Come Play: An Erotica Charity Anthology

Gah ... I like anthologies, because it's a good way to try out ‘new to me' authors, but I hate reviewing them, because inevitably I'm going to short-shrift someone, or I'll have to spend hours on a bunch of reviews. Ugh. Anyway ... this was for charity, and there were a couple of stories I loved, so overall it was a win. Rating? I'll try to figure that out by the end of my mini-reviews.

Coach's Little Kitten by Quin & Perin 2.75
This was fine as piece of PWP but, quite frankly, it's just a few pages and I managed to string it over two days. Evidently I wasn't overly invested. I found the character of Baxter somewhat intriguing: a married gym teacher who goes to kink clubs for his ‘needs'. On one such outing he sees Caleb, a shy and fearful little thing who had been one of his students, but in the club Caleb is a kitten, complete with tail and ears. Baxter negotiates with Caleb's ‘handler' and they have a scene, which blows Baxter's mind and leaves him wanting more. End of story.
Maybe this could be a good start to a longer book that goes deeper into the characters' lives outside of the club and their kink personas, but I'm not feeling it. Specifically kitty play kind of doesn't work for me. Puppy play I kind-of-sort-of get, but being a cat human, I can safely say that they don't take well to orders, leash tugging, or any kind of bossing around. If anything you can have a cat Dom. That could work.
Anyway, as always, YMMV.

Abstract Love by Sara Dobie Bauer *4.00
I really liked this. [a:Sara Dobie Bauer|7226363|Sara Dobie Bauer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1536068463p2/7226363.jpg] is a ‘new to me' author and I thoroughly enjoyed her voice. Donovan Cooper is an ad executive who's been in a perpetual bad mood since the implosion of his marriage and the loss, to the daily grind, of his artistic dreams. Luckily for him, his agency hires Sam Shelby who'll pull him, kicking and screaming, back to life.
I liked the whole dynamic between these two; I liked that Sam called Donovan out on his dickishness, I love how, despite not wanting to, Donovan can't help but noticing Sam and his colorful/awful sweaters & jackets. I liked that though it's technically a GFY story, that angle wasn't belabored or dwelled on ad infinitum. I liked that the characters existed in an authentic world (work & personal). Ultimately it wasn't 5 stars because the story just sort of stops. I don't know if it's the start of a longer book or what, but I would've liked a teensy bit more. Just enough to let me imagine them into the future.

The Kiss by A. G. Carothers *4.5
Another win! [a:A.G. Carothers|18167215|A.G. Carothers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530486697p2/18167215.jpg] is also another ‘new to me author'! I loved everything about this, not least of which was the preface with it's thoughtful definitions. How can you not love a story about a primal, and bottom who doesn't conform to the twink standard? Liam is bald (he shaves), hairy, not super tall, a bit stocky, and has a beard. It makes sense. He's a metal worker. (I thought he'd be a great contestant in Forged in Fire) Besides being primal, he also identifies a bit as ace, he doesn't get sexual pleasure from his BDSM play, and he's also a bit of a masochist or a fan of impact play. He enjoys the pain without any sexual component, except as to please his top, who thus far have been women, as he identifies as straight. Except now he's been chasing a Dom who can wield a whip. That person is Gavin Hightower, a 45 y.o. captain in the Police Department, a gay man, who's also not perfect. No worries.

At first Gavin is reluctant to scene with Liam because he doesn't want a straight guy freak-out after they've scened, but Liam persists, and Gavin takes Liam for a bit of a test ride; and then there's The Kiss. Absolutely dreamy. Weird to say of a BDSM story, but that's the word. I melted right along with Liam because of scenes like this:
“I looked up at Sir, at Gavin. He didn't have the perfect body. He was fit, but the life of a forty-five-year-old police captain was hard. Black and gray hair ran down between his pecs and down his stomach in this sexy little trail. I didn't have a trail. I had a whole forest. He had laugh lines around his eyes and little stress lines on his forehead. His hands were rough, not as rough as mine, but they weren't soft hands. His grip was firm as he pulled me closer to him. He was everything I didn't know I needed.”
I also love that Gavin calls Liam love, because he doesn't like boy or baby, Liam is a a man. *applause*. My greedy self wanted more.

Pretty Boy by E. M. Denning *3.00
Mark and Paul are half brothers. Mark escaped to college and left their miserable home, he intended to rescue Paul once he was settled but fate accelerated the clock. Their father has died and Mark has to bring Paul to live with him. He's not mad about it.
As you guessed, these two have been separately, and silently pining for one another. One day Mark, tired of Paulie avoiding him in the apartment, barges into the bathroom and gets an eyeful Paul likes to dress up and wear make up. He's not sorry. Things progress as you can imagine.
This is a bit of fluff that's fun while it happens, but not quite memorable.

