Review by Kristal

Book Blurb:

Ryan Caulfield is a devout avoider of risk, so it comes as a surprise when he agrees to help a group of supernatural law enforcers catch Zeus (the god voted Least Likely to Keep It in His Pants). But how could he say no? He’s nothing if not law-abiding, even if it’s a legal code from another plane of existence. Besides, it all seems harmless enough . . . at least until the half-naked and all-hot immortal with wings and horns shows up.
In his century as an investigator for the Olympic pantheon, Leander of the eroté has solved a lot of cases and slept with a lot of humans. But on this investigation, it looks like he won’t be doing either. His assigned task is bogus, and the most alluring mortal he’s ever met is determined to avoid hooking up.

But the pull Leander feels toward Ryan the bartender won’t let him turn his attention away for long. Soon, he finds himself interested in much more than his usual dalliances with mortals. Now if only he can convince Ryan he’s worth the risk.
Here’s what I thought: When the call went out to the Smart Girls for a review of HORNY, I jumped up with my hand raised, chanting me, Me, ME! How could I not? I was hooked just by the title. Pleasantly enough, I wasn’t disappointed when I sat down to read about the sexy satyoris of the Immortal Moral Authority commandeering Ryan’s gay bar as their home base during the mission to catch Zeus dealing an erectile-dysfunction drug to immortals cursed with impotency due to violations of the Moral Code.

In the opening, Ryan accepts these supernatural beings quickly, which might be off-putting to some. However, for me, I get annoyed when the main character takes too long to embrace the supernatural element because, for the most part, paranormal and fantasy romances are about what happens after the main character suspends disbelief. Not their struggle to accept the new reality. Considering HORNY is a novella, and the plot needs to move quickly, I felt Ryan’s evolution from this-can’t-be-happening to holy-crap-this-is-real was appropriately paced.

The secondary characters were a hoot. Ace was a bit cartoonish, but likeable. And Gany, the hotter than average twink, nearly stole the show whenever he graced the page. There weren’t any surprises or unexpected twists to this story, but what makes HORNY unique is the author’s voice and the clever way she reinvents the Greek pantheon and its subsidiaries.

Now, there were some parts in the first third of the book where nothing really happens which caused me to wonder about the story’s sustainability; however, once over that hurdle, the story action picked up and I was able to relax into the rhythm of the read.

I would’ve liked more personal interaction and emotional development between Ryan and Leander before their love scene. I didn’t find that the cat-n-mouse tactic between them added to or heightened the sexual tension. However, the love scenes were hot and heavy and fun to read.

All in all, HORNY is a quirky, light-hearted M/M  romance with a satisfying happily-ever-after.

Genre:  Fantasy M/M Romance
Length:   Novella length (33K)
Book Format:  eBOOK
Publisher & Imprint:  Riptide Publishing
Blush Quotient:   RED
SG rating: 4 stars
Grab your copy:                      Riptide Publishing                Amazon                    B&N
Author Scoop: For more information on the author, visit www.annetenino.com  Also check out Anne’s 8-14-14 post as a guest blogger at Smart Girls.
This book was provided by the author or publisher for an honest review. No other compensation was offered or received.