Molly Ann Wishlade

Received from NetGalley

I'm not sure if the author was talking about her characters when she titled this book but I should have taken the hint and stopped reading after the first chapter. This "book" could have been about half the length (and it was already fairly short) if the descriptions of clothing and makeup and hair had been left out. I didn't need to know everything every character was wearing, holding, doing, etc. I never connected with any of the characters and I'm not even sure that this really qualifies as erotica. Sex scenes were awkward rather than hot and I found myself cringing throughout most of the story. I also hope in the final editing process that someone finds all the editing mistakes I found because there are some words in there like as for at or in for it and while it didn't get in the way of the story, it happened often enough for it to be noticeable.… (mehr)

This anthology of six stories about horses and the men who love them is a great collection of sweet romances, funny tales, and dark-ish mysteries. Some are set in the past, some in the present, but all focus on the sometimes unpredictable ways in which love manifests in men’s lives. You’ll find soft romances as well as hot trysts and everything in between in the pages of this anthology whose royalties from the publisher will be donated to Cancer Research UK and Prospect Hospice in memory of Peter Laybourn, husband of Pride Publishing editor, Sue.

The Lonely Ones by Bailey Bradford
This story starts with a bang – literally – when Marshall arrives at the ranch he unexpectedly inherited from his estranged grandfather only to find Rex, the man who has been running it for the last five years, yelling at him for trespassing. Sparks fly as the men battle it out, but there is a lot more to what has happened than a simple misunderstanding.

Marshall and Rex are opposites in many ways. Marshall is a city by, Rex is a cowboy. Marshall has an education and is a software developer; Rex has worked hard for a ranch he has been told he will inherit. Both men are stubborn and honorable, and more attracted to each other than should be legal. Their dance around each other as they begin to find out more about what makes the other man tick is very entertaining and definitely hot!

If you like city versus country stories, if you enjoy a bit of a fight before all the loving begins, and if you’re looking for a read that is as hot as it is short, then you will probably like this short story.

Racing for Home by Morticia Knight
Set on a horse-breeding farm in the early 20th century, this story is an initially heartbreaking tale of a young groom, Charlie, and the estate holder’s son, Edward. They love each other deeply, but can’t be together openly in a time when sodomy laws made same-sex love a potentially life-threatening offense. Edward left the estate to get married - as his father demanded - three years earlier, and Charlie almost didn’t survive. Taking care of Shadow, a horse he considers his since it was rejected by Edward’s father as “unsuitable to be a racehorse”, was Charlie’s only reason to stick around.

Then Edward returns, newly divorced, and is determined to win back Charlie’s heart. As sad as Charlie still is, he never stopped loving Edward and manages to forgive him. They believe they can, at least, live a life of secret meetings after dark like they did before. But everything is not as it should be at the estate, and Edward makes some shocking discoveries about his father’s management of affairs. Edward comes up with a plan to get them out of the mess his father has created, but the real challenge is Charlie’s ability to trust that this time will be different.

If you like historicals and the challenges men in love faced in the early 20th century, if you want to find out more about two men who are deeply in love but can’t live together openly, and if you’re looking for a read that is emotional, doesn’t look like it could end well for the longest time, and manages to finish in an amazing happy end, then you will probably like this short story as much as I did.

The Secret of Delville Wood by Helena Maeve
Set just after WW1 at an extravagant estate in Sweden, this is a short story about greed, envy, and the dark machinations of people unwilling to risk anyone finding out exactly how they made their money. Its opening pages very effectively pulled me into this dark little mystery – it’s not every day a man’s dead body found shocks me into awareness as to exactly what is going on in a story.

Silas is the narrator of the story, and what follows his discovery of the body is a dizzying examination of each guest at the manor. Most of them have a connection to Delville Woods, the horse belonging to three men, but the exact details remain unclear for a long time. And while Silas is not a detective, he tries to figure out what is going on and who might be the murderer– in the absence of the police who can’t be called due to the telephone not working. He uncovers several layers, suspects a few of the guests, and in the end, when he figures out what has happened, he was about as shocked as I was.

If you like historical settings, if a short murder mystery is to your liking, and if you’re looking for a read filled with interesting characters and dark secrets, then you might like this short story.

Keeping the Luck in by L.M. Somerton
Ahhh, the magic of horseshoes! And a squirrel as the harbinger of bad luck. Then you mix in a young vet and a hunky farrier/blacksmith, and by the time you stir all those ingredients and add a few quirky secondary characters, the resulting story is as entertaining as it is funny. Told in a somewhat sassy, tongue-in-cheek tone, it made me laugh out loud more than once.

Pip may be academically clever, having recently passed his exams to become a vet, but his gaydar and interpersonal skills may need some help. He has admired Rory, the farrier/blacksmith at the stable he’s working at to earn some money for the summer, for a while, but only from afar. Pip cannot believe the well-built man would be interested in him. When one thing leads to another, and both men’s luck runs out, they finally confront what turns out to be a very mutual attraction.

If you like your romance to come with a large side of humor, if you enjoy watching two men who can’t believe the man they admire might be just as interested, and if you’re looking for an entertaining read that is full of quirky characters and interesting coincidences, then you will probably like this short story.

Just my Luck by Ethan Stone
This story begins with two men meeting in a club and bonding over their heights – Kieran, as a jockey, is very short, Sam is extremely tall, and both have been made fun of in the past - before falling into bed with each other. As soon as the initial tryst is over, the tone changes, and it turns out Sam is on a mission to fight crime that has both men reconsider their priorities.

Sam is in town to check the lay of the land, possibly collect evidence for his employer, the FBI. He quickly finds out that Kieran could be an ally, but things are more complicated than that. Loyalties are challenged, principles questioned, and Kieran ends up in more danger than Sam is willing to tolerate. But one thing is certain – neither Sam nor Kieran want to give up a chance at something more.

If you like stories about crime and the people who fight it, if you want to find out how two men who meet by chance deal with the fact that they are potentially on opposite sides of an FBI investigation, and if you’re looking for an action-filled read that is as suspenseful as it is hot, then you might like this short story.

Horses and Harleys by Molly Ann Wishlade
Getting back in the saddle after a disappointment isn’t always easy. This story focuses on two men who have both dealt with loss and decided to keep their hearts under lock and key from now on. The problem is that, once they meet, that is no longer the easy option. In fact, the longer they know each other, the harder it is to resist temptation.

Henry may be a successful businessman, but he is lonely. After losing his lover, he has gone for one-night stands, and that was fine until he is tempted by his new groom, Alex. Alex has lost his mother, was deceived by a previous lover, and has decided to begin a new life – working with horses – and ignore men. Needless to say, when he meets Henry, his new boss and falls for him almost immediately, resisting becomes close to impossible. But it takes a real crisis and Henry overcoming more than one fear for both men to realize that what they have found should not be wasted.

If you like sweet romances starring reluctant heroes, if two men who have both lost lovers – in different ways – sound interesting, and if you’re looking for a read with a message of hope, then you might like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (mehr)