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Fraternal Devotion
When you pit knowledge against emotions, there's the no-man's land in between those two opposing forces where taboos lie. Incest is one of the untouchables, a taboo that even in alternative cultures is often still looked on negatively. But how can something that feels so right be wrong? In Fraternal Devotion, the focus is on brotherly love--in every sense of the word. These are tales of love, lust, devotion, and passion as real as any other romance. Why should the fact that the two men are brothers take away from that? This collection may challenge your assumptions and beliefs, but may also melt your heart. Not to mention steam up your glasses.
Keith is a Humanist Corpsman, sworn to protect society from the mutated ranks of the Infected. When his own team betrays him, however, it's his long lost brother, Riley, who takes him in and makes him choose between War and Peace and Brotherhood. After nineteen months apart, Brandon Patrell, of Analgesia, is convinced it will take more than a home renovation to keep his playboy brother, Ethan, from running away again. But as Ethan resumes his old mind-games, Brandon is determined to tease back for once, even if it means risking everything in a game of all or nothing. A dozen years after discovering his father's suicide, Cale returns home and finds his older brother Derrick showing the same signs of melancholy. But as much as he wants to help his brother, he fears being sucked back into that world of Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools.
Jeremy has been On Clouds of Obsession since long ago glimpsing his brother, Matt, naked in the locker room. Years later, with Matt due to be married in a week, Jeremy takes a chance after Matt's bachelor's party that could jeopardize their relationship, not to mention the impending wedding. Songwriter Andrew lives life On the Edge, using drugs to quiet his uncertainties about his ongoing relationship with his twin, Ben. Disheartened by Andrew's empty promises, Ben begins to pull away, forcing Andrew to choose between letting go and finally finding the strength to stop running.
Keith is a Humanist Corpsman, sworn to protect society from the mutated ranks of the Infected. When his own team betrays him, however, it's his long lost brother, Riley, who takes him in and makes him choose between War and Peace and Brotherhood. After nineteen months apart, Brandon Patrell, of Analgesia, is convinced it will take more than a home renovation to keep his playboy brother, Ethan, from running away again. But as Ethan resumes his old mind-games, Brandon is determined to tease back for once, even if it means risking everything in a game of all or nothing. A dozen years after discovering his father's suicide, Cale returns home and finds his older brother Derrick showing the same signs of melancholy. But as much as he wants to help his brother, he fears being sucked back into that world of Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools.
Jeremy has been On Clouds of Obsession since long ago glimpsing his brother, Matt, naked in the locker room. Years later, with Matt due to be married in a week, Jeremy takes a chance after Matt's bachelor's party that could jeopardize their relationship, not to mention the impending wedding. Songwriter Andrew lives life On the Edge, using drugs to quiet his uncertainties about his ongoing relationship with his twin, Ben. Disheartened by Andrew's empty promises, Ben begins to pull away, forcing Andrew to choose between letting go and finally finding the strength to stop running.
143 pages, ebook
First published August 17, 2012
289 people want to read
About the author
K. Piet
39 books36 followersK. Piet was born in California and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, with her older sister and two cats. After studying in three different states and graduating magna cum laude from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas in Kinesiological Sciences, K. moved back to Flagstaff to pursue a career in therapeutic bodywork and massage. Her private massage business places an emphasis on sports massage for circus performers, dancers, and athletes training at high altitude.
Throughout high school and college, writing fiction was little more than a pleasant diversion from required essays and applied science courses. After working with author S.L. Armstrong on a number of small writing projects and coming to see the act of writing as a learned skill, K. found a new zeal for the challenge and now writes as a sideline career. She is particularly fond of writing in the High Fantasy and Paranormal genres, adding her own homoerotic, and often kinky, flair to her fiction.
K. was once locally published in Flagstaff for her poetry in high school and has been a featured artist for the convention group CirqueCon. 2010 was her debut year at Storm Moon Press, the small, independent, erotic-romance press she cofounded with S.L. Armstrong in order to self-publish their collaborative fiction.
K. also enjoys drawing, circus arts such as flying trapeze and aerial silks, musical theater, and hoopdancing, all of which she feels balance her scientific, kinesiological side with her passion for the artistic and dramatic. Her love of the human body and its endless possibilities bleeds into nearly every facet of her life, from massage, to writing, to staring at the attractive men at the local Renaissance Fair...
Just kidding on that last part. Really.
***********************
K. Piet often credits her humble introduction to the world of customer service and promotion to the menial jobs she has worked over the years. From the concessions stand at a movie theatre to helping real estate agents with their pop-by promotion and mailings, K. has always had an eye for mixing professionalism with enough fun to leave a positive impression. Extroverted and a self-proclaimed 'people person', she's always up for social interaction online and thrives in environments of face-to-face contact.
Balance is what K. strives for in her life and career. It comes as no surprise that she has chosen to pair the usually solitary profession of writing with the extroversion needed for promotion, marketing, and author relations. As one of the founders of Storm Moon Press, she is dedicated to promoting the press and its authors at every opportunity, a job she has happily done since SMP's inception in 2010. From booking blog tours to setting up reviews with both prominent and up-and-coming reviewers, you can be sure that K. is behind the scenes of Storm Moon Press, working to get the press and authors featured where potential readers can see.
K.'s writing can be found through www.stormmoonpress.com as well as her website, http://kpiet.net/. She often frequents Twitter (@k_piet) and can occasionally be seen giving her two cents on various Goodreads groups. If you see her at a convention, you'll likely remember her for carrying a handful of business cards and bookmarks practically wherever she goes, as well as her tendency of shamelessly dying her hair crazy colors.
Throughout high school and college, writing fiction was little more than a pleasant diversion from required essays and applied science courses. After working with author S.L. Armstrong on a number of small writing projects and coming to see the act of writing as a learned skill, K. found a new zeal for the challenge and now writes as a sideline career. She is particularly fond of writing in the High Fantasy and Paranormal genres, adding her own homoerotic, and often kinky, flair to her fiction.
K. was once locally published in Flagstaff for her poetry in high school and has been a featured artist for the convention group CirqueCon. 2010 was her debut year at Storm Moon Press, the small, independent, erotic-romance press she cofounded with S.L. Armstrong in order to self-publish their collaborative fiction.
K. also enjoys drawing, circus arts such as flying trapeze and aerial silks, musical theater, and hoopdancing, all of which she feels balance her scientific, kinesiological side with her passion for the artistic and dramatic. Her love of the human body and its endless possibilities bleeds into nearly every facet of her life, from massage, to writing, to staring at the attractive men at the local Renaissance Fair...
Just kidding on that last part. Really.
***********************
K. Piet often credits her humble introduction to the world of customer service and promotion to the menial jobs she has worked over the years. From the concessions stand at a movie theatre to helping real estate agents with their pop-by promotion and mailings, K. has always had an eye for mixing professionalism with enough fun to leave a positive impression. Extroverted and a self-proclaimed 'people person', she's always up for social interaction online and thrives in environments of face-to-face contact.
Balance is what K. strives for in her life and career. It comes as no surprise that she has chosen to pair the usually solitary profession of writing with the extroversion needed for promotion, marketing, and author relations. As one of the founders of Storm Moon Press, she is dedicated to promoting the press and its authors at every opportunity, a job she has happily done since SMP's inception in 2010. From booking blog tours to setting up reviews with both prominent and up-and-coming reviewers, you can be sure that K. is behind the scenes of Storm Moon Press, working to get the press and authors featured where potential readers can see.
K.'s writing can be found through www.stormmoonpress.com as well as her website, http://kpiet.net/. She often frequents Twitter (@k_piet) and can occasionally be seen giving her two cents on various Goodreads groups. If you see her at a convention, you'll likely remember her for carrying a handful of business cards and bookmarks practically wherever she goes, as well as her tendency of shamelessly dying her hair crazy colors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 18, 2019
I did a reread of this because a certain author thinks she can gatekeep what we read in M/M romance. Sorry there Ms K I’ll read what the hell I want, and brothers boning is how I do...
AND WHAT?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All the ways I have been excited to read Fraternal Devotion, and all the ways I am happy I read it. This book went to front of the line, just because I love me some bromance of the sexy kind. I gobbled it up in no time, and was slightly disappointed there weren’t a lot more stories. I Wanted Moar!!
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan
Keith is apart of society of fighters sworn to protect humanity from the people they call the infected. So this infection is transmitted sexually, and the form varies depending on the individual. One can become a shifter, while the other gets super speed this infection affects everyone differently. Keith is the leader of his Corps group, and they are to stop the evil infected from hurting and infecting others.
So while kicking ass and taking names, Keith longs for the brother he lost 3 years ago. Having been in love with him, Keith fears he somehow pushed him away. Now he has his family of fighters or so he thinks, their hatred runs for anything deemed different, and Keith being gay is different. He finds himself at the end of a bullet fired from the people he trusted and is saved by the last person he expected.
I liked this story, and found the world created very complex and original. I think the most fascinating part of the story is the evolution of humans and their newly achieved powers. I did not really feel the romance in this once because I felt like Keith was backed in a corner and took the most logical way out. Yes, I knew he had feelings for his brother but the overall delivery made it feel very rushed and I didn’t really believe in them. I just wanted a bit more to make it a bit more fleshy.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele
Brandon is annoyed because his older brother is back home and he is just too freaking tempting for his own good. When it comes to Ethan it’s hard to be around him without wanting him, and he doesn’t seem to know boundaries. The brothers have a history, and it’s that history that caused Ethan to run like fire was on his heels.
I loved the hell out of this one, and man did it cause severe pants losing. This story being the longest of the all stories really touched on all my naughty buttons. It really did a wonderful balance of providing their relationship as lovers but never letting the reader forget that they are brothers. They fight, argue, and constantly tease each other and it just amplifies the naughty. The writing is fantastic and provide a realistic elements in a playful manner (I liked that). Analgesia was just made of awesmazingness.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
Cale is back home for Spring Break, a home he rarely visits, a home he moved almost 400mi from. He is running from things from his childhood and being home brings it all back. Especially his brother Derrick who just lies about in the pool house. Derrick suffers from depression and other mental issues and Cale is just trying to escape it all. They like to run, and will keep on running until they start confronting their issues.
I have mixed feelings about this one, so mixed. I feel it’s too heavy hitting for such a short story and would have worked better as a novella/novel. I feel like Derrick is too broken to be making decisions, and Cale just keeps getting pushed in a corner. His decision to sleep with his brother doesn’t feel like his own and them being together just did not work for me.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone
Jeremy has wanted his brother something fierce since he saw him naked in locker rooms at school. Obviously, he knows his feelings won’t be reciprocated but a boy can dream. Suddenly his brother Matt is engaged to be married and it’s sorta pissing him off. Jeremy finds an opportunity to feel Matt up after his bachelor’s party and he’s passed out drunk. Suddenly Matt is awake and they’re having sex “Say What”. The next morning just might be a walk of shame.
This one did not really work for me. I think the representation of both characters really turned me away from this one. One minute their hot and the next their cold. I found them indecisive and I feel as if they have no chance at making it work long term. This is one brotherly love I couldn't get down with.
On The Edge by S.L Armstrong and K. Piet
Fraternal twins Andrew and Ben have been inseparable in both life and love. They have a long sexual history, been having sexual relations since they were 14 and now its 11 years later. While Ben has admitted and accepted that, he is in love with his twin Andrew has taken the other road. He wants his brother, but the guilt and shame of that want eats away at him and so he has resorted to hard drugs to help him cope. Ben knows his brother struggles with their relationship, because he pushes him away after but he goes back every time only to face the same hurt.
This story is so hard hitting and makes it hurt. It is the most realistic of the bunch which makes it the most painful to read. It delves a little into what siblings would have to in order to live freely together. Ben and Andrew have ostracized themselves from family and friends, and you can feel how it affects the brothers. With Andrew’s fears, it’s like adding salt to a wound because it all becomes for naught.
These authors really know how to make a character hurt and bring out all your emotions. I feel sad for Andrew because I can understand his fear, shame, and guilt. Yet, I would really like to punch him in the face, 11 years is a long time not have your feelings figured out (cowardly). Ben I would dearly like to kick because he’s an enabler, and a bigger coward for keeping Andrew in drug-filled lust so he wouldn’t have to be without him. I would love to see more of these brothers because they need some fixing.
Overall, I l really enjoyed the anthology. It wasn’t just sex on pages, most of the stories offered up some solid plot with good characters and little dose of reality. Not the awesome I was expecting but I am glad with it. Though I am going on and on about plot and such, I liked it cus I love brothers doing each other 😉
August 19, 2013
I'm going to read and review as I go..this one is a bit outside of my comfort zone, so it might take a while.
War And Peace And Brotherhood by DK Jernigan 3*
The world this is set in is very interesting and cool. Two brothers fighting on different sides of an issue, but in the back of their mind longing and loving the other.
The US has a population of Infected, they are people who through sex have been infected with something that makes them develop an extra ability, shift, or levitate or be all blue, a bit X-Man-ish, but they are discriminated and hunted by a Corp in the US and in this case with the brothers, one in the Corp and one a Transformed man.
I was missing a bit of the love and longing and affection between the brothers, maybe a little longer, to show them in the past and give them time to show it in the here and now.
Analgesia By Alisha Steele 4*
Ethan, the older brother who after a shared kiss and a little bit more, punched him and took off to England for the last year and a half.
This is told from Brandon's POV and so we don't always see Ethan in a good light, we see him as a slut, a flirt and callous to his heartache suffering younger brother.
But when Ethan finally stops being an asshat and things progress, I was so happy to see his softer side and that he is just as smitten and in love with his baby brother.
Now, that is one thing that was a little annoying Ethan kept calling Brandon Baby-Bran, Baby-Boy-Baby-...
I would have liked just another page or two to see how they are going to try and make this work in the future.
Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder 3.65*
This one is a bit different than the others, and actually different from most stories I've read.
