The Vampire’s Boy by Theda Black
30 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in Theda Black Tags: Theda Black
Title: The Vampire’s Boy
Author: Theda Black
Publisher: TKB Books
Pages: 189
Characters: Jared, Levi and Jordan
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Paranormal
Kisses: 4
Blurb:
Jared is your typical confused youth of today. All about the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, his whole world is flipped upside down one night while walking home. A close encounter of the supernatural kind makes his views of everything spiral about him as he tries to grasp reality and get his life straight, along with his best friend Jordan, who isn’t ready to grow up just yet. Jared loves Jordan, but wishes it was enough.
Jordan is living in the moment. He loves his vices and loves hanging out with his best friend Jared. He still wants to do his drugs and have fun, confused at why Jared has been acting off and odd and pushing him away. He doesn’t know the secret his friend is hiding.
Levi, a creature of the night, turned by a rogue vampire, has become obsessed. Obsessed with his first “feast” that lived through the attack. Levi, though not evil, is a tragic villain from what has happened to his young, human life. But he can’t get Jared from his head. He is always on his mind. And his taste, always on his tongue.
Can Jordan get to Jared before it’s too late? Will he find out his secret and save his friend, his love, from the monster that wants every bit of Jared? And will Jared be able to break away from the creature of the night before he loses, not only Jordan, but his life as well?
Review:
The best thing about this story is, in an interesting way, Theda managed to make a coming of age story mix well with that supernatural suspense. She also doesn’t stray from the use of drugs and alcohol, which many teens get wrapped in with. The love the two boys have for each other is very real and very intense, being best friends first and then realizing that there is something more. It’s very sweet, but also very sad. Jared just wants to protect Jordan from Levi, even willing to put up his own life for him. I do enjoy the obsession Levi has for Jared. And how Jared doesn’t like it, but does all at the same time. Even with his love for Jordan there. Levi is a favorite of mine because, although he is the “bad guy”, he is also a tragic story all in himself. Not having the choice to be changed and having to deal with everything on his own. Showing that there are reasons for even the villains to be just that. Theda also makes the sex scenes very steamy and very visual, giving the book even more intensity.
I highly suggest this read. Especially for those all for the supernatural and even ones that haven’t gotten into the genre before.
Reviewed By: Seth
Upcoming Releases From MLR Press
30 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in MLR Press, publishers Tags: MLR Press
It’s Been a While
By David K. Knight
Their eyes met just yards apart on the dance floor, both of them had a young lady in their arms, and for a moment it appeared as if each was using the woman to shield them from the world, or each other. Their gaze held for quite some time, both looking deep for a memory that existed of a time long ago of a love and friendship that would never end. Since their falling out fifteen years earlier when they were in their very early twenties, their paths had crossed only a few times. Tonight, however, there was something different, their eyes locked in gentle yielding.
Due Out 09/2011
Come to Dust
By J.S. Cook
Inspector Philemon Raft’s investigation into the kidnapping of a London socialite leads him into dangerous waters:the mutilated corpse of a well-known prostitute comes floating down the Thames on a hired barge and a sneak attack by Raft’s estranged sister Ada may well leave him blinded for life. Can Constable Crook return from his Argentine exile in time to save Raft, or does Raft’s fate lie in the uncertain hands of the man known only as John Gallant?
Due Out 10/2011
Unacceptable Risk
By Kaje Harper
Simon Conley was born a werewolf, making him one of a tiny minority in a sea of vanilla humans. The safety of the pack lies in absolute secrecy, sometimes violently enforced. In a species where pack-members are born and not made, being gay is considered a perversion. So when Simon falls in love with a human man, he’s twice damned. Even his Alpha’s grudging tolerance may not be enough to shield him from the hatred of the other top wolves. Then his lover Paul stumbles across pack secrets Simon was sworn to keep, and if the pack finds out, they may both end up dead.
