The Laughing Game by AE Lister (Parlor Games Book #3)

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ The Laughing Game

AUTHOR: ⟫ AE Lister

SERIES: ⟫ Parlor Games Book #3

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ When people are placing bets, maybe you’re not so straight after all.

Angel Barnett always assumed he was straight. Sure, he’d had an occasional fantasy about sex with a man. But he’d never contemplated having sex with two men, until he met Gideon Foster and Vihaal Petrovsky.

Now he can’t get them out of his head, and the casual friendship that’s developed between them is heading into unknown territory. It seems like everyone he knows, including his aging mother, has known for years he’s ‘not so straight’. And it turns out that Gideon and Vihaal have been deliberately trying to seduce him.

But they’re married, and Angel isn’t sure about sex with men to begin with. It only takes a few instances of physical intimacy with Vihaal and Gideon, who seem to live a very kinky life with few boundaries, for Angel to finally accept and start to explore his bisexuality.

But can Angel be a third to Vihaal and Gideon’s twosome? They seem to want him. But the two of them are kinky as hell so not only is Angel embarking on a same-sex relationship for the first time, he’s also being initiated into the kinky world of dominance and submission. And since Vihaal is a die-hard Dom, it looks like Angel had better get used to submission—a mindset that comes surprisingly easily.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is the first book that I can recall reading by AE Lister and as this one is book number 3 in the series, I think I have done it a slight disservice. I haven’t read the previous books in the series and I don’t think that this works as well as it might do without all of that background.

That said, I found the dynamic between Angel, Vihaal and Gideon to be entertaining, sexy and on occasion, very sweet. Vihaal and Gideon are a married couple who occasionally indulge in adding a temporary third to their relationship. However, it becomes obvious that they have had their eye on Angel for a while and it quickly becomes apparent that this is not a temporary thing for any of them. Not least, because for Angel this is his first relationship with men.

I enjoyed the relationships and characters in this story, especially Angel’s mother who made me laugh a lot. The friendships were nicely written and the encouragement and acceptance was good to see/read. The sex scenes were hot and intense, and although I felt that occasionally there wasn’t enough attention paid to the fact that this was all new to Angel, the triad worked very well with Vihaal most definitely in charge with Angel and Gideon as his pets. I may see if I can read the previous books in the series.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Angel by Linden Bell (The Camboy Network Book #)

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Angel

AUTHOR: ⟫ Linden Bell

SERIES: ⟫ The Camboy Network Book #3

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ He was only supposed to be gay for pay.

Angel

I’ve never had sex before. And I’ve definitely never looked at a guy that way before. But with his brightly-colored hair and beautiful outfits, Rhys is hard to ignore–especially after I learn what he does for a living.

Signing up with The Camboy Network is way outside my comfort zone, but with Rhys guiding me the whole way, it doesn’t feel all that scary. In fact, it feels like fate.

Rhys

I left home the minute I turned eighteen, so falling for a guy from the old neighbourhood is the last thing I should do – especially since he’s straight. But he’s utterly adorable, so innocently kinky, and exactly my type.

We shouldn’t fit together so well, but we do. No matter how hard I try to stay away, I can’t. Our lives couldn’t be more different on the outside, but maybe we’re a lot more alike than we think.

Angel is a bi-awakening, opposites attract, size difference MM romance between a burly cinnamon roll construction worker and a flamboyant pole-dancing twink. Expect accidentally dirty text messages, completely unexpected kinks, and chivalrous courage that truly runs deep. Angel is the third book in The Camboy Network series, but can be read as a stand-alone.

REVIEWS: ⟫ I have not previously read any Linden Bell, a mistake I fully intend to rectify! This book was so much fun, whilst also being sexy, touching, kinky and full of surprises.

I loved Rhys from the first moment we met him – I loved his flamboyancy, his attitude towards people and life, and his general happiness with life. He was where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do, and no-one was going to look down their noses at him for him – especially the people from his old neighbourhood.

Angel took me completely by surprise – he was so quiet, so sweet, and yet just beneath the surface you could tell that he wanted to break free and become himself. He just didn’t know how. Angel’s meeting with Rhys at a family birthday was the beginning of the road to discovery – a road where Angel was happy to follow Rhys, learning so much about himself and finding love and new friends in the process.

I loved that this wasn’t a simple story, where everyone was accepting and they faced no backlash – Angel’s mother in particular comes to mind – but I especially loved how these two had each other’s backs from the very beginning, even if they both refused to see it for what it really was.

