Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: Brit Boys: With Toys
AUTHOR: Various Authors Listed with Stories Below
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 422 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2015
BLURB:
From coast to coast and city to country Brit boys enjoy playing with each other and their toys. Not any old toys, though; guitars, rope, plugs and Moleskine journals all prove to be enormous fun. Throw in a shop that’s wall to wall with kinky ideas, a journalist on the lookout for the next big thing, and Dominants who insist on obedience and there’s sure to be something to cater for everyone’s taste.
Whether it’s a quickie or a slow indulgence, Brit boys know how to hit the spot and they aim to please every time. So take a ride, fly high, come enjoy these sexy boys and their toys.
Brit Boys: With Toys is an anthology of M/M stories written by British authors, featuring British characters in British locations. If this steamy set of stories has whet your appetite for more don’t miss Brit Boys: On Boys.
ANTHOLOGY REVIEW:
All of these authors were new to me and I really enjoyed getting to see so many British authors I’d never even heard of before. The stories themselves were a bit of a mixed bag within the toy theme and while I felt there were a few standout offerings, I found the collection as a whole a little on the mediocre side. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t really feel the connection between the main characters in quite a few of the stories but the writing was good and I enjoyed the pictures painted if nothing else. This was a good introduction to new authors and it was worth the read for the few I plan on looking up again later but I could take or leave the collection as a whole.
Hard Riders By Ashe Barker
If there’s one thing Liam loves more than a scorching hot lust-on-wheels superbike, it’s the gorgeous sexy guy who owns such a dream machine. When Jackson finds him all but drooling over his tyres and offers him a ride Liam takes no persuading at all. Soon they discover that their mutual fascination with boys’ toys is not limited to the two-wheeled variety, so it’s just as well that Jackson owns his own sex shop and Liam’s job leaves plenty of scope for dressing up.
But real life is much more than just a few kinky games, and has an unfortunate habit of getting in the way.
This was hands down my favorite story in the book. The chemistry between Liam and Jackson was fairly scorching and I liked the use of the motorcycles as well as the kinky toys for the book theme. The sex scenes were fun and hot and while the two men work in vastly different professions, they still managed a connection that just worked. The only problem I had with this story was unfortunately a big one: the ending. Up until that point I was fully on board with the story but the end had me staring at the page with what I’m sure was an incredulous expression while trying not to screech out “That’s IT?!” As a result, I came off the awesome story high I was reading and finished with a sense of disappointment that had me dropping my rating by an entire point. 4*
All Roped Up By M K Elliott
When Alex Fraser interviews Conner ‘Big-Mac’ McCaughey, the champion of London’s bare-knuckle boxing scene, he has more than just the fighter in his sights. Hoping to expose the fight club’s illegal dealings, Alex will stop at nothing to get the story, including doing whatever Conner asks.
The moment Conner sees Alex Fraser, all he can think about is what the young reporter will look like bound. Shibari—the ancient art of rope bondage—is the fighter’s passion, and he can’t think of anyone else he’d like to practise on more.
But Alex’s quest to expose the truth could land them both in serious danger…
I’m not a real big fan of boxing; its more one of those things I’ll watch on t.v if I just can’t find anything else and I’m desperate for background noise while I read. That being said, I found this story interesting and found myself enjoying all of it, including the fight scenes. Alex and Connor really couldn’t be more different but when Connor sees something in the other man that makes him invite Alex home, the connection between the two becomes apparent. I usually enjoy the use of rope in my bdsm stories but I so rarely get to see Shibari featured like it was here. I liked seeing Alex introduced to it almost as much as the realization that there was so much more to Connor than another fighter. The inevitable fallout from Alex’s investigation into the club led to just the right amount of angst to give me a really satisfying ending. 4*
Doctor’s Orders By Lucy Felthouse
Hospital porter Aaron Miller isn’t expecting a very exciting birthday. He and his doctor boyfriend, Blake Colville, are working opposite shifts, leaving Aaron to go home to an empty house and the prospect of another shift the following day. Just as he’s leaving work, however, an unexpected sexy encounter in a supply cupboard leaves him feeling in a much more celebratory mood. And an impending dirty weekend away with Blake just puts the icing on the non-existent cake. But who needs cake when you’re dating a dominant doctor?
If you’re looking for a good kinky, smutty read, this story is for you. The relationship between Blake and Aaron is totally believable and the connection they had was both intense and comfortable. The story itself started off with a bang with a quick surprise encounter while Aaron is heading home from work and it continues on from there. Blake’s determination to make Aaron’s birthday a great one was easily seen and I certainly enjoyed reading about it! No angst here, just an easy, sexy read with some fun toys. 4*
Toys for Boys By K D Grace
Alpha Nerd, Will Charles teams up with Caridoc ‘Doc’ Jones in a coast to coast walk across England reviewing outdoor gift suggestions for the Christmas edition of Toys for Boys—an online magazine dedicated to the latest gadgets to tickle a man’s fancy. Will is recording their adventures with the latest smart phone technology. Doc is reviewing the latest outdoor gear. The two quickly discover the great outdoors provides even better toys for boys, toys best shared al fresco, toys that, in spite of Will’s great camera work, will never be reviewed in Toys for Boys.
