The Evolution of Love by Philip William Stover

When a charming but misguided account manager gets stuck on a cruise to the Galapagos Islands with his hunky zoologist ex, he might rediscover his true passion—in and out of the bedroom.

After art school, Mike Davis gave up on his dream in favor of a stable job. But when he gets an opportunity to teach wealthy travelers how to paint stunning sunsets, it seems like the perfect break. Until he finds out he’ll be sharing a suite with his ex, charismatic Benton Aldridge—a British scientist cuter than the baby animals he studies. Mike makes it clear he has no intention of getting back together with Benton, but sharing a suite makes it almost impossible keep his distance.

As they climb over volcanic peaks and swim with manatees through sparkling jade-colored water, can they also heal past wounds and take the next step in the evolution of love?

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is a sweet, gentle romance. With most of the story taking place on a genteel cruise ship, the book feels like something from a more gracious time and place. Think Agatha Christie without the murders.

This story is told from Mike’s point of view. An artist who has shelved his dreams for corporate job security, he is gently coerced into teaching art classes on a cruise. What he doesn’t know is that his ex-boyfriend will be the cruise’s resident wildlife expert. The Mike we meet at the start is a little grey, a little bland, and he seems to be lacking a personality. In contrast, Benton is all charm and charisma – and he fulfils every stereotype Americans seem to have of Brits.

I really enjoyed Mike’s journey and the way he grows into himself in this book. However, I still have a few reservations about Benton. I had to roll my eyes at most of Benton’s ‘British’ affectations and more importantly, I really hated his controlling streak. Surely if he truly loved Mike, he’d attempt to understand Mike’s very valid reasons for choosing a secure job. He isn’t all bad though, and by the end of the story, Benton’s charm (and a few other attributes) did finally win my admiration. This is a dignified, low heat read and although Mike and Benton are supposed to be quite young characters, their voices feel formal and quite dated at times. Neither character feels like a believable Millennial and they didn’t quite come to life for me in this story.

While I enjoyed the story, I didn’t always enjoy the writing style. A good edit would have tightened both the pacing and the story arc – as it is, I quickly grew weary of the many passages itemising the mundane details of Mike’s life.

Philip William Stover splits his time between Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and New York City. He has an MFA in writing and is a clinical professor at New York University. As a freelance journalist, his essays and reviews have appeared in Newsday, the Forward, the Tony Awards, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Houston Chronicle, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and other national publications. For many years he ghosted for an international best-selling women’s fiction author. He has published multiple middle-grade novels for Simon & Schuster and was the American Theater critic for About.com.

He grew up tearing the covers off the romance novels he devoured so he wouldn’t get teased at school. Now he enjoys traveling the world with his husband of over twenty years and would never consider defacing any of the books he loves.

He can be found on social media as Philip William Stover.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Evolution of Love by Philip William Stover to read and review.

Meet Me in Shanghai by Luca Domani

What are the odds of meeting your perfect match in a city of twenty-four million people—halfway around the world?

Software engineer Jeff has never set foot outside North America when his company sends him to Shanghai. It’s daunting to say the least, and Jeff is soon lost. He’s rescued by Chinese American banker Greg—a man who immediately sparks Jeff’s desire. But in a city so large and chaotic, what are the chances that they’ll bump into each other again?

When they do, a vigorous friendship forms despite Greg’s devotion to his high-powered—and high-stress—career. Both men want more, but Greg never takes things further, and Jeff’s time in China is running out. Soon he has only one night left. Will it be a last night together as friends… or the beginning of something that can last despite the distance between them?

