Tag Archives: book-reviews

Lust by Devon McCormack (Saints & Sinners Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Lust
AUTHOR: ⟫ Devon McCormack

SERIES: ⟫ Saints and Sinners Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ LUKE
 
I’ve never been attracted to guys.
I definitely would never be attracted to a privileged, cocky bastard like Brad Henning.
Even though I’ve only been at St. Lawrence University for a few weeks, this prick and his friends are on a mission to mess with me—a scholarship kid who I guess they don’t think belongs at a prestigious school intended for the nation’s elite.
I’ve always been a loner, so I’ve dealt with my share of bullies. But unlike the bullying I encountered when I was younger, Brad and his friends have some unusual tricks up their sleeves.
They’re using…
I don’t even want to name it, but it’s the only explanation for what’s happening.
Magic.
These guys have powers, and Brad is using his to make me want him.
No—not just want him. Lust after him like I’ve never lusted after anyone in my life.
The way I crave him sears to my core, causes physical pain until I have the only thing that brings relief—his touch.
But when I discover that whatever he’s done to me hurts him too, I realize there’s more to all this than Brad and his friends trying to mess up my life.
More to it than these feral urges that are, at times, more than I think I can bear.
I have to get to the bottom of this, but until I do, there’s only one way to end my agony.
I must surrender to the lust.
 
Content Warning: Lust is a steamy paranormal romance, but it contains content that some readers may find triggering, including a character grieving the loss of his parents and mentions of a character’s loved one who struggles with a chronic illness. The book also contains depictions of and discussions about bullying.

REVIEW: ⟫ This book had me a little confused in some respects. I was expecting a typical mm romance with some magic involved, and that is what I got but with more to it. I was really interested in just how Brad and the others stumbled into their powers and seeing it all through Lance’s eyes was nicely done. I struggled a little with the ‘lust’ aspect of things, especially with regard to things being consensual. I didn’t love all of the characters (I’m looking at you Seth) but overall it was a good read and I am looking forward to the next in the series which is due out soon.

Hide Nor Hare by Alice La Roux (Hunt Prey Love Book #7)

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TITLE: ⟫ Hide Nor Hare
AUTHOR: ⟫ Alice La Roux

SERIES: ⟫ Hunt Prey Love Book #7
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Madoc

After dedicating years to tracking down infamous jewelry thief, The Ghost, my mother’s illness forces me to admit defeat.

Three years later, working as a PI, I’m hired to track down a missing young shifter who stole from his Warren and vanished.

I expect to find a runaway led astray. Instead, I discover a beautiful man living a suspiciously ordinary life.

We all have secrets, but the more I learn about Blue Aubin, the clearer everything becomes.

He’s my Fated Mate. He’s also the one who got away.

Blue

I’ve finally put roots down and built a life for myself. I have a job, friends, a home.

Away from the High Leap.
Away from The Warren.
Away from the people who use me like another tool in their quest for power.

Paying for my freedom in blood, sweat and tears, I can’t go back. I won’t.

There’s just one problem…No one escapes The Husk.

Join us for Heat, Prey, Love, an omegaverse collaboration where prey shifters take center stage with a whole lot of heat and love. We can’t wait for you to devour these stories.

REVIEW: ⟫ I should preface this by saying that I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, although that doesn’t seem to make any difference as I wasn’t confused by anything.

This is the second Alice La Roux book that I have read today (insomnia sucks) and although it was a ‘quick’ read, it was pretty engrossing and entertaining. There were some things I struggled with – I didn’t understand why Blue didn’t do a runner as soon as he found out about Madoc, although the sex was obviously out of this world! I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and way of telling a story and was able to immerse myself with no difficulty. I am off to see what else they have to offer!

Knot Mine by Alice La Roux (The Oakley Verse Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Knot Mine
AUTHOR: ⟫ Alice La Roux

SERIES: ⟫ The Oakley Verse Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Shiloh

All I want is to live my life quietly as a Beta, away from the judgement of society. But at Oakley University, being a wallflower is virtually impossible when your perfect Omega twin is the shining star of your cohort. She has it all, looks, brains and Zale Blackwood.

Blackwood is a typical Alpha jock in every way– from being a rising football star to the broad muscular body that looked like he could squash a watermelon between his thighs. I could use his red flags to sew a king size quilt.