Due Out 10/2011
Bounty (Venom Valley: Book One) by Hank Edwards
30 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Hank Edwards Tags: Hank Edwards, Kindle
Title:Bounty (Venom Valley: Book One)
Author: Hank Edwards
Publisher: Hank Edwards for Smashwords
Pages: 185
Characters: Josh Stanton, Dexter Wells
POV: 3rd Person
Sub-Genre: Paranormal/Historical/Horror/Romance
Kisses: 5
Blurb:
In the small frontier town of Belkin’s Pass, Josh Stanton’s past has kept him from being accepted by the town’s population. Raised by the local school teacher after his mother vanished one dark night, Josh has made only one true friend the fifteen years he’s lived there: Dexter Wells. When a tragedy teaches Josh he has the ability to raise the dead, he becomes a wanted man and flees on horseback into the arid plains of Venom Valley. Pursued by Dex, a town deputy, the two realize their friendship has deepened into love and they struggle to move forward without destroying their bond of friendship. At the town saloon, the One-Eyed Rooster, a powerful stranger stalks the girls who work there, feeding on their blood in the night. Glory, a half white, half Indian saloon girl, depends on her Native American protective spirit, Ohanzee, to keep her safe as she battles to keep her only friend, Edith, from falling prey to the night stalker.
Review:
Saddle up and hop on for a fun and frightening ride with Hank Edwards and his latest novel Bounty, the introduction to the Venom Valley series, set on the American frontier during the late 19th century, in a time period just beyond the Civil War.
Trust me when I say the real Wild West was never as wild as Belkin’s Pass, the once sleepy town that suddenly becomes host to the undead, in this story that blends a little bit of horror, a little bit of Native American mysticism, and a little bit of hot lovin’ between the story’s heroes, Josh Stanton and Deputy Dex Wells.
Lifelong friends, Josh and Dex fell in love with each other somewhere along the way, though neither man had ever found the courage to express his feelings for the other. Now? Well, now seems the perfect time to declare themselves and consummate their relationship, because the future looks a lot less bright than it ever has before, and the present could use all the hope and promise it can get.
Strange things are afoot in the town—the dead coming back to life, a mysterious and foreign stranger called Balthazar who preys on the townsfolk, glamouring them and drinking their blood, creating progeny to grow his legacy, and Josh is caught directly in the midst of the supernatural events. That is to say he is a supernatural event, himself, and it’s the strange power hidden within him that reanimates the corpses he encounters, which causes the man no end of problems when he’s accused of murdering two people, one of them the woman who’d raised him, the only mother Josh had ever known.
In a matter of moments, those crimes transform him into a fugitive with a price on his head and the promise of the noose if he’s ever caught. The question? How can a man be guilty of murder if the victim is already dead? The problem? Who’s going to believe a story like that, coming from a man who is already considered an outcast by some. The answer? Dex Wells, that’s who, and he is willing to sacrifice everything he has, everything he is, for the man he loves.
Dex tracks Josh to the home where he’d spent the first few short years of his life before his mother, a woman accused of everything from practicing witchcraft to devil worship, had abandoned him. Dex listens to Josh’s admittedly far-fetched tale of the dead reanimated, but can believe that some strange event has occurred surrounding Josh and the deceased, because he’s just experienced his own brush with the preternatural when he’s attacked by a few of the prostitutes at the One-Eyed Rooster Saloon, where Dex witnesses them threatening Grace, a half-breed call girl protected by a Native spirit, Ohanzee.
This story is told from three different perspectives—Josh’s, Dex’s, and Glory’s—the stories running parallel to each other until the point they each converge perfectly in the place known as Venom Valley, a place where those who dare to enter are seldom seen or heard from again. Scorpions, snakes, stinging beetles, all the creepy crawlies that give Venom Valley its name, aren’t the only things to be scared of in this haunted and dangerous place. There are things with far more bite to them that come out in the dark to play, and the two men encounter each and every one in their mission to escape the hangman’s noose, locate Balthazar, and save their town from a fate worse than death.
