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Archive for the ‘C-’ Category

The Beat by D.J. Manly

Posted in Authors: M-O, C-, Contemporary, Menage, Romance, tagged , on May 14, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

TheBeatTitle: The Beat
Author: D.J. Manly
Length: 13,000 words
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Grade: C-

Blurb:
The beat of love doesn’t always move every drummer in the same way…

The members of Frenzied Water, an up-and-coming rock band, can’t believe their luck when Frank Harold, former drummer for Heirloom, the most famous group on the planet, enters the studio and offers to be their new percussionist. And Johnny, Frenzied Water’s front man, never expects that his feelings for Frank will grow to the point where he needs to know the reason Frank left Heirloom for a less popular group.

One night, after a few drinks with Johnny, Frank finally confesses the reason he left Heirloom—a love affair-gone-wrong with his former vocalist. With the truth out, Johnny believes he has a chance with the sexy drummer if only he can convince Frank to leave the past behind and give their blossoming love a try.

Then a miracle happens, one that Johnny suspects may be more calculated than it appears. His band is invited to be the opening act on Heirloom’s American tour. It’s a dream for a rock group struggling for recognition, but a personal nightmare for Johnny, who wishes Frank as far away from his former lead singer as possible.

But Johnny is not the only one dreading this tour, and when a snowstorm in Denver traps Johnny, Frank, and two members of Heirloom together in a cabin, there will be no escape…

Review:
Johnny’s been in love with the drummer in his band for a long time and tried many times to seduce Frank into his bed. After a night of pot and drink, he finally succeeds only to have Frank claim it was a mistake. Frank had been a member of a famous band, Heirloom, and left after his relationship with the lead singer broke down and so refuses to make the same mistake with Johnny. When Heirloom specifically ask for Johnny’s band to support them on tour, Frank is forced to confront his past and Johnny hopes this will help him put aside his past for good.

There was a lot happening in this story. There’s the relationship between Frank and Johnny, Frank’s past relationship with the lead singer of heirloom, the band stuff involving two bands, a snowstorm, a four way sex scene and another romantic sub-plot. At this word count it was a lot to fit in and I’m afraid it didn’t work too well for me. The story seems to careen from one thing to the next whilst never fully exploring anything and so everything seems superficial and shallow. We never really get to know the characters and as such I didn’t feel too involved in them or their romance. The end is rushed and felt forced so I was left feeling that the story would have benefitted from having more added to it to make a novel, rather than limiting the story to a short.

It wasn’t all bad though. I thought the story had a good grasp of the workings of a band and I liked the way it showed an up and coming band getting a leg up on the fame ladder. The story begins well and I enjoyed seeing Johnny’s desperate attempts to snag Frank for himself and how pleased he is when he manages to get Frank into bed.

If you like stories about rock stars or bands then you may well like this one too. I liked some of it but felt that it could have been better with more detail and greater character development.

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The Tinkered Pinkerton by Helen Louise Caroll

Posted in Authors: A-C, C-, Romance, Steampunk, tagged , on April 26, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

TinkeredPinkertonTitle: The Tinkered Pinkerton
Author: Helen Louise Caroll
Length: 17k words
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: m/m Steampunk Romance
Rating: C-

Blurb: Pinkerton agent Brom Donker’s arm and legs were taken from him during the American Civil War. Now, ten years later, although he’s adjusted to the metal limbs that replaced his real ones, there are times when he still feels like less than a man. Especially when he’s near Simon Wain, his physician/mechanic.

Simon has cared about Brom for years. As his patient. Lately, though, he’s been seeing the handsome agent as more than that. But how can a lowly physician/mechanic fit in with a man from a powerful and influential family?

As Brom deals with missing gun shipments, rogue Sasquatches, and disaffected Southerners, he and Simon confront their feelings about themselves and for each other.

Review: I haven’t read anything by this author in quite a while, probably several years. So most of my experience with her writing is from some of her earlier works, though they’re similar in style and length (if not subject matter) as this steampunk story. Stories like: Moonlight Sonata for Two, Superheroes in the Suburbs and Hungry?. Likewise, it has been quite a while since I’ve read anything steampunk. I can’t say that I’m overly familiar with the sub-genre, but I do enjoy a steampunk story from time to time, and that’s why I chose to review this story when it was released. And, in the main, I enjoyed it.

