The Quarterback by MacKenzie Blair

Title: The Quarterback                      Word Count:304 pgs

Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance

Blurb:Matt Lancaster is the star quarterback at Bodine College, a small Southern Division II school with an ultra-conservative Dean of Athletics. Matt is also very much in the closet, and he thinks he’s kept his secret well hidden. Until his best friends take him to a happy endings massage parlor and request a male masseuse for him. 

In walks Trevor Kim, a gorgeous, pierced, tattooed fellow Bodine student who does massages—without happy endings—to pay for school after his family kicked him out for being gay. Trevor takes one look at Matt and breaks all his own rules about mixing business with pleasure.

Matt needs to keep his scholarship, win the National Championship, and survive his asshole father. Instead, he falls in love. Trevor needs to accept that the football god is meant to end up with him rather than a perky cheerleader. It’s time for a happy ever after for both of them.

My Review: It is a real eye opener for star Quarterback Matt Lancaster when his closest friends take him to a ‘happy endings’ spa. He is certainly shocked beyond words when the guy he has been crushing on since freshman year walks in. Trevor works three jobs to pay his way through college. Seeing  Matt Lancaster laying on his table is a temptation he can’t resist. For the first time ever, Trevor is excited to offer the deluxe  package which includes a prostate massage.

Being the star Quarterback of a school in the south Matt knows he has to stay in the closet or risk losing his scholarship. Matt is scared of what will pop up with him having a male masseuse. He is enjoying the feeling of having Trevor’s hands roam all over his body. It is definitely a treat , but he freaks out when Trevor goes where no man has gone before. Trevor is certainly delighted to be touching a godlike man like Matt. However, he soon despair when he ventures too far and Matt flees the scene.

Matt feels overwhelmed and he feels like he has been setup by his friends. His closest friend Connor tells him its time to be truthful and admit he is gay. Matt tries to deny , but when he sees the lack of judgement on his friends faces, he knows he can finally reveal a part of himself he’s always kept hidden. It takes him about a week to go back to the spa and truly enjoy Trevor’s services. Trevor is surprised to see Matt again but he is oh so willing to be the one to touch this hunk of a jock. It is very exhilarating to be with Matt, but he is soon brought back to reality with how tawdry their session really is, when he leaves the room without his happy ending.

Matt is hooked, but when he goes back for another visit he finds out that Trevor has quit. He hunts him down on campus after Trevor’s boss reveals that he is the reason why she lost her best masseuse. Another shocker for Trevor comes when Matt approaches him in his dorm and request tutoring in sex lessons. Trevor is a bit wary of a ‘closet case’, but he just can’t resist the sexy jock. They start hanging out two nights a week and soon they’re both craving their explorations. They find out that they really like each other and they commiserate on their shitty family issues.

Trevor introduces Matt to a whole new world of gay sex with some dominance kink thrown in. Matt is a malleable student and he relishes his new endeavors with Trevor. It doesn’t take them long to define their relationship as boyfriends, but  only in private. It kills Trevor to see the public face  that Matt has to express to the world being the Quarterback. When Matt is tricked into claiming one of the sorority girls as his girlfriend in front of cameras, Trevor is hurt deeply. All his fears of dating a closet case is coming true. Things get smoothed out when Matt introduces Trevor to his core group of friends. This goes a long way in soothing Trevor’s acceptance of their closeted relationship.Both these men realize they have a relationship to cherish.

More obstacles are thrown in their path when one of  Matt’s homophobic teammates suspects their relationship. Matt wants to cool it for a bit, but Trevor lets his hurt feelings push him to ultimately end their relationship. Matt goes off to his Thanksgiving holiday feeling extremely dejected. This is made worse by being in close proximity with his opportunistic swindler of a father. Things get heated between them when Matt doesn’t conform to his dad’s idealistic plans for his future playing football. Matt’s dad become violent and Matt ends up in the hospital.

Things aren’t going too well for Trevor either when he tries to reach out to his family. Once again he is rejected by his mom for being gay. He feels so utterly alone. When he gets a call from Matt’s sister saying he has been hurt, he rushes to his side. Matt feels a sense of relief at having Trevor back in his life. He takes the plunge and introduces Trevor as his boyfriend to his uncle and aunt who are very welcoming. Matt is more ready now to embrace his feelings and become more open about his boyfriend to certain people.

