Tag Archives: arc

Newcomers by October Arden (Inside Book #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ Newcomers
AUTHOR: ⟫ October Arden

SERIES: ⟫ Inside Book #3
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ “When one of them breaks, they all do.”
Alex was never meant to stay. He was created to protect Jaime—nothing more. Now that Luke is here, devoted and strong and real, what is Alex for?
So he disappears.
And Jaime shatters.
When Luke shuts down from guilt, a new voice rises in the dark. Hunter—born of Luke’s need, desperate to protect them all. As the system tilts toward collapse, it’s someone else’s turn to be the anchor, and Alex must decide what kind of love is worth surviving for.
A gutting, healing, polyamorous conclusion about broken minds, impossible devotion, and the terrifying beauty of being needed.


REVIEW: ⟫ I’ve sat on this for quite a while, allowing my brain to figure out what it wants to say but I’m gonna be honest, my brain has nothing! This book was just such a trip – it simply didn’t occur to me that Luke might have a headmate and it completely threw me. I read this book not quite sure what I wanted to happen, but I was pleased with how it ended. I have learned quite a bit about plurality and am definitely interested in learning more. Overall, I would say that this was a satisfactory end to the series and that Luke, Jamie, Alex and Hunter got the happily ever after that they fought so hard for and well deserved. I received an ARC from the author.

Lord of Whispered Shadow by Jordan Ko (The Demon Reflected #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Lord of Whispered Shadow
AUTHOR: ⟫ Jordan Ko

SERIES: ⟫ The Demon Reflected #1
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Human. Archie, youngest son of a Duke, is caught between his mother’s matchmaking efforts and his brother’s threats to cut him off. Being married to a rich noblewoman would solve all of his problems, apart from the whole not being attracted to women concern. He doesn’t mean to attract the attention of a succubus but when he does… well, possession can’t be worse than being forever alone and closeted, can it?

Demon. Damaris, reduced to whispers and shadows after fleeing the demon realm. He needs to regain his magic, and the easiest way to do that is to steal energy from humans.

Everyone talks about humans being corrupted by demons, but if this is corruption then Archie will gladly forfeit his soul.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is a difficult review to write because I did enjoy reading this book. However, it was something I came back to every now and then, rather than something I felt the need to binge through as quickly as possible. I expected more steaminess and corruption, whereas I would describe this as quite tame in respect to the sex – most of those interactions took place ‘off page’, which is fine but not at all what I thought this book would be like. I enjoyed the information about demons and their place in society, but overall there was just a sense of ‘that was nice’ rather than anything special. I don’t think I’ll be reaching for book two when it’s released but I would say to give this story a try as it might be something you enjoy. I received an ARC from BookSirens.

Disaster: The Biggest Fan by Nico Verce

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TITLE: ⟫ Disaster: The Biggest Fan
AUTHOR: ⟫ Nico Verce
RATING: ⟫ 1/5

BLURB: ⟫ Live Fast, Die Loud

God built the myth.

The fan archived it.

Then he bled for it.

Jesse Grady—known online as Red—was never supposed to be seen.

He was just a fan. A digital ghost. An obsessive eye locked on the chaos of the band DISASTER, especially its frontman: the untouchable, unhinged Chase Riot.

But then the legend looked back.

Now Red’s face is on every feed. His obsession has a spotlight. And Chase? Chase wants more.

More control. More devotion. More destruction.

Dragged into a world of fame, fire, and brutal intimacy, Red becomes a target, a trophy, a mirror. The deeper he falls, the sharper the game cuts—until the persona cracks, the truth leaks, and the audience demands more.

This tour won’t end with redemption.

It’s a slow burn toward detonation.

A vicious callout of parasocial culture.

Perfect for fans of dark celebrity romance, toxic obsession, fandom horror, and razorwire banter.

Obsession is currency. Fame is a weapon. You came for the show—now bleed for it.

