Tag Archives: mm review

Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon Prince by Wendy Rathbone

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TITLE: ⟫ Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon

AUTHOR: ⟫ Wendy Rathbone

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’ve been sold to an unfriendly foreign land of dragon shifters to become a brood slave.

Tavi is a set-omega, which means he has no inner beast and cannot shift.
Considered worthless by his wolf pack, and with no individual rights, he is sold into slavery along with other set-omegas as they come of age.

Alluresh is a dragon shifter, all business and very little play. His inner dragon is feral and often controls him, shifting inappropriately at times, creating chaos and damage. Others fear him, causing Alluresh to become bitter and reclusive.

All of that changes when a shady friend from his past invites him to an omega auction. Alluresh attends, only to discover his dragon has eyes for one of the omegas for sale, demanding he bid on him or else.

What is Alluresh to do but obey his beast and call out a ridiculously large sum?

Two outcast men learn they might have more in common than they think, and a feral dragon finds his inner heart.

Contemporary omegaverse, alpha/omega, dragon shifter, mpreg/eggpreg, omega heat, knotting, opposites attract, age gap, size difference. This is a sold-into-brood-slavery tale turned romance where everything is consensual with a terribly sweet HEA.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was absolutely delightful – I read it in a matter of hours and loved every moment! I really liked all three lead characters – Allure, Alluresh and Tavi – they each had reasons for acting the way that they did, but went above and beyond to be better than their circumstances. I loved the combative relationship between Allure and Alluresh, and could well understand them butting heads from the time Alluresh was a teenager – teenage hormones along with an unruly, nearly feral dragon must have been a nightmare.

I admired Tavi for facing the situation he was in and making the most of it, as well as allowing himself to fall in love with both Allure and Alluresh. Alluresh and Tavi were incredibly sweet together, both a little gun-shy with regard to emotions and their situation, but both prepared to communicate and work together to make the most of things. This was a well-deserved happy ever after and I really loved it.

I received an ARC from GRR.

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

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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.

Angels in the City by Garrett Leigh

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TITLE: ⟫ Angels in the City

AUTHOR: ⟫ Garrett Leigh

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ A fake relationship with a stranger. An office romance with doughnuts and white knights. An addictive arrangement—friends with benefits—fast turns to love.

Jonah Gray is rich, successful, and the most eligible bachelor in the city, according to his mother, at least. But the truth is, despite her efforts to pair him off, he’s fine on his own. All he needs is a date to the Christmas ball.

Sacha Ivanov is a lone wolf, content in the cycle of long days, late nights, and anonymous hook ups, but when a chance encounter in a broken-down lift brings a gorgeous copper-haired CEO into his life, everything begins to change.

As Christmas fast approaches, a favour for a stranger blooms into something more. He doesn’t do second dates or relationships. But for kind-hearted Jonah, his angel in the city, he might just change his mind.

Angels in the City is a Christmas themed MM friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, office romance. Expect fraught days, steamy nights, and true love built around festive snacks and Christmas trees.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was such a sweet, sexy read – Jonah and Sacha should not have matched at all and yet, they are perfect together. Sacha is so determined to hold himself away from things that overpower his control that he sometimes comes across as cold. But Jonah sees through the exterior and realises that Sacha is a strong, warm, kind, loving man who just needs someone who accepts him exactly as he is.

I loved the relationship between the two of them, the back and forth banter, and the chemistry between them was palpable. I also really enjoyed the background story regarding the App that they were both working on, as well as the characters involved in both of their lives. This was a really enjoyable read and I’m glad I picked it up now even if it’s set at Christmas!

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

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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!

A Stealthy Situation by Saxon James (Franklin U 2 Book #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ A Stealthy Situation

AUTHOR: ⟫ Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ Franklin U 2 Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Harrison

My life’s goal? Make plants fun!

I’m gonna be fighting for flora when I’m older and it all starts with auditing stats so I can level up for my masters, and lucky for me, the intriguing guy in my class is a math whizz.

He’s standoffish at first, but after a class where I bet my sitcoms can make him laugh, one bet leads to another and we’re hanging out all the time. Even though I know he’s interested in me, we’re easy friends, until I start to think I might be a little interested in him, too.

The only problem? He seems like a totally different guy in class to when we hang out. I brush it off as him trying to concentrate, but then I spot something I can’t explain away.

A scar. On his palm.

One I’m positive Benny has never had before.