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆
Meet Me in Shanghai is an enjoyable and entertaining read, but I don’t think I fully appreciated the story until I had a chance to process it for a few hours after finishing it. While reading it, the pacing feels off a bit as the author seems to take a while to build up to Jeff and Greg becoming more than simply two Americans living in Shanghai. The pacing is further complicated by the fact that when the clothes finally come off on Jeff’s final night in China, everything is full steam ahead and the previously docile Greg reveals himself to be quite assertive in bed. Not surprisingly, things slow down to a snail’s pace when Jeff returns to America. Even though the author shows time passing afterward, the pacing still felt off as the men flailed around in their attempts to maintain and nurture a friendship.

As much as I liked the ending, it felt incomplete, as if I should have found the next chapter when I flipped the page. And that’s why I needed a few hours to process the story and realize why I enjoyed it even though the pacing felt off and it felt incomplete… because it wasn’t meant to be Jeff and Greg’s happily ever after. Rather, Meet Me in Shanghai is a look at how the paths of two Americans crossed while in a foreign country and how that serendipitous meeting led to the first steps in their life together – kind of a “how I met your father” story should their relationship progress after the last page. With the story being set in China, Domani had to hurry up and show readers how careful the men had to be and how Greg’s upbringing and familial expectations caused him to deny what he wanted with Jeff, thus making it seem as though the story was moving too slow at times. And when Greg finally allowed himself to indulge with Jeff, he did so at a frantic pace, as if worried someone was going to stop them or that he’d wake up to discover it was all a dream. Upon reflection of the story, the pacing highlights Greg’s conflict, but while reading, it was a tad jarring. As for the sequence of events after Jeff returns to America, it required a bit more suspension of belief as they didn’t fit with what I’d come to know and expect from Greg. Again, upon reflection I could rationalize it, but it was a bit of a whiplash moment at the time even if it was perfectly romantic.

While I certainly enjoyed Meet Me in Shanghai, that it took serious reflection on the major events to appreciate what the author was trying to accomplish reduces the entertainment factor that should be achieved while actually reading the story. I’m sure it didn’t help any that I couldn’t help but wonder why Jeff seemed to get attached to Greg so quickly or why he allowed a virtual stranger’s actions to disappoint him so much. This was a good read and the tour of Shanghai was fascinating, making it well worth the time I spent reading the novella, but it’s not a story I would re-read, hence the three-star rating.

Luca has been writing stories since childhood. Although he has a doctorate in engineering, he has never given up on his dream of being a writer. He adores science fiction and is partial to postapocalyptic epics with zombie hordes, but at heart, he is a hopeless romantic. Luca is married to his high school sweetheart, who is his muse and the love of his life. They reside in Massachusetts with their dog and cat. An American in Venice is his second publication outside of a technical journal.

Connect with Luca

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Meet Me in Shanghai by Luca Domani to read and review.

Highballer by Ava Hayden

What happens when the man is as tempting as the money?

Remy Delacour’s family doesn’t believe in mainstream medicine, and when Remy’s boyfriend reveals that Remy is majoring in nursing, they cut him off. He has to find money to finish his education—fast. And he is so done with boyfriends.

Levi Aronson met the guy of his dreams and followed him to Australia. He knew the chances for a lasting romance were slim—and boy, was he right. Now he’s back in Canada, a year behind in his university program, and short of funds. He needs money, not another man.

Tree planting is a way to make a lot of money fast, but it’s one of the hardest jobs in the world. When Levi, an experienced planter, sees pretty, sloe-eyed Remy, Levi is certain he’ll never last.

They’ll have to pry Remy’s shovel from his cold, stiff fingers, because he won’t quit—or let anything take his eyes off the prize. When a storm brings Remy and Levi together, each finds the other a distraction from the big goal. But can anything develop between two men who have sworn off relationships?

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Every so often I get crazy homesick for Canada and this story about tree planters in Alberta brought me right back home again. Tree planting is almost an urban legend among Canadian students – for those tough enough to hack the grueling conditions, it promises the kind of money most students can only dream of. In this book, Levi and Remy are assigned to the same team. They both need money for tuition and they both have solid backwoods skills.

