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Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
The stories you are about to read are the product of a very special project sponsored by the Goodreads M/M Romance group—the online community for readers who love to read about men in love (Male/Male).
The group moderators issued an invitation for members to choose a photo and pen a Letter to Santa asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale.
The result was an outpouring of creativity that shined a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they do. This book is an anthology of those letters and stories.
Whether you are an avid M/M romance reader or new to the genre, you are in for a delicious treat. So sit back, relax and enjoy Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and . . . Naughty.
The group moderators issued an invitation for members to choose a photo and pen a Letter to Santa asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale.
The result was an outpouring of creativity that shined a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they do. This book is an anthology of those letters and stories.
Whether you are an avid M/M romance reader or new to the genre, you are in for a delicious treat. So sit back, relax and enjoy Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and . . . Naughty.
285 pages, ebook
First published December 25, 2010
About the author
M.J. O'Shea
83 books949 followersMJ O’Shea has never met a music festival, paintbrush, or
flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms
and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and
more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.
She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there
and loves it, MJ has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all
her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her
books.
Except for every once in a while when she does what all
travelers have to do on occasion… come home.
flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms
and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and
more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.
She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there
and loves it, MJ has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all
her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her
books.
Except for every once in a while when she does what all
travelers have to do on occasion… come home.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
January 5, 2015
I liked most of the stories in this holiday anthology, but I’m not going to calculate an exact average rating.
3 stars from me, as I was pretty satisfied overall.
My reviews:
A Shiny New Toy
Thick as Thieves
Leaking Pipes
Christmas in the Sandbox
A Wish for Jamie
You Melted Me
A Bugger to Pack
Juniper's Christmas Stocking
Bobby's Christmas Gift
Las Posadas
Love Bound
In the City of Neverlove
Christmas Gifts
The Guttersnipe's Gift
In the Wind
A Walk on the Wild Side
Holiday Bonus
Cocklebur's Christmas
The Gift
Crying Wolf
The New Man's Army
Pony Up
Rommy and Jules
3 stars from me, as I was pretty satisfied overall.
My reviews:
A Shiny New Toy
Thick as Thieves
Leaking Pipes
Christmas in the Sandbox
A Wish for Jamie
You Melted Me
A Bugger to Pack
Juniper's Christmas Stocking
Bobby's Christmas Gift
Las Posadas
Love Bound
In the City of Neverlove
Christmas Gifts
The Guttersnipe's Gift
In the Wind
A Walk on the Wild Side
Holiday Bonus
Cocklebur's Christmas
The Gift
Crying Wolf
The New Man's Army
Pony Up
Rommy and Jules
Read
January 8, 2011I'm so incredibly proud to be a part of this. The MM Romance Group on Goodreads ROCKS!!!! I love being a part of the community and really hope you not only enjoy this read, but come join the fun. Many, many thanks to all the wonderful people involved in making this happen...from the development of the idea, to the co-orinating of submissions and postings, to the other authors who gave so generously and creatively, and finally to the hard working team that presented it here as a free downloadable finished product. My thanks and...~hugs~ :)
January 8, 2011
******Review of Kim Dare and Mark Alders' stories*******
A BUGGER TO PACK by Kim Dare
Everything started with Lori, moderator of M/M group initiative (thank you so much Lori! You do an amazing job in the M/M romance group).
I, always horny and ready to partecipate, wrote the follow xmas letter:
Dear Santa,
I would love to read a good Master/Slave book, without humiliation (sorry Santa... I hate humiliation, like eat garbage or stuff like that), and with a lot of hot scenes. Maybe a sexy Master/Slave celebration of Xmas?
Is ask too much for a description of some hot slave like a picture I saw in this amazing discussion on my book group discussion?
Attached: the picture (please Santa, help me)
CLICK HERE too see it ONLY OVER 18th PLEASE! And NSFW (not safe for work), look at it in your house, with a cold drink in your hands, hahahahaha
My deeply thanks to Kim Dare for this AMAZING story! It's a 5 stars short xmas story! Read it guys.. it's not because was an answer to my letter that I'm giving 5 stars, but because it's so damn HOT!.
[image error]THE CONQUERORS by Mark Alders
Speechless... that was my comment to that story. when I was able to do brain connection again I wrote this review
I start to read this free story thinking It would be another good freebie... I was so wrong!!!! It's an amazing erotic story, and an incredible demonstration of how far the human imagination can get.
Congratulations to Mark Alders. It was a pleasure read another of your stories.
JUST ONE THING Can I give my curriculum to the Galactic Gazzette??? Pleeeeeease
~whispering~ I want to take a picture like that too
You can download it from Mark Alder's blog (picture included) for free! Goooo get your copy!
January 9, 2011
I am enjoying the hell out of reading these shorts--and like M.J. and Jade have said, I'm really proud to be a part of this. These stories were, literally, written for fun, and I think each story has that sort of spirit in it. It was like a big m/m group Christmas hug, and I'm all warm and fuzzy on the bottom of the pile:-) Thanks everyone--this rocks.
January 10, 2011
Something for everyone and done with a true holiday spirit. I loved it.
Fair disclosure, as a co-mod of the m/m group here at goodreads, my review could be considered completely biased. I had no intention of disliking any of the stories and I didn't. :)
Fair disclosure, as a co-mod of the m/m group here at goodreads, my review could be considered completely biased. I had no intention of disliking any of the stories and I didn't. :)
January 7, 2011
Awesome collection of short m/m stories...something for just about every taste.
edit: I should add that one of the twenty-five stories is mine... :)
edit: I should add that one of the twenty-five stories is mine... :)
January 10, 2011
some of my favorite authors and samples of new authors that I didn't know about until now. Thanks to all the authors for giving their time and imagination.
April 15, 2011
I have rated each story separately.
A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea- I give this lil' number 4 1/2 stars. I loved the characters.
Thick As Thieves by Brian Jackson- 1 star. Damn Anthony! He used Charlie. I like a happy ending but this happy ending was filled with a sense of sadness.
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth- 4 stars. It was so cute how Sam didn't think a guy looking like BJ would be interested in him, when in fact he was. Would have been a great start to a full-length book!
Christmas In The Sandbox by Missy Welsh- I give this 4 stars. Another short that would have been a great full-length story.
Crying Wolf by Jade Archer- 2 stars. I didn't really like the whole "master" thing.
The New Man's Army by Michael S- I give this 1 star. There wasn't really enough story to it for the short story that it is. Like a mediocre attempt at the special forces ebooks.
Rommy And Jules by Xara X. Xanakas- 3 stars. Better then the wolf one. Cat and Dog lol.
The Conquerors by Mark Alders- 2 stars. This was really weird, I mean...Detachable man-bits? Risky haha
A Wish For Jamie by Em Woods- 3 1/2 to 4 stars. This would have also been good as a longer story, I liked the characters and the back story of Jamie.
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz- I give this 3 stars. Pretty kinky.
Masters and Boyd by SJD Peterson- 3 stars. Not bad.
You Melted Me by Kari gregg- 3 stars. Pretty meh story-wise to me, pretty ordinary, missing that special touch.
A Bugger To Pack by Kim Dare- 3 stars. The stories seem to be getting quite similar. This one was good though. Another sub/dom theme. Getting kind-of standard with these stories it seems.
Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn- 3 stars, which seems to be becoming a theme. The santa thing was kind-of funny, the writing was good.
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates- 3 1/2 stars. I liked the characters, better than the last couple of stories.
Las Posadas by Ocotillo- I give this 3 stars, pretty hot.
Love Bound by Jessica Freely- 2 stars I couldn't really get into this one, pretty ordinary.
In the city of Neverlove by Heinrich Xin- 2 stars. I didn't like how this one started, didn't keep my attention.
Christmas Gifts by William Cooper- 4 stars. I loves this one and how David and Nathan are a family with two sons. Great story.
In The Wind by Wren Boudreau- I give this 3 1/2 stars. One of the better wolf-shifter stories in here.
The Guttersnipe's Gift by Selah March- 2 1/2 stars. It was like a watered-down version of "Bran's story" (The Slave Breaker's series).
A Walk On The Wild Side by Sarah Madison- I give this 4 stars. I really enjoyed this one. A Vampire and a Tiger-shifter.
Christmas Bonus by Stephani Hecht- I give this 3 1/2 stars - 4 stars. It was better then some of the previous office romances.
Cocklebur's Christmas by Amy Lane- I skipped this one. It isn't my kind of read with the setting of it and the speak.
The Gift by Angela Benedetti- I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was an original idea which was interesting to read.
Over all, a nice mix of short stories. Some really good and some a bit of a let down. So I give this whole mix a 3 star rating.
A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea- I give this lil' number 4 1/2 stars. I loved the characters.
Thick As Thieves by Brian Jackson- 1 star. Damn Anthony! He used Charlie. I like a happy ending but this happy ending was filled with a sense of sadness.
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth- 4 stars. It was so cute how Sam didn't think a guy looking like BJ would be interested in him, when in fact he was. Would have been a great start to a full-length book!