REVIEW: ⟫ I understand what the author was trying to do with how they wrote this story – it seemed to be aiming at being an insight into parasocial links, complete with hashtags and ‘reactions’ from people to things that were happening. I have also been a hardline ‘stan’ of various groups in my life, so I get it.

This did not work for me even remotely. I kept waiting for something more than dramatic statements and unhinged fan reactions, something between the two leads that wasn’t just toxic situationship behaviour and it never happened. I literally finished reading this book because it was an ARC and I didn’t want to give up too easily. I wish I had. I can’t see me reading anything by this author again, at least not willingly. I received an ARC through BookSirens.

Heat Haze by Alder Snow

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TITLE: ⟫ Heat Haze
AUTHOR: ⟫ Alder Snow
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ After their car breaks down on the side of a hot Texan road, L.A. born Nico Marín and his friends are offered help by an all too friendly stranger. But after the Tavera family farm is turned into a slaughterhouse, Nico finds himself hiding in an old closet just praying he isn’t next. When the closet doors open and he’s face to face with Toro Tavera, the alarmingly big but mute black sheep of the family, he’s greeted not with words but with one sound.

Sh.

Then he’s left there. With a heart beating so fast he can barely breathe, he sits for what feels like hours. But when Toro returns he isn’t there to finish the job. Instead he drops down, unspeaking but not unfeeling, lifting Nico’s hand up to his head in an attempt to be pet. He doesn’t want to hurt him, but he does want to be loved.

Heat Haze is a single-POV standalone novel between a loveless L.A. city boy and a mute cannibal killer who craves genuine love. Two men with more in common than they realize learn to love and grow together in this HEA romance that turns a grim start into lots of fluff. This novel is lighter dark romance, with lots of affection between the leads and not as much ‘dark’ content. A full CW list is included inside!

REVIEW: ⟫ I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I saw this offered as an arc – a fluffy dark romance including cannibals was something I had never seen before, and I was fascinated to see how it was going to work.

There is A LOT of suspending disbelief reading this – like, seriously, don’t even think about trying to make sense of some of the decisions Nico made. I personally haven’t seen ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ but even I caught the references to it in the beginning. The relationship between Toro and Nico was very simplistically presented, and the thoughts about Stockholm Syndrome were definitely there. I’m not sure the author managed to convince me about this romance, but I feel it was a good attempt and I applaud the ‘different’ thinking behind the idea.

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews.

September 2025 ⟫ Book Reviews Round Up

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Every month, I post a round up of the books I have read and reviewed. They will mostly be M/M books, but occasionally something a little different slips in. These are the books I have read in September 2025.

Books are sourced through Gay Romance Reviews, Foreword PR, Indie Author Creative, Booksprout, BookSirens, Author ARCs and Kindle Unlimited but although some books are gifted, all views are my own honest opinion. <hr>

A Quiet Fire by N.J. Lysk ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author provided copy

Bitter When He Begs by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Body Count by L Eveland ⟫ Wayward Sons #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Confession by Rina Saint ⟫ Constantine Brothers #2 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Contract by Rina Saint ⟫ Dangerous Games #1⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Cruel When He Smiles by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #3 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Flagrant Foul by Jesse H Reign ⟫ Totally Pucked #3 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Free Fall by Leta Blake ⟫ Free Fall #1 ⟫ /5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Full Body Hit – (Books #1 & #2) by Marina Vivancos ⟫ Alpha Omega Hockey #5 & #6 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Just This Once by Garrett Leigh ⟫ Men of Porth Luck #1 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

Out of a Fix by Mary Calmes ⟫ Torus Intercession Book #7 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Not Gentlemen by N.Y. Lysk ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author Arc

Outsiders by October Arden ⟫ Inside Book #2 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author Arc

Possession by Rina Saint ⟫ Constantine Brothers #1 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Pretty When He Bleeds by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #1 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Red On His Lips by J Tomala ⟫ Blood on His Lips #1 ⟫ 3/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Taste of Blood by A.J. Church ⟫ Cord & Asher #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ BookSirens

Tempting Frey by Roe Horvat ⟫ Bears of Beauville #2 ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Weight of Duty by N.Y. Lysk ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Author ARC

Wilde’s End by Saxon James ⟫ The Wilde Men #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

Just This Once by Garrett Leigh (Men of Porth Luck #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Just This Once
AUTHOR: ⟫ Garrett Leigh

SERIES: ⟫ Men of Porth Luck
RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Love hurts. Love heals. Love stays. The Men of Porth Luck series is a steamy, gritty, and emotional MM small-town romance collection chock full of angst, deep connections, and healing soulmate love.

A broken soldier. A guarded nurse. A love that shouldn’t happen—and yet…

“Of course it f**king does.”
Mal’s just passing through. Skylar’s the small-town nurse who fixes everyone but himself. Mal swears he won’t fall, but Sky’s smile hides shadows he can’t ignore.

Those pewter-grey eyes.
That sun-kissed hair.
That ink.

We’re a mistake waiting to happen.
Inevitable. Excruciating.
So what’s the harm in Just This Once?

🔥 Steamy MM romance
💔 Hurt/comfort & gritty angst
🏡 Small town, big hearts, found family

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh damn, my heart hurts! I knew Skylar’s story would wreck me and yet I still thought that I was in some way prepared. I really, really wasn’t. Mal is an action man through and through, which is what makes his reason for leaving the special forces so difficult to bear. Add to that returning to Porth Luck where, despite his family and friends being there, he doesn’t feel he belongs and life, choosing to keep living, is hard. He meets Skylar and discovers that they are entangled way before they ever even kiss.

THEN things get dramatic! If you’ve read any of the Rebel Kings, you know the tangled webs that these people are constantly battling their way through. Finding out just why Skylar wants nothing to do with the motorcycle club that is in his blood is more like a war than a simple battle. These men – I’m including Jack and Sol in this – are so hard-headed and yet so soft-hearted that whenever I read one of their tales, my heart bleeds for them. I read a huge chunk of this book through tears and that was before Skylar finally broke down and explained some things to Mal. I have such a book hangover, it’s taken me half of the day to be able to pull my thoughts together to even attempt to write a review.The I love yous, the ending – absolute bliss and as always, Garrett Leigh makes the pain worthwhile!

I received an ARC from Foreword PR.

Outsiders by October Arden (Inside Book #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Outsiders
AUTHOR: ⟫ October Arden

SERIES: ⟫ Inside Book #2
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ “To love them both, he has to stop being afraid of himself.”

After losing them both, Luke isn’t giving up. He refuses to be just another outsider—he wants to be part of the system, not just orbiting around it. Jaime and Alex need him. Even if Alex hates him. Especially if he does.
As Luke pushes deeper into their world, Alex fights him every step of the way. But even rivals can learn to trust. Even enemies can fall in love.

And in the middle is Jaime, still struggling to hold on while the two people who love him most finally see each other clearly.

A queer psychological slow-burn MM romance with enemies-to-lovers heat, mental illness recovery, and found family bonds that can’t be broken—even by trauma.

REVIEW: ⟫ I really wasn’t sure where things were going to go in part 2. I felt so bad for Luke – out of all three of them, he was the one who was used the most and it broke my heart because not only did he accept it, he expected it. There was a part of me that wanted him to pull away from Jaime and Alex, to find himself without them, but as the story progressed, I understood him so much better.

This book concentrates more on the relationship between Luke and Alex and it was utterly fascinating. Both of them have Jaime as their focus and yet they find ways to bond and learn about each other. Alex becomes far more open to the idea that Luke loves Jaime almost as much as he does and that opens his heart in unexpected ways. I read this in one sitting (so much for a good night’s sleep!) and it was well worth the bags under my eyes today. I am truly looking forward to the final instalment and finding out where the author takes us as well as this delightfully flawed but beautiful threesome. I received an ARC from the author.

