Romance Junkies

Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5

Reviewer: Natasha

Excerpt of Review:

THIRTY DAYS caught my attention on the coming soon page at Liquid Silver Books and I am glad that it did. Shayla Kersten has woven a truly loving tale of surrender and trust. My heart ached for Biton’s despair at having lost his lover and his turmoil when he realizes he craves another. I loved how he was given another chance for love with Cavan. As a Dom, Biton is the perfect person to heal Cavan’s pain and he does that tenfold. Cavan, while wounded and oftentimes scared, was truly a lost soul. However, his ability to love and be loved warmed my heart.

THIRTY DAYS is the first book written by Shayla Kersten and I am happy to say that she wrote an extremely poignant tale of love and survival. While some readers may not enjoy the homoerotic tones, I relished every written word. THIRTY DAYS has found its way into my heart and onto my keeper shelf and there it will remain for a long time!

Read the whole review

A Reader's Review

From the Silver Expression Blog

Reader: Carly

What Carly said:

I got your book at 9:00 last night. I peeked in to “just read a few pages” and I read it STRAIGHT THROUGH. (And I have to get up at 5 in the morning.)

What can I say? I was enthralled–I mourned with Biton, I was just as angry as he was about what happened to Cavan, and I hoped and prayed page by page that Biton and Cavan would find the comfort and peace that they both needed.

This book wasn’t “about” BDSM, it wasn’t even “about” M/M. It was about love, and pain, and holding on to the hope that your life can get better no matter what.

I look forward to your next book–you’ve become an “autobuy”.

See her post!

Joyfully Reviewed

Reviewer: Nannette

Excerpt of Review:

In Thirty Days Cavan struggles with the pain of his extremely abusive past, but Biton's patience and tenderness bring Cavan to a safe haven where he finds love and acceptance for the first time in his life. I was very moved reading this dramatic and heart wrenching story. Cavan is such a poor tortured soul. It's not easy to read what he goes through. Thirty Days is a very intense story. The emotions and images it conjures are powerful. Biton and Cavan have a wonderful, loving future ahead of them and I would love to read more about them.

Read the whole review

A Reader's Review

From Shayla's Blog

Reader: Teddie

What Teddie said:

I loved it! For a gay BDSM story written by a woman you got it right!

Loved it and the story in my opinion is right up there with John Preston's work like the clissic Mr. Benson.

Hope to read more from you along this line. There are not many authors willing to explore realistic gay BDSM in such detail.

See his whole post!

Just Erotic Romances

Rating: 4 Stars

Heat Level: O

Reviewer: Marcy Arbitman

Review:

Thirty Days was a fascinating story about the effects of abuse on a life. Biton's deceased slave was the love of his life and he misses Erik dreadfully. Once he agrees to help Cavan, he feels stuck. Cavan is desperate to be Biton's slave because he has never known anything else. The primary and secondary characters are well-described and feel very true to life. There was an startling twist later on in the book that I felt added additional interest. For those who object, it is necessary to add that there is quite a bit of erotic male/male sex and also hard-core BDSM activity. I found that this book flows well and I was unwilling to stop reading until I had finished.

This review is archived on the JERR Yahoo Group Newsletter #93.

Just Erotic Romances

Rating: 4 Stars

Heat Level: O

Reviewer: Amber Taylor

Review:

Successful attorney Biton Savakis missed Erik terribly. Biton was Master to very willing slave Erik and they lived a happy life together...that is until Erik got sick. After Erik's death, Biton was devastated and alone, feeling completely out of control of his life. Contemplating retiring he finally drags himself out of the house to a place he and Erik used to go. Once there he runs into an old friend who invites him over for a small play party on Friday night. Not sure if he should or could do it, Biton accepts the invitation. But unbeknownst to him, it’s a set up. Once there, he is introduced to a couple of nice young men; slaves. Only Cavan sticks out. There was something about the pale-green-eyed redhead that caught Biton's attention. Maybe its time to crawl out of his shell and find out just what it is.

