Rob KnightReseñas

The Teacher by Emily Veinglory - 2 stars

Forgotten Race by Fiona Glass - 1.5 stars

Pets by Kay Derwydd - 0.5 star

This anthology was a real fiasco for me. I didn't like the first story, I hated the second, and the third elicit just a meh from me.

Twenty-Four, by A.J. Wilde - 1.5 stars

Athletic Shorts, by Anfernee Williamson - 0.5 star

Touché, by James Buchanan - 2 stars

Good Horses to Ride, by Dallas Coleman - 1 star

True Enough, by Quatorze - 3 stars

Braving the Rain, by Julia Talbot - 2.5 stars

Bored Eco-Terrorists and Redneck Lovers, by B.A. Tortuga - NR
Part of a series. Despite being moderately comprehensible, no rating until I read the entire series.

Dirt in the Sky by Drew Zachary - 3.5 stars

Periphery by Chris Owen - 4.5 stars

Space Station Explorer by Vic Winter - 3 stars

I read this anthology many years ago; I'm sure it was my first LGBTQA anthology; I have no idea why I didn't register on GR. I'll fix that in the next few days. There is one of the stories I remembered perfectly: My problem is that I hated the resolution of the story, and still do; BUT it was an unforgettable read, and that dichotomy makes me insecure about how to rate it (I'm talking about 1 star or 5 stars, go figure!). I need to think about it.

**********

Stormclouds by Dallas Coleman - 3.5 stars
Contemporary; Established relationship

Above Snakes by A.M. Riley - 3 stars
Historical; Bosses & Staffers

Added Money by Chris Owen - 4 stars
Contemporary; Rodeo

Dry Bones by Parhelion - 3 stars
Historical; Hidden Identity

The Good Life By Sean Michael - 2 stars
Contemporary
This is the story I was talking about above. Upon reflection, the unsatisfactory resolution seems unnecessary to me. While I don't doubt that there must have been cases where the inhibition to carry out a relationship must have been absolute. In this case, I don't see that choice as reasonable; since they are roommates, nothing prevents the existence of public life and private life."

Male Order Bride by Eumenides - 2 stars
Historical; Parenthood; Health Issues; Hidden Identity

Surrender by Jourdan Lane - 2.5 stars
Coworkers; Roommates; Since Forever; Friends to Lovers

The Gaucho Code by Julia Talbot - 1 star
Historical

This Legacy in My Hands by Vic Winter - 2 stars
Contemporary
Sad, sad, sad.

Barn Dance by BA Tortuga - 3.5 stars
HIstorical; post Civil War; musician

Masked Riders by Parhelion - 2,5 stars

Hung Up by Cat Kane - 2 stars

Ricochet by BA Tortuga - 2,5 stars

كتاب خفيف ظريف مختصر عن النظام الميكروبي في الجسم وتأثيره على الدماغ والصحة.

One and a half stars, where a half is for Duke, half for the characters who miraculously came off as adorable and the last half for that fact that though I didn't like the book I didn't hate it either.

This may be a very short story, just a glimpse into Wade and Sawyer's lives, but it sure had an impact on me. The main reason is Wade's voice as he tells his part of the story. Sawyer, too, is very special. He is a musician and clearly loves Wade deeply; he also understands him from one (slightly less crazy) artist to another. Short as the story was, that really came out very well.

Wade is a painter/sculptor whose work is famous and sells well. In the typical manner of an eccentric artist, his thoughts are focused on his work, everything else is a distraction. I really liked seeing things from his perspective, reading about the sudden jumps in his thoughts from one thing to the other until he finds something of interest. He has some really weird habits, like an endearing weakness for corn flakes, and he doesn't do well around people. Sawyer, though, is different, and I was glad to see Wade had at least one human being whom he let close enough for touching and loving.

Sawyer is a great guy. He respects Wade, adores him, and has learned how to deal with his (many) idiosyncrasies. His big thing is to get Wade to move in with him, but he knows that is a tall order. He'll have to prove that he really loves him first, which he sets out to do with a vengeance.

If you like short stories, little impressions of interesting people, and if you enjoy reading about the love between two unusual men, then you will probably enjoy this short story. It certainly made me smile!

Healing Pyre by Camilla Bruce: 2 stars

The Glass Minstrel by Renee Manley: 2 stars

Ethereal by Tory Temple: 2 stars

Space Station Explorer by Vic Winter: 3 stars

Dirt in the Sky by Drew Zachary: 3 stars

Periphery by Chris Owen: 3 stars

This book was fascinating. It was all about the micro biome that is living in and on a person's body. It was so easy to read and so informative. I absolutely LOVED it.