I wanted to like this one, I really did. I found the use of the camera in the encounters between Will and Doc intriguing and kind of hot but the way the story was written, unfortunately, just didn’t do it for me. The author wrote herself as a character in the story and, in the beginning, I was confused by it. When the story actually got going I found myself relaxing into the writing but when I really started to enjoy it, BAM, there’s the author again. I’m sorry to say that her presence in the story itself actually knocked me out of what enjoyment I had and when she became more of a participant with the two main characters, instead of just the narrator I lost interest in it altogether. 2*
Mile High Kink Club By Lily Harlem
Rhodri’s looking for love, but not ordinary love. He needs a man who’ll bend to his will, submit to his desires and obey his every command–including chastity.
So when Gay Hook Ups finds his perfect partner it’s well worth a trip to London. What he doesn’t bet on is his fragile-looking match being a sharp and successful entrepreneur. So when things between them soar, will he unlock the passion, free his desire and will they reach the dizzying heights of ecstasy together? It all depends on whether Darius is prepared to be caged in order to be set free.
This one wasn’t bad; it featured two men looking for more than just a hookup: Rhodri wants a sub and Darius is looking for a Dom that will look beyond his fragile appearance. There was obviously a lot of lust between the two men and while I’m all for some D/s connections in my stories, I felt that aspect of this story moved entirely too quickly. Honestly, I would’ve liked it better if they hadn’t jumped headlong into that type of relationship after only knowing each other for maybe an hour. I did enjoy seeing the chastity device used, as I don’t see it often, but I was a little meh on the sex itself and I would’ve liked to have seen more of an emotional connection between Darius and Rhodri. 3*
Open Mike By Ashley Lister
Ken finds Mike reading poetry in a bar. Mike is confident and clever and seems capable of teaching Ken everything he needs to know about poetry. And, when Ken asks for his guidance, Mike gladly offers to share his expertise. Consequently, when Mike offers to share more than his expertise in poetry, Ken discovers there are a lot more things he wants to learn from him.
I’ll be perfectly honest, I didn’t like this one. I like poetry well enough but I wouldn’t be caught dead sitting in a bar watching others recite it. I didn’t feel any connection between Mike and Ken and their interactions were more like a cocktease dance for most of the story that didn’t even lead to a satisfactory ending. With their shared experiences, I expected to feel more of, well, anything between the two but I instead felt nothing at all. I read this one fast just to get through it. 2*
I Get You By Sarah Masters
Morton is Warren’s boss, and they fancy each other like crazy. Except neither of them has the courage to say so, until Warren blurts out an inkling of his feelings. Morton is stunned by Warren’s offer for them to go away together, but not half as stunned as Warren when Morton accepts. Both of them are pretending to be someone they’re not. And both of them soon realise that being yourself is the best bet.
This was just so unexpectedly sweet. Morton and Warren totally have the hots for one another and when Warren just blurts out his desire to sleep with Morton, the other man is fairly floored. What follows is a really nice, sweet story of honesty and discovery. Both men are professionals through and through but underneath the confident façade they each portray lays a shyer, more insecure center. I really enjoyed watching as they both dropped the masks they usually wear and when they came together, the difference was palpable. The sex scene, even with the use of toys, was sweet and probably the most meaningful out of all the stories in the book and I loved it. 4.5*
The Guitar By Tabitha Rayne
When shy, awkward Kel plays guitar, it’s the only time he feels at home in his own skin. On stage he can hide in plain sight behind his band and the music. It turns him on to play and he can’t help rubbing up against his guitar. Kel is enraptured by a guy he sees every night in the audience and is shocked when this gorgeous guy seems to notice him. So full of his own self-loathing, Kel just can’t accept that someone as perfect as Damien wants to be with him. Will his insecurities put their happiness in jeopardy?
Well, I can honestly say I will never look at someone playing the guitar the same way ever again. While different in looks and self esteem, both Kel and Damien are, at the core, the same. Kel has self esteem issues that keep him fairly isolated while Damien worked hard to get over his. I had no problem believing the lust between these two but the declarations of love were kind of left field and so out of place that I was like, ‘yeah, no.’ I can say that there’s a good message here about self perception and loving yourself for who you are, and I would’ve been happy with that, except for what I considered to be an unnecessary spot of angst at the end. It didn’t really add anything to the story itself and I could’ve really done without it. I’ll admit that I found the ‘toy’ usage here a little odd but hey, who am I to judge? It wasn’t a bad story but it also wasn’t the high note I wanted to end the book on either. 3*
RATING:
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