harvey Feng, is cooking something up in his lab that he seems reluctant to disclose.

The secrets they keep from each other and the nightmares they share are driving a wedge between them. Harvey fell off the vegetarian wagon with one taste of his lover’s blood. Except recently it’s been having some unusual—and disturbing—side effects. And he fears their connection has awakened something dark and dangerous.

Sent to New York City to help the new top vamp clean up the mess the old one left behind, Gabe finds more than a few stray feral vampires. A doctor with a dubious history is hell-bent on creating a new race of unkillable bloodsuckers.

The investigation takes Gabe and Harvey across an ocean, and deep into the past. Where they discover demons that have the power to reach across the centuries to destroy them both.

Product Warnings

Contains a tasty Hungarian goulash of dirty boys doing dirty things, bilingual dirty talk, evil scientists, shifty-eyed lab assistants, fun with lab rats, and smexy times in romantic Old Europe. Jó étvágyat!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yay, another helping of Harvey and Gabe! My favorite vampire and vampire slayer couple are back for more narrow escapes and near death experiences. Plus some hot loving.


Apologies for any spoilers to the first book: series make reviewing a challenge.

Harvey was a vegetarian before he was turned, which makes his current nutritional needs a problem. He’s been working on a blood substitute with less than perfect results. Some of his experiments are this side of disastrous. Harvey is tenacious, a good chemist, and as a former nurse, he’s unusually well equipped to understand why unscrupulous (yes, there is another sort) vampires would prowl hospices and nursing homes.

Gabe, who comes from a long line of slayers, has seen his skills improve with time, exposure, and experience. Echoes of the first book in this series are scattered here and there, so coming in here wouldn’t leave you lost, but both Gabe and Harvey are better understood if you read the first in the series. Gabe has an unusual employer with some astonishing contacts and a very clear worldview—this sends the pair around the world on various adventures. They need to get their sightseeing done early, because being welcome to come back: NOT.

This volume is structured as two short but related sections, and I’m not sure why they’re divided up, but okay, the adventures take them from the US to Hungary, where Gabe has roots and can speak the language. Their quarry has evil plans, but both Gabe and Harvey have some unusual skills.

The relationship here is established, but has lots of room for solidification. Gabe and Harvey may love each other deeply and smex each other frequently, but they don’t understand each other very well, and the gap between their prospective timelines isn’t helping. Nor are Harvey’s fears and doubts about himself, rekindled after a bloody encounter and a too-delicious snack on Gabe.

I especially enjoyed the section in Budapest. The author knows this city and the language, weaving details into the story. History, twentieth century and from hundreds of years ago, reverberates through this ancient place and current adventure. Vampire lore is both used and debunked on the very doorstep of Transylvania. Very satisfying!

Also satisfying is who the relationship and the external plot weave together and how one affects the other. One couldn’t have worked out without the other, so good storytelling.

There are also some ongoing story threads that continue from book one, reviewed here, that lead me to believe we haven’t heard the last of Gabe and Harvey. Which makes me happy! 4 marbles

A Sanguine Flashfic from Lou Harper

“Angel, you’re doing it wrong.” Harvey stretched sleepily and the sheets slipped to his waist.

Gabe looked down at his lover still in bed. “Doing what wrong?”

“Your jeans—you’re putting them on. They’re supposed to stay off.”


“The sun’s setting. It’s time for you to rise and shine.”

“Oh, I’m rising all right.” Harvey slipped a hand under the sheets. “But don’t expect me to shine. I’m not that kind of vampire.” His lips parted in a wicked smile and he swept the tip of his tongue along his teeth, from one exposed eyetooth to the other.

Anticipation stirred inside Gabe—Harvey’s frisky mood was pulling him in. He sat at the edge of the bed. “What sharp teeth you have.” The words came from old memories and Gabe recognized their familiarity only as he spoke them.

Harvey picked on them right away. “The better to bite you with, my scrumptious.”

Harvey loved role-playing and Gabe was always happy to go along, but now he was confused. “Wait, are we doing Little Red Riding Hood? Who’s who? Don’t tell me you’re grandma.”

