Hard As Teak

Title:  Hard As Teak

Author: Margie Church

Review Rating:  4

Reviewed by: Ebony Dreams

Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing

Release Date: January 2012
ISBN: 9781605923567

Book Genre: Erotic Romance, GLBT

Blurb:

Kevin Marks escapes to the north woods to reignite his passion for photography and women. But the only flame he seems able to spark is for his latest photography subject, Teak Hildalgo, and Kevin's never been in a man's arms before.

Teak, the raven-haired, photographer's dream come true, is hell bent on capturing Kevin's heart. He takes Kevin, body and soul, on a romantic, sexual journey previously lived only in Kevin's fantasies. And no dream was ever this good, no truth this undeniable.

Will Kevin ever be the same? When the camera's put away, will Teak live up to his name?

Review:

Warning: Anal Sex, Toys and sweet M/M loving. Also for those just expecting M/M, be advised there is also some M/F within its pages.

My first M/M story. I actually loved it. Now, though I have said that from jump-street, let me say I didn't think I would. And no, that has nothing to do with it being M/M. I have read plenty of menage with two males and females on up, so I was ready to see if I enjoyed M/M as much as I enjoy the other combinations. I wasn't disappointed. Let's take the hero of the story first. Kevin Marks is in a relationship with a woman named Chiyo, not feeling a connection for her or anything in his life at this point. So yes, those of you thinking it is a straight M/M book will be a bit disappointed, but those of you who don't mind M/F, you will see it is a necessary part of the book to show where Kevin's head is. I didn't like him at first. I felt that at points he was a little harsh with the women (which didn't seem necessary) around him, but then Margie Church was able to reel me back in with valid reasons for his anger and frustration when it concerned the women in question. This is basically a coming of age for Kevin, one that he missed as an adolescent, trying to conform to what he felt he should do instead of knowing what he truly wanted. His angst made for a well-developed plot, which in the end had all its questions answered. Enter the other hero Teak Hidalgo. Now Teak was lovable from the very beginning. He knew who he was and what he wanted and he made no qualms about it. His resolve and strength complemented Kevin's struggle. He was the teacher of the book, guiding and helping Kevin to gain what he truly wanted and needed. The romantic development between Kevin and Teak was nice to watch. Kevin's actions and reactions to being in love with another man were interesting and I could not put the book down because I wanted to see what developed and how it developed. Margie Church does a grand job of showing the fear, indecision, struggle with who he was becoming and perceived himself to be. The emotions of the character were wonderfully written. There were many emotions that evolved because of the book, there were times where I was nervous, happy, scared and excited. Which is a good thing, because the book held my interest. The dialogue between the two main characters was witty, funny, sweet, tender, respectful and very loving. What one would like out of any type of relationship. They meshed together well and made me want more. The author is very descriptive, which I liked. I think if you're reading something, you should be able to picture it and with the help of the author you get a full visualization of everything that is taking place. The conflicts within the book were tied together nicely in the end and I felt that nothing was left unanswered. I will definitely look forward to reading more M/M and more books by Margie Church. I recommend this book to other romance book readers who want to experience love through the eyes of two great male characters. Of course I must warn those who are offended by a male loving another male emotionally and sexually that this isn't the book for you. But for those who don't mind it, can deal with it, then this is the book for you.

This review is also at http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=3075 and on http://www.goodreads.com