Tag Archives: book-reviews

Rumor Has It by Crea Reitan (Longwood University Book #1)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Rumor Has It
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Longwood University Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ The shiver of something new…

Dak

I don’t know what it is about this man that has captivated me like no one else. It’s made me question everything I think I know about myself. But that’s fine – I’ll obsess from afar until I graduate and move on with my life.

Then I’m handed an exclusive invitation to Rumor, the frat’s ‘gay chicken’ club that performs in front of a camera. The one who doesn’t back out first wins cash. Thinking maybe I can clear up this curiosity once and for all if I try my hand at dick, I go.

Imagine my surprise when the man I’m paired with is none other than the one guy that’s caught my attention. My only problem is the cameras freak me out and I know one of these times when I run, it’ll be the last time I see him.

Sparrow

Rumor is a game for straight men to use whatever excuse they can come up with to get acquainted with a dick not their own. I’m the unbeatable – a fan favorite. But I have a secret – I’m already gayer than a pink unicorn wearing a tutu. Still, I get invited back time and time again.

It’s all business until the most beautiful brown eyes look at me and the sexiest body is pressed against mine. However, this fucking man keeps running away. Thankfully, I’m able to give him private lessons in fucking a man, something I’m all to happy to oblige.

But Dak is more than just a good time. He’s a threat to everything I think I know, forcing me to acknowledge that maybe there’s something deeper between us.

Rumor has it all it takes is a single person to turn your life upside down. I think I just met that person and I’m not sure which way is up or if I’m going to crash and burn before I find the surface.

***

This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a fascinating read. I really appreciated the mature approach that Sparrow took to the situation with Dak – it would have far too easy for him to get angry or reject Dak but instead he showed such patience and understanding. I enjoyed the background characters and the progression of their relationship as they figured out what they meant to each other and did what they could to make things happen. Communication was emphasised over and over again which I really did like – Sparrow was determined not to fall into emotional traps and insisted that they talk and this was so refreshing. Even better when Dak called him out on something and he not only admitted fault but apologised. I don’t think I’ve read a lot of stories by this author but I’m making my way through their back catalogue and this book is the main reason for that!

Changed: Mated to the Alien Alpha by Robin Moray (The Omega Colony Book #1)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Changed: Mated to the Alien Alpha
AUTHOR: ⟫ Robin Moray

SERIES: ⟫ The Omega Colony Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 3/5

BLURB: ⟫ The Company said Omega IV was uninhabited. They said Omega IV was safe.
They were wrong.

The giant humanoid inhabitants of Omega IV are conditioned to the Change—a biological event in their development that designates them altha or amekha—but for the new colony of humans, the Change comes as an unpleasant surprise.

Dr Cameron Grant, bitter after a turbulent break-up, finds himself in a first-contact situation that was never covered in training.The alien warrior Tal’jen, seven feet tall and distinctly male, has taken an interest in him, an interest with a clear and pressing conclusion. Dr Grant can’t deny his attraction, even as his body undergoes strange and frightening changes. Whatever is happening to him, it’s obvious that Tal’jen understands it instinctively. He will have to place himself in the hands of an alien and hope that Tal’jen’s interest is as benign as it seems.

Meanwhile, Tal’jen, chief-in-waiting of his people, seeks a mate. The handsome and strange Cam’ren of the newcomers calls to him powerfully, though he has not yet gone through his Change. To be chief Tal’jen must mate with a bearer, so while he longs to claim Cam’ren for his own, he must be patient and hope that Cam’ren’s Change will grant him the gift of bearing young.

As the Change spreads through the human colony, leaving chaos in its wake, Cameron and Tal’jen must fight to protect both the delicate bond growing between them, and each other.

REVIEW: ⟫ I love the whole idea of this but found it very difficult to suspend disbelief throughout the story. It was laughable the way that Cameron behaved with Tal’jen, especially since he hadn’t actually begun the change when things began between them. As things unfolded, I think the lack of panicking and/or proper investigation into what was happening dragged me out of the story – who the heck hears that they’re growing an organ but wants to continue eating alien food? And the fact that this was beginning to affect other people didn’t cause the rush to figure it all out that I was expecting. I enjoyed quite a few aspects of the story but found I couldn’t disengage my brain enough. That’s not to say I won’t read more of the series!

