Love Has No Boundaries – Fabulous and FREE stories – Part II
What Is Love Has No Boundaries?
The Goodreads M/M Romance group have run a number of events where we are lucky enough to get to read a collection of free m/m short stories, novellas and novels written by the group’s authors. Previous collections include Don’t Read In The Closet, Hot Summer Days (2011) and Love is Always Write (2012). This year’s collection is Love Has No Boundaries.
Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Stories covered in this review are:
- So Hot With Love by J.H. Knight
- As He Watches by Finn Marlowe
- Undeniable by Reece McKinley
- Triple Jump by Tam Ames
So Hot With Love by J.H. Knight
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The photo prompt…
These two men are getting married this evening and are taking a last few quiet moments together. The man in the black T-shirt is remembering a day that almost ended their relationship. It started with some trouble with a thong and a fireman and the whole day just went downhill from there! Please tell us about this unbelievable day.
So what did I think?
This was a lovely story – short and simple but filled with the kind of love you just know will last!
Greg and Chris have been together for many, many years and are getting married later that day. As they reminisce about their time together you get a sense of the type of men they are and the relationship they have.
Their love is obvious, as is the attraction they have to one another but there have been moments when everything hasn’t been totally perfect. But like any good relationship they have overcome these hurdles and focused on what is important.
It also clear that they have a great rapport which is obvious in the dialogue and comments bounced back and forth between the men. It is only a short story but there are a couple of cute and funny lines. My favourite…“You’re such a girl.””My erection begs to differ.”
The story closes with Greg and Chris dancing at their wedding to the song “The Book of Love” by The Magnetic Fields which you might like to check out. Personally I love it when authors put songs in their stories, especially if I don’t know the artist or the song!
[youtube=http://youtu.be/XoAydx7Anuc]
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The photo prompt…
“For now, you stay where I put you.”
That’s the first thing he says to me after I undress, when he presses me up against the glass and positions me just so. I’d ask him to tell me more, but he’s got a fetish for self-denial, and if I push I might not get to touch him at all. That’s the last thing I want.
The thing is, I don’t have to listen to him. What we do together, it’s completely voluntary and pretty undefined. We set up a meeting, he gives me directions, I obey. He’s not paying me, not coercing me, and he knows if he tried to do either I’d be gone. We didn’t meet in a club; it’s remarkable that we met at all, when we live in two very different worlds. He likes to look, to touch, but he almost never gets off. I like the feeling of his eyes on me, I like doing all the things he says, but I want more. How do I push the boundaries when I barely know what they are?
So what did I think?
The sense of mystery and the little bit of intrigue kept me glued to this story.
I wanted to understand Winter, to know more about him, to find out what was driving his behaviour and what was going to happen at 3 o’clock.
I wanted to find out more about Erik and loved the insight into his thought process and his feelings about his encounters with Winter and how he felt when he successfully followed each clue that resulted in them meeting. “The things that followed afterward were… wow. Scary, embarrassing, amazing, liberating and thrilling all at once.”
Mostly I would just like to see more of these two!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The photo prompt…
Our sire wanted two matching pretty boys at her side forever— that’s why she turned us both into vampires. We had some really good years, the three of us. But now that she’s gone, the pain of her death is tearing both our minds apart. I know he’s been doing stupid things. Breaking the rules our sire taught us. Risking his life. What am I going to do? He’s all I have left— just like I’m all he has, but am I enough?
So what did I think?
Two vampires lose Regina, the vampire who had sired them. One of them, Liam, is lost in his grief and his actions are putting his own life at risk. Jack is also hurting, not only for the loss of Regina but for the loss of Liam.
“Now, I know you boys are messed up with her gone. But he’s out of control, Jack. You need to get a handle on him before someone else does. I don’t know much about your…situation, but I do know from what Regina told me that you aren’t supposed to be waving your freak flag like he is.”
I found this a really interesting paranormal story to read – a bit of world building and even a bit of werewolf confrontation but mainly a story about grief and feelings and love.
I did find myself at the end wishing to see a little more physical action between Jack and Liam so maybe a follow up story is needed. Oh, and I would love to see a story written about the two men once they had taken werewolf blood! Supposedly an aphrodisiac resulting in tremendous lust for a vampire and all they can focus on is achieving the next orgasm!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The photo prompt…
The 2 men kneeling knew someone was missing in their relationship. They were looking for a third to complete them.
So what did I think?
This may be menage but it’s all about love (with some steamy sex thrown in!).
Jeff and Patrick have been together for a couple of years but don’t feel complete. They feel that they are missing the person they need for the perfect relationship.
They have been searching for that elusive special someone but only meet guys after one-night stands and kinky sex.
Taylor is different. They feel drawn to him and him to them. There’s just one or two minor problems. Firstly convincing Taylor that he is wanted and secondly Jeff and Patrick accepting Taylor for who he really is.“Why would they want him? He was nothing special and there was that whole shifter thing.”
This short story really isn’t about world building, more focused on the relationship with a strong them of acceptance. I really liked the message about not judging people for things that are part of them, things they cannot change.
3.5 stars for this cute short story
You can check out the full list of stories and download from the M/M Romance Group website.
Related articles
- Love Has No Boundaries – Fabulous & FREE m/m short stories – PART I (someonehastosetabadexample.wordpress.com)
- Love Has No Boundaries – 2013 (leesuilan.wordpress.com)