Limitless by Willow Thomas (Squad Goals #5)

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Limitless
AUTHOR: ⟫ Willow Thomas
SERIES: ⟫ Squad Goals #5
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB:⟫ The Cheerleader and The Cheerleader

Hudson

Coming out to my straight best friend is harder than I think it will be. Not because he is phobic.

Because I’m in love with him.

I know; I am a walking, talking, queer cliche.

When I do come out, he is supportive… maybe a little too much, because before I know it, he has hatched a crazy plan that involves him easing me into the gay dating scene.

I’m not sure how us being fake boyfriends fits into this, but as if I’d refuse any chance to be close to Wyatt.

In the end, I know I will end up with a broken heart.

As long as I still have my best friend, it will all be worth it.

Wyatt

Hudson is my best friend. My ride or die. My bestie with testes. So when he comes out, I’m a little surprised, but I’m happy for him to live his truth.

In theory.

Because in reality, I’m not liking everyone and their mom trying to set him up on dates.

He’s my best friend, I should be the one to help him.

When I’m put on the spot and announce we are boyfriends, it takes me a minute, but I quickly realize it’s genius. I can keep all the horndogs away from Hudson, and it’s a great reason to spend even more time together.

I love Hudson and will do anything for him.

I love his kindness.

I love his dry sense of humor.

I love his smile.

I love the way his ass looks in his cheerleading uniform.

Wait…what?

Limitless is book five in Squad Goals, a MM cheerleader romance. Expect crystal..toys, meddlesome friends, spice, and a lot of cheer.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a sweet, fun addition to the Squad Goals series by Willow Thomas. Hudson finally got the nerve up to admit out loud that he is gay and his best friend, Wyatt, wants to help him celebrate. But also protect him because other men out there might not appreciate everything that makes Hudson such a great catch! The pouting/texting scene on movie night had me giggling, and the sheer lack of awareness that Wyatt showed on occasion was a trip. I loved how he tried to show Hudson that things were real between them – poor Seth btw – and that everyone else was rooting for them to figure out their lives was golden! This was just what I needed as I’m down with the flu (again) and I very much enjoyed this instalment and catching up with everyone.

I received an ARC from the Author.

Lyric by Wendy Rathbone (Love Sync Mates Season #2)

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Lyric

AUTHOR: ⟫ Wendy Rathbone

SERIES: ⟫ Love Sync Mates – Season 2

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Can an alpha athlete and a traumatized omega find true love?

Lyric is a famous alpha athlete, a dragon shifter racer known as the fastest flier in the world.

Jinn is a rare omega dragon shifter who finds himself in trouble one night when he meets an alpha at a bar who won’t leave him alone and who ends up being his stalker.

When Lyric is on a break from racing and goes to spend time at his private roost in the middle of the woods, he sees an omega running naked through the foliage as if fleeing for his life. When he realizes the omega is being chased by a feral dragon, he fights the out-of-control dragon and protects Jinn with all his might.

A bond quickly forms between the two, so powerful and unexpected that each man begins to question if their feelings are real.

An MM dragon shifter romance with two men who discover they are each other’s true mate. Rescue, hurt/comfort, omega heat, needy omega, protective alpha, mpreg and an HEA.

This book is part of the Love Sync Mates multi-author series but can be read as a standalone. It is also set in the author’s own Alpha Dragons universe.

REVIEW: ⟫ I should preface this to say that I haven’t read any of the author’s Alpha Dragons universe so entered this cold.

I actually quite enjoyed this new spin on true mates and dragons, especially with the way the dragons were separate entities with their own views, thoughts and voices. I loved how respectful Lyric was of his dragon Lyrican once he understood why the dragon felt the way that it did – it said a lot about his character that he wasn’t arrogant and assuming that he knew best.

I didn’t get as good a read from Jinn and struggled to relate to him at all, especially when the details of his meeting with Colt were revealed – it just seemed utterly out of character and more than a little foolish.

I liked the relationship that built between Jinn and Lyric, that neither of them assumed things about the other and that they were sensible enough to question whether what they were feeling was real given the circumstances. This was a nice, pretty uncomplicated read and I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews.

