Sienna Sway's Blog - Posts Tagged "just-one-bite"
Just One Bite (volume 6) review
To start This new Goodreads blog, I think I should give my review of Just One Bite (volume six) which had my short story in its line up.
Overall it was a good read, really generally fun and exactly the type of thing that I am often in the mood for but rarely can find.
The anthology is a collection of eight romance short stories all featuring gay romances entwined in some way with the supernatural. The obvious choices there are for werewolves and vampires(my own story no exception to that) and so there was plenty of both. In fact that would be my only complaint, that of all eight stories only Sitting a Feisty Stallion by ID Locke and Of Men and Mice by Mira Ismine were not about one or the other. Luckily the variety of the vampires and werewolves from one story to the next were different enough that it still wasn't much of an issue.
The first story Taste a Werewolf by Megan Derr was a fun read that was great to start off with and really set the tone for most of the book. In it a vampire professor satisfies his cravings for a werewolf student by hiring werewolf prostitutes whenever he gets the cravings. When he calls for a playmate this night though, the very person he's been fantasizing about walks through the door. Really unique in my opinion, even if only for the relationship dynamic. Vampire professor, really, who thinks of stuff like that? Megan Derr apparently.
The second story was my own, The Visitor by Rukaya Hamdi. I wont say much here, but I did notice that its the only werewolf in the whole bunch who turns on the full moon completely out of his own control. I think the Hollywood style is a little out of fashion now. What can I say, I love werewolves of all types.
Third on the list was Bound For Death by Anitra Lynn McLeod featuring a beached Vampire tied up on the sand and waiting for death when a friend finds him. He knows escape is futile but that doesn't stop them from enjoying his last night. This one was in my opinion kinky and very sexy. Probably the hottest sex in the book. The now or never vibe mixed with being tied up and it was pretty much in the bag.
Bite the Dust by Sarah Madison was to me the most unique for a romance. In it a vampire stalks the night, the decision made that he will kill tonight. He follows a variety of people before finally landing on the most interesting; two men one hunting the other. In a strange turn of events he end up saving one from the other. I believe this is the only story without a sex scene but for some reason it still felt like it was moving too fast at the end. The characters were very compelling but I think a longer version of this that was extended would be a bit more satisfying at the end.
Friends, Not Food by Julia Talbot takes it back into the realm of quirky supernatural with a human boy living in a house with all vampire and werewolf roommates. Apparently the MC is very attractive because he has been mercilessly hit on by every one of his roommates except one, the one that he wants of course. This one was definitely sweet. Yet another couple from the book that I would love to read more of.
Of Men and Mice by Mira Ismine was possibly my favourite story out of the anthology. When one character is a fox shifter and the Other an owl shifter there's little or nowhere to go wrong. This couple had a great chemistry and the story was totally unique and sweet.
The seventh story I Promise by Cardeno C. was more emotional than most of the others. In it, the MC had already met and separated from the love of his life, due to being turned into a vampire. A flashback shows his old love and explains his current misery but is happiness going to reappear in his afterlife? I Promise was very sweet, and gushy just as one would expect from this type of anthology.
Last but not least was the story Sitting a Feisty Stallion by ID Locke. This one featured a phooka and his consort, a horse trainer. An interesting duo with lots of interesting ways that their relationship could play out. I found it adorable that the phooka got jealous when his partner rode another horse, and in general they were a cute pair. I do wish that the phooka's heavy Gaelic accent wasn't written quite as strongly as it was though. It did interrupt with the reading flow a little bit, but even then it was hard not to get into the story.
As a whole, Just One Bite Volume Six was a very entertaining read. Some stories stood out more than others but because of the variety of the stories I think that there is bound to be at least a couple of gems in the collection for all readers. In fact it was good enough for me to download and begin to read the whole Just One Bite series.
And hey, its a free read. Can't go wrong there.
Overall it was a good read, really generally fun and exactly the type of thing that I am often in the mood for but rarely can find.
The anthology is a collection of eight romance short stories all featuring gay romances entwined in some way with the supernatural. The obvious choices there are for werewolves and vampires(my own story no exception to that) and so there was plenty of both. In fact that would be my only complaint, that of all eight stories only Sitting a Feisty Stallion by ID Locke and Of Men and Mice by Mira Ismine were not about one or the other. Luckily the variety of the vampires and werewolves from one story to the next were different enough that it still wasn't much of an issue.
The first story Taste a Werewolf by Megan Derr was a fun read that was great to start off with and really set the tone for most of the book. In it a vampire professor satisfies his cravings for a werewolf student by hiring werewolf prostitutes whenever he gets the cravings. When he calls for a playmate this night though, the very person he's been fantasizing about walks through the door. Really unique in my opinion, even if only for the relationship dynamic. Vampire professor, really, who thinks of stuff like that? Megan Derr apparently.
The second story was my own, The Visitor by Rukaya Hamdi. I wont say much here, but I did notice that its the only werewolf in the whole bunch who turns on the full moon completely out of his own control. I think the Hollywood style is a little out of fashion now. What can I say, I love werewolves of all types.
Third on the list was Bound For Death by Anitra Lynn McLeod featuring a beached Vampire tied up on the sand and waiting for death when a friend finds him. He knows escape is futile but that doesn't stop them from enjoying his last night. This one was in my opinion kinky and very sexy. Probably the hottest sex in the book. The now or never vibe mixed with being tied up and it was pretty much in the bag.
Bite the Dust by Sarah Madison was to me the most unique for a romance. In it a vampire stalks the night, the decision made that he will kill tonight. He follows a variety of people before finally landing on the most interesting; two men one hunting the other. In a strange turn of events he end up saving one from the other. I believe this is the only story without a sex scene but for some reason it still felt like it was moving too fast at the end. The characters were very compelling but I think a longer version of this that was extended would be a bit more satisfying at the end.
Friends, Not Food by Julia Talbot takes it back into the realm of quirky supernatural with a human boy living in a house with all vampire and werewolf roommates. Apparently the MC is very attractive because he has been mercilessly hit on by every one of his roommates except one, the one that he wants of course. This one was definitely sweet. Yet another couple from the book that I would love to read more of.
Of Men and Mice by Mira Ismine was possibly my favourite story out of the anthology. When one character is a fox shifter and the Other an owl shifter there's little or nowhere to go wrong. This couple had a great chemistry and the story was totally unique and sweet.
The seventh story I Promise by Cardeno C. was more emotional than most of the others. In it, the MC had already met and separated from the love of his life, due to being turned into a vampire. A flashback shows his old love and explains his current misery but is happiness going to reappear in his afterlife? I Promise was very sweet, and gushy just as one would expect from this type of anthology.
Last but not least was the story Sitting a Feisty Stallion by ID Locke. This one featured a phooka and his consort, a horse trainer. An interesting duo with lots of interesting ways that their relationship could play out. I found it adorable that the phooka got jealous when his partner rode another horse, and in general they were a cute pair. I do wish that the phooka's heavy Gaelic accent wasn't written quite as strongly as it was though. It did interrupt with the reading flow a little bit, but even then it was hard not to get into the story.
As a whole, Just One Bite Volume Six was a very entertaining read. Some stories stood out more than others but because of the variety of the stories I think that there is bound to be at least a couple of gems in the collection for all readers. In fact it was good enough for me to download and begin to read the whole Just One Bite series.
And hey, its a free read. Can't go wrong there.