When they go back to campus Matt embraces his newfound relationship. It is definitely not an easy road especially with him being the star Quarterback, but he knows that he can handle anything with Trevor by his side. I give this my ratings of 4- lose the underwear.

Welcome to Alvarado 3: In the Wind by C.E.Kilgore

Title : In the Wind                          Word Count :64,000
Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance

Blurb:Sometimes you have to get good and lost before you’ll have any hope at finding yourself.

Dustin Hunter has returned to Alvarado after seven years of military service and one bad shot that shattered his self-assured ego. Struggling to forget what he left behind in the desert, he finds himself drifting in the wind, homeless and without direction. When the wind blows something unexpected his way, he has to decide if he’s ready to feel emotion again and deal with what he lost in the sand.

Scott Weller’s red hair, strange clear blue eyes, glasses and mechanically inclined intellect have always made him the perfect lure for bullies. Despite being well past the age of school yard harassment, Scott’s reoccurring bruises don’t go unnoticed by his friends and the newly returned Dustin. Scott’s easy smile and calm voice give Dustin a needed sense of peace, and Scott’s blushing freckles make Dustin feel something he never has before.

As the desire to protect Scott grows, Dustin finds himself in a different kind of war. An unsettling wind is blowing through Alvarado, dividing families and bringing change. When the dust settles, the small town of Alvarado will never be the same again.

My Review : Dusty comes home to his small town Alvarado from a seven year stint in the military. He is a little bit broken from all the horrific things he has seen and done. Dusty is a shell of a man his first night back, seeking out something familiar. He shows up at his grandmother’s house only to find out that it has been sold. The occupants are none other than Clint and Ricky. Clint is a familiar face from his high school days. Clint is shocked to see Dusty, but he offers him a safe place to stay while he gets his land legs. Dusty is shocked to find out that Clint is gay, but it doesn’t bother him seeing the beautiful love that these men share. He hopes one day he’ll find his way out of the darkness to experience what they have.
In a small town, news travels at the speed of light. It is not long before the whole town knows he’s back. When an old friend stops by, Dusty starts to reminisce about his old school friends and the good times they had. He is shocked to see how much Scott has grown, the little boy he used to protect from schoolyard bullies. Dusty realizes how easy it is to talk to Scott and they gravitate towards each other forming a very easy friendship. Scott is a loner who lights up whenever he is in his junkyard tinkering with old cars. He likes breathing new life into things that no longer work. Scott is laced with mysterious bruises around his neck , but Dusty doesn’t feel as if it’s his place to question him.
Dusty’s reintegration into civilian life is going better than expected especially with the help of Scott. Soon Dusty realize that what he feels for Scott is more than friendship. Dusty and Scott fall into an easy , comfortable, loving relationship. It is made easier by the fact that Dusty is also working alongside Scott at the junkyard. Their relationship is definitely not embraced by everyone in the small town of Alvarado. They make an enemy out of one of the more esteemed members of the community. Dusty defends
Scott from his bully Ryan McMasters who turns out to be the bank manager’s son. Ryan is arrested for beating up Scott and almost raping him. It’s only Dusty’s timely intervention that stops Scott from being abused further. Lots of secrets come out into the light when Ryan commits suicide and leaves a note for Scott.
Sweet , caring Scott is devastated by his bully’s death wishing that he could turn back the hands of time to help a lonely, terrified, repressed young man. Ryan leaves behind a legacy of self hatred when he tells of the conversion therapy that was foisted upon him by his father who could not accept his homosexuality. He left the world feeling still confused and so desperate and totally in love with Scott, the same man he bullied because he could not acknowledge his feelings. It is so sad to think that so many young men go through these feelings of desperation, confusion and utter loneliness because of their sexuality.
Scott confronts Ryan’s father and he continues the cycle of violence. Gabe McMasters retaliates by setting fire to Scott’s home in the middle of the night. Scott is hurt, regardless of Dusty pulling him to safety. Dusty realizes how precious Scott is to him. He makes a conscious decision to leave the shadows of his past that haunts his every waking moment and live in the light with Scott beside him. Scott and Dusty create history by being the first gay couple to tie the knot in small town Alvarado. I truly enjoy watching these flawed characters redeeming themselves through their love for each other. I give this my rating of 4 – lose the underwear.