Benny

Since we were little, my twin brother and I have always switched things up–literally. It started as funsies, and now we’re college juniors and still taking each other’s classes. I suck at Math, he sucks at English, and we both have a rule not to make friends in class as the other person. Our system is perfect.

Only Emmett has the audacity to get sick right before stats and I have to actually show up for my own class–where I meet my future husband.

Harrison is smart, weirdly into plants, and we instantly hit it off like old friends.

Only of course the gorgeous mountain of a nerd is straight.

Just when I’m telling myself to let my dreams of matching rings go, our text messages become constant, flirtier, deeper than I’ve had with any other guy before. My butterflies have butterflies every time we catch up.

And then I get a text from Emmett: I’m so sorry. I think I messed up.

REVIEW: ⟫ How lovely it was to read the beginning of the twins’ story. Emmett and Benny basically come from Hockey royalty, so the decision to run away from all of that hockey was a difficult one. Benny is doing okay for himself – he loves his frat, enjoys most of his college work, and is happy with his various hook-ups.

Until he meets Harrison when he is forced to actually attend one of his stats lectures. And suddenly, he’s doing and wanting things that he’s never wanted before. And that’s not even taking into account that Harrison has always previously identified as straight. The relationship between the two of them is an absolute delight, made even more so by the fact that Benny seems to be allergic to ‘love’ and being nice, whereas Harrison is the sweetest, most cheerful, cinnamon roll!

All looks like it might turn out pretty damned good until Emmett returns to stats class and Harrison notices something awry. That opens a whole new can of worms that it took some real effort to get through. I appreciated the fact that Harrison is prepared to accept the new ‘him’, support Benny and try to understand the twins’ actions without judging them too harshly. And the resolution – what we see of it – made me quite happy. I definitely feel like things were left up in the air because of Emmett but look forward to where Saxon James is going to take things for the Dalton twins.

A fun, satisfying read and a worthy addition to the Franklin U 2 series.

The Hookup Mix-Up by Riley Hart (Franklin U 2 Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Hookup Mix-Up

AUTHOR: ⟫ Riley Hart

SERIES: ⟫ Franklin U 2 Book #1

RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ Perry

I moved to San Luco to get to know my brother, and so far, it’s been great. Working as a bartender at Shenanigans, a bar close to Franklin University, there are beautiful men and women everywhere. When a hot guy falls into my arms at a party, I’m down for some naughty fun. Until I realize he’s way too drunk for anything to happen. Thankfully, we agree to meet up the next day.

One near-kiss later, I discover Theo has no idea I’ve been hitting on him. He thinks we’re hanging out as buddies, and to my great regret, says he’s straight. How did I misread this situation when I thought he was giving me all the right signals?

Theo

Perry thinks I’m a nine…a nine! Sure, I’m not into dudes, but it’s flattering that someone as attractive as him thinks I’m hot. Despite the confusion, Perry and I click and agree to keep hanging out. The more time I spend with him, the more I realize there’s a part of myself I’ve been ignoring. One that’s super bi and wants Perry as more than a friend.

Trying to study with him makes things hard for me…below the belt. Unfortunately, his abandonment issues have him open to a fling and nothing more, while I’m catching feelings in a big way. Can I be satisfied with a hookup? Or should I find a way to convince him to take a chance on making this something real?

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

Suddenly You by Cora Rose (Our Exception #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Suddenly You

AUTHOR: ⟫ Cora Rose

SERIES: ⟫ Our Exception #2

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ We’ve all heard the saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

God help me, if only that were true.

Because as it turns out, my surprise gay husband is very much still my husband outside of the great state of Nevada. And let me tell you, as a straight guy, waking up married to a man I barely know with no memory of how it happened wasn’t even on my Bingo card.

What started as a fun weekend getaway to support my brothers in their relationships and show them how much I’ve grown, has somehow spiraled wildly out of my control.

Cooper Barone is rich, kind, and charming, but he’s holding all the cards now. Because he doesn’t want our marriage annulled. No, he says he wants us to make a deal. He wants me to spend time with him, to move in with him.

All I know is that I’m broke and I can’t afford a divorce without his compliance, without his help.

So there’s nothing left for me to do but agree and accept my fate.

I’m a straight dude with a husband.

This is my life now.

REVIEW: ⟫ I have not enjoyed the most recent Cora Rose books as much as I did when I initially started reading their books. I think it was more me than the actual material – I was looking for something else, whereas I feel that they write slightly insane meet cute circumstances with steamy sex scenes very well. Perhaps I was in my dark era?