Christmas In The Sandbox by Missy Welsh- I give this 4 stars. Another short that would have been a great full-length story.
Crying Wolf by Jade Archer- 2 stars. I didn't really like the whole "master" thing.
The New Man's Army by Michael S- I give this 1 star. There wasn't really enough story to it for the short story that it is. Like a mediocre attempt at the special forces ebooks.
Rommy And Jules by Xara X. Xanakas- 3 stars. Better then the wolf one. Cat and Dog lol.
The Conquerors by Mark Alders- 2 stars. This was really weird, I mean...Detachable man-bits? Risky haha
A Wish For Jamie by Em Woods- 3 1/2 to 4 stars. This would have also been good as a longer story, I liked the characters and the back story of Jamie.
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz- I give this 3 stars. Pretty kinky.
Masters and Boyd by SJD Peterson- 3 stars. Not bad.
You Melted Me by Kari gregg- 3 stars. Pretty meh story-wise to me, pretty ordinary, missing that special touch.
A Bugger To Pack by Kim Dare- 3 stars. The stories seem to be getting quite similar. This one was good though. Another sub/dom theme. Getting kind-of standard with these stories it seems.
Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn- 3 stars, which seems to be becoming a theme. The santa thing was kind-of funny, the writing was good.
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates- 3 1/2 stars. I liked the characters, better than the last couple of stories.
Las Posadas by Ocotillo- I give this 3 stars, pretty hot.
Love Bound by Jessica Freely- 2 stars I couldn't really get into this one, pretty ordinary.
In the city of Neverlove by Heinrich Xin- 2 stars. I didn't like how this one started, didn't keep my attention.
Christmas Gifts by William Cooper- 4 stars. I loves this one and how David and Nathan are a family with two sons. Great story.
In The Wind by Wren Boudreau- I give this 3 1/2 stars. One of the better wolf-shifter stories in here.
The Guttersnipe's Gift by Selah March- 2 1/2 stars. It was like a watered-down version of "Bran's story" (The Slave Breaker's series).
A Walk On The Wild Side by Sarah Madison- I give this 4 stars. I really enjoyed this one. A Vampire and a Tiger-shifter.
Christmas Bonus by Stephani Hecht- I give this 3 1/2 stars - 4 stars. It was better then some of the previous office romances.
Cocklebur's Christmas by Amy Lane- I skipped this one. It isn't my kind of read with the setting of it and the speak.
The Gift by Angela Benedetti- I give this 3 1/2 stars. It was an original idea which was interesting to read.
Over all, a nice mix of short stories. Some really good and some a bit of a let down. So I give this whole mix a 3 star rating.
February 6, 2011
I found this anthology after a search for Kim Dare stuff and I'm so glad that I did. I have some discovered some fabulous new authors and the time, and energy that has gone into this is astounding. I can't review all the stories...I wish I could but the review is long enough! There isn't a bad story amongst the lot and I have chosen to write about my top 10, in no particular order! The variation of themes within the anthology is great as it means that there is something for everyone...myself, I particularly liked the BDSM and ménage themed tales but there is angels, shifters, smutty Santa, plumbers.....the list is endless :)
Ladies and Gents I WOULD like to see the pictures that each story is based on though:)
A shiny new toy – M.J. O Shea – 4 stars
A fun yet steamy story of one friend’s seemingly unrequited lust for his roommate. However on one dark and stormy night, and with a fun sounding sex toy, when they finally get it on. I liked this one - short stories sometimes feel a little cheap and sleazy but the writer made sure you knew this was the start of a new chapter by two friends. Both characters were fun and likeable
Leaking Pipes – Deanna Wadsworth – 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one! It did make me chuckle as the premise sounds like something from a cheesy porn flick but the writer made it work! Sam has leaking pipes. He phones the plumber to get it fixed and who turns up but the hunky BJ. After spending the majority of the visit lusting over BJs butt, Sam eventually gets caught perving. This leads to an incredibly sexy and steamy scene in the kitchen involving a blowjob (I just caught the joke writing the review...BJ gives Sam a BJ...ha-ha ) Well worth a read and based on this story I’ve added another of her books to my to-read
The new man's army - Michael S – 4 stars
Wow, this one was hot! An American tourist comes across a military guarded checkpoint...when he is taken into the back he ends up having more than his details checked! I enjoyed this...to be honest I would have happily read a little more about the “special unit”
Mark Alders – The Conquerors – 5 stars
Well this one just made me blush! This futuristic tale is set at a wrestling event. In this reality, all the athletes must compete in the nude and must detach their genitals (!) Our team consists of Jasper, Chalky and Paddy, who all seem to enjoy their afterhours “celebrations” as much as each other do. Jasper meets Carlos after a mix up at the genital exchange and promptly starts to fall a little bit for him.
This was incredibly imaginative! The whole concept was fabulous and I loved that, even though he had sex with them all, there was a distinct difference to Jasper over teammates and his boyfriend. The sex scenes were amazingly hot, mostly ménage, but the sex scenes between Jasper and Carlos were very different from those involving his teammates. A good read!
Em Woods – A wish for Jamie – 5 stars
This one was sweet. The rest have been very hot and heavy but this one got five stars for making me believe in the connection and love between these two men! Alex is Jamie’s boss but they have been seeing each other as well for 6 months at the time we meet them. Jamie is scared to commit to Alex because of a secret in his past but it all comes to a head on Christmas Eve when Alex requests his presence and he refuses to be there. Of course, Alex finds out what the secret is and actually realises that his boyfriend needs some support rather than a dumping as the secret is not actually that much of a secret AT ALL. The way he looks after him is adorable...I only wish I had an Alex when I felt bad. Lovely story!
Masters And Boyd – SJD Peterson – 5+ stars
Jesus this was hot. This is the story of Carrick and his slave on holiday. It is a shining example of how the best BDSM scenes are written – between two people who trust each other, as shown by the interactions and aftercare after the sex. What I really enjoyed about this was how the writer showed us just how difficult it is to stay in control as a Top – that although it always looks like the bottom is getting the worse deal, there is more than enough torture to go round in sex games. This was a hot little story that has made me go searching for more books by this author.
A bugger to Pack – Kim Dare – 5 stars
This was the reason I looked into this anthology and boy am I glad I did. Aaron is the bouncer to a BDSM book. He agrees to be auctioned off as a slave for charity and is bought by the club owner Patterson to save the beefy man from becoming a whipping post for the clubs sadists (I had a little issue here as I thought most sadists in the scene only enjoyed inflicting pain on those who enjoyed receiving it....) Turns out they both secretly had been falling for each other ever since Aaron had began to work the doors! The story is about a submissive (who doesn’t know he is a submissive) on his first foray into BDSM with a Dom who cares about him. It’s erotic and heart-warming both at the same time! I wouldn’t mind reading what happened in Ben’s slave time too
Las Posadas – Ocotillo – 5 stars
Loved, Loved, LOVED this one! This is the story some doctors and a rescuer letting off some steam after a busy day of rescuing people. Kit is the hero in question and the doctors (Raf and Lars) CERTAINLY makes sure he gets a good time after injuring himself rescuing a child from a landslide. Ménage is always hot to me but ménage with a sprinkling of BDSM...well I think I’ve said it all
The Gift – Angela Benedetti – 4 1/2 stars
This was as a dirty futuristic Pinocchio crossed with Blade Runner! Austin gets a gift of a sex droid that looks exactly like the man he has been lusting after. Pretty soon, he likes the droid more than the man! The Sci-fi fan in me loved this story...the droid was so sweet! I loved it and have added the author.
Ladies and Gents I WOULD like to see the pictures that each story is based on though:)
A shiny new toy – M.J. O Shea – 4 stars
A fun yet steamy story of one friend’s seemingly unrequited lust for his roommate. However on one dark and stormy night, and with a fun sounding sex toy, when they finally get it on. I liked this one - short stories sometimes feel a little cheap and sleazy but the writer made sure you knew this was the start of a new chapter by two friends. Both characters were fun and likeable
Leaking Pipes – Deanna Wadsworth – 5 stars
I really enjoyed this one! It did make me chuckle as the premise sounds like something from a cheesy porn flick but the writer made it work! Sam has leaking pipes. He phones the plumber to get it fixed and who turns up but the hunky BJ. After spending the majority of the visit lusting over BJs butt, Sam eventually gets caught perving. This leads to an incredibly sexy and steamy scene in the kitchen involving a blowjob (I just caught the joke writing the review...BJ gives Sam a BJ...ha-ha ) Well worth a read and based on this story I’ve added another of her books to my to-read
The new man's army - Michael S – 4 stars
Wow, this one was hot! An American tourist comes across a military guarded checkpoint...when he is taken into the back he ends up having more than his details checked! I enjoyed this...to be honest I would have happily read a little more about the “special unit”
Mark Alders – The Conquerors – 5 stars
Well this one just made me blush! This futuristic tale is set at a wrestling event. In this reality, all the athletes must compete in the nude and must detach their genitals (!) Our team consists of Jasper, Chalky and Paddy, who all seem to enjoy their afterhours “celebrations” as much as each other do. Jasper meets Carlos after a mix up at the genital exchange and promptly starts to fall a little bit for him.
