The end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanThe end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanity, or he’s going to die trying. That was the plan, anyway, until one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and an angel with black wings came and turned what was left of his world upside down. That’s only the beginning of what to expect from the first half of this companion duet to Moreau’s fan-flipping-tastic The Four Horsemen series.
Point of order: It is completely necessary to read the entirety of The Four Horsemen book series before starting this book. You will not understand anything going on in this book if you don’t read that series before starting this book. Atlas is not a whole story unto its own: it’s a companion story to a much larger and more complex story that begins and ends in The Four Horsemen series. Atlas is an entire story that happens within (and likely after) the main events of The Four Horsemen but is ultimately supplementary material borne of love for the character Atlas Brandt (at least that’s why I wanted it and have been excited for it) and wanting to read his side of the story. So if you start Atlas and are lost then don’t say you weren’t warned.
Atlas is finally here and I’m beyond excited. From the first time he was introduced in War, Atlas has been a completely transfixing character in The Four Horsemen series: A character that represented the human race in a story writ large for supernaturals. Atlas not only needed to stand out so his signal didn’t get lost in the noise, but we needed to be invested in him without seeing him as either a victim or villain. Sienna Moreau made him an advocate instead, and he is fierce. While he’s not my favorite character in this universe (that’s Paul, of course, iykyk), this book completely elevated him in my esteem.
Seeing The Four Horsemen story through Atlas’ eyes (this book covers the events of the series throughout War) is something I knew I wanted but didn’t know I needed this much. Atlas is somehow the best of what humanity should be, but he’s just so battered. He’s indefatigable. Resilient. Implacable. He’s also lonely. Desperate. Needy. Deep down, in the places sealed off from even himself, Atlas is terrified and so tired. What Atlas is the most, though, is angry. That’s what makes him burn so brightly and I’m here for it.
Sienna Moreau already built us a rich world for this book to take place in, but now we get to see her work with Conquest, Raziel, and Atlas down to a deeper, more emotional character level that wasn’t possible in The Four Horsemen series. Conquest is the shortest of The Four Horsemen books (not by much, but still), and it also had the job of introducing the series. That’s a tough job and doesn’t allow for the same amount of character-building that the other three horsemen received. Atlas part one clocks in at 411 pages, longer than any of the horsemen novels. This gives us a lot of time to get to know our trifecta, as well as lots of action and plot.
Let’s not forget the spice. All of the horsemen books are seriously spicy (I’d still say Famine is the spiciest and kinkiest) and Atlas doesn’t disappoint on that front. I don’t think it’s as spicy as the other horsemen books (it’s been a few months since I’ve read those), but it’s a rather fast burn and there are more than enough scenes. You’ll have to forgive Atlas for being human and not having the same…abilities as Con and Raz.
This book was totally worth the wait and I adored it. It ends on a mild cliffhanger but not an unexpected one given we know where the story is going. It was great spending time with familiar characters (PAUL) and I am just going to have to sit here and pout while waiting for part two.
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: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Dark Romance/Apocalyptic/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Polyamorous Romance/Spice Level 3/Supernatural Fantasy ...more
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.
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.
Endless is the first book in author Devyn Sinclair’s new omegaverse series, set in the rich and eccentric seaside town of Clarity Coast. Each novel wiEndless is the first book in author Devyn Sinclair’s new omegaverse series, set in the rich and eccentric seaside town of Clarity Coast. Each novel will follow a new omega but the stories are interconnected. This story is about an omega named Isolde and the pack she hires to escort her to her sister’s wedding because she’s the co-maid of honor and her dreadful ex is the best man.
I’m not huge on the fake relationship trope, but I like Devyn Sinclair’s omegaverse novels a lot and I’ve been gobbling up omegaverse novels like candy for the past year so I signed up for this one as soon as it was announced. I’m glad I did, because Endless had everything I love about fake relationship tropes and nothing I hate about them. Not only that, but the spice was so, so nice–full of filthy talk, rope, and endless pleasure for an omega who’s been starved of it.
