Review: Art of the Lie by Delphine Dryden

Art of the Lie by Delphine Dryden
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Truth and Lies, Book Two

Up-and-coming designer Lindy is going through a lot of changes. A fabulous career opportunity, a big show at a local art gallery and even a promising flirtation with the town’s most eligible bachelor. It’s a lot for a shy, small-town girl to handle. Now if she can just find the time (and nerve) to seduce her sexy neighbor Richard.

Lindy’s wanted Richard since college, and her unrequited crush hasn’t lessened now that they live in neighboring lofts. A wickedly handsome ladies’ man, Richard isn’t boyfriend material. Lindy knows that. But she suspects he’s perfect for the job she has in mind—getting rid of her pesky virginity once and for all.


Kylie's Review

Art of the Lie is the second book in the Truth and Lies series by Delphine Dryden. I didn't know that when I picked the book to review, but now that I do the first book and the rest of the series are definitely going on my TBR (to be read) list. I have been mostly reading paranormal books lately so a straight up contemporary novel was a welcome change, but beyond that the story was just good. There is a quality to Ms. Dryden's writing that is familiar, I mean that in the best way possible. It is not "oh I've heard that story line a thousand times before", but more like a favorite movie that you might know every line of but you still watch constantly.

What attracted me most to the story was the concept of a 26-year-old virgin, such a thing is a rarity in today's society. Of course, Lindy's solution to her problem was more of a throwback to times when wooly mammoths walked the earth. Some indigenous tribes would gather in the spring to trade, gossip, celebrate, and of course have fertility rights. Any female that had reached puberty during the winter would be deflowered, so to speak, at a ceremony during this festival, this would signify that she is ready for marriage and now a woman. The men chosen for the task were skilled hunters, or crafts men, the best and most virile that the tribes had to offer, to ensure the girls would have the most pleasurable experience possible. The men chosen for this honor were not allowed to interact with the girls after the ceremony for one year, due to the girls propensity to fall in love with the men. Ok that's all for today's history lesson. Lindy's plan was a slight variation of the practice, seduce her friend and neighbor, Richard, and be done with her pesky virginity forever. It was a good plan too, Richard was a trusted friend with the inability to commit and the necessary expertise to make the whole situation a lot less awkward. What Lindy failed to count on was the fact that like all those girls long ago she too fell in love. Of course having known and had a crush on Richard since college probably didn't help her much in that regard.

I love Ms. Dryden's sense of humor from the groan worthy puns, that still make you smile, to the delightful situational comedy, like the pink scarf that was accidentally displayed to look like a vagina, to her ability to simultaneously use and mock common phrases from romance books, like deflowering and throbbing loins, and of course the friendly and slightly flirtatious banter that Lindy and Richard are constantly engaged in. What I especially liked was that the humor was not overdone, nothing was thrown in just to get a laugh. Everything flowed naturally, you could really see the conversations taking place in real life, rather than just wistfully thinking if only like could be like that.

Rather than telling the story only from Lindy's perspective Ms. Dryden switches seamlessly from Lindy's to Richards point of view. It's very effective for showing the emotional progression of them both as they realize and try to deal with the fact that they are in love with each other. Although, as Lindy keeps pointing out, they keep getting the order backwards as their relationship progresses, having an orgasm before making out or getting tied to the bed naked before expressing feelings of love. While the order of their courtship might not follow traditional lines being able to see its progression from both Lindy and Richard's perspective makes you realize that it is proceeding exactly how it should for them. It also gives the reader a chance to revel in the delightfully perverse pleasure of seeing Richard jealous after Lindy starts to date another man.
I really enjoyed watching Lindy and Richard find each other, their relationship might deviate from the norm but it was fun to see the progression. I look forward to reading the other book in the series.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Be My Vampire Tonight by Renee Field

Be My Vampire Tonight by Renee Field

Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Book one in the Darklander Lovers series.

Bidding on a masked man at an auction is all for a good cause, but what happens when he turns out to be a vampire who has the power to unleash the wild woman lying dormant inside you?

As a Darklander vampire, Mitch has spent a century living in a bleak world, but all that changes when he sees Tina. The beast living within Mitch wants to stake his claim. Mitch knows taking Tina’s virginity will change her forever, but try explaining that to a woman whose passion cannot be denied. Tina holds the key to his freedom, but Mitch will be damned forever before he turns her over as a slave for his master.