Rescued from wolves and zombies by a Native American tribe of which Glory has become a part after fleeing Belkin’s Pass, Josh and Dex mistakenly believe they might have found a moment’s peace before they begin their hunt. But Balthazar has other plans, plans that will be revealed—soon, I hope—in the next installment in the series.
Yes, Hank Edwards leaves the reader suspended over the edge of a cliff, dangling precariously over Venom Valley, waiting to learn the fate of our heroes. As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Bounty is step one of what promises to be a thrilling adventure. I’m more than ready for step two.
Reviewed By: Lisa
Relearning The Ropes by D.C. Juris
29 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Breathless Press, DC Juris Tags: Breathless Press, D.C. Juris
Title: Relearning the Ropes
Author: D.C. Juris
Publisher: Breathless Press
Pages: 27
Characters: Marcus and Charlie
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: BDSM
Kisses: 4
Blurb:
Marcus will have to set aside his old theories about BDSM and relearn the ropes to be the Dom Charlie needs.
When his good friend Julius dies unexpectedly, Marcus finds himself saddled with a new submissive–Charlie. But Charlie comes with a history, and more pain and need than Marcus has ever encountered. Marcus knows he loves Charlie, and Charlie loves him, but Marcus must set aside his old theories about BDSM and relearn the ropes if he wants to be the Dom—and the lover—they both need.
Review:
As the blurb states Marcus, the Dom in this short has some rethinking and relearning to do so he is able to be the Dom Charlie needs. Charlie was a slave for many years of his life, being bought and sold as if he were no more than a pet, often times treated worse than one. He only knew how to please others, how to do what others told him to, and if he had thoughts or ideas of his own, they went unheard.
Julius was Marcus’ friend and fellow Dom, and he owned Charlie until he died, leaving Charlie in Marcus’ care. Now, the problem here is that Marcus didn’t want a fulltime slave or sub, he had this thing in his head that those only were for playing at the club, not a live in. However, he didn’t count on loving the sub/slave Charlie and the longer Charlie lives under his roof, the more they have scenes, the harder it gets for Marcus to maintain aloofness. When he accompanies Charlie to a work function, he realizes then and there he must become the Dom the younger timid man needs, or he’ll lose him forever.
This is a great story of healing, of understanding, of acceptance, and most importantly, of love between a Dom/sub.
Reviewed By: Michele
Help Us Welcome Reggie to the Top2Bottom Review Staff!!!
29 Sep 2011 5 Comments
Reggie On-Top
My name comes from a bigger name and is a translation from the spanish. Yeap, a latina girl in the house. I live where the sun is hotter than hell and the snow is just a beautiful dream that someday I want to reach… but I love it. I wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s my land, it’s my place.
When I was 5 I got lost in a library, or better said, my family got lost, I knew where I was… between the books and colorful images. Since then I’ve lived surrounded by books and stories. All my life in Spanish and since a few years in English. And with it this wonderful, hypnotic, sensual, magical universe of Male/Male books has been open for me.
Amazing stories, awesome authors… it’s a pleasure to be part of this world of romance.
I’m a mom of 8 cats now, a daughter of a loving father, sister of a three special siblings, auntie of several nieces and nephews and teacher and guide of numerous kids and teenagers. I’m my mother’s image and I would like to think she would be proud of me if she could see who I am.
Tech Support by J.M. Snyder
29 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in J.M. Snyder, JMS Books Tags: J.M. Snyder, jms books
Title: Tech Support
Author: J.M. Snyder
Publisher: JMS Books
Pages: 23
Characters: Noah and Joel
POV: 1st
Sub-Genre: Contemporary
Kisses: 4
Blurb:
Noah works in tech support at a software firm. He gets a frantic call from Becky, the receptionist in Development, asking him to assist a new employee tackle his network problems. Jared is having a bad first day at work, and sounds unbearably cute over the phone, but Noah’s been disappointed before.
