Xara X. XanakasCritiques

A good short about Razor, the bad boy rock star getting caught by a mystery man from behind.

The spy-movie or action-movie satirical tone of the beginning was great —It sprang to my mind that Until nex time is so similar to Hasta la vista, baby—.
The sex was hot and sweet at once.
And the long relationship that is suggested cries for a sequel.

Six chapters , six sex scenes.. But I didn't have a feeling of "too much sex", they are assembled on an unpretentious plot. despite the related tag.

A sexy, funny and very enjoyable shortie

2,5 stars

OMG! This was so funny! I loved it :D I wasn't sure I was going to like it when I saw the cartoon prompt, but I am so glad I read this.

This is the story of Vin, a human from the 20th century who through no fault of his own, has been vaulted five hundred years into the future along with a few other males from the same time. The only job Vin is suited for is as a porn star creating holoflicks for Ursa Majoris Pornacopia.

The story begins with Vin preparing for his next holoflick. Unbeknownst to him, his manager Sather has agreed for Vin to get fucked by a large blue Denoblian named Jali, who has massive yellow horns, along with an equally massive cock. To say Vin is distressed, bordering on hysterical is an understatement. Vin's distress is highly amusing while Jali is steady and calm. Jali answers all of Vin's questions honestly and sometimes with amusement, and in the process of being in Jali's presence, Vin starts to succumb to Jali's pheromones and Vin finds out what those yellow horns are good for. To say the two have a rousing good time while waiting for the shoot, is an understatement.

I don't want to give away any more of the story, but I loved the hilarity and the characters. I had no trouble visualizing the scenes or the personalities of the characters.

This is a great story and I would happily read about the characters again if the author decides to write more about them.

I only read about half the stories in this anthology. It's mostly a mixed bag. There were a couple I really like (one particular stand-out story is Clare London's "Say a Little Prayer"), most were just ok. With such short stories, I felt a lot of the sex scenes were totally unnecessary, and some stories seemed to be set up around the sex scene, with character/plot background just to pad it out so it wouldn't be totally about gratuitous porn. Meh, most of these were not really my taste, I suppose.

J.P. Barnaby, "End of the World As We Know It". Did not finish. The age gap involving a minor really puts me off.

J.C. Chase, "Open Tackle". 2 stars. The relationship between best friends and football teammates Owen and Rory change when Owen confesses his feelings for Rory, then runs off after taking Rory's stunned silence for a rejection. A basic misunderstanding plot, really common in yaoi manga, which I find rather unrealistic and gets resolved fairly quickly.

Jaya Christopher, "Cody and the Hermit". 2 stars. Cowboy Cody pines after a former childhood friend and longtime crush when said crush returns to his hometown after several years away. I didn't really find this one believable at all. The sex scene was also clearly tacked on and didn't really add anything to the story.

Poppy Dennison, "Blindsided". 3 stars. Boxer/fighter Noah is nervous about his upcoming fight, his fellow boxer comforts him. This is a plot that I like a lot and wish I could read as a full novel. As a short story, the ending is too easy and unsatisfying and would be better if it was more developed.

Rachel Haimowitz, "Jungle Heat". 2 stars. American Ranger Pete gets captured by a drug cartel, is given cocaine and raped. The story completely falls apart at the end when the love interest (a fellow Ranger) comes to save him, confesses and suddenly everything's ok???

Jambrea Jo Jones, "Wild Blue Yonder". 2 stars. Bruce leaves his lover and fellow soldier Rick when it seems like Rick can't offer him the commitment he wants.

Marguerite Labbe, "Tears of the Sea". 2 stars. David is tied up by Liam, his crush and the husband of his husband's twin brother, in an attempt to make him remember memories he lost. An interesting enough idea but terribly executed. It dragged on way too long and wasn't particularly well-written.

