I was really impressed by the first book in this series, Reaching Reed. Back then I hadn’t read any of Nicole Dykes work, but I really liked how theseI was really impressed by the first book in this series, Reaching Reed. Back then I hadn’t read any of Nicole Dykes work, but I really liked how these two authors worked together. My opinion hasn’t changed because Becoming Bennet is just as good as Reaching Reed, just in a different way.
I think some people may have read Reaching Reed and looked for too much of Cora Rose’s influence in it from reading her more dramedy-like books like Sem and Until Him and when they didn’t get that same vibe, they might have been disappointed. But I felt that Reaching Reed was this really nice blend of spicy, soft, and sweet, with the two characters coming together more naturally than they do in most Cora Rose books. And it was refreshing. When two authors choose to co-author books it can either go disastrously (I’ve seen that happen), or those two authors can coax out the best of each other’s talents and temper some of their more signature ones to create a harmonious duet of voices on the page.
Becoming Bennet skews more towards dramedy, almost reaching into romcom territory. I think I would’ve liked it to be a little softer, but I truly do like it as it is too.
I did have an issue with the California stereotypes in this book, but that may be because of where I live in California. Becoming Bennet takes place almost entirely in Kansas, which is where Bennet was born and raised in a very small town. Jasper, the other MMC, is from San Diego (as are the other Behind the Camera characters who show up later in the book) and they all act like they’ve never been to a farm or been around farm animals and that the notion of big skies and flat fields for miles is foreign to them. In reality, San Diego County has the largest number of small farms (less than 10 acres) out of any other county in the US and also has the largest number of organic producers out of all the counties in the US. Agriculture is the 5th largest industry in San Diego County. They have great nurseries, floriculture, apples in the mountains, are the number one producer of avocados in the country, tomatoes, citrus fruit, succulents, a large crop of strawberries every year along the coast, some coffee, and cannabis. In the city itself many people keep chickens in their yards for their eggs. San Diego has at least 44 regular farmer’s markets in the city. So I find it very hard to believe that all of the homegrown San Diego guys in this series have never had contact with a chicken or have never been on a farm. You would not believe the amount of people who love going to farms to pick their own produce (up here in northern California people will pay a lot to pick their own berries and apples).
I’m sorry to go off on a tangent like that. It’s just… California is a really big place with a ton of people, and we produce most of America’s fruits and veggies. We have farms and more farms. Especially if you live near the coast or in a valley. (Please note this did not affect my enjoyment of the book and did not in any way influence my rating but is more of a “this really bugs me” thing).
I loved Bennet so much. I love how sure he is of himself, his sexuality, his job, and how he feels about Jasper. He has Jasper’s number and he’s one determined man. He wants to crack Jasper open like the tough nut he is. I also love how passionate and patient he is about making Jasper come around. He’s loyal and invested. That loyalty and investment also extends to his family, and the way his heart is so tangled with guilt and sadness over how he hasn’t been to see them enough is completely relatable. Sometimes we’re born in a place we can’t stay in for many reasons. Bennet’s lucky that his family loves him and tries their hardest to understand him.
Jasper’s a jagged little thing. If there’s one more thing I wished this book had done it was go more into Jasper: where he came from, why he is the way he is, and how he deals with his demons (we all have demons). We got to know Bennet so much during this book, but I felt like we barely touched getting to know Jasper. I would’ve liked more peeks into his psyche. (Though his scene in the petting zoo made me so, so, so happy).
I don’t know if I need to tell you the spice is perfect. Because if you know this writing duo you gotta know the spice is ghost pepper hot, right? It is. It’s downright yummy. And it’s not just during the spice scenes: It’s almost an omnipresent thing, their chemistry and tension evident in words and actions throughout the book. They can’t keep their minds off of one another at first, and once their hands get involved they can’t keep those off one another either, quickly followed by just about every other body part.
It’s a really fun, sweet, and hot read. There are some truly funny scenes and some that are truly touching. Check it out!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I’m sitting here humming “Moon River” as I start this review, because I’m thinking of Ely and Wyatt as the two drifters who are off to see the world aI’m sitting here humming “Moon River” as I start this review, because I’m thinking of Ely and Wyatt as the two drifters who are off to see the world and there’s such a lot of world to see. These two people who are so similar in many ways and yet have a large gulf between them, adrift in life and moored in their mutual, chosen loneliness. Two miserable dinghy-people, just bailing water out as fast as they take it on.
This book could’ve turned out so badly. A nudge one way and it comes out saccharine. A nudge the other way it comes out too pessimistic. Somehow, Victoria Lee kept it steadily walking that earnest and vulnerable line, where she opens up her characters for us and we fall in love with them and watch as they each fall apart and put each other back together, over and over again. This story is sensual, sweet, and optimistic (without coming across as so sunny you’d think Pollyanna was turning the pages for you).
In most romances, I don’t so much get on board for genuine, heartfelt happiness. For some reason, when it comes to LGBTQ romances, that’s all I want for them. I want all the genuine happiness. Maybe it’s a reflection of how many unhappy endings LGBTQ people (especially transgender) get in real life and how much that upsets me. Maybe since I’m LGBTQ and I have a LGBTQ child I just want to see the LGBTQ people in romance novels end up happy because I didn’t and I want better for my own kid someday. This book genuinely moved me. The way Wyatt and Ely propped each other up even when they weren’t romantically involved, the way they supported each other in their sobriety, and the way they were so reverential with one another’s bodies when they were together was an honest show of how much it meant to them to shed every layer and be bare before one another in every way. To drop every veil and reveal everything, including every insecurity and every scar.