The sex scenes were extremely hot and discovering Angel’s kinks alongside him was surprising and fun in equal measure. I loves reading about the other members of the Camboy Network and will be looking out for their books. Reading this made me smile and feel good – especially with the way in which Rhys discovered that his family – both made and born – had his back in satisfying ways. I wish I could have seen the outfit Rhys wore to the wedding because it sounded divine and I can heartily recommend this book!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon Prince by Wendy Rathbone

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon

AUTHOR: ⟫ Wendy Rathbone

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’ve been sold to an unfriendly foreign land of dragon shifters to become a brood slave.

Tavi is a set-omega, which means he has no inner beast and cannot shift.
Considered worthless by his wolf pack, and with no individual rights, he is sold into slavery along with other set-omegas as they come of age.

Alluresh is a dragon shifter, all business and very little play. His inner dragon is feral and often controls him, shifting inappropriately at times, creating chaos and damage. Others fear him, causing Alluresh to become bitter and reclusive.

All of that changes when a shady friend from his past invites him to an omega auction. Alluresh attends, only to discover his dragon has eyes for one of the omegas for sale, demanding he bid on him or else.

What is Alluresh to do but obey his beast and call out a ridiculously large sum?

Two outcast men learn they might have more in common than they think, and a feral dragon finds his inner heart.

Contemporary omegaverse, alpha/omega, dragon shifter, mpreg/eggpreg, omega heat, knotting, opposites attract, age gap, size difference. This is a sold-into-brood-slavery tale turned romance where everything is consensual with a terribly sweet HEA.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was absolutely delightful – I read it in a matter of hours and loved every moment! I really liked all three lead characters – Allure, Alluresh and Tavi – they each had reasons for acting the way that they did, but went above and beyond to be better than their circumstances. I loved the combative relationship between Allure and Alluresh, and could well understand them butting heads from the time Alluresh was a teenager – teenage hormones along with an unruly, nearly feral dragon must have been a nightmare.

I admired Tavi for facing the situation he was in and making the most of it, as well as allowing himself to fall in love with both Allure and Alluresh. Alluresh and Tavi were incredibly sweet together, both a little gun-shy with regard to emotions and their situation, but both prepared to communicate and work together to make the most of things. This was a well-deserved happy ever after and I really loved it.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Echo by Willow Thomas (Fallen Gargoyles Book #2)

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Echo

AUTHOR: ⟫ Willow Thomas

SERIES: ⟫ The Fallen Gargoyles Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 2.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Falling in love with a rival MC member wasn’t on my to-do list.

Echo

The Fallen Gargoyles are everything to me. Kenny took me in when I was at my lowest. It’s thanks to him I’m alive, making something of myself by going to community college. These people are my family.

When I’m not in class, losing myself in a book, or working construction, I’m doing my club duties as an enforcer.

I have zero time for a relationship. Even one with the gorgeous chatty guy who sits next to me in class.

I vow to not get close to him and drag him into my world.

But when I see him being kidnapped, it looks like the choice is taken out of my hands.

Joey

Growing up in a motorcycle club is all I’ve ever known and I hate it. My dad is the president of a one percent club which tells you everything about the kind of life he leads.

I don’t want it.

I want to get my degree and leave Oregon behind me. Until that happens I will look for bright spots wherever I can. Like the super hot guy in my Lit class.

Lessons are spent with me talking at him and with every grunt he graces me, I fall for him a little bit more.

When he saves me from a few of my dad’s enemies, I worry I’ve scared him off.

And then I find out who he really is.

Echo is book two in the contemporary motorcycle club series, Fallen Gargoyles. This is a low angst, steamy, humor filled book, with mentions of illegal activities and parental neglect.

REVIEW: ⟫ I loved the premise – the idea that these two guys are falling for each other, both with completely erroneous ideas about the other whilst actually inhabiting similar worlds really appealed to me.

I enjoyed the interactions between them with Joey chattering away and Echo simply basking in being in his presence – it was all a bit dreamy, especially with Echo escorting Joey to his car after class, very swoon-worthy! The background characters were interesting – the difference between Joey’s Dad and the Club’s leader was a sharp distinction but nicely made; and Molly made me smile a lot.

The Fallen Gargoyles were also very interesting – the name alone was enough to make me think they were kinda fascinating! I haven’t read the previous book in the series so perhaps I am missing out on something – I get the feeling Nicky and Booker had quite the story and I will be looking for it at some point.

