Blog Archives
Defending Engagement
Defending Engagement by Liz Ellyn picks up where its predecessor left off, thrusting us right back into the unconventional but fiercely loyal triad of Sasha, Ian, and JD. This steamy, heartfelt romance explores the complexity of a polyamorous relationship between two brothers and the woman they love. The trio navigates judgment from family, societal expectations, and their own emotional minefields. Set in Chicago, the novel blends domestic drama, erotic tension, and tender moments, all while the three protagonists try to preserve their bond in the face of rising stakes, both personal and public.
I’ll be honest—I didn’t expect to be pulled in so completely. From the jump, Ellyn’s prose is bold and immersive. The sex scenes are explicit, yes, but they’re more than just spicy—they’re deeply connected to character development. I felt the love between these people. I believed it. The intimacy wasn’t just physical; it was emotional, awkward, messy, and often beautiful. JD’s vulnerability, Ian’s internal battles with control and image, Sasha’s desire to keep them together—it was raw and real. Their love feels earned. And that’s no small feat in a setup that could have easily veered into gimmick.
At times, the story leans into its erotic edge, occasionally slowing the plot’s momentum with scenes that start to blur together. I found myself wishing for a bit more depth in the external challenges they face, beyond disapproving relatives and holiday drama. Still, Ellyn earns her emotional beats. The writing is unflinching. The dialogue rings true. And when the characters hurt, I felt it. I was frustrated with them, rooted for them, even rolled my eyes with love at their little quirks.
Defending Engagement is a love story that’s unorthodox, tender, explicit, and ultimately hopeful. It’s for readers who want more than just fluff in their romance. If you’re into character-driven storytelling, steamy dynamics, and the kind of emotional vulnerability that makes your heart squeeze, this book delivers. If you’re curious, open-minded, and a sucker for complicated love, this book is perfect for you.
Pages: 118 | ASIN : B0F549X4HK
The Way Forward
The Way Forward by author Ben Ricardo is a sultry story that follows Jo and his journey to realizing his full sexual potential. Jo knows that he is bisexual, yet he has never had an experience with a man. That is until he meets a couple that flirts with him while he’s working. This leads the wife to come back to the store to offer Jo a side job so he can earn some extra cash. She mentions that her husband needs extra help to finish their porch. This results in Jo finding out that the couple’s lifestyle differs from most, and he is invited into their lives at an intimate level. As much as he wants this experience, is Jo ready for it?
The Way Forward is a quick read and is steamy right from the start. The plot starts off strong from the start of the book, and we are immersed in Jo’s world. The spiciness of the book was full on. It was my first time reading a book about a bisexual man and his first experience. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Each spicy scene builds up more and more to the final scene. Spectacularly done.
This story seemed to jump in thought in the first half of the book, so readers should be significantly engaged. Some things that Jo would think to himself were random, and I felt didn’t always fit with what was going on. This could be related to the author’s character development of Jo. Jo seemed very shy at first; however, his character did seem to gain more self-confidence in the second half of the book, especially close to the end. I do like how Matt and Bianca treated Jo. Everything was consensual, and they kept things lighthearted.
The Way Forward is a captivating erotic romance and self-discovery story. With less than fifty pages, it is a quick read but packs a lot into this short novel. I highly recommend this steamy and enticing novel to those who enjoy a quick mature read.
Pages: 64 | ISBN : 1955205582
Storm Front: Storm VIII
Steven Paul Germane’s Storm Front is the eighth book in his Storm series. Like the books before it, it follows the life of Philip Stevens, fondly known as Storm. As such, a lot of the characters and dynamics are the same, making it particularly easy to follow if you have read the previous books.
Even if you have not though, you can still follow along. Although I highly recommend going and reading the other books in this series first as there are some character developments and story points that you’ll miss along the way that are critical to setting the backdrop to this sultry erotica novel. This will also prepare readers for how utterly raw the story can get.
This unapologetic erotica novel is filled with a lot of sex scenes that hard core erotica fans will enjoy as almost every page has one. With no need to build up to a sex scene the book can feel overwhelming and feels like we are constantly moving from zero to a hundred in a few sentences, setting a quick pace for a variety of very vivid scenes to play out.
There is a family mystery brewing in the background of this story as well, but it is overshadowed by the unabashed erotic exploits of the characters to the point that it almost feels like a minor point in the story. It left me feeling like this is an erotica novel for erotica fans as the the fluff of a story-arc is superseded by the scandalous and detailed sex scenes that are the centerpiece of this book.
The writing is clear and concise, eliminating the risk of you having to wade through long-winded prose. Also, the book has no grammatical or formatting errors – a sign that it was thoroughly edited.
Storm Front: Storm VIII gives long time fans of the series more of what they enjoyed in the previous books. This is a salacious and extremely graphic erotica novel that holds nothing back and will leave you shocked or entertained, or both.
Pages: 198
Thing in the Pond
Fawn Bonning Author Interview
The Leader of Lors is a genre-crossing novel with elements of fantasy, romance, and suspense as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
It carries on in the same vein as The Heart of Hannen as an erotic fantasy romance. Other elements – horror, suspense, adventure and mystery – just fell into place as the story progressed.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
I would have to say Eubreena. She’s fiercely protective of Christine, mainly because she feels responsible for maiming and nearly killing her, unwitting though it may have been. Her heart is kind and her friendship true.
What was the initial idea behind this story and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?
The Atriian Trilogy actually began as a horror short-story called Thing in the Pond. It was originally about an earthquake that opens up an underwater cavern in the family pond, releasing a monster from another dimension. Instead of this creature wreaking havoc on Earth, I decided to let Christine follow it back through the caverns. And thus the Atriian Trilogy was born.
How do you feel you’ve developed as a writer between The Heart of Hannen and this book?
I believe my growth as a writer between the first and second book of this series was quite remarkable. For the first book, time restrictions only allotted an hour here and there for writing, a method not very conducive to good storytelling. By the time I sat down and got my head into the story and wrote a few sentences, it was time to call it a night. I was able to dedicate more time to the second novel, between five and six hours a day. Needless to say, the writing began to come much more easily, seeming to flow naturally, and the results were amazing. For the third book, I doubled down, writing between eight and ten hours a day, and did it ever pay off. By the end, I merely had to place my fingers on the keyboard and the story practically wrote itself.
What is the next book that you’re working on and when will it be available?
My next project will be an erotic paranormal romance based on another short-story from my horror collection Thing Bailiwick. A bodark is a creature of Russian lore, a man capable of shifting into a wolf. Though they are not bound to the cycles of the moon. They can transform at will, and whilst in wolf form they not only possess the enhanced senses and abilities of the wolf, they are able to maintain human awareness and intelligence. Except for when the time comes to mate, an event which occurs but once in their lifetime. Then all must beware the bodark, lest his senses become overpowered by the feral instincts of the beast lurking within.
Projected release date – Jan 2019.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Facebook | Twitter
“How far will a mother go to protect her child?
Christine will go to beyond the ends of the Earth,
back to the brutal world of Atriia,
back to the man who will possess
her at any cost.
He is Lor Zeria,
the very Leader of Lors,
revered and respected by all,
yet feared by Christine as no other.
This is a tale of fantasy and bravery,
of adventure and horror,
of passion and obsession,
of survival and betrayal.
And for Christine Clavin . . .
it is her own harrowing tale
of destiny.”
LITERARY TITAN 