Affair in Paradise

Affair in Paradise
Matthew Haldeman-Time
Torquere Press, Inc.
ISBN: 1-60370-688-2
Fiction, Gay Erotica, BDSM
Reviewed by Shannon Frost

Not exactly having the time of his life on a tropical vacation with a female friend, Adam would like nothing more than to spice up his remaining days in paradise with Brett, a young man also on the same tour, who despite responding to his flirtations, seems hesitant to progress their relationship. Adam knows Brett is getting over a break-up, but as he uncovers more about Brett, he finds himself stepping into a world of erotic play beyond his wildest fantasies.

As a Torquere Press Single Shot, Affair in Paradise is a long short story. As the story moves quickly, not a whole lot of time is spent on the setting, it being an unnamed tropical location, and a specific or even fictionally created place could’ve done much for setting the scene. With the characters of Adam and Brett, it’s stated that they learn each other’s “…last names, jobs, cities of origin, pets, family members, high school horror stories, college horror stories, sexual conquests, major illnesses, and Internet service providers…,” but it would’ve been interesting to have some of this information shared with the reader, to witness these conversations taking place to develop the characters further and bring more depth to each man. The author does do a good job of switching between perspectives, allowing readers to view both men’s internal thoughts.

The high eroticism is the strength of the work. More than half of the story is physical interaction between Adam and Brett with the scenes being steamy, graphic, and intense. Even though Adam isn’t supposed be knowledgeable in the ways of being a dom, he falls into the role quite easily in order to be with the experienced submissive Brett. Overall, for pure erotic fun, Affair in Paradise is a great pick.