Dr. Lucas Goode doesn’t want to become his father.
Sadie Green wants someone to see her and be proud of what she can accomplish.
In a weird convergencDr. Lucas Goode doesn’t want to become his father.
Sadie Green wants someone to see her and be proud of what she can accomplish.
In a weird convergence of events, Luke has a spare room he’d like to fill because he’s not used to living alone, and after accidentally becoming pregnant after a spontaneous fling Sadie feels that living with her parents and brother isn’t something that will work out for her anymore.
Why not? They’re not strangers: Sadie works with Sage (Luke’s sister-in-law), after all. The only true boundary they’re flirting with is that Sadie is Luke’s student. That’s fine, though, because Luke doesn’t want a relationship or kids and Sadie wants to see if she can get the baby daddy to be less flakier than dandruff. They’re just roommates. Just. Roommates.
I’ve never made a secret of the fact I’m normally not a fan of the pregnancy trope, especially when the FMC is pregnant for the majority of the book and the pregnancy itself is a large part of the plot. (Please don’t ask me why because I can’t figure it out). Leave it to the fabulous Sara Cate to take one of my icks and make it tasty, because I adored this book.
As I was thinking about why I adored this book so much I think it really just boiled down to how much I love how Sara writes her characters: the candor, vulnerability, flaws, strengths, eroticism, and intrinsic essence of them as a human being. Luke and Sadie don’t just have off-the-charts chemistry with one another on the page, but they both have amazing relationships and conversations with the various other cast members in the book that reveal other facets of who they are as people away from each other, and that’s an important part of writing characterizations in an interconnected series like The Goode Brothers that not every author reaches for, understands, or achieves. As Sara has grown as a writer the more her writing skills in areas such as interpersonal relationships have sharpened, giving her books a sense of heart that’s often missing from kinky contemporary romance.
I loved that even though neither Sadie or Luke were necessarily in a Dom/sub or Dom/brat dynamic Sara still managed to find that balance that a lot of couples ride where the lifestyle itself may not be for them but there are aspects of the lifestyle that they can and do use in their lives because it makes sense for and to them. As always, she’s done her due diligence in research and wrote with great sensitivity about this topic. It always shows.
So yeah, it has pregnancy. But it also has professor/student and Sara’s impeccable writing. That’s easily worth the entire read and five stars.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Who can you rely on when your whole world goes to hell?
Jess may have a boyfriend, but he’s not the person she’d turn to in a crisis. That dubious honoWho can you rely on when your whole world goes to hell?
Jess may have a boyfriend, but he’s not the person she’d turn to in a crisis. That dubious honor would go to her three best friends, even though she’s never met them: MourningStar, Quietek, and Minxy. The four of them have been gaming together for a long time and are as thick as thieves. The guys don’t know Jess has wanted them for ages, just like she doesn’t know they’re all in love with her.
But biology is gonna biology and nature always finds a way. When Jess’ boyfriend goes away with his friends and her heat comes, the selfish beta refuses to come back and help her. When her gamer friends sense something is really wrong, they ride to the rescue.
This is author Sabrina Bloom’s debut title, which is set to be the first in a series of omegaverse novellas all set in the same universe. The series doesn’t have a name or a theme yet. I’m excited at the idea of a new series of omegaverse novellas because there aren’t many of them out there, more’s the pity. I also really enjoy getting to see an omegaverse story with gamer representation! Sure, we don’t get to see much of them gaming because there’s other things to get to, but I like that these characters were brought together by gaming.
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a How close are you to your siblings?
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a sympathy hangover. One’s depressed, the other feels it too. They know one another so well they can pretend to be one another; point in fact, they’ve been getting away with this very thing since middle school. Or, they were until Benny Dalton went and fell in love during the fall semester. Now it’s spring and Emmett Dalton is starting to feel like a frayed thread. He’s lonely, kind of lost, and can’t sustain pretending to be his twin anymore. He’s too full of secrets, even ones his twin doesn’t know.
We first met Emmett Dalton (in Franklin U 2) back in the second book, Saxon James’ A Stealthy Situation, with Emmett being the one to take Benny’s statistics classes for him since Benny isn’t good at math. While Benny was swooning over their classmate Harrison, it turns out Emmett was swooning over someone too: their stats professor, Jonah.
