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Mad About the Brit Boys #1
Mad About the Boys
When three hearts collide, expect sparks to fly!
What is it about a threesome that’s so irresistible? Is it that where one gorgeous guy is good, two are even better? Or is it the thought of loving someone who’s secure enough in his relationship to let a third person in?
In this collection of five ménages-a-trois, two bestselling authors in the world of male-male romance explore the dynamics of threesomes—this time with two men and one woman. From contemporary urban settings to timeless, magical woodlands, see lovers coming together. They could be the couple next door, opening their house—and their hearts—to the third who’ll complete them, rural loners encountering spirits of the forest, or frustrated shapeshifters who need that special someone to unlock their true potential.
JL Merrow’s contemporary story ‘Dinner for Three’ features a gay couple with designs on their very willing housemate—and an inventive use of the kitchen. In ‘In the Greenwood’ by Josephine Myles, a lonely forest spirit brings together two men, but yearns to join them herself in physical form. In the next two stories, JL Merrow carries on the paranormal theme. ‘The Antithesis of Magic’ has a modern urban setting—but one where werewolves, witches and other magical creatures are the norm. So what place does that leave for a man born without magic? ‘Changeling’, by contrast, is set in the rural past when wise women knew to be wary of the Fae, and there’s a price to be paid before a young girl may wed her changeling lover. Finally, bringing things bang up to date is Josephine Myles’ ‘Kiss, Mark Two’, featuring a young couple who decide to give a threesome a try. Only trouble is, both Mark and Ty are totally straight… right?
One thing’s for certain: the women in these stories are all mad about the boys.
‘Changeling’ and ‘In the Greenwood’ are also available in the Taken anthology, ‘Dinner for Three’ was previously published as ‘Subtlety’ in Toybox: Kitchen Sink and ‘The Antithesis of Magic’ in the I Put a Spell on You anthology, all from Torquere Press.
What is it about a threesome that’s so irresistible? Is it that where one gorgeous guy is good, two are even better? Or is it the thought of loving someone who’s secure enough in his relationship to let a third person in?
In this collection of five ménages-a-trois, two bestselling authors in the world of male-male romance explore the dynamics of threesomes—this time with two men and one woman. From contemporary urban settings to timeless, magical woodlands, see lovers coming together. They could be the couple next door, opening their house—and their hearts—to the third who’ll complete them, rural loners encountering spirits of the forest, or frustrated shapeshifters who need that special someone to unlock their true potential.
JL Merrow’s contemporary story ‘Dinner for Three’ features a gay couple with designs on their very willing housemate—and an inventive use of the kitchen. In ‘In the Greenwood’ by Josephine Myles, a lonely forest spirit brings together two men, but yearns to join them herself in physical form. In the next two stories, JL Merrow carries on the paranormal theme. ‘The Antithesis of Magic’ has a modern urban setting—but one where werewolves, witches and other magical creatures are the norm. So what place does that leave for a man born without magic? ‘Changeling’, by contrast, is set in the rural past when wise women knew to be wary of the Fae, and there’s a price to be paid before a young girl may wed her changeling lover. Finally, bringing things bang up to date is Josephine Myles’ ‘Kiss, Mark Two’, featuring a young couple who decide to give a threesome a try. Only trouble is, both Mark and Ty are totally straight… right?
One thing’s for certain: the women in these stories are all mad about the boys.
***
‘Changeling’ and ‘In the Greenwood’ are also available in the Taken anthology, ‘Dinner for Three’ was previously published as ‘Subtlety’ in Toybox: Kitchen Sink and ‘The Antithesis of Magic’ in the I Put a Spell on You anthology, all from Torquere Press.
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First published June 1, 2013
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About the author
J.L. Merrow
145 books1,327 followersJL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea. She read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, where she learned many things, chief amongst which was that she never wanted to see the inside of a lab ever again. Her one regret is that she never mastered the ability of punting one-handed whilst holding a glass of champagne.
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novella Muscling Through was a 2013 EPIC Award finalist, and her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy. Her novel Relief Valve is a finalist in the 2015 EPIC Awards.
JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow
She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance and the paranormal, and is frequently accused of humour. Her novella Muscling Through was a 2013 EPIC Award finalist, and her novel Slam! won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best LGBT Romantic Comedy. Her novel Relief Valve is a finalist in the 2015 EPIC Awards.
