This story was full of action, spy games and beautiful scenery as photographer Lysander Brock and his lover Kyle Dawson head into the Colombian jungle on a mission for Kyle’s mysterious employer. Brock’s trip as a photographer for National Geographic has become cover for an operation to travel to a camp of known terrorists in order to obtain photographic evidence. At this point in my review I do want to note that this novel is a follow up to the short story Picturing Lysander (where the two [...]

This was a really difficult book to rate and review. It had some elements that I loved and others that threw me slightly. After reading the story, I found out there was a prequel. If I'd known this, and read Picturing Lysander first, I think it would have gone a long way to addressing my issues.Note: the publisher's website does advise Testing Lysander is a sequel but this wasn't reflected on where I checked the book. The strengths of the story lay in a number of areas. Firstly I really liked t [...]

ThreeandHalfStarsThis was a story that including spying and wilderness, BDSM and violence. It was described so well, I could picture where they were, what Brock was seeing through the lens, and how he was feeling the entire time.Kyle was someone who took a while to “know”. I understood what he wanted and why, but having not read the previous story, his motivations seemed a little lost. Also, his relationship with his job and what he wanted his relationship to be with Brock seemed to be at od [...]

Last September I reviewed an anthology called What’s His Passion. Most of the stories were okay stories, but I felt they were nothing more than a tease and there was so much more to tell in each. The anthology included the short titled Picturing Lysander. My thoughts were: “Picturing Lysander by L.M. Somerton 3 stars out of 5 Well, this had the beginnings of an exciting adventure story with some HOT something extra on the side. The “training exercise” was interesting. But, the story didn [...]

4 Heart Review by DanTesting Lysander picks up where the short story above ended. It is now time for Brock (Lysander) and Kyle to go off on their mission to Columbia. But boy is it going to be a bumpy ride!I really enjoyed this continuation of Brock and Kyle’s story because it is much different from the cookie cutter m/m romance that so often crosses my path.Brock’s plans for his expedition for National Geographic coincide perfectly with Kyle’s mysterious company’s need for undercover ph [...]

After reading the original short in the What’s His Passion? Bundle I couldn’t wait to read this one. The short was one of my favorites, and I loved how Somerton wrote about something that is “normal” (aka the drama, suspense and action) but added something completely different to it – the perspective of everything happening from a photographer who isn’t involved in that world.For me personally, that added something great to the story because it made it more life-like. The story wasn� [...]

Testing Lysander – LM Somerton 3.5 starsM/M Mystery, quasi BDSM, trigger of violence, kidnapping, abandonmentI was given this book for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.This was a story that including spying and wilderness, BDSM and violence. It was described so well, I could picture where they were, what Brock was seeing through the lens, and how he was feeling the entire time.Kyle was someone who took a while to “know”. I understood what he wanted and why, but having not read the p [...]

Hmm, not sure. Like Brock (Lysander) - he's honest and forthright; not keen on Kyle, but I suppose his secret job means he has to keep secrets etc etc etc.Taking Brock to Columbia to photograph some drug-lord criminals is somewhat outside Brock's experience, but Kyle really doesn't give much away. I found him insufferable when he put on his Dom voice just to disconcert Brock. And I honestly think Brock is braver than anyone could be.Glad they had a HEA, but again, wasn't too pleased how that cam [...]