review

 

Title: Torque

Author: Charley Descoteaux

Length: 144 pages

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

Categories: Bisexual, trans, poly (MMF)

 

I freely admit I didn’t want to read this one at first. The option to review crossed my email in the spring during a book tour, and I felt like I was not in a frame of mind to add it even though the blurb intrigued me. After reading some of the author’s other work, I decided to check it out. I’m so glad I did.

Mick is troubled by his bisexuality—to the point he doesn’t even know there’s a word for his feelings until Mercy explains. Scotty has a difficult history and wars within himself between knowing he’s enough and not being quite sure. Mercy is my favorite of all, even though we never see in her point of view (I really wish we did). She’s beautiful and wonderful and holds everything together even though she has problems of her own.

There’s a grittiness to this which didn’t follow exactly what I was expecting. These characters are emotionally raw, if not always with each other, and their lives are not pretty. Out of necessity, they’re forming a family of their own, and it’s painful and beautiful they way they connect. When Mick, Mercy, and Scotty finally work out how much they need each other, all the layers are peeled back to expose their feelings. This is my favorite line in the whole thing:

“It wasn’t because we don’t belong together, I get that now. It’s because we were missing you.” (Scotty to Mick, on sealing their relationship with Mercy)

The one thing which bothered me was how unsure I felt about Scotty and his attitude toward Mercy. He doesn’t ever misgender her or overtly act as though he doesn’t see her as a woman, but he does these weird, subtle things like talking about how grossed out he is by vaginas. It undermines some of his other actions and words. It’s not frequent, and it’s possibly the sort of thing no one else would be bothered by, but it did make me hesitate.

On the whole, I really liked this story. It’s fast-paced, which means we have to read between the lines at times with regard to the relationship. There’s also a bit of telling vs. showing, which in this case I think is partly because of the unusual nature of the romance. For example, when Mercy explains that Scotty is asexual, that reads as being as much for audience benefit as for Mick. Otherwise, it’s really well-written with a lot of sensitivity toward the characters and situations.

This is a book definitely geared toward people who are sick of reading the same or very similar plots involving diverse gender and sexual expression. It’s not for people who are just looking for transgender tropes or hot menage erotica. In my opinion, we could use a lot fewer of those and a lot more books like this one.

For characters to fall in love with, realistic emotions, and an out-of-the-box happily every after, this gets 9/10 fountain pens.

Insert Fountain Pen rating here.

Heat rating: 4/5 ink wells (explicit/frequent sexual situations)

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Torque-Charley-Descoteaux-ebook/dp/B016XTORUK/

Charley Descoteaux has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough. In exchange, they’ve agreed to let her sleep once in a while. Charley grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a drought, and found her true home in the soggy Pacific Northwest. She has survived earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods, but couldn’t make it through a single day without stories.

During the week Charley works in a cube in corporate-landia and takes every chance to trade business casual for jeans days. On the weekends you can find her writing, knitting, hanging out online, or volunteering.

Title: Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace!

Author: Claire Davis & Al Stewart

Genre: New Adult, M/M Romance

Length: 118 pages (~30k words)

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Publication Date: May 26, 2016

First love – coming of age – family – acceptance

When Charlie was eight years old, his mum bought him a microscope for his birthday. Since then, he’s known how he wants to spend his life. There have been trials, and challenges, but now – finally – the day is here for him to start college with his lifelong friend Anthony Pace.

Anthony is a red-haired force of nature. He writes poetry about their enemies and eagerly participates in all Charlie’s science experiments without understanding a word. Every morning, he waits at the end of their street so they can get the bus together.

But things are changing.

Families are important, and complex. Charlie’s mum hasn’t been well, and his relationship with Anthony begins to shine like a different star in the sky.

Can everything come together in this explosion of physics and chemicals that Charlie calls life? Will Anthony Pace ever share his poems with the world, and can the Chihuahua, Princess Arabella, ever learn to stop licking

***

WARNING: includes moderately explicit scenes of intimacy between consenting young adult males.

