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Popped: A Charity Anthology
Pop your cherry with us and this brand new charity anthology. From best friends brother to random rugby hookup, college tutor to second chance love, Popped has thirteen first times you are going to want to devour!
With Stories
T. Ashleigh
Addison Beck
Nicole Dykes
Becca Jackson
Loren Leigh
Sundae Leighton
Lily Mayne
Charlie Novak
Jodi Oliver
Cora Rose
Sebastian Sharpe
Lark Taylor
Willow Thomas
All proceeds go to The Trevor Project and MindOut
With Stories
T. Ashleigh
Addison Beck
Nicole Dykes
Becca Jackson
Loren Leigh
Sundae Leighton
Lily Mayne
Charlie Novak
Jodi Oliver
Cora Rose
Sebastian Sharpe
Lark Taylor
Willow Thomas
All proceeds go to The Trevor Project and MindOut
757 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2024
About the author
Willow Thomas
15 books111 followersWillow Thomas is a MM romance author who loves to write stories that will leave you smiling. When she isn’t writing, she loves to read, go on walks through the British countryside, and spend time with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
July 17, 2024
3 stars overall
Picking You - T Ashleigh (4)
Kenneth's awkwardness was so cute! I loved Fin's energy too. Really hope there's more to come from these two because just from three chapters I already feel a connection to them.
Cherry Ice - Addison Beck (3)
Very cute and realistic awkward fumbling for two completely inexperienced nerdy guys, but the dirty talk felt so out of place considering they had to Google how to kiss and neither knew what they were doing 😂
The New Guy - Nicole Dykes (3)
Liked this trip back to Kensley, but I'd rather have focused on the start of their relationship in more detail, instead of skipping ahead with loads of time jumps that cover a whole school year in such a short story.
Cherry Picking - Becca Jackson (3)
Can't really decide what I think of this one! The characters were cute, but the side character Eli took up so much page time that could have been spent on the MCs. Plus nothing came of it so it felt like a loose end!
Until We Kiss - Loren Leigh (5)
My heart!!!! Absolutely loved this. For such a short story there is so much emotion packed in and I cried for Theo and what he's going through 🥹
Tucson Too Late - Sundae Leighton (1)
I don't think I've ever read such a shallow, contradictory story! Asher's character was a hockey player caricature - Alpha, huge ego, possessive, growly, jealous etc. - who kept banging on about how he broke his best friends heart but never mentioned what he'd done. He says he only recently realised he was attracted to men, aged 28, and he never noticed Saint as kids, other than he was jealous he was his twins best friend and took away from their twin relationship. Yet when they get together he says he always noticed him and was jealous his brother got to spend time with him, put his jersey on him etc. The guy and his story made no sense!
Saint was no better. How do you accuse someone of breaking your heart as teens when a) the other guy knew nothing about how you felt, b) Asher assumed there was something going on between Saint and his twin, and c) Asher was on a date with the girl he was into and had every right to do whatever he was doing. It was laughable.
This is a set up for a future book but it hasn't intrigued me and there were endless errors, as if no one bothered to read it through...
Demon In The Sheets - Lily Mayne (5)
So funny! Love that the MC is called Brad and his best bro's are Thad and Chad 😂 I would love to read more about Brad and Andris, and Nicky sounds like my kind of character too!
Always Been Me - Charlie Novak (4)
Very cute and sweet as always from Charlie Novak! I'm intrigued by the random guy with the pink harness though...
Rookie Moves - Jodi Oliver (4)
I'm loving the recent trend of hockey romances not being full of dominant alpha dickheads! Colby and Tyler are adorable - yes it was a bit too good to be true, but this was a really fun read.
Smoke and Holes - Cora Rose
Didn't read because I don't want to be annoyed 😬
All Shook Up - Sebastian Sharpe (2)
Jack deserved better and should have had more self-worth, kinda gross that he'd take Oliver back. I hate Royal characters and characters who choose inheriting money over love. Drives me nuts and I will never rate books like this highly. Get a job like the rest of the world dude! It's so stupid and I find it impossible to empathise because it's selfish and causing someone hurt and misery because you value money over them.
The To-Do List - Lark Taylor (3)
Cute but I really wanted to see the brothers reaction to them getting together!
The Sin Bin - Willow Thomas (3)
Super short and straight to the point!
Picking You - T Ashleigh (4)
Kenneth's awkwardness was so cute! I loved Fin's energy too. Really hope there's more to come from these two because just from three chapters I already feel a connection to them.
Cherry Ice - Addison Beck (3)
Very cute and realistic awkward fumbling for two completely inexperienced nerdy guys, but the dirty talk felt so out of place considering they had to Google how to kiss and neither knew what they were doing 😂
The New Guy - Nicole Dykes (3)
Liked this trip back to Kensley, but I'd rather have focused on the start of their relationship in more detail, instead of skipping ahead with loads of time jumps that cover a whole school year in such a short story.
Cherry Picking - Becca Jackson (3)
Can't really decide what I think of this one! The characters were cute, but the side character Eli took up so much page time that could have been spent on the MCs. Plus nothing came of it so it felt like a loose end!
Until We Kiss - Loren Leigh (5)
My heart!!!! Absolutely loved this. For such a short story there is so much emotion packed in and I cried for Theo and what he's going through 🥹
Tucson Too Late - Sundae Leighton (1)
I don't think I've ever read such a shallow, contradictory story! Asher's character was a hockey player caricature - Alpha, huge ego, possessive, growly, jealous etc. - who kept banging on about how he broke his best friends heart but never mentioned what he'd done. He says he only recently realised he was attracted to men, aged 28, and he never noticed Saint as kids, other than he was jealous he was his twins best friend and took away from their twin relationship. Yet when they get together he says he always noticed him and was jealous his brother got to spend time with him, put his jersey on him etc. The guy and his story made no sense!
Saint was no better. How do you accuse someone of breaking your heart as teens when a) the other guy knew nothing about how you felt, b) Asher assumed there was something going on between Saint and his twin, and c) Asher was on a date with the girl he was into and had every right to do whatever he was doing. It was laughable.
This is a set up for a future book but it hasn't intrigued me and there were endless errors, as if no one bothered to read it through...
Demon In The Sheets - Lily Mayne (5)
So funny! Love that the MC is called Brad and his best bro's are Thad and Chad 😂 I would love to read more about Brad and Andris, and Nicky sounds like my kind of character too!
Always Been Me - Charlie Novak (4)
Very cute and sweet as always from Charlie Novak! I'm intrigued by the random guy with the pink harness though...
Rookie Moves - Jodi Oliver (4)
I'm loving the recent trend of hockey romances not being full of dominant alpha dickheads! Colby and Tyler are adorable - yes it was a bit too good to be true, but this was a really fun read.
Smoke and Holes - Cora Rose
Didn't read because I don't want to be annoyed 😬
All Shook Up - Sebastian Sharpe (2)
Jack deserved better and should have had more self-worth, kinda gross that he'd take Oliver back. I hate Royal characters and characters who choose inheriting money over love. Drives me nuts and I will never rate books like this highly. Get a job like the rest of the world dude! It's so stupid and I find it impossible to empathise because it's selfish and causing someone hurt and misery because you value money over them.
The To-Do List - Lark Taylor (3)
Cute but I really wanted to see the brothers reaction to them getting together!
The Sin Bin - Willow Thomas (3)
Super short and straight to the point!
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July 21, 2024Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne ⭐️⭐️⭐️
this was too short whyyy😭😭 i wanted more
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes ⭐️⭐️
this was too short whyyy😭😭 i wanted more
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes ⭐️⭐️
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July 23, 2024My normal way of reviewing books doesn't really work for an anthology of novellas. I dictated some comments after reading each of the novellas so I'm just going to paste my comments for each book in here. I am still reading, so I'm just going to post my reviews for the novellas that I've read so far. I don't want to have to do them all at once and forget things.
Picking you by T. Ashleigh - 3.5 stars
This is the story of Kenneth and Finley. This is really short, under 40 pages. It only spans the course of one night so that makes it come off as even briefer. It ends with what I would call a hfn. Kenneth has developed a crush on his BFF Joe and he's feeling a bit awkward when Joe goes to hook up with someone else at the party they're at. Kenneth runs into a feisty guy named Finley and they start talking about his crush and Kenneth ends up revealing that he hasn't had sex. Finley offers to hook up with him. They do and they're both intrigued by the other person and have a good time. They decide to go on a date afterwards. And that's the end. It's nothing really special. It's such a short interlude.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck - 3.5 stars
This is the story of Levi and Mav who have been best friends since they were like 5 years old. They are 20 and they are roommates at college, they are both painfully awkward nerds and virgins, neither have even kissed anyone. Mav seems to have been aware for a while now that he has feelings for Levi but he's never been interested in anyone else or wanted to date. A popular guy named Asher asks Levi out and they start slowly communicating over texts and this makes Levi nervous and want to practice certain things with Mav. They start fooling around and as they fool around more Levi realizes that he is attracted to Mav, plus he already loves him and trusts him, he's his person.
This is an okay book. It is really sweet. These two characters really care about each other and do make a good pairing. I liked that this Novella covered a little bit more time so you see them developing a little bit more from Friends to more. However they are painfully awkward and innocent and even though they're 20, they read as if they're 14 playing spin the bottle. It's a little uncomfortably juvenile and cheesy how they talk about what happens on dates and what they should practice. 3.5 stars because they're sweet.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes - 4 stars
This is a story of Fallon and Finley. It's part of the Kensley world. They are high school seniors. Fallon is a jock. Finley is short guy with tattoos piercings dyed hair from California who just moved here for family reasons reluctantly. He feels like he doesn't belong in a small town like this. Fallon is interested in him at first sight and intrigued and wants to get to know him. He's quickly sexually attracted to him and wants to date. Finley returns the feelings but wants to keep it quiet because he doesn't feel comfortable with the people in the small town.
I like that this book spans basically a year of events. The author squeezed in a lot of story and relationship development in that time and even though they're young, the story still comes off as a happily ever after. It covers them having a secret relationship for months and then coming out settling into the relationship, graduating, planning for the future and living together 6 months later still together and making it work. Tropes include small town, size difference, opposites attract. Four stars.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson - 3 stars
This book is Noah and Patrick's story. Noah lost both of his parents and while he has two older brothers that help him out a little bit with money, he's trying to pay his own way through college. He's in his fourth year. He's VP of his frat. And he makes money by having an app called cherry picking where he gets paid to take the virginity of his clients. Patrick is a third year if he's afraid to spread his wings and hit on guys, so he hires Noah and then loses his nerve. They still hang out and get to know each other and decide to date and Noah gives up the app. I didn't really love the premise of this. Sex work is fine enough, but I just don't love the virginity aspect of it - even though it's fictional it just makes me feel sad for the people who hire him. Yeah they got a safe and comfortable space to experiment, but it's cold, temporary and something they paid for so it's just a little icky to have that focus on first times in such bulk being snuffed out for the sake of it with no feelings. I also thought it was unrealistic for Noah to abandon his means of supporting himself and close the app down before he even talked to Patrick and had Patrick agree to pursue a relationship with him. And I wasn't really feeling the romance between them. The chemistry was good though. It was also out of nowhere that Patrick suddenly called up Noah's Brothers and had them come to his game when they were so early on in their relationship. Three stars, there were a lot of passages that I highlighted in red which for me means something didn't sit right with me for my personal preferences or I didn't like the author's storytelling.
Until we Kiss by Loren Leigh - 4.5 stars
This is the story of Theo and Carter. They've been friends all of college and they're getting near to graduation. Theo is gay and in the closet, he's never been kissed or done anything, he tried to make a move on his friend Jason in high school and was sneered at and put down. Theo was an athlete, he played football and was aiming to go pro in the NFL. But he had a knee injury that ended his career hopes and he's recovering from it. Theo really struggles with self-esteem and he has depression. Carter is his best friend and a rock for him. Their friend group goes on a vacation to a tropical destination and Theo decides he's going to take this opportunity away from home to hook up with someone random and get over his anxiety, he doesn't want to repeat of what happened with Jason and if it's a stranger and no one knows about it he thinks it'll be fine.
Carter notices Theo's subtle flirting with a guy and he's hurt and a blow-up reveals that they actually both have a crush on each other. They hook up, but Theo realizes that he has no reason to be unhappy, he has a boyfriend who he loves, but he's still not right, he still about to break down. He comes to the realization that it's him that's not right, he needs mental health intervention and he takes the time to do that, with Carter patiently waiting for him. The book flashes forward a year at the end and they're better off for it.
This was really good 4.5 Stars. I'm really impressed with how much story they conveyed in a short novella. It helps that the characters knew each other and had a really really strong relationship as friends for years before the timeline of the novella. There was good depth to the characters and complexity to the storyline. I was really impressed with the mental health representation, it's difficult to get that right in a full length book and the author hit some good notes with displaying the complexity of it. I really enjoyed it, I highlighted tons of passages in yellow which means they were favorite moments. I thought Carter was sweet Golden retriever character, he was funny and loving. Tropes are friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort.
Tucson too Late by Sundae Leighton - 2 stars, warning to readers, this ends on a cliffhanger!
Mother f*****. This Novella was crappy to me and to make it even worse, it's not even a happy for now, it ends with a cliffhanger. I hate that. I don't think I've read this author before, in the first couple of pages I didn't really like the story, I should have trusted my instincts and skipped this novella.
This is a story about Asher and Saint. They have known each other since they were approximately 16. But we really only have the story happen in the present when they are both 28. Saint had a really big crush on Asher and was hurt by the fact that Asher didn't seem to care about him and Asher was living his life dating other people. Asher had thought he was straight but he would from time to time have these odd thoughts about Saint, so it wasn't completely unrequited. But Asher didn't really have his bi awakening until like last year when he was 26 or 27. Asher is a professional hockey player and he was dating a teammate of his named Wyatt, and they broke up and Asher broke his heart and Wyatt left the team and ended their friendship. Saint is a never been kissed virgin, he's shy. He works with Asher's twin Murph, who is Saint's best friend since 16. Murph is going out of town and Asher comes in the offseason to help out while Murphy is gone at the bar they co-own.
This story is all over the place. Saint gives me f****** whiplash, his character is so inconsistent, he goes back and forth on what he wants. One moment he's crying about Asher stealing his first kiss, mourning the fact that he wants his first to be something special, and the next minute he's happily agreeing to sex then crying about how it will not be special enough, begging/pressuring / challenging Asher to man up and fuck him, then back to mourning it not being special. It's also hard to believe that Saint would make it to 28 without doing anything. It's not like he actually had anything with Asher when they were teens, there was nothing there really. There's also reference to a bad experience that Saint had that made him come back to town and work with murphy, but we never hear what that is. I just can't understand why Saint is the way that he is he just comes off as a crummy developed character.
And to top it all off, this novella doesn't even end with a happy for now, it outright ends on a cliffhanger. The author must be selling this as a standalone book later on. I hate when that happens, it triggers my OCD not to get to the end of a story.
Even ignoring the fact that this ended on a cliffhanger and chalking that up to creative license, I give this 2 stars. It was a mess. There was the odd promising little moment of possessiveness from Asher, and Asher made sense as a character more than Saint did. But it's not enough to save it.
Demon in the Sheets - Lily Mayne - 3 stars because it was promising but I felt like it completely dropped the ball romance and story resolution wise. No HEA or HFN, no relationship, story just ends that they will hook up again sometime.
This was the story of Brad and Andris. Brad thought he was straight but he's in for a bi-awakening. His gf of 6 months cheated on him for the last 2 months of their relationship and he just found out and broke up with her. He talks to a friendly quirky colleague at work about it, and mentions he wishes he could get some petty revenge on her. The colleague Nicky displays some supernatural traits himself, and suggests Brad summon a demon to play tricks on her. He agrees to it just to indulge Nicky but he doesn't believe it will work. Spoiler, it works.
Turns out that demon was trapped in a place for like, 500 years by his brothers as punishment and he was mid jerk off when summoned. He's a really attractive horny virgin. In a scene full of hilarity and heat, they have a wild night together, but the summoning only lasts one night and then he's pulled back to his place of captivity. But before he leaves he asks Brad to summon him again for a repeat.
The story was really promising. It was funny and hot and there was a good dynamic that was being built, but then it just suddenly ended way too soon. And there was no resolution so there was no satisfying end to this. There was so much plot left unsettled. Like it kind of sounded like Nicky might be one of the brothers? And Andrias never freed himself from captivity so he doesn't have his freedom. And there was no relationship built, no feelings, it was literally just a hook up with the promise of a repeat. So I can't call this a successful romance and it didn't resolve the plot either so it's not a successful story.
Always been me by Charlie Novak - 3.5 stars
This is the story of Kent and Teddy. They have been best friends for 5 years, they are 23 years old. They are roommates too. Kent is a bit of a fuckboy, though he's been slowing things down over the last year or so. He always prioritizes Teddy over relationships with other guys, so he's never really dated much/well, lots of just hooking up. Teddy is a bit of a romantic and a picky guy, he wants his first time to be perfect, so he has rejected a lot of guys in the past. But he's frustrated, and he just wants to get laid so bad, he's about to abandon his standards. He asks Kent to take him out to a club to help him get laid. Kent has been wanting Teddy though, and in the face of him moving on, Kent makes a move. He wants to not just have sex with Teddy, he wants them to be boyfriends.
This is a nice enough friends to lovers story. I like that it had a epilogue 10 years in the future, it's nice to truly see the happily ever after especially given it's a novella you want to see more. It was sweet how they were so committed and quick to say I love you and let's mesh our lives together, they really were life partners before they added the sexual component.
One thing I didn't like is this novella features the trope of manwhore and a virgin. And even when Kent is thinking about Teddy, he's thinking it always should have been me you were with, not you I was with. The trope of manwhore being with hundreds of guys (most of them right in front of Teddy) while it's such a big deal that he gets his love interest's firsts is just ick to me, I much prefer equals. They were both friendzoning each other, so I wouldn't say that this story is angsty or includes heartbreaking pining AT ALL, but it's just a toxic mentality. I really do hate that trope.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver - 5 stars
This is the story of Colby and Tyler. Colby is a freshman at college and Tyler is a senior. They play on the hockey team together. Colby has been a star player and expected to be the top draft pick when he enters the NHL draft because he's that good. He doesn't want to go into the draft the first year he's eligible, he wants to go to college for the first year and have some normal life experiences, he's not ready to go straight into the draft. So he takes his year. Colby is gay but he's not out, he doesn't want to come out until at least after he's been drafted. He's also a virgin who's Never been kissed because he's too afraid to put himself out there.
Tyler is bi. They both kind of crushed on each other from afar over the last 6 months, but neither was intending to do anything about it. Then they have a talk one night when Colby is a little drunk at a party and Colby reveals that he wants to hook up but with a guy. And Tyler offers to be that for him. These guys are adorable together. They are sweet souls. They are kind to each other, they are attracted to each other fiercely, and they take comfort in each other. When Tyler graduates, he's got a job in Ohio with his dad, and that team has never won a Stanley Cup. So it's very unlikely Colby is going to end up near him. They both think this hasn't expiry date and they try not to get in too deep but they can't help it and they fall in love. And now they're talking about how they could possibly make this work long distance. They come up with a way and get their HFN, and while there's no epilogue I think these guys could Go the distance and get their happily ever after.
