Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Velvet Glove Series by Sean Michael Part 1 (Re-reads #1-4)

The Velvet Glove is a series of novels and short stories by Sean Michael.  The Velvet Glove is an interplanetary private club that offers every luxury to its members.  Men from all backgrounds can be themselves at the club and find others that fit their needs in order to lead the lives they want. 

In Puppy Love, Dane is asked to rehabilitate an abused puppy who was left by his previous owner in a cage to starve.  Dane is taken aback when he learns the puppy is actually Tyg, a man whose previous master was physically and emotionally abusive and who left Tyg locked in a cage to die.  Tyg is scared and Dane is absolutely unable to abandon him even if Tyg isn’t what he was expecting.  Turns out that Tyg and Dane are exactly what each other need, however.  This was the first short story in the Velvet Glove series that I ever read and it still remains a favorite of mine.  Tyg and Dave are both wonderful characters who deserve the HEA they receive with each other, but it doesn’t come without hardship!

Anything for a Byline has Nat trying to make his big break in journalism by writing an exclusive piece about what really goes on at the Velvet Glove…only problem is he doesn’t really know what that is and so has to sneak in through an interview.  His interview just happens to be for a position as a sub and his reactions during the scene with Richmond, the Top assigned to see if Nat meets the Velvet Glove’s needs, surprises Nat so much that he flees.  He is unable to stay away however and is soon back and Richmond is waiting to take Nat as his.  Richmond sees endless possibilities in Nat and looks forward to stretching his boundaries.  Nat, happy to leave behind the subterfuge of his previous job, happily places his heart and body in Richmond’s hands.  This story switches POV’s between chapters and I appreciated being able to see each person’s thoughts and motivations.  These two men really are a great fit for each other.

Two Men for Two Twins shares the lives of two twins finding the men that complete their family.  Kytan and Rivan love each other (and I do mean love each other, there is brother on brother action here but for whatever reasons, the over-the-top setting, or something, it really didn’t bother me) but they also want to find the men that they know will complete them as a family.  Rivan finds Jewel on the streets outside the club hustling to make a living.  Hooked on Risque, a drug that suppresses his appetite while increasing his energy, Jewel can’t believe that someone from the Velvet Glove with all of their offerings would be interested in him.  Rivan finds a challenge in Jewel; he will have to break his dependency on Risque and build a foundation of trust in someone who has only had himself to rely on for the majority of his life.  Kytan meanwhile finds his “Dove” in Hinton, a sweet sub who has been in psychiatric care for cutting after watching his family burn to death in a horrific accident.  Hinton only wants to escape from the pain of his past and finds in Kytan someone who makes him feel pleasure and peace.  I enjoyed the relationships between the brothers, between each pair of men, and between Hinton and Jewel that took place towards the end of this piece.  I wish their relationship and been given more time to develop…overall, this is one of my favorites in the series.


Three to Heal is short but sweet and finds Jean who is scarred and nearly blinded from an explosion of an interplanetary freighter looking for someone who can see beyond his scars to the quiet man inside.  He finds what he is looking for in Noel and Richard who are already partners. Richard, who rarely speaks, immediately gravitates towards Jean and the relationship between these two is the strongest part of the story in my opinion.  Noel, who is the take charge type, is able to take Jean out of himself in sessions but is never really fleshed out as a three dimensional character in my opinion. 

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