This book was so good I’m almost at a loss where to start. Everything about it hit on exactly what I love in a book: likable characters it’s easy to get attached to, well-written prose, a full range of emotions, and social issues from the inside. It’s absolutely pitch-perfect from the opening line to the last.

I have a strong preference for stories told in a single point of view, and I loved Charlie as a narrator. We only get as much as he wants to show us, yet piece by piece he lets us into his world. There isn’t much I can say on that front without spoiling a lot of details. This is one case where it’s vital to allow Charlie’s story to unfold at his speed because it’s what helps us understand him as a person.

Because of people in my own life, I recognized some things right away, both about Charlie and his situation. What drew me in was this feeling as though he was building trust with me as a reader. He’s so absolutely wonderful in every way. I was delighted watching everything fall into place for him in his changing relationship with Anthony. Although they’re both eighteen, they often come across as a bit younger, but there are a number of very good reasons for this. I think we’ve gotten the impression from other books in the genre that all eighteen-year-old young men are paragons of maturity, and I honestly felt these two were a much, much more realistic view of that age. The two of them together are so sweet it almost hurts.

This is a really fast read, easy to finish just about in a single sitting. But that by no means makes it lacking in depth and intelligence. It’s simply a well-told story with many layers. The ending left me in tears, even though it’s not exactly sad. I’ll be unpacking my thoughts and feelings for a while; it’s one book sure to stick with me.

For magnificent storytelling, easy-to-love characters, and buckets of charm, this gets 10/10 fountain pens (and a HUGE thank you to the authors for allowing me the privilege of reviewing).

Heat Rating: 3/5 ink wells (some explicit sensuality)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shut-Your-Face-Anthony-Pace-ebook/dp/B01FPMY5RQ/

Claire Davis: Claire lives in the beautiful UK. She works full time and reads whenever she gets a spare five minutes.

Al Stewart: I am originally from an enormous housing estate in the south of England. Early influences include male ballet dancers or anyone in tights, Robin Hood, and all my sister’s boyfriends. I’ve written poetry from a young age but fairly recently moved on to books about ordinary people. I’m crippling awful at talking about myself but I can draw a horse.

When the only way to be together is to stay apart.

Michael and Jamie have one rule to follow in their new life as touring musicians: DON’T. Don’t share rooms. Don’t collaborate on the songs. Don’t even look at each other withoutpermission from the powers that be.

But the music is suffering. The chemistry that made the band is gone, together with their happiness. It all seems hopeless, until they get an idea: what they need is an innocent front. In short, a beard. Sapphire offers to help, and while they get a little more than they bargained for,the price they pay seems worth it.

But when Michael has an accident, they have to hire a temporary bassist. The new guy may be a virtuoso on his instrument, but he also has plans above his station. Little by little, Michael’s place both in the band and by Jamie’s side is taken over by other people. The question becomes, how much is he willing to sacrifice to stay in the closet?

This is the second part of the Pax Cymrica series, and I found it every bit as good as the first. Second books sometimes suffer from not knowing where to go next, but there is none of that difficulty to be found here. The writing is smooth throughout, and the story feels just right as the next phase.

At times this was really hard to read. Michael has such a high degree of insecurity and almost painful self-loathing. The fact that he and Jamie aren’t even supposed to be together, let alone be open about it, contributes greatly to Michael’s state of mind. For some readers, this might feel like a bit much, but I appreciated the author’s skill at writing such raw agony. The only way I can think to describe it is that it’s emotionally erotic.

I loved the side characters in this one. It was fun to hate “O’Devil” (and I love Jamie’s nickname for him). I developed significantly more respect for Patrick than I had in the first book and just how much he did for them behind the scenes. Zoltan regularly made me want to punch him, and [spoiler: highlight to read] I almost cheered when Michael finally got in a good one. I had mixed feelings about Sapphire because I loved what she tried to do, and it’s devastating the way she failed. I see why Jamie couldn’t muster more sympathy for her, which makes the whole thing that much more human.

