Shayla Kersten

I don't know why people were saying that this was all sex/no plot. Yes, there were a few hot, very well-described sex scenes, but there was a lot of emotional build-up that I actually believed in, the mystery thread was thoroughly explored, and it was a well-rounded story. Which is incredibly surprising and impressive for 98 pages!

I honestly cared for and sympathized with these characters and cannot wait to continue the series. Of course I would have loved to read about the past year of Tony show more and Ryan's relationship as well, but I understood their emotions and choices, that they were at a turning point in their relationship, and every bit of this plot was rational and contributed to the story--including the sex, since that had comprised their relationship up until this point, a fact that was just starting to change.

"As much as he wanted it to last, the routine started the usual way.
Tony's arm tightened around him.
The final hug...
Brief kisses teased the back of Ryan's neck.
The build up to the good-night kiss...
Tony cleared his throat with a little growing sound.
And now for the brush off...
'Can I stay?'
Ryan opened his eyes as if it would help him hear. 'What?'"

And the writing was surprisingly good. After reading the negative reviews, I was expecting bad or silly prose that would make my eyes roll, but for some reason I was drawn to this book, and my gut feeling was right. This was a really great, well-balanced read that I enjoyed thoroughly.

And Tony and Ryan were great MCs to read about, as well. I loved Ryan; he's out and proud, has been hurt before by love, but was taken and emotionally involved with Tony right off the bat. Tony is unsure if he even is gay, and much slower to get up to par with his feelings and their relationship. Add in a serial murderer targeting people that look just like Ryan, causing him to go undercover into a dangerous position, and you have a situation where something has to give. And watching it all play out was priceless.

I highly recommend this read. It was a great cop/coming out/murder mystery story, and a perfect set up for the rest of the series. show less

A riveting story about an experienced Dom, Biton, who takes in submissive, Cavan, who was previously abused. Only, the abuse began when he was still a boy and goes deeper than he knows. Cavan was sold into a child slavery ring, and that is how he was introduced to BDSM. But, he is damaged. Can these two overcome such horror, and find those responsible? It's romance, so the answer is yes. But, the path to that happy ending is not easy.

I usually like my romances to have some paranormal aspect, mystery, or scifi element. I don’t usually go for contemporary romances as they start to sound alike. How many ways can you tell a “boy meets boy” story in the real world? So, I’m not sure what prompted me to order this one, other than Amazon allowing me to read the first few pages before buying. I immediately felt a connection, and am very glad I bought it.

The story was simple, and familiar: popular high school jock still show more unmarried, and in the closet, meets Mr. Right and accepts his sexuality. Yet, the characters were very real and the romance was enjoyable. Plus, it was nice to read about mature characters. Randy and Paul meet again at their 20th high school reunion, putting them both close to 40. Randy was the goth-outsider in high school. He moved away and made a fortune in computer programming. Paul followed the path his father laid out for him, law school, mayor, ready to run for state senate. When he and Randy meet again, they start a passionate affair, but will Paul be able to stand up to his father and make his own life?

This is romance, so the ending is predetermined to be HEA. However, it didn’t feel contrived because it made sense for these characters. Paul has his own money, and is a practicing lawyer. Even if his father disowns him, he can move away with Randy and not give up everything. The author spent time building the romance, and though the sex is explicit, it’s not every other page. Overall, an enjoyable love story. show less

This was a beautifully written m/m erotica, involving a vampire and a young male actor. The writing was excellent and the story kept beating along at a steady pace. There is some fairly full-on m/m sex scenes, but overall, I found the story was interesting and the most important part of the storyline - always an important consideration for me when reading erotica. Highly recommended.