However, there was a significant time jump in the story which meant that we missed out on a lot of the relationship building – the plot in the background was never resolved as I imagined it will be handled in a future book? – but it meant that after the discovery, things sort of jolted and suddenly we were in an established relationship without the little details and interactions based around who Joey and Echo honestly were. I think that was a big shame because I wanted those details – I wanted to know about their first time, how Echo came to be in the club, how the decisions were made about who moved from which club. Their chemistry was intense and Joey’s internal (and occasionally external monologue) were both entertaining and filthy and I would have loved to see Echo’s reaction to that!

I very much enjoyed what I read but would have liked to read the missing details. I received an ARC from the author.

Ours – Young, Dumb and Full of Bad Decisions by Dominic N. Ashen

Posted on July 23, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Ours

AUTHOR: ⟫ Dominic N. Ashen

SERIES: ⟫ Young, Dumb and Full of Bad Decisions

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ If growing up is hard, becoming an actual adult is even harder, and the transition between the two can, at times, seem like a minefield.

Cory is just an average 18-year-old nerd who plays video games and reads comic books. Well, mostly average. He’s also gay, in the closet, and into some pretty kinky stuff. Sure, his only outlet is the internet and his left hand, but with college right around the corner, he figures his secret is safe… Right?

Except Cory’s two best friends, Derek and Nic, recently found out about that secret. And just like a lot of teenage boys, they decide to think with their groins and take advantage of the situation. With the internet as their guide, they formulate a plan to train Cory into being their personal submissive plaything.

As they learn more about themselves, each other, and the kinky world of BDSM, Cory, Derek, and Nic may also discover that romance can bloom in the most unexpected of places.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a surprise for me – it was a fun read, but also covered some really interesting topics deeper than I expected. I was a little concerned with how things started because getting Cory drunk and then persuading him into sexual acts was more than a little problematic. Along with the initial stages of their relationship – and Nic’s insistence on sticking his head in the sand – made it more than a little unsettling.

It would have been very easy to leave this as a slightly dub-con friends to lovers story, but Dominic went further along the path, making the three of them see the errors that they had made, face up to things about themselves and realise that what had begun under such dodgy circumstances could mean so much more.

Derek struck me the most out of the trio – he has an obvious need to control things which explains his Dom side, but I appreciated his willingness to learn from the mistakes he made. I was also impressed with how open he was to Carl’s teachings and his obvious desire to do better. I liked how Nic struggled with his perception of himself and how he figured out his relationship with his family as well as how he felt about Cory and Derek. Surprisingly, Cory seemed to be the one who was most well-adjusted about the whole thing, which was an aspect I didn’t expect but definitely appreciated.

The sex scenes were numerous and entertaining, and I would definitely recommend this if you are in the mood for some BDSM light role playing, copious amounts of sex with varying people and three kids figuring out what they mean to each other. I received an ARC through Booksprout.

Dropping Like Flies by H.L. Day (Paranormal Problems: Necromancers Book #2)

Posted on July 23, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Dropping Like Flies

AUTHOR: ⟫ H.L.Day

SERIES: ⟫ Paranormal Problems: Necromancers Book #2

RATING: ⟫4.5 /5

BLURB: ⟫ Quickest way to catch a killer? Bring the victim back and ask who did it. Only, nothing’s that easy.

When the bodies of young gay men start piling up in London, DCI Ben Weaver would do anything to bring the massacre to an end. Well, almost anything. He didn’t have the powers-that-be recruiting a necromancer on his bingo card. Or who that necromancer would turn out to be.

Griffin doesn’t want to work for CID, but then he has little interest in most things these days unless it involves getting drunk. Especially if it brings Ben back into his life. Ben might be his fated mate, but Griffin refuses to dance to fate’s tune. Not when guilt still gnaws away at him.

Stopping Satanic Romeo from claiming any more victims requires teamwork. But as they try to navigate their feelings and work out the killer’s endgame, he might already have them in his sights.

Who’s hunting who?

Dropping Like Flies is book 2 in the Paranormal Problems trilogy but can be read as a standalone. It features a necromancer bond stronger than most, a killer with a liking for fingers and not in a good way, and two men far better together than they are apart.

Content warning for murder, violence and suicide.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a cracking story! Griffin is a necromancer who for reasons not explained initially broke things off with his fated mate, Ben. Ben works for CID and has a serial killer he desperately needs to catch. Ben’s boss has the brilliant idea of getting a necromancer ask one of the victims about his murderer and just his luck, Griffin is the man called in.

It sounds really simple but it’s actually pure genius. Trying to solve the case whilst dealing with the tension between Ben and Griffin was engrossing, and the more I heard about the PP, the more I wanted to know. I knew this was book two (although it can be read as a standalone quite successfully) but I downloaded book one as soon as I finished reading the ARC because I really want to read more about what happens in this verse.

I’m not used to reading a police/paranormal procedural from H.L. Day although I have enjoyed other stories from them, but I am really chuffed that they branched off into this area. The story was fast paced, the romance and sex was grounded in reality with the perfect twist of fated mates and mysticism, with a storyline that seems to follow on from book one but the over-arcing plot-line doesn’t get in the way. Perfect way to spend a Saturday evening reading this and looking forward to spending Sunday reading book one!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Taylor-Made for Me by K.C. Wells

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Taylor-Made for Me

AUTHOR: ⟫ K.C. Wells

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Cupid ran out of arrows – so he used a luggage cart…

Will Bryant Gets Roped In

It’s only for one night—well, a weekend, actually.

Becca Taylor needs a fake fiancé to take to her parents’ anniversary party. All Will has to do is shake hands, smile on cue, and act as if they’re totally in love. No problem.

They get there, they’re holding hands in the hotel lobby, and then BAM. Something heavy plows into Will’s back, and suddenly he’s flying, only to be greeted by the most gorgeous guy he’s ever seen.

Aiden Taylor Gets Attacked By The Green-Eyed Monster

It was a total accident. Aiden’s hand slipped.

Okay, it sort of slipped. He wanted to scratch his sister Becca’s eyes out. Her fiancé is freaking perfect, but not for her—for Aiden. And he did try to warn Will, especially since Aiden wasn’t aiming for him in the first place. So now he’ll spend the rest of the weekend trying to make it up to Will.

Then everything snowballs, and now there are plans for a wedding that was never supposed to happen. Becca is panicking, her girlfriend is distraught, Aiden is confused…

And the more time Will spends around Aiden, the more convinced he becomes that he’s (accidentally) engaged to the wrong Taylor.

REVIEW: ⟫ Okay, there is a fair amount of suspending belief required for reading this story. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the premise – the set up seemed rife for what could be conceived as cheating and I was interested in seeing how the author was going to work around that.

The story made me laugh more than once, especially at Will’s internal musings – his view on his best friend’s behaviour was entertaining to say the least. I enjoyed meeting the family and their interactions – it reminded me of Christmases spent with my own very large family. I’m not generally a fan of pranks, which might have affected my viewpoint on quite a chunk of the storyline, but overall I quite enjoyed reading this. It was entertaining watching as Becca failed time and time again to take the chances offered to her, with Will in the background face-palming and Aiden plying him with alcohol! Light-hearted (with zero cheating), some lovely family moments and a nice romance with a little bit of steam. Definitely worth a read.

I received an ARC from GRR.

His Captor by MM Farmer (Omegas After Dark Book #2)

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ His Captor

AUTHOR: ⟫ MM Farmer

SERIES: ⟫ Omegas After Dark Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 3.75/5

BLURB: ⟫ Indulging in a Dark Fantasy can lead to deep consequences in reality…

Hayden

It wasn’t my first time indulging in that particular fantasy. I was on a business trip and looking for something fun. I didn’t plan on going into heat while playing around, or to like the alpha I played with so much.

I also didn’t expect to end up pregnant.

And what I really didn’t expect was for that anonymous alpha I played with to end up being my boss at my new job…

Mace

Playing with a cute omega from out of town was supposed to be a test of the new security tech I’d been developing. It wasn’t supposed to end with me cutting ties with my old, crooked business partner and starting a whole new company in Barrington. It also wasn’t supposed to leave me wishing I’d gotten the real name and phone number of my omega playmate.

They say be careful what you wish for. Now, not only is Hayden back in my life with all his charm and feisty spirit, he’s carrying my baby. And I’m his boss.

And because of me, the cute omega I’m falling hard and fast for is in danger from my ex-business partner, who is out for revenge…

Omegas After Dark is an omegaverse mpreg story set in the same world as the lighter, fluffier Bangers & Mash series, but it deals with much more intense subject matter. Sink into the underworld of Barrington in all its super-hot glory, but don’t say you weren’t warned!

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a fun, quick read, and despite the subject matter there wasn’t a huge amount of sex! We originally met Hayden in His Hunter and I remember him being a very fun character. This story gives more background and fills him out into someone quite interesting. I loved the fact that Hayden didn’t try to pretend he wasn’t aware of what happened, and once he knew that he was pregnant, he moved on with his life. I really enjoyed the back characters we got to meet during this story, as well as catching up with Ari and Samson.

