I was invited to view this after I had already sworn I wasn’t going to accept any more January ARCs. Then I saw the blurb for this book and I just couI was invited to view this after I had already sworn I wasn’t going to accept any more January ARCs. Then I saw the blurb for this book and I just couldn’t pass it up because of my grandmother and great aunts. My grandmother was a regular Rosie the Riveter, helping to build war planes during WWII and my two great aunts ran a diner on a local airfield where they trained troops while their husbands were abroad fighting (my grandmother wasn’t married yet, not that she stayed married for long (I miss her so much)). I was extremely close to my grandma and I adored my great aunts. They were a hoot and a half. I just couldn’t turn this book down.
I’m so glad I didn’t, because this book is just like my grandma and great aunts: a hoot and a half, with quite a lot of story to tell. I laughed a lot and loved the story from beginning to end.
CJ Wray did an impeccable job crafting a story that straddles the past and the present (well, the past and 2022), telling the story of Josephine and Penny Williamson, two elderly women who served England in WWII. In the present timeline they’re traveling with their beloved and loyal great-nephew, Archie, to France so they can receive a medal for their service during the war. The past is the stories of their youth and their adventures in the service and out. These two old ladies had once had quite a number of adventures–good, bad, illegal, legal, sad, mad, amorous, and more.
All of the characters are colorful and well-written. The dialogue is absolutely delightful. Archie is a darling and his great aunts are the kind of great aunt I always wanted to be one day. The story reminds us of just what our elderly went through and how little of them are still left now. It’s a great story all around.
I was provided access to this 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/Historical Fiction/Military Fiction ...more
Even though I’d read a few of Jessign Reign’s books in the past I wasn’t aware of the upcoming release of Rent Paid in Full until about a month beforeEven though I’d read a few of Jessign Reign’s books in the past I wasn’t aware of the upcoming release of Rent Paid in Full until about a month before it happened and when I saw the synopsis I was like, “How in the heck did I miss this? This sounds beyond hot. I love rent boy books!”
And so began the salivating. I counted down the days until the release date, cursing all along that I didn’t have this book on my Kindle yet.
It was torture to wait but now I’ve read it and it was everything Id’ hoped it would be and everything all those bookstagrammers I hounded about it told me it’d be. I don’t know what possessed Jesse Reign while writing this but it needs to keep it coming because this was stupidfilthyhot, omgallthefeelings, and gjshhgjtbshgthjtj all in one and I had to go to bed and sleep it off before writing this review because I didn’t have words or know what to do with myself after I read it. It was an out of body experience and I don’t even believe in that.
From the first sentence of this book I was absolutely hooked on Ryan’s snarky, uptight, contradictory nature. That man would bite off his nose to spite his face and then automatically regret it but then deny that he’s regretful about it. His brain is a washing machine set on vicious cycle and I am here for it because it makes him an absolute wind-up toy for our other MMC, Miller.
If Ryan is snarky, uptight, and contradictory, then Miller is earnest, laid-back (but resigned), and amiable in nature. He’s like water to Ryan’s flame. Miller can go with the flow, become tempestuous waves, or make himself into a whirlpool and summon people to him like a beacon. Miller’s inner narrative about Ryan is some of the most entertaining and amusing writing I’ve read in a long time.
I love how Miller found a way to get Ryan out of his head and accept what they both wanted without Ryan completely sacrificing his pride. I loved watching the two of them develop and grow together as people and lovers. I loved the story and the third act was a thing of romantic beauty. The spice was some of the hottest I’ve read in a long time. I mean, I think I spent a lot of time saying curse words and blaming drugs while reading this. It’s just that brilliant and hot and right.
All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. ...more
I haven’t read a memoir in a long time, and when I usually read memoirs I tend to stick with funny ones; however, I’ve been on a quest for most of my I haven’t read a memoir in a long time, and when I usually read memoirs I tend to stick with funny ones; however, I’ve been on a quest for most of my adult life to better understand sociopathy, psychopathy, and antisocial personalities. Why? Well, some of that curiosity came from dining on a steady true crime diet since I was a pre-teen (I wanted to be a forensic psychologist at one point in time). Then I had some fears early on in my first-born’s development that he might have some issues with being antisocial and wanted to understand him or be prepared to help him. The biggest burst of interest came when one of my best friends postulated that I myself might be on the spectrum of sociopathy and it might be worth looking into (in case you’re wondering, we don’t know–I have too many psychological comorbidities to tell).
