Tag Archives: kindle unlimited

Save the Game by J.J. Mulder (SCU Hockey Book #2)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Save the Game

AUTHOR: ⟫ J.J. Mulder

SERIES: ⟫ SCU Hockey Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ After a traumatizing event and rough sophomore year, Max Kuemper does his best to keep his head down and not draw attention to himself. School and hockey are the only two things he can handle; it’s all he can do to keep himself afloat. He wants to forget about what happened to him and bring the secret to his grave.

Confident and flirty Luke Kelly likes to play the field—dating as well as baseball. When he meets Max during a night shift at work, he takes an instant liking to him, despite the other man’s reserved exterior and shy personality.

But secrets have a way of coming to light, and both Max and Luke will have to come to terms with what that means for their relationship.

REVIEW: ⟫ By no means the easiest thing to write about, I can only say how impressed I was by how J.J Mulder handled this issue. The manner in which we get to see and feel how Max is handling things, as well as Marcos, was incredibly touching and I admit, I spent a lot of times on the verge of tears whilst reading this book.

Luke was incredibly special. He went from being a cheerful, easy going, almost light figure to someone that Max could rely on for understanding, assistance and love and the two of them together made me feel so hopeful. They didn’t try to pretend that things weren’t difficult, weren’t perfect, needed breaks, but ultimately it felt like they were fighting together for something and I found this so precious, so special.

It was lovely to see Carter and Zeke again and I enjoyed the fact that it was a cameo that let us know how they were doing without making it feel like they were horning in on Max’s book. I really AM going to read the Coach’s book but my TBR pile is teeteringly tall so it may take a while, but I have promised myself it’s going to happen!!

I hope we get more from SCU Hockey because the people feel so real – faults and all – but ultimately the kind of people you want at your back.

The Night I Lost Him by Calliope Rhys

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ The Night I Lost Him

AUTHOR: ⟫ Calliope Rhys

RATING: ⟫ 2.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Caden Conner had never planned on coming out of the box he’d placed himself in long ago, the one he’d carefully crafted to look like everyone around him wanted it to. He had determined to be what they all expected. He’d decorated it with hockey and parties and girlfriends. No one was ever supposed to find him there, but then Jamie came along and ripped him right out of it.

Jamie Bryant was an enigma. He did what he wanted, wore what he wanted, and never apologized for who he was. He had plenty of whispers swirling around him, side-eyes and some outright hatred, but he seemed to simply ignore most of it. Caden had been watching, though, and he’d always hated it when people picked on Jamie. One moment would change everything between them, but Caden still had one foot in that box, torn between being who he truly was and holding onto the reputation he’d worked for.

Caden wasn’t the only person who could see that Jamie was beautiful. Jamie had plenty of his own admirers, and one of them was more dangerous than anyone realized until it was too late. No one thought that he would take it as far as he did, but by the time they understood, Jamie was already missing.

Caden realized he’d lost everything that truly mattered in his life when he’d lost Jamie. The regret and guilt swirled with fear and pain. And he would do whatever it took to get him back.

REVIEW: ⟫ I wanted to love this book so very much – the premise was fascinating and it started out incredibly well. The pain Caden was going through was palpable and the initial flashbacks were introduced in such a way as to fill in the backstory well. But then things went on. And on. Constant pages of Caden going over and over the same thing.

By the time we got to court, even the flashbacks that told their love story couldn’t save it. I was so aggravated by so many things that it got to the stage where I was almost hate reading it. I just wanted to get to the end so that it was over.

The characters were interesting, the premise was well thought out – this was let down by the lack of someone to tell the author to move the heck on with the story. Sometimes I actually felt like I was literally taking the same footsteps as Caden and it was just taking too darn long.

I hesitated on what to rate this as, but for the sake of Caden and Jamie, the excellent meaning the author was working towards, and the friends who proved to be worth their weight in gold, I decided on 2.5, rounded up.

I understand that this is a debut novel (I think) and I will look out for more by this author.

