Tag Archives: mm review

Heated Rivalry Series by Rachel Reid

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Heated Rivalry Series
AUTHOR: ⟫ Rachel Reid

SERIES: ⟫ Game Changer Series Books #1 – #6
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollander’s game.

Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. Publicly, they’re enemies. Privately, they can’t stop touching each other.

The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an option…

REVIEW: ⟫ Like pretty much the rest of the world, I have been LOVING the Heated Rivalry series released on Crave. I had read ‘Game Changer’ but didn’t realise it was from the same story until episode three, which features Scott and Kip. This isn’t to review the series, but I can say that they were incredibly faithful to the story, including the intimate scenes and I really think everyone needs to see the way that this story has been portrayed – all kudos to the actors, directors, editors, etc because they did an amazing job.

After watching the first three episodes, I decided to read the rest of the series and I am so glad that I did. These men had me in such a chokehold, although my favourite character is Ilya, closely followed by Shane. The love stories are all focused around the world of hockey, but real life decisions get in the way of things, as well as bigotry, homophobia, and out of control competitiveness on some occasions.

I ‘hear’ the voices in the story from the actors, that is how well they embodied Rachel Reid’s creations, and I admit I am one of those who got a subscription to Quinn in order to listen to Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams narrating a MM story. I didn’t gel with every story but I am glad that I read all of them because of the fuller picture it gives. Add the series to your TBR, you really won’t regret it and I look forward to chatting about the books/TV series with you guys on Reddit!

Newcomers by October Arden (Inside Book #3)

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: ⟫ Newcomers
AUTHOR: ⟫ October Arden

SERIES: ⟫ Inside Book #3
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ “When one of them breaks, they all do.”
Alex was never meant to stay. He was created to protect Jaime—nothing more. Now that Luke is here, devoted and strong and real, what is Alex for?
So he disappears.
And Jaime shatters.
When Luke shuts down from guilt, a new voice rises in the dark. Hunter—born of Luke’s need, desperate to protect them all. As the system tilts toward collapse, it’s someone else’s turn to be the anchor, and Alex must decide what kind of love is worth surviving for.
A gutting, healing, polyamorous conclusion about broken minds, impossible devotion, and the terrifying beauty of being needed.


REVIEW: ⟫ I’ve sat on this for quite a while, allowing my brain to figure out what it wants to say but I’m gonna be honest, my brain has nothing! This book was just such a trip – it simply didn’t occur to me that Luke might have a headmate and it completely threw me. I read this book not quite sure what I wanted to happen, but I was pleased with how it ended. I have learned quite a bit about plurality and am definitely interested in learning more. Overall, I would say that this was a satisfactory end to the series and that Luke, Jamie, Alex and Hunter got the happily ever after that they fought so hard for and well deserved. I received an ARC from the author.

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

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All The Men Want Me by Jaclyn Osborn (Book #1)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All The Men Want Me
AUTHOR: ⟫ Jaclyn Osborn

SERIES: ⟫ Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All The Men Want Me Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Evan just wants a quiet life where he escapes into books, drinks a ridiculous amount of coffee, and devours every muffin in sight. But then he’s transported to another world with magic, sword-wielding knights with big… hearts, and men who find him too adorable to resist.
Complicated? Well, that’s the understatement of the century.
And for Evan, the adventure is only beginning.

Book 1 in a low-angst “why choose” romance series from author Jaclyn Osborn! Follow Evan, a snarky bookworm, as he’s whisked away to a fantasy world with a ton of hotties, a dark forest that may or may not be filled with monsters, and a mischievous cat boy who loves cake.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a sweet uncomplicated read with an interesting premise. The characters were fun to read and I love how uncensored Evan was with his speech. The big thing that came through was that there may well be a place for everyone but it isn’t always in this world! I may continue reading but it depends on other books in my TBR.

Breakneck Hockey by S Legend (Heartbreak Hockey Book #3)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Breakneck Hockey
AUTHOR: ⟫ S Legend

SERIES: ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey Book #3
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ GRITTY. RAW. A LITTLE EDGIER THAN THE AVERAGE HOCKEY ROM-COM

I don’t want Casey Alderchuck, but I don’t want anyone else to have him either.

My hook-up for the night wasn’t supposed to be my long-time hockey rival, but here he is. I’m too worked up to let him go home without having a taste. One little bite of that smart mouth is mine for the taking after how many times he’s broken my nose.