Brom Donker is from a rather wealthy family of political renown, and in this alternate universe with a steampunk civil war, Brom loses both his legs and his arm to the South when he’s captured and used as a model for their scientists cruel experiments. He’s not a whole man, even though, after his release and into his career as a Pinkerton agent, he’s been outfitted with the best machine limbs that have been invented. Still, his wounds and glaring differences make him an outcast in society.

Brom laments his less than whole nature most when visiting his doctor, Simon Wain. He’s grown quite an attachment to the small, beautiful and brilliant physician and wishes that Simon could see past his mechanical limbs, see him for more than an opportunity to create even better machines fit for human/automaton hybrid use. But he does not know that Simon harbors secret feelings for him as well, which is part of the reason he’s driven to create such advanced limbs — like a cannon and flamethrower arm — to keep Brom safe.

But resistance is growing from the Sasquatches (exactly like you’re picturing) who are gathering allies from the south and showing signs of rather advanced automatons. Brom is going to need Simon to help solve the mystery, even though he hates taking the man into danger.

The real reason that I couldn’t give this story higher than a C is because both parts of the story — the romance and the outside conflict with Brom’s investigation — feel unfinished. It’s difficult to become interested in two characters who we only get very little time to know because of outside conflict that itself isn’t really delved into. Both parts sacrifice the other and in the end I felt like I didn’t get to really know the connection between the characters and also that I didn’t really understand the issue with the Sasquatches. It seemed like it was there only to cause conflict and provide and impetus to bring the characters together, but also tried to make it a part of the story. I would have preferred that the story commit to one way or the other — either concentrate solely on the romance or give us more time and information about the world and the war. In fact, I found it strange that the Sasquatches were even part of the story. They bring to mind a pretty firm preconceived notion of what they are but I never quite understood who they were or what they meant to the story, other than they looked like the Sasquatches that we know of in myth as Bigfoot, etc. and that they have a culture and race of their own and band together in small groups.

In the end, the story was just too superficial for me. I didn’t really get the outside conflict and while I started to like the romance between Brom and Simon, I still didn’t really get to know them well. The only thing that was really interesting to me was to see the steampunk gadgets and things that Simon created. But then, for those who have read more steampunk than I have, it might not be all that exciting.

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The Prince and the Cowboy by Sam Singer

Posted in Authors: S-U, C-, Fantasy, Romance, tagged , on April 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

theprinceandthecowboyTitle: The Prince and the Cowboy
Author: Sam Singer
Length: 7,889 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m fantasy romance
Grade: C-

Blurb:
Pampered Texan James Walsh has been keeping a secret from his overbearing but well-intentioned mother. When she throws a lavish birthday party in the hopes that he will meet the woman of his dreams, she has no clue James is gay.

But a sudden storm blows rugged, rain-soaked ranch owner Jonathon Ross to James’ doorstep, and suddenly he can’t hide who he is any longer.

Review:
James is Prince of Texas whose mother is determined to see him married off to a princess, as he can only become king if he marries before he is 21. She holds a ball and invites all the local princesses and decides to plant a pea in their mattresses so that she can find James’ true love. James finds it hard to tell his mother that no princess is ever going to be for him, but he suffers through the ball to be polite. When ranch owner, Jonathon, turns up at the ball to collect his sister, James is overcome by the man’s rugged good looks and his rough hands.

This story is a bit like a cross between Cinderella/The Princess and the Pea and an erotic cowboy romance. I don’t think it’s supposed to be taken at all seriously, rather it’s a light and fun story which aims to blend the two genres. That’s all well and good, but for me, the blending wasn’t entirely successful. I think this may have worked better had it been given a different setting other than Texas, because I found that a little jarring. Texas isn’t a kingdom and every time it’s mentioned it niggled at me.

The story is also very over-the-top, with a few unbelievable scenes – such as when James discovers a murderess – which meant that I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I might have done. When Jonathon appears things do pick up a little and I enjoyed the coy interaction between the heroes, and the subsequent sex scene. This is an insta-love story, but given that it’s supposed to be modelled on a fairy tale, that fit in with the genre and I didn’t mind so much. I also rather liked the character of James’ mother, whose overbearing nature didn’t stop me from seeing how much she loves her son.

Overall, this was a decent read if you like fairy tales, but parts didn’t work well for me, even if the romance was quite well done, so it gets a low C from me.