Twincerely Yours offers up a lot of great tropes, including some of my favorites:
Have you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows JeHave you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows Jett, who works part-time at the Crimson Club as a bartender. His day job is construction and carpentry, which he learned from his former father in-law. Jett can only work so many hours, though, and he wants to try and get out and try to start living his life. So he goes out to a club, maybe looking to get a little action. He certainly finds it (in a series of scenes that are scorchingly hot). It just becomes a bit awkward when Monday rolls around and the same couple Jett unexpectedly and impulsively hooked up with over the weekend just happen to be his new coworkers (because this is romance and of course they are).
Willow Dixon’s cast of characters are just so endearing. They feel genuine without feeling cloying or cheesy. Their expectations of one another are realistic, their dialogue has a nice rhythm to it that doesn’t feel too practiced or overwrought, and there aren’t any speaking pieces that feel like a speech or soliloquy, which was a nice break from some books I’ve read recently. I loved the array of sexual preferences that could be found from other characters and how the main characters had tastes that were still developing and evolving.
The relationship between the core three characters in this book was sweet, and the growing pains all three went through were realistic when you consider all the angles. The spice was so, so hot. Some of my hottest hot buttons (exhibition, voyeurism, dirty talk) are included in almost every spice scene and I’m never going to complain about that. It was a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it for any MMM fan.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
There’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blastsThere’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blasts from the past as your new main characters and get to watch the new generation fall in love. In A Stealthy Situation we’re getting a call from the CU Hockey series in the form of Benny Dalton, one of the Chaos Twins from both Line Mates & Study Dates and Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (don’t worry, Emmett’s in here too).
The Chaos Twins fell out of love with hockey before they could be drafted and fled to California in order to get away from the pressure that had surrounded them all their lives. The pair of them still love to sow a little chaos, which is why they take great pains to make sure no one in San Diego knows the Dalton Twins exist. They each go to a different school, they keep their appearances identical, they dress similarly, and don’t go out in town at the same time. They rely on each other to get through anything and everything, which is why things start to go awry when Emmett is suddenly expelled from his university and takes to crashing on a mattress in Benny’s bedroom at the DIK frat house.
A Stealthy Situation is cute and sweet, with a great sense of humor to it. I love a good cinnamon roll and snark monster dynamic, and that’s exactly what Harrison and Benny have. Benny has a deliciously morbid sense of humor that I adore and insults being used as a love language is something I myself use on an everyday basis, so I can totally be book bffs with him.
I thought the supporting cast really came in clutch here for comic relief and emotional support, and I thought the disability rep was very well done.
I can’t wait for Twincerely Yours (which comes at the end of FU 2) so I can read Emmett’s story!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt He’s dressing for revenge.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt thinking it’s going to be similar to the movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, you’ll be pretty disappointed, because these love birds aren’t working against one another. It’s more of a moral quandary that puts a wrench in things between these two.
Note: Make sure you read the list of TWs thoroughly before you start because it’s long and not to be taken for granted.
If you like dark or mafia romance then this book is a ton of fun to read. I love my feral female murder kittens, and Bianca is an excellent example of such a creature. She has no solid identity of her own, but she’s got loyalty down pat. She kills because it gives her an outlet and because she likes it. She does it as a contract killer because that means she gets to have awful people picked out for her. And when she’s not working at that she’s free to spend every waking hour ensuring no one comes anywhere near Theo, who’s been her ultimate obsession since she was a teenager.
Nothing stays a secret forever, though. Especially not between spouses.
It’s an enjoyable read, if a little long. I really loved the twists and turns of the story and the way the main characters had to constantly adapt and change tact in order to keep ahead of the enemy and solve conflicts. There’s some great spice, great action, and great suspense. A really solid read.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Mafia Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 2 ...more
Franklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to iFranklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to it returning this summer. The authors behind FU and FU 2 definitely saw the success that came with the first season of these books and understood the assignment: Take all of that, rewind it back, and build on this universe in an interconnected, tangential way.
Riley Hart decided to build The Hook Up Mix-Up on top of the foundation of her FU book from 2023, Playing Games (the story of Brax and Tyson, who feature heavily in this book). In Playing Games we were introduced to Perry, Tyson’s half-brother, who is one of the MMCs in this book. The other MMC is Theo, a student at Franklin U.