The industrial espionage/threat was well written and interesting, especially with the introduction of a character near the end of the book. I must admit, I laughed when Hayden was proved correct about Colin – a more deserving fate I cannot imagine! I thought the ‘toys’ the Ace used during their torrid weekend were absolutely fascinating and can only imagine how they could be put to use in a wider community!

I’m glad that I read this one and can recommend if you are in the mood for some kinky spice and a little light threat to your story. I received an ARC from GRR.

The Accidental Necromancer by Liv Rancourt (Subpar Heroes Book #1)

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ The Accidental Necromancer

AUTHOR: ⟫ Liv Rancourt

SERIES: ⟫ Subpar Heroes Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Last Year—yes, it was so bad it needs to be capitalized—continues to haunt Brandon. A fresh start in a new town should have been the solution, but the memories follow him everywhere, in the form of undead roadkill he can’t seem to stop conjuring.

And Brandon’s growing posthumous pet problem is attracting attention. At least Stefanos, the paranormal veterinarian who offers to help him, is cute.

Who even knew paranormal veterinarians were a thing?

The resurrected animals are bad, but the wraith who starts dogging—pun intended—Brandon’s every step is far, far worse. This unwilling necromancer will have to figure out how to put Last Year behind him if he ever wants to find peace in the warm and willing veterinarian’s bed.

The Accidental Necromancer is a part of the multi-author Sub-Par Superheroes MM romance series. This book is set in the same world as The Richmond Vampire, though it features different characters. Mack and Bellafleure will be back in an upcoming book, because there’s definitely more to their story!

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a quick, fun read, with an interesting premise and storyline that was easy to get into. I enjoyed the quick introduction to SPAM, as well as the background on what happened to Brandon in the past to make him so scared of his new-found power. It was fun catching the snippets of information on supernatural creatures existing alongside unknowing humans, and I found Stef to be a very human character – he wasn’t the perfect knight in shining armour, showing signs of a quick temper and a slightly judgemental attitude on occasion. It was a little frustrating sometimes with Brandon’s refusal to discuss his past – it obviously affected him deeply and also bore some relevance to the situation they all found themselves in, so sharing that information could have been really helpful.

I liked the interactions between Layla and Greg, and the animals were incredibly cute, especially Sparky. This is the first story I have read by this author but I will definitely look out for more from them. I received an ARC from GRR.

Twincerely Yours by Eden Finley (Franklin U 2 Book #8)

Posted on July 12, 2024 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Twincerely Yours

AUTHOR: ⟫ Eden Finley

SERIES: ⟫ Franklin U 2 Book #8

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ EMMETT

My twin brother and I have gotten ourselves into a lot of messes growing up. We would constantly switch places to escape consequences while protecting each other at every cost.

But sleeping with Ben’s professor is a whole new level of mess, because there’s something Jonah doesn’t know. He might have been Ben’s professor last semester, but the person he was lecturing wasn’t Ben. It was me.

JONAH

From the moment I meet Emmett, I know he looks familiar but I can’t pinpoint where from. It’s not until I see his twin brother in the quad that I put two and two together.

Dating the sibling of one of my ex-students isn’t a huge problem for me, but I can’t help thinking the twins are hiding something.

The more time I spend with Emmett, the more I fall for him, but as my insecurity grows, so does my worry that I’m being played.

When my heart and my gut tell me two different things, I don’t know which to trust. My gut tells me to cut and run, but my heart won’t let me. Even though I’ve been telling myself to hold back, it’s too late. I’m already in too deep.

REVIEW: ⟫ If you told me that I’d be crying at the end of this book, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Emmett and Benny have well and truly got themselves into a mess, but this book shines the light on Emmett. There are depths to his character that haven’t previously been seen – his need to have one thing just for him, to be seen as himself – it really touched my heart and was a theme throughout the book. I mean, how incredibly difficult to be someone else for six months with little to no break? I also couldn’t see how he and Jonah were going to get their happily ever after – someone was going to suffer and it kinda felt so incredibly unfair. Yes, Emmett and Benny made bad decisions but they weren’t being malicious. Part of what I enjoyed was that Eden didn’t try to lessen what the twins had done – nor allow them to avoid the consequences.

I really found Jonah and Emmett to be special, with a sincere desire for the other to be happy and safe. There was a section where they are spooning and take turns and my heart just melted. This was a steamy, sexy. Heart-felt romance, with a lot of family and history, as well as new beginnings. Definitely one of the best of Franklin U 2 that I have read so far. I received an ARC from GRR.