The Closet, Part 1 by Eden Finley
3 Stars
Creative story. Very interesting characters and I enjoyed how this one gets to the conclusion.
The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker
3 Stars
I like the premise, the execution is what I expect from Aimee Nicole Walker. Sorry that doesn’t tell you more...
The Date by Annabeth Albert
4 Stars
Nobody can create stronger characters who form a more compelling bond, in so few pages. Annabeth Albert writes the best shorts. Super fun premise, and a total opposites attract relationship, and it works the whole way through.
The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet
3 Stars
Suspend all belief and just relax and enjoy.
Dork Lord by Damon Suede
4 Stars
Horny college student, Tarquin, is looking to make a connection. When the man of his dreams turns out to be nothing more than a shallow man-whore with nil personality, Tarquin is back to square one.
Or is he? Dream man seems to be making a play for him, but something doesn’t add up.
When Josh, his sweet and friendly RA, saves him not once, but twice, Tarquin sees how good it feels to really connect with someone. The shared interests, positive attention, and just plain old niceness go a long way to sparking his libido.
Struggling to make a connection with a man to whom he feels attraction. The problem is, the man he’s attracted to physically is a bit of a bone head, and not even that nice a guy. Luckily, running into his Hot, Hunky, and extremely Nice RA helps him see the present for what it is, and more importantly - what it is NOT.
Connecting with Josh Novak only serves to deepen Tarquin’s impression that although his experiences with his current lover (Cap) are satisfying physically, putting up with the uncertainty the games isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Spending time with Novak reinforces Tarquin’s (values?)
Shared more than sex and the sex was better because of it.
The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner
3 Stars
Clever and creative story with solid characters. Short and sweet, I really like the way Hailey Turner writes.
The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold
4 Stars
A spin on the fake boyfriend trope, well done. There’s great chemistry between Law and Roman, and their relationship totally works for me. Neuhold does a wonderful job showing the growth for each man and how that impacts the story. This is a good one.
The Last Drop by Layla Reyne
4 Stars
Fans of Reyne’s recent novel Dine With Me will definitely want to read this one. One of the stops on Miller and Clancy’s trip is in New Orleans to a bar/restaurant called Dram. (Miller even makes a cameo.) We get the story of how the dogged and determined restaurateur woos the hot bartender. Reyne includes some gorgeous descriptions of food/drinks pairings along with the smokin’ hot romance I count on from her.
The Dog Walker by Lily Morton
5 Stars
I was completely swept away by Lily Morton’s The Dog Walker. She plunges straight into the story and fills in the details as it goes along. Opening with an intimate and erotic scene, these men are at the precipice… right before they fall in love.
Issues? Age gap, financial and social class disparity. General outlook on life. Fears of commitment and intimacy.
In so few pages Morton lays these men bare, their secrets and their dreams. It’s incredibly beautiful.
The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox
4 Stars
I haven’t read enough stories by Lucy Lennox to know if the characters from The Treehouse are spin offs, but if the Mount Ellery universe is part of a series I want to know about it!
There are some clever twists in this story and the chemistry between the characters is out.of.this.world. fantastic. The main characters meet in the opening scene for what is supposed to be a hot and heavy hook-up, but Lennox turns it into a wonderfully romantic connection. I loved watching these two men find each other, and I’d love about 200 more pages of their story.
The Restoration by Mary Calmes
3 Stars
Fans of Mary Calmes’ second chance, established couple romances will enjoy this one.
The Vase by May Archer
4 Stars
Snarky and fun, May Archer’s The Vase is a very pleasant surprise. A new author for me, I really didn’t know what to expect, but I’m truly impressed. Ms. Archer’s characters are solid and true and very creative, there’s a wonderful humor throughout the whole piece, and I loved how unique and unpredictable the story was.
The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix
3 Stars
Nora Phoenix’s story, The Helping Hand is pretty clever… most of us either love or hate putting IKEA furniture together, so that part had me laughing. The characters have a nice chemistry between them and it was nice watching them get together.
The Dream Machine by Piper Scott, Writing as Emma Alcott
4 Stars
A unique and incredibly sweet opposites attract, first-time romance, Piper Scott’s The Dream Machine just about broke my heart.
Poor Tucker, pigeon holed all through high school by his size and skill on the football field, dreams of a man (a dominant man at that!) who will hold him and praise him and take care of him.
Darwin, brilliant but unfulfilled in his life, longs for someone who values him for who he is - in all his geeky glory. A partner he can share everything with, and loves him equally in return.
Watching these two fall in love is (dare I say it?) like a dream come true.
The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke
4 Stars
The funniest thing I’ve ever read by Susan Hawke, The Wedding Date had me laughing out loud over and over and over… well you get the idea. Great characters, real chemistry, and a host of creative details which made for a solid plot and a truly interesting storyline.
A fantastic short story from beginning to end.
The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy
3 Stars
Honestly, I was a bit uninspired by the storyline when I first saw where it was going… but Sloane Kennedy totally pulled me in with their writing. I liked the characters and the way it got there.
a copy of Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Vol. 3 was provided to me for the purpose of my review