Now, I’m new to Victoria Lee’s work, but not only did she show off some serious research chops in this book, but she also brought beautiful prose and excellent dialogue skills to the table. Her characters jumped off the page and added just enough background color and noise that they never took away from our two main protagonists–they just garnished them the right amount.
I loved that this book ended happily, but not with a tidy little bow. Because life is messy. We don’t always get everything we want. But what matters is that we keep trying and holding onto the ones we love. This book definitely conveys that.
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 was utterly stunned by Romero’s debut novel last year, The Ghosts of Rose Hill. At the time, I knew the novel would be told in verse but it had beenI was utterly stunned by Romero’s debut novel last year, The Ghosts of Rose Hill. At the time, I knew the novel would be told in verse but it had been so long since I had read a novel in verse it took me until I was about 10% of the way through the novel to really settle in and meld with Romero’s style and to be swept away with her story of the marriage of music and words and falling in love.
So this time I was prepared going in to A Warning About Swans for that lyrical, flowing verse Romero writes, this time spinning a fairy tale of a swan maiden who longs to know what it’s like to be free and human, only to discover that to be human girl in mid-19th century Bavaria is just another cage and now her powers are being held hostage by a man.
This story is most definitely a fairy tale, but it borrows ingredients from and then remixes from other mythological, folkloric, and fairy tale sources: The Swan Maidens are birthed by Odin just after he is resurrected, the pure white swan maiden being seduced away from the flock by a aristocratic boy is borrowed from Swan Lake, and bits and bobs of influence from The Last Unicorn can be felt throughout the book during Hilde’s (our swan maiden) journeys.
There is so much grief, regret, guilt, sadness, pain, and general melancholy in this book. Yet, I think that’s the point, and the book wouldn’t be the same without it.
During Hilde’s bound journey, she meets a non-binary painter named Franz Mendelsohn, who is Jewish. Both Franz and Hilde have left their homes and don’t think they can return. Both have secrets and have to hide their talents from the world. Both feel lost and without direction. Both feel used and taken advantage of and only find comfort in the companionship of one another. Romero never once makes Franz’ sexual identity an issue or a plot point except to let Franz explain how it makes them feel. For the story’s purpose, being Jewish in Bavaria is more dangerous than being non-binary.
The most lovely parts of this book are not found in the dialogue, but in the narration of the scenes without dialogue. That’s when Romero’s verse truly takes flight, spinning metaphors, similes, dizzying visions and beautiful turns of phrase. I wish I could quote them for you, but seeing as this is coming from a review copy, I can’t.
Romero can make time move as she wishes with her words. She can slow it down with Franz and Hilde lazily hanging out in a castle while Franz is painting and Hilde is daydreaming. She can speed it up with the simple sound of the stamping of boots down a marble corridor. Her timing is impeccable and she knows just when to tighten the knots and when to loosen them.
Romero is a genius in the making. I can’t wait for the next one.
I was provided a copy of the title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Fairy Tale/Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/LGBTQ Romance/OwnVoices/Paranormal Romance/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance ...more
I thought I could go into Traitor of Redwinter and just start reading it without a refresher (after all, McDonald helpfully provides a refresher at thI thought I could go into Traitor of Redwinter and just start reading it without a refresher (after all, McDonald helpfully provides a refresher at the beginning of the book), but it turns out I really needed a re-read, so I ended up reading Daughter of Redwinter again so I could have it fresh in mind when I started Traitor of Redwinter. If you haven’t read the first book in this series lately, you may want to do the same, because it really helped me remember all the cogs and sprockets of Redwinter and the characters in this fantastic series.
This book picks up some months after the end of DoR, and Raine, along with other characters from the first book, are on a diplomatic trip to meet up with a Draoihn who has taken over a city. They’re to take the measure of him, because the King’s health is failing and the succession is coming soon. What happens in these opening chapters sets off a chain of events that will follow Raine and company throughout the rest of the book.
Meanwhile, Uvotis has been gone for months to the capitol, Ulovar has fallen gravely ill, rose thistle has become a little too good of a friend, and Raine can’t seem to decide whether to push or pull when it comes to Esher and Sanvaunt.
Sophomore novels in a series are a hit-or-miss phenomena. Luckily, this one is a hit. I enjoyed it a bit more than I did DoR: it had more heart, more depth, more emotion (I cried more than once), more nuance, and (I hate to say it) more actual plot.
There were downsides, though. First of all: Ed McDonald needs to get a female sensitivity reader. I don’t want to read the phrase “tingles tingles” in regards to how a woman feels about a man or woman again. It’s an immature expression of desire for a woman like Raine. It doesn’t fit. It was also predictable. I didn’t mind the predictability this time, but the point stands. The last point is the ending. It felt a bit deus ex machina.
It’s still a fantastic book and a fantastic series. I still love it. I’m still enjoying the magic and the characters and the world. I just think it needs some tweaking.
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.
File Under: Book Series/Dark Fantasy/Epic Fantasy/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/Found Family/LGBTQ Romance ...more
This book was a change of pace from the first two Mike Bravo Ops books in a big way and I have to say, I’m still a little off-kilter about it.
Don’t tThis book was a change of pace from the first two Mike Bravo Ops books in a big way and I have to say, I’m still a little off-kilter about it.
Don’t take that to mean the book isn’t good, because it is. It’s merely a different vibe and speed than the previous two books, and a different feel than most of Eden Finley’s books. This book is more about connection, both making it and keeping it, than it is about almost anything else. Lemon is a stripper who is afraid of true connection and Atlas is someone who longs for true connection and is patient enough to wait for it. This is definitely not grumpy/sunshine–this is shy/uninhibited. They’re both either far too nice or too protective to be either grumpy or sunshine. If anything, they’re a lot alike, save Lemon is more apt to be taken advantage of because he isn’t trained to pick up on things about human behavior like Atlas has.
