HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOM IN 5 EASY STEPS by Josephine Myles

Publisher:               Samhain Publishing                    

Published:               September 23, 2014                  

ISBN:                     978 1 61922 366 0

Genre:                              Romance, M/M, BDSM

Book Format:                    E-book

Obtained via:                    Publisher

Reviewed by:          Helena Stone, helenastone63@gmail.com

Rating:                   4                 

         

Review:

For a very long time I wasn’t sure what to make of this book. Initially I thought I might be reading a comedy because it took me a while before I could see the characters in this story, especially Jeff, as anything but caricatures.

Jeff appeared to be a stereotypical working class man. His ideas about women seemed rather misogynistic and he definitely came across as rather homophobic. When he decides he wants to find himself a submissive woman to play with, it is hardly surprising they run away before he even makes it to first base. His views about women in general and his lack of knowledge and experience when it comes to BDSM were enough to scare anyone off. What he needs is an experienced sub to train him.

Enter Eddie; as a submissive plain slut he’d make the perfect trainer for Jeff except that he’s male and gay and Jeff is most definitely not into men.

While Eddie is attracted to Jeff the whole set-up is initially all about having some fun for him. Jeff on the other hand is not interested in Eddie as a sexual partner at all when their lessons start off; he just wants to know how to be a good Dom so he can find himself a female submissive who will stay. Close proximity, sexual games and two men who are not quite as in touch with their real feelings as they might like to think, soon lead to complications neither could have predicted.

My initial reaction to this book wasn’t entirely positive. Whereas Jeff initially came across as rather glum, downtrodden and unsophisticated, Eddie seemed fun, light hearted and very easy going. And, for a while, this stark contrast rubbed me up the wrong way. As the story progressed both characters became less one dimensional and far more interesting. Not only is Jeff nowhere near as straight as he’d like to tell himself, he’s also far more caring and insecure than he appeared at first. Eddie on the other hand goes through an opposite transition. He’s not quite as easy going and happy go lucky as he would like the world to believe.

And that’s when the book picked up for me and really captured my attention. Where I’d initially disliked Jeff with a vengeance and had loved Eddie for putting a smile on my face as soon as he made an appearance, I suddenly found myself rooting for Jeff and thinking that Eddie might be a bit more understanding of the situation his trainee Dom found himself in. And this transition in my feelings towards the characters and the story is of course a clear sign this was a very well plotted and written book. I appreciated the fact that there were no miraculous revelations or conversions; small steps forward were followed by giant leaps backwards, progress was at times painfully slow and I repeatedly wanted to take the two men and smash their heads together.

This story and the way it is written is as English as English can be. The setting, the language, the foods eaten the drinks drank and the places visited are all quintessential English; a bit of ‘arse’ anyone?

This was my first book by Josephine Myles but it won’t be my last. If ‘How to Train Your Dom in 5 Easy Steps’ is anything to go by, this lady has a wicked sense of humour as well as a talent for telling a good story. I’m looking forward to enjoying more of both.

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

MARK OF CAIN by Kate Sherwood

Publisher:                         Samhain Publishing

Published:                         May 20, 2014

ISBN:                               978 1 61922 021 8

Genre:                             Contemporary Romance, M/M

Book Format:                    E-book

Obtained via:                    Publisher

Reviewed by:                    Helena Stone, helenastone63@gmail.com

Rating:                            5

         

“When a man is consumed by hatred, is there anything left to love?

When Anglican priest Mark Webber sees the man who killed his younger brother three years ago, having fun in a local bar with his friends and apparently back to his old ways, he calls the police and reports him.

Lucas Cain has spent the last three years in prison after he killed a man in a fight he can barely remember. He wants to create a sober and peaceful life for himself and has no intention of breaking his parole conditions. When the cops pull him over after he leaves the bar his breathalyzer results are clean. If he wants to stay out of trouble, he’ll have to create a distance between himself and his old friends though, so he moves into an Anglican half-way house.

When both Mark and Lucas get involved with Alex, a gay teenager coming to terms with his sexuality, they have to find a way of working together. As they get to know each other hate turns into feelings of friendship and, eventually, attraction. But with Mark’s church, Lucas’ old friends, homophobic townsfolk and Mark’s mother all against them the men will have to be strong and determined if they want to beat the odds.

I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like the book. While the blurb sounded intriguing I also feared I might be in for a predictable and possibly slightly frustrating read.

Well, colour me surprised. Not because the story turned out to be completely different from what I expected, it wasn’t. No, I’m happily surprised because there was nothing frustrating about this book. The story didn’t contain any forced or protracted drama. With a story- line as described above this was always going to be an angsty book, and they have a habit of upsetting me. It was wonderful to read a book in which the angst made perfect sense and was portrayed realistically. There is a lot of it and yet it doesn’t feel as if that’s the central theme of the book. The angst is part of a much larger story; it didn’t take over or dominate the narrative

This story and the relationships between the characters develop organically. There are no ‘magical’ moments, no instant conversions or other miracles. Not every issue is resolved when the book ends. This realism made The ‘Mark of Cain’ a near perfect book for me. In most romance novels I read there will be at least one character I want to slap because of their stupidity or refusal to communicate. I loved the honesty and openness between Mark and Lucas. It is great to follow two characters who actually listen to each other.