How was I supposed to know that I’d crave Alderchuck with the desperation of a starved man?

I’m always one bad day from an explosion, but since I hooked up with Alderchuck, my body’s constantly on fire. I’m thinking about things I haven’t in a long time. He’s dredged years of buried torment to the surface.

The cure? Alderchuck. My poison is my cure. How poetic.

At least he can’t keep his hands off me and our burning hatred is mutual. The flavor’s gotta wear off at some point, and that’s when we’ll go our separate ways. Until then, I’ll come up with every way imaginable to wreck him from the inside out. Use him up till there’s nothing left.

But I’m nothing if not territorial and protective. My instincts decide that Casey Alderchuck is mine and they pull him closer. My damn heart’s a traitor, too, trying to break the locks I put around it to let him inside. But I can’t let it win. Loving people like I would love Casey means risking the fragile sanity I’ve worked so hard to preserve.

Breakneck Hockey is a rivals-to-lovers story with some hurt-comfort, along with other vibes, like; I Can Hurt Him but You Can’t, Major Jealousy, Just Because I Say I Don’t Want Him, Doesn’t Mean You Can Have Him, Possessiveness Galore, a Morally Gray MC and, as always in this series, Found Family.

REVIEW: ⟫ These two together are such a wrecking ball! Chaotic in a way not even Jack and Logan managed, Casey and Mitchell are a bundle of red flags nicely decorated with a bow and together, they are quite possibly the most toxic, codependent pair I’ve ever read. I loved it – all of it. The very things that made them so infuriating (lack of clear communication, etc) were also what made them so special. I especially loved the way that Sutter had to learn/figure out the ways in which Casey needed to be loved – the sense of achievement when he figured it out had me fist-pumping. As always, the sex is hot and frequent, and the hockey talk is entertaining. I loved the background cast of characters and was so satisfied with this read.

Favourite part? Sutter firing pucks at Casey – absolutely hysterical!

Forbidden Hockey by S Legend (Heartbreak Hockey Book #5)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Forbidden Hockey
AUTHOR: ⟫ S Legend

SERIES: ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey Book #5
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ GRITTY. RAW. A LITTLE EDGIER THAN THE AVERAGE HOCKEY ROM-COM

What do you do when a man takes your breath away? Literally?

Travis Nolan

I’m tarnished. Ex-con. Trailer trash. Rebel-rouser. I’ve spent years trying to be the kind of father my son deserves—don’t know if I’ll ever get there, but it’s my only path to redemption.

The last thing I need is a dangerous attraction to Dirk Boulder, one that’ll carve my name onto the Devil’s guest list. But when the man who once tore my son’s life apart resurfaces, I have to decide: kill the monster and betray the man I love, or walk away from vengeance and leave my son vulnerable.

Dirk Boulder

Hockey is life. I’ve had a great career in the AHL with the Kelowna Wildcats, and my found family—while a little over the top at times—is made of stuff money can’t buy. But something’s missing.

I’m used to having the wind knocked out of me on the ice, but nothing prepares me for falling for my best friend’s dad, Travis Nolan. Of flipping course. The only man I can’t have.

My older brother, the only real parent I’ve ever had, will never go for it. Betraying him after all he’s done for me seems like the greatest treason of my life.

Feral Soulmates
The rules were simple: live in denial, dance around our attraction, relieve the agonizing desire with innocent flirtations, and unending proximity. Never, never, touch each other.

But even the thought of the other with someone else? Yeah, that’s a big effing no. Was it jealousy that tipped the scales, or love with a gravitational pull so hard we were too human to resist?

Probably both.

We’re bruised, reckless, and beautifully ruined for anyone else.

REVIEW: ⟫ To some extent, this is much more grounded in reality. The main aspects of the story take part back ‘home’ with hockey in the background explaining absences. About there is where reality ends. We have had hints of Dirk and Travis throughout the previous stories in the series and I must admit, I was looking forward to their story. However, it was incredibly frustrating – these characters are all so enmeshed with each other, they are barely capable of independent thought.

When Travis and Dirk were together, they were quite explosive. I appreciated the fact that Travis challenged himself with his thinking – it would have been very easy for him and Dirk to fall into a Daddy-dom situation but that was definitely not the vibe. I loved how he could take Dirk away from all of the things that made him doubt himself and yet respected him as an adult. He struggled with it on occasion – not helped by the fact that they were hiding from not only Dash but Dirk’s brother, Hunter.

