Happy Man Love Monday to You, Too

Hi!

So what's the deal? Why are Sula and I taking all this blasted time to make a fuss about teh mens loving teh mens? Is that what you are wondering? Or are you wondering where the fuck I find all these fabulous photos and do I actually do anything else but surf the Internet and blog? Pleading the fifth on that one, just in case the old man stops by to see how much laundry his wife is doing. ANYWAY: Once you've read my awesome filled man love post of awesomeness, please take a stop over at Sula's for more fun. Gar, I love that girl: Her brain is filled with smarts!

Man Love. On Monday. Let's take a look, shall we?

I am going to hell.
Not even the NFL is sacred to me.
Does this fall under voyeurism or gay? Or both?

I had never read a gay romance until Suze Brockmann began developing her character Jules Cassidy. Sure back in high school I read a few scifi which had some interesting gay moments (Chronicles of Tonor, anyone? FYI these were originally published in the late 70's), but not a true romance. If you haven't gotten into the troubleshooter/navy seals series by Suze, I have to tell you: drop everything. That woman can tell a hell of a story. Maybe she isn't for everyone, but she dedicated herself to presenting to the world (and, as a NY Times bestselling author, she really was) this phenomenal best friend, the out and happily well-adjusted FBI agent, Jules Cassidy. The response to this character was so positive that Jules began to appear more and more and eventually got a book of his own complete with sweet longings, blistering (though never explicit) sex, horrible drunken mistakes, and eventually, Jules gets his man and his HEA. sniff. I need a tissue just thinking about it.

And, unlike this slender hairless num num, it was a big fat hairy deal. Why? Because people who had never known anyone gay (and, as is often the case, had been told a variety of misinformation and what not), fell in love with this funny delightful, smart, caring, and sexy as all get out, young man. He was real to them as only a great character in a book can be. I went to Suze's All Through the Night book signing (as many of you know) and she spoke about this. It was quite moving.

Because men will be men, and some of them do men, I thought it'd be fun to gape and point at the good looking ones, toss out my fav's this year, drool at some underwear (always a good thing) and get you all to squeal with joy over just how hot this genre can be. Seriously. Wicked, burning, scorching, oh-no-he-didn't hot. How nifty cuz that's our preferred temperature!

Look: Underwear! Katie(babs) quit drooling on the key board. Gosh, I tell you....

But what's up with his hair? It's short on one side and poofy long on the other and they sorta chopped off his forehead so he's got a nice spot for someone to rest their beer on, eh? Hey there, ho there, nice thighs, dude. Nice. He' s so earnest in his desire to sell you underpants. Very professional. Choose your selection on your left, indeed....

My vastly time consuming, isn't this just a hobby, shit-what-am-I-going-to-do-for-man-love-Monday( other than to wax on and on about My Fair Captain) conundrum was resolved. I love a good top 10 list.( Must be my formative years watching that David Letterman.) Gird your loins lovey's cuz, sweet Jesus, here they are.

Without further ado I give you Lisabea's Top 10
(or more)
Man Love moments of 2007!
(that I can remember... )

Except, math being what it is, there are 12....

because now I'm cookin' and wowie! There's some good stuff here.

12. All Through the Night: Suze Brockmann~Jules and Robin in the hotel room when, after a long separation (2 books!) Robin boldly and bodily spins, slams and pins that little nugget Jules against the hotel room door and, whoa dog, are we happy or what? The reach for the belt buckle! Oh so HOT!!!! But crap bag! The inevitable knock on the door! Oh no! Will they ever give in to their lustful needs? Will this reader, I mean Jules, ever be fulfilled by his terrible desire for the worst thing ever to come his way, that bastard alcoholic homophobe, Robin??? Heck yes, but that's a story for another day.

11. Strange Attraction~Emma Holly: Emma Holly is on this list twice! What a clever cupcake she is...always laying it right out there. This book could have been called Weird Science for all the sense it made in that area, but, who the heck cares when you have these two young friends, fresh out of college, slicked up with oil, rolling around on the floor trying to figure out how in the world to please each other. Wow. Right away that BG takes up the reigns and Eric is more than eager to be shown the way. It's going to take an extremely charitable girl to teach Eric how to let down his guard. Phew. Sometimes plot is sooo over rated.

10. Pledge Slave~Evangeline Anderson: How embarrassing for me to go back to look at my post and I SPELLED it wrong. hehehe. I have issues with spelling, mates. My brain fills in what isn't there. But I digress (as if). I didn't like the ending of this book, as I've stated about 100 times already, but that didn't stop this moment of intense carnality from stamping it's permanent mark on my brain. Slicked up frat boys in the bath tub and some coaxing and moaning and, er, messiness commences. Yes sir, may I have another!

