Snared

Hammer #4

by Sean Michael

Sequel to Found

Everything's going great for Billy and Montana. Their relationship is proceeding nicely, and Tanny's work as an apprentice to Margaret making custom books is something he not only loves, but is really good at. He's never been happier, even if he still thinks it's all too good to be true. Billy's over the moon because he's in love, and he's enjoying playing house with Tanny.

Exploring their relationship and trying to deal with Montana's past should be more than enough to keep them busy and focused on each other, but fate and the outside world just won't let them settle in and do that.

Between interfering friends who have only the best intentions at heart, and an overeager cop who doesn't have the same faith in Tanny's ability to change that Billy does, things go from bad to worse. Billy will have to put everything he has and is into convincing his lover that Montana's home truly is with Billy. Can Billy and Montana commit to each other fully, or will they fall apart when the chips are down? Snared is the sequel to Billy and Tanny's first novel, Found.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance, LGBT, Gay

309 pages, Nook

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Reviews

[Ery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear Sean Michael,

I have tried, well and truly tried to like your books. I SHOULD like them: BDSM, hurt comfort, etc - it's right up my alley. Unfortunately, I'm bored. Bored with the same characters in the books I've read (oK, the names are different, but they seem the same to me), bored with the same scenes with minor variations, bird with repetitive dialogue, and bored with the character growth (or seeming lack thereof). I'm even bored with the sex (gasp). Maybe because I read a similar scene last book. Maybe because I don't see how it progresses the story line. I'm not sure.

This may be my fault. I like a story. I want a plot. I don't need guns, spy games, or mysteries, but I do need emotional depth, and some sort of challenge to overcome. Sometimes your stories contain challenges, but no overcoming. Mostly, it's just sex. Sorry - if this was just meant to be a porno on paper, I shouldn't have purchased it. I need more.

Unfortunately, I've already bought the next story ( I know, I should have made sure I'd like the series first), so I'll read that. I don't hate it... I just.... Have more exciting things I could be reading.

[JenMcJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Billy and Tanny. This is great cliffhanger too with Oliver and Jack.

The time frame is messing with me a little because the last visit with Billy and Tanny in story form was when Margaret died and this book takes place before that happens.

I could do with Tanny getting a larger vocabulary for trying to explain himself. The "it's big" "I want to do this right" "I'm stupid" mantra is descriptive and helps us understand where Tanny mentally and emotionally is but I think I would be happier to see scenes when Tanny actually has breakthroughs that allow him to move into new verbal and mental discoveries more often. Instead we see him battle the same demons over and over...which is probably very realistic but gets a bit routine and stagnant after awhile.

Billy has the patience of a saint.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would have been a much better read if the author had eliminated at least half of the repetitive dialogue between the 2 main characters. One or two,"I'm yours", you're mine" lines would have been enough, not one hundred and two. That aside, there was nice development in the character of Montana, his growth as a sub and what, exactly, that means. The sex scenes were erotic without being overly explicit. They were realistic with just the right amount of detail...not so much that they left no room for the reader to use some of his own imagination, but specific enough to be very hot. This is the only one of this series I've read. I didn't feel compelled to read another of them because of the repetativeness some of the other reviews mentioned, as well, but I gave this one a 4 because when it was good, it was very, very good and not so bad as to be horrid.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book since I loved Billy and Montana in Found. The story starts in typical Sean Michael style with Billy taking his boy to get nipple piercings. The first few chapters were good with the usual Mine, Yours, Love conversations and some hot sex scenes.

However, after reading a bit more the book started to get very repetitive. Lots of sex, talk, sex, talk... and more again. There are a couple of nice scenes with Margaret at Tanny's job and also Billy at Hammer, the club the series is named for but most of the book is focused on Billy and Tanny and their Dom/sub relationship. Another thing that got old quickly was Tanny's constant declarations of I'm stupid and I don't know how (to do this, to feel etc).

Towards the midpoint the storyline picks up and gets interesting but unfortunately it's resolved quickly and within a few pages the guys are back to sex, talk, sex, talk. I wish more time had been spent on this instead of rushing through it.

During this time we see a rather harsh, and surprising, side to Oliver, a recurring character throughout the series. While he's never been one of my favorites I felt his behavior, IMO, was out of character for a Dom of his caliber. However his behavior leads to a cliff hanger ending setting up book 6 in the series for hopefully later this summer.

Overall for me this was a rather disappointing book. The story seemed to drag on and never really grabbed me. There are points throughout where I'd get into it and then would find myself skimming by several pages. However, even though Oliver is not my favorite and I didn't love this story I'll be buying the next Hammer story when it comes out.

I can't help it, I just can't quit Sean Michael.

[Tamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

yada yada sex scenes but wanted to find out how the characters were getting on

[Fernanda Parente · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Tanny. He's sweet and vulnerable and strong at the same time. I loved this book

[☔️ Stormy Day Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snared continues Billy and Tanny's story picking up pretty much where Found left off. I really enjoyed this one. I think it's the best in the series so far. In one part Billy even uses my favorite term at the moment "just be". I think this mini trilogy within the series does a good job of helping to understand the BDSM lifestyle. It also didn't feel as sex-heavy as some of the other books although there was still a lot.

