Shayla Kersten

     Each of the three stories reviewed here, while unrelated to the others, share basic characteristics; one of the male characters has to make peace with himself regarding his sexuality. In each instance, he is not only extremely physically attracted to another man, but feels a very strong emotional attachment to him as well. But the emotions exist and, while they may struggle for awhile, there is no fighting true love.
     I enjoyed each of these stories… the characters in them are varied, the progression of the relationships are different and the stories themselves vary. In one of the stories, the two main characters are police officers and dealing with a serial killer preying on young gay men. One involves a twenty-year high school reunion… and a reunion between two men who have known each other most of their lives. The other story is another reunion story, this time between a man and his best friend’s brother with whom he was always attracted.
   None of them easy, but all of them heartwarming.

RATING:
Excellence: Great to Excellent ~ 3.5 stars
Steaminess: Inferno (male-male sex)

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     The two ebooks reviewed here are by new-to-me author Shayla Kersten… actually the next five books (reviewed as two in total) are all by this author and after I had read the first story I was hooked. Her stories are gay romances, but all emotionally stirring tales of love and, in each story, a man coming to terms with his sexuality. Her story-telling is rich in detail and, while sexually explicit, very much stories of romance. The stories reviewed here are related, and while the second, The Remediu, could be read on its own, the publishers added this:
     Reader Advisory: While a stand-alone, for greatest reader enjoyment, it is recommended The Cost of Eternity be read first. 

  The main characters in the first story are a part of the second and the main male character in the second story plays a part in the first. I really enjoy Ms. Kersten’s characters and story-telling and I’ll be getting more of her stories as they’re written and released.

RATING:
Excellence: Great to Excellent ~ 3.5 stars (both)
Steaminess: Inferno (male-male and ménage sex)

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