Exposed

Pre-order cancelled.

https://twitter.com/i/moments/9707166...

Alisa

1,895 reviews201 followers

Read

March 8, 2018

Anyone else amused at the irony of the title?

Pre-order cancelled.

Mónica BQ

884 reviews136 followers

autor-caca delete-o-sin-reseña-review sobre-advertencia-no-hay-engaño

The cat is out of the bag now.
You can start here for info. Read everything. Then head over to Twitter and search for a lot of the authors' names there.
Their relentless and continuous abuse and gaslighting has been exposed.

I am truly, truly sorry for whatever author in this anthology had no hand in the issues coming to light. I am not at all sorry for the others. While I do believe that some of them may have been inadvertently victimised as well, their unprofessional behaviour towards readers for the past year has spoken volumes. They have been active participators in the bad mouthing, dragging and subtweeting of readers.

Nikki is to be thanked for the exposure, head over to her Twitter over @ease_dropper and get the full story from her and the #nastybirds. Start from the bottom, you are in for a long read.

Publishers Statements

http://riptidepublishing.com/a-statem...
https://mobile.twitter.com/dreamspinn...

Agent's "Statement"

https://twitter.com/millercallihan/st...

Background to the events

https://twitter.com/courtneymilan/sta...

https://thesaltminers.tumblr.com/post...

https://thesaltminers.tumblr.com/post...

https://thesaltminers.tumblr.com/post...

https://spellboundscribes.wordpress.c...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://twitter.com/i/moments/9707166...

https://twitter.com/sweetsakuradoll/s...

https://twitter.com/thisblackmagic/st...

http://blackmagicblues.com/on-sarah-l...

https://ingloriousbitches.wordpress.c...

http://jennytrout.com/?p=12013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWR2o...

*Ongoing edits happening as I add/correct links

Simply Love Book Reviews

7,046 reviews870 followers

March 15, 2018

NOTE: Due to circumstances we decided to post this review excluding the story by a dubious entity.

Each story has it's own rating.

Reviewers note: I’ve read a lot of boxed sets in my life; some good, some not so good and some way, way above average and Exposed is one of the latter. A mix of M/F, M/M, MMF, and F/F stories, this anthology proves that love is love and being true to yourself opens you up to all kinds of possibilities. Not only did I love the 8 stories I read (one was not available early for review), I loved the way this set made me feel, hopeful that one day we can live in a world where no one has to hide any part of themselves to feel safe and loved. Thank you to all the authors who participated, each and every one of you should be proud!

Level Up by Annabeth Albert 4.0 stars

I loved Level Up by Annabeth Albert! One thing I always appreciate about Ms. Albert is that her characters grow during the course of a book and even in this novella we see that in both Landon and Bailey. Landon is momentarily stunned to find out Bailey, a photographer who is going to take his picture for a nude charity calendar for literacy, is a guy. It was fun watching them become friends over shared interests, getting to know one another through online chats and gaming, moving into cyber sexy times and then more. Landon has panic attacks stemming from an attack several years ago and Bailey has always had body issues making it difficult for them to trust each other completely. They were a fun couple with just the right amount of heat for them. Annabeth Albert is one of my favorite gay romance authors so be sure to check out her full length novels as well.

Wishing by Karen Booth 5 stars

Wishing is part of author Karen Booth’s Bring Me Back world and if you haven’t read those books and you love Wishing, you really need to check them out because they are excellent. Samantha has just moved home to her Mom and Step-Dad’s house after being fired from her job and leaving her cheating ex-boyfriend when she meets Duncan, a musician her step-dad is mentoring and working with on his next album. The attraction is instantaneous and while they try and resist for various reasons, they eventually give in. I loved these two together and the fact that Duncan encouraged Samantha to not give up her love of writing after a horrible job experience and that Sam gave Duncan the validation he needed on a project near and dear to his heart. My one complaint, I wanted more time with this couple mainly because I loved being back in this world again. Emotional, fun, and sensual, I loved Wishing!

Ghost by Robin Covington 4.5 stars

I do so love when a one night stand comes back to bite one of the people involved on the a$$ and that’s exactly what happens in Ghost by Robin Covington. Oliver Burns is co-owner of a comic publishing company and wants nothing more to sign the elusive “G” creator of a graphic novel taking the world by storm, but when G makes a rare personal appearance at a comic con event Oliver realizes that “G” is Gareth a man he left behind the morning after one sinfully delicious night because of the feelings he brought forth in him and “G” is not at all happy to see him. I loved the tension between these two that was not all animosity; they seriously burned up the pages with just looks across the room. Gareth really stood up to Oliver and made him realize he needed to reassess his life. It’s always nice to see characters grow during a story and even more so in a novella. Ms. Covington did a nice job of blending the sexy with the serious and I loved the outcome.

