Strain (Strain, #2) in Riptide Publishing

Feb 28, 2014 Monique rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favourites, favourite-series, lgbt

One of my favourite sub genres within M/M Romance is Post Apocalyptic novels, I love the raw grittiness of them, where life is stripped down to baser instincts and the most intrinsic and essential need to just survive becomes paramount, mix that with some D/s power exchange and BDSM elements, throw in a slow burning, intense and extremely erotic relationship between two MC’s and I’m ecstatic. Especially, when the author does it all to perfection and Amelia Gormley did just that, she captured my
One of my favourite sub genres within M/M Romance is Post Apocalyptic novels, I love the raw grittiness of them, where life is stripped down to baser instincts and the most intrinsic and essential need to just survive becomes paramount, mix that with some D/s power exchange and BDSM elements, throw in a slow burning, intense and extremely erotic relationship between two MC’s and I’m ecstatic. Especially, when the author does it all to perfection and Amelia Gormley did just that, she captured my attention and sated my imagination and need for dark and depraved reads which hit all my kink buttons. From the very first page I was captivated and my heart held hostage by both Darius and Rhys… I loved them! It’s a remarkable story and the plot development and world building is such that you are there, you can see it all with your own eyes and you can feel the desolation of humanity… when clinging onto any tiny sliver of hope becomes all consuming, and that is exactly what this book was to me, ALL CONSUMING for the duration. I just couldn’t put it down! I want MORE, really I do, and I will get to that at the end because I can see some serious stalking taking place until Ms Gormley concedes and writes a book 2!!

So if you read the blurb, you may think this is going to be some kind of fuck fest and in essence I suppose it is, because it’s a do or die situation. There are also elements of non con and dub con in this book along with a little knife/blood play which isn’t to everyone’s taste, but of course my depraved mind just soaks it all up. Having said that, there is so much more to this book, it’s about the emotional and psychological impact on our two MC’s of Rhys’s possible death and their fight for his life, with the uncertainty of it all creating a bond between them, giving that glimmer of hope for the future. But Rhys’s survival touched more than just Darius, because now all the Jugs were invested in ensuring Rhys contracts the virus needed for immunity.

It was agonising to watch Rhys, inside he was just a child that wants love and affection, a boy that still needed to grieve for his lost family, he is sweet and idealistic with a innocence that should have been nurtured. I had a constant knot and ache in my chest for his desperate loneliness. Now he has to fight for his life with sex, a lot of sex, as in several times a day sex, with a parade of soldiers… the humiliation and degradation of it making him shut down emotionally… because Darius was the only man he wanted, with Darius Rhys comes alive inside whilst the others leave him feeling numb.

Darius is a leader, stoic, guarded and tough with comfort and compassion unfamiliar to him, hardened as he is by the harsh and stark realities of their existence. But Rhys ignites something within Darius he finds hard to control, the Alpha strain the Jugs were infected with, kicks in his dominate side, causing overwhelming jealousy and a need to protect… Conflicted and fearful of his sexual desires that seem to have become more deviant in nature because of Rhys’s responsiveness and need to be controlled, he withdraws. Which of course causes all kinds of conflicting emotions in Rhys, struggling with his conscience because of his own desires and zero life experiences with which to draw from except for a zealot priest with a god complex and his son who both physically and mentally abused him.

This is a very emotional journey for both men, who seem to have found a connection, a trust and understanding in a world where they are surrounded by devastation and death, where every moment is precious, they at last have something other than surviving the next day to hope for.

Strain ends on a HFN, but as I said earlier, I wanted more… I wanted to see their intimacy and passion grow, I wanted more from Darius, to see into his heart and watch him totally let himself go and just love… and I wanted to see how Rhys would fit into life at the Fort… because there are a whole host of great secondary characters in this book that I also want more from! I went through hell and back with these two men, I fought revs and unfriendlys with them, I sweat blood and tears and also walked every god damn mile with them. I was filled with nervous anxiety and apprehension and just when I felt the calm, it was over… GUTTED!!! This book is a five star read, without a doubt, It’s excellent and if I knew there was a book 2 on the horizon then it would be up there on my fav shelf… but that little niggle of wanting more, actually forget that, I NEED MORE, is what’s holding it back from the five stars it so deserves. So Amelia, I may become a woman possessed until I get what I need!