These two brothers have been apart for years, Cale has tried to be the 'good son' goes to school, plays sports..etc, but really he's not happy, he's just staying away because staying was too hard.
His older brother Derrick is depressed, he doesn't really live, he stays in the pool house and has stopped taking his meds. Their father killed himself years ago, and that still haunts both of them.
This wasn't a romance, or love story. IMO, but still a pretty powerful tale of these two men.
This quote really showed where they are, at least at the beginning : "Derrick was stagnant and unchanging. Cale had moved away, but he hadn't moved on.”
The ending is more hopeful but that fits, these guys have a lot of work to do.
In Clouds Of Obsession by Azalea Moone 1.5*
On The Edge by SL Armstrong and K Piet 4*
I'm a little torn on this one, it was real and gritty, and finally a story where one of the brothers has a lot of problems with his love for his twin brother.
He drowns it with drugs and alcohol and is constantly torn between shame and guilt and love and self loathing.
It was told totally from Andrew's POV which left me feeling like he was very dependent and needy and reliant on Ben, but of course Ben lets Andrew treat him like crap for years , so I guess it was more of a mutual dependency.
This did show the problems their upbringing and social norms cause in these kind of taboo relationships.
I really wish this one had been longer, it had tons of potential.
War And Peace And Brotherhood by DK Jernigan 3*
The world this is set in is very interesting and cool. Two brothers fighting on different sides of an issue, but in the back of their mind longing and loving the other.
The US has a population of Infected, they are people who through sex have been infected with something that makes them develop an extra ability, shift, or levitate or be all blue, a bit X-Man-ish, but they are discriminated and hunted by a Corp in the US and in this case with the brothers, one in the Corp and one a Transformed man.
I was missing a bit of the love and longing and affection between the brothers, maybe a little longer, to show them in the past and give them time to show it in the here and now.
Analgesia By Alisha Steele 4*
Ethan, the older brother who after a shared kiss and a little bit more, punched him and took off to England for the last year and a half.
This is told from Brandon's POV and so we don't always see Ethan in a good light, we see him as a slut, a flirt and callous to his heartache suffering younger brother.
But when Ethan finally stops being an asshat and things progress, I was so happy to see his softer side and that he is just as smitten and in love with his baby brother.
Now, that is one thing that was a little annoying Ethan kept calling Brandon Baby-Bran, Baby-Boy-Baby-...
I would have liked just another page or two to see how they are going to try and make this work in the future.
Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder 3.65*
This one is a bit different than the others, and actually different from most stories I've read.
These two brothers have been apart for years, Cale has tried to be the 'good son' goes to school, plays sports..etc, but really he's not happy, he's just staying away because staying was too hard.
His older brother Derrick is depressed, he doesn't really live, he stays in the pool house and has stopped taking his meds. Their father killed himself years ago, and that still haunts both of them.
This wasn't a romance, or love story. IMO, but still a pretty powerful tale of these two men.
This quote really showed where they are, at least at the beginning : "Derrick was stagnant and unchanging. Cale had moved away, but he hadn't moved on.”
The ending is more hopeful but that fits, these guys have a lot of work to do.
In Clouds Of Obsession by Azalea Moone 1.5*
On The Edge by SL Armstrong and K Piet 4*
I'm a little torn on this one, it was real and gritty, and finally a story where one of the brothers has a lot of problems with his love for his twin brother.
He drowns it with drugs and alcohol and is constantly torn between shame and guilt and love and self loathing.
It was told totally from Andrew's POV which left me feeling like he was very dependent and needy and reliant on Ben, but of course Ben lets Andrew treat him like crap for years , so I guess it was more of a mutual dependency.
This did show the problems their upbringing and social norms cause in these kind of taboo relationships.
I really wish this one had been longer, it had tons of potential.
January 10, 2013
3,5 stars
Perfect review from Jenre.
Brocest is your kink? Go for it!
I liked the second story best. The "my pretty baby" had a very dirty ring to it....
From smutty, lighthearted fun to drama - this anthology has it all.
Perfect review from Jenre.
Brocest is your kink? Go for it!
I liked the second story best. The "my pretty baby" had a very dirty ring to it....
From smutty, lighthearted fun to drama - this anthology has it all.
August 23, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
Also, SL Armstrong and K Piet visit here and discuss the incest censorship issue and their thoughts on the anthology!
3.5 stars - Overall
I've been looking forward to this anthology for a while now, since I'm a fan of Brothercest and Twincest. These stories definitely live up to the kink, most a contemporary and realistic look at love between brothers. Individually, the stories ranged from good to better, and while none of them completely captivated me, the anthology as a whole is definitely a success. With the different variety, there's enough here to represent both those readers looking for the kink of brother love and the realistic look at the consequences. None of them directly deal with the family, which surprised me, but then most of them also had to deal with the inherent internal struggle of guilt and shame against social norms and the possibility of forever living a fringe lifestyle.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan (3.75 stars)
Heat: 3 - Sexy & Mild
Sex Frequency: 3 - Average Story to Sex Ratio
Keywords/Tags: Paranormal, HEA, Brothercest, Genetic Mutation, Shifters, Superpowers, Enemies to Lovers
Keith is a part of the Corps, a network of vigilantes whose mission is to protect humanity from the Transformed, those who have changed due to a sexually transmitted genetic modification resulting in different powers and changes -- shifters, levitation, and other transmutations. But Keith is growing nervous. He became a leader in the Corps after the brother he fell in love with, Riley, disappeared 3 years ago. But the Corps has fundamental problems of it's own, stemming from a hatred of all the Transformed and therefore a mass paranoia within the ranks that anyone different is a danger. Now, as the two brothers are set to reunite on opposite sides of the conflict, Keith is unsure of who is in the right anymore.
This story is rather imaginative in combining several different themes and genres -- superheroes, the paranormal, and the science fiction elements of enhanced evolution. The setting is fairly dark, with much of the story told by Keith, who is having a crisis of conscience about his role in the conflict and whether his actions might have actually harmed innocents. The brothercest romance is given much of the story as the two come together fairly soon in the short story and proceed to work out their differences. It all happens a little quickly for my taste, however. And while I didn't feel as if anything important to the plot was missing, it did feel rather rushed for such a complex world. The ending conflict moved especially fast. That left me with the feeling of wanting more, both because I did like the story and also because of the imagination of the story combined with the feeling of not getting as much as I could have, made me feel as if the second half of the story was unfinished. I would have especially liked to see Keith and Riley with more personal time together to get to know one another as new, grown adults with now very different lives from their youth together, and to learn more about Riley's side of the conflict and the Underground Railroad organization that the Transformed use.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele (4 stars)
Heat: 5 - Off the Charts
Sex Frequency: 4 - Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Brothercest, Musician
Brandon has been in love with his older brother for years. Now he's almost 20 and is coming home after two years in the UK touring with his band. He's still the infuriating older brother that seems to rub his feelings in his face with constant flirting that goes over the line -- way over the line. And his nose is still crooked from where Ethan punched him before he ran away. Does Ethan have feelings for him as well? Is that why he ran away, or was it to get away from his younger brother's misguided love until Brandon could get over him?
This story is the quintessential brothercest story because it puts the relationship, and a lot of the complications that come with it, front and center. There is a lot of history between them, and now that they're thrown back into a house together while they try to fix it up for sale because of their parent's divorce, it all seems to come back to the forefront of their lives. Brandon has never really gotten over his brother, he's never taken another lover or tried to get over his brother. Ethan has done the opposite. He ran away and slept through as many men and women that he could.
This story is very heavy on sex, but the writing is simply fantastic and times. It showcases the taboo aspect because even while intimate it is still very obvious that they are brothers. They fight and argue constantly, with a little bit of brother fighting and a little bit that seems like two school yard kids with crushes on each other. They're affections are almost a competition, first to show each other that they don't care about each other while taunting the other (with some very public sex displays with other people), and later to show that they do care for each other.
It may be that there simply wasn't time and really confronting the issue of incest head on would have opened a whole extra part to the story, but there is never really a confrontation where they have to "come out" as lovers. It still leaves this story with enough angst of it's own because of their own impossible feelings. I was actually hoping that that wouldn't happen, simply because I didn't want the story to become that much more complicated (I shy away from too much angst!), but I can't call it entirely realistic without them even thinking about their future and that issue not being confronted.
This story is a bit longer and is quite central to Brandon and Ethan with only a little interference from the outside world. I never could quite get a feel for the mother, who at times seemed to be a very loving mother and at times rather partial to Ethan, and at other times quite aloof. But because she is a very little part of the story, that didn't bother me so much as made me curious. This story is still quite well written, even with my few critiques, and this is an author that I'll be watching out for in the future.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder (3 stars)
Heat: 3 - Sexy & Mild
Sex Frequency: 3 - Average Story to Sex Ratio
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Brothercest, Mental Health Issues, Suicide
It is Spring Break and Cale is back home for a week from his Master's Program 400 miles away. Returning home is a reminder of everything he fled when he was old enough to go away to college, including his older brother Derrick, who does little but lie around the pool. The family legacy of depression and mental health issues has hit Derrick hard lately -- well, harder than usual -- and his day to day life is only a little more active than catatonic. But is Cale any better? Or are they really just the same, always running from their problems, just in different ways? Cale is forced to confront their issues when Derrick finally starts talking.
This is another story that confronts the issues of incest in a contemporary setting, though here the relationship between Cale and Derrick is shown as a remedy to already present and long insidious issues. Their father was a soap opera writer, and rather famous in his field. Though he dealt with the same issues of severe depression and finally succumbed to suicide by drowning in their family pool after his screenplay manuscript went nowhere. The mental health issues that they both have (though Derrick's are most obvious) stem from the fear they have of their father's downward spiral and the distance in the family. They're rather fond of avoiding issues, including their mother, and the family almost seems like strangers.
Some of this story comes across as melodrama, though it has it's place as a character flaw and shows through the writing. Still, some of the story I found rather poignant. There are several mentions from both brothers about their relationship as they grew up, and they're shown to be two sides of the same coin that have only recently fallen out of their well played characters when Cale ran away to college and left Derrick to stumble about on his own. And Derrick certainly can't take care of himself, he just isn't equipped and has never learned how. Plus, the depression is severe enough to take away all hope that he could ever be better on his own. But their memories of acting out their father's soap opera screenplays nightly, highlight the comparison to the roles that they play and have played throughout childhood. And while I imagine that some readers might find it hard to understand the characters and want to scream at them to get over themselves, I can understand that they're simply playing the roles created for them from their early days -- they seem like they've ever only had each other to rely on. The setting in the story almost seems like a ghost house -- with most of the action taking place in the pool house where they've made a home away from the impersonality of the empty and depressing family home.
I can't say that I have much hope for the brothers in this story, but I can certainly understand them and what the author was creating here. All of the loneliness and melodrama around them only serves to show that they both need each other to survive, even if Cale is trying to make living on his own look easy -- and failing.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone (2.5 stars)
Heat: 4 - Spicy & Smutty
Sex Frequency: 4 - Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Brothercest, GFY/OFY
Jeremy has been in love with his older brother since the day in high school he happened to catch the sight of his naked brother in the locker room. Before then, and after, Matt made sure he was never naked in front of his brother, especially after their father caught Jeremy trying to spy on Matt changing through the keyhole in his bedroom door. Now, Matt, the brother who used to beat Jeremy up as a child, is getting married to a woman he just met. Not only is Jeremy angry, but well, he's jealous. He tries to talk Matt out of the wedding, but then something fateful happens on the night of Matt's bachelor party.
I'm still not really sure what it is about this story that doesn't work for me. A large part of it is in the characterizations of both Jeremy and Matt. I have a hard time seeing any kind of lasting feelings in Jeremy's affection for the brother who treats him pretty cruelly. And Matt seems to change pretty quickly from that mean older brother into a caring one. For some reason, I couldn't see the change. Some of their behavior is in their own perception of the other and that certainly accounts for some of Matt's behavior because it is seen through Jeremy's eyes. But there was still a disconnect for me that I can't quite define. It isn't a terribly written story, I don't want to lead to that impression. I just couldn't get on board their relationship when I didn't feel the connection.
On the Edge by SL Armstrong & K Piet (4.25 stars)
Heat: 4 - Spicy & Smutty
Sex Frequency: 4 - Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Twincest, Drug Use, Musician
Andrew and Ben are twins and have been in love and having sex for 11 years, since they were 14 and starting sneaking around. But Ben has dealt with the fact that he's in love with his twin and Andrew hasn't. After years of falling into temptation then pushing his brother away, Andrew resorts to a coping mechanism of heavy drug use to lull himself into distraction from the guilt and shame he feels. Andrew was always the fuckup brother of the pair, but now he's really showing it. Ben is the one that has a job and pays for their rent and food, even Andrew's drugs, while Andrew plays songwriter during the daytime, but lately creating very little. But Ben doesn't know if he can take any more of Andrew pushing him away in the sober light of day, and Andrew doesn't know if he can get over his issues, even though he knows he can't live without his brother.
This story is another that takes a more realistic look at the issues between brothers, specifically twins, who love each other. It was a more difficult read for me than the other stories, because they're both caught in a cycle of destructive love that showcases just how close they are to each other and how impossible it is to sever that bond, now even more complicated because of their romantic relationship. The POV is Andrew's, and I think that we need it to be otherwise Ben's heartbreak would be too difficult and Andrew would come off in an even more terrible light without his inner turmoil laid bare for us to see that he really does care. Though it delves into the angst, it wasn't too much for me. I thought that this part of the story, most of it, was written incredibly well.
Because of the realistic light their relationship is shown in, I had a hard time accepting a happy ending. While I would personally give this a HFN ending, I think it is leaning towards an HEA. The authors did exactly what they needed to do to give them every chance at happiness, including the difficult catalyst to get Andrew's ass in gear, but I still have a hard time picturing their future and that left the happy promises at the end to fall just a little flat for me. At least Andrew and Ben don't deny that they won't have difficult times ahead.
