Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
What's better than a hot guy having his cherry popped? Ten hot couples doing it! From the first kiss ever, the first kiss with a new lover, or just the first time trying something new, Cherry has it all. From tender and sweet to raunchy and hot, from new lovers to old marrieds, this anthology has something for everyone.

With stories from Torquere newcomers and veterans alike, Cherry brings ten stories that are sweet and spicy, that explore the dynamics of trying out something new, be it kissing guys, meeting the in-laws or going places you've never gone before. There's just something about a first time, and Cherry brings you ten different ones.

BOOK REVIEW:
I love a good cherry story. Whether it's someone's first time ever, or their first time with a new lover, whether what they've never done is kissing or penetrative sex, that first time the cherry is popped is always special.

Here are ten stories brought to you by Torquere veterans and newcomers alike. They all have one thing in common ~ cherry popping. New lover's and old, innocent and not so innocent, there's something here for everyone.

Another anthology that hits the mark. It is unusual to have so many recently that are mostly above average for all the stories, but this one meets that standard too. As the title implies and the blurb states, this book is all about firsts.

Among the contributors are well known authors that introduce us to characters we have not met before such as Crispin and Marc in "No One’s Cherry" from Julia Talbot and "Graduation" with Neil and Bobby by Sean Michael.

Long time Torquere readers will be happy to see some of their favorite characters also. In "First of Foot, Right of the Line," Kiernan Kelly gives us a glimpse 2½ years into the future with F.B. and Matt from Caffeine for a Marine. Add to that we get a Roughstock Story, "File Gumbo" about Sam and Beau that gives us another glimpse into that rodeo world and the relationships being built.

We also get stories placed back in time a bit like "Nice Girls Do" by Mallory Path. Written with a little bit of a different author voice that was interesting while the story itself seemed very calm and serene for a first time encounter. Also, "Who Shall I Tell" by Martin Delacroix looks at a first time encounter in Florida in the late 1970’s when you never knew who to trust with your secrets.

Another is a futuristic and interplanetary that seems more like a first chapter to a longer novel then simply a short story. I would not be surprised to see the characters from "Lessons" by Kathryn Scannell again.

Throw in two more contemporary stories "Alpha Male, Beta Male" by Taylor Lochland that toys with Dominant/submissive posturing between two men that usually Top. "Different Strengths" by J.L. Merrow brings two men together years after a high school gay bashing incident that makes them both realize where strength comes from and what constitutes true character.

Finally, in the middle of the pack is "Just Like Him" by Dallas Coleman. A story about twin brothers that while not sexually explicit is still very erotic with a twincest plot that has brothers trying to rebuild trust and a relationship 10 years after a teenage confession.

All the stories in this anthology are above average. Some of them could have been a little longer and there was not always a lot of emotional depth to each couple but I was not disappointed in any of them. I hope you enjoy this cherry collection as much as I do.

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