It felt to me like there’s less sex in this one than the last, but I can’t say for certain. It doesn’t really matter; what’s there is just the right amount and quality for the path the story takes. Michael and Jamie are really good together. Not just because they’re sexy but because the depth of their love and friendship makes everything that much sweeter between them.

All in all, this is an excellent follow-up to book one. I was given the first two in exchange for honest reviews, but I liked them so much I immediately bought the whole set as soon as I finished the second one. I’m hooked, and I can’t wait to see where these two go.

For outstanding writing, achingly real emotions, and a story that’s held me captive, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

“What? Why?”

Their eyes met. Michael’s were infinitely sad. Then they dropped momentarily, took in the small expanse of bare skin that was visible beneath the folds of Jamie’s sheet. Jamie’s breath caught in his throat. Of course Michael didn’t want to share his bed if he wasn’t dressed. It was too risky. “I’ll find something to wear,” he mumbled. Then he blushed, remembering that not only was he completely naked, he was still not cleaned up after his sordid little session earlier. He had begun to doze off with his own fluids still clinging to his skin. Now he felt the rough patches flaking beneath the covers and his eyes almost filled in shame. He really was a lost cause.

But he didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity now. Michael needed him to be normal. To be a best friend, no matter how badly he wanted to be something more. “You’re not sleeping on the floor,” he heard himself say as he rummaged around in his luggage for a pair of clean boxers. “If anything, I am.”

Michael sighed. “No. Look, you’ve got a chair, I’ll be okay.”

Jamie straightened up, boxers in hand, and stared at Michael. “What happened?” he demanded.

“Hmm?” Michael looked away.

“To make you sound like that? I mean, you haven’t minded sharing my bed before.” He caught himself too late. Seeing the red creep up Michael’s cheeks, he scrambled to retract. “I mean, not like…I mean, you know…We’re just going to sleep.” He tried for a joking tone and failed miserably. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover up.”

He was just making it worse. He knew it with every passing word. Michael was looking mortified, and as their eyes locked, a trembling silence filled the room.

“I…didn’t…” Jamie tried to break it, but his tongue seemed not to be connected to his brain anymore. Michael whirled around and made for the door, and before Jamie had time to react, he was gone.

Ingela Bohm lives in an old cinema, tucked away in a northern Swedish forest where she can wander around all day long and dictate her books. She used to dream of being an actor until an actual actor asked, “Do you really need to do it?” That’s when she realized that the only thing she really needed to do was to write. She has since pretended to be a dietician, a teacher, a receptionist and a cook, but only to conceal her real identity.

Her first imaginary friend was called Grabolina and lived in her closet. Nowadays she has too many imaginary friends to count, but at least some of them are out of the closet. Her men may not be conventionally handsome, but they can charm your pants off, and that’s all that matters.

Ingela’s more useless talents include reading tarot cards, killing pot plants and drawing scandalous pictures that no one gets to see. She can’t walk in heels and she’s stopped trying, but she has cycled 12 000 miles in the UK and knows which campsites to avoid if you don’t like spiders. If you see her on the train you will wonder what age she is.

To get updates on Ingela Bohm’s work, please sign up for her newsletter or connect at her

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Title: Misinformation

Author: Keelan Ellis

Genre: M/M romance, bisexual

Length: ~70k words

Ethan Daniels, host of a popular conservative cable news program, has never thought of his bisexuality as a problem, though he has never acted on his attraction to men. Since his divorce, that desire has become more acute. When he meets Charlie Woods, his daughter’s first grade teacher, they have an instant spark, but Ethan hesitates to act. His contract is up for renewal, there are already rumors swirling about him because of a brief encounter from his past, and the last thing his employers want is for one of their stars to come out publicly.

Charlie avoids romantic entanglements because he prefers living on his own terms. He keeps love and sex completely separate, never seeing anyone more than a few times. Hooking up with a closeted celebrity like Ethan seems safe from emotional involvement, even if they have to keep their fledgling relationship secret.

The last thing they expect is to fall in love, but their strong mutual attraction moves them both to make changes neither of them thought they wanted or needed.