When I read the synopsis for this memoir I just knew I needed to read it, because it was a memoir and not yet another pop psychological nonfiction book regurgitating case studies and factoids where I end up rubbing my temples and wishing I was just reading empirical data because at least then I could maybe trust the author wasn’t blowing smoke. I was intrigued: A memoir by a sociopath, cracking herself open and spilling her guts and sewing herself shut again. How compelling.
If you’re wondering: This is an absolutely wonderful book. It’s brutally honest and unflinchingly raw. Gagne shares parts of herself with us readers that she hid for years from anyone. She opens up about absolutely everything, like a fortress that throws open all its doors and proclaims, “Yes, I have a great many skeletons and they are all hidden here! Please stroll about and tour what it’s like to live your life as a sociopath!”
Why did she do it? Because representation matters. Those of us with major mental health issues don’t get a lot of nonfiction material written for us, by us. Gagne grew up in constant psychological stress because no one knew what a sociopath was, even if they threw the word around freely. Now, thanks to her, there’s a book on the shelf where people can find some answers.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Memoir/Nonfiction ...more
It’s time for another visit to Big Boned Bertha! This time, it’s Rush’s turn.
I adore the Accidental Love series. I consider it to be the perfect middlIt’s time for another visit to Big Boned Bertha! This time, it’s Rush’s turn.
I adore the Accidental Love series. I consider it to be the perfect middle road of Saxon James’ repertoire: More mature than Frat Wars but less mature than the Divorced Men’s Club, but just as spicy (or maybe spicy in a different way?) as Frat Wars but more spicy than the Divorced Men’s Club. Maybe it’s like this: Accidental Love has dirtier spicy scenes than Frat Wars but more maturity to it. It’s a perfect mix of filthy and adult for me.
The Revenge Agenda is a great read because it’s full of forbidden naughtiness:
A butthead’s ex-fiance / said butthead’s ex-side piece Boss / employee ADHD chaos adult / calm but concerned adult Bertha’s Boys plot revenge Everyone loves Rush (except the butthead) Filthy talk Office sex A ton of puns about ants Punches get thrown (not between MCs) Hunter’s coat gets stolen by Xander because it smells good
The cuteness of this book is only outmatched by the sheer chemistry between Rush and Hunter and the sexiness of the spice scenes. These two are scorchingly hot. The steam left me feeling some kind of way. From the first pages of the book I loved Hunter as a character, and that feeling only grew throughout the book. By the end I was sad it was over. That’s one of the hallmarks of a truly good romance–when you wish you could keep reading about the couple’s HEA.
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 knew within the first few chapters that The Stars Too Fondly was going to be a five star read. By the end of the book I knew it was going to be a boI knew within the first few chapters that The Stars Too Fondly was going to be a five star read. By the end of the book I knew it was going to be a book I needed on my shelf, a book I was going to scream about, and is 100% going to be on my top ten list at the end of the year. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year, and as of the-book-before-this-one, I’ve read 315 books so far this year.
There’s a line in the blurb: “So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship.”
SAY LESS. PLEASE.
Sapphic space adventure rom-com with a strong found family component, a swoony star-crossed love story, and a diverse cast? Are you kidding me right now with some of my all-time favorites vibes all vibing in the same book?
Debut author Emily Hamilton seriously sat down and wrote a book that does what few books do to me more and more: Make me long for extra stars, because if I could rate this book six stars I totally would.
The book pulls you in from the start, with Hamilton’s ragtag group of queer twenty-somethings who just want to peek inside an abandoned spaceship and see what they can glean about the mystery of what happened to the entire crew, who disappeared with a flash of light on launch day. You know what they say: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. They messed around and now they get to find out why it may not be such a good idea to go poking around in strange, abandoned spaceships. Or maybe it’s the stars aligning just right and this was meant to happen.
The story is engaging, propulsive, emotional, romantic, poetic, and so well-crafted I wish I could shake Emily Hamilton’s hand and thank her in person. I cried more than once and I couldn’t tell you how much I love these characters. I just vibed with this book on every level. Can’t recommend it enough.