This book is a slow burn for an Eden Finley book, and that surprised me. I actually thought it was too long of a wait for the length of the book and wasn’t justified by the plot. I can see her reasoning for the wait in the writing, but it still bothered me and didn’t sit quite right with me. And when the spice did come, it wasn’t as fulfilling as I’d hoped it would be.
The few brief appearances by the rest of the Mike Bravo team were entertaining, as always, but they felt almost wedged in at times instead of seamlessly slotted.
Overall, did I like the book? Of course I did. Eden Finley doesn’t write bad books or even mediocre ones. I just think she’s written better. The book is still a very worthy read and you’ll love the precocious minx, Lemon. He’ll steal your heart and run away with it.
A copy of this title was provided to me by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Contemporary Romance/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Military Romance/Romance Series/Sadenverse/Sex Work Content/Spice Level 2/Workplace Romance ...more
Cora Rose, oh Cora Rose. You consistently bring us to our knees with some of the hottest couples with the best chemistry doing some of the most spicy Cora Rose, oh Cora Rose. You consistently bring us to our knees with some of the hottest couples with the best chemistry doing some of the most spicy and sexy things together while simultaneously writing those characters with such sincerity and care…and I can’t figure out how you do both and hit the bullseye every single dang time. Woman, do you know how to write a bad book?
Grey and Quinn are absolutely combustible together from the start in the fast-burn age-gap romance, even as they both struggle with very similar demons at two very different ages. Neither feels wanted by anyone in their life or feels like a priority to anyone they love, but somehow how that struggle manifests in each character compliments the other, with Quinn needing to care for people and Grey longing to be cared for. Or, in more racy terms, it leaves Grey longing to be pounded into the mattress and that feeling of being owned, and it leaves Quinn longing to possess that which he covets and to make sure it never goes without feeling wanted.
And hoo boy does Quinn want Grey. On his back, on his knees, on his stomach, on his side, standing up, bent over...it doesn’t matter to Quinn. All that matters to Quinn is keeping Grey feeling desired and filled as often as possible. And all Grey wants is that feeling of constantly being filled, stuffed and sore so he can’t forget how much Quinn wants him.
That doesn’t mean that the only cure for what ails Quinn or Grey is sex. I would argue that Quinn likely needed a touch more attention to his issues in this book and should probably be in therapy, but we all handle our damage differently. To be honest, I identified a lot with Quinn in how he thinks about and handles his sexuality and past experiences, because I was much like that myself, so I may be biased in my opinion of that part of his life. Even though Cora Rose treats Grey and his issues compassionately and with great care, there is something to be said for the fact that Grey should’ve likely been seeing a mental health professional at some point.
The imagery we’re given of Michigan and the beautiful upper peninsula would’ve been lost in many other author’s hands. Cora took great pains to write out the road trip Quinn and Grey went on, painting vivid scenes of both the wilderness and all the little towns and villages that dot the region.
Mostly, I just loved how Quinn and Grey were so in sync, right from the start. Their quiet times, their laughing times, and the times when they knew they were about to tear each other to pieces.
And let us not forget Winter, because humans don’t deserve dogs. They are too good for us.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Bisexual Romance/LGBTQ Romance/Gay Romance/Contemporary Romance/5 Star Reviews/Age Gap Romance/Forbidden Romance/Road Trip/Spice Level 3/Standalone Romance
Merged review:
Cora Rose, oh Cora Rose. You consistently bring us to our knees with some of the hottest couples with the best chemistry doing some of the most spicy and sexy things together while simultaneously writing those characters with such sincerity and care…and I can’t figure out how you do both and hit the bullseye every single dang time. Woman, do you know how to write a bad book?
Grey and Quinn are absolutely combustible together from the start in the fast-burn age-gap romance, even as they both struggle with very similar demons at two very different ages. Neither feels wanted by anyone in their life or feels like a priority to anyone they love, but somehow how that struggle manifests in each character compliments the other, with Quinn needing to care for people and Grey longing to be cared for. Or, in more racy terms, it leaves Grey longing to be pounded into the mattress and that feeling of being owned, and it leaves Quinn longing to possess that which he covets and to make sure it never goes without feeling wanted.
And hoo boy does Quinn want Grey. On his back, on his knees, on his stomach, on his side, standing up, bent over...it doesn’t matter to Quinn. All that matters to Quinn is keeping Grey feeling desired and filled as often as possible. And all Grey wants is that feeling of constantly being filled, stuffed and sore so he can’t forget how much Quinn wants him.
That doesn’t mean that the only cure for what ails Quinn or Grey is sex. I would argue that Quinn likely needed a touch more attention to his issues in this book and should probably be in therapy, but we all handle our damage differently. To be honest, I identified a lot with Quinn in how he thinks about and handles his sexuality and past experiences, because I was much like that myself, so I may be biased in my opinion of that part of his life. Even though Cora Rose treats Grey and his issues compassionately and with great care, there is something to be said for the fact that Grey should’ve likely been seeing a mental health professional at some point.
The imagery we’re given of Michigan and the beautiful upper peninsula would’ve been lost in many other author’s hands. Cora took great pains to write out the road trip Quinn and Grey went on, painting vivid scenes of both the wilderness and all the little towns and villages that dot the region.
Mostly, I just loved how Quinn and Grey were so in sync, right from the start. Their quiet times, their laughing times, and the times when they knew they were about to tear each other to pieces.