JL Merrow is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com, on Twitter as @jlmerrow, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jl.merrow
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2013
An anthology of MMF short stories encompassing paranormal (fae) to contemporary settings. The menage focus is a complete triangle with all three participants interacting with each other, which is my preference. It is an entertaining collection, but I enjoyed the contemporaries more. Took me a moment to figure out why.
Honestly, short stories are difficult for me to enjoy because often there isn't enough time to explore the elements of the story or the focus is off and I feel like it isn't complete. That wasn't really the case here. In the instance of the fae stories, there generally needs to be more background information divulged to create the setting/world and in a way it seemed to shorten the time allotted to the characters and the plot. Add in the humor that flows so much easier in a contemporary story and I was much more amused.
DINNER FOR THREE by JL Merrow--3.5 stars
Yummy. Food-play fun with oblivious Claire and her two ginger roommates, Justin and Tom. Made me hungry in more ways than one.
*Favorite quote: Pulling out of Justin’s grasp, she carefully picked up some bite-sized pieces of salmon and held them over Tom’s mouth for him to snap at like a dolphin at the aquarium.
IN THE GREENWOOD by Josephine Myles -- 3 stars
Jay, Will and Mirabelle. The magic of the woods brings these three lovers together. Jay, the solitary artist yearns for touch. Will loved the woods and his small piece of it. Mirabelle has protected the woods for years and sees a way to keep these two souls she wants in her woods.
Quite romantic and sweet.
ANTITHESIS OF MAGIC by JL Merrow -- 2.5 stars
Max, Lila, and Gus: three incompletes searching for something more, that piece denied them. Magic in the moonlight and things shift for them. I found this very interesting, but felt more like a prologue than a complete story since I was left with way too many questions and a sense of...is that it? Really? That's it? *harrumph*
THE CHANGELING by JL Merrow -- 3 stars
Meg and Adam, childhood friends who discover with a kiss that they can be so much more. A bargain is demanded and results in them meeting Meadowsweet. Mischief and faerie magic twist this tale. Cute and sensual, it keeps to the traditional idea of interactions with the fae.
KISS, MARK TWO by Josephine Myles -- 3.5 stars
Sexy fun as Ruby tempts Tyler with the idea of a threesome, and then suggests his best friend, Mark. Just naughty enough to be slightly raw, but no nearly long enough. Seriously, I wanted more for both me and the characters.
~~ A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
Honestly, short stories are difficult for me to enjoy because often there isn't enough time to explore the elements of the story or the focus is off and I feel like it isn't complete. That wasn't really the case here. In the instance of the fae stories, there generally needs to be more background information divulged to create the setting/world and in a way it seemed to shorten the time allotted to the characters and the plot. Add in the humor that flows so much easier in a contemporary story and I was much more amused.
DINNER FOR THREE by JL Merrow--3.5 stars
Yummy. Food-play fun with oblivious Claire and her two ginger roommates, Justin and Tom. Made me hungry in more ways than one.
*Favorite quote: Pulling out of Justin’s grasp, she carefully picked up some bite-sized pieces of salmon and held them over Tom’s mouth for him to snap at like a dolphin at the aquarium.
IN THE GREENWOOD by Josephine Myles -- 3 stars
Jay, Will and Mirabelle. The magic of the woods brings these three lovers together. Jay, the solitary artist yearns for touch. Will loved the woods and his small piece of it. Mirabelle has protected the woods for years and sees a way to keep these two souls she wants in her woods.
Quite romantic and sweet.
ANTITHESIS OF MAGIC by JL Merrow -- 2.5 stars
Max, Lila, and Gus: three incompletes searching for something more, that piece denied them. Magic in the moonlight and things shift for them. I found this very interesting, but felt more like a prologue than a complete story since I was left with way too many questions and a sense of...is that it? Really? That's it? *harrumph*
THE CHANGELING by JL Merrow -- 3 stars
Meg and Adam, childhood friends who discover with a kiss that they can be so much more. A bargain is demanded and results in them meeting Meadowsweet. Mischief and faerie magic twist this tale. Cute and sensual, it keeps to the traditional idea of interactions with the fae.