Rotten by Bree Wiley (Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #2)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Rotten
AUTHOR: ⟫ Bree Wiley

SERIES: ⟫ Mayhem Manuscripts Season One: 1nf3ction Book #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Surviving is all I’ve ever known.
Abandoned young, I was left to fend for myself in a place ruled by fear and control. Silver runs everything—rations, medicine, currency—and those like me, carriers of the infection, are treated less than human.

Everyone I love is gone.
All that’s left is my sister, but she vanished into Zone T years ago, and I won’t stop until I find her. Even if it means stepping onto his boat.

An eye for an eye.
They call him the Ferryman. A monster with a bird of prey, tasked with bringing criminals across the river. Those who board his vessel never return.

But he’s not what I expected. There are secrets behind his quiet stare and a history soaked in blood. His gentle touch draws me in deeper than I meant to go. The closer I get to the truth, the more he unravels parts of me I thought were long dead.
The Ferryman wants to claim my soul, but I don’t know if I could ever be his.
All I am is…rotten.

Rotten is a full-length MM dark dystopian horror romance as part of the 1nf3ction shared world collaboration. Each book is a standalone containing themes and situations not intended for readers under the age of 18. Both characters are consenting adults. This story features a mute, morally grey cinnamon roll, Greek mythology themes, a talking crow too smart for her own good, and a guaranteed HEA.

REVIEW: ⟫ Okay, I had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for with this one – I don’t think I’ve read any Bree Wiley before. The story begins in the middle of some gnarly action and just kept going! This was such a ride – my heart broke for both Charon and Hector, what they had been through and were still going through. The plot was fascinating and horrifying at the same time – humanity can truly be monstrous and unfortunately I could well see the things that happened in the story happening in reality. The zombies are the background – what’s at the forefront is just how people keep going during these horrific times. Finding love amidst all of that seems next to impossible and yet Charon and Hector were both brave enough to allow themselves to be vulnerable with each other.

I would suggest reading the warnings listed in the back because like I said, a lot of this I just wasn’t ready for, but this was an excellent addition to the series and I will be looking out for more books by Bree Wiley.

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

Posted on by
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!

A Quiet Fire by N.J. Lysk

Posted on by
2

TITLE: ⟫ A Quiet Fire
AUTHOR: ⟫ N J Lysk

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ What duty binds, only love may set free.

At thirty-three, Lord Valgar, Earl of Saran, is the last surviving water mage of noble blood. Forbidden from joining the war himself, his duty is preserve the magic by fathering children.

But after fifteen years of a loving but childless marriage, the council has run out of patience. They demand he take a second omega. Valgar refuses to betray his mate—so he makes a calculated an older omega, unlikely to bear a child.

But to Lord Quincy, the proposal he is pressured to accept is no mere formality. Still mourning the alpha he lost in battle, Quincy clings to the quiet life he’s built around his grief and his garden, his books, and his beloved animals. He’s not ready for another bond—and he harbours a secret that could unravel all of Valgar’s careful plans.

Can two reluctant husbands find common ground—and maybe even find that quiet fire known as hope?

“A Quiet Fire” is an arranged marriage romance novella featuring elements of dubcon, consensual polyamory, non-shifter omegaverse, feminisation and mpreg.

REVIEW: ⟫ Despite the subject matter, I actually found this book incredibly romantic. Quincy is an omega and as such, has very little say in what happens to him after the death of his Alpha. Valgar is an Alpha but because of his magic, he has very little say in what leads him into Quincy’s life. Without Mar, I’m not sure these two would have ever managed to find their way to each other, but this woman has such a huge heart and so much love, she paves the way for her husband to find love and happiness with someone who was meant to be her replacement. I loved the calm, kind way in which Mar communicated with both Val and Quincy, and yes, I cried a little towards the end when she finds more happiness than she ever expected – a reward for her being willing and able to help the two men get out of each other’s way. Even with the harsh realities of life for omegas in the society of the time, the author manages to make the reader aware of the inequalities and unfairness whilst also opening the door to a view to a love that is made bigger and stronger by the addition of a third person – a person that wasn’t wanted but ends up being very much needed. Really enjoyed this one!