This is a romance somewhere between lighthearted and deep. While there’s plenty of humor and fun, there are also some serious issues highlighted. It’s a nice balance, making this a good read.

I have to admit, it took me a while to get into it. I started off feeling somewhat annoyed with Ethan’s behavior, which seemed really immature and out of left field just because he found his daughter’s teacher attractive. I also strongly disliked Charlie’s friend Janice. The way she spoke about her students was hateful, and I actually do not know any teachers (out of the many, many educators in my life, including former coworkers) who refer to their students as a**holes, b*tches, or little sh*ts. That was uncalled for and gross, and it was utterly unnecessary to the plot. Mercifully, Janice isn’t in the rest of the story much.

Once I was past that, the story picked up, and I began to enjoy it a lot. One thing I appreciated was that although there were a few jabs at Ethan’s bisexuality, they were minimal and corrected right away. There wasn’t a lot of drawn-out biphobia, and there weren’t pages and pages of Charlie’s insecurity about dating a closeted, inexperienced bisexual guy. He had his own issues, but they were not from those things in particular, which was refreshing. I don’t mind reading about the very real things bi people deal with, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a story not focused on them.

The plot moved along really well until near the end. The first 90% of the book is about Ethan and Charlie falling for each other and Ethan coming out in his conservative job. It takes place over about two months. The last 10% takes place over nearly two years. I found that pacing…odd. It made the end feel like it both dragged on too long and glossed over everything too fast. It simply didn’t fit with the rest, and I wish the story had either wrapped up sooner or ended with a “we don’t know what’s next, but we’ll make it” kind of thing.

Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was well-written. Other than Janice, I loved every one of the side characters. The story would absolutely have been lacking without the various interesting people in Ethan and Charlie’s lives. I loved Deirdre, in part because I was afraid she might end up being in the “horrible ex wife” category but was pleasantly surprised at how great she was and how much respect Ethan had for her (and she for him).

For a fantastic cast, a sweet and steamy romance, and a fabulous bisexual character, this gets 8/10 fountain pens.

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7840

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Misinformation-Keelan-Ellis-ebook/dp/B01G7IMUP6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465735586&sr=8-2&keywords=keelan+ellis

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-misinformation-2046072-149.html

Keelan Ellis is an east coast girl for life, a progressive, a lover of music and musicians, a mother of two very challenging girls, a loyal though sometimes thoughtless friend, a slacker, a dreamer and a bad influence. She likes true crime podcasts, great television and expensive craft cocktails made by hipsters in silly vests.

Also by Keelan Ellis:

Novels:

I’ll Still Be There (Unfinished Business Book #1)

Anywhere You Go (Unfinished Business Book#2)

Short Stories:

Can’t Stand the Heat

Mug Shots

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellisauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13923273.Keelan_Ellis

Blog: http://keelanellis.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeelanEllisAuth

Today I’m welcoming Keelan Ellis to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Misinformation.

What inspired you to write this story?

I’ve always been interested in the experiences of public figures when they choose to come out. I’m a person who hates to have attention drawn to myself, so to do something so publicly that’s going to attract scrutiny and judgment seems so scary to me. The idea of doing it in an environment that is openly hostile is obviously even worse.

AM says: I agree! I can’t even imagine what that must be like for celebrities who choose to do it.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

Ethan has a lot of me in him. His relationship with his ex-wife—the desire to give control of your life over to someone else, and then the resentment of that person once they take it—is a dynamic I have personal experience with. He had a lot of growing up to do, and he needed to do some of it on his own, even though it was a painful process.

AM says: Interesting. I remember being surprised when Ethan revealed that dynamic, but it made perfect sense.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

I had a hard time writing the right wing talk parts. I do pay a lot of attention to politics, and I hear some of the things that are said by conservative pundits, but I find it so uncomfortable trying to put myself in that mindset. I always have a problem when I have to write about a character who seems to me to be acting in a way that seems illogical.

AM says: Oh, wow. Now that’s one place where I have a lot of experience, but I can see why it would be awkward to try to get into that mindset.