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Sweets for the Sweet by Kit Dickson & Kat Davidson

Posted in Authors: D-F, C-, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , , on March 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Box of ChocolatesTitle: Sweets for the Sweet
Author: Kit Dickson & Kat Davidson
Length: 5,600 words
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Grade: C-

Blurb:
As teenagers, Joshua and Ian thought they were inseparable — until Josh’s family sent him off to military school. After years apart, the pair are reunited at last, but things quickly spiral out of control as both men struggle with their feelings towards one another and Joshua’s PTSD.

Review:
Josh and Ian are best friends and inseparable, until the lies of a teacher force them apart. Twelve years later, Joshua returns home after spending the intervening years in military school and the army where he finds that his old friend has followed his dreams and now owns a chocolate shop in town.

The blurb of this book sounded very promising and I’m always interested in stories which pick up on themes such as PTSD. However, I found that the short length of the story, coupled with a written style which involved far too much telling and not enough showing, meant that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I might.

The part that did work for me was in Josh’s weariness in returning home. He joined the military because of parental expectations and did his duty. Now he seems tired and a little bewildered to be free of the army. This seemed a very realistic portrayal of a man who has suffered through war and I felt a great deal of sympathy for him. I also liked Ian’s nervousness at meeting Josh again after all the years apart.

What worked less well was the rather ridiculous over-reaction of the boy’s parents at the beginning of the story, plus the sheer amount of telling of the background to the characters. The actual meat of the story involves a short conversation between the men in a supermarket, followed by another short conversation in the street. The rest is feelings or background told to the reader. Whilst I understood that we needed to know what the men had done in the years they were apart, the execution was a little dull and I became impatient to get to the action. I was also not convinced by the end of the story when the men barely speak before making a move. I would have been happier if there had been at least a shared acknowledgment that they are gay and attracted to each other before anything physical happened.

Overall, this is a sweet story but the writing didn’t work very well for me.

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Vampires R Us by Logan Zachary

Posted in Authors: V-Z, C-, Erotica, Paranormal, tagged , on March 6, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Vampires_R_UsTitle: Vampires R Us
Author: Logan Zachary
Length: 7,000 words
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: m/m paranormal erotica
Rating: C-

Blurb:
Rick and Drew are two of the hottest actors in town, and they are in high demand. Being the spokesmen for Vampires R Us, they don’t really know what they’re selling, but they are hot. After the commercial shooting, the guys get to know each other a lot better as they strip off their costumes, and help each other clean up in the shower. Deciding round two was called for, the pair head to Drew’s condo to order pizza and more. As they settle in for the romantic evening, two unexpected guests arrive, the pizza boy and someone wearing a cape on their tenth floor balcony. The offer of “Come in” as the pizza boy arrives opens the door for the man on the balcony. Is he a vampire or is it a stunt to win the hottest duo? Is he after their souls or their sex? As the clothes come off all is revealed …

Review:
There are two ways you could read this short story: Either you can see it as a serious piece of erotica, bordering on porn; or you can take it with a hefty dose of salt and put your tongue firmly in your cheek. I chose to do the latter which meant that the story worked better than if I had been trying to take it seriously.

Rick and Drew are actors who star in a series of commercials for Vampires R Us. Once the cameras stop rolling the pair jump in the shower together. After an exhausting bout of sex, involving two orgasms in straight succession, they go back to Drew’s place for pizza. A hunky man appears on their balcony and more sex ensues between the three men.

The story is basically two sex scenes with the barest hint of plot. The sex itself is quite well written but very focused on the genitals, especially the length and heft of the cock, the size of the balls, and the arsehole. I have to admit, I prefer my sex to be a little more romantic, but could see how this would appeal to readers looking for sex without a great deal of emotion other than lust. Just occasionally, I found the description a little ridiculous, especially the line:

Drew pressed his butt against the glass door, his beautiful ass flattened. He reached back and spread his cheeks; a pink pucker pulsated against the glass, kissing it.

which made me snort with laughter rather than think sexy thoughts. There was also a case of the miraculously appearing condom. However, on the whole the writing was sexy enough and I read through the story quickly.

The story, such as it is, ends with a dramatic point and worked for me. I was pleased that there were no misplaced ‘I love yous’. What you get is two/three men having sweaty sex and it didn’t need a shoehorned HEA so I was glad it didn’t get one.