I think this was a really well told story. The author did so much with the pages that she had. There was some well done passage of time to move the story along and build up relationship history between them and depth of emotion with few pages. I kind of wish we had had the moment on page where they first manned up and talked about extending their relationship and being long distance after Tyler's graduation. I think that would have been a really emotional moment of vulnerability. But this story was right up my alley, loved it.
Smoke and holes by Cora Rose - 2.75 stars
This is the story of Thad and Rowan. Thad is a hockey goalie in college. He's a ridiculous character. His thoughts are wild. He's only ever done BJ's and handies with girls, he's never gone all the way. Literally accidentally gets a candlestick up his ass and it gives him a sexuality crisis. His tutor Rowan is not heterosexual, Thad has noticed him looking at guys. Rowan also seems to be some kind of demon. Thad asks him for help. And they end up having sex.
I don't mind the ridiculousness of this story, I do like humor in my romances. But this wasn't enough story. It was very very brief. Didn't even end on a HFN basis, just Thad wanting a repeat. No relationship development. Also it was kind of hinted at that Rowan wasn't entirely single, because when asked, he said no not really to the question of whether he had a girlfriend or boyfriend. Which is a sketchy answer. It felt like there was supposed to be more story to this but we were just given scratches of the surface. It was an intriguing snippet but didn't satisfy cuz it didn't go anywhere. I wanted a romance and this was not that.
..... I will update this when I read more of the novellas
Picking you by T. Ashleigh - 3.5 stars
This is the story of Kenneth and Finley. This is really short, under 40 pages. It only spans the course of one night so that makes it come off as even briefer. It ends with what I would call a hfn. Kenneth has developed a crush on his BFF Joe and he's feeling a bit awkward when Joe goes to hook up with someone else at the party they're at. Kenneth runs into a feisty guy named Finley and they start talking about his crush and Kenneth ends up revealing that he hasn't had sex. Finley offers to hook up with him. They do and they're both intrigued by the other person and have a good time. They decide to go on a date afterwards. And that's the end. It's nothing really special. It's such a short interlude.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck - 3.5 stars
This is the story of Levi and Mav who have been best friends since they were like 5 years old. They are 20 and they are roommates at college, they are both painfully awkward nerds and virgins, neither have even kissed anyone. Mav seems to have been aware for a while now that he has feelings for Levi but he's never been interested in anyone else or wanted to date. A popular guy named Asher asks Levi out and they start slowly communicating over texts and this makes Levi nervous and want to practice certain things with Mav. They start fooling around and as they fool around more Levi realizes that he is attracted to Mav, plus he already loves him and trusts him, he's his person.
This is an okay book. It is really sweet. These two characters really care about each other and do make a good pairing. I liked that this Novella covered a little bit more time so you see them developing a little bit more from Friends to more. However they are painfully awkward and innocent and even though they're 20, they read as if they're 14 playing spin the bottle. It's a little uncomfortably juvenile and cheesy how they talk about what happens on dates and what they should practice. 3.5 stars because they're sweet.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes - 4 stars
This is a story of Fallon and Finley. It's part of the Kensley world. They are high school seniors. Fallon is a jock. Finley is short guy with tattoos piercings dyed hair from California who just moved here for family reasons reluctantly. He feels like he doesn't belong in a small town like this. Fallon is interested in him at first sight and intrigued and wants to get to know him. He's quickly sexually attracted to him and wants to date. Finley returns the feelings but wants to keep it quiet because he doesn't feel comfortable with the people in the small town.
I like that this book spans basically a year of events. The author squeezed in a lot of story and relationship development in that time and even though they're young, the story still comes off as a happily ever after. It covers them having a secret relationship for months and then coming out settling into the relationship, graduating, planning for the future and living together 6 months later still together and making it work. Tropes include small town, size difference, opposites attract. Four stars.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson - 3 stars
This book is Noah and Patrick's story. Noah lost both of his parents and while he has two older brothers that help him out a little bit with money, he's trying to pay his own way through college. He's in his fourth year. He's VP of his frat. And he makes money by having an app called cherry picking where he gets paid to take the virginity of his clients. Patrick is a third year if he's afraid to spread his wings and hit on guys, so he hires Noah and then loses his nerve. They still hang out and get to know each other and decide to date and Noah gives up the app. I didn't really love the premise of this. Sex work is fine enough, but I just don't love the virginity aspect of it - even though it's fictional it just makes me feel sad for the people who hire him. Yeah they got a safe and comfortable space to experiment, but it's cold, temporary and something they paid for so it's just a little icky to have that focus on first times in such bulk being snuffed out for the sake of it with no feelings. I also thought it was unrealistic for Noah to abandon his means of supporting himself and close the app down before he even talked to Patrick and had Patrick agree to pursue a relationship with him. And I wasn't really feeling the romance between them. The chemistry was good though. It was also out of nowhere that Patrick suddenly called up Noah's Brothers and had them come to his game when they were so early on in their relationship. Three stars, there were a lot of passages that I highlighted in red which for me means something didn't sit right with me for my personal preferences or I didn't like the author's storytelling.
Until we Kiss by Loren Leigh - 4.5 stars
This is the story of Theo and Carter. They've been friends all of college and they're getting near to graduation. Theo is gay and in the closet, he's never been kissed or done anything, he tried to make a move on his friend Jason in high school and was sneered at and put down. Theo was an athlete, he played football and was aiming to go pro in the NFL. But he had a knee injury that ended his career hopes and he's recovering from it. Theo really struggles with self-esteem and he has depression. Carter is his best friend and a rock for him. Their friend group goes on a vacation to a tropical destination and Theo decides he's going to take this opportunity away from home to hook up with someone random and get over his anxiety, he doesn't want to repeat of what happened with Jason and if it's a stranger and no one knows about it he thinks it'll be fine.
Carter notices Theo's subtle flirting with a guy and he's hurt and a blow-up reveals that they actually both have a crush on each other. They hook up, but Theo realizes that he has no reason to be unhappy, he has a boyfriend who he loves, but he's still not right, he still about to break down. He comes to the realization that it's him that's not right, he needs mental health intervention and he takes the time to do that, with Carter patiently waiting for him. The book flashes forward a year at the end and they're better off for it.
This was really good 4.5 Stars. I'm really impressed with how much story they conveyed in a short novella. It helps that the characters knew each other and had a really really strong relationship as friends for years before the timeline of the novella. There was good depth to the characters and complexity to the storyline. I was really impressed with the mental health representation, it's difficult to get that right in a full length book and the author hit some good notes with displaying the complexity of it. I really enjoyed it, I highlighted tons of passages in yellow which means they were favorite moments. I thought Carter was sweet Golden retriever character, he was funny and loving. Tropes are friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort.
Tucson too Late by Sundae Leighton - 2 stars, warning to readers, this ends on a cliffhanger!
Mother f*****. This Novella was crappy to me and to make it even worse, it's not even a happy for now, it ends with a cliffhanger. I hate that. I don't think I've read this author before, in the first couple of pages I didn't really like the story, I should have trusted my instincts and skipped this novella.
This is a story about Asher and Saint. They have known each other since they were approximately 16. But we really only have the story happen in the present when they are both 28. Saint had a really big crush on Asher and was hurt by the fact that Asher didn't seem to care about him and Asher was living his life dating other people. Asher had thought he was straight but he would from time to time have these odd thoughts about Saint, so it wasn't completely unrequited. But Asher didn't really have his bi awakening until like last year when he was 26 or 27. Asher is a professional hockey player and he was dating a teammate of his named Wyatt, and they broke up and Asher broke his heart and Wyatt left the team and ended their friendship. Saint is a never been kissed virgin, he's shy. He works with Asher's twin Murph, who is Saint's best friend since 16. Murph is going out of town and Asher comes in the offseason to help out while Murphy is gone at the bar they co-own.
This story is all over the place. Saint gives me f****** whiplash, his character is so inconsistent, he goes back and forth on what he wants. One moment he's crying about Asher stealing his first kiss, mourning the fact that he wants his first to be something special, and the next minute he's happily agreeing to sex then crying about how it will not be special enough, begging/pressuring / challenging Asher to man up and fuck him, then back to mourning it not being special. It's also hard to believe that Saint would make it to 28 without doing anything. It's not like he actually had anything with Asher when they were teens, there was nothing there really. There's also reference to a bad experience that Saint had that made him come back to town and work with murphy, but we never hear what that is. I just can't understand why Saint is the way that he is he just comes off as a crummy developed character.
And to top it all off, this novella doesn't even end with a happy for now, it outright ends on a cliffhanger. The author must be selling this as a standalone book later on. I hate when that happens, it triggers my OCD not to get to the end of a story.
Even ignoring the fact that this ended on a cliffhanger and chalking that up to creative license, I give this 2 stars. It was a mess. There was the odd promising little moment of possessiveness from Asher, and Asher made sense as a character more than Saint did. But it's not enough to save it.
Demon in the Sheets - Lily Mayne - 3 stars because it was promising but I felt like it completely dropped the ball romance and story resolution wise. No HEA or HFN, no relationship, story just ends that they will hook up again sometime.
This was the story of Brad and Andris. Brad thought he was straight but he's in for a bi-awakening. His gf of 6 months cheated on him for the last 2 months of their relationship and he just found out and broke up with her. He talks to a friendly quirky colleague at work about it, and mentions he wishes he could get some petty revenge on her. The colleague Nicky displays some supernatural traits himself, and suggests Brad summon a demon to play tricks on her. He agrees to it just to indulge Nicky but he doesn't believe it will work. Spoiler, it works.
Turns out that demon was trapped in a place for like, 500 years by his brothers as punishment and he was mid jerk off when summoned. He's a really attractive horny virgin. In a scene full of hilarity and heat, they have a wild night together, but the summoning only lasts one night and then he's pulled back to his place of captivity. But before he leaves he asks Brad to summon him again for a repeat.
The story was really promising. It was funny and hot and there was a good dynamic that was being built, but then it just suddenly ended way too soon. And there was no resolution so there was no satisfying end to this. There was so much plot left unsettled. Like it kind of sounded like Nicky might be one of the brothers? And Andrias never freed himself from captivity so he doesn't have his freedom. And there was no relationship built, no feelings, it was literally just a hook up with the promise of a repeat. So I can't call this a successful romance and it didn't resolve the plot either so it's not a successful story.
Always been me by Charlie Novak - 3.5 stars
This is the story of Kent and Teddy. They have been best friends for 5 years, they are 23 years old. They are roommates too. Kent is a bit of a fuckboy, though he's been slowing things down over the last year or so. He always prioritizes Teddy over relationships with other guys, so he's never really dated much/well, lots of just hooking up. Teddy is a bit of a romantic and a picky guy, he wants his first time to be perfect, so he has rejected a lot of guys in the past. But he's frustrated, and he just wants to get laid so bad, he's about to abandon his standards. He asks Kent to take him out to a club to help him get laid. Kent has been wanting Teddy though, and in the face of him moving on, Kent makes a move. He wants to not just have sex with Teddy, he wants them to be boyfriends.
This is a nice enough friends to lovers story. I like that it had a epilogue 10 years in the future, it's nice to truly see the happily ever after especially given it's a novella you want to see more. It was sweet how they were so committed and quick to say I love you and let's mesh our lives together, they really were life partners before they added the sexual component.
One thing I didn't like is this novella features the trope of manwhore and a virgin. And even when Kent is thinking about Teddy, he's thinking it always should have been me you were with, not you I was with. The trope of manwhore being with hundreds of guys (most of them right in front of Teddy) while it's such a big deal that he gets his love interest's firsts is just ick to me, I much prefer equals. They were both friendzoning each other, so I wouldn't say that this story is angsty or includes heartbreaking pining AT ALL, but it's just a toxic mentality. I really do hate that trope.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver - 5 stars
This is the story of Colby and Tyler. Colby is a freshman at college and Tyler is a senior. They play on the hockey team together. Colby has been a star player and expected to be the top draft pick when he enters the NHL draft because he's that good. He doesn't want to go into the draft the first year he's eligible, he wants to go to college for the first year and have some normal life experiences, he's not ready to go straight into the draft. So he takes his year. Colby is gay but he's not out, he doesn't want to come out until at least after he's been drafted. He's also a virgin who's Never been kissed because he's too afraid to put himself out there.
Tyler is bi. They both kind of crushed on each other from afar over the last 6 months, but neither was intending to do anything about it. Then they have a talk one night when Colby is a little drunk at a party and Colby reveals that he wants to hook up but with a guy. And Tyler offers to be that for him. These guys are adorable together. They are sweet souls. They are kind to each other, they are attracted to each other fiercely, and they take comfort in each other. When Tyler graduates, he's got a job in Ohio with his dad, and that team has never won a Stanley Cup. So it's very unlikely Colby is going to end up near him. They both think this hasn't expiry date and they try not to get in too deep but they can't help it and they fall in love. And now they're talking about how they could possibly make this work long distance. They come up with a way and get their HFN, and while there's no epilogue I think these guys could Go the distance and get their happily ever after.
I think this was a really well told story. The author did so much with the pages that she had. There was some well done passage of time to move the story along and build up relationship history between them and depth of emotion with few pages. I kind of wish we had had the moment on page where they first manned up and talked about extending their relationship and being long distance after Tyler's graduation. I think that would have been a really emotional moment of vulnerability. But this story was right up my alley, loved it.
Smoke and holes by Cora Rose - 2.75 stars
This is the story of Thad and Rowan. Thad is a hockey goalie in college. He's a ridiculous character. His thoughts are wild. He's only ever done BJ's and handies with girls, he's never gone all the way. Literally accidentally gets a candlestick up his ass and it gives him a sexuality crisis. His tutor Rowan is not heterosexual, Thad has noticed him looking at guys. Rowan also seems to be some kind of demon. Thad asks him for help. And they end up having sex.
I don't mind the ridiculousness of this story, I do like humor in my romances. But this wasn't enough story. It was very very brief. Didn't even end on a HFN basis, just Thad wanting a repeat. No relationship development. Also it was kind of hinted at that Rowan wasn't entirely single, because when asked, he said no not really to the question of whether he had a girlfriend or boyfriend. Which is a sketchy answer. It felt like there was supposed to be more story to this but we were just given scratches of the surface. It was an intriguing snippet but didn't satisfy cuz it didn't go anywhere. I wanted a romance and this was not that.
..... I will update this when I read more of the novellas
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2024
*anthology rating is based off the following stories*
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finley is new to Kensley thanks to his dad having to move there for work. It's nothing like being back home in California, and he's the odd man out with his lavender hair and colorful tattoos. None of that matters to Fallon though, who becomes instantly enamored with Finley the moment he lays eyes on him.
The two could not be more different, and Finley definitely tried his hardest to resist Fallon's charm, but they just clicked. I honestly wish this would have been longer because I thought these two were just too cute and I wanted more!
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
Rating: 🤐
Theo and three of his best friends head to a tropical island to spend their spring break, and things get heated between him and his best friend Carter.
Maybe it was just me but Theo and Carter’s story was a bit too unbelievable for me, and I didn’t really feel the connection between them. The spice was 👌🏻 though
Tucson Too Late by Subdae Leighton
Rating: 🤷🏻♀️
After a rough season and a bad breakup, Asher is in Arizona to help look after the bar he co-owns with his brother, Murph, while he’s away for a conference.
There he reconnects with Saint, his brother’s best friend turned roommate, who has grown up to be quite the cutie. He flirts hard with Saint, not realizing the other man has been in love with him for years, and soon learns that Saint has been saving all his firsts for someone special.
Asher decides he should be that someone special and ends up falling for Saint along the way.
I didn’t really click with this one. Asher went from being annoyed that Saint was there, for flirting, to being mad possessive all within the span of 24hrs lol it gave me whiplash. The spice was fantastic though lol and even though I didn’t click the TBC has me intrigued
Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recently cheated on by his ex-girlfriend, Brad’s coworker suggests that he summon a demon to get back at her. Not really believing anything will happen but willing to give it a whirl, Brad actually goes through with the ritual and is shocked as shit when it actually works.
Andris, the gorgeous demon summoned by Brad, has been trapped in an inter-dimensional room thanks to his brothers. His first time out in ages, the pretty demon has a lot of pent up energy (😉) he’s looking to expel, and who better to do that with than Brad.
This was spicy, fun, and absolutely fantastic! Perfect for those who have always wanted to summon and fuck a demon 🤣
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Three years of failed dates has Teddy just wanting to throw his v card at the next random he meets at a club, and with the help of his best friend Kent he’ll hopefully find someone decent—even though Kent is the one he wants.
Seeing someone honing in on Teddy has Kent realizing the extent of his feelings for his bestie, and the two go home and have the time of their lives.
Too short, but definitely sweet!
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Lmfaoooooooo
We met Thad in Brad and Andris’s story, and after learning about his altercation with a certain candle and his visit from Rowan… Well, I’m very glad he got his own story because I needed to know what went down & it was as absolutely ridiculous (and smutty) as I expected it to be 🤣🤣🤣
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finley is new to Kensley thanks to his dad having to move there for work. It's nothing like being back home in California, and he's the odd man out with his lavender hair and colorful tattoos. None of that matters to Fallon though, who becomes instantly enamored with Finley the moment he lays eyes on him.
The two could not be more different, and Finley definitely tried his hardest to resist Fallon's charm, but they just clicked. I honestly wish this would have been longer because I thought these two were just too cute and I wanted more!
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
Rating: 🤐
Theo and three of his best friends head to a tropical island to spend their spring break, and things get heated between him and his best friend Carter.
Maybe it was just me but Theo and Carter’s story was a bit too unbelievable for me, and I didn’t really feel the connection between them. The spice was 👌🏻 though
Tucson Too Late by Subdae Leighton
Rating: 🤷🏻♀️
After a rough season and a bad breakup, Asher is in Arizona to help look after the bar he co-owns with his brother, Murph, while he’s away for a conference.
There he reconnects with Saint, his brother’s best friend turned roommate, who has grown up to be quite the cutie. He flirts hard with Saint, not realizing the other man has been in love with him for years, and soon learns that Saint has been saving all his firsts for someone special.
Asher decides he should be that someone special and ends up falling for Saint along the way.
I didn’t really click with this one. Asher went from being annoyed that Saint was there, for flirting, to being mad possessive all within the span of 24hrs lol it gave me whiplash. The spice was fantastic though lol and even though I didn’t click the TBC has me intrigued
Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recently cheated on by his ex-girlfriend, Brad’s coworker suggests that he summon a demon to get back at her. Not really believing anything will happen but willing to give it a whirl, Brad actually goes through with the ritual and is shocked as shit when it actually works.