Not Gentlemen by N.Y.Lysk

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TITLE: ⟫ Not Gentlemen
AUTHOR: ⟫ N.Y.Lysk
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Two alphas (jocks, bullies, stuck in post-season training) into improvised bondage, hand-over-mouth while fucking, really turned on by noncon scenes, love ganging up together

Warnings: non-con, consent is negotiated & then ignored, bondage, gag, lingerie.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well this was a lovely bit of nasty/naughty deliciousness! I really loved the fact that from the very beginning, you could sense that Chalent was trying to deny what it was he wanted. We didn’t get as much insight into Yan – the story was told completely from Chalent’s POV.

This hit me at just the right time – dirty, sexy, nasty – this was a short that I may find myself re-reading. Sometimes I’m here for the plot and other times, I really just want something down and dirty and this was most definitely it!

I received an ARC from the author.

Headmates by October Arden (Inside Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Headmates
AUTHOR: ⟫ October Arden

SERIES: ⟫ Inside #1
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ At six-and-a-half feet tall, Luke should be impossible to miss. Instead, he’s spent his life being overlooked, dismissed, forgotten. So when brilliant, magnetic Jaime starts pursuing him with unusual intensity, Luke doesn’t question it. He’s just grateful someone finally sees him.

What Luke doesn’t know is that Jaime shares his body and consciousness with Alex—his headmate, protector, and the man he’s loved for eleven years. What Luke can’t see is that when Jaime looks at him, he’s seeing someone else entirely.

Because Luke looks exactly like Alex would if he had his own body.

As Jaime becomes obsessed with touching Alex through Luke’s skin, their perfect bond begins to fracture. Alex watches helplessly as the man he loves betrays what they’ve built together. And Luke falls deeper for someone who’s using his body to love a ghost.

When the truth comes out, it will destroy everything they thought they knew about love, identity, and what it means to be real.

An intense, emotional queer romance about the dangerous space between want and need.

For fans of TJ Klune’s hurt/comfort and Eli Easton’s emotional complexity.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is the first book by this author that I have read but as soon as I finished, I went to see what else I could find. The second book incorporating DID that I read this weekend, this book was a trip. I couldn’t get a grip on Jamie – I kept trying to figure out what his deal was. Luke – I felt so bad for Luke, ready to accept the scraps from the table as long as it meant he could continue to be with Jamie – heartbreaking. Alex – who we don’t spend a huge amount of time with – made so much more sense to me. Obviously he was jealous and scared – the thought that he might be replaced was terrifying. I completely understood why the cliffhanger happened when it did but boy, I was cursing because I wanted to know what happened next immediately.

This was fascinating, innovative and satisfying and I look forward to the next instalment. I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews.

The Cop by Tom North

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TITLE: ⟫ The Cop
AUTHOR: ⟫ Tom North
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Gus is a hardened Cop, lonely and gristled – Can street boy Theo tame him?

Gus has been a Cop all his adult life – he has seen it all but he has never found love. He is married to the job. He rescues Theo, who is caught up dealing drugs for a gang and there is an instant spark. Worried that Theo will suffer in jail or contiue his life of crime, Gus offers to take him in. But can Theo clean up? And Can Gus admit his feelings?

This is a steamy read with plenty of heart, sure to quench you thirst for sexy romance.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was actually an incredibly sweet story beneath the street crime, drug dealing corrupt cops and thugs!! Gus and Theo were really lovely together – I loved the fact that Gus didn’t judge Theo and how Theo was able to accept the help from Gus despite his life being so precarious. I liked the way they related to each other, the sex scenes were hot but didn’t take over the story, and I really loved Gus riding to the rescue! I will definitely look out for more stories by this author and was very pleased to have received an arc from Booksprout.