After seeing several social media posts and videos extolling the virtues of author Callie Hart’s first book in The Fae & AlchemDo you believe in fate?
After seeing several social media posts and videos extolling the virtues of author Callie Hart’s first book in The Fae & Alchemy series I decided to take the day off from my normal ARC reading/reviewing schedule to give it a read. What can I say? I had bad FOMO. I’ve come to realize that while I’ve been spending most of my time doing trad pub ARC reading, I’ve been missing out on a lot of great releases from the indie publishing world. I decided not to miss out on this one.
I’m so happy I took the day off for Quicksilver. I haven’t felt like this about a romantasy in a long time. Have I loved other romantasies as much as this? Yes, but in a different way. Quicksilver is the type of romantasy I love best: quick-witted, fast-paced, action-packed, spicy, funny, rude, two grumpy and traumatized main characters/love interests, no love triangle, tortured hearts, sexual tension and chemistry for days, protective streaks for days, stubborn and self-sacrificing idiots, and a healthy amount of snark.
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a How close are you to your siblings?
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a sympathy hangover. One’s depressed, the other feels it too. They know one another so well they can pretend to be one another; point in fact, they’ve been getting away with this very thing since middle school. Or, they were until Benny Dalton went and fell in love during the fall semester. Now it’s spring and Emmett Dalton is starting to feel like a frayed thread. He’s lonely, kind of lost, and can’t sustain pretending to be his twin anymore. He’s too full of secrets, even ones his twin doesn’t know.
We first met Emmett Dalton (in Franklin U 2) back in the second book, Saxon James’ A Stealthy Situation, with Emmett being the one to take Benny’s statistics classes for him since Benny isn’t good at math. While Benny was swooning over their classmate Harrison, it turns out Emmett was swooning over someone too: their stats professor, Jonah.
Twincerely Yours offers up a lot of great tropes, including some of my favorites:
There’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blastsThere’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blasts from the past as your new main characters and get to watch the new generation fall in love. In A Stealthy Situation we’re getting a call from the CU Hockey series in the form of Benny Dalton, one of the Chaos Twins from both Line Mates & Study Dates and Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (don’t worry, Emmett’s in here too).
The Chaos Twins fell out of love with hockey before they could be drafted and fled to California in order to get away from the pressure that had surrounded them all their lives. The pair of them still love to sow a little chaos, which is why they take great pains to make sure no one in San Diego knows the Dalton Twins exist. They each go to a different school, they keep their appearances identical, they dress similarly, and don’t go out in town at the same time. They rely on each other to get through anything and everything, which is why things start to go awry when Emmett is suddenly expelled from his university and takes to crashing on a mattress in Benny’s bedroom at the DIK frat house.
A Stealthy Situation is cute and sweet, with a great sense of humor to it. I love a good cinnamon roll and snark monster dynamic, and that’s exactly what Harrison and Benny have. Benny has a deliciously morbid sense of humor that I adore and insults being used as a love language is something I myself use on an everyday basis, so I can totally be book bffs with him.
I thought the supporting cast really came in clutch here for comic relief and emotional support, and I thought the disability rep was very well done.
I can’t wait for Twincerely Yours (which comes at the end of FU 2) so I can read Emmett’s story!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt He’s dressing for revenge.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt thinking it’s going to be similar to the movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, you’ll be pretty disappointed, because these love birds aren’t working against one another. It’s more of a moral quandary that puts a wrench in things between these two.
Note: Make sure you read the list of TWs thoroughly before you start because it’s long and not to be taken for granted.
If you like dark or mafia romance then this book is a ton of fun to read. I love my feral female murder kittens, and Bianca is an excellent example of such a creature. She has no solid identity of her own, but she’s got loyalty down pat. She kills because it gives her an outlet and because she likes it. She does it as a contract killer because that means she gets to have awful people picked out for her. And when she’s not working at that she’s free to spend every waking hour ensuring no one comes anywhere near Theo, who’s been her ultimate obsession since she was a teenager.
Nothing stays a secret forever, though. Especially not between spouses.
It’s an enjoyable read, if a little long. I really loved the twists and turns of the story and the way the main characters had to constantly adapt and change tact in order to keep ahead of the enemy and solve conflicts. There’s some great spice, great action, and great suspense. A really solid read.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Mafia Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 2 ...more
Franklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to iFranklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to it returning this summer. The authors behind FU and FU 2 definitely saw the success that came with the first season of these books and understood the assignment: Take all of that, rewind it back, and build on this universe in an interconnected, tangential way.
Riley Hart decided to build The Hook Up Mix-Up on top of the foundation of her FU book from 2023, Playing Games (the story of Brax and Tyson, who feature heavily in this book). In Playing Games we were introduced to Perry, Tyson’s half-brother, who is one of the MMCs in this book. The other MMC is Theo, a student at Franklin U.
This is your pretty standard bi-awakening, friends-to-bed buddies-to-lovers plot, but that simply doesn’t matter one bit, no matter how much I’m almost always down to read those two tropes combined, because the thing that makes this book worth reading is THEO.
Can I just say Theo is so cute and sweet I wanted to reach into the book, drag him out, and adopt him? I was like that gif of Kristin Bell fawning over a sloth while reading this book the entire time. I almost spent the entire book wondering how anyone could possibly not fall in love with him (before I remembered not everyone loves a people pleaser and that being a people pleaser isn’t always the healthiest thing for your mental wellbeing).
It’s not like Perry is a slouch. It was funny watching how oblivious to how in his deep in his feels he was long before he actually realized it. The boy was done for long before he knew it and it was absolutely adorable to read.
This book does have its hot and spicy moments, but not as spicy as some other authors’ books in this series might end up being. I didn’t find that upsetting in this instance because I was too busy loving Theo and Perry and their burgeoning relationship. Definitely a stellar start to FU season.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I absolutely adored Bewitched, the first book in this series, and Bespelled ensnared me with its charms just as effectively. I’m not the hugest fan ofI absolutely adored Bewitched, the first book in this series, and Bespelled ensnared me with its charms just as effectively. I’m not the hugest fan of straight-up MF romance, but there’s just something about the way Laura writes her lead couples that sucks me every time and causes me to become heavily invested in them and their story. I can’t pinpoint what it is about them yet (yes, even though we’re at the end of the second book) that has me so captivated, but I know there has to be other authors out there that wish they could bottle this particular blend of writing witchcraft.
Bespelled picks up almost right where Bewitched left off, with Selene having been framed for the witch murders by Memnon, because someone’s still stuck on his tour of vengeance. Selene has the memories of her past life back, but it’s kind of hard to focus on anything but being, well, under arrest for crimes she didn’t commit. Luckily, the situation rights itself pretty quickly, and soon we get back to the incredibly charismatic push-pull dynamic between Selene and Memnon as they try and navigate each other, the situation they find themselves in now that Selene can remember the past, and what to do about the ongoing murders.
We get to meet a whole slew of supporting characters, see the overarching plot develop some more, see a new major plotline develop, see the rise and fall of a whole subplot within this book, and have it end with not a cliffhanger but a huge question mark. There’s a ton of magic, a whole bunch of intrigue, a great deal of action and violence, some great swoon-worthy romance, decent spice, and buckets of blood.
A lot happens in this book. I mean, a lot, a lot. Thalassa does a great job keeping the story moving and not letting everything get too tangled together at the same time. There is a pretty large infodump via looking into memories (not by flashback) near the beginning of the book, but I can’t in all fairness call it lazy storytelling in this instance because it falls in line with the way magic works in this series and the way the characters exist. There just wasn’t a better option to get the necessary information across to we readers.
It was a fantastic read and I’m absolutely anticipating the final book!
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.
C. M. Stunich, my t-shirt does not thank you for the buckets of tears I cried while reading this book. Neither do my eyes, which have been swollen allC. M. Stunich, my t-shirt does not thank you for the buckets of tears I cried while reading this book. Neither do my eyes, which have been swollen all day. However, I’m not mad.
That. Being. Said.
I never want to have that slow of a burn in a nearly 1,000 page book again. Never, ever, again. That wasn’t fun and that’s partially why I couldn’t give this book five stars (the other part was Joules, but I can’t help it).
Let’s set the slow burn apart. Let’s set Joules apart (please). Now let’s talk about the book.
I want to wrap Tam and Lake up in bubble wrap and protect them for all eternity. I want to build them a perfect house on fifty million acres of land and its own boba tea shop, surround it with special forces soldiers, and let them have kids and live their lives out in peace with puppies and children who can grow up to be whatever makes them happy because their parents are just that awesome and know life can be so short.
Is any of this a constructive review? Not really. This book was cute and infectious. It was really freaking sad and vulnerable. I liked it a lot but didn’t adore it. But you should totally go and read it because I feel like Tam and Lake need more people squealing over them.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Possessive Park Avenue Prince picks up almost right after Scandalous Park Avenue Prince left off, with cinnamon roll Park Avenue Prince Gavin moving iPossessive Park Avenue Prince picks up almost right after Scandalous Park Avenue Prince left off, with cinnamon roll Park Avenue Prince Gavin moving in with resident bad boy Park Avenue Prince, Daire so he doesn’t have to listen to his brother’s noisy bedroom activities anymore. Could Gavin have asked for his own apartment in the Towers? Well, yes, but he’s neer lived alone before, and Daire has a two bedroom and offered it up so why not?
Then there’s the fact Daire knows things about Gavin none of the other Princes know and Gavin feels safer around Daire than most other people. There’s that.
I’m not going to lie to you: This book wasn’t what I expected and I didn’t dig it as much as I did the previous three installments in this series. It felt uneven in almost every way and I had issues with the chemistry between Gavin and Daire. Does that mean I didn’t enjoy the heck out of it? No, not at all! I always enjoy Ella and Brooke’s books. They’re excellent authors and they craft enjoyable and sexy gay romance novels. This series has been excellent up until now and I believe it’s unrealistic to expect every reader to adore every book in a series as much as the other. We’re only human–we’re going to have our favorites. Right now, I still love Scandalous PAP the most. That could change with the upcoming release of Salacious PAP, but who knows?
Just know, if you love very grumpy boys with very low self-worth, precious cinnamon roll boys who decide to put on some devil horns to get what they want, possessive alphaholes, jealous good boys, and a sumptuous helping of “touch him and die” (where he actually might mean it), then you’ll love this book.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
While I was reading this ARC I really wished I could text Lark Taylor and playfully curse her out because my eyes were already red and swollen from crWhile I was reading this ARC I really wished I could text Lark Taylor and playfully curse her out because my eyes were already red and swollen from crying my eyes out over another romance novel today and had I known Red Haze was going to make me sob like a baby then I maybe would’ve waited a couple of more days to read it!
I’m obviously not mad about a book making me cry. In my opinion, art of any kind should make you feel. That’s the point of art: to elicit emotions. I knew from the start that Arlo and Jack’s story was going to be a sucker punch and that’s one of the reasons I was so excited for it. During the first two books in the Caffeine Daydreams series we’ve watched Arlo pine endlessly over Jack (pine like a pine forest, this boy) and watch Jack clueless act like a guard dog who has no clue he’s obsessed with his master (and Jack is such a good guard dog). So this was always going to be a tormented bodyguard romance, with all of that yummy push and pull, drawing lines only to cross them, miscommunications (for once deployed effectively in this book), and a whole lot of emotional detangling between what’s toxic love and what’s a healthy level of obsession with another human being when they’ve been your world for so long?