This is your pretty standard bi-awakening, friends-to-bed buddies-to-lovers plot, but that simply doesn’t matter one bit, no matter how much I’m almost always down to read those two tropes combined, because the thing that makes this book worth reading is THEO.
Can I just say Theo is so cute and sweet I wanted to reach into the book, drag him out, and adopt him? I was like that gif of Kristin Bell fawning over a sloth while reading this book the entire time. I almost spent the entire book wondering how anyone could possibly not fall in love with him (before I remembered not everyone loves a people pleaser and that being a people pleaser isn’t always the healthiest thing for your mental wellbeing).
It’s not like Perry is a slouch. It was funny watching how oblivious to how in his deep in his feels he was long before he actually realized it. The boy was done for long before he knew it and it was absolutely adorable to read.
This book does have its hot and spicy moments, but not as spicy as some other authors’ books in this series might end up being. I didn’t find that upsetting in this instance because I was too busy loving Theo and Perry and their burgeoning relationship. Definitely a stellar start to FU season.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
There will never be a time in which I don’t look forward to a new Grace McGinty book. She’s one of my favorite writers–an auto-buy author, in fact. I There will never be a time in which I don’t look forward to a new Grace McGinty book. She’s one of my favorite writers–an auto-buy author, in fact. I knew I was done for the first time I read her Dead River Days series. She can even get me to read tropes I usually stay away from with a ten-foot pole, as evident with Make My Heart Race, in which the FMC is pregnant for a large part of the book and has an infant for the rest of it. Not only do I usually stay away from the pregnancy trope, but I don’t tend to enjoy infants in the main part of the story (in epilogues they’re great). Somehow, Grace McGinty will get me to shrug my shoulders and read it anyway.
Was I disappointed this why-choose didn’t have sword-crossing? Yeah, sure, but to tell you the truth, this book had a lot going on. Between the main plot involving Tally (our FMC), her pregnancy, and trying to climb her way back into the world of racing after being driven out by misogynistic buttheads, there’s a few B plots and even C plots running through the story that make this book very fast-paced. It also unfortunately tends to make it feel a little crowded in places and some characters and/or situations didn’t get the time and attention they deserved. I honestly could’ve dealt with this book being longer if it meant certain characters got more page time or relationships got to develop with a little less force or certain plot points weren’t as rushed to resolution.
Does that mean this book wasn’t extremely entertaining? No. As all of Grace’s books, it was entertaining as heck. I love romance novels set in the world of motorsports. I grew up in motorsports, in the pits on Saturday nights with my dad sitting inside of race cars pretending to drive while my dad and uncle talked shop with mechanics and other crew members. My dad would’ve let me drive midgets if we’d had the money. I’ve been on a superbike. I’ve been in the car during a street race. There’s just something about fast cars, and this book reminded me of that.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
We’re almost at the end of this delicious series and we get a call back to book one in the form of Caleb, the first person to make friends with JT wheWe’re almost at the end of this delicious series and we get a call back to book one in the form of Caleb, the first person to make friends with JT when he came to study at Astor. You may recall him warning JT about the Park Avenue Princes, and it turns out that knowledge was direct insider information since he used to be one of them. He’s Travis McKinney’s stepbrother.
I love forbidden romances, especially of the stepbrother variety. Salacious Park Avenue Prince is enemies-to-lovers, with a bi-awakening, forced proximity, a secret romance, and a manwhore who falls fast, first, and hard. (Then there’s pining. So much pining). This installment is spicier than the last one, but not as spicy as Scandalous Park Avenue Prince (book 3, and still my favorite one).
A lot of the animosity in this book is based on miscommunication and what feels like willful misunderstanding, which isn’t a trope I like all that much no matter who’s involved. I did enjoy the chemistry between Travis and Caleb a lot, but that’s probably because I just enjoy Travis as a character a whole lot (I have throughout the whole series). I can’t put my finger on what exactly feels off about the character development in this book, but it feels like the relationship evolved but the characters didn’t evolve with it. I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone else but me, but there it is.
The spice is absolutely excellent, with dirty talk I love, lots of physicality, voyeurism, solo play, and a touch of exhibitionism. The romantic bits were exactly what I wanted to see, which is always nice. There was also no third-act break up, which isn’t an easy feat to accomplish when the miscommunication trope is in play. I was absolutely grateful for that.