If you’re after an erotic quickie with a slight paranormal twist, then you may enjoy this one. I thought it was OK, but the characterisation is flat and the story is mostly just sex.

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We All Scream by Elias True

Posted in Authors: S-U, C-, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance, tagged , on February 28, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

weallscreamTitle: We All Scream
Author: Elias True
Length: 5,994 words
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: m/m Contemporary Erotica/Romance
Rating: C-

Blurb: A massive storm is brewing and Seth is ready to head back home. But when he sees an unrequited crush from high school driving an ice cream truck, he must pursue. When they meet, Seth flirts and finally gets what he craved from Aaron all those years ago – and much more – in the back of the truck as they wait out the storm of the century.

Review: This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I’ve been looking forward to reviewing it. Sometimes it’s nice to have a quick erotica tale and as an Oklahoman, I’m well used to storms. This story takes place in Oklahoma during a storm, so I knew I wanted to read it, just to see how it was.

What I discovered was some of what I expected and some not, including a few mistakes that were pretty glaringly obvious to me. I’m going to get picky here, and many of you probably won’t mind these details because you either aren’t as familiar with modern meteorology as we are or with Oklahoma. The first sentence and paragraphs were where all the problems were (picky, I know, but it’s also the story’s first impression on the reader). Here’s they are (corrections in brackets):

The air was still and humid and the AC [in] Seth’s mom’s Saturn had chosen to stop working.

Breaking news on the radio: thunderstorm warning for all of northeast Oklahoma. Seth punched the off button. A chance of violent thunderstorms in the Midwest in May was not a surprise. Progressive rock on a commercial radio station in Oklahoma City would be a surprise.

So my first impression wasn’t that great. Besides a editing problem in the first sentence, that paragraph is a mess. Oklahoma is a pretty big state (approx. 70k square miles, compared to all of the UK together which is approx. 94k square miles) and OKC Is nowhere near northeastern Oklahoma, where I live. Also, at the most, I’ve seen probably 4 or 5 counties under tornado warnings at once. To say “thunderstorm warning for all of northeast Oklahoma” is like saying that 1/3 of the state is being hit by tornadoes at once.

Reading on, I found that I still enjoyed the story. There’s a fair bit of history shown between Seth and Aaron and I felt like I got a pretty accurate taste of what growing up gay in Oklahoma is like from Seth’s history, though much of it is only alluded to. I did find myself a bit incredulous at the two having sex in an ice cream truck during a tornado, but then people are known to be rather stupid during tornadoes and heavy storms all the time! No, the real problem wasn’t the little nit picky things that stood out to me because of my geographical closeness to the setting of the story, but that instead of leaving this as an erotica story, the author had to throw an “I love you” in there, between characters who haven’t seen each other since they were kids with the exception of a quick romp. Why couldn’t it have stayed as an erotica short? Why did it have to have a tacked on insta-love HEA to make it a romance short. It wasn’t really a romance if you ask me.

So, I honestly wouldn’t really recommend this one. But, I know that Ruby recently reviewed one of this author’s other stories and liked it, so I’ll keep faith in the author and read some more of Elias True’s work.

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Rusty’s Surprise by Zach Sweets

Posted in Authors: S-U, C-, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on February 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

rusty600Title: Rusty’s Surprise
Author: Zach Sweets
Length: 5,700 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: C-

Blurb:
Rusty is excited for Valentine’s Day: he has a couple of surprises in mind for his lover that he knows will do much more than please; everything from sweet to kinky to ensure a memorable holiday. Locked away in their basement for a night of uninterrupted fun, they miss an surprise of an entirely different nature…

Review:
Rusty comes home early for work to set up a surprise present for his lover as well as make his favourite dinner. When Hal returns home they get up to some kinky fun before both have another surprise.

One of the things I liked about this story is that it features a deaf protagonist. This was handled sensitively and showed some of the difficulties that deaf people have to overcome. I liked Rusty, especially his enthusiasm for making the day special for his lover. I also found the scenes between Hal and Rusty very sweet and moving – as well as hot. Their love for each other shines through the story in their actions. It made the story more than just a hot, kinky sex scene.

