inferno

Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Dirty Laundry (Tucker Springs, #3)

Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Moderate Kink (D/s, spanking, restraints)
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Series: Tucker Springs #3
Reviewed by Anne
265 pages
 
Adam is a college grad student with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Anxiety issues that severely shape his day to day life.  He’s at the laundromat doing some laundry when a group of drunk college guys start harassing him.  Denver, a tank of a man, comes to his rescue and scares the drunks away.  Adam is thankful, but also very attracted to Denver.  They hook up right there in the laundromat.   Adam is amazed at how calm and centered he feels with Denver, and how attracted he is to the kink of having Denver be physically in charge of him.  Denver is surprised that Adam stays on his mind.  He has a lot of one night stands, but he just keeps thinking about Adam.
This is a really sweet and very dirty story.  Amazingly, that balances really well.  Adam’s issues are huge.  It’s a struggle for him to function every day.
 

“… I have no idea how I’m supposed to make out with someone when I know the soup cans aren’t alphabetized by type and the shoelaces are all sloppy in the closet.  If they’re even in the closet at all.”

 
 
Denver is a muscle bound bouncer at a local gay bar.  He’s interested in Adam, and doesn’t think much of working around Adam’s issues, even before he really understands what they are. This is so very, very sweet!
 
My only issue was in the use of D/s as a therapy type tool.  This was somewhat balanced out by the fact that Adam also saw a therapist who was helping him figure out coping skills. The story was about much more than that, though.  Denver has his own suitcase of issues and it’s unbelievable to him that Adam would be willing to accept him if he knew.  Watching these two work their way together was just so wonderful.
 
This book is third in the Tucker Springs series, but it was the first one I read and it stood alone very well.  Note that the books in this series are written by different authors.  Another note:  I LOVE this cover.  This is exactly how I pictured these two!
 
This book brings me to about a dozen m/m books read now and I’m officially declaring my love for the m/m subgenre.  How about you?  Do you read m/m?  I’ve read and enjoyed Heidi Cullinan, Marie Sexton, Daisy Harris, Sean Kennedy, and Josh Lanyon.  Any other m/m authors you’d recommend?  And standout books I MUST read?

College Boys by Daisy Harris

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

College Boys (Men of Holsum College, #1)

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Series: Men of Holsum College #1
Reviewed by Anne
113 pages
 
Chris is a soccer playing college jock.  After his mom’s death he needs a little more personal space and ends up moving from his dorm full of jocks into a dorm with a private room.  As it turns out, he’s moved right next door to Peter, an openly gay student.  Also, did I mention, the walls are paper thin and provide provide vision privacy only?  Chris and Peter had met once before, and they end up becoming friends through the wall.  The thing is, Peter is very attracted to Chris, though he’d never act on his attaction because of Chris’ hetero-jock status.  Chris has always thought of himself as heterosexual, and his attraction to Peter takes him by surprise.  Where they take it from there is just awesome!
This is an incredible read!  I gobbled it up in one day and was enjoying it so much I didn’t stop to leave myself notes.  That’s a sign of a really good book for me!  The scenes in this book where Peter and Christ talk through the wall are so sweet.  The moments where Christ starts being honest with himself about his feelings for Peter, and the doubts he has were heart-wrenching.  The writing was just exquisite!

Yes, the ending was over the top happy with unicorns pooping rainbows and all that, but it’s ok.  They both seem a little young and the relationship a little new for the ending, but that’s an issue for me for any book with young characters.

I’ve not been a fan of college aged (would this be considered New Adult?) books, but this one really worked for me. I’ll be looking for more by Daisy Harris!

Rule of Three by Kelly Jamieson

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Rule of Three
Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Contemporary, ménage
Reviewed by Kate

206 pages


Kassidy is finally reaping the rewards of always following the rules. She has a job she loves and is in a fulfilling relationship with her boyfriend Chris. In fact, after a year of dating, they’ve just moved in together and it’s looking like marriage is on the horizon. Then Chris’s best friend Dag comes to town for a visit.

Dag has secretly been in love with Chris since they first met. But it was obvious Chris would never consider a relationship so Dag never admitted his feelings. He left town years ago, trying to outrun his feelings, but is back to see if there’s any chance of being with Chris now.

Kassidy and Dag are shocked by (and Chris is oblivious to) the immediate sparks that fly between them. To their credit, neither Dag nor Kassidy act on their attraction. Instead they spend a few days becoming good friends. When it comes out that Dag and Chris have participated in threesomes together before, Kassidy decides to step out of her good girl box and give a threeway a try. But when everyone’s true feelings are uncovered, will any of them be left without a broken heart?

I had just finished a Harlequin Special Edition and may have been complaining to Anne a bit because, while I love me a good Harlequin Special Edition, it just didn’t have the heat level I was looking for. So later Anne emails me about Rule of Three. Something like, “Saw this menage story. Thought of you.” Aren’t big sisters the greatest?

Kelly Jamieson has a new fan. Because holy hotness, Batman! This one was scorching. The kind where you just have to take periodic cool-down breaks, you know? But the best part was it wasn’t sex written for sex’s sake. These characters were deep and complex and-oh crap, I’m getting a tad gushy, aren’t I?

My only complaint was that the HEA ended too soon.  I would have liked to see an epilogue with this one.  Of course, without an epilogue, I get to make my own up.  How about you?  Epilogue or no?  Which do you prefer?