Forgotten Romance by Saxon James (Divorced Men's Club Book #6)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Forgotten Romance

AUTHOR: ⟫ Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ Divorced Men’s Club Book #6

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Davey

In a list of what’s most important to me, three things are right up there at the top. My kids, my husband Mack, and my career I’ve spent my life building. Unfortunately that career has me away from home more than I’d like, and when I refuse to walk away from it, my husband walks away from me instead.

Living together post-divorce makes sense for us, but it blurs the lines between what we were and what we have. Now that I’ve scored a big promotion and negotiated twelve long weeks at home, memories of our life together haunt me. They make me long for what we had. And now that Mack is moving on with someone else, I’m being faced with the cold truth. I should never have let Mack go, and now it might be too late to get him back.

Mack

Twelve weeks. It’s the longest Davey has been home since we had the kids, and all it does is remind me of everything I wish I still had. So I decide this is it. I have twelve weeks to remind Davey of everything he lost and hope like hell when I give him the choice between work and me again, that this time he chooses me.

None of my friends are on board with my plan, and the new guy in town is trying his hardest to win me over. But I can ignore cute notes slipped into my favourite books if it means getting back the man I’ll love forever.

All I need to do is remind him our life together was perfect.

Now if only our kids, our friends, and his work would get the memo …

REVIEW: ⟫ I can’t believe this series has come to an end! But what an ending – Davey and Mack broke my heart more than once reading this. I loved, loved, loved that this was a journey of self-discovery for both of them; that they both separately and together realised that what happened in the past was both of their responsibility; I loved all of their friends doing their best to support them – whether it was together or apart.

Saxon James has a way of writing characters that feel very real – their banter, their feelings, emotions – how they handle what life throws at them. It’s not always a simple journey, and in this case Mack and his need for Davey to love him above all else comes up against the brick wall of Davey’s need to provide for his family. Neither of them are actively wrong, but neither of them are right either. And this story is all about them figuring out how to mesh their lives together for good this time, without losing what makes each of them special.

I have loved this series as it is has merely affirmed my love of Saxon’s writing. I’m sad to leave this series behind but extremely happy with how it ended.

Method Acting by N.R. Walker (Franklin U Book #7)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Method Acting

AUTHOR: ⟫ N.R. Walker

SERIES: ⟫ Franklin U 2 Book #7

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Chase Soria

Every budding actor knows acting is a difficult gig. There will be grueling auditions and punishing rejections. If you’re lucky, there’ll be roles that pay the bills and even roles that won’t.

Roles we don’t believe in.

But that’s what acting is—acting as if we do believe in them.

So when the semester’s production project is announced and I’m cast as one of the leads, I’m ecstatic. A lot of responsibility, a lot of work, but I’m up for it. Even when I find out what my role is and who my partner is. Amos, the brooding James Dean wannabe, is my on-screen boyfriend. Which is great, except for the fact he hates me.

I can do this. It’s just acting.

Nothing more.

Amos Beddington

The 90s are back, apparently. 90210 and Friends, but with a reality TV spin, which means cameras following us around as if they’re capturing the everyday lives of Franklin U students.

Me, but not me.

Me, with no more than a character description, no script or screenplay. Method acting, being the character 24/7, not just when the cameras are rolling. With a campus boyfriend.

Method acting is immersive and intense, and it can be confusing if the lines begin to blur. I mean, I’ve dreamed of being with the irritatingly gorgeous and annoyingly popular Chase Soria, and now I have to be his on-screen boyfriend?

I’m a good actor, sure. But how can I be convincing when I’m not sure I can even convince myself?

REVIEW: ⟫ This may well turn out to be my favourite of all of the Franklin U 2 books and that is saying something! There was just something about Amos and Chase that dragged me almost immediately and I found myself so invested! The dilemma of what’s the line between method acting and truly feeling something was handled so well, and I really loved the way that all of the people involved stressed the importance of consent on several occasions – it wasn’t just a throwaway line and then completely ignored and I really appreciated that.

