I Am God's Dagger by K.A. Merikan

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ I Am God’s Dagger

Author: ⟫ K.A. Merikan

Blurb: ⟫ “I know what’s been done to you, and I will see you avenged.”

Gabriel. Broken. Lonely. Scarred. Delusional?

Abaddon. Lord of Locusts. Master of the Bottomless Pit. Angel of Destruction and Vengeance… But is he real?

After a psychotic episode in his childhood, Gabriel is left shattered and unable to join society. Trapped in the orphanage he grew up in, he is plagued by nightmares of events that never happened, events that left him scarred, flinching at touch and achingly lonely.

Until one day he decides on a whim to not take his meds.

Born from a cold womb in the ground, Abaddon awakens to the world with one goal: to destroy a cult that commits blasphemous crimes in his name. What he doesn’t expect is meeting a boy who survived one of their rituals.

That is when God reveals Abaddon’s true purpose. He shall protect the boy from the vultures circling him and avenge his pain. He shall take Gabriel under his wing and provide all the love and affection the boy never got to experience.

As they set out to hunt the monsters together, Gabriel entrusts his body and soul to his beautiful guardian angel, yet he can’t stop questioning whether Abaddon is real or just a creation of his touch-starved mind.

Either way, vengeance has begun to cut through the cultists with its scythe, and there is no turning back, no matter how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Themes: opposites attract, hurt/comfort, size difference, angst, childhood trauma and abuse, mental health, self-harm, deception, mindf*ck, occult, gaslighting, revenge, torture, blasphemy, orphanage, cults

Genre: Dark, thriller M/M romance

Length: ~ 86,000 words (Standalone)

WARNING: This book contains adult content that might be considered offensive. Strong language, violence, torture, and explicit scenes. Reader discretion advised. Not for the fainthearted.

Virtuous Sinners is a collection of gay romance stories that center on killers who are guided by a virtuous code. These dark novels are connected only by theme and can be read standalone.

The killer’s virtue in “I Am God’s Dagger”: Piety

Review: ⟫ I don’t even know how to review this book because I am so confused by it. I can see what it was trying to be but amidst all of the scattered details of the actions of the members of the cult, Gabriel and his inner monologue and Abaddon, I felt that it got so so lost.

As did I.

And there’s only so much suspension of disbelief can achieve, especially in what was a modern, non supernatural setting.

I was certainly thrown by Gabriel’s actions with regard to Abaddon. This ‘angel’ appears from nowhere, begins a murder spree and Gabriel not only falls in love wit him but seems to suffer very little in the way of mental trauma handling the new relationship.

It didn’t sit well with me – especially with the flashbacks to what he had been through – and perhaps that it what threw me out of the story over and over again.

I also have no idea how Abaddon managed to get around the orphanage without being seen by anyone – the place is full of kids, as well as staff, and no one saw him even once as he walked around.

I will admit, I got the plot twist completely wrong, so that was a nice bit of misdirection, but I’m not sure I care too much about that. I just found this whole thing too confusing for words and can only assume based on other reviews that it is down to me.

Perhaps I need to accept that K.A. Merikan just isn’t for me.

I received an ARC from GRR.

No Peeking by Ki Brightly

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ No Peeking
Author: ⟫ Ki Brightly
Blurb: ⟫ The Do-Gooder

Noble Warwick owed Detective Walker everything after he saved him from a man trying to murder him. Noble would have happily done anything as a thank-you, so he agrees almost immediately when the rugged detective asks to take him out on a date. Noble is excited about his good luck, especially after surviving something so terrible. The relationship grows in a fast and obsessive way.

The Demon Detective

But Detective Abraham Walker, who goes by Tyler, isn’t exactly what he seems. Noble gradually discovers Tyler might be more dangerous than the man who tried to kill him. The problem? Noble insists on seeing the best in people, and it might be too late before he is ready to admit Tyler is a demon in disguise.