Also, SL Armstrong and K Piet visit here and discuss the incest censorship issue and their thoughts on the anthology!
3.5 stars - Overall
I've been looking forward to this anthology for a while now, since I'm a fan of Brothercest and Twincest. These stories definitely live up to the kink, most a contemporary and realistic look at love between brothers. Individually, the stories ranged from good to better, and while none of them completely captivated me, the anthology as a whole is definitely a success. With the different variety, there's enough here to represent both those readers looking for the kink of brother love and the realistic look at the consequences. None of them directly deal with the family, which surprised me, but then most of them also had to deal with the inherent internal struggle of guilt and shame against social norms and the possibility of forever living a fringe lifestyle.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan (3.75 stars)
Heat: 3 - Sexy & Mild
Sex Frequency: 3 - Average Story to Sex Ratio
Keywords/Tags: Paranormal, HEA, Brothercest, Genetic Mutation, Shifters, Superpowers, Enemies to Lovers
Keith is a part of the Corps, a network of vigilantes whose mission is to protect humanity from the Transformed, those who have changed due to a sexually transmitted genetic modification resulting in different powers and changes -- shifters, levitation, and other transmutations. But Keith is growing nervous. He became a leader in the Corps after the brother he fell in love with, Riley, disappeared 3 years ago. But the Corps has fundamental problems of it's own, stemming from a hatred of all the Transformed and therefore a mass paranoia within the ranks that anyone different is a danger. Now, as the two brothers are set to reunite on opposite sides of the conflict, Keith is unsure of who is in the right anymore.
This story is rather imaginative in combining several different themes and genres -- superheroes, the paranormal, and the science fiction elements of enhanced evolution. The setting is fairly dark, with much of the story told by Keith, who is having a crisis of conscience about his role in the conflict and whether his actions might have actually harmed innocents. The brothercest romance is given much of the story as the two come together fairly soon in the short story and proceed to work out their differences. It all happens a little quickly for my taste, however. And while I didn't feel as if anything important to the plot was missing, it did feel rather rushed for such a complex world. The ending conflict moved especially fast. That left me with the feeling of wanting more, both because I did like the story and also because of the imagination of the story combined with the feeling of not getting as much as I could have, made me feel as if the second half of the story was unfinished. I would have especially liked to see Keith and Riley with more personal time together to get to know one another as new, grown adults with now very different lives from their youth together, and to learn more about Riley's side of the conflict and the Underground Railroad organization that the Transformed use.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele (4 stars)
Heat: 5 - Off the Charts
Sex Frequency: 4 - Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Brothercest, Musician
Brandon has been in love with his older brother for years. Now he's almost 20 and is coming home after two years in the UK touring with his band. He's still the infuriating older brother that seems to rub his feelings in his face with constant flirting that goes over the line -- way over the line. And his nose is still crooked from where Ethan punched him before he ran away. Does Ethan have feelings for him as well? Is that why he ran away, or was it to get away from his younger brother's misguided love until Brandon could get over him?
This story is the quintessential brothercest story because it puts the relationship, and a lot of the complications that come with it, front and center. There is a lot of history between them, and now that they're thrown back into a house together while they try to fix it up for sale because of their parent's divorce, it all seems to come back to the forefront of their lives. Brandon has never really gotten over his brother, he's never taken another lover or tried to get over his brother. Ethan has done the opposite. He ran away and slept through as many men and women that he could.
This story is very heavy on sex, but the writing is simply fantastic and times. It showcases the taboo aspect because even while intimate it is still very obvious that they are brothers. They fight and argue constantly, with a little bit of brother fighting and a little bit that seems like two school yard kids with crushes on each other. They're affections are almost a competition, first to show each other that they don't care about each other while taunting the other (with some very public sex displays with other people), and later to show that they do care for each other.
It may be that there simply wasn't time and really confronting the issue of incest head on would have opened a whole extra part to the story, but there is never really a confrontation where they have to "come out" as lovers. It still leaves this story with enough angst of it's own because of their own impossible feelings. I was actually hoping that that wouldn't happen, simply because I didn't want the story to become that much more complicated (I shy away from too much angst!), but I can't call it entirely realistic without them even thinking about their future and that issue not being confronted.
This story is a bit longer and is quite central to Brandon and Ethan with only a little interference from the outside world. I never could quite get a feel for the mother, who at times seemed to be a very loving mother and at times rather partial to Ethan, and at other times quite aloof. But because she is a very little part of the story, that didn't bother me so much as made me curious. This story is still quite well written, even with my few critiques, and this is an author that I'll be watching out for in the future.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder (3 stars)
Heat: 3 - Sexy & Mild
Sex Frequency: 3 - Average Story to Sex Ratio
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Brothercest, Mental Health Issues, Suicide
It is Spring Break and Cale is back home for a week from his Master's Program 400 miles away. Returning home is a reminder of everything he fled when he was old enough to go away to college, including his older brother Derrick, who does little but lie around the pool. The family legacy of depression and mental health issues has hit Derrick hard lately -- well, harder than usual -- and his day to day life is only a little more active than catatonic. But is Cale any better? Or are they really just the same, always running from their problems, just in different ways? Cale is forced to confront their issues when Derrick finally starts talking.
This is another story that confronts the issues of incest in a contemporary setting, though here the relationship between Cale and Derrick is shown as a remedy to already present and long insidious issues. Their father was a soap opera writer, and rather famous in his field. Though he dealt with the same issues of severe depression and finally succumbed to suicide by drowning in their family pool after his screenplay manuscript went nowhere. The mental health issues that they both have (though Derrick's are most obvious) stem from the fear they have of their father's downward spiral and the distance in the family. They're rather fond of avoiding issues, including their mother, and the family almost seems like strangers.
Some of this story comes across as melodrama, though it has it's place as a character flaw and shows through the writing. Still, some of the story I found rather poignant. There are several mentions from both brothers about their relationship as they grew up, and they're shown to be two sides of the same coin that have only recently fallen out of their well played characters when Cale ran away to college and left Derrick to stumble about on his own. And Derrick certainly can't take care of himself, he just isn't equipped and has never learned how. Plus, the depression is severe enough to take away all hope that he could ever be better on his own. But their memories of acting out their father's soap opera screenplays nightly, highlight the comparison to the roles that they play and have played throughout childhood. And while I imagine that some readers might find it hard to understand the characters and want to scream at them to get over themselves, I can understand that they're simply playing the roles created for them from their early days -- they seem like they've ever only had each other to rely on. The setting in the story almost seems like a ghost house -- with most of the action taking place in the pool house where they've made a home away from the impersonality of the empty and depressing family home.
I can't say that I have much hope for the brothers in this story, but I can certainly understand them and what the author was creating here. All of the loneliness and melodrama around them only serves to show that they both need each other to survive, even if Cale is trying to make living on his own look easy -- and failing.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone (2.5 stars)
Heat: 4 - Spicy & Smutty
Sex Frequency: 4 - Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Brothercest, GFY/OFY
Jeremy has been in love with his older brother since the day in high school he happened to catch the sight of his naked brother in the locker room. Before then, and after, Matt made sure he was never naked in front of his brother, especially after their father caught Jeremy trying to spy on Matt changing through the keyhole in his bedroom door. Now, Matt, the brother who used to beat Jeremy up as a child, is getting married to a woman he just met. Not only is Jeremy angry, but well, he's jealous. He tries to talk Matt out of the wedding, but then something fateful happens on the night of Matt's bachelor party.
I'm still not really sure what it is about this story that doesn't work for me. A large part of it is in the characterizations of both Jeremy and Matt. I have a hard time seeing any kind of lasting feelings in Jeremy's affection for the brother who treats him pretty cruelly. And Matt seems to change pretty quickly from that mean older brother into a caring one. For some reason, I couldn't see the change. Some of their behavior is in their own perception of the other and that certainly accounts for some of Matt's behavior because it is seen through Jeremy's eyes. But there was still a disconnect for me that I can't quite define. It isn't a terribly written story, I don't want to lead to that impression. I just couldn't get on board their relationship when I didn't feel the connection.
On the Edge by SL Armstrong & K Piet (4.25 stars)
Heat: 4 - Spicy & Smutty
Sex Frequency: 4 - Very Often
Keywords/Tags: Contemporary, Twincest, Drug Use, Musician
Andrew and Ben are twins and have been in love and having sex for 11 years, since they were 14 and starting sneaking around. But Ben has dealt with the fact that he's in love with his twin and Andrew hasn't. After years of falling into temptation then pushing his brother away, Andrew resorts to a coping mechanism of heavy drug use to lull himself into distraction from the guilt and shame he feels. Andrew was always the fuckup brother of the pair, but now he's really showing it. Ben is the one that has a job and pays for their rent and food, even Andrew's drugs, while Andrew plays songwriter during the daytime, but lately creating very little. But Ben doesn't know if he can take any more of Andrew pushing him away in the sober light of day, and Andrew doesn't know if he can get over his issues, even though he knows he can't live without his brother.
This story is another that takes a more realistic look at the issues between brothers, specifically twins, who love each other. It was a more difficult read for me than the other stories, because they're both caught in a cycle of destructive love that showcases just how close they are to each other and how impossible it is to sever that bond, now even more complicated because of their romantic relationship. The POV is Andrew's, and I think that we need it to be otherwise Ben's heartbreak would be too difficult and Andrew would come off in an even more terrible light without his inner turmoil laid bare for us to see that he really does care. Though it delves into the angst, it wasn't too much for me. I thought that this part of the story, most of it, was written incredibly well.
Because of the realistic light their relationship is shown in, I had a hard time accepting a happy ending. While I would personally give this a HFN ending, I think it is leaning towards an HEA. The authors did exactly what they needed to do to give them every chance at happiness, including the difficult catalyst to get Andrew's ass in gear, but I still have a hard time picturing their future and that left the happy promises at the end to fall just a little flat for me. At least Andrew and Ben don't deny that they won't have difficult times ahead.
December 29, 2012
This review was originally written for Hearts on Fire Reviews and can also be found there.
Getting into this anthology came from the desire to enjoy my kink. Finally something for the likes of me who loves brothers getting it on and doesn’t mind large quantities of the material. The stories are quite different, ranging from two stars to almost five forming an average collection of brotherly love.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan– 3 hearts
This was the only paranormal story in the bunch, bringing us the world plagued by a sexually transmitted virus which turns people into the Transformed. I would call them superheroes since their powers are truly extraordinary, but the Corps hunt them and their titles are anything but flattering. Keith is with the Corps, but is soon betrayed and left wounded at the mercy of the elements. It is a bit convenient that his long lost brother is the one to find him, and he is one of the hunted Transformed.
I did like the story, especially the world which definitely deserves a full length novel. But the relationship between the brothers way just too rushed. There was little when it came to emotions and the story twists took more away for the closeness I wanted to feel between the two. Still I was rather satisfied with the introduction into the anthology and am curious to see what this author has to offer when it comes to a lengthier book.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele – 4.5 hearts
My favorite by far of all the offered stories, Analgesia showed the relationship between two brothers to the fullest. From their relationship as siblings to the attraction shared by lovers. They went through it all and the author made it hot and steamy with taking her time to let us enjoy it.
Ethan is the brother who ran away and was touring with his band, while Brandon stayed at home and held on to the torch he carried for his brother. But once Ethan is back, the passion is still there and chemistry between them heats up the pages.
I loved the fabulous writing and took the whole story in without a pause. This was the reason why I read the Fraternal Devotion anthology.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder – 2.5 hearts
This long titled story is about two brothers who’ve been living apart for some time, ever since Cole left for school and Derrick was left with their mother to write and hang out around the pool.
I actually loved the whole concept around this story. It’s heavily enveloped in depression and notions of suicide but it also shows the codependence of the two brothers. At first Derrick is the one who seems more vulnerable, unstable and just close to snapping, but as we get to know Cole more I had to start wondering about him as well. I did like the way they didn’t seem to function without the other, but the overall flow of the story and interactions between the brothers just didn’t work for me.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone – 2.5 hearts
In this story one brother, Jeremy, is very interested and has been for years. He’d been in love with his brother for years and once Matt announces his wedding Jeremy figures he’s out of time. What follows is rather confusing and abrupt on many levels, but while I understood Jeremy, Matt remained a mystery to me to the very end.
Matt was one of those who blow hot and cold and he really got on my nerves. Especially because his explanations left a lot to be desired and his actions really just made me want to smack him. The resolution was rather quick as well and by the end of the story I wasn’t really happy about any of it.
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet – 3.5 hearts
Getting into this story I expected a lot more based on the other reviews. Really, I expected to be blown away, but while the writing was excellent, one of the brothers simply rubbed me the wrong way.
Andrew and Ben are twins who have been sharing a bed in a sexual sense for over ten years. It’s written in Andrew’s point of view, but that man is even cruel in certain moments and his actions almost made me cry a couple of times. He’s in love with his brother Ben, a wonderful man who I swear looks at Andrew with something close to awe, but he can’t deal with it and it results in terrible situations leaving Ben in nothing but pain.
I couldn’t imagine being in such a relationship for so long and my heart broke for Ben. I know I was supposed to want them to end up together, and I admit, it was written so well I wanted that happy ending but Andrew… Yes, it was a great thing to tell everything from his perspective, because it does show us he cares and despite all his failures, he is the right person for Ben. I liked this story, but their happy ending wasn’t all that happy for me. I kept thinking of the missed chances and all that lost time filled with pain. A great plus was Ben showing a backbone and I think this story does bring out the turmoil of such a relationship to the fullest and is a great choice for ending the anthology.