“Grandma moved to Florida. I’m a very hungry and horny Little Red and you’re the Big Bad…Naughty Wolf here to eat me out.” Harvey’s nostrils flared and he reached for Gabe. “Now, about those jeans…”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hee, that picture inspired Lou Harper to give us a little taste of Harvey and Gabe from her Sanguine books. Temper Sanguine is available for preorder at Samhain now, and will be available at all retailers in early June. It's the second novel in the series. I reviewed the first book, Spirit Sanguine, a story I enjoyed. And because Lou loves us, there's a free Sanguine story to get you all excited for more Gabe and Harvey. (Barnes & Noble +++ Smashwords +++ All Romance Ebooks +++ Amazon +++ Amazon UK)

Gabe Vadas’s slayer ancestors would be spinning in their graves if they knew that not only is his boss a vampire, so is his lover. But that lover, Harvey Feng, is cooking something up in his lab that he seems reluctant to disclose.

The secrets they keep from each other and the nightmares they share are driving a wedge between them.

Harvey fell off the vegetarian wagon with one taste of his lover’s blood. Except recently it’s been having some unusual—and disturbing—side effects. And he fears their connection has awakened something dark and dangerous.

Sent to New York City to help the new top vamp clean up the mess the old one left behind, Gabe finds more than a few stray feral vampires. A doctor with a dubious history is hell-bent on creating a new race of unkillable bloodsuckers. 

The investigation takes Gabe and Harvey across an ocean, and deep into the past. Where they discover demons that have the power to reach across the centuries to destroy them both.

 

---

Product Warnings

Contains a tasty Hungarian goulash of dirty boys doing dirty things, bilingual dirty talk, evil scientists, shifty-eyed lab assistants, fun with lab rats, and smexy times in romantic Old Europe. Jó étvágyat!

Preorder at Samhain

A picture is worth

Lou Harper alerted me to this picture. It goes so well with her Sanguine series, which I've been reading. There's a new one coming, Temper Sanguine, and it just got popped to the top of my TBR list.

"Lust for a Vampire" is the perfect title for this shot, done by AdroVonCrow (access to gallery here).  I can hardly wait for the the ficlet Lou has to go with it. Check out Lou's news and tidbits at her website.

Spirit Sanguine

Title: Spirit Sanguine
Author: Lou Harper
Buy at Samhain
Buy at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Genre: paranormal, vampire
Length:
Formats:
• Adobe Acrobat for Sony
• eBook ETI-2
• EPUB
• HTML
• Mobipocket/Kindle
• Rocketbook

Blurb:
Is that a wooden stake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

After five years in eastern Europe using his unique, inborn skills to slay bloodsuckers, Gabe is back in his hometown Chicago and feeling adrift. Until he’s kidnapped by a young, sexy vampire who seems more interested in getting into his pants than biting into his neck.

Harvey Feng is one-half Chinese, one-hundred-percent vampire. He warns Gabe to stay out of the Windy City, but somehow he isn’t surprised when the young slayer winds up on his doorstep. And why shouldn’t Gabe be curious? A vegetarian vampire isn’t something one sees every day.

Against their better judgment, slayer and vampire succumb to temptation. But their affair attracts unexpected attention.

When Chicago’s Vampire Boss makes Gabe an offer he can’t refuse, the unlikely lovers are thrust into peril and mystery in the dark heart of the Windy City. Together they hunt for kidnappers, a killer preying on young humans, and vicious vampire junkies.

However, dealing with murderous humans and vampires alike is easy compared to figuring out if there’s more to their relationship than hot, kinky sex.

Product Warnings
Fangalicious man-on-man action, a troublesome twink, cross-dressing vampiress, and role-playing involving a fedora.



Review:

A fun take on vampires. We have vamps as people types, only moreso—the author has bloodsucking granola-boy, an undead mob boss, and a slayer who doesn’t know what to think any more.