No Peeking is a spooky paranormal romance with one grumpy detective; one sweet sunshine man, who has a wide-open heart; and a happy ending—despite all the danger.

Review: ⟫ First of all, that cover is FIRE!!! Like, seriously, I should have heeded the warning the cover gives because this book was wrong in so many ways!

To be fair, I didn’t connect with Noble at all – my entire focus was pretty much on Tyler and Abraham because that was an effed up mess that appealed to me. This book did not go where I expected it to at all, and I absolutely loved the twists and turns. The feelings of the man versus the demon, and how that affected the relationship with Noble was fascinating. I could read the inner battles of Tyler for a few more chapters.

The sex was almost secondary – and kinda perfunctory if I’m going to be honest – but the story gripped me enough so that was just a niggle. If you like to read a little bit of dark, some gory violence, and an effed up main character, I would recommend giving this a read. To say any more would be a spoiler and I think one of the great things about this book was that I went into it with next to no information apart from vague trigger warnings I’d picked up from Reddit.

The Scars That Bind Us by Michele Notara (Magi Accounts #1)

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Scars That Bind Us (Magi Accounts #1)
Author: ⟫ Michele Notara
Blurb: ⟫ What kind of mage would be crazy enough to crush on a shifter? Me. Apparently me.

The world is a messed-up place. Especially for those of us who have magic, and I know just how terrible it can be first-hand. Which is one of the reasons I try to stay away from people… humans and shifters especially.

Unfortunately, the NHSO forces magi to work alongside shifters to help protect the humans from taragorians—scary beasts from another realm. Which means I’m thrown onto a new team and forced to work with Cosmo Ono-Nai, a lion shifter.

And for some reason, I can’t keep my eyes off him.

The Scars That Bind Us is a 115K word novel and the first book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts.

Review: ⟫ This book is difficult to review because I feel like there was so much in it but – The but is because it feels like just the beginning. I went into it expecting a romance but that was almost secondary (or perhaps even third) in the overarching story. The relationship that was building between Madeo and Cos should have been the most important aspect of things – if it’s to be taken as a romance – but instead it was part of the overall story. Which wasn’t a bad thing at all – the world building was fascinating; the characters were individually fleshed out and interesting; the issues being faced were well handled. I guess I wanted more about Cos and Madeo and how they.

I have already grabbed the sequel from Kindle Unlimited because I wanted to know what happened next, but perhaps that is my issue with the first book? That it was a HFN whilst I’ve been used to HEA. Some really interesting concepts, including how sometimes the monsters are human – some of the things that happened really struck me quite hard, especially the prejudice against Magi that seems automatic and instinctual. It’s sad to think how well this story relates to the real world.

Happily giving it a 4/5 and moving on to the next story.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Vengeance of Rowan Sinclair by Ashlyn Drewek (The Solynyshko Duet)

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Vengeance of Roan Sinclair: A Dark MM Russian Romance

Author: ⟫ Ashlyn Drewek

Blurb: ⟫ After a lifetime of death and suffering, Aleksandr Vassiliev finally has everything he could ever want — the most important being someone to share his future with. Somehow a spoiled American named Roan gave Sasha a reason to see life could be more.

Except, that’s where the fairytale ends.

He’s not surprised Roan hasn’t been the same since his attack, but with every day that passes, Sasha sees less and less of the boy he fell in love with. He would do anything to get his Solnyshko back, but old enemies from Sasha’s past might end up costing him everything, even Roan.

Roan Sinclair used to have it all. Now? He’s a shell of his former self. No longer the rich, carefree college guy who brought a Russian criminal to his knees, all he’s trying to do is recover from an assault that nearly killed him.

Roan knows he should be grateful to be alive… but he’s not.

He’s humiliated.

Ashamed.

Most of all, he’s angry.