Particular Tastes by T. S. McKinney *2.5
I may have been too generous in my rating. Anyway ... this might've worked better for me without the convoluted back/work stories of the characters. Christian Reisen & Hudson Donovan a.k.a America & London seem to be some sort of ‘agents'? maybe governmental or private? I don't know and don't care. I believed zero of their ‘professional' life, the overwhelming lusting, or Christian being bossy, much less a Dom. That was all ... meh? the preposterous part was Hudson/London, going from straight to super gay because of one guy, all under the template of ‘it's just for you; no labels needed'. I'm not a stickler for labels. Pretty much hate them, but denying you're at least bi when you like to get fed and suck ck is disingenuous and also belittling to those who are gay. Like saying you're gay or bi will diminishes you. Just saying. Kind of like women who enjoy all of what Feminism has ushered in, but are not Feminists. Like it's a dirty word.
Again: YMMV

Doctor's Orders by Emma Jaye. No rating. I didn't read it because it's #3 in a series I haven't read, and I'm too anal to read anything out of order.

Brotherly Love by Lynn Van Dorn *3.75
This is my first [a:Lynn Van Dorn|17110627|Lynn Van Dorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1504541277p2/17110627.jpg] and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed her narrative voice, and the almost casual inclusiveness of the story: Jay is Mexican-American, we know it, but there is no hammering in of this aspect. It just is normal. Like in RL. Refreshing.
If you hadn't guessed this is another brocest story, but in this case they aren't related by blood, just marriage. Jay had always tried to be a protective older brother to Jamie, and he sometimes had to protect Jamie from Jay's own mother, who never really cared for Jamie because because he wasn't her biological son. Some people!
When it's time for Jamie to go away to school, to save money, he comes to live with Jay, who's living on his own in an apartment his dad got him. As you would expect all of their old, unacknowledged feelings bubble up to the surface with the expected results. I thought Jamie was perhaps a bit too bratty at first, but life hasn't been kind to him. He's been saddled with a stepmom who was never really a mother to him, while being adoring to her biological children, and a father who is willfuly blind to the fact that his son is gay. Jamie has tried to set him straight on the matter to no avail.
I liked that the tables were turned or stereotypes subverted when it came to which set of parents would be okay with gay children. Overall I enjoyed this story and the way it was told, with flashbacks into Jay & Jamie's past. It's a close relative to Pretty Boy but I enjoyed this one more.

A Kink Chronicles Short by Luna David. No rating as I didn't read this. It seems, going by the tittle, that it's part of a larger series which I haven't read. See anal behavior

Tamed by T. M. Chris *4.75
This whole anthology was worth it to me just for this story. [a:T.M. Chris|17061754|T.M. Chris|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1501426458p2/17061754.jpg] is [a:Tanya Chris|15067939|Tanya Chris|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1477705931p2/15067939.jpg]'s alter ego, and she's got my number. I like how she does BDSM stories that aren't prescribed by a rule book and this was no exception.
Jake is sort of a big brute of a guy, who's been floundering since ending his stint in the Marines. He wants, craves, and needs discipline to center his scattered life, but being a Hulk sized brat, who doesn't submit easily, has garnered him zero Doms wanting to take him on. One day at a BDSM bar he overhears a conversation that leads him to believe there is someone out there who can be his Sir, if only that Sir would be willing to take a risk on Jake. That Dom is Eduardo. I love Eduardo. He is very clear on what is done for discipline and what is done for sexual pleasure or fun, he doesn't give up, and he isn't wishy washy about rules. In fact he and Jake, at first at least, engage in a quasi domestic discipline relationship, without naming it so, because that is exactly what Jake needs. Jake with his ceaseless mental complaints, self sabotage, but utter need to have someone quiet his brain, take him in hand, and hold him safe.
If there's more about these two I'll be first in line to read it.

Watch and Learn by K. C. Wells *3.5
This was a fun little age-gap story. Chris is 42 and into the BDSM scene, but not specifically a Dom or a Daddy, just more of ‘take care of you' kind of guy. One day, after eyeing him for a while, he finally meets Zac, who's 22. Zac seems to be perpetually unhappy, though he regularly leaves with different men. Turns out that sex isn't working out so well for Zac. Chris can fix that. I liked that the fix isn't what you think or expect. No Magic-D involved. I loved how the story developed slowly, over a series of different encounters, that progressed over months. And I loved the ending which had me laughing at humans and men in particular. Chris and Zac have agreed that neither is looking for a relationship, they're friends who are fuck buddies, but they're clearly deluded. They have a relationship! The best kind, with zero drama, and a mutual caring and enjoyment of things. Maybe no 'I-love-you's' have been exchanged, but the caring is evident in everything they do for each other.
Kudos [a:K.C. Wells|6576876|K.C. Wells|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1433451688p2/6576876.jpg] for always being sex positive, nonjudgmental, and what I think is a cameo appearance of Jake Jaxson & RJ Sebastian's house, which doubles as Camp Cocky Boys. Sweet.