Of course, we’re pre-programmed to feel deeply for Arlo: Raised in grotty council estates to a neglectful and abusive family with only his talent with drums as a possible way out. Even then, once Caffeine Daydreams hits success, he’s deep in the hole emotionally and creatively. It’s being assigned Jack as a bodyguard when he’s 18 that finally starts to drag Arlo out of the pit. However, this book makes it very clear we should have also been curious about Jack’s state of mind in all of this too. Keep that in mind when you start to read this book, because in the ways that count this book is a slow burn. It’s HEA guaranteed, but it takes a long time for Arlo and Jack to find happiness.
I’m going to end this with lots of winks, nudges, and nods to Lark, for giving me so many giggles and snorts throughout this book for the easter eggs. I was curious if they’d be in here, and they were. I was delighted.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was offered or accepted in exchange for this review. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Disability Rep/Forbidden Romance/Kindle Unlimited/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Romance Series/Rockstar Romance/Spice Level 2
Two Chances is the second book in Lynn Burke’s LGBTQ Elite Escorts spin-off series. This book is mostly taking place, time-wise, concurrently with theTwo Chances is the second book in Lynn Burke’s LGBTQ Elite Escorts spin-off series. This book is mostly taking place, time-wise, concurrently with the first book in this series, One Night.
In One Night we met both of the main characters for Two Chances: Kellen, one of Elite’s LGBTQ escorts, and JJ, the lead detective on the criminal case that’s part of the central plot for One Night. Kellen and JJ come across one another briefly on the courthouse steps during One Night when JJ approaches Mason for a conversation and in this book we get to see that same interaction from both Kellen and JJ’s perspectives near the very beginning of the book.
On my spice meter, this book merits a 2 out of 3. The spice is explicit but not prolific or kinky. The chemistry between Kellen and JJ is something that can’t be faked, though, and these two have it in spades.
I’ve come to appreciate LGBTQ romance novels that take place at a more mature age. Both of the main characters in this book are middle-aged, and sometimes it’s refreshing to see both characters at the same point in their lives, needing a fresh start at a later stage. I love a good age difference or a good college love story, but sometimes people find themselves needing love later in life, too, and it’s nice to see those stories.
That’s why I had a hard time with the way both JJ and Kellen handled their individual issues. Their approaches didn’t match their professions or their ages. Both sex workers and police officers are often in need of therapy, yet neither of these men have sought help. It’s rather irresponsible. This is kind of what turned me a little sour on the book. It wasn’t enough to drop the rating significantly, though, because I still greatly enjoyed the read.
Lynn Burke continues to write consistently great romance novels and I’m happy to ride along.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
Runaway Omega is the first in a series of interconnected standalone omegaverse novels. On the scale from Sweetverse to Darkverse (when it comes to theRunaway Omega is the first in a series of interconnected standalone omegaverse novels. On the scale from Sweetverse to Darkverse (when it comes to the omegaverse light to dark scale), I would say it settles right in the middle at a 5 out of 10. The spice, on my spice scale, is a 2 out of 3 (there’s only one group scene that takes place during the heat and then most of the heat is skipped after that). There is no mm action, either (this is neither here nor there, it’s just worth mentioning for those who might be curious if this book has mm in addition to mf). The burn is slower than I’d like but not so slow as to be boring; plus, Ember Nicole has a real knack for writing strong sexual chemistry and tension that in no way involves the act of sex. That’s a talent not every author possesses and it more than makes up for the lack of actual action for a chunk of the book.
Not surprisingly, I wasn’t too drawn to our FMC, Everleigh, in this story. She’s simply just not the type of FMC I identify with or enjoy reading too much. However, I did absolutely love all three alphas in this story: Rune, Kylian, and Cian are all so uniquely them and they are delightful. The teasers for this book called them protective cinnamon rolls, but I didn’t see cinnamon rolls here, I just saw protective, conscientious, and then one of my favorite traits in some alphas: A willingness to destroy bad alphas. Some of my favorite omegaverse novels have always been the ones where bad alphas get their comeuppance.
The book is well-written and the plot is cohesive. It’s an enjoyable read, even if it’s not completely to my tastes. I loved Everleigh’s little sister, Della, to bits and pieces. She’s a hoot. The book does run a little longer than it needs to, I think, but it’s not so much that you’ll get bored.
Make sure you read the TW/CWs for this book before reading and take care of you.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
The Heart of Smoke is the third book in K. Webster’s Shameful Secrets book series, which are interconnected standalones follReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
The Heart of Smoke is the third book in K. Webster’s Shameful Secrets book series, which are interconnected standalones following members of the rich and somewhat eccentric Park family: this family doesn’t do conventional love and they sure do protect the hell out of one another.
The Heart of Smoke has us turning our attention to Jude Park, a reclusive member of the Park family who spends the majority of his time hiding away in a shared house with his grandfather behind a mask due to extensive burns from attempting to rescue his mother from a house fire when he was a teenager. Now it’s twenty years later and the Park family patriarch, Nathan, is bringing in a therapist named Tate Prince to help everyone in the family–especially Jude.
I was drawn to this book because I’m almost always drawn to forbidden romances where the forbidden aspect is a violated therapist/patient dynamic and because I enjoyed the first book in this series (The Teacher of Nothing). This book looks and sounds a lot hotter and more forbidden than it actually read as, in my opinion.
It’s a slow burn. I didn’t expect that and I didn’t enjoy it. I don’t enjoy slow burn romances at all, especially when it comes to forbidden romance. There has to be a very interesting story at hand to convince me to enjoy a book when slow burn is at work, and the story here wasn’t interesting enough to distract me from that. The writing wasn’t so terrific, the characters weren’t so interesting, the setting wasn’t distracting enough. All I could keep thinking about was, “I’ve read so many books in a similar vein and this isn’t offering me anything much different”.
What this book did end up offering me that felt like this book was above average was the interfamilial relationships. I greatly enjoyed the different Park family members and how they interacted with one another and with Tate behind closed doors in their therapy sessions.
Otherwise, the book was just a little above average. I’m sure if you love K. Webster it’ll totally slake your thirst for her work.
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.
The Pro vs. the Fan is the third book in Nicole Dykes’ On the Track motor sports romance series. I was really looking forwarReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
The Pro vs. the Fan is the third book in Nicole Dykes’ On the Track motor sports romance series. I was really looking forward to this entry in the series because I adore Cooper (the zealous animal shelter volunteer no one seems to able to say no to) we met in the previous book and because I’m a huge fan of “motorycycle” racing (I’m using quotes because there are a whole lot of different types of racing that involve motorcycles of different types).
This book didn’t end up being anything like I’d thought it would be and I was disappointed. It wasn’t a total wash, but it wasn’t a match to the two previous books either.
Cooper is a fantastic character, if a bit of a LGBTQ romance cliche. I’m an absolute sucker for any characters who are animal lovers, though. The larger issue for this book was Maverick. Not only did Maverick feel two-dimensional–he felt absolutely bland.
This entire book felt rushed. The chapters were incredibly short. The spice scenes were abrupt and without feeling. There were no cool racing scenes like in previous books to liven things up, and the plot just felt rather aimless.
Is it a worthwhile read? Yes. I love Nicole Dykes and I love Cooper.
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 really enjoyed all three books in author E. J. Lawson’s Knot Their Omega series: Captivate, Hypnotize, and Selection. This book, Crescendo, the firsI really enjoyed all three books in author E. J. Lawson’s Knot Their Omega series: Captivate, Hypnotize, and Selection. This book, Crescendo, the first in E. J.’s new Wild Heat series, is loosely interconnected with the Knot Their Omega series (as in they take place in the same universe and some characters from that series will appear in the new series). For example: In this book, Josie (our FMC) has an appointment with Thane from Captivate, the first book in the KTO series. Now, in the KNO series there is some mm content, but there is no mm content in Crescendo even though it is a why choose romance.