KISS, MARK TWO by Josephine Myles -- 3.5 stars
Sexy fun as Ruby tempts Tyler with the idea of a threesome, and then suggests his best friend, Mark. Just naughty enough to be slightly raw, but no nearly long enough. Seriously, I wanted more for both me and the characters.
~~ A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
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June 10, 2013Jamie Merrow and I have been working on this little anthology of a few of our re-released short stories, and one new one from me.
They're a bit different from our usual fare as they're all MMF menage romances. I hope they'll appeal to at least some of the MM fans out there, as there's plenty of male/male loving included. Just, you know, girl bits too ;)
There's contemporary, paranormal and historical tales included--and they're all erotic!
Available early June.
They're a bit different from our usual fare as they're all MMF menage romances. I hope they'll appeal to at least some of the MM fans out there, as there's plenty of male/male loving included. Just, you know, girl bits too ;)
There's contemporary, paranormal and historical tales included--and they're all erotic!
Available early June.
April 1, 2017
Interesting, different, good, but I always struggle to get far enough into a short story enough to like it more than 3 stars and this collection was no different.
October 31, 2021
A terrific showcase for two wonderful writing talents! I really enjoyed the variety of storytelling in this collection.
June 16, 2013
This is a great MMF anthology by JL Merrow and Josephyne Myles. Let me first start by saying that both are autobuy authors for me as I am a huge fan of their work. Since I enjoy reading about polyamory, when I found out there would be an anthology by these two I knew I would be in good hands.
Anyway, these short stories didn't disappoint me. This anthology comes with 5 stories. I loved two of the stories a LOT and found the other three fun reads:
Dinner for Three: In this contemporary story Claire has been living with gay couple Tom and Justin for six months after getting out of an abusive relationship. the boys want her to "play" with them. One night they drop all subtlety and invite her to enjoy the nice dinner they set out for her. This is a shortish story that seems to end with a HFN.
In the Greenwood: I think this may be by favorite story of them all! In this story we meet Mirabelle a little sprite that watches over a little patch of forest. She shares this patch (and watches over) with Jay an artist who lives alone in a cabin. He is a very lonely man who needs some company. But there is also newcomer Will. Mirabelle thinks that Will could be the company Jay is needing. However, she soon realizes she is not as happy about their union as she should be and is even wondering if the match will last. I loved Miri in this story and how she sets out to take care of her forest and also the men living within it. This is one of the longer stories and ends with a HEA.
Antithesis of Magic: This is another paranormal story in this anthology. Gus is at a bar waiting for his blind date. There he meets Lila who caught his eye during the half our he waited for his delayed blind date. Finally his blind date arrives and it is Max who is Lila's boyfriend as well. There is something that joins all of this three but I don't want to spoil the surprise. This is another shortish story that seems to end with a HFN.
Changeling This was my second favorite story. In this story meg and Adam have been friends since they were children (they are barely 17 now). But Adam is a changeling, a fairy baby who was left behind when the "real/human" Adam was taken by the faeries. When finally they reveal that their feelings run deeper, they face a challenge before they can finally be together: they must bring back the "real" Adam to his mother. This story ends with a HEA.
Kiss, Mark two This is another contemporary and story. Ty and Ruby have been together for five years when she suggests having a three way with Ty's best friend Mark. Mark and Ty have been friends since they were three. Neither of them have openly identified as bi-curious. The story is told from Ty's POV and most of it are his inner thoughts about his relationship with Ruby, Mark and whether his friendship with Mark will survive. It is a fun story that has kind of an open end.
The author's styles mesh really well and the stories flowed seamlessly from one to the next.
Anyway, these short stories didn't disappoint me. This anthology comes with 5 stories. I loved two of the stories a LOT and found the other three fun reads:
Dinner for Three: In this contemporary story Claire has been living with gay couple Tom and Justin for six months after getting out of an abusive relationship. the boys want her to "play" with them. One night they drop all subtlety and invite her to enjoy the nice dinner they set out for her. This is a shortish story that seems to end with a HFN.
In the Greenwood: I think this may be by favorite story of them all! In this story we meet Mirabelle a little sprite that watches over a little patch of forest. She shares this patch (and watches over) with Jay an artist who lives alone in a cabin. He is a very lonely man who needs some company. But there is also newcomer Will. Mirabelle thinks that Will could be the company Jay is needing. However, she soon realizes she is not as happy about their union as she should be and is even wondering if the match will last. I loved Miri in this story and how she sets out to take care of her forest and also the men living within it. This is one of the longer stories and ends with a HEA.