Kylie’s Review

Be My Vampire Tonight is the first in what looks to be a promising new series, The Darklander Lovers Series. This is not your typical vampire story, instead it provides a new way to look at the old mythologies. This book caught me right from the first scene, three men backstage at a Bachelor Charity Auction. The witty banter and sense of comradely set the tone for the book, and hopefully the series. Be my Vampire Tonight focuses on Mitch a Darklander Vampire that is over a century old, and Tina a powerful, but all to human, psychic.

Sometimes fate just needs a little help, that's where Sasha comes in. I love Sasha, I know she's only a secondary character, but she just has so much fun parading around orchestrating everyone's love lives. I really can't wait until it's her turn to find her mate. Sasha is charge of the running the auction down to the last detail, and that includes finding the men. So while Mitch never really wanted to participate in the auction, no one really ever says no to Sasha.

Tina agreed to go to the charity auction with her friends, have a girls night out get a little wild, and hopefully finally loose her virginity. Things start to go wrong almost immediately, she bids on number 33 but ends up with number 22 (Mitch) instead. After voicing her complaint, Sasha tells her not to worry that Mitch is a much better fit for her. He very well could have been if he had not stood her up on their date. Tina and Mitch's relationship starts with one calamity after another, including the small little detail that if Mitch actually sleeps with Tina taking her virginity she will become bound to Lucifer, a slave for eternity.

Be My Vampire Tonight starts off great, the dialogue and chemistry between the characters is wonderful, but the ending felt a bit rushed. I found myself really liking the secondary characters and wanting to know their stories. I did enjoy Reene Fields take on the vampires and look forward to see what she does with wearcats and warlocks and all the rest.

3 ½ Tea Cups!

   

Review: Wonder Anthology Edited by Selena Kitt

Wonder Anthology Edited by Selena Kitt

Publisher: eXcessica Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 4

Blurb

Whether it’s werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, angels, ghosts or aliens—these are stories with all of those strange and wonderfully sexy creatures that fascinate the human psyche! Come on a spicy, paranormal journey that ventures into titillating realms bound only the imaginations of your favorite eXcessica authors!


Kylie’s Review

Wonder is a paranormal anthology, consisting of twelve stories and authors, edited by Selena Kitt. Dealing with everything from vampires, vampyres, lycanthropes, werewolves, shifters, aliens, succubus, fae, fairies, angles, and ghosts. The writing is as varied as the subject matter, ranging from very good to mediocre. While not all of the stories end in happily ever after, or even happy for now, they all contain elements of physical, if not always romantic, relationships.

Sweet Revenge by Wynter O'Reilly is the story of a lycanthrope trying to track down and punish those responsible for the death of her brother and parents, while simultaneously dealing with the fact she is mated to a vampire. The plot while not entirely new, was interesting enough, however there were simply to many things going on for such a short story. The entire thing would have been better served in a full length novel.

Selena Kitt's On Cherry Hill is excellently written, but like many of her works this one delves into a dark and somewhat taboo area. On Cherry Hill deals with forced sex from an authority figure, in this case a police officer. While I didn't particularly care for the dark tone of the story, there is no denying it was very well written, with a twist at the end that I never saw coming.

D.B. Story takes us back to the roots of were wolf lore in his story Where I Am, adding his own little twist. All the basic elements are there a college boy gets bitten, searches for a cure, and meets a girl. In this story the bite is from a mosquito not a wolf, and instead of mauling and killing the girl of his dreams, our hero actually changes a she wolf into a werewolf like himself. What is an interesting take on the werewolf legends, unfortunately reads more like a bunch of scene ideas that have been thrown together. More of a plot outline than a story.

Marks by Sommer Marsden is the story of a woman dating a vampyre, with out knowing that he is a vampyre. Rather than being just another tale of vampyre and human romance, Marks focuses on the very intimate and erotic nature of the vampyre bite. Not your traditional love story, but instead looks at love and passions in a new and unique way. A story of gaining your ultimate desire and how that can either save or destroy you. Marks will forever change how you look at vampyre bites.

J.M. Snyder's One of Us, is a story that would never work out in real life, and that may be the thing I loved most about it. One of Us is a simple tale of boy meets boy, boy bites boy infecting him, boy helps boy thru his first shift, and boys run off into the woods and live happily ever after. There is an elegance about the simplicity of the story line, that makes is completely believable and unrealistic at the same time. In real life and love we overcomplicate things adding drama where there is no need for it. J.M. Snyder has taken people to their most basic elements and written a rich and wonderful story about them, that I absolutely loved. The plot the characters the writing it was all great, a true gem amidst so many others.