Getting into this anthology came from the desire to enjoy my kink. Finally something for the likes of me who loves brothers getting it on and doesn’t mind large quantities of the material. The stories are quite different, ranging from two stars to almost five forming an average collection of brotherly love.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan– 3 hearts
This was the only paranormal story in the bunch, bringing us the world plagued by a sexually transmitted virus which turns people into the Transformed. I would call them superheroes since their powers are truly extraordinary, but the Corps hunt them and their titles are anything but flattering. Keith is with the Corps, but is soon betrayed and left wounded at the mercy of the elements. It is a bit convenient that his long lost brother is the one to find him, and he is one of the hunted Transformed.
I did like the story, especially the world which definitely deserves a full length novel. But the relationship between the brothers way just too rushed. There was little when it came to emotions and the story twists took more away for the closeness I wanted to feel between the two. Still I was rather satisfied with the introduction into the anthology and am curious to see what this author has to offer when it comes to a lengthier book.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele – 4.5 hearts
My favorite by far of all the offered stories, Analgesia showed the relationship between two brothers to the fullest. From their relationship as siblings to the attraction shared by lovers. They went through it all and the author made it hot and steamy with taking her time to let us enjoy it.
Ethan is the brother who ran away and was touring with his band, while Brandon stayed at home and held on to the torch he carried for his brother. But once Ethan is back, the passion is still there and chemistry between them heats up the pages.
I loved the fabulous writing and took the whole story in without a pause. This was the reason why I read the Fraternal Devotion anthology.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder – 2.5 hearts
This long titled story is about two brothers who’ve been living apart for some time, ever since Cole left for school and Derrick was left with their mother to write and hang out around the pool.
I actually loved the whole concept around this story. It’s heavily enveloped in depression and notions of suicide but it also shows the codependence of the two brothers. At first Derrick is the one who seems more vulnerable, unstable and just close to snapping, but as we get to know Cole more I had to start wondering about him as well. I did like the way they didn’t seem to function without the other, but the overall flow of the story and interactions between the brothers just didn’t work for me.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone – 2.5 hearts
In this story one brother, Jeremy, is very interested and has been for years. He’d been in love with his brother for years and once Matt announces his wedding Jeremy figures he’s out of time. What follows is rather confusing and abrupt on many levels, but while I understood Jeremy, Matt remained a mystery to me to the very end.
Matt was one of those who blow hot and cold and he really got on my nerves. Especially because his explanations left a lot to be desired and his actions really just made me want to smack him. The resolution was rather quick as well and by the end of the story I wasn’t really happy about any of it.
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet – 3.5 hearts
Getting into this story I expected a lot more based on the other reviews. Really, I expected to be blown away, but while the writing was excellent, one of the brothers simply rubbed me the wrong way.
Andrew and Ben are twins who have been sharing a bed in a sexual sense for over ten years. It’s written in Andrew’s point of view, but that man is even cruel in certain moments and his actions almost made me cry a couple of times. He’s in love with his brother Ben, a wonderful man who I swear looks at Andrew with something close to awe, but he can’t deal with it and it results in terrible situations leaving Ben in nothing but pain.
I couldn’t imagine being in such a relationship for so long and my heart broke for Ben. I know I was supposed to want them to end up together, and I admit, it was written so well I wanted that happy ending but Andrew… Yes, it was a great thing to tell everything from his perspective, because it does show us he cares and despite all his failures, he is the right person for Ben. I liked this story, but their happy ending wasn’t all that happy for me. I kept thinking of the missed chances and all that lost time filled with pain. A great plus was Ben showing a backbone and I think this story does bring out the turmoil of such a relationship to the fullest and is a great choice for ending the anthology.
September 8, 2015
I'm sure all of us have those fantasies involving brothers having the hots for one another. Well, this anthology lives up to those forbidden fantasies. But, could these stories for once have any substance too, even just an inkling? After every story, I was hoping for at least one of these to be good. But all of the short stories turned out to be just shallow. You know those pornos which try to incorporate back stories before the actual sex, sex, and sex? Well, this is it! Ugh, which is very disappointing because you don't see books like this so often.
August 25, 2012
War and Peace and Brotherhood - 3 stars
Analgesia - 4 stars, maybe 4,5
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - 3 stars
On Clouds of Obsession - 2,5 stars, maybe 3 if I close one eye
On the Edge - 5 stars... that was completely awesome. Destructive path of one relationship. I must be sick to enjoy this so much. But the emotions were so brilliantly described, I love it.
Analgesia - 4 stars, maybe 4,5
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - 3 stars
On Clouds of Obsession - 2,5 stars, maybe 3 if I close one eye
On the Edge - 5 stars... that was completely awesome. Destructive path of one relationship. I must be sick to enjoy this so much. But the emotions were so brilliantly described, I love it.
September 17, 2012
4.5 Kisses
Fraternal Devotion is a multi-authored anthology in which all stories have the brothercest theme. I know this subgenre will not be for everyone, but since I’m a fan of reading these types of forbidden/ taboo romances (it is fiction AND romance, what’s not to love?) I was anxious to read this book, and I wasn’t disappointed in the least! Every story in the book brought something to the table. This can be rare because Anthologies can be tricky sometimes. Most of the time, the stories in an anthology are not that good and it can cause me to have less enjoyment of the book in general. This was not so with Fraternal Devotion! Every single story captivated my interest and were memorable in their own way. All participating authors in this anthology have a very unique voice as well as addictive storytelling ability. I highly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book, and I’m anxious to read more!
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan
5 Kisses
Things are not always what they seem in this short story. Keith has been fighting an infected group of people, who most think are mutants. When he is betrayed by his own team, he finds his long-lost brother Riley and both men must confront the forbidden love they have between them. But, to truly have something special together, both brothers must trust in each other and see which side of the spectrum is the right one. Will they be able to truly be able to discover the truth behind the infected and work together or will fear of the unknown pull them apart forever?
I loved this short. I wish it had been a full length novel, because it was that good. Between the freshly told tale about those who people who are ‘infected’, and Keith and Riley’s love for each other, it made this short a fast and interesting read. I liked how Keith was extremely conflicted between what he’d been told about the infected and versus what was true. I also appreciated the strong bond the brothers had for one another, as well as their obvious love and affection they felt for each other. Also, the sexual tension between them was smokin’ hot! Whew! I loved watching them work things out while they allowed themselves to finally give into the strong attraction and love between them. The author has a creative, unique voice in which I found very addictive to read. I’m looking forward to reading more books by her.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele
5 Kisses
It’s been nineteen months since Ethan has been home. Ever since Brandon tried to kiss him, which ended up in disastrous results, Brandon hasn’t heard from his musician older brother. Since their parents are not getting a divorce and the family house is getting prepped to be sold, Ethan has returned to help out. Will Brandon be able to keep his attraction for Ethan at bay, or will he be surprised by how Ethan really feels?
I loved the strong chemistry and sexual tension between Ethan and Brandon. Both characters are likeable men and I enjoyed their story a lot. I also adored the witty banter and horseplay the two had together. I could easily see that these two brothers both loved and were in love with each other. Out of all of the other stories in this anthology, this one was the most fun and sexy to read. I also liked the easy style of writing the author has and I’m looking forward to reading more books by her.
Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
4 Kisses
Cale has just returned home from Spring Break. Ever since his father’s suicide years before, Cale has done everything possible to avoid coming home. To make matters worse for him, his older brother Derrick has steadily been sinking into a depression and has done nothing but float around in the pool his father drowned himself in. Even though their mother means well, Cale has always had to help his older brother Derrick, and he soon realizes once again, he’ll have to be the one try to pull his brother out of the deep water of depression that Derrick seems to be determined to drown in. As Cale slowly starts getting Derrick to open up to him, he slowly comes to realize his older brother has always been in love with him, and in many ways he, himself feels the same way about Derrick. Will they be able to work though all of the guilt and fear of allowing themselves to love on another, or will Cale continue to do his best to push his brother away?
I really liked this book, but it’s been a hard one to rate. I admit I’ve hovered between 3.5 kisses to 4.5 kisses, so I’ve decided to rate it in the middle. In some ways it’s more emotionally driven than the two previous stories, but I think there are many unresolved issues between the two brothers and in the end, I wish it had been a longer story. There is a definite connection between them that I really liked, and I could see how much they needed each other, kind of like two halves of one whole, but the story still left me wanting more. It’s the first story I’ve read by Ms. Wilder and it won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to the next journey her books will send me.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone
4 Kisses
Matt and Jeremy are your typical brothers. When they were younger, older brother Matt pushed Jeremy around and they argued and fought like cats and dogs. Even though they were like this, they still were close. But Jeremy has been hiding a secret from Matt. He’s been in love with him since high school, and now years later, Matt is engaged to a woman he hardly knows, much less love, and it’s driving Jeremy crazy. When Matt insists that Jeremy attend his bachelor party, he reluctantly goes because he loves Matt, even though he knows he’s going to hate ever second of it. After the party, Matt passes out on the couch and Jeremy can’t resist touching him, but when he gets caught in the act, what will Matt do?
I really enjoyed this story a lot. Watch Matt and Jeremy dance around the attraction they had for each other made this a fun and very sexy read. I admit, there were times I wanted Jeremy to tell Matt to take a hike, but eventually I did warm up to Matt because of his determination to be with Jeremy in the end. I liked the sizzling chemistry between Matt and Jeremy and thought the story itself was very smoothly written. I’m looking forward to reading more by Ms. Moore in the future.
On the Edge by SL Armstrong and K. Piet
5 Kisses
Ben and Andrew are fraternal twins who have kept their on again off again relationship secret for the past ten years. The possibility to have a real romantic relationship between them has cause both of them to move far away from home where no one knows they’re brothers. Unfortunately for Andrew, he lives with the guilt and shame of being in love with his brother, causing him to keep his twin at arm’s length. After a night of drinking and drugging Andrew will make love with Drew and then typically push Ben away. Ben decides he can’t be hurt by Andrew’s cold behavior anymore and give his twin an ultimatum. Will Andrew be able to get past the shame and guilt he feels so he can have a change of having a real loving relationship with the love of his life?
I loved this story. I thought the fear and shame that Andrew felt for loving his twin was very realistically written and well told. Andrew’s life is starting to spiral out of control and he knows he must do something about it, or he’ll not only lose his twin, but he’ll lose his reason for living. I enjoyed the dynamics between Andrew and Ben and found myself really hoping that they’d be able to love one another in peace. I have to admit, that I’ve never read a book by Ms. Armstrong and Ms. Piet that I haven’t loved. They seem to be able to really dig deep into the heart and soul of their characters. Both Andrew and Ben really lived and breathed off of the written page and the story itself was very smoothly written and well thought out. With the perfect mix of angst, hope and romance, On the Edge was one of my favorite stories out of the entire anthology.
Highly Recommended!
Fraternal Devotion is a multi-authored anthology in which all stories have the brothercest theme. I know this subgenre will not be for everyone, but since I’m a fan of reading these types of forbidden/ taboo romances (it is fiction AND romance, what’s not to love?) I was anxious to read this book, and I wasn’t disappointed in the least! Every story in the book brought something to the table. This can be rare because Anthologies can be tricky sometimes. Most of the time, the stories in an anthology are not that good and it can cause me to have less enjoyment of the book in general. This was not so with Fraternal Devotion! Every single story captivated my interest and were memorable in their own way. All participating authors in this anthology have a very unique voice as well as addictive storytelling ability. I highly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book, and I’m anxious to read more!
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan
5 Kisses
Things are not always what they seem in this short story. Keith has been fighting an infected group of people, who most think are mutants. When he is betrayed by his own team, he finds his long-lost brother Riley and both men must confront the forbidden love they have between them. But, to truly have something special together, both brothers must trust in each other and see which side of the spectrum is the right one. Will they be able to truly be able to discover the truth behind the infected and work together or will fear of the unknown pull them apart forever?
I loved this short. I wish it had been a full length novel, because it was that good. Between the freshly told tale about those who people who are ‘infected’, and Keith and Riley’s love for each other, it made this short a fast and interesting read. I liked how Keith was extremely conflicted between what he’d been told about the infected and versus what was true. I also appreciated the strong bond the brothers had for one another, as well as their obvious love and affection they felt for each other. Also, the sexual tension between them was smokin’ hot! Whew! I loved watching them work things out while they allowed themselves to finally give into the strong attraction and love between them. The author has a creative, unique voice in which I found very addictive to read. I’m looking forward to reading more books by her.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele
5 Kisses
It’s been nineteen months since Ethan has been home. Ever since Brandon tried to kiss him, which ended up in disastrous results, Brandon hasn’t heard from his musician older brother. Since their parents are not getting a divorce and the family house is getting prepped to be sold, Ethan has returned to help out. Will Brandon be able to keep his attraction for Ethan at bay, or will he be surprised by how Ethan really feels?
I loved the strong chemistry and sexual tension between Ethan and Brandon. Both characters are likeable men and I enjoyed their story a lot. I also adored the witty banter and horseplay the two had together. I could easily see that these two brothers both loved and were in love with each other. Out of all of the other stories in this anthology, this one was the most fun and sexy to read. I also liked the easy style of writing the author has and I’m looking forward to reading more books by her.
Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
4 Kisses
Cale has just returned home from Spring Break. Ever since his father’s suicide years before, Cale has done everything possible to avoid coming home. To make matters worse for him, his older brother Derrick has steadily been sinking into a depression and has done nothing but float around in the pool his father drowned himself in. Even though their mother means well, Cale has always had to help his older brother Derrick, and he soon realizes once again, he’ll have to be the one try to pull his brother out of the deep water of depression that Derrick seems to be determined to drown in. As Cale slowly starts getting Derrick to open up to him, he slowly comes to realize his older brother has always been in love with him, and in many ways he, himself feels the same way about Derrick. Will they be able to work though all of the guilt and fear of allowing themselves to love on another, or will Cale continue to do his best to push his brother away?
