Butt Riders On The Range

Title: Butt Riders On The Range

Author: Anthology

Publisher: Wilde City Press

Publisher URL: www.wildecity.com

ISBN: 978-1-925313-12-3

Genre:  {M/M} Comedy

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

Hung Like A Horse by JP Barnaby - 4 Nymphs

Horse shifter Riley Harper is as skittish as a colt, always afraid someone would discover his secret. Fortunately, Riley’s days of hiding comes to an end when he meets John North, a Missouri farmer who turns out to be Riley’s new protector, friend and lover.  A striking heartwarming romance, the characters are engaging with a touch of amusement.

Chinchilla Chimichangas by Kage Alan - 4 Nymphs

Chris, along with his very opinionated imaginary friends, is taking a Route sixty-six trip mapped out long ago by his father. Detoured by a storm to a small farming community in Oklahoma, Chris meets Cameron, the cowboy of his dreams, as well as sanctioned by his make-believe friends.  The imaginary friends are especially humorous and contribute a pleasant balance to an emotional theme.

  

Squatting With Spurs On by Kiernan Kelly - 4 Nymphs

Live, love and repeat this is the magical time warp Dooley McCallister and Buck Caldwell are caught in. Dooley has no memory of his previous life spans, but fortunately Buck remembers each and every one. No matter the current century, Buck and Dooley always go back to their first Montana home together.  This story gives a humorous innovative meaning to the turn of phrase “I will always love you”.

Faux Cowboy by Shae Connor - 3 Nymphs

Doug Shaw heads to New York in hopes of having a little fun. Growing up on a farm in Wyoming did not offer much for a gay cowboy. However, meeting the cowboy pretender Jackson James at a western themed saloon soon fulfilled Doug’s erotic riding desires. Enjoyable as a one time read only, the casual hook-up theme did not exhibit any noteworthy actions or believable personality qualities. The unexciting one-dimensional characters did not completely employ my interest.   

Hooves And Horns by Eden Winters - 5 Nymphs

Kerry Abrams is a champion bull rider and Armando is a champion bronco rider. Though Kerry and Armando enjoy pleasing their rodeo fans as well as each other between shows, the secret to the lover’s rodeo success is that they are both shifters.  The character interaction is laugh out loud hilarious; I enjoyed the vibrant descriptions that draw the reader into the storyline.

The Boy From Battalion Bluff by Jevocas Green - 5 Nymphs

High noon everyday the townsfolk would gather on Main Street. The men gathered in hopes of being selected and the women gathered in envy to watch Dr. Feel-Good walk down the center of the street. The Doc’s mission was to select one lucky man to receive the Doc’s special brand of relaxing therapy. After waiting for months for his chance, Toby, the stable boy, finally got lucky. The principle of this plot is the old west meets another world. The storyline features exceptionally loving characters and a blissful conclusion.

The Five Hells War by Ally Blue - 5 Nymphs

Sometimes it is the little guy who wins. Salvador Flint owns a small ranch surrounded by greedy corporate ranchers willing to try everything, including hiring corporate lawyer Balthazar Shellenbarger to force Salvador out of business. But upon meeting Salvador, Balthazar found Salvador to be an honest man with a skill for more than ranching. The setting is not Earth, however the corruption illustrated in the plot is a realistic image of Earth. The storyline provokes outrage and the characters encourage cheers.   

And The Horse He Rode In On by TC Blue - 4 Nymphs

Texas sheep rancher Tyler and poacher Jason is an unlikely pair of shifters, yet there is an undeniable attraction between them that works. Of course it took months for the two to find common ground. Nevertheless Tyler and Jason managed to work through their differences to become lovers. The main features of the plot are an amusing dialog merged with compassionate characters. 

Overall, Butt Riders On The Range is a marvelous assortment of incredibly entertaining stories.

Baby, Think It Over

Title: Baby, Think It Over

Author: Hurri Cosmo

Publisher: Amber Allure

Publishers URL: http://www.amberquill.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61124-755-8

Genre: {M/M}, Coming of Age, Comedy        

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Three weeks at home with no parents and no school, Kedon can’t wait.  He has been counting the days and it can’t get here fast enough.  Then the worst thing in the world happened.  One of his teachers has assigned a project that counts as a big part of their grade, and not only that, but they have to have a partner.  Any chance of Kedon doing the assignment on his own is crushed and he soon finds himself with Tarell, the school’s and town’s golden boy.

I loved Baby, Think It Over and did not want to see it end.  This is a story that pulled me in from the first page.  Kedon is a good student, bordering on the geek side.  Ready to graduate and move on, he is looking forward to spending a little time by himself while his parents are out of town.  Due to the book’s blurb, readers already know this is not going to happen, but the way the author introduces the monkey wrench in Kedon’s plans was great.  More than once, I had to laugh while wondering about the teacher who let things gets a little out of hand.  Tarell, the son of the wealthiest man in town, may be eighteen years old but he knows what he wants and how to get it.  More than once through the course of this book, it is easy to forget that Tarell is still just a teenager as he handles situations like a man several years older than what he is. 

The premise of Baby, Think It Over is a great one and allows to the author to take the book in many different directions, many of which will have you laughing.  I died when Kedon and his parents are at the restaurant and his mother just does not want to let the subject of Kedon’s day at school drop.  I could not decide who I felt sorrier for, Kedon or his father.   Then there is Tarell.  At first, I could not help wondering just what was the real reason behind his behavior with Kedon, and while there is a bit of a secret, it is not a serious one.  The chemistry between these two young men is really strong, yet Kedon does not trust it, or Tarell, which is understandable.  Lastly there is the baby.  The author handled this wonderfully.  The fear and uncertainty that Kedon and Tarell feel at the beginning of their assignment comes across realistically and it is easy to understand how Kedon’s attachment to their “child” became so strong.  I loved watching these two grow as individuals and as a couple.  But their relationship is not without problems.

The author throws in a few little twists and turns that keep the story from becoming too sweet.  These events may surprise the reader, but the author injects them in a way that helps move the story along while adding some excitement.  The story wraps up nicely but you may want to keep a tissue or two handy.  

I hope the author has plans to bring these two back for more as I hated to see this story end, and I am sure I wouldn’t be the only one.

A Marrying Man

Title: A Marrying Man

Author: Sandrine Gasq-Dion

Publisher: Wilde City Press

Publisher URL: www.wildecity.com

ISBN: 978-1-925031-25-6

Genre: {M/M} Comedy Series

Rating: 5 Nymphs 

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

Everyone can see the mutual attraction between Blaine McKlintock and Spencer Cassidy, except Blaine and Spencer.  However, Blaine is not the only one who can conjure up a wager. Requested to work together as wedding planners, Blaine and Spencer discover that payback can be most rewarding.

A Marrying Man is the sequel to A Betting Man. The key feature of the plot is sexual labels is not a concern, love is love regardless of the sexual pairings. Kent and Terry are ready to take the marriage plunge, so it is only natural to ask their best friends to stand with them as best men. Blaine is Kent’s best friend as well as Spencer is Terry’s best friend. The problem for Blaine and Spencer is not the planning of a wedding, but whether they can work together without conflict between them. Blaine feels guilty for causing a rift between Kent and Terry, while Spencer is still holding a tiny feeling of resentment regarding Blaine’s part in the rift. Blaine has secretly desired Spencer for years; what Blaine did not realize is that Spencer was also attracted to Blaine during their long ago chance meeting. The storyline reflects the misconceptions along with the revelations each man has about the other.

Sandrine Gasq-Dion has created a superbly uplifting entertaining saga. The secondary characters contribute a down-to-earth quality to A Marrying Man. Each character has minuscule flaws that I found humorous as well as endearing. I particularly enjoyed Blaine’s mother.  

The World is a Stage

Title:  The World is a Stage

Author:  Tamara Morgan

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Publisher URL:  www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN:  978-1-60928-953-9

Genre:  {M/F}, Contemporary, Comedy, Series

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph 

Publication Date:  6-5-12 

Michael is always there for his friends, which is why he ended up keeping Rachel out of Eric’s and Molly’s way.  Rachel has always taken on the task of trying to keep her sister out of trouble that she has forgotten how to take care of herself. 

The second book in the Games of Love series, The World is a Stage, had me laughing and crying at different parts of the book.  The fact that Rachel has to learn some hard lessons if she is to keep her relationship with her family is so true, even though there were times I wanted to slap her and tell Michael to just walk away. 

The reactions of the various characters to each other and the circumstances were so true and funny at times.  Michael also has to come to terms with a life-changing injury as well, because professional athletes are sometimes the last to give up, to their determent. 

The author did something with Shakespeare that I would never have thought of, so be warned this plays a very interesting role within this story.  There is also a lot of emotional turmoil, as well as wondering how this will all be resolved.  I enjoyed the ending because I thought the author did a great job of getting the conflict resolved, though she kept you wondering right to the last.   

Though you do not have to read this series in order, to get the most enjoyment, I recommend you read the books in order.

The Reluctant Prince

Title: The Reluctant Prince
Author: Candice Gilmer
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publisher URL: http://samhainpublishing.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60928-054-3
Genre: {M/F} Comedy/Suspense
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Goddess Minx

A free woman after divorcing her husband, Sydney Martinson is on her way to Vegas for a hair stylist convention and she intends to enjoy herself. The only thing is she keeps getting the feeling that someone is watching her. While debating whether to throw the coin into the hotel fountain, she hears a sexy voice tell her pray to Ra first and she reacts with an elbow to the gut.

Hadrian Drake is on his way to Vegas for some down time from his Television Show “Pasta Prince”, and the Luxor hotel is his preferred place to stay, because he feels a connection to his heritage there. He manages to avoid his overbearing personal assistant, who so far has controlled his life, and she is the only one who knows that he is third in line to the Koros throne. Hadrian loves his royal family but doesn’t want anything to do with them aside from a visit from time to time. The royalty part he wants kept secret.

This is a modern day fairytale and it was a treat for me to read The Reluctant Prince. There is so much going on in this story, I really had to pay attention to keep up with everything that happening. Ms. Gilmer has created a great realistic “today” story about how someone from the royal family. They wanted to have a life of their own outside of the public eye and not have to worry about being in line to the throne.

Sydney is a very sweet person, who is always ready to forgive a wrong-doing but she wants to move on with her life. The one thing that hindered her was her ex-husband, who found pleasure in stalking Sydney, and in trying to force her to take him back. Her strength during each incident came though Hadrian, who was her support when she needed it, and allowed her to overcome her fears.

I really loved Hadrian’s determination to focus on his job and personal life, separate from the royal family. He is just as sexy off camera, as he is in front of the public, and his willingness to believe in Sydney’s innocence is a plus with me.

There are a lot of secondary characters involved, and each one had a large contribution to make this story complete. Ms. Gilmer really put a spin on all the plotting that went on, and left a lot to the imagination working out who the villain is. This is my first time introduction with this author, and I am hoping for more from her in the future.

Thunderball

Title: Thunderball
Author: Mimi Riser
Publisher: Amber Allure
Publisher URL: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure
ISBN: 978-1-60272-646-8
Genre: {M/M} Sci-fi, Futuristic, Paranormal, Comedy
Rating: 4.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Scandalous Minx

Sylver Starr life is anything but boring. The cross-dressing werewolf has grown tired of being a secret agent for Earth Guardians, Inc. If he had a choice, he would extricate the occupation from his life and focus on doing something he likes. Being married to the boss, Hunter, a shape-shifting kitty, can sometimes be a bonus. However, Hunter knows which buttons to push to keep Sylver with the EGI. This bit of reality dims Sylver’s possibilities of gaining his wish. If Sylver is anything, he’s no quitter! He’s ready to do battle with the kitty.

Thunderball is the sequel to Mimi Riser’s Your Cheatin' Heart. It’s hard not to like this couple. They are the complete opposites that may not create images of forever for most, but I can imagine them growing old together. The story begins with action, and as always, we are squarely in Sylver’s mind throughout this tale. A death trap if you aren’t careful, Sylver has more portions of his brain functioning than any one person has a right to access. His thoughts are all over the place, but if you put on a sturdy seatbelt and bring along some popcorn, it makes for an interesting ride. I’m learning more about Hunter, Sylver’s husband, with each new story. I have a feeling we will find out why he’s so controlling and understand his apprehension for allowing Sylver to leave the EGI.

Action, suspense, and military boots that have now been added to my fetishes help to create a fast-paced story you’ll be happy you read.

Your Cheatin' Heart

Title: Your Cheatin' Heart
Author: Mimi Riser
Publisher: Amber Allure
Publisher URL: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure
ISBN: 978-1-60272-623-9
Genre: {M/M} Sci-fi, Futuristic, Paranormal, Dark Fantasy, Comedy
Rating: 4.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Scandalous Minx

Sylver Starr never set out to fall in love with a cat-shifter. The cross-dressing werewolf believes in monogamy, but his tomcat husband can’t seem to wrap his tail around that concept. Unfortunately, Sylver’s time to pout comes crashing to a halt when aliens invade Earth. Husband problems are the least of his worries, as Sylver falls back into his role as a secret agent for Earth Guardians, Inc. Before this night is over, that’s not the only trouble Sylver will have to contend with.

Mimi Riser mixes comedy, a splash of suspense, and a couple who needs more therapy than Dr. Phil can provide to create a story you won’t soon forget. Sylver is one of a kind. Talk about a man being comfortable in his own skin, whether decked out in a fabulous dress or in his sleek fur. I tried to remain neutral until I could hear the husband’s side of this story, but it was just so hard not to fall in love with Sylver and wish the cat-shifter had a hairball attack. Your Cheatin' Heart is a fast-paced story that smoothly transitions from one scene to the next. I found the story entertaining and recommend it to those who enjoy their shifter tales with a twist.

No Place Like Home

Title: No Place Like Home
Author: Rick R. Reed
Publisher: Amber Allure
Publisher URL: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/
ISBN: 13: 978-1-60272-598-0
Genre: {M/M} Contemporary, Comedy
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx

Burl is feeling amorous and his libido in need of release; however it is the middle of the night and his long term partner AJ is sleeping soundly. AJ will not object to Burl’s wanderings, as long as he returns home to AJ, so with that in mind Burl decides to visit the Sodom Sin Mountain Ski Resort where he encounters a rather strange offer for sex. Not finding what he seeks, Burl drives to New York where he finds the kind of danger that accelerates his drive back to his Pennsylvania home and AJ.

No Place Like Home is a dark comedy spoof reminiscent of a kinky Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. Burl is an English teacher who is very fashion conscience and confident. His casual use of drugs, as well as the lack of mind over body control, gives the impression that perhaps he had ingested too many times over the years and was possibly in a constant fog. This is a well written fast read with interesting characters, in addition to an abundance of humor. I found the story to be impressive, although I was not in agreement with the drug references.

Let’s Dish

Title: Let’s Dish
Author: Catherine Wade
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publisher URL: http://www.samhainpublishing.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60504-461-3
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Sphinx Minx

Maggie Donnely has returned to her maiden name after divorcing Ted Turner. He’d been a handsome chiropractor when they wed, but he surprised her with a new direction for his life. And he left her with another big surprise for her future. Maggie had taken cooking lessons to occupy her mind and time after a tragedy. She had a real knack for it. In chef school, she was partnered with Kevin Best. She was irate when he made a pass at her - a married woman! And she thinks he stole her recipes.

Now Kevin is opening a competitor to her fledgling bakery and coffee shop, Let’s Dish. And sparks are flying.

Maggie is funny, strong-willed, and not nearly as right as she’d like to think. Kevin is sweet and determined. And the supporting cast is both wacky and likable. Maggie’s best friend Lyla is married to her chef business partner, Armand Hemingway. Maggie’s mom wants her married - right now - and thinks this business thing is just a little fling. Her dad is a big time football fan with little use for exotic ingredients like lemon zest.

A big-money cooking competition was an interesting backdrop for the final action. The food sounded yummy and so did the romance. This was a lot of fun and I hope to sample more of Catherine Wade’s tasty delights.

Carolina Wolf

Title: Carolina Wolf
Author: Sela Carsen
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publisher URL: http://samhainpublishing.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60504-374-6
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy
Rating: 4.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amazon Nymph

Debra Henry is being pursued by two men; one is her true love and the other only wants what she is protecting. Debra is attacked one night by a rogue werewolf, is saved by Maddox and ends up taking him home to take care of him after he is hurt.

Carolina Wolf was a fun story to read. I enjoyed the way the author wove the history of Debra’s family into the way she was attracted to Maddox and the discovery of their shared history into the story. The way the rogue werewolf came about was an interesting twist.