And let us not forget Winter, because humans don’t deserve dogs. They are too good for us.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Bisexual Romance/LGBTQ Romance/Gay Romance/Contemporary Romance/5 Star Reviews/Age Gap Romance/Forbidden Romance/Road Trip/Spice Level 3/Standalone Romance...more
When I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys serWhen I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys series, I always rub my hands together briskly before starting and let out a silly little giggle because I know without a doubt I’m in for a really good time and a really good book. So I snuggled down into my bed with my puppies and settled in for my definition of literary comfort food.
I asked, and they delivered: GOAL. I still don’t understand anything about hockey (even after reading hella hockey romances), but the jokes! The chirping! The personalities! The ups and downs of competition and the pros and cons of celebrity! Let’s not forget Oskar, who (along with other members of the Queer Collective) make some hilarious cameos or appear here and there to help give the plot a gentle nudge along.
Oh Aleks, you sweet little baby pansexual. The world is your oyster and you have no idea what to do with it all. At the beginning of this book everything is brand-new for Aleks: new town, new house, new team, and a finalized divorce after he and his wife grew apart. He wants to explore everything the queer community has to offer, but has no idea where to start. Enter the Queer Collective, a bunch of alcohol and bad decisions (which honestly should be a warning sign Oskar wears around and all of us know it), and one small accident with fire that brings two firemen to Aleks’ backyard. It’s one hell of a meet cute. One of the best I’ve read in at least the last year. I was living for it.
Gabe is one of the firefighters that responds to this odd and ultimately hilarious call, and let’s talk about that insta-lust, okay? The insta-lust was real and I’m a big fan, being prone to it in real life myself. The sparks fly, the chemistry is explosive, and neither of these two can list patience as a strong suit. They want hands, mouths, and more all over one another as soon as possible. The sooner the better. Trying to take it slow just doesn’t work.
Eden and Saxon get me in one of my weakest spots with the dirty talk. I’m weak for it. And they write it so well.
This book isn’t on the long side. It’s less than 300 pages, and it’s a quick read. The burn is fast, the writing is hilarious, the romance is pure fluff sweetness, and the friendships are so pure. It’s another winner from Finley and James, keeping them at the top of their game.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
So many people wondered if the infamous Chuck Tingle could write a serious horror novel. I say let them doubt no more, because Camp Damascus is not onSo many people wondered if the infamous Chuck Tingle could write a serious horror novel. I say let them doubt no more, because Camp Damascus is not only a serious horror novel, but it’s a relevant and timely one that also manages to preserve some of Tingle’s signature voice.
I couldn’t put this book down, people. Not only was it full of that righteous indignation for organized religion I love so much, but that rage was backed up by a wealth of well-researched and sourced ecclesiastical, religious, and lesser-known theological texts, some so obscure I’m not even sure how deep Tingle had to dig into academia to find them or how long it took them to go through bibliography after bibliography like a spiraling rabbit hole of Latin and Aramaic. If you’re going to write a horror novel lambasting evangelical Christianity and mega churches, Chuck Tingle really decided to go big or go home. I gotta tell you, the biblical sparring in this book was something I was here for in a big way, because there’s nothing like watching religious zealots being forced to shift their goal posts or deliberately misinterpret their own scripture.
I fell in love with the deeper story here too, of memories lost and the people we lose along with them. Picnics in the park, dancing awkwardly in an apartment, meet-cutes in book shops… Going from thinking you’re living a life with love being behind everything you do to knowing all that life has done is taken love from you might cause one to radically alter the course of one’s life, but it also probably won’t change the core of you. But just like conversion therapy doesn’t make you any less gay, losing your faith won’t necessarily make you any less kind or brave.
The characters in this book are brilliant. Keeping the main cast to a protagonist and two supporting characters really left a lot of room for great world building, fantastic character development, organic plot exhibition, and some great larger scenes filled with evocative and colorful imagery.
There’s also some fantastic random silliness, weird body horror with a point, and gnarly gore here and there inside, just to remind us we’re reading Chuck Tingle. I simply loved all of 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.
File Under: Body Horror/Cult Horror/Horror/Horror Comedy/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQRomance/Occult Fiction/Occult Horror/Paranormal Fantasy/Urban Fantasy ...more
C. P. Harris is no stranger to stepbrother romance (see last year’s excellent Bad Wrong Things) or mixing heartbreaking angst with enough sexual chemiC. P. Harris is no stranger to stepbrother romance (see last year’s excellent Bad Wrong Things) or mixing heartbreaking angst with enough sexual chemistry to melt your dang bones (see, again, Bad Wrong Things), but The Good Liar is as bold of a move as a romance novel as I could think of, seeing as the theme of the book and the series is infidelity, which is a no-no to your average romance novel reader. So you’ve got two “forbidden” romance novel tropes: stepbrothers and cheating.
You know what that says to me? Sign me right the heck up. You might as well have waved a red flag in front of my face, because the more you tell me something’s forbidden the more I want it.
While the plotting in this book isn’t as solid as I’d like, the characterizations are. Well, for the most part. I felt Daniel was written almost cartoonishly evil. Between the short interludes featuring him and then his scheming and narcissistic behavior throughout the book, it felt like we were being given more excuses to root for Cole and Jasper when we didn’t need many excuses to root for them already. There was no need to heep more villainy upon Daniel. We knew that apple was poisoned. As a reader, it made me feel a bit insulted, like I couldn’t be trusted to draw the line from A to Z myself.
Now, Cole and Daniel? They have some issues too, but not nearly as many as Daniel. And, trust me, you’ll be far too distracted by the sexual chemistry between these two to really worry too much about it. And when the chemistry becomes a reaction and ignites, hold onto your seats because these two are the definition of “carnal knowledge”. They are beasts with one another, down to their animal selves, wanting to tear and rend one another. It’s not only hot enough to melt an e-reader, it’s also symbolic of how deep down their connection goes and how well these two know one another.