Anyway, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Suddenly You because, like many of their other books, it calls back to different series that they write, and Matt did not stand out to me when I met him before. However, despite the ‘getting married in Vegas’ trope being a little out there, along with Cooper’s insistence that there wouldn’t be a divorce until he was ready, this book touched me quite deeply. Matt is a troubled young man, struggling against his upbringing, what he has been taught by his parents, and drowning in debt. The only good thing in his life is his reconnection with two of his brothers, and even that comes with issues.

Adding a bisexual awakening to the mix seemed like just too much for the poor man to handle. Until there was Cooper. Cooper who seemed to understand just how touch-starved Matt was; who despite ‘spoiled rich boy’ vibes was actually incredibly kind, caring and careful with Matt. Cooper was the standout for me in this book – he was as much deeper character than first presented, allowed Matt to move at his own pace, and was also willing to risk his heart on a closeted man who has demonstrated less than stellar behaviour in the past.

I really enjoyed reading this and was surprised by how much depth was in the book, whilst still allowing for the usual madcap adventures, albeit in the background. It was cool to see Whit and Caleb are still as deranged, and obviously Sem gets a special mention. Now that I am out of my ‘dark’ era (or taking a break from it at least), I think I may revisit the Cora Rose books I’ve overlooked in the meantime. .

Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero

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TITLE: ⟫ Lights, Camera, Passion

AUTHOR: ⟫ Isabel Lucero

RATING: ⟫ 2.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Playing a lead role in a book-to-movie adaptation with a wild fan base? Sign me up! The only downside is that I’m cast alongside Jacoby “Heartthrob” Hart—Hollywood’s golden boy. If only they knew he was an uppity, pompous snob.

We don’t get along, and if you’re reading the tabloids, you’d assume it was because I “stole” his girlfriend, but they have it all wrong. Jacoby and his cold shoulder started this, and now we’re set to play lovers. The only thing I’d love to do is strangle him, but I’m a professional.

Behind the scenes, we’re either bickering or avoiding each other, but when the cameras start rolling, I can’t believe how much chemistry we have.

One night, during a passionate argument, something happens that I never anticipated. The chemistry that started out as an act turns into much more behind closed doors, but we both have secrets, and Hollywood is a hard place to keep those.

Lights, Camera, Passion is an enemies-to-lovers story between two supposedly straight actors who don’t get along but are cast to play lovers in a book-to-movie adaptation. Expect bickering, banter, tension, chemistry, and a couple of revelations straining to burst free from the closet.

REVIEW: ⟫ I wanted to like this so very, very much. The idea of a closeted gay actor and a bisexual actor acting together in a book adaptation and falling in love – just the idea made me squeal with delight. Unfortunately for me, this just didn’t do it.

The actual filming was over so quickly and barely covered – for some reason, I expected there for be more of the actual ‘film’ involved in the story. The relationship that built between Roman and Jacoby also felt really perfunctory. Yes, they were both attracted to the other before they met to film. And I could see how the tabloids would have played up the whole ‘romantic rivals’ thing from them both dating the same actress. But there were far too many misunderstandings that felt contrived and unnecessary.

I felt like we spent a lot of time with Jacoby going back and forth about his desire to hide his sexuality, whereas Roman’s feelings about his parents were handled in less than one chapter – I was disappointed because the point was made that his feelings about his parents played a huge role in his public persona. I wanted that to be explored more and definitely felt a little less time on Jacoby and more on what made Roman tick would have helped the story.

Their relationship was portrayed as very steamy and passionate, but I didn’t feel it. Reading their love-making scenes I felt quite removed – I guess the best description would be it felt very much like telling me what they were feeling rather than making me feel it with them. I just found myself very removed from the whole thing and that was disappointing.

It’s a shame because I think the story idea was brilliant and I would have loved to have felt more immersed in the whole thing. Obviously, YMMV, but for me this wasn’t a success.

The Caretaker by CP Harris (Infidelity #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Caretaker

AUTHOR: ⟫ CP Harris

SERIES: ⟫ Infidelity #3

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ The only thing Noon Waters is sure of is his undying love for his wife. But when a devastating accident ripped both her and a good deal of his memories away from him, he’s left to navigate a new life weighed down by grief, anger, and confusion.

After stumbling upon an old receipt dated one day prior to the tragic event, Noon’s curiosity leads him to Haley Cove, a place he can’t remember but is somehow certain holds the key to regaining his forgotten years.