I’m grateful to Sinclair for writing a FMC who has had difficulty with orgasms, because it’s not a topic discussed often in romance novels, especially not omegaverse novels. Even in real life it’s taken for granted that not all women have an easy time reaching climax. Sometimes it gets tiring reading novel after novel where every FMC can just orgasm as easily as she can breathe. To see Sinclair write an FMC like Isolde, who has had a hard time with orgasms and has a pack of men willing and able to help her explore what she likes and needs while giving her space…well, it means a lot to me as a reader.
This book is romantic, has a great story, has great characters, and is sexy. I enjoyed it a great deal and look forward to seeing what else Clarity Coast has in store.
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.
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
After so, so, so so so long, we finally get Toby and Blaise’s story. Something has been brewing between these two since the end of the Reckless DamnedAfter so, so, so so so long, we finally get Toby and Blaise’s story. Something has been brewing between these two since the end of the Reckless Damned series and through the first two of the books in this Damned Connections series. By the time author Lark Taylor got to the end of the previous book, Justice, I was positively foaming at the mouth for this book and I can’t help but wonder if that’s where I went wrong, because I loved this book but it just wasn’t the story I thought Toby and Blaise deserved.
This has nothing to do with Taylor’s talents as a storyteller: As per usual, Lark wrote a great story that stands up to most criticism. The problem I see is that it’s standing up against her other works and the background story arc between Toby and Blaise and this book just falls a little short of doing either justice. We have waited a long time for this story and that deserved a big payoff, but there was just too much going on in this book to devote it all to Toby and Blaise’s love story.
It has a rough, if sexy, take-off, but an amazing landing. The pacing seems stuttered because this book covers a longer time period than most of Taylor’s books and there’s a lot of things that need to happen and a lot of stuff to work through, as well as many sublime spicy scenes written in (and they’re hot, trust). New characters are introduced and we see newer characters again in preparation for the next book in this series and the new series that’s coming up.
It’s just a lot of material for a book I felt should’ve been dedicated almost entirely to the romance between Toby and Blaise, because if anyone deserves that treatment it’s these two. They have had an epic story behind the scenes and I just wanted more of them. That doesn’t mean this book isn’t fantastic, because I’ve yet to read a Lark Taylor book I didn’t love, but it does mean I couldn’t have loved it more.
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.
If there was ever a non-spicy slogan for this series, it would be, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”. Because we all kIf there was ever a non-spicy slogan for this series, it would be, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”. Because we all know every other slogan pertaining to these books is essentially thematically tied to the word SL*T. (You know it, I know it).
The family you make for yourself and not what you’re born with has been what the Suarez clan has been fighting for since book one of this series, and it all comes to a head in Enter the Multi-Vers. This is the fourth and final book in this main series, with C. Rochelle promising novellas and spin-offs to come. Here we have the tale of the mysterious and powerful twins: Dre and Gabe, of The Rabble mind-speak notoriety from previous books. They’ve been sent on a mission by Wolfy: they’re to become the interns of the artist known as Theo Coatl and uncover his secrets. Because Theo Coatl isn’t all that he seems, and they need to know who and maybe even what he truly is.
This book is even more chaotic and wild than the other Villainous Things books and I am here for it. As the teasers and author’s notes inside warn, this trio of thirsty sl*ts are just extra: extra controlled, extra controlled chaos, and extra batty crazy. Neither Dre, nor Gabe, nor Theo shall be dissuaded from being as extra as possible in every single way. Gabe is a very sl*tty good boy, Theo is a bratty brat brat who uses Gabe like a toy, and everyone should be justifiably scared of Dre when it comes to his twin and Theo.
There are so many feelings in this book, and Theo doesn’t know what to do with them. Heck, Gabe’s the only one more capable of feelings than Dre and Theo, and that’s either because he’s subby or because being a twin gives him a solid connection to someone outside himself. These big emotions immediately tangle Gabe, Dre, and Theo in a quagmire, because they all have secrets from one another (yes, even the twins) and don’t quite know what they’re going to do about it. Who do they trust? What can they do? Who will it hurt?
The solutions/answers to the overarching plot of the series are found in this book, but I thought it was a little too neatly wrapped up. It felt a little rushed. I could have sustained the book being a little longer (even though it’s already a thicc baby) if it meant a more flushed out ending.