Are there any types of scene you find hard to write (action, love, death, etc.)?

I have a difficult time with action scenes, for sure. They always end up feeling mechanical to me, rather than visceral and exciting. That’s not something I have to write very often, but when I do, I struggle with it.

AM says: I can definitely relate.

What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?

I take a break. I don’t know what else to do. It seems to happen every time I have a release approaching, and it freaks me out every time. I always think it’s never going to end and I have no more books in me, but so far it’s clicked back in. I think that when I’m thinking about a new release, writing posts for blog tours and all that stuff, it puts me very much in the head space of the book that’s coming out. There’s not much room for new stuff at that point.

AM says: I think that’s pretty common and understandable!

How do you handle a story that doesn’t go as you planned?

I go with the flow, because if the story is telling me something I feel like I should listen. It’s important to double check that I still have an end game in mind when that happens.

AM says: Definitely sounds like you’re able to flex with it.

Word Sprints!

1. What’s your favorite book? Jane Eyre. I love it so much.
2. What’s your favorite ice cream? There’s an ice cream place near me that makes black raspberry ice cream with these little raspberry chocolate truffle cups. It’s incredible.
3. What genre (other than your own) do you like to read? I love mysteries. I grew up on them because my dad always had stacks of them lying around everywhere. I love Tana French and Laura Lippman especially, and they are auto-buys for me.
4. As a kid, were you a Goody-Goody or a Wild Child? I was somewhat wild, but in a very non-confrontational way. I constantly did whatever I wanted, but tried pretty hard not to get caught. I didn’t like getting in trouble, but of course I did. I used to get detention on the regular and was suspended once for smoking in our school’s publication room. I went to a progressive Catholic school that gave us a lot of self-guided time, which I naturally abused. I didn’t have a lot of respect for other people’s rules that I thought were pointless. Of course, now that I have a teen and a tween of my own, I’m getting my karmic payback and more. It’s terrifying.
5. What superpower do you wish you had? Teleportation. It’s really the only one I’d want. Flying seems scary and cold. Invisibility sounds awful because who wants to hear what people say about them when they’re not around? Mind-reading? A nightmare. But if I could go see my brother in Austin or my friend in Pittsburgh in the blink of an eye, I’d be the happiest girl alive.

Thanks for chatting, and I look forward to reading more in the future!

Title: Picked Fresh

Author: Posy Roberts

Series: Naked Organics #2

Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press

Genre: MM Romance

Length: 85,000 words, 270 pages

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30296892-picked-fresh

Hudson Oliva loves stability. He was a throwaway teen before finding Kaleidoscope Gardens, but has since thrived at the commune. When Jude Garrity moves in, life gets even better, but Hudson still craves more. He knows he has to be satisfied with their exclusive status being temporary and that Jude will eventually navigate his full sexual awakening with their other housemates.

Hudson has a journey of his own to make. It might only require going home to settle his grandmother’s estate, but he plans to use his time away to figure out how to temper his feelings for Jude and bury his jealousy once and for all. But when Jude joins him on his trip, Hudson falls even deeper in love, especially after Jude stands by his side when he finally confronts his mother for rejecting him.

However, it’s not all hearts and flowers while they travel. They’re over two thousand miles from home when Hudson learns a ruthless corporate farm threatens the commune they both love. In order to save their way of life, Hudson must ask his mother for help. And if he wants a chance at a stable future with Jude, he has to tell him the truth about his feelings, no matter if it ruins the harmony he’s tried so hard to preserve.

This is an excellent follow up to Farm Fresh, the first book in the series. It’s the best of both worlds: While it should probably be read in sequence and is most enjoyable after reading the first part, it’s also an entirely stand-alone novel. It’s not plagued by any of the usual second-part problems, chiefly in that it doesn’t try to recreate the magic of part one. It makes its own magic.

I often find road trip stories not to my liking—they try to do too much or they end up not doing enough. This isn’t either of those; it’s a perfect balance. I loved seeing Jude and Hudson come alive with each other, taking their relationship to a deeper place. Their increasing emotional nakedness takes a parallel trajectory with their physical explorations, and the pacing of both is perfect.

