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Passion #1-2
Passion & Satisfaction
(Gay / Erotica / Erotic Romance / Anthology / Collections / Contemporary / BDSM / Series) From M. L. Rhodes, award-winning and best-selling author of gay fiction. Now merged together in one paperback volume, readers can enjoy the first two parts of Jesse McIntyre's and Robert Bauer's love story!......Passion (As the owner and CEO of his own company, Robert Bauer has spent the past fifteen years building his business into a multi-million-dollar corporation. It's taken all his time and energy, which hasn't left much room for a personal life, especially a love life. That's fine with Robert because he doesn't believe in the 'L word' anyway. Lately, however, every time he goes to his favorite bar, he can't keep his eyes and thoughts off Jesse McIntyre, the gorgeous bartender with the soulful blue eyes. Even though Robert's not looking for a relationship, and tries to shake the attraction, he can't get the younger man out of his system. There's just one problem...he believes Jesse's straight. Jesse's been on the run from his old life for the past two and a half years. Even though he slings drinks at a gay bar, he has a hard and fast rule about never hooking up with customers. He's been down that road before, and though his physical wounds have healed, the emotional ones aren't so easy to forget. He lets his customers assume he's straight because it makes it easier to keep his distance. That is, until the businessman with the sexy smile starts coming into the bar. Jesse's drawn to Robert, even though he knows there's no way a wealthy, powerful man like that would ever be interested in a tattooed, college drop-out bad boy like him. But even if Robert weren't his opposite, it wouldn't matter anyway, because Jesse's determined not to break his rules for anyone. When fate throws them together, and they find themselves alone for a weekend, the passion that has silently simmered for months ignites a firestorm that leaves them both shaken. Will it be enough, though, to convince Robert, who's sworn to never fall in love, that he might be pushing away the best thing that's ever happened to him? Or to force Jesse to face his fears once and for all and learn to trust his heart?)......Satisfaction (Five months later, though the fire's still burning sinfully hot between Robert and Jesse, the realities of their opposite lifestyles begin to take a toll. Robert's constant business travel weighs heavily on Jesse. When he realizes they're having more phone sex than real sex, and he's sleeping alone the majority of the time despite the fact he and Robert are supposedly living together, he worries there's more behind Robert's trips than just business. Jesse's sure Robert's avoiding him, avoiding them, but through the years his lover has built so many thick, protective walls to guard his emotions, Jesse finds it tough to get past them and discover why. He loves the man like crazy, and doesn't doubt Robert loves him, too, yet will love be enough to overcome whatever is haunting Robert and heal the rift that's slowly tearing them apart?)
198 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2009
24 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Rhodes
42 books570 followersI’m author M.L. Rhodes and I write m/m romance and fantasy. This means my books are about gay or bisexual men meeting, falling in love, and finding happily-ever-afters with other men. Sometimes the settings are contemporary, sometimes the stories take place in worlds filled with dragons, witches, or other fantasy and paranormal creatures. But there’s one thing of which you can be certain…in my books, love always wins!
If you'd like to know more about me and writing, swing by my website when you have a few minutes! http://authormlrhodes.com
If you'd like to know more about me and writing, swing by my website when you have a few minutes! http://authormlrhodes.com
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January 1, 2010Passion by M.L. Rhodes
This is a spin off story from a previous book by the same author, The Elf and the Shoemaker. Robert is the customer who bough the little bottle of passion oil in Logan's shop, but Passion is not a fantasy tale like the other one.
Robert is a forty years old successful business man who starts to realize that he has nothing of really serious in his life. Truth, he has his multi-millionaire business, a beautiful home and a sporty car, but he is alone. He has even tried to make a move on Logan, but we read in the previous book that the man just started his relationship with the elf, and so he brushed off Robert, even if in a gentle way. Actually I was quite sad for Robert since he was a really sweet guy. One of the most interesting scene in the book, is reading the same scene again, this time from Robert's point of view. Robert bought also one of the magic bottle of Passion oil, and after using a bit of it on himself, he goes to his usual friday pub, and as always he is pining after Jesse, the handsome bartender. Jesse has never left Robert believe that he could be interested, and actually Robert thinks the man to be straight. But this night the weather helps him and conjures to make them spend more time together.
Robert confirms to be a sweet guy, not at all the cold businessman; there is no actually any drama in his past life if not unfortunately the usual rejection from a too strict family, but probably Robert spent too time building his firm and not enough caring for his personal life. Now he is in that moment of his life when, if he doesn't do something really soon, he could end with a lonely, even if comfortable, old age... and he doesn't want that. But Robert is not desperate, he is not willing to pick up the first man only to fill a void in his life.
