Saturday Shorts

Accidentally His by Shawn Lane
Shawn Lane can be a bit hit and miss for me.  Sometimes I really like her stuff and other times it's just OK.  This story was one which worked.  Kirk rides the bus every day to work and sits behind a cute nerdy guy.  He's never been able to get up the nerve to speak to the guy but instead watches the back of his neck and spins fantasies about him.  When the bus is involved in an accident, Kirk learns the guy's name, Elijah, and arranges a date with the guy once he's recovered.  I really liked this story, especially Elijah who suffered quite a bit from having bad previous relationships.  He has a famous brother and is a bit of a dork, which has led to problems with other guys.  I loved that Kirk just liked Elijah for himself and so helps to boost Elijah's self confidence.  My only niggle is that there's a few misunderstandings towards to end caused by not explaining things to each other and jumping to conclusions.  This annoyed me a little that they could be a bit more straight talking.  Also it seemed odd that Kirk would leave Elijah hanging for a few days - hasn't he heard of texting?  Anyway, those were minor niggles in what was an engaging story with likeable characters.  Grade: Very Good.

Buy this book HERE.


British Flash
I plugged this book earlier in the week and couldn't wait to read it when it was released at Smashwords.  This is an anthology of very short (about 1,000 word) stories by several different authors.  It's not just m/m but also has a few f/f, one transgender and a m/m/f story.  I loved all the m/m stories which were a great mix of funny, poignant and reflective in tone.  Some were sexy but the majority were just sweet slices of life and there was a good mix of genres from contemporary to paranormal, historical and fantasy.  My favourite story was Sunshine Superman by Elin Gregory which featured an older man reminiscing on a summer spent in his youth with a man.  It managed to be nostalgic without being sentimental and I liked the warmth and pragmatism of the main character, Sam.  However, they were all good and had such a variation in theme that there's really something for everyone.  I liked the humour of the man coping with a rook shifter for a partner in Thoughts in Spring by Mara Ismine; just as much as the more sombre Commission and Omission by Charlie Cochrane which brought a tear to my eye.  There weren't really any niggles, just matters of taste, so the m/m/f Mouth Almighty by Victoris Blisse wasn't really my thing because I don't like m/m/f menage, and whilst I read the f/f stories, I preferred the sweeter Like a Girl by JL Merrow to the sexier When the Boys are Away by Lucy Felthouse which nevertheless was still very well written and worth reading.  There's a great range of stories, styles and themes in this collection and I'd highly recommend it.  Plus, it's free so there's really no excuse!  Grade: Excellent.

Get this book HERE.