Full Body Hit (Book #1 & #2) by Marina Vivancos (Alpha Omega Hockey #5 & #6)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Full Body Hit (Book 1 and Book 2)
AUTHOR: ⟫ Marina Vivancos

SERIES: ⟫ Alpha Omega Hockey Book #5 and #6
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ A scentless Omega. A grumpy hockey legend. An anonymous hookup app that turns everything upside down.

Chase Spalding finally has his shot at the NHL—and a place on the New Orleans Spirits, the team his longtime idol, Auston Mazdaki, plays for. As a scentless Omega, Chase is used to hiding in plain sight, wearing a synthetic profile and keeping his head down. But under the confidence is a boy who aches to be seen, touched, and claimed.

Auston is a veteran in every sense: older, jaded, and done pretending he wants more from the game—or anyone. He’s not interested in rookies, least of all one with a blank scent and too many secrets.

But when two lonely men connect on an anonymous hookup app, they find what they didn’t know they were missing. In the safety of digital walls, Aunix and Charlie explore kink, power, and Daddy/boy dynamics, praise, obedience, and the kind of care neither thought they deserved.

Anonymous identities. Age gap. Grumpy/Daddy Alpha x rookie Omega. Praise, power exchange, and all the tenderness kink can hold.

When the truth comes out, love is the hardest—and most rewarding—game they’ll ever play.

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m going to start this with a warning – you need to make sure you have part 2 before you begin to read part 1, quite simply because you will not want to wait to find out what happens.

This book took me by surprise for so many reasons. I absolutely loved the fact that despite his mother, Chase was able to step out of his comfort zone and make friends – Sammy alone is utter gold, but Nathan cracked me up so many times just because he was so completely oblivious to so much of what was going on.

Auston – I wasn’t sure how I felt about him. I understood the roots of his trauma (which is more than he can say initially) but he irritated the heck out of me because he didn’t question things more. He assumed so much about Chase that occasionally I wanted to give him a shake and tell him to pay attention to the man and forget about the scent. But then the whole online thing happened and I got to see Auston for who he was without all of his baggage. And as an Alpha, this guy was absolutely amazing. He talked Charlie down so many times, encouraged him to embrace his inner Omega and was willing to try new things to be the best for his omega. The joint next building almost took me out, especially with how dedicated Charlie was to getting it right and Auston just being so adoring and understanding – just, so so awesome.

The chemistry between these two burnt up the page and showed how incredible intimate and special an online relationship can be. They really brought out the best in each other and once they realised who the other was, this transferred so well to real life. The PR incident where they played chase was fun because we got to see them being free and fun together during a time when they really didn’t understand each other or even care about the other.

The less said about Chase’s mother the better – she sounded so incredibly bitter and downright nasty and my heart broke for Chase so many times. The way in which Sammy dealt with her had me giggling with joy and when Auston tried to help Chase come to terms with the fact that he was allowed to be angry with his mother for the things that he did, I wanted to cry. The happily ever after was hard-won but I also liked how some things weren’t just solved because they found each other – they were still putting in the work and it was so worth it.

Suffice it to say, this was an excellent addition to the Alpha Omega Hockey series and I really enjoyed reading these two books back-to-back. Grab them both – you won’t regret it!

Bitter When He Begs by Avery Collins (Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Bitter When He Begs
AUTHOR: ⟫ Avery Collins

SERIES: ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Luca
I’ve built my life on control. On the field, in my reputation, and in keeping my demons buried where no one can see.
Sage Blackwell was never supposed to be a part of that. The nerdy prodigy overheard something that could ruin my entire career, so I do the only logical thing. I don’t threaten him. I don’t scare him off.
I claim him.
I tell myself it’s about survival, about keeping my secret safe. But the longer I keep him close, the more I realize I might be addicted again.
Only this time, my drug of choice is him.

