Ten Reviews of mostly short stories

Review of Lone Wolf by Dellani Oakes 4*
BLURB: The year is 3032 and mankind has expanded far beyond Earth's galaxy. Matilda Dulac is a member of the Galactic Mining Guild. With her lover, Marc Slatterly, she works in a small mining ship in deep space. Their well ordered life is suddenly thrown into chaos when one miner arrives with a load of Trimagnite, a highly toxic liquid ore.
Enter The Lone Wolf. Wil VanLipsig, known as the Lone Wolf, arrives to take the Trimagnite off their hands. Is it a coincidence for him to show up on Marc's ship years after Marc thought he'd killed Wil? Or is this the beginning of something far more insidious?
My Review: Action, Adventure, Romance, Mystery, Danger and Bold Characters! This story had them all. I am eagerly anticipating the next in this new series by a new to me author :D

Review of Love is Always Write Vol 7 by Various Authors 4*
BLURB: Stories in Volume 7:
NOT A PIECE OF FICTION – Harry Issott (paranormal/post-apocalyptic)
AN OCEAN APART – Sammy Goode (contemporary/established couple)
OF CANYON ASHES – Cody Richardson (contemporary/firefighter)
OF ETERNITY AND TREMBLING – Thursday Euclid (paranormal/angels)
OF HONOR AND LOVE – S.J. Frost (historical/19th century Japan)
OFFICE POLITICS – Elizabeth Lister (contemporary/friends-to-lovers)
OUR SONG – Nicole Dennis (contemporary/musicians)
PILLOW TALK – J.H. Knight (contemporary/college
PLAYING WITH FIRE – Jennivie Wirries (contemporary/ménage)
PLAYING WITH SHADOWS – Sasha L. Miller (fantasy/adventure)
THE PORTRAIT OF HIS SUBLIMITY – Cay McKat (contemporary/BDSM)
PREDATORS – Clancy Nacht (contemporary/BDSM)
THE QUESTION GAME – Wt Prater (contemporary/friends-to-lovers)
My Review: Loping these as a great read in between other stories.

Review ofLove is Always Write Vol 8 by Various Authors 4*
BLURB: Stories in Volume 8:

RAINBOWS AND PUPPIES – Jonathan Treadway (contemporary/bears)
THE REST OF FOREVER – Kate Aaron (contemporary/friends-to-lovers)
THE ROAD TO HELL – Sara York (suspense/private detective)
ROSES IN THE DEVIL’S GARDEN – Charlie Cochet (historical (1925)/prohibition
agents)
SAFE – Kim Dare (contemporary/dominance)
SANDS OF THYME – EM Lynley (contemporary/culinary/bartenders)
SEE RIGHT THROUGH – Sara Winters (contemporary/friends to lovers)
SHADOW DANCE – Cherie Noel (contemporary/dancers)
SHOW ME YOURS – Kaje Harper (contemporary/friends-to-lovers)
My Review: This one is my favourite of the lot as one of the stories is to my prompt and I couldn't have asked for a better story than the one Charlie Cochet wrote to it.

Review ofLove is Always Write Vol 9 by Various Authors 4*
BLURB: Stories in Volume 9:

SIN – N.R. Walker (sci-fi/scientist)
SKIN OR SCALE – Jaime Samms (paranormal/fantasy/college)
SOULMATES – Andrea Speed (fantasy/magic)
SPY HILL – Dusk Peterson (historical fantasy/alternate universe)
STAY WITH ME – AJ Jarrett (contemporary/law enforcement)
STEAMY – Vicktor Alexander (sci-fi/poly m/m/m/m)
STUCK ON YOU – Anna Birmingham (contemporary/college)
TAKE A BREATH – Tam Ames (contemporary/ER)
TAKE MY BREATH – Tami Veldura (contemporary/college)
TELLING JASE – Penny Wilder (contemporary/performance arts)
THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO JERSEY – Gina Rogers (contemporary/hurt-comfort)
My Review: Yet again a wonderful mix of stories to keep me interested.

Review of Shouting In The Silence by Malcolm Rhodes 1*
BLURB: Olivia Hernandez opened her olive green eyes wide. Her regular time in her sleeping chamber had been disturbed by a blaring siren that she hadn’t heard in many years. Her mind flashed back to her academy training when her instructor had drilled into her and her fellow trainees the dire necessity of responding when the siren went off. In the years since she had achieved officer status, she had never had the siren go off and knew of nobody else who had either....
My Review: What can I say that won't sound too critical of the author? It was poorly written, very short and felt incomplete.