I really liked this book, but it’s been a hard one to rate. I admit I’ve hovered between 3.5 kisses to 4.5 kisses, so I’ve decided to rate it in the middle. In some ways it’s more emotionally driven than the two previous stories, but I think there are many unresolved issues between the two brothers and in the end, I wish it had been a longer story. There is a definite connection between them that I really liked, and I could see how much they needed each other, kind of like two halves of one whole, but the story still left me wanting more. It’s the first story I’ve read by Ms. Wilder and it won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to the next journey her books will send me.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone
4 Kisses
Matt and Jeremy are your typical brothers. When they were younger, older brother Matt pushed Jeremy around and they argued and fought like cats and dogs. Even though they were like this, they still were close. But Jeremy has been hiding a secret from Matt. He’s been in love with him since high school, and now years later, Matt is engaged to a woman he hardly knows, much less love, and it’s driving Jeremy crazy. When Matt insists that Jeremy attend his bachelor party, he reluctantly goes because he loves Matt, even though he knows he’s going to hate ever second of it. After the party, Matt passes out on the couch and Jeremy can’t resist touching him, but when he gets caught in the act, what will Matt do?
I really enjoyed this story a lot. Watch Matt and Jeremy dance around the attraction they had for each other made this a fun and very sexy read. I admit, there were times I wanted Jeremy to tell Matt to take a hike, but eventually I did warm up to Matt because of his determination to be with Jeremy in the end. I liked the sizzling chemistry between Matt and Jeremy and thought the story itself was very smoothly written. I’m looking forward to reading more by Ms. Moore in the future.
On the Edge by SL Armstrong and K. Piet
5 Kisses
Ben and Andrew are fraternal twins who have kept their on again off again relationship secret for the past ten years. The possibility to have a real romantic relationship between them has cause both of them to move far away from home where no one knows they’re brothers. Unfortunately for Andrew, he lives with the guilt and shame of being in love with his brother, causing him to keep his twin at arm’s length. After a night of drinking and drugging Andrew will make love with Drew and then typically push Ben away. Ben decides he can’t be hurt by Andrew’s cold behavior anymore and give his twin an ultimatum. Will Andrew be able to get past the shame and guilt he feels so he can have a change of having a real loving relationship with the love of his life?
I loved this story. I thought the fear and shame that Andrew felt for loving his twin was very realistically written and well told. Andrew’s life is starting to spiral out of control and he knows he must do something about it, or he’ll not only lose his twin, but he’ll lose his reason for living. I enjoyed the dynamics between Andrew and Ben and found myself really hoping that they’d be able to love one another in peace. I have to admit, that I’ve never read a book by Ms. Armstrong and Ms. Piet that I haven’t loved. They seem to be able to really dig deep into the heart and soul of their characters. Both Andrew and Ben really lived and breathed off of the written page and the story itself was very smoothly written and well thought out. With the perfect mix of angst, hope and romance, On the Edge was one of my favorite stories out of the entire anthology.
Highly Recommended!
January 17, 2013
I’m behind the curve with this anthology. It’s been out a while and well reviewed by several great reviewers but I’ll be honest I didn’t really know anything about that when I read this anthology. I happen to like the incest kick and wanted to read SMP’s take on a complicated issue. Stories in this niche tend to be angst ridden or sex filled, both of which I like, but I was hoping for something more well rounded and nuanced from Fraternal Devotion. Thankfully almost all the stories delivered this and offered a range of interpretations. Not all stories resonated with me as a reader but all are well-written and interesting takes on this particular kink. As an anthology I think the collection works very well and is worth buying. I especially like that this collection offers 5 well thought out stories than 20 extremely short ones. One final point I wanted to add is that the collection as a whole is edited beautifully with a wonderful flow of topics and interpretations. It works well reading them all in one sitting.
The collection opens extremely well with a bang in War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan (4 stars). This is easily one of my favorites of the group. It’s a futuristic, paranormal world where a sexually transmitted virus causes infected people to change into a wide variety of possible superpowers or mutations. Keith and his brother Riley are on opposites sides of the problem. Keith is part of a militia hunting down infected while Riley is trying to save and transport infected to safe areas. The two clash but their chemistry and love for each other eventually wins out. The world is well crafted and immediately engaging. The two personalities feel authentic with real conflicts, drama, and questions. I’m not sure this is a soul mate love match but the two men feel well suited to each other and genuinely care for each other. The build up to the brothers getting together takes most of the space so the story feels rushed once Keith and Riley finally have sex. The concepts are interesting and complex enough to have filled an entire novel but the author did a wonderful job presenting a successful short story filled with complicated themes and spanning several genres.
Moving on from the dark tone of the first story, Analgesia by Alisha Steele (4 stars) offers a super hot, sexually charged delight. Set in modern, contemporary day Ethan and Brandon are typical brothers in many ways. They tease each other, antagonize, compete, and even care for each other. Brandon has been longing for his brother for years while Ethan has been out sleeping with everything that moves to forget their connection. They’re back together in a forced companionship trying to help their mom sell her house. It’s clearly a short-term situation so I’m not sure how they would exist beyond this time but I also didn’t really worry about it. There’s a little bit of angst and emotional turmoil offered but it’s tempered by extremely hot sex. Not to say this is nothing but erotica but the author knows how to write steamy and delicious sex scenes and happily litters the story with such. The conflict and turmoil of being brothers is very distant and not essential to the story, which makes for a nice foil to the darker, more cerebral tone of the first story. The writing is clean and evocative and centers on the connection between the men and not so much their future. This is easily the most erotic story of the collection, but would also stand out on it’s own. I loved this one and would recommend it.
After the high of the second story, Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder (3 stars), is a bit of a downer. As the title suggests, this short story deals with a collegiate Cale home for break and his depressed, medicated brother Derrick. Unable to deal with the prospect of Derrick drowning himself like their father, Cale decides to do what he must to help his brother. This help includes sleeping together and through that process Cale discovers something about himself. The story is undoubtedly well written and intriguing. It delves into mental illness and the impact an incestuous relationship can have, both positively and negatively. I didn’t mind the more somber, serious tone of the story and I especially appreciated how this story stood out so uniquely. Not all brother relationships are easy and light and this story tries to show another side. Both brothers have issues they need to work through and they eventually realize that together they can function best, even if it’s not perfect. I’m not sure that their relationship is based on love so much as mutual need and mental illness. It’s an intriguing look though and fits well in the anthology.
Next up is On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone (2 stars), my least favorite of the group. It deals with Jeremy who’s been in love with his brother since they were teenagers. Now Matt is set to marry his brand new girlfriend in Vegas and Jeremy is trying to be supportive when all he wants is to have Matt for himself. I struggled with this story from the outset since I never really understood why Jeremy was in love with Matt. Their childhood relationship is pretty typical for siblings but Matt is described as cruel and mean. Even their banter and behavior as adults highlights a sheen of disrespect Matt shows for Jeremy. There’s a sense of thinly veiled cruelty on Matt’s part that never really goes away. Together I didn’t quite understand the push-pull dynamic. Some of their actions make sense while others seem baffling. The final resolution is logical but seems out of character for both men. Matt goes from condescending and dismissive to caring and loving without a real reason for the change. Overall I think the idea of the story is a very good one and it presents another aspect of the brother-brother relationship that’s not shown elsewhere in the collection but I don’t think the writing quite achieved the goal. I couldn’t connect to the characters nor really understand a lot of their actions and rationales so this one left me cold.
Thankfully the anthology ends on a high note (literally) with On the Edge by SL Armstrong & K Piet (4 stars). This is my favorite of the group, though all three favorites are equally good in different ways. Here Andrew and Ben are twins living and loving together. They’ve been sexual with each other for over a decade but Andrew has always struggled to let go of his guilt over their relationship. He feels tremendous weight over what society thinks and how he knows that their incestuous relationship is inherently wrong in others’ eyes. He compensates by getting drunk and high on drugs to have sex with his brother before the guilt forces him to hurt Ben emotionally. This roller coaster ride is highly emotional and angst ridden, however it’s a wonderful counterpoint to the anthology as a whole. It shows a much deeper, more internal conflict and one I’d expect would be a real stumbling block to these kinds of relationships. It’s nice to see this thread explored and without a magical, easy ending. Andrew has to really fight his demons and even admits at the end, he’s not entirely sure he can win but he wants to. The writing is incredible and the characters are very deep and nuanced. I think the ending is hopeful, almost too much, but it makes for a nice belief that these two can really make it work.
The collection opens extremely well with a bang in War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan (4 stars). This is easily one of my favorites of the group. It’s a futuristic, paranormal world where a sexually transmitted virus causes infected people to change into a wide variety of possible superpowers or mutations. Keith and his brother Riley are on opposites sides of the problem. Keith is part of a militia hunting down infected while Riley is trying to save and transport infected to safe areas. The two clash but their chemistry and love for each other eventually wins out. The world is well crafted and immediately engaging. The two personalities feel authentic with real conflicts, drama, and questions. I’m not sure this is a soul mate love match but the two men feel well suited to each other and genuinely care for each other. The build up to the brothers getting together takes most of the space so the story feels rushed once Keith and Riley finally have sex. The concepts are interesting and complex enough to have filled an entire novel but the author did a wonderful job presenting a successful short story filled with complicated themes and spanning several genres.
Moving on from the dark tone of the first story, Analgesia by Alisha Steele (4 stars) offers a super hot, sexually charged delight. Set in modern, contemporary day Ethan and Brandon are typical brothers in many ways. They tease each other, antagonize, compete, and even care for each other. Brandon has been longing for his brother for years while Ethan has been out sleeping with everything that moves to forget their connection. They’re back together in a forced companionship trying to help their mom sell her house. It’s clearly a short-term situation so I’m not sure how they would exist beyond this time but I also didn’t really worry about it. There’s a little bit of angst and emotional turmoil offered but it’s tempered by extremely hot sex. Not to say this is nothing but erotica but the author knows how to write steamy and delicious sex scenes and happily litters the story with such. The conflict and turmoil of being brothers is very distant and not essential to the story, which makes for a nice foil to the darker, more cerebral tone of the first story. The writing is clean and evocative and centers on the connection between the men and not so much their future. This is easily the most erotic story of the collection, but would also stand out on it’s own. I loved this one and would recommend it.
After the high of the second story, Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder (3 stars), is a bit of a downer. As the title suggests, this short story deals with a collegiate Cale home for break and his depressed, medicated brother Derrick. Unable to deal with the prospect of Derrick drowning himself like their father, Cale decides to do what he must to help his brother. This help includes sleeping together and through that process Cale discovers something about himself. The story is undoubtedly well written and intriguing. It delves into mental illness and the impact an incestuous relationship can have, both positively and negatively. I didn’t mind the more somber, serious tone of the story and I especially appreciated how this story stood out so uniquely. Not all brother relationships are easy and light and this story tries to show another side. Both brothers have issues they need to work through and they eventually realize that together they can function best, even if it’s not perfect. I’m not sure that their relationship is based on love so much as mutual need and mental illness. It’s an intriguing look though and fits well in the anthology.
Next up is On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone (2 stars), my least favorite of the group. It deals with Jeremy who’s been in love with his brother since they were teenagers. Now Matt is set to marry his brand new girlfriend in Vegas and Jeremy is trying to be supportive when all he wants is to have Matt for himself. I struggled with this story from the outset since I never really understood why Jeremy was in love with Matt. Their childhood relationship is pretty typical for siblings but Matt is described as cruel and mean. Even their banter and behavior as adults highlights a sheen of disrespect Matt shows for Jeremy. There’s a sense of thinly veiled cruelty on Matt’s part that never really goes away. Together I didn’t quite understand the push-pull dynamic. Some of their actions make sense while others seem baffling. The final resolution is logical but seems out of character for both men. Matt goes from condescending and dismissive to caring and loving without a real reason for the change. Overall I think the idea of the story is a very good one and it presents another aspect of the brother-brother relationship that’s not shown elsewhere in the collection but I don’t think the writing quite achieved the goal. I couldn’t connect to the characters nor really understand a lot of their actions and rationales so this one left me cold.
Thankfully the anthology ends on a high note (literally) with On the Edge by SL Armstrong & K Piet (4 stars). This is my favorite of the group, though all three favorites are equally good in different ways. Here Andrew and Ben are twins living and loving together. They’ve been sexual with each other for over a decade but Andrew has always struggled to let go of his guilt over their relationship. He feels tremendous weight over what society thinks and how he knows that their incestuous relationship is inherently wrong in others’ eyes. He compensates by getting drunk and high on drugs to have sex with his brother before the guilt forces him to hurt Ben emotionally. This roller coaster ride is highly emotional and angst ridden, however it’s a wonderful counterpoint to the anthology as a whole. It shows a much deeper, more internal conflict and one I’d expect would be a real stumbling block to these kinds of relationships. It’s nice to see this thread explored and without a magical, easy ending. Andrew has to really fight his demons and even admits at the end, he’s not entirely sure he can win but he wants to. The writing is incredible and the characters are very deep and nuanced. I think the ending is hopeful, almost too much, but it makes for a nice belief that these two can really make it work.
Read
October 7, 2012Warning: this anthology deals with brothercest, so it's clearly a book that might make someone uncomfortable and they'd better not read it. I confess it made me uncomfortable, but what I look for in a book is the characters' emotional journey, the reasons why brothers become closer than society allows and the dynamics in their relationship. Some stories were more convincing than others.
War and Peace and Brotherhood
This story has a sci-fi/paranormal setting. In the world depicted by the author, some people have been infected with a virus that makes them shifters or mutants and they are hunted by a sort of human army. Two brothers are on the opposite side of this conflict, but when the human brother, Keith, is betrayed by colleagues, they get together after a long separation and they have to finally deal with what they feel for each other and the reason why Riley, the transformed brother, disappeared a few years before. I think the richness of the world building made the emotional side of the story less prominent, therefore I was a bit dissatisfied with it. I didn't get why the two brothers were so close, apart from the attraction they felt for each other. It's a story that, also for its implications, deserved to be longer. There's a plot twist at a certain point that seemed a bit rushed or left hanging and the brother's story had less impact.
