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.

Trusting Love

Title:  Trusting Love

Author: Mari Evans

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

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

ISBN/BIN: 9781627989565

Genre: {M/M}, Coming of Age

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Laurie’s life is not that of a typical teenager.  Coming from an abusive family situation he now lives in a group home for boys.  Dreaming of becoming a veterinarian assistant, the young man volunteers at the local animal shelter where he meets Sam. Laurie is surprised by how much his life is about to change.

Trusting Love is my first book by author Mari Evans, but it will not be my last.  From the first page I was pulled into this coming of age story.  Laurie is the type of character that readers will find themselves falling in love with.  Even though he has had a hard childhood, the events of which may leave readers crying, there is still innocence to him.  The way he would get flustered around Sam in the beginning had me laughing.

Sam is the new vet in town, and is ten years older than Laurie, who is only 17 when the story starts.  He’s instantly attracted to the younger man but readers will understand why he hesitates to act on the attraction.  I like that the author uses this as part of the story line rather than pretending the age difference is a non-issue. 

There are a few issues in the story, some the readers may see coming and others they will not.  The secondary characters are just as well written as the main characters and each helps move the story along. 

Trusting Love really made me a fan of this author and I cannot wait to see what she will have out next.

For Love of: Tangi

Title: For Love of: Tangi

Author: Antonio

Publisher: Smashwords

Publishers URL: https://www.smashwords.com

ISBN/BIN: 9781311457059

Genre: {M/M}, Coming of Age, Young Adult

Rating: 5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Colt’s life has been golden, never really knowing a moment of uncertainty or discontent until the day he meets Tangi.  Tangi is the “new kid” at school and, like Colt, a senior.  When Colt mistakes the other boy for a girl, and asks him to lunch in front of the entire class, everything changes for both of them. 

For Love of: Tangi is my first book by this author and I have to say I enjoyed it very much.  The story is a little unusual as, at times, it seems as if there are more than two main characters. However the story does center on Colt and Tangi, with everyone else pulled into their universe.  Colt is the town’s golden boy but he does not carry the air of entitlement such a position would bring which is unusual.  His confidence takes a hit, however, when he meets Tangi.  I liked that the author allowed him to continue to feel uncertain even as he sets out to befriend, and later falls in love, with Tangi. 

Tangi is different from the rest of the kids at school.  Thanks to his parents, Tangi is a world traveler which gives him an exotic air; the fact that his looks are unique does not hurt either.  While he is not offended by the fact that Colt thinks he is a girl at first, he really does expect the school’s star football player to keep the lunch date that shocks the school.  Tangi is an easy going character.  I love that the author gives him a hidden strength that both young men will find useful at times.

The author also handles the intimacy between the two young men in a way that comes across wonderfully.  The passion between them is hot and intense, even though they choose to take things slowly, waiting to become more physical.  

There is a wide variety of secondary characters in For Love of:  Tangi.  Each one is necessary for moving the story along and, many times, are just as important as the main characters.  There are many fun moments in the story, as well as some tense ones.  The story flows smoothly and will hold the reader’s attention until the very last page.  I could not help hoping for a sequel as For Love of: Tangi came to an end.  I will be keeping my eyes open for more from this author, and encourage those who love the coming of age/young adult sub-genre to give this book a try.

Trust Me

Title: Trust Me
Author: Jeff Erno
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publisher URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-61581-581-4
Genre: {M/M}, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Rating: Golden Blush
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Critter Nymph

When Bobby and Shawn first met at the age of 12, they never realized that their lives would turn out the way they did; or that they would come to mean so much to each other.

Trust Me by Jeff Erno is possibly one of the best stories I have read this year. It was most definitely one of the toughest. This is an author who knows how to pull everything from his characters, giving the readers an intensely written story that will keep you reading till the final page. With Trust Me, the author brings the stories of Shawn and Bobby to life. I say stories because the book stretches over a period of several years and touches on the young men’s lives until they reach their early 20’s.

The young men face many struggles at home, with their families, with their faith and of course, with their sexuality. Both of them also suffer from abuse in one form or the other, and readers should know that there is a rape scene in the story. As the men struggle through their lives, the anger, confusion, fear, and insecurities they portray are very believable, as are the way they deal with the many issues before them.

When these two finally came together, I wanted to cheer out loud. The love that Bobby and Shawn feel for each other was, in many ways, both pure and intense. Unfortunately, their story does not end there and if you want to know what happens next you will have to get the book.

Trust Me is more than deserving of the Golden Blush award and I strongly urge fans of the m/m genre to go out and buy a copy today.