As always, a great read from Ella and Brooke, and now we get a handful of months to wait before we finally get East’s story.
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.
We’re Sara Cate readers, so of course we love our good girls and good boys; however, we also love it when our good girls and boys go bad, too. That’s We’re Sara Cate readers, so of course we love our good girls and good boys; however, we also love it when our good girls and boys go bad, too. That’s exactly what The Home Wrecker has in store: A sweet married couple with a silly daughter who live in the suburbs and have gotten caught in a very big rut (not that kind of rut, get your head out of the omegaverse). What do these two happy marrieds need? A bit of a shake up. And if that shake up just happens to come in the shade of tall, dark, tattooed, sexy, and working at the local sex club? Well, they’re good people and he needs a place to stay. Charity begins at home, right?
Did I like The Home Wrecker as much as The Anti-Hero? No. Does that mean it isn’t good? Absolutely not. Sara Cate is just as amazing as always. I don’t know what it was about this book that just didn’t make it hit 100% with me, but it had nothing to do with the quality of the book or the writing. I just couldn’t vibe with it all the way. It happens with the best of authors, and Sara’s an auto-buy author for me anyway.
I did love just about every character in this book, especially Caleb with his need to please, his daddy issues, his protective instincts, and his endless well of love. I also adored Dean for every interaction he had with little Abby, because sometimes adults who’ve never interacted with kids have some of the most honest interactions with them.
I’m excited for this series to continue because this family is so interesting and I love seeing them learn, love, and grow.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was offered or accepted in exchange for this review. Thank you.
C. M. Stunich, my t-shirt does not thank you for the buckets of tears I cried while reading this book. Neither do my eyes, which have been swollen allC. M. Stunich, my t-shirt does not thank you for the buckets of tears I cried while reading this book. Neither do my eyes, which have been swollen all day. However, I’m not mad.
That. Being. Said.
I never want to have that slow of a burn in a nearly 1,000 page book again. Never, ever, again. That wasn’t fun and that’s partially why I couldn’t give this book five stars (the other part was Joules, but I can’t help it).
Let’s set the slow burn apart. Let’s set Joules apart (please). Now let’s talk about the book.
I want to wrap Tam and Lake up in bubble wrap and protect them for all eternity. I want to build them a perfect house on fifty million acres of land and its own boba tea shop, surround it with special forces soldiers, and let them have kids and live their lives out in peace with puppies and children who can grow up to be whatever makes them happy because their parents are just that awesome and know life can be so short.
Is any of this a constructive review? Not really. This book was cute and infectious. It was really freaking sad and vulnerable. I liked it a lot but didn’t adore it. But you should totally go and read it because I feel like Tam and Lake need more people squealing over them.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I could just leave this review at, “It’s Onley James, it’s in the Necessary Evils universe, of course I gave it five stars do you even know me?”, but I could just leave this review at, “It’s Onley James, it’s in the Necessary Evils universe, of course I gave it five stars do you even know me?”, but I made a promise to myself that this year I’d try and post more reviews for ebooks I read and love and not just leave star ratings for them online. This task got away from me for most of February because I had more titles to read than days in the month, but this is the first Onley James title of 2024, so I’m taking the time out to write a review for Rogue because it simultaneously reminded me of why I fell in love with Onley’s work in the first place and why I’ve grown so obsessed with how the Necessary Evils universe has grown and expanded into the wonderful, violent, slutty three-headed creature it is now.
Rogue is about Levi, one of Jericho’s boys, and Shiloh, a seemingly terrified bunny of a boy who was sent by his older brother to kill Levi. But this is the Necessary Evils universe–attempted murder ranks up there with kidnapping as a courting ritual. Poor bunny Shiloh can’t pull the trigger, Levi takes it from him when he pulls him in to kiss him to cover up the attempt from the security cameras, and you just know the two imprinted on one another like duckies.
Levi and Shiloh aren’t as cute as Arsen and Ever (from Paladin), but they’re so sweet to one another. My heart broke for Shiloh time and again because no one had ever had the time or capability to take care of Shiloh beyond basic necessities before. It was so obvious that underneath all of that trauma there’s a huge heart waiting to love everyone. Definitely a plus for the Feelings Faction, and a great bestie for Ever.