But I adored the love story. I loved the characters so much. I’m obsessed with their dynamic, their thirst, their adoration for one another, the brutality in their sensuality, and their intimacy. I love how they evolved and how they crushed their challenges. I couldn’t get enough of how extra they all were, in every way. Because why not go big?
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: 5 Star Review/Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Found Family/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/LGBTQ Romance/Spice Level 3/Supernatural Fantasy/Urban Fantasy ...more
Pretty Dogs is the second book in Riley Nash’s Dirty Strays series (the first book, Bad Dogs, is also worth a read, but I liked this one a bit more). Pretty Dogs is the second book in Riley Nash’s Dirty Strays series (the first book, Bad Dogs, is also worth a read, but I liked this one a bit more). This is a friends-to-lovers gay romance with a transgender MMC.
Beck and Dallas have been best friends since the night Beck heard a noise outside his trailer he thought was racoons and instead found a dirty, homeless, and obviously out of place boy named Dallas digging through his trash looking for food and brought him inside to feed him the last of his macaroni. Beck’s also been in love with him for about as long as they’ve been best friends. It has never mattered to him that Dallas is trans: Dallas is Dallas. That’s all Beck has ever needed.
Dallas was thrown out (by gunpoint) of the secure, suburban home owned by his loving and supportive mother by her bigoted boyfriend when said boyfriend found his T injections one day. He was lucky enough to get his top surgery done before he was thrown out, but the abrupt ejection from his happy life at such an early age left him with gender dysphoria he’s never been able to completely get under control. He’s loved Beck for a long time, but has never dreamed Beck would return it in any way but platonically, because surely a man as into men as Beck couldn’t want someone without the whole package, and Dallas wants Beck to have the world.
I swear. These two. I wanted to wrap them in bubble wrap and pack them away so they could never be hurt ever again, but I also wanted to buy them a private park full of trees and gardens and just let them live and play there for eternity, you know? But then I’d have to let Scout and Roman live there too. It would get crowded.
From Beck’s struggles with self-worth and identity to Dallas’ gender dysphoria and self-esteem, these two broke my heart a million ways. But watching their sexual and romantic relationship bloom was so satisfying. The spice was so nice, with well-written dialogue and eventual primal play (which is one of my favorite kinks). The build up felt organic and I really appreciated the conversations about Dallas’ wants, needs, and limits.
It’s a really terrific read and I’m glad I gave into the hype.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without offer or reception of compensation. Thank you.
This year I’ve felt like there was a time BSD (Before Stats Daddy) and ASD (After Stats Daddy). The era of ASD began on July 21st, 2023, when the firsThis year I’ve felt like there was a time BSD (Before Stats Daddy) and ASD (After Stats Daddy). The era of ASD began on July 21st, 2023, when the first book in this series, Too Safe, was released. Ever since Abby Millsaps unleashed the wicked and cunning Kylian (AKA Stats Daddy) on the world with the publication of the first book in the Boys of Lake Chapel book series, I’ve decided no other book boyfriend compares.
With the release of Too Far, the last in this trilogy, my opinion has not changed. I don’t care how much more Josephine got of Kendrick, Nicky, or even the great Decker Crusade himself. No. It is Stats Daddy who forever holds my heart and is still, in my mind, the true male star of Boys of Lake Chapel.
This review is as much for the whole series as it is for Too Far; but make no mistake, Too Far is a truly excellent novel and is the epitome of what a series conclusion should look like. It picks up almost exactly where Too Fast left off and keeps hurtling forward, barreling towards disaster. It’s obvious that all it will take is a single slip-up for the house of cards to fall down.
The first half of the book is suspenseful, heartbreaking, emotional, and frustrating (so, so frustrating). The second half of the book is swollen with emotion, angst, love, and lust. The epilogues made me cry. And cry. And cry. Heck, this whole book made my eyes leak water several times. I did not sob. You did.
The last epilogue was so touching to me. I didn’t cry, but I was deeply, deeply touched. I can’t express how much it meant to me which character was chosen for the last epilogue and what they said in it. My heart grew fifty million sizes.
