Archive for the ‘2 whips’ Category

Wolf’s Head Inn

by John Simpson

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press, 2010

Genre: M/M, Erotica,Mystery

Dale Stewart just inherited six million dollars from his now passed penny pinching aunt Ruth. With such sad yet exciting news Dale cannot wait to tell his life partner Terry Cooper they are now millionaires! The happy couple now have to decide the best way to invest such a large amount of money. An advisor suggests investing in property which they consider purchasing a hotel on an island. When the couple visits the Wolf’s Head Inn they see a lot of potential and realize this will be a lot of hard work which they are willing to put into it so they go ahead and purchase their first hotel.

As winter approaches Dale and Terry have a great idea of having a murder mystery celebration for the guest staying at the Wolf’s Head Inn over the holidays. One problem though the guests are actually getting murdered and no one knows who the murderer is! To make things even worse a snow storm has trapped everyone inside the inn with no power making it even easier for the murderer to strike again. Can Dale and Terry find out who the murderer is before it’s too late?

Wolf’s Head Inn by John Simpson

Review by Steph M.

2.5/5 Whips in the Backseat

The beginning starts off interesting with Dale inheriting six million dollars.  Terry quitting his job was funny because this is pretty much every body’s dream, winning a large some of money and telling your boss to shove it! So I was really into the story, but then it started to fizzle, getting too wordy about explaining things.

I hate to say it, but I started to become uninterested in the story. The idea was interesting: a murder mystery celebration that actually turns out to be a murdering spree! That could have been creepy and suspenseful, but it kind of fell flat and started to get predictable. Even some of the erotic scenes were not quite steamy enough compared to other M/M I have read.

Still, I would not give up and continued to read on, but each interaction seemed dull except for Micheal and Mervin’s relationship which was more interesting then the main characters Terry and Dale. Although this may not have been my favorite book, if you like mystery and some M/M erotica, then I say it’s worth taking a look. If you like mostly paranormal romance, then this would not be for you.

http://www.johnsimpsonbooks.com/

An Uncommon Whore

By Belinda McBride

Publisher: Loose ID

“As a general rule, you won’t find the love of your life while you’re on your knees under a table.”
– Helios Dayspring

Pasha is a slave, whoring for travelers at the most dangerous bar on Warlan. He has no memory, no future of his own, yet deep inside Pasha knows that that he is meant for better things. The day that Pasha spots the dangerous pirate in the bar, he knows that he mustn’t let the stranger slip away, regardless of what he must do to attract his attention.

Captain Griffin Hawke spent the greater part of a decade searching for his lost king, only to find Helios Dayspring crouched between his knees, swathed in the robes and shackles of a whore. Though he is appalled by the downfall of his king, the hardened officer finds himself falling for the allure of the sensual creature who has taken his place. Returning Helios to his position on the throne is the only right thing to do, yet Griffin knows that in doing so, he risks losing his lover forever.

“A whore is a whore is a whore, unless he’s something else completely. I guess I must be an uncommon whore.”
– Helios Dayspring

Publisher’s Note: This book contains male/male sexual practices.

An Uncommon Whore By Belinda McBride

Review By Missy

2.2/5 Whips in the Backseat

An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride is sadly not so uncommon.   A prince or princess in a lowly position unaware of being lost royalty.  This novel is just a naughtier version then most.  The naught parts of this book are done very well.  Though you do need to be willing to read some raunchy parts, to find the romance. 

I discovered this title on another blog, which also posted an excerpt.  I was hooked.  Since I had not read the blurb Pasha’s princly history came out of no where.  Disappointed expectations can come from a lot of things in a story.  I was very interested after reading the excerpt to see why this warrior wanted Sasha more permanently.  What could make that attraction move forward between these two men?  That seems a harder question to answer then the discovery of a prince and former lover. 

Setting this aside, the story is half a story.  Really, this book is half of the story.  Or maybe only one third.  Pasha and Griffin’s time in the bar and on the alien planet of Warlan is well paced and engaging.  Then we enter the second part of this story.  Traveling back to the planet they come from and that is in need of their new King.  It is Blah Blah Blah we travel across the skies.  Blah Blah Blah lots of time flies by that we do not get to engage in with the characters.  All of the emotion built between our heros is lost going into the last pages.  Or are they the last pages?