Remy is brilliant. I love that his alternative lifestyle parents would have been completely fine with his sexuality – but he is disowned for studying traditional medicine. Life beyond the cult-like community he grew up in is still pretty new for Remy, but he is fiercely proud and determined to finish school on his own terms. He may seem physically slight and effeminate when compared to the other tree planters, but his mental fortitude is pretty special.

Levi is physically strong but he’s a bit of an emotional mess. Dumped for being too gay, he is attempting a hyper masculinity that doesn’t really work for him. He is embarrassed by his attraction to Remy and not terribly honest with himself. I have to admit that I really hated him at times – especially when he wouldn’t stand up for Remy and when his own self-doubt hurt Remy.

I’m still not sure how I feel about these two as a couple. Levi does a whole lot of growing up over the summer and he is much more likeable by the end – but I still worried for Remy’s heart. The connection between these two is hot (especially the tent sex).

I loved the descriptions of the camp and Levi and Remy’s team. The author captures Canadian student culture perfectly – the author’s observations constantly made me smile as I recognised so many familiar characters. The mix of quinoa and granola eating liberal students and the redneck career loggers on the mountain also made me smile. The weather, the camp conditions, and the layers of ugly but functional clothing made me nostalgic for my own student days.

My reaction to this story is pretty personal but I hope readers with no connection to the Canadian Rockies will love it just as much as I did.

AVA HAYDEN lives and writes in Canada but grew up in the southern United States.

When not writing, she loves reading yaoi manga and LGBTQ+ romance, taking afternoon tea, baking, seeing plays, hearing live music, and hiking (even though she once came face-to-face with two grizzlies on a trail). Most of the time her life isn’t that exciting (and doesn’t require her to carry bear spray), and she’s okay with that.

She is thrilled to be publishing with Dreamspinner Press.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Highballer (World of Love) by Ava Hayden to read and review.

An American in Venice by Luca Domani

Tom has always been steady and predictable—a formula he’s sure will lead him to success in his career. When his method fails him and he loses his job, he throws caution to the wind for the first time in his life and books a European holiday.

Maybe Tom shouldn’t be surprised that Cupid’s arrow finds him in one of the most romantic cities in the world: Venice, Italy. When he encounters Giovanni working in the family pizzeria, it’s lust at first sight. Their time together touring the city is so magical it feels like a dream. But Tom is shy while Giovanni is charming and flirtatious. Tom has a newfound freedom with his unemployment, while family burdens weigh heavily on Giovanni. Add culture differences and miscommunication into the mix, and their brief romance might fade as quickly as the beautiful dream it resembles.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a sweet holiday fantasy. Visiting a flooded Venice in November, an American tourist meets a handsome Italian chef. The story is very short – but so is Tom’s stay in Venice.

An engineer at home, Tom admits that he is a fairly non-descript thirtysomething tourist. I found his typical American tourist habits pretty funny at times – Tom is nervous about the unfamiliar Italian food, he’s anxious about drinking too much, and he’s a little too worried about safety.

If Tom is ordinary, half Japanese and half Italian Giovanni is a gorgeous fantasy. He is possibly a little too good to be true. I love the way he challenges Tom and teases him gently as he introduces him to his more relaxed European culture, his beautiful city, and his wonderful food. But Tom quickly recognises that Giovanni isn’t as fulfilled as he could be and he challenges him back.

I felt that too much of this very short story was spent detailing Tom’s experiences as a tourist in Venice. Venice is gorgeous, but at times this story just lists a series of famous places or recounts all the ingredients in a meal. At the same time, there is limited character development and neither Tom or Giovanni ever becomes more than an American tourist or an Italian chef.

The romance here is sweet and pretty low heat. This is a fantasy romance and Giovanni is an attentive and gentle fantasy hero. However, these two feel much older than they are supposed to be. Giovanni grew up in America so it isn’t a language barrier that makes them feel overly formal together. As the story covers less than a week in their lives, this was always going to be a happy for now (HFN) and the author somehow manages to make it a believable ending.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a very short, but sweet story.

