Archive for the ‘Torquere Books Review’ Category

The Amethyst Eye

by Julia Talbot

Publisher: Torquere Books
ISBN: 978-1-61040-157-9

Jared might be physically blind, but he has the amethyst eye his granny gave him, and there are things he can see perfectly well. When a mysterious stranger starts following him around the city, Jared knows that changes are coming, and he might just be looking forward to the excitement. Dante is more than willing to give Jared what he needs. It’s been a long time since anyone has seen Dante for what he really is, and he knows it might be Jared, not the eye, who has all the magic he wants.

The Amethyst Eye by Julia Talbot

Book Review by Jasmine

3/4/5 Whips in the Backseat

The Amethyst Eye by Julia Talbot is a book that needed multiple ratings in my opinion. Why you ask? Well because elements were great while others were lacking. The characters: Engaging, well developed emotionally. I felt for them and the attraction between them was fast and furious.  Another thing to like – the scenes between Jared and Dante are Hot Hot HOT! So on that front there was not a thing missing – 5/5

World building? Believability? 3/5 – Again you ask why? Well the magic and the blood sucker and the lack of explanation for any of those things. What does it mean to be a vampire in this world? Are they just flying below the radar? Jared isn’t interested enough to ask? What happens when you walk hand in hand into the sunset? I was left with a lot of questions that did not match up with the happy reader feeling I got from the emotions between characters at their immediate attraction in The Amethyst eye.

So in the end – the average is 4/5 whips in the Backseat

The Alpha Bet

by Cassidy Ryan

Publisher Torquere Books

In a casino at Lake Tahoe, West and Grey make a very private bet that results in West spending twenty four hours catering to Grey’s every little whim. He’s always been happily vanilla, but West discovers a taste for something a touch spicier as a result of his lost wager.

The Alpha Bet by Cassidy Ryan

Book Review by Jasmine

4/5 Whips in the Backseat

The Alpha Bet by Cassidy Ryan is certainly a hot read. A light BDSM element plays a role without being the most important element in the book. West and Grey are in a committed relationship and because of a wager between them things spice up and we see a little more clearly Grey’s needs. There was a little too much tell when it came to their relationship history, but once the action gets going everything clicked together.

SPOILER AND REVIEWER RANT NOT UNRELATED TO THE STORY

Okay fellow readers here is what really throws me out of a book or story. Unbelievable timelines!

That movie the Proposal – He worked for her way – way – way too long for me to believe that he might make the jump to loving her. Shorter time I would have believed it. And I have felt this way about a lot of books. If something had come out sooner I would have believed it.

Reguarding

The

Alpha

Bet

- Okay wanted to make sure my spoiler was not seen by those reading the review, -

Grey has kept his dominant desires from West for three years! Three! Two I can believe, but holding that in for 36 months? It was just a little too long. I get that he loves West, and that he was scared that this might scare him away, but still. to not hint or try to put his desire to dominate his partner forward even a little threw me out of the story a bit.

It happens occasionally in a story that I am unable to suspend my disbelief, and once I am thrown off, well there is almost no way to bring me back all the way into the world of the book. – This is not to say that the author did anything wrong – or that this might bother other readers, but for me…

- Jasmine

Knowing it by Hart

by CB Conwy

Publisher: Torquere Press

Brit’s life is exactly how he wants it: neat, ordered, and disciplined, the way it needs to be if anybody is going to take a thirty-two year old CEO seriously. If that means being so discreet that you’re basically in the closet, then so be it.

Then, at a charity dinner, he meets the good Mr. Hart. A very drunken Mr. Hart. Who gives Brit the kiss of his life. That’s all that happens, of course; Brit has got a reputation to protect. Only, he can’t get Mr. Hart out of his head, and he realizes that it might be time to make some changes.

Knowing it by Hart by CB Conwy

Review by Jasmine

4.5/5 Whips in the Backseat

Knowing it by Hart is certainly sweet.  It is a sweet and nice story of two men who seem like a really great match.  Both a little constrained by their jobs.  Mr. Hart gets a little drunk and decides to recite the sordid past of classical music.  Or maybe I should say the naughty proclivities of the composers.  Watching Brit step out of his shell enough to get closer to the musical historian is heartwarming.  The speed with which this happens though skimmed the depths of Brit’s decision.  Still Knowing it by Hart by CB Conwy puts a smile on your face and that is worth a lot.