The ending has the benefit of privilege: Were the characters in this book poor, it would’ve taken longer to end for a lot of reasons. But money talks, and so the HEA comes quickly because money cuts through the reddest of tapes pretty easily. I do hate an easy out like that, but the characters can’t help they’re rich.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All thoughts, views, and ideas expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
It’s so unfair that I have to give this book (which is by all rights an entertaining slasher film romp where the frat boys aReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
It’s so unfair that I have to give this book (which is by all rights an entertaining slasher film romp where the frat boys are the ones in danger and not sorority girls for once) 3.5 stars. I would’ve loved to have rated it higher; but as it was, if it weren’t such a fun book to read (and I didn’t even manage to guess whodunit!) I would’ve rated it lower because this book has enough plot holes I felt like I might need to send for a work crew to come patch them all for author Cale Dietrich.
Why didn’t I guess who did it? Well, because it didn’t make any sense. If anyone else who has read this book can look back at any point in the book and tell me there was any hint that made you realize in hindsight the murderer was at least slightly suspect, then I’d like to know, because it’s driving me nuts.
And as for the leading suspect for the murders for the majority of the book: If Sam (our MC) was so skeptical, why didn’t he find a way to contact that person’s family and find out if they knew anything about where he was or what happened to him? Moreover, if said person had indeed disappeared suddenly, wouldn't law enforcement have contacted Sam as a matter of course, considering their shared history? I just felt like I kept stumbling into plot holes and if I was watching a horror film I’d be asking Sam out loud as I was watching the television, “Why don’t you make one simple phone call?”
I loved that this was a YA horror novel in the slasher genre with prominent LGBTQ representation and a LGBTQ main romantic relationship but that Dietrich never made this book about being queer. This wasn’t a slasher novel about being gay, this was a slasher novel that just happened to have a heavy amount of queer representation that was presented in a positive light. These young men are simply fresh meat in the college market, trying to find their people and their way in life. Yeah, they’re gay, but that’s never the point. And that’s not the motive for the murders, either.
It really is an entertaining, diverting, fun, and slasher-iffic read that’s good for when you just want to take some time to sink into a book that has the feel of a 90’s slasher film.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley in conjunction with the author. All thoughts, views, and opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are WI knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are Worthy, that I would want to read any other book Alisha Williams wrote that was set in the same universe. So, when We Are Destiny was announced, I signed up to read, review, and promote that book right away.
This book hit two huge omegaverse sweet spots for me: omega on omega action, and alpha on alpha action. It’s all well and good to read your standard omegaverse novel where it’s all just alpha(s) on omega action, but to be honest, I’ve really gotten tired of them. They’ve started to bore me in the same way that about 75% of heterosexual contemporary romances have, which is why I don’t usually read m/f contemporary romance unless it’s highly recommended to me by people I trust to make good recommendations. With omegaverse, I now see the standard alpha(s) x omega and I’m already pretty bored. I end up returning them to KU usually before the 20% point because I just need more from my omegaverse novels now. And mixing things up or adding up the kink and/or spice factor is a spectacular way to grab my attention and keep me reading.
While I loved We Are Worthy because of its unconventional yet BAMF FMC who was more into who her potential pack members were inside rather than what muscles they had on the outside, I loved We Are Destiny because of the two omegas in the book: our MMC, Spencer, and the feisty little omega Everlee, who is barely-controlled chaos with devious plans in mind that are meant to make everyone happy. The two together are so sweet and cuter than a pair of kittens who have just discovered their toe beans.
Also, bravo to Williams for tackling the struggles that come with depression and anxiety and the unhealthy coping mechanisms one might use in the dark times when it seems you’ve lost everything and don’t know if you’re ever going to come out of the dark pit you’ve found yourself in. As someone who has a panic disorder and an anxiety disorder (let’s not talk about the bipolar), I felt those scenes were written rather well and handled with appropriate care instead of exploitatively. While Spencer’s anxiety and depression are intrinsic to the plot, Williams did take care to not make Spencer all about his depression and anxiety, instead opting as often as possible to show as many different facets of Spencer as possible.
Now, we all know we don’t read omegaverse for plot. We read it for fun and for spice. You don’t have anything to worry about on that front. There is a lot of spice in this book, and the pairings are in every formation possible. It’s all hot, and it’ll make you squirm real good. Not only that, but you get a lot of sweet and soft intimate moments, which is always nice.
All in all, it’s another winner from Alisha Williams in this omegaverse universe. It’s a great book available on Kindle Unlimited and you should definitely check it out if you like your omegaverse novels spicy, diverse, and versatile.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions, thoughts, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
In these past six months or so, Cora Rose has become an insta-buy author for me. All she has to do is announce a book and my head perks up like a meerIn these past six months or so, Cora Rose has become an insta-buy author for me. All she has to do is announce a book and my head perks up like a meerkat and I’m like, “Cora Rose? Must read!” I’m going to admit I’m a lot less familiar with the writings of Nicole Dykes, but that teeny, tiny fact wasn’t going to keep me away from this book. And I’m so glad I didn’t let anything deter me from getting my greedy hands on this book so I could devour it.
I don’t know how Cora Rose somehow does fast-burn, spicy, soft, and sweet all at once and yet makes it not only feel so effortless but also make it feel… natural. It shouldn’t feel so natural for two people to come together like they do in Cora’s books, but they do, and it’s always amazing. A Cora Rose book never lets me down. And judging by how popular she’s become in such a short period of time, I know I’m not the only reader who feels that way.