Analgesia
As far as anticipation goes, this was the best story. Ethan is a musician on the road of being a punk-rock star. His younger brother, Brandon, is the one who has showed his attraction for Ethan, and been mercilessly teased for it. The sexual tension was scorching. The way the most important flashback - the one who explained the whys of the separation - wasn't introduced very smoothly, and maybe because the anticipation had been done so well, the consummation of the attraction was too anti-climatic, but that attraction was very believable.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools
It was a bit depressing indeed, but I think this story did a good job of showing the psychological dependence of Derrick on Cale, and vice versa too. The relationship between the two brothers seemed the less healthy of the whole anthology, because both brothers have been retreating from life and are ready to exclude the whole world even more. The story ends with a note of hope, but in my opinion the two seems to be unable to work in a normal environment, and to be able to function only if they're together.
On Clouds of Obsession
This story was interesting, especially from Jeremy's point of view. Jeremy's brother, Matt, is a playboy and he's getting married in a few weeks. Jeremy has been pining for him forever and after a drunken party their relationship takes a surprising turn. I think Jeremy's side of the story was the better developed, his desire was palpable, but I couldn't get Matt's reasons, he was less solid, and this imbalance made the resolution less convincing.
On the Edge
This was by far the best story of the anthology. Instead of telling of the brothers finding out their attraction, love, and showing us their love becomes physical, this story begins in the middle of the relationship between Andrew and Ben. Ben is the one who expressed his feelings for his twin first and who pushed Andrew until he had sex with him. Andrew - probably the more sensitive of the two - is also the one who has the biggest reservation about it. Ben has accepted his feelings, he's been taking care of Andrew as Andrew's life spirals out of control, with drugs to numb him and the music which doesn't come. Ben gives Andrew an ultimatum: either he acknowledges what he feels for Ben and treats him with love or Ben will move on and find someone who appreciates and loves him. The story is very intense, it takes place inside Andrew's head most of the time. The writing is very beautiful, especially because it uses many musical terms which express the way Andrew's mind work. It's the first time I read something by these authors and I enjoyed it very very much.
War and Peace and Brotherhood
This story has a sci-fi/paranormal setting. In the world depicted by the author, some people have been infected with a virus that makes them shifters or mutants and they are hunted by a sort of human army. Two brothers are on the opposite side of this conflict, but when the human brother, Keith, is betrayed by colleagues, they get together after a long separation and they have to finally deal with what they feel for each other and the reason why Riley, the transformed brother, disappeared a few years before. I think the richness of the world building made the emotional side of the story less prominent, therefore I was a bit dissatisfied with it. I didn't get why the two brothers were so close, apart from the attraction they felt for each other. It's a story that, also for its implications, deserved to be longer. There's a plot twist at a certain point that seemed a bit rushed or left hanging and the brother's story had less impact.
Analgesia
As far as anticipation goes, this was the best story. Ethan is a musician on the road of being a punk-rock star. His younger brother, Brandon, is the one who has showed his attraction for Ethan, and been mercilessly teased for it. The sexual tension was scorching. The way the most important flashback - the one who explained the whys of the separation - wasn't introduced very smoothly, and maybe because the anticipation had been done so well, the consummation of the attraction was too anti-climatic, but that attraction was very believable.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools
It was a bit depressing indeed, but I think this story did a good job of showing the psychological dependence of Derrick on Cale, and vice versa too. The relationship between the two brothers seemed the less healthy of the whole anthology, because both brothers have been retreating from life and are ready to exclude the whole world even more. The story ends with a note of hope, but in my opinion the two seems to be unable to work in a normal environment, and to be able to function only if they're together.
On Clouds of Obsession
This story was interesting, especially from Jeremy's point of view. Jeremy's brother, Matt, is a playboy and he's getting married in a few weeks. Jeremy has been pining for him forever and after a drunken party their relationship takes a surprising turn. I think Jeremy's side of the story was the better developed, his desire was palpable, but I couldn't get Matt's reasons, he was less solid, and this imbalance made the resolution less convincing.
On the Edge
This was by far the best story of the anthology. Instead of telling of the brothers finding out their attraction, love, and showing us their love becomes physical, this story begins in the middle of the relationship between Andrew and Ben. Ben is the one who expressed his feelings for his twin first and who pushed Andrew until he had sex with him. Andrew - probably the more sensitive of the two - is also the one who has the biggest reservation about it. Ben has accepted his feelings, he's been taking care of Andrew as Andrew's life spirals out of control, with drugs to numb him and the music which doesn't come. Ben gives Andrew an ultimatum: either he acknowledges what he feels for Ben and treats him with love or Ben will move on and find someone who appreciates and loves him. The story is very intense, it takes place inside Andrew's head most of the time. The writing is very beautiful, especially because it uses many musical terms which express the way Andrew's mind work. It's the first time I read something by these authors and I enjoyed it very very much.
August 25, 2012
There wasn't a story here that wan't well written. I like them all but I do have my favorites.
War and Peace and Brotherhood - by D.K. Jernigan - 4 Stars - I enjoyed the paranormal world this was set in with the brothers on opposite sides of the issue. I would have loved to read this in a full length novel.
Analgesia - by Alisha Steele - 4.5 Stars - It was her except that pushed me to by the anthology. Ethan was seriously smokin'
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - by Leigh Wilder - 4 Stars - there were so many family issues in this little snippet. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out and was satisfied with the solution.
On Clouds of Obsession - by Azalea Moone - 4 Stars - I seriously wanted to punch Matt. Still did when it was over because his actions were just yanked Jeremy around. He was a jerk. I wished it was longer so his decision was more...I don't know...you read and decide.
On the Edge - S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet - 4.5 Stars - Wanted to smack Andrew too, for different reasons, but still. I hate to say it, but Ben needed a bop on the head for being an enabler. I think if it was told from Ben's POV I would have cried because his is just too tenderhearted...which just made me want to give an extra smack to Andrew.
War and Peace and Brotherhood - by D.K. Jernigan - 4 Stars - I enjoyed the paranormal world this was set in with the brothers on opposite sides of the issue. I would have loved to read this in a full length novel.
Analgesia - by Alisha Steele - 4.5 Stars - It was her except that pushed me to by the anthology. Ethan was seriously smokin'
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - by Leigh Wilder - 4 Stars - there were so many family issues in this little snippet. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out and was satisfied with the solution.
On Clouds of Obsession - by Azalea Moone - 4 Stars - I seriously wanted to punch Matt. Still did when it was over because his actions were just yanked Jeremy around. He was a jerk. I wished it was longer so his decision was more...I don't know...you read and decide.
On the Edge - S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet - 4.5 Stars - Wanted to smack Andrew too, for different reasons, but still. I hate to say it, but Ben needed a bop on the head for being an enabler. I think if it was told from Ben's POV I would have cried because his is just too tenderhearted...which just made me want to give an extra smack to Andrew.
January 6, 2013
War and Peace and Brotherhood-by D.K. Jernigan-3 Stars-This was a cool short paranormal novella. One brother was turned, the other was hunting him and others like him. Interesting for sure.
Analgesia-by Alisha Steele-4.5 Stars-This was fucking hot. IMO, the hottest one in the series. No serious angst or depression. Yum
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools-by Leigh Wilder-2 Stars-This is the only one that squicked me out a little bit. I don't know why seeing as they were all about brothers having sex and this is the only one. Kinda depressing.
On Clouds of Obsession-by Azalea Moone-4 Stars-Matt was an asshole and I don't know if I ever warmed up to him a whole lot. The story was very good though.
On the Edge-S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet-5 Stars-My favorite in the book. Not the hottest sex but the best story. Oh, it had sex but it also managed to be angsty and happy and made my chest ache.
Analgesia-by Alisha Steele-4.5 Stars-This was fucking hot. IMO, the hottest one in the series. No serious angst or depression. Yum
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools-by Leigh Wilder-2 Stars-This is the only one that squicked me out a little bit. I don't know why seeing as they were all about brothers having sex and this is the only one. Kinda depressing.
On Clouds of Obsession-by Azalea Moone-4 Stars-Matt was an asshole and I don't know if I ever warmed up to him a whole lot. The story was very good though.
On the Edge-S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet-5 Stars-My favorite in the book. Not the hottest sex but the best story. Oh, it had sex but it also managed to be angsty and happy and made my chest ache.
October 26, 2012
"War and Peace and Brotherhood" by D.K. Jernigan
Keith is a Humanist Corpsman, sworn to protect society from the mutated ranks of the Infected. When his own team betrays him, however, it's his long lost brother, Riley, who takes him in and makes him choose between the Infected and his brotherhood.
★★★★
"Analgesia" by Alisha Steele
Brandon Patrell is convinced it will take more than a home renovation to keep his playboy brother, Ethan, from running away again. But as Ethan resumes his old mind-games, Brandon is determined to tease back for once, even if it means risking everything in a game of all or nothing.
★★★★★
"Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools" by Leigh Wilder
A dozen years after discovering his father's suicide, Cale returns home and finds his older brother Derrick showing the same signs of melancholy. But as much as he wants to help his brother, he fears being sucked back into that world of depression.
★★★★
"On Clouds of Obsession" by Azalea Moone
Jeremy has been Obsessing since long ago glimpsing his brother, Matt, naked in the locker room. Years later, with Matt due to be married in a week, Jeremy takes a chance after Matt's bachelor's party that could jeopardize their relationship, not to mention the impending wedding.
★★★★
"On the Edge" by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet
Songwriter Andrew lives life on the edge, using drugs to quiet his uncertainties about his ongoing relationship with his twin, Ben. Disheartened by Andrew's empty promises, Ben begins to pull away, forcing Andrew to choose between letting go and finally finding the strength to stop running.
★★★★★
Keith is a Humanist Corpsman, sworn to protect society from the mutated ranks of the Infected. When his own team betrays him, however, it's his long lost brother, Riley, who takes him in and makes him choose between the Infected and his brotherhood.
★★★★
"Analgesia" by Alisha Steele
Brandon Patrell is convinced it will take more than a home renovation to keep his playboy brother, Ethan, from running away again. But as Ethan resumes his old mind-games, Brandon is determined to tease back for once, even if it means risking everything in a game of all or nothing.
★★★★★
"Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools" by Leigh Wilder
A dozen years after discovering his father's suicide, Cale returns home and finds his older brother Derrick showing the same signs of melancholy. But as much as he wants to help his brother, he fears being sucked back into that world of depression.
★★★★
"On Clouds of Obsession" by Azalea Moone
Jeremy has been Obsessing since long ago glimpsing his brother, Matt, naked in the locker room. Years later, with Matt due to be married in a week, Jeremy takes a chance after Matt's bachelor's party that could jeopardize their relationship, not to mention the impending wedding.
★★★★
"On the Edge" by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet
Songwriter Andrew lives life on the edge, using drugs to quiet his uncertainties about his ongoing relationship with his twin, Ben. Disheartened by Andrew's empty promises, Ben begins to pull away, forcing Andrew to choose between letting go and finally finding the strength to stop running.
★★★★★
August 21, 2012
War and peace and brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan: 4 stars
Analgesia by Alisha Steele: 5 stars
I loved the build up in this story.
Depression, love, and swimming pools by Leigh Wilder: 3.5 stars
On clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone: 4.5 stars
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet: 4 stars
Analgesia by Alisha Steele: 5 stars
I loved the build up in this story.
Depression, love, and swimming pools by Leigh Wilder: 3.5 stars
On clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone: 4.5 stars
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet: 4 stars
Read
January 24, 2023Warning - this is anthology where each story deals with incest.
The stories themselves were good. Personally I found it relatively easy to overlook the incest bit. I guess I'm not totally icked out by the whole thing as it is between 2 men, although I couldn't read anything like this between a brother/sister, child/parent etc.
The stories themselves were good. Personally I found it relatively easy to overlook the incest bit. I guess I'm not totally icked out by the whole thing as it is between 2 men, although I couldn't read anything like this between a brother/sister, child/parent etc.
August 29, 2012
The best one: Analgesia. So damn hot. Really, great sex scenes!! Like very hot! Such cockteases these two boys!
I liked On the Edge too... until a point, then I was glad this was the last one in the book or I wouln't read this anymore.
I liked On the Edge too... until a point, then I was glad this was the last one in the book or I wouln't read this anymore.
July 11, 2018
Great sexy book- the subject is taboo but a great fantasy
June 3, 2013
Fraternal Devotion is an anthology published by Storm Moon Press and can be found here. The book contains five stories about brothers loving brothers. And while I know a lot of people tend to automatically frown or push away that concept, but I think that people should always give everything a try. You never know what will inspire you, or make you smile unless you try it. And by try it I mean give this book a try and read it. Especially since this book holds a lot of good stories in it.
The first tantalizing tale, War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan (4.5 stars) unfolds the tale of brothers Keith and Riley. In this world, a mutation has started turning some of the population and it has split sides. Riley had left a number of years ago and Keith had no idea where he’d gone until he shows up on the wrong side of the line that Keith’s been walking. This book is set in a world where an infection has started to change people, to those changed a lot of them see it as a gift but to those unchanged they see them as abominations that must be eradicated at any cost. The infection that changes you is spread by having sex with someone that’s already been changed, and personally I have to say it’s an interesting way to explain people gaining the ability to change into wolves or make themselves invisible, though that’s only a small example of what people have gained in this world. The world building in the story is imaginative and interesting, and the interaction and relationship between the two brothers in engaging and makes you want to keep reading.