Claimed by Dakota Trace starts off like most shifter stories full of angst and aggression. The heroine is a jaguar/tiger hybrid and as such is shunned by her pack. The shifter elements of this story are the same one's that can be found in most shifter stories, where it differs, is when the heroine takes her human form. She is a veterinarian specializing in large cats, this puts her into a position to not only help the animals when needed but also to protect the shifter secret when they are the ones that get caught. Claimed is a decent story, there is nothing that stands out to make it great, but if your looking for a fun little shifter story it does the job credibly.

Medusa by Piers Anthony reads more like a adolescent male fantasy than the futuristic sci-fi story it was meant to be. In the not so distant future humans have found alien life, and are discovering other planets that will support our life forms. In great U.S. tradition there is a special interest group that looks after all the aliens we capture to ensure they are not being mistreated. Our hero is a member of said group and as such is tasked with looking after and documenting all things pertinent about an alien life form that was captured on a planet we are about to take over. During the course of the aliens incarceration our hero bonds with her, granted this happened after she morphs herself into a human form resembling a pin-up girl. In an attempt to escape the alien offers sex in exchange for help, and our hero very piously refuses all the while un-zipping his pants. I could go on, but suffice it to say the story proceeds as one would expect.

Overkill by Roxanne Rhoads is very aptly named. Our heroine is dating a vampire, who she frequently breaks up with and subsequently always takes back. Her favorite method to break up seems to be staking her boyfriend in one of his various body parts, of course never his heart. After being stabbed six times most people or vampires would get the hint, but this couple takes dysfunctional to a whole new level. I must say it was a truly different kind of love story but the level of drama was a bit much.

In Shifting Desire Elise Hepner combines the unlikely pair of fairies with BDSM, and makes it work. Of course any story that starts out with "I need an orgasm" is bound to catch attention. Shifting Desire caught mine and kept it to the very end. Fairies are always portrayed as so delicate, at least in body, that the idea of them practicing BDSM seems wrong somehow, and yet it worked very well. For those traditionalist out there, there was no leather and the bondage was done with magic rather than chains, but all in all it was a surprisingly good fit.

Darcy Sweet's The Choosing was perhaps the most erotic of all the stories. Since the beginning vampires have been portrayed as very sensual creatures, as well as blood sucking fiends. The premise being that vampires need not only blood to live but also the sensual and sexual energy of a special chosen one. What I really liked about this story is that instead of focusing on the vampires needs, we are focused on the kind of woman it takes to fulfill them. The Choosing was not at all what I thought it was going to be, and I was pleasantly surprised at it turned out to be.

I am still not entirely sure what Christable Roseau's Perchance to Dream is about. The heroine is a woman who has been severely abused by her ex-husband and is trying to get her life together. She seems to go from cowering in fear, to having erotic dreams about feathers at the drop of a hat. I believe that the author was trying to convey the importance of hope and eternal love, but don't hold me to that. The story, if I'm interpreting correctly, could have been very interesting but lacked the clarity to fully get the message across.

Last but not least is Butterfly Boy, by Erin O'Riordan. This is a completely unique story. A fairy that has been bit by a vampire bat and become something new and evil. Now I love all things paranormal, but this one was a little out there for me. The writing was good and the characters believable, but something about a vampire bat biting a fairy that I could not wrap my head around. So I leave it to you read the story and judge for yourselves.

The good the bad and the paranormal, this anthology contains it all. With so many stories and such a wide range of topics there is a little something for everyone here.

3 ½ Tea Cups!

   

Review: Blind Date by Selena Kitt

Blind Date by Selena Kitt

Publisher: eXcessica Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

In her attempt to escape her sisters’ Valentine matchmaking, Annie meets the enigmatic Eric, who she realizes could finally be the man of her dreams. In spite of, or maybe because of, Eric’s cryptic words and puzzling behavior, she finds herself immediately intrigued and drawn to him like no other man she’s ever met. One night in Annie’s sister’s kitchen seals their fate, as the two lovers discover and explore the instant spark of heat between them. Their evening comes to an abrupt end when the mysterious Eric disappears into the night, and Annie realizes she doesn’t know his last name! How is she to find him?

After months of fruitless searching, Annie finally gets a dubious break when she meets Eric’s eccentric mother. Dita sends Annie on a journey deep into the unknown, through an ever-twisting labyrinth of frustrating dead-ends and seemingly strange, pointless missions. Annie’s life is turned upside down as she searches for the one man who can make her life feel complete.

