HARD AS TEAK by Margie Church

Publisher: Noble Romance
Date published: July 7th, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-60592-356-7
ASIN: B005BU9K3W
Contemporary MM
E-book
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by self-purchase


Kevin Marks is tired of his life. It’s the “same old shit, just a different day” type of days lately that leave him confused and not as energized as he once was in all aspects of his life. He has no idea what to do so he escapes to his childhood cabin. There he hopes to rediscover his passion for photography and maybe find the answers he is searching for.

Meeting Teak Hidalgo was something he was so not anticipating. He radiated sex appeal to the extreme and with one touch Kevin is lost in his arms. Teak takes Kevin on a sensual journey as Kevin explores his growing desire to be with a man-namely Teak. Can Kevin find the strength to accept who he is, once and for all, and find the relationship he has searched for in Teak’s arms?

The moment I spied the cover for HARD AS TEAK and read the blurb, something compelled me to buy this book. It could have been the hot cover, the intriguing blurb or the fact I was in a mood to read something a bit different. I got that plus a whole lot more. Margie Church delivers her first foray into the M/M genre with her feet running out of the gate. She breaks boundaries with creating a seemingly heterosexual man who finds out that hey, he isn’t into women as much as he thought. The conflict Kevin faces is more internal than external. It may not make everyone happy that they don’t have some angst filled drama on every page. That’s ok though. She added an element of real life that happens everywhere in the world and that is what made this story relatable to me. Who hasn’t heard or known people who find their sexual orientation isn’t as cut and dried as they thought?

The story flowed nicely with some twists that had me gasping; some of the most romantic sex scenes I have every read between two people and yes, they were hot as hell too. I recommend making sure to have an ice bucket or a cold shower afterwards to cool down. This is a coming of age story of one man finding out he is more complex than he thought with feelings for someone he never anticipated meeting or having a romantic relationship with.

Meet photographer Kevin Marks. He is dissatisfied with his life, feels like he is in a rut-professionally and personally. Taking off to his childhood cabin, Kevin meets Teak, a rugged man who stirs feelings in Kevin he had no idea he would experience with a man before. Can Kevin work through his issues before he lets the one person who is meant to be his slip through his fingers?

What I loved about Teak and Kevin was how they acted like mature, sensible adults through the entire storyline. There was no melodrama, whining or even angry angst to deal with. It was a breath of fresh air so to speak to read this. I fell hard for both Kevin and Teak as I met them in the beginning and found myself rooting for them to be together forever. Teak is sexy as sin and had me wondering if I can take a walk in the woods for my own version of a sexy outdoorsman. The sexual tension alone simmers and flares repeatedly between Teak and Kevin which left me squirming in my seat more times I can count. There were a few secondary characters that left me wondering if I could either give them a good smack down or a big hug. They made the story flow smoothly and enhanced the story nicely. Ultimately this is about the growing relationship between Kevin and Teak and it was perfectly captured by the author.

HARD AS TEAK is a sweet, sexy tale of two people finding their way to the one person they are meant to be with, be it man or woman. Ms. Church delivers a story that had me on the edge of my seat, eager to find out what will happen next for Kevin and Teak. If you are looking for a hot story with a heart of gold to enjoy that can heat up your night, then I suggest you try HARD AS TEAK. I am hoping Ms. Church comes back to these beloved characters in the future. I would love to see what they are up to and maybe have a glimpse into their sexy life together.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.