Vanilla Steamer

Bold Brew #4

by Crystal Lacy

Our barista likes some spice in his vanilla—and it turns out the customer he’s crushing on might as well.

Vann enjoys his barista job. He enjoys it even more when Landon becomes an early morning regular. Vann can't resist flirting with the quiet doctor, even though he’s about eighty percent sure Landon is vanilla. That other twenty percent keeps him pushing at Landon’s buttons every time he comes in.

Things such as rope and impact play have never been on Landon’s radar. That changes after he develops an unrelenting crush on the barista who works at the local coffee shop. When he spends more time with Vann, Landon begins to realize his desires are anything but vanilla.

As the two explore Landon’s limits together, shadows of the past materialize to test them. Can Vann and Landon meet those challenges and strengthen their new relationship?

Vanilla Steamer is a stand-alone novel in the multi-author Bold Brew shared universe centered around an inclusive coffee shop set in a fictional small city. Each steaming hot coffee shop romance can be enjoyed alone, but collect all ten for the most fun! This steamy 53,000 word story has themes of new explorations and hurt/comfort, and is relatively low-angst, with a much-deserved happy ending.

Genres: Romance, BDSM, M M Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer, Novella

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2021

About the author

Crystal Lacy lives with her loving family in Hawaii, where it is always either drizzling or sunny and never snows—which is a shame, because she prefers being cold to being damp and hot unless it’s for Very Good Reasons. She writes queer romance, mainly M/M, but also some F/F. She has aspirations to one day write a YA novel about cats.

Crystal is a long-time fangirl and writes slash fanfiction for the Untamed/CQL and NBC Hannibal fandoms under the name crystalusagi. She has a deep love for fandom culture, and can be frequently spotted on Twitter and Tumblr reblogging pretty fan art.

Join her readers' group on FB for sneak peeks, extras, and the chance to grab advanced reader copies at https://facebook.com/groups/lacybits

Subscribe to her newsletter at crystal-lacy.com/subscribe for monthly book giveaways, recs, news, and more!

Reviews

[Nadine Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Low angst and high heat is what Crystal Lacy delivers in Vanilla Steamer, the fourth standalone book in the Bold Brew Series.

I am new to Crystal Lacy's work and if this book is any indication on what she normally writes I will definitely be reading more of her books. I knew going in this would be a MM Romance with some kink, I just didn't know what type or how much kink would be involved. What I loved is that Landon is new to the kink world but he was like a fish to water and soaked everything up and wanted more of it.

If you read Puppuccino you met Vann because he is Charlie's best friend and that was Charlie's story. I was super excited to read about Vann because there was one part of Charlie's story that really intrigued me about the guy and we get to know so much more about him and his woodworking skills in Vanilla Steamer.

The instant Landon walked into Bold Brew he knew Vann was someone he wanted to get to know better. What he hadn't expected was to dive into a world he only heard about. The chemistry was amazing but what was even better was the trust between Vann and Landon. This story was sweet and extremely sexy.

I would recommend this story to anyone that enjoys MM Romances, BDSM Romance, or anyone that is looking for a great quick read that includes a vanilla guy that dips his foot into the kink world.

Happy Reading!!!

Read an Excerpt here: http://bit.ly/NBReviewVS



**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books** I also preordered a copy
You can find me here:  https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus )]

DNF

I’m not the biggest fan of BDSM stories but here I am still trying to read them? 🤡

Dom/sub definitely not for me, I’m a big softie so I want more of an emotional connection even when it comes to sexy times. A soft dom or daddy dom might be more of what I’d like 🤔

I always feel like in the BDSM books the kinky people are always looking down their noses at the ‘vanilla’ people 🥺

[Tessi4M · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this was *gulp* hot. Very hot. But also sweet with plenty of feelz. And also rope. Lots of rope.
And Landon learning whole new way to enjoy a Cappucino ;)
So yes, I enjoyed this book very much.

[Ed Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 2 and 1/2 star read for me. It had lots of this I love. A Dom and a sweet sub, some kink, and not too much angst. Plus, it was written by Crystal Lacy who I love. That’s why I went ahead and gave it three stars. But if I’m totally honest I just didn’t fall in love with this story.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely the most kinky books of the series so far and I very much enjoyed those aspects of it. However I was lacking a connection with the main characters, their relationship was very fast paced. There just wasn't anything about the characters that would make it memorable. 🤷‍♀️

[Bookreader87(Amanda) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

A buttoned up doctor, Landon, meets a fun going barista, Vann, who opens up a whole new side of him. The Doctor discovers he may be a fan of taking orders as long as Vann is the one serving them up. The Doctor is not so vanilla after all.😉

This book has kink in it involving rope play and other toys that lead to some hot scenes. For me, I just could not connect with the writing or the couple no matter how many times Vann mentioned how perfect Landon was. 🤷🏽‍♀️

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

VANILLA STEAMER is my first book by Crystal Lacey but it won’t be my last! I really loved this one because I’m a total sucker for soft and sweet characters who take care of each other. Vann and Landon meet at the Bold Brew coffee shop when Landon’s home coffee maker stops working. Vann is kinky but he’s pretty sure Landon is “vanilla” but oh how wrong he is! Soon Vann is introducing Landon to power imbalances, impact play, ropes, and play parties. Landon jumps in with both feet and realizes kink really works for him and I loved the way these two interacted and how much Vann took care of Landon.

Things move a little slow in the very beginning of the book but then quickly pick up and I was totally invested in Vann and Landon’s relationship. This is a fairly low angst read in terms of relationship drama, though Vann and Landon do connect over their shared experience of losing a parent. Vann as well is struggling with returning to rope play since leaving New York City and this creates some light tension in the relationship. I loved pretty much everything about VANILLA STEAMER and only have a small complaint in that I felt the nickname “London” was awkward and felt forced.

Content Warning: past death of a parent

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a really sweet book. It has something many people don't really see so balantly in books that have kink: every scene is bathed in love. You can tell with each touch and each knot how much the characters care for each other. Even before their relationship is deep. There's so much feeling that it adds to the story. It never feels tiresome, those scenes are always careful and always loving. Not a single moment feels unnecessary.
The book shows a mutual giving of two people who care too much about the other even before they notice themselves. It's the kind of sweet, comforting book that I like to read when I'm feeling stressed. Surprisingly calming and lighthearted while not feeling unrealistically perfect. A really good one for sure!

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very steamy. Literally, it's about 80% steam! Easy and fun read.

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Bold Brew series was my least favourite so far, although I still mostly enjoyed it with some caveats. First, the things that I enjoyed: the sex, it was mostly the sex. I’m by no means a seasoned kink or BDSM reader, and this was the first time I’ve encountered rope play. I liked it a good deal, not least because those scenes carried most of the emotional weight of the story. Vann, the Dom of the pairing, is a rope top who has lost his confidence after a live performance that went wrong, while Landon is new to kink and exploring his desire for submission and restraint. The gradual development of their play was what kept me reading and engaged. I found some of it exceptionally hot in context, although I can’t speak for the kink representation generally.

That brings me to the caveats. There was too little here in character development outside of the bedroom. Both Vann and Landon are carrying burdens of significant grief, which the plot does (belatedly) deal with, but there is a lot of telling rather than showing and everything happens in a rush in the final 30%. As my friend Leigh points out in her review, there is also some confusion about Vann’s heritage and whether or not he is a person of colour. There are some ‘clues’ that he may be Asian American, mixed heritage or biracial - his mother’s name, the fact that she cooks Vietnamese food & has ‘a slight accent’ - but it’s never explicitly said. I’m not sure what to make of it but it doesn’t feel like good rep.

CWs: death of parents, one by stroke, two in a road traffic accident.

[Peppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another crystal Lacy book what didn’t let me down!!