Jock Auction by Alex Pendragon

Title :  Jock Auction               Word Count : 87,359

Genre : Contemporary Gay Romance

Blurb : Sexy high-school footballer Kyle has two big blind-spots: first, he assumes he’s straight, and second, he doesn’t know quite how much his shy, geeky classmate Craig lusts after him. When the two are thrown together after a charity slave auction, however, how incredible the sex is turns out to be hard to miss. Problem is, Kyle’s awakened sexuality is on a collision course with his hot teammates, and not everyone in his conservative Midwestern town is quite so open-minded.

When Kyle unexpectedly gets up close and personal with another closeted jock, and realizes in the process that there’s more than just teenage hormones between himself and Craig, he’s faced with a choice: walk away, or fight for what until now he didn’t know he wanted. Meanwhile, Craig is learning that there’s more to his appetite for athletic guys than playing the meek submissive, and Kyle’s mea-culpa arrives right on time for him to explore some of the kinks he never knew he had.

Hard bodies meet even harder truths as two very different guys discover that, while you can buy someone’s time, you still have to win their heart.

My Review :  How far would you go for charity?  Kyle has just been bought in the Jock Auction for a worthy  cause. The only difference with him and his buddies is that they were bought by cheerleaders while he gets picked by the shy geeky gay guy Craig.  Kyle shows up at Craig’s house in old jeans expecting to do some cleaning. When he gets there, Craig takes him to his room where he immediately lands a scorching kiss on the unsuspecting Kyle. Kyle is stupefied before he pushes Craig away in anger. Craig is devastated and crumpled to the floor in tears, trying to protect himself from the beating he expects from a straight jock. Seeing his fear, Kyle pushes down his anger and let Craig know that he doesn’t swing that way and he won’t hurt him.

Craig apologizes and bares his soul to Kyle telling him how drawn he is to him. He has had a crush on him for a long time and he just wanted to get to know Kyle a little bit before they graduated. Kyle is flabbergasted and extremely flattered that someone male or female would go to such great lengths to be with him. There is something about Craig that makes Kyle want to comfort him and put a smile on his face. What starts out as a joke turns into an inferno. Kyle starts an impromptu lap dance to tease Craig.  Oh what a tease!! He teases Craig and himself into a rip roaring erection. One thing leads to another and before he knows it he is getting the ultimate blowjob from Craig.  He is definitely not passive either, he is reciprocating with a hand job for Craig. A part of Kyle revels on letting loose and engaging in this illicit foray with Craig. They both plan to make the most of the situation,  as it might be their one and only time together. 

As much as he would like to stay away, Kyle realized that there is something so primal that being with a man brings out in him. Craig is definitely not offended by Kyle’s rough treatment. He is exhilarated by their baser instincts coming to the fore. They have great chemistry together and they are so not afraid to push the boundaries into a bit of rough sex. Kyle becomes experimental and goes for broke by delivering a killer blowjob and delving into the world of anal sex. They get down and dirty and the aggression pouring off Kyle in waves totally escalates  Craig’s libido to the breaking point .  They have a whole lot of dirty fun.

Kyle’s attraction to Craig opens up his exploratory spirit and leads to certain revelations about himself. He gains an unlikely friend and ally in one of his teammates,  a big black guy. Louis makes it somehow easier to talk about his conflicted feelings and help him to put things in perspective. Louis has inside knowledge of the turmoil he is going through after witnessing his gay older brother go through the same. Things really heat up when Louis comes over to Kyle’s house to talk, bringing backup in the form of his older brother Ty. It soon becomes obvious that there is an underlying tension between the two brothers. It seems Ty has been trying to get his brother to admit his true nature.  He has an inkling that Louis is not as straight as he adamantly professes. Ty takes charge by making out with Kyle , revving  up Louis’ curiosity and jealousy . Its very hard for any red blooded male to resist their erotic play. Soon Louis takes over and Kyle is initiated in the receiving end of anal sex while the voyeuristic Ty watched.

