Just For Christmas by Crea Reitan (Longwood University Book #4)

TITLE: ⟫ Just For Christmas
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Longwood University Book #4
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ It’s only temporary holiday magic

Brent

Life has taught me not to get attached to anyone because they’ll only let you down but I can’t stop myself from falling in love with my roommate and frat brother the moment we meet. It’s been three years and not only do I secretly pine for him, but now he’s also my very best friend. My first real friend.

Nothing can possibly go wrong when I agree to be his fake boyfriend for the holidays, right? I know I’m putting my heart on the line but it’ll just be a bit of hand-holding. My heart can survive that…

Rafe

I know my mother will get off my back about settling down if I bring home a partner so I recruit my best friend into becoming my fake boyfriend. It’ll be fun, easy, and a great holiday without all the subtle hints from my parents.

One kiss under the mistletoe changes everything and the childhood make believe suddenly morphs into so much more. There’s only one problem – this arrangement is only for Christmas and then we’re back to being only friends when we return to school.

I didn’t plan to fall in love with Brent Mitchell… I don’t know what to do now that he’s acting like I don’t exist.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was sweet and hot but also a little frustrating. I loved seeing the boys’ inner dialogue but I admit that part of me wanted to smack both of them to get them to just talk!

Noaz by Crea Reitan (Van Doren Book #2)

TITLE: ⟫ Noaz
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Van Doren Book #2
RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ Sometimes stars grant you wishes that come covered in blood.

I’ve wanted one thing for as long as I can remember – someone to love, a family, and a happily ever after. I finally found it with the least likely person across the street. Our life together has been dipped in espresso and given a massive jolt forward, but we couldn’t be happier.

That is, until someone threatens that happiness and I’m forced to respond in order to protect my family that’s barely begun. I didn’t mean for this relationship to begin bathed in blood but I will do anything to protect the love I’ve waited decades for.

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

Loren by Crea Reitan (Van Doren Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Loren
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Van Doren Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I will kill to keep him.

Oakley

It’s a new start – brand new school in a completely different state. For the first time, I now have the freedom to be unapologetically me. But as my luck would have it, I have shit taste in men. The first man to pay me a compliment has so many red flags, I think I’m in a storm. Life can’t get any worse… until he turns into a stalker.

Then my stalker ends up brutally murdered, I walk blindly into a serial killer’s nest, and I catch the attention of a sociopath.

Loren

The moment I see Oakley walk into the cafe, I know he’s mine. I may be here to finish a job, but it’s impossible to concentrate on anything but him. My fascination quickly turns into an obsession, which might be fortunate for him because I think he’s trying to get himself killed.

Which is fine; I’ll protect him. It doesn’t matter how many lives I have to end to make Oakley mine.

REVIEW: ⟫ I know what to expect from Crea Reitan when it comes to those men who are utterly obsessed with their person, and Loren is definitely one of those men. For some reason, it didn’t really work for me in this story. I enjoyed the characters – Loren’s family, Oakley’s found family, the opportunity to find out how people from other stories were doing – but I had a disconnect and found that I just didn’t care enough about what was happening.

I couldn’t suspend disbelief long enough to believe that Loren’s behaviour was viewed as acceptable by Oakley’s friends; that the police were so incredibly inefficient; even, perhaps, that Loren’s family would up sticks and move like that when they were so concerned about his feelings for Oakley, especially as Loren was known for being quite unemotional.

I think that perhaps it was more the mood that I was in than the story, which is why I am going to read the next in the series and only really judge from there.

Alpha Hunted by Crea Reitan (Knotty & Sweet Omegaverse Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Alpha Hunted
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Knotty & Sweet Omegaverse Book #1
RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ I lost everything in a freak accident. My entire family; everything I’d ever cared about – gone in an instant. Unable to bear the constant reminders and emptiness of my life, I moved across the country to dull the loss, hopefully falling into the anonymity of a large city where even an alpha could disappear.

Starting over was never in my plans. All I wanted was to blend in and let life pass me by. Live in my modest studio apartment with my mindless job as an absentee owner of a popular juice bar downtown.

I spent my days with headphones in as I worked through each machine at the gym, grabbing a juice from my cafe on the way home, and drowning myself in the solitude of my house.

And then I met the only thing I’d never managed to obtain with my pack – an omega who made everything in me spark. And in the next breath, a shy beta who made my most basic instincts rear up and want to wrap her in my arms and give her the world.

Try as I may, I can’t seem to run far enough away from either of them. Once we meet, something keeps pulling us back together at every corner. Just as I start to give in and wrap myself in their pack that consists of two other alphas, I find out that the freak accident that took my first pack from me wasn’t an accident at all.

And now I’m being hunted by the murderers who intend to finish the job.

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

Stick Lessons by Crea Reitan (For Puck’s Sake Book #7)

TITLE: ⟫ Stick Lessons
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ For Puck’s Sake Book #7
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Everyone should learn how to handle a stick.

Atty

High school sweethearts, dream wedding, exotic honeymoon, white picket fence, two and a half kids… that’s the dream. My prescribed future. Except, I don’t want any of that. When me and my on/off girlfriend of fifteen years finally call it quits for good, I decide that I’m ready for a new beginning.