And for some reason, the Alpha assh*le is suddenly everywhere I turn, pushing my buttons and testing my boundaries until I snap.

One night.
One mistake.
One taste of him has me craving the life I swore I didn’t want.
But there’s one thing I can’t let myself forget…he’s not mine.

Zale

Millie Vos is incredible. She’s brave, bold, beautiful…a perfect Omega.

Unlike Shiloh.

Her Beta twin is brash, stubborn and keeps everyone at an arm’s length, gnashing his teeth angrily at anyone who comes to close.

When birthday plans gone wrong have us trapped in a cabin alone during a storm, I learn there’s more to the prickly hedgehog than he lets on.

The scent of autumn leaves and toffee apples clings to me after a drunken mistake and I’m slapped in the face with a scandalous truth…

He smells like mine.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was absolutely fascinating from the perspective of twins – like, what makes one your fated-mate and what makes the other not! And this idea was played with well (although I did kinda guess). I enjoyed reading this but more than anything, I loved that Zale was allowed to be vulnerable with Shiloh when he fronted with everyone else. I also loved when Shiloh finally found his voice – I practically cheered! This was the first book I’ve read from this author but I am browsing her catalogue as we speak!

Killer Crush by Onley James (Kiss Kill Repeat Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Killer Crush
AUTHOR: ⟫ Onley James

SERIES: ⟫ Kiss Kill Repeat Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Cade Carpenter doesn’t believe in fate—he believes in timing, precision, and clean exits. Killing people is easy. Keeping feelings out of it is even easier. When a dating app ping interrupts his latest job, he doesn’t think twice before answering. One bad date is the perfect cover for a hit.

Tris is a walking diagnosis wrapped in a pretty face and borrowed confidence. He talks too much, laughs too loud, and blurts out every intrusive thought that crosses his mind. He’s used to being “too much” for people—too awkward, too intense, too everything. So, when a gorgeous stranger actually says yes to his ridiculous question about the world’s worst date, Tris can’t help but hope, for once, that he won’t be the punchline.

But what’s supposed to be an ironic night out turns into something out of a true crime documentary when Tris stumbles upon Cade mid-kill. Now, there’s a body, a locked ship in open water, and two men with dangerously bad timing.

It was supposed to be easy. Get in, get out. But now, they’re trapped on a Titanic replica with a dead body and no place to run. Can Cade convince Tris that just because he’s a killer doesn’t mean he’s not the one?

Killer Crush is the first in a series of interconnected dark romance shorts, each featuring a new couple brought together—and blown apart—by the infamous Heartstopper app.

REVIEW: ⟫ Cade and Tris made having the worst date in history so much fun! This was a riotous laugh from start to finish. I loved how Cade gave Tris the freedom to be himself – unfiltered, anything and everything coming out of his mouth – all of it. I even love the fact that committing murder wasn’t the most complicated thing that Cade had to handle that night! Loved this so much!

I received an ARC from the author.

Loren by Crea Reitan (Van Doren Book #1)

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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.

Velvet Chains by River Winters (Lockswell Boarding House Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Velvet Chains
AUTHOR: ⟫ River Winters

SERIES: ⟫ Lockswell Boarding House Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 2.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Velvet Chains is a dark omegaverse romance steeped in trauma, obedience, and the brutal unraveling of conditioned submission.

Charlie was raised inside the Lockswell boarding house—trained to be desirable, compliant, and silent. An omega shaped for service. For sale. For survival.

When Vincent, a calculating and emotionally restrained alpha, agrees to his friend’s rental request, he isn’t sure what to expect. But Charlie’s fractured dignity and quiet defiance begin to stir something deeper—something Vincent isn’t prepared to feel.
What begins as a transaction turns into something far more dangerous.

Master/slave dynamics thread through this story of ownership and undoing, where power is never taken—it’s offered. And healing doesn’t come softly. It comes with rules, restraint, and the kind of care that hurts before it heals.

This is a mm dark omgaverse romance novel. No mpreg is involved. It centers around a alpha/beta/omega world where blood type defines the label for where someone lives and how they get to live.

REVIEW: ⟫ I think I understand what this book was trying to do but unfortunately it didn’t succeed. I was thinking that I must have missed a previous book because of Adrian and Moore, but I don’t think that’s the case. Lockswell was scary enough but there was a lot of telling us about the horrors that Charles has suffered rather than showing us. Even the relationship he built with Vincent felt too surface – Vincent didn’t actually do very much to save Charlie, and I somehow thought the betrayal would have had more far-reaching effects. I loved the premise of the story but didn’t enjoy the execution which is a real shame.