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.
This book is creepy as heck. This book is also freaking fantastic.
I had a bad experience with my last Malerman book, which was Daphne. I didn’t like This book is creepy as heck. This book is also freaking fantastic.
I had a bad experience with my last Malerman book, which was Daphne. I didn’t like it at all. I ended up DNF-ing it. I ended up wanting to read this one mostly because I couldn’t stop thinking about the cover. It’s a brilliant cover that evokes these feelings of childhood, innocence, being so small around large things, being defenseless against the dark, abandonment, and of feeling isolated. I just couldn’t get it out of my head: “What is that book about?”
Well, the cover does a good job of conveying a lot of what the book’s themes are, actually (so A+ to the cover designer!). I never had a closet growing up, so I don’t know what it’s like to fear the monster in the closet, but Malerman could’ve made the “monster in the closet” any number of things and gotten the message across because the monster is just a very large metaphor (for lack of a better word right now) for the culmination of just about everything that’s happened to everyone in this book. (If I went any further it’d be Spoiler City and I don’t want to live there).
When I tell you this book is fantastic, I’m telling you I think this is the best horror novel I’ve read so far this year, and that’s saying something because it’s really been a great year for horror already. Not only does it fall outside the traditional narrative structure, which sets it apart in a unique but not-annoying way, but it’s told from the POV of a child that comes across as genuinely lost, frightened, and never comes across as precocious. A lot of the horror in this novel felt like it was being generated directly from how sad and helpless this child felt. How cruel it all felt.
It’s set at a great pace, is unbelievably suspenseful and unpredictable, and honestly left me a bit shook. I can’t recommend it enough.
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: 5 Star Review/Ghost Fiction/Horror/Paranormal Horror/Suspense Thriller...more
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
This is my first Paul Tremblay book, mostly due to the fact I’d been turned down for the Tremblay ARCs I’d requested in the past. I was so happy when This is my first Paul Tremblay book, mostly due to the fact I’d been turned down for the Tremblay ARCs I’d requested in the past. I was so happy when I was granted access to this one, though, because the summary had me reeling. “Cursed film” genre is one of my favorites: As a Gen-Xer the “Poltergeist Curse” and the “Exorcist Curse” were writ large in my brain from my adolescent years.
Horror Movie exceeded expectations. I’ve been wary of thriller and horror novels as of late because they just haven’t been hitting like I’d hoped they would, but this? This slaps. It filled me with nostalgia for those “lost films” of urban lore but also filled my curiosity for today’s Creepy Pasta stories of occult rituals, creature origin stories, and even cryptid lore.
From the start, I was engaged and felt compelled to read and keep reading, knowing nothing was going to stop me until I reached the end of this book. Is it a little predictable? Yes. I liked that, though, because even if a horror film is predictable, part of the fun is waiting for the inevitable to come. The characters in a horror movie–or novel--all have a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. The horror is inevitable–it’s the timing of it that’s the variable.
Horror Movie is told in single POV from the narrator, but in the present and the past (dual timelines). There are sections in the past that are told in third person omniscient: Those are scenes from the film you’re “viewing”. This is an effective storytelling format for this book and a great way to disseminate both the exposition and the backstory without infodumping.
The whole book, without exception, is a great read: for summer, for horror, for fun, for in the dark under the covers, for by a campfire, for on the beach. 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.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Horror/Occult Horror ...more
This book opens with a bang, almost literally. To call Hunted fast-paced is doing it a disservice: This book is utterly furious in its pacing, relentlThis book opens with a bang, almost literally. To call Hunted fast-paced is doing it a disservice: This book is utterly furious in its pacing, relentless as time itself as it inexorably works for the antagonists in this book and against the protagonists.
The story engages you immediately, hooking you with a tension and terror-fueled scene that unfolds in a busy Los Angeles mall. After that the hits just keep on coming as we bounce from a female POC FBI agent who loves her work but faces discrimination at every turn, two parents of two different potential terrorists who are trying to get to their kids before the cops do, and one of those potential terrorists as he struggles with the ethics and morals of what he’s doing and where it’s all leading.
