Forbidden Secrets by Liberty LaceMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m a bit torn on how to review this novella. There are parts of it that I enjoyed and parts of it that annoyed me. Having read the book’s blurb, I knew that this was an M/M twincest book, so obviously that aspect of the storyline wasn’t an issue. I actually enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Tristan and Thad – both the glimpses into their past as teens who couldn’t get along and their current arrangement which forced them to either live together for a year or lose their family home. That’s not even taking into account the taboo aspect of their relationship as the story progresses – which I am not ashamed to admit was hotter than I expected it to be.
However, what annoyed me was WHERE the taboo liaison occurred once Tristan and Thad were on the same page. While I did not grow up in the Louisiana bayous, I did grow up in the Florida Panhandle – literally right next to a swamp that had a gator or two (or more depending upon the water levels in the river) and on more than one occasion did a 180 to walk right back into the house because there was a gator sunning at the end of the road. With that in mind, I found the scene in which the gator attacked to be annoying because it’s not characteristic behavior of the reptile. Yet I gave the author leeway for artistic license as the scene was written with a very effective suspenseful air to it and I suspect a lot of readers won’t find fault with the scene because they didn’t grow up “aware” of gators in the same way. BUT, and that’s a big but, the idea that the twins would then flee to safety, away from the water, only to embark upon their twincest relationship while still in the swamp was a bit too much for me to swallow. No. Just no. You don’t have sex in the swamp immediately after surviving a gator attack, especially out in the open where ANYONE can walk up on you…having sex with your twin brother. Heck, you don’t have sex in the swamp, period – snakes, bugs, turtles, spiders, and other creepy crawlies make it one of the most unattractive places to have sex I can imagine, especially on the ground. Granted, the sex scene is hot, but I just couldn’t get past the location, especially as they could very easily have finished walking home and gotten down to business in a much safer environment.
Despite that, the rest of Forbidden Secrets
was well-written and I enjoyed it. Lace does a nice job of giving enough background that you can feel the tension in the relationship between the twins in the beginning, and then unfolds the story in such a way that the shift in their feelings and attitudes toward each other is believable. That’s not to say that I believe twincest is a commonly occurring phenomenon in our society, but rather that I began this novella expecting it to occur and found the way in which the author took Tristan and Thad from estranged siblings to bed partners believable. As this is the first installment in the series, the question becomes – will I read the next book in the series? Honestly I don’t know. With Forbidden Secrets being my first twincest read, I don’t know how it compares to others in the genre. While I’m not dying to read the sequel, I did enjoy the writing style and would be interested in seeing where the author takes the guys as long as my schedule allows. I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
Check out the Forbidden Secrets (Forbidden Glades Book 1) by Liberty Lace blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.
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is a sweet read that was a pleasant way to spend an hour. The story is told from Jodi’s point of view and I had to remind myself more than once that she was only 23 years old. Not only that, but she had just lost her mother, for whom she had been the sole care provider, and received even more bad news within days of her mother’s funeral. Why did I have to remind myself of this? Because some of Jodi’s thoughts were rather fanciful at times, but they were appropriate for her age and what she was going through. I had to remind myself that there was a time when I too saw signs that my life was headed in a certain direction all around me. And having her life turned upside down made Jodi even more open to the signs, but in a sweet way. While this made her reunion with Nick cute to watch, the fact that they never dated or hung out much in high school made their sudden interest in one another after five years since graduation a little suspect, especially with how the book ended. But it was a really sweet ending and I did enjoy Reunion of Souls because of it. Sometimes I need a simple, warm and fuzzy romance and this certainly fit the bill.
in my queue and thought “Perfect! Durston’s male-male romances always warm my heart and its shortened length and Christmas theme should guarantee a tear-free read.” Yeah, no. Rest assured, my heart was warmed, but my eyes were not tear free. My mistake was in not reading the blurb again before starting the novelette. Had I done so and realized that Kinder would be spending time with the ghost of his dead partner, I would have been prepared for the tears. Despite my oversight, I loved this book and it was a great holiday read.