This was incredibly imaginative! The whole concept was fabulous and I loved that, even though he had sex with them all, there was a distinct difference to Jasper over teammates and his boyfriend. The sex scenes were amazingly hot, mostly ménage, but the sex scenes between Jasper and Carlos were very different from those involving his teammates. A good read!
Em Woods – A wish for Jamie – 5 stars
This one was sweet. The rest have been very hot and heavy but this one got five stars for making me believe in the connection and love between these two men! Alex is Jamie’s boss but they have been seeing each other as well for 6 months at the time we meet them. Jamie is scared to commit to Alex because of a secret in his past but it all comes to a head on Christmas Eve when Alex requests his presence and he refuses to be there. Of course, Alex finds out what the secret is and actually realises that his boyfriend needs some support rather than a dumping as the secret is not actually that much of a secret AT ALL. The way he looks after him is adorable...I only wish I had an Alex when I felt bad. Lovely story!
Masters And Boyd – SJD Peterson – 5+ stars
Jesus this was hot. This is the story of Carrick and his slave on holiday. It is a shining example of how the best BDSM scenes are written – between two people who trust each other, as shown by the interactions and aftercare after the sex. What I really enjoyed about this was how the writer showed us just how difficult it is to stay in control as a Top – that although it always looks like the bottom is getting the worse deal, there is more than enough torture to go round in sex games. This was a hot little story that has made me go searching for more books by this author.
A bugger to Pack – Kim Dare – 5 stars
This was the reason I looked into this anthology and boy am I glad I did. Aaron is the bouncer to a BDSM book. He agrees to be auctioned off as a slave for charity and is bought by the club owner Patterson to save the beefy man from becoming a whipping post for the clubs sadists (I had a little issue here as I thought most sadists in the scene only enjoyed inflicting pain on those who enjoyed receiving it....) Turns out they both secretly had been falling for each other ever since Aaron had began to work the doors! The story is about a submissive (who doesn’t know he is a submissive) on his first foray into BDSM with a Dom who cares about him. It’s erotic and heart-warming both at the same time! I wouldn’t mind reading what happened in Ben’s slave time too
Las Posadas – Ocotillo – 5 stars
Loved, Loved, LOVED this one! This is the story some doctors and a rescuer letting off some steam after a busy day of rescuing people. Kit is the hero in question and the doctors (Raf and Lars) CERTAINLY makes sure he gets a good time after injuring himself rescuing a child from a landslide. Ménage is always hot to me but ménage with a sprinkling of BDSM...well I think I’ve said it all
The Gift – Angela Benedetti – 4 1/2 stars
This was as a dirty futuristic Pinocchio crossed with Blade Runner! Austin gets a gift of a sex droid that looks exactly like the man he has been lusting after. Pretty soon, he likes the droid more than the man! The Sci-fi fan in me loved this story...the droid was so sweet! I loved it and have added the author.
January 9, 2011
There are some very excellent stories in this collection. It's a shame that the photos which the stories were originally based on could not be included as well (because we don't have the rights to the images), but the reads are still very worth it. Most of the stories can be read in 10-20 minutes.
January 8, 2011
This group of stories has been amazing so far!!! If you want a fantastic sampling of m/m....this is for you!!!
July 27, 2015
I really enjoyed most of the stories in this anthology! 4 stars overall! Reviews for the different stories can be found furhter down.
The m/m romance group on Goodreads is a host of great events and the stories included in this book is one of the results. Thanks for offering the possiblity to have access to such lovely stories!
A Shiny New Toy *****
This was such a sweet short story! I immediately loved Quinn and James; they are great with each other. Toys being one of my kinks, I warmly welcomed the shiny red vibrator, giving the story some extra spice! Lovely prompt, sweet picture and great story! 5 stars!
Thick as Thieves **
It is somehow difficult to rate this story. I really enjoyed the first part; the MC’s meet in school, they become friends and slowly one falls in love with the other. The sexual experience between the MC’s felt very strange to read, however I got the feeling that these kinds of encounters do happen in reality quite frequently, maybe way more often than those cute, emotional, caring coming together stories that I love to read. The end felt very rushed, I would have loved to get a bit more information. 2 stars for a good first part and a stable writing!
Leaking Pipes *****
Oh wow, first of all this is a very yummy prompt picture! And a very sexy story too! I loved the humor, the MC’s and their hot encounter! Would like to read more about them! 5 stars!
Christmas in the Sandbox **
This was an ok read about two military men sneaking into an empty depot to have a few hot moments together. However, I would have loved to learn a bit more about these two, there was nearly no background information on their characters, what made it somewhat hard to connect with them. 2 stars!
Crying Wolf ****
I really loved this story! The world building was great and the author managed to make the setting and the MC’s feel very credible in only a few pages. I liked the way Wolf was described, it seemed very interesting and I might get a look at the other books of the series! 4 stars!
The New Man's Army *
This story didn’t work for me, I don’t know what the problem was, I just wasn’t able to connect to the characters. The writing was ok, but the plot felt totally strange and I guess that I won’t remember much of this story in a few days. 1 star only!
Rommy and Jules ***
Lovely prompt picture! I really liked the idea of the whole story, shifting dogs and cats really did it for me. However, the sex scene wasn’t so easy to read, a lot of words were repeated over and over again and it didn’t flow too well. Still 3 stars for the nice story idea!
The Conquerors ***
This short sci-fi story is very entertaining; it takes us into Olympic Games, where all athletes have to be naked in order to compete. Naked and without their genitals, they are handed back at the end of every competition day. Of course, things might get mixed up and that’s exactly what happens to MC Jasper. This is how he meets Carlos, his quick to be boyfriend. He integrates him into the fun he’s having with his own team and tadam we have a sexy m/m/m/m story! 3 stars!
A Wish for Jamie ****
This story was sweet and very emotional. My heart was breaking for Jamie! Alex is a great character; he is very patient and understanding, without being a saint. It would be interesting to read more about these two! Reading about how their relationship started and how it turned out after the events in this short story would be lovely. 4 stars!
Pony Up **
First of all, I really liked the writing style of this short story! The POV was great and made the story really interesting. I kept wondering where it would take me! However, there wasn’t much interaction between Dom and Sub; of course this might be due to the shortness of the story. Pony play is not really my thing, but as the story was really well written, I will give it 2 stars, 2,5 if I could!
Masters & Boyd ****
Oh wow, I loved this very short insight into Ed and Carricks relationship. They are great together and I might go for the whole thing quite soon. 4 stars for this appetizer!
You Melted Me *****
I immediately fell in love with these great MC’s. The sex was great and I would read more about them in a heartbeat! 5 stars!
A Bugger to Pack ****
I really enjoyed the whole idea of this story: a charity auction for Christmas, an inexperienced Sub an interesting Dom. Well, that’s everything a good short story need for me! I would have liked to read a few more pages about them, to get more of their interaction, but still 4 stars for this story!
Juniper's Christmas Stocking **
Ok, this is really difficult to review and to rate. The story was fun, I smiled a lot, but somehow I wasn’t able to really get into it, the sex wasn’t really hot either. I guess it just wasn’t my thing. Still, 2 stars for this short gang bang crazy story.
Bobby's Christmas Gift *****
After seeing the prompt picture, I wasn’t sure if this story would be something for me. But it was; I really enjoyed the sweet interaction between those two lovely MC’s. Of course, the insta-love isn’t always very credible, but it didn’t bother me in this story. One of my favorites in this anthology. 5 stars!
Las Posadas *****
Wow, this was a very hot short story! I loved the setting and the whole idea behind the story! The author integrated the prompt picture perfectly into the story, every detail was considered. 5 stars for this lovely short story!
Love Bound *****
This is a great and very emotional short story about loss, grief and about letting go. The MC’s were perfect and I liked the intensity between them. This would have been a great plot idea for a longer story; I guess I would have loved it just as much as the short one. 5 stars!
In the City of Neverlove **
Ok, well this story was definitely a bit odd; however I really liked the idea behind it. I think it could have worked out rather well, if there had been time for a world building. I will rate this story with 2 stars for the idea.
Christmas Gifts ***
A very sweet story about a young couple raising the twin brothers of one of the MC’s. An ok read with good sex scenes, but not much more. 3 stars!
In the Wind ***
This short story tells us about Max Erion, a werewolf meeting his mate. I enjoyed the writing style and the whole concept of the story. I’m not that much into shifting and mating stories, but this one was cute and I liked the MC’s and the sex. I would have liked to have the picture of the prompt a little more integrated. 3 stars for this one!
The Guttersnipe's Gift ****
First of all, great prompt picture! I really liked the atmosphere of this historical story about a guttersnipe that has been turned by a vampire. The interaction between the MC’s was great, I loved bratty Tristan and the way Gabriel was able to handle him. 4 stars!
