First of all, let me say “Congratulations!” to the entire team at Riptide. Making it through the first year as a publisher is quite an achievement, and from everything I have seen in the last twelve months, you are well on the road to success. Long may it continue!

From a reviewer’s perspective, seeing a new publisher enter the market is always exciting. There is a number of new books, all of which want to join the never-ending To-Be-Read pile, sometimes there are new authors, and, in this case, an entirely new way of presenting details about books. I found the “additional details” that can be found on Riptide’s web site to be extremely helpful; they certainly made my task of which books to review a lot easier.

So far, I have only reviewed five Riptide books, but not for lack of trying! Looking back now I regret that it has been only five. I enjoyed reading all of them, and am determined to do better next year. J In case you are curious, here are the ones I managed to read and review (click the link to read the entire review):

Master Class (Master Class 1) by Rachel Haimowitz

Master Class delivers what it promises: a gritty tale about a man who wants to be dominated, and even he has no idea how much, or how deep this need really goes. The story focuses on the humiliation and pain he goes through, without, at first, giving any hint as to why he wants this. It made for somewhat disturbing reading, at least for me, but certainly held my attention.

Surprises (Romeo Club 1) by Brita Addams

Don sets out to gain control over his (dating) life, and ends up learning that control isn’t everything. With a sense of humor that made me smile and a level of curiosity that would have killed a cat (but, luckily, not Don) he explores what it means to be taken care of, and how much a few surprises can enhance his libido.

Rubbed the Right Way (Romeo Club 2) by Brita Addams

Have you ever wondered what an erotic massage feels like? This story should answer most of your questions. It is slow, sensuous and without emotional entanglements, much like the first story in this series. The focus is on erotic pleasure between willing partners, not relationships.

Country Mouse by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov

Wow, this is such an all-round wonderful, funny, and amazing story, I don’t even know where to start. I admit that I was a little skeptical at first – like many others I wasn’t sure about what to expect from this pair of authors working together. The result, I am happy to report, is as delightful as it is emotionally rewarding.

Where You Hurt the Most by Anne Brooke

Hurt and pain can manifest in many different ways. Sometimes it is very visible, as is the case with Dan who carries his scars on the outside. Sometimes it isn’t visible at all, because the scars are on the inside – and the man who carries them isn’t even aware of them. Those are easy to ignore since they are not seen, but they are no less serious. This story offers an interesting look at both types of hurt and the men who end up helping each other.

In summary I’d like to wish you further success, that you may keep up the good work, so that I can have some more great books to review in your second year.

I am also happy to announce that Riptide Publishing will give away $10 in store credit to a commenter who comments here, with their email address, before 11/4/12 at 11:59 pm.

Good luck everyone!

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