Finally it's Friday

Yay, it's the weekend. A last few frustrating days at work where people either didn't get it or don't seem inclined to phone/e-mail me back. Grrrr. Oh well, it's over.

Oh, please please please go to Wren's and read her mini-serial she's started inspired by yesterday's red hooded hottie. She's amazing. Super job Wren.

What I've read the last few days:

Exploring Limits by Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna (170 pages)



I've read books by these authors individually and together and enjoyed them. This time? Not so much. Jonathan is an American actor (30's) working in Britain on a King Arthur TV series. Kit, a young actor, and Devon and older actor (mid-late 30's) decide they both want Jonathan so set out to seduce him together although they did not have a relationship before this momentous decision. Doesn't take much work as Jonathan has always been attracted to men but never acted on it because of his young son (who is never mentioned again). They then proceed to have a menage relationship screwing at ever opportunity. This is from the Sean Micheal school of writing. The first 7 pages were Kit and Devon deciding to seduce him. Then the entire rest of the book is one sex scene after another. The scenes where they aren't having sex or about to have sex or just finished having sex, they are at a sex shop, talking about getting their test results so they can bareback, flirting on the set or ... oh wait, that's it. There was very uncomfortable scene for me as Devon and Jonathan are really into rough sex, lots of biting and bruising and Kit is uncomfortable with this but tries to go with the flow. The other two are so focused on what they consider pleasurable that they are clueless to Kit's distress as they basically attack him, holding him down and kissing so hard he can't even tell them to stop until things get carried away. I will say my strong emotional response to this scene is a testament to the authors' skill, but it didn't endear me to the characters even though they apologised, yada yada. So that turned me off and then to be honest I skimmed the last 30 pages because it was just more sex. I never felt Kit was really part of them and he was the only one I got a slight glimpses of what he was about beyond being perpetually horny. Although he was that. Jonathan never mentioned his son or what this would mean eventually though that was the whole reason he never had a relationship with a man before and it just ended with them planning a long weekend vacation. So I'm not sure if there will be a sequel or what.

I also found lots of references to them all in their character names "their king took off his boxers" "Lancelot raised his arms" or Jonathan was referred to as "the American". I know it's hard with three guys to keep them all straight because he/he/he but I'd rather have their names than referring to them in character or by descriptors. I'd hate to be referred to as "the Canadian" all the time, well, especially in bed. Like what? I come behind the German and the Italian and you can't keep our names straight? LOL So this did not work for me on many levels. It never got further than sex, there was no discussion of any kind of relationship issues beyond apologising to Kit and coming up with safe words (which since they wouldn't allow him to speak and say stop the safe word was useless). For those looking for steamy menage read it will be ideal especially if you like it a bit rough (they toned it down at the end) or some role playing as there is a huge scene of Kit and Jonathan in character. Interesting but by then I'd lost interest. I'm desperate for some plot beyond matching cock rings. So not horrid, but just not for me.

ZE1 by Yuki Shimizu (175 pages or so, not sure)



Okay, this was weird but not as bad as I expected. Raizou has to go and live with these guys at a house somewhere because his Grandma died and he has no family (popular yaoi theme #1). He's trying to fit in but they are weird. Oh wait, seems some guy curses people and then when the curse bounces back he is injured but that's okay cause he's made out of paper and heals. Yes, made out of paper. His arm flies off in the kitchen into the stew. Riiight. Okay, I am totally cheating and if you want to read an amazing description of the book that makes a bazillion times more sense than mine ever would go HERE. In fact I am stealing this line from their review "There are some things ZE does very well, but guiding readers gently into its complicated world isn’t among them." EXACTLY. I should have read their review first, the book would have made way more sense to me. I think it would help to understand some of the Japanese mythology surrounding these creatures to totally get it, which obviously I didn't. It's still not the worst yaoi I've read despite people made of paper and not having a clue what was going on half the time. There is a second volume which according to that reviewer is much better. It will be continuing it's yaoi world tour soon.

And Call Me in the Morning by Willa Okati (187 pages)



I sometimes have issues with WO books but it seems her contemporaries work for me. I must stay away from Celtic granola books. :-) I read the review at Wave's this morning and I'm not going to redo one because I pretty much echo her words. Yes, work was so slow I managed to read this today while waiting on people who never did get back to me then finished it when I got home. There's not a lot of plot in the sense of things happening, no stalkers, evil ex's, just a couple of older straight best friends figuring out that they are in love and what that means and also some mid-life crisis career stuff. But on the whole it was a pleasant read and I came away with a good feeling since out of the 187 pages, very little was sex relatively speaking which was a nice change after the first book. Not that I don't like smexin' in books, because seriously, I'm pervy that way, but if the ONLY thing I learn about a character is their preferred position and lube flavour, it's too much.

So this was my lazy day, referring you to other reviews. LOL But they say it better than I can and sorry for the not so positive one in the first book which disappointed me because I do like the authors and I do like m/m/m, but hey, I'm sure it will work for others who are in the mood for a very erotic read.

Hope everyone has a super weekend. We are getting sunshine, finally. For at least one day. Yaaaaay!