It was rather unfortunate then that I struggled with the writing, which was simplistic, and the style, which relied on too much extraneous and unnecessary dull information. The read gets a run-down of every single minute action that Rusty undertakes before Hal gets home, much of which is not needed and everything is over-explained:

“Leaving at noon was the perfect timing to beat the traffic. It took him under twenty-five minutes to drive home. During rush hour, it’d take him around forty to forty-five minutes.”

Far too much of the first part of the story is spent telling the reader what Rusty is doing and it didn’t really grab my attention. There’s a twist at the end which I think readers are either going to love or hate. I thought it was inventive and surprising but also a little bit daft.

Overall, this wasn’t a story which stylistically worked too well for me, but it was saved by a sweet narrator in Rusty, and the hot but tender romance between him and Hal.

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False Assumptions by Zach Sweets

Posted in Authors: S-U, C-, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on February 19, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

16148687Title: False Assumptions
Author: Zach Sweets
Length: 5,500 words (23 pdf pages)
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: C-

Blurb:

Joss has been in love with his best friend, the one man who accepts him for what he is—pumps and all—for years. But Gus has never shown interest in anything but friendship, and Joss would do anything, even suffer in silence, to avoid jeopardizing what they already have.

Blurb:

This follows a pretty standard friends-to-lovers trope and I didn’t mind that so much, I just never really got a feel for them as a couple. Joss is a cross-dresser. He’s never really found someone who understands, in fact most people confuse it with being trans*, but he doesn’t care. He loves his girly clothes, he loves being the centre of attention as his friend Gus often reminds him, he’s a very happy guy. He keeps telling us this.

On New Year’s Eve, Gus contacts him early and invites him to a New Year’s Eve party on a boat. Joss is thrilled and can’t wait to dance up a storm. He’s been crushing on Gus for years, but Gus is into BDSM and, as usual, he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. However on the boat, Gus finally makes a move.

Joss spends a lot of the story telling us about his clothes, how he likes to wear make-up, how he admits he likes to be the centre of attention, and even about his jog he takes. You see him interact with Gus very little, save for the trip to the boat and then their time on the boat once they admit they like each other. Something however leaped out at me. It’s New Year’s Eve, Joss goes jogging (during the day) and he wears shorts and a tank top. Um. I’ve been to Chicago in December. I damn near froze my butt off. He also wears an off the shoulder top on a boat, on Lake Michigan with NO COAT in January. I couldn’t get past the fact that it was insane. People in Chicago do not go running in shorts in winter, unless it’s some kind of freaky warm spell, which maybe it was, but I kept thinking, “Nooooo. Too cold.”

I did like that Joss has a closet full of multi-colored Converse shoes, and he is flamboyant and accepts who he is, but the cross-dressing didn’t really come into it much beyond his thoughts about it. He wore jeans and sneakers to the party, so it wasn’t like we got to see anyone address his cross-dressing, or see Gus’ defence of his friend. I think there was a lot of potential here with the cross-dressing theme, but it was just kind of glossed over as one of his “things”, but not explored more.

Fans of friends-to-lovers may enjoy this, but if you are hoping the cross-dressing angle will be more prominent, you’ll be disappointed.

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Sidney in Sydney by Duncan More

Posted in Authors: M-O, C-, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on February 3, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

DM_Sidney_in_SydneyTitle: Sidney in Sydney
Author: Duncan More
Length: 9,000 words
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: C-

Blurb:

Satisfying one yen leads to satisfying another.

Watching the 2000 Olympics from Australia and all those boats sailing past the Opera House, Sidney wanted to see it in person and saved for nine years for this vacation of a lifetime. And then the rains started and Sidney must make up for three lost days of vacation time in the four remaining days. Everything begins with a cruise of the harbor and sailing past the venerated Opera House itself and ends with a celebration of Australia Day with new found friends.

Review:

First off, name confusion. In the blurb, Sidney is the American on vacation, in the book, Sidney is the local and Bucky (Raleigh) is our first person narrator. I was quite confused at first. Anyway, Bucky is finally living his dream trip but rain has put a damper on the first three days. However he’s finally out and about and taking a harbour cruise. He sees a guy giving him the eye, but he’s not sure so kind of ignores it, until after some more subtle contact, the guy finally comes right out and offers him a blow job, believing that Bucky might be straight, but willing to go for it. Well, Bucky’s not straight and after the tour they end up back at Sidney’s place having a good time.