Andris, the gorgeous demon summoned by Brad, has been trapped in an inter-dimensional room thanks to his brothers. His first time out in ages, the pretty demon has a lot of pent up energy (😉) he’s looking to expel, and who better to do that with than Brad.
This was spicy, fun, and absolutely fantastic! Perfect for those who have always wanted to summon and fuck a demon 🤣
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Three years of failed dates has Teddy just wanting to throw his v card at the next random he meets at a club, and with the help of his best friend Kent he’ll hopefully find someone decent—even though Kent is the one he wants.
Seeing someone honing in on Teddy has Kent realizing the extent of his feelings for his bestie, and the two go home and have the time of their lives.
Too short, but definitely sweet!
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Lmfaoooooooo
We met Thad in Brad and Andris’s story, and after learning about his altercation with a certain candle and his visit from Rowan… Well, I’m very glad he got his own story because I needed to know what went down & it was as absolutely ridiculous (and smutty) as I expected it to be 🤣🤣🤣
July 15, 2024
I enjoyed this anthology. The stories are light, fun, and steamy. Some standouts I loved specifically were Smoke and Holes and Demon in the Sheets. These stories occur in the same shared world that introduces many fun, exciting, and slightly paranormal elements that make for an enticing read.
Both stories are playful, and steamy and offer a fun sense of surprise and suspense at what you think may be happening, but without fully giving you all the answers. Overall I look forward to hopefully an expansion on these stories from this world because they were such a fun time.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
Both stories are playful, and steamy and offer a fun sense of surprise and suspense at what you think may be happening, but without fully giving you all the answers. Overall I look forward to hopefully an expansion on these stories from this world because they were such a fun time.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
July 28, 2024
Some of the novellas were hits and some were misses for me. Sooo many unfunny fart jokes 😓
I really loved Loren Leigh's Until We Kiss. The writing and characters were fantastic.
I really loved Loren Leigh's Until We Kiss. The writing and characters were fantastic.
Read
August 1, 2024This is the first time in a long time that I’ve read an anthology in its entirety :D
Here are my little reviews just for you pudding pop.
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
-cute. 5 stars
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
-this was the cutest thing i’ve ever read. 5 stars.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
-i’m tired of kensley. 3 stars.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
-My favorite one so far. Would’ve loved a full length book of this. 5 stars.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
-Okay this one is my favorite one now. I love Loren Leigh. I wish she would write more books. They always make my heart feel too big. 5 stars.
Tucson Too Late by Sundae Leighton
-the back and forth in this is insane. also the ending?? what the flip was that. 1 star.
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
-This was really funny. I laughed a lot. i wonder if she’ll write more about this. also it reminded me of cora’s writing. but in a good way. 5 stars.
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
-i love besties to lovers. 4 stars.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
-hot damn this was so good. excuse me while i go read other books by this author. 5 stars.
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
-I really liked this and i wanted way more of this. i’m just as surprised as you are. 5 stars.
All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe
-quite frankly i hated this. 0 stars.
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
-best friend’s brother is one of my fav tropes but this wasn’t hitting it. the ending sucked. this just felt like a prequel for a full length book and man i hate when short stories do that. 3 stars.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas
-they barely said 2 words to each other and they were like i’m falling for him. okay weird. also i was hoping this would be a hockey story with the title but apparently that’s a rugby term too. 2 stars.
Here are my little reviews just for you pudding pop.
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
-cute. 5 stars
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
-this was the cutest thing i’ve ever read. 5 stars.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
-i’m tired of kensley. 3 stars.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
-My favorite one so far. Would’ve loved a full length book of this. 5 stars.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
-Okay this one is my favorite one now. I love Loren Leigh. I wish she would write more books. They always make my heart feel too big. 5 stars.
Tucson Too Late by Sundae Leighton
-the back and forth in this is insane. also the ending?? what the flip was that. 1 star.
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
-This was really funny. I laughed a lot. i wonder if she’ll write more about this. also it reminded me of cora’s writing. but in a good way. 5 stars.
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
-i love besties to lovers. 4 stars.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
-hot damn this was so good. excuse me while i go read other books by this author. 5 stars.
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
-I really liked this and i wanted way more of this. i’m just as surprised as you are. 5 stars.
All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe
-quite frankly i hated this. 0 stars.
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
-best friend’s brother is one of my fav tropes but this wasn’t hitting it. the ending sucked. this just felt like a prequel for a full length book and man i hate when short stories do that. 3 stars.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas
-they barely said 2 words to each other and they were like i’m falling for him. okay weird. also i was hoping this would be a hockey story with the title but apparently that’s a rugby term too. 2 stars.
July 11, 2024
Popped is a charity anthology with thirteen MM romance stories about first times. I was excited to see what each author had in store for us. I do love full length novels, but it was so great to read these short stories and still experience all the emotions, but get to the HEA a whole lot faster. It was definitely a nice change and I really enjoyed it. I loved how I got to read stories from some of my favorite authors, but also read stories from new to me authors. For me personally, these stories range from three to five stars. My top five are Cherry Ice, The New Guy, Always Been Me, Rookie Moves, and The To-Do List.
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
This grumpy/sunshine story is about Kenneth and Finley. They are strangers that meet at a college party. Kenneth is confused about his feelings for his best friend, and the firecracker pixie Finley ends up helping him with this and so much more.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
This nerdy best friends to lovers story is about Levi and Mav. They are college students that are innocent and inexperienced. When Levi's crush asks him out, he asks for Mav's help to practice for his upcoming date. Although Mav has feelings for Levi, he agrees to help because he will do anything for Levi. Things get heated pretty quickly between Levi and Mav, and I just ate up Mav's dirty talk. These two were perfect for each other.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
This opposites attract story is about Fallon and Finley. Finley is the new student in his senior year of high school in Kensley. He stands out with his purple hair, piercings and tattoos. He doesn't want to be there and doesn't plan to stick around after graduation. Fallon is a jock that does his best to charm Finley, and Finley certainly tried to resist. I loved seeing Fallon and Finley give into their attraction, and it was great to see these guys fall for each other.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
This story is about two college students, Noah and Patrick. Noah has created an app for both guys and girls, offering his services to those that are sexually inexperienced. Patrick is Noah's client who is looking to lose his virginity. Things didn't go as expected, and it was definitely an interesting read to see how things would turn out.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
This friends to lovers story is about Theo and Carter. They are seniors in college that are going on spring break with two of their friends. Theo is trying to deal with a career ending football injury, as well as his feelings for Carter. There are some hot and cold moments, and things turn pretty steamy after Carter admits he wants Theo. Theo wants to work on himself, and it was great seeing the support Carter gives him.
Tucson Too Late by Sundae Leighton
This brother's best friend story is about Asher and Saint. Asher is a professional hockey player that flew in to help run his brother's bar in his absence. He finds that Saint, his brother's best friend, also works at the bar and lives with his brother. Saint has had a crush on Asher since they were younger, and we come to find out that Asher is interested in him. After Saint experiences a few of his firsts with Asher, the story ends with a To Be Continued.
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
This human and demon story is about Brad and Andris. After Brad has been cheated on, his co-worker convinces him to summon a demon to get revenge. He doesn't think it is going to work, but he follows through with it and is shocked when the demon appears in a compromising position. Brad finds it confusing that he is attracted to Andris, but he gives into it and things get very hot between Brad and Andris.
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
This friends to lovers story is about Kent and Teddy. While Kent is experienced and has hooked up with lots of guys, Teddy on the other hand is still a virgin. Teddy has been on plenty of dates, but nothing comes of them. Teddy convinces Kent to go with him to a club so he can pick up someone to have sex with. When they are there, Kent and Teddy realize that maybe they were meant to have this sexual experience with each other.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
This college hockey teammates to lovers story is about Colby and Tyler. Colby and Tyler discover they are both attracted to each other, and Tyler offers to help Colby lose his virginity. They have to keep things secret because Colby is not out yet, and wants to keep it private since he is going into the NHL draft as the projected first overall pick. Colby and Tyler end up catching feelings and I loved when things turned into so much more.
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
This student/tutor story is about Thad and Rowan. This was a funny one where Thad has a mishap with a candlestick and asks his tutor Rowan for help. Thad is actual roommates with Brad from the story Demon In The Sheets, and there are a few clues that make us think Rowan is a demon. One thing leads to another, and although it isn't appropriate for their student/tutor relationship, Thad and Rowan engage in a lot of sexual activity.
All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe
This friends to lovers story is about Oliver and Jack. Oliver and Jack are best friend and later in school discover they both have feelings for each other. When they go to take that final step to sleep with each other the first time, Oliver's dad finds them and refuses to let them be together. Oliver's dad changes the terms of his trust fund, and makes it impossible for Oliver to have any communication with Jack. Nine years go by before they are reunited, and it was completely unexpected. There were so many mixed emotions, and I wasn't sure how things would play out.
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
This brother's best friend story is about Archie and Zack. Archie has always pined for his older brother's best friend Zack, and has had fantasies of experiencing all his firsts with him. He doesn't realize that Zack might not be straight, and that he might have had a hand in it. Although they were concerned about how Archie's brother would react, they don't hold back and end up giving into their attraction and feelings for each other. I loved how we got to see characters and music from Lark's other series.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas
This hookup to lovers story is about Percy and Dean. Percy is looking to lose his virginity and heads out to pick up a guy in a pub. He meets Dean at the bar, and ends up going to his place. Although Dean is a big guy, he prefers to bottom and is thrilled that Percy is looking to top. Things move incredibly fast in this story, where one minute they have sex, and the next they are boyfriends.
All proceeds go to two LGBTQ+ charities: The Trevor Project and MindOut.
I received an advanced copy of this book, and this is my honest review.
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
This grumpy/sunshine story is about Kenneth and Finley. They are strangers that meet at a college party. Kenneth is confused about his feelings for his best friend, and the firecracker pixie Finley ends up helping him with this and so much more.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
This nerdy best friends to lovers story is about Levi and Mav. They are college students that are innocent and inexperienced. When Levi's crush asks him out, he asks for Mav's help to practice for his upcoming date. Although Mav has feelings for Levi, he agrees to help because he will do anything for Levi. Things get heated pretty quickly between Levi and Mav, and I just ate up Mav's dirty talk. These two were perfect for each other.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
This opposites attract story is about Fallon and Finley. Finley is the new student in his senior year of high school in Kensley. He stands out with his purple hair, piercings and tattoos. He doesn't want to be there and doesn't plan to stick around after graduation. Fallon is a jock that does his best to charm Finley, and Finley certainly tried to resist. I loved seeing Fallon and Finley give into their attraction, and it was great to see these guys fall for each other.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
This story is about two college students, Noah and Patrick. Noah has created an app for both guys and girls, offering his services to those that are sexually inexperienced. Patrick is Noah's client who is looking to lose his virginity. Things didn't go as expected, and it was definitely an interesting read to see how things would turn out.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
This friends to lovers story is about Theo and Carter. They are seniors in college that are going on spring break with two of their friends. Theo is trying to deal with a career ending football injury, as well as his feelings for Carter. There are some hot and cold moments, and things turn pretty steamy after Carter admits he wants Theo. Theo wants to work on himself, and it was great seeing the support Carter gives him.
Tucson Too Late by Sundae Leighton
This brother's best friend story is about Asher and Saint. Asher is a professional hockey player that flew in to help run his brother's bar in his absence. He finds that Saint, his brother's best friend, also works at the bar and lives with his brother. Saint has had a crush on Asher since they were younger, and we come to find out that Asher is interested in him. After Saint experiences a few of his firsts with Asher, the story ends with a To Be Continued.
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
This human and demon story is about Brad and Andris. After Brad has been cheated on, his co-worker convinces him to summon a demon to get revenge. He doesn't think it is going to work, but he follows through with it and is shocked when the demon appears in a compromising position. Brad finds it confusing that he is attracted to Andris, but he gives into it and things get very hot between Brad and Andris.
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
This friends to lovers story is about Kent and Teddy. While Kent is experienced and has hooked up with lots of guys, Teddy on the other hand is still a virgin. Teddy has been on plenty of dates, but nothing comes of them. Teddy convinces Kent to go with him to a club so he can pick up someone to have sex with. When they are there, Kent and Teddy realize that maybe they were meant to have this sexual experience with each other.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
This college hockey teammates to lovers story is about Colby and Tyler. Colby and Tyler discover they are both attracted to each other, and Tyler offers to help Colby lose his virginity. They have to keep things secret because Colby is not out yet, and wants to keep it private since he is going into the NHL draft as the projected first overall pick. Colby and Tyler end up catching feelings and I loved when things turned into so much more.
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
This student/tutor story is about Thad and Rowan. This was a funny one where Thad has a mishap with a candlestick and asks his tutor Rowan for help. Thad is actual roommates with Brad from the story Demon In The Sheets, and there are a few clues that make us think Rowan is a demon. One thing leads to another, and although it isn't appropriate for their student/tutor relationship, Thad and Rowan engage in a lot of sexual activity.
All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe
This friends to lovers story is about Oliver and Jack. Oliver and Jack are best friend and later in school discover they both have feelings for each other. When they go to take that final step to sleep with each other the first time, Oliver's dad finds them and refuses to let them be together. Oliver's dad changes the terms of his trust fund, and makes it impossible for Oliver to have any communication with Jack. Nine years go by before they are reunited, and it was completely unexpected. There were so many mixed emotions, and I wasn't sure how things would play out.
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
This brother's best friend story is about Archie and Zack. Archie has always pined for his older brother's best friend Zack, and has had fantasies of experiencing all his firsts with him. He doesn't realize that Zack might not be straight, and that he might have had a hand in it. Although they were concerned about how Archie's brother would react, they don't hold back and end up giving into their attraction and feelings for each other. I loved how we got to see characters and music from Lark's other series.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas
This hookup to lovers story is about Percy and Dean. Percy is looking to lose his virginity and heads out to pick up a guy in a pub. He meets Dean at the bar, and ends up going to his place. Although Dean is a big guy, he prefers to bottom and is thrilled that Percy is looking to top. Things move incredibly fast in this story, where one minute they have sex, and the next they are boyfriends.
All proceeds go to two LGBTQ+ charities: The Trevor Project and MindOut.
I received an advanced copy of this book, and this is my honest review.
July 5, 2024
So many great stories!! I’m hoping that a lot of these have follow up full length books. This whole anthology is about first times, with so many fun tropes. Friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, brothers best friend, demon/human, college, grumpy/sunshine and lots more. I’m excited to hopefully see more from all of these characters in the future.
July 21, 2024
Rating them as I read them
Picking You by T Ashleigh
1 Star
This one felt so unbelievable with how both MCs met and hooked up. Well, not hooked up since I guess they’re going on a date. Who knows.
The whole rambling, manic pixie thing was… a choice I guess. It felt more like a need to give this stoic prep school guy a complete opposite.
Also, in no way do I believe that this virgin of a man lasted longer than 3 pumps, let alone several positions and long enough to get his partner off.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
1 star
Two friends who end up doing a lot of practice things because one friend gets noticed by the popular jock. Other friend is in love. Other friend “falls” in love while practicing.
This felt so badly fake. Maybe because we really only got hints of Mav’s pov? Idk. It felt rushed, and oddly not because it’s a shorter story. Like the romance was rushed because the author chose to focus on the other guy texting the jock so much that I didn’t even realize Mav was the other MC. Also, these guys don’t even know how to kiss, let alone have sex so there’s no way I believe any of that dirty talk.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
5 stars
Okay, I’m totally biased but I absolutely love this world that she’s created and coming from California and staring at the sea of corn and windmills that is Kansas, I totally understand the grumpiness that’s Finley. I’m an adult but I can’t even imagine transferring your senior year to a small town in a red state when you’re used to being out and proud in a firmly blue one.
Fallon is adorably entranced at first sight and his casual stalking was hilarious.
Of course since it’s a short we don’t get the in-depth falling in love like we normally do, but it still works! Super cute
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
3 stars
It was cute. I didn’t really feel the chemistry these two had but it was cute. I also didn’t get the point of the girl trying to get the scoop on whether or not he was behind the app. I mean, it sounded like he banged enough people for it to be like…. The worst kept secret? I guess if she’d gone to the dean? Idk. It felt like fake drama for the sake of drama.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
5 PAIN stars
EXCUSE ME. Where did you get the okay to bring the pain in here?! I loved these two together and glad they finally got their shit together enough to say something. I’m also very glad that Theo stayed behind to heal. He desperately needed it. I only wish we’d gotten to see a bit more of their time when they weren’t together!
Tucson Too Late By Sundae Leighton
Negative stars.
Holy shit this was AWFUL. I think this is the longest review I’ve ever written and it’s because it’s fucking GOD AWFUL. I was writing this review as I was reading, so fair warning. It's LONG.
I scowled. “You know how I feel about hugs.” I didn’t like them. They got feelings involved, hearts, and then people ended up getting hurt. I was bad at all of that. I preferred being the lone wolf.”
He… hates hugs by his FRATERNAL TWIN because…. Feelings get involved? I’d like to think most people have happy feeling towards their family and seeing that he came all this way to help his brother out would also suggest positive feelings towards twin. But… wow. I- okay. Also the part where he drops his bags in front of said twin and makes him put them in the truck is also a side eye. He’s your brother you dick, not your valet. Pick your own god damn bags up. We’re 3 paragraphs in. Yikes.
Okay, main character is kind of a serious asshole. First he assumes because his twin brothers bestie is staying with him, who is gay, that they’re in a relationship. Second, even though we’re getting peaks at him being in a relationship with his MALE teammate, he says he’s still straight. Sigh.
He then goes and pins Saint (gay roommate who thinks he’s going to die alone since he’s 28 and is a virgin in every sense of the word, who is also madly in love with mc) to the wall because Saint called him out on being an asshole. Asher thinks, “oh he could be my rebound.” Dude. What the fuck. What the absolute fuck. Thankfully Saint has balls and turns his head so other MC I can’t even remember his name, doesn’t kiss him. What happened to being straight my dude?
Wtf is up with these characters?!
“I wish you wouldn’t call me that nickname.”
“Fine I won’t.”
“Don’t do me any favors.”
I-
WHAT?
He then proceeds to call him this nickname for the rest of the book.
“And then Asher had tried to deny it. Like I didn’t have eyes. I might have to wear glasses, but I wasn’t blind.”
Now glasses dude who wears glasses because he’s apparently NOT blind is freaking out on him because he broke his heart because mc fucked some chick on prom night WAY back in the high school day? I… wtf is going ON. He wasn’t around breaking hearts he didn’t even know about? This dude is acting like they were dating for YEARS or some shit when he was just the brothers bestie?
