Rush in the Dark (Common Powers 2) by Lynn Lorenz

The Common Powers series is a "strange" paranormal series; as the name says, it's about common men who have some "special" powers, but not so much to make them extraordinary men. In the first installment, Sammi, a young hustler, has the power to hear the thoughts of the people around him, and when he finds his true love, he shares with him a mind bond. Their friend was Brian, a private investigator who has premonitions. In the second installment Brian meets his man, Rush, a true blood cowboy. The special power of Rush is the night vision, but unlike the powers of the other men, this particular power is not something that has a special role in the story, it's only like another body characteristic of Rush, like the color of his eyes...

There are two plots in the story: the main one is the developing relationship between Brian and Rush, with their struggle to overcome Rush's insecurities; Rush lives in a small town USA and he fears to come out, the only time he did with his father, he was beaten like an animal and forced to stay hidden or leave. Even if now Rush is alone, he still has not found the courage to come out again with his friends and neighboors. The second plot is Brian's research for Sammi's real identity.

Both Brian and Rush are interesting characters. Brian is an old fashioned man, he believes in Mr Right, and even if he isn't a virgin maid waiting for his knight in shining armor, he still believes in wooing and in having a relationship with his lover and not only mindless and no strings attached sex. He wants to be respected, he likes sex, but he needs something else and more with it.

Rush is a troubled man. He spent all his life in hiding, and when he has some urges, he goes far from home, in the big city where he is a stranger. But when he meets Brian he knows that, if he doesn't change his attitude, he will loose the man. Rush makes a lot of error in this relationship, a less constant man than Brian would give up to him with the first mistake. Instead, since Brian as I said believe in true love, he exercises a lot of patience and tames his skittish cowboy with praise and sugar.

The story is sexy, there are a lot of sex scenes, but all in all it's more romantic than erotic. I should say that I like this aspect of the book, and for this reason, I felt almost as not necessary the last erotic encounter... but well, better too much than not much!

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=780

Amazon Kindle: Common Powers 2: Rush in the Dark

Amazon: Rush in the Dark: Common Powers 2

Series: Common Powers
1) Soul Bonds: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/320917.html
2) Rush in the Dark

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

St. Nacho’s by Z.A. Maxfield

Cooper is a man in flight from himself, or maybe from a man he doesn't like and doesn't want to be no more. From a good family, a little genius of the music, Cooper had all the chances to be someone good and successful; instead he was a trouble kid and later an even more trouble man. Drugs and alcohol didn't help, but even when he was wasted he still had something good in him, something that prevented him to drunken drive; unfortunately the same thing wasn't in his lover and Cooper was in the car when they had an accident and killed a little kid. From that moment on Cooper is a runaway, trying to be as far as possible from his past. Then he arrives to Santo Ignacio, California; the places is like a little heaven in the hell that is the world for Cooper; and in this little heaven Cooper finds an ever more little paradise in St. Nacho's cantina, a gay club along the beach with a crew that is almost a family. A family that welcome Cooper inside their home and arms. They are so overwhelming and open that Cooperf finds himself delaying day by day his departure, above all since one member of the family, Shawn, has a personal interest in Cooper, even if they are a very unlikely pair.

First of all the obvious: Cooper is unable to express his feelings, above all with his body, the only time when he lets go something is when he is playing his violin; Shawn is deaf and he needs the physical touch, sometime he is even forceful when people physically avoid him, since for him is like shutting the only communication channel. Then Cooper is the classical bad boy, leather, tattoo, piercings and bike, he is not at all the reassuring type. Shawn has the face of an angel and his disability leads people to try to protect him, to always pair him with the good boy next door.

But the appearance could lead to big mistake, since nor Cooper or Shawn are what they seem. Cooper is a submissive for nature, he loves to be gentle manhandled and almost to be coaxed to do the right thing; he really needs someone that for once, doesn't let him go since it is the best thing for him to forget, but instead forces him to face his biggest nightmares. On the other hand Shawn is not the docile and sweet man everyone thinks he is; he has a strong streak and he likes to lead and to be a little forceful, but in bed than in life. Between Cooper and Shawn it's not a classical D/s relationship, but for sure it's a power game, a fragile balance of allow and forbid.