To get away from the phones, he takes smoke breaks with his buddy Joel, Becky’s boyfriend. When Noah sees a cute new employee, Joel’s only too happy to help them hook up. Still, Noah doesn’t want to write Jared out of the picture completely …
Review:
J.M. is able to tell a complete story in so few pages that it boggles my mind and she does not disappoint with Tech Support in any way. This is a story about Noah, a single gay man who works at an IT agent the 2nd shift, so basically the poor guy has no life outside of work. He’s too tired after it go to out, and on the days off he’s too busy. However, he’s looking for that “one” and through the help of his friends at work, Joel and Becky, he meets a new hire by the name of Jared and he will never be the same again.
Story is told in the first person and I have to say I admire JM for her skill here. She does a fantastic job with Noah. The comedy elements are thick as well, so more than once I found myself laughing out loud. Characterization is outstanding. Don’t miss this short, you’ll like it.
Reviewed By: Michele
Variant Breed: Chris and Zach Book One by D.H. Starr
28 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in AI, DH Starr Tags: AI Press, D.H. Starr
Title: Variant Breed
Author: D.H. Starr
Publisher: AI Press
Pages: 83
Characters: Chris, Zachary
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Paranormal
Kisses: 4
Blurb:
Across time, two hot immortals find each other. But is mutual passion enough?
Chris Molina is a MAP, a molecularly advanced person. Rejected by his family in the 18th century and sent out into the world alone at the age of twenty-five, he wanders through time, craving love and companionship. He finally settles down and establishes a homestead in Virginia where he meets the first of his own kind, Abigail DuMonte. Together they start a life, one where they can live openly and honestly. However, in spite of the love and friendship they share, something else important is missing: Soul-searing passion. Until…
When Chris meets Zachary Bishop, he’s found everything he’s ever wanted. Zach is handsome, intelligent, sweet, and craves the same things he does. However, Chris soon realizes that his dreams may come true at a cost. Although Abby is not his lover, they have a long and close history together that Chris doesn’t want to jeopardize. Is there room in his life for both Abby and Zach? What if he can never really find the family he’s longed for? Will Zach become simply a memory of erotic passion and unfulfilled longing? Three immortals on the brink of change…
Review:
This story is very definitely a one of a kind with it’s own agenda. As the blurb states Chris Molina is a MAP who has been rejected by his family because he saved the life of his nephew and not by jumping in front of a horse or anything of the sort. Chris saved him because of what he is and his abilities allow for him to merely touch another and “see” into their body and repair what is failing. Of course his family thinks it is the work of the devil and therefore will have nothing to do with him. He leaves Italy, his home country and ends up in America, where next we meet him as a tobacco plantation owner, with slaves and the whole nine yards. Chris treats his slaves well and is very close to a woman, her husband, and their child, Abby.
Before we know it we are advanced into the future and Chris and Abby are sharing a home, and Chris is now a doctor, apparently with his skills, he and Abby, who is also a MAP, will live for far longer than any mere human. However, no matter how long they’ve been alive, it’s plain to see that they are together but not. Chris is gay and he cannot love Abby in the way she wants him to, but they make whatever it is they have work. Then one day Chris receives a call from a fellow Doctor, his help is needed on a case and from the second Chris speaks to the man on the phone, sparks of sorts fly.
Welcome the third MAP, Zachary and he with his own set of special skills. Almost at once the two men realize they are meant to be together and a few dinners and walks pretty much seals their fate, with one small issue. Abby.
This is a very interesting story. I will admit though. I am not much of a science geek, so I had a heck of a time slipping into the character’s heads to even grasp or understand what was going on and how. But the author clearly did some amazing research or he could be a scientist himself? However it goes, this is just one story in what looks to be a series. Very unique plot and from the ending, I’m sure a very interesting book to follow.
Reviewed By: Michele
Stolen Summer by S.A. Meade
28 Sep 2011 1 Comment
in S.A. Meade, Total E-bound Tags: S.A. Meade, Total E-bound
Title: Stolen Summer
Author: S.A. Meade
Publisher: Total E-Bound Publishing
Pages: 210
Characters: Evan Harrison, Colin Williams
POV: 1st Person
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Drama/Romance
Kisses: 5
Blurb:
The horror of Evan and Colin’s stolen summer may be over but the nightmares remain. Can their love survive the fallout?