The simple, brilliant, and scorchingly hot premise of this series is one that totally taps into one of my favorite tropes: camboys (and sex workers in general). I am a big fan of how this book stays sex worker positive and never sinks to the level of exploiting it. Camming truly is a business as much as influencing and marketing is, just with less clothes. Sex work is the oldest profession in the world and is nothing to be ashamed of. This aspect of the book was definitely a plus for me.
How to express the way I feel about Reed, Hannah, and Carter? I can’t even with these three. I truly felt for Reed and his struggles, felt buoyed by Hannah and her ability to take most things in stride, and wanted to endlessly hug Carter for his huge heart and capacity to give.
I don’t know between Nicole and Cora who wrote what or who came up with what, but they sure make a good team. I’m looking forward to more from this co-writing team.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/Holy Crud That Was Hot/K!nk and BDSM Friendly/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 3 ...more
After hearing so much praise about this book and after looking forward to it all year, I felt sad that this novel felt so incomplete when I read it. IAfter hearing so much praise about this book and after looking forward to it all year, I felt sad that this novel felt so incomplete when I read it. Ink Blood Sister Scribe feels like the definition of potential unrealized: A book that feels as if it really had a big story to tell but instead it was a little story that felt immature and underdeveloped to me.
Author Emma Törzs isn’t without talent: The bones are there in her writing for truly great novels. Her ideas have such great potential, her imagery is vivid and provocative, her grasp of how to write magic systems is already well-developed, and her prose will be something to behold once she gets a full grasp on it.
Where this book falls short is pacing, plot development, character development, and I would call it “egalitarianism of character time on page”. The pacing is scattered all over the place, which makes reading it feel like a slipshod experience. The plot development is either not happening at all or it’s happening all at once, which is tied into the pacing problems. You have three “tent pole” characters holding this book up: Joanna, Esther, and Nicholas. Three (for all intents and purposes) main characters with their own POV’s that braid this story together, but I felt none of them were given their fair shake. Nicholas should’ve been introduced a bit earlier (I almost DNFd the book before he showed up because I wasn’t seeing a conflict in the book that interested me enough to keep going), Joanna wasn’t given enough to do throughout the book, and Esther was given too much. This uneven character development also affected the plot development.
No matter how I look at it, all of these issues cited in the paragraph above equate to a game of “The knee bone is connected to the…”, because they each affect one another whenever tweaked. This is what this book needed more of, though: Tweaking. Editing. It probably could’ve used some more workshopping and a few more readers to lay eyes on it. Törzs is potentially a blindingly brilliant writer, but this is her debut and all writers have to put their first book babies out into the world sometime. It’s obvious I didn’t enjoy it near as much as others did, but it’s not the first time that’s happened.
Magical realism is probably my favorite genre of novels, right up there with speculative fiction. We need more voices in the genre, especially diverse and female. I want Törzs to keep writing. I want her to take in the constructive things reviewers have to say and come back to us with a fantastic second novel. I want her to blow us away.
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. My own personal policy as a reviewer dictates that books receiving a three star or lower rating do not have their reviews posted on any social media or bookseller websites.
File Under: Fantasy/General Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Magical Realism/Paranormal Fantasy/Secret Society/Standalone Fantasy Novel/Urban Fantasy ...more
Okay, okay. I’m a sucker for certain tropes. I’m totally going to admit it. That’s totally the reason I snapped this book upReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Okay, okay. I’m a sucker for certain tropes. I’m totally going to admit it. That’s totally the reason I snapped this book up.
It’s dark!
Our FMC has gone through some deep, dark stuff!
It takes place at a Catholic boarding school!
It’s bully RH with mm content and a little bit of ff!
Oh, a little professor/student cum priest/penitent action?
Oh, and it’s got a secret society twist?
Well, heck. Count me in, sugar. All of that is like catnip to me.
I gotta tell you: It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t bad, either!
It’s got some obvious flaws in copy editing and proofreading, and the writing is a bit immature. There are some jumps between scenes that don’t make a lot of sense or leave plot holes. These mistakes aren’t things that can’t be fixed with time and experience by the authors. Both Amber Nicole and Jenn Bullard have room to grow in their writing when it comes to this series and I’m sure they’ll come back in the second book with the notes in hand from the reviewers of this installment and it’ll make editing the second installment that much easier and the read will be that much smoother. I’m a big believer in growth.
The bones of the story are good. The tropes and fun stuff this book is framed around are sound and have the makings of being an excellent series. The characters have the outline of being fantastic characters. Therein lies the issue: It’s all potential unrealized. Everything about this book has the potential to be great, but this book reads like the rough draft of what will eventually be a fantastic book once everything is fully fleshed out and realized.
Some proofreading, copy editing, and content editing would smooth out the continuity, spelling errors, grammar issues, and plot holes. The authors spending some more time with their characters, fleshing them out and bringing them from mere outlines to full realization, would definitely make this book among some of the more excellent novels in this genre.
What's great is even with the deficits this first installment has, I still enjoyed the read for what it was. It’s still a story that intrigues me and I enjoyed reading simply for what it was. It simply could’ve been much better.
