O Come All Ye Kinky, edited by Sarah Frantz

Why I read it:  I picked this one up from NetGalley but Sarah Frantz had already whet my appetite with her Twitter stories of editing hijinks well before then.

Tree Topper by Jane Davitt - B-  Stan and Martin have been together for a while but things have started to pall.  Martin is an inexperienced Dom and thinks that is the reason Stan is pulling away. Things come to a head (pardon the pun) at Christmas when the men finally have a frank discussion and make a new plan.  Essentially, the conflict was a big misunderstanding which is one of my least favourite tropes in romance.  However, in a shorter format, that trope does tend to work a little better for me (less time for me to gnash my teeth) and while I find it frustrating, it seemed believable. When Martin took control (which fortunately was quite early on in the short story) and they began to talk and sort things out, the story became a lot more fun for me.  But I'd keep Martin away from the duct tape myself.  :)

'Twas the Night by Ava March - B    Set in 1820, Percy, a barrister's clerk goes to visit Michael.  Percy loves to submit and Michael gently challenges him to ask for what he wants.  The story is sweet and sexy.  I really liked how Michael got Percy to open up (pardon the pun) about what he wanted and how that led to both men being more forthcoming about their feelings.

Fireworks by Katie Porter- B-  Rachel and Emma have been meeting regularly for two years but New Year's Eve will be their last night together - Rachel is moving to Tokyo for a 2 year assignment and continuing their long distance relationship is not practical.  Emma wants more but Rachel has refused.  Rachel believes she is not long term relationship material; that eventually everyone will leave her, so she does the leaving first.   I've not read very much f/f but I found this story to be sexy and enjoyable (albeit that the tongue biting was a bit ouchy for me) - which, given that I'm a hero-centric reader and there was nary a hero in sight in this story, says something.  I did think that Rachel's motivation for being so relationship averse was a bit underdeveloped and she did make a quick turnaround in the circumstances, but I think both of those things are probably more about the length of the format.  What I did like especially, was the way it was shown that the pain in their sex play was a quite different pain to the emotional pain Emma was experiencing at the imminent death of their relationship - I've probably not worded that well, because it sounds so obvious reading it back, but I can't come up with a better explanation I'm afraid.

Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Katie Porter

Why I read it:  I have Double Down and Inside Bet on my TBR and I was really excited to see an m/m romance was next up.  I pre-ordered and, after being assured by the Book Pushers that it was a stand alone, I dived in.

What it's about:  (from Goodreads)  Lights, lovers…action!  

Born to old Virginia money, film producer Kyle Wakefield’s conservative upbringing kept him in the closet. Only once did he venture outside: for a tempestuous teenage affair with Nathan Carnes. When Nathan’s self-destructive streak landed him in prison, Kyle slammed the door on youthful hopes. Despite Hollywood successes, he still hides his true self.

He thought he’d moved on, until his production company hires Nathan and his Second Chances stunt crew to work on the London set of a big-budget action flick. Watching Nathan risk life and limb with fellow ex-cons looking for a fresh start makes it tough for Kyle to keep his desires hidden.

Thirteen years have passed since Nathan’s teenage self-doubt led him to sabotage any chance of a future with Kyle. He’s come a long way since then, but despite their explosive sexual chemistry, Kyle treats their attraction like a deep dark secret.

Their matched Hollywood ambitions and a pain-in-the-ass director make cooperation essential. As the London holiday season casts its spell, the two men find themselves on the verge of falling in love again—even as old secrets and pain keep them shackled. The only hope of unlocking their hearts is a Christmas miracle.

What worked for me (and what didn't): I'm not sure why this book didn't work as well for me as I'd hoped it would.  Possibly it suffered from being so close to my reading of the excellent Private Dicks (which is a completely different book so, maybe not).  But, for some reason, I didn't really connect with the characters.