Sage
I wasn’t supposed to hear it.
I definitely wasn’t supposed to get caught.
One wrong step. One overheard conversation. That’s all it takes to make me the unwilling keeper of Luca Devereaux’s darkest secret.
Now, Blackthorne U’s arrogant, untouchable quarterback, has decided I belong to him.
He’s relentless, possessive and cruel in the way only someone with too much power and too little consequences can be.
Being owned by Luca might just destroy me… especially when I realize I don’t want him to let go.

***
Bitter When He Begs is the second book in the interconnected Sinners of Blackthorne U series, but it is a complete standalone. Readers are advised to approach with caution and ensure they are comfortable with the listed triggers and content warnings before proceeding.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well if I thought book 1 was unhinged, book 2 basically went just that little bit higher! Luca Devereaux was everything that’s wrong with elitist society – using his money, position and power to make his problems go away without facing any consequences. Sage Blackwell is in the unfortunate position of accidentally coming into some information that could cost Luca dearly, and Luca can’t afford to let that happen.

It would have been so easy to make this a more traditional ‘bully’ trope, but Avery Collins dug deeper and harder, turning this story into a scorching tale of obsession, love and addiction, with a side order of kink. It was too easy initially to think of Sage as the innocent caught up in something he didn’t understand, but the further I read, the more I realised that Sage had issues of his own that made him more than a match for Luca.

The background plot and characters were solid, adding depth and nuance to the story, as well as causing more than a tear or two of their own. The relationship between Sage and Luca was by turns hot, confusing, dangerous, dark and ultimately a fabulous love story, with them becoming each other’s anchor in the turbulent seas they were facing. I think I still prefer book one but only by a smidge, and spending more time with Roman and Damon was fabulous. Luca and Sage fought so hard for their happily ever after and the change in the two of them, supported by their friends, was beautiful to witness.

Now I only have book three to read and I’m sad to say goodbye to these guys – in such a short space of time, they really touched my heart.

Wilde’s End by Saxon James (The Wilde Men #1)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Wilde’s End
AUTHOR: ⟫ Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ The Wilde Men #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Hudson

Give me the smallest reason to make a bad decision, and I’ll jump in with both feet. Case in point: thinking that drunkenly buying an abandoned town with my brothers is a good idea.
As builders, we plan to renovate and flip the town, maybe turn it into something worth seeing, but the longer we’re here, the more things feel … off.
It’s not until a bearded mountain man breaks into my room in the middle of the night and threatens for us to get out of his town that I realize Wilde’s End isn’t as abandoned as we were told.
But there’s nothing waiting for me in the life I left behind, and in making his demands, Wilde has accidentally tapped into my competitive side.
Terrible decisions? Me?
Wilde can bring it on.

Wilde

I escaped to Wilde’s End twenty years ago, and since then I’ve dedicated my life to the town and the people who live there. Because if I focus on others, I don’t have the time or energy to face everything I’ve been running from.
The Bellamy brothers coming to town is like three horsemen of the goddamn apocalypse. They leave destruction in their wake, and when the eldest, Hudson, ignores my very kind request to leave, it’s time to take things into my own hands. Protecting this town is all I know how to do.
But I’ve never faced someone like Hudson.
His stubbornness matches mine, and his attitude has an irritating way of worming under my skin. The more I push him, the harder he pushes back, until we’re locked in a game neither of us will walk away from.
With his smart mouth, bullheaded recklessness and those damn eyelashes I’m starting to question whether I can win this one.
But if I lose, this town isn’t the only thing on the line.

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m struggling a little with this review. At the beginning, I was devouring this book – Wilde was fascinating, as was Wilde’s End and the Bellamy brothers were entertaining. However, the relationship between Hudson and Wilde was occasionally more than verging on toxic and I struggled with it. There was a long period of time when I wasn’t sure if they even liked each other and I couldn’t see a good way for things to end and for them to reach something resembling a happily ever after.