We meet Tom, recently laid off from his job and taking an opportunity to revisit Venice, where he went as a teenager. This time alone, and there out of season, we get to know a lot about the tourist elements of Venice. He is a bit of a stereotypical American abroad I think, but it is quite entertaining.

When Tom meets Giovanni (Gio), the chef in the pizzeria by his hotel, he makes a bit of a scene. But rather than shy away, he tries to make things right... and the two of them give their budding connection a chance.

There is a twist in the tale at the end, which gives the reader the perfect chance to flex their imagination and fulfill their romantic requirements.

Luca has been writing stories since childhood. Although he has a doctorate in engineering, he has never given up on his dream of being a writer. He adores science fiction and is partial to postapocalyptic epics with zombie hordes, but at heart, he is a hopeless romantic. Luca is married to his high school sweetheart, who is his muse and the love of his life. They reside in Massachusetts with their dog and cat. An American in Venice is his second publication outside of a technical journal.

Connect with Luca

Dreamspinner Press  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of An American in Venice (World of Love) by Luca Domani to read and review.

Gnarly by Mickie B. Ashling

Dr. Ed Hollingsworth, widowed for five years, returns to San Sebastián, Spain, after a thirty-year absence. He seeks out his first and only male lover, pro surfer Javi Elizalde.

After surviving a near-fatal shark attack, Javi turned his back on the sport he loves and became a recluse.

Iker Lizaso, professional jai alai player, finds himself at loose ends now that his contract has expired. Forced to retire at thirty-eight, he returned to his home in the Basque Country to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

Three different men, encumbered by their past, converge in a city famous for its food, summer festivals, and romantic promenades. Can they find happiness together? It’ll be difficult, maybe even improbable, considering their backgrounds, but Cupid’s arrow usually hits the mark, and this particular strike might be epic.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

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Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Rachael – ☆☆☆☆
I have to admit that I had a really hard time with the first half of this book. It just seemed very slow moving. However, I understand that it was necessary to build the history and explain what each of the characters had been through up to that point. But once we got over that hump, the story was just so much more interesting to me. Watching the three men figure out how they fit together, while also dealing with life changing and evolving around them.

It was wonderful to watch as Javi pulled himself from depression to turn back into the man he'd once been. His two men each helped in their own ways and together. It was just fantastic.

I liked Iker, but he was sort of an added bonus in my opinion. Sure, he made their love scenes sexier than ever, but he didn't really see a whole lot of growth in my opinion except for figuring out what he wanted to do with his life since the career he'd once had was over.

Now, Ed. He was by far my favorite character even if I did want to kick him in the rear from time to time. There was just so much that he had to go through. I loved the scene when he came out to his boys, but that's all I want to say about that so I don't give anything away. I felt like Ed was the one that had to work the hardest and the one that had to make the most sacrifices through the story, but he was also the one that really learned a lot about who he was and what was important to him.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a wonderfully complex second chance romance between three slightly older men. Ed returns to San Sebastian a widower with grown children. He has fond memories of a college summer fling with a beautiful surfer and he is drawn back to a time when his life was much simpler. Javi never forgot his American lover but the former champion surfer is struggling to adjust to life as an amputee and to find a reason for life after surfing. Together, the men meet a third, slightly younger man who is also dealing with important life changes.

This isn’t an easy story. All three men are complex and their lives have been both interesting and challenging. Where many ménage stories are written as erotica, this story focuses more on the emotional connection between Ed, Javi, and Iker. It is definitely still a sexy read, but it isn’t only a sexy read. At times, this story moves slowly. All three men have lived full lives and the relationships between them build gradually. This is a thoughtful study of middle life and the unexpected moments that change expectations, needs, and desires.