I was provided with a copy of this title by the authors and Peachy Keen AS. All opinions and views expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: Alphabet Soup Romances/Polyamorous Romances/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Gothic/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Read at Your Own Risk Romance/RH Romance/Why Choose Romance/Spice Level 3/Secret Society/High School or Boarding School...more
In this installment of author Lunn Burke’s Missing Link series we get to meet the masterminds of the Missing Link app, Ashton and Rhett, and the genesIn this installment of author Lunn Burke’s Missing Link series we get to meet the masterminds of the Missing Link app, Ashton and Rhett, and the genesis for the app’s development is also revealed (surprisingly, it’s not just because some dude bros wanted to get their poly freak on (kidding!)). We also get an introduction to the character who will possibly be the main character of the next ML novel, and we get to see Sinful Natures alum and star of the first ML novel, Haley, in a super cute cameo appearance.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but I had a completely different reaction to the second installment. As you can see from my rating here, I had a mixed reaction to this entry.
What you never have to worry about with a Lynn Burke book is the quality of writing. Lynn is a solid writer all around. She not only comes up with great settings and has excellent world building skills, but she also never skimps on exceedingly hot spicy scenes, swoon-worthy romantic scenes, witty banter, and thoughtful narrative.
If you’ve liked the first two books in this series then this book won’t disappoint you. The characters are unique and each has something to offer to the reader, which is always something I love from an author. I recommend picking it up for sure, even if I had my own mixed reactions.
I was provided access to this title by the author. All views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Ever since I read the first book in this series (Roommate Arrangement), I’ve been pleading silently for the day when my Art and It’s here! It’s here!
Ever since I read the first book in this series (Roommate Arrangement), I’ve been pleading silently for the day when my Art and Joey book would come. With each upcoming DMC book release I would hope, only to be denied. In the meantime, the chemistry, tension, and frustration Art was feeling towards Joey was building into such an evident inferno of want disguised as denial that I was surprised he wasn’t walking around Killer Brew with a permanent boner.
I wasn’t disappointed one bit by this book. Saxon James doesn’t give us the candy right away–she makes us wait for it a while, making us pant and squirm while Art and Joey dance around one another like peacocks with shiny plumage, flirting outrageously with other people and even more outrageously with one another, playing a dirty talking game of cat and mouse for almost half the book. But TRUST! When Saxon finally does give us greedy readers the candy, she gives us ALL the candy. Art and Joey are just as thirsty and greedy for one another as we readers have been to see this happening since book one in the series. The two of them are combustible together. I’m surprised they don’t set the bed (or desk, or couch, or numerous other places) on fire.
There’s a part of me that’s glad we had to wait to get this story, because we waited and we wondered so much about the mysterious and perpetually single Art and the “straight but can we just talk about how he’s always staring at Art like he’s a total snack?” Joey, and it was nice to finally find out more about these two characters on a personal level, away from the DMC and Killer Brew. We found out more about where Art came from, his family, and things that are important to him (and the story of his divorce, of course). We also get the whole kit and caboodle backstory surrounding the enigmatic Joey, who has so much going on beyond the walls of Killer Brew. He’s truly an interesting and charismatic character.
This book has the least amount of outside involvement from the other members of the DMC, and the least amount of chats, too. I did miss those funny exchanges. They aren’t completely absent, but they’re not as prolific as they’ve been in previous books. But do the other DMC members constantly give Art crap for maybe, finally, retiring from his hit it and quit it ways? Oh, you bet your sweet bippy they do.
This book made me so happy. I loved it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Oh holy sweet cuteness I declare Christian a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs, if only from himself.
Saxon James just somehow knows hOh holy sweet cuteness I declare Christian a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs, if only from himself.
Saxon James just somehow knows how to write books that are 33% cute, 33% sweet, 33% sexy, and 1% angst. And no, I won’t be budged on those numbers. You would think that I’d get tired of it, but I absolutely NEVER tire of Saxon James, and that’s down to her versatility as a writer in every other way.
Saxon is not an author you go to for plot, and that’s okay. There are many great authors known for being stronger in other areas than plot. With Saxon, it’s characters. It’s like she has some sort of character generator in her head and it spits out the most fascinating motley crews for her to write the best stories for, and we get them in all shades of the rainbow. Sometimes their backstories are happy, sometimes they’re sad, but they’re always interesting. Best of all, all of her characters are unique, distinctive, and aren’t simply there for window dressing. They usually always have a role to play, however small.
I’m very, very picky about books with a plot that hinges on the fake relationship/engagement/marriage trope. Mainly because books with that trope make the main characters look like very stupid people who have no idea how to communicate, and then you get to the 80% mark in these books and the conflict always comes to a head with… you guessed it! A major communication problem! I had given up on reading them altogether until Saxon and Eden Finley lured me out with their Fake Boyfriends series.
Luckily, Saxon sees the errors in most fake relationship trope books, knows it well, and has found a host of ways to work around it. In this book, the way through is fast-burn, confidence, taking a leap of faith, determination, and words of affirmation. Boy, does it work. It works so, so well. The chemistry between Emile and Christian is through the roof from the moment they meet, and it makes the whole book absolutely combustible.
Christian’s found family of misfit artists are all going to be the stars in the rest of this series (save Molly, if I’m correct), and they’re all absolute peaches who you will want to hug and bake cookies for.
Well done, Saxon, for birthing yet another book series for us all to go crazy for!
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions and views expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
I think this might be my favorite entry in the One Night Series since “Secrets We Hunt” (AKA Wes and Zoe’s story). Once you read this book you might sI think this might be my favorite entry in the One Night Series since “Secrets We Hunt” (AKA Wes and Zoe’s story). Once you read this book you might see there’s a shared kink between that book and this book, and that totally has something to do with it, but another reason I loved this book was because I really and truly have a deep and abiding love for MMF romances where the female is willing, ready and able to embrace her male partner’s desires for the same sex and wants to join in. The human has the capacity for infinite amounts of love; it’s just each of us as individuals that determine if we have the ability to open our hearts in that way.
