A. B. Gayle

First of all, don't be misled by the cover. There are no 'girly bits' in this book anywhere. What there is though, is a fantastic story that grabbed me and wouldn't let go until I had finished.

A.B. Gayle introduces us to Steve, a man who is in a way still trying to find his way back after escaping a very abusive Master/Slave relationship. Of course, who else would catch his eye but Mr Leather...

Don (aka Mr Leather) also is trying to get over a life altering change and Steve and he are thrown together through events. I'm not saying much more; you'll have to read the book!

What I will add though, is that this book is written with the greatest of care. I came to love all the characters involved. The building of the MC's relationship is beautiful to be a part of. No issues are swept under the carpet, or ignored, but nothing drags on unneccessary either. Whilst a book written in the first person is usually not my favourite, in this case I had no issue with it. I just got lost in the story.

A book definitely going on my favourites shelf and will be reread in the near future.… (more)

Whether you're looking for a taste of Australia and New Zealand, or whether you're up for a bunch of great reads, this free anthology definitely offers both. I had the privilege of being at the meeting this anthology was written for, and reading these stories while I was in Australia definitely gave them an extra touch of "special" for me. I know I'll reread them when I'm back home in the cold winter of the UK, and might even enjoy them more – if that is even possible!

Weekend at Lennox by Susan Beck
This very funny opening story, set in Australia, put me right in the mood for visiting a beach. Better yet, reading this gave me the feeling of being there – but without the sunburn. Teenager Eddy has the same issue – trying to void burning his very light skin to a crisp, he only goes surfing early in the morning and late in the afternoon. His friend Adam keeps him company and when they end up sharing a room with a somewhat older double bed, well, let me just say they get a lot closer than they've ever been before. Their somewhat clumsy antics made me smile, and as they discover there is pleasure in getting physical together, without necessarily putting a label on it, things heat up pretty quickly. Or they try to – except some very funny mishaps made me laugh out loud. If you’re in the mood for short, funny, and slightly clumsy teenagers, you'll like this one.

A Soldier's Will by Jess Buffett
If this story is truly the start to a new series, as indicated in this anthology's introduction, I'd like the next book right now, please! The Mangrove Mountain pack sounds totally fascinating and both the human, Will, and the new alpha werewolf, Derek, worked their way into my heart immediately. Will has "suffered" from attraction to Derek for years, never believing he'd stand a chance to be with Derek since he is neither a female, nor a werewolf. When Derek returns from his turn in the military and is about to take a mate, Will cannot stand the idea of Derek with someone else and runs from the pack function. Derek, having waited to be able to be with Will for years, cannot go after him quickly enough… If you're looking for a deeply emotional, passionate, and very hot werewolf/human liaison, then you'll probably like this one as much as I did.

By the Way by N.J. Nielsen
What can I say about this really funny and somewhat mysterious story? Woo-hoo comes to mind… No, seriously, the way this Australian "country boy" named Shawn tumbles into one of the hottest nights he's ever had, then promptly cannot remember any of it the next morning, had me in stitches. As he goes off to retrace his steps and discovers "city boy" Corey, who happens to believe he's a vampire king (well, some of the time anyway), is behind it all, Shawn also discovers there may be more between them than he'd ever thought possible. By the way, his journey of discovery is just as funny as the first scene when he awakens in a strange hotel room. If you're after funny, hot, and very touching, then you'll probably like this story as much as I did. I'm still smiling!

The Rose by Pelaam
This is one of the gentlest ghost stories I have ever read, not very scary at all - thank God, as I don’t deal well with super-scary ghosts. Ethan and Riley are a great couple, and following them on the stops of their romantic holiday in New Zealand while discovering the locations they visit was great fun for me. Their talk about the "haunted hotel" and eventual visit there was just enough suspense. The way they eventually both dealt with the supernatural was somewhat unusual, but very fitting. If you're in the mood for slightly spooky and a very loving established couple, this one is for you!

"Home" by A.B. Gayle
While I haven't read "Leather Lace" nor "Caught" (but definitely should), I was able to enjoy this short story without any problems, since it stands on its own. Its characters, Jesse and Isaac, are definitely worth getting to know, since both of them have hidden depths that I enjoyed discovering as their fast and furious first few encounters in Sydney had me laughing and wanting more. Jesse may be a sophisticated art gallery owner, but he has come out of a relationship with a much older lover and discovers he is ready to move on. After a year of mourning and hard work to keep the gallery going, he certainly deserves a bit of fun. Isaac, a "typical boy from the bush", is just the man to show Jesse a good time, to help him relax, and to introduce him to a few slightly kinky activities. There is quite a bit of food play, so if that's your thing (or if you're curious about it), you'll probably like this story. I definitely enjoyed it a lot!

"Cutting Out" by Meredith Shayne
Set in New Zealand, this story about two sheep shearers, one much older than the other, touched me deeply. Shane so desperately wants more than casual encounters with the much younger Lachie, and is devastated when Lachie rejects him. Shane's situation had me up in arms, railing against the injustices of fate. That was until I got to see things from Lachie's side, and his reasons for turning down Shane almost made me cry. Be ready for an intense emotional roller coaster as these two men battle their pride and their circumstances! If you're in the mood for intense, emotional drama, and a few very hot encounters, you'll probably like this story. I'll remember it for a long time to come.… (more)

Relationships at work, between boss and employee, no less, are always difficult, frowned upon, and usually there is some rule against them. That seems to make them all the more interesting for some people; the ones who like the lure of the forbidden, live on adrenaline – or just cannot resist the other person. While Adrian isn’t Ben’s direct boss in this story, he is the company owner’s son so the conflict may be less direct, but it is there nevertheless.

Ben is not a hard worker to start with, but when he suddenly has to take over much of his sick boss’s responsibilities and gets to work with the owner’s son, he has to clean up his act. Losing his job is not an option he wants to think about, and since he has the mental ability to pass the actuary tests and get all his qualifications, he knuckles down and gets them. The romance with Adrian builds very slowly, but the passion is undeniable. Ben never expects anything permanent, but the longer they are together, the more tempting that becomes.

Adrian doesn’t want to take over the company, doesn’t like many of his father’s decisions, and isn’t out. His past, the five years of freedom he had traveling through Europe, haunts him and he is sure he can never be that happy again. In short, he is frustration personified, but controls all of it with an iron fist. The only one who seems to be able to get under his skin and make him feel anything is Ben. Adrian’s inner battle to be honest with himself and others is long and hard, but was interesting to watch.

The twists and turns in this book are as interesting, and some of the drops as sudden, as the up and down of a share price graph. Watching Ben and Adrian as they get to know each other, find out about mutual friends, their ambitions, and struggle through a tough period at work are very realistic. Fighting a nasty female manager Ben thinks is Adrian’s girlfriend and her money-grabbing ideas is a good side story that makes the novel even more complex. If you’re looking for an interesting story set against the background of company policies and the insurance industry, if a slow-building romance between work colleagues is your thing, and if you like some underlying suspense around the economic future of the company as well as the two main characters, you may like this book.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (more)