The last thing journalist Evan Harrison expects to hear, when he returns from covering the war in Afghanistan, is that his best friend, Colin Williams, is in love with him.
Colin, an Oxford Professor with a poet’s soul and a roving eye, turns out to be a temptation Evan can’t resist. What he discovers is that sex with Colin is hot, wild and relentless. The two of them embark on a passionate affair and Evan knows he’s going to spend his days with Colin – after one last assignment.
A western journalist in Pakistan is too tempting a target for local insurgents. Evan’s ‘Oh-shit’ sense fails dismally when he is taken hostage and spends four months refusing to let his captors grind him down by clinging to memories of the lover he left behind. Freedom from captivity, however, doesn’t bring freedom from terror. The legacy of Evan’s ordeal results in meltdowns and nightmares that threaten to destroy his life with Colin. He can’t even seek comfort in lovemaking because the pills intended to save his sanity kill his desire.
Evan seizes a chance to put his nightmares behind him by taking one final assignment, covering unrest in Jordan. Colin sees Evan’s decision as the end of a relationship he fought hard to save. If Evan makes it back to England in one piece, winning Colin back will be the toughest assignment he’s ever faced.
Review:
S.A. Meade’s Stolen Summer is a novel that reminds us there are heroic men and women around the world, embedded in war torn countries, caught in the crossfire of religious and political ideologies and putting their lives on the line each day. In this case, however, I’m not speaking of the men and women in uniform serving their respective homelands, striving to bring order to chaos. No, in this instance I’m speaking of the journalists who risk their lives for the sake of the story. They are the men and women without whom the war and continuing unrest in the Middle East would be little more than a footnote in our ongoing lives. They are no less brave than the soldiers themselves, are every bit as vulnerable, and are every bit as susceptible to the bombs and bullets that threaten their safety.
Evan Harrison is one such man, a reporter who risks life and limb to give the world an intimate view of the horrors of war and political and religious unrest. This story is, appropriately, told from Evan’s point of view. Words are his bread and butter, after all. For him, the story is everything, until it no longer means anything when he must choose between the rush of the next byline, and losing the man he loves.
For a man who makes his living at forming words into the sentences that draw a picture for his readers, Evan has an awfully difficult time expressing himself when the circumstances demand. For ten years he and his best mate Colin Williams danced around the attraction they felt for each other, until it was nearly too late. On assignment in Afghanistan, Evan is caught in an ambush that might have made him the top headline in that day’s news. But luck was with him that day, and he returned home, much to Colin’s relief. It is the catalyst needed to finally make the men realize ten years was too many wasted, ignoring their attraction to each other.
Before the bud of their new romance has the chance to fully bloom, before Evan has the opportunity to understand that what he feels for Colin is, indeed, love, he’s off again on his next assignment in Pakistan, which causes its share of complications for the two men. The plans for the story were ironed out before they’d changed the course of their relationship, but now Evan has reason to want to stay safely at home rather than pursue his next story. Unfortunately, it’s not an option and the luck that has been with him through all the other dangerous assignments finally runs dry.
For four grueling months, Evan is held hostage by a militant group that uses him as a tool of propaganda to gain the attention of the West. For one agonizing summer, he clings to his love for Colin and to the small scraps of kindness he receives from one of his captors, living in a haze of fear that each breath might be his last. For Evan’s captors, they did gain attention, to be sure. Regrettably for them, it was attention of the wrong sort, their plans abruptly destroyed in a hail of gunfire.
From his return to England, onward, Evan’s story becomes one of tragedy and a fight for recovery from the nightmares that returned with him from Pakistan. Colin stands by Evan every step of the way, though the stress of a one sided relationship begins to take its toll. Evan is little more than a shadow of the man he’d once been, haunted by panic attacks and the frightful memories that chase him even in sleep, his emotions and senses blunted by the antidepressants he’s been forced to rely upon. It’s a journey of missteps, a day by day fight to regain something that feels like the life he’d had before, and with Colin’s help, Evan does slowly find his way back. So much so that Evan decides it’s time to get back to work, a decision that will eventually hold significant consequences in his relationship with Colin.