Antithesis of Magic: This is another paranormal story in this anthology. Gus is at a bar waiting for his blind date. There he meets Lila who caught his eye during the half our he waited for his delayed blind date. Finally his blind date arrives and it is Max who is Lila's boyfriend as well. There is something that joins all of this three but I don't want to spoil the surprise. This is another shortish story that seems to end with a HFN.
Changeling This was my second favorite story. In this story meg and Adam have been friends since they were children (they are barely 17 now). But Adam is a changeling, a fairy baby who was left behind when the "real/human" Adam was taken by the faeries. When finally they reveal that their feelings run deeper, they face a challenge before they can finally be together: they must bring back the "real" Adam to his mother. This story ends with a HEA.
Kiss, Mark two This is another contemporary and story. Ty and Ruby have been together for five years when she suggests having a three way with Ty's best friend Mark. Mark and Ty have been friends since they were three. Neither of them have openly identified as bi-curious. The story is told from Ty's POV and most of it are his inner thoughts about his relationship with Ruby, Mark and whether his friendship with Mark will survive. It is a fun story that has kind of an open end.
The author's styles mesh really well and the stories flowed seamlessly from one to the next.
July 20, 2013
Some were good, some were, well, meh.
And I realized again why I normally stay away from Anthologies...
And also realized that I don't dig mmf any more. I am just too much rooting for the boy to get the boy...
And I realized again why I normally stay away from Anthologies...
And also realized that I don't dig mmf any more. I am just too much rooting for the boy to get the boy...
July 5, 2013
In Mad About the Boys, Josephine Myles and JL Merrow have written a fascinating and daring collection of five stories that celebrate menages-a-trois that involve two men and a woman. From the magical to the modern, and the paranormal past to the passionate present. Each story is a gem all its own and guaranteed to get and keep your attention.
Dinner for Three
Claire has spent the last six months living with Justin and Tom-a gay couple who were looking for a roommate to help pay the mortgage. She knows that guys are less modest than women, but lately the guys have been taking it to the extreme. She thinks that it's just her hormones working overtime until the night dinner turns out to involve a lot more than just food!
In the Greenwood
Mirabelle is the last one of her kind. As a wood sprite, she's seen her forest grow smaller and smaller until little is left. She appears to both Will-a woodcutter, and Jay-a lonely artist, to become a couple. She can never touch them, but only watch as they make love. She longs to join them, but she must pay a very high price to do so.
The Antithesis of Magic
In a modern world when magic is commonplace, and witches, fae, and werewolves are a part of everyday life, Gus is a freak-he's the seventh son of a seventh son, and has no magical ability whatsoever. He's arranged to meet Max at a bar for a blind date, but Max is half an hour late, and Gus is being hit on by Lila, the gorgeous bartender. Turns out that Max and Lila are a couple, and they need Gus to unlock their shifting abilities. Max is half witch, half wolf. Lila is half witch, half fae. All three really enjoy the method used to bring out their other half.
Changeling
Meg Goodenough is in love with Adam Crowford. Her family doesn't want her to have anything to do with him because they say that he's a Changeling-a baby that the Fae left in exchange for a human one. The only way that she can marry Adam is to find the human that was taken in the first place, and pay the price required to bring him back. The three end up as a lot more than just two humans and a fae Changeling.
Kiss, Mark Two
Tyler and Ruby are looking to spice up their relationship by inviting Tyler's best friend Mark to join them in a threesome. Tyler is reluctant at first, but then he realizes that his feelings for Mark are much deeper than he thought. The three get down to pleasurable business and fun is had by all.
The authors have written a great collection of stories that celebrate the love, passion, and just plain fun that two men and a woman can have in the bedroom. (and other interesting places!) Each one is a hot, steamy read on its own, but when you put them together.........WOW! They're hot enough to burn your ereader-if not your house-down to the ground! I DEFINITELY recommend this fabulous book to everyone!
Pattycake's 4 sweet pea review appears at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Dinner for Three
Claire has spent the last six months living with Justin and Tom-a gay couple who were looking for a roommate to help pay the mortgage. She knows that guys are less modest than women, but lately the guys have been taking it to the extreme. She thinks that it's just her hormones working overtime until the night dinner turns out to involve a lot more than just food!