He hasn’t forgotten the part his dad played in everything that happened and when he threatens Sasha’s freedom, Roan takes a page from the Russian’s playbook. Maybe vengeance will piece him back together. Maybe then Roan can move on and get to the happily ever after he so desperately wants with the Wolf of Verkhoyansk.

Content warning: This book contains references to alcohol/smoking, ethnic and homosexual slurs, sexual assault, mental health issues including PTSD and depression, on-page torture, and a lot of profanity. Reader discretion is advised.

Review: ⟫ Oooh, when the sunshine turns on you, you need to remember that it burns!

This book was Roan growing up and doing what he needed to do and I enjoyed it even more than the first book.

Struggling to recover from the assault, Roan is feeling disconnected from everything and everyone – how does he find his way when he knows that he’s Sasha’s weak spot and can be used against him at any time?

Add in his father behaving in an even more appalling fashion than previously, and something has to break. Or step up. And Roan steps up.

I freaking loved this book because we got to see Roan really grow into himself and his relationship with Sasha. We also got more time with Sasha and saw beneath his mega-grumpy exterior. I wouldn’t describe him as a marshmallow under ANY circumstances, but this guy really grabbed at my heart and I couldn’t shake him.

The cast of characters grew and I loved Misha and his nephew but this was most definitely Roan’s book. I actually ended up enjoying it more than book 1 which I am surprised at as normally I find the second book’s to be not as good. I absolutely adored the ending and what we got to see, and I am more than happy to give this a 5/5 rating.

Now to find something to help me with my book hangover…

The Kidnapping of Roan Sinclair by Ashlyn Drewek (The Solnyshko Duet)

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Kidnapping of Roan Sinclair: A Dark MM Russian Romance

Author: ⟫ Ashlyn Drewek

Blurb: ⟫ Roan Sinclair’s life is perfect, just ask anyone. Set to graduate college and bound for grad school at Georgetown, Roan’s life has been all planned out for him.

Except, he doesn’t want it.

Dedicated to his music, he dreams of a life free from his parents’ expectations. Those dreams are gone the minute he’s kidnapped by a group of Russians, led by the tall, dark, and broody Sasha — a man ripped straight from Roan’s fantasies.

Determined to make it out alive, Roan will do whatever is necessary to secure his freedom, even if that means seducing his captor.

Aleksandr Vassiliev doesn’t care about anything except surviving in a merciless world. Known as the Wolf of Verkhoyansk, Sasha’s reputation for brutality is far-reaching and well-deserved. When a bank robbery goes wrong, he’ll do whatever he can to fix it — including kidnapping the bank owner’s son.

Instead of complying like he should, Roan defies Sasha at every turn. Worst of all, he makes Sasha want things he can’t have, things that are a death sentence for men like him.

Things like Roan Sinclair.

Content warning: This book contains references to alcohol/drug use, sexual assault, graphic violence, self-harm, ethnic and homosexual slurs, and a lot of profanity. Reader discretion is advised.

Review: ⟫ This was a recommendation on sub-reddit and I am so pleased I went ahead and got it.

Roan was a sweetheart – a complete ray of sunshine in the darkness of his world. His family life is awful and he’s on the verge of being pushed in a direction that he has no interest in going. That is when Sasha enters his life and absolutely everything changes.

Sasha was – brutal. He wasn’t just grumpy, he was rude, violent and the epitome of a Russian mobster. This book held nothing back in terms of the type of person Sasha was, who he had had to become in order to survive. There were hints given as to the type of life Sasha had lived, the things he had been through, and they sounded traumatic and awful.

The clash between sunshine and the Wolf was epic – entertaining, upsetting, sexy and life altering. Watching the dynamics between these two as they tried to figure out a way through what life was throwing at them and how the circumstances under which they met influenced everything was enthralling.

I would most definitely heed the warnings given but for me, this book was worth all of that for the feelings it evoked. I went immediately to book two because I needed to know what happened next. Thank goodness for Kindle Unlimited.