Review of
Taken (Love Has No Boundaries)by Kim Dare 4*
BLURB: This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Dear Author,
They aren’t real; at least that’s what I was always told. Yet here I am, bound and at their mercy. I have no memory of how I got here. I know that I’m supposed to be afraid and ashamed of the things they do to me, but the thing is, I’ve never felt safer or more loved in my entire life.
Photo Description:
Three elves crowd around a captured human. The human is bound and gagged; chains attached to his collar restrain him to the floor, and his hands are cuffed behind his back. The elves are all clothed but the human’s clothing has been torn away, rendering him naked and vulnerable. Each elf is tall, slender, and elegant, with long flowing hair. All three elves are reaching out toward their captive human, beginning to explore his body
My Review: A short but very hot fantasy story. If you are into elves, male on male menage stories and some very nice sex then you should read this.

Review of Great Catch(Love Has No Boundaries)by Megan Slayer 4*
BLURB: This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story
Dear Author,
We have been best friends since elementary school and started fooling around together the summer we turned fifteen. Other than being best friends, I know that we just fool around to have fun. It doesn’t mean anything more than that; at least I know that it doesn’t mean anything more than that to him.
It’s not like we do it every day. Except lately it seems that when we are together, even when we are just hanging out, I can’t help but get the feeling that he is looking at me differently than he normally does… Like he is waiting for me to say something or do something. But it’s driving me crazy, because I know I want more. But I know he doesn’t… Does he?
Photo Description:
Two young men are side by side on a bus and appear to be sleeping. The boy on the left wears a sleeveless dark blue T-shirt and a grey visor turned backwards. He has his arm around the boy on the right, who rests his head against his friend’s chest, cushioned by a towel or pillow. Their fingers are laced together, holding on as they sleep.
My Review: I enjoyed this one. The progression of friends to lovers to full blown relationship was nicely written and I was only unhappy over the fact that it wasn't longer.

Review of BTW I Love You (Don't Read in the Closet Events)by Nico Jaye 4*
BLURB: This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
When Aidan logs onto the Internet one night during winter break, he hardly expects to meet tall, dark, and handsome Jake - let alone discover over the course of their chats and emails that Jake may actually be...well...pretty much perfect. However, with Jake studying abroad 8,000 miles away, Aidan soon finds himself struggling with the intense feelings that he's developed for a man he's never actually met.
With an ocean between them and all of the doubts and questions that come with the distance, will their relationship ever find wings? And when they finally meet in person, can their online romance become an IRL happily ever after?
My Review: A sweet romance that shows that not all relationships need to start face to face. I loved the steady growing of crush to lust to love and the way the two main characters worked at the long distance relationship together until they could meet face to face.

Review of
Prisoner 374215 (Love Has No Boundaries)by Angel Martinez 4*
BLURB: This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Dear Author,
He enters my cell daily at ten pm. He leaves in the morning at six am. He never says a word. Never moves from where he sits right beside the thick steel door. He does not beat me. He doesn't take me to the tiled room at the end of the corridor. He doesn't goad me, smirk when I wince afterwards, cry, or scream. I'm not sure what he does when I drift off, into deep, exhausted, pain-drenched sleep. I think he just watches. A fixture, a security, so they may state that I'm not left unattended. Sometimes I wish...
Photo Description:
While the cell is sparse and cold, at least this one has a bed. The figure resting there is too thin; too still, the prominent bones the result of long starvation, the stillness the product of too much anguish and abuse. He watches, though. An anxious, intelligent mind still occupies this frail and failing body, one that watches and wonders about the new guard occupying his cell each night.
My Review: This was a rather dark and intense short story that made me feel quite unnerved at times. It was really gut wrenching and for a short story it packed quite a punch!

Review of Ten Year H-Itch (Love Has No Boundaries)by Pelaam 3*
BLURB: This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Dear Author,
We’ve been together for ten years now and love each other very much. The stresses of daily life have gotten in the way and put a strain on our relationship. We don’t seem to spend the time or energy on our relationship like we should. Help us to find the spark we once had.
Photo Description:
The black and white photo shows two men, but only the man closest to the camera is in focus. He sits in bed, propped up on pillows, staring pensively at the camera. In the background, his partner reclines on the far edge of the same bed. His hand reaches for his lover’s nipple as he watches the other man intently.
My Review:A short, gentle read about reviving a relationship. Nice but not very memorable.