Told in the spirit of magical realism, this modern day adaptation of the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche takes Annie on each of Psyche’s tasks in her quest for her lost love. Each task brings her closer to him and to realizations about herself. Will Annie find Eric and reveal to him the secret she’s been keeping, even from her sisters?


Kylie’s Review

Come and learn the secret of life and death, and a little about love in Selena Kitts Blind Date. Annie has always been the pretty one, the youngest of three sisters she was pampered and spoiled. Tired of living with the stigma that pretty equates to dumb, Annie just wants to find someone who sees her for who she is and not just a pretty face. After spending a night in the dark with Eric, she just might have found him, now if she could only find him. After their one night together Eric seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

Tired of her sisters constant matchmaking schemes, Annie flees another disastrous attempt at finding her Mr. Right, and in doing so finds Eric who just might be Mr. Right. His sudden disappearance starts Annie on a journey to find him, and along the way herself. After two months of searching Annie gets a lead, and mistakenly thinks that her search is almost over, when if fact it's really just beginning. Meet Dita, Eric's mother, who is as crafty as she is mysterious, and working her own agenda to what end we're never quite sure. Dita has no idea where her son is , but she starts Annie off on the true path to find him.

Selena Kitt's creativity coupled with her attention to detail, makes even the most mundane activity seem exciting. Her characters are vibrant and relatable each with their own unique brand of strange, that makes you wish they were real. With each new person Annie meets, from Virgil and his passionflower honey to Herman and his lessons on the Order of Gabriel, you get drawn into this wonderful world of intrigue and mystery.

Mrs. Kitt's creativity and detail orientation are seen through the book including the sex. Eric and Annie's chemistry makes for some very hot sex that leaps off the page. Rather than being a purely physical encounter, there is an underling connection between these two that makes not just the sex but every aspect of their relationship more intense.

Join Annie on her quest to find love, herself, and the mysteries of the Greeks. The ride is full of twists and turns and a few surprises you never see coming. The course of true love never did run smooth, but when you add in well intentioned matchmaking sisters and a mother with her own agenda, it gets down right turbulent.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!

      

Review: The Flintstone Experiment by Selena Kitt

The Flintstone Experiment by Selena Kitt

Publisher: eXcessica Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

In a last ditch effort to save their marriage, Laura drags her husband, Rick, to a couples workshop.But Laura gets a little more than she bargained for when the workshop leader proposes a rather unorthodox experiment, leaving her helpless to her husband’s whims. She finds herself wondering, will her man be a caveman or a gentleman—and which one does she really want him to be?
Warnings: This title contains graphic language, sex, and mild elements of bdsm, domination and submission.


Kylie’s Review

Selena Kitt's, The Flintstone Experiment, was not what I expected, when I picked it out, but it is definitely worth a read. This novella takes you into the troubled marriage of Laura and Rick, and their last attempt to fix it. The two are taking a vacation to an island resort that is also hosting a marriage-counseling seminar. Right from the start you feel Laura's frustration, and her need for something to change, any change really, no matter how small would be a start. Rick on the other hand just wants Laura to be happy, and has no idea how to accomplish that, you see him trying and floundering time and again. With their marriage at its breaking point, the two of them need to decide if there is anything left worth fighting for or if they should just give up. Enter The Great Gazoo, also known as the leader of the seminar. His solution is very simple and very radical, and could be the very thing that they need to fix their marriage or it could be the catalyst for its destruction.

The characters Laura and Rick really resonate true to me. You can feel their anger and frustration with each other and the situation they have found themselves in. But underneath all their animosity we are given glimpses of the deep bond that they still share. With the exception of a few defensive comments, you really do not get a history of these two. You don't see how they fall in love or how the day to day of daily life has brought them to this point. You don't see any of that because ultimately it's not important. What is important is right now. If Laura and Rick can let go of the past mistakes, learn to listen to each other, and start over.

Selena Kitt has crafted an engaging story with characters that you can root for and bond with. Allowing for the fact that life and love is not perfect, but should not be so easily discarded because true love is hard to find. The Flintstone Experiment is the perfect novella for those of us who asked, "What happens after the prince and princess rode off into the sunset?"

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Siren's Song by Virginia Nelson

Sirens Song (Book 2 in the Odd Stuff Series) by Virginia Nelson

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Janie Smith is ready to get her life in order. She just needs to control her powers, feed without killing someone, deal with a sick witch, a vampire boyfriend committed by fate to another, and an ancient serial killer’s ghost who has settled inside an unsuspecting human. She must also put up with Queen Mab’s demand that she accept an elfin fiancé, while dodging Chance, the man who claims to be her soul mate, and help her daughter adjust to life after divorce. Seriously, not a big deal.

