Review: Saugatuck Summer

Title: Saugatuck Summer (Saugatuck #1)
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 19th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Riptide Publishing

★★★★★

Five Stars.

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Topher Carlisle is a twenty-one year old mess. He has a really bad family history of a broken home, is on the verge of losing his college scholarship, and is trying to come into his own as he stays in his best friend's summer house in Saugatuck, Michigan for the summer. Unexpected kinks get thrown into his plan when he has an affair with his best friend's straight and married father, and meets a sexy artist named Jace. Topher has to figure out who he really is and who he wants to be in the whirl of one fabulous roller-coaster ride of a summer.

To be honest, my blurb doesn't really do this book justice. The thing is filled with drama and feelings from cover to cover, and I mean that in the best and most positive way. There were times that I laughed out loud, there were times when I got really angry, and times when my heart broke for Topher. Being a 22 year old queer kid in college from a broken home, I felt that I connected to him on an emotional/mental level and it made me cling to his story from start to finish. I really admire the depth that Gormley gave to her characters without making them seem too cliche.

I'll admit to you all, I picked up this book because I used to go to Saugatuck in the summers of my youth. For me, the setting helped a lot with my enjoyment of this novel. We spent a lot of our summers up near Traverse City, Michigan, stopping at several towns along the way, and while we were there, so when Gormley mentions these towns, I've heard of them and can happily picture them in my mind. Plus, Topher's partner Jace is from Chicago like me, so the references to things like Boystown again helped me to relate to the story.

And then, of course, I have to talk about the sex. This book is the hot, steamy kind of read that is best enjoyed on the beach or by the poolside in the bright summer sun while sipping on something cold and fruity, ideally with a plastic sword of fruit wedged into it. The adult scenes were well-written and detailed without being overtly crass, which in my opinion is a hard line to toe regardless of genre of erotic romance. Another important note is that this book is not about sex. That is, there is plot and rising action and all those things, that just happens to have some intense and smoldering sex scenes peppered throughout.

This book is a fairly rare five out of five stars from me. In a nutshell, the gorgeous Michigan beach setting, the amount of drama, the hot sex scenes, and the likable, relatable characters all meld together to create one really addictive summer read. This is a book that I will need a physical copy of at some point. BUT be warned; this book contains homosexual sex, graphic language, and potential triggers for abuse. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Riptide Publishing for my chance to read this one.

Review: Serving Him

Title: Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Authors: Various
Format: Paperback, 232 pages
Pub. Date: April 9th 2013
Source: Editor, Rachel Kramer Bussel

★★★★

Four stars.

Serving Him: Sexy Stories of Submission is an erotica anthology in which each teasing little story features bottoms who are eager to serve and strong, male Doms who are happy to boss. Serving Him contains 22 stories that feature a variety of kinks and desires that will be sure to satisfy anyone's lustful hunger.

Rachel Kramer Bussel has a great skill for piecing together stories in an anthology that are radically different and yet all stick to a central theme. It's no wonder that so many people gobble these anthologies up, myself included. Though all of the stories follow the same general theme, they never grow boring or redundant.

For me personally, three stories stood out more than the others:

Coffee Break by Kristina Wright tells the tale of a no-nonsense Dom who coaxes his sub into trusting his instruction and into being a bit naughty in the bathroom of a coffee shop. A steamy note, an unlocked door, and delicious writing? Yes please. A double shot of that.

I Always Do by Kiki Delovely is a story that circles around a baby girl style relationship and perfectly narrates the needs, pride, and satisfaction that comes from pleasing your partner in a relationship. I rarely find well written stories on this topic, so this one definitely popped for me.

Pinky by Kissa Starling follows a sub who rebelliously changes her hair color without permission from her Dom and must face the punishments. This particular story contains surprise menage, which was very steamy in its writing and had an overall warm tone throughout.

Of course, I did enjoy some stories more than others. In some instances, that fact was due to a personal issue with the view point of the writing. But mostly, it just happened that those stories that I didn't like involved a kink that I don't have. You can't win 'em all.

Plus, look at that cover. I know that's not how you should judge a book, but it's pretty hard not to in this case.

To any fan of male Doms, BDSM, kinks, and general naughtiness- this collection is bound to have at least one story that makes it worth the read. If sex or BDSM and the various topics surrounding them bother you, this isn't for you.

I received this book from the editor, Rachel Kramer Bussel, in exchange for an honest review.