Gone Country

Title: Gone Country

Author: Lorelei James

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publisher URL: www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61921-529-0

Genre: {M/F} Contemporary Western Series

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

When Gavin Daniels discovered he was the long-lost McKay love child, moving to Wyoming to be closer to relatives he barely knows never entered his mind. That changes when his daughter, Sierra, gets in trouble with the police and he’s awarded custody for one year.  With Sierra’s mother on the way to Paris with her boyfriend, Gavin needs the family support, but transplanting his daughter to Wyoming isn’t easy. Sierra hates the idea. Plus Gavin needs to run his business remotely and sharing the house with Rielle is difficult. She’s much sexier than he remembered.

When Gavin bought her failing B&B, Rielle Wetzler never imagined he’d move to Wyoming and she’d go from caretaker to housemate. It’s a tough transition for the fiercely independent businesswoman, but there’s no choice—it’s Gavin’s house. And surprise—her dormant libido is back and ready to go. It doesn’t take long and they’re sharing a bed, which complicates her relationship with her own daughter.  Rielle and Gavin have fun together in bed and out, but can these two vastly different people find happiness together? The forever kind?

Gone Country is the newest release in Lorelei James Rough Rider series. It’s possible to read this book as a standalone but to understand the relationship of the McKay family, they should be read in order.

I was enthralled by the idea of a non-cowboy McKay when Gavin was introduced several book ago. I’ve waited anxiously for him to get his own story and despite it being so different from the others in the series—I loved it. The pacing’s smooth; it has vivid descriptions, great secondary character interactions, new and interesting family tidbits, and it kept Sierra an important part of the story.

Other reasons I loved it:

1. The premise is more realistic.
2. Gavin’s older and more mature than the other male leads.
3. Gavin’s sexually inexperienced. In fact, he consults books and his brother Ben for advice. But then Rielle doesn’t know much about sex either.
4. There’s a great family feel to the story that comes from including Sierra and so many other McKays.
5. It has a more adult relationship feel and is less hurried since it happens over a period of months.
6. There’s plenty of time for Gavin to build his relationship with the family he didn’t know and it happens in a believable manner.

Hands on Justice

Title:   Hands on Justice

Author:  Tonya Ramagos

Publisher:  Siren-BookStrand

Publisher URL:  http://sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN/BIN: 1-62241-873-2

Genre:  {M/F/M}, BDSM, Series

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

Justice knows it is only a matter of time before Cade and Grant quit giving her space, especially since Cade made a big deal about describing things he and Grant want from her.  Justice wants both men, but doesn’t want to have the relationship public because of her job.

The fourth book in The Service Club series, Hands on Justice, picks up where Operation Mustang left off.  Justice, Cade and Grant are all attorneys that usually end up on opposite sides in court and this time is no exception.  Despite the legal arguments, both men go out of their way to get Justice.

Characters from the previous books show up, partly to help Justice learn more about herself and the club.  There is one very hot scene at the meeting that also turns into a crisis for Justice about her feelings.  Cade and Grant want to make sure that she knows they want her around a long time. 

The insecurities that the three have about their feelings for each other are a big focal point, along with the BDSM issues.  It is easy to understand the reservations Justice has about a relationship with two men that are involved with The Service Club, especially given the fact that she is an Assistant District Attorney because a lot of people are not comfortable with poly couples and a BDSM lifestyle.  I liked that the men knew that Justice could not give up her career.  I did laugh when the men realized that their life would also change, though it was sweet how they handled it at the end.

There are still a few members that are single, so fans of this series can expect more heat in the future.  I’m looking forward to reading more.

Adding to the Collection

Title: Adding to the Collection

Author: BA Tortuga

Publisher: Torquere Press

Publisher URL: www.torquerebooks.com

ISBN/BIN: none listed

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary Western Series

Rating: 3.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Derrick Stahlman is a California rancher and pretty much keeps to himself.  He loves bullriding and when the national finals come to nearby Reno, he heads out to see his favorite bullrider, Stone Haverty. Watching from the sidelines is exhilarating but when he catches Stone’s eye, Derrick gets a chance at having his fantasies come true when they hook up. But going home alone is just that—lonely. When an injured Stone shows up at his ranch, Derrick’s afraid of being outed but is still thinking about what it would be like having his bullrider with him all the time. Can Derrick confront the truth of what it might mean to his life or will he stay in the closet and force Stone to leave forever?