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Feb 23, 2014 Kaje Harper rated it really liked it

Shelves: bdsm, signif-past-abuse, m-m, scifi

In a dystopian future, viral bioweapons have escaped containment and almost wiped out human civilization. An isolated young man is attacked by infected zombie-like Revs and at the last moment is rescued by a group of immune soldiers. But for his rescue to actually work, his recent exposure to the Revs' bioweapon viruses has to be counteracted by exposure to the immune one of the soldiers. By sex, over a period of weeks. With multiple men in the rescue group.

The set-up for this story felt slightl In a dystopian future, viral bioweapons have escaped containment and almost wiped out human civilization. An isolated young man is attacked by infected zombie-like Revs and at the last moment is rescued by a group of immune soldiers. But for his rescue to actually work, his recent exposure to the Revs' bioweapon viruses has to be counteracted by exposure to the immune one of the soldiers. By sex, over a period of weeks. With multiple men in the rescue group.

The set-up for this story felt slightly contrived - as if designed to set up a situation where a young inexperienced guy could be forced to have repeated poly sex with strangers, and yet have everyone involved be good guys doing their best. Given that, the virus strains are ingenious, although there's a bit of handwaving. (Good handwaving, though, since virus mutations and interactions are not always well understood in the real world.) And if you accept that premise, then it holds together in a way that is sometimes fascinating, and occasionally quite affecting. I especially felt sympathy for Darius, the commander of the soldiers who is faced with difficult decisions and doing the best he can.

Rhys, the young man they rescue, is a bit immature for his years. But some of that can be attributed to the isolation of his teen years, with almost no positive human contact. His inability, or unwillingness, to connect with his rescuers other than Darius was sometimes irritating, but I could make allowances for the massive strain he was under. The BDSM nature of the sex was not always to my taste, (view spoiler)

But I was caught up in the story, taken on a journey by the plot, and involved enough in the characters to want to see how it came out. A late scene really carried some emotional weight, and I wouldn't mind reading a sequel to this, to see how things work out further down the road. ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 Heidi Belleau added it

That ending!!!!! :wails, rolls on floor:

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Mar 24, 2014 Tina rated it it was amazing

I cut my reading teeth on Nancy Drew mysteries. Then Stephen King scared me through puberty and young adulthood. I used to devour anything I could find that was scary or unexplainable or gory or just weird. Then when I had kids, I started reading more romance because, quite frankly it is easier when you’re tired. I need to read like I need to eat, so in order to keep doing that, I modified my reading list. Eventually, hetero romance turned into gay romance. Somewhere along the way, I lost my lov
I cut my reading teeth on Nancy Drew mysteries. Then Stephen King scared me through puberty and young adulthood. I used to devour anything I could find that was scary or unexplainable or gory or just weird. Then when I had kids, I started reading more romance because, quite frankly it is easier when you’re tired. I need to read like I need to eat, so in order to keep doing that, I modified my reading list. Eventually, hetero romance turned into gay romance. Somewhere along the way, I lost my love of sci-fi, horror and mystery. Thanks to The Walking Dead (television, not graphic novel), I found it again. I’ve started reading more than just contemporary MM romance. If I hadn’t, I would have missed out on Strain. That would have been a very bad thing. Amelia C. Gormley has created a wonderful blend of sci-fi, horror and gay romance. I took a chance on this book and I loved it until four in the morning.

Strain refers to a virus that has caused the end of the world. We find Rhys Cooper about 10 years after the virus wiped out most of the human race, turning them into flesh-eating monsters. He has been holed up in an abandoned monastery with what remains of his family and a small group of others for years. The monastery has just been over run and he is trying to draw the mutants away from his family.