Asher wants to know how to make it right and begs to because he didn’t know he took his first kiss like two seconds ago after they were drinking, and glasses is complaining because he was saving it (he literally just said anyone will do a few chapters ago but ok), for someone special. Then he says you can fix it by kissing me again. 🤦🏼♀️
They have some caaaaasual frotting and glasses tears up and asks him to stay. Apparently Asher NEVER stays but JUST THIS ONCE HE WILL! (🙄)
Cue next day glasses has a dude come over for private yoga lessons which Asher intrudes in on. He gets mad jealous and mocks the dude behind his back, then storms off to his own room. He starts crying loudly and throwing things so Saint goes in and Asher freaks out on him. Saint says fine, I’ll go fuck dude that just came over because we both aren’t in our late 20s and have the maturity levels of teens. He storms off. Asher follows him to the bathroom and says he’s a bad man (I cannot roll my eyes hard enough here), how he hurt someone and to stay away. Then bursts into tears.
He starts ugly sobbing, stops and then asks to wash Saints hair??? He tells him how he couldn’t be the man his teammate wanted, but will still help him with his firsts. Then runs off with “I can’t do this right now.” My mind is melting from all the mental whiplash we’re getting.
Power goes out “so what, we’re just gonna sit in the dark and twiddle our thumbs?”
Uhhh… yeah. That’s typically what happens when the power goes out? Glasses dude reminds him he’s been in love with him for years, Asher tells him he was jealous because he spent all this time with his brother. Blah blah “you should watch what you say or I’ll make your darkest fantasies come true.” Dude. You and the serious hot cold shit has got to stop. I’d have kicked you out WAAAAAAY before this but damn. Okay, I guess they’re making out now. Yup. Now he needs fresh air because he broke some dudes heart. I… I don’t even understand HOW he broke his teammates heart? Said he wasn’t good enough and called it quits? Ok…?
Okay, the needed to have a tender moment for 2 seconds and we’re back to “omg I need u.”
So Asher gives Saint a blow job and then asks Saint to fuck him. He trails his fingers over a scar he has or a broken nose, idk I’m skimming at this point. Asher admits to seeing him in the stands cheering for his twin when all he wanted was Saint to be wearing HIS name and number.
“I tried to tell myself that I was jealous of all the time Murph spent with you, but that wasn’t it at all. I wanted it to be me and you,” Asher whispered.
I’m so confused. At the beginning he had to think of who Saint was, and all he could remember was how much he ignored him and now… he’s wanted him this whole… time? Cue confusion.
Now they’re banging and the “straight” guy has to give step by step instructions (put the condom on, put some lube on, step up behind me, insert dick 😑) to the kid that’s been gay since a preteen. This dude… doesn’t know how gay sex works at all? Alrighty. Has he never watched porn? Read about it in a book? Has gay friends who have explained it? No? Ok.
Also, wtf is up with virgins somehow banging their partner up to coming hands free in this anthology? There’s literally NO shame in lasting for two pumps your first time???
Anyways. They then clean up and pass out. Asher wakes up horny af and puts a condom on Saint and proceeds to stick his dick inside him. Saint wakes up after he’s fully inside Asher. Bruh. How did you not wake up after he got you hard, slapped a condom on you and inserted your dick into his ass? Like, I WISH I could sleep this well.
They bang and omg best orgasms ever. Straight dude freaks out because he’s attached and fEeLiNgS and now they’re fucking again. Bare this time because sure, why not. They trust each other. My eyes hurt from all the rolling they're doing.
“I’m terrified. But this, this right here, is everything I’ve always wanted.”
“And what’s that?” I whispered.
“You, Asher.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
My god. Thank the sweet baby Jesus it’s OVER.
Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne
3.5 stars
Honestly it was mostly just sex with lots of "bros." A demon with cute panties, drinking grannies, and twig bundles as gifts. I know these usually end in HFN... but this one just... didn't? If he wants to see the demon again, he has to summon him over and over? Why not just tie the demon to him?
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
3.5 stars
It was cute but it irks me when basically anyone realizes their feelings and actually acts on them with the other MC is like, fine. I'll find someone else and does until they're interrupted. Not in a revenge way, just acceptance like, "I know this will never happen so I'm moving on."
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
0 stars
...Dude... squatted down while picking up boxes.... onto a candlestick and it pushed his athletic shorts and THE CANDLESTICK straight up his ass. Yeah, ok. Did you just.... drop all your weight into this squat? I'm so confused how the candlestick didn't break?
Thad is terrified of his asshole being hurt so instead of going to the ER or a doctor, he asks his... tutor to check to make sure he's ok?! So he bends over, pulls his pants down and tutor inspects and touches his butthole which makes the dude super horny over the next few days stroking it out whenever he can.
Instead of researching this new development on his own, he dials his tutors number and tells him how he wants something up his ass now, but doesn't know what. Tutor goes and gets him sex toys, brings them over and helps him insert them? Because.... the internet doesn't exist? He can't research how to insert a plug, a vibrator or dildo?
He's over here taking two fingers when his tutor tells him how good he's doing and that he's a "natural bottom." Uhm... Yikes. That's disgusting but ok.
Anyways, Thad can't accept the plug into his body because he's tense and anxious so instead of comforting him, Rowan (tutor) just leans over and starts sucking his dick. Plug finally goes in.
"You look good with that inside you.... You were made for this."
Finally gets him off with a vague notion of "Of course he can see me smoking." Does it mean something when the character can see the demon smoking, like mates or something?
Also, suddenly, Thad's ass is greedy apparently. Shocking.
My hole is open, I say, pushing a finger inside of it. It positively gapes. "Will it close?"
I-
Oh my god.
They fuck and then shockingly enough they both come down and want it again.
This entire story is just... what the fuck. Also can't be Cora Rose without farting in it I guess.
Also lets just fetishize gay men again, because why the fuck not.
Gross.
Picking You by T Ashleigh
1 Star
This one felt so unbelievable with how both MCs met and hooked up. Well, not hooked up since I guess they’re going on a date. Who knows.
The whole rambling, manic pixie thing was… a choice I guess. It felt more like a need to give this stoic prep school guy a complete opposite.
Also, in no way do I believe that this virgin of a man lasted longer than 3 pumps, let alone several positions and long enough to get his partner off.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
1 star
Two friends who end up doing a lot of practice things because one friend gets noticed by the popular jock. Other friend is in love. Other friend “falls” in love while practicing.
This felt so badly fake. Maybe because we really only got hints of Mav’s pov? Idk. It felt rushed, and oddly not because it’s a shorter story. Like the romance was rushed because the author chose to focus on the other guy texting the jock so much that I didn’t even realize Mav was the other MC. Also, these guys don’t even know how to kiss, let alone have sex so there’s no way I believe any of that dirty talk.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
5 stars
Okay, I’m totally biased but I absolutely love this world that she’s created and coming from California and staring at the sea of corn and windmills that is Kansas, I totally understand the grumpiness that’s Finley. I’m an adult but I can’t even imagine transferring your senior year to a small town in a red state when you’re used to being out and proud in a firmly blue one.
Fallon is adorably entranced at first sight and his casual stalking was hilarious.
Of course since it’s a short we don’t get the in-depth falling in love like we normally do, but it still works! Super cute
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
3 stars
It was cute. I didn’t really feel the chemistry these two had but it was cute. I also didn’t get the point of the girl trying to get the scoop on whether or not he was behind the app. I mean, it sounded like he banged enough people for it to be like…. The worst kept secret? I guess if she’d gone to the dean? Idk. It felt like fake drama for the sake of drama.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
5 PAIN stars
EXCUSE ME. Where did you get the okay to bring the pain in here?! I loved these two together and glad they finally got their shit together enough to say something. I’m also very glad that Theo stayed behind to heal. He desperately needed it. I only wish we’d gotten to see a bit more of their time when they weren’t together!
Tucson Too Late By Sundae Leighton
Negative stars.
Holy shit this was AWFUL. I think this is the longest review I’ve ever written and it’s because it’s fucking GOD AWFUL. I was writing this review as I was reading, so fair warning. It's LONG.
I scowled. “You know how I feel about hugs.” I didn’t like them. They got feelings involved, hearts, and then people ended up getting hurt. I was bad at all of that. I preferred being the lone wolf.”
He… hates hugs by his FRATERNAL TWIN because…. Feelings get involved? I’d like to think most people have happy feeling towards their family and seeing that he came all this way to help his brother out would also suggest positive feelings towards twin. But… wow. I- okay. Also the part where he drops his bags in front of said twin and makes him put them in the truck is also a side eye. He’s your brother you dick, not your valet. Pick your own god damn bags up. We’re 3 paragraphs in. Yikes.
Okay, main character is kind of a serious asshole. First he assumes because his twin brothers bestie is staying with him, who is gay, that they’re in a relationship. Second, even though we’re getting peaks at him being in a relationship with his MALE teammate, he says he’s still straight. Sigh.
He then goes and pins Saint (gay roommate who thinks he’s going to die alone since he’s 28 and is a virgin in every sense of the word, who is also madly in love with mc) to the wall because Saint called him out on being an asshole. Asher thinks, “oh he could be my rebound.” Dude. What the fuck. What the absolute fuck. Thankfully Saint has balls and turns his head so other MC I can’t even remember his name, doesn’t kiss him. What happened to being straight my dude?
Wtf is up with these characters?!
“I wish you wouldn’t call me that nickname.”
“Fine I won’t.”
“Don’t do me any favors.”
I-
WHAT?
He then proceeds to call him this nickname for the rest of the book.
“And then Asher had tried to deny it. Like I didn’t have eyes. I might have to wear glasses, but I wasn’t blind.”
Now glasses dude who wears glasses because he’s apparently NOT blind is freaking out on him because he broke his heart because mc fucked some chick on prom night WAY back in the high school day? I… wtf is going ON. He wasn’t around breaking hearts he didn’t even know about? This dude is acting like they were dating for YEARS or some shit when he was just the brothers bestie?
Asher wants to know how to make it right and begs to because he didn’t know he took his first kiss like two seconds ago after they were drinking, and glasses is complaining because he was saving it (he literally just said anyone will do a few chapters ago but ok), for someone special. Then he says you can fix it by kissing me again. 🤦🏼♀️
They have some caaaaasual frotting and glasses tears up and asks him to stay. Apparently Asher NEVER stays but JUST THIS ONCE HE WILL! (🙄)
Cue next day glasses has a dude come over for private yoga lessons which Asher intrudes in on. He gets mad jealous and mocks the dude behind his back, then storms off to his own room. He starts crying loudly and throwing things so Saint goes in and Asher freaks out on him. Saint says fine, I’ll go fuck dude that just came over because we both aren’t in our late 20s and have the maturity levels of teens. He storms off. Asher follows him to the bathroom and says he’s a bad man (I cannot roll my eyes hard enough here), how he hurt someone and to stay away. Then bursts into tears.
He starts ugly sobbing, stops and then asks to wash Saints hair??? He tells him how he couldn’t be the man his teammate wanted, but will still help him with his firsts. Then runs off with “I can’t do this right now.” My mind is melting from all the mental whiplash we’re getting.
Power goes out “so what, we’re just gonna sit in the dark and twiddle our thumbs?”
Uhhh… yeah. That’s typically what happens when the power goes out? Glasses dude reminds him he’s been in love with him for years, Asher tells him he was jealous because he spent all this time with his brother. Blah blah “you should watch what you say or I’ll make your darkest fantasies come true.” Dude. You and the serious hot cold shit has got to stop. I’d have kicked you out WAAAAAAY before this but damn. Okay, I guess they’re making out now. Yup. Now he needs fresh air because he broke some dudes heart. I… I don’t even understand HOW he broke his teammates heart? Said he wasn’t good enough and called it quits? Ok…?
Okay, the needed to have a tender moment for 2 seconds and we’re back to “omg I need u.”
So Asher gives Saint a blow job and then asks Saint to fuck him. He trails his fingers over a scar he has or a broken nose, idk I’m skimming at this point. Asher admits to seeing him in the stands cheering for his twin when all he wanted was Saint to be wearing HIS name and number.
“I tried to tell myself that I was jealous of all the time Murph spent with you, but that wasn’t it at all. I wanted it to be me and you,” Asher whispered.
I’m so confused. At the beginning he had to think of who Saint was, and all he could remember was how much he ignored him and now… he’s wanted him this whole… time? Cue confusion.
Now they’re banging and the “straight” guy has to give step by step instructions (put the condom on, put some lube on, step up behind me, insert dick 😑) to the kid that’s been gay since a preteen. This dude… doesn’t know how gay sex works at all? Alrighty. Has he never watched porn? Read about it in a book? Has gay friends who have explained it? No? Ok.
Also, wtf is up with virgins somehow banging their partner up to coming hands free in this anthology? There’s literally NO shame in lasting for two pumps your first time???
Anyways. They then clean up and pass out. Asher wakes up horny af and puts a condom on Saint and proceeds to stick his dick inside him. Saint wakes up after he’s fully inside Asher. Bruh. How did you not wake up after he got you hard, slapped a condom on you and inserted your dick into his ass? Like, I WISH I could sleep this well.
They bang and omg best orgasms ever. Straight dude freaks out because he’s attached and fEeLiNgS and now they’re fucking again. Bare this time because sure, why not. They trust each other. My eyes hurt from all the rolling they're doing.
“I’m terrified. But this, this right here, is everything I’ve always wanted.”
“And what’s that?” I whispered.
“You, Asher.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
My god. Thank the sweet baby Jesus it’s OVER.
Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne
3.5 stars
Honestly it was mostly just sex with lots of "bros." A demon with cute panties, drinking grannies, and twig bundles as gifts. I know these usually end in HFN... but this one just... didn't? If he wants to see the demon again, he has to summon him over and over? Why not just tie the demon to him?
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
3.5 stars
It was cute but it irks me when basically anyone realizes their feelings and actually acts on them with the other MC is like, fine. I'll find someone else and does until they're interrupted. Not in a revenge way, just acceptance like, "I know this will never happen so I'm moving on."
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
0 stars
...Dude... squatted down while picking up boxes.... onto a candlestick and it pushed his athletic shorts and THE CANDLESTICK straight up his ass. Yeah, ok. Did you just.... drop all your weight into this squat? I'm so confused how the candlestick didn't break?
Thad is terrified of his asshole being hurt so instead of going to the ER or a doctor, he asks his... tutor to check to make sure he's ok?! So he bends over, pulls his pants down and tutor inspects and touches his butthole which makes the dude super horny over the next few days stroking it out whenever he can.
Instead of researching this new development on his own, he dials his tutors number and tells him how he wants something up his ass now, but doesn't know what. Tutor goes and gets him sex toys, brings them over and helps him insert them? Because.... the internet doesn't exist? He can't research how to insert a plug, a vibrator or dildo?
He's over here taking two fingers when his tutor tells him how good he's doing and that he's a "natural bottom." Uhm... Yikes. That's disgusting but ok.
Anyways, Thad can't accept the plug into his body because he's tense and anxious so instead of comforting him, Rowan (tutor) just leans over and starts sucking his dick. Plug finally goes in.
"You look good with that inside you.... You were made for this."
Finally gets him off with a vague notion of "Of course he can see me smoking." Does it mean something when the character can see the demon smoking, like mates or something?
Also, suddenly, Thad's ass is greedy apparently. Shocking.
My hole is open, I say, pushing a finger inside of it. It positively gapes. "Will it close?"
I-
Oh my god.
They fuck and then shockingly enough they both come down and want it again.
This entire story is just... what the fuck. Also can't be Cora Rose without farting in it I guess.
Also lets just fetishize gay men again, because why the fuck not.
Gross.
July 21, 2024
4.5 stars
July 12, 2024
I’m still reading through these funny, sweet and amazing MM short stories in this anthology, but I’ll post the reviews I’ve written so far. The theme for the anthology is about popping cherries, so expect at least one virgin MC in the stories, and the spice that comes with that.
All proceeds go to two LGBTQ+ charities.
The Trevor Project and MindOut.
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College
🍒 Grumpy/Sunshine 🍒 Opposites Attract
Picking You is a really sweet short story about a night in a guy’s life. A night with questions, answers, a new friend and new experiences.
Kenneth has just started at college, he’s there with his friends and everything is great. But not really, Kenneth has been feeling confused about his feelings towards his best friend lately, and he doesn’t know what to think.
Then he meets Finley, a purple haired little pixie (not really, he’s human, but short and lithe) who turns Kenneth’s world upside down before the night is over, and Kenneth is suddenly feeling a lot less confused, and a lot more experienced.
T. Ashleigh writes that this story is a spin-off from another series, but that this is a standalone. I confirm that statement. I haven’t read the mentioned series, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at any point.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College
🍒 Best Friends to Lovers 🍒 Childhood Friends
This was such a sweet story about two best friends, Levi and Mav, who've been friends since childhood and they’re now roommates as well. They’re both as inexperienced as they can be, and it’s a problem for Levi who’s been asked out by the hottest guy on campus. He asks his best friend for help, and Mav is never able to say no to Levi.
This was short and sweet, and I love the friends to lovers trope in these short stories, because despite it being short it doesn’t feel rushed in any way. This was the perfect example of that. It really felt like a full story, and it made my heart happy to read.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 High School (18+) 🍒 Queer Awakening
🍒 Grumpy/Sunshine 🍒 Opposites Attract 🍒 Small Town
Another purple haired Finley? What are the odds? My first thought was that this must be past-Finley, but that would mean that Fallon isn’t his forever, and we can’t have that!
Anyways. The New Guy is… about a new guy! Finley is the new guy in Kensley, a small town in Kansas. Finley stands out with his purple hair, piercings and overall vibe, and Fallon, football player, is super intrigued by that. He’s actually never felt that kind of interest and attraction to anyone before. Finley isn’t all that happy by Fallon’s interest and he’s afraid of showing his sexuality in a small town like Kensley, so Fallon got some convincing to do.
Fallon and Kenley were super cute together, and I loved their story ♥
The New Guy is a standalone, but with references to Nicole Dykes’ series Kensley Panthers since it’s the same town, high school etc. I’ve read the series, so I enjoyed that a lot, but there wouldn’t be any lack of information if you haven’t read the Kensley Panthers series.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College 🍒 Hockey Player x Hockey Fan
🍒 Instant Attraction 🍒 Frat Boy MC 🍒 Hook-Up App
This was the sweetest little story ever. Noah and Patrick meet through an app. An app, Cherry Picking, which Noah has created to offer his services to give people a great first experience. Patrick is looking to lose his virginity, but isn’t really feeling it once he and Noah get down to business. So he backs down, but Noah isn’t ready to let Patrick go.
This story progresses over weeks, and I really loved that a lot. It didn’t feel like a short story. I mean, it did, because it didn’t take long to read, but I just felt like I got so much of Noah and Patrick’s story that it felt like a whole book.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
🍒 Single POV 🍒 Coming Out 🍒 One Bed
🍒 Friends To Lovers 🍒 Finding Yourself
This story was a bit emotional actually, it totally had me in my feels. It's about Theo and Carter, who have been friends since freshman year of college, and they're on vacation with two other friends during spring break. Theo has some plans on his own for this vacation, since he's still a virgin, but getting to do it without his friends knowing isn't an easy task, and he's not out to them because of a bad past experience. He's also struggling after an accident that has ended his football career, so he's lost and doesn't know what to do with his life. The only light in his life is Carter, and the relationship between them changes during this vacation.
