Vertumnus by figbash

Vertumnus by figbash

Agron and Nasir experience relationship ups and downs that they prepare for their first winter together after the rebellion.

I really enjoyed this realistic look into Nasir and Agron's life together once they're settled and secure in Germany. Readers will see a side of Nasir they're not used to, but I think that's one of things that makes this story so good. Both Agron and Nasir allow their fatigue, pride and temper get the best of them and it's so fun to watch!

~ M

artwork credit: figbash (of course!)

Book Review: Full Exposure by Amy Jo Cousins

When Evan Pak provides his assistance during his brother's high profile photo shoot, he never expected to be used as a model and have his body splayed on the cover of an upcoming album. Evan figured he'd have a good laugh at the stereotypical rock star, Riley Flood, but ended up sharing a deep connection with him and weekend of hot sex!

On the surface, this book looks like the typical "geek falls for the dashing rock star" storyline, but it's deeper than that. The two men share a real connection and bond that even distance and their different stations in life can't break.

Although he initially comes off as a spoiled, entitled man-child, I enjoyed the complexity of Riley's character. He was flirtatious, but when he let down his walls, he had great compassion and kindness. Evan seemed like somewhat of a recluse, content to live in his own bubble, so I liked that his encounter with Riley brought him out of his shell a little and taught him how to live more in the moment.

3.5 stars

Full Exposure is a free read! Download your copy here.

~ M

Coliver Prompt: Deaf!Oliver by jooliewrites

Coliver Prompt: Deaf!Oliver by jooliewrites

While hanging out at a bar, Asher asks Connor if it's hard being a relationship with Oliver, who is deaf. Connor reminisces about all of his silent interactions with his boyfriend.

This is another sweet ficlet from jooliewrites and your heart will melt as Connor thinks about all of the wonderful moments he's shared with Oliver. This is one of those stories that will make you fall in love with Coliver even more! Give it a try!

~ M

I ❤ Yaoi: A Mako-chan Happy Birthday! Book (Free! Doujinshi)

Greetings fellow yaoi lovers! This week's feature is another Free! doujinshi, A Mako-chan Happy Birthday Book by Aoi Levin.

It's Makoto's birthday and all of his friends throw him a big surprise party. However, it's the quiet moments alone with Haru that mean the most.

This doujinshi is a quick look at a moment in time for Makoto and Haru. It's sweet to see how fondly Makoto thinks of his best friend, and Haru's thoughts are sure to make you chuckle.

Read A Mako-chan Happy Birthday! Book here.

~ M

Learning to Dance in the Rain by ElenyasBlood

Learning to Dance in the Rain by ElenyasBlood

While house sitting with his best friend, Naevia, Nasir has an embarrassing encounter with the grumpy, but very attractive, neighbor. He would like to get to know the man better, but his insecurity and Murphy's Law repeatedly rears its ugly head, making it seemingly impossible.

This is a delightful story that I really enjoyed. Nasir is adorable as a
somewhat geeky art student who harbors a crush on his temporary neighbor. Agron is just as awkward and clueless while somehow managing to be intimidating and slightly standoff-ish. The story moves pretty fast, but keeps a realistic pace that doesn't come off as forced or contrived. I don't want to give anything away, but I highly recommend giving this story a try!

~ M

Book Review: An American Homo in Paris by Vanessa North

As an expatriate in Paris with his boyfriend of eight years, Benji tries to fit in and acclimate himself to the culture, but he's homesick and lonely. After following the love of his life to the halfway across the world, he writes a blog chronicling his adventures in the city. However, when his boyfriends breaks up with him unexpectedly, his world is turned upside down. Unable to afford to live in Paris on his own, Benji has no choice but to go home.

While drowning his sorrows at a cafe, Benji catches the attention of Ziri, who, in an effort to cheer up the cute blogger, offers to take him on a farewell tour of the city. As they spend the day together, the men grow closer and discover they have a great chemistry and a strong connection.

This is a lovely feel-good story! I enjoyed seeing Benji and Ziri's hijinks as traversed the city and learned more about one another. This short story has just the right amount of angst to balance out the fun, humor and fluff. It's a HFN ending, but it's filled with hope and happiness in the future.

Free download! Click here to read An American Homo in Paris.