It’s eloquently written, with a lot of genuine emotion that’s sometimes lacking in thrillers. The plot is incredibly executed and the story is incredibly relevant to current times. There’s compassion here for everyone except the people who don’t deserve any of it: The actual terrorists.
It’s a terrific, compulsive, page-turning read.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley, the Novel Suspects Insider’s Club, and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Conspiracy Thriller/Crime Thriller/Political Thriller/Suspense Thriller ...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.
Shattered Omega, part one, will be published on the one-year anniversary of the publication of the very first PoisonVerse novel, Havoc Killed Her AlphShattered Omega, part one, will be published on the one-year anniversary of the publication of the very first PoisonVerse novel, Havoc Killed Her Alpha, which was also written by Mackay. The PoisonVerse novels have ushered in a whole new world of omegaverse novels over this past year because they’ve all been so good. In addition to the two novels Mackay wrote directly for the PoisonVerse, she also wrote two novellas and one two-part novel set in the PoisonVerse. Now she has gifted us Shattered Omega, which is set somewhere even darker and deeper than the regular PoisonVerse novels, in a subset she’s calling “PoisonVerse Noir”.
“PoisonVerse Noir” has all the PNR and omegaverse trappings of Mackay’s regular PoisonVerse novels, but seems to be rooted in something deeper, darker, and more mysterious.
This book is Mackays best work since the beginning of the PoisonVerse. Havoc Killed Her Alpha was one of my top 23 indie romances of 2023. We’re switching out the urban settings for an academy setting and delving into an unsettling and deadly side of bonds, auras, scents, and packs. Of course, no PoisonVerse novel would be complete without intrigue and scandal too, now would it?
Shatter, our FMC, is almost a feral omega. She’s fiercely intelligent, but she’s also ruled by her instincts and is shockingly naive for a 19 year-old. Dusk, Umbra, and Ransom are the MMCs in this book, and you’ll forgive me if I don’t share much of their story because that’s a whole box of spoiler rocks and I don’t want to spill them. You don’t get to see too much of Ransom in this book, but if you’re like me you’ll fall in love with conniving charmer Umbra and clever caretaker Dusk.
The spice is a 3 out of 3 on my scale for the hotness of the spice scenes and the kinks.
Do watch out for your TW/CWs, because while I don’t think they’re quite as dire as Mackay warns, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I also don’t get shocked by much, so I might have missed something. I just thought the whole thing was smokin’ hot. Just beware that cliffhanger! It’s a doozy.
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 offer of compensation was asked for, nor provided in exchange for this review. Thank you.
I wanted to read this book because I love stories about foster siblings and revenge, but I stayed because I fell in love with the characters.
I won’t I wanted to read this book because I love stories about foster siblings and revenge, but I stayed because I fell in love with the characters.
I won’t claim to know anything about the foster system, being a foster child, or being a foster parent. I’ve only known one foster kid (that I can remember( in all my life, and I met her right after she’d aged out of the system. I live in America, so I don’t even know how similar the systems between here and Australia are, but I don’t imagine being a foster child in any country is something I could come close to understanding. That didn’t stop me from absolutely falling in love with Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, the three foster sisters at the center of this novel. It also didn’t stop me from loving to loathe their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, who for some reason reminds me of a slightly younger (and non-magical) Professor Umbridge in many ways. Miss Fairchild is a memorable and loathsome antagonist in this complex book.
The most prevalent themes in this book surround the trials of the foster system and how it can affect different children, depending on how they came to be in the foster system, the environment they lived in before the state had to take them in, how long they’ve been in the system, how many different homes they’ve been in, and what abuse they might have suffered during their time in the system. It gives what could’ve been another formulaic domestic thriller a really emotional base that caused me to really become invested in the outcome. I was really pulled in and willingly went along for the whole ride.
Well-paced with a great plot and cohesive storyline, I found I couldn’t put this one down.
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: 5 Star Review/Domestic Thriller/Murder Thriller/Psychological Fiction ...more
Finlay Donovan is the only one of the contemporary “female amateur sleuth” book series’ I know I can reliably pick up, read, and enjoy every single paFinlay Donovan is the only one of the contemporary “female amateur sleuth” book series’ I know I can reliably pick up, read, and enjoy every single page of without fail. This newest installment is no exception. I don’t actually think I’ve enjoyed an installment this much, or even laughed so hard, since the first book in the series.