This was hot really hot absolutely mouth watering. I enjoyed every single page of this book!! First I was a little bit skeptical because it went a bit too fast but well I threw that thought really fast over board because god both Landon and Vann were just perfect together, their chemistry and dynamic absolutely gold! I loved how Landon with Vann discovered that he is absolutely not vanilla at all😏 and it was also nice to see that Vann really tried to take things a bit slower and explain things to Landon.
Also THE ROPS AAAA A LOT OF ROPS MANY ROPS I LOVE ROPS!!!
I loved their spicy kinky sexy time scenes they were amazingly written and the ending of that glorious book was perfect I screamed into my pillow🥹
I really wish that book were longer or that it had a second part because somehow both MCs really sneaked into my heart🩷

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the pretense on which our main character, Vann, was afraid to play with ropes again was a little thin, but ya girl's gonna look past that since this was a pretty hot little nugget all in all. Crystal Lacy was also a new-to-me author, so discovering her as part of this series was fun.

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Independent rviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I might waffle about this book, cos I really LOVED it and I might get carried away! Then again, I might just keep it short and sweet, lets see how we go, eh??

Ive tagged it contemporary, cos I though it was. I tagged it BDSM, cos Vann is a Dom, specialisng in rope. I've tagge it fan-yourself-ots-a-hot-one, cos hot damn!! I've tagged it warm and fuzzies and too stinking cute, cos I really thought that this was what it was!

It's a wonderful tale, of trying new things, cos Landon is at the start as vanilla as they come. As soon as Vann indicates he is not, Landon is all in. ALL in, right from their first date and I loveed that he was!

Loved that Vann called Landon, London Bridge, and what he puts him in his phone as. Loved that early on, they both knew this wasn't a sex only thing.

What I really REALLY loved about this, though, was that there is no real break up/make up here. What Vann keeps hinting at happening the last time he played with rope wasn't anywhere NEAR as bad as I was expecting, and Vann just needed to talk to Landon about it, is all! Oh, it could have been and when Vann is telling Landon you understand just why he is so reluctant to suspend Landon, you get it, you really do.

It's hot and steamy, and emotional and funny and sexy and hawt!

In case I didn't say, I loved this book!

This is the second in the Bold Brew World I've read, and I enjoyed that one too. Not as much as this one, but still a 4 star read. This is, though, the first I've read of Ms Lacy and I want to read more now!

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book..... The sex is hot and plentiful. Too plentiful. I would have liked a little more relationship development.

D/S was the driver. A simple date night or a sweet romantic love scene would have been nice. Landon spent spent most of the book zoned out, on his knees, and high on endorphins. Too many “pleases”and not enough conversation.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read in the Bold Brew series. The coffee shop is a kink-friendly place and often hosts “munches” in the evenings and has a bulletin board filled with kinky stuff on it I guess? But also regular ads by kink-loving people too.

So Vann works at Bold Brew. He’s Charlie’s best friend and we got to read a tiny bit about him in book 2. Landon is a quiet doctor who just so happened to stop in the coffee shop because his espresso maker broke. He’s never done anything kinky before but apparently his body goes all tingly any time Vann gives him an order. It started that very first day when the first thing Vann ever said to Landon was for him to close the coffee shop door. Apparently even that gave Landon the chills. Ooookay.

So Landon keeps coming to the shop for 2 months and he ends up going on a date with Vann. They end up hurrying through the end of their dinner because the evening is filled with sexual tension and they just can’t stop panting at each other. So fucking on the first date. Okay.

All of this happens within 17% of the book. It didn’t give the characters enough time to make a connection or get to know each other. Most of the book was filled with them exploring Landon’s desires and what type of kink he responds to... which is basically any single thing Vann tells him to do.

They also attended a play party and did a few things in front of others while they stopped by to watch. Landon was into that too.

The main theme is rope play and Vann has some huge hang up and avoids the subject any time Landon asks him to tie him up. I thought it was going to end up this huge thing but in reality it wasn’t.

I did enjoy reading this and the writing style made it easy to breeze right through. But I honestly would’ve enjoyed it a bit better had the author spent more time with the characters connecting slash getting to know each other at the beginning. That’s just my opinion.