The relationship between Amos and Chase was fascinating to watch, especially with Amos being determined to remain aloof whilst Chase was literally a golden retriever that had discovered it liked this particular human – it was awesome and made me giggle more than once. Jimmy deserves a shout-out all of his own – this boy was absolute gold! I felt like I was watching a reality show and could well imagine the bloopers that we were allowed to see. The whole idea was built on so well and interesting to read – the issues with people who weren’t part of the experiment but who were affected by it; the intimacy exercises; the cliff-hangers (I’m talking about them slamming the door in the face of the camera in case you’re wondering!) – it was all masterfully handled and I loved it.

N.R.Walker is a favourite author of mine and they definitely hit the ball out of the park with this one. Engrossing, entertaining and sexy as all heck, I really fell in love with this method acting.

Deader Than Dead by H.L. Day (Paranormal Problems: Necromancers Book #1)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Deader Than Dead

AUTHOR: ⟫ H.L.Day

SERIES: ⟫ Paranormal Problems: Necromancers Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 3.75/5

BLURB: ⟫ Even death can’t stop fate.

Professional thief, Bellamy, might have bitten off more than he can chew this time. Jobs have gone wrong before, but never this wrong. His moral code might be grayer than most, but it exists, and he finds himself facing an impossible choice that could cost him everything.

Necromancer, John Averill’s day just got ten times worse. One more job, his boss says. Well, that job sucks, because not only does he find himself with a gun pointed at his head, but the man he’s been hired to raise temporarily from the dead is none other than his fated mate… the man he’s been searching for all his life.

Their love story is over before it ever began. Or is it? Fate still has a few tricks up its sleeve, and the impossible might just become possible.

Deader than Dead is a 57k Fated Mates MM paranormal novel featuring villains who will stop at nothing to get what they want, a stolen artifact, kidnapping, betrayal, lies, and two men determined to overcome death itself to be together.

Content warning for death and mention of suicide.

REVIEW: ⟫ A very entertaining premise, I came to this story after reading the second in the trilogy so I kinda knew what happened. However, that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. Both John and Bellamy were fun to read about – they lived such different lives and yet when they met, they were both more than ready to accept that what they had found was something special. The fact that Bellamy was dead when they met was neither here nor there!

The plot of the mask was really interesting, as was the view into a little more of Cade and the PPB. I’m sort of glad that I read the second book first – I’m not sure if I would have read more after this one because although I enjoyed it, it didn’t grab me as much as the second in the series.

A good set up for what sounds like an interesting show-down, as well as (hopefully) finding out more about Asher and the other members of the team, I’m glad I read this but I found book two more entertaining.

Something Borrowed by Lily Morton (Confetti Hitched Book #2)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Something Borrowed

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lily Morton

SERIES: ⟫ Confetti Hitched Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Stan has never let his blindness hold him back, but he’s beginning to realise his love life is keeping him from moving forward.

He can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with his best friend. Rafferty is everything to him—his partner in crime, his confidante, and the person who understands him best. But Rafferty is incapable of reciprocating Stan’s feelings.

As a successful wedding planner, Rafferty is passionately committed to helping newlyweds begin their happily-ever-afters, but after a rootless childhood he’s equally determined not to seek his own. How can he trust in love and marriage when so many of his brides and grooms are repeat customers?

Stan is the glue that keeps the pieces of Rafferty’s life together, and as such Rafferty has always kept Stan safely in the friend box where he can’t lose him. However, lately that conviction has wavered and now Rafferty is bursting with complicated feelings for his best friend. The timing couldn’t be worse because Rafferty has realised he’s in love with Stan just as Stan is moving on.

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a friends-to-lovers story about realising you have the perfect man when you’re on the brink of losing him.

This is the second book in the bestselling Confetti Hitched series, but it can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a lovely, slightly frustrating, but ultimately satisfying read. As per usual, the sassy banter was top-notch and Rafferty and Stan were such an absolutely delightful couple that you couldn’t help but root for them. Rafferty is fighting off the effects of his parents on his lifestyle, unable to see that he already has a strong, solid relationship with Stan that his parents could never hope to emulate.