Excellent, simply explained (based on a TED talk) account of the human mircrobiome and its importance to health an well being. Some cutting edge science, fascinating.½

I need Knight to make this into a series. I loved this book. I just can't say enough. I can't stop thinking about it and comparing other books to it. The thriller part was excellent: intense, unpredictable, frightening. The romance part was beautiful: sweet, believable, tender, and very hot sex. The paranormal part was handled really well. I like how he thought of what it would really be like for someone with this ability to live: how he's treated as an invalid, as fragile, as someone who can't fend for himself but this is not who he was before this happened, a brilliant if arrogant professor. Knight showed how hard it was for him function and still fight for his independence and respect. I want so much more of the story and more about what happens next. I compared this to the Adrien English mysteries which I love, and this one was better.

I need Knight to make this into a series. I loved this book. I just can't say enough. I can't stop thinking about it and comparing other books to it. The thriller part was excellent: intense, unpredictable, frightening. The romance part was beautiful: sweet, believable, tender, and very hot sex. The paranormal part was handled really well. I like how he thought of what it would really be like for someone with this ability to live: how he's treated as an invalid, as fragile, as someone who can't fend for himself but this is not who he was before this happened, a brilliant if arrogant professor. Knight showed how hard it was for him function and still fight for his independence and respect. I want so much more of the story and more about what happens next. I compared this to the Adrien English mysteries which I love, and this one was better.

The last in the Facets series is, like the title says, the story of how Jules, Six and Paul set down a life for all of them. Paul is now a young suit and he needs to find a place to life outside the dorm, Jules and Six need to find a new place since they 'forgot' to pay the rent (due date are not on top of their list of important things...): it seems only right that they find something together since Six and Jules adopted Paul and now he is an important element in their relationship.

The last chapter of the series only strengthen the idea I had in the previous books: Six and Jules like Paul, they are gentle with him, but the real love relationship is between them, Paul is like a pet, but not since they treat him like a Master / pet relationship; Paul is young and bouncy, he is a burst of energy, probably he reminds to Six a younger Jules. They are more than willing to welcome him in their bed, and they really try to be a bit more normal to give Paul an appearance of a steady life, but I believe that, if Paul should ever decide to move on and leave them, they will return to live on a day-to-day basis, an easy going attitude, having each other more than enough to make them happy.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K16VLS/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Six and Jules have almost adopted Paul. The life of the long-term couple is not changed much, but during the weekends and holidays they make space in their life and bed for young Paul; but it's Paul that molds his lifestyle on Six and Jules and not the way around. Six is still mostly a nightlife being and he is not at all a morning person; Jules is more or less a day per day man, not planning ahead what he will do. And so Paul, even if grateful with the couple for admitting him, sometime finds himself edgy and nervous, wanting to straighten the day to day life of a couple that is all other than straight.

The menages moves to another level: now it's a full relationship in all the possible combination, Paul is no more an eager spectator of the love between Six and Jules, but all this is only on a sex level; when it arrives to living outside the bedroom, Six and Jules have still their routine and Paul is still trying to have a normal life, with a day job, and meals at normal hours. Between the three is not yet a real relationship, Paul is still the 'intruder', a nice and sweet intruder, but still almost an alien.

In the second chapter of this series, Paul looses his innocence, he is no more a new toy for the exclusive couple who were Six and Jules in the first chapter, but as I said, I still don't consider this a threesome. Six and Jules are still a steady duo, and Paul instead is a nice third party element who nicely fit when he is there, but could be gone the day after without unbalancing Six and Jules' relationship.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K16VLS/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Six and Jules are a perfect couple of idler... well, not true, Six has a work as tattoo artist in a parlor, but in the 12.700 words (33 pages) of this short story, we don't have the chance to know what Jules does, apart loving Six. Yes since Six and Jules are in love and it's pretty obvious, they kiss and cuddle every chance they have, but don't get me wrong, they are not two tender sweetheart, they are two hot gay men full of piercings and tattoos, and sometime they 'adopt' a boy, and yes, with all the worst intention, to play with them. But this time they bring home something new... a virgin!

Paul is just out of college and he wants a tattoo to mark his rites of passage. It's not only the passage from young to adult, from college to work, but also a promise to himself that he will follow his heart desire as out of the closet gay man. And when he sees Six and Jules together it's almost too much for him, it's an overload of physical sensation, he is like a child in a candy shop, he wants to touch and taste everything.

But the funny thing of this book is that Paul has the chance to see and try a lot, but at the end of the book he is still virgin! Six and Jules play with him, they teach him one thing or two, but all the hard stuff they do together, letting Paul be an eager spectator... I like it, since in this way, Paul could see and understand what he wants and what he likes, but Six and Jules remain faithful to each other. True this is only the first book in a series of three, and I don't know what it will happen next, but to me feel right that, at their first encounter with Paul, Six and Jules 'limit' themself, for me it means that they are not real players, they don't put at risk their relationship for a sweet face. If Paul will remain around enough time to be judge worthy, only then they will let him inside their circle, inside their relationship.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K16VLS/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Three very different short stories, still everyone really interesting.