Overall it was still a nice addition to the series and I’m glad I read it. I was happy to see a few familiar characters from previous stories and a few that will possibly have their own book lager on. I’d give this a 3.5⭐️

POV: Dual 1st person

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanilla Steamer is a wonderful story of exploration, trust and romance between Vann, who is already established in the kink community, and Landon, someone completely vanilla in that world.
There's a definite spark between the two men men when Landon starts going to Bold Brew for His morning coffee fix. Vann can't help but flirt and Landon is drawn to him and his demeanour. A first date leads to so many more firsts between the two as Vann shows Landon what he loves about kink and he falls in lust with it just as much. I was surprised with how quickly Landon took to everything but he comes across as a natural and I really liked how clear Vann was regarding consent, technique, preferences etc. While Landon is the one learning new things about himself, Vann is struggling with a recent event in his past that has affected a big part of what he enjoys most but he has to learn to trust himself and his partner if he's to be able to move forward. Alongside their exploration is the development of their relationship. It's obvious how much the two like each other and, though a lot of time is spent in the bedroom, you can feel their connection growing stronger over time as they share their lives.
Another great addition to the Good Brew series and I would say this would be a good intro story for those interested in kink and especially role play as it's a low angst story with a lot of enjoyment for both MC's.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[E.Muddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vann and Landon certainly deliver in the steam and kink factor. They have a sweet and low angst relationship centred around the trust they build together. Landon, the buttoned-up doctor, discovers a new side of himself when he opens up to the flirty and confident Vann. Turns out he may not be so vanilla after all... Vann and Landon mesh perfectly and, although they move quickly, their exploration and relationship feels organic and well-timed. So too does the way Vann is portrayed. He’s still struggling with an issue from his past and he needs to be able to develop trust again to move on with the right partner.

There’s definitely high heat, but also a lot of sweetness and a heartwarming romance between two men who discover exactly what they need in life. A great addition to the Bold Brew series!

[MM_RomanceBooks Favorites]

contemporary, kink awakening

kinks: power exchange, impact play, acts in public, bondage

[DB Kimmers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the multi-author standalone collection, Bold Brew, Crystal Lacy’s Vanilla Steamer is perfect for anyone looking to take a taste of the world of rope play, or Shibari.

When Landon, a tall, handsome doctor, walks into Bold Brew needing his coffee fix, Vann never expects the control freak he labels “Vanilla Steamer” (get it – vanilla?) to push his buttons. After all, someone like that wouldn’t submit to his type of “play”, would he? But when a sprained ankle creates opportunity, he finds a few days of lost wages are worth getting to know the guy.

As they bond over shared grief, Landon finds himself mesmerized, pulled to respond to Vann’s commanding direction. Meanwhile Vann, drawn to offering Landon release, is scared to give it, haunted by his own past. So begins a relationship of discovery and healing for both men.

If you are looking for a story that depicts the hunger to be bound, and the depth of feeling behind it, then ‘Vanilla Steamer’ is ideal!

As Landon conveys, “‘I know how it feels to be responsible for someone else’s safety and how much that can weigh on you.’” Little by little they chip away at each other’s fears and discover… it isn’t a far fetch for a healer to need a particular brand of release in order to forget his stress and fears. And a man filled with self-doubt can finally forgive himself.

Part of the charm of Vanilla Steamer is the cast and how Crystal Lacy invites them to play off one another. From the main characters, to Vann’s family, the customers at the coffee shop – and even ex-lovers – you feel drawn in to their comforting world.

I would say if someone who enters subspace easily, and in almost every scene, is not your thing – this is probably not the read for you. And I myself was a bit concerned that these men enter scenes where someone in power has not been truthful to the other; isn’t safe and consensual baring all? But if you are looking for a story that depicts the hunger to be bound, and the depth of feeling behind it, then Vanilla Steamer is ideal!

[Leigh Kramer]

DNF at 53%

I’m feeling pretty bored. I'm not sure about some of the kink rep. It’s also not clear if Vann’s mom is Vietnamese, thereby making him Asian American, biracial, or mixed race. Vann introduces her with her full name and then she just happens to make Vietnamese food. No description of her skin color or that she's an Asian woman, just an accent Landon doesn't recognize. We don’t know anything about his deceased father’s race or ethnicity. If you have a character of color, it should be clear from the start, not a vague reveal almost halfway into the book. With these questions in mind, I don’t think the book will improve for me from here.