A Walk on the Wild Side ***
This was an ok read; a short shifter story about two MC’s that had a fight resulting in makeup sex. We didn’t get much background information on the characters, which made it rather difficult to build a connection with them. 3 stars!
Holiday Bonus ***
Eli has been lusting after his boss since quite a while and shortly before Christmas his dreams are getting true. I liked the writing style and the interaction between the MC’s. This pairing does have potential for a complete story! 3 stars!
Cocklebur's Christmas *
Ok, so this is difficult to rate. I didn’t enjoy this short story. As far as I understood it is a part of a series and it just wasn’t possible to get into the world without having any background information and there was no information at all in this short story. I didn’t like the MC’s and the writing style wasn’t anything special. I can only rate this book with 1 star!
The Gift *****
Great prompt and fantastic story! I totally fell in love with the whole idea and the MC’s. This would be so perfect for a longer story! I have so many questions about this world in my head that I would immediately read more about it. Very sweet! 5 stars!
The m/m romance group on Goodreads is a host of great events and the stories included in this book is one of the results. Thanks for offering the possiblity to have access to such lovely stories!
A Shiny New Toy *****
This was such a sweet short story! I immediately loved Quinn and James; they are great with each other. Toys being one of my kinks, I warmly welcomed the shiny red vibrator, giving the story some extra spice! Lovely prompt, sweet picture and great story! 5 stars!
Thick as Thieves **
It is somehow difficult to rate this story. I really enjoyed the first part; the MC’s meet in school, they become friends and slowly one falls in love with the other. The sexual experience between the MC’s felt very strange to read, however I got the feeling that these kinds of encounters do happen in reality quite frequently, maybe way more often than those cute, emotional, caring coming together stories that I love to read. The end felt very rushed, I would have loved to get a bit more information. 2 stars for a good first part and a stable writing!
Leaking Pipes *****
Oh wow, first of all this is a very yummy prompt picture! And a very sexy story too! I loved the humor, the MC’s and their hot encounter! Would like to read more about them! 5 stars!
Christmas in the Sandbox **
This was an ok read about two military men sneaking into an empty depot to have a few hot moments together. However, I would have loved to learn a bit more about these two, there was nearly no background information on their characters, what made it somewhat hard to connect with them. 2 stars!
Crying Wolf ****
I really loved this story! The world building was great and the author managed to make the setting and the MC’s feel very credible in only a few pages. I liked the way Wolf was described, it seemed very interesting and I might get a look at the other books of the series! 4 stars!
The New Man's Army *
This story didn’t work for me, I don’t know what the problem was, I just wasn’t able to connect to the characters. The writing was ok, but the plot felt totally strange and I guess that I won’t remember much of this story in a few days. 1 star only!
Rommy and Jules ***
Lovely prompt picture! I really liked the idea of the whole story, shifting dogs and cats really did it for me. However, the sex scene wasn’t so easy to read, a lot of words were repeated over and over again and it didn’t flow too well. Still 3 stars for the nice story idea!
The Conquerors ***
This short sci-fi story is very entertaining; it takes us into Olympic Games, where all athletes have to be naked in order to compete. Naked and without their genitals, they are handed back at the end of every competition day. Of course, things might get mixed up and that’s exactly what happens to MC Jasper. This is how he meets Carlos, his quick to be boyfriend. He integrates him into the fun he’s having with his own team and tadam we have a sexy m/m/m/m story! 3 stars!
A Wish for Jamie ****
This story was sweet and very emotional. My heart was breaking for Jamie! Alex is a great character; he is very patient and understanding, without being a saint. It would be interesting to read more about these two! Reading about how their relationship started and how it turned out after the events in this short story would be lovely. 4 stars!
Pony Up **
First of all, I really liked the writing style of this short story! The POV was great and made the story really interesting. I kept wondering where it would take me! However, there wasn’t much interaction between Dom and Sub; of course this might be due to the shortness of the story. Pony play is not really my thing, but as the story was really well written, I will give it 2 stars, 2,5 if I could!
Masters & Boyd ****
Oh wow, I loved this very short insight into Ed and Carricks relationship. They are great together and I might go for the whole thing quite soon. 4 stars for this appetizer!
You Melted Me *****
I immediately fell in love with these great MC’s. The sex was great and I would read more about them in a heartbeat! 5 stars!
A Bugger to Pack ****
I really enjoyed the whole idea of this story: a charity auction for Christmas, an inexperienced Sub an interesting Dom. Well, that’s everything a good short story need for me! I would have liked to read a few more pages about them, to get more of their interaction, but still 4 stars for this story!
Juniper's Christmas Stocking **
Ok, this is really difficult to review and to rate. The story was fun, I smiled a lot, but somehow I wasn’t able to really get into it, the sex wasn’t really hot either. I guess it just wasn’t my thing. Still, 2 stars for this short gang bang crazy story.
Bobby's Christmas Gift *****
After seeing the prompt picture, I wasn’t sure if this story would be something for me. But it was; I really enjoyed the sweet interaction between those two lovely MC’s. Of course, the insta-love isn’t always very credible, but it didn’t bother me in this story. One of my favorites in this anthology. 5 stars!
Las Posadas *****
Wow, this was a very hot short story! I loved the setting and the whole idea behind the story! The author integrated the prompt picture perfectly into the story, every detail was considered. 5 stars for this lovely short story!
Love Bound *****
This is a great and very emotional short story about loss, grief and about letting go. The MC’s were perfect and I liked the intensity between them. This would have been a great plot idea for a longer story; I guess I would have loved it just as much as the short one. 5 stars!
In the City of Neverlove **
Ok, well this story was definitely a bit odd; however I really liked the idea behind it. I think it could have worked out rather well, if there had been time for a world building. I will rate this story with 2 stars for the idea.
Christmas Gifts ***
A very sweet story about a young couple raising the twin brothers of one of the MC’s. An ok read with good sex scenes, but not much more. 3 stars!
In the Wind ***
This short story tells us about Max Erion, a werewolf meeting his mate. I enjoyed the writing style and the whole concept of the story. I’m not that much into shifting and mating stories, but this one was cute and I liked the MC’s and the sex. I would have liked to have the picture of the prompt a little more integrated. 3 stars for this one!
The Guttersnipe's Gift ****
First of all, great prompt picture! I really liked the atmosphere of this historical story about a guttersnipe that has been turned by a vampire. The interaction between the MC’s was great, I loved bratty Tristan and the way Gabriel was able to handle him. 4 stars!
A Walk on the Wild Side ***
This was an ok read; a short shifter story about two MC’s that had a fight resulting in makeup sex. We didn’t get much background information on the characters, which made it rather difficult to build a connection with them. 3 stars!
Holiday Bonus ***
Eli has been lusting after his boss since quite a while and shortly before Christmas his dreams are getting true. I liked the writing style and the interaction between the MC’s. This pairing does have potential for a complete story! 3 stars!
Cocklebur's Christmas *
Ok, so this is difficult to rate. I didn’t enjoy this short story. As far as I understood it is a part of a series and it just wasn’t possible to get into the world without having any background information and there was no information at all in this short story. I didn’t like the MC’s and the writing style wasn’t anything special. I can only rate this book with 1 star!
The Gift *****
Great prompt and fantastic story! I totally fell in love with the whole idea and the MC’s. This would be so perfect for a longer story! I have so many questions about this world in my head that I would immediately read more about it. Very sweet! 5 stars!
September 28, 2011
Warning: Links to photos may contain graphic nudity and M/M situations
A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea: 4 stars - a sweet story about two best friends. Yes, of course this has been done, but the photo that inspired the story was really cute and I love the way it was brought to life.
WARNING: Photo depicts tasteful M/M situation
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Thick as Thieves by Brian Jackson: 3 stars - another story about two best friends but with a twist to the ending. I have to say, I did not like the ending. How could they have been so close all their lives and then just .... nothing? I didn't like that their friendship didn't hold up.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth: 4 stars. Okay, so I didn't like the photo that inspired this story (sorry), but the story itself was nicely done in my opinion. I enjoyed the story much better. The only complaint is that the story did not bring the photo to life as the actual photo situation was not depicted in the story. But the photo did inspire the story, even if it was not part of the story itself. That might be a good thing since I didn't like the photo anyway.
WARNING: Photo depicts graphic male nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Christmas in the Sandbox by Missy Welsh: 4 stars. Warning - THIS photo is graphic and steamy. Not for the faint of heart. The author did a good job using this photo as inspiration. Of course there was a little artistic license as the two military men Digger and Neal had their tryst in complete darkness (which frankly seems more realistic to me).
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Crying Wolf by Jade Archer: 4 stars. I didn't love this picture but the PNR short that Ms. Archer wrote was really interesting. I think her development of the characters in such a short number of words was great. I'd be interesting in reading more from this author.
WARNING: Picture depicts graphic nudity of a shifter fox
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
The New Man's Army by Michael Swearingen: 2 stars. I still don't know what the heck this story was about. Huh? The picture was whack too. I dunno - not really my favorite story.
