Some M/M Faves

So I thought I'd end up my three days with a few m/m books that I've really enjoyed.

First up is A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W.Day. Set in a post-apocalyptic future following an Ice Age it tells the story of David and Callan. In a world where homosexuality is against the law their relationship will not have an easy path to follow. I love this story because at it's heart the relationship between David and Callan is beautifully realized.

"Please. That’s the most erotic word in the English language, you know."

The love scenes aren't graphic so I'd recommend this one as a first m/m if you wanted to put your toe in the water so to speak. :) It also has a kind of pioneer/old west feel to it as much of technology and history has been lost due to the ice age.

Next is Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale. This is one of those books that I ordered not sure whether I'd like it or not. Almost ironically, it was more to do with the steampunk setting than the m/m content. It wasn't a genre I was familiar with. Wicked Gentlemen actually takes the form of two novellas. The first - Mr. Sykes and the Firefly - is told from the (first person) point of view of Belimai Sykes. Belimai is a Prodigal, a descendent of demons. A drug addict and investigator who is hired by Captain Harper (an Inquisitor) to help in the investigation of several murders.

The second novella - Captain Harper and the Sixty Second Circle - virtually carries on from where the first leaves off, but is told in third person point of view mainly from Captain Harper's perspective. What I love about Wicked Gentlemen is that you have two characters who by all rights (according to the world they inhabit) should never interact and yet they are attracted to each other despite this. I cannot think of any comparable story in a m/f romance. This is another good starting book for m/m.

Third - Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville. I only read this book a few months ago. But it is on my keeper shelf. When Jack Francisco returns to his safe house to find a hitman waiting for him, the last thing he expects is that the man won't go ahead with his assignment. But that's exactly what the man known as D proceeds to do. Instead the two of them end up on the run together, pursued by killers hired by the men who want Jack dead and other unknown enemies. I am a sucker for the strong, silent, sarcastic type.

...He sighed. "I'm starting to see words like 'accessory' and 'accomplice' floating around my head."
D barely reacted. "How about 'dead on arrival'? Ya like that better?"

This is a real opposites attract story and Jack and D are one of my favourite m/m couples. I hope there are more books to come featuring them.

Now, I could recommend m/m books all day but I'm kind of conscious we only have so much room on the blog. So my last recommendation will be Mindf*ck by Manna Francis. Now this is one I definitely don't recommend as your first foray into m/m. Book 1 in the Administration Series it details the beginning of the relationship between corporate executive Keir Warrick and para-investigator/torturer Val Toreth. To overly simplify - Warrick is a masochist and Toreth is a sociopathic sadist. Set in a future dystopian state, it's one of the most complex and fascinating stories I've read. Incredibly re-readable because you are constantly finding out new things about the characters (especially Toreth) which sheds light on their previous actions.

In Mindf*ck what you have is the beginnings of their relationship. It is well worth reading the following books in the series as you begin to see the psychology involved in their relationship.

So. Hope I've given you a couple of ideas if you hadn't read these books before. Or encouraged you to get Wicked Gentlemen off your TBR pile.

I'll just add here that I would also heartily recommend the Adrien English Series by Josh Lanyon as another good place to start in m/m. So many books and not enough space to write about them all. :)

And where does my m/m journey go from here? Well I'm currently learning about the joys of Yaoi. :)