I still struggle to really like Hudson. I don’t dislike him, and I did feel like he grew much more in this story, but he still seems less mature than he should be at this stage of his life. Part of my difficulty is that there was something I’d been hoping would happen regarding his relationship with Jude, only it didn’t, and I was a bit disappointed. That’s on me, not on the writing or the storytelling, and I can’t say more without spoilers for both books. It looks like it will be resolved in a completely different way than I’d anticipated, but I’ll wait to see what happens in the next part.

I loved the interactions with Hudson and Jude’s respective families. Both situations felt as though they achieved closure in satisfying ways. I was pleasantly surprised in each situation because they didn’t conclude the way I expected them to. For the most part, I don’t feel any special need to read about their families any further, though I do want to know what becomes of Henry. It would be fantastic to find out he too fits in at Kaleidoscope Gardens.

There were a few moments with this one, as with the first, which felt a bit…preachy, I suppose. Not with the ex-religious aspects, actually—those were handled nicely, and there was clearly only judgment against the religious people’s vile acts. It was more the organic snobbery that I found slightly annoying. I absolutely agree that commercial farms cause issues, but some of the characters have a “more wholesome than thou” attitude which grates, and there are some unfortunate parallels with religious fundamentalism in the sense of only being as free as the rules, unstated and not, allow. It’s not constant, but there’s a mild tone of superiority. Hudson actually does this a bit, though Jude is an excellent balance for him. I don’t think this is entirely intentional; I think it’s more a function of trying to help readers understand why this is the best place for these particular people. It just makes me uncomfortable in the way it comes across.

Readers should be aware that there are a lot of heavy issues Hudson and Jude deal with, and while nothing actually happens on-page, they do both describe in some detail the horrors they endured. Some people might find that hard to read, especially if they’ve been through anything similar. The same goes for the often very graphic sex—both the level of detail and the fact that pretty much all the characters have some level of psychosexual dysfunction as a result of trauma.

Overall, this is an excellent read. I felt less emotionally engaged than with the first book, but I still loved it and am looking forward to the next part of the series.

For a well-written road trip, a multi-layered love story, and an emotionally satisfying conclusion, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

Read For Free:

Origin Story:

Interested in reading how Hudson ended up living at Kaleidoscope Gardens? Read Naked Origins—Hudson for free. This is not a romance, but for those who want to dig a little deeper, this story covers much of Hudson’s history that is hinted at in Picked Fresh. Visit https://posyroberts.com/2016/02/02/free-read-naked-origins/ to read the summary and download it.

In The Series:

Farm Fresh (Naked Organics #1)

FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UItlbq

Amazon CA: https://goo.gl/KTZHBM

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/twt1QR

Amazon AU: https://goo.gl/BYf0Jf

Universal buy link: myBook.to/PickedFresh

FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YAvdsB

Amazon CA: https://goo.gl/RiKuus

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/x2GFUo

Amazon AU: https://goo.gl/0C8Bqe

Jude shifted in his seat and stared at Hudson. Hudson couldn’t take his eyes off the road, but the desire to turn toward Jude and mirror him was overwhelming. “What was your first impression of me when I met you at the farmers market?”

“Should I be diplomatic or honest?”

“Honest.”

Hudson ran that day over in his mind. It was crystal clear, still, even though it had been more than nine months ago. Jude had meandered from stand to stand. He initially stood out from the crowd because of what he was wearing: a bright blue, almost turquoise wool coat over a black turtleneck and tight black jeans. In the blur of quilted plaid flannel and fleece hoodies in various shades of drab, olive, and Carhartt, Jude was all Hudson could see.

“I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. You were… stunning.” He shook his head. “I don’t know another word for it. I was talking to some customer about how we raised our chickens, and when I saw you, I stopped midsentence. I stared, felt like a dirty old man because you looked so young, and when I turned back to the woman to carry on our conversation, I had no idea what we’d been talking about. Literally none. It was like looking at you sucked the words out of my throat and the thoughts right out of my head.”