Thirty Days is an exceptionally well written story about a young man trying to understand and deal with the effects of abuse in his life. If you have experienced abuse in your life, this book might not be for you. On the other hand, it might just be what you need. With some graphic descriptions of a horribly helpless life, Ms. Kersten has told a sweetly romantic tale that makes you want Cavan to rise above it and be happy, with Biton just the one to help him along.

The backdrop of the story is BDSM. However, Ms. Kersten goes to great lengths to separate the sometimes seemingly harsh lifestyle of BDSM with abusive behaviors, stressing the point that both partners be willing and able to give their consent. And she succeeds admirably. The characters are very well drawn and as the story unfolds, you are unable to put it down as details of Cavan's life are revealed. The sex scenes are sensual, arousing but also carefully thought out for the unusual situation and the care needed. The BDSM scenes are intense but again careful for the situation. Many people misinterpret the BDSM lifestyle as abusive.

Kudos to Ms. Kersten to show us in detail the difference and what a loving consensual BDSM relationship can be like.

This review is archived on the JERR Yahoo Group Newsletter #93.

Fallen Angel Review

Rating: 5 Angels

Reviewer: Teresa

Excerpt of Review:

Cavan is a lost soul who was very lucky to find someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to help him heal. Biton seems lost when he loses his loved one, but by helping Cavan, he finds someone to care for. Biton and Cavan seem like two lost individuals until they come together to find what each is lacking. Thanks go to Ms. Kersten for such an inspiring book.

Read the whole review

Love Romances & More

Rating: 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Danny

Excerpt of Review:

This reviewer can just congratulate Ms. Kersten to such a powerful and terrific debut book. THIRTY DAYS is a captivating and very emotional story that will bring tears to your eyes. Cavan and Biton are two tortured and wounded souls that find healing in each other. The emotions between are flaring high between them and the whole story is very intense. There are certain scenes that are not suitable for faint-hearted readers, especially those when Cavan is speaking about his former life and what he had to endure as well as the BDSM scenes.

You definitely want to keep an eye on this author, because she has a wonderful talent for emotional stories.

This reviewer can highly recommend THIRTY DAYS to all fans of M/M and BDSM stories. It is a real keeper and hopefully there will be a sequel because you will want to get them to know even better and to see how Cavan copes with his new life and Master.

Read the whole review

Two Lips Reviews

Rating: 4.5 Kisses

Reviewer: Cat

Excerpt of Review:

Shayla Kersten delivers an intense character-driven read that explores the BDSM lifestyle. Cavan’s character was sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes inspirational. Biton’s pain and the way he faces his new life drew me into their tale. The bond between them is lovingly crafted. Ms. Kersten has a very talented pen when it comes to creating characters that the reader cares about. Thirty Days is terrific!

Read the whole review

The Romance Studio

Rating: 4.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Julia

Excerpt of Review:

I thought this was a wonderful story that really made me think about what a relationship was between submissives and dominants. Cavan was so desperately and systematically abused with his previous master that it was sometimes hard to read. Through all that, the author was able to convey the feelings that Biton had for him even though Biton was also a dominant, and how much he cared about what happened to Cavan. I thought that the struggle that Biton had controlling his needs and giving Cavan as much space as he could was touching. I liked how the author showed that Cavan was so abused, he didn’t understand what his master was doing, and it caused some problems. This is a touching story that isn’t for the faint at heart because of some of the material it covers and the BDSM involved.

Read the whole review

The Naughty Bits

Rating: Grade A

Reviewer: Teddy Pig

Excerpt of Review:

WOW! I am impressed you took this story on and kept such a tight focus in making it all understandable when I would have run far and fast in the exact opposite direction without a single clue of how to sell this particular brand of hurt and comfort in a BDSM context. This is the kind of stuff that could so easily get someone (like me) into trouble for making the slightest brain dead plot decision but you pulled it off very very well. You had my undivided attention from the first sentence while I watched you walk this tight rope and you never once lost my interest.

Grade A and I will keep watching for more genius from you.

Read the whole review

See Teddy Pig's 2007 Top 12 at The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!