~ M

Some Injuries Sustained by downtowndystopia

Some Injuries Sustained by downtowndystopia

Sometimes Rei forgets how small Nagisa is in relation to himself, and sometimes he doesn't know his own strength in romantic situations...

This is an adorably funny one shot featuring one of my favorite couples! It's a quick read, but I'm sure you will experience plenty of chuckling and "aww" moments. Give this story a try! It's sure to bring a smile to your face!

~ M

artwork credit: viria

I ❤ Yaoi: Boku-tachi homo na no by Aoi Levin (Free! Doujinshi)

Hello yaoi fans! Today's manga feature is Boku-tachi homo na no by Aoi Levin.

Makoto and Haru have always been close, but after some teasing from Rin, the two boys realize their true feelings for one another.

Even if you're not a fan of Free!, I know you will enjoy this manga! It is so kawaii!!! You're heart will melt as Makoto and Haru discover their feelings for one another and awkwardly fumble through showing them. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy fluffy first love stories!

Read Boku-tachi homo na no here.

~ M

Better to Have Loved and Lost Than to Not Have Loved at All by Gaia_bing

Better to Have Loved and Lost Than to Not Have Loved at All by Gaia_bing

It's another night of anguish for Agron as he tries push past the pain in his heart. Nasir left him two years ago and his world hasn't been right since. One fateful night, a knock at the door and the reappearance of the love of his life sends Agron into a tailspin.

This is a lovely story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The pain that Agron feels after Nasir left is immense and heartbreaking. There is a twist that some may figure out early on and some may not, but definitely give this emotionally-charged and beautifully written one shot a try!

~ M

Book Review: The Gin Rickey: Alex and Ricky (CockTails #3) by Renee George

While trying to earn extra money, Alex works at the gay sports bar, The Other Team. He feels an attraction to the new cook, Ricky, but his tattoos and scars make him look menacing and dangerous - something Alex doesn't need to deal with. Will Alex give Ricky a chance or will he be left fantasizing about the cook during his shifts?

This is probably my least favorite in the series so far. Alex's prejudices and snobbery left a bad taste in my mouth and the almost immediate bj scene seemed forced and extremely rushed.

I liked Ricky's character, but there's not much readers learn about him, which is a shame. Alex, on the other hand, came off as the typical elitist snob who thinks he's better than others. Even though he thought less of Ricky, Alex was still fine with giving him a bj just because Ricky was well-endowed. I've enjoyed other installments of this CockTails series, but this one just didn't work for me. 

Buy Links
Amazon

~ M

Reincarnation by monicashipscoliver

Reincarnation by monicashipscoliver

For many lifetimes over, Oliver and Connor meet. They're fated to be together, but only one of them ever remembers the other in each life. While Oliver sits by himself at the bar, he spots the man he loves with all his heart, but he knows this is the lifetime that Connor will have no clue who he is. Should he remain and start over from scratch, once again? Or should he leave and avoid the potential heartbreak altogether?

*sigh* Once again, monicashipscoliver hits the ball out of the park. This story pretty much had me on the edge of my seat wondering how Oliver was going to deal with meeting Connor in the 21st century. I know you'll fall in love with him all over again with his awkward and endearing quirks. This is certainly a story that will give you the best warm and fuzzies! Give it a try!

~ M

I ❤ Yaoi: Boko no Ano Ko by Yuzuya Haruhi

Greetings yaoi lovers! This week's feature is an adorable manga, Boko no Ano Ko by Yuzuya Haruhi.

Amakura Chigusa has been engaged to Aki-chan since he was very young, and he's been looking forward to marrying her his entire life. He's been doing everything he can to become a man worthy of such a great bride as his Aki-chan.

Unfortunately he's never met her, as their parents agreed not to let their children meet one another until they were both 16 years old. When Aki-chan's parents move abroad for work and she decides to stay behind in Japan, Chigusa's family takes her in, and the future bride and groom meet one another for the first time…

This is an absolutely adorable manga and I'm so glad I found it! I loved seeing Chigusa's and Aki's relationship develop and grow even though it was a relationship they didn't expect to have while growing up. I highly suggest this delightful manga! You won't be disappointed!

Read Boko no Ano Ko here.

~ M

Spoiling You Rotten, Until My Last Breath by Kairat11

Spoiling You Rotten, Until My Last Breath by Kairat11

Nasir lovingly watches over his omega, Agron, as he prepares to give birth to their first child.

