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Take This Man
Hot Honeymoons and Wild Wedding Nights
Inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that struck down the restrictive Defense of Marriage Act, award-winning author Neil Plakcy has curated a joyous and romantic celebration of gay love and marriage. While many romance stories focus on the pleasures of the first seduction, Take This Man is thrillingly different--each story spotlights the heightened intimacy of encounters between two devoted men that are crazy for each other. Michael Bracken's confessional "Blue Heart" explores the evolution of love (and sex) with a couple that started out as undergrad lovers. A restaurateur couple's cute new hire goes all the way to please his new bosses in Jameson Dash's romp "Table for Three." Editor Plakcy's contribution is a rapturous story of long-time love and one hot engagement celebration in "A Riviera Wedding." Formalized legally or not, successful long-term relationships share the same secret: knowing what turns your partner on--and vice versa--after years of connection sets the stage for truly making love each time you turn off the lights. Here's to all 50 states!
Inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that struck down the restrictive Defense of Marriage Act, award-winning author Neil Plakcy has curated a joyous and romantic celebration of gay love and marriage. While many romance stories focus on the pleasures of the first seduction, Take This Man is thrillingly different--each story spotlights the heightened intimacy of encounters between two devoted men that are crazy for each other. Michael Bracken's confessional "Blue Heart" explores the evolution of love (and sex) with a couple that started out as undergrad lovers. A restaurateur couple's cute new hire goes all the way to please his new bosses in Jameson Dash's romp "Table for Three." Editor Plakcy's contribution is a rapturous story of long-time love and one hot engagement celebration in "A Riviera Wedding." Formalized legally or not, successful long-term relationships share the same secret: knowing what turns your partner on--and vice versa--after years of connection sets the stage for truly making love each time you turn off the lights. Here's to all 50 states!
232 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2015
About the author
Neil S. Plakcy
501 books683 followersI’m Neil S. Plakcy, and I write mysteries and romances filled with humor, heart, loyalty, found family, complicated heroes, and, very often, dogs.
Readers may know me from the Golden Retriever Mysteries, featuring Steve Levitan and his clue-sniffing golden retriever Rochester; the Mahu Investigations, featuring Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa‘aka; the Have Body, Will Guard adventure-romance series with Aidan and Liam; the Angus Green FBI thrillers; and the Smiling Dog Café healing fiction.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment on A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn’t yet have the words for being gay, but I knew I was longing for deep emotional connection, friendship, and love. That longing still runs through my work, whether I’m writing mystery, romance, adventure, or suspense.
An MFA in creative writing helped me hone my technical skills and understand what kind of storyteller I am. Since then, I’ve written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and been lucky enough to find readers who care about my characters as much as I do.
I’ve also always believed that dogs make excellent detectives. They notice what humans miss: a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief helped inspire my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps Steve Levitan nose out the truth.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, and the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work, from a café where dogs help people heal to a police unit in Honolulu to a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up. Now I hope to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, a sense of place, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my golden retrievers, teaching writing, reading, or daydreaming about my next story.
For free stories, bonus scenes, and new-release news, visit my website or join my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com. You can also follow my author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
Readers may know me from the Golden Retriever Mysteries, featuring Steve Levitan and his clue-sniffing golden retriever Rochester; the Mahu Investigations, featuring Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa‘aka; the Have Body, Will Guard adventure-romance series with Aidan and Liam; the Angus Green FBI thrillers; and the Smiling Dog Café healing fiction.
I began writing seriously in high school after an inspiring assignment on A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I didn’t yet have the words for being gay, but I knew I was longing for deep emotional connection, friendship, and love. That longing still runs through my work, whether I’m writing mystery, romance, adventure, or suspense.
An MFA in creative writing helped me hone my technical skills and understand what kind of storyteller I am. Since then, I’ve written dozens of books, won a couple of treasured awards, and been lucky enough to find readers who care about my characters as much as I do.
I’ve also always believed that dogs make excellent detectives. They notice what humans miss: a faint scent, a subtle shift in body language, the hidden treat in your pocket. That belief helped inspire my Golden Retriever Mysteries, where Rochester helps Steve Levitan nose out the truth.
Every place I’ve lived has made its way into my fiction: the rolling hills of Bucks County, the neon heat of Miami, the beaches of Hawaii, and the cobbled streets of Europe. I love exploring how communities work, from a café where dogs help people heal to a police unit in Honolulu to a romance unfolding under the Mediterranean sun.
