Title: Closet Capers Anthology
Author: Multi-Authored Anthology
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 281
Characters: Multi-Characters
POV: 1st and 3rd
Sub-Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Kisses: 5
Blurb:
A dash of intrigue keeps any relationship fresh: laughing breathlessly over a little thrill, feeling clingy after a shiver of suspense, mucking through a minor mystery. This anthology offers a dozen light and humorous romantic short stories in which a quickly solved caper may be just the ticket to spice up any romance.
Stories included are:
Kitsch Me by Mari Donne
Leveling Up by Jude Dunn
Philip Collyer vs. the Cola Thief by Amy Rae Durreson
A Kiss in the Dark by Eli Easton
Calberg’s House Specialty Blend by Skylar Jaye
Small Change by Danni Keane
Lawrence Frightengale Investigates by Aidee Ladnier & Debussy Ladnier
The Whole Kit and Kaboodle by Ari McKay
Le Beau Soleil by Christopher Hawthorne Moss
Joie de Vivre by Pinkie Rae Parker
Made Good Under Pressure by Maja Rose
Tempest for a Teacup by Andrea Speed
Review:
A Kiss in the Dark by Eli Easton
Lane Lester is stuck at a boring office party, being hit on by a woman no less, when the lights go out—and he’s pulled into the fierce, hot embrace of a man. When the lights come back on, it’s time to investigate the identity of the mysterious lover.
This anthology starts off with a bang. Eli Easton, the mistress of suspense, mystery, and intrigue, has written in such an engaging manner you’ll not want to miss this for the world. As Lane studies the variety of men present at his workplace, he even accepts help from his roommate for some hypnosis. And the surprises at the end are hotter than hot! When Lane finally got together with his man, I swear I got chills… Highly recommended. This is in the 1st person.
Calberg’s House Specialty Blend by Skylar Jaye
One sad day Jonathan Mayer finds his favorite coffee shop closed down, for good. The best coffee he’s ever had, and now he has nothing. Jonathan gets miffed, and starts investigating. The mystery in itself is not big, could happen to anyone, but at the end of the rainbow is the coffee maker. One meeting leads to a connection of the souls.
Jonathan and Derik are so darn adorable together, I just wanna hug them. Jonathan may not find his coffee right away, but he sure gets the next best thing—and later, coffee comes a distant second. Lovely little story, easy to recommend. Makes me want to have some hot chocolate. Yum.
The Whole Kit and Kaboodle by Ari McKay
Grey and Henry are coworkers at a library. Grey gets the sense Henry’s into him, but every time Grey tries to get closer, Henry pulls away. Henry has a secret. Grey has to find out what it is. He fears the worst, like a married closeted gay man. But the truth turns out to be something quite different.
I adored the surprise here, Henry’s secret. Oh, delicious. Henry does have someone else in his life—but who? The flirting and the seduction here take my breath away. This is playful and fun. I liked this one a lot, and recommending it is easy.
Le Beau Soleil by Christopher Hawthorne Moss
This is a story of a river gambler, Frankie Deramus, in the 19th Century. Someone is spreading vicious rumors about him cheating at cards which is the one thing he has never done. Frankie hires a PI, Michael Murphy, to find out who. As they both investigate on their own, danger comes a-calling.
The historical setting was lively and vivid, well done. Though the writing is solid and draws you in, there was precious little romance here. For one thing, Frankie has other lovers. But more than that, Frankie and Murphy are not really getting together here. There’s no great romance, no vows of love spoken or even hinted at. It’s more like opportunistic sex of like minds. Nothing more. The lack of a real connection between the men left me wanting more.
Leveling Up by Jude Dunn
Game designer Adam Chandler is supposed to be celebrating his anniversary with his boyfriend, ad exec Ben Randal, but work gets in the way. When he gets home, the place is empty—save for clues Adam is supposed to follow. But when he ends up in a luxury hotel under a pseudonym as the apparent lover of a famous singer, the game takes an unexpected turn.
This had quite an intriguing game of chase between the lovers, and false leads. In fact, the mystery takes most of the story, and the two men are reunited only at the end. But it’s a happy ending full of promise and hope. Though I would have wished more time for the two men and their romance, this is not bad at all.
Kitsch Me by Mari Donne
Brian has only two desires in life. One is his boyfriend Craig, the other is Hawaii. But being poor doesn’t really allow for trips, so he gives his all to his special guy. And I mean all. The lengths to which Brian goes for love are phenomenal. Thankfully, Craig is good at catching up. A treasure hunt for a Hula dancing doll through an online shop leads to Craig acting very mysteriously. When he suddenly appears with a bundle of money, what is Brian supposed to think?
These two men would give each other the world if they could. Their love is so encompassing, I was just in awe of seeing it. Some people have goals and ambitions. But for a few people, their only goal in life is to love and be loved. Brian and Craig are these kinds of people, and I just fell in love with them. Recommended.
Made Good Under Pressure by Maja Rose
Another historical, set in the 1920′s. Billy Jones is poor, but he’s not a thief. He hangs out near theaters to listen to music, to feel like he’s a part of something beautiful. One night he meets Eric and Julia Hamilton, wealthy siblings, who entreat him to join them at a dance. A night of dancing, being held and kissed by Eric is wonderful. But one night is not enough for Billy, and there’s a social gulf between them, so Billy lets his dreams go. But when Julia meets him again about a stolen necklace she wants back, Billy offers to help. If that puts him back on Eric’s path… well, it’ll hurt, but how bittersweet it will be.