Maxwell is fascinating and I am looking forward to the story of him and Eddie. I did enjoy this story but it felt unnecessarily dragged out and that annoyed me. This is where the series ends (for now) but I will keep an eye out for the next book which is due next year and I am exploring S Legend’s back catalogue for addition to my TBR.

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!

Night Call by C T Whistle (Part #2 of the Omegaverse Case Files)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ Night Call
AUTHOR: ⟫ C T Whistle

SERIES: ⟫ Omegaverse Case Files #2
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Silent Witness meets shifters in this steamy, high stakes omegaverse detective novel.


Pember McArthur’s life is falling apart, one horribly unhinged mother at a time. With no pack, few friends and even fewer family, he must learn to survive as a lone omega in a town that’s still reeling from a recent sex trafficking scandal. Landing a job as a Crime Scene Investigator, he gets thrust into a world of violence, murder and one smoking hot Detective Sergeant who is hell bent on being the most miserable fucker around.

When alphas start turning up dead in a string of bizarre and seemingly unrelated attacks, Pember and DS Blake Smith must work together to catch the person responsible. However, when the number of bodies starts to grow, it becomes clear that dead men tell no tales, and the police have no leads. As the case unfolds, both come to learn that death is not the end, but the beginning of something altogether unexpected.

This is an omegaverse novel, set in an alternative version of England where humans are also wolves, men can get pregnant and everyone has a secondary sex. Contains M/M, open door smut, mpreg (although not featured heavily in this book), alternative human biology, shifting, Brit-cop humour, found family, sarcasm, two traumatised protagonists, serious sexual assault (implied but never described), suicide (described on page), graphic violence and, most importantly, copious amounts of kick-assery. Mature audiences only (18+).

REVIEW: ⟫
This was good – I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the first one, but it was good. Pember and Blake were actually really good together, and I loved their relationship with Val. The background characters really make this story – Oliver is there from book one, the CSI staff and the two police officers that I think are part three were so much fun. The main plot regarding a serial killer was interesting although it was a little too obvious who was involved. I’m glad I read this and will keep an eye out for book three.

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!

The Contract by Rina Saint (Dangerous Games #1)

Posted on by
1

TITLE: ⟫ The Contract
AUTHOR: ⟫ Rina Saint

SERIES: ⟫ Dangerous Games #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Dante
My moral compass is broken. That’s why I need rules. They keep me from killing people I shouldn’t. They keep me from crossing certain lines. I’m possessive. Obsessive. Deviant. And I like to fight.

That’s what I see in Tristan when I spot him working in the swanky nightclub. His cool detachment is a mask. He’s angry, he’s lost, and he’s totally new to what he’s feeling.

I want to feel that anger. I want it to burn me. I want him to fight me—then I want to feel him submit. He won’t have any choice, not in my play room. He would look perfect there on the black sheets … with red blooming across his creamy skin.

Tristan
Okay, so I’m not as straight as I thought. I can deal with that, but I don’t know if I can deal with him. I could tell Dante was dangerous even before I saw him talking to a mobster connected to my brother’s death. I mean, Dante cornered me and bit me. I don’t even know him! He’s a thousand red flags. And yet … my body has never responded to anyone like it responds to him. That’s why I sit down with him one night after work.

Is this real? Are we actually about to discuss a sex contract? It looks so normal at first. He can’t hit me in the face. He can’t maim me. Why do we need rules for this?

“I don’t think you’re understanding this,” Dante tells me in his dark, sexy voice. “These are hard limits. Everything else—everything else—is fair game.”

He won’t tell me what that means. Half the fun, he says, is finding out.

*Books in the Dangerous Games series can be read as standalones, though some events are connected and characters may cross over. Please note that these dark MM romances have HEAs but contain potentially triggering content. Each book’s content list (which will contain spoilers) can be found in its ebook sample.

REVIEW: ⟫
Dante was not kidding when he said everything else was fair game! This book continually took me by surprise. I liked how Tristan didn’t just let Dante get away with things – the way he handled the whole apartment situation had me fist-pumping for him – and I can well understand why Dante was so surprised by it all. I would agree that it’s probably a good idea for people to be aware of the trigger warnings – I didn’t read them beforehand and so certain aspects took me very much by surprise. The author has an engaging writing style and they handled the sex scenes masterfully – very evocative. Once I’ve read something a little lighter in subject matter, I will definitely be back to read the next book.