The Klockwerk Kraken: The Color Your Own Cover Limited Edition
by
Pages: 140
When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed--but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn't sure he can deal with a two-armed lover, much less one with six.
As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.
Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.
At the edge of the galaxy's spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?
- 2 To Be Read lists
- 2 Read lists
Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 5
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Tropes: Hurt / Comfort, Most Mindblowing Sex Ever, Sex Buddies Become Lovers
Setting: Switchpoint Waystation
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Continuous / Same Characters
JIMENEZ opened the bar’s airlock and the urge to run out again washed over him like a splash of cold water. He commanded his frozen legs to shuffle forward and inside. This could turn ugly if he lost his concentration for even a moment. But he wouldn’t. He’d been practicing, becoming accustomed to groups larger than this for revs now.
He could be just like everyone else.
None of them would see the scars on his back or the brand of his tattoo that had marked him since puberty.
Men and women filled half the tables and booths, some laughing and drinking, a few puffing blue smoke. The gaming tables on the side were empty, while a lone player at the billiard table opposite pocketed ball after ball. The room rang with loud voices, clinking glasses, and raucous music.
READ MOREJimenez slid into an empty spot at the pale stone bar and caught sight of the clearest, happiest eyes he’d ever seen, a shade lighter than the man’s tousled brown mop above. A dimple quirked at the side of his full lips, mesmerizing Jimenez. The loud voices behind him slid away and for a moment, it was quiet in his mind. Jimenez flinched when his shoulder was jostled and the spell broke.
“Hey, you okay, buddy? First time? What can I pour for you?”
Jimenez blinked, realizing the tall bartender was speaking to him. The man’s smiling eyes crinkled at the corners of his bronzed face. Jimenez swallowed, and he ducked his chin, trying not to stare again, trying to hide his hot cheeks. He’d never been so close to such a handsome man.
“Did you want a drink?” The bartender quirked an eyebrow.
“Yeah… I mean yes. Whiskey neat.” His voice came out gruffer than he expected.
“Bourbon, Scotch, Rye…?”
“Surprise me.” It was a game Jimenez played. He’d order whiskey and discover what the bartender served. If he reached for the rail bottle closest to hand, it meant he would pour either the cheapest or the local favorite. If he pulled something from the top shelf, the bartender angled for a bigger tip. But if he grabbed a decanter off to the side or behind another bottle, he’d score the bartender’s personal pick.
“Coming right up.” The bartender raised a tentacle in greeting, calling out to another patron.
Oh, God. The man was a Pod.
Of course he was.
In a joint named the Klockwerk Kraken, who better to tend the bar than a tentacled man?
COLLAPSEmultitaskingmomma on Muliti-tasking Mommas Book Reviews wrote:Aidee Ladnier has created an exceptionally impressive saga that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Klockwerk Kraken is a heartwarming romance with a touch of amusement, a little drama as well as several sensuous intimacy scenes.
Carly on Carly's Book Reviews wrote:Aidee Ladnier not only made me smile and tear up to the situation Jimenez had been in, she also made me dream of the Klockwerk Kraken as described in the book. The beauty of such a piece of work is incredibly visual and that is really what made me sit up straight and finish this in one sitting.
Kris on Joyfully Jay wrote:What do you get when you take a space station, two unknowingly lonely men with opposite personalities, a dash of adventure and a bit of lust??? The Klockwerk Kraken of course!! I enjoyed the heck out of Aidee's quirky characters, their heartbreaking pasts and tentative futures. The age old lesson is still true; you really can't judge a book..er..Celosian..by it's cover.
Nancy Ferris on Outlaw Reviews wrote:This story was by turns, poignant and heartbreaking and adorably sweet, with just the right amount of sexy heat thrown in.
Cass on Between Dreams and Reality wrote:It should appeal to those readers who enjoy space operas with a dose of erotica. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was fun, lightly humorous, comfortably paced, sexy and touching.
AJ on Inked Rainbow Reads wrote:Let me begin by making one thing clear: yes, Teo has tentacles but there is nothing perverse in this book, I assure you. It is rather a beautiful love story.
Teo and Jimenez are fast some of my favorite characters I’ve read in a long time, especially Teo. They both have rich backgrounds that support who they are in the moment the story takes place. The backgrounds come out slowly as the story develops, which is perfect. And come on, who doesn’t love some tentacles!!