I absolutely adored Carter. I want a Carter in my life too! I wish this story was longer just so I could get some more of Carter and Theo. I loved how supportive he was of Theo, and how Theo found his path in life. It was a really amazing and heartfelt story, I want to read it again already.
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
🍒 Single POV 🍒 Queer Awakening
🍒 Human x Demon 🍒 All The Firsts
I read Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose before I read this one, without realizing that they are connected. This story is about Brad, and Cora Rose’s story is about Thad, and they’re roommates, and everything makes so much sense now. I was wondering why Brad was behaving the way he did in Smoke and Holes… Now I know!
Brad is having a hard time after his ex-girlfriend cheated on him, and one of his co-workers gives Brad the tools to summon a demon and get revenge on his ex. Brad doesn’t believe in demons, but goes through with the summoning nevertheless. A hot demon with black panties shows up, and makes Brad question a lot of things, including his sexuality. Brad has a request for the demon, but the demon has a request as well, one that makes Brad forget about everything else.
Super cute story, and funny as well. I really hope to see more of this world in the future, because, hello, demon hotties?! yes please.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College 🍒 Hockey
🍒 Teammates 🍒 Friends With Benefits
Rookie Moves is a sweet story about the hockey teammates, Colby and Tyler. It’s a complete standalone with an ending our guys deserve.
Colby is spending one year at college, to get all the college experiences before getting drafted for NHL, and he has some firsts he’d like to do before heading off to the big leagues. Problem is though, he’s not out. But in a half-drunken state he admits to his crush, Tyler, that he’s a virgin and he’d like to not be when he gets drafted. Tyler is quick to offer his help, and they start a friends with benefits kind of relationship. We all know how that usually goes.
I loved the dynamic between Colby and Tyler, one shy and inexperienced and the other more confident and experienced. It also comes to show as Colby is a little bit of a pushover when it comes to the media, where Tyler was very protective of Colby. It was sweet. Tyler’s patience and understanding towards Colby was also very admirable. I really enjoyed their story.
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
🍒 Single POV 🍒 College 🍒 Tutor/Tutee
🍒 Human x Demon 🍒 Steamy
I have a habit of jumping around in the stories when it comes to collections like these, and I read this story first, without realizing that Cora Rose and Lily Mayne wrote their stories in the same world. So I was left off with a lot of questions when I finished this one. But now I see the full picture, and I’m able to enjoy both stories.
Thad has a situation and asks his tutor, Rowan, for help, and Rowan is very, very helpful, especially when Thad asks Rowan to help him explore his newfound curiosity for butt play. They have a very steamy encounter, steamy in more ways than one – you’ll see.
I laughed out loud a few times during this read, it’s insanely silly at some points, but I like silly. It’s also incredibly steamy 🥵
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Read the full review on my blog here.
All proceeds go to two LGBTQ+ charities.
The Trevor Project and MindOut.
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College
🍒 Grumpy/Sunshine 🍒 Opposites Attract
“I’m beginning to think the universe is playing a joke on me, wreaking havoc on my life in the form of a little tornado pixie.”
Picking You is a really sweet short story about a night in a guy’s life. A night with questions, answers, a new friend and new experiences.
Kenneth has just started at college, he’s there with his friends and everything is great. But not really, Kenneth has been feeling confused about his feelings towards his best friend lately, and he doesn’t know what to think.
Then he meets Finley, a purple haired little pixie (not really, he’s human, but short and lithe) who turns Kenneth’s world upside down before the night is over, and Kenneth is suddenly feeling a lot less confused, and a lot more experienced.
T. Ashleigh writes that this story is a spin-off from another series, but that this is a standalone. I confirm that statement. I haven’t read the mentioned series, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at any point.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College
🍒 Best Friends to Lovers 🍒 Childhood Friends
“Anything for you, Levi,” he whispers against my hair. “You know I’d do anything for you.”
This was such a sweet story about two best friends, Levi and Mav, who've been friends since childhood and they’re now roommates as well. They’re both as inexperienced as they can be, and it’s a problem for Levi who’s been asked out by the hottest guy on campus. He asks his best friend for help, and Mav is never able to say no to Levi.
This was short and sweet, and I love the friends to lovers trope in these short stories, because despite it being short it doesn’t feel rushed in any way. This was the perfect example of that. It really felt like a full story, and it made my heart happy to read.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 High School (18+) 🍒 Queer Awakening
🍒 Grumpy/Sunshine 🍒 Opposites Attract 🍒 Small Town
He’s small in stature but gives off a don’t fuck with me vibe that even makes my bigass, two-hundred pound full of muscle, and six-foot-two frame shrink back a little.
Another purple haired Finley? What are the odds? My first thought was that this must be past-Finley, but that would mean that Fallon isn’t his forever, and we can’t have that!
Anyways. The New Guy is… about a new guy! Finley is the new guy in Kensley, a small town in Kansas. Finley stands out with his purple hair, piercings and overall vibe, and Fallon, football player, is super intrigued by that. He’s actually never felt that kind of interest and attraction to anyone before. Finley isn’t all that happy by Fallon’s interest and he’s afraid of showing his sexuality in a small town like Kensley, so Fallon got some convincing to do.
Fallon and Kenley were super cute together, and I loved their story ♥
The New Guy is a standalone, but with references to Nicole Dykes’ series Kensley Panthers since it’s the same town, high school etc. I’ve read the series, so I enjoyed that a lot, but there wouldn’t be any lack of information if you haven’t read the Kensley Panthers series.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College 🍒 Hockey Player x Hockey Fan
🍒 Instant Attraction 🍒 Frat Boy MC 🍒 Hook-Up App
It’s so Pretty Woman of me to fall for a client, but more than that, I’m hoping he’s happy to be the Richard Gere to my Julia Roberts.
This was the sweetest little story ever. Noah and Patrick meet through an app. An app, Cherry Picking, which Noah has created to offer his services to give people a great first experience. Patrick is looking to lose his virginity, but isn’t really feeling it once he and Noah get down to business. So he backs down, but Noah isn’t ready to let Patrick go.
This story progresses over weeks, and I really loved that a lot. It didn’t feel like a short story. I mean, it did, because it didn’t take long to read, but I just felt like I got so much of Noah and Patrick’s story that it felt like a whole book.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
🍒 Single POV 🍒 Coming Out 🍒 One Bed
🍒 Friends To Lovers 🍒 Finding Yourself
“You are so fucking sexy that it hurts my eyes. Seriously. I’ve got to squint. Or get an eye patch, so it only hits me half as hard.”
This story was a bit emotional actually, it totally had me in my feels. It's about Theo and Carter, who have been friends since freshman year of college, and they're on vacation with two other friends during spring break. Theo has some plans on his own for this vacation, since he's still a virgin, but getting to do it without his friends knowing isn't an easy task, and he's not out to them because of a bad past experience. He's also struggling after an accident that has ended his football career, so he's lost and doesn't know what to do with his life. The only light in his life is Carter, and the relationship between them changes during this vacation.
I absolutely adored Carter. I want a Carter in my life too! I wish this story was longer just so I could get some more of Carter and Theo. I loved how supportive he was of Theo, and how Theo found his path in life. It was a really amazing and heartfelt story, I want to read it again already.
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
🍒 Single POV 🍒 Queer Awakening
🍒 Human x Demon 🍒 All The Firsts
“You think I’m settling for you? I told you, this is fate. I knew the moment I saw you. I thought, ‘He’s the one to give me my first dicking.’ Honestly, it was a super romantic moment for me.”
I read Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose before I read this one, without realizing that they are connected. This story is about Brad, and Cora Rose’s story is about Thad, and they’re roommates, and everything makes so much sense now. I was wondering why Brad was behaving the way he did in Smoke and Holes… Now I know!
Brad is having a hard time after his ex-girlfriend cheated on him, and one of his co-workers gives Brad the tools to summon a demon and get revenge on his ex. Brad doesn’t believe in demons, but goes through with the summoning nevertheless. A hot demon with black panties shows up, and makes Brad question a lot of things, including his sexuality. Brad has a request for the demon, but the demon has a request as well, one that makes Brad forget about everything else.
Super cute story, and funny as well. I really hope to see more of this world in the future, because, hello, demon hotties?! yes please.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
🍒 Dual POV 🍒 College 🍒 Hockey
🍒 Teammates 🍒 Friends With Benefits
“Colbs, I just want to give you a heads-up—if you take your clothes off, I may end up rubbing myself on you like a horny penguin.”
Rookie Moves is a sweet story about the hockey teammates, Colby and Tyler. It’s a complete standalone with an ending our guys deserve.
Colby is spending one year at college, to get all the college experiences before getting drafted for NHL, and he has some firsts he’d like to do before heading off to the big leagues. Problem is though, he’s not out. But in a half-drunken state he admits to his crush, Tyler, that he’s a virgin and he’d like to not be when he gets drafted. Tyler is quick to offer his help, and they start a friends with benefits kind of relationship. We all know how that usually goes.
I loved the dynamic between Colby and Tyler, one shy and inexperienced and the other more confident and experienced. It also comes to show as Colby is a little bit of a pushover when it comes to the media, where Tyler was very protective of Colby. It was sweet. Tyler’s patience and understanding towards Colby was also very admirable. I really enjoyed their story.
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose
🍒 Single POV 🍒 College 🍒 Tutor/Tutee
🍒 Human x Demon 🍒 Steamy
“So…” I lean forward, unable to stop the words from slipping from my mouth. “A candlestick went up my butt last night—”
I have a habit of jumping around in the stories when it comes to collections like these, and I read this story first, without realizing that Cora Rose and Lily Mayne wrote their stories in the same world. So I was left off with a lot of questions when I finished this one. But now I see the full picture, and I’m able to enjoy both stories.
Thad has a situation and asks his tutor, Rowan, for help, and Rowan is very, very helpful, especially when Thad asks Rowan to help him explore his newfound curiosity for butt play. They have a very steamy encounter, steamy in more ways than one – you’ll see.
I laughed out loud a few times during this read, it’s insanely silly at some points, but I like silly. It’s also incredibly steamy 🥵
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Read the full review on my blog here.
July 12, 2024
I was very excited about this anthology, and the author lineup is amazing. I'm enjoying all these short stories. The anthology focuses on virgin main characters and their first times. These short stories are the cutest, sweetest, and spiciest.
1. Picking You by T. Ashleigh - 5 stars
“I’m beginning to think the universe is playing a joke on me, wreaking havoc on my life in the form of a little tornado pixie.”
In this story, Kenneth's life takes a whimsical turn when he encounters Fin, a captivating purple-haired pixie, at a frat party. Their initial meeting is nothing short of delightful, setting the tone for a sweet and charming narrative. I was thoroughly captivated by their brief but bewitching journey, which left me craving more of their endearing connection. The author's skillful storytelling weaves a spellbinding tale that will leave you spellbound and yearning for more of Kenneth and Fin's magical romance.
2. Cherry Ice by Addison Beck - 4.5 stars
This charming tale of two nerdy best friends and roommates, Levi and Mavvy, both virgins, will capture your heart. When Levi gets asked out on a date, they decide to practice their dating skills with each other, unaware that Mavvy harbors a secret crush on his dear friend. As they navigate their mock dates, their feelings evolve, and their friendship blossoms into something more. I adored how they finally confessed their love and achieved their well-deserved happily ever after. The story's progression was incredibly satisfying, and the characters' vulnerability and growth made their romance all the more sweet and authentic.
3. The New Guy by Nicole Dykes - 4.5 stars
I devoured the delightful tale of Finley, the charming newcomer, and Fallon, the rugged football player, and their captivating grumpy-sunshine romance! Nicole's signature storytelling magic shines bright in this latest Kensley installment, weaving a sweet and endearing narrative that warmed my heart. The author's mastery of crafting lovable characters and their tender connections never fails to enchant me. This story was a joy to read, and I'm already craving more of Finley and Fallon's love story. Nicole's Kensley series has a special place in my heart, and this spin-off addition only solidifies its charm!
4. Smokes and Holes by Cora Rose - 5 stars
I'm utterly captivated by the enigmatic tale of Thad and his mysterious tutor, Rowan! The author has skillfully woven a spellbinding narrative that left me craving more. With each turn of the page, the story sizzles with a tantalizing blend of intrigue and passion. I'm deliberately avoiding spoilers, but trust me when I say that this story is a must-read. The author's masterful storytelling has me begging for a full-length novel to further explore the complex dynamics between Thad and Rowan. The tension is palpable, and the chemistry is off the charts! I need more of this story in my life!
5. The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas - 4.5 stars
I devoured the captivating tale of Percy, a charming virgin protagonist, and Dean, a ruggedly handsome sports enthusiast with a physique reminiscent of a rugby player. Their initial encounter at the sports club was electrifying, setting the stage for a story that masterfully balances sweetness and steam. I was thoroughly enthralled by their romance, which expertly blended tender moments with sizzling chemistry. The author's skillful storytelling had me fully invested in Percy and Dean's journey.
6. The To-Do List by Lark Taylor - 5 stars
I enjoyed this story a lot. It's about Aiden, who is leaving for college in a few days and wants to lose his virginity before that. However, he also has a massive crush on his brother's best friend, Zack. The "fuck it" moment was wonderfully written, and I thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry. The author has plans to write a full-length novel based on this story, and I will surely be looking forward to it.
7. Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson - 5 stars
Noah runs a popular 'Cherry Picking' app on campus, helping people to lose their virginity with him. When Patrick, a shy and endearing virgin, books Noah's services, their explosive chemistry sparks a passionate encounter. As they navigate their blossoming connection, their initial transactional meeting evolves into a sweet and tender romance, filled with heartwarming moments and genuine emotional depth.
8. Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh - 4 stars
Carter and Theo, college housemates since freshman year, embark on a life-altering trip together. For Theo, who's still in the closet, this journey becomes a catalyst for self-discovery and growth. As he works through his secret bucket list, he can't ignore the intense attraction he feels towards Carter. The tension between them is palpable, and their chemistry is undeniable. I was captivated by Theo's journey of self-acceptance and his decision to prioritize his own happiness. The evolution of their relationship and Theo's personal growth made for a truly captivating and heartwarming story.
9. Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne - 5 stars
This scorching tale revolves around Brad, Thad's roommate from Cora's story, who seeks revenge against his deceitful ex. At the urging of his friend and colleague Nicky, Brad reluctantly summons a demon, despite his skepticism. But when a sinfully sexy and half-naked demon appears, Brad's doubts dissipate. This story was the most steamy and utterly captivating, leaving me craving more of these sinful demons. I fervently hope that Lily and Cora will consider co-writing a full-length novel, as I am desperate for a more of these sexy and sinful demons.
10. Always Been You by Charlie Novak - 4 stars
This heartwarming story follows Kent and Teddy, best friends and housemates since their freshman year, as they navigate a beautiful journey of self-discovery and love. After a string of disappointing dates leaves Teddy feeling dejected, Kent sets aside his own hidden feelings to support his friend, agreeing to help him find someone to share his first time with at a club. As they embark on this adventure together, their undeniable chemistry and tender moments ignite a passion that neither can ignore. Once they confront their true feelings, the story blossoms into a stunning romance that will capture your heart. The chemistry is electric, the intimate moments are tender, and the love they share is truly amazing. I absolutely adored this story and its wonderful portrayal of friendship-turned-love.
11. Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver - 4 stars
12. Tuscan Too Late by Sundae Leighton - 3.5 stars
13. All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe - 3.5 stars
* I received an ARC copy from Chaotic Creative Services and this is my honest review *
1. Picking You by T. Ashleigh - 5 stars
“I’m beginning to think the universe is playing a joke on me, wreaking havoc on my life in the form of a little tornado pixie.”
In this story, Kenneth's life takes a whimsical turn when he encounters Fin, a captivating purple-haired pixie, at a frat party. Their initial meeting is nothing short of delightful, setting the tone for a sweet and charming narrative. I was thoroughly captivated by their brief but bewitching journey, which left me craving more of their endearing connection. The author's skillful storytelling weaves a spellbinding tale that will leave you spellbound and yearning for more of Kenneth and Fin's magical romance.
2. Cherry Ice by Addison Beck - 4.5 stars
This charming tale of two nerdy best friends and roommates, Levi and Mavvy, both virgins, will capture your heart. When Levi gets asked out on a date, they decide to practice their dating skills with each other, unaware that Mavvy harbors a secret crush on his dear friend. As they navigate their mock dates, their feelings evolve, and their friendship blossoms into something more. I adored how they finally confessed their love and achieved their well-deserved happily ever after. The story's progression was incredibly satisfying, and the characters' vulnerability and growth made their romance all the more sweet and authentic.
3. The New Guy by Nicole Dykes - 4.5 stars
I devoured the delightful tale of Finley, the charming newcomer, and Fallon, the rugged football player, and their captivating grumpy-sunshine romance! Nicole's signature storytelling magic shines bright in this latest Kensley installment, weaving a sweet and endearing narrative that warmed my heart. The author's mastery of crafting lovable characters and their tender connections never fails to enchant me. This story was a joy to read, and I'm already craving more of Finley and Fallon's love story. Nicole's Kensley series has a special place in my heart, and this spin-off addition only solidifies its charm!
4. Smokes and Holes by Cora Rose - 5 stars
I'm utterly captivated by the enigmatic tale of Thad and his mysterious tutor, Rowan! The author has skillfully woven a spellbinding narrative that left me craving more. With each turn of the page, the story sizzles with a tantalizing blend of intrigue and passion. I'm deliberately avoiding spoilers, but trust me when I say that this story is a must-read. The author's masterful storytelling has me begging for a full-length novel to further explore the complex dynamics between Thad and Rowan. The tension is palpable, and the chemistry is off the charts! I need more of this story in my life!
5. The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas - 4.5 stars
I devoured the captivating tale of Percy, a charming virgin protagonist, and Dean, a ruggedly handsome sports enthusiast with a physique reminiscent of a rugby player. Their initial encounter at the sports club was electrifying, setting the stage for a story that masterfully balances sweetness and steam. I was thoroughly enthralled by their romance, which expertly blended tender moments with sizzling chemistry. The author's skillful storytelling had me fully invested in Percy and Dean's journey.
6. The To-Do List by Lark Taylor - 5 stars
I enjoyed this story a lot. It's about Aiden, who is leaving for college in a few days and wants to lose his virginity before that. However, he also has a massive crush on his brother's best friend, Zack. The "fuck it" moment was wonderfully written, and I thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry. The author has plans to write a full-length novel based on this story, and I will surely be looking forward to it.
7. Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson - 5 stars
Noah runs a popular 'Cherry Picking' app on campus, helping people to lose their virginity with him. When Patrick, a shy and endearing virgin, books Noah's services, their explosive chemistry sparks a passionate encounter. As they navigate their blossoming connection, their initial transactional meeting evolves into a sweet and tender romance, filled with heartwarming moments and genuine emotional depth.
8. Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh - 4 stars
Carter and Theo, college housemates since freshman year, embark on a life-altering trip together. For Theo, who's still in the closet, this journey becomes a catalyst for self-discovery and growth. As he works through his secret bucket list, he can't ignore the intense attraction he feels towards Carter. The tension between them is palpable, and their chemistry is undeniable. I was captivated by Theo's journey of self-acceptance and his decision to prioritize his own happiness. The evolution of their relationship and Theo's personal growth made for a truly captivating and heartwarming story.
9. Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne - 5 stars
This scorching tale revolves around Brad, Thad's roommate from Cora's story, who seeks revenge against his deceitful ex. At the urging of his friend and colleague Nicky, Brad reluctantly summons a demon, despite his skepticism. But when a sinfully sexy and half-naked demon appears, Brad's doubts dissipate. This story was the most steamy and utterly captivating, leaving me craving more of these sinful demons. I fervently hope that Lily and Cora will consider co-writing a full-length novel, as I am desperate for a more of these sexy and sinful demons.
10. Always Been You by Charlie Novak - 4 stars
This heartwarming story follows Kent and Teddy, best friends and housemates since their freshman year, as they navigate a beautiful journey of self-discovery and love. After a string of disappointing dates leaves Teddy feeling dejected, Kent sets aside his own hidden feelings to support his friend, agreeing to help him find someone to share his first time with at a club. As they embark on this adventure together, their undeniable chemistry and tender moments ignite a passion that neither can ignore. Once they confront their true feelings, the story blossoms into a stunning romance that will capture your heart. The chemistry is electric, the intimate moments are tender, and the love they share is truly amazing. I absolutely adored this story and its wonderful portrayal of friendship-turned-love.
11. Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver - 4 stars
12. Tuscan Too Late by Sundae Leighton - 3.5 stars
13. All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe - 3.5 stars
* I received an ARC copy from Chaotic Creative Services and this is my honest review *
August 3, 2024
picking you by t. ashleigh:
fin?? fin!
i'm so so glad joe was blind and was not seeing kenneth as a potential partner cause otherwise kenneth wouldn't have met fin.
cherry ice by addison beck:
childhood best friends to lovers?
chef's kiss.
two adorable dorks that are mesmerised by one another. shoutout to asher for giving them a push to get together.
maverick is amazing and he totally deserved the happy ending he got.
levi is so fucking oblivious.😭
the new guy by nicole dykes:
a bit too fast paced for me, but not bad.
cherry picking by becca jackson:
easy a vibes.
a bit fast paced too but cute.
until we kiss by loren leigh:
am i stupid for *just* realising that in each story at least one of the MCs is a virgin?🤓
carter was so sweet though.
i adore friends to lovers so this was incredible.
tucson too late by sundae leighton:
TO BE CONTINUED? TO BE CONTINUED?? what's that supposed to mean?😭
i also adore the brother's best friend trope so this did not disappoint.
was too sweet.
demon in the sheets by lily mayne:
i need more and i need it now.
i loved andris. i'm pretty sure nicky is like his brother or something and he set them up.
always been me by charlie novak:
best friends to lovers, simple, short, cute.
rookie moves by jodi oliver:
gimme more hockey players!
i love a good hockey romance.
smoke and holes by cora rose:
i wanted to see more of thad and rowan from lily mayne's story and i got my wish!
though i would have liked to learn what rowan is (what kind of demon probably) and see more of him and thad other than them fucking.
all shook up by sebastian sharpe:
another friend to lovers that i enjoyed.
it was painful reading about them being apart for soo long but at least everything worked.😭
the to do list by lark taylor:
brother's best friend. cute characters but i would have liked to see aiden's reaction to archie and jack being together.
the sin bin by willow thomas:
too fast paced for me but cute.
fin?? fin!
i'm so so glad joe was blind and was not seeing kenneth as a potential partner cause otherwise kenneth wouldn't have met fin.
cherry ice by addison beck:
childhood best friends to lovers?
chef's kiss.
two adorable dorks that are mesmerised by one another. shoutout to asher for giving them a push to get together.
maverick is amazing and he totally deserved the happy ending he got.
levi is so fucking oblivious.😭
the new guy by nicole dykes:
a bit too fast paced for me, but not bad.
cherry picking by becca jackson:
easy a vibes.
a bit fast paced too but cute.
until we kiss by loren leigh:
am i stupid for *just* realising that in each story at least one of the MCs is a virgin?🤓
carter was so sweet though.
i adore friends to lovers so this was incredible.
tucson too late by sundae leighton:
TO BE CONTINUED? TO BE CONTINUED?? what's that supposed to mean?😭
i also adore the brother's best friend trope so this did not disappoint.
was too sweet.
demon in the sheets by lily mayne:
i need more and i need it now.
i loved andris. i'm pretty sure nicky is like his brother or something and he set them up.
always been me by charlie novak:
best friends to lovers, simple, short, cute.
rookie moves by jodi oliver:
gimme more hockey players!
i love a good hockey romance.
smoke and holes by cora rose:
i wanted to see more of thad and rowan from lily mayne's story and i got my wish!
though i would have liked to learn what rowan is (what kind of demon probably) and see more of him and thad other than them fucking.
all shook up by sebastian sharpe:
another friend to lovers that i enjoyed.
it was painful reading about them being apart for soo long but at least everything worked.😭
the to do list by lark taylor:
brother's best friend. cute characters but i would have liked to see aiden's reaction to archie and jack being together.
the sin bin by willow thomas:
too fast paced for me but cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2024
Picking You by T. Ashleigh • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍 College
🤍 grumpy/sunshine
🤍 Banter
“I’m beginning to think the universe is playing a joke on me, wreaking havoc on my life in the form of a little tornado pixie.”
That was the cutest story ever! Kenneth is struggling with what he thinks are feelings for his BF, and when he meets Fin at a party, he finds himself unable to say no to this “tornado pixie”. The two of them find exactly what they need in each other and I would truly have read a lot more about them!!
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 BF to lovers
🤍 Nerd with a dirty mouth
🤍 Clueless MC
🤍 Praise
“I close my heavy eyes and let Mav’s scent envelop me. Safe. That’s what I feel right now. Like nothing can touch me when I’m with my Mavy.”
I loved loved loved this one! Levi is completely clueless as to what his BF truly feels, and my heart broke with each chapters with Marv’s POV. These two come together when Levi ask if they can practice for this upcoming date, and things get hot fast! The way Marv become dominant and hot AF was amazing, and Levi only want to be praised and loved. It was so so good!
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍 annoyance to lovers
🤍 Kensley Panthers
🤍 opposite attracts
“I want him to give into this amazing connection we have. I want him to admit he feels it too. That spark. That electric current between us.”
Fallon and Finley were the cutest. I loved how Fallon never gave up on charming Finley despite his grumpy side. This is a typical high school romance, two guys falling for each other with all the sweet and hot moments that go with falling in love.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 Frat boy
🤍 Escort (sort of)
🤍 Hockey player
“It’s so Pretty Woman of me to fall for a client, but more than that, I’m hoping he’s happy to be the Richard Gere to my Julia Roberts.”
I looooved that one sm! I feel like this story takes its time to unfold, the Popped Cherry happens much later than in the previous novellas, both MC taking their time. It was so very sweet, Noah had an app to help guys and girls wanting to pop their Cherry, and that’s how he meets Patrick, but things don’t go as planned…
Until we Kiss by Loren Leigh • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍Friends to lovers
🤍 Only one bed
🤍 mental health rep
“For the rest of the day, Carter and I are two islands, with a gaping ocean between. And I think that later, when shit gets clearer, it’s gonna tear through me. It’s gonna hurt more than I ever guessed it would.”
This one was a bit angsty with a touch of pinning and jealousy. Theo and Carter go on holidays for spring break, and Theo has this plan to suck a d•ck for the first time. He’s been dreaming and lusting after his friend Carter for a while but his head is a big mess after some changes in his life. It was a lovely, somewhat heartbreaking story, loved their HEA!
Tuscon too late by Sundae Leighton • ⭐️⭐️
🤍 best friend’s brother
🤍 grumpy MC
🤍 pinning
““I’ve never shared a bed with someone else before.” I climbed in next to him. “Look at me, taking another one of your firsts.” I wanted to take them all. Every single one of them.”
I have mixed feelings about this one. Asher is returning home to help his twin brother, and finds outs his twin now has a roommate, Saint. Saint is Asher’s bf since forever, and has been crushing on Asher since forever too. These two end up hooking up (Saint is the virgin here) but it felt a bit rushed/weird because I couldn’t really connect with Asher…
Also on a side note, this novella ends with a TBC.
Demons in the sheets by Lily Mayne • ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 Human x Demon
🤍 Lingerie
« I just really, really want to have sex with him. A dude. And a demon. A really beautiful one who puts on hot little panties to jerk off and apparently got banished for impaling several of his siblings on a big spike. »
That was my first Lily Mayne’s book but also my first PNR romance! I am not sure if it’s really my thing tbh, but I enjoyed this short story. Brad’s inner thoughts were quite funny, and the s•x scene pretty hot. But it felt. A bit strange, probably cause it was my first demon x human. Overall, an enjoyable short story!
Always been me by Charlie Novak • ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 BF to lovers
🤍 Jealousy
“Fuck. What the hell was I supposed to do now? How could I let him go through with his fucking ridiculous plan to get laid when all I wanted was to be the one he explored with?”
This was a sweet story, but it felt a bit rushed. I maybe too short? Kent and Teddy have been best friends and roommate for a long time. Teddy can’t seem to find a proper date to lose his virginity. Kent offers to go with him at a club and just pick someone to get it “over with”, but he’s starting to realize he might be the one Teddy needs.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver • ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🤍 College Hockey
🤍 Teammates to lovers
🤍 Secret relationship
“Don’t hide your smile, Colbs. It’s one of my favorite things.”
That is definitely my favorite novellas. It’s my first time reading anything by Jodi Oliver and now I cannot wait to read more! We follow Colby and Tyler,
they are teammates and Tyler offers to help Colby lose his virginity. Obviously they catch feelings 🥹 It was just the sweetest story ever, I cannot 😭 I need a full book of their story, like right now please!!
Smoke and holes by Cora Rose • 🤷♀️🤷♀️
🤍 Student/Tutor
🤍 Monster (demon?)
🤍 High heat
“It’s been a week since Rowan touched my butthole and I’m still obsessing over it. My ass has healed and gone back to normal, but my mind has not. It’s a little bent in Rowan’s direction now. So is my dick.”
Not really sure how to rate this one tbh. I am a fan of Cora’s book, and I loved the writing here (funny as always and the heat 🥵), but it was very short and there’s a lot we don’t actually know. Also the end isn’t really an ending to me…
The to do list by Lark Taylor • ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍 Brother’s best friend
🤍 Jealousy
“And if my choices are to either let you go fuck a stranger, or do it myself, then I’m going to go with the latter.”
This one was quite short and predictable. Archie pinning after his big brother’s best friend, Zach. But turned out Zach wants him too. Overall it was a good short story.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas • ⭐️⭐️
🤍 Hookup to lovers
That was way too short. MCs go from “hooking up for one night” to “I want him to be my boyfriend” in just a few minutes. Just not believable in my opinion.
*i received an arc for this anthology and these are my honest reviews*
I did not finish All Shook Up.
🤍 College
🤍 grumpy/sunshine
🤍 Banter
“I’m beginning to think the universe is playing a joke on me, wreaking havoc on my life in the form of a little tornado pixie.”
That was the cutest story ever! Kenneth is struggling with what he thinks are feelings for his BF, and when he meets Fin at a party, he finds himself unable to say no to this “tornado pixie”. The two of them find exactly what they need in each other and I would truly have read a lot more about them!!
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 BF to lovers
🤍 Nerd with a dirty mouth
🤍 Clueless MC
🤍 Praise
“I close my heavy eyes and let Mav’s scent envelop me. Safe. That’s what I feel right now. Like nothing can touch me when I’m with my Mavy.”
I loved loved loved this one! Levi is completely clueless as to what his BF truly feels, and my heart broke with each chapters with Marv’s POV. These two come together when Levi ask if they can practice for this upcoming date, and things get hot fast! The way Marv become dominant and hot AF was amazing, and Levi only want to be praised and loved. It was so so good!
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍 annoyance to lovers
🤍 Kensley Panthers
🤍 opposite attracts
“I want him to give into this amazing connection we have. I want him to admit he feels it too. That spark. That electric current between us.”
Fallon and Finley were the cutest. I loved how Fallon never gave up on charming Finley despite his grumpy side. This is a typical high school romance, two guys falling for each other with all the sweet and hot moments that go with falling in love.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 Frat boy
🤍 Escort (sort of)
🤍 Hockey player
“It’s so Pretty Woman of me to fall for a client, but more than that, I’m hoping he’s happy to be the Richard Gere to my Julia Roberts.”
I looooved that one sm! I feel like this story takes its time to unfold, the Popped Cherry happens much later than in the previous novellas, both MC taking their time. It was so very sweet, Noah had an app to help guys and girls wanting to pop their Cherry, and that’s how he meets Patrick, but things don’t go as planned…
Until we Kiss by Loren Leigh • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍Friends to lovers
🤍 Only one bed
🤍 mental health rep
“For the rest of the day, Carter and I are two islands, with a gaping ocean between. And I think that later, when shit gets clearer, it’s gonna tear through me. It’s gonna hurt more than I ever guessed it would.”
This one was a bit angsty with a touch of pinning and jealousy. Theo and Carter go on holidays for spring break, and Theo has this plan to suck a d•ck for the first time. He’s been dreaming and lusting after his friend Carter for a while but his head is a big mess after some changes in his life. It was a lovely, somewhat heartbreaking story, loved their HEA!
Tuscon too late by Sundae Leighton • ⭐️⭐️
🤍 best friend’s brother
🤍 grumpy MC
🤍 pinning
““I’ve never shared a bed with someone else before.” I climbed in next to him. “Look at me, taking another one of your firsts.” I wanted to take them all. Every single one of them.”
I have mixed feelings about this one. Asher is returning home to help his twin brother, and finds outs his twin now has a roommate, Saint. Saint is Asher’s bf since forever, and has been crushing on Asher since forever too. These two end up hooking up (Saint is the virgin here) but it felt a bit rushed/weird because I couldn’t really connect with Asher…
Also on a side note, this novella ends with a TBC.
Demons in the sheets by Lily Mayne • ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 Human x Demon
🤍 Lingerie
« I just really, really want to have sex with him. A dude. And a demon. A really beautiful one who puts on hot little panties to jerk off and apparently got banished for impaling several of his siblings on a big spike. »
That was my first Lily Mayne’s book but also my first PNR romance! I am not sure if it’s really my thing tbh, but I enjoyed this short story. Brad’s inner thoughts were quite funny, and the s•x scene pretty hot. But it felt. A bit strange, probably cause it was my first demon x human. Overall, an enjoyable short story!
Always been me by Charlie Novak • ⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
🤍 BF to lovers
🤍 Jealousy
“Fuck. What the hell was I supposed to do now? How could I let him go through with his fucking ridiculous plan to get laid when all I wanted was to be the one he explored with?”
This was a sweet story, but it felt a bit rushed. I maybe too short? Kent and Teddy have been best friends and roommate for a long time. Teddy can’t seem to find a proper date to lose his virginity. Kent offers to go with him at a club and just pick someone to get it “over with”, but he’s starting to realize he might be the one Teddy needs.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver • ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🤍 College Hockey
🤍 Teammates to lovers
🤍 Secret relationship
“Don’t hide your smile, Colbs. It’s one of my favorite things.”
That is definitely my favorite novellas. It’s my first time reading anything by Jodi Oliver and now I cannot wait to read more! We follow Colby and Tyler,
they are teammates and Tyler offers to help Colby lose his virginity. Obviously they catch feelings 🥹 It was just the sweetest story ever, I cannot 😭 I need a full book of their story, like right now please!!
Smoke and holes by Cora Rose • 🤷♀️🤷♀️
🤍 Student/Tutor
🤍 Monster (demon?)
🤍 High heat
“It’s been a week since Rowan touched my butthole and I’m still obsessing over it. My ass has healed and gone back to normal, but my mind has not. It’s a little bent in Rowan’s direction now. So is my dick.”
Not really sure how to rate this one tbh. I am a fan of Cora’s book, and I loved the writing here (funny as always and the heat 🥵), but it was very short and there’s a lot we don’t actually know. Also the end isn’t really an ending to me…
The to do list by Lark Taylor • ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤍 Brother’s best friend
🤍 Jealousy
“And if my choices are to either let you go fuck a stranger, or do it myself, then I’m going to go with the latter.”
This one was quite short and predictable. Archie pinning after his big brother’s best friend, Zach. But turned out Zach wants him too. Overall it was a good short story.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas • ⭐️⭐️
🤍 Hookup to lovers
That was way too short. MCs go from “hooking up for one night” to “I want him to be my boyfriend” in just a few minutes. Just not believable in my opinion.
*i received an arc for this anthology and these are my honest reviews*
I did not finish All Shook Up.
July 17, 2024
This was a fun anthology!
Cherry picking by T. Ashleigh - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was really cute and also funny! I loved the way Kenneth and Fin met. I’d love to read more of them!
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really thought I would like this one more than I did because I feel like it was everyone’s favourite but for some reason I just didn’t vibe with it.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this one! I think it might be my favourite out of all of the stories. I love Kensley and Fallon and Finley were adorable. ALSO TRAVIS AND OAKLEY HAGE A KID APPARENTLY! I hope Nicole Dykes never stops writing stories that take place in Kensley (or big bend).
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Even though this one seemed a bit unbelievable I thought it was good! Carter and Theo were cute and I liked the depression rep in this as well. This one honestly made me a little sad too but it had a happy ending that I really liked.
Demon In the Sheets by Lily Mayne - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t know what else to say besides this was just such a fun time 😂.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Colby and Tyler were really sweet and I’m so glad their story was one of the longer ones!
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I enjoyed this one but I wanted more.
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I really liked this one! I love how Lark Taylor throws in little cameos like Toby and I’m assuming Lucky and his guys. Zack and Archie were cute but I would also have liked there to be a smidge more to the story.
Sin Bin by Willow Thomas - ⭐️⭐️.5
This one was a little too fast for me and I didn’t feel the connection between the MCs at all.
Cherry picking by T. Ashleigh - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was really cute and also funny! I loved the way Kenneth and Fin met. I’d love to read more of them!
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really thought I would like this one more than I did because I feel like it was everyone’s favourite but for some reason I just didn’t vibe with it.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this one! I think it might be my favourite out of all of the stories. I love Kensley and Fallon and Finley were adorable. ALSO TRAVIS AND OAKLEY HAGE A KID APPARENTLY! I hope Nicole Dykes never stops writing stories that take place in Kensley (or big bend).
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Even though this one seemed a bit unbelievable I thought it was good! Carter and Theo were cute and I liked the depression rep in this as well. This one honestly made me a little sad too but it had a happy ending that I really liked.