If you haven’t picked up this series, I can’t express how much I recommend it. This is my book series of the year. If you know me, you must know how rare it is for me to pick a non-LGBTQ Why Choose romance series as my series of the year. I just can’t escape how deeply this series touched me nor how hot Stats Daddy made me. The charisma of the group as a whole cannot be denied. Congratulations, Abby Millsaps–You’re a genius.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was provided for this review. Thank you.
Finally! Finally we’re fully in Project Watchtower for The Watch series, the second Necessary Evils spin-off series by the genius Onley James (the firFinally! Finally we’re fully in Project Watchtower for The Watch series, the second Necessary Evils spin-off series by the genius Onley James (the first spin-off series being Jericho’s Boys). We’re starting off with The Bone Collector, which considering that’s the notorious name one of the project’s instructors, Park, went by when he was still active in the field (and the second book is going to be called The Sin Eater, which was the field operative name of the head of the project), it seems that all the books in The Watch series are going to be titled after field operative names. I’m down.
I’m not going to go over the whole synopsis with you. That’s just blase. Let’s go over the tropes you know, and then I’ll go over what I found of interest that doesn’t come across in the blurb, shall we?
*Age-Gap Romance (oh yeah, it’s a good gap, too!) *Teacher/Student (this one’s a little loosely interpreted, since Park, one of our MMCs, doesn’t teach much in this book because Gift, our other MMC, isn’t one of the students learning his speciality)
Tropes that the blurb doesn’t mention:
*Older brother/younger brother dynamic (they aren’t brothers, but Park insists on Gift using the honorifics for those roles) *Daddy k!nk (Ohhhhhh yes. Our Park is a Daddy Dom and our Gift is his sweet baby boy (no ageplay)) *Semi-public k!nk, virginity k!nk, slight degradation k!nk, edging, impact play, filthy talk *Touch him and you die *Gift is manipulative, secretive, touch-starved, and needy *Park is a possessive mofo *Park is essentially Gift’s legal guardian and full-time bodyguard
Besides the extremely high heat rating of this book (it is super dooper freaking hot, you guys) and how well-written that spice is (good lord, Onley is trying to kill us all, ffs), it needs to be known this book is FUN. It’s hilarious. It’s like “Necessary Evils: High School Edition”. Imagine if the Mulvaneys, Jericho’s Boys, The Feelings Faction (IYKYK), and Elite Protection Services ALL went to the same boarding school. Some are there on merit via scholarship and some are there because they have connections. Some are there because they have both money and merit. There’s all genders, all walks of life, neurotypicals, neuroatypicals, geniuses, people of average intelligence…you get the picture. The point of the place is for the neuroatypicals to be matched with an emotional support human to keep them tethered to their humanity. It’s brilliant. It’s volatile. It’s going to either be wildly successful or they’re going to burn the world down. Either way, I’m going to have a wild-ass and fun time reading to see what they do while they screw each other into every available surface and torture the bad guys along the way.
Please be mindful of your own mental health before attempting to read this book and read the list of CW/TWs before you start. I don’t ever need them but you might. Take care of you....more
Laura’s is Carmilla, even though Laura never set out to have a nemesis at all and certainly never meant it to be Carmilla“Everybody’s got a nemesis”.
Laura’s is Carmilla, even though Laura never set out to have a nemesis at all and certainly never meant it to be Carmilla, a girl who burns with incandescence and whom Laura wants with an obscene passion. Every time Carmilla sneers at her Laura only wants to pin her to a wall and see her become pliant.
Carmilla’s nemesis is definitely Laura and she’ll tell you so. Laura’s been her nemesis since the very first evening she walked into Ms. De Lafontaine’s poetry seminar and showed her up. Carmilla’s used to enemies and backstabbing, though. She doesn’t know what to do with, or about, Laura.
And Ms. De Lafontaine? Well, she’s electric, enigmatic, enthralling, and possessive.