WARNING: Photo depicts boy in pink panties
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Rommy and Jules by Xara X. Xanakas: 3 stars. I liked this photo and the story was pretty good. I think I would've liked it a lot more if it was filled with so many cat/dog puns. Son of a bitch, pussy, cat-nap, doggie style...I got it, they're a dog and a cat.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
The Conquerers by Mark Alders: 2 stars. The writing style of this book is not my favorite. There was a lot of menage action in this book which is also not my preference.
WARNING: Photo depicts non-graphic male locker room nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
A Wish for Jamie by Em Woods: 3 stars. This was a short and sweet story. I gave it 3 stars due to the character development. It was kind of odd how Alex had one personality at the office and then was suddenly a totally different person. Things moved kind of fast. The story started out with them as casual office lovers, and then at the blink of an eye Alex professes his love and wants a relationship. There's no insight into Alex's character that helps explain his emotions. Actually, I think this story was lacking emotion. I felt the guilt from Jamie, but no true emotion besides that statement of "I love yous" at the end.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz: 2 stars. This was humorous. The kinks in it were totally not my thing. I had the same issues when reading Nowhere Ranch - the whole buttplug pony tail scenario just complete douses my libido.
WARNING: Photo depicts non-graphic male nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Masters and Boyd by SJD Peterson: 4 stars. A sizzling hot read with a lovely twist at the end. dom/sub themes.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
You Melted Me by Kari Gregg: 4 stars. Fantastically sexy photo helped make this story pop. This story did a nice job developing the two characters of Leland and Brian who are engaged in office romance.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M situation with non-graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
A Bugger to Pack by Kim Dare: 4.5 stars. Okay - interesting. I do not like BDSM but this was quite tastefully done. In fact, although there was a dom/sub role, there was no master/slave or strong domination. It was more of a protective and nurturing role of a dom to his sub. I really liked the way the Dom did everything he could to make his sub feel comfortable and cared for. This might be the first BDSM tidbit that I've really enjoyed.
WARNING: Photo depicts bondage theme with non-graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn: 1 star. Hmm - I ended up skimming this one. It was almost a DNF. Not into the gang bang.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates: 3.5 stars. I thought that Serena did a good job turning the photo into a very interesting story. I liked the whole damsel in distress theme. I really liked Greg and thought he was a great hero.
WARNING: Photo depicts BDSM
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Las Posadas by Ocotillo: 2 stars. This was one of my least favorite photos. It was not artistic at all - just a porn shot. I thought the story was very creative, but the element of shame that Kit felt the whole time, just made me extremely uncomfortable. I don't like the humiliation theme. I think the ending was okay, and tried to mitigate that feeling a bit, but I still didn't enjoy the story as I was reading it because it was outside of my comfort level.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M/M graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea: 4 stars - a sweet story about two best friends. Yes, of course this has been done, but the photo that inspired the story was really cute and I love the way it was brought to life.
WARNING: Photo depicts tasteful M/M situation
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Thick as Thieves by Brian Jackson: 3 stars - another story about two best friends but with a twist to the ending. I have to say, I did not like the ending. How could they have been so close all their lives and then just .... nothing? I didn't like that their friendship didn't hold up.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth: 4 stars. Okay, so I didn't like the photo that inspired this story (sorry), but the story itself was nicely done in my opinion. I enjoyed the story much better. The only complaint is that the story did not bring the photo to life as the actual photo situation was not depicted in the story. But the photo did inspire the story, even if it was not part of the story itself. That might be a good thing since I didn't like the photo anyway.
WARNING: Photo depicts graphic male nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Christmas in the Sandbox by Missy Welsh: 4 stars. Warning - THIS photo is graphic and steamy. Not for the faint of heart. The author did a good job using this photo as inspiration. Of course there was a little artistic license as the two military men Digger and Neal had their tryst in complete darkness (which frankly seems more realistic to me).
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Crying Wolf by Jade Archer: 4 stars. I didn't love this picture but the PNR short that Ms. Archer wrote was really interesting. I think her development of the characters in such a short number of words was great. I'd be interesting in reading more from this author.
WARNING: Picture depicts graphic nudity of a shifter fox
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
The New Man's Army by Michael Swearingen: 2 stars. I still don't know what the heck this story was about. Huh? The picture was whack too. I dunno - not really my favorite story.
WARNING: Photo depicts boy in pink panties
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Rommy and Jules by Xara X. Xanakas: 3 stars. I liked this photo and the story was pretty good. I think I would've liked it a lot more if it was filled with so many cat/dog puns. Son of a bitch, pussy, cat-nap, doggie style...I got it, they're a dog and a cat.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
The Conquerers by Mark Alders: 2 stars. The writing style of this book is not my favorite. There was a lot of menage action in this book which is also not my preference.
WARNING: Photo depicts non-graphic male locker room nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
A Wish for Jamie by Em Woods: 3 stars. This was a short and sweet story. I gave it 3 stars due to the character development. It was kind of odd how Alex had one personality at the office and then was suddenly a totally different person. Things moved kind of fast. The story started out with them as casual office lovers, and then at the blink of an eye Alex professes his love and wants a relationship. There's no insight into Alex's character that helps explain his emotions. Actually, I think this story was lacking emotion. I felt the guilt from Jamie, but no true emotion besides that statement of "I love yous" at the end.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz: 2 stars. This was humorous. The kinks in it were totally not my thing. I had the same issues when reading Nowhere Ranch - the whole buttplug pony tail scenario just complete douses my libido.
WARNING: Photo depicts non-graphic male nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Masters and Boyd by SJD Peterson: 4 stars. A sizzling hot read with a lovely twist at the end. dom/sub themes.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
You Melted Me by Kari Gregg: 4 stars. Fantastically sexy photo helped make this story pop. This story did a nice job developing the two characters of Leland and Brian who are engaged in office romance.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M situation with non-graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
A Bugger to Pack by Kim Dare: 4.5 stars. Okay - interesting. I do not like BDSM but this was quite tastefully done. In fact, although there was a dom/sub role, there was no master/slave or strong domination. It was more of a protective and nurturing role of a dom to his sub. I really liked the way the Dom did everything he could to make his sub feel comfortable and cared for. This might be the first BDSM tidbit that I've really enjoyed.
WARNING: Photo depicts bondage theme with non-graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn: 1 star. Hmm - I ended up skimming this one. It was almost a DNF. Not into the gang bang.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates: 3.5 stars. I thought that Serena did a good job turning the photo into a very interesting story. I liked the whole damsel in distress theme. I really liked Greg and thought he was a great hero.
WARNING: Photo depicts BDSM
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
Las Posadas by Ocotillo: 2 stars. This was one of my least favorite photos. It was not artistic at all - just a porn shot. I thought the story was very creative, but the element of shame that Kit felt the whole time, just made me extremely uncomfortable. I don't like the humiliation theme. I think the ending was okay, and tried to mitigate that feeling a bit, but I still didn't enjoy the story as I was reading it because it was outside of my comfort level.
WARNING: Photo depicts M/M/M graphic nudity
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...
my-books
January 7, 2011One of my stories, Christmas Gifts, is in this anthology. I have to say, I really enjoyed writing that story. It was fun to write and I enjoyed working with my critique group on it. It was relaxing to work on because it was a for fun piece that I wrote for the sake of the M/M Romance group to enjoy. I wasn't worried about what a publisher would think about it or whether or not it would sell. I was able to just sit back and write whatever my brain told me to. I hope everyone who reads this anthology enjoys the story and the rest of the pieces so many wonderful authors took the time to write.
December 6, 2011
A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea - 3½ stars
Thick As Thieves by Brian Jackson - 2 stars
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth - 3½ stars
Christmas In The Sandbox by Missy Welsh - 2 stars
Crying Wolf by Jade Archer - 4 stars
The New Man's army by Michael S. - 2 stars
Rommy And Jules by Xara X. Xanakas - 3½ stars
The Conquerors by Mark Alders - 3 stars
A Wish For Jamie by Em Woods - 3 stars
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz - 4 stars
Masters And Boyd by SJD Peterson - 3 stars
You Melted Me by Kari Gregg - 3½ stars
A Bugger To Pack by Kim Dare - 3½ stars
Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn - DNF
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates - 3½ stars
Las Posadas by Ocotillo - 4 Stars
Love Bound by Jessica Freely - 2 stars
In The City Of Neverlove by Heinrich Xin - 1 star
Christmas Gifts by William Cooper - 4 stars
In The Wind by Wren Boudreau - 2 stars
The Guttersnipe Gift by Selah March - 3 stars
A Walk On The Wild Side by Sarah Madison - DNF
Holiday Bonus by Stephani Hecht -2 Stars
Cocklebur's Christmas by Amy Lane - 2 Stars
The Gift by Angela Benedetti - 3 stars
Thick As Thieves by Brian Jackson - 2 stars
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth - 3½ stars
Christmas In The Sandbox by Missy Welsh - 2 stars
Crying Wolf by Jade Archer - 4 stars
The New Man's army by Michael S. - 2 stars
Rommy And Jules by Xara X. Xanakas - 3½ stars
The Conquerors by Mark Alders - 3 stars
A Wish For Jamie by Em Woods - 3 stars
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz - 4 stars
Masters And Boyd by SJD Peterson - 3 stars
You Melted Me by Kari Gregg - 3½ stars
A Bugger To Pack by Kim Dare - 3½ stars
Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn - DNF
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates - 3½ stars
Las Posadas by Ocotillo - 4 Stars
Love Bound by Jessica Freely - 2 stars
In The City Of Neverlove by Heinrich Xin - 1 star
Christmas Gifts by William Cooper - 4 stars
In The Wind by Wren Boudreau - 2 stars
The Guttersnipe Gift by Selah March - 3 stars
A Walk On The Wild Side by Sarah Madison - DNF
Holiday Bonus by Stephani Hecht -2 Stars
Cocklebur's Christmas by Amy Lane - 2 Stars
The Gift by Angela Benedetti - 3 stars
January 24, 2011
I love the variety of stories in here. Some are smoking hot, some are serious, that brought a tear to my eye, and yet some are in-between. There are a lot of talented authors in the m/m romance group here.