Stan was a brilliant character. I think there can occasionally be a tendency to make characters who have a disability either paragons of virtue or their disability becomes their entire personality. Stan was most definitely not like that. He was as acerbic (if not more so) as Rafferty, unwilling to suffer fools gladly and making the most of the life he has built with himself. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be to finally be rid of his patronising and controlling boyfriend, Bennett, and get over this useless love he has for Rafferty.

With a cast of familiar and new characters being less than subtle cupids, weddings to organise, and life to survive, the relationship between Rafferty and Stan was stellar. They simply fit together and everyone but them knows it. I loved this story – the flashbacks, the sex scenes, the music store – it all pulled together to make the time fly as I read it in one sitting. I always forget just how much I love reading Lily Morton books until I fall back into one and this was no exception.

Rowan & Aldred by Lucie Fleury (Ambrosia Book #2)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Rowan & Aldred

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lucie Fleury

SERIES: ⟫ Ambrosia Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Rowan is a bully. Always has been, always will be. After all, what better way to prevent people from hurting you, than hurting them first? But this time, he’s gone too far. The God of Justice has heard about his crimes, and now he must suffer the consequences…

Aldred, God of Justice and Retribution, is all too willing to take Rowan into his dungeon to deliver the sentence he rightly deserves. After all, punishing humans is his favorite pastime—he’ll take great pleasure in the careless, sadistic fun that Rowan’s incarceration offers him.

What he doesn’t expect is finding more. Because there’s something underneath Rowan’s spitefulness. Something he wants to find, care for and protect. However, if he acts on his urges, his ward will become permanently addicted to the ambrosia his body produces, altering Rowan’s life forever.

Set in a medieval fantasy world full of magic, conniving divinities and a newborn god gone rogue, follow the redemption story of one broken boy who gets his second chance at life, and a god who discovers his softer side.

REVIEW: ⟫ I was very interested in just how Lucie Fleury was going to get the reader to like Rowan after the person he was in book one. But they did it somehow – Rowan was a fascinating character and I admired Aldred for digging deeper into why Rowan was the way that he was. The other thing that I really enjoyed was how the relationship between the two of them built up as it was so different to Lodrick’s story – Aldred was punishing Rowan and he held nothing back as he dived into everything that made Rowan who he was.

The background story regarding the God that was risking so much by letting mortals have ambrosia was well handled, although the God responsible was a little bit of a cliché. The BDSM aspects of the story were well written and entertaining and my favourite characters are definitely the familiars and the horses – Felicity was the snarkiest cat I’ve read on page and I loved her. I also really loved Rowan’s familiar – that was cute beyond belief.

Definitely an entertaining addition and I will look for more in the ambrosia series in the future.

Lodrick & Godefroy by Lucie Fleury (Ambrosia Book #1)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Lodrick & Godefroy

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lucie Fleury

SERIES: ⟫ Ambrosia Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 3.75/5

BLURB: ⟫ Lodrick had the perfect a good and loving family and a promising future as a Royal guard. But hatred and jealousy ruined everything. He was forced to drink ambrosia, the highly addictive substance produced by god’s bodies. Now to survive he only has one to become a god’s lover.

Godefroy, the god of Peace and Harmony, has longed for a companion for a long time. He’s ready to love and care. Yet, as good willing as he is, he has trouble understanding humans and Lodrick is a real mystery. Why does he refuse his soothing?

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a really interesting story – from the blurb, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect, especially as Lodrick would have been well within his rights to hate everything about his circumstances. Considering it was quite a short story, I was impressed with how much time and effort went into looking at how Lodrick was feeling, how he found a way to spend his time and begin to build a life, as well as encompassing his shame and unhappiness with how he came to be in the situation.

Godefroy was a real sweetheart, much like you would expect from the god of Peace and Harmony. However, I particularly enjoyed how he was prepared to maintain his boundaries – he could accept Lodrick’s unhappiness and anger without letting it ruin his hard-earned peace. I was fascinated by the host of background characters and loved the world-building, lore and hints of the darker side to the entire Nymph/god relationship.