On the other hand Jesse is recovering from a tragic past and from a sense of guilty that is eating him alive. But he has eyes, and he saw Robert from the first time he entered the pub; and now months after maybe his sense of guilty is a little dumped down, and he is ready to let the man nearer than before. But Jesse, even if obviously the stronger in body, and probably the leading man in the relationship, is also skittish like a wild horse, and maybe Robert, with his quite aplomb and his serene behavior is the right man to approach him.
I like the story, even if it's not so long, neither in page or time: it spans only some hours in Robert and Jesse's life, but they are intense hours, and overall, it's a real romantic story.
Satisfaction by M.L. Rhodes
Satisfaction continues where Passion ended: Jesse and Robert, five months later are living together, but unfortunately it's not exactly an happily ever after. Satisfaction is a clear example of a romance where reality makes its appearance: love not always is the answer to all the questions.
And so, even if he is in love with Jesse, Robert is not ready to change completely his life. As before, his work, his business, seems the more important thing in his life rather than his lover. Robert is often out of town, and Jesse is regretting the choice to move in with him: as he said at one point, at least before he was living with a girl best friend, and if he was alone at night, it was his own choice; plus he hadn’t had the chance to savour a different life, one shared with a loved one, and so he didn’t miss it. Now being alone is even worst, since Jesse knows that he loves Robert, and would like to be with him always and forever. But as I said before, love is not the only answer.
The author chooses to give a reason more for Robert’s unrequited behaviour, not only the abandonment from his family. Robert is avoiding staying put too long in a place since he fears to loose it; not having strong bond with something, makes it easier to renounce to it when he will loose it. Even if not consciously, Robert is not convinced that his love story with Jesse will last, and so he is avoiding getting “comfortable” with it.
On the other hand, Jesse has quite a lot of reason to be upset, but, truth be told, sometime I think that he should be more supporting of Robert. It’s not like they are living together for years and Robert has always deserted him; it’s only five months, and Robert is asking a delay only since the economy is risky. True, Robert is asking that having a hidden agenda, an agenda that maybe he doesn’t even realize to have, but neither Jesse. I think that, in this case, the difference in age between Robert and Jesse is quite clear; Jesse has not yet fully developed an emotional independence that allows him to be sure of Robert’s love.
Anyway, Satisfaction is a good dose of reality on the big romance that was Passion, but it’s not too much to ruin the romance itself, it only helps it to be more near to the ordinary lives of the readers, where not all is love and flowers.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602728747/?...
This is a spin off story from a previous book by the same author, The Elf and the Shoemaker. Robert is the customer who bough the little bottle of passion oil in Logan's shop, but Passion is not a fantasy tale like the other one.
Robert is a forty years old successful business man who starts to realize that he has nothing of really serious in his life. Truth, he has his multi-millionaire business, a beautiful home and a sporty car, but he is alone. He has even tried to make a move on Logan, but we read in the previous book that the man just started his relationship with the elf, and so he brushed off Robert, even if in a gentle way. Actually I was quite sad for Robert since he was a really sweet guy. One of the most interesting scene in the book, is reading the same scene again, this time from Robert's point of view. Robert bought also one of the magic bottle of Passion oil, and after using a bit of it on himself, he goes to his usual friday pub, and as always he is pining after Jesse, the handsome bartender. Jesse has never left Robert believe that he could be interested, and actually Robert thinks the man to be straight. But this night the weather helps him and conjures to make them spend more time together.
Robert confirms to be a sweet guy, not at all the cold businessman; there is no actually any drama in his past life if not unfortunately the usual rejection from a too strict family, but probably Robert spent too time building his firm and not enough caring for his personal life. Now he is in that moment of his life when, if he doesn't do something really soon, he could end with a lonely, even if comfortable, old age... and he doesn't want that. But Robert is not desperate, he is not willing to pick up the first man only to fill a void in his life.
On the other hand Jesse is recovering from a tragic past and from a sense of guilty that is eating him alive. But he has eyes, and he saw Robert from the first time he entered the pub; and now months after maybe his sense of guilty is a little dumped down, and he is ready to let the man nearer than before. But Jesse, even if obviously the stronger in body, and probably the leading man in the relationship, is also skittish like a wild horse, and maybe Robert, with his quite aplomb and his serene behavior is the right man to approach him.
I like the story, even if it's not so long, neither in page or time: it spans only some hours in Robert and Jesse's life, but they are intense hours, and overall, it's a real romantic story.
Satisfaction by M.L. Rhodes
Satisfaction continues where Passion ended: Jesse and Robert, five months later are living together, but unfortunately it's not exactly an happily ever after. Satisfaction is a clear example of a romance where reality makes its appearance: love not always is the answer to all the questions.