I write because stories helped me feel less alone growing up. Now I hope to give readers that same feeling: a companion, a puzzle, a sense of place, and maybe a laugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m probably walking one of my golden retrievers, teaching writing, reading, or daydreaming about my next story.
For free stories, bonus scenes, and new-release news, visit my website or join my newsletter at plakcy.substack.com. You can also follow my author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neil.plakcy.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 28, 2015
Super Sweet! Some great stories about love, commitment and marriage.
Read
October 31, 2017So much of the erotica that I've read relies on the thrill of the new-- meeting someone for the first time, becoming intimate, learning what he likes and what turns him on.
To celebrate the legality of same sex marriage, I came up with this idea-- erotic stories about couples in committed relationships. How could authors heat things up between couples who already knew each other?
I think the authors here were very successful, and I love the couples they came up with!
To celebrate the legality of same sex marriage, I came up with this idea-- erotic stories about couples in committed relationships. How could authors heat things up between couples who already knew each other?
I think the authors here were very successful, and I love the couples they came up with!
June 20, 2015
A great collection of romantic stories--some were very sweet like Jernigan's Into the Dark and Archer's A Ride Home, others had a bit of an edge to it like Ripley's Unwanted Freedom. All had great sex scenes (of course!).
I read this just after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. So reading some of the stories where the characters got married in other states from where they lived or were finally able to be married in their home state because of the state laws, the stories already seemed out of date--and that made me so damn happy!
Looking forward to future stories by these authors.
I read this just after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. So reading some of the stories where the characters got married in other states from where they lived or were finally able to be married in their home state because of the state laws, the stories already seemed out of date--and that made me so damn happy!
Looking forward to future stories by these authors.
Read
December 30, 2015My edition has 217 pages plus another 5 advertising other mm books.
Great variety of stories, loved they were all about long term relationships. need to see if the library has more like this.
Great variety of stories, loved they were all about long term relationships. need to see if the library has more like this.
January 19, 2016
A diverse collection of lived experiences that felt appropriately-crafted - doses of pleasure, ecstasy and heartwarming commitment that leaves quite the impression upon the reader.
February 5, 2016
The only problem I had was that some of the stories just were not long enough.
May 3, 2024
Not all short story collections are completely devoid of romance, but the overwhelming majority of them tend to focus on the erotic. The sixteen entries included in the timely, enticing anthology, "Take This Man: Gay Romance Stories," edited by author and contributor Neil Plakcy, feature couples in various relationship stages, and in most cases, there is talk of marriage -- the institution that was once considered beyond the reach of same sex unions.
What makes this group of vignettes especially refreshing is that while these men all uniformly believe in their hearts they have found their soul mate, the physical desire is still very much present, regardless of whether they have been together a few years, several decades, or even completely absent from each other's lives. These writers certainly aren't afraid to remind readers that love and sex essentially go hand in hand between two men.
While marriage is a resounding theme, several stories occur either before, during or after an actual wedding ceremony. In "A Good Heart Is This Day Found" from Rhidian Brenig Jones, Iain and Christian have just said "I do" and are especially eager to escape the crowd and enjoy some private time. Plakcy's "A Riviera Wedding" introduces bodyguards and lovers, Aidan and Liam, who consider tying the knot after attending the wedding of their close friends, Louis and Hassan.
My favorite entry, "Wedding Day Jitters" by Rob Rosen, takes place the night before John and Peter's wedding, an adorable albeit nervously excited couple who decide to go for a late night jog and find creative ways to release tension at a children's playground.
Surprise proposals are aplenty, as well, most notably in Justin Josh's "Homecoming," where Scott returns from active military duty and is welcomed by a plus-size version of his other-half, Todd, whose chiseled, muscular physique is hidden under a fat suit. During a hike in the woods gone wrong, Rick asks Mason to marry him after they stumble upon a cavern seemingly by accident in D.K. Jernigan's "Into the Dark." Oleander Plume reminds us it is "Never Too Late," when the waned passion between long term couple Tony and Braiden is reignited after they make some significant and long overdue changes to their relationship.