is a short story that is exactly that. The tale of a young man, Seth, who finds himself just far enough on that side of tipsy to re-approach the beauty he met earlier in the evening. Because Seth is intoxicated by both alcohol and the peacock – it’s a Mardi Gras masquerade party after all – he completely misses the verbal clues as to who has caught his eye. Needless to say it’s both amusing as heck and endearing when Seth discovers just how cocky his peacock is while they’re dancing. And yet our straight young man finds he can’t resist Jean and what starts out as a rather sweet misunderstanding turns into an even hotter bout of sex when Seth accepts Jean’s invite to his place. The chemistry between the two worked well and I really liked how Jean kept giving Seth opportunities to “back out” as Jean obviously worried that Seth would suddenly sober up and freak out. That spoke volumes not only about the kind of person Jean was, but also to his past experiences. But the absolute best part was how once the deed was done, it was then Seth’s turn to reassure the previously confident Jean that all was well and he did so admirably. I am quite thankful to have gotten the opportunity to review The Wrong Bird for the blog because otherwise I would have missed out on a rather enjoyable tale because I just don’t buy short stories. 
is a 53-page novelette, so I figured that if for some reason I decided a trans-romance wasn’t for me it was short enough to not be an issue (I’ll explain in a bit how this actually backfired on me). That the blurb was interesting on its own made The Complications of T an easy yes for me. And I am oh so glad that I got to read it because it was a great book.
with a scene that seems to come straight out of a porn video – lonely older housewife, hot young plumber, and plenty of pipe. And yet, as I read on I quickly found that there was far more substance to this hot little novelette than the first page would suggest. When Will comes to Mitzi’s plumbing rescue, he does so by giving her a little lesson on basic plumbing. While it is true that Mitzi shows her “gratitude” with a little oral pleasure, she takes it one step further and gives Will a lesson in women, specifically older women. Because Mitzi is a sexually confident woman who hosts sex toy parties, she’s quite adept at “schooling” our young Will. I really liked how her instruction was provided during the course of their sexual interlude – the author managed to make it sexy without feeling clinical. Oh yeah!
gives fans of the series the chance to spend a day with the trio as they go shopping for the perfect dishes for their first Thanksgiving dinner as a family. We get to witness the care that Henry takes as he prepares Alice and Jay for their day out. The usual banter between Jay and Alice is present as is the Henry's steadying presence. The sexual tension between the three is obvious as they make their way into yet another antique store, but it is Jay's pleasure at finding the perfect dishes and at the praise he receives from Henry that is most palpable. That is, until they arrive home and Henry choreographs a stunningly erotic scene between the three of them to fulfill the promise of his all-day foreplay. Despite the short length of this story, Ms. Barber continues to stay true to her characters and who they are as individuals as well as who they are within their ménage dynamic. I do not recommend reading Three-Way Tie as a standalone because to fully appreciate it, you need to be familiar with the trio and what they have faced to get to where they are in their relationship. But if you are a fan of the series, spend the buck and buy this novelette. I got it as a Prime borrow for the month and will be purchasing it so that I can read it again whenever I need a quick Alice, Jay, and Henry fix.
, Kain learns the lesson of karma – what goes around comes around. As the blurb says, Kain is a spoiled rich kid; actually all of the members of the Bad Boys Club seem to be. Whether it is due to his obscene wealth and the privileges it affords him or if he was just born that way, Kain seems to be very egocentric and doesn’t care about his sexual partners beyond the night. Granted, by all indications he is not so narcissistic that he leaves them hanging, but his insuring that they get their “O” is more a point of pride for his ability than any concern for their sexual satisfaction. 
takes place during the same night that Lust and Ice opens with, but it reveals the night’s events from the perspective of the brothers – Jordan and Allen. Just like their friend Kain, Jordan and Allen are among the elite VIPs at Night Moves and see each visit there as a chance to wager on who will capture their prey for the night first. While the brothers are definitely competitive (which plays out rather humorously later in the story), they have no problem sharing their man for the night and prefer to hunt tag-team style. And boy are their moves smooth and seductive! It’s no wonder so many men have fallen prey to them.