These are the most basic facts at the heart of An Education of Malice, and if the book just stopped there I would’ve loved it. But author S. T. Gibson took this concept of power imbalance between a possessive lecturer and her talented poetry students, a needy and obsessive student with no mother and an absentee father, and a earnest but erotic freshman student with a way with words and elevated it. Ms. De Lafonatine becomes a parasite, feeding on the lifeblood and youth of her needy student who longs for a mother figure of any kind. The needy and obsessive Carmilla is pushed and pulled between her admiration and thrall for Ms. De Lafontaine and her passion and fascination for the erotic and earnest Laura. Laura is torn between her all-consuming erotic desire for Carmilla and her pursuit of becoming a member of the Episcopalian clergy. Steadily events spiral and spin out of control.
This book gripped me from page one, with its late 1960s all-women’s small liberal arts college setting (my favorite fashion era, btw), sapphic gothic novella retelling cellular structure, original poetry excerpts, quoted poetry excerpts, and the almost cultish fervor that follows elite lecturers and the most brilliant darlings of smaller college campuses. The word choices are sublime, the imagery is gorgeous, and the sentence structure is immaculate. I enjoyed every single page. Best book I’ve read so far this year.
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.
(Please Note: This story is connected to Olivia Lewin’s other PoisonVerse novel, Pack of Lies, via that book’s character Marlowe. This book is about M(Please Note: This story is connected to Olivia Lewin’s other PoisonVerse novel, Pack of Lies, via that book’s character Marlowe. This book is about Marlowe’s older alpha sister, Leighton and the pack Marlowe left behind.)
First of all, y’all should know I’m a huge fan of all the PoisonVerse novels. I’ve read them all. They’re all on my wishlist to own as paperbacks. So I was happy to come across a post where Olivia Lewin had some copies of her ARCs up for grabs. I know I already have ARCs to review, but it turned out to be great timing, because I wasn’t feeling so good yesterday and when I’m not feeling good all I want to read is spicy books anyway. So I took the time to read this a couple of days ahead of schedule and finished it up just this morning. I have to say that I liked it better than I did Pack of Lies, and that’s all due to a little someone called Kiara.
Kiara is the desperate, almost-feral omega at the center of the conflict in Lonely Alpha. Kiara isn’t gold pack like most of the omegas at the center of the conflicts in the other PoisonVerse novels. No, Kiara is actually just about omega royalty: well-bred and raised in luxury to be the best omega she can be for whatever pack her father decides to marry her off to. Too bad she was raised by nannies, her father was cruel, and her beta brother was even worse. One night, on the advice of [spoiler] she gets away from her cruel brother by grabbing a jeweled dagger and attacking him and fleeing to the home of professional corporate fixer, Leighton Winston, and begging Leighton to dark bond her.
This is the first of the PoisonVerse novels I’ve ever read to employ a dark bond. Honestly, I was wondering if they (the collective authors who have written books in this universe) were ever going to deploy it as an actual bond device or if they were going to let it always simmer around the edges as a constant, looming threat to all omegas instead of trying to turn it on its head and try to show it being something an omega could actually want, need, or desire. I’m glad Olivia Lewin (who does tend to delve into the darker side of omegaverse) decided to be the one to finally approach the dark bond, because she did a wonderful job of showing not only why an omega might want or need one, but also how an omega could ultimately feel better protected and more comfortable in their skin having a dark bond after living a certain kind of traumatic life. It also showed how it takes a very certain type of alpha to both accept an omega’s desire to willingly be dark bonded, to tend to and nurture both the omega and the bond, and to treat both with the utmost respect, because ultimately what the dark bond equates to is a 24/7 M/s power dynamic in our world that’s then been turned into a paranormal link in their world. Just as in our world there are bad Masters, in their world there are bad Alphas. But not every Alpha needs to be bad. Ergo, not every dark bond needs to be bad. But, just as in real life, communication and instinct are key in such a relationship. In an omegaverse book, the bond takes up some of the slack of communication and instinct, but not all. That’s a shortcut.
I do truly love Kiara. I love how her dagger is her first friend and her “emotional support dagger”. I love myself a stabbity omega. I love how she’s a spitfire and will choose violence if she can. I actually love the whole pack. I even love some of the supporting cast like Liberty and Soren (I just can’t with him).