When Rhys is fighting a losing battle, he is rescued by a group of ex-soldiers led by Darius Murrell. Darius has lost a huge part of his humanity since the start of the plague. He has been killing and rescuing survivors in a never ending cycle and seems incapable of real human emotions anymore. But sweet, innocent Rhys stirs something in him that he doesn’t even realize as an emotion. It drives him to try to save Rhys, who has been infected but is not yet showing symptoms of the virus. To do this, Darius and his team must try to infect Rhys with another strain of the virus which they all carry. It is sexually transmissible.

Rhys has know he’s gay, but living at the monastery with a power drunk right wing pastor for these last years has left him terribly conflicted about his sexuality. His best chance at survival is to have sex with as many of the men in Darius’s squad as often as possible. The exposure has to start immediately to have the best chance of working and they must continue for up to two months. Rhys quickly decides to go along with it, not realizing how it will mess with his head and heart. If this effort to save him doesn’t work, Darius will be forced to kill Rhys himself to save his squad.

While sex with the men feels dirty and degrading, Rhys feels genuine desire for Darius. He hates that he does, but it’s unavoidable. He is only able to enjoy sex with Darius, the other men leave him crying and feeling traumatized. The sex is quick and rough, only intended to get off, expose Rhys to the virus and get out. With Rhys’s disgust for the act, and by extension, the team members in evidence, the men begin to not want him. His best chance at survival is multiple partners, so this enrages Darius. He has committed to saving Rhys and doesn’t want to have to kill him. Darius isn’t able to recognize the desire that Rhys has for him and for the pleasure only he can give. Rhys only wants Darius, and not just for sex.

The length of time it takes these two knuckleheads to get it together is almost maddening. Almost. It is actually delicious and tantalizing and hot. Rhys has never been in love and Darius doesn’t remember how to be in love, so it’s the blind leading the extremely visually impaired. It is almost understandable that they would have such difficulty, as they are traveling miles on foot every day, being attacked and killing and hiding.

It’s a hard call as to which of these men made me feel more deeply. I really loved Rhys’s innocence and vulnerability. He grows into a man who is able to hold his own and speak his mind. It is so gratifying to see him becoming a man experientially instead of just chronologically, while still holding on to his softness and innate kindness.. Darius is just plain sexy. He’s a big, bad soldier who does what needs to be done to save what is left of the human race. As Rhys is discovering his ability to be tough, Darius is tapping into his own humanity again. They are both so compelling as they start at opposite ends of the spectrum and travel inexorably toward the middle and each other.

Amelia C. Gormley artfully creates a cast of supporting characters to guide Rhys and Darius in the right direction. Sometimes they provide a gentle nudge, other times a swift kick in the ass. The way the soldiers all come together to protect and care for Rhys helps them find hope themselves. The way Rhys and Darius come together foretells a future for mankind. If these two men can find their way to one another, anything is possible.

I’m so glad I chose to read Strain to rediscover my love of science fiction. I recommend that you infect yourselves immediately.

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Jun 25, 2014 Shira Anthony rated it really liked it

Shelves: angst, bdsm, dub-con, sci-fi, kinky, alternate-universe, soldiers, action, m-m-rom, coming-of-age

I really enjoyed this book. Nonstop gritty action, and the sex matched the dark universe. There's a definite noncon/dubcon vibe, since Rhys, the 19 year old who is saved by a group of soldiers, is essentially forced into having sex with multiple partners in the hopes of saving himself from the virus that's turned much of humanity into zombies.