Clare London, "Say A Little Prayer". 5 stars. While working a summer job, Jonathan finds a winged and naked man on the beach waiting just for him. This was a real gem of a short story and absolutely compelling from beginning to end. I like how the "mystery" unravels itself slowly and allowed for the development of some really delicious tension and heat. This was also one story where the sex scene felt like it was important and fit into the story rather than being a gratuitous scene added in. (Ironically, this is one story where I wouldn't have minded more sex-- I guess because I was very invested in the two characters.) Lovely writing and wonderful story overall. I will definitely check out more of this author's work.

M.J. O'Shea, "Bridges". 2 stars. I've read this one before, my review is here. Sweet but ultimately forgettable tale of two enemies turned lovers.

Devon Rhodes, "His Last Resort". 3 stars. A college freshman comes out to his roomate.

Andrea Speed, "My Bloody Valentine". 4 stars. Cody takes Drew to an abandoned house for some spooky fun. Super short but packs a real punch.

V.J. Summers, "Liar, Liar". DNF. Didn't like the writing.

Bryl R. Tyne, "Alipio". 3 stars. A very poetic and dream-like short story about an artist who becomes infatuated with the slave who is his model.

Plenty of 4 and 4.5 star stories in this collection. I'll definitely be returning to some of these reads when I need some fluff.

Would happily read a full length novel about these two.

J. P. Barnaby – It's the End of the World As We Know It - ★★★✩✩
L.C. Chase – Open Tackle - ★★★★✩
Jaya Christopher – Cody and the Hermit - ★★★✩✩
Poppy Dennison – Blindsided - ★★★✩✩
Taylor V. Donovan – Heatstroke - ★★★★★
Rachel Haimowitz – Jungle Heat - ★★✩✩✩
Jambrea Jo Jones – Wild Blue Yonder - ★★✩✩✩
Lissa Kasey & Xara X. Xanakas – Sink or Swim - ★★★✩✩
K Lee Klein – Outfoxed - ★★✩✩✩
Marguerite Labbe – Tears of the Sea - ★★★★✩
Clare London – Say a Little Prayer - ★★★✩✩
Belinda McBride – Free to Fly - ★★★✩✩
Michele L. Montgomery – Tears From Above - ★★★★✩
Cherie Noel – Kiss and Tell - ★★★✩✩
Lydia Nyx – Moon Over Montana - ★★✩✩✩
M.J. O'Shea – Bridges - ★★★★✩
SJD Peterson - Innocence to the Max - ★★✩✩✩
Devon Rhodes – His Last Resort - ★★★✩✩
Jaime Samms – Mourning - ★★★★✩
PD Singer – The Boy Next Door - ★★★✩✩
Andrea Speed – My Bloody Valentine - ★★★★✩
Damon Suede – Seedy Business - ★★★✩✩
VJ Summers – Liar, Liar - ★★★★✩
Bryl R. Tyne – Alipio - ★★★✩✩
Piper Vaughn – Wanting - ★★★✩✩
Missy Welsh – You and a Billion Blue Tiles - ★★★★✩
Eden Winters – Sweet Dreams - ★★★✩✩

I actually liked this story much more than I thought I would. It was a bit of a weird premise but the author really made it work. Had a lot of sex in it, but not a lot of major plot. Overall, it was enjoyable.

Plenty of 4 and 4.5 star stories in this collection. I'll definitely be returning to some of these reads when I need some fluff.

Would happily read a full length novel about these two.

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.

I could kick myself that I didn't read this any earlier! I really enjoyed this, slightly left of centre, book. Nothing cookie cutter here, no characters cut from the same cloth. No, these two authors give us quirky, funny and different.

Ash and Fee are nearly polar opposites. And their beginnings are definitely not ideal (anyone say "stalkerish behaviour"??). This book is all about their ups and downs. Their differences and how they find that middle ground that they need to move forward together. I loved the snippets out of the "how-to" guide that Ash uses.

This story hit all the right spots for me. I can only hope that there is another book like it in the works...maybe Ty or Donovan deserve their own story?

A fun, short read. Wish it had been longer!

A surprisingly sweet story considering that one of the MCs is a giant, blue, horned alien and the other is an anachronistic 21st century human who has spent the last 5 centuries in cryogenic sleep! Humorous, sexy and sweet!