- Jasmine

Dogged Persuit

By Berengaria Brown

Publisher: Torguere Press

After two hundred years as a werewolf, Dwyer is sure of one thing: gay weres don’t have mates. That bond is for male-female pairs alone. So when the scent of Nelson starts to drive Dwyer crazy, he’s sure that the whisper of “mate” in his mind is just an unfortunate side effect cause by Halloween and the full moon. Besides, Nelson is all too human.

Nevertheless, Halloween night finds them taking a romantic stroll together. When an impulsive moment reveals Dwyer’s true nature to Nelson, will their fledgling bond be snapped?

Dogged Persuit By Berengaria Brown

Review By Jasmine

4.75/5 Whips from the Backseat

Dogged Pursuit by Berengaria Brown is addicting read.  BF had to wait for me at the train station because once I started there was NO stopping.  Be prepared to sit down and read this from start to finish.  Dogged Pursuit is a great mix of the mythical and the realistic.  Being a driver does not seem like an exciting day to day job for a 200 year old werewolf, it is however more realistic than castles and giant secret estates owned by were’s as masses of them live together, but unnoticed. 

The “mate” phenomena  – Wolves mate for life – works really well in this story.  There are a few times where things move a little too fast, but I do buy that there is this mythical/animal attraction between the two heros who meet at a car dealership.  Not where I might have thought to come across tall, dark, and occasionally canine.  Do not flock to your dealership – I think this is an unlikely local for singles, though the Honda dealership by me has a coffee machine and free cookies. On the off chance that wealthy weres might be lounging to sweep me off my feet there I will be going to get my oil changed tomorrow.

Dogged Pursuit by Berengaria Brown is a very complete story, and completely consuming.  This is a Hot read, lots of steam sex throughout.  So if you like hot werewolves, m/m romance and a bit of Halloween magic, Berengaria Brown does the genre well. 
- Jasmine

Perchase your copy of Dogged Persuit here http://www.torquerepress.com/fiction/doggedpursuit.html

Touch of a Wolf

By Jez Marrow

Published by: Torquere Publishing

On a rebound from his cheating lover, Matt Winter has sex in a Philadelphia alley with a man packing a gun and sniffing like a coke addict. When Matt’s stranger from the alley lets himself into Matt’s apartment through the window, Matt learns that the man has a badge to go with that gun. Detective John Channing of the Philly PD has been passing as a dirty cop.

Channing needs a safe place to get himself clean and sober so he can be a credible witness in court against a murderer. And he wants sex. The anonymous encounter was not enough for either of them. As Channing goes into withdrawal the hallucinations start, but it’s Matt who wakes up in bed with a wolf. Matt doesn’t believe in werewolves. But then, he doesn’t believe in love at first sight either…

Touch of a Wolf By Jez Marrow

Review By Missy

4.9/5 Whips in the Backseat

Touch of a Wolf by Jez Marrow is not your average shapeshifter book.  For a big part of the book there is no shifting at all.  It starts with an alley encounter and goes on from a sordid start to a heart jerking read.  Strangers getting off on the side of the road is not very sexy.  Snorting coke isn’t either, guns do nothing for me.  It takes a skillful author to overcome my preconceived notions on all three and write a book I could not put down.

This book has drama, suspense, and most importantly emotional depth.  After such a abrupt meeting between our heros the story needs to convince me that these two men have a romance, not just horny tendencies.  At first their attraction is on the surface a improbable match, but sometimes you do meet someone that you are instantly comfortable with.  It happens.  Where the story goes after that needs to get you to the HEA.  Jez Marrow’s book do that and more.

It is a rare, rare book these days that makes me stand up, run to the computer, and say, “I need every book this author has written.  NOW!”  I will be doing that after I write the review because I truly enjoyed Touch of a Wolf by Jez Marrow.

Pool Hall Green

By Sara Bell

Publisher: Torquere Press

Drew Harris is a master when it comes to the game of pool, but family is always a crap shoot and Drew rolled snake eyes. His parents want little to do with him. The only time they call him is when they need money, or when they want him to bail his gambling-addict brother, Vic, out of a jam. So when Drew’s mother calls in a panic to let Drew know that Vic owes a local casino owner two-hundred and fifty grand, Drew’s not exactly shocked. Not shocked, that is, until he learns that the guy Vic owes doesn’t want the money: he wants Drew.

Casino mogul Evan Stacie never thought he was the kind of man to resort to blackmail, but the death of his brother two years ago changed a lot of things. He needs Drew’s skill with a stick to ruin the man who sent Evan’s brother to an early grave, and if Evan has to fight dirty to make that happen, so be it. Nothing, not his growing attraction to Drew or the soft spot Evan feels for the guy, is going to stand in his way.

