Kim Alan

Kyle, a distraught young man abandoned on the road after a fight with his new (and now most likely ex) boyfriend, stumbles into a rugged tavern whose bar is tended by the even more rugged Beau. Kyle needs to use the phone, and to maybe have a drink to calm his nerves, but ends up getting so much more...

Kim Alan is a new name to me but the quality of her writing and the amazing, witty and just absolutely darling characters made sure that she's got herself a new fan. The D/s aspect in this show more story especially was so, so emotional and well-crafted that I was in tears by the end.

And after the reveal that Beau was actually the Master who'd set Kyle free "for his own good"? I immediately went back to re-read the story with this new fact in mind, and oh, it hurt so, so good the second time around. show less

"Mission: X" is about as cute a story as it is sweet, hot, and funny. The focus is firmly on Xander and Paul getting to know each other, and it was clear to me, if not to them, that they're meant to be together. I loved the sense of humor that keeps appearing throughout, and the characters' emotions, wavering between fear and hope, had me rooting for them from the very beginning.

Xander is a great sub who is very new to the whole BDSM scene. Fortified only with his Googled knowledge of what show more those four letters stand for, he proceeds to spend an evening in a BDSM club after being rejected by his ex for being boring and being beaten for being gay. Now, a year later, it still takes his best friend pushing him to even attempt going back into the dating scene.

Paul is a Dom through and through, and he was the one who found Xander after his beating. But he knows Xander is embarrassed about that, and it takes his assistant (who happens to be Xander's best friend) setting him up on a date. He knows he's deceiving Xander, but hopes he can convince him they're good together before admitting who he really is. Of course, this cannot end well...

If you like cute stories with characters clearly meant for each other, if you enjoy reading about shy subs finding their feet, and if you're looking for a "beginner's BDSM story" which doesn't get too harsh and is clearly all about the consensual fun, then you will probably like this free short story. show less

Well, this is an entirely different kind of bad BDSM etiquette than I'm used to coming across by surprise in romances; I suppose that can count for something?

I am actually quite a fan of applying animal behaviour to human interactions in fiction, but rarely have I seen it done so powerfully badly. Jordan came off as a pretty thoughtless and unwise vet in some of his interactions with animals as well as people, and also rather obsessive - on absolutely no invitation or encouragement from Cal, show more who seemed to have no particular interest on display for Jordan initially, much less inviting his (continued, persistent) attention, which left me feeling like Jordan was being stalkery and creepy with his insistence - and such phrases as 'wearing him down' did not help.

The casual dropping into conversation of Cal being a sub, from Jordan, again on no particular encouragement other than 'I can see it in you' was jarring and uncomfortable; the later comment from Cal about what Jordan should have done in that conversation was worse.

The promised plot with the matchmaking was . . . weird and didn't quite mesh with the rest, and the calls to Jordan that had him running all over town at any time just to get a dog out of weird spots or to back off of someone felt incredibly strange and unrealistic. show less

'Animal Instincts' is an interesting look at a budding relationship that goes from hilariously funny to whoa-what-just-happened to very hot and sweet. Jordan, a dedicated vet, and Cal, a carpenter who just moved into town, meet and sparks fly. But nothing is as easy as it seems, and I definitely didn't see the twist coming until I was knee-deep in the story. The secondary characters include cute teenagers, a delightfully weird old lady, and her dog, who not only has excellent gaydar, but show more seems to be into matchmaking. Yes, you read that correctly. It made me laugh too. Animals and humans alike operate on pure instinct and, for once, the results are satisfactory for all concerned.

Jordan is a vet who takes his job seriously. He is professional, or tries to be, even in the face of Cal's amazing hotness. Jordan wants to get to know Cal better, and as he patiently approaches the man and figures out how to talk to him, he discovers Cal's deeper needs. They match his own perfectly, so he thinks it will all be fine. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as it seems.

Cal is extremely withdrawn and skittish, but he does warm to Jordan's attentions to some degree. When I did find out what was going on I really felt for him, and loved the way Jordan, once he recovered from his shock, dealt with the situation. There is definitely more of a story here, and I really hope Kim Alan will write a looong sequel.

If you like shot stories that will make you laugh about the characters' antics (both people and dogs!), if you enjoy reading about men who have to struggle a little when figuring out if and how they might fit together, and if you're looking for a read that is very hot as well as sweet, you will probably like this free short story. show less