Double Feature: Whitetail Rock and The Fix by Anne Tenino

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Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Published: 2011
Reviewed by Anne
73+27 ebook pages

*Note: I’m reviewing these two stories together because they are very closely linked and short!

Nik was adopted from India as in infant by his very white family.  He grew up in a very white town very conscious of his skin color. On top of everything else he’s gay – just one more way to be different in his conservative home town.  Fortunately he’s got a solid family who has always stood behind him and supported him.  It’s when he’s home from college visiting them that he meets Jurgen, who looks like someone Hitler would have drooled over and pushes all of Nik’s buttons.  Unfortunately, those buttons are a mixed bag.  Nik is turned on by Jurgen, but also unwittingly reminded of some bad experiences in his past and people who were only interested in him because of his skin color.

Whitetail Rock is the story of how Nik and Jurgen meet and work through their issues.  The Fix is a very short update on them working through a new issue.  Both were good, hot reads.  Nik is very insecure, and Jurgen is more insightful than he looks.  I would have enjoyed these stories even if I’d paid for them, but it’s an extra bonus that they’re available for free!  And some of the characters apparently feature in the book Too Stupid To Live, which I *did* buy and am looking forward to reading!

Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna

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Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, Cosmo Red Hot Read
Published: 4/15/14
Reviewed by Anne
88 pages

Jamie is a 20-something American house-sitting for two weeks in Ireland.  Connor is a bartender she meets there and has instant chemistry with.  She’s up for a vacation fling, and he is, too.   But what will happen if they want more and neither has time or room in their life for more?

This was a well written short story and I enjoyed it.  There were some funny moments, and I liked how things worked out in the end.  Unfortunately it suffers from me expecting to be blown away by every word Cara McKenna writes.  So when she writes a nice short story that’s just pretty good, I find myself a little disappointed.  

I’m also beginning to think that maybe Cosmo Red Hot Reads just isn’t meant for me.  It’s been very hit or miss.  I’ve got another one lined up to read.  I’ll see what I think after that.

What Wendy Wants by Nikki Sex

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Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Contemporary, Novella
Published: 6/23/13
Reviewed by Kate
93 pages


After 3 kids, Wendy and Frank’s marriage has turned stale.  Wendy wants to try some of the things that she’s been reading about in her romance books, but how can she even approach the subject with “vanilla” Frank? When Frank accidentally takes her Kindle to work with him one day, the choice is taken out of her hands.

 

I love romances that feature husbands and wives finding their way to deeper relationships. And this one fit the bill perfectly.  It is obvious that Frank and Wendy love each other-he knows exactly what her Kindle password is, even after all these years *happy sigh*.  It’s even more obvious that they want this relationship to work, and to work better than it has been.

 

A quick hot and spicy read.  If you enjoy reading a romance between a husband and wife and like a little BDSM thrown into the mix, this is the one for you.

 

I think husband and wife romances are fast becoming a favorite for me.  Do you have any others to recommend?