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Couplings
Award-winning and best-selling author M. L. Rhodes takes you on a journey with two very different couples who discover a passion and love that will change their lives forever. Couplings, which combines her two gay novellas The Professor's Secret Passion and Souls Deep, both previously available only in electronic format, is for readers who like their man-love stories emotional, adventurous, detailed, and sinfully hot! Included are the tales......The Professor's Secret Passion (Professor Aidan Sheridan has secretly fantasized about his grad student, Nathan Turner, for two long years. And now Nathan's hinting he's ready to take their relationship to a more intimate level. Although Aidan longs to claim Nate as his lover, he's afraid of the consequences should he give into his desire. But when Nate suspects Aidan's hiding his real feelings, he takes matters into his own hands, and their long pent-up passion explodes into a night of erotic intensity).......Souls Deep (Griffin Jacobs psychic abilities have become a threat to his politically powerful family. When their hired assassins finally track him down, his life is saved by a mysterious man named Jarrah. Griffin senses a dangerous undercurrent in his rescuer, as if he's not quite human. Yet Griffin's inexplicably drawn to him. Jarrah stirs an erotic, soul-deep desire in Griffin that goes against everything he's ever believed about himself. But can he follows his heart and give himself over, body and soul, to a creature of the night?)
- GenresM M RomanceErotica
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2007
25 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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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 1, 2012
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
"The Professor’s Secret Passion" - 9/10
PROS:
- One of my favorite fantasies. As such, I found the characters’ emotional attachment very believable.
- One of the sweetest stories I’ve read. The characters have been pining for each other for a very long time, so when they finally come together, it’s magical. Really. Sweet, beautiful, loving. I read a one-page section that occurs in the aftermath of the first sex scene three times in a row before I could move on because it was so romantic it took my breath away.
- Great sex scenes. Caring, passionate, intimate.
CONS:
- The “big reveal” about one of the characters’ pasts wasn’t at all surprising to me; I guessed it very early on.
- Very short – 55 pages. Rhodes does well with that length--better than a lot of other m/m authors manage--but there’s a lot of backstory with these characters. I would have liked to have seen some of it rather than hearing about in passing.
- The change in one of the characters seemed a bit sudden for me, but the sweetness of the ending overshadowed that.
"Souls Deep" - 8/10
PROS:
- Fascinating futuristic world. Lots of small details are thrown in unobtrusively.
- Includes the impossible (or at least very unlikely/rare) scenario in which a guy has back-to-back orgasms with no recovery time--this is a feature of a fair number of the m/m romances I’ve read--but also contains a humorous, possibly plausible explanation for it.
- HOT sex scenes. Wow. Even for Rhodes, whom I have discovered is consistently good in this area.
- Satisfying resolution to the main conflict that pleasantly surprised me. In fact, I liked it a lot.
CON:
- The biggest problem with this story is that the ending is missing something rather big. It has a typically happy ending, but there’s an element that comes up in all stories of this nature that is usually resolved one way or another but is left absolutely untouched at the end of this story. As a result, there’s a degree of uncertainty that kept me from being entirely satisfied with the conclusion.
Overall comments: Two very good stories, both with excellent sex scenes. In addition, the first story has a great romance, and the second has a pretty good plot.
"The Professor’s Secret Passion" - 9/10
PROS:
- One of my favorite fantasies. As such, I found the characters’ emotional attachment very believable.
- One of the sweetest stories I’ve read. The characters have been pining for each other for a very long time, so when they finally come together, it’s magical. Really. Sweet, beautiful, loving. I read a one-page section that occurs in the aftermath of the first sex scene three times in a row before I could move on because it was so romantic it took my breath away.
- Great sex scenes. Caring, passionate, intimate.
CONS:
- The “big reveal” about one of the characters’ pasts wasn’t at all surprising to me; I guessed it very early on.
- Very short – 55 pages. Rhodes does well with that length--better than a lot of other m/m authors manage--but there’s a lot of backstory with these characters. I would have liked to have seen some of it rather than hearing about in passing.
- The change in one of the characters seemed a bit sudden for me, but the sweetness of the ending overshadowed that.
"Souls Deep" - 8/10
PROS:
- Fascinating futuristic world. Lots of small details are thrown in unobtrusively.
- Includes the impossible (or at least very unlikely/rare) scenario in which a guy has back-to-back orgasms with no recovery time--this is a feature of a fair number of the m/m romances I’ve read--but also contains a humorous, possibly plausible explanation for it.
- HOT sex scenes. Wow. Even for Rhodes, whom I have discovered is consistently good in this area.
- Satisfying resolution to the main conflict that pleasantly surprised me. In fact, I liked it a lot.
CON:
- The biggest problem with this story is that the ending is missing something rather big. It has a typically happy ending, but there’s an element that comes up in all stories of this nature that is usually resolved one way or another but is left absolutely untouched at the end of this story. As a result, there’s a degree of uncertainty that kept me from being entirely satisfied with the conclusion.
Overall comments: Two very good stories, both with excellent sex scenes. In addition, the first story has a great romance, and the second has a pretty good plot.
