Tag Archives: mm reviewers

Heated Rivalry Series by Rachel Reid

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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)

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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.

Lord of Whispered Shadow by Jordan Ko (The Demon Reflected #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Lord of Whispered Shadow
AUTHOR: ⟫ Jordan Ko

SERIES: ⟫ The Demon Reflected #1
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Human. Archie, youngest son of a Duke, is caught between his mother’s matchmaking efforts and his brother’s threats to cut him off. Being married to a rich noblewoman would solve all of his problems, apart from the whole not being attracted to women concern. He doesn’t mean to attract the attention of a succubus but when he does… well, possession can’t be worse than being forever alone and closeted, can it?

Demon. Damaris, reduced to whispers and shadows after fleeing the demon realm. He needs to regain his magic, and the easiest way to do that is to steal energy from humans.

Everyone talks about humans being corrupted by demons, but if this is corruption then Archie will gladly forfeit his soul.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is a difficult review to write because I did enjoy reading this book. However, it was something I came back to every now and then, rather than something I felt the need to binge through as quickly as possible. I expected more steaminess and corruption, whereas I would describe this as quite tame in respect to the sex – most of those interactions took place ‘off page’, which is fine but not at all what I thought this book would be like. I enjoyed the information about demons and their place in society, but overall there was just a sense of ‘that was nice’ rather than anything special. I don’t think I’ll be reaching for book two when it’s released but I would say to give this story a try as it might be something you enjoy. I received an ARC from BookSirens.

Broken Bond by J.L. Cross (Claimed in Blood Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Broken Bond
AUTHOR: ⟫ J.L. Cross

SERIES: ⟫ Claimed in Blood Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 1.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I was rejected at the altar. Now the most dangerous mafia heir in the city claims I’m his.

Julian Vescari was supposed to vanish after being cast aside—Hollow, ruined, unworthy of love. Instead, fate delivers him into the arms of Enzo Romano, the brutal heir to the Romano crime family.

Enzo Romano doesn’t ask. He takes. He burns cities for loyalty, carves fear into his enemies, and when he learns Julian carries his heir, nothing will stop him from keeping what he claims. Not rival families. Not blood feuds. Not Julian’s desperate fear of chains disguised as devotion.

But in a world built on power, survival, and whispered betrayals, being bound to Enzo is both protection and prison. The dockside runs red with Veyra blood, secrets crawl in the marble halls of the Romano mansion, and Julian must decide. Is he Hollow still? Or is he strong enough to stand beside the wolf who claimed him?

🔥 Broken Bond is a dark, high-heat MM mafia omegaverse romance featuring:

  • A rejected mate turned reluctant heir-bearer
  • A ruthless mafia alpha who kills for devotion as much as power
  • Mpreg, protective possessiveness, family intrigue, and found strength in fire
  • Themes of survival, blood oaths, and a bond forged where enemies circle


For readers who love dark omegaverse, mafia dynasties, and broken omegas who rise fiercer than fate—this book will leave you breathless.

One Hollow.
One heir.
One bond that could burn a city to the ground.

👉 Start reading Broken Bond today and discover the dark omegaverse romance everyone’s talking about.

Content Warning: Broken Bond is a dark MM mafia romance featuring violence, abduction, explicit intimacy, power imbalance, and mpreg. This story includes mature themes and is intended for 18+ adult readers only.

REVIEW: ⟫ The premise grabbed me and I was ready for darkness, alphas and omegas and a mafia background. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations – I think I understand what they were trying to achieve with the style of writing – very spare and stark, although descriptive. Unfortunately, somewhere amidst all of that, the actual meat of the story got lost. Or maybe there just wasn’t any – everything was very surface, including the relationship between Julian and Enzo.

Having finished reading it, I still couldn’t tell if they even cared about each other, let alone found love. To a large extent, Julian being an omega didn’t even figure in the story – the fact that he was jilted at the altar meant that he was called a number of derogatory names and cast out, no longer fit for society, but there was no real explanation as to why. I just found myself with more questions than answers by the time I had finished reading, but I wasn’t interested enough to hope that the second book in the series might hold some answers. I can’t see me reading more by this author which is a shame because I really did love the idea.

Alpha Hunted by Crea Reitan (Knotty & Sweet Omegaverse Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Alpha Hunted
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ Knotty & Sweet Omegaverse Book #1
RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ I lost everything in a freak accident. My entire family; everything I’d ever cared about – gone in an instant. Unable to bear the constant reminders and emptiness of my life, I moved across the country to dull the loss, hopefully falling into the anonymity of a large city where even an alpha could disappear.

Starting over was never in my plans. All I wanted was to blend in and let life pass me by. Live in my modest studio apartment with my mindless job as an absentee owner of a popular juice bar downtown.

I spent my days with headphones in as I worked through each machine at the gym, grabbing a juice from my cafe on the way home, and drowning myself in the solitude of my house.

And then I met the only thing I’d never managed to obtain with my pack – an omega who made everything in me spark. And in the next breath, a shy beta who made my most basic instincts rear up and want to wrap her in my arms and give her the world.

Try as I may, I can’t seem to run far enough away from either of them. Once we meet, something keeps pulling us back together at every corner. Just as I start to give in and wrap myself in their pack that consists of two other alphas, I find out that the freak accident that took my first pack from me wasn’t an accident at all.

And now I’m being hunted by the murderers who intend to finish the job.