Rigged by Vanessa North 5 stars

A M/M/F ménage with a bit of rope play thrown in for good measure, sign me up. Vanessa North offers up an intriguing story in which two best friends admit their feelings after a shoot for a charity calendar leaves them both realizing they want not only want more with each other, but more in general. Kaitlyn volunteers her best friend and business partner to model for a naked charity calendar and when Gordan is told he’ll be bound he realizes that something he once though he shouldn’t want, is something that he needs and the rigger, Sean, makes it all that more enticing. I enjoyed the balancing act that Kaitlyn and Gordan went through trying to figure out how to go from friends to more and the fact that the kink was also making them question everything especially since asking Sean to help them is another huge step and one they both are excited about. I loved watching the three of them figure things out together and making communication a priority. Sexy and hot don’t even begin to describe the rope play and intimate times, so just take my word for it…you don’t want to miss this one
.
Thrown Off The Track by Tamsen Parker 4 stars

Band mates for over a decade Teague has a reputation for being a party boy and not to particular at who he sleeps with while Christian silently sits back, picks him up from his hook ups and wishes it was him. Although they’ve been best friends forever when the band is all naked for a celebrity charity calendar photo shoot, Teague begins to see Christian in a whole different way and doesn’t know what to do with feelings he’s never experienced before. I enjoyed this story in that Teague had been confused for a long time and admitting he felt something for Christian and Christian being able to help him put a name to it, made Teague realize a whole lot about himself. With the band in a weird sort of limbo and the future uncertain, tempers do flare at times but both Christian and Teague realize that what they have is special and happier than they’ve ever been when together. This was my first book by Tamsen Parker and based on it, I’ve already one-clicked Love on the Tracks which features Teague and Christian’s band mate Zane’s story.

Natural Enemies by Roan Parrish 4 stars

Two botanists with very different ideas of what is important in the world of botany go from antagonistic to lust in this wild and wicked story from Roan Parrish. When Milo Rios is tagged as one of the 30 under 30 to watch in the field of botany, Stefan Albermarle is livid and decides he needs to see for himself what makes Milo their choice. I’ll admit for probably a good third or maybe more of this book I was not a fan of Stefan and it made it hard to keep reading because he was such a pretentious pr*ck, but one thing I also love in books is when a character shows growth and we definitely see that in Stefan throughout the course of this book. Milo was one of those infectious characters that you can’t help but love and I think despite the fact that Stefan hated that Milo “dumb downed “their profession he was drawn to him especially after seeing his home and secret garden. The fact these two chose to use their degrees in very different ways added interest to the story, but having the love of plants and how those plants made them feel brought them together. Their sexy times were off the chart hot and they way they worked together to help the kids Milo worked with was uplifting. Natural Enemies was an excellent story despite the less than stellar start for me.

The Watermark by Tiffany Reisz 5 stars

When retired World Champion Bull Rider Jason “Still” Waters is chosen to pose nude for a celebrity charity calendar he only hopes his ultra conservative and religious parents don’t hold it against him, what he doesn’t expect is to find the pink haired photographer, Simone, to be someone he spills his “ugly” secrets and desires to or the woman who helps him make his fantasies come true. You’ll seriously, this book was so good. All of his life Jason has hidden his true nature because the “teachings” of his father convinced him that his desires are wrong and depraved. Simone was perfect for helping Jason understand that what he needs isn’t a bad thing because there are women like her who absolutely love being a willing partner. Even though I was perfectly happy with this novella, I am so thankful that it is being expanded into a full length book because I want more of this couple and their journey. A beautiful look at a man learning to be true to himself and the woman who wants nothing more than to serve him and see it through.

Legal Briefs by Karen Stivali 4.5 stars

Charity calendar organizer Rose is not at all enamored with Michael, an attorney her friend recommends for the calendar especially when he is over an hour late to the photo shoot, but when Rose is in danger of losing her job and her chance at tenure over her involvement with the calendar Michael agrees to help her out legally. Boy did the sparks fly between Michael and Rose from the start, but I appreciated it took a little while for them to go further and even then that Rose was the aggressor. I loved the sweet moments, the funny moments, and I really loved the sexy moments. While it wasn’t always pretty, there was a closeness between them I felt and I loved watching them figure out they belonged together. Entertaining and sexy, I loved Legal Briefs.

simply-love-sharon

Marlobo ♥ epilogues

1,852 reviews28 followers

w-tf

March 11, 2018

Pre-ordered on January 10. Pre-order cancelled on March, 08.