And so, even if he is in love with Jesse, Robert is not ready to change completely his life. As before, his work, his business, seems the more important thing in his life rather than his lover. Robert is often out of town, and Jesse is regretting the choice to move in with him: as he said at one point, at least before he was living with a girl best friend, and if he was alone at night, it was his own choice; plus he hadn’t had the chance to savour a different life, one shared with a loved one, and so he didn’t miss it. Now being alone is even worst, since Jesse knows that he loves Robert, and would like to be with him always and forever. But as I said before, love is not the only answer.
The author chooses to give a reason more for Robert’s unrequited behaviour, not only the abandonment from his family. Robert is avoiding staying put too long in a place since he fears to loose it; not having strong bond with something, makes it easier to renounce to it when he will loose it. Even if not consciously, Robert is not convinced that his love story with Jesse will last, and so he is avoiding getting “comfortable” with it.
On the other hand, Jesse has quite a lot of reason to be upset, but, truth be told, sometime I think that he should be more supporting of Robert. It’s not like they are living together for years and Robert has always deserted him; it’s only five months, and Robert is asking a delay only since the economy is risky. True, Robert is asking that having a hidden agenda, an agenda that maybe he doesn’t even realize to have, but neither Jesse. I think that, in this case, the difference in age between Robert and Jesse is quite clear; Jesse has not yet fully developed an emotional independence that allows him to be sure of Robert’s love.
Anyway, Satisfaction is a good dose of reality on the big romance that was Passion, but it’s not too much to ruin the romance itself, it only helps it to be more near to the ordinary lives of the readers, where not all is love and flowers.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602728747/?...
November 1, 2012
Good, but a bit frustrating
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 7/10
PROS:
- Excellent build-up of emotional and sexual tension and anticipation. Rhodes is one of the best I've ever read at establishing long-standing desire on the part of at least one character so that when they come together the first time, even if it occurs fairly early in the story, it's explosive and passionate.
- The two novellas work very well together and are fairly seamless, with the exception of occasional bits of exposition at the beginning of the second novella that are necessary if you've read the two several months apart but unnecessary if they're bound in one volume.
- Hot sex scenes, as usual. Not as affecting as I've found the sex in others of Rhodes' books, though.
CONS:
- Frustrating amount of miscommunication and running away / ignoring of issues on the part of both characters. At the end of each novella, just when I thought the BIG issue was about to be solved after a period of separation and angst, another problem arose that made me think, "Geez. Just fight it out, already. Don't leave." The fighting (discussing is probably a better word) happens; it just happens later and prolongs the story a bit too much, I felt.
- A couple of issues / plot threads I didn't feel were quite wrapped up at the end. However, Rhodes tends to do a good job of building one story on top of another, so perhaps she's not finished with this world and will return to some of these issues in the future.
Overall comments: If you read The Elf and Shoemaker, you'll probably enjoy this even more than if you haven't; Passion and Satisfaction is typical M.L. Rhodes fare--not her best, but still good. There's a scene that occurs in Shoemaker that is retold in this book from Robert's point of view, and it's fun.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 7/10
PROS:
- Excellent build-up of emotional and sexual tension and anticipation. Rhodes is one of the best I've ever read at establishing long-standing desire on the part of at least one character so that when they come together the first time, even if it occurs fairly early in the story, it's explosive and passionate.
- The two novellas work very well together and are fairly seamless, with the exception of occasional bits of exposition at the beginning of the second novella that are necessary if you've read the two several months apart but unnecessary if they're bound in one volume.
- Hot sex scenes, as usual. Not as affecting as I've found the sex in others of Rhodes' books, though.
CONS:
- Frustrating amount of miscommunication and running away / ignoring of issues on the part of both characters. At the end of each novella, just when I thought the BIG issue was about to be solved after a period of separation and angst, another problem arose that made me think, "Geez. Just fight it out, already. Don't leave." The fighting (discussing is probably a better word) happens; it just happens later and prolongs the story a bit too much, I felt.
- A couple of issues / plot threads I didn't feel were quite wrapped up at the end. However, Rhodes tends to do a good job of building one story on top of another, so perhaps she's not finished with this world and will return to some of these issues in the future.
Overall comments: If you read The Elf and Shoemaker, you'll probably enjoy this even more than if you haven't; Passion and Satisfaction is typical M.L. Rhodes fare--not her best, but still good. There's a scene that occurs in Shoemaker that is retold in this book from Robert's point of view, and it's fun.
February 26, 2012
This ML Rhodes wasn't as enjoyable as some of the others I've read. It was just okay. Nothing really memorable about the characters or the story.
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