Jude chuckled. “Seriously? Was it the coat?”

“It made you stand out, but no, it wasn’t the coat. It was everything about you. Your broad shoulders and your hair and your eyes and your fucking lips.”

“You like my lips?” Jude pulled his rose-flavored lip stuff out of his front pocket and made a show of smearing it across the bottom one. Then he rubbed his lips together and licked them, all while staring at Hudson with soft bedroom eyes.

The bus vibrated, a jagged noise piercing Hudson’s ears as he drove too far to the right, edging his tires onto the rumble strip. “¡Coño!” He maneuvered back into the center of his lane.

Jude laughed. Hudson’s heart thundered against his rib cage.

“You’re evil,” Hudson said. “Evil, I tell you!”

“Maybe.” Jude bit at his bottom lip.

“Stop. Stop tempting me with your fucking gorgeous mouth. I can’t have you doing that shit while I’m driving.”

“Okay.” Jude smirked but kept his tongue and teeth from doing anything else. He put away those hazel sex-eyes too. “So, how did you see this trip going down?”

“Just like that?” Hudson was incredulous.

“What?”

“You can just turn it on and off like a switch?”

“With you, sure.”

“Well, I can’t.” Hudson gestured to his crotch, where his dick was obvious, thick, and quickly moving on its way to fully hard, even though Jude had stopped the licking and the biting.

“Want me to touch you?” Jude’s voice was breathy as he slid his warm palm up Hudson’s inner thigh. He thumbed over the head of Hudson’s cock, and Hudson got harder. Jude played with just the head, moving back and forth, his touch light and delicious.

“Want me to drive off the road?” Hudson managed not to sound choked off.

“No.” Jude pulled his hand away and smiled like the devil. “I want you to drive. And I want you to tell me about what you want to do on this trip besides the obvious. And for the record, turning it off doesn’t happen like a switch. Turning me on with one look, easy!”

“You’re dangerous.”

“Damn right I am.”

Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.

Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.

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Author: A.M. McKnight

Title: Goslyn County, a lesbian crime/romance.

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: November 21, 2015 through CreateSpace

Cover: Cover Design by CreateSpace/Cover Badge Image by Keith Bruce (kbkgraphx)|Dreamstime.com

Length: 320 pages, 74,953 words

Categories: Crime, F/F

A mostly black community with its roots in farming, Goslyn, Virginia lay just south of the State’s Capital. The once small, close-knit county had grown rapidly in the past two decades and boasted a population of just over fifty thousand. But the county’s crime stats had grown as well, and the latest offenses included several break-ins and rumors of a meth lab. Time had brought many changes, and many of the longtime folks of Goslyn no longer recognized their community and longed for days gone by.

Goslyn PD Detective Olivia “Ollie” Winston loves her family and friends and shows it through her sense of humor. Just like her neighbors, she too worries about the recent events, and it’s her job to find out who’s behind the crime spree. While investigating three burglaries, Olivia meets IRS Special Agent Maureen Jeffries who is pursuing a tax fraud suspect. Their cases are connected, and both soon discover they have much in common, personally and professionally.

This is a book which hits on all my high points for being fantastic: Strong women, lots of action and suspense, a touch of romance (but not as the main theme), and a nod to important social issues. I loved it, start to finish.

Olivia and Maureen are easy heroes to root for. They’re not perfect, but they are both dedicated, smart, and professional as well as caring. I enjoyed the glimpse into their world as they track the suspects’ illegal activity from two different angles. One thing I appreciate is that the story is suspenseful, but it isn’t about violent crime or a vast government conspiracy or the mob. It may seem like that would be challenging to turn into an exciting plot, but the author did an excellent job pulling us into the world these characters inhabit.

Along the same lines, another thing I really like is how the suspects are humanized here. I found myself hoping for them as much as I wanted Olivia to crack the case. There isn’t so much black-and-white thinking here. Anyone who is looking for heroes and villains may be disappointed because that’s not the point of the story. There are a few moments when we see into the lives of the suspects which made me really emotional.