The Rationale of Leander Wells by Ashlyn Drewek

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Rationale of Leander Welles

Author: ⟫ Ashlyn Drewek

Blurb: ⟫ Murderer.

Madman.

That’s what the newspapers call wealthy recluse Leander Welles after he is accused of killing four people in his picturesque hometown. Little do they know they’re half-right.

Sent to Parkview Psychiatric for an assessment before the trial can begin, Leander falls under the care of Dr. Lorelei Clayton, an up-and-coming criminal psychiatrist. She is the one unknown element of his elaborate plot, the one game piece he has no control over.

Believing he’s innocent, Lorelei works tirelessly toward his freedom. But there’s just one problem — he’s not innocent. The harder she tries to prove it, the harder he falls for the one person he never expected to.

Haunted by his past, Leander tries to envision a future with Lorelei, but the truth keeps getting in the way. If she ever learns his secret, not only could she destroy everything he spent years planning — she could destroy him.

This is a companion/alternate point-of-view book to THE MYSTERY OF LEANDER WELLES, featuring Leander Welles’ perspective instead of Lorelei’s. Each book can be read as a standalone, or together. If you’re a MM fan, I suggest skipping MYSTERY and starting here. There’s FTB/vague MF sex scenes, but the MM angst starts in this book before continuing into DAMNATION.

* A warning to the reader. This book contains references to abuse, self-harm, and suicide.

Review: ⟫ I skipped the first book in this series because I seriously wasn’t interested in reading the M/F aspect of things – I’ve read three MF books recently that reminded me quite strongly of why I prefer MM. And it clearly states in the blurb that you should start here if you are an MM fan. But this book was full of Leander’s relationships (or rather relations) with women and I felt duped.

Yes, we meet Bennett and there are delicious indications of what he and Leander could/will be to each other. But that is the extent of it and I thought that there would be more.

I didn’t feel any chemistry between Leander and Lorelei, even less between him and Gracie. I have awarded the two stars for the look into Leander’s inner psyche, as well as the machinations/planning of the group to handle the whole thing about Leander being on trial for four murders.

The twists, turns and background stories were very interesting, but the overlay of Lorelei and Gracie made this book a bitter experience for me, especially coming straight from Roan Sinclair to this.

I do have the next book in the series lined up on my kindle because I want to know about Leander and Bennett after meeting them in the Roan Sinclair duology, but I can’t in all honesty recommend this to fans of MM because although there are hints of it, this didn’t strike me as a MM book. Disappointed and wary going into the next one.

2/5 from me.

Weirdos by Amy Lane

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Weirdos

Author: ⟫ Amy Lane

Blurb: ⟫ If Taz Oswald has one more gross date, he’s resigning himself to a life of celibacy with his irritable Chihuahua, Carl. Carl knows how to bite a banana when he sees one! Then Selby Hirsch invites Taz to walk dogs together, and Taz is suddenly back in the game. Selby is adorkable, awkward, and a little weird—and his dog Ginger is a trip—and Taz is transfixed. Is it really possible this sweet guy with the blurty mouth and a heart as big as the Pacific Ocean wandered into Taz’s life by accident? If so, how can Taz convince Selby that he wants to be Selby and Ginger’s forever home?

Review: ⟫ The only thing Amy Lane does better than angst is create these sweet, adorkable characters that you can’t help but fall a little in love with, and she’s done it again with Taz and Selby.

At the risk of receiving hate, I’m not a real fan of little dogs. My experiences have all involved being yapped at or nipped, so not the best of friends in any way. But Ginger and Carl made me laugh so hard that I enjoyed them in all of their weirdos glory. This was a very sweet, gentle and quick read that was exactly what I needed what with the sledge hammer that real life is at the moment. Enjoyable, kind and sweet, I recommend this to anyone looking for a simple romance.

I received an ARC from the author.

Equinox by Charlie Godwyne (Augarten Book One)

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Equinox (Augarten Book One)
Author: ⟫ Charlie Godwyne
Blurb: ⟫ Waking up with no memory is just the beginning of his troubles…

Not knowing who he is or how he ended up naked in a park in Vienna, Gabriel struggles to reclaim his past while still moving forward into an uncertain future. It isn’t long before he realizes that not having an identity isn’t the only thing that makes him different. Plants and people glow with magic all around him, and he’s actually able to speak to his very own guardian angel—even though the angel won’t tell him anything about who he really is.

As he tries to learn something about his prior life, Gabriel finds himself inexplicably drawn to two very different men: Solomon, the exorcist priest who found Gabriel and has been helping him try to remember who he once was; and Florian, an occultist coffee shop owner whose own tragic past allows him to accept Gabriel even without memories.

But without the foundation of a past, Gabriel worries the life he’s building will crumble around him. As Gabriel’s health begins to dwindle—and not even his angel can explain why—he scrambles to find answers before he’s taken away from the happiness he’s found and the men he loves.

Equinox is the first in the Augarten series and is an 88,000-word MMM romance with magical realism, an amnesiac willing to try just about anything to remember, a priest with unpriestly thoughts, and lots of espresso.

Review: ⟫ This book went over my head and I don’t mind admitting it. I thought the premise was interesting and when I started reading, I began to wonder if I was missing something. Whether there was a prequel I should have read or a previous series.

Basically, I found the book very confusing – sometimes it read as a romance, at other times it read as a mystical thriller, and then at others it seemed to be steeped in various religions almost – it couldn’t seem to make up its’ mind what it was. The confusion was exacerbated by ambiguities in timelines that niggled at the back of my mind until I was dragged out of the story. All in all, although the writing was engaging and the story was intriguing, I couldn’t get into this story and I think that’s on me. Other people seem to have really enjoyed reading it and others that follow in the series, so it really just must be me that couldn’t get into it. I’m giving it 2/5 for solid writing and an entertaining idea.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Christmas Leap by Keira Andrews (Festive Fakes)

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Christmas Leap (Festive
Fakes)
Author:
⟫ Keira Andrews
Rating:
⟫ 3.5/5
Blurb:
⟫ Fake
romance shouldn’t feel this real…
Will: I’ve never been with
a man.

Sure, I’ve thought about it.
Wondered. Daydreamed. Imagined. But I wasn’t ready
to take the leap.

I have a reputation as a “ladies’
man.” No one has any idea how curious I am about men—not even my
openly bi best friend. Make that former best friend.
Michael ghosted me, and I have no idea why.

Michael: The man I love is
straight.

It hurt like hell when I had to
distance myself from Will. I’ve tried desperately to grow up and
get over him, but my carefully constructed life just fell apart—and
Will rushes to my rescue.

Now we’re pretending to be a
couple to impress his boss at a holiday retreat. We’re holding
hands and hugging.

We’re sharing a bed.

And Will just kissed me.

Is my best friend falling in love
with me after all?

The Christmas Leap by
Keira Andrews is a Christmas romance featuring friends to lovers, bi
awakening, first times, and of course a happy ending. This
stand-alone novel takes place in the same universe as The
Christmas Deal.

Review:
⟫ Okay, just how
does anyone in this verse manage to keep anything a secret? They are
constantly
talking about their capers, and not in private either – how have
they not been overheard by now?

Angela
is meant to be this fabulous boss who’s a bit of a genius yet she
is constantly being ‘fooled’ by these people into thinking that
they’re queer? Sorry, but of all things, this was the thing that
annoyed me the most – that and the whole ‘pretending to be
bisexual in order to get ahead’ – it just left a bit of a bad
taste in my mouth.

Anyway,
the story is nicely written and you immediately feel a little sad for
Michael – not because of the whole Will thing but because it’s
incredibly crappy timing for what happens to him at the beginning.
The whole Will thing – him ghosting him to enable himself to get
over his feelings was a big struggle for me. What an awful thing to
do to one of your best friends, no matter your reasoning.