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

Disaster: The Biggest Fan by Nico Verce

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TITLE: ⟫ Disaster: The Biggest Fan
AUTHOR: ⟫ Nico Verce
RATING: ⟫ 1/5

BLURB: ⟫ Live Fast, Die Loud

God built the myth.

The fan archived it.

Then he bled for it.

Jesse Grady—known online as Red—was never supposed to be seen.

He was just a fan. A digital ghost. An obsessive eye locked on the chaos of the band DISASTER, especially its frontman: the untouchable, unhinged Chase Riot.

But then the legend looked back.

Now Red’s face is on every feed. His obsession has a spotlight. And Chase? Chase wants more.

More control. More devotion. More destruction.

Dragged into a world of fame, fire, and brutal intimacy, Red becomes a target, a trophy, a mirror. The deeper he falls, the sharper the game cuts—until the persona cracks, the truth leaks, and the audience demands more.

This tour won’t end with redemption.

It’s a slow burn toward detonation.

A vicious callout of parasocial culture.

Perfect for fans of dark celebrity romance, toxic obsession, fandom horror, and razorwire banter.

Obsession is currency. Fame is a weapon. You came for the show—now bleed for it.

REVIEW: ⟫ I understand what the author was trying to do with how they wrote this story – it seemed to be aiming at being an insight into parasocial links, complete with hashtags and ‘reactions’ from people to things that were happening. I have also been a hardline ‘stan’ of various groups in my life, so I get it.

This did not work for me even remotely. I kept waiting for something more than dramatic statements and unhinged fan reactions, something between the two leads that wasn’t just toxic situationship behaviour and it never happened. I literally finished reading this book because it was an ARC and I didn’t want to give up too easily. I wish I had. I can’t see me reading anything by this author again, at least not willingly. I received an ARC through BookSirens.

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

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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.

Heartbreak Hockey by S Legend (Heartbreak Hockey Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey
AUTHOR: ⟫ S Legend

SERIES: ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Hockey. Drama. Battles on and off the ice.

Jack

I had my person I was supposed to grow old with, but he double broke my heart when he forced me to choose between marrying him or hockey. I chose hockey and if I’m choosing hockey, I’m doing it all the way and leaving love out of the equation. Sounds like a great plan until I show up to hockey practice and realize the guy I fell into bed with is actually my new coach.

Mercy

People depend on me. They need me. Worrying about myself has always come last. That’s what my life has been about since I was ten years old. That is until I decided to take what I wanted just once. Now, my heart’s decided Jack’s mine. I’ve fallen and I’ll never be the same. There’s just one problem. He’s on my hockey team and I can’t avoid him. I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame. What do you do when you know in your heart someone’s yours, but you can’t have them?

This real Canadian adventure features possessive MCs, an age-gap romance, enemies-to-lovers vibes, and the sweetest gay hockey romance you’ll ever read. It’s a wild ride from start to finish with hilarious characters who do outrageous things. Oh, and of course, it contains the caretaking dynamic Mock (S. Legend and Canadian) is known best for. It’s a verified member of the Hot Pink Peaches Club.

REVIEW: ⟫ They are hilarious characters and they do absolutely outrageous things which made this book a riot ride from start to finish. Some suspension of disbelief is needed but only a little. Mercy’s father definitely needs to be neutered but I adored the Meyer family, how much they cared for each other and were there. When Jack and Mercy begin their relationship, it was difficult to see how they were going to keep going, especially when Jack got the chance of a lifetime. But I really enjoyed the ups and downs, how they loved each other, saw each other for who they were and appreciated each other’s growth. It was chaotic but so much fun and set me up for the next four books in the series.

Heat Haze by Alder Snow

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TITLE: ⟫ Heat Haze
AUTHOR: ⟫ Alder Snow
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ After their car breaks down on the side of a hot Texan road, L.A. born Nico Marín and his friends are offered help by an all too friendly stranger. But after the Tavera family farm is turned into a slaughterhouse, Nico finds himself hiding in an old closet just praying he isn’t next. When the closet doors open and he’s face to face with Toro Tavera, the alarmingly big but mute black sheep of the family, he’s greeted not with words but with one sound.

Sh.

Then he’s left there. With a heart beating so fast he can barely breathe, he sits for what feels like hours. But when Toro returns he isn’t there to finish the job. Instead he drops down, unspeaking but not unfeeling, lifting Nico’s hand up to his head in an attempt to be pet. He doesn’t want to hurt him, but he does want to be loved.

Heat Haze is a single-POV standalone novel between a loveless L.A. city boy and a mute cannibal killer who craves genuine love. Two men with more in common than they realize learn to love and grow together in this HEA romance that turns a grim start into lots of fluff. This novel is lighter dark romance, with lots of affection between the leads and not as much ‘dark’ content. A full CW list is included inside!

REVIEW: ⟫ I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I saw this offered as an arc – a fluffy dark romance including cannibals was something I had never seen before, and I was fascinated to see how it was going to work.

There is A LOT of suspending disbelief reading this – like, seriously, don’t even think about trying to make sense of some of the decisions Nico made. I personally haven’t seen ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ but even I caught the references to it in the beginning. The relationship between Toro and Nico was very simplistically presented, and the thoughts about Stockholm Syndrome were definitely there. I’m not sure the author managed to convince me about this romance, but I feel it was a good attempt and I applaud the ‘different’ thinking behind the idea.

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews.

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

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TITLE: ⟫ Velvet Chains
AUTHOR: ⟫ River Winters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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