Pool Hall Green By Sara Bell

Review By Jasmine

4.3/5 Whips in the Backseat

Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell is an example of realistic storytelling and an engaging read.  I admit the world of pool betting is one that I had not thought would be quite so captivating.  Gambling addiction is one you hear less about then drugs or alcohol.  This was an eye opening look at what damage a gambling addiction can have.

The realism of this tale forces readers to accept that two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is not too much for a wealthy, trust fund type kid to forgive when he has his own agenda.  To one as poor as me it was a little mind blowing.  Casino mogul Evan Stacie must have enough money not to blink an eye at a quarter of a million, which makes him a little hard to understand.  The story being with Drew in first person does not help us get a lot of insight into Evan.  This lack of connection to Evan as a character and his minimal presence for the first half of the book makes the romance come out of nowhere for me.  That being said I really enjoyed these two as a couple.  I just wish the romantic story line had been more subtly laid in throughout the book giving it time to tease and build from their first meeting till the end of the story. 

This is an emotional read.  Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell is hard to put down whether you have ever picked up a pool cue or not.  I am thankful gambling addiction has not been something I have personal experience with.  Sara Bell paints a graphic picture of the struggle and how things can turn out for good or bad.

Unbound: Bonded II

by Jay Lygon

Publisher: Torquere Press

Fionn has waited six hundred years for revenge against Brandr, the vampire who turned him. The first part of his plot goes so well. He kidnaps Kyle, Jamie and Henry from Brandr’s house. That’s all that goes according to plan, though. Usually, the kidnapper makes demands, but this time it’s the hostages who do, and they plan to make Fionn’s life hell until they get what they want. After a couple nights of suffering at their hands, Fionn begins to worry that Brandr won’t take the boys back.

Revenge – it seemed like such a good idea at the time…

Unbound: Bonded II by Jay Lygon

Review by Jasmine

3.9/5 Whips in the Backseat

Bonded II by Jay Lygon is a bit of a conundrum.  It is not really a romance.  More a fun romp that gets a little spicy and has some laughs  Lots of group sex and multiple partners and a group of guys all living together.  It is definitely a neat journey and a little boyrific.  To quote the book “Brandr calls us the unending go-go boy slumber party from hell,”

I confess I did not read the first in the series, so there is obviously more that came before and so this could just be a visit into the slumber party not the whole start to finish.  I have not done so myself but I recommend reading book one first, though all these boys do sound yummy and the laughs are there whether you have read Book I or not.  So if the go-go boy party sounds like your kind of a read pick this one up!

Secret Santa

by Aaron Michaels

Publisher Torquere Books

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Ollie Dickinson, the office Scrooge, hates company parties, especially the yearly Secret Santa gift exchange. Except this year he’s drawn Matt Robbins, the hot new junior accountant, who just happens to be the object of loner Ollie’s very secret fantasies. Great, right? Not exactly. Matt is the protégé — and some say boy toy — of Ollie’s cougar boss, and totally out of poor Ollie’s middle management league.
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Ollie finds out his secret crush on Matt isn’t quite so secret when he gets gift-giving advice from co-workers who seem to be pushing him in Matt’s direction. Can Ollie find the perfect Christmas gift and win Matt’s heart without getting himself fired? Christmas is, after all, the season of miracles.

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Secret Santa by Aaron Michaels

Book Review by Missy

4.25/5 Whips in the Backseat

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Jingle Bells, Not Enough, Not Enough for Me!

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Okay it is August so maybe my sad little holiday song is extra weak, but oh well.  So the office Secret Santa…  I think this tradition has played a role in other stories and other romances I have read before, but that doesn’t distract from a story that uses it well.  Aaron Michaels made me want to be in a cubicle and maybe be surprised when my work crush returned the interest.

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Ollie might be a stick in the mud, but I enjoyed reading about him.  He is an endearing Scrooge.  Though the romance was a little to a lot too Ollie-centric.  We learn a lot about him, his past, his Holiday trauma, his office awkwardness.  What about his love interest Matt?  We “meet” him for the first time on page 26 of 53.  I would have loved more interaction between them to be included earlier, even as memories of when Ollie first spoke to him, just about anything that would tie Matt in.

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So more Matt, more Ollie and Matt together, more of their interaction after the Secret Santa exchange that has sparks flying.  I liked Ollie so much and had been rooting for him through the whole build up to his possible Matt romance that I was sad and a bit frustrated not to spend a little more time post-present exchange.  The ending left some openings that make revisiting Ollie and Matt seem possible, so I hope we do!

