Cherie Noel (1)Critiques

Very cute, light-hearted story. I enjoyed it much.



I enjoyed the two mc's Cody and Jayden and pretty much figured out that Jayden was the brother of Cody's future brother in law right off the bat. The awkward breakfast the morning after was hilarious :D

Jayden was a sweetheart that Cody underestimated. For some reason as soon as I started reading the story, I got this impression that Cody was a bit effeminate, but that feeling grew less as the story progressed.

Loved the HEA. Good job :)

The Counterfeit Claus is the story of Devon who does his friend a favor and fills in as Santa Claus at a mall, and Adrien who is one of the elves. He’s also super klutzy. When the two meet it’s lust at first sight.

I couldn’t get into this story. The writing seems off somehow. It doesn’t flow smoothly, like ideas switched too suddenly. I also couldn’t get into the characters. Adrien was overly klutzy to the point of unrealistic. Devon was macho to the point of aggressiveness. He’s back off, but it was as if the author made sure Devon asked permission or stopped only after he’d did what he did or thought what he thought. Devon struck me as a fake alpha male. I didn’t like him.

To sum it up, the writing read off and I didn’t like the characters. I can only give The Counterfeit Claus, 2 Stars.

Free read.

A Buck’s Apology by Brenna Lyons is m/f

free at ARe

I received a copy of this book from the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review

Christie is a soldier who recently became a father. He had helped his best friend Caro and her partner have a daughter, but they were killed in a car crash when the baby was just a couple of months old. Being the biological father, he got custody. It was a big adjustment for him. As he was rushing to get to base one day, he gets pulled over for speeding. His state trooper was a complete hottie and they eventually met again later and decided to date. Robert knew from the moment he saw Christie that he was his soul mate.

Christie has the ability to talk to Caro after she has passed. It is a comfort to him, and it helps Frankie hear her voice, but he doesn't tell anyone about it because he doesn't want them to think he is crazy. Christie doesn't tell Robert about it, but as time goes on, it seems that Robert believes in this stuff a bit as well and eventually it starts talking about pagan rituals and how his family grew up with different beliefs. They are more compatible than they thought. So far the book was hitting all the great parts for me.

Then Christie gets deployed and Robert completely takes over at home. He moves in, takes care of Frankie, and waits for Christie to come home. Then there was some brief cheating-ish type behavior it didn't really go far and it definitely appeared more of a PTSD-not fully realizing what was going on-dealing with death type of situation. That annoyed me a bit although I could potentially understand how it happened. Then the book just felt a bit rushed at the end. There wasn't a lot of resolution of the cheating-ish incident, and I felt there were definitely unsettled feelings between the guys, even though they said they were fine. It was like the book started out going 100 miles per hour, and then came to a construction zone and slowed down to 20.

This book started as a very solid 5 star read for me. It hit a ton of emotions in me, especially as we learned about Caro. Singing to Frankie and Christie's conversations with her made me tear up on numerous occasions. She was beautifully written, and I really loved the start of the book. Christie and Robert connected quickly and strongly and they were great together.
Unfortunately, it didn't finish so strong for me, but it is still a 4 star read for me.

For what it was designed for, this was a good bunch of short stories. They weren't anything that made me squeal in absolute adoration for, but they were solid shorts. Too short in my opinion, but since that is what they were supposed to be, it was enjoyable.

This was short, and there was quite a bit more information that I would've liked to make the story feel more complete, but it was well written and a great story to come out of one of the annual writing challenges. I enjoyed it.

Since I finished a little more than 75% of the book I think I am entitled to rate it. The reasons for one star rating are already mentioned in other reviews. I don't want to be redundant.

Free read.

A Buck’s Apology by Brenna Lyons is m/f

free at ARe

As one of the group who worked on editing and proofing these stories and helped put the anthologies together I might be considered biased, but these anthologies are definitely worthy of the 5 star rating.

As one of the group who worked on editing and proofing these stories and helped put the anthologies together I might be considered biased, but these anthologies are definitely worthy of the 5 star rating.