Demon In the Sheets by Lily Mayne - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don’t know what else to say besides this was just such a fun time 😂.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Colby and Tyler were really sweet and I’m so glad their story was one of the longer ones!
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I enjoyed this one but I wanted more.
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I really liked this one! I love how Lark Taylor throws in little cameos like Toby and I’m assuming Lucky and his guys. Zack and Archie were cute but I would also have liked there to be a smidge more to the story.
Sin Bin by Willow Thomas - ⭐️⭐️.5
This one was a little too fast for me and I didn’t feel the connection between the MCs at all.
July 25, 2024
At this rate I just read anthologies so ya’ll don’t have to.
I hate the virgin trope but I needed something I could read off and on while busy. I was surprised by how cute some of these were.
I still only give it 2.5 stars rounded up because there were a few really bad ones and two I skipped because I loathe the authors.
————————-
T. Ashleigh- Cute, 3.5 stars
Addison Beck- Cute, 3.5 stars
Nicole Dykes- skipping because she’s a shit author
Becca Jackson- Cute, 3 stars
Loren Leigh- 3.5 stars. Super cute but where’s the steam…? There’s a little bit but.. wah
Sundae Leighton- zero stars. I’ve read thousands of MM books, novellas, and shorts… and this was by far some of the cringiest writing I’ve ever read. Ever. This author is shelved in the darkest of dungeons. 😵💫
Lily Mayne- DNF. OH MY GOD HER WRITING IS INTOLERABLE NOW OMG 😭 I didn’t even make it one chapter 🥲
Charlie Novak- 2 stars. I have loved a few of this author’s books, but her internal dialogue, even in a short, is SO HEAVY. Otherwise it was just generic and meh. Like most of what she’s released in the past two years.
Jodi Oliver- 3 stars… lots of mouth clashing, slamming, and smashing… butttt it ended up being pretty cute.
Cora Rose- Won’t read. You couldn’t pay me to read this author again.
Sebastian Sharpe- 3 stars. the dedication was AWESOME. Also impressed with a novella that spans almost a decade. There was some writing issues but it was entertaining.
Lark Taylor- 2 stars. Pretty generic brother’s best friend. Read it before. Nothing unique about it. Ended abruptly.
Willow Thomas- 1 star. uh. That was the fastest get together with least chemistry I’ve ever read lmao.
I hate the virgin trope but I needed something I could read off and on while busy. I was surprised by how cute some of these were.
I still only give it 2.5 stars rounded up because there were a few really bad ones and two I skipped because I loathe the authors.
————————-
T. Ashleigh- Cute, 3.5 stars
Addison Beck- Cute, 3.5 stars
Nicole Dykes- skipping because she’s a shit author
Becca Jackson- Cute, 3 stars
Loren Leigh- 3.5 stars. Super cute but where’s the steam…? There’s a little bit but.. wah
Sundae Leighton- zero stars. I’ve read thousands of MM books, novellas, and shorts… and this was by far some of the cringiest writing I’ve ever read. Ever. This author is shelved in the darkest of dungeons. 😵💫
Lily Mayne- DNF. OH MY GOD HER WRITING IS INTOLERABLE NOW OMG 😭 I didn’t even make it one chapter 🥲
Charlie Novak- 2 stars. I have loved a few of this author’s books, but her internal dialogue, even in a short, is SO HEAVY. Otherwise it was just generic and meh. Like most of what she’s released in the past two years.
Jodi Oliver- 3 stars… lots of mouth clashing, slamming, and smashing… butttt it ended up being pretty cute.
Cora Rose- Won’t read. You couldn’t pay me to read this author again.
Sebastian Sharpe- 3 stars. the dedication was AWESOME. Also impressed with a novella that spans almost a decade. There was some writing issues but it was entertaining.
Lark Taylor- 2 stars. Pretty generic brother’s best friend. Read it before. Nothing unique about it. Ended abruptly.
Willow Thomas- 1 star. uh. That was the fastest get together with least chemistry I’ve ever read lmao.
July 29, 2024
Cherry Ice
3.5 stars
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
________________________________________________
Demon in the sheets
3.75 stars
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
________________________________________________
The To Do List
3 stars
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
________________________________________________
3.5 stars
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
________________________________________________
Demon in the sheets
3.75 stars
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
________________________________________________
The To Do List
3 stars
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
________________________________________________
July 31, 2024
3.5 stars overall for what I read.
⭐︎ Picking You by T. Ashleigh ⭐︎ - 3.5 stars
This had Kenneth who was one of the friends of the MC's from the Lionheart Academy books, as well as Joeseph, who we knew had a lingering thing for one of the MC's from book one. Kenneth is his best friend who is wondering if he now has a thing for him after all these years of friendship.
But we already got out best friends to lovers in the original series, so this doesn't turn out to be about these two.
Instead when it's clear Joseph is in a room with a random guy and Kenneth is having confusing feelings about that, he meets Finley, aka Finn, with is like a little purple pixie full of energy. There is almost an instant connection between them.
I liked these two. This is a short story, so we didn't get as much as I would have liked - but who knows, maybe one day the author turn these two into a full length novel. She said that she's toying with the idea of a spin-off to the Lionheart Academy series, so...maybe 😉
-
I skipped many of the next authors (although maybe one day I can come back to Addison Beck and Nicole Dykes, who I did kinda want to read) until the Lily Mayne story.
⭐︎ Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne ⭐︎ - 4 stars
I can always count on Lily Mayne to be a solid, entertaining read. This was my favorite read - of what I did read - of the anthology.
Brad is a total himbo, and he was recently cheated by his girlfriend and isn't quite over it yet. His friend at work - who is totally a monster in human disguise - gives him a book to summon a demon to use it to get back at his ex-girlfriend.
Brad doesn't take it seriously, although is friend seems 100% serious. He sets out to try it just to try it, because his friend wants him to. But he isn't actually expecting anything to happen. When it does, and he does summon a demon, he is mightily shocked.
And when he turns out he didn't properly seal said demon in....he comes out of the triangle and things don't turn bloody and violent, but sexy, of course.
This story left the door open for a larger story if Lily so chooses. It was cute and fun and sexy. It only suffered from being too short, really.
-
I skipped the next story and went to the Jodi Oliver story
⭐︎ Rookie Movies by Jodi Oliver ⭐︎ - 3 stars
Meh. This was too long for what we got, actually. It took me too long to finish what should have been a simple story. Colby and Tyler were okay, cute at times, with some 'meh' sexy times overall, but aside from them getting together, there wasn't much of a plot. Like sure, yeah, they were supposed to be "casual" at first, but they didn't act casual in the least, so that was laughable that it was being dragged out as casual for as long as it was.
Plus, I think I'm really getting tired of hockey as a genre. I mean obviously I'll still read it - and I really loved the full length novels by this author - and all, but hockey is kinda overused at this point and I just don't really care about the ins and outs of the game, sorry to say.
So this was alright. Some cute moments, and I liked them as characters, but not enough to make up for the so-so plot.
-
I started to read the Cora Rose story but then I gave up on it. I just wasn't feeling it and it was just more of the same type of relationship, characters, etc from this author. Which, I don't mind when done right from an author, but...idk I'm just getting kinda tired of it with this author and just wasn't feeling it enough to finish the story. Although I did catch on that it was about Thad, Brad's friend from Lily Mayne's story, so that was neat.
⭐︎ The To-Do List by Lark Taylor ⭐︎ - 3.5 stars
My last read in this anthology, this was cute. It also suffered from being too short overall, but Archie and Zach were cute enough, with a good amount of chemistry (although I would have liked a payoff with Archie's brother, since we were told he wouldn't have approved of them together. That would have been interesting to see. But the ending was abrupt instead.)
But it was still a solid story overall, and these two are still in the same universe as every other Lark Taylor story has been.
Overall an okay anthology - at least from what I read. I understand that I skipped a lot of stories. But I do wish I had been able to get a 5 star read out of this anthology. It's happened before. But, oh well. There were definitely stories in here that could be launching pads for full length novels, though. I look forward to potential full length novels in the future 😁
⭐︎ Picking You by T. Ashleigh ⭐︎ - 3.5 stars
This had Kenneth who was one of the friends of the MC's from the Lionheart Academy books, as well as Joeseph, who we knew had a lingering thing for one of the MC's from book one. Kenneth is his best friend who is wondering if he now has a thing for him after all these years of friendship.
But we already got out best friends to lovers in the original series, so this doesn't turn out to be about these two.
Instead when it's clear Joseph is in a room with a random guy and Kenneth is having confusing feelings about that, he meets Finley, aka Finn, with is like a little purple pixie full of energy. There is almost an instant connection between them.
I liked these two. This is a short story, so we didn't get as much as I would have liked - but who knows, maybe one day the author turn these two into a full length novel. She said that she's toying with the idea of a spin-off to the Lionheart Academy series, so...maybe 😉
-
I skipped many of the next authors (although maybe one day I can come back to Addison Beck and Nicole Dykes, who I did kinda want to read) until the Lily Mayne story.
⭐︎ Demon in the Sheets by Lily Mayne ⭐︎ - 4 stars
I can always count on Lily Mayne to be a solid, entertaining read. This was my favorite read - of what I did read - of the anthology.
Brad is a total himbo, and he was recently cheated by his girlfriend and isn't quite over it yet. His friend at work - who is totally a monster in human disguise - gives him a book to summon a demon to use it to get back at his ex-girlfriend.
Brad doesn't take it seriously, although is friend seems 100% serious. He sets out to try it just to try it, because his friend wants him to. But he isn't actually expecting anything to happen. When it does, and he does summon a demon, he is mightily shocked.
And when he turns out he didn't properly seal said demon in....he comes out of the triangle and things don't turn bloody and violent, but sexy, of course.
This story left the door open for a larger story if Lily so chooses. It was cute and fun and sexy. It only suffered from being too short, really.
-
I skipped the next story and went to the Jodi Oliver story
⭐︎ Rookie Movies by Jodi Oliver ⭐︎ - 3 stars
Meh. This was too long for what we got, actually. It took me too long to finish what should have been a simple story. Colby and Tyler were okay, cute at times, with some 'meh' sexy times overall, but aside from them getting together, there wasn't much of a plot. Like sure, yeah, they were supposed to be "casual" at first, but they didn't act casual in the least, so that was laughable that it was being dragged out as casual for as long as it was.
Plus, I think I'm really getting tired of hockey as a genre. I mean obviously I'll still read it - and I really loved the full length novels by this author - and all, but hockey is kinda overused at this point and I just don't really care about the ins and outs of the game, sorry to say.
So this was alright. Some cute moments, and I liked them as characters, but not enough to make up for the so-so plot.
-
I started to read the Cora Rose story but then I gave up on it. I just wasn't feeling it and it was just more of the same type of relationship, characters, etc from this author. Which, I don't mind when done right from an author, but...idk I'm just getting kinda tired of it with this author and just wasn't feeling it enough to finish the story. Although I did catch on that it was about Thad, Brad's friend from Lily Mayne's story, so that was neat.
⭐︎ The To-Do List by Lark Taylor ⭐︎ - 3.5 stars
My last read in this anthology, this was cute. It also suffered from being too short overall, but Archie and Zach were cute enough, with a good amount of chemistry (although I would have liked a payoff with Archie's brother, since we were told he wouldn't have approved of them together. That would have been interesting to see. But the ending was abrupt instead.)
But it was still a solid story overall, and these two are still in the same universe as every other Lark Taylor story has been.
Overall an okay anthology - at least from what I read. I understand that I skipped a lot of stories. But I do wish I had been able to get a 5 star read out of this anthology. It's happened before. But, oh well. There were definitely stories in here that could be launching pads for full length novels, though. I look forward to potential full length novels in the future 😁
July 22, 2024
Only read 3 of the stories but they were all super cute & exactly what I expected from each author:
Lily Mayne’s & Cora Rose’s stories were interconnected in that they were about roommates Brad & Thad, respectively. Each of them end up monster smashing with a demon, but only Brad knows he’s banging a demon. So fingers crossed these get expanded to full length books.
Charlie Novak’s short was a super swoony best friends to lovers story with a great club scene!
Lily Mayne’s & Cora Rose’s stories were interconnected in that they were about roommates Brad & Thad, respectively. Each of them end up monster smashing with a demon, but only Brad knows he’s banging a demon. So fingers crossed these get expanded to full length books.
Charlie Novak’s short was a super swoony best friends to lovers story with a great club scene!
July 23, 2024
4 ⭐️ A very entertaining and fun mix of different short stories! I had a blast reading this! My favorite stories were written by Addison Beck, Loren Leigh, Lily Mayne and Jodie Oliver, but overall I liked all of them. So fun to find new aurhors that I really enjoyed as well. Some of the stories felt a little to short or rushed, but it was very entertaining and did not feel like a 750 page book at all! Also a huge plus that the sales of the book goes to a good cause.
Currently reading
July 28, 2024Posting an incomplete review as I'm still making my way through this anthology.
-Picking You: 3.5 stars. Lovely pixie shenanigans.
-Cherry Ice: 3.5 stars. Cute inexperienced virgins, hilarity ensues.
-The New Guy: 3.5 stars. Low angst new kid in town.
-Cherry Picking: 3.5 stars. Fun college first experience, meeting through a first-time hookup app.
-Until We Kiss: 5 stars. I love you Loren Leigh I will buy anything you write.
-Tucson Too Late: 1 star. Girl, so confusing. Just not for me. Character behaviour and motivations all over the place.
-Demon In the Sheets: 5 stars. Yes yes yesss, hot, campy, demon sex. Lily, you’ve convinced me, I’ll read the whole Monstrous Series (I have only read and LOVED Moth)
-Always Been Me: 4 stars. Best friends to lovers, really cute. Love a good jealousy-at-the-club scene. PM me your hot clubbing scene recs?
-Smoke and Holes: 4 stars. LOL, is Rowan also a demon? Has to be, right?
-Rookie Moves: TBR
-All Shook Up: TBR
-The To-Do-List: TBR
-The Sin Bin: TBR
3.6 overall so far
Original TBR review:
Can’t wait to read this! New content from Loren Leigh, Lily Mayne, and a lot of new to me authors.
-Picking You: 3.5 stars. Lovely pixie shenanigans.
-Cherry Ice: 3.5 stars. Cute inexperienced virgins, hilarity ensues.
-The New Guy: 3.5 stars. Low angst new kid in town.
-Cherry Picking: 3.5 stars. Fun college first experience, meeting through a first-time hookup app.
-Until We Kiss: 5 stars. I love you Loren Leigh I will buy anything you write.
-Tucson Too Late: 1 star. Girl, so confusing. Just not for me. Character behaviour and motivations all over the place.
-Demon In the Sheets: 5 stars. Yes yes yesss, hot, campy, demon sex. Lily, you’ve convinced me, I’ll read the whole Monstrous Series (I have only read and LOVED Moth)
-Always Been Me: 4 stars. Best friends to lovers, really cute. Love a good jealousy-at-the-club scene. PM me your hot clubbing scene recs?
-Smoke and Holes: 4 stars. LOL, is Rowan also a demon? Has to be, right?
-Rookie Moves: TBR
-All Shook Up: TBR
-The To-Do-List: TBR
-The Sin Bin: TBR
3.6 overall so far
Original TBR review:
Can’t wait to read this! New content from Loren Leigh, Lily Mayne, and a lot of new to me authors.
July 11, 2024
What was the last anthology you read?
Popped is one of the strongest romance anthologies I’ve read in quite awhile, full of great first-time stories from some of my favorite LGBTQ indie romance authors working right now. Some dip into these authors’ existing universes and some look like they could be the start of something special all on their own in the future (I’m looking at you, Lily and Cora!).
My rating of this anthology isn’t rooted in anything more substantial than the quality of the anthology as a whole. I’m not looking to nitpick short stories included in a charity anthology that’s meant to go to a good cause. These authors donated their time, effort, and IP to this project, and others donated production materials and labor to put this all together. It’s an honorable project and I don’t think subjecting it to extended scrutinization is a worthy endeavor.
That being said, I’m going to go over the stories I loved best and tell you what I loved about them!
🩶 Picking You, by T. Ashleigh 🩶
🍒 Chaos human MMC
💣 Boarding school boy MMC
🍒 Size difference
💣 Fantastic dialogue
🍒 Spilling your life’s tea to strangers
🩶 Cherry Picking, by Becca Jackson 🩶
🍒 Hockey player, frat boy MMC
💣 Hockey fan MMC
🍒 Need to pop your cherry? There’s an app for that!
💣 Competitive jello run
🍒 That feeling when someone just clicks
💣 Finding the Richard Gere to your Julia Roberts
🩶 Until We Kiss, by Loren Leigh 🩶
🍒 Island vacation
💣 Friends to lovers
🍒 Depression rep
💣 Golden retriever MMC
🍒 Animal facts
💣 Fantastic dialogue
🍒 Angst
💣 Only one bed
🩶 Demon in the Sheets, by Lily Mayne 🩶
🍒 Clueless, bi-curious MMC
💣 Demon MMC
🍒 One cheating ex
💣 One meddling co-worker with a grimoire
🍒 “Hey, summon a demon for revenge, it’ll be fun,” said no one, ever
💣 “Everyone knows true bros spoon sometimes.”
🍒 Bro dare code
💣 Telling little old ladies your romance woe story
🍒 Demons don’t just sit around waiting to be summoned, you know?
💣 Pretty panties
🍒 Fantastic chemistry, spice, and dialogue
💣 Would pay for a full novel of it
🩶 Rookie Moves, by Jodi Oliver 🩶
🍒 Hockey romance
💣 Closeted hockey player prodigy headed to the NHL
🍒 Openly bisexual hockey player not going pro
💣 We all need at least one person
🍒 You’re my person
💣 Fantastic spice. So hot
🩶 Smoke and Holes, by Cora Rose 🩶
🍒 Same universe as Demon in the Sheets
💣 Happens at the same time as Demon in the Sheets
🍒 Happens in the same HOUSE as Demon in the sheets (it’s the roommate)
💣 Lily & Cora are trying to slay us with spicy demon hotness
🍒 Tutor & tutee
💣 Got penetrated by a candlestick: does this count as losing my virginity?
🍒 “Like can you check and see if my butthole looks okay?”
💣 Weird sexual revelations in a toilet stall
🍒 Tutee asks tutor for advice on what he can safely stick up his bum
💣 “I’m nervous I’ll do something wrong.”
🍒 Dirty filthy hot
All of the stories in this anthology are great, these are just the ones I liked the most. You won't be disappointed!
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Anthology/Gay Romance/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance
Popped is one of the strongest romance anthologies I’ve read in quite awhile, full of great first-time stories from some of my favorite LGBTQ indie romance authors working right now. Some dip into these authors’ existing universes and some look like they could be the start of something special all on their own in the future (I’m looking at you, Lily and Cora!).
My rating of this anthology isn’t rooted in anything more substantial than the quality of the anthology as a whole. I’m not looking to nitpick short stories included in a charity anthology that’s meant to go to a good cause. These authors donated their time, effort, and IP to this project, and others donated production materials and labor to put this all together. It’s an honorable project and I don’t think subjecting it to extended scrutinization is a worthy endeavor.