The second story is Analgeisa by Alisha Steele (4 stars) and tells the tale of Brandon and Ethan. After a rather bitter divorce, their mother is trying to fix up their childhood home so she can sell it and move into something smaller and more affordable. There’s no hiding the fact that Brandon wants his brother, from the get go we know that the feelings are there. And watching the interaction between the two, the story of why Ethan ran to England with his band nineteen months before the story started, is extremely interesting and hot. This story, with it’s teasing, flirting, and jealousy is a very steamy read.
Third in the tales of brotherly love comes Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder (3 stars). The story starts with Cale coming home on Spring Break to see his mother and his brother Derrick. His mother is quick to tell him that something is wrong with his older brother, and without actually saying it she thinks that Cale should fix whatever is going on as Derrick seems to have taken to just floating in the family pool nearly naked. The story overall is a relatively sad one, as you come to find that the brothers have gone through a good deal of loss between them, and that both are trying to cope as they can though Derrick is having a tougher time of it through everything. And while I didn’t gel all that well with this story, it is well written and the characters are engaging. Well worth the read.
Coming in fourth is On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone (2 stars) where we meet Jeremy and Matt. It’s a week before Matt’s wedding to Candy, and Jeremy is not all that enthusiastic about the wedding. Matt invites Jeremy to the Bachelor party and despite his reservations agrees and goes. Things escalate from steamy to depressing and then around to sweet. If you follow Jeremy’s emotions, this story is a roller coaster of emotions, though I feel that it’s written extremely well. Neither the story nor the emotions lose you but instead make you want to continue with Jeremy to see how the shoe will fall when all is said and done.
And finally, but certainly not least is On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet (4 stars). Ben and Andrew are two brothers that have moved out on their own, sharing an apartment to support each other in the city away from their parents. Though there’s more than just trying to make it as a musician on Andrew’s mind, namely struggling through the guilt and shame that come from loving and sleeping with his brother. Ben doesn’t have any of the guilt or shame, but rather embraces that they’ve always gone against the grain and this was no different, and so long as it made them happy it was alright. The tug back and forth between the emotions is definitely a powerful one, and the story has a darker edge to it because of Andrew’s drug use.
The first tantalizing tale, War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan (4.5 stars) unfolds the tale of brothers Keith and Riley. In this world, a mutation has started turning some of the population and it has split sides. Riley had left a number of years ago and Keith had no idea where he’d gone until he shows up on the wrong side of the line that Keith’s been walking. This book is set in a world where an infection has started to change people, to those changed a lot of them see it as a gift but to those unchanged they see them as abominations that must be eradicated at any cost. The infection that changes you is spread by having sex with someone that’s already been changed, and personally I have to say it’s an interesting way to explain people gaining the ability to change into wolves or make themselves invisible, though that’s only a small example of what people have gained in this world. The world building in the story is imaginative and interesting, and the interaction and relationship between the two brothers in engaging and makes you want to keep reading.
The second story is Analgeisa by Alisha Steele (4 stars) and tells the tale of Brandon and Ethan. After a rather bitter divorce, their mother is trying to fix up their childhood home so she can sell it and move into something smaller and more affordable. There’s no hiding the fact that Brandon wants his brother, from the get go we know that the feelings are there. And watching the interaction between the two, the story of why Ethan ran to England with his band nineteen months before the story started, is extremely interesting and hot. This story, with it’s teasing, flirting, and jealousy is a very steamy read.
Third in the tales of brotherly love comes Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder (3 stars). The story starts with Cale coming home on Spring Break to see his mother and his brother Derrick. His mother is quick to tell him that something is wrong with his older brother, and without actually saying it she thinks that Cale should fix whatever is going on as Derrick seems to have taken to just floating in the family pool nearly naked. The story overall is a relatively sad one, as you come to find that the brothers have gone through a good deal of loss between them, and that both are trying to cope as they can though Derrick is having a tougher time of it through everything. And while I didn’t gel all that well with this story, it is well written and the characters are engaging. Well worth the read.
Coming in fourth is On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone (2 stars) where we meet Jeremy and Matt. It’s a week before Matt’s wedding to Candy, and Jeremy is not all that enthusiastic about the wedding. Matt invites Jeremy to the Bachelor party and despite his reservations agrees and goes. Things escalate from steamy to depressing and then around to sweet. If you follow Jeremy’s emotions, this story is a roller coaster of emotions, though I feel that it’s written extremely well. Neither the story nor the emotions lose you but instead make you want to continue with Jeremy to see how the shoe will fall when all is said and done.
And finally, but certainly not least is On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet (4 stars). Ben and Andrew are two brothers that have moved out on their own, sharing an apartment to support each other in the city away from their parents. Though there’s more than just trying to make it as a musician on Andrew’s mind, namely struggling through the guilt and shame that come from loving and sleeping with his brother. Ben doesn’t have any of the guilt or shame, but rather embraces that they’ve always gone against the grain and this was no different, and so long as it made them happy it was alright. The tug back and forth between the emotions is definitely a powerful one, and the story has a darker edge to it because of Andrew’s drug use.
February 1, 2013
This anthology was a rather terrible disappointment. My status updates communicate my thoughts on each story. In this review I'll just make a couple points.
1. I cannot believe I'm forced to say so, but I've read better bro-cest on Nifty.
2. Most of the stories featured a younger but physically bigger and more dominant brother with unmanageable feelings for his older brother. I suppose this is so as to mitigate potentially pervy, advantageous, rape-y feelings in readers but this is bro-cest. Guess what? We're already in perv-town and I say in for a penny in for a pound. It's a bit late to start putting on the kid gloves, which all these stories demonstrated the authors donned in their writing as opposed to fully celebrating the kink.
In summary:
The first story strove for a depth and mythos not realised in its execution,
The second story was depressing but featured some true to life elements that gave me pause in its realism and successful evocation of such,
The third story turned me on but the dominance promised in the foreplay fell flat upon culmination and there was some stiffness with the introduction of the surname (the mother in the kitchen...weird shift) and a few revelatory female-written elements,
The fourth story was all tell no show and dispassionate writing that needed to be edited for length and needed the injection of multiple dimensions as opposed to the flatness in which it resided with its stock characters, immobile plot and its non-animated dialogue,
And the fifth story was personally unreadable. (Substance abuse).
Status updates:
"1st story: War and Peace and Brotherhood. 1.5 stars. Insufficient world-building, insufficient tension, insufficient relationship. The sex was off (and off-putting). The emotional elements were under developed and overly sentimental. The writing was superficial and the story was corny. Bad start to this anthology. Why put such a weak story first? Hoping it gets better."
"2nd story: Analgesic. 3 stars. Aptly named, especially considering how the analgesic cream gets used. This story was a good read. There were titillating parts and some plodding parts. The writing was a bit uneven and in some places a bit stiff whereas the author seemed to be striving for a casual tone. The sexual tension was good, the coming together a bit sub par after what the prelude promised. But all in all a good thrill."
"3rd story: Depression, Love and Swimming Pools. I don't know how many stars to accord this because while it worked on my nerves, it was also real and hit upon some pertinent points like running away from self by immersing oneself in academia etc. But the codepency as a coping method for depression irked the hell out of me. And loyalty to a dead father over finding one's own path disturbed me. Yes, now I know: 2 stars."
"4th story: On Clouds of Obsession. 1/2 (half star). God. Awful. Storytelling. Serious skimming. Amateur, immature writing."
"5th story: On The Edge. I cannot read this. I can never read about substance abuse. Ever. People poisoning their bodies freaks me out. Even in grad school for assigned reading I'd skip anything that pertained to such. So cocaine, ecstasy, and excessive alcohol usage here makes this a no-go for me.
Besides which, all the guilt that prompts this behaviour is tiresome to read."
1. I cannot believe I'm forced to say so, but I've read better bro-cest on Nifty.
2. Most of the stories featured a younger but physically bigger and more dominant brother with unmanageable feelings for his older brother. I suppose this is so as to mitigate potentially pervy, advantageous, rape-y feelings in readers but this is bro-cest. Guess what? We're already in perv-town and I say in for a penny in for a pound. It's a bit late to start putting on the kid gloves, which all these stories demonstrated the authors donned in their writing as opposed to fully celebrating the kink.
In summary:
The first story strove for a depth and mythos not realised in its execution,
The second story was depressing but featured some true to life elements that gave me pause in its realism and successful evocation of such,
The third story turned me on but the dominance promised in the foreplay fell flat upon culmination and there was some stiffness with the introduction of the surname (the mother in the kitchen...weird shift) and a few revelatory female-written elements,
The fourth story was all tell no show and dispassionate writing that needed to be edited for length and needed the injection of multiple dimensions as opposed to the flatness in which it resided with its stock characters, immobile plot and its non-animated dialogue,
And the fifth story was personally unreadable. (Substance abuse).
Status updates:
"1st story: War and Peace and Brotherhood. 1.5 stars. Insufficient world-building, insufficient tension, insufficient relationship. The sex was off (and off-putting). The emotional elements were under developed and overly sentimental. The writing was superficial and the story was corny. Bad start to this anthology. Why put such a weak story first? Hoping it gets better."
"2nd story: Analgesic. 3 stars. Aptly named, especially considering how the analgesic cream gets used. This story was a good read. There were titillating parts and some plodding parts. The writing was a bit uneven and in some places a bit stiff whereas the author seemed to be striving for a casual tone. The sexual tension was good, the coming together a bit sub par after what the prelude promised. But all in all a good thrill."
"3rd story: Depression, Love and Swimming Pools. I don't know how many stars to accord this because while it worked on my nerves, it was also real and hit upon some pertinent points like running away from self by immersing oneself in academia etc. But the codepency as a coping method for depression irked the hell out of me. And loyalty to a dead father over finding one's own path disturbed me. Yes, now I know: 2 stars."
"4th story: On Clouds of Obsession. 1/2 (half star). God. Awful. Storytelling. Serious skimming. Amateur, immature writing."
"5th story: On The Edge. I cannot read this. I can never read about substance abuse. Ever. People poisoning their bodies freaks me out. Even in grad school for assigned reading I'd skip anything that pertained to such. So cocaine, ecstasy, and excessive alcohol usage here makes this a no-go for me.
Besides which, all the guilt that prompts this behaviour is tiresome to read."
September 22, 2012
Overall
Because of this anthology’s content, it will obviously not be for everyone. But if you’re reading this review, then you probably are interested enough to take the risk and dive in.
These stories definitely push the brotherhood button, and several are well done, while others left me cool. Just like every anthology, the mix is all based on the authors who write for it. For readers looking for these types of stories, I think it’s worth a gander and will be satisfying.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan
3.5 stars
This story has many interesting elements in the plot, from the human evolution/disease conflict, the way it’s passed on, and the two brothers stuck in the center. I like the plot of this more than the sex between the two characters, and I like how Jernigan approaches and develops the two to what eventually happens in the end. Some parts of the conclusion feel unnecessarily rushed (or added and then rushed), but overall a satisfying read.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele
4 stars
One brother returns home, per his mother’s request, after being on tour with his band and the younger brother struggles to deal, as the last time they were really together, the older brother punched him in the face. Although the plot conventions aren’t fresh, the writing and eroticism of the characters work well together and made a strong dynamic as the two men come together. The two characters have a nice playful power struggle, and although the bits about analgesic and antiseptic seems a bit out of left field, the banter showed their relationship and kept the story light, sexy, and sweet.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
3 stars
While this story is grounded in reality, it has some elements that make it somewhat surreal. The role of stories and characters (and actors) play is an important theme throughout and creates an almost story within a story feel. The somewhat overly dramatic actions of the characters are odd, but fitting for the people and the environment they were raised in. This story may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s worth a read.
On Clouds of Obsession Azalea Moone
2 stars
I had difficulty relating to the two main characters, who were very hot and cold to one another, and the events that unfolded just seemed a little strange. Matters were raised that didn’t really seem important and the whole impetus felt contrived. Although this story dealt the most with the realism of two brothers being together, it also resolved many of the issues too quickly.
On the Edge by SL Armstrong and K Piet
4.5 stars
Wow. This is a very powerful story that rips the heart out, holds it in the air a few seconds, then shoves it back in. It dissects the psychological aspects of incest for one of the partners and really looks at it how such a relationship would have to be handled in reality. I love how the characters struggle with one another and their emotions and how they handle their falling out and everything that comes after. It had my heart clenching in my chest.
Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
Because of this anthology’s content, it will obviously not be for everyone. But if you’re reading this review, then you probably are interested enough to take the risk and dive in.
These stories definitely push the brotherhood button, and several are well done, while others left me cool. Just like every anthology, the mix is all based on the authors who write for it. For readers looking for these types of stories, I think it’s worth a gander and will be satisfying.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan
3.5 stars
This story has many interesting elements in the plot, from the human evolution/disease conflict, the way it’s passed on, and the two brothers stuck in the center. I like the plot of this more than the sex between the two characters, and I like how Jernigan approaches and develops the two to what eventually happens in the end. Some parts of the conclusion feel unnecessarily rushed (or added and then rushed), but overall a satisfying read.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele
4 stars
One brother returns home, per his mother’s request, after being on tour with his band and the younger brother struggles to deal, as the last time they were really together, the older brother punched him in the face. Although the plot conventions aren’t fresh, the writing and eroticism of the characters work well together and made a strong dynamic as the two men come together. The two characters have a nice playful power struggle, and although the bits about analgesic and antiseptic seems a bit out of left field, the banter showed their relationship and kept the story light, sexy, and sweet.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
3 stars
While this story is grounded in reality, it has some elements that make it somewhat surreal. The role of stories and characters (and actors) play is an important theme throughout and creates an almost story within a story feel. The somewhat overly dramatic actions of the characters are odd, but fitting for the people and the environment they were raised in. This story may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s worth a read.
On Clouds of Obsession Azalea Moone
2 stars
I had difficulty relating to the two main characters, who were very hot and cold to one another, and the events that unfolded just seemed a little strange. Matters were raised that didn’t really seem important and the whole impetus felt contrived. Although this story dealt the most with the realism of two brothers being together, it also resolved many of the issues too quickly.
