A collection of hot BDSM tales, with varying degrees of D/s and some hot loving from the ‘Hammer’ universe is bound to offer something for everyone. I liked all of them, and their variations on the theme, and that is a combination of a set of interesting new characters appearing in the club and some well-known old favorites making short appearances. All in all, this was a very fun collection for me to read and is a good sampler for the kind of stories to expect in the ‘Hammer’ series.

Lion Tamer
Cute, short D/s-themed story about a lonely top, Chris, dressed up as a lion tamer at a Hammer Halloween party. Fittingly, he finds a shy kitten, sub Travis, to role play with. While Travis isn't very experienced, he is curious enough to give it a try and the result is some very hot sex. I liked the way the role playing was worked into the process of both men getting to know each other. At the end of the story there is enough of an interest on both sides for a hint of something more permanent.

If you're looking for a quick, hot read with moderate D/s undertones, this may be a short story you like.

Sweet Cherry
This is a very sweet story indeed, a sort of 'BDSM for beginners'. Not in terms of how it is done, since only very little emphasis is placed on the physical side of it. No, the focus of this story is more the mental process of one young man who is curious.

Rafe is curious. He thinks BDSM is hot, and it definitely fuels his jack-off fantasies. Then he starts reading, looking on the internet, and when he discovers the Hammer club, he can’t stay away. Not that he has the courage to go in. Not on his own. But when he gets an invitation, he finds enough courage in himself to go in, What he discovers is hotter than he imagined, and I have a feeling he'll go for it hook, line, an sinker.

Bobby is a very bored Dom. He hasn’t been interested in anyone in ages, but he comes to the Hammer for the food. When he is told about Rafe sitting across the street from the club in the Laundromat, staring at the entrance, he is intrigued enough to invite him in. Everything he finds out subsequently is such a treat that he invites Rafe to a private room. The careful way he explains everything and how he makes Rafe's first experience more about tenderness than BDSM is wonderful.

If you like stores about first experiences that don’t need to go all the way to be very exciting, if you enjoy the sweeter side of BDSM, and if you're looking for a hot read about two men who like each other from the start, then you will probably enjoy this short story. I thought it was too short!


A is for Andy
Short and sexy, this is the story of a vet, Andy, meeting a cop who calls himself A. The men hit it off in the Hammer over a meal and a few slow dances. They are both after some hot between-the-sheets action. While there is the barest touch of a back story and character detail, the short book is really all about the sex scene in the shower.

If you like short an sexy stories that are a quick, light read you will probably like this one.


The Favor
Best friends can help with many things, and giving advice on intimate questions is one of them. This story is about Erik, who wants to find out what a sub feels, but when he asks his best friend Lion to suggest someone to help him with this problem, Lion refuses to let anyone else touch Erik. That in itself is a sign of potential for something beyond friendship between the two men. And once they get going? They are gentle and loving, very tender with each other, and the passion flares high. It is very clear that both of them could feel more if they let themselves wander in that direction.

Interestingly, we are never told whether or not Erik and Lion take that next step. At first, I was annoyed when the story ended and I still didn’t know. To a certain degree I am still upset, because I wanted to know for sure. On the other hand, that's the way life sometimes is, and the signs are so clear throughout the story that I believe there really is only one logical conclusion for the two of them, and that is to enter a new phase in their relationship, one that includes being lovers. The one problem they'd have to figure out how to deal with is that they're both tops. Well, Lion is for sure, I think Erik might be more versatile than he's let himself admit.

If you like stories about friends turning into more, if you enjoy reading about men who are clearly more attached to each other emotionally than they realize, and if you don’t mind not knowing exactly how it ends and instead figuring out what this story means to you, you will probably like this short book.

So Happy Together
Cute little story about a hyper-active sub, Happy, who gets to have three days with his artist master, Nick. Although it is not much more than an extended sex scene, with some rope bondage, Sean Michael manages to get across a lot of the way these two guys relate. They are clearly very much in love, a great couple, and their D/s relationship is a fairly relaxed one.


NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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