That being said, I’m going to go over the stories I loved best and tell you what I loved about them!
🩶 Picking You, by T. Ashleigh 🩶
🍒 Chaos human MMC
💣 Boarding school boy MMC
🍒 Size difference
💣 Fantastic dialogue
🍒 Spilling your life’s tea to strangers
🩶 Cherry Picking, by Becca Jackson 🩶
🍒 Hockey player, frat boy MMC
💣 Hockey fan MMC
🍒 Need to pop your cherry? There’s an app for that!
💣 Competitive jello run
🍒 That feeling when someone just clicks
💣 Finding the Richard Gere to your Julia Roberts
🩶 Until We Kiss, by Loren Leigh 🩶
🍒 Island vacation
💣 Friends to lovers
🍒 Depression rep
💣 Golden retriever MMC
🍒 Animal facts
💣 Fantastic dialogue
🍒 Angst
💣 Only one bed
🩶 Demon in the Sheets, by Lily Mayne 🩶
🍒 Clueless, bi-curious MMC
💣 Demon MMC
🍒 One cheating ex
💣 One meddling co-worker with a grimoire
🍒 “Hey, summon a demon for revenge, it’ll be fun,” said no one, ever
💣 “Everyone knows true bros spoon sometimes.”
🍒 Bro dare code
💣 Telling little old ladies your romance woe story
🍒 Demons don’t just sit around waiting to be summoned, you know?
💣 Pretty panties
🍒 Fantastic chemistry, spice, and dialogue
💣 Would pay for a full novel of it
🩶 Rookie Moves, by Jodi Oliver 🩶
🍒 Hockey romance
💣 Closeted hockey player prodigy headed to the NHL
🍒 Openly bisexual hockey player not going pro
💣 We all need at least one person
🍒 You’re my person
💣 Fantastic spice. So hot
🩶 Smoke and Holes, by Cora Rose 🩶
🍒 Same universe as Demon in the Sheets
💣 Happens at the same time as Demon in the Sheets
🍒 Happens in the same HOUSE as Demon in the sheets (it’s the roommate)
💣 Lily & Cora are trying to slay us with spicy demon hotness
🍒 Tutor & tutee
💣 Got penetrated by a candlestick: does this count as losing my virginity?
🍒 “Like can you check and see if my butthole looks okay?”
💣 Weird sexual revelations in a toilet stall
🍒 Tutee asks tutor for advice on what he can safely stick up his bum
💣 “I’m nervous I’ll do something wrong.”
🍒 Dirty filthy hot
All of the stories in this anthology are great, these are just the ones I liked the most. You won't be disappointed!
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Anthology/Gay Romance/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance
July 17, 2024
Was your first time memorable or was it a horrendous experience?
This anthology is filled with all the first times that are sweet, funny and possibly romantic.
These authors sure know how to bring it to a story about first times, they all delivered in their own ways.
I enjoyed them all but there are some that stuck out way more than the others 🫶🏼
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
This one was just the sweetest. The Nana references were so perfectly placed that it made the whole thing so dang cute.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
Umm yess! I love a good nerd book add in the need for cherry ices and I am sold. These two were so innocent but when we get that peek of Mavy 😍
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
I haven’t been to Kensley yet so this was a brand new world for me and I enjoyed being there. These two aren’t what you expect but the swoon throughout is unmatched from a jock 😉
Cherry Picking by Becca Jameson
I was wondering if we would get his story and this was perfect. The brother that was outside of the banana ball world only to realize he had a side hustle all on his own that even surprised me. The at first sight had me smiling so big throughout then we get cameos of the brothers and it couldn’t have gone any better.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
The unexpected animal facts had me from the first one. This fits into the best friends to lovers so damn well. Did my chest squeeze when the kiss happened? Yes it did. The eye sting was in full effect by that last chapter. It made it all that much more worth it.
Tucson Too Late by Sundae Leighton
How dare you end it like that Sundae?!? It was going so well and then THAT! I sat stunned. I won’t say no more but I am waiting for this full story!
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
Summoning a demon to do petty bidding? Yes please. Except this demon didn’t want that at all. He wanted something so much more from Brad. Leave it to Lily to give us this quick hot as hell story about a demons first time. I was totally for it.
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
Can it get any better than best friends? How bout a best friend that realizes what he wants has always been in front of him. The cuteness of these two was different from the other best friends. Maybe because the pining was there longer? Idk but it definitely made for that moment of “he’s mine” to have the added giddy effect. Never underestimate where happiness is found, clearly.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
Oh baby baby we get a hockey first time. Colby & Tyler were IT. I wanted more, I didn’t want it to end, why did it have to end? At least it ended open ended for a possibility..hopefully Jodi 😉 I love all of Jodi’s hockey books and this one was absolutely no different.
Smoke & Holes by Cora Rose
New meaning to Eiffel Tower, you bet your ass there is after reading this one 🤣 Thad having an accident opened his world wide up cause maybe it wasn’t so bad after all and now he only wants more. Was there more to Rowan than what we got? I have questions! Cora doing a *demon* story has me ready for more from her!
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
First ever ever anything by Lark and I am a fan. The way it pulled you in from the first page. Also, brothers best friend is a favorite trope because why not. Forbidden is always the best route especially when the best friend is everything you ever wanted.
I love these anthology’s because they open you up to authors you have never come across before. While there is a couple I have read before there is a couple I haven’t and I really enjoyed this one so much.
First times don’t have to be horrible but maybe they can be the most memorable thing you do. I know these stories will be remembered 🍒
This anthology is filled with all the first times that are sweet, funny and possibly romantic.
These authors sure know how to bring it to a story about first times, they all delivered in their own ways.
I enjoyed them all but there are some that stuck out way more than the others 🫶🏼
Picking You by T. Ashleigh
This one was just the sweetest. The Nana references were so perfectly placed that it made the whole thing so dang cute.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck
Umm yess! I love a good nerd book add in the need for cherry ices and I am sold. These two were so innocent but when we get that peek of Mavy 😍
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
I haven’t been to Kensley yet so this was a brand new world for me and I enjoyed being there. These two aren’t what you expect but the swoon throughout is unmatched from a jock 😉
Cherry Picking by Becca Jameson
I was wondering if we would get his story and this was perfect. The brother that was outside of the banana ball world only to realize he had a side hustle all on his own that even surprised me. The at first sight had me smiling so big throughout then we get cameos of the brothers and it couldn’t have gone any better.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh
The unexpected animal facts had me from the first one. This fits into the best friends to lovers so damn well. Did my chest squeeze when the kiss happened? Yes it did. The eye sting was in full effect by that last chapter. It made it all that much more worth it.
Tucson Too Late by Sundae Leighton
How dare you end it like that Sundae?!? It was going so well and then THAT! I sat stunned. I won’t say no more but I am waiting for this full story!
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne
Summoning a demon to do petty bidding? Yes please. Except this demon didn’t want that at all. He wanted something so much more from Brad. Leave it to Lily to give us this quick hot as hell story about a demons first time. I was totally for it.
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
Can it get any better than best friends? How bout a best friend that realizes what he wants has always been in front of him. The cuteness of these two was different from the other best friends. Maybe because the pining was there longer? Idk but it definitely made for that moment of “he’s mine” to have the added giddy effect. Never underestimate where happiness is found, clearly.
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
Oh baby baby we get a hockey first time. Colby & Tyler were IT. I wanted more, I didn’t want it to end, why did it have to end? At least it ended open ended for a possibility..hopefully Jodi 😉 I love all of Jodi’s hockey books and this one was absolutely no different.
Smoke & Holes by Cora Rose
New meaning to Eiffel Tower, you bet your ass there is after reading this one 🤣 Thad having an accident opened his world wide up cause maybe it wasn’t so bad after all and now he only wants more. Was there more to Rowan than what we got? I have questions! Cora doing a *demon* story has me ready for more from her!
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
First ever ever anything by Lark and I am a fan. The way it pulled you in from the first page. Also, brothers best friend is a favorite trope because why not. Forbidden is always the best route especially when the best friend is everything you ever wanted.
I love these anthology’s because they open you up to authors you have never come across before. While there is a couple I have read before there is a couple I haven’t and I really enjoyed this one so much.
First times don’t have to be horrible but maybe they can be the most memorable thing you do. I know these stories will be remembered 🍒
July 22, 2024
Overall a 3.5 generally speaking. Some stories shined whereas others not so much but that’s ok! There’s def something in here for everyone :)
Picking You by T Ashleigh (2.5/5)
This is a short story with side characters from the authors Lionheart Academy series. I’ve never read that so immediately I was like ehhh because in situations like this authors always say it can be read as a standalone but the vibe is never the same as when you are familiar with the characters vs when you’re not. This was okay, it didn’t do much for me, but it wasn’t necessarily “bad” just kind of mid.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck (3/5)
This one was cute but kind of underwhelming for me.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes (2.5/5)
Nicole Dykes is an author that is very hit or miss for me, unfortunately this was a miss for me. I feel like too much was packed into the short story that it didn’t make it very believable. I understand time jumps are a thing but I think for short story purposes they didn’t really work well here.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson (4/5)
Cute af!!! I loved the whole concept + a hockey player mc! Noah is apparently a side character for another book by this author but this short story was easily read as a standalone which is surprising because usually this doesn’t work for me. Patrick was so precious and I liked how their relationship felt genuine within the short time span of the story. It felt super natural.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh 5/5
Actually no notes omg this was perfect. Absolutely adored both Carter and Theo and
I need 100k+ more of them immediately !!!
Tuscan Too Late by Sundae Leighton
Dnf
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne (4/5)
This one was fun!! Wish it was longer but it was different and left me wanting more of both characters!
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak (5/5)
Friend to lovers perfection!! This was so cute - I could read 100k more about Kent and Teddy being domestic and in love :)
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver (5/5)
Omgggg so fricken cute. Colby and Tyler were adorable. I loved how protective of Colby Tyler was and how much Colby trusted Tyler. They were so cute and careful with each other I need to read more of them!!
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose (2.5/5)
Eh…I liked how it was connected to Lily Mayne’s
story so I could kind of guess what was going on, but there wasn’t much there tbh
All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe
Dnf
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor (3.5/5)
Cute best friends brother moment but left me wishing there had been just a little bit more.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas (2.5/5)
This was okay.
Picking You by T Ashleigh (2.5/5)
This is a short story with side characters from the authors Lionheart Academy series. I’ve never read that so immediately I was like ehhh because in situations like this authors always say it can be read as a standalone but the vibe is never the same as when you are familiar with the characters vs when you’re not. This was okay, it didn’t do much for me, but it wasn’t necessarily “bad” just kind of mid.
Cherry Ice by Addison Beck (3/5)
This one was cute but kind of underwhelming for me.
The New Guy by Nicole Dykes (2.5/5)
Nicole Dykes is an author that is very hit or miss for me, unfortunately this was a miss for me. I feel like too much was packed into the short story that it didn’t make it very believable. I understand time jumps are a thing but I think for short story purposes they didn’t really work well here.
Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson (4/5)
Cute af!!! I loved the whole concept + a hockey player mc! Noah is apparently a side character for another book by this author but this short story was easily read as a standalone which is surprising because usually this doesn’t work for me. Patrick was so precious and I liked how their relationship felt genuine within the short time span of the story. It felt super natural.
Until We Kiss by Loren Leigh 5/5
Actually no notes omg this was perfect. Absolutely adored both Carter and Theo and
I need 100k+ more of them immediately !!!
Tuscan Too Late by Sundae Leighton
Dnf
Demon In The Sheets by Lily Mayne (4/5)
This one was fun!! Wish it was longer but it was different and left me wanting more of both characters!
Always Been Me by Charlie Novak (5/5)
Friend to lovers perfection!! This was so cute - I could read 100k more about Kent and Teddy being domestic and in love :)
Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver (5/5)
Omgggg so fricken cute. Colby and Tyler were adorable. I loved how protective of Colby Tyler was and how much Colby trusted Tyler. They were so cute and careful with each other I need to read more of them!!
Smoke and Holes by Cora Rose (2.5/5)
Eh…I liked how it was connected to Lily Mayne’s
story so I could kind of guess what was going on, but there wasn’t much there tbh
All Shook Up by Sebastian Sharpe
Dnf
The To-Do List by Lark Taylor (3.5/5)
Cute best friends brother moment but left me wishing there had been just a little bit more.
The Sin Bin by Willow Thomas (2.5/5)
This was okay.
July 24, 2024
Picking you - T Ashleigh
This was a blast - I loved the little pixie tornado that was Fin! Really fun little read with unique characters!
The new guy - Nicole dykes
I haven’t read anything from Nicole and this was a cute peak into her kensey panthers universe. It was adorable and I really enjoyed it - will definitely be going to read her other books! "I don't belong anywhere without you. I'll just go where you feel like you belong.” Cute cute cuteeee!
Until we kiss - Loren Leigh
This was adorable - I missed reading Loren Leigh! I loved how she was able to fit so much of Theo’s growth into this story and it makes me just want more of these adorable idiots. Carter was just so dumb and lovable and they were just so cute when they finally figured out they both liked each other!
Rookie moves - Jodi Oliver
This was pure joy - I always love how light Jodi Oliver writes! Hockey player team mates and one has a bucket list the other offers to help him with? Adorable. Sign me up. Loved this
Smoke and holes - Cora rose
Wtf did I just read? Seriously I’m so confused….
These were the only ones I read. Lots of cute things in this anthology. I don’t always love shorts because they leave me with questions and wanting more but quite a few of these were well done!
This was a blast - I loved the little pixie tornado that was Fin! Really fun little read with unique characters!
The new guy - Nicole dykes
I haven’t read anything from Nicole and this was a cute peak into her kensey panthers universe. It was adorable and I really enjoyed it - will definitely be going to read her other books! "I don't belong anywhere without you. I'll just go where you feel like you belong.” Cute cute cuteeee!
Until we kiss - Loren Leigh
This was adorable - I missed reading Loren Leigh! I loved how she was able to fit so much of Theo’s growth into this story and it makes me just want more of these adorable idiots. Carter was just so dumb and lovable and they were just so cute when they finally figured out they both liked each other!
Rookie moves - Jodi Oliver
This was pure joy - I always love how light Jodi Oliver writes! Hockey player team mates and one has a bucket list the other offers to help him with? Adorable. Sign me up. Loved this
Smoke and holes - Cora rose
Wtf did I just read? Seriously I’m so confused….
These were the only ones I read. Lots of cute things in this anthology. I don’t always love shorts because they leave me with questions and wanting more but quite a few of these were well done!
Read
July 19, 2024Not rating for now because I’m still currently reading through the novellas. Due to other reviews I won’t be reading all of them but I’ll add the ones I did read as I go.
I just finished Picking You by T. Ashleigh. (3 stars)
I honesty love this author. She wrote my favorite book of the year this year (hateful love). I did enjoy the Lionheart series and that’s where this little novella stems from. This one is about Kenneth. He’s currently having feelings for his best friend Joseph. They are at a frat party and Joseph wanders off to hook up with someone. Kenneth is hurt at first until he meets Fin who basically worms his way into Kenneth’s life. Fin is so stinking cute. I loved how free and bubbly he was. Once he goes back to Fin’s place that night he realizes he never had feelings for Joseph. Now he’s all about Fin. This one was SUPER short so it’s hard to rate it. I would love to see it more fleshed out and expanded . It ends abruptly. The author did say this was a segway to the new spin off series so I can’t wait for that. On to the next.
I just finished Picking You by T. Ashleigh. (3 stars)
I honesty love this author. She wrote my favorite book of the year this year (hateful love). I did enjoy the Lionheart series and that’s where this little novella stems from. This one is about Kenneth. He’s currently having feelings for his best friend Joseph. They are at a frat party and Joseph wanders off to hook up with someone. Kenneth is hurt at first until he meets Fin who basically worms his way into Kenneth’s life. Fin is so stinking cute. I loved how free and bubbly he was. Once he goes back to Fin’s place that night he realizes he never had feelings for Joseph. Now he’s all about Fin. This one was SUPER short so it’s hard to rate it. I would love to see it more fleshed out and expanded . It ends abruptly. The author did say this was a segway to the new spin off series so I can’t wait for that. On to the next.
July 15, 2024
Am I excited to read all these little shorties? Yes. Did I skip all the way to the end to Lark Taylor's contribution first? Absolutely, I did.
THE TO-DO LIST is a brother's best friend, "it's always been you," bi-awakening, first-time novella with BIG FEELINGS. And, it takes place for a while, at The Closet.
Archie has always had a thing for his brother's best friend Zack. But Archie's about to start university, and he refuses to go a virgin. Since Zack isn't an option, Archie is determined to get d*cked down by a random at the club.
... but guess who is there?!
We get a cameo or two, and a little bit of Zack and Archie's feels before they fall into horniness.
Lark is always a winner.
I'll get to the other stories, I swear.
Eventually.
THE TO-DO LIST is a brother's best friend, "it's always been you," bi-awakening, first-time novella with BIG FEELINGS. And, it takes place for a while, at The Closet.
Archie has always had a thing for his brother's best friend Zack. But Archie's about to start university, and he refuses to go a virgin. Since Zack isn't an option, Archie is determined to get d*cked down by a random at the club.
... but guess who is there?!
We get a cameo or two, and a little bit of Zack and Archie's feels before they fall into horniness.
Lark is always a winner.
I'll get to the other stories, I swear.
Eventually.
August 30, 2024
You know, the best stories in this anthology were the ones where the authors kept the story simple and to the point. Those ones felt concise, complete and highly enjoyable.
The ones that I really enjoyed were:
🍒 ~The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
🍒 ~Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
🍒 ~Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
🍒 ~The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
But the one that really took me by surprise was Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
That one was by a new to me author and so well-written, I will definitely be checking out more of her work.
The ones that I really enjoyed were:
🍒 ~The New Guy by Nicole Dykes
🍒 ~Cherry Picking by Becca Jackson
🍒 ~Always Been Me by Charlie Novak
🍒 ~The To-Do List by Lark Taylor
But the one that really took me by surprise was Rookie Moves by Jodi Oliver
That one was by a new to me author and so well-written, I will definitely be checking out more of her work.
July 21, 2024
This anthology was so much no for me. My god.
Imo Lily Mayne and Addison Beck’s were the only ones worth reading. The others are fucking tragic.
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I don’t want to review them all because again tragic. But I will say as a self proclaimed hater of Nicole Dykes recent work how on gods earth was hers one of the more palatable ones to come out of this anthology? I mean literally it gave *nothing* but still better than the rest.
***
Imo Lily Mayne and Addison Beck’s were the only ones worth reading. The others are fucking tragic.
***
I don’t want to review them all because again tragic. But I will say as a self proclaimed hater of Nicole Dykes recent work how on gods earth was hers one of the more palatable ones to come out of this anthology? I mean literally it gave *nothing* but still better than the rest.
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