The only thing that bothered me with this anthology, was that a couple of the stories were set in some authors 'verses. I don't mind that these authors have universes to write stuff in, but for an anthology, I feel like it should be a stand alone story. Both pieces that I can recall were in 'someone's verse it just felt like I had to know more about these characters than, I did, because I wasn't familiar with the authors other works.
But overall, I loved this anthology, and can't wait to check out some of the authors other works.
The only thing that bothered me with this anthology, was that a couple of the stories were set in some authors 'verses. I don't mind that these authors have universes to write stuff in, but for an anthology, I feel like it should be a stand alone story. Both pieces that I can recall were in 'someone's verse it just felt like I had to know more about these characters than, I did, because I wasn't familiar with the authors other works.
But overall, I loved this anthology, and can't wait to check out some of the authors other works.
February 2, 2011
I need to be clear that some of the stories in this Anthology were straight up 5's. Like Amy Lane's, Missy Welsh's, Lex Valentine's, Jade Archer's, Em Wood's, Kim Dare's, Kari Gregg's, Serena Yates, and Wren Boudreau's...they were all worth reading. And such a lovely gift...
January 7, 2011
Just awesome!
January 8, 2011
Yes I have a story in it but the others are awesome. This was a project we all did for fun and finally wound up in one volume. Some great stories here!
January 10, 2011
A great collection of romance stories inspired by photos. One of my first M/M romance reads.
March 19, 2011
A Shiney New Toy by M.J. O'shea
4-stars
Thick as Theives by Brian Jackson
3-stars
This one made me sad. Even if it was kind of a happy ending.
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth
4-stars
omg REALLY?! Just when it was getting good!!! *sigh*
Christmas in the sandbox by Missy Welsh
3 stars
Crying Wolf
3-stars
awe. loved the man-wolf.
The New Man's Army by Michael S.
2-stars
Rommy and Jules by Xara X. Xanakas
3-stars
cute story!
The Conquerors by Mark Alders
3-stars.
Ok i liked this story even though I spent most of it either giggling or thinking "WTF"
A Wish for Jamie by Em Woods
3.5-stars
I liked how the letter was incorporaated.
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz
1-star
uh... wow that was kinda brutal. Don't think I'm hardcore enough for this one >.<
Masters and Boyd by SJD Peterson
3-stars
You Melted Me by Kari Gregg
3-stars
A Bugger to Pack by Kim Dare
3-stars
Junipter's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn
3-stars
I chuckled alot. And i totally liked how the story was written in the form of a letter.
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates
3.5-stars
Las Posadas by Ocotillo
3-stars
Love Bound by Jessica Freely
3-stars
I kinda saw the story going another way when it started but I guess I was ok with it.
In the city of Neverlover by Heinrich Xin
2-stars.
I spent all of this story confused. Plus I don't see how the picture was used. I did like the world that was created.
Christmas Gifts by William Cooper
3-stars.
In the Wind by Wren Boudreau
4-stars.
I'm a sucker for a good shifter story. This one was too short ;(
The Guttersnipe's Gift by Selah March
4.5-stars
More please?!!!!
A Walk on the Wild side by Sarah Madison
4-stars.
loved it! I'm telling you. most shifter stories is an insta love for me.
Holiday Bonus by Stephani Hecht
4-stars.
Cocklebur's Christmas by Amy Lane
I skipped trying to read this story because im not familiar with the series so I found it confusing to read = (
The Gift by Angela Benedetti
3.5-stars
LOVED the story but was totally thrown off by how it ended.
4-stars
Thick as Theives by Brian Jackson
3-stars
This one made me sad. Even if it was kind of a happy ending.
Leaking Pipes by Deanna Wadsworth
4-stars
omg REALLY?! Just when it was getting good!!! *sigh*
Christmas in the sandbox by Missy Welsh
3 stars
Crying Wolf
3-stars
awe. loved the man-wolf.
The New Man's Army by Michael S.
2-stars
Rommy and Jules by Xara X. Xanakas
3-stars
cute story!
The Conquerors by Mark Alders
3-stars.
Ok i liked this story even though I spent most of it either giggling or thinking "WTF"
A Wish for Jamie by Em Woods
3.5-stars
I liked how the letter was incorporaated.
Pony Up by Rachel Haimowitz
1-star
uh... wow that was kinda brutal. Don't think I'm hardcore enough for this one >.<
Masters and Boyd by SJD Peterson
3-stars
You Melted Me by Kari Gregg
3-stars
A Bugger to Pack by Kim Dare
3-stars
Junipter's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn
3-stars
I chuckled alot. And i totally liked how the story was written in the form of a letter.
Bobby's Christmas Gift by Serena Yates
3.5-stars
Las Posadas by Ocotillo
3-stars
Love Bound by Jessica Freely
3-stars
I kinda saw the story going another way when it started but I guess I was ok with it.
In the city of Neverlover by Heinrich Xin
2-stars.
I spent all of this story confused. Plus I don't see how the picture was used. I did like the world that was created.
Christmas Gifts by William Cooper
3-stars.
In the Wind by Wren Boudreau
4-stars.
I'm a sucker for a good shifter story. This one was too short ;(
The Guttersnipe's Gift by Selah March
4.5-stars
More please?!!!!
A Walk on the Wild side by Sarah Madison
4-stars.
loved it! I'm telling you. most shifter stories is an insta love for me.
Holiday Bonus by Stephani Hecht
4-stars.
Cocklebur's Christmas by Amy Lane
I skipped trying to read this story because im not familiar with the series so I found it confusing to read = (
The Gift by Angela Benedetti
3.5-stars
LOVED the story but was totally thrown off by how it ended.
April 13, 2011
STUFF MY STOCKING: M/M ROMANCE STORIES THAT ARE NICE AND...NAUGHTY - 2.29 STARS
A SHINY NEW TOY by M.J. O'Shea - 4.5 stars
THICK AS THIEVES by Brian Jackson - 1 star
LEAKING PIPES by Deanna Wadsworth - 1.5 stars
CHRISTMAS IN THE SANDBOX by Missy Welsh - 4.5 stars
CRYING WOLF by Jade Archer - 2 stars
THE NEW MAN'S ARMY by Michael S. - 1 star
ROMMY AND JULES by Xara X. Xanakas - 1 star
THE CONQUERORS by Mark Alders - .5 star
A WISH FOR JAMIE by Em Woods - 3.5 stars
PONY UP by Rachel Haimowitz - 2 stars
MASTERS AND BOYD by SJD Peterson - 4 stars
YOU MELTED ME by Kari Gregg - 3.5 stars
A BUGGER TO PACK by Kim Dare - 4.5 stars
JUNIPER’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING by A.J. Llewellyn - .75 star
BOBBY'S CHRISTMAS GIFT by Serena Yates - 3 stars
LAS POSADAS by Ocotillo - 1.5 stars
LOVE BOUND by Jessica Freely - 1.5 stars
IN THE CITY OF NEVERLOVE by Heinrich Xin - .5 star
CHRISTMAS GIFTS by William Cooper - 3.5 stars
IN THE WIND by Wren Boudreau - 3 stars
THE GUTTERSNIPE’S GIFT by Selah March - 1 star
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE by Sarah Madison - 1 star
HOLIDAY BONUS by Stephani Hecht - 4 stars
COCKLEBUR’S CHRISTMAS by Amy Lane - .5 star
THE GIFT by Angela Benedetti - 3.5 stars
A SHINY NEW TOY by M.J. O'Shea - 4.5 stars
THICK AS THIEVES by Brian Jackson - 1 star
LEAKING PIPES by Deanna Wadsworth - 1.5 stars
CHRISTMAS IN THE SANDBOX by Missy Welsh - 4.5 stars
CRYING WOLF by Jade Archer - 2 stars
THE NEW MAN'S ARMY by Michael S. - 1 star
ROMMY AND JULES by Xara X. Xanakas - 1 star
THE CONQUERORS by Mark Alders - .5 star
A WISH FOR JAMIE by Em Woods - 3.5 stars
PONY UP by Rachel Haimowitz - 2 stars
MASTERS AND BOYD by SJD Peterson - 4 stars
YOU MELTED ME by Kari Gregg - 3.5 stars
A BUGGER TO PACK by Kim Dare - 4.5 stars
JUNIPER’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING by A.J. Llewellyn - .75 star
BOBBY'S CHRISTMAS GIFT by Serena Yates - 3 stars
LAS POSADAS by Ocotillo - 1.5 stars
LOVE BOUND by Jessica Freely - 1.5 stars
IN THE CITY OF NEVERLOVE by Heinrich Xin - .5 star
CHRISTMAS GIFTS by William Cooper - 3.5 stars
IN THE WIND by Wren Boudreau - 3 stars
THE GUTTERSNIPE’S GIFT by Selah March - 1 star
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE by Sarah Madison - 1 star
HOLIDAY BONUS by Stephani Hecht - 4 stars
COCKLEBUR’S CHRISTMAS by Amy Lane - .5 star
THE GIFT by Angela Benedetti - 3.5 stars
June 6, 2011
I decided to stop reading on like, 5th story, since the theme is began feel more naughty than romantic--when I'm actually kind of romanticist soo...
