Ash on the Tongue by Lee McCormick (Mayhem Manuscripts Season one : 1nf3ction Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Ash on the Tongue
AUTHOR: ⟫ Lee McCormick

SERIES: ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One : 1nf3ction Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Humans were always monsters, the rain just gave them an excuse.

Aubrey

The infected didn’t break me. They didn’t capture me for experiments and use me like an object. Humanity made me into the monster I am.

I’m reckless because it makes me feel alive, careless because I’m addicted to pain. And I’m dangerous because I’ve got nothing left to live for.

Nothing, until I meet a raider who seems to see right through me… who demands I do the one thing I said I’d never do again.

Let him in.

Phoenix

My mother left me to die on streets flooded with crimson rain. From the time I was born, all I’ve known is betrayal.

Now all I know is my pack. We take what we want when we want. We survive and we thrive because we know humans are as bad as the infected, and in this world, you eat or get eaten.

When I find a man who seems like he’s got a death wish… I know he’s mine. His reluctance makes me crave him. His defiance makes me burn like the fire in his eyes.

I’ve never wanted anything the way I want him. I need to know if his blood runs as red as the rain.


Ash on the Tongue is a Dual POV MM dystopian dark romance, and part of the 1nf3ction multi-author series. It features a man broken by the world around him and a raider who thrives on his chaos. Expect dark situations, high heat, and two men willing to burn down the world to keep what’s theirs.

REVIEW: ⟫ Whoa, I was not expecting this! A whole new world, where crimson rain has effected humanity in many different, horrendous ways and the discovery that often the monsters are human.

Both Phoenix and Aubrey were just walking red flags – they had been through so much individually, and the world in which they lived wasn’t set up for soft or kind. But somehow, the two of them together managed to look beyond the external scars and the things they had done to survive to the person underneath. This was beautiful – also dark as heck, occasionally made me gasp (seriously, read the warnings because I didn’t have cannibalism on my bingo card for reading romance), brutal and yet there was an underlying desperate need for family, connection and love. I seriously loved reading this one and am looking forward to reading more in the series. I haven’t really enjoyed reading McCormick’s collaborations with R S McKensie so it felt really good to return to their books and find myself turning pages with anticipation for what they were coming up with next. Yeah, this series could be seriously good – fingers crossed for the second book in the series!

Night Call by C T Whistle (Part #2 of the Omegaverse Case Files)

TITLE: ⟫ Night Call
AUTHOR: ⟫ C T Whistle

SERIES: ⟫ Omegaverse Case Files #2
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Silent Witness meets shifters in this steamy, high stakes omegaverse detective novel.


Pember McArthur’s life is falling apart, one horribly unhinged mother at a time. With no pack, few friends and even fewer family, he must learn to survive as a lone omega in a town that’s still reeling from a recent sex trafficking scandal. Landing a job as a Crime Scene Investigator, he gets thrust into a world of violence, murder and one smoking hot Detective Sergeant who is hell bent on being the most miserable fucker around.

When alphas start turning up dead in a string of bizarre and seemingly unrelated attacks, Pember and DS Blake Smith must work together to catch the person responsible. However, when the number of bodies starts to grow, it becomes clear that dead men tell no tales, and the police have no leads. As the case unfolds, both come to learn that death is not the end, but the beginning of something altogether unexpected.

This is an omegaverse novel, set in an alternative version of England where humans are also wolves, men can get pregnant and everyone has a secondary sex. Contains M/M, open door smut, mpreg (although not featured heavily in this book), alternative human biology, shifting, Brit-cop humour, found family, sarcasm, two traumatised protagonists, serious sexual assault (implied but never described), suicide (described on page), graphic violence and, most importantly, copious amounts of kick-assery. Mature audiences only (18+).

REVIEW:
This was good – I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the first one, but it was good. Pember and Blake were actually really good together, and I loved their relationship with Val. The background characters really make this story – Oliver is there from book one, the CSI staff and the two police officers that I think are part three were so much fun. The main plot regarding a serial killer was interesting although it was a little too obvious who was involved. I’m glad I read this and will keep an eye out for book three.

Hammer and Gavel by C T Whistle (Part #1 Omegaverse Case Files)

TITLE: ⟫ Hammer & Gavel
AUTHOR: ⟫ C T Whistle

SERIES: ⟫ Part #1 of the Omegaverse Case Files
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Hot Fuzz meets shifters, meets buddy cop romance in this sexy, high-stakes M/M omegaverse detective novel.

Detective Constable Oliver Reed enjoys two things in life; tea with biscuits and catching bad guys. For twenty nine years he has walked the tightrope between alpha and omega, but that rope is about to snap when one chilly January afternoon he crosses paths with the devastatingly handsome alpha, Detective Sergeant Lucas White. Tensions skyrocket when the two are forced to work together to take down an omega sex-trafficking ring that is rapidly drowning the sleepy towns of West Newton & High Enfield. However, when the case starts getting out of hand, so too does their desire for one another.

This is a shifter/omegaverse novel, set in an alternative version of England where humans are also wolves, men can get pregnant and everyone has a secondary sex. Your mother will probably judge you for listening to this, but who cares? Contains M/M, smut, mpreg, alternative human biology, shifting, Brit-cop humor, sarcasm, a traumatized protagonist, child abuse (implied but never described), and, most importantly, copious amounts of tea drinking. If you’re a fan of this genre, you’ll know what to expect.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was brilliant – reading something written in British-English was a slight adjustment but it was worth it for all of the names dropped – bourbons, custard creams, hot toast – this was a feast for the British senses in terms of food and tea!! I really enjoyed the story – the idea of Sigmas isn’t one that I have read a lot about, so I was interested to see just how it affected things. This wasn’t insta-love – more like major lust at first collision. Lucas and Oliver kept things interesting with each other and I appreciated that throughout the misunderstandings and their extremely strong effect on each other, they tried very hard to maintain a decent line of communication.

Oliver had been through so much, I could actually well understand his reluctance to put himself into another relationship – this wasn’t just a break-up, this had medical repercussions that were long-lasting and I appreciate the fact that these weren’t glossed over. The criminal plot line was a very interesting read and I enjoyed the intricacies of it all, along with how normal everything was despite there being shifters in the world. I’ve already downloaded book two because I didn’t want to wait – this was a very solid 4 for me!

Skin Deep by L Eveland (Wayward Sons #2)

TITLE: ⟫ Skin Deep
AUTHOR: ⟫ L Eveland

SERIES: ⟫ Wayward Sons #2
RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ I’ll protect what’s mine, even if it tears this family apart.

My life is a mess, a nightmare for a man obsessed with cleanliness. As the eldest, it’s my job to protect my murderous brothers while maintaining appearances as a successful plastic surgeon.
Everyone thinks I’ve got my life together, but I’m secretly falling apart. I needed a purpose, something beyond killing to live for.

And then I meet Pax, another vigilante. I crave his pain, his praise, his touch like a drug. The chemistry between us is undeniable, but it can’t last. I’m too broken, and he deserves better.

Even if I can’t have him, I’ll protect him and his daughters from everyone—especially my own family. They know something about this killer Pax and I are hunting, but no one’s talking and the closer we get to the truth, the more familiar blood I have to shed. By the time I’ve closed this case, I might not have a family left to protect.

Skin Deep is a 98,000-word standalone dark romance in the Wayward Sons series, which follows the Laskin brothers as they battle their inner demons and find love.

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.