Marquesate ~ Basic Training
From: MLR Press

Review of: Marquesate ~ Her Majesty’s Men

Ensan Case ~ Wingmen
1979 Avon
From: Cheyenne Publishing

Speak It’s Name Review

Early World War 2 Gay Romance
Reprint announced February 2012

Marquesate ~ Her Majesty’s Men
From: Camouflage Press

“Fuck!” Tom hissed between his teeth. Didn’t care. Didn’t give a damn about the consequences, had to seize the moment. Kill Alex. Fuck Alex. All the same. Wouldn’t make a difference. Blind red fury turned into lust. Instantly.
Using the second of surprise, he threw his weight to the side. Arms locked, taking the greater body with him, rolling until he came on top. Grinding his hips into Alex’s. Hard, brutal, as aggressive as the kicks and punches beforehand.
Disbelief lingered in Alex’s body, trapped with his back on the muddy ground. Tom didn’t understand nor cared nor wanted to know why there was still no reaction, only parted lips, harsh, near terror- struck shell-shocked breathing and wide eyed stare.
He came crashing down onto Alex’s face with lips and teeth, biting and tearing at the other. Assaulted the mouth, but his tongue conquered unhindered. Didn’t have to force himself inside the copper taste of hatred, anger, lust and pain. Sweeping unopposed into the heat, swallowing Alex’s distressed groans.
Tom’s blood smeared hands held onto broad shoulders. Forcing down, preventing resistance.
Which never came.
Riding the massive body; humping, grinding, wanting, needing, more more more! Own cock maddeningly hard. It had been three fucking years and the obsession had grown until it exploded in revulsion some weeks ago. Addicted greed, roughly and viciously taken.
Suddenly a harsh, guttural groan, terrifying in its primal need, when Alex jerked into violent action. Hands clutching, tearing, and Tom’s body was abruptly taken, wrapped in strong limbs, held in the other’s relentless grip.
Tom’s hips bucked up, grinding brutally into Alex’s, as he reciprocated in kind. Two men. Wild. Bruised. Bloodied. Hurting. Wanting.
Tom’s brain imploded.
Breathing frantically, wretched sounds mixed with sharp pants from Alex, while the air steamed around their desperate bodies. Writhing, clutching at each other’s jacket, tunic, belt. Mindlessly thrusting.
Ecstasy.
Alex’s growls reverberated in Tom’s head as tongue and teeth consumed him, swallowed him, split him open, while he tore the other raw in return. Tasting flesh and blood, icy cold, burning heat, mud, and sweat. ~ Page 24

Wow um…First thought.

Butch porn anyone?

This thing is butcher than a relationship between two angry southern bull dykes. After living in North Carolina for a couple of years now I have come to the conclusion that the only truly masculine gay leather men in the south are lesbian. I mean they’re the ones having a drink during daylight hours at the gay bars and riding around in pickup trucks with gay flag stickers plastered front and center and I have never seen one of them doing drag. It makes you think.

Those first two sex scenes are the most violent things I have read in a Gay Romance in… I don’t actually remember anything that violent or sexy in a Gay Romance I have read recently and that includes Rachel Haimowitz ~ Anchored: Belonging and let me just say I liked this way more bettererererer.

Marquesate found the masculine butch knob and twisted the dang thing all the way up to 11.

So yes, this story is very different than most of the insta-love, kissy face, “Straight To Gay/Gay For You” romances I have been reading lately.

The question is… is it any better than a kissy face romance?

You thought you were going to get out of the patented Teddypig “Straight To Gay/Gay For You” lecture I bet?

Listen writers and readers of Gay Romance out there. When you build a Gay Romance on “Straight To Gay/Gay For You” you build your house on sand.

It’s a transitory conditional state in my opinion.

I Teddypig swear to tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truthiness of the matter at hand. The truth is I see an HFN here because of the whole “Straight To Gay/Gay For You” storyline just leaves me with that idea.

Once you figure out you are gay that’s just the first step. It has nothing to do with coming out or accepting yourself or yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers. It’s not magic you know! People change all the time when they are young and learning new things about themselves and their changing relationships reflect that fact.

So the guy going to sleep straight and waking up gay is going to have to redefine for himself who he is and what he wants in life and no matter how physically strong he is or butch he is… well, none of that has anything to do with how internally capable he is of dealing with being gay.

This is how Republican politicians caught having their willies sucked in airport restrooms and other closet cases are born.

What I am saying is Alex will probably wind up the kid in the candy store and going out in search of what he enjoys while Tom, who is already gay, will still be just Tom. That’s life.

Grade B for being very different than other “Straight To Gay/Gay For You” stories in this genre.

Anthology ~ Esprit De Corps
From: MLR Press

Victor J. Banis
Josh Lanyon
Samantha Kane
George Seaton

Why does this sound like that pig is involved?
I can’t really review this anthology because I was sorta “involved”… but I do want to thank Laura Baumbach at MLR Press for letting me pitch this idea and contribute to helping make this book happen. I can honestly say this anthology represents some of my favorite Gay Romance Authors making magic about gay men serving in the military and I was so jazzed this actually came together and Anne Cain of course rocks the cover here. What a dream come true and simply top shelf all the way!

Merry Christmas Everyone!
I hope you like it as much as I do.

John Simpson ~ Naval Maneuvers
From: Dreamspinner Press

My blog buddy LBea and I did another dueling review.

Short summary…

I loved the authenticity the writer brought to the story. It was different and exciting to read.

But… I had to agree with LBea who felt the story was more M/M Erotica instead of M/M Romance which came out rather dry and perfunctory as she pointed out with this excerpt.

He kissed me on the stomach and went into the bathroom where he took a shower and brushed his teeth. I also brushed my teeth and we crawled back into bed pleasantly sated. I put my head on his chest and whispered, “That was incredible. Thank you.”

He answered by running his hand over my head and kissing me. We fell asleep in each other’s arms. We slept well and didn’t wake up until a little after 1000 hours. We got up, slipped our shorts on, and ordered coffee from room service along with orange juice. I put the television on so that we could see CNN and keep a check on anything developing in the world. ~ Page 62

It got a Grade C from me for being too unbalanced to work for many M/M Romance readers who might not be as entertained as I was by the Navy Jargon and the day to day life being described.