More Odd Stuff is breaking out all because of a Siren’s Song.


Kylie’s Review

Virginia Nelson is rapidly becoming my newest favorite author. Janie Smith and her Odd crew are back in Sirens Song, the sequel to Odd Stuff. I must reiterate, if you are a fan of paranormal romance, you must read these books. Virginia Nelson is providing a new and unique voice, that dispels old stereotypes and creating a fun and exciting new world of sirens, witches, vampires, and all other things that go bump in the night.

The odd crew is back with some new additions and a slew of new problems. Janie has her first official assignment from the F.B.I., to find out who The Harbor Hammer is. Simple enough except he has been killing people since roughly the 1930's and only shows up during leap years. Then there is the fact that Mia has a cold and every time she sneezes unintentionally cast a spell. Let us not forget about the vampire boyfriend Vance, and possible soul mate of undetermined origins, Chance, debacle. And it's only Monday.

Virginia Nelson has created a world that draws you in and leaves you wanting more. Where the fantastical is expected and the ordinary made that much more special by its rarity. Sirens Song focuses more on Janie's personal life, as she learns to control her new Siren powers, and struggles with the men in her life. All the while trying to be a good mom to a daughter who may have inherited more from Janie than just her eye color, and trying to dodge her own mother Queen Mab, who has taken it upon herself to reinstate Janie on the Fairy Counsel a position that comes with a fiancé. Neither of which Janie wants. Janie deals with all these new complications the way she deals with everything else a good dose of sarcasm and a full speed ahead, act first think later approach. While her tactics seem to get her into a much trouble as they get her out of it works for her.

As if Vance and Chance weren't enough to deal with Janie has two new men in her life, Avery and Frank. Avery is the fairy fiancé, while he harbors no romantic feelings for Janie he craves the power he would command as her husband. Unfortunately having never lived top side, he is unprepared for life among humans, let alone with Janie and get broken repeatedly. Frank thought he has no romantic connection to Janie, frustrates her more than the other men in her life. Frank is Mia's muse; his job is to inspire people. The fact that he mostly inspires chaos is a source of endless annoyance to Janie. However, Frank derives such enjoyment from his work that you cannot help but be delighted right along with him.

Sirens Song is captivating from the very first line to the last. Complete with a rich cast of characters and an engaging story, Virginia Nelson's work is magic. Proving yet again, the best parts of life are made up of Odd Stuff.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Mind-Blown by Michele Hart

Mind-Blown by Michele Hart

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Jon Paige discovers his employer is developing mind-control techniques. He quickly learns how to hijack the system and breaks down his beautiful assistant's persistent walls. Will Holly forgive him, if she ever learns of it?

Holly Maddox is determined not to dip her pen in the company ink, a policy that's served her well…until Jon comes along. He steals her mind when he's in the room, weakens her fortitude with every flash of his flirty eyes and secretive smile. How will she keep herself from falling in love with her boss when he melts her impulse control?

When Jon and Holly decide to sabotage the mind-control experiments, they learn they're up against a far greater power than they'd bargained for. Doing the right thing risks lives. Will the truth of their beginnings wreck their sizzling affair?



Kylie’s Review

Holly is a single mother looking for a job in a down economy. Jon is working freelance for the Demarco group, hiring medical billers. Although Holly is over qualified for the job, Jon hires her anyway, as a favor to an old friend. And despite his initial misgivings accepts a job as head of Human Recourses, in an attempt to stay near Holly. From the initial hirings, to the training of the new employees, to the start of daily business, something has been off at the Demarco group. While investigating the reasons for a mass firing almost immediately after a mass hiring, Jon and Holly uncover a plot that uses Demarco employees as lab rats in an attempt to develop mind control. What ensues will leave them wondering if the Demarco Group is a health care conglomerate, or a front for the CIA.

Michele Hart's characters are well written, completely believable, and relatable. Dr. Josephina Demarco Ramirez is in charge of sleep studies, and is using them to continue her grandfather’s work, developing a mind control method for the CIA. The paranoia and possible insanity of Dr. Ramirez, make this scenario all too possible. She has effectively cut herself off from the outside world and completely immersed herself in her work. Her delusions and total disregard for human life make her a truly frightening villain, but also give glimpses into what her life could have been if she hadn't been corrupted by power and hatred. As it is a once promising doctor now holds no regard for human life, "Life comes and goes in too great a volume to be considered rare."