Ever since the end of the third book we knew Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice was going to be a wild ride. Finlay, Vero, and the kids in Atlantic City? What could go wrong, right? (Of course everything’s going to go wrong. That’s exactly what happens in these books. That’s why we have Finlay Donovan books!) Well, of course Finlay’s ex-husband insists she can’t go without him because she can’t take the kids across state lines without his permission. Oh! And then there’s her mom, who for some reason has decided she needs to take a vacation too!
This won’t be awkward at all. Not even once Nick and his FBI friends show up in Atlantic City as well. In the same motel, too. That hallway sure is crowded.
The Finlay Donovan books have always been a great vehicle for Elle Cosimano to explore marriage dynamics, motherhood, single parenting, female friendships, the struggles of being a working mother, and all the other buttons and bows that come with being a post-divorce adult woman with children. When your marriage is over and all you have is your kids and your work life can become pretty stagnant if you let it. Finlay’s adventures remind readers–if in a rather extreme manner–that there’s a lot of life to live out there. There’s a lot to do, see, and laugh at. That’s one of the things I love about these books the most.
If we get to have an awesome and fun time while reading about it, then that’s spectacular too.
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: 5 Star Review/Amateur Sleuths/Book Series/Comedy/Crime Fiction/Mystery ...more
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.
The Daymakers is yet another feather for Grace McGinty to put in her cap. McGinty is already one of my auto-buy romance authors–especially when it comThe Daymakers is yet another feather for Grace McGinty to put in her cap. McGinty is already one of my auto-buy romance authors–especially when it comes to why-choose romance–and it’s books like The Daymakers that remind me why I love her so much.
You can read the plot synopsis online. I don’t need to repeat it here. (Go do that if you need to and then come back.)
Okay, so the plot isn’t exactly a brand-new idea, but I’m not taking off points for that because I rarely tire of why-choose rockstar romances like this. One of my favorite why-choose book series of all-time has a plot that’s in the same vein as this one (a desperate girl ends up on a rock band’s tour bus and ends up being their personal toy and they both have mm in them, but that’s where the similarities end) and as far as I’m concerned I could read several books with that same general vibe and never tire of it. McGinty does it particularly well here, leaning into the sex worker and feminist aspects of Charlotte’s (the FMC) role in the book and making it about her taking back control of her body and her life when so much of her life has been in the control of so many other people who used it and abused it. Sex work can be empowering for some, and I loved how McGinity leaned into that.
The spice was a solid 3 / 3 on my spice scale. This was due to the number of spicy scenes, the language, the kinks, and the shared partners. There are no large group scenes in this book, but I actually think the book was better for it for once. This book is more about Charlotte’s individual dynamics with each band member than it is with the band as a whole, so the individualized attention works better (save for the shared experiences with Hero and Poet).
I don’t think I need to tell you that the boys are definitely book boyfriend material. Grace McGinity does love her bad boy exteriors with marshmallow interiors. And the villain in this one is most definitely someone you’re going to love to hate (I personally wished he could’ve been done in). The supporting characters were fun and sweet, and the concert scenes were fun.
You’re going to want to read it. You’re going to love it.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
I feel like categorizing and marketing R. M. Romero’s books strictly as YA is doing them and her a huge disservice, because her writing transcends sucI feel like categorizing and marketing R. M. Romero’s books strictly as YA is doing them and her a huge disservice, because her writing transcends such boundaries: they’re novels in verse, poetry made into a novel. Poetry doesn’t know age groups. It only knows beauty.
While it’s not my favorite of Romero’s books (The Ghosts of Rose Hill is still my fave), I was still enraptured by the writing, swept away by the story, and was crying onto my pillow by the end.
Polyamory is still a titillating topic for fiction in adult books, let alone a book about 16 year-olds. On a personal level, I would love to see polyamory more normalized and treated as compassionately and as well as Romero did in this book, because every heart has the capacity for infinite love; however, that doesn’t mean that every person is capable of it. Capacity and capability are two different things, and no one is poorer for being capable of loving more than one person or not being capable of loving people at all (on a romantic level). Love is love, and no one has the right to tell you who you can or should love. I’ve met polyamorous teenagers because I’m polyamorous myself and raised my kids in a polyamorous household. My older kid is polyamorous.