A problem I do have is how it seems that the men of the Loranger pack (Dash, Ambrose, Mercury) can’t seem to pull themselves together until Leighton and Kiara start making bridges for them. They’re all falling apart until two shiny female toys are placed in front of them and then all of a sudden it’s like, “Oh! We can all of a sudden start to heal all of our broken pieces now!” I’m not fond of men who can’t communicate with other men they’re supposed to be as close as brothers with (or lovers with). Women aren’t magical, fix-all cures. Women don’t put band-aids on men’s boo-boos. Men need to be emotionally intelligent all on their own. It’s a tired trope.
Otherwise, it’s a really great read, and I highly recommend it. The spice is right, it’s very propulsive, it’s a page-turner, and I got very invested in the characters. And, like I said: I love a stabbity omega.
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.
And so we’ve come to the end of another one of Dana Isaly’s remarkable series that she’s worked so hard to write and publish for her most dedicated faAnd so we’ve come to the end of another one of Dana Isaly’s remarkable series that she’s worked so hard to write and publish for her most dedicated fans over the last year and a half. In the last month or so we saw the last entry in her series about Nick and Holly, and now we are seeing the end of the One Night series, which I have enjoyed so much from beginning to end.
This last entry features the workaholic member of the One Night series, Greg, and his strict boss, Ivy. The book opens at the same time the events of Desires We Seek are happening, and Greg isn’t happy to have been forced to leave celebrating in Tokyo with his friends all because his boss snapped her fingers and summoned him to work late. His mood swiftly changes when it turns out Ivy isn’t summoning him to work after hours, unless “working after hours” is code for “let’s do naughty and dirty things in my office and then see where this goes”.
Rules We Break picks up a year later, eight months after Ivy and Greg broke off their secret relationship due to Greg’s constant anxiety they would be caught and lose their jobs. The pair are in Nashville for a work conference, but it’s Ivy’s birthday and they have a night free to go celebrate by catching up, having some drinks, and seeing what Nashville has to offer in terms of nightlife.
From there, you can likely guess where things go. I mean, we aren’t reading this book to play canasta and drink lemonade. Some moonshine is consumed. Some terrible line dancing is done. Some slow dancing in a dive bar is done. Most importantly, a lot of talking is done, notably about how Ivy has decided to retire at the age of 45 because she feels she’s given too much of her life to her job and she wants to actually live the life she’s worked so hard to have. To her, that means she can finally have Greg like she wanted to a year ago, if he’s willing to give it a try.
If you’re a fan of the One Night series I don’t need to tell you that the spice is as excellent as always, with a nice spoonful of domme/sub dynamic, praise kink, and a tantalizing bit of slight sadism that made me the happy kind of squirmy since it’s a favorite trick of my own. What I loved more than the spice (because the spice was expected) was the playful dynamic between Ivy and Greg. They make each other laugh, they are physically affectionate in that warm and casual way I enjoy myself, and neither one of them is weighed down by angst or emotional scars. They’re just two adults ready to enjoy life and each other. That was just one of the best things about the whole book, since sometimes that’s a hard thing to find in erotica novellas involving kink. In my opinion, if a partner isn’t willing to laugh in bed with me, then why are we even there?
I’m not sad to see this series end, because it’s only right it ends here. Everything has to end sometime, and it’s good to go out on the most natural note. Thank goodness it’s a pretty high one.
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.
This book had me feeling a certain kind of way. Or, rather, it had me feeling two certain kinds of ways, and so I had to view it through two differentThis book had me feeling a certain kind of way. Or, rather, it had me feeling two certain kinds of ways, and so I had to view it through two different lenses. One part of me, the one who loves dark, kinky, vampire romances with a lot of gore and blood kink and if they happen to be a why choose romance also was happy as a kitten with a brand new ball of yarn. That part of me was also the one who doesn’t like monster romances, especially with monsters who are partially shifted or with monster parts that detach. To me, that’s not hot. It’s just not for me.
That’s when I have to shift gears and let the objective book reviewer out of the box to make sure I’m not just rating this book based on my own preferences. Monster romances have earned their place in the romance novel marketplace and they aren’t going anywhere, so I doubt this is the last book I’m going to come across where there is unexpected kinky sex with monsters. I can’t let that get in the way of giving these books an honest shot when I’m reviewing them.