Of the three main characters I was most impressed with Lucas. He’s made a terrible and fatal mistake in the past and is trying to keep himself going from day to day. He’s not looking for forgiveness because he doesn’t think he deserves it. He wants to be a better man but doesn’t think it will ever make up for the wrong he did in the past. He is matter of fact about the situation he finds himself in and never allows himself the luxury of self-pity. He never sees himself as a martyr, which means the reader doesn’t have to see him that way either.

“Nah. I deserve what I get.” – Lucas

It took me a bit longer to fall for Mark and I’m not entirely sure why. There were moments when I adored him. I loved the words he uses when he talks to Alex about being gay, because it’s such a wonderful way of talking to a confused 16 year old.

“I walk, I sit, I wake, I sleep. All gay, all day” – Mark to Alex

Maybe it took me longer to like Mark because I fell for Lucas straight away and he didn’t. And while his reasons for thoroughly disliking Lucas were better than good, I still wanted him to see what I saw in Lucas. As soon as he did start to see it, my reservations about him were gone. I also thought the process Mark goes through when it comes to his faith and the Anglican Church were well worked out and convincing.

The idea of the two men bonding over Alex - a sixteen year old boy struggling with his homosexuality and his homophobic father - and their need to help him was inspired. Alex infatuation with Lucas was adorable and the way Lucas and Mark dealt with it was sensitive as well as realistic.

I could say a whole lot more about this book. I fell in love with it and I tend to get carried away when that happens. So I’ll force myself to stop now. I just want to say that if you happen to be looking for a wonderful romance centred around two men you can’t help but fall for, you need to pick up this book. It is well written and immaculately plotted. You will find a smooth read with sparkling dialogue. If you enjoy a few smiles and chuckles with your angst, this is the book for you. If you want your next book to introduce you to two characters you may not want to say goodbye to, you could do a lot worse than pick up ‘The Mark of Cain.’

“We’re nothing like Romeo and Juliet, he said. Cause we’re going to make it.” - Lucas

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

MUST BE MAGIC by Sydney Somers

 

Spellbound, Book 4
Samhain Publishing, December 2013
e-Book
Obtained via:  publisher
ISBN:  978-1-60928-360-5

Paranormal Contemporary Romance
*** 1/2


 

The fourth book in Sydney Somers spicy Spellbound series, MUST BE MAGIC, is a steamy combination of magic, second chances and a love that will not be denied.

The Calders and the Lancasters have been feuding as long as Darby and Bryce can remember.  When they were younger, Darby fell in love with Bryce not knowing he was a Lancaster and when she found out she thought it was all a joke being played on her.  For years, she has thought Bryce abandoned her in her moment of deepest need. 

Darby Calder agrees to a 48-hour truce with the man who broke her heart in order to keep the peace at her brother’s upcoming tropical wedding.  As an investigator, she constantly runs into the infuriating lawyer Bryce Lancaster in court cases.  They alternately snarl and ignore each other as best they can.  But when his sister marries her brother, they are forced to actually speak to each other and that is when the magic begins and secrets are revealed.

Sydney Somers’ MUST BE MAGIC is a sweet yet bumpy love story.  The characters are fun and literally magical.  The story is the unraveling of a bunch of misunderstanding and lack of communication that comes about in a moment of weakness.  Though this reader felt that the ending was inevitable and the magic a bit unnecessary to the story, Darby and Bryce’s chemistry made the tale worth the journey to read it.

Romance fans with a yearning for a good happily-ever-after are sure to find Sydney Somers’ MUST BE MAGIC a fun and easy summer read by the pool.

Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

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

THE CURSE OF THE BRIMSTONE CONTRACT by Corrina Lawson

Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date published: 4-22-14
ISBN: 978-1-61922-067-6
Romance/Alternate Worlds Steampunk
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/curse-brimstone-contract-p-73392.html
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 5

Joan Krieger’s family owns a thriving combined tailoring and seamstress business in London. Despite her father’s illness they were managing well until two of their customers died suddenly and a much older aristocrat decides to marry Joan for her assumed magical sensitivities.

Joan calls on a half-Indian detective to help her solve the murders before she can be married to a man she doesn’t trust. She hopes he’ll prove the deaths were caused by magic and not associated with her family business. But nothing is ever that simple.


The Steampunk Detectives, Book 1

This is a fast-paced and exciting story set in a London steampunk environment. While it has several similarities to many other similar steampunk worlds, it contains a couple of rather neat twists and a slightly different hero and heroine, which make the drama and magic just different enough to give the story a great edge.  The world is familiar enough that the reader continues racing along, yet with enough unique features to provide color and excitement.

I also really enjoyed the way the secondary characters weren’t one-dimensional or placeholders. Each has a multifaceted personality and moves backwards and forwards along the line from good to bad. Although I guessed who the bad person was, the manner in which the crimes were revealed left plenty of excitement and revelation to hold my interest.

I also loved the cover. It’s eyecatching and appropriate. The book was very cleanly produced. It is very rare indeed when I find a full-length novel that doesn’t have at least some typos, grammatical errors or plot points that come out and slap me in the face. Kudos to the author and editor here for their excellent work.
A great story. I loved it.


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