As previously noted by another reviewer, there were numerous spelling and grammatical errors which did not effect the rating I gave the story but think should be mentioned. I don’t think I’ll look out for any more in this series as I didn’t enjoy this story enough.

October 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 October 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.

All Your Days by Ali Woods ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: Book #4 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Ash on the Tongue by Lee McCormick ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season 1:1nf3ction Book #1 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Bad Blood by Lyla Dane ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season 1: 1nf3ction Book #8 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Bonded to the Alpha by Robin Moray ⟫ Book #1 ⟫ 2.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Call to the Devil by B Ripley ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #5 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Club by Rina Saint ⟫ Dangerous Games #2 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Coach Stare Down by Crea Reitan ⟫ For Puck’s Sake #6 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Crease by Crea Reitan ⟫ For Puck’s Sake #4 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Dead Don’t Talk by Rae Stone ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: Book #7 ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Forbidden Omega by Jena Wade & Aria Grace ⟫ Mated in the Mafia #2 ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

King of Lies by H.L. Day ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #6 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Late Bloomer by Morgan Hawes ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Lucky Shot by Crea Reitan ⟫ For Puck’s Sake #3 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Money Shot by Eden Finley & Saxon James ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

Night Call by C T Whistle ⟫ Omegaverse Case Files #2 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Obliterated by N Boeyer ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season 1: 1nf3ction Book #3 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Off-Ice Misconduct by S. Legend ⟫ Daddies of the League #8 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Project FU by Crea Reitan ⟫ Longwood University Book #3 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Rotten by Bree Wiley ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season 1:1nf3ction Book #2 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Rumor Has It by Crea Reitan ⟫ Longwood University Book #1 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Wicked Confessions by Crea Reitan ⟫ Longwood University Book #2 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Wingman Score by Crea Reitan ⟫ For Puck’s Sake Book #5 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Bad Bood by Lyla Dane (Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #8)

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TITLE: ⟫ Bad Blood
AUTHOR: ⟫ Lyla Dane

SERIES: ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #8
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ All I know is this prison cell.

All I do is the bidding of my masters.

They call me a bloodhound and treat me like the dog I am.

When I finally get the chance to escape, I take it. I travel far away from this wretched place to create a new life where no one owns me.

But just when I think I’m free, I fall into another man’s trap.

Except… this one is different.

He treats me like a human, not a beast.

He saves me from the brink of death and gives me time to heal, a new name, and a new purpose.

He teaches me how to live outside of a cage.

But he doesn’t know what kind of dangerous creature he’s let into his home. A creature with tainted blood, a creature that’s more animal than man…

𝙀𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨.

REVIEW: ⟫ This final instalment in the series was very sweet. Bowen has been mistreated his entire life – either living in a laboratory or being used by sadistic brothers to hunt the infected. Until the day he escapes and finds himself free – for a short while. But this time, he finds himself captured not by chains and muzzles but by a man almost too good to be true – a man who begins to show Bowen what freedom is really like.

It was once again interesting that the real monsters were not the infected but the other humans – people living for profit, uncaring of what they gave up of themselves in their attempts to be in control. Both of our leads were such good, caring people and the way in which they helped each other, were there for each other, was incredibly touching. There were some seriously scary things that happened – Oz was enough to give me nightmares – but ultimately this was actually a really sweet tale of finding your person and making a life with them, which left me feeling really hopeful despite the fact that these two were living in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

I very much enjoyed this series and have definitely found a couple of a new authors that I will be looking into.

King of Lies by H.L. Day (Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: Book #6)

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TITLE: ⟫ King of Lies
AUTHOR: ⟫ H.L. Day

SERIES: ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #6
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Two headstrong men. One broken world. And a connection that could destroy—or redeem—them both.

AUGUST

They say the world was better before the Red Rain―before the skies grew toxic and the virus transformed people into mindless savages.
I disagree.
There’s beauty in the wreckage, if you know where to look.
Desperation is profitable. Hope is a commodity. Dreams? I sell them daily.

Keaton Levine was supposed to be just another mark.
Until he wasn’t.
Because he sees me—really sees me.
And in this shattered place we call home, I’m not sure I’m ready to be someone worth saving.

KEATON

I lost everything when I got bitten.
Discharged, discarded, diseased. All I have left is vengeance.
Then came Tobias… August, whatever the hell his real name is.
He promised answers. He gave me lies.

But in peeling him open, I found something I didn’t expect.
A reason to fight. A reason to feel.
Maybe he is the answer.
And I asked the wrong question.

KING OF LIES is a full-length enemies-to-lovers M/M romance set in the 1nf3ction multi-author post-dystopian zombie apocalypse universe. Each book can be read as a standalone.

Expect: power struggles, a morally grey antihero, a mad scientist with a god complex, a cult holed up in a castle, (fireman’s) pole dancing, and two dominant forces crashing together in a world that wants them dead.
If they can learn to trust, they might discover something more precious than survival—each other.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a very good read – both August and Keaton had their reasons for the way they were behaving, allowing them to make choices that weren’t always the most civilised. I enjoyed the back and forth between them, how they slowly built trust and a relationship from an uneasy alliance. The ‘bad’ guys were suitably scary – Oz freaked me out, not gonna lie – and I thought the resolution was handled very well. Definitely enjoyed this instalment in the series and the adversarial romance that grew between the two MC.

Obliterated by N Boeyer (Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ Obliterated
AUTHOR: ⟫ N Boeyer

SERIES: ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season 1: 1nf3ction Book #3
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ MAX

They fear me. Worship me. Call me an abomination.

I’ve earned my freedom a dozen times in The Pit, but I keep going back. Because violence is my church, and blood is the only thing that makes me feel alive.

Then he arrives. Pretty. Fast. New. A golden-haired boy with ocean eyes and no clue how this island works.
He doesn’t belong here, and he’s going to get himself killed. Just like all the other wide-eyed fools who think survival is about hope instead of brutality.
So why the fuck can’t I stop watching him? Why do I keep stepping in? Why does the monster in me go quiet when he’s near?

He’s everything I never wanted.
And everything I’d burn this whole godsdamned island for.

KIERAN

My mother is dead.

I followed her last instructions to the letter: get on the boat, get to the island, survive. Her final words still echo in my head—Live, Kieran. Live.
But Ibitha doesn’t want me. I have no papers, no useful skills, nothing to offer… except a pretty face. And here? That’s enough to get you owned. Now I pour drinks in a brothel I never chose, counting down the days until my debt’s repaid. Until I’m free.

Then he notices me. Max. A legend carved in blood and bone.
I should fear him, everyone does. He looks at me like I’m already his. Like he’s made up his mind. Like I’m something he plans to keep. And the most dangerous part? A piece of me wants that. Wants him.

But you don’t fall for someone like Max.
You survive him. Or you don’t.

OBLITERATED is a full-length MM romance as part of the 1nf3ction multi-author post-dystopian zombie apocalypse series. While all the stories take place in a shared world, each book can be read as a standalone.

Expect violence, obsession, biting banter, sword fights, broken boys, morally grey messes, and two lovers who’d rather kiss in a pit full of zombies than say “I love you” out loud.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my, yes!! This was brutal, gory, bloody and also incredibly romantic at the same time. Kieran has made his way to Ibitha, a place that’s meant to be a safe haven in these troubled times. The first person he meets is Max – who promptly slams him against a wall and threatens his life. Not the most auspicious start, but when he learns more about Max he can’t help but fall for him.

Max is – well, a monster. Part of what I loved about this story was that the author was unapologetic about just how brutal Max was. The man was a killing machine, with more than a few hints of sociopathic tendencies. He was also a big kid who thought a zombie alligator was fun, somehow built a family and inspired fear and loyalty in others. This was a RIDE!! I was seriously not sure how they were going to get their happily ever after and was utterly engrossed for the whole book. I have really been enjoying the books set in the Mayhem verse and especially when it leads to me finding a new author to read.

I would say there is far more gore and bloodiness than there is romance/sex – think Walking Dead but with slightly more romance if that helps – but as long as that doesn’t squick you out, I think this is one that many people will enjoy. There were some really sad moments that made me sniffle and I’m still not sure I forgive the author for one in particular (you’ll know what I’m talking about once you’ve read the book) but I am going to see if there is more written by them that I can read!