So focused on the memories he hopes to recapture, Noon is unprepared for the oddly familiar stranger he finds there instead. As a tentative friendship between the two men blooms into something more, Noon’s reasons for being in the quaint town become less clear. What starts as a quest for answers ends with a revelation too painful to bear.

What happens when the beautiful life you thought you had lived was a lie, but that lie is all you can remember?

**The Caretaker is a MM romance and book 3 in the Infidelity series. It ends with a HEA, and can be read as a stand-alone but may be better enjoyed if read in series order. Themes include amnesia, hurt/comfort, and second chances. Both MCs are consenting adults. Please use the Amazon “Look Inside” feature for a full list of what you can expect.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well this one is going to rip your heart out and squeeze it into a million pieces in every chapter! My goodness – it’s 6 am in the morning and I’ve just finished reading The Caretaker and the bonus scene available on C.P. Harris’ website and I had to get down how I felt immediately.

Each time I begin to read one of their books, I find myself wondering if I will care about the characters as much as I did the first time. And each time, I find myself dragged into a maelstrom of emotions – fear, pain, love – literally tears making it hard to read the words but needing to keep reading because I need to know how they make it through the hell that they are in.

Noon and Solace are no different to Jasper, Cole, Leland, Frankie – they are human beings with good and bad within them, fighting to find a way through their life that means something and contains some happiness. And it is a battle – Noon and Solace fight to get back to each other, even when one of them isn’t aware that that’s what he’s doing. This story was just freaking masterful in the way it wove the past and the present together. Even when you KNOW what’s coming, it’s still so heartbreaking that there just aren’t words.

I think I’ve said it before that C.P. Harris is quite possibly one of the few authors that can make me read infidelity and understand it – the understanding of people’s motives, how they live and breathe, what they need – it shines through in each story, and the Caretaker is no exception.

I would dearly love it if this one was made into a movie – simply because I would love to see if there was a man out there who could play Noon in all of his seven foot, intimidating glory. That and I think the sex scenes would be hotter than fire.

An easy 5/5 from me and please don’t forget to read the bonus scene – it was the literal cherry on top of a perfect sundae!

Broken Ice by Marina Vivancos (Alpha Omega Hockey Book #4)

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TITLE: ⟫ Broken Ice

AUTHOR: ⟫ Marina Vivancos

SERIES: ⟫ Alpha Omega Hockey #4

RATING: ⟫ 3.75/5

BLURB: ⟫ After being forced to take suppressants for a year by his coach, Beau’s body is a mess. He has a debilitatingly painful heat every two weeks, and there’s no medication available to help him.

Being traded from the team that did that to him is a slap to the face. Being traded to their direct competitors, the Miami Manatees, is just the cherry on top of the sh*t sundae that has become his life.

Now Beau doesn’t just have to get through heats only an Alpha would be able to help with, but has to tolerate Emilio, the guy who doesn’t only hate him, but his Omega scent.

Which doesn’t really make sense, what with how protective and possessive the Alpha gets when Beau goes into heat…and how he keeps volunteering to help him through them.

Beau might take him up on that offer, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to fall in love.

This story contains a goofily oblivious main character and his long-suffering romantic interest, many a heat, plenty of nesting, hurt/comfort, and a dog named Bingo.

This book takes place a decade after the beginning of Alpha Omega: New York and can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ Hmm, I’ve read plenty of oblivious love interests, but Beau may just be the absolute worst one yet! I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I have a couple of the previous books in the series. Beau was so oblivious that after a while, it really began to get on my nerves.

Some of it was understandable – the reactions of his partners in the past and his old coach really did a number on him. But he had so many positive influences in his life – from his family to the few people he did let close – that it was difficult not to feel like he should have been questioning what he had been through in the past a lot sooner.

The story kinda gambolled along quite nicely, with an interesting cast of characters. It seems pretty obvious that Beau’s brother will get his own story with Sammy, and I will definitely read that because even when I’m not 100% along for the ride, Marina Vivancos writes a story that you want to read to the end. Even when you want to shake one of the main protagonists.

I did enjoy how secure Beau was when it came to the physical side of things – he made me laugh more than once with how straight-forward he was and how Emilio reacted. I didn’t get as much of a sense of Emilio as Beau, although the guy deserves a medal for putting up with Beau on occasion.

This was a fun read, with minimal angst, a chunk of heat sex, and a completely oblivious omega that you may find more than a little annoying even while you’re hanging in there for his HEA.