I have already downloaded the second book because I am very interested in reading more in this verse and would recommend this if you like your stories spicy but with some thought there too.

Red Flags and Tuesdays by Nordika Night (Weekday Weirdos Book #1)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Red Flags and Tuesdays

AUTHOR: ⟫ Nordika Night

SERIES: ⟫ Weekday Weirdos Series Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Waking up to his one-night stand trying to flee the scene, Reid sits back to enjoy the show. This blond boy is all snark and quick-wit, but there’s an awkward side to him that intrigues Reid enough to want to con him into a second date. After numerous failed attempts, Atticus reluctantly agrees to an on-the-spot date, and things get quirky from there.

A philosophy major and a wayward son, these two work through their differences, battling red flags and a slew of Tuesdays that have them bonding in ways they never saw coming. There is no normal way to date Atticus, and Reid soon learns that this ‘romance lover’ has no idea what romance is, but he’s willing to put in the work.

Reid is taking back his life. Atticus is taking back Tuesdays.

Together, they’re a brilliant disaster.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a delightful read, especially enjoyable after the dark, intense book I read just beforehand. Atticus made me laugh so hard with his rules and regulations, his absolute refusal to give an inch to Reid and the obvious pain he is carrying. His desire to protect himself from the damage Reid could do to his heart is so touching and believable, yet the pull between the two of them is far too strong for him to resist.

Reid impressed me for different reasons. He could have been a typical f*ckboy, out to spend his father’s money and waste his life. Instead, he saw what he wanted in Atticus, adjusted very quickly to the idea that he was more sexually fluid than he expected, and went for it with every ounce of himself. I appreciated the fact that he thought about what Atticus was afraid of and was so determined to learn Atticus’ love language.

The story was intense and yet fun at the same time, with both main characters so multi dimensional that it was easy to see them in my mind’s eye. I very much enjoyed this story, Nordika Night’s style of writing really worked for me and I’m glad I took the ride with the characters.

Where There's a Will by Jessie Walker (Lost Boys Book #1)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Where There’s a Will

AUTHOR: ⟫ Jessie Walker

SERIES: ⟫ Lost Boys Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ He was everything I never wanted.

Impulsive. Careless. Self-Destructive.

I’m the cliché they all warn you about.

The head case with a pretty face.

If I’m not chasing the bottom of a bottle,

I’m snorting a line off a girl’s ass.

That guy you know who plays Russian Roulette at parties?

That’s me.

But that all changes when he comes barreling back into my life.
Will Foster.

The boy from my childhood.

The boy I told myself was a fluke.

A mistake.

Nothing.

It’s only a matter of time before he learns the truth.

Before he sees me for who I really am under all the bullshit.

Broken.

Tainted.

Worthless.

He wants to love me whole, but shouldn’t he know better than that by now?
Saving someone who doesn’t want to be saved is a recipe for disaster…

And loving someone who doesn’t want to be loved?

Fucking hopeless.

* Where There’s A Will is a full-length, slow-burn, emotional MM romance novel. The story continues in If There’s A Way. This duet deals with heavy topics that may be triggering for some readers.

REVIEW: ⟫ Firstly, I count myself as fortunate to have found this book after the follow up had been released. I’m not sure how big of a tantrum I would have thrown if I had read this and had to wait for the next instalment.

This book is the epitome of messy humans getting even messier with each other, drama on top of drama, hefty emotions and a serious amount of angst. Addictions abound, as does co-dependency and incredibly painful back stories and the tale is moving and frustrating in equal measure.

Will and Waylon are so obviously meant to be together that watching Waylon fight his feelings makes you so conscious of the pain he has suffered, his insecurities and PTSD making him lash out and become dangerous to be around. The fact that Will can still see that his love for Waylon is worth fighting for after his awful life experiences is a testimony to just how incredibly strong their connection is.

I really felt drawn into this story and will dive into book two once I’ve recovered just a little!