This was a fun short read. I'm going to have to look at the other Silver Shorts now I think! As some of these books are only a few pages long, it's very hard to write individual reviews for them all.

Alcohol by RJ Scott - About finally stepping out of the closet.

Ambassadorial Closet by T.L.K. Arkenberg - A fun bit of wordplay in a sci-fi setting.

Built on Love by Lily Sawyer - Fun little interlude in an actual closet...

By Any Other Name by L.M. Brown - A very cute story about a couple trying to come out of the closet to both sets of parents.

Closet Case by Julie Lynn Hayes - Being flung 'out of the closet' by an ex-lover, but finding something even better.

Hide and Seek by Cherie Noel - About having to hide in a closet to escape being hazed.

In the Dark by AJ Jarrett - About finding a new love in a closet...

Out of the Closet by Diane Adams - Short story featuring Jay and Xander about coming out to their parents.

Stuck With You by Freddy MacKay - Having some fun, locked in the closet with your partner. this was really fun and sexy!

This Closet Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us by Chris Quinton - Cute story about being in a closeet and coming out of it....

Smart writing with great characters!

3.5 Stars

There was much to like about this story, interesting characters being at the top of the list. I did have a little trouble with my "suspension of disbelief" for the misunderstanding continuing for such a long time. And if I could make wishes come true I would wish that the 2 MCs did actually dance with each other as portrayed in that most beautiful photo prompt.

Very memorable characters - Tony, who many would see as disabled but who retained all of the very best qualities of humanity; Kevin, who saw into the very soul of those he loved; and Neil, a new and promising addition to the mix. Loved it!

A little something for everyone. I loved the variety.

Sweet, hot, and fun, this is a very cute story full of Holiday cheer, almost-catastrophic accidents and more than a little heat. From the yummy character descriptions to lots of hot kisses in the locker room of the characters' local mall, there is enough steam here to suspect a sauna is around the corner.

Adrien is a student and too clumsy to live (I have no idea how he survives), and Devon is such a stud, who clearly has a soft inner core and a big heart. There is quite a bit of background about the characters and their friends for such a short story, but it helped me understand them better. When they finally do meet, the heat increases exponentially, and it becomes clear they are ready for more; which I hope we will get to see in a follow-up or a longer version of this free story.

If you like sweet stories about klutzy characters who are saved by "action hero"-like tough men, if you enjoy reading Holiday stories that will make you laugh, and if you’re looking for a little heat with your Christmas cheer, then you will probably like this short book.

While the setup for this story was interesting - an alien shifter species living on Earth - unfortunately, for me personally, the actual world building was too sketchy for me to understand what was really going on. I would have loved to find out more, and think this could have been really interesting, but it just wasn't there.

Now, if I take Matt to be "just" a shifter, the story about the mating bond with an unsuitable (because too young) human becomes understandable, if not, to me personally, fascinating. The bond is nothing new, and the "falls for the younger brother of his best friend" is also not new, but some of the shifter details were good - if a little gross.

So, all in all, if you're looking for a somewhat entertaining shifter story, you might like this. But if you're expecting a fully developed paranormal or science fiction world, you might be disappointed.

Cannot wait for the full book. Adrien is adorable, and I can't wait for Devon to fulfill all the dirty promises he made in the locker room. Love Adrien calling his elf shorts, elf-go-go shorts because his butt is so much bigger than the other elves'. I think the full story is going to be adorable and funny. I love humor in my m-m romance, and it's pretty hard to come by.

Cannot wait for the full book. Adrien is adorable, and I can't wait for Devon to fulfill all the dirty promises he made in the locker room. Love Adrien calling his elf shorts, elf-go-go shorts because his butt is so much bigger than the other elves'. I think the full story is going to be adorable and funny. I love humor in my m-m romance, and it's pretty hard to come by.

3.75 stars. Very enjoyable short. Loved the character. My only fault with the story was some repetitve narritive. Recommend.

Nice rocker tale.