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https://twitter.com/i/moments/9707166...

monika

406 reviews1 follower

not-deserve-my-time-my-money

Pre-order canceled because

https://ingloriousbitches.wordpress.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user_status...

Tailtiu

3,255 reviews

not-4-me

anthology x-dubious x-unangenehmer-zeitgenosse

Pre-order cancelled! 😾🐟

Rafa Brewster

257 reviews22 followers

April 16, 2018

I was hoping to enjoy this book in between my other reads but I ended up DNFing a majority of the stories and didn't get around to the Tamsen Parker at all. The ones I DNFed started out very, very promisingly but my excitement kept fizzing out for various reasons (one heroine was frustratingly too much in her head, another heroine kept forcing sex on the hero, and so on and so forth). Of the ones I liked, Annabeth Albert and Roan Parrish's contributions were stellar, Tiffany Riesz's was cuter than expected in all the best ways, and I also enjoyed the Robin Covington (my first time reading her work) except for the fact that the company name kept changing from Epic to Elite and back again throughout the book. In fact, the entire collection was riddled with errors and could have used some serious cleanup. For 99 cents, I shouldn't complain, but considering this was an anthology filled with many of my favorite authors, I couldn't help but be disappointed by some of the quality of the writing, editing and the overall product.

Leyna

312 reviews11 followers

not-worth-my-time-and-money

Pre-order canceled because

https://ingloriousbitches.wordpress.c...

https://www.goodreads.com/user_status...

Catherine

1,612 reviews272 followers

over-my-dead-body

March 10, 2018

I have very strong feelings about the release of this anthology, but posting them here would probably violate GR's TOS, so I'll refrain.

Timitra

1,760 reviews10 followers

February 28, 2018

Ghost- Robin Covington

Ghost is second chance story but not in the traditional sense, the main characters had a one night stand and reconnect three years later. The spark between them is still there and leads to hot and dirty times. Although it's a quick read it tackles some issues that I won't say more about because I don't to spoil it for others but suffice it to say that it's an enjoyable read.

ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review

BevS

2,854 reviews2 followers

Read

***PRE-ORDER CANCELLED***

never-in-a-million-years

Robin Covington

Author 54 books1,225 followers

Read

March 4, 2018

Readers - So, when Karen Stivali asked me to add a story to this anthology I had two thoughts: 1) OMG - this is Karen Stivali!!!!!! and 2) Hell, yeah. You see, Karen and I had chatted about how it was unusual to find anthologies or collection which had characters who represented every aspect of the spectrum of sexual pairings, sexual identity, and gender identity. She wanted to make it happen and I was on board in a heartbeat.

I brainstormed my own story, GHOST, and decided to indulge my own happy little heart with my love of comic books and my #ownvoices Native American hero (look for more in a related story later this year). Every book I write is a labor of love but this one was for me . . . and you.

Enjoy cocky Oliver and strong Gareth . . .

xxRobin

my-books

Tara♥

1,710 reviews111 followers

absolutely-not

I'll take a hard pass thanks!!

Donna Was A Scandal

1,158 reviews83 followers

Read

2018-tbr disabled-central-char geek-romance

We opted to cover three stories from trusted authors of in this anthology. Karen Booth, Tiffany Reisz, and Robin Covington are mentioned in our full review on Scandalicious Book Reviews:

http://bit.ly/2HxJRvJ

anthology

Xan

619 reviews264 followers

March 23, 2018

3.75 stars

This anthology collects stories with MCs who are involved in raising money for literacy by helping to create a charity calendar of photos of naked successful men. In general I found this collection to contain tightly plotted compelling romances. Anthologies are usually mixed bags, and this one is that, but in general the stories leaned pretty high quality.

Read my detailed review on my blog.

Content Warnings

Level Up:
References to sexual assault in the past (drug facilitated). Descriptions of PTSD symptoms, particularly panic attacks. Discussion of how people responded poorly to disclosure of sexual assault, including family members. MC with PTSD feels that his love interest (and really anyone) would be better off without him, that nobody will want to be with him because he gets triggered and has panic attacks. This gets challenged throughout the story, but does not begin shifting til near the end. Sex on the page, including light D/s.

Wishing:
Descriptions of addiction and references to someone dying of overdose. References to an adult with a history of surviving child abuse in the past. References to cheating in the past. Descriptions of familial rejection for speaking openly about addiction and abuse, and choosing a creative career. Dieting mention. References to an abusive workplace in the past. Sex on the page.

Ghost:
References to childhood history of physical abuse. References to growing up with an alcoholic parent. Alcohol use. Racial fetishizing moments. Moment where abled MC kisses the area of the body where his love interest is disabled. Casual ableist language. Sex on the page.

Rigged:
Sex on the page, including oral sex, anal sex, pegging, PIV, frotting. Bondage, light D/s. Alcohol use. Characters get drunk to build up their courage to try bondage for the first time, do bondage and have sex while drunk. Several BDSM scenes end without aftercare.

Thrown off Track:
Multiple references to an ace-spectrum character having a lot of sex he did not especially want to have because of general social pressure. On the page sex.

Natural Enemies:
On the page sex. Light D/s and light bondage. Sex in a semi-public place. References to social ostracization and bullying.

The Watermark:
On the page sex. M/s, spanking, light pain play and bondage. References to child physical abuse. Substantial internalized shame around kink.

Legal Briefs:
On the page sex. Multiple references to sexual harassment and stalking. References to extortion, threats, and blackmail.

Under the Covers Book Blog

2,840 reviews1,343 followers

2018 anthologies diverse-books

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Anthologies are both an amazing way of trying out new authors and some of the hardest thing to enjoy. In general, it's so hard to make a collection where all the stories will be winners for the reader. Especially one with a lot of authors. Then there's the fact that you basically have a bunch of novellas. Novellas are so hard! Some authors writer them exceptionally well. Others, not so much. It's hard to connect with characters, especially unknown ones, in such a short amount of pages unless it's left in the hands of a skilled author.

In EXPOSED we have a group of mostly LGBT romance authors that I think is an excellent sampling. It's perfect for someone that wants to dip their toes into the genre and check out a variety of writing styles! But there are also some straight romances in the mix. The theme that ties these together is the naked calendar photo shoot. ;) I've read most of these authors before, some are authors I enjoy and others I didn't really connect with previously. So I won't be reviewing every single story in the collection because some I skipped and some I just didn't have the time to read.

LEVEL UP by Annabeth Albert - 4 Stars (Reviewed by Francesca)

I've only read one book in the Out of Uniform series, my mistake because I really enjoyed it and I need to go back and read the rest. This is the story about Landon who is part of Pike's group of friends. He's a bisexual, nerdy, gamer professor with a troubled past and a fear of men who are larger than him. When he shows up for the naked calendar shoot, his photographer, that he'd been flirting with for a while and thinking it was a woman, ends up being a man. Taller, broader, and oh so sexy. I really liked both characters a lot, but especially Bailey. He is so sweet and tentative and gives Landon as much space as he needs while still making it very clear he's worth the challenge and work. They start off with a great connection and the fact they are extremely compatible and it develops into more. Maybe a bit too fast to believe, but still extremely enjoyable to see.

WISHING by Karen Booth - 3 Stars (Reviewed by Francesca)

This is a M/F rock star romance. Samantha moves back home after quitting her job and ending a bad relationship. She was not expecting to find a sexy rock star staying with her parents while he records his album. This was a bit of a lust/love at first sight and their relationship develops in just 5 days. I can't say that I was invested enough in their story or bought into their feelings but it was an entertaining read nonetheless. Cute and a little sexy. However, I don't think it's left me running to read more from this author. This was my first time reading her.

GHOST by Robin Covington - 3.5 Stars (Reviewed by Francesca)

I *think* this is my first time reading this author, but I could be wrong. I enjoyed this story from the start. Oliver is a few years older than Garrett. They meet at comic con and have a one night stand. But Oliver is trying to build a company and has no time for a relationship, no matter how much he liked Garrett, so he leaves before Garrett wakes up. Years later, Oliver is trying to sign an artist to his company, the elusive G. When he gets the opportunity to finally see the face behind the artist, it's none other than the man he walked out on all those years ago. This was an adorable second chance, it had enough of the connection I was looking for, it was sexy and sweet at the time same time.

NATURAL ENEMIES by Roan Parrish - 3 Stars (Reviewed by Francesca)

If you like your heroes a little geeky and socially awkward, then this will be a fun read for you! Stefan has never managed interactions with others well. He's dedicated himself fully to his career as a botanist and does much better with plants. When Milo, a gardener that works at the Botanical Gardens, gets a mention in a list of hot under 30 for his botanical knowledge, Stefan is jealous he didn't get the mention and immediately needs to meet this Milo and see how they compare. This story focused more on the physical and the individuals then the connection, I think. At least that's where it lacked something for me. But it was still a fun and sexy read. Especially with the unique settings. I loved the love for plants they both have and how that was included in the story.