But first few stories was good and I found the 3rd story about IT guy and the plumber very interesting. That story became my favorite in this anthology so far. Maybe I would try to read the other sometimes later and find out whether I could find some stories that fit my taste.
but all in all, this anthology is nice to read.
But first few stories was good and I found the 3rd story about IT guy and the plumber very interesting. That story became my favorite in this anthology so far. Maybe I would try to read the other sometimes later and find out whether I could find some stories that fit my taste.
but all in all, this anthology is nice to read.
freebies
December 28, 2011I partially read this anthology so not rating:
*A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea ★★★ 2016/06/27
*Thick as Thieves by Brian Jackson ★★ 2016/09/05
*Christmas in the Sandbox by Missy Welsh ★★★★ 2016/09/05
*The New Man's Army by Michael Swearingen ★★ 2016/06/05
*Rommy and Jules by Xara X. Xanakas ★★ 2016/06/08
*Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn ★★ 2016/09/05
*Las Posadas by Eve Ocotillo ★★★★ 2016/05/24
*A Shiny New Toy by M.J. O'Shea ★★★ 2016/06/27
*Thick as Thieves by Brian Jackson ★★ 2016/09/05
*Christmas in the Sandbox by Missy Welsh ★★★★ 2016/09/05
*The New Man's Army by Michael Swearingen ★★ 2016/06/05
*Rommy and Jules by Xara X. Xanakas ★★ 2016/06/08
*Juniper's Christmas Stocking by A.J. Llewellyn ★★ 2016/09/05
*Las Posadas by Eve Ocotillo ★★★★ 2016/05/24
January 10, 2011
Super hot stories from an amazing group of authors!
January 10, 2011
A great mixture of writing styles and creativity. Wonderful holiday treat. :)
January 17, 2011
Really enjoyed this set of m/m romances for sure. Found it most intriguing the different take from some of the writers. But definitely got really hot from reading each one. ;)
January 20, 2011
a lot of blushing
February 12, 2015
Some stories in this collection were amazingly good, others were okay and a few were atrocious. So the average for the collection is 3 christmassy stars. It is a good read on a cold winters day.
April 4, 2011
"A Shiny New Toy" by M.J. O'Shea: 4.5 stars
This is my first time reading one of M.J. O'Shea's work but it certainly won't be the last. This story was just so cute.
"Thick as Thieves" by Brian Jackson: DNF, 1 star
Ah! I was all prepared to love every one of the stories in this anthology but I could not love this. I could not even finish it. This story suffered from the most acute case of tell, no show that I've ever seen. Not only that, as I was skipping ahead for the next story, I discovered that the couple we are introduced to in the beginning of the story wasn't quite the couple we get a happy ending for. While I think I can appreciate the concept, the author failed in the execution.
"Leaking Pipes" by Deanna Wadsworth: 4 stars
Yet another new-to-me author (there will be many from this anthology) that I will be reading more of (already had a few of her works on my TBR shelf). While not a huge fan of either twinks or plumbers, this story was very cute as well - especially the dog.
"Christmas in the Sandbox" by Missy Welsh: 3 - 3.5 stars
I liked Neal and Digger's relationship, but the ending paragraph was probably my favorite part of this story. Another cute story.
Did I say that I was going to take my time reading this? I changed my mind. :)
"Crying Wolf" by Jade Archer: 3 stars
This story was set in the same world as the author's Portals series. While this meant that there were some questions about the world that were left unanswered, it didn't detract from the story overall. One of the things that bothered me was the mage calling the Wolf boy and pup, and the cute whines that Wolf made. It made me think of a kid or a boy no older than maybe 12-14 years old. There wasn't enough in the way of description, behavior or conversation that led me to believe that Wolf was older although I'm sure he was. I was also not a huge fan of "werewolfy" or anthropomorphic characters, and this one just barely worked for me. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this story and I will be checking out the other books in the Portals series.
"The New Man's Army" by Michael S.: 2.5 - 3 stars
It was very short but it did answer the "Dear Santa" request in a rather amusing way, I thought. How quickly the narrator accepted his situation was not very believable but I liked the story nonetheless.
"Rommy and Jules" by Xara X. Xanakas: 2 - 2.5 stars
This story was kind of cute. I did like how the author attempted to incorporate the picture which this story was the inspiration of, and I enjoyed the beginning of it. But the second half of the story was a very detailed sex scene that failed to be...sexy. As I mentioned, while I did like how the author attempted to incorporate the tattoos in the picture into the story, I thought that the whole shifter idea was not well executed, mainly due to the lack of any world-building. The spoof on Romeo and Juliet was somewhat corny but didn't detract from the story overall.
"The Conquerors" by Mark Alders: 2 stars
Err...WTH? Detachable genitals?? That was alittle err very err somewhat hard to take in. I had a little difficulty imagining the world. I expect it was difficult to expand upon it in a short story. Nonetheless, what world-building there was was not superficial, for which I'm grateful. Overall, the story seemed fun and really erotic. The writing style was not to my taste though.
"A Wish for Jamie" by Em Woods: 3.5 - 4 stars
My first thought when I finished this story? "That was nice. That was really nice." I really liked it. It was sweet, lovely with a tinge of bittersweet. This story caught my attention from its very first line. I'd love to read more about Jamie and Alex.
"Pony Up" by Rachel Haimowitz: 3.5 - 4 stars
Okay. So apparently I'd already read this short story some time, somewhere. I was going to skip it but decided to reread it, not remembering exactly how I'd felt about it. The story is in 1st person POV, set in an alternate universe (perhaps the same Belonging universe as Anchored?) where people own (sex) slaves. Although there really isn't much to the story, it was pretty hot so an extra star for that.
"Masters and Boyd" by SJD Peterson: 3.5 - 4.5 stars
Let's just say, I was really grateful for the air conditioning on the train. :) But to expand upon what I liked about this story, I have to say that this might be the first one that I recall reading where the author took care to describe that the submissive partner, although called "boy", is in fact a man. The "boy" doesn't act like an adolescent (or younger) either. While I would normally give this a 3.5 or 4 rating, the heat level bumped it up a star. And this is also the only story I recall reading where the author convincingly showed two consenting adults engaging in D/s role-play, that once over, reverted to ordinary men who love each other. Suffice it to say that I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author.
"You Melted Me" by Kari Gregg: 3.5 - 4 stars
It was hot, sexy, and...Brian is too funny. I really liked this one. :D
"A Bugger to Pack" by Kim Dare: 2.5 - 3 stars
Something was missing. Maybe passion, heat, humor? I couldn't warm to the characters. But who was who's present was a pleasant surprise.
"Juniper's Christmas Stocking" by A.J. Llewellyn: 3.5 stars
I really liked how the author had incorporated the Santa letter into his story. He has quite a sense of humor. I couldn't stop laughing.
"Bobby's Christmas Gift" by Serena Yates: 2 - 2.5 stars
Required a bit of suspension of disbelief for me that didn't quite make it. Not a bad story though.
"Las Posadas" by Ocotillo: 3 stars
I liked it. The setting was different, the people seemed real, and the sex scene was pretty hot. I understand now why the folks at M/M Romance suddenly seemed to have found a medical kink. I think I just did too. :)
"Love Bound" by Jessica Freely: 4 - 4.5 stars
OMG. I hate stories like this - . I've hated it since I first saw it in a movies several years ago because it's so sad! This story was so lovely and poignant, and I love the way the author had interpreted the picture. It was not what I was expecting - in a good way. Now, please excuse me while I go hunt for a tissue.
"In the City of Neverlove" by Heinrich Xin: 2 stars
I was a bit confused. The author chose to "tell" the story of the picture, which was a little disappointing, and it seemed awkwardly done. The world was interesting but I did not like it. I also do not care for androids. I suppose it was an okay story. A little sad. It was just not to my taste.