One of my favorite parts in the whole book was watching the Feelings Faction take care of Shiloh when Levi didn’t know how to and Levi trusting them to do it. It’s okay to admit that you might not have all the answers for your partner’s problems and letting people you love and trust help you.
I don’t need to talk about the spice, do I? I mean, it’s Onley James.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Miles and Bilson, despite their (not significant) age gap, are both just a couple of man children. Miles is a rookie goalie, has youngest child syndroMiles and Bilson, despite their (not significant) age gap, are both just a couple of man children. Miles is a rookie goalie, has youngest child syndrome, and is an overgrown frat boy from the frattiest frat to ever frat (which would, if you can’t guess, the Sigmas from Saxon’s Frat Wars series, which you should definitely read. For science.), except with lots of bromotions and LGBTQ members. Bilson is in a state of arrested development: He was raised by a coterie of nannies, butlers, maids, and other household staff and never had models around to show him what love looked like, or what a healthy relationship might look like. By the time Bilson was an adult all he longed for was affection and attention, which led to a disastrous four marriages (and the subsequent four divorces), and numerous failed relationships. He’s a serial monogamist who’s in love with love.
When Bilson transfers to Nashville from Seattle it’s the same day Miles is starting his rookie year with the same team. It’s the shared excitement of a fresh year, a fresh start, and a sense of camaraderie that leads these two to a fast friendship and a close bromance.
The Puckboys books never fail to entertain in any way. They’re funny, sweet, hot, spicy, and heartwarming. Eden and Saxon have built such an intricate universe of characters that finding the easter eggs hidden in each of their books becomes a fangirl’s treasure hunt and treat with each read. I love how, with each Puckboy book, the worries about coming out lessen more and more thanks to the efforts of the Queer Collective and the worries of each couple shift more to their own personal dynamics. There will never be a day I don’t recommend a Puckboys book.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Possessive Park Avenue Prince picks up almost right after Scandalous Park Avenue Prince left off, with cinnamon roll Park Avenue Prince Gavin moving iPossessive Park Avenue Prince picks up almost right after Scandalous Park Avenue Prince left off, with cinnamon roll Park Avenue Prince Gavin moving in with resident bad boy Park Avenue Prince, Daire so he doesn’t have to listen to his brother’s noisy bedroom activities anymore. Could Gavin have asked for his own apartment in the Towers? Well, yes, but he’s neer lived alone before, and Daire has a two bedroom and offered it up so why not?
Then there’s the fact Daire knows things about Gavin none of the other Princes know and Gavin feels safer around Daire than most other people. There’s that.
I’m not going to lie to you: This book wasn’t what I expected and I didn’t dig it as much as I did the previous three installments in this series. It felt uneven in almost every way and I had issues with the chemistry between Gavin and Daire. Does that mean I didn’t enjoy the heck out of it? No, not at all! I always enjoy Ella and Brooke’s books. They’re excellent authors and they craft enjoyable and sexy gay romance novels. This series has been excellent up until now and I believe it’s unrealistic to expect every reader to adore every book in a series as much as the other. We’re only human–we’re going to have our favorites. Right now, I still love Scandalous PAP the most. That could change with the upcoming release of Salacious PAP, but who knows?
Just know, if you love very grumpy boys with very low self-worth, precious cinnamon roll boys who decide to put on some devil horns to get what they want, possessive alphaholes, jealous good boys, and a sumptuous helping of “touch him and die” (where he actually might mean it), then you’ll love this book.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Like the Taylor Swift song of the same name, How You Get the Girl is sweet, cute, lighthearted, and irresistible (to me, at least).
I absolutely adoreLike the Taylor Swift song of the same name, How You Get the Girl is sweet, cute, lighthearted, and irresistible (to me, at least).
I absolutely adored the first book in this series, 2022’s Love & Other Disasters (it’s on my shelf!). I didn’t like 2023’s Something Wild & Wonderful as much. I was worried about how I’d feel about this book but it turns out I shouldn’t have been because from the very start I fell in love with the amazing cast of characters and Anita Kelly’s absolutely hypnotizing dialogue and effortless storytelling.