Slight Spoiler – They get to the planet and so ends act I.  There is no ending, nothing is wrapped up.   We are left hanging, will Pasha/Helios and Griffin make it together?  What happens now that the King has returned?  Do I care?  I will be very practicle on this.  If I had paid $5.99 for this book I would be pissed.  That is the price of a full length mass market paper back.   This is an e-book, on the short side – 122 pages, and only half of the story.  I feel no burning desire to read the second part if there is one, I might have been driven to contact the publisher informing them that I felt cheated had I purchased this one.  It is very rare to feel this strongly about the worth of the book compaired to the price being charged.   I will keep a look out for more work by Belinda McBride because I enjoyed the tone of her work and she is very talented. 
- Missy

Perchase your copy of An Uncommon Whore here http://www.loose-id.com/An-Uncommon-Whore.aspx

Zimaya Heights

by Stevie Woods

Publisher Torquere Books – Synopsis

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Twenty-seven year old Willem Rostoq is worried about his father, Tomaz, the famous explorer and archaeologist who’s missing in just about the most dangerous place in the world. In a fit of pique Will pressed his father to take on the challenge to find the fabled lost city of the Q’anan in the jungles of the Zimaya Heights. Will persuades Gant, an old colleague of his father, to accompany him on an expedition to find Tomaz.
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Through torrential rain and unbelievable heat, surrounded by insects, snakes, and animals long since thought extinct, they travel deeper and deeper into the jungle toward the Heights and the towering Mount Zimaya. As a youth Will looked up to Gant, but Gant attracts the adult Will in a very different way. Gant would like nothing better than to share his life with Will, but he is worried how Will might react when he discovers why Tomaz threw him out all those years ago.

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Zimaya Heights

Review by Jasmine

2/5 Whips

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Zimaya Heights has a really interesting story line.  The search for father/adventurer Tomaz bringing together two men who have always had strong feelings for each other is an interesting approach.   The trip draws Gant and Will into the jungle and eventually the closeness draws them into each others arms.  So over all the story has strong elements.

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So why the 2 whip rating?  I could NOT get into the story and was constantly distracted by inaccuracies.    There are a number of reasons why I was driven crazy.  First the group entering the jungle with Tomaz has 4 people?  Expeditions usually have more then that.  There are more bodies to carry supplies that way.   If this place is so remote it would take a long time to get there.  Hikers traveling the Appalachian Trail average 12.7 miles and that is without hacking jungle out of their way.

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They also magically seem to be carrying a lot of water and food considering the length of their trip.  1 gallon of water weighs 8.35 lb. give or take a little.  Add in that they seem to have the full load of food with them for the whole trip and their other supplies and their travels do not read as realistic.  The weight they would have on their backs would be unreasonable.  Water would be more of an issue.  You can only carry so much and then you need to find more or collect rain water.  It is like bullets in Die Hard 2 – they magically appear never to run out.  So it is with food and water on this trip to find Tomaz.

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Leaving aside the technical issues of Gant and Will in the jungle, there is Gant and Will themselves.  I can believe that they can relate so well with their shared interests, even when Will was still very young.  The tension of “I want but am afraid to reach out,” is what draws me as a reader.  I like to pine with the character, feel their belief that what they want is impossible.  In Zimaya Heights this element was not as clearly focused as it could be.  I hate to bash someone – even if they are not real, but Will is a little annoying, pining can work, wining can not.  If Daddy doesn’t love you and you have issues, GO to therapy.

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Zimaya Heights by Stevie Woods is a well thought out story, though the lack of true reality in the characters experiences separated me while reading.  As did a few of the terms used.  First meal, third meal, and other words that were alien to the eye or at least not USA English.  I have no problem with characters taking a lift to their flat.  The words used here did not fall into those normally seen.  These are all little things that came together to distract me from the story and made the story hard to follow.  I would be very willing to check out another title by this author – she creates very interesting situations for her characters.

-  Jasmine