I
enjoyed reading this story but upon finishing it, I couldn’t really
tell you much about it. There were some relatively hot sex scenes
between Will and Michael, and I enjoyed some of the family members
and friends that we got to meet. There were at least two couples who
I am pretty sure the author has written other stories about (I
haven’t read them).

But
the meat of the story – the idea that Michael has been in love with
Will for years and Will has become a bi-curious? It was resolved what
felt like so quickly and so easily, it was a bit of a non-event.

I
loved Will’s accent and listening to him talk to his parents – I
feel that that was well done. There didn’t feel like enough
differentiation between the two main leads because sometimes I didn’t
realise who was narrating.

I’ve
read other stories by this author and enjoyed them more – I guess
this one just didn’t resonate with me. It was a sweet, enjoyable
story with some heat between the leads with only a little angst –
it will probably be just the thing to relax with with the run-up to
Christmas.

I
received an ARC from GRR.

Prince of L.A. by Patricia Logan

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Prince of L.A.

Author: ⟫ Patricia Logan

Rating: ⟫ 3/5

Blurb: ⟫ Special Agent Leo Reeves is new to the FBI’s L.A. field office. His career has been on track since the day he joined the bureau. He loves his job as a profiler and being assigned to a new team in one of the busiest offices in the nation will be the opportunity of a lifetime…if he can put the past behind him.

The face Leo shows the world is strong, focused, dependable, and capable. The long list of citations in his file only serve to prove how good he is.

If he could only forget he was sired by a monster.

Former Marine Staff Sergeant, Max Prince, leads by example. Whether it means protecting men in battle, working for the US Marshal service, or being the best damn field agent the FBI has ever seen, he brings a special kind of bravery to the job.

His teammates depend on his ready smiles, his funny jokes, and know him as the excellent agent he’s proven to be.

They never see the man who buried his heart eight years ago. The last thing he wants is to fall for the new guy.

When a serial killer suddenly starts targeting innocents, both men have trouble pinning down who they’re dealing with. With victimology all over the place, Leo can’t make sense of a profile, and Max simply wants to put the bastard away before he murders anyone else.

The case is maddening but worse, the attraction the two men find every time they look at each other, is beginning to get in the way.

Review: ⟫ This book had a lot to draw me to it: law enforcement, profiling, alpha males and a mystery – what could go wrong?

One of my biggest issues is the constant referencing of previous characters. It’s obvious that they are from other series that the author has written, and appear to be a ploy to draw the reader to go and read their stories.

But for me, it overshadowed the main characters from this story – I want an author to make me want to read their other stuff because of how good this story is, not because I have to have all of their previous books memorised so I recognise the names of the characters populating this book.

I didn’t feel any real chemistry between Leo and Max – in fact, there were times that I couldn’t remember who was who because they came across as so generic.

The other team members were more interesting to me and had more individual characteristics to them.

It was made completely and utterly obvious who the ‘bad’ guys in the team were, and I couldn’t help but wonder just why they were there. There was a big deal made of how tight-knit the team was, how they had all been hand-picked. If that was the case, what was with the two guys that everyone pretty much seemed to detest?

The main plot was interesting and I feel more could have been made of that, but the resolution was mildly satisfying. I wasn’t sure about all of the background characters in Max’s life: his wife, his drag-queen friend and his ex, as they seemed like the author planned to go into things deeper but didn’t have the space for it.

The whole issue with Leo’s Dad was a non-starter and felt like a red herring. If it was meant to be motivation for his life choices and how he was around people, for me it failed to connect.

The writing was solid and I’m sure people who have read her earlier works would be pleased to see old friends. Surprisingly, I do have some of her earlier stuff including characters that appear in this story, but I am struggling to make my way through them. Perhaps having seen them here, I will be able to connect better.

It’s a 3/5 from me but YMMV – perhaps it was just the mood I was in?

I received an ARC from GRR.