[andrea moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snared

A continuation of Billy and Tannys story with Tanny learning more about being a sub whilst dealing with his demons

[Mary Dunlap · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a erotic strange book

opt tanny my heart breaks for this broken boy things don't get easier for him...He doesn't get what he is feeling and I hope Billy fixes him

[Charly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeper BDSM element in this book than in its predecessor

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 9/10

PROS:
- The BDSM element in this book is much deeper than in Found. In the first book, Billy has to seduce Montana before convincing him to try BDSM play. In this volume, the guys are far enough into their relationship that the focus is on deepening their bond and increasing their trust in each other.
- Both of the main characters flourish in this volume. Tanny starts coming to terms with his submissive nature and stops thinking of himself quite so much as a worthless screw-up. And Billy really develops as a Dom, particularly when he decides at one point that he’s ready to stop playing at the lifestyle and start delving more deeply into it.
- Tanny pushes Billy and tests boundaries and still gets a little wigged out by some of the things they do together, which strikes me as realistic and natural. And Billy is gloriously patient and understanding when Tanny starts to get freaked.
- I like some of the secondary characters a lot. They’re sweet and (mostly) supportive and intriguing, and I’d really like to read stories about some of them. (Sadly, I haven’t found books devoted to any of my favorite secondary characters from this series.)

CONS:
- I enjoy BDSM romances. There are a few things that fall under the BDSM umbrella that I’m not a huge fan of, though (although I understand that other people ARE huge fans of them). One of the things I don’t particularly enjoy reading about is orgasm denial, and this is one of Billy’s favorite games to play with Montana. Tanny doesn’t mind, really, but there were times when I thought, “Oh, come on. Give the guy a break!”
- For some reason I haven’t been able to get Billy’s and Montana’s relative sizes straight in my head. I like to know which character is bigger/taller so that I can picture them in my head better, and there are some indications here and there that Tanny is the taller one--like descriptions of Billy as “compact”--and some that Billy is taller--like Montana resting at one point with his cheek on Billy’s shoulder when both are standing.

Overall comments: There’s a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this book regarding one of Billy’s friends, and I can’t decide whether I hope that the next book is about that man and his sub or more about Billy and Tanny. I’ve enjoyed the first two books in these characters’ story and hope Michael continues with them.

[Emi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written

Between found and shared a lot has happened to Tanny's view on his own sexuality and how it fits in with Billy's. Spoilers may be present.

Pros:
takes the start of the first book and pulls it together as they Starr to explore BDSM.
- this book shows how well they love each other very very well, I never had a moment where I didn't feel that they both rudely cared for each other which can be hard for me to be satisfied with in BDSM books. The author took the time to flesh out the relationship without sex as well as with it and it tickled me.

Cons:
-Billy explains nothing to Tanny, not on purpose, but he just seems to forget that he has no clue about any of it and that makes me a bit uncomfortable. There were many times where Tanny thinks he's being punished when he's not and Billy never really takes the times to thoroughly explain things to the sub. I don't even think he grasps the password concept very well, something that really needs to be established.
- I think that Billy's favourite kink, organs denial is taken a bit too far in this one. I understand it and enjoy it when placed rightly throughout their lives. But there are quite a few times where he says that he wants Tanny to be unable to come for months, even uses it as a punishment, and to me, that's definitely a bit much.

All in all, the writing and the love they feel will always win out for me.

[Kassa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Hammer novel, this time staring Montana and Billy. This is one of the better couples so I gave this a try. In classic SM style, 90% is sex and there is a great deal of repetition. At 300 pages (pdf format), the conversations were circular and similar.

“I’m a stupid, horrible person.”
“No you’re not.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”

Rinse and repeat for almost the entire book. However, just as I was getting bored the plot takes a good turn when Montana gets into trouble. Unfortunately the entire process is summed up in about a page and the rest of the book deals with the emotional and sexual repercussions. I wish the book had lingered on the actual action, which would have been very interesting, although the results were definitely a departure from the repetitiveness of the book so far. The ending is a cliffhanger and clearly sets up another so of course I’ll have to read that one too, even though the characters involved (Oliver/Jack) are not my favorite.

For those that like Montana/Billy, you’ll want to read this. It’s almost entirely sex and dialogue so it’s a lightening fast read, even if it some scenes were clearly cut and paste over and over. The second half of the book picks up so stick with it. There are the usual editing mistakes and problems which show no one even proof read this but those reading the book likely already know this.

[Rain Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy and Tanny are back and better than ever in this book. I love the two characters...they are high on my list of all time favorites. Tanny is sweet and special, just screaming to be loved. Billy is the soft hearted Dom of my dreams. I could read about these two forever and they would not get boring. This book was also great because it threw some drama in and the hero coming to Tanny's rescue made me cheer! Spoiler...Billy with a fresh gunshot wound still searching down his boy and reclaiming him had me smiling and crying at once! LOVED it!! Sexy, sweet, romantic...all you want in a story.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series but then I did start off with book 3 which was the previous book and the first for Billy & Tanny. The only real issue is Tanny needs to get some new words. I'm getting just a little tired about "it's big" "I'm stupid", etc. I want him to start moving moving away from this and start having a more grown up conversations with Billy I guess. I understand all the bs he went through but you need to start letting some of it go Tanny :D

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy and Tanny's relationship continues to grow. Love the natural way their master and sub relationship is unfolding at a natural pace. As you'd expect, Tanny's street past comes back to haunt him - but Billy gets them through it. Great, warm and real characters - I'll be sorry when this series comes to an end.

[Macthed Buhcuhlouh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The interesting part for me in this book is that the time where Tanny had an undercover job for the police. I thought that I would get some action in it and some throw some drama in it. I really hate the cop who always hounds Tanny every moment he gets him alone who wouldn't

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

always great

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Marsha Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent followup to Found. Tanny is still such a sweetie. I'm enjoying how their relationship is developing.

[Wyndslash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally got around to finishing this. I used to like Sean Michael; now it just felt tedious.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

just couldn't get into it. Tanny is just too subby for me to deal with for yet another book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Thanks for writing it