This is a pretty good anthology with many repeat performances of previous men seen in the Christmas anthology by the same publisher. However, with the exception of one story, each is easily read as a standalone tale though no doubt those familiar with the couples will have more of a connection. I haven’t read the previous anthology and each of these relationships was new to me.
From new relationships to long time loves, this anthology of stories revolves around the romantic holiday Valentine’s Day. Some men are anxious for love, others are trying to rekindle lost love and still others are looking for love just for the night. The stories range from sweet to scorching hot with something for every romance lover. Standouts are easily “Don’t Shoot the Messenger”, “Milestones”, and “Under Protest”. These alone make the anthology worth reading and went solidly on my favorites list while the others offer a varying array of hot and sexy men sure to please any palate.
Don't Shoot the Messenger by Sean Kennedy
This is an adorable and witty story about a college student making ends meet by working for a singing telegram company. Those clichés that spring to mind? Well there is all that and more when Dave has to deliver a breakup by proxy to a cute, geeky IT guy named Mitchell on Valentine’s Day. Humorous and delightful, the characters fairly leapt off the page with their droll charm and lovely fumbling. With only a few words, the author managed to draw me into the setting quickly and easily leaving me rooting for Dave and his unorthodox new date. Thankfully no Tupperware was involved.
The Second Time is the Charm by Maria Albert
This was very confusing as obviously it’s one of a series of books all staring similar characters. Unfortunately these characters were thrown in and out of scenes at a lightening pace with little to no explanation about who they were or their connection. The continual point of view changes made it almost impossible to discern whose vantage you were seeing from and whose thoughts belonged to whom in crowded scenes. There was less of a plot and more of a collection of scenes staring the numerous gay characters featured in the book. Angel and Dillion did catch my interest and perhaps those familiar with the series of characters will be able to connect more but anyone starting out should skip this offering and move on.
Better Late than Never by Ashlyn Kane
This is a prequel for the subsequent novel “True North” staring Julian Piet. In this story Julian is a young prodigy struggling to fit in at college when he’s younger, smarter, and more driven than most of those around him. A sexy playboy known to flirt with anything that moves happens to deliver Julian’s birthday gift on Valentine’s Day and leads to an unexpected romance between the shy, inexperienced Julian and the confident, sexy Patrick. This is a sweet and lovely introduction to the character of Julian who grows up considerably in the next book.
Indulge on Valentine's Day by S. Blaise
In this delightful and fun story, Glyn is a closet chocoholic working in an upscale candy store and coveting his sexy manager Max. Unfortunately due to various misunderstandings it takes most of the short story for this unlikely couple to work things out but it’s certainly a satisfying and adorable journey to get there. Glyn’s insecurity is offset by his good humor and surprising fantasies, most involving chocolate and Max. This was a short and easy read that was very enjoyable with likable and appealing characters. Glyn’s love of chocolate was charming as was his careful and almost sexual way of eating it.
Dr. Hot Reindeer Antlers Kisses it Better by Bethany Brown
Despite the horrible title, this was a decent story, albeit the characters were somewhat weak. Seth is an accident-prone carpenter who is lucky to be dating a doctor that he met about six weeks ago in the ER after yet another accident. Now Seth is hoping to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day meal for his new love when he runs into an ex-boyfriend, bringing up all of Seth’s old insecurities and issues. Seth struggles with his own self-worth and suffers from a lack of confidence making him a slightly weak and emotional character. Even though Seth knows Noah would never cheat on him, he breaks down crying at the mere thought and subsequently hurts himself. Thankfully Noah comes in time to stitch Seth’s hand back together and show him exactly how deep their mutual love is. Although this was a sweet and touching story, Seth shows very few positive qualities that would attract a confident, sexy man such as Noah. Perhaps in a future installment Seth will finally feel reassured by Noah’s love.