Character notes: Vann is a vegetarian barista, around 25 or 26 years old and possibly Vietnamese (see above.) Landon is a 35 year old white ER doctor. This is set in Laurelsburg.

CW: Vann’s father died of a stroke last year, Landon’s parents died in a car crash his senior year of high school (he survived the accident), ableist language

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crystal Lacy's Vanilla Steamer is anything but vanilla! This is Crystal's contribution to the multi-author Bold Brew series, with each book able to be read as a standalone.

Vann and Landon's journey is all about the kink. The emotions are felt throughout, especially jumping off the pages during the sex scenes.

And, oh my, when Landon asks Vann to help him forget. Wow! Just a wonderful scene.

There are a lot of issues for the men to deal with. Vann's past includes a lot of rope play, but something left him unable to do so anymore. It has definitely left a part of him broken.

Their story includes sexual exploration including power exchange. The heat level is off the charts and the romance is definitely present.

Written in alternating pov, both characters are easy to understand and both are likable. Even better yet, the emotions of each touch, each look, and each moment are fully felt by the reader.

If you enjoy kink and heat, Vanilla Steamer is a must read. This Crystal Lacy tale is a great combo of both.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying this Bold Brew series, in part because of the stories and in part because I'm reading authors who are new to me. That is the case here and I was very pleasantly surprised at how very good this story was. The characters were engaging and oh so right for each other. The BDSM was perfect for each man and a nice intro to those who don't normally read it. And the ending was just what I wanted.

Vann is a barista at Bold Brew and loses his heart when a quiet, well-dressed man comes in for a vanilla steamer one day...and keeps coming back. Landon is an ER doc who's fascinated by the barista who seems to pull at his heart strings with both hands. Slowly, they get to know each other and Landon realizes how much he appreciates the way Vann can take over so he can just let go--something very necessary after a day in the ER.

The BDSM elements in this story primarily revolve around rope but there are others and the way the author portrayed both men--Vann with his powerful personality wrapped in a bright and happy package-- and Landon with his focused outlook which becomes a submissive's focus on his Dom--was spot-on. Landon in his submissive state was beautiful to observe.

I'm very happy to have picked up this book and now I believe I may need to devour all the offerings at Bold Brew.

[Rachel Ember]

Kink discovery and a coffee shop! I enjoyed this sweet, short, steamy read--and I'm just now realizing that all three of those adjectives could be used to describe a vanilla steamer. :D

This was my first read from the author and won't be my last. It was also my first foray into the Bold Brew universe, so there were moments where I was distracted by the side characters while not totally able to keep them straight. But the main characters were lovely both apart and together. It was a totally enjoyable read. <3

[Finnegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vann worked in Bold Brew, the kinky coffee shop that was the connections between all the books in the series. He was a dom, and used to be very good at rope-play until a bad experience put him off. Landon was a doctor who came to Bold Brew for his coffee fix, and he and Vann hit it off from the start, even though Landon might be too vanilla.

This was a sweet, fairly angst-free read, with a bit of D/s, some rope play and plenty of feels. I liked it.

[Tessa Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Bold and Brew read. They all can stand alone which is nice . This one is hot and steamy like a good cup of coffee. Landon is “vanilla” and he meets Vann who works at the local coffee shop. They have this connection that is so palpable. They learn and over come with each other. I couldn’t put this book down. So hot and fun ! Definitely should give it a read.

[Linda A · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story of a shy but willing to learn doctor, Landon, and Vann, a barista and student, that is more than willing to teach Landon about his world.
I received this book from GRR. This is my honest review.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be fair, I read this at 2am and I was excessively tired. It's just while the sex scenes were hot, I felt oddly divorced from any feelings for either character. Normally the heat would have been enough, it was wasn't for me this time. May benefit from a re-read when I've actually slept

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

The relationship maybe came about kind of fast compared to the prior three books in the series but I’m honestly not mad about it. The climax was maybe a teeny bit over dramatic, but I’m not bothered by that either. Great blend of sweet and sexy.

[Bati · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Toni K · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I hate it when the "Dom" is constantly laughing or, God forbid, chuckling at the "sub"'s reaction to every single thing. It's demeaning. And the nickname... You didn't ask, assh*le.