Category Archives: Loose Id

October 18, 2012 · 3:56 am

Review: Tarnished Souls 2: Fields of Gold by Dev Bentham

Title: Tarnished Souls 2: Fields of Gold by Dev Bentham
Tarnished Souls Series
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: Novella
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

Life is full of compromises. That’s what Avi Rosen tells himself. He’s a yeshiva boy turned historian, working on his dissertation and stretching his meager stipend by moonlighting as a closeted politician’s houseboy. Their relationship used to feel like a real affair. Lately it seems more like a job.

It isn’t until he meets someone decent that he realizes how corrupt his life has become. Pete is a tall blond farmer who charms Avi with his dazzling smile and his straightforward life. But even if he can believe this refreshingly honest man doesn’t have his own political agenda, will Avi find the strength to emerge from the dark life he’s chosen and find a future in the sun?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.

The Review:

Fields of Gold is a delightful addition to Dev Bentham’s Tarnished Souls series. This captivating series features some imperfect yet appealing characters who choose a different path once they find love.

Avi Rosen’s chance meeting with Pete Jakobsen coincides with his growing dissatisfaction as the ‘other man’ in his current relationship with local politician Jack Krausman. Although he genuinely cares for Jack, Avi is becoming more and more disenchanted with his role of house sitter and lover to the married assemblyman. He is already struggling with conflicted emotions about his affair when he meets Pete at a local farmer’s market. Despite his uneasiness about beginning a new relationship with Pete while he is still involved with Jack, Avi begins dating Pete. But it is his emerging feelings for Pete that finally give Avi the impetus to begin reevaluating his life.

What I really like about Ms. Bentham’s stories is that she does not hesitate to give her characters some morally questionable failings. In the first book of the series, Learning from Isaac, Nathan is working as a rentboy to pay his way through college. In Fields of Gold, while Avi may not officially be a rentboy, he is exchanging sex for living rent free in Jack’s apartment. Of course Avi does not view his arrangement as prostitution until Nathan gently points it out to him. But Avi still continues to drift along, juggling the two relationships, until he finally sees his relationship with Jack in a whole new light.

One of the other things that I really enjoy about the Tarnished Souls series is how Ms. Bentham incorporates tenets of the Jewish faith in the storylines. In Fields of Gold, the ending of the story coincides with Jewish new year Rosh Hashanah. Avi uses this time of reflection to atone for his past mistakes and make amends with Pete.

Fields of Gold is well-written with engaging protagonists and a fascinating storyline. It is a wonderful story about personal growth and new beginnings. A thoroughly charming addition to Dev Bentham’s Tarnished Souls series that I highly recommend.

Read my review of Learning from Isaac HERE.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dev Bentham, Erotic, Fields of Gold, Loose Id, M/M, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Tarnished Souls

April 11, 2012 · 3:56 am

Learning from Isaac by Dev Bentham

Title: Learning from Isaac by Dev Bentham
Tarnished Souls Book One
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: Novella
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Author

Summary:

Nathan Kohn has been teaching Aquatic Science at St. Genevieve College for 15 years. It’s not a perfect situation, but he’s resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics and single in a world of couples. Until the stunningly attractive Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac is a few years older than his fellow students, brilliant, self-composed and Jewish. Wouldn’t Nathan’s mother be pleased? Except, of course, relationships between faculty and students are forbidden, especially those not sanctioned by the Church.

Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out when he visits the racy new club downtown where boys can be bought in the back room. Behind the beaded curtain, the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. What happens in the club stays there, right? Except Nathan’s mind isn’t the only thing Isaac blows, and Nathan can’t stop thinking about that night. But what kind of future can there be for a college professor and a rent boy?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.

The Review:

Learning from Isaac is another incredibly touching yet sexy romance by newcomer Dev Bentham. Nathan Kohn’s quiet and unassuming life as a college professor is complicated by his attraction to his student Isaac Wolf.

Learning from Isaac has a fresh storyline with charming and three dimensional characters. Told in first person from Nathan’s point of view, readers are privy to his thought process and sometimes conflicted emotions. Nathan has a good relationship with his mother and a close friendship with his childhood friend Kenny.

Isaac is an immensely appealing but delightfully flawed protagonist. His past is complex and provides many layers to the story. Isaac’s career as a rent boy plays a crucial role in the development of his relationship with Nathan and adds a great deal of depth to his character.

Learning from Isaac is a beautifully written story that is heartwarming and compelling. The plot is unique and the story flows well. Isaac and Nathan’s relationship builds at a leisurely pace and the issues facing them are realistically portrayed. Their sex scenes are exquisitely detailed and highly sensual.

Dev Bentham is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller and I highly recommend Learning from Isaac to anyone who enjoys contemporary male/male romances.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dev Bentham, Erotic, Learning from Isaac, Loose Id, M/M, Rated B+, Romance, Tarnished Souls

February 21, 2012 · 3:57 am

Packing Heat by Kele Moon

Title: Packing Heat by Kele Moon
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: Novella
Book Rating: B+

Summary:

Dark and brooding firefighter Brad Archer has spent months denying his attraction to his roommate, police officer Gavin Connolly. Gavin is just the kind of guy he likes: tall, tough, and buff enough to actually handle Brad’s big size and rough nature.

To hide his real feelings Brad holds the handsome, seemingly straight cop at arms’ length until a shooting at work leaves Gavin a little too vulnerable to ignore. What starts out as a simple attempt to comfort his roommate blows up into something wild, sexual, and wholly unexpected when Gavin wants more from Brad than a strong firefighter’s shoulder to lean on.

The sexual magnetism drawing the two of them together forces secrets to be revealed, and though the sex is mind-blowing it may not be worth weathering the storms their relationship could stir up. In order to protect him, Brad realizes he loves Gavin enough to let him go. The problem is—the stubborn cop may not let him.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: bondage, male/male sexual practices.

The Review:

Kele Moon’s Packing Heat is so scorching hot your e-Reader is in danger of going up in flames. But underneath the incendiary sex is a beautiful love story that will melt your heart. A drunken encounter takes Brad Archer and Gavin Connolly from friends to lovers. Will Gavin convince Brad there is more to their relationship than roommates with benefits?

Brad Archer is an out and proud firefighter who is not ashamed of his sexuality. But he is deeply scarred by a traumatic event from his past, and he does not have serious relationships. On the surface, Gavin Connolly comes across as bi-curious, but there is more to his story than originally meets the eye. And while both of these men are macho and in control, it is Gavin who does not hesitate to take charge of their relationship when Brad tries to push him away.

Packing Heat is incredibly erotic and the sex scenes are off the charts smokin’ hot. Gavin and Brad indulge in no holds barred, a little rough around the edges down and dirty sex. Brad loves to talk dirty and Gavin is not afraid to pull out his handcuffs.

Packing Heat by Kele Moon is a sexy novella with engaging protagonists and a compelling storyline that I highly recommend to fans of m/m romance. Just remember to keep a fan and glass of ice water handy before indulging in this sinfully sexy romance ;)!

8 Comments

Filed under Contemporary, Erotic, Kele Moon, Loose Id, M/M, Packing Heat, Rated B+, Romance