Months of sacrifice, months of suffering, months of care and recovery are all erased by a single act. Evan accepts an assignment to travel to the country of Jordan, where civil unrest has erupted. Evan will again be stepping directly into the path of danger, and regardless of how he attempts to justify it to Colin, Evan’s decision to go is the final blow to Colin’s already diminished reserves of patience and understanding. There is no future for the two men, not when the next story will always take priority over their relationship.
Stolen Summer is the ideal blend of romance, drama, suspense, and conflict. It was impossible not to root for Evan and Colin as they navigated the complications that arose as they evolved from best friends to lovers and partners. Theirs was a moving story, start to finish, that brought meaning to the words “for better or for worse, in sickness and in health,” their love for each other the necessary remedy to see them through.
Reviewed By: Lisa
I, Omega by Kari Gregg
27 Sep 2011 4 Comments
in Kari Gregg Tags: Kari Gregg, Loose ID
Title: I, Omega
Author: Kari Gregg
Publisher: Loose Id
Pages: 138
Characters: Gabriel, Cal
POV: 3rd Person
Sub-Genre: Paranormal/BDSM
Kisses: 4.5
Blurb:
After one mind-shattering night with a stranger at a local leather bar leaves him forever changed, Gabriel lives on the streets as a vagrant to elude the master who hunts him, but the were shifter is a fierce, stubborn predator who reclaims him soon enough. Gabriel is carried away to the pack’s home territory where his instruction on what it means to be the pet of an alpha begins. Gabriel isn’t just any pet, though. He is the rarest among their kind: a human omega.
Treasured? Or cursed?
As Gabriel’s father, the Distinguished Gentleman from Pennsylvania and stalwart of the conservative party, pushes the considerable resources at his disposal to locate his missing son, Gabriel explores who and what he is under his master’s careful protection. Gabriel falls for the shifter who is both lover and destroyer, owner and…friend?
Review:
Wow. Just wow. It’s not often that I start a review by discussing the sexual content of a book. In fact, I think I can safely say it’s never happened before. But, so help me, I, Omega is going to break that streak, because this book is all about the sexual compulsion that dominates the relationship between Gabriel and his master, Cal. The story is an exploration of a man who struggles with his obsession to be possessed by his Master without losing himself in the process. This is the story of what it means to be owned, body and soul, and the turmoil it creates within Gabriel when trying to reconcile his need to subjugate to his Sir, while there is still a part of him that demands he run as far and as fast as possible. But, perhaps more than that, this is a story of trust and the significance of a bond between a Master and his sub, made all the more challenging when the need these two men feel for each other has nothing to do with free will and everything to do with an instinct so primitive they are both powerless to fight it.
Cal is a were Alpha whose feral nature demanded he make Gabriel his pet, an occurrence that is rare between a shifter and a human. But there’s a significant reason Cal’s beast demanded he claim Gabriel. Gabriel is the rarest of the rare—a human Omega—the epitome of what it means to be submissive, and it was that part of himself, a part of himself of which Gabriel was entirely unaware, that awakened Cal’s beast and set Gabriel’s life on a new and terrifying course.
The relationship between Gabriel and Cal is introduced as near predatory, as Cal is left to hunt down his prey after Gabriel ran away from his Master in a sheer panic at the brutality of their first encounter, the urgent need it inspired within him, and the terror that Gabriel might not be good enough for the Alpha. In hiding, abandoning everything that had once defined Gabriel’s humanity, Cal’s stalking ends when he comes to reclaim his mate. And that reclaiming, part punishment, part imperative, all demand and hunger, is where the erotic journey begins.