THE WATERMARK by Tiffany Reisz - 4 stars (Reviewed by Annie)

Champion bull rider, Jason Waters had no idea he was kinky until he had a photoshoot with Simone but she brings the secrets out of him within two hours of meeting. Since this is a short story, things move at a very brisk pace but I actually found that I didn’t really mind it in this book.

For me, this short story worked because of the way it was written. Tiffany Reisz excels at writing dialogue and I felt like much of this book was all talking between the hero and heroine. It’s a smart move on the author’s part because not only does it build rapport between the main characters but it also allows the inclusion of backstory as well. So even though things go from the introduction to the sex scenes quickly, the reader still feels like some chemistry has been noted and made.

These BDSM type of stories from Reisz are my favorites of hers. They really are what she does best and I hope she continues to do more of them in the future.

*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Francesca and Annie❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

kgagnon

2,389 reviews1 follower

March 11, 2018

~ Ghost by Robin Covington
This is a beautiful, moving and steamy second chance romance. Oliver and Gareth had a hot night of passion only to have Oliver slip out without a word. Now they have an unexpected meeting, three years later, when Oliver wants to sign Gareth's alter ego to a publishing contract. When their eyes meet, their chemistry is hotter than ever. They both never forgot the other and can't deny their feelings. But mixing business and pleasure never ends well, or can it? This is a beautiful and moving story of redemption, trust, and love. I really connected and cared for both Oliver and Gareth. They are complex characters that have so much to say. Their story was quick and satisfying but I would love to see them again!

Nerdy Lola

204 reviews17 followers

March 14, 2018

What I enjoy the most about a great selection of authors contributing to an anthology is the promise of more. The added bonus of discovering new voices is also hard to pass up but GHOST is special in that Robin Covington weaves her love of comic books/graphic novels with her newfound stride in M/M romance.

This little novel packs a punch as it explores the possibilities around a second chance romance. Oliver and Gareth have crossed paths before in a one-night stand three years ago. Fast forward to present day and Oliver is tasked with signing Gareth to his publishing house.

For such a short story, the characterization of our main protagonists who are both of diverse backgrounds is extensive. The physical engagement is HOT…often scorching and emotional, just how I like it and the secondary characters are equally intriguing. The entire novella left me with a huge thirst for more and we’ve been promised by Ms. Covington that we will get more of these characters in a future book releasing later this year. As you can see by the selection of short stories we’ve chosen to feature in this review it’s well worth the 99 cents, so why not hop on it! – Lola

729 reviews4 followers

March 8, 2018

Mostly excellent. AAR review to come.

all-about-romance anthology bdsm

Anke

2,506 reviews97 followers

nope

March 8, 2018

Because of - reasons

Annie

2,506 reviews940 followers

anthologies arc author-tiffany-reisz

** This rating is only for the Tiffany Reisz story**

Angy Potter - Collector of Book Boyfriends

638 reviews134 followers

March 10, 2018

PERFECT!! Love every word!! Review to come!!
ARC_review

Brandee (un)Conventional Bookworms

1,482 reviews157 followers

2018-new-release anthology arc-review

*Review of Karen Booth's Wishing *

Wishing is a story set in the world of KBooth's Bring Me Back. You do not have to have read Bring Me Back to enjoy Wishing but I think having that backstory made Sam's story all the sweeter! This anthology sets out to prove that love is love no matter what and KBooth did that with a romance that blossoms in only a couple of days. Love doesn't follow a set of rules though. It doesn't always make sense. It's just...love.

Sam has come home after losing her job and her boyfriend. She's feeling disillusioned with life and is a little disappointed when she arrives home only to find her mom and step-dad have another house guest. Luckily the house guest is a hot guy - a musician no less. And she gets to chauffeur him to a photo shoot...where he's posing naked.

Duncan is in town not only for the photo shoot but also to put the finishing touches on his solo album. He's experienced tragedy fairly recently and hasn't had much to feel happy about. However, he admires and feels close to Chris Penman, Sam's step-dad who's producing the album, and he's almost tongue-tied at meeting Sam.

Although Wishing is a novella, KBooth did a great job with character growth and I delighted in seeing how both Sam and Duncan experienced personal discovery while also falling in love. They were mature in how they handled their feelings and worked at giving each other space - room to grow - as well as building a strong foundation for their relationship. They may have fallen quickly but they took things slowly.

Would I like more? Absolutely! But I'm quite satisfied with Sam and Duncan's story. Love follows its own path and when you know, you just know...it's love!

Monique

1,353 reviews38 followers