Standard vampire tropes are here, turned slightly askew, and seen through a wavy lens, which matches the vamps and their backgrounds. Vamps can glamour, vamps can move preternaturally fast, and vamps can scheme, invent, and entice, and when they fall prey to human vices, they fall twice as hard. The need for not-blood is desperate for a vegetarian vampire, but don’t mistake this for another blood substitute seen on HBO, it’s got its own origin and effects.

The slayer Gabe is our POV character. When he’s confronted with new information, he’s flexible enough to reevaluate what he’s been taught and had taken for truth. Good thing, or he’d miss out on a lot of good times and some real live slayer-type adventures with twists. Vampires are not a uniform breed, and he’s got some adjusting to do.

The book has a structure we’ve seen from this author before, and she works it well. The stories have adventures that stand alone, but are connected through the relationship arc, which works best if read in order. The first story has both some of the best bits and some of the clunkier sections. The beginning had me doubting I could stay the distance because of the style, very infodumpy and awkward, but I persevered and was rewarded for it. Once Harvey gets a speaking part, the style picks up, becomes smoother and more organic, and the fun begins. There are some really lovely turns of phrase scattered through the work.

The second section is the longest and has some revelations for Gabe personally, including some plot elements that seemed extraneous. Perhaps later stories will capitalize on them, but they didn’t seem to advance the story here. The Las Vegas section at the end was fun, hazardous, and triumphant in turn, and was the strongest overall. Vampires as “other” and “dangerous” were up close and personal here, and most distant from being fangy humans.

Harvey, Gabe’s love-vamp, is fun but very much a fangy human most of the time. He’s not powerful as vampires go, and only in the last story does he really have a chance to shine. When he’s in either total granola mode or total vamp are when he’s most interesting. He is hanging on tight to the remnants of his humanity.

I had fun with this work, and was pleased to notice that there’s a free short on Amazon with Gabe and Harvey, which must fall some time after the events of at least the first section of this book. So I have one more vampalicious treat right away, and there’s a sequel on the way, scheduled for June. Harvey and Gabe have yet to totally solidify as a couple, and I’d like to see how it’s done.

I enjoyed the stories but was thrown a bit by the uneven style and odd inclusions. All the same, I’m making a note that there will be another helping of this couple to come my way this summer. 4 marbles

Dead in L.A. by Lou Harper

Title: Dead in L.A.
Author: Lou Harper
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Publisher: self
Genre: paranormal
Length: 80 pages

Trouble comes in deceptive packages Still recovering from an accident that left him emotionally and physically battered, Jon's goal is to lead a simple life, free of complications and attachments. His new roommate— a happy-go-lucky bookworm— seems to fit into his plans fine at first. He doesn't find out till later that Leander's also a psychic, specializing in finding lost pets.

Jon's a skeptic when it comes to the supernatural, so he's convinced Leander's a nut job. Jon's beliefs are challenged when Leander has to track down a missing teenager and he ropes Jon into assisting him. Soon the two of them are knee-deep in a decades-old murder case. The hills and valleys of the City of Angels hold many buried secrets, and Leander has a knack for finding them.

Jon's hopes for a trouble-free life go out the window as he's drawn deeper into Leander's psychic sleuthing. Digging into the past poses many dangers, but the biggest risk Jon faces is putting his bruised heart on the line.

Warning: Men loving men, skeletons, and an unlucky Chihuahua.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was charmed by this set of stories, featuring a bereaved gay man with a complicated past and a low key but generally happy psychic who moves in, initially as a roommate. In spite of Jon’s best intentions, he gets engaged first in Leander’s cases, and then with Leander. Overcoming his skepticism is a bit of a hurdle, but Jon’s intrigued, and then involved.


This seems to be the first in a series of shorts, and we see two complete cases and snippets of others. In the course of Leander’s investigations, ranging from finding a misplaced purse dog to discovering an awful secret, details of the two men come out, and friendship grows.

I enjoyed the style, in first person told by Jon, who’s as loath to give up his secrets as the stray bones are. Trusting in Leander comes hard, because Jon has reason not to trust himself. To call them lovers at this point is a stretch; they’re more like friends with benefits, but the undercurrent is that there could be more.

