Amidst the dangers of war torn Afghanistan, an army officer finds himself irresistibly drawn to another soldier. The forbidden attraction shakes him to the core and plunges him into a bitter inner conflict. But the battle against these new and disturbing desires is not the only war he must fight. A patrol goes missing, under suspicious circumstances, while on routine surveillance. The subsequent media interest, and the shocking truth as it unfolds, challenges his belief system and rocks the comfortable world he grew up in.
FROM CARNAL PASSIONS

REVIEW FROM WHIPPED CREAM
"Iona Blaire tackles a very controversial issue in this well written short story. She brings Jay Sutherland into places we would never imagine and throws a few curve balls in along the way. Gay men serving in combat is as old as the Crusades. It is only in our arrogance that we think that this is new phenomena and a product of a modern society.

With the return to his home, Jay Sutherland needs to confront so many issues, but realizes that his strength is in his relationship with his fellow soldier. Acceptance of his reality is the most difficult thing he will ever need to do but he shows the strength of character to do what he must.

This is an interesting take on a very talked about subject and is very much a worthwhile read. " (Rating: 4 Cherries)

REVIEW FROM THE ROMANCE STUDIO
"Lieutenant Jay Sutherland is stationed in Afghanistan, thousands of miles from his wife and their home and hopelessly attracted to his subordinate, Corporal Darren Morrison. Even after he gets his hands on Darren and his tour of duty ends, Jay can't stop thinking about him and can't go back to his normal life in Canada so easily. His life is further complicated by repercussions from an event which happens to his squad during his tour and which hits the headlines some time later.

This book followed an interesting premise for an m/m romance. The love affair which starts in Afghanistan felt somewhat rushed. One moment Jay and Darren are tangling without warning in a storage closet, the next they are declaring their love. In a way though, this was spot on because things have to be hurried along in such conditions where every minute has to count.

The portrait of Jay at home is a man on the edge of a breakdown, unable to come to terms with his desire for Darren. He drinks to excess, he sleeps with female prostitures and while at times I found him an unpleasant character, particularly in his treatment of women, it is nonetheless grittily realistic. As a juxtaposition to the heat of his scenes with Darren, his encounters with women were decidedly unerotic.

This novella was well written overall and had a satisfactory conclusion."

Overall rating: 3 hearts
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

REVIEW FROM PAGAN AND THE PEN
"While serving in Afghanistan, Canadian Lieutenant Jay Sutherland discovers more than the usual secrets of surviving in the sun scorched war zone. Along with his more serious duties of keeping his men safe, he finds himself lusting after one of his subordinates, Corporal Darren Morrison. Battling himself over the realization that he is in lust and eventually love with another man, he sinks into a dangerous downhill spiral.

Darren Morrison has wanted a piece of his Lieutenant ever since he laid eyes on him lighting from an armored vehicle in the Afghan desert. When Jay saves his life after he and his squad is buried in a cave-in, he is excited and longing for his lover. Once home he reunites with Jay to find the man he loves spiraling out of control.

This story allows the reader to have a shocking and seemingly realistic glimpse into the life of a soldier who not only has to cope with war and adjust to coming home, but also the fact that he is secretly bisexual. The emotional turmoil of the lead character is almost more than a reader can take with a dry eye. Adding to that the very emotional and erotic love scenes between Jay and Darren are in stark contrast to the harsh encounters with his female partners.

There is nothing more rewarding than reading a story that allows the reader to feel the full spectrum of emotions. This is one of my top picks for its thought-provoking emotional rawness that make me pull for the hero."

Ratings For:
Cover: 4
Presentation: 4
Editing: 3
Story: 5
Writing Ability: 5
REVIEWER TOP PICK

REVIEW FROM NIGHT OWL
"I found that A Soldier’s story to be a very intriguing story full of the lust and mystery. It is a classic story of a solider coming home from a war zone and questioning every aspect of his life. Blair wrote this very well and it’s an easy read for an avid reader. You need to be open to all walks of life and not easily angered to enjoy this title. This story is very graphic and talks extensively about alternative life styles." (3 stars)

When Brent McNeil travels to Vancouver to try and find a trail on his grandfather, missing for over forty years, he never expects to meet the love of his life. As clues gradually unfold they pitch him into a personal crisis and a crazy spin where past meets present and nothing is as it seems.
FROM CARNAL PASSIONS

REVIEW FROM SENSUAL READS
"Strangers in the Night by Iona Blair illustrates how love can strike when you least expect it and nothing can stop it."
Forty years ago. Brent McNeil’s grandfather disappeared in Vancouver. Brent has been haunted by the disappearance and travels to Vancouver to determine what happened those many years ago. Never is his wildest imagining did he think he would find the love of his life. Now nothing is the same as the trail turns cold and then hot and his love life throws him into a personal dilemma.