brings us the final bad boy’s tale of woe as he falls prey to a more powerful predator… or does it? While each of the novelettes in The Bad Boys Club series can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading them in order as you’ll benefit from a fuller telling of the tales because not only do the bad boys talk about one another in each book, the supernatural creatures they have attracted reveal info about one another as well. And I do believe that Ms. Church saved the best for last with Hugh’s story. No, Hugh is no more likeable or redeemable than his friends – Kain, Jordan, and Allen – and Tobis is no more formidable of a supernatural than Asmodeus or Chaus. The reason I think I enjoyed Haunting the Night more than the others is that Hugh seems to be more self-aware of his deep, dark desires. This is not to say that he submits to Tobis without a fight, because he certainly does try to fight the werewolf’s claim on him. But because Hugh is not satisfied with the life his father has chosen for him and how he must deny his wants in order to maintain the image his father demands, Hugh is quicker to realize the freedom Tobis’s claim offers him. Once he does, he readily accepts his place as Tobis’s mate and it was hot! Gotta love a mating knot. I also enjoyed that the Epilogue was not just for Haunting the Night but also for the entire series, so we got to catch up with all of the boys to see how their new “lives” were. The Bad Boys Club has been an enjoyable series with Haunting the Night being my favorite installment.
is not your typical sports romance because neither of the leads are athletes. However, their opening day activities place this novelette squarely in the sports romance genre. Add to that a healthy dose of sexy man-on-man action, well I was enjoying a little bit of heaven as I read about Aaron and Darren’s meet cute and first date. Having been dumped yet again by another arrogant bad boy, Aaron decides that he needs to take a break from dating. But Darren’s arrival as the new floating pharmacist has Aaron second guessing his hasty decision. After an incident at work has Aaron coming to Darren’s rescue, his second guessing is gone and Aaron takes a well-presented opportunity to invite a new colleague out for a bite to eat. When the night goes well, they agree to a first date over opening day for their respective baseball teams, who just happen to be playing one another the following evening. What takes place during the baseball game is a highly erotic twist on the drinking games so many fans tend to enjoy, with the guys advancing from first base to second base and clothes being shed with well-timed strikes. As expected, the sensuality increases with each baseball play until it culminates in a seriously hot grand slam. I loved the chemistry between Aaron and Darren and can easily see myself rereading Opening Day when I’m looking for a quick read that combines a little bit of sweet with a whole lotta hot. I look forward to reading Evading Exodus to see what Ms. Woods has in store for the pair.
because I did. I liked that Ace stayed to true to his character and lashed at out Adam when he sent Alicia away after the discovery at the end of Part Four, which is where this installment picks up. I was surprised by the consequences of his rash decision and reckless behavior that Ms. Orman wrote into the story, but they were realistic and I applaud her willingness to do that to one of her main characters. I loved that Adam’s arrival was once again perfectly timed when Alicia’s past came skulking back into her life and that he had the chance to administer a little justice before the police arrived. That the guys accompanied her to the police station and were there to support her emotionally helped to show that maybe, just maybe, Ace was finally getting his act together and that they had a chance for the long-term ménage relationship they had been working toward. Of course, the sex scenes were as hot as ever – even with the position maneuvering that was required to accommodate physical conditions at different times in the story. But I suppose I had hoped for just a bit more closure to their story. Did I enjoy In the Moment: Part Five? Absolutely. Was it a complete story? Yes it was. Were all the questions answered? No, but no book can do that and the questions that were left hanging were left hanging because of when in time the story ended. Ultimately, I just wanted a bit more of their story. But in the end, In the Moment: Part Five is still a 5-star read for me because I will reread it and I look forward to being able to read all five installments back-to-back. 
continues on from Part Three and we find Ace reeling from Alicia kicking the two of them out. What do two testosterone-fueled men do when the woman in their lives shows them the road? They engage in some seriously hot M/M sex. Adam has come to realize that Ace sees their sexual encounters as a way to reaffirm their connection and he is more than willing to give that to Ace… or should I say, take it from Ace. I’ve gotta hand it to Ms. Orman, even after four installments, she is still keeping the sexual encounters HAWT! 