As for those who have been married for a while (and together even longer), select authors remind us that there is still plenty of fun to be had after walking down the aisle. Shawn and Brian act out an anonymous encounter role-play fantasy in T.R. Verten's alluring "Strangers for the Night." A couple drives cross country for their five-year anniversary and makes the most of their pit stop at a diner's restroom in "The Road Trip" by Kitten Boheme, while Toby and Azzo invite a young waiter, Mike, to join them in the bedroom at "Table for Three" from Jameson Dash.
"Take This Man" is an engaging, amusing and provocative collection that entertains and arouses while renewing your faith in love and romance.
What makes this group of vignettes especially refreshing is that while these men all uniformly believe in their hearts they have found their soul mate, the physical desire is still very much present, regardless of whether they have been together a few years, several decades, or even completely absent from each other's lives. These writers certainly aren't afraid to remind readers that love and sex essentially go hand in hand between two men.
While marriage is a resounding theme, several stories occur either before, during or after an actual wedding ceremony. In "A Good Heart Is This Day Found" from Rhidian Brenig Jones, Iain and Christian have just said "I do" and are especially eager to escape the crowd and enjoy some private time. Plakcy's "A Riviera Wedding" introduces bodyguards and lovers, Aidan and Liam, who consider tying the knot after attending the wedding of their close friends, Louis and Hassan.
My favorite entry, "Wedding Day Jitters" by Rob Rosen, takes place the night before John and Peter's wedding, an adorable albeit nervously excited couple who decide to go for a late night jog and find creative ways to release tension at a children's playground.
Surprise proposals are aplenty, as well, most notably in Justin Josh's "Homecoming," where Scott returns from active military duty and is welcomed by a plus-size version of his other-half, Todd, whose chiseled, muscular physique is hidden under a fat suit. During a hike in the woods gone wrong, Rick asks Mason to marry him after they stumble upon a cavern seemingly by accident in D.K. Jernigan's "Into the Dark." Oleander Plume reminds us it is "Never Too Late," when the waned passion between long term couple Tony and Braiden is reignited after they make some significant and long overdue changes to their relationship.
As for those who have been married for a while (and together even longer), select authors remind us that there is still plenty of fun to be had after walking down the aisle. Shawn and Brian act out an anonymous encounter role-play fantasy in T.R. Verten's alluring "Strangers for the Night." A couple drives cross country for their five-year anniversary and makes the most of their pit stop at a diner's restroom in "The Road Trip" by Kitten Boheme, while Toby and Azzo invite a young waiter, Mike, to join them in the bedroom at "Table for Three" from Jameson Dash.
"Take This Man" is an engaging, amusing and provocative collection that entertains and arouses while renewing your faith in love and romance.
March 11, 2021
I liked most of the stories.
May 8, 2024
This collection of short fiction has several good stories, a few OK ones and a couple that were skimmed over.
Worth it for the best entries and as an introduction of writers to look out for.
Worth it for the best entries and as an introduction of writers to look out for.
Want to Read
October 22, 2014HI MY CP IS IN THIS
Want to Read
June 25, 2015recd by Bos guy blog
December 13, 2015
2.5 stars
April 21, 2017
Well this ran from one extreme to the other for me. I actually scored one story at 1 and one at 5.
My faves:
The 5 star read - Ink Stained by Krista Merle. Historical. I could happily read a whole book about these guys. I stalked the author for any more work. There isn't any :(
The 4.5 star read - A Rivera Wedding by Neil Plakcy. It's Aiden and Liam. Love, love, love!
The 4 star read - Table for Three by Jameson Dash. Wow, I'm surprised I enjoyed this so much. A settled and dedicated partnership taking in a much younger third for the night. Normally not my thing. This I really enjoyed.
Honourable mentions: My apologies Sir/Strangers for the Night/The Last Romantic Lover
I don't know that this is worth the £10 price tag but if it comes up for sale, grab it.
My faves:
The 5 star read - Ink Stained by Krista Merle. Historical. I could happily read a whole book about these guys. I stalked the author for any more work. There isn't any :(
The 4.5 star read - A Rivera Wedding by Neil Plakcy. It's Aiden and Liam. Love, love, love!
The 4 star read - Table for Three by Jameson Dash. Wow, I'm surprised I enjoyed this so much. A settled and dedicated partnership taking in a much younger third for the night. Normally not my thing. This I really enjoyed.
Honourable mentions: My apologies Sir/Strangers for the Night/The Last Romantic Lover
I don't know that this is worth the £10 price tag but if it comes up for sale, grab it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews