Naughty Nights (Box Set)

Title:  Naughty Nights (Box Set)

Author:  Kate Hill

Publisher:  Changeling Press

Publisher URL:  www.changelingpress.com

ISBN/BIN:  07173-02311

Genre:  {M/M/F}, {M/F/M}, Ménage, Bisexual, Paranormal, Sci-Fi

Rating:  4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

Enslaved - 4 Nymphs

Darkrock and Strongsea have been forced into a marriage to merge their two sectors, as they are constantly at war.  As a gift, Radiance is given to them as a slave after she crashes on their planet.  She later ends up married to the two men.

Commanded - 4 Nymphs

Finesse has been hired by Radiance’s family to make sure Radiance is okay.  What happens instead is that she ends up in Blackstare’s and Rocksurf’s custody as their sector is at war.  Once she fulfills her mission to Radiance family, Finesse ends up staying and marrying the two men.

Devoured -  4 Nymphs

In an unusual move, Passion is allowed to become an ambassador to Shandra, even though she must be in the company of male co-workers to actually travel to the planet.  Timber and Red rescue her after she is kidnapped by thieves and ends up paying what is known as the Sacred Debt.

I really enjoyed the Naughty Nights (Box Set) by Kate Hill.  Ms. Hill happens to be one of my must read authors, though this is the first time I have read these particular stories.  She has created an interesting world on Shandra with ideas and customs regarding women that will drive independent women crazy.  Because of the lack of women on Shandra, one woman marries two men.  Some of these male couples could also be lovers, or in the case of Passion, she marries two brothers.

The contrast between the three stories regarding the circumstances of the marriages is interesting. One common theme is that all the men think Earth women are wild.  The women end up making some strides within the sectors, regarding the rights of women. 

Each story has a conflict that must be overcome, which allows all to give voice to their feelings.  The chemistry between each triad is intense.  Each of these stories were previously published as separate novellas.

Apple Brew

Title: Apple Brew

Author: West Thornhill

Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing

Publisher URL: www.totallybound.com

ISBN: 9781784302689

Genre: {M/M/M/M} Fantasy Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

Jude, one of the five guardians of the Tuatha de Danaan treasure, is determined to protect his fellow guardians even if it means surrendering his freedom to their enemy Gethin. Xeno, who is the custodian of tranquility for the guardians, is struggling to make sense of recently revealed information regarding his fae legacy.

  

Apple Brew is the third book in the Delectable Vines series. The setting is a small community outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. The history of the plot is two factions of fae clans fighting to gain power over the Tuatha de Danaan treasure. If the treasure lands in the wrong hands, the veil between the fae and human worlds will be lifted propelling darkness to take over the earth. The appointed Caerwyn fae guardians are Rex, Ace, Cyd, Jude, Niko and now Xeno. Their enemy is Gethin, a royal member of the Cimmerian Fae. The guardians are all bonded to each other through a destined love.

In this episode, some secrets have been revealed while still more secrets remain hidden. Xeno discovers he is Fae plus he has dark powers from the Cimmerian side of his heritage. Jude is on a quest to discover his past.

West Thornhill has created a fascinating as well as an enjoyable cliff hanger. I look forward to the next installment.   

Reader Advisory: This series is best read in sequence.

Nothing Special

Title: Nothing Special

Author: A.E. Via

Publisher: Amira Press

Publisher URL: www.amirapress.com

ISBN: 978-1-627620-50-5

Genre: {M/M} {M/M/M/M} Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx

First day on the job, rookie cop Leonidis Day informs everyone in the meeting room of two specifics about himself. One is that he is gay and two is that he wishes to work with Detective Cashel Godfrey.

Nothing Special begins with Cash and Leo developing a friend to lover’s relationship then towards the latter part of the novel, it suddenly changes into a four-man friends with benefits get-together. The setting is Atlanta, Georgia. The main theme is crime fighting. The characters are creditable.

Leo is an outspoken quick-thinking narcotics detective who takes his job seriously, which means he is not afraid to do whatever it takes to capture a perpetrator or save the life of his colleagues. Yet there is also a compassionate side to Leo for anyone caught up in desperate circumstances. Leo has loved Cash for years. However his flirty innuendos never progressed beyond friendship until Cash kissed him.

Cash is conscientious with reference to his job but he has a persistently irate demeanor that makes him appear surly to co-workers as well as extremely dangerous to criminals. Leo is the only person who can inspire Cash to laugh. Cash’s attitude stems from the dark secrets of his past.  Nevertheless, Cash and Leo are compatible because Cash is bisexual, his sexual interest are motivated by a person’s personality, not by their gender. Working together for over four years, Cash and Leo have formed a comfort zone that Cash did not want to complicate with sex. When Cash realized his feelings had grown beyond friendship, Cash and Leo became lovers, vowing to have a monogamous long term relationship.    

A.E. Via has created an impressive saga by fusing humorous dialog, exciting action as well as several intimacy scenes.  I particularly enjoyed the drug raid scenes.

Apple Wine

Title: Apple Wine

Author: West Thornhill

Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing

Publisher URL: www.totallybound.com

ISBN: 9781781849644

Genre: {M/M/M/M/M/M} Fantasy Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

Xeno is now part of a loving relationship.  Except, instead of one special someone in his life, Xeno has five. Unfortunately, Xeno’s over protective family does not share in his happiness. It is time for long kept family secrets to be revealed.

West Thornhill’s Apple Wine is the second book in the Delectable Vines series.

The plot is a fantasy set in Virginia. The theme is groups of Fae clans hiding amongst the humans. Greed and power are the main elements featured.  Moving in with the five owners of Delectable Vines, Xeno is still not aware of his lovers’ true heritage or of his own heritage. The longstanding secrets were originated to provide protection plus balance for both the Fae as well as the humans. Xeno is destined to bond with the five Danaan guardians; he is the one to complete the Sextet along with strengthen them. 

Apple Wine is an absorbing saga I found enjoyable. I look forward to the implied wicked actions of the perpetrator to commence hopefully coming in the next installment.  

Apple Mead

Title: Apple Mead

Author: West Thornhill

Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing

Publisher URL: www.totallybound.com

ISBN: 9781781848425

Genre: {Six Male Ménage} Fantasy Series

Rating: 3.5 Nymphs  

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

I’m nothing special; this is how Xeno always thought of himself until the five men from Delectable Vines found Xeno again months after a night of their first love fest. Not only is Xeno special, he is necessary to complete the guardian’s circle.

Apple Mead is the first book in the Delectable Vines series. The setting is a small community outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. The plot is a succession of intimacy scenes; I assume this is the primary element of the storyline. The characters are somewhat interesting but lack depth. Five fae men are guardians for the Tuatha de Danaan treasure as well as the owners of a vineyard. Xeno is a graduate student of medieval studies. He has distinguishing tattoos that could possibly indentify his true linage as Fae. Xeno is also the essential bond that connects all the men together. 

Overall, West Thornhill’s Apple Mead is an enjoyable saga that instigates more questions than the plot answers.  I look forward to a more developed storyline in the next episode. 

Bondage Slave for Hire

Title:  Bondage Slave for Hire

Author:  Laura Tolomei

Publisher:  eXtasy Books

Publisher URL:  www.extasybooks.com

ISBN/BIN:  978-1-77111-718-0

Genre:  {M/F, M/M/M, M/F/M/M} BDSM, GLBT, Holiday, Paranormal

Rating: Golden Blush Award

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

Lilly loves being a bondage slave.  When she saw Terry, then his two lovers, she decided they were the only ones that could be her masters.  What she didn’t know is what price she would have to pay if she wanted to live beyond Halloween.

Bondage Slave for Hire is the first book I’ve read by author Laura Tolomei and it won’t be my last.  Ms. Tolomei was very creative in her picture of slaves in this particular bondage club, with everything working toward one night of the year.  This story was very original, and not like anything I have read before.

As the story progresses, readers will start to get an inkling of what Julian and Andre are, but still won’t have a clue about Terry until the end. I was extremely surprised about Halloween night and how descriptive the author was, which borders on horror.

The chemistry, and later love, between the four main characters is apparent. The fact that Lilly was willing to do what she did could only have been done for love, even as she was being told she was not supposed to love the three men.

Secondary characters come and go, but each contribute to the story in their own way.  Readers will love some and hate others, but all add to the story and Lilly’s experiences with Terry, Julian and Andre.  

Some things can be disturbing in this story, but everything that happens is geared toward Halloween Night and the ritual that happens.  Those of us familiar with different BDSM lifestyles may cringe at some things, but in this case the scenes are warranted.  Kudos to Ms. Tolomei for Bondage Slave for Hire.

Melonne Brac’s Mistletoe Madness

Title: Melonne Brac’s Mistletoe Madness

Author: Lynn Hagen                        

Publisher: Siren Bookstrand

Publisher’s URL: http://www.sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN/BIN:  9781622423378

Genre: {M/M/F}, Paranormal, Holiday, Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Melonne is no longer the little five-year old girl that came to live with Maverick Brac’s pack.  Unfortunately, her adoptive father, Maverick, can’t seem to notice. With two mates, one a Christmas elf and the other human, Melonne can’t decide what would be best; taking her mates and running or finding some way to get her father to accept them.

With Melonne Brac’s Mistletoe Madness, the Brac Pack series reached the big 30.  This holiday addition is slightly different from the previous one.  In this story, Melonne is bound and determined to claim her mates, but complications abound as first Ruttford’s brother stirs up trouble with bookies on his tail, then Adam wants to exploit Brac Village for money.  I could completely understand Maverick’s difficulty letting Melonne go.  This tough Alpha has raised her since she was five and his overprotectiveness is well known.  I was actually more surprised that Melonne was upset by the way he was acting since I thought she, more than anyone, should have known better.  I wasn’t very impressed by either Adam or Ruttford.  While I could understand Ruttford’s unwillingness to wait any longer to mate with Melonne, I found him to be a little heavy-handed at times with her.  As for Adam, I could understand him doing his job in the beginning, regardless of how repulsive it was, but the fact that he had no trouble planning to exploit Melonne’s family after realizing what they were, made me dislike him even more.  I was surprised by how fast Melonne forgave him.

I did, however, love the way this story is full of the many wonderful characters we have met before.  While many years have past since the various mates have shown up, and they have all more or less matured, they each still carry themselves the way they did when we first met them.  Johnny had me laughing more than once, especially when he had Hawk give Melonne the ‘birds and bees’ talk.  As fans of this series would expect, when a threat is leveled against the pack the mates take things into their own hands, rather than tell the shifters, and things soon get out of hand. 

Melonne Brac’s Mistletoe Madness also furthers the plot of this series.  New characters are introduced and new problems planned for.  While there are some aspects of this story I had problems with, this was a fun book to read and I am waiting to see what will happen next.

Vencentio

Title: Vencentio 

Author: Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Siren Bookstrand

Publisher URL: www.sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-62241-506-9

Genre: {M/M/M/M} Contemporary Paranormal Series

Rating: 3.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Vencentio thought being rescued from his pack would be the first step to a new life until he gets locked in a room at the High Council Estate. He spends his days staring out the window, only getting an occasional visitor—a man who has sex with him.

Carter needs an Omega and shows up at to court Vencentio in hopes of getting to join his pack. Their initial meeting doesn’t go smoothly. When Carter learns no one from the Omega Network knows that Vencentio’s being held at the High Council Estate, Carter helps him escape, and they head to Denver and Tristan.

Abuse has made Vencentio bitter and nothing Carter does satisfies him, putting their relationship at a stalemate. He eventually makes friends with Marlowe and Gavin but Vencentio still has trust issues. Where does that leave Carter? Can they ever make an inner circle work?

Vencentio is the last release in Joyee Flynn’s Resistant Omegas series. Tristan and his mates from the first release, along with why the Omega Network was started come from the first book. I recommend you at least read it first.

The basic premise from one book to the next is the same—abused omega is rescued and finds his mates, but here Ms. Flynn has come up with a unique slant for the opening. It’s a subtle difference I appreciated before the story flowed into more of a familiar format. Despite some heavy moments, Vencentio’s a fairly light and fun read. Yes, there are some twists but nothing that really surprised me. The descriptions are good and the pacing is steady as it flows from one scene to the next. Using Tristan and his mates as supporting characters as leaders of the Omega Network is a great way in continuing their involvement in the series.

Now to Carter. I liked this alpha male. He had trouble with Vencentio initially and was pushed away for a while but finally figured out how to deal with the omega over time. Vencentio is definitely not my favorite omega of this series. For much of the book, he’s far too bitter and angry. I understand the why but for me it went on too long. Marlowe and Gavin are interesting guys and rounded out the inner circle nicely. I just wish there’d been more time to get to know them better. Watch for Wesley, coming next.

Dewey

Title: Dewey

Author: Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Siren Bookstrand

Publisher URL: www.sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61926-998-9

Genre: {M/M/M/M} Contemporary Paranormal Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Being treated as a sex slave for the last two years has made life miserable for Dewey. The only bright spot is the love he shares with Taggart and even that’s kept secret to avoid them being killed. His only chance of getting out of his pack alive is being rescued by the Omega Network and he won’t leave without Taggart.

Taggart’s the lone dire wolf in the pack and because of his size and strength has been drugged to keep him controlled. When the Omega Network steps in and Dewey’s given sanctuary with Tristan in Denver, Taggart is allowed to go along, but it’s not all smooth sailing. Not only do two dire wolf betas, Percy and Azyle, arrive to see if Dewey and Taggart will complete their inner circle but because of the wolfbane, Taggart goes into a dangerous withdrawal. Will Taggart survive and if he does, can he and Dewey find happiness with a new pack?

Dewey is book five in Joyee Flynn’s Resistant Omegas series. There are several important returning characters, so I recommend the books be read in order.

I enjoyed this latest addition to the series and the unexpected twist of Dewey starting the story already in love with Taggart. He’s just as physically abused as the other omegas in the series but his emotional pain is worse since the man he loves is willingly staying with the pack—and being drugged. It’s not something the author has touched on before but the distress both men feel at being unable to rescue the other is handled well.

One of the features about this release that I appreciate the most is how much of the plot is devoted to recovery. Despite the many terrible things that happened to Dewey and Taggart, it doesn’t overly dwell on the bad stuff more than necessary. Instead you get how much they love each other. Percy and Azyle are good additions and make a nice complete inner circle, unfortunately Dewey and Taggart are so tight that the story is a little unbalanced—at least for awhile. Two couples coming together made for issues to resolve but by the end Ms. Flynn had done that and melded them into a believable foursome. Vencentio is coming next.

Genetic Celebrity

Title:  Genetic Celebrity

Author:  Tara Lain

Publisher:  Loose Id

Publisher URL:  www.loose-id.com

ISBN/BIN:  978-1-61118-889-9

Genre:  {M/M/F}, Ménage, Series

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

Roan wants to retire as a model, but his agent Booky doesn’t know how to replace him.  Roan literally runs into Shay, taking him home to his business partner, Tommy.  Both Roan and Tommy think Shay can be the next top male model, but Booky needs to agree.

Genetic Celebrity, the fourth book in the Genetic Attraction series, continues the story of the characters we met in the first three books.  The description the author gives of Shay tells a reader immediately that he will be replacing Roan in the modeling world.  The main issue is that Shay is very insecure despite his attitude.

I liked the way the author got Tommy and Booky together, even though it seems to have made Shay very unhappy until both confront him about what he wants.  The twists that continue throughout the book between Shay and others, especially the confrontation with one of the designers, shows the reader just how much he needs love without conditions in his life, and the author does a good job showing this to Shay.

I did have to laugh about some of the situations, especially when Shay found out that Roan and his family seemed to gravitate toward poly relationships.  I don’t think until that moment that Shay even realized that such a thing existed, much less worked.  A reader learns more about Roan, Em and Jake’s lives in this story as well. 

This was a fun series to read and I recommend that readers read the entire series in order, though this book could be read alone.

Lennox

Title: Lennox

Author: Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand

Publisher URL: www.sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN/BIN: 1-61926-668-7

Genre: {M/M/M/M} Contemporary Paranormal Series

Rating: 3.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx 

Lennox Ashton is one of the omegas rescued from his abusive inner circle now that the Omega Network is up and running. He was kept captive in a small attic room for years, enduring horrible torture. Now free and crippled, without family or friends, he has nothing to live for. 

Seeing Lennox during his rescue, Hugo Cormac’s smitten, refusing to leave Lennox’s side. When Hugo’s appointed the new alpha of the Oceanside pack, he convinces the recovering Lennox of his feelings and he goes along as the omega. They have to start a new life and pick betas Blair Peregrine and Falcon Beall to round out their new inner circle. But the past comes back to haunt Lennox before they have a chance to meld their lives together and Lennox is captured. Can his three men find him in time or will they be too late? 

Lennox is the newest release in Joyee Flynn’s Resistant Omegas series and I suggest the books be read in order. 

This is a good addition to the series and with the Omega Network in place has a vastly different feel from the first book. I like how this one started…with Lennox’s rescue, but I wasn’t expecting the severity of his injuries…that he’d be crippled/maimed. Between Lennox and Hugo, there’s a lot of swirling emotions in the first part of this story and the author does a nice job dealing with them. She also does well explaining why and how Lennox was abused, its affect on him and how Hugo is helping him deal with it. I like how some of this is handled but after being abused, the physical part of the relationship between the men moves forward much faster than seems reasonable for the situation.  

I like the guys in this book. Hugo is a caring alpha, Blair and Falcon are tender and protective and they make a good inner circle for Lennox. They’re new to each other but still have a playful and humorous side I enjoyed. The story is fun and entertaining with lots of intense emotions, suspense, danger and plenty of blistering hot sex. My other niggles…I didn’t expect such quick resolutions of Lennox’s crippling or the resolution of his kidnapping (my lips are sealed on the details). I look forward to the next book, hopefully with one of the new pack members.

Edric

Title: Edric

Author: Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand

Publisher URL: www.sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN: 1-61034-976-8

Genre: {M/M/M/M} Contemporary Shape-shifter Series

Rating: 3.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx 

The Omega Network Tristan and Carson envisioned is up and running and they’ve already identified several Omegas needing immediate rescue. One of those is Edric.  

With the death of his parents, Edric Sawyer came under the control of his power hungry uncle. Desperate to get away, he contacts the Omega Network and when he gets to Carson’s, Edric is nervous but excited about the changes in his life. Getting to pick his inner circle isn’t something Edric ever expected and he’s thrilled at the chance to make decisions for the first time in his life. When he meets Blaine, Colin and Rowan, Edric’s hopeful and ready to open his heart to love. 

But things don’t work out like Edric thought. Instead of the caring, affectionate and protective Alpha and Betas he expected, he’s faced with three upset and angry wolves. When Edric learns why, he’s deeply hurt because what they accuse him of isn’t true and he runs. Will this terrible misunderstanding cause a permanent rift in their relationship or can it be fixed? 

Edric is book three in Joyee Flynn’s Resistant Omegas series and I recommend they be read in order. 

It’s been a bit since the second release, Carson, so I appreciated the prologue. It reminded me of the reasoning behind the Omega Network, let us see a little of our two previous Omegas, Carson and Tristan and gave us a look at several possibilities for the Omegas of future releases. 

I liked the beginning scenes with Edric at Carson’s house and the process they went through, introducing two inner circles who might be matches. The different between the two, one tender and caring while the other was as bad the situation he’d left was a nice contrast. I also liked Carson’s anger and seeing the nasty Alpha get punched was a nice, satisfying touch.  

This is the point where I had high hopes for Edric and his relationship with Blaine, Colin and Rowan, so I expected the bottom to fall out and did it ever…artfully so. I must say though that I didn’t anticipate the Alpha and Betas would act so badly.  The personalities created for them didn’t do it for me. They should have been level headed individuals able to lead a pack; instead they reacted like unruly teenagers. It was a turn-off. I liked Edric’s response to what happened. He stood up for himself and acted in a realistic manner by taking himself out the situation. Edric and his ability to forgive and his desire to make things right is what saved the story for me. I liked him and wanted the little sweetie to find a happily ever after.

Steam Powered Passion

Title: Steam Powered Passion

Author: Corinne Davies

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand

Publisher URL: http://www.sirenbookstrand.com

ISBN: 1610340159

Genre: {M/M/F} {M/M} {M/F} Steampunk, Series

Rating:  Golden Blush Award

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Rogue Satyr 

Lady Tori Trenton knew her husband didn’t love her. Their marriage had been one of convenience, for political reasons. She didn’t love Lord Trenton either. But she is still shocked when an airship pirate captures Trenton’s frigate and tells Trenton he can keep one item; his wife or his ship. Lord Trenton chooses his ship. 

Tori married Trenton because the only man she truly cared about died at sea. If someone had to make a sacrifice to marry Trenton for her family, she thought it should be her. She is stunned to find Sean, still alive and first mate to Captain Mal, the pirate who attacked her husband’s ship. 

Tori believes her fate will be similar to the two ship doxies she is quartered with. That is until she comes to realize that Sean may still love with her and what’s more, Mal is intrigued by her. But Sean and Mal are now lovers and Tori worries Sean only loves men now. She knew Sean was a steampunk engineer who loved to tinker and is aghast to find that Sean has a mechanical arm now. Sean keeps Mal’s amazing ship, the “Seahawk” sailing. 

Events spiral out of control. Outside influences, personality conflicts, and the past of all three threaten to destroy what could be a wonderful three-way relationship. 

Steam Powered Passion is what all erotic steampunk should strive to be; Victorian ethics and technology intermingled with modern day sensibilities and fantastic inventions, with some very hot sex. It is a fantastic read and the plot, both character and adventure driven, will keep you on the edge of your seat. Mal, Sean, and Tori are all very detailed, unique and believable characters. Each have their own wants, desires, and agendas; often at odds with each other. They are all very lovable characters and I cared deeply about what happens to them. Mal and Sean’s relationship is obviously lacking something, but Tori adds the right balance to make the ménage a trios both wonderfully erotic and believable. That is if all three strong personalities don’t screw it up by the end of the story. 

The plot is clear and fun. This isn’t to say there aren’t some angst ridden moments where you want to reach in and strangle the protagonists or that there aren’t any sad and poignant moments. The plot works on two levels -  romance and adventure -  and it does so deftly. 

I’m glad that Steam Powered Passion is the first in the series, Steampunked Lust.  The world Corinne Davies created definitely deserves visiting again. I would love to learn more about the politics, technology and culture of this unique universe.

Carson

Title: Carson
Author: Joyee Flynn
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Publisher URL: http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/
ISBN: 1-61034-427-8
Genre: {M/M/M/M} Contemporary Shape-shifter
Rating: 3.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Carson’s old inner circle beat him and when they were challenged and overthrown, he knew he would become the Omega for the new Alpha and his Betas. He barely survived the abuse heaped upon him by his circle, and certain special members of the pack, and is certain he can only keep the new abuse at bay for a little while.
Running a pack is nothing Declan, Ian, and Taylor wanted but after seeing Carson and realizing how the inner circle was abusing him, they had no choice but to challenge them for control to prevent Caron from suffering further. When the battle was over, they might have gotten the Omega they desired but with his deep emotional baggage, having him isn’t easy.

Carson is the second release in Joyee Flynn’s new series, Resistant Omegas. Carson is a pretty tough man. He’s suffered years of abuse…not just from his old inner circle but from his parents and birth pack too and still, he tries to do the best he can despite being terrified. You can’t help but like him. I guess that’s one reason I found myself rooting for him to find a happily-ever-after. Ms. Flynn has done a nice job developing his personality, and watching him deal with his past, seeking counseling and learning to trust his mates was nicely handled. His physical relationship with Declan, Ian and Taylor starts off a little uncertain and the four men have more than a few missteps, but it isn’t long before they all reach an understanding that allows their caring to grow into a committed partnership. I just wish…gasp…there was less sex and more actual time getting to know one another.

I liked the addition of the characters from the first release, the scenes in front of the ruling council and the beginning steps that are taken to prevent further abuse of various Omegas in the future. With the way families and packs have dealt with the Omegas in this series, I can foresee lots of problems in upcoming releases and I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next.

Tristan

Title: Tristan
Author: Joyee Flynn
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing
Publisher URL: http://www.sirenpublishing.com/
ISBN: 1-61034-362-X
Genre: {M/M/M/M} Contemporary Shape-shifter
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

On reaching puberty, Tristan found he was different—he was an Omega—and learned his life would never be his own. By pack law, he’s destined to be sold to the biggest bidder and his body used by the Alpha and his two Betas to increase their power and the power of the pack. However, it doesn’t mean Tristan has to be happy about it, making the little strong-willed and stubborn Omega determined to stand up for himself in his new home.

Alpha Jared and his Betas, Cameron and Rhyce bring Tristan into their pack and get much more than they bargained for. Tristan might be forced to let the three men use him for sex, but that doesn’t mean he has to give them anything else that’s not spelled out in his purchase contract. They don’t know what to think. He’s nothing like what they expected. Can they ever win his heart as easily as they control his body and can they find any common ground to build a relationship that will grow and change, keeping them all safe when danger threatens?

Tristan is the first release in Joyee Flynn’s new series Resistant Omegas. It’s approximately 36K in length, giving the author enough time to write an attention-grabbing story but still short enough to be a quick and enjoyable read.

The twist of having the Omega be sold to the biggest bidder and his body used to increase the power of the pack inner circle is a new and unique concept for me. Ms. Flynn did a nice job creating this new world and developing the personalities of the four men. They couldn’t have been more different but they worked well with each other, fitting together like pieces of a interlocking puzzle.

Keeping the story in Tristan’s point of view allowed the reader to understand how he is feeling in this emotionally painful situation and I think it’s the best choice in how to present his tale. Otherwise, the impact of his situation would have been diminished.

I started off feeling sorry for Tristan but it didn’t take long to realize that this fiery Omega is more than capable of taking care of himself. In amongst some blistering hot sex, there’s also lots of misunderstanding, wrong impressions, hurt, anger and even a little danger as these four men learn what it means to be in a relationship…pack…and mates.

Long, Lonely Howl

Title: Long, Lonely Howl
Author: Lyn Gala
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publisher URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-61581-712-2
Genre: {M/M} {M/M/M/M} Werewolves
Rating: 3 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx

Casey Keller drives to King’s Canyon National Park to be comforted by his friend, Nathan, after breaking up with Adam, Casey’s live-in boyfriend. Arriving at the ranger’s station where Nathan works, Casey encounters a man who shifted into a wolf. Casey soon realizes this knowledge of werewolves actually existing targets Casey as a menace to the shifter’s secret society.

Long, Lonely Howl is a mundane, conflict-free, repetitive plot primarily consisting of extensive conversations regarding the pros and cons of turning Casey into a werewolf after Casey discovers Nathan is a shifter. Towards the end of the story are two vaguely descriptive sex scenes. Casey is an “in the closet” gay man because of his job. He enjoys working with children and fears a negative response from society. Casey has never stopped yearning for another chance to start a relationship with Nathan. Nevertheless, he settles for Adam who is an out-and-proud gay man. Casey’s relationship with Adam is chaotic. Adam demands to be recognized as a couple, while Casey refuses to even consider it. When Casey learns that Nathan is a werewolf, Nathan demands that Casey move to another state so he would not be tempted by the allure of Casey. Nathan is Alpha wolf to a pack of two misfits. I did not get the impression of genuine bonding between any of the characters. However, the story did reveal casual friends with benefits. The most enjoyable segments of Lyn Gala’s saga are the intermittent inclusion of amusing comments.

Dragon Ours

Title: Dragon Ours
Author: Joyee Flynn
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Publisher URL: http://www.sirenpublishing.com/
ISBN: 1-61034-182-1
Genre: {M/M/M/M} Shape-shifter
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

When it became known that men were being held captive in a sex slave ring, Sheriff Todd Zelner and six of his dragon friends set out to find their location and rescue them. When they break into the facility, they aren’t prepared for the horrible conditions or the number of men they find caged. With many more survivors than expected, each dragon takes several men home, agreeing to care for and protect them while they heal.

When Todd looks into one of the cages, he locks gazes with a man with the lightest blue eyes he’s ever seen. He’s stunned not only by the man but by his condition. He’s been beaten, has a broken leg and is mute. On releasing him, Todd discovers Dylan's been sharing the cage with Seth and Bryce. All three men need care and despite spending most of his long life alone, Todd can’t let them out of his sight. He volunteers to care for them himself. Can Todd learn to help these three abused men or will living with the three human males drive him crazy?

Dragon Ours is the second release in Joyee Flynn’s new North American Dragon series and it takes up shortly after where the first book left off. It’s a nicely paced sequel with a few brief flashes of returning characters; and while it would be helpful to have read Dragon Mine, it’s not imperative to understanding the storyline.

The story starts off quickly and progresses at a nice pace throughout, but there’s never a rush in the relationships between the men. There’s really more of a reluctance on Todd’s part to get involved stemming from a mysterious event in his past. This makes a nice plot twist, keeping the readers interest and encouraging them to continue reading…and it’s presented in a well described and believable manner. There’s additional historical information about dragon shifters in general and Todd’s clan specifically that’s nicely handled, fleshing out not just this story but the overall plot line as well.

The relationship between the four men is handled realistically, Todd always giving Seth, Bryce and Dylan the physical and emotional support they need...usually at the expense of what he wants. He’s a little too noble for his own good and Ms. Flynn has written his fear of possible reprisals against his mates well. I must admit that Dylan is my favorite of the three mates. His personality is by far the more open and vibrant. There is a nicely done mini-crisis involving Gabriel and several other individuals near the end that I feel the author handled particularly well. Read and enjoy.