They spend the next few days together, celebrating Australia day with some of Sidney’s friends, and then tearfully part. However when Bucky gets to his next stopover in Hawaii, he has time to reassess his life.

Beyond the rather sudden falling in love, there was just something about the tone of the story that didn’t work for me. There is a lot of emphasis on how they look and their bodies. This is the paragraph where Sidney approaches Bucky on the boat.

“Pardon me being so forward,” said a voice from behind me softly, “but I just had to get to meet you.” It was him. “I simply must compliment you on your physique. You know, all those veins popping out over your biceps and running down your forearms and the two veins bulging below your abs and running down into your shorts. Magnificent!” He rested both hands on the railing close to mine. “And you have got the most erotic nipples I have ever seen on a man, so large and perky jutting straight out like that. They just beg for some oral attention. I’d have to be crazy not to tell you that I’d love to worship your whole body in any way you liked. I don’t know which way you swing, but I could definitely give you a release like you’ve never felt before.” He moved his hand closer to mine. “How many hours a week are you in the gym working out?”

I suppose they are made for each other, because most guys would probably give you the brush-off if someone walked up and said that, no matter their orientation. What did save it, was that Bucky didn’t just assume he could show up in Australia and be welcomed with open arms. He did actually call the Consulate to see what the deal was. So there was a small mental thumbs up from me there. One of my major peeves when that isn’t even discussed. On the other hand, what about his apartment and all his stuff? Shouldn’t he have gone home and taken care of that?

Okay, I obviously had a few problems with this beyond the visa issue, but there are others who probably will find the concept quite romantic. I think I might have liked it more if it had just been an erotic vacation interlude. I’m not sure, but the style just didn’t work for me that well. But, I did enjoy that it’s set in a city I always wanted to visit, so that’s always a bonus and we don’t get many stories set in Australia.

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Lust and Skin by Jamie Lowe

Posted in Authors: J-L, C-, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on February 2, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

skinTitle: Lust and Skin
Author: Jamie Lowe
Length: 10,000 words (39 pdf pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: C-

Blurb:

Jeremy is no stranger to piercings, but the world of tattoos is all new to him. When sexy tattoo artist Dennis offers to give him his fist ink, Jeremy can’t decide if his lust is for the tattoo or for the guy willing to give it to him. Jeremy has to decide whether he trusts Dennis enough to let the man have a shot at leaving a permanent mark on his heart as well as on his skin.

Review:

It’s not great secret that I’m a fan of anything that involves tattoo artists, but I just couldn’t connect with these two guys as a couple. Jeremy is in for another piercing by his friend Chase, when tattoo artist Dennis comes into the area looking for gloves. Some sharp banter with Chase, a bit of one-upmanship about which is better, piercing or tattoos, ends with Dennis offering to give Jeremy a tattoo anytime.

Until that moment Jeremy hadn’t even considered a tattoo, but Dennis was super hot so… Okay, I get that hot guys (or girls) can make you do stupid things, but permanent ink? Maybe this was more my problem. Chase warns Jeremy off, saying that Dennis is kind of a dick, and that getting a tattoo just because you’re hot for the guy is a bad decision. I had to agree with the Chase. NOT a good reason to get ink. However a few days of thinking about it has Jeremy making the appointment, and pretty much giving Dennis free reign as to the tattoo of a skyline (the name of the shop).

Another issue I had, is they then proceed to have sex, in the cubicle with only a curtain dividing it from the rest of the tattoo/piercing parlour. Everyone had to have heard them, they weren’t silent, I can only imagine how awkward that was, and probably breaking a half-dozen health regulations that could have them closed down. I’ve taken my teenager to a tattoo parlour (I was getting an ear piercing), and I’d hate to think she would suddenly overhear two people having sex (of any variety and gender). Not cool.

So I think the combination of Jeremy’s decision to have a tattoo based on his sexual interest in the guy doing it (rather than a true desire to mark his skin), and their inappropriate place for sex, just left me doubting that this was much more than a lust-induced fascination which may quickly run its course. Others may not find the issues I mentioned off-putting. I know those are rather two of my bugaboos (inappropriate sex and making a decision based on lust rather than common sense), and I am but one reader. If you love the body mod vibe, you may want to pick this up anyway, but I just couldn’t really get into the way I’d hoped.

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