The story has a very involving development, with some nice and unexpected turn of event; it has also a various and interesting bunch of side characters, like all the St. Nacho's family member, and Stan, the apparently good priest: watch out as the author turns the man from steady and strong supporter to spoiled baby to whom someone has stolen his latest shiny toy. I like also that the author, in the three books I read by her, has never replayed the same character, always managing to have a different story with its own original heroes, even if they all live in sunny California.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=833

Amazon Kindle: St. Nacho's

Amazon: St. Nacho's

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

St. Nacho’s by Z.A. Maxfield

Cooper is a man in flight from himself, or maybe from a man he doesn't like and doesn't want to be no more. From a good family, a little genius of the music, Cooper had all the chances to be someone good and successful; instead he was a trouble kid and later an even more trouble man. Drugs and alcohol didn't help, but even when he was wasted he still had something good in him, something that prevented him to drunken drive; unfortunately the same thing wasn't in his lover and Cooper was in the car when they had an accident and killed a little kid. From that moment on Cooper is a runaway, trying to be as far as possible from his past. Then he arrives to Santo Ignacio, California; the places is like a little heaven in the hell that is the world for Cooper; and in this little heaven Cooper finds an ever more little paradise in St. Nacho's cantina, a gay club along the beach with a crew that is almost a family. A family that welcome Cooper inside their home and arms. They are so overwhelming and open that Cooperf finds himself delaying day by day his departure, above all since one member of the family, Shawn, has a personal interest in Cooper, even if they are a very unlikely pair.

First of all the obvious: Cooper is unable to express his feelings, above all with his body, the only time when he lets go something is when he is playing his violin; Shawn is deaf and he needs the physical touch, sometime he is even forceful when people physically avoid him, since for him is like shutting the only communication channel. Then Cooper is the classical bad boy, leather, tattoo, piercings and bike, he is not at all the reassuring type. Shawn has the face of an angel and his disability leads people to try to protect him, to always pair him with the good boy next door.

But the appearance could lead to big mistake, since nor Cooper or Shawn are what they seem. Cooper is a submissive for nature, he loves to be gentle manhandled and almost to be coaxed to do the right thing; he really needs someone that for once, doesn't let him go since it is the best thing for him to forget, but instead forces him to face his biggest nightmares. On the other hand Shawn is not the docile and sweet man everyone thinks he is; he has a strong streak and he likes to lead and to be a little forceful, but in bed than in life. Between Cooper and Shawn it's not a classical D/s relationship, but for sure it's a power game, a fragile balance of allow and forbid.

The story has a very involving development, with some nice and unexpected turn of event; it has also a various and interesting bunch of side characters, like all the St. Nacho's family member, and Stan, the apparently good priest: watch out as the author turns the man from steady and strong supporter to spoiled baby to whom someone has stolen his latest shiny toy. I like also that the author, in the three books I read by her, has never replayed the same character, always managing to have a different story with its own original heroes, even if they all live in sunny California.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=833

Amazon Kindle: St. Nacho's

Amazon: St. Nacho's

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Transgressions by Erastes

There is all the range of love in this historical novel, but there is also the drama and the betrayal, real or supposed, and maybe there is also the incapacity of two young men to recognize the real love, the one for which it's worth to die for.

David and Jonathan, just from the name you understand that they are fated to be together as the heroic figures of the Old Testament they share the name with. It's love, it's friendship, maybe it's even a brotherly affection pushed too far, in any way, all the novel turns around this two men and how they met and lost together. David is the son of a wealthy (at least according to the town standard) blacksmith; in the first scene we see David as he will be for all the novel, a young blond god basking in the sun while instead he should have been at work. David is like that, he is not severe and diligent, he is all lies and smiles, and with his behavior he always finds a way to escape the right punishment. His father doesn't approve him, but truth be told, he also doesn't do anything to really correct him, maybe even him is fooled by the angelic look of his son.

To ruin a bit the paradise on earth where David is living arrive Jonathan, the new apprentice of his father; Jonathan is dark where David is blond, but it's not only a physical dissimilarity. Jonathan is a puritan, he has instilled in his mind what is wrong and what is right, but even him seems to succumb to the lazy angel who is David. At first Jonathan covers David's escapade, sometime even following him to be sure that he would be fine. David treats Jonathan like a beloved pet, and Jonathan basks in the little attention he receives from his personal angel. But then David discovers the sinful love to the hand of another man, Tobias, and only a night is enough to collapse the fragile dam of David's resistance. The other man is soon forgotten, maybe since he is lost, maybe since he was not important, only a tool to awaken him, and David turns his full newfound seductive power on Jonathan. And Jonathan gives up while at the same time he is sentencing himself to the hell, but only him, since the sinner is not David, David is to be protected and it's Jonathan who is ruining the young boy, it's Jonathan who is dirty, while David still remain a pure angel of love.

This behavior of both Jonathan than David will continue even when they will be torn apart and believe in the betrayal of the other; David will always regret the lost of his "puritan" young lover, but he will manage to find another type of love, more adult, not the same love he had for Jonathan, but nevertheless important and strong. Since David has never believed to be a sinner, he will not sentence himself of any wrong, and he will be able to love again. On the other hand, Jonathan has always believed to be a sinner, and when he looses David, he is not able to allow himself to love again; he has to be punished, he has to find an hell on earth until he will reach the real hell that he is sure he is awaiting him. Jonathan has the sin inside himself and that sin is eating him alive... but the sin is to have loved someone of his same sex, or it's the prejudice that doesn't allow him to see the light? I have the feeling that Jonathan was always condemned till the beginning since he believes in sin, and David was always freed from sin since he doesn't believe in it.

On the background of their fated love there is the history, an history that led to the separation of England between the men of the King and those who wanted his head, and this separation is reflected in the separation of David and Jonathan that obviously will take separate side. That sunny day that saw David basking, will be one of the last of the novel, that soon will be plunged in darkness, blood and war, and to know if there will be another sunny day in the end, you have to read the book.

http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780762435739-0

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Transgressions/Erastes/e/9780762435739/

http://www.amazon.com/Transgressions-M-Romance-Erastes/dp/0762435739/

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Larry Rostant

Transgressions by Erastes

There is all the range of love in this historical novel, but there is also the drama and the betrayal, real or supposed, and maybe there is also the incapacity of two young men to recognize the real love, the one for which it's worth to die for.

David and Jonathan, just from the name you understand that they are fated to be together as the heroic figures of the Old Testament they share the name with. It's love, it's friendship, maybe it's even a brotherly affection pushed too far, in any way, all the novel turns around this two men and how they met and lost together. David is the son of a wealthy (at least according to the town standard) blacksmith; in the first scene we see David as he will be for all the novel, a young blond god basking in the sun while instead he should have been at work. David is like that, he is not severe and diligent, he is all lies and smiles, and with his behavior he always finds a way to escape the right punishment. His father doesn't approve him, but truth be told, he also doesn't do anything to really correct him, maybe even him is fooled by the angelic look of his son.

To ruin a bit the paradise on earth where David is living arrive Jonathan, the new apprentice of his father; Jonathan is dark where David is blond, but it's not only a physical dissimilarity. Jonathan is a puritan, he has instilled in his mind what is wrong and what is right, but even him seems to succumb to the lazy angel who is David. At first Jonathan covers David's escapade, sometime even following him to be sure that he would be fine. David treats Jonathan like a beloved pet, and Jonathan basks in the little attention he receives from his personal angel. But then David discovers the sinful love to the hand of another man, Tobias, and only a night is enough to collapse the fragile dam of David's resistance. The other man is soon forgotten, maybe since he is lost, maybe since he was not important, only a tool to awaken him, and David turns his full newfound seductive power on Jonathan. And Jonathan gives up while at the same time he is sentencing himself to the hell, but only him, since the sinner is not David, David is to be protected and it's Jonathan who is ruining the young boy, it's Jonathan who is dirty, while David still remain a pure angel of love.

This behavior of both Jonathan than David will continue even when they will be torn apart and believe in the betrayal of the other; David will always regret the lost of his "puritan" young lover, but he will manage to find another type of love, more adult, not the same love he had for Jonathan, but nevertheless important and strong. Since David has never believed to be a sinner, he will not sentence himself of any wrong, and he will be able to love again. On the other hand, Jonathan has always believed to be a sinner, and when he looses David, he is not able to allow himself to love again; he has to be punished, he has to find an hell on earth until he will reach the real hell that he is sure he is awaiting him. Jonathan has the sin inside himself and that sin is eating him alive... but the sin is to have loved someone of his same sex, or it's the prejudice that doesn't allow him to see the light? I have the feeling that Jonathan was always condemned till the beginning since he believes in sin, and David was always freed from sin since he doesn't believe in it.

On the background of their fated love there is the history, an history that led to the separation of England between the men of the King and those who wanted his head, and this separation is reflected in the separation of David and Jonathan that obviously will take separate side. That sunny day that saw David basking, will be one of the last of the novel, that soon will be plunged in darkness, blood and war, and to know if there will be another sunny day in the end, you have to read the book.

http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780762435739-0

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Transgressions/Erastes/e/9780762435739/

http://www.amazon.com/Transgressions-M-Romance-Erastes/dp/0762435739/

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Larry Rostant