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Aaron Michaels is welcome to bring these two men back in a sequel and I will be the first in line to get a copy!   Only please consider giving us Matt’s point of view.  Ollie paints himself to be a fuddy-duddy so I really want to know what Matt sees him as.  I would reuse my opening line, but I recognize that might be cruel, I even have some other lines to add in, but I will refrain.  I can only hope as a holiday gift to readers Secret Santa is not the end of this Saga.

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Find more books by Aaron Michaels at Torquere Books

Tasim’s Tale

by Stephanie Vaughan

Publisher: Torquere Press

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Captured by the Kundari, a neighboring kingdom, Tasim is a stranger in a strange land. When he is made part of the entertainment at a lusty reward ceremony for the king’s soldiers, Tasim has one hope for survival: make Dorian, the rugged captain of the regiment, his protector. A single encounter will shock them both — but first they must survive the night.

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Tasim’s Tale by Stephanie Vaughan

Review by Missy

4.5/5  Whips

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If you like the idea of being stolen away and sold to a handsome man, this story is a perfect match for you.  Rough and tumble soldiers, domineering and yet in the case of Tasim’s new match, oddly caring.  Isn’t that a big part of the fantasy?  Get captured, auctioned off as a sex slave and end up with a caring and protective man who decides you are the most desirable of all.

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The hero will never have another slave lover and though there was hardship our characters were meant to be together.  Right?  Well that last bit is actually what this story lacked.  The resolution that this was more then just attraction at first site.  That there is more to it.  It is possible that could have all been taken care of in an epilogue, or maybe not.

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I found the world a fascinating place to visit and I do wish we could spend a little more time seeing what the day to day life is like.  The culture and society is rich, but we only get a quick peek.  I want more -  though I confess, the sex is hot and the story interesting.  Overall I found it too interesting to be cut so short.  I hope we get to revisit this world again, maybe see Tasim and Dorian again from a distance.   I confess I am not the biggest fan of sequels, though I would make an exception for these two.

Love Eternal

by Wayne Mansfield
Torquere Press

Evan is a man lost in the modern world. He has a job, a house, and a best friend. He also has a hole in his soul that he hadn’t even realized was there until one night he meets a mysterious stranger, lurking in the shadows of a tree-lined lane where men meet for sex.

There is something striking and a little terrifying about this stranger. Evan’s initial intrigue is soon compounded when he discovers that they have met before. A long time ago. And that they used to be lovers. When the memory is awakened in Evan, his ordinary life is transformed. The hole in his soul is filled. But Evan can’t know how completely his life is about to change once more.

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Love Eternal by Wayne Mansfield

Review by Missy

3.5 Whips in the Backseat

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This was an interesting mix of old school charm and vulgarity.  Love Eternal has the feel of the classic writing style that charmed me, very old world.  Wayne Mansfield had me thoroughly engaged as the story moved on.  Our main character Evan has a somewhat reclusive life.  He works a 9-5 and hates Mondays.  All in all a self-contained and seemingly quiet man who likes to take walks, and stroll through an illicit lane where men meet.   And where he is reunited with his immortal lover.

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Sebastian is a vampire, weighting 1,500 for the reincarnation of his love.  I get it, though that much patience and waiting is quite a feat.  Yet the story keeps the reader at a distance.  In part it is the style of writing, in part it is the fact that we are never invited into Sebastian’s world.  There is no discussion of him as a vampire, how that effects his relations ship with Evan.  At the end he lets slip that to survive he has to kill people which is then blown by a bit more.  So how am I supposed to feel about Sebastian?  He is confessing to be a killer.  He tells us he is dead and reanimated by a virus.  I was having flashes of Resident Evil in my mind.

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The stylized writing is not what threw me out of the story however.  It was the out of character and pretty vulgar language used during the intimate scenes that leaves me with my rating.  The beginning of the story is stylized and eloquent not that the style will appeal  to all readers – So I STRONGLY recommend reading the excerpt to get a feel for the tone.   When Sebatian and Evan get together the story goes for a bit of a loop.  To me as a reader the use of the term bowels is less then sexy.  Some of the other lines during the intimate moments also turned me off in word choice and the incongruity of tone after a well paced opening.  I find myself unable to recommend the title, or not recommend it.

Please share your thoughts on the title if you have read it.  Perhaps I was sensitive about the vocabulary and others were not

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Thanks for reading.

Missy