Pumped by Linden Bell (Mars Fitness #3)

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Pumped

AUTHOR: ⟫ Linden Bell

SERIES: ⟫ Mars Fitness #3

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Love is co-parenting with my worst enemy.

Owen

Everest is an irresponsible, delinquent, attention-hungry man-child.

Ever since my brother married his sister, we’ve hated each other with an unrelenting passion. It was bad enough when I had to see him at occasional family gatherings, but now I’m living in a nightmare and he’s right here with me.

Everest

Owen is arrogant, uptight, snobby, and cold-hearted.

I don’t want to have anything to do with him, but I don’t have a choice. After a tragic accident, we’re forced to raise our niece together, but our grief and mutual animosity is turning the house into a pressure cooker. We have to make peace and learn to work together, if not for our sake, then for the little girl who’s already lost everything.

PUMPED is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract MM romance between a free-spirited personal trainer and his overbearing veterinarian brother-in-law. Expect reluctant cuddling, teasing as a love language, annoyingly hot backwards caps, pillow chastity barriers, pool wrestling, begrudging I love yous, and a little girl who has them both wrapped around her little finger. PUMPED is the third and last book in the Mars Fitness series, but can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a satisfying end to the Mars Fitness series. Everest and Owen were the epitome of enemies to lovers, although the circumstances were painful in the extreme. I really appreciated the way in which their grief was handled – it wasn’t a one and done, there were times when things were bittersweet, times when there was panic – it was really nicely handled. I enjoyed the writing of Ivy as I know it can be difficult writing age appropriate children but this was handled deftly. The sex scenes were extremely hot – Everest and Owen seriously burned up the sheets – and catching up with the other guys at Mars was lovely.

I enjoyed this series and will be looking into the ones linking to it to join my TBR. I received an ARC from GRR.

Love's Ace by Lee McCormick

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Love’s Ace

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lee McCormick

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ There’s no good. No evil. No angels and demons. There’s love and there’s hate… and somewhere between the two, lust finds a way to thrive. It tips the scale. It burns everything to ash.

Wren — Cupid

We’re created from birth to unite soulmates and stop the monsters that would tear them apart. We’re trained to fight, to kill… and born without the ability to feel the thing we give. A cupid can’t feel love. A cupid can’t have a soulmate. And a cupid can’t fall in love with their sworn enemy, with the monster they’re destined to destroy. Until… Theo.

Theo — Enmity

When the world breaks a human, the Enmity can find a place in their heart and turn them into creatures of pure rage. The world has broken me over and over again until I’m not sure there’s anything left but anger. Hatred. Fear. I don’t believe in love, or soulmates… I don’t believe there’s anything out there that could stitch together the wounds that left me vulnerable to the monster I’m becoming. Until… Wren.

~~~

Love’s Ace is a dual POV enemies to soulmates MM Romance with a jaded cupid, a broken man turning into a monster, and the red string that connects them both. Expect high heat, high emotions, and an HEA that defies all odds.

REVIEW: ⟫ Dang, Lee McCormick did the thing! Not gonna lie, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Cupids and Anti-cupids fighting it out on earth but, my goodness, this book dragged me in from the very beginning and I didn’t stop reading until I’d finished.

Wren has been a cupid for over a century but feels next to nothing. Cupids are not allowed emotions and Wren has become more than accustomed to feeling nothing. Until he meets Theo – a man on the verge of turning into Wren’s sworn enemy, the Enmity.

Theo has lost everything and cannot think of the last time he felt something good. Which is why when his body begins burning with hate and only the touch of a Cupid can stem the pain, he has no idea how to handle things.

The way that these two hated each other initially was intense – you could feel Wren’s desire to kill Theo and just get things over with, and Theo almost wanted to give in to the hatred and lust for violence inside him. But then circumstances meant that they needed each other, until it wasn’t about the circumstances, it was about how they made each other feel.

The tension was palpable, the sexual tension was there in spades, but this entire story was just about emotion and how the right person can make you feel like you’d do anything for them. I loved the lore behind everything (although I can’t help but feel the way they created Cupids was unbearably cruel), and I absolutely loved the characters we were introduced to. This is a fast paced, romantic, sexy, touching and painful story to read and I almost wish I hadn’t finished it because now I’m left with all of these feelings!

A fantastic read and it solidified Lee McCormick as an auto-buy for me. I don’t know how much it fits with Valentine’s Day just being around the corner, but this dark romance definitely worked for me!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Sexy Possessed Roommate by X Everett (Planchette Playboys)

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Sexy Possessed Roommate

AUTHOR: ⟫ X Everett

SERIES: ⟫ A Planchette Playboys Novella

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ This demon knows your heart’s desire.

There’s only two rules for the party I’m hosting at my fraternity this weekend: don’t mess around with straight boys OR Ouija boards. When my hot, hunky college roommate gets possessed by a demon, I quickly find out why… but I keep asking myself, “Why not?”

SEXY POSSESSED ROOMMATE (Planchette Playboys Book #1) is a steamy M/M dark romance novella with elements of horror and the paranormal, death, possession, and humor. Tropes include friends-to-lovers, bi awakening, forbidden love, and size difference. This first-person, past-tense tale has a happy ever after, but trigger warnings include a dirty-talking demon, light bondage and degradation, homophobia, non-graphic death, and acts of the occult. Though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone novella.

With contributions from indie horror author Xtopher

REVIEW: ⟫ This was well written with an interesting premise. Crispin was an interesting character, although sometimes he came across as really indecisive: one moment he was completely against using the board, the next he was like ‘yeah sure’. Stacio sounded absolutely lush and I loved the imagery the author created of the two of them together. I can think of at least two characters that I imagine are going to be featured and that sounded fun. It was a nice, easy read that I enjoyed. I received an ARC from BookSirens.

Paper Roses by Lily Morton (Confetti Hitched #3)

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Paper Roses

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lily Morton

SERIES: ⟫ Confetti Hitched #3

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Jed Walker thinks he’s having a midlife crisis. The only trouble is that it feels too good to stop.

Widowed at a young age, he’s spent his life since then avoiding any relationships that might end up hurting him again. He has his successful wedding planning business, Confetti Hitched, and a series of uncomplicated hookups, and that’s all he needs in life

The one person disrupting this controlled stoicism is his younger assistant, Artie. He’s sweet and kind and has a funny way of calming Jed’s mind. So, when Artie comes to him with a problem, Jed moves heaven and earth to help, which is how he finds himself entering a fake marriage with the younger man and catching feelings. Too bad it’s all pretend. Or is it?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a story about how love can completely derail the best-laid plans.

This is the third book in the Confetti Hitched series, but it can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh the squee of delight I let out when I received this ARC! I am part of Lily’s Facebook group and was extremely chuffed to discover that the third Confetti Hitched book was due out on my birthday, but I wasn’t about to say no to reading it early!

This book – oh my goodness, this book! Jed is such an idiot! He was so kind, so caring whilst protecting his heart with a solid brick wall between him and everyone else. He was so utterly blind to the fact that it was obvious he was head over heels in love with Artie that it was occasionally so heartbreaking.

Artie was such a brave young man – from a childhood marred by a horrid stepmother, he still remained kind, sensitive and caring and completely in love with Jed. He took the opportunity that fate presented to him and ran with it, making a home for he and Jed, and risking it all for love. I was in awe of how strong he was, especially with stepping away to allow Jed to figure out some things on his own.

The two of them together were just amazing – so witty, so damned sexy and just made for each other. I adore ALL of the crew of Confetti Hitched and laughed so loudly at Raff and other shenanigans and just loved the updates that we got on how everyone was doing. As always, the background cast of characters were entertaining, funny af and perfect additions to the story line. Special shout-out to Mal and Cadan (I LOVE those two) and the descriptions of the various weddings, brides and grooms and insane situations made this a laugh out loud situation.

I will still be buying this for my birthday because it was just so darned good – if you have read any of the other Confetti Hitched books, you will not be disappointed. This is Lily Morton at her absolute best!

I received an ARC from GRR and am insanely grateful for getting my birthday present a couple of weeks early!

Seth's Awakening by Kim Breyon (Unexpected Love #2)

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Seth’s Awakening

AUTHOR: ⟫ Kim Breyon

SERIES: ⟫ Unexpected Love #2

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ After a devastating blow in my personal life, I hastily pack my bags and take off for San Diego, desperate for a new start. A new life. But where do I even begin? I sacrificed my entire adult life to raise my son, focusing on his dreams instead of mine. What do I now? How do I pick up the pieces?

Friends are hard to come by in the city that never slows down, especially for someone as depressed as me. Until a red-haired bartender at the neighborhood dive bar takes pity on me. His seemingly innocent gesture catches me off guard… but not nearly as much as my attraction to him. Declan is invading my every thought, every steamy, unrelenting dream.

Soon, he’s invading every hope. I want more, and I’m willing to risk everything to get it. But Declan has pain too, perhaps even deeper than mine. Opening his heart again just might shatter it completely.

Is it possible for two broken hearts to fit together? Or are we doomed to live in pieces forever?

****

Seth’s Awakening is book 2 in the Unexpected Love series. It is highly encouraged to read the books in order.

REVIEW: ⟫ Teaching Quinn was still very much in my mind when I saw the opportunity to read Seth’s Awakening and I am surprised to admit that I actually preferred book two. Seeing Seth’s point of view of the situation made me think really hard about how it must have felt to walk in on what he did, especially after what must have felt like a lifetime of putting himself second at best.

I absolutely loved Declan and my heart broke for him. I loved the relationship between the two of them, how respectful they were, how kind and thoughtful, and the sex between them was hot. The side characters were a decent bunch of people and towards the end where Declan helped Seth resolve certain situations, I was really pleased. I’m glad I got to read these two books so closely together and can heartily recommend this one. I’m looking through the author’s list of books as I would like to read more of their catalogue. I received an ARC from GRR.

Stacked by Linden Bell (Mars Fitness #2)

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Stacked

AUTHOR: ⟫ Linden Bell

SERIES: ⟫ Mars Fitness #2

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Preston and I have been best friends and roommates since the first day of boarding school. If it weren’t for me, he’d never step away from his precious dissertation, not to eat, not to shower, not for anything.

I might have been in love with him for ages, but Preston has never expressed any interest in anyone other than his research. That’s fine, there are plenty of guys at Mars Fitness who can help me get my rocks off.

Then one day, the sexiest man alive walks through the front door and sweeps me off my feet. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, except there’s just one problem. He wants my heart, but how can I give it to him when I’ve already given it to Preston?

Stacked is a best friends to lovers, gay-awakening, nerd/jock MM romance between co-dependent roommates. It is the second book in the Mars Fitness series and can be read as a standalone. Happily ever after guaranteed.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my goodness, has there ever been anyone as utterly oblivious as Preston?! This story made me smile, laugh cry – the relationship between Sawyer and Preston was absolutely beautiful, but I honestly don’t know how Sawyer put up with Preston! He’s literally been in love with him since puberty but Preston is so oblivious to anything that isn’t his research that he had zero clue until it suddenly looked like he might lose Sawyer to someone else.

I loved Sawyer’s Mom and Preston’s childhood sweetheart, Madison, but Preston’s parents were a complete nightmare and those were the bits that upset me the most. In the end, I found myself thinking the same as Sawyer – Preston needed to be kept safe, happy and loved because he didn’t experience that when he was growing up and he deserved all the love. In the end, Preston deserved the love he found with Sawyer and I adored the epilogue!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Ripped by Linden Bell (Mars Fitness #1)

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Ripped

AUTHOR: ⟫ Linden Bell

SERIES: ⟫ Mars Fitness #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Sometimes heartache is a blessing in disguise.

I thought my life was perfect, and then I walked in on my boyfriend sleeping with my best friend.

The only person I can turn to now is Donnie, the silver-fox spin instructor who lets me crash at his place. Donnie’s a lot older and he’s still grieving his late husband. My dreams of being a filmmaker have disintegrated along with my relationship.

The worst of life has brought us together. Do we dare create something beautiful out of it?

Ripped is an age gap, nerd/jock, hurt/comfort MM romance between roommates who cuddle while watching classic movies. Expect low angst steamy shower rooms, teary confessions, disapproving family, and brand new beginnings. It is the first book in the Mars Fitness series and can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ Ripped literally started with one of our main characters getting his heart ripped out and I felt so awful for Connor. That situation was straight out of anyone’s nightmares and I was so relieved when he found his way to Donnie and Donnie not only understood his pain, but could completely empathise.

I really loved the way that this story didn’t try to minimise Donnie’s past relationship – his late husband was shown with love and sensitivity, without taking away from the new romance. His relationship with his late in-laws was so lovely and he completely deserved the way that they viewed him.

I also really enjoyed the fact that Connor was able to realise that how he had felt for his ex wasn’t a patch on how he felt for Donnie. It would have been so easy for there to be some big misunderstanding or belief that it was all a rebound, but both men were mature enough to accept that what they were being given was the real deal, deserving of their time and effort, and I really appreciated that.

The background characters at the gym were entertaining and I have an inkling that some of them feature in other books by the author – if so, I will have to search them out. This was a beautiful love story – with an awfully sad beginning – that made me feel all soft and happy inside.

I very much enjoyed reading this and will definitely read the rest of the series when it’s released. I received an ARC from GRR.

Barbarian by Onley James (Jericho's Boys Book #3)

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Barbarian

AUTHOR: ⟫ Onley James

SERIES: ⟫ Jericho’s Boys #3

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Nico Michaels pretends to be carefree, avoiding anything serious, especially relationships; his chaotic past has taught him that love only complicates things. He’s content with one-night stands and his close-knit group of friends, including his roommate, Malachi Mizrahi.

Neurodivergent and gender-fluid, Malachi wakes up each morning with a whole new personality, but one thing remains his love for Nico. They clicked perfectly from day one, sharing a love of everything from anime to nature documentaries. They even share a bed. Platonically, of course.

One night, the lines blur when they share a kiss, but before things can go further, a desperate call from one of Mal’s dance students throws them into a missing person’s case that leaves them with more questions than answers. To complicate matters, Mal reveals he’s been quietly orchestrating Nico’s whole life without him even noticing. Nico is shaken to his core, his perception of their relationship shattered.

As they navigate the perilous world of a vicious Chinese triad, their bond deepens, and Nico begins to see that Malachi is not only the perfect friend, but the perfect man to fulfill all his needs. Together, they must face their past and survive their present if they want any chance of a happy ending in their future.

Barbarian is a friends-to-lovers, dark romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a masochistic vigilante with ADHD and a video game addiction and his sadistic and controlling best friend who worships the ground he walks on. As with any Onley book, you’ll find dark humor, steamy sexy times, and gratuitous violence, but only against people who totally deserve it. This is book 3 in the Jericho’s Boys series. Each book follows a different couple.

REVIEW: ⟫ In a feat of self control that I didn’t know I possessed, I stopped myself from reading this as it was posted to Onley’s patreon – I wanted to have the whole thing to binge in one go and I downloaded it last night. I haven’t been to sleep yet (I guess the patience and self control only lasted so long) because I had to read this in one go! And it is SO worth the lack of sleep!

Nico and Malachi are absolutely fascinating – the way that their jagged edges match so well. Malachi described it well when he talked about them being two souls waiting to be reunited – which, height of romance right there – and I cannot imagine either of them with anyone else. The sex was off the charts hot – as to be expected from Onley – and I loved the background plot involving the triads, counterfeit handbags and a psychopath (one of the bad ones) masquerading as a good brother.

I loved all of the other boys popping in and out; I adore Felix; but I almost stroked out when Freckles threatened Coe with ‘if you die, I’ll marry Kendra and have the kids call her Mom!’ That was absolute gold and I chuckled so hard I scared my cats.

I love Onley’s characterisations, how she builds the tension in both the plot and the relationship so that you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for the resolution. Thomas Mulvaney remains the absolute GOAT, and I had a complete and utter blast living in this universe for the last six hours. I might console myself with re-reading the Necessary Evils books before I go and have a mooch about on Onley’s Patreon – I don’t have to avoid it now so can catch up on all of the mini fics, etc!