There was so much in this book I loved: The musical references to David Bowie (beloved but deceased bisexual icon), at least three significant references to Sylvia Plath, a haunting homage to Gianni Versace, and the unique spin on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth (which I almost forgot about at some points in favor of the more original points in the story).
The feel of this story is very much soaked in duality: light and shadow, but look deeper. It’s bright neons and glaring sunlight against deepest shadows and darkest nights. It’s a gorgeous and important vibe that Romero executes well and is important to the story. As with all Romero novels, I recommend it.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I checked this book out on KU months ago and it sat there for quite some time and today I finally read it.
I feel like a dork for waiting so long to rI checked this book out on KU months ago and it sat there for quite some time and today I finally read it.
I feel like a dork for waiting so long to read it because this book was flippin’ fantastic!
Serial killers falling in love plus morbid comedy? Tell me a combination I love more. (There’s not many).
Unsurprisingly, I loved the morbid comedy more than the love story. I have a love/hate relationship with straight-up MF contemporary romances. They either have to be really funny or really dark for it to work for me. This one only works because of that perfect blend of morbid humor and violence. I ended up highlighting quite a bit of phrases, and all of them were funny ones, because I’m just not sentimental. Brynne Weaver has a great sense of timing with her writing, though, because she seems to sense when’s a good time to lighten the mood and when’s a good time to let everything settle for a little while.
Weaver just also has an impeccable writing style. It’s almost cinematic. Butcher & Blackbird could almost be a screenplay for how creative and vivid it is. I’d buy a ticket to see this movie (well, given my social anxiety I’d rent it).
It is a slow burn (at least in my opinion), but it’s well worth it when you do reach the spice. I wavered between whether this was medium or high on my spicy scale, and in the end I went with high because of the number of spice scenes and how enthusiastic those scenes are once they get there.
If you can handle the laundry list of TW/CWs Weaver warns you about at the beginning of the book, then I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a fun, engaging read.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
So, the thing is: I’m still not sold on alien smut. But I am sold on this alien smut. Because when I was reading this series, but especially this finaSo, the thing is: I’m still not sold on alien smut. But I am sold on this alien smut. Because when I was reading this series, but especially this final book in said series, the fact that the MMCs were aliens didn’t matter in the least. It hasn’t mattered the whole time. When I’m reading the spicy scenes in these books I’m often too caught up in the way C.M. Stunich writes (which is always stunning) to bother worrying about which parts goes where. Who cares how many tentacles are in which orifice? Not me. I care about what Officer Hyt is saying and feeling, and I care about what Eve is saying and feeling. No more. No less. Because what they’re saying and feeling is actually hotter than which part is going where.
To be honest, everyone’s possessiveness, attentiveness, and protective natures is a way bigger turn-on than almost everything else. The way Hyt, Abraxas, and Rurik constantly cover Eve in pheromones and mark spaces is both touching and sexy in a way I’d never condone in real life but find distinctly appealing when a tiny human female is stuck in outer space among environments and alien races who would love to see her dead.
I loved the first half of the book as Eve spends time with Hyt on Yaoh, waiting for Abraxas to arrive and playing “fake-fiancee” with Officer Hyt. She gets to play “possessive girlfriend” and it’s so much fun. I loved the second half of the book more, as she reunites with Abraxas and Rurik and all four of them try to figure out the rest of, well, everything. (Anything more than that would be spoilers).
The playful, sisterly banter Eve has with Jane is hilarious and familiar for anyone who has a bestie who’s as close as a sister. After not seeing much Abraxas since book one I was so happy to have him back. He’s just a dragon-y cinnamon roll who’s incredibly competent.
Watching Eve and the guys come together and pull their stuff together in order to make everything work is everything I could have wished and hoped for out of this series. I loved it so much. I’d love to see what happened to some of the supporting characters in the aftermath of this story. I’ll wait and see what Stunich will do.
