Love and Lust recs: 'Christmas, Snow and ... a Merman?' 'Naughty and Nice'

Christmas, Snow and ... a Merman? by Beany Sparks

What it's about (courtesy of eXtasy Books):

Calder lives a quiet life in his cabin on the edge of the bay. He has his best friend Erik and for now, that's enough. Then his life takes an unexpected turn when an event causes him to come face-to-face with a real merman.

Tamesis knows that soon the waters will freeze over, which means that dreaded time of the year is coming—Christmas. As a merman he is not affected by the change in water temperature, but when it freezes over he can no longer spend his days watching the man on the shore. That all changes when Calder falls into Tamesis's world.

The more the two get to know each other, the more they start to care, but will they be brave enough to admit their feelings? Or will Tamesis end up with an even bigger reason to hate Christmas?

Why you should read it: Calder is being stalked, first by a woman who wants him and then, more frighteningly, by a man who wants her. Things turn serious when an attempted murder takes place and Calder finds himself about to die.

Tamesis has been watching Calder for a long time. Tamesis lives under the water, surfacing to see Calder, and he therefore hates the winter when the lake freezes over and he can no longer surface close enough to see his beloved Calder.

When Tamesis finds Calder about to die, he saves him from drowning and/or freezing to death, but by doing so he must reveal to Calder his true nature.

The story continues both in the water and on land, with the young men learning more about each other and what it means to both to have a relationship. It's a sweet story with frightening bits. Just when you think you've learned all the secrets, a really dramatic revelation occurs that rocks Calder's world even more.

This is the beginning of a delightful series about merpeople, and we're introduced to a friend of Calder's and a friend of Tamesis' who may just make the pair for the next story just as exciting. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this talented author.

Naughty and Nice by Jet Mykles

What it's about (courtesy Loose Id):

In Reindeer Games No. 3, Rom is Dasher. As Santa's lead reindeer, he has everything he's ever wanted. He is everything he'd ever wanted to be. His life is perfect, filled with good friends and any pretty he wants.

Until Shaw appears in front of him. The drab little elf from Archives isn't anything like Rom's other partners. Oh, he's cute, but he doesn't knows it. Even more amazing, he seems immune to Rom's flirting. It's almost like he doesn't want Rom. Wait, no. When Rom does proposition him, Shaw turns him down flat.

Amazing!

Even more amazing, Rom is hooked. He can't get Shaw out of his mind. He even goes to the Library to pursue him. But Shaw — and Shaw's mother — can't figure out what Rom would want with him.

Well, Rom's not entirely sure either but he knows he wants to find out. Can he convince Shaw?

Why you should read it: Rom, aka Dasher, is at the top of Santa's reindeer hierarchy. He's popular, dominant and interested only in one-night stands. That is, until he meets a young elf who lives in the library. Rom is shocked when Shaw appears to have no interest at all in Rom. Rom stubbornly pursues the little elf, which both flatters and worries not only Shaw but Shaw's mother.

When Rom devises a plan to keep Shaw near him more often, even Shaw's mother has to agree it will help advance Shaw's career in the archives. When more develops between the reindeer shifter and the elf, it is the best of happy endings, and even Santa herself gets involved to ensure that what is good for one member of her community is good for all.

A great twist on the Christmas reindeer stories we all grew up with and a very satisfying entry in the Reindeer Games series.

Becky Condit is a widow, mother of three and grandmother of 10 who reads all kinds of books, but her go-to comfort books are erotic romances. A romance novel coupled with just-out-of-the-oven chocolate-chip cookies and a glass of cold milk is her idea of heaven. She reads and reviews more than 250 books a year, so you won't often find her without her Kindle in hand, but when you do, she'll probably be gardening, doing needle crafts, working in her upholstery workshop and spending time with her family.