It's a Unicorn Bang Review! Chelsea, Sara and I get into the sweet daddy kink that is Exposed.



4.5 Hearts--Seduction by photo shoot.

A sweet love story with a side of daddy kink. Not what I expected prior to going in...

"It's like I want to crush him up into a little ball and tuck him directly into my heart..."

...but it works.

Exposed is foremost a romance between two damaged souls who happen to meet by chance one rainy night in London, of all places. Emyr is a Welsh twenty year old rising rock star. His innocent looks and provocative lyrics have a following. Greg, forty two year old Canadian web designer and photographer, couldn't imagine his luck bucking into the crying man. Emyr's face begs to be captured on camera, Greg's camera. But even more so Greg notices someone who is cracking at the seams, he's been there, is still there. So he invites a stranger to his hotel room, just to talk. And Emyr accepts.

Thus begins their connection and their path to more.

"I am, you know," he said after a moment.
"Are what?"
"Yours. Completely."
"Ha... When did I ask you that?"
"You didn't have to."

Greg is a dominant who is still reeling from his last sub and the aftermath of what he thought was a scene. It's been five years and his self imposed celibacy has never been tested as it is with Emyr. There's an innocence that is alluring. But once he sees how obedient Emyr is, well it just calls to him. From the moment these two men meet, their connection is palpable. I kept reading along, saying to myself, this couldn't really happen, could it? Meeting a rock star and tumbling into their world?

But it's Greg and Emyr's connection, their ease with one another, the way they exposed their inner workings to each other. (Not without hesitation from one of the men) That's what I bought. It's what sold me anytime I questioned an initial response.

Greg tries to back away from the celebrity. Emyr is too young, probably straight. The impromptu photo shoot/ session didn't break his celibacy. But Greg's subconscious and feelings won't be denied. The boy got under his skin.

You get sort of numb after a while when you cut off human contact, and you end up telling yourself all sorts of bullshit--like, that you don't actually need it, that it's not so bad going without--and then you carry on building a shell around yourself with these lies. But, what you don't realize is that shell is brittle and thin and made of denial, barely containing the visceral need growing in your guts like some formless, ravenous, single-minded creature.

Though the story is told from Greg's POV, we get a good sense of Emyr. He might be young and inexperienced, but he was mature in a lot aspects. He was persistent and willing to try new things. I loved that as the daddy kink was presented on the table, he researched! And discovered a part of himself he didn't knew existed. Greg is his first real relationship, and in a way, it's Greg's first real relationship too.

"Trust me, Daddy."
Daddy. I smiled, and he gave me a coy grin in return. "You're determined to wear me down."
"I am that."
"You're incorrigible."
"That too."

I'm a fan of age gaps, damaged protagonists with internal baggage, heroes who aren't the best at communicating their emotions. Exposed definitely has that. The angst is more internal struggles than external. Greg and Emyr have to trust, communicate. And I think it was my most favorite thing about this novel, (besides the daddy kink, duh). It was that the two communicated, even when it hurt. It was equal footing where it counted.

Now let's get to the daddy kink shall we?

Daddy kink is fairly tamer on the BDSM scale. And this story is not necessarily a formalized, contract bound pairing. It read more natural. And if you're a reader who clutches their pearl at the mention of daddy kink, this is a romance first. The daddy kink if I had to rate it on a 1 to 5 of extremes, 5 being the most hardcore, it's a 1. There was role playing, a few spankings, D/s. Bonus for the bare backing, (semi)public sex, size difference and big guy bottoming scene. I like it when daddies get breached too. ;D

If you're going in expecting hardcore scenes, you might not enjoy this as much. The sex is melting hot (hello it's a Deckard), there are definitely re-read worthy chapters. What I enjoyed about it is that it wasn't overly long drawn out scenes. Every sexual encounter read organic and fit the main characters. I did slowly grow to love the main characters, separately and as a pair. I think they're perfect for each other.

It's no surprise I enjoy this author's work and his back list varies in taste. This was the most romantic, most sweet I've ever read from him.

"You've nothing to worry about, silly--I'm yours... And you're mine, and I'll take care of that poor, neglected heart of yours just as well as I take care of that poor, neglected cock."
"Well, it's not so neglected anymore," I said, making as if to mull it over what he had said. "You do take good care of it--that bodes well for my heart, I suppose."

I'm not surprised he wrote it, the tell tale signs of his writing are all there. Vivid settings, it's a road trip for a large chunk of Exposed, I felt like I was there with the pair and the cast of side characters at each location, an interesting cast of characters (Owain, Barrie, Rose and the nain dominatrix!) that you can't help to enjoy. His side characters have a tendency to enrich his stories without overtaking the shine from the main characters. There was a little suspense-ful twist, that wasn't over dramatic. It ended a little tamer than introduced.

Overall, a great read that I'm happy to add to my favorites of 2017 list.

This is sweet for this author, not necessarily your run of the mill schmoop. So if you're looking to finally delve into this author's work, Exposed is a great place to start. (His Actor's Circle series is also on the tamer side of the Deckard spectrum)

I don't know if the author will ever return to this couple. I think their HEA is pretty solid. But maybe a possible dabble into one of their scenes? I think I'm going to miss Daddy and his boy.

Who knew photo shoots could be so seductive?

3.25 Hearts--"Quiet as a Mouse" is a fitting title. Because the story's tone is just that...quiet.

Set in a little British village, Asta Idonea's mouse shifter story introduces Paul as the timid shifter who is quiet, shy and in love with his choir director, Cale. He's moved a few times due to his paranormal secret and stayed in the village to be closer to Cale. Paul quietly stalks the director and ends caught in a mouse cage...to be a pet.