All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I read Pheromone and freaking loved it so much, but I didn’t write a review for it. I don’t remember why. Knowing me, I meant to and forgot. After I fI read Pheromone and freaking loved it so much, but I didn’t write a review for it. I don’t remember why. Knowing me, I meant to and forgot. After I finished Seminal, though, I knew I had to write one because this series is absolutely phenomenal and I need people to get up and not sleep on it.
I don’t usually go for the alien romances where the aliens aren’t humanoid. I know, right? I wasn’t even a fan of Ice Planet Barbarians. There’s something about Stunich, however, that always makes me want to give any genre or trope a try. She’s a terrific writer with fabulous FMCs, an absolutely hilarious sense of humor, and I’ve always enjoyed how sex-positive her writing is. There’s no shame in Stunich’s game, folks.
Stunich has always had such a talent for writing dialogue and creating an amazing amount of sexual tension and chemistry between her love interests that even I, as someone who doesn’t get hot for non-humanoid aliens, was able to feel flushed and squirmy during the spicy stuff because the “alien” aspect of everything was almost the last thing I was thinking about–it was the snap, crackle, and pop of how intense everything felt between Eve and the aliens she’s falling for.
A lot of stuff happened in Seminal, but somehow the book didn’t seem rushed or crammed. That’s proof of good writing, pacing, and editing. Eve has a lot thrown at her, but there are MMCs and supporting characters to help absorb some of the exposition and some of the emotional blows. Poor Avril gets to bear the brunt of Eve’s reckless, stubborn, and sometimes careless behavior, but honestly she’s one of my favorite characters (and the inside jokes between Rurik and Eve about how they should go about killing her made me snicker continuously).
I love that Eve and Rurik both have some internal conflicts regarding the physiological manipulation that their bodies and minds are going through to make them compatible mates, but I love that Eve wants to find a way to free Rurik from the same fate as his father, too. Rurik truly wants to be a good mate and king, but there’s a lot of deprogramming to do there. Officer Hyt? Oh, you poor baby. And steady, protective, fierce, dedicated, loving Abraxas. I love him to the moon and to Saturn.
I can’t wait for Venery, which should be out soon. I never thought that I’d be so happy for a side project that took Stunich away from the F*ckboy Psychos series, but I am.
This review was written without any offer of compensation. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. ...more
Man, oh man this one was hot. Fire. Spicy filthy hot.
This is the third book in the Park Avenue Princes book series and hooboy Ella and Brooke knockedMan, oh man this one was hot. Fire. Spicy filthy hot.
This is the third book in the Park Avenue Princes book series and hooboy Ella and Brooke knocked this one out of the park!
Preston Abernathy is the diplomatic good boy of the Park Avenue Princes: Straight, has a long-term girlfriend, doesn’t go around boozing and carousing as much as the other guys, does a lot of volunteer work, and does all his homework. Right?
Preston’s been keeping secrets: He’s very gay, his girlfriend is his happy bestie beard, he doesn’t really want the life his parents have had planned out for him, he’s starting to chafe at the sight of all of his friends falling in love and being happy around him, and he’s been in love with his girlfriend’s father for years.
This book just hits so many of my buttons: age difference (around 20 years), sexy men in sharp clothing (AKA expensive clothing and suits), filthy talk, voyeurism/exhibitionism, let’s-have-sex-in-as-many-positions-as-possible, and these two are just so lovely together in general. They take care of one another and pay attention to one another. I don’t know if there’s a kink for getting off on the fact that someone is so turned on by your age, but that’s in there too. I don’t know what it is, but I love it and I want more of it.
Preston’s friendship with Serena, Archer’s daughter, is one of the most important cornerstones of this book and I’m so happy with how Ella and Brooke handled it. It could’ve been mishandled so easily in other authors hands. She’s written as strong, knowing, and competent but not so blase that she comes off as cold and uncaring. She’s warm and emotional and cares about both Preston and her father. I cared a great deal about what would happen with her and I’m happy with the result.
I highly suggest you read this if you haven’t gotten into the series yet and then go back and start at the beginning. If you’re looking for an endorsement for the next book if you’ve read the first two books, then know you won’t be disappointed in the least. It’s hot and I’m here for it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors. 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/College Romance/Contemporary Romance/Forbidden Romance/Gay Romance/Kindle Unlimited/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 3 ...more
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