Sean Michael

What if there were a place where all your deepest, darkest fantasies can be fulfilled? It doesn’t sound possible, and in our rational, logical world it could never happen – at least not on a permanent basis the way it does in ‘Mane and Tail’. In our world, most wishes only come true on a temporary basis and/or at a price that is prohibitive. But in the supernatural/magical world Sean Michael has created in what looks to be a very strange, very kinky world that is inhabited by demons show more and their servants, anything is possible.

Eric is a stressed-out executive who secretly dreams of a simpler life, so secretly in fact, that he does not even admit what he wants to himself. Then he follows the invitation of a strange man he met at a conference and walks through a door at the back of a bar and into a world he had no idea exists. Nothing makes sense to him at first: he is addressed as “pony”, a groom takes care of him and tries to help him adjust, and he is given a new name, his true pony name. And even though Eric has secretly imagined pony play and how it would make him feel, experiencing the reality of it is quite different. His emotions are all over the place, and it was fascinating to see the effect of what could be called brainwashing on his psyche.

Soren is in debt to a demon - not sure what that is for, exactly, not that it’s crucial – and he is working it off by training ponies, helping them find a groom of their own. Soren is excellent at what he does, and with a combination of patience and a love of the men under his care, he manages to become the best trainer in the stable. He sees his job as helping men understand and accept their deepest needs and truly wants to help. He also hopes to finally get a pony all his own – and when Eric appears, Soren knows he is the one for him.

As happy as both men end up being, I do think the price Eric pays is significant – he gives up the life he knows, a successful career, and what we’d call “normality”. Of course, that thinking is coming from someone who values freedom and free choice and has never imagined the things Eric clearly wants and needs. I found it fascinating to see Eric’s reactions and think Sean Michael did a great job describing his transformation. Basically, Soren summarizes who and what the men in this new world of Eric’s are very well: “We are not normal people.” Soren sounded very sure of that. “We know our deepest selves where our truest fantasies live and we follow them.” It’s a fascinating concept that is also more than a little scary.

If you like stories with more than a touch of the fantastical, if you enjoy worlds that are full of magic, sinful kinkiness, and almost over-the-top sexual fulfillment, and if you’re looking for a read that combines psychology and scorching man-on-man action, then you will probably like this novella. I look forward to more stories set in this world!


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

Oh, I love the “house of many subs” where boys who have not yet found their Masters find a safe home. This time it’s a cousin of one of those subs who becomes the focus of the story – and what a fun tale this turned out to be. The Dom who notices him is wonderful as well (I loved his sense of humor), and the rationale with which he manages to convince Brad to give things a try was hilarious. Don’t get me wrong, it was great and worked really well for these two, but I thought it was show more not just highly appropriate but really funny. Each BDSM couple is different and makes their own rules, depending on what works for them, and Brad and Dill certainly prove that.

Brad is an “eternal student”. He loves to learn new things and has been trying his hand at a lot of different subjects. He is in his midtwenties now and can’t seem to settle down on any one subject. To him, everything is interesting. There is only one problem: he has a crippling mountain of student loans, and with no job and no income has been forced to “couch surf”. He ends up with his cousin in the “house of many subs” only to be tempted away by a studly Dom who offers him a job. With Brad not being into “this BDSM stuff” at all, he isn’t sure what to expect – and the world of sensations that Dill offers totally overwhelms him. In the best way possible.

Dill is an experienced Dom who has never found the sub he wants as his own. He writes articles for magazines, and pretty quickly figures out that Brad is not only a BDSM virgin, but also needs a pretty strong rationale to come live with him. He makes no secret of wanting to teach Brad about BDSM and what it really feels like, but Dill knows Brad needs more of an incentive than that to give it a go. The result is Brad being hired to do all kinds of research (which fits the curious guy to a T), and Master Dill giving him such tasks as writing a paper about nipple play. I laughed out loud several times as they explored the beginnings of different types of kinky activities.

If you like your BDSM with lots of laughter and some pretty funny discussions, if an experienced Master showing a totally new and very curious sub “the ropes” (pun intended) is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as hot and sexy as it is touching and cute, then you will probably like this novella. Ideal for “BDSM beginners” who want to explore some of the concepts without some of the angst present in some stories.


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

Talk about taking a risk! Maybe it is part of being a sub, maybe Joel is just too desperate to find someone who will give him what he needs, or maybe it just makes for good fantasy-like fiction, but selling yourself for six months, sight unseen, with almost no limits is not exactly playing it safe. And while I certainly wouldn’t recommend doing that in real life, it does make for an exciting story. Of course, there is the background knowledge that the Shibari Auction House vets the Doms show more who come to bid there…

Either way, Joel is apparently determined to find out what submitting is all about. He is a photographer, so it is possible to put his real life on hold for six months. Understandably, once he is in the process of being auctioned off without having any say as to who will get his contract, nerves set in. Master Brent proceeds to introduce him to the lifestyle without hesitation and Joel does have a few sane moments where he asks himself what the heck he was thinking when he signed on the dotted line. On the whole, he throws himself into the experience, though, with an enthusiasm only a true sub can feel for being made to do things he never would have considered asking for.

Master Brent, the man who is determined to teach Joel about submission, is, thankfully and to my and Joel’s relief, a good Master. Yes, he is determined to be strict, but we don’t get to see his nastier side in this story. He keeps mentioning it, but a lot of it helps to build Joel’s anticipation (half the fun for both sub and Dom). Also, I did get the impression he will keep a lot of the “heavy” stuff for later on, when Joel is a little more “advanced”. He does enjoy what he is doing as much as Joel does, which is as it should be.

If you like tension-filled anticipation about what might happen to someone who has given up control over his life (most of it, anyway), if you enjoy reading about men who play at the enjoyable edge of give-and-take of the initial stages of a BDSM relationship, and if you’re looking for a very hot introduction to what submission might mean, then you will probably like this short story. I think it’s a great addition to this series, and hope there will be many more installments!


NOTE: This book was provided by Changeling Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

A little more hard-core than many of Sean Michael's BDSM stories, this one contains almost cover-to-cover sex, an interesting budding relationship, and a few forays into pain play. However, it is more than clear that the sub, Jeren, is the one initiating it, so there is no feeling of coercion. It made the whole setup a lot "softer" than it otherwise could have been. The Dom, Drake, is growly and strong, but he comes across as a man trying to do the right thing for Jeren. There are a few show more experiments with other kinks as well, and lots of talk about piercings.

Jeren is an artist, not always with both feet on the ground, and badly needs a keeper. He has very specific needs, but he won’t trust just anyone to fulfill them. Seeing how dangerous that could be with the wrong man, I applaud him being cautious. But once he gets going with Drake? There seems to be no stopping him.

Drake is pushing for some sort of a relationship from the moment he meets Jeren, set-up or not. He has no idea what he is in for, but his careful, responsible nature allows both men to find their way forward in steps right for them.

While this sort of a relationship (and this story) will not be for everyone, if you are interested in venturing a little beyond the softer side of BDSM, this might be a good novella to experiment with. show less