Kari Gregg explores the raw and confrontational side of BDSM in the scenes with Gabriel and Cal. But she doesn’t leave it at just that. She also explores the power exchange between the two men, the deep seated needs that are fulfilled for both of them within the gift of the Dominant and submissive relationship. The bond between the two men evolves beautifully, from a primitive consumption to an imperative desire to be what the other needs, entirely and willingly.
Their journey together is complicated all the more by the outside factors that threaten to separate them. Gabriel’s father, a conservative politician, is using his extensive resources to track and find his son. Alphas from various other were packs are pursuing Gabriel to make him their own. Cal’s own pack, a place in which Gabriel must discover and learn to accept his new role, presents its own challenges as well. Through it all, Gabriel and Cal’s relationship evolves into a partnership that eclipses all the challenges they face.
I, Omega is my first Kari Gregg experience, and I assure you, it won’t be my last. From structure to delivery to characterization, I was nothing less than impressed with the author’s style, and was even more impressed that she left me wanting more while still making me feel satisfied I’d gotten exactly what I needed to invest myself fully in Cal and Gabriel’s story.
Reviewed By: Lisa
Papi by J.P. Barnaby
27 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Dreamspinner, J.P. Barnaby Tags: Dreamspinner Press, J.P. Barnaby
Title: Papi
Author: J.P. Barnaby
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 27
Characters: Kyle Lang, Jesse Valdez
POV: 3rd Person
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Erotica
Kisses: 4.5
Blurb:
Kyle Lang just got out of a marriage that lasted too goddamned long. He knew when he married her that he shouldn’t have. For the last few years, he’s been haunted by daydreams of the perfect feel of another man’s skin. The problem is, the bar scene isn’t working so well for him. When Kyle picks up Jesse, an eighteen-year-old illegal who turns tricks for cash, he finally finds something to scratch that desperate itch. For Jesse, who is only gay-for-pay to support his sister, it’s the first time he’s ever been aroused by another man’s touch. The consequences will change his whole world.
Review:
I’m going to start right off by saying that Papi is most definitely not going to be a story that appeals to everyone. No clear cut hero, no happily ever after—for that matter, there’s not even a happily in the moment to be found in this very short tale of dramatic irony that had me on edge from page one, knowing for sure there was a bomb to be dropped; in fact, I was even pretty certain I knew the kind of bomb it would be, but suspecting didn’t lessen the impact at all when it was finally dropped.
Kyle Lang is a bitter man, resentful of the years he wasted in a sham of a marriage and seemingly angry at the world. He’s hostile toward his ex-wife and feels no sense of paternal connection toward his children. In his own much understated opinion, he’s just not a family guy. Kyle spent the years of his marriage ignoring the fact that he was surreptitiously stealing glances at other men. And now that he’s divorced, he’s looking to act on those desires. What better way for a man like Kyle to do that than to go the sex-for-hire route? It’s emotionally detached and uncomplicated, and it’ll take care of the itch that needs scratching.
Finding Jesse Valdez was easy. All Kyle had to do was drive to the right part of town to find the hookers and the rent boys just waiting for their next trick. It doesn’t take Kyle long to cull Jesse from the herd. There’s something about the boy, something at once vulnerable and innocent that Kyle notices, but that disappears the instant the boy turns on the “for rent” sign and goes to work, looking for his next john.
Jesse and his sister are illegal immigrants who’ve spent their family’s savings to get to America and pursue that elusive dream of a better life. They both turn tricks to survive, a sacrifice Jesse makes to help ease the burden on his sister. Jesse’s learned to be gay-for-pay, and while he hates every moment of it, he does what he has to. The American dream has left him with few options.
So, where exactly is the irony in this story? It happens in a seedy motel room, during an encounter with a complete stranger, a stranger who turns that encounter into something more than it was supposed to be. I can’t say too much without giving things away. But suffice it to say it’s poor Jesse who suffers irony’s unrelenting sting.
Will there be a sequel to this explosive little tale? I have no idea. Do I want a sequel? That absolutely goes without saying.
Reviewed By: Lisa