On the Edge by SL Armstrong and K Piet
4.5 stars
Wow. This is a very powerful story that rips the heart out, holds it in the air a few seconds, then shoves it back in. It dissects the psychological aspects of incest for one of the partners and really looks at it how such a relationship would have to be handled in reality. I love how the characters struggle with one another and their emotions and how they handle their falling out and everything that comes after. It had my heart clenching in my chest.
Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
September 3, 2012
This anthology was a mix of stories about the forbidden love between brothers. As with most anthologies, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but all of these stories were equally angst-ridden due to the taboo of incest.
Of these stories, the two that stood out to me the most were probably War and Peace and Brotherhood and On the Edge. War and Peace and Brotherhood was interesting because it had a cool plot. Keith is a Humanist Corpsman who fights against the spread of "infection". Infected people exhibit varying abilities or physical transformations - almost like XMen. Keith fights against the infected in an attempt to save humanity. His brother Riley left home after Keith's attraction for him, chased him away. When Keith learns that Riley is one of the infected, he needs to decide if the fight for humanity is more important than the love for his brother. About 4 stars.
On the Edge was another story that captured my attention because it did the best job truly showcasing the inner turmoil that Andrew felt about his unnatural desires for his twin brother. While all the stories did touch on some uneasiness and reluctance to commit to such a taboo relationship, this story really brought that out with the self-destructive bent that Andrew took to hide from his feelings. I thought it was pretty poignant. 4 stars.
Analgesia: Just over 3 stars - I did not really like Ethan's personality and his penchant for having sex with women under his brother's window. The relationship between the two brothers was pretty sizzling, though.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools: 3 stars - I didn't really connect with these two characters and Derrick's depression was, well, in a word depressing. I didn't feel their connection as strongly as in other stories within this anthology.
On Clouds of Obssession: 3 stars. This was a fine story as part of this anthology. It just didn't stand out as much as the other two stories for me.
Of these stories, the two that stood out to me the most were probably War and Peace and Brotherhood and On the Edge. War and Peace and Brotherhood was interesting because it had a cool plot. Keith is a Humanist Corpsman who fights against the spread of "infection". Infected people exhibit varying abilities or physical transformations - almost like XMen. Keith fights against the infected in an attempt to save humanity. His brother Riley left home after Keith's attraction for him, chased him away. When Keith learns that Riley is one of the infected, he needs to decide if the fight for humanity is more important than the love for his brother. About 4 stars.
On the Edge was another story that captured my attention because it did the best job truly showcasing the inner turmoil that Andrew felt about his unnatural desires for his twin brother. While all the stories did touch on some uneasiness and reluctance to commit to such a taboo relationship, this story really brought that out with the self-destructive bent that Andrew took to hide from his feelings. I thought it was pretty poignant. 4 stars.
Analgesia: Just over 3 stars - I did not really like Ethan's personality and his penchant for having sex with women under his brother's window. The relationship between the two brothers was pretty sizzling, though.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools: 3 stars - I didn't really connect with these two characters and Derrick's depression was, well, in a word depressing. I didn't feel their connection as strongly as in other stories within this anthology.
On Clouds of Obssession: 3 stars. This was a fine story as part of this anthology. It just didn't stand out as much as the other two stories for me.
November 13, 2012
War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan: 2 stars
This story honestly wasn't bad but something was missing for me to actually like it. The characters fell flat for me and I just couldn't really feel the connection between the brothers. I think I would've much more enjoyed this story as a full length novel.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele: 2.5 stars
This story just kind of seemed all over the place. I also didn't really like Ethan, and the fact that he had sex with a girl on the street just in front of their house disgusted me. The attraction between the two brothers was realistic enough and once they had sex it was pretty hot, so 2.5 stars for that.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder: 3.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was depressing but it ended on a hopeful note. It's the relationship that was the most realistic and believable between all the brothers so far.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone: 2.5 stars
Not bad, but underdeveloped. I don't really know what to say about this story, to be honest. I didn't particularly like Matt, but I sure liked him a lot better at the end than at the beginning. I felt sad for Jeremy though and I'm happy he got what he wanted in the end.
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet: 3.5 stars
Wow, this was filled with angst and got me sad and depressed and made me feel for both characters. The way Andrew treated Ben made me angry but I also understood why he acted the way he did. Intense and poignant story and beautiful writing.
This story honestly wasn't bad but something was missing for me to actually like it. The characters fell flat for me and I just couldn't really feel the connection between the brothers. I think I would've much more enjoyed this story as a full length novel.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele: 2.5 stars
This story just kind of seemed all over the place. I also didn't really like Ethan, and the fact that he had sex with a girl on the street just in front of their house disgusted me. The attraction between the two brothers was realistic enough and once they had sex it was pretty hot, so 2.5 stars for that.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder: 3.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was depressing but it ended on a hopeful note. It's the relationship that was the most realistic and believable between all the brothers so far.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone: 2.5 stars
Not bad, but underdeveloped. I don't really know what to say about this story, to be honest. I didn't particularly like Matt, but I sure liked him a lot better at the end than at the beginning. I felt sad for Jeremy though and I'm happy he got what he wanted in the end.
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet: 3.5 stars
Wow, this was filled with angst and got me sad and depressed and made me feel for both characters. The way Andrew treated Ben made me angry but I also understood why he acted the way he did. Intense and poignant story and beautiful writing.
May 22, 2013
War and Peace and Brotherhood: 3.0
Not bad, just not enough to go on.
Analgesia: 5.0
Hot as hell, with complete characters and a history.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools: 3.5
I get it, but it didn't work enough for me.
On Clouds of Obsession: 3.0
I still don't understand Matt's complete switch here, but I liked them.
On the Edge: 1.0
I have to give a shit about the character before you pile on the angst. I never cared about either of these two.
Not bad, just not enough to go on.
Analgesia: 5.0
Hot as hell, with complete characters and a history.
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools: 3.5
I get it, but it didn't work enough for me.
On Clouds of Obsession: 3.0
I still don't understand Matt's complete switch here, but I liked them.
On the Edge: 1.0
I have to give a shit about the character before you pile on the angst. I never cared about either of these two.
August 23, 2012
War and Peace and Brotherhood by DK Jernigan 3,3*
Analgesia by Alisha Steele 3,7*
Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder: 3,1*
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moon: 2,7*
On the Edge by K. Piet and SL Armstrong: 2,9*
Analgesia by Alisha Steele 3,7*
Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder: 3,1*
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moon: 2,7*
On the Edge by K. Piet and SL Armstrong: 2,9*
December 8, 2012
4 Stars
War and Peace and Brotherhood - 2.5 Stars
Analgesia - 4.5 Stars
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - 3.5 Stars
On Clouds of Obsession - 3.5 Stars
On the Edge - 2.5 Stars
War and Peace and Brotherhood - 2.5 Stars
Analgesia - 4.5 Stars
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - 3.5 Stars
On Clouds of Obsession - 3.5 Stars
On the Edge - 2.5 Stars
January 7, 2013
If you like sexy, kinky brothers this book is for you! The first two stories were my favorite and then it kind of got repetitive. Not sure if this is my favorite genre or not but definitely worth a read by anyone looking to change things up a bit.
January 7, 2013
Only read Analgesia by Alisha Steele and it was insanely HOT. Love it !
March 6, 2013
Analgesia was my absolute favorite story in the anthology, but I liked all of them. Very nicely written, nice characters, nice sex and lovely taboo romance. Yum!
December 20, 2014
Rating breakdown:
War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan - 2.5 stars
The story was interesting but for me it was just an okay read though. Also, I think it was rather too easy and too quick for both brothers to deal with their issues here considering who their peers are. Short stories are tricky and for it to become effective and convincing, the author must take great care on how they should develop the flow of the story. And I think it was the problem in this one.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele - 3.5 stars
I really like this story. This is my favorite in this anthology and I enjoyed reading the two brothers trying to play jealous-game with each other. It was so hot too. Their teasing game just gets frustrating and exciting until I just couldn't wait for the UST to break. And oh boy did it break!
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder - 3 stars
I like this story too but sometimes in the middle of reading this part, I wondered whether Cale really did feel love or maybe he was just sorry for how his brother turned out after the death of their father. I think what touched me was the little note their father left behind.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone - 2.75 stars
Oh I liked the thrill of Jeremy touching his drunk brother Matt. And I also liked very much where these two ended up after that. But then what happened after that just annoyed and confused me. Matt is such a jerk and I didn't know whether to believe him or think maybe he just like going Jekyl and Hyde over his brother Jeremy. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic too.
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet - 3.25 stars
I think I've always liked this kinda story where one is like a saint and the other is a pain in the ass. This book was sweet and sad but I enjoyed the ups and down in their relationship. I like Ben and his patience and love for his twin. Andrew, who's struggling to overcome his shame and guilt over their relationship, was also understandable, nevermind that he's so dramatic sometimes.
It was fun reading this anthology. Sometime in the future, when I'm feeling so thirsty for incestuous stories, it's good to know that I have this one ready to be read again anytime.
War and Peace and Brotherhood by D.K. Jernigan - 2.5 stars
The story was interesting but for me it was just an okay read though. Also, I think it was rather too easy and too quick for both brothers to deal with their issues here considering who their peers are. Short stories are tricky and for it to become effective and convincing, the author must take great care on how they should develop the flow of the story. And I think it was the problem in this one.
Analgesia by Alisha Steele - 3.5 stars
I really like this story. This is my favorite in this anthology and I enjoyed reading the two brothers trying to play jealous-game with each other. It was so hot too. Their teasing game just gets frustrating and exciting until I just couldn't wait for the UST to break. And oh boy did it break!
Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder - 3 stars
I like this story too but sometimes in the middle of reading this part, I wondered whether Cale really did feel love or maybe he was just sorry for how his brother turned out after the death of their father. I think what touched me was the little note their father left behind.
On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone - 2.75 stars
Oh I liked the thrill of Jeremy touching his drunk brother Matt. And I also liked very much where these two ended up after that. But then what happened after that just annoyed and confused me. Matt is such a jerk and I didn't know whether to believe him or think maybe he just like going Jekyl and Hyde over his brother Jeremy. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic too.
On the Edge by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet - 3.25 stars
I think I've always liked this kinda story where one is like a saint and the other is a pain in the ass. This book was sweet and sad but I enjoyed the ups and down in their relationship. I like Ben and his patience and love for his twin. Andrew, who's struggling to overcome his shame and guilt over their relationship, was also understandable, nevermind that he's so dramatic sometimes.
It was fun reading this anthology. Sometime in the future, when I'm feeling so thirsty for incestuous stories, it's good to know that I have this one ready to be read again anytime.
July 24, 2016
This book is a work of fiction. It is an anthology that includes five M/M erotic romance novellas about brothers in love. Due to the highly controversial subject matter and the taboo sexual content, this material might upset or offend some readers. If you are one of those readers, no harm, no foul...walk away now and know this book is not for you.
For those of you are open to taboo subject matter and find yourself curious or intrigued, I've listed the the five stories below in the order of which they are appear in the text. I've also included the author, a brief, subjective description and my rating for each title.
1. War, Peace and Brotherhood by D.K Jernigan:
-a clever and origjnal dystopian romance featuring family conflict, shifters and a military theme. ☆☆☆☆
2. Analgesia by Alisha Steele
-a sexy, spirited and angsty contemporary romance featuring fraternal geek/musician MCs. ☆☆☆☆☆
3. Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
-a melancholy romance about two fractured brothers from a dysfunctional family. ☆☆☆
4. On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone
-a disturbing story of how two unlikable brothers came to be together. ☆☆
5. On The Edge by K. Piet & S.L Armstrong
-a beautifully written, poignant story about twin brothers who struggle to resolve their desperate love for one another and urgent need to be together with the moral and social implications of their relationship. ☆☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed four of the five stories featured in this eccelectic and naughty collection. Overall, the authors did a nice job of taking on such a prohibitive topic and handling it gracefully without sacrificing sensuality or eroticism. Despite the one story I disliked, I felt the end result of the combined efforts of this group of authors was largely successful.
* Due to the controversial content of this book, it has been banned from virtually all online retailers. It is no longer available in ebook format. However, if you are interested in obtaining one of the remaining print copies, you may do so by contacting K. Piet via email. (kpiet@kpiet.net)
For those of you are open to taboo subject matter and find yourself curious or intrigued, I've listed the the five stories below in the order of which they are appear in the text. I've also included the author, a brief, subjective description and my rating for each title.
1. War, Peace and Brotherhood by D.K Jernigan:
-a clever and origjnal dystopian romance featuring family conflict, shifters and a military theme. ☆☆☆☆
2. Analgesia by Alisha Steele
-a sexy, spirited and angsty contemporary romance featuring fraternal geek/musician MCs. ☆☆☆☆☆
3. Depression, Love and Swimming Pools by Leigh Wilder
-a melancholy romance about two fractured brothers from a dysfunctional family. ☆☆☆
4. On Clouds of Obsession by Azalea Moone
-a disturbing story of how two unlikable brothers came to be together. ☆☆
5. On The Edge by K. Piet & S.L Armstrong
-a beautifully written, poignant story about twin brothers who struggle to resolve their desperate love for one another and urgent need to be together with the moral and social implications of their relationship. ☆☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed four of the five stories featured in this eccelectic and naughty collection. Overall, the authors did a nice job of taking on such a prohibitive topic and handling it gracefully without sacrificing sensuality or eroticism. Despite the one story I disliked, I felt the end result of the combined efforts of this group of authors was largely successful.
* Due to the controversial content of this book, it has been banned from virtually all online retailers. It is no longer available in ebook format. However, if you are interested in obtaining one of the remaining print copies, you may do so by contacting K. Piet via email. (kpiet@kpiet.net)
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