It’s all too easy to judge people by their appearance. Billy has been the object of such disdain his whole life. But when he himself is guilty of the same he has to make a choice, to throw away a chance at happiness for social inequity or to take a risk. I simply adored this story. No, the language was off for Billy on a lot of occasions, and him being able to read and know big words and literary classics just threw me. But that doesn’t matter because Billy and Eric are so passionate with each other, so loving and kind, you just want the best for them. And their erotic scenes are smoldering hot!
Tempest for a Teacup by Andrea Speed
Jake Falconer, a PI, is hired by a rich but harebrained twink to find his purse-dog, fearing dognapping. To help him, the socially slightly inept Jake gets his on-again, off-again boyfriend, Kyle, the one honest cop in town. In the end, the dog might not be too hard to find, but the real mystery is what is Jake going to find in Kyle?
Oh, this is why I love Andrea Speed. Her style of writing pulls you in from the start. I especially love her for making up words as she goes along. Brilliant stuff! Both men come through as such distinct characters I would have loved to read more about them. Highly recommended! Written in 1st person.
Small Change by Danni Keane
Dom Gibson is the caretaker and painter of Little Lexington, a model village depicting an idyllic England of yesteryear. One of the other workers, the ride-on train driver Riley, is a flashy, cocky gay guy, and Dom moons over him. But all’s not well in tiny town. Things get moved around and changed. A train off the tracks is harmless and easy to correct; a gypsy man giving it to a washer woman doggie style or a gay wedding are decidedly different, starting to garner unwanted attention from the tourists. A stakeout is required, but just how many meddlers are there?
This story is my absolute favorite of the bunch. I laughed more than with any other. This was just a perfect tiny tale in a tiny town. Dom is shy where Riley is flamboyant, but they fit so well together, you just want to nudge them toward one another. This story also has the best line in the anthology: “How about you confess or—” He ran a finger along the sheep’s back, giving an evil chuckle. “—lamby here gets it!” You’ll have to read the whole thing to find out what that means. Best story!
Lawrence Frightengale Investigates by Aidee Ladnier & Debussy Ladnier
TV’s late night horror show host, Lawrence Nightingale, and his boyfriend, the lovely Myrna Boy, are all set to drive in a parade for out and proud gay youths with the vintage car borrowed from their boss. The car, however, gets stolen a few hours before zero hour. The two go off through town to investigate the trail, even if Lawrence has fake vampire fangs and Myrna wears a glittery gown. But who stole the car and why?
This was one the most upbeat stories I’ve read, short or otherwise. The spirit is so high and bubbly I feel like I’ve drank champagne. I absolutely adored this one. Every person here is a personality with a capital ‘P’. What really makes this stand out as a romance is the continuous playful, sexy, even tender banter between Lawrence and Myrna, that even if they barely touch, there’s a connection, real and heartwarming. And the mystery is top notch too, with red herrings and unlikely culprits. I recommend this wholeheartedly!
Joie de Vivre by Pinkie Rae Parker
Jules has a successful restaurant in Toulouse, but when his Aunt Mathilde dies and leaves him her cottage in the countryside, he has to check it out. The place is practically falling apart, and yet there have been repairs done. And Mathilde’s recipe book seems to have vanished. The worst and most surprising thing, however, is the presence of Henri, a boy now grown into a man who used to bully Jules as a child for being chubby. What is Henri doing there and what does he want? Jules doesn’t know, but though his instincts tell him to kick the former bully out to the curb, he wants to know more.
France comes through vividly in this story. Jules and Henri are both lonely, just differently driven. Perhaps old animosities can be laid to rest, and new friendships forged. After all, though kids can be cruel, people do change as they grow up. Henri is charming and witty, and Jules is intrigued. What Jules doesn’t expect is the attraction, and I was gratified to find he could put the past behind him. Henri was so in-your-face charismatic, you had to like him, despite his past. I liked this story a lot. The romance was very sweet and sympathetic. It could have been longer, though. I would have loved to see how the relationships between these two develops.
Philip Collyer vs. the Cola Thief by Amy Rae Durreson
Philip Collyer has only one persistent needy habit: Caffeine, in the form of coffee and cola after lunch. Then his colas start disappearing, first without words, and later with playful, flirtatious pink post-its. The only person he can vent to is Kester Jarrod, an IT guy who is way out of his league. Only, Kester happens to be someone Phil has known in the past, and the crush turns out to be mutual. As they start dating, the only mystery is the cola thief, and for that Phil concocts one scheme after another to trap him. But perhaps more important is the motive behind the thefts…
This is a perfect conclusion to the anthology. By the last lines I had tears in my eyes. Phil may seem grumpy but his past lover was a cheating dick so perhaps he has a right to be off-putting. Kester is sweet and charming, and he knows what he wants, even when he’s shy about it. These two are just perfect together. The mystery has several layers, and when the truth comes out, everything goes wrong so fast. Can things be mended? You’ll have to read it for yourself. This story will certainly pull all your heartstrings, from high to low, and you will love it. I highly recommend this.
Reviewed By: Susan
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