Strangers in the Night had a long dead mystery that haunted a family followed by a new problem to haunt the present. Brent felt deeply that he needed to solve his grandfather’s mysterious disappearance. When he traveled to Vancouver he found so much more. The ending had quite a twist to it and left the reader very satisfied. Iona Blair takes the reader on a journey to discovery with Brent. Hop on and be surprised as to what he finds. Strangers in the Night by Iona Blair will leave you with some intriguing thoughts.
Reviewer: Elise
Sensuality Rating: Sizzling
Star Rating: 4 Stars

During the Second World War, British spy, Sheena Vale, is dropped off in occupied France. When her mission goes terribly wrong, she’s left stranded in enemy territory, on the Nazi’s most wanted list. Battling to survive, in an atmosphere fraught with danger, she takes a job in the decadent Berlin Club, where every sort of sexual perversion is acted out on a stage.

FROM CARNAL PASSIONS

REVIEW FROM SENSUAL READS (4 Stars)
"Take in The Berlin Club and travel back in time with Iona Blair and her wonderful story. During time of war, choices are limited and decision made in a split second. What would you have done?"

The Second World War is the setting for this fast paced thriller about a British fighter plane shot down over Nazi occupied France. During their escape back to England the pilot and co-pilot discover a mutual sexual attraction and engage in hot sex while hiding out from the enemy. The pilot who is straight––or thought he was––is haunted by the liaison for years. But when he tries to contact his wartime lover, more than a decade later, he's in for the biggest shock of his life.
FROM CARNAL PASSIONS

REVIEW FROM SENSUAL READS
"Iona Blair’s The Wayward Wind will keep you guessing and wondering until the very end."

Shot down over Nazi Germany, RAF Pilot David Mallory and Kent Easton, another member of his crew, make their way back to England. Along the way, the two form a sexual alliance and have a heated affair while hiding from the enemy. It is this affair that will change David’s life forever. Arriving back in England, David tries to resume his life with his wife but cannot seem to return to a normal life while haunted with dreams of the affair. Now a decade later, David resolves to track him down only to find more shocks and surprises in store for him.

The Wayward Wind was much more than one man finding himself after fighting for more than a decade to keep everything secret even from himself. Finally determined to lay it to rest, he is surprised to find he cannot. Climb on board with Iona Blair and journey with David as he tries to fin the right path. The Wayward Wind takes us deep into mystery and passion as one man finds himself, and leaves us wondering. Great job for Iona Blair!!

REVIEW FROM ROMANCE AT HEART

"Just reading Iona Blair's story makes one feel for the couple of characters and their inner struggles. The Wayward Wind by Iona Blair is available from Carnal Passions and is worth the reading time. I heartily recommend this novel to those who enjoy gay short novels with a satisfying couple of characters in them. This is one short you won’t want to miss."

When two male cops get the hots for each other in 1950's Toronto, they could face jail time if caught. A camouflage wife seems like the answer to their prayers. But ends up not being quite what either one expected.
CARNAL PASSIONS

REVIEW FROM RITES OF ROMANCE
"Ms Blair does a great job of leading you one way then has your jaw dropping at the end when your left wondering where did that come from how did I miss that?" (Rating: 4 Lyres)

REVIEW FROM COFFEE TIME ROMANCE
"Camouflage Wife was entertaining, bold, and yet at times sad. Ms. Blair paints a picture of what life was like for two gay men during the 1950’s as they struggled to keep their sexuality a secret...The ending is quite a shocker and left me happy with the way it was all tied together." (Rating: 3 cups)

Sextremely explicit and as naughty as can be! The Red Velvet Horse was a favourite in the brothel. Unspeakable acts––so depraved they were illegal––were performed on its back.
The discovery of an erotic manuscript, written by a nineteenth century English woman, catapults a very modern heroine into a maelstrom of sexual experimentation and forbidden love.
SIREN-BOOKSTRAND, INC.

REVIEW FROM WHIPPED CREAM
4.5 CHERRIES: "Ms. Blair writes an exciting and interesting novella. If you want a sinfully steamy novella packed with a hint of kink, then The Red Velvet Horse is the novella for you." -- Tiger Lily, Whipped Cream Reviews

Mystery Man -- Kendra’s mysterious boyfriend suddenly disappears, and she suspects him of being a panty thief and worse...
Police Car -- When a thrill-seeking couple decide to have sex on the hood of a police car, it has surprising results…
Lenora's Theatre Break -- Margo slips out of the theatre and has a sizzling encounter with a blonde prostitute...
Erotic Rite in an Ancient Temple -- The embarrassingly intimate ritual cures Thais of her frigidity...
Cinderella's Girls -- The madam of an escort agency disciplines one of the girls with explosive results...
City Lights -- Judy's husband wants to bring another woman into their bed...
Ecstasy In A Bathroom -- A hot session in a bathroom, within earshot of others, can be a terrific turn on...
Wait 'Til I Get You Home -- Since Rebecca started spanking her husband their love life has ignited...
An Evening At Mrs.Mowatt's -- Where nothing is out-of-bounds, or considered too kinky...

FROM SMASHWORDS
FROM KINDLE

REVIEW FROM SENSUAL READS
"Heat is the name of the game in Mystery Man by Iona Blair, a collection of very short stories with enough intensity to ignite the pages. From mystery men to kinky sex to voyeurism, Iona Blair has included it all in the nine short stories. Some are just plain hot while others take you into the realm of quirkiness and outlandish. While these stories are light in plot they more than make up for with scorching sex. So if you are looking for something short, designed to heat up your libido, Mystery Man has your ticket."