330. Amanda Young ~ Reckless Seduction & Precious Ache

Reviewed by kalyko on November 13th, 2008, 11:18pm

by Amanda Young

0

Format: eBook

Series: Other

     Both stories are wonderful; they are, after all written by Amanda Young and I haven't read a disappointing story by her yet, and don't expect to. 
But I've gotta say that Dave and Micah's story ~ Precious Ache ~ was outstanding and beautiful!

   Amanda Young is an amazing storyteller.  She conveys so much about her characters: their loves, their lives, their emotions, their hopes and I can't help but feel that I know these men.  Her stories are definitely character driven; not for her the car chases, the death-defying adventures, but instead two men coming to terms with their feelings and their need to be loved.  Some of her characters are dealing with confict in relation to their sexuality, others are comfortable with who they are.  But for each one there is a journey of discovery, of growth and I love each and every story. 

RATING:
Excellence: 3.5 stars & 4.5 stars
Steaminess: Inferno

BOOK READ:
Amanda Young; Reckless Seduction; Loose Id, LLC; October 2008 (41K)

FROM the Website:

All Cody wanted was to be rid of his pesky virginity.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine how fast his first
crush and oldest fantasy could turn into a nightmare --
or to what lengths he would go to set it right.

     When nineteen year old Cody Bradbury gets his hands on an invitation to the hottest party of the year at The Casbah, an exclusive gay men's club owned by his uncle, he doesn't plan to let anything stand in his way of attending. With a stolen invitation, fake identification, and a hastily thrown together costume, Cody sneaks into the club during its annual Halloween bash with the intention of checking out the action and possibly losing his long-despised cherry. 
     He can't believe his luck when Dante Santiago comes on to him. He's had a hard-on for his uncle's friend and employee, Dante, ever since he realized what his dick was good for. He's so enamored of the older man that he doesn't think twice when Dante starts referring to him as 'pretty boy', instead of by his given name.
     Between his fears for his job and his stubborn certainty Cody can't possibly be the bottom he wants, Dante's giving him the cold shoulder. He knows Dante wants his body, but Cody wants his heart. Is there any chance the older man might want more than an orgasm? There's only one way to find out, and Cody plans to make it a night neither of them will ever forget. 

MY NOTES:
     In Reckless Seduction, Cody is 19 yet very aware of himself as a man and being gay.  I, on the other hand, initially had difficulty seeing him as anything other than somewhat more than a child, yet less than an adult.  And this was the same with Dante.  Added to that, Dante works for Cody's uncle who is also his very good friend... he's seriously conflicted about his attraction to the much younger man. 
   But early on, other than Cody's recklessness in how he went about trying to lose his virginity, I came to feel that there was a lot more underlying maturity in him.  The age difference between him and Dante could definitely be a hurdle but overall I was left feeling that Cody really did know what he wanted and that his feelings for Dante were more mature than merely an infatuation.

RATING:
Excellence: ~ 3.5 stars of 5

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BOOK READ:
Amanda Young; Precious Ache; Amber Allure; 2008

FROM the Website:
     Falling in love was his biggest mistake...
     Abandoned as a child, Dave Blanchard learned to be self-reliant at an early age. Puberty brought a distressing attraction to other boys, and an abnormal growth spurt that drove Dave further into his shell. Adulthood granted him the freedom to stand on his own two feet, but cloistered him in a plastic bubble of his own making. At seven and a half feet tall, Dave has no problem finding men for anonymous sex through sleazy backroom romps, but the experiences leave him feeling cold and unsatisfied. He dreams of love and commitment, but finding someone interested in a relationship seems like a pipe dream. 
     Desperate for companionship, Dave signs up for an online matchmaking service. To his utter embarrassment, his first date never shows, but his luck improves when he runs into a former foster brother, Micah Black. Dave and Micah quickly rebuild their friendship, but with it comes the resurrection of the forbidden crush Dave harbored for Micah when they were teens. Micah is off limits to Dave, but that doesn’t stop Dave’s imagination from spinning torrid scenarios involving his straight friend. 

MY NOTES:
     Oh wow!  Full of the emotional angst with which Amanda Young is wonderful at portraying, Dave's life hasn't been easy.  After losing his parents at a young age, growing up in a foster home, never feeling that he fit it to begin with, Dave's shyness has almost crippled him.  It sure doesn't help that he's freakishly tall and very sensitive to others' reactions to him, but developing a loving relationship with someone seems to be an obstacle that he can't overcome.
    I feel for him, especially in regard to his shyness.  When you want to belong, to be able to feel comfortable around others and just... can't... do... it, self esteem suffers:  definitely a vicious circle!
    Meeting Micah once again, out of the blue, is the best thing that can happen to Dave, even when he's dealing with feelings of an unrequited, and longstanding, attraction.  Micah is someone that was a friend, someone that he felt good around, when he was in his early teens. 
    Watching as Dave wrestled with what he felt was an inappropriate attraction to Micah yet still he managed to develop friendships with Micah and his co-workers was energizing.  And Micah's friendship with Dave began the journey of learning to like, without always judging, himself.
    This is just part of what Amanda Young does so very well in her stories of two men finding true love. Beautiful!

RATING:
Excellence: 4.5 stars of 5

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Books read in November: 16
Har / Sil ~ 10
Others ~ 6

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"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading,
or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” ~ Confucius

~ Books, gotta love 'em