A Cold Night’s Sleep by Vincent Diamond tells us about a retired cop, Sandy, who, after being injured on duty, has preferred the loneliness of a cabin. But sometimes loneliness keeps you cold on night, so when Tanner appears on his doorstep, Sandy is hunger for a warm touch. Even if for only one night.

Small Town Lawmen by C.B. Potts is a really interesting two point of view tale. Win thought are alternate with those of Dylan and all happen in one night: a sheriff from a small town and an investigator from the big city can be soul-mates?

Pat Down by James Buchanan is the story of Jeff who, some years after the high school, has the opportunity to fullfil his jerk off fantasy on Chris, the next door good guy that every girl wants, and maybe also some guys. Sure Jeff wants him.

Not only three stories of cops, but also three all happened in one night stories. Maybe with an "happily ever after" end, maybe not... you have to read them and use your fantasy to choose the end you prefers.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/62622.html

Daniel is a writer and singer. He is very good and could have everything he wants in the music system, but he is tired. He go ahead with cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. Since the day he meets Eric, art name Amethyst, a painter. He is drawn by Ami's paints, by the force he reads in them. And the by their creator. Ami is good for him. Through Ami and through his paints, he can let go all the negative forces that are eating him alive.

Their first encounter is since the beginning hot and sex. All of sudden, before even known each other name. But Daniel is on the road and he has to leave Ami to his world. He can return here and there, but if he wants to remain inside the star system, he has to find a way to leave without Ami. If you can call it life...

The story is pretty short, less than 40 pages, but it's full of force. Even if we read only of the sexual life of this men, through their lovemaking you can understand them, Daniel need to find an anchor to this world and Ami need to find a mate to share his lonely life. To be a complete novel, it would have to describe Daniel life first and after meeting Ami, and Ami process decision after Daniel's leaving. But it's a short story, and I think that in its shortness, has managed to leave me a good impression on both characters. And the scene where Ami paints Daniel (and not in a canvas...) is real art...

The Toybox series from Torquere Press has a lot of juicy stories to offer. Each collection features a different sex toy, and has three stories featuring it. "Plugs" is, I think, the best collection. The stories were erotic and teasing, rather than coarse. Well worth the price of the e-book, and highly recommended.

In the third volumes of Shifting, the focus switches to werewolves (the first two volumes were cats). In Ves'tacha, Gareth left Sorcha in order to protect him. Now they have been reunited, but can their love be renewed? In Pack Mates, Seamus takes in a young shapeshifter, Keith, who has a hard time believing he's anything but human. Together, they must raise a pack of pups in an urban jungle. But, will they be able to manage?

All three volumes of this series were very good. Once again, HOT sex abounds, with just enough plot to keep it together. Recommended.½

Very good anthology about feline shapeshifters. And, unlike many shapeshifter novels, here the cat state is the norm, not the human one! In "Outcast," Anneal is human banished by his people for his unnatural prediliction (homosexuality). He becomes lost in the mountains right before a snow storm, but finds what he thinks is an empty cave. It's actually the den of Ferris, a very special mountain lion. In "The Beast Within," Lee is the alpha of his pride, and he takes Rex in, making him his lover. When family turns against them, they face hard choices. Will their love destroy their placce in the pride? Good stories, though not deep, with explicit M/M sex.½

These stories were a little too short to do justice to a science fiction theme.½

Kell is writing a reportage about swinging couple and decides to answer to an ad in a specialized magazine. Ricky and Justin are the couple who has put the ad. Justin is a carpenter, open, clever and gentle. Ricky is a scholar, shy and loving. And they love each other, a lot. Why a couple like this wants to risk what they have?

Kell doesn't understand: he can easily feels envy for both of them, they have someything special, something he really wants for him. But he can't imagine, once he has a love like this, that he can share it with someone else. But Ricky has dreamed about him, and this is the reason of the ad. It's not something they do frequently, it is the first time, and Justin has agreed to satisfy his lover's dream.

And so the wooing starts. Ricky and Justin work together to break the defences of Kell.

Justin is absolutely the leading character of this threesome. He is confident and complete, he has a big enough heart for both of them. Ricky leans on him for everything. But Ricky is tender and cute. Kell is more like Ricky than Justin, and if Justin wouldn't be a so strong character this threesome couldn't work well as it does.

A brief but very well plotted novel, with a suddenly swift (the swinging couple that become a love shelter for Kell) that keeps the reader's interest from the beginning.