I don’t want to ruin too much about this book, but I can tell you that there isn’t much in the way of plot. This is mainly Pyro’s story, but it’s almost an extended epilogue, in a way, to “Burdens We Carry” (Owen and Aurora’s story). This entry in the One Night series takes place about six months after Owen and Aurora’s wedding when the whole group of friends this series centers around gets together for a rare group vacation in Tokyo. Jack, Quinlan, Owen, Aurora, and Pyro all decide to go out for a night of racy and spicy fun… but Owen and Aurora have a proposition for Pyro. I think you can likely guess where this is going.
What follows is a book that’s about 60% MMF spicy goodness. I don’t know about you, but that’s a dang good time in my opinion.
I want to take a time out to address how Dana Isaly writes her mm interactions: I don’t know if anyone of her other readers feel like this, but I really and truly wish she would take the plunge and write a full-on gay romance. She’s written RH/Why Choose with mm content, MMF, and a mm short story, but never a full-length mm romance, and I’m dying to see her attempt it. I know every author has their comfort zones and knows what they want to write and what they’re comfortable writing, but she’s just so good at writing male characters and the spicy scenes she does write for her bisexual male characters are already so well written I feel like if she took the plunge it would be fire.
As with the other books in this series, the book isn’t going to make sense if you haven’t read the rest of the series (especially if you haven’t read “Secrets We Hunt” or “Burdens We Carry” in this case), but it’s a worthy entry indeed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series has been one of 2022’s highlights when it comes to gay romances, in my opinion, because it has tapped into–andSaxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series has been one of 2022’s highlights when it comes to gay romances, in my opinion, because it has tapped into–and made us all thirsty for–the market for those mature, divorced men who already have some miles on their tires but have strong engines just waiting for their men to take them on a hard and fast ride.
I’m not kidding: I didn’t use to be into older guys. I actually used to be almost exclusively into books about men younger than I am. I’m not saying it was this series alone that did the trick in making me hot for books about older men, but it certainly helped to fuel the fire.
I’ve loved every book in this series that has been released this year (this is the last of Saxon’s releases for 2022), but I do have to say this one wasn’t my favorite of the three (that honor still belongs to the first). I still love it, just in a different way.
In this book, it’s not the romance that holds all my love (even though it’s a sweet bi-awakening story with some very good points about the toxicity of socializing children with traditional gender roles). Nor is it the spice (which is not only hot, but shows how quick a learner someone can be if they have the right incentive). Surprisingly, it’s the main characters all on their own that made me love the book. It’s how they both had things they had done in their pasts they don’t talk about but wouldn’t change, how they both never hesitated to be less than truthful with one another (especially Orson, who refuses to waste time knowing how precious it can be), how neither one of them felt an impetus to be anything more than genuinely happy with their lives, and how generous and sincere each one of them was in their own way.
It was Orson, though, who stole the show for me with his painful earnestness and aching empathy. In real life, I’m not good at empathy. I have a neurodivergence issue that keeps me from being fully in touch with my empathetic side (I’m not a sociopath, though, so no worries). So I’m drawn to empathetic people like a fly to honey, just because I feel like they’re magic. I’m earnest and gregarious, but not empathetic. So reading the multiple scenes where Orson is able to shove aside his own anger or sadness to help someone else in need made me want to bake him cookies and a gift card to an adult website.
It’s a worthy entry with a whole lot of information about the other members of the DMC and some new supporting characters that I’m sure have been brought in to set up future books in the series (so keep your eyes peeled). If you’re a fan of making flowcharts or cluster maps or whatever when it comes to a Saxon James book series, then I suggest you get out your pen and paper (or computer program) and start now before the next book comes out. I have a feeling things are gonna get complicated soon!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/LGBTQ Romance/Spice Level 2/MM Romance/Gay Romance/Second Chance Romance/Romance Series/Bi-Awakening Romance/Later in Life Romance/Small Town Romance ...more
The Invocations is the type of book I live to read. Love to read. The kind of book that when I open it during my ARC reading I do a fist pump and congThe Invocations is the type of book I live to read. Love to read. The kind of book that when I open it during my ARC reading I do a fist pump and congratulate myself on finding an absolute gem of a novel that speaks to me on every level–that resonates with me on a molecular level.
The Invocations is the kind of book I read the ARC of, then buy a physical copy of and put on my bookshelf so I can read it and show it off and recommend it to people again and again.
Am I the “target audience”? Heck no. I’m in my mid-40s. The Craft came out the year I graduated high school. Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out the year after. I was a fan of the movie before the show, for pete’s sake. My own era of witchery came and went before I even had my first kid. You know what has come and not left since then, though? My anger. My rage. My fear. My fear of men. My rage at systemic patriarchy. My anger at myself for still being so afraid, even though I know there’s still so many reasons to be afraid every single day. (Then there’s more rage). It’s those feelings that make this book something I completely vibe with, along with how much I adored every single female character within.
Krystal Sutherland pulls no punches with her female characters and I’m loving it. I’m never here for females who approach this world like it’s not out for our blood. I’m never here for female characters who think we’re safe or who are complacent. Jude, Emer, and Zara are all angry at the world in their own ways and none of them are complacent about it. They’re all trying to fight in their own ways. Sure, in the beginning they’re all fighting in self-serving ways–but when they find a common cause and common enemy (hint: it’s a man) they band together to stop it. They fight through pain, blood, sweat, tears, dirt, and more. They sacrifice. Because they know no one else will.
It’s not an easy book to read. My belief is that books like this shouldn’t be an easy read because women’s lives aren’t easy. Books like this remind us it’s okay to be angry. That we can be angry. That we should be angry. And it does it in a glorious, gory, blood-soaked, demonic way. I 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.
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