And he chooses to remain as one just to be closer to Cale.

The story is from Paul's POV and instead of showing more interactions between Cale and Paul, it just stays on the sidelines. I think the story could have shown a little more attraction between the protagonists. As is, it left me a little underwhelmed. I love the quiet ones but Paul was too passive for me.

No angst, no sex, no surprises. Everything keeps at an even (albeit a sedate) pace. After the soft reveal, the story rushes the ending and summarizes the HEA. Not really memorable, but not a bad story either. I wouldn't suggest this being your introductory read by this author.

For the rest of the unicorns' #ShifterSundayFunday reviews:



A review copy provided for an honest review.

"I think I found him broken and his broken called out to my broken and that's why I fell for him."

Mercy Celeste fans. This was like old school MC.



But better in a way.

The emotions, the characters, the plot...it flowed.

Because--I think I might end up gushing in this review. Forgive me. Or don't. Whatever. Fuck it.

Okay, real talk. I adore Mercy Celeste's words. But I'm not one to blow smoke up an author's ass just because I like their words. And sometimes an author can have the right characters, the right setting, but something just throws it off, yeah? Maybe the pacing or they try too hard with trying to pull out the tricks and ruin the effect.

Not the case for me in "Out of the Blues".

Perfect? Nope. But it's perfect for Kilby and Mason. And I could read about Kilby and Mason alllllllllllllllllll day.

Are there typos? Yep. But if I worried about the typos more than the story...I'm not feeling the magic. And I was swept in the magic. I still am and feel I will be in book hangover something fierce. *pouts*



Have I mentioned I already added it to my 2015 faves midway in? I already fucking knew.

There are things that I might nitpick in another story - the pacing of how Kilby & Mason fell for one another but the level of their broken and how much they shared for those handful of days. It felt like months, damnit. Yes, it can be claimed as insta-love but it didn't read like it. Mercy Celeste can weave a tale, it's her talent.

And this wasn't as heavy in the angst and drama department as say...Beyond Complicated or Let It Go because, holy shit, those were a doozy and a half. They were the Sasha Fierce to Out of the Blues's Beyonce singing "Halo". If you don't know the difference well...I can't help you.



"Out of the Blues" is about poor little rich boy Mason Foxworth. He's young, not really sure of his place in the world other than being straight and having a dysfunctional family. His mother is an ex-model (and doesn't deserve the title mother), his sister and twin, Harper is getting married in the only place their nomadic childhood remained for a period of years: Georgia.

He's running from his demons and finally has to own up to them back at home. But what he doesn't expect to find is gay and sort of in the closet, older, tattooed & muscled, ex-Marine farm boy Kilby Adams...

The two spark from the moment they interact and through a mishap have to share a hotel room.

This is a Mercy Celste novel so you know how this is going to end up:



Bed Pounding, 'I'm Not Gay, But Maybe My Dick Is' Kind Of Bareback Action!'



It's all about that connection. Damn, was it good. I'm still purring.

The cast of characters were great support. I enjoyed them all, even the the one who loomed like a specter of Christmas Past, Cody. And the plot twists because again, this is MC, so the last 25-30% are going to grab you by the short hairs. I was surprised at some of the twists but and it might have touched that suspension bridge to reality once or twice in the last 10% before the last chapter.



Alright, alright, alright.

I can't say it was added for dramatics sake. It worked. It truly all worked for me.

I adored Mason with his snark, man bun, pretty face and damaged soul. And I loved Kilby. Because he saw everything. He saw Mason most importantly as a man. I think they'll last forever and ever.

One of Celeste's best in my opinion.

So I'm rounding up and just giving it the rating I think it deserves.

I normally frown on companion novels. BUT I am so there for Vivica Blue.



4.5 Stars--This is a companion novel that didn't lose its luster.

L.H. Cosway has proved she can write. She's written an interesting hero in Nicholas Turner aka drag queen Vivica Blue and fleshed him out some more. He is hands down one of my favorites ever written: owns a dirty mouth, tows the gender bender line and damaged. Also, doesn't hurt that he fucks like a champ, eh?



"Killer Queen" is told from Nicholas's POV. Though this book could be read as a standalone, I think Painted Faces is stronger and the better choice to start with first. Killer Queen is like a condensed Painted Faces with new parts of Nicholas's past and HEA explored but I'll be honest, while I love him and enjoy being inside his head...it's Fred that I think sold it for me.

Fred aka Freda, the cupcake baking, smartassed heroine that I can genuinely say I like. I would like to hang out with her, I would definitely love be in her shoes and can say she's worthy of my respect. Is she a bleeding feminist? No, but to compared to a lot of tripe that gets passed for romantic heroines...she's cool. She had a few iffy moments but overall, she's a solid heroine.



Now "Killer Queen" read quick, maybe because I ate every single word of new parts of Nicholas I got learn: how his life before his mother died was, how he met Phil, how deep his drug use was, how he ended up in Dublin. Then we get his perspective of the pivotal Freda moments. (Hint: He's a horny and kinky little shit. Love it) Sometimes he read feminine, sometimes masculine but it's a mess of Nicholas and it works for his character. And it's not verbatim of "Painted Faces", if you're worried.

And then the future past "Painted Faces" HEA?! I should have guessed. I read the book and I still can't believe that happened. These are characters that I had in the back of my mind and Painted Faces is usually a book I rec to friends. So it was like revisiting a favorite trip in "Killer Queen" where a broken man and semi-broken girl become friends and find love along the way.



One of my favorite reads of the year. Love the cover too. :)