Afterlife

Title: Afterlife
Author: Joey W. Hill
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Publisher URL: http://www.jasminejade.com/
ISBN: 9781419930959
Genre: {F/F}, {M/F/M/M/M} {M/F}, Ménage + more, BDSM,
Rating: Golden Blush Award
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amazon Nymph

Rachel feels unloved, ugly and has walled her true self inside since her divorce and the death of her son. Jon has been watching and waiting for the right time to make her his.

Wow! The author keeps you on a roller coaster of emotions and sexual heat that factor into Afterlife. My heart kept pounding as Jon made Rachel face her fears because I could identify with a lot of what she was going through. I felt in a lot of ways I was Rachel waiting for someone to really understand her. Jon had so much patience even though sometimes he got very frustrated with Rachel.

The men from Kensington & Associates support each other and go out of their way to help Jon in his quest to make Rachel understand he is there for the long haul, despite their age difference. In the fourth book of the Knights of the Board Room series, the men enlist their wives to help Jon try to break through Rachel’s walls. The incident with her ex brings things to a head and I felt that the author had a wonderful grasp of what it took to make Rachel finally face the fact that she was a beautiful and lovable woman.

Afterlife is also somewhat of a textbook in learning some of the basics within BDSM, though this was more about the submissive/slave side of serving a Master. Ms. Hill did a wonderful job weaving the elements together in the story. The secondary characters were an intricate part and I can’t wait for Ben’s story. This book can be read alone, though you will get the most enjoyment reading the first three in order. Be aware that books two and three are in print. I, for one, will be reading this series again.

Dying Assassin

Title: Dying Assassin
Author: Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Publisher URL: http://silverpublishing.info/
ISBN: 978-1-920484-24-8

Genre: {M/M/M/M/M} Gay Ménage and more, Shape-shifter

Rating: 5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Spencer, Ryder, Luc and Dean have settled down in South Dakota where they hope to build their new lives but someone is out to get Spencer, which makes for a bunch of unhappy werewolves.

Dying Assassin starts off from Ryder’s viewpoint, which is a change, as the previous two stories have been strictly told from Spencer’s viewpoint. The story also starts with a bang, quite literally, as someone comes after Spencer. Each new book is like peeling back another layer in the men’s make-up. Spencer works hard to make all his men feel loved, from getting horses for Luc to helping Ryder realize his worth. Ryder’s reaction to Spencer’s request for help in picking charities had me laughing. Although we learned a lot about Dean in the last book, he still seems a bit of a mystery and I can’t wait till we learn more about him.

Not only do the men have to wonder who may be after Spencer, but they also have some decisions to make about Ethan, the young man who showed up on their doorstep with a gun and orders to kill Spencer. The readers will find themselves just as drawn to this new character as Spencer.

While Dying Assassin ends with the men finding out who was after Spencer and why, it also brought some new problems to their door. As Wolf Harem will not be for every one’s taste, this is a wonderful series with some great characters. Although I am not sure how many more men can be added to the harem without losing some connection, this is a series that I hope will have many more stories to it. Readers who love ménage stories should give it a try, however, this is an open-ended series and the books must be read in order.

Spencer’s Secret

Title: Spencer’s Secret
Author: Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Publisher URL: http://silverpublishing.info
ISBN: 978-1-920468-76-7

Genre: {M/M/M/M} gay ménage and more, Shape-shifter

Rating: 5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Spencer, Ryder and Luc have been given an ultimatum by the council. Will it bring an end to their relationship or strengthen their bond? Plus, what will happen when Spencer’s men find out he has been keeping secrets?

Spencer’s Secret is the second book in the Wolf Harem series and it is terrific. The guys are back and have a lot of decisions to make, right from the start, so the reader is pulled back into their story from the first page. What I loved about this story is that it is not so much about them being werewolves, but about them being three men in a relationship and trying to make it work. Issues within their relationship soon arise as Luc begins to feel left out and he makes some good points. With the connection between Ryder and Spencer being so tight, it is easy for the reader to understand why Luc feels the way he does.

Just when it seems the men have figured things out the author throws in Dean, a young hitchhiker the men pick up on their way to South Dakota. The emotions Spencer goes through when he realizes the feelings Ryder has for Dean are gut-wrenching and I wanted to shake Ryder for the pain he was causing. Spencer’s fears of being left by his men, and not being loved for himself, become understandable as more of the story unravels. I was a little worried about Dean and how he would affect the men’s relationship, yet, in no time this new character wormed his way in. He is a strong addition to the harem as well as the story line. As for the ending, the cliff hanger is a humdinger and I could not wait to get book three.