What this set of stories reminded me of, more than anything, is Sherlock Holmes, because of the mystery arcs and the friendship that is allowed to bloom with time and the small unfolding of details. Nothing felt rushed or forced, and if the two men grow to a more intimate and emotional bonding, that’s fine, and if they remain on this level, it’s a nice spice for the psychic mysteries. More stories will tell. ;D

Leander has to be one of the sweetest and most level headed persons ever, which is both a relief and a puzzle. This is a man who knows if the last person to handle his teacup was angry, but it doesn’t make him bitter or withdrawn. I don’t understand it, but I like it, and wonder how he came to this very sane state when he has to be buffeted by daily life. Jon has fresh grief and has yet to come to terms with it, but exposure to Leander may file some of the sharper edges away.

The author has combined two types of story arcs here –there’s the complete in one segment plot lines, and there are some that remain unresolved, possibly for next time, which will provide a type of continuity. This provides both reading satisfaction for the completeness and a sense of anticipation for the next tale. Which, BTW, Ms Harper, I would like to read! 4.25 marbles

Last Stop by Lou Harper

Title: Last Stop
Author: Lou Harper
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Publisher: Samhain
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 211 pages

When love drifts into his life, danger isn’t far behind.

Sam Mayne’s life is as dull as the dishwater in his small-town Montana diner, and that’s just how he wants it. Quiet, uneventful, safe from his shadowy past. The breezy young drifter who answers his help-wanted ad makes him uneasy in ways he dare not examine too closely. Except he can’t help but be pulled in by Jay Colby’s spunky attitude, endless stories, and undeniable sex appeal.

Fresh off yet another romantic disaster, Jay doesn’t understand his attraction to the taciturn line cook, but there’s no fighting the chemistry that lands them in bed together. Where Sam’s subtly dominant streak takes command, and Jay delights in discovering the pleasures of his submissive side.

Safe in the assumption their relationship is temporary, neither lover holds back when the heat is on. Until Sam’s deadly past catches up with them with a vengeance, forcing him to drop the life he’s built, pick up his lover, and run. As danger cuts closer to the bone, Sam and Jay are forced to face the truth. About themselves, about the depth of their love—and the newly forged bonds that are about to be tested to the limit.
________________________________________
Product Warnings
Contains enough sparks to ignite a sexual fire, ably fanned by the judicious use of some interesting props, as well as some butt-warming spanking. Sizzzzle.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Jay Colby drifts around, finding work and sex partners here and there as his needs dictate, and those needs aren’t always sexual. A sugar daddy, good for two nights or two years, is okay by him, and when he finds himself on the steps of a diner in Mini-town, Montana, he’ll sling hash and lay his boss with equal enthusiasm.


Sam has his reasons for not wanting a real relationship, but finds himself drawn in by Jay’s enthusiasm behind the counter and in bed. He likes that Jay’s willing to take orders, and their sex starts off with a few commands. It progresses to spankings and some light bondage, and everyone is having a good time. Some scenes, like the wax play, are going to be more entertaining for others than for me, but the sex scenes have a lot of variety. A little something for everyone here—there are a lot of sex scenes, three large ones plus tidbits in the first 55 pages alone.

Sam and Jay explore each other, but the end of the good times looms in the ominous conversations between other parties. Each chapter has a brief exchange hinting doom for someone. Sam’s pissed a mobster off in a big way, and his days of hiding in nowhereville are numbered. He’s not too worried for himself, and he’ll just shoo Jay off like the stray he is, to find the rest of his life with someone else. Until he finds he cares, and then he’s got to get Jay out of the line of fire, even if he doesn’t want to go.

I enjoyed the beginning of this, as two unlikely partners came together, although my degree of investment in their happiness was limited. I think the style kept me at a distance—there were very few forays deep into someone’s head. For the most part, it felt like surface interactions. Deep pounding into someone’s ass isn’t the same as deep involvement in his life.

Most of the interesting things in both Sam and Jay’s life happened in the past, and while they tell each other the stories, it’s just that, reporting the past. It’s necessary background for both of them, explaining why Sam’s on the run and that Jay’s got a reflex for revenge aimed at vulnerable points, but it’s all anecdotes told by one to the other, and not as engaging as it could be. Even Jay’s recounting of his slutty adventures feels distant, although it turns Sam on.

The middle of the story bogged down extensively in a protracted road trip—running from the Mob is not always as exciting as it’s made out to be. Fortunately, they come to a safe haven and start to settle in a bit, with jobs and new identities, though their pursuers are closing in.

When the mobsters finally catch up to them, I was stunned to discover that I’m much bloodthirstier than an ex-mob enforcer—what I thought he’d do wasn’t anywhere close to what he did do, but Sam’s supposed to be a moderately good guy now, and he does care deeply for Jay in a way he never expected to. Part of Sam’s planning struck me as excessively dependent on luck, the dumbness of his opponents, and an ally who hadn’t been entirely reliable. We do have an opportunity to see how Jay and Sam can function as a team, providing the best demonstration that they can make it as a couple. The climactic scene relies on elements of Jay and Sam’s sex life in both helpful ways and in creating problems, a nice twist.

I thought the premise here was solid, if familiar, with some novel plot points. The execution didn’t quite match the ideas, leaving a feeling of distance between the reader and the characters—the most emotionally engaging moment outside of the sex scenes involved Jay and a koi pond, which is probably not the reaction intended. The sex is hot and plentiful—the author describes it at BDSM-lite, and not so overwhelming as to put off a non-BDSM reader like myself, so it may be a very good choice for a reader looking to expand horizons in that direction. 3.25 Marbles

Winter Warmers anthology

Title: Winter Warmers
Editors: Josephine Myles and JL Merrow
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Publisher: Pink Squirrel Press
Genre: contemporary
Length: 126 pages


Baby, it's cold outside! Beat the chill with Winter Warmers—a seasonal anthology.

Mulled wine. Butterscotch kisses. Hideous sweaters. Candy at the beach, or a trip to a sex shop in Amsterdam. And the man of your dreams, wrapped around you... Winter warmers come in many shapes and sizes, from the tongue-in-cheek to the hot-as-hell. Enjoy a quintet of heart-warming tales of men loving men from Clare London, Chrissy Munder, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, and Lou Harper that are guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.

One thing's for sure—it's going to be a red-hot Christmas!

Lucky Dip by Clare London
Andy Jackson always knew that class 2C’s help in preparing for the annual Christmas Fair would be a mixed blessing. Then he’s paired up on the Lucky Dip with Greg, the man who dumped him but now can’t keep away, the pupils are either lecturing him on his lovelife or losing bladder control, and no one’s fixed the broken handle on the storage room. It may all be one whoopee cushion too far for him.

Butterscotch Kisses by Chrissy Munder
Matthew Morrison is determined to conquer his fear of heights and achieve a winning outcome. At least, that’s what the best-selling, self-help book he’s listening to promises. Being stuck on a three-story tower in the middle of a snowstorm wasn’t part of the plan. With no St. Bernard in sight, it’s Cute Ticket Guy Adam to the rescue, and an outcome Matthew never anticipated.

Wintertide by Lou Harper
May meets December when Jem and Oscar chance on each other at the Santa Monica Pier, only weeks before Christmas. The two men are separated by age, social status, and their taste in candy, yet if they are both naughty and nice, they might just find holiday cheer together.

When in Amsterdam... by Josephine Myles
Brandon is on his first visit to new boyfriend Jos’s home country, just in time for their Sinterklaas celebrations. But an unexpected detour into a sex shop leads Brandon to new discoveries about himself, and a whole new dynamic to their relationship. The weather may be cold and damp, but Brandon and Jos soon heat things up!