I didn’t expect that new beginning to be a dude.

Toby

This man is perfect… he obeys like a marionette, lets me bend him and choke him until my heart’s content. He lets me dress him up, breed him, and refuse his pleasure as if he were built specifically for my needs.

But Atty isn’t who I thought he was and he’s struggling to find his new identity while I’m freefalling for him off the face of a cliff. I’m not used to needing a safety net in life so there’s a very real chance I’m going to hit the ground like a pancake.

Is love always this tragic?

REVIEW: ⟫ I must admit, I left Toby and Atty’s book a few times but I always came back. The dynamic between them was fascinating, and the respect they showed each other was refreshing. I loved catching up with guys from previous books, even if it was in the background, and ultimately, I was glad I read this book. It was really interesting to watch Atty try to figure out this new aspect of his personality, and the conversations surrounding it were stimulating and thought-provoking. Not one of my favourites from this series, but a solid read.

Coach Stare Down by Crea Reitan (For Puck’s Sake #6)

TITLE: ⟫ Coach Stare Down
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ For Puck’s Sake #6
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB:Adak

After a series of relationships where I’ve been made to feel inadequate because of my asexuality, I’ve made the sole focus of my life my coaching career. I love hockey – the chill of the ice, the fast paced, high stress game. I love the fans and the atmosphere. The energy. Now that I’m coaching in the NHL, I feel a sense of serenity and comfort with life. All that’s left is to get my team to The Stanley Cup.

A series of unfortunate injuries has riddled the Bobcats into a serious funk. The frustration that my boys feel echoes through me and after one of the most horrible plays I’ve ever witnessed, I turn my back on the ice – only to catch his eyes. Suddenly, I know what I’ve been missing. In a sea of over 15,000 faces, I found the one I’ve been waiting my entire life for.

There’s sadness in his eyes that’s only overcome with the fear behind it. Nothing will stop me from making Oren mine and giving him the life and love he deserves. Nothing.

Oren

My life is shit. I’m the pariah of my family for hell knows why. All I want is to get away. But I tried once – at nineteen, I ran and my father with his buddies on the police force dragged me home. I’ve since been dragged down into submission.

But then I meet his eyes and everything inside me just… shifts. Adak takes a chance on me and I think that perhaps my father has finally met a wall he can’t barrel through to keep control. That is, until he starts blasting his hate everywhere.

I wouldn’t blame Adak if he chooses to leave. This is his career on the line. His image and reputation. Am I worth it?

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m not sure how to review this one. There were aspects I struggled with – one of which being the fact that this was Oren’s first (and only) relationship so I felt a little bit wary. I felt that the description of Adak’s previous relationships and struggles was very well done. Oren’s family were a nightmare and I fully appreciate that Crea decided not to give explanations for a few things that happened – it was very grounded in reality because we don’t always find out why people do the things that they do. By the time I had finished reading, I felt like I was better informed about quite a few things but I still can’t decide how I feel about this story!

Wingman Score by Crea Reitan (For Puck’s Sake Book #5)

TITLE: ⟫ Wingman Score
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ For Puck’s Sake Book #5
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ It’s time to score.

Zak

When you fight for so long, sometimes it’s just easier to give in. I want to give in to the god before me. Sent to me from the heavens, Owen is the very definition of divine perfection. But he doesn’t know my truth. If he did, he’d know that I don’t belong in his world.

The shame of seeing the disgust on his face when he figures it out keeps me running from him. Even though fate or destiny or something cruel keeps throwing us together. Maybe he’s the motivation I need to get my shit in order.

But can I do it before he figures out I’m nothing but a street rat?

Owen

The person who was made for me turns up at the New Year’s Eve party I didn’t want to go to. We’ve been serendipitously thrown together a handful of times since and though I know Zak wants me, he keeps walking out my door and refusing to call.

I can’t figure out why and it’s driving me insane. When I can’t take it anymore, I chance him thinking that I’m a stalker and show up at the address I dropped him off at last. Zak doesn’t live there but I finally learn his secret.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to convince Zak that I’ll give him the world if he’ll let me. Should be as easy as winning that elusive Stanley Cup.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a very romantic, caring and uplifting story with such a lovely storyline. The way in which Owen and Zak are with each other was beautiful, and I absolutely adored the way that Owen supported Zak in everything and helped him realise that he was more than his circumstances. I am very much enjoying reading this series, which is probably pretty obvious since this month I seem to have done nothing but read books by Crea Reitan!

The Crease by Crea Reitan (For Puck’s Sake Book #4)

TITLE: ⟫ The Crease
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ For Puck’s Sake Book #4
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Always protect the heart of the ice.Max

This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. I’m supposed to be at the top of my career. Untouchable. Worshiped. Finally proving to all the jerks in my life that I made it. I’m at the top.

Then a video that shouldn’t exist leaks and everything comes crashing down. I’m about to lose it all and I can’t seem to get out of my own way. My agent banishes me to a place that technology can’t touch while he tries to salvage my career.