You can get the gist of the plot from the blurb online and it actually won’t mislead you for once. This is a rockstar romance with four bad boy alphas and an omega awakening. It’s pretty well-trodden ground but it’s well-trodden because it works. Josie has worked hard to get where she has and she’s done it for one of my favorite reasons: spite. I love that. I love when characters make their way in life because a ton of people who were supposed to believe in them told them they couldn’t do it or shouldn’t do it but maybe there was one person who supported them enough to say, “Ah, screw them, “ and do it anyway. That’s Josie. She put her nose to the grindstone and worked hard to become a band manager. She’s still only a junior assistant when all of a sudden she’s offered the position to manage Firebrand, one of the biggest and most troublesome acts in the business.
The four alphas of Firebrand all have their issues. Of course they have issues. There wouldn’t be a plot without issues. Thankfully it’s not to the point where they’re alphaholes, but they do have damage. Josie’s tossed into the deep end from the start but she’s determined to be the manager they need. She’s good at what she does. Even as she can sense herself changing she stays focused. Even as the band can sense the changes she stays focused. Even as she deals with disaster after disaster, she stays focused. She stays focused until she’s confronted with the truth of how her body is changing and what that possibly means for her job and her future.
This book feels a little rushed, to be honest. It’s not crammed with spice, which is nice, and the spicy scenes are well-written and of the medium-hot kind (rough but not kinky). I think what made it feel so rushed was there was one character that took up a lot of page time and he was a huge part of the plot too. So between his character development and how his development affected the plot there wasn’t a whole lot of room for everyone else to develop organically or for the relationships to coalesce organically. So in the end it seemed less like a crescendo and more like a cacophony.
The fact remains: Lawson continues to churn out excellent omegaverse novels that are well-written with great FMCs. So I will continue to devour them like yummy chocolates.
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 is book five of the Puckboys series, and I think this is the first time I’ve given a book in this series less than five stars. For some reason, tThis is book five of the Puckboys series, and I think this is the first time I’ve given a book in this series less than five stars. For some reason, this entry just didn’t gel for me as well as the others: it was a combination of not liking one of the MMCs too much, the two MMCs not having as much chemistry as I wanted, and not having the amount of spice I was expecting that threw me off, I think.
Of course, the formidable writing duo that is Eden and Saxon didn’t fail me in the writing department, though. The plot is solid, their effortless humor is there, and our beloved Queer Collective makes a few cameo appearances. Asher, Quinn’s teammate, made my day almost every time he was on page.
Minor annoyances aside, any entry in the Sadenverse is a good entry. Eden and Saxon don’t write bad books, in my opinion. This is just a little less of a good book than all their other absolutely excellent books, that’s all.
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Anyone who is familiar with Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series should be familiar with Molly, a supporting character in that series who acted outAnyone who is familiar with Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series should be familiar with Molly, a supporting character in that series who acted out when his best friend started dating his dad and decided to set out for Seattle to try and get a fresh perspective on life and a fresh start. That’s not where this book begins, but that’s a good thing to know when one goes in to read this book. I would love to tell you that you could read this book without that knowledge, but I thought long and hard about how I would feel if I hadn’t read the DMC books, and I realized I’d feel very confused. I don’t know if that will be every reader’s experience, but it definitely contributed a touch to my rating of this book.
Normally, almost every Saxon James book gets five stars from me, but there was a second factor that lowered my rating to a 4 star: I just thought the beginning of the book was slow and a little messy (not in the good way). I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters for a bit and the dynamic felt a little forced. Everything smoothed out around the 20% point, but before that I felt like the characters were kind of floundering a bit. Then it clicked in and we were on our way.
Of course, when you’re on your way with a Saxon James book, you’re in for a good time and a good ride. Molly is cute as a button, with Xander being a neurotic sweetheart right behind him (and I swear, that better be chemistry between him and the guy at the pharmacy or I’m going to die). Rush made me snicker and snort every time he came on page, and the fact that nude yoga in the backyard is an everyday thing in their household for Madden is something I am totally on board for. Auntie Aggy is giving me life! Then there’s Seven. That boy kept breaking my heart and mending it. I call foul.
Did the plot feel a little loose? Yes. Did I enjoy the medium-burn? No. Did it feel a bit crowded? Yes. Did I wish it was spicier? Yes (but I’m me and I’m like that so don’t listen to me). Did I still enjoy the heck out of it? Yes I absolutely flippin’ did!
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.
What’s the worst thing about this book? That it had to end. What’s the best thing about this book? That it knew exactly how and when to end.
That’s thWhat’s the worst thing about this book? That it had to end. What’s the best thing about this book? That it knew exactly how and when to end.
That’s the power of a well-written novella: Knowing what to say, how to say it, when to end it, and how to end it well.
I have made no secret of the fact The Woods All Black was one of my most-anticipated titles of 2024. Lee Mandelo’s Summer Sons has lived in my head rent-free since I read the ARC and I was beyond excited when this title was announced. Historical horror? Trans romance? Revenge? 1920s? There was absolutely nothing about this book I’m not 100% here for and now that I’ve read it I can confirm it was absolutely everything I hoped it would be and more.
Leslie Bruin, a WWI war nurse, joined up with the Frontier Nursing Service after coming home to America to help keep women and children healthy even if he doesn’t quite agree with the Service’s eugenics-based mission. He means to work around the margins as he travels from posting to posting. His latest posting is taking him to a very rural town in the hills of Appalachia. Unbeknownst to him, things in that town have happened between when his services were requested and when he arrived that have triggered feelings of ill will between him and the town’s inhabitants before he even arrives.
Yes, the messaging writ large in this book surrounds transphobia, hate crimes, religious zealotry, queer love, and traditional gender roles and conformity. What’s also of great interest is the guilt-shame-fear culture of insulated communities like you’d find in isolated areas of Appalachia, where you’ve known everyone that lives there your whole life. It’s that tumult of feelings in your stomach where you can’t tell if you feel guilty for your actions or ashamed, but you’ll never admit you might have been scared.
The writing is haunting, erotic, bloody, and vengeful. It’s not a southern gothic ballad but a southern gothic folk song, full of revenge and blood-soaked honor.
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.
It’s very rare for our beloved Eden and Saxon to step outside the box and try something new, but I do like it when they do. Up in Flames is their firsIt’s very rare for our beloved Eden and Saxon to step outside the box and try something new, but I do like it when they do. Up in Flames is their first time writing something other than hockey romance as a joint endeavor, and just like any other time these two have a document shared between them, if there’s a single crack in there you sure as heck can’t see it. These two are so symbiotic when they write it should be scary, but it nets all us readers amazing books so I think I’ll just sit here and be in awe of their symbiosis instead.
Like Eden’s solo effort, Can’t Say Goodbye, this book is made of somewhat heavier stuff than the author duo’s usual fare. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s good for authors to stretch their wings and try new ventures. You never want to stifle the muse when they come to call. Of course, neither Eden nor Saxon is in the business of getting truly angsty, but they did want to tell a story that wasn’t all just sugar, spice, and everything hilarious. Of course there was sugar (the way Sanden and Remy are to one another is definitely sweet and considerate), and there was spice (definitely fewer spice scenes than we’re used to from the writing pair, as well as somewhat less explicit but they’re still hot), and I don’t think either Eden or Saxon could stand to release a book that didn’t make us smile and laugh more than we got the sads.
Speaking of the sads: This book does have the sadness, but it has the healing for the sadness too. Or, rather, it showcases the path to healing the sadness. I applaud both authors for fully endorsing, researching, and having both Remy and Sanden going through the process of therapy to help them work through their inner demons and trauma separately and for themselves. They both owned up to the fact they needed to be healthy to move on in life and sought out the tools to help them get there. Men seeking treatment for mental health issues is still a stigmatized issue, and seeing it normalized and visible in media can only work in favor of helping to destigmatize the process.
I took a star off because I thought the ending was a bit rushed, but otherwise it’s an outstanding novel.
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 is a really sweet, soft, slow-burn suspense romance entry into Lynn Burke’s Elite Escort series featuring two main characters who have both been This is a really sweet, soft, slow-burn suspense romance entry into Lynn Burke’s Elite Escort series featuring two main characters who have both been burned by love and are finding it hard to put themselves out there again, let alone trust anyone with their hearts.
If you know me, I’m not a fan of slow burns. I’m an impatient person, both while reading and in real-life. But for the right book and the right reasons, I can put my thirst on hold. In the case of this book, the slow burn is not only earned, but completely warranted. Both Reid (our MMC) and Jessica (our FMC) may be physically on board with twisting and winding around one another in between the bedsheets when they first spend time alone together, but neither one of them are quite emotionally or mentally there yet. Especially Jessica, who has a lot more at stake since she’s got a cute as heck daughter at home and she works hard every day to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.
Reid is in carpentry and construction during the day and, up until he meets Jessica, specializes as a “third wheel” escort for Elite Escorts. Essentially, his speciality is being brought in by couples to help give the woman in the relationship double the pleasure. He meets Jessica when he pinch hits a date for a fellow escort who called out sick. It turns out to be the night that changed his entire life.
Everything about this book is sweet and thoughtful even while the interactions between Reid and Jessica thrum with sexual chemistry and tension. In the scenes when they do eventually give into those pulse-pounding needs, wants, and desires, the spice is well-written and the passion doesn’t feel forced.
This is a very solid novel for Lynn, and a great entry for this series.
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: Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Romance Series/Sex Work Content/Spice Level 2/Suspense Romance ...more
This book was a change of pace from the first two Mike Bravo Ops books in a big way and I have to say, I’m still a little off-kilter about it.
Don’t tThis book was a change of pace from the first two Mike Bravo Ops books in a big way and I have to say, I’m still a little off-kilter about it.
Don’t take that to mean the book isn’t good, because it is. It’s merely a different vibe and speed than the previous two books, and a different feel than most of Eden Finley’s books. This book is more about connection, both making it and keeping it, than it is about almost anything else. Lemon is a stripper who is afraid of true connection and Atlas is someone who longs for true connection and is patient enough to wait for it. This is definitely not grumpy/sunshine–this is shy/uninhibited. They’re both either far too nice or too protective to be either grumpy or sunshine. If anything, they’re a lot alike, save Lemon is more apt to be taken advantage of because he isn’t trained to pick up on things about human behavior like Atlas has.
This book is a slow burn for an Eden Finley book, and that surprised me. I actually thought it was too long of a wait for the length of the book and wasn’t justified by the plot. I can see her reasoning for the wait in the writing, but it still bothered me and didn’t sit quite right with me. And when the spice did come, it wasn’t as fulfilling as I’d hoped it would be.
The few brief appearances by the rest of the Mike Bravo team were entertaining, as always, but they felt almost wedged in at times instead of seamlessly slotted.
Overall, did I like the book? Of course I did. Eden Finley doesn’t write bad books or even mediocre ones. I just think she’s written better. The book is still a very worthy read and you’ll love the precocious minx, Lemon. He’ll steal your heart and run away with it.
A copy of this title was provided to me by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Contemporary Romance/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Military Romance/Romance Series/Sadenverse/Sex Work Content/Spice Level 2/Workplace Romance ...more
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