As for the romance, I think it’s perfect. First of all, can I just say how much I love characters who actually have a conversation about what they want in a relationship? And who don’t let minor challenges give rise to huge fights? It was so refreshing to watch Olivia’s relationship with Maureen unfold. It felt secondary to the case they’re working on but in a good way. These are two loving, gentle souls who obviously belong together.

There are so many side characters here. Personally, that’s something I love, although I understand when readers prefer fewer. For me, it makes the town feel more real, and it makes the main characters more authentic. They aren’t exclusively focused on their relationship, which makes it feel more natural and unfold more smoothly. And of course, it makes me want to know more about the people living there and what they’re up to.

If I could boil this down to one thing which is probably the main reason I loved it, this story is about relationships of many types. Those are always my favorite, regardless of the genre. This may have been the author’s first novel, but I’m definitely hoping not the last.

For outstanding writing, an engaging plot, and characters with emotional breadth and depth, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Goslyn-County-M-McKnight/dp/1515323099?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc

“Good morning, Special Agent Jeffries,” Detective Winston said.

“Detective!” Maureen couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice when she answered.

“Yes, Ms. Taylor said you were returning my call.”

“She did?” Maureen saw Carol peek into her office and give a thumbs-up. Maureen balled up a Post-it and threw it at her.  “Uh…yes, I wanted to fill you in on my trip to Atlanta. But I heard you had some excitement yesterday.”

“We did. Bertrand Lewis is in the hospital after an attack by a burglary suspect. He’s in ICU suffering from a heart attack and a concussion.”

“How’s he doing? Have you been able to talk to him?”

“He’s expected to pull through, but he’s in no condition to talk yet. We have the suspect in custody, and he’s in the hospital too–meth withdrawal. We plan to question him later today.”

“And the car chase? Was that the suspect?”

“Yeah. The idiot could’ve killed somebody. I spent most of the evening filling out report forms and talking to my lieutenant and the media rep.”

“You were in the chase?!” Maureen again couldn’t hide the emotion in her voice.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it–just some scratches and dents in my truck. We think the suspect is a Calvin Henry who goes by the nickname ‘CJ.’  We matched his prints to some found at the three offices. I’m surprised this guy wasn’t already in the system, given his drug habit.”

Maureen could hear Olivia take a breath after she finished. She just held the receiver as if she was mesmerized by the sound on the other end.

“Hello? You still there?” Olivia asked.

“Yeah. Just taking notes,” Maureen fibbed. “Anything else?” She could hear Olivia turning pages and clicking her mouse.

“We think CJ had some help with the burglaries. We may be able to confirm that soon. We also may have a good Internet lead that could help your guys. There was some noise in a hacker chat room about Goslyn and identity info. I can fax a copy of the printout to you.”

“I should buy you lunch for doing all the heavy lifting here, Detective,” Maureen said.

The phone got quiet.

“Detective?”

“I love Chinese,” Olivia blurted out. “I’ll eat while you tell me about your trip to Atlanta.”

I walked right in to that one. Maureen was trying to think fast. Her schedule was full through lunch that day, and she really wanted to see Olivia in a more relaxed, less formal setting. The weekend.

“How about lunch tomorrow, Saturday, if that’s okay? I have some relatives in Goslyn I’ll be visiting.” Maureen held her breath.

“You have relatives in Goslyn?” Olivia asked with a childlike interest.

“I do. I can tell you all about them at lunch.” Maureen was feeling confident.

“Okay. How about Chinese at the mall on Bailwick at one o’clock?”

“I know where it is, and I’ll see you tomorrow, Detective.”

I’m a longtime Virginian and practice law as a first profession. I decided to try my hand at writing after getting hooked on lesbian crime and romance novels. As a lover of fast crime action and black lesbian romance, I combined the two and wrote my first book, Goslyn County–self published. My future works include a short story romance and a second self-published novel–both based on the characters of Goslyn.

Website/blog: https://ammcknight.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordmc46

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ammcknightbooks

Amazon author’s page: amazon.com/author/ammcknight