This is a cute love story about a queer high school basketball coach who meets her childhood idol and crush via one of her players and somehow their lives slowly but surely become enmeshed via high schooler antics and interference, genuine care and concern for one another as human beings, holiday meet-ups, cats (just cats), “practice dates” (yeah, sure), and basketball (because of course).
The spice level is rather low but that’s absolutely fine because the chemistry and cuteness is off the charts. The romance is absolutely swoon-worthy because Julie and Elle are absolutely next-level sweet, sometimes clueless, and absolutely needed an intervention a time or two.
There is a lot to be said for mental health concerns and LGBTQIA+ rep in high school sports in this book too, and that was a great topic to see handled well. Kelly also tackles the topic of labels and identity and I thought the way it was written about in this book was not only intelligent but very moving.
This was another Anita Kelly winner. Loved it.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I’ve been waiting for Sean’s story since the first Elite Escort’s MM book because there’s nothing quite like seeing what happens when a playboy falls I’ve been waiting for Sean’s story since the first Elite Escort’s MM book because there’s nothing quite like seeing what happens when a playboy falls in love. When the hints dropped in Two Chances that Sean was going to go back to college, I was happy la-la at the idea of Sean in a forbidden professor-student romance. The terrific news is this is one hot romance.
Sean has decided to go back to college to get his MBA mainly because he wants to stick it to his old man that he can put in the work and dedication to things just like his big brother, Micah. He sees Micah as the golden boy of the family and he longs for acknowledgment and praise. (I totally feel Sean on this, considering I went to college at 30 specifically to prove I could–but my fuel was spite not affirmation). On the first day of classes he meets Professor Matteo D’Angelo, a widower, who finds himself inexplicably drawn to Sean even though he’s never looked at a man at any point in his entire life. Sean’s thrown deep into the biggest crush of his life and Professor D’Angelo finds himself racked with guilt over being attracted to someone for the first time since he lost his wife (not to mention the terror that comes from finding yourself attracted to one of your students).
I love forbidden romances, and the professor/student dynamic is one of my absolute favorites when it comes to the forbidden tropes. The fact that Sean is an older student and there’s a 10-plus year age gap between him and Matteo doesn’t lessen the hotness of it at all. It’s not quite grumpy-sunshine, but Matteo’s more stoic and mature nature does contrast nicely with Sean’s effervescent and sunny spirit. Matteo needs someone to lighten up his life and Sean needs someone to ground him. They each bring something to the relationship and that’s always a good thing.
I enjoyed the subplot in this book, as well as catching up with Micah and getting to know a couple of the other Elite MM escorts as well. It’s always nice when we get to meet some side characters. It was a great read!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Forbidden Romance/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Romance Series/Sex Worker/Spice Level 3 ...more
Have you ever felt like it took you a long time to get to where you were meant to be? Like you didn’t mean to take the scenic route, but you did and nHave you ever felt like it took you a long time to get to where you were meant to be? Like you didn’t mean to take the scenic route, but you did and now you know you were meant to take that route the whole time? Like you would have missed something vital if you hadn’t?
That feeling, combined with an oversaturation of Gen X nostalgia, makes up the majority of the sentiment, story, and romance of Slow Dance.
(Yeah, I can say that because I’m Gen X and I not only had friends just like these characters but I could’ve lived lives similar to theirs if I didn’t grow up in a town smaller than even Omaha (though I don’t live in Nebraska)).
I’m normally a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell. I’ve read almost everything else she’s written and I own most of it, too. Her strengths tend to be dialogue, character building, character arcs, and emotions. These are all things I have always loved and admired about her writing. Everyone in her books is messy, vulnerable, and terribly human. No one looks perfect and no one’s okay. I love how Rowell isn’t afraid to write incredibly mundane people falling in love in the most haphazard, dazzling ways. The issue I had with Slow Dance was that I really disliked Shiloh and Cary read much like her other male characters from her contemporary novels.
So while the dialogue was sharp and witty and the emotional messiness was alive and well, I just wasn’t invested in the romantic relationship between Shiloh and Cary. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed and left a few loose ends flapping.
What I do think is that this book might be a lot better in audiobook format. This seems like the type of book that would read well that way. I don’t listen to audiobooks, but for some reason I kept coming back to that thought. I also think if I had liked Shiloh more I would’ve rated this book higher.
I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. A rating of three stars or lower means this review will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.