Kyle’s conscience kicks in shortly after his tryst with Louis and he starts to worry about Craig finding out. He feels guilty and he  goes over the situation in his mind over and over since he has been hooking up with Craig exclusively for a few weeks. Kyle feels emotionally wrecked with all these thoughts floating in his mind. He works out his conflicted feelings on Craig by punishing him with his body. It is very intense and the truth comes out in the heat of the moment. Needless to say Craig is heartbroken and even though they hadn’t defined their relationship,  he feels betrayed. Kyle goes home feeling devastated,  realizing that he might have messed up his chance before it even began.

Kyle can’t stop thinking about Craig. When an egotistical jerk on the team constantly bullies Craig, it  makes Kyle want to come out and stand up proudly and protect his boyfriend. Kyle ends up at the nurse after an altercation with the bully. Although he has been choked, he feels great because the little incident showed him that he still had the support of his team and not everyone would hold his sexuality against him. His teammate Jake really made him feel comfortable. When Kyle’s parents have an unfavorable reaction to him being gay, Kyle opts to stay at Jakes house.

Kyle is upset by his parents reactions and Jake’s twin Jackson gives him a shoulder on which to cry. Jackson talks about his own experiences being gay and he is really supportive of Kyle. He suggests that Kyle invite over Craig. The camaraderie amongst the four boys is great and it just goes to show that not all jocks are close-minded.

I truly liked the feel of this book, not too angsty, really funny, very erotic and I loved the Jock falling for the geek. This was definitely a voyeuristic delight with Kyle and Craig being caught with their pants down on more than one occasion. This book gave me all that I wanted and then some. It really pushed all my hot buttons. I give this my ratings of 5 – bring out the vibrators. 

Favorite Quotes : 1. Tighter,” I told him, and felt him clench down on me. Slowly, holding his pelvis steady, I pulled back and dragged my dick out of his body. His hole gaped for a brief moment, then closed again until I pushed myself back through. He moaned then as I worked his ring over some, pulling myself free and then popping the broad head of my glans inside again, over and over. “Give me your arms,” I told him, and he did, folding them across his back. I pinned his wrists together against his spine, pushed down so that Craig’s torso dipped more, tilting his ass farther up and letting me drop my weight down onto it. Then my dick was buried in him again, and I was fucking him, hard, unrelenting—slamming my dick home as I trapped him underneath me. (Everyone loves a little bit of rough sex. Craig brought out Kyle’s dominant side.)

2. “Look at you,” I growled in his ear, lips close, nose buried in his sweat-damp hair. “Down on the floor like a fucking dog in heat, desperate to get filled.” He looked back at me with an expression of mixed lust and frustration, eyes trying to focus on my face. “Would it have mattered if it was me that came in through the door, you dirty little whore?” Craig glared at me. “You’d have just let anybody breed your little hole.” (Hot, hot, hot, love role-playing and dirty talk. … the fantasy of the unknown, a little stranger danger ☺.)

3. Then it was farther up, and I was licking his taint, the swollen saddle of flesh behind his nuts. I realized he was still going, and the taste on my tongue was myself. I tried to sit up, to twist my head, but he gripped me with thighs on either side of my face and, tilting his pelvis, ground his hole on it. I looked up at him, staring past his dick, as he bucked and writhed on me. I should’ve been disgusted, but I knew I was hard again, and that—straight or whatever, labels be damned—I was going to end up buried in this as far as my fledgling lusts would ask of me. The next time he bore down, I stuck out my tongue, letting it rasp across his glistening flesh. He purred with pleasure and rocked himself again on me, fucking his hole with the roughness of my mouth. I could smell his musk, the hot tang of sweat, and my own juice as it oozed out of him and across my face. Craig’s hands were gripping my head now, holding me still so that he could grind his ass onto my tongue, his balls tight and nudging against my nose, his breaths coming in short, staccato pants.( The best kinds of sex is messy, the messier the better 😉. This is truly raw and primal.)

4. He tensed on me. I felt his ass clench as he came across my nose, my eyes, my forehead. Long, heavy slaps of cum that slowly dripped down my cheeks. The feel of it, landing wetly, drove me to my own climax, a smaller puddle but no less satisfying. Craig slid his body down mine, brought our lips together, and kissed me, our faces sliding from the shared juices. ( Very erotic,  there is something so exhilarating to be marked by your lover.)