The post-apocalyptic universe is well-done, but what sold me were the characters. Darius was especially well-written and believable, and Rhys was just vuln ...more

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May 13, 2019 JustJen "Miss Conduct" rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook, mm, dmc, lbr

I’ve had this one on my radar for a long time but never had the chance to dig in. Glad I finally took the time to do so! I love when I am immersed into a newly-created world that takes me away from reality for a bit. This post-apocalyptic tale does just that. The main part of this story is about how a virus wiped much of the population out, leaving people with very few options. Depending on the strain, people either succumbed to the illness or became revenants (zombie creatures). A third strain,
I’ve had this one on my radar for a long time but never had the chance to dig in. Glad I finally took the time to do so! I love when I am immersed into a newly-created world that takes me away from reality for a bit. This post-apocalyptic tale does just that. The main part of this story is about how a virus wiped much of the population out, leaving people with very few options. Depending on the strain, people either succumbed to the illness or became revenants (zombie creatures). A third strain, and the one that started this all (more about that later, or in the next book), created a type of superhuman immune to the previous two strains. It is believed that exposure to that third strain by way of sexual fluids, if caught early enough, can counteract the other two and instead, change the infection to the third strain. However, if wounded, the blood of the third strain carriers can cause infection of the other strain, thus killing the infected person. Sounds confusing, but it is actually pretty easy to keep up with in the actual story.

Darius is the leader of the third strain superhuman soldiers who scour the countryside looking for civvies to save, revenants to kill and infected to put out of their misery. They come across two young men at a monastery who they believe can be saved by the sexual transmission exposure. Rhys is one of those guys (kid really – extremely sheltered 19 year old) who spent much of his life tucked away from the real world, bullied and abused by his brother and father who ran the monastery after Rhys’ mother died and he was caught with another boy. Needless to say, he has had a sheltered and rough life. He is all but starved when they find him, evidence of some of the abuse he endured.

Anyhoo, the rest of the story is about Rhys having to receive sexual fluids from as many of the soldiers as possible in the hopes that it will save his life. It’s really a guessing game for everyone at this point, so they are going with the better safe than sorry route. There is the back and forth about the soldiers having to basically force themselves on someone who isn’t really into it. Rhys doesn’t make it very easy for them in that he has grown up believing he was basically saving himself and that sex should mean something. So, it takes him a long time to come to terms with the multiple partners issue. Then, there is the fact that he has also been taught that what he likes makes him a pervert and horrible person. He likes being told what to do, almost being forced to do things, etc. Darius is just the man for the job, but it takes some time for him to understand Rhys’ needs as well. Thankfully, one of the other soldier couples is a bit kinky as well and help Rhys and Darius to get on the same page.

I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this story, though some of the sex stuff was a little much at times. There are some interesting side characters though, including some bad-ass females, and when Darius does fully get in the game, things get pretty hot. I understand the next book takes place before and after this one, so it will probably be a bit different. Either way, I’m hoping we will get to see some of these guys again and I’m looking forward to learning more about the how’s and why’s of what went wrong to create such a dismal society.

Review written for Love Bytes Reviews. ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Brenda Cothern rated it liked it

Shelves: m-m, romance, action, military, sci-fi

3.5 - I am torn about this book. I loved the characters and the plot, which included a lot of hot sex, but after awhile it got old reading about all that sex. Yes, those who know me are likely shocked I just said that! So, let me clarify. It seemed like the sex just prolonged the book and plot. Several of the scenes could have been removed and it would not have changed the story. I totally understood showing the character's growth in accepting who he was and what he liked but it almost felt like ...more

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May 17, 2014 Cassandra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-romance

I was very impressed with this book. There were a few themes, within the story, that I usually am not very comfortable with, but it didn't take away from the plot of the story. This was a very enjoyable read and it made you feel for most of the characters. ...more

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Jan 03, 2014 ~*Bhook-Junkhie~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: m-m, sci-fi-fantasy, wicked-reads-in-2014

4.5 STARS!

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Jan 10, 2019 Marco rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-book, m-m, monogamy-is-boooring

The writing is phenomenal, the smut made me fan myself a few times, and other than a couple of plot holes, dragging scenes and an unfortunate lack of epilogue (the ending was too abrupt), I bestow my "highly recommended" seal on this one. ...more

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