more than I enjoyed Off the Grid, I’m still not hooked on the series. Ultimately a geek at heart, I found the information that was disseminated via Ethan’s training quite interesting. Although I wasn’t surprised that he did well in the testing for skills that relied on hand-eye coordination, I was fascinated by the fact that he scored so much better than everyone else – yet he still questioned his ability to eventually contribute to the team. I really should give the guy a break as he is trying to find his way in a new life after having his old life ripped away from him so brutally, but his lack of confidence doesn’t ring true from someone who is a professional athlete who has helped his team win the Cup… twice. I do like that Ethan is not afraid to ask questions and has been encouraged by everyone so far to do so. And the way that the various team members have relayed their personal stories has helped fill in more of the blanks regarding the team and certainly helped make this installment more interesting as well. That said, I believe that parts one and two would have been more effective had they been combined into a single novella rather than two novelettes. I will be starting Initiation by Fire tomorrow and can only hope that it lives up to its name and finally brings the level of action and adventure that I was expecting. A good dose of romance would not be amiss either. 
, I couldn’t quite remember what had transpired at the end of the previous installment. However, within a page or two, it all came flying back – the sex, the video, the hot sex, the argument, and did I mention the HOT SEX! Considering Ace’s response to the long list of the video’s recipients, it’s not surprising that I was the only one in this situation thinking about the sex. Needless to say, Adam was not happy with Ace’s reaction to the video, surmising that Ace’s anger over it getting out meant that Ace would never be comfortable taking their relationship public. As Adam lives his life openly as a bisexual man, he refuses to hide who he is for anyone, especially the man he is in love with. 
is the first installment in a 10-part serial novel. While I did enjoy reading the novelette it didn’t quite capture my attention as much as I hoped. On the contrary, until Ethan actually goes to the Underground facility and meets some of the other operatives, my attention kept waning. Admittedly I felt bad for the guy when he learned that his parents ripped him off and endangered his life. And yes, the hockey stick as a weapon scene was pretty freaking cool. But his initial meeting with Maline and Andre had me rolling my eyes a couple of times. Maline’s “We fight crime” statement annoyed me considering she’s working for a black ops organization, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she knew she was dealing with a man who was likely in shock. As her character’s conversational skills were more advanced once they got to the facility, I was more accepting of it. But the exchange that really, really caused my eyes to roll was when Maline tells Ethan about people being able to fake polygraphs and Ethan’s response was “Seriously?” Even if I’m willing to accept that the MAN has made it to thirty without having watched any criminal justice themed show or movie EVER, Ethan majored in Criminal Justice in college. I minored in Criminal Justice and that’s basic information covered in intro classes (plural). So yeah, that was a problem for me. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor sticking point but it undermines the character for me. 
picks up shortly after the end of part one. Ace is biding his time as he tries to figure out how to persuade Alicia to give his ménage proposal a chance. At the same time, Adam is getting tired of being Ace's dirty little secret so he decides to get to know Alicia to find out what it is about her that has caught Ace's attention. The fact that Ace hasn't let Adam in on his ménage idea is what makes Adam's approach effective. Because he's not trying to get into her pants, Alicia is able to relax and she becomes comfortable with Adam. The combination of her comfort and an episode of clumsiness gives Adam the chance to act on his desires that have been building as he got to know her. Ace plays the situation to his advantage and gives Alicia a taste of how good it could be if she were to say yes. Thank goodness mine wasn't the only appetite whetted by that scene! As hot as it was it had nothing on what happened when the three met up at her apartment after the bar closed. With the amount of heat being generated by the MF, MM, and MMF scenes in this installment, I don't know if my Kindle will survive the eventual MFM scene the series promises. Once again Ms. Orman hooked me with the ending because I have to know what happens next.
4 stars, but if I find that the series is one that I plan to reread, I will adjust my rating accordingly. Now, I’m off to take advantage of being a blogger and I get to read In the Moment: Part Two now because I want to see what happens next. Well done Ms. Orman, you definitely hooked me in.
a spot on my reread shelf.