The author brings the magical Basque region of Spain to life beautifully. The wonderful description the beaches, the food, and Javi’s bar had me desperate to return to Javi and Iker’s beautiful home. The Basque country is a very special place and the writer definitely does it justice.

I really enjoyed these three slightly life-worn older men who are willing to explore new possibilities together. The story is more thoughtful and reflective than exciting, but there is a warmth and depth to the writing that really resonated with me.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is an interesting mix of a book, starting way back in Spain the mid-80s, and then fast forwarding 30 years... and a whole lifetime of experiences for both Ed and Javi. Ed moved on and is now widowed and looking for... well he isn't quite sure what, but maybe if he finds Javi, he will know. But the Javi he finds is someone battered by life and loss. He does, however, rally at Ed's arrival, and feel jealousy when Ed spends the evening with Iker.

There is a lot to grab your interest in this book, and it gets super hot when the three men realise that maybe there is something in the feelings that they all have for each other. I am always curious as to whether one feels like the third, and this is addressed really well here – and in a slightly unexpected way, given their original insecurities. Some really fun moments, like Ed with his boys, and some extremely hot ones too.

This book, for me, is a success!


Angie – ☆☆☆
The blurb for this book captivated me and I couldn't wait to dive in. Once I started reading this book all my enthusiasm left. The book was very wordy, there were pages upon pages without dialogue and I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. I put the book down several times and each time I picked it back up it was the same. Even the sex scenes couldn't pull me out of the blah feeling I had. Javi, Ed, and Iker could have been something great together, but I just didn't feel it. Then Ed was afraid of telling anyone he was bi and he didn't even tell anyone until the second to the last or the last chapter of the book. Plus, we didn't really get much closure. Sure, Ed came back for the holidays but how long did that go on? Was he ever going to move to be with Javi and Iker full time? It was just one long drawn out book that I couldn't connect with any of the characters.

MICKIE B. ASHLING is the pseudonym of a multifaceted woman who is a product of her upbringing in multiple cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West. A little bit of this and a lot of that have brought a unique touch to her literary voice she could never learn from textbooks.

By the time Mickie discovered her talent for writing, real life got in the way, and the business of raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing—and the inevitable emptying nest—dreams of becoming a published writer were resurrected and she’s never looked back.

She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world. Her award-winning novels have been called “gut-wrenching, daring, and thought provoking.” She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Gnarly (World of Love) by Mickie B. Ashling to read and review.

Runaway by Nic Starr

Dr. Nathan Powell is ready to settle down near his family, and hopefully find the man of his dreams. He returns to the small coastal town where he grew up, but while life is simpler than it was in the city, there are also complications—like patients’ reactions to an openly gay doctor. And like running into Nate’s first love, Damien, an out-and-proud local business owner who is unwilling to be any man’s dirty secret. The reunion reignites old desire even while it stirs up Nate’s guilt over the way things ended with Damien.

When Nate’s nephew runs away, Damien accompanies Nate on his mission to find the young man. The drive to Sydney, and the search of the city, gives Nate time to reconnect with Damien—and to wonder if he made the right decision years ago—when he determined a future for them was impossible. Is a fresh start realistic for two men in their forties? But before he can ponder the second chance they’ve been given, Nate must locate his nephew.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a very enjoyable second chance love story. Nate and Damien grew up as teenagers together, but Nate's fear of small town prejudice had him up and leave. Now, many years later, he is back in his hometown and inevitably they bump into each other again.

Watching on as these two men talk out their past and contemplate their future is both touching and a reminder of the issues they faced. As they reconnect as friends, they also try to work out what has caused Nate's nephew to run away. The plot twist there works really well at bringing the story full circle.

Good, thoughtful read, thank you Ms. Starr.

NIC STARR lives in Sydney, Australia, where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realizing she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family—an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters—and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

You can find Nic on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. She’d love it if you stopped by to say hi.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Runaway (World of Love) by Nic Starr to read and review.