"Christmas Gifts" by William Cooper: 3 stars
It was a cute, ordinary family time story.
"In the Wind" by Wren Boudreau - 2 stars
It was okay. I wasn't thrilled about it being a wolfy shape-shifter story but I liked the beginning of the story. I wasn't so thrilled about the destined mate trope; it made me cringe. Second half of the story seemed too pat. The sex scene was pretty hot though.
"The Guttersnipe's Gift" by Selah March - 4 stars
It was a delicious combination of sweet, dark and dangerous. I was fascinated. The vampires and the atmosphere reminded me of the film, Interview with the Vampire. I thought that the older vampire's wishes for his Guttersnipe was pretty sweet though. It was my first time reading Selah March. It wasn't the last since I almost immediately purchased and read Year of the Cat which I also loved. :D
"A Walk on the Wild Side" by Sarah Madison - 2 stars
It was eh for me. The identity of the tiger surprised me - pleasantly. The fact that Alex was a vampire surprised me - unpleasantly. There'd been no indication that he was a vampire in the beginning of the story. Aside from little details toward latter part of the story such as teeth, not so fragile body, and ability to smell blood beneath the skin, Alex sounded entirely human and so his vampirism wasn't believable for me. There were mention of other people without much explanation who or what they were, and apparently tiger-shifters and vampires are not the only species around this world. There are werewolves too. It was too much for me, and a bit too ridiculous, especially for a short story where the world-building was nil.
"Holiday Bonus" by Stephani Hecht - 3 stars
Wish I had a boss like Blake. Nice holiday bonuses. :)
"Cocklebur's Christmas" by Amy Lane - 2 stars
There was a lot of background story, and references to probably the other books in this author's Green's Hill universe.
"The Gift" by Angela Benedetti - 2.5 stars
Hmm. I prefer real men. The Companion Shay and Austin relationship is rather sweet. Will real Shay also get his chance?
This is my first time reading one of M.J. O'Shea's work but it certainly won't be the last. This story was just so cute.
"Thick as Thieves" by Brian Jackson: DNF, 1 star
Ah! I was all prepared to love every one of the stories in this anthology but I could not love this. I could not even finish it. This story suffered from the most acute case of tell, no show that I've ever seen. Not only that, as I was skipping ahead for the next story, I discovered that the couple we are introduced to in the beginning of the story wasn't quite the couple we get a happy ending for. While I think I can appreciate the concept, the author failed in the execution.
"Leaking Pipes" by Deanna Wadsworth: 4 stars
Yet another new-to-me author (there will be many from this anthology) that I will be reading more of (already had a few of her works on my TBR shelf). While not a huge fan of either twinks or plumbers, this story was very cute as well - especially the dog.
"Christmas in the Sandbox" by Missy Welsh: 3 - 3.5 stars
I liked Neal and Digger's relationship, but the ending paragraph was probably my favorite part of this story. Another cute story.
Did I say that I was going to take my time reading this? I changed my mind. :)
"Crying Wolf" by Jade Archer: 3 stars
This story was set in the same world as the author's Portals series. While this meant that there were some questions about the world that were left unanswered, it didn't detract from the story overall. One of the things that bothered me was the mage calling the Wolf boy and pup, and the cute whines that Wolf made. It made me think of a kid or a boy no older than maybe 12-14 years old. There wasn't enough in the way of description, behavior or conversation that led me to believe that Wolf was older although I'm sure he was. I was also not a huge fan of "werewolfy" or anthropomorphic characters, and this one just barely worked for me. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this story and I will be checking out the other books in the Portals series.
"The New Man's Army" by Michael S.: 2.5 - 3 stars
It was very short but it did answer the "Dear Santa" request in a rather amusing way, I thought. How quickly the narrator accepted his situation was not very believable but I liked the story nonetheless.
"Rommy and Jules" by Xara X. Xanakas: 2 - 2.5 stars
This story was kind of cute. I did like how the author attempted to incorporate the picture which this story was the inspiration of, and I enjoyed the beginning of it. But the second half of the story was a very detailed sex scene that failed to be...sexy. As I mentioned, while I did like how the author attempted to incorporate the tattoos in the picture into the story, I thought that the whole shifter idea was not well executed, mainly due to the lack of any world-building. The spoof on Romeo and Juliet was somewhat corny but didn't detract from the story overall.
"The Conquerors" by Mark Alders: 2 stars
Err...WTH? Detachable genitals?? That was a
"A Wish for Jamie" by Em Woods: 3.5 - 4 stars
My first thought when I finished this story? "That was nice. That was really nice." I really liked it. It was sweet, lovely with a tinge of bittersweet. This story caught my attention from its very first line. I'd love to read more about Jamie and Alex.
"Pony Up" by Rachel Haimowitz: 3.5 - 4 stars
Okay. So apparently I'd already read this short story some time, somewhere. I was going to skip it but decided to reread it, not remembering exactly how I'd felt about it. The story is in 1st person POV, set in an alternate universe (perhaps the same Belonging universe as Anchored?) where people own (sex) slaves. Although there really isn't much to the story, it was pretty hot so an extra star for that.
"Masters and Boyd" by SJD Peterson: 3.5 - 4.5 stars
Let's just say, I was really grateful for the air conditioning on the train. :) But to expand upon what I liked about this story, I have to say that this might be the first one that I recall reading where the author took care to describe that the submissive partner, although called "boy", is in fact a man. The "boy" doesn't act like an adolescent (or younger) either. While I would normally give this a 3.5 or 4 rating, the heat level bumped it up a star. And this is also the only story I recall reading where the author convincingly showed two consenting adults engaging in D/s role-play, that once over, reverted to ordinary men who love each other. Suffice it to say that I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author.
"You Melted Me" by Kari Gregg: 3.5 - 4 stars
It was hot, sexy, and...Brian is too funny. I really liked this one. :D
"A Bugger to Pack" by Kim Dare: 2.5 - 3 stars
Something was missing. Maybe passion, heat, humor? I couldn't warm to the characters. But who was who's present was a pleasant surprise.
"Juniper's Christmas Stocking" by A.J. Llewellyn: 3.5 stars
I really liked how the author had incorporated the Santa letter into his story. He has quite a sense of humor. I couldn't stop laughing.
"Bobby's Christmas Gift" by Serena Yates: 2 - 2.5 stars
Required a bit of suspension of disbelief for me that didn't quite make it. Not a bad story though.
"Las Posadas" by Ocotillo: 3 stars
I liked it. The setting was different, the people seemed real, and the sex scene was pretty hot. I understand now why the folks at M/M Romance suddenly seemed to have found a medical kink. I think I just did too. :)
"Love Bound" by Jessica Freely: 4 - 4.5 stars
OMG. I hate stories like this - . I've hated it since I first saw it in a movies several years ago because it's so sad! This story was so lovely and poignant, and I love the way the author had interpreted the picture. It was not what I was expecting - in a good way. Now, please excuse me while I go hunt for a tissue.
"In the City of Neverlove" by Heinrich Xin: 2 stars
I was a bit confused. The author chose to "tell" the story of the picture, which was a little disappointing, and it seemed awkwardly done. The world was interesting but I did not like it. I also do not care for androids. I suppose it was an okay story. A little sad. It was just not to my taste.
"Christmas Gifts" by William Cooper: 3 stars
It was a cute, ordinary family time story.
"In the Wind" by Wren Boudreau - 2 stars
It was okay. I wasn't thrilled about it being a wolfy shape-shifter story but I liked the beginning of the story. I wasn't so thrilled about the destined mate trope; it made me cringe. Second half of the story seemed too pat. The sex scene was pretty hot though.
"The Guttersnipe's Gift" by Selah March - 4 stars
It was a delicious combination of sweet, dark and dangerous. I was fascinated. The vampires and the atmosphere reminded me of the film, Interview with the Vampire. I thought that the older vampire's wishes for his Guttersnipe was pretty sweet though. It was my first time reading Selah March. It wasn't the last since I almost immediately purchased and read Year of the Cat which I also loved. :D
"A Walk on the Wild Side" by Sarah Madison - 2 stars
It was eh for me. The identity of the tiger surprised me - pleasantly. The fact that Alex was a vampire surprised me - unpleasantly. There'd been no indication that he was a vampire in the beginning of the story. Aside from little details toward latter part of the story such as teeth, not so fragile body, and ability to smell blood beneath the skin, Alex sounded entirely human and so his vampirism wasn't believable for me. There were mention of other people without much explanation who or what they were, and apparently tiger-shifters and vampires are not the only species around this world. There are werewolves too. It was too much for me, and a bit too ridiculous, especially for a short story where the world-building was nil.
"Holiday Bonus" by Stephani Hecht - 3 stars
Wish I had a boss like Blake. Nice holiday bonuses. :)
"Cocklebur's Christmas" by Amy Lane - 2 stars
There was a lot of background story, and references to probably the other books in this author's Green's Hill universe.
"The Gift" by Angela Benedetti - 2.5 stars
Hmm. I prefer real men. The Companion Shay and Austin relationship is rather sweet. Will real Shay also get his chance?
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