Adding to the Collection is BA Tortuga’s holiday release in the Roughstock series and it can be read as a standalone.

It’s a fun and entertaining look into the new relationship of a closeted rancher and a bullrider. It starts off fast at the finals when Derrick and Stone hook up. The sex between these two is smoking hot but they also manage to have fun together. The author sneaks in tidbits of background details about the guys without it being too wordy, giving just enough to let the reader feel as if they know the characters. I admit it. I always want more but in a release of just over 15K, the author did a good job fleshing out their personalities. The part in the middle, where Stone shows up injured, bogs down a little but it’s during this time that some of the most sweet and tender parts of the story happens too. Unfortunately it’s here Derrick disappointed me, but never fear, all is well by the end. 

Undone Diva

Title:  Undone Diva

Author:  Lila Dubois

Publisher:  Ellora’s Cave

Publisher URL:  www.jasminejade.com

ISBN/BIN:  9781419936227

Genre:  {M/F}, BDSM, Series

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

After doing the BDSM book, Emory immerses himself in work, but is surprised when Sasha insists on a meeting with him in person.  Once he finds out the reason, he isn’t surprised about the meeting as much as he was surprised by the fact that she is a submissive.  What starts out as protecting her turns into something else.

The last book in the Undone Lovers series, Undone Diva, probably has to be my favorite of the three.  There were some very lighthearted scenes, especially when Emory surprised Sasha, which had me laughing a lot.  The chemistry between the two is hot.  I was a little surprised by the first scene, because of some of the safety issues that should have been covered, though that was explained very well by the author later and made what happened understandable.

I enjoyed the concept of this book - where you get a glimpse of what it might be like to have a famous person in the BDSM lifestyle and what type of challenges that they might encounter.  While the majority of people in the BDSM community follow the concept of confidentiality, this was an example of what could happen and being “outed” without consent is an issue that can happen with someone with less than honorable scruples.

The creative way the author resolved this particular situation was great and I loved how the other issues ended up being resolved.  I liked that the author took pains to show the difference when someone takes advantage without explaining safety issues, and how most in the community behave. 

While readers don’t have to read the entire series in order, I recommend that you do.  I’m sorry to see this series end, but this will be one that will be read again and again.

When I’m Gone

Title: When I’m Gone

Author: Amber Redd

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publisher URL: www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-62380-259-2

Genre: {M/M} Paranormal Series

Rating: 3 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Rickie Tatten’s an emotional wreck. His life partner’s been missing for months and now his sister’s dead. All he wants is to be left alone, but instead his manipulative mother gets him to retrieve his deceased sister’s belongings from the mental institution in Stone Trails where she lived when she committed suicide. The town’s isolated and snow covered and isn’t anything like what he expected. Some of the townspeople are friendly but there’s definitely a creepy feeling about others. When Rickie gets to the institution and starts asking questions about his sister’s death, he ends up fighting something he didn’t even know existed—werewolves.

When I’m Gone is the newest release in Amber Redd’s Stone Trail series and they should be read in order.

Rickie is an intriguing guy. He’s recently had a couple of terrible events in his life and he doesn’t have anyone to lean on for emotional support. He feels alone. His mother’s a manipulative character and while in the story briefly she’s nicely handled, and it sets up getting Rickie to Stone Trails.  The descriptions of the institution and town are filled with just the right amount of suspense and plenty of creepiness. There are some interesting townspeople that supply tidbits of information that round of the story and I hope to see them again.

Now to my cons:

1. For its length, the story starts off with lots of build up, and despite being well written it seems to drag. It’s not until later that the plot seems to really speed up and then it seems rushed.
2. The ghostly apparition, Albert and the werewolves are thrown into the plot in the short time span.
3. Albert recovered too quickly (spoiler alert).
4. For a Stone Trails book, I was expecting a much greater percentage of the story to involve werewolves.

Anyway, the potential is there and the ending leads to the happily-ever-after you’d expect. It also gives an inkling of new friendships with ‘good’ werewolves living in the area. So who knows what’s next, but it should be interesting. 

Happy Hanukkah

Title: Happy Hanukkah

Author: Z. Allora

Publisher: MLR Press

Publisher URL: www.mlrbooks.com

ISBN: 978-1-60820-8067

Genre:  {M/M} Series Holiday
Rating: 3 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

Uncle Leo has always been a helpful friend as well as a mentor to all of the guys in the rock band, so it is only natural that the members of the Dark Angels would celebrate the holiday with their honorary uncle. Uncle Leo had given band members Robin and Josh a home until they became adults.

Happy Hanukkah is a holiday addition to the Dark Angels series. The plot features a brief history of the beginnings of Hanukkah. The story also brings up to date all the relationships or the lack of relationships for the characters previously introduced in the series. The main feature in the story is the kinky gifts given by Robin, as well as the diverse methods the gifts were utilized. Even though intimacy is the only emotion illustrated, Happy Hanukkah is a mildly amusing enjoyable saga.       

Prime Selection

Title:  Prime Selection

Author:  Monette Michaels

Publisher:  Liquid Silver

Publisher URL:  www.liquidsilverbooks.com

ISBN/BIN:  978-1-59578-984-6

Genre:  {M/F}, Sci-Fi, Series

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

Huw and Nadia connected after his brother and her Commander ended up mating as ‘battle-mates’.  What Nadia doesn’t know is that Huw thinks his mate is one of the Lost Ones from Prime.  Meantime, he is hurting Nadia and displaying signs of mating, even as he denies the connection with Nadia.

Prime Selection is the second book in The Prime Chronicles series and picks up where Prime Obsession ends.  The revolt by the Pure Prime faction is starting to target all non-Prime women, even though women on Prime have died out.  What is a surprise to the Prime leadership and medical personnel is that non-Prime women can be battle-mates.

The author shows a good grasp of some military tactics, as several battles showcase what battle-mates can do.  I did want to slap Huw several times as he definitely showed his stubbornness with his ideas.  I liked that Nadia put him in his place, once he accepted the link.  The chemistry between them burns the pages up.

A lot of the secondary characters were in the first book.  There are also a lot of loose ends from the first book, some of which were answered in this one, but will definitely show up in future books.  The revolt seems to be heating up, with traitors helping it along.

I was very happy to see this second book and hope the next one won’t take as long before I get to read it. Yes, you need to read Prime Obsession before reading Prime Selection to get the full impact of the Primes and how they relate to the Terrans and other races. 

What She Wants

Title: What She Wants

Author: BA Tortuga

Publisher: Torquere Press

Publisher URL: www.torquerebooks.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61040-402-0

Genre: {M/F/M} Contemporary Western Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Calleigh and her husband Adrian have been married for eight years but spent most of it apart. She’s stayed home working long hours as a nurse and he’s toured the country bullriding with his traveling partner and lover, Packer. She and Adrian agreed to an open marriage but now she wants her husband back, so Calleigh gets in shape, develops a new attitude and hits the road. Her scheme is simple. Fight for her husband and create enough of a relationship with Packer that the guys let her stay. It works better than expected and suddenly the three of them are having more sexual escapades than she ever imagined, but they’re emotionally intertwined too. Can these three lovers make a go of their new relationship or will it die out by season’s end?

What She Wants is the newest release in BA Tortuga’s Roughstock series and can easily be read as a standalone.

I was surprised in the change of subject matter for this one. Instead of the usual two men of the previous releases, this time we have the addition of a sassy and spunky female. Calleigh really made this newest story enjoyable for me. She’s full of self-doubt but still willing to step out of her comfort zone to go after what she wants—her husband. She’s a likeable woman and Ms. Tortuga did a good job developing her personality. The pacing to get her together with Adrian and Packer is fast, too fast really to be believable but it works within the framework of the story.

Adrian and Pack are interesting guys. They’ve been together as traveling partners and lovers for years. They have lots in common—a history—so adding Calleigh to the mix should’ve been awkward but she’s smoothly integrated into their lives. At least to a point. *Spoiler Alert* The physical relationship between these three is smoking hot and it takes up a huge portion of the book—really too much. I mean pages and pages. I almost gave it a lower score because the sex overwhelmed the actual story but the sex is so well done, I just couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong there’s other things going on in the book besides their bedroom antics—rodeoing, dinner, dancing, and recuperating from injury to name a few—it’s just excessive.

So, if you’re a fan of this series, or M/F/M books in general, I think What She Wants is a release you might want to try. It has an interesting plot, more than a few surprises and three characters you can care about. Enjoy.