Mostly sex and a tiny little bit of sweetness

This one didn't do much for me. It's the perfect short story in the sense that you get thrown right in. No intro, no long decriptions or explainations, no backround. And it's executed very well. A short episode in the life of two MCs who have some clearing up to do. The writing was good, the execution was good, the MCs seemed okay, and yet...

I didn't take something with me after finishing. I can barely remember the characters, plot was thin, but the sex was good. That's really all I can remember, and frankly, that's not enough in order to get more than 2 stars. It was okay, but not one iota more than that.

This was so hard to read...


Jamal is a young man, a guest student in the US, having his first taste of freedom. Because he is a Muslim, gay, and is already afraid of going back home East, where he will either conform and marry a girl, or come out and not only loose his family, but probably also his life.

But for as long as he's in the US, he really likes to at least pretend to be free for a second. And when he meets Matt, really meets him, it all gets intense very fast. It tender, tentative and heart-breaking. Especially because it gets you thinking about all the repercussions the opression of the LGBTQ community all over the world really has. The problem of safe sex and testing is one of them, and one that a lot of people (me included) sometimes completely forget about. We focus on the violence, the mortal danger, the torture. What we tend to forget is the everyday life and what that kind of oppression really means. It doesn't matter how educated you are, how far away from home you are, how different your current freedom is from the rest of your life - it always stays with you. And you will always see repercussions for your acrtions everywhere. And I loved how the author managed to show it without saying it.

I enjoyed this story very much. Matt might not have been my most favorite person in the world. I found his empathy and understanding to be lacking. A lot. Seriously, how selfish and ignorant can you be? Never heard of persecution because of one's sexuality? Never heard about gay witch hunts or honor killings? Maaaaan. Really. But on the other hand - and it's hard for me to swallow - I can understand that his experiences with oppression are really non-existent. So who am I to judge so harshly? But I couldn't help but be annoyed with him.

Jamal was the gem of this story for me. His POV, his thoughts, his fears really stayed with me and made me think about him and people in similar situation for quite some time. Really good.

The writing wasn't as smooth as I'd have liked, but it wasn't bad. I did love the set-up and how it all turned out. The ending was perfect, and fit the tentative and unsure tone of the story perfectly. A HEA would have been ridicolous under the circumstances and if you're honest, then I'm not sure if there even was a possible soution for Jamal's drama. But I'd still love to read more about these two.

4 Bookworm Undercover Stars!

I loved the initial situation of this story so much! Is it a little ridiculous? Hell, yes! But is it FUN! And so well written, I couldn't stop reading. A book worm with questionable people skills most of the time, goes undercover as stripper in order to help out his cop family, meets the new guy on the force. The one with a big heart and the need to prove himself. What's not to like?

Nothing too heavy, despite the underlying themes, and also a little sexy. Cute and entertaining, and definitely recommended!

Huh...


I'm not sure about this one. I liked the idea behind it and how the prompt came to life through the characters. But, come oooon. Sex on a rock out in the open when there's a killer hot on your heels? One of the worst the cartel could have sent? Puhleeease. Just no.

While I enjoyed the crime/suspense story line, the romance felt a little rushed and forced to me. The epilogue was... meh. I guess, I liked it, but not more than that.

3.5 cute and sexy stars


Cute little story about friends becoming lovers despite some stupid mistakes. A nice "oppposites-attract"-theme going on there, too. All around sweet and easy, with a little bit of hurt and angst on the side. But, hello! Yummy guy with a big heart - in a KILT. What's not to like about it?

I was pleasently surprised by this story, especially because I despise corny pick-up lines, but with Edmund and Mack I was laughing a lot, in stead of getting annoyed. They just made it work!

The ending was fine, too. No sex, no smut - but it fit the bill perfectly. Smiles all around.