The chemistry between Jon and Holly is apparent from the beginning, their witty banter and shared tragic history connects them in a way that purely physical attraction would never do. So amongst all the breaking and entering, and disguises, the two of them venture into a relationship that could be as dangerous as the people they are up against. Jon and Holly are simply two good people who have stumbled upon a grave injustice and are doing their best to fix it. Each of them struggles with their own personal demons and fears, like the rest of the world trying to do the right thing and occasionally messing up along the way. The deeper they go to find the truth, the more they risk.

The snappy dialogue and intense situations pulls you in and completely blow your mind. Michele Hart's Mind-Blown is a spine tingling thriller, complete with armature sleuthing, mind control, shadowy government agencies, and unethical doctors. A veritable rollercoaster of conspiracy, paranoia, and just a touch of romance.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Acquainted with the Night by Tymber Dalton

Acquainted with the Night by Tymber Dalton

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing
Genre: Alternative Romance

Heat Rating: 4

Blurb

Dale despised the Terran military. He was drafted, not a volunteer. He never expected to get captured by the Algonquans and sold as a breeder pet, either. He only prays his new owner is kind and doesn’t eat him. Then he meets fellow pet, Mark, who informs him getting captured was the luckiest day of their lives. Mark also hated the military and now spends his days in a life of sexual leisure, enjoying poetry and totally at peace with his fate.

Dale settles in and finds not only does he enjoy this life, he loves Mark, too. Despite tragedy striking too close to home in their protected world, they find room to love their Master’s newest pets, Cooper and Nate.
When the war ends and the Terran pets are granted their freedom, the men are faced with a choice: return, or stay with the owner they’ve grown to love?



Kylie’s Review

Tymber Dalton's Acquainted with the Night is a heart wrenching novel of life, love, and loss. In which, Mrs. Dalton explores the depth and bonds of love, friendship, and family. Acquainted with the Night is a unique and compelling story that takes you beyond the, “and they lived happily ever after”, to show you that they did.

Like all other able bodied men, Dale is a soldier, like most other soldiers he was drafted. Living in a world that has been at war for the past 20 years, and most of his life, Dale is tired. Tired of the propaganda his government spews constantly, the monotony of his daily routine, the non-life that he has been forced to live. After being captured by the Algonquan’s, the enemy, Dale awakes to find himself and many other Terran soldiers on a ship, bound and gagged, not as a means of torture but simply the most expeditious method of restrain during travel to their final destination. Despite Terran treatment of captured Algonquan soldiers, and the propaganda spouted by their government of how Algonquan soldiers treat Terran prisoners, Dale and the rest of the prisoners are not harmed. In fact, after living in a place where humans have long since forgotten how to be humane, Dale finds his current conditions a respite from the daily life of a soldier. When the prisoners arrive and are taken to a market to be sold, Dale is concerned that some of the propaganda was true and that they are going to be eaten. His fears however are soon allayed, when he meets Mark. With the help of Mark and an ingenious machine called the milker, Dale settles into his new life as a breeder for Master.

While Dale and Mark’s new life with their Master is far preferable to their old one, things are not perfect. Like goodness, evil is not simply a human concept. As Dale and Mark deal with the hardships that have invaded their new life, they come to love and depend on each other, forming a bond that is often tested but never broken. This bond allows them to each find strength that they never knew they had and opened their hearts to allow for possibilities they never expected. This eventually leads them to not just accept but also loving the two new additions to their family Coop and Nate.

As breeders for their Algonquan Master, sex is an integral part of the daily lives of Dale, Mark, Coop and Nate. Far from being simply incubators for the Master, these men find themselves loved and cared for, not just by their Master, but by each other as well. Between the four of them there is never a shortage of a ready and eager partner, if one is wished, and of course there is always the ever present milker. The milker is an ingenious feat of imagination and technology that would have any man begging to be captured. While the milker is used well and often, it is simply a means of release, whereas the sex between the men is an expression of love and the unique bonds that have formed between them.

Acquainted with the Night is more than a simple war story, it is a story of survival, love, and life. Truly redefining what it means to be human, be free, and be a family. In a world that has been fighting a war for twenty years, where marriage is something only to be obtained by wealth, and women are used simply to breed more soldiers, the best place to be is captured by the enemy.

5 Tea Cups!