Lovely and sweet and ever so romantic. And Hot! Did I mention Hot?

A little something for everyone. I loved the variety.

This is a cute story about a rich nerd who gets used by his ‘friends’ for his money and the gorgeous model who is interested only in him. With a few complications and misunderstandings at the core of it, it’s also a story about standing up for oneself and learning what real friendship and respect are all about.

Ally is too timid for his own good. He is lonely, and makes the mistake of believing the people who are around for his money are actually his friends. I felt really sorry for him and was so glad when Bennie turned up and showed an interest in him, rather than his bank account. Of course, it takes Ally a while to believe Bennie is being honest, but once he does, it turns out the two are made for each other.

Bennie is a successful model but hates his empty life. People are only interested in him for his connections to agents. He has more money than he knows what to do with, but is fed up with the loneliness of the life he leads. He has a large heart and good character judgment, he is also loyal and starts fighting for Ally’s right to be himself and make his own decisions immediately.

Both these men are surrounded by people who want them for things other than who they are. Bennie is probably better equipped to recognize and fight it, but without someone to share who he really is, the loneliness isn’t any easier to bear. If you’re looking for a fun light read with some humorous banter, two main characters who are made for each other and a very happy ending, you may like this book.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

This is one of those rare books that is not only really funny, but also offers an unusual perspective on the world of wereshifters. I mean - a wereboa constrictor? Snake shifters in general? Not the easiest thing to imagine and pull off at least semi-credibly. I loved the idea; and the world of snakes versus other weres that Xara Xanakas builds is full of tension and credible (if somewhat human) politics.

Jeff, the wereboa, is hilarious in the way he looks at the world. He works in a bookstore and doesn't seem to get out a lot. He is also somewhat depressed about not having a boyfriend, but his view on the world is somewhere between sarcastic and insightful. He isn't quick to warm to Brad (other than sexually), but when he does, he holds on with all he has.

Brad, the werewolf, is a great guy. He is extremely patient with Jeff, and utterly determined to ignore what everyone thinks about a wolf and a snake getting together. Building trust slowly seems to be natural to him, and the way he stands by Jeff and supports him when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan is just perfect.

If you like unusual shifter stories that are likely to make you laugh out loud, and you don't mind a bit of parody in your reading, you will probably enjoy this book.



NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online.

Short story fun filled with twinks, cop fantasies and a steamy (yet pg-13) plot. I really liked.

I was super excited to read this book because my husband and I are total opposites like Fee and Ash. He introduced me to the awesomeness of Dr. Who and neat tricks on computers and such, obviously he's the nerd. So seeing just the title made me smile. I adore Ash, such a sweet guy trying to get into Fee's interests and making such a great effort to show Fee that he can at least try to enjoy the things Fee likes. Amazing man from the beginning. Fee seriously pissed me off in the beginning, he did seem like an asshole as Ash's friends pointed out and he's just damn lucky Ash goes after what he wants. All in all this was a very fun story to read, but now I'm freaking dying to know what's going on with Ty! Not happy at all that that's just out there hanging around. Piper, Xara, let's uh, lets do something about that soon huh? Please?

Ash is a tatted up pretty boy who likes to party and hopes to one day open up his own tattoo shop. Fee is a geeky IT guy and Star Wars fanatic. No way should these two be attracted to each other but, the heart wants what the heart wants and Ash's heart wants Fee. As much as Fee tries to fight it he wants Ash too.

I wish I was better at writing reviews because this book was all kinds of awesome and I know I won't be able to express how much I loved it. And I did love it. It's just the right amount of sweet and sexy and the build up to when these two get together is pretty much perfect and Ash and Fee are perfect together. Ash and Fee's friends are a big part of the story as well and I have it from a reliable source that some of them will be getting their own story too:).

Thanks Piper and Xara for letting me read it early. You guys are the best!!

And did I mention that the sex scenes are holymotherofgod smoking hot??!! Well, they are:).

3.5 stars. Very sweet.