Mychael Black

I have a guilty little secret - I read Barbara Cartland. There's just something about a British noble (be he Duke, Earl, Marquis, or whatnot) winning his true love that tickles me. Such stories are surely the inspiration for this wonderful gay romance from Black and Carmichael. Jay is the Duke of Wharton. Much to his mother's consternation, he refuses to choose a duchess and beget heirs. Devon's mother is British, but he was raised in the U.S. by his father. While visiting England, his show more mother drags him to endless boring social gatherings to "network." When he meets Jay, sparks fly between them and quickly develop into deeper feelings. But the pressure of dating a media darling finally chases Dev back to the US - but Jay won't let him get away.

Happily, the authors take care to actually develop a relationship between Dev and Jay. They date, spend time together and talk. And, in an unusual but delightful move, Dev is a virgin who intends to wait for a committed relationship before having sex. Bravo! This also adds angst to the story as Jay and Dev both struggle with their lust. When they do finally consummate their love, the poignant scene made my heart flutter. However, this simple romance takes a surprising turn when the two men marry and move to Kansas. Dev's family has a dark secret. The family house they've moved into may just be possessed by a malevolent spirit that wants Dev. A lovely romance blossoms into an interesting mystery with a lot of action and a clever plot. The authors' trademark hot sex is abundant, but the story is more than just window drssing for it. Though the novel has a nice conlusion, the problem of Jay's family doesn't fade away and the ending promises more from these two men in another novel or two. Highly recommended! show less

After I discovered the Deviations series by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne, I gained a new appreciation for BDSM-themed stories. However, medical play is not one of my favorite story lines. So, I’m not sure what spurred me to buy this novella except that I have enjoyed most of the author’s other work and it had two very positive reviews. I’m glad I bought it. It was a fun story, with an uncommon execution that worked brilliantly.

This story is told in the first person, through diary entries show more over a weekend. The speaker is Kyle, a full-time submissive whose master happens to be a doctor. And Kyle just happens to have a medical fetish, which he had been hiding from his master. The diary format was an excellent way to tell Kyle’s story. It kept a reader focused on him, when it is all too easy to be distracted by the dominant. It made the story more intense, as all the details are reflected through his eyes, his needs. It drove home just how vulnerable he is allowing himself to be. And it was hot. Though standard intercourse occurs, it is not the source of eroticism in their weekend-long scene. Most of the “action” takes place in an exam room, after all. Some of it was just a little too much (outside my comfort zone) for me, but it was always true to the characters. What I really liked about this story was the interplay between Kyle and his master outside the exam room. Black is careful to express the care and love in their relationship as much as the spanking and sex. And the ending was wickedly funny, as well as tender. In just about 30 pages, I found myself caring about these two men.

Overall, though medical play still isn’t my favorite, this story was very well done and I highly recommend it – especially to those who do enjoy that theme. show less

Review of ARC: novel will be released Nov 5.

This one almost defies description, but I'll try! This is a science fiction novel, but with such gadgets as a "dimensional cosmodoodler" and a galactic hegemony called "Interferion" it quickly becomes apparent this is a comedy at the least, and playful parody at best. The authors keep their tongues firmly in cheek while their heroes battle "assassin vampire sheep" and have sex with the hottest hotties in the known universe. But, beneath this veneer show more lurks a tender romance between Chase and Duncan, who manage to profess their love and tie the knot, all while saving the galaxy.

I have read comedic scifi stories before, but this one has a little extra umph that is often missing from them. An overarching plot, for instance. Chase and Duncan run missions for their boss, Arch. Each mission provides them a clue to the mystery of Interferion's greatest enemy, CI (who happens to be drop-dead gorgeous, lest I forget) while providing them ample opportunity to get involved in threesomes and foursomes. There is danger on many an occasion, but thankfully there is lube around every corner! The sex is fun, steamy and frequent. Running gags with secondary characters like Rudolpho and Arch, plus the constant flow of increasingly ridiculous technobabble, had me laughing out loud several times.

If you like to laugh a little at your scifi while enjoying a hot M/M encounter, this book is for you. Is this the next Hugo winner? Of course not, but it will definitely help a reader escape the real world for a while. Highly recommended. show less

This novella is quite astonishing, and richly detailed for only being 42 pages. Shapeshifters have been genetically engineered and trained as pets for humans. Though sentient, they are true pets - wearing a collar and expected to sleep and eat on the floor when they aren't "pleasing" their masters. This isn't consensual BDSM--they have been bred to the leash, but did not choose it. Shuan thought he was human until he shifted before his 18th birthday. He was sold to The Institute to be show more trained, but escaped. Ashley is not like other masters. He wants to love and protect Shuan, but will society allow him?

The romance in the story is built slow. In fact, sex doesn't occur until nearly half-way through the novella, but the anticipation made it that much better. The two main character's are very well developed with a sufficient backstory. However, the story was disturbing and also quite sad. Though Ashley and Shuan end up together (as in all good romances) there is some torture in the story and the sad fact of a pet's existence is never far from a reader's mind. Most of humanity is portrayed quite rightly as cruel and it made some of the reading difficult. Unfortunately, treating people as less than human continues even today and "Kitten" is an unusual metaphor for such sorrow. A unique story with a lovely romance at the heart. show less