9. Natural Law~ Joey Hill: OK, this scene blurs the line into forced sex. It does. However, while Mac is strapped up in this, I don't know, freaky sex room macabre pulley device (?), and everyone lounging around in various states of S/M nookie, this dude Mark* is on his knees giving Mac unwanted, but obviously well enjoyed, oral. Then, of course, Mac's mistress comes in wearing that thingy and, Mac becomes incredibly thirsty, right? The rest is history. I have to go take an aspirin...

*Ed Note: Hey, was that dude's name Mark? I may be confusing him with someone else, but who the freak cares what that guy's name was. He had one job to do in that there book. And he did it. Well. So, here's to, er, Mark?

8. Fairyville~ Emma Holly: Have you read this, all the way through? Now be honest! I have not read this book from cover to cover, though I did do a skim through. I lost interest in why Magnus couldn't consummate his love for Zoe...But (and there always is one, isn't there), momma mia, the moment in the bar when Magnus wants to get into Bryan's mind to have a three (four) way with his lady love and her boyfriend who is also Bryan's boyfriend (it's so fucking complicated) is stunning and unexpected and blistering...Do you want to watch in the mirror? Are you kidding? I want a front row seat. Well, not really, but it was thrilling, right?

7. Walk Away~Treva Harte: The pup scene. Teddypig has an excerpt of here. One of my goals for this winter is to finish the rest of this trilogy. It's a bit of twisted were menage, but it's entertaining to say the least.

6. My Fair Captain: (Soon to be Admiral) Nate pleasuring himself while the sweet virginal Aiden is hiding under a chair (but Nate knows he's there) and Nate gets down right vocal and explicit about his expectations of his boy. Aiden can't restrain his response. It's a hum dinger of a scene.

5. Without Reservations~J.L. Langley: Hey JL, you sure are taking up a lot of room on my list! But there is no question she writes excellent m/m romance. I love the ending of this book. Little Bit (Keaton)and Chay are sleeping in the room next door to Chay's dad and they very quietly make love in a chair. OK big deal, right? No. Very big, messy, sit on your lap, lip smacking, did not ever imagine how hot it could be, deal.

4. At Love's Command~Samantha Kane: In the throes of making the love (and introducing the ever willing Sophie to something new and forbidden) Ian describes in sizzling detail (and please remember that Ian has a filthy mouth, only in the best of ways of course) his technique and, er, process of loving his other lover, Derek. Holy Moly. Talk about your hunk a burning love. He ought to wash his mouth out with soap. Not.

3. Lover Revealed~JR Ward: Butch and Vishious. Oh dawg! I do not understand how folks missed this! So, Vishous has given Butch his blood a book back (or so) and Vishous is now deeply attached to Butch. He watches Butch doing it with Marissa and it isn't Marissa he's interested in: it's Butch. Later, when Butch is getting inducted into the brotherhood, there's this shocking and lovely homoerotic tension as Butch lifts his jaw to V to bite in, I don't know, submission? But wait, there's more! V has his hand gently clutching Butch's hip. Very tender. I thought Those two really love each other...could it be? Will she? Oh man, please... Damn her.

2. My Fair Captain~J.L. Langley: This is a tough call because I can't decide which scene was the stand out. I'm going with the first time the newlywed's make love. That's it, boy. Give yourself to me. And the beard...That Nate is my secret boyfriend. Only not. Cuz I'm a girl and he's into things that, uh, I'm not. Still....

1.With Caution~J.L. Langley: Otherwise known, to me, as the infamous jock book. So many scenes to choose from... The clips...though, definitely. I love this book. I adore Jake (le sigh) and his take charge ways. He's the one, man. Anyway! He's got his "pup" (they are werewolves after all) and throws this motorcycle man saddle bag of supplies on the floor. With a thud, baby. Holy shit that jacks the erotic tension up to say the least. Then he lays the clips onto Remi's stomach. And ignores them. I'm like, wait, are you using them? What's going on? Wait.....and then, heck yes, he does. My favorite part of this scene is after they've made love and Remi basically sees stars and fireworks and sort of passes out, Jake brings Remi a glass of water. It's sweet and captures Jake's devotion to this man. Great, now I have to go read it again.

There they are. Buy some books. Did I miss any really great moments that you'd like to share?

I hope you enjoyed your Man Love Monday and stay tuned for, uh, other interesting developments as I think them up. Shoo-ey, I'm tired.

P.S.

This coiffed dude is the actual, factual photo muse for JL's Nate. He's got chest hair!! Apparently he owns a blow dryer and some hair gel, but who am I to quibble? Yes sir, he's a keeper.