In the Greenwood
Mirabelle is the last one of her kind. As a wood sprite, she's seen her forest grow smaller and smaller until little is left. She appears to both Will-a woodcutter, and Jay-a lonely artist, to become a couple. She can never touch them, but only watch as they make love. She longs to join them, but she must pay a very high price to do so.
The Antithesis of Magic
In a modern world when magic is commonplace, and witches, fae, and werewolves are a part of everyday life, Gus is a freak-he's the seventh son of a seventh son, and has no magical ability whatsoever. He's arranged to meet Max at a bar for a blind date, but Max is half an hour late, and Gus is being hit on by Lila, the gorgeous bartender. Turns out that Max and Lila are a couple, and they need Gus to unlock their shifting abilities. Max is half witch, half wolf. Lila is half witch, half fae. All three really enjoy the method used to bring out their other half.
Changeling
Meg Goodenough is in love with Adam Crowford. Her family doesn't want her to have anything to do with him because they say that he's a Changeling-a baby that the Fae left in exchange for a human one. The only way that she can marry Adam is to find the human that was taken in the first place, and pay the price required to bring him back. The three end up as a lot more than just two humans and a fae Changeling.
Kiss, Mark Two
Tyler and Ruby are looking to spice up their relationship by inviting Tyler's best friend Mark to join them in a threesome. Tyler is reluctant at first, but then he realizes that his feelings for Mark are much deeper than he thought. The three get down to pleasurable business and fun is had by all.
The authors have written a great collection of stories that celebrate the love, passion, and just plain fun that two men and a woman can have in the bedroom. (and other interesting places!) Each one is a hot, steamy read on its own, but when you put them together.........WOW! They're hot enough to burn your ereader-if not your house-down to the ground! I DEFINITELY recommend this fabulous book to everyone!
Pattycake's 4 sweet pea review appears at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
November 29, 2016
So these worked out better for me than the m/m/m anthology. Even when the sex parts weren't that great, the rest of the story tended to be. I complained about prelude being better than the main course in Boy Meets Boy Meets Boy, but here, even that works in stories like Kiss, Mark Two where you can really feel the character (in turn, girlfriend kind of came out as a prop, but it's a short story and it's from a character's POV, so it makes sense he didn't focus on her when he had a lot of confusion to deal with), to say nothing of Changeling and its worldbuilding.
There's also more variety, from couples trying to engage a permanent third to one-time indulgence that might be repeated and some surprises I won't spoil. There's both contemporary and vaguely historical, mundane and fantasy stories.
There's also more variety, from couples trying to engage a permanent third to one-time indulgence that might be repeated and some surprises I won't spoil. There's both contemporary and vaguely historical, mundane and fantasy stories.
August 2, 2013
Mad About the Boys by JL Merrow and Jo Myles - B This anthology is a collection of 1 new and 4 previously published short stories featuring m/m/f romance (which is my favourite kind of menage story).
Dinner for Three (Merrow) is a wonderful start to the anthology, a contemporary about two happily coupled guys who are interested in expanding their relationship to include their oblivious housemate Claire - I could happily have read a full length novel about this trio. Because of the very short word count, the characterisations are necessarily very thin and the story doesn't take us beyond one day of encounters. What there was however was so very engaging, I was sad when the story ended - I really wanted more.
Read the rest of the review here: http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...
Dinner for Three (Merrow) is a wonderful start to the anthology, a contemporary about two happily coupled guys who are interested in expanding their relationship to include their oblivious housemate Claire - I could happily have read a full length novel about this trio. Because of the very short word count, the characterisations are necessarily very thin and the story doesn't take us beyond one day of encounters. What there was however was so very engaging, I was sad when the story ended - I really wanted more.
Read the rest of the review here: http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...
May 12, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed all the stories which is unusual for an anthology. Usually I don't really like mm fantasy (and I don't know why as I like everything else mm) so adding a female to the mix just hit the spot. And two of my favourite mm authors. Yum!
June 22, 2013
Both of these authors write excellent m/m books. This one is just awful. I can't believe it is from the same writers.
December 29, 2015
All good stories, some better than good.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews