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
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
Cora Rose, oh Cora Rose. You consistently bring us to our knees with some of the hottest couples with the best chemistry doing some of the most spicy Cora Rose, oh Cora Rose. You consistently bring us to our knees with some of the hottest couples with the best chemistry doing some of the most spicy and sexy things together while simultaneously writing those characters with such sincerity and care…and I can’t figure out how you do both and hit the bullseye every single dang time. Woman, do you know how to write a bad book?
Grey and Quinn are absolutely combustible together from the start in the fast-burn age-gap romance, even as they both struggle with very similar demons at two very different ages. Neither feels wanted by anyone in their life or feels like a priority to anyone they love, but somehow how that struggle manifests in each character compliments the other, with Quinn needing to care for people and Grey longing to be cared for. Or, in more racy terms, it leaves Grey longing to be pounded into the mattress and that feeling of being owned, and it leaves Quinn longing to possess that which he covets and to make sure it never goes without feeling wanted.
And hoo boy does Quinn want Grey. On his back, on his knees, on his stomach, on his side, standing up, bent over...it doesn’t matter to Quinn. All that matters to Quinn is keeping Grey feeling desired and filled as often as possible. And all Grey wants is that feeling of constantly being filled, stuffed and sore so he can’t forget how much Quinn wants him.
That doesn’t mean that the only cure for what ails Quinn or Grey is sex. I would argue that Quinn likely needed a touch more attention to his issues in this book and should probably be in therapy, but we all handle our damage differently. To be honest, I identified a lot with Quinn in how he thinks about and handles his sexuality and past experiences, because I was much like that myself, so I may be biased in my opinion of that part of his life. Even though Cora Rose treats Grey and his issues compassionately and with great care, there is something to be said for the fact that Grey should’ve likely been seeing a mental health professional at some point.
The imagery we’re given of Michigan and the beautiful upper peninsula would’ve been lost in many other author’s hands. Cora took great pains to write out the road trip Quinn and Grey went on, painting vivid scenes of both the wilderness and all the little towns and villages that dot the region.
Mostly, I just loved how Quinn and Grey were so in sync, right from the start. Their quiet times, their laughing times, and the times when they knew they were about to tear each other to pieces.
And let us not forget Winter, because humans don’t deserve dogs. They are too good for us.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Bisexual Romance/LGBTQ Romance/Gay Romance/Contemporary Romance/5 Star Reviews/Age Gap Romance/Forbidden Romance/Road Trip/Spice Level 3/Standalone Romance
Merged review:
Cora Rose, oh Cora Rose. You consistently bring us to our knees with some of the hottest couples with the best chemistry doing some of the most spicy and sexy things together while simultaneously writing those characters with such sincerity and care…and I can’t figure out how you do both and hit the bullseye every single dang time. Woman, do you know how to write a bad book?
Grey and Quinn are absolutely combustible together from the start in the fast-burn age-gap romance, even as they both struggle with very similar demons at two very different ages. Neither feels wanted by anyone in their life or feels like a priority to anyone they love, but somehow how that struggle manifests in each character compliments the other, with Quinn needing to care for people and Grey longing to be cared for. Or, in more racy terms, it leaves Grey longing to be pounded into the mattress and that feeling of being owned, and it leaves Quinn longing to possess that which he covets and to make sure it never goes without feeling wanted.
And hoo boy does Quinn want Grey. On his back, on his knees, on his stomach, on his side, standing up, bent over...it doesn’t matter to Quinn. All that matters to Quinn is keeping Grey feeling desired and filled as often as possible. And all Grey wants is that feeling of constantly being filled, stuffed and sore so he can’t forget how much Quinn wants him.
That doesn’t mean that the only cure for what ails Quinn or Grey is sex. I would argue that Quinn likely needed a touch more attention to his issues in this book and should probably be in therapy, but we all handle our damage differently. To be honest, I identified a lot with Quinn in how he thinks about and handles his sexuality and past experiences, because I was much like that myself, so I may be biased in my opinion of that part of his life. Even though Cora Rose treats Grey and his issues compassionately and with great care, there is something to be said for the fact that Grey should’ve likely been seeing a mental health professional at some point.
The imagery we’re given of Michigan and the beautiful upper peninsula would’ve been lost in many other author’s hands. Cora took great pains to write out the road trip Quinn and Grey went on, painting vivid scenes of both the wilderness and all the little towns and villages that dot the region.
Mostly, I just loved how Quinn and Grey were so in sync, right from the start. Their quiet times, their laughing times, and the times when they knew they were about to tear each other to pieces.
And let us not forget Winter, because humans don’t deserve dogs. They are too good for us.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Bisexual Romance/LGBTQ Romance/Gay Romance/Contemporary Romance/5 Star Reviews/Age Gap Romance/Forbidden Romance/Road Trip/Spice Level 3/Standalone Romance...more
Note: The Knot Their Omega series is an interconnected series set in the same universe, but the books can be read as standalones at this point withoutNote: The Knot Their Omega series is an interconnected series set in the same universe, but the books can be read as standalones at this point without any issues. I am not aware if the author has plans to change that in future installments, however (the next installment is called Selection, and I guess we will see if there is further integration at that point). So you do not need to read Captivate (the first book in this series) to understand or enjoy Hypnotize at all.
Before I wrote this review I went back and read my review of Captivate, just to familiarize myself with how I felt about that book and see how it might compare to how I felt after reading Hypnotize. Even though I ended up giving them the same rating, I ended up enjoying Hypnotize just a bit more than Captivate, just because of a few different reasons. Both books did, however, have the same flaw that lowered their rating, but in different ways.
Juliet, our FMC, briefly had a cameo in Captivate as she was being promised to a pack in Alaska. It was almost a throwaway mention, but I somehow knew as I was reading that Juliet’s story was going to be the next book in the series. As you can obviously see, I was right. And as the summary states, Juliet never makes it to the pack she was promised to after something horrific happens during her flight. Instead, she ends up alone and stranded during a blizzard in the rural Alaskan wilderness. Thankfully, there are three alphas living off the grid in a cozy cabin and one of them finds a hypothermic Juliet stumbling through the snow before she succumbs to the elements.
Juliet’s promised to another pack, but now she and these three alphas have a few of big problems: Juliet lost everything in the crash (including her heat suppressants), all of their communication to the outside world is down because of the weather, and the snow just won’t stop coming down so any of them can get to the nearest ranger station to see if they have emergency heat suppressants on hand. Three male alphas who have been living in isolation for years without being in the vicinity of an omega? Juliet’s impending heat is bringing the urge to rut mercilessly upon one of the alphas, and the other two are just barely holding back by indulging in mercilessly hot alpha on alpha action (which is one of my favorite omegaverse kinks).
Speaking of kinks and tropes: Hypnotize has a leg up on Captivate by giving me that sweet, sweet forced proximity and deliciously filthy dirty talk. And talk about sexual tension! It’s a taut cord that’s woven between Juliet and Everett (one of our three alphas) throughout about half of this book, and it’s scorchingly hot. Do you have a kink for hot mountain men chopping wood? Then you will love this book. Lawson weaves a lot of commentary on female agency into this book and Captivate, and it’s much appreciated, but I also appreciate her dedication to bringing emotional depth to her male characters. It could be all too easy to give most of the emotional depth and trauma to the FMC, to make her the focus of everything and make the alphas strong men who know just what they want and how to get it. But Everett, Huck, and Dean aren’t living off the grid in isolated Alaskan wilderness because it was their dream. They’ve seen some stuff, been through some trauma, and have some good reasons to stay apart from society at large. In this book, it’s the alphas who need healing, not the omega. It’s refreshing, and I love that the forced proximity lends itself well to this part of the plot.
As to the big flaw in this book that I also found in Captivate: I found the ending to be too rushed and too easy. And, again, it was the events of the second act that left too little room for a more structured third act that would allow for a more well-rounded climax and ending. When the antagonist in the book has been built up to be such a big bad the entire book and then it seems laughably easy for the protagonist(s) to “escape their clutches”, so to speak, I end up disappointed that for as well written the rest of the book was that the author chose to waste an opportunity to write just as satisfying of an ending. Just because we know the book will end in a HEA doesn’t mean you need to rush through the section where we need to wrap up the section where everything comes to a head.
Still, it’s an excellent omegaverse novel with great characters. It’s a page-turner, and it’s going to cause some thigh clenching. That’s a good time, in my opinion.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, ideas, views, and opinions 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.
I knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are WI knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are Worthy, that I would want to read any other book Alisha Williams wrote that was set in the same universe. So, when We Are Destiny was announced, I signed up to read, review, and promote that book right away.
This book hit two huge omegaverse sweet spots for me: omega on omega action, and alpha on alpha action. It’s all well and good to read your standard omegaverse novel where it’s all just alpha(s) on omega action, but to be honest, I’ve really gotten tired of them. They’ve started to bore me in the same way that about 75% of heterosexual contemporary romances have, which is why I don’t usually read m/f contemporary romance unless it’s highly recommended to me by people I trust to make good recommendations. With omegaverse, I now see the standard alpha(s) x omega and I’m already pretty bored. I end up returning them to KU usually before the 20% point because I just need more from my omegaverse novels now. And mixing things up or adding up the kink and/or spice factor is a spectacular way to grab my attention and keep me reading.
While I loved We Are Worthy because of its unconventional yet BAMF FMC who was more into who her potential pack members were inside rather than what muscles they had on the outside, I loved We Are Destiny because of the two omegas in the book: our MMC, Spencer, and the feisty little omega Everlee, who is barely-controlled chaos with devious plans in mind that are meant to make everyone happy. The two together are so sweet and cuter than a pair of kittens who have just discovered their toe beans.
Also, bravo to Williams for tackling the struggles that come with depression and anxiety and the unhealthy coping mechanisms one might use in the dark times when it seems you’ve lost everything and don’t know if you’re ever going to come out of the dark pit you’ve found yourself in. As someone who has a panic disorder and an anxiety disorder (let’s not talk about the bipolar), I felt those scenes were written rather well and handled with appropriate care instead of exploitatively. While Spencer’s anxiety and depression are intrinsic to the plot, Williams did take care to not make Spencer all about his depression and anxiety, instead opting as often as possible to show as many different facets of Spencer as possible.
Now, we all know we don’t read omegaverse for plot. We read it for fun and for spice. You don’t have anything to worry about on that front. There is a lot of spice in this book, and the pairings are in every formation possible. It’s all hot, and it’ll make you squirm real good. Not only that, but you get a lot of sweet and soft intimate moments, which is always nice.
All in all, it’s another winner from Alisha Williams in this omegaverse universe. It’s a great book available on Kindle Unlimited and you should definitely check it out if you like your omegaverse novels spicy, diverse, and versatile.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions, thoughts, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
In these past six months or so, Cora Rose has become an insta-buy author for me. All she has to do is announce a book and my head perks up like a meerIn these past six months or so, Cora Rose has become an insta-buy author for me. All she has to do is announce a book and my head perks up like a meerkat and I’m like, “Cora Rose? Must read!” I’m going to admit I’m a lot less familiar with the writings of Nicole Dykes, but that teeny, tiny fact wasn’t going to keep me away from this book. And I’m so glad I didn’t let anything deter me from getting my greedy hands on this book so I could devour it.
I don’t know how Cora Rose somehow does fast-burn, spicy, soft, and sweet all at once and yet makes it not only feel so effortless but also make it feel… natural. It shouldn’t feel so natural for two people to come together like they do in Cora’s books, but they do, and it’s always amazing. A Cora Rose book never lets me down. And judging by how popular she’s become in such a short period of time, I know I’m not the only reader who feels that way.
The simple, brilliant, and scorchingly hot premise of this series is one that totally taps into one of my favorite tropes: camboys (and sex workers in general). I am a big fan of how this book stays sex worker positive and never sinks to the level of exploiting it. Camming truly is a business as much as influencing and marketing is, just with less clothes. Sex work is the oldest profession in the world and is nothing to be ashamed of. This aspect of the book was definitely a plus for me.
How to express the way I feel about Reed, Hannah, and Carter? I can’t even with these three. I truly felt for Reed and his struggles, felt buoyed by Hannah and her ability to take most things in stride, and wanted to endlessly hug Carter for his huge heart and capacity to give.
I don’t know between Nicole and Cora who wrote what or who came up with what, but they sure make a good team. I’m looking forward to more from this co-writing team.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/Holy Crud That Was Hot/K!nk and BDSM Friendly/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 3 ...more
I think this might be my favorite entry in the One Night Series since “Secrets We Hunt” (AKA Wes and Zoe’s story). Once you read this book you might sI think this might be my favorite entry in the One Night Series since “Secrets We Hunt” (AKA Wes and Zoe’s story). Once you read this book you might see there’s a shared kink between that book and this book, and that totally has something to do with it, but another reason I loved this book was because I really and truly have a deep and abiding love for MMF romances where the female is willing, ready and able to embrace her male partner’s desires for the same sex and wants to join in. The human has the capacity for infinite amounts of love; it’s just each of us as individuals that determine if we have the ability to open our hearts in that way.
I don’t want to ruin too much about this book, but I can tell you that there isn’t much in the way of plot. This is mainly Pyro’s story, but it’s almost an extended epilogue, in a way, to “Burdens We Carry” (Owen and Aurora’s story). This entry in the One Night series takes place about six months after Owen and Aurora’s wedding when the whole group of friends this series centers around gets together for a rare group vacation in Tokyo. Jack, Quinlan, Owen, Aurora, and Pyro all decide to go out for a night of racy and spicy fun… but Owen and Aurora have a proposition for Pyro. I think you can likely guess where this is going.
What follows is a book that’s about 60% MMF spicy goodness. I don’t know about you, but that’s a dang good time in my opinion.
I want to take a time out to address how Dana Isaly writes her mm interactions: I don’t know if anyone of her other readers feel like this, but I really and truly wish she would take the plunge and write a full-on gay romance. She’s written RH/Why Choose with mm content, MMF, and a mm short story, but never a full-length mm romance, and I’m dying to see her attempt it. I know every author has their comfort zones and knows what they want to write and what they’re comfortable writing, but she’s just so good at writing male characters and the spicy scenes she does write for her bisexual male characters are already so well written I feel like if she took the plunge it would be fire.
As with the other books in this series, the book isn’t going to make sense if you haven’t read the rest of the series (especially if you haven’t read “Secrets We Hunt” or “Burdens We Carry” in this case), but it’s a worthy entry indeed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I don’t often go in for a huge amount of emotional angst in my romances. I mean, I don’t mind my characters being a hot mess, but usually too much of I don’t often go in for a huge amount of emotional angst in my romances. I mean, I don’t mind my characters being a hot mess, but usually too much of it just brings me down and I’m not down for it. I got my own depressive demons to deal with, you know? I guess that’s why I love Andi Jaxon’s books. They’re thick books (this one comes in at 431 pages and I still finished it in less than 6 hours), but inside those pages are a shockingly consistent, well-balanced, and well-placed amount of angst, spice, humor, and genuine emotion. Throw in making it a hockey romance and we get some of that sweet locker room action, along with some action on the ice.
The plot of this book is a doozy, and I was here for it. I can’t say much about it because of spoilers; but Preston, one of our two MMCs, is new to Denver and its’ college hockey team after he was forced to move from Boston by his father, who is a famous and renowned plastic surgeon. Since he’s moving to the university past the housing deadline, he has to share a dorm instead of having a single like he’s used to. He ends up rooming with our other MMC, Jeremy, who is Preston’s opposite in just about every way. This, of course, leads to just about my favorite romance trope in the world: forced proximity. Heck yeah! Contents under pressure, man.
Preston is indeed the definition of a pressurized container, because he is a bottle stuffed full of secrets, lies, pain, and shame. He’s surrounded by walls made practically of adamantium, mainly because he’s made sure he’s been alone for so long. Living in close quarters with Jeremy begins to quickly erode Preston’s walls and his resolve.
Is there angst? Oh yes. Plenty of angst. You will feel plenty of emotional pain for both Preston and Jeremy, and you will feel rage on one character’s behalf as well. I know I did. Luckily, Jaxon knows when to lighten things up just a little, throwing in humorous scenes that will make you grin, cackle, and snort. If you aren’t busy laughing, you’re reading about hockey, reading about Preston and Jeremy trying to find their way through to one another, or reading one of many (but not too many) scorchingly hot spice scenes (hot, fast, and dirty, just like I love them).
If you’ve never read Andi Jaxon before, you’re in for a wild ride. She doesn’t pull punches with her characters and her writing never shies away from the darker side of romance. I know for a fact she puts a lot of time and care into writing her books and fine-tuning them into the creatures they become. Her novels are some of my favorites because they draw you in and don’t let you go.
Lynn Burke knows what her readers want and what they crave. Well, at least this reader anyway. As an author who stays in close contact with her fans aLynn Burke knows what her readers want and what they crave. Well, at least this reader anyway. As an author who stays in close contact with her fans and is attentive to their feedback, she’s always picking brains and brewing plots inside her naughty mind. It makes her all the more endearing when she puts out a gem like this book, “Due Process”.
This book hits some of my favorite gay romance tropes: size difference, overly-protective and possessive morally grey alpha male, psychologically-damaged cinnamon roll twink, lacy panties, gay-for-you, dirty talk… and it’s a courtroom drama too! (Just in case you’re wondering, the only tv show I love more than BTVS is every incarnation of Law & Order).
From the insta-lust between the two MMCs to each scorching hot spicy scene, this book hit so many of my mm romance novel buttons I could’ve have easily read an even longer version of it. It’s rare that I think a book could’ve been longer and I wouldn’t have minded one bit, so just take that one in for a second.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
I read and reviewed all four of the originally-planned SPC novels, and I adored every single one. I had that soft sadness that comes whenever a beloveI read and reviewed all four of the originally-planned SPC novels, and I adored every single one. I had that soft sadness that comes whenever a beloved book series comes to an end, but I was absolutely satisfied with where it ended and felt the series had wrapped up exactly where it should’ve wrapped up. Nothing more was needed or wanted, in my opinion. I was happy for Sara to move onto other projects and to create more beautiful books for us to read.
Then Highest Bidder and Madame were announced, and I felt…concerned. Two characters, one very peripheral and one we’d had a cameo from in almost every SPC novel (if not all of them). I was satisfied with letting those characters lie. I liked leaving them to be mysteries. I didn’t want more SPC novels. I wanted Sara to let sleeping dogs lie. Apparently, agents and managers and publishers come before one reader’s opinions, though, and these books were coming whether I liked it or not. And I told myself, “Well, if these books are coming then I’m coming along enthusiastically to support Sara and to support the SPC series”, because the Salacious Player’s Club series has done more to clear up erotica readers eyes concerning BDSM and sex clubs than I thought was possible, undoing a ton of damage that books like 50 Shades had done. Sara had truly taken the romance novel community to church when it came to subjects such as BDSM, polyamory, owning your sexuality and k!nks, letting yourself become emotionally vulnerable, teaching about safe spaces and aftercare, and deprogramming toxic masculinity. I was truly scared Highest Bidder was going to come in and throw off the chemistry of the original four books.
I’m going to be honest with you and say that yes, this book does throw off the direction and chemistry of the original four books. It doesn’t match up with the other books in vibe, emotional depth, or in the way BDSM is woven into the story and the characterizations.
Does the age gap squick me out? No. Honestly, this is a fiery, panty-melting, chemistry-fueled read filled with dirty talk and filthy thoughts. The sexual chemistry between Ronan and Daisy starts off as mere curiosity on her side, but soon balloons into something akin to napalm, brilliantly hot, insatiable, and just about impossible to put out. Ronan, for his part, wants to flip up her tiny uniform skirt as soon as he sees her, but that’s not exactly an unusual reaction for a mature male who regularly visits a sex club. It’s how much she needs someone to help her, take care of her, provide for her, pamper and pleasure her and give her everything she needs that sets Ronan on fire. If Daisy’s physical attractiveness is the flint, then her neediness is the spark.
The largest part of why I loved this book is Sara Cate’s impeccable characterizations and how the woman never takes any shortcuts when it comes to writing BDSM dynamics. She has a reverence for BDSM practices and the lifestyle that most authors wouldn’t bother with that bridge the gap between the sex scenes and the characters that give depth to their individual issues and motivations that would otherwise have to be explained in more mundane and roundabout ways. BDSM forces you to confront your emotions and feelings, to process them and feel them. Sara’s gift as an author is giving her characters safe space to do all this, while keeping their love intact.
The only large complaint I have about this book is that there seems to only be the barest shell of a plot to this book that only appears at convenient times. If you’re going to have a plot, then have a plot and don’t let it just go to the wayside for the sake of whimsy and spice. Keep some structure to the story’s plot at all times.
In the end, this is Sara Cate, this is the SPC, this is some of my favorite tropes, and it’s a dang good book that will melt your underthings off your body.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All views, thoughts, opinions, and ideas herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap/Age Gap Romance/Billionaire Romance/Contemporary Romance/Daddy K!nk/Forbidden Romance/Kindle Unlimited/KU/BDSM/LGBTQ Friendly/Romance Series/Sex Club/Spice Level 3 ...more
Dana Isaly has been one of my favorite romance authors ever since I got into this whole book blogging, reviewing, and influencing shindig in the middlDana Isaly has been one of my favorite romance authors ever since I got into this whole book blogging, reviewing, and influencing shindig in the middle of last summer, and “My Summer Fling” is just another example of why she captured my attention as a writer and why I’ve stayed so devoted to her as a reader and consumer. She knows what she likes, she knows what her readers like, she knows what she excels at, and the lady knows how to draw new readers in with time-honored tropes that she then turns up the flame on. The woman loves her spice, and we so dearly love her back for being so liberal with it.
This time it’s a second chance romance with a large dollop of best friend’s sister/brother’s best friend on the side. Normally, I’m a big fan of the latter and ambivalent to the former (I blame my lack of sentimentality when it comes to people). And yeah, I wasn’t a fan of that aspect of this book. The part of the plot that had to do with the second chance romance wasn’t vibing with me. I’ll be completely honest about that.
So how does a book where the main part of the plot earn 4 stars then? Well, it comes down to Dana’s writing style, her characterizations, and her amazing spicy scenes. She happened to hit one of my favorite buttons in the world when it comes to spice: dirty talk. I can’t get enough of it. Honestly, I couldn’t put this book down simply because I wanted to hear whatever dirty things were going to come out of Noah’s mouth next. This book would’ve been worth it for that alone. Heck, Dana could’ve gone even dirtier and I would’ve been even happier.
I also loved that Dana never resorted to full-on flashback or playback of what happened between Noah and Millie in the past. Readers aren’t stupid. We didn’t need to see what happened, and Dana knew that. She made a smart choice to keep us readers in the present by only alluding to what happened, giving us the bare bones so we could fill the picture in ourselves so we could stay in the story happening right in front of us just like Noah and Millie were trying to do. I hate flashbacks with all of my being, so I was relieved to see that I was just allowed to fill in the blanks myself, because I didn’t need to be told what happened. It was easy enough to surmise.
If you’re not familiar with Dana’s work, this is a great place to start. It’s a great summer read, just in time for the warmest part of the year. ...more
When it comes to contemporary romance, almost nothing beats a good teacher/student age-gap romance novel, in my opinion. Especially not one as hot as When it comes to contemporary romance, almost nothing beats a good teacher/student age-gap romance novel, in my opinion. Especially not one as hot as this one is. K. Webster is known for writing some of the spiciest (and angstiest) romance novels out there, but I have to admit this one has got to be one of my favorites I’ve ever read that featured an AAB FMC and a AAB male MMC. Ask anyone who knows me well and they’ll tell you I’m not too keen on reading contemporary romance with cisgendered, heterosexual couples unless it’s really funny or it’s really hot, spicy, forbidden/taboo, or dark as pitch. I’m just not wired for the soft and sweet. I don’t even buy greeting cards that way.
It goes without saying the spicy scenes are definitely plentiful and hot enough you’ll find yourself squirming, but thankfully it’s not a book so packed with racy scenes there’s no room for plot, character development, or a cohesive story. I know we all love our spice, but when there’s nothing but spice a romance novel stops being a romance novel and starts just being nothing but a chain of racy scenes. That just becomes repetitive and loses its appeal very quickly.
Webster has definitely been writing long enough and has been prolific enough that she knows what she’s doing and does it with style. Even after numerous books, she hasn’t lost a bit of her touch, imagination, or inspiration. Yeah, this is age-gap, student/professor, grumpy man and sad girl, but a talented author like Webster knows how to take just about any mix of tropes and put it together into something delicious. Not just any author could do that. It takes talent and practice.
It’s definitely a book for those of us who enjoy these tropes and like our spicy, forbidden treats.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/Spice Level 3/Holy Crud That’s Hot ...more
When I wrote my review for “Praise”, the first book in this series, I had some things to say about how the book was as much a love letter to good girl When I wrote my review for “Praise”, the first book in this series, I had some things to say about how the book was as much a love letter to good girls everywhere as it was to the kink community at large: “A lot of authors write kink-centric books and they don’t feel authentic. They don’t read as authentic. It’s a manufactured experience… This novel is the kind of BDSM-centric writing I wish every one of those novels could be, because it actually rang true for once.”
If “Praise” was a love letter to the kink community at large, then “Eyes on Me” is just as much of a love letter to the idiosyncratic people who live in that community, day in and day out, and the people who find themselves wandering in happenstance, end up finding their tribe, and never end up leaving. The ones who didn’t even know what they craved the most had a name or that they might be able to come across like-minded individuals who would be willing to hold their hand as they travel down dark hallways and open closed doors.
I cannot help but love Sara Cate even more than I already do for getting into the psyche of Garrett in this book. In the first book, Emerson wasn’t a perfect person, but it was hard to find too many flaws. Garrett, though? Garrett is a mess under that carefully curated veneer of control. The face of the company. The life of the party. The man with the plan. But that can be a lot of pressure. And all work and no play can, well, you get the idea. Garrett has long ago cut off anything and everything from his life that isn’t work. But at the opening of the book we can see this attitude toward his life is already starting to chip away at his psyche in a negative way. It serves to make us readers curious, in a good way. What could ruffle the smooth Garrett?
Meanwhile, we have the uncurated, welcome mess that is Mia. She’s young, beautiful, uninhibited, and absolutely adrift. All she knows at the beginning of the book is she loves being a cam girl and she’s been in love and in lust with her stepbrother (Garrett) since she first knew what it was to feel that way. But he’s a locked door to her. So she shows him as much disdain as he shows her, even if neither of them truly disdains the other. It’s just another unhealthy pattern.
The romantic plot of this book reminds me of the saying, “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back”. Curiosity both sets the romance in motion and ultimately endangers it; but, in the end, only physical and emotional satisfaction for both Mia and Garrett ends up bringing the kitty back home safely. And it’s done in a beautiful, hot, and extremely satisfying way. (There’s a bit of “turnabout is fair play” that I LOVE Sara for putting in and wish so much I’d see more authors put into their books!)
If you loved “Praise”, there’s no doubt you’ll love this just as much. This may not be dedicated to all the good girls, but I’d say it’s dedicated for every sexual person who just wants to be seen for who they are, without judgement or reservation. ...more
It wasn’t until I first read the blurb for this book that I even knew I needed this dark, spicy, gothic, and suspenseful retelling of my favorite chilIt wasn’t until I first read the blurb for this book that I even knew I needed this dark, spicy, gothic, and suspenseful retelling of my favorite childhood novel. My own reaction of, “I absolutely need to read this,” shouldn’t have come as a surprise, since even when I was younger and read the original story some of my thoughts and observations about the characters and their interactions made me envision different scenarios that weren’t as innocent as the tragic and gothic tale of little orphan girl Mary Lennox. Granted, I don’t remember them being this dark, dirty, spicy, and suspenseful… but I certainly know there were some naughty thoughts going on.
Raven Jayne is a newer author, and I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing almost the entirety of her debut series, Master Class. With this book, Jayne definitely takes the same tenor and approach to female sexuality and male dominance (combined with veneration for their females) she started in Master Class and has translated it into this gothic, suspense romance where Mary Lennox is torn between her wicked, sexual nature and her duty-bound and guilt-ridden nurture. She’s innocent of body but not of mind; her upbringing has taught her nothing but that any feeling that might amount to luxury is sinful. At the same time she knows she’s inherently not meant for a life of purity: she feels wicked in her core, like there’s a hole of need and want inside of her that will never be filled in the commune she’s been raised in before she’s kicked out over what she views as an honest mistake borne of ignorance.
The reason this book rates five stars from me is not because it’s perfectly-plotted and has zero holes. It’s not perfect. The thing is: it’s exactly what it advertises, it’s everything I could’ve wanted (short of it being a RH romance), and it’s such a great read. I could see myself reading it again. My fantasies from reading this during childhood have only been spurred to greater heights by reading the story of Mary Lennox through Raven Jayne’s eyes. Be prepared for a dark, erotic, and unique ride. ...more
While not a series, per se, this book follows Fiona Cole’s titles “Blame it on the Tequila” and “Blame it on the Champagne”. But this book can easily While not a series, per se, this book follows Fiona Cole’s titles “Blame it on the Tequila” and “Blame it on the Champagne”. But this book can easily be read as a standalone without any issues whatsoever.
One of my favorite movie quotes from my absolute favorite romcom, “When Harry Met Sally”, came to mind several times while I was reading this witty, sweet, and touching best friends to lovers romance: “...when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”.
While reading this book I felt like the main male character, Austin, somehow had become the epitome of this quote. He knows just who he wants to spend the rest of his life with, and while it takes setting the primary point of conflict for the entire book for him to be put in a position of possibly making the rest of his life start as soon as possible, once he gets there all Austin wants is to ensure he keeps his somebody and starts their life together as soon as possible.
The issue is that the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with (our main female character, Raelynn) might as well be a commitment-phobe with a ton of baggage when it comes to the idea of marriage. Don’t get me wrong: she has a whole lot of sound reasons for her outlook on marriage to be the way it is, but that doesn’t help the fact that Raelynn never wanted to be married and now doesn’t know what to do when she finds herself unexpectedly married to Austin, who has been her best friend since college.
I usually don’t do a plot recap in my reviews, because I feel like all of you can get what you need from the book blurb, but here I’m recapping it because I loved both Raelynn and Austin, with all their preconceptions, misconceptions, emotional baggage, and fierce commitment to their friendship no matter how tumultuous the world around them gets.
From the witty and engaging beginning scenes of this book that serve to draw us readers immediately into Raelynn and Austin’s world to the excellent spice scenes with an absolutely delicious dose of dirty talk and the very real fears and hopes one can feel when it comes to marriage, Fiona Cole’s newest is a fun, hot, and touching ride. ...more
There is something so very comforting about opening a hockey romance written or co-written by Eden Finley, because you know you’re not just getting thThere is something so very comforting about opening a hockey romance written or co-written by Eden Finley, because you know you’re not just getting the new characters being introduced in this book; you’re also going to be getting cameos, mentions, and where-are-they-now tidbits concerning characters from all of the other interconnected book series in Finley’s great web o’ books. And every time one of them is mentioned or makes an appearance the wings on my black heart fluttered happily in fond recognition.
Fake marriage trope isn’t one of my favorites (that has more to do with my attitude toward marriage than the trope itself, but I digress), but I loved the way Finley and James ran it in this book. It was character-consistent, if you want to put it that way. Like, I wouldn’t have believed it with anyone else (I was married in Nevada, so I know how it works), but with these two, I totally believed what happened. I even fully bought into the reasons they went into the chapel and did the whole thing in the first place. It reeked of “bad, bad choices we make in Vegas when we’re screwed up in multiple ways and trying to support one another”.
I did have a stumbling block with the Queer Collective’s initial plan to try and “help” Tripp. It seemed almost mean-spirited toward Dex, in a way. I kind of just wanted to beg Dex and Tripp to leave, since their supposed friends didn’t want to listen to a word they said.
Most of this book takes place in hockey’s off-season, so there’s not a ton of hockey action. That’s both a plus and minus. In “Egotistical Puckboy”, most of the book took place during the season, so we got all that great on-ice banter. That made sense though, because that book was enemies-to-lovers. This book is a true besties-to-lovers book, though, so instead of the easy on-ice zingers and snarky banter that comes from verbal foreplay, we get a lot of verbal humor that comes from Dex’s immature sense of humor and his thick-headedness, and also a lot of humor coming from Tripp in the form of a sense of, “I just don’t know what to do with you and I’m not even going to try, so I’m just going to humor your adorable face.”
This book is very low-angst with a huge HEA payoff. Even the “confrontation” with the antagonist isn’t really a confrontation so much as like if a firework promises to be totally awesome and then only lasts maybe 20 seconds before ending.
Do I care about any of that? No. Not really. I don’t read books like this because I’m looking to search my soul or mine my brain or wrack my heart. I read them to feel light, happy, and better than I did before I started it. Did all those things happen? They sure as heck did. I highly recommend it. ...more
There are parts of this novel that almost made me weep for how beautifully-written they were, how the emotions, actions, and dialogue played out on thThere are parts of this novel that almost made me weep for how beautifully-written they were, how the emotions, actions, and dialogue played out on the page like something too big and magnificent to merely be described–it could all only be felt somewhere deep within.
I have a very particular vision in my personal life for what I want for myself, and I found it in this book. I’ve never seen what I visualize as passion, desperation, desire, and an all-encompassing love that obliterates anyone and anything in its path. It’s like a cataclysm, or a shibboleth. Love like that can rip the world apart, in a metaphorical sense.
The spice scenes in this book are beyond. Just… beyond. If I had to use the words I actually think my review would get rejected in most places, lol. They’re hot, raw, fierce, desperate, sticky, dirty, and drew a visceral and emotional response from me.
The prose is equally gorgeous, with dialogue that will break your heart and mend it, over and over again.
My minuses come from a predictable turn I really thought could’ve been handled better all around and from the author’s decisions in regards to the narrative style and non-linear storytelling in the book. Other than that, it’s a touch too long (but not by much) and a little too heavy on the angst in the first half for me.
Otherwise? Goodness, go read this book. Read it now. ...more
Before I started this review I went back and read my review for “Wicked Heat”, the first book in this duet, just to see if I had any questions that neBefore I started this review I went back and read my review for “Wicked Heat”, the first book in this duet, just to see if I had any questions that needed answering or if I had made any predictions. I also remembered I had stated in that review that I was definitely glad Frank had decided to go with a duet for this romance instead of either trying to cram it all into one big book or trying to stretch it over three books with a lot of filler.
I definitely stick with that last opinion: going with a duet was a terrific call. It allowed so much character development and plot to happen without a deadline during the first book, which then allowed much more of the nicer side of the romance and the actual “relationship” part of Ryan and Jameson’s relationship to develop and solidify (aw, come on–it’s Ella! Like she’s gonna let you down!) without a ton of questions about whether or not these two can actually get their act together. It doesn’t take long, believe me, before these two are on the same page in so many ways.
Are there still some reservations on both sides for a bit? Yes. Of course. But in true Ella fashion, in this case it’s not the relationship between Ryan and Jameson that’s the conflict in this book: it’s Jameson’s little sister, Amy, who the pair found and rescued near the end of the first book. She has a chip on her shoulder just as big as Jameson’s was before he met Ryan, if not bigger.
This is a fast read, with Frank’s quick, bright writing and clever dialogue. There are plenty of men in tailored suits (and, well, I am of the opinion that sometimes there’s nothing better than a sharp-dressed man, thank you ZZ Top) that get either methodically stripped of them or quickly divested of them, and there’s an almost over-the-top ending that made me smile like a goofball but was so Ella Frank I swear I could see Kieran and Bash on the sidelines.
I was provided with a complimentary early copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
**spoiler alert** This book was simultaneously everything I could have asked for and just not enough.
The beginning? *chef’s kiss* Absolutely perfect.**spoiler alert** This book was simultaneously everything I could have asked for and just not enough.
The beginning? *chef’s kiss* Absolutely perfect. The angst, the genuine heartbreak, the total unsteadiness of everyone in the Triad. Everything is in shambles and all anyone knows is that they are out for blood but don’t know exactly who they want it from or how to go about getting it since most of their assets have essentially been destroyed. They have manpower but nowhere to point it.
Now… I have some slightly ambivalent feelings with the way the situation was resolved between Scarlett and Motshan after the events at the end of “Liars” (if you know, you know). I don’t know how anyone, especially Scarlett, could make heads or tails in any competent manner after that night or trust their memories, but I also don’t know how much weight they carry for me in the long run in terms of rating the book. It’s like, “Yeah, this whole plot point has some holes in it I don’t like and are bothering me, but it’s all in service to something greater in the plot so maybe look at it that way”. Plus, Motshan isn’t a big enough personality to compete with either Scar or the boys anyway.
Now, we get to my favorite part of the whole book that doesn’t involve nookie of some kind: the ENTIRE middle section. The whole 30% or so section that might as well have sprung from the forehead of Frances Ford Coppola like Athena did from the forehead of Zeus. This huge, sprawling, epic action sequence was not only inspired–it was the la petite morte for all us reverse-harem mafia romance readers who love our heroes and heroines blood-soaked, violent, and utterly psychotic. What I wouldn’t have given to be a Go-Pro on Scarlett’s dress!
The largest downer in the book came after this point in the book. After the events of that day wrap up we don’t get to see the wrap-up of events between the two gangs, we get time devoted to a subplot romance I couldn’t have given a toss about, and we get a lot of waiting around. It’s just too much down time and too much discussion about babies. Nothing turns me off more than constant talk from men about when they can get to knocking a woman up.
What did I enjoy in the later 15-20%? Um, hello, Sebastian and Tristan! I don’t care if it felt a little forced. Sword-crossing is always okay in my book. And the sex. Lots of varied, spicy scenes.
Dana has concluded this trilogy in a challenging year, but she has done it with aplomb. I still remember “Scars” was one of the first RH mafia romances I read when I started reading these sorts of books last year, and I feel in love with the down-and-dirty Scarlett: the mafia princess who ran away from that life when she found out what her evil father had in store for her and decided to go somewhere else and make a life for herself. Years later, she’s made a life of her own with men who love her and her own power to wield. She may have never truly gotten away from the mafia life, but the mafia life she has she runs on her terms. ...more
Loading...
