The Dating Disaster by Saxon James (Franklin U #2)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Dating Disaster (Franklin U #2)

Author: ⟫ Saxon James

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Thousands of students on this campus, and I keep being set up with the roommate I can’t stand.

Felix

One date.

That’s how long it takes for Marshall Harrows to end up on my bad side.

Luckily I have no plans to see the giant teddy bear again. Except when he shows up as my new roommate, I can’t escape him, and he’s just as irritating as I thought he’d be.

He leaves cupboards ajar and puts empty milk cartons back in the fridge. His bedroom door is always open, I find his underwear on the laundry floor, and he has this whole bashful sweetheart thing going on that I just … can’t … stand.

But the most completely, horribly irritating thing about him is that he’s totally my type.

And my friends won’t stop setting us up on blind dates.

Marshall

One date.

That’s how long it took for Felix Andrews to steal my heart.

The sparky little spitfire is everything I’m not. Confident, adorable, and completely outspoken.

He also wants nothing to do with me.

Which is a real problem when I want to give him everything. Including my virginity.

But the more I try to gain his attention, the more I see the real him. The one who doesn’t feel worthy of being treated like anything other than a one-night stand.

So I decide to take matters into my own hands.

A total do-over. One night. One date. Where hopefully I can steal his heart too.

Review: ⟫ Oh, this was a good one! If you have read any of Saxon James’ hockey books with Eden Finley, then you know the vibe that this book is going to have. And the fact that its’ a new series with different authors writing each book means you might find a new favourite.

What I absolutely adored about this book (well part of what I adored) was that Felix and Marshall are part of previous books written by Saxon. So there are mentions of people you know and love from other books. You don’t have to have read them to make sense of this book, but it’s fun to play spot the character.

There are also characters mentioned from throughout the series which makes sense since they are set in the same universe/time period.

Marshall is solid – an all-around good guy, quietly confident in himself and aware that his attitude towards sex is not the norm for a lot of guys at college.

He wants – needs it to mean something, which is part of why his first date with Felix is a complete and utter travesty. But something about Felix works its way into his brain, and suddenly they’re spending time together, getting to know each other and – well, most people would have realised they were dating without the sex but these two don’t!

Felix is a sex-kitten, slightly battered in the self-esteem department, but confident of his attractions and determined to make the most of college. Until he realises he wants more and has to figure out a whole different way of approaching things.

There were times when my heart bled for Felix because he was so down on himself (when he wanted Marshall to tuck him into bed and just wanted someone to snuggle with, my heart damned near broke).

I loved Marshall carrying Felix around and enjoyed them getting to know each other. Sometimes the miscommunications made me want to slam their heads together, but that frustration was more than mitigated by my sheer love for the cast of characters, the situations they found themselves in, and just how darned cute these two were together.

I am actually in the middle of reading Franklin U Book #1, and was pleased to spot Ty and Brax, and am quite looking forward to the new releases every week.

But this one hit the spot in a way that only Saxon James can, and I was grinning by the time I reached the end.

No surprise that I gave this a 5/5.

Playing Games by Riley Hart (Franklin U #1)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Playing Games

Author: ⟫ Riley Hart

Blurb: ⟫ Brax

Tyson Langley thinks the king in Franklin University Kings is in reference to him. Star lacrosse player and God’s gift to the female and male population, there’s nothing the spoiled jock can’t have. It’s impossible for us to be in the same room without talking crap to each other.

But I also have a secret… As much as I despise Ty, I want him too. I revel in our banter and in never knowing what he’ll say next. I’ve spent too much time on the wrong side of the law for someone like Ty, though, and if I want to make it through college and escape my past, he’s a distraction I don’t need.

Braxton Walker needs to learn to lighten up.

If you search brooding online, his name pops up. He’s the bad boy with a leather jacket and a scowl. We couldn’t be more different.

Finding ways to annoy him is like the longest foreplay session of my life. And when we end up working together, it gets harder to deny how hot he makes me.

What’s a little hooking up between enemies? We weren’t supposed to become friends or share secrets. We weren’t supposed to understand each other and all the complicated stuff we’re going through. I’m used to playing games, only the more time I spend with Brax, the less it feels like playing around and the more it becomes something real.

This series takes place across a calendar year. The books have been released in chronological order but are all stand alones and can be consumed in whichever order you choose.

Review ⟫ I quite enjoyed this enemies to lovers story, especially as the start to a whole new series that I have been looking forward to for some time.