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February 23, 2010The Professor's Secret Passion by M.L. Rhodes
Nate is a postgraduate student of 27 years old, openly gay and with a brilliant future career. And he is in love with his mentor, Aidan, a 36 years old professor.
And Nate has decided to speak clearly to Aidan and to let him know his feelings and, with good chances, to start a relationship with him. Doesn't matter if he is his mentor, and if he has a position of authority on him. Like all the youth, he wants all and now.
But Aidan, after a night of passion, is abrutply awaken and try to quit his feelings for Nate: he fear not for himself, but for Nate and for his future. But Nate has no intention to accept a no, when the eyes and body of Aidain proclaim a loud "yes".
Nate is young and intense, obviously to all his against what he wants. He is a positive character, who not easily accept a no like answer, and he is able to read beyond the words to the real feelings of Aidan.
Aidan, even if older, is still unsure in the matter of love; but he is not blind to the feelings of Nate and sure doesn't want to hurt him.
Short but intense, this is a story I would like to continue.
Souls Deep by M.L. Rhodes
Griffin is a man on flight. His family wants him dead and he has no one and no where to go. He is young and smart but in an post apocaliptic world he is alone. And one night, in an alley, he is shot dead. Or he thinks so. But then Jarrah arrives to help him.
Jarrah is a vampire. A former doctor he cherishes the human life above all. And he hates himself to be a vampire. And like Griffin, he is alone.
Griffin is immediately drawn by the vampire, better by the man, although it is the first time he feels sexual desire for a man. But it is not a gay thing, it is the need of a lonely soul to share its feeling. And doesn't matter if this soul is of a man. Love is above the gender.
A very beautiful novel, very intimate and close: for the most part shared between the two characters, it has also very well written sex scenes.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602729999/?...
Nate is a postgraduate student of 27 years old, openly gay and with a brilliant future career. And he is in love with his mentor, Aidan, a 36 years old professor.
And Nate has decided to speak clearly to Aidan and to let him know his feelings and, with good chances, to start a relationship with him. Doesn't matter if he is his mentor, and if he has a position of authority on him. Like all the youth, he wants all and now.
But Aidan, after a night of passion, is abrutply awaken and try to quit his feelings for Nate: he fear not for himself, but for Nate and for his future. But Nate has no intention to accept a no, when the eyes and body of Aidain proclaim a loud "yes".
Nate is young and intense, obviously to all his against what he wants. He is a positive character, who not easily accept a no like answer, and he is able to read beyond the words to the real feelings of Aidan.
Aidan, even if older, is still unsure in the matter of love; but he is not blind to the feelings of Nate and sure doesn't want to hurt him.
Short but intense, this is a story I would like to continue.
Souls Deep by M.L. Rhodes
Griffin is a man on flight. His family wants him dead and he has no one and no where to go. He is young and smart but in an post apocaliptic world he is alone. And one night, in an alley, he is shot dead. Or he thinks so. But then Jarrah arrives to help him.
Jarrah is a vampire. A former doctor he cherishes the human life above all. And he hates himself to be a vampire. And like Griffin, he is alone.
Griffin is immediately drawn by the vampire, better by the man, although it is the first time he feels sexual desire for a man. But it is not a gay thing, it is the need of a lonely soul to share its feeling. And doesn't matter if this soul is of a man. Love is above the gender.
A very beautiful novel, very intimate and close: for the most part shared between the two characters, it has also very well written sex scenes.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602729999/?...
January 27, 2008
Oh do not get me wrong. I enjoyed this book as one time read to let my brain take a nap and follow the characters that have a wild sex all the time pretty much.
But there is no way I would call this literature. He used "words with undecurrent of sex"?
I do recommend this book as one time deal, but no more. If you want the book with two guys in love with each other, but the book that you may want to reread, I recommend "Charioteer" by Mary Renault. Although I guess you will not find sex there, just love. Okay, for book that includes sex but which is written so much better in my opinion I recommend "Standish" by Erastes.
But there is no way I would call this literature. He used "words with undecurrent of sex"?
I do recommend this book as one time deal, but no more. If you want the book with two guys in love with each other, but the book that you may want to reread, I recommend "Charioteer" by Mary Renault. Although I guess you will not find sex there, just love. Okay, for book that includes sex but which is written so much better in my opinion I recommend "Standish" by Erastes.
July 6, 2015
Gave this one 4 stars mainly because of the second story in the book. The first one was good, but I loved the second story. Of course, the second s/s was about a vampire; I am partial to vampire stories. I see that some readers thought this was PWP (porn-with-plot) but I found enough substance to enjoy the book. The second story would garner a another read from me, the first one, maybe, maybe not. But I am enjoying reading M.L. Rhodes' books overall.
August 17, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. Both stories were very well written and heartfelt, especially the second. i don't usually like paranormals but it was such an interesting twist on the typical vamp and the emotions were so raw...The best i have read so far by this author! Higly recomended.
July 20, 2016
4.5 stars
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November 20, 2008Couplings by M. L. Rhodes (2007)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews