Amy's Romance Reviews: EM Denning

Showing posts with label EM Denning. Show all posts

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Spare Room (The Trouble With Triads #1) by E.M. Denning

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Alex feels like a failure. He abandoned Tristan for big dreams and has nothing to show for it all now.

When the fire leaves him homeless, Tristan and his husband Ben come to Alex’s rescue. He can’t refuse the offer of their spare room. But what happens when Alex falls for his ex... and his husband?

Ben and Tristan have recovered from the last try to add a third partner to their relationship when Alex falls into their lap. Despite their history, the chemistry is right, and Tristan hopes Alex can see how good they could be together.

Alex fears coming between Ben and Tristan. But what if that’s exactly where they want him? If the husbands want him to stay, they’ll need to convince him they need him as much as he needs them. Can they make Alex believe they have room in their hearts for him?

Spare Room is the first book in a series of standalone novels all about polyamorous (MMM) relationships.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Spare Room is a sweet menage romance. This EM Denning is the first book in The Trouble with Triads series.

If you enjoy a couple bringing a third into their relationship, read this book. If you enjoy roommate romances, read this book.

I love a good menage book and this one is a good one.

Alex is Tristan's ex. I adore that Ben isn't jealous of letting Alex stay with them. I enjoy all the little things that make this one go from friends to lovers. It's definitely sweet.

That said, this is definitely light on some of the layers. With menage stories, I prefer there to be a lot of depth to all of the relationships, but this one isn't as in depth as I prefer. A lot of it is left up to interpretation of what may be in the future. There's nothing wrong with that, but it certainly keeps my rating a little lower.

Overall, Spare Room is a fun read. If you enjoy menage romances, this is worth a try. And with EM Denning making this go from two to three in the relationship, that just adds to the allure.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Nothing to Gain (Learning the Ropes #2) by E.M. Denning

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Kicked out of his house as a teenager, Brett McHale is feminine, fabulous, and living with his best friend. His job at a cafe comes with the world’s best boss and the only other thing Brett wants he’s unlikely to get because the men he’s attracted to never seem to feel the same.

Linden Jacobs is finally out of his too-small hometown. He’s away at college, he has a new set of friends, a crush on a hot guy. Everything he’s ever wanted.

Almost.

Everything in Linden’s life has changed, but he doesn’t know how to let himself have what he wants the most.

After meeting Brett and realizing his dreams could be within reach, Linden confesses his desires to explore his feminine side. What starts as an innocent friendship between two men bonding over lipstick and soft clothes becomes something Brett can’t breathe without.

Convinced Linden doesn’t feel the same attraction, Brett tries to keep his heart on lockdown, but he quickly learns that being femme isn’t the only thing Linden is interested in exploring. Brett wants to give Linden more than twinkle lights, but he’s not sure if he’s worthy of being Linden’s ultimate destination, or just a stop on the way.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Nothing to Gain is a wonderful addition to the Learning The Ropes series. I seriously love this EM Denning book.

Brett and Lindon make for a fantastic couple. They start as acquaintances, and easily go to friends and then more. But most of all, I love that they each love one another for who they are.

Both men have struggled with living authentically. For Brett, it got him kicked out of his house. His problems with his homophobic family are well established. Luckily for Brett, his best friend's family was there to take him in. He lives simple, having never gone to college, but enjoys the job he has.

As for Lindon, his dad was great when he came out, but he's terrified to be his true self. Not only does he fear his dad's reaction, he also fears other's reaction.

I absolutely adore the way Brett teaches Lindon how to embrace who he is on the inside. Brett's always wanted to be a femme boy, but fear held him back from doing anything about it. Brett knows all the makeup tricks and understands the clothes options that Lindon will like. It's all wonderful, with all the feels. And through it all, the two become close.

Their story has lace, dresses, and makeup. It's all about accepting who you are and living authentically. It's about the encouragement to live for you, and not putting weight on what other's think. It's beautifully done. I'd try to pick one quote for you, but there are too many to choose from. The author seriously does a stellar job with this aspect.

My favorite part of it however is probably the twinkle lights.

Their story is loaded with family issues at it's core. Brett is still struggling with his family, as his brother keeps calling him and trying to get him to come home. His struggles continue throughout and make for a large part of the story. And then there's Lindon's issues with his father, as he's terrified to come out to him as femme. I just wanted to hug Lindon and assure him that everything would be ok.

Friendship is also a large part of the storyline. Brett has his best friend, but he largely keeps to himself. But with Lindon, he discovers a whole new group of friends and family.

Nothing to Gain is a magnificent heartfelt tale. EM Denning will leave you delighted to have met these men and see them help one another grow. She combines plenty of feel good moments with a tender and sweet love story. It's definitely worth a read!

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

The Secret Thing (The Blackburn Brothers Duet #2) by E.M. Denning

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

Blurb

On the cusp of starting college, Christian Blackburn has had enough of his meddling, helicopter mother. He lucks into a room in a gorgeous house close to campus and away from the noise of dorm living. His landlord, Brandon, is a surprise. It doesn’t matter to Christian that Brandon is twice his age. He’s good looking, kind, a hell of a cook, and he doesn’t treat Christian any different because of his seizures.

If only Brandon wanted him back.

Brandon Hayes is comfortably divorced, but his life would be better if well-meaning people kept their nose out of his affairs. To ease his ex-wife’s concern that he’s living in a house far too big for just one person, he takes on a roommate.

The much younger Christian is smart and charming. He’s older than his years, and his presence in Brandon’s life wakes something up inside he’s kept hidden from everyone. Having Christian around reminds Brandon of his attraction to men, a pull he can’t ignore.

One kiss changes everything.

Their chemistry is off the charts and their lives fit together in a way they never expect them to. Battling the age difference, a nosy parent, and the fear that people won’t accept them as a couple, they agree to keep their relationship secret. After a tumultuous weekend away, Christian decides that he wants Brandon by his side, and doesn’t care who knows about them. But what will happen once all Brandon’s secrets are out in the open?

Review

My Rating - 5 Stars!

EM Denning's The Secret Thing, the second book in The Blackburn Brothers Duet series, is a fantastic May to December romance.

Christian's a young college student who's desperate to be treated as an adult. After a lifetime of dealing with his overly protective mother, he wants to find his own way. Enter the man who offers to rent him a room in his house. Brandon's a man twice Christian's age who feels like his years of denial and fear have led him to be fake. Even Brandon doesn't know who he really is. Exploring his bisexual side for the first time sees him coming to life.

Written in alternating 3rd person pov, the story closely follows the struggles with Christian's illness, his issues with wanting to be independent, and Brandon's exploration of his sexuality. The author excels in written dialogue, making these scenes natural and flawless. Both men are well developed. It has a predictable plot, but I loved it and found myself completely riveted.

There is a lot going on in this story. The author perfectly entwines family issues, health issues, and sexual exploration to create a hot and steamy emotional read. The health issues are tremendously written, illustrating living with seizures, without ever feeling like a lesson. But most of all, I fell in love with both men as they have very different backgrounds, yet both lack the freedom to be themselves. I enjoy the way they have this similar struggle and the way the author brings it all together.

The Secret Things is hot and emotional as these two men explore a new and exciting time for both of them. This EM Denning read is more than just a romance, as both characters are discovering who they are for the first time in their lives. It's emotional and had me staying up late into the night to finish it.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Come, Play An Erotica Charity Anthology

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Come Play - An MM Erotica Charity Anthology

Authors: Quin Perin, A.G. Carothers, E.M. Denning, Emma Jaye, K.C. Wells,

Lynn Van Dorn, Luna David, Sara Dobie Bauer, T.M. Chris, T.S. McKinney

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley

Release Date: June 11, 2019

Genre/s: M/M Erotica, M/M BDSM

Trope/s: Including hurt/comfort, first time, forbidden and others

Themes: Anthology includes BDSM and erotica.

It has a wide variety of tastes/themes

Heat Rating: A mix of 4 and 5 flames.

This anthology features a collection of erotic MM short stories.

Add on Goodreads

Blurb

Watch and Learn if the Coach’s Little Kitten can be Tamed.

Follow the Doctor’s Orders and read all about Brotherly Love.

Understand Abstract Love and then take a peek at A Kink Chronicles Short.

It’s all about Pretty Boys, The Kiss, and Particular Tastes bundled up in this must-have erotic anthology.

Come, play with us.

Abstract Love by Sara Dobie Bauer

A Kink Chronicles Short by Luna David

Brotherly Love by Lynn Van Dorn

Coach’s Little Kitten by Quin Perin

Doctor’s Orders by Emma Jaye

Particular Tastes by T.S. McKinney

Pretty Boy by E.M. Denning

Tamed by T.M. Chris

The Kiss by A.G. Carothers

Watch and Learn by K.C. Wells

All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to

💜💙💚💙 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 💙💚💙💜

https://www.thetrevorproject.org

Review

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Come, Play is a fun erotica charity anthology. With all proceeds going to the Trevor Project, this is a must buy!

From the first tale, Coach's Little Kitten, I enjoyed every second of this fun collection. This book has it all. Kitten play, age gap, BDSM, step-brothers, and more.

A couple of individual reviews -

Coach's Little Kitten, by Quin Perin is amazing. Mastering some sexy kitten play, these authors treat us to this steamy sex club story which features exhibitionism and voyeurism. It's hot and has left me wanting more kitten play stories.

TS McKinney's Particular Taste is a hot and sexy short. A hot office romance between a sexy alpha and a sassy twink, this one is pure delight. Add in that one of the men thought they were straight? Oh hell yes!

Brotherly Love, by Lynn VanDorn is a delicious stepbrother short. As if stepbrothers wasn't hot enough, add in some lace and makeup, and damn, just damn!

Overall, just buy this book now! Enjoy some sexy stories and donate to a great cause at the same time!