File Under: Coming of Age/Contemporary Romance/Spice Level 1/Women’s Fiction ...more
While I was reading this ARC I really wished I could text Lark Taylor and playfully curse her out because my eyes were already red and swollen from crWhile I was reading this ARC I really wished I could text Lark Taylor and playfully curse her out because my eyes were already red and swollen from crying my eyes out over another romance novel today and had I known Red Haze was going to make me sob like a baby then I maybe would’ve waited a couple of more days to read it!
I’m obviously not mad about a book making me cry. In my opinion, art of any kind should make you feel. That’s the point of art: to elicit emotions. I knew from the start that Arlo and Jack’s story was going to be a sucker punch and that’s one of the reasons I was so excited for it. During the first two books in the Caffeine Daydreams series we’ve watched Arlo pine endlessly over Jack (pine like a pine forest, this boy) and watch Jack clueless act like a guard dog who has no clue he’s obsessed with his master (and Jack is such a good guard dog). So this was always going to be a tormented bodyguard romance, with all of that yummy push and pull, drawing lines only to cross them, miscommunications (for once deployed effectively in this book), and a whole lot of emotional detangling between what’s toxic love and what’s a healthy level of obsession with another human being when they’ve been your world for so long?
Of course, we’re pre-programmed to feel deeply for Arlo: Raised in grotty council estates to a neglectful and abusive family with only his talent with drums as a possible way out. Even then, once Caffeine Daydreams hits success, he’s deep in the hole emotionally and creatively. It’s being assigned Jack as a bodyguard when he’s 18 that finally starts to drag Arlo out of the pit. However, this book makes it very clear we should have also been curious about Jack’s state of mind in all of this too. Keep that in mind when you start to read this book, because in the ways that count this book is a slow burn. It’s HEA guaranteed, but it takes a long time for Arlo and Jack to find happiness.
I’m going to end this with lots of winks, nudges, and nods to Lark, for giving me so many giggles and snorts throughout this book for the easter eggs. I was curious if they’d be in here, and they were. I was delighted.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was offered or accepted in exchange for this review. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Disability Rep/Forbidden Romance/Kindle Unlimited/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Romance Series/Rockstar Romance/Spice Level 2
Even though I’d read a few of Jessign Reign’s books in the past I wasn’t aware of the upcoming release of Rent Paid in Full until about a month beforeEven though I’d read a few of Jessign Reign’s books in the past I wasn’t aware of the upcoming release of Rent Paid in Full until about a month before it happened and when I saw the synopsis I was like, “How in the heck did I miss this? This sounds beyond hot. I love rent boy books!”
And so began the salivating. I counted down the days until the release date, cursing all along that I didn’t have this book on my Kindle yet.
It was torture to wait but now I’ve read it and it was everything Id’ hoped it would be and everything all those bookstagrammers I hounded about it told me it’d be. I don’t know what possessed Jesse Reign while writing this but it needs to keep it coming because this was stupidfilthyhot, omgallthefeelings, and gjshhgjtbshgthjtj all in one and I had to go to bed and sleep it off before writing this review because I didn’t have words or know what to do with myself after I read it. It was an out of body experience and I don’t even believe in that.
From the first sentence of this book I was absolutely hooked on Ryan’s snarky, uptight, contradictory nature. That man would bite off his nose to spite his face and then automatically regret it but then deny that he’s regretful about it. His brain is a washing machine set on vicious cycle and I am here for it because it makes him an absolute wind-up toy for our other MMC, Miller.
If Ryan is snarky, uptight, and contradictory, then Miller is earnest, laid-back (but resigned), and amiable in nature. He’s like water to Ryan’s flame. Miller can go with the flow, become tempestuous waves, or make himself into a whirlpool and summon people to him like a beacon. Miller’s inner narrative about Ryan is some of the most entertaining and amusing writing I’ve read in a long time.
I love how Miller found a way to get Ryan out of his head and accept what they both wanted without Ryan completely sacrificing his pride. I loved watching the two of them develop and grow together as people and lovers. I loved the story and the third act was a thing of romantic beauty. The spice was some of the hottest I’ve read in a long time. I mean, I think I spent a lot of time saying curse words and blaming drugs while reading this. It’s just that brilliant and hot and right.
All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. ...more
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