However, I should have trusted Saxon James to pull out the win in the end. I really enjoyed Kennedy as a caring sibling, and the fact that he could lay some truth on Hudson whilst living his own truth was refreshing and just excellent in it’s execution. I am really interested in Kennedy and Ziggy which is apparently going to be the next book, and I would really like to know why Hartwell is the way he is! Ultimately, I enjoyed reading this one and feel that this could be a very worthwhile series. I received an ARC from Foreword PR.

Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon by Wendy Rathbone (Alpha Dragons #3)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon
AUTHOR: ⟫ Wendy Rathbone

SERIES: ⟫ Alpha Dragons #3
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’m a set-omega and I’ve been sold by my wolf pack to the dragons as a breeder.

My name is Caylen. I’m a wolf shifter whose inner beast is missing. This means I cannot shift. As a set-omega, my pack can’t scent me and I’m officially a non-member. Worse, I have lost all rights and can be sold to the highest bidder.

Dragons are wealthy but omega-poor. To keep their population stable, they have become the biggest set-omega importers and pay the most for breeders.

My fate is in the hands of strangers. I’m afraid but refuse to show it.

On the auction block, someone bids for me with pure gold amid gasps and wonder. What does that even mean? What will happen to me?

MM romance, shifter, dragons, omegaverse, mpreg, first time, size difference, past trauma, rescue, HEA.

Note: This is book three of the Alpha Dragon series but is a standalone read.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was an interesting read based on the premise – a ‘set’ omega is one that cannot or does not have an inner beast. When Caylen presents as such, he knows that he will be sold from his pack and pre-empts the action of his parents.

He is bought at auction and transported to a place of utter isolation to live with an Alpha Dragon who is not only damaged, but wants nothing to do with him. The way in which both Varik and Caylen have suffered was pretty heart-wrenching. Varik in particular has been treated abominably by the people he should have been able to trust with his life and obviously is struggling with paranoia and fear. I did enjoy the relationship that built between the two of them – sleeping in front of the fire sounded so relaxing and seemed to be completely what they needed to let their guards down and see how alike they were. I really enjoyed the relationship between Variksan and Caylen – the respect between them, their desire for an honest connection was a pleasure to read.

I did feel like the second half of the story was rushed – from the time they committed to each other, it felt a bit like a summary of their life rather than reading their story. It’s hard to describe any of this without spoilers and the situation they were in was pretty unique, so I was really wondering just how they were going to reach some kind of happily ever after and ‘normal’ life. The writing style was very easy to get into and the story was well told in general – just a little light at the end.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Pretty Mess by Lily Morton

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Pretty Mess
AUTHOR: ⟫ Lily Morton
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Kiss him, sleep with him, but don’t ever fall in love with him.

The first time Wes Archer steps into Jack of Clubs, an exclusive London pleasure club, he’s completely confident he can heed the tried-and-true advice about becoming an escort. Wes gives himself away for free with casual hookups all the time. Why not make some cash doing what he already loves? And cash is something he desperately needs. His brother’s gambling addiction has taken their family’s home, saddled Wes with insurmountable debts, and compromised his chances for finishing his degree.

Accepting an offer to spend a few hours of fun with a rich bloke will be a simple business transaction, right?

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my goodness, this story was just so enchanting! Wes and his non-stop ability to find something to say made me laugh but he also made me want to cry sometimes. He was just such a good guy, with a lovely heart, a sense of humour that made me giggle even when it was inappropriate and the luck of a blind lemming. Cormac was harder to read but it quickly became obvious that although he might not want to be falling for Wes, he totally was. The background cast of characters were intriguing and entertaining; the story moved quickly but didn’t feel rushed and the sex scenes between Wes and Cormac were so hot! I read this book in one sitting, devouring it and wishing there was more even whilst I was so happy with how things ended. Lily Morton has a way of writing characters that are flawed and so human, and it’s what keeps me coming back to her books. My favourite is Charlie Sunshine but this one may well be joining the ranks of my top ten. This story left me with a smile on my face and a lightening in my heart – I cannot recommend it enough.