I liked both characters, and enjoyed seeing them come to the realisation that their expectations/assumptions about each other had got in the way of something really quite special.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and will definitely look out for more Riley Hart in the future.

The Primary Pest by Z.A. Maxfield (Iphicles Security #1)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Primary Pest

Author: ⟫ ZA Maxfield

Blurb: ⟫ If infatuated bodyguard Dmytro wants to come clean to his reckless young client Ajax, he’s going to have to get dirty.

Dmytro Kolisnychenko was a soldier and translator for the Ukrainian mob – until he lost his happy home life to an enemy with a home-made bomb. Now he wants only two things: to spend every precious second he can with his daughters and to provide for them by protecting people who can’t protect themselves.

Even spoiled rich kids like Ajax Fairchild.

Ajax Fairchild isn’t the monster Dmytro thinks he is. He’s surprisingly intelligent, resourceful, and funny. He’s also gorgeous and enjoys dating mature men. The first time they’re alone together, Ajax makes Dmytro an offer that’s hard to refuse.

Dmytro hasn’t got time for a romantic dalliance, and Ajax is a client. But as one coincidence after another ruins Dmytro’s plans to keep Ajax safe, and they’re driven from one town to another on the central coast, trouble follows hot on their heels.

Can they trust each other enough to stay one step ahead while Dmytro’s partners at Iphicles Security find Ajax’s stalker and neutralize the threat? What if trust leads to love?

This book is a re-release of Three Vlog Night with no major changes to the plot. If you love hot bodyguards, mischievous geeks, age-gap romance, and a happily-ever-after you know will last, buy The Primary Pest today!

Review: ⟫ I have been a fan of ZA Maxfield ever since I read Crossing Borders years ago, so I was delighted to receive the opportunity to read/review her latest story.

It wasn’t what I was expecting and I was a little disappointed. The relationship between Dmytro and Ajax didn’t feel quite fully realised, and although the story was interesting, there was very little in the way of romance. They did connect – over Anton if nothing else – but there was something missing. I can’t explain it very well.

It was very action packed, and the character of Ajax was fascinating – very self aware and yet still destructive in many ways. The whole ‘Daddy’ aspect wasn’t explored the way I thought it might be. However, it was very well written and I did enjoy reading it. I guessed the identity of the ‘bad’ guy almost immediately, but was fascinated with how they were going to get out of the situation.

Strangely enough, the free short novella that is available from ZA’s newsletter gave a clearer picture of the relationship between the two MCs and solidified things in a way that the main story didn’t. I would say that this was a good read but didn’t capture me the way the author normally manages to.

I would give this a solid 3.75 rounded up to 4, and would recommend reading the free short immediately after the story for a more satisfying feel to everything.

I was given an ARC by Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for a honest review.

The Alpha Dragon's Instant Family by Sean Michael

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ The Alpha Dragon’s Instant Family

Author: ⟫ Sean Michael

Blurb: ⟫ Alpha dragon shifter Warrington Vol has the perfect life. Everyone has a little dragon in them, but he’s the full dragon king of his high-rise castle, along with his best friends Seamus and Harrison. He might had left his overbearing, aristocratic family behind, but now he has the Skye Dun clan and their successful empire. Too bad his well-ordered life gets a jolt when he meets the man he thinks is his mate at a club, then has to leave him without even getting his name due to an attack on his high rise that leaves Harrison gravely injured.

Sebastian Addams is doing the best that he can. He’s just a guy with wings and a single scale on his cheek, as well as his two younger siblings to care for, so he’s pretty low in dragon society. Needing to provide for his family, he looks to a personal assistant job to a business tycoon, but when he walks into the interview, he discovers the man who loved and left him the previous night without even a real introduction. Sebastian wants to slink away, but he needs this job. Badly.

Warrington, though, is overjoyed that Sebastian has walked into his office – now he doesn’t have to go searching for his mate with nothing to go on. The trick will be convincing Sebastian that they’re fated to be together, which gets more complicated when Sebastian winds up pregnant. But Warrington thinks his instant family is amazing and sets about making Sebastian see it too. Now if they can just stay safe from the bomber who seems determined to put an end to Skye Dun clan, they just might get their happy ending.

Review ⟫ Sean Michael’s Hammer Boys series were some of the first BDSM books I read years ago, so when I saw this ARC being offered it was an easy choice to go for it.

If you’ve read any Sean Michael, then you’ll be familiar with the style: possessive, loving, lots of ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ and a kinda insta-love. This just happens to be that but with dragon shifters. I was hoping for things to be more dragon-related, and for there to be more about them as shifters but it was all a bit surface. It seemed to be more of a reason for mpreg than anything, and a different kind of alpha shifter than a werewolf for example. I think this was a missed opportunity and the main thing that I felt was missing.

The basic story is fine, and it’s obvious that is planned to be at least three stories as the MC Warrington has two extremely close friends. I actually didn’t like Sebastian, and I can’t even say why. He just seemed like such a non-character to me, despite the fact that he had quite the interesting progression throughout the story with the fact that he had taken on his siblings after the death of his parents and his dragon attributes. There are intimations that there is more to Sebastian’s backstory that will probably/hopefully be explored more fully in the following books.

This was a nice, sweet and easy read, and very similar to the Hammer Boys but without the BDSM aspect, and I’m not saying that in a bad way. I probably will read the following stories when they are released now that I know what to expect.

3.5/5 for me.

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

Ugly by Roe Horvat

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Ugly

Author: ⟫ Roe Horvat

Blurb: ⟫ When a homeless young omega comes by Burke’s pub asking for work, Burke doesn’t have the heart to send him away. He lets the boy help with some chores in exchange for food, and soon, Emerson’s visits become regular. Then one frosty December night, the boy keeps his head down, hiding in a corner until closing time and looking like he wants to disappear into the ground. Emerson is about to go into heat, and he has nowhere to hide.

People say Burke is ugly and scary, but Emerson has never been afraid of the burly pub owner. The big alpha has scars down the side of his face, but so what? He must have been in a lot of pain once, poor man. When snow covers Dalton City, and Emerson realizes he’s only days away from his first heat, his feet carry him to the pub by themselves. Burke is the only alpha Emerson trusts not to hurt him. And given the choice between freezing to death or getting abused, Emerson would much rather offer himself to Burke.

Except Burke is probably the nicest man in the entire city.

Stunned, Emerson finds himself safe and warm during the snowstorm, without having to sacrifice anything. Maybe he’s even a little bit in love with his rescuer.

Ugly is an omegaverse gay romance, mpreg, non-shifter. High heat, monogamous couple, HEA.

Review: ⟫ This was beautiful.

I can’t think of another book that I’ve read that contains such incredibly filthy dirty talk, whilst still managing to be sweet, soft and beautiful. This was a really great story – it would have been so easy to fall into so many tropes, but instead it was a fabulous love story, with Emerson and Burke falling for each other whilst terrified of losing their hearts and being left wrecked.

There was size kink, breeding kink, heats and ruts – all written in Roe’s incredible explicit style that gets you all hot and bothered – but it was the quiet moments, where Emerson was dreaming about sitting on his man’s lap in the warm, safe and calm, watching the snow outside that stuck with me. For some reason, this story just really resonated with me and made me feel quietly happy. The characters felt real – Richard, struggling with success not being everything he thought it would be; Kirby finally finding a way off the streets; the staff at Burke’s pub – and altogether, it was like a found family that was so accepting, just – so warm! Literally, the only jarring note was Mark who was a little caricature-esque in his evilness, but he was so on the periphery of things that he didn’t impact too much on my love for the story.

I’m probably not making a lot of sense, but if any of the above kinks appeal to you, I would snuggle up under the duvet and throw yourself into reading Ugly. You won’t regret it.

Blueprint by Romilly King (The Teams Book #2)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Blueprint

Author: ⟫ Romilly King

Blurb: ⟫ Meet Blue – The Arranger – Psychopath – Utterly Lost

My name is Indigo Jones, I smile like a human, I walk like a human, I kill like a god who believes in evolution.

The Handler system gave me the blueprint to being human, so I won’t stand out in the crowd, but they can’t change the way I think, and death and all its aspects entrances me.

Most humans don’t want to think about dying, I never stop.

It’s my deviancy, that fascination with how you die, every little detail of it.

I had someone to share my passion with once. My soul match. My symbiote.

They are gone now, it’s just me and the silence in my head as all the dark questions pile up, like so much oily pressure.

My work keeps the pressure from blowing me apart, but The Team is a shadow of what I once had, just enough to keep me sane.

Some corner of my brain though, it keeps looking for them, convinced they will come back, and make me whole again.

The arrogance of the psychopath!

Monsters aren’t allowed to make wishes, and monsters don’t get happy endings.

Review: ⟫ We finally get Blue and Trans’ story.

The problem with adoring a pairing is that it’s incredibly hard for an author to live up to. How do you write an epic love story for a couple who are almost one person from the time they meet when they are young?

It’s a fascinating story and easily not as far-fetched as we might wish.

Blue and Trans are as enigmatic, annoying and intriguing as always and it was good to see Nathan and Grey.

I think I wanted it too much – nothing could really live up to what was in my head – but it was nevertheless a good read and addition to The Teams series.

His Favorite Color is Blood by K.A. Merikan

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ His Favorite Color is Blood

Author: ⟫ K.A.Merikan

Blurb: ⟫ Grim. Assassin. Leather-clad sex god. Has the most unusual taste in men.

Misha. Mutilated. Afraid. Will never trust again.

Grim is a bloodthirsty killer, and he owns it. Gay in a world of outlaw bikers, he firmly stands his ground if anyone dares to cross him. He takes pleasure in showing homophobes their place and fucking his way through a life of carnage.

But there is a part of him always aching for something he cannot get.

When by chance he saves the most perfect guy he’s ever met, he is not about to let him go. Even if it means he needs to smother his broken bird.

When a masked, bloodstained man rescues Misha from captivity, he doesn’t know if he should thank the menacing stranger or stab him and run. Grim is not the kind of man who takes no for an answer, and Misha might now be in more danger than when he was trapped as a sex slave.

Misha cannot deny though that Grim is as alluring as he is frightening, and once Misha realizes what power his body holds over Grim, he understands that taming the beast of a man could be within his reach.

But any possibility of a future together is like a house of cards when Zero, the sadistic crime lord who destroyed Misha’s life, sets out to get him back.

Will the ruthless biker assassin at Misha’s side be enough to conquer the monsters from his past?

Review ⟫

This has got to be the absolute darkest thing I have ever read – what was done to Misha was horrific and real nightmare material.

Grim – I’ve never heard of anyone with the fetish he had and that obviously affected my view of him.

As a couple, these two are terrifyingly compatible, and as the story continues it’s possible to recognise that what they have may not be conventional – AT ALL – but it’s most definitely real.

I learned so much reading this – some of it I didn’t want to know – and the two MCs were clear voices in my head. If you heed the warnings about the darkness this story holds, it’s well worth a read.

I’m off to find some unrelenting fluff to read!

Moonstruck by Onley James (Necessary Evils #3)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Moonstruck – Necessary Evils 3

Author: ⟫ Onley James

Blurb: ⟫ Atticus Mulvaney is the eldest son of eccentric billionaire, Thomas Mulvaney—a role he takes very seriously. Atticus takes everything seriously. Like his brothers, Atticus is a psychopath, raised to right the wrongs of a broken justice system. Unlike his brothers, he’s not very good at it.

Jericho Navarro is no psychopath, but he is a vicious killer. Like Atticus, he also has a secret life. To most, he’s just a mechanic. But to a ragtag group of social misfits, he’s Peter Pan, teaching them to eliminate those who prey on the weak with extreme prejudice.

When Atticus and Jericho come face to face over a shared enemy, their accidental meeting ends in an explosively hot hookup neither can forget. But they have nothing in common. Atticus is a buttoned-up closeted scientist and Jericho is a man on a mission, determined to find and punish those responsible for the death of his sister. Still, Jericho can’t stay away. And, truthfully, Atticus doesn’t want him to.

As Jericho’s mission begins to bleed into Atticus’s life, two separate but equally brutal families will need to learn how to fight together to take out a common enemy. But no amount of brute force can show Jericho how to scale the walls of a psychopath’s heart. Can Jericho convince Atticus that, sometimes, the couple who kills together stays together?

Review: ⟫ Oh my goodness, where do I begin? I guess I should begin with how I will forever imagine Netflix and Chill as Jericho and Atticus together on the sofa, with Jericho stroking through that red hair and Atticus doing whatever makes him feel comfortable!

Then I’d have to get into what a rollicking ride this story was! It has its serious sides – the storyline touches on drugs, trafficking, organ theft and much more – but the main plot-line is around Jericho and Atticus, as well as the Mulvaneys and the hot new family they meet!

The chemistry between our two leads is off the charts, with Jericho somehow tuning in to Atticus being touch-starved and making sure his ‘Freckles’ never has to feel like that again.

It’s also easy to see how they fell in love with each other – it’s sudden, frenetic and occasionally causes whiplash with just how fast everything goes, but it makes sense. In their world, everything can be taken away so quickly so you need to grab onto happiness when it turns up in the middle of a murder. And the sex scenes are frequent, graphic and incredibly HOT!

It was fantastic seeing the rest of the Mulvaneys again, as well as two of our favourite couples. Noah is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine, although Calliope may hold that place forever – especially for her riding the petty copter and refusing to speak to anyone other than Jericho during a particular scene! Obviously, you need to be a strong person to hold your own against the Mulvaneys and Calliope is that and more!

There is more build up regarding Thomas, who seems to be unravelling slightly; we get more of the murder twins (squeee!!!) and all in all, this is just a fantastic read! An easy 5/5 for me, and I am champing at the bit waiting for the next instalment!

Wyn by Lily Mayne

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Wyn

Author: ⟫ Lily Mayne

Blurb: ⟫ I am a monster.

A ghoul. A demon. The bogeyman. I have been called all of them. Most creatures fear me, but humans are repulsed by me. They are terrified of me. They have created legends about me, ever since they became aware of my existence when the tear between our worlds grew and we—the monsters from their nightmares—flooded through in our droves.

There is only one human who isn’t afraid of me. The only one who matters. And I will destroy anyone who tries to hurt him or take him from me. Danny is mine.

For the first time in my unfathomably long life, I know what it means to want another so much that the thought of losing him threatens to ruin me. I will do anything to keep Danny with me for as long as I can have him—for as long as he is willing to stay by the side of an ancient, scarred creature with a voice so inhuman it has sent some mad.

For some reason, Danny loves my voice. For some reason, Danny loves me. And when we both decide that his natural human life is nowhere near enough time for us to have together, we go on a journey between worlds to the one place where we can do what it takes for us to be together forever.

Wyn is a sweet, low-angst novella that is part of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read this series in order—if you haven’t read books one to three already, there are big spoilers in this!

Review ⟫ Wyn is a closet Romantic!

This novella was long-awaited (okay maybe not long but I have no patience!) and I wish it had been a full novel because I’m greedy! Wyn and Danny make a perilous journey to a place within the Tear that may offer them a chance to be together longer than Danny’s natural lifespan.

Mainly told from Wyn’s POV, it was a beautiful insight into how a monster feels about his human and all that he is prepared to give up for the chance of eternity.

We see the Monster world, meet ‘Gods’ and spend time with our original favourites and I devoured this in just over an hour. Hot sex scenes, great banter and true love – you can’t ask for more than that!

Psycho by Onley James (Necessary Evils Book 2)

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Book_Endz

Title: ⟫ Psycho – Necessary Evils Book

Author: ⟫ Onley James

Blurb: ⟫ August Mulvaney has always been exceptional. As the genius son of an eccentric billionaire, his off-putting behavior is often blamed on his high IQ. They say there’s a thin line between genius and madness. August is both—a brilliant professor loved by his students and a ruthless, obsessive killer tasked with righting the wrongs of a failing justice system. And he’s just found his latest obsession: Lucas Blackwell.

Lucas Blackwell was once the golden child of the FBI, using his secret talent as a clairvoyant to help put away society’s worst. Until, with a touch, he discovers his co-worker is a killer and his life falls apart. Now, the world thinks he’s crazy and that co-worker wants him dead. He seeks refuge at a small college, hoping to rebuild his life and his reputation. But then he runs into August Mulvaney. Literally.

August is immediately intrigued with Lucas and his backstory. He doesn’t believe in psychics, but there’s no missing the terror in his eyes when they collide in the hallway. Now, August has a problem. Lucas knows his secret, and August knows he wants Lucas. And August always gets what he wants.

Can he convince Lucas that not all killers are created equal and that having a psychopath in his corner—and in his life—might be just what he needs?

Psycho is a fast-paced, thrill ride of a romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a psychopath hell-bent on romance and a disgraced FBI agent attempting to redeem himself. As always, there’s gratuitous violence, very dark humor, and scenes so hot it will melt your kindle. This is book two in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.

Review: ⟫ Dorky, adorable and clueless – and that’s the psychopath!

Well, holy hell!!

This came out on my daughter’s birthday and I have never struggled so hard to spend time with her!!! A psychic and a psycho sounds like it could be an absolute nightmare for at least the psychic – being able to see exactly what sick, twisted stuff your lover is into seems like a recipe for trauma! But August isn’t your average psycho – in fact, he’s an incredibly intelligent, dorky lovemuffin! And Lucas is no pushover despite what he’s been through.

It’s to Onley’s credit that she has managed to make these characters so different and yet you fall in love with them just the same! It was hot, fast paced, with appearances from the other brothers that will make you grin so hard! Noah and Adam are still my favourites but only by a smidge!

Cannot wait for the third one and it looks like thanks to Patreon I won’t have to!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.