What a gorgeous story! For those who aren't really into mpreg, this may not be the best story for you, but I highly recommend it! It's beautifully written. I found it refreshing that Nasir is an alpha and Agron is not a beta, but an omega, something I don't think I've ever read in fanfic before! The way that Nasir dotes on Agron with his fierce protectiveness will truly warm your heart. The description of their eyes became a little repetitive at times, but it didn't completely distract me from the storyline. Give this story a try if you're in the mood for a really sweet Nagron tale!

~ M

Book Review: The Hurricane: Hot Toddy 2 (CockTails #6) by Renee George

Todd and Tucker are settling into their relationship nicely when an early-morning phone call causes a canyon-sized riff between the two of them.

In the sequel to Hot Toddy, readers are given a small glimpse into the lives of Tucker and Todd, both the good times and the bad. Todd's mother, whom he hasn't seen for years after he was taken out of her care as a child, appears out of the blue one day. This sets Todd's perfectly organized world into a chaos and causes serious problems in this relationship with Tucker. The story was a little too short to really get into the meat and potatoes of the dysfunctional relationship between Todd and his mother, but the angst is certainly ramped up a notch or two.

The writing style seemed quite formal, and the formatting of dialogue was confusing. So often I didn't know who was talking because quotations were grouped together in paragraphs.

All in all, this was a nice sequel to Todd and Tucker's story.

Buy Links

Amazon

~ M

Astrophile by MissKiwa

Astrophile by MissKiwa

Nitori leads a pretty mundane life. He's not exactly popular in school, mostly due to his love for astronomy, but he has great friends in Nagisa and Momo, so things aren't all that bad... However, he does harbor a small crush on one of the popular guys in school, Rin Matsuoka. Even though Nitori tries to fade into the background, someone has his (maroon) eyes on him.

I'm really enjoying this story so far. Nitori, as always, is the cutest! The story premise is not particularly new (popular guy falls for the adorable nerd), but it's sweet and has twists and turns to keep readers interested.

Check it out!

~ M

artwork credit: 百鬼丸

Book Review: Strength to Let Go (Tales of the Werewolf Tribes #1) by Alina Popescu

Shiki Kirishima thought he had the perfect life: two great mates, children and power within his werewolf tribe. He's blindsided when his mates abandon him with no explanation, leaving the werewolf broken and rejected. Unable to deal with the pain of losing his mates, Shiki goes on a suicide mission, all the while his childhood best friend, Blake, worries frantically for person he holds dearest in his life.

I loved this book! Shifter tales aren't always the sub genre I immediately go for, but this book pulled me in right from the start. The pain Shiki felt after losing the men he loved with all his heart was palpable. Alina Popescu did a great job conveying how serious rejection is in the werewolf world and my heart broke for Shiki.

The easy rapport between Shiki and Blake was probably my favorite part of this book. They were both broken and had plenty of issues, but they always supported and loved one another, and I thought that was beautiful.

The only thing that I bothered me a little was the fact that the reader, along with Shiki, never did find out why his mates left him. I waited with bated breath for an explanation that never came. Overall, Strength to Let Go was an absolute joy and I can't wait to read the other books in the series. Highly recommended!

4.5 stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Buy Links
Wayward Ink Press | Amazon

~ M

New Release: Strength to Let Go by Alina Popescu

Title: Strength to Let Go
Series: Tales of the Werewolf Tribes, Book One
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: gay romance, paranormal, werewolves, paranormal romance, supernatural
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.

Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.

His death.

Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.

Instead, he saves him.

Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.

Blake, Shiki’s best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolf’s ultimate loss.

Could there also be something ‘more’ for them after friendship?

Book Trailer

Mistaken Identity by Cheryl1964

Mistaken Identity by Cheryl1964

Even in the afterlife, the Spartacus and his army continues to battle Romans.What happens when Nasir is mistaken for an Egyptian pharoah?

When I watched Tut a couple weeks ago, I and my twitter buddies could not get over how much Pana and Avan Jorgia resemble one another. Many conversations ensued about placing the two of them in fanfic together (usually as brothers), so I was very excited when this story that popped up. It's still in its beginning stages, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

~ M

comparison pictures compiled by figbash