Let’s go with my only truly objective con when it comes to this book: It’s far too long. I have read a great many of K. A. Knight’s books, and she’s always packed her books with spice scenes. It’s one of her hallmarks and it’s one of the reasons she’s such a popular author. But this book could’ve honestly been 100 pages shorter, had copious sex scenes, got the whole plot across, and it would’ve kept that latter part of the third act from dragging so much. Honestly, by the end of this book I was numb to the sex scenes. What’s the worth in a sex scene if you feel like you’ve already read it before in the book or you know what’s coming and you just say, “Been there, done that”?
Oh, look! That was my only con about the book, right there in one small paragraph.
What do I love about K. A. Knight novels the most? That’s right: Her BAMF FMCs. Althea starts out this book as a young, impish vampire in the court she was born into; but after a tragic, humiliating, and life-changing event happens shortly after she turns 18, she flees the court and begins to repeatedly violate some of the vampire world’s most important laws, killing herself from the inside out in the process until she is captured by the Judges, seven unknown men who play judge, jury, and executioner to vampires who have been weighed, measured, and found wanting for their crimes. It seems the gods and fate have plans for Althea, though, as she is given a chance to come back and become a Judge herself. It seems there is a lot the vampire race at large has a lot to pay for.
Althea, while not a complicated character, is vengeful, violent, powerful, hungry, insatiable for her men, and bloodthirsty. I am here for all of it. Her love for the other judges is as violent and bloody as her thirst for vengeance is against all those vampires who would use, abuse, and kill others for their own gains. She shines under the sun and moon, and loves both those who live in the light and dark. She knows beauty can hide true horror and nightmares can hide true beauty. Either way, she isn’t afraid. Her rebirth and the love and support of the other judges not only helped her heal from her former life, but gave her a scaffolding to hold onto while she rebuilt herself from within.
While I’m not fond of monster romances, I respect Knight for being brave enough to take the stuff truly spawned from some people’s worst nightmares and turning them into love interests. Each of the seven judges has a distinct voice, aesthetic, and they all have their own traumas. While I don’t necessarily like that the plot makes it so Althea is the balm that seals all their wounds and makes them whole (it seems too corny for me), it does truly seem that’s just how the plot ended up working out and not a conscious thing that happened.
Okay, onto the thing that I loved the most: blood. Blood and blood and more blood. I love vampire romances, but far too many of them are so dainty about it. In my opinion, if you’re going to have vampires, I want them bathing in blood. I want them dripping with it. I want bites everywhere. I want tears in the skin when things get heated and rough. And this book brings me that. These vampires rend and tear with claw and fang and I loved it. They drink and drink and lick and lick and rub it in their skin and it’s hot. To me, it’s the best of vampire romance and blood kink rolled into one. This alone made this book worth reading.
I did have a great deal of fun reading this, even when I was reading the scenes I personally didn’t care for when it came to my own preferences but thought were well-written from an objective POV. Just beware the nightmares, my friends!
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.
Yes she’s back. Back again. Sara’s back. Tell a friend.
It’s a brand new book, a brand new series, and a brand new mood. I’ve got to say, my friends, Yes she’s back. Back again. Sara’s back. Tell a friend.
It’s a brand new book, a brand new series, and a brand new mood. I’ve got to say, my friends, I am here for it.
Let’s leave out my usual spiel about how Sara Cate doesn’t write bad books. You know that one.
Sara has rolled out the red carpet here for us readers, serving us a heavily-flawed but honestly good male protagonist named Adam Goode, the first and eldest of the Goode sons. Everyone, including himself, believes he’s the heir-apparent to his father, who’s the most popular megachurch pastor in all of Texas. Imagine if your dad was essentially Joel Osteen, but with less plastic surgery, I guess. Adam writes his father’s sermons so they are more relatable to his parishioners. Adam sometimes gives sermons himself. He’s written two books on spirituality. He works as hard as he can to bring glory to his God, his church, his father, and his family. He wants nothing more than to make his father proud and to take his place one day.
But pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Early on in the first section of the book, Adam is told by his father that his job of writing the sermons is being taken away because the tenor of them isn’t conservative enough for his father’s taste and that Adam was never going to be taking over for him, because his father was going to keep preaching until he could preach no more. Adam realizes that he’s 37 now and has been working most of his life for the approval and love of a man who was never going to give it. This sets off a journey for Adam filled with intense emotions, interesting and devastating discoveries, sexual awakenings, dark thoughts, violence, atonement, acceptance, and love. Of course, there is love. Plenty of love.
Sara’s talent for character development shines in this book, which is so character-driven. This book may mainly be a vehicle for Adam, but Adam wouldn’t be anything without his Eve, right? Eve, in this case, comes in the form of the sex-positive, liberal, independent, pink-haired dynamo that’s Sage. The first time they meet is just shy of the definition of a meet-cute. The second time they meet it’s like fire meeting gasoline. The third time they meet, it’s to make a plan to bring down both Adam’s father and Sage’s ex-boyfriend, who had screwed her over in regards to the sex club they were supposed to be running together. While Sage has her part to play and she’s a fantastic character, her half of the story does feel underdeveloped compared to Adam’s, and it seems like most of her story serves mostly as a catalyst to changes in Adam’s life. That isn’t something I enjoyed very much because I was worried it would encroach too closely into the manic pixie dream girl trope, where Sage was only there to help Adam learn important lessons in life and not to be a fully fleshed-out and realized character in and of herself. Sara helps to avoid this by giving Sage a life and friends outside of Adam that passes the Bechdel Test (or whatever version they have of this meant for books), but it’s only there in small doses. There is also a real and present danger to Sage coming from two fronts: her ex-boyfriend and Adam’s father.
Even so, I couldn’t help but love this book because of the story, the prose, Adam’s character development, and the utterly fantastic spice scenes that featured some of my own fantasies. That’s always a super plus.
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.
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.
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
Well, the steam is coming off the pages in this new book from A. J. Merlin. I mean, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I knew it involved camminWell, the steam is coming off the pages in this new book from A. J. Merlin. I mean, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I knew it involved camming (one of my favorite tropes and real-life turn-ons), but then you add in this pretty little thing falling in with two men who are utterly obsessed with her and the promise of a plot that’s looking more dark and complicated than what the short blurb is alluding to? Aw, come on. You might as well have told me you had a whole pen full of piglets for me to play with if I’d just follow you!
Blair just needs to earn some money, but doesn’t want to work in another restaurant or coffee shop while she’s trying to take a heavy course load before she hits her senior year and has to work on her thesis. Shortly before her semester starts, she comes across a cam site she’s surfed before and watches a user that tempts her and causes her to feel things she hasn’t felt before and she wonders if she could do that. Could she put on a mask and make just about the same amount of money per month as she would at a part-time job without having to work as many hours and on her own schedule?
It turns out she can, and she quickly gains two fervent followers who tip well to keep her from having to do the lascivious things other tippers try to get her to do on screen. At the same time, she’s taking a photography class with a guy she has a crush on who doesn’t even need to take the class but is anyway and seems to have the strangest dynamic with their professor. She feels this tension between them, and she feels a push-pull within herself between the sweet and playful Oliver and her icy, stern professor. There’s just something about them both that she wants, but what it is yet she doesn’t know. What she does know, though, is that there’s just something a little off with both of them and it should send her running…but she just can’t bring herself to do it.
I don’t want to spoil most other aspects of the plot, because that would ruin so much of the fun of the book for you. There are some great surprises in store for you, both in the erotic sense and in the plot sense. I love how Merlin can manage to write a great deal of romantic suspense and psychological fiction into these dark romances. It’s not all physical violence–it’s a whole lot of mind games and I’m here for it.
The book is the first in a series, but thankfully it ends on a natural break in the storyline and not on an abrupt, torturous cliffhanger. There is an important question asked near the end that is meant for Blair to contemplate between this book and the next, but it’s no emergency. There’s no rush. The only ones who’ll be in a rush are us readers, who’ll be begging nonstop for the next installment.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/College Romance/Alphabet Soup Romance/MMF Romance/Dark Romance/Forbidden Romance/LGBTQ Friendly/Romance Series/Read at Your Own Risk/Spice Level 3/Very Bad Folx Doing Very Hot Things ...more
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