A Pint of Beer, a Bag of Chips, and Thou by JL Merrow
What’s the best gift a young man could get for Christmas? Mohawked saxophonist Liam wouldn’t have picked the hideous collection of knitwear he’s presented with by his mum and his aunties. He’d rather have the gorgeous older man he sees every day while busking at King’s Cross. But with a little Christmas magic in the air, maybe those garish garments are just the thing for attracting a silver fox…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucky Dip by Clare London

Poor Andy Jackson—if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, all over him. This poor klutz trips over himself and the small children working on the festival displays. Not only is he a hazard to himself and others, it makes him feel like a fool in front of Greg Canbury, the debonair uncle of one of the students, and Andy's former lover. They'd broken up once before, breaking Andy's heart, and now, he's got to work an entire carnival in close proximity to the man. Sometimes, what goes wrong is really what goes right—one last disaster gives Greg a chance to talk with him.

This was a really cute story, although the non-stop accidents began to get a tiny bit wearing, particularly when they involved a toddler who had no business being there that I could see. However, this story of second chances is so charming that I left off wanting to swat the toddler's mother to say, "Awwww" for Greg and Andy instead. Out of the mouths of babes...

Butterscotch Kisses by Chrissy Munder

Matthew's trying to conquer his fear of heights, as step one of his road to more self confidence in general, a goal that costs him ten bucks, some fear, and an adrenaline hangover every night he tries to ascend a toboggan run. Cute Ticket Guy, with his massive collection of strange hats, isn't too clear on what this project is – no one likes toboggan runs this much, but when he has to rescue Matthew, a lot becomes clear.

I really felt for Matthew, who is feeling the effects of more than one bad boyfriend to go with an already debilitating phobia. He's trying so hard to cure himself of this, so that maybe he can tackle the other issues in his life. Cute Ticket Guy turns out to be Adam, who is a nice guy with a small streak of wickedness, which I really liked. This story ends on a beginning; they've really only just met, but it's a nice warm beginning.

Wintertide by Lou Harper

Jem and Oscar have so little in common that they use different POVs: Jem's is third person, Oscar tells his story in first person. The effect is a little ragged. Older, bereaved Oscar is looking for another chance at love; Jem's young and casting around. There isn't really anything to bring these two together other than Oscar's desire to take care of Jem and that they are both alone. A third party kibitzing on Oscar's end says some wise things and doesn't question Oscar's choice, though I did. The story is low-key, as befits Oscar's emotional state.

When in Amsterdam by Josesphine Myles

Joesphine Myles has become an autobuy for me, and I would want to read this collection if I knew nothing about it other than she has a story in it. Once again, she combines a bit of fish out of water, sly humor, and sexual heat. The reason for Brandon and Jos to be in the sex shop seemed a tad thin, but hey, they are there, and one thing does lead to another. Brandon had to expand his horizons just a bit, and Jos is willing to adjust his desires to what Brandon can handle. It's not the sex alone where they compromise, it's traditions and expectations, and both men are willing to give a bit. Loved this one.

A Pint of Beer, a Bag of Chips, and Thou by JL Merrow

This story starts off with a shocking remark, and only gets sillier. Liam, raised by witches, has the kind of good humor to accept his aunts' gifts in the spirit in which they were intended, and if their knitting looks like an explosion in a head shop, he's still game to wear it. And it's pretty good bait:

This time, though, he was frankly staring. Well, I couldn't blame him, now could I? He'd probably never seen a busker with a teapot on his head before.

Enough crazed knitting later, Liam does get his date with Neil, and a truly unconventional first date it is. Neil's assessment still has me laughing. Another ending on a beginning, and I hope Neil's got the fortitude to go the distance, because I want to read about it!

***
As with any anthology, some stories are stronger than others, but the quality here is high overall, and the last two stories alone are reason enough to buy the book. As a lovely bonus, the formatting is pretty, with snowflakes as scene breaks. Best of all, my copy had internal anchors for good interior navigation, which makes revisiting my favorites one at a time much simpler; I do not know why this feature is not more widespread in PDF files. This is the first project from Pink Squirrel Press, and they are doing a lot of things right. 4.25 marbles