Milestones by Chrissy Munder
In this absolutely lovely story, Jeff and Devon have been together for five years but after the first few years, they both let work and individual focuses divert their attention from their relationship. While the impetus for this seems to be Jeff’s singular dedication to his business and less and less on Devon and their relationship, Devon’s willingness to go along with Jeff without speaking up certainly did them no favors. It takes an enterprising employee of Jeff’s with some well placed advice to turn these men around and put them back onto the road to happiness in their relationship. The love between Jeff and Devon was clear as was the sense of loss they both felt at the current state their relationship slipped into. I loved the honest emotions of both men and the reminder that all relationships take effort, perhaps the most when your attention is elsewhere.
Under Protest by G.S. Wiley
In Wiley’s “simple love story” Bobby is a starving writer living with a community of anti-war protesters, led by his lover Mike. When Bobby is arrested at a protest gone wrong, he discovers his old high school fling Jim is his arresting officer. When he and Jim met senior year, they were both struggling to get past the death of a parent and their resulting unhappy home lives. Their friendship and ultimately relationship was significant to both young men, although in college they faded away as high school lovers do. Once reconnected, their chemistry clicks again in this engaging and well-written story. This love story is a classic for any romance lover.
A Year Long Valentine by Jaxx Steele
When nightclub singer Stephan catches the new club owner’s attention on Valentine’s Day, he begins a year-long whirlwind of travel, singing, and mystery rendezvous with the owner, Julio. Stephan has no idea that Julio is the owner or that the men he has intimate and exciting encounters with is actually the same man creating elaborate games to keep the suspense and mystery alive. After the year of wooing, Julio confesses to Stephan his real identity and scheming as the two fall in love with a happy ever after ending. While Stephan was likable and the premise is fun, I felt there was less focus on the actual wining and dining as Julio only reveals himself to Stephan once, and that is in a smoking hot sexual encounter. However, for a fun and sexy bit of fluff, this story does give that.
Meant to Be by Zahra Owens
Kai and Toby meet in a crowded international airport during a blizzard, stranding all flights and setting up these two world travelers for an erotic encounter. That led to a long distance relationship with Toby traveling for the majority of the year while Kai kept their home together. Finally after five years Toby decides to settle down to a grateful Kai and share a real life together instead of snippets and pieces. Both men were likeable and charming in their pursuit of each other and their lives. Kai struck me as a man who was very careful to ensure Toby’s life with him was easy and drama free, ultimately paying off with the reward of Toby quitting his job and finally making a life together. Although Toby struck me as somewhat selfish in this regard, these two are a lovely couple and the story was certainly appealing.
The Wild Side by Janey Chapel
This has one of the best beginnings to an erotic romance I’ve read. Ryan is in the middle of getting a blowjob from a cute hockey goalie when Ryan’s faghag friend Chey starts to call out for him and bang on the restroom door. In this brief scene we are told that Ryan is a man-whore, used to one night stands with random men and considers the word commitment to be on par with STD. We also realize that good friend Cheyenne is no stranger to manipulating Ryan’s life and hookups. Along those lines Ryan agrees to help Chey on Valentine’s Day at her old summer job that called asking for additional waiters. Once there, Ryan meets Nick, a man with a painful relationship past and enough “back off” signals that he may as well have a warning sound attached. Ryan slowly comes to realize that Nick is unique and deserves more than a quick, mindless hookup. Both characters are humorous and likeable with a genuine warmth about them that you can’t help but appreciate. Adventurous Ryan is a great compliment for the more cautious Nick and I can envision a lot of laughter and escapades in their future.
Coming Home by Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna
This is another long distance relationship story with Tate rescuing a stranded Mason in a previous anthology and now six weeks later, they’re trying to make plans for Valentine’s Day. However, those plans are complicated by Tate’s work as a long distance trucker and the uncertainty Mason feels about the future of their relationship. Although the story was very sweet and both men were able to communicate openly and easily, their resolution with commitment rings felt somewhat rushed when considering they’ve only been together a short time and most of it has been apart due to Tate’s job. However, they do certainly have hot sex to add to the mix and a fun, easy story.