I’m caught between rage and deep depression, lashing out at everyone and everything around me. I have myself to blame but right now, all I want is to drown in my misery. Even when something unexpected and good comes along, all I can do is push and push until I’m once more drowning all alone.

Deryke

I don’t know what’s come over me. Why does this disaster of a hockey player suddenly call to my heart and everything inside my body and mind? I mean, the world knows what’s in his pants and I’ve never been even slightly turned on by that! Why now? Why him?

Even when he’s bratting so hard I want to break him, I can see that he acts the way he does because he’s hurting somewhere deep inside. He won’t let me in, but for some unknown reason, I can’t let Maximus Latham go.

He needs me. He needs someone to believe in him and not disappear the minute he messes up. He needs someone to love him for him, not for being the hockey god he is. Except I’m not sure I can reach him in time before he self-destructs.

But damned if I’m not going to try.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well this damn near broke my heart. It was obvious the previous times that we’ve seen Max that something isn’t right. But I had absolutely no idea just how bad and awful it was. Deryke was absolutely everything Max needed – from how he handled the tantrums, his refusal to accept Max being less than his true self, his ability to see what Max needs – he was just perfect. I loved the story – the two of them together alone for three months, figuring things out, not least that Deryke was straight before Max and that Max is kinda broken inside and needs help. I read this in one sitting and just felt so relieved and happy with how things ended. This was a good one for me!

Lucky Shot by Crea Reitan (For Puck’s Sake Book #3)

TITLE: ⟫ Lucky Shot
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ For Puck’s Sake #4
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ The entire game can be determined by a lucky shot.

PrettyInLace

Even a gay athlete has an appearance to uphold. There are a handful out in every sport and while every trashy magazine wants to get the scoop on what the gays are up to, looking for a scandal and a way to ruin us, every one of us is constantly on our best behavior. Acting a certain way; dressing a certain way; speaking a certain way.

If the world knew the real me, it’d shudder. Lace. Pearls. Dresses. Collars. All I want is to be someone’s pretty little doll that they dress up and tell me how pretty I am. I want to be loved for the real me; not the image I’m forced to show to the world just so I can keep my spot on the ice.

The only place I find that escape is in an online role playing game where I can be the sexy femme mage and get my flirt on. Find the man of my dreams.

And I do. He’s a big, hot druid ready to sweep me off my feet. Now if only I could find the courage to tell him who I am and trust that he won’t share it with the rest of the world. I’m not ready to end my career yet.

DemiDefenseKip

I’m known for my defensive plays. Aggressive. Precise. Quick. Strong. On the ice, I’m an icon that the world loves to put on a pedestal and worship. I’ve carefully cultivated everything about my public appearance to capitalize on my short career. Considering I’m a noted ‘queer athlete’ – a title that never strays too far from any article – I’m truly living a charmed life.

What the world doesn’t know is that it’s not just my sexuality that makes having a relationship in the spotlight difficult. It’s also because I’m demisexual. Finding someone interested in me and not my jersey or bank balance has proven especially challenging.

So how does someone with a recognizable face the world over find love? If you figure it out, let me know.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was delightful! Pretty Boy and Demi God were just so kind to each other, and that along with their emotional honesty and vulnerability is really what sold this story to me. I loved how caring they both were, how determined to make the most of this bizarre opportunity. When the ‘big reveal’ happened, I was worried but I shouldn’t have been – these two came through like complete troopers. I just really enjoyed this story – the struggle for Demi God regarding his demisexuality was a nice contrast to Noah’s struggle with being viewed as a pretty face, and that they were more than willing to help each other – even before they realised what they meant to each other – was just lovely to read. A very good addition to the series and I am so glad I came back to it!!

Project FU by Crea Reitan (Longwood University Book #3)

TITLE: ⟫ Project FU
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Longwood University Book #3
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ When you fall in love with the wrong Davenport…

Nolan

I’ve spent my college career editing adult videos but never has one hit me as hard as seeing my girlfriend of sixteen months with the football team. Needless to say, I’m devastated. I need to hurt her like she’s hurt me. My friends dub this mission Project: FU.

A series of bad decisions lands me in bed with the worst one yet.

Tavis

The man my daughter broke is sitting at the bar looking beaten. When I look into his eyes, I feel something I haven’t felt in more than two decades. For just one night, I decide to make this man mine and erase the heartache I see in him.

But one night is not enough and shit is about to hit the fan.

REVIEW: ⟫ Okay, this did not begin the way I expected it to and the addition of the brothers was a head-spin! I liked how Nolan struggled with the idea of revenge – he wanted justice but he was too good of a guy to treat innocent bystanders that badly, although what he did blew my mind. I really didn’t expect Tavis to react the way that he did and was pleasantly surprised. The storyline was entertaining, especially with the way the break-up between Tavis and Rachel was handled. I did read the taboo follow-up and can understand why it wasn’t included as part of this one. I would describe this as HFN because of what happens afterwards, although if you didn’t want to read the taboo side of things, I think most people would be happy with how this ended.